Challenge Me

Soren returned to his room and found Avery sitting on the cot in the closet, staring blankly off into space. When Soren knocked on the door frame Avery jumped up and turned to face him.

"We're going to head out. I've got some errands to run and since you're my new assistant you'll be coming with me."

"O-ok."

Soren turned around and walked away, Avery quickly followed him. Before heading downstairs he made a stop at Ethan's room.

"I'll need your help when we return so wait up for us."

Then left without waiting for a reply.

They now had two vehicles; Fry's older model car and the nondescript van that the mercenaries had used. Because of the Agents standing guard he had to leave the van alone. Once the agents left they would be able to bring it to the house and use it.

The van would make their trip easier, but Soren was not ready to deal with that backlash. It was better to leave them guessing about what happened to the mercenary team than flaunt it in their faces. So, instead of utilizing the best vehicle for the errand, they took Fry's car.

The trip to Culton was done in silence. Avery sat in the passenger seat fidgeting and constantly looking at Soren. Soren ignored him and split his attention between driving and lost in thought. It was a little after five when they made it to town. Soren went through the drive-thru of a fast-food chain to grab them both something to eat.

When they were done eating he headed straight for the largest thrift store that Culton had. The building itself was large enough to house most grocery chains. The first thing they saw when they walked in was the check-out counter. There was a rack of clothes to the side that a worker was sorting, they paused what they were doing to turn to the door and greet the newcomers.

To their right, and their ultimate destination was a field of clothing racks. They were sorted out by gender and age, starting with mens and ending with infants. It flowed into bedding and curtains from there until it hit the end of the building.

On the left side, there was a sizable selection of furniture, a kitchen area with used utensils, and small appliances. There was an area for crafts, DVD's and CDs, as well as a toy section that was larger than needed. The last section was books.

"We're here to find clothes for your old comrades. Nothing too crazy or extensive."

Soren spoke as they walked toward the clothes, grabbing an old and wobbly cart on the way. It took longer to find clothes for Saunders than it did for the other three. He was taller and broader than average, so finding the right size was difficult. They skipped shoes, neither of them knew sizes and Soren felt that their boots were good enough.

He did consider leaving them without shoes. It would make it harder for them if they tried to escape, but it would also hinder things if he wanted them to do something.

Forty minutes after entering they left with two large bags full of clothes. The bags went into the back seat then they were off. Soren drove them to the clothing chain store that he had been to recently with Fry and Ethan.

When they stepped inside Soren threw an arm around Avery's shoulder and leaned in close.

"Now it's your turn. You need some clothes to wear and I don't have enough to continue loaning."

"W-why here? I c-could have got some when we got the others."

"Consider it my investment in you. All you have to do in return is work hard as my assistant to prove my investment worthwhile.

"Besides, after the way they treated you, saying shit without even talking to you. I think you deserve it."

Soren walked further into the store and pulled Avery with him, his arm still around his shoulder. When they came to the men's section Soren removed his arm and gave him a push forward. Avery moved to the clothing racks, glancing at Soren as he walked. Soren pulled out a shirt that was hanging and took a deep breath.

"You can't beat clothes that have never been worn. I know they wash the clothes they're sent at the thrift stores, but they still smell of humans. Not everyone has a pleasant smell."

"You can smell that well?"

Soren chuckled, "I can smell well enough to tell you that there are three people in the back. There are a total of ten people, not counting us, in the main part of the store. I can't tell you a lot of details, like who is a worker and who is a shopper. I can tell you who is sick, that one of the ten is pregnant.

"A few things tone down my ability to smell, like smoking. I'd rather smell a cigarette than the way some humans smell. I like the way you smell; sort of sweet and tangy with a hint of cigarette. What I smell usually comes across in the flavor."

The words, combined with the way that Soren was looking at him, made Avery take a step back as a cold chill ran down his spine. Soren laughed and grabbed a shirt, tossing it to Avery.

"Don't worry, I told you that you're safe. I'm not going to eat you unless you try something. I mean, don't let that stop you from running if you really want to try."

Soren went through the men's section grabbing clothes for Avery, all of which he made the other man carry. He had decided it was the least he could do after he had nearly given Avery a heart attack. Avery had yet to recover from the scare he'd been given when they got in line to check out.

Avery found himself suddenly paying attention to the pair in front of them. It was a man and a woman. The part that struck him the most, and caused the contents of his stomach to rebel, was the fact that the woman was pregnant. Obviously pregnant and purchasing baby clothes.

She was talking with the cashier about her due date and how excited she was. Avery glanced over at Soren who just grinned back. Avery was relieved when they finally returned to the car. He quickly buckled his seatbelt and rested his head against the seat.

"One last stop before we return."

Soren said offhandedly as he pulled out his phone and looked something up on the web browser. He looked through the recent news articles then put the phone away. He had an idea of where to go for the next errand.

Their destination took them to a street that was a mix of residential and commercial. Amidst the residential homes, there was one advertising dog grooming and overnight stays and another with a large sign marking it as a Chiropractor's office. The street was located a couple of blocks away from the historical downtown area.

Soren found a two-hour parking lot hidden between two buildings. He parked and got out, checking the area with more than just his sight. Avery got out a moment later.

"All right, let's go for a walk."

Soren took off, making his way toward the sidewalk. Avery stayed close so that he did not appear to be trying to run away. He was beginning to understand that there was no point in even considering escaping, it was all pointless. Survival meant staying alive, staying alive at this moment meant following orders not causing trouble.

After walking for two blocks Avery was becoming curious about what their goal was. At the end of the third block, Soren turned left and a park came into sight. It had two pavilions, benches at strategic places, and a small play area for kids. Behind it was a forested area, behind that was a subdivision.

"Do you hear that?"

Avery looked around and shook his head, he did not hear anything. Soren continued walking toward the park. They were almost to their destination when Avery heard a growling sound. It had come from their left side. Avery turned to look and saw two humanoid monsters moving toward them.

They walked with their knees bent, body bent forward and red eyes locked on Avery. Soren moved to stand between Avery and the two approaching mutated.

"I'd suggest you standstill. The moment you run, they run and it'll be harder to control."

Avery did not even dare nod his head and stood rooted to the spot. Soren let out a growl and walked forward.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show. Do you know how boring it is just walking around? Now, who wants to challenge me?"

Soren moved to mimic their posture and let out a series of growls. The two stopped moving, their attention now on Soren. After a moment one of them started to move and ran toward Soren.