A/N: To everyone reading, THANK YOU! And I also wanna apologize for being so late with the update. I'm sure you all have seen the news with the craziness going on and I think you all can agree there have been more pressing matters to keep our attention on. But I'm still here and still writing when I can! So again thank you for sticking with me! As always drop a fav/follow and leave me a review and let me know what you think! Hope you enjoy!

The Tower was eerily quiet. All eyes were locked on the two men standing near the doorway. The darkness of the night behind them gave a chilling vibe to the rest of the Titans who were eager to hear some kind of explanation. The silence of the room was suddenly broken when the one person with almost no filter blurted out what everyone wanted to say...

"Uh... What's going on?" Beastboy said with an eyebrow raised and his face lost in utter confusion.

Richard turned to face his former teammates with an expression screaming that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Isn't it obvious?" A robotic voice replied, "I saved your leader because your previous leader couldn't."

Richard grit his teeth. He wanted to lash out at the vigilante behind him but ended up biting his tongue to stop himself. After all, he knew in his heart it was the truth.

"But..." Beastboy started more confused then ever.

"Why?" Raven asked finishing for her boyfriend. She was easily sharing Beastboy's confusion.

It seemed as though everyone leaned in to hear the response from the man in the mask.

"Oh come on..." X respond sarcastically, "I gotta keep some secrets to myself."

"Hold on a second..." Terra spoke up as if announcing her existence. She felt like she had been left in the dark and wanted clarification, "who is this?" She asked aggressively.

"His name is Red X," Cyborg respond filling her in, "back when Dick was still Robin, he used that suit and alias as a way to trick Slade into trusting him."

"But it backfired," Richard chimed in through his teeth.

"Slade saw through his plan and nearly got away," Cyborg continued, "afterwards, Robin locked the suit away until one day we caught this dude stealing xenothium to power the suit that was stolen right from under us."

"And we havent seen much of him since," Beastboy finished for him still confused.

Terra's face didn't look satisfied at all. She still had so many questions but she didn't want to press any further on the subject until things calmed down.

The Titans returned their gaze to Red X to seem him standing there with his arms crossed. Even though he had a mask on, they could easily tell he had a devilish smirk on underneath.

"Well?" His robotic voice announced still standing in the doorway, "are you gonna invite me in?"

The Titans all looked at each other as if not knowing what to do. They looked to Richard for an answer and waited patiently for some kind of direction.

Richard looked up at them with a defeated expression as if he had no choice but to allow it. But before he could say anything a soothing voice sounded from the hallway...

"Yes," Starfire said taking charge. She had changed out of her gorgeous dress and into her usual violet clothes with green gemstones, "I wish to know more about this... Bounty, which has been offered for my capture."

Red X uncrossed his arms and strolled in past Richard, walked right through the Titans, and flung himself on to the couch kicking his feet up on the coffee table. He was laying it on thick that he had no care in the world and was making himself comfortable.

"I've already told you everything I know," X repeated himself, "the only other information I can offer is who I assume also recieved a bounty token."

"Yes!" Starfire exclaimed as she float across the room to stand in front of her masked savior. She wanted to know as much as possible, "any information would be most helpful."

"Word is anyone with a good track record against you guys was most likely to have gotten one," the robotic voice explained, "so people like me, who have evaded you and even beaten you at times," he add for insult to injury, "and others who have left a lasting impression are most likely the most suspect to have gotten the offer."

"Ok... And that means...?" Beastboy said not knowing who he was referring to off the top of his head.

"Incase you can't figure it out like pea-brain over there," X insulted pointing his right thumb over his shoulder at the green hero, "prime candidates would be villains like, me, The Hive, Killer Moth, Johnny Rancid, Madam Rouge, and Slade."

Beastboy drew a look of embarrassment and rage over the insult hurled at him. Raven could see and feel this emotion radiating off him and grew angry. Seeing their "guest" openly insult her boyfriend made her skin crawl. She had to do everything in her power not to lash out at him.

The room went silent for a moment at the sound of the last name on the list provided. The name echoed through Richard's mind as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. But to his knowledge from his recent encounters with his nemesis, Slade had no interest in the Titans. He was focused on... something else. Something Richard had failed to find out.

"Slade isn't coming for Starfire," he spoke up, "you can trust me on that."

"Who said anything about Slade coming after her himself?" X shot right back as if expecting that response.

Richard stood frozen in place. He didn't think about that. But who could Slade possibly send after her if not himself?

"I don't care who it is coming after Star," Cyborg said with force, "they ain't getting to her so long as the Titans got her back!"

"Yeah!" Beastboy said getting fired up with his best friend, "if anyone comes looking for trouble they gotta go through us!"

"Might be hard to take on an army with just the six of you," X said cutting down their optimism, "just because a select few recieved an offer doesn't mean anything. In the villain community, word travels fast. I wouldn't be surprised if every single one of them knew about this, and if they come after her in mass, they would go right through you."

"That's enough," Raven said angrily, "I won't let you sit in our home and insult us like you own the place." Raven's aura started to emit dark energy around her from her anger.

"Raven please," Starfire said softly, "we know not of the dangers we may face. It is important for us to learn as much as possible."

She sounded like Richard... At least... back when he was still Robin. Level headed. Confident. Strong willed. A true leader. The only difference was under that guise was a fragile soul terrified for the future. But only Raven could see that. Or rather... Only she could sense it. Her anger fade and the dark energy fade with it before nodding her head towards Starfire accepting her decision.

Red X laughed in the face of the embarrassment in the room, "I knew there was something special about you," he said looking up at the Tamaranian, "makes saving you worth it all-"

"But you will not treat my friends this way," Starfire cut him off with a stern voice, "you may be our guest but our guests do not say such things to us. Especially not to my dearest friends."

Her voice had an unshakeable sense of anger and frustration behind it like she was about to snap. However, she held her emotions in check keeping her mind focused on the task at hand. The Titans could see this and it only strengthened their loyalty and trust in the team and their leader.

The tension and awkward silence in the room was like watching an mental war breaking loose between the masked guest and the courageous alien. They stared each other down as if lightening was discharging from their eyes between them. X sat forward lifting his feet of the coffee table placing his elbows on his knees before responding in a calm and gentle tone.

"As you wish."

The Titans all looked at each other with a sense of utter confusion as to this reaction from Red X. Raven was trying extremely hard to sense what he was feeling in that moment but to her surprise she couldn't get a read on him. Like he had some kind of mental barrier surrounding him. She was left to speculate like the rest of the team but Richard knew exactly what it was and his anger began to rise within him.

"If you don't have anything useful to say," Richard spat as he crossed the room to stand next to Starfire. When he reached her side he beamed an attacking stare down at the man on the couch, "then you should go."

Red X shift his stare from the gorgeous girl to the man standing next to her as if in unity. It made him furious but he wasn't about start fighting everyone in the Tower.

He stood up raised his hands as he shrugged his shoulders and started a small rant, "hey, this is all speculation at this point. For all I know, no one wants to mess with her. Or... everyone wants a piece of the reward money. It's all a mystery to me." He started heading for the exit past the Titans, "the only thing I do know... Is that you better be prepared and expect anything. Or I'll be back to save her again." As he finished that sentence the doors rushed open and closed behind him.

"Man!" Beastboy said with aggression, "what an a-"

"Asinine imbicile," Raven interrupted with a grotesque tone behind her voice. She finished before Beastboy could fully speak his mind, "does he really think we will trust what he says? For all we know this is part of his plan to get the reward."

"I do not believe that is true," Starfire spouted at his defense, "the Red X had more than enough opportunities to turn me in for the reward but instead... he freed me and brought Dick and myself back home."

"I still don't trust him," Cyborg spoke up, "that dude has done nothing but look out for himself since the day we first saw him. He just all of a sudden became a hero? I don't buy it."

"Then why did he do it?" Terra respond no longer able to keep quiet, "why would he even bother when he could have easily taken the reward when he had the chance?"

"You don't know him like we do," Richard replied, "if he cares about anything its himself."

"But-" Terra started before she was interrupted.

"Trust me Terra," Beastboy said still ripe with anger, "he's up to no good."

Terra felt like she was ganged up on at this point. No one would hear her out. Even though she's the outsider looking in with an open mind and had the most plausible explanation, the others wouldn't budge on their thoughts of him.

"AAAAHHHHGGG!" Terra yelled with frustration, "you're all driving me crazy! If what you're saying is true, then why is everyone here safe and sound when Star was obviously done for?!"

"Because he had a reason!" Richard yelled back, "people like him don't care about others! They only care about themself!"

Terra went silent after hearing the fiery passion come from Richard's voice. He knew something and all the Titans could see it. They all stared at him wondering what he meant...

Dick could sense the tension in the room all directed at him. He was beyond angry and decided to remove himself from the room.

"I'm going to go find out as much as I can," he declared as he head for the exit, "DO NOT go anywhere alone. None of you. Especially you Star," He said looking back at the beautiful woman as he stood in the doorway. She stared back at him with a confused and hurt look on her face. He paused for a long moment as if letting his eyes give a visual apology to her and speaking softly afterwards, "I'll find out as much as I can. Stay safe until I return." He turned and exit the Tower with the doors sliding shut behind him.

"Uh... I'm not the only one who thought that was weird... right?" Beastboy said as the Titans stood in the Tower completely dumbfounded by Dick's reaction.

Terra looked to Starfire and could see her face expressing a pain that could only be felt in the heart. She didn't know if Star knew the answer to her question but decided to ask anyways...

"Star," Terra said softly, "what happened between the three of you?"

Starfire was lost in thought and didn't even hear her.

"Star?" Terra repeat herself.

Starfire looked at Terra with the same look of pain on her face.

"I do not know..." She replied with a somber tone, "but I fear... I... May be losing Richard."