Fury

Starfire flew behind and a little to the left of Robin as he charged through the air toward the location of the alert. A subordinate position, if she was on Tamaran, signifying she was following a commander. She doubted he knew the significance of her actions, since she'd always taken a position of covering his flank, but now she wondered, since he was Tamaranian, if she could explain.

She suspected that conversation would not sit well with Robin. She suspected a lot of conversations she would have with him about his heritage would not sit well. While his body was Tamaranian, his mind still conceived human customs and capabilities and she would have to be wary that while Robin might delight in some parts, others may horrify him.

As much as she wanted the experience to remain magical and joyous, she knew there were parts he was not ready for.

Just as she knew, those parts were ready for him and if she didn't warn him…

Robin glanced over his shoulder at her, rolling onto his back so he could grin. "First mission as a Tamaranian! Should be fun!"

Starfire nodded, even though she was wrack with concern. "Please, remember that—"

"Righteous fury, boundless confidence and joy." He winked. "Gotcha."

She was not amused. "Robin, we are not limited to only those three—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But it's as you said, it's hard to do more than one at a time; you drummed that into me. I can handle this." He rolled back over. "Besides, it's probably only— oh shit."

A silver vessel caught their attention. Sleek and slim, arrow-headed nose, with pointed rockets at the end, the vessel had the look of an ornamental dagger. It blasted over their heads and headed toward the Tower.

Starfire swallowed. She should've been more careful. She'd been followed from Kazator Prime before, she should have realised with the altercation, there'd be a possibility it would happen again. Normally the trip home, she'd do a sweep for followers and lose them in the stars before coming home. Robin had been a distraction and she'd been complacent.

Cyborg's voice came across the communicator. "Are ya'll seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Why would Val-yor come back?" Raven asked.

"He's landing on our roof," Cyborg said.

Raven about-faced and the bird at her side circled around to follow.

Floating, Robin looked at Starfire. "Were we followed?"

She rubbed her fingers against her forehead. "It appears so." With a heavy sigh, she admitted, "I am normally not as lax in my security."

Robin clenched his hands into fists, then punched his palm. "Well then. Let's go see what they want."

She caught his elbow. "Robin, you cannot—"

He turned, listening to her but his body language indicated he wasn't going to be swayed. "They followed us to our home, Star. I certainly can."

"If you react, it will reiterate everything they say about us—"

"Sometimes you have to take a stand."

"I understand that, but we must not—"

"Anything they say about you, they say about me," Robin insisted. He reached out and brushed her cheek with his fingertips, all the way to her chin. "I'm not going to put up with it. If they've come looking for a fight, I'll give them one."

"If it was just our honour that you protected, I would not have the problem. But it could start a war."

He stilled. "It could?"

She nodded. "Indeed."

"How?"

"I am a princess of Tamaran," Starfire said. "You, who share my power, would be a prince. If they fight us, we would be within our rights to declare war upon their home world. Which would only serve reinforce their dislike of our kind."

Robin looked taken aback. "A prince?"

She ignored the subtle request for more information. "Likewise, there are other royalties. The Vernathains also have royalty and I do not know who the ones who followed us are, or with whom their loyalties lie, but if we insult the wrong people, it could be devastating for Earth."

Robin's face became pinched. "Okay, you've made your point."

"We must maintain our composure."

He nodded. "I'll defer to you."

She smiled, relieved. "I thank you."

"Don't expect me to be able to stand by if they hurt you."

With a smile, Starfire placed a hand on his chest. "That is our nature,"

She took the lead this time as they flew back home.

"Hey, Rob?" Cyborg asked over the communicator. "It's… a girl."

Robin lifted his communicator. "Did she introduce herself as Pelithrior?"

"No introductions, she's straight up demanding to know where the… you know… are…" Cyborg cleared his throat. "Know her?"

"We do," Starfire replied. "Tell her to wait. We are coming."

"You sure?" Cyborg replied. "Rather kick her to the curb."

"I am."

"It would give us great pleasure to dispel her," Raven said.

"I would not wish to deny you that, Raven, but please wait."

As they neared the Tower, they could see the vessel parked on top. Starfire decided Pelithrior must've tracked their energies to be able to locate their home with such efficiency.

Robin increased his speed, Starfire matched it, giving him a look which warned him to back down. He stared straight back. It wouldn't take much to infuriate him today and now he had power to match the rage she knew he could have.

Feeling sick, she pulled ahead of him, determined to head this altercation off before it became explosive.

Pelithrior, the Vernathains who Robin had accidently bumped into, stood on her vessel, hands on her hips in a display of dominance. It was clear she'd come to finish whatever she had thought had started, without the guards of Kazador Prime present.

Deciding she wasn't even going to feign politeness, Starfire slammed feet first into the Tower, hard enough to put a crack in the basketball court. Cyborg could berate her later. Robin landed right behind her, his own force similar to hers had been and Starfire made a mental note to apologise to Cyborg later.

"Ahh, here they are," Pelithrior sneered. "The Troq and his troq kyten."

Starfire's arm shot out to catch Robin across the chest and act as a restraint.

"Kitten?" Beast Boy asked Raven. "What? Is that supposed to be insulting?"

"I get the feeling it means something else," Raven replied, watching Robin.

"We don't take kindly to people bad mouthing our friends," Cyborg said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah," Beast Boy said. "Starfire saved Val-yor's life, y'know."

Pelithrior clenched her hands into fists. "Saved... Val-yor the Brave, sole defeater of the Locrix and conqueror of their home world, and you would dare to sully his name?"

Beast Boy's jaw dropped open. "Did he… dude! He took all the credit!"

"It really was too much for him to change," Raven muttered.

Starfire closed her eyes as Robin sucked in a gasp. "Conqueror?" he blurted and Starfire could feel him quiver against her arm. "He was defending your homeworld."

Pelithrior was blasé. "He added to our empire."

"He lied?" Cyborg blurted and turned to Robin. "Rob, what were we party to? Eradication?"

"Given his reaction to Starfire," Raven pointed out. "And how, even as she saved him, he was still incredibly rude to her, we should've suspected."

"I didn't," Robin snapped and strained against Starfire. "I didn't even question! None of us did! We just accepted his honeyed words."

Pelithrior was outraged. "A stupid troq did not aid Val-yor in his battle."

Robin laughed. "Aid? Starfire pulled apart the Locrix force field with her bare hands to save him from a trap he fell right into."

"Robin, please—"

"No one can penetrate Locrixes fields," Pelithrior scoffed. "You lie, troq."

Robin pushed against her arm. "Starfire, you can't ask that I stand here and listen to this speciest piece of—"

Spinning, Starfire put both hands on Robin's chest to restrain him. "Pelithrior, I would suggest you leave this planet while you have the chance."

"Yeah, you've no business here," Cyborg chimed in and his arm hissed as he extended his cannon.

"He will apologise for offending me."

Starfire could feel Robin's rising fury.

Pelithrior noted Starfire's restraint with scorn. "Worthless. You lie for her and cannot fight your own battles. Hide behind your pathetic kyten—"

Robin bared his teeth in a snarl. "Call her that again and I'm not going to remain civil."

"What's he calling her?" Beast Boy asked, anger in his voice as well.

Raven's eyes begun glow and she rose slowly off the ground. "Whatever it is, it's just as bad as the other word."

Starfire knew how this was going to go. Pelithrior had come to Earth looking for a fight and she was going to provoke one no matter what. She'd asked Galfore about Val-yor's race after his visit to Earth, and Galfore had said, as a species, they were xenophobic and any seeming respect he might have offered her friends was sure to have been faked. They were an opportunistic race, seizing any moment to get what they wanted. They had been used and Starfire was only now realising the extent of the betrayal.

Pelithrior deliberately provoked Robin, for what, Starfire didn't know. She glanced over her shoulder, looking for clues, then as her eyes fell on the vessel itself, she smiled. "I understand now. This is a proving, is it not?"

"A proving?" Raven asked. She levitated forward, enough so she could catch Starfire's eye.

"Provoke a warrior into battle to demonstrate your worth. She, like the rest of her race, think us weak." She turned her head and watch Pelithrior. "She does not know with whom she speaking."

Pelithrior sneered. "It doesn't matter—"

"You really don't wanna mess with the Titans," Beast Boy said. "You come here, on our turf, looking for a fight?"

"Don't forget insulting our friends," Raven added.

"She'll have to take us all on," Cyborg said.

Keeping one hand on Robin's chest and his barely restrained rage, Starfire turned side on to Pelithrior. "I am Koriand'r of the house Tykayl and this is Robin, my l'ani." She pointed. "Raven, a powerful half-demoness, Beast Boy, shapeshifter, Cyborg, a mechanical marvel, combination of man and machine. We do not take kindly to being harassed. Do you still wish to battle?"

"I do not care what pathetic faction you belong to. I will not leave until that troq apologises."

Robin strained. "I am not going to take this much longer—"

Had Cyborg been restraining Robin, Robin would've pushed by him with little resistance. Starfire, however, was in complete control of all her emotions and Robin was not. His fury paled in comparison to her confidence and she held him in place. Hands on his shoulders, she dug her thumb into the hollow above his collar bone to gain his attention. "A common mentality."

Raven asked, "Is it really a proving if she deliberately chooses an adversary she believes is weaker than her?"

Pelithrior's gaze shifted to Raven. "Just what I would expect from a haktle—"

Starfire moved. Darting forward she gripped Pelithrior by the throat and lifted her off the ground. "I will tolerate slurs against myself, I will not allow you to insult my friends."

Pelithrior lifted her foot and kicked Starfire in the stomach in an attempt to dislodge her but Starfire caught her foot before it connected. "Kyten troq."

With a growl Starfire tossed her. Pelithrior landed several yards away on her shoulders. Kicking her feet in the air, Pelithrior bounded back to her feet with a feral grin on her face. Starfire twisted and twirled up into the air with her hands blazing with the intent to launch an attack on Pelithrior, but was passed by a green, purple and black blur.

Robin set on Pelithrior like a man possessed. Pelithrior went on the defensive, her eyes narrow as dodged and blocked, and she returned Robin's strikes with ones of her own.

Starfire froze, her starbolts flickered and died as fast as her fury. She'd seen Robin like this before, always with the threat of Slade, but now it seemed like the anger and determination was multiplied. Like the other times, she could do nothing but watch and stare.

Pelithrior wasn't as competent a warrior as Robin, it was only a matter of time before one of his strikes did some serious damage. It seemed he'd forgotten how strong he was now.

Cyborg touched Starfire's elbow. "What do we do?"

Starfire shook her head. "I..."

There was an oddness to the way Robin fought. His usual dexterity was there and while he dodged, the flips, jumps and kicks which were a normal part of his repertoire were absent. Hands glowed to signify his rage, his punches were wild as he lashed out at Pelithrior. The woman's fierce mask cracked she tried to counter his moves with strikes of her own, she couldn't match him and it seemed she was beginning to realise that.

Starfire narrowed her eyes. Robin's feet were on the ground, he was completely channelling his fury. No other emotions held a place in his heart, so his strength was pure muscle, not Tamaranian confidence. He was acting purely on instinct. And not his normal, human instinct either. Not to incapacitate and win quickly through cunning and strategy, he lacked that which made him Robin.

Starfire's heart broke at how much her powers could change him.

She had to channel Robin's rage. It would be detrimental to him soon, the green energy was already glowing brighter and his eyes were wafting as energy escaped.

Pelithrior took to the air.

Robin remained on the ground and unleashed his starbolts on her. They were twice their normal size, indicative of his rage, and he aimed directly for her chest. Dodging, Pelithrior retaliated with her heat beams, singeing the top of the Tower. Starfire knew Pelithrior didn't stand a chance if Robin managed to hit her with his bolts. She didn't care what it would do to Pelithrior, but she knew Robin would hate himself when he resurfaced from his rage.

Raven was concerned. "Star, we should stop this—"

"I fear Robin is too deep in rage to respond." Starfire twisted. "Cyborg, do you still have one of Robin's staves?"

Cyborg, his eyes on Pelithrior, activated a slot in his leg, ejecting one of Robin's bo staves he held for emergencies. "What are you going to do?" he asked, handing it over.

"I need you three to deal with Pelithrior. Get her off this planet, I do not care how. If you have to teleport her off, do so."

"We can do that," Raven assured her.

"I will calm Robin," Starfire said, extending the staff.

"And how are you gonna do that?" Beast Boy asked.

Starfire readied the staff like a bat. "By giving him another target."