Chapter Twelve - MIA
I was asked to explain why Kori hasn't told Richard that she wasn't from the planet yet. Well, that's simple. She's scared he's going to break up with her for either hiding it from him or just because she's not from Earth. Now, I'm posting two chapters today. The reason being, people are getting anxious for the secrets to come out. Tomorrow's chapter everything will be revealed, that is if I get 135 reviews. Review and enjoy.
Tuesday, September 29th 4:00 AM - Peir 16 warehouse
Normal POV
Nightwing blinked his eyes open. He noticed that both his ankles and hands were handcuffed to a wall, and wherever he was he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him, due to it being so dark. He tried to move, but a sharp pain surged through his body, originating from his ribs. He reconized it instantly as broken ribs, and it was more than a couple. He also could feel blood dripping from his forehead, and pretty badly at that. The last thing he remembered was the crowbar making contact with his skull. He still wanted to know who had done this to him, but he coudn't worry about that right now. Focusing on getting out was what was important for the time being.
He jerked one of his arms foward, ignoring the pain in his side. He discoverd quickly he wasn't gonna be able to power himself free, so he would have to come up with something else. He glanced down at his waist, and found they hadn't taken his utility belt, and he could still feel the mask of his face. That was a plus.
"Night vision activate," he said in a hushed tone just in case anyone was near. Suddenly the blakness turned green, and he was able to see everything, not that there was much to see. He was clearly in warehouse, probably one by the pier. There was a lone gaurd standing at the ware house door with his back turned to him, no doubt assigned to make sure he didn't escape. He was about to have a bad day. As Robin, he had learned many things from Batman. One of those things was to always keep a lock pick in your glove.
Flicking his wrist slightly, a lock pick extended from his pointer finger. He arched his hand so that he could get the pick in the lock. After completeing that sucessfully he began to work. It didn't take long to get his hand free, and quitely move to the next one. Once he had both arms free, he undid the anklecuffs, but right as he did the gaured turned, probably having heard the rattled of the cuffs.
The man, seeing Nightwing has escaped, held up a machine gun. "Hey, freeze. No sudden movements or I'll aaagghh!," the man screamed as a night-a-rang made contact with his hands causing him to drop the gun.
Two other men, having heard the scream, rushed into the warehouse.
"Hey Joey, what's the ruckus in here? We heard...," the man trailed off, having just enough light, thanks to the open door, to see Nightwing kneeling on the ground in the distance. Before the men could open fire Nightwing threw two of night-a-rangs at them, hitting both in the hand causing them to drop their guns just as the other man had. He knew he was in no condition for a fight, so he took off into a dead sprint for the not so far off window, crashing through it on contact. Landing on the hard wooden boardwalk, he winced, but managed to roll to his. Loooking around, he confirmed that he was indeed by the docks, before calling for his N-cycle to lock in on his location, and to come get him him. He heard voices nearing him, so he ran off as fast as he could, until he found a safe plce to hide behind some crates. He sat down, and for the first time he noticed he could barely breath, and his vision was extreamly hazy. He needed to get back to the Nightwatch and contact Raven. A lung could be punctured and if he didn't get help soon he might not make it.
The N-cycle pulled up within minutes, and he was barely able to climb on. "Return to Nightwatch," he commanded breathlessly, as he gripped the handles with all the strength he had left.
Tuesday, September 29th, 8:00 AM
Kori awoke face down in her pillow. She instantly noticed it felt later than it normally did when she woke up, so she glanced at the alarm clock to find it was already eight. Class was starting now, why hadn't Richard woken her up? Figuring he must have fallen back asleep after his alarm went off she rolled out of bed and ran to his front door. Since they had became a couple, knocking had somehow became optional, which meant neither ever did it. Kori opend the door and looked inside, but he was no where to be found. Frowning, she backed out of the room and headed down stairs.
"Richard?," she called as soon as her feet hit the first floor.
No response came.
She went on a search of the house, checking the kitchen, living room, game room, theater room, Richard's workout room, all the room's upstairs, but he was no where to be found. She scampered to the garage to find that his car was parked in place. Now she was becoming worried. She had that horrible feeling you get in the pit of your stomache when you know something's terribly wrong. It was odd. She could since something similar to pain and anguish, even though she had not a single injury on her body. She rememberd the note Vic had left her a couple weeks ago with his number on it. It was still on her nightstand. She literally flew upstairs and grabbed the paper before flying back down and into the living room to retreive the home phone. She dialed the number hurriedly, and placed the phone to her ear.
It took three rings for Vic to pick up. "Hello?," he asnwered, the tone of his voice suggesting he didn't reconize the number.
"Vic, have you heard from Richard?" Kori asked, her voice clearly expressing her worry.
"No, he isn't at y'alls house? We thought you two were taking an off day or something," Vic replied, sounding suprised.
"No, he is not here. I have searched the entire house, but I cannot find him. His vehicle is still in the garage, where could he have gone without it?," she spoke quickly.
There was a pause on the other end, and she could Vic speaking in whipser before he returned to the phone. "Kori you're in the house, right?"
"Yes, but..." she began before being cut off.
"Just stay inside and lock the doors," he instructed. "We'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Vic please, what are you not telling me?," she pleaded. She knew Vic knew something was wrong. He sounded almost as worried as she did.
Another pause. "Nothing... just being cautious. See ya soon," he said before hanging up.
Kori paced back and forth across the living room floor nervously. She could feel him. He was hurt, and she knew it. kori continued to walk a whole in the floor until her friends eneterd through the front door. She rushed up to Vic before he could even take two steps into the house. "He still has not came home," she exclaimed. "I just know something bad has happend, I can feel it. I cannot explain it, but I know he is hurt. "
Vic placed both his hands on her shoulders to attempt to calm her. "Breath Kor." Kori took a deep breath, but her eyes still looked worried. "Okay now, how about you two," he pointed to Bee and Gar, "take her to the couch, while me and Raven looked around upstairs."
Everyone nodded. "C'mon Kor," Gar said, leading her to the couch, Bee on the opposite side.
With Kori occupied, Vic and Raven headed up the stairs. "He has to be in the Nightwatch, I can't detect him," Raven said in a hushed tone as they made their way up.
"You sure he ain't dead?," Vic asked worriedly.
"If he were dead I could sense him," she replied.
Slightly comforted, Vic nodded. They made their way into his room, and headed straight for the closet. Raven moved his close aside, and pressed her thumb to the scanner. The wall rose into the ceiling, and they headed down the staircase in anticipating silence. Raven opend the door to the Nightwatch, and her skin instantly lost three shades. "Oh, no," she utterd, as a light above exploded, due to her sudden emotion.
"What?" Vic asked as he came up behind her, but when he saw what she was looking at his mouth dropped. On the floor by the parked N-cycle, laid Nigthwing in a pool of his own blood. After the shock faded, both rushed to his side. Vic removed his mask, to find his eyes shut, while Raven dropped to a knee and checked his pulse.
"He's alive but barely," she informed after a moment.
"You can heal him can't you?," Vic asked.
Raven looked at the large gash on his forehead, but she couldn't know the extent of his other injurys until his suit was removed. "Maybe. Help me get him out of his suit."
"You know he's naked under this thing, right?," Vic questioned.
"It's either see him naked or let him die," she reasoned.
Vic didn't hesitate to begin to remove his boots. It was difficult to remove the suit, but once it was off they both grimaced at the sight of his batterd body. The skin covering both sides of ribs was a dark shade of purple, this added with his head injury really put a damper on the sex appeal thing he had going on.
"Can you fix em?," Vic asked.
"His breath is very ragged, he probally has a punctured lung, and with a head injury like that I'm guessing he has a concussion, probally a pretty bad one. I can heal him enough, but I'm gonna need some time."
Vic rubbed his hand across his bald head. "We're gonna have to tell Kori everything. She's suspicious as it is, but when she see's her boyfriend all bruised up she's gonna know something's wrong."
Raven seemed to consider it for a moment before discouraging him. "It's not our place. When you get down stairs tell her the hospital just called, and said he was involved a hit run when he went for a jog early this morning, and your going to get him. Drive around for a couple hours, and when you get back I'll teleport him to the garage so you can carry him in." she instructed.
"She's gonna find out th truth eventually. Don't you think she's gonna get mad when she finds out we been lying to her?," Vic reasoned.
"Trust me, she has no right to be mad about someone keeping secrets," Raven replied.
Vic was still reluctant, but nodded, knowing Raven had a better grasp of whatever was going on than anyone else. He turned and made his way out of the Nightwatch, as Raven began to healing process, starting with his lung.
Vic enterd the living room, aproaching the couch slowly. He was a little nervous about the whole situation. For one he had to lie to Kori, and two, the lie he was telling her was that her boyfriend had been hit by a car. The ony thing that eased him was that he really didn't know what happend. No one would until Richard woke up.
"Hey guys," Vic said as he walked around to sit in the couch.
Kori quickly stood from the couch. "Did you find anything?"
Vic placed a hand on her shoulder to ease he back down, before taking a seat beside her. He tapped his foot nervously as he began. "Kori, we got a call from the hospital. Richard was out jogging this morning when he was hit by a car."
Kori gasped, as tears began to gather in her eyes. "No, no, no. He is alive? Please tell me he is alive?," she pleaded, grabbing onto his arm desperately.
Vic glanced at Gar and Bee, who looked horrified. He then looked back at Kori and gave her a small smile. "Yeah, he's alive, but he isn't gonna look pretty. I'm about to get him from the hospital right now."
"I shall go with you. I need to see him," she demanded.
Vic looked at her sternly. "No, he's banged up, and when you see him you're gonna get all emotional, and that want be good for his recovery, but I promise you can spend all the time you want with him as soon as I get back and he's awake."
Kori sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She wanted to go so badly, but she knew Vic was right. "Please hurry," she requested.
Vic nodded and smiled before turning to Gar and Bee. "Can I talk to you guys in the kitchen a moment?"
Bee and Gar both nodded. Bee then glanced at Kori. "We'll be right back girl," she assured.
Kori nodded somberly, only wanting Richard at the moment.
When the three made it into the kitchen Gar was the first to speak. "So, was he really hit by a car?"
"Doubt it. We won't know what happend till he wakes up. Me and Raven found him in swimming in his own blood in the Nightwatch. She's upstairs healing him right now," he informed.
Gar gritted his teeth. "Why does he think he has to do everything alone? Batman doesn't even work alone. If he had a team... if he had us, things like this wouldn't happen," he complained.
Vic sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I know man, I've been preaching the same thing to him for almost a year."
"I think after this incident it's time we stopped asking," Bee replied.
"I don't know, we'll talk about it later on. I need to go drive around for awhile, Keep Kori down stairs, and if she asks where Raven is tell her she wasn't feeling well, so she decided to lay down," he instructed.
"Alright, see ya when you get back," Bee said, standing tall and kissing him.
Vic departed and Bee and Gar headed back into the living room, where Kori was sitting on the couch, knees to chest. "Vic's gone to get him. You can relax now," Bee soothed, as she took a seat beside Kori.
Kori nodded slowly. "Where is Raven?," she asked weakly.
"She didn't feel good this morning, so she is upstairs laying down," Bee informed.
"Yeah, how about I go upstairs and check on her, while you two throw in one of those chick flicks you like so much?," Gar suggested.
"Yes, let us do that," Kori agreed, looking over at Bee.
Bee nodded and moved to the dvd case, while Gar made his way walked into the nightwatch and got a two for one suprise. Richard looked alot worse than he imagined, and he was completely naked. "Dude," he began causing Raven to glance up from where she kneeld beside him, "he's naked."
"Grow up," she scolded. Gar mostly ignored her as he walked over by her side. "Is he gonna be okay?," he asked as his eyes darted between the blood on the ground, and the purpleness of his ribs.
"He want feel to peppy for a few days, but he'll live," she replied.
Gar gave her a soft smile, as he watched her work her hands across the cut on his forehead. "You know, it's really amazing how you do that," he commented, honestly.
She looked up at him somewhat suprised. "Why are you trying to be nice all of a sudden?," she questioned suspiciously.
Gar frowned. "Can't you just take a compliment?"
"Not when you never compliment me," she retorted.
Gar snorted. "And this exactly why. If I weren't scared you were gonna send me to hell or whatever, I would."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
He felt like scratching his eyes out the moment. "God, you're so frustrating, and the guys wonder why I don't tell you I like you," he shot back angrily, before he had a chance to think or what he was saying.
Raven froze, her eyes slighty wide. "You... you like me?," she repeated.
Gar's face went red. "Well,... I mean I think your pretty and... stuff," he said, nervously twidling his fingers together.
Raven was still shocked. All this time, all the teasing she had indured from Bee, and he actually did like her. "Umm, wow" was her mouths response.
Gar backed away, not liking the suprised look on her face. He had hoped if he ever told her that she would be happy. "Look, I understand if you don't feel the same way, and..."
"Gar," she cut him off. He quickly shut his mouth. "You want to like, I don't know, go to the stupid dance thing with me?," she asked, sounding a little nervous.
Now it was Gar's turn to be shocked, but he was quickly over came with happiness that could Rival Kori's when she was in a good mood. "Yeah, I'd love..." he began, before pausing, "wait, do this mean you like me to?"
"I can tolerate you a little more than anyone else," she replied dryly, so not to give away how much she really did like him.
"I'll take it!," Gar exlaimed with a huge smile.
Raven rolled her eyes, but smiled softly before continuing to treat Richard. Gar kneeled down beside her and watched over the next hour as the cut his head almsot completely disapeared. The ribs would take more time, considering they were broken, but she was tired, and could do no more right now, so she stood to her feet with the help of Gar. "Do me a favor and call Vic and tell him were done. Then me help put some jogging pants on Dick," she requested.
"Right," Gar nodded. He took out his phone and called Vic, informing him that she was done. Vic said he would be back shortly, and to have Richard in the garage. After hanging up, Gar ran up to Richard's closet and grabbed some grey jogging pants, as Raven had instructed, and brought them back down to the Nightwatch. After clothing him, Raven used the last bit of her energy to warp Richard's still body in the garage, laying him on the concrete, before teleporting herself back up to Richard's room. She leaned on Gar and let him help her down the stairs. It was a good thing she actually looked sick, because she had no acting skills. Gar sat her down on the counch, before taking a seat beside her.
"You are the okay Raven?," Kori asked worriedly.
"Yeah, just a little dizzy," she replied, closing her eyes and leaning back against the couch.
Right then the door was heard opening. As fast as lightning Kori bolted from the couch. She halted when she saw Vic carrying Richard in his arms. His body dangled lifelessly. The only indication he wasn't dead was his rising and falling chest. Kori cupped her mouth to hide her gasp, before resumming her sprint to him. "Richard wake up. I am here," Kori pleaded, her eyes going from his face to his bruised ribs.
She felt Gar pull her back, but he found out quickly she was strong... really strong, easily pushing him away. He would have fallen in Bee hadn't caught him. "Relax Kor, he's gonna be fine. You can see when he wakes up," Vic promised.
"Vic please, just allow me to lay with him," she begged, tears once again begining to surface.
Vic nearly gave in, but Richard needed to rest, plus they had to find out what happend before he talked to Kori. "No, he needs his rest." His tone left no room for argument.
Kori dropped her shoulders, and allowed Bee and Gar to escort her back to the living room, as Vic carried Richard up the stairs.
Tuesday, September 29th 11:30 AM - Richard and Kori's House
Normal POV
Richard awoke with a jolt, but as he tried to sit up, pain coursed through him, forcing him to lay back down. He noticed that he was in his room, and that Vic was suddenly at his side.
"Wow, stay down, you're still pretty banged up," Vic said.
"How... how did I get here?," he asked. The last thing he could rememberd was escaping the warehouse, everything after that being a blur.
"Kori called us this morning, and said you weren't home, but your car was in the garage. We came right here and found you in the Nightwatch. You were pretty banged up, but Raven healed you best she could.," Vic explained.
"Kori... she doesn't know, does she?" he asked.
"No, she thinks you were hit by a car when you went jogging this morning," he replied.
Richard frowned. He kinda wished they had told her evrything. It would make it easier on him, and he was becoming tired of having to sneak around all the time, not to mention constantly having to lie to the girl he loved. He turned back to Vic. "Will you get her?," he asked. "I wanna let her know I'm okay."
"As soon as you tell me what happend," Vic replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
Richard sighed. "A bank robbery. I responded to the alert, got hit by a dart coated with some form of sleeping agent, woke up hancuffed to a wall in a ware house, and broke out," he answered, trying to sum it up quickly.
"You see what the guys looked like?," Vic continued.
"White, maybe Itallian. They were three of them, but I suspect more were around. They had eastern United State accents, maybe from New York or Gothem," he responded. "Now can I see Kori?"
"Yeah yeah, I'll send her up, but we're gonna have a talk later about this solo act your doing," Vic warned.
Richard just nodded. The quicker he agreed the quicker he would get to see his girlfriend.
Vic looked him over once more, before heading out of the room. He waited all of thirty seconds, before Kori darted through the door to his bedside.
She said nothing, only removing the covers down to his waiste. Richard could tell she was scared for him. "Richard you are damaged," she said as she looked over his ribs.
"Hey to you too," he grinned.
"Do not do the joking," she scolded, and his grin faded. "I was most worried about you, I could not find you, and when Vic told me you were struck by a vehicle I thought you were. You do not realize how much I care about you, and how..." Richard quit listening, but continued to watch her rant. He thought it was cute that she was in full worried girlfriend mode. He couldn't stop the smile from kreeping across his lips.
She frowned at him. "Why are you smiling?"
"You're just really cute," he said kinda dumbly. He was pretty sure he had a concussion.
She blushed. "Oh."
Richard grinned at her. Almost three weeks together, and she still blushed when he said she was cute.
Kori sighed, giving into his charms. "May I do anything for you?," she asked cupping his cheek with her hand.
"I'm cold and lonely. I could use someone to snuggle with," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
Kori giggled, and ran her hand through his hair. "You must have hit your head quite hard."
"No... well, yes, but that's not the reason I want you to lay with me. I just wanna be close with you."
Kori smiled warmly at him, and careful not to touch his ribs, climbed into the bed beside him, laying her head on his stretched out arm and turning to face him. "You wish to be close with me when you are injured, but not at night." she said, as she rubbed her hands in circles on his stomach.
Richard cringed. Another not so suddle hint. "Soon, I promise," he assured. He was going to tell her soon, maybe as soon as this weekend. Once she knew he could be open with her, both emotionally and physically, that is if she wanted to be with him after.
She just nodded and continued to rub his stomach.
"What time are you and the girls going to the mall?," he asked.
Kori's eyebrow arched, as she rasied her head off his arm to look at him. "Now that you injuried there is no need for me to attend the mall of shopping. My only purpose was to obtain a dress for the dance of coming home."
"Oh we're still going. I'm gonna be homecoming king, and king doesn't miss a chance to dance with his queen," he charmed.
"But you are hurt," she reasoned.
"I'll be fine by then." Or at least he'd fake it if he weren't.
"You are most stubbron," she said, but was unable to hide her smile.
Richard smiled back, and poked his lips out, pleading for a kiss, which she happilly obliged. They laid in comfortable silence awhile, until he fell back asleep. Kori just continued to lay beside him and rub his stomache, until he started to shake. She watched his face. He seemed scared or angry or both, she coudn't tell. She knew was having nightmare, so she snugged into him, hoping it would ease him. She did konow one thing for sure though. Whatever happend to him, it was no hit and run.