(Robin's POV)
The presence beside us easily blended into the dark. I caught a glimpse of a pale cheek, as the lightning flashed again.
She suddenly reached her shaky hand and roughly grabbed Beast Boy's shoulder. Her hair fell all over her face as she whispered loudly into his ear. Her breathing was deep and constant, like she just finished running for her life.
"Are you scared?" her raspy voice literally scratched into his ears.
Beast Boy was so terrified he could only nod.
Her loud breathing suddenly came to an abrupt halt, and her movement ceased.
Her hair fell behind her, and her eyes suddenly lit up like fire. Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy screamed for their lives. Raven of all people was even surprised, with widened eyes as proof.
I could only sit back and wonder why her eyes were -
"Amber?" I wondered aloud. She looked towards me and smirked, then blurred over towards the darkness. The lights suddenly turned on. I looked over towards the light switch and saw Amber, dressed in black. Her eyes showed amusement, with the rest of her face composed with a trademark faint smile.
"I heard what sounded like a horror movie when I came in through the garage. Given this weather, I figured I showed up at the right time," she smirked, scanning all of us with intent eyes.
Cyborg pulled her into a huge hug. "I'm just glad it was you and not a real dead girl, Little Lady," he twirled her around, relieved.
She was set down, looking right over at Beast Boy, "Sorry, BB."
"It's okay, Raven's scared me more than you just did," Beast Boy joked, earning an annoyed stare from Raven.
"Friend! How enlightening it is to see you!" Starfire hugged her tight, catching Amber by surprise. She winced slightly, taking a deep breath in the process. I pretended not to notice by smiling and keeping my face as calm and collected as I could.
"Raven," Amber smiled at her.
Raven grinned back, and hid back in her cloak, "Nice timing. You actually got me there."
Amber smirked, "I learn from the best," gesturing towards Raven herself. Her smirk faded as I was the last person she would interact with.
She faced me, with a calm, composed face, "Robin, I'm so-" she started.
I pulled her into a constricting embrace, as tightly as I could hold on to her without hurting her. Something in me stirred - I was allowing myself to show affection in front of the team. I felt warmth in my chest and stomach, and relief in my arms. This felt nice, but I wasn't adapted to this sort of gesture.
"You don't need to apologize. I'm sorry for the way I treated you. Please forgive me," I found myself saying into her ear.
I felt Amber tremble in my arms as she nodded into my chest, causing me to hold on a little more tightly.
As I pulled away, I took her appearance in, observing her features to find some sort of emotion shining through the walls she placed. I then noticed her eyes were bloodshot, and quite noticeably too.
Most of the area around her eye color was red, as if she endured several punches straight to the eyes...Wait a minute-
"Amber....Why are your eyes so bloodshot?" I asked her seriously. She opened her mouth to speak but the sound of a timer filled the entire living room.
(Amber's POV)
I turned towards Robin and looked up into his mask. He looked expectant, waiting for something to come out of my mouth.
I sighed internally and started. "Robin, I'm so-"
I was suddenly brought into his arms in an embrace so tight I wouldn't dare think about leaving. He had a secure hold on my body, one that was very snug, not enough to hurt me. I breathed it in, trying not to grow an attachment towards this sort of affection. I knew what would happen if I did, but I acknowledged what I was feeling anyways, before forcing myself to throw that feeling away.
I felt...Safety and security. It was warm here. I felt as if I wouldn't ever be hurt in this space.
Isn't that what you've been looking for this entire time? I questioned myself mentally.
"You don't need to apologize. I'm sorry for the way I treated you. Please forgive me," he said into my ear. I felt his breath hit me, and I shivered, nodding into his chest. I could feel him holding me even tighter, and the temptation to stay in this space grew. I knew it wasn't good, but I wanted it.
He suddenly pulled away and examined my face, brushing my hair out of the way. He stared at my face, but caught my eyes.
"Amber....Why are your eyes so bloodshot?" he asked me. My eyes widened as I gulped, attempting to stay calm and collected.
Suddenly, the sound of a timer became audible. My eyes widened, knowing what it was. A bomb.
"Slade!" Robin ran over to examine the time bomb, but I blurred over to it. I looked at it and frowned. This isn't Slade's. This is just a red X...
I gasped, and immediately took action.
"GET BACK!!!" I screamed, shoving Robin out of the way, using super strength to push him.
I then kicked the glass where the small bomb landed. The glass broke, making a huge hole big enough for me to fit through. As I made my way outside, the time bomb hit zero, just as I had grabbed it. I threw it into the air and felt the force of its detonation. I held my ground, but was almost forced back inside.
The rain was soaking me entirely. My hair was clinging to my head, and my leather jacket and clothes were all wet. I only floated out in the rain, scanning every inch of the premises surrounding me.
"Amber! Are you okay?" Robin called from inside. I looked over to see him, including the team staring at me through the hole I made in the glass.
"Yeah! There's nothing out here!" I called back, only to be proved wrong.
I heard a heart beat a few feet from me, and then I was restrained in an embrace so fast I couldn't react. I was thrown like a bowling ball on to the tower's roof, landing hard on my back. I looked up to see a guy wearing black, except for the white skull mask with a red 'x' slashed in the center.
"Amber!" I heard from below me.
I faced the familiar skull mask with a red 'X' centering it.
"The name's X. Red X. And you are?" he asked.
I scoffed, letting my eyes heat up from the anger I felt. I jumped to my feet feeling my anger radiate through my veins.
"Annoyed, and probably about to rip your head off," I snarled.
"Feisty. I like it," he laughed.
"Alright, X, cut to the chase. What do you want?" I asked, staring him down. I scanned his body and felt my gut guiding me to his right arm - If I break it, I'll get the advantage.
"Now relax, Hot Stuff. I heard Supergirl was in town with the Titans, so here I am."
"So here you are," I spat, feeling my blood boiling, "Robin's not under there, so who is?"
"Someone with way better taste than Bird Boy, except in women."
"What?" My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Tell me something," he started, motioning with his hand and gesturing up and down my frame, "How did a mediocre dude like Bird Boy score a trophy like you? What's in it for you?"
I felt my anger take deep and utter control of my body. My eyes were seeing red. I could feel every limb vibrating as Red X's comments dug under my skin.
I screamed with force, at the top of my lungs, and let my heat vision flow out of my eyes forcefully, like an unforgiving river. My eyes shot bright red beams at Red X's mask, burning it quite a bit.
I stomped over to Red X and grabbed him by the throat, very tightly, and lifted him into the air. I led the way to the edge of the tower's roof and held him high over my head. He was clawing at my arm, trying to hurt me into releasing him, but I was merciless. I squeezed his throat even tighter.
"Me? A trophy? You can do way better than 'trophy'!" I snarled, setting him down roughly. I laid a right cross, then a left jab, slamming him down to the roof as I beat him. He was becoming weak, and couldn't even fight back as I hurt him.
"Now t-this," Red X stuttered, limply gesturing at me, "I'd d-date."
"Supergirl!" I turned swiftly to see Robin running towards me and Red X. He was about to advance closer to me when my eyes lit up. I was completely out of control.
"STAY OUT OF THIS, ROBIN!" My voice seemed to have found a mind of its own, and it sounded odd, like two voices were speaking as one. My fists moved swiftly, making the skull mask in front of me dent terribly.
I would have smiled in victory, but I knew I wanted more. I kept punching, and punching, feeling the power in me. I have power. I just hadn't realized how much of it I had because I caged it all away for tranquility and control unless I really needed to use it.
What the hell is wrong with you? This isn't you, Amber! Your anger is taking over your mind! You're going to KILL him if you don't stop!!! Stop now!! His blood will be on YOUR hands!!!!
I abruptly stopped and blinked, feeling all common sense, all of my morals come back to me.
Oh no. What did I just do?
I looked over at Robin, and he must have seen the realization in my eyes, because he came closer, until his arms were around me.
I felt myself trembling, suddenly wanting to crawl out of my body and run away for what I just did. "I wouldn't really kill him. I didn't mean to do it, I didn't mean to say any of those things. What did I- w-what did I just do, Robin?" My questions were coming fast and constant. I could feel my breath coming out in swift, uneven pants, causing him to grab a tighter hold of me as my knees started to buckle under me.
Robin was about to say something when Red X came back into action.
He suddenly gave me an uppercut, sending me and Robin flying on to the ground. I landed on Robin, but then rolled over on to my back. My upper body was off the rooftop, towards the distant looking ground.
I blurred back to him and gave him a good headbutt, but that didn't stop him. I charged at him, feeling my anger spike up when I stopped in the middle of my run.
This is wrong. All of this pointless fighting is just wrong.
I snapped out of it and was about to shoot my heat vision at Red X when he suddenly shot me, cocooning me in a thick, red 'X'. He swiftly and forcefully kicked me off the roof of Titans' Tower.
I tried to fly as the velocity of my fall grew, but the stupid 'X' kept me trapped. The ground wasn't too far now, and I seemed to have blocked out everything except for my escape strategy.
"Amber! No!" My eyes scanned the rooftop, and I found Robin screaming, watching as I fell.
I came closer into contact with the ocean the Titan's Tower was surrounded by.
My hands ripped a bit through the 'x', but I wasn't fast enough. I felt my eyes burning a deep line, and I escaped...
Just as I hit the water with intense force.
(Robin's POV)
I watched as she had bearly escaped X's trap, just as she hit the water.
"Beautiful girl. It's a shame she's wasting her time with you," Red X said as he scurried away. I flung my grappling hook towards the ground, sprinting towards the ocean as I landed. I dove into the water, kicking furiously towards the bottom.
I looked for signs of her, but nothing was here. My instincts led me all around, searching for that familiar mane of dark, flaming auburn hair. As I kicked my legs for a propelled pace, I was suddenly yanked back by my foot. I looked down to see I caught myself on a thick and stern sea plant among debris.
I began to kick in frustration and desperation to escape. It wasn't working. Another problem made its way to make it worse.
My lungs began to burn for more air. The burning in my chest and lungs increased, but I kept fighting. I kicked ferociously, and tried prying it off with my hands, but it made no difference.
I was stuck.
I kicked and kicked, for what seemed like forever. It got to the point where my legs gave out in exhaustion, and my energy was gone.
Darkness began to cloud my vision as gulps of salty, ocean water began suffocating me, letting me know I was about to go into unconsciousness. I tried kicking as hard as I could, but I had no luck.
I saw a familiar vibrant head of auburn hair as I slipped under a dark cloak of nothingness.
(Amber's POV)
I didn't know how deep I had gone underwater, but I knew it was a long way back up. I kicked, making my way up when I heard an impact from the surface.
I stayed underwater, searching for the diver. My breath stayed held, with no sign of discomfort. The water around me was clouded in darkness.
I heard a heartbeat close by, but it was too fast, as if its owner were panicking. My eyes widened, knowing whoever that was, they were in trouble. I swam faster, towards the heartbeat and nearly screamed at what I saw.
Robin was unconscious, and water was beginning to fill him. I reached him and tried pulling him up, but he was caught on something. I looked down to see a plant, a strong one at that, yanking on his foot. I ripped it apart and pulled him with me swiftly to the surface.
As I pulled him back to the shore, I screamed for the team. "Guys! Help! Please!" My lungs and stomach forced out screams that could paralyze a person just by hearing them.
"Robin, come on. You have to wake up! Robin!" I called to him. I felt a trembling and looked down to see my hands shaking violently and anxiously.
The next thought that came into my head immediately went into action.
I lowered myself down and pressed my lips to his. I brought a generous amount of air into his mouth.
I brought myself back up and applied pressure to his chest a few times.
"Robin, please...Wake up. Stay with me, Robin..."
I didn't realize it then, that I had dropped my guard, panicking as I worked to save Robin's life.
I applied a greater amount of pressure on his chest again, keeping a steady rhythm as I went from his chest to his mouth again. Warm, undeserving tears cascaded down to my lips. As I brought my lips to his again, my tears only came faster, dripping on to his face.
My hands made their way to his chest again for compressions, when he finally responded.
Robin gasped, rolling onto his side as the sea water rushed out of his mouth. He coughed a few times, trying to pace himself back to breathing normally. He rolled onto his back, and stared at the sky.
I stared at Robin's paling face and acted quickly, tearing his uniform torso open as I removed my jacket and t-shirt. My body pressed against his as I stood us up, gripping him in a tight embrace to warm him with my body heat so he wouldn't catch hypothermia.
The team caught up to us.
"Amber! Robin? You guys okay?" Beast Boy was freaking out.
"Get Robin to the infirmary. He needs to get warm now, before he catches hypothermia," I ordered. Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy went off, taking Robin with them.
I was left with Cyborg, who walked with me back to the tower.
"Are you sure you're okay? You look shaken up, Amber," Cyborg noticed.
My face calmed as I forced myself to stay composed, "Yeah, I'm good, I've just never been in this sort of situation before - attempting to save someone's life in that short amount of time."
He stared at me intently, nodding in understanding, "It's a little scary sometimes, but you did the right thing. Robin's going to be alright."
"I feel like this is all my fault."
"What are you talking about?"
"If I would have escaped Red X's trap fast enough I would have been able to keep Robin from diving into the ocean to find me. I don't get hurt easily, and you all know I'm capable of taking care of myself so why would he-"
Cyborg placed a firm hand on my shoulder, "This isn't your fault. Robin just worries for your safety. He doesn't want to see you get hurt."
I sighed in frustration, "Robin doesn't need to worry about me. Nobody does."
Cyborg only sighed, "Sometimes, that's just how people show you they care, Amber. He just happens to show it more than he thinks he does because that's it. He cares."
My mind couldn't conjure a sarcastic remark, so I grumbled, "I'll see you in the tower." I sighed, quite loudly, and blurred up to the rooftop of Titan's Tower, then to my room for a change of clothes. I then headed straight to the bathroom, and shut the door for a much needed shower. I caught my reflection in the mirror.
I'm a mess.
I showered quickly and dried off, changing into my uniform. I turned out all the lights and simply stared at the stars beaming at me in the ceiling. I didn't know how long I lay there, but I wasn't falling asleep.
Grumbling, I stormed over to the infirmary and saw Robin laying there in heated blankets. I entered quietly and sat in a chair next to his bed, taking in his appearance.
His skin tone had returned to its original, slightly tan ivory color. His jet black hair was out of place, and his uniform wasn't on him. I looked over to the floor and saw it there.
Questions threw themselves at me without stopping, and before I knew it the guilt gnawing at my insides weakened me.
I stared at my hands in shock. They were shaking in fear, in anger, quite uncontrollably. My breathing wasn't in control. I tried to control my breathing and relax, but my breathing turned into gasps.
"Amber?" I heard a rough, raspy voice call me. I created spaces between my fingers to see Robin staring at me in confusion.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
I uncovered my face, forcing myself to be neutral and cool, "Nothing, everything's fine. I'm sorry to wake you. Are you alright?"
He wasn't buying it, "Don't give me that. Tell me what's wrong. Sit with me."
"No." I stayed glued in the chair, not wanting to give in to that sense of safety and security he had within. I wanted to provide that for myself.
"Amber-"
"I said no. You need your rest. I shouldn't have come in here. I'm-"
I turned to get up and walk out of the infirmary. But Robin's hand gripped my arm. I turned to see him standing up, pulling me over to the bed with him.
"Stay here."
"I can't," I said, almost inaudibly.
"Why not?" I was fresh out of lies. I knew what I really wanted to say - That I felt very comfortable with him, that made me feel safe and secure, but I didn't want to grow attached to him because he alone was a source of everything I was looking for, I could feel it. I needed to be strong on my own.
"I-"
He didn't wait, and pulled me into him as he landed us in his bed. I squirmed, wanting to get out of his arms and run, but he strengthened his hold, knowing I wouldn't use super strength to break out of it in risk of hurting him.
I squirmed again, but sighed as I knew I couldn't leave.
"Why won't you let me in?" He asked. My chin was softly gripped my warm fingers, and tilted up. I looked down, avoiding the masked eyes. I didn't want to feel this vulnerability. That's what stung me at the moment - as safe and calm as he could make me feel, it cost me feeling that ache of vulnerability, and I hated it.
"Amber, look at me."
"No."
"Why won't you let me in?" He repeated.
"Look who's talking," I spat, eyes closed.
"Stop doing that. Stop putting that guard up and talk to me."
"What is there to say, Robin? I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lost my temper back there when Red X showed up. I'm sorry I didn't get out his trap in time and you chased after me. You should know better that I can survive being underwater, so why would you risk your own life for me?"
He looked taken aback, letting my words sink in for a minute or two before he spoke up again.
"It was a reflex, an automatic reaction. When people worry about other people, and risk their lives, they care," he answered, reminding me of what Cyborg had said outside the tower.
"Why do you hesitate to get close to anyone?" he asked. My eyes were still closed as I decided to remain calm and answer.
"Because, when you get too close, you become vulnerable. When you become vulnerable, it's easy for you or your loved ones to get hurt. It's plain and simple."
"What if you need someone? What if-"
"I stopped needing people to open up to when I got to Metropolis," I snapped, accidentally giving too much away.
He remained quiet as I took deep breaths, trying to remain cool. I lost track of how long my eyes were closed and my deep breaths, because the next thing I knew, was that I was no longer in the room.
Kryptonite overwhelmed my body. My face felt swollen and bloody, and my limbs were on fire. I screamed, over and over again as they beat me endlessly and ruthlessly.
"You deserve to feel pain."
"You deserve to suffer."
"You deserve to rot, you foolish, insignificant scum of a daughter."
"Please, please stop! Tell me what I need to do and I'll do it! Just stop!!!" I cried, cringing as the pain gradually increased.
"You will live out your days in pain, hoping it ends. You deserve nothing but pain and suffering!"
My screams became too loud for me to bear, as I felt my entire body bleed with the wounds that kept coming through. I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't good enough.
I just wasn't enough.
I'll never be enough. They won.
"Wake up! Amber wake up!"
My eyes snapped open - I was in the infirmary with Robin, the last place I remembered being in. I was breathing hard, sweating profoundly as he stared into my wide eyes.
"It was just a nightmare," Robin started, "Are you okay?"
I couldn't help but look into his masked eyes, helplessly staring at him as my vision blurred with tears.
"I'm not strong enough," I whispered, "Not good enough. Not enough. They won."
"Don't say that," he argued gently, grabbing my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the welling tears fall down my face as a sob broke through.
I was awake, and I was physically here, but my mind wasn't. It was still there with them, listening to every word they forced into me. My sobs were quiet, but constant as the pain opened up a floodgate and tore me down. It cut deep.
My head shook furiously as I wished for the words to escape my mind. Robin pulled me tightly into his chest, molding me into him as I felt my vision pull me into a slumbering abyss, with the ocean of my tears.
In the abyss, the distant abyss that pulled me away, I felt a distant kiss on my forehead, causing me to go into a deep unconsciousness.