Author's Note:
Please read the author's note at the bottom of this chapter after you have read it. I would appreciate feedback to determine the fate of this story.
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Just as Starfire was about to lie down for the night, she felt a cold presence coming from above her. Her head snapped up and sure enough, a corporeal raven drifted above her head. At that same moment Beast Boy burst back into the clearing in his wolf form. He transformed back immediately, his face hopeful.
"I thought I sensed something!" he said enthusiastically, pointing to the sky. "Your flare worked!"
"Oh! Everyone please wake from your slumber. Raven has sent us a sign!" Starfire cried. At the sound of her voice, the rest of the group assembled, including Red Hood with his mask firmly in place. They gazed up at the swirling corporeal form in wonder. It flew in a circle, five, six times, and then bolted for the tree line.
"Quick, we can't lose it!" Nightwing called, and the chase began.
Beast Boy morphed back into his wolf form while Cyborg and Starfire did the best they could to light the way for the others. The faster they moved the more scratches Starfire obtained along her body from branches, but she barely noticed them in her eagerness to find Raven. The raven flew ahead of them, faster and faster until finally they lost sight of it.
The group slowly came to a stop, panting.
"Now what are we supposed to do?" Red Hood asked no one in particular, yet he removed one of his handguns.
At that moment an animalistic cry sounded from above them. The screech was so piercing that Starfire resisted the urge to cover her ears. She heard Cyborg cry out next to her and then the light beside her went dark.
"Cyborg, are you okay?" Nightwing shouted, his figure only visible from the light of her starbolts.
"Yeah, but that thing just knocked out my shoulder lights!"
"Then I will have to be out light source," Starfire said, charging up her hands until the entire clearing was filled with an eerie green glow.
At first everyone could only see each other, and then-
"Watch out!" Beast Boy cried, changing into a falcon and swooping out of the way as Crux dove straight for them. The heroes scattered and Starfire jumped out of the way, suddenly realizing Crux's attack was meant for her.
She flinched as she heard Red Hood fire off a round of bullets, a couple of which missed her by only a margin. She heard Crux cry out in pain and fury.
"Stop shooting!" Nightwing yelled. "You'll hit her!"
"I'm nowhere near her!" Red Hood shouted back, before firing his weapon twice more.
Starfire ducked out of the way, making sure her starbolts were always charged so everyone could see. Upon further inspection of Crux, she realized the creature was injured fairly badly, far more damage than Red Hood's bullets could have inflicted.
Raven must have overpowered him, she thought triumphantly, confident that her friend was still out there.
Her smile faded as Crux swept out with a wing, knocking Arsenal and Cyborg off to the side. Beast Boy transformed into a T-Rex, and charged the animal, using his teeth to clamp down on one of his talons. Crux snarled and shook off the changeling, before spinning around and diving again.
"What? You not talking today?" Red Hood taunted the creature as he took out a sharpened boomerang. Crux snarled and barreled into a cluster of pines, most of which Red Hood had to narrowly dodge to avoid being crushed.
That is right; he has not said a word, Starfire noted. Due to his injuries the animal DNA Crux injected himself with must have been taking over his entire being. Which will only make him more of a threat.
Crux jolted forward as Nightwing's bird-a-rang sliced into his shoulder. He whipped around and charged the hero, catching him off guard and pinning him beneath his talons.
"Dick!" Starfire cried, as she prepared to come to his aid, but was beaten to it. Red Hood shot Crux squarely in the side with his gun, causing the creature to fall back. This gave Nightwing enough time to wriggle out from under him. As Nightwing retreated to the edge of the clearing to gather his bearings, he gave Red Hood a bewildered look.
Starfire couldn't blame him; she was just as shocked as he was. Jason had saved him. There was no doubt about that.
Still thinking of her friends, Starfire flew into the sky, knowing Crux would follow her. Somewhere down below she heard Nightwing's cry of protest, but she had other things to worry about at the moment. Once she was deep in the night sky she whipped around and blasted her eye beams at the creature. Crux swerved out of the way, only to be blasted backwards in the air with her starbolts. Flying forward, she grabbed his massive head and whirled him around, crashing him into a line of trees. She flew down beside him to survey the damage she had caused. She lit her starbolts but allowed them to fade after a moment. Surely he could not come back from-
She cried out as he swept his wing forward, knocking her to the ground. Her eyes lit up with righteous fury as he steadied himself. She let out her own growl, preparing to take him on again.
This time she didn't have to, for at that moment a figure coated in black energy emerged from the ground to stand between her and Crux.
"Raven!" Starfire cried out, half in joy and half in fear for her friend's safety.
The empath had her own injuries, that much was certain. A large scratch ran down one of her legs, and her cloak was torn in several places. The fabric of her cloak was covered in dirt and blood, much of which was probably not her own.
"Stay away from my friends," Raven said softly, dangerously, as she waved her hand, summoning her powers to knock back Crux with such force that the ground shook beneath them. As the reptilian monster plummeted to the ground again, this time he did not rise.
As soon as it became apparent that Crux would not be a threat to them anymore, Starfire flew forward and threw her arms around Raven, holding her tightly. The empath hesitantly returned the hug. When the two pulled away, Beast Boy, followed by the rest, emerged into the clearing. They paused, glancing from Crux to the women with bewildered looks on their faces.
"Raven!" Beast Boy cried, sprinting forward and practically tackling his wife. Starfire lit her starbolts again so everyone could see each other clearly.
"I'm alright, Gar," she told him, though Starfire could tell she was touched by his concern for her.
"We're glad you're okay, Raven," Nightwing said as he approached the couple.
"You gave us quite the scare, Little Lady," Cyborg added, throwing an arm around the girl. He frowned as his eyes fell to her leg. "We should take a look at that."
"Why don't we head back to the Tower," Beast Boy suggested. "We aren't that far from it anyway."
"Uh, aren't we forgetting about someone?" Arsenal asked, as he half-heartedly kicked Crux's unmoving form.
"Did you kill the bastard?" Red Hood asked Raven.
She shook her head. "He's still alive. Gar and I can transport him to Arkham."
"You sure it won't be a strain?" Nightwing asked.
"Fuck, she wouldn't have offered if it was," Red Hood muttered, but after Starfire shot him a glare, he added, "I mean, are you up for it?"
She gave Red Hood and unamused glance. "I'll be fine." She turned to Beast Boy. "Come on, let's make this quick."
"We'll meet you back at the Tower," Cyborg suggested. He turned to the rest of the group. "Y'all can fly your crafts to Jump."
Arsenal winced. "Uh, maybe Jay and I should just head out."
Red Hood clapped him on the back. "Are you kidding? Wouldn't miss the chance to fuck around the famous Titans' Tower for the world."
"Great," Starfire heard Nightwing mutter.
Cyborg nodded, either not seeming particularly bothered by the tension or not caring. Beast Boy and Raven teleported away with Crux while everyone boarded his or her separate ships. Despite the unusual circumstances, Starfire was excited to see the Tower again after all this time.
~0~0~0~
Starfire took in a breath as she emerged into ops, marveling at how little had changed. According to what Raven had told her during their video chats, she and Beast Boy had decided to send the new recruits to Titans' East after Starfire had left. The two thought it made more sense to have the privacy of the Tower to themselves, especially since Raven had mentioned Beast Boy was starting to hint that he wanted kids.
She giggled as she realized the kitchen was still a complete mess, but the living room was sparkling clean. She supposed Raven had had to pick her battles with her husband.
"Well fuck," Jason said, as he removed his mask. "Better than I was expecting."
"Kind of puts our little shack to shame, eh Jase?" Roy prodded.
"Hey fuck you, I worked hard to get that place."
As Dick and Cyborg filtered into the room, removing their own masks, Dick stopped dead when he looked at Jason's unmasked visage. The latter smirked at the older hero.
"What? Were you expecting a rotting face?" he quipped.
Dick glowered and quickly looked away, muttering something about visiting his old room.
This must have been the first time Dick has seen Jason unmasked since he has become Red Hood, Starfire deduced. She watched reproachfully as Dick left ops to hide in his room. She guessed some things would always be the same.
She didn't focus on that for too long however, for Raven and Beast Boy teleported into the room a moment later.
"Glad you guys made it back safe," Cyborg said, grinning. "Now Rae, let's just take a look at that leg."
Raven shook her head, but a smile was on her face. Starfire knew she could heal the injury on her own, but it was so like Cyborg to be worried about her well-being. The two retired to the infirmary while Starfire began looking around for something...or someone.
A few moments later she gasped in delight as she leaned over, so a very well-fed Silkie could leap into her arms. Silkie let out a squeal of happiness as he wiggled about, coating her in mucus.
Starfire turned to see Jason looking at her in horror. "What the hell is that thing?"
"It is Silkie!" she cried joyfully, covering the larva's face in kisses.
"Ever since you left I've been making sure to take really good care of him," Beast Boy mentioned, coming over to stand by her and Silkie. He reached over to give the mutant a pat. "He's really missed you though."
"Oh, I have missed him as well!"
"Not as much as me though, right?" Beast Boy asked mischievously.
Starfire gasped. "Do not make me choose, Friend Garfield!"
As Beast Boy laughed, Roy and Jason exited ops, probably so Roy could give Jason the grand tour. Starfire was grateful Roy was keeping an eye on him. She didn't entirely trust Jason not to cause trouble, especially since Dick was still here.
As soon as she and Beast Boy were alone, she turned to him. "Garfield, I wish to apologize to you greatly for not attending the wedding of you and Raven," Starfire said miserably. "It is unforgiveable that I was not there and-"
"Star, it's okay," Beast Boy said sadly. "I mean, it wasn't the same without you there, but I get it. I mean, I think I sort of get it anyway. The whole memory thing's good now, right?"
She nodded slowly.
"But…things with Dick are…?"
"Not as 'good.'"
"Ah."
Starfire sighed. "I do not know what to say to him, Gar. He wishes to talk about things of the past, but I do not know what he wants from me." She placed Silkie down on the sofa.
"I think he just wants to be in your life again, Star. We all do."
"Yes, I suppose you are right."
Beast Boy coughed. "So…you, Jason Todd, and Roy Harper…didn't think that would ever happen."
"Nor did I," she admitted.
"I bet when you remembered everything, that was quite a shock."
She considered this. She had of course known well before her break up with Dick that a figure named Red Hood had attacked him, and that he and Bruce had suspected it was Jason, but she did not know for sure. It must not have been until after she had left that they discovered the truth of his identity.
"Quite the opposite," she told him finally. "I feel as though I have come to know him so well that it is the most natural thing in the universe."
Beast Boy winced. "Still, it makes repairing things with Dick sort of…complicated."
She paused. What made him think she wanted to repair things with Dick? Is that what they all thought? Or maybe they just assumed they would? Suddenly feeling as though she needed fresh air, she gave Beast Boy a long hug before telling him if he needed her, he could find her on the roof.
"Sure, Star," he said and then paused to look her over. "By the way, love the new look."
She laughed lightly, running her arms over the long spandex material of her uniform. "I thank you."
Once she drifted out into the open air and perched on the edge of the building, she leaned back on her hands and looked at the night sky. It felt like the sun could rise at any moment when in reality, it probably wasn't very long after midnight.
When she heard the footsteps behind her, she couldn't even summon the emotional strength to be surprised. It was really her own fault for wanting some time to think, yet coming to their place, the place where they had had countless conversations.
And it appeared as though they would have another one.
"Mind if I join you?" Dick asked, standing far behind her.
"I suppose not," she said, turning her head to the side, but not really looking at him.
She listened as his weight shifted beside her as he sat down. She noticed he was still dressed in his uniform, sans the mask. He glanced up at the sky. "Beautiful night."
"Please, if you wish to say something to me, I would prefer to just do the cutting to the chase." She was in no mood for delaying the inevitable.
Dick made a surprised sort of choking noise before he collected himself. "Well, I wanted to apologize, first and for most."
She looked at him expectantly.
"I'm sorry," he said lamely. "Back at the pool, really for everything before that. I…should have been there for you and I wasn't." He sighed. "I know it doesn't seem like it now, but I was really miserable when you left."
"You were feeling miserable?" she questioned disbelievingly.
He put his hands up. "I know, I know. I probably don't have a right to say that, I just…I didn't think you would leave Earth."
"I did not have a choice," she told him dully.
They lapsed into silence. Dick cleared his throat several times before finally saying, "Did you enjoy your time on Tamaran at least?"
A small smile came to her face, despite herself. "Yes, it was glorious to be back. I met a wonderful array of people including General Phy'zzon and my husband, Prince Karras and-"
"Your what?"
Starfire jolted. And then, because she realized everything was so absurd and she was probably losing her mind anyway, she began to giggle uncontrollably while Dick stared at her in disbelief.
"Starfire, are you joking?"
"Oh hush, Dick. It was for a treaty," she paused, "not that you have any right to be upset with me otherwise," she added.
"I guess not," he grumbled. "Isn't he upset that you left for Earth?"
"He is dead."
"…I'm sorry."
"I do not wish to talk about him anymore," she said, even though she was the one who had brought him up. Losing Karras was still something that caused her a great deal of pain, and she did not wish to discuss it with Dick, who at the moment was not someone she was particularly close with.
"What do you want to talk about then?"
"Why do you wish to talk to me at all?" she inquired. "Did you come just to apologize?"
"Well no," he admitted. "I wanted to know if we could…maybe…"
"Richard Grayson," Starfire said sternly, looking right at him, "If you are about to suggest we continue our relationship two years later as if nothing has happened-"
"No! No, I don't think that at all," he assured her. "I just hate feeling this way around you, like I don't know how you're going to react every time you look at me."
"I feel that was as well," she murmured.
"I still love you," he blurted, and she hated the part of her heart that leapt with joy at his admission. "I know we won't pick things up where we left off; I still have a lot of things I need to work on, things that I should have worked on when we were together." He paused, his voice a little strained. "But I'd like for you to always be there, if not…in that way, then as my friend."
She watched as he stared down at his hands, clearly very uncomfortable with how much he had revealed. The revelation in itself was proof he had emotionally matured since she had at last seen him, but was it enough to allow him back into her life?
Perhaps it was time for her to be candid as well.
"There will always be a part of me that will love you as well, Dick," and she grimaced as he looked up at her hopefully, "that being said, Tamaranean emotions are very intricate, and you can not assume that you are the only one who occupies a place in my heart now."
"You mean Jason?" he questioned, his voice coming out rough.
She did not respond, partly because she didn't think it was his business, but partly because she honestly wasn't sure how to answer. Her relationship with Jason had always been ill-defined.
"Do you love him?" Dick asked quietly.
No, but…"I feel free with him," she said instead. "He treats me like I am invincible, and I feel that way around him." Dick didn't respond. "I suppose that bothers you."
"How can it not?" he said bitterly. "I guess I'll just have to deal with it."
"I would like to try to be your friend, Dick. I hope that someday we can reclaim the bond we once had, several years ago when I came to Earth for the first time."
He glanced at her. "But…?"
"But I need time. I need to rebuild this relationship with you, as friends first, before I can even fathom anything more."
Dick perked up. "What if you moved to the East Coast? You would be closer to Cyborg and Titans' East."
"And closer to you?"
"Well, yes."
Starfire shook her head, smiling. "I belong with the Outlaws. There is still much I need to do with them. You, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven have all moved on and found your places, your next adventures in life. This is mine. Roy and Jason are my family. A different kind of family." Her smile grew more confident. "I need to do this, Dick. For myself."
He smiled sadly at her. "Okay, Star. I understand."
She returned his smile. "Thank you."
She leaned forward and hesitantly wrapped her arms around him. She felt his own arms connect around her torso, felt his face press into her neck, and she thought she felt the dampness of his eyes on her skin. She pulled back, the smile still on her face.
"When will I see you again?" he asked, so softly she almost didn't hear him.
She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Soon. This is my promise."
He nodded, his eyes clouded with emotion, but he had a more relaxed expression on his face. He stood up, preparing to head back inside. "Goodbye, Starfire," he said.
"Farewell, Friend Dick."
Starfire continued to watch the sky long after he had left her. She watched the stars in the night, and then eventually, she watched the sunrise by herself. An hour after the sun had completely appeared over the horizon, she heard the roof door open again, and she rose from her seat. Roy and Jason both walked forward, coming to stand beside her on the edge of the roof.
"Nice view," Roy commented.
"Yes," Starfire said softly. "It is."
"What do you wanna do, Starfire? It's your call," Jason said, resting his elbow on her shoulder.
Starfire wrapped an arm around each of their waists. She watched as the strong morning sun sent shimmers along the Pacific waters. She smiled as she felt the warmth of the rays on her face, and despite the stress and the sadness of the night before, this was the first time she realized that the pain in her chest had completely gone away.
"Let us go home."
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Author's Note:
Okay. HEAR ME OUT. Feedback required for the fate of this story.
As of right now, I am not going to frequently post more, only because I really need to focus on my studies. But I could write the second part of this story, and update it directly to this fic, if readers wanted that. The second part would continue the adventures with the Outlaws, but this time cover Kory and Dick's reconnection.
I would like them to end up together, and for Dick to learn from his mistakes, but I didn't want to do it at the end of what I have written so far, because it wouldn't feel right. I'm tired of Dick screwing up and then Kory going right back to him. He needs to learn that his actions have consequences and if he wants her back, he needs to make a lot of changes.
So yes, if I update this story, there would be WAY more Dick/Kory, but it would be done with grace. (There would be spicier scenes with them, since there really wasn't anything spicy in this fic.) I purposefully kept Jason and Kory's relationship undefined and open because I do see them having more intimate moments when Kory is not together with Dick, but they will never be on the same romantic level as Dick and Kory were.
I definitely think Kory should stay with the Outlaws, because this is HER adventure. Instead of just moving in with Dick and living in Bludhaven with him, she is doing something for herself. Even if they end up together it wouldn't feel right to have her just drop everything and move to Bludhaven; she's her own person. If I write more, her journeys with the Outlaws will include finally tracking down Essence, locating Jade as well as and Roy's daughter, and Kory and Dick's eventual duo adventure would include the reemergence of Slade, who now goes by Deathstroke.
I would greatly appreciate feedback if readers would like to read more of this story, and if they would eventually like to see more chapters on Dick and Kory's reconnection. As of right now, I hope you all have enjoyed what I have written so far.
I do find it interesting that there seems to be way more interest in the Raven and Beast Boy stories I have written, so maybe I should go back to them, lol. Let me know! If so I think my next project will be writing "Tease" a story of how somewhere along the way Beast Boy's teasing of Raven became flirting.
Looking forward to hearing from you; thank you for reading!