Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. (Why would anyone think I do?)
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Chapter Nine: Preparations
Robin coasted his motorbike to a stop and waited as Starfire extracted her head from the helmet and got off. He looked down at the bike's displays and tapped the radar. Sighing he swung his leg over the seat and walked over to join Starfire who was looking around with distaste and curiosity.
"So who is this guy we're meeting anyway?" Robin asked trying to get his mind off his friends. Kid Flash and Beast Boy could hold their own.
"I am not entirely sure. Jinx knows him from the underground. But no one has ever come into contact with him face to face. He has one of the largest computer networks in the world. He helped us with our first score. Disabled cameras and supplied us with information. After we left L.A. he created false identities for us. He never asked for payment."
"Do you even know what his name is?" Robin prodded, his natural detective instincts were surfacing, eager for more information.
Starfire opened her mouth to answer but a voice from the shadows beat her to it "The name's Red-X kid." a rather small young man walked into the dim light. His mask was designed like the image that had come up on the computer earlier. He wore a skin tight black jumpsuit with gloves that had red Xs on the palms. A belt with the same symbol in the middle hung off his lean hips.
Robin tensed as he eyed the other teenager. "I'm not a kid." he said tersely. 'But I sure do sound like one'
Starfire cleared her throat "Red-X, I'm going to assume you already know what's going on?" she said taking on a brisk business-like manner.
The teen shook his head "Normally I would. But Slade is… elusive to say the least. He's got the money to make people look the other way. And his equipment is top of the line."
"So you're saying you have no idea where he is?" Robin said getting impatient. He was already astride his bike ready to leave.
"I did not say that. I said he's elusive. I know where he is but getting into this place will challenge everything I can do." he turned to Starfire "I'll need a laptop with a clean hard drive. Slade can take info from computers to find out who's tracing him. Then we're going to catch a plane." the black clad teenager turned and moved towards the shadows he'd emerged from moments before. From the inky darkness he pulled out a motorcycle.
"Catch a plane? To where?" Robin asked.
Red-X turned to him "The French countryside." he straddled the bike and glanced at Starfire "You gonna ride with your boyfriend?"
The girl's cheeks burned bright red "He is not my boyfriend X. It is merely business." she replied sharply.
She climbed on behind Robin and gripped his waist gingerly. Red-X grunted and tore out of the alley. Robin gunned his engine and at Starfire's request passed him and led the way through several back roads to the apartment complex. Robin activated his cloaking device and followed the two into the building.
When they entered through the portal Starfire gripped his hand tightly. Red-X put his finger on her shoulder.
When they entered the room Starfire opened the door to the computer room and grabbed a small laptop off the counter. She handed it to Red-X "I believe this will suffice. It is new."
"Alright, give me a minute to get my stuff set up, make some fake ID's, and get us a ride. Then we're outta here." he plunked down in a chair and began to work.
Robin followed Starfire out into the gym. The girl gestured to the work out equipment "Feel free to use anything." she said absently as she sat down on the weight bench. There was 500 pounds on the bars. She began lifting it up and down like it was nothing. Her green eyes were narrowed and her breathing was harsh. She was mad.
Robin backed away and moved over to a large area with mats laid out. In the middle was a large sandbag. It was about twice his height and probably three times his weight. Perfect.
He pulled out a silver bo staff and began to attack the bag. The thumping sounds were rewarding as he lost himself in a world of blows and attacks. Each hit was a way to let off steam and pretending the bag was Slade helped. He felt sweat trickle down his face as he worked harder and harder.
Suddenly the chain busted. The bag flew a few feet away before falling to the floor with a thud. Robin was still in position to attack. He lowered his staff and collapsed it slowly. He pushed his hair out of his face and glanced over at the weight bench. Starfire had gotten up and was watching him.
"Sorry about the bag." he offered awkwardly nudging the item with his foot.
"Forget it. Jinx often does the same thing."
Robin watched in silence as the girl pulled a towel from a rack. She wiped off her face and neck then pulled a water bottle from the fridge. On a sudden impulse he walked over and pulled her up. She stared at him with those deep green eyes. "Don't worry. We're going to find them. I promise." he said gently.
Starfire looked away "You're forgetting yourself Robin. You are a hero and I am a thief. It is black and white. And you can not be grey." she said gravely refusing to meet his eyes.
Robin lifted her chin so she was staring at him "What if I wasn't Robin?"
"What do you mean?"
The masked teen pushed her hair back behind her ear "I'm not Robin and you're not Starfire." he leaned down until he could feel her breath on his face "Just for a little while. Pretend. Please…"
Their lips connected and a jolt went down the Boy Wonder's spine. He cupped her cheek in his gloved hand. Even through the material he could feel the warmth radiating from her. She was as desperate for this connection as he was. He ran a hand down her arm and side, stroking the bare skin. Starfire shivered and wound her arms around his waist bringing herself closer to him if that were possible.
Finally she pulled away. Her eyes were still closed as if she was trying to savor the moment. Then she pushed herself away from him "We should not be doing this."
Robin sighed and nodded. She was right. The kiss had only increased his want. It wasn't a bad want like lust or anything perverted. But holding her had felt so… right. 'Boy that was corny'
He took a step backwards and turned away to pull a towel off the rack. He wiped down in silence, not daring to turn around until he had himself under control.
The door to the computer room opened and Red-X came out with the laptop tucked under one arm. "Did I miss something?" he asked noticing the two's odd posture and Starfire's red cheeks.
"No Red-X," Starfire replied quietly rubbing her bare arm "You did not miss anything. You are ready to leave?"
"Yep, we're gonna have to pick up a few things like clothes, some colored contacts, and a bottle of hair dye. Our flight leaves in three hours."
"I believe Jinx has many clothes that are for boys that she has never worn. I will bring them down. That way we will not have to be seen for too long."
Red-X shrugged and Starfire exited the room. Robin leaned against a wall and pinched the bride of his nose. Everything had gotten so complicated in the past two hours.
A few minutes later the door opened and Starfire returned with two pairs of jeans, two shirts, and two hooded sweatshirts. "There are shower rooms over there." she said before leaving again.
Robinexited the showers wearingthe jeans and the shirt. It was bright red and had some kind of logo on the front. He slipped the sweatshirt on. It was red with a yellow lightning bolt inside a circle. Robin smiled a little. Why didn't it surprise him that Kid Flash's symbol was on a sweatshirt? The guy loved attention.
Red-X walked over dressed in dark blue jeans and a plain black hoodie. The belt had been loosened and hung off his hips more than ever. The red X symbol was covered up.
"Well Boy Wonder, ready to go kick some butt?" he asked with a grin. The boy's eyes were a deep hazel, his hair a mud brown. His brown skin revealed Spanish ancestry.
Robin felt strange. The he realized what it was. He was looking at the situation like Him. Like Batman. He wasn't Batman! He was Robin! He was a Teen Titan!
Looking up Robin returned the young man's grin "Always ready X. Always ready."
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Their 'ride' was a private jet. The owner of the plane owed X a few favors. Loaning the aircraft for a few days would cover the debt.
Robin whistled when he saw the machine. It rivaled Bruce Wayne's which he had ridden in on quite a few occasions.
He'd wanted to whistle earlier when Starfire had come out of her room. She was wearing a pair of black jeans and a silver halter top. Her eyes were lined with green eye shadow and eyeliner.
"Aren't we a little underdressed to be riding in this thing?" Robin commented blinking to adjust to the brown contacts that had been inserted a few moments ago. He was also a blonde now.
"Nah," Red-X replied poring three glasses of champagne from the jet's private bar "We're the sons and daughter of some very rich people. The jet is our father's friend's and we're going to France to meet our mother who has been ill for some time. She is there for a change in climate." the teen said walking over and passing the glasses around.
Robin raised an eyebrow "So we're all related?" he asked taking the glass from X's hand.
"Yep. Here's your ID's." he handed out two driver's licenses.
Robin looked his over carefully. The picture matched him perfectly. He realized Red-X must've taken a photo somewhere in the limo ride over here. His name was now Alex Cameron.
Starfire examined the picture, her odd green eyes were now a normal looking brown; her hair was blonde with black highlights. She was Christina Cameron. She looked up "I will have to insist on being called Chris. Christina is too… feminine for a warrior of Tameran."
"What's Tameran?" Robin asked.
Starfire looked out the window of the jet. She was silent for a long while. When she spoke it was barely above a whisper "It is a place of peace. Tameranians will be the first to show joy and the first to shed tears. Because of this we are often thought of as inferior. I was sold as a slave to a race that had declared war with Tameran. My father and mother saw it as the only way to stop bloodshed," Starfire leaned against the window now "I escaped the slavers and made my way to Earth. But I have not yet returned to Tameran. I believe here it is called home sickness."
Red-X sipped his drink, his eyes revealing his unease at Starfire's sadness. Robin reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
"Please strap yourselves in. We will be landing in ten minutes." the pilot said over the intercom.
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Raven willed her healing powers to hurry. Beast Boy was slipping further and further away. She kept talking to him. About anything that entered her mind. But he was slowly becoming delusional. He called her Mom on several occasions and sometimes he would talk about Africa and how his dad had told not to play with the monkey. Raven didn't have a clue what that meant.
"Hang on Beast Boy." A tear fell from her eyes. She frowned at herself for a moment. But before she could dwell on the reason for the tear she felt a surge go through her. Finally!
"Heal." Raven breathed letting the blue glow envelop the changeling. She buried the pain that flooded her senses. Slowly but surely Beast Boy's wounds began to fade. Raven heard several ribs pop back into place as she let the magic spread to every corner of the young man's body. Ten minutes later she released her hold on him. She almost fell over in exhaustion.
"Mmm," the green eyes flickered and opened all the way. Beast Boy blinked a few times "Raven?"
The half demon gave him a small smile but it turned into a grimace. She pulled up her hood to hide the pain "Are you feeling better?"
The shape-shifter sat up slowly and tested all his limbs one by one "Definitely… Raven are you alright?"
She waved him away "It's nothing," "Liar," said the voice inside her head "You're hurting because of this worthless mortal. You're loosing your touch Raven."
Beast Boy touched her arm and shoulder "No it's not. You're hurting. Why'd you heal me if you knew this was going to happen?"
Raven closed her eyes tightly. His touch sent emotions pulsing through her empathic senses. "Get off me," she hissed in an unnatural voice.
Beast Boy was hesitant to obey, "Raven what's the matter? Your voice sounds all funny. What's going on?"
His worry pounded through Raven's mind. Why was he so much sharper? So familiar. His taste was so familiar. Her mind was swirling "I said, GET OFF!"
An explosion of black power threw the shape shifter away from the girl with the force of a pile driver. He morphed into a humming bird to avoid a painful impact with the wall. He turned back into a human and approached Raven slowly, ready to morph into anything in case of another attack.
Raven was hunched over on the floor with her cloak splayed out around her. As Beast Boy circled he could see she was on her hands and knees. Her fists were trembling and her hooded head was bowed hiding her face from view. She suddenly shuddered violently and let out a huge gasp. Her head flew up causing the hood to fall. Her breath came in pants.
"Raven!" he knelt and reached out to touch her. Raven pushed the hand away and shook her head.
She pressed a hand to her chest and caught her breath. "When I tell you not to touch me, don't touch me." she gasped, her voice riddled with anger and hidden fear.
Beast Boy nodded slowly "What just happened? Why did your voice go all deep? How did you use your powers-?" he stopped when Raven glared at him.
"You talk too much." she said pulling her hood over her features, enveloping herself in her cloak she curled up in a corner of a room and turned away from him.
Beast Boy watched her for a few moments then morphed into a small dog. He walked over slowly and lay down at Raven's feet, being extremely careful not to touch her.
Raven cast him a glance then returned to staring at the wall. She tightened her hold on the folds of her cloak and tried to calm herself.
'So close' the voice in Raven's head murmured.
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Jinx was curled up in a corner of the room, her breathing was steady as she slept. In the opposite corner Kid Flash was staring at the ceiling. He was stretched out with his arms behind his head. Every now and then Jinx would mumble and turn over and the speedster would glance over at her then, satisfied she was just dreaming, would return to staring at the ceiling.
"Got to be a way out of here." he thought "There's a solution to every problem. You just have to look hard enough." The Flash had told him that. Kid Flash closed his eyes. What would Robin do? That was easy. Robin would use one of his gadgets to disable the bands and then he'd blow a hole in the wall and go charging into the fight.
But what would Kid Flash do? No, what could he do? He couldn't use his super speed without electrocuting himself. His companion was powerless as well… It looked like his only option was to wait until Slade decided what to do with him.
"I hate waiting." he said out loud.
"Most people do." Jinx commented causing the scarlet clad speedster to jump. She'd gotten up during his musings "What are you waiting for?"
"Depends. Do you mean right now or in life?"
"Right now, I suppose."
Kid Flash leaned sat up and propped himself up in the corner he was in "I guess I'm just waiting for Slade to figure out what he wants to do with me."
Jinx nodded, her eyes strayed around the room "Flash?"
"Ya?"
"When we first met in the museum… when you said you wanted to help me… did you really mean it or were you just saying it so you could catch me?"
"I really meant it Jinx." the young man replied without hesitation "If I had wanted to catch you I would have."
"But… why… I'm a bad guy. You can't even start to think about the stuff I've done."
"Everyone deserves a second chance Jinx. Even bag guys."
Jinx stared at him with her head cocked to one side. After a moment she shook it slightly "You've got to be one of the weirdest people I've ever met."
"But you already knew that." Kid Flash replied with a grin. To his surprise Jinx's eyes widened and she turned away again ending the conversation abruptly.
"I guess I did… Wally." Jinx whispered under her breath.
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Robin shouldered his backpack and followed Red-X and Starfire down the terminal. At the end a tall Hispanic man was waiting. He grinned at the threesome.
"Hey Jake how ya been?" he asked Red-X in an undertone as he took the computer bags and shouldered them carefully.
A scowl crossed Red-X's face "Right now? Not so good. Butt I'll feel a whole lot better when we have a nice little talk with Slade." he put one fist inside his other hand.
"I don't suppose it would make any difference if I said you're putting yourself in useless danger?"
Red-X's grin grew "No, not really." he glanced at Starfire and Robin who were trailing behind them "Guys this is Carlos. He's my… bodyguard/parent I guess. Carlos this is Alex and Chris."
The big man nodded to Robin and tipped his hat to Starfire "I'm going to guess that's not their real names?" he said unlocking a black and silver Hummer.
Red-X shrugged "Don't know either of them." he hopped into the large car and buckled himself in. He turned around to face the other two "Okay we've got two hours to come up with a plan to get inside the house, find your friends, and get out, without getting shot or impaled by a rock. Any thoughts?"
Starfire tapped her lip thoughtfully. Then she sighed "I'm afraid I'm not very good at this sort of thing. Raven always handled the planning and Jinx was on combat."
Red-X looked at Robin who was leaning back in the seat with his head pointed at the ceiling "How 'bout you kid? Any bright ideas?"
Robin rubbed his forehead not moving from his position "Give me a minute to think… Starfire is there any way you could link up Jinx or Raven?"
The alien girl shook her head "I'm sorry there is not. Our link has been severed. Either Raven did it herself or her powers have been shielded somehow."
"Hmm… okay people here's the plan…"
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Hey BBxTerra people! And even BBxRae! A really cool song to listen to is Unfaithful by Rihanna. It's way cool. For Birthmark fans Papercut by Linkin Park is pretty sweet.
See ya'll 'round later
Raven's Shadow Of Light
