Maledictus Ignis

Big Brother

Dustin immediately jumps out of his seat upon seeing Cole, walking up to him in a hurry.

A familiar face finally! Cole, your alright.

Nobody really acknowledges him but the barkeeps and Dustin.

"Your back! So, did you find him?" Asked Grayson.

"Of course, I'd been following them for a while now." The hooded man spoke in a hollow voice.

"Cole?! Hey you alright?" Dustin looked somewhat frantic.

He looked at Dustin and didn't say anything for a moment.

"Yeah he's.. fine, I already explained it to you." Said the man.

Dustin said nothing.

The man takes his hood down revealing a head of messy dark brown hair and hazel eyes, as well as a familiar looking mark on the right of his forehead. 

He walked over to a door to the left and entered a passcode and it opened into a drab room full of injured people as well as nurses tending to them, some of the people were even on life support, it was more well kept than the bar room but not by a large margin. He walked over to an unoccupied bed and sat Cole down gently. 

Dustin followed close behind while avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.

"What's the damage on this one?" Asked a nearby nurse.

"He'll be alright, he just used too much prowess way to quickly so I put him to sleep." Said the man.

"Should I prepare a batch?" She asked.

"No he'll be alright. Thanks though." He responds.

"Alright then. See you later." And she walks away.

-Some time later-

"Hey, Dustin." The man says.

"Yeah?" He looks up to meet the tall mans gaze.

"So.. I know you're probably wondering where he is aren't you?" He begins.

Dustin nods.

"Alright, I'll just say it he-"

The bed shook, Dustin and the man in the hoodie both stand up as Cole begins waking up.

"What? It's far too soon, that spell should have him under for at least-"

But before he can finish Cole opens his eyes and looks immediately at the man in the hoodie.

He sees anger flare in Coles eyes and his tattoo begins glowing brightly.

He glares at the man.

"You..." The words slither out of him like a venomous snake about to strike it's prey.

For a moment the man look unnerved but quickly snaps out of it.

Dustin puts his hands on Cole's shoulders trying to calm him down.

"Cole! Calm down, it's me Dustin, don't worry this man won't hurt you!" Dustin says.

Cole looks at Dustin confused then he begins tearing up.

"...Dustin? DUSTIN! Thank god your ok!" Cole wraps his arms around him bringing him into a tight hug.

"Heh, I missed you too buddy." 

Dustin hugs him back happy to accept his kindness. But for Cole this was anything but happy, tears fall down his cheeks as he tries explaining to Dustin what's going on.

"Dustin! He killed him! He did it! That asshole!" He says pointing to the man with the hoodie.

Dustin pulls back and looks at Cole confused.

"What do you mean? Killed who?" Dustin asks.

"ADRIAN!" Cole wails.

Dustin was taken aback by this and tries to reason out what he's saying.

"Wh-Whoa Cole calm down, ok? He just got back here with you in his arms. I don't think he-"

"NO! It was him! Look at him!" Cole points at him this time with fire on his finger, readying to shoot him.

"Cole! Look at me!" Dustin forces Cole to look at him.

"Your not thinking straight, I get your confused ok? But this man did not kill Adrian, I don't know why but I trust him and he's.. he saved your life!" Dustin explains.

They began garnering attention from everyone else in the room and one of the nurses presses a button under a desk at the back of the room.

"He.. saved my life..?" Cole finally begins calming down and his tattoo dims.

The man in the hoodie also chimes in now.

"Cole you.. you don't recognize me?" He sounded disappointed.

Cole just looked at him with a "seriously?" expression on his face.

"It's me, Luke." 

He takes down his mask and reveals his face, he shares striking similarities to the large man he met on the sidewalk earlier today.