Apollo-Reference to the Apollo missions, the joining of two heavenly bodies. In the context of this story, its Robin and Starfire. Its a prequel to Story of a Boy, so its very pre-titans. Enjoy and R&R!

The week had been an interesting one for Dick Grayson. Not that most weeks weren't interesting, being the young sidekick to the Batman always leant to keep one from being bored. But Dick didn't spend his nights as Robin in Gotham this week. Instead, he had traveled all across the country, out looking for new recruits for the reformation of the Teen Titans.

When the Titans were first formed, the membership had been pretty limited, consisting of Robin, Wonder Girl, and Kid Flash only. They had banded together a short time after their mentors started the Justice League. They fought crime and even assisted the JLA a few times. Then, they disbanded. Wonder Girl had been summoned back to Paradise Island and Kid Flash felt that he needed to spend more time with his mentor, so he could enjoy using his super speed more often. Robin was sad to see his friends leave. He had become accustomed to the team.

Then, a week ago, a mysterious girl showed up calling herself "Raven." She told him that the end of the world was coming. Her demonic father, Trigon, was going to cross over to Earth within the next several years. She pleaded with him for help, saying the Justice League turned her away, fearing that it was a trick by the half demon. Robin was hesitant at first, but when she suggested that they reform the Teen Titans to stand up against Trigon, he didn't have to think about it anymore. He would do anything for the chance to be with a team again. Batman was usually gone on some Justice League mission, leaving Dick alone.

Over the past week, the two of them had been trying to recruit for the team. Unfortunately, it wasn't going as well as Dick had hoped. First, they met with Wonder Girl just off Paradise Island, since men were not allowed on the island. Although she was interested, she didn't feel it was right, especially with her older sister's recent banishment for bringing the Justice League to the island.

Next they tried Kid Flash but that one went even worse. Raven, fearing a response similar to Wonder Girl's, cast a minor spell on Kid Flash to make him fall in love with her, thus forcing him to join the team. However, it was hard to keep such strong control over a person, and the spell was eventually broken. Kid Flash, feeling betrayed and endangered, quit the team only a few days later.

Thus, Robin and Raven had returned to square one. They looked for any super hero teenagers that were interested in joining the Titans, but to little avail. Earlier in the day, they had been contacted by an eighteen-year-old by the name of Victor Stone. Victor not only offered his services as a Titan, but also a place for them to stay that would be perfect for the team. Raven had gone off to meet this "Cyborg" alone, since teleportation was always easier when she didn't have to worry about someone else coming long for the trip. Thus, Robin was left to keep a solo vigilance over Gotham City.

His mind began to wander as he crouched amongst the gargoyles of the skyscrapers. They came to Barbara Gordon, his ex-girlfriend. They had dated a little when she started her stint as Batgirl. It was ultimately puppy love. Despite that, it still hurt when they broke up. Bruce had tried to comfort him, but Dick only pushed him back, not desiring to be the playboy Bruce was. It wasn't the dating that he missed, the kissing, any of that. He missed having a partner aside from Batman. It was lonely and Robin would have given anything to have someone there with him. Even Raven, despite his lack of attraction to her, had provided a little bit of companionship.

Suddenly, Robin was snapped out of his slight depression when a thundering sound echoed in the canyons of Gotham. He looked into the sky to see a small meteorite fall from the sky and crash into a park not far off. Yet, it didn't seem like it landed too hard, as if it had tried to slow a little. This could only mean one thing, a spacecraft. Without thinking, Robin leapt from the edge of the building into the depths of Gotham. Moving through Gotham was no problem for the former acrobat, using his own grapples along with the extremities of the various buildings to allow him to move as swiftly as possible.

In no time, Robin was at the landing site. Fortunately, public curiosity was at a minimum. Robin pulled out his weaponry and prepared himself for the alien to come forth. Soon, a minute passed, and nothing happened. Slowly, Robin walked up to the ship and got a careful look at it. It was very small, couldn't have traveled too far. Slowly, Robin approached and looked inside the ship through a small window. What ever the alien was, it was on life support. It wasn't an invasion at all. This was an escape pod, probably jettisoned somewhere in space, before colliding with earth.

Slowly, Robin reached up for what looked like a handle and gave it a gentle turn. With a hiss, the atmosphere inside the ship equalized. Robin opened the door and looked inside the escape pod. All the instruments seemed to be working and, although Robin couldn't understand any of the specifics of the life support system, the alien inside seemed to still be alive. Then, the alien's hand moved, quickly grabbing the mask covering its face and throwing it to the side. Robin gasped!

The alien looked up at the Boy Wonder with big green eyes. They seemed to only be green for a moment, then they relaxed, revealing a pupil and iris, much like a human being. This wasn't, however, what grabbed Robin's attention. It was the fact that the alien was female, humanoid, and absolutely beautiful. The alien brushed her long red hair away from her face as she pulled her slender orange form from the spacecraft. She began speaking, though what language, Robin didn't know or understand. All he knew was that it was very intense, like yelling German through a loud speaker. The alien stopped and gave Robin an inquisitive look. She said something else, her voice rising in pitch at the end, like a question. With her head still slightly cocked to one side, she grabbed Robin and pulled him close. The alien stared at him for a second before doing something Robin didn't expect in the slightest.

First, their lips met. Robin struggled for a moment, but the aliens lips were so soft, he melted into her. Next, the alien's tongue forced itself into Robin's mouth, pinning his to the bottom of his mouth and began to explore the contours. It seemed like the alien was trying to learn how Robin's mouth felt like and worked. This lasted for a few minutes, Robin enjoying all of it, until the alien pulled away just as suddenly as she kissed him. She looked at him in the eyes and smiled.

"Thank you," the alien said. Robin's jaw almost fell of its hinges!

"How did you learn English so fast?" asked Robin, trying to pull himself together. "A moment ago, you only spoke your native tongue…" Robin stopped. Tongue, that was the answer.

"Yes, my people learn languages by examining the tongues of people who speak the desired language. I hope I did not offend you or violate any Earth customs in doing so, I only desired to be able to speak with you and other earthlings."

"Um…well you didn't really offend me. It's just that, on Earth, what you just did is only done between two people who…er…love…each other."

"Oh dear. I am so sorry. This love, it is related to the desire to kill?" The alien gave him the most innocent, inquisitive look imaginable. The look was so cute, as was the alien girl.

"No, um…it's when someone cares about someone else."

"Oh…are you my friend?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, I can be if you want." Robin blushed slightly, wondering where this was going and why she didn't know what love meant.

"Then I do care about you new friend." The alien went in for another kiss. This time, Robin backed up a little. The young alien looked at him oddly. "Why do you move back as such, new friend? Do you not wish to show our friendship and caring for one another?"

"I do…it's just that…what you want to do, kissing, is…for two people who care about each other more than anyone else in the world. Friends only hug." The alien looked at Robin again with her big green eyes, smiled and grabbed Robin as tight as she could. Her strength was incredible, if she hugged him any tighter, his ribs would have cracked. He definitely couldn't breathe!

"GLORIOUS! It is so nice to meet you new friend…um…forgive me but I forgot to ask your name."

"It's…um…Robin." Robin did not feel right revealing his secret identity to the cute alien yet. She seemed very loud and emotional and he didn't feel that she could be trusted to keep it secret. Maybe some day but not yet.

"Hello Robin! My name is Koriand'r but my K'Norfka always called me…I am not certain how to say it in your language Robin. It means 'fire of the star.'"

"How about 'Starfire?'"

"Joyous! I like how that name flows from the mouth! Starfire. You can call me Starfire, Robin." Robin smiled. She seemed so happy over such a simple thing. Nobody here in Gotham had ever been that easily amused. The idea was really unusual and Robin absolutely loved it.

"OK Star, I have three quick questions, if you don't mind me asking."

"Of course, friend Robin, I would be happy to answer any question you have!" She seemed to put a little bit of emphasis on the word "you" but Robin brushed it off.

"First of all, you know my language, but you don't know what words like 'love' mean. Why not?"

"That is easy! It is because I can only learn bits of languages, never the whole thing. I was hoping that…you would like to help me learn more about your planet, if you don't mind." Robin smiled.

"I would be honored to. That actually brings me to my second question, why are you here?"

"It is because, on my home world of Tameran, the adolescents are sent to alien worlds to teach themselves about the universe. We are then to return to Tameran and teach them all that we have learned. I was supposed to go to planet the Mars, but we learned that it's people were killed. The ship I was on was to return to Tameran to find a new planet when a fleet of the space pirates attacked us. We were forced to evacuate the ship, but my light engine did not fully engage, so I crashed on the Earth. Just before I landed, I was told to stay on Earth, even though my sister already investigated this planet. She had not revealed much of Earth to the people of Tameran and only my K'Norfka managed to get anything from her, a bit of the language. So it was decided that I would learn your ways!"

"Interesting. OK, last question, why do your...um...K...kern...friends call you Starfire?"

"Another easy one! It is because I can do this!" Before Robin knew what had happened, the alien girl's hand glowed green. She pointed at a nearby tree and Robin gasped as a bolt of green energy discharged from her hand and sparked a fire in the tree. Realizing what she had done, Starfire gasped and turned to Robin, tears in her eyes. Robin pulled some pellets from his utility belt and threw them at the tree. CO2 blasted from the balls, quickly and effectively extinguishing the fire. He looked over at Star, still seeing her eyes still on the verge of tears.

"Oh I am sorry new friend Robin. I did not mean to hurt the poor thing. Only after I saw it light on fire did I realize that it was a living creature. I hope it is all right so its family and friends don't come and harm me." Robin just smiled again at the poor girl's nativity.

"Don't worry Star. It's only a tree, a plant. It can't feel and all its family and friends will not hurt you, they are immobile, they can't move. By the way, that was amazing! I have never seen anyone ever do that."

"Neither have they seen such a thing on Tameran. Only my sister has powers similar to mine but they didn't manifest in her until after mine did. Since her energy was so dark, much like her hair, we call her Blackfire. Oh, did you really think it was the amazing?"

"Yeah…" Robin replied somewhat wearily. Then a third voice chirped in his ear.

"Robin. This is Raven. Cyborg is in. I am coming back to Gotham to pick you up, we can look for more members tomorrow. I think we should get at least two more members. You won't believe the tower he has…" Raven's communications were cut short by Robin.

"Actually, Raven, I think we are only going to need one more member. That is," Robin looked at Starfire deeply, "if you want to join us Star?" Starfire's eyes lit up as she jumped up and down.

"Of course I will join you, friend Robin! How else will I get to spend time with you and learn all about your planet from you." She stopped jumping and looked at Robin. "What is it that you do?"

"Well, I suppose the easiest way to put it is that we find bad guys and kick their butts."

"OH GLORIOUS! I would be most happy to kick the butts of the guy of the bad!"

"Um…great! Did you hear that Raven? You will be picking up two. I will introduce you to her and her powers when you get here. OK?"

"Whatever, be there in a minute." Raven replied before the radio went dead. Robin looked at Star and smiled.

"Oh Robin, I am looking forward to learning much from you and becoming the best of friends!" Star smiled back.

"Me too, Starfire, me too."

Hope you didn't think it sucked! I have more comming for my "Story of a Boy" quadrilogy coming very soon. Please keep on reading and reviewing...all two of you.