Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline and any original characters. Everything else belongs to DC Comics.

Chapter Twenty:

"Can you scry for Slade?" Robin asks. Raven bites her lip. "The only reason I could scry for Jinx is because she shares my blood. There is a way of locating Slade, but I don't have the things I would need for the spell. Do you think Slade has Jinx?"

Terra walks forward. "Slade made me a proposition," she admits.

She then goes on to explain everything that happened in that mine, with Slade telling her she would never learn control if he didn't teach it to her. Slade telling her that the Titans would never accept her. Slade telling her that she was doomed if she didn't become his apprentice.

"Terra," Beast Boy whispers, "you didn't believe him, right?"

She looks away, keeping her eyes downcast. "I did, but I don't anymore. My control is so much better with Raven and Rorek teaching me. I would never join him, but my point is that Slade will do anything. He has no way of getting at Beast Boy to manipulate me, but if he can manipulate Raven…"

The other Titans nod. "We're going after Jinx, Raven," Robin says. "We being Terra, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg and I. You're not coming. I won't risk you. You'll stay back with Rorek and Asteriel to protect the city."

Raven starts to protest before realizing Robin won't budge. She looks at Rorek. 'I'm not helping you on this one, Raven. It's Robin's decision, he is your leader. Besides, I agree with him. Slade is one nasty piece of work and I don't trust him to leave you in peace. Let the others go after Jinx. She'll understand.'

She nods once, backing down. Robin smiles gratefully. "We'll bring her back, I promise."

Little did Raven know, Robin would soon be saying those words to another in a similar context.

The team heads out almost immediately, leaving Raven with Rorek and Asteriel. "How are you?" Asteriel asks her fellow female. Raven glowers at her. "How do you think I am? I've spent my entire life protecting Lorna, only to fail her now. How should I be, Hydro?"

"Hydro?" She echoes. "Why would you call me that?"

"You're hydrokinetic," Rorek says. "Like I'm pyrokinetic. Like Terra is a geomancer. You manipulate water in all forms. It's rather impressive really."

"Okay," she says slowly, "and I'm guessing Lorna is Jinx's real name?"

"Lorna is Jinx's Azarathian name. No one is sure of her true name. It's much like Raven. Her name is Rachel, given to her by the monks of Azarath, but she chooses to be called Raven. While both of these are her names, her aliases, no one knows Raven's true name."

"My demonic name," she whispers.

Asteriel stares in shock. Demonic? This sorceress has demon blood? And Robin trusts her? Robin is in love with a demon? Then again, Robin isn't a very good judge of character.

Raven scowls. "I can hear your thoughts, Asteriel, and I don't appreciate them. I'm only half-demon thank you, and Robin wouldn't trust me if he knew. None of them know. And Robin isn't in love with me either."

The only man in the room chuckles darkly. "He used to be, and I think he still might be. However, a person can be in love with more than one being at a time. He might hold some semblance of his earlier emotions for Raven, but he also has some of those emotions for you, Asteriel."

The blonde in question shakes her head rapidly. "No, he isn't in love with me. I'm just a distraction." A loud thump sounds and Rorek realizes Raven hit the back of Asteriel's head. "Don't bother denying your emotions to an empath, Hydro."

"It's Mumbo Jumbo," Raven tells Rorek and Asteriel. The other girl fights to keep a straight face. "You mean the crack pot magician?"

"Yes. That's exactly who I mean. He's robbing a bank and we get to go intercept him. It's awful. The man doesn't know real magic until it hits him in the face. Anyway, I want to see how your fire powers," Raven says to Rorek before turning to Asteriel, "and your water powers work together. I need to know if they'll enhance each other or cancel the other out."

Raven teleports the trio to the bank on first street. True to the alarm's words, Mumbo Jumbo stands in front of the bank, tapping his foot and apparently waiting for the Titans. "Why wouldn't he just run away?" Asteriel asks confused. Raven shrugs. "Why does Mumbo Jumbo do anything?"

"Ah, at last the Teen Titans…" Mumbo trails off with his speech when he realizes there is only one official Titan in front of him, though the other two are Honorary Titans. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can we just get on with the butt kicking?" Asteriel demands.

Raven raises an eyebrow. She's used to the other Titans wanting to drag out the threat portion of the evening. Having two others that just want to get the fight over with is a breath of fresh air.

Of course, getting the fight over with wasn't quite that simple.

For once in Raven's life, Mumbo insists on putting up a half-way decent fight.

The magician causes the street lamps to come to life, which Asteriel and Rorek quickly take on. Raven descends to the ground, intending to fight Mumbo herself. The villain in question sends dangerous cards in her direction. One of them delivers a swift cut to Raven's cheek. The cut immediately sends blood falling down from it.

Her eyes flash murderously. "You dare draw my blood?" She growls out, allowing her demonic side to slip through the cracks.

Mumbo begins to cower in fear. Raven adopts a dangerous smirk. "You're done, Mumbo."

In moments she has him tied up with an extremely warped vault door. But moments after that, Mumbo and Rorek stare in shock as a vindictive blonde vigilante knocks the sorceress out of the air.

"Raven!" Rorek yells out as Asteriel disappears with the injured sorceress. Rorek growls, "What the hell just happened?"

AN: So, yeah, that just happened. What did y'all think?