Chapter 7.

I lashed out with my legs, Red X had made a mistake landing so close to me. I swept them under his, disrupting his balance. He did not fall off the beam, however. His back landed on it, before he teetered over the edge but I saw him grab the wood with one hand.

I did not wish to stay and fight him. That was just asking for trouble. Robin would surely recognise me, he knew the way I fought. I had put so much effort into ensuring he did not see me, I could not afford to dally with Red X now.

Pushing off my stomach, I charged along the top of the beam on my toes, determined to stay quiet and not draw Robin's attention. Behind me, I heard Red X curse and although I did not look, I could tell by the soft footfalls behind me he had managed to get back on top of the beam.

I headed for the open window I came through before. It was not too far and I was a quick runner. I used a small burst of flight to lift myself across from one beam to another, hoping I made it look like I was a good jumper before I continued my dash for the window.

There was a small thump behind me as Red X made the jump as well. I glanced over my shoulder to see him charging after me, nimble steps along the top of the beam.

Below us, I could hear Batgirl speaking, "Batman, we lost him, he's gone again."

Behind me, Red X chuckled.

Reaching the end of the beam, I dove for the open window, stretching out my hands before me, diving much like I would if I was diving into a swimming pool. A sharp whistling sound and a small arrow with a wire attached whizzed past me, embedding in the window. I grimaced as the window was yanked shut and closed my fists. Something sticky wrapped itself around my legs as I forced myself through the window. The suddenness of it threw off my trajectory; my foot caught the rim of the window, sending me slamming into the outside wall.

The impact hurt, but I managed to dig my fingers into the wooden wall and grip it to stop my fall. I flipped my legs over my head, so my feet were pointed to the ground, rolling my eyes at the red band holding my legs together.

Glancing up, I saw Red X perching on the window rim, staring down at me. I released the wall, dropping to the ground, my boots clunking against the concrete floor. The clorbag had managed to get my knees too, so I could not bend my legs to take the impact. Unbalanced, I fell to the ground.

Red X landed a short distance from me, his double red crossed knives protruding from the back of his hands. "Who are you?"

I said nothing, after all, Red X knows my voice at least and my speech pattern was rather pronounced. Instead, I reached down and grabbed the binding around my legs and yanked, tearing them.

Red X shifted his stance in preparation as I stood, his red crossed palms pointed in my direction. I had no interest in fighting him, especially since his stolen suit was made to counter my attacks as well as the other Titans. Plus, I was not about to use my starbolts.

I ran.

"Hey!" Red X complained and charged after me.

Heels were hard to run in, Tamaranians did not usually flee when we donned our leathers, nor did we walk along the ground. The heels are weapons to be used in flight. I had a new appreciation for the female superheros who wore heels all the time.

It was even harder because I had to dodge the crosses being fired at me. I ducked and weaved trying to prevent Red X from firing directly at me. His crosses slammed into walls and garbage bins around me.

I ducked, my hands covering my head as I ran down the alley between the two warehouses and into the open space beyond. I hesitated, not wanting to be out in the open like this but fortunately, the wharf of Gotham had all sorts of packing containers scattered all over the place. I disappeared down one of the corridors between the containers.

Yellow ones to my left, multicoloured at my right, I ran as fast as I could between their towering pillars. They were stacked two or three high, in parallel lines. They all had their doors exposed, which was a good thing, because I was able to change direction, running through the width of the containers rather than following their lines.

Red X had the vantage point, running across the top of the containers. It was rather stupid of me, I should have thought of that. However, there was a certain sense of safety in the night, the wharf was poorly lit and I was wearing black.

I went left, darting between the containers and travelling two rows before I turned right. I could see the edge of the wharf from here, perhaps if I could make it to the water I could lose him there. I could hold my breath longer than most humans could, although I could not breathe underwater, I could fly. Perhaps I could put enough distance between us so Red X will cease chasing me.

There was a flash ahead of me, one of his spider web crosses stretched between the containers.

I could not stop my dash, nor was I really in a position to leap over it, if I leapt I would most likely hit the top of the web, nor could I slip through the sides. I could slide, however. I dropped, pointing my legs out in front of me. Gravel kicked up as my feet slid along the ground. My bottom hit the ground next and I winced as I felt the stones travelling over the leather. I twisted onto my side, one leg extended toward the small triangular space below the web, my other leg bent at the knee to offer support and placed my hands on the ground.

I waited, judging the best moment as my slide took me closer to the web. At the last second I ducked, my chest as close to the ground as possible and travelled through the triangle.

I had forgotten that Red X could teleport. He shimmered into existence just beyond the web, waiting for me.

I was already on the ground, still skidding toward him, there was no way I could stop myself. I kicked out with my foot, sweeping his legs, he responded by jumping into a back flip. I knew a trick to counter that. My momentum still heading toward him, he would most likely land on me. I shifted up to kneel, grabbed his foot and heaved, swinging Red X around and releasing him so he was flying toward his own spider web. Still moving, I leapt to my feet, staggered as I found my footing.

I could not believe that actually worked. I glanced over my shoulder to see him hanging upside down on his own web. Dancing in a little circle, I gave him the two finger salute that he usually gives us and then started to run again, darting down the next break in containers.

The web would not contain him long, I knew this and it was not long before I could hear his footsteps pounding above me.

Panting, I changed direction again, once, then again quickly, then halted, pressing myself to the side of the container. Red X's footsteps echoed over my head and I heard him leap and land on another one, but the footsteps were travelling away.

Glancing around, I saw an open container door. I could hide in there until Red X left. Peering upward, I was glad I could not see him and then bolted for the open door. I managed to slip through the open door without touching it, and therefore creaking as I had seen in movies they tend to do.

I backed away from the entrance, hiding in the shadows behind the door. There were cardboard boxes stacked against the wall of the container I hid in, and I did not think hiding at the back would have been beneficial. I pressed a hand to my chest as I caught my breath. I had to place my palms on my knees and bend over so I could keep the sound of my breathing quiet.

Running was not my strong point. I could do it, but I was much more used to flying. I resolved to become fitter by completing the jogging when Robin returned to the tower. Perhaps that could be a physical activity we could do together that would not involve kissing.

Breath caught, I peered through the crack in the door, trying to see if it was safe. There was not a lot of the outside area visible through the door, I had to tilt my body and move my head around to see. I placed my hand against the door, inching forward.

I did not expect it to swing open. Nor did I expect Red X to be standing there with his arms folded on his chest looking at me.

"Hello, cutie."

I froze, caught in the moment before the body chooses whether to fight or flee. I took a step backward.

Red X shook his head. "You don't want to go that way. Robin's that way."

I grimaced. I was not going to get out of this predicament easily. Perhaps I could battle my way free, without using my starbolts and flight. I lifted my hands, curling them into fists.

Red X tilted his head. "Really? You want to play it like that?" He lifted his hands up, palms flat in preparation.

I hesitated, not really wanting to fight him.

"One of us has to move first," he prompted.

One hit, all I had to do was connect one solid blow to him. That should be easy, yes? I was taller than him, especially because of my heels, so I opted for a kick to the head. Red X was faster than I remembered, he ducked my kick, launching one of his own that would have struck me in the belly had I not managed to get an arm there to block. I attempted to drop my leg from the kick and perhaps strike him in the back, however he was already spinning on the ground, sweeping my standing leg from under me.

Hitting the gravel on my back, I brought both my legs up, kicking out at him before I threw them over my head to roll backward. Once on my hands and knees, I was able to propel from the ground and lash out at his head. Red X flipped backward, his feet narrowly missing my face. As he landed, he launched several of his x-shuriken at me.

I dodged two and managed to block one with my bracer. It embedded in the leather and I was required to yank it out. I twitched my wrists and ejecting the three hooked blades from their concealment slot to their proper place on the bracers. Darting forward, I lashed out several times, aiming for his head and chest.

"Okay," Red X said, redirecting each of my hits by placing a palm against the inside of my wrist and batting it away. "That's cheating."

I changed tactics several times, switching through the various Earthen combat techniques Robin had taught me and each time Red X moved with me seamlessly. He seemed to be toying with me. He was also very acrobatic, just like Robin, preferring to leap or twist out of the way, or redirect my hits rather than block them. I could not shake this feeling he was simply defending, demonstrating weak points in my attacks, rather than striking me.

It was rather frustrating.

We kicked up gravel, our feet constantly shifting positions as we danced around each other. I lost track of the amount of times I hit the ground, contemplating just staying there on many occasions. I fervently wished I could go back to my regular way of fighting. An eyebeam to the face would be most satisfying right now. Perhaps if I used some of the methods I had learnt on Okaara.

Something seemed to set him off. Perhaps it was Robin, and I really should have been keeping a better watch out for him, but Red X suddenly shifted from a defensive position to an attack. Three sharp hits to my stomach and upper chest, then he slammed me against one of the containers, his forearm against my neck. His free arm grabbed my wrist and spun me so my face was pressed against the container, his forearm on the back of my neck. "Shh," he hissed.

I was not to be quietened. While he had one arm trapped, he did not have the other, nor my feet. I lifted a boot, sunk it into the container itself and pushed back hard, at the same time I span, striking out with my arms. His outfit tore and three white lines of skin appeared on his ribs. I lashed out with direct kick into his stomach.

He caught my boot and suddenly we were inside the crate I had hidden in before. The move disoriented me, he must have teleported. Red X gave me a little shove backward and I crashed into some cardboard boxes. I struggled to my feet, preparing to attack again.

"Damn it, you kicked my belt," Red X muttered and turned toward the door. "This is so not where I wanted to be. We need to get out of here before—"

Everything went dark as the door slammed shut and there was a metallic jangling. "I got them!" a voice outside crowed, it echoed strangely within the crate. "He has a sidekick; they're trapped in a container."

I bristled at the insinuation that I was a sidekick, or even associated with Red X and then crumpled. I was trapped in here, with my boyfriend outside. He was going to find out I was here and then I was going to be in trouble. Robin was going to be very angry.

Red X chuckled and cracked a red light stick, illuminating the container. "S'all right, cutie, I'll get us out of here."

I growled at him.

"So you have a voice after all," he quipped at me. He gingerly touched his chest where I had cut him. I could see blood running. "Nice moves."

I looked down, feeling remorseful and retracted my wrist blades. There was some sense of mutual understanding between us, a cessation of hostilities because we were both trapped.

Red X fiddled with something from his belt, and then held it out to me. "Would you mind?" he asked gesturing his wound.

I folded my arms across my chest.

He chuckled. "Fair enough," he said. He lifted up his shirt briefly to place the adhesive strip against the wounds I inflicted, hissing in pain.

I wondered how I was going to get out of this. Going through a wall would be easy, but that would mean Red X would also escape. I did not know which was worse. Getting sprung by Robin, getting sprung by Robin with Red X, or helping Red X escape.

Red X began clearing a space on the floor. "You helping?" he asked, kicking one of the boxes aside. "Or do you want to fight Batman?"

That decided me. Placing my hands against a box, I pushed it out of the way.

Red X looked at the small space he had cleared, crouching down beside it. He lifted his arm until it was diagonal across his chest, activating that large, metallic cross on the back of his hand. "Stand back," he advised me. I took a step backward.

There was the sound of screeching metal, sparks flying away from where the cross sliced into the metal. Red X worked quick, cutting out a large square in the floor. When it was done, he peeled the square away and we looked at the concrete beneath it. I was curious as to why he had chosen the floor to escape through, but then there would be less chance of Robin stopping us. Red X ran his blades across the top of the concrete, cutting deep rivets into it.

Red X reached into his belt, then looked up at me. He stepped over the hole, grabbed my shoulders and tossed me to the back of the container. Before I even had a chance to snarl at him or defend myself he was on me again, forcing me face first into the metal wall. "Cover your head," he snapped at me, and there was the sound of pebbles raining down on stone.

I ducked my shoulders, cowering and covered my head with my hands. Red X crouched behind me, his hand on the back of my head forcing me lower and I heard his cape flap around us to form a shield from the blast.

The whole container rocked from the force of the blast. Smoke and concrete dust filled the air. The stacked cardboard boxes crumpled toppled from their stacks. I was glad my face mask acted as a filter.

"Move," Red X snapped, shaking his cape free of debris. "No way they didn't hear that."

I had not thought of that. We darted for the hole in the floor, Red X swearing when he saw that although we could see the ocean below, the hole was not big enough for us to escape through. Concrete was being reinforced by twisted metal bars, crisscrossing the length of the hole.

The door jangled. I panicked; I could not be caught here. Leaping for it, I grabbed the locking bars that travelled the length of the door and bent them in on themselves, effectively locking us in. Behind me, Red X was hitting the concrete with a staff, trying to dislodge it enough to escape.

"I'm out of explosives," he grunted. "Quick thinking with the door. Can you do anything about these bars?"

I nodded and Red X stepped away. Quickly examining the layout of the bars, I crouched down beside it and placed a foot in the hole. Several well placed and swift kicks later, the concrete block fell from the hole, splashing down into the inky black ocean below.

"Nice work," Red X said, offering me a hand to stand up. I did not take it, instead, I lowered myself through the hole.

It was a rather thick hole, I used the now broken metal bars as handholds and dangled from the bottom. There was a support column within swinging distance, with a support beam running from it to the next column. I swung, then released and used my flight to supplement the jump, landing on the beam.

I should have vanished then. Disappeared, flown away as fast as I could. Red X could not see me, Robin did not know. But I did not. There was a small sense of loyalty, Red X and I escaped together, I really should ensure that he does not require my assistance. Robin and Red X had worked together on occasion as well, although Red X had always betrayed Robin in the end. I was aware the same might happen to me.

Also, I wished steal the Wayne Enterprises bag from Red X to leave for Robin.

Red X's legs appeared through the hole, then the rest of his body. If he was surprised to see me, I could not tell. Gripping the support column, I leant out as far as I could and stretched out my hand. Red X regarded me for a moment then swung and released, stretching out for my hand. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him onto the beam, releasing him as quickly as possible.

"Thanks," he said as he got his balance. He glanced around and nodded at the next set of columns and beams. "Those look too far to jump. Want a lift to shore?"

I tiled my head at him, inquiringly.

"Line of sight teleportation," he said cheekily. "Shh, it's a secret." He stretched out his arm toward me. "We have to cuddle."

X'hal, was he flirting with me? First as Starfire, now in disguise? Was he just a flirt normally or did something about me warrant special attention? I hugged my arms to my chest and shook my head.

Red X shrugged. "Suit yourself. Seeya round, cutie." As he lifted his fingers in salute, his other hand going to his belt, I lunged, tearing the satchel from him a moment before he blinked out of existence.

Giggling, I took to the air, placed the satchel back through the hole we created and into the container. I could see snatches of Robin trying to get through the door. It would be safe there.

"Hey!"

I lowered myself back down, pretending that I was using the metal bars as holds. Red X was back on the beam, his hands clenched into fists. "That was mine."

I wagged my finger at him and shook my head.

"Did you just give it to him?"

I nodded.

Red X looked taken aback; his shoulders rolled back, his arms dangled. "Huh."

A hand closed around my wrist.

My heart dropped to my toes as I jerked my head up, only to find a boot planted in my face. The blow stunned me, and hurt, pain slicing across my cheek. Robin thought I was a criminal; of course he was going to use force. I could not find fault in him for that. But I never expected to be on the receiving end.

I was yanked upward, my head slamming against the concrete and then back down as Red X's arms closed around my waist. Red X shot one of his red crosses back through the hole and Robin released my wrist with a yell.

We fell, then the world shimmered and the next thing I knew my boots crunched against pebbles. I staggered, falling, and then Red X was lifting me up and we shimmered again.

Somewhere among the shimmers of Red X's teleports I lost consciousness.


Author's Note: Oh, look. Another cliffhanger!