Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate it! I've had a story like this stuck in my head since I've ever first started writing fanfic. I must have been about 11? So that was some time ago. No more Mary-Sues for me, I've learnt my lesson.
Because I've fallen in love with this story line since I was so young, I want to be proud of this and do it justice - the way I see it playing out in my head. I've written stories I know that have great plot lines, but due to lack of time, interest and energy, I was never able to do justice. With this one, I'm making it my goal to do myself proud, so I hope you enjoy this!
PS. Please ignore grammatical errors, its 4am and really wanted to update. Will go through tomorrow and re-correct,
This is how an angel dies, I blame it on my own sick pride. Blame it on my A-D-D, baby. - Awolnation, Sail.
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A young 13 year old Kori awoke from a deep slumber. With no sunlight to recharge her energy, she was nothing but an empty battery. She was hollow. Oh how she craved for some sunlight.
But here she resided in a dark stoned torture chamber, chained to the wall, surrounded with few Tameraneans that have lived through this inhumane torture. She could hear one of her previous hand maidens screaming in the next room, begging to die. She could see through the rod iron barrier. It was no less than a few seconds it was like her mouth was gagged with a stiff object coming from the masters' abdomen, yet her body was being push and pulled from the other guard standing behind her backside.
Kori had no tears to spill for a girl who was once her friend, she had already used them for her K'norfkas' bodyguard that had taken her place. Never had she felt so useless as a princess. She didn't even deserve that title, no great princess would let her people end up in this forsaken prison. It was sadistic, inhumane… and there was nothing she could do about it.
Kori peered down her legs, there was more blood coming from in between her legs. She bowed her head in disgust. She was no longer pure, nor was she taken willingly with love. No respectable man would ever take her now.
…
"Sis? Will we ever get out of here?"
Kori looked down at her little brother, her heart broke as she saw the swelling of his right eye flare up. He had tears drawing from both eyes, fusing with the blood that ran down his nose. His shoulder looked disfigured and he smelt of bodily waste from the guards.
But he still smiled.
"Soon, my brother."
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"Why! Why did you do this to me?! I had finally made at least one true friend. Why must you push away people I want to be close with?!"
No, she couldn't stay here. Donna had been to her apartment a few times. She could come knocking with other Justice League members. They would hold her hostage, take her beloved Silkie away from her. A tear streamed down her face, all Kori ever wanted was to be a normal person. She knew that life would never be possible with these hallucinations that have forever haunted her.
It just wasn't fair.
I hate you voices! I beg of you! Please leave me alone! I just want to be normal.
…
No reply. How ironic. Why couldn't the voices stay quiet like this?
"Silkie! We must make haste!"
She looked around, she was glad to have worked so excessively. The voices once predicted something along the lines of this would happen eventually, and they were always right with their predictions. Kori packed her overnight bag with essentials, undergarments and grabbing some food for Silkie alongside, she needed to find somewhere she could lay low for a while until all the dust had settled.
Taking a final look at her apartment, a lone tear refused to fall. She couldn't believe to be so foolish to think that maybe she had established a normal life as a minimum waged employer. Kori even let herself believe that maybe, that just maybe, she had made a friend.
Unsurprisingly, Donna ran, just like the rest.
She could feel her heart break even further. All she ever wanted was to be wanted herself. Cuddling her dog in her arms, she let her tears flow into the fur of her dog. Silkie condoled Kori by bowing his head over her shoulder, letting out a small moan as if to say she didn't want to see her owner in pain.
"Silkie, why can I not be like everyone else? Why can't someone else hear the voices I hear?"
Placing her Christian Dior glasses over her eyes, Kori sprinted as fast as she could to the rooftop, clutching to her few bags and her dog for dear life. She needed a thought to sweep her off her feet. And like every other time, it was that same idea that flocked in her head. She wanted to feel love from another person, whether it be alien or human, Kori just wanted to know what it was like to have someone kiss you good night.
Did this guy have an ideal size or height? Kori was not shallow by any means. Sure, looks contributed to one's attraction, but this was only skin deep. She wanted this person to be different – like having a sweet, caring and protective personality. Someone she could confide her deepest, darkest secrets. Someone she could call on her cell phone when she was having the worst of days. Just a person that would laugh at her jokes, even if they were unfunny.
Before she knew it, she could already see a town up ahead, a sign was soon sighted within the overcast horizon.
Big bold letters.
Gotham City.
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Donna sat in the cafeteria, sipping on her grande sized Cappuccino.
She had voiced what had happened to Diana. She explained how the red head became frantic, shaking and screaming - these weren't things Kori did on any sort of basis. Donna had convinced everyone that prior to the event, she had no reason to even think of Kori being some sort of suspect. From one second she was this lovely, innocent girl who wouldn't harm a fly. The next, well… Donna couldn't simply put it into words.
"It's like someone had written a biography about my life, and she had recited it word for word."
"… and before this happened, this girl didn't act suspicious?"
Donna shook her head. "She worked as a waitress 40hrs a week. Sometimes, she would model for me."
"With an income from your shots, she would have no reason to work a minimum wage job. She definitely had something to hide. Any girl with a body and face like that would have no hesitation to model." Long-time friend Richard Grayson leant back in his seat, folding his hands as he examined some of Donna's work with the accused. There was a reason he was second to the best detective in the world.
Dick further examined the girl. Beautiful ruby locks, sun kissed glow, long slender body, and a curvaceous figure to show that she was a woman. But the one thing that got to Dick was the two orbs that felt as though they were looking deep into Richards own. They were such a vibrant emerald – not the acidic borderline yellow, no, these eyes were rich in colour. It was almost like she was perfectly photoshopped and placed to exist amongst the averages.
Definitely not to be confused with the generic. She was a sight to behold.
"And no one heard her?"
"Unless you count her dog. It looked like a maltese, crossed with… some other small fluffy dog. Jesus, just imagine those fluffy white happy dogs all girls want to put in their Gucci bag." Donna took another sip of her coffee. She didn't know what to think of Kori at this point in time. For all she knew, someone had put her up to this.
"Tell me the whole conversation."
"Of how the whole thing came about?"
Richard nodded his head.
"Well. We caught up, as usual. Talking about my work and whatnot. She is so gorgeous, I asked her why she didn't model full time. She made an excuse like how she thought people would think of her 'too foreign'."
"Too foreign? I thought photographers loved that sort of thing." Dick began to impatiently tap his finger, that sentence in itself was enough to raise alarms. He couldn't believe that the average person couldn't figure that out, but he then remembered that the average person wasn't brought up by Bruce Wayne. Things never went amiss when Bruce or Dick engaged even in the slightest conversations, so he had to give some sort of leeway.
"We do. But I didn't want to press it. But then she went quiet. She started to twitch."
"Twitch? How so?"
"Maybe not twitch, more like jolt. Like a surge of electricity went through her. She went pale, then she grabbed a hold of her hair at the roots, almost like she was about to pull them out. I asked if she was alright, but she never replied. It was almost like she wasn't paying attention." Richard arched an eyebrow, there were many possibilities circulating in his head, but he was never one to jump to conclusions.
"Then she started saying that I was a true friend. That was all she needed to know about me. I told her that I was her friend. And that's when it started." Donna took a second to breathe. She was taught to appear strong in public, mourn in private. This Amazonian couldn't show weakness, especially not in front of a male. Dick could see her trying to supress her tears; her pride was getting in the way and she refused to be made a fool.
"She denied that I was a superhero, saying that I was normal."
"Hmm. Did anyone mention the word superhero? Was it brought up in previous conversation?"
Donna shook her head. "I've been taught to avoid using that word at all costs, to protect my superhero life."
Dick bowed his head for a second, as if to signal he was in deep thought. This cut out a fair few of his previous theories, but he couldn't help but feel something was out of place.
"Then out of nowhere, she just blatantly asked if I was Troia. I didn't know how to respond. Kori looked like she had an emotion breakdown while she recited my birth."
"Specifically?"
"All of it. She said that Diana was Wonder Woman and that she was my sister. She said that we were from Themyscira and that we were princesses. She said my existence was to be a playmate." Donna grimaced, something just occurred.
"She was about to talk about Dark Angel, but then she literally slapped herself across her own cheek."
"She slapped herself? With full force with intention to hurt herself?"
"Yeah. Then all of a sudden, she just flew away. Dick, she can nearly fly at the speed of light. Not many heroes can fly at a comparable speed. And here I thought she was just a pretty face with next to no confidence."
Dick knew to always expect the unexpected, so there was no chance of Donna catching up to her. What caught Dick was that she slapped herself. What sane person would intentionally hurt their self? It didn't make any sense. Maybe that was the part that this Kori girl had slipped up on.
"Did you not hear me? She sped off! If I didn't know her and I walked down the street, I would've taken her for just another model. She's not like any other person! She figured out the purpose of my existence, and I can count on one hand the amount of people who know this confidential information!"
"Donna, think. Why would she intentionally slap herself?"
"Because she… wanted to shut up? But anyone could shut their own mouth. It seems a bit excessive to slap yourself. Unless…" Donna leaned back in her seat. She could kind of see where Dick was heading with this, but she knew she had slipped up along the way. "You think someone was controlling her to say these things?"
"Not controlling her, but no sane person slaps themselves in the face." Dick realised Donna wasn't following in his train of thought. But he didn't mind, sometimes, the way to make clear of a situation was to hear it out loud.
"You said she denied that you were a superhero. It almost suggests that someone was saying that you were, and she refused to believe it."
"But no one was around. But then again, she was cutting out in mid-sentence. She wasn't listening to me, it's like she was talking to herself." Dick noted the realisation that dawned over Donna. It was all too evident in her eyes. "You think she had voices in her head?"
Dick winked his eye, he took a sip his of drink before he began to further elaborate. "If I'm going on purely what you've provided, she's demonstrated the inability to carry a normal conversation. She has changed states of excitement to see you, to becoming withdrawn and pulling her hair. This girl is talking to herself, with no one else around to carry on a conversation, not to mention her talking of a topic you yourself told me you'd avoid at all costs."
"You really are the world's best detective."
Donna gave a heaving sigh. This was all too much for her to take in.
She had once thought this girl was a potential life-long friend. Now apparently she was hearing voices in her head. Donna knew that Dick could read far more into this than Donna could, but the emotional stress itself was too much for her to bear. She needed to have a quick lie down and forget about everything that happened today.
"Right, I need to go and talk with Diana. See what she wants to do about it."
"If she's capable of revealing our identity, I don't think any of the League would want to leave her amongst everyone else."
"Yeah, I'd better tell them where she lives." Donna placed a small hand over Dick's shoulder, giving a heartfelt smile. "Thank you, Dick."
Dick nodded his head as she took her leave.
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"How was your day?"
"I just want today to end."
"Huh, that bad?"
Dick rolled his eyes beneath his sunglasses. "You would never believe it."
This earned him a giggle from the newly crippled girl. It was refreshing to see a small smile on her face, after all the trauma she had been through, it was a lot to take in. Nevertheless, he knew that if roles were reversed, he knew that he'd have to get a restraining order just to get her away. She was selfless like that, and he needed to show some sort of respect to her to show that he wasn't a bad friend in turn.
With that, Dick handed her a takeaway long black with a chocolate roll croissant. Babs smiled at his thought, he knew her favourite pick me up.
"Thanks."
Dick couldn't help but stare into Babs' eyes. He knew that look, it wasn't a look to be confused with one night stands and lust. He could actually feel Bab's love for him grow even more, if that was possible.
These thoughts made him feel guilty.
Can't she see that I'm doing this out of friend obligation? There was one side that loved her once upon a time ago, but that love had faded into nothing more than siblings. Dick knew that Babs was reading too much into these small gestures, these were things that friends would do if they were a newly cripple. He thought she was a woman of logic. But like many women, emotions do come out to play, and they definitely play hard.
He couldn't think of any way of possibly breaking it easy to her.
"You know, you're the reason why I've been getting up. You've made me feel like there is something…" Babs reached for his hand, Dick mentally slapped his head. He should have seen this coming a mile away; she was going in for the kill. He knew he couldn't deny her, not in this current state she was in! She was so vulnerable! How could he have been so stupid?! He needed to cut her off ASAP.
"Look Babs-…"
"Please, Dick. Let me finish."
And there it goes. Now I'm going to look like a heartless bastard.
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"Its been a couple of weeks since this… ordeal happened." Obviously still a bit sensitive, but Didn't expect anything less.
"… I feel like when you're around, you make me feel that living with this disability will be easy. As long as you're with me."
"You're my friend Babs. I'll always be there."
Babs wasn't stupid, he knew she picked up on the intentional f word. Of course that didn't go unnoticed, or that would be asking for a miracle.
"Dick. What do you think of me?"
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There was a time when Dick had loved Babs far greater than the moment the two shared now. He remembered he would watch her from afar, she was loved by many men – and so she should be. Dick reminisced the day she final accepted his offer for dinner, he made sure Alfred searched all around the country to find the best restaurant and demanded for a table that night, if the factor that Dick Grayson demanded to be seated wasn't enough to persuade them, the sight of a American Express Centurion Card was a definite – especially seeing there was no limit.
He had a PA search for the most expensive Giorgio Armani suit freshly pressed and suited to make his physique stand out. Roses were sent to her doorstep followed by chocolates. He made sure the limousine was ready on the dot, if anything went wrong on that day, he probably would have to be restrained from killing.
So it could be said that when she broke up with him, his world came crashing down.
He couldn't figure it out, he treated her like a princess and gave her every possible thing he had. He would have given the very shirt off his back it meant making her happy, and with the fact she would be happy, he felt fulfilled. She was a smart, beautiful and intelligent individual, she was a simple girl, and yet he couldn't even keep the simplest happy in his presence. After a few weeks of mourning, his father gave him advice to help move on from heartbreak.
And from his only love, Dick Grayson became a shadowing playboy of his father. Some could even say he was his successor.
Later in life, Dick had learnt that though many women loved a good night out on the town, spoilt here and there, these women were only good for short term pain relief – and they knew it. Some thought they could change him, but with intelligence and his fathers advice, he knew love was something that heroes could never cling to.
So he promised unless he had met the rare breed of lady that were beautiful, intelligent and kind, he would refuse to fall in love.
… And thus, Dick found himself in the predicament where his first love – beautiful, intelligent and kind, had become a newly paraplegic and was in her darkest hour. He was the biggest idiot. She proclaimed her ongoing love for him, and he felt like the biggest bastard in the world.
What could he say?
With a million thoughts and possibilities running through his head, there wasn't enough courage to spit them out. His brain was working beyond belief, but his mouth was stone, refusing to deserved an answer at least, he couldn't be a coward and hide her from the truth.
Yet Babs was smart. This silence was enough to give her the answer she needed.
A lone tear swept down her porcelain cheek.
"I'm sorry."
Kissing her forehead. As he walked away, he had taken the cowards way out. Never had he been so disappointed in himself, not for giving a short two word answer. No, that wasn't the case.
He had felt disappointed that even though he could hear her cry and scream in pain, he had never felt so relieved to detach him from the situation and find a loophole to escape.
Sometimes, the cowards way out was for the best.
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After pushing himself to the absolute limit, he knew Gotham would always need a protector, and he could no longer rely on Richard – he had worries of his own. It wasn't in his nature to sit around, nor did he ever want to become a liability because of his emotions.
So Bruce kicked his own ass out of his study, got into his uniform and must to Alfred's protest, got out once again. He had to keep in mind that Alfred intentions were only for the best of Bruce, but the butler knew his words fell on the ears of a very stubborn man. He had even missed an emergency meeting because of his sorrows, he was becoming a person he despised being. So he knew this patrol would be a nice refresher.
He had to admit, a change of scenery always helped. It got his mind off the fact he was a useless father.
No sooner than five minutes in patrol, he had spotted a few men following a drop dead gorgeous red head. With a body and tan like that, he knew that these suspicious men were only after one thing – and it didn't matter if she complied or not.
Perching from the building, he could tell the girl had tried to keep her wits about her by walking in the light, but he saw the taller of the two push her down an one-way alley. Bruce knew what this meant.
Time for Batman to save the say.
He had leaped from leap top, swinging down and landing at the entrance/exit. Bruce saw the fear installed in the mens' eyes.
"Thought you were on hiatus? Didn't Robin's death scare you back into your cave?"
These guys definitely had a mouth on him, but Batman never let petty words get the best of him, especially of those that came from the mouth of a potential rapist.
Batman grimaced at the taller one, running through with a punch, but Batman had parried, dodging the fist as he had hit the pressure point in the neck, making the crook drop to the ground in immense pain. He turned to the smaller one, shaking in fear as he fell back beside the beauty. He knew when he had lost, Batman smirked. At least these pathetic lowlifes knew when not to fight.
"Look, man. We're sorry! We didn't mean to do anything! Just let us go, and you won't see us! We promise!"
The vigilante had a look that was stone cold, no one could read what his facial cues were giving off. Just the way he liked it.
"I would've, but I don't appreciate you calling my sidekick dead."
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Throwing the two thugs hand cuffed against a walkway light, he turned back to the girl.
Though she had blood running down the side of her head, she stroked a small white dog, cooing it to stop it from shaking. She had the most gorgeous fiery mane, he could've sworn it was natural – but no red was that perfect. He noted the long, slender figure she possessed. Model, perhaps? Maybe an aspiring one, who knew if she would make the cut, many girls have dreams of making it down the runway, but very few are lucky if they are even scouted.
But there was one thing that stood out.
Those eyes.
They shone of nothing but emerald. They were so rich of hope and life. Batman could have cringed, he knew the life of Gotham had a tendency to drain the happiness of those so innocent.
"Are you okay, ma'am?" He held out his hand.
"I am better now. Many thanks, Batman." She had gracefully taken it. Brushing the dirt off her now dirtied jeans, she bowed her head.
"May I ask for a name?"
She looked flattered, a light blush swept across her cheek. Even though he had lost a son, it looked like Bruce still had the charm to flatter a gorgeous girl.
"Kori, Kori Anders."
Batman bowed his head, shooting off a latch from his gun that mounted on the highest rooftop. Before Kori could respond, he headed off into the night. Many thoughts pondered in the quick ten minutes of his patrol, but he already needed to head home. Two thugs were nothing for a days work, but there was something about that Kori girl that threw him off.
Initially, he thought of the foreign look this girl had. Of course, she was beautiful, but she was beyond generically looking. Not only was it unorthodox, but it looked natural.
Too natural.
It's a good thing he had manners to help the girl from the ground, or he would never had spot the holo-ring she had on her right hand.
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Looks like this Kori girl has secrets.
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Bruce smirked. Even after the death of his son, it looked like he still had it in him.