The Heroes

Chapter 11

Xander rolled his eyes at their fussing and didn't answer, instead reaching for the TV remote and pressing the play button. The news channel resumed playing. Jasper's eyes flicked worriedly back and forth between Xander and the television, and he let out a small gasp of recognition when the picture flashed up and filled the screen once more.

"It's the ball we went to!" Jasper exclaimed,  his brown eyes wide and shining. He quickly sat himself down on the foot of Xander's bed and Xander sighed, but he didn't have the heart to kick him off. He watched curiously as Jasper stared intently at the television, his face scrunching up in confusion. Cute.

The blonde's face filled up the screen once more. Her shrill voice drilled into Xander's ears and he winced, picking up the remote and turning it down a notch. He watched with great interest as she spoke. He wanted to know what had happened after he left, (ahem, fainted in front of a room full of people and probably landed on top of Jasper) because it must have been something big if it had made it's way onto the news. It wasn't usually a very well known ball, to say the least.

There seemed to have been some big attack after they had left- the whole reason they had gone to the ball in the first place was to try and stop whatever the villain was planning. But, thanks to Xander, it had happened anyway. It was all his fault. 

He watched as the woman spoke some more about the attack. Thankfully there weren't too many casualties, and no recorded deaths. It was starting to get boring, and Xander was just reaching for the remote to turn it off, when the Villain's face filled the screen. What?

Xander's eyes flicked over to jasper, who looked equally as confused. He was fiddling nervously with his fingers, Xander noticed. His eyes flicked back up to the screen again as the blonde reporter woman asked the Villain a question, waiting anxiously for their reply.

"Well, All I have to say is this," They started, staring directly into the camera, their face cold and cruel. "Hi, Alex. You know who you are. And, guess what? So. Do. I. And, I just have one thing to say to you. This, this right here? All your fault. It is all your fault, Alex."

The reporter seemed confused by his answer, but Xander didn't hear what she was saying. The Villains words played on repeat inside his head. They knew. How did they know? Xander had always been so careful, so, so careful. And yet, they found out anyways. And, everything they did? His fault. He had always known it was his fault, but to hear them say it? To see them looking straight at him, with their cold, unflinching stare, and to tell him how it was his fault? That was it. That was his breaking point. 

Xander felt himself start to panic, which just seemed to panic him even more. How was this happening? Why was this happening? Why was it always him?

A gentle hand on his shoulder startled Xander, but he welcomed the touch nonetheless. "Breathe," Instructed a familiar voice. He was trying, couldn't whoever it was tell them he was trying? He was always trying, he always tried, so, so hard, but it was never enough. He always tried his best, but his best just wasn't good enough, and it never would be.

"Xander, breathe. Just breathe. In and out, in and out."

Xander's hands shook as they clung tightly onto whoever was talking to him. In and out, he reminded himself. In and out.