I want to thank everyone for taking the time to review!

Evil Soul asked about Red X's civilian identity, which will be introduced in the next chapter and where a lot of your other questions will be answered. Red X's costume is exactly the same from the show, but I decided to keep the steel toed boots from his Robin costume.

Evil Soul also said this:

"With regards to Red X's skill level, I'd like to point out that he has eight years exp. In this world Superman first appeared ten years ago, with Batman following a year later (though given Batman's tendency towards stealth, I'll concede that he could have been operating longer than that). This makes him one of the most skilled heroes in this world, having been operating longer than most members of the Justice League. He's trained under his world's Batman, Slade and the True Master (Chu Hui - female, not male), operated as a solo hero and as the leader of a team of meta humans (who he can easily beat even when they've teamed up against him and he's trying not to hurt them; TT season one, ep 'Apprentice pt1+2'). He's held his own in one on one fights with Slade (who in comics is better that even Batman) and survived Trigon with only Slade backing him up (in your story I mean)."

I completely agree with you Evil Soul. However, I was afraid that I would make Red X too powerful so I've been toying around with the idea to dull down his abilities, but now that you've pointed this out to me, I feel completely justified in making Red X and all-encompassing badass, putting him more on Batman's level than his counterpart.

To Anbu Fox, Ravager is not a sister to anyone in this AU, though she and Cheshire are about as close as friends as mercenaries can be to one another. I wanted to introduce her alongside an established character, and Cheshire was the perfect option. I've always just liked the idea of Ravager's character and was inspired to use her in this story.

~Young Justice: Red X~

Chapter 6: The Auction Part III

|GOTHAM HARBOR
|2010 June 23, 00:16 EDT

He didn't get it, and that was what was really weird about the whole thing. He usually got things, could understand stuff that no one else did. He prided himself on that fact. While the rest of the world swallowed what they were told, content with the wool that was pulled over their eyes, he alone saw existence for what it was. But this Red X puzzled him and he didn't like being puzzled. That second rate hack behind all of this, Questioner or Quizzler or whatever, enjoyed them, but not him. No, he much preferred jokes.

So why couldn't he get this kid, and really, what was so puzzling about him? He practically popped up out of nowhere weeks ago, took down a few B-movie wannabes and had gone and gotten himself labeled as an assassin. Which only proved his earlier point. Count what's-his-name had lied and people believed him without a second thought. Really, they were all just sheep. No wait, they were the pigs who set up a democracy on a farm, that wasn't really a democracy. All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

Oops, he gotten off topic again. Back to the kid.

He supposed it wasn't unusual that he didn't know much about mysterious little Xy, but that wasn't what was bothering him. No, what was really making his brain itch, and not in the fun way, it was that weird Vuja de feeling. He was certain, well 73% certain, that he'd never met X-boy before. He looked up, studying the replay of the kid's fight against the two "skilled" fighters, when his eyes suddenly widened in delight and disbelief.

That was why the kid had sparked his interest! He recognized that left hook! He fought like the Bat!

Uncontrollable laughter bubbled out of his mouth as he threw his head back in sheer joy. He leaned back so much his chair almost tipped over. He peeked a glance at the other so called villains, smiling to himself as they stupidly watched the recording without really seeing. He loved how he was the only one who truly got where the kid's moves came from, how he'd picked up on it before anyone else had. Not even old Raise a' Ghoul, he was pretty sure that was the guy's name, seemed to notice it. Bah, and the crotchety old timer had the nerve to consider himself as Batsy's greatest foe. He had to stuff his fist into his mouth to stop laughing in order to focus on the replay.

As he continued to study X-ray kid, he noticed that most of his aerial moves looked like Bird Boy's. So the kid delivered punches and kicks like Batman, but moved and dodged like Robin. How sooo very interesting!

His smile disappeared for a second as he saw the way Xy blocked the girl's sword with his staff. He could remember a few times when Bird Brain had used a staff, but never like the way XXX was using it and to his extensive knowledge, which was very thorough mind you, he knew Batsy never used a staff to fight with. Whenever Xy-boy lashed out with his staff, he always went for the weakest areas and hit them. Hard. He laughed once again as some of the idiots in the crowd flinched and groaned in sympathy for the replay of the two girls whenever they were hit by the steel staff.

The boy was absolutely brutal. Really, that was another aspect Junior shared with the Bat.

Even more puzzling was that it looked nothing like the kind of style Batman would use. Then again, what did he know about Kung-Phooey fighting forms? Oh, Batsy was harsh, but only with his fists; rarely did he use a weapon to beat down on his enemies. Batarangs and smoke pellets didn't count. He supposed the kid used the staff to make up for his lack of physical strength, but from the looks of Rated-X he didn't think that the kid's punches would feel as feathery as Bird Boy's.

Still, he knew that this kid was somehow tied to the Dork Knight. There were too many similarities for the two not to know each other. Now that he thought about it, didn't the kid team up with Bats and Birdie to take down the Mad Hatter. Nice fellow that Hatter, he obsessed over tea way too much. Still Gotham was his city. It belonged to him, the Clown Prince of Crime. Whether the kid had meant to or not, he had gained the interest of Gotham's worst criminal.

The Joker laughed louder than before.

~Young Justice: Red X~

|GOTHAM HARBOR
|2010 June 23, 00:18 EDT

Red X regained his breathing while the replay of his fight with Cheshire and Ravager was shown above on the TV screens. Some henchmen had already come in and removed the two girls, though they had spent a good five minutes each by trying to cut them out of the red adhesive. Cheshire had come too once she had been freed and had nodded at him before she had walked off the floor while carrying a still unconscious Ravager. No one had come over with a first aide to tend his injuries with this time.

X looked down at his broken and bleeding arm. He was going to have another fight and he couldn't risk damaging it more than he already had. He fired a Constrictive X that bound itself tightly around his right arm, making him flinch in pain. It was the best kind of support he could offer his injury at the moment. Hopefully the makeshift brace would provide enough protection against further attacks and keep his fractured bones in place.

He looked up at the screen and, out of a habit instilled in him during his years with Batman, studied his fight, picking out what he did wrong. He had held back, such as not using his invisibility, in the fight because he hadn't wanted to reveal all of his abilities. Now that he could see the match from a different perspective, he could see that invisibility would've been useful against Cheshire and Ravager, but he had to take into account that both girls could've been trained to detect the unseen. That same reasoning applied to why he hadn't used any smoke pellets.

He ran a scan on his Xenothium Core and nearly cursed out loud as he read that he only had a total of 19%. He ran the power usage for his abilities in his head. That only left him with a maximum of teleporting ten more times, meaning he should only use it when absolutely necessary. His X Shuriken didn't take up too much power, but he definitely couldn't use anymore Electric X's, they took a good 10% of energy to produce. Which is probably why his suit was so drained. His fight Croc must've eaten away half of his reserves. X Adhesives and X Constrictive were also crossed off from his list of options.

It looks like he would have to rely on his physical capabilities for the rest of his fights. Normally that wouldn't have hindered Red X's chances all that much. Over the years he'd learned not to rely on his gadgets too much, growing more adept at close combat. But with a broken arm, his steadily increasing exhaustion, and other minor injuries, he admittedly wasn't in the best shape for that kind of fighting.

His thoughts were interrupted as X heard a familiar laughter from above. He looked up, past the TV, and spotted a balcony full of the most dangerous and powerful criminals in the world. 'Damn, how long has the Riddler been planning this thing?!' He couldn't make out most of them, just the few who stuck out like a sore thumb. As he searched through the horde, he found something that made his body freeze and his breathing stop.

A flash of orange, a metal mask, and that single dark eye staring down at him.

Red X's eyes widened and he searched through the balcony frantically. As he continued to scrutinize the group for several long seconds, his racing pulse started to slow down and he took a calming breath. It was just his imagination. Ravager's outfit had stirred up old memories. Surely, if Slade had been up there, the man would've made his presence known.

Tearing his gaze away from the crowd after a few minutes more minutes of searching, Red X closed his eyes and quietly repeated Raven's chant under his breath to help regain his composure. He was tired and not in the best of health. He really didn't know how much more his body could take, hopefully backup would arrive soon. Where was the Justice League?

Where was Batman?

~Young Justice: Red X~

|GOTHAM HARBOR
|2010 June 23, 00:20 EDT

Kaldur'ahm laid on the small bed that had been provided for him in his even smaller cell. He had been delivered meager meals sparingly throughout the day, but hadn't touched any of it. He didn't put it past his captors to have poisoned the food and water in some way. He wasn't sure just how long he'd been captured, though he was certain only three days at the most had passed.

He'd been caught while fighting on the surface world. His king had given him the approval to run a solo mission, but something had gone wrong. All Kaldur could remember was being surrounded by several men and that they'd used some sort of knockout gas on him. He had come to a few hours later and had then been dragged out into an arena to fight for some sort of auction. His first fight had gone well enough, as he had been allowed the use of his weapons, the group of men had proven to be no match. His second bout had ended in a draw, leaving him unconscious for an unknown period of time.

Kaldur'ahm wondered, not for the first time, if he was the only sidekick caught up in this auction ordeal. Were Speedy, Robin, and Kid Flash somewhere here too, or perhaps one of the heroes had been captured? Was his king all right, had he been taken as well, or was he searching for him right now?

Once he had those thoughts, Kaldur's mind wandered into a darker territory. What would happen if he was not saved by the time the bidding would begin? Would he even be present for the event or would he simply be dragged off to the person who had won him? He knew that there was no way to escape on his own, what with most of the villain community surrounding him and the electric cuff attached to his leg.

His chances of escape were slim to none.

If he was bought by someone, he wondered whom it would be. He didn't have many enemies and those who hated his king were mostly aquatic lifeforms like himself. If there was anyone who would have an interest in buying him, Kaldur'ahm would wager it was Trident, but he knew that the narcissistic criminal rarely ventured into the surface world.

Kaldur was brought out of his musings by the sound of the door to his cell opening. As he slowly sat up, the two guards motioned for him to follow them. While he walked through the dark hallway, he resisted the urge to simply knockout his entourage and see if he could escape. He didn't make a break for it for two reasons. One, because he did not know the way out and two, because there could also be another hero trapped down here with him.

Just like before, he was brought to the same room that lead to the arena and his unease increased. Would he have to fight again or would the bidding finally begin? As the door opened, Kaldur narrowed his eyes at the harsh lights that lit the stadium floor. Carefully, he walked out into the arena and saw two other people. One was Kid Flash, who waved at him ecstatically from the other side of the dome. Kaldur'ahm smiled in relief. He felt that facing what was to come would be easier now that he was in the company of a friend.

His relief quickly turned into one of wariness as he turned his attention to the other unknown person in the arena. The stranger was dressed in mostly black, with red and grey placed throughout his costume. His mask looked like that of a skull with a red X on it. He looked like no hero, but then again, he'd had similar thoughts Batman once. Kaldur knew better than to judge someone based upon appearances.

As he continued to study the skull masked foreigner, he noticed the injuries that riddled his body. There were small cuts marring his torso and his right arm was held close to his chest, enclosed with some sort of red material. The person looked back at him with an unnerving stare, never blinking once. Not knowing what to expect, Kaldur pulled out his weapons and settled into a ready stance. Kid Flash was by his side in a second. He nodded to the speedster, but focused on the masked character in front of him.

"So is this guy good or bad?" Kid Flash asked from beside him and Kaldur'ahm simply shrugged his shoulders. It looked like they would just have to wait and see.

~Young Justice: Red X~

|GOTHAM HARBOR
|2010 June 23, 00:22 EDT

Red X stared in, not shock, but in something akin to disbelief as he watched both Aqualad and Kid Flash enter the arena. Were they his next match or were they going to start the bidding now? His eyes took in Kid Flash's appearance and he had little doubt that the boy who wore the iconic suit was indeed this dimension's Wally West.

As he looked over Aqualad, he knew that this teenager was not Garth, he was not the Atlantian that he'd accepted as a friend and fellow Titan. As Red X studied the new Aqualad he found himself also being analyzed. Kid Flash didn't pay him too much attention, but Aqualad did. He met the young man's gaze evenly, and after a moment the young Atlantian looked away while brought out his weapons. Kid Flash quickly moved to stand next to Aqualad, also readying himself for a fight.

"Now for our last match of the night, a free-for-all among our items before we begin the bidding." The Riddler called from above and the crowd roared with excitement. "Our final fight, Aqualad vs. Kid Flash vs. Red X!" The Riddler shouted over the yelling masses and surprisingly Red X could hear a few shouting his name. He glared slightly at the floor, suddenly reminded of him of the Master of Games incident. That entire affair had taught X just how far he was willing to go in order to win. It was not one of his prouder moments.

"Red X?" Kaldur repeated to himself, studying his opponent intently. He didn't know much about the new vigilante, only that Red X had made a mistake in a fight alongside Green Arrow and Speedy. Afterwards, Count Vertigo had declared him an assassin on national TV, and everyone, save for those with ties to the League, believed it. Kaldur frowned in consideration. Vigilante or not, there was no honor in fighting one already injured.

Kid Flash sighed to himself out of relief as he heard who their opponent was. Robin had told him all about Red X, and while it was good to know that he wasn't actually going to have to fight an assassin, he was still a little worried. They honestly didn't know a lot about Red X and the guy looked just a little too shady for his tastes.

"I will not fight!" Kaldur'ahm declared while glaring at the Riddler. He saw the man make a sharp gesture and suddenly remembered the metal cuff attached to his leg. As he braced himself for the surge of electricity he knew was to come, Kaldur saw something red shoot towards him in his peripheral and instinctively dodged it. He glanced back at Red X and saw his palms facing toward him and Kid Flash. Another red object shot out of the X symbol embedded in the vigilante's hand and he dodged the weapon yet again.

He shot a look of confusion at the other teenager. Had they been wrong? Was Red X really a criminal this entire time?

Red X charged at the two sidekicks, his steel staff at his side. As Kid Flash raced towards him, he teleported in front of Aqualad and swung his staff down at the Atlantian. Aqualad raised his water manipulating weapons in time to block the attack and Red X took his chance to better explain things.

"If we don't fight, they'll only electrocute us until we agree to. For now, it's best to play along and buy time until the Justice League can get here." Red X said quietly to Aqualad and saw understanding flash through the Atlantian's eyes.

"But I still do not wish to fight you, you are hurt." Aqualad professed as he threw off Red X's staff and blocked another strike.

"Then don't think of this as a fight. Think of it as a spar." X responded before he jumped back to avoid the punch Kid Flash had launched at his side. As he moved further away from the two sidekicks, he could see Aqualad swiftly explaining the situation to Kid Flash who nodded in understanding. As they readied themselves for his next attack, Red X could only hope that the Justice League would get here soon.

~Young Justice: Red X~

|GOTHAM HARBOR
|2010 June 23, 00:22 EDT

Batman growled as the scan once again failed to narrow down the Red X's exact location. The tracking device had been active for one hour and fifty-three minutes and yet he was still no closer to finding Red X than when he'd first started.

He boosted the signal to the max and reentered algorithms to help with the calculations, his tracking program went to work once again. He watched the channeling beacon come to life at the harbor, broadcasting in a large radius, and almost growled again until he saw the red radius start to grow smaller.

A triumphant smirk made its way onto his face as he finally locked onto the coordinates of his Bat Tracker. He sent out the location to the rest of the Justice League and flew the Bat Wing towards the warehouse district.

~Young Justice: Red X~

|GOTHAM HARBOR
|2010 June 23, 00:24 EDT

Deathstroke noticed the Riddler make an appearance before anyone else did. The puzzle loving crook crept along the railing, his gaze switching between the match below and the group of possible bidders. After a moment, he cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. What little chatter there had been quieted down almost instantly. The Joker took that as his cue to let out a loud chuckle and the Riddler wisely waited until the insane clown was finished.

"While the common rabble enjoys this little match, I thought it best to get the bidding started." The Riddler offered simply as he stood in front of them confidently. "Let's get the first item out of the way shall we? We'll begin with the young Atlantian, Aqualad. Do I hear fifty thousand?"

Deathstroke ignored the voices that answered as he continued to watch the match below. They obviously weren't really fighting, but were simply doing what they needed to, to avoid being electrocuted. Still, even in the exhibition match, Red X clearly outmatched Aqualad and Kid Flash. As he barely paid attention to the auction, Deathstroke heard Aqualad be bought by Black Manta and then Kid Flash was bought by some villain whose name wasn't worth remembering. As the bidding for Red X began, he waited a minute, letting others outbid each other before he spoke.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand." He called out beating the last bid by fifty grand. He observed as half the room paled when they realized who had just spoken. The Riddler seemed pleased at the alleged amount of money. The Joker was oddly quiet. Talia glared at him.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand going once, twice, and-" The Riddler never got to finish his sentence as he was interrupted by a siren going off throughout the room. The man quickly paled as he ran out to see what was happening and most of the villains just sighed. They had figured that the Justice League would eventually find this auction. It had only been a matter of time really.

The rogues diligently made their way off of the balcony, leaving the Riddler and lower criminals in the stands to deal with the Justice League. They safely made their way out of the warehouse throughout the many exits that had been setup ahead of time. It was fun while it lasted.

Deathstroke stood alone on the empty balcony as he stared down at the prize that had just escaped his grasp. No matter, he would keep a close eye on Red X.

~Young Justice: Red X~

|GOTHAM HARBOR
|2011 June 23, 00:26 EDT

Red X panted heavily as he blocked Aqualad's water-mace. His injuries and his exhaustion, were taking their toll on him. He found that he could barely keep up with Aqualad and Kid Flash. As he did a back-handspring to avoid Kid Flash, his suit gave him another warning on how much power he had left.

He was only running at 14% now.

Kid Flash paused and Aqualad sent him another worried look. Red X knew that his poor condition had become very apparent. He couldn't collapse yet though, they still needed time. As he caught his second wind, he stood up and charged at the two heroes once again.

Once again Kid Flash raced up to meet him halfway. The easiest flaw to notice in the speedsters' attack pattern was that Kid always fought head-on, even when that approach proved useless. Red X timed it just right and launched himself into a forward roll that smashed into Kid Flash's legs, hurtling the boy over him and smashing into the ground.

Red X pushed out of his roll and leaped at Aqualad who raised his water weapons, having them take the form of a shield to block his kick. Red X rebounded off of the water shield and used the momentum to push off in a backflip, dodging Aqualad's counterattack. X heard Kid Flash get off the floor from behind him as he charged at Aqualad again. He evaded the punch Aqualad sent at him by crouching and used his staff to sweep the Atlantian's legs out from under him. Red X then launched himself into the air to avoid Kid Flash, who tripped over Aqualad and landed in a sprawl on top of the Atlantian.

X once again distanced himself from the two and shot out several X Shuriken. Kid Flash raised both of his arms and moved them in a rapid circular motion, creating two miniature hurricanes that effectively knocked them away. The stunt gave Aqualad and Kid Flash time to regain their footing. As Red X moved to attack again, a red light flashed from above as a shrill siren rang throughout the arena. X smiled in relief, it would seem the Justice League had finally found them.

The crowd of villain's reaction was to be expected. They were in a panic.

They pushed and shoved at each other, having come to the same conclusion as him, trying to find an exit before the heroes could show up for their sidekicks. Red X could hear the Riddler shouting orders from above, demanding to know who could have possible found their location. Knowing that this was the perfect chance to escape, Red X shot a single Electric X at the cuff on his ankle and smiled as the power surge overloaded it, rendering it useless. 4% left now. As he tore off the shackle he noticed Aqualad use his own electric abilities to free himself and Kid Flash.

"The Justice League I assume?" Aqualad stated thankfully. Red X nodded in agreement. He saw the Atlantian give a small smile while and Kid Flash shouted in celebration. Aqualad's smile didn't last long before the seriousness of the situation reaffirmed itself. "What now? Do we wait or do we attack?" Disturbingly, Red X was struck hard by Déjà vu, feeling like he was Robin once more, and Cyborg was asking him what to do. He mentally shook himself out of his nostalgia. He was not Robin, Cyborg and the others were not here.

"You can do what you want, but I suggest you two stick together no matter what decision you make. I'm going after the Riddler." Red X replied, using his grappling gun to jump out of the stadium. His escape was stopped as his line smashed into an invisible force field. He heard mocking laughter from above and saw the Riddler grinning down at him.

"Did you really think breaking out would be that easy? I've already sold each of you and I don't intend to walk away from this unrewarded." Nygma taunted and the arena doors opened up, letting in a mob of grunts. Reluctantly, Red X moved to regroup with Aqualad and Kid Flash.

"Would it not be easier to just use the doors in the arena to escape?" Aqualad asked as enemies continued to pour into the room. Kid Flash had already bolted into the mob without a second thought.

"No, we have no idea what's beyond those doors. For all we know we could run into a previously set trap, or something worse. This arena is the probably the largest area in the Riddler's hideout, making our chances of running into the League here higher than stumbling through random tunnels." Red X reasoned, thinking of wandering upon Killer Croc, Cheshire, or Ravager. It was likely that the previously defeated villains were in those hallways, attempting their own getaway. And he was in no hurry for a rematch. He shot a look over at the Atlantian, somewhat surprised to find the sidekick listening to him attentively.

"I can break us out of this barrier, but you two need to stick with me. The opening will last only a few seconds." He explained and Aqualad nodded before running off to tell Kid Flash the plan. Red X brought out his staff with his good arm as a small group of ten thugs surrounded him. "Trust me, you don't want to fight me. I'm in a foul mood." He said with a growl, his calm and cool attitude lost to frustration. He was much too tired and irritated to deal with such a nuisance.

After he had quickly defeated the group, Aqualad found him with Kid Flash in tow. He nodded to them and after Aqualad gave him a boost, he was launched into the air and used his X Portal. A small glowing X, made purely out of Xenothium, flew upwards, rapidly increasing in size before it slammed into the barrier, burning through it, and creating a breach that X quickly went through. Behind him, Kid Flash had raced up the wall and launched himself through the opening as Aqualad used his water weapons as propulsion to shoot up through the air just before barrier reformed itself.

Red X landed in the now abandoned stands, followed by Aqualad and Kid Flash, and his suit showed that he only had 1% of power left. He briefly glanced at the mob now trapped in the arena before he turned in search for the Riddler. He spotted the man running across an overhanging walkway, leading to a ladder that was no doubt an exit. Ignoring Aqualad and Kid Flash, X used his grappling hook and chased after the criminal. Just as the Riddler was about to reach the ladder, he shot an X Shuriken at the villain and smiled as the criminal crashed into the floor.

His suit alerted him that he was now running on emergency power, but it didn't matter much at this point. The mission was over and the League was here. Just as he pulled the Riddler up to his feet, Superman punched through the ceiling. Kid Flash quickly flagged him over and Wonder Woman came flying through not even a full second later. Apparently not all of the criminals had made it out in time and the rest of the Justice League was gathering up the stragglers.

As Red X moved towards Superman, Wonder Woman, Aqualad, and Kid Flash, he picked up bits of what they were saying. Kid Flash was talking about his matches in a fast pace to Wonder Woman while Aqualad was calmly telling Superman about his own experience. As Red X approached them, Superman turned to look at him and smiled. Without thinking, he smiled back.

Superman had always been good company, especially after a fight with Batman about something or another. He could never turn to Alfred in those situations. The butler rarely chose a side in their arguments, but was always willing to listen and offer advice. Superman, or Clark as he'd asked to be called, always offered him support even if he'd known that the young sidekick had been in the wrong. Clark's patience and kindness had balanced out Batman's relentless putdowns and severity.

Clark offered him a hand to fly him up out of the stadium and Red X shook his head, instead handing over the Riddler and using his grappling gun to get out. Today had taught him a valuable lesson. He'd been relying too heavily on his suits special abilities. After tonight, he would restock his belt to carry more of the weapons he'd used as Robin.

As he was reeled up to the rooftop of the building they were in, and old canal warehouse at the harbor Red X noticed, Wonder Woman brought up Aqualad and Kid Flash with her. Superman dropped the Riddler on the rooftop, who let out grunt of pain. There was no need to tie the man up, he wasn't going anywhere. Suddenly feeling out of place, Red X hid in some shadows as he watched the Flash and Aquaman shower attention and concern over their missing protégés. A hollow feeling welled up inside of him as he saw them interact, and he realized that there was no one in this world who would worry about him like that.

There was no Alfred, Clark, or Teen Titans here for him.

Red X was startled out of this revelation as a large hand came to rest on his shoulder. He looked up at a familiar cowl that held a very unfamiliar expression. Batman was staring down at him in concern. But Batman never looked at him in concern, only Bruce Wayne had, and those moments had been far and few in-between.

"Are you alright?" Batman asked quietly so that the rest of the League wouldn't hear. Red X saw that the Martian Manhunter was looking at them, as was Superman, but the others' attentions were solely focused on Kid Flash who was telling a very animated and exaggerated story of his fights.

"I'm fine." He responded, inwardly cringing at how tired and weak his voice sounded to his own ears. Batman's expression didn't let up or even morph into his usual scowl, but instead turned into one of understanding.

"I can help you… with your injuries." The Dark Knight offered lightly as he looked down at the cuts that marred Red X's body. The younger hero was grateful that he'd had the foresight to hide his broken arm with his tattered cape. He nodded his head in thanks, but quickly stepped away from his almost mentor.

Red X had very little doubt that if he left with Batman or the League, that he would be subjected to questioning and he was not ready for that just yet. He saw Batman take a step back in acceptance and X turned to the shadows once again, ready to get back to his hideout and take care of his wounds.

"Wait!" He heard Aquaman call out from behind him. He half turned to the Atlantian King as the man walked up to him alongside the Flash. "You have my deepest thanks for saving Kaldur'ahm. You are always welcome in my kingdom, Red X." Aquaman continued as he gave the teen hero a slight bow, which Red X steadily returned.

"That goes for me too, kid. You ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask." The Flash added as he offered out his arm for a handshake. Fortunately, it was the hand that didn't require his broken arm. He shook the Flash's hand briefly before letting go.

"Don't hesitate to ask anyone from the League for help. We'll only be too happy to return the favor." Superman remarked as he glanced over at Green Arrow and gave the man a pointed look. Red X watched as the archer nodded his head stiffly in agreement. "And don't worry about the warrant out for your arrest, the League knows you're innocent of Count Vertigo's accusations."

With a final nod to everyone, Red X launched himself off of the warehouse rooftop and into the night of Gotham. He was too far away from his main base in Bludhaven, so he headed towards the one he'd set up in an abandoned theater located on the outskirts of East End. Only halfway to his hideout did Red X realize that he was still wearing Batman's tracking device. He cradled the bat shaped tracer in the palm of his left hand, where it gave off a dull blinking red light.

"He's different from you. I doubt that you would have ever shown that much concern for me in a situation like that. I bet you would have even found something to criticize about. You would have pointed out the mistakes I made, would've said that you taught me better than that." Red X mused severely as he stared down at the tracer.

He wanted to say so much more, to yell for hours at the small piece of metal and circuity in his hands. To imagine that it was his Batman so he could ask the man why he wasn't like his counterpart. With a clenched jaw, Red X swallowed back those heated urges. He crushed the tracer in his hand and watched the broken pieces fall to the ground.

"Why was I never enough?" He whispered to the night air, feeling more exhausted than he had moments ago. His shoulders slumped a little, almost able to feel his mentor's dissatisfied gaze burrowing into his back. Red X jumped off to the next rooftop, lost in old memories.

He never noticed Batman's dark figure appear from the shadows, picking up the broken tracer, nor did he see the worried look sent his way.

~Young Justice: Red X~

That little bit of the Joker's thinking in the beginning was mainly for my own enjoyment. I do so love writing from that psycho's point of view. I also think it's important to write a change of pace once in a while. It gets a little old to read from Red X's point of view all the time and I wanted to do it from someone other than Batman and Deathstroke.

I'm just having Red X realize how alone he really is in this world. He's never really been on his own before. So to know that no one is there for him is a tough truth to accept. I also wanted to point out the major differences between TT/Batman and YJ/Batman. While YJ/Batman is still a total badass, he's far more capable at expressing his feelings and being a better guardian than TT/Batman. It makes Red X wonder why his Batman couldn't be the same.

–Hexalys