35 Hellfire Invasion (1): Carnival (1)

Dick's eyes widened in disbelief. "She won?" He couldn't hide his surprise as he scanned Starfire's face through the video call. She nodded, looking a bit embarrassed. He knew how competitive she was, especially when it came to using her powers. Losing to a rookie with guns must have stung. 

"How?" Dick continued. Starfire exhaled slowly letting the flush faded from her cheeks, "I underestimated her." The incessant howling of gunfire echoed in her ear, "The guns never stopped. I had to constantly keep deflecting." 

"Well, at least Jason would be proud. Those guns were his design. Batman? Not sure about that one," He shrugged as a helpless smile formed on his face.

"It was my loss when it obstructed my vision…still her dive was perfectly executed, she knew exactly where to strike." She winched, hands reaching for her cheek, the phantom chill of the metal still lingering, "A good warrior for the future." 

Dick bit his lip, "That's the problem Starfire," He remembered the recordings he had seen, "That's not why she is there," His forehead hit his palm, "Not to become a warrior." 

Her neck lank-sided, "I know Dick, I know. But Mira is one by nature." 

"...What? By nature?" Brows twisting in confusion he narrowed his eyes at her.

"She…I have seen thousands like her on Tamaran. They go on to become great warriors," Her fists clenched and lips flattened into a line yet she forced the words out anyway. She did not want that for a child either 

He leaned back into his sofa, "Fine. I will talk to Bruce, and get his two cents." 

"That…would be good," Starfire lied, Mira was her teammate, her responsibility. A cohesion strain? Sure. But so was every other Titan. Mira is not even bad, she only causes problems when she is not allowed to train. Otherwise? She baked cookies, helped around the tower, and mingled just as well as any other. 

Even Damien, who she had expected to be the troublemaker, was more focused on his patrols and keeping his sister company than any issues. 

Changing breaths she mustered her will, "Look, Dick," she said firmly. "I appreciate your concern, but Mira is not your responsibility. Batman trusted me, she is mine." 

Reaching for her laptop and she closed it abruptly, ending the call.

She felt a pang of guilt for cutting him off like that, but she hoped he would understand. She loved him dearly. 

—————————————————————

"I'm good, Dina," Her voice was a soothing melody, low and gentle. It sounded, unlike anything I had ever remembered. Maybe it was the earbuds, but I doubted that.

"I'm glad…" Her words trailed off as the screen flashed with a request to switch to a video call. I tapped the screen and it brightened up with the face of my best friend Dina.

She was in a pitch-black room, her face only visible by the faint glow of the screen. It took me a second to recognize where she was. A smile curved my lips. "Hiding under a blanket?" 

Her cheeks puffed into a small pout but they quickly deflated into a smile, "Yeah, it's cold here." 

"And where is here?" 

"Iceland. You?" 

"Jump City. It's pretty calm here." 

"Yeah, same here, compared to Gotham, there is no police siren, no gangs…no nothing." 

"Yeah, compared to Gotham it all seems quiet doesn't it?" 

"You miss it, don't you?" That hell hole? No way. Still, I couldn't say that now could I? After all, my 'motivation' is to get revenge. Damn it. 

"I see," Her words trailed before vanishing into another string, "Mira let's go to Metropolis together, next month. As best friends." 

Best friends huh? Dian and Mira as bestest buds frolicking down the streets of Metropolis while the man in the skin-tight flies above. What a joke, "Sorry." 

"Ah, okay," Dina's lips staggered open, "Can you tell me why? Maybe you don't like…" Her complexion was degrading quickly so I cut her off, "No, wait I will ask my father." 

"Promise!" She rang back cheerfully. And I sighed as I tapped the phone and the screen once again showed. Mira, Dine, and the three guardsmen. A silly little picture we took on an ice cream trip. 

It reminded me of a promise for an ice cream cup in a life long gone and one I would never be able to keep. To a friend who…mattered. 

Not that it was possible now anyway, this body and its dysfunctional personality.  

The door slid open, shaken from my thought I turned to see Stafire standing there. Staring at me with a crescent smile. 

"Friends?" I fully turned to her on my bed and nodded, "Yep." 

"They wish to meet you? Do they not? Then why not go?" 

I tilted my head as I threw my weight back onto my bed. I took a second to blink away my thoughts, "...Why go? When I could be training here? Improving myself, at least I love doing that." 

"You are not just someone who will be a Hero, you know. I know you want to take revenge and bring that man to jus—" I cut her off and giggled, "You read my file?" 

Couldn't see her face but I could feel her nod, "Yes, after all, if a teammate insists then how can I not?" I threw up a thumbs up for her. 

"Still, not to deviate from our discussion, I believe you should go." 

"I should huh? Maybe when things calm down, remember the debriefing about those body snatchers?"

"Maybe, we still have something to do. Be at the garage in ten minutes." 

Another thumbs up, "Yes ma'am." 

From the way the shadow moved she turned to leave the room, "Oh, and Mira, you don't have to lie down to hide your expression. I can see that you are torn on your path." 

I did not reply to that as the shadow that she cast in the room dissipated slowly into the corridor. 

A laugh originated in my throat, I didn't lie down to hide my expression Star-bimbo, but rather to hide the lack there off. So that I don't have to bother with hiding the lines my lips draw. It's much less of a strain you know? 

After all, it's much easier to talk to a human than an expressionless machine. 

But really did I expect anything? 

After all, their Mira is nothing but a tomb of lies, carved with stones of masks and grime of deceit. A crumbling base of twisted tales and buried sins. All to shield me from this world. All to help me survive. And in its confines, I will thrive. 

I sighed as the laugh died before it left my throat. My hands reached for the drawer next to my bed and dug out the second photo that I had kept for myself, Mira, and her family. 

"Did you have any friends? You dysfunctional idiot?" Anyone who would light a candle in your memory? I do, my parents, my brothers, my friends. You are gone…no one even knows you existed. Who was the real Mira? 

What am I thinking? Nihilism is not me. I am not someone who would doom over the coming years as the rafters break the razor winds. I pushed myself from my bed and started preparing. Leader's orders. 

—————————————————————

The car came to a halt on the asphalt road, the wheels barely making a squeak as it did. Mira was the first out and the first to bathe in the neon green and red lights that flooded her eyes. 

She stopped for a second as her eyes caught the Ferris wheel reaching into the sky, its baskets all glowing like festival lights. 

Sounds of the massive machines churning to keep the rides running blurred into the mass of shrieks from the thrill seekers and shouts of the children. 

She looked back as the rest of the crew slowly tumbled their way out, Starfire and Blue Beetle lead the crew and following along were Damien, Raven and in his casual wear Beast Boy. 

"Wow! This is gonna be fun, baby!" Beast Boy cheered as he bypassed them all and ran straight in. 

Blue Beetle gave a nod before running before him and Starfire just smiled. 

Then she turned to Damien and her smile faded, "No gear," She locked onto the Katana with her finger, "We are here to have fun." 

"What?" He looked at her surprised.  

"No gear," She did not budge. 

"Fine," He said as seated his Katana back into the car and closed the door only for the car to beep in response. Surprised, he turned to see Starfire's finger on the lock button of her car key. 

He had just been locked out of the car. 

She gave her best impression of princess innocence as she turned to join the rest headed into the carnival. 

His eyes narrowed at her but he decided against arguing. 

Then for a moment, his eyes met Mira's who beamed at him an innocent smile as she shushed him. 

He shook his head as we fell in step with the rest to join the carnival. 

The carnival itself was nothing special, no different from the thousand others happening someplace else. 

But it was still a carnival. 

The front desk entry was lax, a man with his laptop checked in the tickets and let us in, dressed in normal clothes they were much to the surprise of Mira now swarmed. Nobody seemed to recognize them. 

She did not put much thought into it as she shelved it in the back of her mind. 

"This is the time for us to become familiar with each other," Starfire proclaimed as she addressed her team.

"How much more familiar can we get?" Blue Beetle snorted, "We have already seen Garfield lick himself." 

"As a dog?" Damien asked. 

Raven's face crumpled in disgust, "I wish."

Mira's brow raised as her imagination ran with the words, "Disgusting," Her lips moved on her own. 

"Oy! Oy! I am standing right here!" Beast boy interjected.

Mira raised her hands in mock surrender, "Sorry, it slipped." 

"Oh! But I don't accept sorries!" He quickly approached the little girl and grabbed her hand, his face morphed into an impish smile, "You need to win me some tickets for that!" 

His intensity was like a freight train as he pulled her along to the first stand.

As her mind caught up with the sight she pulled her arm away, "Duck hunt? Really?" In the stand, metal cutouts of ducks revolved around a conveyor belt with three cork guns. 

Her face was completely impassive, she pulled out a starting ticket and tossed it at the stall manager, and picked up the spring-compressed gun as the rest started to gather around them. Beast Boy also gave the manager a ticket and picked up a gun.

"Ladies first," Beast Boy gestured towards the targets. 

She took aim with the makeshift gun, her eyes aligned with the sights on the barrel. She pulled the lever to wind up the spring and loaded a cork into the muzzle. The target was a metal duck on a conveyor belt. As it came into view, she fired. The cork flew wide and hit the conveyor with a dull thud.

Mira didn't give up, the gun was weak and inaccurate, a toy. Winding up the spring again and inserting another cork, she adjusted her aim slightly higher and ahead of the duck's head. She squeezed the trigger. This time, the cork hit its mark and knocked down the duck with a satisfying clang.

She kept the sights straight, the gun had not moved from the spot it was when she fired, not that the little recoil it had could make it, cranking the spring another cork was mounted.

Her third shot traced her last one. Another strike, another clang, and the duck was down. 

Then it was easy, rinse and repeat for her last two. 

When she pulled herself from the gun, she looked at the stall handler, he offhandedly gave her four tickets. 

Mira tore off two and then turned to Beast Boy, she tossed them to him, "Here." 

He was shocked for a second before he caught them, "Yoy! You are a good shot!" 

Mira shrugged and set the gun back and turned to the rest, "I am gonna get something to eat, you guys want something?" 

"After the rides Mira," Starfire smiled at her but she shook her head, "I am too young to be allowed. I believe the minimum age is thirteen." 

"Right…" Starfire nodded, "Still after the rest of the games then?" 

"Fine." 

———

(A/N: Next chapter we dive head first into Teen Titans vs the Justice League movie. Though as you might have seen the plot is very different. Stafire is being more assertive towards her team leader role being one such example.)