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Starfire was handling everything better than I expected. She was currently on hour 3 of her ocean time. We had spent most of the time after we had gotten home putting together our story and plan to bring to the League. I was running on fumes and had fallen asleep working on filling out reports earlier. She had carried on for me nerves making herself more stressed I'm sure. I had told her to go into the ocean until she felt better when I had woken up.

There just wasn't a lot I could do for her up here anymore. I had held her and ripped the damn necklace off her last night. I had run a tech analysis and the necklace was simple tech. It had a couple gears that would make the necklace loosen or contract. Likely contracting when she was needed and loosening when she arrived. It wasn't harmless, but she had confirmed that she had been put in worse. I was happy it did not have any recording or shock features. Though I wish she didn't have it at all. I had not experienced what Starfire had and acknowledged I probably would never fully understand it, but I knew the necklace was not jewelry in this case. Not to her. She hadn't wanted to leave it behind in case she was summoned, but I knew she didn't want it around her neck. We found a spot on her thigh that was equivalent width and put it there. Not the best or permanent solution, but it was something that could be done.

I was on the verge of ripping out my hair trying to create a power point to show the seriousness of this situation and what we knew and the mass we did not. The new suit recorded footage and I was trying to use the clips I could. I understood that we likely had half an hour to get everyone caught up and explain the plan we had come up with. Well, it was still in process. Starfire had wanted for us to just go in full strength this Friday and end it. There was just too much we didn't know still. We didn't know where the true base was or the mastermind behind the curtain. If we did this wrong then a lot of valuable information and true threats would escape to haunt us later. I wanted this to stop for her, but I couldn't put her first when multiple cities were at risk. Fuck this is where I had been hesitant to date since I couldn't give her that. I couldn't put her first even when I wanted to.

I think part of why I sent her to the ocean was it was hard to be resolved in that choice when she sat on my floor tucked into herself. It was obvious she was suffering and frightened. I was going to punch Miss Friday in the face when this was over, woman or not she had it coming. Though I had to stay focused we were going to trial run this thing with our fellow Titans and it needed to get finished. I wished to give Raven a better homecoming, but I couldn't put this off. How many times had I already? Starfire had been pretty adamant herself saying she needed more friends to talk about this besides Red X. She had texted him throughout the night as we discussed things out, but he wanted to talk in person more than leave receipts. I knew at least being able to stop lying would take pressure off of Star, but would it even make a difference in the situation we were in?

"Starfire check in." I said into the communicator. I was trying to give about 20 minutes between check ins, but they were certainly more like 15.

"I am still doing laps around Alcatraz." I heard her say. She just sounded tired now. She had not gotten mad, just sad which was somehow harder to deal with. Mad Starfire fought, sad Starfire crumbled and cried. I didn't judge her for her feelings, but I couldn't keep up with them.

Her experience itself according to her had not been as bad as she expected. She called it glorified babysitting, but she was devastated that another child was being made into a weapon so young in a lab. I knew she was seeing a lot of herself in whatever she saw in Conner, just how she spoke. She said she understood my plan and reasoning, but I knew it hurt her to not intervene immediately. She was done with these games. She was done with the club. She was done with lying. I just had to keep her spirits up to finish this to the end. I needed her on the same page with me. I needed her for more than that, but I couldn't let this mission slip away.

"Robin?" She said over the communicator a few minutes after my last check in.

"Yeah Star?" I asked since I wanted to stay open as a resource to talk. She had opened up so much in the past 72 hours. It had been a lot and I'm sure plenty was still censored, but I wanted her to keep it up. I wish she had trusted me with all this earlier…it hurt after three years she still felt like she had to hide things from me. I understood it was hard to talk about in general, but it made me feel like shit she hadn't felt like I would accept her. After hearing more, I realized my affection for her hadn't changed or wavered. I just wished I knew it sooner. What else was she hiding? I wanted her to tell me so she knew I could take it. Take everything.

"I want to go camping once this is over. Somewhere beautiful with a waterfall and trees that we hammock in. Just somewhere away and quiet. Can we do that?" I couldn't say no to such an innocent request. If she had something to look forward to, maybe this next painful bit would be easier.

"Of course, Star. We can go wherever you like." Those words were easy enough to say. Give us both some sort of somewhere over the rainbow for when this shit show was over.

"Thank you, Be'tak. I am coming home now, please open your window." That was a good sign, open window meant she was able to fly. Maybe I should have tried to throw her a bone sooner. I just was struggling myself. There was some shame in having this fall so heavily on her shoulders when I could just only sit back and watch. It only got worse when, I started to see the weakness she tried to hide. The pain she kept silent about and buried behind laughter and omitted truths. I was haunted by the fact Red X picked up on it so quickly. Was I just blinded by what light she put out and consumed by other obsessions to notice.

"Fly safe." I said in response and went to do as she asked. It wasn't too much longer when soft footsteps were heard approaching me. Arms circled my neck and I heard more than felt her chin nestling on the crown of my head, shifting gelled peaks.

"You are much better at this than I am. I would have lost my patience seven slides ago." Some of her hair fell into my vision as she leaned forward. I could hear her heart and it seemed steady and strong, calm. I guess the ocean had worked it's magic. I smiled as I knew she sometimes got into fights with technology and technology was often on the losing side. Her laptop I had gotten her for Christmas was reinforced and had protections in place so it would last longer.

"I think the caffeine is helping at the moment. Do you feel better?" I asked daring to go into the waters.

"Your ocean is healing for me, so yes. It was nice to drift and think. Do you need a break?" It was nice of her to offer and check on my wellbeing.

"I rather power through and get this finished. Though I want to get your approval so feel free to hang out." It just seemed better to not kick her out even though I couldn't give her full attention. I felt her retract and turned my chair so I could look at her expression. It was neutral, like she was just waiting for an emotion to strike her. Though it settled on some sort of a smile as she nodded.

"Okay, let me know what I can do." It seemed a little shaky, but she seemed to settle as she grabbed a robe she had found while unpacking. "Can I get you a refill?" She asked pointing at my cup of now cold half drank coffee. There was a tremor in her. I knew the feeling of being useless in a specific talent and full of anxious energy. It was kind of nice she could feel the same.

"That would be awesome." I said and passed her my mug. She floated off to the kitchen and I was grateful to see her float. She was not okay, but she was still acting like herself. Trying her best. I become absorbed back into my work I didn't notice her return or the cup returning right away. I became so consumed I didn't notice her stealing desk supplies. When I finally hit save she had managed to construct a fully functional looking crossbow. It wasn't like the two pencil ones made in classrooms. This looked like it could impale through a wall with the double banded suspension. Fortunately it was not pointed at me it looked like the target was a set of erasures she had set at my dresser with two clear hit through. I took a sip of my coffee to find it lukewarm. She definitely had plenty of time.

"All done." I said and got her attention before she reloaded. "Can you make weapons out of anything?" I asked trying to keep my tone light and teasing. Though it was an actual wonder. When we had been stranded her resourcefulness to construct a working bow and arrow out of alien materials.

"Mostly yes, weapon generation is a recognized ability. It is something I learned on Okaaran, we had to turn whatever items we were given into weapons and duel. Though now anything in my hands can be considered a weapon since alone I am one." She said and put down her new creation on my nightstand. She had given a serious answer, which was alright since I actually wanted to know, but it told me she wasn't as focused on reading facial expressions and tones like I had worked on with her early in her Earth days. Or I was just bad at giving out those signals at the moment. I took her hand and laced our fingers.

"So now I'm a weapon." I said making sure my tone was light and a smile was on my face so she would get the hint to perk up too.

"Be'tak you are certainly sharp in your own right." She pressed down on my hair spikes again, though she made a joke. At my expense. It made feel better and annoyed at the same time. Though the laugh that came out of me was genuine. She had successfully made a joke, at my expense, but a joke.

"I feel attacked." I said not wanting to let this flicker of levity go out. I used exaggerated hand gestures and everything. "What's the weirdest thing you've turned into a weapon?" I was wanting this openness and sharing with her to continue. She tilted her head for a moment.

"Food is typically the most interesting. Though furniture, clothes, and nature are easy. I did manage to escape out of prison with a fallen baby tooth and a metal bowl once." Okay that was a story I wanted to hear how that was physically possible. Though I felt dread as an after thought remembering how she had pointed a chair when our meeting when bad. How much damage would she have dealt? How far would she have gone? Though I couldn't worry about what-ifs in the past when our current mission held so many.

"Where did you get the baby tooth?" I asked trying to not let my realization halt our brevity. It probably would be the only time we'd feel like this tonight once the cat was out of the bag.

"It was my own. My last one. Though my hair is my most consistent weapon material and entertainment for you." She put the hand that wasn't holding hers on top of her head giving me the invitation. Though the timeline of her imprisonment got murky for me again.

"You had baby teeth left at twelve?" I knew it wasn't impossible, but now I was worried she had actually been detained younger and aged up her stories.

"Yes, it did not want to come out until it was ready. It was fortunate really." I looked at her and tried to picture a little Starfire going through so much at that age. I pulled her into a hug and ran my fingers down her hair to the midpoint of her spine before finding new roads to travel.

"I'm happy you're here." I knew she would get everything else I didn't add. I was glad that wasn't her life anymore.

"I am happy too, genuinely happy here." I understood why she had been so worried about leaving the more she told me. She sighed. "Sorry for being selfish earlier, with my plan. I understand what it means to be a hero and I know you have to put that first. I understand things, but I do wish for things to be different sometimes. I just needed a little time to wish that is all."

"You didn't need to apologize for that, but thank you. It's okay for you to have your own thoughts and feelings, we just still have to be heroes when it matters. It's okay, Starfire." I did appreciate her acknowledging we had a duty when we called ourselves heroes. We didn't always have to be of the same mind, we just had to be of same methods when it came to what it meant to be a hero.

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We had given Raven a little time to relax, an hour which was short, but something. She seemed to be relaxed from her trip and had brought us all home hot sauce. It was an interesting souvenir, since they all said something funny on the label. I got "Holy Blank Batman" which was funny and thoughtful. Starfire got one called "Supernova", Cyborg got one called "Fried circuits", and Beast boy got one that was supposedly the mildest called "Wimp sauce". It was nice to see Raven happier and using her sense of humor. She had been dealing with all this while partially in the dark.

Me and Starfire had gathered the others earlier simply saying we needed to have a talk, which left our team mates to speculate.

"Why do you need to a PowerPoint if you're just spilling the beans on the fact you're dating?" Beast Boy asked as I got set up.

"I know you like your charts bro, but you can keep it to yourself." Cyborg egged on seeming way too smug.

"This isn't a meeting about Starfire and I's relationship." I said as I tried to finish up the set up from the flash drive.

"Though there is an official relationship decided, right Robin?" This was Raven who was also done with me being wishy washy and her dealing with it.

"Yes Friends, we are now officially dating." Starfire answered and I was surprised that she didn't signify that statement with an action like a kiss or raising me up like a trophy. Though appreciated she was letting me work. Though her tone was bright and she did a cute spin with flight. "Though it has only been a few days, officially."

"Congrats guys!" was the response from Beast Boy.

"Finally." Cyborg and Raven chorused and caught Starfire when she went in for a big hug across the couch.

"Thank you, Friends. Unfortunately we have some other news that is less good. Please listen to what we have to say before doing the freaking out." She said as she had all three trapped in a squeeze, before retreating to my side. We had agreed that I would say the plans and she would run support when it came to questions and details.

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"Well that was even worse than I expected." Raven was the first to speak after we finished. I knew she had been aware of somethings since she had healed me, but yeah it had been a bigger job than I expected either. Beast Boy had interrupted a couple times with comments, but now he was just staring at Starfire like she had grown a second head. Cyborg was silent, though I knew something was brewing since there was no chance he wouldn't say something.

"I am so relieved you know now friends. Not being able to talk about this has been the hardest part." Starfire was trying to keep the energy positive, but I would accept the blowback. She herself had cold shouldered me for a week and became Ember despite my wishes.

"So wait I'm still confused, how long has this been going on?" Beast Boy asked.

"All summer, though it's only been two months for Starfire." I answered and he nodded still thinking.

"Can I check your necklace, Starfire. I want to make sure there is nothing supernatural to it." Raven asked and Starfire took off her breast plate so she could see it. In her normal uniform she could actually hide it quite easily, though I knew it was a point of discomfort still. It probably would be as long as she wore it. "I'm not getting anything. You are both idiots for not telling us sooner, but what's done is done. Whatever decisions you chose last Friday stopped my dream so your at least making some right ones along the way."

"So you believe that we don't have to worry about a bomb anymore?" I asked Raven not saying the bomb was Starfire.

"The current path does not have that explosion so it's prevented for now. The future changes often. Though I think I need to help you focus on keeping track of Starfire if she's going to be disappearing for these missions. I can charm this to track you and let us know if you're okay." She said and pointed to the necklace. "You should've included us from the start, but you already knew that."

"Friend Cyborg?"

Cyborg had locked in on the necklace as Raven was still fiddling with it and writing notes on charms she could try. He was growing in frustration obvious on the human side of his face. He stood up and went to the kitchen where he started angrily shifting through the cabinets.

"This shit is exactly why I went over to Titans East. After all these years you still don't trust us. You didn't even trust Star, you just couldn't stop her once she found out." He took a breath and finally found whatever pan he was looking for. "Look, I'm sure you can justify this in your head somehow, but you have to see what your bullshit has caused. I've been stressed the fuck out over Starfire since it was obvious she was hiding something. Only to find out she's been covering your ass and getting hers felt up just so you could play bad guy again. I'm over it."

I couldn't exactly defend myself well here with words. This is why I had put it off so long, because I knew that it would wreck morale and could cause them to intervene.

"Friend Cyborg, I also did not tell you. Robin is not the only one guilty of that." Starfire went to the kitchen after him, defending me once again, just not in body this time. Though she didn't deny anything he was saying and how could she.

"Starfire, I don't want to hear it." He snapped at her, as he slammed the fridge shut. "You wanted to tell us right away, didn't you?" I caught her slight nod. "Exactly, I'm going to mad about this since it shouldn't of happened in the first place. We all have value in this team, so somebody needs to stop acting like we are sidekicks to use at his convenience. That isn't what any of are. You should not of had half the shit happen to you if you had gotten more support from us and not from Red X luckily being there ."

"So yeah what is the deal with Red X? Is he like on our side? It got a little confusing." Beast Boy asked intervening.

"Right now, he's not planning on going back to the club so he's pretty useless. Though I will admit he has helped Starfire a lot through this. He's a possible ally if Ember needs him, but I don't think he's interested in giving up the suit or prison time."

"He is my friend, but I would rather not involve him further." Starfire said and seemed adamant in that answer directed at me.

"So are we giving him a pass?" Beast Boy asked.

"No, he's still a criminal, we catch criminals. Though Starfire has already expressed she is emotionally compromised when it comes to his capture." I explained.

"Oh Starfire." This time it was Raven in a solemn tone. She mouthed something I didn't read quickly enough and she nodded.

"He is a good person, I do not want to lose him from my life. Though plenty of others have been taken from me without my consent either." She said in response though she was obviously losing steam in her positive buffer. "I just want this to be over and everyone I care about safe." She had gone back to the couch and Raven gave her a rare hug, before letting her go and started to join Cyborg in the kitchen.

"So you're pretty sure Connor is a clone of Supes ?" The question from Cyborg was directed at Starfire. I was likely going to get the cold shoulder from him.

"I first thought he was a secret child, but it would make sense with the multiples I saw. Identical triplets are not impossible, but I doubt they were natural. The controlled environment also leads me to the conclusion Connor was made artificially as well." She had at first been very curious if Superman could be stashing a secret child as a back up weapon. I had assured and argued that Superman wasn't that type of person, but the fact Conner existed was worrisome. Though with hearing about Miss Friday multiples it became easier for me to lean into the clone theory. We had Dolly the sheep and other successes throughout science. Space apparently had some master cloners, her powers were enhanced by a scientist that specialized in that himself.

"That's really not good." Beast Boy said stating the obvious.

"What's really not good is Starfire having to fight them. Are you going to be okay? I can heal you to a point Starfire, but…" Raven trailed off and I knew she was telling her limits.

"Connor cannot fly, if it comes down to such extremes, I will fly away and break cover. I have no intentions of dying, Friends even if I worry you, that will not be the outcome. I refuse."

"We know you're strong Starfire, but Superman is a different tier above us all." I wanted to caution her.

"This is not Superman, this is Conner who is a completely different person. I will be careful, Friends." I knew she would be, it just would always be hard until she came back. Though as the peace seemed to be reestablished the burner phone went off.

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Starfire's transformation into Ember had gotten faster. She was running off to help Red X with a problem he had. Everyone had been able to over hear the conversation when he called and I felt a little justified when Beast Boys eyebrows also rose at how casually they spoke. She had asked permission and I had said yes so there was very little I could do after. Though she was at least showing the others herself in full Ember form.

"Holy smokes, Mama." Was Beast Boys first reaction to her.

"Thank you, Beast Boy." She said back in her Ember voice, even Cyborg had given me a look when she switched on the phone. Raven hit him when his mouth remained gaping after his exclamation. "I like it too. "

"That has Argent written all over it." Raven said and Starfire nodded and smiled.

"You look so different, if I didn't know better, I wouldn't immediately think it's you. Though where all my stripped copper has been going makes more sense." Cyborg said and had to adjust to her height with the shoes. It was hard to look or well not look.

"Thank you for your contribution, I have been replacing it. I just needed to change the colors so it would be such a contrast."

"Yeah a real night and day." He said in response and went ahead and gave her a hug. "You be careful, I know he's been nice to you, but there are bad dudes in the world that wear nice faces." He handed her a portable lunch box with whatever he had made earlier. "Also eat since you haven't been enough. Take care of yourself and I will worry less about you, Flygirl."

"I will, thank you Cyborg. I'm sorry." She said in her normal voice and picked him up in a hug of appreciation.

"See you later, Be'tak." She said and gave me a very quick hug for her, but did catch my cheek with a peck. It wasn't the warmest or coldest departure she'd given, but I guess we didn't know how to act in front of our friends yet.

"I'll miss you." I said quietly before she was fully out of my orbit. I needed to say something she wanted to hear. I wanted her to come back to me quickly. She was leaving the phone so we could communicate that way if needed.

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"The jealousy coating your aura makes a lot more sense now. Knock it off." Raven said as we remained in the common area. I was pacing since I didn't really feel like sparring or doing bas when she could text at any moment.

"You know it's almost like karma, I kept her has a friend when she was so much more and now she doesn't know the proper lines." I wasn't really talking to anyone, just needed to say it.

"Your self awareness has gotten better. This is Starfire, her auras been pink around you since the Tower was finished. Don't doubt that her feelings for you are real. She feels a lot of things about a lot of people. It's not her fault if someone else was nice to her and she appreciated that." Raven said trying to get me better in her own way.

"If you guys are dating for real, I don't really see her cheating knowingly." Beast Boy added though he was right about knowingly.

"That's what I am worried about. That he will take advantage of her and she won't know how to get herself out of that situation." That was at least close to what I was worrying about. I didn't think Red X would try something at this point. He had a few chances and he didn't take them at the time. It just was hard.

"She can." Raven said and Beast Boy nodded.

A loud thump on the roof made me suddenly concerned that something had happened though the phone remained blank. It didn't sound like her landing since that was normally quiet. Silent when she remembered or cared. We all went up to investigate what it was, though found nothing besides three smashed flower pots and a brick. Though attached to the brick was a piece of napkin tied with copper wiring that simply said the name Luthor in blue lipstick.