Shattering Humanity-Chapter 286: A New Home. A New Vow.
"Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock.
The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.
Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell—and its fall was great."
-Matthew 7: 24-27
_____________________________________
Young Boy: "Stah-! Ah! Ow!"
The sounds of thudding contact on a body is heard and the snickering of other young children can be heard.
Young Boy(thinking): *Why are they bullying me?
Why does everything hurt...
Why?....
Why?....
Why?!!?!!...
In a city alley, four older children are picking on a young Jeremiah.
The blonde haired, teary purple eyed, 10 year old is on the ground. There is another kick to his ribs from one of the surrounding 12 year olds before ...
10Y/O Zeke: "What the Hell are you doing?!?"
Jeremiah peeks open from his left eye since the right is shut closed from a black eye bruise.
While on the ground, through the blurry, teary one eyed vision, the singular purple eye of the boy in distress can see an all black silhouette with the setting sun behind them.
Stepping up and clearing his face is red haired, brown eyed 10 year old Zeke.
The bullies from the group turn around, leaving Jeremiah alone.
Cracking his knuckles, already bandaged up from a previous fight, and smirking, little Zeke already has his fighters confidence.
10 Y/O Zeke: "Bet you bums couldn’t do that to me again!"
As the group of bullies surrounds the young boy the shadows on the wall narrate the fight.
As little Zeke puts up a fight for the first minute, he no sooner becomes overwhelmed and beat to the ground too.
As the sun finally sets, the audible beating stops once one of the young bullies realizes the time.
Bully 1: "Oh shidd!
It’s getting late!
My mom is gunna kill me!"
Bully 2: "Crap, mine too!"
The all run away together and leave the heavy breathing, bleeding, young Zeke in the alley with a heavy breathing, bleeding, young Jeremiah.
Young Zeke: "You good... bro?"
Little Jeremiah nods without a painful word. They both get up and Zeke throws one of his injured bud’s arms around his shoulder.
They manage to get to Jeremiah’s apartment building and up the stairs. Bringing him home successfully, Zeke walks into the door. Inside the home, a younger version of Jeremiah’s mom getting ready for work sees the two boys and she is immediately alarmed.
Jeremiah’ Mum: "Jeremiah!?
What happened?!"
Her son is too injured to answer but Zeke isn’t.
Young Zeke: "We were attacked by..."
Jeremiah’s Mum: "It was because of you, wasn’t it!?
It wasn’t until he met you that he started getting in more and more fights!"
Young Zeke: "What?
No!"
Jeremiah tries to speak but the pain is too much.
His mother takes him away from Zeke and she looks at the young man who actually saved her son.
Jeremiah’s Mum: "I don’t ever want to see you around him anymore! You got that?!
I’m trying to make sure my son doesn’t get sucked into your lifestyle.
Get out of my house you street urchin!"
Jeremiah fights through the pain to squeeze out just one...
Young Jeremiah(weakly): "M-Mum..."
Young Zeke: "It’s okay Jeremiah..."
The shocked, beat up blonde painfully turns his head to see his teary eyed friend finally looking defeated at the scuffed up hardwood.
Young Zeke: "She’s right. I’ll just- I’ll go.
See ya..."
He turns away and walks out the door, softly closing it behind him.
*click*
[Alexandria, Egypt]
Inside a double room hospice, there is the *click* of the room’s door closing and Jeremiah opens his purple eyes. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
He is laying down in a hospital bed, in his HFF sweatshirt and uniform, and slowly sits up.
With the hand he cut now bandaged, he raises it to his head and tries to remember.
[FLASHBACK]
Jeremiah finally catches up to him and approaches from behind.
Jeremiah: "Aye, are you sure you don’t wanna f-"
Katsu: "Shhh!!!"
Jeremiah raises an eyebrow but then shrugs and watches the final attacks of the two respectable contenders.
The after image of Shelly disappears out of plain sight, and reappears right in front of Zeke.
Jeremiah(surprised): "What the Hell?!"
In slow motion Zeke’s symbiote releases the wave of collected kinetic energy, received from his attacker.
HOWEVER, this time Shelly’s Seax is able to cut through the wave, she uses that momentum to 360° spin and lands a direct Mach 2 speed haymaker to the temple of Zeke, sending him flying.
Jeremiah: "Zeke!"
This time, the damage is sent right through Zeke’s own body as the punch turns his brown human eye all white and his IceEye goes haywire in every direction. Before losing consciousness, he mutters out...
Zeke: "H-How?...
Jeremiah...."
His unconscious body lands on the hood of a car and Shelly lands with both feet on the ground.
*SLASH*
The sounds of close by glass shattering and the growing rumbles of destruction can be sensed.
The same tall city building Shelly had almost got launched into, gets cut diagonally in half down the middle and the sliced half begins to fall.
Jeremiah looks up in horror from his unconscious, beaten friend to the sight of half a glass building coming down on them.
Unaware to him, a pair of long legs appears behind him. After some audible contact, everything goes black for the unfortunate young man.
[END FLASHBACK]
Back in the hospice, Jeremiah is still trying to recall the full events of what happened before he was knocked out.
Jeremiah: "What the Hell happened?
The last thing I remember was that building, getting...cut in half?
No.
There’s no way that could have happened..."
He then remembers the new magic energy he was introduced to earlier before by Zeke.
Taking a look around, he tries to identify his surroundings.
Jeremiah: "Where... Where am I?"
His eyes become larger, finally remembering...
Jeremiah: "Zeke!"
The young man quickly tries to get up but using the freshly injured hand he had sliced earlier as support, the pain shoots up his arm and he falls to the clean, tiled floor.
Raising up his head, he sees a bed, with it’s sheets all red.
He looks back to see his sheets are a bright blonde hue of threads.
Getting back to his feet, Jeremiah can see a heavily battle damaged Zeke, unconscious in the red bead.
The personal trainer to the knocked out ’Titan of Beasts’ shuffles to the bed.
Jeremiah: "Zeke! Zeke!"
Slowly opening his brown and IceEye, Zeke comes to and groans as he shakely sits up from his spot.
Zeke: "Jer-... Jeremiah?"
The blonde friend smiles but it doesn’t last for too long. Jeremiah gets a serious look on his face and he clenches the red comforter his friend is sitting on.
Jeremiah: "Zeke..."
Zeke looks over at his determined buddy. His purple eyes filled to the brim with fire.
Jeremiah: "I promise.
You won’t ever have to fight alone again.
I know I have never been really the best complementary piece when it comes to our fights, but that won’t happen any longer."
Zeke tilts his head in contusion as his best bud completes his vow.
Jeremiah: "I promise, I’ll learn more about that power you and the Tomboy have acquired, and I will harness it too.
That way, the next time we see her and that nerd, we will kick their terrorist asses together."
He holds out a fist with a Below Sanpaku smile and Zeke’s brown human eye shimmers in the room’s light.
Zeke: "You better stay true to your word, Bro."
With a smile of his own, the two friends connect bandaged fists and both pull back in pain but immediately reconnect, forgetting the pain and only thinking about their vow.
However, the friend moment doesn’t last too long. From the other side of the closed door, the sounds of destruction and things being thrown around can be heard.
A frightened nurse from the other side of the door can be heard telling someone...
Nurse: "Th-They are right in here, Master-.
AH!"
Zeke jumps up from the bed and the two fighters square up, getting ready and expecting to fight Shelly.
After the two young men are caught off guard by the kicking open of the door, they both are flabbergasted once they see the little DæMon, L’Orient DæMon.
L’Orient DæMon: "Okay you two shit stains!
I don’t give a shit if you’re injured or not.
You’re training starts right now!"
In both of the boys confusion the pissed off DæMon of Wrath grumbles to herself.
L’Orient DæMon(grumbling): "Dumb, annoying younger siblings.
Pain in my goddamn ass "
