Black Equation - The Gifted Ones

Number Eleven

‎"The strongest people are the ones who love beyond all faults, cry behind closed doors, and fight battles no one knows about."

Chapter Eleven

"What do you mean she's dead?"

It was Arashi who first got to him. A vicious snarl tore through his lips as he pulled back his arm and struck. The sound of his fist connecting with Krad's jaw rang in his ears with no victory. It was instinctive. It was lethal.  In one rapid maneuver, he rounded two kicks that hit Krad squarely on the face.

"Faye could not be dead!" he yelled in frantic desperation. "That couldn't be!"

She's dead, she's dead, she's dead... The words rang endlessly in his head.

"Shut the fuck up!" He hit him again and again, and if it wasn't for Ivan pulling him away, he wouldn't have realized that Krad did not even attempt to protect himself. His face was bloody, and so were his fists.

"Ivan!" he snarled furiously. "Let go of me!"

"Stop it, Arashi!" Ivan dragged him away, but he insisted on lunging again on the sick bastard who stood in the middle of the room like he hadn't done anything wrong. "Calm down!"

He wanted Krad's blood. He wanted to plunge a sword into his chest. He wanted a full round of bullets to riddle his skull with holes. He thirsted for this man's death. He had to get to him. He had to kill him.

Fire consumed his left hand, and for a moment, Ivan lost his grip on him. He used this opportunity attack Krad again. Ivan reached him just in time before he could touch the guy. His burning hand had only been a scant inch away.

He growled. Why wasn't Krad hitting back? Where were his excuses? Why wasn't he doing anything at all?!

The answer was too clear, but he refused to see it. He refused to believe. He refused to accept that his Abcidee, his sweet, clumsy Abcidee…

Denial was simple. Denial was so much easier. But could he continue to ignore the harsh truth? Tears ran down his pallid cheeks. His body shook in agony. He felt like his heart was tearing itself apart. "Why didn’t you save her?" he shouted. "Why did you let her die?"

"Arashi! Knock it off!"

His struggles were futile. Ivan wasn't letting him go. He had to incapacitate him, completely incapacitate him, if he was to have a go against Krad. With practiced swiftness, he elbowed Ivan in the gut and went for his nose with the palm of his right hand. Without even thinking about it, he grabbed Ivan's arm and collar and threw him over his shoulders. The taller man violently crashed against the plasma TV.

His eyes immediately zeroed on Krad. Before he could even take his first step, his whole body clammed up. It was as if gravity multiplied by a hundred, and his body was solid lead. He quickly fell on the floor and choked. He could not move. He could not breathe. There was no air.

It was the Master's terrifying Gift at work.

"I'm going to release you," the Master stated lifelessly, his eyes looking like his very soul had suddenly lost its fire. The way he spoke, there was no doubt that every bit of emotion was extinguished from his body. "Be sure to stay put, because if you don't, I won't be liable of what will happen to you. Is that understood, Arashi?"

He bared his teeth like a starved wild animal whose food was suddenly taken away from him.

"Kill him... have to... kill him!" He thrashed about. "Kill him!"