HEY! I IZ BAK!
What up guys, it's been too long. Life, you know? But I did have time to perform this little piece of trickery, and give you... a one-shot. This does insinuate that Red X is Jason Todd, btw.
And I haven't forgotten my Spidey story! I'll return to that... eventually.
Okay, so this went to crap fast.
Maybe I shouldn't have threatened the bank manager's life through that untraceable phone call. Because instead of updating his own security, like I'd hoped, he did a massive overhaul of the bank's security system. Complete makeover. So what was once a relatively simple job for a guy like me has now become an almost impossible task, what with vibration sensors, strobes, probes, and an invisible grid.
Almost impossible. Then again, I do have Xynothium on my side.
Teleporting from out here is out of the question. I need to see where I'm teleporting, otherwise I could end up inside a wall, or a person. I've been lucky this far, but after that nasty incident over in west L.A., I've decided to take things a little easier.
That, and the fact that teleporting takes a lot out of the Xynothium. And me.
No, I need to get inside the building. That shouldn't be too hard. But I still don't know what all they installed since the overhaul. And that knowledge could mean life or death. No, not kidding. This manager isn't screwing around.
Oh yeah, and he's hired armed guards, ex-spec ops commandos. Their hand-to-hand combat doesn't quite match my own training, but those custom model AR-16's are no joke.
So I need to stay hidden, and stay quiet. Easy.
I slump down on the concrete roof across the street from the bank. What was I thinking?
This really is impossible! Did I really expect to be able to do this? That security system's the best in the world! And what am I…?
Just a lousy thief, a guy who stole a suit and decided to go Grand Theft Banking with it. Maybe I don't have what it takes.
Whoa, wait, back up. Why am I thinking this? Why am I questioning my entire existence up till this point?
The answer comes floating up to my mind as easily as the red x's that I get my name come to hand. Shimmering red hair, smooth orange skin, beautiful smile…
Oh, god. I'm in love.
Now, I'm not the kind of guy who becomes all tongue-tied around a pretty girl. On the contrary, I start flirting with her and become snarky to anyone else. Well, I'm pretty much snarky all the time, but there's something different about her.
I still remember the last time we met. The Brotherhood of Evil had contracted me to fight the Teen Titans. It was good money, but the way the whole thing was set up made me feel… uneasy. And then when the battle started, when villain fought hero, I found myself staring at the fray, unsure of what to do. Because I'm not a hero… but I never considered myself the bad guy.
Okay, I did hire myself out to the guys calling themselves "The Brotherhood of Evil," but that's entirely beside the point.
I had just made up my mind to vanish quietly into thin air, when I saw that big behemoth, Mammoth, grab her from mid-flight. While she may be exceptionally strong, she was caught by surprise by the giant's sudden and crushing grip.
The doubts vanished from my mind. I took a running leap, vaulting over a deadlocked Gizmo and Mas y Menos. I charged up an x, threw it with such force and accuracy that it actually imbedded itself into Mammoth's hardened skin, and grabbed her out the way as it exploded.
The big moron was out the fight, out of consciousness, but still alive. Robin would have been proud.
I had shielded her with my back, which felt a little warm from the afterwash. I noticed the frayed edges of my cape were smoking slightly.
"Are you-?"
Before I could finish my anxious query, she had blasted me off of her with a massive star bolt that still causes me to wince. Guess she thought I was one of the bad guys. Go figure.
I took that as my cue to leave. I vanished into the night, no longer caring who won and who lost.
The Titans won, of course. I could have told the Bros of Evil that myself. If Slade couldn't do it, a monotonous brain and an over-sized French monkey didn't have a prayer.
"Oh yeah," I say out loud, laughing. "Don't forget Elasti-Girl. What was her name?"
"Are you speaking of Madame Rouge?"
I nearly have heart failure. Floating right above me, unnoticed thus far because of my reminiscing, is the girl. The girl… I hardly dare to say her name.
"Fu-!"
I slip on a random wet spot that might as well have been a banana skin, I looked ridiculous tripping over my legs, crashing down on my face. I lie there, not breathing, not mustering up the courage to life my head. Maybe if I don't move, she'll go away.
No, she's a hero, a naïve and sweet one at that. Even to a bum like me.
"Are you all right?" she asks, her tone concerned, her voice a lot closer than before. I can sense her standing right in front of me. "Please, did I startle you?"
"No," I respond, my voice muffled through my mask, vocoder, and ground. "I'm fine. I knew you were there the whole time."
Summoning my strength(and will to live), I pull my legs up, assuming a kneeling position. I pull my head up a little, before dropping it again. She's standing right in front of me, as I knew, and she's bending over slightly, giving me a glorious view, which, despite my reputation, I don't take advantage of. Poor girl doesn't realize how awkward she can make us guys feel.
But I look up again as she holds out her hand, palm up, not glowing with green light about to kill me. And I look up higher, straight up into her wonderful emerald eyes.
"Thanks," I say grudgingly, taking her hand. She pulls me up with strength that belies her slim frame. I almost topple over again she yanks me to my feet. A frown creases her perfect features.
"If you were aware of my presence," she says suspiciously, "then why did you fall in surprise?"
"Comedic effect," I answer swiftly, suddenly embarrassed she caught me so off guard. "I can understand why you haven't heard of it, with Mr. Pants-On-Too-Tight and the Abbott and Costello wannabes."
She frowns, tilting her head. Her face adopts that confused expression that I find oddly endearing.
"If you are referring to Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy…" she says hesitantly. I finish her thought.
"Oh yes, I am. And I'm sure BB would love the last billing, too." I pause. "Kinda like how Robin enjoys being number one."
"What do you mean?" she enquires, and I can tell she didn't pick up on the slightly bitter tone in my voice.
"Nothing," I say, turning back to the bank, before remembering that she's a Titan, and she knows I'm a criminal. Smart.
"Are you all right?" she asks again. Wow, she must be thick. But wait… that means she's not focusing on the bank, or what I'm doing… but on me alone. A small flutter of hope emerges in my chest, instantly quashed by the cold truth.
"I'm fine," I repeat. "How're the Titans these days?" I really don't care, partly because I already know what they're up to, and partly because I only asked to deflect attention from me.
Her reaction is actually unexpected.
"We are… not the same," she admits. If there were any divisions in the Titans, they kept it well hidden. I've been monitoring them… in particular her… very closely. "Robin seeks to better himself, to make a new name for himself. He goes on missions without us nowadays."
That was true. There have been a couple of times I've almost run into him. He's almost good as I am when it comes to the dark and shadows these days. He's got a spiffy new costume too, darker, no cape, and a blue emblem. It's kinda cool.
"I guess that doesn't leave much time for friendly interactions," I say, probing for more information, before remembering why I'm here. Oh, forget it, you won't get in anyway. "Or friends, for that matter."
She bites her lower lip, an expression that causes my heart to beat faster.
"He has become more secretive. We worry about him." She hesitates, but I don't interrupt. "I worry about him."
"I see." I don't look at her. Not that it matters, she can't see where I'm looking with my mask on. But know it appears that she doesn't want to talk about Robin, or rather, she wants to talk about something else, more pressing, apparently.
"Um, Red X?" she asks timidly.
"Yeah, Star?" Whoa, bro, don't even go there.
"I actually wanted to ask you… do you remember… the last time we met?"
My world begins to spiral out of control as my imagination takes over. She wouldn't bring it up, not like this, not without trying to kill me first, unless…
Unless she wants to apologize.
"Vaguely," I say in a controlled voice I don't feel. "I remember something about a battle, couple of freeze-dried Titans, and a behemoth who was blowing out his only brain cell focusing on you."
Oh, she got that. She understood the sarcasm and bitterness that time. She looks down, and I instantly feel sorry for projecting my own anger toward her.
"Ah," she breathes, and I turn to face her. "Yes. Well, um… I wanted to apologize. You see. I… acted rashly. The battle rage of my people does not leave much room for doubt in combat. I understood you to be an enemy. I realize differently know."
"Really?" I say, wanting to exploit this opportunity to get to know her better, but at the same time, needing to release some of this anger. "And yet, if I had been Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, shoot, even Beast Boy, who was quite the leader that day, you would have thanked him, maybe given him a quick hug, and everyone would be happy."
"I'm sorry!" she bursts out, and I feel even worse as I see tears sparkling in her eyes. "I know now you were only seeking to help me! But at the time, in the confusion, I assumed you were one of the Brotherhood of Evil!"
"Yeah, yeah." My tone sounds less accusatory, and she hears it. "Sorry. I can be pretty confusing, huh?"
She nods, swallowing. Her hands are clasped under her chin. So innocent, so beautiful…
"Um, Red X?"
"Just call me X. Everyone does. Everyone who really knows me, anyway. So, only you."
"All right… X. I was wondering… who are you, really? I know Robin has a board with lines and pictures, and that he has tried to figure it out, but no one knows."
I'm so tempted to tell her the truth, to tell her who I am. To explain that I'm really not that different from other kids, not that different from Cyborg, Beast Boy… even Robin. Especially Robin. But the truth is… I am different. I always will be.
"Only one person knows who I really am," I say carefully. "As far as you're concerned, I'm nobody. A thief. A criminal. You should capture me an lock me up, throw away the key, yada yada yada."
I don't bother to listen to a response. Something catches my eye. Down by the bank, someone's trying to sneak in. An almost impossible task, considering who it is.
And then an idea occurs to me. I feel ashamed of it, but shoot, exploit every opportunity, right?
"Wanna catch a real bad guy?" I ask her. She looks into my mask, squinting her eyes in confusion. Damn, she can turn every expression into something that sends my brain reeling. "Down there."
I point down to the bank. She moves closer to me to get a better view, and I can smell some kind of perfume. I inhale deeply without her noticing.
She gasps, and then adopts an angry look.
"Mammal moth," she whispers angrily. I chuckle.
"Close enough," I whisper back, unsure why. "Mammoth. And it looks like he's gonna break into the bank." I look down at her. I'm slightly taller, but only by an inch. "So, wanna clear up some confusion? Wanna see if I'm a good guy or a bad guy?"
She looks at me, and suddenly the lack of space between us is very, very noticeable. Her breathing gets faster. My brain stalls.
Dude, bank. Opportunity. You won't get one like this again.
I know. Which explains what I do next.
Pulling off my mask in one fluid movement, I move in for the kiss. She tenses in surprise, before melting in my arms, responding in kind. Her lips are so warm and soft, her arms draping around my neck, her leg rubbing against mine.
When we break apart, her eyes are still closed. I pull on my mask again, letting her see my grin before the skull obscures my features.
"Let's go get the bad guy."
She smiles, a beatific grin that is complemented by her nose, her lashes, her wonderful green eyes…
Okay, lover boy. Enough with the poetry. Don't forget why you're here.
And then I want to. Because it will hurt so much.
We charge down to meet Mammoth, who, by this time, has been spotted by the bank's guards. They shoot at him, but his hardened skin takes the bullets. He roars in anger, charging straight through the large double doors, breaking them apart with ease.
We follow him into the building. The lights are activated by his blundering, and the machine gun turrets begin to open fire.
"Star, watch out!" I yell, but my warning goes unheeded. And unwarranted, also. She blasts the guns apart with her star bolts as if they were toys, and I realize how lucky I am to be alive.
She engages Mammoth in battle. The two fight, while I take care of the guards who showed up. Their advantage of heavy weapons is gone in close-quarters fighting.
Did I say close? Those two are ripping the place apart. I better hurry, or there won't be any bank left to steal from.
I grab one of the massive metal suitcases holding money. Another one explodes next to me, showering the scene with green dollar bills. The guards I haven't taken out hesitate, seeing the greenery.
"Just take it, guys," I call out. "Better than whatever the boss is paying you."
They don't need prompting. Well, that's one problem taken care of.
I grab what else I can before the sudden silence presses against my ears. I close my eyes tight before turning to where Mammoth and Star were battling.
There she floats, a few feet above the prone and unconscious body of the giant. Her eyes are glowing green, her hands as well, and I can almost feel the heat of her anger hit me in waves.
"You…. you…" she breathes, and I hold my breath. "You used me! You only wanted my help in robbing this place!"
"Like I said, sweetheart," I say nonchalantly, although my insides squirm with guilt and embarrassment, "we were gonna find out who was the bad guy and who was the good guy. Well, we did."
She flies toward me, and I'm astonished at her speed. Astonished, but unsurprised. I activate my teleporter and disappear from her sight.
From her sight, but not from mine. She thinks I've gone away, far away. Truth is, I'm back at the rooftop. I can see her from the massive hole she and Mammoth made. She's kneeling in the spot I was just standing, her hands in the ground, as if she had just missed something she was grabbing for. Her head is bowed, and her shoulders are shaking. I can't see her face because her hair is hiding it, but I can tell she's crying.
It takes a gargantuan effort to turn around, to turn my back, to walk away. And yet, that's exactly what I do.
I'm Red X. A thief. A nothing. And trying to be anything more than that will only end in tears. As demonstrated.
"Just gonna slink away, X?"
I spin around, shocked that Bird Boy took me by surprise. I have a x in hand and held at his throat before I manage to pull myself back.
"How many times, huh?" he asks, ignoring the threat to his life. "How many times are you going to break her heart?"
"W-what?" My brain goes into overdrive, wondering what he had just said. Break her heart? He scowls.
"Ever since you first appeared," he says, "she's had a crush on you. I didn't believe it until Raven told me that's why she was gone tonight. She was looking for you."
My heart stops. I shove Robin, noticing for the first time, his new costume. Black, blue wing symbol, no cape. But I'm focusing on what he just said.
"She was looking for me?" I repeat, shocked. He nodded.
"So now we have two options," he says through gritted teeth, as though he'd rather not make this offer. "You can take that mask off and tell us who you are, and maybe… maybe… get a chance to redeem yourself of your crimes."
"You mean, become a Titan?" I scoff. "No thanks."
"The other option," he continues as though there was no interruption, "is you leave. I didn't see you here tonight. You leave the city, and you never come back. I know it can't be the Xynothium, because there isn't any here. So you leave. Now."
I consider his options, which, given that it's Robin who's offering, are very generous. I can become a Titan. But that means having to face who I am. I have to be more than a nobody, which I realize is the only thing comfortable for me. Not happy… comfortable.
On the other hand, it forces me to face the one and only reason I ever kept coming back to the city. And now, I have to choose to abandon that reason.
Or stay and see that happy fantasy become reality.
The choice is agonizing.
"Sorry, Boy Wonder," I say, and my brain has no control over my mouth at this point. "But I like a little mystery in the relationship. Make no mistake, we will see each other again. But… I take your point."
He watches me walk to the edge of the roof to catch one last glimpse of Starfire. But she's not there anymore. I look up to see a green light streak across the sky toward Titans' Tower.
"Who are you?" he blurts out, unable to control himself. "Because I do know you."
I turn to face him, one hand on my belt.
"Let's just say," I tell him carefully, "you should listen to Beast Boy a little bit more."
I see his face frown in confusion, then light up in shocked comprehension.
By that time I'm gone. And I can't see where I am from the tears that spring suddenly to my eyes, blotting my vision.
A thief. That's all. I can't ever give back. Ever.
Thank you, and good night.