Two Sides of Law

Chapter Fourteen

Which Collin?

ROBIN

It had been three days and there was still no sign of Red X, Slade, or Raven. I was getting anxious. What had happened to Rae? My girlfriend was in trouble. I just knew it. I figured the first night might have been time to get away and the jammed communicator was just to insure alone time. But when Rae hadn't showed up in her bed the next morning, I got really worried.

I paced around the common room of the tower, thinking. I had to find Raven. I had to stop this vision from happening. I had to stop Rae before she did something stupid; find her before she did something she'd regret. The next time I saw Red X, it wasn't going to be pretty. He'd have hell to pay if he got within a mile of Rae.

I cracked my knuckles, thinking. What did I know about Red X? Not much, I knew. But his name was Collin something. I decided to start there. I made my way to the computer and typed in the name. Two hundred fifty names and faces appeared, listed in columns on the screen. Great. I thought. What else did I know about Red X? Hair. Eyes. It was from my dream, and I had a hunch I could rely on it. Hair: Black. Eyes: Blue. Only ten names came up under those fields. Well, it's not the most common combination, thank goodness.

I looked over the pictures, deciding there were only two guys that could fit that description. One was Collin Angler and the other was Collin Sanders. They both looked young. Maybe seventeen to twenty-four or so. I decided to go for Angler first. I scanned the information carefully.

Age: Twenty-one. I wasn't off by that much. Job: Waiter at Jump City Diner. Place of Residence: 16 Faller Place. That wasn't too far from Chang's old lab… I picked up my communicator, forgetting it was only five in the morning.

"Titans: I got a lead on Red X!" I said.

"Man, can't this wait until daylight?" Cyborg groaned.

"I was just about to resurrect Terra, you ass!" BB yelled into the communicator.

"Friend Robin, why do you wish us to find Red X so suddenly?" Star asked sweetly. She cocked her head to the side and clamped her hands together with curiosity.

"I think Raven went with Red X. If she did, then we'll be killing two birds with one stone." I told them.

"Rae can take care of herself. She's probably pissed at you and went to Azarath or something." BB whined.

"Man! I'll be right there!" Cyborg ripped his charging chord from his hard drive.

"At least someone is playing big brother." I said to Beast Boy. He stuck out his tongue in response. "Star, are you coming with us?"

"Um…Yes, Friend Robin. I will…join you shortly."

In seconds, Cyborg had sprinted into the room. His speed surprised me, especially with his size. He slid to a halt. Beast Boy came after him, deciding to join us. He slid on the tile of the kitchen, but couldn't stop fast enough. He fell with a "Doh!" and crashed into the cabinet with a sharp thud. I cradled my head in one hand, shaking it. Starfire floated in leisurely in another two minutes time. I ignored her lateness and went on to explain to the others what was going on.

"Okay, team." I used the mouse on the computer to point to the two remaining suspects. "Collin Angler." I moved the cursor to the right. "Collin Sanders." I stood up and looked at them. "One of them is Red X. We'll start with-"

"How'd you narrow it down so far, dude?" Beast Boy interrupted.

"I had a vision." I said, watching various levels of shock and confusion work its way through their expressions. "We're starting with Angler. He's a waiter. The other guy's an actor at the theater downtown. I figured Angler would be more inclined to steal because of his low-pay job. He works at the Jump City Diner." I saw the color drain from Cyborg's face. He'd always gone to that diner and the fact that Red X could have been his waiter at one point shook him a bit, to say the least. "We're going to the diner for breakfast. Act natural. I'll do all the talking." The three nodded in consent, but I saw a bit of anger seep into Starfire's eyes. "Titans, go!"

The lead on Angler wasn't worth anything. He was slightly heavier and shorter than Red X. His martial arts weren't anything either. Not that you could impress anyone by twirling a mop and knocking over a waitress with a full tray in her arms. Poor customers. They got syrup and bacon spilled all over them. I don't think Collin Angler is employed anymore, either.

I burst through the front doors to the tower to examine Sander's profile. BB went upstairs to wash syrup out of his hair (he got it spilled on him too while asking the girl at the next table over for her number). Cyborg said something about upgrading so he could "…kick that ass's ass." Starfire hovered behind me all the while. I tried to ignore it, but she eventually rested her hands on my shoulders flirtatiously.

"Friend Robin, Raven is quite capable of helping herself, yes?" Starfire asked, resting her head on my shoulder. I stopped typing and looked straight ahead. This was beyond awkward! I sniffed in nervous habit.

"Her powers weren't working that night. Who knows what's going on." I went back to my work, but this girl wouldn't take a hint.

"Do you wish to do the watching of the DVDs and eating of the unhealthy sugar candies with me tonight?"

"If Rae's home, sure. We can see if Wicked Scary Two is out yet." I replied coolly. I knew what she meant. She meant it to be just the two of us, but there was no way in the world I was breaking up with Rae.

"Friend Robin, why do you like Raven so much?"

"She's compassionate and caring. She can see past your masks and shields. It's like she can read your soul. She understands me, and I understand her. I love her and she loves me." I said without skipping a beat. Maybe me still liking Raven would drive Starfire away. But it didn't. She pushed harder.

"She has seen you in the state of no mask?"

"No. She just sees past the acts I put on in battle and around others."

"So she does the decoding of the actions and body language? She is a good detective, yes?" Star was playing dumb. Even I could tell that.

"You could say that." I went and took a seat on the couch. She followed.

"If you do the loving of one another, why did you have the fight?"

"Couples fight sometimes." I said. Her next question caught me totally off guard.

"So we should still be together, yes?" I hesitated, making the mistake of looking into her beautiful green eyes. I looked away.

"No." And Star lost it.

"Why do you like her and not me?" She asked, standing up. "What is so glorious about Raven?"

"She understands me."

"I understand you, Friend Robin!"

"No you don't."

"What if she never comes back?" Star challenged.

"She is coming back." I raised my voice a little.

"No she is not! She is in love with the Red X!"

"Shut up!" I yelled. "I don't care what you think!"

"She does not belong here!" Star shot back.

"NEITHER DO YOU, BITCH!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I couldn't stand her anymore. She got under my skin and tore me apart, inside and out. "I heard what you said to her, and as far as I'm concerned, it's your fault she left! She was having doubts about us needing her, and you went and confirmed it. She was your friend! You lost her! Now you'll have to deal with it because now that she's gone, I don't want you either!"

Starfire stared at me wide-eyed. Tears welled up and she pulled her hands close to her face like a small child would. I felt a surge of triumph inside of me for getting back at her. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she shut her eyes tight. With a shake of a disbelieving head, she ran away to her room.

The black doors opened, revealing Cyborg. He had a questioning look on his face. Beast Boy quickly joined him at the side with a hand towel about his neck.

"Did you yell at Star?" BB asked, clearly amazed. "I could hear you all the way from the bathroom…"

"She dissed Raven." I said coldly.

"Had to be pretty serious for you to call her a bitch." Cyborg commented.

"We're going to get Rae home…tonight." I didn't feel like talking to the other guys about my scuffle with Starfire. Especially because (yet again) my anger was cementing into guilt.

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A/N: So how'd I do? I had to get someone to yell at Star sooner or later…maybe there should be a catfight…anyway, please review!