New Phoenix

08/21/2016
Sanctuary Forest

Pigeon lays on the ground with her arms out, watching the sky change color as the sun sets somewhere out of sight. She looks restless, with eye bags to brand her recent sleepless days. Just as she closes her eyes...

ABEL
Hello, Pigeon. Your neck is still...uh...bleeding a little.

Pigeon gets back up, brushing over her neck with her hand.

PIGEON
Oh! Das not good. I'll go see Plague about it then...

ABEL
No need. I can take a look at it.

PIGEON
Uh...sure. Here.

Abel leans down, squints at a pair of red dots on Pigeon’s neck, and then pats her shoulder.

ABEL
Keep it bandaged and it will go away in a few days.

PIGEON
‘kay, thanks. So Alfredo, what's going on with Zeke? Are you gonna kill him?

ABEL
Pigeon, we do not kill. You know that.

PIGEON
He said some pretty scary stuff though...you not worried?

ABEL
Yes, I know what he said. Trust me Pigeon, I have met a good many people in my life, many of which were terrifying. Do you know what they all had in common?

PIGEON
Too much laughing?

ABEL
What they all had in common, was that none of them ever said how scary they were. He is all talk.

PIGEON
So what happens then?

Abel is interrupted by a pebble flying near him, missing entirely. He lowers his head and pinches the corners of his eyes.

ABEL (Muttering)
That’s it, that boy’s about to meet his maker...

The one who threw the pebble, of course, was Zeke - storming closer to Abel with his head lowered.

ZEKE
Hey, you pinstriped piece of garbage. Where’s that beating you promised me?

ABEL
...Pigeon, did you say something?

Pigeon shrugs.

ZEKE
Ohoh, don’t ignore me. I know you hear me. So I’ll ask again: WHERE is that b--

Abel swiftly turns around and sucker punches Zeke in the mouth.

ABEL
It’s right HERE!

Following up with a mean right hook and a knee to the chest, Zeke falls to the ground and scrambles up to one knee. Abel stands over him, putting on one of his war talons.

PIGEON
Oh!

Zeke brings his hand to his mouth, wiping away blood and spitting at Abel’s boot. He also unsheathes his sword from his back, using it to keep himself up.

ZEKE
That the best you can do?

Abel slashes at Zeke’s face with his war talon. Zeke blocks it with his sword.

ZEKE
You fight like a BITCH, you know that?!

Abel grabs onto the blade and pulls it closer to him. Zeke is dragged closer as well, stumbling right into a kick to the gut that leaves him gasping for air on the ground. Abel stands over him again, taking Zeke’s own sword by the hilt and pointing the business end down at him.

ABEL
Pigeon, do you see what I was talking about now?

PIGEON
Yeah, but this is a little extreme...

ABEL
No, it is not. I live for one reason, my family. When you threaten them, in any way, THERE WILL BE A RECKONING!

PIGEON
Woah, WAIT!

Zeke stumbles back up to his knees too late to avoid another punch from Abel. Upon impact, a burst of energy sends Abel staggering backwards and obscures the area in a cold haze.

ZEKE
“I can see the pain in your eyes,”
“If you’ve come this far to run away from your pain, you may find a lot of power in learning to wield it.”
When we met for the first time...that’s what you told me.
But I didn’t understand. Not until...Tizona.
Then my eyes opened.
You don’t draw strength from pain. You don’t even know what pain is!
So tell me...

Zeke lifts his head, his arms follow. Icy blue metal covers his head like a helmet, as though he used an aura catalyst.

ZEKE
Can I really be as strong as you, in spite of what’s taken from me?

PIGEON
Oh wow! He’s all blue now...

As the haze clears, Abel approaches Zeke with both his war talons raised.

ABEL
If you are so desperate to find out...come get me, little boy blue.

Two hours later
Sanctuary Forest

Clover is quietly passing through Sanctuary when she hears Zeke and Abel fighting in the distance.

CLOVER
...there’s no way.

Using her catalyst, Clover sprints full speed towards the fight before stopping right beside Pigeon.

CLOVER
What...what did I miss?!

PIGEON
It has been TWO AND A HALF damn hours!!! And they’re still not done!!!

CLOVER
Why are they fighting?

PIGEON
Zeke threw a rock at Abel and asked him where his whooping was...

CLOVER
Oh boy. That’s...he shouldn’t have done that.

The two observe as the fight drags on, both Zeke and Abel too exhausted to do anything but trade jabs.

PIGEON
You had to be here when it started, it’s just getting boring now

CLOVER
What is Zeke wearing?

PIGEON
You mean the metal? No idea, that just kinda happened...

CLOVER
...is that from a catalyst?

PIGEON
I don’t know what else it would be...I kinda don’t care either. I’ma go see what everyone else is doing.

Zeke swings for Abel’s throat, and Abel leans back to avoid it but stumbles. Landing a decisive blow to Abel’s jaw instead, he staggers backwards in a daze.

ABEL
You...do not come back. Do not show your face around me ever...again...

Abel collapses to the ground with a thud, catching Pigeon’s attention just as she began to leave. She turns her head to see who fell...

PIGEON
...Abel?

Horrified, she watches Zeke stand over Abel. His whole body is shivering, either from his catalyst’s freezing temperature or a pure manic episode. He looks down at Abel with a twisted, disgusting smile.

ABEL
Somebody...get him out of here...I have had enough of this sick...this sick...

Abel’s voice trails off as he loses consciousness.

ZEKE
I should make a fucking skin rug out of you.

Zeke spits at him.

PIGEON
This...this isn’t real, right?
Abel?!

Zeke faces Pigeon and Clover, fist raised to the sky in wicked triumph.

ZEKE
I WOOOOON!!

Following his declaration, a long, miserable silence drains the last of his strength.

CLOVER
...
That’s great.

With apathetic eyes, Pigeon and Clover watch him fall to the ground.

ZEKE
Holy shit, I can’t feel anything it’s so cold-

Clover walks past him and kneels down by Abel.

CLOVER
I’m taking him to the infirmary. Pigeon, you coming?

PIGEON
...he really lost...what happens now? Surely something’s gonna be different...but...

CLOVER
No, it all stays the same.
Abel’s still our captain.
We’re still his students.
Zeke is still just a loser.

Zeke smiles and lays on his back, staring up at the moon.

ZEKE
I stood up to him.
Like you’d be any different if he threatened Pigeon or you.

CLOVER
Well that’s the problem.
He wouldn’t.

Clover walks past Zeke again, carrying Abel over her back. Pigeon hesitates to follow after her.

PIGEON
Wait, we...sigh, we can’t leave him here.

CLOVER
That’s fine, but I might...

Clover sets Abel down and stands over Zeke. Through the blood, sweat and tears covering his face, he looks back up at her and finds a look of jaded disappointment.

CLOVER
...I’ll take you to the infirmary on one condition.
If you apologize to Abel.

Zeke wheezes.

ZEKE
I’d rather crawl.

CLOVER
...

Clover walks away, picking up Abel again and storming off.

PIGEON
Wait-!

Pigeon exhales in frustration and glares at Zeke, who is no longer moving.

PIGEON
...this is for Abel.

Pigeon winds her leg back and kicks Zeke in the chest as hard as she can.

PIGEON
This is for what you just did to Clover.

Pigeon smashes him in the face again, the metal residue on Zeke’s face shatters.

PIGEON
And THIS is for dragging me into all of your stupid fucking bullshit!

This time, she goes to stomp on him.

She waits a little bit longer for him to respond, but he doesn’t. Slowly, she backs away from Zeke and realizes what she just did. Eyes wide as saucers, she darts after Clover and doesn’t look back.

END

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