X Factor
Robin hated it when Red X showed up.
It reminded him of all of that horrible time he had pretend to be a villain, and what it had done to his friend.
He had been desperate to find Slade. He had been ready to try anything. As he had studied his friends movements and skills in order to find a way to defeat them, he had convinced himself it was for the greater good. It would help to bring down Slade and it would be useful to know how to defeat the titans if their ever came a time when they were not friends anymore. It had been a very Batman thing to do. That was one of the reasons he hated it so much. That and it hadn't even worked. He had been led to think that almost anything was excusable, it it worked.
It hadn't worked. It had hurt his friends. He had created a villain.
It reminded him of his failure to keep the suit under lock and key.
If his creation of a villain wasn't bad enough, he should have at least destroyed the suit. But what if he had needed it again? No, he should have locked the suit up tighter. He should have made it harder for someone to get it. He should not have underestimated those around him. He should not have underestimated Red X. Even without xynothium he had still managed to cause quite a bit of trouble
It reminded him that he was replaceable.
The circus had knew acrobats these days, the Flying Grizzles if you would believe it. They had sold out a show in Jump City just a few weeks ago. The titans minus Robin had gone, and returned talking about how amazing they where. In a back row seat, Dick Grayson had watched with a heavy heart as the flipped through the air, remembering the days his family had gotten such applause. Wondering if any of the people at the circus even remembered him.
He did not even want to think about Tim. Batman needed a Robin, but he did not need Dick.
X was just another thing Robin had created that someone else did better.
But most of all it reminded him that the world was not black and white.
Gotham City had been every shade of gray. He thought about the corruption of the police force and the court system. He thought about the likes of Catwoman and Huntress. He thought about Batman himself. Gotham had been gray to black. He was about the only bit of white in the entire city. And he had grown up and out of that role.
In Jump City things were easier. Their was good and bad and nothing in between. Except for Red X.
X would steal and he would fight, but he made a point to not harm civilians. He had saved the titans more then once. It was always so annoying to have his world view shattered.
Like right now.
Red X had been trying to steal some jewel in a museum the sat next to science lab that was being attacked my a much seeder villain with designs on a particularly explosive substance. Red X had stashed his loot and then joined the titans. Well not so much join the titans as usher civilians out of the area. He had done so very effectively. Then, when Robin had gone after the guy and Red X had followed for who knows what reason.
Now the were trapped in some little store room. The titans were outside, and they were working on a way to get them out. But Red X and Robin were stuck together for the time being.
"Why?"Robin said after nearly 20 minutes of silence.
"Why What?" Red X countered.
"You said didn't like to play the hero." Robin said, "And yet again and again you show up and help."
Robin couldn't see X's face, but he got the feeling that the guy (he was sure that if nothing else he was a guy) was thinking about it.
Finally, X sighed. "Can't help it." he said.
Robin scoffed, "You can't help being a hero, a yet you're a thief."
X let out a humorless chuckle, "Can't help that either." X looked Robin in the eye, "You know how like the little circus freak you are, you absolutely have to show off in a fight. You have to throw in a extra flip her and and extra jump there. You can't help it. Well I've got that criminal element in me that I just can't fight." Red X laughed again, "Your face, right now is priceless."
"What...how...who...what?" Robin was unable to form a coherent sentence.
"You know I saw you when Haley's came to town. I'm surprised you didn't see me there, I was like four seats way from you. For what it's worth, I never saw the Flying Graysons preform, but I bet you guys were better. Hey hold up." Red X screamed as Robin sung his bo staff.
"Who are you." Robin growled. "How did you know that."
"Robbie," X sputtered, "Chill, we were having a moment and you are going to kill it."
"How. Did. You. Know?" Robin repeated, with a glare that would terrify the Bat.
"Back..." cough, "off..." choke "I'll.." Sputter. "tell you."
With a growl, Robin let Red X go, and the anti-hero slumped to the floor, breathing heavily.
"Well?" Asked Robin expectantly, "How did you know about me?"
"I think," said X, pulling himself up to lean against the wall, "If we get back to the first question, you'll find it answers everything."
"What are you talking about?" Robin asked.
"You asked me why I try to have it both ways, play the hero and be the villain?"
"You said you couldn't help it, just like I couldn't help being a circus freak. I know why I can't help being hero on top of that, why can't you."
"Same reason Dick," X said, "Eccentric billionaire with the emotional maturity of an eight year old and a bunch of toys hidden in the cave under his house. It's hard to get that kind of programing out of your head."
Robin made no response.
"Did I just leave you speechless. If Bruce's accounts are anything to go by, that is quite a feet." X laughed "He never shut up about you, and Alfred wasn't much better. You're a hard act to follow. That new kid, Tim I think his name is, is lucky if you ask me. He didn't have to follow up the favorite son. He gets to follow the bad seed. Not hard to look like a success in comparison."
"Jason." Dick muttered. It wasn't a question.
"Of course." and with that X slid off his mask, revealing Jason Todd underneath. "I guess I keep just keep following you up." he motioned to his suit. "You create an identity, I steal it, nobodies happy."
"Your not happy now?" Dick asked.
"Nope, I'm forever in your shadow, Bruce has replaced me with his neighbor." Jason said, "You aren't happy either. Because you feel guilty and responsible for Red X and my criminal escapades."
"You're good at the Red X thing." Dick said and a little smile created on to his face, "better then I was."
"You think?" Jason asked.
"I'd bet it was the uncontrollable criminal element that you can't ignore." Dick offered. "And I suppose even without the suit you'd still be stealing and such, right."
"Can't help it, just like the hero thing." Jason said.
"Then maybe, just maybe, we can both be happy." Dick suggested.
"How do you suggest that?" Jason asked.
"Well, I accept your presence as a slightly criminal anti-hero, you accept that I have to chase you. You can know that you are better at being Red X then I am and I can know that you were bat trained, so all the security in the world couldn't keep you out if you really wanted to get somewhere." Dick said.
"What can I say, it's the way we're raised." Jason countered. "So we can be rivals instead of say, arch enemies. I for one have always loved a good challenge."
"I like it." Dick said, extending his hand. Jason took it. "And when my friends get us out of here in approximately 2 min. and 17 sec. I'll give you a 60 second head start before we go after you."
"60 seconds." Jason smiled, "I can work with that." He put his mask back on. "If you aren't willing to tell your friends your real name, they don't get to know mine."
"Fair enough." Dick agreed.
"And I don't want my current activities getting back to Bruce." Jason said.
"I can't promise that, you know him, he might already know. But unless he asks a fairly specific question, I won't give you away." Dick promised, "I barley talk to him anymore anyway."
"And Alfred?"
"He's Alfred, if he wants to know and find something, he will know and find it." Dick countered, "But I'll do my best to keep it from him as well."
Right on cue the other four titans blasted though the door.
Robin grinned at Red X "One Mississippi." He began, before his team was in hearing distance.
Under the mask Red X smiled too. "Catch you later bro,or at least you'll try to catch me." and he was gone.
The titans surrounded Robin, some telling him about the rest of their fight, and others asking about his well being.
"We've got to go after Red X, guys." Robin said when he was sure the earlier threat had been taken care of. "60 Mississippi." he muttered under his breath.
"Titans, Go!"
AN- So for the purposes of this story, Dick is operating at Robin with the Titans while Tim is operating as Robin in Gotham with Batman.
I love Jason, a lot. If you want to see Jason be his awesome Bad ass self and Dick being generally adorable, you should watch Batman: Under the Red Hood. I got it for Christmas, and it is one of the best movies ever.
Is it weird I just plugged a movie in a fan fiction. Yeah it probably is, but that is no reason for you not to watch it.