(A/N: Oh, my God! Has it been a year since I've started this story already? I can't believe all I've been able to do with this in this year of chaos. And I have all of you, my loyal readers, to thank for all of the support.
I know that much of this isn't what people expected, but I'm happy that you're kind enough to support me and my story from the beginning. Thanks again.
Before I forget, fair warning, the sensitive themes will be continued. Again, don't expect too much, but definitely be on the lookout just in case. I am not responsible if you don't listen and something upsets you. I don't do it purposefully and I'm sorry if someone feels hurt.)
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It took some time, but XL eventually woke up once the medication administered to him earlier wore off. He was very dizzy and dazed when he did and they waited until he was lucid before they told him what the doctor told them.
Surprisingly, he wasn't all too surprised to hear what he assessed, "Oh, so I have bipolar disorder." It sounded more like he was expecting this if anything else.
"Aren't you surprised or upset?" Ben asked.
"In all honesty, I always had my suspicions that something was wrong with me," he admitted, pulling his legs up to him.
He always wondered why he would suddenly seem open and friendly to his peers one day and withdrawn and moody the next. Now he knew, but it wasn't something he wasn't expecting. He almost felt like crying.
He fell back onto the bed and asked, "What happens now?"
"Well, now I believe it is time we begin the treatment to extract Angelos-" Heilen began, but he interjected.
He sat up and held up his hand, "Let me stop you there. What is the treatment to extract Angelos from my body?"
He was quiet for some time before he finally responded, "The treatment is a plasma transfusion."
"Uh, what's he talking about?" Beast Boy whispered to Raven.
"He's going to use the plasma of a donor to flush Angelos out of his body," she explained.
"Correct, however, the procedure has only a ten percent chance of success," Heilen informed them. "Perhaps much less."
"So, let me get this straight, there's a good chance that this won't work, but you want to do it anyway?" Kevin nearly yelled.
"It is the only procedure with any probability of success," he calmly replied.
"When can we start?" Robin inquired.
XL's eyes widened a little when he asked that question. Truth be told, he wasn't sure with absolute certainty that he wanted to get rid of Angelos. It makes him feel… wanted.
"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" he chimed in.
He turned his attention back to his patient, "Yes, we may begin now if you-"
He cut him off again, "Seriously? What makes you think I want this at all? What the hell is in it for me?"
"Oh, I don't know, how about we get that thing out of you and save the universe, is that good enough for you?!" Kevin snapped.
He didn't even blink at his outburst and crossed his arms, "I have been sick my whole life, what makes you think this is any different from the constant ailments that plague me every five minutes?"
As if on cue to prove his point, he suddenly bent over to the side of the bed and vomited. It was primarily red in color with bits of white and yellow here and there and it was in smaller amounts compared to all other times.
He cleaned up by wiping his mouth with a rag. He kept the rag in his hand instead of tossing it away. It might be needed later.
Nobody seemed to have anything else to say, perhaps they were in shock or in disbelief. Perhaps they needed an indirect form of enlightenment on the situation, it may also provide an insight into the mind of a long-term manic-depressive.
He took his music player from Slade and pulled out the headphones. He turned to full volume and set it down as the song "Failure" by Breaking Benjamin began to play.
Life will come our way,
It has only just begun.
The world will die alone
The frail will fall below.
Time will take our place,
We return it back to one.
The calm before the cold
The long and lonely road,
Look for the light that leads me home.
Tired of feeling lost, tired of letting go.
Tear the whole world down,
Tear the whole world down.
Failure
Drive the cloud away,
We return it back to one.
The dark before the dawn,
The war will carry on.
Look for the light that leads me home.
Tired of feeling lost, tired of letting go.
Tear the whole world down,
Tear the whole world down.
Tired of wasted breath, tired of nothing left.
Tear the whole world down,
Tear the whole world down.
Failure
Tired of feeling lost, tired of letting go.
Tear the whole world down,
Tear the whole world down.
Tired of wasted breath, tired of nothing left.
Tear the whole world down,
Tear the whole world down.
We bury the sunlight!
We bury the sunlight!
Failure!
Failure
We bury the sunlight!
We bury the sunlight!
Failure!
Failure
Failure…
It took awhile for it to sink in on them even long after the song finished. Some of them even looked a little shaken up by it, he almost felt bad about it. Almost.
While they gathered themselves, he started to replay the song in his head and began humming the lyrics. Before long, he began silently singing it under his breath, they were still stunned, he doubted that they heard him. Even if they did, they didn't care about his singing, they didn't even care about him.
"...The dark before the dawn,
The war will carry on.
Look for the light that leads me home..."
Before he could continue with his song, a new voice commented, "You have a magnificent talent."
It snapped everyone out of their shock and they looked to see who it was. It was Reinrassig, he came in to check on Heilen's evaluation and was stunned by XL's singing.
He wasn't really sure what to say because it was rare that he was the one getting praised for anything, "Um, thank you."
"Heilen, what is your assessment?" he questioned.
Heilen felt strangely uncomfortable talking about his patient in the human tongue, he was bound by confidentiality after all. What kind of doctor would he be if he broke his trust?
With that in mind, he started speaking in his native tongue. The two Highbreed conversed in their native language about what he could tell him about his patient. Not breaching his confidentiality would be difficult for him while he conversed with his Supreme Leader, but he would try the hardest he possibly could.
Once they were finished and he knew the extent of XL's medical issues, he pitied him, "That is most unfortunate, I give you my condolences."
He just smiled slightly, "It's alright, they are not your problems, they are mine."
The others could hardly believe what they were seeing, XL was actually behaving in a rather friendly manner to Reinrassig. This might be due to his large stature and he was acting this way in order to get on his good side, or perhaps out of respect because of his high societal position.
If he knew what they were thinking, XL would tell them they were wrong, or at least partially. He wasn't being friendly towards him out of fear, but he did respect him, he was just being polite. Simple as that.
"Hey, Reiny, now that you're here, why not tell mister hard-ass here to let the doctor do his thing and get that damn android out of his sorry ass?!" Kevin snapped.
Whatever was said in response to this flew past his ears as he clenched his fists, his forearms suddenly paled, just as they did the other day. He suddenly saw nothing but a cold blackness filled with swirling rage just begging to be released in all its might.
Kevin suddenly had his airway obstructed when XL reached his arm out and his hand clamped around his neck. The others tried to pry it away, but he flung them away with the swing of his arm.
"What the hell?!" Beast Boy shrieked.
"What are you doing, XL?" Ben practically yelled.
Gwen then saw the discoloration in his arms, she remembered what it meant earlier and what they meant was happening. "Guys, look. His arms are pale."
Robin's eyes widened, "That's not XL."
"It's Angelos," Slade finished in somewhat of a grim manner.
"Guys, little help here!" Kevin's voice was strained due to his struggle to breathe.
Gwen held up her hand and an orb of mana formed in her palm as she cast a spell, "Somnus!"
A pink beam was shot at him, but instead of having any effect, it deflected off his body. That never happens, it just bounced off of him!
He let go of Kevin and pushed him away with enough force to knock him to the ground. Now, his attention was turned to someone else; Gwen.
"Anodite!" The rage and venom in Angelos' voice sent chills through everyone.
His arms suddenly turned pink with a faint glow, just like mana. He held out an arm straight with his palm directed right at her. He released a beam of mana at her, she was able to get out of the way just in time, but she fell to the ground, possibly out of shock.
Raven and Starfire went over to her to help her up. She stood up with a slight grunt, "He must have absorbed my mana and he's using it as his own weapon."
That did make sense, Angelos was designed with the abilities of an Osmosian in mind. An Osmosian has the power to absorb matter and use it as their own weapon and protection, they can also absorb and redirect energy, which was Kevin's signature when he and Ben first met as kids; and Anodites were beings made of energy.
"If he's using your power, we have to find a way to get it out of him," Robin stated.
"In that case…" Gwen traced out a triangle of mana and directed it towards him, "Contigo!"
The triangle slammed into his chest and he suddenly fell back onto the floor. The pink disappeared and the paleness did as well, his arms were back to normal.
He came to just a few moments later and sat up from the ground. He held the side of head, it felt like it was spinning, after the massive headache he just had that was really something he didn't need. Just thinking about it made his stomach nervous, almost enough to make him feel like he had to vomit, it was one of the most painful experiences in his life.
"Can I have more diphenhydramine?" he asked sluggishly.
"You still have diphenhydramine in your system," Heilen replied, "any more could be fatal."
"Seriously?! That's what you're worried about?! I almost got choked to death!" Kevin shouted as loudly as he could.
XL flinched, his voice was strong enough to cause a numb, warm feeling in his ears, and not in a good way, it hurt a little. Never anger an Osmosian, he mused.
"What did Angelos do this time?" he asked again, his tone showed a slight amusement and he had a smile on his face.
"He choked Kevin and somehow absorbed Gwen's powers and used them as his own," Ben answered.
He was a little taken back at what had happened, "Damn."
"You know, the least you can do is apologize," Robin pointed out.
"What for?" he inquired. "It wasn't my fault, Angelos did it."
"This again?" Angelos questioned.
'Can you give me a minute?' he mentally asked.
Angelos complied with reluctance, "Sure."
"It might have been the one who did it, but it's your body, not its," Robin pointed out again.
'Shit! He's right,' he thought. He was using what he said earlier about his body and his problems when he concluded his argument about doctor-patient confidentiality. 'Smartass.'
"You agree with him?" He could hear the growl in his voice, which echoed in his head. "Is this body not something we share?"
'Please,' he pleaded with Angelos, 'I don't want to talk about this right now. I promise, we will talk about this later, but not right now.'
Beast Boy then noticed that there was something a little off about him. He wasn't sure what it was exactly or why, but he almost looked nervous in a way.
"Hey, dude, are you feeling alright?" he inquired. "You look a little nervous or upset about something."
He looked up when he heard his voice, he sounded genuinely concerned for him, or maybe he was just curious. Either way, it sounded a little strange to him, people rarely show any concern or compassion towards him, the only exceptions being a select few.
"Yeah," he finally answered, "I'm alright, just have a lot on my mind. The headache I just had really did a number on me."
"Speaking of which, I'd like to talk to you about that," Robin spoke.
"Okay, what is it?" he questioned.
"Before you had your headache you said something about Angelos, what was it? What were you talking about?" he asked.
'Oh, no,' he thought, beginning to panic. 'You know, now would be a good time to put me to sleep for a while!'
"No, I think this is something you need to do on your own," Angelos replied, almost tauntingly.
He looked around for a way to avoid answering his question. He kept a blank expression, but he was actually panicking severely on the inside; and it didn't help that he could hear the laughs of Angelos echoing in the void that was his mind.
He suddenly began to feel a little light-headed and he wasn't sure why this was or what was going on. He felt strangely compelled to place a hand on his chest and it was then he discovered what was happening to him, he was hyperventilating; he was scared, he was nervous, he was panicking.
The strangest thing was that he wasn't entirely sure why. Yes, he knew that he was distraught over the idea of breaking the seal of secrets and revealing to everyone the true extent of his connection to Angelos, but he was beginning to wonder why, all he would have to do is tell the truth, the truth is supposed to set you free, right? Maybe not.
However, at this moment, this was a blessing in some way, he had an excuse to not answer his question. He wasn't religious, or even a believer in religion, but he was thanking Him for this godsend.
He sat down on the bed and took a cup of water from his 'father', draining it of the fluid inside almost immediately. It didn't calm him down completely, his heart was racing and he felt this shaken feeling throughout his body.
Beast Boy sat down next to him and asked, "Hey, you alright? What happened?"
"Uh, I don't know, panic attack, I guess," he shrugged.
"What would you have a "panic attack" over?" Robin questioned.
He furrowed his brow and glared at him while gritting his teeth like an animal would. He quickly calmed himself down and his expression softened, there was really no point in being mad at him, or trying to convince himself to be.
"I don't appreciate your tone, and I don't need to answer you," he looked away with a slightly saddened face.
Why couldn't he just leave him alone? Why couldn't any of them leave him alone?
But of course they couldn't, it was their job to protect and save those in need, the entire Universe in this case. The needs of the many outnumber the needs of the few, especially when that few only one, one lone person who lost everything they hold dear.
To Hell with it! Why should he have to suffer because he's only one?! What makes him a lesser being than everyone else in the Universe?! Why should he help them save it?! What has it ever done for him?! What have they ever done for him besides putting him back behind the bars of hopelessness?!
The only reason why he was here - the only reason why they paid any attention to him at all - was because of the thing inside of him! And he was never going to part with Angelos! If that means existence itself has to be destroyed, then so be it.
Everyone and everything he ever cared about was gone. For all he cared, all should feel what he has suffered for ten years. Ten miserable years!
"Is this really what you want?" a voice in his mind asked. It wasn't Angelos' voice, which was as cold as ice, but he somehow knew that it could be trusted and, in all honesty, it was soothing, to him at least it was.
'I don't know, is it?' he mentally questioned himself.
"You feel abandoned by everyone, you feel as if everything is against you," it spoke.
That was true, he did feel that way. A lot, in fact. He had grown used to it over the years, but it still deeply affected him.
"However, that is not so with all of them," it mentioned.
He could have shouted at it, but he was able to restrain himself. Instead, he sarcastically retorted, 'Oh? Then why don't you enlighten me?'
"Your father. Has he not protected you, defended you, even saved you more times than you can remember?" the voice inquired.
He looked over at him, his 'father'. To most, he was the most wanted man in the world, wanted for several killings, but to him, he was a savior, a guardian, someone who's never shunned him or judged him for being himself, or not being human.
Slade was not a good man, by any means, he was a killer, in every sense and meaning of the word. Bottom line, he was not a hero, but he was who he got as his guardian angel. A person who's desperate can't choose their salvation.
He's seen some of the things he does, on more than one occasion. It was very… traumatizing - for lack of a better term - but he managed to live with it, somehow. Honestly, he feels dead after witnessing these acts, but after a while he went numb and began to feel a little indifferent towards it, although he would be lying if he said it didn't have some kind of affect on him.
Nevertheless, he was the only one who looked upon him with accepting eyes, the only one who protected him when he was certain death at the hands of scum was inevitable, and the only one who comforted him when he needed it the most in a time of loneliness. No matter how anyone looks at it, he was more like a father than someone who just happened to be there at the right place at the right time.
"Who are you trying to fool?!" Angelos suddenly snapped.
Its loud, angry voice was so strong that it was enough to make him fall off the side of the bed and onto the floor. It wasn't completely overpowering, but it was still quite powerful, it had really just scared him more or less.
'What do you mean?' he mentally shrieked, fearfully.
"Do you sincerely believe that the man you call 'father' in your mind would truly accept you for who you are, what you are?" Angelos' tone suddenly sounded calmer and cold and piercing like an ice shard, although he could hear a hidden growl somewhere in the back of his voice.
'And what if I do?' he asked.
Angelos scoffed, "Then you are even more foolish than I initially thought."
'Is it my fault that I lost everything at a vulnerable age?' he questioned.
Not surprisingly, the response was quick, "No, of course it wasn't," but this time it suddenly sounded more sympathetic than usual.
It strangely calmed his nerves enough from the outburst to allow him to get up from the floor on his own. He sat back down on the bed and waved everyone away, assuring them that he was alright, but wanted to be left alone for a few minutes.
They complied, but stayed nearby, conversing with one another while they waited until he was ready to talk to them again. He couldn't help but to admire how they were to converse so casually, as if they weren't just yelling at him and each other for the past couple of days.
'You know, if you hadn't bonded with me and instead merged with one of them, you would still be having this conversation you're having with me,' he pointed out.
"How so?" Angelos inquired.
'Just think about it for a minute, what is something that everyone has in common, no matter how big or small?' he asked. 'Something tragic occurring at some point in their lives. I guarantee you that all of them have gone through a tragedy.'
Angelos looked at them through his eyes and even it had to agree with him. Behind every happy person is a hidden torment that consumes them from the inside. "You might be right."
Reinrassig approached him and asked, "How do you feel?"
"I feel fine now," he answered. He then went to admit, "But I don't know if I'm willing to go through with the treatment. I don't know how to explain it, but I just feel like there's a deeper connection between us than even I know."
"Are you simply afraid?" he inquired.
"Yes, but there are also other emotions that I can't really explain," he responded.
He could understand how he felt about this whole situation. When he lost his arm and it was reattached by Swampfire, he initially wanted to get rid of it, but he felt that he could not. Removing it would literally be removing his own left arm.
"Heilen," he called out to him.
He immediately responded, "Yes, my Lord?"
"I believe you should postpone the procedure until further notice," he declared.
He was very confused and concerned about why he would suddenly say to temporarily cancel the procedure, but there wasn't anything he could do about it, he was the leader of all Highbreed, while he was just a physician. He wasn't the only one who felt that way, the eight heroes, who were listening in on their conversation, had the same thoughts about this sudden cancelation.
"What? What are you talking about, Reiny?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, what's up? Why are you suddenly taking XL's side in all this?" Kevin chimed in, his voice on the verge of shouting.
"I do not need to explain myself, or my decisions," he crossed his arms.
He glanced at XL, who had his arms crossed as he rubbed them due to a sudden draft. Although he didn't appear interested in what they were talking about, he was actually listening to the things they talked about, he just felt more or less indifferent towards it; he knew that Reinrassig would side with him.
"In all honesty, I do not believe we would have been capable of the treatment," Heilen admitted.
"Why not?" Gwen inquired.
"It may have never been done before, however, it would likely require the blood of a member of the species the patient is," he began.
"His species is almost extinct," Ben's eyes were slightly wider.
"And we have no samples of Tyro Yagon blood, which we have the capability of replicating, if provided a plentiful sample," he finished.
Then, Robin remembered something, "Wait, you have a sample of his DNA and his blood type."
"Where are you going with this?" Kevin questioned.
"All I'm saying is that if we have his blood type, we can run his DNA and compare it to others to see if there's a close enough match to get blood," he answered. "This is just a theory, an idea, but is it possible for someone with a similar DNA sequence to his to have their blood drawn and used in this operation?"
This was a lot for Heilen to process and consider, but Robin's mindset was certainly in the right place. "If done properly, yes, it is certainly possible."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Beast Boy asked.
"How about my approval?" XL interjected. "Don't I get a saying if you plan to use my DNA?"
"Yes," Reinrassig responded, "it is ultimately your decision to make."
He looked around at all of the faces around him, most of them were frustrated, yet looked on with suspense as they awaited his choice. He wanted to decline and say no, but now he was forced to reconsider, forced by himself and his own conscience. For once, he was considering the circumstances of not allowing this to happen.
"So, what will be your decision?" Angelos inquired.
Finally, he sighed and gave his response, "Yes, you have any permission."
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(A/N: Oh, God, this a lot longer for me to write than I thought it would. At least I got it done though before most of my time gets taken up.
I still can't believe it's been a whole year, though. It feels like it's only been a few months, it's amazing how fast time seems to go by, isn't it?
I know it's a little late for this, but Happy New Year! Let's hope this year will be better than the last one. Cross your fingers and pray for a good year.)