A/N

Hello again, my dainty friends. We have 350 views! for an original DC character, this is amazing for me. As for reviews:

patattack: Lol, yeah, I know that, but others have no clue.

Elvisfonz23: I like that you love Mrs. Starr, if you didn't know she is an actual DC character (Which I don't own)

Chapter 7: Taking a Dip...

So, here is my dilemma- if I do charge down there, and break hell loose, then I risk being overwhelmed. But, what about if I wait for the criminals to separate? Even if I only catch one, hopefully I will obtain all the information I need... if not... that really sucks, yet is a risk I am willing to gamble with now. How else will I find out what the creeps are here for?

Then again, asking politely has never hurt anyone, and has a significantly lower amount of deaths caused by it. However, being polite has never been a strength of mine, hence the social awkwardness I experienced today. Damn, that really ticked me off to the max of human capabilities. Focus man, please focus. You have your life, and potentially countless others on the line. Breathing in huge amounts of oxygen in several gulps, I commence what I expect to be a long wait.

Sure enough, it takes another excruciatingly boring hour of observing, before a the commotion dies down with the slamming of car doors- the hulking man suddenly leaving Firewall to his own I am eager to get down there, a little nagging feeling is reminding me of our last encounter, ending with me on the floor knocked out.

On the other hand, I am definitely certain that he won't be so lucky this time around; his time to be beaten has been prophesised... by me.

And, I fully intend to prove that insurmountably accurate, no matter how long it takes- years, months- they are all the same to me, I have all the time in the world, but he... he does not.

Cracking my eager bones, I casually drop down on the floor, my feet making an audible noise. "Look what the hospital dropped in." Firewall immediately spins, and remarks at my emergence. "Out of all the heroes to turn up, you are the least expected." he adds on, mockingly. Resisting the urge to charge the flaming men, I scrunch my fists, and ready myself for the inevitable dodging.

"Out of all the villains to arrive, you are the biggest douche out of them all." I quickly return, insulting him by using the tone of voice he just used- mocking, and arrogant. "Sorry for the burn... oops... was that a pun?" I snort, causing him to viciously glare at me. From under his hood, I can see the burning in his eyes, a longing desire for something, but at the same time, an uncontrollable passion for that special something, or... someone.

"Come on now, Titan. Are you going to such lengths to insult me?" he responds in fake hurt, holding his heart dramatically. "Personally, I have no idea why you didn't retire after what I did to you. It was such a crushing victory, I barely noticed." he comments with the intention to provoke, nevertheless I don't rise up to the bait, and stand my ground.

"Enough idle talk- you either go down quietly, or I do this the loud, and painful way." I sternly challenge, giving him what I hope to be an ultimatum, but, he simply chortles it off.

"Seriously? Go down quietly? Man, you have been watching too many 80's cop shows lately. Besides, no-one ever agreed with that." he shoots down my offer, tearing it apart with his choice of words, making me feel like an idiot. Still, it's better to give him the choice; you never know when they might crumble under the advise.

"Have it your way, then." I reply through gritted teeth, before assaulting him head-on. Just as he launches a fireball at me, I strafe to the side, and narrowly avoid the seething blast. That was too close for comfort, Alex. I chastise myself for being so sluggish to react to a potentially lethal hit. Next, I refocus, and fling my body at him with my right foot first. For a man who should rely on his powers, he surprisingly picks my leg out of the air, and brings to down to the ground. Smacking my spine of the ground, I notice his grip has singed away the material at my right ankle, exposing flesh.

"This is my favourite suit!" I exclaim, and dart up, facing Firewall in a battle stance. And my only suit. Sighing, I swipe at him with a right hook, being trailed by a left uppercut. The fiery fiend pushes my hook away, but the follow up slams into his chin, making him stumble back. Wind splashes against my knuckles and forearm, as I assume the contact has burned away my armour. This is what a stupid guy like me gets for using leather.

Recovering from my momentarily stunning blow, he regains his composure, and lobs a ball at me from point blank. Using my enhanced reflexes, I curve away the blast, feeling it scrape across my face- leaving my left cheek stinging. "Feel the burn, Titan!" Firewall jests, and takes a moment in the fight to chuckles, somehow amused by all this.

"Don't you ever need a cooldown?" I return, whilst trying to come up with a way to beat the heat. Of course, I could always try the grappling hook, however I have a slight feeling it would also burn. So, I do the next best thing. "Follow me, I'm begging you." I hastily bow, and sprint towards the docks resident crane with the intention of going up- fire+ heavy wind from altitude= put out. Or, at least that's the only logical plan I have at the moment.

Scrambling towards the crane, I hear loud footsteps as he closely tails me, just as expected. Upon reaching the crane, I don't bother using the ladder, and clamber up the sides. My muscles ache as I reach halfway, but the noise below me is getting louder, so I push through the pain. This had better work, because I'm not fighting this guy on the ground. I motivate myself, and tackle the growing numbness in my biceps.

"You okay down there?" I taunt at Firewall between each climb. Yet, he takes a ridiculous amount of time before answering, maybe he isn't as conditioned as I am.

"Fine, and dandy." he grunts. Then, a loud creak pierced through my eardrums, disorienting me. Taking a chance and gazing down, I see the supports of the crane are melting away, with the villain directing fireballs at them. I thought the creep was behind me. My aghastness is temporary as I come to terms with what he is doing- he is taking this down... with me in tow. Before I could slide down, the crane tilts and curves, meaning it's about to topple over.

Bracing for the bound to be deadly fall, I whisper a few thanks I have in my life. "This is it, huh- the end of me. Well, let's see, I'm thankful for everything to do with my tenure of a hero... and... I'm grateful for... Jake." I mutter, my last breathes are somber remembrances.

Never thought it would end like... this.

Soaring through the air, my attention is fixated with the rapidly approaching ground. Closing my eyes to make it better, I prepare for my death. All of a sudden, a huge gust of wind blows at me from underneath, slowing my descent. Ok, this is weird. Opening my eyes after what seemed like an eternity, I expect to be dead, but heaven looks so normal. In fact, it feels like the docks.

It is the docks.

"How annoying. Why are you still alive?" Firewall emerges into my vision, pacing impatiently in my viewline.

"You should know me by now- I never die that easily." I sassily retort, whilst rubbing my shoulder of all its (many) pains. It seems falling from that height still causes a lot of agony.

"I guess you are right, however I may have underestimated you for the last time, Titan." Firewall counters, venom dripping from the way he spat it out, and disdain was also present in his tone. Maybe I shouldn't have said that, as he will come at me ten times more aggressively. Something that I can't overlook now, he will be determined to kill me.

"Now who is clichéd? "I sigh theatrically, taking up a martial stance, and readying to weave through fireball again. However, the fiend only extends his hands, forming whip-esque objects in both of his outstretched hands- both wreathed in flame. This is going to be tough. Crouching my knees, I bend my body at a ninety-degree angle, and bounce at the ruffian. Seeing my attack, he simply lashes at me with the whips, wrapping them around my neck. Hearing my skin terrifyingly hiss, I cry out in pain and tug at the whip, yanking its terrible grip off.

"Ouch, that must have hurt" Firewall sinisterly cackles, bringing his arm back for another swing. But, I anticipate it, and roll to my left, the lash falling uselessly on the floor to my right. "Would you stop moving?" he pleads, feebly observing me parry another of his weapons by sliding it away, at the expense of my left forearm.

"Not a chance." I shortly state, closing in the distance with him by sprinting in small bursts. Now getting close enough, I attempt to roundhouse him with my left leg. The kick connects with his temple, knocking his head sickeningly to the right. "Ouch, that must have hurt." I quote him, earing me a great roar as Firewall headbutts me back; my nose burns slighty at the impact, although it's not too much of a concern.

Recomposing, I unleash a flurry of punches, making them quick to avoid any further damage from his combusted flesh. Due to me being an expert in martial-arts, he cannot defend against my relentless reckoning. When he tries to fight back with a left jab, I push it to the side and reopen his face for an attack. By the time I had finished, he is swaying dangerously close to being knocked out- overtime, I could watch his movements become more panicked, and instinctual. In close quarters, instinct only gets you so far- the rest is skill.

In a last ditch opportunity, he finds a way to slam with palm into the side of my face, cooking away at my skin. Being taken aback, I stumble, and only just retain my focus when he launches fire at me. Ducking down to avoid it, I realise a way to end this colossal showcase now: throwing him in the river. It could kill him, but... it's a risk I want to take. Grabbing him by the legs, I lift him up in a double leg takedown and run with him to the bank.

"Time for a bath." I jest, and drop him unceremoniously into the deep blue of Delta City river. Rubbing my hands together, I celebrate my victory with a pat on the back. Crippling agony ripples through my body as the adrenaline wears off, dropping me to one knee. Yet, this is it, my first victory against an actual villain. Is this what it takes? Everything I have, and more?

Summoning the strength to get up, the only relief I have is the cold air pressing against the exposed parts of my skin. How am I going to fix my suit? I groan, and peek over the dock, and down into the water- no body floats up, so, that's good, I suppose.

Whereas I should be over the fricking moon with this result, I'm still wary of the events. In key detail- who were they guys at the beginning? Why were they there? And most importantly, what were they doing?- all of these are unanswerable, right now. My life is a living mess, and even Jesus can't solve my leprosy- being an outsider. If everyone else is "normal" then, what am I? an alien, or just better than the rest?

And, I intend to find out the answer to that question.

Slowly trudging in no purposeful direction, I review my options. A) Go and find a way of repairing the suit, e.g. someone else. B) Give up all together. Or, C) Go talk to the only person who has the answer to everything... Jake. Would he even bother to talk to me? The only way I will find out is to go, and see for myself.

Nevertheless, my every waking thought is bent on the outcome- beneficial, or not. If Jake does decide to help me, then who am I to reject it, but it doesn't take away the fact that he left... when I needed him the utterly most. Stop beating yourself up, it never helps anything, only hinders. Changing my course, I turn to face north-eat, in the general area of my previous place of residence.

Here I come...

To be continued...

Knocking on the awaiting door, panic, and anxiety announces it's arrival. Normally, I never get this jittery, but this isn't a normal occasion- I am dressed in a half-destroyed suit, waiting to beg an old buddy for help. To my angst, the door stands defiant in my wake.

Creaking open, the wooden doorway opens to reveal who I have been waiting for.

"Hey man, long time no see."

A/N

Thanks for reading this guys! I hope you enjoyed.

Just a quick note: You may have noticed that these chapters are usually 2-3000 words in length. But, I promise that once this sequal is done, the chapters will grow longer and there will be more.