Author Note
After some reviews and discussions over private messages its clear to me that the readers don't want Red-X to get with Raven, so he won't. For this book he'll stick with Jinx and Blackfire while at the same time having to deal with Raven's attempt to ensnare him.
This way I can still write about funny pregnant things like having to stop a fight with the Titans because of an appointment for an ultrasound, and Red-X might have to sneak into the tower at two in the morning because a certain someone has an odd craving for banana ice cream and all the stores are closed.
Once the baby had been born this might change, but that would be in the next book so I will gather opinions on that later.
DC Gothic – Red-X 2
Part 8
Shadow Squad HQ – Jump City
Jinx was having a slight problem with Blackfire, they were both of the opinion that when Red-X wasn't around then they were the one in charge, and this was a big issue because several times in the past the two of them had nearly come to blows when trying to decide between them what job the group should do next.
Now they were fighting again, this time over what to spend their hard earn loot on, Jinx had decided to go see if the boss was back yet so that he could tell Blackfire that when he wasn't around that Jinx was in charge.
Which she felt she should be as she'd gone to the trouble of squeezing into leather trousers that showed off her cute butt. Plus she known X the longest and while they had broken up in her mind they were back together, at least in a casual sense.
To her surprise the pink haired girl found someone already knocking her leader's door and it was not Blackfire.
"Raven!" Jinx shouted in surprise "What are you doing here?"
The member of Shadow Squad spent a second looking for the other Titans as she now believed that her home was under attack, and then she prepared to use her powers on her enemy only to stop when she saw that the purple haired girl was carrying a parcel.
"Did you quit the hero business and start working for UPS?" Jinx asked.
The young crook found the situation more than a little befuddling. Raven wasn't the type to plant a bomb, and the grey skinned girl couldn't imagine what else could be in the package.
"It's a present for X" the Titan explained "Its a thank you for looking after things while my friends and I were away".
Jinx knew all about that as her boss had told the Shadow Squad to lay for a couple of days while he was bus elsewhere. None of the criminals had minded because business had been very good recently, and Red-X being alone in the tower had given him a chance to get some useful information on the Squad's rivals.
"But for some reason I can't get into his room" Raven then said "I can't even open the door".
Jinx was now wondering how the Teeen Titan had even gotten into the building in the first place. Given its defences she should have at least tripped an alarm, however this was something she could discuss with her group's leader at a later date.
"I know he put some wards up to keep out demons" the pink haired girl informed the purple haired one "I guess it works on part demons too".
While Jinx had a meta-human power and some magical abilities she was human so the wards wouldn't stop her from entering Red-X's room. Now that Jinx knew the wards worked she decided that she was going to try to get some for her room. Then she considered demon proofing the entire building as she didn't want Raven being able to pop into the Squad's headquarters when ever the Titan wished to.
"So I can't even get into my boyfriend's bedroom" Raven complained.
Jinx's mood went from curious to angry in a matter of milliseconds.
"He's not your boyfriend!" the Squad memeber said "He's mine... sort of.. well I share him with Blackfire, but he's not yours!".
Before Jinx had even finished speaking the Titan had dropped the parcel and then her eyes started to glow red. The Squad member was now scared as well as mad, so she wasn't going to back down.
"So why don't you take your little gift and leave my man alone" the female villain taunted.
Jinx never saw the dark energy blast coming.
(Line Break)
Steel Mill – Jump City
Once the Titans had returned to their home I'd felt the overwhelming urge to be alone, so I had donned the Red-X suit and had come to a place that was familiar to me.
As sat on the catwalk I dangled a half drunk bottle of beer off the edge. If I lessened my grip ever so slightly the bottle would fall and smash, but I had no desire to waste any of it.
I'd taken off my mask so I could drink, and also so I could look at the skull face of Red-X.
Today was going to be spent moping I could feel it, and I had a lot to mull over as I was very unhappy. It happened sometimes, and since the life of freedom and adventure I'd been enjoying seemed to be coming to end I felt I had every right to act all emo.
I'd gotten a girl pregnant and now my days as Red-X were drawing to a close. That day wasn't this one, but it was close. I had responsibilities now, and not just for the team I led.
Yep part of me wanted to rebel, to put the mask back on and go steal something because I was 'The Prince of Thieves' and leader of the infamous Shadow Squad. But every time I decided to do that I reminded myself that my own father had abandoned me and I felt just awful about that.
"You know I had this whole plan arranged just to met you" a familiar voice said "I was going to kidnap one of your team mates, and then you suddenly drop by for a visit just as I was about to put my plan into action. It's almost enough to make me believe in fate".
The fact that I didn't leap into a fighting stance was proof of just how out of sorts I was.
"Hello, Rose" I said.
I hadn't need to turn my head to know that it was her. I'd spent enough time with the young woman to be sure it was her.
"Did you miss me?" I then inquired.
Her answer wasn't long in coming.
"Not to wound your ego, but I barely remember you" she said "Not that I don't find you interesting. I know my father did".
I could hear her walking towards me so I knew exactly where she was on the catwalk which made it easy to throw a crystal at her. Just as I'd predicted she would she destroyed it with one of her swords.
"Oh now I do remember you" she told me as she lowered her weapon"We went on a date, we were attacked and you saved me. Then you helped train me. How could I forget all of that?".
She forgotten because I'd foolishly made a wish without considering all the long ramifications. I'd not just altered memories I'd altered other forms of records. I must have, and a few things had been physically altered too. Including myself.
"I don't recall you being such a boring conversationalist" she then said.
That remark hurt more than it should have.
"I don't recall you being so serious" I replied.
She didn't like hearing that.
"My father was murdered" she reminded me.
Had I been in the mood for a fight I would have told her that the world was a better place without Slade Wilson in it.
"I'm sorry you lost your Dad" was what I decided to say.
While I stilled hadn't turned to look at her I could feel her weight shift about on the catwalk so I knew her stance had changed, and when she spoke I could tell her mood was different too.
"Thank you" she replied "You're the only person whose ever spoken those words to me".
He might have been a monster but Slade had still been her father, and the only parent Rose had left. To make it worse they'd only just become part of each others lives before she'd been orphaned again.
"So are you here to get revenge?" I wondered "Because the person who killed your Dad is dead".
According to the info the Titans had on their computers some girl called Terra had done the deed, and she had fallen down the big hole in the ground along with Slade.
"They were all involved" Rose argued while taking a seat next to me "They took my father away from me. He was all I had left. I mean I know he wasn't a good man, but he was... he was my Dad".
Where I in her shoes I reckoned I'd want payback too and while normally I might have pointed out that her loved one wouldn't want her to waste her life getting revenge, in this case it wasn't true. Slade would come back from the dead to do it himself if given the chance.
"I know" was all I said on the matter.
Rose helped herself to one of my beers.
"Why did you leave" she then asked me "I missed you. I can remember that now. I thought we were friends".
I could have told her that people like us shouldn't have friends. But that would make me a big hypocrite.
"Batman was after me" I explained "And what was left of the League of Shadows were trying to kill me, so I did some magic and vanished. I guess I was scared".
It felt good to admit that.
"I thought it would protect people" I went on to say "Not just me, but I was wrong".
It felt good to admit that too.
"You know we'd make a pretty good team" she hinted.
Even if I had ever wanted to kill the Titans, then that wasn't an option anymore. An attack on them would put Raven into harms way and in turn that put my child at risk. I could not allow that.
"If you lay a hand on Raven I will kill you" I said bluntly.
It hadn't even been a threat. It had been a simple statement and it totally true. If she went after Ray then I would murder Rose without delay. She'd would die.
"Maybe I'll kill you" Slade's daughter replied.
Sadly for her that wasn't possible.
"Maybe" I agreed.
That somehow turned into some sort of toast and I figured I was toasting one of the few things that was certain in my life.
"But not today" Rose then said.
That I also agreed to.
"Not today" I said.
Neither of us spoke for a few moments.
"So you're with Raven?" Rose then asked.
That was a complex thing to ask about.
"I have no idea" I told the young assassin.
Clearly she thought we were, but I was opposed to it as the idea of getting tied down disgusted me. I was Red-X. I was suppose to be a man living by my own rules, and now that freedom was being taken away from me.
"When did it get so complicated?" was Rose's next question.
I'd actually grown up once before so I knew the answer to this.
"When you became an adult" I told her.
Rose sighed.
"I'd like to stop maturing please" she requested.
Sadly that wasn't possible. I was immortal and I still had to deal with getting older. It was just my case I didn't have to worry about grey hairs and worry lines.
"Oh my father left you some money" Rose then informed me "I'll have it sent to your new base. Used bills and jewels okay?".
I just nodded as despite the fact that getting some money would be good, I simply couldn't get enthusiastic about anything right now.
"Do you..." Rose started to say.
I had raised my hand to signal for silence as a voice was coming from the inside of my mask. I slipped the skull face on and listened.
"Sorry" I then said "I have to go stop my friends from killing each.
(Line Break)
Shadow Squad HQ – Jump City
"What set them off?" I asked as I joined Mammoth, Gizmo, and Blackfire inside the panic room.
I'd not even known that we had one of these but as it turned at some point int the past the tiny tech of our group had built a room what was pretty much impossible to get into even if you have magical powers or super strength.
"To hell if I know spit-drinker" Gizmo told me as we watched the action on the screens "All I do know from rewinding the camera footage is that Jinx went to your room to see if you were back and she bumped into demon girl there. Then they both got all pissed off and this led to them having the nastiest catfight in human history, so we all came and hid in here".
Which had been wise, and I was also grateful that Gizmo had opened the door for me as it was a warzone out there. On the monitors I could see Jinx hurl a Hex-Bolt at Raven, which was deflected by a shield the Titan had put up. The bit of pink coloured energy ended up destroying our living room's new plasma screen TV.
"What is a catfight"?" Blackfire then asked us.
For once it was not me who had to answer the question.
"It's when two dump chicks get into a fight over a guy that they both like" Gizmo explained.
I was tempted to go put my mask back on so as to hide my embarrassment over the fact they were almost certainly fighting over me. However I'd foolishly taken it off when I'd returned home so I kept my blushing face focused on the screens.
That was when I saw Raven run down a hall while screaming, her eyes were a glowing a burning red and with her powers she slammed into Jinx, knocking them through a door.
"Yeah I'm not going out there" I muttered to myself.
I had magic of my own, and I was a good fighter, but compared to two rage filled young woman I would be like a deer trapped in headlights, or more a soft piece of fruit which crushed in a vice.
"Why is it called a Catfight?" was Blackfire's next inquiry
I took a moment to think it over.
"Got me" Mammoth said with a grunt.
I supplied a better answer.
"It's called a catfight because women in these situations will use their nails like a cat will use their claws" I explained.
Something that Jinx went on to demonstrate
"And sometimes they might even hiss like an angry cat.
"Alright now I'm really mad!" our magical girl shouted as Raven did in fact his at her.
When the camera focused on the Titan I could see that her hands did somewhat resembled claws, and by the looks of things Jinx's scratches had drawn blood.
"I get it now" Blackfire said.
On the screen Jinx lunged forward. Her hands were covered in glowing pink energy and when she brought her hands down, this caused the ground to crack open.
"So any idea why they are fighting" Gizmo then asked me.
In order to keep hiding my face I kept looking at the screens and watched as the Titan took to the air and then vanished before reappearing behind Jinx.
"I don't know for sure" I told everyone a moment later "But Raven is under the impression that I'm her boyfriend, and I'm guessing Jinx is not happy about that".
Blackfire then became very worried.
"So demon girl just found out that your doing the nasty with Jinx and me" the alien princess said in a worried tone of voice "Which means once she's done with Jixy I'm next".
That could be the case.
"You need to protect me" Blackfire then demanded before correcting herself "I mean us.. go and protect us from your girlfriend".
I had no idea how to do that.
"Which one" I joked as to help lower our level of tension.
That was something hit the wall of the panic room and we all started to get even more stressed out.
"Perhaps it would be safer if we got some help" Blackfire suggested.
That wasn't a such bad idea.
"Well we could go to the Titans" I suggested.
On the camera Jinx used a roundhouse kick to knock Raven into a different wall, this seemed to support my idea.
"We'd have to go out there to get to the Titans" Mammoth pointed out.
He had a good point there, and we had to do something soon because Jinx was outmatched. The only reason she'd lasted this long was because Raven wanted to hurt her not defeat her.
"Maybe I could construct a force field to contain them" Gizmo suggested "Or a …"
He stopped then as he realised all his tech stuff was in this lab, which was also outside this room.
"I guess we'll just have to make a run for it" I said.
That was when Kyd Wyykd came out of no where.
"You can get us out of here" I said, before realising that I had to stay "I mean get all of them out of here. Leave me behind".
The Kyd nodded his head and pulled them all into the shadows before anyone could argue about it. Not that they wanted to debate the issue.
"I am such an idiot" I then muttered to myself before opening the door of the panic room.
Since I had decided to stop the fight I had to try and talk to the two girls, but that was going to be a problem.
"You have NO idea who you are fucking with!"
That demonic roar had to have come from Raven, and it seemed to have an effect on Jinx as she was backing away from the Teen Titan. Which gave me a chance to end the battle.
"Stop it now!" I ordered.
Amazingly they did. They both stopped and looked at me.
"Raven go home. I'll talk to you later" I told the pissed off Titan "Jinx go to your room and don't come out until I tell you to".
If this didn't work I'd find out how immortal I really was.
"But..." Ray protested.
I didn't give her the chance
"Do as I say, young lady" I said in my most commanding voice.
It worked, she turned around and stormed off like a stropy teenager, which was exactly what she was. As for Jinx she was already gone.
"Wow I can't believe that worked" I said to myself.
As dangerous as that had been it had actually been the easy. What would be more tricky was either telling Raven I wasn't her boyfriend or telling Jinx that I was no longer hers.
However that could wait until tomorrow. First I had to get the rest of my gang back, and then we had to fix this place up.
"One problem at a time" I muttered "One problem at a time".