The Beast Awakens
Marcus opened the doors to J High School for the first time in three days, prodding at the bandages beneath his shirt. The bite still ached on his shoulder, a reminder of what had occurred. But it was worse to know that while he was gone, Logan Lee had taken things further and bullied Jiho and Duke like they were nothing.
Marcus: (clenching his fists) I can't run anymore… Not from him.
At lunchtime, the moment had come. In the corner near the equipment room, Logan spotted him. The behemoth of a boy flashed a grin with that distinctive scowl, standing over Marcus like a mountain.
Logan: "Well, well. The runner's back. Missed me?"
Marcus: (shaking voice) "Leave me and my friends alone, Logan."
Logan: (laughing) "What? Or you'll call for Mommy? Let's make this lesson stick."
Logan waved a hand, and three of his goons surged forward. Fists slammed into Marcus from every direction. The pain was blinding. The sound of knuckles colliding with flesh drowned out everything.
Logan: (snarling) "Break him down. He needs to learn."
A hit to the jaw. A kick to the ribs. Marcus fell, blood and saliva mingling in his mouth. Suddenly, his heart was racing wildly — thump-thump-thump — like a bass drum in his chest. Vision blurring, the world spinning. Logan's laughter resonated as sparks in a powder keg.
Then came the moment. The world fell silent. Marcus felt fire, molten steel, flowing through every vein. His fingers convulsed, and a snarl bubbled from the depths of his stomach.
Logan: (eyebrows furrowed) "What the—?"
Marcus leapt to his feet. The beast inside him leaped forth. In one moment, he slammed one of the goons into a locker with skull-crushing power. The report was a hammer striking steel. Another came at him, and Marcus hacked frantically, fingers ripping down the man's chest. The kid howled and fell to the floor, a red streak across the ground.
Logan: (wide-eyed) "What the fuck are you?!"
But before he could do anything, Marcus was on him — a whirlwind, a monster made of human flesh. Marcus took a deep bite of Logan's shoulder with razor-sharp, monstrous teeth, a snarl ripping from his chest. The crunch of cartilage was lost in Logan's scream.
Logan: "GET HIM OFF ME!!"
With a savage throw, Marcus hurled Logan to the floor, thrashing wildly at him. The creature deep within the boy was unleashed in a scarlet blur of terror.
Duke and Jiho, both huddled behind an angle, watched in terror. The snapping of bones and cries of pain filled the air. Then, their terror turned into desperation.
Duke: (shaking) "We must call for help!"
Jiho: "Y-yeah!! Let's go!!"
They spun around on their heels and sprinted down the hall, calling out for the one who they knew could help them — Vasco.
Moments Later…
They returned with Euntae Lee (Vasco), the towering protector of the downtrodden and bullied. But what they found left even him shaken.
Logan and three of his goons were lying on the ground, battered within an inch of their lives. There was blood on the walls, deep gash wounds carved across their bodies. Logan was unconscious, a mauled bite wound ripped into his neck and shoulder. The thugs were whimpering, unable to move.
And Marcus?
He wasn't around anywhere.
Vasco: (brow furrowed, shaking voice) "What… what occurred here?"
Duke: (crouching on the ground) "I… I don't know! We went to get help and… when we came back…"
Jiho: (trembling) "Marcus… he… he just vanished…"