Sorry I haven't updated in like, ever. Camp was amazing! Happy reading!
Red X needed to talk to Starfire again.
He couldn't exactly say when his obsession with her began, but he couldn't stop thinking about her—the way her long red hair swirled messily around when she flew, her incredible strength, her uncertain grasp of the English language.
He would have to find a way to see her soon. But how?
Starfire was dragging Raven around the mall, darting from store to store. Being towed around like a doll didn't sit too well with Raven, so when Starfire paused in front of Limited Too, she planted her feet and created a barrier to prevent Starfire from entering.
"You are not going in there."
"Why ever not, friend Raven?" Starfire's eyes were huge, taking in the bright colors, glittery graphics, and hordes of prepubescent girls around her.
Raven sighed. "How about we go to a shop I like for now? Then we can go slowly to other places."
Without waiting for her alien friend to answer, she turned around and walked out of the store.
Raven regretted not owning any normal clothes to wear when she was out in the normal world. The female Titans were getting many stares and adoring glances, probably more from the way they dressed than from crime-fighting fame. Hormonal teenage boys. I suppose this is what shopping is for anyways. I'll make sure to buy something nice and covered up.
The girls arrived at Raven's destination. Raven eased up somewhat in one of the only places she could identify with at the mall. Starfire actually squealed.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, they were at Border's.
However, before either of them could attack the books and music before them, their communicators rang.
Doo doo doo di doo doo doo doo doo.
They saw Robin's face on the small screen.
"Starfire, Raven! Red X is going to be at--"
BOOM!
Dust filled the once quiet bookstore.
"I think we know where he is. Get the rest of the team here fast," Raven told Robin. Starfire had already flown towards the massive hole in the roof that Red X had created.
Speeding along the highway on his R-Cycle, Robin was extremely confused. An explosion in the middle of a crowded mall was definitely not Red X's style. The thief was all about stealth, not show. And at Borders? What could possibly be there that Red X's wanted?
Robin was already at the parking lot of the mall, closely followed by Cyborg and Beast Boy in the T-Car. I might as well make an entrance while I'm at it, Robin thought with a hint of a grin.
Revving up his shiny bike, Robin drove right through the door and into the large Borders.
He was met by chaos. People were screaming and trying to find their friends and children. Robin signaled to Beast Boy, who had entered with Cyborg in a more conservative fashion, to take over crowd control.
The shapeshifter put on his most winning smile and started ushering people out of the cracked glass doors.
Robin and Cyborg set off at a run for the Gardening section, directly under the gaping hole in the ceiling.
Starfire, armed with two glowing starbolts, flew upward with growing trepidation. She did not want to be near Red X with all the other Titans present. Their friendship—could it be called friendship?—was something she wanted to keep to herself for now. She also did not want to harm him unnecessarily.
She also thought it odd that he had attacked a Border's. Had he gone from sealing dangerous chemicals to stealing books? Or did he want the new Harry Potter book that badly? The thought made her smile slightly. Definitely one of the Earthling obsessions she would never understand.
Starfire scanned her surroundings. Above the bookstore was the lobby of a movie theatre that seemed completely deserted.
"How did Red X manage to blast his way into the Border's in a place filled with people? I can assume that there were indeed people here at that time, so how?" she mused out loud.
Deciding to search the entire theatre, Starfire didn't notice the shadow that followed her.
Robin was getting increasingly frustrated. He had expected Red X to be somewhere on the first floor, but he was nowhere to be found. Beast Boy couldn't catch his scent anywhere, and Cyborg was getting slightly distracted by all the CDs to his left. He saw Raven heading toward the hole.
"Come on, we're going upstairs," Robin barked irritably at his right hand man, who was currently drooling over the new Kanye West CD.
"Aight man, let's go." Cyborg checked the price quickly, then hitched a ride on Beast Boy's pterodactyl back to the upper story.
Starfire had finished checking every single room. This is very odd, where could Red X be? She heard a noise behind her. Oh, Raven must be here!
Turning around, she found herself face to face with Red X.
"Hey." He greeted simply, standing comfortably in the middle of the hallway.
"Red X, why are you here? What are you after?" Starfire still didn't let the starbolts dissipate.
"Would you believe me if I said I needed The Half-Blood Prince?"
He had voiced her previous thoughts. Her hands lowered. "Why are you really here?"
Red X looked her right in the eye. "I wanted to talk to you again."
"You caused all this to speak to me? No! Promise me you will not do this again and leave before my friends come here." Starfire's eyes started glowing.
"I just want to talk to you, Princess. And anyways, I can handle them," Red X scoffed.
Starfire took a battle stance and narrowed her eyes. "But can you handle me?"
Red X lost his confident air. "Come on, you don't really want to attack me, do you?"
"I don't want to, but I will unless you leave right now. There are forms of communication other than destroying property and ruining the day of innocent people. Please go."
Damn, that girl had spunk. "All right, I'm gone." With that, Red X casually saluted the Tameranian and disappeared.
Starfire stared at the spot he had been in, more tired than she had been in a long time. That was how her friends found her, shoulders slumped and eyes focused on something nobody else could see.
A/N: AAAH that chapter was not so good. I'm sorry guys! So sorry! I'm just feeling extremely uninspired and I felt like I needed to update. Don't worry, the next one will (hopefully) be a lot better.
On a different note, I can't believe I missed the season finale. My TiVo wasn't working either so I'll have to wait for reruns when I get back from China. Waah.
I love everybody who reviewed. Thank you so much!
Sarah