Bad Dream or Worse Reality?

JaK went back to watching TV after he felt he had made his point, however, he could see what he said might've pissed Grace off a bit more than usual or at least more than he thought it would.

"What, did I say something wrong??"

Suddenly in an aggravated outburst she shouted that she was nothing like Necatti. Now obviously JaK had not been paying much attention to Grace's relationship with the Grimwreaper or maybe he might've known how much she loathed him. Just now it dawned on him that she feared becoming him, like JaK feard becoming Nightmare. In anycase, he had obviously made a costly msitkae. For the temperature of the room began to drop vastly as she demanded JaK look her in the eyes. His own body temperature begnning to do the same as things began to freeze over along with Grace. Shivering now JaK grabbed his arms and looked on as she started to talk to herself. JaK recognized this as one of Grace's episodes, kind of like the one she had before, but sadly this time Will wasn't around to snap her out of it and currently Sage was in a deadly situation. Grace was making things so rapidly cold that the machinery in the room was turning off due to the wires freezing over. JaK hismelf feeling the ice enter his lungs almsot as if he was in the artic.

"GRACE, GRAAACE...SNAP OUT OF IT!"

But, it was no use the conversation continued and so did JaK's freezing. In fact, the only good thing about the cold was that that his body had become so numb that his wounds didn't bother him anymore. Getting out of bed JaK absorbed a mixture of metal from his bed and his own blankets into a double coating of armor so that way he would have some protection from this cold, but eventually even metal broke under the harsh chill and wool froze over. Luckily, Grace stopped her crazy mad ranting and then collapsed onto the floor leaving Sage took stare down at the girl with concern all over his face.

"Ahh crap, what have I done?"

JaK in no way hated Grace for the record, she just like a lot of people had the tendency to annoy him or get his bad side, but of course as stated before he did deeply care for her and every other Titan when things got serious and right now things were plenty serious. Holding her in his metal and cotton like arms JaK shook Grace trying to wake her up, not too hard, but enough to try and stir a response.

"Grace, Grace...Come on answer me dammit!"

"What!?"

It was at that time after Grace pulled away from JaK like nothing had happened all that crazy, then she expressed just how much she loathed the boy. Which, JaK sort of found surprising but then again after thinking about it not too much. In fact, he could count the instances that he had been nice or actually expressed that he cared in anyway about Grace. The first time being right after she collapsed and he suggested she be brought back to the tower. The second was their probably only genuine conversation other than this in her room, and the third was right now. 3 times...That's it. JaK had only really showed any type of compassion for the girl 3 times. She on the other hand wasn't all that friendly either, but as a team leader and senior member JaK maybe should've been more understanding of her situation. She also had deep seeded issues, as much, if not more so than Sage himself. Not to mention she had proven that she actually somewhat gave a crap about him twice now. Once by potentially saving his life with Nightmare and then she did go with the rest of the team to aid JaK in the Tournament of Heroes. However, that might've been due to Lance going each time. In any case whether she hated him then or not, she did now, or at least wanted to.

"Look Grace I just...*Sigh* I'm sorry if I ever gave you the impression that I didn't like you or despised you in anyway. I don't, you're my teammate and I care for you deeply enough to take a knife in the back before I let anyone harm you. Believe That. S-S-Sometimes...A lot of the times I know I can be, erm kinda cold or seem like I literally just don't give a f*ck, but that's the way I had to be to survive. Never trust anyone, never show anyone too much weakness, and never let down your guard."

It was taking a lot for JaK to actually explain to Grace how much all the team members meant to him. Especially her, and that he wasn't always purposefully trying to be a jerk to her or them. It was just that was the way things had to be growing up on the streets of Gotham. With a brother like Nightmre being your only company and back-up it was kind of understandable in a way.

"I guess, what I'm really trying to say is...I'm sorry. Ok? Hate me or not, whatever. I may not think Necatti is evil, but he's definitely not good, righteous, or any sort of the word. You on the other hand are striving to be something better for this world and even though my point of views aren't the same as yours. You're not Necatti...And you never will be for the simple fact that you have a desire to do what you think is good like no one else on this planet or in this galaxy. I mean, why else would you have sticken around with the Teen Titans, right?"

Of course when JaK Sage spoke these last few words he had no clue about her needing a suitable husband. That being said, JaK would stand and disperse his armored skin. His complexion turning back to it's rather still burnt composure. He would still need nearly half a day for his wounds to heal completely. Especially with the whole med. lab dethawing.

"Well at least I don't have to stay in bed anymore."

"Ah it's ok, and if you're having problems you can talk to us ya know...Well, maybe not me seeing as you seem to loathe my existence and all, but hey, I'm sure Lance or maybe Dan will care, kinda. Were a family Grace, like it or not. Lance, myself, & Dan are all we've got. I know you have relatives back wherever you live and that's a lucky thing to have. So if you're gonna leave I'm not gonna stop you, but just know were here for you."

That being said, JaK would try to get the automatic door to open...It was frozen shut. That left two options...One was to wait for it to thaw and stay locked up with Grace for a while or knock it down and then have to put it back up later. Both were definite major pains in the ass after weighing the pros and cons of each decision.

JaK walked back to the bed now that it was no longer frozen and sat on his now chilled sheets, actually it was kinda nice. Grace on the other hand tried to get the TV to work again, since she had also relieved it of the ice that had frozen over it's circuitry. The holographic screen starting to slowly project itself in a 3D model. While it loaded the two were both quiet and then Sage decided to say something, he had been very lonerish around the team lately, maybe it was because of Kat? He didn't know, but he did know that if he didn't want to end up like Nightmare he had to start trusting people, trust his teammates, no, his family.

"Look Grace, I know you've been trying to get stronger and stuff and I just happened to notice that using your ice powers a lot can tire you out pretty quick. Plus your ice armor is more for defensive, well what if I could show you how to be more offensive while saving most of your power?"

JaK felt kind of awkward telling Grace this, mainly because he knew she'd probably reject him citing that she didn't need his help because she hated him or something to that affect, but hey, at least he was making an effort here.

"Basically what I'm saying is...If you want.... I'll teach you a little bit more about hand to hand combat so that you don't have to waist too much energy on petty crooks and save it for their bosses. Also I can show you how to fight in armor and use it for more of an offensive than defensive advantage. Since you have complete control of it I'm sure it doesn't really alter your weight distribution, kinda like mine, so being able to have full mobility in it to do moves shouldn't be an problem."

JaK was really offering to teach Grace how to fight!? I mean it's not like he was saying she was helpless or didn't know anything already, but hey learning a new martial art never hurt anybody except the ones your practice on. Like Sage said, he never wanted any of his teammates hurt and if he could help Grace stay alive by teaching her how to crack some skulls, so be it.

JaK smiled back at Grace for accepting his offer, he actually took it as a compliment that she had been observing him. Although, he himself had never seen her actually do any type of hand to hand combat other than when she made that ice sword thingy, so he couldn't confirm this, but in any case he was flattered. Then as she explained how she couldn't do certain things with her powers he decided to express his same frustrations.

"I just recently discovered a few powers I never used to have as well, I'm sure if you give it time and are motivated hard enough you'll be able to do things you never thought you could."

As Sage spoke he would lean over and touch Grace's arm as if trying to console her, but in reality he was trying demonstrate one of his new abilities. Suddenly he would would instantly become covered in the fabric of his bed sheets, as would Grace for a moment. He had transferred his fiber coating to her. An ability he discovered not to long ago, but he can only do when in contact with the other person or thing such as with his clothes. Letting go he would apologetically look back at Grace knowing she doesn't like him touching her. Usually he wouldn't care what she liked, but he was trying to put a good foot forward, also he didn't want her flippin out again.

"Haha, heat my tea up huh, too bad Nightmare got all the cool powers? Boy I wish I could absorb energy to, maybe then I could turn the tables against hi---Ya know what never mind, new subject."

JaK had quickly changed topics hoping to move on after touching Grace, but hen realized the new one he choose was no better and just brought up old wounds. This fact dawning on him as he held the cold cup in his hand and imagined himself heating it up with blue flames radiating from his palm like his brother.

JaK looked back at Grace as she mentioned her brother and smiled.

"Anyone can be beaten, believe that. I do. If I didn't..well I don't think I'd be standing here today...It's no secret that out of the bunch of us my powers seem the weakest when all I can do is absorb materials and most of the people we fight can destroy the world around us like it was paper. But, I fight them anyway, full-well knowing this guy can probably crack my head open like an egg shell and I do it because I know...And I truly believe that there will always be some way, even if it's just one out of a thousand attempts. There's always that one way to win."

JaK's confidence in his words was truthful, if he didn't believe he could take down every guy he fought there's no way he would be the kind of fighter/warrior he is today. His powers would be stricly defensive so that he could run away from the situaion. To some degree he did envy his brother's ability to heal from nearly anything within moments. It gave David the idea that he was invincible and never had to worry about anything, but that, and JaK was sure of this would also be his downfall in the end. It is the idea of knowing your limits that is what keeps someone on their toes and clear headed, and Nightmare, didn't think he had any.

"Back to your question though, ya I can absorb ice and I've actually done it before, but it was after you had fainted when you made that giant ice axe during the crazy Santa Claws fight. Now that I think about it that was one bizarre day haha."

Sage kinda half laughed at the thought of when they had to fight evil snowmen, giant reindeer, and vicious gingerbread men.

"Anyway, I can absorb anything as long as it's solid matter. Even loosely fit matter like jello and mud. Can't do water though or any liquids and energy based substances really."

If Grace thought she had failed against Necatti she should have seen how JaK fared. Actually managing to annoy the entity with his bouts with the Reaper due to him constantly trying to save the Fallen's marks from their fates. Consequences of said actions included being blown through two walls, one of them brick, and finally having a home brought down upon him...

"That would be a great idea, Lance and I actually have a catapult move like that already. Don't know how it would work with you though...Well anyway enough about training and fighting, the TV's finally coming back on. I just wanna relax and think about busting dude's heads open a little later."

That being said, the holographic television screen popped back on. The news was on now, coverage of the Titan's latest group effort to take down a villain being broadcast for the entire city to see.