(Amber's POV)
I stayed up for the next three days or so, trying to connect the dots, running on fumes with my lack of sleep.
I even went so far as to risk another mental episode by digging into Slade's box of leftovers.
Newspapers, newspapers.
An article.
A face.
Anything.
My search became frantic. I still haven't slept. Quite frankly, I was ready to collapse anywhere and let my overworked brain rest for a bit.
I couldn't give up just yet. I rummaged through everything I could think of. Then another idea hit me.
Robin's room. It was a perfect idea. He has plenty of newspapers to go around...
~
I was in the living room, alone, searching Slade on the main computer. I was looking for as much as I could find. However, Slade's work was a riddle on its own. I tried a few different terms, and I came up with what I needed. Article after article after article, I read, absorbing the clues I needed to figure out the mess I was now deeply involved in.
It seemed to ring a bell. I know I've heard it somewhere. But the question is...Where?
As I searched deeper into his history, I felt my eyes widen at the information that suddenly clicked.
No...no. This can't be it. They can't be. So that's what's been happening all this time.
One thing I knew for sure, was that Robin and my friends will not find out any of this newfound information, not until I get the whole story. Knowing me, I could end up getting myself into major trouble if I dig too deep.
Better I get into trouble than them.
(Robin's POV)
I heard commotion in the living room when I woke up. As my senses sharpened, I could have sworn I heard Amber growl in anger. I ran into the living room to see the main computer on, but nothing in particular on it except the usual tower security system.
Weird...
My ears picked up on activity in the gym, so I followed, interested in what my girlfriend was up to. I walked in through the automatic door to see her sparring with the punching bag. Not only was she sparring with it, she was using a battle staff too. Her moves were sharp and quick, very precise. I became infatuated with her movements and I stood there like an idiot.
~
Her beautiful, saturated honey brown eyes were boring themselves into my masked ones.
"Earth to Robin? Hellllloooooo?" I snapped out of it and saw her cock her head slightly to the side, smiling innocently at me. I stepped forward and held her tightly in my arms, kissing her forehead.
"Hey, what's wrong?" She pulled away and examined my features. She knew I felt tense. But I was only feeling this way because I sensed something was wrong.
"Something's wrong," I started. It was showing in her eyes, something felt completely off today...
"What is it?" Amber's voice became tense. She thought something was wrong with me, but I could tell she was hiding something and trying to get her mind off of it.
"Amber, what were you searching on the main computer?"
Her eyes showed concern and guilt. She answered anyway, "Well, after what happened with the guy who attacked us at the pier, I felt like I needed to research anything about everything in that area. I had to be thorough."
Relief coursed through me, but a hint of doubt stayed in my mind. I chose to ignore it.
"And since I know your next question and its answer, I'll just give it to you. I need to amp up my combat skills and my shield's capability...."
Amber is disappointed in herself. She's afraid.
"You're scared, aren't you?" I didn't think I'd ask out loud, but I did. And in a way, I felt guilty for questioning her strength.
Amber in my eyes, is a girl with a gift of strength. She has a strength inside that comes from a raw formula of mental and emotional scars that molded into leather skin; Born from pain and disappointment, only showing the rays of her compassion and genuine persona when she felt safe.
She stared me down, "No, of course not. I just feel the need to improve my training. I'm pretty rusty," she blushed. I didn't object. She'd only be forced on edge. Instead I'd help her.
"Come on, I've got an idea," I smiled at her, all whilst holding my hand out to intertwine with hers. She latched herself on and I led her outside the tower, where I guided her with my martial arts training.
(Amber's POV)
I was glad I admitted my need for better combat skills to Robin. Here he was, fighting me with everything he could exert. I for one, was impressed.
As we sparred, Robin told me his history with martial arts. Since I knew Batman was behind the discipline, Robin knew what he was doing. So far, Robin thinks my combat skills have seriously improved.
My concerns however, were towards my force field and what I was investigating.
I let my train of thought fade as Robin directed me.
"Okay, let's try this again. I need you to shield me as best as you can when the boulders start," he commanded. I gave a sharp nod and calmly waited.
I heard boulders being hurled at my boyfriend, triggering my instincts.
I exerted and flexed it, surrounding it completely around Robin, like a bubble. I lacked common sense for a split second, forgetting to shield myself.
Boulders one by one hit me roughly, almost making me lose focus on Robin's shield. I whirled around and shot them down with my heat vision, turning them into crumbs.
I looked up and saw that my force field still stood its ground around Robin, making me smile in victory.
"That was great. Good work, Amber," he complimented me. I grinned and disintegrated my force field, jumping into his arms for a kiss. I smirked as he kissed me, taking my breath away as usual.
~
My smile was wide. I managed to convince Robin to bake in the kitchen with me.
I was thinking about the past week or so. Ever since our friends left the tower to help Titans East, the klaxon has only gone off once. I found it too odd to be just a coincidence. My theory is that the criminals would run free if they caught wind that the Titans weren't in the area. What gives?
Robin seriously read my mind then and there.
"Isn't it strange how criminal activity has gone down since Cyborg and the rest of the team left?" Robin asked me. I nodded my head, becoming slightly worried. Something's coming. I just don't know what...
"I was just thinking about that. I'd think criminals like the thrill of being up against us, even if there's not many of us around at the moment. Why hasn't anyone come out?" I wasn't directly asking Robin about my theories, rather I was asking them aloud to myself.
We put everything to bake in the oven and decided to take a brief walk in the city. I grabbed my boyfriend's hand and flew the short distance the tower had between the city and the ocean.
We walked in the darkness, taking our time to just enjoy the moment. It was calming me a bit, but it didn't subside my train of thoughts completely. I wasn't able to decipher whether I made a mistake in digging up the information I needed to solve this puzzle or to be relieved I knew what was going on. I wasn't sure at all.
One thing I do know, is that whatever happens next isn't going to be pretty. I've been sensing something bad, something so terrible for a while. Something bad is going to happen and I just wish I knew what it was...
I felt my hand tighten its grip on Robin's hand as we walked. My face appeared neutral, but inside, I felt myself wanting to shrink away in fear.
There it is again. I don't feel safe.
"Amber," he whispered. I turned to him.
"Yeah?" I whispered back.
"Do you trust me?" Of course I do.
"Yes."
"Then what is it that's got you so scared?"
I stopped walking, and quickly glanced at the surroundings. We were in utter darkness, right in front of an alleyway.
"I have a tendency of overthinking things. Something doesn't feel right and I can't let it-"
Robin grabbed my face, and looked me dead in the eyes.
"Amber, whatever happens, we're going to be okay. As long as we're together, it'll be okay. I promise," he said to me seriously.
There's nothing you should be afraid of. Everything will be okay. Listen to him.
"Okay," I whispered, pecking his soft, moist lips.
And that's when my ears picked up on very rough footsteps. Robin may not have picked up on it as early, but I did. And it was close.
I gripped Robin's hand hard while examining the area in utter darkness.
Robin immediately tensed, "What is it?"
"Don't let go of my hand," I whispered. I let my eyes do the work as my X-Ray vision kicked in, scrutinizing every centimeter of the city around us.
Sure enough, I saw the familiar figure.
Ninja may not have seen that I saw him, but in this vision, he stalked towards us from the alley we stopped right in front of.
"Robin..." I trailed off. His face contorted into an even more serious one than it already was.
"We need to run," I mouthed to him. He gave a sharp nod and guided me as we began walking in the direction we came in.
Ninja here, however, knew it was coming.
He jumped out of the alley and went straight for me. Robin, like the protective boyfriend he is, pushed me behind him.
"NO!" I shrieked, letting my instincts take action. My force field appeared and surrounded itself around Robin as I stepped away, making sure he had the protection he needed. I stepped forward and faced Ninja, ready to fight.
Robin's banging on the force field only made me nervous.
"Amber! What are you doing!? Let me out!" I only hardened it and spoke up.
"Who do you work for?" I asked. Ninja only stood there and stared at me in silence, never sighing, never giving me a single word or sound. Nothing at all.
I gripped his neck and sped over to the brick wall, slamming him onto it.
"WHO DO YOU WORK FOR?" I roared in his face.
Another slam was made by my arm's part, "ANSWER ME!!"
"Amber STOP!!!" Robin stopped me just as I was about to slam Ninja into the brick wall again, "Your anger isn't going to give you answers. It'll only-"
I was interrupted by Ninja's sudden move. He gripped the skin on the back of my neck and brought himself closer to me.
The next thing I knew was that my head hit the ground roughly.
I felt the rage within boil to the surface, overwhelming me as my body charged.
I growled as I jumped up and ran at Ninja, tackling him to the ground. Punches were escaping my fists and landing on his masked face, giving me the satisfaction of hurting him.
I knew what I was doing. I knew my violent reaction was wrong, but at this point I didn't care enough to stop it in its tracks. All I wanted was answers to my questions, no matter what. It's about time I receive them.
"AMBER! CALM DOWN!!"
Robin was right. He was right to yell at me to stop, but I didn't want to. I could do this all night.
This is where the universe kicks in and gives me a taste of my own medicine. I really should have listened.
The Kryptonite stone was out, now bringing mountains of pain.
I knew how to evade the pain. I had to get as far away as I could. I knew once I was exposed to the stone, the force field around Robin disappeared. He ran to me, supporting my weight as he began running.
"Amber, we have to go!" he yelled. I chose to be stubborn.
"No. I have to get answers. He's working for someone. I can't just let him-"
Ninja punched Robin and I, separating us both. I landed closer to the alley, while Robin seemed all too far away. I was even closer to the Kryptonite, making it even harder for me to stand.
I grabbed Ninja's shoulder when he was heading for Robin, and I tried to use him as a punching bag.
Every combination I could think of was exerted, as best as I was able to deliver it, but it was nothing compared to my capability when I wasn't exposed to Kryptonite.
It wasn't until Ninja gripped my fists and twisted my wrists around that I screamed.
He shoved me to the ground, and I curled up, wishing the pain away. That doesn't work.
I turned my head to see that Robin was down, allowing me to face this guy alone.
He had the stone in his right hand and began aiming it towards my throat, exactly like a few nights ago. I was trying to pry his hands off me, but it wasn't working. My strength compared to Ninja's with my condition was nothing.
My grunting turned into screaming just as the stone touched my throat.
The Kryptonite stone was inexplicably hot. Where it hit my skin, it burned so intensely I started seeing some dark spots in my vision.
No. No, no, no, no, no!
Hang in there!
My screams became louder and louder as the stone lingered on my skin, as if acid were being poured on to me. I really wasn't sure if I could label this pain as the worst, but it was pretty high on my list.
Just as the pain in my throat suddenly began easing, ever so slightly, a new problem presented itself.
Ninja shoved some sort of liquid substance into my mouth. If it wasn't a waterfall rushing down my throat, I wouldn't have been coughing as hard as I was now, trying to breathe.
Why is this liquid red and slightly salty-
My screams dragged on - I didn't know what to do to erase this from my memory.
Blood! He's giving me blood!
For the first time, I experienced the lack of oxygen as I felt myself choking on the blood.
This ninja guy got down on his knees and pinned me down, forcing me to ingest the rest of the blood. I knew what blood smelled like - it had a metallic scent to it, and was somewhat overwhelming, but this was different. The metallic smell was so dull, and the taste - It was slightly sweet.
I didn't know how long I was pinned to the ground, but eventually, I felt myself being released.
My eyes closed and I tried moving onto my side as I coughed my lungs out.
(Robin's POV)
I managed to get up after a couple of tries. The night was blurry.
After a few deep breaths to help me focus, I looked around me to see Amber, lying on the ground. I rushed over to her, stunned at the sight of her.
From head to toe, my girlfriend was covered in blood. She coughed for what seemed like forever, struggling to breathe properly.
"Amber!" She was choking.
I turned her over and pounded my arms on her back in attempt to get the air going properly in her lungs. Her face was turning red, then blue as I kept trying to help her. She coughed uncontrollably, to the point where her coughing turned into wheezing.
"Breathe, Amber! Come on!!" I screamed. I smacked her back so hard she gasped, gulping in a huge amount of air that she needed. I lay the upper half of her body on my lap, supporting her head as she regained her breath.
I brought her into a gentle embrace, relieved she was okay.
"It's okay, Amber. I'm right here," I murmured into her ear. She nodded weakly, and tried to stand up. She coughed, wincing as she placed a hand on her chest. She took several deep breaths in and out, regulating her breathing again.
"We should go home," she suggested tiredly. I nodded, and stood her up, supporting her weight.
"How's your head?" she asked. She must have seen that guy hit me.
"It's fine. What happened?"
"This Kryptonite was different. It burned my skin. He...He-" Amber trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief.
"He what?"
"He gave me blood."
"What!?"
She looked confused, scared, and angry as she peered down at herself, finally taking notice of the blood she was covered in. She snatched her shaking hands away from mine, and looked down at her uniform. It was stained with blood, and she brought her hands to her face.
She looked up at me with angry tears in her eyes, just before they turned completely red and evaporated them away, "Why in the hell would I need blood, Robin?"
I carefully made my couple of steps to her, and brought her into my arms.
"I don't know, Amber. I don't know. But we're going to figure it out. For right now, let's get home so you can get cleaned up," I told her.
I wanted to know why Amber was given blood. She wouldn't need it. Something's going on and I need to figure it out. NOW.
(Amber's POV)
I spent extra time in the bathtub that night, cleaning off the blood from my skin and hair as I tried to wrack my brain for even more answers. My blood stained uniform transferred some of the liquid onto the floor, making the entire bathroom look like a crime scene.
Why would I need blood? I don't get sick. I don't get hurt. The only known times I've hurt in human capability was when I ingested Slade's dust, and Kryptonite's effects on my body.
I just don't understand.
I crawled into bed, thinking Robin was asleep. He grabbed my waist from behind, causing me to inhale sharply, as he nuzzled his head into the back of my neck, kissing it.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Robin, it's nothing-"
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry about today."
"It's not your fault," I whispered back.
"You're tense. I can feel it in your neck."
My eyes welled with tears, but I did my best to keep a collected voice as I spoke.
"Hold me." He pressed his entire body against mine, and intertwined his left hand with mine. I took a deep breath in, releasing it shakily as the tears of fear came running down my face.
"Hold me tighter." He did as I said, kissing my head, then my neck repeatedly as I struggled to stop the tears in their tracks.
"I'm here, Amber. I'm right here. It's okay, just sleep..."
My deep breaths slowed as his soothing voice lulled my stubborn mind still, allowing me to finally succumb to rest.