Chapter 9...where not everything is as it seems...

Sunday had come and gone, and Red-X stood up on the roof once again, performing the same routine he had for the past two diamonds from the Alcina collection. Up in the sky was the first quarter moon, the right half of the white orb fading into the dark night. As Red-X watched the laser beam shoot up continuously, he couldn't help but feel a bit antsy. This was only the third diamond from the Alcina collection. There were still nine more to go. It's been almost two weeks, and they've only gotten three of the damn rocks. But he knew he had to wait. If he took the whole collection at once, the police and the Titans would be looking all over the place for him. But with them more worried about protecting the rest of the collection rather than finding the missing pieces, at least he had a few days of peace in between. But still – having to wait three, four, sometimes five days in between missions? If it weren't for the fact that they've been planning for this for years now, and that there was more than one life on the line, Red-X would have faltered by now. Looking down at the paper – the three circles that were hit repeatedly – Red-X checked it before he took everything down: zero.

That's three down. But soon it will be four. He just had to wait until Thursday.

...

"So what's so special about Thursday?" asked Jason as they sat in one of the booths of the ice cream shop. It's been a few days since the picnic and Red-X's vague hint of his next break in, and Raven was glad for the distraction of planning and training.

"I have no idea," said Raven, sighing heavily. "I thought looking in to the days that Red-X took the other diamonds would give me a hint, but it seems random."

Jason frowned. "What days were they?"

"Sunday, Wednesday, and then Sunday again. Next is Thursday. Robin thinks it might be some pattern, and Sunday seems to be a favored day so far, but it's hard to tell. Red-X can be unpredictable like that."

"Have you found anything in your books?" inquired Jason as he stole a spoonful of Raven's ice cream.

"Bits and pieces," replied Raven. "Mainly on the history of Alcina."

"And?"

"Well, it's none of that nonsense that they say on the news," she said, rolling her eyes. "She was not a princess, nor did her father ask for the best diamonds in the world in exchange for his daughter's hand in marriage."

Jason snorted. "I figured as much. So what is the story of Alcina and her 'twelve lovers'?

"Just that," said Raven, slapping his hand away as he tried to take another spoonful of her ice cream, "a story of Alcina and twelve of her lovers…

"Alcina was a sea nymph. She had the ability to create tsunamis, whirlpools – anything that has to do with water. She even had the ability to use the water to heal. Some of the books even mentioned being able to heal the most fatal of wounds or diseases. But anyway, she was described as this beautiful creature, more so than sirens, and she was a free, nearly defiant spirit. Nymphs are supposed to remain with their own kind, so any other relationship would be considered sin. But Alcina lusted for mortal men, to the point that she considered herself in love with the men that caught her eye. So, she took on mortals as lovers against her better judgment. But, once she tired of them, she would turn them into diamonds.

"There were thirteen diamonds – thirteen lovers. Her 13th lover, Astolpho, was turned into a diamond, but was freed by Alcina's younger sister, Melissa. Melissa had fallen genuinely in love with Astolpho and was willing to give up her immortality to be with him. It's said that the two sisters battled under the Red Moon, the youngest coming out as victor. Melissa freed Astolpho and banished Alcina to a location that, to this day, is still unknown, and took away most of her powers and her immortality. All Melissa allowed her was a few water tricks and some a small hint of healing abilities. Alcina, no longer having the power to change her lovers back to human form, took the diamonds with her.

"After Alcina's death, the diamonds of her lovers were sent back to their country of origin," continued Raven. "They were found years, decades, and centuries after the other. They were all considered so magnificent, that they were connected to the Myth of Alcina, which, since then, got muddled up as different superstitions and mythologies were created. When all twelve diamonds were found, they were given the name 'Twelve Lovers of Alcina'."

Jason, who had been listening attentively for the entire explanation, sat there for a while in thought before clicking his tongue. "Well, that still doesn't explain why Red-X is going after the collection on random days."

"No," sighed Raven, "it doesn't." Jason watched as Raven played with her already melting ice cream, frowning as she went deep in thought.

"I'm going to do some digging," stated Jason after a moment. Seeing her confused face, he smirked. "I'm sure I can find some information that even your precious books don't have."

Raven scoffed in disbelief. "Okay, I can admit that your computer hacking skills are illegally impressive, but what makes you think that you would find something on a sea nymph who hasn't existed in over hundreds of years? You know it took me some time, and some spells, just to find the history of Alcina in magical spell books. What makes you think you can find something on a man-made device?"

"Hey, technology is the new magic," said Jason defensively. "Yeah, and computers are the new spells, while the words typed in to them are the rituals."

Laughing, Raven nodded. "That makes sense…in a very outreaching way I guess."

"I'll find something," assured Jason. "Just give me some time."

"You know you don't have to."

"Yeah I know," said Jason, "but I want to. Red-X is working on some kind of pattern. If I can figure out his pattern, perhaps it would make it easier for you and your team to be able to stop him."

"Red-X will never be stopped," blurted Raven, covering her mouth as soon as the words left her mouth. As Jason stared at her in surprise, she groaned before putting her hand down. Pointing at him accusingly, she growled, "Never repeat this to Robin." Raising his hands defensively, Jason nodded. "Never, since Red-X has been around, have we been able to catch him – not once. Unless he wants to get caught, we'll never be able to catch him."

"You seem oddly okay with that…"

"Not okay," explained Raven, "but realistic. Besides, he's not really much of a bad guy."

"What do you mean?"

"He's a thief, but he's not evil like others we've faced," said the sorceress. "He's selfish, arrogant, cocky, and just a pain in the ass, but he's not evil. If anything, he's more of an anti-hero than a villain. I mean, he's proven that he's willing to pay back his debts by helping us out a few times, and he's never tried to actually hurt us – save for that one time –" Jason winced at the reminder of what she had told him, "but his focus is mainly getting away, rather than getting us out of the way."

"That makes sense I think," muttered Jason. "But don't you still have to put him in jail?"

Raven sighed. "Yeah, but even I'm willing to admit that his absence will be noted."

Jason sat there next to her, taking in the sight of her before turning slightly to come face to face with her. "Raven, I want to do something, but I'm going to need your permission for it."

Frowning, Raven gestured him to continue. "What is it?"

Hesitating, Jason took in a breath before asking, "Can I hear your heartbeat? I just…I just need to know it's still beating…"

Tilting her head in a way that said 'are you serious?' Raven let out a small giggle, considering it to be some kind of weird joke. However, when she noticed the seriousness in his expression, the empath knew that he was asking more than just checking if her organs were working appropriately; he was asking for assurance that she was still here. Taking in a breath, Raven nodded her consent. Jason smiled briefly before leaning closer, resting his ear against her chest. To any other person, it would seem as if they were cuddling, but Raven knew that this was much more to the young man that was currently leaning against her. Jason waited silently as he searched for the soft thumping against her chest, the thumping that would tell him that the girl in front of him was still very much alive. Sure enough, he heard it. Th-thump…th-thump…th-thump…th-thump…

Closing his eyes, Jason allowed the rhythmic sound to relax him. He pulled her closer by wrapping his arms around her thin waist and pressed firmly against her. The way her heart thumped against her chest rang like a lullaby as it soothed away any unease he had at knowing that there was once a time when the sound was nonexistent. For some reason that she could only guess at this point, Raven knew that the information had affected Jason in a deeper level than she would have liked.

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate how worried he became, but it was almost unnerving how much she liked the attention he was giving her. She liked that he cared, she liked how he held her, how he pressed his ear against her chest, how he looked at her like a goddess rather than a demon. There was darkness in him, a kind of darkness that she could only relate to, that clouded his judgment, but at the same time motivated him to be better. As much Raven hated to admit it, she knew that there was a connection forming between them, one that is not forced like her bond with Robin, or necessary like her relationship with her team, but one that could only be created by them. She shouldn't like it, not with how fast it's happening, but she did. Perhaps it was time she let the fire ignite and let the flames consume her.

"Beautiful," murmured Jason, in a voice that made him sound half asleep. Pulling away slightly, he smiled at her, his eyes gazing down at her lips. Blushing, Raven felt his breath as he leaned forward ever so slowly, until finally she decided she didn't want to wait. Closing the gap between them, Raven melted as she felt their lips meet. A surge of desire ran through her like a stream of electricity coursing through every fiber in her body, igniting her like a match. Based on the feelings that were radiating off of Jason, she knew that he was just the same. That knowledge made her wrap her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. The fact that they were in a public ice cream shop made them both pull away to stare at each other's eyes with promise of a later time.

"I really like you Raven," sighed Jason, placing a small peck on her lips before quickly pulling away or else being tempted to make it last.

Raven smiled as she gave him a kiss back. "I really like you too Jason."

...

"Is everyone in position?"

Raven replied in the affirmative as she waited in a portal she created at the darkest corner of the room. The Dresden Diamond was encased in the middle of the room, the light inside the case making the natural green diamond seem almost emerald. The rest of her team were off in a different section, bracing themselves for the confrontation that, to this moment, Raven was unsure was going to happen at this location. Pressing the button of the tiny communicator in her ear, Raven whispered, "How do we even know Red-X is going to come for this one tonight? The rest of the collection is scattered around town – what if he goes for a different diamond?"

"I have a feeling about this one," replied Robin. "I know it's a long shot, but I needed to go with my gut on this one."

"And if he goes for a different diamond?"

"We'll know," said Robin, "and we'll stop him."

"Yeah," agreed Beast Boy. "Cyborg did that biometric scanning thing. We'll know where Red-X as soon as he puts a gloved hand on the case."

"That's just it," groaned Raven. "He never touches the case."

Starfire decided to join in the conversation at that moment to say, "Do not fret Raven. One way or another, we will stop the Red-X."

"Besides," said Cyborg's voice, "it looks like Robin's hunch was on point. There he comes."

Sure enough, zipping down to hover above the case, Red-X was pulling out a red sticker from his belt. Raven watched silently, waiting for the right moment, her fingers twitching with black energy. As soon as the top of the cased turned to nothing but steam, when she saw Red-X's gloved hand reaching for the diamond, Raven chanted her mantra, opening a small portal beneath the diamond, making it fall through and out of the thief's grasp. Confused, Red-X tried to reach into the portal, but it closed before he could even react.

"Shit," cursed Red-X.

"Even if you get away," announced Robin, coming up behind the thief, "you're leaving empty handed."

"Sorry kid," said Red-X, "but that's a 'no can do'."

Taking out his x-blades, Red-X charged at the Titan, slicing through the air as Robin dodged each attack swiftly. Flinging the blade at the Boy Wonder, Red-X watched in surprise as the red blade went through the Robin figure, but only connecting with the wall behind it. As the hologram reformed, the fake Robin smirked beneath its hood. "Did you really think it would be that easy?"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," grumbled Red-X. "I didn't expect the Titans reducing themselves to hiding in the shadows."

Cyborg, creeping up behind the thief, smirked and said, "Who's hiding?"

As soon as he turned to face the half-robot man, Red-X was sent flying back from the blast of the sonic cannon. Steadying himself, the thief stood up, only to be grabbed by his shoulders and lifted from the ground. Looking up, he realized he was in the claws of a green pterodactyl. Taking out a red ball from his pouch, Red-X threw it up to the green dinosaur, but it didn't hit its target. Starfire flew next to them, shooting her laser beam from her eyes. As it made contact with the red ball, the red goo activated prematurely, wrapping itself around the thief. Beast Boy released him to land on the ground in a harsh thud. Red-X seemed to be struggling to free himself, but he remained quiet as the Titans surrounded him. Seeing he would not be getting free, the lone thief sighed before stopping his actions.

"Not bad kid," he said to Robin. "How'd you know I was aiming for this diamond tonight?"

"Gut feeling," replied Robin with a triumphant smirk.

"You got lucky," grumbled Red-X.

Beast Boy, jumping up and down next to Raven, grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her with excitement. "So? Are we finally going to see the face beneath the mask?"

"You bet we are," said Robin. As he got closer to the thief, he and his team held their breaths in anticipation. After so many years, they were finally going to find out who hid behind the mask. They had caught him, and who knew that it would be so easy…'Too easy,' thought Raven, frowning as Red-X stood completely still.

"Something's not right," she whispered, earning a questioning glance from the green teen next to her. "There is no way he would give himself up so easily."

With eyes widening in surprise, Beast Boy blurted out, "Wait!" Everyone turned to him in surprise. "Raven's right. It shouldn't be this easy. After all we've learned of Red-X, it wouldn't be like…this. It took us less than five minutes for crying out loud."

Robin frowned before snarling at his teammate. "We have a chance to finally know who Red-X is, and I'll be damned if we don't take it." Turning back to Red-X, Robin's expression turned serious as he stepped closer to the captured thief. As he grabbed the mask, the Boy Wonder suddenly stopped. Beneath the mask, Red-X started laughing soundlessly, his shoulders lifting with amusement.

"You should start listening to your team Boy Blunder," he said, "because you of all people should know that it will never be that easy."

As soon as those words made their way out of the thief's mouth, the lights were shut off, the alarm of Jump City's public gym letting out a deafening sound. The ringing was so loud that all the Titans had to cover their ears. In the darkness, with only Beast Boy and Cyborg being able to see, the thief cut himself out of the red goo easily and walked up to an unknowing Robin. Cyborg aimed his sonic, but hesitated as the thief stood behind his team leader, and Beast Boy, morphed into a lion, crouched on the floor, ready to attack at the given chance. Red-X, with his mask most likely having night vision, grabbed their leader's arm and swung him towards the two Titans. Both dodged easily, but as soon as they turned back toward the thief, all they found was red goo with Red-X nowhere to be found.

...

The Titans arrived at the tower with sullen expressions, except for the leader who was seething at their lack of success. As soon as they entered the Main Ops rooms, he barked at them to take a seat at the large sofa. The next hour consisted of Robin shouting about them allowing their emotions get in the way, about their need for more training, about their lack of resolve. In the end, all his antagonistic attention was aimed at Raven putting doubt into everyone's mind back at the gym. "Your hesitation is unacceptable. Even if the capturing was easy, Red-X was at our disposal! We could've known who he was, found out his identity and have him incarcerated by now. Were you deliberately trying to mess us up Raven?"

"Hey, chill out Robin," warned Cyborg. "Beast Boy and I saw Red-X cutting himself out of the goo without a problem. He could've gotten out whenever he wanted."

"So?"

"It could've been a trap," said Beast Boy, his ears lowering when Robin's attention focused on him. "It was like he was waiting for you to get closer."

Robin growled at them. "The situation was under control."

Starfire stood up and went over to her boyfriend. "Raven was only 'looking out' for your safety Robin. She was not attempting to ruin the mission – she was making sure you would not be harmed." The alien princess placed her hand on his shoulder, but he immediately brushed it away. Sighing, Raven reaching into her belt and pulled out the green Dresden Diamond, lifting it so that her leader would see it.

"I'm sorry I ruined your moment," said Raven in a monotone voice. At hearing her tone, Robin immediately stilled. Ever since their defeat of Trigon, Raven was able to connect to her emotions more freely, meaning that she was able to speak in a way that showed how she was feeling. But whenever she spoke in monotone, it meant that the emotions she was feeling were too strong and that she needed to restrain herself before releasing an uncontrollable amount of negative energy. Everyone knew that when she spoke in that tone, it was best to step down. "I know of all the things we are supposed to be doing – protecting the city, protecting the Alcina collection – knowing the identity of Red-X is far more important to you. But there is something about the collection that cannot be allowed into the wrong hands. I don't know what it is yet, but I know it has something to do with the history of Alcina. The Dresden Diamond is safe and out of Red-X's hands. For all I know, we have succeeded for tonight."

Rising up from the couch, Raven stood there for a moment, waiting in case Robin made some kind of retort. When nothing came, the half-demon turned and walked out of the room, making her way into the solitude of her room. Exhaling deeply, Raven walked over to her closet, taking off her cloak and hanging it, followed by her signature belt. Unbuckling the straps on her shoulders, the let her dress fall to her feet, leaving her only in her silky blue bra and matching panties. Usually her pj's would consist of a spaghetti strap and some comfortably baggy pants, but tonight was not a night of comfort. Robin accusing her of throwing the mission got her so heated – and not in the good way – that she needed to cool off, emotionally and physically, which is why she crawled into bed in just her underwear, not even bothering to pull the blanket over herself.

Twisting to her side, the half-demon turned the small green diamond in her fingers, eyeing it questioningly as she tried to figure out what exactly this little, shiny rock has to do with the mystery behind the history of Alcina. What could Red-X possibly have planned for these things? 'It has to do something with the vision I had at the aquarium,' thought Raven. 'But…would Red-X really be willing with dabble with dark magic?' As that question circled in her thoughts, Raven soon felt herself starting to doze off. Before she could fully fall into slumber, the young empath tensed as she felt an unwelcomed presence in her room, watching her.

"Are you so willing to die tonight?" asked Raven quietly, the promise of death obvious in her voice.

"To die would be an awfully big adventure."

Eyes snapping open, Raven turned to where the synthesized voice came from. Sitting up, she watched as Red-X came out from the darkest corner of her room, arms crossed, and if she were to guess, a smirk behind that half-skull mask. Raven frowned irritatingly, mainly at herself for not sensing him as soon as she walked into the room, and stated, "Quoting Peter Pan? Kind of sadistic don't you think?"

"It's a quote from a beloved fairy tale character that promotes the innocence of youth," retorted Red-X, actually having the audacity to sit down at the edge of her bed, just a few inches away from her exposed legs. "How could that possibly be sadistic?"

"You do know the original story of Peter Pan, don't you?" When she saw him shrug in indifference, she rolled her eyes. "Peter Pan and his band of lost boys? Pan would be able to remain young, but the lost boys would eventually grow up. However, before they would get too big, Pan would kill them and kidnap more boys to replace them. In continuation, Captain Hook and his crew were actually lost boys that had managed to escape and made it their mission to kill Peter Pan."

Red-X stared at her in silence for a moment after her tale before clicking his tongue nonchalantly. "You really know how to set the mood don't you Sunshine."

"What are you doing here Red-X?" asked Raven.

"I figured that would be rather obvious," he said, gesturing at the stone in her hand. "I came to finish my mission."

"Well I'm not going to compromise mine," stated Raven, enfolding the stone in dark energy.

"I guess we have come to an impasse."

"I guess so." Both of them sat there frozen as their stares bore into each other, daring the other to make the first move. Raven kept her whole focus on Red-X, trying to not let her mind wander into the fact that she was half-naked, with a masked man in her room, not even five feet away from her. As the minutes ticked by, Raven actually felt the tension loosen, and decided to be the one to finally break the ice. "What do you want with the Alcina Collection X?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"I would," answered Raven. "The entire collection is worth more than even Bruce Wayne could afford. Why not just get the entire collection instead of taking them one by one?"

Red-X shrugged nonchalantly. "It's fun messing with bird brain."

"It's something else, and you know it." Raven sat up straighter, leaning in to whisper, "And I know you're looking for the Fountain of Life."

It was only for one brief second, more than enough time for Raven to see his shoulders tense ever the slightest amount and to hear his heart skip that one beat. All form of banter left his voice as the thief said, "Would you stop me if I was?"

"I'm only going to warn you," she said. "The Fountain of Life is not as holy as legends make it sound. It's dark magic – it comes with a price."

"One I'd be gladly to pay to get what I want."

"Would you?" Raven sat up straighter, her eyes daring him to keep her gaze, and shook her head almost pityingly. "Think of the one thing you care about X. The one thing that helps you sleep at night, that makes your job and your life worth it, the one thing that would kill you if it were lost. That is the price you would have to pay."

Before she could even blink, Raven found herself pushed back against her bed, gloved hands wrapped tightly around her throat. When she refused to gasp in surprise, or even gasp for air, Red-X tightened his grip, his heart drumming rapidly in his chest. Raven felt the anger radiating off of him, but what stood out more was the fear instilled by her words. When black spots began to form in her vision, Raven closed her eyes, raising her hands to rest on Red-X's chest. No magic left her hands; no spell was recited in her mind, just a small plea to release her from his firm grasp. It was enough.

Loosening his grip, Red-X let out a breath that he had been holding for the entire time he held the sorceress in a chokehold. His shoulders sagged as he leaned down to press his mask against her forehead. Raven kept her eyes closed, knowing that he would not harm her tonight. Though it was not conventional, Raven and Red-X had established a truce of some sort a while ago when the latter snuck into her room the first time to ask for her help in healing a wound he had received from a deal gone wrong. After a long healing session, they both realized just how thin the line was between good and bad – it was almost nonexistent. From then on, both respected the other enough to not want to physically harm the other without there being a reason for it, and it was enough to say that a small form of friendship had been created – the smallest.

She knew she should feel guilty about her platonic relationship with the thief, and that there was no way Robin would ever forgive her from keeping it a secret from the team, especially now that he was becoming obsessed again, but there was something about Red-X that made her feel at ease with him. Sure, they were still on opposite ends of the law, but despite Robin's insistence, Red-X wasn't necessarily a bad guy. Even now, as he weighed himself on top of her, his mask pressed against her forehead, Raven could tell that he had no evil intentions with the diamonds of Alcina, just misdirected. Something in him was telling him that was he was doing, what he sought after, was the only option. Sighing, Raven pushed him back, putting enough space between them that she could sit up once again.

After a long silence, Red-X murmured, "I don't care about anyone but myself. I'll pay that price."

He was lying. She knew he was lying, but nodded nonetheless. As she opened her mouth to respond, her communicator went off on the night table next to her bed. Reaching over, she saw Jason's name on the small screen. It was at that moment she realized just how exposed she was with her lack of clothing, and just how intimate her previous position with the thief had been. Guilt and embarrassment waved through her as she saw the name, and it only increased when Red-X stood up from her bed and walked to the far side of the window.

"Wouldn't want to keep your boyfriend waiting," he chuckled.

Raven watched as he went to push the X button on his belt, but before he pressed it, she called out to him. Walking over to him, fighting the blush as she once again acknowledged her very revealing attire, and sighed. The black energy surrounding the Dresden Diamond vanished, and the small rock landed soundlessly in her open palm. "I don't know exactly what you're doing, but just for tonight will I give you a break." As Red-X reached for the diamond, Raven pulled it back, her eyes giving him a warning. "Just for tonight X."

"Just for tonight," repeated the thief with a nod. He reached out once again to grab the diamond from Raven's hand, and this time she didn't pull away. Pressing his luck, he pulled her forward a bit, raising her hand, and then he lifted his mask up above his lips and pressed them softly to her knuckles. Pulling his mask down, he smirked when he noticed Raven had turned away for the entire gesture. It was a silent understanding they had – if he lifted his mask for any amount, Raven would look away so as not to see any part of him. They both knew that if she noticed any particular feature, she would have to tell her teammates, and that would mean revealing their little arrangement.

The communicator in Raven's hand chimed once again, Jason's name screaming at her as she bit her lip. Without a word, Red-X pulled away from her and disappeared from sight. Raven let out a breath of relief and then turned her attention to her communicator, opening it and giving a small "Hello?"

"Hi Miss Raven!"

"Anthony?" said Raven in surprise, a smile forming on her lips. "Wow, Anthony, hi. How are you?"

"I'm okay," was the reply. "Sorry I'm calling so late."

"It's okay, even though you should be asleep by now. Where's Jason?"

"He's in the restroom right now," replied Anthony. Based on his breathing sounding louder, she could tell he was cupping the phone in case anyone on the other side was to hear. "He had some burritos for dinner, and he's been in the restroom for a long time."

Scrunching her nose in disgust, she said, "Ew. That's gross."

"I know," laughed Anthony. "Miss Raven? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," said Raven, going back to sit on her bed, her back against the headboard. "Shoot."

"Do you love my brother?"

Her eyes widening, Raven had to catch herself before she let out a laugh of surprise. "I – uh…heh. Anthony, why would you ask that? You know Jason and I just met a few weeks ago."

"I know. But I think he might be falling in love with you."

"…Why would you think that?"

Anthony hesitated before he answered. "He took you to meet the family. He smiles when you come visit me and whenever someone brings you up. His eyes sparkle when he looks at you."

"I think it's too early to tell Anthony," stated Raven, but the butterflies in her stomach didn't go unnoticed. "I like your brother – a lot actually. And he seems to like me back. But we might not get to the love department just yet."

"Do you think you might love him in the future?"

Raven hesitated. It was a simple question; 'might' is a kind of possibility, and anything is possible in this world, but there was something that made it much more complicated. Even though she never would admit it out loud, especially when things were getting much more complicated and tense between her and a few of her teammates, Red-X has managed to make an impression on her the past year. He's snuck into her room a few times now without being detected, and his vibe shows that he doesn't want to hurt her, or any of her friends for that matter. There was an understanding between them that unfortunately drew her to him. But then again, Jason was a breath of fresh air. With him, she was more than just a Titan; she was just Raven. He treated her as though she were a queen rather than a demon, yet he challenged her, made her feel like an equal – no one was inferior to the other.

"Possibly," answered Raven with a sigh. "He would…he would be the better choice. Hmm…you want to know a secret Anthony?"

"I won't tell anyone, I promise!" said Anthony, and based on his tone, he was serious.

"I'm scared to love someone."

"But why?"

Raven frowned. 'That's a good question'. "I guess it's because I'm scared that I won't live up to what they want from me. I'm scared that the bad inside me would make me hurt the other person. I'm scared of being misunderstood." She paused and shakily exhaled. "And I'm scared of relying on someone to hold my heart and not break it."

There was silence on the line, and when she didn't hear a response, Raven almost regretted admitting that to a seven year old, but was relieved when she heard Anthony speak, even though the words that came out of his mouth weren't what she expected. "I'm not going to live a long time Miss Raven."

She knew that. From the very beginning, Raven knew that this will be Anthony's last summer, but it was heartbreaking to hear just how accepting this little boy was of his fate. Instead of giving words of false hope, she listened intently to every word. "Jay is going to have a broken heart. He is going to be angry for a long time, and sad for a long time. He is going to be lost…But Miss Raven…I don't want him to be alone."

"…He won't be alone."

...

He cut off communication tonight. Raven's words were swirling around in his mind in a loop, and he figured her voice in his head was one voice too many. 'Think of the one thing you care about X… That is the price you would have to pay.' Growling in annoyance, Red-X positioned the telescope and waited for the beam to do it's magic. As he waited, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the Titan sorceress that he left back at the tower, smirking as he remembered her choice in night wear. There was nothing better than seeing Jump City's Forbidden Fruit so ripe. Red-X wasn't stupid enough to deny that he was attracted to the Titan – the tightness in his pants wouldn't allow him to. But then again, he wasn't stupid enough to do something about it…yet. They had a mutual understanding, and he couldn't mess it up. Once he got this job done…well, things will be much different.

Looking down, he noticed the beam already going through with its pattern, going counterclockwise as it went in a square for the first four spaces. 'Seven' thought Red-X as he put everything away. Taking the Dresden Diamond into his gloved hand, he stared at it warmly. "Lucky number seven."

Next time on Twelve Lovers of Alcina

Things start to get heated between teammates:

"What the fuck do you mean the Dresden Diamond is gone!"

"You gave your word that Red-X would not be able to get a hand on that diamond."

"You need to stop getting on Raven just because Red-X is under your skin Robin."

"You've done enough talking for today."

But there's another fire burning:

His dilated eyes looking at her in surprise, uncertainty, and pure, unadulterated lust.

"Raven…"