DISCLAIMER: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, this would be on TV and not here.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This doesn't take place in the same storyline as my "Forced Base" and "Fractured Heart" stories, so forget those when you're reading this. Also, this takes place after the fourth season, so anything that happens in the show after that isn't applicable to this. Also, about Sanza/Red X: When he's wearing the mask, he's Red X. When he's not, he's Sanza. Simple as that.
O-O-O
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It has been seven days since my last confession."
Sanza sat in the confessional, his elbows resting on his knees, his eyes staring into the metallic grate to his left. On the other site of the grate was a man with grayish-white hair, light-brown skin, and a calm, gentle spirit, a man whose tone suggested a close relationship with God.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," said Father Abeula, sitting on the other side of the booth and awaiting Sanza's latest confession. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Besides Slade and Sorel, only Father Abuela knew of Sanza's double life... his secret identity as Red X. From almost the very beginning, Sanza had decided that he would divulge his crimes during Confessional... the priest's oath of secrecy would keep Sanza's confession completely confidential.
Where would Sanza begin? It seemed that this week, he'd committed far more crimes... far more sins than he had in any previous time between confessions. He'd been violent toward others, he'd stolen property, and he'd been lustful... especially lustful of Starfire, whose forgiveness sometimes mattered more to Sanza than that of God himself.
"Making a false idol of Starfire..." thought Sanza with a sigh. "Another sin..."
"The news tells me of the crimes committed by the one known as Red X," said the priest, "but his crimes are your sins, and you must confess them here."
"I understand, Father," said Sanza, making the Sign of the Cross on his chest. "I... I've caused great harm to someone through my sins, and I wish to confess these sins first, as I believe them to be the most severe."
"Is it a person close to you?" asked the priest.
Again, Sanza wasn't sure how to respond. There were times it seemed that Starfire was close to Sanza, a constant presence in his heart and mind... but other times, like yesterday in the hall of mirrors, when they were almost ready to blow each other to pieces, that she seemed farther away than anyone else in the world.
"Yes..." said Sanza, a hint of regret in his voice. "Starfire, one of the Teen Titans. During a fight... well, several fights, actually... she was hurt... I took her."
"Took her... how?" asked the priest, retaining the same fatherly, forgiving tone in his voice despite the gravity of Sanza's words.
"Kidnapped her, for several hours," said Sanza, shaking his head. He couldn't believe he was confessing something like this to the priest... again, he had to mentally remind himself of the secrecy of the confession booth. "During that time, I... committed the sin of lust, which almost caused me to..."
"I see," said the priest, his hand reaching up and brushing across his forehead.
Ever since Sanza had confessed to him about the secret of the Red X suit, Father Abuela's sessions with Sanza had been radically different. Not only was Sanza confessing sins, he was confessing actual crimes... the fact that Sanza had yet to actually kill or seriously hurt anyone didn't change the fact that the priest was still dealing with a very serious situation. He knew his oath of secrecy was sacred, but he also knew that Red X was a criminal wanted all over the city, a thief who had attacked the Teen Titans and others on numerous occasions.
"I didn't... I was able to restrain my lust enough to keep from doing anything harmful to her, and I let her go after a while, but I think she's still pretty shaken up about the whole thing, and I can hear God telling me that I really hurt Starfire pretty badly," said Sanza, still wondering if it was really God or just his own feelings for Starfire making him feel so bad about what he did... or if it was a combination of both.
"Continue," said the priest, expecting several more confessions of crimes to escape from Sanza's lips. Though he certainly couldn't condone Sanza's criminal actions, he did appreciate Sanza's honesty, when it could have been so easy to conceal such sins without Father Abuela ever finding out. Despite this, he knew that Sanza's continued commission of sin was an indication that Sanza wasn't truly repentant... at least from what he could tell.
Sanza continued to confess his other crimes, his attack of the Xantha Building, his theft of Raven's mirror from Titans Tower... but the one thing he didn't mention was Slade, the man who'd ordered Sanza to do many of the criminal things he'd been doing over the past week. The mention of Slade, Sanza knew, might put Father Abuela's life in danger... and Sanza had endangered enough of the people he cared about as it is.
After nearly a half-hour in the confessional booth, Sanza had confessed all of the sins he could remember.
"Sanza," said Father Abuela, speaking with as forgiving a tone as he could, yet at the same time being stern enough to let Sanza know that his actions were still sinful in the eyes of God, "I have told you time and time again that the life you are leading... this life of Red X, it cannot continue if you are to be truly repentant of your sins. God is always watching you, and while he knows that you may have good intentions for your double life, the actions you commit are sinful and will condemn you to eternity in Hell if you are not truly repentant. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Father," replied Sanza.
"As penance for this week's sins, I want you to memorize the first ten chapters of the Gospel of Luke. Perhaps while you are doing this, you will allow the light of God to flow inside of you and you will no longer feel the urge to sin. I will expect you back here in a week to recite these verses to me."
Sanza again replied with a nod, while at the same time slightly annoyed that he'd have to spend several hours studying Bible verses. He'd come to his decision to confess his actions as Red X in order to justify his actions somewhat with God, who Sanza still feared and respected despite his distaste for authority. Sanza was the kind of person who'd pour his heart out to Father Abuela on Sunday, then turn around and eat two Big Macs on a Friday, a serious no-no to virtually all followers of the Catholic faith.
"Do you wish to offer a prayer of contrition?" asked the priest.
"I do," replied Sanza, who closed his eyes and clasped his hands in front of him, bowing his head and beginning his prayer. "Lord, know that I have sinned, and know that I am deeply sorry for these offenses which I've committed against You. Know also that I am eternally thankful for Your mercy and grace, and for the sacrifice You made of Your son on the cross which allows me to have the forgiveness that I do not deserve. In the name of Your son and the Holy Spirit, Amen."
"You have God's forgiveness and that of the church, my son. Go in God's peace. Amen," said the priest, as Sanza made one last Sign of the Cross on his chest.
O-O-O
On the car ride back from the church to Sanza's apartment, his mind drifted away from the week's confession and back to his continued encounters with the Teen Titans. So far, he'd taken an item from Cyborg, an item from Beast Boy, and item from Raven, and an item from Starfire.
That left Robin... unless his kidnapping of Starfire a few days ago counted. Sanza didn't think that it did... which left him with one mission left to complete for Sorel before he'd start receiving his formal training from Slade.
"Once I do this last mission... I'll be Slade's apprentice," thought Sanza, briefly gazing out the window at the buildings of the city as they rushed by. "Then the real bad stuff begins..."
"So, Sanza..." asked Mrs. Salazar, smiling back at her son from the driver's seat. While she drove the car, Sanza and Maddy sat in the back to avoid any fights about who got to sit in the front seat... a tough but fair system. "What penance did the priest assign to you this week?"
"First ten chapters of Luke," said Sanza, rolling his eyes. Maddy, in the seat next to Sanza, let out a gasp, her eyes opening wide.
"You... you gotta memorize ten whole chapters of the Bible?" asked Maddy, her hand pressed to her lips. "Mom, I think Sanza might have killed somebody!"
"Yes, that is quite a bit to memorize... Sanza, you told the priest about the fight you got into this week, and the two days you spent in detention, didn't you?" asked Sanza's mother.
"Actually, I forgot about the detention..." thought Sanza, knowing that two days in detention paled in comparison to the crimes he'd committed as Red X. He told his priest, but he couldn't bring himself to tell his own family... of course, he could still protect them, which he'd done last night when he'd rescued Maddy from the clutches of Plasmus. "Yeah, and I guess he doesn't like me fighting either..."
"He doesn't want you fighting any more than I do," said Sanza's mother, turning a corner onto the street in front of the Salazars' house. "He's known you ever since you were an infant, and he really cares about you. Remember that the next time you're tempted to get into a fight."
"I only had to say two Hail Marys, and I was done!" said Maddy with a proud smile. "I've been a good girl this week!"
Sanza rolled his eyes again as the car parked on the street just in front of the Salazars' apartment building. Maddy's as annoying as ever... but I'm glad she's safe.
He still hadn't forgotten about the fact that the monsters sent by Sorel had put the lives of both Sanza's mother and sister, as well as the life of Cleo, one of Sanza's best friends, in danger. He was nearly ready to attack Sorel... but he feared the retribution that it might bring on his family.
"Just one more mission..." thought Sanza, climbing out of the car and up the steps of the fire escape toward the second floor entrance of the building. "One more mission, and I'll never have to deal with Sorel again..."
For the first time, Sanza was actually eager to receive his next mission.
O-O-O
Though Sanza had been to the Tekita Refinery numerous times, he had yet to see anything past the circular room of elevators near the center of the large disc that made up the vast majority of the building's enormous volume.
Seven of the room's eight elevators led to the top or bottom floors of the disc, containing many of the refinery's huge production rooms, where steel was melted and manipulated into beams, working parts, or machinery, all of it integral to the building of Slade's vast new empire.
Slade himself conducted his operations from the central tower, which could only be accessed by the eighth elevator in the circular room. This elevator, which Sorel disappeared into after many of his encounters with Sanza, led only into the tower itself. At the very top of the tower, hundreds of feet above the disc at the bottom of the building, was a large, open chamber, a dark room with hundreds of monitors watching everything that went on inside the building, as well as everything else that Slade liked to watch... including all of Red X's recent battles with the Titans. Sitting at his desk, he could turn away from the door to face the monitors at the back of the room... or he could turn around and face the door and whoever walked through it.
At this moment, that person was Sorel, who had been summoned by Slade to address the recent incident at the carnival.
"Red X is coming along nicely..." Slade began, both of his elbows on the large desk in front of him. "You're doing a good job."
"Thank you, sir... I'm just about ready to give him the final mission," said Sorel, bowing slightly to Slade as he spoke. "Still the same one that you told me to give him earlier?"
"The same," said Slade, his tone of voice changing slightly. Instead of being congratulatory and slightly laid-back, his voice became far more serious, and Sorel immediately knew that he hadn't done as good of a job as he'd previously thought. "One... minor problem. You told Cinderblock and Plasmus not to attack Sanza until he'd become Red X... that was good. However, on one occasion, the monster Plasmus attacked Sanza's sister Maddy. You know that if something happens to her, we lose Sanza as a potential apprentice... and you fail your mission."
"I... I had no idea that Plasmus would attack Maddy out of all of those other-"
"All you had to do was tell him to stay away from the girl, but instead, you jeopardized this mission by allowing her to nearly come into harm. I also understand that Sanza nearly attacked you for the very same reason," said Slade. "Sanza's family is not to be harmed unless he intentionally deviates wildly from the mission plan set down for him. We increase the threat to his family little by little, not all at once. I have authorized you to take any means necessary to ensure his obedience... but I cannot be responsible for what happens if you push him too far, do we have an understanding?"
Sorel was fully aware of what Slade meant. If something happened to Sanza's family that would cause him to attack Sorel, Slade wouldn't take action to protect him... not much of a threat, considering Sorel was pretty sure he could handle Sanza, even as Red X, by himself.
"Sir, the final mission will proceed as planned... without flaw," said Sorel, bowing to Slade yet again. "And once he's finished, I will turn him over to you."
"And then your job will be done," replied Slade. "Until then, I expect nothing but success... remember, until Sanza completes the final mission, he is your responsibility, and yours alone. Do not mess this up so close to the goal."
Even Slade could begin to taste it... Sanza... Red X... was about to become his third apprentice. And this time, Slade was going to do it right. No mistakes... no disobedience. Like with Terra, he had someone with no real sense of justice... someone who blurred the line between good and evil. And like with Robin, he had bargaining chips that he could use to control his apprentice until his obedience could be ensured without them.
The perfect apprentice... the third time would be a charm.
O-O-O
After lunch, Sanza retired to his room and stretched out on his bed, his body both tired from fatigue and tired at having to wake up early for Mass. He knew he'd be receiving his mission from Sorel sometime that day, so he decided to wait for it without making any other plans. Sanza had every reason to believe that Sorel's fifth mission would be his last... he'd taken something from all of the Titans except for Robin, and logically, would be given an assignment concerning the Boy Wonder.
He briefly thought about studying the Bible verses he'd have to learn, but he knew that if he started them early, he'd just forget them before Sunday anyway.
"I need to get all the rest I can before Sorel gives me the final mission... I'm most likely going to be fighting Robin again, and I'll need all the strength I can get."
The last mission, while not nearly as physically trying as stealing Raven's mirror, still took quite the emotional toll on Sanza. Both his sister and Cleo had been threatened, and in order to get the lock of Starfire's hair, he'd had to hurt her again... he still remembered her words before he'd escaped from the hall of mirrors.
She'd told him that she wanted to help him... him, Red X, who just seconds before had scared her nearly to death. After all that, she still wanted to help him... and she knew that someone was controlling his actions.
But she didn't know who... didn't know that it was Slade.
"If only I had some way to let them know... some way to tell them I'm being controlled without my family being put in even more danger..."
But that would mean getting the Titans' help... and Sanza didn't need the Titans' help... Red X didn't need the Titans' help. Sanza could protect his family on his own... if he got the Teen Titans' help, it would be just like the time when the Titans saved Maddy's life from Mumbo Jumbo. It would be another case of Sanza being too weak and having to have the Teen Titans come to the rescue... and he'd already promised himself that that would never happen again.
Sanza was tired... so tired that he nearly fell asleep... until he heard a loud knock at his window.
Sanza climbed out of bed and rubbed his eyes, expecting to see Sorel, or even his friend Rob, who occasionally would come up to Sanza's window to say 'hi'.
Instead, it was someone who Sanza hadn't seen since last night at the carnival... since he'd saved her life. It was Cleo, and though she obviously didn't know what Sanza had done, she still had a smile on her face, excited and somewhat relieved to see Sanza again. As soon as he opened the window, Cleo climbed inside and wrapped her arms tightly around Sanza's arms and chest.
"Sanza, last night was... was..."
"Was hell, I know," said Sanza, his voice strained by the force of Cleo's hug. As she pulled away, he continued to speak. "Those damn monsters showed up and ruined our whole night... I'm just glad you and Maddy and my mom are safe..."
"Red X told me about how you said that if he didn't save your sister, you'd kick his ass," said Cleo, giggling slightly. "You know that he saved my life too, right?"
Of course, Sanza knew... but the Sanza that Cleo knew, the Sanza who'd ran off long before Red X saved Cleo's life couldn't have possibly known. Quickly, Sanza shook his head.
"What happened?" asked Sanza, feigning ignorance as he and Cleo sat down on the side of his bed. Cleo, her voice getting more and more excited by the second, seemed completely overeager to tell Sanza her amazing story.
"He and the Titans were apparently fighting against this big monster... some stone statue or something, anyway, it knocks over one of the rides, and it would have fallen on me if Red X hadn't pushed me out of the way just in the nick of time! See, look, I've got this scab on my knee to prove it..."
Cleo lifted up her pant leg to show Sanza the scab from the wound she'd sustained when Red X pushed her to the ground.
"That must've hurt," said Sanza, fighting off the urge to tell Cleo the truth... that he was Red X, and that he was the one who'd saved her life.
"It did, but if it wasn't for Red X, I'd be dead..." said Cleo, her excited smile quickly turning into a frown. "If he hadn't pushed me out of the way when he did..."
"Cleo, I'm really sorry I ran off," said Sanza, reaching over and taking Cleo's hand. "I left you guys when you were still in danger, and-"
"You knew Red X would protect us... you trusted him, and he didn't let you down," said Cleo, gripping tightly on Sanza's hand. "I'm sure he protected us because of what you told him..."
"But I told him to protect Maddy," said Sanza, "he saved you probably because it was convenient..."
Of course, it wasn't convenient at all. Red X had nearly been killed himself saving Cleo, and it would've been much safer if he'd stayed to help the Titans in their fight with Cinderblock. Sanza rescued Cleo because he cared about her... at least as a friend.
"Anyway," continued Sanza, "Our date turned out to be a nightmare that nearly cost all of us our lives, and I'm-"
But before Sanza could say anything else, Cleo's lips pressed into his own, her hands pushing his chest until he was down on the bed. Sanza didn't fight Cleo as she continued to kiss him for nearly five seconds before finally letting up and sitting over him, waiting for him to catch his breath.
"We should go out again," said Cleo, "like next weekend sometime. Maybe we won't get attacked by bad guys, maybe we will... but at least I know I like you again."
"Even if I'm a pathetic coward?" gasped Sanza, still looking up at Cleo as he lay on top of his bed. She giggled, then leaned down and kissed him on the lips again.
"Next time, you can fight the big monsters, okay?"
Sanza nodded, and tried to sit up, glad that Cleo didn't think Sanza Salazar was a complete coward even though Red X had been the one to save her. As he tried to sit up, Cleo suddenly grabbed Sanza's wrists and held them down on the bed, above his head. Before he could say something to protest, her lips were back on his again, her tongue slowly slipping down into his mouth. Sanza leaned his head slightly up against Cleo's, his arms only slightly thrashing as Cleo continued to hold them above his head.
"She sure forgave me really quickly..." thought Sanza, gasping as Cleo pulled her lips away from his.
"You remind me of someone, Sanza Salazar..." Cleo whispered, though she still couldn't make the connection between Sanza and Red X.
"Who?" Sanza replied, Cleo still holding his arms down to the bed. "Who do I remind you-"
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a woman's voice at the other end. Almost immediately, Cleo leapt up from Sanza's bed and ran to the window, opening it up and blowing him a kiss.
"I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" said Cleo, taking one last look at Sanza before she ran down the fire escape. Sanza sat up on his bed just as his mother opened the door and walked inside.
"What was that noise, Sanza?" asked his mother, walking over to the window and looking outside. As she did, Sanza wiped a few beads of sweat from his face, positioning himself on the bed so that he was facing the window. By now, Cleo was already down the fire escape and on the sidewalk, just out of Sanza's mother's view. "I thought I heard someone in here..."
"Mom, I was practicing," said Sanza, pointing to a small punching bag that was hanging in the corner of the room.
"That didn't sound like no punching to me, Sanza..." replied his mother, her hands on her hips as she turned back to her son. "Are you hiding someone in here?"
As his mother started to peek under the bed, Sanza went into a brief panic mode, interposing himself between his mother and the secret that lay just out of her reach. "I really should keep that costume somewhere else..."
Sanza's mother started to nudge her son out of the way, but decided at the last moment that discretion was the better part of valor, and walked over to the door.
"Practicing for what, Sanza?" asked his mother, suddenly turning toward the punching bag. "You're not planning on getting in another fight, are you?"
"Maybe, maybe not," said Sanza, sitting back down on the side of his bed. "But it's either that bag or the wall, so you're not going to stop me from practicing by taking it away..."
Sanza's mother, quite familiar with sarcastic half-threats and remarks from her son, took a punch at the cylindrical foam bag herself, making a loud 'thump' as her small fist struck its padded surface. Then she turned back to him, a concerned look on her face.
"Sometimes I wonder why I even let you take those karate and boxing lessons when you were little," sighed Sanza's mother. "I thought that if you knew how to defend yourself, you wouldn't have to get into any fights like your father did... but I guess it's just gone and made you want to fight even more..."
"You know I wouldn't get into a fight unless I had a good reason."
"There's never a good reason to get into a fight, Sanza!" snapped his mother, walking toward Sanza so that her words became louder, and thus, clearer.
"What about the fight father had to save you?" asked Sanza, suddenly causing his mother to take a step back.
The story of how Sanza's mother and father met was very dramatic, and part of the reason she'd fallen so madly in love with him is that the early part of their relationship was filled with excitement. Twenty years ago, Sanza's mother had been kidnapped by a gang that at the time was one of Sanza's father's gang's fiercest rivals. In a raid on the headquarters of the gang, Sanza's father had rescued his future bride, and after that, the two were inseparable. Though it was the gang that had brought Sanza's father and mother together, the love of the two was the reason that Sanza's father had eventually tried to extricate himself from the gang lifestyle.
"That was... that was different," said Sanza's mother. "And even then, your father and his gang originally just came to burn the building down... it was by sheer coincidence that he found me in that room..."
"And he also found the four guys that were guarding you," replied Sanza. "He didn't have to fight them to save you, but he did, and-"
"That's way different, and you know it, Sanza!" shouted his mother, though Sanza knew that most of the fighting he was doing now was for the exact same reason... to protect a life. "Please, just understand... understand that I love you, and-"
"I promised you I wasn't going to fight... mom, just trust me, okay?"
Sanza's mother started to speak, then closed her mouth again. She'd told herself she was going to trust Sanza... and now she was going back on that. She knew that Sanza had probably been scared himself by the injuries he'd sustained in his last fight... as a wise woman of forty-four years, she knew that experience was the best teacher.
"Okay, Sanza... I trust you... and I love you, but please, remember what I said... there's never a good reason to get into a fight," said Sanza's mother, slowly walking over to the door and exiting the room, peeking in her head as she slowly closed the door behind her. "Love you..."
"Love you too, mom," Sanza replied, flopping back down on his bed as the door closed, waiting for Sorel's next call. "One day, I'm going to tell you why I have to fight like this..."
O-O-O
The roof of Titans Tower was a welcome retreat when one of the five superheroes felt as if things weren't going their way. Raven used it as a spot for meditation, while Robin had once leapt from its side in an attempt to rescue his friend Starfire from the Centari police. Now, Robin was back on the roof, looking out into the bright blue sky in a contemplative mood. He was contemplating exactly why Red X would be attacking the Titans in the way that he'd been doing so for the past few days. He'd taken the T-Chip, Raven's mirror, and a lock of Starfire's hair... and apparently, a feather from Beast Boy that the green hero had recalled feeling X remove from his body during the attack on the Xantha Building.
"Whatever he's got in mind, he's coming for me next... but what of mine could Red X possibly want to take away?"
Robin could think of many things... a piece of equipment from his utility belt, an item he'd captured from a defeated foe...
"When X comes for me, I'll be ready. I'll take him down once and for all."
Red X had hurt Starfire again... Robin could see the tears on her face as she stumbled out of the destroyed hall of mirrors. The thief had taken but a few strands of her hair, but with them, he took something else... Starfire's confidence, her happiness... something he'd done or said had hurt Starfire, and Robin was going to make him pay for it.
He didn't hear the door of the roof opening behind him, but when he felt the hand on his shoulder, he immediately knew from the softness of her touch exactly who it was.
"Starfire?" said Robin, turning his head to look up into her face. She was smiling, though Robin could tell that it was a smile that hid a deep feeling of worry... something was troubling Starfire, and Robin was going to find out what it was.
He couldn't have known that Starfire herself had come to the roof to find out what was troubling Robin... to comfort him like he'd comforted her on the roof so long ago.
She still remembered Robin's kindness during the time her sister Blackfire had visited the tower. It was Robin who ultimately convinced Starfire not to leave, and it was Robin who'd saved her from being replaced.
Robin had no fears about being replaced... his fear was much deeper... a fear that Red X would elude him, just as Slade and Trigon almost destroyed the Earth before Raven and the other Titans stopped them both.
Red X didn't threaten to destroy the Earth, but he was still a threat to the Titans, and Robin was determined to bring him down. He'd almost gone back to normal, almost stopped putting the capture of Red X before everything else... until the incident at the carnival. Now, Robin was as determined as ever.
"Robin, Red X did not hurt me yesterday... do you understand?" asked Starfire, sitting next to Robin and looking right into his eyes.
"He cut off a piece of your hair, Star... that requires at least a little bit of physical contact, right?" asked Robin. "I'm starting to think that you-"
"That I am siding with him?" said Starfire, her voice almost raised to the level of anger. "Now you listen to me, just because I do not wish for you to be constantly thinking about fighting Red X does not mean that I am not just as concerned as the rest of the team about finding him and bringing him to justice!"
O-O-O
Sorel's final call to Sanza came that afternoon, and a few minutes later, Red X walked into the main elevator room of the Tekita Refinery, prepared to receive his final mission.
"This, as you probably know by now, is the last mission I'll be sending you on," said Sorel, "before I turn you over to Slade to become his apprentice full-time."
"So get on with it," replied Red X. "What am I going to take from Robin?"
"It's like you've read my mind," said Sorel, "which almost makes me wish this was an entirely different type of mission. But you're right... you're going to be taking something from Robin."
O-O-O
It wasn't as if Robin wouldn't understand if Starfire had a bit of compassion for Red X. Out of all of the Titans, Starfire was by far the kindest... though a fierce fighter for sure, her heart still had a soft spot for even the most vicious of criminals... and even Robin had to admit that Red X was far from the most vicious of criminals.
"We all want to see Red X brought to justice," said Robin. "It's just that... just that... when I saw you come out of that hall of mirrors, you were crying, and I..."
Robin's expression grew soft, and he struggled to speak, because what he had to say next was probably uncharted territory in his relationship with Starfire. When he'd seen her cry, his own heart became weighted with sadness... though he had a deep emotional connection with all of the Titans, his connection with Starfire was the most profound of all of them.
"It is you yourself who once said that none of us should allow our emotions to control how we act," said Starfire, though she found herself raising her hand to stroke Robin's face, and had to pull it back down at the last second. "If all of this is just because you saw me cry, then-"
"Then I allowed my emotions to control my actions," replied Robin, which was exactly why he was reluctant to tell Starfire that he felt such a strong connection with her. "And if I'm going to handle this X situation rationally... if any of us are..."
"Then we will all have to calm down," said Starfire, "including myself."
O-O-O
"I have to take Robin's mask," said Red X, knowing in an instant that he'd probably just received his most difficult assignment. "No one's ever done that before."
"And you'll be the first," replied Sorel. "You don't have to kill him, you don't even have to know who he is, just take the mask and bring it back here. And I expect you to do this in good time. Unlike last night, I won't give you a specific deadline... but rest assured, I'll be watching your family, and-"
"And if you touch them, you won't be watching anyone ever again," said Red X, his voice rising in anger, "because if you do, I'll rip your eyes from their sockets."
"Touchy, touchy... what happened last night was a complete accident," said Sorel.
"And if it happens again... I'm going to have to accidentally kick your ass," replied Red X. "I should just take this guy out right now... then go find Slade and... and... and no... my family's too important to try anything... DAMMIT!"
"Need I remind you what might happen if you continue to talk to me that way?" asked Sorel. "Now go and get that mask, and I don't want to hear another word from you until you do."
O-O-O
Robin and Starfire stood up and briefly gazed out over the city, beautifully reflected in the light from the sun that was now just beginning to fall past the horizon.
"Thank you, Starfire... what you said to me was a big help," said Robin, calmed by Starfire's words. He couldn't let Red X spoil what he still knew about Starfire... that she was the strongest person he'd ever met, besides maybe Batman... even if she did happen to get herself into trouble every once in a while. She didn't need Robin protecting her... she and Robin protected each other. "Let's go enjoy the rest of the day."
Starfire turned to Robin, but instead of speaking to him, she gave him a light hug, her arms soft and gentle around Robin's back. Then, she and Robin began walking across the roof to the door leading back into the tower. As they got halfway to the door, Robin's T-Com rang. Both he and Starfire stopped as Robin took out the small communicator and opened it up.
The face at the other end belonged to Red X... who appeared to be standing in some sort of cathedral. Robin held his communicator close as he began to speak, not wanting Starfire to glimpse who he was talking to.
"What do you want, X?" whispered Robin, though he knew Starfire had heard him when she let out a quiet gasp.
"Just a heart-to-heart talk... one on one, you and me," said Red X. "That's all I want. Not a fight, just a talk."
"Where do I meet you?" Robin asked, his voice lined with the anger that he still felt for Red X.
"The Cathedral of St. Ignacius, at the corner of 26th and Lucas," said Red X. "You know where that is, right?"
Robin nodded.
"And come alone... I'd like this to be a private conversation. If I see any sign of your friends, I bolt."
Again, Robin nodded.
"I'll be there," said Robin, "but I can't guarantee that this isn't going to be a fight."
"I'll be ready then," Red X replied, "though I hope you can show some maturity by making this a cordial conversation, kid. I think there are some things you and I can learn from one another."
Robin closed the communicator, then turned toward the roof entrance. Standing in his path was Starfire, a worried look on her face.
"I heard everything that the Red X told you," said Starfire. "I need to come with you, Robin..."
"No way, Starfire..." said Robin, walking around her and opening the metallic door leading back into the tower. "He said that if he sees any of you, he'll leave. This might be the only chance I get to take Red X out..."
"Robin, what if it is a trap? What if-"
"It's a chance I'll have to take, Starfire," said Robin, running down the hallway. "And don't tell any of the others!"
O-O-O
As Red X was forced to confront his sins, so would Robin... the very same church where the thief, as Sanza, had taken Confessional just a few hours before, would now become a crucible for the test that the Boy Wonder would have to face.
And again, Red X played the waiting game, standing in the aisle of the empty cathedral until Robin arrived.
The sky had just gotten dark when Robin walked through the door and saw Red X standing at the back of the aisle, with several rows of pews flanking the aisle on either side. As Robin walked forward, Red X came up as well, until the two stood just a few feet away from one another.
"All right, Red X... I'm ready to talk," said Robin, his hand poised at the side of his utility belt. "The second X tries anything..."
But Red X truly didn't want to fight... he wanted to take Robin's mask and leave, and he hoped that Robin's desire to discover the thief's identity would outweigh the desire to keep his own identity a secret.
"Ever since you made this suit, you knew this day would come," said Red X, "the day where you'd finally have to face the decision you made. You created this suit, and now your greatest mistake is staring you right in the face."
"That day came a long time ago," replied Robin, his eyes narrowing. "It's been more than five months since I discovered that you took the Red X suit. I've been facing that mistake ever since."
"Robin, you've been running from that mistake," said Red X, now trying to intimidate Robin. "You've probably had nightmares about me, haven't you?"
Robin maintained his angry gaze, but inside, he began to tremble. Red X was right... he represented everything that was wrong about Robin's choice to make the suit... about Robin's choice to distrust his friends.
"You made this suit to counterract your friends' powers... I learned that almost as soon as I put it on," said Red X. "Electrical surge to open Cyborg's control panels and deactivate his systems. Transforming goo to hold Beast Boy in place and prevent his transformations. Ultra-adhesive tape to keep Raven from focusing her powers by using her magic words. Binding cable to keep Starfire's arms and legs immobile. Plus... a teleporting mechanism that I'm unfortunately no longer able to use because it would overload my new Xynothium reactor. You thought of everything, Robin..."
Robin clenched his fists as Red X spoke, waiting for the thief to make his point.
"Of course, once I took the suit, it became a lot harder for me than it ever was for you. Cyborg upgraded his systems to guard against electrical surge, Beast Boy practiced transforming until the makeup of his cells could handle being in heavier goo, Raven meditated until she could focus enough to use a lot of her powers without needing to speak, and Starfire just kept getting stronger and stronger... of course, once I upgraded my own tech, Star couldn't break out of my cables, but aside from that, you and the rest of your friends have outpaced me, Robin... so as you can see, I don't want to fight you."
"Then why are you here, X? Why did you call me?"
"I want to propose a trade," said Red X. "Ever since I took the suit, you've obviously wanted it back... now here's your chance, at least to get a piece of the suit. I want to trade your mask for mine, Robin. I don't want to know your name, I don't need to know your story... but I do want to be one of the few people who's seen behind that mask of yours, and I'm sure you'd like to see my face as well. What do you say, Robin? What do you say about letting me take a look behind the mask?"
"NEVER!" shouted Robin, his hand protectively raising to his mask. "Absolutely not... there's got to be some reason he wants my mask so badly that he'd show his face to get it... any trade he proposes would be better for him than it is for me..."
"C'mon, Robin," said Red X, obviously getting more and more impatient. "Don't you want to see who's been creating all this havoc the last few days? Don't you want to see the face of the person who's been causing so much trouble for your precious Starfire?"
"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH STARFIRE!" Robin yelled, suddenly extending his bo staff and pointing it at Red X, his face lined with rage. "Don't even say her name..."
"Robin, please," laughed Red X, un-intimidated by Robin's sudden display of anger, and gesturing to the large wooden cross on the wall behind the altar. "I don't want to hurt Starfire, you know that. If I did, Starfire would be hanging bound and gagged on that cross right now, and you and I both know that you'd trade your mask in a second to get her back. Don't lie to yourself, Robin... you know it's true."
Robin clenched his fists, nearly cracking the bo staff with the force of his grip.
"You care about her... you were going to kill me during that fight we had, Robin," said Red X.
"I never kill anyone," replied Robin, "no matter how much I despise them..."
"You looked like you were going to... that's why I had to cut Starfire free so I could make my escape," said Red X. "If I hadn't freed Starfire when I did-"
"She got free on her own!" shouted Robin, though Starfire had told him otherwise. "She's stronger and braver than you'll ever be... and a million times better of a person!"
"This isn't about Starfire, Robin," Red X said, his tone quickly changing back to serious. "If you're not going to trade your mask for mine, I'm just going to have to take it... one way or another, I'm leaving here with your mask."
Red X leapt into the air and swung his leg around at Robin's face. Robin lifted his bo staff to block the attack, then came down and swung the staff at Red X's feet as he landed. Red X quickly positioned his feet away from the staff, then lunged forward and slammed his fist into Robin's face, knocking him to the ground.
O-O-O
Just outside the Salazars' home, a small legion of Sladebots crept outside, waiting for their order from Sorel to strike. Maddy and her mother, inside on the second floor watching television, were completely unaware that their lives could be put in danger at any moment...
O-O-O
As Robin stood up, Red X leapt back, firing several Xs from his palms. As they slammed into Robin, they exploded, knocking the Boy Wonder to his knees. Red X quickly ran toward the back of the cathedral, leaping over a pew and sliding into a side door.
"If you want to catch me, hurry up!" shouted Red X, beckoning Robin to follow. Without a moment's hesitation, Robin hurried into the side door, pursuing Red X down a hall and past several Sunday school classrooms.
"You won't get away this time!" thought Robin, watching as Red X stopped just short of an arch in the hallway leading to another part of the church. As Robin continued forward, he was blasted by an X that transformed into a large battering ram, knocking him down on his back for a second time.
"This is a house of God, Robin... and here your sins will be purified," said Red X, walking over to Robin and firing an X that quickly became an X-shaped metallic bar that embedded itself into the ground, pinning down Robin's arms. "But first, you must show your face to God..."
"God already knows what I look like under my mask..." said Robin, his bo staff useless in his immobile hands, "but you never will!"
As Red X drew closer, Robin kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking the thief back but doing little to stop him from coming forward again to take his mask.
"I will have it, Robin... there is nothing you can do to stop me!" shouted Red X, bending down to remove the mask from Robin's face. With his arms pinned far from his utility belt, Robin would have to use his head to escape... literally.
He slammed his forehead into Red X's nose, a painful shot that forced a cry of pain from Red X's mouth. Then, Robin swung his legs under the thief's, knocking him to the ground. This gave Robin the precious time he needed to rip one arm loose from the grasp of the metallic X and pull a Bat-a-rang from his utility belt, which he quickly used to cut the rest of his body free.
Red X stumbled away before Robin could act again, through the arch and around a corner to yet another hallway. Again, Robin gave chase, bo staff ready to strike.
O-O-O
Though Sorel couldn't see the fight, the fact that Red X hadn't presented him with Robin's mask yet was beginning to make him impatient. It had been just a few hours, but Sorel had assumed that Red X would set about his task right away.
"A little bit of encouragement is in order," said Sorel, withdrawing a walkie talkie-like device from his pocket and using it to give orders to one of his Sladebots. "Perhaps an immediate threat on the family's life will do the trick..."
O-O-O
Inside the second floor of the apartment, Maddy and her mother were watching the latest episode of Extreme Celebrity Animal Makeover: Queer Edition, unaware that a group of Sladebots were making their way up the outside fire escape, ready to burst into the house.
"Mom, where's Sanza?" asked Maddy, looking around the living room for any sign of her big brother.
"Probably watching TV in my room," said her mother, knowing that the only other TV in the house was in her bedroom, and available for use whenever someone in the family didn't want to watch what the others were watching. "It's a commercial, you can go check on him if you-"
Suddenly, a loud crash came from the Salazars' kitchen. Immediately, Maddy's mother leapt from her chair and ran into the kitchen to investigate the source of the noise.
When she saw the three Sladebots standing in the door, she let out a loud, blood-curdling scream.
O-O-O
The hallway contained several confessional booths, and when Robin saw no sign of Red X in the hall, he knew that the thief must've jumped into one of the booths.
Robin leapt into the first booth on the left, on the confessor's side. He looked around for several seconds, then finally leaned his head up to the metal grate.
Suddenly, a metallic X was wrapped around his neck from behind, forcing his head back against the now open grate, as Red X sat in the seat normally reserved for an ordained priest. The X held against Robin's neck caused him to gasp and choke, but he was helpless on his side of the booth, as a thick, wooden wall separated him from his foe.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," said Red X, pulling the metallic X against Robin's neck and choking him even tighter, "so confess your sin and be purified in this holy chamber!"
Robin's hands frantically went up to his neck as he desperately tried to free himself from Red X's choking grasp.
"If I can choke him long enough to make him pass out, I can take the mask with no problems," thought Red X, his grip tight on the two corners of the X that he held. Robin, on the other hand, was trying to pull forward, to counteract X's motion of pulling back. Fading between consciousness and unconsciousness, Robin could feel his strength starting to leave him, and he realized that just seconds stood between him and failure.
"Can't let this guy get the jump on me!" thought Robin, angry with himself for being lured into such a desperate situation. He reached down to his utility belt and pulled out a Bat-a-rang, knowing that it might be his only hope to save himself. "The only... sinner... in this booth... is you!"
With a skilled motion of his wrist, Robin threw the Bat-a-rang through the gap between his head and the side of the open grate. The sharp, metallic object flew backward until it slashed across Red X's arm, loosening his grip on the X and enabling Robin to jerk away. Once free, Robin took several deep, long breaths, while Red X lunged at Robin through the grate. Robin quickly spun around and punched Red X in the face, knocking him into the hard, wooden wall of the confessional booth.
"You didn't win..." groaned Red X, weakly sitting up against the side of the wall and pointing at the back of Robin's side of the booth. "Look..."
Robin turned around, and to his horror, saw a blinking Red X on the side of the chamber. As Red X rolled out, the entire booth exploded, with Robin trapped inside. X smiled and ran off, back down the hall and toward the sanctuary, leaving Robin in a pile of wooden rubble.
O-O-O
Sanza's mother picked up a frying pan and slammed it into the Sladebot's face, with little effect. It roughly shoved her backward, into the living room and with a now-horrified Maddy.
"Against the wall," shouted the lead Sladebot, pulling out a blaster and pointing it at Maddy and her mother. "NOW!"
Maddy screamed in terror as her mother pulled her back toward the wall and held her close against her body.
"Mommy, I'm scared..." cried Maddy, starting to sob into her mother's chest. "Who are these people?"
"I have no idea..." whispered the trembling woman, suddenly worried that her son might also be in danger. "Sanza... please don't come out and let them see you... don't let them hurt you..."
O-O-O
Robin threw pieces of wood from the destroyed confessional off of his body, crawling out of the pile of rubble and growling in rage.
"Where are you, X?" shouted Robin, opening up all the doors of the other confessionals and looking inside. "I'll find you... I'll find you!"
"Salvation lies within!" shouted Red X from the sanctuary, which Robin was barely able to hear. Robin ran toward the source of the voice, dashing back into the sanctuary through the door he came and seeing Red X up on the altar. With a single leap, he jumped onto the other side of the large altar and began walking toward Red X, who slunk back with every step that Robin took.
"What's the matter?" asked Robin, his fists clenched. "Afraid to face your own sins? I admit I made a mistake when I created Red X... but you made a far bigger mistake when you brought him back!"
"Is that so?" asked Red X, stopping at the side of the altar and pointing his finger in Robin's face. "Then why was it so hard for you to answer my questions? Why were you so angry every time I mentioned Starfire? Why-"
Suddenly, the phone concealed in Sanza's pocket under the Red X suit began to ring. Barely hearing the ring tone, Red X reached under the suit and pulled out the phone.
"Who called you?" shouted Robin, genuinely interested in any caller that might give him a clue as to what Red X's identity was. "Tell me!"
But Red X simply turned on the phone and began listening to the voice on the other end. It was Sorel's.
"Where's my mask?" said Sorel, his voice clearly impatient.
"I'm busy getting it right now, so-"
"Get it faster, or else!" shouted Sorel, and suddenly, a picture appeared on the phone. Or rather, a live video feed of Sanza's mother and sister, trembling at the feet of the Sladebots now invading their home. Red X let out a loud gasp.
"You... you..."
"Get my mask now or they're done for!" shouted Sorel, before the conversation abruptly ended.
"Who's calling? What did they say?" asked Robin. "Answer me or else!"
Red X casually put up the phone, trying to keep a calm exterior, though on the inside he was boiling with rage. Sorel had done the one thing that X had clearly told him not to do... and that was to attack his family. Now, Red X's anger was no longer focused on Robin... but on Sorel.
But if he could get the mask quickly, he might save his family from harm... and Robin, who'd grown impatient with Red X ignoring him, gave him the perfect opportunity to attack. He left forward, his bo staff aimed directly at Red X's face. Fueled by anger and adrenaline, Red X ducked under the bow staff attack, then punched Robin in the mouth with a powerful left hook that sent the Boy Wonder reeling. Before Robin could counter, Red X charged forward and kicked Robin in the stomach, bringing the Boy Wonder to his knees. A final kick to the face splayed Robin on the ground, gasping in pain.
"I told you I'd get that mask, one way or another," said Red X, bending over Robin and reaching down to his face. "And now, it's mine. Consider yourself beat."
Suddenly, the stained-glass window above the altar shattered. As Red X looked up to see who'd shattered the window, several Starbolts came flying toward him, which he barely managed to leap away from. Starfire, her eyes and hands aglow with energy, rapidly flew down toward Red X, ready to bombard him with another Starbolt barrage.
"I don't think so," said Red X, firing an exploding X that hit Starfire right in the chest, knocking her to the ground next to Robin.
"Starfire..." moaned Robin, rolling over to see if Starfire was okay, "I told you... not to come..."
She turned back to him, a smile on her face as she weakly tried to stand.
"I had to come here, Robin... we are a team, remember?"
"This is real sweet, kids," said Red X, walking up to Robin and Starfire on the altar, "but I've got a mission to complete, so-"
"Azarath, metreon, ZINTHOS!"
Every pew in the cathedral lifted up from the ground and flew toward Red X, exploding in front of his body in a shower of wood and chunks of metal. As he shielded his face and chest with his arms to protect himself from the debris, he could see Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg running down the aisle to fight him.
"Not them too..." thought Red X, knowing that the presence of all five Titans would make it impossible for him to steal Robin's mask. He remembered his family at home... his mother and sister, about to be vaporized by the Sladebots Sorel had deployed to attack them.
Sorel attacked them... Red X couldn't fight the Titans anymore... he was going to keep his promise to Sorel.
"If he ever attacked them again... I told him I'd rip him to pieces... and that's what I'm going to do..." thought Red X, leaping out one of the windows of the church just as Raven and the others made it to the altar.
"Are you guys okay?" asked Beast Boy, reaching out and helping Starfire up from the ground, while Cyborg tended to Robin. "And are we going to follow him, or-"
"Actually..." said Robin, a smile appearing on his face, "we're going to let him go... and we're going to let him keep running until he gets where he's supposed to be."
"But Robin," said Starfire, baffled that Robin would let Red X so easily escape, "why-"
"Because I finally managed to put a tracking device on him, that's why," said Robin, who'd tossed the tracking device onto X's cape just as he was jumping out the window. "Someone is giving Red X orders... and X is going to help us find him."
O-O-O
Inside the Salazars' living room, Maddy and her mother sat frozen on the floor as the Sladebots' guns were pointed right at their heads. Occasionally, Maddy's mother would reach up to wipe tears from her daughter's face, but other than that, neither of them could do anything but tremble and pray that their lives wouldn't be suddenly cut short.
"You bastards can do whatever you want to me... but please, just let my daughter go..."
"Shut up!" shouted the head Sladebot, pressing his gun right into the woman's face. "We're just following-"
Suddenly, the robots seemed to stop, as if some unknown force had deactivated them from afar. Without a word, the Sladebots turned and exited the house the way that they came, leaving the door open behind them. For several seconds, Maddy and her mother sat wide-eyed on the floor, wondering if their horrible ordeal was truly over. Finally, Maddy managed to work up the courage to speak.
"They... they're gone, mommy..." Maddy whispered, her knees trembling as she stood up. Her mother stood up as well, wrapping her arms around Maddy and breaking out into tears.
"Thank God..." Maddy's mother exclaimed, her sobs and Maddy's filling the small room. "But... why did those horrible things come at all?"
O-O-O
The threat of harm had been enough, decided Sorel, who decided to call back his Sladebots after sending out his message to Sanza.
Sorel had hoped that the message had been loud and clear... that he could have Sanza's family killed at any time, without a second thought.
"The mask will be delivered any time now," thought Sorel with a smile.
O-O-O
But Red X didn't have the mask in hand... only a new mission. He was racing down darkened streets, toward Tekita Refinery as fast as his legs could carry him. Within minutes, he would arrive, and Sorel would pay...
"Nobody attacks my familia and gets away with it... nobody."
O-O-O
Sorel might've pushed his luck too far this time... and now a battle with Red X is imminent. Meanwhile, the Titans now have their biggest lead yet... and they too will be heading for the refinery, though they don't yet know it. How will Slade play into all of this? And will the Titans finally learn that he's the one who's been behind Red X's new agenda? Find out in the next huge chapter! Oh, one more thing. I'm a Protestant who really has no idea how the rite of Confession really works... did some research to get as close as I can to the real thing, but I'm probably still wrong, so don't yell at me, k?