Starfire

Scene 24: "One Life Ends; Another Begins."

The day before the fight, Hawkins had received a call from Victor Payton. The first thing he had said to his old friend was, 'I'm sorry I had to go along with Luthor and Slade's plan all this time. You understand I didn't want anything bad to happen to Starfire.'

Although Payton couldn't see him, Hawkins was shaking his head. 'I do understand, and so does Starfire. She says, and I quote, that she bears you no ill feelings.' His tone changed into a more questioning one. 'What is it you have to tell me?'

'I had help getting to your house,' Payton replied. 'Lexi.'

That was all Hawkins needed to hear. 'She still at the hospital?'

The moment Payton had replied, 'Yes, and she's being released today,' Hawkins got into his car and made to stops. The first one was to speak to Mr. Darren to get some important documents and a pen. The he made his way to the Jump City Central Hospital to see Lexi.

"Boss, it's good to see you," Lexi said with dry sarcasm. Hawkins had forgotten how much that got on his nerves. Until Starfire had come along, he had put up with Lexi because she was good at throwing punches. Now he could see that a fighter needed to have more than one quality to become a champion. Looking at Lexi, there was a lot to be desired.

"I heard you were being released, girl," Hawkins replied professionally. "The lady at the front desk wanted me to bring you your release papers so you can be cleared to leave. Also," he added after Lexi had signed the forms, "she wanted me to have you sign another document. It's at the bottom of the pile."

Lexi pulled out another form, not noticing it didn't have the hospital's logo on the left hand corner, and signed her name. Mr. Hawkins smiled in triumph. She had fallen for his little trick.

"I wish you the best of luck Lexi." When she looked at him in confusion, he added in clarification, "You're fired. I've spoken to Mr. Darren, and he has given me full consent."

"NO!" cried Lexi at the top of her lungs. "You can't do this to me!"

"I didn't," Hawkins replied calmly, "you did."

Mr. Hawkins turned his back on Lexi and walked out of the room. He was very relieved to close the door behind him; her screams of rage were deafening.

"Looks like she took that well." Hawkins looked, and just like he expected, was Payton. "I've been watching her fight for years and thinking, 'Alexander is a good businessman, but he needs to find some actual talent.' Glad to see you finally found some."

Hawkins smiled. "I can't believe I'm not offended by that, but the truth is, you're right. I had very sense of perspective before Star fell out of the sky.

"When I first took her to my house, I saw only a fighter. In all fairness, though, I got to know her well by housing her. As you can guess, I got to know a person, not just an alien or a fighter."

Payton nodded and shook his friend's hand. "Well, tell Starfire from me I hope she brings home that title. Send me a text with her wearing the belt."

***

That night, dinner was an incredibly talkative affair at the Hawkins house.

"Everything's going to change now," Jennifer was saying to Starfire. "Now that you're a registered citizen, you can go anywhere you want without having to hide from people. Not only that, but you were a part of something historical."

"Best of all," added Mr. Hawkins, "you'll give us a lot of publicity, ow that everyone knows where live, and that you're an alien."

"Come on, Dad," said Jennifer in a mock scolding voice.

"Okay," relented Mr. Hawkins. "You also got a lot of new opportunities open to you. You're going to make yourself into a legend. People are never going to forget you any time soon."

"I am looking forward to tomorrow," Starfire admitted.

"And you should be," said Mr. Hawkins. "This is going to be a match they're going to be talking about for years."

"We're really proud of you, Kori," promised Jennifer. "Even if by some miracle you don't bring home the title, you'll still be a winner to us. That's what matters."

"Now you need to get some sleep," said Mr. Hawkins. "You have a big day tomorrow. We're counting on you for a lot of things."

"Very well," said Starfire, and she cleared her plate and got ready for bed. She knew tomorrow was important, and she didn't want to let Mr. Hawkins and Jennifer down now.

As she closed her eyes, Starfire fell into dream once more. She hadn't had one since the day of her execution. Now that she was having one again, she was quite surprised, particularly since she was seeing the face of someone she loved, but knew to be dead.

"Mother."

"It is so good to see you again, Koriand'r," the Tamaranian woman said happily, "or should I say Starfire?"

Starfire smiled. "I do love my new name, but I will always still be Koriand'r, no matter where I go."

"You have spoken wisely, daughter," her mother said. "I cannot express how proud I am of you. If he were here now, I know your father would say the same thing."

If Starfire had been awake, she would have had tears in her eyes. Instead, she just smiled and said, "I know he would be." Now she had a new question she had to ask, though was unsure she would get a definitive answer. "Will I see you again, Mother?"

"I am with you no matter where you go," her mother promised. "And I have something else to tell you. A promising life ended for you when Tamaran fell. However, you have shown me so much of what you are truly capable of. You have changed things for another planet forever. You are the path to finding peace, as I promised you would. I also will tell you this: I see nothing that will ever deter you from your path to greatness.

"I love you," was the last thing Starfire heard her mother say before she wrapped her arms around her daughter. In the morning, she woke up, still feeling happier than she had been for so long in her life.

***

"Okay, this is it," Jennifer was saying as Starfire stepped into the ring to face Atalanta. As she handed the girl who had become like her sister her jacket, Jennifer added, "Give them a show they'll never forget."

"You know I will," said Starfire as she made for the center of the ring. Before the bell rang, she said to herself, "One life ends; another begins," and then she threw her first punch at Atalanta.