A/N: Hey friends! Chapter 4 is here! I have the next one written too and I'm about to start working on chapter 6. I hope you guys are enjoying the fin so far! Without any more distractions...
I stand there a moment and watch Clark fling the Time Merchant into Manjaro. The Time Merchant let's out another shriek and I cover my ears. Manjaro grabs Clark by the cape and slams him into the marble fountain and that's my cue to stop watching and get moving.
I run over to the partially shattered glass wall and grab a random object nearby to finish breaking it down. I glance over and see Clark going at it with the giant, but I don't see the Time Merchant anywhere. I look around trying to spot him when I finally see him approaching from the right. He's ascending the stairs and I try to hurry and get the cube.
Luckily, the box it's in is already shattered. I brush that glass off, grab it, and go to run but he's already there. He shrieks loudly again and I think my ears are going to bleed. I don't want to drop the cube, but instincts take over, and I grab my ears. He keeps shrieking as he approaches me and the closer he gets the more painful it is. I feel something start to trickle down my left hand but I don't remove it. I know it's more than likely blood.
He gets within a few inches of me before he takes a fist and sends it across the right side of my face. I fall to the ground and close my eyes. My eardrums feel like they could rupture and I'm internally begging for the shrieking to stop. Somehow, he must've read my brain, or ran out of juice to keep going, because he stops making the noise. He leans down and reaches for the cube but I kick it away from him. His eyes dart across the room as it clatters across the floor and then they dart back to me.
I quickly move backwards and stand so I can better defend myself. If looks could kill, I'd probably be dead right now. I glance behind him and see Clark losing the battle with Manjaro and I have to do something helpful. So, I dash as fast as I can across the room and grab the cube. The Merchant is close behind me but I keep running. I'm getting a good distance ahead when I see Clark go down and hear the Merchant make a noise that alerts Manjaro.
His eyes look at The Merchant before they look at me, but once they're on me, they're locked in place. I assume he recognizes me from this morning because that same creepy grin spreads across his face and my stomach feels like drops to my feet. I can't turn around because the Merchant is behind me, if I continue to go forward I'm going to intercept the giant that wants to crush me, or eat me, so I go to the left.
I'm putting every ounce of energy into sprinting to the doorway ahead of me. I can feel the floor rumble as the giant breaks into a slight jog. I'm almost there when a big hand slams into me and sends me tumbling across the floor. I'm still holding onto the cube but my body aches terribly. I force myself up off the floor, and try to retreat to the back of me, but he's near me again in no time. He thwacks me across the room a second time, and I slam into a wall hitting my head, and left side.
The force causes my hand to open, and the cube falls to the floor, skittering away from me. I also hit the floor, but I hit it hard, and I am struggling to stay conscious. Dark spots danced in my vision, pain exploded on my left side even more, but I stayed awake. My head felt heavy and like it was taking everything in me get back up. Attempt one and I collapsed onto the floor again. Attempt two, and Manjaro grabs me before I can get my footing.
His hand is wrapped around me tightly, no give in his grip, and I can't help the yelp that escapes me as he squeezes harder. I barely notice the Merchant walking up and grabbing the box as I struggle. The harder Manjaro squeezes, the harder I have to fight, and my energy is draining. I try pushing against his hand, my weak attempts at hitting him was honestly pathetic, and the creepy laugh that erupted from him caused my body to unintentionally shudder.
I try to think of what Clark said his alter ego's name was. My brain isn't wanting to work no matter how hard I want it to, but if I don't get help now, then Manjaro is going to start breaking bones. "Slenderman?" No, that's not it. "Sailor Moon?" No, that's an anime. "Super Bad?" No, not even that great of a movie either. "Superman?" Then it clicks.
"Superman!" I yell as loud as I can, which wasn't very loud at all, and then I holler his name again. I'm still trying to beat on the giant's hand around my waste and I gag when he squeezes harder. "Help!" I cry out desperately before I begin to lose the battle of staying awake.
I assume when I hit the floor that he had heard me and came to the rescue, again. I don't have the strength to move out of the way. I barely catch a glimpse of the Merchant walking away and then my eyes close. I don't know for how long, but the next time I open them, Clark is beating the crap out of Manjaro and sends him crashing through a stone wall that then crumbles on him. I don't see him moving anymore and I assume Clark has won the battle.
I try to get up, but I collapse back onto the floor. My eyes are wanting to close again, but I need to get to the Merchant to retrieve the box, the cube, the thing I need to get home. I'm laying there floating in and out of consciousness, trying my hardest to stay awake, when Clark shows up next to me out of nowhere.
"The cube." I say in a breathy voice. "He took it."
"Stiles, forget the cube!" His tone is firm and commanding. "I need to get you to the hospital."
"No!" I demand. "Please, no hospitals." I beg of him.
"But...Stiles." Clark tries again but I interrupt.
"I'm fine. I just hit my head and I think Manjaro may have broken a rib but nothing major." I tell him and try to be convincing. "I just, I really don't want to go to the hospital."
"You're right about the rib." He confirms my assumption but how did he know? "Which, I can wrap it for you if you want me to."
I attempt to get up again and fail. He reaches down and helps me stand. I sway a bit on my feet and nearly topple over. He steadies me, then reaches down putting his arm behind my knees, and picks me up in one swift motion. It's embarrassing and I'm sure my cheeks would be turning red if I didn't pass out the moment I was in his arms.
A/N: EEP! What just happened? Poor Stiles :( Just so you know in the next chapter, or any time I make a reference to someone giving a sad, pitiful, or lost puppy look - this - -is exactly what I mean.
Okay, that's all. Byyye! See you in chapter 5!