Building a Life (Open)

It wasn't often Zack Wylder found himself in a cafe. In fact, it wasn't often Zack Wylder bought anything from anyone. Except bullets. He bought a lot of bullets. But for some reason, today of all days, he found himself compelled to walk into a cafe and order something. But there was a bit of a problem. He had never ordered anything from a cafe before. In fact, he had never even had coffee before. Or tea for that matter. He stared blankly at the menu for several minutes, trying to figure out what the bizarre words in front of him meant. Mocha? Frappachino? The woman behind the counter stared nervosly at him, eyeing the Famas on his back. Her hand was hovering over the store's silent alarm, but she hadn't pushed it yet. Zack cut an imposing figure in his bloodstained clothing and with his weapons and eerie grin, so it wasn't surprising that someone was nervous around him. "I think I'll have..." Zack squinted at the menu, as if concentrating on the words would make them understandable. "A "late."" Zack looked at the cashier with an air of self pride, oblivious to his mispronunciation. "Uhm..." The woman looked terrified, as if she were worried Zack'd freak out if she corrected him. "You mean a latte?" Zack rose an eyebrow and leaned closer to the woman, who shrank back in fear. "That too." Confused, the woman nodded, figuring it was just best to go along with him. Zack straightened back up and pulled a crumpled ten out of his pocket. "Keep the change." While he waited for his "late" he scanned the rest of the cafe. Most of the patrons were staring at him. He was used to that, and ignored them easily. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a familiar face. After getting his drink, he walked over to Victoria's table.

"It's been a while, Miss Wesley. Mind if I join you?"

Zack nodded, and sat down across from Victoria. He set his drink down on Tge table and eyed it suspiciously. After a moment he looked back up at Victoria. "Long time no see, eh? What have you been up to? I trust your stay in this fair city gas been boring and uneventful? Such would be good news, as il"interesting" in this city seems to run closely with "terrible.""

Zack looked far more worse for the wear since Victoria had last seen him. His clothing, with the curious exception of his jacket, was even more shredded and bloodstained than before, and it didn't look like there was much left of his tee shirt, much less anywhere still white. In addition, his eyes had a weary, haunted look that hadn't been there before, and there were dark circles under them as if he hadn't slept in days.

He glanced at his drink again, but merely glared at it for a moment before looking back at Victoria.

Zack chuckled. "You don't know the half of it... But I suppose things can always be worse." He thought to himself for a moment as he stared off into space. Things indeed could be worse. Far worse. L.A.W. was still active, true, but they were also still in the shadows instead of waging open war. He was still sane for the moment, and his friends were still among the living, though as far as both of those went he had no idea how long they'd last.

"Windfall? Ensemble? I'm not sure I know what you mean, though I can see you're mannerisms are as... Outdated as ever, eh? You know, I never did put my finger on that..." Zack studied Victoria for a moment before continuing. "Of course that's your business, isn't it? Either way I don't think it matters too much, as I doubt I'll be around long enough to make such knowledge worthwhile."

He shook his head, as if trying to clear it. "But then that's not something anybody wants to hear, is it? So what's this you were saying? Twins? And a giant insect in the library? How odd. But it sounds like you're settling in quite nicely then, which I'm glad to here. I take it there's been no trouble?"

Zack nodded. "I see. I appreciate the offer, but I am fine. These have served me for years and shall continue to do so." Then he paused. She had asked him. Of course she had asked him, he had been stupid enough to bring it up. He sighed. Did he tell her? No. He couldn't. There was nothing she could do about it. But he couldn't outright lie to her. A half truth then.

"Ill, would be the best way to put it. It's best not to dwell on such things, as they will only lead to pointless worry."

Zack shrugged. "My time left is unknown, so whatever I can do. I suppose inform. Tell the others as much as I can about L.A.W.. Fight them if I can, and keep searching for someone stronger than me." Zack sighed as he finally got around to picking up his own drink. Though he still didn't take a sip, he merely stared at the wafting steam.

"It's very difficult to explain... And it would take a good while to tell you what's wrong with me." Zack thought for a moment. "Actually, it's easy, but I don't want you to... Never mind." Suddenly, Zack sat up and looked at Victoria with renewed interest, something akin to hope sparking in his haunted gaze. "Wait... Your power. How far away are you capable of using it? Wait, don't tell me... That would be bad. How about this... Can you use it from a distance? Be as vague as possible. I know it sounds odd, but there's a logical reason for it."

Zack's grin widened, if only for a moment. "That's good! then there's hope! But... I don't know how much to tell you. But you may be my only hope." Zack grunted in frustration. For almost a full minute, he stared intensely at Victoria, the internal debate almost visible in the air. With a sigh, he seemed to come to some sort of agreement.

"We have only met once, but I would like to consider you my friend." He began slowly, taking his time with each sentence and pausing in between. "Which is why I am hesitant to tell you anything. So I will ask you. This will be your choice whether or not to get involved. Something... Very bad is going to happen soon. Your unique skill set makes you more than capable of helping the Titans immensely, but even attempting to do so, even knowing how you can do so, puts you in incredible danger."

Zack leaned across the table, resting his elbows upon it and his head in steeped fingers.

"Do you choose to help, or do you choose relative safety?"

Zack nodded slowly. "Very well." After collecting his thoughts for a moment, he began.

"I should start by saying that I am no hero. I never was. This city labeled me a hero, my friends labeled me a hero, but I am and always have been... Something else. I was built to be a weapon. You know some of what happened to me, though the version you received was very much abridged. What they did to me... What I was forced to do... I am a killer, Victoria. I have butchered countless opponents. L.A.W.'s version of training forced us to fight to the death... Every week I watched dozens of people, most barely older than mere children, dragged away to wherever L.A.W. disposed of the dead, their blood splattered across my hands and my face. Killing was my life, it was all I knew. And after... Certain events... After I won my freedom in the blood of so many I kept killing. It was all I knew. At the time, all I wanted was to die. All I wanted was to find someone who was stronger than me, to fight them and lose. Everyone I knew and cared about... I had nothing left. I had killed my only reason to live. And then I joined the Titans. I thought everything had changed. I was wrong. I've tried to control it... What they did to me in there, it shattered my mind Victoria. And every time I killed I could feel the madness boiling up within me, I can feel it taking over. But after combat, I always came back. But over time, it has grown worse."

Zack paused for a long moment before continuing.

"I... I've always been able to hear them... Their screams... Everyone I've ever killed. Screaming in agony, screaming in fear. And every time I close my eyes, every time I try to rest, I can see their blood soaked faces, twisted in rage and hatred, haunting my nightmares. But despite it all, I thought I had it under control. But I didn't. The madness Victoria, it grew. It grew and grew until I couldn't contain it. Every time I fought, every time I trained, it came, and it got harder and harder to come back each time. And then, it plagued me even when I was calm, out of combat, it came for me, showing me twisted visions of what I could do if I only gave in..."

Zack was visibly paler now, and he had started shaking as if cold.

"And then the blackouts started. several times now I have woken up n the middle of carnage that makes even a killer like me gag... And I have only shattered shards of memories to tell me what I did. I am ill, Victoria, but it is no sickness of the body that plagues me. I am scared, Victoria, but not for my own safety. Something terrible will happen soon... I know it. I hate to say it, but I'm terrified. I've been keeping away from my team, away from everyone because I don't know how much time I have: How long until I black out and don't wake up. Or I wake up and it's my team pinned to the wall like insects... Until my friends... I'm no hero Victoria. I'm a monster." Zack couldn't bring himself to say any more and buried his face in his hands, shuddering at the thoughts wracking his mind.