Red X Returns

Slade, I have my ways

Slade's fingers tapped impatiently on his desk. He was waiting for someone. A special someone. Someone who would give him the information he needed, the people he wanted, and the boy he craved so dearly. He waited some more, watching the door with anxiety, a feeling he hadn't felt in years. He was feeling nervous, scared, and anxious for what might be coming. He'd been waiting. Of course, it had only been a day since he commanded his slave to bring them to him. 

Red X had gotten back to him that night promising some information. Red X refused to get his hands dirty and try to take them, until after Slade had the information and the equipment to successfully help him. Red X was a thief. He was more than experienced in fighting, but he wasn't ready for this. He didn't want to abduct 5 teenagers. But he needed the Xynothium. He'd been wearing the suit for so long now that it clung to him, it wouldn't let go. Xynothium was like a drug to him. He needed it. It helped him, kept him calm. Without it, he went crazy. He couldn't stand it. Without it, he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, he couldn't even breath without gasping for air. He was forced to do this against his will. He could find other ways to his addiction but why look around for sources when there's a dealer right in front of you? 

Slade's nerves were being danced on. He wasn't used to waiting. He expected Red X to be on time all the time. Finally, he heard the ominous echoing footsteps and the squeak of the rusty hinges on the door. He wasn't just mad now he was furious. Without warning, he thrust the old metal chair he had been clutching onto at the boy. Red X ducked and watched in nervousness as the chair crashed into the wall behind him and shattered into pieces that flew everywhere.

"Whoa wha-"

"Where have you been?!" Slade's voice was filled with rage as he looked Red X straight in the eye. "I expect you to be on time!"

Red X slowly walked closer, afraid his master might try to kill him if he was in 5 feet of him. He scowled. "Listen, I have the information you need. Try to be little more respectful, ok? I'm not going to give you the information if you keep throwing chairs at me for being 5 minutes late."

Slade finally sighed angrily and waved his hand as a sign for him to continue with the information.

Red X grinned slightly, proud that even he could make the great Slade shut up for once and pay attention. "I only have information on Robin, Raven, and Beast Boy," he said quietly, completely terrified that Slade would strangle him right then and there. Slade lightly pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Red X continued, "Robin's weakness is totally new. Something that I never really knew before. And I'm pretty sure neither have you. You already know the one weakness: his friends and Starfire. But there's another one... it's his family."

Slade chuckled, "His family? What about his family?"

Red X grinned again, still eminent that he obviously knew more than Slade. "His family died when he was about 8 or 9. Some thug named Tony Zuko sabotaged their acrobating act. His parents fell to their deaths. Robin was alone then, no aunts, uncles, brothers or sisters to go to. No one."

Slade full out laughed now. "Fantastic."

The lanky boy continued still, "Raven's weakness is her feelings and her friends. She bottles up her feelings, she's afraid that if someone else does too, the whole scenario will end up like Terra. Her friends mean everything to her. If you hurt them, you hurt her. And Beast Boy's weakness--oh this will just warm the cockles of your heart--is Terra. He loved her, Slade. Talk about her badly, he goes bezerk."

Slade applauded him, edging closer to him. "My my, apprentice. How do you do it?"

Red X shrugged, "I have my ways."

When Slade was in a 2 foot radius of him, he lunged. He grabbed onto his neck, twisting him this way and then that way, putting him into a backwards headlock. He could've broken his neck then and there, but despite how ignorant and naive Red X was, he was still good for something. "Next time, be prepared for a good beating if you're not on time."

He let the poor boy go, watching him in amusement as he stumbled his way to the door. He held onto the doorframe to stabilize himself. He made sure his head was fine and the room stopped spinning before he looked up at Slade. He gave him an ice cold glare then walked out. Red X wasn't finished giving Slade his precious information yet. But with the way his master was treating him, he wasn't going to give in so easily. He would just have to let Slade find out the hard way.