Author's Notes: Heya! Here's chapter 6, and I am pleased to say it is over three times bigger than chapter 1! XD Well, it's still not huge or anything, but they ARE getting bigger. Slowly. Also, as a warning to anyone who might be reading my story, I may soon need to start slowing down my posts just to make sure I don't run out of chapters to put up, because school is starting to get hectic... and it will only get crazier in the next few months. XP

Chapter 6: Threats

That morning, Starfire awoke, but it felt like she hadn't slept a minute. Her eyelids were heavy and stiff as she tried to focus on the clock across the room, which read: 9:37 AM. She groaned and rolled over to find that Robin had already left, surely not wanting to wake her up after her troubling ordeal in the middle of the night. She shivered, still remembering that dream as if it had really happened. Behind her eyes, she could still see that room. She shook her head, trying to wake herself up and force the images out of her mind. Reluctantly, she pulled herself up and stumbled to the door, heading towards the common room. She knew she couldn't stay in bed all day, no matter how much she wanted to.

The door opened into the large room, revealing the Titans going about their normal, quiet morning activities. Well, quiet in a crime-fighting sense, but Cyborg and Beast Boy going at it in a video game was not exactly 'quiet'. Raven was the first to notice Starfire's presence, tensing up and trying not to look back at the doorway. Robin also noticed, but then gawked at her current state of disorder. Cyborg and Beast Boy followed, letting their game play on without them.

Starfire surely looked 'under the weather' that morning, to put it lightly. Her hair was flying up in every which direction, mainly in her face, and she was slumped over, hiding her sleepy eyes. This was most unusual, as Starfire was usually the perkiest Titan up at this hour.

"Man, Star. Didn't sleep well?" Cyborg asked, faintly missing her cheery morning greetings. She merely shook her head, walked towards the kitchen, and collapsed onto a bench seat in the booth.

Robin got up from the couch. "Star, I think you should go back to bed. I know you had a rough night, you need more rest." He was about to help her up, but she resisted.

"No... no. I am fine." She mumbled, her voice muffled due to her laying face down on the seat. "I will be up and about momentarily. I just... need a minute..." That last part digressed into a whisper, her body desperate for more sleep. Robin looked down at her in concern, wondering why her bad dream had left her so defeated.

All the while, Raven sat motionless, sensing the same bad vibe in the air as from the night before. She knew it wouldn't be appropriate to blow up at Starfire again, especially while she was like this, but Raven wasn't sure what to do to ease this tension. She decided to try to bury this feeling she had for now, ignoring its persistence and forgetting its warnings.

And then, the very last thing Starfire wanted to hear, the alarms began screaming throughout the tower. She covered her ears and whimpered.

"Looks like a situation down by the office complexes. The report doesn't get any more specific than that, so be ready for anything. Titans, GO..." Everyone except Starfire was hurrying out the door, while she struggled to lift herself out of the booth, failing once and face-planting back onto the cushioned seat. "Err, Star, maybe you should sit this one out?" He watched her try to stand upright without wavering.

"No, Robin, I must go. For my team. Please, go on ahead, I will catch up." She insisted, trying to put on a small smile. Robin mumbled, wanting to protest but knowing that Starfire would eventually defeat him. He nodded, catching up to the rest. Starfire sighed, rubbing her eyes vigorously to try and brush away the fatigue. She then flew out of the common room to assist her friends.

All of the Titans, except Starfire who was lagging behind, sped across town to the business district, where skyscrapers and office buildings reached high into the sky. Businessmen and women walked along the streets, going about their daily routines, not even batting an eyelash at the Titans' presence. They were much too occupied with their busy lives to express curiosity at their sudden appearance. Robin abruptly skid to a halt, turning his R-cycle to the side and planting his foot on the pavement. The rest of the team followed his lead.

"The call came from right around here…" He trailed off, looking around at the perfectly normal scenery. No snarling monsters or fiery tempers, just people hurrying onto the 10:01 AM transit bus. Robin frowned at the thought that this trip was for nothing.

Cyborg shrugged from the driver's seat of the T-car that was pulled up beside Robin. "Man, maybe it was a false alarm, cause I don't see anything out of the ordinary here." Robin groaned.

"Wait." Raven said suspiciously. She spun around, suspended in mid-air behind Robin. She peered into the shadows of an alleyway, the others following her gaze. "Someone's close."

Just as the others started to get curious, they heard a dark chuckling from the darkness. They jumped back, startled.

"So, I see you received my call. Good. Let's talk." The menacing voice sent chills down their spines, stinging with familiarity.

"No…" Cyborg shook his head, eyes wide. "It can't really be…"

"It's Slade." Raven practically growled. Robin stood, frozen to spot as his brain tried to process what was happening. His expression grew more and more furious as his overpowering resentment for Slade flowed throughout his entire body. The several-hour-long meeting they just conducted, where they had determined that Slade truly wasn't behind those three villains' appearance, was rendered inconsequential in an instant. Robin would have told the others 'I told you so,' if it hadn't been for the severity of the situation.

Slade's silhouette could barely be seen in the dim light of the alleyway, his one eye the brightest feature of his form. He stood, nonchalantly leaning against the brick wall of a building. "I don't have all day, not even for the Teen Titans. I would like to get my point across quickly and clearly."

"What… do you want." Robin demanded, seething. Slade chuckled again.

"Well, I can't tell you that. However, I can tell you what you aren't going to do: interfere. I'm giving you all a fair warning." Slade glanced about momentarily, scanning the group. "Hmm, where's your little redhead? Skipped out on this meeting?"

"That's none of your business." Robin retorted.

"Oh, but it is." Though Slade's face was concealed behind his mask, his features were obviously twisted into a wicked grin. Robin felt a sudden twinge of uneasiness tug at him. "Basically, if you do mess with my plans or otherwise stick your noses into my business… she won't exactly be around anymore."

Robin was terrified into silence. He wanted to stop him, to scream at him not to touch her, but his body wouldn't follow his brain's commands. Raven undertook the duty as temporary interrogator. "What do you mean, Slade. Why are you targeting Starfire?"

"Simple. It's what she has to offer." Robin's eyes widened, remembering Starfire say something very similar to that.

"Enough riddles. Tell us, or we will make you."

"Now, now… don't be so hasty. Patience. You don't want to risk your little Starfire, do you?"

"I am not so little any more!" A voice exclaimed from above the mouth of the alley. Their heads immediately flew upwards to see Starfire floating, her hands and eyes glowing with green energy.

"Mmhmm," Slade laughed shortly, "I guess you may be old enough to be wed, but you are still just a child. So ignorant."

This statement made the team gasp collectively. How had he known she was just married? Of course the honorary Titans knew about it, but they tried to keep that information on the down low.

Starfire regained her focus, shaking off her confusion. "Perhaps I am young, but I can still defend myself." She aimed a fist at Slade, ready to strike.

"A brave gesture, indeed. But it is already too late." Slade backed away into the opaque shadows, disappearing. The Titans remained where they were for a minute or so, too stunned to move.

"What does he mean… too late?" Starfire glanced down at herself, wondering how she had been compromised.

"I-it may just be a threat, or a diversion." Cyborg offered, trying to calm everyone down.

"Yeah," Beast Boy added. "He just wants to scare us into letting him do whatever he wants."

Robin shook his head. "Even if he's lying, we can't take any chances." He said while looking up at Starfire, who slowly landed beside them, drooping as her sleepiness began to return. Her face was wiped blank as she sifted through her many thoughts.

"I am sure Beast Boy is correct." Starfire addressed the team, turning to them and managing a little smile. "We should not worry. Let us return home?" She glanced at Robin, a fatigued look clouding her face.

Robin nodded slightly and everyone began to head back to the base. Robin lingered, watching Starfire as she started to walk away shakily. Concern was painted all over his features as he was immersed in worry for his spouse. He followed them slowly, never taking his gaze off Starfire, trying to mentally prepare for anything that could possibly come after her.