"Slade taught me how to fight, he taught me about using the shadows to do things for me, personally. He taught me to push memories back, but then he began on about attacking using my fists and I'm really not a physically strong person, so he would always beat me down. So i quit before he could teach me the rest of the memory pushing, so that's why I'm still unstable. I wish I'd stayed with him a bit longer. He always seemed really nice and just caring for my needs. But, he turned bad." She shuffled her feet slightly. "And I met the girl in Jump, it was raining and we were both taking shelter in a cave. She said her name was Terra, and she could control the Earth. I didn't really believe her at the time, but then I heard of the Titans and I realised that other teens had powers too."

"I need to teach you to live with your memories... You can't just bury them away... It'll eat you away from the inside out..."

He was trying his best to not be harsh, and he could only hope it was working..

"And I can teach you a bit about hand to hand. I've done matt wrestling for 7 years."

Alyss frowned. "I can't fight....I'm not at all strong. But I am quite good with a gun." she smiled. "And you don't understand, if i don't put these memories away then....I change."

"Then how will you ever gain for control over your powers?"

HE laid back again.. confused by her logic..

Alyss stood up, wrapping her arms around herself.
"I think that if i repress it enough, it will go away. I have enough bad memories from other people, maybe they will push my bad memory out. I'm getting over it, slowly. I, just need security and I think my powers will be mastered. but i can barely trust anyone, because they all lose control!" She turned to him, her eyes darkly shadowed and her face angry.
"Even you lose control Xzuk! I've seen it!"
Shadows began to flicker over her body, until she sighed and they stopped slowly. "There is no way to stabilize what I am. It's my shame to bear and I hate it."
She walked towards the window and lowered her head, a tear trickling from her eye.

This was the answer he'd hoped for. She wouldn't run from her problems... she'd fight them head on and live with the results.

He walked over and wiped the tear from her eye.

"I would expect nothing less... of a Titan."

Alyss looked up at him and wrapped her arms around her body. "I am not a Titan. I'm a coward who just happens to have powers."
She looked down at the floor and back up at Xzuk, before walking silently from the room and into the Common Room.

(Continued in the common room)