All right, this is my … second to last chapter (I think)…

Chapter Thirty-one: All or Nothing

"Hellllloooooo Metropolis!" yelled the announcer into the mike. "ARE – YOU – READY – TO – ROCK?" The audience screamed and hollered. "YEAH! Alright then! Well, here's a band who refuse to give up! These guys have traveled all the way from Steel City. Please welcome Jinx, Gizmo and Mammoth; THE HIVE!" The HIVE went to their places and tuned up. Then, Jinx walked up to the microphone.

"This is one of our favorite songs. We hope you like it!" Then, they once again played LaLa.

"Is that all they can play?" wondered Raven out loud.

"Looks like it," answered Cyborg. "Rip off artists!" (A/N Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends)

Beastboy shoved his hands into his pockets when he felt something. Then, an idea popped into his head.

"I'll be right back," he said. And then he hurried off to the dressing room. Meanwhile Starfire took a peak at the audience. She looked all around but she couldn't seem to find who she was looking for.

Mabey he didn't show? Mabey he was too busy?

Then, it felt like the weight of the world lifted from her shoulders. He wasn't there. And for the first time that day, she smiled.

"Well," said Beastboy's voice from behind them, "how do I look?"

They all turned and stared. Now, not only was his hair green, but his face was as well. (A/N remember when he bought the green face paint at the book store?)

Raven smiled. "You look like a lime with a wig." She then walked over and rested her arms on his shoulders. "But I like it, anyway."

Robin, Cyborg and Starfire then all looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Ummm…" said Robin, "did we miss something?"

Beastboy and Raven looked at each other. "Oh, yeah, we forgot to tell them," said BB. "Well, uh, ever since Terra ditched, we've kinda, sorta, been, you know…"

"Yeah!" interrupted the announcer on stage. "What a performance! All right, now, these guys, mark my words, are headen for something big! All the way from Jump City, please give a warm welcome to Robin, Starfire, Beastboy, Raven and Cyborg; THE TEEN TITANS!" the crowd whooped and whistled.

The band hopped on stage and got to their places. The spotlight burned their faces. Small beads of sweat rolled down the sides of their cheeks and the backs of their necks. The cheering crowd was hard to make out over the blinding lights. Robin did his best not to squint as he walked up to the mike.

"Uh," he said, nervously, "this, um, this song was written by our own Beastboy." (A/N remember how Beastboy always wanted to be a superhero…?)

BB twirled his drumstick and Raven heard someone in the audience shout "so play, already!"

"Uh, here it is!"

They started up a tune as Star and Raven went up to the mike.

"When there's trouble
you know who to call
Teen Titans!"

"From their tower
They can see it all
Teen Titans!"

"When there's evil
on the attack
You can rest knowing
they got your back

Cause when the world needs heroes on patrol
Teen Titans, go!"

The crowd cheered, egging them on.

"With their superpowers, they unite
Teen Titans!"

"Never met a villain that they liked
Teen Titans!"

"They've got the bad guys
on the run

They'll never stop
till the job gets done

Cause when the world is losing all control
Teen Titans, go!"

"1, 2, 3, 4, go!
Teen Titans!"

They ended with an abrupt note, and left the crowd screaming for more.

They took a bow and clamored backstage, giggling, laughing and toppling on top of one another (the stored adrenalin was now flowing freely). But they stopped as soon as they heard ominous clapping coming from a single pair of hands. They looked up and saw Slade Wilson slowly applauding them. Starfire wished that she were anywhere but here.

"Well done," he said in his low, gravelly voice. "Well done. I believe that is one of the best performances I've ever witnessed. Well done."

"What are you doing here?" Robin asked, savagely.

"Why, I'm here for Miss Anders, of course. Now come, my dear. The limo is just out side."

"She's not going anywhere," Robin spat. "And she will never sign that contract."

"Oh, on the contrary," Slade said, taking something from his briefcase, "she all ready has." He showed him the record contract.

Robin looked in disbelief as he saw Kori's elegant signature was at the bottom of the page.

"Robin, I'm sorry," she said, "I tried to tell you…"

Robin simply looked at her. Her wide eyes were brimmed with tears. He didn't know what to think.

"Well," said Slade, apathetically, "I hate to brake you of this tender moment, but we have a record to do, Miss Anders. I suggest we leave.

Starfire looked into his cold, grey eyes. Then, without thinking, she took the contract from his hands and, with all the strength she could muster, tore it into shreds.

"What are you doing?" Slade said in aghast. "Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"Not really," she said.

"Well fine, I'll just take on a new subject! The HIVE looks promising. You will regret this!"

"I doubt it."

He then left in a huff leaving the shredded contract pieces on the floor. Robin stared at it, unable to think. Starfire took his silence for scorn and hurriedly walked to the dressing room. Robin simply stood there, blank.

Meanwhile, Beastboy took up a particularly big piece of shredded paper and looked at it.

"'$600,000'!" he said, exasperantly. "She was gonna make six hundred thousand dollars for one album! Man, if I had that money, I wouldn't give it up for nothen'!"

Wouldn't give it up for nothen'… Well Beastboy was right; Robin didn't know anyone who would just give up that kind of money… except Star…

"Well," said Raven, logically, "I can see why she would sign with someone like Slade; with Galfor doing as he has been, she would need a few extra hundred."

Galfor… She wasn't giving up money for herself; she was giving up money for her sick parent. But why would she give it up?

Because of you… said a voice in his head.

Robin brushed by the other Titans and hurried to the dressing room.

------

Dick gently pushed open the door and saw the redheaded girl sobbing on the counter.

"Kori…" he said, softly.

She slowly turned and they locked eyes for a minute. Then Kori looked away.

How could he have been so selfish? She needed that money and she gave it up because he was a whiny little kid. He welcomed his feelings of humiliation and regret; he disserved them.

"Dick," she whispered, "I'm sorry."

He walked over to her and took her in his arms.

"Don't be"

Then, Kori silently cried into his shoulder.

OK, I NEED REVIEWS! PULLLEEEZZZEEE?

T.