A Mind To Kill The Average Joe

Human Nature/ Traitor!

Joe was considering leaving these two with Christopher. He knew they weren't stupid in any way as to talk at all or even give Christopher a concussion on purpose, not that they were tall enough to land a fist anywhere near his face. However, he really wanted to know where Frank reached on their situation with Jada. He reasoned that it won't be that much of a big deal since they were gonna be needed later on anyway. Besides, he needed a good topic to start a conversation with them about Jada's time here, if necessary. And the timer for Christopher would be their first warning to back off before he returned, that is if they were too eager to want to stop. It was a riskless risk to say the least so he left them with some instructions and headed to Jada's holding cell where he assumed Frank would also be at this time.

Jada was alone in a regular boxed room, buckled to a chair. He was relieved that these doors had a window designed into it. So he had some clue as to what Frank was doing with her based on what he could see, but it wasn't his area of expertise. He'd guess that Frank was doing some mind games or something given the set up of cards in the room and he didn't know how it would help him figure out what set her off. All he wanted was some answers. He couldn't ask her, he didn't know who he would be talking too. And he couldn't face Jada if she remembered what he did. Even after all this time, the hate he harboured for her was easily buried by what she might think of him. Before, after Beverly tracked her down he didn't understand why he felt that way. Now, after the 'incident' he knew why and it gave her more power.

"Do you know about the Love Bug protocol? It's the oldest form of the organization's control." Frank said a few feet down the hallway, "The more there was diversity between race and culture, the more distracted people were with each other because, why not?"

Joe was unsure if he was suppose to be the one Frank was directing the conversation to, but he was the only one there.

"So 'suddenly' everybody wanted to Bone around. It was the biggest distraction that ran and boiled down to something greater than itself...for better or worse." he continued to walk up to him, "I mean, divorce rates are high for a reason. Manufactured love. Don't get me wrong, love," he rolled his eyes, "exists. Everyone likes to believe that." He sighed, "I do too. But why does fooling around gotta mess with my work?" he said with his arms folded. Joe wished he could play along but he really didn't know what Frank was talking about. The only way he responded was by not saying anything at all and looking clueless. Frank noticed his expression. And was disappointed in himself. Beverly's one of the few women who he can mouth off too without any limitations, give or take a few topics. In short, he let his guard down. "Sorry, I requested a file, and when I went to get it myself...did you get the hint?"

"I don't need to continue this conversation. Do you?" Joe responded uncomfortable. "How's she doing?"

                                  *

"Is my accent too thick?" Robert questioned Danish in an attempted to clam his nervous second thoughts about hosting the 'turtles awareness' event to school children and costal facilities.

"No...distracting maybe. But if you talk slow and..." Danish thought about it. Robert was different all the way to his sense in fashion. But he was an American. People would be smitten by that alone if they were already caught up on the 'American dream'. "Don't worry about it."

"That's inconclusive!" Robert responded theatrically to that wavering answer. "Seriously tho..." He had done presentations and stuff before, but the audience changed and he felt like they wouldn't connect as much.

"You're, a foreigner?..." Danish said assuming he'd get the hint that being American would already get the children's attention by the tone of his voice.

"Is, that bad?" Robert itched to ask since the lingering stares of the locals haunted him since the very first time he went out and ordered at the nearest food joint.

Danish was reluctant to say anything to jeopardize his friendship with Robert. And at the same time, he didn't want to give the first impression of his country as racist or totally entranced with, foreigners. "Don't make a scene... Okay...? Let me talk. It's, fifty-fifty. You could be 'cool'..." The uncertainty on his face while he said that, told a story on it's own and Robert just felt insecure.

"Dude?!" Robert asked with regret. "Stop being chicken."

"Yeah. Okay. I'm not gonna hold back... 'cool', or stratified." Robert was speechless. Danish continued, " I mean, ever heard of enculturation, or racism?" There was still no response from Robert but Danish could feel the awkward and cringey atmosphere he made. He optomistically stated, "The good thing is, you would only see the, good side...?"

"What?" Robert responded.

"I mean, do we really know people?" Danish said in hopes the uncertainty of his tone in this conversation would deminish his creditability. "People don't know people."

                                 *

"You don't need to do any of this." Christopher said, tired and sleepless. Frank gave him a low level shock. "N-No! I won't play along." he said in a burst of anger as it lit his nerves on fire like a Christmas tree. "So you could ring me up like a doorbell all you want! I don't need to be the odd one out in your little boys club. It was just business. It was all business! And it could have been simple. Now look what you're all doing! Do I know too much of nothing?! Because nothing got me into this situation!"

"You look like hell." Frank commented, "Been getting enough sleep?"

"I hate you. And your little Bitch Joe." Christopher responded, he had no idea what to think any more. His oldest friend's been torturing him and the 'hitman, codename Joe" had been a real pain in the everywhere. "Guhah-" Frank electrocuted him again. "I've been counting sheep until the ding dong bell ran out of batteries. You sadistic fa-ahck!" he responded to one last zap before Frank took Joe outside the room. "It's a conspiracy. He's been in on it all along. Traitor...Let it end already." Christopher thought, "I'm gonna loose my mind here... I'm gonna loose my mind, here... Traitor, he's a traitor, he betrayed me...that Traitor! I'm gonna kill him!"

                                 *

"Okay buddy. Get it out of your system." Joe said to Christopher in the training room as he shoved him across the sparing mat after uncuffing him. "You get the first punch."

Christopher stumbled. He could barely stand up straight. He was already out of breath and sweaty all over. Joe just stood there with his eyes closed and arms stretched out, marking his personal space, waiting for him. He took off the bag over his head. For a moment, Christopher couldn't turn to face him. The room was mostly well lit, the smell took him back to the first time he tried working out at a local gym and the misery was forgotten as he stared at the blue coloured walls. Then he heard Joe, "I'm waiting..."

All the pain he zoned out came back. It hurt to breathe, it hurt the stand up and it most definitely hurt to move. Christopher turned around to face him. He had a chance, a clear shot to land a punch right on Joe's stupid unaware face. There was also the door, wide open. Christopher had to make a choice. He thought about it and he felt it in his heart. He was gonna knock Joe out. Beat him down to the ground until his knuckles bleed, asking him some questions about the way out of here while pinning him and only stopping when he physically couldn't speak to the point where he passed out from the lack of oxygen he wasted trying to say something. Just the thought of it got him pumped up. And he did it, he landed the first punch. Joe got hit right in his face and he took a few steps back, he didn't expect it from him. Christopher tried to tackle him to the ground and pushed him onto a rack of dumbbells. "Whoa." Joe responded while Christopher gathered his strength to beat his pretty little face to a pulp. "You didn't run for it." Christopher punched him again. Joe was smiling and it made him more angry. Then, Joe over threw and detained him. Christopher still didn't know how that happened but he was sick of all of it.

"Come on. Come on! Why!?" he expressed, "I don't want to do this anymore! What else is there? What do you want from me?"