Exceptions: The Thief and the Hero

My first Author's Note!:

"Why are we here again?"

"You heard de petite, Chere, she had something to show us."

"Aw, there you two are, now we can start the story."

"Ya're dragging us into another fanfiction disclaimer, aren't ya? I thought ya were above that, B."

"I think this will be a great learning experience for you guys, Rogue. It should really bring you two together."

"For the love of- Ah don't like the Cajun!"

(In unison) "Sure ya don't."

"C'mon Chere, ya know ya can't resist Remy. But what do we have to do wit des two, petite?"

"They remind me of you guys, the similarities are actually amazing."

"You mean he's Cajun, a mutant, and has an exquisite taste in belle southern femmes?"

"No actually, a northerner, he's human, and his affections are directed towards a half demon. But he does steal and blow up several things during the course of the story, besides flirt his way into the heart of a very stubborn, tres belle fille."

"Sounds 'bout right to Remy, petite."

"See what ya done, Swamp Rat? Ya've gone and corrupted her into being a female version of ya. Might as well announce the disclaimer to save us all from hearing more of this."

"Good so you're offering, sweetie?"

"Will it shut you two up?"

(In unison) "Maybe."

"Fine. Blackberry up there doesn't own the following: Marvel, DC comics, the Teen Titans, Jason Todd, or Mexico. Or any songs that may seem to go along with this story."

"Try Nickelback's Photograph for the prologue! But I still don't own it or Rogue and Remy. I just borrow all of it and realign it the way I see fit. Life is just not fair."

If anyone ever thought the night life was easy, let me tell you, they were wrong. Some people say there is nothing in the dark that isn't there in the day. Once again, wrong. Who knows, a part of that might be true, the same things exist at night: people, cars, dogs, the rats down the back alley, and, of course, politicians but that still goes along with the rat thing. But the thing is, though they may look the same as they do during the day, people's intentions change at night. They can become decidedly more dangerous, creatures that stalk around in the shadows, finding an elusive alibi that the cover of night offers them. How do I know? I am dangerous. Well, at least if you're a rare jewel or a government's newest security chip, I'm dangerous. If you're just a kid walking home from the arcade at night, I'm probably not going to bother you. I moved up from pick-pocketing and on to higher stakes a long time ago -though that couple sitting on the park bench, all lovey-dovey, might be the exception tonight. There is such a thing as being too sickeningly in love. They've just about reached their quota. But onto more important things. Yes, after several years as a professional thief, I rose up in the crime syndicate and truth be told, there are probably very few things more dangerous than me. Anyone who can follow a mark for over fourteen states, break into a vault designed by NASA, and steal the head of the CIA's badge all without being noticed is pretty dangerous. But where's the glory in that? That's probably why I started this whole dance with the Titans, let's face it: I like the attention. So let me introduce myself. Hi, I'm Red X, and tonight, I'm about to pull off the greatest heist in history.

The fact that there was already a crime in progress really didn't faze me. Outside of Gotham and Metropolis, Jump City had to have the worst crime rate in history. That was, supposedly, the main reason the Titans had set up shop here. Personally, I just figured the city was some giant magnet for weirdos in tights, me being excluded of course.

But weirdos aside, it wasn't a bad place to live or to make a living. Right now, since our honorable heroes were distracted it was probably the best time for a little shopping spree. Now if only I could make it to the target.

I've always been under the impression that it just wasn't fair. Here were these pieces, the legacies, of the greatest visionaries' of history lives, and some guy with a girlfriend half his age would sell it at a moment's notice if she thought it didn't match the furniture. Honestly, it was like the paintings were screaming to be stolen, to be taken away from some dank (room temperature monitored, humidity controlled), dark (spot light, with faint glowing mounting around the gilded frame) room, just go be casually ignored (several different trained cameras, infrared laser grid, and round the clock guards). I mean, what's right about that? Then you take the story behind the painting, that's where the real information comes from. This Monet could very well have portrayed the simple innocence of a little girl, until it was procured by Nazi hands during the beginning of the war, transferred over enemy lines several times over, until remaining lost in the hands of a tyrannical manipulative dictator before his demise, afterwards ceasing to exist altogether. Until showing up on this guy's wall of course. And then, disappearing again.

But the six cop cars circled around Jump City First National Bank, full sirens blaring, definitely attracted a lot of attention. And maybe it piqued my curiosity. Honestly, what was the harm in studying the notes of the competition? Besides, Blunder Boy could be making a fool of himself. With that thought, my speed only increased as I approached the skylight overhang on the bank's roof. And saw a completely empty room. Piles of money was just scattered around across the false marble floors, the cashier stands were completely disserted, and even though there were still signs of a fight, there was no sign of the fighters. Okay. This is weird.

There had to be a reason why Jump City's finest were packed at the doors, looking in as if waiting at the starting line of a race. And where the heck were the Titans? Something of this scale usually didn't go down without some sort of property damage brought about by the 'oh-so-graceful' Green One. My eyes scanned the seemingly vacant lobby, only to come up short in the middle of the room. How did I miss that eyesore?

Standing in the middle of the wreckage, was the Masked Houdini of Mediocre Magic himself, Mumbo Jumbo! Yeah, don't applaud. This guy had the worst comedy act in history, maybe only coming up behind Beast Boy's attempts at a one man show. Or maybe if Chuckles decided to take up a circus act, but I digress. How I had missed the guy alone should have worried me, the fact that the tuxedo-clad man was busy entertaining himself by staring into his top hat probably should have given me leave to be paranoid about my mental health. The rest of the show did wonders for reassuring me about my mental state. Note sarcastic overtone.

As I was watching the man who had moved on from children's birthday parties to bank robberies, he continued to watch whatever was so fascinating inside of his hat. I was starting to wonder if two lint balls were having the fight of the century, when an ever so familiar blue-booted footed slammed into the blue man's jaw. That had to hurt, but personally I was too preoccupied watching as the foot was followed by the hat hurtling away from mad magician and spewing out cash like an ATM gone mad as a whirlwind came roaring through the chaotic debris, depositing five familiar super heroes. Well, that's something you don't see every day.

Cyborg seemed especially happy, "All right! I'm back—with a vengeance!"

Mumbo let off a girlish squeal, apparently fearing whatever wrath the Tin Man might have thought up. He lunged for his discarded hat and ran for the door at full blast. This doesn't escape the attention of Boy Wonder of course; he pulls out the traditional birdarang, smiling rather sadistically if you asked me, and of course the valiant hero impairs the nefarious villain in his escape attempts, sending him crashing into the awaiting prison guards. Note that they were nowhere to be seen when our fearless heroes were missing in action. Figures.

"Yes! You have no bananas!" Is anyone else worried that Grass Stain may be having a few head problems of his own? No? Then we'll ignore the obvious and move on.

What shocked me the most was when the little ball of sunshine herself snaps the hat out of Mumbo's hand and coolly slides it into her own via her own brand of magic. The Dark Enchantress didn't have her hood on, exposing the slender yet elegant features usually cast into shadows.

"Huh, pretty bird." The words were barely out of my mouth before I wanted to slap myself. Seriously, I was asking for it, teenage male hormones or no teenage male hormones. But the conversation downstairs distracted me from my inner tirade.

"We're gonna make sure you don't have any encore performances," and even before Mumbo had lunged at her, I could tell the by the tone of her voice that she was trying to get some form of payback for whatever Mumbo had decided to put her through.

"But…my magic! How did you escape?" said the flabbergasted magician.

She was already resisting the urge to smirk, and that was more emotion than I had ever witnessed the girl put on display. Her reply was just simple and off-hand, "I had a better trick up my sleeve."

Desperation and intrigue were scrawled across Mumbo's features as he made every attempt to just get a little bit closer to the dark bird against the restraining guards. It looked like someone was dangling a steak right under a starving man's nose. "I gotta know. Come on, kid, just between us. Tell me what you did."

And something happened at that moment that will forever go down in history in my books. Raven took one look at the drowning, desperate man in front of her and smiled.

But not before uttering, "A magician never reveals her secrets."

With that the half-smirk was placed on her lips as her quick, agile fingers skillfully twirled the top hat on to her own head, taking the reigning king of magic's crown as it were, and slipping him a wink that I'm pretty sure none of the other Titans caught. Mumbo was instantly dejected and allowed himself to be carted away to a, lovely I'm sure, padded room in the city jail. But I was floored.

Now I'd like to lie and say I was distracted by the large amounts of money practically dirtying the floor with its presence, or that I was secretly trying to think up a few new pick-up lines to drop on the oblivious Cutie to tick off Chuckles, or even figuring out how to mess with Grass Stain's hair to tick him off. But I'm a thief, not a liar. Okay, so I lie too, but right now, moment of honesty. All my attention was focused on the dark empath, and how she was being absolutely merciless with that indefinite, wicked smile. Because that one look as she smirked with mischievousness, made her amethyst eyes sparkle with a hidden knowing depth, her small elegant features were brought new life, and I could swear that the pale gray skin was shining. In only one moment she was breath-taking.

And I was screwed.

Something was wrong. Number one, once they had arrived back at the Tower, there was no invoice from the prison saying that Mumbo had been successfully escorted to his own personal cell. Number two, it was extremely too quiet. It was a Friday night, and there had only been one crime. There was a reason why Starfire and Beast Boy so vehemently complained that they had no social lives. It was usually tied to the fact that for some odd reason the masked criminals of the city decided that it was their duty to make the Titans' lives as stressful as possible. So they all decided to go on crime sprees on the same night. Yay.

Raven couldn't shake the feeling that something should come up. All the Titans expressed this in some way. Starfire didn't start cooking anything as soon as they got home. Cyborg put off working on upgrades for the T-Car. Robin hadn't put Mumbo's hat in the evidence room. Heck, even Beast Boy was reluctant to play video games and instead had turned on the news. Raven herself had held off on setting the kettle of water for her tea to boil and stood leaning against the kitchen counter, while all the Titans kind of held their breath in anticipation for some sort of alarm to go off. It was like they were all hung in suspended animation. And after she had stood there watching the minute hand pass around their kitchen clock for the tenth time, Raven decided that enough was enough.

Have you ever started doing something, and then the whole world decides to blow up in your face? Yeah, Raven was having one of those days. Though the alarm didn't come from where she would have thought it would.

The toupee'd news caster's blaring announcement was just the shock needed to get their blood pumping in their veins again.

"In Break Out News, sources report that one of the recently apprehended villains of the city has started a new trade in the black market. Why disclose such information to the authorities? Such a question was asked of the villain whose voice shall be changed for his anonymity."

On screen a small window that had been in the corner suddenly covered the entire screen and a too familiar profile was shown. Oh. No.

'Is this thing on?' Raven face palmed. Honestly, how many bad guys could start off like that? 'Hello citizens, and attentive audiences around the city. Now the question has been asked as to why this talented, amazing, and humble man would make such a valuable item such as I have procured known to the public? The answer, my dear captive audience, is simply to share the joy this knowledge brings to the world! Or at least to the highest bidder. Now I believe in equal chances, so I figured you wonderful ladies and gentlemen, would deserve to know of the magical secrets I bring to the table. Well let me deal it to you straight. Tonight our beloved heroes of the city,' he sneered out, 'apprehended a villain of such extreme caliber that he almost defeated said heroes, but the ingenious protégé of magic failed. But not all was lost! For unbeknownst to our local saviors,' once again the sarcasm was tangible, 'the talented Houdini captured some very interesting visages of our heroes in their more animalistic natures. Such snapshots will be available via the internet auction of the century brought to you on . That's right , ladies and gentlemen, right under the Mumbo Jumbo icon. Thank you; you've been a great audience. It looks like I still have a finale to put on.'

With that the screen was returned to the newscaster but by that point the Titans weren't paying him any attention.

"That madman! He will expose us as being the animals!"

"No one can see me in a tutu! That's just wrong!"

"Those pictures could go viral and spread across the internet in a matter of minutes. Our reputations as heroes would be ruined."

"Dudes, what does 'unbeknownst' mean?"

"Everyone quiet!" the shout from the normally calm Raven silenced the room around her, as they watched her go to the mainframe control center. She calmly logged on and started pulling up the internet connection.

"Uhh, Friend Raven, perhaps you would like to share with us what you are doing logging on to the Entrance Net?"

"Internet Star," Robin corrected as he came to stand behind the busily typing Raven.

She took a brief moment to look behind her shoulder to direct her teammates. "We have either two options. One, we bid on the pictures ourselves, or we simply relieve Mumbo of the pictures as evidence of extortion and blackmailing of prominent members of society. But we won't be able to do either of these if we don't know if the pictures are real."

"Ohhhh." Most of her teammates followed her train of thought. Most being all except Beast Boy apparently. He was just catching up with what the pictures had to be of.

"Dudes! We've gotta get those pictures back! No one can see me like that!"

Since Raven was busy pulling up the site, it fell on Cyborg's shoulders to be the sarcastic voice of reason evidently, "Like what? BB, all they're gonna see are some appliances that look like they could have been spray-painted green."

Beast Boy froze in mid-rant, hands still thrust in his hair, before he realized what Cyborg was saying. "Oh, right. Phew, I'm safe. Hey, why are you guys worried about looking like animals? What's wrong with being an animal?"

But the other Titans were busy staring at the screen that Raven had pulled up, underneath a rather gaudy display of Mumbo wielding a wand was a link to the auction. Once clicked, said link took them to a page with five boxes filled with question marks with one of their names underlined in bold red under each box. Then there were the actual money bids going on.

"Wow"

"You have to be kidding me!"

"That is a lot of money, yes?"

"That is an obscene amount of money."

"Dudes, are you guys even listening to me- whoa that's a lot of green!"

And the figures weren't stopping there. The value was constantly changing as more and more people logged on and bid. It was way beyond anything that the five superheroes living off one millionaire could afford, no matter who said millionaire was.

"There is no way we can get that much cash, we'd have to rob a bank, and then the city would, like, hate us and we'd have to change our names and appearances! Maybe move to Mexico for early retirement!..." As Beast Boy went further into a detailed list of options, Cyborg leaned down to Raven.

"Remember when we could shut him up?" he reminisced fondly.

But Raven was already a million miles away as she stood up, pulling the ever-present hood over her features and made her way to the door.

"Friend Raven where are you-?"

Raven cut her off as she turned back to look at them impatiently crossing her arms. Her voice deadpanned as she said, "No one is seeing me as a bunny. Come on, we have criminal evidence to secure."

'Well isn't that interesting,' the criminal thought as he hung upside down on the tread line leading up to the roof. The guard had missed the entire news report, as people usually do when they're snoring at their desk, with a few donut crumbs rolling down his shirt with the steady rise and fall of his chest. The small portable t.v., which probably should have been monitoring the hallways leading to the priceless Monet's, returned to the late night talk-show that had been broadcasted before being interrupted by news update.

"What do you think Roy? To good of an opportunity to miss, right?" the masked thief asked of the unconscious man.

Roy's only obvious reaction was another guttural snore as he shifted further into his padded desk chair. Good help was so hard to come by. The thief only smirked more. The Monet's could wait. He had to get those pictures. There were varying degrees of value debating within him at the moment. Great payoff on a job in antiquated artwork or the ability to humiliate Chuckles. The photos themselves were probably worth a fortune to some fan-geeks spending their days on a computer. Choices, choices. Not really a choice at all, was it?

'Besides,' Red X thought as he started scaling the rope back up to the roof of the nearly deserted Wayne Building 'why buy what you can steal?'

Mumbo was priding himself on being a valuable commodity at the moment, as he sat in his cell shuffling the deck of cards. He looked out to the barred entrance to his humble abode and saw an entire line of guards standing at the ready. They looked kind of bored though, and what kind of magician wouldn't keep his guests entertained? He smirked as he flipped a few of the cards into the air.

"Hey, you," he directed towards the one leisurely leaning against the bars. The man replied with a roll of his eyes before gruffly replying to Mumbo, "Keep your trap shut!"

… "So I guess that's a no to the card trick?"

The guards restlessly moved as the irritation of their companion started to build. "Listen you, you're here for punishment, not to get some applause for a side show, so, Shut. Up."

"My dear man, you wound me," Mumbo declared as he rose to his feet, "Some side show indeed! I am the main attraction!"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't need this. I'm not paid enough to put up with you masked freaks."

Mumbo cackled at this as if it was the funniest thing in the world, "My dear boy, as soon as my payday comes in, I'll not only be able to pay for my bail, but own you."

Before the thoroughly vexed guard could reply a metallic voice interrupted.

"That's what I'm counting on."

The voice was followed by a sharp hiss cutting the air as a red X landed embedded in the concrete in front of the guards, but before they could even tense up or move away, a smoke-screen began seeping from the razor sharp points until every guard collapsed under the intoxication. Mumbo moved away from the doorway, snapping his arm over his mouth, to keep from inhaling the knock-out fumes. As the cloudy vapors began to dissipate, a new figure stepped into the entry way.

"X! Still making an entrance as usual!"

"Mumbo, still blue I see," the thief returned in his normal arrogant good-natured manner, "Though the stripes are hardly flattering," he said as he gestured to the old-fashioned prison uniform.

"I know, they won't let me keep the tux though, and it's better than that gaudy orange jumpsuit. Clashes with my skin. But I bet you could pull it off," the magician suggested as he leaned forward against the bars separating the incarcerated criminal from the unrestrained thief. If he didn't know better he could have sworn that the mask around the younger man's face was stretched tighter across his jaw as he smirked.

"You know they'll never catch me in one of those things. And the day I take fashion advice from you is the day I start returning stolen property."

"Hmph," Mumbo replied as he rolled his masked eyes towards the ceiling. The kid had pluck he'd give him that.

"So I hear the word on the street is that you have some rather interesting merchandise," X continued as he nonchalantly leaned against the bars of the cell like he owned the place. It might have been the first time the kid had ever been in the jail for all that Mumbo knew. He was probably one of the few villains that had never been captured by the Titans. But Mumbo wasn't thinking about his fellow criminal's success rate right now. Oh no, he had his own bragging rights to be concerned with at the moment.

"Oh wait until you see the jewel's I'm selling, X my boy, you are going to be as green as Beast Brat," the slightly manic magician said as he took out the same deck of cards that he had been handling earlier, "It's a shame he didn't want to see a card trick," he said as his agile hands quickly flipped through the deck, motioning towards the unconscious guards, "he might have gotten a sneak peek."

With those last words he gave the playing cards one more flourish before returning the deck to his sleeves. In his hands he held five black-faced cards that he smirked over.

"Care to play five-card stud?" he said as he flipped his wrist around to proudly display the true face of his prize.

And X did view them with growing amusement as his swift eyes took in every detail of the photographs, his smirk growing more pronounced behind the black and white material.

"Is that Cyborg in a tutu?'

"Yep"

"And Starfire's being attacked by a ball of yarn?"

"Right-o"

"And," at this point the thief was well to the point of laughter. What foiled villain wouldn't be? "is Chuckles packing bananas?"

"I wish I had had chocolate to complete the sundae."

"Never take chocolate from a monkey, my blue friend."

"Too true, but I digress, continue."

At this point the thief's brow noticeably narrowed studying the fourth picture. "What's up with the green lamp?"

"That would be the little shape-shifter himself. He was a little tricky."

"Ahh," was the thief's reply as his eyes moved on to scan the final picture. Oh no.

"That isn't?"

"Yes, it is"

"No," he drew out as he exhaled. He didn't know whether to be shocked, amused, or mortified.

"Yes." The magician said as he braced his shoulders back, proud in his achievement.

"That is Raven, as a bunny?"

"You are correct sir."

"A bunny, the kind that hop around, eat carrots, very popular around Easter, that kind of adorable, fluffy, and sweet bunny?"

The magician cackled again at the younger man's obvious incomprehension. "The one in the same."

"Unbelievable."

"Too true."

"A masterpiece to be sure."

"But of course."

"I've gotta have them."

"Just what I wanted to hear my friend, so will that be cash, valuable jewels, or priceless artifacts for your purchasing pleasure?"

"None of the above."

"Very go- wait, what?" The magician stood there shell shocked as he stared incredulously at the unperturbed young man. He couldn't be serious could he?

"Honestly Mumbo, when was the last time I paid for something extremely valuable?"

He was serious. At this the normally cheerful magistrate of magic began to get very ticked off. No way was someone going to steal his hard-earned fortune.

Of course, Red X wasn't just someone; he was the only one who had successfully gotten away with a theft from the Titans themselves. And he was about to remind Mumbo exactly why he was the best. Or at least he was until a commotion down the hallway drew their attention. More guards must have been approaching.

With the sudden need for a departure, X reacted quickly. Looking directly back at Mumbo, his hands slid down to seize two adhesive X's from his belt and as the blue man turned back towards him, one shot out to cover his mouth as another gripped both of his wrists together.

"Hmph! Hmph!" There was murder probably written in the masked man's eyes, but X just reached out and plucked the five photographs from the bound hands. Replacing them on his person, he began to quickly back away towards the nearest clear exit. He called back over his shoulder one last time, as he gave a signature cheeky two-fingered salute to the raging captive magician.

"And that would be my curtain call. Adieu my blue friend, it's been a blast!"

Their footsteps echoed down the imposing cement hallways as the Teen Titans were escorted to Mumbo's usual cell. The Police Captain was trying to explain exactly how the villain had been granted permission to release that video feed, when suddenly Starfire cried out at the sight ahead of them. While the rest of the Titans studied the scene, taking in the unconscious guards and Mumbo's distressed state, Robin's eyes narrowed as soon as he caught sight of the bound magician's restraints. As the others attempted to aid the fallen guards and ignore Mumbo's indistinguishable ranting, he started running down the hallway calling out orders as he went.

"It's Red X! Titans split up, find him before he leaves the building!"

Immediately they abandoned their tasks, Starfire zooming by him taking one of the prisoner's corridors, Beast Boy morphing into a cheetah and taking off towards the sublevels, Cyborg sprinting back to the security center with the monitors, and Raven let the familiar black energy cover her as she teleported herself to the roof.

The night seemed to be holding its breath as her quiet footfalls echoed across the slate-gray rooftop. She made her way through the shadows grasping at the edge of her cloak like greedy hands. The metallic voice that rang out into the still night struck her like lightning.

"Looking for me Sunshine? I'm touched."

She twisted around only to catch him vanish from the corner of her eye. She started to turn on her heel slowly, scanning her surrounding area until she heard a sharp hiss cutting the air in front of her. She pitched herself backwards just in the knick of time, narrowly avoiding the crimson shurikun that had now lodged itself in the wall behind her.

"Quit playing games X," she hissed out her eyes continued to try to discern his shape from the inky darkness.

"Aww, you don't want to play with me?" His laugh echoed eerily off of the surrounding concrete and brick buildings, seemingly coming from all the directions at once. She quickly spun around as her hood was suddenly yanked off to fall on her shoulders and met the imposing vacant holes that masked his eyes as he towered over her.

The smirk seemed to radiate off of him as he took in her shocked her expression. "Have it your way then," he said as his arm snaked out towards her chin.

She quickly threw up her own to block his punch, and sent her other in a jab towards his midsection that he quickly leaped back away from, dropping in a crouch. Before she could react he quickly snapped his leg out to sweep her feet out from under her. She hit the floor with a grunt as the wind was knocked out of her. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to knock her out though.

"You know what's sad? Here I find out you're a bunny without a mansion. What kind of justice is that?"

Her eyes snapped open at that to find him practically leering at her and she could feel her Rage spark.

"You saw the pictures?" she hissed out as she nimbly flipped back onto her feet.

Her sudden anger didn't seem to faze him in the slightest however. In fact she could feel his amusement grow with her reaction, and that in turn fueled her annoyance. She tried to slam a fist towards his jaw but just barely missed him as he side-stepped out of her reach. "Uh uh, no hocus pocus now Sunshine." But he wasn't done yet.

"Oh I haven't only seen them," her dread started to grow; "I own them." She growled again as she tried to aim her kick at his abdomen again only for him to catch her leg in midair. She briefly struggled with his hold on her appendage until she had had it.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" the words had barely left her before the black encased ventilation ducts came slamming into the thief, effectively dislodging him from her person. It proved to be a short victory as her sudden release sent her careening backwards and with a startled gasp she realized that they had been closer to the edge of the building than she had previously thought. Her falling motion had barely registered in her mind as she desperately reached out into thin air as a small scream left her lips. She hardly heard another voice shout her name as her fingers finally made contact with blessed concrete edge.

Before she could even try pulling herself up her thoughts were cut off as gray-gloved hands gripped her wrists. Her head snapped up to meet the same skull mask. They stood there frozen for a moment and she just barely registered his emotions through her own adrenaline-high blood rushing through her ears. She was almost sure he could hear the frantic beating of her heart as she felt his own fear, wonder, and was that … attraction? The moment was interrupted however as Robin's voice broke over the heavy silence on her neglected communicator.

"Titans report!"

"Robin he's on the roof, and it looks like he's pushing Raven over the edge!" Cyborg's frantic voice came over the link soon joined by the sound of rapid footfalls.

Red X quietly cursed under his breath as he started hauling her back off the side of the building. She gripped his torso as her wobbly knees barely kept her standing, and she might have clung to him a bit tighter.

His concern made its way through his voice, "You okay Sunshine?"

The fall of her hair hid her smirk as she said, "Just perfect. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The next thing Red X knew his hands were encased in the Sorceress's black magic and he was slammed back into one of the rooftop entrances. "And don't call me Sunshine."

He stood there shocked. No way. "Did you just play me?"

"Like a piano."

To her surprise she could just make out the almost imperceptible stretch of the mask as he undeniably grinned.

"I can't believe it, a devious superhero."

"I didn't have to be devious to take you down."

"And you can even flirt back; I might be in love."

"I don't flirt," she crossed her arms over her chest to seemingly end the argument.

"Ah, but you didn't deny that I might be in love."

"You'd have to be insane to fall in love with me. And stop trying to distract me; it's not going to work."

"Maybe I'm just crazy."

But before she could even reply to that the rest of the Titans slammed through an adjacent doorway almost making the thief and sorceress jump out of their skin.

"Raven! Are you alri- … You caught him?" Robin went from anxious to absolutely dumbstruck in under two seconds flat. Raven rolled her eyes. Did he really think she was that incapable of taking down a criminal?

As Raven turned away to berate the Boy Wonder, she was already expecting the thief's next move. He took advantage of the Titans' sudden distraction to break his hands from the black energy and reach the button on his belt. Raven felt the sudden tension sliding from her grip and whipped her head around in time to see the tell-tale smoke trail beginning to fade into the night air. Inside her frustration made her want to cuss, but outwardly she dropped her defensive stance, becoming her indifferent figure once again. Robin stepped forward, scanning the surrounding rooftops for any sign of the thief but Cy's voice stopped him. "No xynotheum on the scanners, Rob. He's long gone by now."

"We almost had him!" the spiky haired teen said as he punched his own palm, "And we don't even know what he was after!"

"Actually, I do."

They all turned to look at her as Raven just raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"Isn't it obvious? He kept talking about 'hocus pocus.' He was the one who stole Mumbo's 'evidence'. He had the pictures."

"What do you mean had?"

Raven had her signature smirk as she held up the incriminating photos of the Titans in their various animal forms. "X isn't the only one who can 'lift' valuable objects."

At this her teammates broke into wide grins, and various shouts of triumph and praise came Raven's way. As the teenage super heroes congregated around the sorceress, they didn't notice the dark figure only a few rooftops away, safely cloaked behind his new and improved belt. As for the infamous thief, he was gaping in utter shock, looking from the secret compartment that had, until very recently, been housing the prized photos to the dark girl who's still displaced hood revealed her actually smiling as Cyborg lifted her onto his shoulder in celebration.

His gaping continued as he stuttered, "What the . . . when . . . how did she do that?"

No one was there to answer him though, but as he gazed down at the celebrating teens he almost smiled. So the Ice Queen did have a heart. It was almost surreal to see the almost always impassive sorceress smiling at the pride of her teammates. It was even more shocking to see her laugh out loud as as the Grass Stain ran straight into a pole he missed in his excitement.

The thief couldn't help but be mesmerized; the day had just gotten weirder and weirder. But as he heard her laugh as Beastboy stumbled yet again, he decided it hadn't been so bad.

AU:

"So what do you guys think?"

"Ah think ya're bein' very stereotypical."

"Awe, play nice Chere, it's her first story."

"Well it doesn't really concern you at this point Rogue. You're gonna have to get into the story first. But what about all you other wonderful people out there? Let me know what you think! Just press that little green button to make your selves heard."

"Please! It'll make her shut up!"

"Hush, Rogue."

l

l

l

V