Little One, Little Danger
(The Revision)
Chapter 24:
Reunited and it feels so…
[Tokyo, Japan – Midnight]
A downpour blankets the streets as thunder roared and lightning cracked filling the dark skies with a brief illumination. A hotel comes into view and someone sat with their back against the side of the wet building in an alley. Their feminine frame soaked along with their fiery orange hair and their head tilted upward. Tears streamed down the girl's face mixing with that of the rain. What happened? Did she do something wrong? How could he—? The thought caused another lump in her throat as she swallowed, her heart continuing to break.
On the roof of the same hotel was the aftermath of a brawl between to individuals. One was laid out on the pavement of the roof motionless. His dark wet hair spread out; eyes closed as the rain soaked his entire being that was fitted into a black & blue bodysuit. The other individual leaned over the edge of the roof trying to catch his breath. He turned to look at his unconscious opponent, his loud pants barely audible through the noise of the rain. His attention went back to the scenery of the city over the edge of the roof. With the remaining strength he had, he hoisted himself up onto the roof's edge. One step…his heart pounded in his chest…one step could send him plummeting down to meet his end. He lifted a hand to remove the mask on his face that he had put on moments earlier. There was no going back…he closed his eyes and jumped, headfirst as if diving into the waters of the rain itself.
{ }
A flash of lightning decorates the stormy sky again, spreading some light upon a street that had been affected by a nearby spherkalite. Its energy force slowly flickering in and out as the device's size grew in a manner as if encase something, a dark form of sorts. The screen of a cellphone upon the ground lit up and vibrated as a call came through. With another flash of lightning, a shadowy figure could be seen lingering over both the spherkalite and phone. The figure retrieves the phone trying to determine whether or not to decline the call. Their attention falls on the spherkalite's dark encasement.
"Good thing that worked." The woman pulled out a small remote and pressed the red button present. The encasing happened to be a forcefield around the device and it dissipated to reveal an unconscious woman levitating in the fetal position. Her dark lavender curls flowed, moving across her fair skin. The other woman approached and removed the unconscious one, placing her to rest over her shoulder. She then initiated the forcefield-like encasement removing the flickering effect and the spherkalite illuminated brighter. The woman made her way to a cycle and threw the apparent victim over the frontend. She put a helmet on and mounted the bike, starting the engine and reeving it up before she drove off through the rain.
{ }
[Hospital in Jump City]
A green young man paced back and forth outside one of the rooms in the emergency ward. "Mr. Logan?" a doctor approached him.
"Ew, dude no, just call me Beastboy." He turned to the older man, "How is she Doc?"
The doctor skimmed over the clipboard in his hand and then met they boy's gaze as he adjusted his specs, "She's fine actually."
"What?" Beastboy raised a brow, "Are you sure?"
"Yes indeed. We conducted all the appropriate tests and they were all normal. Nothing raised a red flag of any kind. Maybe a little exhausted and dehydrated so we're giving her some fluids. Once she's done resting we'll have her sign the release forms then you can take her home."
Beastboy cocked his head to the side, "You mean someone of age has to sign those right?"
"I would assume Ms. Grayson could do that herself." The doctor crossed his arms over his chest.
"Dude no she can't, the kid's just twelve."
The doctor raised a brow confused, "Mr. Log—er Beastboy, if she's twelve then I'm still thirty. Judging by her frame, I would put her at eighteen or nineteen years old."
"What?!" The boy nearly fell over in shock, "That can't be—!" Wait…he begun to think about it.
"Perhaps you should get some rest too. The nurse will come and check on her later." The doctor went on his way and left Beastboy alone outside the girl's room.
Beastboy entered in with the thought of the girl having another weird growth spurt. His eyes found her, resting beneath the sheets of the bed and she looked the same, or so he thought because the light in the room was dim. When he finally approached the bed his eyes widened; he knew it…but…His gaze lingered on her facial features and it was like looking at Raven if she had dyed her hair black. Beastboy brushed the hair upon her forehead with the tips of his fingers…when did his hand move?
The girl stirred in her sleep and he jerked his hand back. Her eyes slowly opened to look into his, "Beastboy?"
{ }
"Damn it!" Cyborg punched the nearest brick wall on an abandoned street frustrated. He quickly lifted his right arm and opened the compartment that held a built-in communicator phone. "Call Raven." He commanded. The line simply rung until it got to the generic message of "sorry the voicemail box has not been set up". Cyborg gritted his teeth and closed the compartment as he dwelled on the next step he needed to take. He headed off down the street.
{ }
A woman stirs in her peaceful sleep, turning over as her arm linked with someone else's. The soft mattress and black satin sheets that covered them was cool to the touch. She passed her hand over her guest's, the moonlight seeping in through the bedroom window. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, startling the woman out of her sleep. The sheets fell to her waist as she sat up and shook her head while her long dark brown wavy hair draped over her chest. She looked into the darkness as her eyes adjusted and she turned her gaze to the window. When did the storm start? The woman's hand brushed against her sleeping guest's arm. As a reaction she looked down only to see the last person she thought she'd ever see. Her eyes widened and her heart raced…did she really forget what happened the last few hours of the night? "B-Bruce?"
{ }
16 hours earlier…
A ray of sunlight seeped through a pair of curtains to land on the face of a woman who slept in a queen sized bed. There was a ring that came from the cell phone that rested on the nightstand. The woman stirred in her sleep before reaching out to grab the device and answer the call, "Hello?"
"Doctor Hinta, it's Astacia."
Sierra yawned, "How can I help you nurse?"
"I was informed to contact you by Doctor Tran to ask if there was any way that you might be able to come in today."
"You mean on Saturday? My day off."
"Yes ma'am."
Sierra slowly sat up in bed and rubbed her temples, "Is it a life or death situation?"
The nurse on the other end of the call grew silent for a few moments, "Well…to be honest…Doctor Tran forgot his fiancé's birthday and—"
"No." With that, Sierra immediately ended the call and stretched before letting herself fall back onto the bed. David always tried to pull a stunt like this. He should just make it up to his fiancé after his shift. Besides, she had other plans. Sierra shifted her gaze to the right towards the window and grinned. After another few moments she decided to get up and pull back those soft pink curtains so that the sunlight filled the room. The next hour consisted of her regular "day off" routine starting with fixing her bed, brewing a pot of her special blend coffee and then getting through her bathroom ritual.
By the time she stepped out of the shower she could hear the doorbell to the front door chime. Who on earth could that be? She scanned the room for a towel forgetting that they were all in the dryer. Sierra sighed as she quickly made her way through the house while the doorbell rang a second time. "Coming!" she shouted as she ran pass the front door through the kitchen and into the laundry room. She snatched the first towel she could grab her hands on out of the dryer as her apparent visitor begun to knock on her door. Wrapping the towel around her, Sierra slid across the kitchen floor and up to the front door to answer it. "Yes?"
"Sierra."
"Doctor Hinta."
Crap. She couldn't mask the look of surprise on her face, "V-Victor and Ms. Roth? What brings you both here?" Or how did they find out where she lived rather.
Cyborg looked her over and grinned, "Just hopped out of the shower?"
"Is it that obvious?" She chuckled, "Why don't you come in." Sierra stepped to the side and let the titans enter her home. She closed the door behind them, "Make yourself at home. I brewed a pot of coffee, would you like any?"
Cyborg took a seat on the couch, "Thanks, I'd like some."
"No thank you." Raven sat on the loveseat.
Sierra grinned, "You must be a tea drinker Ms. Roth."
"I am." The two could hear the clattering of dishes in the kitchen and then Sierra entered the living area with two mugs, handing them each one.
"Thanks." Cyborg smiled.
Raven furrowed her brows, "This is coffee."
"Yes it is." Sierra returned to the kitchen for her own mug and then joined them again.
"I don't drink coffee."
The woman sat next to Cyborg and crossed one leg over the other; he tried not to stare. "I guarantee you'll like this coffee." Sierra sipped on her drink.
Raven's eye twitched, "You can't force someone to drink something they don—"
"Don't be rude Raven." Cyborg immediately diffused the situation, "Try it. It's really good." He grew nervous as the girl's eyes shot daggers his way.
However, she calmed herself and complied, "Fine." Raven inhaled the delicate yet sweet aroma and found it somewhat appealing. She brought the mug up to her lips and Cyborg coughed causing her to take a huge gulp. Her face turned paler than usual.
Sweat ran down both Sierra and Cyborg's faces. He leaned towards his teammate concerned, "R-Raven?"
"Ow, that was hot." Her tongue hung slightly out of her mouth.
Sierra shook her head, "Of course. What do you expect when you drink it fast like—" She stopped herself as she remembered the time she had gotten Kida to do the same…bittersweet.
"It was my fault." Cyborg chuckled nervously.
"Yes it was." Raven sighed and then looked at the contents in the mug, "But I must admit, it's not like any coffee I've tasted before. It's not bad."
Sierra smiled, "You experience something new every day. So…" She took another sip of her mug, "…how's Raiden?"
"She's fine." Raven placed her mug down on the present coffee table.
"Then your reason for this current visit is…?"
"Well, you see it's like this—" Cyborg begun.
"Oh I know why you're here Victor." Sierra gave him a flirtatious grin causing him to blush and stumble over his words.
Raven sighed, "We're here not as patients or citizens but as the Titans and we'd like to ask you some questions."
"Regarding what exactly?"
"These." Raven extended her phone to the woman so she could see its screen while Raven scrolled through pictures.
Sierra looked over them before locking eyes with Raven, "Those are those weird devices from the news. Why would you be asking me about them?"
"Because one is linked to this residence."
"Linked here? To my house? There's no way." Sierra relaxed back into her seat and finished the remainder of her coffee.
"Say what you will but our methods in investigating these things aren't amateur. We just need to located where in this house is its source."
Sierra sat up and placed her mug on the coffee table, "Is that so? I wish I could help but unless you have an official warrant…there's no way you're searching my house."
"And there it is." Raven smirked.
"Now what would that be?" Sierra gave a smirk of her own.
"The reaction of someone who's involved."
"Really? Because I would figure my request for a warrant to have anyone go through my personal things is a right I have in this country. That doesn't make me guilty."
"We're the Titans, we don't need a warrant."
Cyborg extended his hand towards her, "N-Now Raven, you know that's not how we do things."
It wasn't and Raven knew that, but something about this woman didn't sit right with her, "Maybe not, but she's easy to read…just like all the others."
"Am I?" Sierra grinned, "Raven?"
"My sense of judgment when it comes to others is beyond you."
Sierra snickered as she sat back and switched her crossed legs, "I think you're giving yourself way too much credit dear."
"I'm not one to gloat, I simply state the facts."
"Facts?" Sierra chuckled softly, "Where was this judgment when it came to your precious Richard, Rachel?" Raven's face fell and her heart skipped a beat. "Or to your friends Starfire and Aqualad?"
"What are you talking about?" Raven tried to mask her surprise of the topic.
"Now now ladies." Cyborg's second attempt to diffuse the situation.
Sierra grinned, "Your ignorance is amusing."
"Ignorance?" Raven gritted her teeth.
"Victor here told me the whole story."
Raven's white aura begun to show itself and Cyborg knew that she didn't have to look his way to know that he was in trouble. "Cyborg."
Sweat ran down the side of his face, "N-Now look Raven, it was just to make conversation when we went out for coffee okay. No specific details were given and—"
"DON'T." She couldn't control the white illumination that filled her eyes but she knew she had to leave before she'd say or do something she'd regret.
Sierra stared in slight awe at the young woman and couldn't help but be reminded of its likeness. Raven soon flew out of house, phasing through the roof. Cyborg was left behind still sitting next to Sierra, both of them looking up at the ceiling above where the girl made her exit. He soon sighed, lowering his gaze and rubbing the back of his neck, "Did you have to rile her up like that?"
"Sorry but I don't like being accused of something without proof." Sierra stood and retrieved the mugs, "Next time you decide to visit, come alone."
"I'll keep that in mind." He stood and watched the woman walk to the kitchen and back, without the mugs.
"I'm sorry if I kind of threw you under the bus there." She chuckled nervously.
Cyborg sighed, "Yeah, THANKS for that. But…*sigh*…she'll forgive me…one day."
"Oh, I'm sure sooner than you think, trust."
They walked to the front door and he turned to her, "So, about those—"
"Get your warrant and you can search…" She stepped up to him, "…and look at anything you'd like."
Cyborg could feel the heat roaring across his face, "R-Right."
Sierra let him go on his way and closed the door behind him. She watched him through the blinds until he drove off in the team's car and was out of sight. Sierra ran her fingers through her, still damp, hair before heading back to her room to retrieve her phone. She selected a number on her favorites list to call. Though after several moments she was transferred to a voicemail box and she groaned, "Look, I don't know what you're doing right now but we have a problem. Call me as soon as you get this. We might need to make our move ahead of schedule."
{ }
10:00am…
"Seriously Richard." Kida laughed as she nudged him.
The two walked the buys streets of Tokyo after having breakfast at a local bistro, "No I mean it." Robin shook his head with a smile.
"Oh I know, but I didn't expect you to answer truthfully." She teased, "And to pick 'The Little Mermaid' at that."
"Hey, the songs were good okay." He chuckled, "Okay, changing subjects. The food was pretty decent to say the least. Another one of your favorites?"
Kida nodded as they came to a stop at a crosswalk, "Yeah." They stood amongst a small group who were waiting for the signal to cross as well.
"You have a lot of those huh." The signal changed and they continued on.
Kida shrugged, "Kind of, but it's more about places that hold nice memories. So, it might not be about what's served or the atmosphere of the place…just the memorable moment."
"I see." He glanced her way with a grin, "Something really special must've happened there huh."
She immediately blushed, "W-What? N-No, not really. Why would you think that." She turned away from him.
Robin chuckled, "Hey, I'm just going by your words."
"Then I take them back." She playfully stuck out her tongue. They soon could see Robin's hotel coming into view and she sighed internally. Those words she had spoken, she wasn't even thinking about what was coming out of her mouth. Memorable moments. There weren't any…not anymore. Bruce.
{ }
Some years ago…
Bruce opened the passenger side door of his black Ferrari and extended his hand out to the young woman. She shook her head, "No way. There's no way I'm going in there."
The man sighed, "And why not Kida?"
"It's not really my scene." She crossed her arms beneath her chest in a slight pout. "I'm not like the rest of you." Bruce pulled her out by her forearm and gave the valet his keys. "H-Hey!"
"Take care of her will you." He smiled at the young man who assured him that he would and took off to go park the sports car.
Kida yanked out of his grip, "What's your problem?!"
"What's my problem?" Bruce shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "Kida what's YOUR problem? We've been out dozens of times."
"I don't care. I hate these types of restaurants or uppity things like that."
He was confused, "What are you talking about? We've gone to several nice restaurants back in Gotham. What's different about Tokyo?"
"Nothing it's just…!" She stopped herself.
"Just?" He raised a brow.
Kida blushed slightly while casting her gaze elsewhere, "I know you like to do those things and so I just…go because I feel that if I don't then…we might not spend as much time…you know, together."
The man had to admit that he was surprised by her words but it warmed his heart; his face softened and he smiled, "What nonsense are you going on about?"
"You know what I mea—" He grabbed her hand and her heart skipped a beat.
"It doesn't matter what we do or where we dine. I enjoy every second of the experience because you're there with me Kida. Remember that." Bruce led them into the bistro as she blushed but soon relaxed as she squeezed his hand that held hers and smiled softly.
{ }
Presently…
"Kida?"
She shook her head of the memory, "Yes?" Kida had been walking alone, but for how long now?
"Over here." Robin waved and she turned to see his smiling face some feet away from her at the entrance of his hotel.
She walked over to him with a light blush across her cheeks, "Sorry about that. I must've zoned out."
"Don't sweat it." He chuckled, "Maybe you should head home and get some rest."
"Yep, that's the plan. What're you doing later?"
Robin shrugged, "Hadn't really thought about it."
"Want to catch a movie?"
"I don't know, I might need to check my schedule." He teased.
"Yeah okay, Richard." She playfully nudged him.
He chuckled, "See you later Kida."
"Sure thing." The woman turned and walked away and she could hear him shout out to her to be safe on the walk home. She simply lifted a hand to wave and responded with an "always".
{ }
12:00 pm…
Beastboy yawned as he sat with Raiden on the couch at the Titans Tower. Both of their bellies were the size of basketballs as empty cartons of ice-cream surround their feet.
"Mama won't like this." Raiden burped out.
Beastboy gave her a thumbs up, "Nah, everything will be alright."
"You say that now, but if we get in trouble I'm playing the innocent daughter card and blaming it all on you."
He narrowed his eyes at her, "You know, you were a lot more fun when you were six."
"What? I'm still fun, just a lot smarter." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"I'll say." He stretched, "Well, I'm not sure where your mom and Cyborg ran off to but we have the place all to ourselves."
Raiden raised a brow, "Um, I'm still a minor so no funny business."
"What?!" Beastboy nearly fell over, "I didn't mean anything like that! Sheesh, where do kids' minds go nowadays." He shook his head as Raiden burst into laughter.
"You're cute when you get flustered like that."
"Hey, that's my line. I'm the older one here." He huffed.
"Alright so…" Raiden stretched her arms above her head, "…what did you have in mind?"
He shrugged, "Heck if I know, I used up all my best ideas this morning and that includes the ten cartons of vanilla ice-cream that we devoured."
Raiden rolled her eyes, "I should've known that brain of yours would cease to function."
"Give me a break will ya! You come up with something for a change." He folded his arms across his chest.
The girl sank into the couch in deep thought as she rubbed her overly expanded belly. Beastboy did the same excluding the "deep thought" process and belched. "Got it!"
"Lay it on me."
"Let's bungee jump off the top of the tower. Then we can burn off all this ice-cream!" She clapped and rolled forward off of the couch.
"Oh hell no!" Beastboy was already thinking of the consequences, "Pardon the language but are you crazy?! Do you know what Robin would do to me?! Not to mention…*gulp*…R-Raven." His face turned white with fear.
Raiden shrugged it off, "Pfft, who's gonna tell them?"
"Newsflash genius, this whole place is literally crawling with cameras."
"And?"
"And?!" He narrowed his eyes again, "I swear that attitude comes from Robin."
"Are you game or not?" The girl waddled towards the door that led to the gym to grab some cords.
Beastboy's eye twitched, "Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me."
{ }
2:45 pm…
Starfire landed the jet near some foliage on the outskirts of a city near Tokyo so as to conceal it. She'd fly the rest of the way and descend into an area vacant of people so as not to draw attention to herself. She exited the vehicle and levitated in the air seeing the city in the distance. It was time for her to get to the bottom of the confusion she was feeling.
~o~
3:00pm…
Aqualad's sub surfaced in a connecting river in Japan outside of Tokyo's city limits. Fortunate enough for him, no civilians were present to see him; the area was deserted. He maneuvered the vehicle to the edge of the river and exited. The location was about five miles away from his destination; perfect. Robin had better brace himself because he was coming. Aqualad broke out into a sprint.
{ }
4:00pm…
Kida's phone rung causing her to stir in her nap and retrieve it, "Hello?"
"Ugh, finally! Why didn't you return my call from this morning?!"
She rubbed her ear, "Please, speak louder why don't you." She replied sarcastically, "What is it Sierra?"
"Kida what have you been doing this entire time?"
"Nothing. I grabbed breakfast this morning then came back to for a nap." She yawned.
Sierra sighed, "I'm guessing you didn't even listen to the voicemail I left."
Sweat ran down the back of the girl's neck, "No."
She heard the woman on the other end of the call sigh again but suddenly get silent. She was probably counting to ten and taking a deep breath. "Whatever. Well, to relate to you on what my previous call was regarding, the Titans are on our trail now."
"Already?" Kida sighed, "I hoped it would take them a bit longer."
"Tch, so much for that. The Tinman and gothic Dorthy paid me a visit this morning asking questions."
Kida raised a brow, "Really? Why go to you?"
"It seems that they've traced one of the spherkalites to my address. If that's the case, they'll be headed over to you soon."
"No worries." Kida grinned, "Let them come, but you be safe. Grab Raven and bring her to the outskirts."
Sierra sighed again, "So we're really going through with this?"
"Yes. It's not my fault that they're too smart for their own good."
"And Robin?"
"He hasn't gotten a clue."
"Kida, are you sure ab—"
"Just do it!"
Sierra grew silent for a few moments, "Okay." The call ended and Kida sighed while sitting up on her couch.
{ }
4:30pm…
Cyborg and Raven rode in silence. He found her a few miles from Sierra's place and she had gotten in the car without him even asking. The air was definitely tense and he didn't like it but what else could he say? He shifted his gaze her way as she kept her focus out the passenger window. He didn't like seeing her like this, any of them like this for that matter. So much has happened since Raiden arrived and he couldn't help but wonder if the girl was the cause. But it wouldn't be right to put the blame on the kid, all of them were responsible for their own act—"Cyborg."
Raven's voice interrupted his thoughts, "Yeah Rae?"
"Could you…" She was hesitant, "…ever love someone…like me?"
His heart ached but he couldn't help the soft smile that his lips formed, "Raven, I already love you."
"I…" She turned to him, cheeks lightly pink, "…no, that's not what…*sigh*…" Raven lowered her gaze and faced the dashboard, "Could you see yourself falling IN love, with someone like me?"
"And like you, you mean what exactly?"
"You know what I mean."
Cyborg sighed, "Look Raven, despite what you may think, nothing is wrong with you. Not to mention, everyone deserves love either way. So, to answer your question, yes. I can definitely see myself falling for someone just like you. Someone's who's thoughtful, caring and putting others' needs before her own. And that's not even a fraction of who you are."
His words warmed her heart, "Victor…"
"Why ask such a question anyway?"
Raven turned her gaze out the window again, "I'm not sure. It sort of just popped in my head when I thought about—" She hesitated again.
"Robin?" He raised a brow and her heart skipped a beat.
She wanted to deny it and end the conversation but, "I guess." Her focus remained out the window, "When did things get so complicated?"
Cyborg sighed as he took the car into a turn, "Your guess is as good as mine sis."
{ }
6:00pm…
Robin waved at an approaching Kida outside of a popular movie theater. They planned to catch the feature for a new action film that was just released. "Took you long enough."
Kida grinned, "Hey, beauty like this doesn't happen within the blink of an eye."
"Oh yeah, there's great beauty in blue jeans and a t-shirt." He chuckled as they entered the theater and he handed her a ticket.
"Should we grab popcorn? Or maybe candy? Oh, a soda sounds good too!" Kida headed over to the concession counter.
Robin shook his head, "This outing is getting pricy."
"Hey, they have combos!" She waved him over and he only smiled realizing the girl wasn't paying him any attention. Her actions reminded him of Starfire. Suddenly it hit him…how long has he been away from the others? Kida turned to him with a smile, "How about combo number two? It comes with a large popcorn and soda and two boxes of—" She noticed that the man's facial expression seemed vacant like he was deep in thought. "Richard, everything alright?"
Robin snapped out of it, "Huh? Oh y-yeah, everything's fine. Um, so you want extra butter on that large popcorn of yours?" He walked passed her up to the concession counter and spoke with the employee behind it.
Kida kept her gaze on him, there was no need to try and read his thoughts because she knew what was going through them. He was starting to miss the Titans. She stepped beside him with a smile, "Extra butter would be great."
{ }
6:30pm…
"Why aren't we doing anything?!" Raiden kicked her feet annoyed while lying on the couch.
Beastboy yawned while stretching, "We are doing something kid, it's called napping."
"Naps are for five-year olds." She grumbled, "I can't believe you just threw my bungee jumping idea out the window like that."
"You're still talking about that? That was hours ago."
Raiden sat up, "Is that how long we've been napping?! Ugh!" She fell back, "I want to do something fun!"
"How about the mall?"
She raised a brow, "Are you treating?"
Beastboy shifted his gaze to her from the lounge chair, "What? Why me?"
"Because you're older than me." She grinned.
He narrowed his eyes, "The play of that card will run out soon enough."
"But no right now, so let's go."
"I changed my mind." He sunk into the chair, "I'm broke."
Raiden sat up again, "You liar."
"The beast man never lies."
"What about that secret stash of yours?"
His heart dropped as he jump up, "W-What secret stash?"
She grinned, "The one I saw in a crusty old shoe box under your bed."
"When did you—?"
"Uncle Cy said you use it for special occasions, like dates, but you rarely have any of those so there's quite a bit of money left over."
Beastboy's eye twitched, "Man Cyborg has a big mouth."
"So let's go and it's YOUR treat."
"Hold up now! How about we make a deal?"
Raiden thought about it, "Like what?"
"If we go to the mall, there's thirty dollar spending limit." He grinned.
"Ugh, don't be so cheap—"
"AND when we get back, I'll consider the whole bungee jumping thing."
The girl's eyes lit up, "Are you kidding me?"
"Nope, but if the others are back by then, it's not happening." Maybe he could hold her there long enough.
"Deal!" Raiden flew off to go get changed.
Beastboy sighed thinking that it was exhausting keeping the girl entertained. He'd probably hold off on having kids in the future.
{ }
7:25pm…
Aqualad sat at a table within a café and clenched his fist out of frustration. He had been searching the city for almost four hours and had yet to find Robin. Anyone he asked about the guy's whereabouts couldn't give him a straight answer or they didn't even know who he was talking about. Some who were fans knew but that hadn't seen him around at all. The water teen begun to doubt if the guy was in Tokyo to begin with. Suddenly the door chime to the café rung in his ears and it was a reflex for his eyes to be directed towards the entrance. However, he was not expecting to see the individual who just walked in; Starfire.
The girl's eyes scanned the establishment for an available seat until her gaze fell onto a familiar one's. Locked onto Aqualad's onyx gaze, the girl grew excited and surprised at the same time. She quickly made her way across the room and sat in the chair across from him with a smile. Before either one could address the other, the waitress that had been tending to his table asked if she could get Starfire anything. The alien princess told her to bring anything she recommended and the waitress nodded while stating that she'd bring over a latte.
Once alone again, Aqualad focused on the girl across from him and leaned forward, "Starfire, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you friend Aqualad." She leaned forward at about the same time and their heads almost collided.
He quickly leaned back, "You didn't have to lean forward too."
"But you did it first so I thought—" She raised a brow confused.
"Don't worry about it." He shook his head, "I'm guessing you're in Tokyo for the same reason as me." The waitress dropped off Starfire's drink and left again before their conversation continued.
"Are you looking for Robin as well?" The girl sipped on the hot drink.
He nodded, "Yeah, but I haven't had any luck."
"Should we search together?"
"I'd rather we didn't Star." Aqualad sighed, "I have a score to settle with him."
She placed her mug down on the table, "I too have some questions to ask him."
Asking questions wasn't exactly what he had in mind but, maybe she had a point. He then remembered their last conversation over the phone and he felt guilty. "Starfire…about what I said on the phone…sorry."
The girl was a bit surprised by his sudden apology, "Oh. Well, you don't—"
"I shouldn't have let myself get worked up about what happened between Robin and me. My feelings were just running wild and—"
"I had a quarreling with friend Raven." The words just came out of Starfire's mouth without hesitation.
Aqualad nearly dropped his cup of decaf coffee, "You had a fight with Raven?"
"Yes." Starfire nodded and felt pained at her heart, "And it was not solely with words."
"You mean you two actually…" His eyes widened and Starfire begun to tell him the story of how it happened. After relating the incident to him, Aqualad shook his head in amazement as she took another sip of her latte. "Wow. Star I'm so sorry that happened."
"It is okay but…now I am so misguided as to what Robin's feelings are." She shook her head, "I was very much certain that his matched my own, but now…" Her heart felt heavy, "…I need to talk with him."
Aqualad could see how much this whole ordeal was affecting her and it made him lose even more respect for Robin. "Well, if that's the case, then what the hell. Let's team up and look for him."
Starfire lifted her emerald gaze that just lit up, "Oh that would be glorious, thank you so much. I too have had little of the luck when locating him."
"You know what they say, two heads are better than—"
"Three gloopnarqs." Starfire smiled.
He had no idea what that meant but he'd go along with it, "Yeah, let's go with that."
{ }
8:30pm…
Robin and Kida exited the theater after the end of their feature, both satisfied with the plot and twist that the end provided. As they walked down the street, Kida glanced his way and admired his face hoping he wouldn't notice. "What is it?" He turned to her, "Did a piece of popcorn get stuck to my face?"
"N-No, haha." She shifted her gaze elsewhere, "I was just wondering about something."
"What would that be?" He grinned.
She playfully smiled sheepishly, "Do you mind if I link my arm within yours?"
"Is that all?" Robin chuckled as he offered his arm to her, "Knock yourself out kiddo."
"Don't tease." Kida laughed while linking her arm with his.
"Oh I wouldn't dare."
There was an outside sushi bar situated across the street where Starfire and Aqualad were questioning the owner about Robin's whereabouts. Though the picture they provided didn't quite fit his current appearance. For a split moment, the girl shifted her gaze across and spotted the tall dark haired maskless man. She knew that physique anywhere, it was Robin! Before excitement overcame her, her eyes fell on the woman hanging on his arm. "Thanks anyway." Aqualad sighed as he turned away from the sushi bar, "Onto the next place Star."
"No."
He raised a brow, "No?"
Starfire pointed across the street, "He's there."
"Really?" Aqualad focused his attention in the direction she was referring to, "That looks like him alright, but who's the girl?" He turned to Starfire and noticed that her eyes were aglow with green tint and her fist clenched.
"I do not know, but I will find out."
"Okay, before you go over there all 'guns blazing' let's be smart about this." Aqualad couldn't believe that Robin had already pulled another girl, it disgusted him.
Starfire nodded as she calmed down, "Then we pursue and follow them without getting caught."
"Sounds like a plan." He stepped aside and bowed, "After you Miss."
{ }
9:00pm…
Cyborg and Raven had just finished their meal at a Chinese takeout as the boy sighed, "So, do you think we should make our way to Tokyo?"
"What for? Bruce should've made it there by now." Raven broke open a fortune cookie.
"That's true but, you have a way with those devices right? Extract information or something? They could each hold something different."
She sighed, "It's not like Tokyo is around the corner Cyborg. That's a long trip."
"What if I were to tell you that I could get us there within the hour?" He grinned.
"Don't tell me, another invention?"
He pouted, "You could at least pretend to show a little enthusiasm."
"Why put on a pretense." She tossed the little paper fortune onto the table, "Let's get this over with then."
{ }
9:30pm…
Beastboy and Raiden entered the tower with a ton of shopping bags. The boy was on the verge of tears, "What happened to our thirty dollar spending limit?!"
"But there were so many cute things!" Raiden's eyes beamed with delight.
The boy dropped the bags behind the couch and wiped his brow, "How does a twelve-year old shop just like Starfire? Raven barely leaves with lip balm."
"Well can't be like mama in everything." Raiden grinned.
"True, and there are some benefits to that."
"Alright." She placed her fists on her hips, "Let's do it."
"Do what?" He raised a brow.
"To the roof for some bungee jumping woo!"
His heart stopped. To be honest he had forgotten about it and hoped she would too. Where in the heck were the others?! "No way kid! The deal was we'd do it only IF we kept to the thirty dollar spending limit. But we spent FIVE HUNDRED and thirty."
"Come on Uncle BB!"
He folded his arms and turned away from her, "Begging is not going to work."
"But you're supposed to be the FUN one!" She whined.
"And we had our fun."
Raiden pouted, "When did you become such a party pooper? No wonder you don't get any dates."
"P-Party p-pooper?" That struck a nerve, "I'll show you 'party pooper'." In the blink of an eye, Beastboy had changed into some activewear. "Let's do this thang." There was a serious expression on his face.
Raiden cheered, a little flag in her hand with his picture on it, "Yay! You're so cool BB!"
"Yeah, heh." He smirked, "I know."
{ }
9:45pm…
Aqualad looked at the time on his phone and groaned, "How long are these two going to be out for?" He and Starfire had been tailing Robin and his "friend" for hours and they were now at another food stand. They were soon on the move again stopping at a few gift shops and then finally made it to Kida's place. Aqualad and Starfire hid around the corner of the building.
Kida turned to Robin with a smile, "This was fun, as always."
"Yeah." He smiled as he looked at the few stars above, "It would be nice to have days like this on a regular basis."
"Was that a proposal? Richard you sly devil you." She playfully slapped his shoulder.
He burst into laughter, "What, no!"
"Your loss." Kida stuck her tongue out playfully before giving a quick peck on his cheek.
The gesture took him by surprise, "What was that for?"
"Just another way of me saying thank you." She grinned before turning away and lifting a hand to wave, "See you later."
He shook his head with a smile and waved, "See you." Robin then headed in the opposite direction down the street.
Aqualad poked his head out, "There he goes."
"Shall we question the girl?" Starfire was already at Kida's front door.
"What, no!" Aqualad hurried over to her to stop her, "We don't want to blow our cover yet. Besides, our issues are with Robin, not whoever she is."
The girl sighed, "You are right. Let us continue to follow him." He gave her a nod and they rushed back to follow Robin further.
{ }
10:00pm…it starts…
Cyborg pulled the T-car into a parking space on the side of the street. They made it to Tokyo in just the amount of time that he promised. "Awesome right?"
Raven sighed while fixing her hair, "I wouldn't say adding a few rockets to the car 'amazing'." She stepped out the vehicle.
"I guess you can't please everybody." He mumbled to himself while cutting the engine. "A nice 'thank you for getting us here quickly Cyborg!' would've been nice." He got out of the car and stepped beside her, "So, can you sense that device nearby?"
"No. Not yet anyway."
Cyborg logged some data in his built-in computer upon his arm, "Damn. Maybe we should split up."
"How would that help exactly?" She raised a brow.
He shrugged, "How the heck should I know. Every time we do it though, something's bound to happen."
Raven rolled her eyes, "Fine."
"Okay, you take the east side and I'll go west."
She took a few steps, "I thought we knew the exact location of this thing."
"Uh…we did but, see what had happened was—"
"Save it." Raven sighed as she headed to the east. The streets were well lit and there were several crowds of people roaming them. She figured them to be clubbers. About a mile into her trek, that familiar sense came over her, the device. It was close by so she continued in the direction that increased the feeling. Soon she was led to a few abandoned alleyways and the next corner she turned; the feeling was stronger than ever. Down the alley right next to her she could see it at the darkened end glowing bright. Raven slowly walked towards it and in moments it was like she couldn't stop herself even if she wanted; being so drawn to it. Once she came within a foot of it, she finally stopped, letting her eyes skim the device. She could feel it…it was alive but she couldn't figure how exactly. Grabbing her phone she called her teammate, "Cyborg, I've found it."
"Nice, where are you?"
"Only a few miles ea—" Her hand was suddenly hit with something causing her to drop the phone ending the call. She gritted her teeth from the sudden pain and held her hand while turning her attention in the direction the attack came from. "Who's there?!"
"Sorry, but this is as far as your investigation goes Raven, or should I say Mrs. Grayson." A figured stepped out of the shadows.
Raven wasn't too surprised at to who it was, "Why Doctor, you've finally shown your true colors." She smirked.
Sierra was dressed in a red and black leather bodysuit laced with high tech, compliments of Kida. Her three inch heeled boots echoed with each step on the cold concrete and she stopped several feet from Raven. "You are a smart one, though I doubt the current age change had anything to do with that. How's that working out for you by the way?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business." Raven's gaze stayed on her as Sierra moved to her left.
The other woman grinned, "Believe me, it's more of my business that you'll soon find out." Sierra stopped again and got into a fighting stance.
"Sooner than you think." Raven's eyes immediately glowed their white illumination as she levitated in the air.
Sierra smirked, "Feels like training all over again."
{ }
Robin sat on the roof of the hotel waiting for his pursuers to reveal themselves. Since the theater he's picked up their presence and wondered when they would make their move. Suddenly the door that led back inside swung open, finally; he stood. "Took you two long enough." He turned to see Starfire walk out with Aqualad right behind her.
"Don't be a smartass Grayson."
Robin snickered, "Tch, I don't remember giving you the okay to use that name."
"As if I need your permission." Aqualad snickered back.
He folded his arms over his chest, "Why are you here?"
"Robin?" Starfire reluctantly approached him.
Her team leader turned to her and could already see the confusion in her stare. The hesitation in her body language. He had to admit that it pained his heart, "Kori I—"
"Is it…" She held a closed hand to her chest, "…is it true?"
Robin had a feeling that he knew what she was referring to, "Is what true?"
He was going to make her say it…ask him outright? How could she? Starfire felt her body tremble as if she already knew the answer. She lowered her gaze and dwelled on the memories they shared. "Robin…the date on the beach…at the restaurant…our exchanges of affection…" A lump formed in her throat that she swallowed before choking on. "Was any of it…real?"
Robin could feel that pain inside grow because if he was honest, some of those moments were real but they didn't have the effect on him that it did her. "Kori, it was real but—"
"Then why?" She lifted her tear filled gaze to lock with his, "If that was as real as the way I feel about you then why…why is everyone saying otherwise?"
Aqualad's heart ached for her, "Star."
Robin approached her slowly and she had to lift her gaze slightly to keep their eye contact. He lifted a hand to brush away the few tears that had begun to stream down her cheek. His touch made her tilt her head a bit to rest in his hand. To both her and Aqualad's surprise, Robin leaned down and gently placed his lips upon hers..
{ }
A sudden knock at Kida's door ceased the drying of her wet hair she washed in the shower. It was a bit late for it to be Robin and Sierra was out on a mission. She threw a robe on and headed to the front door curious as to the absence of a second knock. Cautious of who her late night visitor might be, Kida retrieved the small pistol in a hidden drawer beneath the last shelf of the nearby bookcase and held it behind her. "Just a moment." Her response to the knock that seemed ages ago; she answered the door. "Can I…" Kida's eyes locked with someone's and her heart stopped, "…help you…"
"Kida."
"B-Bruce…" She could feel herself wanting to hyperventilate as her body trembled causing her to drop the small firearm and it fell to her feet. Kida took a few slow steps back from him.
He followed her inside and the door closed behind him. It was her…REALLY her, "Kida."
What the hell was going on?! This wasn't a part of the plan just yet. She was ready to deal with him right now, so what was he doing there?! "H-How did you find me? W-Why are you here?"
"I was helping the Titans and—" Bruce's foot collided with the fallen weapon. His gaze dropped to it and he decided to pick it up a bit taken aback. "What were you planning to do with this? Who the hell did you think was at the door?"
"Certainly not you." The shakiness in her voice was starting to fade as she descended from her sudden shock.
He waved the gun towards her, "I thought I taught you better than this."
"Why are you here?!" She couldn't control the sudden outburst; she figured she wasn't as calm as she thought.
Bruce could feel the sudden hurt in his heart that overcame him and it was clear on his face, "After all these years…you're asking me questions."
"Should I not?" She could feel her heart racing.
"No." He shook his head and let out a single chuckle, "No see, because you're the one who up and left without a trace."
She snickered, "It's not like you gave a damn to use that technology of yours to find me, now is it."
"I didn't…wow." Bruce snickered, "You're more stubborn now than ever."
"Oh go screw yourself Bruce!"
"Do you know how worried Alfred and I were?!" He took a step towards her.
"I don't care!" Kida clenched her fists at her sides and stared the man down, "I didn't care then and I DON'T care now."
Bruce could feel his hurt turn into anger, "No, I suppose you wouldn't seeing as you kept yourself away from us this long. Why would you care."
She felt her heart ache tremendously but she wasn't going to give in, "If that's all you came for, then I suggest you be on your way."
"It's not." He crossed arms over his chest, "Whatever you're planning with those devices placed around the globe, stop."
"I have nothing to do with those things."
"Don't lie to me Kida. I know you and you're the only one that's capable of the power that those things emit."
She turned away from him and snickered, "You KNOW me? Don't be so sure of yourself."
"Then prove me wrong Rile."
As the last word left his lips, he felt a sharp pain within his stomach. His gaze shifted downward to see Kida's knee lodged into his gut. He gritted his teeth trying to endure the attack and catch the wind that had been knocked out of him. Kida leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Bruce, I don't have to prove anything to you because…I'm not the weak little girl I used to be."
The force of the hit finally released and sent the man flying across the house. He ended up hitting the opposite wall at the far end. Kida grinned as she headed his way, waiting for the debris to clear. Her grin soon changed to gritting her teeth because only the outline on the wall was present but not Bruce. "You were never weak Kida." His voice echoed around her in the dark.
"Hiding in the shadows as always Bruce." Kida taunted.
"And I only had a soft spot for the Kida that I used to know." He appeared directly behind her. Kida couldn't react fast enough to evade his grasp of both her forearms. Bruce lifted her up and hurled her across the room into the kitchen where she ended up rolling on the island counter.
She quickly got ahold of herself and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "Good, that means you won't hold back." Kida readied herself in a fighting stance.
Bruce followed suit and did the same, "Come at me with all that you got."
{ }
"Uff!" Sierra's back hit a fence after being thrown across the street. Raven flew after her taunting her to give up. She evaded the girl's next attack before contact, "The hell I am." Lifting herself within the air, she brought down an elbow in the middle of Raven's back. The hit caused her to fall out of the air and slam into the concreted ground. Sierra backed away more into the middle of the street as her opponent tried to recuperate and stand.
Raven stumbled a little before straightening up and spitting a little blood to her left, "I don't think I've ever met a doctor that handles themselves like you do."
"Let's just say I got a lot of practice in dealings with powers like yours." Sierra smirked.
"Powers like mine? Heh, I doubt it."
"You still don't get it do you."
Raven used her telekinesis to unhinge a nearby streetlight, "Why don't you enlighten me." She tossed the object Sierra's way who jumped over it though wasn't fast enough to evade the second streetlight that crashed into her side. The woman was thrown back across the way with the streetlight upon her waist. It ended up pinning her against a brick wall, trapping her.
"Son of a—"
"Now." Raven descended upon her, "Tell me everything you know about these devices unless you really want to see my wrath."
Sierra smirked, "What difference would it make if I were to tell you exactly what the spherkalites were?"
"Spherkalites?"
"Why don't you take a closer look." Sierra retrieved a control from one of her pockets and pushed a red button. A suction-like force emitted from the spherkalite, being drawn to Raven's power, and begun to pull her towards it.
"W-What did you do?"
"Just relax, I won't be long now." Sierra smirked again.
Raven kept getting drawn in like she was in a beam she couldn't escape, "I can't…tch…I can't move." Her powers faded from the streetlight that bound Sierra and the woman was able to free herself of it. She then stood and watched the girl trying to escape.
"No use and fighting it Raven."
"What's going to happen to me?" Raven could feel herself genuinely panicking. Why couldn't she use her powers to set herself free? Was she going to die?
"I'm not sure what'll happen to be honest, but don't expect it to be anything good."
The feeling in Raven's legs begun to cease. It was almost as if she was being drained of her energy and power. She was going to die…she never feared death but after all that's happened. Her heart started to race as she thought about her teammates…her friends…her family. She regretted everything bad that happened between her and any of them, especially Robin and Rai—no. "No wait! My daughter! What's going to happen to her if I'm not there?!"
Sierra's heart ached as the woman's words surfaced some guilt within her, "I'm sorry Raven, but I really have no choice here."
"Sierra!" Her shout made her hesitate in hitting the red button again to speed up the process. She locked gazes with Raven's whose seemed to be pleading, "We always have a choice." Sierra shook the slight doubt out of her thoughts and shifted her gaze as she pushed the button. Within moments, the spherkalite absorbed Raven, encasing her inside of it. The girl's powers would be completely drained, leaving her unconscious almost to the point of a coma. Sierra pulled out her phone and sent Kida a text:
"I'm heading to the rendezvous point with the package in hand."
{ }
"You ready to rock?!" Raiden threw a fist in the air with excitement as she stood at the edge of the roof.
Beastboy sighed, "If you mean watch you jump to your untimely demise, fine."
She rolled her eyes, "I can fly you know."
"Then my demise."
"You can turn into something and fly too genius." She laughed.
"That's beside the point!"
Raiden ignored him as she readied herself, "Alright here we go. One. Two…"
"Robin's gonna kill me." Beastboy winced.
"Three!" The girl hopped over the side of the roof attached to their DIY bungee cord. However, on the three count, something odd happened within her. She fell unconscious and unaware. Beastboy ran to look over the edge and watch her without a clue. Raiden had made it all the way down right before coming into contact with the ground below. Though she didn't bounce back up and simply hung there.
"I have to admit that was awesome!" He continued to watch her, but nothing was happening. "Raiden?" No answer. "Crap. Raiden?!" Beastboy transformed into a hawk and flew down, flapping about a foot from her. Using his talons, he cut the cord and transformed back in time to catch her. "Raiden what happened?" He shook her gently, "Raiden wake up, you have to wake up." There was still no response from the girl and he skimmed her person for any kind of scratch, bruise or anything that might tell him why she was in the current state she was in. "Ugh, forget this. I'm no doctor." Beastboy transformed into a tiger and was able to position the girl upon his back. He then ran off in the direction of the nearest hospital.
{ }
Robin pulled back from Starfire and his gaze locked with hers, "I'm sorry Kori…but my heart is pulling me elsewhere."
She watched him take a few steps back as she reached out to him but pulled her hand back. "The girl from tonight?" It would be easier to accept if that was the case.
"No. Kida's just a friend I made out here."
Starfire could feel her heart starting to break, "Then why…" She bit her bottom lip to stop any more tears from falling, "…why kiss me just now? W-Why make the thought of losing you so much more difficult?!" She took a step his way.
"To make my point clear."
"To make—"
"Just now…" Robin placed a hand within one of his jeans' pockets, "…did you feel anything?"
Did she? Starfire could barely think straight with everything going on. "I…" Was there something?
"That kiss, was absent of warmth…of love…of the feeling that you want and do deserve Starfire." The words might've come out a bit harsh but he had to make things clear. "But it's not going to come from me."
She didn't want to accept that, "Just tell me why Robin…just say it…please." Say what she already knew deep down to be true.
"Because all of that…and more…" Robin's heart begun to ache again, "…I feel with Raven. I'm in love with her."
Starfire could feel her heart shatter and she couldn't bite her lip hard enough to stop the tears this time. She let her arms fall to her sides and her gaze lowered to her feet, vision blurred from the tears. It was true. What Aqualad said…what Raven said…it was all true. The alien princess brought her arms up to hold herself and she begun to levitate. Aqualad's heart ached out to her, "Star?"
"Leave…leave me alone!" She flew off into the night sky.
Both Aqualad and Robin's gaze followed her until she was out of sight, "Nice work fearless leader."
"I couldn't lie to her anymore." Robin sighed and lowered his gaze, "But don't think that telling her the truth was easy to do."
"I'm sure it wasn't." Aqualad shifted his gaze to him, "However, don't expect me to be sympathetic towards you."
"And I ask again, the reason you're here?"
Aqualad folded his arms across his chest, "I did come to exchange a few words but seeing as we saw you with another woman tonight, I don't think words are going to cut it."
"A woman that's only a friend."
"Save it." The water teen cracked his knuckles and got into a fighting stance, "I'm ready this time and this is for Raven's sake."
Robin readied himself, "You keep telling yourself that."
{ }
Cyborg was examining the screen of his phone that had abruptly gone black in the middle of Raven's call. What in the world happened? He accessed the computer built into his arm so as to trace the girl's call but it was futile. He gritted his teeth in frustration and decided to head east where he knew she had gone off on her search.
{ }
Kida smirked as she looked down at a fallen Bruce, "I thought you weren't going to go easy on me." She stood, disrobed by their quarrel that resulted in some bruises and scratches. The man slowly got to his feet; shirt nearly torn to shreds so he removed it. He had a few cuts across his face and one of his arms. Bruce cracked his neck on both sides before charging and tackling her through the bedroom door. After they fell, Kida cupped her hands together, bringing them down to give Bruce a hard hit to his back. He grunted and then stood them up with her legs wrapped around his waist. Finding the nearest wall by touch of hand, Bruce rammed her back against it a few times until her grip on him finally loosened. Kida slid down the wall and he backed away from her trying to catch his breath.
"I'm not, thought I'd just get the warmup out of the way." The woman gritted her teeth at his words and slowly stood feeling a familiar feeling she hadn't felt in quite some time, her power. There was a goldish tint illuminating her eyes just as Raven's does. Bruce remembered it all too well, "Damnit." Kida engulfed the lamp on her nightstand with the aura of her power and launched it his way. Bruce evaded skillfully but several more objects within the room was headed his way. He had to stop her before she lost control. He worked his way across the room towards her, evading anything she threw his way. If he didn't put a halt to this now, things would get a lot uglier than they were now…for him at least. As soon as he saw an opening, he pounced on her, grabbing both wrists. The sudden attack made the glow cease and the objects that had been levitating in the room fell to the ground.
"Get…" Kida squirmed and kicked, "…get off!"
"Kida stop this!" He tightened his grip on her, placing a knee on the thighs of her legs to keep her from kicking. The woman refused to give up and he had no choice but to strengthen his grip one more time which got her to a point where she couldn't move. Her breathing was rapid as she stared him down and he searched her face for some sort of explanation as to why she was doing what she was doing. "Kida what's…how did this happen? Why are you like this?"
"And what way is that Bruce?" He could hear the anger in her words.
"So full of anger…resentment."
Kida gritted her teeth, "Why don't you look in the mirror Bruce…YOU made me this way." Her gaze was filled with more hurt and pain than anger.
"I made you this way?" He snickered.
"Yes."
"I made you this way…"
"Yes you!"
"Do NOT blame ME for your shitty choices you made in life! YOU'RE the one who ran out on us!"
"And why do you think that is Bruce, huh?!" Kida could feel the lump in her chest as her heart ached at the memories that flooded her thoughts. "You weren't ever there…even if you were physically…it was like you weren't." The tension in her limbs faded, "By the time I knew it…whatever feeling I had towards you slowly turned to hatred."
Bruce's heart became pained, a bit surprised by her words and his hold on her loosened, "You don't mean that."
"Tch…" She snickered lightly, "…yes I do, because…when someone lies to you enough…gives you hope that isn't there…" She started to choke, "…because a damn costume came before anything and everyone else…" Tears slowly streamed down her face as she chuckled and bit her lip, "Sure, I can believe Alfred was worried about my well-being but you…you never cared about me Bruce." Her words were like knives to his heart, he could feel his innards fill with hurt, pain and agitation because…it wasn't true. The sound of her sniffling broke his thoughts, "You never really…" Kida paused and shifted her gaze elsewhere.
"Never really 'what', Kida?" There was no way she truly believed that, could she? Had he really been that horrible…enough for her to just—
Her gaze found his again, "Loved me."
Bruce's heart ached tremendously, he released his hold on her wrists and brushed away some of her tears. "Oh, Kida…you have no idea—"
"And I was so stupid because I loved you…so much but couldn't bring myself to say it. But the pain that you made me feel outweighed the love and I couldn't take it anymore…so I left…and didn't look back."
"Kida, I'm sorry for putting you through so much."
"I don't want your apology Bruce. Just go."
He didn't make a move, keeping his gaze on hers, "Do you really hate me, that much?"
"Why would I lie?"
"Because whether you'd admit or not, I still know you." Bruce brushed his hand gently across her cheek, "Your eyes always tell me the truth and right now…they're not backing up the words you speak."
Kida could feel her heart racing as she grew nervous like she used to when she was younger and the man would get too close, "Bruce—"
"Tell me I'm wrong." He leaned slowly into her and she could feel his breath upon her lips. She could feel the goosebumps form upon her entire being.
"You're wro—"
Bruce's lips found her own and the rush of emotions that coursed through her was overwhelming. The kiss she anticipated since the time she realized how she felt about him was overshadowed completely. Her tears had yet to cease as her eyes closed and she ran her fingers through his hair. His affection…his love…it was all she ever wanted…all she ever needed. In moments their gentle kiss became a hungry one as her body melted under his warmth. What was she doing? This wasn't a part of the plan…but her feelings were winning the battle in her thoughts currently. Bruce's arms wrapped themselves around her as she lifted a leg over one of his hips. His touch was gentle yet firm…comfortable and familiar…intoxicating…how could she resist. He wasn't wrong.
12:00 midnight…