Before Perfection
by The Great Red Dragon


Chapter 26
I'm not sure how early it was, but I'm guessing it was before six (in the morning), considering that Rebecca had not yet woken up. Still curled up against me, I could feel her breath through my fur and on my skin.
Such a little angel she was...
However, I felt that there was no more sleep coming for me, so I gently slid out of her grip and out from under the covers. Gently, I gave her a small kiss on the forehead (I felt that I was close enough to do that by now), and after making sure that she was completely serene, I jumped from the bed and made my way out the room.

The light in Riley's room was still on from the previous night; was he still up?
Curiously, I went towards the illuminating lights; I pushed the door open to its extent...and found Riley on the floor.
I panicked - had somebody come into the house and beaten him while I slept?
Quickly, I ran over to him and shook his shoulder frantically.

"Riley! Riley!", I hissed under my breath, shaking his shoulder so hard that he was tossed about.

His eyes opened quickly (but drowsily; he had been sleeping). I immediately felt relieved.

"Wha? Huh? Whas' going on?", he asked absentmindedly.

"You fell asleep, I guess", I told him, still feeling relieved but also quite embarrassed and sheepish about my past worry.

I helped him to his feet and he walked over to his bed, where he fell carelessly onto the mattress, face-first.

"I'm sorry if I surprised you...", he said in a slurred tone.
"I was up until three this morning."

"What in the world were you doing?", I asked while throwing the covers over him helpfully.

He pointed a tired finger over at the place where he had collapsed on the carpet. I looked around, and saw that his body had been covering a large pile of papers, some of them now crumpled and slightly torn.

"Take a look", Riley said as I knelt down next to the stack.
"I stayed up last night to do a bit of research and calculations...I hope it helps you."

And I looked through the piles of writing...and I was immediatelyvery surprised.
There were detailed sketches and drawings of a figure that I quickly recognized to be the Predator, and other pages of calculated estimates and assumptions about his physical status and capabilities. There were columns that suggested a possible (yet determined) fighting style, and ways to counter attacks and blows. Two whole pages (written from front to back) gave an overview about the Pred's psychological way of thinking, and how best to top him mentally.
I looked back at Riley and stared at him in disbelief. He simply smiled lazily.

"I hope that's all accurate enough", he said, still smiling.
"From your descriptions, that's what I could make out."

"R-Riley...", I said slowly, not sure what to say, while looking from him to the papers and back again.
"Wha...how did...you...I..."

Riley supported himself up with his elbow and brushed some of his hair out of his eyes.

"Before I started pro wrestling, I studied anatomy, human physics, and psychology", he informed me, with the slightest hint of pride in his tired voice.
"After I quit school, I didn't think that stuff would ever be useful again...guess I was wrong, huh?"

Again, I looked down at the papers and then back up at Riley. I reached and picked up a random page: a front profile-sketch of the Pred, that depicted what he might look like underneath the cloak. The sketch was nude (minus the private areas) and muscular: he looked like a tough cookie.
To the right of the drawing were several rows of writing.

"-and given the creature's stature and agility, it would defy the laws of physics if he weighed more than 300 pounds, but at the same time, he cannot be much lighter than 270 pounds, considering his extraordinary quickness. Therefore-..."

This was great.

"That stuff is pretty basic", Riley told me modestly.
"Probably nothing you didn't know already, but...I hope you find something that's useful to you."

My face broke into a splitting smile.

"Riley, you're the greatest!", I said happily, jumping swiftly onto the bed and hugging him around the chest.

I think I nearly knocked him over...but I felt his hand on my head, petting me affectionately.

"Hey...", he said good-naturedly, with a smile that I knew had to be there.
"Wait until I'm awake, okay?"

I let him go, and allowed him to settle back down onto the mattress.

"Mind if I sleep some more?", he requested.
"I mean, just a few more hours?"

I grinned at him.

"You don't have to ask me", I said.
"But sure, yeah. Sleep all you want. I want to study these right now."

I jumped from the bed and picked up the papers. I rolled them neatly together into a bar and placed them under my arm to hold.

"Thank you so much, Riley", I said to him, now back under the covers.
"You're really helping me out here."

Again, we exchanged smiles;
"That's what friends are for, huh?"

I made for the door and dimmed the light. Before I could leave, I heard Riley calling me back. I turned back and stuck my head back inside of his room.

"Hey", he said, sounding earnest.
"After I get up...I'm gonna teach you to fight."

I looked back at him in some surprise.

"...Riley, I thought I knew how to fight."

He looked back at me in a friendly, yet sarcastic sort of way.

"Auron, I'm a professional wrestler", he reminded me.
"You can always learn something new from me."
I sat down on the sofa downstairs, and I looked through the papers that Riley had written up for quite some time. Some of the stuff Riley had come up with was really ingenious, and the thought that he was only working with material based on my physical description of the Pred only added to his greatness.
Then again, it all made sense: most of the statements and info were the outcome of simple-yet-ongoing equations: common logic in terms of scientific-ness...but Hell, that was much more than I could've done (the only thing that I could find fault with was the basic sketch of the Pred. I should pardon Riley, because he had not personally seen the guy, but the Predator was much uglier than what Riley's pencil could draw).
I was so engulfed in my studying that I almost didn't notice when Rebecca came downstairs; Angels didn't seem to make much noise nowadays...
Hastily, I crammed all of the papers together and slid them under couch, not a second too soon.

Have you ever tried to act innocent and casual, but failed miserably in your impression? And then, the person who you were trying to fool tries to get your secret out of you?
Well, for some reason, Rebecca doesn't demand that.
I'm sure she glimpsed me stuffing something under the couch, but I wasn't questioned about it.

"Good morning, Auron...", she greeted me, dragging her way-too-big nightshirt behind her.

I grinned at her in replied greeting, and she sat down next to me on the sofa.
I knew at once that something was up: a change in her emotional aura; an alteration in her projective emotional field. Or maybe it was the fact that she didn't switch on the TV to watch cartoons. She simply sat forward, while supporting her chin on her hands, with her elbows on her knees.
I leaned forward in unison, and looked at her face concernedly, as if to ask her what was wrong.

"...I don't know what's happening, Auron", she told me without looking at me.
"I mean...I don't know why Lara is gone, and I don't know where she is...I think something happened to her. Riley keeps on saying that she's alright, but I think he's lying…I think something really might've happened to her…"

Her voice almost broke, but she saved herself with a soft, delicate sob – in turn I gently rested my hand on her shoulder; a soft assurance that I was there for her.
She turned to face me, and the start of tears was visible in her eyes. But as a single stream began to slide down her cheek, I put a finger to her face to wipe it away.
Rebecca smiled at me, and I could see the child inside her, so evidently in her sad, innocent eyes.

"So many bad things are going on…", she said to me quietly.
"But…I'm just glad that you're here."

And then, without my objection, she reached forward and enveloped me in a big hug.

"I love you, Auron", she said quietly into my ear.

I smiled into her shoulder and returned the embrace. I would've liked nothing more than to tell that I loved her as well...it would've been the truth.
Instead, I nuzzled her neck and purred affectionately. Rebecca gave me a small kiss on the nose and giggled, and I was reminded again that I was loved.
That was all I wanted to know; my own bit of reassurance.
Some time later, Riley finally came downstairs. I was told to go down to the basement and wait in the garage, and I did as I was told.
Once I had cleared the stairs, I made my way into the garage...and immediately noticed quite a change.
Large, black mats lined almost the entire floor space. A punching bag that had not been there before hung from the ceiling. Several different-sized weights and a bench-press stood off to one corner of the garage.
I was surprised, to say the least. I heard someone move behind me, and I turned around and found Riley standing in the doorway - he wearing his old wrestling attire: the barbed-wire tights, his black, lacquered boots, and a trace of The Shark's face-paint was on his face.

"Riley?", I asked, not sure what this all was.

The Shark took several slow steps into the room, and aimed a decisive, punishing kick at the punching bag. It made a loud thudding noise and swung steadily. Some dust settled from it onto the floor.

"We've got half a day to improve on your fighting skills", he stated importantly, much like a drill sergeant.
"We have half a day for you to learn all you can about how to beat your opponent: half a day to increase your strength, your agility, your stamina, and better your technique. Half a day to do what others could barely accomplish in a few months."

He gave me a look that suggested both competence and arrogance.

"You think you're up to it?"

Cockily, I raised a single eyebrow in return; oh, this was gonna be fun.

"Try me", I said.
"I'm not human."
That half day turned into Hell. Then again, it was a good kind of Hell; the kind of Hell where you can go to bed afterwards and really feel fulfilled and satisfied.
Riley had taught me all he knew about wrestling and the martial arts. In training, he would lay out a scenario in the fight with a Pred, play out an attack pattern, and show me how to evade, counter, and reverse the attack. He taught me to punch, kick, grapple, throw, and everything else. He taught me dropkicks, suplexes, arm-drags, and just about the whole rest of the handbook. He told me where the body's key reflex points are, and how to manipulate them in specific order to release a hold being applied to you.

After much manual training, we would spar – we'd either decide on a move to practice on and develop, or we would go at it freestyle.
Riley was an excellent fighter…and not just excellent for a human, but he was a true challenge for me. Riley wasn't only quick, strong, and enduring, but he also had a Hell of a lot more experience and technique than I did, whereas I was prone to make beginner's mistakes.
Riley taught me against that, too; I was slowly becoming a machine.
But aside from everything I learned, it felt more than good to spar and train with Riley. I believe that both of us had been holding back on some pent-up energy, and the opportunity to wrestle around a bit was the best medicine for both of us.

Only after Riley's watch showed ten o'clock in the evening did we decide that I had learned all I could…and now, the thought of what laid ahead of me was still the ominous dark spot on a horizon that could've been so much brighter.
I took time to think about it while I waited for my turn to shower - I sat outside the door, while I heard the water pour from inside. Rebecca was already asleep in bed, which was actually very fortunate; I must've sweated about an entire gallon of perspiration during that half day...and to be honest, I was kinda embarrassed about being seen like this (ou ever smelled a guy after he ran the triatholon?).
The door opened and Riley came out in shorts and a t-shirt, his face clear of face paint.

"Your turn", he said simply, and allowed me access.

While in the shower, I treated myself to about a quarter bottle of shampoo. I love the feel of shampoo on by body (hey, I've got a lot of fur), but it's a pain to wash out. I didn't care this time, and closed my eyes and allowed the warm water washed to soap and bubbles off of me.
Once I was done, I stood still for about fifteen minutes so that the water would drip off of my body. For an even longer time, I used the hair-drier to completely dry myself, and even brushed my teeth before turning out the light in the bathroom.
In his room, I found Riley in his room. From his bed, he was staring at the enlarged pictures of the Great Red Dragon. As I entered, he quoted:
"And there was war in Heaven; Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon; and the Dragon fought with his Angels."

He then looked over at me, and we shared a small laugh (although the phrase somehow seemed fitting).

"You ready for tomorrow?", he asked me, with the air that suggested we were talking about the college exams.

I nodded, but made verbal response - I wanted to forget about tomorrow, and give this night as much serenity as I could. But the night was running out, and I still knew what was coming for me.
Riley had tried to teach me to be confident, and I had pretended that I was...but I knew that I would be heading towards the Pred in doubt. I questioned myself if my training had been enough, and if I would have the strength to top my opponent.
Again, I denied this from Riley. I simply smiled and nodded and acted more confident than necessary.
I think that Riley carried these same worries, but like me, he was doing a good job at concealing them.

That night, we talked about a lot. I'm not sure if it was important or not; my mind was elsewhere. Heck, I'm not even sure what I myself was thinking about. Was it the Predator, the oncoming battle...or was I simply wondering if I would get up and make myself a sandwich?
Whatever it was, it was what I fell asleep with. Right then and there.
I woke up early in the A.M., feeling wide awake.

"This is it", I thought to myself.

Waiting-time had run out for me. I had reached the limit. The time had come.
I sat up...Riley had covered me with a blanket. He was still sleeping the right-ways in bed, while I lay cross-tangled near the edge of the bed-frame.
I stared at Riley for some time. I knew he would've wanted to accompany me, but that was too dangerous; I couldn't risk him too.
I sighed, and made a decision with myself: if the Predator proved too strong for me, I would give in, and bargain only for Lara's release. If I had to go to Hell, perhaps Riley's family could at least be complete again.

"But what about me?", a small voice in my head asked.
"Aren't I part of the family too?"

A tear dripped from my right eye when I realized just how much I was risking. The thought of what I could lose was enough to make me emotional...but I hastily wiped the perspiration away in defiance: I was a machine; I would have to be as hard as a rock if I wanted to get through this.
I got up, and without looking back at Riley, I marched out the door and down the stairs.

I pulled up the basement hatch and got out my bag of weapons. I knew that I couldn't carry it all because I would have to travel lightly. I went to the coat rack and pulled out an empty utility belt that I fastened securely around my waist; it held the guns that I wanted to take nicely (namely, the two Uzis, the 9mm pistol, and a single hand grenade).
Riley kept a pair of bicycle gloves where the belt had hung, and I strapped those on as well. They fit me comfortably, and would probably come in handy if it came down to a fist fight.

And then I stood there, looking tough...but feeling horrible. I kept on telling myself that I would have to have a will of steel to get through this, but the urge to cry kept on coming.

I walked towards the front door ('the Gateway to Hell')...but stopped as I reached for the door handle.
What would it be like for Riley if he woke up this morning and found me gone? What if he were to sit and wait in vain for my return? What would it be like for him if I just disappeared? After all, I might not be coming back at all…
An audible sob escaped my lips; I couldn't hold it in any longer. I didn't want to do this, and I shouldn't have to do it...but I did, and I needed to.

With my eyes watering, and the tears coming fast, I grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen, and began to write a short letter to Riley...I prayed that it wouldn't be the last.
"Dear Riley,

I'm sorry to just disappear like this, but I think I'd chicken out if I waited any longer.
Riley...I promise that Lara will come back. That you and I can be sure of; I swear only to that: I'll get Lara out of the position that she was forced into, and you all can be a complete family again.

In what lies ahead, I can see only a little bit light: a single ray of sunlight in a tunnel of infinite darkness. That darkness is what awaits me, and I now accept that I could be swallowed by that darkness…it's possible that I may not be coming back.

But Riley, you are that ray of sunlight. You are that one last glimmering ray of hope for me.

I was born and bred in a lab. Officially, I am a failed Experiment that was meant to be the ultimate fighting machine. Not only that, but I am dead, too (officially).
But I'm not! I'm not a failed attempt, I'm not a dumb-minded fighting machine, and I know I'm not dead. You proved that to me!
Riley, you and your family gave me life. It's thanks to you that I can now see the value of existence, and I know that Lara is more than worthy of it. She deserves to live, but it's up to me to decide if I am. I'll fight for what I am worth, and I hope that it will be enough.

I'll never forget you or the others. Please thank Dr. Hartrum for fixing me up twice. Tell Lara that no matter how much I disliked her, I always respected her as I should. But please don't tell Rebecca about where I'm going, or what might happen. I don't know what you should say...but please don't upset her.

Above all, I thank you, Riley, for making my short life worth living. I now know, because of you, that nothing in the universe can survive without love. If it weren't for you, I may still be breathing, but I would be an empty shell, and nothing else. I never would've felt emotions that I have, and never would've loved somebody. I never would've had a happy memory to think about before I slept at night, and I never would've been able to cry in the heart-aching way that I am now.
Emotions and feelings that I was never meant to experience…they became a part of my life, and now I am more than grateful to have them.
I'm especially grateful for the memories of you…your voice, your smell, the feel of your skin, and the times we shared together: I treasure those memories above all others.

Thank you for everything. I hope I'll be able to repay you for it all, someday, be it in this life or the next.
But no matter what happens, my dearest Riley, don't blame yourself for any of this; it's nobody's fault. It's nobody's fault.

I love you, Riley.
And I always will
."

Love,
Auron

I carefully set the letter on the living room table and left the house before anybody could've woken up.