A Lost Love

Chapter 6: Meeting Richard

"Hmm…" Starfire turned the map around and around, trying to make sense of it. "Perhaps… no, maybe… Ugh! This is impossible. Asking someone would be much more effective." She landed on the sidewalk, walking up to a man in a leather jacket.

"Excuse me sir, but do you know where this place is?"

He turned to her and gave a twisted smile. "For a price." He said.

"I'm afraid I do not have any money." Starfire frowned.

"Oh, not like that honey." He leaned forward and whispered something in her ear.

SMACK!

Starfire slapped him across the face, which landed him on the sidewalk. "Do not say such offensive words." She turned and quickly walked away. "Now who will help me?" She murmured. "Perhaps a woman would be better." She looked around, finding an old lady walking with grocery bags in her hand.

"Excuse me, but I am looking for this address. Do you know where it is?" She asked.

The lady took the paper and squinted at it. "Yes, just turn right at that street up ahead, and then continue down that until there's a street sign that reads "Yeller Avenue", turn left onto that street. You'll be in the neighborhood at that point, so just look for the house number. Say, I haven't seen you around here, are you new?"

"Uh, just visiting!" Starfire stammered.

"I see, well, be careful of some of the men in these parts. I've lived here all my life and they haven't changed a bit." She groaned.

"Oh, well thank you for the directions!" Starfire sprinted down the road on her way to the mysterious Richard. She counted the house numbers, looking for the right one. She came across the smallest house there was in the neighborhood. Starfire looked at the number. "This is it." She walked up to the door. "Here goes." Starfire took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Richard opened the door slightly, saw it was just 'some girl' and opened it all the way. "Can I help you?"

"You can start by letting me in."

"Uhh, you're not some prostitute are you?" He looked around nervously. "Cause my friends have done that before and…"

"No!" Starfire cut him off. "I just want to talk to you. I am no prostitute." (She had no idea what that was.)

"Well, okay then. I guess. Do I know you?" Richard stepped aside to let Starfire in.

"Yes." Starfire waited until the door was closed and then lit a starbolt.

Richards face fell slightly. "Oh. Hi Star."

"I have a few questions to ask you." Her eyes returned to normal as the starbolt disappeared.

"Ok. What?" The sat down in the TV room across from each other.

"Why do you seem to be everywhere the Titans are?"

"Coincidence I guess. I try to be outside of this neighborhood as often as possible. It's not a great place."

"I see. Coincidence?"

"Yep, that's all."

"Why were you at my window?"

"I already told you why." Richard sighed. "Why do you have to ask again?"

"Just answer the question."

"I saw the candles. I wanted to see what was going on."

"When did you move here?

"About three and a half months ago. I haven't lived here long."

'The same amount of time Robin has been dead.' "Did you know Robin? Personally, I mean."

"No. I just heard about him when he died."

"Are you Robin?" Starfire asked tearfully.

Richard glanced at her, startled. "No. No, I'm not."

Starfire sniffled. "I see. I suppose I am merely stuck in the past. I will leave now. But before I go, I have one thing to say to you."

"Alright, but I have work soon, so I hate to say this, but make it fast."

Starfire launched herself at Richard, eyes glowing, starbolts in hand at a lightning speed. Richard parried the attack, and punched Starfire in the stomach, sending her across the room. He ran towards the door, but Starfire was faster and pulled him back. She sent a barrage of starbolts toward him, but he dodged them all.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Richard yelled.

Starfire didn't answer, she just kept attacking. Richard jumped into the air and swung from a hanging lamp. He threw himself at Starfire knocking her down from flight and onto the floor, pinning her there. She struggled for a bit, honestly struggled, then returned to normal.

"Richard, huh?"

Richard quickly got off of Starfire. "I-I… that is er… uh…"

Starfire stood up and brushed herself off. "I have only met one person who could match my abilities like that. Richard, I know who you truly are."

Richard whipped around. "NO!"

Starfire jumped back, surprised.

"You don't know who I am! You can never know who I am! I won't let you!" He yelled, then added softly. "It's too dangerous."

"Ro-"

"Richard. It's Richard. It always has been. It always will be. Just, Richard." He looked at her. "Go. Go now, and don't ever come back." His voice was cold and steely. (A/N: slightly cliché, I know, but needed).

Tears welled up in Starfire's eyes, but she blinked them away. "No." She whispered.

"Leave now. I don't want you to get hurt."

"No." She stood her ground. "I won't."

"LEAVE!" Richard looked terrifying. Starfire jumped back once again at this.

"I…" She didn't finish and flew away, frightened of the eyes that glared at her as she left.

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Starfire arrived at the tower via bedroom window. "Why will he not reveal himself? And why was he so cold?" She flopped on her bed and tears started to travel down her face once again. Her T-Com began playing.

"Starfire?"

"Oh, yes Raven?"

"We're back. Just wanted to let you know. Cyborg is making dinner right now; he's almost done, if you want any."

"Thank you. I will be there shortly." She sniffed as she cut off communication. Starfire left the room, and walked in the room with her head high. "I have an announcement."

Cyborg continued cooking at the stove, but gestured he was listening. Beast Boy was playing on the gamestation but leaned ever so slightly to Starfire. Raven was the only one who actually put down what she was doing, and turned her attention fully to Star.

"Robin isn't dead." She said made her voice strong and clear.

Cyborg froze and Beast Boy dropped the controller.

"Starfire, I thought we already went through this." Cyborg turned away from the stove. "Robin is gone." 'She was doing so well too.'

"I know." Starfire looked down. "But, I have found him. It is Richard, as I thought before."

"Star, you have to let him go." Beast Boy looked at her over the couch. "It's been months, Robin would've turned up by now."

"Do you not remember what he said to me before he… before he jumped?! He told me that it was too dangerous to stay here. Robin would not put his team in danger. I know he wouldn't."

Silence followed her words. No one moved, or noticed, when the frying pan flared up in flames.

"This may sound crazy, but I did think Richard looked a lot like Robin when we saw him today." Raven spoke up.

"That's impossible."

"It's possible to look like someone Cyborg, just look around you." Raven sneered.

"Not that. What I'm saying is that it's impossible for it to be Robin." Cyborg stepped to the couch where Beast Boy and Raven were sitting.

"I…I fought him. Richard, I fought with Richard." Starfire carefully pieced her sentences together like a child. "He is quite skilled. I can tell he is Robin by the way he fights."

"I don't believe what I'm hearing." Cyborg put his face in his hands.

"Can I just make a suggestion?" Beast Boy said. "Maybe Starfire should see a shrink."

"Starfire can't see a psychiatrist, it would be all over the media before you could say group therapy." Raven sat back.

"It might do her good though." Cyborg sat back up. "You never know, it might be just what she needs."

"What she needs is a trip back home, not a media circus asking her questions about her problems every time she leaves the tower!" Raven exploded.

Starfire stood over at the entrance to the room watching as her friends argued. The flames from the frying pan grew bigger.

"Uh, friends…" Starfire began inching away from the kitchen. "Titans, I think it best if we…" She stopped, it didn't matter what she said nor how loud she said it, the others were too busy shouting at each other. Only when the fire alarm went off and the ceiling sprinklers spouted water everywhere did the titans stop talking. No one moved for a moment.

"Uhh, why did the alarm go off?" Beast Boy spoke first. Everyone looked over at the kitchen, where the fire smoldered in ashes.

"I tried to tell you." Starfire whispered.

"It's not your fault." Raven walked over to the kitchen and cleaned up the stove, carefully putting the frying pan in the trash. Cyborg turned off the smoke alarm system.

"I don't want to see a psychiatrist. I want you to believe me and go see for yourself."

Raven sighed. "We might as well. It'll take, what, ten minutes?"

"If it will stop all this Robin talk, fine. But Star, if it isn't him, you have to give up on him." Cyborg watched her carefully. Starfire nodded, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Well, let's get going then. It'll get dark soon." Beast Boy said, standing up to turn off the gamestation. The team left for Richard's house, wishing that none of this was happening.

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Starfire landed in front of Richard's house.
"He might be out still, but we should wait for him inside. He'll run away if he sees I brought you here."

"Isn't that trespassing? Not a good idea, we're the good guys, remember?" Beast Boy stood out on the lawn and watched Raven and Cyborg shrug. They walked up to the door and tried to open it.

"It's locked. I feel bad about this, but, Raven?" Cyborg gestured to the door.

She nodded and put out a hand. The door was encased in her dark energy. They heard a click and the door opened. Starfire, Cyborg and Raven walked inside, leaving Beast Boy out on the lawn.

"Uh, hello?! Guys?! Doors are locked for a reason!" He waved his arms frantically. "Yes Beast Boy, you're right, we should listen to you and stay out here on the lawn where we won't get in trouble for trespassing on an innocent citizen." He mumbled as he walked in the front door. Starfire was on the couch already.

"It was right here where we fought."

"Starfire, maybe I could look into your memories. If you'll let me, I can see what happened." Raven prepared herself when Starfire nodded.

"Azarath Metrion Zynthos…" Raven repeated her mantra, slowly entering Starfire's mind. Beast Boy squirmed nervously, fearing any moment Richard would walk through the door, while Cyborg looked around, unsure of what to do. A link formed between the two girls from a thin tendril that came from Raven's mind and spread to Starfire's.

"Uhh, okay, that's kinda creepy." Beast Boy whispered.

"Just a little." Cyborg agreed.

The four teens were frozen in place for what seemed an eternity when Raven and Starfire suddenly broke the bond. Raven slowly stood up shaking her head. Starfire just grinned.

"Richard…" Raven gulped and went paler than usual. "Richard is definitely Robin."

"I guess we just wait until he gets back ho…" Cyborg was cut off by the creaking of the front door.

"Richard." The four were in unison when they saw the man they were looking for walk through the front door.

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A/N: I HAVE DONE IT!!!! I PROVED THAT E DOES NOT EQUAL MC SQUARED!!!! That's why I haven't updated, I suddenly had an idea, an epiphany if I may, and I PROVED IT RIGHT!!!

What do you mean you don't believe me?? Are you saying that I'm just a lazy person who wouldn't update and left you all hanging for forever?? How rude…

Well, actually, that's partly true…

The truth is, I lost inspiration and wasn't sure where to go with the story. This chapter really dragged out for me, in fact, this was supposed to be the last chapter, so I worked hard on it, but then I decided it wouldn't be. Obviously, I wouldn't just end on a cliffhanger. Unless I did a sequel instead… oh…. Intriguing… nah, I won't, that would take an extra year.

To be fair, I have been quite busy as well. But school is almost over, so, hopefully I'll be better about updating.

So, now that I have put the Black and White Tsubasas back on the map of you ficers, check out our fics!! This is the only one by me, but Blackie over there us quite the writer, she has good ideas, so read and review!!! REVIEW!!!! IT IS YOUR DESTINY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hehe… I love being me…

The White Tsubasa