WARNING: This chapter contains distressing images of bullying and antisesmitism which might upset some readers.

Also, references to my fanfic 'My Saviour' appear in this chapter.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Reluctant

Lilith frowned at the hybrid.

"We were affected by sinners." She said, "But most of all by bad luck."

Seth nodded.

"Unlike Chastity and Ravage who choose to drink the water, and the others who needed their lives saved yet were able to give consent, we had no choice, we were mutated as both of us were on the brink of death."

"What happened to you two?" Aurora asked.

Seth lowered his head.

"I had come home from studying in San Francisco to attend a funeral, when I was targeted by Neo Nazi's who burnt down my parents' house, my parents were killed in the blaze, but I was saved by the Disciples who gave me the water because I was on the brink of death from smoke inhalation." Seth explained.

He pointed to the kipper he wore on his head behind his horns.

"I'm a Jew, thus why I was targeted."

"I'm so sorry," Aurora said softly, even though she couldn't remember anything about herself, she knew that it was common for Jews to be targeted by haters, even though they had suffered persecution for many years, not just during the Second World War, and it made her very sad, especially since there was no reason to hate them.

"I've always been a victim of antisemitism." Seth lamented "Even though I had a relatively good life, bullying was always a part of it."

"A lot of us can agree on that." Samson chimed in "We were all bullied in the past!"

Everyone except Regan and Aurora raised their hands.

"Mine was pretty much the same as Seth." Lamia said "Bullied for being a Muslim, I used to get called terrorist a lot, and murderer since some people are still angry over the Twin Towers..."

"Oh man, I remember that like yesterday." Rex lamented and the others agreed, again apart from Aurora and Regan.

"I am aware of it." Aurora said, "Though I don't think I had been born yet, given my age."

"I wasn't born then either." Regan agreed "But I learnt of it, through these guys, since again I was only young when I mutated, and I hadn't learnt much about the world."

Seth took another breath as everyone quietened down to listen to him.

"All my life I felt unwanted, despite the love for my family and the few friends I had..." he spoke, and he looked over to Lilith who placed her clawed hand on his for support.

"Lilith included, since we went to the same High School together."

Flashback

It was after an intense gym session at Spencer High School and Solomon was in the shower stall washing himself down.

He had waited until the other boys were out and getting dressed before he went in and when he felt it was safe, he got into the nearest stall and turned on the water.

Before long, he felt himself relax as he showered, he was glad to finally get away from the gym and relax under the hot water, and he wanted to get back to his lessons so he could concentrate on getting the grades he wanted to go away to college.

Keeping his eyes closed he enjoyed the warm water massaging his head and running down his body, that was until he felt something touch his side then the water suddenly went cold!

Seth opened his eyes, and he was alarmed to see one of the young men in the shower with him!

"Dirty Jew!" he spat.

Solomon was so alarmed he didn't get the chance to shout or yell before a couple of hands grabbed him and threw him to the wet ground and he was surrounded by the other boys from the P.E class and shouting racist slurs at him!

"Dirty Jew!" they taunted as the cold water was rained down on him "Dirty Jew! All Hail Hitler!"

He could see them raising their arms in the Nazi Salute and continue to shout and taunt him!

Solomon shouted at them to stop, and he tried to get up and get past them, but they kept a tight circle around him preventing him from escaping and all poor Solomon could do was curl up and try and cover himself from the cold water and the taunts.

After what seemed like hours, there was a shout as well as a blast on a whistle and the boys were soon pulled away from the shower and the water was turned off.

"Get out of here! What the Hell do you boys think you're doing!?"

Seth opened one eye, and he soon saw the P.E Coach standing above him in his blue tracksuit and waving his arms as well as bellowing at the top of his voice at the boys who were scrambling around to grab their towels as he shouted at them.

"You disgusting bullies! You little bastards! Get away from him! What gives you the right to attack him? Get dressed and straight to the principle with you!"

Seth then looked up at the coach covered him with a towel and helped him up.

"Solomon?" he asked, "Are you alright?"

Solomon nodded and sniffed yet the coach led him away from the shower and encouraged him to get dressed and that they would have a talk about what happened as well as deal with the bullies.

End Flashback

Aurora blinked.

"I'm so sorry Seth." She said, "That you went through all that, how cruel could those bullies be?"

Seth nodded.

"It was terrible, I never felt so scared as they were shouting and letting me get cold under the water, but I thank the gym teacher for coming in and helping me."

Lilith smiled softly at Seth.

"I remember it," she said, "Those boys were just so nasty."

"What happened to them?" Aurora asked.

"They were punished." Seth said, "They were suspended, as well as banned from a couple of field trips, and the ringleader was dropped from the Basketball team because he didn't show remorse."

"They deserved worse than that." Diablo growled "Just like any other bully."

"Well, if they do happen to do something else, they won't be so lucky to escape if we find them." Regan smirked showing her fangs.

"Too right Ankle Biter." Diablo winked at the Vampire Bat.

Aurora then looked to Lilith who frowned.

"When I was mutated, I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," she said, "I met Diablo by accident when he saved me from a mugger, then I bumped into him not long afterwards at Fall Creek Falls in Spencer."

Diablo looked a little awkward and looked down.

Even though it had been ten years, he still felt guilty that Lilith had been recruited as a mutant because of him and their accidental meeting, even though neither had been at fault for what happened.

"I was afraid when I first met him, I do ask though, if anyone were to bump into a humanoid Raven, or a crow as I called him when I saw him, one would think they had gone mad."

"I don't blame you." Diablo said, "I know I would be as shocked, and I was..." he added aside "When I first met my sister's new family, then those who mutated me."

"When I first met him, I found we had a lot in common." Lilith said, "We both lost an older sibling in our youth."

"That's real sad." Aurora said looking at the falcon, then at Diablo.

"Nigel was my brother's name." Lilith said, "He was my hero, he was a few years older than me, but he was so kind, always looking out for me and giving me advice when I needed it, especially when it came to the troubles in my life." She looked at the sky and up at the stars that twinkled through the trees.

"He always used to tell me the heavens the limit, and to keep soaring high." She said "Well, before he died, I always felt I could, but after he was killed fighting for his country, I lost that motivation."

"I know the feeling." Diablo said "After I lost my sister, I felt there was nothing left..."

Aurora blinked as she looked at the Raven and Falcon and she decided to ask more questions, especially when Lilith spoke of Nigel.

"What happened to Nigel?" she asked, "You said something about him fighting for his country?"

Lilith sucked in a breath.

"He was a pilot." She said, "His dream had always been to be a pilot in the American Air Force." She reached into her shirt and pulled out a photograph which she handed to Aurora who look it to look at it.

It was a small photograph of Nigel in his Air Force uniform looking tall and proud with his medals and his eyes towards the sky.

"Wow." She said, "He's a handsome man."

"Indeed, he is." Regan agreed looking over as well before Aurora handed Lilith the picture back.

"Thanks." The falcon said "Anyway, he died when fighting in the War for Afghanistan, and the day he died, I felt like a piece of me had died too..."

Seth placed a hand on Lilith's shoulder.

"I remember being there and you hearing the news from the principle when your parents came to the school." He said.

"It was the worst news of my life." Lilith said, "And I spent my days in denial most of the time, thinking it was all a bad dream, and that I would wake up, but I never did, it didn't really hit me hard until after the funeral, and it was then I knew Nigel was gone..."

Flashback

Angela sat in her seat next to her parents staring ahead at the white coffin with the USA flag draped over it along with a framed picture of Nigel in his uniform and smiling proudly.

She wore her black dress and coat with black stockings and clutched a long-stemmed white rose in her hand.

For the past couple of weeks, she had just barely made it through each day that passed. Since hearing the news of Nigel's death in action, she felt like there was no future, no future without her big brother, her best friend, her hero.

Who would she turn to for advice when she was feeling low? Who could see lean on when she didn't feel strong enough?

She looked over to her parents who were sitting with their eyes forward, her father was looking pale and there were bags under his eyes.

Her mother meanwhile was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, her mascara smearing a little.

Angela wasn't sure of the feelings within her, but they bordered on grief, sadness, disappointment, as well as anger.

She was angry that her brother was gone, that he had left her, that he had gone to fight for his country and risked getting killed, and now he had been killed, he knew the risks, and he took them.

But she knew deep down she wouldn't have been able to stop him, and she knew this had been his dream, to stop someone from achieving their dream would be wrong.

She clutched her rose and looked up at the coffin as the preacher at the front spoke of Nigel and how good a man he was, and a brave and talented pilot he was.

She then saw his commanding officer speak of him, as well as his friends and fellow pilots and how he would always be remembered for his sacrifice.

She heard the words, yet they faded away in the wind as she kept her eyes on Nigel's photo on top of the coffin.

"Angie?" a voice was heard, and she looked up to see her father nudging her.

"Angie?" he said, "You're being called."

Angela looked up to see the preacher beckoning to her and she remembered she had written a speech for her brother, and she quickly stood up feeling a little embarrassed and walked to the podium at the front before looking out at the audience before her.

There were so many people there, friends, family, and many of Nigel's fellow pilots from the Air Force, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach get stronger.

She took out a sheet of paper that had her speech on it yet some of the ink had run from her tears when she had written it.

Looking up at the audience, then at Nigel's coffin, Angela swallowed her pride and spoke:

"To my beloved brother, Nigel.
When you told me you were leaving to fight for our country, I couldn't believe it, as I never imagined you would be called to action, and that I would have to say goodbye knowing that you might not return, but I had to accept the fact and let you go, as I knew this was your dream, and I knew that if I tried to stop you, it would be wrong, and no-one should be denied their dreams, as you used to tell me, keep soaring high, heavens the limit."

She took a breath as she felt the lump in her throat as well as tears in her eyes.

"Yet, you managed to reach heaven sooner than we wanted, and I have to accept the fact you're there now and looking back down on us, the ones you left behind..."

Angela gritted her teeth.

"I never imagined I would be saying goodbye to you so soon, I never thought I would be saying goodbye to my best friend, my hero sooner than I believed, even though I knew the risks you were taking on the battlefield, but you made your promise to America, and I am proud of you, that you wanted to do your duty, even if it meant leaving me behind."

Angela swallowed again and chewed her lip.

"Nigel." She chocked "You were my hero, and always will be, you were always there for me, you were my strength, you were my shoulder to cry on, my rock, you raised me up when I felt weak, and I'll forever be grateful, I'll miss you always... I love you Nigel, Big brother..."

Angela stepped down from the podium and placed her hand on the coffin as tears fell, the reality hitting her properly that Nigel was gone, and she only had her memories of him now.

"Goodbye my brother...my hero..."

She kissed the coffin then walked back to her parents as some music began to play behind her which she recognised as Faith Hill's 'There You'll Be' and the tears began to fall rapidly as she felt the lyrics spoke her true feelings for her beloved big brother.

End Flashback

Lilith squeezed her eyes shut as she cried softly, and Seth moved closer to her and Diablo placed a clawed hand on Lilith's in an act of comfort.

Aurora chewed her lip as she looked at Lilith, it was like a can of worms had been opened within her as she saw how emotional the falcon looked.

"The worst part is." Lilith said "After I was killed by those drunk teens who ran me down, I knew my parents were going to suffer a second grief they hoped they would never feel, they already lost their son, and now they lost me, and I couldn't even say goodbye to them..."

Aurora swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Oh Lilith..." she whispered, "I'm so sorry."

She rested back against a tree as she began to think, even though she couldn't remember, she wondered, if there was any chance there was anyone waiting for her, friends or family, yet each time she tried to think, she could see nothing, just a blur.

Regan placed her hand on Aurora's and gave her a sympathetic look.

"I wish I could remember too." She said, "If I could, I wish I could remember my family."

Aurora gave the Vampire Bat a grateful smile, then looked to Diablo who squeezed Lilith's hand as she was being comforted by Seth.

"You say you share Lilith's pain." She said making the Raven look over.

"What?" he asked.

"About losing an older sibling." Aurora said.

As she said that, Diablo's eyes widened slightly.

"Who were they?" Aurora asked, "Your older sibling?"

Diablo glared.

"My older sister." He said "Yes I did lose her, and when she disappeared, I never felt the same again, like Lilith, I felt this hole within...and it never healed..."

Diablo looked at Aurora again and he narrowed his eyes looking at her...

So Seth and Lilith have spoken of their pasts.

If any readers noticed, I did get insparation from Stephan King's 'Carrie' for Seth's past. I do enjoy watching the films at Halloween which isn't far away now! yay!

Again I stress on the topic of Bullying, if you're a bully, stop what you're doing right now! And if you're being bullied, reach out to someone you can trust, whether it be a friend, family member or just calling a helpline, there's plenty of support out there.