I'm posting this because I may be unable to complete the story by next week, due to the hunting season. So your reading pleasure is being interrupted by me going to kill things. I love America!

Chapter II

My Beginning(And Possible End)

Spider-Man caught the newcomer, who was about as tall as he was, or Nightwing. He was clad in a black suit with red x's on it. A skull mask covered his face, and when he had spoken, it had been through a vocoder.

"Let's get him to the medbay," Cyborg said.

They laid him out on the table, running scans and seeing about IVs.

"Should we remove his mask?" Starfire asked, hovering uncertainly in the air.

"No," Spidey said at once. "Respect the mask... mask means something."

Raven nodded, but Nightwing looked at him with a strange expression on his face.

"Guess we won't run DNA tests, then," Cyborg muttered, pressing a few more keys. "He's out of it... let's try some stimulants."

He tried several liquids, even an increase of adrenaline, but nothing seemed to work. He began to make frustrated noises.

"Dammit," he mumbled. "Dammit!" Now he began to look worried. "Damn you, X, don't die on me..."

"Is he dying?" Beast Boy asked, shocked. Cyborg didn't respond.

Nightwing, however, was rummaging in Red X's utility belt. He finally found what he was looking for.

"Zynothuim," Nightwing explained tersely. He grabbed a small glass of the red substance, and slammed it into Red X's chest.

Everything exploded in a burst of red light. Spider-Man's spider-sense was buzzing annoyingly. He seemed allergic to the stuff.

When the light faded away, Red X groaned. His heartbeat was erratic, but was still there. He sat up.

"That hurt," he said, grabbing his head. He didn't seem to notice that he was still wearing his mask. He looked at Nightwing. "How'd you know...?"

"You forget, I wore that suit before you did," Nightwing said, and there was a steely tone to his voice. "I know what it's doing to you."

"Do you really?" Red X said, feeling his mask. "Thanks for not taking this off."

"Spidey's call," Cyborg said. "Spidey, Red X. Red X, Spider-Man."

Spider-Man stared at Red X.

"Is someone gonna explain to me why... why... achoo!" he sneezed violently. "Yech, sneeze in a mask. What the heck is that stuff, and why is it making me allergic?"

Red X laughed.

"New Titan?" he asked the room at large. "Surprised, after what happened with Terra..." Before the Titans, Beast Boy in particular could respond, he turned to Nightwing. "Nice suit."

He looked back at Spider-Man.

"This shi-,"

"Watch it," growled BB, still mad about the Terra crack. "There's ladies present." Red X slowly turned his head to face BB. After a few seconds, he turned back to Spidey.

"This stuff is a rare element called Zynothuim," Red X explained. "It powers this suit. I guess your powers are somehow related."

"I can run some scans," Cyborg offered. "Not promising much, seeing as how I don't yet have scans geared for Zynothium. Probably have to hot-wire the Promethium scan..."

"Zynothium can do... pretty much anything I want it too. Knifes, bombs, extensions... it can form all of these things. Used creatively, it can teleport me places. I used up my current supply to get here from New York. Daredevil says hi, by the way."

Spider-Man stared at him.

"Glad to know he's doing okay," he said.

"Okay for a blind man," Red X said.

"So why were you all messed up?" Raven asked. "And why did Nightwing hit you with the Zynothium?"

Red X fell silent.

"Nightwing?" he asked. "Really?"

"You forget Raven, I used to wear that suit," Nightwing explained. "I know the aftereffects of Zynothium." He regarded Red X with a slightly sympathetic eye. "Prolonged exposure and use of Zynothium..."

Spider-Man had put two and two together by now.

"...kills you," he finished. "Wow. I'm sorry."

Red X shook his head.

"I'm not dead yet," he growled.

In the deep, cold reaches of space, in a galaxy far away and long forgotten...

The alien criminal known as Blackfire looked with cold steel in her eyes as her now-deceased "husband" Glgrdsklechhh floated helplessly in the vacuum of space.

She cursed herself for being a fool, and cursed her little sister, Starfire for trapping her in that former predicament. Thank X'hal that he hadn't been clever enough to realize his doom before it was too late.

And now, little sister, I'm coming for you.

But now something else touched that black region of her heart. Like all Tamaraneans, she was guided by her emotions and impulses. Granted, she had learned to master them for the most part, use her iron will to impose on lesser beings. But being confined in the bands of marriage with that slug, she had realized how alone she truly was.

So I come for two things. One, vengeance on that little chlor-bag.

The other, a mate.

Memories of Robin, the Teen Wonder surfaced. Okay, so he was shorter than she... but he was certainly worthy.

So perhaps both can be accomplished at the same time? Yes, I think they can.

The Teen Titans were about to have one more thing to worry about. But she promised them, as she started to fly through the stars, that they wouldn't have to worry about much any longer.

Notice the M*A*S*H* reference? Cyborg? Anyone? And also, Blackfire's memories of Robin are from a year ago. She hasn't seen the Titans in that time, during which Dick Grayson got taller, got a sexy new costume and identity, and broke up with Starfire. Hmmm... I'll leave you guys to draw yer own conclusions.