'Life...so many people are grateful for theirs, I wouldn't say I'm the only one not grateful but, I wouldn't mind dying....not one bit'
These were the thoughts of a downed lad, being stomped on and hit by elemental attacks. What was the reason for his beat down?, having two banned elements across the entire world.
Nexora; a city of magic and technology.
Where human are born with an element or none, those without them use technology to do their bidding. For such a futuristic city you'd expect it to be open minded, it wasn't. Not that they could be blamed, those elements; Lightning and Shadow caused a worldwide catastrophic event. One that scarred many for hundreds of years. Not enough to justify the abuse he was going through, but human hatred is one interesting emotion.
Mort groaned as each kick and punch enhanced by the other elemental magic hit his body, causing him unimaginable pain. He slowly tried to get up but a kick to the back of the head makes him kiss the ground.
"What a loser" a voice taunted followed by snickers and giggles; all those voices tearing into his psyche.
He didn't ask to be born with this curse.
'I just want to be alone, happy...'
"I'll never get tired of this, beating you up Mort"
the voice countinued breaking him out of his train
of bitter thoughts.
"Once a weakling, always a weakling. Maybe when am done i'll pay a visit to that witch you called a mother!!"
"Ahahahahahahaha" the laughs rang out even more, echoing through the alleyway he was in.
More taunts and cold words being spat on his broken body. Each stabbing and ripping away his will to even breath.
"What a Loser"
'So what? Nobody was perfect'
"Imagine being an anomaly"
'Like people with elements are normal'
"I heard he was a mistake that's why he has only a mother"
'Shut up'
"Freak"
'I hate all of you'
Voices; conflicting with his thoughts mocked him, he raised his hands covering his head as he tried to get up once again, blows hitting his downed body. His muscles aching, screaming and begging for him to remain where he was. To take the beating like he always did. It will all end soon. And he can go back home, his uniform torn and bloodied, giving yet again, another excuse to his mother.
'Heh, yeah.. I fell off the stairs on the way home.. like she'd believe it.. it's been the 5th time this week'
No.
No more. He can't keep being a punching bag, he has been nothing but selfish. His mother has been stressed, all those nights she sobs and blames herself for his abuse while fixing his uniform. Having multiple jobs, being seen as a pariah;
"the woman who birthed the curse"
"a woman who couldn't keep her husband"
There were single mothers, why should hers be any different?!. He didn't care if he didn't have a father in his life...not as much as he used to. His Mum was more than enough. And all he does is add to her pain, he couldn't even fight back when that bastard threatened his mum earlier. The law... It doesn't care for anyone, there was no justice in this world. So why should he bend to it?.
It was time to stop all these, he needed to stand his ground.
'I won't bow to anyone anymore, I won't let anyone dictate my life or that of my mother's.'
"S-shut u-up..." he muttered as he forced his body up. His weight on his left knee as he panted in exhaustion and pain, trying to get up. The blows stopped raining down on his body. His attackers waiting for their leader's next move.
"What was that you son of a whore!"
'This bastard, how dare he?!!'
Rage burning like a flame in his chest, before he could retort, he was kicked hard in his gut, the sounds of bones breaking from the kick echoed through the alleyway, making the others surrounding him wince.
"Jake, i think he had enough"
A voice said sounding queasy, the owner being a 5'6 light skinned lean boy with white messy hair as if the wind had a field day with his hair.
"You're right James....this ain't over Mort, you hear me!" Jake; 5'9 with a lean muscular body for a boy his age, bright fiery red hair shaped like a flame, yelled at the groaning Mort.
He began walking away with his boys, chuckling at the beating they gave the freak, some sounding nervous since this beating broke a bone. But they tried to hide it as they didn't want to be on the bad side of Jake. Walking away from Mort, the expression of satisfaction plastered on their faces, be it the thought of putting him in his place or just glad to be done with it.
'Are you going to let them go away, just like that?!'
A loud obnoxious voice yelled out.
"Huh.." Mort muttered, weakly blood leaking from his busted lips, while he laid on his back, winching as it hurt to breath too deep.
He tried to locate the voice, slowly turning his head to his sides trying not to stress his broken body.
'I think I've lost my mind, I must have hit my head way too hard' Mort thought to himself confused.
'You idiot you're not mad!!' The voice yelled at him, subconsciously making him wince with how sudden and loud it was.
More certain he was hearing voices, he tried to roll over on his stomach to gently get up and look for the voice.
'Dont bother looking boy, you won't find us.'
Another voice continued, this one less obnoxious than the first voice, almost... shady. Calmly listening to the advice, he remained laying on his back, trying to gather his energy.
'You are weak, it's almost pitiful. Here, take my power and do whatever you wish with it'
But even while shady, this voice didn't hate him, or look down on him, it seemed concerned for him.. or maybe he was just reading too much into it.
'Well?! Are you gonna fight back or be a wuss!?' The first voice asked annoyed at Mort's hesitation and confusion.
'Hurry up I'm getting bored kiddo!'
"I am trying, my body hurts and who are you guys?" he whispered to himself.
'Don't you want to make them suffer?, for what they did to you?' The calm voice came through this time, it felt like he was really there, his breath hitting his neck, but he was on his back, on the ground how was he...'
'Fight'
And then, the voices stopped. It was dead silent, apart from the snickering bullies who were a couple of meters away. Anger, his body was burning like he was on fire but more...hotter, then it stopped.
"I hate all of you..." A guttural tone came out of his mouth, almost animalistic, heck it was animalistic. Scenes of the looks of hatred he got ever since he could remember, being made the scapegoat back in the academy.
All these years, his mother has been badmouthed.. the days they went to sleep hungry, all for what?!.
Just because he had 2 of the cursed elements..
He never wanted any of these! He rolled over on his stomach the pain numb, as if it was leaving his body.
'All I want.. is'
He got up slowly, holding up his body with his arms as his knees shaked, but from something else, almost static. Infact his whole body started shaking.
"I'll make you all...pay, from now on, no one will have any power over me" Mort's voice was getting louder as he started to move.
Stopping in their tracks one of the boys looked back and yelled
"Oi the idiot's saying something"
"Shut up..."
"Huh?"
The boy asked confused as he looked at the beaten Mort.
"I-i S-said Shut up!!!" He weakly yelled, his body sore and shaking as he slowly got up, his body slouched from how weak it was.
"Well well well, look who has balls now." Jake spoke out as he walked towards Mort.
"See James?" He stated as he kept walking to his target, looking briefly back at his close friend.
"This is what happens when you don't cut a problem at its roots"
Jake said as he reached the slouched Mort, lifting his head up with his right hand by the chin, looking at the bloodied swollen tan face of his punching bag.
Said punching bag had black woolly hair and was 5'7 with a skinny physique.
BAM!!!
Burying his fist coated in fiery aura deep in his gut, burning a fist shaped hole in his already tattered, bloody uniform.
"They grow back up again" Jake continued with a sadistic smirk on his face as his punching bag groaned coughing blood all over the ground as he fell on his knees.
"Lets go boys" Jake ordered as he started walking away from Mort.
Before they could continue walking away, a light hoarse laugh came from behind them, Mort's whole body shaking with laughter.
"Man you really cant get enough of the beating can you?, you little...."
Jake started to talk as he turned around only for a fist to slam into his face sending him flying, but his right foot was held onto by a bloodied and bruised skinny hand not stopping for a split second, the hand proceeded to slam him down into the concrete floor making a 5 inch deep crater shaped in his form.
This will be more than enough to kill a human....but Jake wasn't an ordinary human, after all they can use the elements, just cuz he got slammed into the ground hard, doesn't mean it should kill him.
"Jake!!!!!"
"Boss!!"
James and the others yelled looking in shock.
"Ooof, so the punching bag fights back"
Jake muttered as he tried to get up, stunned from the surprise attack.
SLAM!
A powerful blow found it's way into his face, creating a deeper crater where his head laid from the blow, blood dripping down from Mort's fist as he slowly lifted his right hand from his abuser's face
WHAM!
Another blow hit Jake as his attacker slammed his right foot into his groin and proceeded to punch him again in his face preventing him from yelling out in pain from the groin stomp.
He tried to get him off, only for Mort to straddle him and start punching him in the face, slowly, his knuckles pounding into his flesh, causing a pained groan out of Jake.
'Why can't I fight back?' Jake begun to panic as he tried to push Mort off, but he couldn't, something invisible and powerful held him in place. And his punches were actually hurting, something unseen from this twerp.
'He can't even lift the lightest dumbbell in gym class. I have to get him the fuck off!'
He channelled his magic into his mouth, hot fiery heat emanating from his throat and chest; waiting for him to wind up another punch so he could spit it into Mort's face. only for Mort to cover his mouth with his left hand and punch him hard in the throat with his right, causing the attack to sizzle out and for Jake to puke out saliva and some blood as reflex into the hand covering his mouth.
"M-mort?"
James stuttered, surprised at the level of brutality shown by the skinny boy in front of them. The
hypocrisy.
"C-c-chill m-man we j-just p-playing with ya" a boy with red hair, blue eyes and a light complexion stuttered out.
"Yeah idiot!" another goon yelled, this one had green hair and was wearing a black headband, getting closer to Mort while the rest were behind him in shock.
"We-"
Only to be cut of by a hand covering his mouth preventing him from talking. Mort appeared out of nowhere right in front of him, his head moving to his right ear, facing all his former abusers, he took his free right hand, and
"shhhhh.... "
He whispered making a shushing sign with it.
Before James could say another word,
*Squelch*
Mort's right hand was seen through the boy's chest, where his heart was, his hand protruding out of his back, blood dripping down the boys uniform.
"Mmpphhh!" The goon's yell of shock and pain was muffled by the hand covering his mouth.
"I said.....shhhhhh"
*Slam!*
The goon's head was then slammed into the concrete like a nail to a board, by the hand formerly holding his mouth, as the other hand holding his heart slipped out of his body with the heart still in it, like a hot knife out of butter. Making a squishy slimy sound. The goon's whole head, from the neck up was stuck into the concrete with his legs drooping at his knees twitching for a second then stopping, dead.
Raising his head to face them, a creepy smile on his face, his abusers flinched and dashed away.
Who wouldn't? when seeing your friend slammed headfirst into the ground with his heart ripped out. But alas, their path was blocked.
"Where'd you think you're going guys?" He chirped out happily. As he spread his arms in a welcoming fashion an innocent smile on his face.
"The fun has just, BEGANNN!!!!"
Mort roared out, his happy face replaced with a crazed look, the heart still beating in his left hand as he run towards them.