Scars Ch. 9
#9 of Scars
Lucan was raised in a guild as an assassin at a young age along with his brother, Drake. After breaking one of the guild's laws, Lucan ran away and sought out by the guild's leader, Conway. After being saved from homelessness by a friendly Dingo named Chris. He tries to protect his new-found friends against his former family.
Chris walks down a crosswalk toward the Midna University entrance. His anxiety about Victor slowly depleting as he begins to blend in the crowd of college students. A freshman new to the university can get lost easily, but Chris knew his way around the campus, including the emergency exits in case Victor does do something.
Chris enters a classroom and takes a seat near the back of the class. Chris breaths slowly and tries to concentrate on what the professor is saying. Chris looks around the room, at all the other students who are either taking notes or sleeping. As time went on and the class neared the end, his thoughts of Victor have faded to the back of his mind. The teacher announces the end of class and everyone departs the class.
Chris walks to the school cafe, which is unusually absent of students. Chris takes out his phone to call Patrick to let the two of them know he was okay. Chris flips his phone open and in the reflection, Chris notices Victor standing right behind him.
In a panic, Chris turns around only to see no one. Chris lets out a sigh and waves it off as a silly illusion and turns back around only to see Victor standing in front of him, a sword inches from the Dingo's chest. Chris drops his phone in surprise and back up from the wolf.
"Hello there," Victor says. Chris is paralyzed with fear and can barely breath, his eyes completely focused on the sword in Victor's hand. "I believe we've met before, but I never got to know your name."
"It....it's Chris," Chris says.
"Well Chris, I've been sent to bring back a certain runaway from my little group and I was really close to getting him until a certain Dingo stabbed me in the foo and let the traitor get away."
Chris's heart beat painfully hard as his body shivered with utter fear. "I...I'm extremely sorry to hear about your predicament," Chris says, nervous. "I hope you find the solution to your problem, I'll just be going now," Chis tries to walk past Victor, but the wolf puts his sword right up to Chris's neck, making the scared Dingo stop in place, Chris gulps as the cold blade stays inches from his neck. "P...people will see us out here and I don't think school administration and police will like seeing a man threaten a student with a sword."
"You see any students around?" Victor asks, puzzling Chris. He looks around and suddenly realizes the lack of students in the area.
"What did you do?" Chris asks, his fear rising as he sees a large grin form on Victor's face.
"I may or may not have payed a visit to a random teacher at the school, a fine young woman she was," Victor smiles. "By the look of her class I say she was a math teacher, that very class as well as the rest of the student body are surrounding a murder scene that recently happened at the school. It's funny, there always seem to be murders wherever I go places, I guess you can call it coincidence."
Victor's sword slowly get's closer to Chris, his sword dangerously close to Chris's neck. "Please don't kill me," Chris pleads, tears beginning to form on the terrified Dingo.
"Oh I'm gonna kill you," Victor grinning, terrifying Chris even more. "But not yet, I need you to do something for me."
"What?" Chris asks, scared. Victor takes his eyes off of Chris and bends and picks up Chris's phone.
"I need you to make a call," Victor grins.
Back at the apartment, I'm testing out the new sword from earlier. It's in perfect condition, the blade is sharp and polished like it was just made. I let out a sigh and lay back on the sofa, placing the sword against the table.
12 years ago -
I stand in front of a training dummy, my entire body aches all over from the hours long training. Tonya leans against a tree, watching me. I grip the wooden sword in my hand and strike the dummy, the recoil sends me to the ground on my back.
Tears begin to well up in my eyes as Tonya walks over to me, laughing. "I must say, you are tenacious, even if the end result is you crying," Tonya says. I quickly get to my feet and rub the tears from my eyes.
"I'm not crying!" I yell. "Dirt got in my eye and it stings." Tonya only smirks and picks up the wooden sword and hands it to me, I take the wooden sword and drop it. "I don't want that stupid thing! I want the real one!"
Tonya let's out a loud laugh. "You want an actual sword?!" Tonya asks, surprised and amused. "You can barely handle the wooden one."
"That sword is broken," I said. "I know I can use the real one! Trust e Tonya, I'm ready. Tonya walks over and bends down to eye level with me.
"You really think you're ready for an actual sword huh?" Tonya asks.
"Yes!" I say. Tonya only gives a small smile and walks away and comes back with a small sword and hands it to me gently.
"Now don't go getting yourself cut with it," Tonya says. "We're low on first aid and I don't want to get on Conway's bad side."
I hold the sword with both of my hands, the blade is a lot heavier than the wooden one and it takes me awhile to get a good grip on it. "This is awesome!" I yell. "I'll show that stupid test dummy who's boss now!" With new-found strength, I run straight toward the test dummy, holding up the heavy sword over my head.
"Wait Lucan!" Tonya yells. "Don't swing it like that you're gonna hurt-"
"AH!"
A loud bang from the front door takes me out of my memories. I regain my composure and rush to the door to find a panic-stricken Patrick.
"Chris, he's in trouble!" Patrick yells. "He just called me to tell you to to meet him at the Midna University gym. He said an old friend wants to talk." I rush over and grab my sword and run past Patrick and out into the hall.
I knew this could've happened. I've known Victor for a majority of my life and know just how much of a quick strategist he is. He plans to use Chris as a hostage to force me to surrender. I quickly get to the entrance to the university and find police cars and ambulances all over the street, the police trying to clear the area of students. There's no doubt, Victor was here.
Chris stands motionless as Victor slowly walks circles around him, his sword sliding against the Dingo's chest, it's point close to cutting him. "I'm afraid, if our friend doesn't get here quick, we're just going to have to do this without him," Victor says.
"Why are you after Lucan so badly?" Chris asks.
"Why!" Victor asks, sarcastically offended by the question. "I'll tell you why, you see, our little Lucan did something that he really shouldn't have done, and after doing said thing, he ups and leaves without a single explanation. I'm here only to bring him back so he could explain himself to, I guess you can say, former friends. I don't know why I'm even telling you this, I guess since you're going to be dead in a few seconds it doesn't really matter, speaking of which, I think it's time we ended this so if you could just..."
Victor raises his sword and swings it down, but I quickly block it with my sword before he could hit Chris. Victor and I give each other a glare towards each other and push each other back. "You always knew how to make an entrance," Victor smiles.
"I don't want to fight you Victor" I tell him.
Victor laughs and points his sword toward me. "That's too bad because I really wanted to fight you," Victor charges forward and we exchange blades. The two of us dodge, counter, and strike at each other trying desperately to land a decisive blow. Victor blocks one of my attacks, he swings his sword up causing us both to lose out grip and out swords go up in the air. Before they come back down, Victor takes out a knife and throws it at me. I catch it, but my attention on the knife gives Victor an opening and kicks me to the ground, catching his sword in the process.
My sword lands on the floor near me. I try to reach for it, but Victor steps on my hand, pinning me to the ground before I can get it.
Chris tries to sneak up behind Victor like last time, but Victor notices and knocks Chris back with a swift kick, causing him to yelp in pain. "You think a stupid trick like that would work on me a second time," Victor laughs.
"Chris!" I yell. Victor puts pressure on my hand, making me wince with pain. Victor smiles, relishing in the pain. He takes his foot off my hand and picks me up by my throat and lifts me off the ground.
"It's really taking it my all to not just kill you right now," Victor says.
"Then why don't you just do it?" I I ask, Victor squeezes my neck to the point I point I can barely breath, I have to do something before I lose consciousness.
"I have orders from Conway to keep you alive," Victor says. "I guess Conway wants to make you an example for everyone."
"You can all...go to hell," I wheeze as Victor's grip tightens. Chris wobbles back to his feet, his body shivering. Chris spots my sword a few feet away from him. Chris crouches toward the sword, silently praying that Victor doesn't notice.
"And you know the best part?" Victor continues, a much more wicked smile appears on his face. "The person Conway assigned to carry out your execution, is your brother."
My entire body goes motionless, everything around me goes completely quiet, except for my heart which is pounding painfully in my chest. Just as my heart feels like it's about to break through me chest, I grab Victor by his throat, my nails digging into his neck.
With Victor caught off guard, I ram my forehead into his, making him release my grip and step away from me. I land on my feet and walk over to my sword which is now in the hands of a petrified Chris's hands. I take it from him and look at Chris's terrified eyes, I feel a sudden hit of remorse come into my gut. I go back to facing Victor who is covering a small gash on his forehead, a small line of blood runs down his face.
"Huh, I guess I touched a nerve," Victor smiles. "And to think you two where the nicest of brothers." Victor lunges at me once more. We exchange swing after swing, Victor manages to pull his sword forward and cut me on the side of my cheek. I counter with a fast thrust, but Victor is able to dodge and turns and kicks me straight on the side of my head, making me fly across the floor, landing painfully on my stomach, blood dripping off my muzzle.
Before I can get up, Victor stomps on my back, pinning me to the floor again and causing my bones to crack under the pressure. "I'm gonna bring you back to the guild bloody and broken!" Victor says. All of a sudden, a quiet gunshot goes off, nearly missing Victor's head and hitting the gym wall. Victor, Chris, and I look to where the gun went off.
Chris and I's eyes open wide with shock as Patrick stands at the entrance to the basketball court, holding a large pistol with a silencer attached to it. Patrick aims the gun directly at Victor who simply stares and smiles at the panda.