“Stryder, I didn’t expect to see you here though. Finally cutting loose huh?” Jack chirped.

“Yeah, the Alley of justice not only fights crime, but we also fight posers.” Zack cheered as he stepped forward.

Wait, did he just say we?

“Oh is that right? You two gonna take my crown?” Jack huffed as he folded his arms.

“Wait, wait no I was just-”

“Were totally gonna mop the floor with you!” Zack cheered.

“Zack wait I-”

“Alright! then lets see what the Alley of Justice got!” Jack cheered toward the crowd.

And everyone went wild, and I felt like I was gonna pee myself! Zack just dragged me into a dance-off. I can’t even do the cha-cha slide right! Oh God everyone’s looking at me! I moved my hand back to pull up on my hood. And I felt all the warmth drain from my body. No, no, no, no! I grabbed Zack’s arm and yanked him down to me.

“Zack what the hell do you think you’re doing!?” I whispered to him. “I can’t even do the hockie pokie!”

“Ah! Chill out your gonna break my arm!” Zack pleaded.

I looked down and noticed the all too familiar blue mist coming from my arm. Crap! I forgot it was emotion based! I let him go and he yanked his arm back and stretched.

“Just relax, I have a plan for that alright.” Zack groaned.

My heart felt like it was gonna pop right out of my chest. Everyone’s eyes, all their eyes were on me. Jack walked off in front of us. While the crowd went wild. I, however, was too focused on calming my breathing. He was getting started, doing something very reminiscent of what Zack was doing earlier.

"A-and what is your big idea?" I stammered out.

"Do you remember how to do your parkour kickflips and stuff?"

"Y-yeah? But that's not dancing!"

"Look, I'll cover that up. Just manifest a weapon and as soon as it forms dispel it as your jumping around. It'll make a blue mist that will hype me up."

"I can’t do that! E-everyones watching me!" I cried.

"You don't really have a choice. We’re already here, and if you just leave there gonna be looking at you a lot harder. Just close your eyes."

"Just close my eyes..?"

"Yeah, I'll work with whatever you give me. Just go."

He looked me in my eyes, and I looked into his. We stared at each other for a moment, and then I quickly looked away, losing our battle of wills.

"Not like I have much of a choice.."

"That's the spirit! Just trust me." He snickered.

I looked up and I saw a jaw-dropping sight. Snowflakes! Like fully detailed snowflakes were floating around the crowd. It was beautiful. It was like a Christmas movie! All the while Jack danced under the falling snow that glittered the field.

"Show off…" Zack grumbled.

“You sure, you sure you want to rely on me? You’d be better calling over weis or something ya know?”

“You think I can find weis by the time Jacks done?” He said as he gave me a look.

“Right, I just-”

“Besides!” I felt Zack move his arm around me. “Were in this together! The ultimate tag team duo!”

Suddenly the crowd lit ablaze with cheers and praise. While Jack raised his arms high in the air, which only made the crowd go wilder.

“And now it’s time for the Alley of Justice to clap back with some fiery moves!”

The voice boomed from the bubbles around us. And I felt my knees buckle. Just when I thought I was relaxed. Their eyes were all on me again. I shook slightly and I felt Zack’s arm slowly remove itself from me.

“Just close your eyes and go.”

Zack whispered to me. I took a breath and staggered forward. Here goes nothing I guess.

I heard the crowd cheering for me, and I tried to cleanse my mind. You want to be more like him right? Someone who can face a crowd, someone who doesn’t shake or tremble even without my mask. Then you have to go!

I opened my eyes and ran forward. I started to summon a sword in both my hands and as soon as it was about to be finished, I dispelled it. I swung my hands in front of me and did a front flip. The glitter from my summoning flew around me in the sky. I also activated my strength to send me high into the air, and give my body the blue mist.

I forced a smile on my face as I looked over the crowd. But I couldn’t hear them. Everything was silent, it was like I was frozen for this one moment. I was doing this, I was really doing this! With my eyes wide open to the crowd!

Mom, I hope you’re watching me! I hope you can see! I’m not gonna hide away anymore!

I landed on the ground and kneeled down as I felt an intense heat coming from behind me. I looked up, and I saw the blazing green flares of Zack coming from the sky. He landed down in front of me and immediately rolled down over his shoulder. Then quickly began to spin around like a top on the ground. I quickly got up and darted forward, then jumped into the air. I could see him coming up to a single handstand. And I immediately spun my body around over him and did a corkscrew. All the while I summoned and dispelled my weapons, and used my super strength mist. I landed down in front of Zack, and then I felt Zack hands on my shoulder as he frog leaped over me. Landing on the air. He turned back to face me and nodded for me to come up. I leaped up to him.

“Pretend to fight master Zack.” I heard a voice whisper in my left ear.

Clever to use beans invisibility like this. I smiled excitedly and nodded. I summoned twin blades, and went down to strike him and missed on purpose. He gave me a smirk and summoned fire over his fist. We both chuckled as he aimed to strike my face, and I dodged with ease. And we went back and forth exaggeratingly dodged and struck at each other. Zack using some cool dance moves to dodge me, while I did flips and spins to dodge him. Soon we came in and both spun around and stopped back to back. I was panting heavily and so was Zack. The crowd started to cheer wildly for us and Zack snickered.

“So you kept your eyes open huh?”

“I couldn’t just let you have all the fun,” I said with a breathless laugh.

However, our relaxing soon came to a wobbling end as the floor beneath us shook.

“Zack! What’s ha-”

“Crap!” Zack yelled as we both dropped.

I tried to focus and before I even had a chance to regain my thoughts, we both crashed against each other on the ground.

“Ah, that freaking hurt..” Zack groaned.

“You’re telling me..”

“And it looks like we have a winner for tonight’s dance-off! The newcomers! The blue knight and the flaring Wizard! Make that noise for the Alley of Justice!” The voice cheered from the bubbles.

I rubbed the back of my head as I looked around at the crowd. I felt my heart race again as reality hit me. I took a breath again and looked ahead. Jack had a huge smile on his face as he walked over to us. He kneeled down to me and Zack and took his crown off.

“I’m proud of you kid!” He cheered as he placed his frozen crown on my head.

I stared at him for a moment. His big goofy grin, his icy blue eyes. I felt warmth rising in my chest as he said those words to me. I felt like a fire was growing within me, spreading all the way down to my fingertips.

He, was proud of me...

….

“Where’s Zack at?” I asked.

Jack had teleported us back into town from the park, apparently, he froze a tree there. We all came through except for Zack. We were just about at my house before I realized he wasn’t with us.

Jack just chuckled and shook his head.

“You’ll see.”

As I opened the door to my apartment, it became clear what Jack had done. I sighed.

“You’re kidding me..”

Zack was in the fetal position on the floor. Rubbing his arms with chattering his teeth. WHILE THE DESTROYED AND BURNT REMNANTS OF MY FRIDGE WERE LAYING AROUND HIM! And Jack was just busting out laughing.

“No way! You blew it up!” He laughed out.

“That was just hilarious, wasn’t it!? How you sent Zack to our freezer and made him blow it up! Scaring all of us girls half to death!” Lux roared from the kitchen. She quickly stomped over to Jack and shoved her finger in his face. “You're going to go buy me a new fully stocked fridge! Right now!” Lux yelled

“R-right.” He stammered out with a nervous laugh.

“My love, let me hold your hot bod for warmth, I'll Catch a cold,” Zack groaned as he crawled over to Lux.

Followed by Elizabeth’s laughter.

“Umm no, you just blew up my fridge! And last time I checked you have fire powers! Warm your self up!” She yelled over to him.

Then, we all went silent as we heard our front door open up. It’s like I forgot how to breathe. I watched as my dad stepped through the door, holding up a bottle of whiskey. He turned to his left, and I could see his eyes get wide at the mess on the floor.

“That’s it! That's it! You can steal my money! You can take up space in my house! But I'll be damned if you destroy and drink my beer with these sluts!” He yelled.

I growled and quickly stomped over to him. I stood in his path and glared into his eyes.

“Take it back,” I demanded

“Look dude I-” Jack started to talk but my dad cut him off.

“Shut up! What the hell did you just say boy?” he asked as he got closer to me.

Suddenly my fire died, and my heart began to race. I felt like my feet were frozen in place as I stared off into his eyes. No, no going back. Be brave! Be like Zack!

“I-I said I won't let you talk to them like that. T-take back what you said.” I stammered.

I didn't know what to do next, I wasn't even confident about what I just said. My mind swirled for a moment with what to say next. Then my thoughts became silent as I heard him laughing. It was unnerving. Why, why was he laughing!? Then without warning, he charged forward and slammed his fist into my face. I stumbled back with my already weak knees and fell onto the ground.

I coughed some and slowly pushed myself up. My nose stung, I reached up and touched my nose. And I could tell it was bleeding. I stared at the ground as my blood dripped onto the floor. My heart racing again, my arms shaking. I felt cold splashes over my body where the old welts used to be.

“You killed her.”

“Your useless.”

“Your ungrateful.”

Memories of his words and beatings started to fill my mind, and my breathing became heavy. I started to tremble as I tried to force myself to stand. No your not useless, you didn’t kill mom. Don’t listen to him, don’t give in! I slowly turned around, and I could see my dad swinging his hand around like it was on fire. I pushed myself up and tried to calm my breathing. I felt like I was gonna have a heart attack. As my eyes met him again, I saw he was charging at me again. This time with his bottle raised.

I looked around and I saw Zack and Lux both darting toward me. Fire in Zack’s hand, and a fiery rage in Lux’s eyes. No! No! What should I do!? Should I summon something!? Should I charge at him and stop this!? Should I block them both and just take it!? However, I couldn’t even get my arm to move. Was I, frozen in place?