A/N: Welcome back everyone! So finals week has been this past week and the upcoming week. So needless to say... I have had ZERO time to write. But I finally got the chance to sit down and knock this chapter out which I think is the best one so far! I really hope you guys like it. Please drop a fav/follow/share and leave me a review so I can improve my writing and if you have any ideas on where you want this to go, feel free to drop them in a review and I'll consider it!!! I read all your reviews so let them rip! Ok. Hope you enjoy! Till next chapter!
Starfire moaned in her unconscious state. She was unreasonably comfortable for everything that had just happened, giving her the ability to rest easier. Her eyes started to twitch before they opened drowsily exposing a blurred image in front of her.
The soft comfort of a freshly fluffed pillow covered in a silk pillowcase caressed the back of her head through her beautiful hair. A thick and heavy cotton comforter weighed on her surrounding her in a warm embrace tempting her to stay there forever. The bed she lay in warpped and adujusted perfectly to the toned curves of body allowing her to be completely still without irritation, removing any and all instincts of restless adjustments. She had never felt so comfortable before. The feeling of such soothing comfort almost forced her eyes shut again as if her mind was pleading for just five more mintues.
Then it all started coming back to her and her eyes shot wide open. She sprung off the alluring bed like a pinball bouncing off a bumper, sending the weighted blanket off her body exposing her bound hands.
Starfire gasped at the sight of the device around her hands. It was the same ones that had bound her when the Gordanians abducted her from her homeland of Tamaran. As she looked around the room to get an idea of where she was she quickly realized the comfortable bed was, by far, the nicest thing in the room... In fact... it was the only thing in the room. Not so much as a desk, dresser, book shelf, or even a chair was in the room with her. The walls were made of some kind of metal, with greyed and rusty patches scattered about in random places mainly near the corners of the ceilings and floors. The floor was lit up with a dim glow from fluorescent lights built into the base boards of the walls. It was enough light to give the room visibility but not enough to see the room in great detail. The floor seemed to be struddy tile with little evidence of decay and the door was made of a different metal than the walls but it was clearly newer than the metal surrounding her.
Starfire didn't have the slightest idea of where she was. All she knew was her previous date with Richard was ruined and she could only imagine he thinks she left him at the restaurant. Anger began to boil in her veins. Who ever did this to her was going to pay.
Her eyes lit up with a terrifying green aura and she discharged a bolt of green power at the device binding her hands. This starbolt reflected off the bindings and shot through the ceiling leaving two small holes each surrounded by a ring of calm smoke.
"Oh, good," a human voice with a robotic counterpart filled the room, "you're awake."
Starfire jumped off the bed and stood facing the now open door with a black shadow of a figure leaning against the doorframe. A look of anger and resentment filled her face as she took a defensive stance with her bound hands raised and her eyes glowing green.
"Who are you?!" She demanded, "for what purpose have you brought me here?! I demand you release me!"
"Calm down," the robotic voice said softly raising his hands, "you're not my prisoner."
"And why should I believe your words?!" Starfire spat back defensively, "my hands are bound and I have been taken from my date against my wishes!"
The black figure stood up straight and began walking towards Starfire. Her glowing eyes grow more angry as he inched closer to her and she was about to attack before he reached up grabbed her bindings and gently pulled them towards him.
The gentle but firm grip stopped Starfire in her tracks. Her face lightened up as she observed him. This same feeling seemed eerily familiar to her. A faint image of her savior from earlier appeared in her mind. It was like trying to remember a dream from a deep slumber. She couldn't exactly make out any details of him from her vision being so hazy but she knew this was the same person. She realized he was not a threat and the green glow from her eyes fade away.
The dark figure pulled out a small silver ball no bigger than the size of a marble. It was flexible like playdough but seemed to return to its original form with each movement. He pressed the small orb to the keyhole of the binding around Starfire's hands. With a little pressure the orb slipped into the hole before causing the device to spark with tiny blue bolts of electricity causing the bindings to open in a rush and fall to the tile floor between them.
Starfire began to rub her newly freed wrists while staring at them in a bewildered state.
"I... um..." Starfire said nervously trying to understand what was happening, "I am... confused..." She looked up to the figure for clarification but instead he was already heading out of the room.
"Let's talk," the voice respond before exiting, "grab your shoes next to the bed and follow me."
Starfire looked down at the floor next to the bed. The wall it was against lit up the floor where her beautiful high heel shoes meant for special occasions sat. She remembered Richard at the sight of them and began to worry once more. She reached for her communicator only to find an empty strap on her ankle where it should have been. She gasped in fear grabbed her shoes and ran out into the hallway to chase down the unknown person.
"Where is my-"
"Your attackers got rid of it as I pursed them," the voice interrupted expecting the question, "if I had stopped to grab it I might have lost sight of them."
"My... attackers?" Starfire asked even more confused.
The figure turned from her and began walking down the hallway. The hallway was dark only illuminated at the floor like the room she was just in. They walked for a minute or two in silence before they came to a wide open room with an open ceiling allowing the moonlight to light up everything around them. A massive telescope was in the center of this room with half the building surrounding it destroyed leaving it abandoned by the city.
Starfire recognized this place. She had fought villains here before. Professor Chang if she wasn't mistaken. She began to worry this person in front of were was also a villain.
The moonlight exposed the dark figure. He was clearly visible and was covered from head to toe in a black suit with a tattered black cape and a silver belt. Even though he had his back to Starfire he seemed very familiar to Starfire now.
"I know you," Starfire exclaimed, "you're the Red X!" She gasped from shock, "but you are a villain... why would you assist me?"
Red X stopped and turned to face Starfire showing his mask, a white skull with a Red "X" etched across it which also hid his voice with a robotic relay when he spoke.
"I'm not--UHHHGGGGHHHH!" Before Red-X had a chance to explain he was stuck with a devastating kick from Richard who came swinging in from the open ceiling on his grappling hook.
Richard landed with his back to Starfire facing his enemy. His kick landed solid right on its mark sending his foe tumbling across the floor before slamming his back against the wall.
Instead of growing angry Red-X merely chuckled as if amused...
"Well..." He taunted, "look who decided to finally show up," he proceed to stand up and dust himself off as if nothing happened.
Richards eyes grew angry and he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small device that extended into a long staff with the push of a button.
"I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago," Richard said with a sense of darkness behind his words. He began dashing at Red-X with a loud war cry.
"Dick wait!" Starfire yelled but her plea fell on deaf ears. Richard was in a rage and wasn't about to let this enemy get away.
Red-X drew to large, sharp, blades in the shape of "X's" on the back of his hand. Dick swung the back half of his staff from the side at the masked foe in front of him only to be stopped short by the blade of Red-X left hand.
Richard anticipated the block and immediately followed his initial attack with the other end of his staff aimed at the other side of Red-X. To Richard's surprise, his opponent didn't block with the other blade like he expected. Instead, he ducked under the strike releasing the other half of the staff he had blocked by spinning his body around, low to the ground with an extended leg.
Richard knew what was coming but the unexpected move set his body off balance with the momentum of his attack. Not to mention he was fast. The smooth coherent moves of the leg sweep seemed to perfect to avoid. Dick had no choice but to roll with the punches on this attack. Or in this case... Roll with the kicks...
Red-X leg swung through the air just barely hovering off the ground catching Richard's ankles perfectly and swept the off balance hero's feet right from under him. Thinking quickly Richard hit the ground while curling his knees to his chest and thrusting his feet back into the air as soon as his back hit the ground. This propelled the young acrobat back into the air like a bouncing ball straight to his feet where he was ready to strike again only to see a second attack from the masked villain who had already regained his stance.
He threw two quick jabs with the blades on the back of his hands that Dick almost didn't have time to react to but managed to use his staff to block both before a round house kick from X came flying at his left side.
Blocking this strike with his staff was all but impossible at this point now that it had been used to block two strikes from a different position. So instead Richard let go of his staff with his left hand and caught the powerful kick in the pocket of his armpit wrapping his arm around the ankle with all his strength. Red-X eyes went wide... He was in a bad position. This was Dick's chance to gain some distance and reset the fight.
Using the staff as an extension of his arm he swung the end of it into the gut of his opponent and twist his hips using the momentum and force of his strength to throw his enemy across the room away from him.
With a startled yell, Red-X went soaring through the air before crashing down on the hard floor and rolling to a stop. He was thrown much further than he thought he would have been. Obviously Dick had gotten stronger from the last time the had fought. Or maybe he was just growing up. He couldn't decide which was more likely. X rose to his feet and looked across the room at his target.
"Not bad kid," he said as if talking down to him, "you actually seem to know what you're doing now."
"I don't need approval from you," Richard shot back with disgust.
"Whatever," X shot back, "I'm just confused... if you're this good, why was I the one needed to save your girl?"
Dick clenched his teeth as the rage consumed him. It was the same question he was asking himself... How could he let someone take Star right from under him? Dick let out a cry of anger as he began charging X once more but just before he reached his target, a loud and powerful explosion detonated right in between them with a flash of green light. The blast sent both of them falling back from one another landing on their backsides looking at what could only be described as an incredible sight you'd have to see to believe.
Starfire levitate above them in the wide open room. Her hands and eyes glowing green as the gorgeous blue dress adorned in glimmering blue saphires shinning from the glow of her hands that rest near her waist. The half destroyed building allowed for a gentle breeze to caress her dress exposing her smooth toned legs every few moments. Her expression wasn't angry or sad but confused as too what was happening and why. She just wanted answers.
"You will cease this trivial engagement and explain yourselves," she ordered sharply. She truly did sound like a seasoned leader.
Red-X chuckled and looked away from her beauty for a moment, "She looks just like a godess, doesn't she?" his robotic voice said softly to the enemy he was just facing a moment ago, only five feet away from him.
Richard gave him a dirty look as his anger was still boiling. But he couldn't help but agree. She looked like she had just descend from the heavens in an effort to bring peace to the world.
Starfire descend from her elevated location and stood in between the two boys looking at Richard, "Dick, I believe him."
Richard stood up and looked down at his opponent before looking back at Starfire, "how can you be sure?" He asked defensively with an eyebrow raised.
"He released me from such a device that bound my hands," she said looking down at X, "why would he do such a thing if not to help?"
Richard heard the seriousness in her voice. She was genuinely curious about why he would do this and what had happened earlier. Richard also wanted to know and right now X was the only lead he had.
"Fine," he said with grain of salt behind his words, "it's better we find out what happened tonight anyways. I'd be disappointed if we left here with no answers."
"Thank you, Dick," Starfire respond with passion in her eyes.
"Dick, huh?" X said as he helped himself back to his feet, "so you guys are on the nickname level then? I thought you'd be... futher along by now."
"You don't get to use that name," Richard snapped back taking an aggressive step forwards towards the masked assailant, "the only name you'll ever refer to me as is Nightwing."
"Ooooo," X mocked, "big tough guy, with a new name... I'm shaking in my xenothium."
"You better hope I don't-"
"Please, enough of this bad talking," Starfire stepped in, holding Richard back as he almost lept forward starting another fight.
"Take it easy kid," X said still talking down to him but his tone had lightened up a little, "I'm still not interested in your precious city, or power, or fame, or money."
"Then what are you interested in so I can stop you from getting it?" Richard sneered though a clenched jaw.
X remained silent for a moment as he looked Starfire up and down as if soaking up as much detail of her in her beautiful dress as he could before reaching her emerald eyes that glistened in the moonlight showing true gratitude for saving her.
"You already have the only thing I want," X said looking back at Dick, "but know this... wherever you fail... I won't."
Dick felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as a cold sweat began to crawl down it. His face went pale as he heard the robotic words echo through his mind. It was in this moment his worst fear had been realized. He didn't care about anything else. But losing the woman he loved because of his own mistakes and incompetence rattled his very soul.
Starfire looked from X to Dick back to X trying to figure out what they were talking about. She wasn't very good at picking up on these subtle hints and messages and in this moment it was infuriating to her.
"I wish to know what you mean, please..." She begged for clarification.
"That wasn't meant for you..." Dick whispered loudly. It was like fear has gripped his heart as he spoke, "but I heard it loud and clear."
Starfire looked at Richard with concern in her eyes. She's never seen him like this before and it was worried her more than the events that took place earlier that night. But before she could forget she needed answers...
"Then... Why did you..." She hesitated thinking she was asking questions out of order, "I suppose I must ask first... What happened?"
Red-X looked from Richard to Starfire and paused for a moment thinking about whether or not he should actually tell her what happened. After taking a minute to think it over he sighed and caved into her wishes as if he couldn't resist...
"You sure wanna know what happened tonight?" X said asking with caution.
Starfire nod her head begging for answers. Red-X knew she was strong but he didn't know how she might handle the news he had known for a small amount of time now...
"Fine..." He said in a defeated voice as he watched her fold her hands in front of her chest as if praying for the much needed clification...
"You're being hunted..."
