Standard disclaimers apply.
CHAPTER EDITED NOV. 24, 2004: With the insight of Aria-Angel.
GUIDING STAR
Chapter Four – Homecoming
The other titans arrived the following morning to check Starfire out of the hospital; the cloudless sky and cool breeze rendering the weather unsympathetic to their mood.
Before they fetched Starfire from her room, Dr. Peii took them all, including Robin, aside in a relatively secluded waiting room. She issued prescriptions for Starfire through Robin, after which she spoke to the rest of the titans, giving them identical data sheets containing referrals.
"Since you are Ms. Anders' surrogate family, I am required by the state of law, and my own concern, to give each of you this information. They are a list of support groups and foundations, put up specifically for the families of victims suffering visual impairment. The groups will help you to understand, and familiarize you with, the difficulties Ms. Anders is and will be adjusting to, as well as orient you on what to expect and how to cope in this period of transition. There are also 'Coming Home Guidelines' you could follow; a set of immediate and easy adjustments you could apply to make it easier for Starfire to become relatively independent."
The titans stared at her, unsure of what to say.
Support groups? Foundations? Guidelines? Robin thought miserably. Weren't those things for... ordinary people?
They exchanged glances, and seeing that they mirrored each other's look of uncertainty, they realized in unison that the only one who had the sense to say anything coherent right now was Dr. Peii, herself.
Dr. Peii continued, taking out another sheet and handing it to Robin. "This list is for Ms. Anders. She has her own network of support groups and she will need them. She bears the heaviest burden, because she's going to have to adjust to herself, so when you can, talk to her about this list."
Robin nodded. He felt a bit numb as he ran his eyes down the sheet:
...The Lilac Blind Foundation... offers a wealth of support, inspiration and fun... Braille Institute... make a difference by having the world at your fingertips... Guide Dogs, Inc.... guide dogs for the blind...
He didn't know what to think, and it was horribly depressing. He didn't want to paint kind Dr. Peii in a bad light but he couldn't help but consider her a mood annihilator at that moment. Their mood was already wrecked; she just pounded it into dust.
When they went to get Starfire, none of them were smiling and nobody said a word. It didn't help either that Starfire had to be wheeled out of the hospital in a chair. It was so un-Starfire that Robin knew the mere mental image of it would upset him for days.
Such was the state of things when they emerged from the hospital doors.
Raven, who was usually the model of control, promptly set off two car alarms, blew a tire and sent her hair standing on end as they, along with an upbeat nurse named Jeff, rolled Starfire out to the loading area in her wheelchair.
She frowned when Robin, Cyborg and Nurse Jeff looked at her in bewilderment. "What?"
Robin met looks with Cyborg whose human eye rolled, making his thoughts on the matter clear enough: he wasn't going to tell Raven that she looked like a porcupine; he had bigger things to worry about. Robin looked to Beast Boy who gave him a stubborn scowl and immediately transformed into a cat, hopping gracefully on Starfire's lap.
"Beast Boy is so sweet," said Starfire when he rubbed his head on her hand.
Robin glared at the green feline. "Yeah, cavity-causing sweet."
Beast Boy mewed, a smug look on his face.
Cyborg said he would get the car and as he left them, Robin prayed that Raven would relax enough to let her hair ease down by itself. Nurse Jeff tried to say something but Robin shook his head. It was then that Robin saw Starfire's head tilting to the side in her signature gesture of curiosity.
"Nurse Jeff, why must I be in this chair with wheels? My legs work quite well."
"Well, hospital regulations, Ms. Anders."
"What is the logic behind that?"
"Logic? Oh, well, it's our way of saying that we provided the best care up to the very time you left our premises."
"But I already know you provided the best care."
"We like to emphasize the point."
"But I already know for certain, as I am sure many other patients do. Is that not a waste of your time? Maybe you should only provide this service to those who are not yet convinced."
"W-Well, I-I guess..."
Starfire's head tilted the other way. "What if I had lost the use of my legs? Do I get to take this chair with wheels home?"
"Um, yeah, you get to take a wheelchair home, but it probably won't be as dingy as this. You'll probably get a new model; maybe even something that flies. You know, suped-up for a superhero like you." Nurse Jeff grinned, pleased with himself.
Starfire tapped her finger thoughtfully on her lips. "That would be very strange... why would a chair that could fly need wheels at all?"
Nurse Jeff suddenly didn't look so pleased with himself. "W-Well, maybe the chair needs batteries and you can't always waste the power..."
"But would not a flying chair on batteries be very dangerous? What if the batteries ran out while you were in the air?"
Nurse Jeff's eyebrows knotted in concentration, clearly at a loss for a reply. Finally, he gave a weak, embarrassed laugh. "Use Energizer?"
Starfire didn't seem convinced. "The one in the bunny? But the bunny barely does anything but walk and beat on its drum. Its energy requirements could not possibly compare to a flying chair."
"G-Gee, Ms. Anders..."
"Oh, it hardly matters, anyway. I do not need a chair to fly. But I have been wondering... why does everyone in the hospital keep calling me Ms. Anders? Is that hospital regulation as well?"
Nurse Jeff looked absolutely nonplussed. Nothing he said had stood up to Starfire's curiosity and he looked helplessly at Robin.
Robin, too entertained to be charitable, shrugged. Raven didn't even spare Nurse Jeff a glance and Beast Boy was half-mewing, half-spitting, like he was dislodging a hairball. It was then that Cyborg pulled up on the curb with the T-Car.
Robin almost wished Cyborg had taken a bit longer. Beast Boy hopped off Starfire's lap and promptly transformed, smothering his laughter as he piled into the car.
As Robin guided Starfire out of the chair, Starfire smiled. "Nurse Jeff, I thank you for answering my questions."
"N-No problem..." He waved to the other titans, looking exhausted, before he turned and wheeled the chair back into the hospital lobby.
Raven saw her reflection on the car window and her frown deepened. For a moment, Robin thought the T-Car was in dire danger of blowing up, but miracle of miracles, Raven's frown transformed into a barely recognizable smile. She smoothed her hair down, the static crackling from her fingertips. "Well, at least I didn't have to take Star's pop quiz. That was decidedly un-amusing to Nurse Jeff, but strangely amusing to me."
Robin chuckled. He delicately kept Starfire from bumping overhead and saw to it that she was comfortable on her seat. Raven slid in beside her.
As Robin stepped into the passenger seat beside Cyborg, he realized that Starfire had, for a brief moment, given them reason to smile on this day they wanted to do anything but. It was a pity Cyborg hadn't been around to hear Starfire's conversation with Nurse Jeff; he would have tripped on it.
"Cyborg, the seats are quite soft and comfortable. Did you change the upholstery?" asked Starfire.
Cyborg arched an eyebrow. "I did. Didn't think anybody would notice."
"I've been noticing many different things I never noticed before. They are wonderful seats. Are they as pretty as they are comfortable?"
He grinned. "Shorty, who're you talking to, here? Eh?"
"Um... you?
"Uh-huh. And I don't do un-cool, so yeah, they're pretty!"
Robin cocked a smile, seeing the pleased expression on Cyborg's face. Starfire, it's nice to have you back with us.
Their arrival at Titan tower presented a new awkwardness. While each of them had somehow, one way or another, mentally tried to prepare themselves for Starfire's homecoming, they all managed to end up assuming that someone would know where to begin, so when no one said anything after Cyborg parked the car and killed the engine, the silence almost felt like a ticking time bomb.
"Are we home?"
There was a collective jump, and Robin realized that it was Starfire who managed to get things going again.
He sighed, almost in relief. "Yeah." He noticed that everyone was just as glad of the diversion.
Belts were unbuckled and doors were opened. Perhaps it was Robin's imagination, but it suddenly felt as if they were making a little too much noise without saying anything.
Beast Boy made a beeline for the trunk, presumably to get Starfire's overnight things.
Raven helped Starfire out of the car but immediately handed her over to Robin. "Here. I'll go get Starfire's luggage."
Starfire's luggage consisted of a small duffle bag and Beast Boy was already lugging it. Robin suspected that the only baggage Raven was worried about was the one riding beside her in the car.
With Starfire on his arm, they walked to the elevators and rode it to the upper levels of the tower. Behind him, he could almost feel Raven glowering at Beast Boy who had the bag clutched triumphantly in his hand.
The quiet hum of the elevator was all that filled the silence of the car.
Halfway to the information center, Starfire broke the overwhelming hush. It was almost as if her voice echoed. "Did you know this elevator had music?"
This was a surprise. Robin exchanged astonished looks with Cyborg. Robin had read about how visually impaired individuals processed the input from their senses differently from the sighted; not that they became bionically sensitive, but that they would have a different perspective of identifying things, such as recognizing the sound of different gaits belonging to different individuals, or being more adept at recognizing the differences in intonation when a person spoke; they could notice subtle shifts in smells better than a seeing person could; and they were more in tune with their sense of touch. Hollywood had, on several occasions, exaggerated these capabilities—to superhero proportions, resulting in public misconceptions about how the blind coped with their impairment. Robin resolved to be sensitive to Starfire's impairment based on this knowledge, but to have her hearing things when no one could was vastly unusual.
Eyeing her pensively, he wondered if Starfire's alien make-up had anything to do with how her hearing had suddenly become much more, almost paranormally,acute.
"It does?" Cyborg asked.
"Yes," Starfire replied. "Listen. It sounds like that... Macarena song... but played strangely."
Everyone strained to listen.
Beast Boy transformed into a dog and a few seconds later barked like he was excited. He retransformed into himself and folded over in laughter. "She's right! It's there and it's horrible!" He continued to laugh, while everyone else looked at each other in surprise.
Starfire grinned. "Of course I am right!"
Robin was decidedly perplexed. This was an aspect of Starfire's biological capabilities that he hadn't even considered. It made some kind of sense. She was, after all, much stronger than most of them. Her wounds healed much faster; she didn't scar; she was fast, agile; basically an ideal superhero. Was it possible that her body had adjusted—nay evolved to accommodate her impairment? It was totally uncanny.
Beast Boy nudged Cyborg, smirking. "Dude, get your music out of our elevator!"
Cyborg flashed a glare. "My music? Dude, I'm not the one who has a copy of Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5."
Beast Boy squealed in horror. "Starfire, you promised not to tell!"
She gasped. "I told no one!"
Robin grinned, his awed thoughts interrupted by the terribly humorous prospect of the fedora-clad artist. "Lou Bega?"
Beast Boy frowned. "Shut up!"
"Is this why you asked me whether you'd look good in a fedora?" Raven asked.
"Oh, Beast Boy," said Cyborg in an intensely tragic tone.
Robin couldn't help but laugh at that.
Starfire frowned. "I do not like that song. That man had too many women at one time."
Cyborg nodded with exaggerated gravity. "Too many."
"Look, I liked the song the first time I heard it, but I would never buy the album. It was a gift!" Beast Boy had his gag completely ruined, as was common when he tried to get one over Cyborg.
Robin grinned. "Sure BB; a gift."
"It was!"
The elevator doors opened and they stepped out. Piling out into the hallway, Beast Boy and Cyborg continued to bicker, heading straight for the kitchen, while Raven looked on with growing disapproval.
Robin saw a strangely contented grin on Starfire's face and decided not to ask about it. He was just glad she was taking this better than he was.
He was about to lead her to the couch when he felt her tug gently on his arm. He looked at her inquiringly and sadly realized that Starfire hadn't the eyes to read his facial expressions anymore. "What is it?"
Her grin became a plaintive smile. "The doctor said you might feel uncomfortable about discussing the things that might make my condition easier to deal with at home. She gave you sheets of information, yes? Perhaps you and I could talk about it before we involve the others."
He stared at her a moment, absorbing her words. His first instinct was to deny that he was uncomfortable, that he was just about to bring up the Info Sheets when she beat him to it, but he realized that he was in no condition to play the Boy Wonder. Right now, he was just the Confused Little Boy. He gave a soft sigh of relief. "We'll talk in your room. Let me just get your things from BB." The venue was a conscious decision on his part. Starfire's décor was dependably uplifting. Flowers, gossamer white drapery, sunshine and lots of pastels; guaranteed to brighten anyone's day. He remembered that she twice tried to keep a canary for a pet, but their schedules were erratic in the past, and the birds died when crime deprived them of birdseeds. If they had lived, they'd have become part of Starfire's dreamland bedroom.
He left Starfire momentarily by the elevator doors and grabbed her bag from the kitchen counter.
Beast Boy swatted his hand with a spatula.
"Ouch!"
"Where do you think you're taking that? Starfire needs sustenance. I'm cooking tofu so stick around."
Cyborg frowned, holding up his own spatula. "Tofu, shmofu! I'm making burgers."
Robin grinned. He could quote this argument, chapter and verse, so he didn't feel like sticking around. "Well, I'll bring her back after we're done talking, alright? Jeez, Beast Boy. Stop swinging that thing around."
Beast Boy cocked a grin, winking. "Talking... is that what kids call it these days?"
It earned him a smack upside the head from Cyborg and a glare from Raven.
Robin frowned. They looked like they had a secret, and he wasn't particularly fond of being kept out of the loop. For some reason, he had a vague understanding of what it was and he reddened. He grabbed the bag from the counter with a jerk. "What's that suppose to mean?"
Scowling at Cyborg and Raven, Beast Boy didn't look like he was about to shut up. "Well you and Starfire–"
A black, telekinetic void materialized in the air and clamped right over Beast Boy's mouth. His scream was muffled while he made rude gestures at Raven. Cyborg restrained him, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck.
Raven dealt Beast Boy another glare. "It means nothing. Go on ahead with Starfire, Robin. I'll make sure these boys don't blow anything up."
Starfire cleared her throat loudly from where she was standing. "My friends, Starfire is blind, not deaf. What is Beast Boy saying?"
"Nothing!" cried Raven and Cyborg in unison.
Robin felt his face get even hotter and he sighed in exasperation, leaving them behind so he could do what he had to do.
He flashed them one last disdainful look before he turned to lead Starfire through the elevator doors.
Robin observed Starfire's closet which was amazingly organized, not that he had ever perceived her as messy in any way, but he didn't think anybody could be as anal as he was.
Well, the true test is the sock and underwear drawer. A thought which made him blush immediately. Not that I want to see her underwear drawer...
Cursing silently at his raging hormones one more time, he turned his gaze from the closet and back on Starfire who was seated on her bed. "I think it'll be pretty easy to color-code your wardrobe. It's organized enough as it is. Just a few adjustments."
They were going over the data sheets, focusing on the "Coming Home Guidelines". It wasn't so much a list as it was a comprehensive article. One of the many difficulties about losing one's sight was that previously mundane tasks suddenly became challenging, and one such task was dressing up. A well-organized wardrobe could prevent mismatching and having to depend on someone else to pick ones clothes for you.
Starfire's closet still needed to be rearranged in spite of its neatness, but it wasn't going to be much work.
He wondered briefly if it was true that women matched their underwear. It just seems so pointless, is all, he thought. It's not like anybody could see it under the clothing. Besides, when a woman takes her clothes off for that, underwear would likely be a non-issue. Who cares if it matches? It's what underneath it that counts.
A second later–after he had pulled his mind out of the gutter–he definitely thought Raven should be the one to help with Starfire's closet.
Starfire smiled. "Glorious! Who do you think should help me?"
"Oh, Raven. Definitely Raven."
"Raven it is. And when I get my walking cane, I am sure I will be able to find my way around the tower quite easily. I know it well enough."
"I'll walk around with you. You know, for the first few times."
"I would welcome that. And then these Braille Lessons... I wish I could apply my Tamaranian powers of touch to absorb the language, but I cannot. Reading by touch is a concept even more alien than my powers." She giggled and clapped her hands at that. "Robin, I think I may have done word play!"
He chuckled. "Yes, you have." It sent another pang of sadness through him. She was just getting used to Earth, and getting good at it too. Now she had to deal with this, yet another Earth obstacle.
Likely, Tamaran has the technology to let Starfire see again.
Thoughts of Tamaran led to other things he had, only lately, began to consider, like Starfire's family. Oh, she talked about Tamaran; snippets of information she contributed about her culture; but she never went beyond the festive occasions, or the references to certain things like glemporks, r'kmas and a klor-back varbler nelks. He never knew about Blackfire until she showed up and while he felt that Starfire had a sort of "falling out" from her parents, he had no idea what kind of falling out it was. It boggled him that someone like Starfire would have a falling out with anyone at all. Even her sister, who had attempted to frame her of galactic theft, couldn't earn Starfire's enmity. Whatever Starfire and her parents disagreed on must have been bigger than framing her for stealing a Centari Diamond, and that had been pretty bad in itself.
Frankly, nobody knew much of anybody in the Titan Tower, but it was strange when it was him and Starfire. They were best friends. They were supposed to know more about each other.
Robin sat on her desk chair and tinkered with some of desktop toys, mostly Beanie Babies and ornamental pens. She had a pink Mac, which she called a "toy". No doubt, the technology was somewhat primitive to what she was used to in Tamaran.
Somehow, the thought that they were practically strangers on the aspect of family bothered him. These days, with the dwindled number of super villains and the sudden abundance of time to think, he had begun to realize the importance of roots; and how significant it was between best friends to know each other's roots.
Roots... like the Flying Graysons... like Batman. He sighed. Batman and his damn motorcycle.It was, in fact, the motorcycle that had fist triggered such thoughts.
He didn't know if he was ready to go there, but maybe it was about time he made himself ready. He had been contemplating seeking Bruce Wayne's help for Starfire's condition. It was difficult for him to jump up and offer this possibility because he had been so independent and he was doing fine without the old bat, but now it wasn't just about him anymore. There was Starfire, and if he was going to seek Bruce's help, Starfire at least had to know a bit about the Duo in the Dynamic.
He had also considered asking her about Tamaranian medicine, which might have a cure after all. But he did realize that she had not volunteered any information herself, which, he figured, could only be one of two possibilities: The first possibility was that there was no Tamaranian cure for blindness; and the second possibility... well, it may involve Starfire having to tell him a lot of things about her and her family, something she seemed very reluctant to talk about.
While he, of all people, understood the need for privacy, there were bigger issues to contend with.
Sighing, he felt emotionally drained just thinking about it, but it had to be done. Absently, he responded to her earlier concerns. "I'm sure you'll find Braille easy. It's just a different way of reading the same language."
She nodded, her head tilting again in her curious gesture. "It is strange how much I have been... sensing since my loss of sight. I feel and hear things more acutely, like my other senses have compensated because I could no longer use my eyes. Like now, I could detect by your tone that there is something bothering you. You may tell me what it is, Richard."
He was momentarily surprised, ponderous as he had been about the sudden hyper-sensitivity she seemed to be exhibiting. He considered asking her whether she could tell him something about the adaptive capabilities of Tamaraneans when it came to physical impairments; not necessarily pertaining to eyesight, but to other things such as the loss of a limb. But judging by what she just said, she didn't have any prior knowledge about it either.
Robin stifled a sigh, putting off his inquiries. She seemed to be beating everyone to the punch today. Maybe it was a sign, this heightening of her senses, that they should both be more open about themselves, at least to each other.
He picked up a Beanie Baby, a purple dog with pink spots, and toyed with it idly as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "You know, you never talked about your family. I mean, not that I resent that. I never say much of anything myself, but–what I'm trying to say is–well, I'd like to know more... about that. And I could tell you stuff about myself as well."
She was quiet and for a moment, Robin could have sworn that her lips tightened grimly, but then the tension was gone, and she was herself again. "Well, there is Blackfire..."
"Oh, I know about Blackfire. Fun, hip, has a tendency to steal Centari Diamonds..." She smiled at this and he continued. "But how about the rest of your family?"
Something akin to a frown formed on her face and for a second, Robin felt he had crossed a line he wasn't supposed to.
He backtracked immediately. "I mean, I don't mean to pry. If you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. I was just–well..."
"My parents–" she said coldly "–are dead."
Robin could tell by her tone that they were anything but, which was a sad thing. He had lost his parent for real, perhaps in a more traumatic way than most, and he would give anything to get them back. But he was willing to grant Starfire that privacy, in some respect. "I'm sorry to hear that, but at least you still have a sister. I didn't have any siblings to turn to when my parents died. They were circus performers; flying trapeze. You've seen those, haven't you, Star? There was a small performance in that carnival we went to..."
The hard lines on her face eased and she nodded.
"Well, my parents, the Flying Graysons, were big time trapeze artists with the Haly Circus, and when I was born, I was automatically its newest member. They trained me since birth. I was pretty good at it, too. Did flips in the air and everything." He paused for a moment, remembering how hard it was to tell of it before, but now, sitting in front of Starfire, he felt no compunction to hold back. He knew it was Starfire's accepting nature that made her so easy to talk to, and he was glad of that. Gathering his memories, he went on. "I was eight years old when it happened, and we were performing in Gotham City. It was a really swanky affair. The Commish was there, and the mayor and even Bruce Wayne. Everyone had come to see John and Mary Grayson. They had this act on the tightrope–just the two of them–and it was spectacular." He shrugged and he continued with a lightened tone. "Their last performance ever. Someone tampered with the cable... and there was no net, so..."
Starfire gasped. "That is terrible, Robin!"
"Eh, feels like a hundred years ago. It still makes me very sad, but I've been moving on... and on... Batman took me in and he helped me bring in the guy who killed my parents."
Starfire looked like she was about to cry, and Robin was a bit alarmed. He reached out and patted her gently on the shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it, Kori. I'm over it. Honest."
She smiled and sniffed. "I am just–who did it?"
"Anthony Zucco: mob guy. The circus Ringmaster couldn't pay Zucco for 'protection'... you know, these mobsters bully you into paying them so that they don't trash your place; they call it 'protection', but it's just a load of crap. Mr. Haly didn't have the money, so Zucco nicked the wire for the tightrope act and it snapped."
She emitted a soft cry of pity. "That murderous--!"
"Yeah, well he'll never bother anyone again. Batman and I made sure of that. Don't sweat it, alright?" He gave her shoulder another pat, for good measure, and she smiled.
Starfire chuckled. "Very well, Robin. I will tell you a bit about my family." She paused to think. "There's Blackfire, of course. Her real name is Komand'r... my parents' names were Myand'r and Luand'r."
Robin noticed that she was pronouncing the names Koman-door, Miyan-door and Luan-door. He realized something and it made him groan.
She paused. "Is there something wrong, Robin?"
"Nothing, Korian-door."
She grinned. "Well, you and the others were so comfortable with Korian-der that I let you–"
He sighed, but chuckled. "It's fine, Kori. Go on. You parents were named Myand'r and Luand'r."
"Yes. And like I said, they're dead."
Something in her tone told him that she wasn't going to contribute anything more about her parents except that. He was right.
"And then there's... well, I have a brother; a younger one. His name is Ryand'r."
This was a surprise to him. "Whoa, really? Well, where is he now?"
"He is still in Tamaran. When I left, we were both quite young..." Her voice trailed a moment. "He is old enough to take care of himself, now. He is already fifteen and he is probably married–"
Robin almost choked. "At fifteen?"
"W-Well... he'd have been married at fourteen..."
"What!"
She reddened visibly. "It is complicated... anyway, I am sure he is fine."
"Haven't you talked to him on your transmitter thingy?" He knew Starfire used her mysterious machine to talk to Blackfire before.
"I have not communicated with him."
It was confusing to Robin. Even he and Bruce, at odds as they were, communicated at least once a year, not counting the fancy invitations Robin got in the mail, and they weren't even blood related. Did Starfire's brother do something to her as well? What a highly dysfunctional family Starfire had. But he would let that rest as well if Starfire wasn't willing to tell. "Would've been cool to meet him, but maybe I'll meet him some time in the future, eh?"
She smiled. "Yes, maybe. He is a very nice boy. You will like him, and I am sure he will like you."
This made things even more confusing. If Ryand'r was such a good kid, why didn't she want to speak to him? He shook the questions from his thoughts and decided to take another direction. "Looking forward to it. Wait a minute, if people in your planet marry at fourteen... you mean you would've been married if you stayed?"
Her blush was confirmation enough.
He grimaced. "Why?" he asked in a painful whisper.
Starfire laughed. "Oh, not everyone in Tamaran is expected to marry at fourteen. Just... just a few of us."
He arched an eyebrow. He wondered what made her part of the "few" but did not ask it out loud. Instead, he grinned. "Well, then whew! Thank goodness you're here, single!"
They laughed together then fell silent. It suddenly didn't seem as funny as he had intended. They reddened at the same time.
Robin fidgeted. "It would–you know–suck for you to be married... "
"Um-hmm."
They sighed in unison.
This is terrible, thought Robin, tapping his foot to fill the silence. "A-Anyway," he began awkwardly. "Now that I know your name is pronounced as Koriandoor..."
She giggled. "Oh, you do not have to change anything. Koriander is quite nice."
He cocked a smile and leaned over on his seat, elbows to his knees. This was something he had to ask of her, family problems or not. "Kori, would your people be able to help you? Do they have a way to make you see again?"
Her blank gaze lowered. She twilled her fingers in her usual way; when she was confused or insecure. "Even if they did, Richard... I do not wish to go back there. I would rather be blind all my life."
He sighed. He didn't have the slightest clue about what Starfire wasn't telling him. What could be so bad that she didn't even want to return to the planet and people she so apparently loved? Obviously, it had to do with her parents, and maybe her brother, but what did they do to her?
"I am sorry," she whispered.
He nodded and took her hand, patting it comfortingly. "It's alright. It's nothing to apologize for. Listen, I may... I may have a way... I can't promise you that you'll get your sight back, but this possibility I'm thinking of is definitely worth a try. Give me some time on this, alright? I won't take long and... thanks for telling me stuff, Kori. It's nice to know you could open up to me like that, even just a little bit."
She smiled. "No, thank you, Richard. I know you do not like us humanizing you, so I am honored."
Robin laughed. "What? Am I that neurotic?"
"Oh, yes."
He chuckled. "Yeah, well, don't thank me just yet. I haven't told you everything. I'll get to that, but I'm putting it off."
"Oh, we are quite even on that. I am 'putting off' things about me as well, and I make no promises of 'getting to that', so it is fair, yes?"
Robin thought about it. "We'll say that it is."
"Excellent!"
He grinned. He figured they'd had enough heart to heart talks for one day, at least for the meantime. "So... we should talk about your Braille classes..."
Over a dinner of pizza and bread sticks (the tofu and burgers having been predictably charred to bits), Robin and Starfire told the others about the help Starfire would need to get adjusted. It was easy to get them to listen. Just like in the battlefield, they needed a leader, and as long as someone was around to tell them what should be done, they would do it. However this time, Robin took the backseat to Starfire. First, she gently suggested that all of them should look at the information Dr. Peii had given them. She refrained from saying the words "support groups", which Robin thought was a stroke of genius. The last thing toughies like them would admit to was needing help from strangers. After subtlety settling all arguments concerning it, she made requests like a seasoned diplomat; helping her around the house; rearranging her wardrobe; bringing her to Braille classes; all the while promising that she would try her best to learn total independence as quickly as she could.
Raven didn't mind helping her with her clothes. "They're almost all pastels, anyway. You could mix any of them and you'd still look coordinated. They're all so light." She had a holy disgust of powder pinks, sky blues and all things of Stafire's taste, but as long as she didn't have to wear any of it, she could live with it.
The rest of them would take turns bringing her to the city, driving her to her Braille classes until Cyborg could think of a way for her to travel by herself, particularly between the island and the mainland.
"Nothing experimental, Cy," warned Robin. "If you blow up Star I will be very, very upset."
Cyborg scoffed. "You're talking to your man, Victor. I am the Man of Machine."
"Whatever. Just make sure it's safe."
"It'll be safe, but you know, I'm glad ya'll brought up my expertise. Star, I've got a bunch of stuff I designed for you, but here's one I just finished putting together. Check this out."
Robin and the others stifled a groan.
Beast Boy leaned over to Robin. "If anything looks like it's going to explode, dibs on hiding behind your cape."
Robin elbowed him to shut up.
Cyborg pulled out what looked like a half-inch diameter pipe. It was about a foot long and it was purple, with a tiny, rubber Pikachu sticking out one end as it bobbed from a thin plastic wire.
Raven made a face. "What is it?"
"It's a walking cane! And I put a little flair to it, too. See? It's Pikachu."
"Er... isn't Pikachu a bit too short?" said Beast Boy.
Cyborg shot him a disdainful look. "It's retractable, like Robin's bo staff." He pressed a small button near Pikachu's end and the bar extended, almost like a bullet, punching a rather large indentation on the wooden surface of the table.
At first, they couldn't believe what had happened as everyone, except Starfire, stared at the crater, then their gazes drifted to Cyborg.
He chuckled in embarrassment. "Oops."
Beast Boy squealed in horror. "You could kill someone with that thing!"
Starfire gasped. "What happened?!"
"Cyborg assaulted the table," said Raven.
"Hey, all it needs is a bit of configuration!"
Robin eyed the cane, doubtful. "I don't know Cy. That thing seems kinda deadly to me."
Cyborg glared. "I'll fix it! Here, Star. Hold this." He pressed a second button. "You ain't seen nothing yet."
"I can't see anything at all, Cyborg," she said, giggling.
"Okay, that was seriously un-funny, but I'll let it slide since you're my favorite fly girl. Go on, try it out."
Beast Boy inched closer to Robin. "Can I hide behind your cape now?"
Robin sighed in exasperation and tried to ignore him. He was too worried about what Cyborg's walking cane could do to Starfire.
Cautiously, Starfire held the cane firmly in her hand. She turned slowly and its tip touched the edge of a chair.
"Distance: eight-point-seven-six inches from point of origin. General composition: metal. Inanimate; semi-conductive. Current state: benign. Proceed with caution," said a soothing, baritone voice.
Starfire arched an eyebrow in surprise.
Robin's brow knotted in response to the odd voice. "Dude... was that Barry White?"
Cyborg grinned. "Nothing like a smooth talkin' brother to show you the way."
Starfire moved again, this time touching part of Raven's calf.
"Distance: one-point-five-three feet from point of origin. General composition: mammal; of the subspecies human. Animate and female. Current state: moody. Proceed with finesse."
Cyborg gave a whoop and Beast Boy couldn't help but double over and laugh. Robin didn't know what to think.
"Cyborg," growled Raven, fist and void forming. "That is the most misogynistic..."
"'Ey, i's Barry White! When the man speaks, a brotha' listens!"
Starfire moved another few inches and the cane touched Cyborg's foot. The introduction to Barry White's "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" blared out of the cane's speaker. Starfire yelped and dropped the cane as it vibrated frenziedly to its own music. "You got it, baby; One hundred percent man. Dynamic; exciting. Current state: Sizzling hot. You've got everything."
Beast Boy screeched with laughter while Robin rolled his eyes. He should have expected that.
Cyborg flexed his muscled arms and winked. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about!"
Raven's lip twitched. "Current state: about to be ill."
Starfire bit her lip, twiddling her fingers in front of her. "It is–um, creative, Cyborg. But I... I think I will reserve its more special functions for–er, special occasions."
"Whatever you want, Star. You could actually switch the feature off, but if you decide to use it, you should know that it only talks when you stop. It doesn't keep pointing things out while you're walking. That would be annoying, but wait 'till you hear what it says about Robin."
Robin somehow didn't like the sound of that.
Before Beast Boy could demand Starfire to point the cane in Robin's direction, the alarm sounded overhead.
Robin's first instinct was to go to the information panel. He punched in a few keys and a diagram of the city formed. A large dot bleeped to pinpoint the location and more information scrolled in a secondary window. "Local prison, titans. Plasmus is awake."
For the first time in their lives as superheroes, they were not quick to respond.
The most brutal reality of the situation grew clear at that moment: Starfire couldn't fight with them, possibly never again.
In unison, they looked to Starfire before they turned imploringly to Robin.
He made a motion to go to her. "Starf–"
"Go," she said in a firm and cold tone. She stood motionless, her expression stoic and her eyes trained to the monitor behind Robin, though she couldn't see. "There are people who need you at this very instant. I will be fine."
Robin sucked in his protests and nodded to the others. "Let's go."
Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy rushed immediately to the elevator doors. Robin took a few hesitant steps before pausing to look at Starfire again. Her firepower was valuable in beating Plasmus in the past, and he knew how sorely they'd miss that later when they were battling the moving pile of sludge, but what Robin couldn't bear was the thought of leaving her all alone, on this day of all days.
"Robin, why are you still here? Go!"
It startled him, but he knew she was right. Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy were waiting for him, almost impatiently, from the elevator.
Finally, he moved, and he placed a hand on her shoulder as he walked by.
He didn't know exactly what he was trying to convey with it. Perhaps he was trying to tell her many things; that he would be back; that she had to stay strong; that she had nothing to worry about...
Then the contact was gone, and his feelings of remorse; of leaving her behind rose anew. He joined the others in the elevator car.
He took one last glance at her as he turned to face the doors. He saw that she hadn't moved from her place, but she had her hand on where his had previously been.
And the doors hissed shut.
To be continued...