Teen Titans © DC Comics
81. A Place to Belong
Kole was in the northern part of Siberia, and she was displayed as a freak. Her parents stood to the sides of her, each beaming in pride at the daughter's "gift". The ability to crystallize herself brought in money, and to obtain that money, her parents would bring Kole to museums to be displayed like some traveling, one-girl circus act. She would stand there, perfectly still, with her body turning into crystal in front of a crowd. Then she would make poses, slowly enough for the spectators to take photographs, and long enough for them to gaze in awe on the "crystal angel" as her parents dubbed her.
"It's not fair how you treat me," Kole muttered, looking down at her hands as they drove home during a winter snowstorm.
"What was that, sweetie?" her mother asked, fingering through her purse and hummed to herself. She was a thin woman with curly pink hair wearing an extravagant white, fur coat and matching dress and high heels.
Kole remained quiet, staring out the window. She rarely saw snow with her parents only taking her to warm, sunny places as the beating rays would illuminate her like she was the "crystal angel". Kole bit down on her lip, watching her father, a rich scientist, drive calmly through the storm. Snow slashed down in pounding amounts, thickening the ever-increasing ground with white. She could make out small villages shielding themselves from the bitter cold with their woolly outfits. Children were rushed inside by frantic mothers, and fathers locked doors and windows to keep the crashing snow from invading their tranquility.
Hesitantly, she rolled down the window and reached out. Like magic, the snow seemed to be gentler on her hand. While it was freezing to touch, it felt as if tiny drops of Heaven kept tapping down on her hand. Her cobalt eyes glanced up to the darkened sky, sighing.
"Put the window up! We need you to be healthy!" her father snapped. He was taller than his wife wearing spectacles with a white lab coat, yellow shirt and brown, creased pants and dress shoes. He glared back at her, adding, "We have a shindig tomorrow. Big money at risk. Don't get sick."
Recoiling in shock, Kole obeyed and sat forward. To her left was her dark pink, cotton backpack she brought along for the trip. Rummaging around inside, she stopped when she saw a novel about her favorite subject: superheroes. Kole fantasized about being one with her idols being Wonder Woman and Batgirl. They fought crime with dignity, prowess, and, in her words, "awesomeness".
However, her power was useless. Full body crystallization? Come on, it was pathetic. Not to mention, she was immobile when her entire body fully done. What superheroine would want that as a sidekick? Kole sighed, opening up to where she left off and continued to reading.
Then, the car stopped.
Kole looked up, glancing around to find the sky pitch black with pelting snow covering the horizon. Her father cursed, slamming on the driver's wheel as her mother fruitlessly attempted calming him down. Placing the book in her bag, she noticed her car door was unlocked.
"Snow! Snow for miles and miles! Where's our hotel?" her father roared as the GPS lost their signal. "Of all the lousy-!"
"Dear, calm down," her mother scolded. "We'll turn around and ask the poor people."
"You mean the villagers," Kole snapped inaudibly.
"I hate mumbling," her mother proclaimed, glaring back at her. "Speak up if you want to say something."
"I do! All you two have done with me is using me for money!" Kole shouted furiously. Wrapping the bag around her shoulder, she opened the door and sped off. "I'm done here! I don't wanna be used anymore!"
"Get back here!" her father shrieked, trying to start the car, but it refused. The engine froze over. "Kole, you useless…! Urgh, come back!"
Kole covered her eyes, knee-high in snow. She squinted, blinded at the impaling snow streaking down at her. Wobbling, Kole suddenly tripped with her bag clonking her on the head. Groaning, she blearily gazed up, and a strong wind lifted her off the ground and threw her forward. Yelping, Kole rolled along the snow until she felt the edge of something. Sitting, she placed her hands down, but one suddenly slipped, and she nearly fell sideways.
Kole gasped, peering down in a black crevice that seemed to stretch for miles. Wearily, she got to her feet and began walking in the opposing direction, but another harsh wind forced her backwards. Shrieking, she lost her footing, beginning a long tumble into a world of darkness. Her head collided with something, instantly knocking her out.
…
A sense of numbness came over her body when she came to. Kole felt as if someone dropped an anvil on her head. Rubbing it, she groaned and wearily sat up. Her mouth dropped as she took in her surroundings. Massive trees, as tall as skyscrapers loomed ominously overhead with thick, overlapping leaves the size of blankets. There was no sun, only dim light from above. Simple, clear lakes were around her with goldfish inside.
Where…where am I? she thought in confusion, and she gently twirled her hand in the water. I remember falling and running away, but how come I never knew about this place?
Stumbling to her feet, she groaned and held her head in agony. Sharp pains randomly jolted through her mind. She was thankful she wasn't dead. A fall like that would have killed a normal human, but maybe it was not so deep? Perhaps she could climb out, but when she looked up to the crevice, she paled considerably.
She was screwed.
"Hello! Is anyone here?" she called, starting to run around the lake. "My name is Kole, and, uh, I'm kinda lost! I fell down here, and-!"
Kole stopped, eyes widening in constricted fear as she realized she was not alone. Her head slowly moved up to the sky, watching a pterodactyl screech and dash down for her head. Her mind warped in a conglomeration of astute dread and wonder. Apparently, dinosaurs were not extinct, and Kole made the smartest decision of her life.
She ran.
Kole booked it, streaking through the brush as the winged creature swerved overheard. Gripping her bag tightly against her as if its measly fabric would defend her like a shield, Kole ducked down under a dark green, almost blue bush as the pterodactyl flew by, not seeing her hide. She wondered if there were more dinosaurs around, quietly emerging from the bush and panted. Her azure eyes, paralyzed in fear, refused to move as she kept staring at the crevice.
"Mom…Dad…" she whimpered, falling to her knees with tears propping her eyes. "…where are you?"
"Gnarrk!"
The voice jolted her, and she snapped her neck almost in half to see a burly figure with matted ebony hair walk on his hands and feet to her. Kole jumped to her feet, wiping her eyes as the man stopped and stared curiously at her. He crouched low, looking up to her as if she were a delectable treat. Kole gasped, recoiling in surprise and gazed at his attire: a loincloth.
Did she travel back in time or something?
"Uh, h-hi," she stammered, raising her hand.
"Gnarrk! Gnarr gnarrk gna!"
This was going to be difficult.
"Uh, I'm Kole," she offered, hoping he would respond. She pointed to herself, saying her name again, but more slowly. Gesturing to him, she asked, "Who are you?"
"Gnarrk!"
"Gnarrk?"
He nodded eagerly before grabbing her arm and dragged her through the forest. Kole resisted the urge to scream, having no idea what this…person, this "Gnarrk", would do to her. She could crystallize herself, scare him away, but that would leave her defenseless to those savage pterodactyls. Closing her eyes as he suddenly dropped her, Gnarrk declared his name a few more times, but with a tone of arrogance.
Kole stood up, looking blankly at the wooden home before her. There was hardly any protection from the wind or the dinosaurs, but there were crude tables constructed with chairs around them. He pointed to an animal cloth mat before slumping down on it.
"You made this place?"
Gnarrk nodded, offering the mat to her with his fingers and backed up, crouching. Kole hesitated, kneeling and felt the majestic material of some sort of ancient cheetah. A small grin graced her endearing face, picking it up and rubbed it against her cheeks with a contented sigh.
"It's nice," she jeered giddily as Gnarrk stood up proudly. "Do you live here by yourself?"
Gnarrk paused, nodding again, but rather little sadly. Kole felt a rush of guilt, and she gasped slightly, taken aback by the instant emotion swap from arrogance to misery in mere milliseconds. Biting her lip, she grinned and leaned forward with the cloth, wrapping it around herself.
"Ya know, Gnarrk, you're pretty artsy, making this. Do you…mind if I hang around until my parents find me?" Kole questioned, hoping the last part would never happen.
The caveman stared at her, comprehending the question as it turned over in his mind. Confusion flickered across his square face, blinking a few times to fully understand where she was coming from. He never had another human interaction before, but he felt somehow connected to the rose-haired girl. Unlike himself, the girl was petite and dainty while he was strong and burly, a behemoth of a human specimen. Gnarrk's smile drew across his face, bobbing his head a few times.
Gnarrk and Kole grew to be close friends over the months of their time together. She understood him after a while, becoming his translator. When she showed him her technique, Gnarrk shrieked and ran up a tree before realizing it was just her. She convinced him to use her to cut down fruit from trees he could not reach, the wondrous "cocopolinos" as she dubbed them. Kole found a genuine friend in Gnarrk, one that would protect her from those who would want to harm her. He listened to her read her novels, reflect on her old life, and tell tales on the upper world.
Kole decided that life underground was better than life on the surface. She could be Kole, the crystal angel, and Gnarrk was her best friend and sidekick. They would be the ones who defended the underground society, their home. For the first time in fourteen years, Kole was happy.