Long Road to Ruin

Pheromones

Lucas, apparently, didn't really go anywhere when he left X and I alone.

He had perched himself on the roof patiently waiting for us to finish our breakfast, of course I was unaware of this. It wasn't until X tackled me – full tackle, the bastard winded me – on the bed and I had to struggle with him as he tried to 'punish' me for stealing his food did I catch a glimpse of Lucas's back propped against the glass sunroof. I all but beat X off me with a stick – too bad I didn't have one – but even as I told him of Lucas's post he still didn't seem to care. So I took matters into my own hands and pinned him to assert my authority, he gave into my will and soon enough we were on our way to this mage Lucas said might be able to help us get to Azarath.

Granted I didn't have any real clothes to wear, just a set that Blackfire left behind in her hurry to ditch after hearing of Robin's arrival. The only problem I had with it was the fact that the halter-top was hot-pink; the black pant-legs were too long, but I easily remedied that with a needle and thread, the hot-pink I just had to live with. The next problem I had was my lack of footwear, when I had come to drop off X last night I wasn't wearing any shoes because I didn't think I'd be staying long, go figure.

So to solve this problem I ripped open a temporal portal into my room, peered through the small hole and reached in to grab my shoes, not my boots, and once I had them we were out of the studio and traveling the streets on X's bike (not the xinothium powered bike thank Azar). We met up with Lucas at the end of the Callie Strip where he virtually popped out of no where on his motorcycle and pulled up beside us. He directed us to follow his lead, but X wasn't too keen on the idea of staying behind, so disregarding the soul-eater (and my life for that matter) he gunned the throttle and took off.

I held on for dear life and ducked my head down behind his shoulder to keep the strangely moist and damp air from the gathering rainclouds above us from tearing the skin off my face. Lucas stayed close to our tail and at some point even made a turn off where he thusly disappeared for the duration of our travel. With X traveling at top speed and blowing away all the traffic lights like a blundering idiot I almost expected to hear sirens and see flashing lights some time soon due to his recklessness. However, by the time my worry settled in X slowed down considerably and stopped parallel to a sidewalk on my right; he kicked down the kickstand and waited for me to dismount.

I did and as I glanced up and down the sidewalk at all the civilians walking to and from their destination I suddenly realized I made a grave mistake. I hadn't concealed my identity, my skin was still as gray as ash, my hair an obvious violet purple with my chakra point highlighted by the red gem on my forehead. Call it paranoia, but I suddenly felt like all eyes were on me, like they all knew I was up to no good, and every person with a cell phone that happened to glance at me were contacting the Titans to let them know of my whereabouts. I trained my eyes to the ground, wrapped my arms around my body and quickly rushed away from the open street to dart into a tight alleyway where only one body at a time could pass through.

I had clumsily bumped into a random civilian in my hurry to escape the wide open area; I had also ignored X when he called out to me in concern. Instead I focused all my attention on my appearance and as I leaned against a brick building I closed my eyes and with a quick spell I masked what made the appearance of Raven into a look of an average girl. So by the time I finished and stepped back out of the alleyway to confront X I felt more comfortable in public, but he had to step back and take a second look at me.

My pitch black hair, my lightly tanned skin, and suddenly blazing blue eyes took him aback and with the shocked expression on his face I knew I did a good job. He blinked and arched a curious brow, "What did you do to yourself?"

I sighed, "I had no choice, I've basically disappeared from my team, they could be looking for me by now."

He nodded slowly, but he still couldn't take his eyes off me, whether or not he liked my new look didn't matter much to me; even the Titans had similar reactions every time they picked me to go undercover because of my unique ability. I suppose something about being able to change one's appearance at will without make up or any extra extremities seemed fascinating, when really where I come from, it's a survival trait. A demon or any other inhuman-like creature would be able to sense an approaching aura before the scent of either prey or predator hit their nose.

X shook his head to snap out of his stupor and then shrugged my new look off as if it were an every day thing. I was glad he didn't make a big deal out of it as he turned and lead me towards the corner sidewalk where I could already see Lucas patiently waiting in front of a large glass window his hands in the pockets of his jacket with his ever expressionless face. He looked in our immediate direction, disregarded my new appearance (ignored me actually) and dryly addressed X about taking the wrong turn on some street. Basically, a conversation that didn't matter squat to me so much as the shock of us walking through large dual glass doors that apparently were the entrance into a mega bookstore.

I would like to say this wasn't just any bookstore, but the fact of the matter is that it is just any plain old average commercial bookstore. Selling everything from How to's to Do It Yourself and insufferably popular authors who've sold their soul for fame and money writing books on overrated genres and destroying the intellectual literacy of youth all across the globe. I hate commercial bookstores. Libraries had more dignity than such places.

I turned to Lucas to ask him if he got the location right, but before I could get a word out he turned his back on us and jogged towards the cashier's counter on the far left side of the building where posters of upcoming books were plastered. Lucas approached a young pretty lady who had just taken the payment of some poor sap who bought a book that I knew right off the bat was probably not worth the paper it was printed on, but I shouldn't judge. At least the kid bothered to actually read a damn book than sit glued to a TV watching vomit inducing reality shows that made me sick to my stomach.

The young lady, with her bangs swept over the right side of her oval shaped face partially covering her eye looked up at Lucas with a cute smile and adorable doe-brown eyes that seemed to be accentuated with the thick black squared glasses. Whether they were prescription or a fashion statement went beyond me, but one thing was for sure, she had NO idea who she was talking to because she was shamelessly flirting with Lucas. She had leaned on her counter and discreetly showed a bit of her cleavage in a manner that didn't exactly seem sleazy, but rather innocent when she held out her hand and pointed in some general direction.

Embarrassingly enough, Lucas didn't care as he turned away from her to follow her pointing finger, then nodded and turned to us with a quick gesture to follow him as he left the woman without so much as a glance over the shoulder or a thank you. Ouch. Not that I care or anything, but … Lucas must be gay or something to completely ignore a pretty young thing like the cashier who was practically throwing herself in his direction. It had to be that … or, like me, he just didn't want to hurt anyone on accident because he couldn't control himself.

I would like to think that of him as he weaved us in and out of aisles, patrons, and other works till we reached the far end of the bookstore to a back office with the classic: 'Employees Only' sign posted on the door. Lucas just went through the door as if he couldn't read the sign and lead us through the back that was stuffed to the tip-top with shelves of books that made it tight to squeeze through and maneuver around. When I felt dust tickle my nose and I sneezed in agitation I sighed heavily and finally asked, "Where is this mage Lucas?"

"Upstairs," he responded as he took a sharp right, nimbly jumping over a knocked over pile of books that blocked the tight space. X had to climb part of the shelves and knock over a few more piles as he flipped in order to continue on his way, but he wasn't complaining, if anything he looked like he was enjoying himself.

Why, again, went beyond me.

I, however, cheated and got sick of the clutter so I took to the air and hovered over Lucas and X as I asked, "If she's upstairs than why are we going through the back way?"

"So we don't have to sneak around the other works who will notice if we go through the upstairs employee entrance."

Made sense, so I stopped asking questions and flew higher and faster to find the stairs before either of the men and I spotted it not too far off, I flew up the spiral staircase and gently landed at the top near the door that'll no doubt lead us to the upstairs backroom. I stood leaning on the rail watching as Lucas and X traversed the treacherous (yeah right) terrain, with Lucas in the lead and X following close behind. Patiently waiting for them I turned around so I could study the door we were about to go through, however, when I heard the thonk of metal clashing with metal as the lock was undone and a worker pushed their way through, I froze.

I didn't know whether to throw myself over the rail and hide, or knock the civilian out, the door was opening too fast; I only had seconds to react. I was just about to strike when the employee, a young woman about my age with one serious Mohawk spiked to about a foot in height and highlighted with multi-colors ranging from orange, to red, to yellow (and I do not mean blonde). She had a small heart-shaped face that seemed dwarfed by her dramatic hair, yet with her high cheek bones seemed to pull off the look perfectly. Even her playful, youthful blue eyes seemed dramatic, I didn't know whether to strike or to ask what the hell was going through her mind to obtain such a look, so I stood there looking like an idiot while she grinned.

With the nose piercing in her right nostril, an eyebrow piercing in her left brow, and the tongue piercing which clicked every time she moved it against her teeth as she spoke, "Hey! I'm Nora! You must be Raven!" Her voice was high, but not soft like Starfire or Kayla, just … annoying. She held out her hand for me to take, but instead I examined the whites of her fingernails chewed to the skin, numerous rings in a few fingers, and a very interesting tattoo which nearly covered the whole of the back of her right hand. It had a pattern I've seen before in some ritual I know I should remember what it was, but I couldn't at the moment, so I took her hand and shook it and in the process I was jolted with a spike of her powerful aura.

This, Nora, was the mage Lucas was talking about, and she wasn't afraid to flaunt her power. I eyed her warily and quickly pulled my hand from hers to glare at her, "How'd you know who I was?"

She shrugged, "I just do." She turned away from me and beamed when Lucas and X finally began to climb the stairs, "Zarry! My bestest buddy in the whole multiverse, where da hell you've been man?!"

I completely ignored the familiarity she had with Lucas with an agitated scowl, 'I just do' I thought in irritation, no one just knows something, I was not liking this Nora girl one bit. I watched her carefully as she grabbed Lucas's hand and pulled him through the door, X pulled himself up the last bit of stairs and huffed, then looked at me and gestured to the door as he asked, "Wasup with that?"

"I don't know," I responded drily as I caught the door before it swung closed, pushed it back open and stepped in with X behind me. We entered a cluttered office space with a few desks that were shared by other employees that must have been working the floor for now because we were the only one's occupying the space. Nora skipped over to one of the desks, her Mohawk bouncing and jiggling with every step as she pushed off the papers from the desk to sit on it with her clever little grin on her face that I didn't trust.

Behind me, X held the door and let it close slowly before he stepped up to me and leaned over my shoulder to whisper in my ear, "What's wrong with you? Why you so edgy?"

I blinked slowly and quietly responded so Nora couldn't hear (she was a mage, not a superhuman with super hearing so I was safe), "I don't trust her."

"My brother does …" X countered.

I rolled my eyes, "No offence X, but your brother doesn't know what he's getting himself into … magic is a deceptive art …"

He chuckled and all but pressed his lips to my ear as he whispered, "No offence Rae, but you don't know my family all too well just yet."

Just yet … something about those two words combined with the rest of his comment made me stiffen. It wasn't how he said it or the hot breath on my flesh that called to my attention, but the intentions behind those two words that upset me. I've already seen X's family, already gauged how they interact with each other and outsiders and have noticed they were a very protective bunch when it comes to one another. Probably due to how they grew up and where their lives were headed, maybe all they could depend on were each other, could explain why Annabel and Nadine were very unhappy finding out I had history with Malchior.

They were probably afraid of me hurting part of their family, and so they should be … I knew I was going to hurt X deeply if I allowed him to think there was still an 'us' and a 'we' going on, when it just wasn't possible. So for him to even suggest, let alone joke about the idea of me becoming part of his family was so dangerous it made me feel so horrible for leading him on. I might as well be accused of first degree murder if his heart should just so happen to give out due to blunt force trauma of me having stepped on it because I had to be so rational, and objective.

No wonder Starfire and Robin were so happy … Starfire always follows her heart … and Robin … well … he wasn't as rational or objective as me otherwise he wouldn't be seeing Starfire and I wouldn't be second in command of the Teen Titans.

I earned that title being the coldest of hearts on the team … so where did it go?

Where did the ice that helped to shield me from feeling guilty for hurting people like X go?

I turned my head only so slightly to look at him and it brought our faces just inches from each other and I gulped when I could faintly smell the sweetness of the syrup he had poured all over the waffle I forced him to eat on his breath. He smirked at me and winked as he stood back up and backed off me, I closed my eyes and sighed to refocus my mind as I zeroed in on Nora who had submerged herself in an engaging conversation with Lucas. Although, I think she was doing all the talking, Lucas just looked bored out of his mind … either that or pissed off, I couldn't exactly tell the difference with his placid unresponsive aura.

So I cut in with a light cough and the clearing of my throat which immediately caught Nora's attention and the young mage turned to glare at me with her stunning blue eyes that quickly livened up as she grinned, "Finished bad mouthing me are we?"

I scowled, There was no way she could have heard us, but like technicalities mattered, it didn't take a psychologist to know that I didn't like this girl, "Only if you're finished talking to yourself."

Nora laughed abrasively, "Aren't you the funny one half-breed, lets not forget who's coming to whom for help."

"I don't need your help, you're just a theory I've decided to test out."

She crossed her legs and the chains which connected all along her knee length strap-boots with the platforms at least five inches thick jingled and irritated me more than her high-whiny voice, "Oh really? That's not what Zarry tells me."

"Zarry hasn't said one word since we've arrived."

Her grin darkened, "He doesn't have to …" she trailed and began to tap the side of her head with her finger, it took a second, but I finally understood and I immediately threw up mental barriers to defend myself against the conniving little twit that was half my height without those heels of hers. She hadn't infiltrated my mind, that much I was fully aware of, with my mental training she'd never be able to get passed the first layer of my thoughts without my knowledge. Yet, still, she laughed, "Don't fret your pretty little head demon, your mind isn't as interesting as Zarry's here … now his mind … woo … talk about dark humor, you wanna see some gross stuff, this is the guy to contact."

Lucas barely responded to Nora's comment and I frowned in disgust and glared at Lucas, "Aren't you the least bit offended with her intrusion?"

Lucas blinked and shrugged, "I'm a project to her, and I really don't care."

Nora scoffed, "He's too modest, what he means to say is since he's a sorcerer and due to his lifetime worth of knowledge about the human soul, we're both conducting an experiment to prove that the consciousness exists outside the soul rather than is the soul."

I shook my head when that logic totally blew me away, "What?" I looked at Lucas in shock, "You eat souls, how can you say they don't exist?!"

Nora controlled the discussion, "Hello, weren't you listening? We're not trying to disprove the existence of a soul, but rather its un-involvement with the conscious mind, like, you don't need a soul to live."

"The soul provides the necessities for a human life, without it the body can't emotionally coexist with the rest of the world which is why the body dies due to the fact the brain doesn't believe it exists. Therefore the conscious mind can't go on without the soul." I argued.

She rebuked, "Please, that's monistic! You're basically saying the mind is within the brain and so is the emotional form of human life, you might as well call us all robots with one functionality! 'If you believe it, than it's real.' Don't even go there with me!"

I growled, I don't like losing debates, "I'm saying one can't live without the other, you're saying its one verses the other, it's not nature verses nurture and science so proves that you need both to live."

"And science is bullshit, it's brainwashing all of humanity and I say down with science! How can any one of your stature even believe in that crap when you know there is more out there than just chemicals, molecules, and atoms."

I opened my mouth to further argue my point, but X cut in, "Okay, let's all shut up and get back to the point before my head starts spinning again."

Nora crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, I just bit down on tongue and forced myself not to take the debate onto the next level, the level which involved some form of pain that'll make her want to lose all consciousness. I controlled my violent tendency, however, and sucked in a deep breath to once again civilly ask this girl to give up items needed to get me to Azarath, but just as I formed a sentence in my head she opened her mouth and said, "I'm not giving you anything."

I snarled, "Why not?"

She looked at her badly chewed fingernails and with a nasty smirk flat out told me with a tone of a child, "Because I don't like you."

I turned to Lucas who seemed to be sitting back and taking this like it was none of his business, "Could you tell her that your brother's own life is at stake here!"

She cut in, "Oh, I know, and I'm still not giving you the supplies you need … I don't like you."

I've had it with her, "You selfish sonuva –!" I made a jump to tear her smug little head off, but X grabbed me around my waist and pushed me back.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy Rae! Stop!"

I didn't hear him; all I could hear was her screechy laughter scrapping against chalkboard with those fucked-up nails of hers! I was seeing red. I had to kill her! I had to rip her limb from bloody limb and watch with glee as the wild wolves devoured her innards! I had to get X off me so I could kill her! My nails had lengthened, my teeth turned to razor sharp canines, and I could feel my demon blood pulsing wildly in my veins, I was going crazy! My entire body felt like it was on fire; I had to destroy something, anything! I turned my scarlet eyes down at the obstruction before me, still trying to hold me back, daring to touch me in a way that so violated my personal space.

Faster than he could think, I grabbed X's shoulders, held them tight, and with a quick burst of strength I ripped him off me, spun us around and slammed him up against the wall. A bulletin board beside us shuddered, papers flew up, but then gentle floated back down on their desks anti-climactically while I held X at arms length with my claws cocked back ready for shredding. I couldn't see the confusion in his eyes, I couldn't remember who he was, all I could think about was his interference, and the interference had to die! I hissed and somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear Nora giggling, "And that, my friend, is the nature of the beast."

Lucas sighed heavily in boredom, "I think you've had your fun."

I blocked out the rest of the discussion when the interference began to squirm and grabbed my wrist in an effort to twist it so to free himself. Not a chance, I pulled him back from against the wall and with more force slammed him against it so the bulletin-board rattled more violently. He groaned in pain and uttered through the tight grip I had around his chest, crushing my knuckles against his windpipe to steadily slow his breathing, "Raven … stop …"

I snarled and my grip tightened while I hissed in a deep breath through my tongue, I could taste the sharp cold air, the mold growing in the false walls, the bitterness of the papers around us, and something else that made my stomach churn. His scent … his familiar scent … one that I've imprinted in the back of my mind to always, and to never forget … Drake … that's his name … oh Azar, what was going on?! Slowly, I let him go and stepped away from him when that violent part of me wouldn't go away and was forcing me to finish what I had started.

Drake, was not a significant being in my life, he was not my mate, and neither was he apart of my bloodline. He was still the Interference, but I couldn't hurt him! For some reason he was a familiar and I couldn't find it in myself to hurt him! My head began to spin, whoa, why was I suddenly so confused? I just about tipped over on my side when I felt strong arms wrap around my body and my nose was suddenly pressed to this Drake's chest, I inhaled his scent and I felt the confusion slowly dying down. My head was clearing up, but as the horrible realization that I had nearly killed someone so close to me bore down on my skull I grabbed fists full of his shirt and held my face in it to lose myself in his scent.

For some reason, it was the only thing keeping me from totally losing control of my demon blood, but why? Why had happened? I couldn't understand it? Even more so confusing was why he was holding me after I nearly tried to kill him? Most people I knew would run screaming from the reality of what I am when it finally came to light. I took in a deep breath and as I began to calm down I heard Nora laugh, "Wow … amazing … she's resilient. You must be someone really important to her if all it took was your scent to clear her right up … nice. Boyfriend? Mate? Best Friend perhaps?"

I could feel that insufferable grin on her face, and I stiffened when I felt X's angry aura swirl up in a violent rage, it didn't help that I could feel his voice rumbling through his chest as he shouted over my head, "What the fuck did you do to her?!"

"A scentless, but affective pheromone that agitates demons and I released it through the vents in order to observe her reactions. A full-breed, you see, would just feel uncomfortable, but I've heard that if a half-breed gets a whiff of it and the right buttons are pushed they lose their minds and forget who and where they are. All they can think of is bloodshed, the basic primal animalistic instinct that separates a demon from a human besides their all-perfect super-senses." The way she explained it, I understood it all, but she sounded so cold … like all I was to her was some kind of experiment.

It also seemed to piss X off even more, "So what the fuck were your looking to accomplish if you knew she was going to kill me?!"

I flinched; I didn't want to be reminded of what I nearly had done to him, and to think he cared enough to keep me close, I don't get it … why does he care so much? Nora, on the other hand, didn't care, she snorted cruelly, "She wouldn't have tried to hurt you if you'd have just let her come to me … believe it or not I did have this all planned out."

"You knew she was going to pull this shit?!" I didn't have to look up to know he was shouting at Lucas.

The soul-eater, in his ever monotone voice said, "No … but I didn't put passed her."

"You guys are both fucked up!" Still outraged X grabbed me and harshly yanked me out of the room holding my wrist, but he didn't go through the door we entered from, instead he pulled me through the room to another door that opened up to the second floor of the bookstore.

Nora called out to his, "Don't leave just yet! I still have to give you what you came here for!"

The door slammed shut as we burst out and immediately my head cleared up when I took in a deep breath of the still cold and artificially ventilated building. I may have been glad to be out in the open, but the workers who manned the café up here weren't so happy to see two nonemployees pushing them around the back of their counter to get out. We ignored them, well, X did, I was still trying to take in deep breaths to clear my body of whatever freaky pheromone Nora dosed me with in that tight room. So I let X lead me – despite my wrist already hurting from all his harsh pulling and tugging – through the bookstore out into the sidewalk where I finally took a breath of fresh-air.

He continued to pull me down the street towards his bike, shoving pass pedestrians and still holding me with a vise-grip that suggested he'll never let me go. Sweet of him, but my head was back on straight and I knew we had to go back; I sighed heavily and slowed down to jerk him to a stop. I didn't have to apply much force; he stopped immediately and turned around with a frantic look in his eyes. The stiffness in his shoulders, and the set scowl on his lips told me he was still very unhappy about what Nora – and probably Lucas – had done to me. I gulped and softly said, "We have to go back."

"What?" He more said it in shock than confirmation and I licked my lips as I struggled with myself not to crumble to his desperate tone of voice when he moved in closer to me to make sure he heard me correctly.

I sucked in a deep breath and steeled myself from my own fears of going back.

No, I wasn't scared of Nora, or Lucas … I was just scared of hurting X again if that pheromone should kick in, I chewed on my lower lip, and then repeated with more influence, "We have to go back."

He stared at me as if I grew second head, then looked around as if concerned someone might have been holding me at gunpoint and forcing me to say certain things that I didn't want to. With his hands on my shoulders he looked me dead in my eyes and said, "After what she did you still want her help?"

I took another deep breath and slowly exhaled as I said, "If we go to Jump City we'll be losing time we don't have …"

He frowned, "You sure?"

Damn it all to Hell why did he have to care so much?!

I nodded, "I'm sure …"

No … no I wasn't … that pheromone, whatever it was, scared the shit out of me when I nearly took X's head off and for what? For a reason I myself didn't know … Nora didn't help, neither did Lucas, and if I wasn't strong enough to stop myself who the hell was going to save X from me?! The very idea of going back to that bookstore bothered me like no other, I really, really didn't want to hurt X. I'd kill myself before I ever hurt anyone I cared about, just the thought of pain being inflicted by me on people I knew made me sick … and somehow X saw this in me. How? I didn't bother to ponder anymore … X … was an unsolvable variable to me, how he knew certain things about me will forever remain a mystery.

He hooked my chin with his finger so to tilt my head up to his.

I tried to move away when he leaned down to kiss me, I was still very much aware we were out in the sidewalk where everyone can see us and I wasn't into the whole PDA thing, but he wouldn't let me go. He managed to press his lips to mine softly as a gesture of comfort; I could feel him channeling his emotions into it, letting me know that there was nothing to be afraid of. He pulled away for a minute to let the message sink in before he kissed me again to help me take my mind off of my fears, but I still didn't bother to respond. It was his third kiss that coaxed me to relax and kiss him back just to reassure him that I got his messages.

His hands went to my hips and I wrapped my arms around his neck, to any on-looker it must have looked like we were very much in love, especially to Speedy when I heard him call out to me in shock, "Raven?"

At first I thought I was paranoid … that I was probably hearing things due to that damn pheromone, so I held onto X tighter and pressed my lips to his in a more desperate attempt to silence the voice. He didn't seem to mind, and probably didn't even hear the voice I thought was only in my head, but then it grew louder, and had a tone of confirmation and disbelief, "Raven!"

I pulled away from the kiss to stupidly look to my left and I literally forgot how to breath.

Damn it! Damnit! Dammit!!

Why did I look?!

My appearance resembled nothing like my original-self, looking just incriminated me and since I knew Speedy's eye sight as far from shotty, he would be able to see through my disguise without effort. The whole world ground to a complete stop when my eyes met with Speedy's masked eyes and jarred mouth as he stared at X and I like a bug-eyed fish. For a full minute neither of us did anything, said anything, we didn't even want to say anything. I could feel X trying to calculate how to best maneuver out of this situation, I could sense Speedy quickly sizing up X trying to determine what the hell was it I saw in him to remain by his side, and me? I was just at a loss for words … I didn't know what to do, should I deny it? Try to run? Be honest? Meet him halfway and admit that X was a boyfriend of sorts?

What the hell was I going to do?!

There was no possible way I could deny it, not when I just remembered I had idiotically forgot to mask the brand on my lower back, the tattoo of the bird flying south. Speedy as well as any other Titan looking would have been able to spot me immediately for not many girls decided to get such a tattoo of such an animal flying in the particular direction it was flying in. I couldn't run, where in the HELL would I run to? I couldn't be honest, not if I wanted to keep X out of jail, and seriously, I wasn't too hot about the idea of going to jail myself!

I could say X was my boyfriend … that seemed to be the logical course of action, cater to Speedy's ego by admitting he was right on some imaginary level. However, if X didn't know I was playing a game he might just take it seriously and I could have already buried myself in my own grave! Think Raven! Think! X did the thinking for me, when I saw the light-bulb go off in his eyes and within the minute no one did or said anything, he shifted in his stance and moved so he ever-so discreetly shielded me from Speedy's eyes.

Bad move, very bad move, the body language suggested we had something to hide, and that I probably belonged to him because he looked as if he were protecting me, when it should have been the other way around. I had to fix the problem before Speedy took it the wrong way when X started out by saying, "It's not what you think … I dragged her out here, away from you guys, I just thought –"

"So you're the boyfriend," Speedy sharply cut in with a tone of voice that sliced through whatever lie X was coming up with in half. I even winced at its imaginary fine tip.

X scrambled to keep up, "Uh, well, ye –"

I shut him up before he said something very stupid, "He's not my boyfriend," although as soon as it escaped my mouth and I moved from behind X to stand before Speedy with my arms wrapped around my body to hide as much of my exposed flesh from him. I knew I threw myself under the bus. Both guys were looking at me with narrowed eyes, X was confused, he seemed to be wondering why I was making the lying harder than it had to be. True, it was easier to admit we were in some kind of intimate relationship (because we were in a way), but I couldn't bring myself to say I was anything more than a … an … a … an acquaintance to X. Speedy, however, was not buying it, so I had to sell it, "at least it's not what it looks like … it's … it's very complicated."

"Complicated?" Speedy repeated in disbelief, a mocking tone of disbelief as he scoffed, "It better not be so complicated where you can't explain why I had to come all the way out here to look for you. Robin's lost his damn mind, he thinks this is the second time you've been abducted by Moonburst's brother and has already contacted Starfire to arrange a take-off to Tameran."

I huffed in exasperation, damn it Robin, why did he have to care so much to be considered too much, "Tameran isn't the picture here, I've received an urgent message from Azarath, my home, saying that I have to go back to help with a matter dealing with a child and I just thought if I could get it out of the way the sooner I could get back without doing much damage."

Speedy sneered, "And you couldn't pick up a damn phone to tell us … why?"

X came to my defense, something I didn't want him to, but he did anyway, "Come on man, give her a break, she's just doing what she thinks is right."

Speedy glared at him, "And you think her being with you is right? Has the thought ever occurred to you that you might just be part of her problem?"

I growled, "Stop it Speedy."

X wouldn't let that go, "What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"It means because of you she's been acting erratic and forgoing her duties as a hero who has bigger issues to deal with than a relationship with some civilian who probably doesn't even know what the he's getting himself into."

Speedy was instigating, he wanted to start a fight, for what reason could just be a guy thing I wasn't aware of, but I quickly wedged myself in between the two before a fight broke out. I could see it in X's posture and Speedy's expression they were both itching to tear each other apart, with my back pressed to X's chest I pushed to get him to back off as I held out my hand to Speedy to stop him from further advancing, "Ehhh –" I caught myself before I said X, and said the first name that came to mind, "Drake, let it go."

Speedy sneered, "So the boyfriend has a name."

I snarled, "Leave it alone already! It's not what you think."

"Yeah, I know, it's complicated."

X growled, "What the fucks your problem? So she wasn't at training-camp today, so what, it's not like it's a national emergency, she's entitled to have a life."

"No she's not," Speedy argued and I was just about to take X's side when he continued on to say, "we're not normal like you, alright, we have an obligation, a job that requires us to work on a twenty-four frickin' hour basis to cover your ass. You think I really care what she does on her spare time? No! I don't! What I care about is wasting my goddamn time searching for her ass when all she had to do was pick up the goddamned phone to tell me where she was and life can move on! Instead, I have to drag my ass all the way out here only to find her making-out with you. Now how's that to start the afternoon off!"

I huffed in exasperation, "I was not making out with him."

I was ignored when X spoke up, "She doesn't have to inform you of everything that goes on in her life."

"Clearly, you don't know how things work with us."

"Frankly, I don't give a shit!"

Speedy scoffed, "You think she really cares about you? You think this thing you two have going on is going to last? Shit and I thought she was the delusional one."

Speedy punched the wrong button, X, already pent-up with the Nora-fiasco now found a head to split when the archer just had to push him. I felt X duck for my right and I moved to stop him, but he faked me out, spun around my left to land a solid punch in Speedy's jaw. At least, it would have connected if Speedy hadn't blocked it and nearly jammed a hooked fist into X's gut if the thief hadn't been nimble enough to push off, but they were far from over.

The scene was gathering a crowd, and I had just about had it with their childish antics, "STOP!!" I screamed to gain their attention, but my powers sparked and exploded a nearby fire-hydrant that did the blessing of distracting the civilians from us and even broke up what could have been a nasty fight. Without bothering to wait till they got their heads on straight I grabbed both of their shirts and yanked them into the tight one-person-at-a-time alleyway. I threw Speedy in first, and made X bring up the rear as I forced them to trek deep into the alley till we finally arrived at an open backstreet where various buildings intersected.

It was slimy, grimy, smelled like garbage, and so not a pretty place to be in, but it did its job shielding us from the public eye as I separated the two and eyed either one of them angrily. With my jaw clenching and my hands rolled into tight balls of fists, I hissed, "What, the hell were you two morons going to prove throwing punches in the middle of all those people like that?!"

X snorted, "The asshole deserves to get his ass whooped."

I snapped at him first since he was the first to shoot his mouth off, "Shut up! I don't want to hear it!"

He shot me a look that suggested he might just argue with me, but I disregarded him and turned to address Speedy, "I'm not going back to the Tower unless my missions is complete, tell Robin that, and leave me the hell alone, because as much as I agree with you, Drake is right, you in particular do not need to know everything that goes on in my life. So stop fishing!"

"Wait," Speedy frowned, "so he's going with you to your home planet?"

I huffed, "Dimension, and yes, I need his help."

"…" even though his head seemed station and his gaze seemed fixed on me I knew it wasn't. It was shifting back and forth from X to me and back again, a thought had occurred to him, and my stomach dropped when his abrasive aura suddenly mellowed out and a minute wither of realization struck him, but the feeling was so faint I nearly didn't catch it. I did, and as his shoulders relaxed and his face smoothed out so he now stared at me coolly, I had a feeling I wouldn't like what he had come to terms with in his head. So I didn't bother to ask, only groan in frustration when the next words that left Speedy's lips made me want to tear my hair out, "I'll tell Robin … but the hell I'm going to leave you alone with him without back-up."

X scoffed and muttered, "And so the plot thickens … great …"

"Speedy … don't do this to me, I can take care of myself."

He appeared to roll his eyes, "It's not you I'm worried about Raven." It's him … I finished his sentence for him in my mind as I shook my head in protest, but Speedy made his argument, and it was damn good one, "Look, I tell Robin what's happened to you do you really think he'll let one of his men go off on their own little adventure, particularly you with your track record on off-world explorations? Just be glad that it's me and not someone else."

I scowled, "Glad is hardly the appropriate response to this unlucky turn of events."

X came up to my side and hissed in my ear, "You're really going to let this guy tag along?"

I growled in frustration, "What choice do we have? He's right."

"Let's just ditch his ass right here, we don't need him Raven."

"I am not playing that game."

"He knows my name."

"He'll be figuring out a lot more if you don't stop being such a jerk."

He shot me a dark look that I returned it with an irritated sneer as I shook my head and disregarded everything he said with a tired huff as I brought a hand up to rub the bridge of my nose in order to keep an approaching headache at bay. Speedy, having observed, but never heard our interaction shrugged in expectation, "So? What's the verdict?"

I glared at him and like ripping off a band-aid I said quickly, "Call Robin."

Speedy seemed reluctantly pleased, X was still pissed off, and I couldn't believe how terrible my luck seemed to be nowadays.

--

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, I do own Lucas and Nora though, =P

A/N: Wow … talk about bad timing … sucks to be them that's for sure … and if I made it look like Speedy was being an ass … well, that's because that was the point, it wasn't because he was jealous he was just being Speedy. I always figured him to be the kinda guy to grumble if someone bothered him on what he calls 'his time.' As for Nora, all will be explained in the next chapter where that little she-devil is concerned, in the meantime.

L8er daez!!