Angel With Broken Wings

79 - Finn Ames and the Friend (3)

⚠️BLOOD, SEVERE BEATINGS, MENTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE & ABANDONMENT & HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION
[THIRD PERSON POV]

Thirteen ancient wands are said to exist in the magic world.
The wands only choose those with an innate talent to wield them...and bestow blessings upon their wielders.
These wands are called...Master Canes.

Mash still had Carpaccio's face slammed into the wall, the black haired Adler still having the flicker of anger within his eyes until it changes to surprise. After all, the blood that should've been on Carpaccio's head, appeared on his own. "Huh?" He reaches to touch the injured spot, Kat turning her head hurriedly to see the sudden injury as Mash questions, "What happened?"

"I'm incapable of feeling pain." Carpaccio's answer was told with a dull tone as he removes himself from the wall, his eyes flickering from Mash to Kat rapidly as the nurse-looking being appears behind him once more. "What's that?" Mash eyed the creature suspiciously, Kat gritting her teeth at the sight as Carpaccio answers cooly, "My wand is special."

Without a second thought, Mash darted forward and slammed his knee directly into Carpaccio's face, Kat letting out a small sound of surprise at the action as Mash starts speaking, "I don't know what that means, but..." His words get cut off as his head appears to get hit, his attack being reflected swiftly.

'It's like Mash's attacks are being reflected back at him.' Finn and Kat's thoughts were in sync as they watch the fight, the girl mentally preparing to step in as Carpaccio speaks up once more, "My magic transfers any damage I take to my opponent. So if I get hurt..." He trails off as he stabs his knife into his own leg, the wound transferring to Mash's own as blood splatters from the wound.

"Mash!" Finn and Kat both cried out at the sight, Finn's thoughts reeling as he gazes towards Carpaccio's supposed to be wounded leg, 'His wound closed?' Kat begins to stand as Carpaccio continues his explanation, "Any and all pain I suffer is absorbed by this wand. I don't control it. My inability to be hurt is the Master Canes blessing, it's been continuously active since it chose me. That's why from the moment I was born, I've never felt pain."

Headmaster Wahlberg watches the mirrors carefully, subtle comforting the young child beside him as he pats the blonde boy's head gently, his thoughts calm as he considers Carpaccio's words, 'A Master Cane wielder...his talent is acknowledged by our oldest artifacts. Quite the cornucopia of first-years we have.'

"That's why...I'd like to feel pain." The words coming from Carpaccio's lips made Kat shiver, the girl realizing that if he never felt it before...he wouldn't feel remorse for dishing it out on others, as he wouldn't understand how it felt. Carpaccio continues speaking coldly, ignoring the now standing girl behind Mash and beside Finn, "But someone of your level is incapable of ever giving me that sensation. So let's end this."

Kat speaks up at that moment, halting the movements of the two boys and causing Finn to watch her closely, "What about me? Am I capable enough?" Her questions make the crowd of onlookers go quiet, Lemon gasping slightly as she shakes her head rapidly at the suggestion, not wanting to see the girl get injured. Mash and Finn attempt to refute, the pair watching her carefully as Carpaccio responds, "No, I won't fight you."

His answer makes her look at him with slight surprise, the boy continuing before she could inquire further, "You, while weaker than me, need to be protected. I'm sure even your friends agree." The word friends was said with distaste, the boy still blunt with his words but with a warmer tone when addressing the girl, his answer making the girl clench her hands into fists.

"I need to be protected?" Her words were scoffed out, the tone she used making the people listening all flinch, "I've been through hell the moment I was conceived. My parents sold me to bastards who found it fun cut me open and burn me with acid. I saw kids my age and younger melt to death because their bodies couldn't keep up with their experiments.

"I've never been protected...and I sure as hell won't let anyone treat me like a damsel in distress now! You don't want to protect me, or keep me from harm...you just want to own me." Her words are harsh as she spoke, the brutal descriptions she gave making the onlookers in the crowd go back to their mutterings as Gazzy covers his ears, unwilling to listen to the words that bring forth unwanted memories.

Her gaze was filled with anger, Carpaccio flinching at the sight as he attempts to refute her words, "That's not-!" Her scoffing once more interrupted him, the girl turning her head away from the boy, "You want to feel pain? I'm sure...I can make you feel exactly what you want." Her voice was cold with her words, Carpaccio flinching once more as he realizes his words and actions have done the opposite of what he wanted.

He liked the girl before him, and he let his jealousy and former teachings consume him, after all she had mentioned that she didn't like seeing the people she cared for hurt, and he went and did that right in front of her. He gritted his teeth as he clutches the knife in his hand tightly, before beginning to stab himself violently once more, the wounds landing on Mash's body.

"If you attack me, Kat...they'll just wind up on Mash Burnedead." His threat made the girl flinch, her feet staggering as her eyes darted to the black haired boy, Mash's expression darkening further, as it had been upon hearing her descriptions once more. Finn was still struggling on the floor, his eyes watering slightly still as his thoughts scramble in his mind, feeling sick to his stomach at the descriptions He heard and the cold response from Carpaccio, 'He stabs himself to hurt his opponents...it's an unavoidable attack...'

Mash dashes forward at that moment to land a hit right on to Carpaccio's face, the Orca remaining unfazed as the hit reflects onto Mash, "You see...no attack can hurt me." In response to those words, Mash lands a hard kick into Carpaccio's stomach, the male only staggering slightly before the kick was magically returned to Mash. 'This is awful...the force of every attack is being transferred back to Mash. It's like Carpaccio's constantly on the offense. This isn't even a fight!'

Finn's thoughts were wild as he glances up at Kat, the girl trembling as she is forced to watch the injuries build up on Mash, the girl unwilling to cause more damage as she mutters softly, "Mash..." Carpaccio winces at the name, the boy speaking up once more as he ignores the feeling of guilt and hurt building in his chest, "What a joke."

His words were cold as he continues, "A person's fate is decided by the abilities they're born with. You want to fight to disprove that, but it's useless. As useless as Finn Ames. He was a loser all through middle school, always on the verge of failing...nothing like his brother." Finn flinches at Carpaccio's words, the actions not going unnoticed by Kat as she glances down at him before kneeling to be the only person he sees, the boy shivering when her cold hands land on his ears to block the noise.

"He shouldn't be here. This isn't where people like him belong. He can't even protect a single crystal on his own, a weakling, always in need of help...Finn, you're a disgrace, there's no way you'll ever be able to keep Kat safe." His words were muffled through Kat's hands, but Finn still caught the last few words and by the sour expression showing on Kat's face, she disagreed.

He shivers once more when her hands get removed, the boy hearing clearly what Mash has to say, "Hmm...you may have a point. It's smart to quit something you just can't do, and it's important to evaluate yourself and know where you stand. From your perspective, Finn's efforts may be a pointless struggle, and maybe it's pitiful...but, despite how scared he was, my friend stood up against an overwhelmingly powerful opponent...and he's kept her safe, more than once..."

Mash trails off as he recalls the boy stepping up to help save Kat and Lemon, remembering the times he has comforted the girl when it was necessary, and Carpaccio quirks an eyebrow up at those words as Mash continues with a harsh and angry tone,

"And no one...laughs at my friend for that. And keeping her safe, not liking to see her hurt or sad...is different from preventing her from living, or fighting, the way she wants all together."