Freaks - an MCYT high school AU fanfiction

Chapter 16: Cub

There's nothing I can do but watch. Struggling and terrified, the guards drag Ren across the corridor. He yells for help again, clawing at the air, even trying to bite one of them.

'You don't understand- please- let me go.'

'We have to do something!' There's a tug at the sleeve of my suit and I look over to see Scar, eyes full of terror and tears.

'What can we do? If we try to help, we'll get attacked too.'

'We tell the others. Do something other than watching as... as...' He sobs, and I pull him into the hug I can tell he needs, still looking over at Ren in case the others have seen us.

'We should get back inside.' 

'And let them get away with this?' Scar pushes his way out of the hug. 'No way! That's horrible! Ren's our friend!'

'You're my friend too! I'm not letting them kill you!'

'I'm fine with dying for a cause.'

'I'm not fine with you dying. Nor is Grian. Besides, it'll do nothing to help Ren.' 

'Fine.' He's still crying as we enter the prom again. Oblivious, everyone's still enjoying themselves. Grian and Mumbo have started some kind of dance-off against Joel and Lizzie, Martyn's talking to Impulse and Tango about him and Ren meeting and I feel the first twinge of guilt, unable to stop hearing Ren's scream of terror from outside. 

Ready to forget it, I try and find someone I can talk to. But Scar's got other ideas. 

There's a table of glasses next to the door, and I can't stop him from standing up on it, yelling.

'REN'S GOT MAGIC! HE'S BEING TAKEN! HELP!'

'What?!' The music silences, and Martyn steps over, a look of pure horror on his face. 'You're joking, right!'

'I'm not joking. Cub- you can confirm it.'

I nod back. 'Outside.' Is all I can and have time to say he runs out of the hall. Scar looks down at me, daring me to challenge what he's done. 

Grian's next to the door, but others are also leaving to help. He steps out the way. 

'So Impulse told on Ren?' He whispers. 'Why him?!'

'I dunno.' I shrug back. 

'Because he's a d*ck.' Scar replies as he jumps off the table again. 'Come on, let's see what's happening.'

We do, me very unwillingly, Scar and Grian with more urgency, like they think we'll be able to do something to help. Like Ren won't end up like Python, publicly killed to teach everyone a lesson of don't-get-in-the-way-of-'justice'... Outside, the full moon provides enough light, despite being hidden by wisps of cloud. I figure around 20 people are out here, excluding Ren, who's fighting for his life to escape the guards. Etho's holding back Martyn, as well as the tears that glisten in his eyes. Scott's all but shielding Jimmy from the horrors, I catch sight of False and Pearl talking... no one does anything. 

'Cub...' it's hard to ignore the desperation in Scar's voice, but I still do, closing my eyes.

'There's nothing we can do.'

'HELP! Please... Don't let them take me!' Ren's howls cut through the babble, a desperate sound as his hands reach at the air. 

'REN! NO!' Martyn screams back. Someone pushes past me and disappears inside. Grian gets a look at them, muttering a hateful. 'It's Impulse...' back. 

The moon breaks free of the clouds, and Ren's eyes widen. 

'Let go of me.' Less anger, more a growl of pure terror. I step back, not sure what's going on, as Ren struggles again. The guards look at each other, before continuing. Someone opens the gate, and it swings open with a squeal. 'PLEASE! It's for your own safety!' 

They don't. Scar asks what's going on, and I have to shrug back, before realising.

Half dog? 

Full moon?

'Ren's a werewolf...'

Brown hair sprouts over his body. Sharp claws, growing in size, as seams on his red suit tears and fall away. His arms grow to front legs, letting out a blood chilling howl, instinct taking over as he attacks the nearest guard. 

Blood sprays everywhere, and I can't look away as they slip, crashing to the ground. There's a yell for help, as the body goes horrifyingly limp. Scar lets out something between a gasp and a sob next to me. I think I hear Grian swear behind. Martyn just watches, no longer fighting as he stares over at his friend. Ren never told him he had magic, and the two just stare at each other for a moment. I can't see Martyn's expression. 

Struggling for his bow, another guard backs off, bleeding, horror and disgust filling his face. He draws it, aiming it for a killing blow at Ren. 

'REN, NO!' Martyn finally breaks free of Etho's grip, sprinting towards and hurling himself at the guard, bowling him over, wrestling the bow free and chucking it away. Others have arrived by now from outside, dragging Martyn away. He fights back, kicking his way through, stealing a sword and pointing it at one of them. 'One more step and this is in one of your necks. And to be honest, I don't care whose.' He warns as they surround him. 'You've already lost one of your F****NG friends.' 

But there's still some left to go for Ren as he backs away, towards the gate, growling, blood covering his paws and muzzle. Another aims an arrow, but it's too late as he turns and runs. A couple chase him, leaving Martyn to fight back the rest.

'What's wrong, you scared of me? You scared of the little school kid with a borrowed sword? Not much of a magic hunter, eh?' 

'What's he doing?' I mutter, looking on in wide-eyed shock. 

'I don't know, but it seems an awful lot like suicide...' Replies Grian. He sighs. 'There's nothing we can do to help... All we can do is go off and hope Martyn makes it out alive.'

'I don't know, man. I don't want to leave a friend behind here...'

'Another friend. Now Ren's gone and... gone off.' Scar corrects hollowly. No one's moved from Martyn's suicide stalemate. I swallow, torn. 

'We either stay here and do nothing, help Martyn and get caught, or go inside and seem like the worst friends ever. There's no right option in all of this, so we should save our own butts and...

'Grian, how could you abandon Martyn like this?'

'Fine! Help! But don't blame me.' Grian walks off. A few others join him. I catch sight of Cleo among them, instincts tell me to join them, but my conscience makes me stay resolute, unable to abandon Ren. 

A sudden movement. My head snaps back to Martyn as he breaks free of the guards. Arrows chase him as he runs, around towards the building and magic departments to the left, fading into the blackness. A couple of the guards are about to follow, but a barked order from the other stops them. One who was apparently chasing Ren returns. More people disappear away. Scott's going to, but Jimmy grabs his hand and forces him to stay before he can go. Skizz slips away, Zedaph with him. Tango catches my glance, frowning over at me as he follows unwillingly. There are only a few of us left - me, Scar, Jimmy, Scott, someone I think is Oli, Fwhip, BigB, Gem, Lizzie, and Joel. We stand our ground.

'You. Students. F*** off.' One of the guards growls. 

'Excuse me, I'll have none of that language in front of Jimmy, thank you very much.' Scott retorts. 

'Go away or we shoot.' Another adds. I weigh my options. It's unlikely that Martyn's stupid enough to return soon, and it's getting cold. I don't want Scar to get hurt if anyone fires, so I make a decision. 

'Come on. Let's go.' I mutter to Scar. With a sigh, he doesn't resist as I walk away, back inside with a look over at the others. I don't know if they follow as we disappear, knowing we're not going to be able to sleep for the next night at least. 

HOLY HELS IT'S DONE-

AND I'VE BASICALLY CAUGHT UP TO WHERE I'VE WRITTEN TO-