Chapter 14: Freedom

Three weeks later -Gotham City -Arkham Asylum

"I am not sure if this is the best idea, he has only just gotten over the last visit, but he specifically asked for you to come see him"

"Interesting", the man walking beside her murmured.

"You can go in now, are you sure you don't want a guard to go with…"

"No, I am fine"

The nurse let Nightwing in Robin's room and closed the door behind him.

"You came" Robin was doing push ups and didn't bother to even look at the newcomer.

"I got your message"

"Good"

"What is it you want?"

"You dead would be a great start"

Nightwing walked to where Robin continued to do his push ups and placed a foot on the boy wonder's back, pushing down. Robin's elbows collapsed for a moment before he pushed himself back up, against the pressure on his back. This continued for several minutes both locked in a battle of the wills. Sweat formed on Robin's brow.

"You know Starfire is a great girl"

"Stay away from her!"

"I took her out a dinner, Red Robin's, great little restaurant. And that isn't the only thing I took…"

Robin jumped up and grabbing Nightwing by the collar slammed him into the wall.

"What did you take from her?"

"What do you think? Girl likes boy, boy uses girl, you do the math bird brain" Nightwing could see he had gotten to Robin, "What, did you think you would be her first?" he tossed back his head and let out a bark of laughter.

"Get out." Robin's voice was a low venomous hiss.

"Yeah and Raven was…."

"GET OUT!" He flung Nightwing from himself.

"What you don't want to hear about how I have taken over your life or how…."

"I told you to get out!"

"You mean to tell me, that the Robin who loves to be the detective doesn't want to know how a mere villain stole his life away…. Or have you figured it out already?"

"Yeah, I figured it out, You drugged me?"

"Yes, that part is obvious"

"What did you use?"

"How I would love to tell you, but I don't know for myself, a gentleman approached me with a deal and I took it."

"Who was this guy?" Robin had been dreading something like this would happen, it was a tell tale sign, "Was it a man named Slade?"

Nightwing paused and looked at him for a moment, "No, his name was Deathstroke"

"Never heard of him"

"Neither had I, he is new in town from looks of it. And he is good, very good. Deathstroke gave the drug to me for free on the promise that I used it on you and only you."

"Why would he do that?"

"Why don't you go find him and ask?"

"Why did you become a criminal?"

"What? Where did that…?"

"Why?"

Nightwing got to his feet. "Maybe some other day, little bird, maybe" he left Robin alone to think.

Jump City Midnight First City Bank, roof top

"Don't do this, if they catch you, the cover is blown, but they won't catch me, but if they do…." Red X perched on the windswept roof top. The heavy breeze blew his cape out behind him.

"You're really going to do this?" A voice from the shadows behind him spoke. Red X spun around.

"How did you get out of…?"

"Easy, all the criminal seem to do it, so I figured why not me? They really need to up the security"

"You're like me now"

"Yeah, but it is just for a while, I need enough time to clear my name and find out who this 'Deathstroke' is, then I am turning myself in."

"Why are you after Deathstroke? Can't my team take care of him?"

Robin gave him a sharp look when he said, 'my team', Red X chose to ignore it.

"Because I think he might have something to do with Slade…."

"What is with you and Slade? I have been in your room, trust me you have no need for wall paper."

Robin didn't answer, he looked over the edge of the roof, down at the pavement. Then slowly he turned around and walked away from Red X. As he reached the other side of the building and prepared to jump off it he turn back to Red X and said, "He tried to kill my friends, no one tries to hurt my friends." and jumped, the grappling hook catching his fall.

Red X turn and he too jumped of the building onto the pavement below.

Next Day

'RED X STRIKES AGAIN!' the bold letters emblazoned the front of the morning newspaper and in smaller type under it read, 'Where were the Teen Titan's?'

"At half past midnight, the assailant known as the Red X struck 'The First City Bank' again. The Teen Titan's arrived on the scene hours after they were notified by police, no comment was made…." Raven flung the paper down, "Where were you last night?" she shot at Nightwing, "We could have taken Red X down but instead we where out searching for you!"

"Sorry" he mumbled

"Sorry isn't enough. And while you where out doing, whatever you were doing"

"I was patrolling"

"You couldn't catch Red X while you where out! Robin would have never…" she cut off, Starfire who had been sitting on the couch staring into nothingness, now had tears welling up in her eyes. She got up quickly and left the room without a word,

'She is going to cry, again' Raven though, 'It was stupid of me to mention Robin'. Raven then turned back to Nightwing as if nothing had interrupted her.

"What are we going to do to find Red X?"

"Well, he will strike again under the cover of darkness, I think I might know where he might be" Nightwing smiled to himself.

Reviews:

Jeanniestorm: Mwhaha, Robin torture! I am so mean. My poor Robie…I don't know, can Raven do one of those crazy vulcan mind meld thingys? Well she can't in this story…..because I am the boss! And they are my puppets! Dance my puppets, dance! Ok so I am a bit on the weird side but I never claimed to be normal!

GDeacur: Yeah the first few chapters have so many spelling baddies. But I am working really hard at not doing that anymore and I have Shadow to yell at me if I slip up.

TheOneBlueGecko: In a later chapter there will be a slight nod to you…that is all I am saying.

Shadow0015: What do you mean you don't wear pants! Then what do you wear? A skirt? Dress?

A/N: I won't update until Saturday at the earliest. I am going to a highland dance compition this weekend.