Okay, I've decided that this will be the last chapter of this story. However, keep reading, because I'm gonna be posting a short story for the last three chapters. It'll be about Robin. Since I got Arkham City, Game O' Da Year, I've wanted to do a decent Robin story.
Chapter VII
When Titans Clash
The sun was setting over the San Fran bay, casting the entire city in a beautiful orange glow. This would be the second night the Teen Titans hadn't found Red X or Blackfire.
Raven was now getting seriously worried about Starfire. She hadn't spoken to any of them since Blackfire's disappearance, instead merely taking her orders from Nightwing in grim silence. This was not like her, not like her at all.
"Starfire?" Raven asked her as they glided through the streets and the fading light. "I know this isn't like me much but... do you want to talk?"
"No, thank you," Starfire said shortly. That would normally have killed any further attempts to talk, but since she had been dating Peter, Raven had gained a lot of people skills.
"Well, then, want to tell me what you're going to do when we find X and your sister?"
Starfire didn't answer immediately. Raven could tell she was thinking her answer through.
"I... do not know. The presence of her fills me with a rage I did not think I could feel," Star admitted. "Her betrayals constantly push themselves to the front of my mind. When I see her, I can only think of the pain she has inflicted."
"I see," Raven said. "Well, maybe we can change that. Maybe she can be redeemed." But Star shook her head.
"Perhaps it is best for me not to participate in the fight against her," she said softly. "I fear what I am capable of."
"Hey," Raven said, drifting closer. "It's okay. Even if you somehow manage to hurt her, we'll be there. Don't worry. We'll be there. That's what friends are for."
Star nodded, tears in her eyes. She finally looked at Raven.
"You would not have spoken like this once," she said. "Your relationship with Peter has changed you."
Raven, unsure of how to respond, nodded.
"I am glad you have found happiness... happiness..." And then she burst into tears.
Raven's people skills didn't extend to this, and she had the feeling Peter would be at a loss as well.
"There... there," she said, awkwardly, patting Star on the shoulder. She knew what the problem was.
Dick Grayson.
Dump one of the best looking girls on Earth? Good job.
Which then made Raven suddenly curious to see the face of Red X. She had no clue why she thought that.
Dick paced the halls of the Tower, waiting for Raven and Starfire to report back. He walked into the living room, where Beast Boy was sitting, idly playing with PSP.
"Where's Cy and Spidey?" he asked. BB shrugged, not looking up. "Very informative."
He could guess though. The last few hours they had been in the lab, struggling through various compounds that made Dick's head swirl.
He looked in the window, staring at his reflection. The pale blue wing on his chest set against the black suit reminded him of something, but he couldn't place it...
And then he pictured a skull over his face. He was about the right height. He could be mistaken for Red X... despite the fact that he had been X once.
The door opened, and Dick turned. His eyes widened as Peter and Vic came crashing in, tripping over a chair that had been randomly placed in the way. They got up quickly, holding onto a small vial that was filled with blue liquid.
"Dick," Peter gasped. "We did it-,"
"Finally found a mixture-," Vic talked over him.
"Compound actually works-,"
"Zynothium is actually the same as Oz in this universe-,"
Before Dick could stop them from talking at once, his communicator went off. He picked it up, holding up his hand.
"Raven," he said, recognizing her code key. "Nightwing here. What have you found?"
The voice that spoke wasn't Raven's. Peter and Vic froze, and BB's head popped up over the couch.
"Nightwing. How wonderful to actually talk to you."
The voice was a man's with an accent. He spoke with confidence, as if he was completely untouchable. Peter's face went white.
"Who is this?" Dick snapped, reverting to Nightwing in an instant. There was a small chuckle.
"Dr. Ethan Hunter, at your service. And I must thank you. You in particular have proven very productive. And young Spider-Man as well."
"What have you done with Raven?!" Peter shouted. Another chuckle.
"She is... unharmed. For now. Her sample will be fascinating to study. But she is safe at the moment, along with the two Tamaraneans and the failure."
So he had Raven, Starfire, and Blackfire... did the "failure" mean Red X?
"I would like you to meet my champion. My own Titan. He is waiting for you over the bridge off of Q Street. Meet him there."
The comm clicked off. Nightwing merely placed it on the desk, having already run a tracing program.
"He's somewhere in the business districts," he said crisply. "All right, Spider-Man and Beast Boy, you follow the trace." He knew Peter wouldn't rest until he knew Raven was alright. "Cyborg, with me."
"Let's go meet this 'champion.'"
Spider-Man and Beast Boy traveled at lightning speed to the place where Nightwing had traced the call.
Spider-Man hadn't said a word, merely putting on his mask in tight-lipped silence. Beast Boy also didn't say anything, following his lead.
Web-slinging at speeds rivaling Superman, Beast Boy had a tough time keeping up, even when taking the form of an eagle. They traversed the streets, following Spidey's lead. He had installed electronic lenses that allowed him to track the tracing program.
They finally found a large warehouse. It wasn't abandoned or decrepit, but it was certainly unoccupied at the moment.
Or rather that was how it looked. Spider-Man picked up five life forms in the building. He was surprised and a little disappointed at the lack of security.
They crashed through one of the windows, landing in what seemed to be a laboratory or some sort. Special equipment was everywhere, and tubes wound their way all over the room.
The sight made Spidey feel slightly sick. He had seen this before... he couldn't remember where...
And then he caught sight of the cage in the middle of the room. It was large, and he could tell the bars were made of something harder than steel. Inside were Raven, Starfire, Red X, and an unconscious Blackfire.
"Red button," X said without preamble. "Now."
His voice was raspy and short. Beast Boy pushed the button, whereupon the cage bars lifted. Raven rushed out, hugging Spider-Man. Starfire knelt beside Blackfire, who was barely breathing. X ran to the desk, grabbing several red vials, shoving them into his chest, which glowed and exploded with power. When the light died, he stood up straight, breathing deeply.
"God," he said, his voice restored. "That's better."
And then he grabbed a small vial filled with a golden substance. He went over to Blackfire, and gently tipped the stuff into her mouth. Starfire gazed on, dispassionately.
"Come on," he whispered. "Come on. Don't die on me, Kommand'r... I need you."
At these words, Star's head snapped up, her eyes boring into Red X's mask. X, completely oblivious, kept his eyes on Blackfire.
"What did he call her?" Spider-Man asked Raven.
"Kommand'r," she answered, her voice soft. "Her real name."
It was touching, but Spider-Man's jaw was still sore from the punch she hit him with earlier.
Her eyes fluttered open. Her chest began to rise and fall normally.
"Uh..." she moaned. "Red X? Is that you?" She caught sight of Star. "Sister... deear sister." She smiled, but it wasn't cunning or sly. It was genuine pleasure. "I'm sorry. I never thought I'd say this but..."
"Okay, mushy reunions aside," Spidey cut in, feeling unsentimental. "X, you need to take this. It's a cure to your disease." He paused. "The degeneration. It wasn't just caused by the Zynothium. It has been with you since you were created."
X snorted.
"Interesting choice of words," he said. "You figured it out?"
"Everything but this," he said. "Who is the champion?"
"Well, Peter," X said. "All I can say is... I'm sorry."
"How do you know my name?" Spider-Man asked, stunned.
"From me."
It was the voice of Dr. Hunter. It was coming from above. They all looked up, seeing him standing in a ridiculous black suit that was stretched at his belly, and overlong at the arms and legs. It looked like one of the fatter cosplayers at Comic-Con.
"Wonderful to meet you, Mr. Parker," he said, and they saw him holding a syringe in his hand. "At last. You know, I couldn't have completed my experiments without you."
"Hunter!" X shouted. "I'm gonna kill you!"
"Take it," Spidey whispered, giving X the cure. His fingers curled over the blue filled vial.
"No you won't," Hunter said, holding the syringe over his arm. "You see, as you die... I am reborn."
And he injected himself with the substance. He appeared to be in great pain, twisting and contorting. The teens stared up at him, horrified. It seemed to go on forever.
Finally, it seemed to end. He was hunched over, barely moving.
He leapt suddenly over the rail of the catwalk, landing with a loud thud on the ground. He stood up slowly, revealing hard muscles that now filled out the black suit perfectly. Tall, imposing, and youthful looking, Ethan Hunter was now standing tall, looking dangerous.
"Thank you for the Oz, Mr. Parker," he said, his voice deeper. "It works like a charm."
"So does this," X said, slamming the blue vial into his chest.
He doubled over, a white light emanating from him, blinding everyone in the room. It was more impressive than Hunter's was.
And, like Hunter, it ended, and X stood tall. He breathed slowly, filling his lungs, flexing his muscles.
Slowly, he reached up to his mask, and for the first time, he took it off, revealing his true face.
Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy gasped, and even Spider-Man was taken aback, even though he had figured it out. The resemblance was striking.
"Now, what was your question?" X asked.
Nightwing and Cyborg made it to the bridge, just in time to see flames licking the support struts.
They would soon erode the bridge, and send the cars falling into the water. Cyborg immediately appropriated a fire truck, attaching the hose to his arm, focusing the water on the worst of the fire. Nightwing leapt onto the bridge, searching for the cause of the fire.
He soon spotted it. A red-clad figure wearing a full-face mask was pacing back and forth among the stopped cars and the screaming people. Black colors detailed his suit, while he wore forearm gauntlets that seemed to have caused the flames. Small black slits served as eyes. It looked too creepily like...
And then Nightwing's brain went on overtime.
"Similarities between Zynothium and Oz..."
"I thought you weren't a hero."
"Doesn't mean I don't know how to be one..."
Could almost be Red X...
Was Red X...
I AM RED X.
"Whoa," he said quietly as the truth hit him. It was impossible. It couldn't be. But Zynothium wasn't the only thing killing Red X.
The red-clad figure turned to Nightwing.
"Look surprised, circus boy," he sneered, and Nightwing recognized his voice. And he was shocked by his new knowledge.
"Who are you?" he shouted.
Red pulled his mask off, revealing the face of Peter Parker.
"I'm the Scarlet Spider," he said as if it were obvious.
PLOT TWIST! DUH DUH DUUUUUUUUHHH!
Try writing a story while listening to I Like To Move It from Madagascar. Damn near impossible. Please review, and stay tuned for the Robin story!
