Chapter Six

Prelude to Room 111

Not far from where the Titans were at that point in a little town called Venice, a man sat in the public library. He wore a handsome black trench coat and his hair was neatly combed. He was currently absorbed in a mystery novel when his cell phone went off. He broke away from his book and opened it. After reading the text message he flipped it closed and rose from his chair. He walked outside and slipped on a sleek pair of sunglasses. He started his car and drove off on a course to Rome.

BACK WITH A SHOCKED STARFIRE........................................

Starfire's abilitly to speak had suddenly been switched to the off position. For days and days he had been missing without the slightest hint of returning. Now all of a sudden he was here, with Starfire, standing right in front of her. She wordlessly moved her mouth trying to find the appropirate phrase.

"R-R-Robin!" Eyes tearing madly she rushed forward and clamped his body in a crushing hug. She made up her mind; not the other Titans, the CIA, Slade, or even Robin himself was going to make her let go. Robin took her shoulders and signaled her to back off at least an inch. With great reluctance she did so and looked up at him with her tear stained face. "Robin, where have you been all this time?" He looked around to make sure no one was there and whiped away her falling tears.

"I've been here in Rome, hiding."

"But, who have you been hiding from?" Robin's head suddenly turned as he thought he heard somthing.

"Look its not safe here we need to get back to my place before I say anything else." He looked around once more and took her hand and led her out of the room. They walked down the darkened streets with absolutely not inclination that they were being followed. The man from the library slowly followed them in his car.

OVER AT THE TITAN'S HOTEL...............................

Raven and Lee paced back and forth while Beast Boy and Cyborg were busy putting the room back together. The struggle that Dalton had caused left the room in mass dissoray. Since both he and Starfire had taken thier leave they had resloved to try to find out who was really responsible for all ofwhat's happening.

"Dalton," said Cyborg to himself. Raven stopped and looked at him.

"Sorry?"

"I bet you anything Dalton's the leak, why would he tell us all that crap if not just to give us enought information to keep us looking." Beast Boy shook his head and threw up his arms.

"If you ask me the whole thing seems pretty screwy." Their phone suddenly began ringing and gave each of them a small start. Lee wlaked over and answered it.

"Hello?" He listened for a moment. "Do you know where they are?" Again he listened though he seemed more hasty. "At least tell us where y"- He hung up the phone and glanced at Raven. "It was Dalton's partner, Decker, he says he's going to try and find Robin and Starfire."

"And then what?" Asked Raven.

"He said he'd report back to us."

"BULL SHIT!" Shouted Cyborg jumping out of his seat. "For all we know he's going to go put a bullet in thier heads!" He looked around at each of them and clapped his hands together. "Alright fine, if none yall will say somthing thenI will. Raven you get on out there and see if you can find Dalton, the rest of us will try and get to Robin and Star before Decker does."

"I think we'd better find that map first," said Beast Boy. Lee walked over from the phone.

"Well we're open to suggestions, we've already turend the Tower and this room upside down looking for it."

"Dalton said Robin left it with one of us," said Raven.

"You know it's Starfire, so we just need to figure out how he left it with her," said Cyborg scratching the back of his neck. They thought long and hard. It was true, they had practically torn apart the tower and the room searching for the map. It wasn't somthing that would be easily left behind. Raven closed her eyes thinking of some way, anyway at all. Then her eyes suddenly snapped open as her mind flashed back to when Robin first handed the envleope off to Starfire. "It's very important that you just hold on to it for now." He handed it to her and Raven's vision zoomed in on the upper right corner of the envelope.

"The stamps," she whispered. She spun around and faced her friends, and excited look on her face. Beast Boy got up and aprraoched her cautiously.

"Raven, remeber that talk we had about controlling our emotions. We take deep breaths and"- He was cut off by a small bit of black energy. She turned to Lee.

"Lee you said there was a new notebook and scanner in Robin's room right?"

"I did Raven-San, but I do not see how"-

"It's the stamps." Cyborg unfolded his arms.

"What?"

"Before he burned it, Robin scanned the original map, shrank the image down and put them on the back of the stamps. Starfire really has had the map the whole time!"

"Well weres the letter," asked Beast Boy.

"Where do you think, Starfire has it." They all took a moment to let the whole ironry of the situation sink in, then Cyborg nodded.

"Like I said you find Dalton, and we'll find Robin and Star." They all acknowledged their jobs and left the hotel.

ROBIN'S HIDEOUT....................................

Robin peered out the blinds apparently still paranoid of anyone following them. Starfire meanwhile paced back and forth almost wearing a hole in the floor. She finally stopped and folded her arms.

"Why did you not tell us?" Robin looked at her from the shades. "Why did you not tell me?" When he didn't answer she simply closed her eyes and walked over to the bed. She sat herself down and turend away from him. Robin hung his head as he knew good and well that he was in big trouble. He walked up behind her and tried to say somthing but just couldn't find the right words. Finally he went for the blunt appraoch.

"Well what was I supposed to tell you?" She spun around and frowned up at him slightly.

"Perhaps that you covertly worked for the very men that have been trying kill us, or that you have thus far been an assisin who's job it is to end lives." She shuddered at the thought of Robin commiting cold blooded murder. She looked down and sniffled. "One never has the right to take another's life, no matter who states otherwise." Robin sat down next to her.

"Starfire I don't know who told you I was an assisin, but they lied. My only job was to guard the map.

"Oh Robin, I so truly deisre to believe you. But after all that has happened I do not see how that is possible." Robin sighed and put a hand to her cheek. After turend her eyes to his he slowly removed his mask. Starfire's mouth parted as she now gazed upon his warm hazel eyes. He smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Believe me Star, I would never hurt you or anyone else. That night at the train station I really wanted to just stay with you and the others but I couldn't. They moved faster then I had anticapated and I had to make up for it. So I devised a series of clues that would lead you guys here so we could follow the map together."

"But, to where does it lead," she asked. Unbeknownst to either of them they had moved closer to one another.

"Well, that's an entirely different story." They moved closer still.

"Robin?"

"Yes Star."

"I have grown tired-of-stories-and clues." With that last word they both closed the distance between them and met in a warming kiss. Starfire's hands found thier way around Robin's neck while he picthed in his fair share. Both of them loving every second longed for it to last forever. They broke off for a mere second.

"I'm sorry Star." She shook her head.

"No Robin, neither of us shall apologize for what has happened." They moved to get back into thier kiss when Robin suddenly pulled her off the bed. They landed on the floor as a hail of shots came threw the window and all along the walls. Across the street on the roof of a building, the man peered through a high powered scope at the two Titans. Robin picked the both of them up and moved out of the door before the man had a chance to reload. Thet reached the streets and Robin poitned in two different directions.

"Star you go that way, I'll go this way!"

"NO ROBIN! I refuse to seperate from you!" Robin shoved her in the other direction.

"If you don't he'll kill you, NOW MOVE!" Robin took off on his route and Starfire did so on her's. She stopped and bit her lip, then with resolve turned around and sped off in Robin's direction.

CACTHING UP WITH RAVEN.................................................

She glided effortlessly down the streets looking for any sign of Dalton. She peered down an ally and recoiled when she saw someone lying amongst some trashcans. She looked up and down the streets. "Guess this mad has nowhere to go tonight." She turend to leave but stopped. She looked back and wondered why a homless would be wearing shiny black dress shoes. She glided up to him nad pulled away some damp newpaper off him. She ler out a gasp/scream when she saw Dalton laying there with a bullet hole right between his eyes. She backed away with ehr hand over her mouth then lowered it in horror. "If Dalton isn't the leak, then it's gotta be"-

PSST PSST

She fell foward as two silenced dart shots got her from the back. The hodded figure lowered his weapon and motioned for a few others to gather her up. They did and the Raven's assalant walked down the street.

GETTING BACK WITH STARFIRE.......................................

She flew over the winding buildings and looked down at the roads below for any signs of Robin or thier attacker. Her eyes widened when she saw a man dart across a building top. She swooped down and began following him. As he ran he glanced over his shoulder noticing that he was being followed. He cocked his bolt action rifle and spun around firing a shot at Starfire. She let out a loud "EEK!" And spun out of the way. He recocked his rifle and ducked behind a large A/C unit. Her fists lit she rounded the unit and found he was gone. Looking around she slowly glided around the roof top. She was close by and there was nowhere else to go, how could he possibly get away like that? She moved along the building and had no idea what so ever that she was currently in the crosshair of a high powered scope. She stopped at she caught a small glint of light out of the corner of her eye. It doesn't take experience with weapons to know it was a scope pointing right at you. Completely frozen she hovered in place. The man's finger pressed on the trigger and took the shot.

But not before Robin knocked the gun up and whapped him across the face. The man stumbled backwards and fell out of his hiding spot. Robin got out his staff as the man got to his feet. His expression unchanged he removed a dagger and readied it. He charged at Robin slashing in all directions. Robin ducked and after twirling his staff behind his back knocked the dagger out of his hand. Robin kicked him in the chest sending him twenty feet backwards. He stood up and in the same movement threw a smaller knifew directly at Robin's face. Just at it was about to stick in his mouth it was zapped away by a starbolt. Robin looked over and saw Starfire with her hands outstrecthed. He smiled over at her and fell backwards from being shot in the shoulder.

"ROBIN!" She flew up to the man and fired an endless barrage of Starbolts. He stumbled backward until he hit hte egde of the roof and fell over the side. She wacthed him fall over and flew up to the egde. She peered over the edge and saw no dead body or anyone running away, he simply vanished. She brushed the thought aside and rushed back over to Robin. She propped him up and and flet blood on her hand. "Please Robin you must stay with me." She patted his cheek to try and help him regain conciousness, but found that he was out like a light. She laid him down to fix his wound when she saw a shadow looming over them. She looked up and recieved a blow to the head. Just before she blacked out completely she heard a familiar voice;

"Take them to the others, take them to Room 111."

I'm sorry that this was allI could dish out for you guys. (Bows before all reviewers) But it's late. It is also my displeasure to inform that I am unsure as to when I will be able to update both this story and/or What dreams may come. I'm sorry Riles, but you'll simply have to live with it until I do get a chance to update either one. Please don't kill me, not on Christmas. Thanks for reading so far.