Lycan and Hound

8 - Fallout

Andy and his brother's foray into Lycan and Hound's hideout was what he considered to be the biggest adventure of their collective lives so far.

Why did he, in particular, feel so bad about it, though? He had managed to avoid having to make up a story about the affair, as his parents had come home late. It did bother him to have to lie to them like that, but he promised his brother and himself that they both would know someday.

There was something darker that entered his mind all throughout the following school day, however. It was a stomach-turning nervousness that helped add to the distinct feeling he had of being watched. It was as if his every movement was being scrutinized for even the slightest alteration in their normal day.

It got to the point where he couldn't take it anymore by the time the boys were walking home together.

"Mitchie..."

"What's up, man?" the chubby boy attempted to sound normal, but there was something off about the way he asked the question.

His mind filled in the blanks for him. He was hiding it well, all things considered, but it was an obvious conclusion.

He was being watched, too.

He tried to force the tears that threatened to fall back into his eyes, but the attempt was predictably useless.

Mitch stopped walking and caught him by the shoulders. He had his own deluge of tears threatening to fall, judging by how his face was twisting up. "Tell me what's wrong! I've hardly ever seen you cry!"

"I-I think I just killed us all..." Andy's answer came out in a horrified whisper as more tears streamed down his face.

Mitch didn't ask how. In fact, he was trying his best to keep his 11 year-old body from collapsing under the weight of his own fears, and failing miserably at that.

Both boys were crying now.

"Something way bigger than us is watching our every move," he managed to whisper. "I'm pretty sure they want Lycan and Hound, and they'll do whatever it takes to get to them..."

After a few minutes of crying (and having to move off to the side of the sidewalk to avoid questions from the passers by), Andy collapsed in some grass, curled up in his own little ball of shame.

"I'm a murderer..." He kept mumbling through tears.

"Nothing's happened yet..." Mitch trailed off, partly trying to comfort himself.

"But it will... Because of me..." the boy sniffed.

"You couldn't have known, dude."

"I should've!" he screamed. "I said there was something wrong yesterday! We should have gone back..."

Something must have snapped inside of Mitch, as he wound up grabbing him by the collar, trying to shake some sense into him. "Listen! There is nothing you could've done! You can't see the future, and neither can I..."

As his brother let go, Andy managed to calm down just a bit. "What do we do...?"

"I don't... Just... Let's go home. We need to think."

"Yeah..." He took a glance towards the factory. "We could..."

Mitch shot a look in that direction as well. "Tomorrow's Saturday. Maybe we can wait until then. We can't risk this again on a school night, especially after we just got lucky like we did."

Wracked with guilt, another shiver shook Andy's entire body. He was still struggling with not crying.

"We'll figure something out." Both of them did their best to wipe their faces enough to look presentable. "It's pretty weird that I'm cheering you up for once."

"True." His voice was more normal, but he didn't so much as crack a smile.

That had very much been the case ever since they had met when Andy was 4. On the whole, it wasn't uncommon to have very mixed families seeing as along with the typical risks of a child, birthing a child with superpowers could prove hazardous to one's health in many ways. Any so much as suspected of having powers would often be abandoned on the spot or worse. Mitchell had been a casualty of this practice, having been left on Andy's parents' doorstep at age 1. The poor kid hadn't even gotten a name until their dad had picked it out.

Despite this scenario, as well as their often-conflicting ways of doing things, deep down, Andy always knew he would defend his introverted sibling to the death. He knew that even as far back as he could remember.

Now, he and his brother would have to do the same with their parents, whether they themselves knew it or not.

A new resolve filled the blonde boy. "I don't know how, but we're going to save ourselves, our parents, and probably whoever these guys would snatch off the street."

For the first time in the entire day, a smile lit up both boys' faces.

"Okay. Let's do this!"

The two bumped fists as they rushed home.

***

Deep in the base of the paramilitary force, however, a particular member is wracked with guilt of his own.

"I ruined her life... Made her a monster," An African-American man washed his face in one of the bathrooms of the underground base.

No matter how much he washed, the haunting memory of seeing the woman that had been his girlfriend become something out of a horror movie was something he would never be able to clean his mind from.

Just then, a clamor could be heard from outside. Of course, he had been in here too long... again.

"Come on! How long are you gonna be in there?!"

With a frustrated grunt, Ray Robinson put on his helmet and left the bathroom.