Author's Notes: I want to begin by saying I'm proud to be returning to this project after a long hiatus. It's been a long time since I sat down to create, but I never lost love for the project. As you may or may not have read from the previous announcement I have a lot of plans for this story moving forward and a huge bit of it begins with this chapter. This is where the story of Red-X takes root. That being said... a bit of a disclaimer. This is completely my idea so there will naturally be people who don't like it. When you create canon there is always high risk, but also high reward if it clicks. I've come to terms with that risk, but plead that you approach it with an open mind. We all know that there is more than meets the eye with Red-X. I think it's time we take a look at what is behind his eyes. Without much more delay, we continue the story. Last we left off, Raven was just about to walk into the room Red-X stays captive. She's about to find out how much a prisoner he really is.

Tuesday March 21st, 3 Days Before the Next Full Moon, Late Night, Iwatodai Dormatory

Raven stood at the door, uncharacteristically holding back from confrontation. She began to think about why this was effecting her this way. She didn't have a passing thought confronting him at the park not even a week ago, but now timidness was rearing her ugly head. Was it because of what Igor said about him being connected to this? Was it because of him saving her life? Or worse than the rest, was she actually growing attached to Red-X? She let in some air and let out a calming exhale. Then she pushed open the door and entered the room on guard.

The room Red-X was being held in was shrouded in a haze of misfortune. She felt similar ties in the room that she was in. Perhaps the Blue-haired Boy was not the only person who was burdened with great loss during the S.E.E.S. operation. Perhaps everyone who was part of S.E.E.S. experienced the bite of misfortune.

Raven moved to the cage Red-X was being held in. He was sitting up on a chair that was offered to him. On his surface he seemed as vital and defiant as he has been with them the moment he was captured.

Red-X looked up from his seat at the girl before him struggling to find words, and shot first. "Well look what the cat dragged in." He turned fully to face her and rose to his feet. Nothing he did seemed labored. "Or should I say a bird?" He smiled from under his mask.

Raven returned fire. "Is that what you think? Would it comfort you more than thinking I came of my own accord?" She took special attentions to his motions. She must admit that he had trained his body well, because his stature on the outside did not show a trace of what he was hiding on the inside.

Red-X scoffed at her question. "Still birds of a feather, Cupcake." He said brewing with vitriol.

Raven toyed with the idea of teasing him with the device Robin had given her just to knock him down a peg with the constant bravado, but she did not reveal it yet. "You should know by now that we are not joined at the hip at every turn, Red-X. I need you to have some trust in me." Her voice cracked and waned a little at the end of her statement. Possibly in preparation of his shattering of the notion.

Red-X moved to the bars and rested his arms against them. He noted how she hid her face and especially her eyes from him. In fact everything was off about her. Her human complexion and her choice in attire threw him off somehow. "Do you trust me?" He offered right back.

Raven mulled it over and could only come up with one conclusion. "I don't know if I should." She said really softly as she looked up at him at last.

Red-X stiffened his posture from lax to serious. "You probably shouldn't." He looked her over once more. It was then something stuck out to him. "Come closer and see."

"What was this?!" Raven thought. A test, a dare, or a trick? She could read in his thoughts a mass amount of pain, but also a stirring bid of confusion and emotion. How curious indeed. She found herself slowly approaching him with a lower guard until they were both at the bars within striking distance. She was still incredibly distant in spite of the close proximity.

Red-X noticed this immediately and couldn't help, but to comment on it. "This makes you really uncomfortable." He said with almost a bid of victory over her.

Raven could sense something similar coming from Red-X. "Not at all, it's just that you really reak. You ever shower or do you live in that thing?" She had a feeling the cold sweats from his withdrawal was also a contributing factor. Plus whatever else unfortunate things may have resulted in that suit of his.

Red-X laughed some. "Due to circumstances beyond my control I may be due for one, but you're one to talk. So tell me, what ring of Hot Topic birthed your outfit, Helena?" He paused. "It suits you nicely."

Raven glared a moment at him before looking away in embarrassment. "It's nothing special. It's just... me." Then she felt a light swiping right below her waist. Immediately she captured Red-X in a glow of black energy. Her heart rate escalated quickly at the thought of being taken advantage of. "Don't you dare." She spoke in a horrifying, emotionless tone. Inside however she was battling anger, fear, and guilt. That battle was being waged now on Red-X's body.

Red-X spoke difficultly through her grasp. "I... I didn't. I wouldn't... Princess, please."

Raven looked at his body in stasis and noticed his hand grasping at something. She let him loose and his body fell in a heap. He was gasping for air and struggled to stand back up. She shook her head and noticed her skin was back to normal. He had the device Cyborg made. "Red-X!" She opened the cell and helped him to a sitting position against the wall. "What did you do that for?"

He handed her back the device. He was finally giving into his condition as it seemed her attack did a number on him. "I can't tell you why, just that if you trust me don't wear that thing around me anymore... my heart can't take it." It seemed his heart couldn't take much of anything as he grew weaker before her.

Raven couldn't take it anymore. "Red-X, I have something. The thing Robin took from you." She pulled the small metallic rectangle from her pocket.

Red-X's arms fell to his sides. "The power adapter to the suit?" He looked up to her. "What did you have to do to get that off of Bird Boy's hands?"

As suggestive or not Raven felt the question was she just cut to the chase. "Robin and I have a better understanding then that, Red-X. Now, how does it work?" She relented to tell him about Robin's bid for her to try to get Red-X to admit the location of the Xenothium.

Red-X pointed to his belt buckle. "It goes in like a cassette tape."

Raven popped open what was like a small compartment and put the rectangle inside. The fit was predetermined and clearly she was doing it wrong. "It so DOESN'T go in like a cassette tape." She grew impatient as she tried to punch it in a few different ways until finally everything fell into place.

"Hey!" Red-X grunted. "Watch the goods, Nurse Ratched." He chuckled slightly.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Now is not the time for jokes, Red-X." She closed the compartment and things started to activate. Almost after a minute all of the pain she could feel in him started to dull.

Red-X continued. "It's no joke, that's a very expensive piece of equipment." Something from inside the suit chimed in "Xenothium distribution back online"

Raven fought back a smile and gladness as she continued to feel his life force strengthen. "Did it work? Are you going to be alright?" She asked, already kind of knowing the answer.

Red-X groaned. "What did I tell you about going soft on me, Princess?" He spoke with all the intention not to show his internal gratitude.

Raven countered with a question of her own. "What did I say about calling me those names?" Knowing well about that internal gratitude. It radiated all over him.

He put a hand to her shoulder. "Help me to the bed, Fuzzy Lumpkins." It killed him to have her doing all of this. Then again it was her fault that he was so weak to begin with, she owed him that much.

Raven agreed and offered him support to his cot on the opposite side of the chair he sat in when she arrived. "So I guess this means we're even on the motorcycle then." She joked.

Red-X glared at her. "Not on your life, Tinkerbell." He fell into the bed in exhaustion.

Raven moved back and sat in the chair that he was previously in. She crossed her legs and prepared for what seemed like a long sit. Then from her portal of holding she pulled through a book of some kind.

Red-X looked at her in confusion. "What are you doing?" Maybe that was not an appropriate question given the obviousness of the situation. "Okay, better question, why are you sticking around here? Don't you have homework, crime fighting, or anything better to do then occupy yourself with me?"

Raven flipped her book open. "It's almost that time again. In spite of the fact that there is a new group of people who I could spend that time with I'd rather not. On the other hand it's better than being alone with it." She relented in continuing her thoughts. "Besides, what if you relapse?" Good save, she thought.

Red-X relaxed. "My hero..." He got comfortable. "Just don't get used to this."

Raven sat in her seat. The book was merely a distraction now. His words planted into her brain. What exactly was this? What did she want of it? How far was she willing to go to find out? It wouldn't be long before she'd have at least one of those answers.

The Dark Hour

The room grew dark for a moment before Mitsuru's equipment re-illuminated the interior of the dormitory. That could only mean that the long night Raven had anticipated only just began as it shifted into the dark hour. Raven felt a weight of unease fall upon her, which was common as of late. Raven found herself staring blankly forward at the well passed out by now Red-X.

"What did you mean by... your heart can't take it?" She mused, spoken forwardly enough for it to be directed at him, but she was certain it was quiet enough that he'd never hear it.

She wanted to just let it go, but curiosity was just chomping at the bit. She closed her book and set it on a table next to the chair and rose to her feet. Figuring he'd hear her approach she levitated off the ground and floated to his side. She got into a comfortable, sitting position at his bedside and reached carefully out towards his head.

With just a whisper she spoke the words... "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." Then she laid her hand on the wounded man's forehead and began fishing through his mind. For as much as he was like Robin he surprisingly didn't have nearly as many mental barriers. It seemed Robin owed his mentor a debt he would never have expected for that. Though much like the twisted maze the Titans Tower turned into, the mind isn't exactly a straight line easily navigated either. She found her way through to what seemed like the much distant past.

Raven found herself in the middle of what appeared to be a boarding house. There was an abundance of children, perhaps too many for the likes of this staff to control. It seemed as though one of these staffers had her hands full in a very official looking room. The old bat was scolding one of the kids very loudly, as if on purpose so that the other children would overhear and take heed.

It seemed she couldn't advance any further. She couldn't see the child in question, but she knew who it had to be. There was something in the old woman's hand, a beat up looking, stuffed, sock monkey, with an eye off and some threads loose. "We don't take things that don't belong to us!" The Lady scolded.

Raven had to fight really hard not to bust out in laughter. Even though it wouldn't have disrupted anything. What she was in was more or less just a play back of events she couldn't directly control. "His first theft." She smiled as she looked on and reveled in this bid of information. I guess it was a bit of a shock to her that it was something so... plain.

Raven turned around and exited the large room of the boarding house into what appeared to be a junior high school. She was definitely not happy to be back in one, but through the herd of kids one seemed to stick out. A young girl with brown hair and blue eyes. She seemed to be wearing the same uniform as all the other girls in this mystery school. Raven felt another pair of eyes on the girl coming from behind her. She turned to find an awkward outline of a boy, hiding behind a set of lockers. Raven let out a half smile as he fumbled something written between his hands.

Raven got startled by a ringing, school bell and became aware of another wave of kids coming at her. It was enough time for the boy she was looking at to have moved. The little scamp moved like a dart towards that girl by the time Raven could turn around. Raven must have just missed the big reveal because by the time she returned to where the girl stood they were together and that boy was on the receiving end of a lunging embrace.

"I don't think I've ever seen Robin move that fast for anything." She relinquished a smile to the scene. "It looks like little Red-X has a crush." Good for him, Raven thought as some older men in suits obstructed her view. "Hey. Get out of the way." She said without really thinking about it. Then she remembered that she had no pull in this. She was merely traveling down a single river of memories in hopes to find a clue to her desired question.

The scene changed over once more. What once was a school had turned into a large gathering of adults. As the line of men parted Raven found herself in a wedding hall. In the center of it all stood a man with his back to her. It was obvious he was the groom from where he was positioned. His short black hair and his familiar physique cued to her immediately that this was Red-X. The woman before him hand in hand was the same girl from earlier in the school, just older. The emotions of great joy was intense. Raven was actually enjoying this moment.

Raven heard a voice from beyond, it seemed.

"Raven, you're not supposed to be here." It called out to her.

Raven felt herself getting pulled away from the scene. She reached out towards them in a feeble attempt to stay. "Wait!... I'm not finished. Just a little longer, please." She pleaded to no one in particular, until she was removed from Red-X's mind and pulled back to reality.

Raven's eyes returned to normal as her connection with Red-X's forehead was broken and she was pulled back and stood up by a man in the cell. Raven struggled at first, but then paired the voice in Red-X's mind to one she recognized from the plane. "Akihiko?" She gained calm and turned to face him. "What do you need?" She attempted to say without showing any frustration at being interrupted. It wasn't easy given her control as of late.

Akihiko rose his eyebrow about the whole thing. "We have a situation, Raven. Mitsuru has something to ask of you if you wouldn't mind." He moved to the cell door and opened it, waiting for her response.

Raven let out a small sigh. "S-sure thing. Let me just gather my bearings and I'll be right there."

Akihiko nodded. "We will be waiting for you. Mitsuru won't begin briefing without you so, don't be too long if you could help it." He moved out of the cell. "We will be in the large room with the double doors on the fourth floor." Then he left the room entirely.

Raven looked back to Red-X. The things she saw from the memories was a start to some things, but it still didn't answer the question why she effected him so much by wearing Cyborg's cloaking device. "If he was married... how old is he?" It was always thought that Red-X was another teenager like they were, but this opened up a whole new series of possibilities. Worse off then that Raven felt a compelling urge to learn even more about him.

Raven left Red-X alone feeling a bit guilty. She invaded Red-X's mind without his permission. This after a confrontation of the two about trusting one another. Raven put it to rest convincing herself that it was for the mission even though clearly she had not searched for anything Robin wanted her to find out. It had also seemed her ""Other team" had put her to task on something as well. She left the room and moved upstairs to meet them immediately.

End of Chapter Notes: I grit my teeth and await readers responses to what essentially is the foundation to my portrayal of Red-X. I just hope that this isn't a "what Twilight did to vampires" level of betrayal. All I ask is mercy from you, my fellow readers. Not much in this chapter for the Persona fans to sink their teeth into. Have faith in me that next chapter I will make up for it in spades. I like to think I've raised questions through all of this, but I'm probably not that smart. A lot of you will probably see things coming from a mile away. I just really wanted things to come out of the fog a bit about why Red-X does what he does. It will become abundantly clear in future updates. As for what I have planned for the next update. More action. I know, a lot of you are probably thrilled to hear that. Also another arrival to be added to the S.E.E.S. roster. Anyone familiar with the game will know who is missing from the cast. Last but not least. Raven uses her wild card! As always I appreciate greatly any and all views and commentary. What could one do to improve if they refuse to see what the readers want out of them? I hope the hiatus didn't rust over my creative spark. Looking forward to additions in the nearer future. Thank all of you who took the time to give this story a chance.