CHAPTER 1

His red, yellow, and green uniform was worn and torn slightly from the battle he and his teammates had just been in. They had done a lot of damage to the buildings and some people of Jump City, and the police force was expecting a mound of paperwork in a few days. The figure stood, shoulders hunched, over the table in the evidence room, looking over the forms he could almost recite by memory, but his tired mind couldn't process a word he read. Seeing as it was 4:30am, this was to be expected.

He slid down into the chair behind him and pressed his palms against his eyes and imagined his girlfriend, who had probably fallen asleep back in bed when he didn't turn in for the night. It had been a year and a half since their first kiss in Tokyo… they started dating that day - no surprises there - but hadn't gone past an occasional peck until recently, when puberty and curiosity took over. She had grown beautifully into her body, and he had to admit that though he was still very skinny, all his training and working out was beginning to pay off. He had gone through a couple of growth spurts and was almost as tall as Starfire, but that didn't make much of a difference between them considering the fact that she spent most of her time hovering above him.

Robin jumped when he heard the door slide open and Starfire walked in with a plate of bacon and eggs.

"Star!" Robin spluttered, "I'm sorry I didn't come to be, I just…" he glanced at the papers again and sighed.

"It is alright," She said sweetly, though her face did not agree, "I have brought you a share of Cyborg's breakfast." She offered him the plate.

Robin stared incredulously at the plate, then at Starfire.

"Breakfast?" He finally said, then looked at the clock, which now read 9:45am.

"SHIT! This paperwork is due at noon! Two fucking hours and I'm not even close to being done! I fucking fell asleep! Fuck!"

His sudden outburst and offensive language made Starfire shrink back. She carefully set the plate down beside Robin and kissed him on his forehead, which he ignored in his scramble to finish his work. Starfire sighed inaudibly and went back to the kitchen to eat her own breakfast. When she walked in, all the other Titans looked at her.

"We heard Rob shout, y'all alright?" Cyborg stated sympathetically.

"Yes, but I am afraid he is not so. He said that he accidentally fell asleep, and did not finish the paperwork that is due at 12 o'clock today," Starfire informed before drifting to her seat beside Beast Boy. He smiled at her, and she smiled wearily back. Beast Boy's facial features and body had significantly matured, but his personality was hardly any different. Cyborg hadn't changed a bit, except for the occasional software upgrade. A hooded figure drifted into the seat beside Star, it was Raven, who hadn't changed either; however, she had gained mastery over her powers and had a confident gait not present before.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Raven smirked.

"No, that will not be necessary," Starfire replied, smiling, "He wasn't yelling at me, he was simply… yelling."

They finished their breakfast and then took their usual places for the day: Beast Boy and Cyborg playing video games quite competitively, Starfire taking turns rooting for the both of them and laughing with her mood lightening considerably, and Raven sitting at the edge of the couch immersed in her newest book and only occasionally looking up. It was almost time for lunch when Starfire remembered Robin.

"I wish to do the "checking in" on Robin," Starfire said as she floated off.

"A'ight, holler if ya need us!" Cyborg called over his shoulder, his eyes transfixed on the screen.

Starfire walked through the automatic sliding doors and down the hall that led to the evidence room. When she went in quietly, she saw the familiar scene of Robin hunched over the table.

"Robin, would you like to join us for lunch?" She asked timidly.

"Not now, Starfire," He replied flatly.

"Please, is the paperwork not completed?"

"There's… other stuff."

"Robin-"

"Not now Starfire!" He said with more force, but not turning around.

"This cannot be healthy-" Starfire began.

"FUCKING LEAVE ME BE!" He spun around and shouted with an awful glare. Starfire stared for a moment, shocked as tears welled up in her eyes. Then she tore out of the room and went to Raven for council. Starfire explained to Raven how Robin had acted, and Beast Boy and Cyborg paused their game to listen. When she finished, all three got up and silently agreed to go talk some sense into him.

"I'm gonna kick his ass…" Cyborg growled.

"Oh please do not harm him," Starfire protested, but Cyborg didn't respond.

Raven's eyes glowed white and the doors, engulfed in black magic, were forced open.

"Yo Robin, what's your deal?" Beast Boy shouted.

"Not now Starfire…" Robin replied in monotone.

"Uh, dude? I'm definitely not Starfire." Beast Boy said defensively.

Raven walked over beside Robin and picked something up off the desk. Suddenly, Robin was jerked off his seat and flung to the opposite side of the room all while keeping his sitting form. At the other side of the room, Robin flickered and disappeared.

"Hologram…" Raven stated.

"Then where is our Robin?" Starfire asked fearfully. "Has he re-embraced Red X?"

"Uh guys? My sensors are picking up heavy traces of chloroform…" Cyborg stated, causing Starfire to gasp dramatically.

"OUR ROBIN HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED?" She shrieked.

At that moment a sharp object shattered the window and sunk into the wall behind her, glittering with glass dust and shine. Starfire, transfixed, grabbed the object and pulled a piece of paper off it, reading aloud:

"You Titans can be so predictable…."

She lifted the object for all to observe: it was a copper disc with an "S" engraved on it, almost making a perfect circle. Slade.