Disclaimer: I Don't Own The Teen Titans. Do I Wish I Did? Yes. Will I Ever? No.
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Teen Titans In: The Worst Fear
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One!
Two!
One!
Two!
A pause.
"Raugh!" A fisted hand impacted against the punching bag, as Robin started his routine over again. Bouncing on his toes, a look of concentration was etched over his face and fist after fist hit the bag in a simple training style. He deftly dodged to the right, pretending that an enemy had swung their own attack at him. Again another few punches and dodges ensued. The poor punching bag was almost at its wit's end as the chain attached to it threatened to break off with low groans.
"Yah!" Robin finished the routine with a roundhouse kick, straining the chain on the point of breakage, but miraculously was able to stay together and swing against the Boy Wonder who firmly stopped its momentum. He smiled and heaved breaths in and out, wiping a spot of sweat off his forehead. This had been a good practice; tomorrow, he hoped, would be even better. A faint laugh from the doorway to the gym lead his eyes astray to see Starfire leaning against its frame. Robin's smile grew warmer.
"Hey Star. Come to practice?" He 'punched' the air a few times, adrenaline still being pumped through his blood. Starfire smiled at the invitation.
"I would vastly enjoy to commence in battle with the bag of punch with you! Though, I have never participated in such an activity before." She walked up to the hanging sack and eyed it carefully. She had seen Robin come to vent his anger sometimes against the object, Beast Boy as well, though very rarely. She had wondered how it could hold the magical property of calmness when one was done beating the stuffing out of it.
"Usually it is with Cyborg's machines that I train with."
"Don't worry about it, it's easy. Just follow me." Robin faced the bag and bent his knees and brought his fists under his chin in a classic Boxer pose. He then jabbed the sack with each hand and stood up again, giving his spot to Starfire.
"Good. Just bring you hands up a little higher. Nice. Now…punch!"
Wham!
A little more then usual force was used as the metal strained and broke, taking the bag across the room and shattering bits of the mirror on the opposite wall. Robin blinked in surprise and turned his head to look at the damage. The bag was torn mercilessly, the beans were scattered across the gray cold floor. The mirror had turned practically white from the dust that lingered onto the frame. The plaster from the wall behind it was well worn and decaying, and it looked like it wouldn't hold much longer. A small, blinking light was illuminated above, the voltage of the bulb dying with every flicker. Robin took a step forward and his hollow footsteps reverberated on the cracked cement. An odd black fog surrounded the area, giving chills the to Boy Wonder's spine. Then, if he strained his eyes enough through the eerie clouds, a shadow appeared, silhouetted by the mist. Then it stepped out and Robin gasped.
Red X stood in front of him, the swirling mist seemingly emanating from him. The Titan growled and made a defensive stance. X never moved though, he just stared. And stared…and stared…
"What…do you want?" Robin chanced a sentence with his rival, but X said nothing. Instead, he lifted a finger and pointed past the Titan. Robin whirled around and almost vomited. Starfire lay in a pool of dried blood. Her skin ripped to, literally, ribbons. The artistic display of Tamaran organs was all that were actually in tact, but shriveled, dried. Then, chilled words were spoken behind his back.
"You cannot defeat me."
"Robin!"
The boy suddenly blinked and shook his head. "Wha-?" He was met face to face with Starfire who held genuine worry in her eyes.
"Robin, are you unwell? You did a 'spacing out' and did not respond when I called." She shook his shoulders to make sure he was still there.
"Whoa! Star, yeah I'm all right. It's just you smacked the punching bag a little too hard…" Robin trailed off as he blinked and turned his head again at the bag that lay on the carpeted floor. No sign of a rip or tear was visible and the light above was still working. The mirror had a large crack straining across the width of it but no more damage was apparent. And Starfire…she was all intact and together. What did he just see? Suddenly, the lights dimmed and flashed red, no time for questions now! The duo Titans rushed out to the hall way and into the Recreation Room where Cyborg manned the main computer. Beast Boy and Raven standing beside him.
On screen was a tall, lithe man laughing his head off. His long white hair matched his same colored jumper. Bills of money were flying everywhere, as he seemed to be rummaging through a bank vault. The most peculiar item on the villain was his hands, a remake of Edward Scissorhands basically. Long, sharp metal pieces protruded from his fingers, carving and slashing the walls so that the owner could get to the flying green paper.
"Looks like we got a new one, Robin." Cyborg turned and jutted his thumb over his shoulder at the screen. "Calls himself Scission. Those daggers on his hands can reportedly slice through a good couple inches of metal."
The group looked at their leader as he pulled out his Bo staff. "Then we'll just have to clip his nails. Titans, Go!"
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"Whoo ha ha ha! Look at all this money! Eee, hee hee hee!" Scission hacked at the shelves the bank's money was resting on. Literally hundreds of dollars were flying everywhere and all around. Frightened workers and customers fled the scene, pooling out into the streets as police cars drove up beside the bank. Scission was having the time of his life, dancing all around the bank vault. His laughter was ringing off the walls until he discovered a flaw in his plan. Apparently, when you stab the bills with paper with scissor hands, they won't come off and fall into the bag. Frustrated, the villain threw the knapsack to the ground where it slid and stopped in front of steel-toed boots.
"Your time's cut short Scission!" Robin twirled his Bo staff and positioned it behind his back as he took an offensive stance. The other Titans prepared as well.
"Oh look! A pretty little Robin just waiting for me to clip his wings! Oh ho ho ho!" Scission howled.
"Jeeze, and I thought my hyena impression was bad!" Beast Boy rolled his eyes and charged forward as a bull, horns lowered and ready to pierce. Scission easily jumped in the air and stuck his fingers into the ceiling, letting him hang. The villain stuck out his tongue to the changeling but was suddenly toppling to the ground as a flurry of Starbolts knocked the roof away above him.
"Ha!" Robin jumped forward and flung his staff in front. The villain countered with his own hands, metal to metal. The leader growled and spun away only to charge again. Scission smirked and leaned backwards, digging his hands into the floor, flipping up and connecting his foot to the Boy Wonders jaw. The Edward Scissorhands look-a-like barely had time to straighten himself before a blue stream of energy and Starbolts were heading his way. Amazingly, Scission brought up his weapons and batted the pure energies away, causing them to go in misdirection and hit the walls.
"It's good to have an adequate reflection! Haw haw haw haw!"
"But what happens when there's nothing to see!" Black magic swirled up to claim the man's head as it blinded him from seeing correctly. Scission flailed about, one of his hands scratching at his face and the other just waving around in the air. Beast Boy took the opportunity and practically punted the man from behind as a Kangaroo. In mid air, Starfire smashed him to the side with a well direction Starbolt as Cyborg volleyed him straight up in the air. The magic that held his sight was now gone as Scission saw the ceiling smash into his face, his body creating an outline in the roof.
"Oog…" His body peeled off and fell to the floor. The Titans surrounded him in triumph.
"Sorry to cut in Scission, but it's time to get you to the authorities." Robin propped open his handcuffs and bent to fix them around the man's wrists. The police had filed in the doorway and were readying their guns while two of the officers lead Scission away. As Starfire watched the villain go, she placed a reassuring hand upon Robin's shoulder. He felt warmed by her presence but didn't know the real reason as to why she gave this gesture. He ignored it for the moment and saw the police carry the villain towards the transport van from inside the bank. A few people had crowded around the barricade the police had set up but most stayed away. The people of Jump City knew to keep a careful distance when an extraordinary robbery was going on.
Then, without warning, Scission suddenly whipped his leg out and kicked the stomach of one of the officers who was at the villain's side. The few remaining police officers that came along opened fire, but the lithe man was quicker. In a flash, his fingers sliced open the metal that contained his arms, and he gained the movement of his sharp appendages once more.
"Don't think that these measly, little handcuffs can stop Scission! I was able to break open the bank vault with these wonders of mine, and I can easily slice anyone of you in two! Especially…YOU!" With a surprising twist, Scission elbowed the other cop at his side and dodged more fire from the police crew. He then thrust out his arm and aimed at Robin's torso. Robin looked on at the sign of competition, and suddenly knew it wasn't a gesture of a battle, but a tactic to kill. The index finger of Scission suddenly became a homing missile as it flew straight at its target. A cloud trail followed behind the airborne shrapnel as in slow motion, Robin could see the sneer behind the mask of his foe.
Red X stared at him silently, as if contemplating the Boy Wonder for the first time. The world was black and white. Nothing made sense, as all color was lost, just like the corpses that littered the ground before him. The pedestrians that gazed on behind the barricade just a few moments before lay with decaying flesh. Various insects and maggots squirmed in their eye sockets and innards, making homes and to feast upon the delicacies of the dead. Even the police, their guns lay at rest beside them and rusted, never to work again. The street was cracked beneath the decaying bodies as if an earthquake rocked the City from its Foundation and crumbled the mighty skyscrapers to the miserable scene around Robin.
The Boy Wonder took a step back further into the bank and heard a quiet 'Clang'. Red X cocked the side of his head in question and stepped forward. Robin pulled out his Bo staff and whirled to the side so that he was able to see what was behind him and Red X at the same time. Through his peripheral vision, Robin noticed a metallic body laying to rest at his steel-toed boots.
"Cyborg?" Robin's attention was now fully diverted as he saw his fallen comrade or comrades as all five lay to waste on the bank floor. Cyborg, with his usual blue glow gone and his machine parts scattered and brown with rust. His red eye was missing, the organic one also gone, possibly eaten. Fingernails lay groove marks upon the floor as his upper torso was disconnected from his legs. He must have crawled a few paces before his mechanical parts didn't have a response to his lower half and completely shut down, along with his human side as well. Slight taping noises arouse Robin to look up and become startled. Red X appeared beside the Titan unexpectedly. The masked image pushed Cyborg's dead arm to the side, as if it was a waste to even let it lay upon the floor on which he died.
"Don't do that…" Robin gritted his teeth and held up his Bo staff to the neck of Red X. The villain didn't seem perturbed as he swept his arm around and Robin's eyes couldn't help but follow. Beast Boy lay on his back. An open gash in his abdomen and, ironically, ravens, along with vultures, pecked at him. His face seemed to have told the story though. A half scream, half frozen with terror look that caused an ice pick to ram up Robin's spine. Whatever had happened, the fallen Titans knew about and were helpless to stop it. Raven's arm was wrapped around his neck as she, herself, lay upon the dirtied ground on her stomach. Vile rose up in Robin's throat as he glanced at her…since half her skull was missing and gore was spilled in an unorganized fashion.
"A work of art." Red X broke the silence, as he never stopped looking at Robin. The Titan gaped at his adversary.
"I'll destroy you!" His grip on his Bo staff became great as his knuckles underneath his gloves turned bone white. The metal never left Red X's neck.
"You cannot harm me. I am stronger, better, faster and smarter. You could not beat me when we first met and you will beat me never." Red X never moved from his position as Robin's staff faltered and slipped down. The nightmare of his enemy brought back memories of the past, memories that Robin had pushed back into the darkest remnants of his mind. Red X wasn't him anymore, it was a thing, an 'it', not a he or she. But this place, was it the future, a premonition? His friends were dead and lying in their own waste. Were they able to go to Heaven…or condemned to the demented tortures of hell?
"No…" Robin stepped backwards. This wasn't the future. He would never let this happen.
"But it did…it did happen." Red X spoke, as if reading Robin's mind. "I came, seeking the Titans. I fought the Titans and, I destroyed the Titans. You had fought the hardest, the longest, but I overcame you easily."
"No!" The Titan clamped his hands over his ears; he didn't want to hear it anymore. Red X persisted and walked slowly towards him.
"You lost the battle…lost your friends…and your life."
"SHUT…up…" Red X pointed behind the Titan. Like before, Robin looked, fearing the worst and he was met with a mirror image of him, slumped against the bank wall. His condition, unlike the others, seemed fresher, more recent. His only wound was a single Bo staff, piercing out of his chest. The crimson liquid dripped off of the end of the pole and onto the floor below, making a splash puddle. This was he, dead at the hands of a thing that could fight the Titans…and win.
Robin shook his head vigorously. This couldn't be! He wasn't dead yet and he would be damned to the bowels of hell that he would let a creation of his destroy what he loved so much. Robin spun around and tried to crack X's skull with his staff. Red X back flipped a good distance away. His eyes suddenly narrowed in an irritated gesture. It was as if he was disappointed.
"You cannot defeat me!" Robin gave a surprising smirk and stood as tall as he could.
"I defeated you once, though you weren't me. Once I find out how you've invaded my thoughts, hell will have a field day."
"You cannot win against me!" Red X stopped, almost seeming hesitant. Robin stood with more defiance and regained his stance with his Bo staff.
"I can, and I will." The Titan gave the 'Bring it on' gesture with his hand. The villain before him stood silently before the Boy Wonder. Then, in one smooth, quick motion, he jumped towards Robin. The teen desperately swung but blatantly missed as Red X jumped up…and revealed the real world outside.
Starfire lay upon the ground, her arm profusely bleeding from a wound. A sharp piece of metal was wedged through her arm. Cyborg was bent over her and Raven, her hand glowing helped the alien to heal quick. At the moment, Beast Boy was in frenzy with Scission. Only with Adonis was the green teen this vicious with his transformations as he ripped the jumper suit to shreds and snapped his gaping jaws of whatever animal he was, at the villain who shrieked in terror of the Titan. After about five minutes, and Scission crying up a telephone pole, the police were finally able to bring the man to the van, under the gaze of Beast Boy of course. The changeling turned and trotted back to help his leader, who was unconscious against a wall.
As soon as the projectile had left the mans hand, Starfire's hand that was placed upon Robin's shoulder went to work as she pushed him with supernatural strength against the bank wall as the weapon sailed through the air and ripped a hole through her own arm instead. Robin immediately blackened out when he had hit the building side. No apparent damages seemed to be noticeable when inspected by the green Titan, but he jumped out of his skin as Robin gave a low groan. His masked eyes started to shape with his awakening eyelids and a pounding headache prevented any rational thought the leader might happen to have. Immediately his body started to respond on its own and, after checking that there was no Bo staff protruding out of his chest, tried to get up on his feet. Beast Boy placed a firm hand on his shoulder and pushed back to a sitting position.
"Whoa, there dude. Now's not the time to have long walks on the beach." Robin groaned again and Beast Boy couldn't tell if it was because of his joke or because of his leader's pain.
"Wha…What happened?"
"Starfire pushed you out of the way of Scission's finger missile…thingy…"
"Starfire?"
"Yup, she's da man. Or…er…Wo-man…" Beast Boy gave a light embarrassed chuckle and looked over his shoulder to see the bloodied spike lying on the floor next to Cyborg's feet. Raven was rapidly trying to heal as much of the wound as possible but it would still leave bruising and a nasty scab later on. The only other remnants of her injury were the drying blood that covered her arm and the floor beneath it. She gritted her teeth, Raven may be able to relieve the wound but the pain would ebb away on its own time. Right now, though, it looked like it was staying for an elongated vacation. Robin tried to sit up once more and this time Beast Boy helped him in a comfortable position.
"Is she…okay?" The leader winced as he tried to form the words from his pounding headache.
"Of course dude." Beast Boy smiled and draped the Titans arm around his shoulders, lifting the leader up. "I mean, who else can 'Unleash the power of the sun?'" He chuckled at his own Sunny Delight joke as the two made their way towards the rest of the Titans. Plans were made that Raven would transport Starfire and Robin back while Beast Boy and Cyborg would meet them later at the Tower. Everyone would get a good night's rest and be healed for tomorrow, although Robin would have a restless night all by himself.
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The ceiling had many cracks and was painted an eerie dark color to match the master's mood. Newspaper clippings littered the walls and his solitary desk in the middle of the room. What was amazing was that some of them were dated even before his Slade obsession. The main reason for all the papers was because of the mysteries the Boy Wonder couldn't solve. Slade just happened to be one of the biggest puzzles that the Titan leader had come upon. (The villain was also featured in a plethora of news stories that covered most of Robin's north wall in his room.) But the newest addition lay in his hands, creased in the middle vertically. It was a clipping about Red X. The other Red X. The Red X that had somehow passed surveillance cameras, trip lasers and a coded room to get to Robin's life mistake. It was a small news story though. Without the Red X belt, the man behind the mask was virtually useless besides his martial arts abilities. The paper read of some petty jewelry theft just north of Jump City. Only a diamond necklace was taken before the alarms went off and the police quickly arrived.
Robin wondered if the thief was loosing his touch. Then, he wondered if the necklace had something to do with all these hallucinations that alienated his mind. No, that couldn't be it. It was just a stupid necklace right? What sort of powers could measly diamonds have on one's thoughts from so far away? Robin scrunched his brows together in thought. Stranger things have happened. He wouldn't be surprised if the robbery did have a significant role on his mind's illusions. The sickening feeling of dread burned his stomach like acid. To just see his friends in a pose of death was enough to scare him to wit's end. Fortunately enough, Batman had taught his pupil well into suppressing different kinds of fear and showing false bravado in the time of fight. Robin was able to stand up to one of his opponents, tricking it to leave his mind's eye for some time. The Titan leader stood up on his bed and bounced on it. When he was in sufficient reach of the ceiling, he pulled out a bird-a-rang and stuck it to the roof. There, he would see the clipping every night and every morning until the problem was solved. And right now, he needed a glass of water.
The counter clock in the kitchen illuminated 2:13 am, and he was still fully clothed in his costume garb. The window outside showed a waning half-moon in the cloudless sky. The reflection off the bay waters put a serene calm to Robin's mind as he decided to take a walk outside in the crisp night air. He would have to creep past his fellow teammates room's though to reach the recreation room and then outside. But who was he kidding? He was Batman's protégé and creeping around should be a synch. Unless, of course, he caught himself looking at Starfire's door, contemplating whether or not he should check up on her. Once Raven would be rested to peak performance, she would help with the rest of the wound that was inflicted upon the Tamaran. Robin's heart sunk a little when he realized that it was partially his fault when the Titan's themselves should have escorted the villain instead of the local police. Now once of the cops was in the hospital sporting a broken rib or two.
Shaking his head, Robin made his way back down the corridor, and soon, stepped outside in the brisk night air. He took the path down to the quiet lapping waters on the island. Following an old path, he came upon a small cliff that was just about his height. Giving three small taps on the side, a door swung open and lead into a tunnel underneath the bay waters to the land. He entered out on the outskirts of the City, in a small forest clearing. Just to get way with the smog and light of Jump City Robin often wandered here. In the back of his mind, he felt that this place held a meaning to him, but he couldn't figure out why. Robin positioned himself on top a rock and bent his knees to his chest, resting his head atop them as well. It wasn't a very masculine pose, but it was what was comfortable at the moment. A few solitary minutes passed by when a pebble tumbled down a small incline to Robin's right. He didn't jump, but merely spoke.
"How long have you been waiting."
A cape whipped in the wind and a figure jumped down next to Robin's rock.
"You've…gotten better." Red X said. Robin smirked.
"I've always been this good."
"Touché."
A silent minute passed as the two males just stared into the sky.
"I want you…to stop." Red X looked sideways at the Boy Wonder. The Titan raised a brow and sidled off the rock, dusting off his legs.
"Stop what?" Red X turned full frontal to Robin.
"I want you to stop with the illusion, the hallucinations. I don't know if it's a component that you have set into the costume or whatever but everywhere I go I see you and you're always standing next to her. Her mutilated body along the ground of wherever I see her. I can't look at her anymore without the gruesome sight of blood and gore. Whatever the shit you did, I want you to take it away…now!" Red X took a threatening step towards Robin, but the Boy Wonder just stood his ground.
"Her?" Robin frowned a little, trying to understand.
"…My…girlfriend. She's the only thing I have left in this damn world. But now you've even ruined it! I can't even look at the things I care about anymore without your dead smile and monotone voice interrupting my thoughts!" Red X lifted his hands to his head as if he had a headache. It seemed to subside as the confused boy looked up at the sky.
"I ask you nicely to remove whatever you have done…" Red X snapped his head towards Robin. "…before I become physical on your ass." The Titan stared at his enemy a moment longer in contemplation.
"So…you've been having them too." Red X went wide-eyed.
"What? How could you be having them if…if you're trashing my dreams?"
"Maybe…it's because we fear each other-"
"Me fear you?!? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Make a better point!"
"I was before I was interrupted." Robin crossed his arms, vexed. Red X shut his mouth.
"Anyway, I believe it's because of our fear of one another that when we look at something that has a significant meaning to us, it seems to crumble away and die."
"Like I said, how could I fear you? Nothing but skin and bones." Red X waved his hand dismissively towards Robin who suddenly had a vein ready to pop in his head.
"I would say the same, Forgery" Red X froze up and slowly turned his head toward the masked hero.
"How?" He growled.
"I assumed that you watched me even before you took the suit so that you knew the belt was a main power source. Unfortunately, you picked it up with your bare hands first and when I apprehended it again, I scanned it for unusual fingerprints. Our Main Frame computer is good for something other than video games, as others believe." Robin smiled and jutted a finger towards the Tower, basically indicating Cyborg ad Beast Boy. Red X stood and spoke hesitantly.
"So what does this…have to do with being scared of one another?"
"Ever since the Titans were formed, I've had to worry about bank robberies, fires, and the occasional lunatic running around. But those aren't the worst of my concerns. My main fear is that something will happen to…" He nodded over at the tower once more. "…them. The nightmare has already ruined my life once, and I plan never to make the same mistake again. But ever since you showed up with that costume, something must have triggered in my mind that has set loose a series of hallucinations. As we try to forget our fears and worries, they build up in the back of our mind, taking over our thoughts and controlling our dreams. You are worried that I might hurt the people whom are most dear to you, as is you to I."
Red X crossed his arms and bent his head in thought.
"Stupid logic, goddamnit! I hoped it was as simple as beating the living crap outta you so that you would leave me alone. Although, why would you be the one to appear? I have far worse enemies than you."
"Because you know that I'm the only one who can beat you. You say you have enemies, but I know that they're just a thorn in your side; easily bruised and tossed aside. On the other hand, you met me. Followed me, studied me, copied every single move I could perform, and it was at the Observatory then that you knew I wasn't like the rest of your foes. I was a person who could match you in every aspect."
"So what do we do? Just walk away and hope to never see each other again?"
"…Not exactly."
"What do you mean?"
"We might be able to rid ourselves of these inconsistent nightmares and finally be able to breath again. All we have to do…is fight." Robin put a hand behind his back, ready to take out his Bo staff at any time. Red X though was surprisingly reluctant.
"Fight? Why? What good will that do?"
"If we fight and see who prevails, than the winner…"
"…wouldn't have to worry anymore because then they would know that they could defeat their foe if a threat like this would ever happen." Red X finished and looked straight into the masked eyes of the Boy Wonder. "I hate to admit it, but you've convinced me to wail on your ass." Robin took a defensive stance.
"Bring it on, junior."
"Raugh!" Red X jumped forward, trying to traditionally tackle the Titan to the ground. Robin easily sidestepped and brought his Bo staff across the back of his enemy. He didn't advance though, but took a few steps back to let Red X recover. And recover he did as he flipped up and onto his feet, pulling out a surprising likeness to Robin's own Bo staff. Robin would have said something along the lines of 'Copy Cat' but remembered whom he was dealing with. Again, Red X charged forward and made a simple stabbing gesture at the Boy Wonders shoulder. Robin easily deflected it and brought his knee up to punch his opposite in the stomach. With extreme agility and grace, X spun around on his feet to avoid the knee, swiping his staff along side Robin's head. Stumbling back a bit, he only had moments to regain his composure, as X didn't cease in attacking. So Robin simply fell onto his back and hooked his legs to the underside of a propelling X, making him fly into a tree.
"Cheap trick." Red X spat on the ground and got up hastily, ready for the advance of Robin. But it never came. The Boy Wonder just stood silently, watching. Fighters who don't take offensive right away were always the biggest pet peeve of X, as they just stand there, looking at you as if taunting you that you couldn't hit them. Well, Red X did hit him once, and he was damn sure he'd give a few more bruises to his enemy before the morning came. Deciding that the same weapon wouldn't work against each other, X pulled out two, not-so-pleasant-looking knives. And, not really learning what happened before hand, sprinted forward. A Bo staff wouldn't be able to defeat the quickness of his hands, as he was sure to get in a slice or two here and there. Just as X was about to lash out, Robin surprisingly jumped forward in an assault of his own. Startled by the sudden change of offense to defense, X couldn't think in time as Robin lifted his staff and whacked it across the face of X. He bounced on the dirt a few times before crawling to his hands and feet.
"You're…you're playing dirty!"
"I'm not playing." Robin said solemnly.
"Yeah? Then how come I beat you up before but not now, smartass?" Red X wiped a small trickle of blood from his mouth. It smeared across his chin and costume. Robin simply shrugged.
"I guess I was caught by surprised when I saw you."
"Bullshit!" Red X growled as he got to his feet. He threw down his knives and brought up his fists. "I don't believe you've gotten this much better since we've last met."
"I told you before," Robin agreed with only using fisticuffs as he put away his staff, "I've always been this good." And the fight commenced.
It wasn't your average schoolyard brawl. Both contestants had the skills eerily similar to one another as they matched punch for punch and kick for kick. Both were trained exceptionally, and both wanted to pound the other into submission. The only other change was that Robin was taking a more offensive approach to fighting hand to hand other than with weapons. He caught a roundhouse kick with his hands and swung the assailant to the ground, knocking the wind out of them. Robin brought down his fist to meet the masked enemy, but his hand hit dirt when Red X rolled to the side and did a backwards summersault to his feet. X, seeing Robin in an awkward stance, he rushed forward and rammed his foot in the Boy Wonders face. The Titan's head snapped up as his body flew backwards, but not enough force was put into the kick to knock him flat on his back. The indention of a foot sole was printed on Robin's forehead.
Growling at his flaws, Robin brought himself in a more defensive stance as, right away, a fist tried to penetrate and knock him in the jaw. The Boy Wonder swept aside the punch and sidestepped, making Red X off balance from his follow up punch. Expertly, the enemy of the Titan regained his footing and jumped up, lashing out with his foot. Rapid kicks and thrusts kept Robin at bay as Red X managed to stay in the air, taking the quick offensive. Though practice with a specific eight-legged villain before hand gave Robin the upper edge of the insane speed X was moving at. X tried to land one more to the teens face before settling down and using his fists instead. Immediately, he tried to hit Robin with a sucker punch to the cheek, but the Titan lashed out and caught the fist. X raised a brow and tried again with his other hand. Robin caught that as well. Now it was a tug of war between limbs and strength.
A silent flow of air chilled the heated players on the battlefield as they struggled to push the other away. Fingers intertwined and groove marks in the dirt, none of the males gained the upper hand. None would give up and then neither would win, unless one of them became unconscious. So were the thoughts of the rivals as they strained their muscles to ripping points. And suddenly, there arms went lax and both flew forward, purposely trying to head butt each other. Unfortunately both had the same idea and the force between the collisions was great. In two heaps, they fell to the earthen dirt below. Sprawled in exhaustion and drenched in sweat.
"Stupid…goddamn…cheater." Red X breathed heavily. Robin just weakly lifted his hand and limply smacked X in the head. Both were then silent, looking up at the cosmos above. The stars sparkled in their ever beauty and the rustling of wind blew through the tree tops was ever so calming. The gusts of light, crisp air flowed through Robin's hair, soothing his scalp and relieving the tense muscles throughout his body. The Titan didn't know if the same was for Red X, but he could feel a sort of peaceful calm come over him. As they lay there, both knew neither had won. It was a stalemate.
"Hey X…?"
"Whatta…ya want?" Red X inhaled and let go of his air, feeling relaxed and comfortable on top of Mother Earth.
"Why'd you steal the necklace?" Robin turned his head so that he was looking at X, who remained staring at the stars.
"Rent."
"Rent?"
"Yeah! You deaf or something?" Red X turned his head so that he was looking at Robin's face as well, giving him a not-so-nice look.
"I guess the suit isn't working out for you very well is it?" The Titan guessed that his rival would suck it up and lie about his abilities with the suit. Robin had specifically formed it to fit his physique and only his flexibility would be able to wield it full strength.
"What do you mean by that? I've never done so much with this!"
"So it only allows you to resort to petty theft."
"If I had he belt I would be able to do much, much more."
"Too bad. The belt's gone now."
Red X ground his teeth. "What…"
Robin let a smirk pass through his lips. "I destroyed it, smashed it, burnt it, broke it apart, bent it, and buried it all over the forest outside of Jump City."
"Rotten sonofa…" Robin just frowned and they both turned back to the sky. A minute passed and Robin had regained some of his strength to sit up. He shook his head of cobwebs and chuckled. It was so odd. Two rivals, duking it out to see who was the best and they both fall for a stalemate. Now they're talking like old roommates who hadn't seen each other since collage. The moon was falling below the horizon and it would soon be dawn.
"Do you think they'll be gone?" Red X groaned as he sat up as well.
"The hallucinations? I hope. I don't think I would like to waste my body like this again."
"If not, I'm gonna have to come back and kick your ass." X smirked. Robin raised a brow.
"You couldn't kick a can."
"Oh? Is that a challenge?" Red X struggled to his feet and waited for Robin to get to his own feet as well. The Titan dusted off his shoulder and responded.
"Not a challenge…but a truth." Red X bristled at the Boy Wonders smug look.
"Them's fightin' words!" X advanced a step and Robin tensed. Even in the state of frigid cold air in their lungs and exhaustion, none of them could ever cease to be who they are or what they like to do best…fight. And fight they would have, all throughout the morning and into late afternoon if it was to be, but it wasn't as a sudden shout rang from the distance, startled the two competitors. Red X looked about and into the sky. A lone flying silhouette graced the low night light towards their clearing. Robin saw as well.
"Your girlfriend's calling you." X chuckled. Robin gave him a dirty look, which caused X to laugh more.
"Until we meet again, Boy Wonder." He gave a two-fingered salute and sprinted off into the trees, suddenly masked by shadows of the night. Robin didn't hesitate, but merely watched as his rival wandered off…in the wrong direction of where he was supposed to go. Clearly his apartment complex was in the East District of Jump City.
Oh yes, that Main Computer was certainly good for some things other than computer games.
The Titan heard the soft landing of his teammate who rushed over to him immediately.
"Robin! What have you been doing to cause such abrasions on your body?" Starfire dared not to touch him but look on as his wounds continued to bleed. Robin smiled at her company and caring.
"I just slipped and fell." His lie was weak and Starfire looked at him dubiously. "Um…I slipped and fell off a cliff?" With the even weaker, and stupider, lie, he earned a giggle from the Tamaran as she reached over and tore some of the bandages off of her arm.
"I do not mean to pry into your outings, Robin, but I was just concerned. I had heard someone walking about the Tower and stopping in front of my room." She lent her cloth to Robin who took it and spat on it, rubbing his face as clean as he could. Starfire watched with hands behind her back.
"How come you were awake?" Robin's voice sounded muffled at times when he ran the cloth over his mouth.
"Raven was not able to ebb away all of Scission's attack." She moved her arm and grimaced when a flare of hot pain shot up her bone and nerves. Robin gritted his teeth as he remembered the attack before he was blackened out. The masked teen sighed and touched Starfire's elbow.
"I never really did thank you, did I?" Robin tried to muster up the warmest smile he could make. It seemed to be a satisfactory one as Starfire brightened up, her eyes gleaming even though no light reflected off of them.
"No thanks are needed! You have helped me more in the past then I will ever do for you now and in the future." Thusly, she bent down and kissed Robin's forehead. He froze as wild hot flames etched his cheeks and face. Thankfully, it was dark out, and she probably couldn't see his skin turn a dark scarlet tomato. In record time, though, he regained his composure. Starfire then turned around and took in a deep breath.
"I remember these trees." As if what had just happened was erased from her memory, Starfire turned around and glanced at Robin. "Do you?" The Titan leader looked around and studied the trees for a moment. Light was splaying over the horizon and the tops of the trees sparkled in their morning dew. Then it suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. When he had taken his walk, he had let his subconscious decided where to travel. A place of beauty and composure, a little foreign yet warm in the bathing light of the sun. He just couldn't make out the scene before him in the moonlight. Now, as the sun was finally reaching over the horizon waters, it was a clear memory that Robin never wanted to forget.
"Of course I remember. This is the place we first met."
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Thanks To Eventidespirit For Proofing. I Highly Recommend Reading Some Of Her Works. : )
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-- ZodiacFire