Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans (boo-hoo!) Once again, please do not hunt me down Copyright people! I am just an innocent child writing a fan-fiction story!
Title: X'S AND O'S
CHAPTER TWO
I wake up in my room. I sit up and look to the form at the edge of the bed. I see a vague outline of a black wolf lying over my feet. I remember everything that happened the night before and smile. The wolf picks its ears up and opens its eyes to look at me.
"I'm okay," I say to the questioning look on the wolf's face.
"You do not look fine," the wolf states.
How did this all happen? I ask myself. She works with the Titans! Still… I always liked her since I first met her. She is perfect for the main plan… I start for the door and the wolf gets to its feet to follow me into the hallway.
"What is wrong?" I walk out the door and into the hall.
"You should go."
"Why?"
"Its just—
"I know something is wrong."
"Nothing is wrong!" I try to throw her off my trail with this desperate plea. She opens her mouth to say more but I stop her. "You should go…"
"I will go." With that she is gone. Now I feel empty inside. Why? I know I shouldn't feel this way…
-
A week after Red X's escape, Robin found Ria sitting on the roof practicing her guitar at sunrise. Since they had met her, Ria had begun to train herself to play this instrument. Beastboy had no clue how she could do this because of her being half-wolf and all. But anyway, Robin had heard music being played on the roof. (The song Ria is playing here is not mine, and I did not make it up either! It is by the band called Trapt. I am willing to give them as much credit as they deserve for it! The song is called Stories. It will eventually have significance to this story by the way! If you want, you can look it up!)
"Too much of the same stories in our lives, I think it's time for us to walk away from here…"
As the last chord faded, Robin approached Ria and sat down next to her, "That's a nice song. Where did you learn it from?"
"I found it on the thing called the…internet? It is by a group called…'Trapped'?"
"I think you mean, Trapt, with a 'T' at the end."
"Oh."
Robin noticed the thoughtful look on Ria's face, "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing." Robin's eyes narrowed in thought. Something is wrong. He watched as Ria picked up her guitar and went back inside.
-
ELSEWHERE…I can't believe I'm actually going to pull this off! She fell for it! She actually fell for it! She thinks I love her! Do I love her? If I do it will be a horribly clichéd Romeo and Juliet story. The hateful thief falls for the Titan. Well, I won't let that happen. I will make sure this plan goes through. Nothing will stand in my way. Not even love…
-
FLASHBACK… BACK AT TITANS TOWER…Ria was placed on the couch in the living room. After a long and thorough search of the city, the rest of the Titans finally found her, "Thanks to the trained nose of Beastboy!" Beastboy had exclaimed. She had taken a nasty fall from the upper story of an abandoned apartment building in some obscure part of Jump City. The fall had knocked her senseless. She would live, and that was why the Titans had laid her on the couch, instead of a bed in the med-lab.
"My God, X really did a number on her." –Cyborg.
"Number? I thought Ria was damaged?" –Starfire.
"No, Star. That just means that Ria got her ass kicked." –Beastboy.
"Oh." –Starfire.
"…Where?" –Ria.
"Ria, are you okay?" –Robin.
"I—I think so…" –Ria.
"What happened?" –Robin.
"I do not know. Once I grabbed Red X, I was transported along with him. One second I had him, and then I was falling…" –Ria.
Robin pounded his fist on the kitchen table, "I can't believe this! I can't believe we couldn't!"
"Please, Robin. No more mean talking!" –Starfire.
"Yes, please stop. I am getting a headache." –Ria. (!groan!)
"Sorry. It's just…Argh!" Robin was too frustrated to finish even a simple sentence. He forced himself to leave the room.
"He's not taking this well." –Raven.
"Don't worry Ria. He's always like this after facing Red X." –Beastboy.
Ria looked confused, "Red X?"
Beastboy's jaw dropped to the floor at this question, "How could you not know who Red X is!"
"Uh…BB? Maybe if you stopped to think once in a while, maybe you would realize that she wasn't there when any of that happened!" –Cyborg.
Ria looked back and forth between the arguing friends.
"If you two assholes are ready to stop arguing, maybe one of you would be kind enough to explain this to Ria?" –Raven.
"It's like this, Ria…" and Beastboy launched into another one of his confusing stories. "Robin made this suit so that he could like, steal some stuff for Slade, see? But we didn't know. But when we found out, it was like, a huge battle with Slade! But he turned out to be a robot." Ria tried catch Beastboy's every word but was soon lost, "But then… some guy steals the suit and uses it to steal more stuff. And he became Red X." By the time Beastboy finished in one breath, Ria was even more confused than before the story began.
"Before Beastboy confuses you any further, I suggest you rest." –Raven.
"Yeah. That huge lump on your head is getting bigger by the second." –Cyborg.
Starfire rushed over to inspect Ria's head, "I see no lump. Where and what is this lump of which you speak?" As Cyborg handed her an icepack, Ria plopped back down to rest before Starfire 'accidentally' pulled on her ears anymore.
END FLASHBACK
-
THE PRESENT…Ria didn't understand why, but after that first time, Ria couldn't stop thinking about Red X. She didn't know what it was but…she liked him. She couldn't help it, but she wanted to. She knew he was a criminal, and that was true. But she couldn't stop thinking about him. That was probably why she had started to learn that song by…what was that band called again? Oh yeah…Trapt, with a 'T'… because it fit this situation, and besides no wolf can resist a song (or singing for that matter).
On her way down to the common room of Titans Tower, Ria thought hard about Red X just like all the other times since she had met him. He had seemed just like an ordinary thief at first. God, was I wrong. He is more than just a thief now.
Outside the door, Ria smelled another scent inside to common room. Raven? The door opened with a snap and there was Raven, who was standing with her arms crossed and hood up, glaring at Ria. Uh oh… she knows…
"Where have you been, Ria?" –Raven.
"Out. On the roof." –Ria.
"Cut the crap, Ria. You know what I'm really talking about. I know where you go every night. I can read your mind, remember?" Ria did not respond. "You went to see him, didn't you?" Still no response, but Ria could feel Raven's anger rising just behind her stoic facial expression. Luckily, Raven was able to control her anger just enough to keep a nearby lamp from shattering.
"You love him, don't you?" –Raven.
"You never loved someone before, Raven, have you?" Ria taunted Raven with this question. She and Raven had always been rivals.
Raven was fuming inside. She couldn't believe this! I mean, here Ria is denying that she has a relationship with Red X! Which I know is true because I can read Ria's memories. I have found out what Ria has done the last week at night… Yuck! Even the thought disgusts me! She was about to make some retort back to Ria, when the sun rose higher in the sky and Starfire came in.
"I hope you each had a pleasant snorlax?" Starfire stared at Ria and Raven. This was how Cyborg found them.
"(!YAWN!) Mornin, ya'll. Who wants breakfast? I'll make waffles before Beastboy gets in here and starts making them gross tofu eggs!" Starfire began getting the meal ready, while Cyborg prepared the waffles.
The door opened and Robin entered, coming down from the roof, "Good morning everyone! Waffles again?"
"Good morning, friend Robin! How are you this fine morning?" –Starfire.
"Fine, Star." Robin passed by Ria, who was in her wolf form looking out the window. He also noticed that Raven was sitting a good distance away from Ria while meditating.
"What's with them?" Robin asked, pointing over towards Ria and Raven.
"I don't know." –Cyborg shrugged after taking a quick glance towards the window.
Robin turned on the TV while waiting for breakfast. He'd have to figure it out later. Right now, he needed something to eat. He'd think about Ria's strange behavior later. Robin turned as the door opened and Beastboy dragged his still sleepy body towards the now pungent smell of waffles in the kitchen.
"Uggg…" Beastboy rubbed his eyes and yawned deeply.
"Mornin', BB. Want waffles?"
"Yeah…sure…whatever…" Beastboy was still not fully awake, but he would be once he had something to eat. Raven should be glad for break between Beastboy's antics… Beastboy let out another big yawn as he plopped down on the couch next to Robin. He abruptly changed into a dog and curled up on the couch to sleep some more.
"You know you're not allowed on the sofa, Beastboy." Of course, Beastboy did not hear Robin. He was already fast asleep! Robin shook his head. Pathetic…
Suddenly, Ria stood up and began to leave the room. Starfire approached her, "Friend, do you not wish to stay and eat with us?"
"I will eat later. I am not hungry now." Ria passed a startled Starfire and into the hallway.
"Ria has never turned down a meal first thing in the morning! Maybe she is feeling unwell? Or maybe some unknown demon has taken over her mind! Or maybe—
"Chill, Star. She just said she wasn't hungry yet." –Robin. This seemed to calm Starfire down. Robin found this a little odd as well. He made a mental note of it, and promised himself he would find out what was going on in Ria's mind later. Maybe Raven knows…
END CHAPTER TWO!
Hey everyone! I think this chapter is pretty good… although I guess you guys will have to give me reviews so I can find out whether or not you like it. So please do so right away! Thanks!
