Chapter Fifteen - Origins
This chapter was very challenging to write. The fact that I rewrote it 5 differnt times speaks to that point perfectly. The chapter's purpose is to give a little backstory before the second arche of the story begins. This chapters necessary, but things are about to heat up, so bare with me. 165 reviews fo an update. Review and enjoy.
Sunday, October 3rd 9:00 AM - Richard and Kori's house
Normal POV
After the morning spent confessing secrets and making love mutiple times, Kori and Richard headed down stairs to find an empty living room. Richard was somewhat suprised that Kori's moaning hadn't woken them up, not to say he wasn't thankful that it hadn't. The last thing he wanted was for Vic and Gar to get wind of this. Gar's teasing would never stop, and he was pretty sure Vic would go into protective older brother mode. The couple setteld on the couch in a relaxed position. Well, Richard was relaxed, Kori however was becoming nervous. She knew her friends would be up anytime now, and she would have to explain everything she had explained to Richard earlier. She was afraid they would fear her or reject her, but then again she feared the same thing with Richard, but it seemed the truth had only made them closer than they already were. Even with that in mind she was still nervous. She didn't want to lose her friends. She loved them, not the same way she loved Richard, but still love.
Richard saw that she was anxious. He could always tell when she was nervous because she would either babble or move constantly. This time it was the second one. She wiggled in his arms and tapped her foot on the floor at a rapid pace. She wasn't even paying the slightest bit of attention to scooby-doo, her favorite cartoon. "You know you don't have to tell them till your ready," he comforted her.
She looked over at him and gave him a soft smile. "I know, but I wish for them to know. As I said, I am tired of hiding who I am." She released a deep sigh. "I just fear they will not wish to be my friends anymore after I tell them."
Richard stroked her arm, and smiled. "You don't have to worry about that, trust me."
"How can you be sure?," she asked.
"You're their friend, they love you," he answered simply. He knew there were other reasons as well, but he'd let them tell her those if they chose to.
Kori smiled and laid her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. Maybe this would all go okay.
At around ten, Vic and Bee walked into the living room, followed shortly by Raven. Gar drug himself in there around twenty minutes later, not wanting be up at all, but his rumbling stomach refused to allow him to sleep. After everyone had stteld on the couch, Kori began to fidget nervously, but when Richard squeezed her she relaxed. "Friends," she spoke up above the t.v and the debate between Vic and Gar on what to have for breakfast. Everyone turned to look at her. "I have something I wish to inform you of." Kori moved from Richard's grip to stand in front of the room, so that she could be seen clearly by everyone.
"What did you and Dick do it or something?," Gar asked jokingly.
Kori cocked her head to the side. "Do it? Do what?"
Bee laughed. "He's means have sex."
"Oh yes, but that is not what I wish to talk with you about," Kori said matter-of-factly.
Everyone's eyes widend and glanced at Richard, who buried his face in his hands in embarassment. Did she really just say that?
"You guys had sex?," Bee exclaimed.
Kori beamed a huge smile. "Yes, it was most enjoyable, and mffffhh," Kori began before her mouth was coverd by Richard, who had rushed to the front of the room in panic, believing she was about to give details.
"You weren't supposed to tell them that," he whisperd into her ear.
She blushed and smiled sheepishly. "My apologeeze."
Richard sighed. "Just tell them before you get me in any more trouble. I'm pretty sure I'll get scolded by Vic later."
Kori nodded, now refocusing. "As I was saying, I have something to inform you of that does not involve the sexual intercourse me and Richard preformed this morning." Raven raised an eyebrow, Vic's eye twitched, Bee and Gar were on the verge of bursting into laughter, and Richard just face palmed himself. Kori, seemingly oblivious to all of this continued. "The reason I have not spoke of where I from is because I feared being rejected, but I do not wish to hide any longer. This morning Richard revealed to me he is Nightwing." Everyone glanced at Richard in didbeliefe, who just nodded.," In return I informed him of my past, and I wish for you all to know as well. you are my friends and I hope we can work past what I am about to tell you." She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and begun. "My name is Koriand'r, and I am princess of the planet Tameran. My parents were killed when a war broke out with a race called the Gordanians, and my K'norkfka Galfore sent me here, so that I would be safe. I have been here ever since," she concluded. Looking over her friends, she saw that all appeared shocked besides Raven, who had a light smile on her face.
After a moment of complete silence, Vic held both his hands up. "Hold up, you're tellin us that you're an alien princess and your parents were killed by other aliens, so you were sent here because your appearance is similar to ours?"
She nodded, waiting for his reaction, but was thrown into a state of confusion when he burst into a fit of laughter, followed by Gar and Bee. Kori looked back at Richard, not sure what was going on.
He held up a finger, signaling her to wait a minute,so she turned back to the group, and continued to watch them laugh.
Once everyones laughter dimmed, Gar wiped a tear from his eye. "Man Kor, your really had us going there."
"Yeah, I don't see how you could keep a straight face," Bee added.
Kori blinked twice. "I do not understand."
Gar looked at Kori's completely serious face, then to Richard, who had the same expression. "Dude, this is a joke,... right?," Gar asked with a nervous laugh.
She shook her head. "It is not."
"Show them," Richard instructed.
Kori glanced at him and nodded before turning back to her friends. She rose of the ground and lit the green balls of energy in her hands as she done earlier.
Gar's eyes grew to the sze of saucers. "Dude...," her breathed in amazement.
Bee pinched herself to see if she were awake. Once she confirmed she indeed was her jaw finally dropped, "Holy..." she trailed off.
"You can... fly," Vic commented, astonished.
Raven looked blank. Richard saw Raven's lack of amazement, and gatherd she already knew all of this, which didn't suprise him in the least. He was a little upset she didn't tell him, but he knew Raven stayed in her own buisness, so he quickly got over it.
"Please friends, do not...," Kori began urgetly before being interjected by Gar.
"That's so awesome!," Gar exclaimed with a huge smile.
"It is the awesome?," Kori asked suprised at his reaction
"Yeah, that is totally cool," he replied, almost giddy. "You're like us."
"Like you?," Kori asked in confusion. They certainly weren't Tameranians, especially Gar. He was much to small.
Gar whiped his head over to Richard. "Can we show her?"
"Show me? Show me what?," she asked, now completely lost.
Richard shrugged. "It's up to you."
"Show me what?," Kori asked again.
Gar looked over at his friends who nodded, Raven. He beamed a smile at them before standing. "Me first," he exclaimed. Gar reached for his the hologram ring on his finger and removed it. His skin grew green, as did his hair. His canine teeth sharpend drastically, and his ears became far more pointy.
Kori gasped as she studied him. "You are most... green," she said after a moment.
Vic laughed. "Why do you think I call him Grass Stain?"
"I was curious of that," she replied, as she floated toward Gar. She inspected him carefully, poking him with her finger in his forehead, as if to make sure he were really there and she wasn't in some strange dream. Gar watched her, amused by her curiosity. He was also glad he wouldn't half wear the stupid hologram ring over at their house anymore. "How is this possible?"
Gar held the ring up to her. "This ring was developed by Star Labs. It hides our appearances and allows us to live normal lives," he explained.
"Us?," Kori asked looking at everyones fingers. Only Raven and Richard were not wearing them.
Vic nodded and stood. "Yep, us."
Kori watched with great interest as he removed his ring from his finger, and like Gar's had, his appearance instantly changed. Over half his skin turned to metal, leaving only a part of his head and a section of his arms looking the same as it had before. He also had one red, glowing eye that stood out on his facial features. Kori zipped from Gar to him, and began to look him over. Vic smiled at her, glad she wasn't afraid of him. She just seem curious
Bee stood next, and pulled off her ring. The only differnce between her usual appearance and the one she had now were the bumble bee like wings on her back. Kori looked them over oddly before rubbing her hand lightly across them. Bee let out a giggle, due to the tickling sensation it gave her.
Kori looked from one person to another in the room. "You are all the heros like Nightwing, yes?," she asked after a moment.
"No, none of us, just him," Vic responded, glancing at Richard.
"Well, I used to be," Gar added. "My name's Beast Boy, I was a member of the Doom Patrol before I came here."
"Beast Boy?," Kori repeated. "Why were you called you this?"
Gar smirked. "What's your favorite animal?"
"I like whales," she reponded, curious as to why he had asked.
Richard sent a warning glare at Gar. He was so not changing into a whale in his living room.
Gar caught the glare, and gave a sheepish smile. "Uhh, smaller animal," he clarified.
Kori thought for a moment. "My people are desended from a feline like creature, so I suppose a cat."
Gar nodded before his form shifted into a green cat, his close completly dispearing
Kori let out a delighted gasp before bending down and picking up the cat.. "Gar, you... how?"
"He can change into any animal he wants," Richard informed from behind her. Kori just smiled and absently began to stroke Gar's head as she turned the rest of her friends.
"Can the rest of you do these things?" Kori asked.
"Not that, but my robotic parts increase my strength and speed," Vic replied.
"And I have Bee DNA, so I can fly, shrink myself, have enhanced strength, basically the whole package," Bee added with a smirk.
Everyone turned to look at Raven. "It's hard to explain all that I can do. I'm not even sure the limits of my powers myself."
Kori gave a faint nod of understanding before looking over the group once more. "This is the reason you all stick together, yes? Because you are differt?"
"Partly," Vic nodded. "Before we all met each other we were all pretty much alone besides Dick, who had his family in Gotham, so once we finally met we all pretty much stuck together from the on."
"May you tell me how you all met?," she asked to whoever would answer.
"It's long story," Richard said, not really wanting to dive into it.
"Oh, pleeeeaaasssee," she begged, giving him her best puppy dog face.
He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Fine, sit down." He really had to learn to say no to her
She hurridly took a seat on the couch next to Raven, cat in hand.
"Well, it all started when..."
Flashback
Robin stood atop the largest building in Jump, looking out into the late Spring Night. He'd only been in the city a couple weeks, his alternate identity, Richard Grayson a little longer, so not to raise suspisions. He had already made quite the splash as both personas.
The media was having a field day with Robin seperating from the Bat family, and when Richard had enrolled in a public school, it became a huge story for some reason. He'd never liked private school. The people were always so snobish, and forget the uniforms. He decided public school would fit him much better when school started in September, so he just did what he wanted and enrolled.
That was the bright side of being on your own, there was no one telling you what to do constantly, and it was a pretty good feeling, not to say there weren't some draw backs to leaving Gotham. He missed Alfred, Babs, Selina, and even Bruce, even though he was the reason Richard had left in the first place.
He was broken from his star gazing when he heard Batgirl in his ear peice.
"I'm bored," she complained.
He laughed. "Well, what do you want me to do about it?,"
"Coming back would be a good start."
"Awww, miss me already?," he teased.
"Why would I miss you?. You only moved across the freaking country," she replied sarcastically.
"You know I had to. Me and Batman have been at each others throats for months. It's time I step out of his shadow."
"Robin will always be seen as Batman's sidekick, no matter what city you're in," Batgirl reasoned.
"I know, that's why I'm only gonna be Robin for a few more weeks."
"So, who are you gonna be after?"
A smile crossed his face. "Superman suggested the name Nightwing, and I kinda like the sound of it."
She laughed. "I can call you wings for short."
Robin frowned. "I haven't even made the change yet, and you're already making fun of me."
"It's my job." A long pause followed before she said anything else. "I really do miss you though."
His heart sped up a little. "I know, I miss you too."
"You really have sucky timing. Just when things start to speed up between us you wanna move across the country. I've heard of commitment issues, but I think you took things overboard," she joked, but Robin could here the sadness buried in her voice.
He chuckeld softly. "I didn't leave because of you. Maybe after you graduate this year, you could move here."
"Or you could move back," she retorted.
"I guess neither of us is gonna get what we want."
She sighed. "I guess not, but maybe one day we could..." she began before being cut off.
"Hold that thought, something's going on down below. Call you later. Robin out." Robin looked down in the alleyway below as a man was attempting to assault a girl, who looked to be around 16 and had raven coloured hair. Robin quickly attached his grapling hook to the edge of the buliding before leaping off it, and landing quietly behind the man. He was about to attack, when the teen girl's eyes flared white, and the man was suddenly coated in some form of black energy. With a wave of the girl's hand hand the man was sent crashing into the brick wall to his left, knocking him out on contcat.
Robin reached for bird-a-rang, preparing to defend himself if he had to.
The girl looked at him and her eyes began to fade to normal. She glanced down at his hand holding the bird-a-rang, then back to his masked face. "That want be necessary, I was just defending myself."
Robin studied her for a moment. He guessed if she were going to try and attack him she would have done it already. He slowly lowerd the bird-a-rang back into his uttility belt before glancing at the dozing man on the ground. "How did you do that?"
She shrugged. "Born that way."
He nodded slowly before carefully approaching the girl. "What's your name?"
"Rachel, but call me Raven."
"I'm...," he attempted to introduce himself.
"I know who you are."
He chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I guess everyone's pretty familiar with Robin."
"No, I mean I know who you are, she repeated.
Robin took a step back and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean exactly?"
She looked at the ground. "I can sense and see certain things. When I first saw you I accidentally saw into your past. I can't really control my powers that well yet."
His mouth fell open, and even though it wasn't that hot outside, he began to sweat. "So, you know I'm...," he trailed off, waiting for her to answer.
"Dick Grayson? Yeah. I have to say you're not the first person I would have guessed."
Robin gulped. "You're not gonna tell anyone are you?"
"To what end? It would be pointless to tell anyone."
He let out a sigh of reliefe. "Thank you. If certain individuals found out who I was alot of pepople people could get hurt."
She studied the ground for a moment. "Don't worry, I'm good at keeping secrets."
Robin could feel deep lonelyness radiating off the girl. She needed and friend, and him being knew here, coud use one as well. "It's late. How about you let me walk you home?," he offerd.
"I don't know, I'm dangerous. Like I said, I can't control my powers well yet."
"Then let me help you," Robin smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Why?," she asked skeptically.
"I'm a hero, helping people is kinda in the job description," he said jokingly.
When she showed no facial reaction, he sighed. "Look, I know a member of the Justice League with similar abillitys. His name's Martian Manhunter, and I'm pretty sure he could help you if you let him."
She looked reluctant. "I don't think my father's gonna let anyone in my head."
Robin raised an eyebrow. "Who's your father?"
She shifted from foot to foot. "Trigon, but you probably know him as the devil or Satan."
Robin blinked twice behind his mask. "You're the devil's daughter? That's how you do all that black energy stuff and the mind reading?," he asked in disbeliefe.
She nodded. "See what I mean by 'I'm dangerous?,'"
His face grew serious. "Yeah, dynamite's dangerous too, but if it's handled right it can be used to build instead of destroy."
"I don't need to be handled," she barked, and a nearby street light exploded.
Robin held up his hands in defense. "That's not what I meant... look, I'm just trying to help."
She sighed and dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry, I struggle with my emotions if I don't meditate a couple of times a day."
"It's okay... just give me a chance here."
She looked up and studied him carefully. Why was he trying so hard? Most people would have givin up already. Maybe she should let him help her, maybe he could be the one to relieve of the constant battle she fought with her own mind, maybe he could even be her friend. "Okay," he she nodded.
Robin smiled warmly at the girl. "Okay, I'll contact Martian Manhunter tomorrow. Now, let me walk you home?"
"Okay," she agreed.
Robin tied the crook up and called the police before he and Raven walked off her to her apartment building a few blocks away. They stopped in front of the door, and made eye contact.
"I'll be by here a some point tomorrow. Be expecting Dick Grayson, not Robin."
"Thank you for all of this. Most people wouldn't bother."
"That's what friends are for, right?"
Friends?
He nodded with a smile. "Yeah, friends."
A light smile crossed her face. "Goodnight Robin."
"Night Raven."
End Flashback
Kori's eye were wide as she looked over at Raven. "You are Trigon's daughter?"
Raven raised an eyebrow. "You've heard of Trigon?"
She nodded. "He is the most feared being in the galaxy."
"Well, he's harmless without Raven and thanks to Martian Manhunter he can't eneter her mind," Richard spoke from his spot in front of the room. "He worked with her a couple times a week until she had almost full control over her powers. We had bonded during that time and just continued hanging out."
"I see," Kori said slowly. "so, if this is how you and Raven met, then what about everyone else?"
"Well, I met Gar next."
kori glanced down at the cat the back to Richard. "May you tell me the story?"
"Well, it was a late saturday afternoon, and...
Flashback
Nightwing drove the N-cycle down the street's of Jump City, in route to a call about Plasmas terrorizing the down town area. He zipped through the Summer air until he reached his destination. Plasmas was in the middle of ripping a gasoline tanker in to two, and drinking it's contents when he arrived. Nightwing grimaced, wondering how the creature could drink gasoline, before getting off his bike.
Knowing all he had to do was get Plasmas asleep, it should have been a rather simple confrontation, and it would have been if a green triceratops hadn't came out of nowhere and rammed into the creature, knocking it to the ground along with the gasoline tanker.
Nightwing blinked twice. He didn't know rather to be more suprised by the fact that there was a triceratops standing twenty yards in front of him or that said triceratops was green. Suddenly the triceratops morphed into a green teenage boy. Yep, that suprised him more than anything. He briefly wonderd if something he had drunk had been spiked, but that was interuppted when a now enraged Plasmas made it to it's feet and let out a loud roar.
Nightwing acted quickly, running past the green teen and pulled ot his boe staff. He swung the staff as hard as he could, managing to sweep the Plasmas' legs out from under it. The creature fell to the ground, and Richard reached for one of his sleep gas disk, but before he could throw it, the creature kicked him directly in the stomach from it's laying position, sending him flying through air. He was preparing to summersault, when a green gorilla lept up and caught him in mid air.
The gorrilla placed Nightwing on the ground before transforming back to a human. "Dude, you're Nightwing," the green teen said in awe, his eyes even twinkling a little. "Didn't you used to be Robin?"
Plasmus returned to it's feet and roared again.
"Yeah, introductions later, right now I need to take care of plasmus. Can you do that shifty thing you do and distract him?," Nightwing asked quickly.
The green boy saluted. "Yes, sir," he exlaimed before morphing into a falcon. The falcon took off and began to circle Plasmus, who reached his arms out, trying to grab hold of the bird.
With Plasmas occupied, Nightwing grabbed a sleep gas disk, and waited until Plasmas opened his mouth. It didn't take long for the creature to roar in frustration, and when it did, Nightwing threw the disk with great accuracy, landing right in the screaming monster's mouth. Green grass began to fizz from the creature, and it began to wobble before hitting the ground.
The falcon dropped down beside Nightwing, transforming back to a human, and looked on as pink sludge began to fall to the ground and ooze away, revealing a sleeping man. Nightwing breathed a sigh of reliefe, glad that it was taken care of. After calling the the proper authoritys, he turned to the green boy. "Thanks for the help ummm... what's your name?"
"Name's Beast Boy, sir."
"Ummm, you can stop calling me sir."
Beast Boy saluted. "Rodger."
Nightwing sighed and shook his head. "So, why are you in Jump, umm Beast Boy?"
"Well, actually I just moved here. I kinda quit the Doom Patrol... by the way, you wouldn't happen to be looking for a partner would you?," Beast Boy asked hopefully.
"No."
"Sidekick?"
"Nope."
Beast Boy sighed. "How about a friend? I've been kinda bored."
Nightwing gave a light smile. "I thank I can help you with that."
End Of Flashback
"And we basically just started hanging out as hero's. Eventually he had my trust, so I revealed who I was," Richard concluded.
Kori nodded in understanding. "And Vic and Bee? How did you meet them?"
"They already knew each other before I came along. I met Vic that Summer at the school's football camp, and noticed he was wearing a hologram ring. I used to wear one when I went out in public to avoid attention, so I was pretty familiar with the technology, but I never botherd to bring it up," Richard replied.
"Yeah, we became pretty quick friends during camp, and I decided to introduce him to Bee. We hung alot that Summer. Dick would always call me up when he had a girl, and wanted to do some kinda double date thing." Kori rolled her eyes at this, which secretly amused Richard. "Eventually we just trusted each other and secrets came out. That's when I met Gar and Raven, and basically that's the end of that," Vic added.
Kori seemed thought for a momment before saying anything else. "I am glad to know how you all met, but now I am curious as to how you all gt this way. I am aware of how Raven posseses her abilltys, but surely the rest of you were not born this way," she reasoned.
"Well, your right about that," Vic replied. "This," he motioned to his body, "is the resault of an accident."
Kori looked at him sympathetically. "I am sorry to hear that, but please, if it is not to painful to speak of, may you tell me what happend?"
Vic slipped his ring back on, his appearance transforming back into the one Kori was familiar with before he took a seat on the couch beside her. He bowed his head and look a the floor. Letting out a deep sigh, he began. "It was a saturday afternoon. It had been raining all day and the roads were pretty slick. My mom was going to the store to get soemthing to cook for dinner, and since I had just got my driver's permit, I begged her to let me drive. She agreed."
A tear rolled down his face. "I never even saw the eighteen wheeler coming. The next thing I know I was waking up strapped to a lab table. My father, a scientest at Star Labs, had replaced most of my human parts with robotic ones. For so long I was angry at my and myself. I should have went with her." Vic looked up at each person in the room, and a soft smile crossed his face. "The only reason I'm able to live with myself is because I know if had died I would have never met these people."
Bee grabbed her boyfriend's hand for comfort, and the green cat jumped from Kori's lap into Vic's, but was quickly dropped to the ground. "Just because I love you don't mean I'm gonna hold you."
The cat gave him a look before jumping back into Kori's lap and curling up into a ball.
Bee was the next to speak. My story's somewhat similar to Vic's. My parnents were both scientest working in the field of cross species genetics. When there lab allow them to test on humans, they decided to test on me. I was 12 when they injeccted me with Bee DNA, and I've been like this ever since. Needless to say, me and my parnets aren't on speaking terms anymore."
"I am sorry to hear that. Me and my parents were not close either, but I always had my K'norfka."
Gar jumped out of Kori's lap to the floor and shifted back into a human, his close reappearing on him.
"Dude, what is a k'nif... K'nore... what you you just said?," Gar asked.
"K'norfka," she corrected. "It means caretaker in your language."
"Ooooh, gotcha," he nodded in understanding.
"So please, how do you do the transforming into animals, and why are you green?"
Gar's face grew serious, which didn't happen often. "Well umm, I grew up in Africa. My parents were researchers studying the diseases over there. One day when I was little, I was out playing and I got bit by a green monkey with a rare disease. I contracted the disease, and got really sick. My parents did everything they could, but it wasn't looking good. As a last resort they injected me with animal DNA. I was cured of the disease, but as a resault of the injection my DNA became wildly unstable. I found that I could shift in and out of any animal I wanted. At first I couldn't control it, and...," he paused and looked blankly at the far wall, "because of that my parents are dead." Kori floated over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "They were on a raft, heading down stream. If I could have turned into a whale or something I could have saved them from going over the waterfall, but all I could do was watch from shore as they fell over." He let out a somber sigh, as he reflected on the day. "After that I was bitter with myself for awhile, but I realized that even though I couldn't save my parents, there were people I could, so I decided to join the Doom Patrol. I think that's what my parnets would have wanted," he concluded.
"I believe your parents would be most proud of you," Kori assured, causing Gar to give her a light smile.
"Yeah, I hope so."
"So, are you two okay?" Vic asked motoning between Kori and Richard.
"Didn't the sexual intercourse they had this morning make that clear?," Bee joked, causing Kori to beam and Richard's whole face to turn red.
"Can we quit talking about it now?," Richard pleaded.
"Oh, not a chance." Bee turned to Kori. "We're so having girl talk later."
Kori nodded with a huge smile. "Yes, I shall give you the details."
Richard just headed for the door, not wanting to hear anymore.
"Dude, where are you going?" Gar called.
"To bury myself," he called back as he headed out the front door.
After a moment of silence, Vic spoke up. "So, who wants to go to breakfast?"
Everyone made sounds of agreement.
"We shall dig Richard up after, yes?," Kori asked.
"Ehhh," everyone grunted in unison, as they headed for the door.
Kori stood in place for a moment before following. It seemed as everything worked out well, and a new begining was on the horizon, but with every new begining there are always new challenges.