Author's Note: Welcome to the longest chapter of the story! I'm trying to return to my "update on every Saturday" thing, now that the story is nearly finished. We'll see how I manage XD

Chapter 22: Change of Plans

The Titan's East T-ship glided silently through the great expanse of space, its engines humming steadily as Starfire slept soundly in the pod behind Bumblebee. Bumblebee was quiet with concentration as she steered the ship past the occasional floating fragment of rock and looked on at the many planets she passed while she drew closer to the signal on the radar. Travel outside her own solar system was a totally foreign concept for Bumblebee, but tackling new challenges was her favorite pastime, and she couldn't deny that this was probably one of her favorite challenges she had ever tackled to date. Her drifting thoughts soon found their way back to Starfire, envying her for having the ability to travel the stars whenever she felt like it, and without the necessary evil of a spaceship.

She looked back at the slumbering alien princess and adopted a half-smile at her peaceful expression. She felt that such an innocent and kind girl like her didn't deserve all these hardships - but then again, she was a warrior. Bumblebee had a hard time wrapping her head around that concept, but Starfire's persistence did seem to fit into that idea. She could only imagine how feisty this little daughter of hers would become.

Interrupting her line of thought, the radar on her dashboard began to beep, signalling their close proximity.

After two hours and 36 minutes, the two Titans had nearly reached their destination.

Bumblebee searched the nearby area for any ships, but came up empty-handed. She glanced at the radar in confusion, as it was indicating that it would be in sight by now. Looking back up, she finally realized that an enormous green planet was what stood in her way. She grumbled for a moment, murmuring something along the lines of 'who put that there' and switched on the T-ship's intercom.

"Hey, Star. Time to wake up, girl," she said quietly, not wishing to jolt her awake from her restorative sleep. However, as her attempt soon proved completely futile, she decided to resort to a more drastic method. "YO STARFIRE, WE'RE HERE!"

"Eep!" Starfire squealed as Bumblebee's voice reverberated around her small cabin. Her eyes shot open as she sat up ramrod straight in her seat. After the shock had passed, she slumped back down a tad as her long nap's grogginess settled in, but her eyes remained alert. "What is it, friend Bumblebee?"

"Sorry for the rude awaking, but we're close to the ship now." Bumblebee gestured for Starfire to check it out on her own radar screen, and sure enough, they were nearly there.

"That is glorious! And for how long have we been travelling?"

Bumblebee cringed. "Erm, about two and a half hours…" she paused long enough for Starfire to sigh in disappointment, "but don't worry, alright? The ship hasn't moved in a long time so that's bound to be a good sign."

Starfire nodded, trying to let that comfort her. She decided to focus on her surroundings and registered the huge green planet looming not far from their tiny ship.

"Oh! I recognize this planet!" Starfire exclaimed as the T-ship slowly revolved around the giant.

"Really? What's it called?"

Starfire groaned in frustration after a few moments. "I do not recall, I learned about it when I was just a bumgorf. My own home planet is only one system over from here."

Bumblebee nodded thoughtfully, idly wondering why the ship was located so close to this specific planet. She didn't have much time to wonder, though, as the space station finally came into view.

"Star… you'd better have a look at this…" Bumblebee said slowly, feeling the same awestruck reaction the other Titans had upon beholding the gigantic station. "We can use your alien expertise right about now."

Starfire leaned forward in her seat, gasping audibly as she took in the station in the distance. "Is that… what I believe it to be?"

Bumblebee, extensively confused by her reaction, looked back into her pod. "Which is…?"

The T-ship continued advancing, giving Starfire a better view to confirm her hypothesis. "It is! It is the Gordanian Fleet!"

Bumblebee held up her hand. "Hold up. Gordanian? Aren't those the ugly guys that tore up Jump City years back?"

Starfire nodded. "That is correct. Unfortunately, that was also somewhat my fault."

Bumblebee smirked, recalling the story she had heard about the founding of the original Teen Titans. "No biggie. From what I heard, they weren't all that hard to defeat. What do ya think Slade's ship is doing here, then?"

Starfire's eyes widened, remembering the significance of the situation. "I do not know, but I fear to think that he has teamed up with the Gordanians."

"And why exactly do you fear that?" Bumblebee asked hesitantly.

"The Gordanians are ruthless, as is Slade. They would be a rather complementary team."

Bumblebee grinned. "Well, hey, so are we, so we're gonna kick some butt."

Starfire smiled back. "Of course! I have none of the doubts!"

"But first…" Bumblebee started, "how do we get in? This has gotta be a pretty high-security place if it's some kinda army ba-"

"That is not a problem!" Starfire interrupted eagerly. "I am very familiar with their ships; I have been a rather frequent visitor. If we fly underneath, we will be likely undetected by the controllers of traffic and we can enter through the hidden emergency passage that lies on the bottom of the station."

Bumblebee remained silent for a moment, thoroughly impressed by Starfire's plan. "I gotta say Star, some people may think you're a bit ditzy but ya just proved otherwise to me. Let's do this!"

Following Starfire's instructions, Bumblebee directed the T-ship below the station. Within minutes, the huge structure was hanging above them, ships zooming in and out on the superior levels, many of them coming from and going to the green planet beside them. With Starfire's guidance, Bumblebee found the disguised entrance to the hidden passage, steering the ship through a convoluted tunnel and landing in an abandoned hangar after a few air locks automatically shut behind them.

Starfire and Bumblebee cautiously exited the T-ship as it slowly powered down, the hum of the engines falling quiet. Every clang they made against the metal exterior of the ship as they climbed down echoed through the hangar, emphasizing its emptiness.

"Where is everybody?" Bumblebee mused as she touched down on the ground, making her way to help Starfire down in case she was still weakened from her earlier ordeal. Starfire gratefully took her hand, floating downwards the final few feet until she was also standing steadily.

"This area is mostly abandoned, they have little use for this passage now so it is normally not monitored."

"Why haven't they just sealed it off then? In case of, ya know, intruders? Like us?"

"Gordanians are an ignorant race. They feel they are above such infiltration because they are simply too great."

Bumblebee huffed. "Imma teach them the truth about that false hope."

Before Starfire could giggle at her remark, footsteps began echoing in the hangar, signalling that their arrival had not gone completely unnoticed.

Starfire gasped, grabbing Bumblebee's hand and yanking her behind the T-ship. They slowly peeked their heads out to the side, seeing about ten Gordanians come down a nearby hallway. They were speaking amongst themselves in their native tongue, but Starfire could understand everything.

"Are you certain you heard a ship come through here, Erit? This hangar has not been in operation for nearly a decade."

"Yes, I know what I heard. Look! There!" The group spotted the T-ship, taking their guns off their holsters and slowly walking towards the unknown spacecraft.

Bumblebee withdrew her head, looking Starfire over. "Sure you're ready to fight?"

"Of course, I will be right by your side," she confidently assured Bumblebee in a whisper.

"Then, on my mark," Bumblebee smirked, taking out her stingers eagerly. Starfire's hands lit up with fiery starbolts and the two Titans waited for the right moment to attack.

"Who goes there!" One Gordanian demanded. "There's no where to hide, you may as well surrender!"

"We will do nothing of the sort!" Starfire retorted in their language, both girls hopping out from behind the ship. Seeing the same Tamaranean girl they had lost years before took the approaching Gordanians off guard, one of them yelling "She's back!" Without hesitation, the Titans dived towards the aliens, flying low to the ground as they hit the Gordanians like bowling pins. As they struggled to get back on their feet and ready their weapons, bolts of electricity and explosive star bolts rained down upon them without let up. It continued that way until all but one Gordanian fell unconscious from the merciless attack.

"What nerve you have to return here, Tamaranean!" The last Gordanian sneered, unable to stand but still able to retaliate verbally.

Starfire approached the incredulous Gordanian, her eyes glowing green and her hand clenching onto a smoking star bolt. "I return only for one purpose. Afterwards, I wish to never lay eyes upon your kind again!" With that, she unleashed her star bolt, the impact enough to render the final Gordanian motionless. She turned her gaze towards Bumblebee, who couldn't help but take a step back at her menacing eyes.

"Woo, you're feeling better," Bumblebee offered, nodding at Starfire's work approvingly.

"Quite. Now, let us go and find my family."

Robin's eyes flitted open, the light of wherever he was blinding and uninviting to look at. He instinctively reached up and felt the fabric of his mask still firmly fitted to his face, wondering why he was having such a difficult time focusing on anything.

And then he remembered.

He let out a big breath and opened his eyes wider, looking up from the floor to see a similar sort of electricity as the energy dome the Gordanians had trapped them in running through the walls of a small room. Propping himself up on one arm, he noted the door was like this as well. Finally, looking around the cell, he saw Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg strewn out on the floor just as he was. However, within a few seconds, they also began to stir, sitting up while fighting back the dizziness accompanied by recovering from Slade's harsh knock-out gas.

"Agh, ow, man. That wasn't cool," Cyborg complained as he struggled to keep his vision from spinning. He sat up and also took in their surroundings, sighing. "Great, now we're stuck again."

Beast Boy, who had just managed to break free from the bonds of sleep, remembered what had happened immediately before the attack. "Raven?"

Reminding Cyborg and Robin as well, they all turned towards Raven, who was surprisingly already awake and backed into the corner of the cell, her knees drawn up towards her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. They looked at each other in concern.

"Something's definitely up with Rae, one of us should probably talk to her," Cyborg offered in a hushed voice, hoping she wouldn't hear. The three boys glanced over again, debating who should try to get her to open up as she wasn't always the easiest person to reason with.

"I, um, I can try?" Beast Boy asked more than stated. He wasn't sure if this was the best idea, but his curiosity about what was wrong with her was getting the better of him.

Robin and Cyborg exchanged a quick glance then shrugged. "Okay B, but don't be too, err… obnoxious. Got it?" Cyborg said firmly, afraid that Beast Boy could potentially make her condition worse.

"When am I ever…" he trailed off at Cyborg's raised eyebrow. "Okay, okay, I'll be careful."

Beast Boy edged towards the withdrawn empath, her eyes looking straight ahead and not ever venturing towards the advancing changeling. He knew she knew, however, as she tensed up the closer he got.

"Uh, h-hey, Rae," he tried, sounding rather unconfident as he settled across from her, in her line of vision but not in her face. He cleared his throat, deciding to try that again. "Are you okay? What happened back there? … Are you hurt?" He asked slowly, his true concern evident in his queries, gaining Raven's attention as her eyes finally moved towards Beast Boy sitting cross-legged in front of her. Her gaze fell back to the floor in front of her as she debated what to say.

"It was… it was nothing. Travelling through space just put some pressure on me, that's all," she insisted quietly, but by the way her eyes avoided Beast Boy, he could tell something was off.

"I don't think that's whole story, Raven," he pressed, his voice suddenly becoming more serious than usual while Raven looked up in surprise. "I know there's more than that, and we wanna help you. It's what friends do." He said as he gestured to Robin and Cyborg who were quietly brainstorming ways to escape their cell. "Actually, it's…" Beast Boy's voice returned to its previous timidity as he was now the one to avoid her gaze, "what families do."

Raven was touched by his admission of them being like family, but it also reminded her of their current situation, causing her to put her face in her hands shyly. Beast Boy looked at her in worry and disbelief, never seeing Raven so vulnerable. "Rae…?"

"You're right," she said, sniffling a bit, making Beast Boy wonder idly if it was even possible for Raven to cry when the world wasn't set to be destroyed by her hand. "That is one of the reasons." She let go of her legs, adopting the same position as Beast Boy. "I've been… feeling guilty for my mistake," her eyes flitted towards Robin, who was now listening to her confession along with Cyborg, "and sensing everyone else's troubled emotions, as well as my own fear and sadness. As I continued to panic, my powers were no longer able to be regulated. I lost control over them, my deteriorating emotional state contributing to my weakened physical state."

Raven had a hard time accepting that she was actually admitting all of this willingly. She wanted to stop, but now her feelings were pouring out like a faucet that couldn't be shut off. It seemed that she could only suppress these feelings for so long. "When… Robin got angry with me, I realized what a terrible error I had made, and felt that I was to blame for all of this. It was not reasonable, but I still believed it. I regretted not helping Starfire when I should have. Then the thought of not succeeding with this mission continued haunting me and I just… I just couldn't…"

Beast Boy grabbed her hands without a second thought, looking into Raven's watery eyes as she looked into his in shock at his action. "It's okay, Rae, really. We all feel like that. This mission is more personal, and it's really hard to handle that. We've all been there, and we're all there now. We're going to get through this together." He squeezed her hands reassuringly and then gently withdrew his own, Raven's hands tingling as they lost his warmth. Even though she knew that this encouragement wouldn't essentially change their predicament or make it any better, she began to feel her power and strength return to her. They continued to look into each other's eyes wordlessly until Robin cleared his throat, diverting their attention and reminding them that they weren't alone.

"Then I probably owe you an apology, Raven." Robin said hesitantly, not usually the one to say sorry. "I was too harsh on you, you didn't deserve that. It wasn't your fault." He started rubbing his neck tentatively, looking away. "I was just upset, and frightened, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

Raven looked at him gratefully, feeling much of her guilt wash away with his and Beast Boy's words. "Thank you, Robin. I'm sorry, too. I was supposed to get us out back there, but I was just… too weak." She admitted with some difficulty.

"Trust us, Rae. You're anything but weak." Cyborg said, walking over and offering his hand. Raven smiled at her teammates and accepted his outstretched hand, letting him help pull her to her feet. Beast Boy and Robin also stood up, relieved that they figured out what had ailed Raven and had hopefully fixed it for now. Robin quickly broke the potential for an awkward silence by returning the focus to their current dilemma.

"Cyborg and I just discussed how we could get past this barrier, but haven't figured out a solution yet. Any ideas, Titans?" Robin asked, glancing at the door of their cell which glowed bright blue with impenetrable energy.

"But we tried everything last time, and nothing worked! And now, there's even electricity under us!" Beast Boy said, back to his normal self as he tugged at his hair in exasperation, motioning to the current that ran underneath the plexiglass floor.

"That means my powers are out of the question." Raven concluded.

"I think someone has to help us from the outside," Robin said, walking towards the door and examining what looked like a control panel for the energy field. "There's no way for us to escape when that barrier is active."

"But who!?" Cyborg asked, a slight desperate tone to his voice as no possible candidates to save them came to mind.

After a few seconds of pondering, a giant explosion which knocked all four Titans off their feet interrupted their thought process. Dazed, they sat up to see what had hit them, just in time to see glowing green smoke fill the outside hallway. Within seconds, the energy barrier flickered off, the walls no longer emitting light and the room turning nearly pitch black, save for the light spilling in from the corridor. Two bolts of electricity then directly hit the control panel, damaging the lock and allowing the door to be easily pried apart.

Energized by their newfound hope, the four hopped to their feet, Robin leading them as he shoved the lifeless door out of the way. He stopped abruptly in the middle of the hallway, his eyes glued to the two silhouettes of their saviors, nearly being knocked over as the other three stumbled out of the cell.

Stepping into the light, Starfire and Bumblebee became fully visible, Starfire unable to contain her joy as her smile threatened to split her face in two while Bumblebee smirked, returning her stingers to their holsters.

"Someone say they needed some help?" Bumblebee asked, crossing her arms triumphantly, watching an interesting variety of expressions cross the Titans' faces as they stared at her and Starfire incredulously.

Robin's surprise soon melted into relief as he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his wife. Starfire's smile grew as she returned the hug.

"I am so glad you all are well," she said as the other liberated heroes joined in, including Raven. As soon as she was freed, Robin being the last to let go, their attention turned to Bumblebee who was casually leaning against the wall, watching their reunion.

"Seriously, you guys are adorable. Don't I get a hug, too?"

However, contrary to her wishes, their mood began to switch direction. Starfire watched this while biting her lip, knowing the punishment to come was inevitable.

"That's great ya saved us and all, but is it just me or were you supposed to keep Starfire away from this place?" Cyborg clarified, finally voicing the team's frustration as they stared Bumblebee down dangerously. "Instead, you brought her right to us!"

"You directly disobeyed our order and put Starfire in harm's way. She was in no condition to be involved with this mission," Robin said angrily, approaching Bumblebee slowly, though she showed little reaction to his intimidation. "When we return to our planet, you are hereby suspended-"

Starfire cut his sentence off as she placed herself between Robin and his target, spreading her arms out so she couldn't be easily bypassed. "Husband Robin, do not do the blaming of Bumblebee for our arrival. I was the one who insisted we go and overpowered her, despite her attempts to keep me from leaving." Starfire knew this was a bit of a white lie, but she figured she would explain the truth to him later, when he had his head on all the way.

Robin took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He peaked out from behind the Tamaranean wall, still appearing a little hostile but his anger was knocked down by a few notches. "Is this true, Bumblebee?"

Bumblebee shrugged, pushing herself off the wall and walking up to the rest of the group. "What can I say? She's quite persuasive."

Robin groaned in irritation, not really buying it, but let her off the hook for the moment as he turned away from her. Starfire glanced at Bumblebee who winked at her approvingly. Starfire returned the gesture, though she wasn't certain exactly what the significance was of blinking only one of your eyes. Before she could ask, the hall lights suddenly adopted a bright red hue as sirens began to blare.

"Red alert. Cell 21-A has been breached," came a repetitive voice over the intercom, signalling that their reunion was over. A horde of Gordanians started to fill the hallway, the six Titans automatically bolting in the other direction.

"So spill it Bee, how'd ya get here without getting caught?" Cyborg interrogated as they ran through the halls, evading the Gordanians approaching from various directions. "Until now, that is," he mumbled to himself.

"Ask Star, she's the one that knew about the hidden entrance," she replied as she flew alongside the half-robot. Cyborg raised his human eyebrow, looking over at Starfire who was flying on his other side.

"Hidden entrance? How'd ya know about that!?" He asked, disbelief evident in his tone.

"I have a long history with the Gordanians. They have captured me more than once and brought me to this station," Starfire recalled, causing Robin's face to twist in discomfort at this previously unknown fact about her past. "I am very familiar with their bases."

"Does that mean you know how their ships work?" Raven asked as she turned to look at Starfire, flying a few paces ahead.

Starfire looked a little unsure, but nodded slightly. "Perhaps enough. I have watched them operate their ships many times."

"Then let's go! Maybe Star will be able to figure out the Gordanian ship Slade was using," Cyborg suggested as his metallic legs continued carrying him down the endless corridor of jail cells.

Robin nodded. "We could use any clues we can get." As soon as their plan had been formed, however, the team skidded to a halt as they noticed the Gordanian guards coming at them in both directions. Looking around desperately, they soon realized that they were being trapped in the narrow corridor. As the Titans began to prepare for a fight, Robin noticed Raven's eyes glowing white, black energy beginning to pour from her hands.

"You're sure?" Robin verified, hoping to not repeat the last teleportation incident. Starfire looked back and forth between him and Raven, confused about why Robin even had to ask.

"Positive," she said, her face determined as her black energy wrapped itself around each Titan, teleporting them back to the hangar where Slade's ship was located just as the Gordanians caught up to where they had just been standing.

Everyone took a moment to recover from the mostly unexpected teleport, but soon found themselves right outside Slade's ship, the hangar appearing abandoned once again.

Starfire stood to the side, her head tilted quizzically at the spacecraft. Before anyone could ask her what was up, she opened her mouth, scratching the side of her head in confusion. "Did you say that Slade was using a Gordanian vehicle, friend Cyborg?"

"Yeah…" he replied, equally confused at her reaction since they were standing right in front of it.

"Then is this the wrong one?" she asked innocently. "Because this ship is not Gordanian."

Her statement earned a large, collective gasp from the team as their eyes switched from Starfire to the alien ship. "It's… not?" Beast Boy asked, mirroring everyone else's skepticism. Since Slade seemed to have teamed up with the Gordanians, it only made sense that he was using one of their ships. But then again, nothing was really making sense anymore.

"No, friend. Gordanian technology is not nearly so advanced," she replied, almost seeming in awe at how futuristic the ship looked, even from the outside.

"Then whose is it?" Cyborg asked, throwing his metallic arms up in exasperation. Before she could vocalize her uncertainty, all of the doors in the hangar were suddenly filled with approaching Gordanians, filing in with their weapons at the ready, finally having located the displaced team. They were quickly surrounded, and as they all prepared to fight once more, a menacing chuckle from the ship startled them, causing them all to snap their heads around at the noise. Standing a few meters away with Gordanian guards by his side was Slade with baby Marla in his arms, who was calm despite all of the chaos.

Immediately each Titan became tense, sending the largest death glares they could muster at the nonchalant villain. Before they could lunge at him, Gordanian soldiers restrained them, holding their arms behind their backs and restricting their movement. Though they could escape with the right amount of effort, they decided that the sad outnumber would leave them at a huge disadvantage and Marla would be right in the middle of it all. For the moment, eye daggers would have to do.

"Good observation, my dear Starfire," Slade mused, slowly walking out of the ship. Robin let out a low growl at his choice of words. "Indeed, this craft is from another planet with great things to offer. This is why I like the Gordanians. They don't simply look at great things longingly from afar; they make them their own," he said while peering down at the little prize in his arms. The Titans followed his gaze, huffing angrily.

"That is only the mentality of a person who is never content with what they have and let their greed overtake them and everyone else. That is the mentality of a thief! It is a bottomless pit that will never be filled!" Starfire retorted bravely, her eyes glowing green in anger.

"Well, I can sure as hell try," Slade said, a wicked glint in his one visible eye. The Gordanians around them hissed approvingly. "That is what our little partnership is about, after all. I give them the perfect slave, they give me the most advanced scientific equipment in the galaxy," Slade said, gesturing with his free arm towards the loads of machinery being loaded onto his ship at that very moment by his Gordanian goons.

"Let me guess, none of those things belong to them, either," Robin snapped at the villain, his eyes narrowed.

Laughter erupted from around the room, giving the Titans the obvious answer to that question. "Of course not. What's the fun in that?"

Beast Boy wasn't sure if this was an appropriate question at the moment, but he been wondering about this for some time and since Slade seemed to be revealing a bunch of details about his plans, now was as good of a time as ever to find out. "Wait… how the heck were all you dudes waiting for us in the ship when you were in that one room just a minute before?"

Slade laughed at the question, deciding to humor his curiosity. "Teleportation pods. Another handy invention from a race of weaklings."

While the Titans wondered which race he was referring to, the last of the machines were placed in the ship, the Gordanians filing out and standing beside Slade. "The equipment is loaded, human. I believe it is about time we conclude this business transaction," one of the Gordanians said in their creaky, reptilian voice.

Slade nodded thoughtfully, the Titans feeling a sense of urgency as they sensed that Slade was going to try to make his getaway shortly. "Indeed, we're just about finished here." He turned to face the heroes who were beginning to grow anxious.

"Just a little bit of cooperation, and we both get what we want," Slade said, the Gordanians nodding with smug looks on their faces. "But then again," he interjected, the smug looks disappearing from their expressions as they regarded Slade carefully. "Starfire made a great point. It's a bottomless pit I'm filling, so I'll need as much as I can get to throw in." He looked down at the baby with great potential. "When I think about it, my own personal Tamaranean hybrid would be the perfect apprentice. I'd raise her in the ideal environment and this time she would remain loyal to me."

The Gordanians began to appear hostile towards the villainous earthling standing by the entrance of their stolen ship, their approving gazes becoming hateful. "That wasn't the deal," one of the Gordanians piped up from behind the Titans who were watching Slade's typical habit of betrayal without too much surprise.

Slade's one eye lit up in what could only be a gleeful smile beneath his mask. "True, but I'm making a new deal." From seemingly out of nowhere, Slade whipped out a small device with a red button on top in his free hand. "Anyone makes a move to stop me, and this whole station is blown to pieces."

Nearly everyone stepped back from the suited man in case his threats were legitimate, the Titans' eyes widening at the newest danger.

"And what if you're lying," a Gordanian spat, doubting the villain's resolve and refusing to be intimidated by his claims.

"Hmm, I figured you would need some proof," Slade said, expecting the skepticism. Pressing on a button on the bottom of the detonator, a large screen on the wall of the hangar began buzzing to life and, after a moment of static, the whole room was filled with exclamations of shock as they beheld the image of a bomb, ready to be detonated. "This is planted inside my ship. Let me leave, and everyone gets to live just a little bit longer," he said, finger hovering over the button as the Gordanians took a few steps back, hissing angrily.

"You wouldn't dare," one of the Gordanians, who was previously one of Slade's helpers, said in contempt - but made no move to get any closer to him.

Slade chuckled, beginning to slowly back away into the ship, baby Marla squirming in his arms and the detonator held firmly in his hand. "I guess we'll find out if anyone gets in my way," he said, his tone even as he continued to withdraw towards the ship, no one daring to move.

Out of his view, a woman suddenly appeared from atop the ship, her hair tangled and her nurse uniform ripped and tattered, exposing her scraped screen underneath on her arms and torso. It didn't take long for the Titans to notice, the Gordanians holding them soon following their gazes, letting go of their arms as the focus shifted to Slade's former assistant making her way towards the front of the ship. Slade, seeing everyone's eyes trained on the area above him, spun around to see Adelaide, her face severe as she stared down her former master. However, before the surprise on his face could subside, he collapsed in pain, Adelaide's hands glowing red as she inflicted torture on Slade's body. While he fell, Marla slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground, unhurt due to her Tamaranean origins but crying in protest, and the detonator was firmly pressed as Slade became rigid with pain, everyone gasping and their eyes flying to the screen on the wall in horror as they waited for destruction to follow.

But nothing happened.

The Titans, who had instinctively huddled together in preparation for the end, looked back up at Slade and Adelaide after a few seconds of silence. Adelaide jumped from the ship, landing with a thud beside Slade who remained crippled on the ground.

"If there's one thing I've learned from being your assistant, Slade, it's that you would never subject yourself to death," Adelaide declared in her British accent, pulling the detonator from his hand and snapping it in two, the lifeless dud crumbling to pieces and falling to the floor.

Within moments, the Gordanians were turning towards the mischievous man, growling as they began closing in on him since the threat of mutual destruction had been neutralized. Slade, who was still under the influence of Adelaide's powers, managed to swipe his leg under her, causing her to fall to the ground with a shout and cease her attack. Slade scrambled up, attempting to grab the screaming child, but was beat by a Gordanian who snatched her and ran towards the other side of the hangar. Deciding to cut his losses as the Gordanians were quickly approaching, he sprinted into the ship, grabbing a blaster and fighting off the angry aliens.

The Titans, who had mostly forgotten about Slade, watched as Marla was rushed through the crowd of restless Gordanians, attempting to be smuggled away. "Titans, go!" Robin yelled above the noise as the team quickly ran and flew towards the girl, no longer the priority of the Gordanians as they shot their weapons at Slade. Soon, the heroes were acting as a blockade at one of the hangar's exits, stopping the Gordanians who had seized Marla in their tracks. There they stood at the ready, fully prepared to mow down the aliens and take Marla far, far away from there.

A short distance away, two Gordanians who were previously chasing after Slade, who was attempting to close the ship's entrance before the Gordanians could reclaim their stolen machinery, noticed the emerging standoff by the hangar's exit.

"Get rid of those inferior beings, Loric, even if you must hit some of our own. We must not lose our merchandise," one of the Gordanians ordered, pointing to the baby in another Gordanian's arms.

"Yes, Commander," Loric complied, pulling out a Gordanian death ray that attacked the nervous system of whoever was struck by its beam, leaving them unable to control their autonomic functions such as breathing and heart rate. He aimed it at the group across the room, planning to hit all of the Titans in one shot.

The heroes were beginning to converge on the aliens, Raven's back energy wrapping around their weapons and causing them to implode, Bumblebee's stingers sparking with electricity, Cyborg's sonic canon charging up, Robin's bo-staff pointing at the menaces, Beast Boy shifting into bull who stomped its foot and huffed angrily, and Starfire's hands burning with star bolts. However, as the situation was beginning to look grim for the trapped Gordanians, Starfire spotted the death ray pointed at them from afar, immediately recognizing the weapon and feeling her breath catch in her throat, her eyes returning to their normal color as their fire was extinguished, her fury replaced by fear.

"No!" She exclaimed as the trigger was pulled, drawing the attention of the Gordanians and Titans alike to the assassins across the hangar.

The following events seemed to go in slow motion as the white beam speckled with black exited the blaster, cutting through the crowd of Gordanians as the aliens narrowly missed the ray due to Starfire's warning shout. There was a fatal flaw in Loric's aim as he was angled slightly behind his fellow soldiers that were holding Marla. Starfire lunged forward, trying to shield her friends and her child from the blast, Robin attempting to grab her arm and stop her but doing so too late, Starfire already flying through the air.

Starfire was also too late.

The beam whizzed by, just barely grazing baby Marla on the shoulder, leaving a burn mark on the fleece blanket she was contained in.

In shock, the Gordanians who had been guarding her jumped back, the baby falling to the ground and landing in Starfire's waiting arms below. Marla's face was coated by a fine layer of sweat as she began choking and sputtering, her lungs beginning to shut down.

Each Titan's heart stopped in their chest, realizing the horrible thing that had just happened as Starfire began to sob on the ground, her dying child in her arms.

"MARLA!"

Author's Note: That's probably my worst cliffhanger ever. Please don't kill me, because I have a plan! Or, they have a plan, I should say.

And also, I have never read the comics, so if any of my "facts" about the Gordanians are contrary to the comics, I apologize. :P