Thank you, everyone, for the comments… you really make my day. I love how random some of you are… group glomp

(Now, rewind a bit—before the last chapter—and get your mind set for Robin's take on things…)

Chapter Seven: "Stupid, Stupid Robin…"

The minute Robin heard a noise from Raven's room, he rushed to her door and opened it, his whole speech planned out perfectly. Raven! he would begin. When Starfire said you would spend the

He stopped, looking up into the bewildered silver eyes of a black-haired teenager. "Uh, hi," the boy said.

Robin clenched his fists, his adrenaline already pounding in his ears. "What're you doing in Raven's room?" he asked briskly in a voice so low the teenager raised a brow.

"Getting her some clothes," he answered simply.

"Why would you need to do that?" His birdarang clicked, ready, in his hand. "Where is she?"
"My apartment. It's a few miles from here."

"Again, why?"

"Uh…" He looked amused. "Because she got sick and fainted there, and I couldn't find it in me to wake her up and tell her to go home…? She's completely safe there; don't worry. I'm guessing she'll be back tomorrow sometime."

"And who are you?"

"Figured you'd ask that. Thing is," he smiled, "I don't know what to tell you, so let's just say my name is Jason."

"Alright, Jason, how did you get into the Tower?"

He hesitated. Eventually, he shrugged. "I snuck in. Your security system stinks. I mean, anyone with a slight knowledge of computer coding could hack it. Of course, I didn't hack anything. I just crept in from the roof."

"How did you get on the roof?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" Jason laughed, turning his back on Robin and walking back to Raven's bed, where a white plastic bag and a pile of clothes lay. "I'll be on my way, if you'll excuse me…"

Jason heard a whirring noise and suddenly a string wrapped around his entire being. "Oh, great," he smirked, looking down at the birdarang when it caught on the string, keeping him from moving. He looked over her shoulder at Robin. "Dude, you're going to have to let me go."

"Do you realize breaking and entering is a crime, Jason?"

"Uh, yeah, Robin. Can you let me go now?"

The Boy Wonder shook his head smugly. "No way."

"You're choice," he warned. With great difficulty, he managed to take something from his pocket.

Switchblade! Robin mentally yelled, stepping forward when Jason easily cut through the wires. "Drop the blade," he ordered.

"No thanks—I happen to like this one." He continued walking to the bed and then packed the clothes into the bag, his attention not even remotely on Robin.

"You're incredibly cocky," Robin chastised, crossing his arms. "I'm blocking the only way out."

"I know," he grinned distantly. "So?"

"You can't get past me."

"It sounds as if you're the cocky one. And anyway, I can make you move without fighting." Jason picked up the bag and started towards the door. "Hey, Robin?"

"What." Not a question.

"Would you still kill me if I said I was Red X, but not the one who assaulted Star?"

Robin tensed, one hand curling into a fist and the other reaching for three disks—one smoke, one eyes, and one filled with a sticky, blobby substance. "Not the right one?" he growled, dropping into a sparring stance. "I'm the only Red X who didn't do anything to Starfire."

"What if you're wrong?" asked Jason innocently, still advancing slowly. "What if there are three X's? What if you killed the wrong one? Because if you kill me, then you might not get some information about who you really should be after."

"The only X's, Jason, are in this room."

Jason looked over one shoulder, and then the other, and looked back at Robin with a bemused expression. "No. One's missing. Or don't you listen?"

Robin gritted his teeth. "I'm fed up with your disgustingly twisted nonsense. Let's—"

"Hi, Starfire!" Jason called with a smile and a friendly wave to the open door. "How're you?"

Robin swore and spun around, looking at the door.

No one was there.

"You fell for that?" Jason cackled from behind him. A gloved hand snaked around his neck, and just when Robin expected a blade against his throat, he felt a fist on the top of his head. "You're such an idiot!"

"You!" he roared, spinning around and punching… air. His opponent was standing a foot back, but rushed forward again when the fist had passed.

"Yes, I. Au revoir, Robin, but we'll be seeing each other soon!" And as Jason stepped around him, he raised a hand to the back of Robin's head and kissed him gently on the lips. Cracking a grin, he shoved the Titan away forcefully and winked. "Adios!"

Robin's face flushed as he sat where he had tripped, watching the door close behind X. What the hell? He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand in repulsion. Finding himself unable to find the will to move, he just sat there in shock.

If that was X, why did he kiss me?

Red X got away again! But… why is Raven at his apartment anyway? Why did she get sick?

Why did he kiss me?

And what did he mean by a third Red X?

How did Raven even meet up with X?

Why did he kiss me!

Robin groaned just as the door opened again.

"Robin?" a sweet voice wondered.

"Hey, Starfire." He waved a hand slightly.

"Are you ill? May I also inquire why you are in Raven's room?"

He sighed, standing shakily. "I'm not sick. At least, not literally. And it doesn't matter why I'm in here. I was just being stupid."

"Yes," came a voice different from Starfire's.

He jerked his head up. "What?"

"I said," she repeated slyly, "Yes. Because, honestly, Robin, you're good at being stupid." She smiled cruelly and extended a hand. For a moment it was still, but then the skin began to ripple and he watched in horror as she slowly took on the appearance of a brown-haired, hazel-eyed teenager.

"Who the f-"

"Like I said," he taunted, extending a hand and drawing a syringe from his pocket with the other. "Stupid, stupid Robin."

Robin struggled against an imaginary force that held him in place, unable even to move his fingers. Shit!

The boy came closer, leaning in and whispering in his ear. "You know, I overheard your conversation with Jason. He was right, you know. I'm the third Red X. But no—you couldn't just trust a nice guy when you see one. So instead I have to come in here and teach you a lesson before moving on to the more prettier part of the hallway—Starfire's room."

Shit!

"Stupid, stupid Robin…"

Something pricked his neck, and slowly everything began to blur. Robin felt the syringe's contents flowing through his jugular vein and into his entire system.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Red X said with a harsh giggle. "I gave Raven a bit of that and she got sick and fainted. Let's see how you handle six times the amount I gave her." He dropped his hand and Robin felt himself drop to the floor. "See ya… or not…"

Robin clambered to his feet, clutching his neck. The boy had somehow disappeared, but he heard singing in the hallway.

"Titans," he shouted hoarsely, falling onto the hallway carpet, feeling foam come from his mouth. "Titans!"

"Robin? Dude!" Beast Boy was looking down at him when Robin's arms gave out and he dropped even lower onto the carpet. "Cyborg! Starfire! Someone! Get down here!"

"Man, what're you—Robin!"

"Poison," Robin whispered. A thought rushed through his mind. If these are my dying words… "Third X! Get Raven and… Jason…" His stomach heaved and its contents spilled onto the carpet, sickeningly bitter in his mouth.

"What'd he say?"

"Dude, he said poison, third X, and something about Rav—"

"Friends? What is-"

"Starfire, get Raven over here, now!"

"Oh! Robin! He is—"

"Star, go!"

"Cy, I think he's…"

Robin's vision flashed black and white and he coughed something salty. Blood…? he wondered faintly.

His eyes slipped back into his head, and all the voices faded…

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The eight chapter is just waiting to be posted, so once I know a few people have read this chapter, I'll update.