Disclaimer: don't own anything that is related to the Teen Titans, however the name Rorex and the characters Francesca, Malthenor, and Sirus belong to me.

A/N: Alright! Thank you guys so much for the reviews! You make me so happy! So much so that here's another chapter for your view pleasure.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 15: Half Way or No Way

Robin tumbled a harsh landing on the roof a random building. Growling he pushed himself on his feet and flicked his tail in irritation as his wings draped over him, spent from exertion of energy. He got to his feet and wavered at the weight of his wings, they were heavy. Dragging them across the ground and looking over the edge his amber green tinted eyes narrowing as he saw the first thing to cross off his "thingstodo" list. Snarling he put one foot on the edge of the building, then without hesitation pushed off and roared as he jumped from the high building to the ground.

Rorex felt the sudden flare of a powerful aura and stopped to glare up at the sky to see a winged creature coming at them. Immediately assuming the worst he crouched and got ready to jump, but when he pushed off the back of his shirt was pulled back and he landed hard on his back. Glaring up at Raven she glared back, "Use your senses you idiot it's Robin."

"Robin? Chuckles? Kid? But the thing got wings!" Rorex growled and Raven rolled her eyes.

"You forget that he's your half-brother and a half angel so stop your growling puppy."

Jumping to his feet and dusting off his pants while continuingly give Raven a sour look, "I am not a puppy," he sneered and watched as Robin cupped his wings into a parachute like formation and dropped to his feet after hovering about three feet in the air.

Raven walked up to him and Rorex stayed put just to watch her carefully with him, noticing how hesitant her steps where and tense her body got when with Robin. Like she always had to show she was worthy to be in his presence or something, judging by the way Robin was glaring at her Rorex didn't blame her for tensing up. He looked livid.

"Robin, what are you doing out? Didn't you get my message?" Raven asked coolly, yet in a very quite voice, even Rorex had to strain in order to hear her.

"Do not give me that Raven, look at me!" Robin practically roared gesturing to his transformation, "Why did you leave without me?" a demanded question that Raven couldn't resist answering.

"I wanted you to rest … I wanted to make sure you didn't get caught," she replied monotonously looking straight at his … she blinked and gaped, He … doesn't … have … his mask … it was so shocking even her thoughts couldn't quite put it together, here her leader was. Very self-conscious about his identity, to now be standing in the middle of public streets with out his mask and showing his green tinted golden eyes that started down at her with much fire. That was when she noticed another thing … her and Robin were close to the same height, with him standing another inch taller than her … now he was close to Rorex height and towering with his wings.

"Black wings," Rorex broke the slight tension building between the two, somehow ending up behind Robin and looking at the feathered wings with amusement. Testing his limits he reached out a plucked a feather, but soon regretted it when Robin's tail came whipping up and slamming hard into his gut. Winding him and knocking him into a streetlight then slouching to the ground.

Robin grinned, somehow that felt good, "How you like my tail?"

Raven gave both of them a look, before quickly standing in between them, glaring at Robin, "That was unnecessary."

"He deserved it." Robin snorted and watched Rorex carefully get to his feet shaking his head.

"Goddamn! Fuck, that actually hurt!"

Raven turned to him and gave a dry look, "Well that's what you get for touching something that is clearly not yours."

Rorex raised a brow, and then smirked and out of his hand he waved a Robin's utility belt, "You mean like these?"

Robin looked down at his waist and glared at Rorex his tail flicking restlessly, "You little pick-pocket, give it back!"

"X, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Raven narrowed her eyes at him, "Stop fooling around or – "

Raven's eyes suddenly became as large as saucers when she looked beyond Rorex, up in the sky to the swirling clouds of black. Backing up next to Robin, Rorex stood straight up with a quizzical look on his face, "Raven?" turning to look at what could have spooked her and Robin at once, Rorex didn't even have to turn fully around when he heard an ear shattering roar.

This roar he had heard before, back when he was only but a kid when his father went up against one of the Malcoraz bloodline. Acidic poison wasn't the only thing that the family had up their sleeves, but their natural form … the form of their ancestor, Malchior. Rorex dropped the utility belt and backed up to see the skies were no longer bright beautiful blue, but was now turning to a gloomy day. He held his breath as lightning struck down beyond the city to the very place he had been leading Raven to.

Malchior's hidden castle, the one where Rorek had ceiled the beast in the book, the one place where it was possible to literally raise all hell … and it looked like Malthenor had just begun. Rorex shuddered when he heard the faint whisper of the chanted spell in his ears, only he heard it because whether he liked to admit it or not he had a connection to the book. All his family did, they knew when another other then themselves were touching, talking, reading, or chanting it's spells.

Though he'd done a good job with locking it away from his mind, now it was useless as he translated the words being said:

Hell's fire

Hell's reign

I call to the great guardians of hell's gates

Upon my command

Upon my order

Open the gates and flood the world

Mine to forever

Mine for eternal

Hell will bow before my feet

Every creature shall fear me

And forever until eternity shall I reign supreme!

Rorex, closed his eyes and shook his head trying to shake the haunting words from his head as it echoed on and on until the spell was completed … meaning hell's gate was about to open …

"X!"

Rorex heard the scream of his abbreviated name and looked back to Raven who was giving him a panicked look, "X! How do we stop this?"

How? That was a good question he even had to think about … never in his life was he taught how to stop something like this … but he was taught that if anything bad happened because of the accursed book. Destroy it and the caster … easy right? "We have to destroy the book …"

"Is that it?" Raven asked in disbelief, Robin scoffed.

"We could have done that earlier."

Rorex ignored him, and shook his head, "I know it sounds too easy … but we have to at least stall the gates opening."

"That's it?" Robin sneered, "Stall? I'm sure you're good at that."

At this Rorex looked back and growled, his eyes tinting red along with his markings, "Try to keep up kid."

"Try not to run out of air old man." With that Robin crouched then jumped and getting the hang of his hover pushed forward and was soon enough racing Rorex who had decided to take to the roof tops.

Raven gave a dry look as she to took to the air and flew after the speeding brothers – er half -brothers, "Why me? I swear if I see God the first thing I'm asking is why didn't you kill me sooner? How did I ever end up in this mess?"

Pushing herself faster she watched as the clouds expanded and soon enough covered half the city in a matter of seconds as they headed to the cause of it all. Sacrificing speed for height, Raven went higher to get a good look at what they were dealing with. Just at the outskirt of the city was where it all began, somewhere near the demolition that took place to destroy the crumbling parts of town. In other words the place where her end of the world took place.

At the center of the swirling clouds was a red glowing whole and with each passing minute the hole grew bigger and bigger. Though Raven took this time to think, Malthenor's an angel … why would he open the gates of hell first? That would surely bring forth more devils and demons … demons … Raven almost dropped out of the sky when realization dawned on her, "No," she whispered and shook her head in denial.

Rorex was wrong! Malthenor is trying to control all hell born creatures, but no hell born would let themselves be conquered by an angel … he's going to awaken the coordinal demon lords … including my father, lord of the northern territories Trigon Scathe. Faced with this information Raven transformed into her soul-self and flew faster using the help of the darkened skies in no time she caught up with Robin, "Robin! He's calling my father!"

Just like when Raven realized the impossible, Robin almost fell out of the sky, but controlled himself to giver her a look of disbelief, "What!"

"Malthenor's an angel, what could he possibly want with hell before he opens heaven? The hell borns Robin, X and me, maybe even you through the demon lords. The spells not to open the gates, it's to make the demon lords stronger to break through the gates and obey his every command!"

Robin growled, "Rorex you dumb shit! Where the hell did you get your information!"

From below, Rorex looked up and with one powerful leap was suspended in the air in front of Robin as he flipped him off, "Fuck off cross-breed, the plan still stands, we stall until we can figure out how to stop it."

For a good few minutes he stayed suspended until he turned and darted back to the rooftops in a fast glide. Raven gave a curious look wondering how was it he was able to manipulate flight as such, but shook it off. Now was not the time, "We have to find the counter spell, it's the only way to ceil the book off for good."

"Uh newsflash baby-doll," Rorex was once again in the air still moving forward but for the few seconds he spoke he stayed with them, "that counter spell you're looking for is in the very book you want to conceal." Again he darted down and continued his sprint, then came back up like a pop-up jack in the box that Robin just wanted to slam back into his box and never have him come out. "I don't think you can do both without ceiling yourself with it as well … Rorek tried."

Back down Raven thought for the moment, So Rorek was in the book at the time … but how was it that Malchior over took him and managed to … to come out without a fight? What did Malchior know about the loophole in the curse that Rorek didn't … how strong is Malchior's bloodline exactly? Eyes narrowed, Raven looked up and following the boys she slowed down when they neared the danger zone. Raven watched as Robin dropped down to the building Rorex had leapt to and started to walk to the edge closets to the opening portal.

Gently touching down behind them she walked to Robin's side and sighed tiredly at the lightening, whirling wind and colossus swirling clouds, Just another day, she thought dryly, then looked to Robin's serious scowl and Rorex's distant yet relaxed expressions.

They were so different.

Their outlooks, up brings, ethics, and styles, Raven thought that the only thing they had in common was their equally stubborn attitude.

However even that was questionable.

She knew that Robin was stubborn, but was Rorex? Raven found herself nodding slightly in agreement. Yeah, he was stubborn, but in a different way. Where Robin would outwardly show he didn't like what others' think yet stays silent about it. Rorex was kind of nosy and snooped about then when finding something he didn't like he'd not only blow it off but also mock it.

Strong and quiet, meets troublemaker … and the worse part was?

They're related, that thought brought a ghost of a smile to Raven's otherwise emotionless face. She found it funny that fate was seriously having a ball with everyone's life now a day, she didn't know about Robin. But if she found she was related to a villain she'd literally kill herself with shock do to brain failure and forgetting how to breathe. Honestly, she was sure that Robin – and Rorex – were both loathing the idea that the same blood coursed through their veins.

However, that wasn't the problem at hand.

The problem was now how were they going to go about this plan of stalling?

Stalling …

Raven glanced at Rorex again and saw him side glance her in return, though she didn't bother to read into the reason, her gears were spinning and an added idea was forming in her head. Apparently Robin was thinking in the same direction cause at the same time they said distantly, "We'll steal it."

Rorex blinked and laughed, "Steal it? Well, there's something you don't hear everyday from a hero … steal it … wow, I'm rubbin' off on you guys."

"Can it two-bit pick pocket," Robin snarled, "you in this or not?"

"No offence to either of you," Rorex grinned, "but if I were out then you two'd be in some deep shit, so yeah I'm in. Playing the hero every now and then is fun."

Robin rolled his eyes and snorted, Raven took over before anymore of there "conversation" could progress. Crossing her arms over her chest she pointedly gave him a challenging look that he mocked by mimicking her stance, "Alright X, you seem like you know this palace. How do we get in, out, and where might Malthenor be?"

Tilting his head in thought then looking down at the palace Raven watched in curiosity, wondering just how a thief's mind really operated. He blinked and titled his head the other way then smirked and nodded, "Yeah … yeah …" he murmured to himself, Robin and Raven shared unsure looks as Rorex turned them with shining gold eyes.

"Listen up my chickadees, this is how the song is played," pausing he pointed to the palace, "the main entrance – as I'm sure you can so plainly see – is right there, the palace itself is crumbling, Malthenor never keeps it up like Sirus. So there are openings everywhere however, there are also equal amounts of booby traps and guards, but since this is a special day we're going to count on Malthenor's stupidity and play it by ear.

"Raven, you're good with magic right?" Rorex asked with a sly grin, she gave him a dry look and nodded, "Good, cause then you'll be following me to the throne room where Malthenor will most likely be conjuring up this lovely Storm of the Century. If not then the bed-chamber –"

"Why do I get the feeling you're just doing this to be alone with Raven." Robin growled and Raven ran a hand down her forehead while Rorex gave Robin a pointed look.

"Look featha-head the worlds about to end, think you could keep on the subject at hand?" Robin glared and Rorex snorted, "Besides you didn't let me finish, he'll be at the bed-chamber where there's a secret passageway in the closet – which is one big ass closet – anyway before we enter the palace I'll signal you to start your diversion."

"Hold up, and I'm the diversion why?" Robin locked his tinted yellow eyes on his older half-brother's pure gold ones who just gave him a dry look.

"Do you know the way around the palace? No. Do you know how to find spells, counter curses and such and have the power to bring them out? No. Are you a big freakin' target that a rookie sniper could drop without a second thought? Yes! And that is why you're our diversion." Rorex with a smug look snickered at Robin's look of distrust.

Raven shook her head not liking the plan, "No, no, no, wait I don't like this. It could be dangerous. Leaving Robin without a back up? That's risking it."

"We're going to be his back up," Rorex reassured with a shrug, "after all we're just going in, snatching the book, then coming back out right? No biggie."

"You really don't think about the consequences if this could all blow up in our face do you?" Raven glared and Rorex sat on the edge of the building swinging his legs over to dangle threatening on the edge … something like his life the way he lives it time after time.

"One step at a time baby-girl, there's just no time to be sure about everything," looking back at her he winked and up at Robin and smirked, "you think you could do this? Little brother?"

Robin scoffed, "Watch me."

"Robin," Raven called with a tone of concern, "Robin are you sure you can do this?"

Her leader shrugged and fluttered his wings a bit, his tail playfully tickling her side. Which she couldn't hold back a smile and stepped away to control the situation, "Don't be so glum Rae, we can do this … we've gotten through worse."

Raven sighed and nodded putting a hand on his shoulder wanting to hug him or something, but didn't want to make a scene. So in stead she just patted it and turned away beginning to float in the air she turned and gave him a smile of amusement, "Famous last words?"

"Just go Rae."

Nodding she looked to Rorex who pointed to the open field, "Wait for me there."

Without a word she flew off leaving the two brothers to themselves, Rorex gave Robin a curious look, "You love her don't you?"

Robin blinked and looked at him then back at Raven's disappearing form, "I could ask you the same thing?"

Rorex shook his head and sighed, standing up and dusting his hands he got ready to begin, "No … you can't … even so it wouldn't matter."

"Why not?"

"… She trust's you with her life."

With that Rorex jumped from that building and continuingly towards the open field that was the only thing that stood between the city and the forest beyond. Robin took to the air and followed quietly to himself, Rorex last few words to him still ringing in his head. To Robin they were wrong; they were the wrong things to say for a comeback, bring a hand to his heart Robin felt for that feeling that was severed not to long ago.

That feeling where it was complete and whole, that feeling that he'd unconsciously fiddle with every time he felt uncomfortable something. Now … it was gone, just like that it disappeared, I don't know if you know Raven, but our bond is cut … what did it I don't know, but I have an idea … she trust you more than you think X, she kept you from me and she has a higher tolerance level for you … and that's saying something considering your cheeky arrogance even gets to me.

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"Is it just me or is –"

"It's just you Malchior."

"Oh well, aren't we in such a fine mood today."

"I don't understand you one bit."

"What's not to understand? I'm Malchior, all-powerful sorcerer that as the people would say now a days, give you a run for your money. Why the misunderstanding?"

"How could you just sit there and take all this as if it were some kind of – what is it that … uh … that thing with the moving pictures in the box?"

"Uh … I think it's called a T.V.?"

"Yes, exactly! How can you just sit there and watch this all like some kind of T.V.?"

"Easy, just shut your mouth and glue your eyes on the scene, my goodness what's more to it than that?"

"Unbelievable Malchior, you're just so unbelievable."

"Look Rorek, since you want to play by the rules, then we're going to play by the rules and not intervene as you so wish."

"Yes and I am so grateful that you chose to listen this time … but … do you not feel as if this is some how avoidable?"

"Rorek, everything is avoidable, you just have to know the right time to dodge the clock."

"Then why does this feel like what we're doing – sitting and watch – is all wrong."

"… Most good things in life are wrong …"

"I hate to say that, that just does not comfort me."

"It's never meant for your comfort fool, it's the truth and the truth always hurts."

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okay moving right along here, next chapter coming so don't worry about it. till then peeps see ya!