Chapter Nine: Learn to Fight

Blaze had the entire tower to herself and she hadn't the faintest idea of what to do. Then she saw it. The gaming station.

Too many times had Blaze asked to play with Cyborg and Beast boy, and every time the answer was the same. "You play winner." Usually the two would rematch until Blaze lost all interest, or they would begin to fight and Robin would make them turn it off. That, or Raven would levitate it so they couldn't reach.

Cyborg and Beast boy weren't here now. Now it was Blaze's turn. She took a seat on the squishy couch and flipped on the button clearly labeled: ON/OFF. She was sucked into a world of virtual reality as music blasted from the surround sound speakers. A car appeared on screen. She picked up the controller and examined it.

Pressing certain buttons made different noises. Others did nothing. She glanced up. There was a countdown. Three...Two...One... the car started moving. Blaze panicked. She pressed as many buttons as her hands could reach. The car jumped around for a while before hitting another car, spinning out of control, and catching on fire.

"You want to steer with those buttons." Blaze dropped the controller and spun around fast enough to make her head spin. Red X bent over her, watching to screen. "It's starting again." He pointed out.

She quickly tapped the ON/OFF button once more and saw the screen go blank. "How'd you get in here?" she wasn't sure whether she was frightened or annoyed. Frightened because he had been the one to push her in the water. Annoyed because he was watching her again.

"Real easy. Boy Wonder and the others are out on their little "mission" so I just walked right past the camera. Once you crack the security code, it's a breeze. By the way, where you aware that the code was the number to pizza place in the city? Who was the pea-brain that thought of that?"

"Sorry, wrong question. I meant to ask what the hell you thought you were doing?" she snapped. She was on her feet, but she wasn't sure when she actually stood up.

"I'm here to bother you. Isn't it obvious?" Blaze was sure that under his mask, he was smiling. She wasn't amused. "Okay fine. Actually, I came to apologize for the other day. That's actually when I meant to bother you."

"You're the villain. Why are you apologizing?" She wasn't mad anymore, more like extremely confused.

"You still giving into the 'good guy, bad guy' label? Hmm, and I thought you were different." He could see how uneasy she was. "If you don't like me here, why don't you throw me out?"

"I can't" she barely got out a whisper. Shouldn't have said that Blaze! She screamed inside her head.

"Oh yeah?" X slid down the back of the couch and sat with his feet propped on the coffee table. He patted the seat next to him. Blaze crossed her arms and refused. "Tell me about it."

What in the blue hell is going on! Why is he sitting in my living room. OUR living room. What's wrong with him?

"What's wrong with you!" she vocalized.

"Like I said, you don't want me here then kick me out."

"I can't!" yelling was helping with the frustration.

"And why not?"

"My powers are gone because of you!" SHOULDN'T HAVE TOLD HIM THAT EITHER, BLAZE! SHIT!

"Oh." he sighed. "Well I can help with that." He stood, facing her.

"You can get me my power back?" Her hands were on her hips and she was leaning towards him. She snapped up straight. "Why am I even talking about this with you?"

"To your first question. No, I can't get your power back. But I can teach you to fight. It's suites me just fine. Boy Wonder, too." Blaze scowled. She never thought of leaning to fight. Even Robin hadn't offered to teach her. "He didn't offer, did he?"

"No, because I'm going to get my power back."

Red X sighed, heading back towards the door. "Fine, but if you change your mind, I'll be around."

"Stop stalking me!"

"I'm not. I'm simply observing." He was almost out the door, but turned around once more. "Strange, I rarely just walk out of a place."

Blaze mustered up enough strength te bend the light around the door and force him out.

The Titans came back several minutes later. As they entered through the door Red X was just pushed out of, they saw Blaze curling into a ball behind the couch. Robin rushed over to her. "Blaze, are you okay?" he held her arms firmly. He shook her a bit to knock her from her thought state.

"Why didn't you offer?"

"What?"

But Blaze didn't want to repeat it. She just stood and slowly walked to her room.

what do you guys think? review please!

read on and rock out, xRubyDustx