Once again, short note. Now this is a short chapter, really short, and forgive me at the end! Warning-This is why it is rated T, aside from swearing.
When Roach woke, he was tied with duct tape to a human shaped target that was just his size. He had a knot growing where the punch had been dealt, and it throbbed like nothing else. He cursed under his breath. What was happening? Surely, courtesy of Ozone and the others. Sure, he was right. Once his vision had focused, standing in front of him was Ozone, Meat, Chemo, Worm, Scarecrow, and Rocket. All of them looked extremely mad and set on revenge. Roach tried frantically to tug on the tape binding him, which only caused laughter to rise from the crowd in front of him. Roach grit his teeth. Whatever was waiting for him wasn't pretty. Ozone stepped forward, his face a menacing mask of fury bent on revenge. His voice was a shallow snake like hiss when it spoke, Roach wanting to jump back and away. "So, Roach, about to be beaten running after his little sister, huh? Daughter, even? How sweet. Well, she isn't here right now. Sorry to inform you." Roach tried to open his mouth, but found he had duct tape covering that also. How hadn't he noticed that before? Ozone laughed again, sounding like something from a horror movie. "Now, sorry about that too. Have to make sure this stays, you know, within this little area. Wouldn't want news of this slipping out. Well, not that this is news. The only news there is going to be is how a young man in task force 141 was up late night in the training course, slipped on the stairs, suffered devastating breaks and bruises, eventually dying at the bottom before morning comes. Oh, yes, Roach, I am that angry." Roach felt his eyes widen. They were going to kill him? Kill? Roach struggled once more. "Oh no" The voice hissed again. "It is too late for that."
Roach knew it was. He was a goner. A long rod that looked like a metal pipe was tossed from Worm's hand right to Ozone, who held it like a bat. He looked at Roach for a second, mockingly, pretending it was hard to pick a place. He decided on the arm, and took a swing. Roach felt stars explode through his body as a metal pipe smashed down on his arm, the snapping of bone the only sound that you could hear in the near silent range in the dead of night. Ozone only laughed and stepped aside to let Worm step up. "I bet you are confused now" the ex-navy SEAL's voice scratched. "Why. We are all sick of you and Ghost being best friends, all the time. You get chosen to be with him all the time. That's it, jealousy. Oh, and that whole the mask coming off thing. That has pissed us all off big time. He is a coward, and you still stand by him like he belongs. Now, he is working us to death. Thank you so much, worthless Roach." With that, Worm slammed his fist into the unsuspecting side of Roach. It was too bad the duct tape was blocking his screams, because
If they weren't, he would be rescued. People on the other side of the world would have been able to hear him.
Roach had lost count of how many rounds. One? Two? Thirty? Each man had come, taken a swing, or a bat, in Ozone's case, making sure he got their reason for hating him. The pain was excruciating. Roach had broken bones before, but always one at a time. Never two arms and a leg (once again, thanks to the metal pipe) and possibly a few ribs. Roach tensed as Rocket stepped up again, and took a swing at his face. Roach knew it didn't take much for a nose to break. Well, there was more than "not much" behind this fist, and Roach heard it snap the same time he felt the pain. Tears came to his eyes for the first time that miserable evening, the blood beginning to pour freely down his face. It fell to the dust on the ground in drops and rivets, making it appear a dark brown. Roach wanted to gag. It all hurt so much. Ozone laughed along with the rest of the group, explaining in a fairly loud voice. "Glad to know your face is going to look like your precious Ghost's so soon. Isn't it?" Roach could barely distinguish the words through the white pounding that filled his head. One thought kept coming to him- Why aren't I unconscious? This was a question that Roach could not answer. He felt like a lamb set for slaughter, a man strung up to crucify, here on a target, beaten to death. It was a pretty pathetic way to go.
Roach was still in the foggy land of near black out when he heard a familiar sound. That soft, swishing sound that alerted one to a knife slipping out of its sheath. Roach peeled open the eyes his body was telling him to shut Ozone was right by him. "I don't care if your death doesn't seem so accidental anymore. I just want you do get what's coming for you." With that, Roach had no time to prepare for the blade of a knife to sink into his cheek, and drag down in the shape of Ghost's scar. Roach screamed through the tape, as loud as he could with it, trying to voice the fiery pain that filled his whole being from the liquid flame that was on his face. Ozone laughed as Roach shut his eyes, trying to block out the pain. Suddenly, as the knife was poised to make another mark, a familiar voice screamed into the space around them. "Get the hell away from him or die!" The voice snapped Roach away from the black abyss that threatened to claim him. He knew that voice… Didn't he?