Ninjago City, 12:30pm

The scene of the alleyway appeared before the duo as they landed on the dirty brick ground. The sound of car horns and busy lunchtime traffic now replaced the screeches of Nathan and the roaring of waves Alex had heard only seconds before. He had to admit, bustling city traffic was a much more soothing noise than the high-pitched squeals of an overprotective boy. Though, he wondered why Karma had chosen to appear here.

"It's gotta be here somewhere," she mumbled, walking down the alley and looking at every nook and cranny. Alex raised an eyebrow. "Aw! Don't tell me it was towed! I don't have money to get it back!"

A lightbulb went off in Alex's head. "Are you talking about your motorbike?"

She turned around immediately. "Yes! Do you know what happened to it!?" she asked. Alex glanced at the dumpster.

"I figured you'd get mad if you lost it, so I hid it behind the dumpster. It shouldn't smell too bad," he told her. The master of darkness darted over to the dumpster immediately and pushed it away, revealing her slightly dirty brown motorbike. Karma smiled with glee.

"You're a saint!" she laughed, before hugging the bike like it was a person. The master of psion blushed at the compliment.

"Isn't that a bit of an overstatement?" he asked. Okay, I get it. I love calling myself a god or an emperor but this is different! Someone's actually not insulting my existence for once in decade!

"Don't let it go to your head and you'll be fine," Karma narrowed her eyes before joyfully hugging the motorbike again.

"Got it," Alex gave a thumbs up before looking at the bike. "If we're trying to head back to the hideout, I can just teleport, ya know."

"Yeah, but aren't you getting tired? You've been using your powers a lot I bet," Karma observed, "Besides, it would look totally rad pulling off something like we did on the Bounty and then be speeding through the streets on a supercool motorbike!"

"You sound like the typical surfer dude," the master of psion commented, before noticing the lack of a helmet with the bike. "Uh, won't you need a helmet or goggles?"

"Why? Do you have any?" Karma asked. Alex shrugged and pulled his goggles from the inside pocket of his jacket.

"I usually carry these with me. Are you gonna-"

"Good. You use them then," the master of darkness interrupted him, mounting her motorbike. Alex gave a concerned look.

"What about you!? Not having a helmet is dangerous and if you get hurt Clouse will have my ass!" the master of psion told her, "...if he's still alive that is."

"He better be alive," Karma's eyes narrowed again, before she started the motorbike. "Now, are you coming with me or are you going to push yourself to exhaustion again?"

Alex paused for a moment, before nodding. "I'd rather not pass out."

"Alright, get on then," Karma nodded. The master of psion put on his goggles on his head and then hesitantly got on the back, noticing the lack of a backrest. Though, the loud motor of the bike made him miss something Karma had said to him.

"Wait, wha-!" he began to ask before the bike jerked forward into the street. The master of psion screamed as he nearly fell off before he was pulled back up by Karma.

"I told you to hold on, you idiot!" she shouted, evading cars.

"I couldn't hear you over your bike!" Alex shouted back, before wrapping his arms around her stomach and holding on like he was going to fall at any second. He really didn't like the lack of a backrest now.

"I forgot to tell you that this isn't a standard bike. It kinda came without those backrest things," she told him. Obviously!

"You don't say," Alex replied sarcastically, narrowing his eyes and thinking of how he almost fell off earlier. Karma sighed and continued to weave through traffic at an alarming speed. The master of psion's grip around her tightened every time they nearly collided with a car.

"God, what are you!? An Anacondrai?" the master of darkness asked, evading cars once again.

"No, I just don't want us to die from you choosing to speed through lunch traffic!" Alex shouted, becoming nervous from the amount cars around them. Someone will recognize her or me any minute now. I'd say for her to keep her head down but we'd crash! I'll just have to accept it, the police are gonna find us or follow us either way. Ugh, why did I even accept going with them!

"Well, it feels like you're about to squeeze me to death!" Karma replied, turning a corner.

"To death!? It feels like you have metal plating under here!" Alex felt as though he were hanging onto an android instead of a human. He actually wondered if he was making her uncomfortable now.

"Exactly! I'm smarter than most TV heroines! I know to protect my midsection and every other section of body they decide to show in those unreasonable outfits!" Karma smiled, before reaching one of the main highways of the city, "Leaving everything unguarded like that would surely lead to fatal injuries!"

Alex had to admit, it was smart. Even he had questioned those outfits when he was younger.

Karma then suddenly decided to stop at a stoplight, confusing the master of psion. "You just ran three stoplights. Why stop here?"

"I need a break. Besides, is the Realm Crystal secure?" Karma asked. Alex nodded. "Good, then give it to me."

"Huh?" the master of psion raised an eyebrow.

"If we get caught by the authorities or the Ninja they'll expect the Crystal to be on you. We have a better chance of getting it to Clouse if I hold on to it."

"Oh, okay," Alex nodded before handing the Crystal over to her. In return, she handed him her dormant bo staff. The master of psion stared at it in surprise. "Eh?"

"If we run into trouble, you're going to have to be the one who fights back. I do have to drive this thing after all," Karma told him, "So why not give the staff a try if some dingus decides to mess with us."

Alex looked around at the people in the cars surrounding them. Some paying no mind while others stared. He already had a feeling someone was going to try to fight them.

"Heh, maybe I can do that spinny thing you do with it," the master of psion smiled at his reflection in the metal staff.

Karma snickered, watching the light turn green. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Carrot."

"How can you call me a carrot if my hair isn't green and my clothes aren't orange?" Alex asked jokingly, ignoring the passing cars now. Karma shrugged.

"Would you rather I call you 'Flamehead' or 'Nerd'?" she asked, "And no, you don't have enough money to your name for me to call you 'Lex'."

"Well, I was called 'nerd' a lot in school," the master of psion shrugged.

"Perfect. Can I shove you in a locker too just to add to it?" Karma asked, before they both began laughing.

"What? You want my lunch money too?" Alex added, making them both laugh again. Then, suddenly, they heard a loud motor coming from behind them, making their laughter cease immediately. The master of psion looked behind him in a flash, only just to see the cars they were leaving behind.

"What was that noise?" Karma asked.

"It was noth-" Alex began to say before he saw a red motorcycle evading the cars behind them at an alarming speed. The master of psion could see both Kai and Lilly on it, the turquoise ninja raising her katana in the air. "-OH GOD IT'S THE FIRE ONE AND THE BLONDE ONE!"

"Shit," he heard Karma curse before the motorbike jerked to the right. "We won't have time to lose them, will we?"

"No. They're coming up on us too fast!" Alex said, glancing back at the duo behind them. He started to become anxious when he noticed how close they were getting. Karma cursed again.

"Alright. Hold on," she told him, increasing the speed of the vehicle and nearing the purple guardrail. Alex's eyes widened.

"Oh no...don't tell me you're going to do what I think you're going to do!"

"If it's getting us away from them, then yes!" Karma shouted before jerking the bike to the right and breaking through the plastic-like guardrail. Alex screamed as they fell to the busy highway below, his grip around her tightening. He buried his face in her back, not wanting to see his own impending death before him. Why didn't I just teleport to the place!?

Within a few seconds, a jolt rocked the motorbike and they were moving once again. Alex lifted his head, blinking in disbelief that they had made it. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that will do damage to the underbelly, but no biggie," he heard Karma say, before she cast a backwards glance at him. "You were scared, weren't you?"

"Anyone would be when the driver of the vehicle pulls something like that!" Alex replied. She really is nuts.

"Well, I kinda felt the same way when I fought the Baku-shan. I felt like my heart might jump out of my chest!" the master of darkness said, "So I thought, 'Hey, why not do the same to Alex'?"

"I've had enough thrills in my life," the master of psion mumbled, looking away from the back of her head. Karma giggled, hearing him.

"I think it's about time you had positive thrills," she told him. Alex sighed.

"Kinda hard when you're either insulted or thrown into a near-death situation every five minutes," he mumbled once again. He then froze as he heard the ominous sound of the motor from before. They're back. "Speaking of which!"

"You're going to have to fight them! I don't see any ways to get away without one of us getting fatally injured!" Karma shouted. Alex nodded and pulled his goggles over his eyes. He then hesitantly tried to stand on the back of the motorbike, nearly falling off at first before Karma's lines secured him in place.

"Shout something if Lilly goes for your legs, alright? I know she plays unfair like that," the master of darkness told him before he extended the bo staff into it's active state. Okay. This isn't a sword, Alex. You can't stab someone with it but you can still kill someone. So keep control of yourself, alright? All you have to do is ward them off.

The master of psion bent his brainwaves once again, preparing himself just in case something accidental happened, though he knew he was going to remember it anyway. He felt a significant amount of energy drain from his body once it was over, though he didn't feel tired yet. In fact, the sight of Kai and Lilly pulling up next to them gave him a jolt of energy.

"Karma! Just hand over the Crystal and this won't end in violence! We just want to talk!" Lilly shouted over the motors. She was standing up like Alex was, except she had froze her legs to the seat. The master of psion smirked. That'll be easy to break.

"Why should I take the time to hear you spew more lies!?" Karma shouted, glaring at both the turquoise and red ninja for a moment before dodging a car.

"We're not the ones spewing lies!" Kai shouted. They're not wrong at all, Alex thought to himself.

"Bam! One lie pops out of your mouth just like that!" the master of darkness growled. Kai rolled his eyes.

"Karma, we're not lying! The one lying to you is him!" Lilly shouted, pointing her katana at Alex. She's partly right.

"Oh look! A second lie!" the master of darkness shouted. Lilly's eyes narrowed and went cold.

"I guess there's only one way to settle this then," her eyes fell upon Alex as she withdrew her katana from his face, before slashing at him with it. Alex blocked it in a flash with the staff, gasping at the sudden move. He then blocked another one of her slashes as quickly as he could, trying to figure out the right way to hold a staff while fighting at the same time. He then took swings at her arms and legs, all of which she blocked with her sword. Alex cursed.

"I see how we'll have to play this," Lilly paused for a moment, before withdrawing a second katana from it's sheath. Alex's eyes widened. Oh hell no. He immediately held the staff up in defense, blocking her next attack. Though, his blocks and attacks were starting to slow now, as it was hard for him to keep up with her two katanas.

Alex shouted for Karma to let him move several times, narrowly escaping Lilly's blades but not unscathed. The turquoise ninja managed to leave a cut on the side of his thigh and forearm. Alex then countered by hitting her hip with the staff then smacking Kai's head with it.

The master of fire yelped, the motorcycle swerving for a moment before he regained control. Lilly had taken the time to make sure he was okay, to which Alex took the opportunity to break the ice around her legs and pushed her off the motorcycle with his powers. He smirked as she fell, but Kai caught her just in time. Though, their bike slowed down, getting lost in the mass of cars. The master of psion gave a victorious laugh.

"Hah! And they say I can't hold my own in a fight!" he exclaimed pridefully, watching as Karma's lines withdrew from his feet and handing her the staff. Though, just as he said that, he heard the motor once again. Just as he turned around, Lilly tackled him, making them both fall onto the hood of a nearby car. Alex immediately threw Lilly into the back of a truck with his powers as the car came to an abrupt stop.

"Hey, asshole! What the hell do ya think ya doin'!?" the driver shouted at Alex as he watched Lilly climb to the top of the truck. The master of psion ignored him immediately followed her, teleporting to where she stood. He felt energy leave his body yet again. The sight of Lilly unsheathing her two katanas again made him feel annoyed.

"Here, let's make this fair, Blondie," Alex sighed before using his powers to rip her blades from her hands and throw them onto the road below. Lilly glared at Alex as he set his goggles on his head once again and took off his jacket, letting it fly into the highway without a care. Undoubtedly, I think that blinded someone's windshield.

"Why did you take Karma from us!? Why did you turn her into some sort of freaking killing machine!? What the hell is wrong with you!?" Lilly shouted, stepping towards him. Alex took a moment to think about his response. Shall I lie, be truthful, or claim responsibility? The answer was clear to him.

"You're speaking to the wrong person, Lilly," Alex told her, remaining calm. The turquoise ninja gave a confused look.

"The hell I am! It's obvious you'd pull some shit like this!" she shouted, taking another step towards him. The master of psion continued to remain calm.

"Do you really think she'd ever listen to someone like me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Lilly gave a look of surprise, then narrowed her eyes.

"No, but it's obvious you did something to her. You probably did something to make her listen to you, didn't you?" the turquoise ninja began to shout. Does it look like I can do any of that?

"I haven't laid a finger on her. I'm simply along for the ride," he told her. Okay, that was a lie. I've sparred with her a few times since she's joined us. "Really, if I had the choice now, I'd rather she be her old self."

Lilly paused a moment, glaring at him before yelling out "Liar!"

She tackled him once again in an instant, pounding his face with her fist until he caught it. Alex then kneed her in the stomach and kicked her off of him, rubbing his face as he got up. Lilly ran towards him again, and he ran towards her, the two exchanging blows and blocks until the turquoise ninja tripped him. The master of psion then kicked her calf and evaded her attempt to stomp on his head.

Alex got up immediately, grabbing the rope cord that held her golden symbol and using it to throw her onto the ceiling of the truck. He was immediately met with a foot to the stomach afterwards and a hard headbutt, making them both dizzy for a moment. Alex then tried to punch her, which Lilly blocked with a crescent kick and countered with a kick to the face.

The master of psion backed up, then punched Lilly in the stomach and then brought his elbow down on the back of her neck. The turquoise ninja recovered quickly though, cartwheeling back to her feet and throwing a wave towards Alex. In an instant, he moved his hands in the motion to allow him to teleport and reappeared behind the wave.

They immediately began exchanging blows again, before Alex took the moment to punch her in the face. Lilly stepped back and coated her fists and ice, looking obviously raged. "Damn, you've grown smart," she observed, taking a readied stance. Alex smirked.

"You think I'm just going to let people slap me around forever?" he replied, before running and aiming an axe kick for her head. Lilly caught it and threw him into the ceiling of the truck, bending the metal slightly from the force. Alex gasped and immediately forced her away with his powers. Another large drop of energy melted away.

Lilly then ran up to him and repeated punching him in the chest, stomach, and face with her ice-coated fists before using spinjitzu to give her momentum in a spin kick she aimed for his midsection. Once her calf connected with his chest, Alex was thrown to the other side of the truck, rolling until he could stop himself. He got up immediately, blood beginning to leak from his mouth.

"Huh, you made me bite my tongue," the master of psion noticed, spitting some of the blood in his mouth out onto the truck's ceiling.

"Perhaps that's something you should do more often," Lilly snickered, taking a defensive stance again. Alex rolled his head around until he heard a pop, then looked up at Lilly as he bent his brainwaves again. It's time to end this.

He darted towards Lilly and held her still with his powers, allowing him to kick her in the face before his powers lost their grip on her. Crap, they're wavering! In an instant, Lilly turned and used a crescent kick to block the next punch he threw again and countered it with a punch to the face. Alex groaned, but got back up.

The master of psion quickly tripped the turquoise ninja and let his knee connect with her face. Lilly yelped, but flipped to her feet and exchanged blows with Alex several more times, until they both pushed each other away, both of them panting heavily. Blood still ran from Alex's mouth, though now the bandages around his arms were beginning to come undone. Lilly's rope cord was hanging by a thread and bruises covered her face. The ponytail her hair was once in was now undone, and her hair waved wildly in the wind.

Alex had to admit now, he was getting tired and didn't know how much longer he could last. It seemed this fight would go on for ages. I've got to do something!

Lilly then began to charge towards Alex, coating another layer of ice around her fists. The master of psion tried to steer her away with his powers, but he then hit his limit, and his powers faltered, allowing Lilly to turn the way she desired. He tried to block as fast as he could, but it was too late. The turquoise ninja's fist connected with his face, the ice shattering upon contact. She then kicked him to the edge of the truck, the master of psion too exhausted to move. Alex coughed as Lilly walked over to him, her eyes still as cold as they became when the fight began.

"I'd love to give you a proper execution, but you made me lose the materials that would allow me to do so," the turquoise ninja spoke, picking Alex up by the collar of his shirt. The master of psion smiled at her statement.

"Huh, and you call me the cold-blooded killer," he replied weakly, wiping the blood off his face. Lilly narrowed his eyes at him and held him over the edge of the truck.

"I guess dropping you onto the busy streets isn't that bad of an idea after all," the turquoise ninja tried to intimidate him. It didn't affect him much though. Karma's probably down below.

"You wouldn't do it," he told her, trying to get her to drop him faster. Lilly's expression became angered.

"You wanna bet!?" the turquoise ninja shouted before letting go of him. Within a brief second, he was suspended in the air for only moments before he felt iron-like, intricate lines wrap around his torso. I knew it.

Karma held both him and her motorbike up as she faced Lilly, her eyes giving off an eerie purple glow. A smile was plastered onto her face. "Shouldn't you be worrying about your dear boyfriend instead of Carrot here?" she asked, her voice laced with devious intent. The turquoise ninja's eyes widened.

"What...What did you do to him!?" she shouted, the cold look in her eyes melting away. Karma snickered.

"Oh, you know what happens with motorcycles collide with cars, don't you?"

The color drained from Lilly's face as her eyes grew wider. Alex was questioning whether Karma was lying or she had actually caused a potentially fatal crash. He was honestly afraid to know the answer.

"You..." Lilly's voice was quiet at first before her expression became pure rage and she screamed "YOU!"

She charged towards Karma, coating her fists in multiple layers of ice as she ran. The master of darkness stood still though, until Lilly was with a few feet of her. Then, she grabbed the turquoise ninja with her lines and threw her from the truck into a car below with no remorse. Her smirk did not fade, and Alex continued to question if she really had lost her old self.

"How much energy do you have?" Karma then asked the master of psion as she put him down. Alex shrugged.

"Enough to teleport us one time," he informed her, rubbing the side of his face Lilly had punched. The master of darkness smiled.

"Good, then take us to the hideout," she told him, grabbing both his arm and the handle of her motorbike. Alex nodded and teleported them to the place where they hoped Clouse was without another word.

Unknown Building, 1:20pm

(Karma's P.O.V.)

We appeared in the main room in an instant, Alex nearly collapsing upon our arrival. He held onto my shoulder though, and tried to rewrap his bandages. I sighed. "Here. You need to sit down," I told the master of psion, taking one of his arms and leading him to a nearby chair.

Alex sat down and continued to wrap his arm back up without a word, bruises beginning to form on his face now. "Did Lilly stab you anywhere?" I asked, looking at him. He shook his head.

"She only tore my pants and cut one of the bandages," he told me, pointing at the new tear in the pantleg of his jeans. "Nothing else really, except for these bruises and a bitten tongue."

"Geez, how deep is the bite?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I didn't bite my tongue off, that's all that matters," he said without a care. I have a concerned look.

"You do know there's important veins under your tongue, right?"

"I'll be fine, Karma. We should be more concerned about your uncle."

"Right," I replied. Though, there really wasn't much I could do. Alex was my only way of getting to the Bounty and I had no idea where my uncle was now. I could only take the Realm Crystal and my staff from my pocket and set it on the table. My thoughts were beginning to give me dreadful ideas on what could have happened to my uncle.

"Do you think my uncle is...dead?" I asked Alex, staring at the Realm Crystal. The master of psion shrugged.

"I doubt it. He's sly enough to find a way out of the situation with the Ninja. Besides, if Lilly and Kai were after us, that means Clouse escaped."

"Or died," I added. Alex raised an eyebrow.

"And you were the one telling me I needed positive thrills in my life earlier," he reminded me, crossing both his arms and legs and staring at the door. I sighed.

"Even an optimist has a day where they think negatively."

"And a pessimist has a day where they think positively," Alex added, pulling off his goggles and setting them by the Crystal. There was a long period of silence before he spoke again. "I hate myself for losing my jacket now."

"Wow, I'm surprised. What did you do? Throw it off so you could look cool?" I asked a bit sarcastically. Alex hung his head.

"Yeah...I wanted to look like one of those cool guys in movies who just throw their jacket off before a battle like that," he admitted, to which I giggled. The master of psion sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh at me."

"No, no. It was just giving me a bit of nostalgia," I confessed, thinking back to the days I wished to be a heroic samurai. Ah, how times have changed.

"You did stupid stuff like that, too?" Alex asked, staring at me in surprise. I nodded.

"I mostly twirled a mop around like it was an actual staff and would have imaginary sword fights with my sister," The memory of my sister only hurt for a moment now, as it felt like the wound was finally closing. Perhaps some wounds only need a few years to fully heal.

Alex smiled. "That actually sounds like lots of fun. That's probably where you got your skill with that staff of yours."

"I was destined to have it, wasn't I?" I stared at my dormant staff, smiling. Perhaps it was destiny I became the wielder of such a great staff. It was written in the stars, wasn't it?

The sudden sound of a cloth being thrown startled the both of us, Alex nearly falling out of his chair from the noise. The both of us craned our necks around the corner just to see my uncle, in one piece, standing before where he usually sat with his cloak bunched up in an odd shape. I smiled and grabbed the Realm Crystal immediately, running out to greet my uncle.

"Uncle! Uncle!" I shouted, "We've got the Crystal!"

My uncle turned and smiled, taking the Crystal from my hand. "Fantastic job, you two. Alex, you weren't as big of a disappointment as I thought you were going to be."

"Is that a compliment or insult?" Alex asked, before his eyes fell upon my uncle's cloak, "Wait, what's under that?"

Uncle Clouse snickered. "Oh, it's something," he said before pulling away the cloak. For a moment, I expected it to be some kind of new weapon, but I was wrong. I was very wrong.

What I expected to be some kind of weapon turned out to be human, but not just any human. A human who had trained me years prior, and someone I had considered to be amongst the liars. Sensei Wu sat before me, his usual conical hat missing yet his dark eyes were devoid of any begs or pleas. For some reason, I couldn't move and something inside me was telling me to save him, but I didn't know whether I should.

Alex looked just as surprised, though he backed away from the old man. Uncle Clouse folded his hands behind his back, looking prideful. "I figured that we'd show those Ninja a lesson by taking their elder..." he paused, my mind fearing what he was about to say. "...and killing him."

My heart froze in place, my old memories reigniting. Even though Sensei Wu wasn't as present in my life as the others, I still looked up to him like they did. He seemed to know everything and helped me learn how to use my powers, like Sensei Garmadon did. Wouldn't killing him be like killing Sensei Garmadon? Though, I already knew who was going to be the one getting their hands dirty in this dreadful event. I could already feel the horrible taste in my mouth.

"It's me, isn't it?" I asked quietly, "I'm the one who has to do it, right?"

My uncle chuckled softly, his smile not fading. "No, Seiko. You've done plenty today. I'd rather have someone who isn't very productive do it."

I watched as his eyes fell on Alex, to which the master of psion's eyes widened. "M-Me?"

My uncle nodded, and for some reason I was feeling dread. "Isn't it something you're used to, boy? I can recall countless people you've killed," my uncle's words were laced with poison, and those said words were leaving a look of fear on Alex's face. The master of psion shook his head. I had to remember he doesn't have any energy left to bend his brainwaves again.

"Oh, come on Alexian. I even have a weapon ready for you," my uncle's honeyed voice could only make my dread grow as he started to withdraw something from his back pocket. I watched as he held out a long, polished silver kitchen knife, it's blade gleaming in the light. I started to become confused as to why he would choose this weapon until I saw Alex's face, and I began to remember what was said to me.

The master of psion's face was pale, his eyes as wide as softballs and his face frozen in horror. He didn't dare move as he stared at the blade and it almost seemed like it paralyzed him forever. Alex really is like Zane with explosions, except replace explosions with kitchen knives. It surely horrifies him, and possibly brings back some kind of terrifying memory.

"I...can't," Alex's voice sounded choked as he backed away from my uncle. Uncle Clouse only grew nearer to him.

"Can't what? You can't kill a man you've never known? You can't touch some little blade?" my uncle raised his voice, "What? Are you still hung up on mommy? Do you still have feelings for the dead!?"

"Clouse...that's not the way-" Wu began to speak, but my uncle turned around and solidified his leg, allowing him to kick the old man in the face.

"Quiet you rotting fool!" he shouted before turning back to Alex, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. I was beginning to question my uncle's morals now.

My uncle walked over and forced the knife into Alex's hand, then pushed him towards Wu, looking annoyed. "I can't believe you still have to be babied on something like this! I thought you were an expert killer, Alexian!"

The horrified look was still on the master of psion's face. "I'm...physically unable to do it," he told my uncle. Uncle Clouse paused for a moment, then solidified his hand and struck Alex across the face.

"Physically unable!? If you were able to kill my sister you're perfectly able to slit this old man's throat! Don't feed me your bullshit!" my uncle shouted, making me question his actions even more. Is this really the way to treat a person?

I tried to see Alex's expression now, but his hair was covering most of his face. All I could see was just his nose and mouth, which was twisted into a pained frown. I then looked to Sensei Wu, who had an upset look on his face. I questioned why he didn't move from his kneel, but I assumed it was because my uncle broke his bones or intimidated him. Something inside me still told me to stop all of this, but admittedly, I was scared of my uncle now.

"Clouse, I'm sure all of this is over Chen, but I don't think you realize what you're doing," Sensei Wu spoke, his voice weak. I saw my uncle turn around almost immediately, visibly infuriated.

"I know perfectly what I'm doing, Wu! It's to my own accord and for the sake of my niece! It's only fair to bring what's coming to someone who suppressed her abilities with the Dark Arts!" Clouse shouted, before grabbing Alex by the collar of his shirt and pulling him towards Wu. I could see that the master of psion's hands were visibly trembling now. I doubted that what my uncle was doing was an act of karma now. "Now, how about you save your irrelevant words for whoever will listen in Hell!"

I watched as Alex only stood before Wu, not daring to move even an inch. My uncle stared at him with his cruel purple eyes, anticipating the moment when Alex would actually kill Wu, but nothing happened. Uncle Clouse raised an eyebrow.

"What's the matter, Alexian? You don't have enough bravery to just cut this man down like I asked you to!? Are you a coward like everyone has always seen you to be!?" my uncle began to shout, "How can the world expect you to be a great leader if you hesitate to cut down an enemy!? How can they trust you if you hesitate this easily!? The world can't have faith in a hesitant leader!"

Alex didn't give any kind of response. He only stood there, subtly listening to something Sensei Wu was mouthing to him. I now felt stupid for not knowing how to read lips.

"Do you want to fail!? To sink to the bottom from where you began!? You seem so willing to fail at everything, why not disappoint me here and now!?" Clouse shouted once again, "Go ahead! Show me how well you can fail! Show your mother that she raised a son who can't do anything but fail at the simplest of tasks!"

He was taking shots at where Alex was weak now. I was starting to feel bad about it all, but I was too frightened to stop it. I didn't want my uncle to pick on me too.

"Are you really going to keep showing the world that you're a failure!? That you're only a cowardly pansy!? That you can't even do a little task like this!? That a killer like you can't kill some useless old man!?" my uncle's degrading words continued to fall from his mouth, "Oh, it's all clear to me now! This is why your father left, isn't it!? He already knew how much of a failure you were going to be, so he left before he could even witness it! Ah, it's so cle-!"

My uncle was interrupted by Alex letting out a scream and slashing Sensei Wu's neck open. I gasped and covered my mouth at the sight, the gurgling noises making something inside me cry out. I already knew it was going to happen in some way, but something inside me still screamed. Something inside me still felt something for the old family I once had. I couldn't help but feel tears welling up in my eyes.

I watched as Alex backed away and threw the knife on the ground like it was burning his hand this whole time. I still couldn't see his face, even as he ran out of the room, leaving only me, my uncle, and the man who once told me every secret about my powers. Something inside me now felt horrible. I was beginning to feel guilty about everything I had done today, including not stepping in to stop this. Though, I was scared, as always. My uncle's so intimidating to me now, I'm wondering if I should even keep calling him my uncle.

"All that fuss for just a little task, huh Seiko?" Clouse said, removing the body from our sight with his snake lines. I didn't respond. I didn't want to respond. I was now afraid of what Clouse may respond. I didn't want to be yelled at.

"Speechless, I know. It's so stupid," Clouse replied before walking out of the room, leaving me with the knife and spots of blood on the floor. I felt horrified now as I remembered everything Clouse had shouted, and the entire scene I had witnessed. Everything.

I remember times when I used to be afraid to sleep because Luo had told me there were monsters under my bed, waiting for the perfect moment to eat me. I'd cry to my mother every time I heard a bump or creak, and she told me she'd fight it off if I just went to sleep. So I'd sleep, and slowly, my belief in this monster disappeared over time. Now, I've realized something. Monsters don't live under your bed, nor are they imaginary. They don't snatch you from your windowsill or come out of your bedroom closet.

Monsters are people, Mom, except you don't know they are until you've seen their horns and scales.