Both men stood still, each gasping for breath. Lucas held up his fists ready for round two. 'This bitch' thought Dan as he again lunged at him. Lucas expected a punch but it was a roundhouse kick that landed squarely on the top of his head. He staggered. Instead of falling, Lucas grabbed Dan's torso and pushed him backwards. Dan wasn't having it. He struggled and managed to stop him. He began to elbow Lucas' back hard in a bid to make him let go.
Lucas took those hits and grit his teeth. He unexpectedly let go and stood up, punched Dan at the neck, punched his gut then pulled back and tried to kick his face. He didn't succeed. Dan grabbed his leg and threw him to the ground. He was furious. Lucas never fought clumsily like this. It was as if he was baiting him, waiting for something to happen. Something did happen. Rain. It began to rain hard. Then he saw Lucas giving him a bloody smile.
Surprised he pulled back and stood in the rain. Suddenly his back began to sting. Then followed his exposed legs since he'd worn a pair of shorts. His throat began to constrict. He was having an allergic reaction. Why? He again looked at Lucas who now walked slowly over to him. " Did you think I'd let you beat me that easily", he said coldly. " You really were a good fighter," is the last thing he heard as he passed out. 'Sleep well, you're gonna need it' thought Lucas as he stared at the man below him. His best friend.
Two weeks ago...
Lucas arrived in the apartment complex disguised as a gardener. He had come with grass rolls intent on replacing the one there. There had been a call for garden and grass maintenance a few days prior so seeing him work raised no alarms set off among the few who saw him. He replaced the grass with Kikuyu grass. It was the type of grass Dan was allergic to. He had smiled happily.
* * *
The splash of cold water woke Dan up. He slowly adjusted his eyesight and looked around. It was a rather well lit room that seemed warm and pleasant. However, there was a wooden table at the end and it contained some rather odd looking things. There was a sledgehammer, a pair of shears and a small bottle filled with dark liquid. " Glad you woke up", a voice said far in the right. He turned and saw two people, Mark who was sitting on a chair with his arms and legs tied up and, standing right behind him was Lucas. Mark looked terrified.
" What's going on"? he asked loudly his voice hoarse. Lucas walked past them and sat down. The door behind him opened. Riley walked in and stood still a camera in hand. Lucas side glanced him and said," Keep that camera on at all times." Riley merely nodded. Lucas stood up and suddenly the room changed. It was no longer warm and pleasant, it became cold, oppressive and dark despite being brightly lit. Lucas slid his forefinger across the edge of the table taking a slow deliberate step towards the tied up men.
" Damn it Luc what the heck is-" Dan asked again but a solid punch in his jaw stopped him halfway. Lucas punched him hard. Dan turned and looked at him angrily. His anger was replaced by dread and fear, this wasn't the Lucas he knew. This was someone else, something not human. A monster. Now he understood why Mark looked terrified. Lucas looked at him coldly and said," I ask you play." He straightened up and walked towards the table, folding up his black shirt sleeves. " Now you'll both play rock paper scissors where one decides the fate of the other and vice versa. I'll also be asking questions make sure you don't lie," he continued in the same cold voice with hints of unbridled anger around the edges of his voice. This was a side they'd never seen.
Lucas picked up the sledgehammer and said," Let's begin."