FEAR
Chapter Three
When I broke through the stone skin upon nightfall, I felt rejuvenated and alive, very energetic. Despite my all around good feeling, the weather disagreed with my mood, I looked up, feeling a burst of heavy rain pelting down on my head, icy cold rain – but it felt nice against the warmth of my skin.
"That was a good rest," Lexington stretched, "looks like a dismal evening," he looked up, putting his hand up to let some of the heavy rain that was falling, I heard a rumble of thunder.
"I like this weather," I remarked, I ran my fingers through my hair – which was becoming more soaked by the minute.
"Because you're dismal as well," Lexington joked.
Goliath swooped down from his very top parapet, and looked at Lex, "Lexington, you'll be going with Hudson tonight on patrol – your usual stakeout," He instructed.
"Oh no! He's so boring sometimes!" Lex muttered to himself.
I smirked a little wondering if Lexington realised how sometimes he could be boring himself – how his computer jargon and technical nonsense could make an insomniac fall asleep in seconds.
Goliath continued with what he was about to say "And Brooklyn, I'm relieving you of duty for this evening," he remarked.
"Relieving me?" I raised an eyebrow, "Relieving me? Like I previously didn't have a choice but to go on patrol?" I demanded.
Everyone around us fell silent, the only sound was the rain pelting hard against the stone floor, I saw the look in Hudson's eyes, the whine of Bronx, and Broadway rolled his eyes and shook his head, they all hated it when I stood up to Goliath, when I had the nerve to talk back.
"Am I meant to thank you for relieving me?" I demanded, my temper rose once again. I couldn't believe the nerve of Goliath, he may have been the 'leader' but in no ways did he own us.
He stood, looking down at me with that grim expression of his, his noble chin stood out as he turned his head away from me in disbelief, he could not believe I had yet again decided to make an issue out of the way he was treating me lately. "I…"
"Let me get one thing straight, Goliath," I shoved past him, my tail swishing furiously behind me as I walked, "you may be the first in command around here, but you don't own us, you can only lead us if we choose to be led," I looked over my shoulder at him, "And I, for one, choose to not be," I uttered in disgust, then left.
"Brook!!" Broadway yelled behind me, I heard him following me.
"What?" I uttered, still walking.
"Why do you do that? Why do you always have to give such an attitude to Goliath?"
"Because he has an attitude towards me, Broadway, he's had an attitude towards me ever since I became the second in command," I added.
"That's because you're not acting like a second in command," Broadway folded his arms.
"Why do you always side with Goliath? God, you all side with Goliath, you're too scared to think for yourselves…" I paused, "Your ways of thinking are old, Broadway. These are not the dark ages when we had to live by rules and regulations of a clan, we make our own rules to adjust with this new world," I uttered, with those final words, I left Broadway's company.
I ate something whilst waiting for the rest of the clan to leave for their patrol, after there was food in my belly, I felt slightly better, and got up to leave, wondering what I could do. I could always deny Goliath of his orders, and just go out on patrol anyway – but I didn't feel much like fighting tonight.
I went up to the top parapet where Goliath usually loomed as stone. I looked out over the city. The rain had not ceased and seemed almost heavier than it had been when I'd first awakened. Lightning tinted the skin the distance, flickering like the flash from a camera.
"Hey, Brook."
I looked over my shoulder, Elisa Maza was standing there, her hair drenched, her eyelashes spiky, her face ruddy from the cold.
"Elisa," I nodded in response, "How are things," I casually said.
"They're the same, dull, boring, and damp…" she pointed up and smirked a little, she moved over and leaned her arms on the battlements, "So, how are things with you?" she asked.
"Goliath is back to his arrogant ways reminiscent of days of old," I gave a heavy sigh, "sometimes I think he lives in the past too much…he acts less like a leader every day, Elisa, and more like a slave driver, I feel…as if my life is not my own these days."
"I see…did you speak to him about it?"
"I did – and lost my head."
"As usual," Elisa smirked a little, but she was only teasing. "I came to speak to you, Brooklyn," she swept her soaking wet hair back from her face, "Come inside."
We walked into the stairway, much to the previous tradition of the castle, the stairway was lit by torches, Xanatos had much tried to keep the highest parapets in the castle more or less the way they were, even if the inside of the castle was mostly modern, so it still felt like home much it had years ago.
"What did you want to speak about?" I rung my hair out a little, and made a face at the water that poured onto the floor.
"Do the names Lance Manross and Kurt Mizzoni ring a bell?" Elisa asked, she too rung out her raven hair, and dried her face with the front of her T-shirt.
"Not particularly," I admitted, "why?"
"They came in to the station four nights again claiming some creature – that fitted your description – had attacked them for no reason."
"I never attack anyone for no reason, Elisa."
"Let me finish," Elisa held her hand up, "Then this morning, we got a young woman in by the name of Alena Martin – ring any bells?"
"Not one," I kept walking down the stairs, ahead of her, not quite sure where it was going, then something she said stopped me.
"She claimed two guys, one large guy with a spider tattoo on his neck and a thin guy with a pony tail – fitting the description of Manross and Mizzoni – attacked her – and a creature, with your description saved her."
I paused, and spun around, "she reported it then?"
"Yes…her original reason for coming in was to report the attack – but when I questioned her about any other oddities about that night, she admitted to having seen you – not only that, but she told me that night after night, she watches you, up on the ledge of the old medical university that stands opposite of her building."
I looked at Elisa, not sure what she was trying to say really.
"I just thought you might like to know she knew you were there all the time – maybe you should be more careful, I know you guys like to try and avoid being seen – if she always sees you on the building, who knows how many other people do," Elisa explained.
"I'm beyond caring," I Sighed, "But thanks for the advice," I smiled a little.
"My pleasure," Elisa glanced at her watch, "Well, I should get going, I only came to talk to you, I have some work to do," she patted my arm as she passed, then wandered off, leaving me standing alone in the stairwell.
I remained there for some moments, wondering what to do now. So now, I had the name of the woman, Alena Martin, still what good did it do? "ELISA!!" I called down the tower stairwell, hoping she hadn't reached the bottom yet.
"YEAH!!!!" I heard her shouting up, her voice echoing.
"Do you have any contact details for Alena Martin?" I ran down the stairs, meeting her halfway.
"Yeah, but why?"
"Can you do me a favour and get in contact with her, please, and ask her to be at the roof of her building, at midnight tonight – and don't tell her why."
"But—"
"Please?" I looked at her, "It would mean a lot to me."
"Okay," She nodded, "do you still have that cellular phone Xanatos gave you?" Elisa asked.
"Yes…" I nodded, I thought silently, it's downstairs and not been charged for three weeks, but yes, I have it.
"Fine, I'll call you to advise whether I got through to her and whether she'll be there or not."
"Thank you, Elisa," I smiled, I put my hand on her shoulder, "it…means a lot to me."