Chapter 3: Festering

"Payday!" The word echoed through Takabi's home, filled with his excitement of having more money to use on himself. It wasn't too much, counting the fact he had taxes and bills ripped out immediately from his check so he didn't have to stress about every detail, but he still couldn't help feeling giddy like a child at having more money.

His extra hours at work lately had paid off as well, because he was looking at roughly three hundred or so left from his recent check. With what he had saved from before, he had just over two grand to play with. "What should I do…" He repeatedly muttered to himself, moving around his home with his eyes glued to his money.

He would walk upstairs and down, through the kitchen, into the backyard then back into the house, only to go to his room and plop on his bed and do the entire thing over again a couple minutes later. This had been his pattern for the past hour, and he was still unsure what to do.

He had enough food to last him another week, so groceries weren't a worry. He didn't want, or even need, any more clothes or really anything. The thought occurred to him to just treat himself to something nice, but he wasn't sure if he could actually do that.

Then again, Rose even acknowledged he had been working really hard, and deserved a break every once in a while.

"It's Saturday too… Any homework?" He had made his last stop in his room before he began to roam around the house again. He unzipped his bag and looked through folders and papers, checking to see if there was anything he needed to do from the past week.

Everything was all done. "Damn, that's a first. I actually did everything.." He flipped through the notebooks and tossed everything onto his desk, then slipped on black sweatpants and a T-shirt. Pulling on his sneakers, he tapped the front against the floor, before grabbing his wallet and heading down through the front door.

Across the street, Rose Martinez was outside, going through the mail. She was in a frilly dress, with a red checkered print and a bow in her hair. She looked up on instinct, catching Takabi strolling down the street from the corner of her eye. She considered calling out to him, but that seemed strange to her at the moment.

As he turned the corner, Mr. Martinez came out of the house, walking past his wife and opening the car door. "I'm going out for a little while. Work called, wants me to check something out at one of the factories."

"Oh." Her voice was distant in response. "Okay. Be safe dear."

"Before I go," He began as he turned the car on and poked his head back out from inside. "That boy next door. What do you know about him?"

"Takabi? He's a very nice boy." She caught her husband's glare and read the expression. He wanted to know more about him, which struck Rose as odd. "I don't know too much about him personally, to be honest. I help him with the usual stuff, clothes and food and things when he asks. Aside from that, he never really said too much about the orphanage."

"Is that so." Mr. Martinez stood from the car and closed the door, placing both his arms on the roof and watched his wife. "A few years ago, there was a sudden explosion in one of the neighborhoods in the more empty parts of the city. The entire place was nuked, to say the least. Anyone who was living in that area was vaporized by the sudden blast in mere seconds, bones and all."

Rose had heard about that a couple days after it happened. She thought it was unfortunate that those people lost their lives out of the blue, but all she could do was mourn and pray they rest in peace. "Okay, what's your point?"

"There were two rumors," He began, scratching his chin, "The first one was the most obvious. A terrorist attack." His voice lowered and he held up two fingers. "The second, more unbelievable theory is that Takabi caused it. He was at the center of it after all."

Rose started laughing then. "That's impossible. He would be dead too if that were the case. After all, he would only be a child at that time, wouldn't he?" Her laughs died when she saw how serious Mr. Martinez actually was. It scared her a little, but the idea was too ridiculous for her to even consider. "No. The boy is just a boy. Leave your dumb theories about sleeper agents and such away from him."

He scoffed at her. "I am a man of an open mind, Rose. Nothing is impossible. For all we know, the boy is the devil in disguise." He opened the car door, saying, "Just be careful with him. Something just isn't right." Then he was in the car and pulling off, leaving Rose there to just ponder at his words.

"Ridiculous.. Utterly…" A crying baby from the house shook her thoughts. "Oh, Jewel, get the baby please!"

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Takabi sat on a park bench. It was fairly quiet out, despite the amount of people actually there. Single parents and kids played on the swings and such, and Takabi couldn't help feeling a little envious about it. In his eyes, those kids would grow up lucky, loved and cared for. They would have stressful times, but the fact that their parents would be there to guide was enough to keep them stable.

What about me, He thought. A sigh escaped his lips and he slumped into the bench, watching as the pond spat up a wave of water, before his eyes moved towards the clouds in the sky. Grey, and spreading fast. It was going to rain, and he would welcome the shower.

"Mind if I take a seat?"

His eyes flicked to a man in all black. His hair was loosely hanging down on his shoulders, a five o' clock shadow coating his chin and hands in his pockets. He looked rich. His entire outfit was made of a shiny material Takabi assumed was silk. Further inspection told him he was wrong.

Shirt and pants, both neatly pressed and looked hard to the touch.

Takabi shrugged, and the man sat. A long silence. A long, awkward silence.

"So," The man began, and Takabi thought, Oh, great. He's gonna try to make small talk.

"What brings you out here on your own?"

"Nothing really. Wanted to get out of the house, I guess."

The man smiled and nodded. "I agree. Seems like the world has been getting a bit.. Stuffy I guess you could say. Do you watch the news? I'm sure you've heard of all the tragedies that have happened in recent years." He turned to Takabi, placing his knee on the bench seat and his arm on the bench rest.

"There's one in particular I'm very interested in. A few years ago, there was a random explosion, like a controlled and focused nuke, in a specific neighborhood."

"Oh, really?" Takabi tried not to sound rude or uninterested, but his true feelings slipped out in his tone.

The man took no notice and kept speaking. "Really. Not a single survivor. Everyone was vaporized in an instant!"

He sounds a bit too excited about people dying… This guy is a creep. Takabi bit his lip to keep himself from speaking aloud.

"The thing that has me most intrigued though, is that even though everyone else was killed, there was a single survivor." He watched Takabi, tone deepening.

Feeling uncomfortable, Takabi inched away from the man. "O-oh… Must be a lucky guy.."

Shrugging, the man sat back. "Maybe. Maybe unlucky. The kid would be traumatized by something like that. Memory loss maybe. Or maybe he died later after it happened. I remember reading somewhere though. The police found and hospitalized a boy with white hair. Couldn't find his family, so it was assumed they died in the blast."

Takabi could feel a burning sensation in his chest. Small at first, it quickly grew, rushing from his chest to his gut and forming a lump in his throat. He was increasingly uncomfortable now. "That… Must really be awful for the kid, if he survived." He stood, bowing to the man, unsure why though. "Thank you for the story. I have to go though."

"Oh. Sure kid, no problem." He stood, and bowed back. "Have a safe trip, and be careful with who you speak to, Takabi."

His eyes widened and he snapped his eyes up at the man, yet he was gone, simple falling leaves left in the space he was standing. Darkness had stretched in his vision within the trees and grass. Shadows bent and twisted, until melting to a still and simple shape.

He hadn't realized he had started running until he was out of the park. The rain began to pick up, a hot breeze rushing past him. His body felt like it was going to burst into flames.

It felt unbearable, yet oddly, something in him welcomed it. It was different, but a familiar feeling. You can't suppress it for long.

Those words replayed in his head constantly. It was his voice, yet it wasn't at the same time. There was something powerful behind it. Powerful, and dark. We've been silent too long.. We must make haste. They're going to find us, and then what will we do? We can't defend if we don't realize who we are.

"Screw you…" He muttered to himself.

He came to an alleyway between a bank and restaurant. His back was to the brick wall, head down and eyes closed. The breaths that left his parched throat were heavy, and his body heat hadn't subsided any. In fact, it grew as if he were trapped in a sauna and he had no way out.

"I don't know who you are… Or how you're talking in my mind, but just leave me alone. I don't know anything about what you're talking about."

Footsteps approached him. It was probably just a homeless person. There were quite a bit around the city.

That idea quickly left his mind the second he heard a clicking sound. Raising his head, his eyes were staring down the metal barrel of an assault rifle, and a man in all black wearing a wool mask with the eyes cut out and mouth sewn shut. A black latex strap was around his neck, and a speaker was mounted to it. There was a black sack hanging from his shoulder, and it was unzipped partly to give the corner view of a few hundred dollar bills.

Didn't take any advanced thinking to put it together. This guy had just finished robbing the bank, and Takabi was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The voice, his body heat and breathing had managed to drown out so much of the outside world, he hadn't even realized the alarm to the bank was blaring and men were screaming at each other in front of him. When the Thief gripped Takabi's shirt and pulled him up to use as a body shield, he spotted the two officers across from them in the entrance to the alleyway. There was no exit. The Thief was cornered, so he wanted to use Takabi as leverage to get away.

"Just let the kid go," One of the officers yelled. A female. Dark skin, hair in a ponytail with dark brown eyes. A fit build. Muscles hidden by her tight black sleeves. Under different circumstances, Takabi would call her beautiful.

Her partner was a man. Taller than the woman, and had a fresh fade haircut. Spanish lineage, possibly Puerto Rican from what Takabi could tell. His uniform was tighter on him, and his build was that of a bodybuilder. It was evident in his hazel eyes he took pride in how he looked. Handsome.

"Stay back, or I'll blow his damn brains out!" The Thief held the barrel to Takabi's temple. The smell of used gunpowder filled his nose oddly. He had fired a couple bullets already, but the distinct lack of blood on him and in his nose meant he didn't kill anyone. Or he just wasn't close enough for the smell to rub off on him.

Takabi raised his hands slowly out of fear. Death was not on his agenda today. "J-Just let the guy go!" His voice and hands were both shaking.

"Relax, kid," The male officer said. His fingers were clearly close to pulling the trigger on his 9mm. "We're gonna get you to safety. Just stay calm."

The Thief scoffed and shot at the concrete by the officer's feet. "This kid doesn't go free until I do! Now, get out of my way, or you'll be scraping his brains off the walls!"

The Thief definitely meant business. He could hear it in the way he spoke. He didn't care about killing anyone.

Takabi took a deep breath. His vision was a bit blurry, and his body heat kept rising. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his hands lowered a little bit in a sudden exhaustion.

The officers whispered something to one another, before lowering their guns. The Thief pushed Takabi forward, inching his way up behind him. "That's it… Just… Just let me go…"

Boots stomped up behind the two cops. Men in black vests, with riot shields and rifles stood at the alleyway exit and took aim. "Drop the money and kid, now! Or we light you up!"

"Do it! You'll turn this kid into swiss cheese!" The Thief yelled back to them. He stopped moving and yanked Takabi around. His goal was to keep every angle he could covered. Takabi grit his teeth and kept his eyes straight.

Some of the officers glanced at each other, muttering under their breath. They spoke quietly, but he could hear them clear as day. "What's with his eyes? Are they glowing," The officer furthest in the front asked.

Look at this. Being used as a shield. SWAT members aiming rifles at you. You can't tell if they're going to help you, or harm you. Why is that?

Takabi grit his teeth. A small wave of heat began emitting from his pores. The Thief felt himself getting hotter, but just assumed it was because of the situation he was in. He had no way out. What would be the point in trying to negotiate; They're going to track him down anyway. "You're all dumbasses! Sorry, kid, but this is on them!" He shoved Takabi forward and took aim.

What are you waiting for? Defend yourself.

"Stop!" The woman officer yelled.

Do it.

"Don't kill the kid," The man officer yelled.

Save yourself.

"Damn it, SWAT, prepare to fire!" The lead SWAT member screamed.

If your life is so common that it can be taken away by both sides, one from greed and the other from stubbornness, why can't you simply show them who WE are? Why must you subject yourself to humanine standards?

The Thief pulled the trigger, and the bullet ripped through the air, whizzing past the officers and piercing a car window. The car alarm started blaring, and silence fell on everyone in the alleyway.

The Thief stood there, blinking and shocked. "W…. Where did he…" Stinging filled his back. Numbness ripped through his center. When he looked down, a hand, black as night, was jutting out of his chest. Blood soaked the mouth area of his mask as he looked up at the police.

Instead of pain and anger, fear filled his voice. He reached out, with quivering hands and muttering, "Help… Me…." Before his body combust into heavy violet flames, and chunks of him exploded and covered the area where he stood.

They wish to act as monsters? Judge them as so. It is our will.

The hand that had pierced him belonged to something in the sudden shadows. The being's skin was pitch black. The eyes weren't visible and white hair reached down to its lower back. The shirt was torn, exposing the right half of its torso and a large, black wing with feathers slowly descending from it.

The police were unsure of what to make of it or what just happened. Fear guided them to draw their weapons and just begin shooting. Bullets ripped through the air, but for some reason stopped just short of hitting the creature.

"What the fuck," The man officer muttered. "What is that damn thing?!"

Slowly, its head turned and slowly it would open its right eye. Violet overtook the alleyway. Flames rushed out, seemingly from its gaze, stopping between the SWAT in the back, and shot up thick spears, piercing each one with a heavy and wet ripping sound. They were dead in an instant, blood dripping from their puncture wounds and eyes wide with a traumatic horror.

The leading member of the SWAT unit looked back shocked, unsure of what to do or how to act. "In all my years… I've never.. EVER… Seen anything like this!"

The man and woman officers rushed forward, continuing to aim and fire bullets, hoping that at least one of them could get a good shot.

The bullets from before dropped and hit the floor, and each one of their shots did strike the creature. It fell over, slumping against the wall and sliding down slowly. The officers stopped running, and the man walked slowly ahead, the gun still aimed. "Be careful," The woman told him.

"No… It's okay," He replied, standing over the creature's body. The heat it was emitting was so unbearable, almost like being next to the planet's core from what the man could guess. It felt contained though, so the worst of it wouldn't leak out and melt him in an instant.

He turned and faced his partner and the SWAT captain. "We need to call specialists down here to take and examine this thing. We should find that kid too." He looked around. "Don't know how he just up and vanished like that."

"You're awfully calm about this kind of thing," The Captain commented.

"When you're a cop who's worked basically anywhere, you learn not to be shocked by anything. I figured you'd have more experience in that department."

"Can't say. My unit is reserved for more extreme cases, like rioting and such." He gestured to the bank building. "I'm calling this in."

The woman officer nodded as the SWAT captain gave his men a salute before slipping through the flaming spikes and hurried to one of his trucks. The gore sent knots through his stomach, and he fought to keep his vomit down.

The woman's eyes widened slowly, and air escaped her lungs. The man officer craned his head, about to ask her what had her so spooked.

It was swift. Straight down the middle, from top to bottom. The male officer didn't move, his expression remained unchanged.

Slowly though, his head began to split apart, then neck until the rest of his body separated into two bloody pieces and landed across from one another. Guts and organs spilled out in the space between.

The gun that was in his hand slid to his partner's feet, and she simply dropped to her knees.

The creature was standing there, watching her with glowing eyes. It stepped through the pooling blood, moving towards the woman. She closed her eyes tight, and cupped her hands together, beginning a Spanish prayer.

When her death never came, she wondered why. Opening an eye, the creature was gone. Her head snapped all around, but all that greeted her was blood, fading violet fire and questions. Endless, endless questions.

The SWAT captain returned, saying, "Backup is on the… way…" His voice faded when she rushed into his arms, crying madly. He just held her, eyes locked on the horrific scene before them.