Arrogance: Volume One of Ebb & Flow

Chapter 13 - Birth of a Monster

"It was too late. By the time I got to him, he had passed. Tonight has been another tragedy that'll haunt me. Let's just go home." I said.

Aubrey knows better than to say anything. She just nods in agreement. I'm not sure how severe our injuries are. I could have internal bleeding, and she might have a broken arm; we need to see a doctor.

"We shouldn't go back the way we came. The Cowls over there are stronger and much more dangerous. What I saw was terrifying; they're both like forces of nature."

I've gotten a lot out of this trip tonight, but there's more here to take. I was already finding it hard to temper my impulsive excitement chasing, and there's a chance it's intensifying with my newly addictive personality. What are the pros and cons of going back to the elemental showdown? Pros: I gain two extremely powerful abilities and two personality pieces. It will also remove them from the board of play. And all that doesn't even take into account that if I take even a fraction of the money and drugs I've seen tonight, I could have the funds for any future plans. Cons: Aubrey and I could die. I am also risking exposure if anyone escapes and tells people about me. It's such an easy decision; I'm returning there.

"Is there another way out? This place is like a maze, and we might get lost if we aren't careful," Aubrey said.

"We'll have to go slowly and be on the lookout for anything or anyone. But Aubrey, let's get out of here without any more blood on our hands."

I'm purposely making digs at her, picking at her flaws in order to make her lash out and then feel compelled to overcompensate in return. Gaslighting and manipulation require both carrot and stick; the carrot is the superpower, and the stick is soon to come.

"You are not the boss of me, Eryk. They got what they deserved," She responds viciously. Her bloodthirstiness will become a problem if she cannot rein it in.

She is completely letting Davis' rage control her. It's pretty good that it transferred with the power. If I still had it, I would've snapped at her by now. Her raging around like a petulant child isn't going to do much besides be an annoyance. I'm not going to bother arguing with her. There's no possible way she agrees to split up. I will have to lead her back to the fight without her knowing what I'm doing. My fantastic memory means I remember the exact route back to the truck, but Aubrey has always been terrible with directions. She's the type who never remembers where we park when we go to the mall. The docks are built on a grid-like pattern, so I can easily find a path that happens to take us by the remaining Neuvohumans without her knowing.

I sigh, and the helmet makes it sound so strange. "I'm not trying to be the boss of you. I'm hurt and tired, and I'm sorry if I don't want to deal with any more death. I don't want to fight or argue. I want to go home. Follow me; I think I know the way back. "

Trying to make a steady pace aggravates whatever injury I got from the fall. The pain in my side is a thrum that spikes with every step. I can't worry about that now. I have to focus on the mental map of the area. I'm adding random turns to try and confuse Aubrey about where we're going. The last thing I need is her figuring out what I'm doing and freaking out at me. The subterfuge is adding more steps, which equals more irritation to my side. It is a necessary evil to disguise what I'm doing. Thankfully, she doesn't suspect anything as we silently make our way. I lead her until we're close enough to hear sounds from the fight.

"What was that? I thought you knew the way?" Aubrey hissed at me.

"I do. I just might've made a mistake. Regardless, we can just sneak by them. No one's going to notice us with everything going on."

Will she let this slide, or is she going to freak out? I have to toe the line to present myself as unintentionally malicious. It needs to come across as a mistake; I can't risk her attacking me. Her emotional instability might decide I need to be dealt with next. She doesn't say anything else, so I continue to lead us closer to the mayhem. She may be slowly learning to control her anger. It should be easier for her than it was for me. I was dealing with a hostile foreign sensation while she's had over a decade of exercising control of her emotions. I am interested to see what kind of Cape she could become if she gives in to her anger.