Red X Returns

Suck It Up and GO

Dustin's body ached and burned. HIs side felt like it was on fire. A gash was there, left by Red X's deadly x-rangs. His head was pounding, along with his heart. He was hooked up to at least 3 different machines all at once in the Tower infirmary. There was one which was small and portable to check his blood pressure that sat on the bedside table next to him. A different one was larger, heavier, definitely not meant for traveling which kept track of his heart rate. And the last one was medium sized with tubes cascading down the back along with wires. That machine was Dustin's life support. 

He wasn't used to being hurt like this. He was a sidekick back then, but he was on his own, stopping amateur bad guys like Control Freak along the way, but nothing like this. His mind and his heart couldn't take it. He twisted and turned on his bed, grunting and groaning constantly. 

The Titans watched from the observation window above him. Robin's eyes hardened in shame. He was convinced that he had done this to his friend. He was so sure that it was all his fault. "I never should've let him come."

They all turned towards him. "It's not your fault, man. It could've happened to any of us," Cyborg's voice was quiet. 

Robin sighed and shook his head, "I'm responsible. I'm the one who set Red X loose in the first place."

Starfire touched Robin on the shoulder. "No Robin, the error you made it is in the past. You are no longer the one inside that suit. Any damage that is done to our friend, you are not to blame. We were not victorious, though our next battle, we will surely triumph against him."

Suddenly the slow steady beeping of the heart monic began to craze. It was pandemonium as they shuffled into his room. Raven checked the monitor, her eyes flashing furiously across the screen. "His heart rate is off the charts. No one can survive this kind of stress!"

Robin watched in agony as Dustin squirmed again. Then it hit him. He was dreaming. He wasn't just dreaming, he was having a nightmare. Nightmares make your heart pound, make your head throb in the dark of the night. You never know what's going to pop up next. You're worst fear maybe come for you, or what you want the very most may run away. Everything in one's mind is scattered when having a nightmare.

Robin finally came to a solution. "Raven, go inside his mind."

She looked up at him. "No," she said quietly, refusing to obey, "I swore never to do that again. Not after-"

"We don't have a choice!" Robin yelled, making everyone in the room jump. "Dustin's mind is going crazy, something is chasing him in his mind, he's having a nightmare! The only way he's going to snap out of it is if you make him. Go in there and bring him back! Otherwise he only has minutes. With his heart rate like this, he'll be in cardiac arrest within the hour. Go in there and calm him."

Raven sighed and turned away. The last time she entered someone's mind, it was bad. Things went out of control. His subconscious started to attack. She almost didn't make it out alive. She was scared. No, more than that, she was terrified. What if she did something like that again, what if she made a mistake? What if she couldn't help him because the damage was already too deep? She finally turned back around and pulled her legs crisscross, hovering in mid air. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos... Azarath Metrion Zinthos..."

Within minutes, her black shadow of a raven casted over her, carrying her directly into Dustin's befuddled mind.