I found myself staring blankly forward. I would sit on my bed without moving. It was hard to even tell if I was breathing.
I felt nothing.
I didn't eat, sleep, or do anything for that matter, not even blink. I hadn't even left my room. I just hadn't moved an inch.
Wintergreen and Phoenix tried to get me to do something, like spar with Phoenix or help Wintergreen clean up the place, but I just ignored them. Soon they decided to give up.
But today was going to be different.
I blinked.
I slowly looked to my right and saw the communicator Slade had left me before leaving again with a note attached. I reached for it hesitantly, but stopped and pulled back slowly. I breathed out deeply.
My door slid open and Phoenix walked in.
"Rocky! Please! I'm really worried about you! You need to-!"
I had my fingers in my ears. I looked up at her.
"You don't have to yell ya know."
I pulled my fingers out of my ears and jumped off my bed. Phoenix's eyes widened.
"Rocky!" She jumped on me and gave me a bone crushing hug. I almost fell over, but managed to hold my balance. Phoenix released me abruptly. "Um… I mean…"
She looked embarrassed.
"You're okay. I was just worried about-"
I blinked in surprise.
"Worried?" I asked. "About me?"
She blushed a deep shade of red.
"Well yeah. You seemed like a zombie this whole time and-"
She stopped and stared at the floor.
"Thanks Phoenix."
She looked up at me and saw the sad look on my face.
"Come on," she said. "I want to show you something."
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah. It is."
We were sitting on the roof of Slade's base, looking up at the stars. There was a warm breeze and it made the night perfect.
I had suddenly realized that there were no limitations, no boundaries. I could have escaped this place easily if Slade didn't have the rest of my family and friends in danger.
Free like a dragon, free like a bird… free like the wolf.
I looked over at Phoenix for a few seconds before returning to look at the stars.
"Have you've ever thought about spreading your wings and fly away?" I asked.
She looked at me strangely.
"Um…" she started. "What?"
"You know," I said, still looking at the stars, "to be free from here?"
She didn't answer for some time. I looked at her, waiting for an answer.
"No."
"Why not?"
She stood up and headed for the door to inside. I followed her with my gaze. The door slid open.
"Because I can't leave Slade."
She walked through the doorway. The door slid shut. I stared after her.
Why was having to stay with Slade a reason not to leave and be free?
I stood up and went back inside. I saw Wintergreen. A great idea popped into my head. I grinned.
"Hey Wintergreen?!" I asked.
I stopped beside him.
"Yes young sir?" he asked.
"I have a favor to ask of you."
I walked to the control panel of my friend's prison. I hit 3, 5, 9, and 2. The cage door opened.
"If you'll come step this way, I'll see about getting those power prohibitors off your ankles for a few hours."
My friends looked at each other and then back at me.
"What?" they asked in unison.
I smiled.
"Come on. I'll show ya."
I led them to the larger training room. It was completely bare, leaving tons of room.
"What are we doing here exactly?" Robin asked.
I smiled.
"Having fun." Water came into the room. I raised my hand. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Elsewhere…
"Dammit Amos! I said no! We're not-!" Anko stopped and dropped the phone as a skateboard disappeared from its perch. "Rocky?!"
Slade's Lair…
My skateboard appeared in my hand. I placed it on the floor and placed my foot on it. The water rose into the air as I sped towards it.
"Lea! Freeze it!"
The waves of water turned to ice. I kick flipped onto it and landed on the other side. I spun around, jumped into the air, and made my wheels come off using my chakra. I went under the frozen wave and surfed it with my now new surfboard.
"Way to go Rocky!" Sheilee shouted.
Another wave froze on opposite ends of my first wave. They both connected from the floor. The ice melted as fire trailed behind me. I jumped from the now unfrozen waves and replaced my wheels.
I was coming up to Courtney.
"Summon a few more boards would you!"
"Skateboards, coming right up!"
I did a few tricks. I stopped abruptly as Phoenix appeared in front of me.
"Can you teach me?" she asked.
"To skateboard?" She nodded. I laughed. "Sure. "I'll get you one."
I picked up my board and handed it to her, belly up.
I turned and ran over to Courtney. She held a board out to me.
"Sure we won't get into trouble?" she asked, not letting go of the board.
I smiled.
"Wintergreen is doing this as a favor for me." She released the board. I ran back to Phoenix and placed the board in front of her. She returned my board to me. "Right or left handed?"
"Right."
I pulled her over to the right side of her board, bent down, grabbed her left leg, and placed it on the middle of it. I stood beside her and placed my left foot in the middle as well.
"Now in order to move forward, you push off the ground with your right foot," I explained. "Like this."
I pushed off the floor and moved forward. I stopped and faced Phoenix.
"Now push off the ground." Phoenix pushed off and went forward. She stopped beside me.
"But I don't want to move forward all the time, do I?" I asked.
"No, I don't think you would."
"Good. So…What would I do to turn?"
She shrugged.
"I don't know. How?"
"Simple," I said. "In order to move right or left, you put weight on the right or left side of the board, depending on what direction you want to turn. Kind of like driving," I explained further. "Watch how I do it."
I picked up speed as Sheilee flew over my head. I pushed on the left of my board and swerved left. I did this for a few times in both directions. I returned to Phoenix.
"Seems easy enough."
Phoenix went forward and pushed on the left, swerving in a 360 and returning to me.
"Not bad," I said. "Now for a few tricks."
I taught her how to jump in the air without loosing her board, how to grind on a rail, and the kick flip. She was a very good listener.
She stopped in front of me after doing an Aerial Flip.
"Very nice," I congratulated. "You learn pretty fast."
She grinned.
"You're a great teacher."
I placed my hands behind my head and grinned, my eyes closed.
"Not that great, I must admit," I said. "Thanks anyways."
Phoenix laughed.
"You have many of Danny's qualities," she said. "He always made me laugh, like you do."
I opened my eyes and looked at Phoenix. I placed my arms down.
"Really?"
She nodded.
"Definitely."
I smiled.
"Thanks Phoenix." I got on my board. "Watch this."
Water rose into the air and formed into my dragon design. I went towards it and jumped onto its tail. I rode up its back and went towards the head.
When I got to the top, my dragon glided forward. But it fell, me falling with it. I crashed into the ground, stopping in front of a pair of steel-toed boots.
I tried to stand up, but Slade grabbed my spikes. It grew real quiet as Slade spoke.
"You think you're real cute, don't you?"
He dragged me towards the door.
"What the Hell are you talking about?!"
Wintergreen arrived at that time.
"Get those prohibitors back on and get them locked up. Now!"
"Yes sir."
No one else said anything as Slade practically dragged me out of the room. He was heading for outside. The door slid open.
Slade and I stepped out into the blazing hot sun. Slade pushed me forward, making me fall on my face. I pushed myself up and stood.
I turned to face Slade while asking, "What the Hell did I do wrong this time?!"
Slade kicked me in the chest by a roundhouse. I flew back and slid across the ground. I rolled over backwards, landed on my feet, and slid across the ground.
I fell backwards as I tripped over a rock. I stopped, placing my hand to the left of my head. I looked up right as Slade jumped into the air at me.
I rolled over backwards and stood, sliding back a bit. Slade punched me in the chest. I slid back and stopped before I fell over the edge of the cliff. I heard rocks fall off. If I wasn't careful, I would fall along with them.
Slade grabbed my foot and swung me behind him. I crashed into the ground and slid back away from the edge.
I was disabled from moving due to the pain in my back.
"You must really love pissing me off."
Slade sat down on my stomach. I punched out at him, but he grabbed my arm and pinned it to my chest. I punched at him with my other fist, but he grabbed that one too and pinned it onto my other arm.
I struggled to get free.
"Get the fuck off me!"
"Not until you tell me what you were thinking when you set your friends free," Slade said dangerously.
He was leaning so close to my face that I head-butted him.
He abruptly stood up and backed up a bit. Chakra formed in my feet. I kicked out and caught Slade in the stomach.
As if in slow motion, Slade flew back and fell right over the edge. My eyes widened.
I quickly got up and ran towards the drop-off. It was as if time was slowing way down. I slid on my stomach and grabbed Slade's hand as I hung over the edge. He grabbed my arm with his free hand.
Chakra formed in my toes so that I wouldn't fall any farther since my whole body was almost off.
I shut my eyes tight, straining against Slade's weight. I opened one eye and saw that Slade ha his feet on the side of the cliff and was pulling himself up.
Crack!
I bit my lip to stop myself from yelping as my arm came out of its socket.
Slade finally grabbed the top of the cliff and pulled himself up the rest of the way. I rolled over and sat up, cradling my arm to my chest. I slid away from the edge.
Slade came up beside me, grabbed my elbow and upper arm, and pushed upward without warning.
"ARRRRRRRRRRRGH!"
I practically screamed bloody murder as bone grinded against bone. Tears formed in my eyes, but not from pain. I just couldn't hold them in. Apparently Slade heard me.
"Stop crying, Apprentice. Being shot in battle is more painful than putting an arm back in its socket." I didn't stop crying. "Apprentice?" I heard Slade turn around. "Rocky?"
"I-It's not th-that. I-It's what… what h-happened. Know-Knowing that e-everything you know…everyone you know…i-is dy-dying."
"Rocky, what are you talking about?" Slade asked.
He actually sounded a bit concerned.
I wrapped my hands over my arms, crying harder.
"I-It's just n-not kn-knowing the person, it's…it's knowing that…that y-you l-love them dearly a-and hate t-to see th-them go!" I said, sounding hysterical. "It…It was the…the o-only w-way for me to…to s-stop thinking about h-her!"
"Who's her, Apprentice?"
"Tell-Telling h-him to…to pull the…the p-plug to…to end h-her suffering was…was so…so h-hard!" I continued, ignoring Slade's question; I was hyperventilating at this point. "Know-Knowing she can't come back i-is so hard!" A lump formed in my throat. "She…She can't c-come back! She just can't come back!"
There was no getting through to me. I was leaning so far forward I would have fallen on my face if I wasn't sitting. Tears streamed down my face and landed on the dry ground.
I was crying so hard that I hardly noticed Slade had wrapped his arms around me.
"Shh, Rocky, shh!"
"I miss her! I miss her so much!"
"I know. I know."
We didn't say anything as I continued to cry. I would have been rocking back and forth if Slade wasn't holding me.
I felt his body shift as he turned his head as I started drifting into oblivion. I finally closed my eyes tight and fell asleep.
Disclaimer: See chapter 1