He followed the sound of the voice and it led him right to the middle of the city. He had given Miriam the same excuse he had used the previous day; that he had to run an errand but this time a long one. But what could have made her suspicious was that he had given her the keys to the attic’s door which held all his money. He had said these words to her as he handed her the key: “In case I do not return by nightfall.”
Now here he stood before the Finch. She was wearing a black, hooded tracksuit and black sneakers, a different move to her funeral clothes but the tone still the same. Brendan got the feeling that this change of clothing from formality to casual meant that she was in no mood for games, even her expression said so. She was wearing a slight frown on her face but even still, it did not hinder her beauty in the slightest. She stood with her arms akimbo.There was no sign of any human being in the area.She raised her eyebrows and made a broaHe threw the rubble from his body but with such visible weakness.The Finch was already standing above him. ‘Once I’m done with you, I will tear that mask from your face and hang you by your ankle by the entrance of a bar so that people can see how much of a drunkard their hero really was, thinking he could defeat the Finch.’ She kicked him in the face and he went screeching and rolling on the gravel road for at least five seconds.He was slowly drifting into unconsciousness.She was now standing above him again. She wrung her hands in disappointment and protest. ‘We could be ruling this world together as husband and wife!’ she moaned. ‘Our kids would continue our legacy. I know that Pernicious is a lot stronger than me but together we could force him into submission. Can’t you understand..?’ Her eyes had become twinkled with specks of tears, ‘I love you. You and I were meant to be!’Brendan’s cost
‘What’s the deal?’ Brendan’s expression and tone became guarded.‘Isn’t it obvious? Sixty-forty of course.’‘This isn’t the right time to be irrational. The Finch holds our fate in the palm of her hand.’‘I know,’ he spoke with not much concern whatsoever.Brendan ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, ‘Fifty-fifty is a fair deal!’‘Only one of us thinks that,’ Marauder argued.‘Look, let’s stop arguing. If we don’t come to a decision we could both die.’‘Even if we do unite, we could still die. You have forgotten that the Finch has broken too many prophecies in the past.’‘I’m confident that she can’t break this one.’‘What makes you so sure?’‘I have faith…she is too boastful and that can make her careless. If we don’t waste time talking
The strange thing about these voices was that they were in different parts of his head and they were identical to his. He tried to stand up but his body quivered violently and he barely managed to stand up straight. His body temperature was rising and decreasing in instability. It felt like his skin had been poured with a bucket of boiling water. The voices in his head kept increasing. Some got louder but others just maintained their whispers.The Finch now stood before him. ‘I’m surprised you’re still breathing,’ she said standing with her arms akimbo. ‘I guess that potion you drank turned out to be stronger than I thought. Well then…let’s finish you off, shall we?’ She grabbed him by his throat and she placed her other hand on his mask. ‘Maybe I should give you a kiss goodbye before I put you out of your misery.’ She began pulling on his mask.Brendan released a bellow of frustration, ‘Stop!’ he sho
There was not a sound that came from the two Versatiles as they stood facing each other. Murder was written on both faces. There was no human being in sight but only the path of destruction that had been carved by them both. The wind had even calmed down as if in fear of the two powerful forces standing inside it.The Finch blinked and just as she did, Brendan made his move…He ran towards her using his heightened speed. As soon as he stopped in front of her he began throwing punches and kicks.The Finch had no difficulty in blocking these blows, yet her expression was anxiety.He landed a punch on her jaw and she shook her head for a brief moment but quickly recovered and the fight continued.Fortunately for Brendan, the basic boxing moves he had been taught by Howard were coming in handy now. He had never been taught how to use his legs but he was doing the best he could, assisted by his unique speed. He would dodge one of her punches then retaliate
She nodded, ‘You’re not used to your powers yet so I doubt that you have tapped into this ability. Anyway, I’ve been keeping the scrolls for a long time…’‘How did you even manage to get your hands on them?’‘Magic.’‘If your magic is that good then why didn’t you mingle some herbs and brew a potion that could force me to join forces with you?’She chuckled softly, ‘My magic is the best but no matter how hard I practice, it could never force another creature to do my bidding. Anyway…Maglereto didn’t use the most of his intelligence and make the writings more complicated…’‘Why did you steal the scrolls?’‘I didn’t steal them only for myself. The plan was to study them then give them to other Versatiles to study.’‘Why not steal them only for yourself then?’‘That’s only because I believe
‘Gri-what?!’She blew on her bruised knuckles and as soon as she did, a green fire circled around her fist. ‘Now, puny hero..! Meet your fate!’ she roared then she threw her fist towards him.Brendan turned and used his heightened speed to run as fast as his two feet could carry him. The Finch however, was in hot pursuit.‘Accept death like your best friend…just like you did before, you scum!’ she shouted from behind him.As he zigzagged around buildings, he managed to throw a hesitant but quick and brief glance over his shoulder and he saw that her fist was still covered in the green flames and she was clearly catching up to him. He ran up the walls of a multi-storey building, thinking this would at least shake her off his tail, but he was wrong. In the split-second that he had reached halfway up the building, he jumped in a backward flip so that when the Finch was below him he went for her throat with his right hand.
Brendan stood right where he had been buried. His whole costume was covered in dust and smudges of blood by the arms of his leather jacket. His eyes were completely black in color, smoke spiraling inside them like a fog, like there was a darkness that had resurrected him from his grave.‘How can this be?!’ The Finch walked towards him with her eyes focused on him in astonishment. She began massaging her head, ‘You’re a figment of my imagination or…or a ghost. There is no way you could have survived the Dirty Fate fist…Yes, that’s true….you’re just a ghost…Sweetheart, you’re a ghost or a soul who lost his way to hell.’One would think that the Finch had gone mad as she walked slowly toward Brendan, her eyes closed, talking almost to herself like a schizophrenic.‘You couldn’t have survived the Dirty Fate fist…or maybe did they lie..? Or maybe there’s something I didn&rs
‘The Blind helper committed these crimes all by her…’‘I said I do not die alone!’ she repeated as she nodded in Samantha’s direction.He stared at the Finch, his eyes still consumed in black.‘This city owes me that girl,’ the Finch said.‘How so?’ he asked.‘Ask the proud daddy,’ she said, falling on her knees at the same time.Samantha’s mother looked at her husband. ‘What is she talking about, honey?’ ‘It’s a lie! Don’t believe her!’ A man within the multitude shouted.‘It’s true,’ Samantha’s father confessed, bowing his head and releasing his hands from Samantha’s shoulders.The multitude began to quiet down.‘Baby, I’m really sorry. I’ve always wanted to tell you but…’He was slapped hard on the cheek by his wife. Tears were in her eyes and Samantha