They Call Me Daring

Chapter 27

"Jess!" I called, unable to believe I was doing this. I was looking for that bloodthirsty little creep. Actually trying to find him. Why?
"Jess!" Clark cried out in despair, and I remembered why I was looking. Because Clark was warming up to me, and I needed to return some of that by helping him find his charge and not be murdered by my father. And there was the small part that maybe I hadn't completely abandoned the rest of my family.
"Jess, where are you!"
"He couldn't have gotten far." Clark panted desperately as we jogged down a narrow alley, me leading the way, following my nose, which had creeped him out at first.
"I know, right? You'd think with with those short stubby legs he wouldn't make it that-"
I stopped dead in my tracks, and Clark skidded into me, nearly knocking me over.
Fangs, gleaming in the light. Inches from Jess's exposed neck, as he dangled like a rag-doll from the creature's clawed hands.
"NOO!" I roared, and had rammed into it before it could blink. Jess, unconscious, flew into the air, and Clark leapt up and caught him, rolling back onto his back.
Me and the zombie flew forwards, and I rammed it into the ground. I glanced over to make sure Clark was okay; and in that second, it kicked out and threw me off it.
I flew through the air and landed hard on my back. The breath was knocked out of me. The creature slithered to it's feet impossibly fast, and then it was on top of me. Still unable to breath, I threw my hands up at the last second to fend it off.
It pressed down on me, though, flailing out with it's arms, clawing at the air. My arms shook, my elbows bending, and every swipe of it's claws came closer to my neck.
I wondered what would happen if it bit me. I couldn't become infected again. Then again, I was still human enough to feel pain... and if it opened my neck I doubted I would live long enough to find a real cure. I felt the breeze the next time it swiped out, and the next one would slice through my throat-
"LIAM!" Something large came out of nowhere and barreled into the creature like a freight train. It flew off of me, and I lay in stunned silence on my back for a moment, before I jerked myself out of the coma and sat up in awe.
I saw Clark force the creature to the ground, grabbing it around the throat and squeezing as horrid gargling noises were emitted from it's maw, sneaking out through it's rotting chest. Of course, suffocating it wouldn't do anything, and Clark realized that too late.
"Clark, move!" I shouted, leaping to my feet. He rolled off instantly just as the creature went to throw him off, and then I was off and running at it. I leapt up and over it, landed back-to, launched myself up into a backwards flip and squarely planted my feet in it's back.
It stumbled forwards, almost going over but regaining it's balance just as I flew forwards into a tuck and roll and leapt up. By the time I had turned around, Clark had it in a headlock, forearms bulging in strain as the creature struggled to get it's claws into him.
He glanced up as I sprinted forwards, panting, my vision flashing red suddenly. All sound droned down to the dull throbbing of my blood in my ears. Boom. Back to normal, I rolled back my shoulder to swing at the creature. Boom. The world pulsed red, and I missed in the sudden confusion, hitting nothing but thin air.
"Liam!" Clark screamed, glancing up at me in horror as I paused, staring down at my hands. The adrenaline was getting to my brain, I realized. I couldn't fight for much longer, or I wouldn't be able to tell who I was tearing apart.
"LIAM!" My head throbbed, every other beat the world pulsed scarlet and everything dulled down, and I was filled with inexpressible rage than vanished just as quickly on the next throb of my heart. "LIAM! HELP ME!"
I stared blankly at the creature as Clark's grip loosened, his aching arms slipping away, every swing of the fatal talons coming closer, his reflexes slowing even as I watched, motionless, fighting a brutal mental battle against myself.
If I continued to fight, I might lose it completely and kill my own brother. On the other hand, if I waited long enough to calm myself down, Clark was finished anyways. Again, a small chance is better than none.
"LIAM!"
The creature wrenched itself from my brother's arms, throwing itself at him with a vengeance. He threw up his arms just in time to deflect the arms, but its head swung for his neck, mouth open and gaping, fangs inches from pale flesh.
The world was made of blood.
Everything flared red, brighter than ever before, blotting out entire sections of the world. The ocean pounded in my ears, blocking out everything except for my own roar of fury as I threw myself at the flailing mass of limbs, human and inhuman alike.
I tore at everything around me in a strategic manner. My fangs ripped away at rotting flesh, my claws tore skin from frail, muddy bones. With the last ounce of my human consciousness, I shoved Clark away from me so I wouldn't eat him by mistake.
The creature swiped at my head, but everything was too slow. I ducked and swerved and leapt up again, round-kicking it square in the head as it spun with it's own momentum. The snapping of it's spine cracked through the alley, sending a shiver up my own neck, and it's head lolled over backwards, exposing the neck.
Another carefully delivered kick to the head, and it parted ways with it's body, flying off the shoulders and splattering against the wall. The pathetic dripping body crumpled like a marionette with cut strings.
I stood, panting, my vision still throbbing in shades of vivid red, every sense alive and pulsing, processing every scent and sight and analyzing for prioritized preparation.
I smelled blood. Rotting blood, blood that had long since been spoiled. Decaying flesh and porous bones. That was no good.
Then, in a puff of human breath, there was the warm, glowing scent of human flesh, metallic, ringing blood. I felt a light touch on my shoulder....
I spun, snatching the warm human arm in an iron grasp, lowering my fangs to suck away the life force from this pathetic creature-
"Liam."
The throbbing in my head lessened a little, and I paused.
"Liam. Think."
I blinked, as my head cleared more. My vision faded back to normal, and the world burst back into reality.
"Right." I drew back and released Clark's arm. I tried not to think about what I'd just come so close to doing. Something I could never could had forgiven myself for. "Yeah... sorry 'bout that. Got a little carried away."
"Yeah... I'd say so." He rubbed his forearm nervously, and stared down at the headless zombie. "But thanks anyways. Even if you just did almost eat me."
"Anytime." I muttered.
"I'll get Jess back to the mansion. We need to build a watch tower or something. Crossbows would be good." He sighed, and threw Jess over his shoulder like an evil sack of potatoes, then looked back down at the sprawled, headless figure. "Man... I guess they're right. They really are evolving."
He looked up and met my eyes, not even flinching for once. "You were right. I can't believe I'm saying that." He rubbed his nose to avoid looking at me squarely, as he admitted: "It's good we've started preparing. If we'd been caught by surprise..." He shivered.
"Going to run over and check on the apartments." I said after a moment of awkward silence. He nodded, and turned to walk the other way down the alley. I turned and began to jog away.
"And-Liam?" He called back, and I paused, looking back over my shoulder. Clark grinned, running a hand through his hair. "We make a pretty good team."