Chapter 16 Starfire - Part 2

The construction of the Titans Tower was nearing completion, as was our agreement with Robin for our joint venture. However, it seemed that something else was on his mind now, judging by where his gaze was fixed and the soft smile he was directing towards Starfire. Perhaps it wasn't love at first sight, but there was certainly a clear desire in his gaze.

A small bridge had been built to the little island where they had settled, and in the background of the city, right by the ocean, one could see their tower shaped like the letter 'T'. Currently, they were training together, as the city's crime rate had significantly decreased, thanks in no small part to me. Well, mostly thanks to me.

It was amusing to observe how the Teen Titans had felt the difference in power levels firsthand. Starfire was quite strong and fast, and her skin could withstand point-blank gunfire without significant harm. Some of her abilities included flight, the ability to emit green energy blasts or waves from her body using solar energy. She wasn't as powerful as the restrained Superman, but she was about half as strong as he was. Her strength and agility were roughly at the level of 400. That's about the same as Asta. However, even with this knowledge, I doubted she could defeat Asta. The difference lay in their abilities and experience. But that's not the issue at hand right now.

An interesting fact: unknown men in black suits and sunglasses had taken the bodies of the aliens. Apparently, some organization had decided to investigate this race and their technology, courtesy of my actions. I chose not to interfere with them, as I didn't want to attract unnecessary attention. Plus, they weren't in my way. And I had already obtained a device that, according to its description, could open a rift to the planet Tamaran. That was something worth having...

I decided to notify them of my presence, stepping out of invisibility with a light smile and waving my hand in greeting.

"Hey, Kori, having a good time?"

"Huh?... Oh, Alex!" Starfire responded happily, clearly surprised, and greeted me warmly, reducing the distance between us. "Yes, it's quite fun here. How about you?"

"Me? Nothing special. I just wanted to check in on how you and your friends are doing." I noted the tension and open displeasure from Robin that was clearly visible among the Teen Titans. It seemed he really didn't want me to spend time with his "future girlfriend."

"There's so much interesting stuff here! It's so different from Tamaran," she said with a cheerful and infectious smile, hovering slightly in the air as she looked out into the distant horizon over the ocean.

"What's it like on Tamaran?"

"The climate is different. It's very hot there. And there's much more wildlife. I haven't had a chance to fully explore the local fauna on your planet, but most of them don't pose much danger to humans."

"So, you guys have a lot of dangerous wildlife?"

"Well... our race has learned to deal with most of them, but some are still quite dangerous," she replied with a slightly sad smile, avoiding delving into details about her home planet, probably due to recent events. I realized it wasn't a good idea to push the topic further.

"Understandable. Let's change the subject. Are you training?"

"I would describe it more as testing my abilities. I'm still afraid I might harm my new friends."

"I see. What about me?"

"Alex, I don't want to sound rude, but I think you can't harm me. You've seen how weak I am."

"Don't underestimate me. Remember, you've already seen me in action. I helped you get rid of those pursuers, and I wasn't hurt in the process."

"But... those were some strange warriors you summoned."

"Oh! I get it!" I exclaimed, smacking my fist into my palm as if I had just realized something. "You think I'm weak without them?"

"Um... yes?"

"You know, Kori," I began, almost stumbling over trying to pronounce her full name, "how about this? I know that you're aware that in this world, some people give themselves nicknames, aliases, new names... You get the idea. Maybe you'd like to choose one for yourself?"

"U-um, how about 'Starfire'?"

Right on point, isn't it?

"Starfire? A beautiful name. I like it," I said, smiling kindly, which elicited a sly look from her for a couple of seconds. Maybe I imagined it, but it's worth noting.

"So, Starfire! Would you do me the honor of sparring with me, or are you so cowardly that you'd back down from our bout?" I struck a pose like an aristocrat, inviting her to the challenge.

"Are you accusing me of cowardice? Be careful you don't regret that!" She accepted the challenge, judging by her arrogant smirk and cunning gaze, and assumed a standard combat stance. In a blue haze, I materialized my dagger, Talos, and in the next moment, I swung it vertically under acceleration. She tried to block the strike with her forearm, or at least she attempted to, but the metal material couldn't protect her from getting injured. She managed to pull her arm away with a surprised expression, more resembling someone who had accidentally touched something hot.

"This is a warning," I said politely, adopting the persona of a gentleman or a clichéd hero. I playfully twirled my spectral dagger's hilt between my fingers. "Don't worry; healing injuries sustained in battle is one of my abilities, so try not to hold back. After all, it would be quite embarrassing for someone to lose without showing all their abilities. Wouldn't you agree?"

I deliberately provoked her because I noticed in her list of titles the simple term "Warrior of Tamaran." I didn't know what kind of warriors they had there, but I thought that any true warrior wouldn't stand for being mocked.

This time, she decided to take our bout seriously and used all her abilities. She created a spherical green energy orb from which a powerful beam of energy shot forth. I calmly approached her, simultaneously using my "Shift" ability to phase through her attack while getting closer. When I was close enough, I manifested an exact duplicate of myself with the "Record" ability, and it tried to reach out to her with my dagger. She realized that in close combat, I posed a threat and punched the ground, creating a spherical green energy shield with sparks of electricity, dispersing my duplicate but only starting the next act.

Invisibility cloaked me as I playfully moved past her, leaving minor cuts and wounds. Her attempts to catch me during those moments were futile. She couldn't see or feel me. Her hand-to-hand combat skills were quite impressive. If I were a typical brute force melee combatant, I could have given her a beautiful battle between two Titans. However, my tactics, methods, and style of combat were far from elegant. Striking from the shadows, targeting weak points, summoning immortal warriors who couldn't die as long as I watched from the sidelines – that was my style.

"It seems this round goes to me," I declared. At the moment when she was exhausted, wounded, and unable to continue this "fight," I approached from behind under invisibility and placed the blade of my dagger against her neck.

"It felt like I was fighting someone who wasn't even there," she said, uncertainly rubbing her neck.

"Well, that's one of my many little secrets," I shrugged, dismissing the dagger.

"You fought dirty...! Real warriors or heroes don't fight like that during a spar!" the naive Beast Boy protested, while Dick Grayson remained tense and clenched his fists. I couldn't help but smile at the scene and decided to respond to the young lad. Even Kori seemed to want to say her piece.

"In fact, I acted like a true warrior who respects his opponent," I began. "If I were a sentimental and naive fool who couldn't strike a woman, I would have stopped the spar as you saw it end. But instead, I gave her the necessary 'experience,' which may help her understand her mistake in the future and come up with a countermeasure against such an opponent. Adaptation is the key to self-improvement; haven't you heard?"

I summoned Maria to heal Starfire's wounds.

"Um... Beast Boy, right? I'm sorry, of course, but 'Friend-Al' is correct. We Tamaranians enjoy battles with strong opponents. Some alien races we encounter in space consider us savages because of it. But without that quality, we might not have adapted to the conditions on our planet. I don't feel any anger or hatred because I lost this spar. As Al said, we learn from defeats to become better."

Argh...! She was so sweet and innocent! I just wanted to hug that naive and pure head of hers! It was so nice to know that you could be understood without words. But still... I couldn't resist, and when the spar ended, I sneaked up behind her and hugged her, rubbing my cheek against hers.

"Oh, Starfire, you did great...! If you find a way to detect me while I'm invisible, be sure to let me know! I'd love to test you some more!"

"Is... Is this gesture part of your culture?" she asked.

"Of course! It's an expression of joy and kindness toward someone you consider worthy of your attention," I said as if it were self-evident, winking at Robin, whose temples were now pulsing with tension. I had given him a very important and obvious hint. I was pretty sure he would find a way to exploit her inexperience with the local culture to his advantage. First, become a friend, then...

Despite Starfire's seemingly innocent and pure image as the Princess of Tamaran, her relationship status indicated that she had been married to three men from Tamaran, all of whom were deceased. Their relationship statuses indicated that they were all dead. Perhaps she was a flighty person who easily fell in love with men? Maybe, due to her status as a princess, she was forced to marry them because of political intrigues, and in the end, these husbands were killed one by one...? In general, there could be numerous theories, but I simply voiced the most likely ones. I would never directly ask her about this, as I didn't want to delve into such a personal topic. If she wanted to, she could tell her friends or me about that part of her life.

Under this calm facade, a whole month had passed since Starfire's arrival in Jump City. Kori became a pleasant living symbol of the team's heavy artillery and a delicate flower. It was a strange combination when you thought about it, but some people occasionally stared at her not just as an alien from another planet but as a pleasant female presence. Starfire noticed these looks but didn't pay them any mind. Probably because only someone "strong," "good," and "worthy" of her attention could touch her like... a woman. I also noticed that she could genuinely use her naive and kind mask for her purposes. The twenty-year-old girl knew her worth and pretended to be foolish. I realized this when I, as a responsible hero, decided to take a well-deserved break at the beach.

Imagine lying in a comfortable beach chair with dark sunglasses, enjoying the cool breeze, and listening to the soothing sounds of the ocean. Suddenly, levitating in the air, Starfire appeared in an impressive purple swimsuit that left little to the imagination and naively asked, "How are you, Al?"

"Um... I'm fine? What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be patrolling the city with your friends right now," I said, lowering my dark rectangular sunglasses slightly. Thanks to my split eyes like Ichimaru Gin, no one could tell exactly where I was looking.

"Well... Robin said that he and his team needed to learn how to deal with criminals without my help. After all, situations might arise where I can't be there to assist," she explained.

"Oh, I see. They're learning self-sufficiency. But you still haven't answered the question. Let me guess: are you bored?"

"N-No, not at all!" She would have convinced me easily if she hadn't stumbled on the first word and pouted like a real child. "I just wanted to see what this simple act involves! Hmph! That's all!"

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" I wondered silently, not expecting an answer, as everything was quite clear.

"Okay, okay, you're very grown-up and responsible, and you didn't come here because you were bored. It was all for scientific curiosity, to better understand human culture," I said with heavy sarcasm.

"Yes! Exactly...!" she said proudly, putting her hands on her hips, and her impressive chest wobbled slightly. Focus, Al. Don't let your eyes wander, even with my split eyes, it's not hard to guess where my attention is concentrated.

"Stop!" she realized, frowning. "Are you making fun of me right now?"

"What...! I would never...!" I couldn't resist and started chuckling at the situation. Starfire couldn't keep her stern expression for long and also laughed at this ridiculous situation. "You just wanted a break from all the hustle and bustle, right? It's been a month since..."

Starfire's laugh was cheerful and infectious, and I couldn't help but smile. Our laughter mingled with the soothing sounds of the ocean, making this moment strangely pleasant.

"Yes, time flies," she interrupted me, and I refrained from adding any more. The childlike and bright atmosphere was instantly dispelled by my reminder of her home. "I really like this planet. Here, I feel like I can be at home. There are things here that I don't fully understand yet, but it's only a matter of time before I figure everything out and adapt."

"...Maybe," I cautiously chose my words, deciding to share my perspective on her situation. "You know, in this world, there are people who live in constant motion. They can be called by different names, but the essence is that they live where their own path takes them. Despite that, these people still have their families and their original 'home' where they can return. It's up to them whether they want to go back or not. Or they can't return for various reasons."

"Like... for example... Alex?"

"The fear of being rejected? The fear that they won't be welcome there, that they'll be superfluous. But in truth, it's all nonsense," I said. Starfire stared at me in confusion.

"If the home where you were born and raised, where you were loved and nurtured as part of the family, then they will never be anything but overjoyed to have you back in their lives."

"Do you have a family, Alex...?"

"Used to," I replied.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

My response clearly upset her, and she awkwardly turned her head away. She must have thought she touched on a very personal and unpleasant topic. I needed to provide a slightly blurred explanation. The truth would only lead to a bunch of questions I had no desire to answer.

"It's nothing. It wasn't a terrible tragedy. I simply didn't have much of a choice. I had to either accept that life or embrace the unknown," I shrugged.

"Thank you, Alex. You helped me realize something important..."

"Let me guess. Now you're planning to return home alone?"

"How... how did you know?!"

"All these conversations about family and home. Do you really think it's hard for me to put two and two together?"

"Um... isn't that easy? It will obviously be Four."

"That was just a comparison, Star. I meant it was predictable."

"Ugh...! I don't want to be predictable! I feel like I look stupid because of it!"

"A bit," I thought sarcastically.

"But not any less cute because of it," I shrugged and simultaneously materialized a device for opening a portal to the planet Tamaran. It looked like a black wristband with a rectangular screen.

"It's...!"

"Yeah, this little gadget will literally get you home in a matter of minutes, where they will, of course, be waiting for you with open arms..."

I didn't hide the sarcasm this time, and Starfire immediately sensed it.

"Before you do what you're planning, I have just one question for you. What will you do when you return home?"

"...I don't want to endanger my new friends. I don't want it to have terrible consequences. I... was glad to meet you and everyone else, but I just have to give up," she said, her sad smile tugging at my heart.

"Hah... I'm so disappointed, Koriand'r, the princess of the planet Tamaran and the rightful heir to the throne. Where is your warrior spirit? Where is your honor? Are you really ready to give up just because you're afraid of the consequences? Well then, forget about me giving you this device. The only way you'll get it is by taking it from my cold hands."

"Then what do you suggest?! The whole planet thinks I'm a murderer...!"

"The whole planet...? Even those who considered you a friend and family? Do you think they just easily believed your sister's false words? You were so deeply affected by your father's death that you didn't notice a simple truth. If you're not guilty of anything, there's no reason for you to accept punishment, let alone die for it."

"When I entered his chambers... There were witnesses..."

"And what of it...? You yourself said that it was your sister who usurped the throne. She accused you. So what do we need to do? Right, we need to somehow obtain evidence of your innocence and her conspiracy."

"And how...?!"

"Argh!!! So many stupid questions, Star! If I'm talking to you about it, doesn't it mean I have a plan in mind? Would I just casually keep and show you something like this without having a basic plan in mind?"

In reality, I had only come up with this plan yesterday, but she didn't need to know that.

"You... will you help me?"

"Didn't I say before that I would help? I don't go back on my word. That's the kind of person I am," I shrugged.

"Okay, Alex, I trust you," she said with a warm smile, then leaned in and "friendly" kissed me on the cheek. "You know, if you can really help me with... all of this, then I'll repay you with something much bigger."

Relationship with Koriand'r/Starfire: +150 [Total: 200] (Not indifferent)

A new branch of events has been initiated! "Civil War on Tamaran"

A throne usurpation has occurred on the planet Tamaran, during which Koriand'r/Starfire became an outcast and a traitor. Help the heroine clear her name and reclaim her rightful throne!

Reward: "Mana Core" - A rare artifact capable of storing up to 10,000 units of mana. Can be used to enhance spells, mana replenishment/transfers, and more. You will discover its other abilities on your own. Your relationship reputation with Starfire will always remain positive, except for actions that contradict Starfire's morality.

Failure: The rulers of Tamaran will declare war on the allies of the traitor, leading to a planetary war.

Unpleasant, certainly, but quite expected consequences. If we fail to uncover the real traitor, Tamaran will have no choice but to declare war on Earth. The key is not to voice this thought out loud to Starfire, although she probably already knows...

"I'm helping you not for your pretty eyes," I lied here. "I'm just bored."

"...So staging a coup on the planet Tamaran is a piece of cake for you? Like having breakfast with

'Kar'Sun'Dara' meat?"

"If your 'Kar'Sun'Dara' is something like a dangerous predator, then you can consider it that way. Instead of waiting for trouble to find me, I'm just heading straight for it."

"That's... quite a carefree life philosophy."

"What's the point of living in constant fear and doubt?"

"Although, if you look at it that way, despite your appearance, you sometimes seem much older than me."

"No, unfortunately, I'm younger than you. I just successfully pretend to be older, wiser, and smarter than some adults..." I replied mentally and just smiled at her words.

"I think if you really want to solve this 'big' problem, we'll need any help we can get," I noticed that she probably wanted to object to this, and not letting her get a word in, I raised my hand to signal that I wanted to finish. "I understand that it's quite dangerous, but the two of us might not be enough."

Here, I was lying again. I'm the Army Man, and I could use my spiritual knights, mages, and heroes to create chaos in the capital of Tamaran, but I didn't want things to go that way because my actions would be seen as an open declaration of war. Violence doesn't always solve all problems. Someone might say that the strong have the right to change everything, but in this situation, brute force alone wouldn't be enough. Political intrigues and Starfire's position as a traitor make us already villains in the eyes of the people of Tamaran. That's why I had to stick to the plan and create an image of myself as a secondary figure. In the end, I would be the one to reveal all the cards. 

"We'll give your friends a choice. If anyone doubts your entire story, if someone doesn't want to risk their life for you and help solve this... terrible injustice, then we won't force them, and we really will go with just the three of us."

"Do you promise...?"

"About what?" I didn't quite understand what she was talking about.

"Promise you won't force them?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! When did I suddenly become a horrible evil demon?"

"Well... Robin said you killed people and couldn't be trusted."

"Ah! 'Robin' said that. How cute of him! And so what? Can you honestly say I'd kill someone without a good reason?"

"While you did help me back then, I still don't know you very well. Are you not offended? I'm a Warrior of my planet, and sometimes we have disagreements that didn't end well."

"Ah, so that's it..." So, it seemed that the Tamaranians had killed someone before. Probably, during her childhood, there were assassin attacks on her. I learned from her that their civilization was a kind of version of our medieval times. Except with plasma swords and flying machines instead of horses.

"No, I'm grateful to you for revealing that, and I don't hold a grudge for suspecting my... intentions. All you need to know about my work is that those people deserved it. Sometimes, there are things I can't forgive. I can't accept. This way, I break the vicious cycle. Don't worry, I won't touch your sister, because that's your prerogative."

"Yes... I... I must have a dialogue with her."

"And if she doesn't want to listen?"

"Then... I'll do what's necessary. For Tamaran."

"No, Starfire, you'll do it not for your home, but for yourself. Be honest with your feelings."

"You said 'the three of us.' Has someone already agreed to go with us?"

"Yes, I have an acquaintance who probably won't mind getting involved, especially now when she doesn't have much to do. She's currently busy with some other 'contract.' You see, the best thing she can do is kill 'bad' guys for money."

I had discreetly kept tabs on Rose Wilson's movements. I worried and cared about her fate because of the resemblance. One of the League of Shadows informants had given me the latest information that she had returned from her last contract and was currently somewhere in Canada. I think it's worth sending her a message. I'm sure it would be beneficial for her...

Interlude.

"Rose Wilson... Who are you really?" the girl asked herself in her bathroom, completely naked in front of the mirror, lightly touching her face around the vertical scar above her left missing eye. So much time had passed since the day she decided to stop chasing her father's shadow. However, despite no longer pursuing him, it felt like he was always with her. Inside her. His... legacy.

She didn't take Alex's words too close to heart, and she didn't try to create a new life for herself. She simply chose to return to her original line of work not because she wanted to become like her father - Deathstroke - but for herself. She felt in her heart that feeling... of rightness. If in the past, she had chased an unattainable dream and the illusion of her father's comfort, now she protected those who asked for it, killed those who killed without a conscience, and sometimes even tortured those who disgusted her, all with a smile on her face...

Flash.

The remains of an eight-year-old girl's body were strewn across the floor. Stripped down to pure bone. Pictures of the girl were everywhere in this deranged stalker's basement a in this basement. He was caught just as he was cleaning up the "bones". The rapist had done his job and decided to "hide" the evidence by destroying it through his own two adult hungry Dobermans.

If only she'd been here sooner! She would have saved her! She would have killed that bastard in a matter of seconds! She would have given her the chance to live the life she never had!!!!

Rose tied him in a chair in the very basement where he carried out his serial murders. She taped his mouth shut because she didn't want to hear a word out of his mouth. Placed the blades of the double-edged swords against his throat and it took her only a moment to cut short his pathetic life and carry out a well-deserved execution.

- "No, it's too easy for you..." - she voiced her thought in a quiet and calm voice.

The sword blades returned to their scabbards behind her back. She kicked his chair, his body fell to the floor, slowly walked toward the exit, pulled out a standard Beretta pistol with a silencer from her belt holster and fired two accurate shots into the locks of his own dogs' cage bars. At first they went to punish the intruder aggressively, but she simply closed the door behind her. And waited for his dogs to eat him in his own basement. She wanted him to remember every last moment of his life, to feel the fear and helplessness before his "loyal" dogs tore him apart. Just like they did to his victims.

She occasionally interrupted only to watch his television, emptying his foodstuffs and just occasionally sitting on the couch staring blankly at the ceiling. She didn't worry about the local neighbors or acquaintances of her targets as she got detailed data regarding his crimes. Each time he took a vacation and cut himself off from the outside world. Rose Wilson couldn't sleep. She didn't want to miss the moment when it would happen.....

She waited patiently for forty-nine hours and forty-three minutes in his apartment and finally, with her keen hearing, she could hear the slurping, splashing and tearing of flesh. With slow steps, she quietly opened the basement door slightly ajar and was able to see... as the toothy jaws of the dogs mauled and tore the rapist apart.

"Is this Justice...?"

She was brought back to reality by the sound of a voice message on her phone. In it, Alex invited her to visit some planet to help some princess. It sounded very silly and bizarre, but despite that, she calmly listened to it and decided to leave right away. Just in case, she packed a collapsible sniper rifle with a suppressor and a couple of magazines, a pistol, a knife, and some swords into a large bag. She put on a black jacket with a white skull design on the back, matching pants and boots, and tied her ash-gray hair into a long ponytail. She slung the heavy bag over her shoulder and headed to a contact of hers within the "Organization" for transportation to the meeting point.

Nevertheless, she really couldn't wait to meet him again after so long apart. The reason and circumstances didn't matter to her. She was ready to follow him even to the depths of hell if he asked. After all, he was the person who helped her find her own path in this world. He taught her to make choices and live as she liked. Wasn't that enough reason to feel such a sense of duty and loyalty...?