It was mid evening for the inhabitants of Jump city and long shadows began to stretch across the ground in the opposite direction of the sun. One very large 'T' shaped silhouette stretched its impressive length across the gentle rippling surface of the ocean and connected to the famous Titans Tower. Inside of the giant structure all was quiet and still as a purple haired young woman stood at one of the wall sized windows that faced out toward the city. Her eyes watching as the brilliant light of a setting sun made the skyscrapers in the distant glimmer blindingly.

Raven reached her hand up to her hair and absentmindedly tucked an errant strand behind her ear, letting her fingers linger at her collar bone before returning it to the dark security of her cloak. Her breathing was barely audible, even to herself, and the faint ticking of the clock above the stove was the only sound within the large main room that was normally bustling with life and noise.

"It's too quiet." She said.

The sound of her own voice startled her, almost destructive within the oppressive silence. Her normally stoic features furrowed in slight agitation at her words. It had always been her constant battle to covet any moment of calm within the tower, constantly annoyed with her friends for their loud video games and overly enthusiastic sentences. Now, she found herself unsettled with the emptiness of the room, the large television switched off and no smells of burning mustard emitting from the stove.

"It was my descision." She said.

Raven and her friends had been back in Jump city for a few weeks after their trip to Tokyo to apprehend Broshugun. They had been welcomed back with an immidiate attack from Cinderblock and Dr. Light within twelve hours of eachother. The team had taken them in stride and fell back into their normal routine protecting the city but they each felt slower and exhausiton had slumped their shoulders after each battle. Then, as they were returning from a cliche' bank robbery from Johnny Rancid that very afternoon, Beastboy had finally made it heard that he needed a night of fun.

Cyborg had immediatly agreed followed by an eruption of jovial excitement from Starfire. The three had surrounded their leader, Robin, with watering puppy eyes and pouting lips. Much to all of their shock he had happily agreed.

"We haven't really gone out in awhile. I was thinking we could try out that new club in downtown." He said.

Cyborg had shouted his signiture phrase "Booyah!" while Beastboy immedietly slicked back his hair and waggled his eyebrows at his larger friend.

"This will be a perfect chance for me to impress some of our hometown girls like I did back in Tokyo." He said.

Starfire had wrapped her arms around, her now boyfriend, Robin in a bone crushing hug. It had taken five minutes before he could effectivly free his lungs from her hold and catch his breath. Raven had been sitting on the couch, a thick volume of some Japanese text in her hands. After being in Tokyo and realizing that she could not read anything in the city, she had made it her mission to learn the language and the symbols so as not to encounter that particular trouble again. It was also highly encouraged by Robin, having firmly decided to stop any reaccuring moments of his girlfriend kissing a random guy to learn their language.

"Are you not going to join us in the, 'clubbing', friend Raven?" the Tameranian asked.

Raven had looked up from her book and noted the argument between Cyborg and Beastboy about who would be suave enough to collect more phone numbers while Starfire and Robin looked at her expectantly.

"I don't think so, Star. I'll stay here in case there is an attack." She said.

"Are you sure, Raven. We would be happy to have you along." Robin said.

He had frowned slightly at her refusal of an outing, knowing that it had been easier for the group to get her to venture out when they did. It had been at least a year since she had declined accompanying them and it came as a shock to him that she would do so now.

"I don't think you will hear your communicators inside of the club. I can stay and take care of anything that may happen." She said.

Her face was neutral and showed no hint of anguish at missing out on a night in a club, and it had been the truth. After a gentle command from Robin, saying to use their bond if she could not handle a situation on her own, they had left, leaving her trully alone, for the first time in years.

It had not occured to Raven that the sudden silence would bother her, but after a whole hour of undisturbed quiet, she had found herself unnerved. Discarding her book she had tried turning on the television but immedietly clicked it off again. She had never been one for being glued to a screen, and the idea of filling the room with nonsensical rabble felt like a poor substitute for actual company. So she had wandered to the window, watching as the sun began to sink beneath the horizon. The idea of meditating had briefly flashed through her mind but she refused it.

Raven still took time everyday to center herself but it had become less needed after Trigon's influence had been severed. Despite the fact that he was gone, she still was the sole posseser of her powers, and she still had to practice control, though it was becoming easier with every passing year.

"Maybe I should have gone with them." She said to herself.

As soon as the words had left her mouth she had a vivid image of Beastboy pressed against the backside of a girl, dancing and gloating at Cyborg. A shudder of disgust ran up her spine and she shook the idea from her head, deciding that she had been wise in staying back.

Turning from the window she walked from the main room, the almost silent 'whoosh' of the door being the only sound that followed. Raven found herself wandering the corridors of the tower, her thoughts becoming more aware of the confines of each wall. It took a few minutes before she found herself in front of a door that read 'Garage'. One eyebrow lifted as she realized where she had involuntarily arrived at.

The door slid open and she entered the large garage. It was cooler inside and the smooth concrete floor and unadorned walls made it seem infinently more expansive than any other room in the tower. Her violet eyes scanned the room, noting that her friends had taken the T-Car, leaving only a few side projects from Cyborg and Robins R-Cycle.

Raven eyed the bike for a moment, her mind beginning to churn its thoughts before she lifted one side of her mouth in a mischeveous smirk. A shadow of power enveloped her and she teleported from the garage, her descision already made.

Thirty minutes later and the city had succumbed to night. Few stars could be seen above the lights of the buildings and most of the inhabitants had become more accustomed to finding beauty in the glittering lights of the bridge than the constelations. Raven herself was on the bridge, but not as most were used to seeing her. Where many of the civilians would picture the girl floating in the air, none would imagine her bent over a motercycle, her thighs pressed against the sides, her face protected by a black helmet.

As she weaved expertly around cars she could not help but surpress another smirk. Raven had never herself thought that she would do anything like this. She had always felt a solid indifference to cars and the like, always depending upon her own abilities to get her where she needed to be. Then came the time when Cyborg had lost the T-Car and she had come to understand how he was so passionate about the machinery. After helping him rebuild his 'baby' she had come to have her own respect for the mechanics of his work and he had taught her how to appreciate them by driving. Though, she always felt suffucated within the confines of a car, having always enjoyed the feeling of wind on her flesh as she flyed.

It had not taken her long to start eyeing the R-Cycle in the garage whenever she happened to assist Cyborg on any given modifications to the car. Whenever her mechanical 'older brother' would be waist deep under the hood she would run her fingers over the slick surface of the bike and her eyes would take in every detail. Shortly after that she had acquired some books on how they worked and how to ride them. Soon, she had become impatient with only looking and learning so she took advantage of her bond with Robin and tapped into his mind whenever he rode the R-Cycle.

Through him she learned how to properly feel the machine between her legs and ride it. After so many secret taps into his mind she was ready to try for herself. One night, while the rest of the team slept, she had snuck to the garage and straddled the cycle. Knowing her leader well, she was not suprised to see that there was a highly sensitive lock on his bike that had to be released by a code. Raven had not viewed this as a problem and had used her bond one final time to acquire the key.

There had been the initial guilt of stealing her closest friends possesion but the thrill of the ride had overshadowed it immedietly. It was wrong and she knew it, but there was a small part of her that reveled in that wrong doing. For all of her life she had focused on being good, using her abilities toward the well being of others, not wanting to succumb to her darker sides. After the defeat of Trigon, she started to realize that she would not fall victim to her urges and began to sate them a bit, though she was always careful with the bike and was respectful enough to replenish whatever gas she had used. It was as much a 'thank you' to Robin as it was a way to keep her guilty pleasure secret.

After her first ride she had done more research on motorcycles and learned how dangerous they could be if not handled properly. With that new knowledge she had bought a pair of leather pants to protect her legs when she rode, not wanting to feel the pain of road rash that many riders had experienced, and had taken to removing her much beloved cloak. As much as she was attatched to the garment, she knew it was a huge hazard when she rode, so she always left it in her room.

Raven leaned to the side and guided the R-Cycle into the left lane, her leather clad thighs tightening as she accelerated past a slow moving van. Even though she discarded her cloak, she kept her suit on, only pulling the pants over her bare legs. Her uniforms material was very strong and she knew she would not have to worry over her covered arms. Her belt hung over her hips as she had not found any reason to cast it aside, but she had switched out her thin boots for heavier combat styled ones. The vibrations of the bike had been murder on the soles of her feet.

Speeding off of the bridge she weaved between two cars, her wheels directly centered on the yellow line of the road and accelerated through a light. Raven enjoyed racing over the streets of Jump City, feeling the wind pound against her body and the power of the machine beneath her. She thrilled at the difficulty of weaving through cars and down narrow alleys, often surprising herself with her boldness and risks.

She turned onto a street that led towards the docks, favoring the lesser traffic in hopes of pushing the bike faster. As she leaned lower over the seat her acute senses picked up something racing up behind her. The thundering sound of another bike rumbled in her ears and she glanced to her right to see a black bike with a familiar rider. Her eyebrows narrowed as a white skull mask with a red x marring it returned her look.

Raven found it odd that the thief was matching her speed, his eyes assesing her as she did him. Her empathy could not pick up on any emotions from him that indicated he was fleeing from a robbery. All she could sense was the spine tingling rush of competition.

A mischevious smile pressed her lips as she returned her eyes back to the road. If it was a race Red-X wanted, than who was she to back down?

With a push of her hand she thrust the bike forward, passing Red-X and quickly making a gap between them. The R-Cycle was no regular bike. It was Robin's bike, so it was built for blinding speed and more. Raven felt her heart pound with excitement as she turned sharply to the right, and practicly flew down the narrow road that lined the docks.

It was not long before Raven felt, rather than saw, Red-X gain on her. He had pushed his bike faster and closed the distance between them before swerving to the side and appearing at her left. She could feel an impressed amusement coming from him, but beneath that, just under the surface was slight intrigue and wariness.

He was testing her.

Raven had never been one to dissapoint when it came to tests. So, she gave in to her desire to misbehave and went with what her impule wanted. She accelerated before pulling her weight back and brought the R-Cycle into a wheelie, her body keeping the bike balanced as she glanced at Red-X and mimicked his two finger salute that he had been known to give. His eyes widened in shock as she brought the bike back to the ground and once again passed him, a smirk still on her face.

Raven was bent low over the bike, her eyes focused on the road while her senses kept lock on the rider beside her. Red-X had kept speed with her through the entire race, passing her briefly before she would manuver her way beside him or to the lead. They had ended up circling the city and were now back on the bridge, heading once again towards the docks. Though they had not spoken out loud where the finish line would be, it seemed to her that they both understood. As she swerved to her left to pass a blue toyota her eyes widened as she saw the two semi's ahead of her. They were beside one another, going the same speed and she had no way to go around them.

Her brain acted quickly and she pulled the bike back into another wheelie as she expertly balanced in the small space between them. She kept her focus on keeping the bike upright, her muscles tensed with the effort. When she broke past the trucks she settled down again and looked to find how her competitor had dealt with the challenge. Her mouth dropped slightly as she saw Red-X balancing his bike on the cement median of the bridge. He looked to her and the white eyes of his mask winked at her.

Was he gloating at her?

Raven pressed her lips together and sped towards the end of the bridge her determination higher than ever. Red-X stayed on the concrete divider, his balance impecable as he kept at her side. There were honks from cars on both sides but the two riders ignored them, more focused on the race at hand. Once at the end of the bridge, Red-X lifted the front end of his bike up and passed over Ravens head before landing in front of her.

The young woman had to swerve to the side to avoid him but it put her right behind a car that was waiting at the red light. With a grit of her teeth she pulled her own bike up and used a fraction of her powers to help lift it so that she barely skimmed the roof of the car with her tires before landing on the road. She lacked the physical strength that Robin and Red-X had to actually jump the bikes, so she had to use what she had.

They both turned onto the street that they had originally met on and both accelerated as fast as their bikes would allow. The air was loud with the sounds of the engines and both kept their eyes on the end of the road. They were neck and neck and Raven grit her teeth as the unmarked finish line came closer. There was a moment of tension before both she and Red-X hit their brakes and swung their bikes to the side, slowing them down until they stopped at the very edge of the road that was only protected by narrow guardrail.

Raven sat straight up, her boots touching the ground on either side of her as she looked at the mask of the rival in front of her. One of her eyebrows raised as she watched him switch off his bike and lean back, his arms crossed over his chest and head tilted to the side. She used her thumb and turned her bike off as well, her eyes watching him for any clue as to what he would do.

There was a tense few minutes of silence before Red-X leaned forward, crossing his arms over the handle bars of his bike and narrowing his eyes at her.

"Looks like it was a tie."

His voice was a synthesized version of Robins and she felt a momentary shock of anxiety. It made her feel like she had been caught by the Boy Wonder himself at stealing the bike. The feeling faded quickly as she looked into the familiar skull mask.

"So, mind telling me who was ballsy enough to steal the head Titans ride?" he asked.

Raven's eyes widened at the realization that Red-X had not recognised her. She shifted her legs and felt the stiffness of her leather pants as a cool breeze reminded her that she was missing her cloak. A mischevious twitch in her lips was left unseen to the thief because of her helmet and tinted visor. She could feel the tickle of irritation coming from him at her silence before he suddenly dissapeared from her sight in a blur of black static. Raven felt a warm pressure at her back as he reappeared behind her and before she could move, his hands snatched the helmet from her head.

A cool breeze made her hair stir and despite her agitation, Raven was a little relieved to be free of hot headware. She did not bother to turn and look at Red-X as he stood behind her, she sensed that he already figured her out just by her obviously colored hair. Waves of shock rippled off of him and pushed against her back as she waited. His steps were quiet as he cautiously made his way to her side. Raven flicked her eyes to him when he was back in her line of sight and she kept her guard up. Despite the adrenaline rush of the race she knew he was her enemy and did not want to become careless.

Red-X held her helmet under his right arm while the other dangled at his side. The white eyes of his mask were neutral and his posture betrayed nothing as to what he was thinking. Raven did not like feeling so small beneath his gaze so she slowly slid from the bike, her leather pants creaking slightly as she brought her leg over and stood. He was still taller than her by almost half a foot but at least he was no longer towering over her.

He leaned forward and stared into her eyes. She could feel his amusement crawling over her skin and it made her stand straighter.

"Well, well. Isn't this a surprise."