Author Note: Please enjoy the story and tell me what you think so far
There were tunnels among tunnels that connected themselves to the room. Their only guidance was the light that Starfire's bolt. At the end of the tunnel there was a large, open room which held two large doors.
Red-X stopped Starfire, motioning her to snuff her light. Red-X guided Starfire through the darkness until both their backs were against the doorframe. Pressing his ear against the wall he could hear the cheers.
"Before you are the fools who tried to stop this prophecy."
Red-X gave Starfire a quick look, before placing his eye over the keyhole. The image was just a small view of the stage at the center of the room. Squinting a little harder, he could see two people tied to chairs.
"Well Princess, seems the other toy soldiers were captured as well." Red-X whispered.
He could hear Starfire shuffle behind him. He signaled to stop her movements as he concentrated on hearing.
"Will we let them stop the rise of the Church of Blood?" Blood screamed.
"No!" The crowd yelled.
"These non-believers will be slaughtered." Blood reassured him, his footsteps pacing around the stage. "But first, say hello to your new High Priestess and my wife"
Red-X clenched his fist as he watched a red silk dress, embroidered in gold, crawl across the room. Red-X turned around looking at Starfire's worried expression.
"Is Raven there?" Starfire asked.
He leaned over his knees, the pain in his head ringing like chimes. At all the times for his sanity to unravel, this was not the time. He looked at Starfire as she stared at him concerned. He could take the black outs, only to wake up to ruin. He could handle the random thoughts of carnage, to destroy the world that had done nothing for him. But he couldn't handle that darn look of pity her green eyes portrayed. He wanted to wipe that damn look off her face. Red-X gritted his teeth, he wanted to-
"X, please get a hold of yourself. Is the smoke-" Starfire tapped his shoulder.
Red-X reacted quickly, his grip tight around Starfire's wrist. Starfire stared at his hand as it shook the grip getting tighter by the second. Her hand shook within his grasp, her face tighten in fear. Yet she didn't dare pull away. Red-X clenched his chest, feeling anger bubble inside him.
"You are hurting me" Starfire said, eyes down casted to the dark floor.
Somehow those words snapped him out of it. The pain subsiding as he pulled his hand away from her.
"Princess, I-" Red-X started, turning his attention back to the door. "I'm sorry, sometimes I can't control myself."
There was silence as Red-X watched the stage through the keyhole. The crowd continued to cheer. Red-X looked over to the end of the stage. There was no sign of movement from Beast Boy or Cyborg. Four out of the five Titans were out of commission. Red-X let out a small groan from his throat, what were the odds?
"Are you not well?" Starfire whispered.
Red-X thought for a moment. "You can say that."
"Is that why you are here? A cure?" Starfire inquired, shuffling herself closer to Red-X.
Red-X stayed quite. He wasn't sure if the Lazarus Pit would cure him. No, the pit wasn't exactly the cure he needed. It was just one anecdote before he 'cured' himself by his own hands.
"Now, for the honeymoon." Blood announced clapping his hands together. "Let us celebrate this union by unleashing our God's might on this world"
The crowd cheered.
Red-X turned to Starfire. "That's our queue."
Red-X pulled out an explosive from his belt. Starfire huffed, knocking the door down in one swift kick.
"A wedding?" Red-X quipped, watching all eyes on them as the door fell down. "Now, surely our invites got lost in the mail." Red-X pulled the grenade pin. "Either way, I brought presents."
Red-X tossed the grenade up, as followers swarmed towards him. The explosive exploded in the air, creating a cloud of shrapnel that rained down. Jumping up through the smoke for cover, he pulled two sticky x's, throwing them to the four lackeys running to him. As he fell to the floor, he rolled two gas canisters to his sides, smoke enveloping the area.
He stood watching the people around him thump to the floor unconscious.
"Ahh music to my ears." Red-X chuckled, giving a quick glance at Starfire who was dodging spell after spell. Her starbolts effectively knocking down each follower that came near her.
Red-X whistled. "I see why Robin always liked the red heads."
Followers after followers tumbled over to him. Red-X jumped over, sticky x's over their mouths or hands before any magic could be casted. One large follower ran to him, surprising him with a grab as they stampeded through the crowd. The large man slammed him into a wall, grip tightening around him.
Red-X struggled to move, freeing one arm to reach to his belt in the middle of the scuffle. He unleashed one red shuriken from his hands, making one powerful stab to his capture's back. The man cried in agony as his grip loosened from the pain, yet he wouldn't let go. Before Red-X could pull out something a little more dangerous, the man was yanked off him as Red-X fell to the floor.
As he landed on his feet, Red-X stared up, watching as Starfire looked at him intently as she floated over him.
"Red heads were always my knights in shining armor." Red-X smirked, his mask stretching over his nose. "Maybe once you get tired of playing hero you can come work with me."
Starfire shook her head, throwing another starbolt at followers. "What do they say? Not in this life and time?"
Red-X pulled out another shuriken. "You'd be surprised how many lifetimes' humans get, Princess." Red-X said before running over the stage.
Red-X flipped over, dancing over the heads of followers to reach the stage. He took one large leap, twirling over to Blood and aiming one flying kick to Blood's head.
Blood quickly grabbed Raven, pulling her to his side. In an instant a black mass formed at their feet, pulling them to the black abyss. Red-X tumbled over the stage, roiling to a stop.
"You are a thorn to my side." Blood yelled, as he stepped out of another portal. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."
Blood pushed Raven away, her body stepping aside like some lifeless doll. Red-X gave her a quick glance. Her pale eyes stared at nothing, her body still as a statue.
Black enveloped the podium and flung towards him. Red-X flipped over the object. As he landed in front of Blood he gave quick jabs that the older man struggled to dodge. Red-X gave Raven another look as he pulled out his shuriken. Raven hadn't moved. How did that podium attack him?
Why was she even following him in the first place?
"I thought you would be miles away from this mess, Red-X" Blood said throwing a kick.
"Well, cutie over there that is keeping your zombies at bay threaten to blow a hole in my chest." Red-X said, dodging. "What can I say, I respond to threats from aliens who can punch holes through concrete."
"You ignorant, selfish brat" Blood hissed.
A black tentacle protruded from the ground, wrapping itself around Red-X leg and tripping him.
Red-X tripped and rolled himself to a stop. Kicking himself back up, he swung a leg under Blood. Blood jumped over, a smug smile over his lips.
"You are using Raven's powers?" Red-X inquired, keeping up the pace with his attacks.
"Raven and I are now conjoined. Her powers." Blood smirked, his fist encased in black aura. "Are now mine." Blood said giving Red-X a black energy blast.
Red-X was barely able to jump over. Gosh, for once he happy to be forced to learn gymnastics.
"Didn't think you'd stoop down to slavery, Blood" Red-X said, running towards Blood, two shurikens in hand.
Blood smirked, with a flick of his wrist pushing Red-X to the opposite wall. "Raven is exactly where she wants to be."
Red-X landed on his feet. Pulling himself up, he watched Raven emerge from a black portal from the ground next to Blood. Her pale purple eyes lazily looked at him, before grabbing onto Blood's hand.
"Raven knows that her place is with the Church." Blood gave Raven a quick smile. "Alongside me."
Red-X grimaced, looking over at Raven who blankly looked over to him. The vacant stare was eerily familiar to a doll. She had to be under Blood's control. There is no way that she was willingly standing next to that creep.
Red-X looked over to Starfire, who was still struggling to keep Blood's followers at bay. Getting back to a fighting stance, he internally cursed at himself. What happened to quickly get Starfire to Raven, and leave? He didn't have to stay here and fight. Starfire's threat had to be nothing more than a bluff. The entire fight held no meaning to him. He needed to get the pit, he needed-
Who was he kidding? It was all because of her. The entire plan he placed into motion the moment he stole the Red-X suit was chewed up and spat out as soon as he became Mr. Tim. As soon as he actually met Raven. Not the spooky Titan the media played her out to be or the Titan to fear around the criminal world.
He should have ran away the moment he saw her give a faint smile as she floated over the snow covered floor, snowballs forming around her as snow continued to fall. Because in that moment, he realized he could get use to this. He could get use to her.
Yet she didn't fit into the life he was currently molding. There was no space for Raven or whatever feelings he had that made him consider her in his life. There was no space, especially if the plan he had been working on for years had failed.
"Let her go, Blood " Red-X spat, noticing his words came out a lot more venomous than he was intending.
Blood laughed, lifting his hand up, black aura enveloping it. A black hand came from the ground, grabbing Red-X. Red-X struggled within its grip.
"When did you grow a heart, Red-X ?" Blood gave a chuckle. "I thought it stayed buried in your grave" Blood squeezed, the black hand squeezing harder. "It's what got you killed in the first place."
The black hand squeeze with an overwhelming force. The pressure build within his body, a numb sensation surrounding his body. He couldn't breath, his vision blurry as he struggled.
Suddenly the hand disappeared causing him to fall straight to the ground.
"STAY AWAY FROM MY NEW FRIEND" Starfire yelled, punching Blood straight into the wall.
Red-X shook his head, blinking a couple of times to adjust his vision. He looked up, watching Starfire throw a starbolt at Blood who had levitated himself over the stage.
Blood grinned, grabbing stuff around him and throwing it at Starfire. Starfire punched right through, flying to Blood and grabbing on to his robes.
"You won't hurt my friends again." Starfire screamed, green eyes illuminating.
Blood quickly cascaded Starfire's eyes with a black mass, the blast backfiring. Her head tilted back from the blast, her hands covering her eyes as she fell down.
"Star!" Red-X yelled, as he struggled to get himself back up.
He looked at Raven, whose eyes were focused on the fight above.
"Raven, snap the hell out of it!" Red-X yelled, pushing himself off the floor despite the sharp pain on his left shoulder.
Starfire stopped herself in mid downfall. She covered her right eye trying to blink the blurriness away. Blood grinned, his hand enveloped in darkness again before taking two concentrated shots towards Starfire. Starfire raised her hands, trying to resist the beam.
"This is Raven's true destiny." Blood yelled, the beam becoming stronger.
It hurt to breath, maybe due to the poison in his veins or the stupid pressure equalizing in his body, but he still walked towards Raven. Maybe he could get through to her as silly as that sounded. Why listen to the person who put you in this situation in the first place?
Red-x grunted, grabbing his bruised ribs as he took a step towards Raven. Raven gave him a quick look, before enveloping herself in a black bubble.
"Raven, come on your friend is getting pummeled out there." Red-X grunted. "Pull that goodie two shoes persona of yours and help her out!"
Starfire pushed forward with pure strength. "Let go of my friend f!" Starfire yelled, her hair turning a fiery color, before her starbolts beamed through, splitting Blood's attack in two.
Raven continued to look at him blankly.
"Come on, knowing you, this shit would piss you off!" Red-X yelled, his modifier crackling.
There was a moment of confusion in Raven's face.
Red-X licked his lips, was he finally getting through to her?
Starfire flew up to Blood, landing a hard punch on his face. "This is for kidnapping my friend!" Starfire punched Blood again. "That's for hurting my new friend!" Starfire grabbed onto Blood robes. "This is for placing Raven as your slave." Starfire flew up, pushing him and herself through the dungeon ceiling.
Red-X covered his head through the falling rubble as he walked towards Raven.
"Raven, don't you remember everything you told me?" Red-X said, walking slowly to Raven.
There was a moment of recognition, before her shield doubled in size.
"You told me, Raven, that the Teen Titans were everything to you. They were your only family." Red-X said, wincing at himself on just how sappy he was sounding. "Well your only family right now is battling alone!"
Raven's hand twitched, before she stood straight, the shield dissipating in front of her. Raven gave Red-X a blank stare, her eyes slowly blinking.
"Lies, only-" Raven grabbed her head.
Only Mr. Tim knows that.
Right, this was all the things she had told Mr. Tim, not the selfish thief Red-X. Red-X touched his mask, then his voice modifier. She had no clue who he was, even now. He almost had forgotten that only Starfire had put two and two together. Pulling his mask over his nose, Jason spoke again.
"It's me Raven, Mr. Tim" Jason said, his voice a little shaken from his admittal.
"Mr. Tim?" Raven let go of her head, her eyes attentive on him.
"Yeah, it's me," he said, dejected.
How much longer was he stuck playing that role with her? Using the new Robin's name in some sick attempt to tarnish the more Raven uttered , the more he hated the name Tim Drake. Because she would never would realize who was Jason Todd. If he wanted anyone to remember him it would be her, no matter how scary that thought was.
He walked closer to her, hand reaching over to her shoulder.
Raven pulled away from his grasp, before hunching over, her hands clenched into a fist. She stared up at him, two set of red eyes glaring.
"Traitor!"
Author Note: Okay the story is nearing to a close. I enjoyed writing Starfire and Red-X blooming friendship. I mean did it seem as though they were becoming friends? Please tell me what you think in the reviews section. Thanks everyone for making it this far.
