Brother vs Brother; Duel Between the Stars

“What you did was extremely reckless!” shouted Hard Case as he paced back and forth, disposable coffee cup in hand. With each step he took, the dark liquid inside swished this way and that, occasionally spilling out and running downward toward the man’s hand. “Insane that you would even think about doing something like that!”

Hunter said nothing, head down as the paramedic checked on him. How long had it been since his duel with Chaser had ended? Felt like it had been ages ago while also seeming to have been nothing more than a blink of an eye. His mind was still doing everything it could to process what had happened as everything just felt jumbled.

The police, when they had entered, were shocked by what they had found. Then again, who wouldn’t be horrified that a children’s game had been turned into a death match? Their shock was thankfully short lived as the professionals went to work right away, getting their people into the tank to get Hunter’s friends and aunt out of their cages. Hunter had stayed on his platform for as long as he had been allowed, watching as cutting tools had been brought out to cut through the bars of their cages before they were swam out of the tank and wrapped in blankets. At the same time, Chaser had been surrounded by several officers who all pointed their guns at the teen lying prone on his platform. The police officers screamed at him several times to put his hands on his head, Hunter barely able to hear his brother’s weak cries that he couldn’t. That he, Star Chaser, was unable to move at all.

As for Hunter, he had been helped out of the building by several officers who asked him basic questions before being brought to one of several ambulances. He sat there, answering their questions numbly while keeping his eyes on the door. Watching as those he cared about were brought out one after the other to be taken to other nearby ambulances. No doubt the police talking to them were getting their contact information so that they could call up their parents.

Then, well, Hard Case wanted to talk to him. Asked him about what happened. But the way he framed everything, as well as some of the follow up questions, created a large pit in Hunter’s gut. It felt like he was trying to get Hunter to confess that this was all some sick game between the two of them, that Hunter was in on everything. That he had helped Chaser escape, capture his friends, and force them into cages where they could have a high stakes duel. It was maddening to think that Hunter would do any such thing, with the desire to prove his innocence as well as plain exhaustion being the only things keeping him from letting his anger take over. It also helped that others around him, like the paramedic and the other uniformed officers, were not fond of this line of questioning. Eventually, their looks seemed to get to him and so he dropped them before focusing on what led up to all of this.

“What did you think was going to happen when going in all by yourself?” he demanded after Hunter told him about the phone call. “That you could go in there and solve everything yourself? Did it ever occur to you to call us for backup instead of wasting time? You put everyone’s lives in danger!”

“I-” began Hunter.

“We found a dead body in there,” interrupted Hard Case, pointing to the studio while surprising Hunter. A body? Someone was dead? But who? Before he could ask, Hard Case continued. “That’s right. No doubt he’s dead because you had to play the hero! How’s it feel now, eh? You should be hauled in for that! If I had my way you would be in the cell next to your brother!”

“Detective Hard Case, that is quite enough!” snapped the paramedic, red faced and clearly having heard enough.

“Oh, you know I’m right,” said Hard Case as he gulped down the rest of his coffee, tossing his cup over his shoulder without a care. “What’s the point in being nice and coddling this stupid, reckless, mur-”

“Hard Case, drink this,” said By-The-Books as he approached his partner, shoving a new cup in the man’s hand. Hard Case seemed to jump a little as he accepted it and then again as By-The-Books placed a hand on his shoulder. But the man said nothing, merely nodding before taking a long sip.

“Decaf?” he said when his lips moved away.

“Yeah,” said Books with a nod. “Now, ease up and go take a break. You need it.” Hard Case looked like he wanted to fight this. To insist that he should continue or something like that. But the stare of his partner seemed to overpower his will and began to walk away, sipping from the cup as he went. Books watched him as he went, running a hand through his hair a couple of times while mumbling something.

“I-Is it true?” asked Hunter, his voice almost completely hollow. By-The-Books turned to look at him and Hunter, despite himself, looked up at the detective imploringly. The guilt was wrapping itself tightly around his heart and lungs, making the very act of breathing hurt. He felt like he was ready to vomit, something that the paramedic took notice of.

“Well, I’m not going to lie,” said the detective, a hand running across his mustache. “What you did was foolish. And there is a dead body in there. But, he’s not dead because of you.”

“What?” breathed Hunter, so many new emotions running through him that he didn’t know what to do. He was shocked that someone was dead, sad that he didn’t notice. Worried about who it might be. Was it Applejack or someone else? Oh god, please no! But at the same time, he was happy that he wasn’t responsible. Did that make him awful? What-

“Easy there son,” said the detective as he sat down next to Hunter, placing a hand on his shoulder as he did so. At once, Hunter felt his emotions begin to settle a little as if he were suddenly yanked back into the real world. “We…We found the body of the owner in there, tucked away in the back. By my best guess, he’s been dead all day. Long before you signaled us. Even if you had done everything right nothing would have changed.” Books let out another sigh. “And don’t let Hard Case get to you. You’re not the first one to do something like this. Plenty of people get panicked, things happening so quickly that they forget that we can help. I’m just glad that you singled us when you did. Besides, we’re not in any position to be blaming you for everything. We should have been in there before that damn game of his started. Wish I knew how he kept us out.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” said Hunter honestly.

“Yeah, you had more important things in front of you,” said Books, a slight smile on his face. “You managed to stay calm and everyone else came out alive.” He then looked over at the building looming before them, his smile slipping. “I wish I knew how he did all that. We’ve been looking for some device that could have been using to lower your friends, but so far we’ve come up with nothing. Same for how he kept us out. I was hoping we could use that to figure out who broke that maniac out but…” His voice trailed off before he shook his head.

“So, what’ll happen next?” asked Hunter.

“Hmm?” went By-The-Books. “Well, I got your statements so after the docs are done looking at you all, you’re free to go. Nothing more you can do here. Might need to ask some follow up questions in case something new comes up.”

“And Chaser?” asked Hunter.

By-The-Books let out a dark chuckle at that. “Oh, that boy is in serious trouble,” he said. “Given everything we’ve seen here and all the evidence we’re gathering, I’m sure the D.A. will have no trouble charging him with several additional charges. Starting with breaking and entering, kidnapping, murder, and attempt of murder just to name a few. I think your brother realizes how bad it is for him because he’s pretending that he can’t move. Says you did it and everything that happened here was because of you.”

“What?” was all Hunter could say, the last memory of Chaser returning to the foreground of his mind including what he had said. Was that really his doing? He had told Chaser that if he won this duel he was to stop so was this magic at play, taking his commands in a literal fashion? Or was this some sort of penalty for him trying to cheat in the duel, the price for his loss being ramped up.

“Hogwash in my opinion,” said Books. “Paramedics have already looked at him. Can’t find any bruises or trauma that they say could cause a full body paralysis below the neck. But to be sure they want to run more tests. Honestly, the boy’s probably faking it in the hopes that he’ll get some sympathy from the jury when he faces them again. That or he’s hoping we’ll let our guard down so he can make another escape” He then let out a sigh. “But, I could be wrong. He’ll get a full examination just to be on the safe side and we’ll go from there. Ah, speak of the devil.”

Books made a sudden gesture towards the building, drawing Hunter’s attention to it. His mouth went dry as he saw a large group leaving through the entrance. Most of them were police officers, guns at the ready with all of them pointed at a stretcher which was being pushed by two paramedics. As they drew nearer, Books stood up while quietly excusing himself. Hunter too rose, but said nothing as he looked at the state his brother was in. He was laying on his back, his arms and legs bound in cuffs whose length made it clear that he would not be doing much running while they were on him. Hunter could see Chaser’s lips quivering slightly as he stared up at the sky. He looked so…weak right now. Almost helpless.

At the same time, figures moved around Hunter and before he knew what was happening, his aunt had him in a hug. “I’m just glad you’re alright,” she whispered, Hunter feeling tears running down her face. He heard her take a deep intake of breath, returning the hug as he remembered what Books had said. The man who had been killed was her boss and a good friend as well.

Soon he felt a hand touching his shoulder, turning to see the teary eyed face of Moondancer still wrapped in a blanket. “Hey,” she whispered with a small smile. Hunter smiled back, but did nothing to try and break the grip his aunt had on him.

“Well, this sure ain’t a trip Ah’ll be forgettin’ any time soon,” said Breaburn, a bit on the loud side. Hunter forced himself to look away from his girlfriend to see the larger teen standing there, shivering slightly as he held the blanket around him. “Wish it could have ended better.” Hunter didn’t say anything. Most likely he had already talked to his family who no doubt wanted him home right away. He knew the feeling. Right now, all he wanted to do was go home with his aunt and just rest.

Looking around, he saw that there were others there looking just as tired as he was. Lightning, having put up a brave front this entire time, looked absolutely drained. Her eyelids looked heavy and her posture looked slouched so that it looked like, with the blanket wrapped around her, she was ready to go to sleep. Still, she managed to smile at him while also pushing her hand out from the inside of her blanket to give him a thumbs up. Next to her were Autumn and Wallflower, sharing a blanket together while their teeth chattered. Both of them were smiling, looking happy to have come out of this in one piece. The only one not in this group was Pharynx. Not for a lack of wanting for Hunter saw him a few hundred yards away, his brother Thorax holding him tightly and looking like he was talking a mile a minute about something. Pharynx looked at Hunter, their eyes meeting before a resigned look fell upon his face.

Then, Chaser blocked Hunter’s sight. His head turned to look at him, eyes almost seeming dead. Defeated utterly. Yet, as he seemed to stare back at Hunter, the fire was relit.

“You did this to me!” screamed Chaser. “You and those fucking bitches of ours! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all! You think this is the last you have heard of me?!? This should be you! You cheated! CHEATED! I’ll never stop! NEVER! I’ll claw my way back to the top if I have to and I’ll make sure you all regret ever being born!”

“Please remain quiet,” growled one of the officers as they moved Chaser away. Hunter felt his aunt’s grip tighten while her body became rigid slightly. Her tears seemed to have stopped for the moment and Hunter could tell she was on alert for anything that Chaser might try. Slowly she released him before turning around, using her body as a shield just in case Chaser really was faking it. The others seemed to have similar ideas. While Lightning didn’t take his blanket off, Hunter saw that her fists were clenched and at the ready. Breaburn stiffened, his muscles showing more as he too looked ready for a fight as did Pharynx. But Hunter found it hard to believe that as Chaser was picked up from both ends, arms falling helplessly downwards with even his fingers limp.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” barked Chaser as he was placed into the police car. “Do you have any idea who I am?!? I am Star Chaser, your GOD! I am all things great! I am! I am Star Chaser! I am Star-” Chaser’s words were cut out as the door was slammed shut, silencing him for the moment before he was driven away.

“Some god,” muttered Lightning just loud enough for everyone around to hear. She then looked at Hunter with a weary look. “Hunter, why didn’t you just ask him to stop talking? You could have spared us from listening to that man child’s whining for the rest of our lives!”

Despite himself, Hunter felt a small bit of laughter bounce up from his chest. “I thought betting him to just stop would be enough,” he said. Looking around, he could see the others, even his aunt, had small smiles on their faces now as Lightning rolled her eyes.

“Hey, I get it,” she said. “Stop coming after us and all. Yeah, it makes sense. But…we still have to hear him.”

Later that night, as Hunter dreamed, he found himself back within his dream looking up at the sky with tired eyes. The sky had darkened, allowing the stars to sparkle brightly before him while the moon acted like a lantern. A wind blew, shaking off plenty of red and gold leaves from the nearby trees. He could feel the cold grass pressing against his back but paying it little mind.

As before, he was surrounded by figures. Only this time he could make them out. They were the Dragonmaids. He was laying in House Dragonmaid’s lap, with her looking down at him with a smile on her face as she gently stroked his hair. Laundry Dragonmaid was there, lightly holding his hand as she looked at him. But despite the smile on her face, there were tears running down her cheeks. Parlor was there too next to Kitchen, both of them on their knees with the food they had brought with them on the opposite sides. Kitchen had brought a delightful smelling onion soup that made Hunter’s mouth water while Parlor was doing her best not to eat the sweets she had brought. Nurse was there as well, looking proud of something as she stood there looking at him.

For a moment, Hunter thought this might be one of those dreams. A dream that many young men like himself would have, especially in this type of situation. After all, if this was a dream (and honestly, it had to be one seeing that his cards were alive and around him), then there was no harm in it. Yet, the idea was quickly rejected for more reasons than one. Chief among them was that he was in love with Moondancer. Even if this was a dream, he still wanted his first time to be with her. It might seem a little silly, but that was what he wanted. Odder, these girls felt more like they were close to them. So close that it felt…wrong to think of them in that way.

“Is it over?” asked Hunter, his eyes growing heavier as the seconds ticked away.

“Yes Master,” replied House, no, Sheou. That was her name. The name…he had given her? For some reason, as Hunter looked at her, he remembered a young dragon buried under rubble in what looked like the aftermath of a huge battle. She was there, doing everything in her power to protect five eggs. She had hissed…at him? Wait, why was he seeing all of this as though it was going from his eyes?

“So tired,” whispered Hunter, these memories and the confusion they brought seemed to drain him more and more. A part of him wanted to continue to looking at these memories while the other just wanted to rest for now. He could look at them later, right? Besides, hadn’t he already had a hard day?

“You can rest,” whispered Sheou, Hunter’s eyes slowly closing. “The beast can no longer harm you. Your battle is finally over. Now you can rest.” And with that, Hunter closed his eyes while his body relaxed.

“Sister,” said Tinkhec, speaking up once they were sure that Hunter had fallen asleep within his dream. “Should we tell him? About us?” This question caused Nudyarl’s head to raise, looking at her sister with a hopeful expression.

“In time, he will begin to remember us properly,” said Sheou. “Let us not act on impatience now. Not after waiting all these centuries.”

“Oh come on!” cried Lorpar, jumping to her feet. “We’ve waited long enough! Ever since we were reunited with the Master, we’ve been trying to get him to remember us. We could have lost him today!”

“I had complete faith in the Master,” said Sheou, her comment causing Lorpar to take a small step back.

“I-I did too,” she said, lightly scratching her chin. “But…I mean, what if the beast hadn’t decided to duel him and just attack him then and there? We could have lost the Master again!”

“No!” cried Nudyarl as her hand clung a bit tighter to Hunter’s hand. New tears were running down her face as she looked at her sisters, a look of almost indescribable pain written all over it. “W-We finally found him! I-If he dies again we might…we might…we might never find him again! Then I can never tell him how sorry I am!” As she spoke, Nudyarl’s words became slightly broken between her gasps of air as tears poured down her eyes. As the youngest among them began to break down, Tinkhec stood up and walked around Hunter until she was behind the blue Dragonmaid. Silently she wrapped her arms around her young sister, bringing her into a hug as she patted her head.

“There, there,” said the cook of the Dragonmaid’s. “You know the Master never blamed you for what happened. Even with his dying breath.” She then shot Lorpar a look that caused the glutton of the group to urk, raising an arm as if to shield herself for a moment.

“As much as I hate to say this, Lorpar has a point,” said Ernus, catching them all off guard. “It has taken this many centuries to find him again. And when we did find him, we had to take a gamble with that human Pegasus in the hope that he would lead us to the Master.” She then let out a sigh. “The human lifespan is short. Far shorter than ours. It might be a good idea to have a backup ready just in case. Sister, couldn’t we use that magic you extracted from Chaser to help give the Master a push in the right direction?”

Sheou frowned but reached in her apron pocket to pull out the magic, holding it out for them all to see. “You mean this rotten thing?” she asked darkly. “The beast polluted it for years, injecting it with his own bile until it became as tainted as it was. And now you dare to suggest that we place this…this thing in the Master?!?”

“No,” replied Ernus. “At least, not until we have cleaned the thing.” She then intertwined her fingers together, stretching out her hands until they made a satisfying cracking sound. “Its been a while since I had a real patient. But I’m sure when I administer my tender loving care, this speck of bile while be returned to its wonderful, magical self.”

“Where was that tender loving care whenever I came in?” asked Lorpar. Ernus rounded on her sister, a frown on her face.

“Because I kept telling you not to stuff your greedy face!” snapped the pink dragoness.

“Enough!” hissed Sheou, getting their attention. “The Master needs his rest if he is to recover! For now, we shall see if that magic can be cured. If not, we shall continue to wait until we are truly reunited with our Master.” Not another word was said as Sheou slipped into her dragon form, towering over the others as Hunter remained in her lap. As one, the others simply changed into their dragon forms as well without any flash of light where they then surrounded the sleeping teen. Together they watched him as his body began to change as well. Hunter became taller, grew dark wings while his body took on a scaly, almost armored form.

And, when he was done, the boy known as Star Hunter had taken on the body of Lord of the Red.

At the same time, Chaser was being dragged back to his cell through the deserted halls of the maximum security prison. On either side of him were prison guards who were stone faced, never bothering to look at Chaser nor did they say a word to him. Something which was probably for the best seeing as they were most likely losers who could never get into college thus ending up here. Roughly they held onto Chaser by his upper arms as the teen’s feet were dragged behind him while two more guards followed him with their clubs at the ready. No one seemed to care that they were dragging the great, former god known as Star Chaser back to his undeserving cell. No one, not even Star Chaser.

No, his mind was elsewhere as he paid no heed to his current humiliating situation or the odd silence from all the other inmates. Whatever the world’s unimportant comings and goings meant nothing to him. All he could think about was his useless, cheating, retarded brother! He should have been the one dragged into this hellhole! HIM! That bastard. Chaser had every advantage in that duel. Greater life points, the power to drag any card he wanted, the power to create whatever card he wanted, his brothers useless friends. It should have been a walk in the park yet he still lost.

Ignoring the prisoners in their cells watching him pass, Chaser mulled over the duel again and again. There was no way it was his fault he had lost. He was perfect. He had done everything right. It had to be because Hunter cheated! Those damn duel spirits were probably interfering the entire time! That useless magic inside failed to do what he wanted! Just like with his old Red-Eyes deck, it had failed him. After everything he did to ensure victory, the magic failed to complete the job. All it had to do was drown those losers, none of which mattered to anyone anywhere, and he would have won!

As they stopped in front of Chaser’s cell, a new sense of loathing grew within him. Raising his head slightly, one of the few movements he could still do, he saw that all of his few remaining possessions had been taken away. The small radio, his decks, and pretty much everything else that made things bearable in this shithole. The only things that still remained were the few newspaper clippings he had, taped to the wall. The fallen god looked over to see that one of the newspaper clippings showed his brother, holding up the deck that had beaten him with a oh so proud smile on his stupid, retarded face! This was it! This would be his life, stuck in this cell with only that picture to remind him daily of the injustice that had been thrust upon him.

But this wasn’t the end. Oh no, far from it. Chaser didn’t know everything about magic, but if what’s-his-name was to be believed, he could gain it back in time. How long would it take? He had no idea nor did he have any idea how to do so. But he was Star Chaser, the greatest person ever to walk this earth. Even in his current condition he was still worth more than all other lives on this pitiful rock combined. He would stay here, having the guard wait on him hand and foot until he regained all that he had lost. Then, even if it took him a hundred years, he would return. This time, he would seek out a younger body. The body of some loser to house his greatness and begin looking for Hunter. He would not bother with a duel this time, just killing him before switching bodies with a more proper vessel. Perhaps the child of a filthy rich family, one he could milk for as long as he desired. Then he would begin hopping from one body to the next, living like the god he was until this planet died. Yes, that was a fitting way to go. The world was truly created when he was born so it only made sense that it only died when he did. Wasn’t that-

Chaser’s thoughts were cut short as he was roughly turned around before being dropped on the bed. “Watch it!” he yelled at them, his head nearly hitting the wall. In this position, his legs were bent over the side of his cot with his body positioned so that he was staring at the gate of his cell.

That’s when he saw it. That’s when he saw the thing that caused him to grow silent, so terrified that he couldn’t tell the guards to tuck him in properly. Standing there at the entrance to his cell was the old man who had taught him. The old man he had left for dead when he had escaped! He was just standing there in the darkened hall at the entrance to his cell, his red eyes seeming to glow in a demonic fashion as tiny lines of smoke rose from the embers of his cigarette. Chaser’s mouth ran dry as he looked at the bandages still wrapped around the man’s body. What force of will could allow him to still be standing? Was it magic? Or was it pure hatred?

As the guards turned to leave, Chaser relaxed. As soon as they saw the old man, they would be yelling at him. They would be demanding to know how he got out of his cell after lights out. They might even begin to club him, giving Chaser a nice show. But, Chaser soon began to tense up again as the guards walked towards the old man without saying a word. A bead of sweat began to form on his forehead, running down his face as the old man merely took a step back to allow the first three guards to walk past him without a word. None of them paid the old fool so much as a second look as he continued to smoke, his eyes locked onto Chaser.

“Shut the door!” ordered Chaser. His voice had to have been heard for Chaser could hear it echoing through the prison. He then felt his lips twist into a smile as the last guard paused in front of the door. Then…

“Cameras are still down,” said the guard to the old man. “Don’t let this come back to us, got it?” As the old man nodded, Chaser tried everything he could to move. To get back onto his feet, run towards the gate, and lock it shut himself! But nothing happened as the guard walked away without a second look at the teen trapped in a corner.

New terror began to fill him as the old man entered the room, every footstep he took sent tremors into Chaser’s heart. He could feel the blood pounding in his skull, thundering in his ears as he tried to move. To prepare himself to fight back. And, as if to make things worse, he saw more people in the halls. They were the other inmates, all of them standing there and staring at Chaser with naked hate.

Finally, the old man reached the bed. But rather than strike him, he sat down next to Chaser where he then stared at him for another minute while a small smile appeared on his face. A smile that utterly terrified Chaser. “Oh Chaser, Chaser, Chaser,” said the old man before he blew smoke right into the teen’s face. Chaser coughed madly, fighting to keep his eyes open in the fear that if he blinked they would all be upon him. “Looks like you flew a bit too close to the sun.”

Chaser felt his head turning to shake his head no, hoping against hope that this was some sort of horrible nightmare brought on by Hunter’s bitches. But no such luck as the old man took a long drag of his cigarette. “You know, I really did try to be your friend,” he said. “I taught you much on the promise that you would help me get out of here. Would have helped you get your revenge. But no, like a stupid little shit holding a gun for the first time, you thought you had all the power. Thought you knew enough, that you didn’t need anyone else. Burnt every bridge as you used the merger powers I showed you. And look at you now. Looks like your mommy and daddy never taught you that there’s only so far you can get in life on your own.”

“Please, go away,” whispered Chaser. But the old man paid him no heed, instead blowing more smoke in his face.

“Of course, they never taught you respect either,” said the old man, his tone cruel. He then gestured to the inmates outside of the cell. “See those fine fellows out there? When you escaped, some of their friends got hurt or killed. And here, you need a good friend to look out after you. To have your back. And, boy, you don’t have anyone. The only reason they aren’t in here right now is because they respect me. Hear that boy?”

“Don’t,” begged Chaser, only to have more smoke blown in his face.

“Now, they want to teach you that lesson your parents failed to teach you,” continued the old man. “Last lesson you’ll ever learn. But, maybe I’m feeling a little sentimental. Feeling a little merciful. So, I’ll make you a deal. You use that brain you’re so proud of to answer one question, just one, and I’ll tell them to let you be.” For a brief moment, Chaser felt hope rise from the ashes of his heart. He could do this! He was Star Chaser! There was nothing that he couldn’t-

“What’s my name?” A noise, almost inhuman, escaped Chaser as tears ran down his face. The noise was like that of a whine and a sob mixed together, soaked in utter despair for he knew he could never answer this question. Again he found himself shaking his head, but could not bring himself to beg for another question.

“Pity,” said the old man without remorse, the cruelty in his voice showing, for he had to know that Chaser would have been unable to answer this question. He then took the cigarette out from his lips, but rather than blow on his again, he began to move the lit end of it slowly towards his eye. The fear was more real now than ever as Chaser was unable to close his eye lid or ever look away. All he could do was stare at the heated end while veins appeared all over his face.

“What’s-Your-Name, Filthy Pig, Applejugs, Country Hick!” he began to scream at the top of his lungs. But not because he thought any of those was his name. No, Chaser was calling out for help. Calling out all the names he could remember. All the names he had called people in the past as the bud slowly moved down. “Filthy Slut, Big Tits, Easy Ass, Whore, Parasite, Loser, Faggot! Where are you guys!”

No one came to his call, his sweat turning red as his blood began to mix with it. He could feel himself pissing his pants, but he didn’t care. He needed someone to save him!

“Aunt Bitch! Help me! Mommy! Daddy! Save me PLEASE! I’M YOUR SPECIAL BOY RIGHT!” Now the bud was right in front of his pupil, terror racing through his entire body like never before. Was there anyone who was willing to help him? Where were all the people who were supposed to love him? Who…Who could he count on?

A memory slipped into his head, taking him back to that hill when he was younger watching his older brother walk away. Tears ran down Chaser’s face as he let out one final scream. “HUNTER! HELP ME BIG BROTHER! I NEED YOU!”

And that was the last coherent sentence uttered by Chaser as the cigarette made contact with his eye. From that moment on, all of his thoughts and words were nothing more than animalistic noises like a pig being slaughtered. The inmates took turns, one after the other, as they took out all of their rage on the teen who had hurt and killed their friends. It never seemed to stop, not until the morning light came and all of them went back to their cells, leaving behind the remains of he who had once been Star Chaser.