Exploiting The Exploiter

Part 1: Into the Fire

(007n7 POV)

"C00lkidd please! You're better than this!" I plead, hands outstretched towards what was once my son. He used to be a cute little kid, not the most innocent sure but still my son. Now, he was lanky and monstrous, with transparent skin that shows off his mutated bones.

I could run. I should run. But something deep in my bones stops me. Something tells me I can still stop him. Still get him back. Whatever that is gets shattered the moment he throws that damn brick at me. The white piece of concrete hits me square in the head and I yell out in agony. I collapse forward, legs shaking, slowing my movements. C00lkidd walks forward, looking victorious. "You're it!" He says in that voice–his voice–strangled through those ragged vocal chords. I stand, stumbling away, hand clutching my head as blood drips into my eyes, I manage to make it to the small glass tower before I collapse. My vision swims, my legs out in front of me, pressed against the glass as darkness eats at the edges of my vision. At first I thought more blood had gotten in my eye, but when it didn't disappear when I rubbed at it I knew that my worst enemy had come to save me.

Well... I guess he isn't my enemy, but he certainly sees me that way. I try to sit up against the cool glass of the tower, a warm bloxy cola falling over by my leg, but my head throbs and I give up, letting Elliot kneel down and help me instead. I can hear him muttering about how much of an idiot I am, but I don't care.

All I need is his pizza.

A short, pained whimper escapes my lips as he touches the crack in my skull and I don't even need to see to know he rolled his eyes. He holds something out–a slice of pizza I assume–and I take it, biting into the soft bread, pepperoni and sauce. As soon as my teeth sink into the delicacy, I feel my head start to heal. I let out a sigh of relief as the blood stops flowing out of my temple.

"Thank you." I say when I can form comprehensible words. Elliot is still there, watching as I heal. His face is placid, which is normal for this situation. Cold, unforgiving, really hot.

Wait- No. No he's not hot. I don't think he's hot.

"Seven." Elliot says, his face cold and expressionless, "Are you done healing or should I sit and hold your hand for the rest of the round." The sarcasm in his voice is unmistakable. "I'm okay. Thank you Elliot." I say politely, standing up and brushing the dried, flaking blood off my forehead. Polite is the best I can do around him. It's that or get on my knees and beg for forgiveness. I watch as the pizza man walks off, not even a glance back in my direction and l get stabbed with a pang of sadness. Not like I care. Totally.

When he's gone I look around, the larger glass house is off to my left with what looks like an unfinished generator at the back wall. My footsteps crunch on the damp grass as I walk towards it. Not like I'm good for anything else. Everyone made sure I knew that the moment they realized I was a survivalist. Even Elliot. Especially Elliot.

Stop thinking about him.

I crouch down by the cold machinery, opening the small hatch and reaching in to start connecting the wires. My eyes flick from the coloured metal to over my shoulders every few seconds until the engine hums to live with a splutter and a puff of foul smelling gas. I stand back, surveying my work when I hear a scream. The scream that haunts my nightmares. My feet are moving before I can stop them, running, sprinting towards the sound. I pull up my exploits with practiced ease, preparing to summon my clone when I see it. See them.

Elliot, fallen backwards, arm scratched and bleeding with C00lkidd loomed over top of him. My fingers work in time with my rapid breaths, the clone spluttering to life beside me just as C00lkidd pulls out his firebrand. Elliot covers his eyes but nothing hits him, the sword that was supposed to pierce his heart stabbed through the shoulder of my clone. I'm relieved but the adrenaline is still running hard and fast through my veins, not allowing me to relax. As C00lkidd goes for a punch on the pizza worker I block, taking it to my arm while I hoist the red clothed healer over my uninjured shoulder and run.