Thank you to the kind people that latched onto this story for whatever reason, I hope not to disappoint you. Fair warning in the coming chapter however…some characters and situations are a bit out of normal character for the titans. It is a means to an end and a way to get this story in a ambiance I like.

Disclaimer: see chapter previous. No suey suey, me no piggy!

Chapter 1

"Okay titans, Red X once again escaped. I think it's redundant about now to try and go over what went wrong. Each time we face him he gets away, and I don't know about you, but I'm really starting to want this guy behind bars by almost any means necessary." Glancing about at the wary faces of his titans, Robin felt a swell of pity for them rise. After the museum, they had to file a report for the officers that arrived on the scene, that alone took about two hours, and loath to admit it, the titans had to explain that they once again failed to apprehend X. Now, it was well after midnight and they were all tired and wrung out, but being Robin, he couldn't let them go to bed until he had had his debriefing. "I think we need a new approach. Any one got any ideas?" Perhaps asking their input would get something new acrossed and catch this guy once and for all.

All around the table the titans looked thoughtful, save for Raven, who looked for all the world like she was brooding. Cyborg suddenly grinned and leaned forward to gain attention.

"We could always try to lure him out. Ya know, like let it slip that someone of great importance was going to be in town with some sort of paperwork on them that might be worth a lot of money to someone." Shrugging, Cy sat back and folded his arms over his massive chest. He really needed to recharge. He felt sluggish and it was nearly impossible for him to get his arms to stay put and not fall to his sides.

"Good thinking, Cyborg. But I don't think its enough. It would be easy to get his attention with something like that, yet I'm not sure he would go for it. We need to do something a bit more critical than that." Cy conceded the point to Robin with a mere lift of his shoulders. Turning to Starfire, when that one cleared her throat, Robin waited patiently expectant.

"Maybe we can put the trace on him?" She asked hesitantly, blushing as she offered her idea to the group. Robin smiled sheepishly, but began to shake his head in the negative.

"No, unfortunately, I made sure the suit would tell its wearer when such a trace was placed on it and short it out." Star looked crestfallen for a moment before placing her head in her hand and yawning mightily.

"You know, when Cyborg and me get going in games I tend to make more mistakes when we are competing…" Beast boy offered the group, staring off into space and not taking notice of the surprised looks he received.

"You mean maybe he would make mistakes if he was competing with another thief?" Robin asked, clearly stunned that Beast boy had made such an insightful suggestion.

"Yea, if we could get someone, another super thief, to go after the same marks for a while, then he might start to make mistakes. It could fluster him or something." Beast boy looked about two seconds from passing out on top of the table, which made his suggestions all the more impressive. Raven blinked rapidly at the green changeling, while the others gaped.

"That's actually brilliant! But we would need more control than just getting another thief to make trouble for us. What we need is for one of us to portray the thief, that way we could be in on the jobs and at the same time push X's buttons." Robin thought aloud, not noticing the looks of denial he got from his team.

"If one of us is going to do it, it can't be you or me." Cyborg put in, bursting into Robin's thoughts. Robin looked dazed for a moment before he looked like he was going to argue. Raven beat him to the punch.

"Robin, he would know if it was you. If another larcener showed up and you went missing, X would figure it out. If he is one thing it isn't stupid." She said blandly, not at all interested in this conversation any longer. She was more than ready to go to bed and forget the annoyance that is Red X.

"She's right dude. Plus, man you get really weird when you go undercover. I don't want another Slade obsession." Beast boy put in his two cents. His comment received nods from Starfire and Cyborg. Robin slumped in defeat. He may be the leader but he knew when he was out voted.

"Why can you not pretend to be the evil doer friend Cyborg?" Star asked leaning heavily on her arm. Her eyes were blood shot and she looked dead to the world.

"I'm too easily recognized, plus, I'm not really stealthy. Most criminals that steal things have to either go in guns blazing, or be very quiet and lithe. I would be too conspicuous." Cy shrugged again, having explained why he was out. He wasn't really sneaky and with his size he'd have a hard time getting in and out of somewhere unnoticed. That left Beast boy, Starfire and Raven as the potential thieves.

"I'll do it dude! I'll be like all Ninja! HOOwaaaa!" In a sudden burst of energy, BB launched himself onto the table top and did a quick spin kick knocking over his chair, scattering papers all over and bursting the overhead light when his foot contacted with it. The other titans were left in the dark, or would have been if not the soft blue glow emitting from Cyborg's chest. Raven lifted an eye brow and the others stared at BB with a belittling air.

"Oops, sorry. Um, maybe I'm not cut out to be a thief after all…" Beast boy mumbled, slinking back to his seat and trying to avoid the looks he was receiving.

"Yea, not my first candidate there BB, probably the best decision if you to sit this one out. And no offense, Star, but you wouldn't make the best thief nominee either. You're too innocent and not always really graceful either…" Cyborg trailed off, offering Star a smile in apology. She simply smiled brilliantly.

"I do share your opinion, friend Cyborg. I am not full of the grace, and I do not think I would know what to do when doing the robbing." She admitted, leaning back in her chair and turning her head to observe the silent Raven, the last possible person for the job.

"Ya know, Rae, I think you just might be perfect for the job. You're naturally graceful, quiet, fast, and intelligent. I think you'd give X a run for his money…" Cy stated; his thoughts seemed to be shared by everyone else, expect perhaps Raven herself.

"No." Raven stated calmly before rising to her feet and preparing to leave the room. She was halted however when a hand descended on her forearm and turned her around gently. Robin stood there, watching her expressionlessly through his mask.

"I would rather be the one to do this, but if there was someone else I would have do it, it would be you Rae. So what is stopping you from taking this assignment?" He asked quietly, she got the distinct impression that he was able to read more than she wanted him to when he stared at her like that. Pulling her arm back, she hugged them to her center and lowered her face, letting the cowl on her cape hide all but her cherry red lips.

"I am not a delinquent and I resent the idea of being forced to be as depraved as the person we are trying to obtain. There must be another way." Said as coolly as normal and every bit rationally, but Robin picked up the edge in her voice anyway. For some reason, Raven didn't want to participate in this course of action, and he wanted desperately to uncover why.

"Yo, we are going to hit the sack. You two let us know what you decided to do in the morning, k?" Cyborg alerted the two as he began to exit the room from the other door way. Beast boy preceded him from the room drooping and dragging his feet; Star had passed out at the table and was currently cradled in Cy's arms. Robin barely acknowledged their retreat, his attention focused on the dark girl in front of him. Raven lifted a hand in farewell, wishing her leader would stop watching her so closely and allow her to return to her room as well. It made her extremely uncomfortable for him to scrutinize her like this.

"Well, it's just the two of us, now. How about we go to the living room and talk about this some more?" It was less a question than a demand as Robin had already walked past her and headed into the living room, knowing she would be peeved but follow none the less.

As he had known, Raven came stalking into the room and glared at him icily. Had she had her way the irksome man would be an ice sculpture by now. He merely lifted a brow and patted the cushion next to him invitingly, if not a bit mockingly. She huffed and flopped down crossing her arms and staring at him with an air of challenge. He rose to her bait and addressed the issue.

"So what really is the problem? Is it because you don't think you'd be good at it? Because if that's the reason you…" She quickly began to shake her head.

"That isn't the problem. In fact the problem is I'm worried I'd be too good at it." When he didn't respond, she looked away and lifted a hand to run through her hair knocking off her hood in the process. It was a tell-tale nervous habit of hers; this was more serious than he had thought.

"I…" Seemingly at a loss for words, Raven stood and began to pace in front of him, looking at him every now and again in agitation. "To do the things you're asking of me, well…" Her eyes pleaded with him to understand and forget this silly notion. He wanted to help, but he still didn't understand the problem. "I'm a half demon, Robin. I have fought all my life to be seen as good, to be good. Now, you're asking me to do the things I have fought with myself over all my life. I just am worried that I'll…lose my self and I won't be able to come back from that side, the dark side." Stopping, she stood biting her lip and staring blankly at the floor in front of her. This was perhaps the most emotion he had ever seen her express and suddenly he knew just what to say. Standing, he entered her line of vision, then pressed further and came chest to chest with her.

Using his hand, he gently lifted her face, staring into her moist azure eyes. Gaining her attention, he slowly and deliberately removed his mask. Her eyes widened marginally, it wasn't that she hadn't seen him without his mask, but each time was flitting and brief. Now, here she was staring directly into the most amazing mahogany eyes with golden flecks, reading in them an emotion she didn't recognize.

"I know you Raven. You're no more evil than I am. You're the only one strong enough to come back to us after this. Even if you don't trust yourself, I trust you." It some how felt wrong to speak over a whisper and Robin understood this. He had spoken softly and steadily letting her feel the warmth of his emotions wash over her petite frame. Cupping her cheek, he pressed his forehead to hers. This actually wasn't that odd for the two heroes to do. For the most part, when Robin had a problem, after brow beating it out of him, they would sit quietly and enjoy each others presence, sometimes it meant Raven would let Robin hold her, mostly because she could feel it comforted him, other times it meant she would place his head in her lap and stroke his hair till his muscles lost their tension and he fell asleep, this was a new thing for the duo however. But at this time it was what she needed.

"I'll be here for you every step of the way, Raven. And if you ever feel it's too much, or you're loosing it, you can call it off immediately with no questions asked." Robin offered, secretly enjoying the feel of the lithe body and lush curves of the small woman he held in his arms. He wasn't sure exactly how he felt about her, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew and enjoyed the charms of a beautiful woman when he seen one, and Raven was most assuredly a stunner.

"How can you be so certain about something I'm not even sure I'm capable of?" She asked softly, wrapping her arms loosely about his waist. It was so warm in his embrace, so safe and comforting.

"Because I know you better than I know myself, and no matter what heritage you possess, you are a good person, you'll always do the right thing. But," he smiled cheekily at her and took pleasure in the astonished look he received from the normally composed girl, "Your dark legacy will make it a lot easier for you to fool the people we need you to fool." He laughed softly as her eyes narrowed into slits and she raised her nose in the air regally.

"The only fool here is you." She said coolly, pulling from his embrace and cracking one eye to keep him in her sight. Stepping closer, he snagged her wrists, pulling her toward the hallway leading to the bed chambers of the team.

"Was that a yes?" He asked, gaining a slap against the head in answer. Chuckling, he leaned against the door frame to her room as she went inside. Glowering over her shoulder as she entered, she purposefully slammed the door in his face after answering him cattily.

"Did I ever have a choice?" Robin merely smiled at the closed portal before heading to his own room, already planning things that would need to be done to make this a successful mission.

Kinda cute, huh? Hopefully it wasn't too extreme for some of you and you will give me the chance to show you I am capable of portraying our loved heroes and villains in a fair, or unfair as pertains to the person, light. Thanks and review, even if it is to say ' you suck! Your writing isn't even good enough to entertain the dead!' Ouch, I think I hurt my own feelings…