Author Note

This time it really is a Red-X update. In fact it's the last one for this story for reasons you'll come to understand once you have read it. I think its an interesting end and it leaves things open for a sequel.

If you've read the whole story you now understand that it was mostly about Red-X trying to find a place in the world and failing badly at it. He can't be a hero, but he's not a very good villain either.

He got into way too much trouble, and everyone knew too much about him for him to be an effective thief. Also he went from one romance to the other with girls he could never make it work with for different reasons.

In short he made a pig's ear of things like people sometimes do.

There was no overall plot, no big bad and I don't think there needed to be as that was not what the story was about.

DC Gothic – Red-X

Finale

Nightclub – Jump City

"Come on pal, what happened?" a voice asked.

I looked up at the bar tender and caught my reflection on something. I'd changed my appearance somewhat earlier today so for a second I'd seen a stranger in the mirror.

My hair was now trimmed, and I wore glasses to cover up my eyes. It wasn't much of a difference, and it wouldn't have fooled the like of Batman, but I didn't really need to disguise myself now.

Not since I'd decided to use my wish to erase all knowledge that I was Red-X. People still knew Red-X existed, but now no one knew who was under the suit, not even Slade which meant I was now free of him too. I should have been happy about that, but I wasn't.

"Just give me another drink" I said

My choice of drink for this pity party was alcoholic it was something the bartender amusingly call it 'Red Xtreme' and mostly it some sort of energy drink mixed with vodka. Clearly it was a Red-X themed drink, but it was better than the plushies at least.

"Fine" replied the man behind the bar as he made me more 'Red Xtreme'.

I was lamenting everything I had no lost, and worrying about what I was going to do next when the mood of the room suddenly shifted. Mostly it was the drop in the sound level that told me something was happening.

"Wow!" the bartender called out.

I turned and saw an orange skinned girl who started to dance a few meters away from me.

"Starfire?" I muttered.

She was moving her hips and tossing her head to the beat of the song. All the males in the club watched in awe as she danced. They were all in lust with her, aside from me. I had no attraction towards her, Starfire's sister on the other hand. She was sexy, also scary, but so hot.

Starfire was looking at the guys watching her with an innocent smile on her face and her green eyes gleaming in joy. She was totally oblivious to the real reason the guys were looking, or perhaps she wasn't as naive as she looked and she enjoyed the attention.

Robin came in to dance with Starfire. Robin was in his hero outfit, he was even wearing the long black cape with an underside of yellow. I was still of the opinion that he looked like a fool, but judging by the looks he was getting the girls in the club did not agree.

"You think this was a good idea?" the Boy Wonder was saying to Starfire.

The music was still going, but not loud enough to prevent me from hearing everything they were saying.

"Friend Robin, she needs this!" Starfire replied" She has been inside her room for days without anyone to talk to or enjoy company of".

It didn't take my keen mind to figure out who they were talking about.

"Well she does that a lot Star" Robin replied.

As I watched Cyborg and Beast Boy joined in with the dancing, and I started to wonder if I could more than a few days without seeing these guys. Jump City was a big place and I had been keeping my head down ever since Batman had come after me yet still the Titans were around to spoil things for me. All I'd wanted was a few drinks and now here they were again. I had to be cursed.

"Problem is, she has been doing it more than ever" Cyborg was now saying "Ever since we got back from that tournament".

Now they had my attention. My wish had been carefully phrased so that no one had any memory or information about who Red-X was. However given that I'd shagged Raven a lot during the tournament she knew me as someone other than Red-X. She knew my real name, so she might remember the face under the mask but have forgotten that I was Red-X. Which would explain why she was having a rough time of things. She had to be confused about what had happened.

"Yeah, I think it brought back some bad memories of Malchior" Beast Boy was now saying.

I had no idea who Malchior was, but I already wanted to beat him up.

That was when Raven appeared and gave Beast Boy a glare. Her lavender eyes were coldly grilling him for daring to mention that name.

"Is that what this is about?" she then asked the group.

By now things were getting back to normal in the club, so I had to strain to hear what the Titans were saying.

"Not totally" the green skinned teen said.

Raven sort of slumped a little.

"You all need to leave me alone. I am fine really" she insisted.

The boys of the group at least had the sense to drop the subject, but Starfire did not.

"Friend Raven, we all are concerned for you. That is why we brought you to this place of dance and music in hopes it would uplift you!"

Raven rolled her eyes, although it was hard to tell under the cloak.

"Loud music and blinding lights are not what I call fun" the purple haired girl told her friend.

I didn't much care for them either, but I was here. Although part of why I was here was because a one night stand seemed like a good idea and this club was none as a hang out for college students.

"Listen I know you have best my interests at heart" the part demon was now saying "But I just don't party like you guys sorry. I like being in the dark alone. So enjoy the dancing I'm going to have a drink"

With that she headed towards the bar and took the empty seat next to me. I was sitting at the end of the line of stools as I liked having my back to the wall. Also this spot also allowed me to view the dance floor without looking like I was too interested in what was going on.

"I never asked for any of this" I heard Raven say.

By now I was wondering if her choice of seat was because she actually recognised me but she didn't want to draw any attention to me. Which wouldn't be good as I doubted Robin would be happy to see me.

"You okay?" I asked.

The teenage heroine turned to look at me, and she made no reaction. It was as if she had never seen me before in her life. It was unsettling, but part of me wondered if it was an act. This might be her version of giving me the cold shoulder.

"I'm fine, really" she said to me.

Either she was a great actress, or she had no idea who I was. I wasn't sure which it was so I kept talking.

"Oh really?" I replied "Cause you don't look fine"

Raven sighed in annoyance

"I'm fine, really" she said.

That at least I was sure was a lie.

"Really?" I inquired.

I knew as well anyone could so I could tell I was getting to her. I wanted a reaction and I would get one.

"Yes!" she almost screamed "Really!"

With that I turned away and gestured for the bartender, he was busy but it didn't take very long to get to me as he had seen who I was sitting with.

"What will you have?" I then asked the Titan.

Rather than answer the question she made one of her own.

"What do you want?" she asked in an annoyed voice.

My answer was simple.

"For you and me to have a drink, and maybe talk" I told her.

I still wasn't sure if she was just pretending not to know me because she was pissed off at me, or if she really didn't know who I was. Not knowing threatened to drive me mad.

"No, thanks" she said "I don't want to talk."

I didn't believe that either.

"If that was so than you would have left the first second I talked to you" I pointed out "Yet here you are".

She surrendered a little then and let me buy her a drink. I got her what I was having and the bartender did not question Raven's age despite the fact that she was Teen Titan.

"You're right. I am upset" she said after getting her drink "But I don't see why I should talk to a stranger".

Those words did not tell me anything really. Her attitude could still be some sort of act.

"Sometimes people open up to strangers more easily than to their friends" I told her "You don't have to care about what I think if you tell me something because you don't have to ever see me again".

Raven looked to her friends; all of them were dancing even Beast Boy.

"What is that stuff" the young woman asked me when I lifted my glass.

I had a drink named after me. I was rather flatted by it now. That might have something to do with the amount I'd h ad.

"Red Xtreme" I told her.

Raven picked up her glass and drank some.

"Not too bad" she remarked "But I don't like red"

That could have been a dig at me. I wasn't sure.

"I really shouldn't tell anyone" Raven then said.

Since I wanted to know I decided to offer something in return for this valuable knowledge.

"How about I tell you what is troubling me. Than I will listen to your problem" I suggested "That way we'll be even".

That sounded fair to me.

"I guess we could do that" Raven agreed "But of I do, you have to promise to never tell anyone".

My assumption was that she meant not to tell any sort of social media. She was kind of a celebrity after all. On the other hand she might still know who I was and be worried I might tell someone. Who I hadn't a clue as I didn't have friends.

"Sure thing" I promised

Raven took a deep breath, and than downed the entire glass of drink I'd just gotten her. Which led to me ordering more.

"Well, this is the problem" Raven told me once she had her second drink "I met someone who made me feel things".

Which on the surface of things sounded like no big deal.

"For me that is special, all my life I've been treated as strange" she informed me "My tastes towards the darker side of things can be off-putting to most people".

Oddly I found it attractive in a women. Perhaps because the slightly evil ones are more willing to experiment in bed.

"Then there was this person treated me... well kinda nice" she said "He made me feel happy and safe. All my life I never had someone who tried to see what was under the surface".

Well I didn't remember it that way, but to be fair I'd been rather wrapped up in fighting scary aliens at the time.

"Now I can't remember who he was" Raven told me "I can remember what we did and the things he said. He really opened up to me, but I have no memory of his face or his name".

Well I'd really fucked up everything for her it seemed.

"I've never felt more alone in my entire life" she then admitted "And I don't know what to do. I want him back, but how can I find someone whose face I can't remember? I don't even have a name... well I have a name, but its not much help".

By now it was clear that she remembered being with Red-X, but my wish meant she didn't know who the guy under the mask was. I was sitting next to her and she had no clue who I was.

"So I decided to pretend nothing happened" Raven then said "It worked for a while, but my friends have noticed that I'm not okay".

Now I felt really bad about all this, but I hid it well. At least I hoped I did.

"So who are you?" she then asked.

That question caught me by surprise. I had expected her to ask me about my problem.

"Nobody special, just a stranger" I told her.

She looked at me and for a moment I thought she might recognise me, but it passed.

"So 'just a stranger' what's your problem?" she asked.

I had to phrase things right as my problem was related to hers, so to give myself time to think I ordered two more drinks. Thankfully I still had cash as I had emptied my accounts before making the wish.

"My name is James" I then told her as I didn't really know how to start "Its hard to explain. I was in some trouble. I got involved with a bad person and I was too scared of him to not do whatever he said. Even when I ran away he dragged me back into his messed up excuse for a life".

Raven looked sympathetic.

"I've heard of women suffering because of abusive boyfriends" she said "I never guessed that sort of thing effected gay men to, but it makes sense".

When I heard that I almost had a fit.

"No he wasn't my boyfriend!" I said a little too insistently "He was my boss. He was... well still is, a bad, bad man".

I wasn't sure if accepted that as the truth, but I let it go as talking about it more would just make it sound as if I was in denial.

"He's not the problem anyway" I went on to say "What's got me down is that in order to get away from him, and all the trouble being around him caused me I really had to run away. I totally erased my past. I changed my looks. I changed me name. Everything".

Which was a very simple way of saying what I'd done.

"But that also means I lost everything about my old life" I was now saying "I didn't exactly have what you'd call friends, but I had people who mattered to me and they won't ever see me again".

Well at the rate things were going they would, but they wouldn't really see me, they'd see Red-X. Which was good as it meant I could walk around freely without Slade coming after me as long I wasn't in the suit, but it also meant that even if I wore it I was just a guy in that suit.

"Plus there was someone I was involved with" I then said "And now she'll never see me again, and I bet she thinks that just sucks".

Then there was the whole thing involving me killing people. Granted it had been in self defence, but it bothered and not as much as perhaps it should have.

"I am sorry for what happened" the Teen Titan then said "I hope you make new friends".

She stood there a few seconds before walking off. I didn't know why she left so abruptly, but I didn't feel offended as she was weird.

"I think I should remind her who I am" I muttered to myself.

Since she still knew about Red-X then all I had to do was to wear the outfit, and then take off the mask. It would be hard to explain why I'd messed with everyone's memories, but she might forgive me, or she might throw me out of her life completely. It was hard to predict any woman's reaction, and she was more complex than most.

Then I decided that I would wait a while before doing that, as Raven might need to time to come to terms with how she felt. Plus it would be good to have some sort of mystical defence in place when I did so that she couldn't banish me to hell or somewhere equally horrible.

"I was having a good time" I then heard Raven say to the other Titans.

Robin had this communicator device in hand so I figured that was why she had ended our talk so quickly, hers must on vibrate. This was supported by the fact that they then all left it a hurry.

(Line Break)

Titan Tower – Jump City

Raven was getting ready to go to bed when she heard some people talking outside her room, so she put her ear to the door and listened.

"She seems less unhappy now, did we do something to help?" Starfire was asking the others.

"Maybe she got over it and everything's okay again" Beast Boy said,

She then heard Cyborg slap the changeling. Which pleased her.

"Not yet it isn't. She may still have some kind of problems" Robin said.

Raven rolled her eyes and used her powers to push the door to her room open, an act which shocked the others.

"Everyone go to the couch and sit down" the part-demon ordered.

Once they had done as they were told, the purple haired girl explained that she had forgotten someone important to her, and that it had been the man behind the Red-X mask. Then she informed them all about how much she missed that guy, and how much it hurt that she might never see him again.

"Why did you tell us?" Robin inquired of her once everything was out in the open.

For him things were weird as well. He remembered that Red-X had won the Master of Games messed up contest, but he couldn't recall ever seeing the thief without the mask on. Which was odd because they'd both once been unmasked by Slade.

"Because you'd keep worrying and reminding me about it" Raven explained "and you don't need to because I can take care of myself."

Cyborg and Beast Boy took her at her word and started playing video games, and Robin just stared into space. Starfire however was not so willing to let matters drop

"Was this night pleasurable, is that why you talked to us about your feelings?" she asked.

Raven decided to be honest. She wasn't the Gem anymore so she didn't need to worry about suppressing her feelings so much.

"I did meet a guy" she admitted

Starfire's eyes sparkled so much that Raven wondered if she put up a shield due to possible energy blasts

"He wanted to just talk" Raven explained "And we did. It helped that he had his problems too".

For some reason the Boy Wonder decided to speak at this point.

"When you are off your game it puts us all in danger" he said.

Which while insensitive was true as Raven's powers were tied to her emotional well-being.

"That and we worry about you as a friend" he quickly added.

Raven then floated off leaving her friends be. She went to her room to remove her hood and lay down. Then she started to think about the guy she had met at the bar, she'd been oddly relaxed around him and open.

That was very unlike her, and it made her wonder if she had in fact met him before.

Before she closed her eyes the Teen Titan decided that she would track James down and find out more about him. But that could wait until tomorrow, for now she just wanted to sleep.

(Line Break)

Rooftops – Jump City

For what could be the last time I donned the Red-X suit and looked at the city that was in many ways my home. No one part of it was mine, but up here on the roofs I was at peace.

That was because from here I could go anywhere , and have whatever I dared to steal. I was free as once this suit came off, no one knew I was Red-X and if I was careful they never would again.

Slade would remember having an apprentice, but he wouldn't be able to track me down as long as I kept my face hidden.

My romances were a thing of the past as if Raven, who had known me better than anyone else, could sit next to me in a bar and not recognise me then Jinx or Blackfire wouldn't either.

However while I was free I was also alone, but it was for the best really. I'd made mistakes. I'd shown people my true self, it was time to slip back into the shadows to become nothing more than a rumour. I'd gotten too big, too loud it was time to vanish.

"Hello, my friend" said a voice.

I turned to see someone I never would have imagined meeting. The golden helmet told me at once who he was.

"Doctor Fate" I whispered.

The magician nodded his head.

"So you have heard of me" he said "Then we can skip the introductions and get to why I am here".

It took me a moment to realise that he wanted to ask.

"Why are you?" I inquired.

It didn't take him long to tell me.

"I felt a very powerful spell being performed a few hours ago" the magical man told me "I have been hunting its source and I found you".

While I wanted to keep what I'd wished for a secert, because if I told people it would make the wish rather pointless, I felt compelled to tell someone and Doctor Fate didn't seem like the kind of guy to spread gossip.

"Yeah I made a wish using a prize I got from someone the Master of Games was working for" I confessed "I wished that no one know who Red-X really was".

Actually I written a dozen draft copies before making the wish, as I'd needed to carefully phrase it. In retrospect adding the words 'everyone other than Raven' would have been a smart move.

"That would explain why Batman called me for mystical help when he discovered he had forgotten why he was investigating Red-X" Doctor Fate informed me.

While getting the likes of Bruce Wayne off my back had been the reason behind me making that wish now I was really chiding myself for being so rash. A better worded wish might have served me better. But the League of Shadows had been hunting me, and Slade had fed me to the assassins so I'd good reasons for rushing things.

"Do not fear my friend I will not tell him anything" Doctor Fate assured me "But I want something in exchange".

Given my skill sets there was a lot I could do, but given who was talking I couldn't imagine what they could be. Doctor Fate was very powerful.

"I would like you to say with me for a while so that I could learn more about you" the magical man then said.

He must have been able to sense my confusion as he took the time to explain things further.

"The power behind the wish you made fascinates me. I believe that between us we can discover what made it possible, and I sense you have some power of your own. I could teach you more about magic, and in my home are others who would enjoy your company".

It was a good offer because I had no where else to go, and I was unsure of what to do with myself. He could no doubt sense that.

"Okay I'll go with you" I decided.

Doctor Fate would not harm me I was sure of that, and staying with him would give me time to decide what I was going to do in the future. Plus he was cool and I wanted to know more about him.

"Then let us depart".

There was a brilliant flash of gold light and the next thing I knew I was somewhere else.