City

It had began raining and Alyss was freaking out...

Oh shit...

All sorts of creatures began to appear... it wouldn't be long before she accidentally re-created the man..

Xzuk began charging his fists and punching through the creatures.. they were stronger than he'd expected.. but he was managing to get closer.

"Hang on Alyss!"

He began to glow again and was fighting harder than he had done in quite a while..

Alyss had no choice. She was terrified of the man's voice that was coming towards her. She pressed the button on her S communicator and Slade's figure began to appear from the wall next to her. She staggered to her feet, dripping wet and trying to wipe the torrential rain from her eyes.
"I-I'm sorry Sir. I just..." she was stopped short by a slap from Slade's huge metal gloves. She clutched her face and looked up at him, horrified.
"Alyss, calm yourself. Everything I do is for your own good." he said, smoothly. He looked down the alleyway and back at Alyss. "It appears we have someone with us."

Slade...

Xzuk glowed white for a moment and the shadowy figures near him simply disintegrated.

"Hurt her again and I swear to God it'll be the last thing you ever do."

That was a mistake... Did I just threaten Slade?

Slade turned to Xzuk and smirked under his mask.
"I don't really think my apprentices concern you." he said. He held Alyss's arm roughly and she winced at the contact, but she looked helplessly at Xzuk.
"He can help me." she said, lamely. Slade nodded at her. She was learning well.

Xzuk didn't even realize what had happened, but Wavlength took over and lunged at Slade with sonic charged fists and to sound clones.

I warned him...

"You need to learn something about respect Slade."

Slade grunted as he was slammed backwards. He landed on his feet, not stumbling. He glared at Xzuk but before he could make a move Alyss was in front of him. Facing Xzuk.

Alyss stood, her eyes wide and her hands outstretched. She glared at Xzuk and her hands began to power up and they formed a black shadow in her hands, she sliced the air and a shadow moved around her, making a protective semi-circle. "Will you still never fight me?" she hissed.

He didn't break Slade's glare and still responded to Alyss.

"Do you know the definition of never? That's your answer..."

His veins returned to normal and his clones stepped back in form behind him.

Alyss shook her head and didn't lower her hands. "Wrong answer."
She raised her hands and the floor surrounding Xzuk started to pull him down, shadow hands grabbing and tearing each part of him.

Xzuk shut his eyes and waited for it to stop. It hurt, but he wouldn't give Slade the satisfaction of seeing him in pain.

He began hearing the words of Tom Petty in his head. It was a nice encouragement.

Well I wont back down, no I wont back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I wont back down

Gonna stand my ground, wont be turned around
And Ill keep this world from draggin me down
Gonna stand my ground and I wont back down

Hey baby, there aint no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I wont back down.

Well I know whats right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin me around
But Ill stand my ground and I wont back down

Alyss growled and began to form a vision in her mind.
Fallen isn't dead, but she is with another man!
All the Titans dead on the floor, Kira still in mid transformation.
Your family staring at you one last time, hating you because they know what you will do.

Alyss added in more terror, she had collected enough a few moments ago for herself and began to spread it in Xzuk's mind.
Slade smiled at his apprentice and moved back, sinking into the wall. She could handle this herself. He nodded to Xzuk and made a mental note to kill him later.
Alyss made shadow copies of herself and they formed behind her, shiny and dark.

Xzuk spoke with two different voices as he opened his eyes.

Like a fire
don't need water,
like a jury
needs a liar,
like a riot
don't need order,
like a mad man
needs a martyr.

We don't need them

He turned and began to walk away before he did something he'd regret.

Sumi...

Alyss snapped her fingers and shadows began to drag him back towards her. She increased the rain and made it pound down around him.
"Xzuk! I am not the same fragile person I was from when you first met me! Understand that!" she said. "Do you have a deathwish?"
Her shadow copies moved forwards and held his arms and legs. Alyss moved towards him and stood straight in front of him. She flicked her fingers and something began to form under her fingers. A fear she had once stolen from a murder survivor. A gun.

Everything he'd just been pushed into living through...

The thoughts of Sumi laying in the same bed that they used to lay in... with someone else... kissing someone else..

His left wrist began to glow a piercing white as he ripped it away from a shadow.

He grabbed Alyss's wrist and made her point the gun straight at his his head.

His mind played the same memories over and over again with an all too familiar vocal behind it.

Crawling in my skin
These wounds, they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real

"Pull the trigger please."

The rain pounded and tears of blue were leaving his eyes.

Alyss's heart pounded erratically and her visions stopped in her confusion. "You want me to kill you?" she asked, confused. She blinked a couple of times and breathed really fast. Her hand shook as she held the gun. The rain poured harder and started to numb Alyss's skull.

The visions may have stopped, but Xzuk would never forget them. They continued to play over in his mind along with the music... they went further and further to a point Xzuk wished he could look away... But how do you close your eyes in your own mind?

He put his hands to his head and made the loudest pitch he could attain until his ears bled... no good... they wouldn't go away.


More tears dropped from his eyes as he sat back against the alley wall and just stared unblinking into nothing.