Chapter 14 – Can I Keep Him?
The oversized gourd made a heavy sound as Tamaranean ceramics met Earth roof-shingles. She was very careful not to tip them over. Zorkaberries were a delicacy Galfore was only just barely able to smuggle to her.
She'd had to fly into space just above Earth. The trip was irksome, but otherwise the JLA would have had to get involved, and Starfire didn't like interacting with the Lanterns or, X'hal forbid, Batman. It didn't help that she was wanted for arrest, either.
Galfore couldn't come to see her when he made his deliveries, but she got to see Karras, a childhood friend. So that was something. Starfire would go to the ends of the galaxy just to get her zorkaberries, though. The inconvenience of flight in space was hardly an obstacle, anyway.
She lifted the skylight and landed softly on her bed, taking care not to spill her prized zorkaberries. She hovered carefully over to her dresser, careful not to spill a precious drop… careful…
A loud thud behind her startled her and she gasped and landed on the ground heavily. The gourd was unbalanced, one side hanging off the edge of her dresser. It would fall right on top of her and she could only watch in horror.
A gloved hand calmly reached out and pushed it back. "Phew," Starfire muttered in relief. She narrowed her eyes at the intruder and floated so that she was on her feet and glared at him. "What are you doing in my residence?" she growled, letting light flood her eyes.
Robin was leaning on her dresser a little, looking like he had every right to barge into her home and hide in the shadows and frighten her and almost make her drop her zorkaberries. "Have you been in the Tower lately?" he asked her, ignoring her intimidating display.
The lights in her eyes flicked out. She tilted her head at him in confusion. "What? In your Tower? I… no, of course not! Why would you think that?"
He narrowed his eyes at her, leaning forward a little, which only prompted her to narrow her eyes right back and cross her arms over her chest moodily. "You're the only one who can get in without raising any alarms. We're going to need that communicator back, by the way."
"The only one who can get in?" she scoffed. "I believe you are forgetting the Batman, hallucinogenic versions of Slade, Red X, Catwoman-"
"But you're the only one who would break in and trash the place," Robin said.
"Trash?" she echoed, annoyed at him and at herself for needing to ask.
"You know. Messed up. Put in a state of disarray."
Although she had a feeling that he was mocking her, the definition helped. "I would not do that."
"Yes, you would," Robin answered.
"Please. Enlighten me as to why I would do that."
"Because it would bug me," he answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"The way you feel about my actions has no sway over them," she snapped.
"So… you haven't been in the Tower lately," he concluded dully.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Of course not." He was quiet for a moment and Starfire turned back to her zorkaberries, ignoring him. "You are aware of the way out," she mentioned distractedly.
He didn't move. "I haven't seen you… you know… around. Not for a few weeks."
With her finger, she dug around in the gourd and pulled out a zorkaberry. "Of course you have not. You asked me to stay away."
Robin scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I know. But I didn't expect you to…"
"I do not wish to be where I am not wanted." She popped the berry into her mouth, bitterness exploding across her tongue. Her lips curled into a satisfied smile and her eyes fluttered closed. She opened them again to find Robin peering at her, a hard to read expression on his face. He looked a little like he'd been slapped and was still numb from the impact. "Clearly, you do not feel the same way."
"I only said that because… um…" He coughed. "What are you eating?"
"Zorkaberries," she purred, her smiling growing wider. "They are a delicacy on Tamaran."
"Um, great. Enjoy your… those."
He was gone then, making almost no sound as he exited.
She was annoyed at him. All she'd done for weeks was avoid him. Hide when he was near, calculate where he would be and when he would be there and stay away from those places. And he seemed displeased with her for it, acting almost… hurt.
How could he be hurt when she was hurt?
Starfire glanced at her zorkaberries. She didn't want to eat them while she was in a bad mood. It spoiled the whole thing.
The beach was what she needed. Robin was out now, so she might cross paths with him, but she really didn't care.
She flew out the side window instead of going up to the roof- something Selina cautioned her not to do at the risk of blowing her Kory Anders identity out in the open. That identity wasn't very important to her. She only used it so she could do her shopping without drawing too much attention to herself. And, of course, to attend the small number of Bruce Wayne's parties Selina dragged her to.
The sand was soft beneath her boots. She probably should have changed into flip flops and civilian clothes before coming here. The troubled alien girl let out a sigh and flopped onto the sand, warmed by the sun, and spread her arms out. She closed her eyes against the sun, letting out a slow sigh to calm herself. The weather was nice. The beach was nice. She didn't need to think about moody superheroes or-
She cracked an eye open as a shadow passed in front of her. She couldn't catch a break. If that was Robin, he was getting a face full of sand.
"Oh! Beast Boy?" She propped herself up on one elbow, tilting her head at him.
"Sweet. I knew you would be here." The verdant teen smiled at her in a way that unsettled Starfire.
"You did?" she asked, brushing sand off of her and standing.
"Yep. Cuz Robin always comes over here and it was either you or some other girl and I mean, the guy dresses up like a traffic light so he can't get that much play, although I was kinda thinking of growing my hair out cuz I think girls like the spiked 'do, but I mean my hair is-"
She stared at him. "Beast Boy?" she interrupted.
"Right, kinda got sidetracked. I have a favor to ask you." He smiled widely at her.
Oh, no. Favors for the Titans almost never ended well. And she didn't owe Beast Boy anything. "I do not think that-"
"Pleeeeeaaaaaseeee?" Beast Boy laced his fingers together and gave her the saddest look she'd ever seen in her life.
"Um… Maybe?"
"Okay. So, do you remember when Killer Moth made an army of mutant moths and forced Robin to take his daughter to prom and he was like 'nehhh' and you were like 'grrr' and Robin was like 'soooh', but then we found Killer Moth! And I was like 'Dude!' and Raven was like 'zzzt' and Cyborg was like 'Booyah!' and we kicked his butt! And the mutant moths turned back into these cute little wormy things?"
"Um…" Starfire didn't really know what Beast Boy was saying. She was meant to remember Killer Moth and Robin's 'date' with Kitten, but she didn't know why there were so many other words in his explanation that didn't appear to be words at all. "Yes?"
"Well… even though Raven and Robin and Cyborg told me not to… I sorta kept one of 'em as a pet. Starfire?" He turned his eyes on her, which were so round and hopeful that it made her heart break a little, and he pulled a giant worm out from behind his back. "Meet Silkie!"
Starfire recoiled. Even on Tamaran, insects and bugs were usually annoyances, sometimes coupled with the ability to bite people and carry diseases. In short- she did not like bugs.
"You gotta admit, he's kinda cute. In a beady-eyed, maggoty sorta way." Beast Boy smiled fondly at Silkie and glanced back up at her, his ears drooped submissively and his expression was nervous and hopeful and sad all at the same time.
"Um…"
"You gotta take care of him for me," he told her urgently.
Wait. What? "I do?"
"Yeah." Beast Boy rocked on his heels, trying to think of way to explain to her. "Cuz he sorta… ate the Tower."
"He what?" The Tower was clearly still there, on its island a few hundred yards away from where they were standing.
"He trashed the inside of it, Star. And I know you're kinda evil sometimes-"
"Trashed?" she repeated, too confused to be as angry as she would have been otherwise. "Robin thought that was me!"
"Really?" Beast Boy tilted his head. "When did he say that?"
"Just prior to my departure of my penthouse to come here." She crossed her arms. "And I am not evil."
"Right, right, I totally know that. You're awesome. Just that, you know, you're a bad guy when you feel like it. Which is like, whatever, you live your life how you want, you know?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. He was obviously trying to make up for calling her evil, and she wasn't really buying it. "You are doing the 'sucking up', yes?"
"Um… Anyway, will you take care of him? Please? Just until this whole thing blows over."
"Can you not stow him away in one of the many spare rooms of your ten-story Tower?" Starfire asked, backing away from him a little.
Beast Boy followed her retreat. "No! Cyborg and Raven are searching the Tower and they're gonna find him and make me get rid of him! Then where will he go, Star?"
"Um…"
"Please?" he whined, looking truly desperate.
"I… do not know. Perhaps. Doing the Titans favors is not-"
"But you're not doing it for me! You're doing it for Silkie!" Beast Boy thrust the larva at her chest, and it warbled at her and wiggled its legs.
Starfire sighed, defeated. "Fine.
Beast Boy plopped the larva into her arms and she grimaced, squeezing both eyes shut in disgust. She cracked one eye open, trying to compare the creature to a dror- it had as many legs as the cuddly Tamaranean creature, anyway- and it warbled again and wiggled its legs and… and… Oh, it was adorable! It felt safe and happy in her arms and it was trying to cuddle up to her and this must be the feeling that filled Galfore when he first met her and was announced her k'norfka!
"Oh, hello, my little bumgorf!" she chirped, nuzzling the larva against her cheek.
Beast Boy sighed in relief. "Okay, now you gotta go to wherever alien sometimes-bad guys live and make sure that nobody sees you with-" He was interrupted by his communicator ringing. His eyes bugged out and he shouted in alarm. "It's Cyborg! Gogogogo!" He shoved her away from him.
"But when will you come back for-?"
"I'll get in contact with you on the old communicator. Just go!" He turned into a bird and flew off toward the Tower.
"Um… Bumgorf, I will take you to my home. Please do not do the 'trashing' of it." Starfire tucked Silkie under her arm and took off. She flew slowly so that the little larva wouldn't be frightened.
She entered through the skylight above her bed. She sat cross legged on it and put Silkie down in front of her.
What was she supposed to do now? Perhaps a call to Galfore was in order.
Before she could think about that too much, Silkie burst into tears. She didn't even know he could cry.
"Um… bumgorf? Do not cry. It is the okay. …Please cease?" Her pleas had no effect on the larva. She scooped him and wrapped him in her sheets. She sat next to him, scratching her head in confusion.
"Weep not, small one. Your k'norfka Starfire is here to attend to your every need!" The crying continued insistently. "You are… too warm? Too cold? Have you… the gas?" She cradled the larva in her arms and patted it on the back. An odd tugging at the back of her head made her hold Silkie away and she gasped. He was eating her hair. "You are hungry!"
She rushed him into the kitchen and tied a bib around his little larva neck. "Please, what do Silkies eat? Fruit? Cereal? Toast? Candy? Celery? Steak? Nachos? Mustard? Rutabagas?" She shoved her favorite foods under the larva's nose, and it turned away at each option. "What is it that Beast Boy prefers to ingest… Tofu?" Another disapproving sound from the larva and she sighed forlornly. "Oh… you must eat something!" She sulked at the larva, tapping her fingers against her gauntlet thoughtfully.
The gourd containing her zorkaberries was sitting innocently on her dresser. She gasped and retrieved them. "No creature can resist the delicious bitterness of zorkaberries!" As a demonstration, she plucked one out from the gourd and popped it into her mouth. "Mmmm!"
Silkie sniffed at the berries and he ate one daintily. He made a happy sound and ate a mouthful at a time.
Starfire normally was protective of her zorkaberries, but she was just happy that Silkie was eating. "Good Silkie!" She patted him on the head. "You may consume your fill while Starfire obtains a fresh blankie."
She floated over to her curtains, Silkie's happy warbles assuring her that he was eating and the crying would stop. A loud shattering of glass made her turn away from her curtains and she gasped. Silkie had eaten all of her zorkaberries, broken her Tamaranean gourd, and was… giant! There were so many things not good about this.
She floated in front of Silkie, who was now as tall her and much wider and longer. "My little bumgorf… why are you so big?"
The larva burped and a few zorkaberries that he'd swallowed whole landed at her feet. It was a good thing the kitchen had a tiled floor and not a rug, because Selina would be so mad. Starfire couldn't have a giant worm running around Selina's apartment.
"My alien food has caused you to mutate further!" she lamented. She hoisted him over her shoulder to try to get him to burp again. "Yes, more burping now, please! You must uneat the berries and regain your smallness!"
He wasn't burping. Starfire pinched the bride of her nose. She muttered in frustrated Tamaranean. How was she going to give Silkie back to Beast Boy this way? "Never do the Titans favors, Starfire. You are foolish," she berated herself. "Oh, poor Silkie, I have broken you!" She rubbed his head between the antennae. He didn't seem uncomfortable. He seemed quite happy. Perhaps the Professor Chang would have a shrink ray! She could shrink Silkie easily and all her problems would be fixed.
But Professor Chang's headquarters were destroyed when Reed X and Robin apprehended him.
A loud ringing interrupted her thoughts. She gasped. "It is Selina! Stay here, bumgorf, and I will be right back. Please remember not to do the trashing!"
She flipped open her laptop and pressed the enter button to take the call. "Selina!" she blurted. "Hello! How are you on this fine day!"
Selina sighed, annoyed. "Well, Harley's adopted two hyenas. I can't make her get rid of them."
"You have like ten cats! I have two hyenas, Kitty! Get some perspective!" Harley's voice shouted from offscreen.
Selina ground her teeth. "Perspective?! Isis isn't eating the neighborhood dogs!" She turned her attention back to Starfire. "Sorry, darling. All these animals and plants in the house are getting to me. How are you doing?"
Starfire stared at the screen, eyes wide. A nervous laugh escaped from her lips. "Ahahahaha… pets. That is silly. I would never get a pet."
Selina narrowed one eye at her. "Starfire?"
"A pet in a penthouse as nice as this one would be foolish. Especially a large one."
Now Selina was narrowing both eyes at her. "Kory, what did you-?"
"Kitty, Eddie's here! Let's go!" Harley's voice whined.
"Ugh. I have to go. But… don't do anything I wouldn't do. Okay?"
"Of course!" Starfire answered, smiling too widely.
Selina gave her one last suspicious glance before ending the call.
Starfire floated to the kitchen and… oh, no. Silkie was gone. "Silkie!" she called, putting her hands on her hips sternly. "Silkie! Come to your k'norfka!"
This was soooo bad. And she didn't even have any zorkaberries to make her feel any better.
Never do a favor for the Titans, Starfire.
…
She searched for Silkie all day. He was not in the penthouse or even in the whole building. How could she possibly lose a giant worm?
She perched on the edge of a building. Tamaraneans had better night vision than Earthlings, but it wasn't as though it was as clear as day. The technology used in binoculars and video cameras were more effective.
So right now, she was hiding Silkie from the Titans, specifically Beast Boy, and Selina. And, of course, citizens of Jump. She had no way of tracking Silkie. She had no way of finding him.
She jumped as a rustle of material and soft thud sounded from next to her. Great. Exactly what she didn't need.
"What are you doing out?" Robin asked. His tone wasn't accusatory, but it wasn't exactly conversational, either.
"Keeping to myself," she answered curtly. "As you should be."
He shifted into a more comfortable position next to her. "What jeweler's is it gonna be tonight?"
"I am not interested in jewels at the moment." She turned so that her knees were pointed away from him.
"That brings me back to my original question."
She glared at him. "I will not bother you. Unless you continue to bother me."
"You're out in uniform!" Robin pointed out. "You can't expect me to believe that you have no plans."
"Why are you interrogating me? Has your Slade been quiet? You feel the need to create problems where there are none?" He didn't like that. Why did she feel so satisfied and accomplished whenever he scowled at her like that? It certainly wasn't a hard reaction to get from him. "Or…" She turned so that she was facing him and she leaned in close. "Perhaps you miss me."
He leaned back to put more space between them. "Stop it."
"I am simply speculating," she purred.
"Well, don't." Starfire watched as Robin clambered to his feet and shot a line across to another building. "I'm not gonna let you pull anything."
Starfire sighed as she watched him leave. Okay, so she forgot that he was on patrol tonight. Sue her. Even if she remembered, she would have had to go out. She couldn't just leave Silkie. How could a giant larva be hiding himself so well?
,,,
The alien princess stirred her tea slowly.
Robin avoided her for the rest of the night, and she didn't cause him any trouble. As she promised.
Her search for Silkie was fruitless. She meant to return to the penthouse at three in the morning, but every time she went to go back, she'd see Robin out, silhouetted against the moon or rolling into a crouch or something dramatic like that… and it made her stay out longer. Not because she wanted to be by him, which she honestly didn't. They didn't speak to each other after their previous encounter, anyway. She just felt on odd need to prove that she could stay out as long as he could.
She'd never been particularly competitive before.
She had to get out there. Had to search some more. Now that it was daylight, someone would spot Silkie. Someone would panic.
Which was exactly why Starfire had her radio listening in on the police's frequency. It took some fiddling and some consulting the Google. But she managed it. And now she was sitting at her round, two-person table in her kitchen, the radio set up across from her, sipping her mustard leaf tea.
She was only half listening to the radio, not really expecting anything to come up, when she heard, "Giant worm monster. Meta assistance required. Alerting the Titans."
Oh nooooo. She threw on her uniform and hopped out the window.
No, no, she was too late. Robin had hopped on Silkie's head and he was using the antennae as handholds. She didn't really know what good that would do, and it only seemed to be making Silkie more angry. Raven levitated a car in the air and was throwing it at Silkie.
Starfire leaped in front of it. Raven gasped, the black energy fading, but the car was still in motion. Starfire charged up a starbolt in two hands and blasted the vehicle. It split in two, the pieces continuing on either side of Silkie.
"Starfire?" Robin demanded, incredulous. "What're you-?"
"Do not harm Silkie, he is my bumgorf!" she shouted at them, and she hovered over to him and hugged him. He nuzzled her back contentedly, apparently forgetting about the Titans.
"What's a bumgorf?" Raven demanded. She looked annoyed.
"That's Silkie?!" Beast Boy frowned at her. "Dude! What've you been feeding him?"
And that was how she ended up at Titans Tower, with Silkie on a leash, speaking politely to the Titans.
"Truth: Silkie a mutant monster created by the evil Killer Moth. But that does not make him a bad mutant monster!"
The Titans were looking at her with various expressions. Robin seemed frustrated, but also stern. Beast Boy was angry with her, she could tell, for turning Silkie into a giant monster. Raven was just annoyed. And Cyborg was glaring at Silkie while he tightened a makeshift leg onto his knee with a wrench. Silkie had apparently eaten his actual leg.
Silkie tugged her off the ground and began eating various objects located around the Titans' common room.
"He attacked civilians. And Cyborg," Raven pointed out.
Cyborg paused in his tightening to add, "He ate my best leg!"
"And I am sure he is very sorry for that." Silkie gulped down the Titans' fridge. He was not helping her make her point. "Ehehehe…"
Robin glared at Beast Boy as Silkie swallowed his stereo.
"What?" Beast Boy demanded indignantly. "I'm not the one who fed him radioactive space berries."
"Starfire, he can't stay here," Robin told her sternly.
"Of course not! I will bring him back to my dwelling and he will-"
"No, Star, I mean he can't stay in the city." He pulled his cape away as Silkie opened his mouth and lunged for it.
"What? Why? You cannot make me-!"
"I- you don't have a choice. Either you bring him somewhere, or we have to take him away." He lowered his voice so that the rest of his team wouldn't be able to hear and he mumbled, "I'm sorry."
She glared at him. "Fine. I will take Silkie away to a place where he will not be hurt by the actions or words of people here."
She hadn't meant to say that. She wasn't exactly talking about Silkie, and Robin knew it. He went red and ran his hand through his hair. "Um…"
Ignoring him, Starfire hoisted Silkie into the air and flew out over the ocean.
He was enjoying the ride. At least one of them was in a good mood. For now. An island appeared on the horizon, with a tall, craggy structure like a vertical cave. She plopped Silkie down onto the ground and carved a sign into the rock with her starbolts.
She hated this. She hated herself. She hated Robin for making her do it. And what about Beast Boy? Silkie belonged to him first!
It just wasn't fair.
At least she could visit Silkie whenever she wished.
"No, Silkie. It is not time for a bath. It is time… for me to leave you. This is your new home! You will be happy. No one will harm you, and there are many strange objects for you to ingest!" As she spoke, Silkie tilted his head and stopped his warbling. He looked confused. It was heartbreaking.
She hugged the side of his face and he nuzzled her with his little larva cheek. "Oh, farewell my beloved Silkie." Silkie made lots of little unhappy noises as she stepped back. She hopped into the air and floated, looking back at him. "I am very sorry. But you must not follow."
He stretched a limb out- which must have been an odd part of his mutation, because she didn't think he could do that- and wrapped it around her ankle. Maybe she could stay here with Silkie. Have Selina build her something. She didn't need much. Or she could pay for construction herself. But she couldn't do that. She needed to go back to the penthouse and continue living her life. She'd visit Silkie out here every day if she had to.
"No! I cannot stay. You must… let me go!" She charged up a very weak starbolt and let it go, hitting his odd outstretched limb. Silkie gave her a wounded look and backed away. She had to be the worst person in the world. Earth and Tamaran. Tears filled her eyes. "Oh, forgive me," she muttered, and she left quickly after that because she couldn't bear being there anymore.
She streaked through the sky, through Jump all the way to her penthouse, and she threw herself on her bed. She cried into her pillow, long, loud sobs. She couldn't even tell Selina about this one because she wasn't supposed to have Silkie in here.
Time ticked by slowly, Starfire dozing a little and waking up and feeling depressed and falling back asleep. Maybe she could try calling Harley. But no, Harley would just go and tell Selina right away.
Perhaps the reason she became so attached to Silkie so quickly was because she didn't feel so alone. And now she felt twice as alone. At least on Tamaran she always had company, even if she didn't find it as pleasurable as the company she had on Earth.
There was a soft tap from above her. "Oh X'hal," she groaned into her pillow. "This must be some kind of joke."
It wasn't. Robin was crouching on the roof, asking permission to enter her dwelling. Again. She sighed and rolled to one side of her bed, giving him a clear landing.
"Why are you here?" She was too upset to control the quiver in her voice.
"I… Look, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry." He crossed his legs and settled next to her.
She wouldn't look at him. "You made me get rid of Silkie. He was my bumgorf."
"Um… I don't know what that is."
She rolled over so that she was facing him. "A k'norfka cares for a bumgorf from their childhood, and the link between the two is as strong as and sometimes stronger than the bond that a child would share with their parents."
"Oh. Well… I mean… It was a worm. It attacked people in the street."
She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. "That does not matter. He was my bumgorf. And now he is gone, and I am alone. Again."
Robin shifted uncomfortably. "You're not… you know you aren't… um…"
"Alone?" she finished for him. "Yes, I am, Robin. I have Selina, but only through the computer. And Galfore is so far away. And my own sister hates me…"
"Starfire." Robin paused, thinking. "Beast Boy… he went to you with a problem, right? That's kind of a two-way deal. And Raven approves of you, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you needed to talk to her. Cyborg, too. He likes having you around. Maybe not right now, since your pet ate his leg, but he does usually. I don't know how, but you've grown on us, Star."
She just blinked at him sadly.
"Um… even me, I guess. I mean, I'm here now. Checking on you. You're not alone, okay?"
She sniffled, which seemed to alarm Robin a little. Before he could say anything to ruin it, she jolted forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, thank you for your kind words."
Robin was stiff underneath her grip, but after a few moments he patted her on the back twice "Okay… thanks… enough, now…"
She sat back on her bed and smiled at him. Then she quickly frowned. "I am still upset with you."
"What?" he demanded, flabbergasted. "Why?"
That was not the right thing to say. "Because you told me to stay-"
A beeping sound came from Robin's belt. "Ah. Crap," he muttered. "Rancid's back."
"Rancid?"
"Johnny Rancid," he answered distractedly. "Um… I guess I'll see you- Aw, no…"
She looked in the direction Robin was staring. A giant grey moth was flying toward the middle of downtown. "Robin!" she shouted, grabbing his shoulder. "That is Silkie!"
"Yeah, I see that. Gimme a lift?" he extended his arm to her and she grabbed his wrist, going for the usual trapeze hold.
She lifted out of her skylight, flying quickly to her beloved Silkie.
Silkie's head dipped down and a chain was coming out of his mouth, an odd grey boy attached to it.
"Starfire, drop me and get Rancid," Robin ordered. She narrowed her eyes sulkily at the order, but she did as he said. She gathered a starbolt in two hand s and shot the chain in half. Johnny Rancid shot into the air and dark energy gathered around him, lowering him safely to the ground. As she dropped Robin, he released a grappling hook to catch himself and he was standing with his friends.
"Silkie!" Starfire shouted, horrified and happy and surprised and so many other things all at once.
"His name is larva M-319, and he belongs to me: Killer Moth."
To Starfire's horror, Killer Moth cracked an electrum whip in the air and flicked it across Silkie's back. The moth screamed out in pain and charged toward her. She floated in front of Silkie, unable to move or do anything except stare at him. Not that it mattered, because Silkie would never hurt her.
"Starfire!"
Being tackled out of the air doesn't feel nice. Presumably, it feels better than being eaten by a giant moth that you'd just betrayed so unspeakably that it decided to become evil and battle you, but that wasn't the point.
The wind was knocked out of her, and when she opened her eyes and forced air into her lungs, Robin was peering at her. "Are you crazy?" he hissed, taking his arms away from her as she sat up.
"I must say, you took excellent care of M-319." Killer Moth taunted from on top of Silkie. "What have you been feeding him?"
"He is called Silkie," Starfire snapped at the villain.
"I created him; I tracked him down; I'll call him whatever I want."
"Are we really gonna piss off the bad guy over Silkie's name?" Beast Boy mumbled behind Starfire.
"As for food," Killer Moth continued, "I guess I'll just have to feed him you." He cracked the whip and Silkie let out another cry and barreled toward the Titans, shooting zorkaberry-gook out of his mouth.
"You like my leg?" Cyborg shouted at Silkie as he rode on pterodactyl-Beast Boy's back. "Well chew on this!"
Raven attacked next, shoving a bus into Silkie's side. Starfire grimaced as Silkie was pushed into the side of a building. Killer Moth cracked the whip over Silkie's back multiple times, grumbling, "Come on, you worthless maggot! Fly!"
"Starfire, you think you can give it some juice?" Raven asked, straining to keep the bus in place.
Starfire's eyes widened and she hesitated, which gave Killer Moth enough time to wrap the whip around Raven's ankle and shock her with it.
Robin was next to attack, jumping on to Silkie's back and engaging Killer Moth in combat directly. She couldn't help but feel a tiny bit thankful that Robin didn't use any exploding birdarangs or whatever else he had in his belt that might have harmed Silkie.
Killer Moth bested Robin, thanks mainly to his ability to fly. Beast Boy snatched him out of the air and deposited him on the ground safely.
Starfire had to stop Silkie. She couldn't let him hurt any civilians. She floated up in front of him, and she said, "I am sorry, Silkie." She let green energy surround her and she concentrated it into one starbolts, carefully aiming at Killer Moth. He was shot off Silkie's back successfully, except that as he fell the whip snared around Starfire's ankle and electrocuted her. They both cratered the ground as they hit it, and Silkie landed between both of them, seeming confused about what to do now that Killer Moth had stopped whipping him.
"M-319. Come!" Killer Moth barked.
"No, Silkie! He is evil! You belong with your k'norfka! You belong with me!" Silkie looked between both of them, confused. Starfire smiled brightly, calling, "Here, Silkie, Silkie! Here, my sweet little mutant!"
Killer Moth stood to his full height, struggling to compete with Starfire's cheeriness. "Uh… Here, M-319. Come to… papa."
"Oh, Silkie!" Starfire chirped. "Starfire has a big hug for you!"
"Hey, big fella. Did Killer Moth create you in a lab? Yes he did, yes he did!"
Starfire dropped her cheery demeanor to glare at Killer Moth before adopting it again. "Here, Silkie, Silkie! Come to your k'norfka!"
Silkie looked from Killer Moth to Starfire and back again as they continued to call him, making all kinds of warbles and grunting noises. He shook his head quickly and… he blew up.
Starfire only raised her arm over her face to shield her eyes from the light of the blast, not to protect herself the way she should have. She got blown back a little, but she floated into the air without sustaining any injuries. A large skeleton, covered with pink gook, was standing where Silkie was before.
"Sweet!" Cyborg shouted happily. "My leg!"
"So… nasty…." Raven muttered.
Starfire landed in the middle of the pink, gooey skeleton and plopped onto the ground, tears welling in her eyes. This was all her fault. She was the worst k'norfka ever. She could feel the Titans looking at her, although they were staying quiet. They probably didn't know what to say to her.
She heard tiny little cries. Like what she'd heard in her penthouse only the day before. She gasped. "Silkie? Silkie?!" She dove into the pink goop, emerging with a little, adorable larva cradled in her arms. "Silkie! OH, hello, my little bumgorf!"
"He wasn't mutating," Beast Boy said from behind her. "He was molting!"
"Fascinating. Can we go home now? I need a need a shower. In the worst way."
Raven wasn't very impressed by the news, but that meant that Starfire didn't do anything to make Silkie grow! Probably his ability to spit zorkaberry-goop was her fault, but that hadn't hurt him.
Although, she still wasn't sure if Robin would let her keep him. He should, seeing as he was now an appropriate size and he wouldn't be tearing their Tower apart if he was with her. She floated over to Robin and gave him the saddest, pleadingest she could muster- a copy of what beast Boy had treated her to earlier. She blinked for added effect.
"Okay, fine, you can keep him," he mumbled, putting his palms out to her as a sign of defeat,
"Yay!" she squealed, throwing one arm around his neck and holding Silkie in the other.
He pushed her back gently. "But no more alien food," he told her sternly.
"Oh, very well. I am not sure what to give him, but I am sure that I will figure something ou-"
Silkie wormed out of her hands and gobbled up some of the pink goo. Starfire tilted her head curiously while the other Titans made various noises of disgust. She crouched in front of the goo and reached out for it.
"Ah… Starfire you probably shouldn't-"
She cut off Robin's protest by putting the goo in her mouth. "Oh! It tastes just like zorkaberries!" she cried delightedly, and she and Silkie began scooping the goo off the ground and into their mouths.
…
"Selina, meet Silkie!"
"Oh god, what is that thing?" Selina demanded, her eyes wide in the computer screen.
"He is a mutated moth larva, created by the villain Killer Moth!" Starfire explained.
"Riiiiiight. Jeez, first Harley with her hyenas, now you with your… mutated moth larva. You know me, kid, I have a soft spot for animals. Or… whatever that thing is. Keep him. But I swear, if that thing makes any messes on my carpet-"
"I will cover all expenses, Selina. I promise."
"You're a good kid. You seem happier than you've been lately. What did Robin say to you?" Selina asked, curious.
Starfire felt her face heat up and she ducked away from the camera under the guise of putting Silkie on the floor. "I did not say that anything occurred between Robin and me…"
Selina laughed. "Oh, come on, Star. I know you. Did you make up? I know you were pissed at him for telling you to back off."
"I am unsure. But he made me feel better."
"That's all? C'mon, Star, have a little backbone."
Starfire looked down, smiling softly, and she raised her gaze back to the camera. "Selina, I do not hold grudges when it is more effort to be angry at someone than it is to just be happy."
"Wisdom from the mouth of babes. I want details. Go."
Starfire leaned back in her chair and pulled her knees up and told Selina everything that Robin had said to her, Silkie curling up at the edge of her round bed.
Gotta be honest, I don't think I liked doing this much chapter as much as I've liked other chapters in the past. This chapter was soooo weird, but the odd thing about teen Titans is that it mixes weird stuff- like exploding giant moths- with some considerable angst- like Starfire feeling like she betrayed Silkie when she had to leave him. I don't really know how I did. Writing this chapter was kind of like trying to stay still on a boat that's getting rocked by a current. Angst, crack, angst, crack… It was difficult. Hope you guys liked it alright, I ended up like the bit of interaction between Robin and Starfire that I added instead of the parts that were more of a rewrite. Let me know.
She turned back to him. "Thank you," she said softly. She fixed her eyes right on his, and her lips were parted slightly. Not that he was looking at them, or noticing how soft they looked under the moonlight. Her hands were still clutching at his jacket.
"Anytime," he managed. He let his gaze sweep over her face, down her throat and over her clavicle. Hastily, he dropped his gaze to her wrist and the seashell bracelet.
Her head was tilted. It would be so easy to lean forward a little and... He felt her breath on his face and he tightened his hands, which for some reason were still on her arms.
Oh yeah! I've pretty much decided that I'll be posting extra content in another fic. I know, I know, now you gotta go look it up and wait for that. Sorry. I'll post it when Reach is completely finished. Updates will probably be lots faster than Reach, and the chapters will most likely be drabbley things, although I'll try to keep them longer. There's still a ways to go before that even comes around- this fic is only two thirds of the way done. I just wanted to let you guys know that I'll take requests! Mostly from Robin or Starfire's POV, but if there's anything Gotham City Sirens-centric you want to see, or batfam-centric or following the other Titans, I'll do that, too. (Requests should really be suggestions because I'm not guaranteeing that I'll do it, but if you have an idea that I feel particularly inspired I'll see what I can do.) Let me know in either a fic, or a PM, or if you're really shy or something, my tumblr (which can be found on my profile). But if you expect an answer, don't go to my tumblr. I don't have wifi at my house and I can't answer asks on my phone. (You don't have to have a tumblr to leave an ask there!) So yeah. That's something to think about.