Fan Fiction ❯ The Sparrow's Burden ❯ Nurse Starfire ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Fulawkam 
Starfire wraps up tending to Beast Boy, and Robin patrols the city late at night.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.07.2005 | Updated On: 04.07.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 282 | Status: Completed
Starfire wraps up tending to Beast Boy, and Robin patrols the city late at night.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.07.2005 | Updated On: 04.07.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.5K | Visits: 282 | Status: Completed
The Sparrows’ Burden
2.
Starfire was not a girl who protested often, however Beast Boy had been ill for
some time now, and she had grown weary of attempting to mend his dreary and
sometimes frightening condition. The loud purging of air and constant repossession of
nasal fluids made her uncomfortable.
“I do not understand,” she had told him. “’Cold’ is an atmosphere that our
refrigerator produces and a word you often use to describe Raven. How could a boy,
however remarkable, ensnare such a thing?”
“Star,” Beast Boy sighed. “When I say I ‘caught a cold’, it means I’ve been
infected by a virus.”
Starfire gasped. She understood that there was much about Earth she still needed
to learn, why such a terrible scenario was not projected to her until this time perplexed
her. “A virus?! How awful! Yet, you remain so calm.” Starfire began pacing and
gasping for air. Such an illness had befallen her friend, and she did not know with what
remedy he could be treated. “You do not need to dawn such a brave persona, I will assist
in your plight. Beast Boy, share with me please how to help you survive until tomorrow!”
The fuzzy green boy looked up curiously from his tea cup. Even draped in a thick
blanket and with tissues containing unsanitary fluids littered around his proximity, he did
not look as though he were dying. “Well,” he smirked. “I guess some soup would be
nice.”
Starfire’s eyes beamed with optimism. “Yes!” She clapped her hands as she
spoke, unable to hide her relief that something could be done to help. “I shall fetch you
hot broth that has seeped through a poultry’s carcass.” Starfire bolted out the door of the
bedroom, much too fast to hear Beast Boy’s calls that he had changed his mind.
Since then, Starfire had learned that the virus in question was not nearly as grave
as she had initially feared. Beast Boy would recover in a short time with no permanent
repercussions. Nevertheless she was on hand to help, even giving the young man a tiny
brass bell which he could use to summon her from wherever she may have been in the
tower. He had taken to the instrument quickly, and Starfire could not have predicted how
many times the teenager would need his pillow readjusted or a story read. She was happy
to do it, of course, but wondered how much of it needed to be done to assist his recovery.
Presently, Starfire was granting her now very dependent team-mate with a liquid
gel that would allow him to rest more peacefully. He took the tiny capful of solution into
his mouth and gave her a nod of thanks.
Beast Boy’s face then suddenly began to scrunch together. “Ah . . .” he took a
large breath of air. “Ah . . .” Now he brought his hands to his nose and tightly closed his
eyes, bracing for the inevitable. “AH--*quack*”
Starfire giggled as she looked down at the green duck that now occupied the bed.
One symptom of this illness were sudden and tremendous expulsions of air. When these
occurred, they often seemed to force Beast Boy to loose control of his ability to change
into animal form.
The duck regained it’s composure and quickly regained the shape of Starfire’s
friend. “Sorry, Star.”
Again, Starfire laughed. “Forgiven, Beast Boy. I am only glad you did not take
the form of a Hippopotamus again. Their nasal fluids are difficult to clean off the walls
and ceiling.”
Beast Boy blushed. Starfire knew he was grateful, but he may have been
self-conscious about her seeing him in state of reduced control. Starfire started for the
door, deciding now that Beast Boy would do well without company. She stopped,
though, deciding to ask her friend a curious question.
“Beast Boy,” The green lad looked toward her with affection. “How may I avoid
obtaining such a botherful illness?”
“Well Star, a word of advice:” The girl leaned forward and listened intently. “If
you’re gonna spend your weekend outside, naked in a puddle . . .” Beast Boy quipped.
“Remember that even if you think all the alcohol will kill the germs, it won’t.” With that,
Beast Boy began to laugh, and Starfire came to realise it was a joke. She smiled politely
and quietly left. Beast Boy often tried to make her laugh, and while she appreciated it,
she often did not understand the humour behind his statements. Perhaps she must be in
need of more time on Earth before comprehending such sophisticated comedy.
Starfire made her way to the Titan’s lounge, where a large television and
crescent-shaped sofa sat idle. No one was presently around to converse with, although
she could hear the unmistakable din of Cyborg engaged in what he adamantly called a
“work out”. Starfire hardly saw what he did as work at all. To her understanding,
Cyborg spent three hours a day picking up heavy things, and then putting them down.
It was such a beautiful evening and she wished to share it. But Beast Boy would
be asleep presently, and Cyborg would not be pulled away from heavy objects to simply
“talk”. Robin was out in the city doing what he often enjoyed, being alone.
Raven had gone into her room, which Starfire had come to accept meant she
would not be seen until morning. The Tamarainian sighed as she walked to the nearby
window and gazed through. Such beauty, the stars and city. The waves of the harbour
carried moonlight upon their shoulders. The moon itself provided light to those who
sought to unveil themselves from darkness.
Starfire smiled, feeling the magic of the planet she would always call home. This
was not a terribly poor way to spend the rest of her evening. She knew that she could
stand here in complete contentment for hours. Starfire decided that is what she would do,
until it was time to repose her tired body.
She watched for several minutes. Her peace was broken by the smallest of sights.
Extending from atop the tower, a blue streak shot silently into Starfire’s field of vision
and towards the city. Starfire took notice and attempted to confirm what she had seen,
however her vision was tardy. The object had vanished from sight, leaving the young girl
with only a strong suspicion of what she had observed. “Raven?”
Starfire: An extra terrestrial girl from the planet Tamaran, Starfire possesses the
outerworldly abilities of flight, and is able to condense powerful amounts of energy into
her hands which she can then discharge or throw for a devastating ranged attack.
Starfire’s powers seem to be inherent, and combined with sheer courage, she can turn the
tide of the grimmest battle.
Starfire is a stunning redhead, although she seems to be unaware of her own beauty. Her
Tamarainian biology gives her appearance a few differences from the girls of Earth, such
as an orangish skin tone and a somewhat slimmer build. Her eyes glow with a green aura
when her adrenaline or temper rises. Starfire’s uniform is slightly on the racy side,
mostly purple, with a short skirt ending her visible midriff. A matching tanktop extends
just past her sternum, with a silver fitting of armour covering her collar and lower neck
Raven withholds all emotion, and Starfire gushes it. When she’s happy, she’s euphoric,
when she’s scared, she’s terrified, and when she’s anxious, she’s panicked. She can’t
stand to see people argue, and will to whatever it takes to settle disputes. Starfire still
retains great innocence and naiveté because many of Earth’s customs don’t make sense to
her. This can surface in awkward ways, such as mistaking a bottle of mustard for a
beverage, or suggesting pickles and bananas as pizza toppings. Even though Starfire is
highly emotional and easily rattled, she won’t hesitate to charge into battle, especially
when her friends are in danger. Thanks to her unbridled displays of affection, it’s no
secret Starfire sees the Teen Titans as her home and family.
*
The boy was athletic, no question. His movements atop the city rooftops easily
matched that of an Olympic gymnast. But the suit he wore and the equipment he carried
gave him a quantum-leap over other athletes. The dark mask he wore was built
jam-packed with microchips, fiberoptics and the most advanced technology the world
was yet to see. The function he used now was a form of night vision. The boy now leapt
high above the street lights, and a misplaced jump could prove fatal. Night vision seemed
like a necessity.
But the boy was no pro athlete, nor did he aspire to be. The boy was a guardian, a
solider of the city and striving to be a leader.
His foot came to the edge of the parking structure and Robin torpedoed himself
off. “Whahoo!” The exuberance in his voice was exceeded only by the grin across his
face as he completed two full airial somersaults. Robin opened up his body to slow his
rotation and glanced downwards to the road. He was at least twelve stories high, which
made the same difference to the boy wonder as three or a hundred. His fist came above
his head, and with a jolt of compressed C02, out shot a crescent disk, pulling behind it an
extending steel chord. The disk fasten itself to a nearby building and, using tiny titanium
fibers, held itself in place. With a small flinch of his wrist, the cord retracted and quickly
pulled him towards the point of impact. Robin was then easily able to swing himself to
the top of the next roof and continue with his exercise.
Robin had led the team in combat practice earlier in the day, and he was ready for
a rest. But as much as he enjoyed being with the other Teen Titans, sometimes he just
needed to get out and away. Tonight was one of those nights, a night he just needed to
think.
What was he doing? Lately he had been pushing the team past all of their limits,
and he wasn’t even sure why. Slade was gone. No other opponent had been able to
organise themselves against the Titans with the class which he had. Couldn’t they slow
down? Hadn’t the group earned a rest?
Robin chuckled to himself. At least Beast Boy was getting some down time. It
was amazing how something so simple as a common cold could take all the fight out of
you. Robin had thought about sending Beast Boy in to get medical treatment to speed up
his recovery, but didn’t know what type of doctor would handle such a case. Beast Boy’s
physiology would be just plain baffling. Any physician looking at him would have to
have every conceivable type of veterinarian standing by for reference.
Robin made another jump and landed atop a nineteenth century cathedral. For a
moment he rested next to the belltower, not sure if he had enough for the night or if he
should continue on. Maybe he could take a quick snooze here? It was a nice night, and
the moon had a pretty cool effect on the stained-glass window beside him.
“Enjoy the view, Robin. Thank the maker that you’ll have the fortune of dying at
a church.”
Robin spun around and shot his stare up to the top of the belltower. There, with
the moon at it’s back, stood the silhouette of a young man in a combat stance. He stood
more than a foot taller than Robin and held a quarter staff. Robin’s heart skipped. If he
was looking at who he thought . . .
The new arrival jumped from his post, coming down only several feet from his
opponent. Robin pulled out and extended his mechanical Bo, his fears now confirmed.
The boy wonder gritted his teeth. In both a combination of recognition and defiance he
offered up the name belonging to the boy. “Sparrow.”
Sparrow’s demented cackle filled the sky. Robin knew without a doubt that this
would be the fight of his life.
Robin: The boy wonder has come a long way from his days of peeking out from behind
Batman’s cape. Now the leader of the Teen Titans, Robin must use his head when he
fights. He possesses no supernatural powers of his own, so toe-to-toe battles are not an
option. He uses his outstanding gymnastics, martial arts skills, and a wide variety of
high-tech weapons to level considerably stronger opponents . Fighting Robin means
never knowing what he’s going to do next.
Robin’s tiny body seems built around his agility, all tone and no bulk. He stands far
shorter than most boys his age, and his hair is styled in black fiery waves. Almost every
part of Robin’s green and red suit has a function of some kind. The greatest of these is
his yellow utility belt which carries most of his weapons. A black mask hides his eyes, a
yellow and black cape drapes his shoulders and frames his almost unhealthily thin build.
When in battle, Robin is expected to keep his head when everything seems to be spinning
out of control. He usually does, but he has a very competitive nature and hates to lose.
He has a large, but easily damaged ego, and this can result in him holding petty grudges.
Still, Robin is the most strategically intelligent of the team, and the one each other Titan
feels closest to.
2.
Starfire was not a girl who protested often, however Beast Boy had been ill for
some time now, and she had grown weary of attempting to mend his dreary and
sometimes frightening condition. The loud purging of air and constant repossession of
nasal fluids made her uncomfortable.
“I do not understand,” she had told him. “’Cold’ is an atmosphere that our
refrigerator produces and a word you often use to describe Raven. How could a boy,
however remarkable, ensnare such a thing?”
“Star,” Beast Boy sighed. “When I say I ‘caught a cold’, it means I’ve been
infected by a virus.”
Starfire gasped. She understood that there was much about Earth she still needed
to learn, why such a terrible scenario was not projected to her until this time perplexed
her. “A virus?! How awful! Yet, you remain so calm.” Starfire began pacing and
gasping for air. Such an illness had befallen her friend, and she did not know with what
remedy he could be treated. “You do not need to dawn such a brave persona, I will assist
in your plight. Beast Boy, share with me please how to help you survive until tomorrow!”
The fuzzy green boy looked up curiously from his tea cup. Even draped in a thick
blanket and with tissues containing unsanitary fluids littered around his proximity, he did
not look as though he were dying. “Well,” he smirked. “I guess some soup would be
nice.”
Starfire’s eyes beamed with optimism. “Yes!” She clapped her hands as she
spoke, unable to hide her relief that something could be done to help. “I shall fetch you
hot broth that has seeped through a poultry’s carcass.” Starfire bolted out the door of the
bedroom, much too fast to hear Beast Boy’s calls that he had changed his mind.
Since then, Starfire had learned that the virus in question was not nearly as grave
as she had initially feared. Beast Boy would recover in a short time with no permanent
repercussions. Nevertheless she was on hand to help, even giving the young man a tiny
brass bell which he could use to summon her from wherever she may have been in the
tower. He had taken to the instrument quickly, and Starfire could not have predicted how
many times the teenager would need his pillow readjusted or a story read. She was happy
to do it, of course, but wondered how much of it needed to be done to assist his recovery.
Presently, Starfire was granting her now very dependent team-mate with a liquid
gel that would allow him to rest more peacefully. He took the tiny capful of solution into
his mouth and gave her a nod of thanks.
Beast Boy’s face then suddenly began to scrunch together. “Ah . . .” he took a
large breath of air. “Ah . . .” Now he brought his hands to his nose and tightly closed his
eyes, bracing for the inevitable. “AH--*quack*”
Starfire giggled as she looked down at the green duck that now occupied the bed.
One symptom of this illness were sudden and tremendous expulsions of air. When these
occurred, they often seemed to force Beast Boy to loose control of his ability to change
into animal form.
The duck regained it’s composure and quickly regained the shape of Starfire’s
friend. “Sorry, Star.”
Again, Starfire laughed. “Forgiven, Beast Boy. I am only glad you did not take
the form of a Hippopotamus again. Their nasal fluids are difficult to clean off the walls
and ceiling.”
Beast Boy blushed. Starfire knew he was grateful, but he may have been
self-conscious about her seeing him in state of reduced control. Starfire started for the
door, deciding now that Beast Boy would do well without company. She stopped,
though, deciding to ask her friend a curious question.
“Beast Boy,” The green lad looked toward her with affection. “How may I avoid
obtaining such a botherful illness?”
“Well Star, a word of advice:” The girl leaned forward and listened intently. “If
you’re gonna spend your weekend outside, naked in a puddle . . .” Beast Boy quipped.
“Remember that even if you think all the alcohol will kill the germs, it won’t.” With that,
Beast Boy began to laugh, and Starfire came to realise it was a joke. She smiled politely
and quietly left. Beast Boy often tried to make her laugh, and while she appreciated it,
she often did not understand the humour behind his statements. Perhaps she must be in
need of more time on Earth before comprehending such sophisticated comedy.
Starfire made her way to the Titan’s lounge, where a large television and
crescent-shaped sofa sat idle. No one was presently around to converse with, although
she could hear the unmistakable din of Cyborg engaged in what he adamantly called a
“work out”. Starfire hardly saw what he did as work at all. To her understanding,
Cyborg spent three hours a day picking up heavy things, and then putting them down.
It was such a beautiful evening and she wished to share it. But Beast Boy would
be asleep presently, and Cyborg would not be pulled away from heavy objects to simply
“talk”. Robin was out in the city doing what he often enjoyed, being alone.
Raven had gone into her room, which Starfire had come to accept meant she
would not be seen until morning. The Tamarainian sighed as she walked to the nearby
window and gazed through. Such beauty, the stars and city. The waves of the harbour
carried moonlight upon their shoulders. The moon itself provided light to those who
sought to unveil themselves from darkness.
Starfire smiled, feeling the magic of the planet she would always call home. This
was not a terribly poor way to spend the rest of her evening. She knew that she could
stand here in complete contentment for hours. Starfire decided that is what she would do,
until it was time to repose her tired body.
She watched for several minutes. Her peace was broken by the smallest of sights.
Extending from atop the tower, a blue streak shot silently into Starfire’s field of vision
and towards the city. Starfire took notice and attempted to confirm what she had seen,
however her vision was tardy. The object had vanished from sight, leaving the young girl
with only a strong suspicion of what she had observed. “Raven?”
Starfire: An extra terrestrial girl from the planet Tamaran, Starfire possesses the
outerworldly abilities of flight, and is able to condense powerful amounts of energy into
her hands which she can then discharge or throw for a devastating ranged attack.
Starfire’s powers seem to be inherent, and combined with sheer courage, she can turn the
tide of the grimmest battle.
Starfire is a stunning redhead, although she seems to be unaware of her own beauty. Her
Tamarainian biology gives her appearance a few differences from the girls of Earth, such
as an orangish skin tone and a somewhat slimmer build. Her eyes glow with a green aura
when her adrenaline or temper rises. Starfire’s uniform is slightly on the racy side,
mostly purple, with a short skirt ending her visible midriff. A matching tanktop extends
just past her sternum, with a silver fitting of armour covering her collar and lower neck
Raven withholds all emotion, and Starfire gushes it. When she’s happy, she’s euphoric,
when she’s scared, she’s terrified, and when she’s anxious, she’s panicked. She can’t
stand to see people argue, and will to whatever it takes to settle disputes. Starfire still
retains great innocence and naiveté because many of Earth’s customs don’t make sense to
her. This can surface in awkward ways, such as mistaking a bottle of mustard for a
beverage, or suggesting pickles and bananas as pizza toppings. Even though Starfire is
highly emotional and easily rattled, she won’t hesitate to charge into battle, especially
when her friends are in danger. Thanks to her unbridled displays of affection, it’s no
secret Starfire sees the Teen Titans as her home and family.
*
The boy was athletic, no question. His movements atop the city rooftops easily
matched that of an Olympic gymnast. But the suit he wore and the equipment he carried
gave him a quantum-leap over other athletes. The dark mask he wore was built
jam-packed with microchips, fiberoptics and the most advanced technology the world
was yet to see. The function he used now was a form of night vision. The boy now leapt
high above the street lights, and a misplaced jump could prove fatal. Night vision seemed
like a necessity.
But the boy was no pro athlete, nor did he aspire to be. The boy was a guardian, a
solider of the city and striving to be a leader.
His foot came to the edge of the parking structure and Robin torpedoed himself
off. “Whahoo!” The exuberance in his voice was exceeded only by the grin across his
face as he completed two full airial somersaults. Robin opened up his body to slow his
rotation and glanced downwards to the road. He was at least twelve stories high, which
made the same difference to the boy wonder as three or a hundred. His fist came above
his head, and with a jolt of compressed C02, out shot a crescent disk, pulling behind it an
extending steel chord. The disk fasten itself to a nearby building and, using tiny titanium
fibers, held itself in place. With a small flinch of his wrist, the cord retracted and quickly
pulled him towards the point of impact. Robin was then easily able to swing himself to
the top of the next roof and continue with his exercise.
Robin had led the team in combat practice earlier in the day, and he was ready for
a rest. But as much as he enjoyed being with the other Teen Titans, sometimes he just
needed to get out and away. Tonight was one of those nights, a night he just needed to
think.
What was he doing? Lately he had been pushing the team past all of their limits,
and he wasn’t even sure why. Slade was gone. No other opponent had been able to
organise themselves against the Titans with the class which he had. Couldn’t they slow
down? Hadn’t the group earned a rest?
Robin chuckled to himself. At least Beast Boy was getting some down time. It
was amazing how something so simple as a common cold could take all the fight out of
you. Robin had thought about sending Beast Boy in to get medical treatment to speed up
his recovery, but didn’t know what type of doctor would handle such a case. Beast Boy’s
physiology would be just plain baffling. Any physician looking at him would have to
have every conceivable type of veterinarian standing by for reference.
Robin made another jump and landed atop a nineteenth century cathedral. For a
moment he rested next to the belltower, not sure if he had enough for the night or if he
should continue on. Maybe he could take a quick snooze here? It was a nice night, and
the moon had a pretty cool effect on the stained-glass window beside him.
“Enjoy the view, Robin. Thank the maker that you’ll have the fortune of dying at
a church.”
Robin spun around and shot his stare up to the top of the belltower. There, with
the moon at it’s back, stood the silhouette of a young man in a combat stance. He stood
more than a foot taller than Robin and held a quarter staff. Robin’s heart skipped. If he
was looking at who he thought . . .
The new arrival jumped from his post, coming down only several feet from his
opponent. Robin pulled out and extended his mechanical Bo, his fears now confirmed.
The boy wonder gritted his teeth. In both a combination of recognition and defiance he
offered up the name belonging to the boy. “Sparrow.”
Sparrow’s demented cackle filled the sky. Robin knew without a doubt that this
would be the fight of his life.
Robin: The boy wonder has come a long way from his days of peeking out from behind
Batman’s cape. Now the leader of the Teen Titans, Robin must use his head when he
fights. He possesses no supernatural powers of his own, so toe-to-toe battles are not an
option. He uses his outstanding gymnastics, martial arts skills, and a wide variety of
high-tech weapons to level considerably stronger opponents . Fighting Robin means
never knowing what he’s going to do next.
Robin’s tiny body seems built around his agility, all tone and no bulk. He stands far
shorter than most boys his age, and his hair is styled in black fiery waves. Almost every
part of Robin’s green and red suit has a function of some kind. The greatest of these is
his yellow utility belt which carries most of his weapons. A black mask hides his eyes, a
yellow and black cape drapes his shoulders and frames his almost unhealthily thin build.
When in battle, Robin is expected to keep his head when everything seems to be spinning
out of control. He usually does, but he has a very competitive nature and hates to lose.
He has a large, but easily damaged ego, and this can result in him holding petty grudges.
Still, Robin is the most strategically intelligent of the team, and the one each other Titan
feels closest to.