Chapter Four (Riley)
Four hours, four fucking hours and nothing. I would kill him if he were here right now, four fucking hours and now he sends me a text, and it's not even the fact he's sent me a text and not actually called, it's what he actually texted me. I don't care what he is going through, I'm going through shit too right now, and for him to just text me all casual and say that he will pick us up some food to eat, that's taking the piss, seriously, what the hell.
It's just insulting and hurtful, and I just sums up what he has been like recently. Seriously, if he just walked through the door right now, I think I might actually punch him, even if it would hurt me a lot more than it would hurt him, it would still be worth it, just to let him know how pissed off I was at him right now. The sound of my phone ringing though quickly distracts me from those thoughts, and I immediately look at who is calling and couldn't help but be a little surprised to see my sisters name.
"Lily?" I ask as I answer the phone and even though it's obvious that it is her, I am still a little surprised and not entirely sure why she would be calling me. It's not like she's found him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have just text me what he did, so I can't help but wonder why she was calling me, she made it obvious she was going to be home late.
"I just wanted to let you know, I haven't found him yet, but I still have a couple of people to speak with, have you heard from him yet?" She quickly responds back and again. I can't help but be a little surprised. She sounded genuine, but why would she call me, surely if I had heard from him, she would know I would call her, she can't have any reason to think that I wouldn't unless she knew I was lying.
Which would just make things even more confusing and strange. I mean sure, I am actually lying to her, I mean I know he is okay and that he's on his way home, and I haven't told her, but she shouldn't have any reason to think that I would be lying to her. So I really don't know how to respond, well I do, I can't tell her the truth, but the fact she is even asking me, after calling out of the blue, just makes me wonder if she somehow knows and if she does, what does it mean?
"No, not yet, I was then going to put the news on and see if there is anything on there." I decide to say in response, and while I wasn't actually going to do that, I actually figured I might as well, I know Aidan said he was on his way home, but maybe he's been in the news. It's not like I have been checking online, I've actually been cleaning up my room and moving it around, just to distract myself, so I could have missed something big happening.
"Oh fuck!" I then shout out, as I turn on the news, and instantly feel my heart sink, as I see my best friend being beaten by four other Empowered and even the most biased of Aidan's fans, couldn't deny what was happening. He was in trouble, even I could see that, and I have only just turned the news on. Even the news reporters are silent, and that's never a good sign, and as I get a better look at the four Empowered, that were attacking my best friend, my heart sank even more.
"What's going on, Riley, what happened?" I then hear my sisters voice, and despite my growing suspicion of her, I couldn't hide this, not that she could do anything, but it was the right thing to do. Even as I found myself getting changed and getting my trainers on, I knew I couldn't keep this from her. I just couldn't lie about this. It was too big.
"It's the news, it's Aidan, he's in trouble, Lily, he's in the town center, and there are four Empowered attacking him, they're killing him, Lily, they're..." I then begin to say, but I just can't finish. It was just too much, and I needed to help him, even if I don't have any powers, I need to do something, and before I even know what I am doing. I realize that I am already outside and running towards the center of town.
Which is just insane, I mean, what can I do? I'm not an Empowered, and begging them to stop, was hardly going to work. I knew who those Empowered were, I may have only seen them for a few moments, but it was enough to recognize Baine, and he was bad news, he doesn't negotiate, he terrorizes, and so does his team. Although even as I find myself running closer and closer to the center of town, I can't help but wonder who the fourth Empowered was, I have never seen him before and Baine's team usually only has three Empowered.
So, that was definitely something to think about, or to be more honest, something to distract myself with, because I wasn't a kid, this wasn't some film or book, where the good guys never die. This was real life and Baine, and his team were going to kill Aidan, they weren't just going to beat him up and boast to the world. They were there to kill him, it's how it works, the bad guys, are bad guys and they kill, it's as simple as that.
But even before I reach the town center, I stop dead in my tracks, as I hear a sickening thud and see a puff of dust and rubble in the building just in front of me. It was a solid building, a really solid building and even an Empowered would struggle to survive that, and I could feel my heart breaking, especially as the seconds passed and no one emerged from it. I then slowly felt myself walking towards the building, vaguely aware of other people around me, probably wearing the same shocked and lost expression that I was currently wearing.
Although as I made it about halfway to the now partially wrecked building, the sound of fighting caught my attention. Not that it wasn't a sound that I was unfamiliar with, it's been over two years since the Empowered really emerged and everyone at some point in their lives has seen fights between them, whether in person or on TV or the internet. No, what caught my attention was, if there was still fighting, then Aidan was still alive, which meant that it wasn't him that was in the building I was about to walk into.
More importantly, it meant that Aidan wasn't going down easily and if he just took one of the four Empowered out, then that's three on one now. Still shit odds, but if he just took one of them out of the equation, he might have taken one or two of the other three out as well. Aidan wasn't a pushover. He was one of the most powerful and the rising hope I was feeling, finally made me turn back to the town center and start to run towards it again, even if I proved to be a minor distraction, I was going to help my friend.
But as soon as I arrived and saw what was happening, I again found myself stopping in my tracks. The remaining three Empowered might have looked beat up and tired, but Aidan was barely able to stand, and I froze, I didn't know what to do. What could I do? My initial plan was to run in, maybe shout out and distract Baine's team, but even if I did that, even if it worked for more than a few seconds. I could tell that Aidan was beaten, he probably couldn't even run away, not quick enough to actually get anywhere before they just caught him.
But then something quickly catches my eye. Among the people just hiding and watching, there was someone dressed up like an Empowered, like he was just starting out and he looked like he was going to be sick, but more than anything, he looked guilty as hell. Very, very guilty and even though I had no idea what happened, I knew what a guilty look, looked like and he had it written all over his face. Even with his very crap mask thing that he was wearing and despite wanting to run and help Aidan, I would just distract him at this point, and even though he was barely standing, he wasn't down, and there was still time for something to happen.
And I was hoping, this new Empowered, might just be that something. "Hey, you should be helping him, it's three on one, help him!" I find myself shouting at the guy, and despite not exactly being the way I wanted to talk to him. It just came out of my mouth and the look of shock and fear on his face, told me straight away, that whoever this guy was, might not be the hero I was praying for to help Aidan. He actually looked like he might wet himself or something and as I really looked at him, I realized that he was young, maybe younger than Aidan and me.
"I didn't do anything, I'm… I didn't do anything." He quickly responds, and he sounded just as panicked and afraid as he looked and despite wanting to help my friend, and this guy obviously being scared shitless. He was Aidan's only hope unless some other Empowered turned up to help, but it wasn't looking likely, and he didn't have much time left. I could hear them taunting him now, which might give him a chance to recover a little, but not enough, he needed help and this scared looking kid in front of me, might be the only one who could give it to him.
I just had to work out how to get through to him. "It doesn't matter, you're an Empowered, you have powers, and you're strong, you have to be, and you have to help Hero, he needs help." I quickly decide to say, and while it was hardly the emotional and amazing pep talk that I wanted to give, it was all I had, too much was happening to come out with something amazingly inspirational. "What's your name?" I then say, it was obvious he was too scared right now, and I needed to try something because I was running out of time, Aidan, was running out of time.
"It's Billy. I'm Billy." He slowly responds, sounding every bit as young as he obviously was and any other time, I would have been more worried about him and trying to help him, but this wasn't the time, Aidan was too important to me. "It's not supposed to be like this. I wanted to be a hero." I then hear him say, after being momentarily distracted by the fight, I had heard a loud thump and feared it was Aidan, but to my relief, it seemed like it was now two on one and while I doubted it would change the outcome, it seemed to have made the other two back away
slightly.
It was obvious that they hadn't expected to be still fighting and for Aidan, to still be strong enough to put one of them down that easily. Even if he was at best just knocked out, the guy was out of the fight for now, and the longer it lasted, the more hope there was. "Billy, this must be hard, but you're an Empowered, it's never going to be easy, and you're really young, so it must be scary, but you can be a hero, you can be one right now..." I decide to start saying, as I try to be a bit more inspirational this time, but before I can finish, he quickly stuns me into silence.
"It's my fault. They said that if I didn't help them, they would hurt me and do stuff to me." Every one of his words, feeling like a kick in the ribs and I really wanted to hurt him right now, but even with everything going on, I was not that naive, to know that this sort of thing never happened. It's why there is a network in place to try and pick up newly Empowered because they were vulnerable, but right now, my friend might actually die, and I needed Billy to help him. "I'm sorry." I then hear him say meekly and my anger towards him softened a little bit more, he was just a kid, and none of this was his fault.
"Don't be sorry, Billy, just help him, what can you do, you know, power wise?" I decide to ask, it was pointless to try and be too nice or to be angry at him, so I had to be practical, even though he seemed pretty weak, he could surprise me and more importantly, surprise Baine his remaining team member enough to help Aidan. "I'm not asking you to fight them, Billy, but you can help him, just think." I then say, as he just stares at me, again, making me feel sorry for him, he knew he could die if helped, I knew it, but I just had to hope that he can step up.
"They'll kill me. If Hero can't beat them, they will kill me. I'm just a kid." He then says, as he slowly backs away from me and I knew that he wouldn't be of any help. It was harsh, but right now, he was a scared little kid and even though he was probably Aidan's best chance, short of frog-marching him over to the fight, there was nothing I could do to change his mind, not with time already running out.
"It's okay." I decide to say, it was pointless to say anything else, not now, my best friend might die in front of me, and there was nothing I could do. "Fuck, look, Billy, you can run away as soon as you do it, I know you can run fast, all Empowered can, and they will be too busy to chase you, but you got to do this, please, Billy, just please." I then say, and while I knew it was likely pointless, I had an idea. I could see where Baine and the other guy were standing and if I could make it one on one and then distract whoever was left, Aidan might have a chance, even if it was still minimal, I had to try.
Just hearing them taunt him like they were. I couldn't let them win. They would destroy this town and then do the same to other good Empowered. If they could take down Aidan, then they would inspire others to try to do the same thing, some solo and others joining up in teams, they might even join Baine's team. It's unlikely he is doing this for the sake of it. He must want to control something, be the leader of whatever he is trying to create here, otherwise, it would make no sense.
But as I start to distract myself with my thoughts, Billy's response quickly stops that from happening, and I couldn't help but almost smile. "What do you want me to do?" And while they weren't exactly said with much confidence or conviction, those words meant everything to me, and even though he was obviously a part of what was happening to Aidan, he was just a pawn in it. So I made a promise to myself, that when this was over, I would make sure that he got help, he could be a good hero, he just needed someone to push him in the right direction.
"I want you to pick up the heaviest thing you can lift and throw easily, then throw it as hard as you can at one of them. I guess… not the big guy. Baine is very, very strong, but the other guy, I think his name is Venim, so try to hit his head, even if it only knocks him down, it will help, then you can just run, Billy, it's all you have to do, I promise." I quickly respond with a reassuring expression, and yes, the other Empowered, really called himself ‘Venim' and just like Baine, he denies the obvious fact, he is copying another name, namely Venom. Although unlike Baine, at least Venim isn't quite ripping off his inspirations look, although he isn't far off.
But anyway, crappy and lame names aside, this plan, might just save my friend's life and I quickly look around, just to see if I could find something that Billy might be able to use, but as I look at him, I can't help but actually smile. "Will this be okay?" I hear him asking, and while it isn't likely going to kill Venim, it should put him down for a while. That's if Billy can actually hit him, it won't be easy, and he's obviously scared shitless right now, but I had to hope, it's all I had.
"It will do, Billy, just try your best and don't worry if you miss, just run as fast as you can, you will be okay." I quickly respond with the same reassuring expression, which seemed to be working and as he steadied himself, I stepped away from him. I didn't want to get in the way or for him to throw the thing and then run straight into me, as he tried to run away. "You can do this, just breathe." I then quietly say, I could tell that he was still nervous and needed a little bit of encouragement.
Everything that happened next was a bit of a blur, literally a blur. He may have been new to all of this, but he was still an Empowered and from him pulling his arm back, the next thing I knew or to be exact, heard, was a very loud grunt and as I turned to the two Empowered and Aidan, I couldn't help but smile. Billy had not only hit Venim directly in the head, by the looks of it, the guy was also out for the count, and Baine looked pissed off and completely confused.
But I didn't have to worry about Billy because just as quickly as this all happened, he was gone before I even got a chance to tell him to run. Honestly, I was half expecting him to be still standing next to me or celebrating his small victory, but no, he was gone, and although I was smiling a little, that quickly dropped, and I'm not too proud to admit, I almost wet myself, seriously, I was close.
"You!" Is all I heard, but I didn't even need to be looking over to Baine, to know it was him and when I did, my heart instantly sunk. I had been hoping to use Billy's attack as a distraction and to then do something to myself, to distract Baine, but that was now out of the question, even if I was technically distracting him right now. The fact he had Aidan by the neck and kneeling on the ground in front of him, pretty much ended my hopes of doing something to save him.
I honestly had no idea what to do, Aidan was barely conscious, he was basically being held up by Baine's hand around his neck, a hand that could easily snap that neck before I could even blink. "You want to watch your hero die, Boy?" I then hear him almost shout across to me and there is no doubt that he is looking and talking directly at me, and I could feel myself trembling, which only gets worse, as he begins to walk towards me, practically dragging Aidan with him slowly.
"It took four of you to take down one person, why should I be scared of you." I then hear myself saying and I swear, my own expression was the only thing that could surpass the expression on Baine's face right now, and if I were watching this on TV or the internet, I would likely be laughing at him. Standing in front of him, however, believe me, if I didn't wet myself before, I was very, very, close to doing it now or worse, much worse.
But I had planned on distracting him, and since he had obviously taken an interest in me. I might as well try to do something, even if I still couldn't quite believe I just said what I did, he was furious, and before I knew it, I felt myself up against a wall. I hadn't even been aware that I was stepping backward, but I was scared, and I was sure I was going to die, no one else was going to do anything, and if another Empowered were going to turn up, they would have done so by now.
"Nowhere to run." I hear him then say, and despite myself, I could feel the warm wet feeling running down my legs and instantly blushed in a mixture of embarrassment and shame. "Did you seriously just piss yourself?" I then hear him say and I could feel myself shaking, even more. It was bad enough that I had wet myself, but now everyone around us knew too, and there were a lot of people around, just hiding and trying to draw attention to themselves, something I was now wishing could have done.
But no, I couldn't have lived with myself if I did nothing. Aidan was my friend, no. He was my brother, and even though I was going to die, I wasn't going to just stand there, and I wasn't going to worry about people knowing I just pissed myself, no fucking way. It's not like they're not just cowering in the shadows, so fuck them and fuck Baine, if I was going to die, then I wasn't going to go down like a pathetic kid, who just pissed themselves before getting killed.
I just had to think of a way to go about this. I couldn't physically hurt him, I would likely break my hand if I tried to hit him and I would guess my arms would shatter or something if I tried to hit him with some kind of weapon. "Can you blame me, I mean just look at you, if that's not a face only a mother could love, I don't know what else would be." I then find myself saying, I had no idea where that came from, but the look on his face right now, it was almost worth dying for. But I had seen enough films and shows, on top of seeing a lot of Empowered battles, to know to move and I was already basically jumping and rolling to my left before he even moved. Which I think is the only reason that I wasn't just a splat of blood and guts on the wall, that I was just backed up against, a few moments ago. I could hear the impact and feel the vibrations. It was really that close. Thank god that he's more of a brute than a speedster.
"It's a shame I have to kill you, for a human, you're pretty quick, and you got a big mouth. But you picked the wrong time to grow a pair, Kid." And just when I thought I might have a chance, his words cut right through me and despite wanting to run, and believe me. I was trying to run. I was frozen to the spot. I might have just evaded him, but that was pure luck and timing, I was in the open now and had no hope of pulling the same trick again on him.
I even looked over to Aidan, who he had thankfully dropped to the ground before attempted to pound me into the wall, but even though it might give him a chance to recover a little, I could see that he wasn't moving and it barely looked like he was even breathing. "You're quite scrawny, from a distance, you looked a bit bigger." Baine then says, scaring me even more than I already was and even if I had a sarcastic comeback, the feeling of his hand around my neck, made trying to breath hard enough, let alone be able to say something.
I hadn't even seen him move, he was just standing still one moment, and then I am being lifted off the ground by my neck. Seriously, I can't even explain it, and it makes me wonder how I managed to jump out of the way the first time, there was no way I would have been able to move quickly enough to avoid him if he was this quick. "I know what you're thinking, and you have that pathetic piece of shit to thank." I then hear Baine say and I didn't have to be a genius to work out what he meant, he had obviously had to drop Aidan, before attacking me and that would have delayed him a little bit and in this case, long enough, for me to still be in one piece.
"How old are you, anyway?" I then hear him ask, and I couldn't help but be surprised, I was expecting to be dead by now, but instead, found myself staring into this sick psycho's eyes and straight away, I could tell that he was actually serious, he actually wanted to know how old I was. Which honestly, despite knowing that it was probably just going to buy me a few moments, before he just broke or crushed my neck, I couldn't help but get my hopes up a little, every second I was alive, was a chance for some kind of miracle to happen.
"Almost fifteen." I decide to answer back. Sure, I could have lied or tried to draw it out a little bit, but in my defense, despite obviously wanting to live. I was more than a little out of my depth, and just short of shitting myself, I've already wet myself, so I'm not ruling out on that happening either. Besides, I'm still alive, even after answering, so maybe this might just be my lucky day, although it's more likely, that he is just playing with me or playing some sort of game for his own amusement.
"Damn, that's young. Can't say that I've ever directly killed a kid before." He then says, and again, despite the fact I should know better, I can't help but get my hopes up a little. I was still breathing, after all, so I couldn't just give up hope, stranger things have happened, the Empowered themselves are proof of that. "Well, look at you, you have a pair, after all." He then adds with an amused expression. Which sends a shiver down my spine, sure, I was still alive, but he was playing with me now, and that scared the crap out of me. Is one thing to know that you were about to die, it was another thing to know, that the thing about to kill you, was enjoying it, and if they were enjoying it. It meant that they weren't going to just do it, they were going to take their time and this guy. He could literally pull me apart, piece by piece and there wasn't a damned thing, I could do about it, and he knew it.
"I want you all to see this. This is what happens when you try to be heroes." I then hear him say in a loud and commanding voice. Before finding myself being thrown to the ground, by his feet. "This is where you all belong. We are Empowered, and we own this world now and soon, you will all be kneeling at our feet." He then says, before grabbing the back of my head and lifting me back up and off the ground.
What he said next though, shock me to the core, and quickly squirming and doing everything I could, to break free. "I've always wanted to know how it felt, to gouge someone's eyes out." But even as I tried everything I could, to stop him. He changed his grip and was now holding my head in his hands, with his thumbs slowly pressing against my eyes. I could actually feel them being slowly pushed into my eye sockets and I think the whole town could probably hear my screams.
But then it stopped, and I found myself dropping to the ground, holding my face in agony. I had no idea what had happened or why and at that moment I didn't care, I could feel moisture around my eyes, and I had no idea whether it was blood, tears or the remains of my eyes, after being crushed by Baine's thumbs. All I knew, was that I couldn't see anything and the pain was almost unbearable. I just wanted it to stop and could barely hear anything that was happening around me.
"I'll give you credit, Hero. I actually thought you might be dead, and I should kill you right now, but I think it will be much more entertaining for everyone. If I made you watch me kill this kid and now that good old Painbringer has rejoined us, he can make sure that you don't miss a thing." I then suddenly hear and while I was still in agony. Baine was a loud talker, and I heard him loud and clear. Not that it was going to do me any good, it was obvious that Aidan had tried to help me, but he wasn't going to be able to now, and as I feel a hands grab at my arm, I feel myself starting to go limp.
"Put him down, Baine!" I then hear a female voice say, at least I think it's a girl talking. It was hard to hear after Baine had resumed his previous grip on my head and his hands were muffling my ears. Although I had no idea who this person was and whether or not, he would actually listen to her. Something told me that Baine wasn't the kind of man, that would take orders from a girl, especially in front of other people. He was just too much of a dick for that ever to happen.
"Put him down? Why would I do a thing like that, Darling?" Baine responds and despite my situation and the fact I was still in a lot of pain. I would be smirking at his words, all but confirm my theory about the kind of man, he was. "What's wrong, Darling? Nothing to else to say?" I then hear him say, clearly taunting whoever this woman was. I just hoped she was an Empowered because if not, she might be next after Baine finishes with me.
"Put him down. I won't ask again, Baine." The woman then says. She was clearly not intimidated by Baine, and that filled me with a little hope. If she was an Empowered, she sounded confident enough to be strong. Maybe not strong enough to beat Baine in a fight, but if she could distract him, maybe someone else would come and then another. Maybe I wouldn't die after all.
"Okay, okay, Darling, you win. I will put this kid down." I then hear Baine state, before laughing and before I know what was happening. I felt myself being lifted a little higher and I think I even heard someone scream my name, but all I felt, was myself being let go and then experiencing the most pain, that I had ever felt and then nothing.
To be continued...