A Beast with a Smile

I woke up in my bed and thought I dreamt the whole thing. When I opened my eyes, I was very surprised when the setting wasn’t some pond with a bunch of buff dudes with guns. Would’ve been nice if this whole day could have just been a dream. I don’t know how Scavenger got us back here without anyone noticing.

I tried to get out of bed, but when I put pressure on my arm I remembered I was shot. My heart sank. What if it wasn’t Scavenger that brought me home? What if it was one of the Solas’s team and they hurt or killed Scavenger? They might be outside that door right now. I got up and crept over to behind the door with a lamp clutched in my hand.

The door opened, and I swung my weapon of mass destruction, crushing it on the head of my capturer. The body hit the floor with a loud thud followed by the crashing of a tray filled with breakfast foods.

“SCAVENGER?!” I shouted as I realized I just killed my best friend.

I heard loud footsteps come from down the hall. Scavenger ran into the room, “Scarlett you’re awake.” he said with the biggest smile on his face.

“There’s... um... two of you. Did you find a long-lost twin while I was passed out?”

He explained to me his deadly adventure and how he created a clone out of his own blood. He told me that he has super powers that he has no idea how to use and that Atom somehow knows about it too. He finished his story and I climbed back into bed.

“Um... what are you doing?”

“Clearly this is some weird dream and I’m trying to wake up back in the real world.”

“Um, Scarlett this is the real world.”

“No! Real world people don’t have super powers. They have acne and relationship problems.”

“Well in dreams you don’t feel pain.”

I punched my bullet wound and fell to the ground due to pain. Well. Scavenger teleported to catch me.

“Why did you do that?”

“To see if I felt pain.”

“I meant pinch yourself. Not punch yourself in your bullet wound.”

He lay me down on the bed, “You’re very lucky. The doctor said that if the bullet had been an inch to the left you would be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. I can’t believe they actually shot you. I made them pay for what they did by the way.”

“I can’t believe you took on six guys all by yourself.”

“I should’ve stopped them from hurting you,” he said as he looked down with tears in his eyes.

“Scavenger, they would have killed us both if you didn’t stop them.”

“Except Atom knows something about me and so does my dad. They can probably tell me more about who I actually am.”

“Atom will never let you get close to him. Especially not after the incident in the woods.”

“I know. I’ve been testing my abilities but without that water they aren’t as powerful and only work with an extreme amount of concentration. I was only able to control them when I was angry or standing in that pond water.”

“What about teleportation?”

“It only works with places I’ve been.”

“So, you’re saying it’s worthless to get to Atom,” I huffed.

“Not necessarily. We do know where he is now,” he gave me an awkward smile.

“Tyler. Is he still in the hospital?”

“Yes. They just put him into a cast but had to re break his arm to set it. They said he was lucky to not need surgery.”

Scavenger looked a little relieved that Tyler wasn’t going to be permanently damaged. He’s not the monster that everyone sees him as. He did a bad thing out of anger that was well founded. He didn’t wake up this morning and say, I want to rip Tyler to shreds. Now we know that Atom wants Scavenger killed because of what he did and he’s willing to kill anyone who tries to stop him.

“Scavenger, we need to get to Atom. Any way that we can teleport into Tyler’s room?”

“Yes and no. I heard everything on the news about Tyler, so I don’t know which specific room he’s in, but I do know that he’s in Mercy hospital.”

“Scavenger.”

“Yes?” he questioned with a clueless look on his face.

“That’s the only hospital.”

“I know.”

I rolled my eyes at him but smiled so he would know that I was just kidding around.

“If we teleport onto the roof of the hospital we can work our way down till we find a floor with a dozen bodyguards on it and boom we found our Tyler.”

“Scavenger.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a two-floor hospital!”

“You don’t seem confident in my plan.”

“Oh no. It’s a great plan. What could go wrong with two teenagers taking on an army?”

Scavengers clone waved his hands and made an expression that said, “hey 3 teenagers” and that’s when the idea popped into my head.

“Scavenger, I have an idea. We are going to need Clooney here.”

Scavenger teleported the three of us to the top of the hospital. Oh my god. My best friend has superpowers and he just teleported us across town. He has a fricken clone.

“Clooney likes the nickname,” Scavenger blurted.

“Oh yeah. You can read minds,” I stated in a flat voice. At this point I have accepted that I am going crazy.

“Sorry. I can’t tell the difference between what people say in their heads or through their mouths. I’m still learning how to control it,” he blushed.

“It’s ok, you dork. Just try to keep your mind on your mind alone.”

“I’ll try. I’m sorry.”

“Would you quit apologizing?! We have important work to do.”

“Yeah….Sorr…..”

I slapped him in the face, “Stop. Saying. Sorry.”

He was about to open up his mouth when the roof door opened. We took cover on the side of the building. It was a man wearing the all black uniform that all of Atom’s men wear. Their rank is symbolized by their hats. Tyler once told me what all of the colors mean, but all I remember is that Red is the highest ranking official and Black is the lowest.

“Good thing this guy has a black hat,” Scavenger blurted again.

I gave him the most annoyed face I could give, and he blushed.

“I’m sorry. The voices sound just like they would if they came out of your mouth. It gets a little more difficult when you’re facing the other way.”

Realizing how little Scavenger can control his new abilities, I felt fear. We just jumped right into a war zone and we didn’t bring a parachute. I don’t think either of us thought this through. Atom basically owns this town. If he wanted to, he could get away with murder. He wouldn’t even bat an eye to see Scavenger dead after what he did to Tyler… and Solas... and the rest of his men.

Atom’s entire company, Atom’s Bombs, is entirely based on cold blooded murder. He supplies anyone who can afford his prices with guns and ammo. He sold things from pistol bullets to tanks and bombers. Atom owns an army and has the means to use it on anyone that he wants. All or most of his men are ex-military and they come from every corner of the earth.

We were about to take on an unknown number of them guarding their boss’ son.

“Scavenger, we need to get inside unnoticed. Think you can turn invisible?”

“I’ll try, but I doubt it will work.”

Scavenger closed his eyes and pushed his mind to the limit. His face turned bright red; he was focusing so hard that he didn’t realize my giant smile. Objects began to float around us. He opened his eyes and saw old beer bottles, and cigarette buds floating around him.

“Guess I can’t.”

He gave me a nervous laugh. Clooney looked at me with the same nervous expression. They look identical. If he could talk the two could be completely indistinguishable. I didn’t even notice that it had been a few minutes since the last time that I talked.

Scavenger was staring at me, “helllllllloooooo,” and he waved his hand in front of my face.

“Oh. Um, yeah we need to figure out a way past the guard,” I blushed.

“Thanks Captain Obvious. Much better than my plan of you know asking him to let us in.”

“While you’re at it ask for his gun and wallet.”

That’s right two can play at this game. He gave me a blank stare and was smiling. It always makes me feel better when he smiles. After all he’s been through he can still find a way to smile. That thought gives me hope.

Atom’s henchman had walked all the way to the end of the roof and was now heading back our way on the other side. He was busy looking down off the roof, probably for long ladders, a knotted rope, or maybe the thing batman uses to climb. There wasn’t anything to block his line of sight from us if we ran. We have to distract him somehow.

One of Scavengers floating beer bottles lightly bonked Clooney in the head. He slapped his glass attacker across the roof and it landed just past the roid freak. The gun was prepared faster than I ever thought possible.

“Who’s there?” he asked, “I have orders to shoot on sight.”

Scavenger pulled me and Clooney back onto the wall as far as possible. He whispered in my ear “I’ll be right back, got to take the trash out.”

“ Scaven…..” he was already gone and took Clooney with him.

I watched my best friend pop out behind the roid freak. He tapped his shoulder then teleported. By the time the guy turned around Scavenger was on the other side tapping his shoulder. This time the roid freak didn’t turn around instead he waited for Scavenger to pop up in front of him. He would’ve shot Scavenger in the face if Clooney didn’t kick the henchman off of his feet. The rifle flew over the railing and plummeted to the road, two stories down. Scavenger turned around and smiled and gave me the thumbs up.

I ran over to my friend and saw that Clooney was beating up the roid freak. He was repeatedly hitting him in the head. The man was bloody, his nose was broken, and his blood gushed like a volcano. He had bruises where his eyes should’ve been. Scavenger must’ve noticed my glance or read my mind because he grabbed Clooney’s arm and the clone stood up to his feet. He brushed off some dirt off of his pants and looked at the soldier.

Scavenger stood next to the guard and asked,” Where is Tyler Atom?”

The roid freak spit on Scavengers face, “Go back to hell, demon spawn.”

He laughed with a thick French accent. Scavenger wiped the bloody spit off of his face and punched the French guy in the face.

“You will tell me what I want to know, or you will know what falling to death feels like,” Scavenger screamed.

The Frenchman laughed, “You don’t have the guts.”

Scavenger closed his eyes and the man began to float.

“Woah, woah, woah. Put me down. This isn’t human. You are the devil.”

He floated over the edge, “Please. Please put me down.”

Before that day I’d never think that Scavenger could harm anyone. Now today alone he’s snapped my boyfriend’s arm like a toothpick, he’s severely injured six people and cut one’s hand off, and now he’s torturing someone for information. I heard a loud thump and my heart sank. I thought Scavenger had thrown the man over the edge, but when I looked up he was on the ground kissing it. Scavenger was looking at me. He had lost the anger that filled his expression and it was replaced by sorrow.

“You think I’m a monster,” he could barely force out.

“Scavenger I…. you’re scaring me”.

He sat down on the edge of the roof; the French guy was being held down by Scavenger’s powers.

“What’s your name Frenchy?” he asked him.

“Silverson,” he answered nervously.

“Look, I’ve done a lot of bad things today. My best friend over there, Scarlett, is starting to get worried that I’m a sociopathic murderer. So, I’ll make you a deal, Silverson. You tell me where the Atoms are, and you can take the stairs down instead of the express route.”

“Room 526, first floor. There’re guards in every room and all loaded with fully automatic weapons and battle experience. You kids will never make it alive,” he answered so fast I could barely understand him.

The entire first floor has to be covered with Atom’s men and the odds of two teenagers and a clone making past hundreds of trigger-happy mercenaries aren’t high. It’s basically a death wish.

“Your plan will work, Scarlett.”

I stared at him feeling very unsure of myself. Clooney punched the French guy in the face knocking him out. He took the French guys bullet proof vest and strapped it around himself.

“Scavenger? Earlier when I knocked him out did you feel it?”

“Sorta. It didn’t physically hurt me, but it felt like there was a siren going off in the back of my head where you hit him; like a tingle.”

“He heals fast. That hit would have kept a normal person unconscious or dead, but he stood up like it was a thump.”

“He reflects my emotions and actions. He might not have a brain or nerves to feel pain.”

Clooney tapped his head and smiled. Probably trying to tell us that he has a brain. He has to not have a brain to go through with my idiotic plan.

“Ok Clooney, you know the plan. We will meet you downstairs. Wait till Scavenger gives you the go ahead. Oh, and you might need this.”

I handed him Silverson’s assault rifle, “Just shoot for the legs. Immobilize don’t kill,” I reminded him.

He gave us an energetic nod and ran to the door. Scavenger grabbed the vent cover and ripped it off of the wall, “Ladies first.”

“What a gentleman,” I said, rolling my eyes.

The vent was steep at first. It went from two feet of flatness to a drop off. I walked off and would have broken an ankle if Scavenger hadn’t met me at the bottom.

“Didn’t see the ledge,” I blushed.

“I noticed,” he said back.

He put me down and we scooted down the shaft. It was hot and cramped. We had to crawl to go across and could raise ourselves to a crouch whenever there was an intersection of multiple tubes. We could see through the vents to see where we were. There were soldiers everywhere. I don’t know how Clooney is going to make it down stairs.

“He’s sneaking past the guards. He’s just below us. He’s been choking them out and hiding their unconscious bodies,” Scavenger whispered.

“Guess it’s a lot easier to sneak with one person than three.”

“It’s also easier when you share a mind and have four eyes to look through and a bird’s eye view of their positions.”

I never thought my plan would work this well. We scooted farther down the vents until the next ledge appeared.

“This is the entrance to the first floor,” Scavenger whispered.

He teleported down and held out his arm to help me down.

“Why didn’t you just teleport both of us?”

“Oh, um...kind of thought it would be nicer to help you like a normal person,” he blushed.

“Scavenger you were the farthest thing from normal before we found out about your powers. I like my dorky best friend.”

His face turned as bright as a tomato.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Scavenger. Which way do we go?”

“I thought you knew,” he said, shocked.

“Great. We’re lost.”

All of a sudden, his eyes shot open as wide as possible. He put his hand over my mouth and pulled me away from the vent. Through the vent I saw a lot of commotion: nurses and doctors were running all over the place and a gurney scooted by with a familiar looking mercenary with a missing hand.

“Solas,” we both said.

“They must have found his team in the forest,” Scavenger said.

He seemed more relieved that they didn’t die out there. There were five more gurney’s that scooted by, all with the team Scavenger messed up in the forest.

Scavenger’s fist clenched. I saw who he was looking at. Atom walked in through the automatic doors. His neatly spiked blonde hair and his all white suit made him stick out. His white cowboy boots jingled every time he took a step.

He had his arm wrapped around the sheriff like they were best friends. Atom smiled as he took off his sunglasses and placed them on his inside shirt. Sheriff Sims was not amused. He seemed like he had aged ten years since this morning.

The screws inside the vent began to shake; it was Scavenger trying to hold back his powers. He was holding back ripping Atom to shreds. I grabbed his hand and made him look at me, “We are going to make everything ok again. Try to control your rage.”

The screws stopped shaking.

“He’s disrespecting my father, he tried to kill me, and he’s the reason you got shot. He will pay for his crimes.”

“How did you remove the bullet?”

“I watched a YouTube video and Clooney helped.”

“You did surgery on me based on a YouTube video?”

“It’s not like we had another option.”

“Still, a YouTube video. We have doctors, Scavenger. It’s not like we are from the stone age, looking up YouTube videos to save our friends life.”

“Sorry. Next time I’ll just let you bleed out on the floor,” he said with a smile.

Even in the most dangerous of situations he always finds a way to smile. I don’t know what it is about his smile, but it always makes me smile.

“It’s called whitening strips. Really gets the shine into them.”

“Way to ruin the mood genius.”

He gave me another one of his famous uncomfortable smiles and turned back towards the grate.

“Clooney is ready. I can see where we are in the vents. It’s really obvious the metal is bending down. Guess it’s true that bad guys never look up.”

“Can we just get on with it? How many guards are down there?”

“There’s two military trucks out front. You know, the big ones that can carry a ton of people. So other than the twenty that Clooney can see, there’s another 40 stationed around the hospital,” Scavenger said with a grimace.

Really starting to reconsider this plan. “Maybe we should just turn back.”

“There’s no time. We know where Atom is, and I need answers. Your plan is the only option.”

“Scavenger, this is a death trap. You’d have to be nuts to think that you can fight all of these guys.”

“What do I always tell you? Never doubt me because I’ll always come through. Failure isn’t an option and no matter how many times you tell me I can’t do something, I will always come through. No matter the odds, no matter the cost, I will succeed. Now watch the magic because it’s about to be a laser light show.”

I heard a guard shout, “There he is,” followed by gun shots.

About a dozen men ran past the grate. All were shooting in the direction of Clooney. Then ten more followed and then twenty. The sound of gun shots became overwhelming. My heart began to beat faster, my chest felt heavy, and I couldn’t catch my breath. I had never been so scared in my life. The walls were closing in and I realized how small this vent was.

A hand pulled me in and held me close to Scavenger’s chest. He hugged so tight, I felt like I was going to pop. His heart was beating slow; he was calm. There was a war going on ten feet below us, but he was calm.

I felt my breath return to my lungs and my heart slowed. Scavenger must’ve noticed but didn’t loosen his grip around me. I tapped his shoulder and said “I’m ok now. You’re going to make me pop if you don’t let go.”,

“Oh, sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were ok,” he said barely louder than the gun fire.

“Clooney is running low on ammo. I have to go down there and help.”

“But the plan was that Clooney distracts them and runs away. Why not just make him run away?”

“He is cornered and surrounded. The only reason he hasn’t been hit is because he stole a lot of body armor off of the soldiers upstairs. He’s wearing about twenty pieces wrapped around his entire body.”

“Scavenger, please. You’ll be killed if you go down there.”

I begged him to stay, but he looked at me and said his magic words “Never doubt me,” then teleported away.