Alex's head is pounding. His migraine hardly tolerable, but he wouldn't stop moving. He couldn't. More important things were at stake. Things more important than he would ever admit.
He's felt her eyes on him for a few days now. Whether it was her incompetence or his skill it didn't really matter, but her persistence was annoying. If she knew what was good for her she'd stop following him before he got to the border.
Alex stops just before crossing the border, sighing. "You're terrible at suppressing your lifeforce, kid. If you think you're hidden you're wrong," he scoffs.
The air shimmers and a small girl comes into view. She sniffs.
"Not fair Mister you're too good at thi—" she starts.
"Look" Alex growls grabbing her face."This isn't a game," he said. The girl squirms in his grasp as he lifts her into the air.
'Pathetic.'
"You're hurting me," she squeaks grasping at his hand trying to break free.
Alex's eyes narrow.
'Weak.'
"Understand what I'm about to say. I am not your friend. Those memories of yours are wrong. A fantasy," he said tossing her aside. "I've walked this plane alone for all this time," Alex restates staring at the sniveling girl, "And I've only known you for a week."
"NO. You're wrong," she shouts.
'This is what I get for getting soft and letting her travel with me in the first place.' Alex's mind grumbles. "Doesn't matter. You aren't coming with me. Go back to the hospital. This isn't a discussion," he said turning away.
The girl runs and clings to his leg. "No! I won't let you. You need me," she insists.
Alex scoffs. It wasn't his favorite thing to do but he wouldn't hesitate to kill a child. His harsh gaze turns back on the girl.
"I'll kill you. I mean it. So let go," he said shaking his leg for emphasis.
"No. I won't let go," she cries, "You'd never hurt me."
Alex tries to remain calm as his anger swells.
'Why is she getting to me.'
"Do you really want to test that theory? You of all things should know well how far I'm willing to go," he hisses.
She shuts her eye quelling her fear shaking her head, and squeezing tighter. "You'll die without me. You need me so please don't go," she whimpers.
At this Alex's anger boils over.
'Me? Need you? You've been nothing but a leech.' His stare doubles to a glare. 'You were weak and alone. I bring you somewhere safe thinking of someone else for once. I was a fool.'
"DIE," He roars focusing all of his life force into his strike.
[Don't lay a hand on her!]
Alex's head felt like it'd be split in half from the intensity of the voice that rang in his skull. He also found his body would no longer respond to him. The girl cowers waiting for his strike to connect despite her self assuredness.
When it didn't she peeked her eye open to see Alex in the position to strike her but very clearly unable to. His face frozen in a state of annoyance and fury. Worried the girl poked at him trying to prompt a response. But Alex too far within the depths of his own being to respond to her.
Disgruntled Alex finds himself sitting at a checkered table. Across from him sits a male human very similar in appearance to himself yet sharing most features with the girl. His form flickered and he glared at Alex emitting a bloodlust that even made even Alex unsettled.
He tosses the table aside grabbing Alex's head staring at him intensely. "I don't have the time to make you regret what you were about to do, but know this. I will shred your mind to ribbons, and drain your life force to zero before I let you hurt her," he said, his voice seeming to echo endlessly.
"Who—"
"—Are you," Alex groaned sitting up.
The blazing sun had long set, and as Alex sat up he sees the girl sitting across from him. Her eyes light up when she realised he'd come to.