Chapter 16
"Awe man!"
"What? What is going on, Slade attacking, Trigon coming? What?"
Cyborg looked at his green friend who stared at the giant screen angrily.
"The Monkey King he killed me again."
Cyborg sighed. Visibly relieved.
The Titans were not ready for another confrontation yet.
"Aren't you supposed to be configuring the security net?"
'Already done. And the sensors, and even cleaned my room, … a little."
"Then it is time to take out the Monkey King!"
Cyborg grinned and so did Beast Boy as he picked his controller back up.
Raven floated into the room.
Boys, she thought as she passed them as they whooped and hollered at the screen.
"Monkey King going down!"
"Oh, yeah!"
Suddenly the Monkey King powered up.
"What the –"
"Dude!"
"Watch out, duck, duck."
"I'm out!"
"No!"
Beast Boy and Cyborg dropped their controllers.
Raven reading her book at the kitchen counter smirked ever so slightly.
"So were is X?"
Beast Boy asked Raven two more times before she acknowledged he as talking to her.
"I don't know."
"Really?"
"Why do you think I know where he is?"
"Well…."
"Because you two hang out together … a lot."
Cyborg said rescuing his green friend.
Raven just stared coolly at both of them.
"I think you need at tune up Cyborg, from the neck up. Red X and I, if you can remember as far back as yesterday, were working on Slade's warning and this."
She showed him her book.
It was the symbol; the one on Slade's forehead.
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"What do you know about this?"
The man stammered and his eyes were wide.
"I uh, what, uh"
"Talk, now!"
"I don't know anything, I have never seen it before."
"Why do I think you are lying?"
"I am not, I swear."
The man closed his eyes to the skull face.
When he opened them he was gone.
The man then sank to the floor looking into a puddle.
High above the city Red X was looking at his reflection too.
The skull mask, dangerous, and intimidating, and not the image of a good guy.
He took it off and stared hard at the image he created.
The life of an orphan, a thief, con artist, yeah he did good, but now?
Slade, the man wore a mask like his, who sold his soul to the devil, and he wouldn't.
"Grrraaahhh!"
The mask flew over the side of the building.
In the distance he saw Titan's Tower.
His friends were there, his home.
A new life, a hero, with friends, he needed a new identity.
Still the night was his ally.
A bat flew by. He smiled.
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"So what is the big deal?"
Beast Boy shrugged as Terra walked into the room.
"Anyone know what is going on?"
They all shrugged.
"Where is Red X?"
"It isn't Red X anymore."
The others took in the sight of their leader, and friend in a new costume.
"Nightwing."
A mask covered his eyes. His uniform was still black, and a large blue bird symbol over his chest.
"Nice."
"I like it."
"Why the change?"
Terra, Beast Boy and Cyborg waited for an answer.
"I have a new life here and I am putting my old life behind me."
They looked at each other and as one shrugged.
"Well Nightwing, you look good."
Cyborg rested a hand on his shoulder.
As the others finished complimenting him they went back to their previous activities.
Raven walked over heading toward her room; she stopped next to him for a moment.
"It is good to see your face."
He saw her lips turn up just a little and after she left he smiled, heading over to the others.