Disclaimer- I don't the Titan Teens. If I did, Red X would have made another appearance by now and Star and Robin would be together.

Knox's Red

Chapter 1: Resolved Pain and Unanswered Questions

It's hard to change habits; this is something that Red X had learned a long time ago, the new lesson was that it was even harder to get the habits back. Even though letting go of his hero ways were hard, reverting back was much, much harder. He paced back and forth on his old wood floor in the apartment that he felt was haunted with ghost and memories of his past. He began to realize that it was worth it. It was the only way to make her voice disappear and let her rest at least. He lay down on his old cot that had been his bed for years and stared at the nearly caved in ceiling. It was worth it, when it came right down to it, losing the belt, no matter how much of a loss that was, was worth the weight of the unresolved pain taken off my shoulders.

Well, the pain is still there but at least it's resolved, Red X laughed as he amused himself with his own problems as he often did with other people's problems. It wasn't as fun, but it was important to take a look at yourself every once and a while. And laugh. Even if it hurt.

But as he sorted though his emotions he noticed that there was something else too. He couldn't put his finger on it but there was something that was beneath the layers of lifted guilt and lost love, something new. He rolled over and the cot creaked like a dying horse as tried to identify the feeling. Something that made him feel… light and happy but also sad and lost. He felt emotions that he no longer knew the name for. Emotions that had been lost since he saw his love fall into the pit of depression and despair and slowly dissolve. Something that he was glad but also saddened to have back. It confused him. He thought that he had made a shield to make sure he wouldn't be able to care or feel. He thought that he made sure that he had numbed himself from any feeling besides the excitement of sneaking. Feeling made him weak and what surprised him the most is he could not remember feeling feeling so nice. He could not figure out what was, but he had a feeling about how he ended up feeling it.

I think it had something to do with a red-head. She had that glow to her like Knox had. She…what had they called her? Blaze…Stellar…Starfire. That was it. Her name fit her perfectly. She was as bright a star and had the fight of a blazing fire. She was the heart of the team. She is the fire of passion and fury that keeps them going as well as the light that makes their day bright. He smirked as poetry came back into his thoughts after so many years had left his old poems to catch cobwebs. It's been a long time since I felt this way. And yet, it's too soon. He did not want to be a lover boy. Being a player was much easier. It was easier to not love them and leave them, or whatever the saying was. I guess old Murphy was right. Red X said with a smirk as he rolled out of bed to get a glass of water and a fresh look at these new things. "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time." And it is the worst possible time. I was starting to finally enjoy life again.

X

"What's wrong Starfire?" Raven asked as she sank onto her bed from her seat in the air, her normally emotionless voice had a note of worry. Starfire had accidentally walked into Raven's room with a confused look on her face…well, more confused than normal.

She tried to hide the concern, feeling that emotion was a weakness. Raven always hid emotion well and it was hardly detectable. If it had been anyone else the worry would have gone unnoticed, but Starfire knew her dark friend too well not to hear it. Raven normally would have felt ashamed and would yell at someone if caught her in one of her weak moments, but Starfire just smiled at the concern that the violet-haired friend rarely showed. This made Raven feel warm instead of weak.

"I am fine, my dear friend…and I am dearly sorry about entering your room without asking the permission." Raven smiled and offered her a sit on her bed. Starfire accepted by sitting down cross-legged on Raven's bed as they talked. Her smile faded a little as she continued, "I just was thinking about…"

"Yes?" Raven asked. There was something in Starfire's eyes that wasn't normal, she had seen the confused look on the princess' face almost everyday when it came to earthly customs, but this was different, it was…deeper. She wondered, did this have anything to do with 'The Boy Wonder'. If it did, she thought she would die of boredom; new subjects were needed at the Tower if Starfire was going to talk about Robin for the seven-fifth time this week…on a Monday.

"About Red X." Starfire said with an almost resolved voice, "I was thinking about him and I was feeling guilty…"

"What do you mean?" Raven questioned suddenly very interested and alarmed. The fact that she wanted to talk about a criminal troubled Raven a little, especially one that had so much to do with the Titans shaky past.

"Red X… he saved us, even when he did not need to and he clearly stated he did not want or have any intention to… he was there for us, even though it was not his, how did he state it, his problem. It was not his fault that we were in danger…but… he helped us…he saved us… then, after he risked everything…after he risked getting caught… we treated him like any other criminal that would have left us to perish." Starfire looked at Raven, the person who she thought was the wisest. She looked to her for guidance but most importantly, for the answer to her question, "Why?"

Raven looked at her friend, she felt sorry for her. Her friend knew how life should be and she didn't understand why it wasn't like that. She knew that her kind, beautiful companion would never understand why people seemed to worship those with money and turn away from the begging poor. She would not understand why drunken men ran to her instead of away to safety. She would never understand why Robin was more protective of her than any of the other Titans, and apparently, she had no idea what hurt pride was either.

And maybe it is better that way, Raven pondered. We needed her innocence more than we need Robin's leadership (not that we would tell Robin that). She is the glue that keeps us together. We made it without Robin; we would never make it without Starfire. "I wish had answer, but that's not something I don't know. I'm sure Robin would be more than happy to answer your question though." Starfire nodded her head although Raven knew she didn't understand why Raven didn't tell her truth. She could not lie to Star, no matter how much she wanted to protect her. It was probably because Star always knew when she was lying. "Robin does not like to be upstaged, Starfire, and although I would never say it to his face, or even any other Titan for that matter, he was more ashamed by Red X's help than grateful." Raven said.

At this Starfire's face changed, it became solid, clear, and resolved. It was creased at the forehead and she seemed to be thinking about a plan that she knew she was going to have to come up with from the beginning. "Then there is something we must do."

"Starfire you're not thinking of…"

"On my planet it is a custom to lock the wrong-doers in what you called prison." Starfire said, she seemed to be justifying their actions to lock Red X up, but the next sentence blew that theory out of the water. "But if you owe a debt to someone in prison, the fact that they are a criminal does not matter. You owe them your respect and most importantly, your life." She looked at Raven with begging eyes, "If you truly believe that he saved us without expecting anything in return, please do not try and stop me from trying to make things right with my conscience."

Raven gave Starfire one of her little smirks, "Starfire, you know I can't stop you from doing anything."

"I will be back soon my friend," Starfire said turning to leave her slightly gothic friend. She turned back with a one last request, "Please be keeping cover for my leaving. I would not wish Robin to find out what I am doing." She felt Raven nod even though she had her back to her. "Thank you friend, I will be back soon with a cleaned of conscience."

"Be careful," Raven called after Starfire, even though it wasn't needed. Starfire can take care of herself. Raven thought as she meditated over her bed. I hope….

X

Starfire had been gone for a little under two hours and Raven began to get nervous. She tried to meditate but every time she began to float something around shattered or smashed or fell off the table. Soon she resigned from trying to calm herself and just paced in her room trying to not think about her friend. So, naturally, she began to think about Starfire.

I do hope she is alright. I would never want anything bad to happen to Starfire. I admit that it took me a while to get use to her. At first I was jealous of the way Robin stared at her. I mean, I never saw why he liked her looks more than mine, but I soon became friends with her. After I found out about her childhood when we switched bodies, I almost felt sorry for her. I couldn't imagine having my family split because of a war. And she was always so cheerful; you never would have guessed the horrors that happened to her during the first ten years of her life. She has so much hope even though her whole childhood was an assortment of hopeless missions baring fruitless results. I really hope she is alright. Next to her a glass vase broke and flowers and water exploded all over her room. Damn. Okay Raven, you have to stop thinking about her. Get a book, read, do something, and before you know it Starfire will be back, safe and sound… Then Raven heard the knock on the door.

"Hey Raven?" It was Robin. The girl jumped and a stack of books fell to the surprise of his voice. He rarely ever came to her room. Normally he was in the practice rooms or hanging out with… oh…right.

"Yes Robin?" Raven called, not daring to open the door and have Robin see her in this state.

"Have you seen Star? I was sure we were supposed to practice the Underboard Maneuver today but I haven't seen her since breakfast."

Raven sighed, half in relief and half in exasperation, he was looking for Star. "Yes. She came in here to talk to me about… stuff. Then she remembered that it was her turn to go to the store. If you're so worried about her I could contact her for you…" She heard The Boy Wonder shuffle his feet embarrassed.

"No, that's okay. I hope she remembers to get some milk…" He spaces off. Raven sighed again with a little more than half of exasperation. If he loves he so much he should just tell her. Isn't it obvious to him that she adores him? "Maybe I should go and check on her…"

"Robin, if you're worried about Starfire not being able to get a gallon of milk…" Raven said in her normal drawling tone, but Robin cut her off.

"No, I forgot to put Beast Boy's tofu bacon on the list. I think I'll just meet her there. No big deal." Raven heard Robin leave the door. Going to meet Star at the store. The store that she wasn't at.

"No Robin you can't!" Raven said, the door opened and Raven waved Robin to come in.

"Why not? What happened to your room? Raven, what are you not telling me?"

X

So this is the first chapter of the story that has been in my head ever since I saw "x". Please review. Criticism is fine but no flames please. Thanks a bunch.

Love Ya All!

Kathleen