-+-A Thousand Shades of Gray-+-

+The Shade of Hunches+

"I've got birds in my ears and a devil on my shoulder."

- Unknown

"Shit …" clasping his fingers together over his head, leaning forward on his bike, X chanted the curse word over and over again as if the mantra would somehow magically turn back the hands of time to undo his immature actions just before he hung up on her. With the cell phone in his hand he sat up and stared at it … Call her back … and then what? Say sorry? There's nothing to be sorry about! He scoffed and nearly threw the phone over the bridge connecting Jump to Steel just to hear the satisfying splash in the dark waters. However, he held his breath and just sat still for a second, feeling the wind brush against him … smelling the fresh crisp night catching the hint of the approaching rain that would no doubt start up again.

It was the rainy season after all.

Tapping the phone against his bike, his X-bike, X sighed and looked down the road … just a few more miles and he'd be in Jump. Just a few more miles and he'd be able to see her, just to tell her that it wasn't him and he was telling the truth! Frustrated that she didn't believe him right off the bat, X knew he shouldn't have been surprised … and … he wasn't … it was the other thing that caught him off guard. Goddamn it! Why did he have to be so stupid!

He only said that Robin kissed her just to see how she'd react … just to press buttons and see what she said … he never actually thought it was true!

Then … he had the nerve to act as if he had any say in what happened to her life, it was her own life! He shouldn't care … but human beings were complicated, the truth of the matter was he cared; he cared more than he should. So much, in fact, that he was tempted to ride all the way to Titan Tower to beat the bah-jesus out of Robin. Lucky bastard. Raven didn't have to worry about being thrown into prison if she was with Robin, but with the likes of a thief, all of a sudden it was a damn capital crime committed against the state and resulted in a hanging.

It wasn't fair.

But life never was, X stuffed his cell phone back in his jacket pocket, leaned forward to grab the handle bars of his bike and revved it to life. Gunning the throttle he spun around and raced back to Trix Hill, there was no point in going to see Raven, no point at all. Coming off the bridge and heading into the city that he knew like the back of his hand X reached Trix Hill without a hitch. Although … as he pulled into the driveway he noticed all the lights in the house were on, he parked in front of the garage when Jamie and Otto came running out.

Frantic, panicked, and worried, X frowned, "Wasup?"

Jamie gulped, opened her mouth to explain, but a roar coming from the house ripped through the once silent night. It was Milo, X rushed passed the twins and jumped into the house, Otto following him right after, "Rob! Careful! He's been tearing up the house ever since you left."

"Have you tried to ask why?"

"No," Otto cringed when X stopped and another roar echoed through the hills, "Rob … this doesn't seem like a very good idea … maybe we should just leave and he'll just calm down."

X shot him a dry look, "He's destroying my house, something that I bought with clean money. Do you know how hard that shit is?" Slipping off his jacket he tossed it to Jamie, "Hold that, and wait right here, the both of you."

"Wha – Rob! You can't take Milo all by yourself."

"And you guys can't even point a gun in the right direction without shooting yourselves first."

Jamie scowled, "That was that one time! Rob – Rob! No!"

Too late he ran into the house towards the stairs where Milo was currently tearing apart the rest of the living space. Jamie ran after him, but Otto caught her around the waist and pulled her back, "Ah, ah, Jamie let Rob deal with it, he's right."

She glared at her brother devilishly, "About what? Me accidentally shooting myself or him being the only one that can deal with Milo?"

"Both."

While she was busy slapping her brother to smack that impish smirk off his face suddenly X's jacket started to sing, but not just any song. It was the Teen Titans annoying jingle! Jamie dug into his pocket and pulled out the cell phone, just staring at it as if it was an alien device used for probing as it continued to sing. She looked up at Otto's equally bewildered expression and the both of them said at once, "Titan Tower?"

Jamie gasped in sudden realization, "Oh my god! Raven!"

She flipped it open and no doubt the Titan's voice came on, "X! We need to talk!"

"Oh! Raven! My girl! It's me Jamie."

"Jamie? What are – ugh! Never mind put X on the line! Now!"

"I'd love to sweetie, but X is a little busy right now, he's trying to control Milo."

"Milo? Who's Milo?"

"Some crazy non-human guy that's right now destroying X's house for god knows why."

"Jamie, listen to me, I need to speak with X, right now, it's important."

Jamie looked to her brother and Otto understood, taking off to go find X and Milo while leaving Jamie to try and settle Raven down. Running down the hall and up the spiral stairs he came to an abrupt stop when a chair came flying across his line of sight and smashing into the wall where his head would have been. Getting down and peeking around the corner just in time to see X rush up to the snarling Milo, pinning him to the far wall, but it wasn't for long.

Milo pulled a fast one and slashed his claws to rearrange his face, X leaned back, and kicked Milo in the chest before jumping away and gaining distance, "Milo! Loose the teeth and fangs or loose your head, choose one or I'll do it for you!"

"My name isn't Milo you impudent cur!" Milo snarled and crossed the room faster than X could react and had X on the ground claws sharp and ready to shred, until Otto literally jumped in and tackled Milo to the ground. They rolled and Otto ended up being pinned, Milo bared his fangs and as he jerked back to strike, he was suddenly racked with unbelievable pain with a shock fried his brain.

Otto breathed in relief when Milo threw himself off and held his head, withering in pain and holding his head. About to thank X for the help, the thief just stared at Milo with a confused frown, "He's been doing that … saying his name isn't Milo and holding his head every ten seconds before he starts up again."

"Maybe he's a werewolf," Otto growled in frustration still trying to shake the fact he was facing the human shredder, he gulped and sneered at X, "it's a full moon tonight isn't it?"

"Hell if I know," X sighed tiredly, "it's still cloudy … and he's not a damn werewolf, those things don't exist."

"Vampires do."

X shot him a dry look.

Otto shrugged, "What, you can ask Batman, he faced Dracula once …"

The thief shook his head and snorted, "Man whatever, just get out of here before Milo starts again."

"Yeah … about that …" Otto smoothed back his hair, "Raven's on the phone."

As X was moving to lean on a piece of broken furniture, he missed altogether at the mention of Raven's name and fell to the ground. Otto stared at him with a raised brow, never had he seen the sly thief so clumsy and trying to be smooth about it, X shot back up and straightened out his shirt. Pointing to the spaced out beast he commanded seriously, "Watch him."

Before Otto even knew what he as agreeing to he nodded, then mentally slapped himself as he found himself standing in the same room as a crazy monster. He gulped and backed up when Milo's crimson eyes glared at him tiredly, the human chuckled nervously and waved his hand, "Hi?"

Milo growled in annoyance, "… Why does my head hurt …?"

"Maybe Rob knocked you around a few times."

Milo blinked … then blinked again and looked around and frowned, "Doesn't explain why the room is in shambles."

Otto frowned and dared to walk up to him, sitting on the ground with him he looked him dead in the eye and asked, "You don't remember what had happened?"

"… Not entirely … I didn't hurt anyone … did I?"

"No … just lost all sense of reality for a moment … kept scream that Milo wasn't your name … is it?"

"…" he looked away, and scowled, "That information is best left unknown."

"Right … do you have any idea what might have set you off?"

"No," Milo answered almost too quickly and got to his feet, only to stumble a bit and nearly fall flat on his rear if he wasn't so quick to correct himself, Otto helped and Milo couldn't help but feel as if a bee had stung his side. Shaking it off as nothing he staggered away, leaving the human to shake his head. It didn't take a genius to figure out Milo was hiding something.

Meanwhile, downstairs, X rushed up to Jamie who was sitting on the floor – everything else was destroyed – her back against the wall with his phone to her ear and smiling, "Yeah! It's that place … don't worry he'll understand, just be sure your team is cool with it okay don't want Robin going off on you because you lied again. Ooo, he's here … hold on …" Jamie got up and handed a suspicious X the phone with a wide bright smile. Once again as bubbly as ever, "It's for you."

X took the phone, stared at it for a moment then shot Jamie a shooing look, she got the message and left to find her brother, X took a deep breath and sighed, leaned on the same wall Jamie was on and closed his eyes, "Raven?"

"… You're right … it wasn't you that night …"

He was relieved, but a bit irritated that this call was all about business … but this was Raven. Why else would she call? She was with Robin now, no reason to call him for anything else, so he stuck to business, "Told you … it's gotta be –"

"Slade isn't behind it either …" Raven interrupted and X heard her sigh.

He frowned in confusion, "If not him then who?"

"I don't know … but it has to be someone with a grudge against you …"

"But if they're after you too, then it has to be someone that doesn't like you either."

"…" she sighed again, he heard her shuffle and thought he heard her fall on her bed; he leaned his back on the wall and stared up at the ceiling just waiting for her to say something, anything.

She didn't.

He couldn't help himself, "You gonna be alright?"

"Depends …"

"On what?"

"… If who ever is after you, is the same person who's after me and not my friends, than we'll know once I get there …"

X pushed off the wall and glared at the ground, a sinking feeling in the pit of his gut came on strong, "Get where?"

"Jamie told me the location to Trix Hill … I'll be there by tomorrow morning … or later this afternoon, it's already 2:34 am."

"No."

He could feel her perplexity in his sudden order.

"What do you mean no?"

"You're not coming out here. You're safer over there; it's no good if we're a pair, it'll make us all an easy target."

"Well I refuse to keep my friends in danger."

"They won't be as long as you let me handle it."

"Are you trying to say that I can't?"

"No, I'm trying to keep you alive," X began to pace, never noticing that Jamie, Otto, and Milo were all hiding in the hall listening to the conversation, Milo having the upper hand in hearing both sides of the argument because of his enhanced senses, "Stop thinking like a hero for one goddamn minute and try to understand that this isn't your problem to deal with. It's mines."

"Well I appreciate your concern, but unfortunately I am still a Titan and I can't help it if it's my damn job to keep idiots like you alive and well, and since when has this become only your problem! Whoever's behind this nearly killed one of my friends and I'm not going to sit here and allow that to happen."

"Damn it Raven! Stop it!"

"You stop it! You're not making any – " she cut herself off and huffed and X could just see her shaking her head, "… I'm coming over, whether you like it or not. See you in a few hours."

X gritted his teeth, "You come over here, and then what? I don't even have a plan and that's saying something!"

"We'll figure something out together. Bye."

She hung up, and once again X had to fight the urge to mangle his cell phone out of sheer frustration. Gods! She was just so hard to work with! Stubborn and independent, why did he have to attract the hard headed ones on occasion? X flipped his phone shut and put it in his back pocket, Screw it! She wants to tag along, fine … because of her friends. Always have to put other's before yourself don't you angel … he looked around at the mess in the house and sneered, "Milo better have a good reason for this mess."

Milo decided now was a good a time as any to reveal himself, "Would you forgive me if I said sorry?"

X spun on his heel and glared at the smug crimson-eyed beast, "How long have you been standing there."

"Long enough to figure that my stay here is not welcome anymore," Milo looked around to absorb his damage as he tried to smooth up his disheveled appearance. Pulling his black hair back and into a ponytail, dusting off wrinkles here and there, he looked up at the thief who gave him a pointed look.

"Who says I'm kicking you out? There are at least 16 bedrooms here … that's three master suites, and 5 bathrooms … I'm pretty sure I can just lock you in one wing … assuming you haven't touched the rest of the house."

Milo tilted his head, "Why would you have me stay?"

X stepped up his glare darkening as he held Milo in place with his serious onyx eyes, "Because you know Raven somehow … and I want to know how and why she's so important to you."

"…" teeth flashed, Milo sneered, "Are you trying to implicate that I have something to do with your impersonator?"

The thief scoffed, "Funny … I only remember telling two people that I was being impersonated, and Otto's not the type to run his mouth like Jamie, and unless Raven has a direct line to you … is there something I should know about you? 'Milo'?"

Milo's sneer slowly vanished as a calculating look replaced it with a deadly smirk; he chuckled and brought a clawed hand up to tap his chin in mock thought, then just shrugged nonchalantly. Not saying a single word as he walked off into the house somewhere to be alone. Leaving the three humans standing in his wake, X glanced at Otto and asked, "Did you …"

Otto nodded, "He was so wasted he didn't even notice."

"Good," X sighed and lifted up a piece of wood and tossed it into a random pile of trash, "now … let's clean this up …"

((--Titan Tower--))

((--Raven's Room--))

Throwing what she could carry into a black backpack Raven took a deep breath and zipped it up; slugging it over her shoulder and left her room. Walking down the hall into the Ops Room where she knew her teammates were still lurking about discussing their encounter with the Slade cronies. Not the actual Slade, like she herself confronted, she never told them about that just yet. It wasn't important … plus … she wanted this meeting to go over smoothly without Robin being mad at her for letting the man go.

She stopped just before she entered the Ops Room and stared at the door with a reluctant frown, Robin … I'm sorry … she thought sadly, licking lips she walked into the room. There she saw Cyborg brewing a batch of hot chocolate, already the feeling of having to pull an all-nighter hanging over their heads because of Robin's known obsession. Raven couldn't help to smirk and shake her head at the typical setting, however cleared her throat and joined her team, immediately the mood changed as if someone had just flipped the light switch.

Starfire floated over everyone to hover over Raven staring at her curiously, Cyborg blinked and raised a concerned brow, while Robin in the back kept a straight face. Raven tried not to focus her attention too much on him and stared at Cyborg as he shrugged, "Goin' somewhere, Rae?"

Raven took a deep breath and nodded, "That Red X incident … it … it wasn't X that did it, I'm sure of it … and … I think … I think Xander's in trouble, so I'm going to go help him. I don't want you guys to come with me, because … whoever's after Xander, is after me as well …"

"Then you should stay here," Robin spoke up before Starfire had a chance to go off on her justice parade. His mask stared at her pinning her in place, relentless and unnerving, Raven tried not to see him as the Robin that kissed her in the hall, but more as her leader. As it should be. He was her leader. Her leader. Yet … no matter how hard she thought it, how hard she tried to forget … she still felt guilty. Guilty in away a girlfriend would when she told her boyfriend she was leaving him because there was someone else.

Raven gritted her teeth and shook her head mentally, It's not like that! It's a job … just a job … just a … just a job … she could have wrote it on paper over and over and over again until the ink of her pen wore off, but it still didn't change the guilt that was tearing her heart in two. Chewing on her lower lip she sighed and blinked away the watery blur in her eyes, straightening herself out she opened her mouth and argued her case, "I know … I thought it through Robin … believe me, I did … but … I just think … it's better if I do this alone."

Starfire planted her feet on the ground, giving her friend a serious look, "Friend Raven … I … do not understand, do you not trust us to help with this investigation of yours?"

Raven opened her mouth to say something, but Robin beat her to the punch … and the anger she wanted to see and hear from him flooded out, "Of course she wouldn't because than she'd be incriminating herself and exposing a real bastard for who he really is You know, Raven, if you wanted to drop being a Titan all together, you can just say so and be gone, spare yourself the trouble of painting yourself up to be a true figure of authority."

Raven narrowed her eyes, what he had just said, was uncalled for, "I'm not trying to do anything except do my job … a real killer impersonating himself to be Red X is out there and –"

"Oh, like Street isn't already a killer."

"Robin, just …" Raven swallowed hard and took another deep breath to calm herself down, shaking her head she headed for the garage, but stopped and turned to face her unsure – confused – friends, particularly setting her gaze on the glaring Robin. Once more, she pleaded, "… I'm asking you to trust me … that's it … you know me better than even my own mother … do you really think I'd stab your back? I'm sorry, if that's what you want to hear, I'm sorry I'm not the hero you all are … but I'm not going to let this go. I'll be back … if you even care to know."

With that she turned her back and left, Beast Boy blinked and scratched his head, "Am I … am I thinking this right …? Did Raven just –"

"Yes." Robin scowled.

"And she's going –"

"Yes."

"So … Xander is …"

"Yes, Beast Boy," Robin growled, "Raven left, she's going to Xander, who is … Red X …"

Cyborg crossed his arms over his chest and frowned, "Are you sure we should just be letting her go like that?"

"…" Robin snorted, "It's her life, she can do what she wants … but she's still associated with X, I want Bumble Bee monitoring Raven when she arrives at Steel City, when her 'case' is done and over with. I want Xander in cuffs and Raven under close supervision until she returns to Jump City where she'll be tried and brought to a Grand Jury."

Starfire gulped and frowned, "Robin … are you sure you want to do that … to … Friend Raven …? I'm sure she means no harm, I mean …"

"Maybe, Star," Robin said stiffly, "but it's the law."

"Uh …" Beast Boy uttered, "I'm gonna ask a stupid question here, but … if Raven's gonna go to Steel, how's she gonna get there. As far as I know, she doesn't have a car."

Cyborg sighed, "Actually, she does, she just doesn't trust you around it."

"Whoa! For real! Raven's got wheels? I didn't even know she could drive! Wait! What kind of car she got?"

His cybernetic friend rolled his eyes and said in a quiet tone, hoping Beast Boy didn't pick it up, however, true to his name, Beast Boy did hear it, "Ashton Martain Vanquish S V12 …"

"What!" Beast Boy nearly fell over himself – which wouldn't have been the first time – bug eyed he shook his head trying to make sure he heard right, "Wh-where could she afford that!"

"It was gift from the company itself," Cyborg shrugged, "As a thank you present from the president when Raven unknowingly saved him from becoming swish cheese sometime in the past."

"Man … that sucks … A Vanquish …? What color is it?"

"Black," Cyborg shook his head and glared at the little green dude, "What has this got to do with Raven leaving for X!"

Beast Boy shrugged, "Nothing, it's just … it's Raven, she doesn't know how to appreciate those kinds of presents."

"Oh … you'd be surprised."

((--))

Raven shot out of the hidden tunnel that led from Titan Tower into Jump City, stomping on the clutch and shifting gears she roared down the streets in the lap of luxury. Contrary to popular belief, Raven wasn't that shy from fast machines, she just didn't like being a passenger. She trusted her own driving and as her speedometer hit 103mph, everything outside of her dark mirror tinted windows blurred passed her in seconds. Clutching the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, glaring at the streets in front of her, Raven was determined to race away her problems.

Once again shifting gears to go faster, she gritted her teeth and tried to forget about Robin. She had to do this … she had to … there was no other way. It may have seemed very incriminating on her part, but, damnit! She didn't know anything anymore. She blamed X for doing this to her, turning her into an irrational – reckless – wreck. Coming up to a turn, she popped the clutch, and drifted around the corner flawlessly, picking up speed again once she reached the long stretch.

Still thinking to herself how messed up her life had become, trying to prioritize everything so it all made sense … trying to think of who could want both her and X dead … who. Who is the one person that could know about her and X and harbor malicious thoughts about them? It had to be someone both her and X knew … she could mark off Jamie and Otto … it couldn't have been Leon … X's mother? No, she was a woman that seemed too caught up in her own self pity to care about extracting them … besides, what would the motive be? It was no one on her team she knew that for damn sure.

It wasn't Slade …

He didn't even know her whereabouts that one night X ran to Hawthorne.

It wasn't Marisa … she may have been a witch, she may have been with X at one point, blackmailed him, but she was rich and that was an excuse. Rich people don't like not getting their way, so they threw tantrums … X could have threatened to leave her and that was why she did what she did. Granted it's not forgivable, but she didn't have anything to do with anything … at least … that was Raven's theory.

Red streaked across her sights.

"Shit!" Raven stomped on her brake and skidded to a stop when X blades planted on the ground exploded, she got down just incase her windows were blown open, but other than that she was fine. Her car came to a complete stop on time … getting out she looked around trying to sense where the attack came from and closed her door shut. Stepping away from the car she looked around the empty streets, up on top of the empty rooftops, and within the hidden shadows of the dark night.

Nothing …

She sensed nothing …

Chewing on her lower lip she frowned and carefully reached for her car door handle … opening it and sliding in, she sat still for a moment and stared through the window. Bewildered, she blinked and shook her head, It's not X … but who is it? Getting her car started, out of habit she glanced to her passenger side and wasn't given the chance to scream before something had hit her hard on the side of her head. Bouncing it against the side glass and cracking it … blood smeared … and she was nearly out cold, but for her attacker's sake she faked it and stayed perfectly still.

The voice hidden behind a distorter snorted, "Titan my ass, little bitch … and to think, that was just a warning. I actually feel guilty cheating the dude out of his money …"

Raven felt her – yes, it was female, she can tell by the tone. Unless her attacker was gay, but she hardly knew any gay men that wanted her dead … so it had to be a female. Something was thrown on her lap, and Raven tried hard not to twitch as her attacker got out of the car and slammed her door shut, then to add insult to literal injury. The bitch keyed her car! Raven heard the sound of metal against metal and a growl bubbled up from her chest, cracking her eyes open she looked around and noticed the girl wasn't around anymore.

The sorceress scowled and looked at her lap … an envelope? Blank … it said nothing … but there was something inside. Opening it she pulled out a fold piece of paper with perfect calligraphic handwriting, beautifully intricate, but the funny thing was … it said nothing else, but a name.

Milo Arch

Raven glared at the paper and turned it over, trying to see if there was anything else to the message … there wasn't, Milo Arch …? So … and …? Lost, Raven put the paper on the passenger seat and frowned, glaring at the paper still she gritted her teeth and tilted her head, Milo Arch … Milo … doesn't X have a friend named Milo …? Keeping the message, she hissed when her head pulsed, reaching up a hand to where she was bleeding, she saw her demonic claws and knew she'd be healed up before she reached Trix Hill.

There … if this 'Milo Arch' was there, she could question and see what the bigger picture was about.

((--Trix Hill--))

((--That Afternoon--))

"Ow!" Jamie whined as the glass she was picking up cut her ever so slightly, she cursed a few times then angrily threw her work down and stormed into the den where X and Otto were sweeping up the floor. She stood akimbo and glared at X, the thief raised a brow as she huffed, "Why can't you just hire guys to come in here and clean up the mess, you're rich enough!"

X rolled his eyes, "Jamie, I have the X bike parked in my garage, a studio down in the basement where I keep up with my job, plus an unstable psychopath locked in a hall not to far from us … do you really think it's a smart idea to allow outsides into this madhouse?"

Jamie pouted, looked at her finger than showed it to X, "But I cut myself …"

X smoothed his face over with his hand and glared at Otto, then pointed at his sister, "Take care of her. Now!"

Otto scowled and walked to his sister, grabbing her upper arm and dragging her out of the room. Leaving X alone to finish the job and while he was finishing it up, the silence allowed for him to pick up the familiar roar of a sports car pulling up at his driveway. Stopping and leaning on the broom, he stared at the opened door and sighed, as he glanced at the still working clock, Gotta be Raven … he thought with a frown, dragging the broom and walked to the door. Looking out he watched a black Ashton Martian Vanquish pulling up, he blinked, Not Raven … no way …

He was proven wrong as the car stopped, parked, door opened, and the violet haired demoness/sorceress stepped out, the gloomy afternoon doing wonders to her otherwise otherworldly beauty. She slung her backpack on her shoulder and closed her door, locking her car she looked at the nice house covered with plants of various sorts and stood still as X leaned on her frame and stared at her. Raven cleared her throat and walked up to him, noticing the broom he was holding, "Spring cleaning?"

"Drag racing?"

"Of course not, I have a clean record."

"So she thinks," he scoffed and allowed her inside, but frowned when he noticed an obvious blood stain on her leather jacket, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, she looked up at him then down at the stain and sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"I ran into trouble on my way … it's nothing …" He ignored the statement and tilted her head, running his hands through her hair; the dark violet color hid the blood that he felt on his fingers, Raven pulled away and looked him dead in the eye, to reassure him, "It's nothing …"

X gruffly sighed heavily and lead her into the destroyed house, "Do you ever listen to anything anyone tells you for your own good?"

"If I did, I'd be stuck behind silver bars condemned for being a half-bred demon," Raven replied dryly and looked around trying to see where Milo, Jamie, or even Otto went. Neither were in sight. So she asked, "Where's –"

"I told Otto to make Jamie disappear and Milo's locked in a safe room to keep him from destroying the rest of my house," he answered before she asked, Raven narrowed her eyes in annoyance, he shrugged.

Raven nodded and pulled out the envelope, tapping it on her hand, she notice X eyed it cautiously, and his suspicion grew as she waved it in front of him and asked, "Where is Milo? I need to speak with him."

"You act like you know him …"

"I don't … but apparently he has something to do with our problem."

Raven expected him to look shocked, but he only shook his head and muttered as he threw the broom to the ground and marched in the direction of Milo's 'safe room', "Lying son of a bitch, I'll kill'em."

Raven prayed he didn't mean that and followed him.

"X," Raven reached out to grab his arm and pull him back, just to stop him and make sure he had his head on straight; Milo was no use to her unconscious if the thief decided to use him as a punch bag. He stared down at her with a cold look, Raven didn't flinch, just let her hand slip off of him, "don't do anything drastic until we're done questioning him … alright?"

He knew what she meant … he just didn't like the way she said it.

With a shrug he continued down the hall until he reached the end, this is where he stood directly in front of the wall. Took three steps back, one step to his right and with his left heel pressed down on the hidden button where the wall hissed and separated. Raven raised a brow, Where does he get the funding for all … wait … stupid question … she ignored herself when a vault was exposed and X walked to the steel plated four prong locked, air-tight door with a DNA pad, encrypted code pad lock, and the classic giant wheel to manually unlock the four prong locks. Raven blinked and crossed her arms over her chest, "This is a safe room?"

"Safest room in the whole entire house," he grunted as he spun the wheel, thonk, one lock was undone, "but that's only, because," he spun the wheel again, thonk, "it's an interrogation chamber," thonk!

Raven tilted her head, "Interrogation? Who do you have to interrogate? I thought you said you don't do kidnapping?"

He stopped to look over his shoulder at her with a devious smirk, "I never kidnap anyone, I invite them to my pad, then lock'em in the vault to extract the information that I need."

"And that would be?"

"Exactly what I need to know for me to do my job," thonk, the last lock gave way and the door opened, to reveal Milo's back as he stared at the one way mirror/window no doubt leading to a control room, other than him. The entire room was empty save for a very uncomfortable chair and heavy steel table bolted to the ground. Milo looked over his shoulder with a fanged grin and glowing crimson eyes.

"Ah, Trix, timeout over already?"

X scowled, "You lying, bastard!"

He lunged at snickering beast, but Raven grabbed him around the waist and held him back, pushing him against the vault, she held him there with a hand on his chest. Her violet eyes glared at him, her voice low and threatening with a hint of a few fangs dropping down, "Not now."

Then …

Chuckling … Milo spoke, Raven froze when she felt him suddenly behind her, X looked up and gritted his teeth when Milo's eyes locked on his, but his lips came close to the edge of Raven's ear. Bringing a clawed hand to remove a clutch of hair from her ear, he whispered, purposefully breathing down her neck … and Raven nearly choked on air itself when her breath caught, "Nice to see you again my sweet Raven."

It hit her like a brick wall.

Milo Arch

"Malchior …"

Her hand on X's chest lost its hold and before she knew what happened, she was stumbling to the side trying to find her footing as a scuffle broke out between X and Milo. X laid a nice punch smack in Milo's jaw, the dragon hit the wall behind him and X grabbed a handful of his shirt. Milo lengthened his claws and took a swing, X ducked down and shot right back up with a kick to his chin, which Milo blocked, grabbed his ankle and flung him down the hall.

It was then, that Raven finally got her head on straight, X had gotten to his feet about ready to run Milo down, but Raven flew in his way and slammed into, trying to stop him. Tackling them both into the ground, she held him down and with a face still lost and slightly shaken she stared down at X who glared at her, "Raven … get off, now."

"… No," she answered breathless, and looked over her shoulder to Milo … or … Malchior who winked and leaned against the wall. Her face turned beet red, unable to hold his piercing gaze she closed her eyes and turned to look back down at X. Her grip on his shoulders shaking, she shook her head and willed the past to the back of her mind, "fighting's not getting us anywhere, we need answers, and we can't get that if you decide to knock his brain loose."

"…" his glare darkened, "… What did he do to you?"

"… Nothing …" Raven whispered and carefully got to her feet holding out her hand to help him up, he sat up, but stared at her, Raven knew he wasn't going to take it and pulled away. Smoothing back her violet hair she gulped down the urge to scream in frustration as she whispered so low X almost didn't catch, but she blamed herself, "… it was all my fault."

Unable to stand in the presences of both the thief and the dragon, Raven marched into one of the random rooms and slammed the door shut, leaving X to get up all on his own. Glaring at Malchior, the beast's crimson eyes sparkled in amusement as he pointed into the vault, "Back in the room, eh? Alright then …"

X had the undeniable craving to do as Raven suggest he shouldn't, knock his brain right out of his skull … the bastard was even more so cocky than he was … why … if he – X stopped his seething when a thought struck him. Something Marisa had said: " … Malchior, he can be the wolf in sheep's clothing and is smart enough to fool a Titan into thinking he's like their best friend or something. Trust me, he's not the kind of enemy neither of us wants in this time of year …" X blinked and scrutinized the dragon; This is the same Malchior … suspicious, X snorted and shook his head, deciding to deal with the dragon later. He scoffed and smoothed back his hair then followed after Raven … she was a bit more important to him now a days, even though he didn't know it yet …

((--))

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans

A/N: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SCHOOOOOOOL OOOOOUUUTTTTT! YAH! I feel like bouncing off the walls right now, finals are done and over with and I'm as free as a bird. SUMMER TIME! Party time, wooo hooo!

L8er daez