Chapter 2- the Threat

Robin simply stood there for a moment, not quite able to believe what he'd just heard. "You need my help?" he was finally able to force out. Red X could not accurately be described as evil, but he was completely amoral and quite independent. The very idea that he would seek help from a team of teenaged superheroes was absurd.

X shrugged. "You weren't my first choice, believe me. I contacted a bunch of mercenaries and criminal groups, but they all backed out when they found out exactly what I needed. I figured, though, that you people would be crazy enough to take me up on it."

"What exactly do you want?" Robin asked. "If you want us to help you with something illegal, then you can get out of this Tower right now. Or, better yet, stick around- I've still got enough fight in me to take you out."

"Sure, kid," X said in a faintly mocking tone. "But don't worry- if I wanted to rob a bank or make off with some high-tech weapon to sell on the black market, I could do that myself. This is something a bit… bigger."

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked, getting rather impatient with the thief's talk.

X looked him directly in the eyes. "Does the name Immortus mean anything to you? General Immortus?"

"He worked for the Brain," Robin said. "He's in a prison in Europe now. What about him?"

"He's out," X said.

Almost before he'd finished speaking, Robin had his communicator open and activated. "Titans!" he said. "Meet me in the control room now. We have a situation."

############

Five minutes later, the Titans were gathered in the control room, looking tired and annoyed and shooting dirty looks at Red X where he stood nonchalantly beside the computer. Raven sat with her eyes closed and her head turned in the thief's direction; after a few seconds she sighed and turned to Robin.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Robin asked.

Raven shook her head. "I can't tell. He's lied before, quite a bit- I could tell that much- but as to whether he's lying now? He could be telling the truth, or he could just be so good that he can fool me."

"I do not like this at all," Starfire put in. "If the Red X wished for out help, then why did he attack Robin?"

"And how'd he get in here, anyway?" Cyborg asked. "Nobody gets past my security system and gets away with it!"

X sighed. "I got in here the exact same way I did when I took this suit- and if you honestly think I'm going to tell you how I did that then you're all as slow as your green friend there."

"Hey! Who're you calling slow!" Beast Boy shot back, and then rather ruined the effect by belching loudly. X ignored him.

"As to why I attacked Robin- I was bored. I'd been waiting for awhile in there and I wanted some action, so when the chance came I took it. I you'll notice, though, I didn't hurt him."

"Though you certainly tried!" Starfire snapped.

"Listen," X said, raising his hands, "I know you all don't like me, and I don't really like you. But unless you want to wind up living in a world run by the most ruthless military dictatorship of all time, you'd better listen to what I have to say."

"We're listening," Robin said.

"All right, then. A few weeks back, I was on a job- no need to go into the details- when I found myself in a bit of a situation with the local police force. Normally I could've taken all of them at once, but my power cells were running low and I needed to get out of there. The alternative energy source I found is a lot easier to get then xenotheum, but doesn't last nearly as long.

"Anyway, I thought I was toast when about a dozen men in combat uniforms jumped the police and left them in varying stages of pain. Figuring that this was something I didn't want to be involved with, I tried to run before they noticed me. Too late for that, as it turns out- they knew I was there from the beginning. Their leader called out for me, said that if I stuck around I might hear a deal that would be to my advantage. So I dropped my cloaker and asked him what he had to offer.

"He told me that his boss had been looking for people with stealth skills and brains to carry out sabotage for him. I told him that I was an independent and he'd need to offer something pretty impressive to get my attention. He said that he had a plane waiting and that he could take me to meet the boss in person. Figuring it was better than sticking around waiting for more police- or you people, for that matter- I took him up on it.

"We flew for hours, and I'm not entirely sure where we ended up except that it's in the middle of the desert a long way from here. We landed beside a huge fortress built on a mountaintop, and as they led me inside I saw glimpses of massive weapons and hundreds of training soldiers. They took me to a room at the very top of the fortress- and there I met him.

"Immortus looked like something that had been dead for a month, all withered skin hung over a thin skeleton. But his eyes were alive, and they looked at me like I was an insect. But he sat me down, got me a drink, and told me all about his grand plan for world domination. Seems he's been planning this for a while now- ever since World War II ended, actually. The idea of a dictatorship based on militarism and war struck him as the best idea he'd heard in centuries, apparently. He had the troops and the weapons, but he needed people to go around the world for him, sneaking into governmental facilities, stealing their secrets, destroying their equipment, and so on. He was of the opinion that I was the one for the job.

"Well, I thought he was insane, but I was smart enough not to tell him that to his face, sudden death being bad for business and all. What I did tell him was that I'd think it over, so he told some of his men to watch me while I made up my mind. As soon as the old man was out of the room, though, I told my guards I needed to use the restroom. They insisted on accompanying me, and as soon as we were inside I decked both of them, switched my cloaker on, and bolted. It didn't have much juice left, but it had enough to get me to one of the planes, which I stole and managed to fly back here.

"We've not exactly ever been the best of friends, but you all know me- I look out for myself and have broken more laws than a HIVE graduating class, but I'm not one for this sort of thing. I don't want to rule the world, and I certainly don't want the old man doing it- absolute dictatorship isn't good for someone like me. Immortus would use me, and then through me to the wolves as soon as he didn't need me anymore, and I wasn't about to let that happen. So here I am, and now you know the situation. Someone needs to bring Immortus down, and you seem like the people for the job."

"What exactly do you expect us to do about it?" Robin asked after a moment of silence. "You said yourself you don't know where his main base is. Wouldn't this be more of a job for the Justice League?"

"I don't trust any hero-types but you to even try to give me a fair hearing, Robin," X said. "And if I went to the government they'd make me reveal my identity before listening to anything I said, and I'm sure you can understand why I didn't want to do that. Besides, I have one more thing."

X reached into his cape and removed a disk. "I took this from Immortus' desk while he wasn't looking. It contains data about a base, hidden in the mountains not far from here. The soldiers there are guarding a team of crack scientists- including our old friend Professor Chang, I believe- who are working on something. The disk doesn't say what, but it could give him complete global domination."

"And you want us to stop it," Robin said slowly.

"Bingo. But don't think I'm leaving this to you- I'll be coming along. I have a feeling you'll be needing my help. Shall we meet at this time tomorrow night on your roof?"

"Wait just a minute-" Cyborg began, but before he could finish X pressed a button on his belt, and his image blurred and vanished.

"Looks like he got a new powerpack, at least," Raven commented dryly.

"I don't like this, Robin," Cyborg said. "Could be a trap."

"I know, but even if it is we need to go with him."

"Have you gone completely out of your mind?" Beast Boy demanded, then seemed to remember who he was talking to. "Don't answer that."

"I'm not crazy," Robin reassured them. "The thing is, X wouldn't act like this on his own- he always preferred to do things his own way, not rely on others to set traps for him. That means that either he's telling the truth and we help him stop a real threat, or he's lying and we find out about something else.

"In any case, get some sleep, team. We're going to need it."