Chapter 17

Goodbye is a horrible word

Robin stood there in shock. He had never seen Starfire lose it like that. She was always in control of her emotions, no matter what she was feeling. He turned and walked after her. He looked at her as she stood in the common room, staring at the city.

He walked over to her. "Starfire, please don't go. No one wants you to go. You belong here. You belong to this team. We need you. It wasn't right for me to push you. But I just wanted to understand why you wanted to suddenly leave us."

Starfire looks at Robin. "You need to understand Robin. I have seen things that no one should have to see. I saw my parents and brother get brutally murdered before my eyes. I was assaulted and tortured for years, my sister tried to kill me on more than one occasion."

"I had to watch my friends and family fight for me and with me to keep me alive. I have seen my friends almost die. I have been traded more times than I can count. I am not liked by many. Many people that you fight alongside. I am just done. I don't want to fight to be here anymore. I think it is time for me to return home. To my planet. Where I was born."

Robin sighed deeply and looked at her. "I know that you have been through hell and back. And I know that you have experienced things no one can imagine. I know that you have had so much ripped from you. But you have to believe that you have friends that love you and need you. That are willing to fight for you."

Starfire looked at him. "That is the problem. I don't want them to fight for me. I don't want them to die for me. I want to be able to sleep at night, not thinking that I almost or did cause their deaths. Robin, seeing that blade enter your chest, even though you were protected, it made me think of Mother, Father, and Ryand'r. It brought it all back."

"It showed me what Blackfire and everyone else has been saying." she said, her voice breaking. She looked down as she sniffled. She looked back up at Robin.

"Everyone that we have fought, everyone that has haunted my past, they have all said that I can't protect who is mine. Who I care for. And they are right. Blackfire has hurt you more than once. Akeldama basically killed you."

"Name one time that I have actually saved one of you? Name one time that I haven't put the team in danger."

"Well, there was the time when you went to the future with Warp and you brought the team back together after we split up." Starfire and Robin turned to Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy.

"And there was the time that you saved Robin from Slade, many times over. You helped Raven adjust to being a part of the team." said Cyborg. Raven nodded. "Yeah, you made me feel normal. You made me feel like a part of the team. You and I both weren't from this planet. You made me feel like I could really have comrades that I can trust."

"You helped when Terra betrayed us. When we lost her. You were by my side to help me get through it." said Beast Boy. She turned her head and looked at Robin. "You saved me not a year ago from Blackfire. You took that starbolt that was meant for me. You died from it. You died fighting for your planet and its people." Starfire looked at her friends.

"You are a hero Starfire. No matter where you go. But you have to stop fearing that you are the cause of the trouble. That is what it means to be a hero." said Cyborg. "We are heroes and we are going to be in danger. You are acting like you are the only one who has caused problems." said Raven.

"I literally let the end of the world happen when my father was released," said Raven. "This is where you belong Starfire. You belong here with all of the misfits. You belong on this team because you are a hero." said Robin.

"We love you Starfire." said Cyborg. She looked at all of her friends. "You are our family. And we want our family to be whole." said Beast Boy. Starfire looked at her friends and she started to cry. She turned and she hugged Robin tightly.

"We are here Starfire. Always." he said in her hair. Everyone joined in the hug. They all separated. Starfire wiped her eyes. "Okay, I won't leave. I'll stay here. Because this is where I belong." she said with a small smile.

"Want some help unpacking?" asked Robin. Starfire nodded. "If you want." Robin took her hand and they headed to the room. "You spied on what they were talking about didn't you?" asked Cyborg, looking at Raven.

She looked at him. "I may have felt the fear and pain that she was feeling and wanted to let you guys know what she was feeling. I may have glanced at her thoughts to try and help." Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at her.

"What? She's my best friend. She belongs here." Raven said with a slight smile. Starfire and Robin unpacked the room. Starfire stopped and looked at Robin. He was unpacking a box. He stopped and looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Starfire sat on her bed. "I'm trying to be. You guys are all right. We are heroes. We are always going to be in danger in a way. I think it's time for me to be ready to let my past go. As much as my past shaped me into the person, it also haunted me. It stopped me from doing a lot. I want to stop living in fear. I am going to embrace the kind of hero I want to be."

Robin looked at her. "You aren't still leaving the titans are you?" She shook her head. "No, but I am done being the old Starfire. I am ready to be the Tamaranian Princess that I was born to be. I am ready to be the warrior and hero that everyone says I can be. I am ready to stop living in fear. I am ready to be me."

Robin smiled and nodded. "Me too." Starfire looked at him. "I am done not being the hero I can really be. I am done living in the shadow of my mentor. I am ready to grow up and be the hero that I can be." Starfire raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying, Robin?" He looked at her. "I think it's time to tell the team who I really am and," He looked at her. "And quit being Robin."