Edited By: Paradox

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Chapter 7 - Betrayed Into Darkness

[Sebastian]

Agonizing pain was the first sensation I felt, as I slowly became aware of my surroundings. My entire body ached as separate injuries made themselves painfully known. Even as I was trying to stabilize myself, the back of my skull throbbed, dulling my senses with numbing pain as I moved my head to rest it against a flat surface that was behind me. It was difficult to open my eyes as the pain also included my face, it seems whatever happened to me while I was knocked out ,also included facial shots. After calming down I could tell I was propped against a wall, held standing by some rope that bound my hands. Unfortunately for me, just as I was able to open my right eye the first thing I saw was a fist moved towards my face.

{BASH!} “U-ugh"

{BAM!} "Arrgh..."

{BASH!} “Ompf”

I had no time to steel myself for the pain, as I was rapidly punched in the face once and in the stomach twice. Cautiously, I slowly moved my legs and squeezed my chest muscles experimentally to check my body’s condition, Thankfully I had no broken bones only bruises mainly on my stomach, arms and face.

Always be aware if your surroundings and your physical condition.

That was the first rule I had to abide by over the past 4 years of Uncle Tyler's nightmarish training.

Unfortunately, my internal body check was interrupted by the continued assault on my body. Forcefully opening both my eyes as I grunted in pain, I recognized my attacker as Alex Breandier. Trying to move forward to fight back, I was jerked backwards to a stop in pain, looking up I realized my hands had been bound over my head with a jump rope tied to a handlebar screwed into the wall. As I slowly gained back feeling in my body, I quickly scanned the area recognizing it as the school gym located next to the parking lot.

'Damn looks like he was prepared this time.'

While berating myself for being caught unaware, The hostility I have for Alex increases as I know he is apart of this stupid plan.

"Oh hey look who's awake, Welcome back to the land of the living Reynard. How ya feeling? Still dizzy in the head?" Alex ask me with a grin.

‘.....” {Bam!}

I didn’t give him the benefit of an answer, which as I guessed would prompt him to hit me again.

"There it is, That's the one thing I've always hated about you. That aloof attitude that says you are above above me. YOU ARE NOT BETTER THAN ME! Know your place!"

*Rustle... rustle*

I carefully started to move my hands attempting to untie the rope that was holding them together, I silently pray that he doesn't notice my actions. Making sure this doesn’t happen, I continued to stare at him, with contempt on my face daring him to try and hit me again.

'Almost got it, just another few seconds only one more knot to go.'

Finally giving up, after failing to get a reaction from me, Alex stares at me for a moment before he smiles.

"You know I'm actually surprised at how heartless you can be. Here I am right in front of you and somehow you still haven't asked about anything your fiance. I'm actually impressed."

Hearing his sarcastic remark annoyed me enough, to make me consider taking him out early, before I could figure out where Alicia was. Only the thought of the pain I would inflict on him momentarily, kept me immobile, as I was finally able to covertly free myself.

"You know what's sad about all of this?" Alex continued completely oblivious to the fact that I was free. "Your precious fiancee is-"

"Thats enough!

A female voice interrupts Alex's lengthy monologue, It was a voice I was intimately familiar with. Why you ask? Because it was a voice I grew up hearing almost everyday since I was born.

'What the!?'

I was slightly surprised and disappointed, to see Alicia was sitting on a chair, in the corner of the gym, sitting there examining me as Alex talked before me. Standing next to her loosely resting on the wall, were 3 more individuals I tore apart one time or the other.

"..........."

"Pfft, Hahaha…Hahahaha, you know I really hoped I was wrong, but I wasn’t was I"

I see a gloating look fleetingly pass through her eyes. Seeing her haughtily watching me like that the nagging feeling I’ve had since this began finally clicks into place, though I fleetingly hoped otherwise.

“I’m wondering something actually, how do you plan to explain away Her body being bruise free if she was randomly attacked as whoever called me said she was suppose to be? '

“He finally get’s it, Yes, you’re right it's always been my idea Sebastian, every time you have been in a fight from middle school to now, it's always been my idea. I always kept track of when you would return, to make sure they would be ready and waiting, for when you would be tired from your training” Alicia replies smugly ignoring me question as if it I didn’t already point out I halfway believed she was involved from the beginning.

Hearing her finally say it out loud though, all those unexplained attacks I’ve intentionally ignored over the the years, passing them off as just common jealousy, came glaring back to mind. Internally, mocking and ridiculing myself, for my inability to anticipate this, I glare at Alicia in anger. Cold rage began to fester as the results of what she has been doing to me all my life begins to make more sense. All those times when I came home from Uncle Oliver’s training only to be attacked by random guys near school and around the neighborhood and never knowing why. It was this little bitch causing all of my problems.

“That's it! That's the face I wanted to see! That’s makes all of this worth it! It hurts doesn’t it? To have your beliefs shattered and the faith that no one could ever get one over you? How does the saying go again, don’t hit a man while he’s down? THAT DOESN’T APPLY HERE!” Alex shouted as he pulled back his left leg to kick me.

{Blergh}

“A-aaah! G-get him noooowwww!”

Finally getting the opening I needed, I quickly slipped the rope off of my hands and sucker punched Alex in the stomach. Seeing Alex drop to the floor, after throwing up from being ambushed by my suprise attack, Alicia shrieked in fear upon seeing me turn her way. Answering her command Jeff Hollister, Duncan Wilson, and Terrence Cozar the respective captains of the school’s: Swimming, Football and Basketball teams all charged me blocking me from approaching her.

{Swoosh!, Bash!} *grunt* “Ugh” “K-koff!?”

I duck to the right dodging Duncan’s left cross he aimed at my face and retaliated with a counter cross I smashed into his face as I moved forward. Unfortunately this left me open for Jeff to clothesline me in the throat as my momentum carried me. I dropped like a brick onto the floor trying to breathe through the massive pain that entered my body with that hit.

Not giving me a chance to recover, Jeff and Duncan repeatedly kicked and stomped my body inflicting as much damage as they could while I was down. Luckily, I was able to score a blindly thrown kick hitting Jeff in the nuts permanently taking him out the fight. It couldn’t have happened at a better time because by that point, I was mainly focusing on protecting certain parts of my body: the family jewels, my head, and chest from further injury. For some reason after I got Jeff, Duncan stopped attack me altogether, I didn’t understand why, until I heard the telltale sounds of a police cruiser finally arriving at the school parking lot.

*WEE OOOH, WEE OOOH, WEE OOOH*

“OH SHIT! it’s the cops, h-how did they know to come?! Alicia you better not have anything to do with this.” Alex shouted as he finally struggled to his feet recovering from the unexpected blow I inflicted on him.

“What do you think dumbass I’m here too! Get up you sack of shit, we need to get out of here before the police find him” Alicia shouted as she kicked Jeff in the back to prompt him to get up. As Alex and Duncan helped him up and out the back door, Alicia turned around and looked at me in undisguised hate, before running out of the gym as I layed on the floor in pain.

It was around that time my injuries that I sustained even though I protected my vitals, finally lead me to pass out once again….

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Fielding Innovations

[Takeru]

“This is even better than I expected, The Reynard brat was attacked by the goons that the Alcott bitch sent after him. His injuries are serious enough that they kept him in the hospital overnight. His parents should be getting a call notifying them soon of what happened to him. Gregory you and Donovan know what to do, this is our last chance if we fail that psycho will make us wish we were dead.”

“Yes sir”

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Reynard Mansion

[10:14pm]

Tyler Reynard was having a horrible day, after dealing with another failed attempt of Takeru’s to unseat him as a Co Owner of Alrey. Coming home to his family, after regretfully having to shut down a site, his company owned to cover the loses Takeru’s powerplay made. Tyler was looking forward to finding his wife ready and willing to getting reaquainted with the cycle of life. Unfortunately, that is not what was waiting for him when he entered his home that night.

*CRASH!*

“MY BABY!!!!!”

‘What the!?’

“Hic….*sniffle*… Aaaaah… hic”

After rushing into the living room fearing the worse, Tyler finds his wife on the floor in the living room crying while holding a wireless phone in her hand. The face Vanessa made as Tyler moved towards her made him fear the worst.

“Vanessa, baby calm down, what happened?”

After struggling to get an answer from her for a straight minute, Tyler pried the phone from her fist and spoke to whoever was on the line apprehensively waiting to figure out what distressed his wife so much.

“Who is this and what have you done to my wife!?”

The voice that answered him was female and she immediately raised Tyler’s hackle’s with her opening staement.

“Ah yes, finally decided answer me back huh? Sorry about that it’s been a long shift. I’m police officer Jocelyn Powell, As I was telling wife whom you’re probably holding right now. Your son was attacked at Schneker Academy just over an hour ago and he is now in critical condition at B-”

“WHAT! WHERE IS HE!”

Tyler bellowed into the phone while he shook in anger cutting off the offensive caller commentary.

“A-as I was trying to say Y-” Powell tried to reply before she was cut off again.

“SHUT UP AND TELL ME WHERE MY SON IS NOW! If I don’t hear an answer in the next few seconds you will be looking for another job that will not exist momentarily”

“…He is currently at Brookville hospital awaiting treatment.” was the annoyed reply she gave at the threat.

“Don’t you think for a second I will not remember your name if I run into you again, If for some reason I do, I will find you and we will have a Talk”

*Click* {Crash, Snap!}

The phone is thrown against the wall with such force, that it completely shattered upon impact.

“Nessa let’s go… look at me, look at me. Let’s go get our son and bring him home.” Tyler softly murmurs to his sobbing wife, as he steadily puts her rest sitting in the living room. Alerting their new head of security, Hank, of the situation, within a minute Hank, Vanessa, and Tyler are out the door heading to the hospital.

*SLAM*

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The front door is slammed closed as they rush to the hospital, Now normally when no one is in a certain part of a home it is silent right? Sadly this wasn’t the case in this instance, Almost immediately after they left the entering silence is pierced by a high pitched broken sound.

*RING, RING, RIIING, RINNNNNGGG!*

The broken phone is ringing in the living room, Upon finding the phone broken as it is another wireless is picked up in the kitchen and answered by the maid that is cleaning in the kitchen, before she settles in her room to watch some television.

“Hello?”

“Yes, hello? is this the Reynard residence?”

“Yes it is, May I ask who is calling?”

“This is Dr. Matthews at the Brookville hospital, I was one of the doctors that was on call when Sebastian was born. Are his parents home right now?”

“I’m sorry Doctor, they just rushed out to meet you at the hospital, after getting a call from a police officer about his attack, to check on their son in intensive care.”

“...Wait, What? that’s not possible, I have the officer here right now waiting to speak to them as well. Call them back and tell them to call this number, it is very important they listen to a disturbing phone call I just received from a unknown female. With a warning, that they should not leave their home tonite and that there was a threat to their lives”

“I am sorry sir but that is not possible, They are unavailable at this time, please try their cell, If you still need to get into contact with them, good night”

“Wai-”

*CLICK*

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FIELDING INNOVATIONS

[???]

“I was able to delay the hospital’s call, while I baited Tyler Reynard sir. They are now heading to the hospital as we speak. Alyssa’s warning message to them was missed, as they had already left, a maid picked up the phone and received the call instead.”

“Good, good... and as for you my traitorous bitch” Takeru replied as he walked around his desk to a trembling figure on the floor.

“This time you really are fired”

*Bang!*

A gunshot is heard in the building as Alyssa Dirk drops dead to the floor with a bullet in her brain. Wiping his hands with a moist towelette as he puts his gun away, Takeru took a moment to stare at his dead secretary before

“Stephanie, get my office cleaned up, there is a dead body and blood all over my walls and floor” Takeru calls out as he walks out of the room.

“...Y-yes ss-sir” A female voice shakily replies, as she stares at her dead predecessor laying on the floor.

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‘Why aren’t we there yet? I can’t believe this is happening. Why was my baby attacked? Am I being punished for something I did and just don’t remember? No... that can’t be true, I haven’t done anything to anyone. He has to be alright, he just has to, I couldn’t bear to lose him he is my only child’

Vanessa Reynard frets worriedly as the are speeding down the highway to Brookville Hospital. Just as they are making the final turn to get to the hospital, they are t-boned from behind and boxed in as 4 vans surround them on all sides.

“What’s going on Tyler!” Vanessa shrieked, as they are slammed once again from the right.

“I don’t know honey, But stay buckled in, just in case; GET US OUT OF HERE HANK!” Tyler replied trying to stabilize himself after being slammed into the door.

“CAN’T YOU SEE I’M TRYING TO DO JUST THAT! Now Please be quiet sir I need to concentrate.”

Was the snapped reply Tyler received, Just as the were pushed off the road and crashed into the rails. The force by which they were hit with flipped the car over the rails and into the trees. What happened next Tyler never knew he was knocked out by the crash. When he came to what he saw before him with his eyes, was a complete nightmare. Hank’s entire left torso was crushed by the van’s ceiling caving in, while his chest was pierced through by a huge tree branch that came out behind his back. He was still alive, but it was obvious he wouldn’t live for much longer, as he periodically spat up blood everytime he tried to talk.

Tyler fared much better, with only his right arm being broken and his stomach bleeding from a puncture wound from smashing against the broken window. Vanessa mercifully was instantly killed, by a huge shard of glass from the broken windows puncturing her heart.

“S-she is gone s-sir, Y-you must get a-a-away *hack, spit* I c-can’t move my arms or l-legs *cough* G-go before they get y-you as well…. Ugh…”

Just as Tyler was about to reply Hank breathed his last breath. Dejectedly, dragging his bleeding body out of the window further injuring himself, while he inwardly promised to make whoever did this pay. Tyler was greeted with a sight once he got out, that filled him with rage. Standing on the trail before him was Gregory Brooks, Donovan Mathews, and Takeru Fielding now it all made sense.

“How ya doing there friend need some help?” Takeru sarcastically replied to the glare Tyler sent his way.

“No? Oh well I tried...You can die knowing your company is going to be in good hands, MY HANDS. As I slowly take your apart your company bit by bit, I want you to remember this. All...That… MONEY...you made me...WASTE... will come out of….YOUR… PRECIOUS….COMPANY!”

He grunted, as he kicked Tyler in the chest with every pause. “And don’t worry about your runt, I’ll be taking care of him real soon” He promised while he once again took out the gun the just recently killed Alyssa Dirk.

“Hahahahaha *Wheeze* Hahahahaha” Tyler laughed even as he was tormented with pain after hearing Takeru’s proud statement, as resolutely the stared at the barrell of the gun.

“What are you laughing at?” Takeru warily replied seeing his almost dead adversary laughing like a madman.

“Heh, you will find out sooner or later” Was the cryptic reply he received before Tyler suddenly sprang to his feet charging at Takeru.

*Bang!*

“Well whatever it is It was nothing compared to what I would have had to face if I failed to get rid of you” Takeru replied to Tyler’s dead corpse as he once more put his gun away as he walked back to his car elated to finally be free of his burden for the past 18 years.

‘I don’t know why, I didn’t just do this years ago it would have saved me a lot of grief’

……

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