What do I have with me? The phone and earbuds. I didn't bring the lube, so my options are very limited right now. There's also my llama hoodie and- that's it! "Have you figured something out Christian?" I did. I want to know if my ability allows me to-

"You weren't listening, were you playthingy?" I clenched my buttcheeks as a reflex to that. "Nevermind my sob story then. Simply put, I enjoy my people cold, more so than warm. Being able to use their limbs and bodies however I want. Oooh, the unadulterated satisfaction that brings me. You simply can't understand, can you-"

"I do actually," not in regards to dead people of course, but inanimate objects "The crosswalk we both stand on, as a matter of fact," I point down to distract his eyes "Brings me immense satisfaction.". With that said, my phone's volume is raised, so the music playing can distract him. The hoodie is in place, my face no longer seen. It's all or nothing.

"Music and a hoodie won't protect you from me! Hahahah!" *snip* *snip* two cuts and he gets through my armour and dash. The top half starts falling to the ground. "You're dead pup-"

"Don't ever call me that again you bloody emo!" I punch him as I say that, launching myself from behind the armour as it falls down, in my underwear and flops. My punch throws him to the ground, so I grab his scissors and break them with a piece of my armour surrounding my knuckles. "He's knocked out. That punch could shatter bone, so I had to hold back a bit.".

"Wha-what happened, dolly?" He's still awake?! It must be some kind of emo power. And at it again with the weird stuff.

"Well, since this is over anyway. I guess it won't harm to tell you that my ability allows me to surround myself with the crosswalk, and extend it," as I say that, it seems to have clicked inside his mind as he frowns. "Yeah, that's right. As long as I'm within two metres, I can control every and each part of the armour as an extension of myself. You didn't notice it, but as I pointed down, I pulled myself from the armour and expanded it a bit, so I could hide behind it.".

"That's impossible. I should've seen your shadow or anything as it dashed towards me," he still didn't grasp it fully.

"The armour obeys my wish for movement, as if part of me. All I did was shift the angle of the many stripes that make up the armour, to cast the shadows over mine. Once so, all I had to do was follow closely behind, and you wouldn't even notice me," it's not that I thought of this, she helped me, but I can't tell him that. "Now, it's time to give me some ans-"

*Snip* the stripes...they almost cut me!? "Confused, puppet?" damn you, I barely dodged that, stepping back. "You're not the only one who hides things from the other," he pulls from his jeans pocket...scissors?! Those are metal ones as well. I should've watched his hands more carefully. "If I have to use scissors, why would you think that plastic is my best choice?" That's a good point, if not for the fact that you're using old, rusted metal ones. Gold would've been the wiser, nonetheless, perhaps he's just poor.

"I can crush those just like I could've crushed your jaw, you dim skinned emo," I will probably need two hits though. And my armour has been slashed in half, so I'll have to think of something else before he cuts through my guts.

"You can indeed, your power is pretty good. But what can you do with only half the armour, dolly?" I still have something in mind you weirdo.

What's the plan lady? "I thought you had something in mind," I just didn't want to panic now-*snip* hurry before he cuts me down! "You can make a vow, just like he did, and enhance your powers.". A vow-*snip* a vow you say. How do I do that? "You give up something. The Graveyard Menace-" good name "Gave up his ability to control the stripes on his own. He needs those scissors in order to use his power. The more valuable it is, the greater the power.". The more valuable you say-

"How long are you going to run, puppet? Just let me cut you up a bit, and I promise I will give your body a proper burial!" Like hell you will. I know that after you cut me, you'll piece me together and do some weird stuff, probably. This situation is bad. I guess I don't have a choice and I'll give you what I value most...

"Christian. You don't mean?!" Yes, I do mean. If the Crosswalk Killer is nearly as dangerous as the Graveyard Menace, then I must do it. "You don't really have to do it. Most people wouldn't try to fight another killer or menace, given that you're at risk of dying and-" I get it. But, I have so much shit to get through and endure. This, this gives me life. It *snip* makes me happy. Even if I die doing it, at least it will be exciting! "I see Christian. Then, as your Guardian, I accept your vow.".

"C'mon puppet! Just give-what have you done?!" You mean the vow, you weirdo? I guess I look different now, even if I have only half the armour left covering my body. It feels four, no, six times more powerful, and the shine. Damn. "I will cut you down! Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut!" A snip of his scissors follows after each word and the stripes try to cut at my armour each time. But, my armour makes those stripe blades look dull as they can't even bend my-

"Stripup Armour!" God, I suck at naming things, and I can't take it back either. "Sturdier, and also-" I launch a stripe from six metres away as a punch, only half its length used to cross the distance.

"I can just defend myself, dol-" I didn't let him finish that, as the stripe punch smashes through his cross striped defence. The sound of breaking solid paint is flat and simple, yet satisfying to my ears.

"Just as I thought, you're the offensive kind," with that said, he falls to the ground, the scissors he held at his chest to defend himself, crushed to bits. I step up to him, and the cars start moving again, as the 'space' he formed seems to fall apart.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"I had to give up...my emo music," is he telling me how he got his powers? "My parents wouldn't allow it. So, I would come to the cemetery to listen to it. But from time to time *beep* *beep* and then I would kill people to make up for it.". These cars just beeped away the most important part. I guess he shouldn't have started his monologue while still on the crosswalk.

"Anyway. I will call the police and give you up to them, emo freak. Now just hold on tight as I-"

"This. Is not where you're supposed to be, Christian," this voice sent shivers down my spine. Not like the emo boy laying down on the crosswalk, but like my father, when I would walk in front of the TV as he watched it. I'm still looking down at the emo guy, frozen in my stance. Just so I don't meet eye to eye with whomever is approaching from behind me. "That's good. Your power has increased, yet you must've realised that, you will die, if you try anything.". He isn't wrong. Even if I had my full armour, I severely doubt I could even touch him. Why is that?

"You-you're here at last, monster," monster? So he's that dangerous, that not even the emo dares to call him something like he called me. "This one got me before you did though. So this part of the city is his, and no longer mine," a smirk following those words. He seems relieved in a way, and I can see why.

"Really. Is that so, Christian?" He placed his hand on my shoulder. It's heavy, not with weight, it's something far more sinister, as if my mom placed her hand around my neck, before talking about my grades. "Do you claim this portion?" his voice deep and grave, a hint of pain following his words. Maybe that's why I can't move. Whoever this is, he's been through a lot of stuff to earn that voice .

"You can't do that, the rules you mon-" while still looking at him, he stepped on him, black stripes surrounding his leg, as his right leg went through his stomach, blood spurting everywhere. The stripes themselves, seem to feed on the blood, imbue themselves with it. What's worse, he does it so casually, while still holding his hand on my right shoulder.

"Rules. Society likes those. I guess you weren't completely detached from it, as you still hold onto principles like those," he now moves his leg inside his stomach, as the Graveyard Menace squirms in pain. His hand is not moving from my shoulder. Even though he doesn't grip, it's as if he holds me pinned to the crosswalk. "Now. Where were we Christian? Is this yours, or is it not?"

His question, his words, they are aimed, ready for a response, so he can kill. "N-no. You can have it," I mustered. My body can't even shake from fear, as even the tiniest movement feels like it could end me. I don't know if he looks at me. I can't move my eyes, yet I can feel his gaze upon me. They're burning my neck. When he moves his eyes to study my body, I can tell where he's looking, even if I don't see him, as he stands behind me, only his right leg, covered by torn, tainted jeans visible.

"Smart. You know who I am by now. I'm the one who tainted your beloved," everything adds up. He's the- "I'm the Crosswalk Killer, Christian. And I may look like I enjoy it, but I don't kill out of pleasure," then take your foot out of his belly. He may be an emo, but that doesn't seem like the right kind of punishment. Even if he killed like, probably a bunch of people and-yeah, never mind, keep at it.

A smile crosses my face as I see the Graveyard Menace struggle for life. "What's wrong with me?" I can't believe I asked that aloud. Although, what is wrong with me? Why am I enjoying this torture he's subjecting the emo to?

"Good. You're sensing it, don't you?" I can only 'feel' what he's talking about, not explain it. "It's my nature. It reverberates with your nature, Christian," our natures. Does he mean that we're alike? "Don't worry, it will go away. It's only amplified because the discrepancy is that large between us, my nature thus overwhelms yours," his speech is pretty concise, clear and smart. From what I can tell from the leg, his looks betray his mind.

He takes his hand off of me, then steps in front of me. The foot still through the emo's body makes a loud crunch underneath, which I figure is the spinal vertebrae, as he places his other foot forward. I can now see his body from behind. His clothes carry a strong stench with them, while he isn't very tall, he's still taller than me and seems to be pretty muscular. Those jeans are a bit baggy for him, while the green vest that covers his blood stained black hoodie, is ripped in places.

"Christian. I will tell you how to get away," lady Guardian! Yes, tell me and fast. "The space that the Crosswalk Killer made, he didn't prepare it, so it's still weak," you mean I can break through?! "Indeed. And since it's renewed, so is your ability. We'll have to act fast, so go at it with full power, don't hold anything back.". Got it.

2 hours later

I can still feel his burning eyes on my neck, after I ran away. I heard the sound of his running steps and a loud sound, like the burst from a sport's car, which I figured must've been his ability when he activated it. Although, it stopped immediately after I broke through the space, my ability disappearing the next instance. "So if you break through, you can escape a fight?" However, it's not a simple feat. It still took me a couple punches at full power, while the 'space' wasn't properly prepared. "Perhaps it wasn't at full power though. If the space was made quickly, maybe the powers can't fully activate either. Or, maybe the condition of my vow activated," either way, I got away.

"There are a bunch of issues though," one of them being, "How the hell does he know my name?!". Does he know anything else? "I don't feel safe at home, what if he's watching me from afar?". That doesn't matter actually, since our powers only activate on a crosswalk. "He could come for my neck while I sleep or something.". Though, I figure he would leave prints and stuff, which I don't think he wants to, "It's not his style either.".

"Phew.". I can calm down for now. He couldn't have followed me, as the body of the emo was gone when I glanced behind, and I ran around for one hour. "Then, he perhaps didn't rush for me, instead, he went for the body, and towards the cemetery to dispose of it?" That makes sense. It's not like the emo died while he was 'stepped' to death, "But I figure it's safe to assume he didn't survive, not with the killer around.". I should watch the news then. If there was any blood left on the crosswalk, someone must've called the police-

1 hour later

*What the FBI calls the "Crosswalk Cemetery Massacre" leaves the authorities in shock and awe. Over fifty confirmed victims were identified. The massacre happened in the middle of the day, and all victims seem to have sustained major blunt and force trauma. It is believed that the serial killer was seen, thus prompting an overly aggressive response. The massacre follows the same pattern of the Crosswalk Killer where the killer-*

Is this...my fault? "No, no. It can't be. I didn't kill any of them," but if I stayed at home, or just didn't go there to begin with, the two of them would've fought it out. The Crosswalk Killer did it because someone must've seen the body, and then he let loose. "That doesn't mean it was my fault! How could I've known what was going to happen?!" Yet I wanted it, didn't I? Confront the killer, show them, him, my revenge. "It was those kids! They led me there!" And who listened to them? Wasn't it me who got fooled? And again, I wanted this...why did I want this...