Previously, in Page 1...
Dominic glances over his shoulder and notes that none of the reporters or onlookers even bother to follow or even notice him, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. It seemed just like yesterday that no one could resist looking to him for help and asking him for autographs. How quick publicity turns on people, he thinks to himself, scowling. Taking out a cigarette, he lights it and takes a drag, rubbing at his right shoulder. "Are you all right, Dominic?" Stephany asks, stopping next to the car that is parked on the side of the road, a black Dodge Charger. "I'm going to go home. I don't feel good." He walks away, dropping the car keys on the ground, a trail of smoke following from him as he makes his way across the street and around the corner of a nearby building.
Section 6: Comfort at Home
Reaching his driveway in the quiet, sprawled out neighborhood, Dominic walks up the driveway, unlocking the cast iron gate. Locking the gate, he walks along the front path and up the steps, unlocking the door to the front porch and heading inside, closing and locking the door behind him. Removing his shoes, he slips on a pair of black tennis shoes and goes up the second set of small steps, unlocking the front door and entering his house. As soon as he is inside, he secures both the dead bolt and doorknob lock, sighing. Tossing the house keys onto the floor, he throws his trench coat down on the floor as well, loosening his tie and dress shirt.
Heading to the kitchen, he pulls out a bottle of gin and a tumbler glass, walking over to the couch and sitting down. He sighs as he pours the drink into the glass, stopping when he hears the doorbell buzzer, followed by a voice. "Dominic, I know you're home. Open up. It's cold out here." Dominic grumbles, turning to look out of his window. Stephany looks up at him quietly, watching as he unlocks and opens the lower half of the window. "You have the keys on my car key chain. Why are you here, anyways? You should just go home."
Stephany smiles, putting her hands in her jacket pockets. "So what if you feel like yesterday's news? You're getting better. Didn't you just walk into a crime scene and teach them all something without even trying?" Dominic stays quiet for a moment before looking away. "Didn't I also just leave you standing there with my car? I just need some time..." He turns around and drops down onto the couch, Stephany sighing. Reaching into her purse, she pulls out the set of keys, unlocking each door to enter the house, locking them back.
When she is inside, Stephany shows Dominic that she has locked the dead bolt, walking over to the couch. She takes the bottle of gin and the glass, carrying them to the kitchen. "Instead of drinking, you should take your medicine. It'll give you a good night's sleep, and you'll wake up without a hangover." She returns with a cup of water and two pills, walking over to the couch and sitting down next to him. She places the cup and pills in his hands, Dominic staying quiet. "Is there something else bothering you?" she asks, sincere. "No," he replies, taking the medicine. He drinks from the cup and sets it down on an end table, sighing.
He looks at the empty cup quietly, lowering his head. "I'll never get better. You should know that better than anyone." Stephany turns to face Dominic, looking at him. "Why do you say that?" Dominic gets up from his seat, walking a few steps away before walking back to look at her, his face flushed. "I... Well... Well, if I told you, you'd just laugh at me and leave me like everyone else." He turns away quickly, storming off to the laundry room.
I'm so stupid sometimes... Of course she doesn't like me. Why can't I just say that I like her? I don't know... Maybe... I don't know... Dominic thinks to himself as he throws some clothes into the washer, removing the dry socks from the dryer. Picking the basket up from the floor, he sets it on top of the washer, rubbing at his right shoulder. Stephany puts her hands on his back, leading him out of the laundry room. "Come on, you're working yourself up. Calm down, let's get you to bed. I don't want you sleeping on the stairs again." Dominic nods, walking up the flight of stairs to the second story of his house. Heading down the hallway, he reaches the master bedroom door, Stephany urging him along.
"Don't forget to take a bathroom trip. I'll be waiting here." Dominic nods and sighs, going into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. Stephany jumps with fright when she hears a crashing and clattering noise coming from the bathroom several minutes later, opening the door. Dominic is sitting in the tub with the shower curtain draped over him, grumbling to himself. "My shoe got stuck. I can't get it off." Stephany helps pull him out of the tub, leading him to the bedroom. She has him sit on the bed as she removes his right shoe, Dominic lying down on the bed with a groan.
"I'm so... drugged..." he mumbles as he rubs at his face, Stephany covering him up with a light blanket. "Get a good night's rest. I'll see you when you wake up." She holds his hand gently in both of hers, waiting as Dominic slowly closes his eyes to sleep. "Some day, you'll find your place again. It only takes one person to change your mind. I hope you can wake up some time... and be okay." She sets his hand down on his chest, looking at him quietly. Standing up, she leaves the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
The cellphone in her purse vibrates, getting her attention. She slides it open and reads the message, going down the stairs. Unlocking both the front door and the porch door, she lets a man inside, a uniformed officer. They walk into the living room, the man straightening his suit, scratching at his short sandy blond hair. "I'm here for your ride home. It's pretty quiet. How is he?" As he looks around, Stephany puts on her jacket, buttoning it up. "Well, Dan... I'm not sure. He was fine until we got finished there. You saw he did his best. But maybe someone said something to him, or maybe he felt pressured. The Lieutenant probably intimidated him with all the questions." Shaking his head, the man turns away, looking around the house. "No one said a thing to him. The Lieutenant made a strict order not to crack a joke. He's on terms trying to get Dominic better, though I understand he's not wanting to go fully with that on everything. I know you want to help, but trying to dig up dirt that isn't there will only make things worse. He just has problems."
They both stay quiet, Daniel turning to her. "Look, we've all been friends for years, almost our whole lives. I still care for him, too. But he needs to live a normal life. Sending him back on cases in his current state will do more harm than good." Stephany shakes her head, looking away to avoid his direct gaze. "No. To cut him off of the last thing he has left would kill him. I'm going to help him." Daniel sighs and heads upstairs to the bedroom, Stephany following behind him. They both look at Dominic, who is still sleeping soundly in bed. "Well, I guess he did show some improvement... Sorry to have said that, you know? I just worry about him. I worry that maybe one day, he'll flip out and something bad will happen."
Stephany nods, sighing. "I'll go downstairs, to clean up his mess before we go." She leaves the room, Daniel kneeling next to the bed. "Haven't talked to you in a while, Dominic. If you weren't such a stubborn pain in the butt, you'd be better by now." He stands up with a slight smile and watches Dominic, the smile fading. At least he looks innocent when he sleeps, Daniel thinks to himself, leaving the room, going back downstairs. "Well, I talked to him. How long do you think he'll be asleep like that?" Stephany checks her watch, glancing over at the clock on the wall. "He'll wake up in time for supper. Let's get going, then. I'll lock the doors." With a nod, Daniel heads outside, Stephany following him.
Section 7: Wandering Curse
They get in the silver Chevrolet Corvette that is parked by the street curb, Daniel smiling to her warmly before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "How about we go out for some coffee, maybe watch a movie? The theater's got some new movies out." Stephany nods, smiling. "Thanks. I would love to go." Checking the mirrors and the road, the car pulls away from the curb, headed for town. Parking the car in a parking space in front of the small brick restaurant, they go inside and sit a table, ordering their coffee. Daniel looks over at her from across the table, smiling again. "You know... We've not really had much time for each other since you got the job as full-time nurse. Not that I'm bothered or anything, I know you've been busy taking care of Dominic, but..."
He stays quiet and lowers his head, looking down at the table. He feels selfish to say that he wants her for himself, but she has been the only person that is most willing to help Dominic. He looks up when her hand is placed on his own, Stephany smiling. "Don't worry. You're still the only one." Daniel nods, giving a rather nervous smile. "I guess it's still easy to read my mind, huh." Stephany looks over when she sees a person crossing the street from nearby, pursing her lips. Daniel looks as well, curious.
They both watch the man in the trench coat walking down the sidewalk with a piece of paper in his hands, glancing around at the numbers on some of the buildings. "Say. Who is that guy?" Stephany asks, concern in her voice. "Who, that guy? What's so interesting about him? He's a bum. Just walks around town in the same clothes every day. Doesn't seem to have anyone, so..." Daniel takes a drink of coffee, turning his hand over and holding her hand in his. "I wonder. Dominic's been after that man twice, it seems. What do you think?" Daniel shrugs, moving his hand away. "Sorry, but... I don't want to talk about this." Stephany nods, turning her attention back to him. "I'm sorry." She looks down at her lap, quiet.
They had all known each other since middle school, sharing the same table at lunch time and always hanging out during recess, passing notes in the hallways between classes. Dominic was always the silent, intelligent type; Daniel was always eager to learn new things and playful in personality; she herself was just an easy-going and tomboyish girl set in her stubborn ways. But with family problems, Dominic became more and more detached from the group before ultimately moving away to live with his grandparents. After school and then college, both Stephany and Daniel had become police officers before Dominic one day returned to town as a fellow officer of the same rank. They threw a party for him on being accepted for a position as Detective, in which Dominic later took on the title himself. But over the years, he had begun to change, for what reason no one knew for sure. Then one night, his life was completely changed forever... And now, it seemed to be the constant strain on everyone that even mentioned his name.
"Look... Um... I'm sorry... If it's any help, do you want me to ask the guy what's up?" They look over when the guy passes by with the paper in hand, looking around quietly before moving to the next building. "Well, he's obviously not hard to find. Want me to go question him?" Stephany shakes her head, sighing with a slight smile. "Nah, let's leave him alone. The guy already seems to be lost, and I'm sure he's got other plans than being questioned by us. He's already had a run-in with Dominic in a drunken state." They watch him go by, continuing to drink their coffee as they wait on the food to be served.
Section 8: Into the Wolf's Den
Shadow walks along the row of buildings quietly as he holds the note, pausing when he sees a person gesturing to him furtively from a doorway, the guy nodding. "This is the place. Come in, you're running late." With a nod, Shadow put the paper in his jacket pocket, stepping inside. The red brick entryway is very narrow, a slender flight of wooden stairs leading up to another door. "The boss wants to see you. Go on." Heading up the stairs, Shadow makes his way for the door, feeling both nervous and excited at the same time. Surely the boss wanted to hire him, something that he had dreamed of for years. Though he knew this man was different than Valentine, a bit stricter and very upperclass in appearance, it was the money and the recognition that he needed most. Here goes, Shadow thinks to himself, trying to steady his nerves as he reaches the door. Turning the knob, he opens the door and steps inside, looking at the dimly lit, empty room before him.
A strong hand clamps over Shadow's mouth before he could manage to get one word out. It's a trap! his mind screams, and with a quick twist, jammed his elbow into his assailant's ribcage before turning to get away. What he did not see is another person coming up from the side of the room, a second assailant pulling Shadow aside and slamming him against the wall. Dazed, he stumbles back a few steps as he tries to look around the room to adjust to his surroundings, startled when one of the men shove a rag to his face. Desperate to get away, he claws at the man's hand as he held his breath. They're going to kill me, Shadow's thoughts race as he sees the men's silhouettes, several of them. I'm so stupid... Unable to hold his breath any longer, he exhales and gasps for breath, his arms slowly lowering as he began to feel numb. Shadow's head drops limply, the man behind him laying him down on the floor. A man walks over and turns Shadow over to examine him, then stands up straight. "Well, that's what happens when you drag a kitten into a wolf's den... Tie him up."
Sitting Shadow up, they remove his jacket and shirt, then tie his hands together with some rope before carrying him over to the center of the empty room. They stop just under a chain and stand him up, one of the men hooking the rope binding up to the chain. After a quick inspection and a nod, the men leave the room, only one of them remaining, waiting as the leader entered the room. The leader quietly walks over to Shadow and places his hands on the scrawny white ribcage, sighing with disappointment. "Is something wrong?" The man asks, keeping his distance. "It's true that he was the youngest of a rival gang of my own boss's enemy, but... I was kind of expecting more." The man nods slightly, then shrugs. "He may be puny, but I'm sure it'll be easier for us to work with him. Following your advice, to feed a stray dog is to make it want more." The leader moves away from Shadow, a smile forming on his face. "Exactly. Make sure that Max is ready for when Shadow awakens. And get the room ready for him. We'll be keeping him around for awhile, until I feel it is time to use him." The leader leaves the room, the man following behind him.
Shadow wakes with a groan as he opens his eyes, glancing around the room. The walls are made of solid concrete, dark and gray, no windows in view. The only lighting in the room came from the bright fluorescent tube lights from the ceiling, making the concrete floor glisten. He looks over when he sees a brawny man with peppered hair approach him, snapping awake. "Hey - What's going on?" Shadow asks, looking up at his arms. He tugs at the chain feebly, his arms numb and sore from being raised above his head. "Before we can have you work for us, you have to pass your initiation. When you get your bearing of how things are done around here, you'll get better jobs with better rewards. Are you ready to begin?" Shadow stays quiet as he glares at the man, looking down at his own chest before raising his leg to see that he is wearing a pair of black cotton pants. "What the heck is this? Where are my clothes? Why am I in someone else's pants? I want to talk to the boss." The man smiles, removing a bull whip from the latch on his belt. "Frankly, the boss doesn't want to see you until you're ready. He's a very busy person. As for clothing, well... It's nothing personal, no one's a pervert. It'll keep your clothes clean, and you won't get any serious infections. Now listen up. We have some rules that you will follow. You'll obey all orders, or you'll get this same treatment, tied up to this chain. You'll tell no one, or someone will be held responsible. And if you even try to run for help, you'll be dead before then. Got that?"
The man moves the whip slightly along his hands as he waits for a response, Shadow watching the man closely. "I'm not going to work for you. You can't make me." The man loosens his grip on the whip, shaking his head. "Everyone starts out like a hotshot. We'll start by wiping that look off of your face. You do look like a snitchy little kid." Pulling back the whip with a flick of the wrist, the man swings it forward swiftly, striking Shadow across the legs. Scared by the sudden pain that stung his legs, Shadow cries out and pulls away, the chain dragging him back into place. "You're crazy! I'm not going to work for you!" Shadow snaps at the man, who readies the whip again. "You say that now, but you'll soon change your mind. The quicker you give up, the quicker it'll end." The whip lashes across Shadow's chest, Shadow trying to pull himself away.
When the leader enters the room, he looks over at the man who quickly draws the whip up beside himself, and looks over at Shadow. Shadow's scrawny chest heaves with every hard breath, his face mostly showing through the makeup, moslty run off by the sweat and tears. His red eyes glare at the man with the whip, almost as red as the cuts all over his body. "Poor Shadow. You look quite irate," the leader calls out, walking over to him. "You're a filthy liar," Shadow snaps, glaring at the leader as he tugs on the chains, to try attacking him. The leader motions to the man, who leaves the room. "A filthy liar? Come now, Shadow, there's no need for petty name-calling. You wanted a job, you did everything I hoped you could do. So I didn't tell you everything... Life is like a contract, a document - there is always a fine print that goes unnoticed because someone doesn't take the time to read it." Shadow spit at the leader, who was beyond range and glimpsed down before looking back up at him. "You're angry because I pretended to be an errand-boy to someone else. What can I say? If I told you that I was the boss, presenting myself to you so openly, there could have been an opportunity that you'd either get yourself killed by someone else, or you could have tried attacking me. I'm a cautious person, I'm sure you understand." Shadow glares at the man, who brushes back a lock of red hair with the back of his hand. "Now that you know who's in charge around here, you can call me Rush. And I'm sure you are acquainted with my friend, Victor." Shadow turns his head away, in a failed attempt at ignoring him.
Section 9: The Initiation
"I've come to offer you help," Rush started out, a pause in his sentence to make sure that Shadow was paying attention. "As your future employer, I want to be your friend as well. I'm sure you've seen how well the others are treated around here. They're treated with respect that they've earned. So I'll let you loose. All I ask is that you don't attack me." Grabbing the wooden stool nearby, Rush stands up on it and removes the hook, Shadow collapsing onto the concrete floor. With a groan, Shadow raises his head and places his hands on the floor, looking over when he hears footsteps approach. "Here, I'll give you a little dose of this. It'll help you feel better for awhile." Shadow cringes when he feels the syringe sink into his hip, dropping his head on the concrete floor in defeat. "Don't fret too much, Shadow. When you get the hang of things, you'll come to like it here." Shadow looks over at the champagne-colored dress shoes, trying to reach out and grab them. "You... lying freak." His hand clamps down onto one of the shoes, before he rests his head on the ground. Rush moves his foot away, leaving the room. "See you later."
Shadow wakes with a groan and opens his eyes, looking around as his vision begins to clear. He is lying on a pile of blankets in the corner of a large room, cage-like bars surrounding him, confined in the corner. His head was throbbing and his whole body ached from the lacerations, which were neatly bandaged by someone while he was out. His mouth and throat felt completely dry, so he glances around the cage for a drink. The door to the cage opens off to his left side and a blond-haired man young man walks inside, a metal tray in his hands. What's going on? Is this a dream? Shadow thinks to himself, raising up defensively. "Don't be so alarmed. I made you breakfast." The man sets the tray onto the floor, Shadow glaring at him. "I'm not hungry. I refuse to work for you. I'd rather starve to death." The man sighs, his expression still rather optimistic. "Everyone goes through this process, although some are more willing, but they've all become great at their jobs, whatever they choose to be. Even I had to, just like the boss. It's kind of the gang's old ritual from the past, though it's not as common anymore. But Rush likes you, because you passed the first part of it, so now you'll be able to stay here, like me. I'm the one who gave you a bath and tended to your cuts. My name is Max, by the way, I'm the doctor's assistant. How was the painkiller? You've been asleep for almost twenty hours, so I know you're at least a little hungry."
Shadow lowers down onto the blanket with a sob, Max's smile quickly fading. "Hey... Look, we'll be working together soon. It's not as bad as you think, if you'll follow the rules. But the boss really does like you. He's just making sure that you won't punk out, and helping toughen you up to get you into shape, so you can handle what job you are given." He walks over and places a hand on Shadow's shoulder gently, pulling out a syringe with his other hand. He gives Shadow an injection in the upper arm and removes the syringe, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it? I'll take care of you. You'll feel a lot better by tomorrow." Standing up, Max takes the tray of food, leaving the cage. When he is out of the room, Shadow forces himself up on his hands and knees, looking at the shackle on his right ankle. He slowly crawls over to the cage door and pulls himself up to the lock, pushing and pulling on the door. The room he is located in is what appeared to be a livingroom, which consisted of a few matching furniture pieces and a widescreen television. He pulls on the door again, stopping and looking around when he hears someone approaching.
Several men of various ages and body build laugh and shove each other playfully as they enter the room, not noticing him in the cage. "Wait - Please, help me," Shadow begs as he watches them, the men pausing to look at him. Some of them ignore him and go about to their destination in the livingroom or the kitchen, one of them walking over to the cage. "Hey, it's the new guy," the brawny man says with a smile. "Scrawny little critter, aren't ya?" Reaching through the bars, he grabs Shadow by the neck, pulling him closer. "Hands off," a voice calls out sternly from the doorway, the man quickly releasing Shadow. Rush looks at Shadow, then looks at the man. "The 'new guy' is called Shadow. He's getting shown the layout of things before he can work with us." The man nods, turning and heading over to the couch to join some of the other men, who were still joking and laughing nearby. "Please, just let me go. I want to go home," Shadow begs, tears welling up in his eyes. "I won't tell anyone what happened. I'll pretend nothing happened. Please," he says pleadingly, Rush smiling to him. "Shadow, this isn't about hiding the truth. This is about helping you become a better criminal mastermind, so that you can benefit us greatly. You're a weak, spineless boy that picks small pockets and lives in a run-down dump. I want you to become a strong, courageous man, who can do more than carry his weight, and have a successful future - just like the others you see before you. Wouldn't you like to live a better life?"
"I'd rather live in a dump than work for you," Shadow snaps without hesitation, Rush smiling at the remark. "I'm surprised you're so resentful. I heard that you were easy-going and quite agreeable to work with. This cage is saving you from the rowdy crowd, so you should be a little more thankful." Shadow glares at Rush, who walks over to address the others. "All right, my group of merry men. Do what you want, I'll be heading out for a business trip. Just make sure not to hurt our newcomer. He shouldn't cause too much trouble." Rush turns and leaves the room, Shadow slumping down on his hands and knees, sitting on the floor. I'm going to die here, Shadow thinks to himself, frowning as he lowers his head. Instead of giving up, he decides to try getting the sympathy of one of the men in the room. "Please, let me out? I just want to go home," he pleads, watching the men, who resume watching television and drinking from beer bottles. None of them pay attention as they have fun, which he was unable to see, except for the Western movie on the screen. "Why won't any of you help me?" he asks, raising his voice. "Shut up back there," one of the men bark, standing up from his seat. "You're worse than a dog. You're a whiny puppy."
Shadow wipes the tears from his face, startled when a glass bottle smashes against the bottom of the cage bars, the beer sloshing onto the cage floor. Max comes into the room quickly and tosses off his satchel, looking at the cage before looking at the men. "Hey, what's going on? Don't throw glass in the cage, I just cleaned it." One of the men apologized, the one voice Shadow recognized as the man who insulted him, another raising his voice. "Hey Max, maybe you should get him a muzzle so we can talk over here." Max glanced at Shadow, then smiled to the man. "He's just fussy from the painkiller, is all. I'll put him to bed, but I want to play a round of cards when I come over there." Walking over to the cage, Max throws the curtains down around the outside, unlocking the door and entering the cage. Scooping Shadow up under the arms, Max drags him over to the pile of blankets and lays him down, Shadow rubbing at his face. "Why won't any of you help me?" he asks, pouting as he looks away. "It's time for you to go to bed, so just lay there and take it easy while I get this mess cleaned up." Shadow stays quiet as he lies on the blankets, Max cleaning up the large pieces of glass by hand. Once he gets the cage floor swept and mopped up, he closes and locks cage door, covering the door with the curtain.
Section 10: In the Cage
Shadow wakes when he hears several loud noises, turning over onto his side slowly. Not only was his face feeling horribly puffy, but his mouth and throat were still dry. Hearing the noise again he listened closely. Hammering? Or is that music? Trying to focus his hearing, he knew it was the sound of a hammer being used, and heard the faint sound of music. He moves to get up and falls back down onto the bed, closing his eyes. The curtains move and the cage door unlocks, Max walking over to him. "Shadow, time for you to get up." He pats Shadow on the shoulder gently, Victor unlocking the shackle from Shadow's ankle. "First we'll get him to the bathroom, then we'll get him something to eat and drink." He scoops Shadow up under the arms, pulling him to his feet. Victor walks over and grabs Shadow, hoisting him up over the shoulder and carrying him out of the room. Shadow wakes up when he feels himself being moved around, Victor standing him up in the bathroom. "Huh?" Shadow asks, Victor turning him around to face the toilet. "Five minutes to use the bathroom, so hurry it up." Victor leaves the bathroom, closing the door behind him. After the fifth minute passes, Victor opens the door and sees Shadow gulping down water from the sink, waiting for him to finish. "Okay, you've had enough," Victor says and grabs Shadow, carrying him back to the cage and laying him down on the blankets. Max quickly secures the shackle back into place, then he and Victor exit the cage.
Raising up from the blankets, Shadow pulls himself along the door, reaching for the open door. The cage door suddenly closes, Victor smiling to Shadow. "Not so fast. You have to stay in your room." Max returns to the room with a tray, looking down at Shadow. "Got some supper for you. I'm sure you're very hungry," he says with a smile, nodding to Victor. "Just help him back on the bed." Entering the cage again, Victor grabs Shadow and pulls him over to the blankets, seating him. Max places the tray in front of the bed, opening a bottle of fitness water. "Come on, now. I know you're thirsty. I don't want you getting dehydrated on us." Shadow refuses the water, Max dipping a large dropper in the bottle, before shoving it in Shadow's mouth. He squirted the lemon-flavored drink into Shadow's mouth quickly, Shadow moving his head back. "There we go. Go ahead and eat. I made everything myself." Max and Victor leave the cage, Victor locking the cage door.
After a few minutes pass without disturbance, Shadow reaches for the water bottle and picks it up with his heavy hands, taking a few drinks, then stops to look at the food. A large pile of noodles, with a section of carrots and a medium-sized sirloin steak are neatly arranged on the paper plate, a dinner roll placed off to the side. Though he had said he was never going to eat, he was starving, and most of his meals never looked as good as what was placed before him. Maybe I'll just eat a little bit, he considered, and grabs the roll. After nibbling on the roll, he finishes off the rest of the water and lays down on his side, covering his face with part of his blanket. It's probably been days, he thinks to himself, pulling his arms up to his chest. I don't think I'll make it here... No one knows I'm gone. He pouts but finds himself unable to cry, breathing faster as he felt the anxiety and panic coming back. The cage door opens and Max enters the cage, looking at the food. "Hey, come on, you didn't touch anything but the roll. That wasn't cheap, you know, and I bought that out of my own money." Using his shoe, he nudges Shadow's foot, Shadow groaning. "Time to eat, Shadow. I don't want you to starve." He nudges Shadow's foot again, Shadow feeling his face flush hot with anger.
"Come on, Shadow. If you don't eat, I'll be wasting food again." He pushes on Shadow's leg gently with the tip of his shoe, trying to urge him to move. Shadow flips over instantly and springs up from the blankets, leaping at Max to grab him. Max quickly hurries out of the cage, startled by the sudden attack. Grabbing the tray, Shadow throws it at him and grabs the blankets, throwing them at Max as well. "When I get out of here, I'm coming after you first!" Shadow shouts as he runs for the door, the cage door slamming shut. Intent on getting loose, he pulls on the shackle with his leg, unable to get it loose. "You're delusional. Stop it, before you hurt yourself," Max says, trying to calm Shadow down. "Kid, you okay?" one of the men ask as he runs into the room, surprised. "I heard the noise and came running. Are you hurt?" Max checks his forearm quickly, examining the cut where the tray had struck him. "It's just a scratch, but I'll manage. Shadow's starting to freak out and I can't get him to calm down yet." The man turns to the cage, opening the door. "There's only one way to teach a brat who the boss is around here."
"No, don't hurt him, it's my fault," Max protests as he moves to stop the man, getting shoved aside by another man. "Hey, it's a fight!" the man declares, shoving aside Max before pulling back the cage curtains. Inside the cage, Shadow keeps his position as the man approaches cautiously, his heart racing. The man was much stronger than he was, and though usually Shadow relied on his speed to help him out, he knew he was too weak to defend himself for long. The man approaches and grabs at Shadow, who swings at the guy first, punching him under the jaw with a powerless uppercut. The man laughs off the weak punch, backhanding Shadow roughly. Shadow stumbles back and falls against the wall, holding his jaw as he winced with pain. "Your punches lack power, unlike mine. So you like threatening my friend, do you?" He grabs the chain and pulls up on it, Shadow falling to the ground. Several other men enter the cage quickly to take part in the fight, Max trying to get inside to stop them. "Stop! Leave him alone!" Max yells, getting struck on the head from behind. He falls to the ground, looking at the moving legs around him as he tries to shrug off the pain. The only sensation he could feel was the cool concrete on his cheek. One of the men place their hands upon Max's shoulder and give him a shake, trying to talk to him as another man places the glasses back on Max's face. "Max, who hit you?" one of them ask, Max feeling his glasses. "Who? Who hit me?" He raises his head up and sees that no one else was paying attention to him, instead laughing and jeering at Shadow in the cage.
A loud gunshot blast instantly gets everyone's attention, Victor holding his gun up by his chest. "What's going on here? Back away from the cage. And who knocked Max out? Rush is going to be here in under an hour, and you better believe he's not going to be happy when he sees this. Now get out of here." Victor loads another shell into the chamber, the group of men quickly leaving the room. "We were just helping Max up," one of the men say, Victor nodding. "Yeah, I saw. Thanks for the help." The two men leave as well, Max slowly pushing himself up off of the floor and climbing to his feet, rubbing at the knot on the back of his head and looking over at the cage door. Victor walked over to him, urging him forward. "We need to get him to the doctor's office, I don't think you can help him much."
Going in the cage, Max pauses when he sees Shadow lying on his side, nervously walking closer. Please don't be dead, he urges, getting closer. His legs feel rubbery and his heart was pounding loudly. Please be okay. He kneels down beside the limp white body, then carefully checks for a pulse, nodding to Victor. "He's alive. We've got to get him some help." Grabbing the keys, he fumbles with them, accidentally dropping them onto the floor. "Oh, crap," Max mumbles to himself, passing out and falling over, Victor going into the cage to help.
 Shadow Belmonte · Sun Aug 12, 2012 @ 11:38pm · 0 Comments |
The Case of Pietro fan for life