Chapter 2: Rescuer
Bubbles of color floated around amidst white-winged porcelain balls carrying trinkets of oddity. And just as the silver stars were about to pop into bursts of happiness –
The buzzing alarm flashing red woke him abruptly from his dream. Robin leaped off his bed and ran into the living room, screeching to a halt in front of their giant monitor screen.
"Who is it?!" he asked urgently.
"Control Freak raiding another video shop," Cyborg reported, metal fingers flying furiously over the control panel.
"That is so lame," Beast Boy commented, "At least last time he trapped us in the TV. But raiding a video shop? Dude, he's getting desperate!"
"It doesn't matter. He must be stopped. Titans, move out!" Robin whirled around, yellow cape flying behind him as the others followed.
Within moments they arrived in front of the largest video store in Jump City: MegaVid with all the best movies ranging from 30s classics all the way to amateur foreign documentaries. If you're looking for it, they have it! But right now, there was an unwanted customer.
Kicking down the door in true Titan fashion, the teen superheroes were met with the scene of Control Freak bringing to life the Werewolf to terrorize the poor clerk ladies.
"For the last time, 'Crying Roses' belongs in the thriller section, not drama!" he cried furiously, "Who does the organization in this place? Ow!"
Control Freak rubbed the back of his head where a tape hit him and turned around to see who the thrower was. He gasped upon seeing his enemies, the Teen Titans.
"Ever though of taking up reading?" Robin quipped.
"Ha ha! Hilarious!" Control Freak sneered, "But you don't want to miss the visuals!"
He pressed a button on his remote control, aiming it at a video in the horror section, and a giant green slime creature reared its hideous self upright, screeching and flailing its jelly-like tentacles.
"Dude! It's the Plutonian monster!" Beast Boy said excitedly, but then his pointy ears drooped in fear. "Oh, wait. That's not good…"
"Titans, GO!" Robin cried, leaping forward with his metal staff.
Starfire began pelting her bolts at the creature, which screamed in annoyance and swatted her to the walls with one of its tentacles like a pesky fly.
Cyborg charged at it with a mighty roar, ready to give it a powerful punch, but the creature's gelatinous structure simply absorbed him into its body.
"Cyborg!" Robin cried, running to help his struggling friend. He plunged his hands into the creature and grabbed Cyborg's arms, pulling him out. The half-robotic teen fell to his knees, coughing and spluttering.
"Aw, man! That was nasty!" he said, sticking out his tongue.
Meanwhile, Raven flew towards Control Freak, who ran into the comedy aisle, panting with the effort.
"You're not running fast enough!" Raven said, extending her hands towards him. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
The glass containing the emergency fire hose shattered, letting the hose extend forward, snaking its way towards Control Freak, who screamed as he was bound tightly. Raven finished off by tying the hose into a knot.
Robin growled at the creature as Beast Boy went flying and crashed into a video stand. As he ran towards the monster, he never noticed the long tentacle sweeping behind him.
"Robin!" Starfire screamed, throwing a star bolt at the offending tentacle.
Robin felt the explosion behind him but was swept up by something, and gasped. He opened his eyes that had squeezed shut during the blast.
"Wanna thank your knight in shining armor?"
Robin suddenly realized he was being held by a pair of arms and the owner was sporting a skull-like mask with a red cross upon it.
"Red X!"
"Surprise," the thief said, giving Robin's back a little squeeze.
"What are you doing here?" he struggled free from his grasp.
"Well, I thought that with a giant blimp causing a scene, I could rent a movie and slip out unnoticed."
"You mean steal!" Robin narrowed his eyes behind his mask.
"If it makes you feel any better, I dropped the movie I was gonna take to save you," Red X said.
"I don't need saving!" Robin said, picking up his metal staff.
"Is that how you treat your boyfriend?"
"Don't say that –!"
A giant crash resonated throughout the store. The two teens turned around to see Cyborg and Raven lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
Robin cursed his absent-mindedness and ran to help his friends. Red X sighed as he watched him battle the monster vainly. He walked to the still struggling Control Freak and rummaged through his coat pocket, pulling out his remote control.
"Hey!" the couch potato yelled indignantly.
Dropping the remote to the ground, Red X crushed it with his foot.
"NOOOO!"
As the remote's power was destroyed, so were its creations. The Plutonian monster disappeared with a zap.
"Dude, what just happened?" Beast Boy asked, scratching his head.
Robin looked at the control remains on the ground, then up at the thief.
"Red X!" The other titans were surprised to see him there.
"This doesn't redeem you," Robin said.
Red X snapped then, grabbing Robin by his front shirt. "You're being a stubborn little twit, aren't you?" he snarled, "Nothing I ever do will convince you this is real, will it?"
A strange click made him turn around. Cyborg's arm had turned into his laser cannon. "Put-him-down," he said menacingly.
"What do you have to convince Robin of?" Starfire demanded.
Red X released his hold. His stance was rigid, showing his dark mood. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" he snapped before slapping on his belt and phasing out.
"Robin, what was he talking about?" Starfire pleaded, her hands clasped imploringly.
The Boy Wonder was still staring at the spot where Red X had been standing. He walked past a confused Starfire, muttering, "We'd better get Control Freak to jail."
The team didn't let up when they arrived back at Titans Tower. They hounded on Robin, trying to find out what was going on between him and Red X.
"Nothing is GOING ON!" he burst out, shooting up from the couch. He stormed out and the automatic sliding door shut behind him.
Starfire made to go after him, but Raven stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"No. The more you try to talk to him, the more he'll close up. We must leave him alone."
"But the last time Robin was this secretive…" Starfire began.
"That whole ordeal being Slade's apprentice happened," Cyborg finished for her.
"We have to learn to trust him," Raven said simply, "He'll tell us in time."
The others looked at each other. Raven was good at understanding people, but they couldn't help but worry.
Later that night, Starfire stood in front of the Boy Wonder's closed bedroom door. She lifted her hand to knock on it, but paused. She lowered it, sighing and closing her arms.
"Robin," she murmured.
Inside the room, Robin lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. He couldn't fall back asleep. He was certain Red X was playing mind games with him. But if so, what did he have to gain from it? What did he have to gain by claiming he loved him? How could he love him? The villain doesn't fall for the hero, that wasn't how things worked.
Robin used to think that there was good and evil. But he knew that the line between them was unclear. How did love fit into all this?
Robin sat up with a sigh of frustration. His jumbled mind was getting him nowhere. He would have to find Red X and figure out what the thief was doing and why.
Sneaking out of his room, Robin crept down the empty hallway and out of Titans Tower. He sped through the streets of Jump City on his motorbike. He had no idea where Red X lingered, but he could search some of the darker, dingier areas. That was where low, dirty thieves hung out and Red X was exactly that. Right?
Screeching to a halt in front of an abandoned parking lot, Robin removed his helmet and ran his gloved fingers through his black hair.
"Looking for me? I knew you couldn't stay away from me for very long."
Robin started, his stance going rigid. A lithe figure jumped in front of him. The familiar skull mask glinted underneath the neon street lamp.
"I wasn't looking for you," Robin muttered resentfully, fists clenched at his sides.
"Really?" Red X came closer, taking his sweet time, "Then why are you wandering around the dark by yourself?"
Robin stammered, his face blooming red. "I… That's… That's not the point! How did you know where I was? Were you following me?" It was easier to accuse his enemy than to admit something he was desperately burying inside himself.
"I wasn't following you." Red X shrugged nonchalantly. "I saw you on your little red riding bike driving through… let's say someplace unbefitting a superhero's style, and decided to make sure you weren't attacked or anything."
"Liar," Robin growled, "I can perfectly take care of myself."
"Doesn't mean I don't want to protect you."
"SHUT UP!" Robin yelled. Red X froze. The Boy Wonder's breathing was harsh as he struggled with his foreign emotions. "Why do you keep saying this?! Why do you… What kind of mind trick are you playing?"
Red X shook his head. "No mind tricks," he said, advancing again, "I'm not one to hide my feelings, Robin."
"Wait…" Robin muttered feverishly, "This… This is like Slade… That's it! Slade put you up to this, didn't he? You're in league with him! I knew you couldn't be trusted!"
"Who's Slade?" Red X said impatiently, "Listen, you. I never asked for these feelings! I've always wanted to meet you, Robin… The famous sidekick of the Batman… You were everywhere! On TVs, on posters, in magazines… Always so heroic, so proud… And I… I was a nobody. I was a thief. Someone you would never want to speak to. But can't you see I'm trying to show you I'm not a super villain?"
Red X paused for breath, his panting muffled by his mask. Robin didn't move; he simply stared at the thief, unable to say anything.
"You once said that I wasn't a psycho; I was just selfish. Stealing is the easiest thing for me and I can't give it up. And you know what? I am selfish. I won't stop until I know you return my feelings. That is selfish I guess, to want you to. But hey, comes with the job."
"I don't understand you," Robin said after a while, "You –"
"Put your hands on me."
"What?"
Red X stared at him levelly – or so it looked like. "Put your hands on me."
Robin bristled. What made the thief think he would comply with something so weird? But before he realized it, his arms were moving up on their own, and suddenly, his palms were flat on Red X's chest.
Robin's breath hitched. What was he doing? For that moment, he was aware only of how hot his body felt, of the beads of cold sweat on his forehead and the pounding in his chest. Red X didn't move. Slowly, hesitantly, Robin's hands moved, tracing the contours of the thief's chest. They made their way up to his shoulders, gloved fingers slightly brushing the black suit. They moved up the neck, trembling slightly. Red X shuddered and sighed, his own fingers twitching at his sides. Robin's fingertips brushed up to the white mask that he had made, the white mask that now covered a mysterious face. They traced over the red cross before sliding down to the edges of the mask. Red X's hands moved up to rest on top of his. Did he think Robin would take the mask off?
"I knew it," he whispered.
Robin swallowed; his mouth had gone dry. "Knew what?" His voice was raspy.
"You do feel something, don't you?" Red X said, "I mean a little more to you than just a petty thief."
"What? No!" Robin pulled away. "You're trying to confuse me!"
"I felt it, Robin. I felt the way you touched me."
"No… No! I was just… curious!"
"It's a start!"
"Leave me alone!" Robin cried. He ran to his bike, slammed his helmet on and sped off.
Red X crossed his arms, satisfied. He did have a chance after all.