"..." Talking

'...' Thinking

(...) Author notes

Italics Flash Backs/Dream Sequence

Ceasing and Reinventing

The blood marked thief looked over the unexpected set back. Stooping into a defensive stance similar to that of the half demon sorceress they slowly began to circle one another. "I was not aware I had company." His mechanical voice hung in the lightening torn air before he lunged at her.

"You weren't invited."

"Who's up for Tofu toppings?" Beast Boy inquired hyper.

"Ummm... you." Cyborg laughed at the way the changeling's crestfallen expression. "Now for the rest of us," here the cybernetic teen paused for dramatic effect. "ULTIMATE MEAT LOVERS EXTREME!" Cybrog with a maniacal grin holds up a large pizza pie covered with a heap of sausage links, chunks of hamburger, and slabs of pork. Poor vegetarian Beast Boy had paled from his usual emerald green to a sickly teal and made a mad dash toward the rest rooms.

Starfire smiled brightly before taking a bottle of mustard, which was special ordered by the orange Tamerainan, and squirting it on to her pizza slice. She was just about to take a bite when she chanced a glance at the quiet leader of the Teen Titans. Robin looked very far away and his pepperoni pizza was barely touched.

"What is it, Friend Robin?" Starfire asked in her naive way.

The masked Titan seemed to be pulled out of his thoughts by the question and snapped his focus on the alien princess. "Uhhh nothing, Star. I guess I was just a little spaced out."

Starfire dropped her mustard covered dinner and when over to where the Boy Wonder was perched on his stool. She slapped her two hands on either side of his head. "Do not worry, Friend Robin, I will squeeze the excess space from your cranium!" Starfire cried as she attempted to push the extra space from her leader's head.

"NO!" Robin panicked as he slipped himself out of the alien princess's hold before she used her inhuman strength to crush his skull. After fleeing from her aid, Robin turned back to a confused and saddened Tamerainan. Instantly, he regretted the rash escape. "I mean, no I'm all right. 'Spaced out' means that you were thinking and not paying the right amount of attention."

"Oh, that is an Earth phase that I shall try to become more accostumed with," Starfire nodded, not completely understanding the phase but comprehending enough that Robin was not in danger.

Returning to his seat the Boy Wonder still felt the girl's eyes on him. Starfire's attentions weren't intense and it didn't cause him any discomfort in the way she was looking at him. He thought nothing of it at first. Still it was unnerving having her eyes upon him and when the feeling did not go away he began to become a bit skittish. "Hey, Star, I think your pizza is getting cold."

"Oh, yes. I will eat the delectable piece of mustard flavored slice now," Starfire agreed with a light blush coloring her cheeks. She was not sure what human emotion was the equivalent to one fueling the tingling sensation that swept over her neck and face. It was strange, no it was not quite defined by strangeness but more, unique. A feeling crossed between embarrassment, puzzelment, and affection. The Tameranian princess was not sure if she liked or disliked this new emotion.

Sometime during this little exchange between Starfire and Robin, Cyborg had gobbled a whole ultimate meat lovers extreme, and Beast Boy had shakily returned. The changeling was still a strange shade of his former healthy green and was similar to a slime glob resting heavily against the table. "Dudes, I don't feel too cool. I vote we go home."

"I think I'm bout ready to pack it in, too." Cyborg was contently rubbing his belly and gave a loud, appreciating belch.

"Yes, I too am finished consuming my supper meal."

Robin looked around at the three members that had come on the outing. "Ok, we'll get going once we grab a couple slices for the road."

Raven slipped to the left as a sharp fist itself in the wall where she had been. Red X moved like a sly shadow with mastered skill over his actions. He was an imposing figure and the suit that clung to him like a second skin displayed his athletic physic. By nature the thief was stronger and larger than the empath, but she had a few qualities that evened the odds. It was her terrain and she was at home in the darkness. She was smaller, sleeker which gave her an easier pass at keeping away from his fists. He may have strength be what use was it if he could not land a blow?

Backing out of range from a well aimed kick Raven found herself pinned against Robin's bedroom door. The thief had caught her by the wrists and held her flush against the metal. Her empathic abilities were bombarded by the dominating aura of the villain restraining her. And her body was more than well aware of their position. His presence was commanding and its intensity was dizzying for Raven when placed opposite it full force.

Raven berated herself, 'Do not personify.' The half demon was aware of how dangerous it was to acknowledge a foe as a person. Once they become human you could not bring yourself to take them down. Her resolve returned at the self reprimand and once again she was Raven the stoic Titan. A twist of the wrist in the right direction caused them to slip from his powerful grasp and gave her the mobility to strike a clean punch.

The attack was not that impressive, measured from a trained marshal arts student it was under average. But, it was a surprise. The shadowy attacker was thrown back. His mask was blank but the hand that held his injured jaw gave away his shock. He recovered quickly, as was sure, still Raven was not about to allow him his previous lead. A swipe of dark energy threw him into the wall.

She dashed from her place before the door as the thief recovered from the crash. Raven desired to be away from that door, she did not want to again be held in a subdued position. It disturbed her more than she would have ever admitted. Some deep rooted instinct within her knew the consequences of not being able to get out of a man's hold. She was shown a hellish future the last time it happened.

Flashes of an orange and black masked figure flooded her mind as the lightening danced. Slade had burned her using his touch, leaving scarring marks of red symbols. His strength had been immortal as he held her facing a world of fiery stone and unforgiving destruction. Raven cleared her mind of these thoughts as the shadow like thief again came at her.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zin.." Her chant was cut short as a red x adhered itself over her mouth. Raven's amethyst eyes narrowed in annoyance. She should have anticipated that. Not even trying to rip the seal off she leap from the ground when Red X tried to grab her, during what he assumed would be a moment of opportunity, when she should have been struggling with the x over her mouth.

There was a skill that the thief had that made him exceptional in his trade. Red X could plan his actions before hand and he could react upon a dime. On a whim change his entire strategy to suit his purpose and be victorious in his endeavors. A rare gift that made him a dangerous advisory. Without thought he maneuvered the heavy grapple into a graceful turn and wrapped a large hand about Raven's small ankle as she tried to use her powers to fly over his head. With a swift tug the dark bird was pulled down to the shadow thief.

One arm was wrapped like a steel band around her waist and the other hand found itself tangled in her braid as he slammed her firmly against the metallic bedroom door. Raven's breath was knocked from her lungs on the impact, leaving her momentarily shaken. She was again hit with the full power of Red X's aura, thoughts, emotions, and body.

He once again had Raven trapped in his grasp, caught in an unwanted embrace. The dark sorceress felt anger course through her. Her eyes darken in color before they began to glow with a wicked white light. She was going to use her dark power to break herself out of the thief's arms.

The thief was a man who was strict when coming to business terms. Cockiness, playfulness, or any other ridiculous behavior exhibited during a job would get you caught. On had to be impersonal when you took up the mask and chose the darker side of life. Still a fraction of his personality refused to be repressed tonight. Florescent lights flooded the residence hall with blinding power, thankfully delaying the unprofessional sarcastic remark that was clawing its way across his tongue.

Whatever the thief was going to say was cut short when he got a clear look at the woman in his arms. Whatever offense she was planning was soiled by her lose of concentration when the beaming lights abrupt returned. Her amethyst eyes were a darker tint as she glared at him and her hair was longer than he knew it to be. A quirk of curiosity drove him to a strange action, he swiped the band that bound her lavender braid and let the long strands unravel. Running a gloved hand through her soft hair he held a silky lock between his thumb and fore finger. Raven's glare lost its threatening edge when her eyes widened in shock.

Flashback

Raven was taken aback when the Boy Wonder materialized beside her. Robin had a lock of her fine hair between his thumb and fore finger as he examined its extended length. He gave a curt nod before dropping the tendrils, "It suites you."

End of Flashback

'Robin.'

"RAE!" Beast Boy's voice exploded through the pattering silence of rain. Both the dark teen and the shadow thief snapped their heads in the direction of the call. The changeling's shadow form was growing on the wall as he ran towards them. Red X turned from the oncoming Titan to the dark bird still in his grip before releasing her unceremoniously. Raven managed to use her power to catch herself before she lost the last of her dignity and landed on the ground. Her killer glare was again on the bloody thief but Red X had already backed away.

"We'll have to finish this some other time, Raven." His metallic voice echoed before he turned and crashed through the glass window. Beast Boy now turned the corner in time to see Raven wrench the seal from over her lips. "X!" the name ripped out of her wry throat once adhesive was off. With amazing speed she was across the hall and past the confused green changeling as she looked out where the shadow thief had escaped through the window. But there was no sign of Red X, he had disappeared into the darkness, swallowed by the sea.

I personally, don't think this chapter turned out that great. I not very happy with the fight scene. And is everyone in character? Reviews help to speed up updates and I would like to know what you think. Thanks to SarredSacrifice, starlit moonshadow, Sage Raven, Trinity, gothic mischief, Pretty in Scarlet20, Barbiechiwawa, Seletua, and SakuraMikoLee.