Disclaimer: The Teen Titans are not my creation! Although I wish they were… However, they aren't so I'll attempt to live with it. I don't think I can though. (Hey! I finally reworded my disclaimer!)

Title: X's and O's (God… I'm on a roll with these chapters, huh?)

CHAPTER 12

Right after he paid me, Slade vanished, almost into thin air. "Nice doin' business with ya." –Red X. I said this although I didn't really mean it. I glanced at the bag Slade had handed me and thought of how I had gotten the loot in the first place. Ria… Then I turned back and ran towards the cavern where I had betrayed her to Slade.

I didn't make it very far, when I started to hear someone breathing heavily. I slowed down cuz I had been running and I wanted to be careful in case it was one of the Titans. I could vaguely make out the black form of a dog staggering along the tunnel, zigzagging this way and that. Wait! That's gotta be Ria!

Suddenly, the black wolf fell to the ground. She tried to get up but couldn't. I walked up and stopped right in front of it.

"Leave me alone." –Ria.

I didn't say anything.

"Haven't you done enough already?" –Ria.

I don't know why, but I couldn't move. I couldn't even help her. I just watched her. I watched her dying right in front of my eyes. That was the last I heard from her. It's funny. Cuz when I think about it, I hear this damn song playing over and over in my head:

Too much of the same stories in our lives…

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Beastboy changed into a cheetah. He was getting closer by the second. He could smell it. And even feel it, too, like it was right under his paws. Wait! It really is right under my feet! He had just run right over Ria's unconscious body. He changed back into human form and immediately ran right to Ria's side.

"Ria! Wake up!" –Beastboy. It was then that he saw Ria's injuries. He was shocked to see the many deep scratches along her arms and neck. He didn't notice the worst of it until he felt the blood. His eyes widened in fear when he saw the deep stab in Ria's right side. He couldn't tell how deep it was. It was too dark to see through all the blood.

"Oh shit!" –Beastboy—"I gotta get the others!" But his fingers were too shaky to use his communicator and he couldn't find Ria's. Suddenly, Ria started to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and spotted him right away.

"Beastboy?" –Ria.

"It's okay, Ria. I'm here and I'm gonna get the others and then we'll take you back to the med-lab." –Beastboy.

"No. Don't. I lost too much…(!COUGH!)" –Ria.

"We won't let you die, Ria. I won't let you…" –Beastboy.

"You don't under— Ria began a coughing fit and some blood leaked out of her mouth.

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Robin was beginning to think he had taken the wrong tunnel. There just seemed to be rock and more rock. This is so fucking annoying! I'm not getting anywhere—Robin stopped at a t-intersection of two passageways. Then, Red X ran right past him in a near collision with Robin.

"Stop!" –Robin.

"Can't talk now, Birdboy!" –Red X.

"Where's Ria?" –Robin.

"You're so smart, dammit, you figure it out!" –Red X. Robin leaped forward to try to catch him, but Red X pushed a small red button on his belt and managed to disappear right as Robin jumped into the space where he had been.

"Dammit! I hate that guy!" –Robin.

"Yo, Robin! Over here!" –Beastboy's voice.

Robin looked over his shoulder to where he had heard the voice, which sounded a lot like Beastboy… He ran towards the sound where he found Beastboy and Ria's body.

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I gotta stop here otherwise I'm gonna cry. I know the BBxRia pairing is very cheesy but oh well… That's the way it is, you'll just have to DEAL WITH IT! I this I sorta wanted BB to be paired with Ria anyway since the first story (Creation). I hope you like it!