Oh thanks so much for reviewing!! And I say that to ALL my faithful reviewers, heh. But I'd like to give a SPECIAL thank you to Dark Austral, cause she actually said the one thing that always makes me happy: that my story was DIFFERENT. You do not know how spastic I was, lol. Dstar504, you had the same effect. I was actually BOUNCING in my chair from excitement...and I got a few strange looks from my sisters, but oh well! Thank you SO much for ALL of the reviews...however little there are. But I don't want to make other reviewers to feel unloved, so thanks to all for reviewing so kindly and not giving me flames ...Cause flame's are babyish and I would declare you all children.

Disclaimer: -sighs in an annoyed manner- I don't own Teen Titans...thank you...so anyone who has a problem with this disclaimer can put the comment through to my secretary. -leaves you on hold for another 5 hours-

Chapter 2

Robin walked into the warehouse with reluctant steps, clenching his long metal stick in his fist. The whole tense atmosphere made him shudder. He wondered if Slade would be pleased with the last mission he did, or not. If not...

Slade slunk out from the shadows, and evil smile on his face. "Well, well if it isn't the Boy Wonder," he chuckled.

Robin stared at him coldly. "Slade," he greeted.

"I suppose you're wondering why I forced you over here again."

"The thought entered my mind," he replied vaguely.

"Touchy," Slade commented. "You better learn politeness, boy, or you'll be doing worse things than these jobs. I called you over to tell you that this can't go on."

Robin frowned. "What do you mean 'can't go on'?"

"You, working for two teams. It's a bit silly—one foot on the evil side, one foot on the good. It won't do. You have to choose; and that'll obviously be here."

One of Robin's fists clenched. "I know," he said. "I'll choose."

"And be quick about it," Slade added sharply, his eyes narrowing in disapproval. "Just remember: on this side, you work: alone."

Robin scowled at Slade, and barked, "Shut up. I know," and stormed out. Slamming his fist against the warehouse and making it shake, he walked out to the docks and looked out to the boggy harbor. The mist of the morning was a blanket over the dark water—out in the distance, he could see the Titans Tower. The proud letter 'T' that had been inspired by the alien ship that had crashed into the island after the Titans had defeated it. That Starfire was captured in. Starfire...

Robin shook his head to clear it. Don't get ahead of yourself, he thought. Just study your aspects. What is on the good side? Well, IS there a good and bad side? People just join sides, and declare them either name. Both sides fight, both kill, both are...His eyes widened. Both are the same.

"But then again they're not!" he growled, throwing a stone into the water, unsettling it. "God...I can't decide!" Sitting down, his legs swinging over the side of the harbor, his head in his hands, he 'studied his aspects'.

What's on the 'good' side? Well, Starfire for one. My friends. Should I just...turn away from it all? But I should. I'm always slowing everyone down. I work better alone. Working for Slade has been...easy. I'm not putting anyone into danger. And perhaps I can find a way of sneaking around without hurting anyone doing it...What IS the life of a villain, anyway? Steal things I suppose...get money...make a living...but that could be a side job. Robin sighed heavily, not sure why he was even considering. He should choose to stay with the Titans, straight off! Why was he considering it in the first place? Just tell Slade 'no' and go. Easy.

...right?

Robin sighed again. I don't want to put the Titans in danger...and Slade might haunt me forever, hang like a shadow over the Titans, if I refuse...I've gone too far. He looked up at the dark water and scowled. His sheer determination kicked in, suddenly, as it usually does. I can't go back now. I need to finish it.

At the Titans Tower.

Starfire nodded off, her face going flat into her tofu cereal. Her head snapped back up again, this time with tofu stuck on her face, along with a few cornflakes. She groaned, "Oh, Beast Boy, do not make me eat this disgusting earth sludge..."

"It's not sludge!" Beast Boy cried, offended. "It's tofu! C'mon, Star, you gotta taste all the fancy delicacies of earth! And this is one of them: tofu cereal. Now eat up," he added with a large smile.

"My friend, I am so tired," Starfire moaned. "Can I perhaps try to poison myself some other terrible time?"

"YOU'RE tired?!" Cyborg shouted from the couch. "I spent all night looking for that little twerp we call our leader! Where the heck is he, anyway?"

"Disappeared," Raven said, meditating on the couch. Opening one violet eye, she added with a sigh, "Again."

"Man, I am NOT going out there again!"

Beast Boy frowned. "Is Robin a baby all of a sudden? I think he can take care of himself."

Raven exchanged glances with Cyborg. Starfire looked back in forth at the faces of the four Titans; Beast Boy's comment hung in the air. "Can't he?" he asked again.

Cyborg finally spoke. "Well...not to alarm anybody, but Robin's been...kinda strange. Late-nighters...weird moods...Did you notice how silent he was yesterday? Barely spoke."

Starfire wrung her hands. "That is why I worry as well," she said quietly.

"I can feel his depression, and inner conflict," Raven added solemnly. "There's something wrong."

"And just yesterday, I found this weird gadget in his room!" Beast Boy piped in cheerily. "I knocked on the door, no one was there, so I went in, and I saw this communicator that was totally black and with no identification. Totally weird."

"Just like Beast Boy..." Raven muttered.

"I just wish Robin would talk to us more..." Cyborg muttered. "I think..." He stopped, eyeing Starfire. "I'm going to shut up," he decided, turning on the T.V.

Raven nodded. "I agree."

Starfire's eyes widened. "You cannot assume that...Robin...has BETRAYED us?!"

Beast Boy burst out laughing. "Robin? Naw! He's the leader! Why would he—"

The door burst open, cutting Beast Boy off. Robin stumbled in, wet and shaking his hair dry. "It's raining," he stated stupidly.

Starfire's face brightened. "Friend Robin!" she cried, running over to him and giving him a bone-crushing hug. "I have not seen you since last night!"

"Oh, the terror..." said Raven sarcastically.

Robin managed a thin smile. "Sorry." He looked around at the Titans. "Sorry I went off again."

Cyborg glared at him. "'Sorry'? That's all you have to say?! I spent all NIGHT looking for you!"

Robin snapped a frown in his direction; Starfire, who still had her arms wrapped around him, felt him tense. She thought it smart to back away. "I said I was sorry. What else do I have to say or do? Should I grovel?"

"That WOULD be nice, considering that you go off at the most inconvenient times to do who-knows-what! What's the secret, Robin? We'd like to know too, since we're already stressing out about you."

"Oh, so now you're the leader?" asked Robin with a sarcastic laugh.

Cyborg's eyes narrowed. "I might as well be, since you're never here anymore," he said.

"I. Go out. For my own. Reasons," said Robin through clenched teeth.

"And what would they be?"

"None of your business."

"What if it IS my business?"

"If it ever is, I'll tell you. Until then: back off."

Cyborg stood and raised his eyebrows, imitating surprise. "Oh, yeah? And what are you gonna do about it?"

"This." Without a hesitation, Robin flew into the air and whipped out his metal quarterstaff, slamming it hard across Cyborg's face as he flew towards the couch. Starfire's jaw dropped; even Raven was a bit surprised. Beast Boy muttered, as Robin landed on the floor and Cyborg held his bleeding jaw, "Whoa...chill, dude. Cyborg was just kiddin'. Uh...right, Cyborg?"

"I meant every word," Cyborg growled, wiping his lip with the back of his hand. "What is WRONG with you, Robin? You're acting like a girl and freaking out about everything anyone says."

"If there's a third girl in here, it's you," Robin growled, still in his fighting stance, signaling that he was ready for Cyborg's next move.

"Man...I don't want to fight you..." Cyborg said, putting up his hands. "Let's just be civilized and talk about this."

"Talking's for wimps," the Boy Wonder spat. "I'm sick of you trying to steal my job. It gets a bit repetitive after a while. I'm just showing you who's boss."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Oh, Robin, settle yourself," she said in a bored tone.

"No...I get it now," Cyborg whispered. "I was right. My guesses were right!"

Robin scowled at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Slade. You're just like him," Cyborg said in an awed voice. "It's like I'm fighting Slade right now." His brow crinkled. "You're him."

Robin snarled, "I am NOT like Slade!" and went at him again. This time Cyborg was ready—he blocked the attack with his arm and punched Robin in the stomach, shoving him back. Robin simply flipped over and threw a disk at Cyborg, creating an explosion and knocking him over. Out of the smoke, Robin's foot slammed into his eye, pushing him back. Putting a foot on the huge man's back and scowling down at him, he said, "I am not Slade."

Beast Boy gaped at Cyborg's body. "Dude...he's knocked out. You knocked the hunk Cyborg out."

Raven got out of her meditating position and clenched her fists, black energy surrounding them. "Robin, you're loosing your mind. Stop it now."

Starfire watched, horrified, as Robin growled, "No. I won't stop. I can't. I..." He stopped, as if it was painful for him to go on. Starfire stepped forward, whispering, "Robin?"

Robin looked at her; even though he had his mask on, anyone could assume that his eyes held pain. "I'm leaving," he said, hanging his head.

Beast Boy and Raven shouted, "WHAT?!" Starfire, stricken, just stared.

"Yeah. You heard me right," Robin said quietly. "I'm leaving, and not planning on returning. That's the story."

"WHY, dude?" Beast Boy asked. "You're like...the leader! You can't just walk out!"

"Cyborg seems to do the job well enough—better than me, in fact," Robin said plainly. "I have to work alone. It's not working as a team. It was stupid of me to think that I could shake off my past..." He took a deep breath. "So that's why I'm leaving. I can't endanger you guys any longer."

Raven clenched her teeth. "It's not for you, Robin," she said, her clenched fists shaking with emotion. "YOU don't become dark—that's for screwed up Goths like me. Don't listen to anything Slade says."

Robin scoffed, "What makes you think it's SLADE that's putting all this into my head?"

Starfire squeaked, "But Robin...where will you go?"

"Anywhere. I don't care. Away from here—away from Jump City. I have to go."

"It's...a joke, right?" Beast Boy asked. "A joke. Riiight?" he smiled at Robin expectantly.

Robin narrowed his eyes at him coldly, and spun around, his cape flapping around with him. "I'm going to gather up my things so it doesn't get in your way." With that, he walked out.

Furious, Raven stormed off to the roof, most likely—Beast Boy did his best to revive Cyborg, by threatening to pour tofu over his head if he didn't wake up. Starfire gulped, then followed Robin.

Timidly, she stood in his doorway as he walked around his room, calmly packing things into a small black bag. Finally, he turned around and saw her staring. "Yeah?" he asked rudely.

"I..." Starfire cleared her throat. "I do not understand why you have to leave."

"It's complicated," was all he would say, turning back to his work. "If I were to explain, it would only make me seem foolish and make me look like a child if you heard why I'm going. But I can just say that...I don't work...with people. It usually ends up in tragedy." He looked at Starfire's expectant green eyes. "You notice how my anger gets out of control. How I'd do anything, absolutely ANYTHING, to achieve a goal that my mind is set on? Even deceiving my teammates...and putting them in danger..." He shook his head. "No. I don't do good in teams. I'd rather work alone."

"But you are going to Slade," said Starfire in a small voice.

"Only for a while. See, that's the whole scheme of things. I go to Slade, learn a few things from him for me to get by, then work on my own; fighting for the good AND bad. See, it dosen't matter what side I'm on—as far as I'm concerned, they're both the same. Here, I'm stuck, being continuous. I have to go. This whole thing...It's not for me." His face grew soft. "I'm sorry."

"But I am here."

Robin stared at her as the words ripped his heart. Walking up to her and hugging her gently, he murmured, "I know. Which is why this is so hard."

Starfire hugged him tighter, but not so much in her lung-smashing hugs like usual. She was too sad to be strong enough to conjure one. She squeezed her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. "I shall miss you, Robin."

Robin leaned back just enough to wipe the tear from her cheek. "I'll miss you too," he said with a smile.

Starfire nodded, leaning in and whispering into his ear, "Zu regethna," and kissed him lightly on the cheek, hurrying out.

Taken off guard, Robin could only stand there, eyes wide, staring as his bag slowly slipped from his slack fingers. If he didn't know better, he would think that those words that came from her mouth meant 'I love you'.

Hehe...sorry for the cliffy. I had to cut one chapter in half, cause I thought that there was too much happening, and it was all crammed in one place. But...I hope you enjoyed this chapter! -beams- It's REALLY late at night, so I'm sorry if it's kinda...random in some places. But it gets interesting, when Robin sets off. Trust me. Ciao till then! R/R, much appreciated!

xoxoTsubasaKyo