What Have I Done to Myself? (Titans Tree)

The tornado eventually died, along with Bow’s spirit. She laid on the cold, wet, soggy ground for about an hour, hardly able to breathe. What had just happened? What was really just said? It wasn’t that long ago, was it? Her head was spinning and when she went to grip it, she noticed for the first time that it seemed her arm was broken. How did that happen? She struggled to pick her head up and looked around. Destruction was everywhere. Tears filled her eyes as she saw that her peaceful meadow was gone. Destroyed under the weight of the storm. Her heart began to race and her head pounded. She couldn’t stay here. She had to get out. This wasn’t right. It had to all be a dream.

Panic filled her lungs and gave her the miniscule strength she needed to get off the ground. She tried to fly and realized she couldn’t. Why was that? She didn’t dwell on it for too long. Her home was right around the corner. She trudged through the woods in the dead of night, panting and wheezing. The pink haired girl was stained a crimson red all over, but she had no idea of the blood she had loss.

When she got to the tree, she saw two of them. Her steps into the clearing were awkward and off. A delirious smile filled her face as she got close to the front door. When she reached out to open the entrance, she finally noticed the gooey stuff all over her and went wide eyed. She had been in shock and, now that she was coming out of it, she realized the state she was in. A scream escaped her lips and she passed out right in front of the door.

During the time of the storm, twigs and sticks and branches had impaled her only to be ripped out again. At once point a large chunk of bark smack into her side and gashed her all to pieces. Fire had burned and lightning struck. If she had been a normal human, she’d be dead already. Luckily she was a meta and an alien, so things worked a little more in her favor… But even then, she was still on the brink of death. If she didn’t get to the hospital soon, not enough medicine in the world could save her.

Kale and Kishi were discussing which tasted better between human food, human world untencils and objects, or humans themselves. Needless to say Kale and Kishi weren't agreeing on much involving the subject until the topic switched entirely when the dragon mage smelt fresh blood approaching and found Bow nearing the steps of the Titans Tree, collapsing before she could fully reach them.

Brave was worried as he called her name and whistled for a falcon as he darted to her side. He yelled for Onyekachi too keep lookout to see if anyone followed her but the area seemed clear. Who could have done this to their teammate. She needed medical attention - they could treat her of course but she might need surgery and doctors, heck even they might not be able to save her now. The hospitals had that Sage serum though, that could save her.

Kale loaded Bow onto Flaps with her own falcon looming over them seeming kind of concerned. Kale lingered a moment as he mounted to see if Kishi would accompany them.

No, Kishi would not. He'd had his laugh. His obligation to care ended as soon as there was a bigger heart present in the room.

Bow was completely out. Not anything less than a car slamming into her could wake her at this point. As Kale loaded her onto the falcon, her intense storm combined with the already oncoming cold front accelerated the precipitation of snow. The first fall of the season started to float to the ground as Bow was floating farther and farther away from this world.

In her mind, she was dreaming, though her dreams were anything but pleasing. The thing that had only caught her attention for a split second during her conversation with JaK was haunting her nightmare. Three gorgeous, powerful women stood before her. Each one of them was absolutely perfect in their own way and towered over Bow. They glared at her with smirks on their faces, showing that they had gotten a piece of the only man she had ever even liked... that she knew about.

Then JaK walked in. He took one small glance at her but then submerged himself in the affection of the others. Bow could only watch. Tears filled her eyes and she tried to turn away, but couldn't. She hugged herself and started to scream, falling to her knees and then being bound to the position, unable to even put her head to the ground.

As this was going on in her mind, Bow's body radiated with heat and a blue aura. However, as the blue aura tried to heal her, the pain pursued and kept her under the weight of pure drainage. Everything was working against her and she was starting to lose it.

Kale flew with her on his back towards the Hospital but when he arrived there was yet another Russian attack on times square. There were also a dozen or so refugees from the attack in the main lobby of the Emergency ward.

Of course Kale demanded Bow go first and showed his hero registration to get priority. The people in line booed and yelled at Kale, that was until the dragon mage vowed to stop the current Russian strike, gaining back the people's favor for the most part and sought to do just that as he exited the hospital and engaged the military unit.

Meanwhile, JaK had heard of the storm and went to the hospital just to see if he could help. He had some very heavy thinking to do. He walked through the injured ward offering to help in anyway possible. Most people were just happy to see the Grayline drummer and the person who donated the Sage serum in the flesh.

JaK was happy to cheer up people and occasionally even bandage them. The severe injuries didn't even phase him. As if he was numb to the level of carnage. Little did JaK know one of these rooms contained Bow.

Bow didn't wake up for about two hours. Her body was healing and injuring itself at an alarming rate. They had her hooked up to so many machines it was unreal. It looked like they were just trying to keep her alive. Just enough to delay her death.

If she hadn't discovered her healing power, she would have already passed away. When she woke up, tears came streaming down her face instantly. At first, she looked around and didn't see anyone. It immediately brought back the first memory she had and she began to hyperventilate.

Then she saw him. It had to be her mind playing tricks on her though, right?? She blinked and sniffled, trying to wipe her tears away but unable to move even that much. Her voice was hoarse, barely even a whisper. "J-JaK?..." Then her nightmare came back to her and she turned her head, a growl deep in her voice. "What are you doing here? I-I walked to the Titan Tree... I-It should be Kale I see..." She looked up at the tv and saw why her pink haired friend wasn't there. Tears filled her eyes again as the pain of her weakness caught up to her and she winced.

Her attention was drawn back to JaK and she glared at him. "Go away... I-I have a lot to think about right now... A-and I'm not exactly in the best position to talk to you..." She coughed and spat up blood. Her eyes were swimming in crystal blue tears and she looked away, not sure what she should do at this very moment.

As JaK meandered into the next room he saw a pink haired girl. At first he didn't even put the scene together because he had just seen Bow completely fine but when the realization came to him of who it was in that hospital bed he ran to her bedside and looked her over. "No,no,no,no.." JaK grabbed his bangs and yanked them down, how could this happen? He was just with her. JaK grapsed her hand and buried his face into her blankets. "..Stay with me..."

JaK didn't budge for a few minutes and then he felt her stir. He looked up and saw her violet orbs glaring at him. She seemed shocked and angry. Kale? Who the heck..Oh yeah, the Teen titan dragon kid. JaK stepped away - he tried to speak but she cut him off. When he finally had his chance he spoke. "Bow please, I didn't mean for this to happen, ok...I didn't mean to hurt you I just  -"

"So you're the reason!" A voice called out from around the doorway and there was Kale. His clothes were torn and he was battle scared but he was also chewing on a high caliber firearm which seemed to be helping with his healing process. "You put Bow in this condition?" The bravest Titan gave JaK a dagger like glance as veins popped out around his neck.

"Hold up, I'm trying to tell you, ya I made her like this but--" JaK extended a hand to brave in a halting motion and then reached for Bow's hand as if to reassure her. At this point Kale had heard enough, he had just admitted to it and then dared to touch her!?! Maybe it was the dragon mage's fighting spirit getting the getting in the way of his judgement since there was a broadcast in the background of him fending off a squadrant of Russian militia just five minutes earlier. Whatever the case JaK never got a chance to even grasp Bow's palm because before he could he was tackled and pressed up against the wall where Kale sternly held up his forearm into his neck. "Don't you touch her!"

JaK couldn't speak - this kid was beyond strong.

"If I ever see your face around her again, I'll destroy you!" Suddenly JaK's knee met the inside of Kale's sternum doubling him over. JaK then wrenched his wrist in an awkward and painful position and threw him to the ground and pressed his knee into his back. "Listen here dumb%#^$ I'm trying to tell you I didn't actually--" Again JaK was caught off guard when metal scales suddenly formed around Kale and then he backwards headbutted JaK busting his nose.

JaK's temper got the best of him as he grabbed the back of Kale's head and slammed it hard into the tile flooring. As Kale went to raise his head he would find a foot jammed into the back of his skull, again and again, and again! JaK was viciously ghetto stomping the Titan's head into the ground. "You  don't listen well huh? So I guess I'll make you feel it." JaK said as he stoodback in a fighting stance as Kale pushed him off with one arm then angrily glared at the boy. To the Titan's surprise JaK's nose looked fine now.

"Make me feel? Oh human, you've got my blood boiling." Kale bore his fangs. JaK stood in his martial arts pose and the mage looked like he was ready to pounce.

The sight of Kale was a shock to Bow just as much as it had been a surprise for JaK. And what made it even worse was that he had accused JaK of hurting Bow! She was about to call out to him when JaK spoke first. She sighed in relief, sure that he would clear up all of this nonsense. And instead he blamed himself! Her eyes went wide and she started to speak, but was cut off by Kale yanking JaK away and slamming him to the wall, yelling at him not to touch her?

Bow was confused. Why was Kale getting so worked up over this? Why wouldn't they let her speak!? She screamed out though when she saw the fight begin. "STOP!!" Neither of them listened. Of course they wouldn't. Bow coughed as she began to get extremely worried for the both them, seeing one wale on the other and then vice versa.

The pulse machine began to go off when JaK began beating Kale's face into the ground and tears filled her eyes. She sat up and tried to get up to get in between them. "S-STOP IT!! B-BOTH OF YOU!! W-WHAT ARE YOU EVEN FIGHTING FOR!?!?" When she tried to stand, she fell to the floor instead, coughing and trying not to puke. The girl was in terrible condition and the fight wasn't helping anything.

JaK pointed at Kale and then too Bow. "She's right this is freaking retarded!"

"Then you shouldn't have started it." Kale grunted.

JaK's head grew huge in an anime art style. "WHAT!? You started it!"

"You started it when you hurt her!" Kale roared back in the same style.

"Man %#^ this." JaK said as he moved to help Bow but suddenly had an enthralled dragonborn teen lunge at him with his fist cocked back.

"I SAID DONT TOUCH HER!!" JaK had grabbed hold of Bow but when he noticed Kale launch at him he shoved her out of the way and engaged Brave; JaK parried his punch up with his forearm and punched Kale int he sternum, then ducked his next swing and right hooked Kale and slammed his head onto the bed side rail. It was clear JaK's prowess at hand to hand combat far outclassed the dragon mage's.

However...

Kale grabbed hold of JaK's hand and with a sudden burst of speed and strength he threw JaK across the room into the operating equipment. Kale then coated his fists in metal scales and pounced at JaK but Sage grabbed hold of the bed pan and blocked the strike then slapped Kale in the face with it and brought it around to hit him a second time when Kale caught it in his jaws and bit a chunk out the the metal bed pan - gross.

Kale having destroyed JaK's weaponry nailed the pale teen in the ribs and abdomen with hard shots that could've cracked cement, but JaK wasn't a stranger to pain and fought on. He parried Kale's metal coated fists with his arm gauntlets and kicked his knee cap inward dropping Kale to one knee and then grabbed his head and crashed his own knee into the bridge of Kale's nose, but the rough as nails dragon mage also gripped JaK's jacket and sprung up headbutting him in the face.

Both teens had blood dripping down their face and were yelling wildly as they traded blows relentlessly. JaK lacked strength but made up for it in pure will and determination during the exchange. They angrily howled at one another as they threw caution to the wind and pelted one another with fists, no regard for blocking or parrying from either side.

The girl sighed in relief when it seemed the two boys had finally realized how stupid they were being. She smiled up to JaK as she took his help to stand, but then was pushed away. A squeal escaped her lips as she gripped onto the covers, pulling them down on top of her.

She didn't pull them from over her eyes...

Rain didn't want to watch. She didn't know what to do. What power did she have over these two men!? She was weak! She was frail! Even she wanted to, she couldn't do anything to either of them. When she finally let herself see, her heart broke. They were both drenched in blood and kept going, looking like animals as they beat each other to the ground.

Finally, she had had enough! She grabbed both of their pant legs and shouted as a blue aura enveloped all of them without her noticing... "S-STOP IT!! I-IF YOU CAN'T THEN GET OU-AHHHHHHHH!!!!" She had begun to heal them involuntarily. When both of their pains hit her at once, she doubled over and screamed in absolute agony. The girl vomited what was left in her stomach and stayed with her head to the ground, just trying to breathe, for a minute.

When she looked back up at them, her vision was blurry from the pain and tears. Her voice was barely even a whisper as she continued to take extremely labored breaths. "Th-this is a place...for healing...not...fighting...i-idiots..." She had to pause before continuing. If either of them tried to touch her, she would give them a death glare. "J-JaK...didn't do this... I-I did... I-I was the one... t-to lose...control..." The girl was barely able to hold onto consciousness. "D-don't touch me... E-either of you... Y-you...hurt..." She meant that in more ways then one, and it showed in her voice and her eyes. Those violet orbs that are so full of life and give away everything that she's thinking...

JaK and Kale suddenly both began to feel better as they pelted each other. JaK's cracked ribs no longer hurt and Kale's puffy face deflated. Then they stared to Bow and saw how injured she was.

Both bent over to try and help her but she demanded they not touch her, both boys then glared at one another and she spoke again reminding them that this was a place for healing.

Kale hated JaK for ever causing Bow to be in this state, and JaK equally hated Kale for causing this situation. "For you Bow..."

"Fine I'll stop." JaK said, as he dropped his guard.

"But one day I'll settle this with you."

"When that day comes I'll make you feel every bit of her pain, human."

JaK and Kale then went to opposite sides of the room as the nurses finally felt it was okay to come in and help Bow. The ruckus they made had alerted every RN on the floor. Neither were asked to leave since Kale was listed as family and JaK was invited to the hospital but both were asked to sit away from each other on opposite sides of Bow where they glared at one another as if they wanted to burn the other to cinders with just a gaze. The nurses feverishly attended to Bow's worsening condition around them.

Both JaK and Kale felt horrible for making her situation worse.

As the nurses filed in, Bow started to already go in and out of a state of awareness. They picked her up and laid her on the bed. She couldn't move a muscle. Two of them began to hook up the machines that had been disconnected when she fell out of the bed. One of the others started to check her vitals, looking more and more pale as she went about her business. When they were all done with that, the head nurse sighed and rubbed her forehead. "This child is in a wretched condition..."

The plump older lady looked at both of the boys as the machines beeped in the background, signaling that major action still needed to be taken. "You two need to watch your tempers! If this girl experiences much more stress, it could quite possibly kill her!" Then she thought about it and turned back to the numbers, reading her profile and thinking about what to do. She turned to one of the male nurses and sighed. "I need phenobarbital quickly. We need to get her to sleep for a while so that she calms down."

As soon as Bow heard the word sleep, her eyes went wide and she started to panic. Her pulse and blood pressure flew off the charts and two nurses held her down at the shoulders when she tried to get up. "N-no! I-I don't wanna go to sleep!! P-please don't make m-*COUGH COUGH COUGH* When she began to puke, she finally calmed down enough that the woman could speak. "Don't worry, child. You will be fine. You need to sleep so that you can relax. The healing process will be quicker that way and you won't be in as much pain. I can tell just by looking at you... You should be dead right now."

Bow bit her lip and sighed, looking away from both of the boys and closing her eyes. "Y-yes ma'am..." The nurse came back with the syringe and the lady came up to Bow, stroking her hair for a moment. "Be still. This will only hurt for a moment." Rain's eyes got wide again and she began to tear up as the fluid pierced into her veins. She looked back and forth between Kale and JaK. "P-please don't leave me... I-I don't want to wake up alone..." And with that... She fell asleep.

The nurses finished up their tasks and all exited. The head was the last to leave, turning once again to the boys with a glare. "One more outburst and I will kick you out. I don't care what it says on the records or that you were invited here. Understand?" Once she got her answer, she turned and left, muttering under her breath. "D*** metas..."

Battle Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp-QqkkXfcQ

JaK sat with his arms folded and Kale sat with the bed pan in hand, chewing on it. When Bow spoke of them not leaving her - each boy assumed she was referring to him more than the other. The nurses then sedated Bow and threatened both brave and Sage.

And then silence....

The two sat staring at one another. Kale wiped his mouth and JaK cracked his neck. They both looked at Bow and then back to one another. Then without another word they both rose and left the room.

"Be right back." "Be right back."

They walked into the public streets that had just been cleared due to the Russian attack, past the yellow caution tape, and stood across from one another. "Just to be clear, do we both know whats at stake here?" JaK said as he stretched.

Kale cracked his knuckles. "All out - no holding back. No humans get hurt. Winner gets to go back to be with Bow until she wakes up."

JaK smirked, so they both had the same mindset on this. "Well lets not make it too easy," JaK raised his finger. "If I win I take over your team."

Kale stood silent for a moment, a stipulation, eh? "And if I win...You never come around Bow again."

JaK just nodded and armed his wrist shooter as Kale donned metal scales all over his body. "Fine then," JaK assumed a samba-to stance. "prove to me you can protect her then!"

Kale punched his fist into his palm and yelled out, "Right after I cut you out of her life!" Suddenly his hand shot forward - elongated - all the way across the street towards JaK. "Sheering Clutch!" The metal scales had magically transformed the appendage into a claw. JaK's eyes grew wide just before impact, he raised his right wrist gauntlet to block the blow. The hit pushed Sage backwards into a car which dented on impact but he was able to hold back Kale's strike with his unbreakable wrist bracelet.

Kale snorted and clasped his talon around JaK's arm and retracted his limb pulling Sage towards him. As JaK soared across the street to meet Kale's fist he snapped his fingers and placed a han on Kale's arm increasing the density of the metal. Kale's arm suddenly became super heavy and dropped to the ground. JaK then released himself from Kale's grasp and and ran up his long metal arm like a poised acrobat to deliver a spinning back-kick to Kale's face.

The dragon mage stumbled backwards and lunched a bunch of knife like scales off his arm at JaK, but Sage weaved and ducked in between cars towards Kale. Just  before reaching his target JaK snapped his fingers and removed the hub cap off a car and then lunged it at a light pole. The shield ricocheted off the light pole and nearly hit Kale, but the dragon teenager ducked at the last second and then blocked JaK's front flip kick with his forearm. After pushing JaK back Kale coated his arm in metal and went to right hook Sage, but the shield had ricocheted again off the ground just like JaK had planned and into the boy's hands enabling him to block Kale's blow, thus causing the sound of metal upon metal to resound all throughout the area.

The two engaged in close quarters combat. With kale armored and JaK using the shield their blows weren't doing too much damage but the slug fest was brutal to say the least - neither held anything back at all. Their battle cries could be heard for a half-mile. Kale attempted to crush JaK and Sage aimed for every vital he saw.

Finally, JaK landed a crotch kick and then slammed the shield into Kale's body throwing him backwards on top the hood of a vehicle. Kale had the wind knocked out of him and then when he looked towards JaK he saw the pale teen coming towards with the shield held overhead to jab it into Kale's neck. The dragon mage rolled at the last second and then with one arm he tipped the car over on top of Sage who had just stabbed the makeshift shield into the hoodin the exact spot Kale was laying.

The car turned over on JaK pinning him to the floor. He as strong but strong enough to lift the automobile? Not quite. Meanwhile, Kale leaped overhead and took a deep breath. "This is OVER! Roar of the IronReaver!!!" Kale exhaled a wave of shrapnel towards JaK just as the teen snapped his fingers and caused the vehicle to reform into a machine dome around him. Kale gritted his teeth at the site of this and drove his elbow through the top of the automoblie meshed igloo, hoping to nail JaK with a hard shot - maybe crack a few bones.

But to Brave's surprise his arm was caught by an all black metal glove, which was connected to a black suit of armor. The Titan's eyes dialated as he realized this figure was his opponent and had just blocked one of his best blows with one hand! "REGALIAAAA!!!" Sage roared as he threw Kale into the ground, cracking the concrete and then soccer kicked his body into an electric street sign.

The street sign's advertisement sparked wildly and shattered glass littered the ground! It seemed Kale was out but as JaK took a step forward a beam of lighting suddenly flew out and electrocuted him. "ROAR OF THE ION FANG!" The suit of armor was made for impact force but this...THIS HURT! JaK yelled in agony then dropped to all fours, steam emitting from the metal suit. Once on all fours JaK looked up and saw Kale zooming towards him with sparks flying off his body and his eyes lit up. The pink haired boy hit JaK with a punch that didn't hurt physically but tazed him still and caused the armored hero to go soaring into a dumpster. The armor even broke through the hull of the dumpster causing JaK to disappear in the garbage which was now leaking out of the bin.

Kale stood breathing hard for a moment and then heard the clapping noise from within the trash bin. Immediately following three spikes propped up from the ground around his feet, Kale side stepped each of them barely but his last avoidance put him in direct range for JaK's surprise attack.  

Kale stepped on a manhole cover, which he didn't remember being there before and then out popped JaK from the sewers with a thunderous uppercut. To make the damage heavier JaK threw all his weight into it which would've broke his hand if he wasn't heavily armored. Kale was launched into the air and then looked down so he could speak again, but JaK knew his trick now; Kale healed through eating and had to call out his spells to use them.

The teen snapped his fingers and made the ground suddenly prop up, sending JaK flying into the air as well where he caught the surprised dragon mage by the mouth to stop him saying anything more and then put him in a choke hold which he held onto as they went spiraling into the ground.

A dust cloud sprung up form the impact again JaK was fine thanks to his Regalia armor - other than having a violent turbulent shock but Kale he was in a bad way. JaK didn't let go of his mouth either the armored avenger ran across the ground with his hands over Kale's mouth and dragged him along the floor - scrapping his head against the pavement.

Kale then gripped onto JaK's hand as he was being dragged and electrocuted his opponent. JaK screamed in agony again and then let Kale go. JaK dropped to one knee and the armor dissipated he could no longer hold it. In addition his body hadn't healed yet - while donning the Regalia JaK couldn't heal, he had just fought through all the pain of being tazed on his own power of will.

Kale seemed shocked byt he state of JaK's body but knew this was his chance to mount a counter attack. Kale rose up and howled loud with all he had, "Vulcan Shock Ignition!!" He pressed his palms together and formed an electric orb which exploded into little smalls lighting bolts that all zipped towards JaK.

Sage knew he had to avoid the volley and with what little strength he had he ran, dove, flipped, and cartwheeled through them with expertise while firing his wrist gauntlet. Kale was struck by a few of the lasers in the sternum piercing holes through him but using his electromagnetism he was able to super leap in a flash over to a streetlight to avoid the rest of JaK's fire.

JaK on the other hand was hit by a few of the little electric shocks from within the volley and now had a charred arm.
Both were nearly out of it.
Both needed a chance to heal but Kale wasn't letting JaK rest and JaK wasn't letting Kale eat.

This would be over soon.  

Either JaK wouldn't be able to handle the pain or Kale would run out of magic power. Kale suddenly leaped off the light pole towards JaK with an electric blade encompassing his arm. "Jolt talon!" JaK dropped down like he had given up but snapped his fingers creating a mailbox high rock wall infront of him that buffered Kale's punch as the mage broke through it. Given the buffer JaK knocked Kale's fist aside and struck him hard in his eye socket. Kale responded with a battle cry roar and hammer fisted JaK's face into the floor with so much force JaK's head split wide open on impact with the ground, but Sage couldn't lose consciousness not now!

JaK suddenly sprung back up, faster than he should be able to move after all that electroshock therapy, and back-flip kicked Kale in the jaw causing him to fall backwards into the brick wall of a convenient store that the dumpster belonged to. "You think you're scary because I'm a human and you're a dragon!?" JaK unloaded a barrage of blows upon Brave's body. The dragon mage attempted to counter but was blocked and then continuously hit with exact strikes in succession. "Dragon's don't exist anymore! They were wiped out, HUMANS still thrive!" JaK bombed punches, "We fight," kicks, "we die," knees, "we strive," elbows, "we SURVIVE!" and headbutts on kale faster than nearly the human eye could see. All the while the brick wall behind them groaned as dust fell off of it from JaK's quick and heavy blows. "You're not the predator I need to fear," JaK continued to the point where his joints, muscles, and bones felt like they were gonna go out from over working his body - pushing his limits too far. "YOU NEED TO FEAR ME!!!" Sudenly one last open plam thrust knocked Kale through the wall where he laid with no pupils in his eyes sprawled out.

JaK dropped to the floor as well and they both lad there, unconscious for a moment or so. But soon JaK began to move again and discovered he was already healing. However to his chagrin Kale was munching on one of the bricks that were laying by him. It was clear to both parties now that wearing each other down wouldn't work. It was going to come down to a decisive knockout blow.

Both teens stared at each other for a moment then removed their shirts. "You know human, you've earned my respect."

JaK wiped the blood trickling from his nose. "Thanks...I do try. So we gonna finish this, or nah?"

Kale swallowed his food and then actually assumed a martial arts pose rather than blindly charging JaK like before. "Ya, let this be the end of it."

"No hard feelings, ya know?" JaK also assumed a martial arts pose. "It's just that..."

"...I couldn't handle givin up to you now," sweat droplets ran down Kale's face, it was clear he wasn't sure of who would win. "I couldn't live with myself."

"I know exactly what you mean..." The veins in JaK's arms pulsed as he tensed up. This was the end.

"ROAR OF THE STONEHAVEN!!!" A river of rocks propelled out of Kale's mouth towards JaK. In response JaK clapped his hands and pressed them to the floor. A huge crescent shield formed in front of him out of the ground and barely even held up to the strength of Kale's roar but finally after a while it stopped. Smoke and debris filled the air but JaK had to stay alert.

Now Kale was going to attempt to attack but from where; above, below, the sides? The sides were too obvious maybe from below? Suddenly two dark figures went skating by both sides of him within the dust cloud. "Decoys huh?" JaK snapped his fingers and each decoy was impaled by a spike from the ground. The sound of stone meeting stone told Kale that they were human rocked shaped objects Kale had quickly made to throw JaK off, which meant he was attacking from... "ABOVE!"  A stone figure was flying down at him from up and over the crescent arc JaK had made. Sage quickly jumped back having seen this attack coming in time and aimed a kick towards the object's head. JaK knew the face is where Kale usually didn't have armor scales covering his body. This was it, the steel toed boot would do the damage and JaK was going to either knock him out with this blow or beat him senseless with the follow up attacks. Game...Over...?

JaK's kick connected and took the figure's head off but this wasn't Kale!?! Then who was it---

JaK was suddenly struck with a forceful punch to the side of his head. It was Kale and he had a gaping wound in his chest cavity! One of the decoys he impaled was a rock clone dummy but the other was really brave. He had tossed the airborne one to trick JaK, this was all a trap, and JaK fell for it...humbling.

JaK's head collided with the crescent arc and burst through it sending him skidding across the ground unconscious. Meanwhile Brave fell to the floor and coughed up blood while looking at his defeated opponent. "I won human.....No, I mean I win..JaK Sage." Kale took a bite of some ruble and within minutes he rose up once his wounds were healed and left JaK laying on the ground.

Kale had to get back to his teammate before she woke up.


------

When Bow woke up she would find Kale sitting next to her alone, he was dead asleep and his hand was rested over hers gently gripping it.

When Kale walked into the hospital room, he would find that the machines had stopped their incessant beeping and that the girl in front of him seemed peaceful. Simply resting. However, that was the farthest thing from the truth.

In her mind, all of her nightmares were coming to life. Her parents burning in a fire. JaK leaving her again. Cheating on her, though she knew it wasn't really cheating. They weren't really going out, so it shouldn't have bothered her so bad, but it did. Jemmy forgetting her. That face of not knowing killed Bow to this day. And so many more failures, lost chances, mistakes. As Kale saw the almost-woman in the bed, she had been reduced to a frightful little girl, huddled in the corner of her mind with her teddy bear, trembling and whimpering that she was scared. That she wanted to get out.

Finally, her eyes opened slowly, immediately turning to the side that JaK had been sitting on. When she didn't see him, she blinked, confused and hurt. He had left? No way. That couldn't be right. Then her nightmare hit her again and she sat up, pulling her hands to her face.

When she felt the weight of another on her hand, she remembered that Kale was there too. She blinked and looked over at her teammate. Her mind began to race of possibilities. Did they have another argument, or worse? What happened while she was asleep??

Bow bit her lip and sighed, wiping her tears away before whispering gently. "W-where's JaK, Kale? W-where did he go?" Maybe it was just her imagination running wild, so she had better get the facts straight before jumping to conclusions. But Kale was smart. He would be able to see the abandonment she felt through her eyes. She had asked them to stay. But he didn't? Why?

Kale was roused awake by Bow's call. The teen had to ask her to repeat the question before realizing the answer would upset her. He stared into Bow's eyes then childishly scowled and looked away. "Who cares where he went?" He grumbled.

Kale couldn't hide that JaK had actually earned his respect although he was upset that someone who caused her so much grief was this important to Bow. A very human emotion that as a half dragon he couldn't understand. "He left - he agreed that you'd be better off without him. With us. With the Titans, where you belong, helping others." Kale said this in a matter of fact tone.

He purposely left out how that decision was made but the end decision was the truth. He had proved to this JaK Sage that he, a Teen Titan, could protect Bow.