Me: I would've posted to fanfiction sooner, but my computer won't let me upload chapters anymore due to it being an XP. So if you want to read this chapter, go to deviantart and look up R02. I post the chapters there too. So the only time I can upload is if I'm at my mom's work or at my aunt's house. Sorry for that, but its all the anti-virus crap my dad has on the computer.

Please review!

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Two weeks. It's been two slow weeks since what happened between Slade and me.

Have we talked about it? Of course not. Slade, to me, doesn't like to talk about stuff like that.

Why? No idea.

I was pretty quiet most the time for about a week. I would be found in my room lying on my bed, my back to the door, curled up in a ball most of the time.

I also managed to sleep in late…like 2:30ish in the afternoon.

And every night since then, I would be sitting on the roof, watching the sun go down.

I also wasn't eating as much as I should have.

The lair started to feel like a normal home to me with a normal family, if you could call Slade and metahumans normal.

I can't really explain it, but there was just this feeling in the air that felt like we were living in Slade's lair like a normal family.

Or maybe I'm just crazy.

I think death has screwed up my mind. I was like in my own little world.

My door slid open and Slade walked in.

"You have a mission, Apprentice." I didn't answer. Instead, I stood up and walked to the door, walking past Slade. He grabbed my arm to stop me. "I would like an answer, Apprentice."

I just looked sideways at the floor. We were silent for a while. Slade sighed deeply as he released my arm.

"You're acting like a child," he said. "You are 18 years old, Rocky. Start acting like one."

I looked at the ground hard.

Now he cares.

"Yeah, whatever."

Slade smacked the back of my head. I rubbed at the spot, glaring at the floor now.

"We'll work on your bad attitude later," Slade said, slightly annoyed. He paused to see if I'd react. "Phoenix will brief you outside."

I heard Slade walk over to my bed. I glanced at him over my shoulder and saw him pick up a flat object sticking out from under my pillow. He picked it up. My eyes widened.

I turned and yelled, "Give me that!"

I jumped over to him, trying to grab the thing out of his hand.

Slade held his arm out against my chest, keeping me out of reach.

"How did you get this?"

I reached for it again.

"Give it back!" I shouted. "She gave it to Wintergreen to give to me! Now give it!"

Slade pushed me back with his arm.

"Maybe I should just burn it."

I snarled and leapt at him, tackling him to the floor. I grabbed the thing in his hand, pulling it out of his grasp.

I rolled off Slade and jumped up, trying to get away. I ran to the door and it slid open. I ran out and skidded as I turned the corner.

I won't let you have the only picture of my mother and father!

"Rocky! Get back here!"

I ran faster and farther from Slade. I turned a corner and almost fell, but I managed to stay up. I put the photo in my utility belt. A ball of water formed in between my hands as I held them to my side.

I threw the water out in front of me and it formed into my dragon design like the one 2 weeks ago. It glided close to the floor. I jumped onto its back and sat down, leaning forward.

It turned corners smoothly and quickly. I looked behind me and couldn't see Slade. I sighed with relief.

Boom!

Splash!

I landed on the hard floor with a smack. I pushed myself up and got into a sitting position. I cracked my back and neck.

"Give it to me."

I went to my belt and pulled out the photo. I held it up and Slade tore it out of my hand from behind. I stood up. I heard him rip it in half. I winced slightly from the noise.

"I'll let this one slide due to the fact you've been upset, but next time you won't be so lucky."

My hands clenched into fists. A ring of black chakra formed around me on the floor. Anger was rising in my chest. The floor started to shake. I turned and aimed a punch at Slade's masked face.

But darkness covered my whole body. I was pulled back against the wall. Phoenix and Raven appeared in front of me. Raven stepped forward and the darkness disappeared.

"Don't allow anger to control you," she said dangerously. "It makes everything worse."

I looked to the side.

"Being here makes everything worse," I whispered, glancing at Raven from the corner of my eye. Slade had left. "How can you just stand by and allow it to happen?"

"Because unfortunately all I can do is watch. You know what happens when I get angry. You've seen it before."

I looked at her in the face.

"How could I forget."

Phoenix cleared her throat.

"I'll take it from here Rae," she said. "I'll see you back downstairs later."

Raven and I stared at each other for a long time before she teleported away. Phoenix put a hand on my shoulder. I grabbed it and threw it off.

"Don't touch me," I said angrily.

I started walking away from her. I stopped and formed fire in my hands. I threw it at the wall, damaging it. I could feel her staring at me. It may have been instinct, but I knew she was staring at me sadly.

"Rocky…"

I spun around and threw a fireball at her. It went past her head, hitting the wall behind her. She didn't even flinch; all she did was blink. I was breathing deeply and anger was evident in my eyes.

My eyes turned from anger to a what-have-I've-done? look.

"Phoenix I'm-"

She shook her head.

"Forget it. I understand you're angry." Tears welled in my eyes. "What's wrong?"

The tears streamed down my face.

"He ruined it."

"Ruined what?" Phoenix asked confused.

"The only photo I had left of my parents," I said sadly. "He found it and ripped it in half."

Phoenix came up and wrapped her arms around me. I did the same after it registered in my mind that she was being so nice about this.

"Everything will be okay," she said. "I promise."

After 5 minutes of hugging, I stepped back and wiped my eyes.

"Thanks Phoenix."

She smiled slightly.

"You know I'll always be there for you."

I nodded.

"Yeah. I know."

We were silent for a bit.

"Well… Slade wants you to steal what is called the Sword of Destruction," Phoenix said. "It has-"

"Phoenix?"

She stopped and looked at me.

"What?"

I looked down at the floor, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Is it… my fault… that they're dead?" I asked.

"That who's dead?"

I looked up at her and into her eyes.

"My parents?"

Without warning, Phoenix slapped me.

"Don't you ever say that again!" she said angrily, pointing in my face. "It was never your fault!"

I looked back at the floor.

"But…"

"Promise me you'll never say that again!" she interrupted. "Promise me Rocky!"

"I'm sorry."

She sighed in slight irritation.

"Thank you," she said. "And I'm sorry I slapped you." We were silent again. "Now back on topic. The Sword of Destruction is what Slade wants. I'll teleport you there, but you have to do the rest alone. Okay?"

I nodded.

"Good."

Phoenix placed a hand on my shoulder and teleported outside a museum. A question popped into my head.

"Why does Slade want this sword?"

"Apparently it has powerful magical properties that can cause massive destruction if the user so chooses," Phoenix explained quickly. "Hence the name. Any more questions? Good."

I didn't even get the chance to answer her question before she teleported away. I shrugged and pulled out my Grappling Hook, aiming for the roof and firing. I rose into the air and landed on the roof. I saw the roof access right in front of me.

I walked towards it and it opened. I walked through the opening. I ran in and down the stairs. I jumped to the landing on the bottom and looked around the corners.

Something vibrated in my belt. I opened the side compartment and pulled out a black communicator. I opened it.

"Go right."

"Does Slade know you're doing this?" I asked Phoenix.

"Yeah. This way we both can keep and eye on you. Just protection basically."

"I don't need any protection," I said. "What's the worse that can happen?"

10 Minutes later…

"He's stolen the Sword of Destruction!" a guard shouted. "After him!"

I ran down the long hallway towards the large windows of the museum. The guards were firing lasers at me. I almost made it to the window when I felt immense heat go straight through my left side.

"Rocky!"

I crashed right through the window, falling towards the ground. The wind turned me so that my back was facing the ground. My vision was blurring, but I could see blood flying through the air. I closed my eyes and blacked out.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A pure black sword appeared in the boy's hand. He ran forward and attacked the man in the Halloween mask. The man clashed with the boy's sword with his own. The boy that had white spiked hair jumped back and put his sword up in defense as the masked man came down at him.

"You can't defeat me or the Sword of Destruction, Apprentice," the man said. The boy fell down to one knee as the man pushed down on the sword. "Just give up."

The boy held his other hand against the blade and pushed up with all his strength, pushing the man back. He got back up and was almost nose-to-nose with the man.

"Over my dead body old man."

With tremendous speed and strength, the boy managed to push the man back. A hunk of metal raised the boy into the air. He rose above the man. He spun around and a tornado formed around the man.

Once the tornado dispersed, the man was shown in a black dome that protected him from the strong wind. It fell to the floor. The man jumped high into the air and flew towards the boy. The boy jumped from his perch. He front flipped and struck the man's blade, sparks flying.

They did this for several minutes in the air.

"You can't win," the man said. "Ever."

The man aimed for the boy's abdomen, but he disappeared in an after image as the man sliced through him. The man's single eye widened as he was sliced on his left side.

"Rocky!"

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

"You're bleeding! Hold on!"

I could feel blood on my skin and it was dripping onto the medical bed I was on. I breathed deeply from the pain as it left, but it came back full force, making me scream out in pain again.

"Rocky? Can you hear me? Rocky?"

"Master, I have it."

Slade took the syringe from Phoenix and he stuck it near the wound. I screamed out in pain.

"Everything will be okay Rocky," Phoenix said over my cries of pain. "The Morphine will numb the pain."

I relaxed slightly and breathed out heavily. Slade's ungloved hand felt my forehead. My vision was blurring again.

"I'm going to sedate you," Slade said. "You have a terrible fever and you need rest."

I closed my eyes in exhaustion. Slade stuck a needle in a vein in my arm. Phoenix helped me sit up. She put a water bottle to my mouth and poured water into my dry mouth. I swallowed it.

"Everything will be okay."

She helped me lay back down. I closed my eyes and fell back to sleep.

Me: Getting shot by a laser can't be much fun I suppose. Must hurt like a bitch. Anyways, please review.

Rocky-White Wolf of Curses