Disclaimer: don't own any characters from the Teen Titans or the Titans themselves.

A/N: Yeah, the reason I update fast is mostly because I have a whole week off from school and I'm using it to my full advantage, especially since I have nothing better to do an I'm loving how this story's turning out. Just the way I want it, everything's unfolding perfectly and the imagination juices are flowin' in my head. I have big plans for Raven.

Plus you guys should pat yourselves on the back; your reviewing makes it feel as if this story has a reason to continue. So on behalf of the plot I thank you guys.

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"When you were down
I was there to pick you up.
I held you in my arms
until the sun came up …

I'm just a local boy in love
Tell me what to do.
How can I make you see,
that I'm in love with you.
In love with you."
- Mana Ohana "Local Boy In Love"

Timeout

I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring and telling me to wake up, not literally but you know what I mean. With a groan I reached from under the sheets of my bed and lazily plopped my hand on the button to shut if off then snaked my hand back under the sheet and sighed. Opening my eyes I stared at the darkness under my blanket and wished I could just stay here, it was safer. More security. Plus I didn't want to see the Titans just yet, not after what happened, I just had to hope and pray that neither would suspect me of anything.

All I had to do was avoid him, Cyborg, Bumble Bee, and Beast Boy the best I could. I bit down on my lower lip and scrunched myself in an even tighter ball as I remembered what happened last night. Still not believing that I had to force myself to give up this life, the life I grew up into, the friends I made from childhood. It was still all a bit painful to believe that I'd loose their trust the moment the time came for me to go.

But I didn't want to …

I didn't want to leave; I didn't want my friends to know who I really was …

But most of all I didn't want our friendship to end …

I took a deep shaky breath and just as equally blew out, trying not to chock as I felt my eyes burn up with even more tears. They weren't just my friends they were family … I wanted them still, I'd give my life if I could keep them. Yet it would be selfish of me to ask that. Mostly because I don't think I could give up my new life, I loved it and –

A small gasp escaped my throat as an arm snaked around my waist and I was gently pulled to X's body, to put it more simply he was still there since last night and it scared me. Did any one see him? Why did he stay? Sure I practically dragged him into the bed with me, but he could have gone the moment I slept, why did he listen to me? This is new, and deep down I was rejoicing with joy that he didn't leave; yet I was also frightened that we'd get caught or worse take it to far.

He kissed me on the back of head and whispered, "You okay?"

Turning so I could see him we were both under the covers still wearing the clothes from last night and I breathed a little easier. Though there was still the suspicion of did he keep his hands to himself, cause if I find out he didn't I'll kill him. Take advantage of a broken girl, he better not have sunk to that level. His gray eyes were shining with much concern and his light brown hair was mused and splashed around the bed messing it even more then it naturally was. Then his grip around my waist tightened as he pulled me even closer to his body.

I let him, it felt good to have him next to me, but I was still unsure about it, "What are you still doing here?"

"You wouldn't let me go," he answered softly and I turned my whole body to face him for my neck was going to crack if I didn't. My breathing hitched when I realized just how close we were to each other, he made the impossible possible by pulling till I was flushed against him and he could rest his chin on my head. I blushed a bit; this was so totally new to me, what was with him? I thought he'd just drop me after the screw up, and my weak state, but here he was holding me like he was my – uh – I'm not even going to go there. Our position was too promising …

"Well … you're free to go now … why don't you?" I don't know if I should strangle myself for that stupid question, I wanted him to stay, I really did, I didn't want him to ever leave my side. But I knew if he did stay it would increase the chances of us getting caught and we couldn't afford that.

Not when we're in the Tower were if Cyborg wanted to he could lock us down and I wouldn't knock him out like a security system. He was still human and I couldn't bear to hurt him or the Titans again. X hooked an ungloved finger under my chin and gently pushed up so I could look him in the eye, which I wish he didn't have me do, cause I saw that look again. However crossed with his concern, he looked like he was asking for something … something I don't think I could give him.

Though what he asked aloud I knew wasn't what he was begging of me in his gray eyes, "It's up to you … do you want me to go?"

No X, I don't want you to ever leave me, but I can't tell you that and expect you to follow through. So please stop asking me something you know is dangerous of you to try and pursue. That's what I wanted to say … but before be brought his lips closer to mines getting brave, I stopped him and kissed his chest then threw the covers off of us and got up. Though I knew I killed him with that single move, I was dieing to have him hold me again, but I kept to the thought of reality.

I jumped off my bed and to my closet in the corner of my eye I caught X mess his hair in frustration and stand up from the opposite side of the bed facing my window back to me, "You have to go X, I'm sorry I screwed up last night."

He sighed and silently turned to me walking around the bed to me I walked to my closet and slid it open to take out a fresh uniform for the morning as he leaned against the wall, "Well it's not going to happen again, you count on it … I'm pulling the plug."

I dropped my clothes slid the closet shut and glared at him, "What?"

He shrugged and pushed off the wall, "I'm pulling the plug Sis, clearly you can't handle this, you're not ready for it."

What the hell is he talking about? He can't just do this, "Bullshit X! I can do this, it was just a one night mistake I can make it up."

"That's just it Sis," X turned and faced me with a scolding look, I held it like a rebellious teenage, "you messed up, it only takes one mistake and it's over. You don't want to get caught then no more. You're finished Rae, lay low for now I'll finish the job while you get your powers back alright?"

I couldn't believe this, what authority did he have over me to do this? He can't just pull me off a job, not this, "No X, that's not alright! Please, it won't happen again, you can't just take me off. Not when we got started. I'm sorry I screwed up, don't do this to me."

Okay I know I sounded desperate, but for me to not complete this mission was a failure on my part. He couldn't just drop me not when I still had a chance to redeemed myself, besides he can't keep me way from the night. It's my natural high and I needed a good dose of it each night, if he pulled me from it now I don't know what I'd do, but I couldn't just stay home staring at the ceiling any more. I was hooked; he didn't know the depth I was in with my drug.

If he took it from me … I'd probable go into shock. He just couldn't, please don't X, give me another chance I'll make it up I swear just don't take me from my addiction. You started it after all.

I probably looked real pathetic cause he shook his head, mumbled a few choice words before he again scratched his hair in frustration and growled, "Fine, but another mistake of any kind and that's it, it's over for you."

Fireworks exploded, laser lights flickered, and a marching band played on!

I jumped X and hugged him to death, "Thank you, thank you, I love you so much you big target!"

Pulling away he gave me a crazy look as if I had grown a cow's head on my shoulder and even if I did I didn't care cause I was still on the job! Yes! I'll pull off another Starfire saying: Joyous be! I twirled around once and gave X a happy look, "Okay you can go now, thanks again X."

He shook his head and saluted me before reaching under the bed and taking out our loot, "Be careful."

I nodded and from behind I hugged him again, though more softly and meaningful as I kissed in between his shoulder blades then let him go, watching as he slowly turned to face me with a curious look on his face, "What's that for?"

I smiled, "For staying with me during the night … I really … I really needed it, thank you."

He shrugged and turned his smirk to a small sweet smile but still had a trace of his cockiness as he reached out and smoothed back my hair, "No problem Rae, see ya."

"Bye." With that he disappeared and I turned to pick up my clothes, okay Raven let's do this right. Show nothing, keep to yourself, and don't look suspicions … you can do this … you've done worse …

Oh god did Jinx know X stayed the night? AH! I'll never hear the end of it from her!

--

"Now why do I
put up with all this child's play
now if your words is all you have
then you ain't worth a damn thing."
-Mary J. Blige ft. Eve "Not Today"

"Play it back," I was so damn close to just tying a knot around Robin's damn throat, and I was sure that if he repeated it again I'd do it to, "Stop! Magnify."

"What are we looking at?" Bumble Bee titled her head as she tried to see what Robin most defiantly saw. If it was one thing the Boy Wonder was good at is seeing the unseen.

I looked up from the book I picked off Malchior's shelves for the spell that'll help Jinx and I out. Speaking of which she was looking at the security cameras with fascination, obviously taking in the most of the tape. Curious about what Robin found I saw him magnify a part of the camera where it was pointing at another broken one and I paled, Shit! I forgot to take that bird-a-rang on my way out with X!

"That," Robin growled and looked to the other Titans, "I never threw a single bird-a-rang during our confrontation and this one was to kill the cameras that pointed into the ruby's carrying case. I think X took more then the belt, he took come of our tech."

"Goddamn it!" Cyborg bellowed shooting up from the couch, "How the hell does he do it? How the hell does he sneak in and out of the tower without trippin' any of our alarms! I double coded the passwords, put up impenetrable firewalls, and I'm literally hard wired into the tower so I'd know if someone was hackin' the system! What the fuck is going on?"

"If I may have the floor," Starfire waved and everyone looked to her, even me curious to her 'suggestion'. Her bright green eyes sparkling with much wonder and innocents, "perhaps the girl that the Red X is with helped? She seemed quite knowledgeable when you spoke to her."

"Sis," Robin hissed my alias and the others raised a brow, Aqualad being the first to question what he meant, Robin repeated, "Sis … X called her Sis."

"What?" Beast Boy gaped, "Red X got a sister?"

I put the book down finding that I couldn't concentrate or sleep if I didn't know what else Robin had to say. He shook his head and shrugged, "I don't know … Sis could just be a name, or maybe she is."

"Does it matter?" Speedy grumbled as he fiddled with the bow I had almost come close to hitting Robin with. I must have done something to it cause he was scowling all the while examining it. Knowing Speedy he was just being silly, but he made a good point, "whomever Sis is she's not that cool with facing us, she barely laid a hand on any of us when she had every chance to. X was the one that came to her rescue when she never attacked. Like with Aqualad, she could have done him in, but X did it for her."

"So she's scared," Bumble Bee shrugged, "every new villain's not sure how to approach us, their number one reason for never succeeding in the first place."

Oh really? Well thanks Bee I'll take that to heart, though it's not the reason for my hesitation.

"No she wasn't scared," Aqualad thought a loud from leaning against the kitchen counter and staring at the ground, looking up to me. I waited for him to answer as he sighed and looked to the screen, "she was confused …"

"Confused?" Beast Boy glared, "dude I think X hit you to hard cause it looked like she knew what she was doin'."

Aqualad shook his head and shrugged, "You wouldn't know what I picked up from her. I'm a telepath, mostly limited to sea creatures I could sometimes pick up from other people and that's only if they're thinking hard enough do I catch their waves and she was struggling. Bad."

"So," Speedy snorted, "that still doesn't explain who Sis is."

"Perhaps friend Raven has some advice," Starfire gestured and I made a mental note to suffocate her latter on tonight before I leave, "please, we are most curious to hear your out look on the Sis."

I sighed, note to self: shoot Starfire in the head tonight for getting me invovled in the stupid conversation although Aqualad made an interesting point I shook my head and looked to the screen, "Well, by the way you all talk about her I'd have to say she's quite the mystery, but either way she's still a thief. Don't make her sound like a mastermind, she's not, she's just another criminal smart enough to crack a few safes, but dumb enough to do so. That enough out look for you?"

Starfire chuckled and nodded, "Yes, most encouraging!"

You bet Star, considering I just called myself dumb, wow I'm just too good at this lying thing. I looked to Robin who nodded in approval and inwardly I was flipping him the bird and daring him to solve that. He and the others were my friends, but now I knew why I hardly ever opened up to them. They were so … I don't know … not me, which was the reason I loved them all so much.

"Okay let's take a break guys and head to the training room," Robin shut the computer off and ushered the whining teams to the training room pausing to look at me, "you want to come or what?"

I shook my head, "I found something that might get my powers back, I'll be in the meditation room with Jinx."

He shrugged, "If you say so."

With that I gathered my things and walked with Jinx a few steps behind the group listening to her whisper, "So what are we doing? You gonna' call X?"

Totally ignoring the suggestive tone in that question I answered, "Why should I when the information was all for me," I looked at her with a passive expression, "too much knowledge could be dangerous."

"Okay so what are we doing?" she titled her head with a look of knowledging and mischief, I sighed.

"Exactly as I said, I found a spell that might just help us. It's from Malchior's shelves so it's mostly likely guarantied to give us some kind of progress," I showered her to blood red book I had been reading during the meeting and she nodded.

Then asked, "Who's Malchior?"

I rolled my eyes and scoffed, she could be so distracted! "No one worth explaining about. Now let's study it and try it out okay?"

She shrugged, "Whatever, I was hoping I could do some more work on your belt, but never mind."

"Later, for now we have to put effort into this."

((--))

"You positive this'll do anything?" Jinx, for the infinity time asked, I closed my eyes trying to control my anger all the while my brow twitched in agitation.

"Jinx, we are testing it out," I snapped, "and yes, it'll do something, but not much, maybe just at least bring bites of ourselves back, but that's it."

She raised a brow as she titled her head to the side from lying on her stomach and propping her head on her palm, she really did look like a curious cat from where she laid lazily sprawled on the floor. In the meditation room I sat away from her in my lotus form and concentrated on gathering spiritual power from within.

We've been meditating, concentrating, centering our power, and relaxing all for this one spell for straight through the morning and well into the afternoon, it was a strong one.

Strong enough for the both of us in our state to use and will most likely leave us with something if not hopefully everything.

You'd expect nothing but the best when diving into Malchior's archives. Though I was hesitant about using it for a number of reasons. The number one being that it was from Malchior's archives. I was practically playing with untested magic from the Draco Chronicles.

Dangerous, gotta' be careful.

Gesturing for the pink haired to get into the special powdered circle I used for special reasons. I followed the instructions and made a perfect circle with a geometric diamond shape on the inside. Then in the middle of the diamond was where Jinx and I stood a foot apart from one another with specific plates inside the circle at the four sides of the diamond.

I gulped and prayed this would work, "Okay, it instructs us to chant in unison not a tone out of place Drakun Xirus Florthex Almor, four times then as many times until we feel our energies course we repeat, Ganprox, but we have to concentrate on our power together. Not conflicting, you staying with me?"

Jinx gave me a dry look, "Let's get this over with, I'm no amateur at magic miss thang."

I ignored her tease and picked up a near by object then flung it with precise aim to the light switch. The room then drenched in darkness lit by nothing, we both took a deep breath and held on to each other's hands. Then at the same time we slowly let go the held in air and centered our minds on one another and our power. Breathing in rhythm together as one we opened our mouths and droned out the chant.

-

The Dakun Almor

-

"Drakun, Xirus, Florthex, Almor – " the plate to the south suddenly swirled and exploded into brilliant flames a scream of a screeching bird formed just over the licking flames before vanishing as the roar and form of a pouncing cat shot forth, before vanishing, " – Drakun, Xirus, Florthex, Almor – " the plate to the north swirled and whistled wildly, the form of a raven with it's stretched out wings covered over the cat that looked up distantly, " – Drakun, Xirus, Florthex, Almor – " plate to the west swished and the sound of flowing water and pouring rain was over heard when the form of the bird wrapped its wings around the cat to protect it from the water before just falling into a ball of liquid, " – Dakun, Xirus, Florthex, Almor!"

The final plate to the east shook violently and dirty was poured forming into a crouching tiger and the raven swooping from behind then falling to the plate. The four elements suddenly exploded and began to swirl clockwise combining and fighting with one another as they engulfed Raven and Jinx. Fire was put out by water, water was iced by the wind, earth shattered the ice and fire burned the earth. The cycle swirled and on and on closer examination there were different patterns that took place.

But when the two were fully enclosed in the case of elements it began to rise up from the ground in a solid earth ball, then shattered. Splattering mud everywhere when water enclosed and crashed around them swirling and drowning, it was overtaken by the wind when a harsh swirl of what looked like a potential indoor hurricane came. Engulfing the girls and suddenly ripping them apart like the angry storms of the heavens before the light of fire encased both spirits.

The ball grew brighter, and brighter, until they shaped their soul-selves.

Raven's raven screamed and turned to glare at the Jinx's roaring cat, they faced off and then in a flash they collided and attacked one another slamming to the ground and spewing flames all around. The girl's forms were nowhere to be seen, the flames gathered once more and instead of two different animals, they created one of the most powerful creatures known to the mythical world.

The dragon raised its massive head eyes glaring with a raging fire as it raised up on its hind legs and stomped down creating a massive earthquake, its wings swiped about creating thunderous formidable twisters. While its tails swayed rhythmical like the ocean then slammed hard on the ground creating a powerful tidal wave. It gave one last roar then in a brilliant splash/explosion/quake/swirl the dragon was gone leaving no trace of its existence.

Raven and Jinx floated to the ground and laid with their eyes closed outside the circle glowing either pitch black or hot pink.

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