Chapter 1

Tears

"But Robin-" Starfire attempted to calm Robin down but that was obviously not working. She used the steadiest voice she could make, but that only seemed to anger Robin further.

"I SAID GET OUT! NOW!" He threw his arm in the direction of the door and pointed his finger to it.

"Please, listen to me." There was that calming voice that seemed to make matters worse.

"GO! I swear everyday your becoming worse on so many levels that it's nearly impossible to pick just one! Just go and leave me alone you troq!" As soon as those words left the Boy Wonder's mouth, he immediately regretted them. Behind the mask, his eyes grew big and filled with guilt.

"Star-" He said in a calmer voice ready to apologize.

"No Robin. I do not wish to speak or see you for the time being. I shall leave you alone now. Forgive me for being a good friend and worrying about you but you need not worry. I shall no longer do that since only a friend would act like that and after what you said, you are no longer a friend. A true friend would never insult someone like so, especially since they know how much it hurts the other. Goodbye Robin." The alien princess couldn't summon up enough happiness at the moment so she ran out of the room with tears in her eyes that she would save for later.

After processing what happened between the two, Robin didn't seem to have the energy to stand up. His legs failed him, causing him to collapse and land on his knees and rethink what happened. He was doing research on the notorious villain, Slade, and whenever Robin was in "Slade mode", he wouldn't come out of his room, eat, or sleep for days. Today marked the third day of this stage but he didn't notice. Nothing or no one stopped Robin from focusing on Slade, except for one person of course. Starfire.

Everyone knew that the Boy Wonder had feelings for Starfire for the longest time and vice versa. But of course, the two lovebirds were oblivious to this fact and remained friends but loved each other from afar. Whenever they were in battle, they would look out for each other and if someone hurt them then there would be hell to pay. Robin and Starfire were the best of friends and worried for one another. Whenever Robin was trapped in his room, Starfire was the only one that seemed to get through to him. Today however, didn't exactly work out.

Flashback

Robin continued doing research and thought he reached a breakthrough on where Slade might be and as the pieces started falling into place, he started remembering everything Slade did to him and his friends. When Robin had to become Slade's apprentice and forced him to hurt Starfire to the time when Slade returned in his imagination making Robin hurt Starfire. As memories of their encounters with Slade kept flashing through his mind, Robin grew angrier until the point where he felt that he couldn't control his actions. That was the moment when Starfire entered the room. She came with a good purpose but at the wrong time. The door was open so she decided to knock and enter since Starfire knew how to bring him out of "Slade mode" for a while.

"Robin? Would you like to come and eat with us for the dinner?" A part of Starfire knew that he would decline and claim to have a lot of work to do, but another part knew that he would sometimes come out of his room-even if it was for a little while.

"No. I have too much work to do." His voice had become stern and forceful, which Starfire did not like.

"Surely it can wait long enough for you to eat with us." Her voice had become a bit quieter and more fearful because she was afraid she knew where this "conversation" may be headed.

"No, it can't." At this point Robin had turned around to face her and that just made her more nervous. No one was to bother Robin at a time like this-and Starfire knew that- but the other Titans had informed her that she was the only one who could get through to him. So time after time she would come to wherever he was and convince him to take a break.

"But-"

"I said. No." Robin didn't like that he was speaking so rudely to Starfire but right now, he felt like he wasn't in control of what he was saying or doing. It was almost like in was in pilot mode. (A/N: I forgot which mode it is so I apologize.)

"Why? Why is the paperwork more important than your friends!? Explain to me Robin!" Starfire was done trying to play the nice guy. For years whenever he was like this Starfire would endure the pain that came her way from doors slamming in her face to him being mean to her or yelling at her. But enough was enough and she decided to stop this cycle today.

"Well if I don't do the damn thing then who else will? I know Cyborg is too wound up into his electronics, Beastboy won't stop playing his videogames, and Raven can't stop meditating!"

"Do not dare speak of my friends in that manner. They all have their reasons which you will never understand so do the backing off of them!"

"I'll talk about them whatever way I want! And you, oh you're the worst of it all." Robin squinted his eyes and brought his voice to a dangerous level.

"Is that so? Please tell me how I am so terrible!" Starfire was very close to losing control of herself. Anything that came out of her was in yelling form and she tried to stop the anger so she wouldn't do anything she'd regret. Robin always kept his emotions in check and although he let his emotions take the best of him, that didn't mean he didn't want to take his anger out on something or someone. Robin was at his breaking point and subconsciously let his anger out on Starfire.

Robin held out his gloved hand palm side up and balled it into a fist. He used his other hand's finger to start counting off all of her flaws by stretching out his fingers in orders. First finger. "You can't speak English properly so no one can understand you sometimes," Second finger. "If you ever let your emotions get the best of you then you can be useless in battle which you know we can't afford," Third finger. "And you are so annoying! You really need to learn how to shut up once in a while it can't be that hard can it? Or are you that stupid to understand anything about anyone? If you see us in a bad mood then leave us alone because you trying to calm us down only makes everything worse!" Starfire would be lying if she said that what he just said didn't hurt. Now the regular Starfire refused to sink to his level and tell him all of his "flaws". But for the moment, the happy, bubbly Titan was gone and the warrior side kicked in.

"And you are perfect? Let me say to you, Robin," Starfire's voice came out harsh and cold as ice when she said his name. "You have many of the flaws as well." Making the same hand gesture Robin previously did, Starfire started the list. "You are the bossy making it nearly impossible to have fun in the Tower." Second finger. "Being serious all of the time does not help anyone, especially you. As Beastboy would say, 'Have the fun once in the while!'" Third finger. "You always let the villains get to you making you a person who is mean, serious, bossy, disrespectful, and countless other traits I no longer have the patience to list." The old Starfire returned to her body and when she realized what she said to him, a huge part of her prayed to X'hal that she could take it back and undo that entire argument. Except, about 1% of Starfire was relieved that she could finally tell him how she felt now and then and it was as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. But she knew that she had to make an apology if she still wanted to be his friend. However, a fragment of her wondered if she really wanted Robin to be her friend.

Robin felt like a bull ready to charge at the red-head and trample all over her but he knew that wouldn't solve anything. It seemed like none of them could make it worse than it was so he tried to make his final point. "The fact that you don't even apologize to me after saying something like that hurts Starfire. Please leave me alone right now." He tried putting it as gently as possible even though, deep down, he knew that he didn't even give the Tamaranian a chance to say something else. Whether it was an apology or not, she didn't have a chance.

End of Flashback

Robin then everything that happened after that, from when she tried to say something to him calling her a troq. The worst thing he could call her even though he knew what it meant but Robin felt like he wasn't in control of himself. He despised himself whenever something like that happened and even if he didn't the worse thing possible, Robin would try to act like it was nothing and shake it off. He would say to himself, "You'll get it next time" or "You let it win again." It may have been an odd thing to say but it made sense and on another level, encouraged him.

But the Boy Wonder was cut out of his thoughts when the alarm sounded. Taking off to the ops room, he hoped that it wouldn't be the one human attack his city. Arriving there he saw that all of the Titans were already there staring at the orange and black "S" flashing on the screen. Just what he needed, a punching bag.

"Need any information?" Asked Cyborg who had apparently realized Robin was there and turned towards him. Soon the rest of his team followed Cyborg's lead and awaited the Titan leader for instructions. Luckily, Robin passed by the address several times when he would ride his bike just to think and oh man did he need to think. But without any other thought, Robin said his favorite line, "Titans. Go!"

Once the team arrived at the, you guessed it, abandoned warehouse, Robin got off his bike and told them to stay together. They all nodded in agreement and when he stole a glance at Starfire he saw one thing on her mind, determination.

Entering the warehouse wasn't anything new: it smelled bad, rats scurrying throughout the floors, darkness enveloping around the heroes, and danger awaiting them up ahead. Nothing new, but that still didn't mean it didn't send shivers up and down their backs.

"Dude! How much longer? I was in butt-kicking mode but now I'm all meh again!" Robin could hear a short but semi-loud slap which he assumed was Raven slapping Beastboy's head. He somehow managed a small smile as he thought of all the times Beastboy was abused like that but he froze once he heard a cold, dark, dangerous voice.

"Hello Titans. Nice of all of you to come by and visit." Slade. Robin turned on his heels and searching to see where the villain was.

"Show yourself Slade!" Robin yelled.

Walking out of the shadows, Slade started walking towards the Titans and more importantly, closer to Starfire. But he stopped about halfway there and one blink later caused a bunch of his robots in front of him. They all turned examining the situation and without saying another word, agreed on which robots they would take. Starfire lit her starbolts making a Sladebot take a step too close to them. Cyborg fired up his sonic cannon and aimed it at the group he would destroy. Raven's eyes turned black along with her hands and the closest object she could find there, barrels. Beastboy transformed into an elephant and let out a loud trumpet sound. Robin took out his staff and spun it on his fingers eyeing only one thing. With another 'Titans go' they all started battling with the madman's defense.

Robin being the first to attack fought his way through the robots to get the one person he wanted gone from his life. One robot however, decided against this and appeared directly in front of Robin giving him a hard punch to the stomach. Although it ached, Robin ducked under the robot's arm, which was throwing a punch in midair, turned around and used his staff to stick his weapon in it's stomach. The sladebot shorted out and collapsed leaving Robin to pull the staff from the robot. Eyeing the room, he saw Cyborg shooting his sonic cannon's rays at robots all around him and helping out a teammate that was in need. Beastboy continued changing animal from animal from a snake to slither around his enemies to a kangaroo balancing on his tail to kick a robot or two. Raven was up in the air chanting her words and throwing objects at them. Starfire was a few yards away from her also in the air, but it seemed as though most of the sladebots wanted to take her down more than the others. She continued showering them with her starbolts but it wasn't until he realized that one sladebot had managed to climb onto a beam and was standing directly on top of Starfire.

Robin tried to go to that one robot but looking at his teammates cost him. He felt a strong kick to his back which made him arch his back and fly to the other side of the room hearing a clang to his right. He landed on his stomach and although it killed him, Robin managed to put one hand on the hard floor to assist himself up. Once he got up, Robin saw Slade walking towards him menacingly as though he had rehearsed it multiple times. Robin looked around for his staff and saw that it had landed a few yards to his left making him practically limp towards the weapon. But when he was about to pick it up, his legs failed him and he collapsed.

"Don't make me pity you Robin. Now get up and fight me but this time, try!" The only thing Robin could muster was a few grunts and moans which was most likely an insult and although he wanted to fight Slade, his body said no. Of all the times this could happen, why now?! Robin yelled in his mind. Meanwhile Slade, unfortunately, got what Robin was previously trying to say and thought of a way for Robin to fight him.

"Alright Robin, if you won't fight me on your own then maybe you will even if I use the one thing you cherish the most." Looking to the direction where Starfire was, the Sladebot that was above her jumped down and because of her exhaustion and astonishment, she dropped like a rock landing with a giant oomph. Robin was watching as well and his eyes grew big somehow finding the energy to yell her out her name in a blood-curtling scream.

"STARFIRE!" Using all the energy he had left, Robin grabbed the staff that was next to him, got up and ran meanwhile limping towards the frail alien who was now piled underneath robots kicking, punching, and injuring her more than they could. The other Titans saw what had just taken place and forgot about the robots they were recently attacking. Cyborg, thinking of his damaged little sister, ran towards Starfire and started using the rest of his battery to blast away some robots from her. He could feel his robotic eye starting to flash meaning that he didn't have much time left so he resulted to punching and tossing them away. Seeing how close Cyborg was to running out of battery, Beastboy forgot about his exhaustion, turned into a gorilla, and made his way over to the two Titans where he fought off the Sladebots. Beastboy single-handedly turned the machines back into spare parts one by one and Raven broke some robots trying to get towards Starfire's aid. No matter how much the Titans did however, no one was more concerned and scared more than Robin.

Finally reaching her side which was unoccupied by an enemy, Robin knelt back down and held Starfire close to his chest not noticing the blood that she was leaving on his uniform. Cradling her in his arms, Robin sat there looking at the broken Tamaranian and started shaking like there was no tomorrow. It wasn't until he heard an evil laughter when he dropped what he was doing and looked up with a pure evil look. Gently putting down Starfire, Robin emerged from his state of panic to a state of revenge. Getting up, he took the staff once again in his hand and prepared for a battle he would not lose.

"Slade." He muttered. "I am going to kill you." That part he yelled out loud so Slade could hear him and started charging and giving out a battle cry. The only thing that was driving Robin at that moment was his anger and the revenge that he would give Slade. The masked man didn't think the same; he only wanted to break Robin which was exactly what was happening at that moment. This brought a smile to the demented man's face which no one would be able to see.

"Is she going to be okay?" Asked a tired Cyborg who was shoving the tattered robots aside.

Raven was already next to Starfire's side a few seconds after Robin left to do who knows what to Slade. Truthfully, with all of the damage that the robots added to Starfire, she wasn't sure how she'd be when or if she woke up. But for the sake of the scared teammates around her, watching her carefully, Raven did her best to sound reassuring.

"I think so but we need to get her to the medical bay now." Looking at the blood that was almost everywhere, Raven gave a look at the boys that said she was serious.

"But what about Robin?" Asked Beastboy. He didn't want Starfire to become worse than what she already was but leaving Robin here with Slade was also a bad idea.

"Someone call him. Tell him that we need to go now." Said Raven who was already in the process of trying to heal Starfire.

Glancing at Cyborg, who didn't look like he had the energy to do anything, Beastboy got up and cupped his hands over his mouth. "Robin! We gotta go! Now!" Waiting for a response, which none came except a few grunts here and there, Beastboy almost regretted telling Robin this now but if it was the only way for him to understand, then so be it.

"If we don't go now then Starfire might not make it!" That caught Robin's attention making the Boy Wonder turn towards them for a split second before returning his attention back to Slade who was already gone. No one would ever know how he did that.

Quickly taking a 360, Robin refocused his attention on his team and looked at Starfire. He gave off a face that showed he was crest-fallen but regained his leader status. "Let's go!" Robin ran over to Starfire quicker than the human eye could see and was holding her in his arms one blink later. Raven saw that everyone was there and teleported them out of the warehouse as fast as her powers could take them.

As soon as they all arrived at the Tower, Robin ran away from the group with Starfire in his arms and carried her to the medical bay as fast as his legs could take him. Once he got there, Robin carefully set Starfire down on one of the beds they had there and hooked her up to wires which led to machines. As soon as that was over, Robin decided to double check if everything was in order and at that time, Beastboy came running in with Raven and Cyborg on his heels. The first thing they saw was Robin finishing up with adjusting the injured alien's wires.

Once Robin felt satisfied knowing that everything was in working order, he took the mistake of looking at her and saw how weak she seemed to be. Frozen in place, Robin stayed watching Starfire's every movement-mostly watching her breath very lightly- and hoped that if he stared long enough, then maybe she would wake up at any moment.

Robin stopped his thoughts when a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning his head behind him to see who the hand belonged to, Robin was slightly shocked to see Raven attempting to comfort him. Not knowing what to do next, he turned his full attention to the empath and turned around.

"Can you heal her?" He asked so quietly that Raven almost did hear his request. But she didn't have to use her hearing to know what he wanted. With a small nod, Raven walked around Robin and examining Starfire's still body to see where she was damaged the most. Finding that her head was covered with crimson blood, she started there. Working her magic, Raven concentrated on that specific spot but found it difficult to heal her fully with everyone there feeling too many different types of emotions. Stopping, she faced the three worried boys and said, "I need to be alone for this to work properly. I'll tell you when I'm done."

Robin, Beastboy, and Cyborg looked at each other, Starfire, then at Raven and two of the boys silently left. Robin being the most troubled, he cast one last look at Raven that told her that he trusted her to do her best. Robin left on the verge of tears but held it in until her entered his room.

Well isn't that a lot to take in? I was going to make this first chapter longer but it seemed right to make it into two different chapters so that is what I'm going to do. Tell me if you would like for me to continue with this story and I will happily oblige if you do. Please review, follow, fav and all that other good stuff! I don't own anything but Warner Bros. and DC Comics do! I would also like to say that if I do continue then it may take a while since I have a couple more stories that I have to update too.

Always yours,

light is in the dark