Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 11

Chapter 5: Dunya's Reckoning, Part 1

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

Dunya was up and alert as she was on her way to visit Darcy and her family in which she wanted to catch up to lost time. Even though she was in the Medical Corps, she was also a Cetra as she never aged after she went through hell and back. What she didn't know was that someone was tailing her as he found her going towards one of the buildings that had a penthouse on top. Whoever he was, he tailed Dunya as he was mainly stalking her in which he had an ulterior motive in mind. By the time he caught up to her, he blocked her way as he had a creepy grin on his face, for he was also armed with an iron rod in his hand as well.

"Hello…, Dunya," he said as he refused to get out of her way.

"Marvin Bulstrode," she said as she saw him not budging. "I thought I left the past behind, but you had the gall to show up here after years of growing up in the Commune on Shiganshina."

"The Commune never forgets nor forgives those who ran away from Father Adrian's grand plan."

"Are you talking about how most of our relatives died by drinking poisoned lemonade?! I remembered that plan clearly after I was shunned for drinking a glass of milk."

"You were shunned for drinking liquid that is meant for the young of mothers! You even ate shellfish and swine while spitting in the faces of Father Adrian's teachings! Have you forgotten your roots of do I have to beat it out of you?! Our patron savior adhered to the cruelty-free lifestyle in which he also said that no meat, eggs, shellfish, dairy, or honey will touch the lips of his flock, nor wear leather or fur to keep you clothed or warm! What you did was committing murder to animals and other living creatures who have rights and not meant to be eaten! All I'm doing is to make sure that you follow his example even after his death while some of the lucky ones who fled our happy home still go into hiding!"

"My mother knew what Father Adrian truly was, for he was not only charismatic, but a swindler and a pedophile in which she took the rest of my siblings far away from here when the rest of our relatives still clung to his falsehoods! And yet, they paid the price for his lies when they drank that poisoned lemonade in which the Shigan Government saw the tragedy that was there! My father was bludgeoned to death by that swindler's goon squad in which he spoke out against him! As for me, I moved on and carved a life for myself in which I won't be swayed by anyone who supports an abuser! I cherish my work in the Medical Corps and I won't return to the Commune ever again!"

Without warning, Dunya felt the iron rod in Marvin's hands strike her in the leg as she fell onto the cobblestones. She saw him filled with rage as he struck her in the back in which he was on the verge of killing her, but not without inflicting further damage with that iron rod that he had. When she got up to her feet, she was unable to get away as she saw her attacker strike her once more the moment she was blocking with her arms, but to no avail when she fell back down again. When he saw her with tears in her eyes, he was met with a satisfaction as he smirked in which he was eager to put her in her place, for he was also devout in the teachings of a dead man who ruled the Commune with an iron fist.

"Never forget where you came from…, Dunya!" he screamed. "You don't belong to the Order of Letters' Medical Corps! You were born and raised in the Commune! You belong to us and Father Adrian in which it's high time that you know your place!" He sees her in pain as she was sobbing uncontrollably on the cobblestones. "You won't be able to practice medicine again in that sinful attire that you still wear during your years as an exotic dancer, for you danced your last dance! You won't be able to have that High Elf and his angel bodyguard defend you forever in which you were meant to be under the thumb of Father Adrian even after his death!" Dunya was trying to stand up for herself as she saw Marvin punch her in the face. "I know that defiance anywhere because you left just to commit murder by taking away milk from the young, steal honey from bees, kill innocent animals just to eat their flesh, and strip them of their skin to wear! I live by principles because Father Adrian's will is law and no one will question it! That's what happened to your father when I beat him to a pulp for speaking out against our leader! Sooner or later, you'll know your place, for it will be in the gutter where the rest of your sins are rotting under! No one will help you now, Dunya, for I will kill that hope you have!"

The sound of a whistle blowing was heard as Marvin left in a hurry while Dunya lay in the street battered from her injuries. When Nago got there, he was horrified at what he saw as he had no other choice but to alert everyone in the Order and to Yavanna directly, for he never saw it coming until now…

I was in my hotel room at the Silver Teapot as I was on my way to get to the ferry as I noticed the children all dressed and ready to go. When we were all ready to head out, we were checking out as we later left the hotel and went straight outside, I heard footsteps approaching as I spotted Nago rushing into the hotel part of the Silver Teapot in which he was scared out of his mind. I sensed something wrong as I also had to know more about what was going on, for I had a gut feeling that my worst fears would be confirmed at the last minute.

"Thank M'Quii that I found you, Sam!" cried Nago as he was worried about what was going on.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"This morning, there's been an attack in the street in which a woman in a bikini top, skirt, and labcoat was found beaten like a wounded animal. It was horrible, Sam…"

"Dunya…" I gasped in shock as I heard of her plight that occurred earlier. "What truly happened to her?"

"She was found beaten with a deadly weapon when I found her. She's resting in my mother-in-law's homestead in which one of her own subordinates have checked on her." Nago clenches his fists as he felt tears streaming down his cheeks. "Whoever did that to her was an animal! She has family here in which they're devastated at what happened."

"No… Dunya may have acted strict, but she didn't deserve to get hurt like this. As for the scumbag who did it, I hope to the gods that he pays for what he did."

I saw the children standing there as they were stunned to hear what happened to Dunya earlier. In an instant, I shooed them back into the hotel lobby as I didn't want them to hear the gruesome details the moment I felt a disdain for Dunya's attacker. The very rage in me bubbled over as I wanted justice for what was done to her, but remained calm and not lashing out. It was something that I didn't expect to hear as I also had to make a trip to the Chatterjee Clan's homestead, for I couldn't let this slide after all that has happened.

"What's going on?" asked Casey as she was walking towards me the moment the children came right back out. "Did something happen?"

"Dunya's been attacked," I said as Casey gasps in shock. "This matter shouldn't be discussed with the children in which they will have to get back to the villa by ferry."

"I understand…"

"Guido should also go with you in which this is a personal matter."

"Personal matter, my ass!" he yelled as he was walking towards us. "If you're gonna tackle something complex, I'm gonna have to detail this shit directly."

"I've got this…"

"Like hell, you are! Just because I'm fiercely devoted to Casey, doesn't mean that I'm not fully devoted to serve and protect. Whoever attacked that woman will be found and get his ass kicked for this. As for what's yet to come, I'm not letting this shit slide 'cause the Alecrian Emperor will get pissed if you're not fully guarded. Besides, if something bad ever happened to you, then I would end up getting my ass handed to me in real time. We all know that both the Zenith Vectors and those humanoid piranhas are still out there and not stopping, so I suggest that you have me for your backup this time, you got that?"

I couldn't argue with Guido further as he was no stranger in his element when he started out as a police officer. Still, we had to grin and bear what was about to happen as we all left the Silver Teapot and went straight towards the ferry in the river. When Guido saw the children get into the ferry that was bound for El Anillo del Fuego, he hugged Casey warmly as he would soon see her again once our business in Chithravai was over. When we saw the river ferry leaving, we were stuck here as we also had to know more of who attacked Dunya in the first place, for this investigation was far from over…

Dunya was laying in the infirmary wing of the Chatterjee Clan's homestead as she was resting in a hospital bed while an intravenous drip was inserted in her arm. When she woke up, she noticed the bandages all over her body as she never forgot what happened to her earlier. The fresh tears streaming down her cheeks felt more harsh as she was trying to numb the pain and trauma she endured over the years, for she wasn't in fine fettle after what was done to her. She wanted to tell someone, but was too scared as she knew of Marvin's scare tactics too well when she was growing up. Even though she was a Cetra, she also had her fair share of hardships as she strived to do better than spend her life as an exotic dancer on Shiganshina, for she felt the same fear lurking all over her again.

"Sooner or later, you'll know your place, for it will be in the gutter where the rest of your sins are rotting under! No one will help you now, Dunya, for I will kill that hope you have!"

Marvin's words haunted Dunya as she covered herself in the blanket that kept her wrapped up in her hospital bed. She wanted to talk to someone about what she went through, but was scared to death at what her attacker would do. By the time she saw me enter into the room, I was escorted by Kotori as she was sent here at the behest of Reuben the moment she was eager to observe what was going on, for this heinous attack wouldn't go unpunished forever.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She's recovering, but her injuries have damaged her to the point of near death," said Kotori. "If it wasn't for Nago bringing her here, she would've never made it. He would've brought her to the hospital, but it wasn't safe for her there after what he saw on the cobblestones earlier."

"We never saw this coming…"

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Sam… You can't just swoop in and save the day forever… Besides, you're a lot of things, but you're not Superman, you know…"

I examined Dunya as she was still alert, but fearful of what happened to her earlier. The very fear of the attack scared her as she felt it gripping her in which the image of Marvin beating her with an iron rod frightened her to the core. I saw her crying out in pain as she was overwhelmed by the sheer terror that she endured, for it was too troubling to bear.

"No!" she screamed as she was flailing her bandaged arms. "Get away from me! Leave me alone!"

I saw the fear in Dunya's eyes as she was still scared out of her mind. The injuries she sustained made me furious as I wanted to find and bring whoever attacked her to justice. It was the most I could do as I had respect for her as a person, despite the strict demeanor that she had while serving the Medical Corps. I couldn't let her suffer further as I had to do something to calm her down, for she needed our help more than anything.

"Please, make this misery stop!" she sobbed uncontrollably as she was still flailing her arms.

"Enough!" I yelled as I caught them. "No one will hurt you here, I swear of it! As for the monster who did this to you, there will be justice waiting in which there won't be any place to hide after what you endured. Yes, we had some differences in the past, but I can't let you suffer from your misery nor will I ever let you fade away. You matter just as much as the rest of us in which I can't and won't let you fall under the cracks. You've been through the thick and thin while surviving through the worst forms of hell imaginable in which you kept going. Despite the fact that you spent your years as an exotic dancer before joining the Medical Corps, you displayed more courage to keep moving forward in which you have that flame to keep you going. I'm telling you, don't you dare try to fade away, for you are more than enough for those who care about you."

"Sam…" Dunya calms down as she was still shedding tears. "I can't let you fight my battle for me because there's no hope for me..."

"There is and there will be hope, for none of us could function without it."

I let go of Dunya's arms as I remained calm and not lashing out the moment I began to use my raw power not for defense, but to probe one's mind in which I placed my hands on her head. Kotori notice the vital readings slowing down as Dunya was stabilized after what she went through earlier. She also saw that I was more than likely to performing a similar mind meld as I had to get to the bottom of what went down earlier, for I couldn't let it slide after what I heard.

"Don't be afraid," I said as I was looking into Dunya's eyes. "You are not in danger, for I will probe what you're hiding. You will feel no warmth, no breath, only the truth to be revealed. There is nothing to fear, for all will be revealed…"

It wasn't long until I delved into Dunya's subconscious as I saw her on her way to Darcy's house for a visit. What I never suspected was that her attacker was stalking her to the point of wanting to capture her without warning. When I delved even further, I saw the image of Marvin staring at me as he had that cruel grin that became the stuff of nightmares in which he was ready to strike. When I saw him corner her to the point of belittling and beating her, my heart stopped as I saw the horrendous deed being committed in which he was standing in front of her with a smirk on his face. The sight of it was vile as I later returned to reality and released Dunya from her trance the moment I found a notepad and pencil on the table. I began to sketch the image of Marvin as I now knew of how he cornered and attacked Dunya, for he was a man who showed no remorse whatsoever.

"What are you doing?" asked Kotori.

"I've got the image of the smoking gun right here," I said as I showed the drawing. "Dunya…, it seems that you knew this man before…"

"His name is Marvin Bulstrode…," she said. "I knew of him because he was Father Adrian's right-hand man… He's dangerous, Sam… He'll stop at nothing to make other people feel small…"

"No fucking way!" yelled Guido as he burst into the hospital room and snatched the drawing from my hands. "It had to be him of all people and we all know that he's a man who sticks to his target like a bunch of flies attracted to a pile of shit!"

"You know of him, don't you?" I said.

"Marvin Bulstrode is a career criminal that got put in the slammer ten years ago by my superior for assault and battery! His list of crimes included disfiguring a model, killing a family and destroyed their abattoir, and even beat a fashion designer to death! All of them were accused of killing animals by that fucker in which the fashion industry forbids the use of fur, but not leather or wool. Not even the local butcher shops, poultry farms, beekeeper's dens, and fish markets were safe from that deranged bastard in which he adhered to a strict vegan lifestyle that stuck with him even after Father Adrian died with his flock. I thought that it was the end of it when Saqqar and his unit caught him holding a farmer and his farmhands hostage. Even though he was arrested, tried, and tossed in the slammer, he ended up getting out on a technicality in which he continued his killing spree as mainly a paid hitman while maintaining his vegan lifestyle in the form of protein bars and almond milk."

"And he went after Dunya because he believed her to still belonging to the Commune…"

I clenched my fist as I had a further disdain for the monster who attacked Dunya. I also had sympathy for her as she went through the worst kind of abuse before joining the Medical Corps in which I couldn't let her attacker evade justice. When I left the room, I was out in the hallway as I was more than likely to be taking a trip to the Order's main headquarters on Valinor to get some answers about Dunya's upbringing and shame, for I had to find out more about what she went through during her years growing up in the Commune on Shiganshina. Just as I was about to go outside, I saw Castiel standing in front of me when he gave me a file as he was concerned about what was going on in which he had to know about it eventually, for Dunya's life was at stake at this moment.

"I take it that you're also worried about Dunya," I said as I looked at the file.

"Marvin Bulstrode is a dangerous man who has no consequence for his actions," said Castiel.

"You went up against him, didn't you?"

"Marvin was a man who grew up under Father Adrian's influence with his cruelty-free lifestyle, only for it to be a perversion in the guise of peaceful harmony. The man he killed, Leroy Lomond, was disillusioned by the ongoing politics that the Shigan Government had when he and his family lived in the Commune. When they thrived with happiness, their leader thrived with greed, debauchery, and all forms of abuse. When Leroy and his wife, Revali, raised their children to be good people, they also questioned the teachings of Father Adrian and those who followed him in which Dunya took the full brunt of being shunned all for drinking a glass of milk."

"And Dunya bore that burden for a long time…"

"The tipping point was that Leroy sent his wife and children further into the wilderness after hearing some of Father Adrian's followers weeding out those who questioned his beliefs. Even though Dunya ran away, she hid in the distance as she saw several Shigan troops go towards the Commune and saw the most tragic form of mass suicide ever known. The sight of dead parishioners littering the area became a nightmare as a thousand and one innocent souls lost their lives when they drank that lemonade laced with cyanide. Some of the lucky ones who fled have either been taken into custody or forced into prostitution while fending for themselves in the streets. Dunya's history through the years was a sad one in which she endured the suffering that was brought in front of her, for she lived through it all."

I looked out the window as I saw the rain pouring down like a light monsoon drenching the city. As for looking into Dunya's plight, I felt sympathy for her as she endured so much hardship after being shunned and hearing about the deaths of those who lived in the Commune, for it was the most tragic case that I ever heard…

Cobbler District, Shiganshina; fifty years ago…

Dunya was hiding in the abandoned library as she didn't want to be seen by everyone after she saw the Shigan soldiers bringing out body bags to collect the corpses for the usual salting and burning before being given a proper burial. She never saw so much horror as she she noticed the dead body of Father Adrian being taken out of his compound and placed in a body bag. It was too much for her as she didn't want to be a ward of the planet, for she had no other choice but to fend for herself in this tragic crisis. Even though she was now thirteen and alone, she had to grow up fast as she had no other choice but to live on the streets. She was alone as there was no one else to turn to the moment she began to hear Father Adrian's voice in her head, for he was the only leader she once trusted until his beliefs were questioned by those in the Commune.

"You will not eat the flesh of animals, drink the milk for the young, nor wear the skin to keep you warm, for it is my will to live comfortably without question," he said at the time. "Be not afraid, my children, for I am your leader who will protect you from those who have abandoned us."

Dunya believed those words once as she was still conflicted with her situation when it came to survival despite the fact that she had to adhere to a vegan lifestyle that took a toll on her body. She was starving as she looked into her bag as she dug out a back of canned ham the moment she opened it up and began to eat it without hesitation. She didn't have to be worried about being shunned as she was already punished for drinking a glass of milk the night before, for she had to survive on what she could get her hands on.

When she went towards the storage room, she crept into her sleeping bag as she felt the warmth keeping her safe while hiding in the library. She saw it to be a safe haven as she once followed Father Adrian in which he banned books from circling the eyes and ears of those who were yearning for knowledge. For years, her reading material consisted of the Holy Bible and the material that belonged to several new age writers who adhered to the lifestyle that she was born into. This time, she was free as she was navigating the streets and not looking back, for she would soon be arriving into a much grittier setting when it came to living on the streets…

The next morning, Dunya crept out of the abandoned library as she was more than likely to be doing her daily rounds in pickpocketing while looking for mainly food. When she went towards a vendor, she saw him delivering ice cream to the children who were looking for a sweet treat as she felt tears streaming down her cheeks. When she went towards one of the public restrooms, she locked the door behind her as she looked at herself in the mirror. All she wore was a sports bra and skirt as she was gradually losing her self-worth, for surviving was more important at this time.

When she unlocked the bathroom door, she noticed a tall man dressed in business clothing as he cornered her in which she was scared to death. She had to fight back as she saw the man unzipping his pants and exposed his member at her, for he was mainly there to either assault her or force her to touch what he put out. Dunya had no escape plan as she also had no other choice but to flee when she saw the window that was opened. She had to flee as she found a piece of sharp diamond on the floor the moment she was ready to defend herself, for she was also taught to have boundaries by her late father before he was murdered.

"Well, aren't you gonna touch it?" asked the man as he was stroking his member with a smirk on his face. "There's no other way to survive in the Cobbler District than to use your body to live by having men fondle you than spend your days living out in the streets."

"Go away!" yelled Dunya as she was holding the piece of sharp diamond in her hands. "I won't sell myself to a dirty old man! I'm not ready for this shit!"

"Oh, you're ready for sex whether you want it or not, little girl. My little friend is itching to take you and make you come, for it'll be much worth it when—"

Without warning, Dunya used the diamond piece as she sliced off the man's member the moment it fell onto the floor. Fleeing the public restroom, she ran as fast as she could as she hid in one of the abandoned buildings in which she was scared to death. She remembered seeing a few orgies that Father Adrian had as she never forgot about how he violated her while she slept in her bed one night. She never forgot how disgusting he was as she wanted it all to blow over in which she was forced into the life that she never wanted. It was a tale of sorrow as Dunya bore the full brunt of what was done to her, for she wanted it to all end soon enough.

"Make it go away…" she said as she sobbed.

Her tearful cries filled the room as she heard footsteps approaching the moment she saw a Half-Elf burst into the building. He was angry with her as he seized her by the bra and inched her towards him in which he wasn't too happy with what occurred earlier. Dunya was unable to pull away as she saw the Half-Elf unzip his pants and exposed his member in front of her, for he wasn't about to let her go away quietly this time.

"There's no way out of this one, little girl," said the Half-Elf as he was stroking his member at Dunya. "You know that you can't survive in the Cobbler District by no other means than what is put in front of you. It's high time that you come to your senses and accept your fate…, for it's better than living out on the streets." He sees Dunya hesitating as she was cornered by what was put exposed in front of her. "Well? Which is it? Push yourself for sex or bring yourself to starvation?"

Without further hesitation, Dunya began to suck on the Half-Elf's member as she had no choice but to do so. The feel of her mouth stroking at what was between the Half-Elf's legs made him shudder with desire as he was wanting more of her. She was now part of the seedy atmosphere of the Cobbler District as she was continuing to give the Half-Elf more pleasure when he moaned with intense delight in which she was giving him more than just pleasure, for it was the price of sacrificing her dignity while trying to survive in the streets. She never wanted to be in this seedy profession that was placed in front of her as she also had to live for another day. By the time she withdrew, she saw the Half-Elf's member spurting his seed as it sprayed in her face like snot. When the Half-Elf zipped up his pants, he gave Dunya some money for her services as she saw him leave, for it was the start of her new life, but with a price for sacrificing her body to satisfy the urges of random men…

Meanwhile, back in the present…

Dunya was laying in her bed as she was remembering the tragic lifestyle that crippled her future after enduring so much abuse from Father Adrian. It had been a few hours since we visited her as she was alone in which she continued to shed tears after what she went through earlier. The years weren't too kind for her despite the fact that she aged slower than normal humanoids due to her status as a Cetra as she felt more alone than ever. Sitting up, she started to sob uncontrollably as she remembered the abuse she endured in which she felt numb once she left the Commune and spent her days in the Cobbler District on Shiganshina. The descent into prostitution against her wishes forced her to adapt over the years as she never forgot how she gave random men oral sex for cash until she turned eighteen and was ready to entice her clients in the bedroom than under the table. It was an unwanted way and mean that she lived with as it was also better than spending her days living on the streets at the time, for she had to endure what was put in front of her at the time.

She continued to sob as her cries of anguish were heard the moment she heard the door open. When she saw me arriving with a tray of food in my hands, I wanted her to eat a little bit as she needed a lot more to get her strength back. The smell of butter chicken with rice and naan bread was a relief as Dunya wanted something to eat other than the red gelatin and protein shakes that she had earlier, for she needed to recover and even seek justice against her attacker.

"Normally, it would be me observing you, but the roles have been reversed," she said as she wiped her tears from her face. "I never saw this coming, but I'm also afraid of what's about to happen next…"

"Try not to worry too much," I said. "You nearly lost your life after what that bastard did to you."

"I've been through so much, Sam… There were times that I became numb after I found Father Adrian in my bed touching me while I felt his cock tear into me… There were times when I had no choice but to perform oral sex on random men just to have a roof over my head and some food to eat. I even collected cash just to pick up clothing so I wouldn't be in rags. I was one of the whores of the Cobbler District as I had no other choice but to survive in the environment that was put in front of me…"

"It's disgusting to be forced to give up your dignity, but it was also something that was forced upon you against your wishes… It's also tragic to see one's future being ripped away from them in which they also had no other choice but to adapt with what was put in front of them."

"I know it too well… By the time I turned eighteen, I saw my former pimp get arrested for humanoid trafficking in which he was given a life sentence while I fled to my new pimp who didn't judge, but he didn't like anyone who forced children to cater to adults before reaching mature age. I did my work in the bedroom as it was a decent pay to keep a roof over my head. That was also when I had a fling with a Draaza merchant in which he had too much fun before he paid me while leaving offworld. That was when I was pregnant with Darcy and Danica in which the pimp who kept me had the gall to poke a hole in the condom that the Draaza man was using in which he didn't want me to spend my days as a prostitute. He also wanted me to do more and not fall under the cracks in which he wanted me to go to nursing school. When my children were born, life took a twisted turn as I saw Marvin arriving at the brothel I lived in the moment he spotted me and my daughters. He was eager to force us to return to the Commune until he was tossed out by the bouncer. It was fleeting, but I also had to have a goal to study first. It was also a way and mean to have a better life than spending my life in the Cobbler District."

"You went through so much in which you had it worse, but you thrived instead of falling under the cracks. You displayed more moral courage than any other person in the Order in which you were proof that you can get out of the former life you had."

Dunya was glad that I was there to comfort her as I later left the room so she could eat and later get some sleep. When I went into the hallway, I saw Reiko standing in front of me as she was also concerned about what was going on. Like me, she was also worried about Dunya's health and safety as she couldn't bear to see her suffering like that, for she also wanted to seek justice against the monster who tried to kill her earlier.

"Poor Dunya…," she said to me.

"She went through hell in the worst way imaginable," I said.

"It's strange that she is here in the Medical Corps, but I never expected her to go through so much pain before until now…"

"I… probed her mind and saw the bastard who nearly killed her in which he is dangerous and unstable. He's built like a linebacker, but he also has a twisted sense of justice guided by his beliefs and strict veganism. What he did to Dunya is beyond disgusting in which there will be a time that he will get his comeuppance. I want that scumbag to pay just as much as the rest of us, but nothing is worth losing Dunya right now."

"Sammy…, Dunya will be fine… She's been through so much tragedy in which she needs a lot more than just stopping her attacker, but the moral support that she lost over the years. She's been hurting inside for a long time now and she's been masking it while caring for everyone. She needs us a lot more than we need her, for we won't turn her away right now…"

I was moved by Reiko's words as I had a strong conviction to seek justice for Dunya. When I hugged Reiko warmly, I saw her off as I went outside of the Chatterjee Clan's homestead the moment I noticed Geraldine sitting down in a fresh bed of straw for the night in her stable. When I was about to go back to my hotel, I heard footsteps approaching as I turned around to see Marvin standing in front of me amid the pouring monsoon rain. He was hell-bent on snatching up Dunya as he would soon settle the score for leaving the Commune, for he was also armed with the iron rod that beat her.

"So, you must be the famous Sam Winchester," he said as he smirked. "I take it that you've stepped up as Dunya's knight in shining armor, but I told her that I would kill her hope in the end…"

"You attacked her for no reason in which you accused her of leaving the Commune, but she was shunned first all because she drank a glass of milk," I said.

"She may have been shunned, but she wasn't allowed to leave! Father Adrian had a grand plan in which she would be a part of his harem!"

"That so-called 'grand plan' ended with most of the people living in the Commune dead after they ingested poisoned lemonade. And yet, you still pursued Dunya when she spent her years adapting to what was forced upon her just to survive in the Cobbler District."

"She betrayed the Commune by leaving even after she was shunned! Leaving the Commune is an unforgivable act of betrayal in which Dunya will never spend another day in the Medical Corps again!"

Without warning, I saw Marvin swing his iron rod at me as he noticed me blocking it with my arm. The pain from it jolted me as I had to stand my ground when I saw my opponent attack me the moment I felt the iron rod being struck on my back. The impact of it caused me to fall on my knees as I later felt the iron rod strike at my foot the moment I saw Marvin grinning with such malice. I noticed the grin before as memories of Desdemona resurfaced the moment I felt fear, for this was something that I never expected to show up until now. The jangly sound of This Little Piggy rang in my head as I was trying to hold myself together the moment I began to have another anxiety attack. The horrendous pressure of it all was trying its best to suffocate me as I heard the sound of Desdemona's laughter ringing in my ears. When I saw Marvin not holding back, he struck at my legs again as I felt the pain jolting me out of the jangly mess I was in the moment I had a chance to fight back, for I had to keep going and protect Dunya from the psychopath that was attacking me.

"Get up, you pussy!" he screamed. "You gotta do better than that!"

I saw Marvin getting ready to hit me again as he was standing from behind. Just as he was about to strike me again, my long silver hair changed into spikes as it sliced the iron rod into pieces. Anger flooded Marvin as he was ready to pummel me with his fists in which I felt his blow strike at my face the moment I felt him attacking me. Just as he was about to deliver another blow, I heard the whistle blowing in the distance as I fainted on the cobblestones after Marvin fled, for things were about to go from bad to worse real quick…

"Murderous attack on Sam Winchester! Read about it!"

Guido rushed towards the town square as he saw a Dwarf selling newspapers in which my attack made the front page. Paying for the newspaper, he looked at the headlines as he had to know where I was. When he went towards the hospital, he sprinted towards my room as I was bandaged up from my skirmish with Marvin last night while on pain meds from an intravenous drip. The very appearance of me with a black eye and my right hand in a cast unnerved him as he had a resolve to find and apprehend the scumbag before more innocent people fall victim to his rage, for this wasn't over by a longshot.

"There's no need to be worried right now, Guido," I said to him as he stood in front of my hospital bed. "As for what the bastard is doing, he accused Dunya of betraying everyone by leaving the Commune when she was shunned first."

"That's rich coming from that shitbird who nearly killed you last night," said Guido.

"Marvin's still out there, but we must alert the city officials about his whereabouts in which he poses a danger to everyone when it comes to his extreme veganism."

"Zduurzh! That fucker's toast when I go and kick his ass! I bet that he's hanging around some old abattoir pissing and moaning about meat eaters ruining the galaxy when most of our humanoid ancestors had to hunt so they wouldn't starve all the fucking live long!"

"Really? Are you that dumb enough to charge in there on your lonesome? That's rich coming from a new recruit in the Order that's been plucked from the Intergalactic Space Police!"

I noticed Marnathi entering into the room as she wasn't too happy with what was going on at this moment. Even though she was on business, she was concerned about what happened to me last night as she couldn't let this slide. Even she of all people experienced trauma and turmoil as she had a large sum of courage to serve and protect in which she was also on the hunt for Marvin, for she wasn't about to let him get away so lightly.

"You look as if you got tackled by a football player," she said to me.

"And you're looking better as a newly minted noble, but you still serve and protect on a daily basis," I said. "As for what happened to me, I got a glimpse of Marvin in which I used my raw power to slice up that iron rod that he attacked me with. I wasn't his first victim or his last in which he also attacked Dunya yesterday."

"Well, our resident veggie boy with a bit of roid rage ended up being filmed by a random bystander in which the video has gone viral." Marnathi shows a tablet to us as she played the video of the beatdown that occurred last night. "The Order has delivered a cease and desist warning to the guy who filmed it, but I overruled it as police evidence to take down Marvin Bulstrode and put his sorry ass in the slammer where he belongs!"

"At least it's not a video about some rando bitching about how an action figure kicked his ass and forced to take it down afterwards," said Guido.

"This is serious! We're looking at a psychopath with nothing to lose but to amp up the dominance factor that's been bubbling up from the surface. For the record, he's had more than just a hate boner for the only one in the Medical Corps who wears a bikini top under her labcoat. Yeah, he's a fucking Cetra, but he's also a fierce devotee of his late master who died by poisoning in the Commune where the worst tragedy since Jonestown occurred on Shiganshina. He's been stalking Dunya since day one and not stopping. Despite the fact that he killed, disfigured, and maimed people he accused of murder due to his devout veganism, he's been fixated on Dunya for a long time, but not without an angle."

Marnathi fished out a small baggie as it contained some sort of patches similar to the ones made of nicotine, but toxic. Guido recognized them right away as he knew what they were in which they were considered to be dangerous. During his years in the force, he studied various dangerous recreational drugs in which he also had a knack for helping his comrades in a few busts, for he had a gut feeling that our skirmish with Marvin was far from over.

"Shit! It just had to be slappers…," he said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Do you know what slappers are? They're steroids in a patch in which they've been banned by every single sporting agency that delivers the smackdown on doping."

"That's not all," said Marnathi. "According to eyewitnesses, Marvin's been using them in which the side effects have taken a toll on him despite the rush he gets. And yet, he has an obsession to break Dunya in which he's a threat to himself and others around him. He must be stopped before he hurts another innocent bystander in the process."

My worst fears were confirmed as I was concerned for Dunya's safety. With the threat of Marvin still at large all over Chithravai, I had a gut feeling that he would end up hurting people in the process, for his obsession with Dunya has gotten to a breaking point in the making…

To be continued...