Seer: The Blessed Child

Whatever It Takes

Wolf and Kael arrived near the entrance of the old subway. Seeing the boy's eagerness, Wolf took him aside for a word of advice. 

"I need you to leave this to the professionals. No matter what, don't play the hero rushing to save the damsel in distress. Understand!" 

"Yeah, I understand," Kael muttered perturbed that the officer spoke down to him as though he had no comprehension skills.

A loud pop echoing from within the tunnels brought the conversation to an abrupt end. Without thinking, Kael ran sidestepping the enormous American Flag that hung overhead from the ceiling. 

"Hey!" Wolf yelled after him. "What did I just tell you!"

Ignoring the officer, Kael ran faster. In his rush, he realized that he ran into a dimly lit area.

Whipping out his phone from his pocket, he turned on the flashlight. Behind him, he heard the rushing footsteps of the officer catching up with him. He also heard something else—the sound of a struggle.

His eyes clouded over with a red haze—the only thought on his mind was of finding his girlfriend. He moved forward, tuning out the officer yelling after him.

Though Sachi clobbered Chad over the head with her phone, it barely made a scratch; drawing a little blood. 

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, she ran past him. He tripped her, sending her crashing onto the metal railing.

She tried to stand. He shoved her back down to the ground, his foot on her back. 

She coughed, inhaling a mouthful of dirt. Kneeling, he jerked her by the hair; forcing eye contact. "Now you're going to tell me who told you I killed my sister," he said. 

"I-I...," she stuttered. 

"Tell me now!" 

In the chaos, Sachi heard approaching footsteps. 

Her thoughts hazy, she wondered if she imagined it.

"Sachi!" A voice yelled in the hollow space.

The hair on her pores standing on its ends, Sachi recognized that voice. "K-Kael," she whispered. With a primal yell, Kael tackled Chad from off his girlfriend, sending them both tumbling onto the ground.

Her anxiety growing, Sachi watched in the shrouded darkness the silhouettes of the two brawling men. 

With his thin frame and no muscle mass, Kael proved no match for the bulky experienced fighter, who from his dodging, ducking, weaving, and fancy footwork had boxing training.

The man caught the teenager by the arm when he swung too widely, snapping his bone like a twig. Crying in agony, the teenager dropped to his knees. 

The man then gave him a swift kick in the abdomen. "Shut up!"

"Stop!" Sachi yelled. "Don't kill him! He's your brother!"

The blond man stopped mid-kick. 

"B-Brother!" He stammered. "What do you mean?"

Sachi stuttered having blurted the words out to save her boyfriend from a merciless beating.

"Are you my brother?" Chad asked as Kael cradled his broken arm. 

"I don't know," Kael replied, his voice muted as though his mouth was full, possibly with blood from an internal injury.

"Tell me. What's our mother's name?" Chad said quizzing the boy. "Lourdes Morgan," Kael replied, taking a sharp breath as pain shot through his lower abdomen.