Life's Canvas

And So it was

I need a hero ~ Bonnie Clyde

Chapter 20: And So It Was To Be

Life's Canvas

Chapter 19: And So It Was To Be

Kori leaned against the wall, her eyes closed. Roy was dead. Terra was dead. Richard was in danger. And it was all her sister's doing. Her thoughts drifted to Raven and Gar. They would be at the party tonight… it wasn't going to be safe for them either. Kori shifted her weight. Raven was pregnant too. This was going to be an absolutely horrid evening. She ran through what the officer had said again.

She was to go and act as if all was normal (the police force had kept Terra's death as quiet as possible so Carmen would not suspect the blonde had made it to Wayne Manor in time to deliver the message) and 'unveil' the gallery. She would go and pretend to have a good time, and at exactly ten o'clock, she would slip off alone. It would appear she just wanted fresh air and a little quiet. Hopefully, this would lure Carmen out after her. If she hadn't come by ten fifteen, Richard was to slip out as well. Hopefully, two of her targets in a secluded area would be enough to draw Carmen out.

Then, if it worked as planed, Kori would call for the police through the tiny microphone clipped to the top of her dress and they would apprehend Carmen. The only problem was there was way too much room for error for her liking. But at least she wasn't walking blindly into this. Terra had betrayed her, yes, but she had come back to help her in the end. A soft knock to her door made the girl flinch.

"Come in," she muttered blankly. Her stomach had successfully twisted itself into a massive knot. Richard walked in, dressed in a handsome black suit. He also had a microphone in his shirt collar. Kori was ready to go too, dressed in the dress she'd gotten with Richard at the mall. The gold-tinted silk draped over her form nicely, and Richard would have commented had the circumstances been different. Her hair was done in long, spiraling coils that flowed down her back in an elegant, scarlet tide.

"Kori, are you sure…"

"Yes," she cut him off. Carmen had gone too far. Much, much too far. She didn't want to turn in her sister, but she knew it was time to do so.

"Then we should get going," he said gruffly. Richard had been far from pleased when he heard exactly what the plan was, and had been even more distressed when Kori had agreed to it without hesitation. Kori nodded and opened her eyes, hoisting herself up from her position against the wall. He took her hand and she offered an empty smile.

They didn't take Richard's bike, opting for one of Richard's various cars instead. The ride to the gallery building was oppressively silent, and neither was very aware of how beautiful the night had turned out to be. When they got to the building, they were greeted with merrily shining lights, and floating laughter trickled from the door. Richard slammed the car-doors shut and locked his vehicle, taking Kori's arm. She glanced at him. "Richard please…" she murmured. Richard sighed, agitated, but she saw him relax his frame just a bit. "Thank you," Kori said. They entered the building both skillfully putting on brilliant false smiles.

"Dick! Kori!" Raven called. They spotted the Logans sitting at one of the few tables that had been set up in the large entrance area. They would enter the actual gallery when Kori was ready to present it. Raven waved them over, her stomach considerably larger than when they'd last seen her.

"Hi Raven, Gar," Richard nodded to each of them and took a seat, pulling out the chair next to him for Kori. Raven smirked.

"Hey, guess what his middle name is going to be. And it's not Garfield," Raven winked and gestured to her stomach. Richard lifted a brow. Raven had a lively sparkle in her eyes and her cheeks were slightly flushed. She seemed really excited about the baby.