It had been a good night so far. Three muggers rounded up, 8 carjackings stopped, and the Riddler packed into a police car. Excellent. Well, until this. "I blame you." Robin said dutifully.

"Hmm." Was Batman's only reply. They were tied up back-to-back on a rooftop. Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman had them surrounded.

"Wowee, Bats, that was a heck of a lot easier than I thought." Harley commented.

"I know. I'm rather let down." Poison Ivy replied.

"I feel kind of bad about killing the boy." Catwoman said. "He's just a kid."

"Didn't he move-out and go to California? What he's even doing here?" Catwoman asked.

"Funny, I was about to ask the same thing." Came a voice from the other side of the roof. Robin stiffened.

"Oh god no…" Three scarlet, X-shaped shurikens whistled through the air and buried themselves in the cement at Harley Quinn's feet.

"What the-!" Harley leapt backwards. "Hey! Who threw that?!" A dark figure jumped off the alcove containing the stairwell and stalked into view. Skull-mask, tattered cape, red 'X' decal on the chest.

"That'd be me." Red X, taking advantage of the Gotham Sirens' shock, hurled a sticky X at Poison Ivy and knocked her on her back. Catwoman recovered enough to lunge at him, but he caught her arm. The electrodes in his glove tasered her, and she collapsed to the rooftop. "Stay back." He warned, throwing Harley a dark look.

Harley gave him a nervous grin and held her hands up as if to say 'Who, me?'. "Sure thing, man, no problem, I'm stayin' right here."

Red X strode over to the bound pair, and knelt to untie them. "What are you doing?!" Robin hissed.

"Saving you." Red X said, sounding smug even through his voice modifier.

"Why?! And why the hell are you in Gotham?!"

"Do you have any idea how boring it is to steal something when you aren't around to chase me and yell? So, I followed you, and decided against letting you get murdered."

"I don't need your help!" The ropes fell apart, and Robin jumped to his feet. "And I seriously don't need you following me across the country!"

"Robin, who is this?" Batman demanded.

"Some lowlife thief called Red X." Robin snapped, not even looking at his mentor. "When he's not stealing, he's ruining my life!"

"Or, you know, saving it. Like I just did. Right now."

"How did you even find me?!" Robin shouted.

"Come again?"

"How. Did you. Find me?"

"…So I may have broken into your room and taken a communicator. And used it to track your location."

"You stalker freak!"

"I'm the stalker freak? You tailed me for, what, five days straight?"

"That—I was—That's irrelevant!" Robin stalked closer, and stuck his hand out. "Give me the communicator, X."

"You're not the boss of me."

"Give me the communicator before I wring your neck!"

"Hmm. Nope!" Red X spun on his heel and bolted into the night.

"Red you get back here!" Robin screamed, before giving chase.

Batman stood on the rooftop, stunned. Robin seemed to have completely forgotten about both him and the Sirens in favor of chasing after Red X. Harley managed to get Ivy free from the sticky X, and then wandered over to the roof's edge. Red's synthesized laughter and Robin's infuriated yelling were echoing up from the street. "Aw. Ain't that sweet?" She cooed, pressing her clasped hands to her cheek.

"I don't find anything 'sweet' about Shuriken Boy." Catwoman grumbled, before staggering to her feet and dusting herself off.

"But just look at 'em, Selina!"

"I don't care how cute it is Harley, he's paying for that!"

"What are you going on about?" Batman asked, stalking to the roof's edge, followed by Poison Ivy.

Ivy stood by Harley and chuckled under her breath. Red X darted by again, waving something yellow and cackling maniacally. "Got your belt kid!"

"You bastard!" Robin shouted, chasing after him. They vanished down an alley.

"Oh, they're just adorable."

Catwoman had wandered over. "I find it more 'funny' than anything else." She admitted.

"Elaborate." Batman growled, and all three jumped, as if they'd forgotten him.

"Do you seriously not see what's happening down there?" Catwoman asked, gesturing at the street. The two teenagers had run by again, but it seemed Robin had gotten his belt back. "Are you that dense?"

"Isn't it obvious, you old grouch?" Ivy was still laughing to herself. Batman just narrowed his eyes. "Oooh, scary." Poison Ivy watched Robin dive for Red's legs, intending to tackle him. Red X danced out of the way and laughed when Robin hit the cement. "The boy's pulling pigtails."

"And he's getting exactly the reaction he wants." Harley sighed dreamily. "Ah, young love. So fiery. So obsessive."

"That's insane." Batman snapped.

"Oh, stop denying it. I do this same stuff to you all the time." Catwoman said, as Robin managed to grab a fistful of Red X's cape. The thief was pulled up short and stumbled. Batman was silent and just glared instead.

"Red X, give me back the communicator."

"Oh, this communicator?" Red X fished something tiny and yellow from his belt. Robin jumped for it, and Red instantly began playing keep-away: tossing the device from hand to hand and laughing as Robin snatched at it. "Go on, take it…Just take it kid."

"Give it to me!"

"Hmm? Come again?"

"I said, give it to me, Red!"

"One more time?"

"GIVE IT TO—wait."

"Three times! You said it three times!"

"Go to hell."

"Come with me?"

Robin froze. Then he crossed his arms and looked intently at his shoes. Probably blushing. "Keep the stupid thing!" He turned and stormed off, not looking back when Red X called after him.

"Kid, no, wait, kid I'm sorry. Come on, don't be like that."

"Don't it just warm your heart?"

"Shut up Harley."

"Is he seriously walking away?" Batman asked.

"He got sick of being teased." Catwoman said, shrugging.

"The danger of pigtail-pulling. The one getting pulled on may tire of the game." Ivy agreed. "And then they're far too mad to tolerate flirting."

Red X had run after Robin and ducked in front of him, hands up in a gesture of peace. They were talking quietly, and Red X suddenly offered the communicator. After a moment's hesitation, Robin took it. "…Thank you, Red."

"Still mad?"

"I'm always mad at you. Especially when you chase me across like, 12 states just to annoy me!"

"But annoying you is my favorite thing in the world!"

"See? You and me exactly." Catwoman said.

"Besides, I missed you."

"I'll be home in a week!"

"…What?"

Robin cocked his head. "Did you think I wasn't coming back?"

"Uh."

"Red."

"Okay, yeah, I thought you weren't coming back." Red X looked at the ground.

"And your response was to move cross-country?"

"Like I said, annoying you is my favorite thing in the world."

Robin reached out and took Red X's hand. "Come here, you idiot." He dragged Red X in close, and used his free hand to push Red's mask up. "You really think I'd leave you behind?" Robin curled his hand around Red X's jaw, and stood on his toes. He pressed their lips together, and Red X embraced him, holding him tight.

They sprang apart when Harley Quinn started clapping and cheering. "True love prevails!" Catwoman was actually gripping Poison Ivy's to stay upright while she cackled, and Ivy just rolled her eyes. Batman was staring daggers at Red X.

Robin had his face in his hands, and Red X quickly tugged his mask back into place. "So. Uh. Yeah. I'll, uh, see you at home?"

"Yeah. See you at home."

"Is Batman going to beat me to death with my own femurs?"

"Not unless you cheat on me."

"Got it." Red X started to walk away, but Robin grabbed his arm.

"Wait…" Robin fished the stolen communicator out of his belt. "Call me?"

Red X took it eagerly. "Every night. At increasingly inconvenient times."

"Yeah, sure." Robin squeezed his arm gently. "I missed you too, you jerk."