It was a beautiful day in Jump City. The sky above the bustling metropolis was a stunning shade of blue, the
cheerful murmur of a thousand conversations drifted through the warm summer air as friends and neighbors went
about their daily business, and the surface of the bay sparkled like a massive diamond in the sunlight. But in Titans' Tower, the mood was anything but cheery.
"I really don't get it," Robin muttered as he stared grimly at his computer, "It's been three whole weeks and we're still no closer to figuring out what this means." He slumped back into his chair, glowering at the image on the screen. It showed a hand-drawn note, written in red ink on plain white paper, a torn piece of clear tape stuck to the top edge:
Hey, kiddies! Sorry I couldn't say this in person. I just wanted to thank you for saving Murakami High. That school's got a special significance for me. Anyway, see ya next time!
—Red X
"It just doesn't make sense," the spiky-haired Titan grumbled, turning to address his team, "We've cross-checked the handwriting on this note with that of every single student and faculty member at Murakami High, Terra included. All comparisons came up negative. On top of that, X himself hasn't shown his face since before we took out the Brotherhood of Evil."
"Don't know what to tell you, man," Cyborg said from his place on the couch, "Could just be some prankster with a lot of time on his hands playing a joke on us."
"That's certainly a possibility," Raven stated, pulling down her hood and running a hand through her short, violet hair, "But it doesn't explain how they knew we were at that particular location at the time."
"Not to mention the fact that the note was taped to the Tower itself, and if it was just some average guy playing a prank, the security system should have nabbed him as soon as he got close," Beast Boy added. "If it was really Red X, though, he could have knocked out the system from a distance, then just waltzed right up, stuck the note on, and left."
Bwee-oop! Bwee-oop!
An alarm suddenly blasted to life, ringing throughout the Tower. Turning back to the computer, Robin tapped in a code and a map of the city appeared, a pulsing dot indicating the source of the disturbance. As he watched the brief security footage that accompanied the alert, Robin grinned.
"Well, what do you know? Looks like X has finally decided to come out and play. Maybe now we'll get some answers." Shutting down the computer, he turned to the others and said the words they all knew well:
"TITANS, GO!"
A short time later, the team arrived at a nearby store. A door reading "Lewis Bros. Jewelry" had been blown off its hinges and now lay in the center of the room. Inside, several display cases had been smashed and their contents tossed into a large pile in one corner of the room. A tall, slender figure dressed in a black bodysuit and matching cape stood hunched over the glittering mound of assorted baubles, picking up random items and peering at them closely from behind his skull-like mask before either slipping them into the pockets of his costume or dumping them back into the heap. Silently, the Titans crept closer to the intruder, making sure to stay in the shadows so he wouldn't detect their presence.
"Nah, too flashy," the criminal muttered, tossing a diamond-studded bracelet onto the pile, "She wouldn't want it."
"So," Robin called out as the team emerged from their hiding place, "Who's the unlucky lady?"
Startled, Red X whirled around, grey-gloved hands raised like twin blades as he went into a fighting stance.
"None of your business, kid," he hissed, the "X"s on his gloves beginning to glow. Suddenly, a flurry of shuriken-like projectiles fired from each glove, forcing the heroes to scatter as the spinning blades whizzed past them. Recovering quickly, Starfire shot an eye-beam at the thief, striking him in the ribs and knocking him off his feet. Taking advantage of their target's disorientation, Robin and Cyborg launched simultaneous attacks from opposite directions, sonic cannon blast and exploding disks catching X between them and sending him flying into the wall. As he slid to the ground with a dull groan, a small box fell from inside a compartment of his utility belt. Immediately, Beast Boy pounced on the object and yanked it open, revealing a small, ornately decorated card.
To My Little Gem,
Good Luck!
Love,
J.
The heroes looked at each other incredulously, eyes wide. Finally, Starfire spoke.
"It appears we have discerned the Red X's true identity," the alien said softly, an uncharacteristic tremor in her voice, "As well as the purpose of his earlier message."
There's only one way to find out, Robin thought, extending a green-gloved hand toward the unconscious villain's mask. Hurriedly, Beast Boy grabbed his teammate's wrist.
"Wait, dude!" he urged, "I think Terra should do it. If it really is…him…she deserves to know." The others nodded in agreement. Robin shrugged.
"Alright. Raven, take us home." The sorceress smiled eerily and raised her hands.
"Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos…" she chanted, black energy emanating from her body and flowing around the group. As she repeated her spell again and again, the energy gradually morphed into the shape of a bird, enveloping the team and Red X before lifting off the ground and flying swiftly towards the Tower.
Meanwhile, at Murakami High School, Terra Markov was just leaving her final class when she heard her T-Communicator ring. Flipping the device open, she saw Beast Boy's face on the screen, his usual cocky grin replaced with a somber frown.
"Hey, BB!" the blonde geomancer said cheerfully, "What's up? Why the long face?"
"Terra," the shape-shifter replied gravely, "We need you to come to the Tower. Now."
Startled by the urgency in her friend's voice, Terra simply nodded. Putting her communicator away, the geokinetic heroine shook her head, wondering what had gotten her normally fun-loving comrade so rattled.
Back at the Tower, Raven gave the ropes that snaked around the entirety of Red X's body a final tug, securing him tightly to the chair in which he sat.
"Don't try anything funny," she warned him darkly, earning a dry laugh from the trussed-up crook.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. Not yet, anyway." The half-demon gave her captive one last glare before turning on her heel and striding towards to front door, where her comrades had gathered to await their remaining member's arrival. Soon, the massive steel barrier slid open, and a black-and-yellow clad form flew inside, standing majestically atop a large boulder. Raven rolled her eyes and sighed.
"You rang?" Terra chuckled as she hopped down from her earthen perch.
"Yeah," Beast Boy replied, stepping forward to hug his newly-returned teammate, "Long story short, we finally nabbed Red X, and…well…" he pulled the card from his pocket, "He was carrying this." Terra carefully took the card, her blue eyes widening as she read it.
"It couldn't be…" she murmured. Looking up sharply, she inquired, "Is X here?"
Yeah, he's tied up in the living room."
"Take me to him," she ordered. Beast Boy nodded, and together the pair headed down the hall. When they reached the living room, they found X sitting quietly in his chair, peering at them with narrowed eyes. Forcing down the dread coursing through her, Terra slowly approached the black-clad evildoer, gloved hands shaking as she placed them against the sides of his mask. With a swift tug, the covering came away, revealing a face she knew all too well.
"You…" she sank to her knees, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes.
"You were expecting maybe Bruce Wayne?" Jason Todd sneered, a sick grin splitting his face from one ear to the other. Feeling as though her whole form was washed in flames, Terra sprang at her former boyfriend, screaming obscenities that made Beast Boy wince. However, before she could reach him, X snapped free of his bonds and tossed a silver canister to the floor, which exploded into a thick cloud of smoke. Terra stumbled backwards, spluttering and waving her hands in an effort to clear the fumes from her face. After a few seconds, the smoke cleared, revealing that X was no longer in the room. A large, perfectly circular hole in the nearby window made it fairly clear where he had gone.
"What happened?" Cyborg called as he and the rest of the team rounded the corner, alerted by the ruckus. Unable to speak, Terra simply pointed to the hole, her entire body trembling. After a few moments, Beast Boy broke the silence.
"Terra," he said gently, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, "I'm so sorry." Terra shook her head.
"No. This was my fault. I never should have trusted him. I…I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!" She turned to run, only to find Raven blocking her path.
"Terra," she whispered, "It wasn't your fault. There was no way you could have known about this." Terra sniffed, then nodded and wiped her eyes.
"I guess you're right. I just…" she trailed off, slumping onto the couch. Stepping over to his old friend, Cyborg smiled warmly.
"You know, Tee," he began, "Whenever I'm feeling blue, there's only one cure: PIZZA!" The earth-powered teen smiled at this, then stood up and patted her semi-robotic friend on his massive shoulder.
"Thanks, Cy. Okay, who's hungry?" The other Titans cheered, and together, they trooped out the door.
"So what toppings does everyone want?" Robin asked as the T-Car zoomed towards Pizza Corner.
"It's gotta be Veggie Supreme!" Beast Boy said with a grin. Cyborg made a disapproving face.
"Are you kiddin', Green Bean? Double Pepperoni & Sausage, no question!"
As her friends continued to bicker, Terra shook her head and smiled.
Well, it looks like some things never change. Glancing out the window, she noticed the sun beginning to dip down over the cityscape, painting the buildings a dazzling array of colors. As she stared at the majestic sight, Terra felt a sudden warmth blossoming in her chest, then gradually spreading outward until it had seeped into every corner of her being. Snuggling back into her seat, she breathed a contented sigh.
Yeah, she thought, It's good to be home.
The End