Lover's Walk II: Tis Better To Have Loved And Lost…
SR: A scene where Noel sang to Kory. This is one of the removals I feel is better, as in retrospect I had NO IDEA what I was thinking when I wrote the chapter. In the scenes where Noel was singing, I will simply write "Noel singing". If you really wish to see the scene as it originally was, email me.
"Police are calling it another Saint Valentine's Day massacre…" the newsman was saying before Victor turned the X-Playcube 2 on.
"Hey, that may have been important!" Gar said.
"Doubt it. Drug building. Deal gone bad, most likely. No evidence, no one saw anything, no convictions. Nothing we can do except crack a few heads and make ourselves feel better for a bit before the cops let them back on the streets for lack of evidence." Victor said bitterly. Costumed metahumans that did villainous acts were bad, but at least their crimes were so open that they always went to jail when they were caught.
"Wait a minute, what did he say?" Tim said, turning off the radio.
"Calling it another Saint Valentine's…" Gar began.
"HOLY…CATS! It IS Valentine's Day! How could I forget that! Oh no! Oh dear! Oh crap!" Robin said as he ran out of the room.
"We nearly got killed by Mr. Ice, cut us some slack for forgetting the days." Gar said as he began a game with Victor.
"Tell that to Kory."
"She ain't human, maybe she'll cut him some slack."
"She's a woman, she doesn't have slack to cut. She is totally without slack. I am awed by her utterly slackless nature." Victor said.
"Kinda wish you had someone to run around for?"
"Kinda."
"Happy Valentine's Day bro."
"Happy Valentine's-ARGH! You stupid monkey boy!" Victor yelled as Gar zapped him with a missile.
Noel had noticed the date, and was walking around collecting certain things when he ran into Kory.
"Hello Noel! Would you like to try some of my Hyeryu Gtut?" Kory asked, offering Noel a foul-looking dish.
"Depends. Will it poison me?"
"Uh…."
"Kory, forgive me if this sounds harsh, but you and I are two different species, and even though we share a good many similarities, something you may eat with relish may kill me. It goes both ways: you should be careful what Earth foods you eat."
"Is that why Robin and Beast Boy always run away when they try my food?" Kory asked.
"Probably."
"Oh good, I was just worrying I was making it wrong! I'll just cross-list my ingredients with stuff that is lethal to humans and then they'll probably love what I make for them!"
Noel facevaulted. He was silently apologizing to his teammates for what he may have done as he began picking up the stuff he had dropped.
"What are you doing today Noel?"
"Something."
"What?" Kory asked cheerily.
"Something."
"What?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Are you going to get beat up by Robin again? That would clash with the plans I think he has for this day." Kory said, looking confused.
Noel sighed inwardly. He kind of wished he had fallen for Kory. Sure, he would have had to fight over her with Robin, but she had such a kind, affectionate nature that winning her would probably be easy.
Raven would be…not so easy. But he was going to try anyway.
"No, I don't think I'll be getting beat up by Robin any time soon." Noel said.
"Well, good luck!" Kory said.
"Thanks. I'll need it." Noel said as he left.
Noel knew how to fight (his battle with Robin notwithstanding: skill in the martial arts did not a whole warrior make). His father had made him read all the war books he now had (perhaps the one good thing the bastard have ever done for him) and taught him all kinds of nasty tricks he had expected Noel to use when he inherited the business. On the other side, his mother had taught him the importance of compassion and caring. Now the two sides were clashing with each other while trying to decide what to do with the Raven situation.
Ultimately, he had decided that a simple, classic approaching would be best, up front. Trying subtle tricks to try and get Raven to notice and like him would not work: she was too smart for that. He may as well give her the indication he liked her and hope to god she didn't throw it back in his face.
He didn't know what he was going to do if she did.
He could have bought a card, but he felt she might get the hint better if he made something.
And so he was back in his room, trying to carefully make a card for her. About a third of the way through he decided to try and write a poem as well, hoping how he felt might grant him inspiration.
It didn't. Neither did it aid his somewhat lacking art skills.
"AH…!"
"FUCK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" yelled Lieutenant Edward of the WKWP department as the Lord of the Night (apparently quite capable of coming out in the day, providing the day was as dark and dreary as this one. Looked like the rain that hadn't happened a few days ago wanted another chance) dangled him off the edge of the building. Edward had been looking out the window when a strong hand had grabbed him and yanked him up the side of the building.
"All too well, MR. Edwards. That is what you like to be called by the people who sent you your money, don't you? Makes you feel better about the fact that those sociopath gangsters you deal with scare you shitless."
"What are you talking about?"
"WRONG answer." The Lord said, and let go. Edward screamed as he fell two feet before the Lord grabbed his leg again.
"Stop it! I didn't…do anything…"
"Liar. I can see you. See your greed and treachery. People gave you power and you have abused it. You serve no purpose in my world."
"Wait! I can get you…AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Edwards screamed as the Lord dropped him and let him fall this time. He made a satisfying splat.
By the time fellow officers reached the roof the Lord was long gone.
While Robin ran around, attracting WAY more attention then he wanted, trying to get stuff (though people would sometimes give it to him for free in exchange for an autograph or photo). He also stumbled over an attempted van jacking and in the process of stopping them, allowed a band that was performing that night to keep their instruments. They had offered him some tickets but he had said he couldn't accept and ran on (what had been their name? Nickelback? He could have sworn he had seen the lead band member somewhere singing about something that applied to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it…and speaking of fingers, what kind of band needed so many guitars? The three guitarists had nearly twenty of them! Weird… )
In any case, around Robin ran, while Noel slaved away in his room, wracking his brain and torturing his hands. He had given up on writing an original poem and had decided to modify Poe's poem from which the object of his affection shared a namesake.
At least that was what he had been trying to do before Beast Boy had shown up.
"Hey Noel, whatcha doing?" he suddenly yelled behind Noel. Noel shot bolt upright.
"Oh nothing much…" Noel said, turning around and putting his body between his attempted work so Gar couldn't see it. Gar's interest was fleeting, as he noticed the lines of books Noel had brought in.
"Whoa, lotta reading! Any Playboys in there?" he said, grinning wickedly.
"NO!"
"Liar! I'm gonna look!" Beast Boy said as he turned into a spider-tail monkey and began pulling books out. Noel sighed and tried to go back to his work.
"The Art of War, by Sun Tzu! War and Peace, by Leo Tolsky! The Prince, by Machevelli! Noticing a theme here! Ah, a non-war book! "Déjà vu, the Feeling You Are Doing Something You Have Done Before!". Interesting! What's next! "Déjà vu, the Feeling You Are Doing Something You Have Done Before…" ha ha cute, you must have two books side by side. What next…Déjà vu the feeling…AHHHHHHH!" Beast Boy screamed, running out of the room.
Noel wasn't paying him much attention.
Neither was Mr. Tappenhuat, for a long time a wealthy businessman and for even longer a vicious pedophile who answered an incessant tapping on his limo window.
"Who the hell…"
The Lord dropped a napalm grenade into the limo and walked off as the car exploded into flame. It took a long time for the screaming to stop.
Kory wondered where Robin was. This was supposed to be a special human day! He would give her gifts, and then she would be able to kiss him again without needing Noel to be hurt!
Speaking of Noel, she saw him walking past her down another hallway. She wondered what he was doing.
A man who called himself Incubis had been selling guns for drugs in a back alley. At least he had been before three tossed knives ripped open his neck. Now he was busy on the ground bleeding to death as the Lord ran around hacking his associates up with his sword.
Just as a final insult, the Lord threw another grenade into the car the guns were being displayed/kept in, and the exploding car, when it landed on the ground, landed on Incubis.
Noel took a deep breath and knocked on Raven's door. It was now or never.
Raven slowly opened the door. She had her hood up. For some reason that bothered Noel.
"Yes, Noel?"
"Um, yes, hello Raven, I, uh…well you see, I saw…and was inspired…well you see…I…the…er…um…" Noel stammered.
"Please spit it out or leave." Raven said.
"Um, well…Happy Valentine's Day!" Noel said, holding out the card.
For a few seconds Raven just kept staring at him, and then she looked down at the card that Noel had slaved on for six hours to try and make sure it was perfect. And it was pretty damn good, Noel's complete lack of artistic talent aside. She took it and looked at it for a few seconds.
Please say something or I'm going to fall over and die here…Noel thought frantically.
"Noel…" Raven said.
"Yes?""I really don't buy into the foolish sentiment of this. It's dumb, it's pointless, and that's about it. Good day." Raven said.
And she dropped the valentine on the ground. A few moments later her door closed.
For a few more seconds Noel just stared at the door.
"I also…wrote a…poem…" he said to the door, numbly taking out the page he had in his pocket.
It was funny. You could expect and prepare for the worst as much as possible, but when the worst came, it floored you.
At least Noel knew what to do now, as he stared at the door and a vicious heat began building in his gut. She had just taken it and dropped it like…
"Fine. FINE!" Noel cursed, crumpling up the poem and throwing it at the door before he stalked off. He desperately needed to hurt something.
For a few more seconds the hallway was still, and then Kory came out from behind the hallway she had hidden behind to witness the scene. She bent down and picked up the crumbled poem, smoothing it out and reading it.
"Oh Noel…now I understand…and I'm so sorry…" Kory said.
Raven hadn't heard Noel's angry curse or Kory's apology to the air as she had walked away from the door.
So Noel liked her. So what. She had done what she had to do. He'd forget her now and go somewhere else, away from her…
Leaving her alone…
What was she thinking? She was always alone. It was her destiny…
Unless someone had the desire to try and change it…
Raven shook her head. This wasn't happening. She felt nothing for Noel except the link as a teammate and…
Friend?
More then that you silly girl and you know it. You knew it since he got your tea right in one shot…
No, no, NO. She was being foolish.
There was nothing.
Then why did she feel so sorry?
It was a sorry looking place, filled with sorry looking people, thought they didn't believe that and only a fool would call them that to their face.
Perhaps that made the Lord a fool then.
He drew attention the second he walked into the little dive. He was the only white man there. Plus, his black armoured outfit didn't fit in with the motif of the gang there, which was mostly no shirts and pants so loose they always seemed on the verge of falling down. Everyone glared at him as he walked in, sword on his back, looking for the leader. He found him easily. He could see him in a way no man ever could.
He wondered if the foolish press would accuse him of racism for this act. It would be just like them, never mind he was just striking wherever he found scum that had to be removed, and that was everywhere.
Skin colour didn't matter. It was chemical pigment. What mattered was what was inside you. If you had anything to offer society.
Black, white, purple, green, blueish-pink with maroon polka dots, they were scum. They had no use. They were not PRACTICAL.
"Do you know what Crip stands for?" he asked the leader.
"Who the fuck are you, what?"
"Your group might have a different meaning for every man. But I know. It's an acronym. You know for what?"
"What?"
"Cowards Run In Packs."
Kory found Noel in the training room beating on a heavy bag, and quite viciously. He had apparently learned well from Robin, as his punches were better. Noel was so intent on pounding the bag he didn't even notice Kory as she walked in with his poem.
"Noel…?"
Noel either ignored her or still didn't notice as he continued punching the living hell out of the bag.
"Noel…?"
He definitely heard her that time. He just continued to ignore her, as he viciously pounded the bag. At least until he screamed and lashed out with the Shimmer, chopping the bag into pieces. The sawdust poured out at his feet as he stood over it, his shoulders rising and falling as he sucked air into his lungs.
"Robin says those things are expensive." Kory said, looking at the ruined heavy punching bag.
"Have his mentor buy us some more. I'm sure he has enough money." Noel snapped, and went over to another bag, starting all over again.
"Noel…I saw what happened."
That gave Noel pause, as he stopped pounding the bag, looking at Kory as sweat poured down his face.
"You like Raven, don't you?"
"GIVE THE WOMAN A PRIZE!" Noel yelled, and went back to the bag.
"I know your anger and pain at being rejected are making you insult me when you don't mean it, but that still hurt Noel."
"Better to dish out pain then to receive it!" Noel snapped.
"Now you don't mean that Noel. I know you."
"Oh really?" Noel said, stopping his pounding. "What
do you know?"
"I know you're kind, you're sweet, and you're brave…"
"Apparently that's not good enough! ARGH!" Noel said as he kicked the bag. "I bare my heart and look what it gets me!"
"Noel…I think she likes you back."
"I think your observation there is a tad bit erroneous Star!"
"No Noel…it's not you. It's Raven."
"What do you know about how Raven feels?"
"Well, I was stuck inside her body once."
Again, Noel paused.
"For some reason I actually believe that happened."
"It did. And I learned some things about her…and one is that even if she feels something, she keeps it repressed."
"Her father?"
"Yes, but also, it's just…she's so used to it. So much so that I think the reason she did this is not so much that she doesn't like as that she does like but doesn't know what to do about it. So she pushed you away."
Noel was silent.
"Noel, I think you should read this to her. It's beautiful." Kory said, holding out the poem.
"It's just a crude modification of another genius known as Edgar Allen Poe."
"The base doesn't matter! The intent does! I can feel your affection in this…"
Noel snatched the paper and crumpled it up again. Kory expected him to throw it away, but instead he tucked it into his jeans.
"But I understand that she did a hurtful thing Noel. Don't hold onto it. Let it out. Here, pretend I'm Raven. Tell me how you feel." Kory said.
"In what way?"
"Everything! Your pain, your anger, your…well, the good things too." Kory said.
Noel cocked his head, and opened his mouth to say something. Then he had an idea, as he looked at his watch.
"I don't like yelling. I prefer something…different…I have an idea. I'll be right back Kory." Noel said as he left the room.
"What the FUCK did you say?" the gang leader yelled as his various members pulled out guns and switchblades.
"Oh look, you're proving me right. Easy for you to be brave when you have twenty armed men to back you up. I'd off to take you on one on one but you'll probably just say…" the Lord said.
"ICE THIS MOTHERFUCKER!"
"I knew it." The Lord said, and with a quick flash his sword was out and two gang members had been cut in half.
"What are you doing?" Kory asked as Noel came back in with a stereo.
"If the time is right, a certain station should be playing a top ten list, and provided it hasn't changed in the past two hours, I feel a certain song will help me express just how I feel about Raven at the moment. You may want to brace yourself." Noel said as he flipped through the stations. He found it as a song was finishing up. The DJ confirmed his guess and Noel cranked the volume.
"You wanna know I feel, "Raven". Fine. With the exception of a few words in this tune and the sexual suggestion that the main theme makes, this is pretty much it." Noel said. He couldn't sing, but this wasn't about singing, it was about expression.
"Noel what song is…"
(Noel singing, and if you care to know, the song was Eat You Alive by Limp Bizket. I told you, I didn't know what I was thinking)The Lord swung low and sliced opened the nearest gangster, then spun and rammed his sword through the chest of another, yanking it upward and out, the momentum throwing the sword over his shoulder and stabbing the gangster behind him through the head. Another gangster aimed a gun at him, and he slashed out, cutting the gangster's fingers off, spinning, and then grabbing the now-let-go-of gun in mid-air and emptying it into the nearest crowd.
(Noel singing.)
The Lord slashed a punk's head off with his talons.
(Noel singing)
Upending a pool table, the Lord flipped it onto four gang members and leapt onto it, stabbing his sword through the cheap wood, as blood exploded out the holes.
(Noel singing)
Another gang member got twin thrown knives through the eyes.
(Noel singing)
Grabbing another gang member by his shirt, the Lord picked him up with one arm and flipped him over him, slamming him headfirst into the concrete, shattering his spine and skull.
The rest of the gang members had fled. The Lord went after them.
(Noel singing)
Raven didn't know why she was doing this. She just couldn't stop feeling bad on how she had acted. She had to at least find Noel and tell him it wasn't anything personal.
She hadn't expected what she saw. Starfire was sitting in a chair, and Noel was in front of her loudly singing along to a song.
She had a feeling he wasn't suddenly romancing Kory. But as he switched from screaming to strangely tender and vulnerable lyrics she realized he was singing about her.
(Noel singing)While she wasn't floored, Raven felt herself be touched. He may have just been singing along to a punk song, and not very well at that, but it had heart.
Directed at her.
(Noel singing)Noel started repeating himself, saying the last line over again, as Raven lowered her hood.
What had she done to cause this? The first thing she'd done when she'd met Noel was threaten to break him in half. What could she have said or done to inspire this?
She felt something twitch in her. She blinked and then dismissed it as heartburn. Even if Noel was singing his heart out it didn't mean she…
(Noel singing)Felt…anything…in return…
"Noel…" she whispered to herself.
A sudden beeping got her attention. Her distress signal. Something was happened.
She turned and melted into the shadows, leaving Noel and her confusion behind.
(Noel singing)
The Lord ran out onto the street as the headlights illuminated him.
"RUN THE FUCKER DOWN!" the gang leader screamed, as the overloaded car roared as it blasted at the Lord.
(Noel singing)
The Lord smirked at the charging car and then raised his arm as the claws slid back and parts began shifting into place.
(Noel singing)
The car flew at him.
And a mini-missile slid out of the Lord's arm as he aimed.
(Noel singing)
The missile flew.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" all the gangsters screamed.
BLAM! The car exploded and flew upward, spewing flaming pieces of what had been men and metal.
(Noel singing)
The car crashed down next to the Lord.
"Thanks for making yourself such a big target. How practical." The Lord said, and vanished into the night as he slid his sword back into his sheath.
"Whew…man…that was good…thanks Kory, I needed to vent…" Noel said as the song finished. (Wasn't it annoying you had no idea what it was? Join the club)
"Oh…my pleasure…you were right, that was loud…" Kory said, rubbing her ears. It took her a bit to notice the beeping.
"Oh! Noel! We are wanted in the main room!" she said.
"Why don't I have one of those?" Noel asked.
"Robin was supposed to give you one today! Where has he been?" Kory said as she flew out of the room.
Robin had been shopping, but no sooner had he gotten back before then he had gotten a message from Batman.
"There have been several incidents that happened last night and today. Batman overheard it. While the locals haven't put it together yet, Batman believes all the incidents may be caused by one individual or a group of them. He wants us to look into it."
"What's been happening?" Cyborg asked.
"Violent deaths. A lot of which seem to be happening by bladed weapons. The deaths are being inflicted, by and large, on less then outstanding members of the community, suggesting a vigilante who thinks he's the Punisher." Robin said. (Writer's Note: Don't ask me how these DC characters keep quoting Marvel ones. They just do, ok?).
"Metahuman?"
"Maybe. In any case, I agree. We don't need nutcases running around deciding who should live or die."
"Definitely." Noel said. He hated men who thought their power gave them the right to decide the fate of others. God knows that's how his father used it.
"So where do we go?" Beast Boy was asking.
"Not sure, the pattern…" Robin was saying, but Noel was trying to avoid Raven. She was also trying to avoid him. Noel turned around and bumped into Kory.
"Noel, don't do this!" Kory whispered to him. "I think you should try and say something again! Believe me, it's worth it! Love is grand!"
"BITCH!"
The heavy fist slammed against her face, knocking her down.
"I work all day and I expect a hot meal when I get home! Is that so HARD!" the man yelled, kicking his wife in the ribs. He outweighed her by over 200 pounds of muscle and fat (mostly fat), and the impact was devastating.
"I guess you need another lesson!" he said, punching her again. She didn't fight back. There was no point.
"Mommy!" came the childish cry.
"GET BACK IN YOUR FUCKING ROOM!" the man yelled. The child, no more then three, didn't. Instead he watched in horror as his father beat up his mother. He knew that when he was done, he would probably come after him. It was why he didn't have a sister any more: because Daddy needed some clean towels and there hadn't been any…
"FUCKING WORTHLESS WHORE!" the man was screaming, kicking his wife again. "I'M GONNA….AIIIIIIIIIRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!" the man screamed as the claws exploded out of his chest. A moment later the sword swung around and pressed against his neck, and then the Lord simultaneously cut and twisted, ripping the man's head off and silencing his scream. He pulled his claws out and kicked the body out onto the dirty kitchen floor.
"Scum." The Lord said, and spat on the corpse.
The woman, battered and bleeding, was trying to get up to say thank you when the Lord turned cold eyes on her.
"Did you love him?"
Stunned, the woman just nodded. She couldn't help it. Even after how much he had hurt her…
"You let him beat you and hurt you, and your CHILDREN. You let him KILL one, and you still LOVED him? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" The Lord screamed. The woman wilted again.
"Wait. I know. I know how you women are broken and shaped. That's no excuse. You had the power and you abdicated it. You're worthless and unneeded." The Lord said, and raised his sword.
"No please…" the woman begged.
SLASH! No more words.
The Lord sheathed his sword and then noticed the child, who just stood there in dirty pajamas, crying silently.
"Why did you kill my mommy…and daddy…"
"Sorry kid. It's an issue of quality. They had none. Now you…" the Lord said, walking over. "Man. You stayed here you would have either died or been turned into a brutish thug like your old man. But if you get released into the system, the loveless overcrowded system, you'll probably come out of it a criminal anyway. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Sorry kid." The Lord said, kneeling down and taking the kid's head with one hand.
A small knife snapped into the other.
"It's better this way."
It was quick: he aimed for the brain stem. The kid never felt anything: he just blacked out and was gone. His small, frail body fell over.
"Sorry kid. Nothing personal. But no matter which way you went you would have served no purpose to society except to hurt it. Nothing personal. Just practical." The Lord said, and left.
Robin got a call twenty minutes.
"We have a fresh crime scene. We have some new bodies…" Robin said, his face grim. "Including a kid."
The Titans' faces reflected their leader's.
"This guy has to be put down. HARD. Let's do it." Robin said.
Some time later the Titans, a little distance from the crime scene, listened as Robin gave out the orders.
"Unless he can fly or teleport, or he has a vehicle, he can't have gone far. And I have a hunch this guy is someone who goes around on foot. I say we split into pairs and each search a direction. If you find him, call us." Robin said. Night was coming, and the skies rumbled threatening another thunderstorm.
The Titans replied in the affirmative.
"Ok Starfire, you come with me…" Robin said.
"Big surprise." Cyborg muttered.
"You were SURPRISED?" Beast Boy replied/muttered, and the two began to snicker.
"And you two chatterboxes can go together to the east. Savior, you and Raven search the west."
"What/what?" Savior and Raven said at about the same time. "Um Robin…"
"No time! We have to find this guy before he kills again!" Robin said. "Go guys! Quickly!"
Though he wasn't certain, Savior was pretty sure he saw Starfire wink at him as she flew off with Robin.
Some time later, the sky was rumbling more then ever, as Savior landed on a rooftop. He scanned the area as Raven floated in near him.
"Find anything Raven?"
"I'm sensing nothing…" Raven said, and then turned. "Look Noel…"
"SAVIOR. We're in the field Raven. Please be professional." Noel replied.
"Savior, look, about what…"
"Forget it Raven. We have to find this guy."
"But…"
"FORGET IT. Look, you go over there and check, there's more hidey-holes and you can sniff him out with your emotion sensing powers. I'll go this way, ok?"
"………….Makes sense. Don't be a hero now…" Raven said as she flew off, now more confused then ever.
Savior wasn't confused. Raven speaking to him had ripped open the old ache, and while he tried to keep his thoughts to the mission, it kept drifting back to Raven and this morning and what Starfire had said.
If only I could find some way to get her…to express…Savior landed, his feelings broiling in him. That did it. He was going back to Raven and reading her the poem.
Actually, he was going to read it to himself first so he could try and get the guts to do it to Raven.
"I wrote this for you Raven. I know it's not exactly original, but…" Savior said, speaking to himself as he took out the crumpled paper. "Um, ok….once upon a midnight dreary…"
Savior read his poem to himself. Or so he thought.
"Tis just a girl, I did try and say, threatening to knock me to the floor. That it is and nothing more." Savior read.
On it went.
The shadows shifted around Savior, as he went on.
"And I doth lie here tormented by mine heart to be contented, feelings that shake me to the core…that which I may feel…" Savior said, wrapping it up.
"Nevermore." Came a new voice.
Savior whirled, dropping the poem. At the same time lightening flashed and the sky finally opened up.
"Have a reason you're up here, or are you just mangling Poe?" the figure said.
"You're him. The killer." Savior said, tensing the Shimmer.
"No, you're wrong. I am merely the beginning of a new age. But don't blame yourself. It's fitting those of the old times will label me as evil. It's the same ignorance that has led to society being in such a sorry state. But worry not. I, like your namesake, will be a savior."
"What the hell are you rambling about? You're just some…"
"Lunatic killer? Serial maniac? Something along those lines? Poor child, how blind you are."
"How dare…"
"Shut up and listen. Maybe you'll wake up. But I doubt it. Do you think you're making a difference, 'hero'?"
"I…"
"You run around and catch morons running around in their underwear being controlled by massive inferiority complexes. I'd say give you a medal, except they do. And meanwhile the true problems, the true rot of society, continues to seep deeper and deeper, poisoning us all with its corruption."
"You killed innocent…"
"I CLEANED UP TRASH! IT HAS TO BE DONE!" the Lord yelled. "Society has become too sick, too filled with wastes of flesh which suck up resources and prey on people who could actually DO something! YOUR kind has let it come to this. YOUR kind run around patting yourself on the back while the cancer eats away civilization. Your kind…"
"And who might YOU be?" Savior snapped.
"This is the night. I am its lord. It is what was always meant to be."
"You're insane." Savior said.
"No. YOU are. I've woken up. I've seen the problem, and I know what I have to do. I must cull this city, this country, this planet, THIS. It must be cleansed. All the waste must be taken care off and burned. Or they will consume us. It's what's needed. It's what I must do. It's what's PRACTICAL."
"No, what's practical would be you in a rubber room for the rest of your life. HAH!" Savior yelled as he lashed out with a Shimmer-bludgeon.
"Silly boy. I am not some lunatic you can just put down with your abilities!" the Lord yelled as he leapt out of the way. "I have my own tricks. Including one, that while you were desperately trying to prove that your ways are not dying, told me everything I need to know. Including that your "Shimmer" there is vulnerable to bladed weapons. So, it's probably not a good idea if I use THIS on it!"
And then pain blasted through every part of Savior's being as the Lord slashed out his sword and sliced through the Shimmer as it lanced at him. Savior screamed and collapsed, trying to get past the terrible pain.
"Poor boy. I think you need to learn some practicalities of life." The Lord said as he walked up to him. Noel looked up and then the Lord slammed his metal fist across Noel's face, sending him flying across the roof.
The pain was so great that she felt it even from this distance, as Raven's head snapped around.
"Noel."
Savior groaned and tried to reach for his belt, but the Lord's hands were there first, clipping his transmitter off and crushing it between his fingers.
"Ooops."
"Laugh while you CAN!" Savior snarled, sending the Shimmer out again, as it whipped around the Lord and snatched the sword out of his hands even as another tendril coiled into a ball and lashed…
Agony filled Savior's being again as the Lord snapped out the claws on his metal arm and sliced the Shimmer again. His scream was lost in the crash of thunder.
"Sorry. Cyborg. Should have told you." The Lord said.
A tendril of Shimmer still hung from Savior's right hand, quivering. The Lord picked up his sword again as he scooped up the Shimmer with his metal hand.
"Interesting trick you have here. I wonder what would happen if I did this." The Lord said, and ran his bladed finger along the Shimmer strand like a razor. He actually peeled a bit of the Shimmer off, and Savior's yell/groan of pain indicated he didn't like that much either.
"Huh, guess it doesn't cut as much as a cut. But it still hurts, huh?"
Savior twisted to try and get away, but the Lord just ran his blade finger along the Shimmer again and Savior was wracked with pain, freezing him. The Lord of the Night chuckled and then stepped on his head, resting on the leg but not putting his full weight on it.
"Well, now that I have your…complete attention, let's talk, shall we? Maybe I could make you realize some things."
"FUCK YOU." Savior cursed. He yelled as the Lord sliced the Shimmer again, keeping a tight grip so Noel couldn't get away.
"Now now, no need for profanity. Say, I have a game we can play! It's called "Justify Your Existence". You win, you live! You lose, well…" the Lord said as he picked up his sword and then spiked it into the ground next to Noel's head. "Need I say more?"
"Bastard…"
"Question No 1! Why do you deserve to live?"
"I help people…save their lives…"
"Just people, huh? Ah, now there you see is your first problem. Most of those people are WORTHLESS! They serve no value then to cause more problems or just sit by while the problems get worse. You are just adding to society's woes, so BUZZ, WRONG!" The Lord said, slicing the Shimmer. Savior groaned.
"Anything else?"
"You're insane…nothing I say will appease you…"
"Aw man, giving up already? Not very hero-like of you. Then again, in the end you're what you were in the beginning: hairless apes obsessed with your own survival. Lemme ask you: what you would do to get out of this? Would you kill an innocent person?"
"Never!"
"Buzz, WRONG!" the Lord said, slicing the Shimmer again. Savior screamed again. "You think you won't? Let me play with you a few hours. Enough pain and people will do anything. It's what you ultimately are, kid: an animal that wants to SURVIVE. Your little protestations…they won't seem very practical after a while. So I'll ask you again. Would you kill an innocent person to stop this?"
"NO!"
"Liar."
Slice.
"ARRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH!"
"Just admit it kid. You would. Or you will. It's just a matter of mindset. You'll break eventually kid, and you'll beg to do anything to stop the pain. Kill an innocent. Rape a baby. Hell, I bet I could eventually get you to agree to beat that Goth tail you're chasing to death."
"How do you…know…"
"I told you kid. I know. I can read people." The Lord said, pointing to his head. Telepath? Magician? Something else? Noel wondered.
"The last one kid. And believe me, I could."
"NO!"
"You must be a closet masochist." The Lord said as he sliced the Shimmer again. Savior just groaned. "YES, YOU WOULD. Pain is just like those chemical impulses that are making you want to get the little goth chick into the sack. I provide more of those impulses, eventually the old ones get overridden. It's a matter of biology."
"More…then that…"
"Of course it is. WRONG!" the Lord said, and once more sliced the Shimmer, which was now hanging in tatters from the Lord's metal talons. "Your silly thing called love is an illusion. It's the desire to reproduce. Always has been no matter how many humans try to hang extra parts onto it."
"You…poor…delusional…fool. I…pity you."
"NOW whose delusional? Let me tell you one thing I know. You can run to the end of the earth and fight till the end of eternity, but your "love" will remain forever a lie. Hell, it may be a lie now. She's never going to return anything you feel."
"Won't give up…"
"Of course not, you'll be dead. You are dangerously foolish, child. I really have no need for people like you in my society."
"Insane…"
"Broken record. Well, quid pro quo. Give it up kid, Raven will NEVER care for you."
"Maybe not."
The Lord of the Night looked up as Raven floated to the roof, her eyes angry and her hands glowing with dark power.
"But if you don't get away from him, I'll break you in half."
Raven had arrived! But can she save Noel from the insane Lord of the Night? Can they save each other? Find out in the conclusion of "Lover's Walk!"