Bright flashes of color threw themselves from a lone window in Titans Tower, becoming a stark contrast against the sleeping city's dead homes. Within the confines of the lit room sat Beast Boy and Cyborg; their minds were seemingly lost to the constant images of their enemy's previous attack. The moment the tape finished, it replayed and paused every now and then on displays of Slade's strange symbol.
"Man, we've been looking at the same thing for over three hours!" Cyborg shouted. "Give it a rest. Are you sure that thing on her was even a symbol?"
The changeling glared at his companion. "What else could it have been, Cy? It's not every day someone's forehead glows red!"
Sighing, the robot raised himself from this comfortable seat on the coach. Pausing a few moments before speaking, his human eye looked deeply into the green orbs below him. "All I'm sayin' is maybe you were just seein' things. Raven's got that gem on her forehead, ya know. What if all you saw was the sun hitting it? That would make it glow, wouldn't it?"
At first, his green lips parted to retaliate; yet his mind disobeyed. Words did not flow, only thoughts. Though the older teen's observation seemed too simple, the boy couldn't help but feel foolish for having rushed into accusing Raven of holding out on them. What if Cyborg was right? What if his mind had just jumped to conclusions after having been filled with worry when the girl's anger began to rise? Raven had a talent for scaring the life out of him when rage began to take over and the more he thought of it, the more probable Cyborg's suggestion seemed.
"Maybe you're right, Cyborg," he whispered in defeat. "Let's call it quits tonight. We'll just ask her in the morning or something."
In silent agreement, Cyborg turned of the remote and followed his friend to the door and into the hall. They walked without speaking as the darkness around them became even greater than before. Beast Boy's mind was lost in though as Cyborg's became trapped in concern for the little green elf. Once they arrived at his room, Cyborg bid his partner good night before disappearing into the safety of his walls.
Beast Boy sighed as his feet carried him along toward his own dwelling. The air was filled with a sudden chill, revealing to the boy where he was: Raven's hall. He paused before her door for a brief moment before letting another sigh escape his tired lips. A tightness formed inside his chest and a sudden flash of worry blanketed his body as his eyes continued to stare at the bold letters of her name engraved in the cool metallic surface of the door. Shrugging the wave of emotion off, the young boy continued onward down the empty halls where sleep awaited him.
Time passed swiftly and still the sun had not risen, though the hours of morning were on the verge of awakening. All was quiet as clocks ticked away the time wasted by sleep. As the stars fought against creeping light, a few souls stirred about opposite ends of the city.
Raven sat with her eyes fixed on the dagger she let rest in her right palm. The intricate carving that shaped the red-eyed bird gave the hilt a seemingly elegant look, despite its dark features. The blade glimmered in the pale touch of light, appearing as an unused knife, its metal point untouched by blood and unhindered by scuff markings. Though she could've sword she had never laid eyes on the blade before, a part of her mind screamed out in a memory she could not place.
Her lips parted, but before she could manage to speak any words, the moon lowered and cast its light through the small window above her dresser. The empath was drenched in fading light, but it was enough to set her skin aflame. Slowly, red markings were cast upon her skin, their glow penetrating the leotard she had worn to cover them.
"Symbols of my demon blood," she spoke softly as images of Trigon drifted in her blue eyes.
Suddenly all was clear. Her orbs widened for a short moment before they shot to the dagger before her. It seemed inconceivable, and yet, it was her only option. The truth of the words she had just uttered was undeniable and she intended to bring her metaphor to life.
Cold, slender fingers grasped the raven-head and brought the blade to the shinning mark etched on her left forearm. Taking a deep breath, the girl plunged the dagger forward, blood spilling over her grey skin as she began to trace the soul staining lines of her birth.
Abandoned roads passed by as a lone motorcycle sped along, its riders weary for sleep yet filled with determination to move forward. Though the clock began to tick away the minutes of five o'clock, the sun refused to rise from its slumber, allowing the moon longer moments of glory with the stars as its meaningful onlookers. Not bothered by the lack of light, the two Titans continued to ride in silence.
A smile lay hidden beneath the boy's helmet and yet, it was still there, gracing Robin's lips. The teen was delighted when he had remembered a shortcut that would save them several hours as they sped along seemingly unknown roads that lay shadowed from the hustle of traffic. He decided to take the road that had first led him to Jump City so many years before. Though infested with soured memories, the path would get them further to where they planned to find traces of Slade's new plot.
"Are we nearing our destination, Robin? The buildings we have passed appear much taller than I am used to," Starfire's innocent voice called.
"Yes," he answered simply. "It shouldn't be long now. You'll see Gotham's bill board soon enough."
The alien's eyes lit up at the sound of his enjoyable voice. Though he had been cold to her the night before, she could not say she had been completely nice herself. Her final comment to him about Raven had earned her a pained look from his eyes as he pushed passed her and took to the comfort of his bed. Though she knew bringing up the subject of the dark teen was unwise, her curiosity had gotten the better of her, a fault she jokingly blamed on the hours spent with Beast Boy. Yet now, the ice had faded from his lips and the kindness she knew him for had returned.
"You are not angry with me, then?" she asked with a hopeful tone.
Robin paused a moment, contemplating her question before answering. "No. I was being a jerk; you had a right to be harsh with me. I've just been a bit stressed lately, but once we get some leads in Gotham, things should work out."
Just as he spoke the name of his forgotten city, the board he had mentioned early come into view. It was only a matter of time before their journey would be over and, if things fell into place as planned, they would arrive at their goal in the hours of late afternoon. Time was of the essence and as things seemed to be progressing, luck was on their side.
A mat of fog rolled before them and in seconds, the pair was consumed in grey mist. A chilled wind picked up and as things began to clear a bit, Starfire's mouth dropped open at the sight of such enormous black buildings. Her head turned from side to side as she viewed each with stunning interest, her mind making a comparison with this dark world and the familiar shadow realm of Raven.
Grey continued to block part of their view, yet they did not stop, fully dependent on Robin's memory to guide them. The alien girl did not pay much attention to where they were going so much as what it was they were leaving. As her eyes wandered, she caught sight of shape drawing near. The figure seemed to be falling, perhaps a bird swooping down to the street, but a flash a red and the image of a white skull proved her wrong.
"Robin!" she panicked, but all was in vain.
The attacker threw down his charcoal foot, slamming it into the side of Robin's head as the villain darted through the air. The Titan was thrown from the R-Cycle in a painful collision with asphalt that tore at his flesh as he fell across it. Starfire was too slow to grab the controls of the bike, forcing her to jump from her seat before it turned over on top of her.
The bike screeched as it fell to its side, metal scrapping against the ground. Sparks flew across the street and in an instant, the vehicle ignited in a stunning display of raging fireworks. Starfire's green eyes widened as she peered down at the fire from her place in the sky, shaken by the fact that she would have been a part of the display had she not escaped in time.
Before much fear could grow in either fighter's mind, the soft tapping of footsteps resonated all around. Out from the shadow of the smoke came a man neither had hoped to encounter. Red X stood in the portrait of the blaze, his red cape whipping through the wind as a hidden smirk formed beneath the mask of death he wore.
Robin struggled to his feet, the pain within his body becoming unmanageable. Using his bo staff for support, the Titan leader huffed strongly and gazed at his unwelcome opponent. The two fighters stood there in silence. It was as if they were playing with each other, trying to mock the other and convince them to strike first while taking no notice of the girl floating above them.
Red X broke the strange silence with a triumphant call. "Miss me, short stop? Let's say we finish our little battle."
As the words rang from his lips, the black suited boy charged forward, an X Razor clasped in his right hand. Robin pushed himself forward in response and met the red weapon with a clash of metal. A makeshift sword fight erupted between the two, each parrying the others attacks and counters.
Equally matched, all seemed to be heading toward a stalemate. Noticing the pointless direction of their battle, X flipped backward, unleashing a sea of red goo at the young teen. Caught in an attempt to fend off the slop with a constant twirl of his staff, Robin lost track of his opponent. Seizing the opportunity, Red X lowered himself with a spin kick that brought Robin to the ground.
Starfire gasped as she saw the boy's head collide harshly with the street. Fearing for his life, she pushed herself forward with glowing palms of green fire. Red X turned at the sound of her battle cry, his eyes wide with shock as a speeding starbolt smacked into his chest. Thrown through the window of a nearby building, Red X's state of absence gave the alien plenty of time to help Robin to his feet. The two Titans smiled at one another for a brief moment before turning to face their enemy, fully intending to bring him down together.
"Starfire," the leader's voice whispered in a low tone. "Take to the air and get behind him. I'm gonna rush him, but I need you to keep him distracted for as long as possible."
The girl nodded, flying toward their recovering opponent. Her eyes flashed a dangerous shade of green as the anger within her body began to boil her blood. Red X stood to meet her and rather than obeying orders, Starfire's anger took over and she went in for a direct hit. Grey gloves clasped around metal arm guards in an attempt to halt the alien's assault, but all did not go as planned. The green flames from Starfire's hands caused a serge of heat to flow along the nearby metal, tearing at the cloth that gripped them and burning the flesh of X's unmasked fingers.
"Shit!" the dark fighter cursed as the sting of his hands threw him from his balance, forcing him to the ground in a pile of anguish.
In an attempt to finish the battle quickly, Starfire raised her hands above her head, concentrating deeply in order to form an enormous flame of power. As she stood there, Robin froze, no longer focused on his own attack as his fascination with the girl's unique abilities took over.
A loud cry sounded from her mouth as she began to thrust the energy downward. Unwilling to be finished off so quickly, the shadow reached for the back of his glove, drawing out an X-blade, which soon found itself hurtling toward the unsuspecting attacker. Blood mixed with a scream as the flame flickered out and the girl's body fell into a dead pile, staining the darkness red.
"Starfire!"
Raising himself from the ground, Red X charged at the heart shaken warrior, meaning to give him no chance to help his fallen companion. Razors clashed with a pole of metal once more, but as the sparks flew, the black fighter began to notice a change in Robin's attack. Anger resonated from the young boy's masked eyes, adding fuel to the strength of his fiery onslaught. Blinded by rage, the Titan battled with every once of power he had.
"Y-you've gotten much better, Robin," the dark boy hissed when their weapons halted against one another. "But is that only because your friend has been killed?"
"She's not dead!" Lost in his own fury, Robin threw his bo staff skyward and thrust it down quicker than his enemy's eyes could catch. All that was seen of the attack was the shards of red metal that flew into the air, remnants of what had been Red X's only defense against the raging teen.
Before he could recover, the shadow felt the pole collide with the side of his face, followed by a blow to his stomach and then to his back. Robin let the air escape his lungs in short spasms as he lifted his fallen target and began to unleash a line of punches where he saw fit, hoping only to bring the boy enough pain to pay for what he had done.
Blow after blow brought a sense of darkness to Red X's eyes as his vision was thrashed about. If this onslaught continued much further, he knew he would eventually black out and the fight would be lost. Searching for an escape, the victim noticed how lose and flimsy the punches he received were and thus saw a way by exploiting the boy's carelessness.
"Y-your a-anger…makes you…w-weak," X stuttered, but managed to say as his hand lunged for the hero's golden belt, pulling from it a small disk which he instantly threw at the boy before disappearing.
Recognizing his own weapon, Robin attempted to shield himself, but his efforts were in vain. Light erupted before his eyes, tearing from him a soul-shattering scream as the heat washed over his face. His knees gave out from under him, causing the gallant warrior to fall into a helpless heap of rubble.
Reappearing atop a nearby building, Red X felt a vibration in the pocked of his suit. His gloved had delved deep to search for the awakened object only to pull out his small communicator, Slade's face having painted it a color of disdain.
"Red X! Your job was to lead them, not kill them!"
The arrogant boy huffed a laugh. "Relax, old man, I was simply giving them a little motivation. See for yourself!"
As he let the words fall from his mouth, the shadow directed the screen of the small device toward the fallen Titans who had already begun to rise from their own ashes. Slade's eye glimmered with a touch of sadistic humor as he watched Robin tear the cinder covered mask from his eyes. His ice blue orbs were lit with a deadly fire as rage took control once more.
Hearing the soft groan of Starfire struggling to her feet, the boy raised his hand, beckoning her to take him toward their evading enemy. Obeying his command, the Tamaranian threw herself into the air against the will of her aching side and clasped his hand in hers, lifting him from the asphalt.
Red X could only smile as he pitied them, their final attempt to take him down becoming a seemingly impossible glimmer of hope. He thrust the communicator into his pocket and let the wind carry his body from building to building as he attempted to outrun his beaten opponents.
The chase continued as the light of day threatened to break the night. Each moment that passed weighed heavily on Starfire, whose open wound still hindered her ability to remain steady in the air. With such a wobbly flight, Robin clenched his teeth in deep anger, withholding the urge to yell at the girl for making it impossible for him to throw any sort of weapon at their escaping target.
The villain chuckled once more as a familiar wall came into view. If the chase lasted only a few more seconds, he would surely succeed in bringing them where Slade had intended. Caught in the lure of such victory, he failed to notice the deepening failure of the alien's energy. All too soon, she plummeted from the sky, dragging Robin down with her, as she lost her mind to unconsciousness.
In a feeble attempt to save them both, the dark Titan pulled out his hook shot and fired, praying silently that luck would be on his side. The clasp tore through the red and black fabric of Red X's tattered cape, throwing him against the wall of his destination. Before he could recover from the blow to his body, his cape gave way to the slow ripping and tore apart from the hook, bringing him to a painful fall.
Robin released his grip on the weapon, landed softly on the ground below and placed Starfire in a corner he deemed safe for the time being. With his enemy distracted by pain, the Titan took advantage of the opportunity. Robin grabbed the boy by the neck and pinned him against the brick wall.
"Why are you working for Slade?" he spat in a voice hissed through clenched teeth. "Why has he come back? What's he after?"
The shadow could only laugh as he tried to sum up a response. "Y-You want to know about the mark, don't you? Well, I'm not the one you should be asking. Try looking in a more obvious place for what you want."
Robin's eyes were set aflame as the man's coded words toyed with his patience. "Stop talking in riddles! I want answers, now! I swear if you don't speak up, I'll kill you right here, and don't think I'm bluffing! You almost killed Starfire; you nearly wiped out my whole team! I have every right to get rid of you once and for all!"
"Don't you see, Robin?" Red X whispered. "The answers are right in front of your face. They've always been there, you've just been too blind to see them."
Shock racked the young boy's body as his enemy's words began to sink in. As his mind lay distracted, X threw his opponent to the ground with a trap of red goo. The harsh collision with the asphalt caused the young Titan to slowly slip from the realm of reality. Extending a razor from his hand, Red X walked slowly toward the fallen leader; his eyes, though masked, were clouded with blood thirst.
"So I should die for trying to kill your friends? Well, guess what, kid? You tried to kill me, which means I have every right to kill you! Fair is fair, isn't? An eye for an eye? Isn't that the sort of useless talk you throw at people you call 'villains'? Sleep tight, kid!"
Red X thrust his hand downward, but was stopped as his own voice let out a shattering scream. Pain filled his being as he felt blood run down his back in a maddening rush. His head shook as he turned it to gaze at what had pierced his plan of murder. Through his covered eyes, he was able to make out a strange charcoal weapon protruding from his back, splashes of his own blood upon its glimmering surface. He staggered forward, eyes losing focus, and then fell to the floor, his black body going limp.
Robin's breath caught in his throat as he watched the notorious thief fall before his eyes. It was the last clear image he saw, but before his eyes failed him completely his gaze was trapped by the rising light. Somewhere in the distance, Robin could swear he saw the sunlight cast an eerie halo around a man cast in shadow, a dark cape encasing his body.
As blood trickled down from his parched lips, he summoned up the strength to speak in an almost desperate attempt to have an unseen ghost tell him his eyes were wrong.
"Batman…"
And as the words took flight from his body, Robin's mind fell to a world of never-ending darkness, the image of the strange shadowed man haunting every silent thought that lay within it.
A/N: Okay, well I thought this chapter was going to be my dark one, but I decided to go ahead and dedicate this part of the story to Red X, Robin, and Starfire instead of switching back and forth between Gotham and Jump City. The next chapter will be all about Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and a special appearance by a villain we all love to hate. I can't wait to write Chapter 12! I've been planning it since day one so this might take a while to post since I want it to be just as I envisioned it.
Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing my story and encouraging me to continue! It's been a HUGE help! And also, a big thanks to bittersweetbeats for being my editor!