Story Title: Heart's Desire

Author: Blair Lebeau, SocialButterfli

Summary: When Slade taps into Robin's dreams and figures out Robin's one weakness, Starfire, Slade kidnaps her and holds her hostage in hopes of blackmailing Robin and eventually tearing the Teen Titans apart. Will Robin succumb to Slade's wishes, or will the remaining Titans band together in an ultimate battle of good and evil to rescue Star? Occasional fluff scenes because we love them. Rob/Star, BB/Rae, Cy and...his car.

Disclaimer: I continue to not own Teen Titans, but dude, whoever does really needs to get some more Robin and Starfire moments because we all know they're destined to be together.

Chapter 14 Slade Unmasked


"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven cried, hitting Terra with a manhole cover, hard. Stunned, she staggered backwards, and before she could recover, Raven whacked her again.

"Don't just stand there, FIGHT!" Slae commanded. He had originally wished to fight Robin, but Terran had already attacked him, so he turned to what was supposed to be his hostage as Cyborg helped Robin and Beast Boy helped Raven.

"Dear girl, how did you ever escape? Perhaps I made a mistake in making Terran leave you. But from what I gathered from the security camera, who knows what would haveh appened if I didn't?" Terra had told Slade all about Starfire, and he knew that right now with Robin and Terran both vying for her she would be very confused and therefore vulnerable.

"Hah!" Starfire shouted, throwing starbolts rapidly, which Slade dodged. He came back at her quickly with a kick that caught her in the stomach. She folded over, but knew that she couldn't fall or Slade would keep at her. Catching her breath, she responded with a starbolt that hit him where he left ear would be. He faltered, caught off guard. He expected her to be an easy fight, but she was stronger than she looked. He surveyed the battle quickly after knocking his opponent out of the air. Robin and Cyborg were getting the better of Terran, as expected, but Terra and Raven were evenly matched. Beast Boy was just watching, finding it difficult to battle someone who had hurt him so badly and unable to get involved in the intense hostility the two so obviously had for each other. It was kinda scary.

While watching, the risen Starfire hit Slade with another starbolt, this time in the chest. He staggered backward, quickly angered. Terran was down and struggling to hold off the two Titans. Robin had the Elyssian Crystal in his hand. Terra had abandonned her fight and run to her brother and now he, Slade, was actually taking hits from what was supposed to be his hostage and meal ticket to Robin.

Which renewed his kidnapping idea.

He quickly grabbed Starfire's foot and swung her around into his grip. He held her to him, folding his arm around her neck. She shrieked, which brought all eyes to land on her.

"Robin, I believe we had a deal. Starfire's safety for the Elyssian Crystal, which I see you have back. So, naturally, this girl's safety cannot be guaranteed. Unless, of course, you're willing to agree to a new deal."

"Starfire!" Robin shouted, losing all concern for keeping Terran down.

"Let me go, please," Starfire choked out as Slade's arm squeezed tighter and cut more air off.

"I'm under the impression that you'd give anything for this girl," Slade said, sinisterly. "I'm wondering....even yourself?" Robin's eyes widened.

"Hey, man, no way!" Cyborg shouted out. "Let's fight him!"

"A good idea," Slade agreed, "but by the time you got me, this young lady's air supply would be all gone. So what do you say, Robin? Starfire's for your returned and life-long apprenticeship?"

"What about us?" Terra demanded, carefully putting Terran's arm around her shoulder to support him.

"You'd still be on the team, of course, but Robin is of greater importance. Now, Robin, do we have a deal?" Robin's gaze shifted to the despondent Starfire. It was hard for her to breathe, but she was mouthing 'no', sadly.

"Yes," he said, looking once more at his love's widened eyes before looking at the ground.

"No!" Starfire gasped out as she swung her foot up and back into Slade's kneecap. He released her, crumpling to the ground in pain. Star flew down, grabbing him by the shoulders, and slammed him against the side of the restaurant.

"You will not use me against my best friend! You will not touch him! He will never work for you again! You will not endanger his life!" The only thing that penetrated Robin's astonishment at Starfire's sudden counter attack was her words of 'best friend'. His heart sank. That was her answer, and that was all.

Starfire released Slade, leaving him slumped against the wall, and shot a starbolt straight at his face. His mask shattered, showing the scarred face of a brown-haired man Robin had fought before, with his father-figure, Batman. His name was something simple, like Bob or Jim, Robin couldn't remember. All he did remember was that the man had set fire to a building full of people, and while Batman had saved all of the people, Robin had fought the man. They had been evenly matched, until a flying ember hit the man in his face, disfiguring him, and he disappeared. Now he had come back, seeking revenge.

"No way," Robin whispered.

"You remember me, then, do you? You can't imagine how it was for me. I was a successful, wealthy man, about to become even richer with the insurance from that burned down building. But then you stopped me from fleeing, and then this happened." The man pointed to his face. "I vowed to come back, and as you see, I did. And I did pretty well. I outfought you at times, had you at my command, if only for a moment, and held hostage your little girlfriend over here." Starfire blushed, which Robin noticed, giving him hope.

"And now you're going to jail, where you should have been in the first place."

"It was worth it. And I'll escape. You destroyed my face, I'll destroy you."

"It was fire that ruined your face, and it was your who lit the fire."

"Shut up!" Slade, or rather Ted (NOW he remembers) shouted, losing the cool voice his alter-ego had. "You don't know anything, just take your redheaded whore and go...." He collapsed, unconcious, after Robin hit him.

"Don't you dare call her that," he hissed. Cyborg came up behind him.

"Police are on their way. You guys alri....whoa, is that Slade?" Raven and Beast Boy came over (holding hands, aww) and Robin told them the whole story.

"Wait, who's watching the terrible twins?" Cyborg asked, and the Titans discovered them to be gone.

"Without Slade, who knows what will happen to them?" Beast Boy commented, inwardly glad taht Terra was gone. Raven 'heard' this, and smiled, tightening her hold on his hand.

"Enough of Slade and Terra and...." Starfire found herself unable to say his name. "Well, enough of them, what of you two? Are you now fernardslepan?" They stared. She blushed. "Err....going out?" Now it was Beast Boy and Raven's turn to blush.

"I don't know, I want to, but Raven, well, I don't know, I haven't asked her, we kissed, but...."

"You KISSED?" Cyborg asked, interrupting BB's embarrassed babbling. "Well that's....unexpected, but, hey, must mean something's going on, right? I mean, hey, kissing's a big thing...." Cyborg tailed off as everyone noticed Starfire looking down into her lap, playing with a strand of her ruby hair.

"For you guys, I mean," Cy covered quickly. "I mean, if Raven actually...."

"That's enough from you," Raven said, clapping a hand over his mouth. They all sat in awkward silence, Robin and Starfire unable to look at each other, Beast Boy and Raven gazing into each other's eyes, and Cyborg impatient to get home to his car. Finally, the police showed up, and took the unconcious Slade/Ted away.

"Guess we should go home," Beast Boy said.

"If we had my baby, we'd get there faster," Cyborg grumbled.

"Yeah," Robin said. "Home."


Now THAT was long. My hands hurt! But it's all for a good cause, so it's okay! I hope you guys like the way things turned out!

Aeris9919 and cchanyagami-I have to agree that Slade came out of character, but hey, every story has its faults.

icy-latte-Aww, thanks! But don't worry, the kiss is coming....

Gryffindor620-Haha I already wrote this chapter up so I couldn't get much more ass kicking in but in the beginning there she's not so pleasant....I wouldn't exactly be too fond of being hit with a manhole cover....

Anonymous-Thanks a lot, it means a lot to hear that from someone.

LunarladySTAR-Thanks, I'll be sure to check your story out!

C Hill-Thanks a lot, I'm glad you like my story. And as for the cussing, well, the story's rated PG-13 for a reason, because it's not like much is going on except for explicit description of a couple kisses, so, you know, that's the way it goes.

Spazzfire-Beast Boy and Raven are my second favorite couple, so that pairing's not going to change for me. But I agree with you, I don't view Terra as evil, and as you can see in this chapter she has feelings too and she cares for her brother and all. It just works better for my story for her to be on the evil side.

Meggiemoo10-Thanks a lot! I agree, I absolutely despise when an author doesn't finish a good story. There's nothing more infuriating.

Sneak Peak: THE LAST CHAPTER!!! Back home, Robin and Star come to terms with each other, BB and Rae go on their first date, and Cyborg reunites with his baby. FLUFF ALL AROUND! Except no Cy/T Car fluff. Cuz that's just weird.

Blair