A/N: Here's the next chapter, caution Raven's gonna' have some major mood swings and if your confused about anything just ask.
Enjoy ... I know I am ...
--
"If I could
change I would
take back the
pain I would
retrace every
wrong move that I made I would
if I could
stand up and take
the blame I would
I would take all
the shame to the grave."
- Linkin Park
"Easier to Run"
Set…
"Alright me amigos, time to play this off."
"Bitch."
"Aw, I love you to X."
"Can we get a little concentration here?" I scowled as I scampered up the fire escape to my next and last target for the night. The Regal Red Ruby, I already snagged the Puzzle Emerald earlier in the night, and X was already on his second painting to boost. The next night we were going to take the last gem, and last painting leaving Tues, Weds, and Thurs for us to lift the bikes and Fri. for planning how to take the formula one car.
We were all still debating how to take it.
Though X and Jinx seemed to take things to the extreme and argued non-stop. It was driving me insane! Especially since their arguing was built into Robin's mask on the side and they were screaming in my damn ear! TWICE because of their constant bickering I almost tripped a wire or alerted the authorities by telling them both to shut up. Jesus, and X complain that I make mistakes; well he should take a good look in the mirror why.
For now they were silent, "Thank you, now Jinx where did you say the Ruby was?"
"West side, but watch out it's guarded by a tone of obstacles. You're gonna' wanna' set the alarm off for the heat sense before you act."
I nodded, not like she saw it, "Okay, thanks."
"Just watch your back."
With that I snuck to the roof edge and peeked over to the building that held the Ruby. Guards on the roof, just like the last time at Emerald Museum, but it had even more and I expected it from the heist X and I pulled last night. If it weren't heavily guarded I'd have to be suspicious. I thought for a moment and wondered just how to pull this off exactly, well first off I'd have to actually get in the building, but how to do that.
Unlike the Puzzle Emerald there were researchers around and I easily snuck a white coat complete with ID to get into the vault. This one it was like an armed fortress, so I'm gonna' have to do this right and that's when I spotted my chance down the street close to the building.
Though this was going to go against everything I never want to do while on this kind of life, this could endanger the lives of innocent civilians, but it's act or fail and failing I was taught was never an option on Azarath.
In other words here on Earth, do or die.
Quickly flicking on the inferred on the mask I went down the latter and across from the building that housed my prize I sighed and gulped. Then silently with the night as my ally I ran in a silent crouch and from a pouch around my waist I took out one of Robin's disks and threw it at the car in the corner. Just as I wanted it the car exploded creating a chain reaction of other cars behind to set off blaring alarm clocks and enough of a distraction for me to duck and roll in the ally next to the building.
Pressing my back up against the wall I looked up praying that no guard would look over, but the closets I heard was ordered to watch the corner. Sneaking to the window I wasn't going to go in from there, but pulling out my laser pen I lowered its intensity to just a harmless pointer and peered in. Finding the case to the Ruby I flicked on the laser and pointed it at the heat sensors.
I fiddled with it a bit and then just as Jinx suggested the alarm went off and I ducked down and held my breath when the lights went on. Putting the pen away and on my hunches waddled my way under the window to the other side where I took off for the back. Here I stopped at the corner and peeked around to find one guard guarding the fire escape door and a camera … hmm, kill to birds with one stone shall we?
From my pouch I pulled out one of Robin's smoke bombs and tossed it in front of the guard, the idiot actually fired his gun at it! The moron! I wasn't planning for that, but works for me as the camera's were blinded and the guard went down knocked out from the gas. Into the door I snuck and the place was dark!
I switched the masked to night vision sensors and with Red X's blades took out two other cameras that almost looked at me, then hid under one that peered my way, with one jump I snagged the wire and took it out. Afterwards I made my way around the corner where I barely dodged more of the cameras and ducked into a room that I gasped and immediately ducked down and rolled from being seen. The gem I was after being taken down here!
Wow, that was simple, and I just guest! Apparently the guards were getting nervous and decided to set it in this lab where they cleaned everything. Hmm … have to remember this, then it went dark once again and no one was in the room where there was no security. I guess they thought that the lock on the side and all the other security would hold up. Ha! I'll show them up.
Waltzing to the middle of the room I quickly got rid of the last and final irritated cameras that watched everything and anything. With a grin I took out my laser pen and immediately began to drill the glass, "Come to mama."
"Ra – uh – Sis! You have to get out! The Titans are on their way!" I nearly dropped my pen when more out of pain then fear.
I growled and continued my job, "You didn't have to shout!"
"Sis just get out of there!" X demanded and I gritted my teeth.
"Wait I almost –"
"FREEZE!"
"Raven!"
"Shit, fuck it!" I shattered the glass and the guards opened fire, before dodging I took the Ruby and rolled to the ground taking down a steel table to block the charged lasers. However it didn't last long as I heard Robin's commanding voice shout, "Seize fire!"
For that I thanked him, but now I was scared shit less, the Titans were at the door and from the sound of charged things I could tell even the Steel Titans were there. Damn it! Now what? I wasn't in full disguise, sure my hair was braided back by Jinx, and I had the mask to cover my face, but I knew it wouldn't be enough to hide who I was to Robin. Hell I didn't out on the concealment spell to hide my true skin color. I was fucked with no way out and with two gems in my hands!
"Come out from where ever you're hiding thief we have you surrounded." Robin demanded with a harsh growl, I sighed, closing my eyes.
"Raven? Raven are you still there?"
"Yes," I whispered almost inaudibly, and distantly. Thinking only one thing in my head, how the hell could I have been caught on the first night of the job?
"Back up kiddies, nothing to see here." I thought I was going crazy, was that Red X's distorted voice or was I just dreaming it would be.
"Red X! What are you hiding? What are you up to and who's your new partner," again Robin demanded and Red X snorted.
"Take it easy kid, I only show up for a few seconds and you're already interrogating me? Where's the good-cop?"
I growled, damn you X stopped messing around and get us out of here!
"Surrender now! You're clearly out numbered!"
"Well then let me even the odds." Risking it I took a peek over the table and saw him point his palms to the lighted where he blew them off just as Robin shouted the infamous two-word slogan. The instant the lights went out I jumped up from my hiding space and with X the two of us made our way to the exit, but the back of my shirt was yanked back hard and I knew it was Aqualad.
"Where do you think you're going?"
I growled and shook with hesitation, I didn't want to, but I had to. However X did the job for me, coming from the side and landing a hard blow to the side of his head knocking him away from me, "Run!"
"Stay!" I barely dodged a starbolt from behind and flipped onto a fallen steel table crouching with perfect balance on the edge I looked to the furious alien, "I do not wish to hurt you and I will not if you give yourself up."
"Ain't gonna' happen sweetheart," I scowled and jumped then flipped back when she fired the starbolts from her eyes then landed in a crouch from behind I felt Speedy coming down to stab me in the back with an explosive arrow, X punched him away. Allowing me to move out of the way but Cyborg and Bumble Bee both came at me with a flurry of punches and kickes. All I could do was dodge and block, never counter or lay a hand on them, I couldn't … they were still my friends.
Wow, how sick is this?
Especially when I had no choice as they moved to where both were on either side of me, I ducked down from a punch Cyborg served. Forcing Bumble Bee to move back to dodge then I swiped the floor from under Cyborg and snatched Bumble Bee's weapons on my way up then tossed them to an on coming Beast Boy. He had transformed into an on coming charging leopard, however I never meant for the stingers to activate they did and shocked him back to human form knocking him out cold.
Then a hand to my ankle as Cyborg snagged it and pulled me down, I controlled the fall and landed on my back with my free heel up about to bring it down defensively to the back of his head, but Bumble Bee had took hold of it, "Uh-uh hot-shit, you goin' down tonight bitch."
"Now is all that really necessary? After all I'm not that bad of a person," taking Cyborg's distraction I kicked up his chin then used Bumble Bee as leverage and flipped myself up to kick her in the chest. It hurt cause she was winded and stumbled to the ground.
Honestly I never wanted to do any of this, but it's do or die, "Sis!"
I looked up and saw X toss me a glued up Speedy's bow, I grabbed it and out of instinct from my training in Azarath I turned around and dropped to the ground aiming to hit my approaching opponent on the side. Robin angled his staff and blocked my move, I rolled away and threw the bow once I had snatched one of his bird-a-rang and just my luck it was the sword.
Retracting the blade I stood at my side with the tip pointing to the ground coming close to scrapping it as I circled Robin who followed step by step. Thankful that X took out the lights so he could hardly see what I really looked like as he growled, "Who are you? And what are you to X?"
Behind the mask I rolled my eyes, boy did this guy sometimes ask the most dumbest of questions. How did I ever find myself lead under his leadership? "Come, come now Robin I'm wearing a mask, why should I tell you who I am? And I'm obviously Red X's partner, not that you needed to know."
"Why are you doing this? What value besides money do these jewels have to you?"
I looked to X, who was behind Robin getting ready to gang up on him if anything should happen. I wasn't going to let it, we've been standing here for to long, I had to get out, "Look, you came unprepared tonight, and to be quite frank I'm embarrassed for you. Your friends are all either knocked out, disarmed, or useless, and I have no doubt you'll fight me till you're the same. So let's get it over with kay?"
"I have a thing against hitting girls." Robin glared, and I smirked.
"Oh don't worry I won't feel a thing." Before he could even come for me X sent a red tap at his feet tying him down as he tied his hands to his back. I undid the bo-staff and sword and tossed it to his squirming body, "Told you I wouldn't feel a thing."
With that X and I ran out the door, down the hall and disappeared well into the night leaving the Titans at the scene of the crime. I huffed and puffed, panted and ran until I was sure we were well away from danger, leaning against a building I had my hands on my knees as I tired to control my breathing. From not only the running, but from my pumping adrenalin, I never wanted a confrontation; I never wanted to fight them.
I never wanted to hurt anyone of them.
It all suddenly became a bad reality that I'm living in and it just got darker.
I … I …
… I hurt Bumble Bee … nearly hurt Cyborg, knocked out Beast Boy and nearly came close to facing Robin. If it weren't for X I was sure they would have recognized who I was with the added light … but with the dimmed setting my hair would look black. My skin would have paled out and everything else was all in the trick of the light … I don't know if I actually pulled this off, but if I did I was the luckiest thief in the world …
So why did I feel so lame?
Why did I feel so out of place, so lost all of a sudden?
Why … how come … I can't even begin to describe how I was feeling … I just … it was all so surreal. I fought the Titans, something I was and by law am still a part of. I fought them, with my bare hands I brought Cyborg, Beast Boy and Bumble Bee to their knees … I hurt them and I was all because of me …
I didn't want it to happen …
But it did.
I didn't want it to be true …
But it was.
I didn't want it to be me …
But I am.
I, me, Raven Roth had assisted in a villain's act, stole, confront the Titans and won with the assistance of Red X I was now sure I didn't belong or deserve the Titan title. I couldn't have it, it wouldn't be fair of me to know any more of their secrets, thoughts, feelings, weaknesses, it wouldn't be fair if I continued to lead them on. To sneak in and out like some kind of schoolgirl, it was wrong, and I knew I had to either stop now or give up.
They weren't my allies any more … just thinking that brought tears to my eyes … they weren't my friends anymore … just realizing that brought me down to my knees never hearing X call out my name in worry. To engrossed in my deep thought and self-realization. I knew I wasn't a Titan from the moment I followed X till now, I knew I couldn't be their allies any more if I was working against them … and I knew … I knew …
… I knew, and just now coming to believe that I wasn't … their friend any more … I broke what was left of it tonight at the beginning of a heist-gone-bad … I ended our bonds … and it hurt.
I broke down, the mask – Robin's mask I stole – I ripped it off and held my face in my hands letting myself break. Never again could I ever have their trust and it was ironic how they always went after mines when I easily obtained theirs and now … I realized what exactly I was forcing myself to give up …
And for that I hated myself.
I told Robin that I wouldn't feel a thing … well I was eating my own words … cause I was feeling everything I was suppose to be feeling the day I started it all. I felt Red X kneel beside me and pull me into a hug that was numb to me. I couldn't feel it as I looked up to the night sky to find the moon had been hidden behind the clouds as if it were ashamed to see me in my state. It hurt, and I grabbed on to X's black costume and held it for dear life crying my eyes out on his chest.
I could feel his breath on my neck and I knew he took off his mask, but it wasn't like I cared, just as long as he didn't leave me I found that I was needing him now more then ever. I was shaking and I my adrenalin had finally given out … before I knew it I slowly dosed, leaving X the burden of telling Jinx he was coming around to the tower to drop me off. After that I knew he would leave me, so I stayed awake long enough till we got there and until he put me on my bed did I finally feel his body warmth leave me.
I gripped his costume and he whispered my real name for once in hesitation, I shook my head and brought him down beside me holding him close I snuggled into his warmth and whispered the most childish thing I usually found to be pathetic. Yet, I needed it, I need him there with me, even as I wake up I prayed he'd be with me still, I just didn't want him to go.
"Don't leave me."
Then to my surprise he held me tight and stroked my hair, kissing the top of my head lolling me to sleep, "I never will."
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What I tell you, major mood swing. Looks like things just got way complicated, for sure Robin's gonna' be on their ass from now on. Little obssessed spiky haired Titans go yelling odd ball, Raven better watch her back ...
I'm out, for now be back later.