A/N: Everything I know about TT comes from the cartoon series. I know nothing about Starfire's/Blackfire's "real" names/histories, their parents' names/histories, or anything else. So those of you who know all that wonderful stuff, bear with me.
Firestorm
Batman/Teen Titans
By Amos Whirly
Chapter Five: Reunion
"Starfire," the woman repeated, tears appearing in her green eyes. "So many years have passed, but I thought certainly that my memory would not have left your mind, Robin!"
Starfire, Nightwing thought as he stared. She's here. She's really here.
"Excuse me," Batgirl suddenly interrupted his train of thought and stepped quickly to Starfire's side, "but would you put him down now?"
Starfire's expression seemed perturbed and set Robin down on the rooftop.
"I offer my most sincere apologies," she bowed. "I was unaware that my actions were out of procession. It has merely been so long since I have seen Robin."
"I don't even know you," Robin scratched his head.
"No, you don't," Nightwing suddenly spoke and crossed his arms.
Starfire turned her gaze to him. He felt his heart skip a beat as her eyes bored into him, but he gave no indication of any emotion at all. His mouth felt suddenly dry. Was that fear in her eyes? Uncertainty, perhaps. Definitely confusion. But fear?
From the corner of his eye, Nightwing saw Batman lower his arms, his cape surrounding his muscular body in a shroud of black.
He knew.
Nightwing approached her confidently, feeling something tremble inside him when she took a step backward. She was afraid of him.
"He doesn't know you," he said to her, "and you don't know him."
"You are wrong, sir," she said, lifting her chin. "He is Robin, my best friend. We worked together many years ago to save his world from evil forces that would have liked to rule it. I require his help now to stop my sister who has escaped custody of the Centauri police."
"He doesn't know you," Nightwing insisted.
Starfire glanced at Robin, who was still gaping at her.
"But I do."
Starfire gasped and turned her gaze back to him, her eyes searching for something familiar.
"R—Robin?"
"It's Nightwing, now, Star."
Her face fell visibly, and her bright eyes were confused.
"Robin," she whispered, "what has happened to you?"
He kept his voice level. "I grew up, Star."
"Marvelous!" Starfire exclaimed as she sipped the cup of tea that Alfred had handed her. "The tea Earl Gray is most remarkable!"
"I'm pleased you like it," the old butler smiled and handed her another plate of crumpets.
She was curled up on a chair at the center of the Batcave. Batman was typing on his computer, searching down leads to where the Joker and his newest ally might be hiding. Robin was sitting backwards in another chair watching Starfire gobble down crumpets by the dozen, and Batgirl was standing some distance off, observing the whole scene in silence.
Nightwing had disappeared.
Batgirl glanced at Batman, buried in his work. He seemed to be avoiding conversation with the alien girl.
Does he know her? Batgirl wondered to herself as Starfire downed another cup of tea. I know Dick does, but does Bruce?
Batgirl crossed her arms and approached quietly, finding another chair and sitting down a few feet away from the newcomer.
Starfire drank her fifth cup of tea, and finished off the last crumpet. Alfred gathered the plate and her cups with a smile.
"My goodness," he said pleasantly, "you've a healthier appetite than Master Tim."
"I traveled a great distance," she explained with a blush. "Most of my energy I spent in speed, and I did not take the time to nourish myself with edibles."
"Where did you come from?" Batgirl finally spoke aloud.
"From Tamaran," Starfire leaned back in the chair, her face clouding like the sun behind a storm. "My homeworld."
"So, you're really an alien?" Robin smirked. "Cool."
"Yes," Starfire smiled. "When I first arrived on Earth, I felt terribly out of place. Like I did not belong. Robin—er—Nightwing, I guess it is now, made me feel welcome. He made me feel as if I had a purpose. That was when we were the Teen Titans. When we were fighting Slade. I have never forgotten the lessons I learned during that most dangerous time."
"Why did you leave?" Batgirl asked softly.
Starfire glanced up at her and sighed.
"I am a princess," she shrugged finally. "I had a duty to my homeworld. I had to return. You see, I had left the progression of rule in the hands of my elder sister. Blackfire. I trusted that she would take the reigns of the government if something were to happen to my beloved parents."
"But she didn't?" Robin asked.
"Blackfire came to Earth just shortly after I arrived. She had stolen a Centauri diamond and was planning to allow me to be arrested in her place. We do resemble each other."
"Quite a bit," Batgirl agreed. "What happened?"
"Thanks to the other Titans, we were able to convince the Centauri police who had come to arrest me that I was not the true villain. I subdued my sister, and she was arrested instead as it should have been to begin with."
"Bet that really hacked her off," Robin leaned forward.
"She was quite angry. She vowed she would exact revenge as the police took her away. To be very honest, it was not a threat I much considered. Centauri police are renown throughout the universe as the finest jailers in the quadrant. It is no easy feat to escape their custody."
"But somehow she did?" Batgirl asked.
"Yes," Starfire lowered her gaze in shame, "but she is no longer wanted merely for theft. Apparently, during her escape she killed four Centauri police."
Batgirl closed her eyes.
"And now she's hooked up with the Joker," Robin put in. "Maybe she's crazy."
"That is highly unlikely," Starfire shook her head. "If my sister was absent from her mind, you would know it."
"You have a funny way of phrasing things, don't you?" Robin cocked an eyebrow.
Starfire did not respond and only stared at the floor.
"By the way," Batgirl on impulse stood and offered her hand, "I'm Barbara."
Starfire looked up at her.
"I thought you were the girl-bat," her eyes were confused.
"That's who I am while I'm in costume," Batgirl explained, pulling her cowl off and revealing her face. "In real life, so to speak, my name is Barbara Gordon."
Starfire shook her hand, still seeming confused.
"I have heard of this—real life—this issue of having real names and alternate names and secret identities. I find it all very confusing. On my planet, everyone knows me for who I am."
"I bet it's not unusual on your planet to see people who fly and shoot laser beams from their eyes, huh?" Robin snickered.
"All Tamaranians can do that."
"My point."
"And as the Titans," Starfire continued, "the city knew who we were and what we could do. We had no secret identities with them."
"But did you ever know Robin's real name?" Barb asked.
"His name was Robin."
"How can that be when I'm Robin now?" Robin laughed.
"Robin was not his real name?" Starfire looked shocked.
"No," Barb shook her head. "His real name is Dick Grayson. He was Robin for a long time, and then he changed to Nightwing."
"Why?" Starfire asked. "Why did he change?"
"He got grumpy," Robin griped.
"Tim," Barb glared at him.
"He did," Robin insisted.
"I do not understand," Starfire looked sad. "He was an excellent warrior as Robin. He stood for right and good. His brightness made all evil flee. Now—now he wears black. He no longer smiles. He is different. And I do not understand why."
"Dick felt the need to move on," Batman's deep voice suddenly rang out in the cave.
Starfire turned to him. He was still sitting at his computer, not looking at any of them.
"But why?" Starfire stood. "What did he need to move on from?"
"Some things are best left behind," Batman responded, still not looking at her.
Starfire's expression turned hard and she hurried up the stairs and out of the cave. Barb watched her go.
I wonder, she thought. I wonder what Dick was like when she knew him.
"Dick must have been a good friend to her or something," Robin suddenly said aloud, causing Barb to look at him.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"All I know is that I wouldn't get upset over him now, knowing him like I do," Robin shrugged moving toward the changing area. "He's too grumpy for me to like him that much."
Barb watched the teenager walk away, and she turned her gaze to Batman. He had returned to typing. She sighed heavily and went to change into her street clothes.
He sat still and let the wind blow in his hair. How had life gotten so complicated? He sat on a balcony rail on one of the towers of Wayne Manor. The significant breeze caught in his black shirt and chilled him in spite of the heavy dark pants he wore.
He opened his eyes slowly. He felt her long before he saw her.
"What is it, Star?" he asked aloud.
She was standing in the doorway behind him, the wind catching in her fiery hair.
"Why are some things best left behind?" she asked. "And what do you feel you must move on from?"
He turned to look at her. Her face was screwed up in what was probably supposed to be an expression of demand. Her pursed lips and wrinkled forehead only made her look ridiculous.
And even more adorable.
Nightwing rolled his eyes and turned back to the horizon.
"I grew up, Star."
"You said that already. What does that mean? "
"It means I'm not some stupid kid anymore."
"Kids are not stupid," Starfire sat down next to him. "We were not stupid. Do you not remember? We were heroes. Why do you wish to forget our adventures? Why do you wish to leave them behind?"
"I'm not that person anymore, Star."
"Why? I liked that person. That person was my friend."
He looked at her hard. "I can be your friend too."
"I did not come here looking for Nightwing. I came here looking for Robin, for the friend I—" She stopped. "The friend I left behind." Slowly, she pulled her legs up to her chest and perched on the balcony rail. "I left you behind. Now you feel you must leave me behind?"
"That's not it."
"It is not?"
"Life changes people, Star. You don't know what it's like here, living in his shadow."
"He seems to care for you."
"I couldn't be his little Robin forever, just like I couldn't stay Dick Grayson forever."
"And this Nightwing person," her eyes bored into him. "Can you stay him forever?"
He did not answer.
They sat in silence for a long time before she spoke again. "I came to find you because I needed your help."
"I'm not Robin anymore, Star. That's Tim's job now."
"You say you are not the same person," Starfire whispered, suddenly reaching out to tame a wild lock of black hair from his head, "but you are wrong. You are older, yes. You are darker, yes. And as the new Robin says, you seem to be quite grumpy most of the time."
"Thanks."
"But you are still the person I knew, I think," she pulled her hand back and gazed at him. "You are still the same person I depended on. Now, I must depend on you again. I cannot stop Blackfire on my own. She is dangerous now. More dangerous than ever before."
"What makes you think I can stop her?"
"You cannot," Starfire shook her head. "I cannot. Together, we might have a chance. But, even then, I think we will need more assistance."
"Batman, Batgirl, and Robin—"
"No. They are human."
"Batman works with aliens on the side."
"That is not the same."
Her eyes were shining. He could read her intentions clearly.
"You want to find the Titans."
"You all stood beside me the last time Blackfire appeared," Starfire said. "I believe that together we can stop her again."
"Then, why don't you go find them?"
"I do not know this world, Ro—er—Nightwing. You do. For me to leave on my own would be disastrous, and you know it."
He turned back to the clouded sky and sighed.
"You know it's crazy," he said. "We'll never find them. They scattered to the wind."
"Then, it is a good thing I can fly."
"Why is that?"
"If they are trapped in the wind, I can chase them with ease," she was in earnest.
He glanced at her. Her expression was joyful. Nightwing shook his head, a smile slowly creeping up the side of his mouth.
"You haven't changed a bit, Star."