ManBeast - Book 1: A Kingdom of Predators

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Jules came to observe something of immense interest to him when Frankie shared the surprise behind what happened to this mystery man, Stephan Jones. Despite the fact that Jules knew his father had died, and even attended his funeral as a child, he never knew, nor had reason to know, that his father had been murdered.

He was a child when he left the family, and his mother said little of who he was. Even still and furthermore, such news typically would not be received without a myriad of emotional developments and display from said recipient; the loss of a father is no light thing, regardless of the nature or non-existence of a relationship. But this subtle, yet irrefutable truth about Frankie fascinated Jules more than hearing that his absentee father had been slain: there was no "uncomfortability" from Frankie. No slight hunch, or hesitation, no stutter, nor odd inflections. Just the sense of a deep and profound void, only outdone by the matter-of fact-ness of the statement itself.

To Jules in that moment, it had seemed as if Frankie was more comfortable talking about a murder than conveying the inner layers and recesses of his emotional reserves that a mentee would desire from his mentor. That fact held substantial weight for Jules, a young Afro-Latino American, a Hybrid, a young man, a person, a soul. This held more weight than almost anything Frankie stated, conveyed, or spoke thus far; for a moment, even after hearing the truth about his father, Jules was unsure of who he thought Frankie actually was.

"...How was he killed?" Jules asked slowly. Frankie inhaled slightly and continued to answer: "Roughly. The autopsy suggested that he was attacked by several assailants, and that they injuries he sustained were demonstrative of killing intent; whoever killed him intended to do so and did so without fail." Agatha became teary-eyed and wiped her face quietly. "Mr. Jones was a brilliant man...he didn't deserve that betrayal," she bitterly wept. This prompt was enough for Jules to follow up with his main question: "What leads you to assume that members of the Brotherhood were behind it?" The shady nature of just now learning of this information made Jules wary, added with the observation of Frankie's composure. It wasn't an impossible thought by no means; Jules officially knew first-hand how ferocious Beast-Men in full-tilt could be. But, there was something still amiss, and now was the time to try an unearth it.

"The timing; there was a shift in financial interests within the Brotherhood at that time; it was an election year for Chairman of the Brotherhood. Brotherhood purists wanted to keep to the status quo of the fight club and raise it to new heights while keeping control with the Brothers, while the reformists saw the innovation of the gambling system by the current Chairman, contracts, and investments from outside purveyors as too lucrative an opportunity to lose," said Frankie.

"Your father was voted out for havin' radical purist ideals, and was killed to ensure compliance with all associated with him... or at least that is what we have concluded thus far. The lack of definitive principals, accomplices and few spare persons of interest make this theory a hard one to stick. But his final days alive, that crazy-ass election, and circumstantial evidence found both at the site of his body and strange goings-on within the Brotherhood since that night highly suggest that somethin' foul was and still is at play," Doug answered in tow.

A second of silence allowed Jules to digest all of this unbecoming information. Worse still, a new narrative arose in his mind that couldn't be denied. "So, the attack at the firm...the dead Beast-Men thereafter..." Jules began to speak. Doug hung his head slightly, Al turned away in silence and Frankie pocketed his hands slowly.

"Yes. In sum, Julius, we did not just invite you to be a member of the Brotherhood just to protect you and teach you how to defend yourself, nor entirely to sway you to our way of life. We believe that those same actors still exist in full force within the Brotherhood, and that you are they key to flushing them out once and for all. That night of your attack confirmed it: they want you dead. We want to save this fraternity; we want to preserve who we are. Even more so, we need you to help us achieve that...I want your help."

For someone who had not felt the calling of need for the majority of his life, being asked to solve a murder mystery was nothing short of impactful for Jules. Thus far, he had succeeded in his personal life by getting by and keeping a low profile; no waves need be made, no enemies to be had, no issues beyond the personal rectifications of past emotional harms borne from family turmoil or interpersonal inadequacy. He had learned that by keeping but so much of himself closed off to the world, quiet and in the darkness of his own mind, that things generally were easier to deal with. For what reason should anyone open themselves up to hurt, to trauma, when past lessons had taught him that such openness bore no beneficial fruit? Yet, here was his mentor, this enigmatic but persistent and welcoming recent force within his life, asking him to be a part of his world. Not just the recreation accompanied by said world, but the indoctrination of it; Frankie wanted Jules, just as much as Jules had learned he wanted Frankie. Josephine had been right; Jules greatly underestimated the value and effect of having a father-figure in one's life, and the lengths to which a person would endure in the effort of replicating such a relationship. A complete step outside of the figurative comfort zone; Jules envisioned himself on the cusp of a decision that his subconscious had no inclination towards, nor any feeling of definitive consequence. Frankie, the crew, this world, wanted him. That was enough.

Jules tilted his head down slightly, casting his eyes towards the ground. No one said anything, no one dared to try to influence him. Everyone present understood that this was no easy request, no light and cursory hobby that a person could enter and leave at their own whim. A man had been murdered in an underground world, and in the process, denied his loved ones the right to his presence. All of this weighed on Jules' mind in that moment, expanding the capacities for cognition that he only had felt but so many times before.

"The big picture" didn't overwhelm him, or anyone else for that matter. It was only the finality of a "yes" or a "no" that froze time in place. Jules looked back up at Frankie, and said the only thing he could have possibly said to such a request.

"I don't fully trust this situation, but you guys have been amazing, and feel like something I have been missing my entire life: a family. But, there are things I still need to see for himself and come to understand. My mother wasn't a well of emotional intelligence for myself or my sister, and I never knew anything about my father beyond what she told us about him; most of which was negative and designed to sway our thoughts away from him; she died taking his secrets to her grave. But I remember his hug goodbye, I remember how I felt, and I remember wanting, willing, to do anything to gain that feeling again. I didn't say anything about this, well, didn't have much time to do so, but I went to go see my sister after Doug and I got into that row during training. She gave me a box of his stuff, some writings and old clippings about him..." said Jules thoughtfully; Doug looked at Frankie, who chose not to acknowledge him.

Jules continued to air his thoughts: "I haven't read any of it yet, not sure why to be honest, but I think I was waiting for a spurt of courage or something. I don't know. But what I do know is that since being in this process with you all, I have never been closer to understanding him, and having a personal sense of purpose. I think...I think I want to embrace my inner Man-Beast, and through that and this, find out who he was, what happened to him, and why. Plus...I can't lie, this shit is interesting."