To prevent a team of Demonically Possessed Lawyers (is there really any other kind?) from devouring my soul, I offer this disclaimer in my stead: I do not own Teen Titans.

'That is not dead which can eternal lie,

And with strange aeons even death may die.'

-H.P. Lovecraft

The Teen Titans are heroes. That statement is unanimously and unquestionably fact to any citizen of Jump City you would ask. However, more than a few politicians at City Hall find it mildly embarrassing the security and general welfare of their entire city is entrusted to a band of costumed teenagers (it tends to bring up questions of competency). In fact, the Teen Titans have no official legal standing in any government district running Jump City.

If you were to ask the Mayor, for instance, where the Teen Titans stand in the eyes of law, his rehearsed reply would be: 'a highly valuable public service group'- much like the Boyscouts…only with a shapeshifter, an alien, a well-trained super-athlete, a human cyborg, and a sorceress from another dimension on their membership.

So unless a giant moth or a humanoid, animated pile of cinderblock was parading about and causing destruction…those politicians at City Hall conveniently forgot all about the Teen Titans.

Fortunately, the Police Officers that often saw the many super-human criminals tear through Jump City's streets did not forget the Titans so easily. After all, you don't see the Boyscouts fighting Johnny Rancid or Mumbo, do you?

It was this unspoken respect that the uniformed cops picketing the gates of Eldred Arkham's stepped aside and allowed the T-Car to roll inside. While burglary was a more conventional crime, Red-X was anything but an ordinary thief- the Titans were requested immediately. And if some desk-jockey at City Hall were to ask about it later, the Police Commissioner planned to write off the Titans involvement at the scene 'Special Third-party advisors'.

Parking the hulking SUV in a space between two police cruisers, Robin, Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy climbed out. The team had agreed earlier that it was best that least one of them stayed behind and keep an eye on Titan's Tower's monitoring systems just in case Red-X were to resurface. Of course, no one felt like lying around the Tower watching computer screens all day- but Robin's detective skills and Raven's expertise were needed- so the remaining three Titans had to draw straws.

Much to his distress, Cyborg drew short.

Even twenty minutes after the fact, the others still couldn't figure out how Robin how gotten the keys to Cyborg's "baby".

Only moments after they had arrived, the captain that often handled cases involving super-criminals strode up to them, alien and intimidating in his dull white Special-forces armor. He marched straight to Robin and shook the Boy Wonder's hand. "Good to see you Titans, thanks for coming."

Robin nodded brusquely. "It's no problem Captain. I'm only sorry I botched that chase with X earlier."

The officer waved his apology off. "Think nothing of it; you got a helluva lot closer than any of our squad cars did. I've got an All-Points Bulletin to every traffic cop, street patrol, and crossing guard in the entire city. If X decides to pop his face outta that hole he's hiding in, we'll find him."

"Is there anything we can help with on the investigation?"

The captain spread out his arms, indicating the mansion courtyard bustling with policemen. "I have three Special-Unit squads patrolling the area, uniforms handling perimeter outside, and enough guys from Forensics to clean the Sistine Chapel with toothbrushes. I doubt we'll miss anything."

"Would you mind if we asked Mr. Arkham a few questions about the robbery?" Robin asked.

"Old-Man Arkham's got some health issues, apparently. Any questions you have will have to go to his liaison." He motioned behind him. "A few detectives already questioned him, but feel free to ask, he's been pretty cooperative so far."

The Boy Wonder turned to his team. "Alright Titans, here's the plan: Beast Boy and Starfire? You guys look around the premises and see if there's anything the investigators overlooked. Raven and I are going to ask Mr. Arkham's aide some questions."

Snapping to attention, Beast Boy gave Robin a mock salute. "Sir, yes sir!"

"Knock it off Beast Boy."

The changeling sunk. "Alright, alright…"

Breaking off to their assignments, Robin and Raven quickly found the liaison the captain had mentioned among the crowd of busy cops. He was a tall and elegant, a scarlet surcoat that seemed more appropriately placed in the Victorian era was fit snugly on his wide shoulders. Black dress-slacks and a charcoal, buttoned vest was a dark background for the final splash of bloody color for an immaculate bow tie at his neck.

While dressed flamboyantly, the man's outfit scarcely did him justice. His entire frame was built and solid, as if he had been carved from steel. Skin rough and olive, his eyes were slanted and intelligent; all this with an age that couldn't be placed. He carried the air and stance of someone with many years still ahead of them…but all this was belayed by a head of short trimmed, silver hair.

The man smiled pleasantly when he caught the two Titan's approach, sweeping into a formal bow as they walked up to him. "The Titans themselves, it is simply an honor."

Raven kept her distance, her face its usual unreadable mask. There was something…off…about this guy. His smooth, sibilant voice, that crisp and elegant air…the dark girl had to suppress a scowl. Robin, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem with the man, and greeted him politely. "Well thanks, it's a pleasure to meet you too Mr…"

"Saitz," the man offered. "I am the retainer to Mr. Arkham's estate. The Master's health is precarious at the moment. He is-after all-quite distressed with such a disturbance in his usually peaceful solitude. I am also the Head of Security for the mansion, so you can imagine the shame in such an utter failure as mine. You have myassurances for my complete and utter cooperation in this investigation."

"I wouldn't take this too personally," Robin said. "Red-X is a master thief- he's robbed places that were a lot better guarded than this."

The constant niceties and were quickly grating Raven, so she decided to get right to the point-it was the only reason she was even there. "What can you tell us about the grimoire that was stolen?"

Saitz was un-offended by the dark girl's frankness- he even laughed amiably. "Quick to business, I like that! Strange that you called it a grimore; most people would just call it a book."

"I own a good thesaurus," she replied dryly.

The older man laughed again. "And I thought the green boy was supposed to be the funny one."

"Yeah, he likes to think that," Raven said. "Now about Vericks Wyrtum…"

"Ah yes," Saitz said. "It is, by far, Master Arkham's most prized artifacts. We've done extensive work to preserve the text; it dates back over eight centuries, after all. The author is sadly unknown, so we have no way of properly interpreting the work."

"What about the title?" Raven put in. "It doesn't sound like any real language or dialect."

Saitz smiled, displaying rows of flawless white teeth. "You caught that, did you? Yes, it appears to be no real tongue, but Mr. Arkham's called several expert linguists over from time to time. At their best guesses, it's a strange play of Latin words, almost to the point where they can barely be recognized."

"Latin?" Raven muttered. "So the title must mean…"

"The Truth of Fate," Saitz finished. "Of what little of the book's history is known, it is said the author, whoever he was, was channeling spirits-some even go as far as to say demons. It goes on to say that Vericks Wyrtum is a compilation of all the knowledge these 'spirits' granted him about Fate and the Threads of Destiny that bind us all together. Naturally, the Catholic Church declared it heresy the moment it found their ears and burned every existing copy of the manuscript in the Thirteenth Century."

"Every copy except this one," Robin guessed.

"Correct. There even may be a reason to believe that the copy once in Master Arkham's possession was the original, as well."

Hood shading her face, Raven silently mulled on the information she was just given, leaving Robin to carry on. "How valuable would you say this book is?"

Saitz seemed almost insulted at the question. "A one-of-a-kind artifact such as this? I would say it's virtually priceless."

Unconvinced, Robin crossed his arms. "Everything has a price," he pointed out.

"True, but even an astronomical sum of money wouldn't do the text proper justice."

"Robin," Raven spoke up quietly. "It's time to go."

"Huh? But Raven, I don't think-"

"That's quite alright," Mr. Saitz bowed. "You obviously other matters to attend to. I hope I was of some help to your investigation."

To Robin, everything he had learned seemed to come at the price of a new question, but the amateur detective was at least thankful to have made progress, at least. "Yes, Mr. Saitz, you were a great help. Thanks a lot for taking to time to answer our questions, right Raven?"

But the sorceress had already turned her back and was stalking off.

Saitz chuckled lightly at the baffled expression on Robin's face when he turned and found Raven no longer standing where she had been. Excusing himself with another bow, the man about-faced and walked back towards the mansion.

"Well Raven, what do you think?" Robin asked whenhe finally caught up with her.

"Besides the fact 'Mr. Saitz' belonged in a Bram Stoker novel?"

"Uh…yeah. Besides that."

Sighing, the girl pulled back her hood. "It's hard to say. I have my doubts it's a genuine grimoire. Those 'demons' the author was channeling might just have been the after affect of some odd hallucinogen or another. Even if it was real, I doubt X would've known that when he stole it."

"But why would X bother stea-"

The two paused when a green bloodhound trotted between them, nose to ground and sniffing furiously. When the dog began snuffling too close to the hem of Raven's cloak, she nudged it back with her foot. "Watch where you're sticking that nose, Scooby."

"Find anything, Beast Boy?" Robin asked the hound.

Shifting back to his normal shape, Beast Boy snorted. "Well, I found out Raven had nothing but herbal tea this morning."

"Me? Herbal Tea? How did you know?"

Turning to Robin, Beast Boy glowered. "And you….bacon and eggs for breakfast! How can you live with yourself?"

Robin raised his hands. "Hey, don't try and force your soy/tofu lifestyle on me."

"Besides," Raven added coolly. "Whenever he eats meat, he likes to imagine he's eating you."

The green shapeshifter pouted "Now that's just mean…"

"Why would X bother stealing a book?" she found herself wondering aloud. "Saitz said it was one of a kind- not exactly something easy to sell off. Plus, an eight hundred year old book isn't exactly durable. Red-X was prepared for this."

"The black case," Robin recalled. "Red-X came here specifically looking to grab that book. But even if it all that garbage about its magic is for real, X is no magician."

"I have an idea," Beast Boy offered.

"Could it be," Robin went on, ears deaf to the changeling. "That X wasn't stealing for himself, but was paid to steal it?"

"Makes sense, but who would-"

"I have an ideeeeaaa!" Beast Boy yelled with waving arms.

"We heard you the first time," Raven said. "We were just hoping you wouldn't say it if we ignored you."

Tenacious as always, the green alien started rambling. "What if…a demonic cult kidnapped X and possessed him with a buncha evil spirits!" his face was dark and comically ominous now. "Forced to do their evil bidding, X stole that spell-book thingie for them so they could do a dark ritual at their secret temple in the sewers and awaken their Demon Lord that had been sleeping beneath the ocean for millennia!"

The pause afterwards was long and drawn out. It wasn't exactly the speech itself that shocked them into silence-more due to Beast Boy's use of a big word like 'millennia'.

Raven finally spoke up. "Remind me again why we brought him along, exactly?"

Robin could only slap himself on the head.

Raven braced herself for Beast Boy's inevitable protests…when the air itself seemed to thicken. Alarmed, Raven looked around. Everyone- the crowd of police officers, Beast Boy and Robin- all seemed to move sluggishly, as if they were all moving underwater. Her witch-senses buzzed a warning that prickled the gem on her forehead.

Then she saw him.

A man moved normally among the mass of lethargic cops, invisible to them as his white cane clacked soundlessly along the stone courtyard. His soft blue trenchcoat swayed to a nonexistent wind. He was blind, the cane guiding him with his useless eyes wrapped in bloody bandages. The scarlet circles on the blindfold his eyes should have been turned to glance at her.

A group of officers slowly passed by, blocking Raven's view of him for a few moments.

Then he was gone.

And with its normal flow, time went on.

Robin's reply reached her ears. "No, Beast Boy. We are not calling an exorcist."

"Aw come on! Give it a chance! Besides, when he's not helping us fight the demonic cult, he can exorcise that stick up Raven's-"

"If you prefer a painless existence, I'd stop talking right now," she warned, eyes glowing white.

Beast Boy grinned impishly at her. "You wouldn't hurt an innocent little kitty, would'ya Rae?"

Shrinking, the changeling morphed in an adorable green kitten that stared up at her with wide, glittering eyes.

Her fist enveloped itself in shadow. "Don't temp me."

"KITTEN!"

Out of nowhere, Starfire swept down from the sky and scooped the green kitty into a bone-crunching hug. "Oh Friend Beast Boy, I so do love it when you transform into such cute things! I cannot imagine why you do not do it more often!"

Raven pulled her hood back up to hide her smirk. "On second thought, I think this is a lot worse than anything I can come up with."

Scratching the back of his head, Robin carefully spoke up. "Uh…Star? I don't think Beast Boy's supposed to be turning purple…"

I'm sorry if this fic's bein' updated at a snail's pace. Work has been wearin' me down, and I'm juggling this story alongside a Neon Genesis Evangelion fiction. Fortunately, it only has two chapters left on it, so soon I will be undistracted. Which is a good thing, 'cause someone (I'm not saying who) has threatened to dispatch killer ninja penguins and giraffes after me if I didn't update this soon. Now I can handle ninja penguins, but giraffes? I'm terrified of giraffes...

Anyways, I'm starting to get some momentum on this story, and I know for a fact you guys'll like what I have in store for Chapter 4. Slade makes his move.

As always, thanks for taking the time for reading and reviews are always welcome.

Until next update,

-Cy