Chapter Four: The Fallen

"Raven!" the green skinned shape shifter yelled as he dodged the copper-haired villain that had appeared out of nowhere, hurling a layer of dark matter toward them like a systemic wave. Since touching one of Raven's force fields he had somehow acquired her abilities, at least the physical aspects of them.

The telepath appeared from a black portal within the wall and pulled her team mate through to safety.

"They were just waiting for us to come out in the open." Beastboy panted, placing a hand over his chest. "We can't go back out there."

"We can and we will." Raven countered in her usual tone. "Look we got this far, we just have to get to the docks and we'll be fine."

"I don't even get why were trying to get to the tower anyway." he said. "There's no power there."

"Because, if we can repair the main computer, we'll be able to find a signal from any of the communicators." Raven replied.

"And if we can't"

"We have to try." Raven replied. "Without the team, we're useless."

…

The thief watched her emerald eyes as she began to peal back the black, sleek material of his mask. She looked terrified, which in turn made him terrified and he almost called off the whole thing. However, he calmed himself down. She doesn't know… I'm a stranger to her…The mask doesn't make a difference…

Still, the feel of her fingers touching the skin of his neck was enough to make his breathing hitch slightly.

She pulled up ever so slowly, her mind racing with both excitement and uncertainty. The moment she felt his skin it was like an electric jolt, his skin was hot and he was sweating from the fight, his wound and, most likely, the restriction of the suit itself. She peeled up past his chin, lips… when she made it half way she couldn't take the suspense any longer and swiftly pulled the mask off completely, allowing a mess of damp, shaggy, dark hair to fall about his utterly exposed face.

"Hi." he rasped as she took him in with wide eyes and placed a hand over her mouth.

His eyes, deep green eyes, met hers and he smirked. "Not quite what you dreamed about, huh?" he asked, his voice raspy like Robin's, but much deeper and matured.

No. she thought, but only stared at him. She wasn't sure what she had pictured, but he was… beautiful.

She guessed he was well over twenty. His face was strong and angular, his dark, unkept tresses framed his features along with his thick dark brows. His eyes dark and clear, focused keenly on her own. However, though he was irrevocably appealing, what took prominence was a dark jagged scar just over his left eye that dragged along to the corner of his jaw, and another, paler but far more drastic on the ridge of his neck. The only flaws to his otherwise handsome face. He tilted his head away slightly, so that his scars were hidden by the shadows.

Was he actually ashamed? She thought in surprise and wonderment.

Her compassion and curiosity got the better of her as she leaned forward and reached her hand out toward his left eye. "What happened to you?" she asked softly.

He smiled at her genuine kindness, but gently grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Got myself into a little trouble as a kid." he answered.

The answer troubled her, and he could tell she was searching for more answers. He gently rubbed his thumb beneath hers and along her lower palm. "Don't worry, it happened a long time ago."

"Someone attacked you?"

"One personal secret at a time, sweetheart." he replied, releasing her hand and retreating to the persona that she had known when he was behind the mask. "So… that's done... looks like we'll have to stay here tonight, we'll head out first thing." he said running a hand through his messy hair. He winced in pain from stretching too far and re-positioned himself.

"You won't be in any state to leave tomorrow." she said, trying to get over her daze.

"I like that you worry." he smirked, it was strange not having to picture it anymore. "But, I'll be fine."

"What if we have to fight?" she asked.

"We won't… were playing defense until we find your friends." he replied simply, laying back down.

"That hasn't exactly worked." she countered.

"Look, let's leave that for tomorrow to worry about okay, cutie?" he asked dismissively. Though he sounded cocky as ever, she could hear that his breathing was still shallow and could tell he was in a lot of pain.

She decided not to fight him further and instead let fascination with the young man's face take precedence as he laid himself down more comfortably and closed his eyes.

After a while she lay down across from him and stared at him until she fell asleep.

…

"Is there anyway we can get a hold of Titans East, or Kole, Argent, Kid Flash… anyone who can help?" Cyborg asked as he watched Robin pace the room from his seat at the coffee table.

"Without our communicators and your signal needing repair, it wouldn't be easy… and I see no reason to get anyone else in danger until we know what were dealing with…"

"Robin's right, the best way to go about this whole thing is by investigation, because right now that creature is holding all the cards with all of you separated." Bruce said, sipping his coffee. "Who's to say he doesn't have one the other Titans hostage."

"So what do we do?" Cyborg asked.

"We need to capture it." Robin replied. "Find what it is and who it serves."

"In the meantime, I want to get the story straight…" Bruce said, using his remote to access the large plasma screen as a computer monitor and turning on to an image of the warehouse before its destruction.

"Nine at night, the five of you head to work, average day…" he said moving to the next image from a street camera. "You arrive at almost 9:06... where this criminal is spotted."

The next shot is a blurry image of a man with a skull mask breaking into the building.

"What do you about this guy?"

The room got quiet for a minute as Robin clenched his fists and Cyborg turned his head to the side awkwardly.

"Red X, a common thief." he muttered quietly.

Bruce clicked the remote to security camera footage of Red X braking into the building and fighting off the guards, his face growing even more serious if that was possible.

"He's no common thief… he's skilled… and that tech he has…" Bruce said thoughtfully. "Have you run into him before?"

Robin exchanged looks with Cyborg who just twitched his lip slightly.

Bruce looked back at both of them pointedly. "Well?"

"Yeah… that suit he's wearing…" Robin murmured quietly. "I made it."

"That's not surprising, the tech isn't far off from your own, you're the only person who could have constructed it... how did he steal it?"

Robin gritted his teeth, feeling his fists grip even tighter. "I don't know."

Bruce was quiet for a minute again, replaying the attack, over and over. "What gets me is his fighting technique. It's... familiar."

Robin looked at the screen, acknowledging his mistake-become-flesh and frowned deeply. None of them would have been separated if weren't for him.

"I don't think so… he is more into self gain, he's not a murderer." Robin replied.

"How are you so sure?" Bruce asked.

"Because he's saved us when he didn't need to."

…

Starfire turned over as she awoke… moving her messy dark red hair away from her face, feeling the aches in her back from sleeping on the floor. She suddenly became aware that the now mask-less and nameless man who had been asleep a few arms' length from her had vanished. She shot up in surprise.

Where did he go?

She stood up and realized the jacket she had been wearing was gone as well.

Had he deserted her?

Waiting in silence for a few moments before daring to venture outside, she peeked her head out to see the dark streets clear and silent. She soon grew confident enough to walk out a little ways to look around.

"Little stuffy in there, huh?"

The alien princess jumped and gasped as she spun around, eyes glowing, to see the grinning face of the thief, he was wearing the hat and large coat he had given her and it covered the rest of his suit. It was still so shocking to see his real face without the mask, it would be hard to get used to.

"You're jumpy." he commented.

"Where were you?" she asked, immediately angry.

"Getting the lay of the land, sweetheart." he replied "Relax."

"Your injury..."

"Shh… I know how head over heels you are for me, but you got to stop worrying." He said, putting a finger to her lips, before walking past her with a wink.

She wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Although, she had come to understand most of the strange phrases of Earth, some just alluded her, but she safely assumed that it had something to do with her being attracted to him.

"Follow me, if were going to keep moving, we need a better way to blend in than what we've been doing." he said.

She reluctantly followed him a little ways down the street gingerly, feeling exposed in her uniform, thinking that she would be spotted. The pupil-less eyes of the girl who had summoned the Gatherer still haunting her.

The thief stopped in front of a closed department store and pulled out a grappling gun from the inside of the jacket and fired it to the second story. Before she could respond, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up beside as they both shot up to the ledge.

She pushed away from him angrily, but before she could react, he kicked in a window and hopped in. "C'mon, princess."

She frowned as jumped down into the building. They were in the clothing department where racks and racks of numerous clothes were on display.

"What are we doing here?" she asked him.

"Just picking up a few things… shopping, as you girls like to call it." he said, walking up to a rack and looking through it.

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"Our suits are just painting targets on the back of our head at this point, sweetheart. The best chance is to blend in with everyone else." he replied, grabbing a few articles of clothing. "You and me both now. So pick out something."

She stared at him bewildered. "You mean steal something?"

"Unless you have some money to leave at the empty register." he replied sarcastically, giving her a smirk.

"I…I can't, it's wrong." she said, shuffling uncomfortably.

"Yeah, it's wrong to steal clothes to protect yourself from a paid assassin, a possessed kid and what looks like is the actual grim reaper." he rolled his eyes. "How many times have you risked your life to protect this city? Don't you think they can spare you some clothes?"

She frowned at that knowing he had a point. In the grand scheme of things, what were a few article of clothes when her life was on the line. Defeated, she filed through the civilian clothing, feeling absolutely dreadful.

…

He wore something similar to what he usually did off duty: a double layered hooded black jacket with a grey shirt and jeans. He looked in the tall mirror not even bothering with his mess of hair, even when he was younger it just did what it wanted too. He loaded into his pockets whatever weapons from the suit that he cold and slipped on one of the gloves to his right hand. He took the suit and wrapped it in plastic before hiding it within one of the storage boxes for safe keeping.

He'd miss that thing, he had gotten used to being in it more than being without it. "Let's go princess." he called impatiently, waiting by the window ready to go.

He heard the door click from the changing room and turned around only to stare at her like, what he assumed was, a total idiot.

She was wearing a pair of jeans with a long pale rose sweater that hugged at her curves and fell just a little above her knees and she had also braided he red-auburn hair in a lose side braid that fell over her shoulder.

When she met his gaze, he managed to keep his composure and simply whistled at her.

"What?" she asked, sounding offended, but maybe a bit flattered.

"Wow, nothing... Earth just looks good on you."