Beast Mode

"Shut your fucking mouth, you crazy witch!"

Jack marches forward with his shiny helmet in one hand and a backpack slung over his left shoulder. With his clenched jaw and blazing brown eyes, he almost looks like the skinny blue version of the Incredible Hulk on the verge of some serious nervous breakdown.

"Nelson!" Rose grabs his collar, pulling him closer to her. She glares at him. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Annie, let me go!"

"No, Nelson!"

"What did you say? Me? A crazy witch?"

"Yes! You are!" Jack's knuckles are already pallid white for gripping the helmet so tightly it seems he could break it in half if he wanted to. "A crazy, ugly witch with a big, foul mouth!"

"How dare you," Helga hisses under her breath, staring at Jack the same way a scientist might look at a laboratory rat destined to be experimented on.

Jack yanks Rose's hand away from him, not leaving his eyes off Helga.

"We are dialing all night. Abusing our voices. Persuading rude customers. Just to set an appointment. And then for what? You're just going to insult us? Wow! Just wow. What a filthy mouth you have!"

"Jack! Calm down. Respect your TL Helga. You don't have to–"

"Respect?" Jack glares at Sharon. "Respect, OM? This witch deserves our respect? Are you fucking serious?" He throws one murderous glance at Helga, his eyes surveying her from head to toe, sizing her up. He smirks. "No fucking way! I would rather respect a horny slut than this abusive girl who thinks she owns the whole goddamn world!"

"Don't fight, please!" Maggie pleads, not taking her hands off her face. "Please, stop."

Jack points at Maggie.

"Calling her a terrorist simply because she's a muslim is already below the belt, you fucking loser! You crossed the line!"

"Are you finished with your rant, Jack?" Helga smiles thinly. She crosses her arms, her chin up. "You just insulted the future wife of the CEO of Catacutan Contact Solutions."

"Helga. Stop it."

"I don't care, bitch! You deserve to be insulted, anyway!"

"Jack! Keep your voice down." Sharon puts her hand on Jack's shoulder. "Enough, all right? If you really want to go home, then you have my full permission to do so. You can go home now just like Jarvis. Just sign the waver and-"

"Sure I will!" Jack yanks Sharon's hand away from him. "And I will go home for good, OM. For good! I can no longer stand another day in this creepy place with this crazy witch bossing us around as if we're nothing but her slaves. There is limit to how much I can take!"

"Then go ahead and leave. You're not a big loss, you miserable jerk." Helga's grin stretches even further. "You're fired, dumb-ass. Now get your ass out of here!"

"That's the idea, bitch!"

"Expect your salary and your backpay three months from now, you pathetic piece of shit."

"Sure. Be my guest, bitch!"

"No, I'll make it six months since you're so willing to agree."

"You fucking demon!"

"More than that, Jack. More than that."

Tendrils of thin smoke are floating from Jack's face; ghostlike smoke, shapeless and shifting, stretching and then disappearing into thin air, only to appear again after a few seconds. They're...they're originating, rising from Jack's nostrils...and ears!

Jack's face is a mask of hatred and murderous contempt.

"Oh, my God!" Precious touches her trembling lips. "Oh, my God!"

"Dudurugin kita!" Thick smoke rushes from Jack's gaping mouth, making his voice sound almost bubbly. He raises his hand, now balled into fist. "Magbabayad kang mangkukulam ka!"

Helga's grin falters.

"You stupid fool, don't you dare–"

"Nelson, no!"

Jack's fist connects...to the splayed palm in front of Helga's stupefied face.

We all gasp.

Sharon's palm closes in around Jack's shaking fist, her nails digging on his skin. With an almost godlike speed, she pushes her way forward, her head hitting his chest, her other hand clutching his under arm like a hungry lobster pincering its prey.

"Aaahhhhh!"

Jack catapults towards the far side of the room, almost looking like a hairy blue mannequin blown out of proportion by an angry customer. His body lands upon the large table situated near the window. The table topples sideways, sending him crashing on the floor with a loud thud. Torn bags of groceries, all of which are supposed to be the prizes in Sharon's Raffle Event tomorrow after the shift, cascades down on poor Jack like waterfalls.

A can of corned beef rolls it way towards me, hitting the tip of my rubber shoe, begging to be picked up. By me. My mouth starts to water.

"Nelson!" Rose kneels beside Jack, almost tipping over a bottle of cooking oil. She holds him in her arms, eyes welling up. "Are you all right? Talk to me, please!"

Jack moans weakly, eyes half-closed, caressing his head. A roll of 3-in1 coffee is clinging on his left shoulder and pieces of crushed noodles are messing his hair and jacket like some strange confetti.

"Still breathing? No? Take him to the morgue, then." Helga laughs derisively, shoulders shaking. She looks up at Sharon and pats her on the shoulder. "Good job, Sharon. Motor control's still good. Being a black belter in our Karate class back in our college years really serves you well, isn't it?"

Sharon's face is dark. She is stroking her hand while looking gravely at Jack who is also looking at her, blinking.

"You bitch!" Rose bares her teeth at Sharon, face flushed. "I thought you're different, OM Sharon. I thought you're good. But you're as bad as Helga. I hope you die. I hope you both die!"

"Yell all you want, you miserable bitch. We can enjoy it."

"Helga, please, stop it." Sharon turns her gaze back at Jack. She sighs. "I'm sorry, Jack, but you had it coming. You were about to resort to violence. Physical assault rather. And as an OM I will not tolerate such–"

"You just hurted my brother! Hypocrite!"

"That's called self-defense, dimwit." Helga shakes her head, one finger pressing her temple. "Think, Rose, think."

"You'll pay for this!"

"Pay?" Helga snorts a laughter. "How, Rose? You can't even touch the tip of my fingers. You'll have to walk over Sharon's corpse before you can lay your smelly hand upon me, dimwit."

"You're the dimwit, Helga. I'm not as violent as you two. Karma is true." Rose grins. "The moment I inform DOLE about your secret, your happy days will be over."

Helga's grin vanishes.

"What do you mean?"

"See? You really are a dimwit. You don't know anything, stupid." Rose slowly gets up, her grin widening. "I did my research. And guess what. I just found out that Catacutan Contact Solutions, this callcenter that is as old as your dirty old man fiancé, has no business permit whatsoever. Pathetic!"