Author's Notes: Well, sorry this took longer than usual to get up, everyone, but I was temporarily swamped by finals and final papers...real life really gets in the way sometimes, eh? In any case the worst of it is over, so the next chapter should be done quicker than this one was.

I also just can't resist doing this...

CONGLRATULATIONS, 100 GRIT! (fireworks go off) You are officially my first negative review! And it's not a flame! Yay! To defend myself though: You do make a good point about the missing communicators, but then, doesn't it make sense that Analyst took them away? Also, Analyst and his machine were no less contrived and cliched than a handful of other villains on the show, and I wasn't trying to make Starfire clueless about being pregnant, just uninformed. As for the abortion thing, sorry you thought it was preachy, but A) it will have some significance a little later, and B) it fits Star's character, so I don't know what else I can tell you. You're right in that I didn't plan out the entire thing before I began, but that's more a plus than a minus the way I see it: I'm proud of this story, and that I did it without a buttload of advance planning just makes it that much more rewarding. Still, thanks for your review, and for taking the time to tell me why you didn't like it rather than issuing a mindless flame.

Okay, on with the show!


Innocence Lost by CidGregor

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.


Chapter 8

"I shouldn't have left them alone…"

The Titans watched Robin apprehensively, waiting for the inevitable explosion of fury that was bound to issue from his troubled soul. But it didn't seem to come. Robin only sat on the bed where Starfire and Rosefire had been mere minutes earlier, staring unseeingly at his hands and surely blaming himself for the disappearance of the two girls he cared about more than anything else.

"Robin, I'm sorry," Bumblebee offered. "This is my fault…I should've waited for the others to get back, I should've held off Cinderblock myself…some leader I am."

"I never should've left her in the first place!" Robin burst out savagely. "I couldn't protect her, again! And now I might not ever see her again…and Rosefire…my…my…"

Somehow, thinking of the word next on his lips made the whole situation worse, as though the true gravity of the situation hadn't hit until just then.

"My…daughter…"

"We'll find them, Robin," Raven said shortly. "We will find them, we will save them, and you will see them again, so quit feeling sorry for yourself."

More than a few eyes turned harshly upon Raven at the cold sound of her words, but she only returned the stony glares with one of her own. "I'm not a telepath for nothing, you know," she growled. "I can find them in a matter of seconds and we can go and…"

"That won't be necessary, sweet Raven," a cold voice rang out, making all of the Titans jump in shock. They looked wildly around for the source of the voice, and all eyes rested upon the communicator on Robin's belt. He snatched it and flipped it open, and saw the all-too-familiar mask of Slade staring back at him.

"YOU!" Robin shouted, eyes bulging.

"Me," Slade said with a low, cold chuckle. "I see you haven't forgotten me in all the commotion my associates have stirred up. Wonderful."

"You…you took them!" Robin accused.

"Was it that obvious?" Slade mocked him. "Dear me, I must be losing my touch…"

"If you've touched a hair on either of them, I swear, I will personally kill you…" Robin hissed at the communicator.

"Relax, Robin…they are just fine, for now. See for yourself…"

The image of Slade's face vanished, and was replaced by that of Starfire, locked inside a cell. She was pulling on the bars as hard as she could, but they refused to budge. Robin vaguely wondered why for a moment, but then the image changed again, and now he saw his daughter, Rosefire, sleeping inside a clear case that was just barely big enough for her, restricting her movement.

Robin almost crushed his communicator, he was gripping it so hard; seeing his two loves this way – caged, unable to free themselves, defenseless – nearly drove Robin to the edge of his sanity.

"Now, Robin, if you'd be so kind," Slade said as his face reappeared, "I want to arrange a little family reunion. Come to the industrial district at sunset. Alone, of course. You'll know where to find me when you get there. And trust me, Robin…you don't want to know what will happen if any of your friends decide to come along."

"What do you want with Star and Rosefire? Slade!"

"Sunset, Robin. Not a moment later."

The line went dead.


A shrill cry startled Starfire from her thoughts. She looked toward the source, and saw that Rosefire had woken up, and was bawling at the top of her lungs. Starfire pulled as hard as she could, but still she could not so much as budge the bars. Her strength had left her completely, though the redhead had absolutely no understanding of why.

"Oh…weep not, Rosefire, your mother is here…I will free you somehow…"

"On the contrary, my dear Starfire," Slade interrupted, emerging from the shadows. "You will stay exactly where you are, like a good girl."

"Please, let me at least comfort her!" Starfire begged, quite forgetting her predicament in her concern. "She needs her mother!"

"She has to learn that she can't always get what she wants," Slade countered. "If she wants something, she must learn to do it for herself."

"You have no right to tell me how to raise my own child!" Starfire shouted back. "Release Rosefire, immediately!"

Slade snickered. "Rosefire…what a worthless name to give to such a special child…I can only assume you gave it to her."

"As a matter of fact, it was Robin who named our child!" Starfire said defiantly.

Slade actually laughed this time. "Robin? My, my, the boy grows weaker by the day…how unfortunate…and to think I once wanted him as my apprentice." Slade looked down into the case, almost as though admiring the child that lay inside. "From now on, you will be known as…Altair."

"How dare you!" Starfire shrieked. "Her name is Rosefire! How dare you attempt to take away the name we have given her!"

"Dear Starfire…Altair is so much more suitable a name," Slade mocked. "The name means 'star' in the Arabic language. You see how much more sense it makes?" Slade laughed again, the sound growing ever more horrible in Starfire's ears.

"Yes…Altair…so much more suitable a name…for my new apprentice."


Robin sped through the heart of Jump City on his R-Cycle, desperate to get to the industrial district with plenty of time to spare, and find out where Slade was hiding with Starfire and their daughter. But the industrial district was huge; Robin had no idea where to start looking.

"You sure you want to do this, Robin?" Cyborg's voice crackled at him through the receiver in his ear.

"I have to," Robin said shortly. "It's the only way to make sure Star and Rosefire stay safe. You heard Slade, if anyone else comes…"

"Okay, we get, Rob," Cyborg said. "Good luck, man."

Robin made to shut off the communicator, preferring to continue the trip in silence, but Raven's voice came through before he could.

"Robin, I think I know where Star and Rosefire are, but there's something weird."

"Where are you sensing them?"

"That's just it, I'm not," Raven said. "I can't sense them anywhere in the city, least of all in the industrial district. But there is a small area of about a couple blocks at the north end that I can't sense at all."

"What do you mean, you can't sense it?"

"I mean my powers are being blocked from that area. Slade must have figured out a way to shield himself from my telepathy. But he's definitely in that area somewhere, I'm sure of it!"

"Okay…thanks. Robin out."

Robin clicked off the communicator, and with a jolt he realized he had already reached the industrial district. He screeched to a stop and climbed off the bike; north was behind him, which meant that the area Raven had mentioned was definitely nearby. But he saw nothing to signify where Slade was hiding. The villain had told Robin he would know where to go, but Robin saw nothing. The sun was setting fast, and Robin grew more and more panicked; what if he couldn't find the right building in time? What would Slade do to Starfire, to Rosefire, if he didn't turn up?

He was saved from his dilemma, however, when the sun was about halfway behind the horizon, casting an amazing assortment of colors on the landscape. Robin remembered, with another pang of sadness, how much Starfire had always loved to watch the rising and setting of the sun; now, because he'd messed up a second time, she might never get to enjoy it again…

But then the light fell upon a low building nearby, and a bright flash came from the roof, as though a mirror was reflecting the light. The light changed, painting a new, and much less welcome, picture on the building across from it. It was a harsh, jagged 'S' shape...the insignia of Slade.

Robin dashed forward and into the building that had been marked with Slade's symbol, not caring about stealth and surprise and wanting only to cause Slade as much physical harm as possible. As he entered, doors slid open for him, guiding him straight to the heart of the building where Slade surely awaited him. Under any other circumstances Robin would've been highly suspicious of this; but his desperation to find his two loves clouded his better judgment. Robin charged determinedly forward, not caring what lay ahead, his entire will focused on finding Starfire and his daughter.

At last he burst into a massive chamber, lit only by a single light in the center of the room, and directly under it was a small glass case holding a small, crying child.

"Rosefire!" Robin cried, running forward.

Abruptly a second light snapped on to his right, stopping him dead as he turned to look. Slade stood beneath it, next to another cage that held a terrified-looking Starfire.

"Glad you could join us, Robin," Slade said in his cold, almost mechanical voice. "Step away from the child; unless you'd rather see your little girlfriend suffer the consequences of disobedience."

"No, Robin, do not give in to him!" Starfire shouted. "Do not worry about me, save our daughter! Save Rosefire!"

But Robin couldn't do anything but what Slade had instructed; he refused to let Starfire pay the price for his stupid mistakes again. With a great effort Robin stepped away from the case that held Rosefire captive, and toward Slade. "All right, Slade, you have me, now let them go, leave them out of this!"

"Now Robin, I don't recall saying it was you I was interested in," Slade said.

"Then what did you bring me here for?" the Boy Wonder demanded.

"Call it a courtesy to an old friend," Slade mocked. "I simply wished to give you the chance to say goodbye to Altair."

"Altair? Who is…" Robin started.

"That is NOT her name!" Starfire cut him off. "Robin, Slade means to…AHH!"

Slade swung a quick fist right between the bars of Starfire's cage, catching her right in the face and knocking her out cold before she could finish.

"STARFIRE!" Robin shouted, his face contorting with mingled fear and rage. He brought out his staff and charged madly toward Slade, who leapt away easily, now putting himself between Robin and Rosefire. Robin spun around to face his most hated enemy, glaring furiously at him. But Slade only stood there and laughed.

"Robin…you've become so weak…you've let yourself be consumed by your pathetic feelings of love…and all for nothing."

"LET THEM GO!" Robin demanded one last lime.

"Well Robin…since I'm feeling generous today…"

Slade pressed a button on the controller on his wrist, and Starfire's cage suddenly swung open. Robin spun around and ran inside, kneeling down next to Starfire and cradling her head in one arm. "Star…c'mon, Star, wake up…" he whispered.

A loud slam told Robin that he'd fallen for Slade's tricks yet again as the cage closed and locked, trapping him inside as well. But he found that he didn't care just yet. All he wanted was to make sure his love was okay.

Slowly Starfire regained consciousness; her eyes fluttered open, and despite her obvious exhaustion she was brightened by the fact that Robin was the first thing she saw. "Robin…I am sorry…I tried to escape, but I could not break the bars…"

"It's okay, Star. The important thing is that you and Rosefire are safe," Robin assured.

She sat up and hugged him, but Robin broke away quickly as he turned to glare back at their captor. "Why couldn't Starfire get out this cage? Why is she so weak? What did you do to her?"

Haven't you figured out that much, at least?" Slade said. "Robin, you disappoint me more and more today…how I ever believed you could be my apprentice…"

"Enough word games, Slade! Answer me!"

"I assure you, Robin, I did not do a thing to your little girlfriend. Him, on the other hand…"

Slade trailed off and looked pointedly at another dark corner of the room, and suddenly Robin realized that someone else was standing there in the shadows, and was emerging from them at Slade's beckon call. It didn't take long for Robin to recognize the figure's stunning likeness to his biggest teammate.

"Analyst…"