How to Kill a Man

There were too many mind-boggling and devastating incidents today that when he finally understood what his uneasy premonition meant, it felt somewhat redundant. The fear and apprehension didn't debilitate him; he was too familiar with them by now, and it all happened in one day, his birthday nonetheless.

It wasn't to say that Ilyas was numb to it all, no, he was just too spent. 

Only his eyes, behind his mask, looked down in resignation and exhaustion. 

It was obvious in hindsight. The man didn't shy away from his intention to rely on Ilyas for his survival; he insinuated it all along. But Ilyas had nothing to offer; he knew that better than anyone else. But someone else came to know that too, Mr Benjamin. So when that became apparent, Ilyas remained an obstacle to the only valuable asset amongst them... his brass mask.

Mr Benjamin went quiet and still after Ilyas exposed his intentions. A soft breeze rustled the trees in the cold embrace of the night.

'So that's what it is.'

Ilyas huffed and looked back up at the night sky. The stars didn't look so threatening now; in fact, they looked pretty. Perhaps he had grown used to them.

'I don't mind dying if I could join them up there.'

He didn't even bother paying his fear the slightest bit of attention. Let it rummage and upheave his insides, he didn't care. He's had enough of its nonsense.

What was he afraid of losing? He lost everything anyway. His father, his friends, his home. Was he afraid to lose his life? Well, he had had enough of that feeling, too. 

But who was this man to take it away, anyway? He was a nobody, like him. But he was also a hypocrite who only decided to hate the Vault after they took away his son. What about all the years before that? When he was living in Two, aware of the truth, yet turned a blind eye.

Because they threatened him?

So, he was a coward, too, then, huh? 

Suddenly, something hot and familiar flared in Ilyas's chest despite the cold, and he turned back down to face his now adversary. The man who intended to take his life after sharing a dainty meal with him. Would such a... pathetic being kill him?

Then the man finally showed a reaction that made everything inside Ilyas seethe with rage. Those pent-up feelings toward Ray and Kim threatened to release, but he forcefully suppressed them. 

The man grinned. "My my, I didn't think you were so perceptive, Mr. Ilyas." He chuckled. "Well, it was a bit too obvious, wasn't it. Actually, a normal person would've picked up on that much sooner, but you're just... too naive. Too trusting. That'll get you killed, kid, so it's better if I make better use of that fancy thing of yours, daddy got you." His grin remained, creasing his ugly, treacherous face.

'A coward wants to take my life? Why? Is that how I go? How would Father feel about that?' 

Ilyas glared at Benjamin with his regretful, unsettling green cogwheel eyes. Everything about this man repulsed him. A liar. A bloodydamn hypocrite. A snake. It's fine to be a coward, but to use cowardice in such a manner? 

'Can... Can people like this really exist? Are Ray and Kim... just two of many?'

Ilyas did his best to suppress his emotions and asked in a monotone, frighteningly impassive voice, "What does a human life mean to you, sir?"

"A human life?" Benjamin scoffed. "To me... it means nothing after my son. To me, we are all animals, and you are in my way of survival. This is the only choice I have, you must understand."

The bastard was mocking him.

Ilyas maintained his disturbing gaze, then shifted. As if responding to his sudden movement, Benjamin jolted and stood up. It was clear to the two of them what was about to happen, and so the slightest erratic movement could mean a lot. 

Behind the mask, Ilyas's face was indifferent, but quivered from the incinerating anger that flooded his system. He looked up at his adversary standing before him and said, "You're wrong. You had choices."

Ilyas stood up and faced Benjamin with uncontained malice in his obscured face.

"You had so many bloodydamn choices, you bastard."

Ilyas lost the composure of his voice and growled, "But you... You wasted them one after another! You lived your whole life like the rest of them, but when the time came for you to experience the other side, suddenly you're the victim?! Suddenly 'you have no other choice'?!"

Only the terrified flame between them showed emotion between the two masked men. "Now... I'm your ticket out of this? Your way out of the consequences of your horrible choices?! Out of the mess you made of your miserable life?! Are you kidding me?!"

Ilyas finally allowed his emotions to lace his voice and yelled, "I did everything right! Everything! I don't give a damn if I'm naive or if I'm too trusting! Because... Because at least I'm not a goddamn coward who stabs people in the back, or sells out their friends, or lies to save themselves while letting everything else burn! And now... now someone like you wants to take my life?"

He then added softly and with finality, "How dare you even think to try?" 

Ilyas's words antagonised Benjamin.

Mainly because the man knew them to be true, he knew what kind of man he was, and so, hearing the truth, he gritted his teeth, furrowed his brows, flared his nostrils, pursed his lips, and pierced Ilyas with a seething glare.

Ilyas was taking a deep breath when he sensed the killing intent mounting in Benjamin's heart. The man looked like he was about to claw Ilyas's throat apart.

Good. Let him feel it. Let him face himself and see how ugly he was.

And then, silence settled. Intense, palpable silence. Both men stood utterly still at the precipice of everything. A precarious, silent moment that-

-A rustle in the undergrowth resounded near them. Both men flinched. Both men flared. Then both men ceased to be men and lunged at each other with all their unrestrained malice.

***

Ilyas never killed a man, nor did he intend to. Granted, he was currently possessed by rage and aggression, but he still didn't expect himself to take a life. The thought was too... disturbing to him. Too final. One moment a man is, the other he is not, and it was all due to him.

He would have snuffed that life out, ending the most valuable thing in the world.

Although he was also lunging forward, Ben was faster, and his arm was already in a wide swing, intending for his right temple. Ilyas raised both hands to defend it, but that only left the left side of his head exposed, and so, immediately after the first, another arm flashed and connected-

"Agh!" 

Something white flushed Ilyas's vision, and he suddenly lost his balance. His head was rattled and everything in it wrung with hot, pulsating pain. Something warm and wet dribbled down his left temple. 

Ilyas wobbled and fell on his back. Time slowed, and his mind rushed. Why was his face wet? What was... Ah. Blood. 

His vision readjusted a little, and he saw Ben rushing to him with the face of a frenzied lunatic hiding behind his mask. His right hand, the one that struck his temple, was clutching a sharp rock.

Why was he not dead, then? He should be dead. 

The mask.

Just before Ben reached him, Ilyas regained some of his senses and rolled away from another damning strike that was aimed at his forehead. The man was not holding back, and the pain didn't recede. He couldn't focus. But he had to. 

'Shit.' 

Ben was already upon him when Ilyas rose and dashed back. Ben was going to rush him again, and he was clearly lacking sense in his current manic state. The man was an animal. 

'I need something.'

He needed a weapon. He surveyed his surroundings, and although there were plenty, time was not so kind.

Ben was upon him, and just as he was about to swing his arm once again, Ilyas cemented one thought and disposed of the rest. He dashed forward to meet him, but this time, he was more wary and more shrewd. Ben wanted it to end this fast. He wanted to smash his head in with that rock of his as soon as possible... so when that swing finally came, and just before it struck, Ilyas ducked, opened his arms and tackled the bastard to the ground with all his might.

Ilyas was upon him, pinning him to the ground. But that didn't stop Ben; it only gave him a fixed target to aim for. The maniac immediately growled and began smashing the rock repeatedly on the back of Ilyas's head. 

"Agh! Shit! You bastard!"

Pain overtook him. His head felt heavy, wanting to fall. If it weren't the blunt side of the rock, he would've been in trouble. But thankfully, Ben didn't have that choice. 

Something went wrong. He wasn't where he was supposed to be. They needed to move.

Ilyas belatedly thought to pin down his rock-clenched arm, but just as he did, he accidentally slightly relieved some pressure on the other. That gave Ben just enough liberty to roll and wrestle back.

They rolled on the ground a few times across the glade, both men grunting and locking the other in what seemed to be a stalemate.

Eventually, they both hit the trunk of a tree with a Thud, only for Ilyas to be on the bottom with Ben straddling him.

'Agh! Dammit!'

Ilyas dropped something important.

He tried to free his pinned arms to no avail. Ben was already raising his hand to deliver a strike with that damned rock of his.

Clang!

It struck his forehead. His mask held. But the impact delivered a wave of pain that forced him to wail. 

With his other hand, Ben strained his whole body to remove the brass mask from Ilyas's face, but failed. 

So, he discarded that plan and raised his rock-clenched fist again.

Clang!

It struck Ilyas's temple. Everything was hot. His head threatened to implode. His vision was betraying him. 

Clang!

His arms went limp, ceding to the weight of Ben's knees. His face was drenched in blood beneath the mask. Ben looked even more rabid. No hesitation. No doubt. Just a pure, firm intent to kill Ilyas. 

Clang!

The mask finally gave in and dented. A sharp protrusion of brass pierced Ilyas's temple, and his consciousness began fading.