Long Road to Ruin

Not a Couple

I felt my chest heave and the dank, grimy, moldy, and garbagey smell of the backstreet was swept up along with the smoggy air of Steel City. With my demon senses still in effect I could almost taste the staleness of the air around me and it took great effort for me not to fall over in a daze due to the amount of waste and filth I could smell. So as quickly as my nose picked up the scents my body worked to push it all out with a heavy whoosh of air that escaped my lips.

Speedy was still on his communicator juggling both Robin and Bumble Bee as they drilled him about my whereabouts and wellbeing. I propped my back against the corner of a brick building and tucked my right thumb into my (Blackfire's) pants pocket while I watched Speedy with narrowed eyes. Why were they grilling him and not me directly since he told them I was with him? I pondered to myself for bit until movement on the left corner of my eye caught my attention. I glanced over and saw X standing with his feet shoulder-length apart, his arms tightly crossed over his chest and his amber eyes intensely boring gaping holes in the back of Speedy's head.

All around, he looked tense, anxious, maybe even unsettled … but I knew him better than any onlooker so I knew for a fact that he was pissed-off, but he was pissed-off at the wrong person. He should be glaring at me, not Speedy … Speedy may be a jerk in his own right with the things he said earlier, but that's to be expected from an instigator and I know X knew he was being goaded. I, on the other hand, had betrayed his trust when I forfeit his true name to a Titan … now it was only a hop, skip, and jump for Speedy to look up Drake's personal records, find his credentials, and figure out just who my 'friend' really was.

I'm such an idiot.

X's gaze shifted to me and a small amount of his intensity softened, but that could have just been the trick of the light … I don't know … I didn't try to meet his gaze. Instead, I quickly tipped my head down, pushed off the brick wall to shift my weight, and then fell back on it with my eyes back on Speedy. It was easier to watch someone with their back turned to you, rather than face the person you've been staring at from across the room. However, if that person so happened to be Red X and he found out I were staring at him then forget it, he's going to make me face him whether I like it or not.

It's just the way he is: direct, in-your-face, and to the point when he wants answers and wants people he doesn't like to shut-up … but when he felt like playing games and messing with people's heads than it was a different story. X, really was a fox in more ways than one, and I, being the stupid little field-mouse that I was, didn't duck and hide beside Speedy when I knew he was coming for me. Propped against the same brick wall with his shoulder he looked down at me, but I didn't bother to look back, I centered my unfocused gaze on the back of Speedy's sky-blue polo shirt while X asked quietly to keep from Speedy's earshot, "What's wrong?"

My left brow twitched in agitation.

What's wrong?

What's wrong?

Everything is bloody frickin' wrong!

Why would he ask such a stupid question?

Why would he still care after I gave away his name?!

Why was he such a damn idiot!?

I tilted my head, sucked in another deep breath to stifle the angry words from leaving my throat with the rotten air that stabbed my lungs, then quickly so not to drown in the filth I huffed and curtly said, "Besides everything, nothing at all …" then, something struck me as odd, I turned to him with an incredulous glare as I asked, "Why are you so calm about this all of a sudden? Not too long ago you were raving mad …"

He scoffed and shot Speedy a dark look before answering with a dark forced smirk, "Oh, believe me, I'm far from calm right now, but just because one of us is stressed out doesn't mean both of us have to be."

Wait … so … he was behaving himself to keep the order? That wasn't like him at all; I called him on it just to fill the gap as we waited for Speedy to get off the communicator, "So you're going to be cooperating with Speedy now?"

He snorted, "Cooperate is different from keeping my mouth shut … the more I run it the more I give him reason to dislike me and the more he dislikes me the more likely it is for him to run a background check on me."

I see the logic, but I don't see it working, "He already dislikes you, and he's going to run the check just because you're with me …" I swallowed my pride for him, "I'm sorry I gave him your name … I wasn't thinking …"

X tore his gaze from Speedy to look down at me with an arched brow, then scoffed and shook his head, "Figures you'd be more worried about me and less about yourself."

I sneered at the dryness of his comment which sounded as if he'd expected my reaction all along, "Well if I'm not going to worry about you, and you're not going to worry about you than who's going to?"

He chuckled and hooked a finger under my chin so to turn my head away from my unfocused gaze on Speedy's back. He centered my blue eyes on his spellbinding golden orbs that danced playfully before me while that smirk of his promised me a quick kiss before Speedy turned around. His hand went from my chin to the back of my head tangling fingers in my hair as he held me in place while he said, "Do you know how damn cute it is to know you care about me?"

Cute?

Did he just call me cute?

I'm Raven frickin' Roth of the bloody Titans, I'm not cute!

Yet, while my lips formed an irritated scowl, the rest of my damn face betrayed me with an adorable blush that probably proved his point and furthermore cemented his ideal image of me being cute. I hated the thought of being cute to anyone, being cute was like saying I liked puppies, kittens, the color pink, and Barbie dolls, those were cute. Me? No. I was the furthest from cute X will ever get … so his cute-radar must be broken because he got the wrong girl. I reached up and tore his hand from my person, but as I let him go, he snatched that same hand back and held it in his own.

I figured he was just doing it to irritate me, or to irritate Speedy (who still wasn't looking) either which I huffed and looked up at him to get him to let go of my hand, but when I met his eyes again they were no longer dancing. They were focused on something, and he was quick to let me know what that something was … I just wished I saw it coming before he said, "You know … it could have been a whole lot easier if you'd just admit we were a couple and let it run from there."

I frowned and pulled my hand from him to stuffed it in my (Blackfire's) pants pocket, "We're not a couple …" I almost said his alias again, and I shot a quick look at Speedy to be sure he wasn't listening, he wasn't, but I wasn't taking that chance.

X, however, wouldn't let the subject drop and asked, "Do you want us to be?"

He was baiting me; he wanted to see how I'd respond to the implanted idea of us being 'official' as it's called. I didn't fall for it, "No, actually, I don't … it's not about what we want anymore X … it's about what we can get away with …"

"Raven," Speedy called to me and I went to him without bothering to look back at X, I stood beside the archer who gave me a one over asking, "you okay?"

It must have been the somber look on my face, so I steeled my emotions and my expressions as I nodded and dismissed the inquiry, "What is it?"

He held out his communicator, "Robin wants to talk to you."

He's been using the radio link and not video? How curious, I took the communicator, flipped my hair from my right ear and turned away from Speedy, "Raven here …"

The radio crackled and Robin's voice came through the other end, but it wasn't what I was expecting, "Raven, you alright?"

There was a cold edge to his tone, but otherwise he sounded soft and sincere, like he really was worried about my disappearance at some point in time and was just glad to hear my voice again. It was sweet, but suspicious, I tried not to give away the suspicion in my voice as I responded, and prepared to get down on my knees and grovel for my misdoings, "I'm fine … look, Robin, I'm sor –"

He broke through my link, "Don't say it if you don't mean it Raven …" there's the sharp tone I was looking for, the one that told me he was just as pissed off as I thought he was. I straightened up and waited for my lecture, but I didn't get one. Not that I wanted one, I just expected it … what is it with the men in my life nowadays not giving me what I expect from them? It's a conspiracy! Robin, softened up his tone again, but I could still hear the curtness of it as he gnawed on my ear, "Speedy already filled me in, and to be quite frank I trust his word more than yours at the moment –" Ouch, he really was mad at me, that's the worse thing Robin could ever say to a person he trusted … particularly me, and I felt the tip of the dagger poke through my chest like butter, "– so I don't want to hear anything from you."

"… Alright then …" I stupidly replied not knowing what else to say.

Robin, on the other head, sighed, "I just wanted to hear for myself that you were okay."

Wow … went from cold bastard to worried friend in 2.5 seconds, that's a new record for him, I shrugged, even though he couldn't see it, "Well, I'm fine, what more do you want?"

"To make sure you don't do anything so stupid that I can't pull you out of it."

I scoffed, "I'll take it into consideration."

"Don't consider it Raven, do it, that's an order."

"I'll see to it that it's done."

"Good … take care of yourself."

"You know I will."

He signed off and left me feeling down and put-out … Robin may be a bastard when it came to playing his roll as my superior, but he was still a close friend that I hated to disappoint. I allowed a heavy sigh to escape my lips as my shoulders drooped just ever-so slightly just for the moment to feel the weight of the world resting heavily on me. I wish it would crush me and get it over with already, but, as the Fates saw fit to grace me with a curse of power, so they saw fit to grant me the torment of life. Slowly, I turned around to present myself to Speedy and to hand him back his communication, but it wasn't Speedy I had come face to face with.

It was Nora with her fiery blue eyes, and dark smile whipped across her lazy lips while her annoying voice pierced the stillness of the backstreet, even the rats ran to hide from the irritating sound, "Hey there!"

I lost it, but I knew it wasn't because of some enchantment or pheromone, I was just mad as hell and with my left hand cocked over my shoulder I backhanded the mage with such force that my barely lengthened claws scrapped across her cheek. I could smell her blood as she stumbled back and held her wound; her blue eyes looked at me in a wide-eyed daze like she was confused to why I would do such a thing. The look boiled my demon blood, how dare she act so surprised! She had me close to killing someone I hold near and dear to my heart and she had the audacity to look stunned!

I cocked a fist back to smash it on her face, but in a flash Lucas swept the girl up and away while X – Hell only knows where he came from – grabbed my wrist and yanked me back to hold me away from thoroughly murdering that undeserving witch! I struggled against him, even kicked up my feet to get him to let me go, but he held on tighter and with a sudden jerk turned me around so I wasn't facing the still stunned mage. His mouth was to my ear when I heard him try and coax me to calm down, "Let it go Rae, she's not worth it."

I slumped in his arms for a second to catch my breath, and then pushed my back against his chest with my feet digging into the ground trying to get us both to turn around so I could get a better chance at charging the bitch, but he wasn't budging. I growled in frustration, "Drake, get off me!"

"Not until you've calmed your ass down!"

"I'm not going to touch her!"

"And I'm not stupid!"

I stopped trying to wiggle out of his grasp and huffed in exasperation as I closed my eyes and bowed my head to try and ease out the anger in me. X's heart was beating rhythmically against my back and I used that as a base to pace my racing heart. My hands were still clenched into tight balls of fists; my claws dug crescents into my flesh and dripped blood on the ground. So I slowly relaxed my hands and unclenched the fists with a low hiss, my heart now beating in almost perfect sync with X's and with it my breathing regulated till I was once again in control of myself.

X planted a soft kiss on my cheek and whispered, "Save it for a rainy-day."

I almost laughed – almost – but instead cracked a sadistic smile. Oh, I'll save it for a rainy-day alright, I'll make sure her blood pours into the sewage system and leaves no trace of her existence while I merrily sip on a hot cup of tea warmed by the satisfaction of vengeance. Ooo was she sooo damn lucky she had Lucas and X protecting her – although, I think X was mostly protecting my title as a Titan – but I was damn sure if they weren't there she'd be deader than dead.

My hair was everywhere, I probably looked like a mad-woman and with my arms trapped at my sides because X was still holding me tightly I couldn't reach up to fix myself. I huffed in exasperation and tried to blow some of the lingering strands out of my face, but it did little to fix my entire persona, I grumbled, "You can let go now …"

"You'll be a good girl?"

I growled, "I won't kill her if that's what you're asking."

He chuckled and again kissed me, but on the top of my head while his arms loosened around me till it felt more like an embrace than a vise grip. With his nose nuzzled in my hair I heard him murmur, "I'll help you later."

Again, I almost laughed, Red X and Raven kill innocent bookstore clerk, I could already see the headlines.

Surely now, he let me go and once freed I considered using my demonic speed to outflank X and snatch Nora away from Lucas, but then thought better of it. Speedy was still in the premises and I was reminded of it when I turned around with X and spotted Speedy standing a ways away from Lucas and Nora looking a bit lost and confused. He shot me a look and I tilted my head in slight confusion of my own when I felt him fighting between being amused and being worried. It was in his lips, I saw them quivering from a cocky smirk, to a curious frown, he shrugged at me and out loud to anyone who'd bother to address him asked, "Is anyone gonna tell me what the hell I'm missing?"

I huffed, "Nothing particularly important," I was crude and harsh; my eyes locked on Nora, the coward hiding behind Lucas continuously peeking out from behind his arm to watch me carefully. Her bright red Mohawk becoming more and more like a target to hit rather than a fashion statement. Delightfully the three shallow claw marks I left on her cheek were still intact and dripping with blood, that made me feel a whole lot better.

Lucas, with little enthusiasm (no surprise there) spoke up from across the backstreet and said, "I warned her not to come with me, but she insisted."

Nora, then, popped out from behind Lucas and in stark contrast to her bad-ass punk appearance; she tucked her hands behind her back, hunched over and struggled to keep in total eye contact with me. It was irritating me, not too long ago she was so confident in her beliefs and quick to shoot me down and condescend to my level, now she was scared of me when I nearly took her head off in the bookstore? Stupid little girl … and I didn't know how right I was when suddenly her appearance flickered and the arrogant crass-punk became this petite fragile flower that looked as if the wind could blow her away!

Her wavy dirty-blond hair reached her lower-back and part of it was pulled back into a braided ponytail, her fiery blue eyes turned pale, almost dull in color, boring in comparison to her previous guise. Even her skin didn't have nearly as much color as it use to, she looked sickly pale, not gray like me, and to add to her frail appearance she wore a flowing white sundress, plain as day with no patterns or embroidering to grace it. It also did nothing for her stick-like figure, but with the white flats on her feet she looked like a ballerina.

I almost felt guilty for hitting her now … note: almost.

The moment she opened her mouth and her high-pitched squeaky voice matched her small figure my guilt fell away and was replaced with its previous irritation when she made her defense against me. Her pale-blue eyes widened as she spoke, "I know, what I did to you was wrong, and I am sincerely sorry for it, but you must understand that half-breeds are so rare that I've never actually ever met one on Azarath. Please, take into consideration the untouched properties that could open the door to the acceptance of your kind since you are so shrouded in mystery."

She was an alchemist, not a mage; I should have known when she started to go on about studies and research.

No wonder she was so powerful.

I sneered, "I think that cut on your face is testament enough of what my kind think about you people bothering us with your theories and experiments." To emphasize my point I took a step forward, bared my fangs and snarled viciously enough for X to grab my elbow in warning and for this Nora – or whoever the hell she was – to shudder in fright. My demon took some sick, twisted fancy to her fear and I growled, "You mess with me again I'll finish what I started."

She nodded, then brought her right hand to her lips, took a step back and with her head bowed she swept her left leg tightly behind her right and curtseyed to signify that she knew her betters as she muttered, "Zaan rajsheri."

I rolled my eyes, but otherwise waved my hand to dismiss her when she stood back up and took another step back to leave, but she stopped and looked at X and with a quick flutter she crossed the backstreet and dared to approach the thief. Even X seemed bewildered at her sudden appearance and eyed her suspiciously when she reached into a low pocket of her dress and pulled out an envelope containing what I could only guess was a letter with Jeremiah's name. She held it to her heart as she looked up at X and asked, "You're Drake Fox … Jeremiah's brother, right?"

I saw X discreetly flinch when she said his last name aloud and I glanced at Speedy through the corner of my eye, now he knew his full name and that he had family … damn. X, played it cool and shrugged, "So what if I am?"

Nora sighed heavily and tentatively handed X the letter, "Cou-could you please give this to Miah if you ever should see him again?"

Miah … I recalled something Jeremiah had told me when we first met and I didn't know at the time his name was Jeremiah: 'Miah is what my family calls me, Jerry is what my friends call me …' I tilted my head in intrigue, because apparently even X caught the difference. I couldn't help to wonder how close Nora was to Jeremiah exactly. X took the letter and saluted her with it, "We'll see what happens."

She nodded and with a quick, "Thank you," she danced away from the scene leaving Lucas (with a book of spells and a leather pouch no doubt the materials to help us get to Azarath), Speedy, X (with the letter to Jeremiah), and I alone in the backstreet. I ran my fingers through my hair and growled, "Well thank Azar that's over with."

Speedy slowly approached the main group eyeing Lucas warily, but glaring at me curiously as he thumbed in the direction Nora disappeared off to, "Do I even want to know what that was all about?"

"Help," I informed, "We needed her to give up that book that'll help us get to Azarath in order to assist Lucas," I gestured to the soul-eater who had now come closer still holding the thick spell book at his side, he nodded in greeting to Speedy who sized him up before returning his attention to me, "it's his younger brother that we have to save."

Speedy shrugged, "From who?"

Lucas answered that with two simple words, "From himself." Speedy shot him a look, but he was thusly ignored as he handed me the spell book and addressed X, "I'll keep Jeremiah and Bells from bothering you, just please make sure my brother is safe."

X nodded and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at the mention of Jeremiah and Bells … I wasn't aware Annabel – oh … never-mind, I glanced at X when he said, "I don't know how long this is gonna take, so could you make sure they feed my dog and if they can't the dog food's under the cabinet."

Hmm, dog, I'm guessing was keyword for Strongheart, just like Jeremiah and Annabel were keywords for Malchior and Blackfire, as for the dog food bit that could be code for Lucas to use X's suit in order to assure Red X's whereabouts in the city. How I figured that was because he also told Lucas where the supposed 'dog food' was and I know damn well X doesn't have a dog. I wasn't even sure if he was an animal person … he must be though, Malchior took to him and I know for sure Malchior was more animal than human (because he was a dragon, do the math).

"I'll see what I can do," Lucas replied and with that turned from the group, nodded a farewell to Speedy and left us to our own devices.

Speedy, as was expected had some questions, questions that X said he'll answer as soon as we were all back at the Caribbean and settled in for a little spell-casting.

--

The room went still after X and I answered every question Speedy had for us … well … I let X do most of the talking, he seemed to have a knack for making up stories and to be perfectly honest I don't think I trust my mouth anymore. Everything I say comes out all wrong, people misinterpret me, and all around bad shit seems to happen when I try to cover up my ass. So I sat in the middle of the hard wooden floor of X's studio after the guys helped me move out the furniture to give me enough room to properly set up the portal ritual. I used a shoe box to compensate for a book stand, a wine-glass to use as a goblet to hold the grounded powder of crystals, diamonds, bone, and ash, while I set four deep blue candles by my left side.

I let my eyes fly over the archaic words of the Azarian tongue, trying to memorize the spell that'll help get the three of us – two of which knew close to nothing about magic – to Azarath safely without tearing our mental state to shreds in the process. If anything, by myself, I could conduct the ritual with four candles and a chant if I concentrated really, really hard. I've never had to pass through the gate with more than one … it was a feat that I've never heard of attempted simply because only a selected few were allowed on sacred grounds.

It was already a huge risk for me to take X along undetected, but X and Speedy … our entry force would sure enough attract the attention of the Temple Guards in the Palace Azar. So either which, we were soo screwed when we got to the other side, which was why I was somewhat glad Speedy wasn't entirely unarmed. He had his quiver and bow with him, but they were resting against the chair he sat on facing backwards as he leaned on the back of said chair and watched me with intense masked orbs. I chewed on the bottom of my lower lip and focused my attention on the book to get my mind off how awkward the room suddenly got.

I love silence, don't get me wrong, but I hated the kind of silence that had an empty awkward taste to the air.

The kind of silence that needed to be filled with words that hung at the tips of our tongues.

Through the corner of my eye I even spotted X leaning against his kitchen counter shift his stance as he tried to adjust to the heavy pressure that loomed over the studio. With a Heineken in his right hand he took a quick swig of it to distract himself from the silence, and though I wasn't a beer kind of girl I felt like I needed one right now. X had politely enough offered Speedy one earlier, but the archer declined and now here we sat/stood pretending not to notice the tension in the air until Speedy had enough. He huffed, "Okay, I call bullshit, two months? I don't buy that crap," I looked up and narrowed my eyes on the archer as he sneered at me, "I saw you two Raven, and it takes longer than two months for a girl like you to be all over a guy like him."

X shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he just heard and called out from across the room, "The hell, you calling me a liar?"

Speedy ignored him and directly drilled me, "You like him?"

I sputtered and scrambled for a quick response, "That's none of your business?"

"But you are seeing each other right? He is your boyfriend, don't lie."

X grumbled in the background, "I don't see what's the problem with that."

I made sure Speedy's attention was on me as I set the wine-glass of the powder mixture on the floor and said with conviction, "We are not a couple."

Speedy gestured to X with a jerk of his head, "He doesn't seem to agree with you."

X growled, "He is standing right here."

I sighed heavily and picked myself up off the floor, dusting off my (Blackfire's) pants I threw my hair over my shoulder and glared at Speedy, it was time to thoroughly shut him up before he went in a direction neither X nor I wanted him to go. We were already tittering on a tightrope as it was, if Speedy continued down this line of questioning who knows where we all could end up.

So I took it upon myself to put the fear of Raven back into him, "I seem to recall you saying you won't judge me like Robin would … so what does it matter to you if I'm with him or not?" I stepped forward, over the wine-glass, closer to Speedy, and the archer sat up in the chair as I stood before him and with my piercing violet eyes pinned him in place, "It seems to me, Speedy, that the question isn't whether or not I like Drake … but do you like me since you seem to take such great interest in my interests. Go figure that before you start to poke around my personal life."

I didn't bother to wait for his response, I spun on my heel and marched to X's drawer for the shirt that I've worn earlier, yet, as soon as I pulled it out of the drawer and headed for the bathroom Speedy intercepted me. I rolled my eyes in exasperation and propped a fist on my hip while he squared his shoulders and stared at me, his volume dropped an octave so only I could hear him say, "I don't need to figure what I already know."

I sneered, "Or what you think you know."

"I know …" his tone dropped even lower, his face grew ever somber, and slowly the sadistic sneer on my face melted to that of a sullen frown when I knew he wasn't playing with me anymore. Just the tense look on his face, said it all … he knew … and I gulped when my mouth suddenly went bone-dry. I dropped my hands to my side, my right hand clutched X's shirt so tightly I was sure my claws would have torn holes in it if I hadn't already toned down my demon features. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as a cold chill rushed through my body like someone had thrown me in a vat of frozen ice-water.

My heart dropped from my chest into my stomach and as I tried to cope with the reality that I was finally exposed I refused to tear my eyes from Speedy's or show any signs of fear or any other expression that'll incriminate me, but I don't think it mattered anymore. Speedy knows … what was the point in hiding or keeping up appearances when the sham that I really am shone through bright as day to the sharp-eyed archer. I always thought Robin or even Terra would be the one to corner me … never Speedy … never him.

It was almost funny, but neither of us were laughing.

I blinked, and as I slowly looked to my left over to Red X, Drake, the thief, and my … my companion I could feel my heart piece-by-piece breaking for him as the guilt of what I've done to him began to eat away at me. I always knew I would be his downfall; I licked my lips when the taste of screaming for him to run as far away as he can was at the tip of my tongue … but I'm sure the blank expression on my face would have been enough to set him off. If he was looking at us and not at the fucking newspaper! I looked back at Speedy feeling him watching me intensely, probably wondering what I would do, and what I did was sigh heavily smooth my fingers through my hair and quietly, submissively, I asked, "What are you going to do to me now?"

It was his turn to take in a deep breath and as his slowly exhaled he shrugged, "Does he make you happy?"

I blinked what the hell kind of question was that? With a frown I slowly shook my head, "Speedy … I don't … does it really matter now?"

He nodded sincerely, "Of course it does … cause if you are than who am I to judge you?"

I rolled my eyes, oh God he was being serious about that, "Speedy, judgment should be the least of your concerns, I'm … he … we … you're supposed to do your job."

"So are you."

"…" I don't understand … I don't know what to say … does this mean he's going to look the other way?! Does this mean he's going to just let this go? I don't … that doesn't make any sense! I shook my head, "You … are … unbelievable …" I stared up at him in confusion, "You hardly know me, how could you even suggest that –"

"It's complicated," he cut in with a sneaky smirk and my face fell in a dry look, go figure he'd use my line against me.

I sneered, "Is it so complicated that you can't explain why it is you care so much to not care at all?"

He snorted, "Probably for the same reasons why that guy does."

No, there was just no way I was going to let him off with just that, I wanted a straight answer, I narrowed my eyes and advanced him threateningly, "We've been Titans for a few years now, we're worked missions together, but never once had you ever bothered to initiate even a single conversation with me … now … out of the blue you suddenly act as if we've known each other for a lifetime. I don't get your logic."

"I've always found you interesting." He said with a dismissive shrug, "But would you really give me the time of day if I actually sat down and tried to be nice?" He scoffed with a growing grin on his face, "Besides, I kinda like getting to know you this way better … at least now I know what kind of guys the infamous Raven Roth is into."

I growled and with X's shirt I swatted him away from my path to the bathroom, he chuckled and jumped out of my reach when I reared my hand back to hit him again. The commotion finally caught X's attention and he looked up from the paper to find my hand with his shirt in the air preparing to hit Speedy when the archer just wouldn't let the subject go. I was just about to chase after him when I, to, looked up and noticed X's bewildered expression, I immediately dropped my hand and composed myself when the thief shrugged and asked, "What I miss?"

I scowled at Speedy when he started to snicker, but otherwise shook my head and said, "Nothing important."

X blinked, and rolled his eyes skyward, "Right … so, are we going to try this ritual thingie or you guys still flirting?"

"We were not –" I stopped myself before I buried myself in a hole that I didn't need to be buried in, I don't have to defend myself against something I know isn't true, so I gestured to the shirt in my head and instead said, "Let me change first then I can drill you guys on the dos and don'ts before we conjure the spell."

X tilted his head, "You look fine now, why you gotta change?"

I scowled as I jerked open the bathroom door, "Like hell am I going to let my mother see me in this get up."

Speedy snorted, "And seeing you in a guy's shirt is going to make you look less conspicuous?"

"Nobody asked you," I sneered and slammed the bathroom door shut to quickly shimmy out of the tight hot-pink halter and into the large flannel shirt that dwarfed me in all its breathable fabricated glory. It really was a comfortable shirt that was more or less see-through when held up in direct lighting, so unless someone flashed a spotlight on me in the middle of the dark, no one would know I still wasn't wearing a bra. I left the last bottom buttons undone and with some fancy handwork I tied it off into a knot and stepped back out.

Now properly garbed I straightened out a wrinkle that irritated me as best I could and tossed Blackfire's halter on a nearby chair as I collected myself and eyed the surprisingly civilized Speedy and X who were more or less in the same position I left them in. Granted they made an effort not to even look at one another much less talk, I was grateful they didn't start an all out brawl that had the potential to destroy the only materials we had to get off Earth. I clasped my hands together and wondered where I should start first in the matters of etiquette and cultural crash-course class for Azarian.

Right off the bat they didn't speak the language and I didn't have time to teach them to remember a single phrase, much less the proper form of greeting one's superiors. So I had to at least show them the physical form of the greetings. I sucked in a deep breath and started, "Okay … um … first things first, I can manage to keep your auras hidden from those on Azarath, but if we're going to pull this guise off flawlessly you both have to learn a little something about where I come from."

Speedy nodded and swept his hand out as a gesture for me to continue, X just stared at me with a nonchalant air about him … a front, he was still uncomfortable around Speedy and so he should be. The archer knew who he was, but I tucked that information in the corner of my mind for now, I had to get the basics down pat, "Azarath … is a place of old traditions, old beliefs, and formalities. It is a place that values honor and respect above all else, it's also a place that values peace and tranquility, rarely is there ever any sudden outburst of violence, but that doesn't mean danger is non-existent." I chewed on my lower lip as old harsh memories of my past began to resurface, but I was quick to stifle my sorrow and focused on the primary objective, "So, in order for us to keep as low a profile as possible, you two are going to have to learn how to greet any passersby that happens to be too polite for their own good."

Speedy shrugged, "Sounds like fun."

X scoffed, "Shouldn't be too hard."

I proved him wrong.

While I was teaching them how to say the simple greet-and-reply in Azarian I discovered Speedy didn't know how to roll his tongue for his life, and X kept trying to equivocate the language to Spanish just to make things easier on himself since he was fluent in that language. So by the time I finally got them to say: Fahnenrina hitan which was the very formal: Blessed-Good Morning, I was almost unsure if they'd even remember the gesture that follows the greeting.

I tried to teach them anyway with an impatient sigh, "It's not enough to just say the greeting, you have to make sure you are sincere in your blessing by touching your lips with your right hand and holding it out for whoever your speaking to, to receive it."

X raised finger, "Question, why the right hand out of curiosity?"

"It stems from the old ways when the right hand represented your giving hand, and your left hand represented your receiving, so if someone is to greet you with this gesture simply hold out your left hand to their right and sweep it towards you to accept their blessing. Get it?"

X nodded, "Got it."

"Good …" okay, now that the greeting was out of the way, time for the serious bit, "Alright, now, just because I've taught you all this doesn't mean anyone is going to right off the bat greet you with warm open arms. Chances are, once we punch through the portal and get to the other side we'll be fired upon. The spell I've chosen, because neither of you have any magical ability whatsoever, is going to spike a tremendous amount of energy and alert the Temple Guards to our location depending on where we fallout."

I saw the questions in their eyes and I answered them before they asked, "The Temple Guards are highly-trained soldiers that defend Azarath from any outside as well as inside threat. They kill first and ask questions later simply because their task is do-or-die, they take their jobs very seriously and will have no qualms reporting me to the monks for punishment and deporting you two back to Earth."

Speedy frowned, "That's why you asked if I had my quiver and bow."

I nodded, "Yes," I looked at either of them, swallowed my pride and went on to say, "I'm going to refrain from using my powers throughout the duration of our stay, I don't want to draw too much attention to my mother with the announcement of my arrival. My demonic blood can only help so much without a weapon of my own so … you two are pretty much going to be my only other option if I fail to watch my back."

X scowled, "And you said you wanted to go this alone."

"If I went alone I wouldn't be attracting so much attention."

He snorted dismissively, but otherwise said nothing else and I looked at Speedy to see if he wanted to add his two cents worth, but he had nothing to say. I waited a few seconds longer for them to ask any more questions and when none came I decided to get to spell-casting. Lighting candles, drawing powdery circles, chanting a few choice words, it was a regular old séance without the ghosts or the supernatural and as soon as I felt my feet fall away from the ground I also felt a surge of energy erupt around me.

The world vanished, blurred away by the rushing white-blue wall that encased us as we traveled at light-speed through a warp-like tunnel that made it feel like we were going at a snails pace and forced me to push us to go even faster. Speedy and X were directly behind me, linked to my life-force by a nagging, tugging sensation at my heart that let me known if one of them fell away from me we all would fall. The spell I cast made sure we remained in a group by mentally linking my mind to theirs so we all virtually became one entity that was me.

So I dragged us all until we finally reached the end of the tunnel that was sealed off by a larger-than life ring of protection that was Azarath's only defense against outsiders. I gritted my teeth and pushed forward with my willpower alone I felt the barrier break, crack, then shatter altogether and another surge of energy exploded around me. I knew, this would be the spike that would spell our doom as the tunnel fell away to a total white out and a sudden weightlessness came over me.

Gently, gently, ever-so gently we floated in a rift where time and space did not exist before we were once more sucked into the crushing reality of existence and my knees made contact with solid ground. I hunched over with my hands pressed flatly against the ground and my chest heaved with heavy deep breaths as I tried to catch the oxygen I felt like I had lost running a full marathon non-stop five times over. My throat was dry, my head was a bit light, but those were the least of my concerns, for I was right about the Temple Guards. In the distance I heard trumpets sound, an alarm go off, and through the fuzziness of my exhaustion I knew it was time to haul-ass while we were still unseen.

To my left Speedy had already notched an arrow in preparation for a fight, to my right X had a small throwing dagger held at the blade and if merciful would do no more than hinder a guard's ability, but with cruel intent could spell Death. Especially with X's talent … they were ready … and I was still on the ground, how embarrassing.

I forced myself on my feet, wavered a bit, but with a quick shake of my head I looked out to the grand city of Azarath … Angel Island … the Floating City … Isla de Magik … beautiful in all its glory, graceful and elegant in its design, my prison, my home and my sanctuary. I didn't know how much I missed it till I finally laid eyes on its massive structure, I could have stayed here and waxed poetry about my birthplace, but I had more important matters to deal with. Like, keeping us all alive, a quick glance around showed me we were at the southern edge of the floating city, furthest away from the Palace Azar that was more or less in the center of the island.

The Temple Guards were on their way and it was time for us to go.

I spotted our escape through means of a secluded street that came to a stop just a few feet pass a small shop. The owner, with his family were curiously and apprehensively peeking out of their small windows at us and I hated to bother them, but we were going to have to go through them if we still had a chance of getting away scotch-free. I gestured for X and Speedy's attention and began to lead them out of the open, "Just follow me, and keep your head down."

--

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans DC does, I do own Nora, Jeremiah, Annabel, Strongheart, the Temple Guards, the Palace Azar/Temple Azar (I'll be referring to either or in the story)

A/N: Aaaaaand they're off! Will they make it out a live? Or are they doomed to failure, personally I'm more akin to the failure bit simply because it's more fun to see them all suffer, but that's just me, lol XDD!! Drama never gets old if you're the person watching it, but when you're apart of it than it's a different story … so until next time let's all hope they don't die. I apologize it there was any very obviously annoying grammatical errors and the like, I kinda sped through the correction process, something I don't like to do, but I'm on a role with the other chapters so yeah, sorry about that!

L8er daez …