A Healthy Rivalry: The Lion vs The Warrior

XIX

Worth It (Perfect)

Karter

Oh fuck. Oh fuck! OH FUCK! I quickly pushed the emergency button on the telephone in the playroom, right before Mikhel popped in. "GO. GO! WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW!" I jumped through his portal and made sure someone came to get AK, before I made Mikhel shut it.

"Mikhel-" I held my stomach and tried to fight the roar threatening to spill out of me. "H-HQ... hurry!"

My poor, confused PA quickly ripped a new hole so I could jump through. When that one was securely shut I let Lion's internal rampage run through me. Mikhel has knowledge passed to him from previous PA's, he knew Lion and I were fighting. He probably also knew that I was struggling to keep it together. After a while of wrangling with Lion, I gave up. His roar burst through me loud enough to shatter any nearby glass, right before I passed out in Continental HQ.

When I opened my eyes again, it was dark. It was the next day in France. Lion was quiet, possibly still asleep. I noticed Mikhel was up, so I nodded for him to take me back. I also noticed that I wasn't in club clothes anymore, I was in baggy shorts and a shirt. I wondered why Mikhel's hole was showing outside, but the second I stepped into it I understood.

Lion must've recognized we were previously out of Europe. The second we stepped back in, the real roar bubbled up in me again. This time, I was too exhausted to stop it. There have only been 2 recorded cases of the roar I let out, in the history of S.A.F.E. Today was the third. The Third Roar Heard Across the Continent. No glass was shattered, no eardrums were burst. But I promise you, every. Single. Citizen. In all of Europe, under The Dome, just heard the pain-filled roar I let out.

When it had subsided, I began to pant. 'I'm sorry, Lion.'

'YOUR 'Sorry' IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.'

I tensed and twitched. My body began to shake out of my control. "No! Stop it!"

'DID YOU STOP WHEN I ASKED YOU TO?!'

Vaguely, I heard Mikhel calling in news I never wanted to hear in my entire life.

'ALL THESE YEARS YOU HAVE BITCHED AND MOANED ABOUT BEING OUT OF CONTROL. I'LL SHOW YOU OUT OF CONTROL! YOU SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED HOST! YOU WILL NOT FUCK THIS UP FOR ME!'

There is 1 billboard in every major country, set to alarm for one purpose: A case of forcibly lost humanity.

Lion's cloak was covering me without my consent. It made me scared, knowing there was nothing I could do about it. 'Lion, I'm sorry! Please don't do this!'

The only response I received was another roar from my own mouth. Thus, the blaring alarm sounded. With my hearing currently on overdrive, I heard the alarms from the surrounding countries too... I felt like such a failure, it was the last fully-conscious thought I had.

Lion

Selfish, scared, ignorant Host! I dragged my eyes to Mikhel and snarled, causing him to raise both hands in surrender. I covered my ears as the annoying alarms sounded again, then took off with one place in mind.

If Karter won't listen to me, he's going to listen to history. I wish it didn't have to be this way. He's lucky I'm only taking over in anger, if I was grieving this would be a completely different story. I assumed I was in France, so I had to quickly make my way to Belgium. I was going to our Capital: Brussels.

I ran across buildings and rooftops, feeling slightly guilty that my citizens were running into their homes in fear. Eventually, I saw my goal. A large, stone building shaped like a Lion's head.