Chapter Seven-Thief

"But what did Brother Blood want her to steal?" Robin murmured while frowning at his slice of pizza.

"Who knows? Could've been anything." Cyborg choked down his pizza before stopping to look over Robin's shoulder.

"But what it is none of your business, is it?" Jinx moved forward, flanked by Gizmo and Mammoth.

All of the Titans rose slightly. "What do you want?" Robin said demandingly.

"You crud-munchers have a member of ours." Gizmo sneered as they started to approach. Jinx raised her hand, about to attack.

"Titans, go!"

"Attack pattern Beta!"

Raven created a shield against the purplish-pink hex as Beast Boy rammed Jinx from behind in the shape of a bull. Cyborg was fighting Gizmo, who had activated his device that released four metallic legs, giving him an appearance like a spider. Robin and Starfire took on Mammoth, who was working on destroying someone's car.

Cyborg grabbed the front two metallic legs and threw Gizmo off balance, only to be knocked off his feet by Jinx. Starfire shot starbolts furiously, causing the tall villain and Jinx to retreat. Gizmo almost got away, but Raven rose before him out of the ground while Robin pinned him to the wall.

"What do you know about Mirage?"

"Nothing you goozling, blinking, snot-chewing, blood-guzzlers." Gizmo struggled against Robin, still spouting made-up insults and quite a few curses. Robin drew his face closer to Gizmo's in a threatening manner.

"Talk." He growled, slamming Gizmo against the wall harder.

"Alright, mucus cruncher. She was head student at the H.I.V.E., but the she quit last night. Damn good thief, too."

"What did Brother Brood want her to steal?"

"Probably the emerald, brain-eater. But that's all I know. Stupid dripping, bloody, razzing, frazzle-ridden…"

Robin dropped him and watched Gizmo storm off, still muttering to himself. Beast Boy gave a laugh behind him.

"'Frazzle-ridden'?" He said through his laughs. The rest of the team just glared at him.

Illusion dropped from the ceiling into the museum, masking herself so that the security guards would not see her. The cameras would pick her up, however. She moved out of range of them, glad that the night offered some protection. She reached up and unplugged the firs camera, then moved to the next. Her job finally done, she moved to the glass centerpiece in the middle of the room. Inside lay one emerald ring. She smirked as she pressed her hand to the glass, felling it disappear beneath her fingers. Reaching inside, she fingered the emerald.

Pain began to shoot through her body and mind as Mirage fought back. Finally taking over, Mirage looked at the ring in her hand in horror. She put the emerald back and saw the glass beginning to appear again, and then ran toward the rope hanging from a broken pane of glass in the ceiling. Climbing it hurriedly, she stopped as a figure reached his hand in to help her up. Robin's serious face examined hers.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was…I was looking around."

"At night? After hours?" Robin's face was set. "I know."

Mirage brushed herself off. "You know what?"

"About her. Beast Boy saw her talking to Brother Blood. He told Raven. Raven told me. You were acting very strange last night."

Mirage gave him a startled look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You can't fight her along. Let us help you."

"I don't need any help!" Mirage broke into a cold sweat and ran, climbing quickly down the fire escape, and running to the Titans Tower, because she had nowhere else to go.