Hello dear readers. this is my first start so critique the crap out of it, I want to know how to make them better in the future
A few things you need to know before you start reading...
Most if not all one-shots and longer story-lines will be set in the some universe or timeline(I will give a warning if the story you are about to read isn't part of the others.) they wont be in order but they will be easy to follow as I will leave clear indications of when they are set. (think- beyond: two souls)
Some of the characters will act less like their TV show counter-part more like they are in the comics, because they are underdeveloped(Wintergreen) or I like them more in the comics(Raven/Rachel)
disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans nor did I create them, the TV show or the comic, that reward goes to Glen Murakami, Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.
Also there will be swearing(minimal) because its Red X.
So this is how today goes; I was just scoping out a pretentual bank that is in desperate need of being robbed of some hard cash. What? Do you think Xenothium comes cheap? I minding my own business when something hits me. Hard. I stumble forward swearing under my breath. The Teen Titans. Annoying little kids playing dress ups and trying to take down innocent folks like me, just trying to make a living for me, myself and I.
"What now kid? I was doing nothing wrong! I don't have time for this today so why don't you run along and plays with… I don't know; your batman plushie I guess." I'm not in the mood, I'm running low on Xenothium and need more cash to buy it. Yeah I could steal it but some people in the Underground are already after my head, there is no need in adding to that list.
"You have some information we're after, we're just here to collect it." The kid says coldly, glaring at me. With that he throws a few pellets to the ground. As the smoke raises in small green colours tendrils I start to laugh uncontrollably.
"Is this a joke, you're not even making any move to attack me. It's just smoke! Hey why are you wearing a gas mask?" then the green gas really hit me; like a truck. I collapse to the ground and my vision blacks back. Shit.
When I start to came back to the land of the living my eyes are blurry and my head pounds dully. I'm tied on a chair facing the five teen do-gooders. I hate them so much right now.
"So, wait, what am I doing here? You drag me here into your stupid T shaped tower where I can hack in and steal all your important information for what now?" I look down to see they have taken my damn belt. Again. I try to wriggle out of the restraints but it is no use, they are too tight.
Cyborg growls, cutting the rope and throw me to my feet unceremoniously causing me to stumble. Tin headed jerk. "Just shut up and listen, X." He spits as if my name is a swear word
"Oh, touchy, who hacked your systems this time?"
I'm pretty sure Cyborg would have punched my face in if rainbow karate kid hadn't stepped in.
"Hello Red X," he greets stiffly
"Hey kid, I heard in the Underground that you went coo coo for a while there. Are you okay?" I ask trying to keep the concern out of my voice, I have to keep my 'bad boy' image up and showing sympathy for the, well, enemy is not a good way to go about it.
"Like you care." Metal brain mutters.
"I do, actually," I snap back.
"I was affected by a hallucinogenic dust like substance that forced me to see, hear and feel my worst nightmare, Slade. But not the point, I didn't bring you here just to tell my whole life story. I need to ask you a flavour; and before start saying that it's not in your own best interest I would like to add that suit is useless unless you have the belt and you wouldn't be getting that back any time some unless you help us, are we clear?"
"Crystal." I hate that kid.
"I need you to tell me all you know about these men," he says, throwing two thin files on the table in front of me. Classy.
The first one has the name 'Slade' in large black block letters with a blurry camera photo of a buff guy with a black and orange outfit and mask. One of the main reasons I respect the man is that he is able to wear orange and black and still look threatening. The other is a file on a man named William Wintergreen with no picture attached. Slade's file has a few newspaper cuttings and Wintergreen's is made up of hand written notes about who he is and his history with Slade.
"Well I don't know anything about this Wintergreen guy but I know a bit about Deathstroke," I say pointing to the 'Slade' file. "He's my idol."
And then the room explored. The beautiful alien chick rose into the air, her eyes and hands glowing with a dangerous green light. God that girl is deadly gorgeous. The kid steps back as though I have slapped him in the face and the other three look like I just ate the contents of my nose in front of them.
What I said is true, I do look up to the mercenary. He gets top dollar for what he does, the best at his job, way above Deadshot and Malcolm Merlin. He must be swimming in dough. Of course I just steal, I don't make it a habit to kill, but I'm not Batman, if I wanted to kill; I would, I just don't.
"What?" I ask plainly. "He's cool and I admire him." Robin takes a sharp intake of breath as if I have just cut him. God what a drama queen. "Look kid, I-"
"No, you look X, you have no idea what it was like with him," his voice rising to hysteria. "He's a sick sociopathic sadist who gains power over the suffering of others. How could you even-"
"Robin." The alien girl floats down to wrap him in a bone breaking hug. That seems to calm him down but he glances over at the witch girl and murmurs a thanks to her.
"I think you should show the boy, Robin, he doesn't yet understand your torment as we do." The witch girl, Raven says, putting a hand on boy wonder's shoulder.
And with a nod he starts to undo his tunic and starts pulling it over his shoulders.
"Whoa, whoa why's Wonder Boy stripping off?" I say putting my hands over my eyes in a mock shield.
At that I am shoved roughly in the back, it hurts like hell but I'm not going to show it. I turn around to make a snide comment but I stop when I see the green kid, Beast Boy. As far as I know the kid is the group's clown; always cracking crappy jokes, that's what unnerving me; I have never seen him this serious, even in a fight. He has morphed into a semi humanoid creature with the head of some kind of cat and really sharp claws.
"Shut up and turn around!" he snarls. I can take him but I am intrigued by what can make the jokester so serious.
Boy Blunder has his shirt off now and may I say he is not hard to look at, you could fry an egg on those abbs. Anyway, sexual preference aside, he turns around and I can't help but gasp at the sheer amount of scars that mar his back and arms.
"Those five were from refusing to put of the apprentice uniform, those seven were from showing Wintergreen a leak of respect." As if he thought this needed explanation he went on. "I was angry and fled up with everything, I just started yelling and throwing thing, I was just so tried and sick of being treated like I was worthless. I wanted it to end." The kid whimpers sounding close to hysteria. By now the other Titans are gathering around him, comforting in any way they can. It must be nice to have people who care about you like that. "I couldn't take it. I tried to take some power over my own life. I was there for two months! I stopped eating and when I said I wasn't going to eat anymore he started beating me until I fell unconscious. It was my fault. I should have known it would never work. I just needed something to hold onto that was part of me and not the thing he was trying to make me into."
Now that I really looked at his chest I could see there isn't an inch that goes unscathed.
Yeah, there are a couple bullet-hole scars and old burns probably from Gotham but there are so many scars and burns that look fresh. I make it a point not to feel fear or sympathy for anyone but I didn't really want to meet the Terminator anymore. Respect lost. Don't meet your heroes kids they just turn out to be sick sociopathy sadists.
Raven whispers something into the kid's ear and suddenly his face twists in anger. "I don't need sympathy from you!" He spat venomously. Causing me to step back in shock. I have never seen him this insane. Angry yes, but not enraged.
"Dude, Robin, its cool, he's just confronted, like we were when you showed us. Okay?" Cyborg says putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, whatever, I need to… take a break, I'll be back, sorry," and with that he just left. The perks of being an insane team leader.
I am left with tin head, witch girl, Disney princess and green guy. Great! Today just keeps getting better and better. Despite what they had said before, they aren't glaring at me anymore they actually look like they feel sorry for me. Figures.
"I am sorry for that Red X, friend Robin has been ill since he inhaled the dust of hallucination."
"It's cool," I shrug. "I guess I might as well help you guys out, I mean what Deathstroke did was a pretty shitty thing to do, even for him."
"I would like to take this time to thank you, Red X, I see that you don't agree with Slade's methods as do we. I am thankful that you have decided to help," Raven says stepping forward to place a hand on my shoulder. "You didn't always have to be alone." Yeah thanks I'll keep that in mind.
"Um, yeah, whatever, so I heard that this guy's full name is Slade Wilson he goes by Deathstroke to those in the Underground, he had a whole family and everything until… I don't know… and he became a mercenary. He travels all over but he almost always comes back to Jump. Must like the night life." I look up from writing it all down and they are all staring at me like a school of fish out of water. God I wish I have a camera. "Apparently he was in the military, he still wears the dog tags I hear, probably a lie though."
"I must go and check on Robin, he will want to hear this, he is very tried because of the mares of the night," Starfire says worriedly as she zooms off leaving me with the three remaining Titans.
"So, the kid's having nightmares about Slade or what?" I ask plainly, acting like I don't really care when I kind of do.
"Yeah, they sound terrifying, you'd wake up in the middle of the night and get up to get a midnight snack and you hear him in his room screaming his lungs out. I mean just the other day me and Cy were in the kitchen cooking breakfast when Robin just stands up from the table and screams 'you're not my master and you'll never be my father!' and then he just runs out. He made me spill my tofu eggs." Beast Boy wines sadly. Nice to know he can't stay super serious for long.
"Man that is so fucked up! He tried to make the kid call him 'master'?" That sick fuck! He can't do that to Robin!
"Yes he did, among other atrocities, but my friends saved me before I broke." We all comically spin around to see Robin and Starfire. "Sorry about before," He says scratching the back of his neck nervously. "I just… that happens sometimes."
"No, its cool kid, I get it, I can't say I understand what you when through with that man but I get it." I shrug, he sees my notes in the files and hurries over to read them.
"This changes things, thanks Red X." he looks up at me and smiles. Yeah, smiles, who knew he had it in him. "You can have your belt back now, keep it safe, I think I can trust you with the Xenothium. Just don't hurt anyone with it. Can I trust you?"
"What? Who do you think I am? Of cause you can kid, I'm insulted! Well, see ya kids, play nicely, and stay away from sick sociopathic sadists okay?"
"Stay safe, X." Raven says giving me a weak smile, I just nod. You too Raven, you too.
And with that I grab the belt and leap though the window fazing though the glass and teleport away.
Yeah, today the Titans had seen a different side of me that I wasn't prepared to share this morning. But I had seen a different side of the kid that I'm sure he didn't want to show, we put all our cards on the table today. We showed our weaknesses and strengths and I would even go as far as to say I'm a changed man. I guess the moral of the story is to keep your friends close and don't have enemies.
God that sounds super sappy.
They're not my friends but I'm not their enemy. I'm quite happy sitting on the fence, I look good in grey but I can't see myself teaming up with Slade. Yeah it'd be cool to work for him, to learn all his tricks but the man tortured a kid, Robin, the boy wonder. I would find it funny but that's just it, he's a kid, probably only fifteen years old.
"It's not cool to beat on kids to gain more power over them." Quote; Red X, 20-and-who-gives-a-damn.
Well that's it. That's what happened today, I'll probably have to lay low for a while cause of the information I gave gets out but whatever, I got my belt back and really the only thing that matters is me, myself and I.