A/N: This chapter is dedicated to pepermint sticks because they wanted to be part of our community! I didn't know I had a community and now I'm all fuzzy inside! THANKS PEPPERMINT STICKS! to say our disclaimer today we have the word "WHOOT". WHOOTis my new favorite word so notw WHOOT will be saying the disclaimer. Usher had a movie premiere.
WHOOT: WHOOT! FLAME'S OF THE SUN DOESN'T OWN ANY OF THE TEEN TITANS! WHOOT!
Me: now say the other thing.
WHOOT: WHOOT! SHE DOES HOWEVER OWN DEFENSE ATTORNEY, JUDGE, A SHINY PENNY, JURY MEMBERS, ANGRY MOBS, A BOTTLE OF MOUNTAIN DEW, DAN, LOGAN(who was critically ingured in a random noodle accident) TYLER(who will appear in the next chapter) AND RAVEN! WHOOT!
Me: Whoot! What did I tell you about lying?
WHOOT: WHOOT! SORRY! I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY! WHOOT!
Me: you are forgiven, just tell them the truth.
WHOOT: WHOOT! I LIED! SHE DOESN'T OWN RAVEN!
Chapter 8 :We Find the Defendant...(Pt. 2):
Starfire shivered again. "Miss Anders. Please finish your statement. What do you remember about that night?" Dan said, a bit more forcefully. Starfire was trapped in her head, able to hear, but unable to respond. Why was she doing this? Logan, he was right there. He was right within reach to grab her, touch her, hurt her all over again.
Starfire opened her mouth to speak, to beg for a way out, for a way out of the stand. But then something else clouded her mind. For once she did not think of the way Logan had treated her or the way he could treat her. For once she thought of the girls who had died without ever knowing if the ones most in need of justice ever received it. They died without a final chance for revenge.
For the first time Starfire's eyes wandered over to Robin. Robin. He was staring at her. Even with the dark sunglasses she could sense the love and worry radiating off of the teenage boy. He really did care about her.
And she cared about him. For the first time Starfire realized that Robin hurt when she hurt. She remembered the first time she had cried on his shoulder, and he had cried with her. If Starfire couldn't do this for herself then for the ones ho had visited her in her dream. For Robin
For Robin.
Starfire looked up sharply. She took a deep breath, finally making some eye contact.
"I felt hands. Everywhere. I could smell beer. And then pain. And then nothing." Starfire's voice shook with pain, rage, sadness, and a thirst for vengeance. As she finished her statement Dan seemed to sigh in relief, but he hid the emotion very quickly. He gave a short nod.
"Now Miss Ander's, I know that this is very, very hard for you. You did not want to testify today, correct?" Starfire simply nodded.
"Will you tell us why?"
Starfire took a deep breath. "He threatened me." she responded quietly. Robin again felt a jolt of anger.
"What did he say?"
Starfire's hands started to shake again. No matter how much she willed them to be still they shook. She gulped.
" 'Don't even bother telling anyone about this. No one will even believe a slut like you. But if you do tell someone, well just remember tonight. There is plenty more where that came from and I might just have an urge to come and see you.' "
Starfire's words were followed by a mortified silence. The entire courtroom seemed to be thinking the same thing. Logan would not get out of this so easily.
Daniel nodded again and looked up at the judge. "The prosecution rests."
The judge looked up at the defense attorney. "Your witness."
The defense attorney nodded curtly. She was a thin woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun. Her straight, wrinkle-free dress suit made her seem like a strict woman. She walked stiffly from behind her table and approached the seat where Starfire sat.
"Miss Anders, would you say that you are very strong?" she asked. Starfire was startled by the voice that came out of this petite looking woman. It was surprisingly deep and man-like. She recovered from shock quickly to answer the question.
"Yes, I suppose so."
The attorney nodded her head. "According to your story, my client knocked you down and forced you into a submissive position, correct?" she asked in a calm tone. Starfire nodded. "So you are saying that a boy overpowered a super heroine? It is most unlikely to say the least."
Starfire was shocked. But prepared. "My powers are fueled by certain emotions. None of them are powered by fear. And I was... very afraid." she said quietly. The attorney looked surprised at this, but pressed the issue further.
"But you are gifted with superhuman strength," she insisted. "You have been recorded lifting five times your own weight. you have thrown cars and busses as if they were small pebbles. Are you saying that you could not push away a 200 pound boy?"
Starfire noted the way the attorney continued to refer to Logan as a 'boy.' Her eyes narrowed.
"My strength is also fueled by my emotions. And not by fear." The attorney opened her mouth, but Starfire cut her off. "And I will not tell you which emotion. If I did then my enemies would undoubtably hear and use it to their advantage."
It seemed obvious that this was her only lead and Starfire had disproved it fairly easily.
"Miss Anders it seems so me that you are very calm about this entire situation. I have seen many rape trials and most of the accusors were reduced to blubbering masses."
Starfire's eyes flared in indignation. "It looks as if the sun revolves around the earth, yet we both know that this is untrue. I would expect a lawyer such as yourself to know that things very rarely are as they look," she commented coldly. Her fear of Logan was almost forgotten as anger boiled throught her veins. She had to struggle to suppress her powers.
"Indeed." The attorney's tone was light, but her eyes flashed in anger. "I suppose we are lucky to have such a brave heroine to protect us. Or maybe..." She turned to face the jury.
"Maybe not brave. Maybe cold and unfeeling. Maybe just a harsh alien who doesn't belong here and never will."
Starfire flinched as the sting of these words sunk beneath her skin. The opposing attorney turned her back and calmly walked toward her seat. "The defense also rests."
Without another word the jury was led back into a back room. Starfire was allowed to go back to her seat. As she sat down she covered her eyes with her hands in pure exhaustion. For a moment she didn't move. Robin once again leaned forward and set his hand on her shoulder. This time Starfire didn't move. Slowly, her hand reached up and grasped his.
"Star, you ok?" he asked softly. Starfire still did not face him.
"I am tired. I am just very tired."
Robin could hear the tears at the edge of her voice. He sighed and squeezed her shoulder gently. "You did it. You're done. You don't have to do anything now but wait." he responded. Just then the jury filed back into the room. They had taken less time than thought.
The whole court stood as the representative of the jury did. Everyone was nervous. The defense attorney who was still angry with herself for not being better prepared. Then there was Logan, who stood next to her. He was angry at his attorney at not being better prepared. But to him there was no way that he was going to jail. NO way.
Across the small walking aisle Starfire stood, almost weak with nervous energy. This had to be the end. She doubted that she could continue like this. Dan patted her shoulder absent-mindedly. He was shaking with excitement. This was why he loved his job. The electric energy of judgment day.
"Have the jury reached a verdict?" asked the judge.
"We have." was the solemn answer.
"What say you?"
"We the jury find the defendant, Logan Hester, guilty on all counts."
There was a collective sigh of relief and some cries of happiness. But two people at the front of the room stood motionless. Starfire's eyes were bursting with relief. She was truly done. It was all over. She turned cautiously to look at Logan. He was staring straight ahead in disbelief. He closed his eyes tightly and started to take deep breaths. He opened his eyes and looked at Starfire, who was startled to see a hatred like fire.
"You... you... bitch!" he blurted. "If you think that you are going to get out of this guess again!" Starfire peered at him worriedly. She wanted to call some attention to Logan, the look he gave her making her uneasy. He fears were soon confirmed.
"I'm gonna kill you." he hissed menacingly. Suddenly, Logan launch himself at Starfire. Starfire summoned two starbolts to her hands and braced for an impact...
... that never came. Starfire opened her eyes, not remembering shutting them. She looked up to see Robin, standing in front of her with his fists raised and Logan on the ground clutching his nose. Robin's eyes flared behind the sunglasses.
"Keep your hands to yourself, perv." he growled. Starfire took a moment to process what had happened. As the guards came to take Logan away Robin turned to look at Starfire.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," he said quietly. Starfire stared at him for a moment before throwing herself into his arms. Starfire hugged him hard with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."
--
Later that day Robin and Starfire were walking on the beach. Robin had his arm wrapped comfortably around Starfire's waist and her's around his. They walked in silence, but a comfortable silence that they both had always seemed to share. Starfire suddenly broke free of Robin's grasp and twirled in a circle before plopping down in the sand. Robin grinned at her and sat next to her.
"Happy?" he asked. Starfire giggled and leaned back on her elbows, looking out on the water. She kept her gaze on the water for a while before looking back at Robin.
"I did it for you." she said quietly. Robin looked at her confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Starfire sighed.
"When I was up there, telling them what happened. I was afraid and then I looked at you and remembered what you said to me and what you mean to me. Robin, I realized today that without you..." she trailed off, trying to find the words to properly express herself. "I would be lost. I still hurt. But I don't think I would have ever been able to bear it if you weren't here to love me, or for me to love you." she said finally. Robin gazed at her with rapidly moistening eyes.
"Star... you have no idea... how much... how much you mean to me. And you always have it's just that everything that's happened just magnified it a million times over." Robin placed his hand on Starfire's cheek lovingly. "I will always be here. I will never leave you. All I want is for you to be happy and safe. That's all." Robin wrapped his arms around the girl beside him and pulled her into a sweet kiss. Starfire leaned into the kiss, smiling in pure bliss.
Bliss because Logan was behind bars. Bliss because she was with her love, in his arms. Bliss because for once she could feel some normalcy, sitting on the beach making out with her boyfriend.
But bliss is a strange emotion. Bliss is a contentment and happiness with the world. Bliss is being totally satisfied or even elated by life, the very way it is. Not wanting to change it in any ways. But this is against any life form's nature. To be content with no will whatsoever to change. Bliss is fickle.
And it doesn't last long.