Author's note: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! 'Cause I'm elated by the positive feedback I've had on this story, I decided to try this thing where I reply to your reviews so:

To MG: Thanks for the first review! Gotta be honest with you though: I made it a personal rule where I don't read other fanfics with the same category as mine (unless my story's done) 'cause I easily get intimidated and lose heart in what I'm writing so... sorry if this one sounds a bit cliché to you but I can promise you that Red X doesn't technically kidnap Starfire, and I guess that you'll have to keep reading to find out who she ends up with ;)

To Guest and Loftcat27: Thanks! Really glad that you enjoyed it and I hope you stick around to keep reading :D (Btw, Loftcat27 I like your prof pic!)

I'm gonna try and keep these A/Ns short so that you don't have to scroll down to get to reading. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Faves/follows are greatly appreciated! Also, don't forget to check out my Jelsa fic "Never Let Me Go", which I will be updating soon. REVIEW!

Happy Holidays guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the story line and plot of this story.


CHAPTER TWO


Starfire turned to her side. Her joints were sore and stiff, and her back ached from her bed, which has never happened to her before. She turned again. This bed is certainly not mine, she thought, feeling the hard mattress with her fingers. She opened her eyes with great difficulty, her lids almost glued shut. When she finally opened them, her vision was blurred. She blinked a few times, her surroundings coming into focus. There was a rotating ceiling fan above her head, with cracks spread out across various parts of the ceiling that continued off into the wall. Plaster was peeling off the walls, and the room smelled damp, but it didn't bother Starfire that much. She sat up on the thin mattress laid on top of a rickety wooden bed. There was minimal furniture in the room she was in, save for a bedside drawer with a lamp on top and a coat hanger with a red hoodie draped on it by the door. The only source of light in the room was from the window above the table, which was boarded up. A wall clock, which read half past twelve noon, ticked silently on the wall above the door.

The door creaked open; Starfire stood up immediately, her head spinning slightly at the sudden movement. "Eeep!" she yelped in surprise, seeing none other than Red X, clad in his dark suit, standing in the doorway with a tray in his hands. "Afternoon, cutie," he said, his digital voice light and jovial. She could feel that he was smiling, and he was a lot more cheery than she remembered. "I thought you'd never wake up—sort of. You've been out for a day." Starfire narrowed her eyes, while his eyes widened when she began screaming.

"WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT ME HERE? HOW DARE YOU HOLD ME CAPTIVE UNDER THESE TERRIBLE LIVING CONDITIONS!" He merely raised an eyebrow when she started to wave her hands around, throwing invisible starbolts at him. She froze, staring at her hands in disbelief—for a brief moment before she started screaming again.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY POWERS? I DEMAND THAT YOU GIVE THEM BACK TO ME!" she said, stomping her foot like a child. He was fighting so hard not to laugh. Smoke was coming out of her nose, her lips pouted angrily, her hand reaching for something in her pocket. Before he could talk, she screamed—again, this time throwing whatever she could get her hands on at him.

"YOU ARE THE BIGGEST ZORRGNARG I HAVE EVER MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!"

"Whoa, a what? Take it easy there—" he began, ducking and dodging to the side to avoid the pillow and lamp she threw at him, finding it difficult to keep the items he had on the tray upright. "—it took me the entire morning to look for these!"

"I DEMAND THAT YOU RETURN THE ITEMS THAT YOU STOLE FROM ME, YOU CLORBAG VORBLERNEK!"

"What are you talking—hey!"

Starfire lunged at him, spilling the contents of his tray and knocking him backward. She landed on top of him as she searched his belt, her fingers grazing the hard planes of his abdomen, sending fire trickling up to his face and down to his toes. He blushed under the mask, unable to contain his already wide smile. "You're going to have to be more thorough than that, cutie," he said, propping himself up on his elbows and waggling his eyebrows at her. Starfire blushed a deep red, jumping up and off of him with a high-pitched yelp, crossing her arms over her chest. "I do not wish to search y-your grebnax—I-I would never! I simply ask that you hand me my communicator, please," she said, the last bits quieting down to a whisper, avoiding his gaze.

"Look what you did," he grumbled, completely ignoring her request, walking past her and into the room, where a pile of purple berries lay scattered on the floor. "You're lucky that the mustard didn't spill, otherwise I'd have you drink it off my floor. Where is it anyways?" he muttered, picking the berries up and putting them in the bowl they came with, which remarkably was still in one piece.

"Pardon me? I am most confused at this moment."

"I was supposed to bring you your lunch, cutie, but then you harassed me. As for your communicator, I don't have it—but you're more than welcome to search me again for it, just to be sure." Starfire turned an even deeper shade of red. He chuckled, setting the bowl of berries on the bed and bending down to reach for the mustard under it. "Bon appétit," he said, gesturing to the bed, where her food waited. Red X turned to leave, his chest brushing her arm as he walked around her, closing the door behind him.

She huffed indignantly, rubbing her cheeks in hopes to stop the blush spreading to her face. She inspected the berries he brought her, sniffing and licking them. She closed her eyes, expecting the worst. After reluctantly taking a bite, she exclaimed in delight as the familiar, bitter juice filled her mouth. "Zorkaberries!" Her stomach grumbled, and she feasted on the berries, munching it down quickly, finishing off with a large gulp of mustard. Pity that Red X didn't get the value sized one, she thought, wiping her chin with the back of her hand. She stood in front of the only window in the room. Through the thin cracks, she saw that they were high above a busy street, but it didn't look like Jump City to her. The town seemed gloomier, for some reason. She sighed, staring down at her hands. She concentrated, her forehead scrunched up and her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth, but no starbolts appeared. She closed her eyes, focusing her mind on the joy of flight, but still, her feet remained stuck to the ground. There was only one way to get the answers that she needed—and it was behind the door of her room.

She gulped.


Red X was casually watching TV when he heard the door creak open. He was still in his suit, his arms spread across the backrest. "Red X?" Starfire said, her voice calmer than before. "Forgive me for my behavior earlier. I have come to say that I appreciate the zorkaberries that you procured for me. Wherever did you find them?"

"You can find everything in the black market, cutie. And I'm glad you liked them; they were really expensive," he said, grabbing the remote and flicking through several channels. Starfire took a look around. On her right was a small kitchen with a small, dirty counter and an even smaller fridge. On her left was an empty, dusty shelf that housed nothing but cobwebs and a broken radio, and a door that possibly lead to the bathroom. Even the couch Red X was sitting on looked as if it had been long since used, with several tears here and there, the bottom lining tattered and frayed. She sat beside him, but he refused to look at her. His heartbeat quickened.

"Please, however did I end up here? I am afraid that I do not remember much of the events that transpired yesterday," she asked, her head cocked to the side, her fiery red hair falling over her shoulder. Red X muted the TV, and answered, "You were in a bit of a sitch, really. Your sister's back, there were slimy green monsters everywhere, and this spaceship thing came and took your powers."

"And then?"

"And then you were knocked unconscious. You fell out of the sky and I saved you, then I brought you here." he said. Afterwards, he unmuted the TV and continued watching.

"Where exactly is 'here'?" she asked.

"Way outside of Jump City. Far enough away from danger."

"But my friends—it is most important that I contact them straight away. Please, give me back my communicator—"

"Listen, cutie, I don't have it. I swear."

"How am I to believe any word that you say?" she said, her voice rising.

"But I didn't take it! Honestly!"

She stood up, pointing an accusing finger at him while her other hand rested on her hip. Her brows, albeit small, were knitted together in anger. "You claimed that you were a thief and nothing more. All that you have done in the past is steal and lie and keep secrets. How am I supposed to trust the words of a criminal like you when it is all that I know about you?"

Red X was silent. His heart was pumping madly in his chest, his eyes narrowed. He'd been called worse, but it didn't matter. He turned the TV off and stood up, his shaky fists balled up at his sides. Starfire tensed; he was slightly taller than her, his gaze through the mask sending chills down her spine as he stared her down. "I couldn't care less what you think of me," he said, his digital voice dark and husky, "Just be damn grateful that I saved your life." And with that, Red X stormed out, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving a startled Starfire behind.


Back in Titans Tower, Robin was slowly losing his mind, pacing back and forth in front of the crime scanner while Cyborg manned the controls. Beast Boy and Raven weren't back yet, and he hoped beyond all hope that they would return with Starfire. "Anything yet?" he asked, unable to keep the edge off his voice. Cyborg shook his head. Robin's eyes narrowed. "Then keep looking."

"Man, Star took a hit. I'm sure she's just out there, gathering her strength or something," Cyborg said, but nonetheless, he continued searching.

"Have you run scans on the thing that attacked her?" Robin asked.

"Not yet. I need to get a sample of that to get a full molecular scan. As far as we're concerned, it's not from around here."

Raven entered the room through a portal on the floor, hovering inches off the ground. She let her hood down, saying, "I can't make psychic contact with her, either. She must be somewhere outside the city, somewhere far enough that I can't reach her."

Robin slammed his fists on the table furiously, cracks appearing where he hit it. He was breathing hard, his head throbbing. How could he just let her out of his sight? Why didn't he go after her in the first place? Stupid green blobs of slime, he cursed in his head. A million questions ran through his mind, giving him a migraine. He pressed his fingers against his temples, massaging them gently. Then the doors slid open, and Beast Boy came rushing to them. "Dudes, look!" he said. On the table he set down pieces of a broken communicator. Cyborg scanned the pieces, and said, "This was definitely Starfire's. Her prints are all over it."

"Where did you find this?" Robin asked, picking up a few of the pieces tenderly.

"It was down by the base of the tower. I think it must've fallen out of her pocket or something," Beast Boy said, scratching his head. He morphed into a bloodhound, his front paws on the table's edge, sniffing the broken communicator and whining. "So, how are we gonna find her now?" Raven asked.

Robin made his way to the crime scanner, his fingers rapidly drumming against the keypad. "We find whoever attacked her, and bring them to justice."