Chapter 10
“I don’t give a fuck for your pride, Ihram. Suck it up, grow a pair, and apologize to him,” said Mish.
“I’d rather be buried alive than apologize to some little bitch who can’t keep his temper.”
Marcus interrupted their arguing and said, “Then apologize to me. I do not care what you do; you’re coming with me. Now.”
“Fuck you,” were the only words Dragoon was able to get out before Marcus leapt at him. Dragoon dived to the side and tried to cut at his eyes. Marcus did the opposite as he expected and used his head as a temporary fist and imbedded Dragoon’s form into the earth.
Marcus smelled humans and realized that people were watching them. Marcus said, “You have lost. Come with me or I will humiliate you again. I can think of a thousand ways to relieve you of your pride. Do not push me, and I won’t push you.”
Dragoon stopped moving. Marcus grabbed him in his jaws and flew back to where Dem was told to stay. Both of them were speechless. Their gazes refused to leave each other, but neither used verbal communication.
Marcus let the silence hang for a full minute before he said, “I do not care if you forgive the other for whatever the offence you were given, and I do not care if you seek my forgiveness. What I want to know is what motivated you to act like the imbeciles you once were and how I can keep it from happening again in public. Dem, you speak first.”
“When we were back at the island, Dragoon approached me and kept talking about our fight. He apparently had told everyone on the island that I was sterile. I caught him in the act and he said he beat me then, he could beat me now.”
“Ihram, is this true?”
“Every word of it,” Dragoon confirmed without skipping a beat, “I vote we-”
“This is not a democracy.”
Marcus was letting the ideas about how to deal with the dilemma spin around his mind. There was a chilling silence until Marcus said, “Alright, there is clearly no way to diplomatically solve this issue. Neither of you will ever speak of this again. Dragoon, every time I hear of you speak of Dem’s… issues, I will tackle you on the spot. Dem, every time you lose your temper, I will hand you over to Karen and she can do as she wishes.”
Back at the lab, Marcus remembered how whenever Dem acted up, Karen would beat him with a paper fan she kept in her lab coat at all times. It was not cruelty, but it definitely left a mark. Marcus pushed the memory away and said, “Do either of you have any questions?”
They both shook their heads. Marcus said, “Good. Now get out of my sight, lest I choose a much more brutal punishment for you.”
Both of them walked off side by side. They were equally charged, and that was all that mattered at that moment. When they were out of view, Marcus waited another hour before leaving for Liz. He wondered if she heard about Jason’s death; he hoped she did, because she saw him as a friend and would never forgive Marcus for leaving her behind.
Marcus took flight and let the wind carry him north to where his family lived. It was a small house set aside for the workers of the larger complexes on the southern half of the island. There were another ten houses spread around the cul-de-sac, every one of them had the same white paint and the same basic design. Marcus approached the house and set himself down facing the front door. He could hear Liz and her father talking, along with their mother.
Marcus realized something; since their separation, he had not spoken to or even seen his mother. Whenever his father spoke he always said that he spoke for the both of them because she was still shaken from the first day. Before he could make the effort to ponder on the thought, Liz opened the door and walked out wearing a black dress. She was not at all surprised to see him. Liz said, “We have a problem.”
“Does it have anything to do with why I’m here?”
“No, and yes I do know why you came.”
“It is almost eleven thirty, we need to go.”
“But Marcus-”
“Whatever dilemma you are concerned with at this time, let it rest for now. After the wake, we will discuss it.”
Liz nodded and leapt to his back. Marcus took flight and turned for Angel Island to pay their final respects to a lost friend.
“I’d rather be buried alive than apologize to some little bitch who can’t keep his temper.”
Marcus interrupted their arguing and said, “Then apologize to me. I do not care what you do; you’re coming with me. Now.”
“Fuck you,” were the only words Dragoon was able to get out before Marcus leapt at him. Dragoon dived to the side and tried to cut at his eyes. Marcus did the opposite as he expected and used his head as a temporary fist and imbedded Dragoon’s form into the earth.
Marcus smelled humans and realized that people were watching them. Marcus said, “You have lost. Come with me or I will humiliate you again. I can think of a thousand ways to relieve you of your pride. Do not push me, and I won’t push you.”
Dragoon stopped moving. Marcus grabbed him in his jaws and flew back to where Dem was told to stay. Both of them were speechless. Their gazes refused to leave each other, but neither used verbal communication.
Marcus let the silence hang for a full minute before he said, “I do not care if you forgive the other for whatever the offence you were given, and I do not care if you seek my forgiveness. What I want to know is what motivated you to act like the imbeciles you once were and how I can keep it from happening again in public. Dem, you speak first.”
“When we were back at the island, Dragoon approached me and kept talking about our fight. He apparently had told everyone on the island that I was sterile. I caught him in the act and he said he beat me then, he could beat me now.”
“Ihram, is this true?”
“Every word of it,” Dragoon confirmed without skipping a beat, “I vote we-”
“This is not a democracy.”
Marcus was letting the ideas about how to deal with the dilemma spin around his mind. There was a chilling silence until Marcus said, “Alright, there is clearly no way to diplomatically solve this issue. Neither of you will ever speak of this again. Dragoon, every time I hear of you speak of Dem’s… issues, I will tackle you on the spot. Dem, every time you lose your temper, I will hand you over to Karen and she can do as she wishes.”
Back at the lab, Marcus remembered how whenever Dem acted up, Karen would beat him with a paper fan she kept in her lab coat at all times. It was not cruelty, but it definitely left a mark. Marcus pushed the memory away and said, “Do either of you have any questions?”
They both shook their heads. Marcus said, “Good. Now get out of my sight, lest I choose a much more brutal punishment for you.”
Both of them walked off side by side. They were equally charged, and that was all that mattered at that moment. When they were out of view, Marcus waited another hour before leaving for Liz. He wondered if she heard about Jason’s death; he hoped she did, because she saw him as a friend and would never forgive Marcus for leaving her behind.
Marcus took flight and let the wind carry him north to where his family lived. It was a small house set aside for the workers of the larger complexes on the southern half of the island. There were another ten houses spread around the cul-de-sac, every one of them had the same white paint and the same basic design. Marcus approached the house and set himself down facing the front door. He could hear Liz and her father talking, along with their mother.
Marcus realized something; since their separation, he had not spoken to or even seen his mother. Whenever his father spoke he always said that he spoke for the both of them because she was still shaken from the first day. Before he could make the effort to ponder on the thought, Liz opened the door and walked out wearing a black dress. She was not at all surprised to see him. Liz said, “We have a problem.”
“Does it have anything to do with why I’m here?”
“No, and yes I do know why you came.”
“It is almost eleven thirty, we need to go.”
“But Marcus-”
“Whatever dilemma you are concerned with at this time, let it rest for now. After the wake, we will discuss it.”
Liz nodded and leapt to his back. Marcus took flight and turned for Angel Island to pay their final respects to a lost friend.
Chapter 11: Wake
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