SoulStuck

Unbreakable

Austin's POV

You come to your senses on Ben's living room couch. You remember every little detail of what happened. You, Trevor, and Mark were waiting on Ben to get back with Martin. Ben's mother had just brought in drinks for the three of you while you were waiting. All of you were going to hang out that night, especially since Martin needed the support. It was all pretty spontaneous. Unplanned. But the break in was certainly not planned. You try to remember it so you can repeat it to Ben and Andrew, who showed up to help. He doesn't seem avid about telling Jason's whereabouts. All you know is that they will meet each other for their battle.

You sit on the couch still trying to remember what happened. Well, remember isn't the right word. You try to repeat it.

{FLASHBACK}

"Hey kids, I brought some drinks!"

Ben's mother walked in from the kitchen, smiling like always.

"I just took a break from my paintings to bring you all something."

You always admired Ben's mother. Even in the worst cases, when her son comes home beaten and bruised, she is always optimistic. She is very talented. You remember when the twelve of you marked your year anniversary of being friends, fighting under the academy together, she had the twelve of you stand as though you were ready to strike. She repainted the picture with an intense background. She truly is talented.

The three of you return to the conversation about Kid's lesson and dinner. That's when you hear a knocking on the door.

Trevor gets up and walks over to the front door.

"It's probably Ben and his dad, both of them loose their keys a lot. That or they forget them."

As soon as he opens the door he is launched backwards into the wall. You and Mark jump up, ready to strike with soul force. No weapon? No problem for miesters of your caliber. Trevor pulls himself up off of the floor. His hands shift into his blades. You get into hand to hand with one of them while Mark is throwing knives from your kitchen. When the hell did he get those? Who cares, he isn't missing!

Trevor has his blade buried to the hilt in his opponent, but they aren't dispersing into a kishin egg. Mark has completely skewered his enemy, about 12 knives sticking out of him, and he still isn't going down. Instead of dropping, the knives melt into his torso, not leaving a mark. He then raises his arm, aiming his hand at Trevor. You have no time to react and no choice but to watch as your foe pins you to the wall. You shout in protest and Mark shouts in warning as you both understand what is about to happen to your friend.

Time almost stops as you watch. The intruder seemingly fired the absorbed knives from his palm. Every knife that hit Trevor rips through him with no complaint. The first two hitting him in the shoulder and arm, impaling the wall behind him. The next one punches into his stomach. Two more fly at him, one slashing through his side, the other punching through his chest. He drops to the ground against the wall and doesn't move after that.

You are immediately head butted by your intruder, causing you to black out for a second. Before you can start to move again, your foe tosses you into the couch. You can't move a muscle. You watch as Mark is head butted. He drops to the floor like a 20 lb. weight. You roll onto your back and try to right yourself, but before you can, a sharp pain shoots up your back and you realize that the intruder punched you in the spine, momentarily paralyzing you. He punches you in the face and you blacked out.

*FLASH FORWARD*

You watch as Trevor is wheeled out of the apartment on a gurney and lifted into the ambulance. Mark pulls himself off of the floor and moves over to where you are. Ben is sitting on the floor where Trevor was lying. He looks so heartbroken, and you can't do anything to help. You failed. Again. Martin sits down next to him and tries talking to Ben. He doesn't even blink.

You take this time to test your soul perception skills. You spread your soul to those around you. Martin feels grief and remorse, Mark feels failure Ben's father, panic and distress, and Ben, his heart is shattered. So many different emotions that you can barely trace his soul.

*PRESENT TIME*

Andrew stand in the doorway, looking for hints as to what happened. Mark, Martin, and yourself sit on the couch feeling the air of grief. Ben is holed up in his room. No sounds can be heard from his room. You can tell by the distant looks they give and the faint electric blue glow to their eyes, just like you, they are checking on his soul. His father's isn't near as damaged, but still, the pain is visible.

The silence is broken as Andrew shuts the door and stands at the wall where Trevor fell. You have to check twice before you are sure. A cerulean blue haze has formed around him.

"Mr. Stevens."

"Yes?"

"This complex, the apartments, they're pretty pricy correct?"

"How does that concern you?"

"Do you want your family back?"

"Of course I do?"

"Then answer the question."

His expression is dead pan, Ben's father rubs his temples before answering.

"Yes, the rent is around $4000 a month."

"Okay, that's all I needed to know, I'll be back."

"Why did you need to know?

Andrew his half way out the door before he answers.

"Because, no one seemed to have thought of it until now but, with rent this high, there's got to be cameras, no question about it."

He walks out the door without another word.

You hear Ben's bedroom door open, and his footsteps echo down the hall. He walks into the living room and you know that he has broken.

"Dad."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to see Trevor, then I'm leaving.... For awhile."

"Ben, where would you go?"

"Im catching up with Andrew, as soon as he gets a lead, I'm going after those fuckers."

You see a purple haze forming around his figure, except this time, it solidifies. Ben's embodiment of his rage hits you like a truck. His shadow darkens to that of the darkness before dawn.

"Ben." You try to say with as little hostility as possible. "You can't do it alone, you have no weapon."

"I don't need a fucking weapon. Rage, is my weapon. Rage is all I need to take them out. I want revenge, and I want it now."

He walks to the door, and ink like purple spears through the air, leaving a chill.

"This fight, there's going to be only one surviving side to this fight."

As he closes the door you hear him utter five words.

"And it won't be them."