I'm A Monster

Play Your Cards Right

Lucas was training with his ax when Donovan approached him from behind. 

"Jeg har kanskje ikke en anelse om noen ting, men jog hvordan jeg kan si om noen er bak meg." (I may not have a clue about some things, but I know how to tell if somebody is behind me.) 

"I don't speak Norwegian, kid." Donovan replied, clearly thinking that Lucas was talking to one of the Norwegians. 

Lucas whipped his body around, "What do you want? Don't you think you've already 'warned' me of enough". Donovan sighed, "I was sure they were going to kill you". Lucas turned around and continued to practice, not staring at Donovan like a fish this time, "Well they didn't, if anything, what they did was better for them than killing me". Donovan noticed Lucas' wrist, "Tracking device? Huh? They're going to need to do better than that". Lucas slammed the ax into the tree beside Donovan's face "What the hell do you want with me?". Donovan obviously flinched when the ax made impact, "I want you to change things". Lucas took his ax out of the tree with a bitter laugh, "Me? Change things? Honey, I was barely able to get away from the search party, let alone be able to change things". Donovan sighed, "First off, don't talk with bad grammar, use your education to an advantage, second, you can do this". Lucas walks to the wood pile and begins to sort through logs and kindling "What if I don't want to, huh? What if I just walk away, live my life as a registered?". 

"The answer to that is easy, more people die, when you have the power to make a change." 

Lucas looks up from sorting the pile, his brown eyes swimming with the remembrance of what happened at the office a few days ago. The man was just trying to get away, to live a happy life. The guards then took that from him, and used his last moments to humiliate him. Lucas knew if he failed he would have the same fate, it was too risky. Yet, at the same time, Donovan made him feel like he had a chance. 

"If I were to say yes, how would I start?" 

_________________

"You work a job before this, kid?" Donovan asked as they walked through the woods. "Yeah, I delivered newspapers" Lucas said without much thought. "Damn, was hoping you'd deliver pizzas or something, you'd know the city like that". This confused Lucas " Why would I need to know the city". Donovan walked forward, not looking behind to Lucas "Know the area before you make a plan". 

They approach a boulder, "This'll work". Lucas walks alongside him, "Work for what?". Donovan drops a map on the boulder and he opens it, "This is a map of the city streets, planning happens on this map. Up there, the school you're going to attend. Down here, your old home". His old home? "How much do you know about me?" Lucas asked dangerously. "Calm down, kid. You fascinated me, so I looked into your story". Lucas narrows his eyes, "Yeah, you looked into my story". Lucas was clearly suspicious of Donovan and for a good reason, if Donovan played his cards right here, he'd land Lucas into a trap. "Kid, there's no need to be suspicious of me" Donovan tried to reassure. Lucas holds his ax to Donovan's throat "Unless there is a reason, you know too much about me for my liking, and you didn't get all that information easily. If I only fascinated you, I'd be concerned for your mental health as you took long strides to get that info". Donovan didn't try to argue, "Listen...". Lucas presses his blade further into his throat, "No, you listen. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut off your head". Donovan, clearly concerned for his life tries to reason "I can lead you to victor.....". Before he can say Victory, Lucas decapitated him, "You act like you can come in here and pretend to mentor me, lead me into an early grave. Well, Donovan, I was taught to play my cards right too". Lucas takes the map from the boulder, it was useful, he also searched Donovan and found nothing, at least Donovan was smart in that aspect. "There was no way you worked alone, dammit." 

Lucas heads out, he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.