A/N: I sat down and wrote a lot of this in a rush, so there's really no reason to put an Author's Note on this chapter. I will anyway because I have an extremely large ego. Here's my note: The Amazing Mumbo is my least favorite villain. There.

Chapter 2: Roofin' Off

Titans

"Azarath…"

The mystic chant washed away her stress like waves on a white sand beach.

"Metrion…"

The cosmos opened their arms to her, and her mind flew among the stars.

"Zinthos."

Recently enjoyed food caused a glorious release of excess gas from her mouth.

"Burp. Damn it!" she quit levitating and covered up as if someone could have heard. "Cut it out, Rude."

Even without Robin butting in, she just couldn't concentrate. This had been a rough week for her. If it wasn't annoying teammates it was her emotions acting up—Rage in particular. She was feeling a bit sluggish in battle, drawing out a recent clash with Killer Moth that should have been a cake walk. Often she woke up in the middle of the night with her senses on high alert, and took forever to go back to sleep. Yesterday she'd even chuckled reflexively at one of Beast Boy's jokes; fortunately they were alone in the room and none of the others believed him.

Raven knew what was wrong: she was bored. Sick of the dull nine to five-ish routine that had defined her life since Slade disappeared and they knocked out the Brotherhood of Evil. Something desperately needed to happen. She was ready to search her books for another evil dragon spirit to fall in love with, just to break up the tedium.

"Come on, Dad," she muttered to the starry sky. "Stick your head into the dimension one more time, just so I can punch it back out. I'm dying here." No response, fortunately.

"Wow. I've been hard up for a fight before, but not quite that hard up."

She turned slowly, startled but hiding it well.

A black figure stood about 20 feet away. At first it could have been anybody, a silhouette against the stars. But then Raven made out his slender figure and the white skull design on his mask. An 'X' winked at her from one side of it.

This clown again, muttered Rage. See what he wants, it's better than nothing, said Wise.

Raven settled somewhere between them with a deadpan remark. "I'm sorry, sir. We don't want any."

"No? Maybe you should see what I have to offer." Sleazy as ever. His mechanically altered voice rang in her ears and seemed to vibrate through her, leaving her thoughts somewhat askew.

"Do I get a discount for putting up with your attitude?"

"That is the offer for now, sunshine. Take it or leave it." The thief looked as smug as she remembered. Even with a full-body costume he oozed arrogance, strolling on top of Titan Tower as if he owned it.

"You just lost a sale. Bye." she said shortly, and turned as if to leave. Raven wasn't going to let this guy do cartwheels on the roof all night without telling the others. But she did want to see his reaction.

"Wait." That was quick. "I've been watching you lately, you know."

Eyeroll. "Thank you. I'll alert the authorities."

"You appear very stressed. Almost…frustrated. Could it be from loneliness?"

Damn Robin for making that suit and letting it get stolen by such a bad flirt. The guy was really asking for it this time, and she had plenty of "it" to spare. Her eyes flickered red. "Enough already. If you've got a problem, I'll settle it for you right now. If not, get out of here and go steal something."

He strolled over to her, head tilted to one side. "It's sweet of you to think of my needs, Raven. But there's already something I want."

"You're going to want your face back if you take one step closer to me." That voice again. Reverberating through her head. And down, one of her peskier emotions whispered.

Oh Gods, she retorted. Please tell me that was a joke.

Red-X's shoulders slumped. "Cold. That hurt, sunshine."

"I don't care! And don't…" She had to take a deep breath to restrain Anger. His shoulders twitched, as though he knew what had almost happened. "…Don't call me that."

"So you don't care."

"No, I don't." Raven felt her emotions all shouting for her attention at once. She didn't know what about, but it couldn't be good.

He shrugged. "Fair enough. I'll make you feel even better, and take one step away." He did.

"Very nice. Now let's see if you can do it a thousand more times!"

"Maybe I will," Red-X shrugged and continued to back up to the edge of the tower. "Are you counting?"

Her throat suddenly felt dry, not only from his impossibly smooth and self-assured motion, but his backward stroll into oblivion. He wasn't really going to…

"Good enough?" he was at the edge now. Raven found her vocal chords uncooperative. "Tough crowd. Okay, then…one more just for you, sweet cheeks."

He stepped off.

"Wait!" the word tore from her throat. She nearly fell in her haste to get to the edge, looking down to see…

Nothing. He was gone.

Not gone as in falling to a pointless and richly deserved death, but simply vanished.

Damn him, Anger snarled. DAMN him for making you care, even for a second! Destructive energy consumed her being and demanded release.

At a bookstore a few blocks from Titan Tower, the entire section of vampire romance novels suddenly exploded.

All of Jump City rejoiced.