What makes a monster and what makes a man?"
xxx
Erik watched with slightly hooded eyes as Michael Delauney stepped out of the trees, his arms held out in front of him to show that he had no weapon. Erik kept his pistol pointed at the man and said nothing as he looked at him, contempt in his gray green eyes. It had come down to this moment. Years of grief because of this one man and it had come down to this, Erik with the upper hand. It was a rather exhilarating feeling to know that for once Michael did not have any sway over anything that would happen tonight.
"Are you going to shoot in unarmed man, Desslar?" Michael wondered softly. Erik said nothing. It would seem that this man thought far too highly of Erik's sense of morality. He would not think twice about killing this man but he would not let him know that.
"It would seem that the tables have been turned, Delauney," Erik murmured. The other man said nothing for a long moment as he studied Erik.
"She really must be in love with you," Delauney murmured, catching Erik completely by surprise. He had expected the man to beg not to die, or even try and do something drastic to try and save himself, but he was doing neither.
"I do not need you to tell me that," Erik growled. Michael continued; as if he had not heard Erik just speak.
"Look at you...how can anyone even consider you a man?" he wondered. Erik growled low in his throat in warning. This man had to be insane, it would not be good to provoke Erik at the moment seeing as he had the pistol in his hand and could fire at any moment. "And yet here is this woman who any man can call beautiful...and she claims to be in love with you."
"Obviously I am doing something right," Erik muttered. He did not like this conversation because it was making him rather uncomfortable. He did not need this man to tell him that it was insane for a woman like Christine to be in love with him.
"And it is because of this love that you will not kill me," Michael murmured. Erik's eyes found his in surprise. What the hell was he talking about? He had far too much confidence and Erik did not like it.
"Please explain," he said. Michael shrugged as if it were obvious.
"What would she think of you if she were to know that you murdered a man in cold blood?" Delauney wondered.
"She would know that I did what I had to," Erik replied.
"Would she? Or would she question why you are killing a man who is; at the moment no threat to you?" he wondered. Erik said nothing, thinking deeply about what Michael was saying. He knew for certain that Christine would not question his actions...but would she think lower of him for murdering a man who was standing in front of him-unarmed? But in all honesty he could not care what Christine would think. In his mind he watched again and again as this man brought that knife down onto Christine's stomach, preparing to do something Erik had never believed any man would be able to do to an unborn child. No man should have to witness that and he hated this man for making him see that and condemned him to the hottest fires of hell.
"On your knees," Erik barked. Michael studied the man in front of him, realizing that he had said something to provoke his anger. He had been calm but was now fuming and Delauney stumbled to do as he was ordered, no matter how much he wished he could kill Desslar.
"Will your child accept what you look like?" Michael asked, taunting him. That was something Erik had been secretly thinking about for some time. Would their baby be able to come to terms with what his father looked like when he was old enough to understand what had happened to him? Or would Erik be forced never to remove his mask for the sake of his children?
"Keep your mouth shut," Erik snapped. Michael, however, was beyond the point of caring.
"Does your wife moan when you fuck her? Do you rut upon her like the animal you are?" Delauney wondered. Erik approached him and hit him squarely in the jaw with the pistol. Michael fell onto his hands as blood filled his mouth. Erik found his foot connecting with the man's side roughly several times until Delauney was lying limply on the ground.
"Get up!" Erik yelled at him. When Michael did not do so fast enough Erik grabbed him by the hair and forced him onto his knees. Michael wiped the blood from his mouth and stared at Erik in contempt. To think that he was being bested by this beast!
"Christine is the same half-wit her mother was! Falling in love with the beast! How timeless! Really, it should go down in history as the most disgusting thing to ever happen!"
"Silence!" Erik shouted bringing the pistol down roughly on the man's head. Michael crumpled to the floor, groaning softly in pain. Erik seemed to see only a red haze, his passionate hatred for this man and all he had subjected him to his entire life.
"Can you forgive her, Desslar?" Michael whispered. Erik's eyes found the other mans, dread filling his heart as he knew what Michael was going to say.
"I told you to keep quiet," Erik answered. Michael smirked, knowing that he had this man when it came to this.
"I am sure you told her to stay in the trees where she was safe, where no harm would come to her or the baby. But, being the twit she is, she decides that she has to help you, and of course she does nothing but risk you, herself, and the baby. True love, I am sure-"
"Quiet, Delauney, I am only warning you once more," Erik hissed. He did not want to think about this, not now, maybe not ever. But Michael could see that it was getting to him and he had to goad him just a little more.