Chapter Five
HUGE EDITS HAVE BEEN MADE PLEASE RE-READ THIS CHAPTER!
The next morning, Starfire woke again to knocking at her door. Her body was still exhausted though and it refused to budge. The relentless knocking never stopped though. She was finally falling asleep to the rhythm the knocker was making on the door when the door was blasted off its hinges. That certainly woke her up. She shot up in her bed with a squeal and fell to the floor.
"Rise and shine, Star it's time for breakfast!" Cyborg shouts as he picks her up. She was dressed in a survey corps uniform now, because her own outfit was still getting the phlegm cleaned from it. This didn't seem to phase him as he threw her over his huge metal shoulder.
They emerged back in the hallway and Cyborg stops in his tracks. Starfire looks to see why they'd stopped to see a very alarmed, very shirtless Levi standing in the hallway.
"What the hell was that noise?" He looks at Starfire's empty door casing and Cyborg holding her over his shoulder and puts the pieces together in his head. He pinches the bridge of his nose and mumbles something about it being too early for this shit.
"Sorry for freaking you out, man I didn't know anyone was still sleeping. I'll fix that door later."Cyborg reassures him and keeps walking down the hall in the direction of the mess hall.
Levi and Starfire lock eyes after Cyborg passed his door and she didn't make an effort to hide the fact she was examining his shirtless chest. He was very well toned and even from her uncomfortable position she could see why it was so easy for him to swing that huge sword around. After finally noticing what she was ogling, he took a large step back into his room and shut the door tight. Once inside the safety of his room, he hurried to put a shirt on, secretly wondering what she thought when she saw him.
Back in the hallway, Cyborg put her down on her feet and they walked together down the stairs.
"So who is that exactly?" He asks.
"That is this squads leader. He's believed to be the fiercest fighter of the human race. He's also the one who found me when I fell here and brought me in." She explained. Cyborg didn't like what she said and replied gravely.
"So he's the one that got you wrapped into all of this. Why would you let him do that, Star?" They stopped on a landing and faced each other. Starfire was holding her arms against her chest and looking shamefully to the side. "You're one of the strongest people I know. Literally. But even you can get killed out there. I saw one of those things eat a guy like he was a pretzel yesterday! That could have been you!"
She didn't care for being reminded of poor Connie's death and took a wide stance and looked her metal friend in the eyes. "Excuse you, but I knew that pretzel. He was funny and strong, and he was a friend of mine. He knew - we all knew what we were getting into when we leaped over that wall yesterday. He gave his life for the human race just as he'd pledged. All of the people in this place have made the same oath and they know the only way to survive in this world is to put their lives on the line and fight back. Meanwhile, we've been sitting at home in luxury eating pizza and candy while these people scramble for their next meal. I didn't get wrapped into this, I offered to help them." Cyborg was speechless and felt himself getting smaller as she raged. But she wasn't done yet. "And I'll have you know, in the few hours I fought yesterday, I killed as many Titans as a soldier who's been in the corps for years, so don't tell me I don't have the strength or the power to go up against those monsters. I've earned my bread here and I intend to eat it." She stomped past him and down the stairs.
She was still fuming when she entered the mess hall but soon forgot what she was mad about. When she entered, she noticed many more people here than usual. It seemed other squads came here to rest after the battle yesterday. Either that or they wanted a close look at the mighty alien with the green eyes that fought relentlessly the day before.
She looked around for her own squad and found them flagging her down at the table they usually dined at.
She walked over and greeted her friends with a smile. All of them were there except for Mikasa.
"Hello, friends"
"Morning Starfire!" Called Jean. He was patting the seat next to him inviting her to sit. "I saved a seat for you." She gladly sat next to him.
"Thank you, how are you all this morning?" She asked.
"We're great, but we should be asking you that. I heard you got swallowed by a Titan and exploded it's stomach to get out!" Shouted Eren.
She was about to set the story straight when Jean interrupted her. "That's nothing, I heard she took down twenty Titans in one fell swoop flying past them like a bullet."
Armin was the next to blurt out another ridiculous tale. "Oh ya? Well I actually saw her when she helped Mikasa and Levi take on that huge group of Titans. I could barely see her she was flying so fast. All you could see was the Titans falling one after the next!" They were starting to attract attention from people around them curious to see who this mighty warrior was.
Starfire was blushing now and waved away all of the exaggerated stories. "You guys. Most of that didn't happen the way you told it. I didn't shoot my way out of the belly of a Titan, just the neck. And I only killed three the way you described, Jean. And the Titans in the center were easy targets. It was like they didn't even care they were being cut down. They were too focused on the ground to fight back."
Mikasa arrived at the table now, holding two plates and passing one in Starfire's direction. "So the Titans were attracted to your friends that were in the middle? What was protecting them?" Mikasa asked.
A purple hooded figure appeared out of no where from behind Mikasa and replied. "That would be me." Mikasa sat up straight and looked directly ahead in fear of turning and seeing what was behind her.
Through a mouth full of food, Starfire chastises her long-time team mate."Raven, please don't scare my new friends. They were just asking out of curiosity."
Raven gave a devious smile, "and I was just setting them straight. Come on, it's time to meet with Cyborg and Levi upstairs. We're starting the meeting early."
She stuffed the rest of the food in her mouth, gave a mighty gulp and swallowed it all whole. The others waved at her as she left but quickly turned away when Raven looked back at them, desperately avoiding eye contact with her.
The two women didn't make small talk as they walked up the stairs and down the hall to the room they'd agreed to meet at. They were both thinking they'd save the important talking for later. When they entered the room, Levi was sitting next to Erwin on one side of the table, and Cyborg was shooting daggers at them with his eyes on the other side. The men didn't make eye contact with the human robot. Neither of them would admit it, but his one robotic eye creeped them both out. Raven sat next to Cyborg and Starfire was left to choose which side to sit on. Luckily the choice was easy. She chose the seat at the head of the table between both parties. They all just sat for a moment waiting for someone to break the silence.
Erwin cleared his throat and began the meeting. "Thank you for agreeing to talk with us. I am Commander Erwin Smith, and I'm sure you've met Squad Leader Levi Ackerman." Levi nods to Raven and Cyborg as he's introduced. "Starfire, because the direction of this meeting will revolve around you and your decisions, I'll let you lead," She expected this and didn't react to being put on the spot. "Why don't you start off with telling your friends how you came to be here."
She faced Raven specifically and did as the Commander suggested. "Raven, this is all my fault. While you were away at another Teen Titan base, I had just finished reading a book of my own and was searching for another one to read. In your room."
Raven's brow furrowed and she exclaimed, "You were in my room? When does that ever end well for you people? You think you would have learned by now." She crossed her arms and waited for Starfire to continue.
"I know it was not a smart idea. I was looking to see if you had something that could transport me into the world of the book I'd just read. When I came across a spell that mentioned crossing dimensions, I tried it, and you can see the obvious repercussions that happened soon after." She breathed a relieved sigh now that the whole story had been told. Raven was rubbing her temples, fighting down the urge to knock Starfire upside the head.
Cyborg took over while Raven was still trying to control herself. "At first, we didn't know you were gone. We thought you'd hidden yourself away so you could read your book or maybe you'd taken a short trip with out telling us. We weren't worried until we found your communicator where you left it on the couch. We called Raven home then, and she knew what to do."
Raven interrupted and explained further. "But traveling dimensions is hard when you don't know where you're going. With out a piece of material from that world, you'll just travel aimlessly through portals into other dimensions until you find the one you're looking for. We came upon this one by accident and we were even about to leave when you arrived."
Levi and Erwin were silent the entire time, hearing about people traveling as they did made them both uneasy.
Levi chose now to speak up,"Does that mean you have safe transportation back to where you come from?"
Raven acknowledged him now and confirmed this to be true.
He looked at Starfire then and surprised them all. "Starfire, I think you should go him with your friends. Our world is hostile. I don't think they would forgive me if I were to let anything happen to you in battle."
Cyborg cracked his knuckles and echoed his agreement. "That's right. I told you earlier, Starfire, if you stay here any longer, you'll die. There's no doubt about it. I promised Robin I'd bring you back and I'll drag you if I have to."
Erwin piped up now and held a hand flat on the table. "Now, I don't think that will be necessary. I don't want to see anyone being forced to do anything. Starfire is capable of making her own decisions."
"Says the one who forced her to defend for her life!" Raven yelled.
Levi answered her for Erwin"We didn't force her, she asked to join. Actually she told me she was going to fight, she refused to let me say no."
After that, it became a jumbled concoction of yelling and banging on the table and furious hand gestures. Meanwhile, at the head of the table, Starfire let them all squabble like children. She had her head bowed and as she listened to them yell back and forth seemingly for her own good, she clenched her fists in her lap.
She stood up straight fast enough to knock her chair down. "ENOUGH. You people are all fighting to "save" me, but none of you have even asked me what I want, or where I want to go." They were all silent now, looking up at her, too shocked by her outburst to speak. "Raven, Cyborg, I'm not leaving. I refuse to live a luxurious life at home while these brave warriors of this strange world fight to defend what puny population is left of the human race. Their only chance is to defend these walls. But even that is not possible while the Colossal Titan and Armored Titan are on the loose. They're the only things that can break the wall. Therefore the only things standing between human kind, and survival. I've resolved by my own with no influence from anyone else that I will stay here until these fiends are dead. There's nothing you can do to change my mind."
They all stared at her. Raven and Cyborg knew better than to even try to change her mind when she was like this. But that didn't mean they would let her go through it alone.
"Then I'll stay with you." Cyborg stated, standing so he could lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Me too." Raven echoed.
Starfire smiled at her friends but shook her head and removed Cyborgs hand from her shoulder.
"Thank you, Cyborg and Raven, but I can't ask you to do that. We don't know when the Titans will show up that can break the wall. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a month. Robin and Beast Boy don't even know I'm alive. They're still back home waiting to hear from one of us. I know Robin won't be happy with my decision so try your best to explain the situation to him. For now, I'd like both of you to go home and let them know I'm ok."
They started to argue, but she put her hand up in protest. "I got myself into this mess. Now that I'm here I see I can do good here and help these people. Please respect my decision. And Raven,"
"Yes?"
"All you need to come straight back here is a material item from this realm, right?"
"Yeah, that's all I need. It has to be made here. It needs to have the essence of this realm in it."
Starfire knew exactly what to use. She tore the Survey Corps badge from her arm and set it in Ravens out reached hand.
"Then use this to find your way back here. You can come anytime to see me until I come home. Which I promise will happen." She gives her gray complexioned friend a warm smile and embraces her spontaneously.
Starfire whispers in her friends ear a quick request and turns to Cyborg. "Make sure Beast Boy takes care of Silky for me. And tell Robin I'll be back soon."
He embraces her and mumbles into her hair, "I promise." They let each other go and smile again.
"Thank you both for searching for me like you did. I appreciate it." As she spoke, Raven muttered the spell under her breath and threw one of Robins Boomerangs at the ground. It must have been the charm they kept so they could return home. When it hit the ground, a circle about four feet in diameter opened up on the ground. Levi and Erwin had kept silent so they could have their farewells, but stood to see exactly how this traveling was done.
They waved to each other one last time and Starfire watched as her friends jumped in the portal one at a time. Cyborg let Raven go first and jumped after her. Once his head was engulfed by the darkness of Ravens magic, the hole closed up and the floor was completely back to normal. Like it never happened.
The room was silent until Erwin stood slowly, scraping his chair on the floor in the progress.
"Starfire, I'd like to thank you on the behalf of the human species for your bravery on the field yesterday. And I'd like to personally thank you for staying where I'll readily admit your help is needed. Your bravery is admirable. I can only hope you'll be an inspiration to others as you're an inspiration to me." He hold his right hand over his heart in a fist and hid his left hand behind his back. She knew this was the standard salute here but decided to follow with the salute from home. She pins her right hand to her side and raises her fingers to her temple in a salute to him. He relaxes and nods with satisfaction and leaves the room. Leaving Starfire and Levi alone together.
He stands up and walks around the table to stand next to her.
"I'd like to thank you personally as well. I've never seen anyone adapt to battle so well. Your agility and strength are valued and I'm glad you've decided to stay and help. Your personal sacrifice to leave your friends, even temporarily, will not be put to waste." He extends his hand toward her. She assumes he intended to shake it, but when she placed her hand softly into his, he turned it and raised it to his lips. Her eyes widened a bit and she gasped, but too quietly for him to notice. With out saying another word, he turned and exited the room, leaving her where she stood, wondering what was going through the short, grumpy mans mind.