-Sonder(Eclipses for Eyes)
The images were vivid as Reese began to dream.
"Come on, Reese!" Reese followed his friend through the woods. Deeper and deeper as they trekked, they finally reached their tree house. A place they've kept in great condition even though they were High School Sophomores. What could Reese do? They were best friends after all.
"Are we ever gonna bring Mandy here?" Reese asked.
But his friend only stared into the distance.
"Hey."
"She's not ready."
They spent a few moments catching up before deciding to go to home.
Little did they know, they'd be more than just walking home.
"Dad..." Reese saw the fire in his friend's dad's eyes as he dumped a body off the cliff they used to look at.
"You didn't see nothing, ya hear!" As they backed away, the crazy eyes set in and the large man was running after them. When they thought they lost him, he's 15 inches ahead.
"Be good boys and come...Come on."
Reese held on to his friends arm. He did not want to die, nor did he want his friend to die. Not now, not today.
From his backpocket, Reese slowly pulled out a can of Mace that Mandy had given him on the event that a bear may attack.
There was a standoff, and Reese could see the deranged man's hands by the Taurus 9mm in his pocket.
An odd place to be stuffing a pistol.
Then Reese broke the ice.
The Mace let loose a burst of burning white liquid that burned through the man's eyes.
"Run!" They obviously did. Reese was scurrying to dial 911.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"Hello, we're being chased by someone with a gun. We saw him dump a body and now he's trying to kill us... The guy was my friend's father. His name is-" A shot cut Reese off. He could hear the woman on the phone gasp in shock.
Reese's friend fell flat to the ground. He was breathing, thank god. But the side of his head was bleeding, heavily.
Reese didn't want to look back and just carried him and ran as fast as he can. The phone was still on his ear.
"Oh god! Oh god!! He just shot my friend! He shot him! I've managed to get us away from him!"
Reese reached old lady Parsen's house and knocked frivolously.
"Hello! Help!" Her grandson, Jason Stackwell didn't ask questions and just let them in and locked the door.
"I'll go get the first aid kit."
"We're in a nearby house. The address is 9023, Ransom Road, Eastbrick Colorado! Please! Help!"
Reese placed a gauze Jason handed him on his friend's bleeding head.
"Dude, no... Please, open your eyes!"
-V-
Reese woke up screaming. It was 6 in the morning.
"What's wrong?!" Mandy came rushing, wearing only a bathrobe.
Reese gasped a few times and wiped the sweat off his face.
"Hey..." Mandy pat his back.
"...Terrence" he uttered.
The memory was so vivid. It would plague Thanos' dreams randomly. But even if it didn't he never forgot. Besides, his friend was the sole reason why he turned to life of revenge.
Terrence Sanders was Reese's first best friend. He had known him long before he met Mandy. That one day in Reese's dreams, they saw Grant Sanders throwing a corpse off a cliff.... and it ended with Terrence's coma. He'd been in that coma for 2 years. His mother, Janine Sanders refused to let him off life support, while the father was no where to be found.
It became Thanos' mission to find him, exact his revenge, and destroy him.
But was that really the start of it? When did he really begin to start getting revenge?
"Reese...." She started and sat by her friend's side. "Maybe we should visit him."
Reese stared at her, with a curious and sad look in his eyes.
He hadn't seen Terrence in a year. He'd promised himself that he'd come back whenever he's done something to get closer to the man that did this to him. And the last time that happened, Reese had only managed to find a CCTV screenshot of him in the middle of the road just beyond Maine.
Nothing after that.
But maybe Mandy did have a point. Can't a visit be for the sake of friends? Can't it be to check up on someone you always think of but never see anymore? Besides, it was a Saturday. What was the harm?
-V-
Reese showered in his bathroom and reminisced of old memories.
Like the day they met Mandy.
"Give me your lunch money, prick! You think you can straddle around this school and act like Hit Girl from Kick-Ass to save people? Please! Get your head out of your ass."
Mandy was defending a small Freshman boy who was being harassed by the local bully, Lester Ricks.
Just as the bully was about to hit Mandy, she pulls out a black, handheld device with probes on its tips. On closer inspection, Reese identified it as a Stun Gun. The same one Reese borrows to this day every now and then when he needs it to incapacitate someone or fight back.
"Stun Guns are legal here. No one can stop me from just outright tasing you with Mr. Raichu." She pokes it on the bully's gut who was contemplating if he should retract his fist. "Tell me. Are you feeling lucky? Or would you like to have a word with Mr. Raichu's friend, Mr. Koffing." She pulls out a can of Mace. Identical to the one she had given to Reese just 2 days before the incident with Terrence's dad.
"You crazy bitch!" A crowd had swarmed to watch. Lester was obviously stupid to think he could react faster and swung his hands. His fist didn't connect as the Stun Gun zaps the bully to the ground. Reese and Terrence saw Lester's big friends approach and they knew they had to intervene.
Mandy saw one come at her. Maybe she DID watch Kick-Ass. Her first reaction was violently stepping on the man's feet and then spraying her Mace at his eyes. He falls and starts rolling to try and get the spray off his eyes. Another approaches and she vehemently swings her hand with the Stun Gun at him. He catches her hand as she activates the weapon. Cackles fly as she struggles against the teenager's strength.
"You know what people call guys who hit girls? Gay." She flashes a devious smile as the bully wound up to do a strike. Mandy is flung aside as the bully falls in pain.
Terrence had swung a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at his back. It was heavy enough to do a good amount of pain.
The last one comes rushing. Terrence winds up his book, as if playing baseball and Mandy held on to her weapons. But none of them attack because the guy had fallen face first. Reese had tripped him over with his foot. Now as the bully stands up, Reese flashes him a photo on his phone. It wasn't big enough so only the bully could see.
"You wouldn't want this to suddenly just start flying around school, would you? I mean, I've got copies. You can punch me if you want, but it's just going to make you and your pathetic little friends lives harder, you know? I'll make it hell as quick as possible. Now, you can back off and I wont post this up on every possible social site and newspaper across the country, or opt a ride to a world of shame and misery." The bullies stand up and start to back off.
"Alright, alright! Break it up!" The Math teacher, Mr. Nelson breaks the scene.
"Ms. Roe and Mr. Ricks, everyone in this fight, come with me."
After a whole talk about how violence is never the answer, The Freshman took a brave turn and told Mr. Nelson how Mandy, Terrence, and Reese were only looking out for him. The bullies made a scary face at him, but one whispered something to another. They turned to Reese, who made an intimidating grin and pulls up his phone.They all look away, scared.
Mandy and Terrence were given a warning for harming her peers on her first few days and a pat on the back for standing up for the weak. The bullies were given 2 weeks of detention.
Reese was ignored throughout the most part,as he wasn't seen tripping over anyone. He was only seen with the phone in front of the fallen guy.
As they leave the room, Mandy stops them.
"Thanks." She says.
"Hey, anyone who can taser Lester Ricks is a friend of mine." Terrence says.
Mandy smiles. "I just can't stand it when people pick on others. I'm new, and I know it's a bad move, but still..."
"Hey, you're welcome to stick with us. That is, if you're fine with the testosterone." Reese interjects. "No one really messes with us." He adds.
"I think I'll take you up on that offer. Better than staying with stuck up little sluts who stab each other in the back while smiling...." She laughs. But returns a strange look at Reese. "Wait a minute. I saw you trip the other guy, but what was that thing with the phone about? They looked ready to shit their pants."
Reese's eyes look up and he gives a smug grin.
"That my friend." Terrence says. "Is Reese's secret weapon. Blackmail."
"The greatest and most dangerous weapon is information, dear Mandy." Reese adds.
Mandy takes it in and nods. "Remind me not to share any of my secrets with you."
"Don't bother. I've got more ways than one to find out your deepest, darkest secrets."
And from that day on, they were fast friends.
~V~
"It's so nice to see you again, Reese. Mandy."
"Mrs. S." Mandy replies.
"How is he?" Reese asks.
Janine Sanders eyes her comatose son and sighs. "Still the same... I've got enough money to keep him alive so I'm not really worried about the costs, but... It's been so long and I don't know how long Terrence will keep fighting..." Her eyes started to water and she was holding her own not to break down.
"Hey, I'm sure that Terrence will hang in there. He's got to!" Mandy reassures.
"I KNOW he'll hang in there." Reese adds. "He's Terrence Sanders."
Janine smiles and stands up. "It's about time for lunch. Would you kids like something?" She picks up her purse.
Mandy stands up as well. "I'll go with you. You don't have to pay for us. Right, Reese?" Reese nods and gives her a 20 dollar bill. "Some nuggets and a coke's fine."
Mandy takes the money, jokingly saying that she'd buy herself something more with it before leaving with Mrs. Sanders.
Reese watches as they shut the door and returns his gaze to his comatose best friend.
"I'll get him, you know." He says. "I haven't been here in a while... Ha... Some Best Friend I am."
Reese falls into a short silence. Before he let tears unconsciously fall off his cheek.
"...O-Oh." He says and wipes it off.
Reese observes the machines keeping his friend alive and stifles a sigh.
"It must be nice... Living inside a dream... Ha, what am I saying. It's been two years... I miss you dude..." Another set of tears fall down, but he wipes it off and takes out a notebook.
"Here's some things you missed while you're still asleep, bastard." He laughs and reads the notebook.
"E.R.strikes again. I hear he...or she been getting on the police's nerves. Ha, screw them. Can't even do their jobs right. I say E.R.'s a hero." He flips through the notebook.
"Cassie White from Terra High saved her little brother from this burger joint kidnap slave labor thing. Paramore released their 6th album yesterday. It was great..." He trails off.
"I wonder if you can hear me right now. It hurts, but I hope you do. It's never the same without you." He stares at his friend's peaceful face and takes out a pair of headphones with a logo saying "Fuck Off" and placed it in his friend's ears. He plays a song from his IPod and watches silently.
"Those names we made when we were younger? I've gotten used to using it recently. I never thought I'd be using hacking as a benefit either, but... Revenge is my drug. Thanos Venge thanks you... Arthur Day." He says. Arthur Day, meaning Strength and Hope, he thought. He had always been the darker one of the two. Thanos Venge, meaning Death Revenge as he put together when they made their alter-names. Reese never thought he'd create a Persona along with it, however. But if it meant doing what he would to find Grant Sanders along the way, he'll do whatever it takes. Whatever. It. Takes.
Mandy enters the room and gives Reese his food
"Here's your nuggets."
"Where's Mrs. Sanders?" He asks, noticing her absence.
"She had to take a business call, said they were calling her to work."
Reese knew that as much. She was a busy person. Then, he got his own business call. Or text, really.
Client: Lisa Vane
Revenge Crediblility: Reliable
Age:17
Click here for personal info.
Target: Carter Anderson
Info on target here
Reason: "That son of a bitch cheated on me. What's worse? She cheated on me with my sister AND my cousin. I want this bastard to pay!"
Personal Favor/Requests: I want a picture of him duct taped, naked, to a pole with a crossdressing hooker.
"Thats my call..." Reese says under his breath.
He finishes the food and pats Terrence on the arm.
"Mandy, I gotta go. Urgent text. I've got your Mr. Raichu so dont worry about me."
She sucks in some air and breathes.
"Well, just be safe. I'll head home later. I'll catch up with Terrence for a while and maybe go shopping. See ya at home."
And he was gone.
Thanos emerges from a bathroom stall, wearing his usual attire. The hoodie, with Mandy's Stun Gun in his pocket. The call to business was a strong pull. And why not? Reese has admitted that much. Revenge is a drug.
"Hey." He says to the target before tasering him in the neck.
That drug is his drive. And if he needs to be a junkie for things to move forward to the truth, then Reese was willing to dive into the dangers of being Thanos Venge.
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