Lyfers: Amnesia

Chapter 21 - All Apologies

 – Stop! Holy shit, I said stop!

Her shout got ignored, and Sphinx's fist flew to Claw's face. He dodged it, pulling the younger down in a sharp move and sending a knee right into his stomach, before following with an uppercut in the jaw and then shoving him onto the ground, brutally. The young woman cried louder as the mint-haired boy stayed on the concrete floor, the pain being too strong to bear and to wake up in this instant. But what distressed her even harder was that he began to cough blood; the kick had cracked one of his ribs. She crouched next to him in a rush, holding onto his shoulders to make him sit up, afraid he would choke.

– Sphinx! Sphinx, are you alright?! Answer me!

He nodded, wiping the red liquid off of his lips with the back of his hand, then raised his chin up to the other man, showing him a dark look. This was beyond limits; if Dove wasn't here, he would've broken Claw's life flow, ruining his arms and legs without even bothering about getting revenge someday.

– I swear Claw, he growled, you will pay for that.

– Become a better boxer first, Sphinx. Yer nothing but looks and talk.

He was about to get up, enraged by such a remark, but Dove maintained him down, way too worried the black-haired man would injure him any further. She eyed that one with an incredulous frown; what has gotten into him?

– What's the problem between you two?! She yelled.

– Ya just deserve better, Dove. Keep that in mind.

After a shrug, Claw left, hands back into his pockets, as if nothing happened. She couldn't believe it; he always had been kind towards her, so why would things escalate in no time between him and Sphinx? She didn't understand it, and it annoyed her. Nevertheless, she was too disquieted to care about anything else than Sphinx's state for now on. She helped him up on his feet, an arm wrapped under his shoulders to support him.

– I'm taking you to a doctor, she sighed, you need to get treated.

– No, I'm fine... Let's just head to school.

– You might have broken ribs!

– Wouldn't be the first ones... I'm okay, really. And you can't miss any more days, Dove.

– I don't care about missing school, I care about you, you dumbass!

Her sudden confession made their faces turn to a deep red, but she immediately dismissed it as being something normal, between friends. Friends, she thought, just friends. However, her heart thudding loudly into her chest seemed to say otherwise, and she had a hard time to ignore it. She tightened her grip around him as she began to lead him away.

– C-come, she stuttered, you have to see a doctor.

There was nothing he could answer to that, as he was still astounded from her words. Did she really care about him to the point of risking getting expelled, while they both knew she couldn't afford to? It stressed him as much as it pleased him, but the thunderstruck expression he shown abruptly changed into a fearful one when he discerned a group of people arriving in front of them. He stopped, forcing her to let go.

– Run, Dove!

__________

– I'm sorry, Piry. You're a good girl, but I need to put you away for now. Consistency matter.

– And this is why you are single, Ven.

Phase's amused sigh sounded differently to the horrified men on the ground of the cramped cafe than to the blonde, who grinned, putting down his bloodied metal bar to grab a plastic bag from his leather jacket's pockets. He approached the pink-haired man, who was laying on the pool table legs crossed, and playfully punched his shoulder.

– M'aw, don't be so harsh on me, he giggled. I'm single for some other reason. Don't go make Piry jealous.

– You're going to stay a virgin for your entire life. What a waste of such a face.

– Toady boy. Anyways, we should get back to work.

In a swift move, he grabbed one of the guys from the floor, brutally shoving him against the billiard, tearing away a pained scream from him, and a bothered one from Phase. This one retaliated by hitting the injured man in the back with the cue stick he had in the hands.

– Hey, don't dirty my suit with rat's blood, Ven!

– M'aw, my bad, forgot you were extremely choosy. All apologies.

– Remind them of what they fucked up, rather than bitching.

– Oh, right.

Quickly, the plastic bag Venom was holding was put above the victim's head, and the Lieutenant squeezed it around his neck, preventing him to breath. He struggled, seizing the blonde's wrists and desperately trying to get him to loosen his grip, vainly; Venom was too strong. With a smirk, he watched over the other men, head tilted to the side, in an expression that would have looked innocent, if he wasn't busy killing someone.

– So, apparently you forgot what you owe Amnesia, huh? If you're not one of us, then you pay a fee for doin' business in our district. And if you do not, that fee turns into... A breathing tax.

At these words, he compressed the plastic bag harder, making sure no air could save his victim.

– C'm'on, we're not taking that much money. That's not even ten per cent of your gains, and yet you've been so possessive? Too bad, we could've avoided that.

– Venom's right, though. We've been nice with you, guys.

– Too nice. I guess we'll be tougher from now on. Right, Phase?

– Right.

When they were done talking, life had disappeared from the man the blonde keeping up, and he let him down unceremoniously, bending to take the bag back, before observing the others.

– Whose turn is it, now? Hey, did I even kill the right person?

– I told you before, Ven, you should check first.

– I keep forgetting. How embarrassing.

He pointed to the dead man on the floor with a hand, sending some of his own life flow into him, ignoring the stinging ache that hit his entire body all of a sudden. On the other side, the previously deceased one began to move again. In a smirk, Venom closed his eyes, and the voice that passed his lips was almost broken:

– What Amnesia can take... Amnesia can give too.