Red X Returns

Requiem for a Dream

Raven stumbled around for a while, groping whatever object she could to regain her balance. She hated flashing into peoples' minds. It made her dizzy.It wasn't her favorite way to travel. When her head stopping spinning and brain was no longer boggled to a point where she couldn't think straight, she looked around. The streets were lined withba thick blanket of snow. The white fluffy substance fell from the sky as well, landing gracefully on ever surface it could cling to. Raven's dark blue cloak was suddenly damp as the snow melted from her body heat. The wetness made her shiver. She walked straight. May as well walk somewhere. Suddenly in the distance she saw a glowing red light. She vanished towards it. She landed across the street from the source. Her mouth hung open the slightest bit as she watched.

The building was on fire. The flames fanned out from the windows, the smoke rising into the air like balloons, higher than thought possible before it faded away. Suddenly there was a loud explosion from the building. The glass of the windows exploded as well as some of the bricks of the walls. The police were rallying all of the building's residents to the sidewalk across the street, where they cut them off with rolls of caution tape. Some of the crowd was crying, their home now in shatters. Others just stood there, tears in their eyes but not making a sound. Suddenly, Raven saw a young boy around the age of 10 run out from behind the caution tape towards the building. He also had tears in his eyes, panting loudly as he ran faster. Finally some police caught him, hugging him closely in their arms, restraining him from the fire. The boy struggled, trying to fight against their grip. He sobbed now, louder than the rest. He reached his one arm out towards the building. "Mom! Dad!"

Raven's eyes began to water, letting a few drops fall onto her cheeks. She knew exactly who the boy was. The police hugged him, letting the small boy soak his uniform with tears. "I'm so sorry, Dustin."

Raven covered her hand over her mouth to stop the small squeak that almost escaped. Abruptly, the whole scene fell away into something else. The small dark room which Raven now stood in the corner of was filled with posters of Batman and his sidekick Robin. She silently chuckled to herself looking at how young her teammate had been back then, only 13 or so. Then her attention was brought upon something else. A tall muscular boy with dark brown hair and silvery grey eyes came into the light from the street lamp outside the window. He threw his things outside and walked towards the other bed against the opposite wall. The boy shook the sleeping oneawake. "Dustin," he whispered hastily, still shaking him lightly, "Dustin."

"What?" Dutin groaned at his older brother for awaking him. He opened his eyes sleepily, squinting them to keep out the bright lamplight that shone in through the window.

"I'm going away, ok? I can't stay here anymore," here was a litte catch inhis thoat before hesoke again. is voce craced throughout what he said next. "Tell Mom and Dad that I love them, ok?"

He could tell that Dustin was drifting to sleep already. He simply knuckle punched his little brother, then glided out the window without a sound.

Raven watched, her eyes still burning with tears. Then she finally noticed something. That happened before the fire. The events were out of order. Dustin's brain was still petrified, still confused. She listened intently to the noise in the background. The thump-thump thump-thump of Dustin's heart was still rapid, even giving Raven a headache. She didn't have much time.

Just like the other event, this scene turned to colorful smoke which faded away, leaving behind a new one. THe background wasw white; completely and blindingly white. There, in the very center was Dustin. He wore his ripped blue jeans and his usual green and white jacket with a black t-shirt underneath. Raven glided towards him, her feet never touching the ground. He stared simply at a spot on the floor. Raven touched his shoulder lightly, snapping him out of his trance. "Dustin?"

He didn't hear her at all. Suddenly, Red X appeared out of nowhere. He was far away from Dustin but she could see that her friend was still nervous. He walked closer, risking his safety and his sanity. Raven could tell that this happened today when they were alone in the cave. Red X just stood there. "Hey there Dustin."

"Red X," Dustin said, a certain coldness in his voice.

"Miss me?"

He shook his head and laughed, "How can I miss you? I don't even know who you are anymore. You lied to me, X. And I will never forgive you for that."

"Really, what's a lie? It's a secret that someone will do anything they can to keep away from others. Dustin, you can't lie to me. I know your weaknesses, I know your wants. You can't hide. And you're going to help me. Whether you like it or not."

Dustin's eyes glared at him. "I will never help you. You're drugged, X. Stealing Xynothium wasn't something I thought you would ever do... But I guess I was wrong."

Suddenly there was a crash and a boom. Raven knew that it was th rocks beginning to fall from the blast of Cyborg's sonic cannon. Red X quickly threw something at Dustin making him fall to the ground. Dustin groaned in pain, the blood seeping out threw his clothes onto the hard rock floor. He was fading slowly. The sounds of the Titans' gasps were garbled. His eyes drooped down halfway, and brain pounded against his skull. He was losing a lot of blood. Finally, he was unconscious.

The scene froze, Dustin laying in Cyborg's arms. His eyes burst open and he looked around. He saw her. He gasped and looked up at her, his eyes wide with fear and concern. "Raven?" his voice was panicked. "What are you doing here?! You need to get out! NOW! He'll find you, he'll destroy you!"

"Dustin, your heart. Your body can't take this amount of stress. Calm down..."

Dustin stopped breathing so raggedly. His heart stopped pounding away rapidly to its own tune. He was calmer now, but not fully. There was still something bothering him. Who was this 'he'? Red X? Slade? Hugo? She needed to find out, but before she could, the whole scene faded away again.