Joker writhed on the ground, alternating between high-pitched screams and insane laughter. His yellow eyes rolled into the back of his head, drool drizzled from the corner of his mouth, and he kept making weird twitching movements every now and then. It was the creepiest thing I'd ever seen.

"Raven!" I shouted. My feet wouldn't move. I should stop her. There were lines we didn't cross, that prevented us from becoming as bad as the criminals we caught, but a part of me wanted Joker to suffer. Raven held out her hand and a black rope of smoke appeared, tethered to Joker's chest.

"You thought you could take him from us. You wanted to see us break. Well now you're seeing it up close and personal."

Enough!" The door banged open behind us and three batarangs whistled through the air. The first sliced across Raven's cheek, distracting her, the second pinned the edge if her cape to the wall and the third glanced off Cyborg's shoulder as he stepped forward to shield her. I whirled around, a birdarang gripped tight in my fist. Starfire's eyes flared green before dimming.

"Visiting hours are over," said Batman in a hard voice. I turned my projectile over and over in my fist, fighting the urge to fling it. "You children have no idea what you are playing with."

"Children?" Beast Boy repeated as his ears drooped. Starfire put a hand on his shoulder and nodded toward the cell behind us. This was not the place to argue.

"Jealous, Batsy? You've been trying to get inside my head for years," said Joker. Wriggling in his straight jacket, he managed to get into a kneeling position. He turned his mean eyes back to Raven with growing interest. Her chest swelled with rage as she read whatever was in his mind. She opened her mouth to utter another spell, but Batman shot out a gauntlet-clad fist and seized her throat. Four red eyes appeared on her forehead at his audacity, but Batman stared her down.

"You've done enough damage," he growled. "You've overstayed your welcome." He meant in Gotham. He was kicking us out. Not that there was much left for us to do, but I was not going to stand quietly back while he pushed my team around. I glared through the window to where Joker was watching us with an evil grin at the chaos that was unfolding.

"Keep your criminals in your city and you won't have to deal with us anymore. Titans, let's go." He walked past Batman, one after the other in a single file line. He stayed behind, no doubt trading quips with Joker.

"So we're going home?" Beast Boy asked, sounding deflated.

"We're more help there than we are here," said Cyborg, but Robin, if you want to stay and...you know, keep an eye on things, we can go on without you." His sidelong glance toward Starfire as he spoke meant he was referring to Babs. I should stay to help her through her recovery, but after her little blow up the last time I went to visit, maybe some space was better. I could always video chat with her from the Tower... Oh yea. There was no Tower anymore.

I looked around at my teammates. They all looked ready to go. Raven had her hood up and was staring grimly ahead at the wall, Beast Boy had his ears down, and Starfire watched me with an almost pleading look in her eye.

"Raven take us back to the Batcave. We'll pack our bags and go." I could grab my new R-cycle. Bruce was always upgrading his vehicles and tech, so I knew, even though I hadn't been back to the manor in years, that he would have a new bike fully tricked out in reserve for me.

Raven didn't wait for us to be ready, she just raised her arms and muttered her spell, and then we were nothing but black energy swirling through the air.

Starfire's Point of View

I did not like that we were leaving so soon. With the Joker behind bars I had hoped that we might have the opportunity to learn more about Robin's past. I wished to see the place where he had grown up, to understand what had shaped him into the man I so admired. But it was not to be. There was too much unsold hurt between him and his former mentor. The shooting of Babs had only added to the strain. Did Robin wish to stay for her sake? He did not let on that it was so?

"You're not packing?" Robin asked as the others started off for the elevator once we reached the Bat cave. I shook my head.

"I came only with the uniform that I was wearing. Alfred has been most generous in procuring more clothing for me to wear during our stay, but I would feel presumptuous to take it."

"But it's yours Star. Believe me, Alfred would be offended if you didn't take it," he insisted. Still I could not accept. I was part of the reason we must leave. I heard it in Bruce's voice when he summoned Robin away earlier. He disapproved of our relationship, disapproved of me for his son. Alfred, who was a good and loyal servant, could only share in that disapproval. And then there was Babs. I was sorry I would have no opportunity to speak with her. She too had held the grudge against me for stealing Robin. I could not blame her, but perhaps given a little time we might have become friends. She had not been so unreasonable. It was the pity that heroes are unwelcome in Gotham or I would have liked to pay her a visit in the hospital before we left.

Preparations were quickly underway for our departure and after receiving a warm farewell from Alfred we commended with our departure. Beast Boy transformed into the pterodactyl to carry Cyborg. He would need the reprieve eventually, and Raven or I would be on hand to do the trading off.

"Want a ride?" Robin asked, twisting on his new 'baby' to offer me his hand.

"I will join you once we have left the city limits. It has been too long since I broke atmosphere and I could use the sunlight." Did I imagine it, or did Robin's face fall.

"Do not worry, you will not even have the opportunity to miss me," I said cheerfully, darting down to wrap my arms around him in a quick hug before flying away in a flare of green energy before he could catch me. He called after me, but I only flew faster as the new R-cycle growled.

I flew through a long straight tunnel that led away from the Manor. It was many miles underground, similar to the tunnel that led under the harbor in Jump City. The echo of Cyborg's shout of delight at being hoisted into the air followed me. I had to pace myself as I emerged so that I did not draw unnecessary attention with my hair aflame and a green energy trail. I flew parallel to the ground for a quarter of a mile before rocketing into the sky. It was glorious to be airborne and free again. The beauty of the a Manor had not kept it from feeling like a cage. I made sure to put a barrier of clouds between my loops and twirls so that no one would see me.

"Starfire, where are you?" Robin asked. Between the roar of his engine in the background and static from being at such a high altitude I could barely hear him.

"Star...come...now. We...back."

"There is a quick errand I must run and I will do the linking up with you."

"Starfire...careful! ...back before...! Joker...promise..."

"Yes Robin I will take care. After everything the Joker has put us through I will do nothing to draw attention to myself. I wish only to visit the hospital where Batgirl is staying to say goodbye."

"No! Starfire wait, don't..." But whatever else he said was lost in the rush of air as I dove back down toward the city. I knew which hospital of course, but could not be certain which room. I needed a reason to approach her, or else I must do the sneaking in. As Robin was not happy about my errand it would be better to sneak in quickly. I would go in through the ventilation system. It was simple enough. Robin had explained common entry and access points to us when the Titans first formed. I doubt he expected the knowledge to be put to this use, but perhaps he did. If he was ever injured and in need of a hospital he would want the a titans to find him.

I knew she was in the Wayne Wing because Robin had told me so, and after what felt like an eternity crawling through the vents I ascertained that I must have reached my destination when I overheard a nurse speaking.

"You really shouldn't be out of bed, Ms. Gordon."

"I'm fine, really. Besides, how much more damage can I do?" Babs replied. I was so surprised that I started and hit my head on the top of the vent.

"What was that?" gasped the nurse. Through the grate I could see her standing protectively in front of Babs.

"Could be a rat. You should call an exterminator. I'll wheel myself back to my room. I'll page someone to get me back into bed."

"Oh, but."

"Seriously, I'm fine, but you might have an infestation on your hands and that could cause big problems."

The nurse went away reluctantly.

"If you're going to come out you'd better disable that camera in the corner, Starfire," said Babs just loudly enough for me to hear her. I eeped in surprise. How had she known it was me? But then, Robin would have known I was there as well. Perhaps it was a part of being in the Bat Family, a sense they had which others did not.

I did as Babs suggested and disabled the camera by pinching the wires. Then I floated down in front of her.

"We will be un disturbed?"

"For a minute or two. What brings you here? Please tell me you didn't come to tell me how sorry you are about this." She pointed to her legs Bundled beneath a blanket. there was a knowing smile in her eyes that gave me courage.

"No. I wished to say that I am sorry we did not get the chance to spend more time together. The Titans are leaving. We have transgressed one too many times."

"Did Batman tell you that?" she guessed, raising a mocking brow. "Classic. He doesn't want you to leave, he's trying to protect you. He doesn't want his precious sidekick to end up like me." There was a smile on her face, but it did not match her tone.

"It hurts them both to see you like this. I have never seen Robin so upset."

"Right, so upset that he left because he thought you might have been in trouble."

"You think I stole his attention on purpose."

"No," she said with a sigh, sitting back in her chair to study me. "You're not the petty type. Still, it sucks. I've known him longer, I thought I knew him better, and Yet you're one one who sees him without...you know." She swirled her fingers around her eyes to indicate ask. I wished I could tell her that she was wrong, that even though we knew his identity now he still kept his mask on in our presence.

"I was a little harsh on him earlier," she said. "I'll apologize later, or maybe he'll write it off as bitterness over my accident. Just don't underestimate what it means that he chose you."

There was more I wished to say, but my communicator crackled.

"Starfire, where are you?" Robin demanded. I could hear the fear in his voice. Babs gave a half-smile.

"It's probably for the best that he never worried about me like that. I'd never be able resist teasing him."

"Believe me, it is not fun when he does the locating of you," I admitted, covering the communicator with my hand to stifle the sound. Babs grinned.

"You say that like you're intimidated by that shrimp. Big tall Amazon like you? Just bat your eyes at the first hot guy you find the next time he hurts your feelings and he'll come crawling back in a heartbeat." She winked. I did not believe that would be the outcome, but I was glad that she felt comfortable joking about it with me.

"I should go."

"Yea. Me too."

"Come visit us sometime. You will always be welcome."

"Thanks. I might have to do that."

"Ms. Gordon?" I darted back into the air duct as a nurse came in search of Babs. I didn't stay to hear what excuse she gave. I was frantically turning down the volume on my communicatoras Robin attempted to contact me again.

"Yes?" I whispered.

"Starfire, where are you? I've been calling and you didn't answer."

"Presently I am in an airduct." It was not the answer he was expecting and he paused. "I am leaving the hospital and I will join up with you presently If you will send your coordinates."

"No! That's what I was trying to tell you. Joker put out a hit on you. Fly away from the city as fast as you can. I'm sending the coordinates for a meetup place. See you there soon. And Star?"

"Yes?" I asked, having difficulty absorbing everything he was telling me.

"I love you. Be careful. Please."

A/N: a little later than I wanted it to be, but here you go. Is Joker done with them yet?