Author's Note: This chapter is a bit of a doozy, but I'm very proud of it. Please enjoy!
Unexpected
By: Mad Betrayal
"It is only the great hearted who can be true friends. The mean and cowardly, can never know what true friendship means…"—Charles Kingsley
Chapter 42 ~ Savage Garden
Brad didn't trust them. Not at all. The scientists, the military… He felt it. They were going to do something terrible to Petubast. He just knew it. But he would stop it. He would be sure to protect the Mana Cetra and get them back to their kind. Brad sat in a chair beside Petubast who was being held in a transparent, square containment unit. Locked, of course. But, at least, they were alone. For now. Finally.
It's been quite some time since the incident during the "Befruchtung". That's what that man had called it—the pollination process executed by the Mana Cetra all over the world. The two men who had caught on fire and received their "marks" were now in an isolated tent under constant surveillance. They were still unconscious. It was the second day of the expedition and Dr. Heinz had been interrogating Petubast through most of it, with Lieutenant Steiner monitoring and listening close by. Petubast had repeated everything verbatim he had divulged to Brad and the others. And they had had to do so several times for…whatever reason—probably just to satisfy that pencil-nosed ramrod. Dr. Heinz had been, for lack of a better word, ecstatic at the ramifications the Mana Cetra's pollen would create.
But Brad had stayed vigilant through it all, refusing to leave Petubast's side even for a moment. He hadn't slept. He hadn't eaten. Lloyd looked after him by bringing him bottled water every now and then after Brad had refused to eat. He just wasn't hungry. His nerves were too shot, and his stomach stayed twisted in knots. But at least he was warm, having redonned his decontamination suit, though he left the hooded visor off.
Lloyd, Kai, and Zane hadn't, though. Their colors and affiliations were shown as bright as day, and they had gained some infamy from it…for whatever reason. They performed further patrols than the soldiers could, while Nya gained information by internetworking. But his new friends made sure to check up on him and Petubast when they could.
(Please go and rest, Milordy. You've been with, I, Petubast, for a while now.)
"I'm fine." Brad eyed the two large silhouettes stationed right outside their tent with a grimace before returning his gaze back to his floating companion. "How're you?"
The big Mana Cetra twirled.
(As spry as the roots of a golemhopper tree! Although I, Petubast, do miss direct sunlight. It's really weird in here.)
"Just hang on, okay? It can't be much longer. They'll let you outta there soon and you can get home with the others."
Petubast reached out with their plethora of luminescent tentacles and touched the glass nearest to Brad.
(Don't forget about Loni. They are counting on you to stay healthy, Milordy.)
Brad bit back another false platitude and just shook his head. He hadn't forgotten about Loni. How could he? The little Mana Cetra was now a part of him, and he felt it too… Every now and then. It was kind of like a tickling sensation he would feel, and it always emitted from his stomach—from where Loni had first entered him. Brad had concluded that that was what the "suckling" part Petubast had mentioned was. So, no, he hadn't forgotten about Loni.
But he also wasn't fine either. Ever since he had consciously used his powers…he had started seeing things. Nothing new when he looked at things regularly. It only happened when he closed his eyes for longer than a blink. Strange, bluish-green veins would appear behind his eyelids. Then, synapses in his brain would just start firing off, sending him bizarre, off-white images like some sort of crazy radar. Brad had been too caught up in protecting Petubast to mention it to anyone. But then again, maybe there wasn't anything to mention. Maybe it's just sleep deprivation… Maybe…
"Brad."
The brunet's head snapped up at the slight whisper of his name to see Lloyd slip through the tent flap. Brad might've stood up a little too fast, as he teetered on his feet when he did so. His friend's hands were on him in an instant. "Whoa. Easy."
Brad gazed into the crimson depths of his crush and managed a small upturn of the lips. "Hey, Lloyd."
He received sharp scrutiny in return. "You look tired. Even more so than you did before."
Brad swallowed the 'I'm fine' he was about to let tumble from his lips and instead did something a more well-rested Brad would only ever dream to do. He writhed his arms around the green ninja's waist and leaned up to nuzzle the crook of the blonde's neck, his teeth teasing the edges of the other master's cowl. He heard the hitch in Lloyd's breath and let himself smirk. "Show me your face, Lloyd."
"Uh…Brad?" Although Lloyd sounded unsure, the fact that he returned the embrace boosted Brad's confidence.
"Take it off." Bless the First Spinjitzu Master Lloyd's arms felt so good around him. He could feel it through the stupid suit—the care, the security…so amazing. "Please?"
"I…can't."
"Why not?" Brad let his hands reach up to grip and squeeze the line of strong shoulders. His reward was a pleased grunt from his friend.
"Can't do anything stupid."
It was barely uttered—breathless, but Brad heard it anyway and leaned back to look at Lloyd, the other's ruby red eyes unequivocally sad. "Whaddaya mean?"
He brushed back a few locks of Brad's hair behind his ear and said, "You're probably feeling a little loopy by now. It happens. Here." Lloyd shrugged off the shoulder strap bag he was totting around and reached inside to take out a bottle of water and a plastic-wrapped sandwich. "It's uh—peanut butter and jelly with banana slices. I remember back at Darkley that you—um…really liked them, so…"
Brad took the offered items with a bemused frown, looking from them, to Lloyd, and back down to the items again. Lloyd didn't answer his question. Or maybe he did. Kissing him would be stupid, wouldn't it? Even though they almost committed fully to it yesterday. But that was a mistake, wasn't it? A stupid mistake.
What the hell was wrong with him? They were just friends. If it wasn't obvious then, it sure as hell was now. Lloyd was just here to support him. Nothing else. And that would have to be enough.
"I hope you'll eat and rest now, Brad. You really need it. You need to take better care of yourself. I mean, I know you—"
"No, I get it." More awake now than he ever was, Brad met Lloyd's gaze with barely masked hurt and disdain. "I get it. And you're right. Thanks, Lloyd."
"I…" The confusion was there, even with most of his face obscured. Lloyd's eyes were expressive…and very beautiful. Stop it. "I can take you to an empty tent where you can rest."
"I can find it myself, thanks." Brad averted his gaze to the exit, unable to look at the blonde anymore. "Will you be able to look after Petubast while I'm gone? If not, then—"
"I can. I—"
"Good." With his heart pounding in humiliation, Brad made his exodus, not stopping even when he heard Lloyd call after him. He was immediately assaulted by the cold, dry air of the gray world upon his exit, but he didn't falter and marched on betwixt the armed guards. He didn't really have a destination in mind, not really wanting to rest anymore and just wanting to get as far away from Lloyd as possible.
The perfect rows of black tents amidst the scattered orange of personnel reminded Brad of a very mundane Halloween. Was Christmas truly right around the corner? It didn't seem like it. Not at all. He received more than a fair share of wary glances from the faceless people in orange suits, some going out of their way to give him a wide berth. So stupid… He hoped they wouldn't have to stay here much longer, amongst these dumbass people. If only they could just free Petubast, return to the Honeycomb to collect the rest of the clan, and then set off for the Bounty. From there, all Brad would have to focus on was getting stronger.
That should've been his number one goal to begin with. Who cares about anything else?
"Hey, Brad! Wait up!"
Brad turned to see an orange suit jogging towards him, the clear visor revealing Nya's fair visage. He stopped to allow her to catch up. Once she did, she just looked at him, her brow crinkling with worry. "Hey, are you okay?"
Why was everyone asking him that? Did he really look that terrible? "Yeah." He pursed his lips stubbornly. "Why?"
Her gaze remained steady on him. "Well, you're crying."
Shit. Brad hurriedly wiped at his eyes. "Just the cold air," he improvised. "But it feels nice to take a breather, yanno?" If there was anything his teachers at Darkley's had taught him well, it was how to tell a convincing lie on the fly. And thankfully, Nya ate it up, an easy smile curving her lips.
"It is good to see you finally taking a break. Oh, I didn't mean to hold you up," she intoned, gesturing to the food in Brad's hands.
Honestly, he almost forgot about the items he was carrying. Almost. "It's alright. Hey, are you hungry?" He held out the sandwich to her. "I already ate one and thought I wanted another, but I'm good. So, do you want it? I'd hate to waste food." Sure, he was being spiteful and petty. But at least he wasn't going to just throw it in the trash.
"Sure! Thanks!" She exclaimed, taking the offered food. "What kind did you make?"
"Peanut butter and jelly with banana slices." Brad smiled. "Trust me, it's good."
Nya unwrapped the sandwich and removed her hooded visor, taking a bite, her eyes instantly closing in bliss. "Mmmm, 'anks. I was feelin' a lil' peckish."
"Happy to help. Any new news on your front?" Brad continued walking and Nya fell in step beside him.
"Mm," she licked her lips and swallowed. "Nothing too good, honestly. The aftermath of the meteor shower had produced some sort of EMP cloud that had disrupted all aerial frequencies and electronic devices for a while. Fortunately, however, it dispersed sometime last night, and Ada was able to dispatch a few drones to cover more distance and get some video footage to take back to the Honeycomb."
"I heard that all of the patrols had reported nothing but devastation."
Nya nodded. "Yeah, and it gets worse. From what the drones have surveyed so far, New Ninjago City is over 73% destroyed."
Brad winced. "Well, at least they have the Honeycomb, right? They'll be able to live comfortably until their homes are rebuilt."
"Yeah, but it's still sad, you know? Their lives were destroyed and during the most joyous time of the year to boot."
"Could be worse—they could be dead. I don't think their lives were destroyed, just their homes, which can be rebuilt. You can always start over, but you can't bring back the dead."
The first feather touch of snow fell upon Brad's cheek and he looked up into the gray. Flashes of his dead parents lying on the living room floor in a pool of blood tormented his mind and he gritted his teeth against the memories. He could still smell if sometimes—the blood, the soot, and the alcohol laced in Clouse's breath. Brad shuddered.
"You know, you should pull on your hood," Nya advised, pulling her own hooded visor back over her head. "This doesn't look like the type of snow to stick. It's going to get wet and miserable soon."
"I'm fine," Brad muttered. The snow wasn't the problem. Or maybe his petty rebellion wasn't done running its course. Either or, he trudged on.
"But I did get some good news," Nya prattled on. "Even if it is kinda off topic." She smiled warmly. "Ada invited me to her and Aaron's wedding this summer! And Not only invite, but she actually asked me to be her Maid of Honor! Can you believe it? She was really shy and awkward about it too. It was cute. Jay's going to be there, of course. And I'm sure Cole wouldn't mind being my date."
That jostled Brad a bit. While he knew it was none of his business, he's been a little curious about what exactly was going on between Cole, Jay, and Nya. There's been a number of conflicting things he's bared witness to. The most recent being Cole risking his life just to save Jay. Aaron he could understand—they were family. But Cole and Jay… Although they've known each other for years (as was told to him by Lloyd), they were just friends, weren't they? Was risking your life for a friend common? Was platonic love just as strong as romantic love? Or was one clearly stronger? Was it dangerous that he didn't know?
"You and Cole?" He made sure to keep his tone light and unobtrusive. "What about Jay and Cole?"
A perfectly slender eyebrow quirked up, inquisitive. "What about them?"
"Well…aren't they…together?"
Out of all the reactions for Nya to have to Brad's question, the least he was expecting were peals of laughter. "Oh my god, no!" She burst, nearly bent over with mirth. "Not too long ago those two were at each other's throats fighting over me. It was pretty damn annoying too! I'm glad they made up and everything, but no, Brad. No," she released a few more breathless chortles, looking as if the young man had made her day, "Jay and Cole are not together. Trust me. Their just best friends."
She then sobered and gave him a pointed, borderline pitying look. "You should be careful, though. Don't confuse friendship with romantic intentions, especially not between two men." Her chocolate brown eyes suddenly widened. "Oh! Is that what's wrong with you? Are you just confused about your feelings for Lloyd?"
Brad stopped walking, as did Nya, his eyes just as wide as hers now. However, before another word between them could be uttered, a soldier jogged up to the pair. "Ms. Hayabusa, Lieutenant Steiner is requesting your presence in her tent ASAP."
Nya nodded. "I'll be right there."
When the soldier left, Nya returned her attention back to Brad. "If that is the case, there just might be some hope for you. Take some time to really evaluate your feelings, Brad. Maybe find a nice girl. You may then start to really feel something."
Brad's mouth stayed agape as he watched the only female in their clan leave him behind. What? She wasn't right…was she? A sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach, leaving him feeling weighted albeit hollow at the same time. A cold rush of air stole his breath then and tossed his dark, inky tresses all about his face. He stumbled back only to be caught by a pair of hands gripping his shoulders.
Shivering and misty-eyed, Brad peered up into the face behind the visor, an attractively freckled face set upon by a pair of concerned, lime-green eyes. The young soldier looked about themselves once before a truly empathetic expression fell over his countenance. Without a word, he guided a befuddled and distraught Brad through the rows of tents and persons until he peeled back the flap of one and ushered the younger man inside.
The warm air of the interior was an instant relief to Brad's freezing and sodden face. The numbness of his ears and nose quickly dissolved. He nearly collapsed onto the nearby cot, all the while eyeing the small personal heater sitting innocuously in the corner. A few wayward tears slipped from his eyes as he gasped in a breath and he licked his chapping lips for no other reason than to ground himself back into reality.
It didn't help.
With a strangled whimper tearing from his throat, Brad's hands flew up to his head, fingers splayed to claw at his scalp. Unfortunately, his next instinct was to squeeze his eyes shut—a futile attempt to block out the sporadic pounding of his heart. The greenish-blue veins splintered behind his eyelids a moment later. And then, the images began to appear in his mind's eye. Flashes of off-white topography of a place from nowhere pulsed in and out. The silhouettes came next—only two, then three, then four, and then a hundred more. Their bodies hunched over and walking on all fours, snarling jaws and high-pitched shrieks pierced his psyche, leaving the reverb to thrum through him and clench his soul into a vice.
He felt hands on him.
Then nothing.
*~XxX~*
Brad awoke gasping for breath as if he had been submerged underwater, the echoes of a gunshot ringing in his ears. His gaze flitted about anxiously. A tent. Liam had taken him inside a warm tent. But now he was feeling a little too warm. He found the young soldier sitting in a chair in front of a small table where an open laptop and a steaming white mug sat. His decontamination suit was flung across the back of the chair, leaving the handsome, ginger-haired man wearing a black tank top, pants, and boots. A pair of dog tags on a silver chain around his neck jingled when he turned wide eyes to Brad.
"That was fast. I was expecting you to be out for much longer considering your condition."
Brad's shaky hands were on his suit. He was getting too hot. "H-H-How long was I out?"
Gunshot… Gunshot…
"Not even fifteen minutes." Liam got up and came over. He kneeled down next to Brad and helped him unfasten his suit. "I was going to go get one of your friends, but I was afraid of leaving you alone. I'm glad I decided against it. Unless you want me to go grab someone for you now? Kai and Zane are still on patrol, but I'm pretty sure Lloyd and Nya are somewhere in camp."
Brad blanched at both names and quickly shook his head. "Alright. Whatever you want," Liam said, his dulcet tones low and even. "But I need you to calm down a bit, okay? Your pupils are dilated…" Brad shrugged out off the top part of the suit and Liam's fingers immediately went to his wrist, pushing up the long sleeve. His lips pursed worriedly. "…and your pulse is erratic. Deep breaths, okay? Together."
Brad tried. One breath at a time and following Liam's lead. His gaze soon landed on the length of the soldier's arms—toned and strong and peppered with freckles all the way up to shoulders. He vaguely wondered if they were on his back too. Brad remembered freckles…and glasses. But blue eyes instead of green. There was a boy at Darkley's…a know-it-all nerd, but Brad couldn't remember the kid's name for the life of him.
"Okay—good. Now, I'm sorry if this is a personal question, but I have to ask…" Liam's expression turned grim. "Are you taking any drugs? Any stimulants?"
Brad's brow furrowed in confusion but nonetheless shook his head. He couldn't find his voice again for some reason. "Okay. Then what the hell? You're obviously still exhausted and you passed out. Your body forced you to rest, but then it forced you to wake back up so soon? That doesn't make any sense, not without some sort of stimulant or psychotropic substance being administered intravenously or already in the bloodstream…"
Brad was barely listening to Liam's soft mutterings, his sights following more delicate sprays of freckles, this time sprinkled nicely along the man's collarbones. Brad blinked. A flower? He blinked again. Yes, it was. It was a chrysanthemum. A white chrysanthemum. It was painted prettily on Liam's skin—right above his heart. It was so beautiful with its elaborate design of leaves and stems encircling and swirling around the head of the flower and tracing nicely along his sternum. So breathtaking.
A sudden peace and tranquility washed over Brad like a tide. As well as a distinct melancholy. Flowers. He missed the sight of flowers. Terribly. He wished it were spring. Not winter. He was tired of the cold. Tired of the gray. Tired of… Well, just about everything. But his lethargic, aqua eyes remained fastened on that beautiful image of a chrysanthemum, and an iota of hope blossomed from it.
"Loyalty…and devoted love…" Brad murmured. He tried to smile but found he just couldn't.
Liam quieted and found Brad's gaze. Realization dawned and he touched the white chrysanthemum tattoo painted above his heart. "Yeah…that's what it means…"
Although Liam was strong enough to hold his gaze, the dark pain etched across his face was enough to keep Brad from asking about it. Instead, he went with a less intrusive question. "Why did you bring me here?"
Liam took a breath. "Because you had the same exact look I had when I was 13 and having my…" he made a vague gesture with his hand, "…sexuality crisis. I couldn't leave you out there alone to deal with something like that."
Brad stiffened, his eyes going wide with discernable fear. Liam took his reaction as affirmation and nodded. "Lloyd? Feel free to tell me I'm wrong. I have been before."
But Brad didn't deny it and looked ashamedly down at his lap. "Yeah. How'd you guess?"
"Oh, that guy isn't subtle at all," Liam said with a slight smirk. "There's this very intense and almost primal protectiveness he has around you. But he clenches up too. Like he wants to say something but ends up saying something else instead. I'm guessing he just hopes that his actions speak for themselves. But he also has that same protectiveness about Jay, so…" he made a balancing motion with his hands. "As for you…you reach out the most to Lloyd. But you're so scared and confused, especially now."
Brad could only stare at the soldier in amazement. "You… You were able to perceive all that in the less than 24 hours that you've known us?"
Liam scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "Heh, don't be too impressed. I found out Zane and Kai were together simply by stumbling upon them making out against a wall last night. Their confidence is beautiful. But yeah, I've had to learn to read people for years in order to protect myself." He stood up and walked the short distance over to a small refrigerator. "Body language, tone of voice…all of it means something, you know? Grilled cheese and green tea, okay?"
Brad didn't answer, his mind running a mile a minute. If there was one truth of Nya and Liam's observations of him was that he was incredibly confused. He didn't know what to feel. Or how he should be feeling. His mouth was dry. His throat was tight. His hands were tingling. Another truth was, he'd probably be feeling a lot better if he had just eaten the sandwich Lloyd had made for him. Rejection or not.
I'm so stupid…
The sound of sizzling roused him from his stupor, and something landed in his lap. "Drink your water. This won't take long." Brad glanced down at Liam who had returned to kneel down by the cot. An electric hotplate sat before him, the flat surface glazed with butter and bread with cheese bubbling on top of a few slices. A chrome tea kettle was beside it, underneath it was a single portable gas burner.
Darkley's had encouraged mischief. Thus, Brad recalled how he and Lloyd had once stolen a hotplate from the utility closet. They had used it for a number of things—not always for cooking. But making smores in the middle of the night was a prominent memory, as was when they had set their room on fire when they had tried to pop popcorn the old-fashioned way. They had gotten in trouble, but not really. It had been more of a light scolding for not using the stolen hotplate for more nefarious means.
Brad downed the bottle of water Lloyd had given him in a few thirsty gulps. "You…have a lot of stuff. Are all the tents like yours?"
"More or less," replied Liam, flipping the two sandwiches. "Everybody's got a bed to sleep in, but a lot of the soldiers have to share a single tent. But appliances were distributed by rank." He took a deep breath and decided to answer the unspoken question. "I enlisted in the military when I was 22, fought in a handful of proxy wars around the globe as a field medic, and made sergeant."
Now, that was unexpected. Not to judge a book by its cover, but Liam just didn't have the look of a hardened soldier—peaceful-eyed and easy-going demeanor. In fact, he looked like the youngest one out of the bunch. "I know I don't look it. You don't have to say it," he imparted passively. "Hell, I can't even act like it. No mental capacity for it, they said. And yet, I'm still here. Seven years later. Even though I don't wanna to be."
"You…never wanted to be a soldier?" Brad asked carefully. "Why enlist then?"
Liam scooped up the two sandwiches onto a paper plate and offered it to Brad. "Here. Eat." Brad took the plate. The sandwiches were golden brown, albeit a little flat, as if too much force was used to smelt them. The scent of butter and melted cheese awoken his hunger to a beastly degree and he hurriedly took a bite of one of the sandwiches. The slight crunch of the bread and the smooth gooeyness of the cheese produced a euphoric experience.
But not enough to make him close his eyes. He was much too afraid to do that now.
The tea kettle soon gave a piercing whistle and Liam removed it from the burner and poured some of the water into a black mug. He then placed a tea bag into it. "Green tea has calming effects. It should help you sleep. Just let it soak for a bit before drinking it." He left the mug on the ground beside the cot and stood up to put away the burner and hotplate. He said nothing else all the while, the question Brad had asked hanging in the air with neither party reaching up to grab it. Liam returned to his chair in the corner of the tent. And soon, the rhythmic clicking of a keyboard filled the silence. Brad, in turn, focused once more on his food. Despite his ravenous hunger, he ate his sandwiches slowly, not wanting to risk upsetting his stomach. He, at least, had that much sense.
When the sandwiches were gone, Brad brought the steaming mug up into his lap. To rest. To sleep. It was still the furthest thing from his mind, especially now. Especially after witnessing what it wrought. But, of course, he couldn't stay awake forever. His body would give out sooner or later. And wasn't his number one goal to get stronger? To get braver, even? Fear and anxiety ruled his being. And people not even close to him could see it.
Brad took a tentative sip from the mug. It was maddening, really. How weak and helpless he was right now. He had power, though. Sensei Wu and Sensei Garmadon had told him so. And he had demonstrated it a number of times now—mostly, however, without his volition. However, the one time he did use his power consciously… Now, he was deathly afraid of his power.
Brad took sip, after sip, after sip from his mug, waiting for the tea's calming effects to—well, take effect. He needed to start treating his body like a temple. He only had one. Just like he only had one life. The need for vengeance was still there, just bubbling beneath the surface waiting for an outlet. He wasn't going to pretend it wasn't. Just like he wasn't going to pretend that he could achieve his aspirations without any help.
"Rely on your friends when you need help. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
That's what Zane had said. Brad placed his near-empty mug back down on the ground. And right now, he really needed a friend. With Kai and Zane still out on patrol and him not wanting to see either Lloyd or Nya at the moment, that left…
Brad's solemn, aquamarine gaze found Liam's form still sitting in front of the open laptop in the corner. While they weren't really friends per se, more like acquaintances, Brad still felt that the other man would understand his plight. He's been kind and considerate so far, and he probably wouldn't mind granting Brad's pitiful request.
After all, the estranged brunet only wanted a hug.
Brad swallowed nervously and bit his lip. "Liam?" He sounded so meek and vulnerable even to his own ears. But he just couldn't help it.
Liam turned around in his chair. "Yeah?" The soldier gave him a clinical once over. "Did the tea help? Are you okay?"
Brad shook his head. "I'm… I'm really, really sorry, Liam." He didn't know how to ask this. Therefore, he might as well start with an apology. "Y-You don't have to, if you don't want to. I mean, you can say no—I," his sputtering was getting worse and going nowhere. The beat of his heart felt like it was pulsating in his throat. And before he could stop it, tears stung his eyes and blurred his vision. "I… I'm sorry."
"Hey—hey, it's okay." Liam was quick to move next to Brad on the cot and wrap his arms around him. And the brunet all but collapsed against him, returning the much-needed embrace and resting his pounding head on the sergeant's shoulder. "Okay, hold on. This cot's kinda small, but we'll make it work."
After a few attempts at adjusting and readjusting their positions, with a huff, Liam ended up simply lifting Brad up, lying down, and then placing the smaller man more or less on top of himself. It was awkward, at first, for sure. But since Brad was so emotionally spent, he took comfort in the arms of the other man without a fuss.
"There we go," Liam breathed out. "Now, get some rest. And when you wake up, you'll talk to Lloyd and everything will be alright."
"I'm sorry."
"Shhh… Stop apologizing," he gently stroked Brad's noir locks and rubbed soothing circles across his back. "It's okay. It's…gonna be tough. But you'll be okay."
Liam's heartbeat sounded right under Brad's ear—strong and even. He was completely relaxed, which, in turn, brought some peace to Brad's tumultuous mind as well. If only he was lying on a bed of flowers. Not that Liam's scent was unpleasant or anything. It was woodsy and masculine, with maybe a hint of rosemary. And ironically enough, this was the closest Brad was going to get to a flower for the time being.
The subsequent minutes ticked on by in tranquil bliss, and Brad's eyelids steadily began to droop. The amalgamation of friendly security and the green tea was finally beginning to cocoon him in a blanket. He didn't care anymore about his powers… Not right now… Right now… He would…
The sound of Liam's tent flaps being thrown open made both young men flinch into alertness.
"Oh shit."
Brad blinked. "Lloyd…?"
The Green Ninja of Creation stood poised at the entrance, his crimson glare throwing so much heat at the freckled soldier that it might as well have been a torrential storm of demonic screams baring down on him. A second later, Brad was pushed aside, and Liam was held up by his throat with one hand by the powerful ninja.
"The fuck are you doing!?" Lloyd seethed with killing intent dripping from each of his snarled words.
"Lloyd! Stop it! What are you even doing here?!" Brad leaped up and grabbed Lloyd's arm, trying to pry the other's rigid fingers from Liam's neck.
"Looking for you."
"Why?! You're supposed to be guarding Petubast! And let go! You're hurting him!"
Lloyd immediately dropped Liam and whirled on the brunet, eyes blazing. "Dammit, Brad! I was worried about you!"
"Why?!" Brad barked back, just as livid. "Ugh! Y'know what? I don't care! You said you would protect Petubast until I got back! How could you leave them alone!?"
Ignoring whatever else Lloyd was going to say, Brad turned on his heel and darted out the tent, racing back towards the one where the Mana Cetra was being detained, darting around the orange bodies in his path. Seeing Brad's mad dash approach, the two guards stationed outside the main tent crossed their firearms in an attempt to block Brad's entry. But the master-in-training was one step ahead and slid underneath the blockade and entered the tent.
"Hey!"
Eyes darting wildly around and breath ragged, Brad found Petubast floating about in the containment unit safe and sound. "Tudabone?" Ada lifted a hand to halt her soldiers when they thundered inside. That man was present as well—Dr. Heinz. His head popped up from behind his open laptop, his oblong face tight in a disdained grimace upon seeing Brad. The brunet ignored them all and walked over to Petubast. He placed his hand on the reinforced glass and smiled a very weary smile when the Mana Cetra responded in kind.
"Return to your post." Ada dismissed her soldiers and they grumbled on their way out, shooting Brad dirty looks along the way. "Was that really necessary, Tudabone?" She queried with a mild edge.
"Sorry," Brad muttered, even though he wasn't. Not in the slightest. "When will you let them go?"
Ada released a controlled sigh. She had already answered this question before from him. "As soon as we get all the information we need."
"What else is there?" Brad demanded. "They already told you everything about the golden pollen. They want to go home!"
"This is an extraterrestrial from a distant world, young man." The bespectacled doctor continued to type away without sparing neither a glance. "Think of the plethora of possibilities mankind could benefit from such a source."
"You have no right to do this. You're not being fair!"
"Not being fair?" Dr. Heinz parroted with a condescending sniff. "You sound like a child."
Brad clenched his fists at his side. Goddamn him… A loud commotion suddenly came from outside. It sounded like people arguing. Ada was just cutting her honeyed glare to the entrance when two gunshots rang out. Both the doctor and Brad jumped in fright and the lieutenant swiftly brandished her M9 as a crazed soldier stormed in, a smoking gun in his hand.
"Powers! Drop your weapon right now!" Ada sneered.
The soldier was dressed in typical military drab, just like Liam, down to the silver dog tags around his neck. But he was bald…and Brad could see it as clear as day. The soldier clawed at it—the mark, a six-point star encircled with angel wings. His eyes were bright, wild, and unfocused. His face was taut in rage—gritted teeth and all.
"That little shit," he snarled. "It said I was going to be a fuckin' faggot bitch! And I ain't no fuckin' faggot bitch!" He howled. "I have a wife and three boys! And they ain't gonna be no faggot bitches neither!"
Ada kept her weapon trained on the enraged man. "Yes, Powers. You have a wife, Vanessa, and three nice boys—Terry, Michael, and Leon, your youngest. We know that."
"That's what I told that little shit. But it just kept mouthin' off!" The soldier's burning blue glare found Brad's trembling form and aimed at him. "You. You're gonna get that fuckin' thing behind you to remove this shit from my head! You hear me?!"
"Powers, lower your weapon! That's an order! I won't tell you again!"
Powers started marching towards him, face red and manic. "I said, do you hear me, you lil' bitch!"
"Powers!"
"Brad!"
*BANG!*
Two shots were fired but were fired simultaneously. The crazed soldier clutched his bleeding arm and fell to one knee, the gun he held dropping to the ground with a thud. "You imbecilic Neanderthal! Look what you did! And how the hell did it get out of the containment unit?!"
Something had splashed onto Brad's face when the shots had been fired. He touched his cheek and pulled his hand back to stare at the dark purple liquid clinging to his fingertips. Wha…? His gaze slowly trailed down to the floor where a limp Petubast lied in a violet pool of what had to be their blood. Brad dropped to his knees beside the Mana Cetra, eyes wide and disbelieving.
"P…Petubast…?"
The plant-like being's long tentacles barely twitched and its beautiful natural shade of fluorescent green and cyan was quickly deteriorating to a muddy umber with each flickering pulse their body gave.
(Milordy… I, Petubast, have lived a very, very, very long time… So do not be sad… I, Petubast, am…very happy with this death… Protecting Milordy and Loni… So happy… So…be sure to be happy too… Bye-bye…)
Petubast's body instantly went black and completely disintegrated into a spray of black powder, even the violet pool of blood vanished from the floor and from Brad's face. "Brad…" Brad didn't register Lloyd's voice as he approached. He could only register one thing. And it was prominent within his entire being…
SAVAGE ANGER.
"You…fucker… You disgusting piece of shit!" Brad squeezed his eyes shut and welcomed the sight of the lime and cyan veins pulsating behind his eyelids. He could see something else within the off-white…a black silhouette of a man on one knee clutching his arm…and a complex matrix of lime and cyan veins trailing all throughout his body. Brad knew what he wanted to do…
And so, he did it.
And those lime and cyan veins in the soldier's body turned a violent red.
"Fredrick Powers," Ada started with a vehement scowl darkening her face, "you are under arrest—!"
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The soldier's piercing scream resounded through the souls of everyone present as blood started to seep from every visible orifice on the man's body: his eyes, his ears, his nose, his mouth, every single pore. The overly gruesome sight was something straight from someone's deepest, darkest nightmare.
"Good heavens! What's happening?!" Dr. Heinz screeched.
"Brad! Stop!" Lloyd grabbed hold of his friend. "Brad!"
"Mein Gott!" Ada lifted her weapon again. This time it was aimed at Brad. "Tudabone! Whatever he's doing you better get him to stop, Lloyd!"
"No! Don't shoot him!"
"What the hell's going on here?!" Kai and Zane rushed in but froze at the sight of the profusely bleeding and screaming man on his knees in front of a glowing Brad and Lloyd. "The fuck…?"
"Lloyd!" Zane snapped. "Subdue him now! Brad is going to kill this man with his power!"
"Gods…I'm so sorry, Brad…" The green ninja released his enraged friend and struck him square in the back of the head. And Brad dropped like a stone to the floor.
However, the man continued to scream.
Author's Note: Well, shit…