Neb: Red X is becoming more and more unhinged. This is due to his lack of progress when dealing with the White Skull Syndicate. Every time he fought against them, he did well and took out many of their soldiers, but every time he gets close to catching one of their leaders, they get away. Not to mention Lady Hazel of the Fallen Angels had gotten the jump on him, so to say. So yes, because of this Red X had been getting more violent with how he deals with criminals, even if they aren't associated with his targets. I do not own Red X, he his a character of DC Comics, although his alter ego is an OC of mine. This is by no means the real Red X from the actual stories, but I hope you enjoy none the less.

Alec headed down the street during the daytime. There were bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep he had been getting since taking up his new life as a Vigilante. Not that he had been getting a lot of sleep after his sister was killed anyways. As far as food went, he was on a protein shake diet. He didn't have a lot of income in his new apartment, so his fridge wasn't full. Instead his cupboards were filled with protein powders and power bars. He does get a good meal every once in a while when he visits his parents to keep up appearances, but his communication with his parents had become less and less the more he delved into his new life. Alec wanted things to go back to the way they were. Back when he could talk to his dad about anything, but now it was like he was a new person. Like Red X has become his new identity and Alec was the mask he wears over his true self instead. Speaking of fund issues, he now had a punching bag and some weights in his apartment, because he had to cancel his Gym Membership to save money. "I need money," Alec realized. If he was going to keep doing what he was doing, he needed to find a job. He was an unpaid intern working for Zack as a reporter, but that was all for information. His parents sent him a check every month, but he was blowing through it with first aid and fixing up his gear. He didn't even have his batons anymore after getting captured by Lady Hazel. He was lucky to still have his suit and most of his gadgets.

Alec then found himself outside a motor repair shop that had a motorcycle on it's outside billboard. The place was called Rook's Auto Repair, possibly in oppose to Bishop's Auto Industries. Alec chuckled to himself for a moment before heading inside the small building. The shop was basically a garage with a small office, there was a larger parking lot out back where people who want their cars and bikes repaired would park and leave their vehicles in Rook's hands.

"Can I help you son," a man with a short black buzz cut, burns and cuts along his arms, and had a quite muscular figure spoke up. The man also had dragon tattoos poking out of his short sleeve red polo shirt, that was covered a black oily liquid, as were his hands that he was currently wiping with a grey cloth he had in his pocket.

"I work for King and Queen News," Alec spoke up. "As an intern anyways. I was asked to do a report on the local smaller businesses connected to Bishop Auto's Industry. Can I have a moment of your time Mr..."

"Rook," the man responded. "Will Rook. What kind of question's would you be asking?"

"I wasn't actually given details on that," Alec sighed. "I'll ask a bunch of random questions like work conditions, how much Auto Bishop Industries assists it's smaller businesses, and your connection to Lance Bishop."

"That's it?", Rook responded. "Nothing about the locals?"

"The locals?", Alec repeated as he remembered who's territory this area use to be. The building fell under Fallen Angels territory before Lady Hazel was chased away by Sideslash. "Wait a minute." Before Alec could respond he got smacked in the head with a tire iron.

"I don't know how you found me kid," Rook admitted. "But what you hadn't realized was I saw you without your mask."

Alec groaned as he came to, everything was ringing and his eyes were adjusting to blurry darkness. "Without my mask?"

"Don't play dumb kid," Rook responded. "The only reason you aren't taken out and left by the docks, is because you were a victim. I will say, this is your second time getting captured, the life of a vigilante isn't for you."

"Wait a minute? Sideslash?"

"I don't go by that," Rook responded. "Or the Beheader for that matter."

"Then what do you go by? Your some guy running around in a hood cutting people's heads off."

"Only the unforgivable," Rook argued as he put a light in Alec's face. "My blade doesn't leave it's sheath when I'm dealing with lesser criminals."

"The Angel's were drug dealers," Alec pointed out. "Sure, they were joining forces with the White Skull Syndicate, and I'm happy you took care of them, but were they really worth taking the heads of."

"They don't just sell drugs moron," Rook growled. "They deal in forced prostitution, kidnapping and selling people oversees, and Lady Hazel decided to have her way with you when you were unconscious. I'm sorry I didn't get to you in time. I had a hundred Fallen Angels to go through before I could even make it to her room."

"D-did you kill her?"

"Unfortunately she and her two lieutenants slipped away last second," Rook sighed. "They may have even left the country."

"Sounds like you spooked them," Alec chuckled.

"You've got a strong will kid," Rook admitted. "For someone who's chained up, and had gone through what you had gone through. I'll admit, most would be shaking."

"I'm not most," Alec growled.

"Obviously," Rook admitted.

"I've actually been looking for you," Alec smiled. "I've been looking for you for a while now, and I'm kind of mad that it was happenstance that I found you."

"So I may have jumped the gun," Rook sighed. "That doesn't matter, you shouldn't be looking for me anyways."

"I want to team up," Alec offered. "You and I can bring down the White Skull Syndicate together."

"The Drug Lords are annoying, but not worth my time," Rook shrugged. "My name scares them enough that they don't cross the line beyond drug trafficking. If that's all they do, then there's no reason for me to get involved. Not to mention you've been handling them pretty well yourself."

"You don't understand," Alec growled. "These guys are worse than drug dealers, they are murderers."

"And what are we?", Rook roared as he kicked a stool away from himself. "Who are we to judge them for taking life."

"I haven't killed anyone," Alec yelled.

"Then you are too soft," Rook argued. "If all you want is to put these guys behind bars, then you aren't strong enough."

"Wait a minute," Alec yelled. "You're actually ok with them killing people?"

"People are scum Alec," Rook shook his head. "They have a tendency to reveal their true selves when backed into a corner. However, I've seen the regret in their eyes afterwards. A woman the other day was beating the hell out of her boyfriend for cheating on her. She started stabbing him with a screwdriver."

"Jesus," Alec groaned.

"It was wrong for her to handle the situation that way, but she still wasn't worth me cutting down," Rook admitted. "I waited an hour as I watched her, and eventually she called the police on herself."

"Why didn't you stop her from stabbing her boyfriend?" Alec wondered.

"I was too late," Rook shook his head. "I just happened to be on a rooftop watching the aftermath of her crime, not when she committed it. Aside from that I was looking for Lady Hazel."

"I'm glad you want to defend my honor," Alec rolled his eyes. "But the woman who killed her boyfriend was just as guilty as Hazel. You can't just pick and choose who lives or dies, your either all in or all out."

Rook shook his head and then sighed. "Hazel had no regret for what she did or who she was. She thought she was invincible until I showed up tearing through her minions."

"Oh, that answers who and what," Alec sighed. "But why? Why did you choose this life?"

"I didn't choose this life," Rook argued. "My life was chosen for me. Did you wake up one day and decide you wanted to hunt down criminals?"

Alec looked down and remembered what happened to his sister and his girlfriend because of the White Skull Syndicate. He shook his head and then sighed.

"See," Rook smiled. "Your life was chose for you as well."

"They killed my sister," Alec admitted. "I want vengeance for her death. No, I need it."

"While that crime is unforgivable it is a burden that both you and the killer will have to live with for the rest of your lives," Rook sighed. "If you take the murderer's life, the murderer had gotten off to easily. Aside from that, that's hardly a reason to go after the whole organization."

"It's there fault!", Alec yelled. "We were just driving to the theater, and the White Skull Syndicate attacked the bridge freeing the murderer from his binds. He kidnapped my sister after that and then killed her when she fought back! The explosion they caused also crippled Cindy, my Highschool girlfriend. Trust me, their entire organization deserves death."

"Perhaps from you," Rook decided. "But to me there are more unforgivably crimes."

"Is that why you've been inactive," Alec growled. "Is that why you've gone soft on criminals?"

"You'll scream anything to try and get your way," Rook shook his head. "Your just a child. Granted the League would have loved your brash behavior."

"The League?", Alec responded. "That White Skull Syndicate leader brought up that name before."

Rook turned back to Alec and looked him in the eyes. "Your not yanking my chain are you? Did he really mention the League?"

"I'm serious," Alec explained. "They said they were splitting off from the League. The Silver Haired man wanted a group of his own."

"Silver hair," Rook repeated. "And the League of Shadows. Perhaps I was too hasty."

"What, changed your mind already?", Alec spat.

"Listen kid," Rook begun. "We clearly don't like each other, but I guess you'll be getting what you want anyways. If the White Skull Syndicate is a rogue branch of the League of Shadows, I have to nip it in the bud before a larger problem occur."

"Right," Alec realized. "You only kill people who continue to be threats. It isn't about casting judgement on those who've caused problems."

"Again, depends on the crime," Rook shook his head. "But the League of Shadows do not care what crimes are committed. They believe that people are inherently evil and must be killed no matter how small the crime is. We can't let the enter Castle Grove City, or else a lot of people are going to die."

"So you'll help me?"

"I'll help you for now," Rook decided. "Grab your suit."