-Passing Judgment: Playing by the Rules-

-Betrayal of the Subconscious-

Falling flat on his stomach, X coughed and shook his head, keeping a growing headache at bay, he groaned and rolled onto his back, steadying his breathing he gulped and raised a brow when he saw the sky. Or … at least … it looked like a sky … pitch-black with red stars … were they stars? X didn't know … but he did know one thing as he carefully got to his feet and got a better look at his surroundings, "Okay … I'm not in Kansas that's for damn sure …"

Where the hell am I? He asked himself as he walked to the edge of the floating thin foundation, wanting to know if there was an end to the drop. He gave the darkness and the red "stars" a skeptical look then turned around to observe the rest of the place. Gloomy … dark … forbidding … X nodded in understanding, Great … I'm in her head … how the hell did tha – he remembered what he did and smoothed back his hair with a chuckle, Never mine.

"Hee-hee-hee …" X jumped and spun around when the giggles from another being caught him by surprise, on guard he stared at the pink colored Raven who rocked back and forth with her hands cutely clasped in front of her. Her face shyly hiding behind her long violet hair, she giggled again as X raised a brow and she reached out a hand to playfully push his shoulder back, "Hey there Prince Charming, come here to sweep your Princess off her feet?"

X turned his back to the pink Raven, his silver eyes bugged out; he stared off into the distance with a frightfully lost expression, Alright … didn't see that comin' … what now? There was a tap on his shoulder, and he cringed, he didn't know if he should run or turn around and face the odd behaving Raven. He decided to take his chances and turned to face "Raven", "Uh … I don't suppose you can explain what exactly is going on?"

"Sure!" she jumped and clapped her hands, then grabbed a hold of his hand and dragged him the opposite way … which, not a few seconds ago was nothing but a short-stop and a long-long-drop. How there came to be a strip of land and a disfigured gothic archway at the end was beyond – WAY – beyond him, and the pink Raven? She just giggled away and tugged him towards the archway with the biggest smile on her face, it was almost creepy. "You know … I don't get many visitors now a days, so for you to drop in is so convenient."

She stopped in front of the archway and giggle a bit more, "Drop in … hee-hee-hee … I hope you didn't get hurt when you came through, but I'm so glad you did manage to see me! Now we can be happy and love life together and share those sweet moments like in every romance novel out there! I'm so excited! Aren't you?"

X faltered in his step a few or so times and came very close to eating the ground when he stopped and stared at the pink Raven in utter confusion, "Huh …"

She looked over her shoulder to him, looking so carefree when she giggled again and slid up to him, pecking him on his cheek she blushed, but her smile never fell as she jerked her head to the archway, "You'll understand when you come with me."

And so … going against instinct he followed and when he entered the warmth of the pink Raven's hand vanished right along with the pink Raven herself when he entered another world. Where lines weren't lines, curves were everywhere and things that shouldn't be floating were hovering all over the place. Feeling a sense of reality was lost, X cleared his throat and noticed that all the bookshelves around him were twisted and bent in unimaginable ways and were still standing. Reaching so high X felt he'd break his neck if he even tried to find the end of the circular darkness. Darkness that was lit with dim candles floating in mid air, looking at more bookshelves he frowned when they were all curved to follow the circular perimeter of the entire room.

Then there were even more books that floated around him, whizzing passed him or pulling themselves out of their shelves only to be replaced with another. There was really no sense of anything. Only that the person who dwelled in such a dark, book-filled territory was a very … VERY lonely person.

"Oh, not again."

X turned around when he heard that familiar voice, "Raven?"

"Not exactly."

Fixing her newly thinned frameless glasses and blowing up a stand of violet hair that fell in front of her equally violet eyes. Her yellow cloak fluttered as she walked on passed the trespasser, her hood down with her wavy violet hair pulled to rest on her left shoulder; she raised an inquisitive brow at the true Red X. Curiosity peeking over her senses she took a deep breathe and held up her hand to seize a book that was "innocently" flying through the air. In her hand she flipped it open with a jerk of her wrist, lifting a hand up she wielded the pages to flutter and land her at the beginning of the book.

"Red X … well now …" she snapped the book shut, let it go and it zoomed away from her reach as she propped a fist on her hip, eyeing X the same as he was her.

Both scrutinizing and cautious, X backed up, "You're not Raven are you?"

"In away I am … but only part of her … and you're trespassing in my territory," with a snap of her finger the stone she was standing on raised her up halfway to the top of a certain bookcase.

X frowned silver eyes glared up at the yellow closed sorceress, "Okay then … if I'm trespassing it's not like I had a choice, I was invited here by a pink one of you … and I just dropped in."

The yellow cloak sighed, book in hand she lifted her glasses that slipped to the bridge of her nose back up to it's rightful place in order for her to read while she answered X, "Well I have not invited you … you had just chosen the wrong time to make a move on me. While our minds were linked you chose to kiss me? Not entirely smart on your end of the deal … you could have caused a permanent bond between us. The only reason why you're still alive and intact within my head is because I allowed it so … no … not me … another of me … I couldn't bare the thought of loosing you and … The way out of here is that way –" with a point of her fingers to another bookcase, X jerked his head back in shock when the book-case from the bottom arched. Through the arch were even more fluttering books in more bookcases and candles. Eyeing this strange Raven, trying to understand why she wanted to kick him out so soon, she sighed, "– it's perfectly safe … just don't touch anything you're not supposed to."

"So … you're not going to tell me why you're afraid of me? Or even why with every moment I'm with you I have to fight to prove that I'm not who you think I am?"

The yellow cloak stopped and looked up with a stern face of a librarian, or a teacher that was scolding a student, her violet eyes narrowed and matching the look of the Raven he knew from somewhere else. Her voice steady and unmoving she more than pushed him out of her domain with the harsh tone, "Do not presume to believe that you're anything to fear … even if I tried I cannot find the courage enough to fear you … no … it's not you. It's me, I'm afraid of what might become of me when I do turn you in. Believe it or not … X … I'm not afraid of you … or afraid for only you … I'm afraid for us because I know the facts, and they are not kind in our favor … now leave, before your presences becomes a danger or IN danger … if you already aren't in trouble anyway."

X scowled and stood in place, "You know, if you're so goddamned smart and so afraid for us, why the hell did you even pull that move on me at the museum! You could have saved us both the trouble of going through this … this … whatever is we're going through!"

Exasperated the yellow cloak fixed her glasses and glared more forcefully at X, "Trust me; I knew it was stupid from the start, but it wasn't within my control –!"

"Oh, so am I supposed to believe that it was Robin's plan and you were just following orders?" X snapped and the yellow Raven gritted her teeth.

"Enough! I've told you once; Robin isn't the only fish in the sea, so leave him out of it! And no, it wasn't because of him I did what I did … it's because of me, I did it! I'm a half-demon you persistent little whelp, most of the time, my decision will be clouded by dark evil thoughts, some which I am conscious enough to know what I'm doing is wrong … My powers are judged by emotion … the stronger the emotion, the stronger and more out of control the power is … I may be the only sane part in my mind, but what good am I when during battle, most of my sanity is lost to make way for the demon within my very blood! Now leave me!"

X backed up when the yellow Raven levitated off the stone platform, holding out a hand the books carelessly flying around stopped and turned towards him. X paled, "Shit."

In order to escape the flying books turned killer he jumped into the arch and stayed down shielding his head as the books flew away and popped into fluttering feather pages that disappeared before they touched the ground. Looking up to check if it was safe X glared back at the arch and raised a brow when it wasn't there anymore. In fact, now he was in a place that was rather … familiar … What the hell … this is … this is … "Titan Tower?"

On the roof to be exact.

"You always believe what you see?" X again spun around when he heard Raven's voice, but was instead met with a face full of fist throwing him back and skidding across the roof. He rolled to a stop, and groaned, lifting a hand up to his face to check if anything was broken or bleeding. The only thing he felt was his split lip that he licked up the blood, getting to his feet and glaring at the one person that socked him when he least expected it.

The person standing before him wasn't the one that matched the voice. It was … Robin? No way … where the hell am I? X scowled and stayed on his feet as "Robin" pulled out his bo-staff, with his signature spin he looked like a very pissed off hero. X gritted his teeth, "Who are you?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Robin growled, "First you steal my alter-ego, continuously mock my authority, and corrupting my friend, should I continue on down the list?"

"You're not Robin," X pointed out bravely and the Robin copy-cat raised a brow then charged.

"We'll see about that!" jumping into the air "Robin" brought his staff down hard and fast, X dodged to the right, jumped to his feet then threw himself forward in order to escape the disks that were thrown at him. In three consecutive explosions, Tracey went on the defensive and backed up when Robin swiped at his head, then his gut and spun around to land a harsh kick to his chest. X fell to the ground and rolled backwards, onto his stomach, the thief gritted his teeth when Robin came again to plant his heel on the back of his head.

All he did was create a dent on the ground as X rolled away and swept the floor from under the imitating Robin. The bo-staff kicked out of his hand; X scrambled to hold him down and sneered when "Robin" chuckled. The voice once again not his … but Raven's again. Before his eyes, X watched as Robin melted away and Raven in a deep violet outfit appeared. Grinning and laughing right in his face, X jerked his head back and loosened his grip, "What the fuck?"

"Careful, you should never trust a pretty face," without warning X was kicked off of the violet Raven and on his feet in mere seconds as the violet Raven got to her feet and dusted her shoulders off. Her grin ever present, but there was something off about her … her right eye … it was completely concealed under her long sleet straight violet hair. Lips were coated in a deep onyx black lipstick and so were her nails … which were also painted onyx black. The look on her face, it was … deceptive as she snickered at him, "close your mouth, or shall I have to do that for you?"

X gulped and stood straight, and demanded once more, "Who are you."

This Raven's snicker deepened as she took a breath and Titan Tower vanished before his eyes … instead he was invited into the darkness of a leafless forest with dead gray trees shooting up at different deformed angles. Shadows cast about and moved even if there were no light to direct it, as if they all had a life of their own. Groans and moans were heard here and there and X could have swore he head a voice … familiar … yet … impossible.

He dismissed it and locked his eyes firmly on the violet Raven who chuckled and jumped into one of the leafless trees. Her voice deep, sultry, inviting, yet full of lies and deceit, "I am, but I'm not, I have no name, but I'm known by all. Trusted and honest or so I appear … I am the handle to the blade of betrayal, my place in your back if you blindly approach. I'm what you realize too late … if you're not smart enough to know … I think that'll answer your question … Red X …"

Gut instinct told him to get as far away from this girl as possible. She looked like Raven, sounded like her, but Raven never smirks, chuckles, grins, or snickers the way this violet did. It was scary and dark he admit in public, frightening, her one left eye bore into him like an inky black substance that consumed his heart and crushed his lungs from breathing. So he took a deep breath to make sure he was still alive as he backed up cautiously from her, "Look, I don't want trouble … I just want out."

The left eye blinked and the violet woman tilted her head, then smirked that evil smirk, "Oh … you don't want trouble … that's funny considering you're the very epiphany of trouble … but since I'm such a nice girl … I can show you a way …"

She was pullin' his leg, X knew it … but what choice did he have?

There was little power he held in this strange place that was Raven's mind.

X narrowed his eyes, growing more frustrated as the seconds ticked by.

The violet cloak could sense his growing frustration and looked down at the shadowed path, knowing he never could see it in the darkness, she willed her shadows away and pointed to the revealed path, "Follow this road … but remember … your actions … your very words … are your own downfall. Choose wisely X … I would just hate to see you trapped in here forever. Have a good life."

X hurried down the path, and not mere ten steps he vanished from sight and the violet Raven laughed while behind her another appeared, this one in light blue attire with the light blue frameless sunglasses, she chuckled and started the violet Raven, "Deceit … you really are something you know … I'm surprised that the primary doesn't use you often."

"Well for obvious reasons, Temptress," the violet named Deceit grinned, "I'm too powerful."

"So you claim," "Temptress" chuckled again as she looked down the shadowed path X had vanished in, "you sent him into my domain? Why?"

Deceit shrugged, "Why not? He wants a way out … so I gave him a way out … and nothing in this world is yours … at least not yet, and I'm called Deceit."

"Oh this is just soo much fun," Temptress snickered as she followed X, "to imagine … I get to speak with my primary, gives me chills."

Deceit snorted, "I'm just surprised my primary hasn't picked up on your little scheme just yet … Temptress, Junky, and Nonchalant? You're one in the same, but go by different names … what's your one name I wonder?"

"I already told you," Temptress chuckled, "I'm the dark side … or in other words, Corruption."

"Idle minds commit dastardly deeds."

"Ain't it the truth." Disappearing into the path, Deciet frowned and bowed her head, staring at the ground she closed her eyes and vanished.

Leaving Corruption to stand leaning on the archway she entered through, watching her primary and grinning like the true demon she was. She chuckled when he looked around and growled in annoyance muttering to himself, "Fuck … where the hell am I at now …"

Corruption decided to let herself be known.

"Well ain't this a treat …" X turned around to face a different Raven, again, only this one was wearing light blue frameless sunglasses and grinning like the Cheshire cat, X was getting tired of these meetings as she winked, "Don't worry honey-cup, I'm Nonchalant … and I'll help you out of this mess."

With a snap of her finger the scenery changed and X found himself in another dead-treed forest … but within the clearing there was another weird archway, but this one was silver and smooth and it had rings of red energy within the center. This has to be a portal out of here … eager to get out he quickly made his way to the exit, but jumped back when a shadow appeared on the ground and the light blue Raven phased through the ground with a devious grin. X narrowed his eyes, and gritted his teeth, balling his fists he backed up when she stepped forward, "I knew this was too easy. What do you want?"

"All of you …" she snickered when confusion encased his face, "I've been waiting for the time she'd bring you here, it was only a matter of when."

"Okay …" X sneered, "what do you want me for?"

She stalked closer, X backed up till he hit a tree and he had to make do with the distance they had, keeping his guard up as she crossed her arms over her chest and chuckled, "Now that … I'm afraid is rather complicated to explain … but … I'm from you, in a sense that I'm not entirely you, but rather what drives you, I'm the dark thought that sits upon your left shoulder and whispers what everyone in the world wants to do but is just too afraid to even dare think it. Ever wonder what that voice is in the back of your head justifying the actions which is wrong by moral society? Yeah … that's me. The corruption within the criminal mind, and once I consume my primary … I can be able to take over this new mind and really have some serious fun."

"Really?" X scoffed, "Well, I guess its time I kick your ass and drag you back to my mind huh."

"You can try … but just remember, I came from you, so I know everything about you."

"Changes nothing."

"So you'd die for her then?"

"…"

--

"AZARATH! METRION! ZINTHOUS!" black energy after energy, levitating in mid-air, Raven gasped for air, blood dripping down from the split in her lip and the small cut at the corner of her head. She looked around for Demon, trying to find him, but the smoke she had created made it hard for her to concentrate, going at it with him for however long it had been. Raven hated to admit it … but she was getting tired and Demon?

He never broke a single sweat, even if she had nailed him once or twice … he just kept coming back for more.

A loud roar pierced the darkness from behind her, spinning around and bring up a shield too little too late, Raven was winded when Demon jumped from whatever perch he was on and dragged her back to the ground. Knocking the breath right out of her and rattled her brain within her skull, she groaned and hissed in pain. Too weak to struggle against Demon when he bound her hands on either side of her head and leaned close to breath in her scent. Raven gritted her teeth and shuttered when he growled in her ear, "I've seen his desires you know … would you like me to show you a few …"

"No …" Raven cringed when he brought her hands up over her head and held them with one clawed hand. His other tracing down her side, just the mere touch shocked her out of her dazed state and she started to wiggle away from his touch. Demanding breathlessly "Let me go."

Demon smirked and dangerously rested his hand on her thigh, "I have you right where I want you … why should I?"

"Because …" Raven gulped, still trying to snap herself out of her daze, shivering when is hand traveled in between her legs, she gasped, and closed them tightly, trapping his hand where it was, "Ah … be-because …"

"Because …"

Raven closed her eyes and for a while it seemed she was surrendering, until she snapped her glowing scarlet red eyes open and Demon jerked his head back in shock when she snarled, "Because no, means NO!"

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she flipped them both over and ripped her hands from Demon's grip, now straddling him, she barred her impressive fangs and growled, "If I can't beat you as I was … then I'll fight fire with fire."

Demon roared, Raven returned the gesture and jumped off him, levitating in the air, Demon pushed off the ground after her. Grabbing her, he held out a claws hand to dig it into her flesh as they fell back to the ground, but she grabbed his wrist and flipped them so he hit the ground and cushioned her fall. Demon sat up, trying to gain the upper hand, Raven slashed her claws over his face and scrapped three deep gashes on his cheek.

He snarled and back handed her, throwing her off, but before she could hit one of the trees, she contorted her body into a low crouch, digging her claws into the ground to stop her sliding. She halted before she hit the tree and locked eyes on Demon when he got to his feet, but stayed low to her level, both roared and charged. Demon went in for the kill, claws up and ready to take her out, Raven smirked and when his hand came down. She spun to the side and when he stumbled from slicing nothing but air, she brought her heel up and slammed it on his back.

Dropping him to the ground, she anticipated for him to spin kick his way back to his feet, Raven flipped away and once he was back on his feet she gathered all the shadows around her and with a sweeping motion with her arm. She whipped the shadows towards Demon and morphed them into one big clawed hand that wanted to grab a hold of him. However, seeing the black object, Demon nimbly evaded all her advances, forcing Raven to call off the shadow attack and jump to cover the distance Demon put between them.

Sensing that he was weakening, Raven smirked evilly, she knew exactly why, Demon may have taken up residence within X's mind, but he was still apart of her. So when she called on his power, he lost his own power to fight her. It was perfect plan; with only one flaw … there was a 91 percent chance that she'd never be the same again. She narrowed her scarlet eyes and perched herself up on a tree, keeping still she searched around for Demon, Here kitty, kitty, kitty …

SNAP!

Raven was too late to react when a twig snapped behind her and Demon had tackled her to the ground, snarling at one another Demon growled, "Even with my power you can't control me."

"I don't have to;" Raven responded defiantly, "all I have to do is get you through that portal and problem solved."

"You can't do it." Demon gripped the collar of her blouse and pulled her up to him, "You'll die trying. Are you willing to die for a criminal? Do you want to give your life to someone that you barely even know? To someone that's caused you more misery than serenity?"

Raven nodded and without a second thought answered, "Yes … I'd die for him …"

Demon snorted and flashed his claws in her face, "But would he die for you?"

Interesting question indeed … one that Raven had no answer for, but feeling Demon loosen his grip on her she took advantage and finished what he started.

Meanwhile, on the other side, things weren't going too well …

X cringed when Corruption pushed him against the portal and her makeshift knife was pressed against the soft flesh that was his throat, her violet eyes staring at him with amusement; she chuckled at his disheveled appearance. She had to give it to him; he gave her a run for her money, actually made her tired, but he was still human and there was no way in hell a normal human could take her out. No way in hell. That was why she was chuckling, "A for effort … but you should have just surrendered while you had the chance … actually, you still have a chance."

X's response?

"Fuck you."

"Love you too," just as Corruption was close to drowning X in his own blood, she froze when the portal shuttered and glowed a bright red and without warning two bodies came flying through and tumbled onto the ground. Corruption went wide-eyed when she knew who they were, "No …"

X blinked and wasn't sure if he was seeing right, "Raven?"

There was two actually, one of them dressed in the outfit X remembered last seeing her in before he was tossed in this weird world and the other, dressed in blood-red with four glowing red eyes. Both of them looked at one another and the blood-red Raven growled and closed her eyes in submission, bowing her head, the other Raven with her violet eyes sighed when the blood-red Raven vanished from sight. Corruption and X looked at one another, X being the faster to recover from shock grabbed Corruption and dropped her to the ground policeman style.

The movements startled the tired Raven and she jumped away from them, but gulped and stilled when she saw that it was just X … but was he for real? And who was he subduing? Silver eyes looked up at her with no X markings on his face and a genuine smile of relief, "There you are … I've been looking for you."

Raven gulped and looked down at … she blinked, "Nonchalant?"

"Yes?" Corruption growled and yelped when X tightened his grip.

"Shut-up," he snapped and looked back up at Raven, then glanced at the portal, "that's where my mind is?"

Raven couldn't answer for a second, still in shock and a tad exhausted from the battle, she sighed heavily and nodded, "Uh … yeah …"

"Good, hope you don't mind," X got Corruption to her feet and dragged her to the portal, "but I gotta go … see ya in reality?"

"…" Raven gulped and nodded again, answering distantly, "… yeah …"

Knowing there was something wrong, X decided to deal with it later and dragged Corruption into the portal, finally get out of Raven's mind and jumping into his … not seconds later did he reenter his sanctuary did the portal within his mind shatter to bits. Corruption vanished from his grasp and suddenly everything grew light … flashed white … then blacked-out.

For about 5 minutes before he came through again …

This time … he was pretty damn sure he was back in his body and back in reality. Carefully, opening his eyes the first thing he saw was green … a lot of it in a blur, but when he blinked a few more times the green became clear and he realized he was in a jungle and it was early in the morning. Crescent fallen because he thought he was dreaming, the only way he knew this was real was when he looked down and spotted Raven laying not a few inches away from him.

Peaceful, he propped himself in his elbows to get a proper look at her, but the moment he did move, her violet eyes opened to the world and fell on him. Looking tired, and knowing that she was the same, Trent managed to greet her with a smile, "Mornin' princess … crazy dream huh?"

Raven closed her eyes and turned her head away from him to stare into the clearing, sitting up she cupped her face in her hands and sighed heavily, "Yeah … crazy … but it's done … we're free."

"I don't feel any different."

"You wouldn't," Raven turned to look back at Trent and shrugged, while in her head she thought grimly, But I do … "but don't ever … and I mean ever do something as stupid as that again."

Trent shook his head and chuckled softly, "I know you're not gonna sit there and tell me you didn't enjoy that."

The sorceress sat up and shot him a deadpanned look, "I was under the influence of a spell –"

He shut her up good when he stole her second kiss, holding her close and never letting her go, no matter if she tried to push him away. Raven screamed in her head as she gripped his shirt so tight her knuckles were turning white. Closing her eyes, she whimpered when she felt him literally pour everything into this one kiss, trying to make her see, feel, and know exactly what he was going through. Overwhelming her, she felt him gently ease up on the pressure, the aggressiveness she felt dimmed down to coax a response.

His hand ran through her tangled violet hair and ran down the length of her back, resting dangerously low on her tailbone, he tilted her head back and relaxed when she finally responded and kissed him back shyly. Needing air she attempted to pull away and gasp for it, but when she did Trent dove in and ravished her mouth, just loving the way she tasted, he coaxed her into a little game and was rewarded when she pushed against him. Her body molding into his, almost perfectly, the moment just absolutely blissful, but unfortunatly all good things must come to an end when the two discovered that they were seriously lacking oxygen.

Slightly panting, Trent bumped his forehead onto hers looking deep down beyond her violet eyes to the girl he knew wanted him just as badly as he needed her. He smirked and nudged her playfully, "So what's your excuse this time?"

Raven closed her eyes, and bowed her head, pulling away from Trent, glad that he finally let her go; she gulped and felt a pain in her chest. It felt like a fist had grabbed her heart and squeezed so tight she couldn't breath. Chocking, she realized it was because she was trying to prevent herself from crying when a tiny tear fell from her eyes and landed on the soft moss she and Trent had been lying on. Seeing that one tear fall, then being followed by another, she sucked in a shaky breath and looked up at Trenton with a hopeless expression.

"Why …?" she asked him desperately, Trent frowned and didn't know what to do – actually, he didn't know what he even did to upset her!

Holding onto her shoulders he brought a hand up to her face only to have her push him away he furrowed his brows in confusion, "Why what? What did I do?"

She gulped and found herself chocking out words, "Why – do you have to make things so hard – for me …?

He shook his head, "I don't … Ra – I don't know what you –" when even more tear fell form her face she shot up to her feet and took off into the jungle, "RAVEN!"

Desperate to get away, desperate for answers, desperate for something … anything to help things make sense again, Raven gritted her teeth and angrily wiped her tears of weakness away, she wasn't supposed to be weak. She wasn't supposed to be doing the things she was doing, what she was supposed to be doing was her job! She was a damn Titan! A hero … and after what she had argued with Robin about back at the Castillo Manor, Raven felt like a hypocrite and a complete idiot!

"… This is why having relationships when your occupation as a hero is a dangerous thing." Those were her exact words to Robin … and now look at her, crying her eyes out because she didn't even know right from wrong anymore. Frustrated, Raven ran till common sense told her to stop … told her that she was lost … told her she was being stupid … again. Panting, and lightly sobbing, leaning against a vine covered tree, Raven closed her eyes and put her forehead against the tree, covering her mouth with her hand. She shuttered at the amazing feeling Trent gave her … but shunned it all the same, turning around to lean her back against it she stared up at the jungle canopy and calmed herself down.

Letting her mind go … freeing all her thoughts till her eyes closed half-way and the sounds of the jungle was all she could hear. That, and the rapid beating of her heart, slowing down to a steady pace, she gulped to lather up her dry throat and reached up a hand to wipe the drying up tears. Smoothing back her hair, she blinked once, then twice, and jumped when she heard someone coming her way.

Afraid it was Trent, she got ready to run, not prepared to face him after she had just taken off. She settled down when it was just Malchior who winked at her in greeting, "A long ways off from the camp sight aren't you?"

"Uh …" Raven made sure she didn't look too distraught, and looked away from the dragon to fix herself up, "… um … I … I just needed to be alone … Wha-what are you doing here?"

It was stupid question, she knew, he was probably hunting for something to eat, or maybe he had saw her and Trent together, watched her run, and wanted to make sure she didn't get lost. Sweet of him … but neither of her guesses were right as he answered with an amused chuckle, "Where I landed was at the sight of some old ruins, where the Cat's Eye was sure to have been found, but I knew, the story behind the Cat's Eye spoke of a temple. A temple were cat gods were once worshiped. The Cat's Eye Temple."

Raven nodded, "Okay … how does this help us?"

"It's the first check point to Dragon Trove."

"… I thought you said we needed the Eon Ring to know this."

"In a way, to make things far easier for us … but the items to find the Eon Ring, were clues themselves."

Raven raised a brow, "So wherever the item was found …"

Malchior nodded, "Is where a check point must be."

"So how do you know the Cat's Eye Temple is the first check point."

"I need Trenton here to explain that."

Raven could have moaned, groaned, whined, and complained about not wanting to see Trent again, but Lance was his nephew and he had every right to know. So she sighed heavily and looked down in the direction she had ran, "Right … so … I guess we go find X?"

"That's the current idea." Malchior tilted his head and listened to the jungle, then shrugged, "But it won't take long, I can hear him calling your name … stay here."

Before Raven could protest Malchior was gone in a whirl of kicked up leaves, Raven leaned against a tree and closed her eyes, preparing herself mentally to face Trent. Malchior traveled within the tree tops, flipping over a branch and dropping to the jungle grounds silently landing behind Trenton who was apparently lost. Looking around frantically for Raven, Malchior smirked and when Trent opened his mouth to scream Raven's name again when Malchior spoke, "She's safe … for now."

Trent spun around and almost didn't recognized Malchior, but the crimson eyes … they gave him away, "You, hey, you've seen Raven? She took off into the jungle and I –"

"I already said she's safe … but we have a problem …" Malchior informed, Trent narrowed his eyes and looked into the jungle.

"Tell me after I find Raven."

He made a move to go search, but Malchior appeared before him and stopped him, "I said, she's safe, but you have to leave her alone."

Trent stopped and turned to glare at the dragon, "What the hell you tryin' to say?"

"I'm saying," Malchior bluntly put with a firm look, "despite what you want, stop trying to read her mind and start to think that you know what she can and can not do. Raven's a big girl and can make up her own mind … stop chasing her for one damn minute and let her think … follow me."

Trent did follow after the dragon, but he continued to argue, "I'm not trying to read her mind. Besides, you don't know what's going on here, so stay out of my fucking business."

Malchior raised a brow and glance down at the human, "I'll stay out of your fucking business when it stops fucking around with the more important matter … or have you forgotten that your nephew's life is on the line?"

"No I haven't forgotten …" Trent growled, really not liking this Malchior character when the dragon scoffed and seemed to brush him aside like a parent thinking their child just wanted attention, "I just need time to clear things up with Raven."

"Well time is something you don't have," Malchior stopped and faced Trent seriously, "with every second the Eon Ring is clipped to the child's neck his life energy is being drained … and since he is a child he only has an estimated three days to reach the Trove and get the Ring off before he dies. Or did you forget to read that little warning label? One day has passed … do the math."

That shut Trenton up for the rest of the walk through the jungle back to Raven … he honestly didn't know that part. Frustrated with Raven, but worried for Lance, Trent gulped and bowed his head; silence falling upon him for his thoughts had consumed him. Before he knew it the two of them had finally reached the small clearing Raven was in, her back to the guys and her peasant blouse taken off. She looked over her shoulder and casually straitened out the tang-top she had been wearing all along under the blouse.

She tucked the sleeves of her blouse into either side of her pants and placed her hands on her hips, careful to avoid Trenton's silver eyes. She flicked her wild violet hair back over her shoulder and showed the reason why she had taken off her blouse, she was sweating and now that Trent took notice of the climate, it was hot. Malchior on the other hand didn't feel the heat affect him at all, in fact he welcomed it – being a reptile and all – both Raven and Trent, with their heads on right noticed that he had take off his outer shirt to sport a black wife-beater.

Raven pulled her hair away from her damp neck and sighed, trying to adjust to the warm weather, "So … about this Cat's Eye Temple … Malchior, did you find it?"

"Yes," Malchior nodded and jumped into one of the trees, "but I also found that little Lance and a group of men were there as well … they probably left to the next checkpoint."

Trent jerked his head up and glared at the dragon, "You saw him!"

Malchior shot the human a dry look, "No, otherwise Lance would be with us right now … him and the group he's with left their scent … but our worst fear has been realized. The man he's with has a pet dragon and another thing … my master, and your friend was with them … in terrible condition."

"Yo, what happened to Jeeves and the other guy?" Trent remembered, looking around for the pilots.

Malchior shrugged, "Sent them on their way to a near by village … if they're lucky they'll get there before nightfall."

After hearing the pilots were safe, Raven cut right to the chase, "So where's the Temple?"

Malchior grinned and winked at both the thief and the sorceress, "Try to keep up."

Before either of the two knew it, they were racing across the thick jungle trying not to loose the dragon, or each other.

--

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans

A/N: Well … isn't this in-tar-esting, and to answer a question that I forgot to answer earlier, Temptress was one of the three new emotions in Raven's head that appeared after she connected with X … I mentioned it somewhere in the beginning … AND … I hope this satisfies a request of another review that wanted a little Rae/X scene.

Oh, and don't worry I didn't forget about the other stories I have, I'm working on them, but time is all I need to try and keep my attention on them … so sorry I didn't update the other stories.

Other than that …

L8r daez