Warcasket - The Sons of Mars: A Progression Sci-fi Fantasy Story

Chapter 9 - Different Men

A NOTE FROM LM FRANKLIN

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Chapter 9 - Different Men

"Are you okay?"

The words hung in the air, and Tyson slowly opened his salty and bloodied eyes.

"Are you?" Tyson mirrored the question back, struggling to rise from his belly. His muscles and senses flared with pain as he fought against gravity to pull himself back onto his feet. The boy with the strange name, Henryk, still had his hand leveled in front of him.

Tyson's gaze shifted in different directions. They were in the back of Neptune House, the door nearly thrown off its hinges by the wild winds of the setting sun, slamming loudly into the adjacent wall. Tyson wondered how Henryk could see him, and his eyes drew towards the many windows of the house where people were now staring at them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tyson noticed a pair of boys who looked like they were stimming, practically jumping from the excitement of the fight. They waved behind them, and a third friend joined the show. Groups of party girls, sons and daughters of high Neptune nobility, and champions and famous individuals stared upon them.

The alleyway that bordered House Neptune, or rather the halfway, held their garbage cans and recycle boxes, feeling more like a loading dock than an alleyway. There were a couple of cars, older models than expected, but a student did what he had to do.

Henryk sighed, drawing Ty's gaze back to him. Henryk had a few bruises on his form, nothing too severe, but the pain in his voice was palpable. The three other students of House Neptune either lay in exhaustion or passed out from the fury of the fight. Henryk had gone to each one, freeing them from Tyson's assailants. The injuries made Henryk want to keel over, his eyes stinging with tears, but he shook the thought away.

Tyson rose slowly with Henryk's help, their hands clasped upon each other. Henryk released his hold to wipe debris from his pants, and with a sigh, he began walking. Tyson followed after him.

"Hey, where are you going?" Tyson questioned.

Henryk didn't turn back, maintaining his pace forward as bruises started appearing across his features.

"Hey," Tyson called out, quickly storming in front of Henryk, effectively cutting him off.

Henryk paused in his stride, raising his gaze towards Tyson. In that moment, Ty saw the anger and pain etched into Henryk's face, still bearing the bug-eyed adrenaline that flowed through his veins.

"What do you want?" Henryk questioned.

Tyson paused, exhaling a sigh. "Why did you do that?" he asked.

Henryk stared at him in silence, prompting Tyson to continue. "People don't do that. Not for us, not for mutants."

Henryk slowly shook his head, then locked eyes with Tyson. "Why did you do that?" Tyson asked again.

Henryk clenched his teeth, wrestling with the decision. He knew he didn't owe Ty anything, but for a moment, a sense of kinship crept in. Perhaps someone like Tyson could understand the weight of being a reject, of harboring a hidden truth. Henryk's thoughts wandered to the cluster belt and his recent foray into powers and oddities beyond his usual realm.