Disclaimer: This chapter is dedicated to all the people reading this who lost someone close to them. Whether it was a good friend, or a relative. I haven't lost anyone close to me yet, but a friend of mine lost his grandmother recently. I'm not exactly sure if Jake's reactions at the end of the chapter are the real thing. You'll find out what I'm talking about at the end of the story. I actually started to tear up while writing the end of this. So, for anyone who lost someone real close to you, this chapter is for you.

Edit: Recently, my grandma passed away a month or two ago. So… yeah.

Why ruin a good thing? Here is the key: (Voiceover) "Talking" 'Thinking' Bizzaro/Raised voice -Comm link-

The Scorpion Warrior

Chapter 4

Bizarro

I woke up in the hospital wing bed with a huge migraine. I hoped that it was a residual effect due to the radiation. But that wouldn't make sense; I had that accident a year ago. For it to come back after a year, that's interesting. No, one of the medics told me it was a side effect of that drug Crane gave me. "Oh god… my head feels like it went through a wringer… 50 times."

Bruce walked in and tossed me an apple. "I thought you might be hungry since you didn't have anything to eat since the "fight" with Crane." He said. I didn't even look at him. "I heard that Bats," I said flatly after taking a bite of the apple. "He kidnapped me. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know who was there with me. My head hurt from the blow so I asked for aspirin." I was gripping the apple quite hard. Somehow my stomach started hurting so Bruce put something into the medical tube attached to my hand and that helped it calm down. "You're new to the superhero business, so I'll make this simple: stop messing up, and don't keep depending on us to bail you out." "You already gave me that speech Bats," I said. "You don't have to keep telling me!"

"YOU MESSED UP TWICE!" He yelled at me. The heart-rate monitor close to skyrocketed because that really scared me. "I GET IT!" I snapped back. I fell back in the bed and rested my hands on my face. "Bruce, I get it already. I'm new to this whole superhero business I know that! Stop lecturing me…" After a few seconds of awkward silence, he got up and left. That time I definitely crushed the apple in my hand this time I was so mad. –Hello Scorpion Warrior, ready for another riddle?- I grabbed my comm link and said, "No Nygma, not in the mood right now." And hung up.

After I got all my strength back from resting, I went on patrol to clear my head from earlier. There was a bank robbery. "Ah… time for Scorpion Warrior to go to work." But this wasn't an ordinary one; the freaking safe flew through the bank doors! "WHAT THE HELL?" I ran over and saw a zombie. "Hey!" I yelled as I was running over. He heard me and backhanded me right to the building across the street. "Yeah… yeah, that hurt." I punched a hole in the wall and got myself in there so I could change into the Scorpion Warrior. Thankfully the building was empty, I flew through the hole in the wall as the Scorpion Warrior and tried to fight him. I got him good with a flying punch, but he grabbed my leg and threw me to the ground and slammed his fist right back into me. "Nope… THAT hurt."

My migraine came back and it was hurting more than ever, but I had to try and tough through it. I picked myself up and grabbed a part of the asphalt and bashed it over his head. As if that did anything. "Oh crap…" He threw his gorilla sized fist into my gut and sent me flying across the street again. "How can I fight an unstoppable… zombie? I tried the head. But would a steel fist work?" I unstuck myself from the building and flew around him like a fly. I was hoping the confusion tactic would work. He almost caught my leg. "Crap." I landed between his feet and kicked off ending with a double uppercut. Then, while already in the air, I followed up with a roundhouse kick right to the jaw. That sent him staggering over the edge. I flew under him and pushed a kid that wouldn't move out of the way. "It's Batman!" The kid called out.

Batman came swooping in like the big bat that he is. "What happened?" "Oh hey Bats, you just missed a great party. I almost died and blew my cover to fight a bank robber who almost dislocated my legs." He looked at me in amazement and said, "Good job defeating Solomon Grundy." "Solomon Grundy? From the fairy tale?" "I will say this, not very many people are able to do that. Quite a few Green Lanterns had trouble too. Nice try keeping the collateral damage low though." He said. Grundy was sent off to Arkham Asylum and we warped to the Watchtower.

"Now do you recognize me as a hero yet, Bruce?" He didn't answer. "Hello? Space to Bruce." He stopped and I got in front of him. "Why the hell won't you recognize me as a true hero yet?" I asked him hurriedly. "Let me give you some advice Scorpion Warrior…" he said. "Is it the same crock you gave me last time? You don't need to give me that again… I know." A left hook to the eye definitely shut me the hell up. "OW! What the hell was that?" He grabbed my costume by what should be the collar and said, "WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LET ME FINISH? You don't need MY recognition. You have fans. Do you really need one man's recognition?" Hearing him say that, I almost forgot what we were talking about.

"All the people down there in front of the bank who watched you are all the recognition you need. Why do you need me to recognize you?" "Superman, Power Girl, and even the Flash all recognize me, even my own dad. Why can't you?" I said. My voice returned to normal and he let go of me. "Fine, you're a hero. Happy? Superman and Power Girl recognize you for your defeat of Metallo. They can't go anywhere near him. The Flash is easy, and your father's a cop. Me, on the other hand? I'm very, VERY difficult to impress." He told me.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked him, my voice nearly rose again. "Tell you what, defeat Darkseid and Doomsday and maybe I'll recognize you. And put something cold on your eye." "Maybe I will do just that." I said under my breath. (Like that'll happen.)

I teleported home and saw my dad sitting on the couch. "Hey dad…" I said, a little down. "Don't "hey dad" me. Where have you been the last 4 days?" He demanded. "I've been worried!" "Geez, when did you turn into mom?" I walked over to the freezer. "Scorpion Warrior got drugged, so I had to spend a few days at the medical wing up at the Tower. Do we have any ice or something?" I asked. "Why do you need ice?" He asked back. "Well… I stopped Solomon Grundy from robbing the bank in Metropolis…" I said. "So?" He interrupted. "I was getting there. I stopped Grundy from robbing the bank, and here comes Sunshine to chew me out. Grundy goes to Arkham and we go to the Watchtower. I try to get him to recognize me as a hero. His response…" I show him my black eye. "What happened?" He asked. "He flips his cowl." I make like a punch to my eye and turn back to the freezer. "Where are the peas?" I grab them, sit on the couch, and put them over my eye. "That's better."

"I'm gonna go to the store and grab some milk. Want anything?" He asks. "Root beer?" I respond. "Looks like I might have to get a triple 12-pack this time." He said sarcastically. "And peas." I hold up the bag of peas. (You cannot even begin to imagine my love for root beer. Last time, I drank 5 cans in an hour. I was so hyper that night that I didn't sleep for two days. My best friend and confidante, Eric Schultz, and I had a burping contest; it was close. And speak of the devil.)

A few minutes after my dad leaves, here comes Eric. He knows about the Scorpion Warrior. "Hey," He says. The peas and I waved back. "So, I don't know if you know this, but I transferred to Metro University." "Get out." I replied. "No, I won't. I'm in Metropolis University!" He was real excited about us being classmates again for the first time since sophomore year of high school. "So do you have your own apartment yet?" I asked him. "Aw sorry man. No, not yet. I'm still moochin' 'til I can afford to move out. The Daily Planet may pay good money, but it'll take at least a few months before I can get enough to pay first month's rent there." He said. "Well, I could apply there. I could move in with you. With a combined pay, that should be good enough." I said to him. "Deal." We shook hands as if he was my landlord giving me a lease. "So what's with the peas?" He asked me. "Solomon. Grundy." I replied slowly.

Three months later, we became a team. He did the bylines, I did his editing, we both get credit, we both move in to a new apartment within a month. It was also walking distance to the university. Bonus! Life could not get any sweeter.

A few days later I got a call. "Jake." I answered. "Jake! Help!" "Eric? What's up?" I was about to joke with if he got stuck in Final Fantasy, but he was urgent. His voice was a loud whisper. "I picked up a lead for a drug ring inside a gang hideout. I got in over my head! Bizarro found out this place and everyone else cleared out!" He said. He sounded really scared. "Stay where you are! I'm coming to rescue you!" I said. "Hurr…" The call cut off there. "Eric? Eric! Oh crap!" 'What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? The Watchtower!' I teleported up to the tower and saw Green Arrow there. "Green Arrow! Thank god you're here! My friend's in trouble!" I told him hurriedly. "What do you need?" He asked. "He called me trapped in a building by Bizarro and I need to know where." I told him. "Alright, give me your phone. This should only take a second…" I handed him my phone and a few seconds later we got the location.

I immediately got changed into my Scorpion Warrior outfit and went straight there. "ERIC!" I yelled for him. "ERIC ARE YOU HERE?" Then Bizarro comes busting through a wall and grabbed me as soon as I turned around. You will die! He yelled. "Ugh… not unless your breath beats you to it." (That's how bad his breath was. It was enough to kill me right there.) That was a bad idea, because the second I said that, he threw me back down to the earth. That hurt. "ERIC…! If you're here, stop being here!" I yelled for him. Your friend's not here. Said Bizarro. "Oh good." I said. I don't think you understand, he's dead. He said. "HE'S WHAT?" I was really worried. Yeah. I got up and went over to where he was pointing. "ERIC?" His charred remains sat where Bizarro pointed. He was burned alive. Tears started to form in my eyes. I turned to Bizarro with a pissed off look on my face, "YOU KILLED HIM? YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT! I'LL KILL YOU!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I lunged toward him and tried punching him, but he caught my hand and threw me out through the wall and into the wall of the building across the street. He flew towards me and punched me square in the gut; I coughed up blood. He grabbed me by the throat and threw me up 500 feet in the air. "I… can't forgive you!" I caught myself from falling, then flew down towards him, letting gravity take over and speed me up. He flew up towards me with equal speed and we punched each other's fists, creating a shockwave which destroyed all the glass in a 50 foot radius, and sent him soaring to the ground. I did a pile driver move right to his torso, then I started decking him in the face. There was a huge crowd forming around us. In between the punches I was saying, "THIS… IS… FOR… ERIC!" I would've dealt the finishing blow, if not for the combined efforts of J'onn, Superman, Supergirl, and Power Girl stopping me.

"Stop Scorpion Warrior. Its over!" Superman said. "NO! LET ME GO YOU GUYS! SUPERMAN! HE KILLED MY BEST FRIEND! HE HAS TO PAY!" I started screaming again. I tried to break free of their grasp but they were stronger than me. "LET ME GO! HE NEEDS TO PAY!" I screamed. I was still trying to struggle free from their grasp, but they had me. J'onn, Power Girl, and Supergirl kept me still so Clark could talk to me face to face. "Jake, look around you!" I was still trying to break from everyone's grasp. I SO wanted to kill Superman's doppelganger for what he did to Eric. I recognized a kid as the same one I rescued from getting pancaked by Solomon Grundy. When I rescued him, he was so happy, but now… he had the most scared face I've ever seen and his mother picked him up and walked away. I saw the most disgusted look on her face. My face changed from pure rage to that of sadness and confusion. "It's over."

We teleported up to the Tower and Supergirl, Power Girl, and J'onn let go of me and left us alone. I fell to my knees and tore off my mask with tears streaming down my face. "Jake, your friend is gone. Killing Bizarro won't bring him back." Said Clark. Tears were still streaming from my eyes. He wrapped his arms around me and I just cried into his costume. Later that day, I went over to Eric's parent's house to break the news. They were heartbroken. That was the hardest thing to do. They didn't know my dual identity, and for good reason too. Their son's best friend snapping and almost murdering someone in cold blood. I could only imagine what they would've done. I had to tell them the biggest lie that I told anyone in my whole life.

Next week was Eric's funeral and I was asked to deliver a eulogy. The funeral was closed casket, so nobody could see what he looked like. The image was burned into my memory like I saw it five seconds ago. I had to tell his parents he was lost at sea because of a boating accident. I had to tell them that I went below deck and he slipped and called for me, but I couldn't hear him. I felt so much worse. His friends and family were still able to pay their final respects though. I just hope they don't open the casket. "Eric was my best friend since fifth grade. We were closer than brothers. There were a lot of good times we had. I wish I could've saved you…" Tears started to build up in my eyes again. "But…" I took a deep breath and tried to choke out the words, but I couldn't.

I stormed out of the funeral home as fast as I could cause I couldn't be there anymore. I was sitting outside with my head buried in my hands, bawling. It still felt like it was yesterday. "I'm so sorry, Eric… I hope you forgive me." My voice was breaking worse than when I went through puberty. "I'm sure it wasn't your fault." I heard a familiar voice; one I needed to hear. It was Brenda. I was finally able to calm down and took my head out of my hands, so I took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry… I truly wanted to help him…"

She walked over and sat next to me. "I know about you and Scorpion Warrior, Jake." I looked at her, really surprised. "Y-you do?" "Of course. You have the accident back in Queens, then a little bit later, Scorpion Warrior comes on to the scene. I just tried so hard not to blurt it out in the middle of class on your first day." I was able to crack a smile then. "Why are you telling me?" I asked her. I was still confused about why she was telling me. "Because with your best friend gone, you don't have anyone else to confide in, and I was hoping you'd be able to confide in me." She replied with these eyes that made me think she was in love. "Besides… I think it would be cool having a superhero boyfriend." I was really confused there, but starting to get a little bit of what she's saying. Before I was able to say anything, she kissed me. "I've had a bit of a crush on you since I heard about you."

"By the way, how do you know Eric?" I asked her after I thought for a second. "I'm his cousin. My mom is his dad's sister, and… I don't blame you for what happened to Eric." That made me feel a little better. A tear ran down my eye. "I almost killed him…" I mumbled to myself. "Who?" "His killer… he was tracking a lead for a drug ring for the Planet… Bizarro, his killer, blasts in and clears out the gang. My guess is, he was trying to be Superman, but… I don't know." I explained to her. "Scorpion Warrior didn't get to him in time, Bizarro blasted him with his own heat vision, charring Eric alive." "What'd you do?" "I fought him. I was just about to deal the final blow… I was so close too. If it wasn't for Superman, his cousins, and the Martian Manhunter, I might've killed him…"

She gave me a big hug, which gave me the courage to go back in and finish my eulogy. It went off but not as bad as before.

A couple days later, I was hanging out at the Watchtower. "I'm very disappointed in you, Jake." Batman said to me. I took a deep breath. "I couldn't help myself Bruce," I couldn't look him in the eye. "Bizarro murdered my best friend." "Everyone was scared of what you did." "I understand that… but seeing Eric's body there… something just snapped. I wanted Bizarro dead." Bruce was trying his best not to yell at me, but I could tell by the tension in the air that I was messing that up as bad as I messed up downtown during the fight. "Do you know how that feels?" I instantly regretted saying that, but I was covering my face with my hands and he didn't see. "Thomas and Martha Wayne were gunned down in front of me when I was little." I took my face out of my hands. "I know… I know. That just came out. My dad told me about that case, his father was just starting on the force." Bruce looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What I'm saying is I'll try to be a better hero." I said to Bruce, and then later to a crowd during a press conference as Scorpion Warrior. "I recently lost a uh… close friend and confidante and I confronted the killer, Bizarro, quite a bit harshly. If it wasn't for my fellow superheroes to take me out of the tunnel, so to speak, I wouldn't have been able to see everybody's faces and what I was about to do. I am truly sorry and I don't expect any of you to forgive me for what I've done…"

I was about to walk away when I heard a little kid call out wait. I turned back to the crowd to see the familiar face of the little kid that I saved last week run up and hug my leg. I picked him up and he wrapped his arms around my neck. That gave me the biggest smile on my face. "Please don't stop helping us Scorpion Warrior." I walked back up to the podium and spoke into the microphone. "I'll try hard to be a better superhero for the citizens of Metropolis. That is a promise!" The audience applauded for me while I was waving to them. The kid threw his fist up in the air and gave an overexagerated "Yeah!"