by C. S. Won
“I’m not sure if anyone can lift that thing. Just hang tight and save your strength, I’ll get this figured out,” Tobin said.
“No, I can do this,” Jae said. He knelt next to the gate again, pressing his cheeks against the iron, and slid his fingers into the groove, gripping it as tight as he could. He took in a few deep breaths, and with a shout he exploded upwards, driving his feet towards the ground. For a moment nothing happened, the gate standing firm against the pressure, but then there was a great groaning, and a rumbling shudder that sent tremors streaking through the ground. Jae perceived the slightest of shifts, then another, then he felt the gate’s resistances waning, the weight of it growing lighter, and little by little the iron finally began to give way, loosening itself from the ground. Thin willows of light spilled in from the other side, offering a glimpse of what awaited him beyond the gate.
Jae shifted his feet further outwards and dug his hands inwards for a better grip. Buoyed by a second wind, he gave another great shout and heaved upwards. The gate slid up to his knees, offering a clearer glimpse of the other side. Another brief pause, and after angling his face against his sleeve so he could wipe the sweat dripping down his brow, he gave one last shout and pulled. Arms and legs boiling with pain and effort, and his neck strained so hard that it was nothing but a canvas of veins, the gate surged all the way to top, disappearing into a slot in the ceiling and finally allowing passage to the path beyond.
A fist encased in steel flew out and sent Jae flying backwards in a twirl, coaxing blood from his nose in a long, red line. The floor bit into his back, and he saw the world tumbling around him, rolling and rolling until he finally came to a halt against the wall. Ejecting a gasp of agony, and his mouth bitter with blood, Jae looked up and saw Pax, his entire body gleaming metallic silver, stepping forth through the gate he had just forced open. Rena trailed her partner to his left, a long knife dangling between thumb and forefinger.
“Are you the one causing all that racket?” Pax asked.
Tobin disappeared from the barricade and reappeared next to Rena, touching her on the shoulder before disappearing once more, taking her with him. Pax was slow to react, turning to look over his shoulder in a manner that said he hadn’t quite comprehended what just happened. Ignoring the pain resonating in his face, and hoping to catch Pax off guard, Jae wiped the blood from his lips, jumped to his feet, and ran towards him. But Pax, quickly realizing the situation, turned to Jae and did the same, closing the distance between them in a near instant.
Metal and flesh collided, and the noise of their rage and struggle filled the room. Desperate, blind hands searched for something—anything—to hold onto, eager to twist, pull, tear, or wound the flesh that it found. A blurred fist came in from Jae’s left, and only at the last second could he twist backwards to avoid the full brunt of it, the edges of the attack grazing his chin and drawing a cut of blood. If he had noticed it a second later, he would have been flat on his back, unconscious and completely at the mercy of his enemy. The assault propelled Pax’s momentum forward, and as he sought to rebalance himself, Jae lunged with an open palm and found Pax’s throat. He let out a yelp, eyes going wide with shock and surprise, and wiggled back and forth with a fierce tenacity, craning his neck back to avoid getting his windpipe crushed. Not wanting to let up, Jae lowered his stance, wrapped his other arm around Pax’s torso, heaved him up, and tackled him to the floor, falling on top of him. A loud clang, and Jae scrambled to maintain positional advantage and secure his dominance. Hammer away, and hammer away he did, flailing at the mass of metal underneath him, his blows finding the general vicinity of his opponent’s body. Defense mattered little. Jae figured as long as he kept up his offensive flurry, Pax wouldn’t have the opportunity or inclination to launch a counterattack.
A knee dug into Jae’s groin and the world went sharp and acute. Pressing a raspy croak through clenched teeth, Jae pulled back in pain, his strength and energy evaporating like air escaping a balloon. A heavy boot rammed into his chest and knocked him backwards. The world went upside as he squirmed on the floor, coughing out his agony.
“Piece of shit,” Pax said. Slow to stand, his face and chest bore the marks of considerable damage, smeared with blood, and marked with knuckled imprints. “Piece of fucking shit.” He held an arm across his chest, and did his best to appear unfazed, trying to stand straight as possible. But it was clear that his tough-guy act was just that—an act. The pain on Pax’s face did not lie; the stagger in his steps told the truth. But Jae knew he fared no better. With his crotch burning, he struggled to get back to his own two feet, clawing at the floor as he fought to find balance, and a reprieve for his pain.
Pax pulled his chest up and bellowed out his readiness, and to Jae’s surprise, Pax was already on him, reaching him with three big strides and drilling his fist into Jae’s stomach, collapsing him back to his hands and knees. The world wavered. Tightness shivered up his spine, and the explosion in his gut nearly ejected out his dinner.
“Come on! Is this all you got?” Pax yelled. He flung a swooping uppercut in to smash Jae’s chin to pieces, and only through sheer strength of will could Jae spin to his right and narrowly avoid the blow that would have rendered him utterly helpless. Jae landed on his back, which offered him a clear view of the ceiling above him, but a ridged boot came in to obscure his sight, hovering over his face and ready to squash his skull flat. Jae rolled over just as the boot came crashing down, the concrete caving in under the weight.
Jae scrambled back to his feet. Fire still engulfed his gut and groin, but the adrenaline rushing through his body worked to dull the pain. Pax challenged him to make a move, banging a fist into an open hand, and hurling insults about his manhood. It was obvious by now that Jae had to avoid a stand-up fight, as Pax’s combat experience far outshined his. Jae’s only hope was to take him to the ground one more time and go from there, as he could do the most damage from that position.
Sucking in his breath, Jae stooped low and barreled towards Pax, who met the challenge by stooping low himself, and when the two collided, they were almost eye-to-eye, faces so close that Jae could smell the stink wafting from Pax’s metal mouth. Jae shifted his weight and his balance, anything to get Pax to lose his so he could take him back to the ground, but Pax counteracted each and every maneuver, moving his feet when Jae moved his, and shifting his hands when Jae shifted his. Jae could not find the advantage, the struggle stuck in a stalemate.
“Is this all you got, strong man? Come on, you can do better than this!” Pax taunted.
Jae pulled back, and lunged forward with a punch, hoping to catch Pax by surprise. A feint of hand flashed, and a parried punch caused Jae to lose his balance, pushing his momentum forward. “What?” Jae managed to say, before a metal hand shot out and wrapped its fingers around his throat, gripping it tight. He choked out his surprise, and the world tilted backwards. The hard, concrete floor drove into Jae's back, and the world flashed black, blinding him. A hard slap across the face brought clarity back to his world, and through muddled optics he saw Pax looming over him, the light above him casting his body in darkness.
“I’m going to tear you into small, little pieces then feed you to my dogs,” Pax said. He punched Jae, and the back of his head bounced off the ground. The world went black again. Something tugged at the collar of Jae’s shirt and he felt his weight being pulled upwards, coaxing him to sit up, and before he could make sense of what was happening, metal wrapped around his throat once more and wrenched it tight, causing him to gag. But it wasn't a hand this time, but rather an arm putting him in a chokehold, and the sudden shift in pain brought the world roaring back to him, but now he felt like he was drowning, submerged in the depths with no hope for escape. He tried to pull free, fighting to take in as much air as he could, but he could feel his strength abandoning him, the arm pressed against his windpipe squeezing only tighter.
“Where's that electrical bitch? She's with you, right?” Pax asked.
&n
bsp; Jae only managed to croak.
“Adam Erste's cute little sister. Andrea—was that her name? A beauty, she is. Nice plump ass, nice mother-bearing hips. Too bad she’s wasted on the likes of you. No worries though. I don’t mind sloppy seconds.”
This time Jae managed to speak. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
Pax cinched his arm around Jae’s throat just a little bit tighter. “Want to know something? Rumor has it that she thinks her brother is alive, and that she’s thinking about searching for him. I had to laugh when I heard that. I guess the poor girl didn’t get the memo. Maybe I should give her the bad news?”
“What are you talking about?” Jae spat out
Pax gave a sarcastic gasp. “You mean, you didn’t know? And all this time I figured you did, and you were just leading her on because you wanted to get in her pants. Well then, pardon my ignorance, and allow me to enlighten you.” He pulled Jae in closer. “Her brother, her precious Adam, is dead, killed by you.”
“Bullshit! He’s alive. I know he is.”
“Come on, seriously? You actually think you left the poor bastard alive? Did you not take a good look at him after what you did? You didn’t just slap him around; you caved his face in. In fact, he had no face. It was just a mound of pulp, with bits of brain, blood, and bone for added decoration. It looked more like a smashed fruitcake than a face.”
Jae tried to pull free, but the hold only tightened.
“Now, I’m pretty sure you’re wondering how we know all this. Well, that’s because we took the body.”
Jae’s eyes widened. “When?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Pax laughed. “Anyways, despite the little nip and tuck you gave to our arsonist, we were hoping Dmitri could perform a miracle and heal him, but the man was deader than dead, and sadly Dmitri can’t revive a corpse.”
“Everything you say is a lie.” Jae kicked his legs out, trying to wiggle free, but that only encouraged Pax to tighten his grip even further.
“Did I lie when I told you about Clay’s deception? Nope. Turns out I was right on that, wasn’t I, shrimp?” Jae felt Pax’s mouth draw closer to his ear. “I never lie. In fact, I’m the most honest man you’ll ever meet. I just love telling the truth. Why? Because truth is the deadliest weapon you can wield. Nothing cuts worse than the truth. Nothing. It’s like a bad smell—unpleasant and hard to take in. There’s a reason why they call it the hard, ugly truth.”
Jae continued to struggle, but the arm around his neck continued to hold strong.
“What will your little girlfriend do when we tell her what really happened to her brother? Will she switch to our side? Will she try to kill you? Will she start fucking me rather than fucking you? Or how about this delightful little scenario: maybe we’ll tell her the truth right before we kill her. How about that? We can witness the entire spectrum of emotions flash across her face—anger, frustration, fury, sadness, grief, betrayal—right before the light dies from her eyes. And maybe for a little bit of extra dramatic theatre, we’ll kill her just like how Adam killed your ginger-haired fiancée: with a hand wrapped tight around her throat. You remember that, don’t you? How Adam choked the life out of your woman? It’ll be like history repeating itself. And we’ll make you watch.” Pax laughed again. “How can you even live with yourself? You possess so-called unrivaled strength, and yet you’re such a failure. It’ll be the second time you couldn’t save the girl. And you’re supposed to be a hero?”
Jae roared, his anger filling the room. He pulled his arm forward, and swung it back as hard as he could. The sharp bone of his elbow rammed into Pax’s gut, and the force of the impact broke through the metal, giving way to the soft flesh underneath. Pax cried out, his pain ringing loud in Jae's ears, and warm saliva splattered against the back of Jae’s neck. He elbowed him again, and again, and again, blinded with rage, relentless with his attack, until Pax finally released his hold and freed Jae, who fell forward on his hands and knees. He took in sharp, desperate intakes of oxygen, the speed of which made him a dizzy and lightheaded. He delicately rubbed the rawness of his neck, and slowed his breathing down so he wouldn’t choke on it. He turned around to see Pax flat against the ground and curled inward, holding his stomach as blood leaked from an open wound. He looked up at Jae, his eyes wide and his mouth agape in a croaking whine.
Jae went over to him, staggering as he did so, and fell to a knee next to him. Their gazes met for a brief moment, and the flinching in Pax’s eyes implied a plea for mercy. Jae punched him as hard as he could. The impact left Pax hacking out broken, metal teeth, blood drooping from his lips in long, thin lines. Jae stood, reared his leg back, and brought it forward to break several of Pax’s ribs. A shudder went through Pax’s body, and blood spilled from his mouth. He rolled away from Jae in an attempt to escape, but he didn’t get far. There were tears in Pax’s eyes now, a stark contrast to the arrogant, sadistic, and gloating man just a few minutes prior.
That angered Jae. The man dared to seek compassion after mocking Madeline's death? He sought a lending hand after threatening to have his way with Andrea? Perhaps in another lifetime Jae might have shown weakness at such a pitiful sight, extending clemency to the undeserved, but that time has long since passed. Hard lessons had been learned, and he knew that with people like this, he could not afford to show consideration or mercy. Too much has been lost to think otherwise.
Jae kicked him again. More blood sputtered out from the metal man's lips, his remaining teeth painted maroon red. An expanding pool of crimson darkened the ground around Pax, but Jae didn't care. If anything, the sight of it spurred him on. His leg turned into a jackhammer, fueled by a bloodlust, digging into the body of his enemy as if his belly housed hidden treasure. His foot was hungry, and it would not be satiated until it had its fill. The sounds of crunching metal and squelching, bloodied flesh filled the room like an unending chorus, punctuated by the occasional pained groan or whimper.
Then Jae stopped. Wet with sweat and burning with exhaustion, he sat down on the ground, breathing hard, his leg throbbing. He looked over at Pax. His lips, shining red with blood, trembled vigorously, and each breath he took was a hoarse, ragged hiss, the effort of taking in air a difficult labor. He was curled into a fetal position, hugging his own stomach, where it bled in generous amounts. He would not be bothering anyone anymore, not for a long time.
Jae turned away from him, unable to look at him anymore. Not out of regret but rather disgust, as the very sight of him, even in such a pitiful state, angered him. He looked around, and noticed Tobin was not back yet. He pressed in his earpiece. “Tobin, are you there?”
No response.
“Andrea, Clay? Can you guys hear me?”
Loud breathing came through, and Andrea spoke. “Jae? We’re okay. A bit banged up, but okay. How are you doing?”
Andrea . . . I killed your brother. “I ran into Pax, but I managed to subdue him.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m pretty beat up, but I think I can manage. Where are you right now?”
“We’re hiding out in what looks like a conference room. I managed to fry the elevators and the generators, and even took out several of their people before we were chased away.”
Jae realized that the siren was no more. “Good, stay there. Once Tobin gets back, I’ll have him bring you to us.”
“Tobin’s not with you? Where did he go?”
“He went to—”
A gunshot rang out, echoing off the walls. On the floor in front of Jae, just to his left, a small bit of concrete flew off, bitten by a missed bullet shot. Jae ducked down, bringing his hands up to cover his head.
“I’m usually not that bad of a shot.”
Jae turned, slowly, and saw Rena leaning against the wall, a gun trembling in her left hand. Blood painted the left side of her face, and her right arm hung limply against her side. She was alone. Tobin was not with her.
“I really wish Dmitri was still around,” she said, and used her g
un hand to wipe the blood off her lips. “I should have asked Tobin where he was before I finished him off. Would you happen to know where our medic is?”
“Tobin is dead?” Jae asked, stupefied.
Rena leaned over and peered at something behind Jae, then shook her head. “Didn’t I tell you to never underestimate this guy? Why didn’t you listen? Now look at you, you’re bleeding out like some gutted pig.”
Pax wheezed at her, unable to formulate a response. Rena raised the gun back at Jae, but her aim was unsteady, the gun rattling in her grip. “No hard feelings, but I have a job to do. I can’t let you leave here.”
“Did you really kill Tobin?” Jae asked.
“Do you see him here?”
Jae raised his hands in a show of compliance. She stabbed the gun at him.
“Whatever you’re planning to do, it’s not going to work. I won’t miss a second time,” Rena said.
“Just let me go. I only came here to find my brother. Once I have him, we won’t bother you anymore, I promise.”
She cocked the gun. “We took him back for a reason. You don’t seem to realize—”
A long knife ran across Rena's throat, spilling blood in a sudden gust of bright red, ending her sentence into a bubbling, choked gurgle. A figure appeared behind her, bloody knife in his grip, and he pushed Rena’s fading body to the ground. As she fell, her hands reached up and gripped the open wound in her throat in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. She kicked at the air in spastic thrusts, and her body convulsed in violent shakes. She made wet, gargling choking sounds as she fought to stay alive. A desperate battle, but her fate was already sealed, and soon enough her struggles began to die down, the lights in her eyes dimming, staring off into nothing, her convulsions quieting into calmed stillness.