I'm thinking about a new title for this story... and that is because... I'M PLANNING A SEQUEL! I know just about where I want this to go, and I have ideas for more later. But yeah, new title. Because I think I want to use New Beginning for a different installment. So what should it be?


Starfire knocks on the large wooden door, waiting for Alfred to answer. A smile remains plastered on her face, the same smile she's been trying to wipe off since she and Red X went separate ways. Why is it that she didn't mind being around him? He is a criminal after all. She should have… taken him to jail or something.

The door opens as she's still trying to suppress her grin. "Welcome back, Miss Starfire. I trust you had a pleasant evening?"

"Indeed, I did, thank you."

"Your friends are in the den. They get quite rowdy with video games, don't they?"

Starfire giggles. "Yes, but it is most entertaining to watch."

Starfire walks down a large hallway past many rooms. Even from so far down the hall, she can hear Cyborg and Beast Boy's "hoots and hollers". She laughs, slowly approaching the room. Then suddenly, she collides with a hard object.

"Oh, sorry, Star. I was just heading down to the den," says Richard.

Starfire clears her throat nervously. "As was I," she says quietly.

He narrows his eyes. "Oh come on, just seconds ago I heard you laughing at the guys. Now you're cold as ice."

Starfire turns up her nose and makes a "hmph" sound as she pushes past him.

"Star… Starfire… Koriand'r!"

Starfire stops walking, turning sharply to look back at him. "You have no right to use my full name, Dick." She sees him cringe at the sharp way she said his nickname. She knows that probably hurt him, but she pretends she doesn't care. She continues walking down the hall, finally making it to the den.

"Whaddup Starfire!" exclaims Cyborg. "How was your daaaate?" he asks teasingly. Starfire giggles, but cuts it off as she hears Richards's footsteps entering the room behind her. Without looking at him, she walks over to the couch and takes a seat next to Raven, making sure there is no room for him to sit by her.

"Yeah, Star. How was your date?" asks Richard, wearing a knowing smile. Starfire looks up at him, confused. Why is he making that face?

"It went very well, thank you for asking."

"Really? Nothing strange happened? Nothing you want to talk about?" His smile grows wider, almost menacing.

"Nothing that I would want to share with you, Nightwing."

"Buuuuuuurn," Cyborg and Beast Boy chorused. They quickly return to their game, bored with conversation. Raven taps Starfire on the shoulder.

"Are you sure nothing weird happened?" she whispers.

"Nope," Starfire lied smoothly, not wanting to speak of Roy's attempted kiss or Red X. "Everything was perfectly nice." She said that louder, aiming her words at Richard. He snorted.

"Is there a problem, Nightwing?"

"'course not. Just wondering why you would go out with a tool like him."

Starfire turned to Raven, confused. "What is this 'tool'? He does not resemble the hammer."

Richard laughs again, and at her. "You really need brush up on your English slang, Star."

"I am sorry that I obtained a head injury that caused me to lose my memories. I am sorry that I forgot English. But I am not sorry that I forgot any and all reason why I ever loved you!" Her words gradually rose up in octaves until she was screaming. Of course, it was untrue. Her memories of Richard were some of the first to resurface, and any past feelings she had came flooding back in full swing. Some emotion flashed on Richard's face, but he quickly retracted it. He remained impassive, as if her words did not hurt him. She let out something that equaled a growl before pushing of the couch and storming out of the room. The other three, who turned to witness that fight, had noticed Starfire's eyes were faintly glowing green. She was really, really angry.

"Way to go, you tool," said Raven, spitting Dick's words back at him. She saw him slightly cringe before she left to follow the furious alien girl. When she got upstairs and stood outside of Starfire's room, she almost considered her letting her cool off for a little while.

There were audible crashing sounds, probably of objects being thrown. Through the door, Raven could here shouting in what must be Tamaranean. She recognized the word "chlorbag". Even after all these years, Dick should at least remember not to piss off a Tamaranean, Raven thinks to herself. She takes a deep breath before lightly knocking on the door, holding that breath when all sound from the room cut off.

"Please do the leaving of me alone!"

Raven knocks a little again. "Starfire, it's Raven."

"I am sorry friend, but I want to be alone!" There was another faint crash. Raven just shrugged and walked away. She knew that she couldn't convince Starfire to let her in. No one was getting in that room.

Dick appeared outside to door, looking slightly red-faced and pissed off. He reached for the door handle, immediately retracting his hand in pain.

Raven laughs. "Way to go, Starfire," she says quietly. Dick looks at her, confused, and still angry. "She used her energy to heat up the door knob. No doubt that she'll keep doing it until she feels no one will try to disturb her." Dick looks down at his hand. A bit red, but it won't last long. He sighs.

"Raven, I didn't mean to be like that."

"But you were. And you pissed her off beyond belief. I knew that you became an ass after she disappeared, but I didn't know that you became stupid, too." Raven shakes her head disappointingly and walks down the hall to her room. She hears swift footsteps behind her as a hand wraps around her arm and she's basically being dragged further down the hall.

"Dick just let me go! I don't want to talk to you," she says as she's pushed into his room. The door slams shut behind her as she stands, arms crossed, in the middle of his room. "Why are you so God damn angry?"

"I followed her, and she was acting like an idiot!"

"So you did follow her and Roy."

"Of course! And good thing I did. That guy was all over her."

"Are you sure you didn't just let jealousy take hold of you?"

"I definitely wasn't jealous of that. She didn't want it. He tried to kiss her and she barely pushed him away. She wasn't using her strength."

"So she probably likes him, and just wasn't ready."

"And he doesn't care if she's ready. He only wants one thing."

"Now you're sounding to start like a father. That's just a little creepy."

"Oh, bite me."

"No thank you," she says. "You know, if she knew it was you, she'd probably kill you. Like, actually murder you. In your sleep."

Dick gave her a look. "Ha Ha. I know she'd hate me-"

"She might already hate you."

"She does not," he says, waving her off. But he silently hopes that she doesn't. "I mean, I can't believe how angry that made her."

"Do you not remember how sensitive she was about her English? And now she has to relearn, like, everything."

"I didn't mean to say that. I didn't catch myself; I was just so pissed about everything."

"Yeah well, you're only making things worse. Now it's going to take a lot more than Red X and some charm to get her back."

"Oh, but I am sooo charming," he says cheekily. Raven stares at him with a blank face. "Fine. I knew it wasn't going to be that easy. But she's taking every little reason to get angry with me. Why does she have to be so difficult?"

"Because you moved on, Dick."

"I never moved on!"

"You have Barbara and-"

"Yeah but, I basically used her. I was with her because she was the only person who made the pain subside for a little while."

"And you told her that? You told her that you used Barbara?"

"Well I didn't say that, she'd just get angry. She's her friend."

Raven considers this. "Yeah, I don't know what to tell you." Then her face turns confused. "Wait, why haven't you broken up with Barbara yet?"

"Because if I lose Star again, I'm going to need her."

"Now that's just shitty."

"Yeah well, my whole life is shitty."

"You really think you have it worse than Starfire? Think of what she's been going through. She was taken back to Tamaran, convinced that she belonged their, lied to about how her parents died, betrothed to Karras-"

"Wait, what?!"

Raven goes quiet. "Umm, I'm guessing she didn't tell you that."

And there's red-faced, pissed off Dick again. Raven watches as he storms towards the door, just about to open it before she encases the doorknob in her magic.

"That is so not a good idea. She's already upset with you. Do you really think yelling at her about something that she had no control over is going to make things any better?"

"No control?!"

"She forgot who she was, Dick! Then when she remembered, and she came back home to find you, you already had a new bitch on your arm! Imagine how she felt to find that out. She was terrified to come find you. Terrified that she would find out you had moved on. And she told me that if you had, she would leave you be. She's going to leave you. She's convinced that this is what is right for you. She's not even caring about herself." And with that, Raven storms out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

She's going to leave you… It echoes through his head as he walks to his bed. He plops down, not even caring that he's still in jeans. If Raven believes it's true, then it must be. Starfire is actually going to leave him. Never going to look back. And that's it.

But he still has some time. The Titans will be staying here for a few more weeks. He just needs to figure things out before they're done with training. He has weeks.

But will a few weeks be enough? She's working so hard to push him away. So he's going to have to work harder. He'll come up with a plan. He'll aim for her heart. She still loves him. Despite what she had said, he knows that she does.

Like Raven said, it's going to take more than Red X. So he'll use both Richard and Red X; one by day and one by night. Red X can protect her, and Richard can love her. Then a thought crosses his mind. What if she started to love Red X? Nahhh, that couldn't be possible… Could it?

Dick kicks off his jeans and shuts off the light. Tomorrow is where it all begins. Starfire will be coming back into herself. The Titan she always was. That'll make her happier, right? And maybe when she's happier, she'll be more… open to him. He gets down into the covers, preparing to sleep. And for the first time in a long time, he's actually looking forward to training in the morning.


I know this one wasn't too exciting. But I have some big plans coming up for the next few chapters. Expect a new visitor showing up at the manor...

Reviews are appreciated! :)