Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or any of the characters in the comic or the cartoon series. You know the drill

A/N: chapter five everybody …

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Vulnerable

School the next day wasn't so eventful, during the beginning and lunch Jinx had went around looking for X, but found that he wasn't on campus. Meaning that he had possibly skipped the day. Not surprised at all, but annoyed that she was left by herself. Jinx sighed and sat in her last period class, World History. The most boring class in her whole schedule, in fact the part that made it boring was her teacher's droning. Giving her time to stare out the window and observe the rest of campus.

It wasn't until the bell rang did Jinx finally feel like something was about to happen, walking towards the school bus, Jinx stopped when she spotted Raven sitting on the school's marbled name reading her current larger-than-life book. Looking around she glanced at her clock and took note that the bus didn't come till late 3:30 she shrugged and decided to chat it up with Raven. Besides, she had a few questions for her.

"Raven," Jinx greeted, hearing her name, Raven glanced up from her book and was relieved to see that it was only Jinx. Though a tad ticked that she was being interrupted again from her novel.

"Jinx," Raven nodded and gently closed her book, setting it aside she watched the pink haired punk climb the marble and sit next to her.

Jinx smiled, "So, what'cha reading this time?"

Raven shrugged, "Nothing special, what is it you want?"

"Oh nothing, just to chill, I haven't talked to you in awhile and since Angel isn't here I have to wait for the bus that doesn't come till 3:30. What's your excuse?"

"Rorek is picking me up," Raven shrugged, "but since he's suspended he's taken the extra work hours at his job, so I don't leave campus till … well … same time."

Jinx grinned, her catty-pink eyes gleaming with mischief, "Rorek huh? Well … has he made any moves yet?"

Raven blinked, completely lost at the sudden turn of conversation, "What?"

"Oh come on," Jinx nudged her, "You know what I mean, you always hang with him and you two are hardly if ever apart. When are you guys gonna' fuss up and get with the hooking-up? Everyone's dieing for you to be with him."

The dawn of the subject befell on Raven, and her mouth dropped wide open, eyes widen into large saucers she rapidly shook her head, "Oh no, Rorek? Never! He's like a brother to me, plus Malchior can hardly stand him, and he's hung up on some other girl. I forget her name, but she's out of state from here."

A dry look came upon Jinx's face and she scoffed, "Yeah right. Speaking of your brother … um … I don't want to get too personal here, but … how are you guys?"

The question was straight up, Jinx was the closest thing Raven ever came to female confidant. Even though she does tend to leak out information on her life, Raven was an expert at crowd controls so rumors didn't really bother her. Sighing and looking out on to the road Raven shrugged, "We're okay … but Scathe came back … and he's demanding that Malchior follow him into the family business. The last time he asked Malchior declined … but now. He's actually contemplating it and he wants me to come with them back to Azarath."

"Azarath?" Jinx questioned in confusion, but when delving into her mind to find the familiar word again she nodded in understanding, "Oh right, Azarath … you guy's home island right?"

"Yeah."

"So what? You guys going?"

"Maybe … maybe not … it depends." Raven shrugged again and picked up her book; fiddling with it for a while in her hand she stayed silent. Jinx didn't want to push with too much questions so she stayed silent with her. Waiting for the goth to continue on her own, and to finish recollecting her thoughts, "Scathe made a deal with him … if he doesn't pay off the loft we live in after this month than … we're packing and going."

"Wow," Jinx pouted, "that's sad … and I was beginning to like you."

Raven said nothing in response, as if the weight of the situation was bearing down on her. The two girls sat in a comfortable, yet thoughtful silence. Allowing one another to think through whatever that needed to be thought of. Jinx glanced at Raven and noticed how she pulled her knees up to her chest and held it in a tight hug. Basically curling into a tight ball and staring blankly at the ground, her long violet hair pulled back into a messy clip.

The teeth of the clip barely grabbing all of the strands of hair as it flew about her face when the wind blew harder than normal. Wisps clouding over her head making it look like it was some form of dark omen that hovered over her. Sadness; was the emotion that comes to mind when witnessing the scene. Jinx almost expected her to be wearing tattered, torn, bloodied, and all in all dirty Victorian styled kind of dress. Those formal dresses that reach passed her feet.

Yeah … that's what it looked like to Jinx.

Raven had always been different from everything.

Everyone always placed her as being a goth … just by the way she sometimes dresses and actions all brooding or depressed. When really … she was just being herself, never trying to be something she wasn't she got along with almost everybody. Yet when annoyed, or in a fowl mood she lets it bee known and everyone somehow understands. Her silences spoke volumes.

All that was needed was the look in her eyes and it was understood what she wanted or what she was trying to say without saying anything.

Confusing?

To some …

To others …

Creepy

That was one of the reasons why Jinx liked to hang with her, she was for real, granted a few of the things she thought was arguable and their morals were somewhat twisted. But out of everyone Jinx had ever known, Raven was one of the only other females she had as a female confidant.

Movement, on Raven's part, caught Jinx the action. Watching her reach into her binder and pull out a piece of paper she gave it over to Jinx, "Here, Angel did come to school today … he dropped this before he left."

"What is it?" Jinx asked silently reading it's surprising content.

"It was an assignment, we were given words that we had to write a rhyming poem … this was his and I have to say his poetry is impressively dark." Raven complimented, but Jinx shook her head.

"Wait, you're in the same class as him? But you're a what? Junior and he's a senior, how do you two have the same classes? As far as I know X never took an honors class. Plus, this is … SO TOTALLY, out of character for him to write. X's a writer?"

"Poet actually," Raven corrected then sat up giving Jinx a strange look, "you never knew he took a writing class?"

Jinx blinked, "Angel's in a writing class?"

"Creative writing," Raven corrected again, "Yes, this will be his last year, I've just taken electives. You didn't know?"

Jinx snorted, "No! Writing class? X? What the hell? This world is just too damn small. And you said that he did come to class this morning? – " Raven nodded, " – well why the hell didn't I see him all day?"

"I don't know," Raven answered, even though she didn't have to, "he's not my responsibility, remember that."

Jinx looked back down at his paper she had to admit it was rather catchy, but still this didn't seem the type of poem X would write, even if he was taking a "creative writing" class. Shaking her head she put the paper into her own binder and huffed, "Angel you are something else."

"I know I am," from behind the marble slab X jumped over and sat next to Jinx with a small little smile. Raven straightened up and grabbed her books, getting ready to read it once X took Jinx away to leave her alone.

Jinx glared and slapped him on the shoulder, "What the hell is your problem? I never saw you all day and my mom was getting worried about you, hell even Gizmo started to trip. What the hell?"

X shrugged, "Like I said I needed to be alone." Another slap to the shoulder, "Now what's you problem?"

"That was for lying to me! Why didn't just say you were taking a creative writing class, hell why didn't you tell me you had writing skills? I always thought you were as dumb as a door knob."

Raven snorted trying to cover the chuckle she knew was surfacing around her lips; this didn't go unnoticed by X. In fact he was actually feeling guilty that he spotted her first before his own cousin and pouted when he realized Raven wasn't alone. Smirking at her effort to hide X snickered and playfully glared at Raven, "You ratted me out. Traitor."

Immediately Raven stopped and looked up, her face going from relaxed to passive in a matter of seconds. He was smirking at her, and actually making it seem as if they've been friends for a lifetime. At this, Raven knew she reached her level of formality with him, and resumed to be the cold Raven he knew in class, "Right, you're fault for leaving a messy trail."

"But you could have just come to me and given the paper face to face than to have a message delivered. That's leaving a messy trail." X challenged with a sly fox smirk.

Jinx noticed his change in attitude and paid close attention to Raven's actions. Noticing how she glared and sent off a strong body language of "leave me alone", she scoffed and turned away never bothering to reply as X snickered and looked back to Jinx, "So I'm a writer, one skeleton freed from the closet right?"

"Whatever, but I just wonder what else it is that you're hiding," Jinx glared and jumped off the marble, "okay then, since you are here, then let's go. Mom is expecting me back, see ya Rae."

Raven nodded, "Good-bye."

X got up and turned to Raven, "You need a lift? I can take you anywhere I'm not busy or anything."

Jinx rolled her eyes and grabbed X's arm dragging him away, "Oh just leave her alone, her boyfriend is picking her up."

Raven sent a warning glare to Jinx growling her name dangerously low, "Jinx."

X on the other hand was stumped and unknowingly held his breath, "You have a boyfriend?"

"Not that you need to know, but no I don't," Raven sneered and snatched her book, opening it to show she was through talking. X gestured for Jinx to go on ahead and wait for him as he walked back to Raven and sat dreadfully close to her. His presents didn't go unnoticed to the reading bird, " Jinx is waiting, go away."

"Not until you agree to come with me," he persisted and Raven looked up with a huff.

"Go with you?" she growled, "I thought Jinx made it clear that I'm going with someone else. So why don't you GO away and stay there."

X shrugged, smirking down at her with that cute face of his, "I guess because a gentlemen never leaves a lady behind."

Raven opened her mouth feeling crossed, "If you're a gentlemen … Angel, than I hate to see what a cretin looks like. Why are you even bothering me anyway? Shoo. Because of you I had to clean up the dirt you left when you stuck your nose where it shouldn't belong. Now go away."

With that she gathered her belongings and jumped off the marble, going to find herself somewhere else to sit, X was relentless and followed, "Look I'm just trying to be a nice guy here, can't you at least show me some gratitude?"

"I never asked for your kindness, and to be frank I don't need it," she stopped and turned to him, stepping closer to make sure he could hear her she hissed, "I don't need any one to look out for me, and that includes you Angel. I don't know you; I don't need to know you, so drop the act. Playing the "good-guy" is not your style."

"So what? You think just cause you're some hot shot hit-girl that it gives you the right to talk trash about others?" X glared, "Well, fuck you."

"Fuck me?" Raven sneered and stepped closer, height being no option, as she looked him directly in the eye, "Never … you can't even touch me. Jinx is waiting, don't hold her up … pathetic."

A flick of her hair and she was gone, never turning back and never caring about the circumstance she glared at the ground and stormed away. Little did she know X was doing the same thing, both were seething and both were tense to no end. Each for their own reasons, but one thing was for sure … neither was in a good mood … and it was going to get worse. At least for Raven, stalking back into the school to get as far as she could away from Angel she stopped when down the hall she saw two security guards block her path.

Sunglasses on, arms crossed over their chest or in their pockets, Raven blinked and calmly turned around to head back out, but through the doors entered two high school students she knew to be on the baseball team. How she knew? Because both were wearing jock cloths and held stainless steel bats in their hands, Raven gulped inwardly and glanced back at the security guards, Shit … I never thought they'd take it personally.

"So, bitch," the first student took a step up and Raven took one back, "you think you can just come in and start killing off our boys huh? Well we're Slade's special services and guess what? He's sent us to straight fuck up that pretty face of yours. Any last words?"

Raven gritted her teeth, No cell phone … no gun … this is one shitty way to end the school day. Clutching her books tightly against her chest she turned her body so on either side of her was her ambushers. The only way to get away was the only thing she could think of, "Dodge this."

Faster than the students could dodge her books smacked them in the heads distracting them long enough for her to run for the exit. The security guards dashed after her as she shoved the students against the wall and jumped down the stairs. Stumbling a bit she got to her feet and ran to the road, not really sure where to go and worried that reinforcements might be called. Raven huffed and hopped the fence.

Just as she ran through the road a black car came to a screeching stop when she jumped in front of him, rolling over his hood X blinked and got out noticing that she was still running. Following where she came from he spotted four big guys going after her. Jinx on the other side took note of the situation and ran off to the skate park across from the school to where Raven dodged into.

"Raven! Raven! Come back!"

Jinx! What the – fuck! X ran around the door and sent a punch to the first guy knocking him to the ground and took notice of the uniform he was wearing. A security guard. Spinning around to kick the second guard in his gut the kids that were with them jumped his car and didn't bother with him. Making it clear to him that Raven was their main target. And these guards were the answer.

In the park, Jinx followed Raven frantically running through almost all the obstacle courses to get way from her pursuers, "Raven! Stop! It's me! Jinx!"

As if the name knocked her from instinct, Raven stopped above the roller bowl and turned around to notice Jinx huffing and breathing hard not a few feet from her. But behind her where the two guys, subconsciously wondering what happened to the other two, Raven saw her chance and ran for Jinx.

Jinx saw her coming, but gasped when she wrapped her arm around her neck and she swung around to her back. Apparently using her as leverage to keep her in the air for her figure-four fly kick. Nailing the guy square in the chest successfully winding him, the other stopped and tried to be smart. Going around to where Jinx was in between him and Raven.

Raven glared and swung Jinx around behind her and charged the male. Seeing her come, he watched her movements and blocked her high kick, then jumped her swipe, and countered her punch. Grabbing her wrist and yanking her towards him to nail a fist to her forehead, Raven dodged it and used their closeness to her advantage. Wrapping her free hand around the back of his neck she crashed her forehead to his and ignored the major pounding in her head as she dropped the dazed student.

Stumbling backwards, Jinx grabbed her shoulders and held her steady, "Raven you alright? What the hell is going on?"

"Long story," Raven shook her head and closed her eyes tightly shut then sighed and looked up to Jinx, "what are you doing here? I thought you were with Angel?"

Jinx snorted, "Yeah I was, after we saw you jump his car and run off I went after you. What's up with the chase any way?"

Raven shrugged, "One of Malchior's problems that he just so happened to dump on me."

"Malchior?" Jinx repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah," Raven nodded, "Malchior owed some guy money and … the rest is down from there."

"Right …" Jinx was skeptic about the whole thing, but shook her head, "… come on, X'll drop you to where you want to go. Let's go."

"No I'm fin –"

"Bullshit! Let's go!" with that the argument was over, when Jinx wanted something she always got it and since she wanted Raven to come with her and X then she was going. Whether she liked it or not, back to the road she lead her and once there they found X just coming back from the school dusting his hands. Jinx glared, "Where the hell have you been?"

Startled, X looked up and noticed Raven was with Jinx, thinking fast he blinked and answered coolly, "Just checking to see if any one else was there. You okay?"

The question was directed to Raven, but it wasn't like she wanted it to, already annoyed that Jinx was ordering her around she nodded, but didn't say a word. X sighed, "Well then, get in the car."

Raven noticed it was the same Porsche from the night before and raised a brow, "But there's only two seats?"

"You and Jinx can share a seat, our house is not far from here," X waved his hand in dismissal, "so stop complaining and get in."

Again she was being told what to do, going against everything she stood for. Raven growled and rolled her eyes as she gestured for Jinx to get in the car first so she wouldn't have to bee so close to X, and squeezed in closing the door carefully feeling all sorts of uncomfortable. Especially when Jinx started her questioning, "Alright Raven, tell the truth, why were those guys after you?"

"Yeah, why" X egged, and Raven glared, knowing he knew more than Jinx at the moment. His mocking sneer boiled her blood and she wanted nothing more than to smack it off his face.

But instead growled, "Malchior screwed up a deal with those guys, a poker game and they saw me."

"So you ran?" Jinx accused, "You could have took care of them easy!"

"Not in the school, otherwise I would have been busted," Raven countered quickly, "My brother's already suspended, I can't afford to loose school as well."

"That it?" X cast an accusing side glance her way and again Raven fought the urge to lash out at him. Knowing full well he was pushing her buttons at the wrong time, her temper was up, her adrenaline was still running, and she didn't need this.

"Yes," she gritted her teeth, "that's it."

"And I'm sure it is," Jinx gave X a strange look, then glanced at Raven caught in between the two, Jinx sweat dropped inwardly and tried to make herself scarce. Trying not to get caught in the cross fire of the unknown feud that was going on between the two, Jinx had to ask X later what the beef was between them. But for now, the tension in the air was suffocating.