"... and then I explained to you the theory of faster-than-light speed," she finished.
It was almost fun, telling Robin all the things she'd told him before. She even did it better this time around, since she knew where she'd previously made mistakes before in her grammar and was able to correct herself this time around.
But still...
... she almost wished he would correct her. Just once more.
A sudden blaring alarm rang out through Titan's Tower, nearly making Robin nearly leap clean out of his skin and Starfire fall off his bed in surprise.
"What's that? What's going on?" he said, glancing left and right, surprised and scared.
"Robin relax, we'll find out... come with me," she said, taking his hand and pushing open the door to the room. They were about to make their way to the center of Titan's Tower, where the Titans usually gathered for such alerts, but they only made it a few feet down the corridor before they saw Raven, Beastboy and Cyborg making their way down to join them, Cyborg's built-in flashlight guiding the way.
"Just got an alert," he said as he slowed to a stop, shining the light so they could all see one another. "Some lootings going on down in the city... people taking advantage of the blackout."
"The police are overwhelmed, we thought we'd step in and give 'em a hand," added Beastboy.
"We want you to remain behind," said Raven. "Robin's in no condition to fight, and it would be best he have some protection in case something goes wrong. We can handle a bunch of looters."
"Understood," said Starfire with a nod.
"We managed to get some main lighting back up in the living room," said Cyborg, as Raven and Beastboy headed down the corridor. "You two can head there if you want. Cable's still out though."
"My thanks, friend Cyborg," replied Starfire with a gracious nod, as Cyborg turned and made his way out to join the other Titans. In the distance, they could be heard giving their infamous battle-cry.
Taking their advice, Starfire gently coaxed Robin to joining her and took him towards the living room, which was, as they'd said, now fully lit. The sky outside was dark, the rain had slackened off a bit to a mere drizzle as it washed against the great glass windows of the far wall. The Christmas decorations were up but the lights were out and they seemed... duller than before. Almost as if they too were sad over the recent events surrounding the inhabitants of Titan's Tower.
"Must be Christmas time," remarked Robin, eyeing the great tree with its star atop of it, covered in all manner of decorations.
"Yes, the Human Festival. That is tonight, I believe... the X-Mas Eve... and tomorrow is the X-Mas Day," said Starfire, coming up behind him. "We had gathered all the presents for the celebration tomorrow," she said, pointing at the small piles on the ground. Robin absent-mindedly kneeled down, inspecting them. He could not guess their contents, but he saw that they had nametags clearly labeled so he could see to whom they were for... and whom they were from.
"From Robin... to Starfire... this must've been my gift for you," said Robin, holding up the package in question. It wasn't very big, it easily fit into his hands, perhaps no bigger than a foot long, wide and high. And though he sensed a surge of warm feelings when he touched it, he couldn't actively remember what was in it, try though he might.
"I don't remember what I got you," he said morosely.
"It is alright," said Starfire, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Then, she smiled. "At least this way there will be another surprise waiting for X-Mas Day."
He chuckled at that, placing the gift back down. "Do you always look on the bright side of things?" he asked. She seemed so eternally optimistic about everything. She never seemed to see clouds, only the rays of light between them.
She laughed softly at that, nodding. "I enjoy looking on the bright side of these things."
Silence reigned for a short while after that, as Robin and Starfire made their way to the window. Beyond, there was a beautiful view of Jump City. On this side of Titan's Tower, at least. Part of its design had allowed the Titans to instantly see any truly dangerous threats to the city from the comfort of their living room. On the opposite side of their home, where their room windows pointed, they had a much better view of the wide ocean to the west. Robin gently placed a green gloved hand on the window, peering out at the rain-soaked, blacked-out city. And beyond that, in the glass he saw, somewhat faintly, his reflection. Starfire's joined his, and he didn't need to turn to know she was close by.
"So we're... Titans," he said slowly, puzzled over the unusual word. "Crime fighters?"
He saw her reflection nod in the glass. He was silent for a moment, pondering this new tidbit of information.
"... why?" he finally asked.
"Pardon?" she asked, partially to hear him (he'd spoken very quietly) partially to confirm his question.
"Why do we fight crime...?" he asked softly. "I mean... I don't remember everything but I can remember some things. Fighting isn't fun, people could get hurt... you could get hurt," he said, turning back around to face her, concern evident on his features. "So why do we do it?"
"Because it is the right thing to do," she replied without hesitation. "And I believe we all here have personal reasons to do battle with evil as well. Raven has her... 'issues' with her father... Beastboy does not enjoy seeing others suffer... Cyborg has a good heart..."
"And you?" he asked.
"I... I do what I feel is right. Even if sometimes it can be hard," she replied.
"I wonder why I do it... why would I want to? I don't even seem to have any strange powers like you all... unless I've forgotten about them too," he added bitterly.
"No, no powers," she replied. "Well, you claimed once you had a power. You said that you never give up, and I truly believe that makes you the greatest hero of us all."
"But... there must be... must be a reason. Why do I do it? Who am I, that I fight crime? Who am I?" he repeated, more to himself than her, staring at his reflection in the glass window. "Who am I?"
"You are our friend, Robin," she replied, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
He sighed then, realizing he was acting irrationally, and took a deep breath to calm down. "Thanks Starfire."
"I welcome you."
A comfortable silence descended after that, as Robin absorbed some of the new information, as easily as Starfire had once absorbed the English language, back when they'd first met.
"So, do you know anything about me before I became a Titan?" he asked quietly. "Before we met?"
Starfire scrunched up her face, concentrating. Robin did not often talk of his past, but he'd confided in Starfire better than most of the other Titans. Particularly after his time as Slade's Apprentice. He'd wanted no more lies, no more secrets, between them. She'd been grateful. In a sense, Robin's mind and past were like a fortress of titanium steel that repelled all invaders. But he'd opened the gates and let her inside, at least.
Now she just had to remember what he'd told her.
"I recall that before you came to us you were a... an apprentice to another crime-fighter... his partner," she said. "The... the Man-Bat I think his name was. He lives in Gotham."
"Why'd I come here then?"
"I am told you did not wish to... to... forgive me I am uncertain how to phrase this. I believe you said you wished to 'leave his shadow'. That you wanted the same respect that he has."
"I see..." he replied, trying to remember. He couldn't though. Nothing distinct, at any rate. But he -did- get an image of familiarity in his mind. A dark-haired man with a stern countenance, wearing a suit of black not entirely unlike his own, though wholly different. He too had a mask of sorts, but Robin could almost see through it. He knew who lay beneath, though he did not recall a name. "Was he... my father?"
Starfire shook her head. "No your parents..." she started to say, then gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. Robin did not miss the slip of tongue.
"What? What happened to my parents?"
"I... Robin..." she hesitated. She did not want to remind him of what she knew was a distinctly painful memory to him.
"I have to know," he said, looking at her. Behind his black mask, his eyes locked onto hers. Silently pleading with her. She reluctantly gave in.
"Your parents... they were... performers of some kind. They said they could fly... though they could not," related Starfire, telling the story back to Robin as he'd told it to her. At least, as much of it as she'd understood. "Your parents worked in a circus, where they performed for people. They entertained others. I believe you were part of their act too, though you were very young."
"But... something happened, didn't it?"
She nodded solemnly. "Your parents worked for a man who ran the circus, and some very bad men wanted coins from him. He would not pay, and so the bad men made it so your parents... fell... and they could not fly and..."
Robin closed his eyes, but he was suddenly bombarded by stimulation. He recalled it. He recalled it all. As if he'd been there only yesterday.
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Nine year old Dick Greyson pumped his legs, running for all he was worth. To either side of him lay the brightly colored tents of fellow performers, of his fellows who worked in the circus. The Strong Man and the Lion Tamer, the Clowns and the Ringmaster. But Dick didn't stop and chat, didn't slow down. If anything, he sped up. He had to get there in time. He had to warn them.
The main tent came into view, as did the sounds of a cheering crowd. The audience would be packed tonight. A final performance by the Flying Greysons before the circus packed up and headed to another town. People wanted to see them. So did Dick. And what's more, he wanted to see them unhurt and safe.
He should've told them earlier, should've found them earlier, but he hadn't known what to do. He was only a kid. It'd been through sheer luck (or fate) that he'd overheard the circus's owner speaking with the strange man. The one his associates keep referring to as "Boss." He'd heard them afterwards too, safely hidden atop one of the nearby trailers. He'd heard what they were going to do. So he ran for all he was worth.
A sudden movement caught his eye, and he nearly crashed full force into a fellow performer, only narrowly leaping up and clean over her despite the fact that she towered over him by a good three feet, though his landing was awkward and he stumbled. He didn't slow though. He couldn't. If he didn't make it...
Dick practically tore into the back of the main tent, hoping against hope his parents were still there, were still safely preparing for their act. But they weren't there. Their street clothes were there. They'd already changed into their costumes to go perform. So he rushed to the other end of the room and tore the flaps of the tent open, intending to scream his warning, damn whoever was listening.
But he couldn't. The words caught in his mouth. For in that instant, the Flying Greysons began their act, and they began their flying dance in the sky. Dick couldn't say anything, he could only watch in a curious mixture of awe and horror.
Mom and Dad.
They'd never performed so... perfectly.
Unfortunately... their performance was cut short. As they'd promised to do, the 'Boss's henchmen had weakened the hold of the wires that allowed the Greysons to fly. And, as Dick watched in horror... they snapped. And then they could not fly, and were forced to obey the harsh mistress that was gravity. Both of the Flying Greysons fell... and fell... and fell...
... Dick cried out in terror, reaching out, trying to catch them (or so hoped the feeble mind of the nine-year-old boy) to stop them, to do something... -anything-...!
But he couldn't.
Their end was mercifully quick. Neither survived the fall.
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Robin snapped out of the reverie with wide eyes and rapid breath. Starfire, sensing his unease, hesitantly reached out a hand to comfort him. To her surprise, he turned away from it, brushing the offered hand aside, though not roughly.
"... I remember now. I remember what happened," he whispered softly.
"I am sorry Robin," she said. "I too lost my parents at a young age." Myand'r and Luand'r had been lost during a Gordanian conflict many years before, shortly after she was born. Then she'd been left to the capable hands of Galifore, who raised her and her sister.
He didn't seem to hear her. He didn't seem to hear anything except the sounds of his own memories. For with that little crack, more were starting to pour out into his mind. Dark memories. Memories he'd tried to seal away, tried to forget about.
His parents deaths.
Leaving behind Gotham City after a disastrous mistake.
Arguing with the machine-man.
Betraying all of his friend's trust.
Yelling at the Titans for not trusting his instincts.
But the worst memory of all came to him with crystal clarity.
"... no..." he whispered.
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"Do... not... move..."
A deadly starbolt of emerald energy was in Starfire's hand as she hovered before him, aiming directly at his heart. And he saw, to his own horror, his arm was upraised in reply, a wicked looking weapon mounted on his wrist, aimed directly at hers. A stand off. They were on opposite sides.
They were enemies.
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Starfire couldn't tell what Robin was seeing but she saw first hand he wasn't enjoying it. He was suffering. His memories coming back were bad ones, and they were hurting him. She longed for a way to bring him back, but he seemed unable to see her, unable to hear her as she called out his name quietly.
"... no..." he murmured again, facing something just over her shoulder, beyond her sight.
Desperate, she wracked her brain... and remembered Raven's trick back in the medical bay. She snapped her fingers in front of his face. Instantly his eyes went wide, then he blinked. He looked at her... directly at her. Not a phantom memory, but the real Starfire. But he didn't look happy at all.
"... I hurt you, didn't I?" he said.
"Robin?"
"I saw it. I saw us on a rooftop... we were fighting... we were... we were enemies," he said. His legs gave out underneath him, and Starfire moved quickly to catch Robin before he hit the ground as all the strength in his body seemed to be leeched out of him by the memory.
"You were not yourself, Robin... you were being manipulated... but even then you could not shoot me. We could not fight one another. No force in this universe could make us do that."
"These memories... they come in random flashes but they're... they're so full of pain," he said, gently pushing away from her and standing again, presenting his back to her. His resolved hardened. "Maybe... maybe it would be better if I don't remember."
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Author's Notes:
And now nobody knows what Robin's gift is. Nobody but me, of course. Muwahahaha. Robin's mentor was, of course, not the infamous Man-Bat, but Batman (obviously Starfire was confused) and was like a father to his protégés in many ways, hence the confusion over his memories. Dick Greyson's parents died when he was nine, in the fashion I've shown here. We see a brief image of this in 'Haunted' in Robin's head (more proof that this Robin is indeed Dick, as opposed to Jason or Tim). Starfire having lost her parents is guesswork on my part, based on their lack of appearance in the animated series (particularly in 'Betrothed' where they didn't show up to Starfire's wedding). More detail is provided in 'Secret Origin' on my theory regarding the fates of Myand'r and Luand'r. Of course the second memory is the infamous scene from 'Apprentice, part II.' Next time, Starfire and Robin work to unlock more of his memories, with aid from the Titans, but it's a long and difficult journey, and hardly over yet.
Kodora Fairy: More than usual, at any rate. Glad you're enjoying the story and found it worthy enough for your favorites list.
Todd fan: It's a gift. Much like you're putting characters in awkward situations gift. Hehe.
Yomiori-wolfdemon: Terra was an interesting character, indeed, but… what brought her up? I haven't even mentioned her in my story yet. But there will be more BB and Raven later on, so enjoy.
Tigress419: Glad I am to brighten your dreary weekend. I always love referring back to my own stories, after I write them I almost can't tell the difference between them and an actual episode. I used to do stuff like that too, during hurricanes in Connecticut. Fun indeed. No sunrise for Robin and Starfire, but it'll be sweet, trust me.
Dragonmaster-Sain: Pardon? You speak English there buddy?
ViciousAssassin: Not necessarily, snow is created from very cold rain, after all. No Slade, I stated above the only villain was Overload and I needed him as a plot device more than a villain. Interesting theory, I presume you refer to the way she learned English in the comics, yes? Hehe. As for the ending, well I doubt you'll be disappointed. But it's always darkest before dawn.
Elrohirthewriter: Very much so. Even when he can't quite remember why. I'm such a shipper but I love writing couples like that, it's so very cute. Though I think I write couples entirely too much to be healthy. Glad you enjoyed Raven's contribution to the gifts. You'll find out later what they are.