FALTER

CHAPTER 4: Black and white, sister and brother

"Thank you!" The couple breathed out as they passed Falter, who was holding a section of pillar up with his hands. He could feel his shoulder muscles tearing and being woven back together again by the Drive, which allowed him to hold up more than physically possible. Behind the couple, Lisa walked out, still clutching her arm.

"That's the last of them." She said.

Falter moved the rubble over himself and threw it back inside the now demolished club. The ensuing vibration seemed to throw Lisa off balance, but Falter didn't notice. He only had one goal in mind as he stormed off. Lisa grimaced as she looked at the red and blue lights of ambulances and police in the distance, but her curiosity won over and she turned around to follow Imti. She found him standing over a tied up man.

Falter crouched down and punched the man square in the face. The spluttering indicated he was once again conscious. Another punch struck his face, causing a mumble of pain to emanate from the black ski mask.

"I'm gonna ask you this once." The anger in his voice was so prevalent, it made Falter's mask look more twisted than usual. "Who sent you?"

The tied up man slowly moved his head up to face Falter. He inquisitively tilted his head, before speaking in a gravelly voice.

"You.... have the stench.... of a sinner."

Lisa heard Imti take a sharp breath. Before she could even blink, he yelled and punched the wall right next to the prisoner's head. Pieces of brick crumbled onto the floor before the silent left Lisa's ears ringing.

"WHY DID YOU COME HERE?" Falter roared.

Both the band members could see the wrinkles forming on the man's mask. He was smiling."That girl. She thought she escaped. Her parents were very.... disappointed." Savouring the last word for a moment, he continued. "Running away from the future we chose and then going straight to a disgusting music show. What a bitch. I was goin' ta' finish her right there if you didn't interrupt." He moved closer to Falter. "Nobody escapes us until they're dead. But you know alllllll about that don't you?" He spat.

Falter's voice shuddered as he locked his elbows for another punch. He didn't have any thoughts of holding back; all he wanted was to obliterate the man in front of him. An almost childlike fear rose up and curled its fingers around Imti's heart. He couldn't even feel it beat anymore. "You- you-" No coherent sentences were going to form in his mind.

Lisa placed her hand on Falter's shoulder.

"Stop. You know this won't change anything. Leave him here, the police'll take him away and-""And then what? How many more times will this happen until I-"

"Falter." Lisa interrupted him firmly. "You have something bigger than yourself to worry about right now." She turned back towards the entrance of the alley. "It's your sister herself out there. Go show your face or we never perform again. Leave him to me." Each sentence had a strict undertone to it.

Imti frowned, then stomped past Lisa. The mention of his sister had cleared his mind a little. He hoped today would be the one day she would be cooperative. Ten minutes later, he would be kicking himself for even thinking of that.