“I fell,” Peter answered flatly.
“All right that worked last time. This time it looks like you got into a fight with a bear.” Marshall pointed to his neck. “The bear won. You look terrible.”
“Thanks,” Peter said and sat down.
“We were worried. What happened?” Nick asked as he sat down across from Peter.
“If you say stairs one more time I'm going to give you another black and blue.” Marshall sat next to Nick.
“I don't want to talk about it.” Peter kept to himself this long. Why did he need to tell anyone about his personal problems? He could deal with it. He failed to fight against his father once. It won't happen again though.
“Listen man, we're here to help.” Marshall wanted him to know. Despite them butting heads Marshall cared about his teammates.
“I don't need help.”
“Your face says otherwise.”
Peter shook his head and looked away. Nick watched him closely. “Please-” Nick started. Peter didn't look back. “-I need to know. We are in this together. Who hit you?”
Peter wanted someone else to rely on. His whole life he'd been told to do things himself. To not bother his father or his mother. To just focus on helping himself. So, till this point, he felt he didn't need help. Even then he felt an urge. An urge to spill all the information about what happened the night before. How his father beat him brutally. To the point he was almost killed.
“I said...It was nothing.” Peter couldn't say the truth no matter how much his mind told him to do so.
Silence swept the gym. It was as if nothing else needed to be said. “You're a coward.” Both Peter and Nick looked towards Marshall. “Stop being such a coward. You've never been. It doesn't suit you well.”
Peter looked at Marshall. He never knew how to gauge his teammate. He felt Fred and Nick were far more reliable in terms of friendship. Marshall, however, was always the one to call him out. To say what he thought. In a way, Peter respected that. At this point though it made him hate him. “I'm no coward. I just don't need other people invading my personal life.”
“Your personal life is a part of ours. We are a team.”
“Just a team.”
“No. We are family.”
“We are not...” Even as Peter said it he didn't believe it. He didn't believe his own words. He never doubted things he said. If anything was wrong with Peter it was that he was always too sure of himself. This was the first moment when he said something, yet didn't feel it was right. Did that mean they were his family? He never thought of it like that.
Marshall looked angry. He was about to say something when Nick put his hand up. Nick looked at Peter, sadness in his eyes. “When you hurt, we hurt. When you don't trust us, we can't trust you. If you don't want to be a part of this team, tell me right now. I've been thinking a lot about my responsibilities as a leader. I am here to help in any way I can. If you can't even talk to us about a personal problem how are we supposed to work as a team? We are a team. We are family.”
Again silence swept the gym.
Peter never had a family. At least, that's how he always felt. He cared for his mom in a way a kid does for their mother. Yet he never felt a close attachment to her. He cared for his sister but only to protect her. Just like Kelly. He cared about so little and wanted to protect even fewer. Yet now he had two people in front of him telling him that they are his family. That they wanted to help him. How should he react, he asked himself. Something he finally couldn't answer himself.
“My dad...” he began. They both looked up at him. He could feel his eyes getting watery. “Crying? You don't cry.” The tear began to trickle down his face. He felt such a heavy pressure, as if this was building for years. “He beat me. I tried to stop him but he beat me down. I had a chance to stop him and I failed. I have all this power-” he looked at his hand and curled it. Feeling the power he holds once he has on the elemental glove. “-yet I couldn't do a thing without my Rod. Without it, I'm still a weak little kid. He's the one who owns me. How do I break that? How the hell do I stop that!?” He was yelling now with tears flowing out freely. “How do I stop this monster? I can shoot an Unknown point blank in the head. I feel nothing. I feel like I killed something terrible in the world. Then my dad beats me. Beats me till I'm almost freaking dead!” He's screaming so loud. He's on his feet throwing his hands up in the air. “I can kill monsters so easily! Yet, I can't kill the monster that hurts the most!” He looks at the boys. They stare, horrified in some ways, but they seem more worried than anything. He can see it. He can sense it. He lowers his voice. Almost to a whisper “Why can't I stop him? Why can't I kill him?” He fell back to his knees and let the tears drop from his face. The pain was terrible. He couldn't stop thinking about how much hatred he had for his father.
Nick got up and walked over. He placed his hand on his shoulder. “We will help you. You'll never have to deal with this alone again,” Nick said calmly as if he were already formulating a plan to stop the terrorizing father.
Marshall stood and walked to the gym's wall. He formed his Rod into his famous metallic arm, which now reached up to his shoulder. He drew it back and smashed it again the wall. Hard. A huge crack formed on the wall. He smashed his fist again. Then again four more times. Then once more before he stopped. He looked at Peter who watched with confusion on his face. “If he ever touches you again...” Marshall looked at the wall then back at Peter. “Let's just say, he ain't no wall.”
Peter never felt support in his life. As he watched both friends come over to comfort him, he felt something new. A feeling he never had in all his years of living. He felt cared for. That these boys cared more about his life than his own family did. They were willing to fight for him. Die for him. Now, he felt the same way about them.
The steps began to approach from the opening in the alleyway. Fred felt himself tensing even more. His heart was pounding so hard he couldn’t hear anything else too well. He bit his lip. He could feel his body heating up as if he was...changing. He felt himself getting angrier.
He grabbed a garbage can and began crushing the side of it with his hand. All the feelings in the black room were rushing back to him. The feeling of being alone. The morbid feeling. The feeling of death gloating over him. Most of all, he felt betrayal. Who would tell them about his change? It must have been Marshall or Peter. They told them he's becoming a monster. Now he had to escape his fate. A fate he knew wouldn't be peaceful.
“Fred. Step out from behind there.” He heard the stern voice of Maria. She was standing only a few feet away. He could smell her. It was a mix of perfume and sweat. She was scared as well. Not knowing what he was capable of. He found it funny. He wasn't sure what he was capable of. “Fred, please. You must come in with us. We have to figure this out.”
“So you can put me on trial? Send me to my death!?” His voice was angrier than he intended it to be. He could feel his breathing getting heavier. “Just leave me alone!”
“I can't do that.” She took another step closer. He could hear her breathing now. The sound of each step she made. Her heart pounding. He could hear it all.
“Please, get back!” he warned her. Despite everything in his body hurting and his mind ringing, he needed to warn her. He wasn't able to control his body. He wasn't sure what was happening.
“Just come out and we can discuss this.”
Fred grabbed his chest. He felt a burning pain in itt as if it was about to rip right through. “You didn't run. Now you must rest.” The voice sounded so soothing. Fred let his fear wipe away. He closed his eyes. He didn't want to be here anymore. He didn't want to suffer anymore. He didn't want to be on the run anymore. He wanted to be left alone. So, if he couldn't be left alone, he decided to leave everyone else alone. He let himself drift back to the black room.
Maria slowly moved forward. She took a glance back, wondering if she should grab Jin. She felt the backup would be very beneficial. Yet she didn't want her chance to slip awa
y. This was her one chance to capture Fred. He may run again if she went to get backup. She wasn't going to take that chance.
She made her way around the garbage cans and looked at Fred. He was cowering near the wall. He was shaking, giving soft moaning sounds. “Are you hurt, Fred?” she asked softly. She felt her voice might have cracked if she said anymore. She was getting scared. She also felt pity watching him crying in the corner.
“I thought I told you...” his voice was deeper than she remembered. It had a certain thickness to it now. Old, ancient, slightly...evil. “To leave me alone.” He turned, eyes bright red. He launched at her, she tried backing away, but he caught her on the left side of her face. He dug his claws into her cheek then swiped, blood spraying all over the alleyway walls. He went sideways upward, and ripped right through the skin. Blood was already running down the walls as she let out awful scream.
“Why do they never listen?” Fred asked, his voice sounding more sinister.
She yelled so loud that Jin heard her from half a block away. He darted towards the position the scream came from. She held her face tightly but she felt blood pouring through her hands. The wound was bad. She couldn't see out of her left eye. She already figured she lost it. She backed into the wall crying. Fred looked at her wondering what she was thinking as she lay there holding her face, sobbing.
“Why did you not listen?” he asked. She just cried more. “I asked you, why you still came? Even after ample warning you still proceeded forward. Did it not occur to you I might be dangerous?” His voice switched from playful to sinister. “I feel like you hunters never learn. You foolishly go in, head first without thinking of the consequences. Well, now you see. Well, I guess not fully see.” He let out a horrible laugh. One that made her cry even more.
Jin turned into the alleyway. He saw the scene but wasn't sure what to make of it. He saw Fred towering over Maria speaking to her. He saw Maria leaning against the wall holding her face. He slowly made his way forward, trying to make his footsteps unheard.
“You're...a monster!” she spat out, blood hitting the ground. She was angry but more so scared. She'd never been so scared in her life.
“A monster is created.” He pointed to her. “Just remember that when they ask you why I attacked you.”
Jin formed a gun and pointed it at Fred. “Stand down.”
Fred looked towards his friend. He laughed. “You are something else.”
“Stand down or I will shoot.” He had his aim directly at Fred's head.
“I swear you Exterminators have no clue what you're doing.” He laughed again. The laugh filled the entire alleyway.
“I won't ask again. I will shoot you if you don't get on your knees and-”
“Shut the hell up!” he roared at Jin. Jin backed up a few feet but kept his aim on Fred. Fred smiled at him. “Do you really think you can shoot me? I am your friend, no?”
“You aren't Fred. I don't know what you are,” Jin answered darkly. “So, I have no problem shooting you in the damn head. Now get the hell down.”
“I've had enough of these games.” His eyes shined so brightly in the dark alleyway. “Let the fight begin!” he roared and charged forward.
Jin shot but it missed, he wasn't expecting Fred's speed. Fred moved so quickly, he was already in Jin’s face. He grabbed Jin and threw him into the wall. “Do not interfere with me again!” he thundered in his face. Jin gritted his teeth as Fred's hand held him into place. He tried pointing the gun back towards Fred without drawing attention but Fred grabbed his hand. He did a quick snap to his hand, making him drop the gun. Once it hit the floor it turned back to a Rod.
“Fred, wake up!” Jin pleaded through his teeth.
“Fred is no more. You can call me Riven.” He smiled. A smile so big it made his eyes light up even more. “I have returned!” He let Jin go but not without slamming his fist into his stomach. Jin buckled over right away. Riven slammed both his fists into his back. Jin could sense the loss of feeling as he collapsed. He was going in and out of consciousness.
“This is getting ridiculous. You damn Exterminators need to learn your place.” He began walking towards the exit. Riven touched his new body. He felt it was perfect. So young, so fresh. It felt great. He smiled as he studied his hands. His claws already extended. Soon he can transform to his full form.
“That's far enough.” Riven looked up. Carl was standing at the end of the alleyway. Riven expected the master to be surprised but instead he kept perfectly calm. As if he expected Riven to have taken over the body.
“You really shouldn't stand in my way,” Riven said laughing. He pointed back towards Jin and Maria. “Your little followers didn't have much luck there. So, think twice before you give orders.”
Carl grabbed two Rods. Forming one into a metallic hand, the other into an elemental glove. “It's been a very long time since I've been in combat like this.”
Riven stretched out his fingers. “You really think you can stop me, old man? I'm a creature of ancient times. You can never stop me.”
“How did you take over his body?”
“Oh, so you didn't know? Yet you act so calm. Why?”
“I picked up on it when you came out in the conference at my office. I figured something was wrong but I wasn't sure what. Now I can see. You're transforming to one of those wolf hybrids. I can't figure out why though. As far as I knew you can't transfer genes.” Carl studied Fred...Riven. Looking at his body. No scars or face tissue was missing. It was different than the last wolf hybrid.
“They don't. You are born a wolf. However, I am no wolf.” Riven spoke slowly almost as if to draw out the conversation. He liked to converse. Play around with his prey.
“Then what are you?”
“Do you believe in God?”
“What does that matter?” Carl began to form an element in his hand; something invisible to the eyes of Riven.
“It means everything. Because I am what you call...well, that would spoil the surprise wouldn't it?”
“You're an Unknown.”
“To simplify it, yes.”
“Then my religion has nothing to do with you. Just like any Unknown I've ever met, I can kill you.
“Are you really willing to kill me? In this body?” Riven looked down. He put his hands on the body, smiling.
“You aren't Fred anymore.” Carl stepped forward getting ready to strike.
“True. Then again you have no problem killing off your students. Isn't that right?”
Carl launched without another word. He dashed forward and threw his right hand. The fist made contact on Riven, slamming right into his face. Riven fell back but grabbed the ground, breaking his fall. He got back up, growling in Carl's face. Carl threw his palm outward. A strong force hit Riven throwing him back several yards, slamming right into the garbage cans Fred was once hiding behind.
“You really talk too much. Did anyone ever tell you that?” Carl let his guard down. He watched as his student, the boy he took under his wing, rose from the ground. It wasn't the Fred he knew though. Wasn't the once chubby scared boy he took care of. It was now something different. An Unknown. Yet he had no clue how it was even possible.
Riven dug his claws into the concrete wall aside of him. “You think you're so perfect. You've done more harm than good and you know it,” he spat.
“I'm not really sure what you're referring too but I'm sick and tired of hearing you speak. Your little mind games won't work on me. So...” Carl dashed forward. He laid his palm out again, a mere foot away from Riven. Before Riven could even try to swipe his claws he was thrown back again. He went flying up then back down in a hard crash, slamming his back hard enough to create a cracking sound. Carl began his walk towards the creature.
Jin began to crawl back up. “Carl,” he began, trying to regain his posture.
“Stay here. I have to finish this.” Carl walked forward, holding his metal hand tightly together. He was ready to finish the job. He had no choice. Fred... Riven,
had done too much damage. Trying to kill two Exterminators was a serious crime. It was easier to end his life now then put him through a trial. In which case they would find him guilty.
“Carl, don't kill him.”
“Jin, stay out of this.”
“Carl! He's still Fred. He hasn't completely changed,” Jin pleaded. Carl felt the words hit him. He wanted nothing more than to see Fred again yet, as a Bora, as an Exterminator, he couldn't let him live. He knew better than that.
Riven was back on his feet shaking his head violently. He was getting annoyed. “If only I was at my full form you wouldn't be able to do this,” he roared. “I will kill you.”
Carl went quickly up to Riven. Riven tried to swipe forward in a stabbing fashion. Carl grabbed his hand with his elemental glove pulling him forward with a fierce tug. Then he landed a perfect face shot with his metallic hand. There was a terrible-sounding crush as Riven was lifted off the ground and fell backwards. He laid there motionless.
“Carl! Do not kill him!” Jin was limping towards Carl. He could still feel the pain in his gut from Riven's attack. He couldn't watch Carl kill his own student.
“Jin. I won't tell you again. Stand down. This is not your decision. It is my student. He broke the laws.” Carl stood there glaring at his broken student. He didn't know what to do. He knew what his job entailed but he couldn't just kill his student.
“You can't just kill him, we can help him! If anything he can be put on trial.”
“I can't take that chance!”
“He isn't David! Stop focusing on the past!”
Carl turned around, his face red. “You don't know anything about that. You shouldn't talk about things you have no freaking clue about!” Carl was losing his composure. Jin did the opposite of what he set out to do. Instead of calming him down, he ignited him further into anger.
Back in the black room, Fred felt at peace. As if he didn't have to worry about the problems he currently had. All the lonely issues, all the hatred he'd been building up, was now gone. He lived peacefully. Something he had wanted so badly.
Exterminators Infected (The Exterminators Book 1) Page 29
