Standard disclaimers apply.

CHAPTER EDITED NOV. 24, 2004: With the insight of Aria-Angel.

GUIDING STAR

Chapter Eight – Teachers and Students

Robin walked into the training room the next morning and switched on the lights. In a blink of an eye, the entire place was lit and he gave it his customary assessment. Anything and everything was either hanging on the wall or set far in some safe corner; the floor area was open and clear of anything that might get in the way of exercises or a spar. He checked if the hand weapons on the walls and racks were in order and he scanned the floor for any stray debris. The room was as clean and orderly as always.

Since the super-villain rate went down, he had spent more time in the room going through various routine exercises, just to keep himself conditioned. In the last few days, he had used the space to work out the bugs in the training program he had made for Starfire. The program was about as perfect in theory as he could make it, but he expected that Starfire would ultimately dictate the adjustments he might have to make.

He went to the center of the room and sat himself down, knees drawn up. He leaned his elbows on them and stared at his reflection on the wall-mirror. He wasn't in uniform. It was the first time in a long time he had stepped out of his green, red and yellow. With the decline of crime, he figured he could try on the other clothes in his closet. He had settled for black nylon sports pants, an old white shirt, an old and black hooded jumpman and cross-training sneakers. He still had his mask on, though. It was still difficult to give that up.

He sighed, realizing how early he was there. What did I expect; that the room would be a wreck and I'd need to fix it? Perhaps he had expected just that. He was, after all, thirty minutes early.

He plucked a roll of weave hand wrap from his pocket and proceeded to wrap his knuckles.

He was just finishing up when the sound of the door opening made him crane his neck to look. It was Starfire, fifteen minutes early, and she was in form-fitting gym clothes; a marbleized blue sports shirt, black stretch capris and blue Prestos. He was mildly surprised to realize that he had been expecting her in her old uniform, however out of uniform he was. He rather missed seeing her in it, but he supposed it wouldn't exactly be appropriate for martial arts training. She would have to do some stretching exercises and that would be extremely awkward, not to mention revealing, if done with a short skirt.

"You're early," he said, grinning.

She didn't seem surprised to hear his voice. "So are you. I knew you would be early, but not this early. I shall just have to get up earlier. When next we meet for training, I must be in this room before you."

Robin chuckled. "Getting competitive already, aren't we?"

She smiled. "I thought I would take a page out of your Book of Greatness."

"Touche."

"Ha! Now then, sensei--!"

"You're going to keep calling me that, aren't you?"

"Hai, sensei!"

He sighed. If she started dancing around on tables high on weed, ala Breakfast Club, he was going to get Beast Boy for it.

He led her to the center of the room to get them started. He set her walking cane aside and when he turned to get back to her, he saw that she was tying her hair back with a thick neon-pink rubber band.

"You'll need to do some stretching exercises first, and I have to assist you. You ready for that?"

She smiled. Of course she was.

Stupid question. It was only when he started instructing her that he realized why he had asked. Stretching required very close contact, something he hadn't give much thought to until now and his question had been meant to ask permission.

He frowned, displeased by his line of thought. He told himself that this was an absolutely professional exercise; something necessary; and the close contact couldn't be helped. If he felt uncomfortable about it, Starfire would feel it and it would all go to hell, or at least be as awkward as hell.

Steeling himself against his hormone-induced thoughts, he continued the stretching, using a very detached tone when he explained the various muscles that would benefit from a certain position; or why it was so important that she did this and not that; how the effects of stretching could prevent serious injury, etcetera.

She listened and made intelligent remarks. He was encouraged by her unembarrassed tone and actually believed he would get through this without humiliating himself.

And then she had to lie on her back on the floor. He told her to spread her arms out to her side and straighten her left leg while he brought up her right.

"We have to stretch the muscles on your back and thigh. It's very important. A lot of back injuries occur simply because it wasn't properly stretched." He paused, looking at the nice way her leg was shaped. God, it's like–perfect. Goes on forever, too...

"Richard, is there something the matter?"

"No! I mean–no, nothing's wrong." Taking a slow breath, he placed her ankle on his shoulder. "You have to tell me when it begins to hurt. I don't want to push you on your first day."

She laughed before reverting into an exaggerated tone of gravity. "Yes, I am very frail."

He rolled his eyes, nodding reluctantly. "Yeah, yeah. You're stronger than you look... yadda, yadda... just tell me, okay? Humor your sensei."

Starfire giggled.

Shaking his head, he leaned forward carefully. She made no complaints and he leaned further. She began tapping her fingers and she whistled a bored tune.

Robin laughed. "Cut it out. I'm just being careful."

She giggled again. "Yes, yes. But be careful in a hurry, already!" She brought up her hand, put it on her ankle and pulled her leg towards her in a swift motion. Robin stumbled forward, shocked–because now he had his entire upper body pressed down against her in a position he'd never thought they'd be in–ever. He stared down at her face while she grinned in mischievous delight. "There now, you see? You did not have to be that gentle! Sometimes you must be a bit rough with frail little Starfire."

It must have been her tone; it couldn't have been as innocent as it should have been; Robin swore that it couldn't have been his fault entirely, but it was the worse thing she could have said under the circumstances. Her words rushed into his ears, through his brain and processed the most unwholesome images it could snatch in its rush. His body got the message in an instant and to his utter horror his hormonal alarm went off and awakened the Richard in his Grayson.

He pushed himself off her with a yelp, stumbling back on his behind. He tried not to gasp for breath too loudly, and he hoped, he prayed that she hadn't noticed. It wasn't the first time he'd experienced that. Since he hit puberty, he constantly had to contend with potentially embarrassing stiffies, but not until now has it ever been for Starfire.

Starfire sat up, her brows knotting. "Wha–Richard, are you alright? You seemed surprised by something. Is something the matter?"

Robin stared at her warily, wondering–for a split heartbeat–about who this creature was. What had she done to him? Or more importantly, what has she done to Starfire?

He blinked, looked down at his pants, and then back at her. She's Kori, you horny dope! Get your mind out of the gutter and say something sensible! "Nothing's the matter. I'm fine. I just–I just didn't want to put all my weight on you, that's all. You might not be feeling pain now but it could catch up on you later on. God, Kori–" steady now... you're beginning to–relax. Breathe. "I didn't know you were that flexible..." he finished lamely.

She chuckled. "Now you know, and you need not be afraid next time. Shall we do my other leg?"

He wondered why God was punishing him–or blessing him–he didn't know what at the moment. "I don't think so. You're stretched. Hell, I'm stretched. We're both stretched and that'll do." Boy, was he stretched.

Robin stood her up and with a weary sigh positioned her legs and knees. Not completely trusting himself yet, he kept his distance for the time being. He knew how bad it had hit him, and in his condition, anything could trigger it.

He began to teach her basic upper body forms, and then made her do repetitions. He then made her do combinations of those forms in a fixed order. He was starting her on muscle memory, so if she did enough repetitions, it would eventually seem less like a conscious effort and more instinct.

When she had her basic upper body forms and combinations down pat, he attempted to use punching mitts. Her muscle memory was quick on the uptake, so she had little trouble landing her punches at the center of the mitt. He proceeded to teach her the basic parries, or the deflection of attacks, and she did very well.

When finally, he called for a break, she eagerly asked him how she was doing. He told her she was doing great, but he told her too that that had been the easy part.

She pouted. "Easy part?"

He chuckled. "Yes, and we'll keep on being on this easy phase for a week or so, depending on how well you learn your forms."

"And if I learn them quicker than a week or so?"

Robin chuckled again. "There's no rush, Kori."

"Oh, I know, but I want to advance to the difficult phase, the phase that will convince me that you are worse than the Warlords of Okaara."

"Ha! We'll get to that. Believe me."

After she'd rested enough, he taught her techniques to apply her proprioception in a combat situation. He told her that she had to be aware, first of all, of her surroundings. He reminded her that the room they were in was purposefully free of obstacles, because it was meant for training, but that in a real combat situation, there would be obstacles aplenty, and more often than not, nobody would be around to tell her what the landscape looked like.

"You have to figure it out yourself, without your eyes. You have to use your sense of hearing to listen to where sound bounces off; you use your sense of touch to gauge the flow of wind so you know when there's something coming at your, or if there's a window or a door; you use your sense of smell to know how close or how far you are from a person, object or animal. Your sense of taste works well with your sense of smell, and you'll be surprised at how you could use it to determine things. It's a combination of all these senses that will tell you what your options are. Most importantly, it'll tell you what or who you're dealing with in combat. If, for example, you could gauge your opponent's height, it's likely that you know the length and reach of his arms and legs. You know where his head is; and yeah, you know where his crotch is. Don't be ashamed to hit below the belt; this isn't a competition with rules, it's a real fight with real villains, so yeah, if you have to, kick 'im in the nuts."

She giggled, but nodded.

"I don't know how far you've gotten in your meditations," he continued. "So I have to see. Let's do a little exercise."

He told her to take a defensive stance, and slipping both of his hands into punching mitts, he told her he was going to move around her and she had to get a shot in as much as she could. "My movements will be random, so don't rely on a pattern. Listen, feel and smell. See what you could learn."

Starfire nodded, her lips drawn to a set line.

"Ready?"

"I am."

Robin put on the footwork, and he took it slow, moving around her with relative ease. He watched her and he could tell she was concentrating. As he bounced behind her, she turned, dealing him a backhand. He saw it coming a mile away and he blocked it with a mitt, but it was an excellent aim for his head.

"Good! Faster this time."

He moved a bit quicker, and she made several attempts that were in the correct direction, but she hadn't moved fast enough. A couple of them came close to connecting, but she was still too slow, or too hesitant. Grinning as he saw her frustration, he made a kung fu sound. She picked up on it quickly enough, doing a punch-combo that landed perfectly. He caught both punches in his mitts but he was impressed, nonetheless. He praised her, and he was getting a clearer picture of her capabilities now. He told her that this time, he was going to attack, so she needed to parry.

She probably wasn't going to like the treatment he would be dealing her, but it had to be done. He pranced around her, landing the mitts on various parts of her. Of course, he didn't hit her hard. They were nothing more than gentle nudges, but it served its purpose. She deflected them too late, though she was in form. After several hits, she still couldn't make a proper parry. He could see that she was growing frustrated, but he also noted that she steeled herself from getting distracted by a determined effort to refocus.

Finally, she managed to deflect his combo-hit.

"Excellent! Again!" He reversed his combo, just to surprise her, and he was pleased when she deflected those hits as well, relying on her senses more than his word. "Well done, young grasshopper!"

She giggled. "What did you call me?"

"Ah, I see Beast Boy hasn't gotten to the kung fu flicks yet!" He made a few more attempts, some landing, but most of which she parried successfully.

Upping the ante, he told her to do both attack and parry. It was a rough round, but she was able to get in some good hits. She was also able to make successful parries, though she had been unable to block them all.

When finally, he told her enough, she collapsed on the floor, panting and dripping with perspiration. He laughed, getting to his knees in front of her. "Well, that wasn't so difficult, was it?"

"Not at all."

He pretended not to notice that she was still catching her breath in great gulps as she spoke.

He took her wrist and hauled her up. "Come on. We'll do some more sensory training. You don't have to do anything, just listen and get the feel of it." He could see the relief in her stance when he told her that it wouldn't require anything physical from her, though she said nothing. He had gotten to her in that last exercise, but he was glad she wasn't willing to admit it. It meant she was hell-bent on showing him she was tough, and that was what he needed from his student.

Robin brought her to a corner where the speed bag was. He gave it a punch and the bag volleyed on its swivel, drumming against the platform above it in a satisfying staccato rhythm. "Hear that? Listen for my punch, and then listen to how it bounces back and forth. This one has a pattern, but every once in a while I'll change the rhythm, and you have to listen very closely, because the changes will be subtle. See what you can learn from it. Sit anywhere you like."

She did. She sat on the floor beside the metal supports of the speed bag platform and put her hand against it. He grinned and allowed it. Whatever it took.

He began making punches on the bag, rolling his fists one over the other to meet the bag as it bounced back and forth. He shifted, repeated, sped up, slowed down and eventually lost himself in it. He grew tired, but he kept on going. After a long while, he gave it a final shot. It bounced several times before the arc of the bag dissipated, settling to a lazy swing.

He bent over, fists to his knees as he caught his breath. He looked to the side, where Starfire was, and she was smiling.

"That was most interesting, Richard!" she said. "And I did learn a lot! Do I get to do this as well?"

He arched an eyebrow then he chuckled between breaths. "Sure. I already know you could do anything you put your mind to."

"Good! I could hardly wait."

He nodded, sitting himself on the floor in a tired heap. He supposed he could call it a day for Starfire. He should get some training in himself. He could probably do some jump ropes, and then do his own forms later on; throw in some weight training after it. There really wasn't much he could do but train, and then later, if Starfire was feeling up to it, she might like to shop in the city for her Braille-format books.

Robin was just getting into the details of his planning when he heard an all too familiar staccato followed by a wail of pain. He whipped around, his eyes widening with horror when he saw Starfire bent over, clutching at her nose.

She was saying some Tamaranian words, and while he didn't know the exact meaning of those words, he had heard her use them in bad situations, so he could only conclude that she was swearing like a Tamaranian sailor right about now.

He went to her, sighing and shaking his head. "Do I have to tell you that you shouldn't have done that?" He tried to take her hands from off her face but she whined and pulled away.

"I just wanted to try it for myself! Oh, X'hal-dammit! It hurts like anything!" she complained through her fingers.

"It's not as easy as it seemed!" He sighed again. "Hold still! Let me see."

She let him look. There was very little bleeding, and he tilted her head up for a brief examination. Nothing seemed to be broken, but he couldn't tell much with the lighting.

His silenced must have unnerved her.

"Is something wrong with it? Did I break it? Oh, Richard, is it hideous? Am I hideous? Oh, X'hal! I am not pretty anymore!"

It appeared she would be fine. He began to chuckle.

Starfire frowned. "What is so funny? You find this funny, Richard Grayson?"

"Yes!" He threw his head back and laughed. "Starfire, I thought you said you had patience? First day in training and look at you, you're rushing into things unguided. Do you realize that an inanimate object just kicked your ass? Or should I say your nose?"

She pouted, but she realized the humor in it quickly enough. She began to laugh as well, in spite of herself, cringing as her laughter brought her some pain.

He pulled out his handkerchief and gave it to her, telling her to wipe some of the blood off. She did.

Robin took her walking cane and led her out of the training room so they could get some ice for her nose. She went with him willingly.

As she sat on a kitchen stool, holding a loosened pack of frozen peas to her face, he couldn't help but grin. So determined; so stubborn; so Starfire.

"You are right, you know," she said miserably. "I was a sorry example of patience in that room. I promised that I would be patient but I have failed you in that respect. I will heed my sensei more closely, next time. There is a next time, is there not? You are not too disappointed in me?"

He chuckled. "You learn fast, young grasshopper. Your sensei is pleased, so worry not."

She smiled.

Training was definitely over for that day, but mishaps aside, it had been an excellent session. If he could keep his hormones in check and if Starfire could adhere to the pace, they would have an excellent time, overall.

It was still early, and none of the other titans had emerged from their rooms.

Giving Starfire a supportive squeeze on her shoulder, he proceeded to make breakfast.

He had her to himself for at least another hour. It was a good thought, so he made coffee. With the coffee brewing, he pulled out some Eggo and proceeded to pop some squares into the oven. He left it and sat on another stool beside her.

Gently, he took the pack from her. "Lemme see that."

She let him. He snickered at the remembrance.

She scowled. "Richard, are you going to keep reminding me how ridiculous I was for doing what I did?"

"Well, no, but I'd imagine I'd be laughing about it for days. Hold still, for goodness sake. I have to make sure you didn't break anything." He cupped her face in his hands, tilting her head back gently. "Don't want to ruin that gorgeous face, now do you?"

She reddened and he noticed it. He wondered about it. Shouldn't she be used to people telling her how beautiful she was, by now?

Her cheeks felt smooth and soft on his palms. His thoughts wandered momentarily but he immediately stopped himself when he felt another stirring coming on. He refocused on her nose.

Under better lighting, he could tell it was going to be fine. It would be a bit sore for a few days, but when she was completely recovered, there would be nothing to indicate that she had had this accident.

He nodded, releasing her gently and was mildly surprised when he thought he felt her pull away from him. He decided not to make an issue of it. He couldn't be sure about it anyway. "You'll be good as new in a few days; maybe even sooner considering you heal fast. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

She flashed a half smile before turning away from him, muttering something under her breath. His first instinct was to ask her to repeat what she said, but he hesitated and decided not to.

Breakfast was done in another few minutes and they fell back into easy conversation.

Over the course of a few more weeks, Starfire added martial arts training to her list of activities with much enthusiasm. As Robin had first assessed, she was a quick learner, and while she was still a long way from mastering her proprioception, her improvement in its application was great. Raven continued to help her in this respect with constant meditation, but that was about as social as Raven went these days. Robin had little problem with this, since he knew it was best to leave Raven alone when she wanted to be left alone.

Every once in a while, he would move training to after her Braille classes so that he could ask Cyborg, Beastboy or both to help out. They would take the training outdoors, where there was more scope for sensory perception–like the flow of wind and background noises–which could help him train her senses through various techniques. Robin included aerial practice, knowing full well that she would have to learn how to fly blind eventually, and it was better learned sooner than later. He knew she trained for this outside of their sessions, but as long as she was doing it safely, he made no objections.

He could also tell that she was finding the training more difficult by the day, but it was his job to push her, and–if he believed she could handle it–push her hard. After three weeks of training, he found out that her limits were yet unseen.

He had yelled at her; not angrily, but harshly enough. He couldn't remember the exact words he used; something to do with having no time for someone who wasn't giving him a hundred percent. He regretted the words immediately after he said them, thinking that he couldn't talk to Starfire that way–the way coaches or instructors the world over were prone to speak to their athletes and pupils. Batman had certainly spoken worse words to him, but Starfire was different. Starfire might not take it as well as he did. He was, therefore, surprised when she did nothing more than frown, after which she got into stance and did much better. He thought maybe she wouldn't speak to him after the session, but she did, and with her normal warmth. It was as if she had forgotten the incident completely, acknowledging that she had slacked off for a moment and would be more vigilant next time. He knew then that she understood what they were doing here, and he respected her even more for it.

Things would have been excellent, as far as Robin was concerned, if he didn't have to contend with his own body. That first morning in the training room with her had set something loose; something he apparently couldn't control when he was with her. It was terribly frustrating, not to mention painful. Cold showers helped, which was why he'd never been so clean.

It wasn't long before Raven confronted him again. He didn't want to hear her tell him that his boners were disturbing her sea of calm if that was indeed what she was going to say; it was too embarrassing, so before she said anything, he cut straight to it. "Yeah, yeah. I'm trying, okay! Jeez."

Raven had looked at him dubiously and was about to walk off when she paused. "And try not to splash too much water on the bathroom floor. It's annoying." She left then.

He was in the midst of all this when Cyborg one day came into the Info and Rec room waving around a large, FedEx envelope. "Yo, Robin! You won't believe this, but someone actually delivered this to our door, and it's for you. FedEx must have mighty good service."

Rising from the couch, Robin took the envelope from Cyborg. There was no name, but there was an address. It was an address he knew well. FedEx's service was good, alright, especially if you paid them a lot of money. "Thanks, Cy."

Starfire stirred from the kitchen counter. "Who is it from, Robin?"

"We'll talk about it in my room. Come on." He ignored Beast Boy's suspicious gaze. He eased Starfire off the counter top, rushed her up the steps of the platform and went straight into the elevators. She expressed surprise, but she said nothing.

He would have to explain to the rest of the titans later, but in the meantime, this was for him and Starfire.

"Please tell me this is not bad news, Richard."

He cocked a grin. "It shouldn't be. It's from Bruce, and if he gives me bad news, I'm going to kill him."

When the elevator doors opened, he led her through the hallways and into his room. He settled her gently on a chair before he tore off the envelope's seal. He pulled out its contents and he saw a large card with Bruce Wayne's ridiculously elegant silver-leaf monogram on it.

Flipping it open, he saw the message in Bruce's handwriting. He read it out loud for Starfire. "Dear Mr. Robin and Ms. Starfire, I respectfully request the honor of your presence at Wayne Manor on the ninth of November for cheese and caviar. I have sent my private jet to Jump City for your convenience and it shall be waiting for you at the Wayne Airfield in San Diego on the eighth of November at oh-nine-hundred hours. Do not forget to dress warmly for the trip, as the fall weather in Gotham is in full swing. As you know, I am more than happy to provide you board and lodging at my home. Should you find these dates difficult, please do not hesitate to inform me, so that we may reschedule, otherwise, be present at the appointed time. I look forward to seeing both of you. I remain... your humble servant, Bruce Wayne. P.S. Give me a call before take off. B.W." There was cash in another envelope, and an accompanying note that said it was for any emergency expenses they might incur incident to the trip.

Humble servant, my ass. Robin rolled his eyes. And it was so typical of Bruce to send money over.

Starfire gasped. "Goodness, how very courteous of him to make such a formal invitation! What is caviar?"

"Food Bruce Wayne eats," replied Robin. "The plane's scheduled for tomorrow. We'll have to talk to the titans about keeping watch while we're away. You'll need warm clothes for Gotham. It could get pretty crisp out there, especially up in Wayne Manor."

A wide smile spread on her face. "I must admit, I am more excited about meeting Bruce Wayne and being in his famous ancestral home! Oh, is he as handsome in person as he is on the magazine covers?"

He frowned, a wave of unexplainable resentment for Bruce Wayne coming over him. "He's too old for you."

Her eyebrow arched in surprise. "Too old...?"

"Yeah. Listen, I gotta go talk to the others. Why don't I bring you to your room so you could start packing?"

She hesitated a moment before she nodded, letting him lead her.

As they stood at the threshold of her door, he told her they would probably leave by T-Chopper a bit before eight in the morning to go to the Wayne Airfield, so she should be ready by then.

Before he turned to leave, he was surprised when she clutched at his arm. A fond grin was on her face.

"Richard, it is not as if I would seriously go after Bruce Wayne, and it is not as if he would pay attention to a silly girl like me. He is just such a celebrity, that is all. Besides, he is like a father to you. It would seem wrong–"

He waited for her to go on. She didn't.

"I will see you in the morning. Good night, Richard," was all she said. She turned and the door slid shut.

He stood there a moment, staring at the name on her door; trying to find traces of the words she hadn't said, and then he turned, leaving for the Info and Rec Level.

To be continued...

Closing notes: If you're interested in what Raven "gave up" (some of you asked) you may find the answer in my newly posted story "Darkfire". I just hope it answers some of your questions.

In case you've never watched "The Breakfast Club" (1985), there was a scene there where they were high on marijuana and dancing on tables. Dancing on tables, of course, is a bit much for doobie, but it was the 80s, and we did what we wanted in the 80s, weed or not. As Bender (Judd Nelson) said, "It's social... demented and sad, but social."

I'm also happy a lot of you liked the lovechild.