3424/X marks the spot.

X marks the spot.
Date of Scene:	18 December 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	A new challenger has appeared! Who is the mysterious Red X, and why's he getting all up in the Titan's faces?
Cast of Characters:	Raijin, Stardust, Robin (Wayne)

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Raijin has posed:
It's rush-hour in the big apple. Cars line the streets bumper to bumper for miles. Congested arteries of the city blocked so full it would take hours to go even a mile through the city blocks. The sky is perfectly crystal blue with clouds covering every direction. Birds chirp away in the trees to the sound of hundreds of horns going off in varying patterns. The music of the big city in full effect. Perfect day for a walk. Thankfully, the Holiday season is in full swing, and Rayner seems to be indulging just a little bit at Titans Tower, bringing a festive attitude.

He wears a little Santa Hat as even though he's in uniform, he might as well attempt to be a little fun. black tattered robes still cover his form...just shaking things up a little bit. Regardless, Raijin, the lightning hero spends time in teh rec room of Titans Tower, looking around a little bit whilst drinking some water. "Hm....I wonder if they'd like it if I played Christmas music in here...." he shrugs a moment then, before he just finds a place to sit down.

He was excited on the inside to meet more Titans. It's been a rollercoaster experience for him ever since he met Starfire for possibly one of the most dangerous interviews ever. But! It was a good day. It was even supposed to snow in the forecast......

Stardust has posed:
Approaching the ops room is an argument. That's to say someone is approaching the ops room and arguing, but the argument can be heard long before arrival. It's a somewhat loud argument.

It should be pointed out that the word "someone" in that sentence is an important one. It's a one-sided argument. People who've been around the tower a bit have probably run into this from time to time before, but it's a bit odd for anyone new. Stardust, or Colette as she's generally known in private, has a habit of loud, one-sided arguments. This, she has explained many times, generally to 'superhero types are weird, whatever,' reactions, is because nobody but her can hear the other side of the argument. She claims to have the ghost of a long dead superhero in her head as a kind of built-in mentor, though whether this is true or not is anyone's guess.

"Seriously, what kind of a mentor are you if you won't even give me advice?" the argument goes. "That's a stupid answer. There are lives at stake, don't you think that's more important than this learn-by-doing... Yes! There are, that's right! So stop with the... no it isn't! How can you say that? I don't care about that, I need... oh." The 'oh' is at a rather quieter volume as Stardust walks into the ops room and comes face to face with someone she hasn't seen before.

Who is wearing a santa hat.

"Did you come down the chimney?" she asks. "'Cos you're a few days early yet. You look fatter and whiter-haired in the photos. Who are you?" With a snap of her fingers, she answers herself. "New guy! I read the thing. Wait, don't tell me. Rainman. No, that's not it. Something like that. Hi!" She steps forwards and sticks out a hand. "Stardust. Colette. Starfire told me you're trying out or something."

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Stomping to the ops room, Robin seems a bit on edge. Something has him frazzled, more than usual. "How f$&*ing DARE this...impudent worm!"

  After looking around, noting the other two in the room, Robin extracts a memory chip. "We received a message at the gate. Seems someone has targeted us again." Walking over to a monitor, Robin pulls up the media player. "I already scrubbed it for malware, none was found. Seems this guy just wants to get our attention."

Raijin has posed:
When Colette wandered in, Raijin gave her a small smile when she started questioning who he was. He opened his mouth as if to answer but Colette is a quick little witty one. "Yep. I'm the new guy that Starfire brought in." he takes off the Santa hat "Sorry bout the hat. Found it on the way here and thought it'd be fun to wear." he lifts his hood up then to conceal his face. Given, he was already wearing a facemask. "Hello. Rainman is close, but it's Raijin, the codename." he smiles then to her, extending a hand to shake hers when it was offered. "Nice to meet you. Name's Rayner." a name for a name after all. Such trust with that information should be returned politely after all.

Then Damian comes in, shedding all of that little death-ninja rage. "Oh hey." he says pretty surprisingly casually. Then again, he's already met Robin and all his less than subtle rage mentallity. "Already? Huh...well, if he wants our attention, might as well return to sender right?" he asks curiously. "Well, if he left a message...lets check it out." then he lifts his hand. "as a humble suggestion from the newbie."

Stardust has posed:
Colette breaks into a friendly grin as she shakes Rayner's hand. "Electricity, right? I don't mind, I got my rubber soled boots. You'll be handy if there's a power blackout. Or if there are games consoles plugged into every socket. So annoying when you want to plug in a hair dryer and Beast Boy is..."

Colette turns at the stomping. "Ah, Robin! I wanted... what? We're being threatened by a worm? No problem, the way you're stomping, the worms don't have a chance." She nods her head to him and follows along to see what will appear on the screen. "If he wanted to get our attention, he should have sent a cake. Or pizza. Does nobody try the nice approach these days? You'd think nobody had heard that you catch more flies with honey, and more Titans with pizza. Let's see what he's got to say."

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     After accessing the file, Robin shows the video. A black background, only glowing white eyes and a glowing red X are seen for now. The voice is heavily modulated, though what he says is clear. "Titans, you sit in your tower, gorging yourselves in revelry and pizza. Your time is coming to an end. You think you are heroes, then /I/ am your nemesis. If you want to get out of the shadow of your respective mentors, show me what you've got."

  The 'face' moves to the side, showing a slide of every Titan. "Starfire, the lost princess of a culture long since faded away. What will happen when your friends abandon you? What will you do when your all alone in the universe? Stardust, you were gifted with an enormous responsibility. Who are you to say you are deserving? Vorpal, you are a creature of madness and humanity, but what happens when the madness takes over from the humanity? How far will your counterpart make you go down the rabbit hole? Robin, heh. Your parentage should make you the most fearsome of all, but your fear of falling back from the light cripples you. Son of Batman, yet always haunted by your mother and grandfather. What will happen when you fail to keep the assassin from the world?"

  Robin's glove freaks and whines against the tension of his fist, almost splitting a tooth in the process of clenching. Red X continues. "You all will be weighed, and measured. Most if not all of you will be found wanting. The price for failure, is death. Expect to see more care packages soon. Merry Christmas, Titans. It will be your last." And the video ends. Robin can only stare at the eyes and X for now, seething. "Some punkass thinks he can threaten us like this. Never even being seen before today? The gall!"

Raijin has posed:
Colette gets a warm smile from Rayner as they talk. "Yeah. Lightning, electricity...if it relates to that, that's my gig. I mean, I can be a human charger, but promise I got more uses." he laughs a bit, before Robin plays the video, and everything turns serious.

He watches the video in it's entirety, sighing a moment by the time it's over. "Sounds like he knows you all pretty well, despite he's never been seen. Must just have been playing his cards really damn well." a small sigh then. "Well...maybe he wasn't expecting the new guy in the office." he cracks his knuckles, a small electric arc moving between his fingers. "You have my help in this." he tells to Robin and Colette.

"Besides, if he has to send a video package first..." a small chuckle.

Stardust has posed:
"Hey!" Colette answers the figure on the screen. "What responsibility? What are you talking about?" Yeah, she's arguing with a picture on a screen now. "Anyway, I never asked for it! What's deserving got to do... hang on, didn't Vorpal leave? This guy's info is out of date." She frowns and settles back to watch the rest quietly. When it ends she jabs a couple of buttons and freezes the image.

"Something almost familiar about the way he talks, but... hm. Formal. Scripted. Grandiose, lotsa big words. Someone who thinks of themselves as outside of society, different and better than everyone else. The challenge... 'show me what you've got' from someone who's never proved themselves... Thinks of themselves as someone above the rest of society, superior, innately the right person to judge others... but embracing darkness, staying in the shadows... defensive too. I'll put money on well hidden insecurities. Red x-mark so prominent, very aggressive. People who pick red are more likely to be a bit psy... er angry. Uh, not always, not you Robin, I didn't mean you." She turns and stares at him. "Wait, yeah, you too," she corrects herself before looking back at the screen.

  Colette peers very intently at the screen for a few moments. "Huh. Ash is no help, AS USUAL. 'Maybe an old member,' he says. Well it can't be Beast Boy 'cos he'd have burst out laughing before the end, and Vorp knows Vorp left, can't think of anyone else who knows me. So nah."

Colette shrugs her shoulders and takes a step back. "That's all I got, but pure guesswork. On the other hand, it could be a cosplaying fanboy playing a dumb joke. Bet those photos are all on Google."

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     Damian looks to Raijin. "Most definitely. He included Vorpal on that list. We haven't had any group activities outside of the Tower since he left." And then Colette makes a bit of a slip. "Psychotic." Though Robin shrugs it off. "I wouldn't put this as some neckbeard in their mom's basement, Stardust. He knew about my mother and grandfather. Everyone knows I am Batman's son, but few people outside of the League know about that side of my lineage. Does Luthor have any nephews or nieces with a grudge?"

Raijin has posed:
Rayner crosses his arms, nodding a few times to Damian. "Well, maybe you can use me as a surprising factor. Can catch him off guard." he shrugs then. "For once, I agree with Robin. No random douchebag living in his momma's basement would be able to pull something like this off." he points at Damian when he mentions that he knew about Damian's lineage.

Though he did find Colette's live commentary during the video pretty funny, he was all serious right now. THis was a group he was hoping to get into. As far as he's concerned, this is his extended family, at least for now. "Far as I know? Nope. But then again, I don't go snooping on Luthor -or- his similarly aligned kin." a small sigh then.

Stardust has posed:
"Point, Robin. So maybe it's actually the League. Or an ex-League member," Colette suggests. "Done a bug sweep lately, Robin? That's a lot of inside info. The Vorpal slip is an interesting one. Unless this was recorded before he left... can you check it for time-stamps? But it's too much info for relying on sources outside the tower. Nobody apart from you guys knows anything about me. Ah..." she looks doubtful for a moment, then cuts the air with a wave of her hand. "Nah. The stuff about me was super-vague. Fishing."

Colette taps her thumb against her chin, then nibbles on it thoughtfully. "Surprise factors are always good, Rainman," she agrees. "No speeches about Brick, Breathmints, Wolfpool or Fishboy either. Why not? Lack of info? Maybe Ash was right. Former member? Or... just nothing to say about those guys. Someone who has something against the four of us in particular. Got to be. Who though." Her frown deepens and she shrugs her shoulders. "Oh well. We'll find out, no doubt. No return address? This would be easier if we could just invite him over and kick his ass."

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
     "On first glance, no time stamping seems to be available. But there are ways around this. I'll have to dig deeper in the metadata to be sure." Robin extracts the memory card. "Which I will be doing for sure." The young hero gets up from the console. "If Anyone needs me, I will be in the lab." And with that, Robin stamps off, quickly it seems.

Raijin has posed:
Rayner gives a glance to Colette, a small smile made aware for her. "...you and I are going to get along great." Then he sighs a moment. "if things were that simple, the world would be a far more merrier place." A look then to Robin as he starts to stamp out so that he can figure out this mystery. "Alright...see you soon, Robin." he states with a small wave to the Boy Wonder. Then his attention falls on Colette.

"He was much more friendly to me this time." he says mostly in a teasing, joking way before he turns serious again. "Strange he focused on more core members of the Titans instead of all of them. Maybe he only means to target certain people?"

Stardust has posed:
"Robin, wait, I..." Colette calls after him, but there's no stopping the Angry Bird when he's on the march, and she just shrugs her shoulders and concludes her sentence with "... will talk to you later, apparently." She keeps looking over her shoulder in the direction he left for a few more moments, then shakes her head and turns back to Rayner. "You're still alive," she says. "That means he likes you."

     Colette turns from the display, and leans against it casually, turning her attention to Rayner. "Yeah. Except... why? That's why I thought about it might be a revenge thing dressed up as something more. But I can't figure that out. Me, Vorp, Star and Robin. I can't think of anyone who'd have any reason to dislike the four of us in particular. Take Star out of it and there was this guy who kidnapped Robin once, but... he wouldn't bother using a different disguise. There were some aliens once, but they are far too incompetent. Maybe it's the pizza delivery guy and he's mad about the size of the orders we do, but I doubt it."

Raijin has posed:
A small sigh from Rayner as Colette seems to be unable to stop Robin before he takes off. a small chuckle at her comments of him still being alive, so Damian must like him. "Heh...not sure thats how it works, but I'll take your word for it surely. Well...as for why? I have no idea. With villains, it could be anything from 'you denied me victory' to 'you stole my sweetroll when we were nine.'" he shrugs then. "Well, whoever he is, gotta get cracking. Assuming Robin is skilled with computer hacking and backtracking of this information, we may be able to find him pretty quickly. Unless he wiped everything.." a small tilt of his head then as he puts his computer mind to work.

"I always did like puzzles...."

Stardust has posed:
Colette folds her arms and nibbles on her lower lip. "Robin's the guy when it comes to the tech stuff. If there's info on the card to find, he'll find it. If there isn't, then there's nothing for us to do until Exy McExface put in an appearance. If he ever does. For once I agree with my idiot mentor, no point worrying about until we have something to go on. Mind you, he died before there were memory cards and computers. And it couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy. "

"Right. I should go and talk..." Colette is interrupted by a chime from her pocket, and fishes out a phone, glancing quickly at the screen before giving a sigh and putting it away again. She hip-bumps herself straight and continues "...go and deal with some stuff before someone does something stupid. Uh, you know how to contact me if you got any questions, or if anything comes up? There's like... centralized stuff. You got guest access on the systems here, right? That'll do it."

Raijin has posed:
A small nod is given to Colette as she tells him of even more of Robin's expertise with computers. "Ah, gotcha gotcha....well, I work good with computers too. So if you need any extra hands on deck there, I can pull my weight." he smiles then. COmputers were one of his talented fields, but thankfully Robin is there to show off in his place. Though he feels mixed feelings when Colette brings up the death of her mentor. "I see you didn't like him." he laughs then a moment.

"Alright, go do your thing. I know how to contact you. I'll look around for this guy, and if I end up finding anything, I'll let you and Boy Wonder know." a warm smile then as he straightens out his hood. "See you soon."

Stardust has posed:
Colette stops on her way out, turning to look at Rayner for a moment. "Not 'didn't like him', more like 'DON'T like him'. He's an easy guy not to like, especially if he lives in your head. I'll introduce you to him some time if you like. You probably won't like him either." She continues on her way, walking to the open shaft next to the elevator, and turns back again. "If you're good with computers, go to the lab and offer Robin your help. But be sure you're good if you do, he doesn't have a lot of patience with people who he thinks aren't pulling their weight. In fact, he'll probably sneakily give you something really hard to do just to test you. He's a weird guy and hard to get along with sometimes, but..." she gives another shrug. "He grows on you. Seeya." With a little wave, she steps into the empty shaft, and drops out of sight.