The scream sent a chill up Crow's back. "I-I can't turn back forever," he said quietly, biting his lip. Just the yell was eating away his insides and driving him insane. He thought about Alyssa. They weren't friends, but he knew there was no other way to be one with her, especially if she was dead. "Dojo.. wait here," he said, picking the lizard up and running away. "
"Wait! You'll end up doomed too!" Dojo called, but Crow ignored him. Dojo shook his head. "And I was begining to like them.."
Crow continued to run on back, until he reached Alyssa. She was being pushed by two members. When one shoved her, the other would push her back. Crow grit his teeth. "Bastards.." he muttered, watching them for a few more seconds. Seeing Alyssa get tortured pissed him off badly, and he couldn't even tell himself why. Alyssa wasn't nice to him, but his adrenaline pushed him to what he did next, and ran up, grabbing one of the two pushing her and rammed them against the side of a building. "Let's see how you like being shoved, bitch!" he spat, shoving him against it again and again. He did it once more, getting little reaction before slamming the side of his arm into the person's throat into the wall, then punched them in the side of their face with his free hand, and let them slump to the ground.
"So little Crow is back," a familiar voice spat, making Crow turn around. He saw his old gang's leader, holding Alyssa by an arm. She was screaming and trying to break free, but his grip seemed to get tighter. Alyssa scratched him in another attempt and he tossed her on the ground, smiling evily at Crow's reaction. "Try and fight anyone else, and I stomp on her."
Crow spat at him. "Alright.. you know what.. I'm the one you got a bone to pick with.. just let her go." He walked slowly to the leader. "Do your worst Cory." He looked at the boy, but Cory finally released Alyssa who scurried away.
"Run Crow!" she cried. "I should have listened to you." She watched in horror though, Crow let one of them grab both of his arms. Cory punched him right in his eye, and she looked down, a few tears falling from her eyes. She wouldn't look back up, but only heard more sounds of pain, and coughing and spitting. "This is my fault," she whispered in realization. "I'm the reason he's getting hurt, and it's all because I was mad he won a fight I started.."
*Flashback
Alyssa ran at Crow. "You're gonna have to do good to beat me!" she taunted, but he held out a fist, and silly her ran into it, staggering back, holding her nose. She counted herself lucky not to be bleeding. She tried to punch at him, but Crow caught it and pushed her back, before running into her. "Heh, you know you aren't going to hurt me like that. Aim lower since you can't get me in the face, try my chest," he adviced, but it made Alyssa angrier, and she kept trying her way, but it was always blocked.
"I find it kind of cute that you won't take the advice. Trying to learn on your own is important too," Crow smiled, but it seemed to make Alyssa twice as angry. She left an open spot and Crow took a left swing in, but only lightly hit her, giving her the chance to catch his arm, and she took it. She used her nails to dig into his arm, but he didn't feel any pain. "That's weak," he mocked, ripping his arm free. His eyes widened though and he felt blood. His blood. Something overcame him and soon he was fighting with more skill, and hitting harder, punching her in the face, and then, eventually threw her.
When Alyssa got up she was covered in blood and Crow was sitting on the ground, shaking his head. She thought at the time that he had been mocking her. "Bastard.." she sighed, falling on the ground. "If you're going to mock me, you're carrying me back."
*Flashback
Alyssa now realized he wasn't mocking her. He was giving his life to protect her, all because of her misjudging him. She snaped back into focus when she heard a particularly bad yell, and looked up, seeing Crow's head hanging. He was breathing so heavy she could hear it twenty feet away. "Crow.. don't let them hurt you anymore! It's my fault! Everything is my fault! The hate shouldn't have existed, and you shouldn't be getting hurt!" she cried.
Cory looked at her and his minion dropped Crow, him bleeding on the ground. There was much blood from his nose and a swollen eye. He was in bad shape. Cory walked over to Alyssa and kicked her. "He had what was coming to him, leaving the gang." He kicked her again, laughing at her. He spat at her. "You should never have come here."
Crow heard everything.. Alyssa's apology.. her crying.. the most he heard was Cory mocking her. He slowly came to a stand, struggling. "Cory.." he growled, making the leader jumped and turn to face him, but he only laughed.
"Give up already, you've lost." The next thing he knew though, he was on the ground, Crow choking him, and giving him the same Cory did to him. He let Cory up though, and hissed one last time. "Leave and disband. Never come back." He walked slowly over to Alyssa, and fell on his knees next to her. "That.." he coughed. "That bastard thought he could mock you.." he spoke slowly, but surely. Alyssa continued to cry and she looked at him, but only slightly. Crow smiled at her, and slowly moved to give her a hug. "Don't cry anymore.. he can't hurt you.."
They sat there in the darkness for a while, light slowly emerging, and Dojo came and found them, seeing the sight. "I guess this means you aren't enemies anymore?" he said, breaking the silence, before he saw Crow's face. "Jeez kid, we need to get you back to the temple and fast." He transformed, and soon they were off flying once more.
/At the Xiaolin Temple, everyone finally awake and training in the garden.
When Dojo landed, master Fung turned and went to greet them, leaving the other monks watching. When he saw Crow he nodded. "I see the mission was a success. From your face I'm guessing you protected her?" Crow nodded. "It was worth the blood." As they got off of Dojo, Alyssa helped Crow walk. She sat him down, leaning against a temple wall. She gave him another hug.
"Thank you.. you were right since the beginning." She released him and walked off to the others.
Master Fung walked and sat in front of Crow. "It may take a little while to heal, but they aren't doing anything important. The important thing is that you two have found a peace." The old man stood up and walked back over to his other students, leaving Crow alone once more. He smirked and watched them all, knowing he had figured it out. He felt something on his right wrist, and saw another chain.
"Heh.. he's always watching."
(I would love a review. Sorry about how iffy and fast this chapter was played out. I kind of rushed some parts. D:)