Drowned in Sin (Shadow)(Double XP)

Jake watched as Redline shot up onto his feet, surprising Jake as he had stated to think that the speedster had taken a much more serious blow before but maybe that was just Jake's imagination. Seconds later, Redline asked if Jake was alright to which Jake gave a sore laugh. "I'll... I'll heal.." Jake quietly said before giving Redline a angry glare, rising from his seated position to stand on his good leg, both his hands planted firmly on the wall behind him to keep balance.

"You... You broke.. I may be young.. Inexperienced.. and afraid.. But when I had to.. I broke my leg so you had an advantage, I struck while you cried. I planned while you sat there... Broken.. So don't you dare say I shouldn't be a... 'Superhero.' Jake lifted from the wall to do air quotes before leaning back into the wall with a groan, all too well remembering that the man said they were having a conversation about this, so Jake was. But he was also ending it.

"If things like Flatline are out there.. Then there need to be people to fight... To fight that threat. No matter how old, how young. The whys and the reasons. The name or the clothes we wear.. So you are going to leave.. And I am going to lie to my mother about why I won't be home tonight and why my leg is broken. And I am going to keep getting into this costume, no matter how broken it is or I am. I am going to keep fighting. Because I have the power to, because when others can't, I can." Jake managed the words before sliding slowly back to the ground, heaving and taking long, pained breaths. "Now... Get... I need time to think.." Jake said at last, closing his eyes to think, letting his body relax for this night was not over for him, not even close.

Scott felt a wave of relief wash over him as he realized that the two of them were out of immediate danger. He had zero idea what had occurred to bring them to this particular location but he honestly didn't care. They were both alive, relatively u harmed and for now free of Flatline and his dark plans. That relief however was short lived. It seems the young wannabe hero had a bone to pick with Redline and he could not believe what he was hearing. A tempest of emotions raged in his chest. Sadness and anger tugged on his heartstrings, disappointment lingering somewhere in the mix. Rage boiled in his eyes as the boy spoke of breaking, of some misguided sense of why he deserved to be a hero. Scott's face would grow ever more red, the tension in his brow like a steel cable stretched to its limits.

"Don't you ever speak...to me that way again!" Redline finally barked out after being told to "get" like some unwanted dog. Coming down a bit from the outburst, a sort of calm malicious anger settled into Scott's demeanor. "I don't care how hurt...or how scared...or whatever you want to call it...disrespect me that way again...and I'll make you regret it." Venom and intent dripped from his words as his clawed right hand waved ominously in the boy's face. Then in a whirl he withdrew it, the speed momentarily sucking the air from where his hand had just been. Redline's chest was heaving, a mixture of exasperation and rage. His eyes bore holes in Jake, wide like a man possessed. But he was recovering, coming down from the outburst and drawing a clearer head. But with clarity once more came the sense of disappoinemt and desperation, a sad sort of anger.

"Do you have no idea...what all that...just meant to me? "I broke" because I was...just confronted...with the death of a child...my child!" Once more eyes welled up with hot tears. Bringing those words to his lips twisted an impossible knot in his stomach.

"And here you stand...trying to tell me...that I did something wrong...that you're the big hero...does it feel good "hero"? Such contempt filled that single world that it nearly made Scott sick.

This is exactly the reason...I told you we would...be having...this conversation. You're a child...a brat...you can't possibly imagine...the horrors the world...has in store for you. But if you want to know them...keep playing hero...keep pretending that...the world is a Saturday...morning cartoon...that the bad guys lose...and the good guys win...that the world is that...black and white. Because the longer you...stay at this...the worse things...are going to get. That was not as...tough for you...because you're still living...in a fantasy land. You haven't had to experience...senseless personal loss...unimaginable pain...the encroaching reality...of you're own mortality...but you're going to Scott was getting closer now to Jake, his unblinking eyes locked on to the boys'. And on that day...when the weight of your failures...brings you to your knees...and everything in your world...comes crashing down around you...on that day you can talk...to me about being broken...but not today. With a deep sigh Redline rose once again out of the boy's face.He doesn't know any better he tried to remind himself, shaking the rage from his brow and the tension from his extremities. This was always his response to the young hero types. They infuriated him, most probably because he saw his own mistakes in them. But it seemed no matter what he did, he could never convince them to turn from their ways, to go home and enjoy their youth before reality robbed them of their innocence. Reflecting on this, Redline rose a hand to his face and pinched at the bridge of his nose. He was still furious inside, but this was not going to be resolved by yelling at a scared kid.

Why isn't he gone... Maybe I should have kept quiet, let him wonder off.. Maybe I should just sleep.. Talk to mom later... No. Jake's mind raced at a dramatically slow pace, he felt weak.. no.. he was in pain, his leg was broken.. Shattered maybe, he was going at a speed he had never felt before centered on that one leg.. It would take a while to heal.. The cuts on his forearm didn't sting any more, they were small anyway, they would heal first, maybe his torn lip would first..

Jake shook his head as Redline's voice got more clearer, dazed eyes met Redline's more furious ones and Jake felt that pain subside into something else as his voice became more clear, it was turning into annoyance. This man said every word like Jake was small and innocent, like he saw everything as a game and that.. that pissed Jake off, his eye's clearing from that of a daze to a glare as the man continued his speech, something that sounded rehearsed or at least said a few times. Which meant one thing... This guy didn't want... want innocent blood shed, lives so young, lost to the evil this world could offer, loss to the family's that loved them.

And with that, Jake's dagger like glare turned soft and tired and he remained quiet for the rest of the talk. When it was finished however, Jake took the resolve to stand on his one leg, letting the other sit on the ground, still useless and he would stand like this for a few seconds, forming his words in his head before he spoke. "Thanks... Thank you.. For caring.." Jake said as he stood upright with his one leg, realizing for the first time that he was taller then the man before him. "But.. I'm not normal... Look at me.. I've been this size for about.. two years now. I have strength that can topple buildings.. I can survive gun shots and I will heal from this shattered leg in days if not weeks..." Jake took a deep breath, and let it out, buying time to think about this in a way that won't incite the man before him, but also, explain himself... which was really hard to figure out.. "Sure... I can ignore this... I can grow up, have a normal job.. whatever... But.. I can't. I push something too hard. It breaks. I jump too high, people become scared of me.. That's why I take Gymnastics, why I do my best at school and why I dress up in a tight leather outfit made for a job that saves people from fires.. Because it's my choice.. my life.. One way or another.. I'm going to suffer, maybe I hurt someone I care about.. Maybe they die in a car crash while I remain fine.. Maybe I die saving people.. Thank you.. For trying.. But this is what I do.. Saved you didn't I?" Jake let out a weak laugh before letting out a sigh. He really wanted to go home.

"So Judge me... I an't sorry about what I said.. if I wasn't there.. I do think, you would have died.. Alone, mourning... Ok I am sorry about that.. But now, at least you have a chance to go and take.. this chance.. to live. And if that.. Psychopath of a being.. still lives.. then you deal with it.. For yourself.... I don't know..For your daughter.. So please.. Say whatever you want.. or Don't.. But I really.. really need to sleep, and figure out how I am going to tell my mom about this leg so she doesn't tear down our whole city block in a man hunt.. New York doesn't need to be repaired for more collateral damage." Jake tried to make a joke and laugh about that last line but all he could manage was a small, hidden smile under his mask. Placing a hand on the wall behind him, he turned so that he could start hopping along but he stood still and waited for just a few seconds, to see if the man spoke or simply left..

Listen kid...I get it. Redline began after listening to the kid try to explain himself. He waited a few moments to gather his thoughts, calm his rage, make sure that he wasn't going to blow up before continuing. After all he'd been at this point before, threatened a young man's life as a last ditch effort to force him from the dangerous road he was on. But even that had not been enough and eventually the boy had continued with the path he had felt best for himself. Sighing, Redline lifted his head from his hand to meet Jake's eyes.

You've got these abilities...that no one else has...the world looks far different to you...than it does everyone around you...and you want to do...something with that... He paused again, walking towards Jake and lifting the boy's arm over his shoulder to remove the need for Jake to support himself on the bad leg. Scott would move along with Jake, ensuring that his walk was steady before continuing.

But it doesn't...have to be this. I'm not saying don't have abilities...that's impossible...and I'm not saying...don't use them...but going out and pissing off...the kinds of people...you're going to meet dressed like that...and doing what you're doing...is going to bring unnecessary pain...both to you...and those you love. Turning his head, Redline stopped moving now to make sure that the boy was looking at him.

This is not about...how many people you save...its about who you save. As he said this Scott put his hand on Jake's chest, feeling his heart beat faintly beneath the fire retardant material.

People are going to die...and suffer...whether you're out here...defending them or not...and the more you see that pain...the more you are faced with...unimaginable evil...your heart will harden... your world will...crumble on you...and in the battle of...good versus evil...somewhere along the way...you'll lose your soul. Redline held his gaze to Jake's for more than a few moments, letting the silence between them force Jake to think on what he had said. All he could hope was that his softer approach was more convincing that his anger. It was a tactic he had never tried, not in his entire life. Meeting force with force was his way, and speaking from a place of vulnerability and softness was strange. Either way, he didn't expect the boy to say much, hoped he would simply think on what he had said.

And I'm not going...to let you sleep...on the street...we're not far from...my place. You can crash...there for the night. We'll figure out...how to get you back...home in the morning.

Jake was.. rather surprised when he felt Redline's hands lift his arm over their shoulder, helping Jake to walk along as he spoke. And so he kept quiet as Redline spoke, listening to everything he said, evaluating it the best he could. He understood, what Redline was getting at, he wasn't clueless to it, that doing this could.. ruin him, could break him. Make him someone he didn't recognize in the mirror, Jake just didn't think that would happen to him, because he understood that, but listening to Redline, Jake began to understand a little better. Made him rethink about that, that maybe no matter how prepared he could be.. If things went one way, then he could end up just as bad as the people he wore this stupid thing to stop.

Of course, the greatest affect Redline's words had on Jake was when he said about letting him sleep at his place to which Jake could only smile under his mask as he looked Redline in the eye. "That.. would be... nic..e.." Knowing his safety was most likely insured, Jake let go of the fight he held to stay awake and went soundly and quickly to sleep, collapsing into Redline in the process.