The sounds of people struggling were clearly audible now with me inching further, causing adrenaline to dump into my veins and breathing to quicken. Pictures of Taylor Louis’ face randomly flashed through my mind at that moment. I shook my head to make them go away; there was no time for that now. I moved more into the stockroom until met with two different routes and chose an aisle on the far left to walk down since it didn't seem wise to go down the middle.
My guard up and prepared for anything, I slowly crept forward with light steps and heard a ‘bang’ from behind, making me twirl around and throw a straight jab that hit dead air. I filled my lungs and released a silent gust of air, spotting the culprit; a small box laying down at my shoes. Stupid box! Calming my agitated nerves and peering into the darkness ahead of me, I tried to gauge how far was left of the aisle. It was pretty dark and there didn't seem to be much more light in the surrounding area, so all I could do was keep moving and stalked forward to hear the struggling grow louder.
At the end of the aisle, I carefully poked my head out to analyze the situation and was shocked at the scene happening.
Chapter 9 – Handicap
Noir crouched low to the ground, then kicked out one of her legs to sweep it under the legs of the man dressed in black in front of her and sent him crashing to the floor with a loud thud. His fully black attire reminded me of something a soldier would wear; a heavy jacket with cargo pants and boots. His face was covered up to his eyes with some kind of hood, so it was impossible to make out his face; a second man who was identically dressed, save for a sleeveless vest approached her from behind.
Without hesitation, Noir dove on her elbows and kicked both her legs back to deliver a hard blow to him. There were no wasted movements in her actions, every one precise and calculated. And her speed, it was incredible. The sleeveless attacker grunted and stumbled back several steps but immediately rebounded in an attempt to grab her. She used his momentum against him and seized his left arm to launch him over her shoulder, sending him flying through the air. A second later, he landed with an audible smack on the concrete floor.
My face scrunched up involuntarily. Now I knew where the screaming had been coming from. For a moment, I was distracted by Noir’s skills and paused to ask myself where in the world had she learned to fight like that and why was she fighting these black-clad strangers, to begin with? Racking my brain for a possible explanation only yielded more questions. They also went unanswered as my phone suddenly vibrated. In the otherwise silent stockroom, it sounded like a plane crashing, and all three heads snapped up to look at me.
I snatched the device from my pocket to see it was Candace. If I made it out of alive, I was going to kill her.
“Adin?” Noir’s face was wrapped in obvious confusion.
The attacker with the heavy jacket used the distraction to sneak up behind her.
“Behind you!” I yelped.
But it was too late as he bashed his fists down over her head, causing the green ribbon that held her hair up to float lazily to the ground, her following right after. I looked on in horror at the slender girl now lying unconscious, likely hurt all because of me - but I’d have to worry about that later. Right now, the two attackers were glaring at me, and although their faces were mostly covered, their eyes were still exposed and filled with clear malice.
“Who the hell are you people?” I deepened my voice, trying to sound intimidating.
They didn’t utter a word and instead slowly advanced in my direction, their boots made no noise as they stalked towards me. Every fiber in my being shouted at me to run, sensing these guys were on a different level. They had taken multiple, unbelievable shots from Noir and were still standing upright, so I wasn’t feeling particularly confident in my own ability to take them down.
I took a shaky step back and didn't want to admit it, but I was scared. No, that wasn't a strong enough word: I was terrified. However, the sight of Noir’s long, black hair caught my attention, forcing me to look at her peaceful, sleeping face. Again, it was because of me she was in such a predicament in the first place, so there was no way I could abandon her, no matter the warning signals my brain fired off. And I was still scared out of my mind but couldn't let them see that.
So, facing their withering glares head on with my own, I raised my fists and tried to even out my breathing. It wasn't too hot in the stockroom, but sweat slid down from my forehead anyway. The two men suddenly separated once closer, the one with the jacket continuing on his path to me while the sleeveless attacker disappeared in between a row of boxes to the right. I figured they planned to flank me, which was a given considering the handicap.
The first stranger was on me now and threw his arms out to grab me like he’d attempted with Noir. I mimicked her and dropped low to the ground but didn't have her preciseness or skills, so instead of a leg sweep punched him in the gut. A surge of pain burst throughout my knuckles at the contract, his jacket made of stronger stuff than appeared. With me slightly stunned, he used the opportunity to catapult a knee into my face.
I brought my hands up in time so that they took the brunt of the impact but was still knocked back by the brute force of his kick, and hurriedly jumped up to avoid any more strikes. He was able to land a vicious punch that slammed into the side of my head, however, knocking me sideways. All the surroundings instantly turned blurry as I fought to stay standing. I can’t take too many more of those!
I don't know what made me turn around but glad that I did as I was just in time to see the sleeveless attacker fling a high kick right at my head; I raised my arm and blocked it. In a flash, he turned his hip and hurled the other leg at me. Leaning my head back, I watched his boot fly in front of my face, missing me by a hair. Way too close! It was my own turn to attack, so I rushed forward while he was still off-balance from the roundhouse kick and lowered my head to drive my shoulder into his midsection, sending us both to the floor.
Quickly recovered, I jumped on top of him straight away and hurled a multitude of punches down at his head. He brought his fists up over his face in defense to make most of my shots harmlessly bounce off his arms. Dammit! I was doing more damage to myself than him, just using up all my energy; it was clear he knew what he was doing. Out of nowhere, the collar of my polo was pulled on, and I was lifted into the air.
I’d been too preoccupied and neglected the other man - massive mistake. Trapping me, he slid both arms under my own and locked me in a tight grip. My arms hung worthlessly above my head as I tried to wiggle free, the jacket attacker not budging an inch and spun towards his friend in the vest. The sudden movement of cloth near his mouth let me know he was smiling as he sauntered over. Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck in response. I was in deep; I knew it and they knew it.
I gritted my teeth. “Do you really think you’re going to get away with this!?“
He cocked his arm back and delivered a heavy blow to the lower half of my stomach. It sent spit flying from my mouth as I coughed and gasped; the air in my lungs couldn’t escape fast enough. Fear and panic bubbled up in me even more, seeing no hesitation in his movements. He had done this before, and to him, I was just another victim. Catching the black, coldness in his eyes, I knew I was going to die.
My heartbeat kicked up a few notches at the realization, making me breathless. A flashback of the fight with Taylor played then. It was happening again. Only a few moments later, my right leg shot out and blasted the sleeveless attacker in front of me back several feet. The guy still holding me from behind released a surprised grunt. Bending forward, I flipped him over my back and watched as his head bounced off the floor like a basketball.
He lay on the floor unmoving, clearly unconscious, but I reached down anyway and grabbed him by the jacket to hoist him up, then tossed him aside like a piece of trash. Soaring through the air for several feet, he eventually dropped on top of his partner who howled in pain. The current experience still felt as weird as the first time with Taylor. I was aware but had no contro
l over my body, just a spectator to all the destruction and carnage. Robotically, I made my way towards the rabble of men that had just been knocked around.
No, dammit, stop! It’s over! Murderous intent oozed off my body like black sludge, my unspoken pleas going unanswered as I kicked the attacker in the jacket off his partner; he rolled over lifelessly onto the ground. Then, I bent down and raised the other with a single hand into the air, viewing him through dreamlike vision. The coldness in his eyes was gone now, replaced by unbridled fear. And a small part of me liked it.
“Wait, this isn’t –”
I slammed him into the shelf of boxes next to me, collapsing the entire thing in a dusty heap; some boxes bounce off me harmlessly. Whatever this thing possessing me was, it was completely merciless. A weak groan came from under a particularly large box close by, and I headed straight towards it to spot legs underneath. Grabbing it revealed one of the men, his shriek loud as the pressure was released from his dangled legs. It was obvious they were at the very least broken.
The box was now effortlessly raised over my head. I knew what my body planned to do, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. It fell sideways from my hands after that and crashed to the floor in a thunderous roar, breaking whatever contents inside. I didn’t know if it was because of my pleas or divine intervention, but I suddenly had hold over my body again. The battered stranger wasn’t moving anymore, whether out cold or dead, I didn’t know.
Turning around, I dragged myself towards Noir, trying desperately not to collapse and dropped on the floor upon reaching her. I then placed two fingers on her neck to feel a steady ‘thump.’ A huge sigh of relief left my mouth as I leaned back on my elbows and spotted her green ribbon to pocket it. She’d probably want it later. My blurry vision darkened with no warning and a wave of lightheadedness hit me, so I hurriedly pulled out my phone to call nine, one, one, but passed out before the nine was dialed.
Chapter 10 – Addison College
A dark and empty street stretched out before me. A streetlight flickered off and on, bugs weaving around and trying to get closer to its brightness. Out of nowhere, a flash of light appeared in the distance. Not knowing what else to do, I started towards it. In horror flicks, it was usually a bad idea to walk aimlessly into the unknown where more often than not, there was some were-monkey thing waiting to eat the impending victim, but something compelled me forward anyway.
And before I knew it, darkness swallowed me up like a warm blanket. A crackle made me spin around, ready to attack whoever there but instead I froze. For in front of me stood Taylor Louis, which was impossible – he was dead.
My mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. “H-How are you… you’re supposed to be –”
“Dead? I know, it’s actually not so bad. You should try it.” His gaze penetrated me with pitch black eyes.
Then without warning, a sharp pain erupted in my abdomen and I looked down to find an army pocketknife jutting out, causing me to jolt forward, beads of sweat clinging to my forehead and my breath coming out in heavy puffs. It was just a dream. I turned my head to see a person was seated on an uncomfortable-looking chair, their head full of curly hair laid next to my leg. Candace.
Reaching out and running my fingers through it woke her up; she always was a light sleeper. “Hi, sleepy head.”
“Adin…? Adin!” She abruptly jumped out of her seat and on me in a smothering hug.
I winced, feeling like I’d just run the Boston Marathon. “Candace, gentler, please.”
She stood up straight and put both hands on her hips. “Shut up, do you know how worried I was?”
I had to stop making it a habit to wake up in unfamiliar places. But unlike the first time, everything that happened was near the forefront of my mind. The two masked men and Noir - Noir! “Candace, what happened to the girl I was with?”
My best friend waved a dismissive hand. “She's fine, she’s fine. But how in the world do you know Noir Ancel?”
My eyes widened. “You know her?”
“Of course, she's kind of infamous at Addison College.”
Her statement caught me off guard, never having asked who she was or where she was headed, but Addison was the last place I would’ve guessed. Maybe we were tied by fate, after all? “Well, I met her on my way to New York...” I'm sure Candace had a million and one questions and I also had a few of my own. Who were those guys dressed in black? Where did Noir learn to fight like that? Candace said she was infamous at Addison, just who in the world was she? I barely knew where to start. “Where are we?”
The room had multiple, white beds like the one I was in and there was a giant window to my right. Moonlight shone through, hitting the white and black tiles that checkered the floor. It was late.
Candace sat down again. “In Addison College’s infirmary. You know, this isn't exactly the way I envisioned you arriving, Adin.”
“You know I always have to make an entrance. Why wasn’t I taken to an actual hospital?” A green hospital gown was on me. It felt like I was wearing a dress but I didn’t feel too pretty.
“Addison College has some of the best medical facilities in the entire country. Your injuries didn’t need you to be taken to our main hospital. As a matter of fact, they didn’t find any injuries on you at all. Which is amazing really, considering the blow you received to your stomach.”
My mouth fell open. “What…”
She put her hand up. “Yes, I know about the attack at the airport. I’m just confused on one minuscule detail. Can you explain to me how the two men ended up hurt so bad? Noir claims she was unconscious during the time.”
Candace didn’t know about my 'transformations,' neither did she know about the whole ordeal with Taylor Louis. I trusted her more than anyone but was way too scared to tell her about any of it. Even in my own brain it sounded nuts, so would she even believe me? I raised my hands in front of my face and looked at them. I couldn’t tell her and hated keeping secrets from her, but I had to figure out what was happening to me first. “Those boxing lessons really paid off, just like you said they would.” I made eye contact with a forced laugh.
She stared back.
Unable to meet her withering gaze, I peered out the window to watch the moon instead. Candace didn’t respond, and before the silence dragged on for too long, I looked back at her and changed the subject. “Who were those dudes anyway…? What did they want?”
After a few more uncomfortable moments, she sighed in resignation. “Korean terrorists who intended to attack the airport but were stopped by Noir… and you.”
I shook my head in awe. “How do you know all this?”
“I know everything.”
That wasn’t too far from the truth; I sometimes forgot Candace had an IQ of over one forty. “What's sixty-seven times thirty-two?”
She closed her eyes for several seconds. “two thousand, one hundred, forty-four.”
“Teachers must’ve hated you.”
She gave me a lopsided smirk.
My expression turned serious. “What’s going on, Candace? Who is Noir and how does she know how to fight like that?”
She didn’t say anything for several seconds, filling the room with more silence.
“Hello? Earth to Candace Green.” I waved a hand in front of her face.
“Do you trust me?” She asked all of a sudden.
“Of course, I do, but…”
“Then can you just drop it for now? You’ll get all of your answers soon, I promise.” She held hard eye contact.
When Candace was set on something, I knew not to argue. It was a losing battle. Plus, I really did trust her. “I guess I really don’t have a choice.”
“Get some rest; you have a big day tomorrow.” She got off the bed and kissed me on the forehead. She had done that to me a million times as a kid, meaning the conversation was over. However, before she exited the room stopped at the door. “I’m really glad you're here, Adin.” She flashed a warm smile and then was gone.
I sank back in the infirmary bed and watched the ceiling. This wasn’t exactly how I’d pictured coming to Addison. So much had happened in the last few months, but I was finally here at Addison College and ready to start a new chapter in my story.
Chapter 11 – Spat
I was already up and getting dressed when a knock came from the infirmary door in the upper right corner of the room. My pants were only halfway up, so I froze, hoping whoever was on the other side didn’t just barge in. “Hold on, give me a -”
The infirmary door swung open, revealing an unknown girl that stared at me with a huge grin on her face, totally ignoring my exposed position. “If it isn't Adin himself.”
“Uh, do I know you?”
“Nope! But I know you.” She walked up and put her arm around my shoulder. “How's it feel to finally be at Addison, eh?”
“Good I guess… but would you mind letting me pull my pants up?” They were still basically around my ankles.
She giggled and took her arm off my shoulder. “Sorry about that, I was just excited to meet you.”
I smiled. “It's fine, don't worry about it.”
I waited for her to leave or at least turn around, but she stood firmly in place with her eyeballs still glued on me, the same big grin plastered on her. It seemed this girl was immune to awkwardness, so I just gave up and finished getting dressed. “So, what can I do for you?”
She laughed. “No need to be so stiff; the name’s Bianca. You may recognize me.” She pointed to her face with both index fingers.
I studied her for a moment. Caramel skin sat on top of a slim build, and her legs were long, so she must’ve ran track at the college or something along those lines. Straight hair came down on both sides of her shoulders and over her blue, short-sleeved plaid shirt; her daisy duke shorts matched. She had Hispanic features, too.
Sixty-Seven Salamanders Page 5
