A/N: Just some background information; Jason was beaten by The Joker with a crowbar in the comics. Oh, and if you didn't know, Robin's real name is Dick Grayson.

Chapter 3: Miscalculations

Raven awoke with a start. Her eyes were scanning the area dangerously and her hair was soaking wet from the pouring rain. She had bitten down on the inside of her cheek, and instantly tasted the recognizable metallic flavor of blood.

Her lip quivered, and the heat in her body suddenly cooled once her mind calmed. The forest was cold. She was cold. Subconsciously, Raven wrapped her cape around her shaking body. The layer of fabric offered little protection against the unmerciful winds and the rainy atmosphere, but it was better than nothing.

Her teeth chattered, and she pulled her knees closer to her body. The cold nipped at her nose, ears, and the back of her neck. Her hands rubbed against her arms, causing the friction to produce a small amount of heat.

Exhaling, Raven could see her breath hanging in the air for just a moment before completely dissipating.

Then, Raven stopped breathing when she sensed another entity near her. Turning her defenses on, she stood up, shivering as she did so, and searched the forest for the sign of another person.

"About time, Sleeping Beauty."

The statement was tinged with sarcasm, bringing her into realization as each word pinpointed every event that Raven had gone through the past two days. She froze. A cold hand uninvitingly placed itself on her shoulder, gripping to make sure she didn't run, but not with enough force to injure her in any way.

"I took it off."

Shivers ran down Raven's spine as she felt a warm breath lingering on her ear.

It took a second, but Raven comprehended nonetheless. Her hands slowly met her face, her fingers drumming over her lips and mouth to see if there was any truth in the boy's statement.

"I don't want you, you know. But I need xenothium, and you're the bait," Red X said, this time holding Raven closer to his body. One arm hugged her waist, while the other was strewn across her chest, fingers tapping lightly on her collarbone. His head was propped on her shoulder. The distance, or lack of distance, between them made Raven feel precarious and uncomfortable. She could feel every breath, every heartbeat, and every word that trickled off his tongue.

His toned arms were embracing her body so protectively that if he let go, she would tumble towards the ground before her. When was the last time someone had held her so possessively? Raven tried to recall, but blanked. All she could think about was Red X's steady breathing; how she could feel his chest rise and fall as if it were her own.

Closing her eyes, Raven tried to regain her control, but she could hardly keep still with Red X's face so close to her own. Her heartbeat almost doubled, and her knees were wobbling, causing him to hold her tighter.

"If they're really your friends, the trade should be easy," Red X chuckled, as if this whole ordeal was nothing but a joke to him. "I'll be out of your hair before you know it, Sunshine."

Raven's eyes opened instantly, widening as his laugh echoed through the forest.

She could do it; she could kill him if she wanted to. For all the stress, for all the pain… No, Raven needed to stop this. She bit her lip to snap back into reality.

Killing someone would result to her being exiled by the team, and exiled from society. Killing someone would prove her father right; that she was a monster created for destruction. But above all, killing someone would go against everything she's worked to prevent happening, for all the years she's worked to be a better person.

So picking the alternative, Raven finally broke away from her captor, feeling the instant rush of cold air hit her back. Her body shook but remained standing, she held her hands in an offensive manner. She would knock him out, and that was all she would do. Not one step further than a concussion.

"I saved your life. You owe me," Red X remarked, a smile undoubtedly forming underneath his mask. His tone was light, as if he wasn't intimidated at all by the girl standing before him.

"You're also the reason why I almost died," Raven responded coldly and monotonously. The less emotion she showed, the more control she had.

"Don't blame this on me. You're the one who ran away."

"That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't abducted me."

"All in good fun," Red X shot back, walking towards her.

Raven stood motionless, her hands remained in the same position. She wasn't scared of him, but at the same time, she couldn't help but shudder at the thought of anyone holding her in such a close radius again.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want the xenothium. Your friends know you're with me, and if Dick—that Robin kid is really Batman's son, he'll find you in no time," Red X stated nonchalantly.

"We're not trading with you, and I won't let Robin give you the xenothium," Raven bit back, each word dripping with venom.

"Didn't know you liked me that much, Sunshine," Red X replied, still advancing on Raven.

Raven's cheeks flushed pink, and there was no doubt that Red X's face was twitching into a smirk at the sight. Apprehensively, she pulled the hood over her head, not letting Red X gain any more satisfaction with seeing her incontrollable facial expressions.

But why were her cheeks all red in the first place? And why were her face and ears beginning to feel hot, despite the freezing weather? It was probably some strange internal emotional behavior that she'd have to check out with her mirror later. Because Raven was positive that she wasn't terrified of Red X, she wasn't nervous around Red X, and she most definitely wasn't in any way attracted to Red X.

Raven pushed the thought as far away as possible from her mind. Disgusted with herself for fabricating such a possibility, she turned her head away from her captor, to further prevent him from seeing her now-tomato-red expression.

And with Raven being distracted by her own inner conflicts, Red X had taken the opportunity to grab the girl's wrists and pull her towards him. He then put his mouth next to her ear and whispered something that made Raven's heart stop beating, that made Raven feel like she would sink into the ground, that made Raven feel like cringing and jumping at the same time.

"Don't worry, Cutie, if the boy-blunder'll let you out of his sight, I promise I'll take you out on a date after this is all over."

He let go of her, causing her to stumble backwards.

Silence.

Raven was well aware that she was breathing too hard, and that her heart rate was too fast for normal. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. But the more she waited, the more Red X would taunt her.

Regaining composure, Raven balled her fists.

"Nice try, but your methods of seduction don't work on me."

With that, she screamed her mantra, sending a tree to fall in between her and her captor. She used the time available to her for escaping.

Unfortunately, the tree didn't give her much time, as Red X leaped over it and chased after her. He was faster than she anticipated him to be.

Snap, snap, snap. Raven felt each twig beneath her feet break with every step she took. Without looking, Raven could tell Red X was gaining speed. Wait, she could fly. Raven looked up to the sky, attempting to plan out where she would go. There were trees everywhere, and the environment was too black for her to notice every branch that could potentially collide with her head.

She didn't have time to analyze the forest patterns. She had to run now, or fly now. Choosing the option that would most likely be less hazardous, Raven sprinted off. The hood had long-since flown off her head, and her cape was hanging in the air behind her.

There were no other sounds apart from the rustling of leaves and the loud tapping of shoes. That is, until a piercing scream echoed throughout the forest.

Raven's foot got caught on a twig, sending her flying towards the ground. Pain shot up her whole leg momentarily before settling down in her shin and ankle. She could still hear Red X motioning towards her, and decided this would be a good time to fly.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," She murmured, feeling her body lift from the ground, fighting the forces of gravity. With no hesitation at all, Raven flew, trying her best to dodge the trees in front of her that resembled nothing more than black silhouettes suspending over the ground.

Then to her surprise, she no longer heard Red X's footsteps behind her. Raven stopped flying and turned her head to see if she could spy him. But he wasn't there. Taking this as a good sign, Raven caught her breath and collapsed on the ground, inspecting the inflamed area of her leg.

"I think I underestimated you."

Raven jumped, or attempted to jump, at the sound of Red X's voice. She hadn't expected him to materialize before her, though she knew in the back of her mind that teleporting was one of his abilities.

"Most people do," Raven said softly, repeating her mantra over and over again as she was beginning to heal her ankle.

He offered her his hand, but she ignored it.

"I'm not a bad guy," Red X defended.

"Of course you're not," Raven rolled her eyes, too preoccupied with the pain in her leg than the person near her. Once she was done healing, she would fly or run off again. She'd just have to act calmly for the time being, or her magic wouldn't take effect.

"Why don't you just accept the help I'm offering?"

"I don't need your help."

"Look, Sunshine—"

"Don't call me that," Raven interrupted. It always bothered her when anyone referred to her that way. The reference masked her true demeanor, the dark and demonic behavior that was trapped inside her. There was no use in hiding its existence with allusions of rays and light.

"Raven," Red X started, "I just want xenothium. I don't give a fuck about anything else right now, except you."

Raven looked up.

"I need you because without you, the other Titans won't give me what I need."

"If you're so great, X, why don't you get your own xenothium?"

Red X shrugged as if the thought never crossed his mind. "Wouldn't be half as fun, and I wouldn't be able to spend time with my favorite Titan."

Raven stared at him, half-disgusted by his response, and half-amused. "Well, I'm sorry to end your party, but I'm leaving."

"Look, Sunshine, I don't think you understand. I'm not letting you out of my sight until I get the xenothium."

Her eyes glowed black, but before she could say those magical words, a hand slapped over her mouth and an arm returned to her waist once more.

Raven bit down on the hand, making Red X cringe. However, he didn't move.

"Nice try, but I'm just as stubborn as you."

Raven's brows knit together, and she struggled against his grip. Her elbow jabbed into his abdomen, but the guard he was wearing protected him from any harm. Her ankle hadn't healed properly yet, so kicking him would get her nowhere.

"You know, I'm a pretty good host. You should be grateful. Imagine if The Joker got hold of you," Red X pointed out. "That nasty son of a bitch…"

The last parts of Red X's rant were unheard, but Raven swore she could hear mentions of a crowbar somewhere in his murmuring.