Wow y'all, thanks for the reviews.
I wrote this one on the way home from Canada after a funeral so… yeah…
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.
.--.BEGIN CHAPTER.--.
Starfire stood on a rooftop above them. Robin rubbed his eyes. She had grown up and changed a lot. Her once long and vibrant hair was now dulled and chopped up to her shoulders. Her purple boots had been replaced with worn, faded black combat boots. Her skirt was the same other then the color, which was now black. Now instead of her purple mid-drift, she sported a camo tank-top.
All of the other ex-titans watched her as she flipped off the roof and held her hands out facing the ground. Right before she landed on the ground, starbolts erupted from her hands. She landed on her feet right in front of them.
"Nice entrance."
"I suppose it's destiny for us to sit here in a circle and wait for betrayal to sweep by?" The sarcasm in her once sweet voice shocked everyone. A stunned silence followed and Raven was the one to break it.
"I don't know about the others, but I want to be a titan again. I want to belong. I want things to be the way they were." The three guys nodded, but Starfire scoffed.
"Things can't go back. The world doesn't work that way." Raven's face showed pain for a mere second, but Cyborg caught it and spoke up.
"That didn't sound anything like you Star!" Robin looked her in the eyes.
"That was cold." His voice was flat. Starfire's eyes became glassy.
"It's a cold world."
.--.WHAT HAPPENED TO STARFIRE.--.
Her arms were finally beginning to burn. She pulled herself up to the bar and let out a small grunt of determination as she pulled her chin above it. This was Sergeant Pain's cue to tell him she'd reached her maximum.
"Are you ready to quit cadet?"
"Sir yes sir."
"What was that you weakling? You trying to make you're commanding officer work just to hear you?" Starfire shook her head. "I said; are you ready to quit cadet?"
"Sir yes sir!"
"Alright then. Now drop and give me 50." Starfire groaned and let herself fall to the ground, scraping her knee in the process. Before she realized it, she cried out in pain. "Make that 100 weakling! What do you say to that?"
"Sir, thank-you sir!" She began to do her pushups. She got through the first 50 with only a slight tugging feeling on her muscles. Sergeant Pain noticed this and put his foot on her back. He pushed down with a strong force. There was rolling thunder. Starfire's arms gave out and she fell face-first into the mud puddle beneath her. As she struggled to get back up, the rain started pouring down.
"What's wrong? You scared of a little rain cadet? You think you're going to melt?"
"Sir no sir!"
"Am I too much weight for you?" Starfire didn't answer. "Your commanding officer asked you a question you gnat! When I address you, you speak back!"
"Sir yes sir!"
"Now am I too much weight for you?"
"Sir no sir!" She sighed. Sure, she was an alien with super strength, but fatigue was setting in quickly.
"Then you continue cadet. And start now before I'm feeling greedy." Starfire struggled and suffered through 50 more pushups. She pulled herself up and saluted the sergeant. He saluted back.
"Sir, permission to go and partake of my rations?" Sergeant Pain snapped his arm back.
"Permission denied cadet. You owe me 4 more laps on the obstacle course." She sighed. "What do you say?"
"Sir yes sir, thank-you sir."
"Everything Sergeant Pain does is for you, and don't you forget it cadet."
"No sir, I will not forget sir."
"Now get moving maggot!"
.--.PRESENT.--.
Robin sighed.
"Star, you have to give it another try. We make our own destiny. You know that."
"Funny… that's not the tune you were singing when we all split up."
"Hey Star?"
"What is it?" Beast Boy took a breath.
"Your English had gotten a lot better… how…"
"Are you an idiot? I've been on earth long enough now. Without you guys around to explain earth ways and such, I had to learn on my own. In time I became more human."
"What about the fancy entrance? Why didn't you just fly down?"
"Because I can't fly." She sighed and blinked back tears. "I haven't been able to since we split up." Raven sighed.
"Starfire…"
"Star…" Robin looked at her and lost his voice. He remembered the last time she hadn't been able to fly. It had been on that planet when she was mad at him.
"Don't. I don't want your pity. I've done just fine without flying. I've done great without any of you." She turned to Raven and Robin. "Don't act like you care now." Raven was on the verge of tears, but tried desperately to push her emotions aside. After her mother, she thought Starfire was the one person who'd never turn her back on her. They were best friends.
Robin bit his bottom lip. He should have kept Starfire with him. It was now evident that she'd fought an unfamiliar world alone and the battle had left her with scars. Many, big, and lasting scars.
.--.END CHAPTER.--.
So how was it? Can the titans get Starfire to trust again? Please RnR!