Meds and Monsters

Chapter 4: Home Territory (Pt. 2)

"Hnn!" Julia grunts as she throws a pillow full force into his face. He stands there, unflinching.

"That was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen you do," he comments, slightly amused.

"Don't touch me!" Julia yells right when he goes to take a step toward them. "You're... you're such a bully! Leave us alone!"

"Me?" His voice sounds like acid fuming through his teeth. "You don't know what the word even means! You're the ones who started it, and now I'm going to be the one to finish it."

He slams the side of his tail into her ribs, sending her crashing into the wall behind her. Maria yelps and reaches for her friend, but Scorpion grabs her wrist and pushes her onto the futon. She tries to say something, anything that can stall him long enough for the police to get here. Surely someone must have called the cops once they saw the villain Scorpion carrying two girls across campus! Unfortunately, nothing escapes her mind as he opens her closet door. She wonders why he is going for her closet. Does he have weapons of torture hidden there, or is he going to put her inside while he deals with them one at a time?!

Her eyes widen once she sees what, or rather, who is inside, wrapped up from head to toe in bungee cords. Lauren and Ian Thompson. "L-L-L..." is all she can say before Scorpion speaks up once again.

"I had to take a stop before I got here. It wasn't much of an inconvenience, and it was well worth the detour." He grabs the back cord wrapped around Lauren and tosses her up, throwing her into the middle of the room. She screams through the thick gag and can't stop herself from landing roughly on her side. "They are slippery little siblings, but once I found them there was no way I could let them miss out on the fun." He turns to Ian and taunts, "You still think it was a smart idea to distract me back then?"

"No! This has nothing to do with them!" Maria finally finds her voice, giving Julia enough time to rush to Lauren's side and wrap her arms around her shoulders. Scorpion looks like he wants to separate the two, but Maria keeps his attention. "What happened in New York was because of us, not them. You're wasting your efforts by focusing on the Thompsons!"

"You don't understand, Ria," Scorpion says, putting a hand on Lauren's head. "If you scream too loudly or even attempt to escape, I'll kill them. Tsk tsk, I don't want to harm them, but I will if you make me."

He scrapes the tip of his tail into Maria's shoulder, and although she jerks herself away, she still gets a taste of the poison from his stinger. Her entire arm starts to burn and yet she wills herself to stand up straight and only press her hand against it to wipe the blood away. Mac continues to taunt, "Feel that? You see what only one drop can do? If you try anything, I'll inject the entirety of my venom into her heart."

She watches as he gestures to Lauren as he talks, but her mind is starting to fade away. Trying desperately to think of a way out of this, she looks from Julia holding Lauren to Ian and his pleading gaze. They would be able to untie themselves if not for the strong cords keeping them bound. They look so tight that the siblings are starting to lose blood circulation throughout their entire bodies, especially since every inch of their forms are tied up. Scorpion really overdid it with them.

Then, an idea flickers through her foggy mind. One last option, one last leap of hope fills every muscle as she no longer thinks, but acts. Right as Scorpion turns to Julia to pull her away from her friend, Maria lunges to her desk that rests right across her closet. In a flash, she opens one of the drawers, pulls out a pocket knife, flips open the blade, and presses it to her neck.

No one moves, not even Scorpion, and they all just stare at Maria, waiting for her to make the first move. She shakily opens her mouth and says, "N-not a pawn... If you don't let Lauren and Ian go... right now, then I'll d-do it."