Chapter 5: Beast

Fred couldn't wait to get to Edo, he had to pour out his heart to her, he had to let her know how he really felt.

Halfway through the journey, it was half past seven and Fred was regretting his action of asking them to go by road when the colonel had advised going by air. He wanted to spend more time with her on the road and now it wasn't going the way he had planned, now they had to lodge in a hotel for the night.

Julia had asked them to wait a little longer at the wedding as she was clearly having a good time with his mother…he didn't want to do anything to make her feel displeased, so he had to comply…besides, he liked the look of enjoyment on her face…and now they had to suffer for it. He had to be tough on her next time; he was the man, wasn't he? He needed to learn how to be her man and that included learning to say 'NO' sometimes.

They checked into a roadside hotel, clearly after three to four had been rejected by Julia…he really needed to learn to say 'no'…he needed that lesson urgently.

They had been informed of only a room remaining and Fred looked to Julia for confirmation "the receptionist said just a room left" he told her while trying his best not to look her directly in the face…she just shrugged and didn't even reply to him, turning to the receptionist with an expressionless face "we're taking it" picking the key off the table "pay and let's go" she said without even turning to look at Fred.

Like an obedient kid, Fred made the transfer, requested for dinner and followed in the direction Julia had left in.

Julia couldn't understand how a guy would be so dumb and insensitive, even with all the months of being together like this, it had been over eight months already and he still had to look at her for confirmation if they should take a room together, if that wasn't insensitive then what could it be called?. 'He's so stupid' she mouthed.

She watched him walk out of the bathroom with a white towel tied around his waist and a bare chest, her anger couldn't help but ease a bit…now replaced with a tinge of red on her face 'how could someone be this perfect' Fred's whistle woke her from her wandering thought…it was her turn to use the bathroom.

She went through a rushed bath and when she emerged again, he was already clothed in a jean short and tight fitting white underwear, dinner had also been brought over by room service.

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Tick-tock…tick-tock, the hands of the clock inched closer to twelve at night and Fred was on the internet while Julia was deep asleep with earphones plugged in her ears.

Fred was surprisingly searching "how do I know she loves me?" Fred felt so stupid, he had made up his mind at the wedding to ask her out and here was…now asking a phone if she loved him…everything was different with her, his emotions were wandering and he was torn in a dilemma…what if she finds out who he really was? She was eventually going to find out.

He might have to quit 'The Disciples' for her.

A little creak in the corridor and his inner beast growled' it seemed to have been dormant for months but now…now, it awakened.

Listening with rapt attention, Fred stood up from his position and tried to reach for Julia, just a few steps away…a bright light shone in his eyes through the window and he got blinded momentarily… 'crash' the door was broken through…Fred did a quick roll on the ground to avoid whatever might be coming for him and also have time to regain his sight in the dark.

Julia had said she couldn't sleep with the lights on…so they had switched off the lights as Julia went to bed.

Picking up his towel from where it had fallen, he rolled it fast and swung it towards the rapidly approaching footstep…feeling the towel wrap around something he pulled hard…'crash' he could see a figure fall hard to the ground.

He could completely see now.

Raising his clenched fist to pummel the fallen man "harrhhhh" he heard a scream…it belonged to Julia. Without bothering about the fallen man, he rushed towards the switch and switching the lights on, he could see an hefty man walking towards Julia…electricity rushed through him…the adrenaline came from somewhere deep within and he immediately rushed at the man, jumping on a table and immediately lunging at the man like a panther he gripped him by the neck and they both rolled on the ground. He could hear more footsteps now and he knew he had to do something…fast! His training started to rush back at him and his inner beast roared ferociously, he roared along and it was a guttural bloodthirsty one. Fred gave a fierce punch to the hefty man's head but it was dodged with a swift jerk of his head…the man obviously was trained too…

With a rapid move of his right leg, the man delivered a fierce kick to Fred's chest sending him back against the wall.

Fred gave a snarl and rushed back at the man again but at the last minute…made a detour and using the side of his palm as a blade, he delivered a chop to a thin, bald headed man's neck and immediately followed it up with a quick fierce punch to the face, which left the man sprawling on the ground.

A light reflecting object was making a trajectory for Fred…bending at an odd angle, the object was narrowly dodged.

It was a knife.

Pulling the knife out of the board it was stuck in, Fred made a cut at the nearest person, the knife sniped at a man's neck, making a long narrow cut and blood spouted out like a fountain…the dying made a gargling sound and tried desperately to stop the blood from flowing…life was seeping out of him fast…Julia screamed.

Fred was now a beast, a monster with no emotions, all he wanted was blood and his enemies kept giving it to him.

Julia was shocked by what she was seeing, was this the same Fred? He was being so fierce …eyes red and face painted with blood but none of it his, vein bulging on his exposed arms while screaming a challenge…'did he just kill a man?'

"ahhaha" Julia screamed as a knife was stuck in a man's rib, Fred had thrown the knife as another man had climbed in through the window to grab at her…'whizz' in a flash, Fred was before her, shielding her with his broad back as he gave a kick that sent the man back through where he came…not forgetting to take back his knife as the dying man fell through. Julia cried and held him tight.

Fred remembered his sister, she used to do the same thing…only that then, they weren't facing death.

'Swish' a bullet flew by, hitting Fred on the left shoulder… 'Swish' another one came through but this time missed its mark and flashed by Fred's head before hitting the wall, shattering the painting on it.

It was a heavy bullet.

Kneeling on the floor, Fred bled and spat blood…tears fell from his face, he didn't want to leave Julia…not like this

'No!' he screamed in his heart…

The hefty man from before moved towards Julia "bastard" he said and spat in Fred's direction, as the man stretched his hand towards Julia with a wicked grin on his face…he suddenly heard a shout from right beside him---before he could take back his hand to defend himself..he was struck by an object at the lower parts of his body, between his legs…"ahhahahah" he screamed savagely as he grabbed hold of his private part and rolled on the ground in pain and…sudden silence

He had passed out.

Fred spat at the man while saying weakly "bastard"…an injured lion was still no mate of a dog

'You dare not disrespect a disciple' he thought before an object hit him hard from behind.

He heard Julia scream and everything went dark.