Memory Glitch (Book 2 in the "Glitched" Series)

[NINETEEN - Brandon Is Not Pete, and Pete Is Not Brandon]

'Yo, Brandon, me and the guys are gonna go hunting - Want to come with?!'

The slime jumped at this sudden voice, hiding the hand-held mirror behind his back as he heard somebody at the door. Relaxing once he realised that they couldn't get in, Brandon set the mirror back in it's place and made his way to the front door.
'You in there buddy?' Recognizing the voice as Jerome Aceti, he sighed and rolled his eyes before imitating his own voice 'Yeah I'm here. I'm not feeling too well, maybe another day,'
'You've said that the past... Eight? Nine times? You can't just be constantly ill. Why d'you keep cancelling plans?' Of course, years ago, hunting had been part of a weekly bonding schedule.
Now, it was nothing more than a false pretend for his master's plan 'Sorry Jerome, I'm just-' He faked a cough, 'Not really up to it. Maybe another time.'

He didn't say anything else until he was sure the bacca had left. Then, with a sly smirk, he walked back into the main room where the reflective plate was... Floating? Yes, it was floating, surrounded by an almost invisible grey glow.
'I believe they are growing suspicious, Master.' Brandon spoke with a monotonous voice, and the surface glistened for a few moments before a deep sigh emitted from the handheld vanity.
It has been a while, I suppose... We can't swap you and the hybrid around just yet, though, he's still not responding to any of the Minni venom.
'Surely we can try a more - Ahem, prehistoric way? I've heard that hitting somebody in the head with a bat often gives them amnesia.'
That could also kill him, Alistair, and that would mean you would have to continue this role. Eyes widening, the slime rapidly nodded as he agreed that yes, that was a terrible idea.

Pretending to be a form that wasn't your own can be rather exhausting, after all...

~~~
'We're off to see the-'
'If you start singing again I swear to Notch I will turn this hunting squad around!' Rob yelled good-naturedly before the brunet time-keeper could continue.. After Jerome coming back to the group, and telling them that Brandon had pretty much flat-out refused to come and join them, they had set off with the so-called "hunting group".
Mitch, Jerome, Rob, Lachlan, Minx and Krism - Some of the hybrids' best procrastinators, and they were all going to explore. Now I'm sure we all remember that last time somebody went exploring, Choco almost died and Kenny literally did die, but they weren't aware of this at the time so continued with their lighthearted banter.

'Yo Lachlan, where's the kid you had with you two other day?' Minx asked as she threw a rock into the air. The blond shrugged, deeming reluctant to reply but doing so anyway 'Vik's back home. Mum wanted him to stay behind incase something bad happened, so I'm stuck with you guys.'
'Feeling the love right now, buddy.' Jerome grinned cheekily, slapping the taller teenager on the back while he playfully glared at his furry friend. This went on for quite a while - Being absolute jags to one another, all the while getting the occasional run-in with an Orespawn, but it was nothing they couldn't handle.

'Oh my Notch, I swear we've been walking for ages.' Krism eventually spoke up, with the rest of the group nodding in agreement. Lachlan on the other hand seemed to have fallen quiet for the past hour or so, with the rest of the group almost forgetting that he was there until they hears the loud yelp.
The Australian had, rather unfortunately, fallen into a cave system.
'Lachlan?!' Somebody yelled in alarm, but he was too far down to hear. The hidden hole actually opened up into a large arena-like area, with hundreds (if not thousands) of seats carved into the wood-and-stone walls.
He'd momentarily forgotten about his wings, though, which caused him to plummet down to the arena floor. With a large crack, and a loud scream that seemed to constantly echo around the walls, Lachlan felt one of his knees twist and snap beneath him.

'Lachlan! Oh my gods, Lachlan, are you okay?' Mitch called worriedly, hanging his head over the gape as Jerome crouched by his side. Krism flew down to check for injuries (Though it was obvious that he had one) while Rob and Minx began looking for an alternative, less life-threatening way down.
The youngest of the group couldn't even attempt to reply, as his fearful eyes had locked on to something. Something dangerous, out of the ordinary.
A mutant, with a heavy thirst for blood, that was stomping towards him. Rotting flesh was hanging from it's bulky frame, and it let out a terrifying roar that allowed Lachlan's fight or flight mode to activate.
Not before he screamed, though, which angered the creature belong belief.

~~~
'Hey, Mrs. Power-'
'I've told you enough times, Vik, call me Marina; Mrs. Power makes me feel old!' The blonde woman laughed, her bright blue eyes sparkling as the Brit nodded quickly. Marina found this behaviour slightly peculiar, but shrugged it off as manners and laced her fingers together 'Anyway, what did you need?'
'I have a question, about Lachlan,' Vik began, feeling unsure of his own words while his friend's Mother nodded, 'Does he - Well, can you tell when he's hurt?'

Marina pulled a face for a few moments, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips together before nodding slightly 'I suppose I can, with motherly instincts and all that. He can do it too, not just with family - Lachlan can always tell when somebody's hurting. It's always been a trait of his.'
'Anybody?'
'If he feels close to them, yes. Why d'you ask?'
'I think... I think Lachlan's hurt. I don't know why, but it's like-'
"NO!"

Vik almost reeled back at the deafening cry that echoed through his brain. He stumbled slightly, a hand up to his head as Lachlan's Mother reached out to steady him 'Vik? Vik, honey, what's wrong?'
'S-Somebody's - It's Lachlan, something's wrong with him. I've got to find him!' He attempted to make his way to the front door, as another cry for help sounded in his mindscape, but Marina had a firm grip on his arm.

'If my Son is in danger, sweetie, there's no way you're going without me. He could have fallen into one of the cave systems around the bottom North face of the mountains.' She spoke, authority slipping into her voice as they both quick-walked out of the door.

'Let's go get my Son.'
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hAvE yOu SeEn My SoN?!?!?!!1?!???!

#MamaPowerJustGoesAndFreakin'SlapsTheMonster #Don'tComeNearMeOrMySonEverAgain

Thoughts on Alistair?

See you all in the next chapter, and have a great Morning - Afternoon - Evening - Dawn - Dusk - Midnight - Paranormal Timezone!