(Robin's POV)
I saw her step out into the living room, and from the way she walked, she wasn't looking so well.
As she tried to reassure Starfire she was okay, she ended up running into the kitchen island. Her act completely fell, and so did she. Her body was crouching into the floor lowly in pain.
I rushed over to her first, before the team did. I wrapped my arms around her, keeping her steady and from hurting herself again. Her eyes were closed, concentrating on working through the pain.
I brought my lips to her ear, and whispered quietly, trying to soothe her, "Amber, who did this to you?"
A small tear ran down her face, and her answer only sent jolts of anger through my body.
"Lex. Lex Luthor," she whispered, causing my mind to stop in its tracks. I've heard good things about that man, but I wasn't expecting the opposite. I knew she wouldn't lie about something like this. There's more to the story that she has yet to explain.
Amber took deep, ragged breaths, "I owe you guys an explanation for what happened today."
Shock trickled through my body as I took her words in.
"Amber, I think you should lie down for a while. You can tell us later," I tried to persuade her.
She only shook her head.
"No. It's best to do it now." She took a deep breath, and in the next second, I saw a blurred movement towards the couch, and my arms were lightly falling back to my sides.
I sat down next to her, and I took her hands in mine. She clearly winced, and a pained look reached her face.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. She took a deep, ragged breath, and a light sheen of sweat was covering her forehead. She really looked like she could use a good night's sleep.
"Everything I'm about to tell you all is nothing but the truth," she said. I nodded and waited for her to start.
"Ever since I got to Metropolis and found Clark, Lex Luthor managed to find me. He made me an offer to join him and his stupid group of supervillains.
I kept trying to dodge him, and I refused each time. I knew if he had a Kryptonian in his group, he'd practically be invincible. I didn't want that to happen. He's a smart guy, though. He proceeded to attacking me when I was out fighting crime.
Then one day, Clark and I were looking for radioactive generators close by, or so I thought. He tricked me into thinking we were on a mission when he actually wanted to talk.
He noticed a change in my behavior, because I hadn't mentioned anything about Lex to him. I became reserved and very guarded to keep myself safe.
I was about to tell him then and there when Lex found us. He attacked Clark and hurt him severely. Clark wanted me to stay safe and away, but it was my mess to begin with. Lex ended up plunging a Kryptonite stone into his chest.
I was already weak from its exposure to begin with. I contacted Batman, and he dropped everything so he can help Clark. I had to get him back to our apartment.
I remembered the last time I saw his face. It wasn't a good way to leave. His face was sallow, unhealthy, and he was close to being dead. I ended up taking the stone out with my bare hands, and I hurled it across the apartment. It was a little too much exposure, because it left me unconscious.
Batman found me and shook me awake a little while after. He offered for me to go to Gotham City to help Clark, but my mind was already made up by then. So I sat down and I wrote a letter to Clark.
I simply told him I couldn't stand to have my loved ones get hurt because of me and I thanked him for taking me in. I left the letter there for him to read, and I packed up my stuff and left.
Eight to nine hours of non-stop driving, and next thing I knew, I ran into you guys at the pizza shop. I wanted to introduce myself, because I knew who you were by Bruce's picture. But it was a risk, so I stayed away. I gave you my help with Cinderblock because I felt you needed it, and my exposure to Kryptonite had subsided for the time being.
The only reason why I panicked when you confronted me after fighting Cinderblock was because I was afraid. He's after me, and I don't like it. I've been dodging and running from him for quite a while now."
I listened intensively, along with the team, and it was complete and utter silence, except for the sound of Amber's voice.
"And as for why I'm in so much pain..." she started. She managed to roll up her sleeves up to her very shoulders, and she lifted up the hem of her shirt. The sight of it confused and shocked my eyes.
Gauze was tightly wrapped around her entire upper half of her body. The worst might have been underneath her throat, because she gasped in pain when she revealed the gauze peeking there.
"I had to face Lex alone today. If he had seen you all with me, he would have went straight for all of you. I couldn't let that happen again. Not after what happened to Clark.
He kept trying to persuade me to join him, and I only grew angrier. But this was when it got bad. He attacked me with more force than he ever had.
He weakened me instantly with a Kryptonite stone. I remember being slammed into the concrete on the roof, and I was close to unconsciousness. That stone reduced my resistance to injury down to a human's. I was able to feel everything he did after that with the knife. It was coated in Kryptonite. He left and simply told me there was going to be a series of events, serving as consequences for not joining him. I wasn't able to move for a while, so I waited for a little energy to come back."
This isn't right. I may not know Amber well, but I know for a fact she doesn't deserve this.
Starfire was the first to speak, "Amber, what will you do now?"
"I have to get going. It's not safe for any of you with me here. I can get an apartment close by," she said. She looked like she wanted to stay.
"Friend! You should not leave! We can all face this Lex Luthor together! Must you continue avoiding him on your own?"
"You belong here. You can be a Titan!" Beast Boy tried to excite her. Amber smiled at him sadly.
"I can't. I've already caused enough trouble for you all already, and for you to be involved with this is too dangerous," she argued.
Starfire's eyes welled up with tears, and Amber was clearly able to see it because she blurred over to Starfire and gave her what seemed like a tight, bone crushing hug.
"I just want to keep you guys safe. It's the least I could do to help," she murmured to Star. Amber rubbed Starfire's back, most likely soothing her.
Raven spoke up all of a sudden. "I misunderstood your intentions when you got here. Now I see that you were only trying to help. I'm sorry." Raven's face was full of shame, and guilt. Amber only smiled at her.
"It's okay. I wouldn't trust myself either, not in a time like this."
"We can keep an eye out for Lex. Together we can take him down," Cyborg said. She didn't look convinced.
"You can be one of us. You won't have to face Lex alone, Amber. Besides, I've already made this..." I pulled out a newly made communicator, and held it out for her to see.
"So are you in, or are you out?" Beast Boy questioned. Her face was one of relief, that and shocked. She took the communicator in her hands and smiled a big smile. "In," she said.
"Welcome to the team, Amber," I told her. She lit up, like a glowing firefly. Her brown eyes were so intense they sparkled in bliss.
~
The sun was beginning to set, and it only made the city light up gloriously. I stepped onto the roof, only to find Amber sitting on the edge.
"Rough day?" I asked her.
She laughed quietly, "Yeah, I guess. But when something bad happens, something good always saves the day," she said.
My curiosity took over, "How are you feeling?"
She widened her eyes slightly. "I'm f-fine," she lied.
"You're in pain." That wasn't a question.
"Yeah. I really need to lay off the Kryptonite. I'm lucky it wasn't silver or gold," she replied.
"What are you talking about?" I questioned. She sighed, and stared straight at the once blue hued sea.
"If Lex would have weakened me with either gold or silver Kryptonite I could have died right then and there. Well...it all depends on how he uses it." I felt my eyes widen in shock.
"I'm not the strongest person, but I try," she sighed.
"Amber, we all have our weaknesses. Kryptonite just happens to be yours. There's nothing wrong with that, so don't feel so pressured to act indestructible."
She gave me a smile, taking a deep breath as her eyes glazed over with tears. I pulled her to me, resting her head on my shoulder. She stayed like that for more than an hour. When the moon was at its highest, she was fast asleep. She must be exhausted.
I carried her inside towards the infirmary, followed by Starfire.
I entered the infirmary after Starfire helped her dress into looser clothing, and saw Amber's sleeping figure on one of the beds. A quilt was resting on her little body. She looked so peaceful.
You're not alone, I thought.