-1Perfect.
JUST perfect.
"How did you-" Robin began.
"Patience." Red X replies.
Robin clenches his fists together.
What in the hell was going on? Why is Red X, of all people, down here? What could Slade POSSIBLY want with him? Robin's eyes turn to slits of mistrust.
And why would Slade beat another villain to the point of unconsciousness?
Robin shakes his head and decides to play it cool.
"How's my gauze holding up?" Robin asks leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.
"It's good. Didn't know you were a medic." Red X replies flatly while folding up the newspaper.
"I'm not." Robin says pushing himself off the wall with his propped up foot and walking to his bed. He doesn't sit down of course, he just watches his new visitor from a closer distance.
After a few minutes of silence X places the newspaper back on the table and stands up facing away from Robin. He puts his hands in his pockets and seems to be holding back from saying something.
"You worried about Starfire?"
Robin gasps inaudibly and immediately raises his guard.
"What?"
"You know. Red hair, green eyes, super strength, great bod-"
"I know who she is." Robin says cutting him off. "What do you know about her?"
Red X grimaces. "I was brought here with her."
Robin turns to face him fully. "What?"
"Oh please Robin try not to sound so intelligent." Red X snickers and turns to face the top Apprentice. If possible, Robin began to dislike him even more.
"Tell me what you know about Star." Robin states bluntly.
"What? No please?"
Robin walks to Red X and grabs his shirt collar. He picks him up off the ground and pushes him up against the wall.
"Woah buddy I'm not like that." The villain says smirking.
Robin pulls him off the wall and throws him back up against it.
"I'm not going to play your little games." Robin states. "As far as I know, your life is in my hands. You want to mess with me?"
Red X pries Robin's hands away with difficulty, but he shows no sign of it.
"Fine." X replies fixing his shirt. Robin takes a few steps back and crosses his arms.
Red X looks at Robin out of the corner of his eyes and then down at his shirt.
"Aw man you stretched it all out." He mumbles.
Robin walks to his closet and pulls out one of his uniforms. He throws it to Red X who catches it. He gave him the uniform as more of a way to minimize suspicion, rather than to be nice. Robin fixes a damaged weapon of his as Red X changes.
"Wow, looks like two of your uniforms look better on me." Red X laughs as he adjusts the belt.
Robin doesn't look up. "I won't ask you again. What do you know about Starfire?"
Red X bites back a retort and answers simply with a "She's here."
"Where?"
"With Slade. I tried to help her," Robin heard a tinge of guilt in his voice. "But I was already tied up." He left out the whipping for reasons Robin could already guess.
"How is it that you were captured together?" Robin asks standing up.
"We were fighting. I was down at some jewelry shop stealing stuff when Starfire whooshed in and started zappin' me."
"She was alone?" Robin asked with concern.
"Yeah. I asked her why but she just said something like 'I'd never tell the likes of you'. After about ten minutes of that we both heard some beeping. She powered down to listen. I was about to attack again when the beepin' stopped, and there was an explosion."
"Was she alright? Was she hurt?" Robin asked walking towards X.
"Woah lover boy. She was fine from what I could tell. Just a few bumps and bruises." Said Red X holding up his hands.
Robin ignored the 'lover boy' comment. He looked at the villain for a few seconds before walking over to the table and getting his keys.
"Hey, Where ya going?" Red X asks walking over to the door where Robin is already unlocking it.
"To see Star. If you want to come you have to stay quiet and act normal." Robin replied. To tell the truth, he wasn't as tense as before. He knew now he could take on X if it came to it, and he could use the help.
Robin stops.
"Is Starfire… different?" Robin asks still facing the door.
"Some what hotter, little less naïve, oh and her voice changed a bit… why?"
As much a Robin was disturbed by the fact that Red X knew so much about Starfire, it still helped him to know that that girl in Slade's office was his Star, even if the scream was different.
His mind did not call him on the his.
"No reason." Robin answers as he opens the door.
Robin and Red X walked into the hall and Robin closes the door behind them. He walks down the dark hallway casually. He doesn't want to draw any attention to them. Slade's loyalist's liked to roam around about this time. Red X took the hint and slouched his shoulders a bit, to seem less alert. As they walk at a semi- fast pace down the hall, Robin notices several groups of Apprentice's talking in low voices. They would look at him suspiciously before turning back. Robin got worried. No one was this distrustful unless someone had turned someone else in to Slade… or something happened. Robin hoped it was the former, but he knew that it was the latter. No one was this quiet during free time unless something really bad happened.
"Cheery place." Red X mumbles so only Robin could hear. The bitterness in his voice makes Robin smile, but only slightly.
When the random groups of teens disappear, Robin removes his shoes for stealth purposes. He honestly has no idea why Slade insists they wear those big, clanking things. Red X follows his example and tucks his shoes under his arm. The two boys begin to run without a sound. Even their breath is hardly heard. For once in his life Robin thanks Red X for being as in shape as he is.
They began to slow down their pace as the hallway where Slade's office is comes into view. Robin places his shoes down and walked to Slade's door with a bird- a- rang in hand. They are excellent at picking locks, and he used it for just that.
Robin pushed the door open just wide enough for him to fit through without hitting the door. He grabs the doorframe and pulls his rigid body inside without so much as brushing the door. Red X does the same and soon both of them are on their hands and knee's inside Slade's office. Robin had been here many times before and he knew the place almost as well as his own room. He crawled silently across the floor to a room on the opposite wall. He pressed an ear to it.
Silence.
He then crawled to a door on the other side of the room. He pressed his ear to the door as he had the other one.
He could hear labored breathing on the other side and he knew it couldn't be Slade. The breathing came out in a long, hoarse rhythm, indicating that this person had smaller lungs. Than Slade anyway.
Robin pulled out a regular lock pick and could hardly concentrate as he wiggled it around inside the lock. Starfire could be on the other side. HIS Starfire. He pushes open the door quietly and walked inside.
No Slade.
One Starfire.
He inhales breath quickly at the sight of her. She was battered up pretty good. He stood up cautiously and walked to her.
"Starfire?"
No response.
"Star?"
"Hmm?"
His heart skipped a beat.
"Don't worry I'm getting you out." Robin says scooping her up in his arms.
He carried her out to Slade's main office and opened the door wider so he could get through with Star in his arms. He walked down Slade's walkway with Red X in tow. He looked down at Starfire. He pushes a strand of hair out of her face.
Finally. He thought to himself.
He was brought out of his fantasies by a sharp tug on his arm. Only after Red X pulled him back did he hear the footsteps outside. He whirled quickly and pressed himself flat against the wall covering Starfire's mouth just in case. He closes his eyes as the footsteps grow louder as they come nearer. Then they pass. Robin cautiously pokes his head around the wall he had pinned himself to and watched a large group of Slade's loyalists walk by. If they had found him…
He turned to Red X who was looking at him.
"Walk ahead of us." Robin whispered. "No one will suspect you, and you can scout for anyone that will suspect me with Star."
Red X nods and walked around the wall. Robin hears him pick up both pairs of their shoes and walk on. After about five minutes Robin turns the corner himself.
The walk to his room was pretty uneventful. Once a couple of his friends whistled indicating the sleeping Starfire in his arms. He had only smirked at them and continued walking.
When he reached his room Red X was already there leaning against the wall. Robin fumbled in his pocket for his keys. When he got them Red X held out his arms indicating that he should hold Starfire while Robin opens the door. Robin gave him a 'ya right' look and tosses him the keys. X scowls but unlocks the door anyway. As soon as they are inside Red X locks the door, Robin sets Starfire down on the bed.
He sits next to her and shakes her slightly.
"Starfire." Robin says just loudly enough to wake her up.
"Huh?" Starfire said rolling over. "No Robin I will not get up… it's too early." Starfire states half asleep.
"It's actually 11: 30 at night Star." Robin replies stroking her back. God he had missed this.
"Uh huh…" She says back. "Wake me up late-" He feels her body stiffen. She rolls over with huge eyes.
"Robin?"
"Well hello there cutie." Red X says walking over to them and smiling down at her.
Starfire blinks. "Robin?" She asks again.
"Yeah?" He replies smiling and holding his arms out for a hug.
"I… Can it… Robin!" She finally screams throwing herself into his arms. He holds her against him as he strokes her hair softly. A tangled web of explanations and questions come from Starfire and she holds onto him fiercely.
"….And we just couldn't find you Robin!" She suddenly bursts out. She pulls back suddenly. "It IS really you?" she asks placing a hand on his face.
His voice shakes when he replies with a "Ya I'm real." He covers her hand with his own as she smiles at him with tears in her eyes.
"Oh don't mind me, I'm just here for the food." Red X scoffs as he looks down at the two out of the corner of his eye.
"Robin, who is this?" She asks tilting her head to the side.
"A rather annoying acquaintance Star. Don't listen to him."
Star giggles when Red X makes an angry noise. Star turns back to Robin and hugs him again.
"Never go away again…" She whispers. He holds her tight against him.
"I would never leave you." He says into her hair.
All three teenagers tense at the sound of a knock on the door.