One Tamaranian Pride
Cyborg lay buried under a pile of rubble. Starfire, the closest, could hear him shouting about something, his words muffled.
Starfire glanced at her three friends, who were easily holding back the Hive Five, and then back at her metallic companion. Starfire began throwing rubble off of the mountain that lay atop her friend.
"Friend Cyborg, are you…damaged?" She called. Cyborg chose that moment to erupt out of the pile, glaring past Starfire.
"I'm fine, Star." Cyborg did a quick system scan, and then ran off to, as he put it "lay the smack down." Starfire smiled, and joined her friends in the quick defeat of the Hive.
The police thanked Robin on behalf of his team, like always. Robin merely nodded, wishing that he and his friends had left before the police arrived.
"Just doing our job, sir." Robin said. "Do you want one of us to help escort the prisoners?"
"No." The officer said. "As many times as these five have vanished, the prison officials got wise. They each now have a special holding cell." The officer helped load Mammoth onto the truck, and it seemed the conversation was over.
Robin turned to his team. "Go home, guys. I'm gonna patrol a little longer."
"Awesome." Beast Boy replied. He stole a glance at Cyborg. "I'm driving the car!" Cyborg took off after him, promising a grim series of events if Beast Boy even touched the driver's side door.
"I will fly home." Starfire said. She hovered off, but stopped to glance at Robin as he walked off. "Friend Raven, are you not coming?"
"I'll be back later. I've some things to take care of." Raven replied. She walked away, and Starfire flew back to the tower. When the alien looked back later, she decided that she should have joined Robin on patrol.
A message was waiting, stored in the memory banks of the Tower computer system. Cyborg was the first to notice it, but when he tried to access it, what looked like junk crossed the screen: Koriand'r.
Cyborg was about to set his decryption programs on the file, when Starfire walked into the room.
"H'll r'gg rah c'rh." Starfire said, and the message suddenly decrypted. A big, burly Tamaranian face popped onscreen.
"Koriand'r." The recording began. "You must return home. Your people need you. Understand, we know you are happy in your self-imposed exile, but return home, or your people will suffer more hardship than ever before in our history. Hurry." Then the recording ended, and the file vanished.
Cyborg turned in his seat to look at Starfire, whose open face revealed the depth of her shock.
Robin collapsed his staff, and slid it back in its slot. When he was sure he could hear the sirens coming closer, he left the two thieves bound next to the pile of stuff they had absconded with.
Robin yawned, and decided it was time to head back. His communicator beeped, and Robin answered.
Starfire's face peered at him. "Robin, when you return from the patrolling, please meet me on the top of the tower. I have something of the most importance to ask you."
"Sure, Star." Robin answered. "I'm…" He cut off his reply when Starfire cancelled the connection. Okay. That was...unusual.
Robin made his way directly to the rooftop. He was worried for Starfire, and much of that stemmed from the feelings he had slowly been developing over the past few years.
Robin opened the access door, and stepped out on the roof. He saw Starfire standing at the edge of the roof, and quietly crossed over to her.
Even through the tons of concrete that separated him from the others, Robin could hear Beast Boy and Cyborg yelling about video games and tofu. It brought a smile to his face.
Robin reached out, and pulled Star close to him, suddenly feeling possessive. "What did you need to tell me, Star?" He breathed into her ear.
Star pulled back from him, and from the haunted, pained look in her eyes, Robin knew it wouldn't be good news. "Robin." She began, then continued after a brief hesitation. "I must return to Tamaran. I am needed by my people."
Robin was suddenly angry, shocked, dismayed, and scared. He pushed Starfire away, and held her there at the end of his reach. "No!" The Boy Wonder all but shouted. "You can't leave. We need you here." He looked into her eyes. "I need you here."
Starfire looked away, her open features so pain-filled it broke Robin's heart. "My duty to my people comes before my duty to this world." Then she made it worse. "But I…need you as well."
"Then don't go." Robin said softly.
"Robin…" Starfire said, looking back at Robin. "I would ask that you come with me." She grabbed Robin's gloved hand, and pressed it to her cheek. "Come with me to Tamaran."
Robin's eyes turned cold. He pulled his hand out of Starfire's grip, and felt a savage pleasure at the new hurt in Starfire's eyes. "I can't. The Titans need me, just like they need you." Both of them knew he really meant that The Titans were more important. "My responsibility is to stay."
Robin turned away from the girl he had fallen in love with, and walked out of her life. Behind him, looking again at the stars, Starfire began to cry, wishing that it were possible for her to stay.
Raven's meditation was cut short. She felt a familiar presence pass in front of her room, filled with love, pain, sadness, anger, and self-loathing. Raven then felt another, filled with hurt and sorrow. She opened her eyes, and settled to the floor. "What have you done, Boy Blunder?" She murmured quietly. Raven closed her eyes, and envisioned herself standing in Starfire's room.
Starfire was sitting on the edge of her bed, sobbing, when Raven sat down next to her.
Raven was uncomfortable around such emotional displays, but she knew that Star needed someone for the time being.
"Are you leaving us?" She asked softly. Starfire nodded, unable to speak. Raven was unsure of how to comfort someone, but she tried.
And Starfire was thankful for that, at the least.