/Chapter 6/
The poor young man drifted to consciousness. He saw he was in a hospital bed like Double D had promised, but the setting was all wrong. He could see medical equipment and his face felt numb from painkillers and strained from bandages. All this had been expected except the man in the room with him watching over him was not in a doctor's uniform, but in sweaty, casual cloths and as a silver back gorilla.
"W-where am I?" the young man asked confused and drowsy.
"You are in the hospital room," the larger one answered clearly bored.
"Who are you?"
"Goliath. You?"
"Jonny. Do you know where Plank is?"
"Who the heck is Plank?"
"Plank's about a foot tall, red eyes, plywood, and twelve years old. I would really like to know where my best friend is."
"Your best friend is a piece of wood?"
"Where is he?"
"Maybe that Nazz girl didn't bring him in or something. It's not like he can just walk away." Goliath's mind humored the thought of a wooden board sprouting legs.
"What do you mean that Nazz girl didn't bring him in?" Jonny asked skeptically. He hadn't tried to move before then, but he realized that there were three leather straps tying him to the bed. He struggled, but not to draw the attention of the imposing muscle-bound blonde.
"I thought you knew Nazz. She knows you. Either way, she's one of our employees and caught you snooping around, so she simply stopped you. She must not have noticed Plank, or what ever you called that piece of wood."
Jonny was starting to comprehend. Eddy had indeed brought them some unwanted attention so Nazz took him out and scared everyone else off. The only solution was to escape. This Goliath looked tough, but at least he didn't have any special powers.
"Do you know who I am?" Jonny asked finally.
"You are one of those kids who got those powers," answered Goliath bluntly.
"Good. Now that you know, will you get me out of here? I'm tied down to this bed and I don't really like it. Would you undo the straps?" Jonny asked. Goliath was struck by Jonny's abruptness.
"Um. . . no. You will just stay where you are."
"Why?" Jonny whined. "Come on, who would know?"
"Believe me, someone will find out you're gone."
"Fine. Since you refuse to part from the side of evil and strapping me in, I will have to fight for my freedom!"
With that, Jonny concentrated very hard. Within seconds, Ivy started to creep inside through all the cement cracks on the walls and sometimes creating their own ways of entrance.
"What the hell?" Goliath got up startled, but then smirked. "So this is what you can do, grow plants? Good to know."
Goliath drew his switchblade from his boot and flipped the blade out. Grinning, he slashed at the base of the largest vine. All that had grown from that plant had stopped growing and started over from the base again. Goliath went around the room casually slicing off the bases of the plants.
"I don't know about you, but I could do this all day," Goliath grinned. Jonny smiled and a new type of plant started to sprout, with leaves easily identifying it as poison ivy.
"Okay, now you stop." Goliath turned stern and drew his gun and aimed it at an easy target, Jonny's large head. The ivy growth was successfully stunted.
"Its funny, since you're such a big guy and that's such a small gun. Why you carrying a pistol? It looks like you're holding a squirt gun," Jonny joked. Then out of the crumbled walls, prickly vines hurled themselves at an unnatural speed towards Goliath. He dodged with his highly trained reflexes, and in response, cocked the gun and put his finger on the trigger, keeping his aim.
"If you do anything to me, my finger will slip and send a little piece of metal into that overly large head of yours," Goliath threatened.
"You got a pretty big head yourself," said Jonny, worriedly glancing at the gun.
Goliath's finger twitched, making Jonny nearly jump out of the bed, except for the fact he was still strapped down. Unknown to him, a sharp, thorny plant was sneaking up to Jonny's binds; he could snap them and he would almost be free. The intimidating muscle body man was a problem that just had to be solved. He just had to stall until the yucca plant did its job; maybe doing nothing was stalling enough. Goliath just stood there, gun raised, focused so much it almost resonated off of him.
"Night."
Jonny smiled and rested his head and pretended to sleep. Even though Jonny could no longer see Goliath, he knew he was unaffected by this ploy and stood their still as stone. Jonny turned to look at Goliath confused.
"What are you doing?" Jonny asked. Goliath didn't answer. He moved his gun as something caught his eye. The gun exploded.
BAM!
"Ahh!" Jonny shouted as the gun was fired. Then he realized Goliath had completely missed and he was unscathed; not even a scratch on him that wasn't there before. "You missed."
Jonny smiled and looked and saw that Goliath was also smiling, and the gun had returned to being pointed at Jonny's head, smoking. Then Jonny realized the target had not been missed, but changed. The plant meant to cut him to freedom was now incapable of doing so since it had been exploded.
"I don't miss that easily," Goliath answered, through gritted, grinning teeth. Jonny smiled too.
"Fine." He rested his head once again, and this time really tried to fall asleep.
Goliath stood their, arm raised. After twenty minutes, Goliath put is arm down because it was getting tired. About an hour later, he saw no harm in sitting and resting his legs, which had been standing for so long. After watching Jonny for another hour, Goliath was wondering if Albert was ever going to give him new orders; currently, the only ones were to guard him. Goliath didn't know if guarding included threatening his life, but Albert would forgive him.
Bored, Goliath finally took his eyes off Jonny and took out his cell phone and started to play a game after moving his chair in front of the only exit. After his fiftieth game of Free Cell, he finally fell asleep. Since Jonny had too fallen asleep it was all depending on who woke first that depended on what next happened in Jonny's plight.
///
Jonny's eyes fluttered open and searched the room. Damn, he thought. His capturer was still there and blocking the door no less. Jonny tried to slip under the binds but his head got stuck, so he went the other way, worming and wiggling.
Success!
With his mad Captain Melon Head skills, he crept quietly to the door and did a jumping front-flip between Goliath's dozing head and the top of the door. And with his mad Jonny skills, tripped over himself while walking and crashed his head into the floor.
"Ow," he moaned. Goliath snapped awake.
"What the hell?! How did you . . . ?!" he started, but Jonny bolted. "Screw how you got out, get back here!"
Thus the chase began.
Jonny swerved through unfamiliar hallways, barely outstretching Goliath's reach. Actually, Goliath was much faster than Jonny, but Jonny was running on pure adrenaline.
"Steroids come in handy in your line of profession, don't they?" Jonny yelled looking behind him. The elephant of a man was closing in fast, so Jonny thought quickly and jumped as high as he could. A vine shot from the ceiling, which he grabbed and yanked himself up to the ceiling out of Goliath's reach. Goliath stopped underneath him, not even out of breath.
"I don't use steroids," Goliath said glaring up at Jonny, quickly calculating a way to get him.
"What?!" He started laughing so hard that he almost fell off the ceiling.
"Is it so hard to believe that I just happen to be both naturally strong and work out a lot? Besides, steroids have some side effects I'd really rather not have," Goliath explained, stalling for time. Jonny could hold himself up there for only so long. It is would be easier for Goliath to wait him out here than if Jonny was in a warm, comfortable bed.
"It kinda is. I mean, even Rolf's muscles are weaker than yours," Jonny said grinning as he dangled like Spiderman.
"Rolf?" Goliath asked slyly.
"Right you don't know him. Well, see you later!" Jonny smiled and the vine crumbles the ceiling around him and pulled his body through to the next floor.
Goliath didn't have time to be shocked with Jonny's move. He knew the nearest staircase up was too far away for him to ever catch up with the boy. Instead, he ran to the end of the hallway and stood there, focusing like an Olympic athlete going for the gold. He blasted off at top speed and then right under the hole in the ceiling, jumped off the floor like a spring board, causing the walls around him to shake the dust off them. Goliath managed to grab a hold of a piece of floor above him and started to pull himself through the hole just in time to see Jonny round a corner at the end of the hallway.
"Damn it."
Even though Jonny thought there was no way anyone could catch him now, he still kept running like his life depended on it. He took as many sharp turns as possible so there would be less chance Goliath would find him. Unfortunately, he bumped into someone else.
"Ow!" He rubbed his head as he was sent flying on his butt. He opened his eyes and saw a pretty blonde woman rubbing her head too.
"Wha . . . why . . . Nazz! I don't want to fight you. Just move." He stood up and started to run past her, but she grabbed a hold of his ankle from where she was sitting and Jonny did a face plant.
"If you insist, Nazz." Jonny started to summon a branch of ivy when Nazz took Plank out of her jacket. "Plank, buddy!" Jonny grabbed Plank into an embrace.
"I found him outside. I was going to your room to give him to you. Nazz said sweetly. "Why aren't you there?" Jonny gave her a confused look.
"You're the same Nazz? Plank and I could have sworn you were brainwashed," he commented. Nazz looked hurt but giggled it off.
"Yeah, I'm me. Sorry about kidnaping you. I hope that Goliath dude didn't hurt you. He can be awfully scary, but I had to do it." Nazz said. "You were, like, going to find this place. Now I guess you ended up finding it anyway. You weren't supposed to get out. Not yet." Jonny smiled at her.
"Can you let go of my ankle?" he asked, but she shook her head. Jonny shook his ankle free easily because Nazz didn't hold him back.
"Thought you said you weren't going to let me go?" he asked, grinning.
"You broke free. I just simply wasn't strong enough," Nazz replied. She was lying; Nazz was a strong woman and could have easily restrained Jonny if she wanted to.
"Why are you here, Nazz? It doesn't seem like you want to do illegal things," Jonny asked.
"I don't. I'm not… I don't want to leave Kevin behind," she whispered.
"I did. The Eds did," Jonny argued.
"They didn't know Kevin like I did."
"Rolf left Kevin behind."
A tear fell down Nazz's cheek. "I miss you guys," she cried, wrapping her arms around Jonny. "Especially Rolf," she muttered.
Jonny blushed ferociously. Nazz was hugging him. True, it was not out of love for him, but it felt good. He snapped back to reality as he heard thundering footsteps closing in on him.
"Sorry Nazz, but I gotta go," Jonny said bolting off, leaving Nazz on the floor muttering to herself about how much she wanted to go back to the way things were.
Jonny saw a corridor with a dead end, but also lots of doors to different rooms. Panting, he opened a random door and went inside. He switched on a light and saw what looked like an office. It was crowded with filing cabinets and had a desk with a computer.
Jonny sat himself down and turned it on; the screen lit up blue and commanded a password. Jonny, knowing nothing of cracking computer codes, lazily typed in "password."
"Access Denied," the computer reported. Jonny glanced at Plank for a second.
"Whatever you say," Jonny replied and typed in "dorwssap."
"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" the computer asked Jonny.
Jonny was taken aback by the talking technology. He left the computer alone and began searching through files. Too bored and in too much of a hurry to actually read any of them, he just stuck a bunch under his shirt. When he got back to his house, he would have Double D read them.
At that moment, the door swung quietly open but Jonny dived behind a file cabinet. Goliath had his gun drawn and was trying to secure the room. He wasn't sure if Jonny was actually inside, as there were a few other rooms he had yet to check. But then he saw that the computer was on.
"I know you're in here Jonny. By the way, we found that wooden friend of yours. Just corporate and we won't hurt him," Goliath bluffed. Jonny looked at Goliath's blackmail in his hands and almost laughed at how ineffective the hit man's threat was. However, Jonny still couldn't escape; Goliath held a strong guard by the door.
"You can't hurt Plank. He knows people," Johnny rebutted. Goliath shot two bullets directly into Jonny's hiding spot.
"Ah!" Jonny jumped back, but he still had cover.
"Dumb move, Jonny." Goliath said fiercely. He slowly walked over behind the cabinet and loomed over a quivering Jonny. "My boss wants you alive, so I can't plug this next bullet in your head." He glanced over his body for an easy nonfatal target. "But a shot to the leg won't kill you."
"Fell for it!" Jonny yelled as a mighty redwood smacked in Goliath's side. Goliath turned and caught the charging tree as it pushed him against the wall. He was using all his strength just not to get crushed, but was completely unable to stop Jonny from running out the no longer guarded door.
This time, Jonny was going to ignore all subtly and smash through walls until he was free. He stopped focusing on crushing his foe to splinters and had the tree start breaking through walls, smashing at them with its bark and digging holes with its roots. Success!
Light from the sun poured to meet him. Jonny ran for it, as he knew someone would be coming. He had reached the city and turned to head for home.
/ Eddy /
I slammed the door behind me. Was I too brutal? I didn't mean to really hurt that annoying bastard. Next time I see him, I'm apologizing (unless he does something to tick me off right away). Everything totally sucks right now. I just need something to calm my nerves. I know exactly what.
I walked out the back door to my house. I haven't been here ever since I moved to Rolf's. True, I don't like the fact my folks died in there. Rolf's house is okay, but I miss my room. I took all the coolest stuff out, but not that awesome circle, purple bed. But my room wasn't where I was going.
"My key," I said to myself. Then, with all I could muscle, I pried the door open of my brother's room with a crowbar.
My brother's room; the most awesome room ever. I always loved to sneak in here.
I pulled open a drawer that contained everything the trunk of his car once did. He did eventually give me that car, and the keys to it in the mail. That's the car I drove to the scene today.
I grabbed one of my brother's old swimsuit magazines, preferably one with tiny swimsuits. I had magazines with girls wearing less and he did too, but just the fact they were my brother's made me happy. Everything about this whole goddamn room made me happy.
I finished, erm . . . let's call it reading, the first magazine and started to digging in the drawer for another one. I wanted a really good one this time, so I dug deep. My hand grazed over a small box. What the hell? I picked it up and saw that it was a cigarette box.
"Okay, so my big bro smoked," I said. I had even thought about it once or twice, but never started myself.
I opened the lid. You're kidding me?! It was completely full. I thought for sure that it would be empty. I took one out and put the box down. I sniffed the end and then licked it.
"I don't have to smoke it. I can just light it," I said to myself. I flicked ablaze my finger and put it near the end of the drug. As soon as it started to burn, I turned my finger off. I smirked at how awesome I was with these powers but the smoke smelled terrible.
"One won't kill me. Besides, it was my brother's, and I really need it right now," I said right before I stuck it the end in my mouth.
HOLY HELL!
I took it out immediately. It tasted awful AND it burned my tongue. Did I put it in the wrong end or something? Maybe I'm just not experienced enough. Maybe I should do it again.
I stuck the cigarette back into my mouth and sucked in. Yes, I know all the bad stuff in there (you can't know Double D and NOT know about the stuff in there), but one smoke won't do damage worth even considering. It's not like it's meth or cocaine or something really dangerous. Hey, it was the calm I was looking for.
I kept smoking as I put the remainder of the box in my pocket. Once I got back to Rolf's house, only Ed was there. Rolf was out in the fields.
"Yo Ed, where did Double D go?" I asked flopping on the couch and reached for the remote.
"He went to find Jonny. Eddy, what's that in your mouth?" Ed asked.
"I got this from my brother's room," I answered.
"What is it?" Ed said poking the end of it. I could see that his flesh was unaffected by they burning butt, but that was only 'cause of his powers. Sometimes I even forget he has them at all. They ain't flashy and cool like mine.
"Don't do that," I said turning my head so he would stop touching it.
"Can I have one?" Ed said finding the case in my pocket.
"What the hell?! No, you can't have any. Just go bug Rolf or something," I said.
I picked up the remote and turned on the TV, switching the tube to MTV. Yet another obviously scripted show; they are so stupid and such bad actors, it's hilarious. But some of the girls are hot so it's all good. I watched for a few hors when finally Double D walked in.
"Ed! Eddy! I found Jonny, and he actually already received hospital attention," Double D yelled walking in. Then he saw me. Fuck. "EDDY! Put out that cigarette!" Double D yelled in shock as a wave of water fell on my head, drenching my smoke and me.
"Now what was that for?!" I yelled at Double D. So much for my planned apology. "Why the hell did you just pour water on me?"
"Why were you smoking?!" he yelled back. "I thought I could trust you. I thought you knew how bad it is for your health. It causes cancer and contains poison for goodness sake! Sometimes I don't understand you."
"Dude, it's not like I'm addicted. You caught me on my first one. Besides, why should you care what I do to my body. Hell, for all you know my body is resistant to this shit cause of my whole fire power thing." I lied there, it was actually my second.
At that moment, Jonny came in looking infinitely better.
"Does someone smell smoke, or is it just me?" he asked.
"Eddy was smoking," Ed smiled.
"What?! Smoking is evil! It's bad for everyone and the only people it helps is greedy corporate men bent on world domination!" Jonny yelled at me. Damn hippie.
"Whatever. If you really want me to, I'll smoke outside," I said.
I walked out on the porch, past my two very annoyed and gabby friends. They followed me and started giving me all these facts and shit. I just tuned them out and lit another one. I'm only smoking this because Double D drowned my last one. I'm not going to become a smoker after two and a half smokes.
/ Goliath /
That tree hugger beat me! I can't believe it! What the hell is Albert going to use Jonny for anyway? He wasn't even going to join us, and I could tell. No matter how much smooth talkin' Albert could do, my instinct told me that Jonny was a straight flying enemy of ours.
But what's really going to get Albert pissed is the fact Jonny had stolen some files. Now I just have to tell him what happened.
"Albert?" I said walking into his office. He was talking to Kevin, who looked uncomfortable and was glad to see me come in. I remembered when Albert had pulled him close when they first met and Kevin didn't even flinch. Somehow, Albert has him shaking in his shoes.
"Yes Goliath?" Albert said. I could tell he was annoyed that I had interrupted whatever he was doing. Not a good thing for him to be annoyed when I give him bad news. Out with it right away is the best thing.
"Jonny has escaped and stolen some files," I reported. Albert showed no emotion at this news.
"Really? Are you telling me that you were incapable of handling that boy?" Albert mused.
"Albert, he wasn't going to join us. He was against me before I opened my mouth," I explained.
"Would you leave the room, my dear boy," Albert said to Kevin, who looked at Albert weirdly and started to walk off.
"You know, if you're looking for Jonny, I'm pretty sure he went home," Kevin informed us coolly.
"You know where he lives?" Albert asked stopping him.
"Oh yeah, and the guys that had attacked us on our last job live in the same cul-de-sac," Kevin shrugged, leaving.
"Apparently, you are going to do an assassin job for me for free for failing for the last job," Albert thought to himself out loud.
"Skip all the formalities and get straight to the massacre of the enemy, eh?" I said cracking my knuckles. "No problem, Albert. I'll get the address from that kid you have the hots for."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Albert said glaring at me. "You are wrong. I merely have great confidence in the boy.
"Whatever boss."
I walked out the door. I am the only one that can kid with Albert like that. If we had those stupid "Employee of the Month" things, I'd be the guy to win every time.
"Kevin," I said as I walked outside.
"Hi, Goliath. Do you think Albert is coming on to me?" Kevin asked abruptly.
"No Kevin, Albert just merely has great confidence in you," I regurgitated what my boss said and socked his shoulder playfully. "By the way, do you know exactly where Jonny's house is?"
"Why? What are you going to do?" Kevin asked as if knowing knowing exactly what I was going to do.
"I'm just getting my captive back," I answered. Kevin wasn't sure to believe me or not.
"Rethink Avenue. It's in Peach Creak," Kevin answered.
"No shit! I know exactly where that is! Thanks man," I said and walked off. Kevin looked like he knew that he has going to Hell for snitching. I didn't care. If there is a Hell, I'll be giving him company.
I had been to Rethink Avenue before. Hell, I lived there once. That's how I got into the whole business, by living in the same neighborhood as David. He's the one that told me about all this stuff.
I heard voices come from only one house. It's time for work. I walked up to the front door, gun in my pocket, ready for the massacre. I started to tense up. I always did before I pull the trigger to someone's head.
I rang the doorbell. I hope it would be Jonny who answered; I could plug him first and then threaten the others and then plug them. I hope they don't have too good powers. I am skilled, but if Jonny could do a number on me, who knows what his friends could do. Crap, don't even think of backing out, Goliath.
I heard someone coming to the door. Kill mode. I reached for the gun in my pocket. The door opened, but not by Jonny. It was someone I hadn't seen in years and the last person I even wanted to put a bullet through.
"Big brother! What . . . what are you doing here?! Ah, what the hell, give me a hug!" Eddy said as he gave me a big glomping hug.
What the HELL?! I slid my hand off the gun in my pocket.
"So, what brings you here. Boy, you fucking changed," Eddy said stepping back from me. I was still in shock. "You dyed your hair blonde, cut it, and shaved your beard. You look like some sort of thug or something," he joked and punched my arm. Oh shit!
"You look different too," I commented. What am I going to do?!
"Hell yeah, dyed my hair too. Still got the spikes though, but lost my fucking gut," he said pulling up his shirt. He swears so much around me, trying to act tough. "Hey, remember the guys, Ed and Double D? Well, we're hanging out with these other dudes, Jonny and Rolf. Come inside, big bro."
He's living with Jonny? He's Jonny's friend? As if in a trance, I walked inside with my eager baby brother pulling me along.
"Hey, look who dropped down for a visit!" Eddy showed me off as I walked in and saw an older Ed, and older and bluer Double D, that foreign dude I tormented, and Jonny. I am busted.
"Eddy! What are you--" Jonny started.
"Hey, everyone! Meet Michael, my big brother!" Eddy said proudly.
"Your brother?!" the two Eds shouted in surprise.
"Michael?!" Jonny exclaimed at the same time.
"Sweet Nana's trousers! Rolf must protect his chickens!" exclaimed Rolf.
"I need to pee. Where's the bathroom?" I asked. Eddy looked at me oddly but then smiled widely.
"What the hell?" he laughed. "Well, you got to do whatever the fuck you have to. It's down the hall and the second door on your left."
As I walked off, I heard Double D say something about not cursing. I found the bathroom and locked the door behind me. What the hell am I going to do? I have to kill my own brother; my own fucking brother and his friends. True, an enemy is thrown into the mix, but that doesn't matter as much as killing my own blood. Killing him is out of the question.
I don't want him working for Albert either. I don't want him risking his neck for me. If I tell Albert the truth of why I didn't kill him, he's going to ask me to recruit him. Albert is obsessed with getting these super powered people. Oh shit, this is bad.
Why Eddy? Why here? Wait just a fucking minute. Why isn't he living with our folks? Oh right, I remember. Jimmy said something about all the . . . parents . . . dying . . . .
Oh shit.
"They're dead," I whispered to myself. "Oh my God, they're dead." My parents are dead and I am sent to kill my brother, or have him work for Albert. And worst of all, Jonny's probably going to tell Eddy right now what I've been doing and what I did to him. I walked out of the bathroom and I saw Jonny standing there.
"Why are you crying?" he demanded.
"Am I?" I asked. "Strange. Well, I can't control what my eyes do. But I just realized why Eddy is no longer living with our folks is because they're no longer living."
"I understand, but that changes nothing. I'm not going to tell Eddy," Jonny said. "I have a feeling that if I do, he'll join you, as he admires you far more then you deserve. He started smoking today because he thinks you did." He spoke more seriously than I had ever heard the boy talk, even when I had him at gunpoint. Actually, he was hardly serious when I had him at gunpoint.
"I don't smoke. Never did," I told him truthfully. I had plenty of friends who did when I was still at home. They came over to my house often and once tried to get me to start. They were my friends and understood me turning them down.
"Liar," he sneered. "You lied about your name being Goliath too, eh Michael?"
"Did you honestly believe that I was born with the name Goliath?" I asked him, drying my eyes and arranged myself so not even Albert could tell I had a weak moment.
"It's a biblical name. People are named after holy guys all the time," Jonny shrugged.
"You need to study your scriptures more, cause Goliath ain't holy," I said and walked back to my baby brother and his friends.
"So what brings you here, big brother?" Eddy said smiling with incredible perk. He's always perky or scared half to death around me, and swearing too. But I have seen him not around me and he is nothing like that. Then again, I haven't seen him in years. He really does look up to me.
"What the hell do you think? To see you, pipsqueak," I said and gave him a noogie. Haven't done that in the longest time. Ed and Double D started to giggle.
"What is this pipsqueak? Did he not come to see the three-haired-Ed-boy?" Rolf asked.
"What?!" Eddy snapped at his two best friends.
"Pipsqueak!" Ed shouted and flopped on the ground laughing.
"What's wrong with that? I haven't seen him since he was ten, not counting that hysterical as hell video you mailed me two years later." I started to laugh at the memory of that jock Kevin giving Eddy a wedgie with his bike.
Then it hit me; Kevin is now working with me. Maybe I should watch that video again.
"Oh, that video," Eddy said embarrassed.
"By the way, Double D, you're a shitty cameraman," I chuckled.
"Why do the two of you insist on swearing and butchering the English language?" said Double D folding his arms. "I swear, you affect Eddy too much,"
"Double D, don't swear," Eddy said burst out in hysterical laughter. It's not that funny, bro.
"Where are mom and dad?" I asked knowing the answer perfectly well. It seemed natural to ask it at that moment. Everyone turned quiet.
"They died," Eddy said looking straight into my eyes, while everyone else looked down.
"What?" I choked.
"It's true," Double D said.
"Shut up," I snapped at him. He started to quiver. I stood up and walked out on to the porch. Even though I figured this out earlier, it still hurt and I still had emotions. It was hard squashing them but this was the moment to let it out. So I smashed a wooden chair once sitting on the porch to the cement walkway outside Rolf's house. Senseless violence. My violence rarely made sense.
I hadn't seen my parents in eight years. When I was living with them, I was always in my room and avoided them; I always thought they were some of the lamest parents in history. I never really knew them. And now that they are gone, I never will.
My baby brother walked next to me and awkwardly patted me on the back. I turned my head around and shot him a glare I meant not to do. He recoiled and my face softened.
"How did this happen?" I asked.
"You are not going to believe this," he said.
"I have a feeling I will."
"Well, Ed, Double D and I found this gas-containing thing out in the junk yard," Eddy started. "Well, it broke and infected the entire area, killing all the entirely grown up people and well . . . gave the rest of us superpowers."
Eddy shrugged, looking at me whether or not I believed him.
"Okay, lets see these powers," I responded.
"Huh? You believe me?" he said shocked.
"Why not? Show me some powers," I said.
"Then follow me inside." He went inside the house and I followed. "Hey boys, he wants to see our powers!" Eddy shouted to the others. He then turned to me, displaying the showman side of himself.
I got a nice show of each of them displaying their powers, and it was quite entertaining. I hung out with them for about half an hour. Jonny wasn't kind to either my brother or me. But then again, neither my brother nor I were kind to him.
"Nice to see you again. I have to go," I said and turned to the door.
"WHAT?!" everyone yelled.
"Why so soon?" Eddy asked.
"My parents just died you dumbass. I'm going to pay my respects. Where are they?" I asked.
"Their buried by the creek," Eddy answered.
"You buried them? In the neighborhood? Convenient," I said walking out. I left my stunned brother with his stunned friends.
///
Goliath sat in front of a small, square foot screen television in his room. He had been digging through old things for half an hour before he found the tape he was looking for. He was just about to play it when Albert walked in on him. Immediately, Goliath shut off the tape and the screen automatically changed to play Channel 3.
"A cooking show, Goliath? Or did you just turn it on?" Albert asked sitting next to him on the bed turned to face the small television.
"Yeah, just turned it on," Goliath lied.
"You're lying. If it's pornography, you know you shouldn't be embarrassed," Albert said comforting. "I already know you watch it." Bastard.
"I don't care about getting embarrassed, but fine. It's a movie my brother sent me when he was twelve. It's pretty funny, though he doesn't mean it to be."
"Rewind it. I want to see it."
"There's nothing to see, but fine." Goliath pressed rewind and prayed that Albert didn't recognize anyone though the chances of that happening was near nonexistent.
"I assume with you returning, the mission was a success?" Albert asked. He got no answer. "What did you do wrong?" Albert automatically assumed.
"Nothing," Goliath said as he pressed play.
Hiya bro! What's up? It's me, Eddy!
Ten minutes later the video ended.
"You have quite an imaginative brother," Albert said standing up. "And one prone to a lot of violence. Actually, that is a very violent neighborhood. Some of those people look awfully familiar though.
"They should. If you remember, I used to live in the same cul-de-sac as David. Maybe you saw some people you recognized from there." Goliath ejected the tape.
"So all these are the affected children? What ability does your brother have?" Albert asked.
"How the hell should I know?" Goliath flopped on his bed.
"You just killed him, didn't you? I assume he tried to defend himself."
"I didn't kill my brother or his friends, and I am not going to."
"Not even if they try to kill you? That might very well happen."
"Until then, I see no reason to."
"I don't ask people to do things like that. The job is usually done sloppily or not done at all, so I'm relieving you from the assignment."
"Are you getting someone else to kill them? You know that they didn't do anything yet. You're just taking unnecessary precautions," said Goliath.
"You know that this news is already spreading. It's almost common knowledge of Jimmy, Nazz, Kevin, and Sarah trashing those buildings. I read one paper that even had a picture of three other girls with the rest of them outside a hotel, and I am sure tomorrow's paper will be of your brother and his friends fighting our friends," explained Albert.
"This organization can only remain hidden if the public continues to think that these random acts of violence are not only random, but also unorganized. The more spectacle we have on both sides, the less people will focus on why they have powers, and what they are doing with them, and to the mere fact that they have powers.
"Goliath, I want you to go back there and recruit--"
"Recruit! Is that all you do, recruit? Who do you think you are, the fucking ARMY?!" Goliath stood up in a fit of rage. He was not going to let Eddy be like him.
"Sit down, Goliath. You are too quick to judge," Albert said calmly.
"Quick to judge?! I know you almost as well as you do and I heard the word "recruit" come out of you. I . . . I don't want my brother working with you." Goliath sat back down and started to shake. "I'm too emotional."
"You're human and sometimes you forget that. I don't understand why since we all are," he sighed. "What I want you to do is recruit the enemy as the enemy."
"Say what? You want them fighting?"
"Of course."
"But you wanted them dead!"
"Now, you weren't going to kill your own brother, were you?" Albert smiled at me.
'That bastard KNEW!' Goliath thought. He could feel his fists clench and his face redden.
"Train with him. Develop his skills and try seeing him more often. We don't want him getting killed, now do we?" said Albert
"He started smoking today for me," said Goliath.
"Why? You don't smoke."
"I know."
Goliath left Albert in his room and headed to the weight room. Whenever he had angst in his life, he took it out in his workout; he would hate himself if he let it out through a show of tears again. Kevin walked in as Goliath was on the standstill bike.
"You okay, big guy?" Kevin asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Goliath grumbled.
"You are peddling the crap out of that cycle and I thought that was my forte," Kevin chuckled. Goliath only peddled harder and the gears started to squeak in strain.
"Dude, slow down. You don't want it to break, do you?" Kevin said more urgently.
"It wouldn't be the first time," Goliath snarled but slowed down to a stop anyway. "You wanted to talk to me?" he asked.
"Now why would you think that?"
"You're still here."
"Whatever, but yes."
"You want to confide in me?" Goliath was shocked at the look in Kevin's eyes. He was going to unload on him and he hated being the shoulder that people leaned on. That is supposed to be a perk of being cold but Kevin wasn't getting the hint.
"Just some stuff. First, I know you said he wasn't, and maybe I'm just paranoid, but I still think Albert was coming on to me. Second, Nazz hardly spoke to me since we came here and I still love her and . . ."
Kevin widened his eyes at what slipped out and shut himself up. Goliath was equally shocked that Kevin unloaded such a secret to him, the most menacing guy he knew.
"Well, you can trust me in saying that Albert is not coming on to you. He was once married," Goliath said not wanting to talk about feelings.
"Did she die?" asked Kevin.
"No, she left him."
"I thought it would have been a murder scandal."
"So did I." They both chuckled. There was a silence; a very awkward silence.
"Can I tell you something?" Goliath asked. He felt it was his turn to confide. "I knew you before I kidnapped you, but I didn't realize it until today."
"Really?"
"I'm Eddy's brother."
"HOLY HELL!!" Kevin leapt back and tripped falling back over the treadmill. Goliath stood up and left the room.
