"Believe me, Starfire," Dick said softly, his voice low and sincere, "I really want to see you too. These past two months… I've been thinking about you constantly."
On the screen, his expression was unguarded—gentle, almost vulnerable.
"If I could," he continued, forcing a small smile, "I'd fly the Batplane straight to Titan Tower right now. But…"
He shook his head slowly.
"…the situation in Gotham won't allow it."
Starfire listened quietly as Dick spoke.
"Batman is currently on a secret mission with the Justice League," Dick explained. "He's been out of contact for months. For all we know, he might not even be on Earth right now. No one knows when he'll return."
He took a breath.
"Until then, Gotham only has Batgirl and me. Batgirl has incredible potential, but she's still new. She doesn't yet have the experience needed to deal with Gotham's most vicious criminals."
His tone grew more serious.
"And recently, there have been disturbing signs. Gotham's underworld is stirring again. I can't shake the feeling that something big is coming—something dangerous."
Dick lowered his gaze slightly.
"So… I'm sorry. I can't leave Gotham until Batman comes back."
On the screen, Starfire's shoulders drooped.
"I understand," she said quietly. "I just thought… since spring break is coming, maybe we could spend more time together."
She hesitated, then suddenly looked up, her green eyes bright.
"What if I brought the Teen Titans to Gotham?" she suggested. "If things are this bad, wouldn't it help to have more people protecting the city?"
Dick's reaction was immediate.
"What? Bring the Teen Titans to Gotham? Absolutely not!"
His voice rose sharply, emotion breaking through his usual calm.
"You don't understand Gotham, Starfire," he said urgently. "This city isn't like others. One wrong move here can trigger total chaos. If the Titans get involved recklessly, it could turn into a disaster."
Starfire froze, startled by his intensity.
Seeing her reaction, Dick quickly softened his tone.
"I'm sorry," he said, rubbing his temple. "I didn't mean to snap. I truly appreciate your concern—more than you know. But please trust me. I can handle things here."
He looked straight at her through the screen.
"I promise you—the moment Batman returns, I'll go to Titan Tower and see you. Immediately."
Starfire sighed quietly.
"After living on Earth for so long," she said sadly, "I still do not fully understand you humans."
She wasn't human, after all.
Though Starfire looked nearly identical to a human woman, her true name was Koriand'r, a Tamaranian from a distant planet in the Milky Way.
She had once been a princess of Tamaran.
Once—because her world had since been destroyed. Her people scattered across the galaxy, hunted, enslaved, or forced into hiding. Starfire herself had arrived on Earth while fleeing for her life.
On the day she reached this planet, she had encountered Dick and the Teen Titans during a patrol.
They saved her.
And from that moment, she found a new home.
That was also when the bond between Dick and Starfire first formed—slowly deepening into a passionate, unwavering relationship.
It became Dick's longest and most serious relationship.
For Starfire, he had nearly cut off contact with all his former girlfriends.
Even if the pairing looked mismatched—Starfire standing nearly 1.93 meters tall, while Dick was only 1.78 meters—neither of them had ever cared.
After the call ended, Dick stood silently on the rooftop, staring toward the distant horizon.
Titan Tower was in New York—on Manhattan Island.
He hadn't lied to Starfire.
He truly wanted to return—not just for her, but for the Titans themselves. Compared to Gotham's endless war against crime, life with the Teen Titans felt brighter, lighter… human.
But Gotham was also his responsibility.
"…I've delayed long enough," Dick muttered, his eyes sharpening.
"It's time I had a proper talk with Rupert Thorne."
Checking the time, he fully slipped back into his Robin mindset.
The night was far from over.
---
A Few Days Later — Gotham East District
Inside Calculator's hidden cabin, Ogilvy arrived for the second time.
This time, he didn't knock.
He didn't take out the Rubik's Cube.
He simply stood before the door.
It opened automatically.
The reason for his return was simple.
To collect the goods.
The Stone of Misfortune—an artifact entrusted to Calculator by Felix Faust—was finally ready for delivery. Faust himself was not in Gotham, and neither was Calculator, which meant the stone had been transferred through means known only to them.
The previous visit had only finalized the deal and paid the deposit.
This time, it was the exchange.
Ogilvy's eyes immediately landed on a sealed box resting on the table beneath the monitor.
"Is that it?" he asked. "The Stone of Misfortune?"
The box looked… wrong.
Its surface resembled wood and stone fused together, yet faintly reflected light like metal. Strange symbols—ancient and unreadable—were carved into its sides.
A dark, oppressive aura seeped from it.
"Yes," Calculator replied through the monitor.
"That is the stone—even Faust treats it with caution."
"How you transported it here is none of my concern," Ogilvy said quietly.
Calculator's tone turned cold.
"A friendly warning," he said. "If you value your life, do not open the box."
"That container is specifically designed to suppress the stone's curse. Anyone who opens it and touches the stone directly will invite the misfortune of Death itself."
Despite knowing the box suppressed the magic, Ogilvy hesitated.
"I've received Penguin's final payment," Calculator continued. "The transaction is complete."
Without waiting for a response, the monitor went dark.
The server shut down.
Silence filled the room.
Ogilvy stared at the box for several seconds… then clenched his jaw and carefully lifted it.
Nothing happened.
He exhaled quietly in relief and left the cabin.
---
The Following Day
A breaking news story exploded across Gotham's major newspapers and media outlets.
The Hope Diamond exhibition—previously announced as canceled—was officially rescheduled.
The news caused an immediate sensation.
The Hope Diamond, also known as the "Blue Diamond of Doom," was infamous worldwide. Every one of its former private owners had met a mysterious end, until it was finally donated to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington decades ago.
Though most scholars dismissed the curse as exaggerated folklore, its reputation remained legendary.
A diamond surrounded by death.
A gemstone drenched in misfortune.
And now—it was returning to public display.
What made the timing even more interesting was Gotham's recent activity.
A certain notorious jewel thief, Catwoman, had been unusually active in the city.
Given her history and preferences, it was almost guaranteed that such a famous gem would catch her attention.
The question was—
Would the curse of the Blue Diamond deter her… or lure her straight into the trap?
--------------------------------------------------
180+ chapters available in patreon🔥🔥🔥🔥
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31
----------------------------------------------------- .