Insanity for Dummies- I actually thought of that, having BB turn into a whale, but the sewer pipelines are too small: he'd be crushed by his own girth if he morphed into a whale. So, he tries to finish Star's work, and that didn't work. And I know, I love Alfred too: he was always Bruce's guide along his journey as Batman, and I thought he'd play the same role for Robin too. And sorry for the shivers, but it as a cool line I thought of, it sounded good, and it was appropriate ;;;; Well, you'll find out in chapter10 how Ravendiscovers who X is. It was sort of an accidental thing, really: she didn't plan on coming across that particular... um, conclusion, but she did. And then she put the pieces together and figured it out. Look back, and see if you can do it too! I left clues here and there... (but don't tell anyone! Don't put it in your review or anything, cuz then people would find it, they'd be spoiled, and then my fiction days are RUINED! AUGH! Ok, not really, but you get my point lmao!) You'll find out exactly WHY X hates Slade also in chapter 8/9. Don't worry, all the bits and pieces will be solved. You just have to wait until I get there to solve them! Thanks for the review!
KaliAnn- Yeah, I know what you mean: right now, they don't trust him, don't like him, and absolutely hate the idea of working with him. Now that Raven knows who he is though, there's a slight bit of trust, but no one else has it. And yeah, Robin's trying to get his memories back. It's going to take a really hard knock to the head before he remembers everything though. Thanks for the review!
Maroonedpirate11- Hey, I know how that goes, and ouch about the rib. And I'm glad this isn't all the way funny either: I'd hate for you to be in pain! And thanks for supporting me! Don't worry, like I told Insanity for Dummies, you'll find out the identity of Red X in chapter 8. Thanks for reviewing!
AriesFalcon- Sorry it ended in a cliffy, but I had to keep you interested somehow. And I'm glad you enjoyed Sinking Into Slade: I had a lot of fun writing that. Maybe it will be RobRae, maybe it won't. I think at this point in time, it won't be, because Robin's got enough on his plate now: he's amnesiac, and he has no idea who Raven is, plus, this thing with Slade... and with Red X again... it's a lot on his mind. The guy needs a rest. And the plot of yours is like mine? Interesting... But I do know you didn't copy my idea, and I'll attest to that if anyone asks you about it, so don't worry. A lot of stories are similar in plot, but it's just how you tell the story that makes all the difference between a real piece of work, and a copy. I know you'll do great, so get that posted! I want to see your spin on the TT universe! And you haven't flamed me yet? Although I don't particularly like flamers, and I think it's rude for people to do that, no matter how bad the story is, I'll take it as a compliment anyway. You have to keep in mind though, what you flame is someone's work, and even if it's the worst piece of stuff you've ever read, it's still someone's work. The least you could do is not flame it, but make suggestions on it, try to point out what people can improve on, or just not say anything at all. I'm not trying to put you down, or insult you or anything; that's not my intention. I think you're nice and all, but... flaming's not nice. (Does that make sense?) I know I probably can't change your mind about it, but I just thought I'd say it anyway. I'm sorry if this insulted you or anything: didn't mean for it to be. I just had to say something. The reason why I said it is because I've had friends of mine flamed for no good reason, and their work was really good, even with a few mistakes here and there, so... I hope you can understand. Thank you for the review.
ravenrocs4eva- LOL like I told everyone else, you'll know Red X's identity in chapter 8, and the person behind the mask will say why they did it and how Raven knew them in chapter 10. Don't worry: all the questions will be answered, and you'll know who Red X really is. And I'm glad I made your day! Thanks for the review!
Aeris-Raven- Yeah, they're slowly coming around to X. They still don't know who he is (besides Raven) and they've had conflicts with him in the past, so they're not really on the "buddy-buddy" level as of yet. And yes, Robin's starting to get his memory back. YAY! Still has a while to go though! Thanks for reviewing!
Rose Eclipse- I know, I love Alfred. The kindest old man, who has, literally, served as a father figure for Bruce, and a grandfather figure for all the Robins and Batgirl. I had to put him in here: Robin had to remember somebody important, and it couldn't be any of his friends, and it couldn't be Batman, because if he remembered those, then he'd remember it all. Any of those characters are the "trigger" characters, which would set his memory off and all of the stuff he's missing would snap back to him in an instant. And yeah, I'm running this for 10 chapters, just like Sinking Into Slade (minus the preview for this fic). Thanks for the review!
I posted this past chapter at around 8 or so last night the 25th, and when I went to bed at around 12, there was already 4 reviews (not including ravenrocs4eva, whose review I received this morning). Four reviews within 4 hours of posting, and seven within the past 36. That's amazing! You all must have been waiting at your computers for HOURS just to see if I posted another chapter! I'm flattered! You guys must really like this fic, huh?
Well, on to chapter 6, and I hope you like it! It's the lead up to the grand finale, so enjoy!
Oh God, he couldn't breathe: the water was pressing him down, crushing his chest and squeezing every bit of air out of his lungs, but Red X couldn't give up; Raven's pale face was beginning to blue, and Beast Boy looked on with hopelessness as he watched his friends die. No, this isn't how the Titans were supposed to go out. No, they weren't going to die. They weren't going to DIE! It would ruin everything...
Beast Boy hovered across his shoulder, his forehead already bleeding from pounding. He hadn't gotten it open, and he looked at X with half dazed eyes; the force of the blows was slowly knocking him unconscious.
Patting the top of his head, he quickly reached the grate and assessed the damage done and the damage needed before he braced himself in the water, drew back a gloved fist and punched. CRUNCH! A sickening, twisting sound of metal rang out in its liquid amplifier, the dent Star had made deepening even more. Adamant, X punched again, his lungs burning with oxygen deficiency. If he didn't get it right this time, he'd-
Then, he saw it: air bubbles, fizzing past cracks in the grate, and replacing the floodwaters. Excited, he drew back his fist, and let it slam again, laughing a chortled, water filled cry as finally, the grate gave way. Niagara Falls poured out of the drain, and he barely had enough time to grab both Starfire and Raven before the rush of water swept him outside, with Cyborg and the changeling shortly behind. They fell, how many feet was beyond his guess, before they slammed painfully into concrete, the spouting drain flowing straight into a huge basin, where it would quickly reach the sea.
Delirious, X laughed, grateful to be alive and ignoring his wounds. That was insane, he thought, letting go of the heroines and rolling his head back, admiring the newly darkened sky and glittering stars. "Half the day in a sewer drain..."
Next to him, Raven started to stir, and she choked, coughing up a pint of water. "Ugh..."
Starfire also took her time, hacking and wheezing and glad for air. "I would... not suggest... we ever do... that again."
Again he laughed, and he answered her. "I hope we never do either."
"Can someone tell me how you got that grate open, X?" demanded Beast Boy, changing out of the bird form he had adapted during the fall, and walking over to them, supporting his mechanical friend, whose right arm slung across his shoulders. "I mean, Star couldn't even get it open, and you just popped that thing like a can of soda."
X, tired, only shrugged, trying to avoid Raven's narrowing eyes. "It's the suit. Makes me twice as strong as Star."
"Now if you guys don't mind," he changed the subject andjumped to his feetmrung out his cape, and knew, full well, that after being soaked so throughly, it was never going to dry right, "I've got to report back to Troia. She'll be wondering why we haven't talked to her in awhile. Knowing her, she's pissed off because we went swimming, instead of finding Slade."
"Wait," said Starfire, but she was too late; X had already left, a cloud of smoke from a smoke bomb masking his disappearance.
"Weird," quipped Beast Boy.
If there was one thing Troia was, it was impatient. That, and stubborn as a donkey on the fact that she refused to stay helpless when the rest of the Titans needed her. Restless, she flew through the city, masked by shadows, surveying the area and trying hard not to be noticed. Waiting around wasn't her style; she preferred action to inaction, thank you very much, regardless of the danger. Yeah, Slade's drones were after her, but did she have to sit there and do-
A flash of orange caught her attention, and she quickly hid herself behind a trash dumpster down an alley. Tense, she listened in, and, eyes narrowing in fury, she hung on Slade's every word.
"That should take care of the Titans," he soothed to himself, his arrogance disgusting her with every syllable. "Even Beast Boy cannot survive without food for long. Too bad Simms didn't give me the answers I desire, and didn't do exactly what I told him. Otherwise, this entire mess wouldn't have had to happen."
So it had been him who flooded the sewers! It didn't surprise her in the least; only he was capable of such a thing on such short notice! Snarling, she darted out of her hiding place and tackled him to the ground, a right hook slamming into his mask with brute force. "YOU MONSTER!"
He was surprised, unprepared for the attack, but he took the initiative, catching a fist and throwing her end-over end above him. Jumping to his feet, the mastermind considered her for a second, held up his hand and warded his drones away, his icy, lifeless tone showing his displeasure. "Troia. What a pleasant surprise. Of course, I knew you would be back: we always seem to run into each other in the most awkward of ways."
Hatred burned in her eyes, and she could feel her blood boiling as she leapt to her feet and faced him. "The only running we're going to be doing is me running you into a wall!"
"Temper, temper. Wouldn't want you to get too careless with your life... or do you?" By the way he sounded, she could picture him smirking behind his mask. "Then again, you have many lives to lose, don't you? What is this, your tenth? Twelfth?"
"My eighty-sixth," she hissed, seething with rage, "and you knew that. You damned me to hell three times!"
Slade laughed aloud, delighted. "Yes I did, didn't I? But I bet your new friends don't know that, now do they?" Seeing her shocked reaction confirmed it for him. "No, they don't. Didn't think so. I don't suppose the rest of the Titans know of the... history between us."
"Damn history. I'm here to finish you off, once and for all, Slade. You've haunted my nightmares for the last time!"
"Careful, Troia. If you don't learn from history, you're destined to repeat it."
Troia's eyes widened, horrified. "I'll never-"
"You and Robin have much in common; I can see that already. Determined, obsessive, driven, vengeful, vicious, and ruthless. You're even secretive, aren't you? You haven't been completely honest with the Titans, have you, Troia? I don't suppose you ever will until the trap is sprung, and you have nothing left to hide. You play the hero's game according to your rules and yours alone, excluding everyone you could count on in order to bring down the enemy. You would kill your own friends if they got in your way, because that's what makes you who you are. That trait ties you to Robin, and thus, ties you to me. I'm proud."
It was becoming near impossible to keep her fury in check, but she held it down, waiting for him to finish his small talk before she ripped his throat out. "Are you done yet? Because you're wasting good space and using up some poor soul's air supply."
"You always were the patient one, Troia. I admire that about you. It must be agonizing to keep your anger within instead of letting it out."
Defending, he blocked a punch to his head while she continued on. "I'll kill you, one of these days. When you're sitting at home, enjoying a much needed session of R and R, I'll come for you. And I'll kill you." Viciously, she smiled, and grasped his metal collar, pulling him off balance while she levitated, eye-level to him, in the air. Yanking him close, she stared him down in the eye and bared her teeth in a feral-like fashion. "You're going to wish you'd never messed with me, Slade."
She let him go, and he dropped to the ground, openly amazed she didn't kill him then and there. "And here I thought you were going to fulfill your promise, Troia. Tell me, why didn't you kill me then?"
"Because for once, you're second priority. Saving Robin comes first."
"How noble, coming from a killer."
His words stopped her cold as she strode away, and she clenched a fist. "You taught me how, Slade, thanks to the years of hell I've spent at your and Dark Angel's expense. I've never had to keep that promise in my live, ever, until you came along. I will kill you, Slade, even if someone else gets there first. You won't ever see me coming."
Slade laughed again, delighted. "I'll be looking forward to your attempts, which reminds me, now that I've got your attention: you grabbed my collar and threatened me, right? How do you think you got so close without a fight?" He waited for her answer, and continued when he was met with silence. "No answer? A pity: I expected more from you. You see Troia, the only reason why you were even close to me is because I LET you. Keep that in mind the next time we meet." Disgusted, she flew off, not listening to another word, but he kept talking. "I'll see you soon, Darkstar."
"DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT!" She screamed, violently turning back to him. "Don't you EVER call me that again!"
He just chuckled on, enjoying her reactions.
That was enough of the insults. Continuing with her flight, she never looked back once.
Vengeful. He had called her vengeful, but he didn't even know the half of it.
Later, silently, Red X left the abandoned apartment building Troia had taken up residence in and headed back to the Titans, grim certainty on his mind. Thanks to the newest confrontation with Slade, both of them were more and more determined to bring this hell spawn down, for everything that he had done. The past was meant to remain in the past, buried deep within the earth, but no, it always caught up with them, no matter what. Now was the time to face those demons: now was the time to act.
They couldn't wait any longer.
He adjusted a glove before he darted between shadows, nightfall approaching and making it easier and easier to do so. He had to find the Titans. Now.
Before long, he came across them, and landed with a forward flip in front of Raven. "Slade's threatened Troia, and I don't know about you all, but I'm sick and tired of waiting. How about some offense for once?"
The Titans' stand-in leader agreed, her hands clamping into fists with dark power. "I agree. It's about time I paid Slade back for what he's done to me on behalf of my father."
"He's going down," said Cyborg, his cannon pulsating with energy. "He's going to pay for what he's done to us."
"The dude's got no idea what's coming," quipped Beast Boy, changing into a falcon form.
"And he will receive retribution for what he has done to Robin," replied Starfire, an unnatural hardness edging into her voice.
X just smiled behind his mask, trusting his "team" completely. "Then let's go, kids. It's time for Slade to get what he's got coming. Time to finish him off, once and for all."
