A/N: For L. Thank you for the plot bunnies and all of the other stuff… 😉

Free-standing one-shot drabble.

A Case of X Identity

Slade had been out of town for a few months. A job had taken longer than he had expected, and he was now rather eager to see a certain young hero again. Robin had recently tried to get close to him by coming up with a new persona, Red X, and he knew the hero had enjoyed the thrill of being on the 'wrong' side of the law immensely, it had been obvious. Slade intended to explore that side of the teen to the fullest, but then he had been interrupted by a job that was just too good to turn down.

It probably hadn't hurt to disappear for a while either. Let the hero wonder. Especially as Slade didn't only want the teen to join him in his field. Oh, no, he wanted the teen to join him on a much more personal level as well. Whenever they had been alone, the man had started to be a bit…suggestive, just to see how the hero would react. Robin hadn't disappointed him. He had been confused, then flustered, then… intrigued. That was definitely something to build on, and the man was eager to get started. He was currently out, intentionally looking for the teen, hoping this was one of many nights that the hero went on patrol by himself.

The man smirked behind his mask when he saw a flash of movement on a roof, half a block away. As he got closer, he was surprised to see a tattered cape attached to the shadow, however.

"Hello, Robin."

The masked hero gasped and spun around, then seemingly froze on the spot.

"S-Slade?!"

The mercenary hummed. He didn't like the voice modulator that was built into the mask, but the awe in the hero's voice wasn't completely lost.

"Why are you playing dress-up again, Robin? Am I to hope that you have abandoned your silly ideas of heroism and decided to join me?"

Robin shook his head and backed away.

"No?" Slade asked. "Pity. Well… missed me? Aren't you going to welcome me home?"

The teen facing Slade was having an absurd experience. He had stolen Robin's suit a few weeks ago, and this life was still new to him. He had seen a lot, lately, but this rather took the cake. He was fully aware of who Slade was. You couldn't operate on any level in Jump City and don't know about Big Bad. And now the mercenary obviously not only thought he was Robin, but also was… flirting? Insinuating that… no? Surely NOT? There was NO way the goody-two-shoes hero had ever had anything but a stick up his ass, much less the… um… stick of a villain. Not that Red wouldn't love it if he was… open to the idea. He had suggested as much when they had fought the other week, and actually managed to get away because of how rattled the hero had gotten.

Red X himself had no problems with the idea. No problems at all. The only problem here was that if Slade found out that he wasn't Robin, there was no way of knowing how the man would react. Maybe the result would be very unpleasant, even deadly, for the thief, and he liked himself a little too much to let that happen. So, what to do? Tell the man, or play along? And play along for how long? Doing what? The thief felt a trickle of sweat travel down his temple. He might be screwed either way. Question was: the good way or the bad way?

Robin had had a very frustrating couple of months. Not only had Slade dropped off the edge of the world, making the teen weirdly frustrated and a bit worried, his suit had also been stolen and now there was a real Red X running around and causing trouble. And this villain was also flirting with him! What was it with bad guys lately?!

He was out on one of his normal patrols, patrols that had been a whole lot more boring since Slade disappeared, when he saw them. Together. He very quietly crept closer, hoping to hear what they were conspiring about, but heard something very surprising instead.

"Robin, Robin, Robin…" he heard the mercenary purr to the thief. "It's not like I expected a hug, but you're not even going to ask where I've been? What I'm planning to do?" the man moved closer and the thief was now backed up against a wall at the edge of the roof. "What I'm planning to do to… you?"

"To… to me?" Robin heard Red X ask. "What do you mean?"

Yes, that's what Robin very much wanted to know too. He had been immensely curious, but it wasn't like he could find out. He was a hero, for crying out loud, he had standards! Or was a bit too scared about the consequences... either way… Now, however, now he might get an idea about how far Slade was intending to take things, without risking anything at all. It was a great opportunity! So… why did he desperately want to stop it…?

Slade wasn't quite sure about the situation, something he hated. Something was slightly off, not only about Robin wearing the villain suit but, about how the teen was acting. He hadn't even verbally lashed out, something that wasn't like him. Was the teen actually angry with him for being away? Had something serious happened during his absence? He was now close enough to touch the hero, and that was wrong too. Robin would normally never let him get this close… unless… he wanted him to…? Slade knew Robin would never actively approach him, maybe not even vocally give him consent. He was too proud, too stuck in his ideas of good and evil. The consent would be nonverbal, it would be in the body language, the facial expressions… even though, with the mask on, there were very little of those.

"So, Robin… how about we… have a little fun?" Slade suggested. Though his voice was suggesting a very particular way to have fun, his words could, in the context of their relationship, mean a fight. He'd let the hero decide. Said hero seemed to freeze yet again, and then his eyes left he man's face and, just for a second, darted… lower. Quite a bit lower. Slade chuckled. Oh, yes. This would be fun.

Red X was trapped between panic and plain old horniness. He was afraid to talk because, even with the modifier, the man might realize he wasn't Robin. He had no idea how they spoke to each other, after all. He should just run away, he figured, at least try. He now wished he had let the man know that he was mistaken from the get go, but he had been too stunned. Slade had just suggested they could have a bit of fun, and Red's mind had gone straight to the gutter, which the mercenary seemed to have noticed and, judging by his chuckle, enjoyed. Then the man reached out for him and the thief tensed. The huge, gloved hand just curled around his upper arm, not gripping it, more hooking it, and pulling him closer. Then it moved up, caressing his shoulder, moving towards his-

"No!" Red exclaimed, shying away when he realized the mercenary was going for his mask.

"Not wearing your eye mask underneath, are you? Isn't that a bit careless, Robin?" Slade asked. "Now, how are we going to have fun?"

Red was not someone who liked denying himself. He also liked satisfying his curiosity. He therefore made a very bold decision.

"Really?" the mercenary said incredulously as the Red X sank to his knees in front of him. Red immediately realized that he had made a mistake, that this was absolutely not something Robin would have done, but he had the ball and he was going to run with it. Or… balls. He ran his hands up the man's legs and then cupped his crotch. The armor was in the way for him to actually feel more than a padded bulge, but hey… that could change. That would change, because if he was going to die, he'd at least see Big Bad's dick first.

Robin had been struggling with his feelings, but his jaw dropped as Red X did.

"The hell…?" the teen gasped, staring in utter shock at the scene. Was this really happening? Was he about to see…? HOW THE HELL DIDN'T SLADE KNOW IT WASN'T HIM?! Without realizing it Robin had started to move, and when the thief's fingers were about to pull down a hidden zipper, the hero's voice joined his body.

"STOP!"

It wasn't Robin. Slade should have known it at first glance, he realized now. Their body types were similar, but this one was slightly taller. And their attitudes were vastly different, of course. He had been blinded by just being eager to see the boy, surprised at the outfit, and it wasn't too late for him to have a bit of a growth spurt. There were things that excused his lacking observational skills, but there was no way, no way at all, the real Robin would simply kneel in front of him. So, who was this? Enemy? Another Titan? Whoever he was, he seemed eager enough to please… Slade had problems saying no to that.

"STOP!"

The man's head whipped around at the cry, and, seeing who came rushing towards them, almost made him laugh out loud. He took advantage of every bit of his speed as he moved, first grabbing the young man kneeling in front of him by the arm, lifting it and pressing down on it threateningly to keep him in position.

"Oh, shit…" the metallic voice whimpered. Slade didn't have time for him, though, he just wanted to make sure the fun wouldn't end. Instead he reached for his belt with his free hand and pulled out a collapsible staff. He activated it as he threw it at the running hero's legs, and in midair, it expanded, spinning horizontally.

The hero was too focused on him to realize what was happening in time, and didn't stand a chance as the metal staff tripped him up. He took a bad fall, but tucked and rolled at the last minute. The hero had absolutely no control over where he ended up, however, and that was at the mercenary's feet. The man grabbed the hair at the side of his head and pulled him up on his knees before the teen had even realized that he had stopped rolling. It must have hurt, but only a low grunt of pain came over the dazed hero's lips. Slade smirked almost proudly behind his mask. This was his Robin.

The young hero was doing his best to glare up at the man, but gave the thief a disgusted look as well. Slade's grip on his hair told him, very clearly, that he could move, but he would be half bald if he did. And it wasn't like he was vain, at least not to a fault, but he chose to stay on his knees. For now.

"What is going on?" he growled up at the man like he was scolding him. "What the hell do you think you're going, Slade?!"

"Well, firstly… who is this?" Slade asked and shook Red X around a little, making him whimper again.

"A thief," Robin spat.

"I need more information," Slade told him in a dangerous voice.

"I don't have it. He stole the suit. Has been causing problems since then. He's not one of yours, then?" he added, voicing a suspicion he has had for a while.

"No," Slade answered.

"I could be?" Red X piped up.

"Shut up," Slade and Robin replied as one.

"Someone owns someone a soda," the thief snickered. He was more than a little worried about his own life, but he always got like this when he was scared. Stupid. He got stupid. And mouthy. He knew this, but it had somehow kept him alive up until now, so he tended to run with it. "Guys, I don't wanna get in the middle of whatever this is. Well, maybe I do, but, you know, not if I'm gonna get hurt, you know? So, Slade. Sir. Very sorry. I should have told you, but I was a bit… overwhelmed, ok? You're like my hero, you know? It was like meeting Elvis! Alive, sexy Elvis! Who might need a very good thief now and again? Or a very good blow job, at least? I'd love to demonstrate!"

"The hell you will!" the hero suddenly barked, startling him.

"Ooohhhh…. Jealous, Robin?" Red X teasingly sang. Slade must have liked that, because the painful grip on his arm lessened a little. "Are you saying you're the only one who gets to do it?"

Seeing the uptight leader of the Teen Titans get completely red in the face was a sight that Red knew he was going to enjoy remembering for a long time. If he survived this.

"I would never-!" the hero spluttered.

"Oh, don't know how? Want me to teach you? I'll teach you right now!" He, carefully, just to make sure Slade was okay with it, put his hand back on the man's zipper. The mercenary didn't move.

"You stop that right now!" the hero, however, snarled.

"Now, now, Robin. Don't be hasty," Slade told the teen, who had a look of a kicked puppy as he looked up at the man. "As you pointed out, you would never… and he's offering. He's a nice boy. He knows his place too. Why wouldn't I indulge him?"

Slade didn't much believe in gods, but figured that someone or something was smiling down, or possibly up, at him at this moment. It wouldn't last, of course, but right then, right there, he had his favorite bird at his mercy, and a new acquaintance was sliding his hand into his pants, driving said bird insane with obvious jealousy. Slade knew that he might be considered possessive, and yes, he was. What was his, was his, but that was a trait which was very strong in a certain young hero as well. He knew that Robin considered him his, and, for once in his life, or maybe the second time, Slade didn't mind being 'claimed'. At all.

He could see the hero's eyes widen by the way his mask moved, and the gaze was now locked onto his crotch. He let the thief's arm go. He was good at judging characters and knew he had nothing to fear from him. He also knew that he wouldn't run away.

Robin couldn't tear his eyes away from what was about to happen. Red X, now free, he noted in anger, was using both his hands, and…

"Oh, holy…"

A look and snicker from the thief revealed that he had uttered the words out loud, and he felt his face get even hotter, feeling, almost hoping, that it would explode. It would be a kindness… and at the same time, he wanted to see. And see he did. Yes, indeed. It was… well, it was a lot to take in. So, it seemed, Red X also concluded, as he grunted uncomfortably around the head. Robin saw his own hand move, but couldn't do anything to stop it. That was strange, as it moved very slowly, fingers stretched out. Softly, hesitantly, then it quickly brushed against exposed skin.

"Good, Robin," the mercenary told him, the painful grip on his hair lessening just a fraction. "Brave boy." It was a taunt, the teen knew, but he could feel the truth behind it, so he ignored the teasing. "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

Robin swallowed, but then hesitantly gave a minute nod. They were going to have some fun.

The End.