A/N: New chapter! Only four days late… Alas. I make no excuses. I was lazy. Lots of action scenes in this one, and I apologize if they suck. They take forever to write and sometimes you just want to get them done and over with. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: See previous chapter…

Chapter 3

"Cyborg, report."

"Levels six through eleven, secure," Cyborg stated into his communicator.

"Beast Boy, report."

"Outer perimeter and levels one through five, secure," Beast Boy conveyed, walking the shoreline of the small island.

"Starfire, report."

"Level twelve and up, secure," Starfire confirmed, floating a couple dozen feet above the Tower. "What is your status, friend?"

"Safe room, secure," Robin told them, monitoring the security cameras for each level from the control station outside the safe room. "It's going to be soon."

"We're ready," Beast Boy pledged, finished with his perimeter search and headed for the Tower.

"You sure?"

Beast Boy whipped around in time to receive a fist to the stomach, pushing the air from his lungs. He fell to his knees in shock, gasping for air. As he sucked a full breath into his lungs, heard footsteps walk up next to him before he fell into blackness due to a blow to the back of the head.

Red X shook his head at the sight of the unconscious green body, then moved on to the Tower. As he had expected, the halls had been booby trapped. They were neither powerful nor effective, but he guessed that they were there simply to provide distraction.

"Looking for something?"

Red X turned around to see Cyborg behind him, his sonic cannon aimed right at him. He barely had time to move before a sonic blast barrage descended upon him. Red X dodged left and right, pulling an X device from his belt. He managed to dodge his way back behind Cyborg, then stuck the device on what he surmised to be the main external circuit board and jumped away.

Red X tapped a button on his belt and heard a loud electrical hum as well as a strangled cry. He turned around, expecting to see the cybernetic body lying on the ground twitching, but was instead rewarded with a blast to the chest.

"Those things are old school man," Cyborg stated, though still smoking somewhat from the attempted electrocution. "Better come up with some new toys if you thing you're gonna get by me."

Red X shook himself as he recovered from the blast, cursing the 'new' belt. So far it had been as big of a failure as the previous ones he had fashioned himself. He pulled another electrocution X as well as a smoke bomb from his belt and activated the wall-climber feature on his boots.

When Cyborg began shooting sonic blasts again, Red X hopped from wall to wall until he had reached the ceiling. Red X threw the smoke bomb to the ground a few feet in front of Cyborg. Smoke instantly began filling the small hallway.

"Can't hide from me man," Cyborg retorted, focusing his cybernetic eye on the heat signature of Red X as the water sprinklers turned on in reaction to the smoke. He watched the colorful shape of the thief back away slightly and throw something at him. Cyborg looked down to see another X device attached to his chest.

"Didn't I just tell you that little trick doesn't work on me anymore?" Cyborg yelled, leveling his arm cannon. "Maybe you just have a learning problem and I'll have to beat it into you."

"Maybe you should reassess yourself first," Red X countered. "You seem to have forgotten that electricity and water don't mix."

Cyborg realized too late what Red X meant before he was jolted with a near deadly amount of electricity. Still clinging to the ceiling, Red X deactivated the X device, then jumped down to the water covered floor. Despite all he'd gone through to get into the Tower, he still hadn't gotten past the first floor, and still had two Titans to deal with.

He had an idea of where the Titans might try to hide the book. On his previous visit, he had toured the Tower as he'd wreaked havoc on the security system and found a small room that looked to be a panic room of sorts. He had a strong feeling that's where the book was.

Red X walked down the hall in the direction of the 'panic room,' surprised at the ease in which he was making his way. The booby traps had ceased all together, and the other two Titans had yet to appear. He began to doubt the accuracy of his guess of the book's whereabouts until his shadow grew long in front of him. He ducked and rolled quickly, narrowly avoiding the almost silent blast of green energy that had been aimed at his back.

"Give me back my friend, wicked one," Starfire demanded, her eyes glowing the same eerie green as the energy gathered in her fists. She let loose in a barrage towards the thief, who could do little but run away in the cramped hall. He finally came to an open door and ducked in, quickly finding shadow cover. Starfire was fast to follow him in, floating right past him towards the center of the room.

"Come out and fight, vile being," Starfire called out, slowly floating in a circle. With her back turned, Red X silently made his way across the room, which turned out to be the infirmary. He spotted an open cabinet of chemicals and headed for it, hoping to find something to use against the strong alien.

He found something that he knew would do the trick and grabbed a cloth, soaking it thoroughly. He made sure not to breathe as he poured the liquid on generously, knowing one whiff would put him down instantly. He waited until the alien was close enough before jumping out behind her and covering her mouth and nose with the cloth.

Despite the affect that the ether should have had on the alien, she threw Red X back and into the wall with great force. Cracks spread in a spider web shape around Red X where he hit the wall. He slid to the ground and prepared for the next attack, but was surprised when none came.

Starfire was standing wobbly in the middle of the room, holding her head. She staggered towards something to brace herself before collapsing all together onto the floor in a heap. Red X slowly got to his feet and cautiously made his way to the alien. She was stronger than humans as much in resisting toxins as in brute strength, so he wasn't about to take his chances.

He prodded her with his foot a little, and with no reaction, he rolled her over onto her back. Her deep breathing let him know she had in fact passed out, but with no idea of when she would wake up again, he picked up the soaked cloth and laid it on her chest, ensuring she'd be out until the cloth dried and the air cleared.

With three down and one to go, Red X cleaned his hands of the remaining ether and headed to the vicinity of the last Titan. The door to the room was ajar, which immediately put his defenses on alert. There was no way the Titans would leave that room unguarded.

Red X nudged the door open with his foot, giving the room the once-over before setting foot in there. It looked empty, but he knew from experience that looks could be deceiving. He walked very close to one wall as he made his way through the small control room, heading for the console. A huge screen showed several different images within the Tower, the one in the center showing a book sitting in the middle of a room.

Upon closer inspection of the screen, Red X confirmed it to be the Book of Azar, and that it sat in the middle of the so-called panic room. A twinge to his senses had Red X bringing his forearm up to block an incoming attack, which turned out to be Robin's metal staff aimed for the back of his head. Red X broke away immediately to put perspective on the situation, momentarily moving away from the console. Robin wouldn't let up though, and Red X was forced into hand-to-hand combat again.

"Since when do you work for someone else?" Robin asked, his staff strikes being deflected by Red X holding a shuriken in each hand.

"Since it pays well," Red X commented, trying to trip Robin, unsuccessfully. "It's very expensive to be me."

"You mean expensive to use the suit," Robin corrected, starting to become tired.

"Same thing," Red X retorted, finally starting to gain the upper hand.

"One of these days I'm going to get that suit back," Robin growled, being forced into a corner as one of every three hits Red X threw landed.

"Over my dead body," Red X threatened. Robin was slowly sliding down the wall, his entire body covered in shallow gashes and cuts.

"Don't tempt me," Robin hissed, slumped on the floor. Red X cocked his head to the side and gave an amused chuckle, then walked over to the console.

"Kid, you don't have what it takes to do something that desperate," Red X told him, his hands typing hurriedly over the console. After a few minutes of furious typing, Red X slammed his fist on the console in frustration. He looked back to the semi-conscious Titan, deciding to get his answers from that source. He picked up the beaten crime fighter and held him by his collar.

"Tell me how to get in there," Red X demanded. Robin smiled a bloody smile.

"Go to hell," he responded. Red X shoved him roughly against the wall and held him there.

"Tell me how to get in there, now," he insisted.

"You can't," Robin told him. Red X found this annoying, and threw the young man into the console.

"Then you go in there," he stated, "and get me that book."

"I can't either," Robin revealed, struggling to sit upright. Red X squatted in front of him, grabbing his hair on the back of his head and yanking back.

"And why not?" he hissed.

"That room was designed for the sole purpose of no one getting in or out once it's activated," Robin said, half smiling. "And the only person who ever could move freely in and out of that room was Raven."

Red X didn't move for a bit, digesting the information and deciding whether or not he believed Robin.

"There's always a way to get what you want," Red X vowed, letting go of Robin and walking out of the room. Robin crawled across the floor over to where he'd lost his communicator.

"Titans, status!" he called into the communicator, slowly trying to pick himself off the floor. "Report in now!"

"Yeah, I'm here," Cyborg groaned into the communicator. "The only thing that is seriously injured is my pride."

"Beast Boy, still alive," the changeling reported. "I can't believe I got my butt kicked again."

"Starfire! Report!" Robin commanded. Nothing.

"Starfire! Respond immediately!" Robin yelled into the communicator, his fear for the beautiful alien growing stronger by the second.

"I am here, Robin," came the trembling response, but not from the communicator. Robin turned around to the doorway where she stood, Red X right behind her, a hand covering her throat. Robin was immediately poised to leap at him, but a slight movement stopped him in his tracks.

"I don't think so," Red X muttered darkly, as the shift in stature showed the syringe sticking out of her neck. Robin could only guess at the identity of the yellow liquid Red X had filled it with, but he was almost sure he didn't want to know. "I want the book. And you're not stupid enough to lock it in that room if there's no way to get to it later. So you either give me the book now, or you won't have long to wonder what's in this syringe."

Robin stood there immobile for a moment, his fists clenching tightly with frustration and anger. Red X had accurately called his bluff. "I thought you said you weren't a villain."

"I'm not," Red X affirmed, his tone still dark. "But desperate times call for desperate measures, kid. Sometimes you gotta do something you don't like to do in order to get what you want. And I always get what I want."

Robin walked past him back into the hall and headed for his own room. Red X followed close behind, pushing Starfire along in front of him. Robin walked into his own room and over to a section of the wall that appeared solid. He tapped underneath it and the faux wall slid away, revealing an exact replica of the book that appeared to be in the safe room.

"That's the real copy?" Red X asked.

"Yeah. The other one was a fake," Robin admitted. "I didn't lie. It's impossible to get into the room once it's activated, but we put a fake edition there, just in case."

"Give the girl the book," Red X instructed. Robin handed the book to Starfire's shaky hands, then returned his clenching fists to his sides. Red X began backing out of the room slowly, pulling Starfire with him. Once in the hall, he began walking backwards to the elevator.

"You've got what you want, now let Starfire go," Robin demanded, fury clear in his voice.

"Not just yet," Red X disagreed, backing into the elevator. The moment the doors closed, Robin dashed to the stairs.

"He's on his way to the sub-basement again!" he shouted into the communicator as he jumped down flights of stairs. Just as he opened the door to the sub-basement he heard the elevator ding. Starfire and the book emerged first, followed by Red X, who was still using her as a shield.

Cyborg and Beast Boy bounded out the stairs behind Robin, each freezing when they saw the scene before them. Red X walked Starfire over to the wall where a black motorcycle sat waiting. He sat down on the bike and snatched the book from Starfire's hands. In one movement he yanked the syringe from her neck and pushed her forward, then started the bike and headed for the underground tunnel.

"It's not going to be that easy this time," Cyborg stated, initiating the door lock. Before Red X, the door to the tunnel closed and sealed him in. Red X didn't even slow down, but instead threw the syringe at the door, the contents spilling against it and melting through the metal in seconds. And then he was gone again.

"He got away," Cyborg whispered in disgust. "Again."

"What do we do now?" Beast Boy asked, dejectedly.

"Robin?" Starfire called out to the young hero, who was staring at the floor with his fists clenched.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Robin repeated quietly. "Sometimes you have to do something you don't like in order to get what you want."

"What's he talking about?" Cyborg asked Beast Boy, who shrugged.

"Let's get started," Robin stated, heading back for the elevator. "We don't have much time."

"What are we going to do?" Starfire asked, floating along behind him.

"Cyborg, I want you to get in contact with Titans East," Robin began. "We're going to need some help on this one. Beast Boy, Starfire, I want you two to start combing the outskirts of the city where we last had a lock on Red X. Wherever he went out there was where his 'employer' is located. Once we have the location, we're going to carry out a full-on assault. Throw everything we've got at them."

"Okay," Cyborg commented as the elevator hit the observation deck. "Care to let us in on what's going on?"

"I have a plan," Robin smirked. "And one way or another, we're going to get her back."

.o0o.

A book landed at Slade's feet.

"Took you a while," Slade commented.

"One book of spells. The Book of Azar," Red X stated. "One retrieval fee of five hundred thousand."

"We agreed on two hundred fifty," Slade argued, cocking his head to the side. "Plus expenses."

"The book was not at the library," Red X told him. "Fee doubles for having to do twice the work to get it."

"How about two hundred fifty thousand, and I let you keep the belt," Slade propositioned. The utility belt landed at his feet.

"I'd rather have the five hundred thousand," Red X informed him, then began walking out. He caught sight of Raven, who was still shackled to the huge machine. The thought occurred to him that she had been hanging there the whole time, then he reminded himself that he shouldn't care. She looked up as he approached.

"You look like you're having fun," Red X taunted as he walked past.

"You really have no idea what you've done, do you?" Raven hissed at him.

"Don't know, don't care," was his response. "You were a job. The job's done now, so it's none of my business."

Raven glared daggers at his back as he walked out, wishing for the zillionth time that the thing on her forehead would short out for a moment and she could do something, anything to knock the cockiness from his walk. As she expected, it didn't happen and she hung her head in frustration. Her day couldn't get any worse.

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty, you know," Slade commented as he walked over to her, the book open in one hand as he examined the characters painted on the wall around her for accuracy. "Had I known in the beginning all that I know now about you, I think I would have chosen you for my apprentice and not wasted my time with those other…rejects."

"Sorry if that just doesn't impress me," Raven muttered.

"Think of it," Slade mused aloud. "My very own portal to the underworld. I no longer would need to employ such hapless buffoons to do my dirty work. I could just pick out the greatest criminals in history and bring them back to life."

"You shouldn't disturb the natural order of life and death," Raven advised in a dark tone.

"You're one to talk," Slade hissed in her ear. "As I recall, that's exactly what you intended to do for your father."

"That was different," Raven cried as he walked away from her. He suddenly turned on her, his one visible eye narrowing.

"It's no different," he disagreed. "And no natural order was disturbed in a permanent way. Regardless of what else happened that day, a life was restored. Mine. And the world did not end."

"You won't get away with this," she grumbled, shaking her head.

"Just who do you think is going to stop me?" Slade asked her. "Your friends? They don't even know where to start to look. I am afraid my dear that this time, there really is no one to stop me."

.o0o.

Red X checked the Jump City Bank account that Slade had been paying him by as soon as he walked into his current base of operations. He didn't trust that man to keep his word, and he wanted to get the money transferred as soon as possible. The account showed a deposit of five hundred thousand dollars, and Red X wasted no time in moving it to his private account.

Next he checked what he called the 'hot wire.' It was a summation of all the news of Jump City and surrounding cities that indicated if anything of interest was around to steal. Nothing caught his eye and he was about to log off for the night when a beep indicated he had an incoming transmission.

He almost didn't accept the transmission, irritable that his privacy was so easily compromised in recent days. But out of curiosity, he wanted to know who knew how to get in contact with him. And how they knew. He accepted the transmission and sat back in his chair. He nearly fell out of it at the image that came forth.

"I didn't think it'd be this easy to reach you," the caller admitted.

"It really shouldn't be," Red X muttered. "And your reason for harassing me is…?"

"I want you to steal something for me," the caller told him. Now Red X was really intrigued. "What else would I be contacting you for?"

"I don't usually do jobs for other people," Red X commented, mocking the caller. "I like being my own boss."

"I'll make it worth your while," the caller promised.

"I don't know if you can afford me," Red X mocked, swiveling in his chair from side to side. "I tend to have pretty expensive tastes."

The caller took a deep breath, almost growling as the air exited his lungs. "You can name your price."

Beneath the mask he wore, Red X grinned evilly. He knew exactly what he wanted.

A/N: As always, feedback is desired. Let me know if I didn't catch any mistakes. I (hopefully) will have the next chapter up by the weekend. But we shall see.