And the sharp hiss of one voice…gradually became so loud it drowned out everything else: Thinner, it said, you've got to get thinner. –Wasted, Marya Hornbacher

Chapter Two: Faint

Raven blinked, the early morning sunlight burning her eyes. She raised a hand and sheilded her violet eyes as she stood up. She desperately fought to remain upright. She wheeled, grabbing her bed post for support. She stumbled to the door and leaned against it, her world spinning as she did so.

Taking a deep breath, the emptiness left her for a moment, but soon returned. Her stomach growled in protest. She hadn't eaten in three days.

She didn't have the energy to walk down the hall to the bathroom, so she teleported herself there instead.

"Gah!" she heard someone yell. It was Beast Boy, clutching a towel around his waist. Raven blushed.

"Sorry…" she muttered, turning around and shutting her eyes. After a few moments, Beast Boy said,

"It's fine. You didn't know. I was done anyway." He transformed into a dog, barked playfully, and shook himself dry, effectively soaking Raven in the process. He wagged his tail and play-bowed.

Raven let out an almost inconcievable smile, but Beast Boy caught it. He barked once more and bounded out of the bathroom.

"What's up with him?" she asked herself as she stepped on the scale. The numbers lined up as she sucked in a nervous breath. Was she thin enough yet?

101 lbs. Maybe now…

She smiled. She couldn't afford to ruin all her hard work by eating now. She hummed an old Azarathian hymn as she walked to the living room, inspired and suddenly happy.

"Hey Raven. Sleep well?" Robin asked, putting down the newspaper and picking up his coffee. That was his morning routine, coffe and a newspaper. He would scout for crime and muse to himself about the state of the world, as if he could save it himself.

Raven and Robin both exchanged forced smiles.

"Yeah," Raven replied, "I guess."

There was an awkward silence, with Robin and Raven staring at eachother for a few moments. Then Robin lowered his eyes once again to the newspaper before him, and Raven walked into the kitchen to grab some more herbal tea.

Starfire entered the living room. Something was wrong. Her eyes were downcast and dull, her hair was a mess, and she wasn't smiling. There was definitely something wrong.

"Hey Star." Robin said, grinning, then standing up and holding out his arms to her for a hug. She just kept her head down and walked right past him. She muttered something in Tamaranian, something sounding bitter and harsh, like a dose of cold medicine.

Robin's grin dissappeared. "What's wrong?" he asked. Again, no reply. Sighing, Robin sat back down on the couch, his head in his hands.

Suddenly there was a loud buzz, and lights in the room flashed red.

Robin jumped up from the couch and yelled, "Titans! Go!" As if they needed any encouragment.

Cyborg dropped the game controller that he had been holding, shut off the consol and rushed to the door. Starfire floated weakly towards the door as well, her feet dragging on the floor. Beast Boy came out of his room, now fully dressed, but his hair was still wet.

Raven took her time. All the sounds in the room, the voices and the buzzing, seemed to be muted and muffled. It was as if someone were pressing a large blanket onto her ears. From somewhere far away, it seemed, she heard someone call out to her.

"Rae, come on!" It was Robin, and her heart jumped at the sound of his voice.

She dropped her herbal tea, the glass shattering as it hit the floor. "Don't worry!" Robin called to her, "We'll clean it up when we get back!"

Raven threw on her navy blue cloak and ran after Robin. As the two of them left the Tower, Raven felt Robin's hand slip into hers. And when she looked up at him, surprise alight in her dark eyes, he was smiling.

Robin aimed a kick at Slade's head, but missed by mere inches. Slade caught Robin by the throat as the younger boy was rushing at hiim.

"Silly Robin," he laughed, "You can't even beat me with your team to back you up. How did you expect to do it alone?"

Slade tightened the grip on Robin's neck, choking him. He struggled for breath, but he felt himself slipping away.

"He's not alone!" a voice yelled, and Slade looked up, startled. For a moment, his grasp loosened on Robin's neck.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven yelled and…nothing happened. Slade let out a cruel laugh and resumed strangling Robin.

"Rae…" Robin choked out, gasping, "Help…"

Raven closed her eyes, feeling the anger well up inside of her. She couldn't just sit back and watch as Robin was killed. She cared for him too much. She had seen the fear in him. She was his only hope.

"Where are my friends?" She asked, and Slade once again laughed.

"They're a bit…preoccupied." He saw Raven's eyes widen. "Don't worry," he said, "Plasmus is seeing to them."

Raven glared. Slade didn't respond; Robin's loud gasp had returned his attention once again to the task at hand. The girl was no worry. She couldn't even use her powers she was so starved and weak.

He had been watching her starve herself little by little each day, he had seen how she no longer responded to anyone's touch, even Robin's. She had grown paler than usual, and upon close inspection, her nails were blue.

Raven knew what she had to do, it was just that she was afraid to do it.

But one look at Robin laying there dying cleared any doubt from her mind.

"Necronom hezberek mortix!" She yelled, and a steady stream of shadows poured out of her eyes and mouth, enveloping Slade.

Robin dropped to the ground, Slade being thrown backwards by the force of Raven's attack.

It took Robin a few gasps to clear his mind, but when he did, he ran to Slade.

Ripping off his mask, he saw what he most feared: it was a decoy. The real Slade was somewhere else, alive, safe, and perfectly hidden…as usual.

Robin let out a frustrated yell and kicked the Slade decoy as hard as he could, sending the head flying.

A small whimper behind him though made him turn around. Laying there, on the cold cement, was Raven.

A/N: Remember to review!! –'Lil Sarah

Chapter One