Insanity for Dummies- Hehehehe, sorry about the dream. Really, I am, but I needed something to get Robin to be more "obedient" towards Slade. I needed something that could really rattle his chains and give him a good scare, and thus, scaring him into doing something he probably wouldn't do at that point. And yes, Slade is evil for putting Mock Robin (or should I say, Mock Nightwing now?) into Robin's head. Thanks for the review!

AriesFalcon (on chapter 6)- Oh, okies. Still don't like people doing that, even though I'm not the target, but hey, your life... Anyway, thanks for the review! I'm glad you like this fic!

(on chapter 7)- Ah, well that sort of makes sense. Although at times, I don't know what else to do with some characters, I don't call them a "goth wannabe" or "stupid, random and senseless" person. I'm glad you're not flaming me, and thank you for steering clear of it in regards to my fics! I'm sorry I drive you insane, but I can't help it; it builds suspense and keeps you hooked on the plot! Besides, I like hearing from you guys, and if I posted all of my fiction at one time, whose to say you all READ it all, and not just skim through? Anyway, thanks for the note! Glad you liked the chapter!

semmy-genius- Thank you! That is probably the biggest compliment anyone could ever say to me! Yeah, I sat down one day after watching the Apprentice Duo, and I instantly fell in love with it. I was inspired by it, and it made me want to write and read about the Slade/Robin relationship (not lemon yaoi stuff though. I will never write that sort of a deal, because although I support gay/lez stuff between people Hey, I figure, you know, it's their life. And better to have someone than no one at all, right? I'm not interested in writing it. However, on occasion, I have been known to delve into it, thanks to Ghene, a writer on here who does strictly yaoi/lemon/guy&guy-or-girl&girl stories... Hey, if Ghene can make Slade turn into a cat and act all cute around Robin, I'm all for it! lol!). Anyway, back to the point... I always wanted to read a story about the Apprentice thing between Robin and Slade, but when I looked, there weren't many good fics about it. I tried reading some of them, but I couldn't get into it. So, I tried going one better: I wrote one myself that I knew, if I read it personally, I would love it to death. Now, onw story and eight chapters of another later, I've still got readers! I'm amazed! LOL I'm sorry it's disrupting your homework time: believe me, it does the same for me when I want to write a chapter or two! I've got it to where I can accomplish HW in about an hour or so though, so that's nice... Otherwise, I spend my time either ficcing, surfing the web, or playing Solitare lol! And you did fine for a review: I like all kinds of messages (except flames, because fic + flames bad), and yours was great! Thanks for reviewing! I'm happy you like what I'm doing so far!

ravenrocs4eva- LOL, I think you've reached your limit on cools. I'm going to have to cut you off from there lmao! Don't worry: this update's coming right at you ASAP! Thanks for noting me!

Aeris-Raven- Interesting indeed. Yeah, I had an interesting time seeing these guys as evil, except for Raven, Robin and Beast Boy (Notice how BB wanted to eat meat all the time? That in itself is creepy). Those guys were all easy, because they've basically been evil before, or I could really, really easily picture what sort of person they would be if their personality did a 180. And yes, where is Troia indeed? You'll find that out in this chapter, and you're right: I do have a good reason why she's been absent for awhile. I've got everything mapped out with Troia, and you'll know a bit more about her background, and why she is who she is and does what she does. She's got a method to her madness, so don't worry: you'll find out most of that in chapters 9 and 10. Thanks for reviewing!

Darth Nat- Ah, I was wondering who would catch that! I actually had a reason for writing that slight, subliminal bit in: You see, at this point in time, Robin's mind is trying to piece itself back together. But Mock Robin/Mock Nightwing, the annoying little gremlin in Robin's head, can't let that happen. His job is to keep Robin on the crooked and wide instead of the straight and narrow: a.k.a., Slade's side. His entire purpose is to keep Robin in Slade's grasp, no matter what the cost. Ergo, a horrifying dream of his friends (which he partly remembers but not very well; Then again, even if you WEREN'T friends with the Titans, you'd be scared out of your mind if you saw that disgusting scene in person!). However, his mind, or rather, the pieces of it, want to do one thing: get Robin back to where he's supposed to be; make Robin remember his real life. Even though it's being repressed by MR/MN, it's Robin's MIND that starts oozing its way back, and leaving messages for Robin to figure out himself. To put it simply, think of MR/MN as a brick wall with a few cracks in it. Now, one side, we have the Boy Wonder, lost and confused. On the other, his memory, and the life he once had. Those two are trying to get back to each other, but they can't, because of the wall. However, his memory is trying to return back to him, slowly, by seeping into the cracks in the wall, and out the other side. To do that, it has to pass THROUGH the wall, and thus, temporarily alter the wall's state. It was Robin's mind that put that "S" on MR/MN's chest. It was his mind's way of saying, "YO! Pay attention! Slade's bad news if you trust him too much!" It even manages to slip into MR/MN's speech, with the "I'm on Slade's side!" part. Because of his mind, it makes MR/MN a hypocrite, and shows Robin to not trust what he "sees" and hears. My point is, Robin's mind is trying to come back, and succeeds a bit in his dreams by showing him that he can't trust by his eyes or what he thinks is his "mind": he's got to trust his intuition and his heart in order to get back the life he lost. And I'm glad you're looking forward to the fight: it's going to be tough to "animate it in written text"! And thank you on the characters' descriptions in the dream. I saw Raven's picture online, and I was like, "MAN, if I can, I want to write Evil Raven. That would be so cool!" and also, since in the entirety of these two fics I've done, it's been a constant back and forth thing with Raven, Robin, and Starfire. First, it's RobRae, then it's RobStar, then it's back to RobRae... so I finally said, "Ok, look. Robin is evil, Raven's evil, and Starfire is evil. They're all evil, and I want to make them all completely opposite of who they really are. How can I do that?" Then I realized that maybe, they'd retain some of their TT characteristics, or mainly, for the girls, feelings towards Robin. Ergo, I made them his "girls", so to speak, and over exaggerated their "Love affairs" with him. And if you had to ask me, I'd say Beast Boy's evil persona was the worst. I mean, it was unnatural the way he kept asking for meat, and being so bloodthirsty... It made me think of him being more of an animal than a man, a savage beast completely untamed and snapping at the first hand that feeds him... Creepy... Anyway, thanks for the review! I really enjoyed answering everything!

KaliAnn- Thanks Kali! Yeah, that gave me shivers when I wrote it... His mind is a mess, but his heart? It's still there, and he's got to learn to trust his heart. It knows what's going on, and hopefully, that will be the thing that leads him out of this mess. And yeah, Red's an interesting character! He'll definitely have some weight to throw around in this chapter... Thanks for the review! I'll read your fic ASAP!

Closetwriter- NO, he DOESN'T, and you caught that little bit! Awesome Maroon! I was wondering who caught that! That's a BIG clue on the identity of Red X, if you think about it... Nice job! Thanks for the review!

Alexnandru Van Gordan- Oh no! I'm sorry about your leg! I hope you feel better! It's ok that you haven't reviewed: obviously, you've had more than enough to deal with over the past couple weeks, so of course I'm not going to fault you for it! It's perfectly understandable! And no, I didn't mean that you meant she was a Mary Sue: I was just saying that I was going to do my best NOT to make her into one! I wasn't accusing you of anything! And the lecture's always appreciated: it gives me a review over what NOT to do with a character! Awwwwww, thanks for the comment on my writing ability. It makes me blush every time, because I never take the time and go, "WOW, this is awesome!". Seriously, I never do that; All I do is write it, post it, and most likely, go to bed, because it's about 10 or so at night... or beyond that... Anyway, I'm glad you enjoy the fic, and I'm glad you like Troia! I tried to make her likable, and an anti-Terra, because not too many people liked Terra (I personally did, but others didn't feel that way...) Sorry about the dream, and no, Red X will not die. I am purposely saving x because I love that guy! He's a great character, and there's no way I'm going to let him die! Yeah, Troia's past will come into play in chapters 8-10, more so in 9&10, so be on the lookout for that. And thank you on the Slade insanity part: I try my best. Really, he's just slightly more nutty than the next person, no more insane than anybody else, but the difference is that he actually makes his insane world REAL. He's got the power to do so, and he uses it! No, Simms didn't die. No one dies in this fic! I promise! If I was a Girl Scout still, I'd give you the whole "Scout's Honor!" but... nah. LOL! Thanks for the review dude! Good to see that you're still with me, and enjoy this chapter!

Infamous One- Yup, Ugly is one way to look at it, and the thing that makes this different than in the Apprentice Duo is that Robin isn't going to hold back. It's going to be very, VERY difficult to deal with a battle of this magnitude, and I'm going to try my best to get it all put down the way I want it to. And you're right about the shots: I thought of the idea BEFORE I even read Slade's bio though, but that does seem a bit ironic... Interesting. Very interesting... And yeah, the sequence was creepy and weird. Very, VERY WEIRD! Thanks for reviewing!

Memorysofawhiterose- You caught it too! Awesome! Yeah, Slade doesn't KNOW who RED X IS! That's a hint on the ID of X! Great job for catching that! And thanks for the compliments! Wheeeeeee, I'm happy you're enjoying it! Thanks for the note!

First off, can I say this: YOU ALL ROCK MY ROBIN SOCKS! I'm serious, this is the FIRST TIME in the history of my ficcing career itself that I have EVER gotten more than 5 reviews on a chapter (Well, besides my Farscape ones on Kansas, a message board I frequent...) And I didn't just get 6: I GOT 11! WOW! I feel like a celebrity here! WOW! YOU GUYS ROCK! Is Extremely Happy At the Moment

Ok, anyway, this is it: THE BIG ONE. Chapter 8, and the chapter where the ID of X is revealed! Don't worry if you missed all the clues pointing to it; in chapter 10, I'll tell you every single one, just in case you're reading (or rereading) this story, get to this chapter, and go, "WHAT? HOW'S THAT POSSIBLE?" because it seems impossible. But trust me, this chapter will make you flip out over X's ID. Some of you will be slapping your foreheads, going, "DUH. Why didn't I see that one coming?" but it'll be all worth it! I promise! Also, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't the whole big bang, all out brawl/street fight that some of you wanted. I got to 12 Word pages, including these notes, and my neck is killing me at the moment, so I'm justgoing to stop and post this as is. Maybe the next chapter will be better...Now, without further distraction, on to chapter 8! ENJOY!


It was Slade who struck first, a right hook across Starfire's jaw while he sprung in the air, leaping right over Beast Boy and slamming a boot straight into his back. He screamed in pain and fainted because of it, but the masked man paid no attention, focusing on Cyborg while he steered clear of the dark magics Raven summoned up. A few blows to the head knocked him out cold for the moment, while a well placed boomerang blades cut the witch's skin in bloody patches here and there, and she dropped like a stone, her concentration disrupted. Green starbolts headed his way, but Slade was too fast, a left cross knocking her senseless and motionless into the dirt while he crouched like a cat, waiting for more from his prey.
Robin, unlike his master, had stayed frozen in place, his eyes wide in shock. No, the Titans, these had to be the...

Overwhelming pain enveloped his mind, starting at the temple and throbbing until he couldn't even hear anymore. This was the worst of the bunch, just about as bad as the one he'd had when he faced X the first time! He blindly fell to his knees, trying to regain his composure, but finding it hard to do so. God, he just wished it could stop...


All four remaining Titans down for the count in less than twenty seconds flat. And Slade had barely broken a sweat.

It was then he noticed a black and red figure with a crossbone face watching him, standing there motionless and outlined by the shining light of a full moon. Red X had arrived.

Slade laughed, enjoying the staring contest and the non-verbal challenge. "So you're the new Red X. I'll admit, I liked the old one better." He turned over to his shoulder and called out to his apprentice, who he noticed, for the first time, was on his knees. "Get up, Robin, I want you to meet an old friend of mine. Of course, he's not exactly the... same. Are you, Red X?"

X said nothing, just glared at him with hatred behind narrowed, masked eyes.

"What? No witty comebacks, no satirical retorts? I'm surprised. It makes me wonder if you have the brains to come up with some."

"KEEP WONDERING!" screamed the thief, and he launched towards Slade with both arms swinging. He blocked a left hook and jab, along with a few good attempts at a leg sweep before he finally got to terms with the power and ferocity of the teen before him. It was then that he was able to administer a few punches and kicks himself, expecting to hit the targets he had personally known from experience would cripple even the mightiest of fighters.

But X was too quick for his liking, and he found himself blocked at every attempt, the pace of the fighting becoming almost something superhuman. For every haymaker and karate chop, every snap kick and knee to the groin he administered, the teen blocked them all with ease, and delivered a few punches of his own that left Slade in a less than opportune position. The fighting itself went beyond a normal brawl; it literally was all reaction, and little to no thought in between each battering blow.

They were matched blow for blow, and Slade didn't like it one bit.

"Well, it seems that you're a lot better than you look," he said, spinning away from Red's grasp and falling back, winded.

"And you're not giving it your best shot, Slade. You can do better than this."

The biting remark almost made him attack right then, but he had a better idea. If it was Robin the Titans wanted... "Fine. Robin," he called over his shoulder, and a tussled ebony haired head looked up at him, still on his knees after all this time, "get over here. If it's a fight you want, Red X, then I'm sure Robin can give it to you."


Unbeknownst to the madman, a red haired head popped up from the ground and groaned, her head killing her. What had happened? Her friends and herself had ran to this point on Dagger's Cliff, where an entrance to Slade's new hideout was, and then...

Suddenly, it had all come back to her: Troia, Red X, Slade... Robin. Robin. ROBIN! Her mind jolted her body, and she was on her feet in no time, surveying what had happened to her friends and the area around her. Wide eyed, she crawled over to Beast Boy and cradled him in her arms for a moment, trying to wake him, but he didn't stir. Whatever happened to him, he'd be out for awhile... Same thing, apparently, had happened to Cyborg, because he didn't move either.

When she approached Raven, however, she was met with some success, as the witch was alive, her eyes closed.

"Friend Raven, are you undamaged?"

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinth... Yes, Starfire, I'm ok. Right now, I need to stay 'dead' for awhile. I need to reach Robin..." She continued her chanting, and eventually, her eyes flung open, mystic white light shining from them. "Azarath... Metrion... Zinthos..." Instantly, a black shadow passed from her body and sank to the earth beneath them, crawling along the surface like a wraith, and headed for Robin, the poor boy striding towards his master like a wounded dog.

It was up to Starfire then. She had to buy Raven more time.

"Slade!"

Slade, not taking his eyes off Red X, called out to Starfire. "So, the Princess of Tamaran has finally woken up. I expected you to be unconscious still, but I must have misjudged."

"Slade, stop this at once! I have no need to harm you! In fact, I have a proposition for you, in case there is a chance that you may be interesting in one."

Red X glanced in her direction and cursed, angry. "Starfire! Shut up!"

"Hmmm? Do you care for this girl, X?"

When he heard that, X snarled even more, insulted. "Are you kidding me? The only one who remotely cares about her that way is him!" He pointed straight at Robin. "He's the one who's freaking in love with her!"


Robin's heart stopped, trying to come to terms with what the girl had said. He knew her, knew her name too: she was one of the ones in his dream, the redhead... S... S... Star... Star? Starfire. Yeah, that was her name...

Suddenly, Slade's voice shouted to him, and he snapped out of his daze. "ROBIN! Deal with her!"

He had no choice but to comply. Setting his jaw, he lowered his eyes and dived straight towards her, watching her flit out his grasp and fly a few meters upward, surprised. "Robin, I do not wish to fi-"

Throwing a flash grenade, Robin watched as Starfire was blinded, and she plummeted, hitting the rocky ground below them with a thump. Leaping upon her, he unclipped a laser knife from his belt, brandished it, and held her down with a chokehold in one hand while getting ready to strike her with the other.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt her oxygen being cut off, her lungs trying to gasp in air. "Robin, please... Stop... this... I... cannot... breathe..." she called out to X as well, in a last ditch effort for aid. "X, please... stop him..."

"You'll be dead soon, Titan. I'm sorry... such a pretty girl like you... has to die like this..." Something in his heart fluttered, and a brief flash of pain was all Red X needed to catch him in a running tackle, throwing the apprentice off of the Tamaranean.

Damn. He had heard her...

Ego and alter ego squared off as Starfire coughed, the lack of atmosphere enough to render her dazed for a few minutes. Robin snarled, disappointed and furious at the newcomer. "I thought Slade was your target, X."

"Sorry kid. I really didn't want to interrupt your little lovers' spat, but hey, what can I say? I'd rather have both your eyes on me anyway." He posed in a karate stance before he winked, taunting the Boy Wonder. "Besides, I can always save Slade for later, right after I'm done with you."


Slade himself was, for the moment, out of the fray, grateful that X had broken off the engagement. Now, he'd see the full extent of his "son's" abilities. That, and Red X's. There was something about X that seemed familiar...
Red X watched Robin closely, the second time they'd done so within the past twenty-four hours, but this time, something wasn't the same. There was something strange about this time, and the thief had a hard time picking it out until he studied Robin a bit more and smiled. The boy's heart wasn't in it this time. His stance gave him away: the slightly slouching shoulders, the limp hands, the somewhat off placement of his feet. Everything about him screamed of uncertainty, and Red X was glad for it: it would mean that he could more than match the former Titan.
Robin struck first, fists flying with a flurry of punches and kicks, each one succeeding until the last minute, where a block was quickly placed. He gritted his teeth and, frustrated, kicked the pace up a notch, leaping into the air into a side kick and aiming at his foe. Again, just like the kicks and punches, X was open until the very lest second, where he slithered out of it somehow.

This was not working, and the Boy Wonder was furious. Why wasn't X fighting back? Why was he just standing there, like a...

He never saw it coming. An insanely fast punch caught him on the side of the head, and, dumbstruck, he didn't even notice a black shadow creeping up his leg and into his mind. A flash of white light, and he was gone.


In his mind's eye, he was back in the woods, the familiar howling wind sending chills up and down his spine. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them: the monstrosities, jeering him, laughing at him, taunting him. But this time, it was different. He didn't know how or why; he just knew.

A hand touched his shoulder and he flinched, thinking it was his father's, but no; it was too slender and small to be his. A jeweled glove followed the hand, and he glanced over at its owner, surprised. It was another girl, her purple hair waving in the breeze while the red jewel on her forehead glittered with power. Her pale skin was accented with her purple eyes, ones that were crinkled in severe sadness. The blue cloak she wore hid her body, but she seemed harmless enough... she was, wasn't she?

"Where..?"

"We're in your mind, Robin. And is this what Slade is making you see? These illusions?" She gestured towards the mock version of herself and shivered, clearly uncomfortable with the image. "Fight it, Robin. I know you can."

"Who are you?" he asked, confused. "I don't even know you, but I..."

"Yes you do. You know me, Robin, and more importantly, I know you. I know who you are, and what you are, and I know that you're not this." She gestured downwards at his metal plated uniform before speaking again. "This is what Slade wants you to think you are, and you were, once. You did it because you cared for your friends. You saved us by becoming Slade's apprentice because you thought it was the only way to do so. Eventually though, we ended up saving you."

He was confused, but somewhere in his mind, it rang true. Shaking, he stared down his "future self" and closed his eyes, trying to remember. "I can't... I don't..."

"It's ok, Robin. You don't have to right now. Let me remember for you." She took his hand in hers and smiled a little, trying to be friendly. "Like I said, I know you, Robin. You're smarter than people give you credit for, and you've got a good heart. You care for people because they mean so much to you, and you always remember the right words to say in a person's time of need. You obsess about a lot of things, but it's understandable: you're the type of person who needs to be needed. You have a darker side that you keep repressed continuously, something we both have in common, and you're a leader in every way that it matters. You're my friend, Robin, and I am not leaving you here, alone, until you remember it."

Robin grimaced in pain a bit as another migraine came back, and a flash of her with marks on her body came into focus. "You... you had... tattoos. Marks. Something bad was going to happen if that happened again. I saw... Slade... With the same marks..."

She smiled wider, slightly uncharacteristic of her. "You're starting to remember things."

"But, everything my fath... Slade, everything Slade told me... was that a lie? And why would he do this to me? Hide my memories?"

"Control, Robin. Slade would do anything to control you, to make it so that you would be the son he never had. And he would have succeeded too if your memories hadn't started to come back. I could sense your mind when we came to find you, and as soon as I knew what kind of mess it was in, I knew I had to do everything I could to purposefully be taken out of the fight. I had to fool Slade in order to save you, so I played dead and sent my soul self here."

Suddenly, a thought came to him and he looked at her suspiciously, almost angrily. "Wait, how do I know you're telling me the truth? For all I know, you could be lying to me in order to get me to join the Titans."

The girl nodded, understanding. "Understandable; you've been under Slade's control for so long, you don't know up from down. Then let me answer your question WITH a question: has Slade ever made you take anything? Like pills, medicines? Has he made you do anything very strange?"

"Shots," he blurted out, surprised at his trust in her. "I've gotten shots in the arm. Adrenaline shots. And I've gone through resistance testing."

"Testing?"

"Shock treatments."

She shivered severely. "No wonder you're amnesiac. Electroshock therapy can actually kill brain cells, and eliminate memory, if the shock's heavy enough. And I bet you those adrenaline shots were really brainwashing drugs."

"This is insane," he laughed, disbelieving and shaking his head. "Why would Slade want to erase my..."

Then, it all made sense, and the images of Nightwing and his fiendish friends started to fade away. Realization dawned on the Boy Wonder, and he dropped to his knees, stunned. "I don't remember who I am," he murmured. "He wants to make sure I don't remember who I am."

"Are you going to let him?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"There's always a choice Robin," her voice and body were fading now, and he could feel himself wake up. "You just have to make the right one."


He moaned, and slowly got up, noticing two things. One of them was the edge of the cliff five meters away, and the other was a gloved hand reaching down for him. "Are you ok, Robin?"

Taking the hand, he flipped X on his back and put a foot on his throat, more out of automated defense than out of malice as he watched X's head dangle precariously off the ledge. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Yes, that's the spirit, Robin. Crush him," cheered Slade, walking towards them and relishing the moment as he watched. "Show him that the Batman doesn't need his little messenger boy anymore."

"You're one to talk," he replied, a threatening glare turned towards his "father". As quickly as he'd bested X, he turned on Slade, gripping his metal collar and hissed. "What the hell have you done to me?"

The madman looked at him, amused. "What makes you think I've done...?" A soft moaning sound caught his ears, and he took one glance at Raven to know exactly what happened. "She's contaminated your mind, Son. She's a witch, and she uses her powers to manipulate anyone she wants. You have to fight her, or else..."

"Or else what?" he was getting riled up now, furious and serious as purgatory. "You did something to me, Slade. You did something to my mind and I don't know what it was but..."

What he didn't expect was for Slade to jerk him forward with a mighty pull of his own, a clenched fist meeting the Boy Wonder's chest as the wind was sucked out of him. Whoozy, he tottered on his two feet precariously, backing away several feet to try and regain his balance.

But he didn't have that many feet to spare as he lost his footing. Wide eyed, he screamed as his boots touched nothing, and he plummeted over the cliff without another word.

Robin was going to fall to his death.

"Good bye, my boy," muttered Slade, dissatisfied. "If I can't have you, than neither will the Titans."


Starfire screamed, and Red X was still recovering from asphyxia when he watched, helplessly, as Robin fell off the cliff, heading straight towards the rocky crevice below. White eyes grew wider and he gasped, shocked. How in hell could Slade do such a thing?

There was no time to think, and if there had been, X wouldn't have taken it. Every muscle just reacted on its own, and the form of a thief leapt up and dived straight after Robin, hoping that it wasn't too late to change the Boy Wonder's fate.

There had to be time...


It was said that when faced with death, your life flashes before your eyes. For Robin, it wasn't just life: it was the life that Slade hadn't told him.

He closed his eyes, knowing full well that he hadn't packed a grappling hook out of furious indignation towards Slade's advice to bring one, and expected death, watching the movie of his life replay in his mind for what seemed to be like the very first time.

He saw his parents, acrobats, training alongside him in Haley's Circus. The Flying Graysons, that's what they were, and oh, what a life that was! He had wanted nothing more than to live there forever, being a part of a family which provided service for others. He was an entertainer, someone who had the gift to amuse anyone or anything that strode beyond the tarps and big tops, and there was nothing he loved more than that.

Then... Zucco. Tony Zucco, the man who changed his life forever. Wincing, he heard the shots fired, cutting the steel cables which held the trapezes to the metal rings above, and he watched them fall slowly... slowly... Bam. He sniffed in remembrance, a single tear falling form his cheek.

He remembered his parents. Then, he remembered his father.

Bruce Wayne. Yes, that was his name, the man behind the bat. The facsimile, the mask of the true person, this was what Bruce Wayne really was. And then, there was the Batman. What words could describe his mentor when he was first sworn into the service of justice? What words could describe the exhilaration and excitement of flying on grappling hooks for the very first time like the trapeze he had left behind? And the costume, his familiar red, green, yellow and black costume with his oval black mask... it had always felt like a second skin.

He had loved his life, loved Bruce like a real father, and now, he was going to miss them. Now, he'd never get the chance to go back.

The last thing he remembered was his assignment here in Jump City, and the falling out with Batman. It wasn't really a falling out, more like a distancing between the two of them that neither one could explain; perhaps it was his desire to be more than Robin, sidekick of Batman. Maybe it was something about him always living in Batman's shadow that he wanted to overcome; whatever it was, Batman had suggested to him to come here, to this town, and give him the experience of a lifetime: find friends you could depend on, and hang onto them. It was something that made him different than Batman, who preferred to work alone; he hoped that, one day, when all was said and done, he'd be able to stay that way, whatever that meant.

He liked having friends, and he wished he'd said good bye.

Just before he hit the rocks and in the middle of the phrase, "good bye", he felt himself drop into a pair of arms surprisingly slender, and he cracked open his eyes to see his savior. Surprised, he laughed hoarsely, and said, "Thought it would be you. That's irony for you."


Raven prayed as Starfire watched with large eyes, blinking them severely as a rush of generated wind swept over their heads, surprising Slade and pitching him backwards a good few meters. The villain caught sight of what it was that had surprised him, and then he understood, and gave a short, barking laugh. "I had a feeling it was you. Well, this fight just got even more interesting."
The sight was something extraordinary, unlike anything she'd ever seen before, and Starfire had seen some pretty strange things in her lifetime.

But what really made this strange was the figure of Red X, hovering in midair, with a barely conscious Robin cradled in open arms. Landing, the figure strode over and placed the Boy Wonder in her arms, nodded, and said, "Guess there's no point to masks anymore." The first thing to go were the gloves, revealing small but powerful hands, and then, off came the mask, whipped off with gusto as a wave of raven black hair fell shoulder length upon the Red X uniform.

"Take care of him, Star. He's in shock, but he's going to be alright."

Starfire continued to stare, her eyes blinking rapidly in disbelief.

Troia was Red X.