They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

Just a little more and I could have gnash whoever splash smoke bombs inside the apartment.

I keep my ears alert for a soft shuffling of feet or whispers above the smoke. I pick up nothing. I inhaled some to my lungs. Then breathe in relief.

There wasn't any sleeping or poison components. Just a usual smell of choking smoke when burning down houses.

What I didn't expect, is for the transparent figure to stand out behind me. I can see shaggy head, build same as me, and a hand reaching out to touch me.

It's Sam. This is Sam. This smoke is to bring out Sam. It's a trap. I leaped to tackle him down. Too late. A rope, with thorny sides wrapped at my chest, tying both of my hands down.

Somebody pulled me away from Sam. I land at the floor with a loud crash. Body squirming, convulsing, the rope is not your ordinary boat sailing knot rope. It's electrical. And definitely connected to some power source.

It decapitates me, my consciousness blinking in and out. I heard footsteps. Scuffling around me. Or it was just sickness rolling.

Next minute later, I heard screams. Of horrified men being lifted off their feet. I forced my eyes to open. Sickness and weak all over, I stared upward.

Branches. Brown slithering giant plants having life of its own crawling around me. They towered and tie every black men with rifles that tried to come at me.

"What the -?" I was still disoriented. But I can get by. I shake my head and tried to keep my foot upright. It works. Or so I thought, the world suddenly spun and I slammed right into someone. My nose almost breaks at the hardened trunk of this person's chest. 

"Lance!" A beaming voice and a world spinning shake made me sick right to my gut. I recognize the voice, it's Magnus. I squint against his face. He looks like a morbid caveman. Good thing he still has the sense to wear clothes. 

His face is literally covered with hairs I have no idea he outgrew for only three days. 

"What's wrong with you?" And he slapped me across my cheek.

"Oh, thank the deities you're finally here." I heard the flap of wings coming from my right. It must have been Alpha Beast. He resumed the parrot form, discarding my face. At least he has some sense to stop being me. Stop being ugly.

"What's wrong with him?" Something sharp and thin crossed my cheek. I can feel blood dripping from my skin. That was his feather. The guy just scratch me with his feather. Unbelievable.

Without intending to, I slap the parrot away. He screeched as I sent him toppling down the smoky floor. He coughed, he screeched, let out an – exclusive - for - parrot - only – cuss. But its nothing compared to the horrified screams of men as they were tossed out of the window one by one. 

I ran towards the window, checking where they were dropped. A giant branch, lifted a two hundred pounds man and tossed him like a bag of trash. The apartment we're in is two storey high. And the buffy man with a rifle landed on the dumpster. Toppling down other metal cans and rolling off his other teammates.

Looks like he was the last of the men. The branches shut off the window and nudge me back to the group. Magnus, Alpha Beast and Seven huddled together.

"Guys, what's going on? Who are those dudes?" Magnus stashed me another pair of clothes. Another black. None of them answered my question. They scattered immediately and turn to sealing off all the possible exit. 

Seven did a good job riling up her branches and made a sturdy wall around us. Caging us in. 

"Hey, seriously who are they?" 

The smoke has cleared out. Magnus busied himself with duffel bags. Scouring for food in the fridge, tools or anything he fancies as useful. I held his arm to stop him.

"Hey! Why won't you answer me?" Magnus's eyes darted around the room. 

"Did you befriend the invisible boy?" 

That made me step back in surprise. So he knew. Of course he knew. 

"I talked to him." I said briefly. He doesn't show any reaction. Magnus turned back to his duffel bags. 

"Here, why don't you make yourself useful and grab more salt and oil? At nightfall, we'll break out. Expect for bloody action. Those Faery dudes are more active at day. At night? Not so much. So we'll wait. We break out at nightfall. Seven?"

He looked over my shoulder. Seven is on the ground. She's standing in the eye of branches storm. The area around her feet is clear. Outside, it's thick forest again. Magnus nod approvingly. 

"Your tasked to keep those branches as walls to prevent them from hauling smokescreens again. Alpha Beast? Keep a look out if any other Faeries than Fire hogs came trolling to us. And you, my dear Eklektos Five." He clamp my shoulder and twirled me around. 

Facing an empty wall. In the corner, I heard the scratching. A scraping noise of feet in the floor.

"Talk with your invisible buddy to come with us in escaping this hole." 

The tattered wallpaper was ripped right off its position. I know Sam use his nails. I winced. There's no blood dripping but I figured it should have hurt. 

Sam why?

"Okay," I said. Magnus patted my shoulders twice and gave me an encouraging nudge. Then he disappeared to another room.

"Sam?" I called. I didn't try to approach him. I keep my feet rooted on the floor. I know he's pissed. I know he's angry at me, at Magnus, to all of us. 

We invade his privacy. His home. We made it into this mess. And Magnus just told me to convince him to come with us. That's totally impossible.

"Sam… I know you don't like us here but if you're willing, please –"

"No," his voice closed up. The coolness present in his tone disappeared. The friendliness, the trust…

I tried to calm myself. I can't convince him if I don't stay calm. I tried to remember back at the time when Magnus told me I was chosen. That I was an Eklektos with an ability bestowed by the deities in the form of 'blessings'. 

The Mark was the first sign of everything going wrong. And to Sam, that's also the case too. I removed my black jacket and folded my sleeve. Showing him my Mark of Five.

I heard an audible gasp from his spot. 

"Sorry for the late introduction." I started. Twisting my forearm closer to where I feel he's standing. 

"I am Lance Augustus. An Eklektos like you, known as FIVE."

It took a few seconds before he spoke again. "Eklektos? Wha –what Eklektos? What are you talking about?" 

I can detect the fear, The uncertainty and 'what – is – this – creep – talking – about?' A great pang of déjà vu hit me. Hard. This is also what I thought about Magnus back then. Saying he's a creep, a total weirdo.

Saying magic and blessing like how superheroes started to realized their powers after someone let them know what they're capable of. I can't stop a smile coming out of my lips. If Magnus is saying we'll wait until nightfall, then we'll wait. 

Have a little story telling. I carefully sat on the ground. 

"Won't you seat with me Sam?"

"Why would I?" He snapped. 

"Because we're having a friendly conversation before those guys bust in. I'd like to continue, if you don't mind." 

He's silent. I take that as a yes. I put my jacket back on and started talking. About myself. Mostly my life with my Dad. I didn't tell him about Mom, not until we get to the part after Magnus appeared himself to me. 

I received a short chuckle from Sam when I told him how Magnus and I met. He started laughing out loud at the part of Magnus getting overly narcistic in front of a mirror. 

"Man, that was hilarious." He told me. "How we're you able to stand the shame?" I laugh with him. 

"Nah, I ignore people. That works." Then I set straight to the worst part. Moving to Chicago, meeting Lista and Meira, then eventually being betrayed by them. And how the four of us spent seventy days in the Faery hole undergoing their imprisonment and experiment.

After I conclude, I let him process the information. About the Faeries, about who we truly are. What should we do. One thing he can't believe is about human slaves.

"What about that chick pops fell in love with? She an Auf too? Her soul was used as mana booster? Was it like that?" 

I pondered for a moment. 

"You did say she transformed right? What does she look like?" 

"Like the most foulest ugly b*tch alive. Her rotten smell is worse than a dog's breath. She has withery green skin. Her skin is bobbing in odd places and her fangs is too unsightly. She has moth wings too." 

Moth wings… I think back at the Aufs I killed. They also have wings, thin leathery flimsy type.

"I think, yes she's an Auf –"

"No." Magnus came up behind us. "That woman is a Faery. A Blood Hog. Shocks, we don't want her appearing here tonight. She's bad news."