Three hundred reviews baby! Dear lord, this was a helluvalot more than I expected. Thanks for all the love song suggestions people, they'll be put to good use, promise!
Anyway, as promised, the fluff started making the comeback last chapter. It's just getting better and better. With some unexpected turns!
Disclaimer: If I owned the Teen Titans, I wouldn't be writing this, I'd have people writing this for me
Chapter Twenty: Communication/Capture
Dawn. The sun was lazily rising from the east, the glowing red ball of light sending beautiful strings of bright orange light across the darkened skies, giving them a cyanic touch. Titans Tower's living quarters, usually filled with the sunshine that is emitted from Starfire's open door, were as dark as the inside of a coffin. No light, no smell, just the sound of paces down the long hallway as Red-X's ethereal form walked down it. He went past the rooms; Lisa, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Robin, Starfire, Raven. As he walked, his cape remained still, not affected by the air bumping against it.
He walked, determined, until he reached the last room on the hallway; it didn't look like the entrance to a room, more like a bunker's; dual layered titanium doors, marked with a red and yellow stripe and a "Do not Enter" black sign.
"The safe room" he said to himself, and walked right through the grey titanium door, passing through them as if they did not exist, or was it he who didn't exist?
His eyes fixed on the body in front of him, attached to medical equipment, lying still, was Red-X
"I've looked better" he said and took a few steps back, maybe to admire the motionless figure ahead, ran, and leaped into the air, aiming for the body. It was like hitting concrete as he was knocked back into the ground
"You are NOT doing this to me" he hissed and tried again, with similar results. Cursing, he got up and punched the body, his arm bounced back at him
"Come on Vince, let me IN!" he raged and punched the body again, his arms bounced
"I made you!" screamed the specter and slammed his hands against the body "You can't do this to me!" the body did not respond
"You're nothing without me, Vince, and you know it!" he raged "I was with you from the moment he killed your brother, I took care of you, I helped you survive down in the sewers!"
"You know you won't make it without me" he hissed "You have the suit, but you're not Red-X. I am" and with that, he charged again, leaped, and bounced off to knock his head over one of the enchanted walls of the room, releasing a distorted howl of anger and frustration
"I. Want. In!"
(S)
Blurred vision. Blinking slowly, eyes adjusting themselves to the light, or lack of it. Messages from all over the body's nerve ending reaching the brain; Cold. The two emerald orbs finally fully opened, scanning the room.
"This is not my room" came the thought. Starfire looked down on herself, she knew where she was; the purple velvet sheets, the dark atmosphere, the bookshelves. She was inside Raven's room, lying above the purple covers of her bed.
"Why am I here?" she asked herself "And where is Raven?" she heard breathing, someone was sleeping inside the room. As she rolled to her right, she felt immense pain when her arm touched the surface of the bed. She looked at the X shaped scar, it all came back to her.
Looking down the side of her bed, she saw Raven; she was lying on the floor, sleeping sound, using her cloak as a blanket and her folded up hood as a pillow, the half demon did not seem to be aware of her friend's wakening.
Rolling off the large bed, she tiptoed towards the door, until Raven's voice came, as far as she was considered, the half-demon's voice could've been a gunshot, she would've reacted the same way, jumping into the air, squealing in panic
"Where do you think you're going?" Raven asked. Starfire turned around and mumbled something in Tamaranian
"I did not mean to-"
"Wake me?" Raven seemed amused "Do you really think I was asleep?" she threw her cloak down the laundry chute located next to her bathroom and picked a new one from her closet
"How're your arms?" she asked. Starfire sighed
"The pain is not what hurts me" she said and lowered her head "He said he hates me"
"Telling people you love someone else right in their face does that" said Raven and raised an eyebrow
"Why do you even care?" she asked, trying to attack from a different angle "I thought you love Robin"
"I do" she replied "But, when I was…" she looked as if a wave of guilt was about to break out of her
"When you were, what?" shot Raven
"When I was at the Red-X's apartment…We…" she bit her lip. Raven's eyes were as wide as satellite dishes
"You didn't" she said. Hoping to hear the right answer
"I'm afraid I have" she said at last "Me and the Red-X have…'got it on' as you say" the Goth looked like she was about to pass out
"Star, it's all coming together" she said at last "The attitude, hurting you, being out of character. It all makes sense"
"What does?" Starfire was baffled, but she started feeling cold fingers trace along her back the moment Raven started talking
"Robin, he said that when he turned to Red-X, he wasn't himself anymore, that he was something else, a ruthless thief. I think that once you put on the suit, your conscience splits in two; one is the person that's under the suit, and the other is Red-X himself, the ruthless thief. Starfire, the man inside that suit loved you, and you broke his heart in the most painful way possible; he was fighting for you, and you let him down. I think the gunshot allowed someone, or something out of there, something evil" she closed her eyes and breathed
"We're not fighting the person anymore; we're fighting Red-X" she said. Starfire could do nothing but to gasp, Raven's announcement hit her like a brick in the face. She remembered her thoughts before setting outside the tower, towards the amusement park, to meet X. It all came back to her
"No one was supposed to get hurt" she uttered, tears were welling in her eyes "I just wanted to make Robin see-"
"That you come before work" Raven cut her off. The young princess nodded
"And now…"
"And now we better stop him before he does anything we'll all regret" shot Raven and started sorting under her bed, reaching down and pulling out four small crystals, she left her room
"Where're you going, Raven?" asked a still confused Starfire. Raven looked back at her and grinned
"I'm gonna catch a ghost"
(S)
By the time Raven had set up in the living room, Starfire had gone to wake the girls' fellow titans. It didn't take too long before the remaining four members reached the large room, fully suited and ready for combat
"You want us to WHAT?" Robin raised an eyebrow, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Lisa joined him
"To watch over my body while I contact X" she replied and handed Robin the four purple crystals she pulled earlier.
"They're called Soul Trappers" she told him "I want you to follow my astral figure and in case things get too hot-"
"What do you mean 'too hot'?" interjected Beast Boy, Raven sighed
"If X will try to kill me, I need you to set the crystals around him, it'll create a spiritual barrier that'll keep him locked up in there"
"Dude, Raven, no way!" the changeling threw his arms sideways, showing complete disagreement with the plan "We've seen what X can do, he'll chop you to tiny pieces and-"
"And I'm the only one who's capable of entering the spirit world" with that statement, Beast Boy hushed
"Still, it sounds a bit risky" shot Robin. The Goth gave him a glare
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing, unlike other people" Starfire nearly cried after Raven's remark.
Cross legged, Raven began to levitate slowly, rising inch after inch above the cold floor. Her cloak was the only thing related to her that was touching the ground. She opened a careful eye
"Are you all Ready?" she asked. Robin and Beast Boy nodded in unison. Cyborg and Lisa exchanged confused glances
"Then on we go" she said and readied herself, holding her arms out into the void
"Azerath, Metrion, Zinthosssssssss" she chanted, prolonging the last word of her well known chant. It took immediate affect as her eyes exploded with white energy. An obsidian form of herself stepped out of her still levitating body and began marching down the hallway. Robin shook off the restraints of shock that kept him motionless and walked after her, Beast Boy wasn't too far behind
"Red? Red, show yourself!" she messaged telepathically as she walked down the long corridor, no response. She looked back and saw Robin, closely followed by Beast Boy. Her heart flinched when she was blasted by Beast Boy's emotions; in her current form, she could see the emotions as an aura surrounding the person. Beast Boy was surrounded by a dark blood red neon light, fear, but yet, he kept following her
"He's so scared that even a pad on the shoulder would make him wet himself, but he's still following me. He really does care-"a flash of strong emotion went through her head, it hurt, seriously hurt. Raven closed her eyes and started pacing forward, towards the same corner her friend took last night.
"Who's there?" barked a distorted voice from around the corner. Raven hurried her steps, Robin and Beast Boy followed
"It's me" she said as she came round the corner. X was sitting in front of the safe room, sitting cross legged. He raised his glaring eyes to meet with hers
"Crow, what're you doing here?" he shot. Raven narrowed her eyes
"It's Raven" she growled
"Whatever. What do you want?" he got up from the floor and began walking towards her. Robin's and Beast Boy's grip over the crystals tightened
"I want you to stop hurting my friend" she hissed. He chuckled
"You don't get something here" his tone dropped dangerously, Raven took a few steps back, she started to get scared
"She hurt me, she broke my heart. I'm just repaying a favor"
"Beast Boy, Robin, get ready" she said mentally. Behind the corner, the two readied themselves to pounce at the ghost
"I can't let you do that X, you know that" she said. He seemed amused
"And who's gonna stop me? You? I can see you're scared Raven"
"Maybe I'm scared, but that won't stop me from fighting" she hissed, her hands glowing black
"We'll just see about that" he lounged at her, but halfway in the air, something happened, his body exploded into a red wave that came right at her. She was caught off guard and was able to let out a loud mental shriek before the red water engulfed her
"Beast Boy, NOW!" commanded Robin. He and the changeling shot from around the corner and threw the crystals around the crimson explosion. A web of violet light spread into a cubical shape that shot the obsidian girl outside, encasing the red water that quickly returned to Red-X's form, the water painting themselves black once again and resuming their former human shape
"What is this?" he cried and banged his fists against the purple barrier. Robin approached him, carefully closing the distance between them
"I'm sorry X" he said "Sorry about this…This… I don't know" he sighed and threw his arms forward, submissively. The ghost shot him a glare
"I'm not holding you blame for anything, kid. You were just a tool, like me" Robin's eyes opened suddenly
"What do you mean?" he asked. X grinned, a mean spark lit up in his dead eyes
"She used me to get to you, and once she was through with me, she used you to get me out of the way" Robin's face turned red from rage
"Your logic is as distorted as your voice, X. I shot you because of the reagent! Slade talked to me, inside my mind-"
"How do you know she didn't give the reagent in the first place?" said the thief slyly. Robin's eyes narrowed
"Because she wouldn't!" he screamed, his pulse was going crazy "I know her! She wouldn't do that-"
"You know yourself pretty good too, doncha?" he asked and began strolling around the small cubical
"What's your point?" Robin snapped
"Simple. You hold life as a supreme value; you wouldn't take one's life because of an instinct, would you?"
"Don't answer him!" they heard a cry. Raven came from around the corner; she was holding her chest and coughing up some red liquid. Beast Boy rushed at her and held her in his arms
"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded in response and leveled her eyes with X's
"I know what you want" she told him. He poised himself in a battle stance
"Good, so you know nothing won't stop me from-" he was cut off
"You want to go back, don't you?" she asked. His eyes went huge
"You have a way of bringing me back?" he asked.
"Yes" she lied. X stepped back in his prison
"Well, what are you waiting for? Send me back!" her composure was collapsing, but she didn't let it show
"It'll take time" she shifted uncomfortably "I need to find a certain book; I don't know if I even have it" she heard steps behind her. Starfire came from around the corner; Cyborg and Lisa were holding her back, trying to prevent her from getting there
"Is it over? Was he captured?" she asked, there was a tone of worry in her voice. Beast Boy and Robin moved to opposite sides, allowing the young Tamaranian's eyes to rest on the captured ghost. The moment she did so, X looked at her; she felt his glare like knives in her face
"Get over here!" he said and lounged at her, both his hands held out, to strangle her. As he hit the violet prison, the purple wall stretched, like some form of rubber, still encasing X's reached out hands
And then it burst
The two grey gloves wrapped themselves around Starfire's neck, fingers squeezing, trying to suck the life out of her. But then, something remarkably dreadful happened; X's hands caught fire, purple fire. He screamed in pain, trying to hold on the young girl's neck, but was forced to let go, retracting his hands, the gum-like structure of the prison kicked in, sending X back to the opposite wall. He landed crouched and looked at his hands. Two sets of grey, singed bones welcomed him, but sonly after, flesh and muscle were beginning to build up. He rose up, looking at the Titans which were looking at him with wide eyes; mouths wide open, even Raven seemed shocked.
"You'll lower you guard some day, and then I'll strike, even if it takes me years, I'll get you. You WILL suffer the same pain as I did" he said, it sounded like he was talking through burning amber.
Raven, as predicted, was the first to go back to herself. She stood next to the prison, encased both her and the prison with black energy, and vanished. The remaining Titans scattered, leaving Starfire and Robin to look at each other awkwardly.
Suddenly, the Boy Wonder approached her, and took her in his arms, as her head rested on his shoulder, she wept
"It was not supposed to be like that" she said and wept on "He was not supposed to be hurt!"
"Then what was supposed to happen, Star?" he asked. His eyes softened. She looked at him
"Do you love me?" she asked. His cheeks went red; he swallowed hard, but then closed his eyes and opened them again, looking directly into hers
"More than life itself" he replied.
"Then please, I beg not to ask this question" he didn't know what to do. On one hand, his mind told him to keep pressing her, maybe it was important, maybe he could get hurt, but on the other hand, his heart told him to let her be. And as he stood there, the girl of his dreams in his arms, torn between following his mind and heart, he closed his mouth shut, did the same with his eyes, and allowed himself to drown in her long, red hair.
(S) –WARNING! Really stupid and ridicules plot twist ahead! Proceed with extreme caution!
"Make yourself comfortable, X" said Raven and proceeded to raking more objects from beneath her bed. X just stood in his amethyst prison, watching her
"What're you doing down there?" he asked. She didn't reply, but instead, turned to face her dressing closet. She took some white powder from a sack she pulled and drew a white line in front of the closet
"You thought you were the only ghost in this tower, didn't you?" she asked him. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised, and nodded
"Well, think again" she hummed. "There is another one, and I do hope she'll be able to turn you around"
"What do you mean?" he snapped. She faced him
"I checked my books. There is a reason why you can't get back in. You're too…Black" He raised an eyebrow
"What do you mean 'black'?" he asked "I got a feeling it has nothing to do with skin color
"You know that all magical powers are a balance, right? Good and bad, black and white. You did something that made you too evil for your body to take you back, you somehow need to go back to what you once were"
"And I suppose you know how?" he asked
"No, but there's someone here who does" the reply made his eye go wide. She faced the closet and reached forward. The white power glowed in dark purple, emitting sparks, and then it exploded in grey smoke, engulfing the entire room.
Raven look at the closet door with anticipation. Her expectations were fulfilled as a black transparent glove reached from inside and slowly started opening the door. A lock of blonde hair peeked from inside, followed by some tanned skin, a big blue eye, a small nose, another eye and a mouth. Her body was petite, and wrapped in a battle suit like such X had never seen, it was torn on several places, but her could still spot the trademarked S in the middle of her breast plate. Raven crossed her arms on her chest and smiled a little
"Hello, Terra"
Author's Notes!
Another chapter done! I got to tell you people, I'm actually thinking this thing is gonna stretch out further than I expected. Maybe it WILL last forever, I hope so!
Remember to review
Bye!