Present Day
Kevin's pov
I woke up to warm, lips pressed to mine in odd intervals, and then my chest compressed again and again. Ughhh did Starfire just- Jesus Christ. I heard her voice vaguely as she begged me to wake up.
Not with the CPR.
Coughing, I remembered what had just happened. Fighting nausea I pushed myself up to my feet. Feeling fine now that the majority of the drug seemed to pass through my system I growled, "Where are they?!"
As if on cue there was a high pitched squeal that was cut short with a series of thwacks. Realizing there was a fight going on I climbed on top of the mail van Starfire sheltered us in and saw a hooded figure on top of a small mound of writhing bodies. Part of me wasn't surprised but another part of me felt uneasy about how effortlessly Orphan stood atop the uneven mound.
She felt me watching and looked at me. Evening her footing, she took up a little stance while I watched. Taking her free hand she made an open palm sign, a choking symbol of some kind before finally gripping her knuckles in front and shook it side to side.
"Where did they go, Orphan! I don't know what you are saying!"
She facepalmed before repeating the gestures.
"Starfire, what's she trying to say?"
Starfire climbed up with a heave and a cough and squinted at the mute.
"Robin trained us in CRE sign language. Mostly known as military sign language used by squads for Close Range Engagements. She's saying there were five hostages taken in a vehicle."
Next Orphan waved us over and I popped my shoulder out and flew over in a huff.
"Where did they go?! We need to find them!"
She must have not liked the tone I was taking with her and she glared at me, squinting as Starfire came up behind me. Orphan must have been waiting to be translated but she pulled me down and pointed at me, then at her, and put up a peace sign, a generic expression of three, and then made a donut with her hand. Starfire's eyes widened.
"What did she say?"
"She signed '2-6-10'. Navy slang for a threat."
I groaned as she further explained, "More specifically, I think she pulled you down saying to cool it before it's gonna take 2 surgeons 6 hours to remove the 10 inches of her boot from your as-"
"We don't have time for this!"
Now Orphan tapped the golden bat symbol, pointed at Titan Tower in the distance and swirled her hand overhead. Starfire was deflated and muttered, "W-what? Why?!"
She pointed at her COMM in her ear and made a crushing motion with her hand.
"Jesus, what's she saying?"
With a sigh Starfire replied, "She's saying that Batman said we need to rally at the Tower. Our COMM's are down."
"We can't leave them!"
Orphan snapped twice in my face, a stern look attempting to command me as she pointed at herself and then put three fingers on her arm.
"Woman, please dial back the bossiness." I spat before asking, "What did she say?"
"I actually have no idea." Starfire murmured.
At that Orphan facepalmed yet again.
(She was trying to say she was squad leader.)
"What the hell happened to your typer thing?"
She held up a cracked wrist pad that sparked and had a few glass shards fall out as if on cue.
"Lovely." I groaned. "So an alien, a demon, and a mute walk into a bar, is that it?"
Orphan huffed a laugh as she shook her head, her shoulders shaking slightly as she struggled to think of a way to communicate with us. She was worried and afraid. Not of the battle she already won by herself but the battles our friends are going through in captivity.
I looked around as well when a flash of color caught my eye. Flying over to it I sighed at the gruesome scene before me. Seeing something we could use, I pried it from the owner's cold, dead fingers and wiped the blood off. Holding up my prize I could tell Orphan thought I was joking.
I wasn't.