I'm back on the track where it's like an old western.
It started like Butch Cassidy and it might end like Butch Cassidy.
Spoilers? Only if you've seen Butch Cassidy and the sundance kid.
And to clear things up, I didn't name him john, he just called himself that. It was meant to be a gesture of closeness, and because he wanted her to call him something other than his alias to bring them together and at the same time keep safe by not giving out his real name.
I guess that was all too vaguely implied.
--Start--
I don't even know what I'm doing anymore.
Who I thought I was just kind of evaporated into thin air.
I've never felt like being with anyone for more than a week.
Not just to be with them, not just to enjoy their company.
Especially a chick.
Look at me; I'm being a whiny bitch. What the fuck?
She's not just on my mind…
She's under my skin.
I was always so sure of everything.
But I don't even know what I'm doing anymore.
--
Red X fled from Jump city. He fled with an unnatural haste, running from cops and speed limits and from the girl he loved.
The girl he couldn't be with. With more inner conflict than he'd ever experience, with more uncontrollable grief than he'd ever feel again, Red X cried silently as he fled from Jump City. He, who had kept a distance from love all his life, who had lived life as he felt suitable, had tasted true romance. He'd tasted it, only to have it torn away from him.
He didn't understand his feelings.
All he understood was his sorrow. He understood it, and hated it. He hated it and he hated himself for caring.
He rode, away from everything, holding the small yellow communicator tightly in his hand.
--
Raven sat on her bed for a long while. She sat and cried for her hopelessness. She hated the stupidity of the situation. She knew the Titans would never accept X as things were now, when he was the cause of so much infidelity. She knew, that had he approached her honestly, she would never have felt the attraction she did. They were impossible for each other. If she told Garfield she needed space, he'd know it was because of X.
So would the team. And they'd never forgive her.
So she sat, and she cried for the hopelessness of her situation.
There was so much to be had, and no way to have it.
--
Red X stopped at the outskirts of the big city for a drink. It was a shady-looking tavern with nothing but American-made Harleys parked outside. There seemed to be a commotion inside. X chuckled. There always was a commotion.
He walked inside, prepared to throw down to get his food. But to his surprise, it wasn't a good-natured bar brawl, all of the bar's patrons were crowded around a pool table, yelling curses and arguing as to whether or not they needed an ambulance.
X investigated, and saw that on the table was a large man with a gang insignia on the vest that covered what had to be a large wound on his chest. He looked in bad shape. His face was mangled; his right arm looked broken at the forearm. His chest heaved erratically, and his legs trembled.
X knew it was no gang brawl, the bikers never caused this much damage on a man without removing his vest after. If they wanted to go that far, they'd have taken his colors and killed him. The bikers valued their colors over anything.
"Who did this?" X demanded. He figured he'd try.
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?" One of the men whirled around and advanced on him. X shifted his weight and bodily tossed him through the window.
"Who did this?" X demanded again. He'd done this before, and most times he had to go through most of the bar until they gave up. That time, however, no one else charged.
"It was Darkside." There was a smallish man with John Lennon sunglasses and a large mustache and a bandana. "Those fucking super-villains always think they can mess shit up. I'm getting tired of it." He said, irritated. Then he turned to the man on the pool table. "…and this dumb fucker had to have a smart mouth with him." To X's surprise, the man was clearly choking back tears. "This fucking guy… he can't even play music for his son…"
X glanced down. The man on the pool table was missing multiple fingers.
"He can't even play for his son…" He said, quietly. "HE CAN'T FUCKING PLAY FOR HIS GODDAMN SON!" He screamed, smashing his fists against the bar.
Obviously these gangs have historically had problems with Jump's resident super-villains. X had never seen any of these bikers be sentimental at all, the resentment must have gone deep.
"This 'Darkside'… is he new to town?" X had never heard of him in his time in the city.
"He's been fuckin' shit up for about four years," said a different man. X noticed the coincidence that he had left Jump City four years ago.
"He's the only one of 'em those Titan pussies can't catch. He comes and goes as he pleases, those poser 'heroes' don't even try fight him anymore, he's kicked the shit out of 'em a couple times, he fucked 'em up real good, too." He added.
"He hasn't been in town for months. We thought he left for good, picked a new city to fuck with." He added, in a defeated tone.
X had had enough. He was done with the history of Jump City. He was no longer a part of it. He walked out of the bar and sat on his motorcycle.
Gunning the engine, he rode out of Jump City.
--
Robin was sitting on the couch watching TV when the alarm sounded. He turned a channel on the TV, seeing what the problem was. His heart sunk when he saw the picture on the screen. Darkside was back.
Robin would never admit it, but Darkside was the only opponent besides Slade that he hated to fight. It wasn't that he was a particularly skilled fighter; it was the way he fought.
Darkside didn't ever block any attack that Robin threw in hand-to-hand combat. When Robin punched, he struck his hand with his elbows. If Robin didn't wrap his hands and wear gauntlets, his hands would have been broken every time he fought Darkside.
Rubbing his knees gingerly, his body remembered when Darkside had broken both of Robin's knees the last time they clashed. He knew to seal Raven's mouth and short-circuit Cyborg's cannon, he knew to ground Starfire and keep distance from Beast Boy.
He knew the same way X did.
Robin hated when Darkside was causing mayhem, because it put Robin in an awkward position. Should he put his team in obvious danger? Or let Darkside rob someone and leave?
It was his duty to serve justice, but it was also his duty to keep his team safe. Darkside never stayed for long. What Robin really needed was a way to bring him down. The problem was, above all, Darkside was elusive. He always did everything at night, and it was hard to fight someone who probably used teleportation while dressed in black at night.
Not only that, but he was quiet. Very quiet. Silent. Cyborg could pick up sound from a pin dropping, but Cyborg couldn't pick up the sound waves this guy should be making with his footsteps.
Robin suspected some new type of technology that muffles sound out completely.
Before Robin could make a decision, Beast boy ran in the TV room, limping with a bloody nose. "ROBIN! Cyborg! He's still out there! Darkside…" Garfield was gasping for breath.
"Why didn't you use your communicator!?" Robin yelled.
"He nabbed it! I got it out and he grabbed it right out of my hand!" Beast Boy explained.
Robin had no time to think. It was a worst case scenario, Darkside had caught a Titan alone.
He had to act at that moment, or one of his friends would be in danger of losing his life.
--
Darkside was grinning behind his mask. He had just grabbed the communicator on an impulse, but now that he had it, he had an idea. A wonderfully horrible idea. And on that thought, he turned on the device and addressed the Titans gleefully.
"So, I have your friend the 'borg here! Say hello, 'borg!" He put the camera up to Cyborg's bloody face. He started to talk, but a foot came down on his face before sound could come out.
"Oooooh! Sorry, he can't talk right now, his jaw's broken! HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! This shit is hilarious." Darkside laughed joyfully at the pain of his hated captive.
"Okay so I'm not sure what I want yet, but you can be sure I'll tell you when I figure it out. Until then, by all means, try and find this guy. Maybe he'll tell you where he is! Tell em, 'borg." He put the camera on Cyborg again. Cyborg uttured only a prolonged scream of pain and frustration that faded into a wounded moan.
"Too bad! Guess you'll just have to look around! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The transmission ended.
--
"Robin! Calm down!" Raven said with futility. Robin was in a fit of impotent rage. He was screaming, destroying the room to the extent of his power.
Beast Boy got very quiet, holding the small yellow device loosely.
Starfire was weeping hysterically.
Raven was trying to calm Robin down, and at the same time think of a way to save their friend. It was a difficult task.
Hope seemed very distant.
--
Red X stood on the side of the road, gripping the communicator tightly, staring intently at the Jump City skyline.
He never had the impulse to save anyone. He played the hero well, but never genuinely wanted to save anyone.
But there he stood, unable to go any further.
Unable to run.
Unable to stand by.
Red X, for the first time in his life…
Felt the relentless need to do justice.
--End--
Well I had to rewrite that a bit, the villain was hard to decide on, in terms of reputation and backstory. I didn't like the first one so I did it again, which took an extra day.
I know Red X is changing, and I'll explain it all when the story is over, like why I did this and that and that other thing.
REVIEW and tell me how you feel about this direction