Masked

Interrogation

"You want to rule them by fear..but what do you do with the ones who aren't afraid? I'm doing what you won't..I'm taking them out."

-

Chapter 5

"Glorious!"

Starfire scooped up Red X into a crushing squeeze. "You have abandoned your criminal ways! Now we may be companions, and Robin will assign you a room, and-"

Red X gripped her shoulders tightly and mustered the willpower to heave Starfire off. "You are way too trusting, princess. I'm only in it for this case. Maybe even less." X scorned himself for his word choice. Star was an alien, obviously she wouldn't grasp the petty need for money.

Starfire's eyes drooped. "I fail to understand. You do not wish to call yourself a friend, yet you are determined not to be an adversary."

"I don't like to live in black and white. I have data, you have donations. I might as well be the one to possess them."

"We also possess a home." 

Home?

 Red X bashed the thought away. "The news reported you're out for the count. If your team doesn't trust you enough to let you express your warrior heritage.. that home doesn't sound like an accepting one." 

Starfire shuddered, recalling the similarities of her friends' recent behavior and the discrimination she faced on Tamaran. "You are wrong! I am accepted, I am cared for..."

The memory of Robin's slammed door forced itself into Starfire's mind. "I am loved."

"Don't cry, cutie. I didn't mean to hurt you." He blanketed his cape around her, shielding her from the zephyr flurrying from the broken window. 

Red X wiped the saltwater from her glossy cheek. "For what's it worth, I think your powers are pretty badass. Don't let anyone assess that you're weaker than you are." 

Starfire's tears broke, and she pulled Red X in for a tender hug, surprisingly not bone-shattering like most of her embraces. He froze in confusion, before resting his weary head on her shoulder.

"Thank you, X." Starfire nuzzled against his muscular chest, lulled to peace by the unfamiliar smell of gunpowder and cinnamon.

"You're welcome...Star." he hadn't been held like this since..forever. X snaked his arms around her bare waist, lost in the scent of her strawberry tresses. It was so quiet, so blissful-

His adrenaline shot up at the sight of the Boy Wonder in the doorway, face turning a beguiling blue as a discarded glass shattered into oblivion on the floor.

"What the fuck?"

-

"Calm down, Robin."

Out of all the things to be called out of her room at midnight for...Raven lamented to herself. She had fought assassins, aliens-even interdimensional demons like her father.

But nothing could compare to the hormone extravaganza erupting in the Tower.

"How could you think of being calm at a time like this? Red X broke specifically into Starfire's room. He was hugging her, for christ's sake. What if he was planning to kidnap her? Or..violate her in some way?!" Robin slammed his fist on a nearby counter.

"Are you listening to yourself? That kind of stuff only happens in really bad fanfiction." Raven grimaced, trying to soothe his mounting irritation. "Besides, the window was broken from the inside. Maybe she let him in willingly."