A/N: I am sorry to say that ya'll will probably want to hit Alex's head (or mine) against something really hard in the chapters to come. You can have hope however, for I always like happy endings. . . .

Chapter 10/Truth Revealed

I lay on my bunk for a long time. I'm not exactly sure how long, but it felt like hours. Clutching my arm, I just lay there, embracing the throbbing pain in my limb . . . the beautiful, relieving pain. My eyelashes fluttered slightly as I sighed deeply. A single tear slipped out of the corner of my eye and trailed a streak of black down to my ear. I swiped at it with my other hand and opened my eyes to stare dismally at the black makeup on my fingers.

"Does it help?"

I turned my head around to see Karl standing next to my bunk. I didn't answer right away but turned my face forward again. I swallowed.

"Sometimes."

Karl knelt by my head, twitching slightly. "So they told you, huh?"

I nodded, wishing he had not brought it up. I closed my eyes again. "How could they let me just kill him? Why didn't they stop me?" I was growing angry now. I made my hand into a fist and slammed it down on the mattress next to me. "What kind of superhero school is this?"

Karl was silent for a few moments before asking quietly, "you mean you haven't figured it out yet?"

I snapped my eyes open and sat up gingerly, my hand going to my left arm as a shock of pain traveled up it. "What are you talking about?" I frowned.

Karl blinked and twitched. "This isn't a superhero academy. It's Royal Pain's Academy for SuperVillains."

My head began pounding as my heart leaped into my throat. I licked my lip nervously, wincing slightly as my tongue came in contact with the tender skin under the new lip ring. Before I could think of something to say, Karl twitched violently. I studied him. He did not look like someone who would enroll in a super villain academy voluntarily. He was too quiet, too harmless. Chanel I could believe. Connor and Megan too. But Karl? And what about Violet? She was Magenta's sister for goodness sake.

"I know; I don't look villain material. I didn't plan on becoming a villain, it just sort of happened. And once I got here, I couldn't leave. They threaten you . . . they hurt you." He flinched.

I looked at him skeptically. He didn't look like someone who had been abused. Not like me anyway.

He shook his head as if he could read my thoughts. "Not always physically." He pointed to his head. "They can torture you mentally too. Look at me," he held his arms out to the sides. His fingers twitched. "I wasn't always this jumpy. Sure I was a little insecure, but not constantly flinching. They did that to me." He lowered his hands. "Once you get here, you can never go back to the life you used to know."

I smiled slightly. "Well, my past is something I don't want to return to."

A villain. Could I be a villain? I had already murdered someone in cold blood, although I could not remember it. But if I did, there had to be something in me that wanted to. A dark side. I looked down at my thin hands, just a few more inches up were the scars, underneath the dark sweatshirt. My black hair swung forward, hiding my face from Karl as I searched myself. I certainly looked the part of a villain. Could I become who I appeared to be? What would Ana Lucia say? She would probably never speak to me again. . . .

I could make new friends. I already had. Karl was one, Gabriel could be another. Chanel I didn't like so much, but she wasn't that bad . . . and I had never had a girlfriend before . . . maybe she wasn't as disgusting as she appeared. Josh could be a friend. I already had developed an enemy in Connor. Even if I could leave the academy, I doubt he would just let me go.

No one had threatened me, besides Adams. The school hadn't had me tortured . . . yet. I would have to ask about that.

"Are all new recruits tortured?" I asked Karl.

"Only if they start having second thoughts."

I had broken a couple hours ago. Did they think that meant I was having second thoughts? If I was honest with myself, I would have to say that becoming a villain had some appeal to me. If I were a villain, I be able to hurt all the people that had hurt me without a guilty conscience or having to do penance. I would live up to my image; no one would bother me. And I would not be invisible anymore. I would have power, I would be strong. I would not be able to be smacked around like my father had always done. I could give in to my thirst for revenge and find my father. I could become rich . . . have money I had not had to pay for better doctors for my mother. If ever Ana Lucia needed help, I could give it easily. No one would be able to say no to me. I could do whatever I wanted.

Karl gave a sad sigh. "You're getting that look."

I looked up at him between strands of my hair. "What do you mean?"

"That greedy look all recruits get when they realize how great a villain they could be. You want to stay and become a super villain, don't you?"

I lifted my head higher. "I don't deny it."

Karl blinked and twitched. Then he stood. "Well, I wish you the best of luck. And I hope you don't get killed by any of your super hero friends."

With that he left. I thought over his last statement. I didn't have any super hero friends. I didn't have any friends in the outside world. This was my future now.

000000

A few minutes after Karl left, Chanel came in. I had changed to a different sweatshirt but my arm was still throbbing painfully. Without saying a word (which surprised me), Chanel handed me a large gauze pad and some medical tape. I took them, wondering how she knew.

"Karl told me," she said.

Man, were all the people here mind readers? Or was I just that obvious? I would need to work on that. At least Lash had never been able to read me this well. I mumbled a thank you and turned away from her, lifting my sleeve and taking off the cast of toilet paper. I struggled with the pad for a while before Chanel came over and took it from me. I stood still as she carefully (and almost tenderly it seemed) wrapped up my arm. When she was done she looked up at me, still holding my arm. Her hand moved down to grasp my fingers. I resisted the urge to pull away.

"Megan wants to see you," she told me.

I groaned inwardly but nodded. Pulling my arm out of her grasp, I headed towards the door.

"She's in the gym." Chanel told my back. I mumbled another thanks and left the room.

Megan was the last person I wanted to see at the moment. Just thinking about her gave me a weird feeling in my stomach. A feeling that I liked yet disgusted at the same time. No one spoke to me on my way down. That wasn't anything new. I was used to people ignoring me or pretending I was invisible.

When I arrived in the gym, Megan was standing in the middle of the dome. She waved me over. I entered the dome and stood against the door. Now I knew where the white room with the black door had come from. The dome was white with a black door. Megan beckoned me again. I didn't want to, but I also did not want her to get mad at me. I walked forward until I was standing in front of her. She smiled at me, white teeth flashing in her dark face.

"Enjoying your lessons with Violet?"

I had only had a few. Still, I nodded. Megan's smile widened.

"Good." Suddenly she reached out and took my left arm in a firm grip. I winced without thinking. She pushed up my sleeve and looked at the bandaged limb. She looked thoughtful as she stroked the pad.

"You have been cutting again," she observed.

How do they know these things? I simply nodded. She lifted a hand and tucked my hair behind my ear. She kept her hand on my face and trailed her finger down my jaw bone, giving me shivers. She was doing this on purpose; I knew she was; trying to get me to let down my guard. Well, I wouldn't let her. She stepped closer, licking her lips sensually. Oh man, she was so hot. I focused my gaze past her head. My hands were trembling.

"Chanel also told me that you have decided to accept your fate as a super villain." She grabbed my shoulders. Leaning forward, she placed her mouth by my ear.

"I am glad," she whispered. A shiver went down my spine.

I glanced at the door, wondering how quickly I could get over there and out. She put her lips on my jaw next to my ear and kissed it. Moving down, she kissed the middle of my jaw. Then she headed toward my mouth. That was when my sense kicked in. I pushed her away roughly. This was wrong on so many levels. One, she had a boyfriend who could easily beat the crap out of me. Two, she was almost three years older than me. There were other reasons, but my mind was too muddled to work them out.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking up at me through long dark lashes.

I shook my head almost frantically, backing up. "I can't—we can't—"

She cut me off, pressing her body flush against me. "Alex, I know you want me. I can see it in your eyes." She reached down and took my hands, placing them around her waist. She then lifted her arms around my neck. "Touch me," she whispered, brushing her lips against my throat. I groaned inwardly. This was not happening. But apparently it was. It was like a bad dream or something.

"Hold me," she whispered, pushing tighter against me. My hands shook on her waist and she pushed them down so that they were on her hips. "Kiss me," she said. She leaned forward and brushed her lips against mine. That was the last straw. Shoving her away as hard as I could, I ran towards the door. But before I could exit, it opened. I stumbled back, wondering what was going on as a short, balding man entered the dome.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Megan stepped up next to me. I clenched my hands tightly, ready to do something drastic if she tried to seduce me again. But she didn't even try to touch me. Her face was emotionless except for slight amusement as she shook hands with the balding man.

"Professor Crypto, I'm glad you could make it. This boy here needs to learn your skills of mental blocks so that when the time comes for him to fight Adams again, he'll be better prepared."

So she was expecting me to fight Connor again? Not in a million years, even with Violet's training. Professor Crypto gave me a shrewd look. I stared back, wondering who exactly this man was. He gave a short nod.

"Yes," he said. "He looks bright enough to learn. Thank you Miss Taylor, I can take it from here."

Megan nodded and, shooting a look at me which made me curl my lip in disgust, left the room. I could not help but watch her leave, the way she was moving her hips. . . . I mentally slapped myself silly and turned to Professor Crypto. Now he looked amused.

"So, she's caught you in her net as well?"

I frowned darkly. "No, sir." I said firmly. I would never fall for her wiles. They made me feel sick.

The Professor grinned. "That's what they all say at first. The next thing you know they're sleeping in her bed."

My cheeks grew red. What kind of a guy did these people think I was? Yet I had to admit that I would have to work on my self-discipline. If she tried something like that on me again I might not be able to hold her off as well. She was pushy, sultry, yet so attractive. And I could not deny that I felt something when my hands were on her hips. . . .

Crypto's smile was widening and I pushed those thoughts out of my head. "There's a difference between love and lust, son. Remember that."

I frowned. So that explained the feeling I had around Megan. It was so much different than what I felt around Ana Lucia. With Megan the feeling disgusted me yet entranced me. I wanted to run away but get close at the same time. Ana Lucia had never disgusted me. The feeling I felt around her was still desire, but of a chaste kind. I felt safe and secure around her. I knew she would never pull something like that with me.

Mostly because she's only interested in Lash. I tried to ignore the annoying voice in my head, but I knew it was right. Ana Lucia had never tried to seduce me not only because she's not like that, but also because she was in love Lash.

Professor Crypto was still watching me and I wondered if he could read my thoughts. I straightened my back and pushed all thoughts of both girls into the back of my head.

"You ready, son?" he asked.

I nodded. "I'm ready."

He nodded. "Good. It is time for you to learn how to keep Connor Adams out of your head."

Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry it took so long to get this up, I was on vacation. Review and tell me if it's good, if it stinks, or if you want some leftover pumpkin pie. :-P