Benefactors

Chapter 19: Lesson Learned

August 14; 1758 HRS

Lockside Prison

"We need to stay together. Something's up here and we need to find out what." Syth pointed out. "Great." I grumbled. "Where's Ben?" Thomas asked. "We don't know... Somewhere up here maybe." I answered. "Man..." I faltered, sitting down. "This was a really stupid idea. Why did Athena think we could stop this." I stared at the ground. 

"Why did I think that I could even be a hero. All I did was spell disaster! I got so angry, you could've been hurt." I ranted, gesturing to Syth and angry at myself.

"You can still be a hero. You just have to think before you act... angrily." Syth told me. I sighed. "All three of you will be more of a hero than I'll ever be." I claimed. "I thought we could do this. I strayed from what we had to do. It's my fault. We have to ensure peoples' safety, to protect this place any way we could." 

"But you can't do that when you're dead." Thomas spoke up. "Remember, control your anger or it'll control you. I have to admit, we were all blinded by anger too when we got here. We want Horkos and Crypt down as much as you do." 

"You guys are right. My anger is just something I need to learn to control. But... What if I slip up? Ending up with one of you actually hurt? I couldn't live with myself." 

"Everyone faces difficulties one way or another. Think you're the only one? I've been worrying about all your well beings since we breathed in that crazy gas. More so than myself." Syth conveyed.  I hugged her. "I wish I could word my thoughts just to say how much you guys mean to me." 

"This coming from someone that's not very sentimental?" Thomas put his hand over his heart. "I'm actually kind of shocked." 

"Oh shut it." I retaliated. 

"I hate to break up the wonderful reunion." Ben stomped up to us. "Ben!" I shouted. "Where were you?" 

"Oh just finding out that there's something else up here. Like, I don't know, a man boulder. Because it is NOT the Pokemon, Geodude!" he pointed to a random direction.

My eyes widened as I heard a creepy, echoed sound behind us. "Chief..." Thomas whispered, nearly under his breath. Turning around, I looked at him. Once a brilliant, 50 year-old man, now a mind-controlled mutant. His gentle complexion was now hiding deep in his mind, maybe never to be recovered again. Nothing was the same about him. We all saw him as a father figure, which made the situation even worse.

Chief Barnes advanced towards us. A threatening glare protruded through his eyes. I felt my heart break and sink to my stomach when I realized, I have to fight him. I wanted to just sit down and let trust take it's course. Which in this case, was really really stupid. "Chief, it's us. Thomas, Syth, Natasha and Ben." Thomas tried to talk to him. "Can you even understand us?"

"I only understand my mission." Chief stated, advancing even closer, ready to strike within seconds.

"What's your mission?" Ben asked.

"To destroy what I have created." He growled in his echoing voice, swiping his rock fists at us. 

"Chief!" I cried out. "It's us, your benefactors!"

He seemed taken aback for a mere second, we shot quick glances to each other. Chief had a look as if he wanted to trust us, only he morphed his fists into acuate shards. "Find cover!" I shouted. The others ran  while I distracted Chief away from them. When they all found cover, I dashed with only a split second to spare when he shot the needle-like rocks all over the place.