A/N: Wow! I've been getting such wonderful feedback from you guys!! Thank you all who've been reading and reviewing!! Sorry it's taken me forever to update, but I've gone and done it because I know what a bummer it is waiting for authors on FFN to update their fantabulous stories... so here goes nothing...

Yes, yes!! The time has come for you patient readers!! Everything in this story will be explained in this chapter!! YAY!!

Are you ready??

You want the truth??

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!

Disclaimer: I disclaim everything except the storyline/made-up characters...

Behind the Mask

Episode 3. (Continued)

"Robin! It's nearly one in the morning!" Raven's monotonous voice came from Robin's walkie-talkie as he rode on his bike around the city.

"She's gone, man!" The humanoid's voice declared.

Robin held back the stinging tears. "No! I have to keep looking!"

Beast Boy's voice came from the circular walkie-talkie. "Dude! C'mon! We searched everywhere!"

"We obviously haven't!" Robin yelled at the changeling. "If we had, then we'd have found Starfire by now!!

"Get a hold of yourself!" Raven's voice appeared again. "Come back to the tower and get some rest! We'll find her!!" Robin made a U-turn and quickly headed back to the Titans Tower. He stormed inside the tower and up to his room. It was obvious he did not want to be bothered. It was early morning now, and the remaining Titans spent the other day searching for their missing teammate. He looked outside his window and saw a star shining brightly. He tore off his mask and rubbed his eyes. 'I'm so sorry, Star! I should've known! I should've been there! I promised you...' He didn't bother changing into sleepwear. He turned out the light and lay in bed, but couldn't find any peace of mind. 'I should be looking for you!'

He got up from his bed and exited his room. He tiptoed down the hall and gazed upon a familiar doorway with the same purple letters that read 'Starfire'. He opened the door to her room and sat down on her bed. He grabbed her pillow, hugging it to breathe in her scent, then laid it down beside him. The moonlight shone on his different colored eyes. He wanted her back, safe in his arms...

...Robin suddenly realized his arms were not so safe...

Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy woke up early that morning, and were conversing with one another as they walked to the living room. "Robin's in bad shape!" Cyborg said quietly. "Yea! He seemed a little down last night." Beast Boy agreed.

"And the award for the understatement of the year goes to..." Raven muttered.

"We gotta find Star!" Cyborg said before Beast Boy could argue back. "She means a lot to Robin!"

"I stand corrected." Raven said, now shaking her head. (A/N: "Said"... "Head"... Rhyming is sooo much fun!!)

"And what are you so snippy about?" Beast Boy barked.

"You both are idiots!" Raven snapped. "Robin wasn't 'a little down' last night! He wants to die! Starfire means the world to him!"

"For someone who hardly ever shows human emotion, you sure know a lot about how it feels to lose someone you care about." Beast Boy smirked.

"And from someone who has lost someone they've cared about, you sure don't know a lot about human emotions." And Raven walked ahead of Cyborg and Beast Boy and past the living room into the kitchen. Sitting at the table was the Boy Wonder. "Robin?"

"Raven!" Robin said, now getting up from his seat. "I need to ask you a favor!"

Raven entered her bedroom and closed and locked the door. She went to her windows. She accidentally opened the shudders and hissed at the sunlight that lit up her face (AN: LOL! I know, probably something Raven would not do... but it's just something I could imagine happening). She closed her drapes and with her mind lit a few candles in her room. She grabbed eight cards from her bed, each of them having a single letter on each. Raven sat in the middle of the room and placed the eight cards in front of her in this order:

ADAM ISLE

'I dunno what this has to do with anything!' Raven thought, rolling her eyes. 'Terra probably just told Beast Boy those things about her dad so we can avert the attention from her!' She began meditating, chanting those three familiar words (Azerath Metrion Zinthos) for fifteen minutes.

With her telekinetic powers, Raven made the eight cards float in midair. The cards spun around her slowly at first, then increased in speed, creating a surge of energy in Raven's body. "REVEAL!!" She shouted. The cards were now shuffling into a different order, decreasing in speed, then finally made a complete stop in a deck in front of her. Raven took the cards that were floating in midair, still trying to catch her breath, and placed them on the floor in their new order:

I AM SLADE

"Raven! Any luck with the revelation spell?"

"Um, sure." Raven nodded, still a little out of breath. "Adam Isle's name is an anagram. When rearranging the letters in his name, this is the end result." She explained, now showing Robin the anagram. "There may be some hope for Starfire yet!"

"Good work Raven!"

Robin stormed into Adam Isle's office. "May I help you?" Isle asked irritably. "Got a minute?" Robin asked, still walking towards the television producer. "Not really. I've got a meeting in five minutes." Robin reached across his desk and pulled him by the collar of his shirt. "HEY!" Robin, although a head shorter than Isle was much stronger than he looked, and he pushed the television producer up against the wall, now holding him by the throat. "Cancel it. You can't attend!"

"Robin, what is this??"

"Where is she??"

"Wha—?"

Robin pushed harder on Isle's throat, cutting him off. "Where's Star??"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Isle coughed out.

Robin threw Isle from the wall to his desk. "Cut the innocent act, Slade! I know it's you!! I know you have her, now where is she??"

Isle grabbed his throat and replied. "Slade?? You think I'm Slade??"

"And why wouldn't you be??" Robin asked, now approaching him. "By rearranging the letters in your name, it reads: "I am Slade", but I guess you already knew that, didn't you?"

"Stop! Don't come any closer!" Isle warned as he ran behind his desk.

"You tried getting us off your scent by putting Tony McCormick in the picture. Well, it doesn't matter now. You're Slade and you're name proves it!"

Isle's eyes went wide. "That's not right! I didn't even want this name to begin with!" Robin grabbed Isle by the collar. "Keep talking!" Isle broke free from Robin's grip, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt. "I haven't been honest with you or the Titans. You want the truth?" Robin nodded.

Isle turned around, his back now facing Robin. "You mentioned earlier a man named Tony McCormick." Robin could tell Isle was removing something from his face. "You've figured out somehow that Adam Isle and Tony McCormick have a connection." He paused, took off the blonde wig, revealing ebony hair, and turned to face Robin. "Y-You!" Robin stared in shock. "You're Tony McCormick! But you died of Leukemia!"

"Yes, Tony did die of Leukemia." Isle nodded. "I'm his twin brother Kevin McCormick."

Robin thought back to the information Batman gave him. He remembered reading something the night before about Tony McCormick's mother passing away when only he and his brother were four.

... his brother...

"And that's why you and Tony share the same birth date." Robin thought aloud. He realized Isle was telling the truth. "That's right. You probably also know that he wasn't the greatest businessman. Tony had his own business in Gotham and embezzled in his own corporate funds. Seeing as it was his own company, Tony figured he could get away with it. And he did. Therefore, the board members of his company had a strong disliking towards him.

"When he died, it stated in his will that the company be left for me to run. The board members also disliked the very thought of another McCormick running the business; they wouldn't stand for an amateur for their boss, let alone another swindler. They tried to have me killed, so I faked my own death and skipped town.

"If you were to look on a map, Jump City and Gotham aren't that far apart. I had to change my name, my appearance, my life!" Isle said, taking the blonde wig in one hand and the rubber mask in another. "I even adopted a daughter, but that was obviously a bad decision."

"You mentioned earlier that you never wanted your alias name to begin with. What did you mean?" Robin interrogated.

Isle now paced the floor. "The day I arrived in Jump City was the day I met my best friend. It was he who advised me to change my appearance and my name. It was he who wanted my name to be 'Adam Isle', and now that I think about it, it sounds highly suspicious." He stopped pacing. "He also thought it would be wise to adopt a child, specifically Terra. Come to think of it, he was the one who thought of the Teen Titans Show!"

Robin approached Isle. "Mr. Isle, your so-called 'best friend' set you up! Whoever it is is working with Slade. He has those tapes and has Starfire! You need to tell me who it is!" Isle closed his eyes and shook his head. "I can't, Robin!"

"You have to tell me! This man was never your friend! He used you to get to us!" Robin sighed. "I'm gonna ask you one more time, who set you up?"

"Terra Isle, you made bail." The chubby guard said, now unlocking the iron gates that held the blonde captive. Terra got up from her old mattress, departed her prison cell, and looked back at the guard. "But who...?" Before she could finish, she could see someone standing in the doorway from her peripheral vision. Terra crossed her arms. "It took you long enough! I thought you were gonna let me rot in there!"

The tall Hispanic chuckled. "Now why would I do that? After all, you're my best friend's daughter!" And Terra walked out of the police station with James Fuentes.

Raven was meditating in the living room, trying to regain her strength from the recent spell she performed. "Hey Raven, how're you doing?" A familiar voice asked.

"Probably worse than you." Raven replied, not once looking at the changeling.

"Well, look on the bright side! We figured it out! Now we can get back my tapes and it'll be aired on television..." Beast Boy said, jumping up and down ecstatically. Raven, now standing up, huffed, and was about to walk away. "What's the matter, Raven? Can't stand that you were wrong and I was right?"

Raven stopped, turned around to face Beast Boy. "You obviously don't get it! There was never a show!! It was all a set up to find out our weaknesses... and you fell for it!"

"What are you talking about?" Beast Boy asked.

"Don't you remember what was on those tapes you sent to Isle?"

"Yea, and I also know for a fact that our weaknesses were definitely not on film!"

"Not our physical weaknesses, you dimwit! I'm talking about the heart!" Raven snapped. "Isn't it funny how you taped Robin and Starfire's flourishing relationship, then the tapes get stolen, then Starfire gets kidnapped? So chronological, it's almost like it was coincidence!" Beast Boy's eyes went wide, understanding what she meant. He had sold Starfire to Slade on a silver platter without even realizing. "But Raven... I didn't... I didn't know..."

"Well, now you do." Raven said as she walked away. "But knowing now doesn't help Starfire, wherever she is!"

Starfire's green eyes fluttered open. "Where am I?" The Tamaranian girl asked. She got up from the dirt ground and looked at her surroundings. It looked like she was in a cave of some sort. Metal bars held her captive. Starfire grabbed the bars and attempted to pull them apart, but she was unsuccessful. Her next thought was blasting them. The alien's hands filled with green orbs, then disappeared. Starfire gasped. She shook her hands and filled them with a green glow, and they disappeared once more. Starfire's eyes glowed neon green, but she was unable to shoot beams.

"What is wrong with me?" Starfire asked herself, tears filling her eyes. She feared she couldn't protect herself. "There is only one thing wrong, my dear," A dark voice replied in the shadows. "And I am here to make things right again."

Starfire saw that familiar mask and frowned. "Slade! What have you done to me??"

"As you were unconscious, I injected you with a poison from your home planet. It would have been a difficult task to retrieve it had it not been for your generous sister, Blackfire."

Starfire felt a hot tear roll down her cheek. "Then... I am dying?"

"I only injected you with enough poison to strip you of your powers. You won't die... yet."

"Robin will find me and will defeat you once and for all!" Starfire cried.

"That's not the way I see it." Slade replied cooly, his back now facing her. "Robin has fallen for you. It would be a shame if something so good and pure prevented him from his true destiny: as my apprentice."

"Robin's true destiny belongs with the Teen Titans! He will never return as your apprentice!" Starfire cried in an outrage.

Slade looked at the Tamaranian over his shoulder. "Interesting. That's what Terra thought." Another figure came out from the shadows.

Terra.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were sitting at the kitchen table. The humanoid looked across at the changeling, who was now attacking a plate of tofu. Cyborg cringed and turned away. "I wonder how it's going with Robin and Mr. Isle."

"You mean Robin and Mr. Phony!" Beast Boy replied after gulping down the tofu.

Cyborg crossed his arms. "I'm not okay with Robin confronting him alone."

"Robin's fine! He's the Boy Wonder, the "one-man-SWAT-team", uno of the Dynamic Duo!" Beast Boy said reassuring his friend. "And besides, if something's up, Robin will call for back up! Chill!"

"Raven looked out of it today. Must've been some spell." Cyborg thought aloud. Beast Boy flinched at the sound of Raven's name. Cyborg raised a brow at his reaction. "Okay BB, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"That thing you did with your eye?"

"What do you think?"

"I think there's something that happened between you and Rae that you're not sharing. So spill, man."

Beast Boy sighed. "I dunno anymore, Cy. I mean, I thought things were cool between Raven and me. It's like ever since I'd been making my documentary, things between us have been going from bad to worse, and I'm to blame for everything that's happened. It's my fault Star's MIA."

"Don't worry 'bout it. We'll get her back!" Cyborg said, patting Beast Boy's back. "You know, I should be concerned about Star's well-being right about now, and I am, but I'm more concerned about how I left things with Raven. I bet she hates me."

Cyborg tilted his head. "You've never shown an interest in her before now. What's up with that?"

Beast Boy got up from the kitchen table. "Dude, just so you know, I've always had an interest in her." And he left Cyborg in the kitchen by himself.

Robin and Isle (also known as Kevin McCormick) stood in the office. "Robin, how did you know Adam Isle was connected to Tony McCormick?"

"I was running a background check on Isle; going through police records and such. I checked out your birth certificate online when I found a link to Tony McCormick's birth certificate as well."

"That's can't be!" Isle exclaimed. "As Adam Isle, the connection between me and Tony is strictly confidential! If the board members ever found out..."

"Actually, we kinda hacked into Jump City's system." Robin sweat-dropped. Isle sighed and slumped in his chair. "Oh thank goodness!" Robin was about to walk out of the office. "Robin!" Isle called.

The Boy Wonder looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry, Isle, I won't tell your secret."

Isle smiled sincerely. "Thank you."

Raven was lying down on her bed in her room. 'Robin should've gotten back to us by now... Beast Boy probably hates me... We need Robin so we can find Starfire... I bet he'll never feel the way I feel about him...' Raven caught herself thinking about him again. She grabbed the pillow from under her head and smacked herself with it over and over again. Little did she know she left the door a little open, so as Beast Boy was walking to his room, he saw the entire display.

"You know, hitting yourself over again in the head kills brain cells." Beast Boy said matter-of-factly from her doorway.

Raven stopped, now turning red, and looked at him. "Are you telling me that from experience?"

Beast Boy chuckled, which surprised Raven. Normally, he would have come-back with a stupid remark, then left offended. There was a moment of silence as Beast Boy continued to stare at Raven, which obviously made her feel uncomfortable. "Um, may I help you?"

"Actually, you can." Beast Boy said. Once again, silence. Raven sat up on her bed. "Well??"

"Aren't you gonna invite me in?" Beast Boy asked.

Raven was outraged. "That would mean you would be in my room!"

"Uh, yea it does."

"But no one is allowed in my room!" Raven growled.

"Can't you make an exception?" Beast Boy asked, now batting his eyelashes. "Pweease?" Raven rolled her eyes. Beast Boy morphed into a small kitten and jumped on Raven's bed and began rubbing against Raven's side, purring. Raven went red, grabbed the cat by the neck and looked at it. "You know that never works on me, furball!" The kitten morphed back into Beast Boy, who was now only inches away from Raven's face. "How about this?" Beast Boy whispered, which sent cold shivers down the goth's spine. Raven closed her eyes, fearing Beast Boy's lips touching hers... fearing her emotions were to get out of control...

"TITANS! REPORT TO THE LIVING ROOM IMMEDIATELY!" Robin's voice cried from Beast Boy and Raven's walkie-talkies. Raven opened her eyes to find a crimson Beast Boy running out of her room. Raven smirked, then followed the changeling.

A/N: BWAHAHAHA!! I LOVE CLIFFHANGERS!! (THUNDER AND LIGHTNING!) HAHAHAHA!! You fell for my plan!! You thought you had me figured out... but I have fooled you... as I will continue to fool you!! BWAHAHA!!

(Wow, long chapter... I hope you understood what just happened... recap!

Rearranging Adam Isle's name "I am Slade" (it's soooo Harry Potter-ish!)

Adam Isle Kevin McCormick Tony McCormick's twin

James Fuentes set up Isle... why unknown

Fuentes bailed Terra out... why still unknown

Terra working for Slade

True purpose for Beast Boy's tapes to find out weaknesses)

(any more questions, feel free to review the question... I'll answer it next chapter at the beginning, unless it's something that's supposed to remain a secret... then I'll never ever tell!!)

NO GUESSING IN REVIEWS PLEASE!! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE SUSPENSEFUL!! (oops! I had my keyboard thingy in "CAPS LOCK")

Well, I must go... I've got more chapters to write!! Be on the lookout for updates!!

-kiki!