United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Chapter 29: Unmasked

Red X just couldn't hide his secret anymore. If he kept it hidden any longer, he would surely explode from the anxiety. How should he go about doing it though? Should he just call them all into the living room, and make a big dramatic deal about it? It was certainly his style, but with the way he felt, it just didn't feel right. All the way back to Titan Tower, he mentally beat himself up trying to find the right answer. He had kept the truth buried deep within his psyche for so long, even he had doubts as to what parts of it were true, and what parts were false. Off in the horizon, he could see the giant structure silently keeping watch over Jump City. He was home, but he did not enter just yet. Instead he stood on the roof and stared out towards the bay. The night was clear, so clear that he could neatly pick out every star in the sky. Even the moon was in full bloom, washing everything in low, shimmering light. For once in his life, Red X felt totally at peace. He knew it wouldn't last, so he treasured each and every moment of it. Beneath his feet, the rest of the Titans slept, with the exception of Robin of course, who only slept when his eyes no longer agreed to stay open. There was but one lone spotlight illuminating the rooftop, and a sense of loneliness permeated everything. Red X felt like he was the only person alive in the world.

"Why can't things be easier?" He questioned the night air. "Why can't I just tell them my secret? They've never hidden anything from me, so why should I hide something from them? " Little did Red X know that he was in fact not alone on the roof, and that the interloper was listening intently to his tirade against the darkness. "Why must we all hide our true selves? How do I know what's the right thing to do?"

"We all have secrets that we choose to hide from the world." Not expecting an audible answer to any of his questions, Red X whipped around to meet the voice.

"Whose there?" He asked. To his surprise, Raven stepped out of the shadows, and into the light of the single lamp.

"To answer another one of your questions." She began. "If your heart doesn't tell you to do it, then it's not the right thing." Red X breathed a sigh of relief, the last thing he needed was an impromptu visit from one of the Titan's many enemies.

"Thanks for the words of wisdom, Raven. I could really use some right now." The young Goth was actually clad in her pajamas, instead of her usual cape and bodysuit. It was strange to see her wearing something else other than her costume, in fact, Beast Boy once joked that she slept and even showered while wearing it, just like Robin and his mask. Not that Red X was any different; he never left his room unless he was wearing his own costume. In a way, he was jealous of the Titans who weren't restricted to wearing masks. They could be themselves without worrying about hiding their true face.

'Not a problem. Despite what the others may have told you, I do have emotions." Raven said. Did she just tell a joke? "I thought you're shift ended a long time ago?"

"It did, but Robin kept me out longer to investigate something. What are you doing up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I came up here to watch the stars for a while before trying again." She folded her arms across her chest and turned her gaze upwards.

'Yeah, it is quite a view, isn't it?" Red X said, though he wasn't looking at the sky.

"Yeah, it's a wonder how peaceful it seems up here at night." It was now or never, Red X told himself.

"Raven, can you keep a secret?" He asked, sounding a lot more sheepish than he hoped. Raven turned to look at Red X again, a strange look on her face. Just for a second, Red X thought that she would either start laughing at him or flat out deny him. Thankfully, her face softened, and there was the faintest hint of a smile on her lips.

"That just so happens to be one of my specialties." She said. Red X breathed a sigh of relief, moved his hands to the back of his neck, and in one swift motion, removed the black mask from his head. A look of wide-eyed surprise momentarily replaced the look of serenity on Raven's face. This was definitely not the secret that she had expected him to reveal to her. Red X stood before her, barefaced, a look of hope in his piercing blue eyes. He was young, in his early twenties, which was a lot younger than she would have guessed him to be. There were a few small scars criss-crossing his face, and he was understandably pale-skinned, but he was still handsome none-the-less.

"Why…why show me?" Raven could barely force the words out of her mouth, she was so stunned. Red X smiled, and ran a gloved hand through his wild mop of black hair.

"Because out of all the Titans, for some reason, I felt like I could trust you the most."

"Why not Robin?"

"You'd think that he'd be the obvious choice, but I think you and I have a lot more in common than we realize."

"What do you mean?"

"Deep down, we're both looking for the same thing: acceptance from our friends. For my entire life I've been looking for that, and I've found it here, just like you have. Had it not been for the Titans, you and I both would be outcasts living out on the street or in prison. I took one look at you, Raven, and it hit me." Raven was silent, although both Titans knew the truth was being spoken. For a couple of minutes, the pair just stood quietly, alternating looking at each other and gazing out amongst the starry sky, with the only sound coming from the wind and the waves lashing against the rocks far below them. Almost unconsciously, Red X inched closer and closer to the young girl until he was standing right beside her. Raven was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice. There was something about Red X's eyes that she couldn't stop herself from looking into them, no matter how hard she tried. There was such a calmness to them that belied the tempest that she knew resided deep within him. Why couldn't she stop staring at him? His hand drifted up the small of her back, until it came to rest around her shoulders. Normally, she would have reacted violently, but instead she found herself snuggling her body up against his. She craned her head up to look at his face, just as he looked down at her. Their eyes met, and neither looked away. Ever so slowly their faces slid toward each other through the night air, until their lips met in a long kiss. Several seconds passed by, eventually approaching several minutes. When the kiss finally broke, Raven recoiled in surprise at her own actions, but her fear disappeared when she saw the same look on Red X's face melt into a smile, which she returned. They stayed in the embrace for longer than either cared to count, until Raven was broke the silence.

"Can I ask you just one question?" There was one thing she, just like the rest of the Titans, was burning to know, but once again, just like the rest of the Titans, she was afraid to ask, until now that is.

'Of course you can."

"Who are you?"

"Do you really want to know?" Raven nodded her head. "My name is Jericho Wilson. Slade is my father."