Thanos Venge - Exordium

"If you're a ghost, whispering
 Then I'm waiting, listening"
- Left of You (Eclipses for Eyes)

Reese Morrison never had a problem coming over to his best friend, Terrence Sanders' house even if it was a little far from the rest of society.
"Who would pass up on a chance to live in a beautiful house overlooking the cliff?" Terrence had once asked him.
"Sane, sensible people who don't want to fall to their deaths when an earthquake hits." He sarcastically replied to his Best Friend.
"Dad paid good deposit to make sure that doesn't happen."
But there was something very wrong when they arrived this time.
For the first time in their lives, Reese and Terrence had overheard Terrence's father, Colin, angry. With some lady in their house no less.
But they weren't alone. Inside, Reese could spot at least 2 other men wearing business suits and shades like some sort of secret service.
They couldn't hear much of the conversation from the porch, but it sounded like a business thing that Reese and Terrence shouldn't be messing with.
"You're going to jeopardize us all!" Colin shouted.
The woman, whose hair was dyed a deep blue, crossed her arms.
"You have no idea what you all are playing at here. We're crossing too many lines!"
"And you grow a conscience now?" One of the men replies.
"I needed the money. I didn't expect this revolution!" She stomped her foot down. "Why on earth would you want something this radical?! I can't be a part of this!"
Reese already knew this wasn't good. That they should leave and probably call the police. But he and Terrence were rooted to the spot.
"We should..." Terrence started. The sea crashed down from below and the sounds of waves echoed across the area. But it couldn't muffle out the obvious sound of a gunshot.
Reese fell over. He kept his mouth from screaming by covering his mouth with his hands. But he couldn't say the same for Terrence, who had gasped at the horror of watching his father murder someone right before his very eyes.
The woman, who had stubbornly stood her ground was now lying lifeless on the ground with a gaping hole on her forehead. Blood seeped out from her wound, mouth, and nose.
"Dad..."
They all heard it. The two men and his father looked over.
His father gave a similarly horrified look. A look of guilt and pain over what his son had just witnessed.
The two men whispered something to him and his eyes widened in even more despair.
"What?! But..."
"We need to make sacrifices." One of the men suddenly said. "Your heart belongs with us, I know. Just as Rain's heart was when he had to do it. We need no compromises."
Terrence stepped back, his quick mind already processing what this sacrifice could mean.
"Or you can follow Janine's sacrifice." Colin turned to the woman's body, staring at the shocked expression that was left on her face.
He closed his eyes and sighed.
Reese didn't need to look to know what was going to happen next.
He grabbed his friend and made a beeline to his car.
There was shouting from behind them and three footsteps as well.
Terrence didn't have time to put on his seatbelt as Reese revved the car and gunned it.
"We have to go to the police. We need to-" Terrence, who was looking behind them as they went, suddenly turned the wheel. He swerved just as he heard the gunfire across the path behind them. Glass shattered from behind and Reese screamed, speeding his Honda Civic to get the hell away from their.
They made it out to the main road and Reese quickly followed the road towards the police station.
He looked back to see if they were following behind. Terrence's father was a dot on the path to the house, but he didnt follow anymore. "I don't think they're following us. What did you turn the wheel for?!"
Reese slowed down a bit and turned to his friend. "Whatever. We're almost to the police and--"
Terrence had slumped over. Blood seeping out from the side of his head. A bullet had hit him to the left side of his brain.
Reese choked back a scream and quickly sped to the hospital, which was thankfully a corner away.
He was waiting at the emergency room, blood soaked his shirt and pants. His eyes were wide, his hands were shaking and he could only keep staring down.
30 minutes later, the cops arrived to ask for his statement, with his father his other best friend, Mandy Roe, and Cynthia, Terrence's mother arriving minutes later.
He powered through the questions, trying to pull it together enough to provide the police what they need.
After they were done, his Father and friend tried to comfort him but he could not utter a word and only let tears flow down his cheeks.
He refused to leave, wanting to know how his friend is.
About an hour later, a surgeon returns to them and talks to Cynthia.
The next 5 foreboding minutes drove Reese crazy. He was waiting, hoping that Terrence's mother does not break down crying to signal his friend's death.
But she did not. She had her hand to her mouth and exhaled. But as the doctor continued, Cynthia's expression darkened.
"What did he say? Is Terrence going to be okay?" Reese's father asked.
She nodded her head. "Terrence was shot at the far left side of his head. He narrowly missed a fatal blow. They were able to remove the bullet successfully."
Her eyes suddenly got glossy and she had to sit down to breathe.
"But he's in a coma and they don't know when and if he'll ever wake up."
When they were finally allowed to see him, Reese could only look at his friend, once vibrant and energetic, now a vegetable and quiet.
If he hadn't swerved the wheel, it would have been him in this state. Or worse, dead.

-X-

Reese woke with a start, his body drenching in sweat and his heart racing.
Another dream about that day. He pressed his face against the pillow he clutched to his chest and exhaled.
It's been a month since the incident and almost everyday he's reminded of it because his dreams wouldn't let him forget.
"Reese!" His father called. "Breakfast! You don't want to keep Mandy waiting!"
That was right. Today was the day he and Mandy would move to Eastbrick Academy dorms. With their parents going abroad and none of their siblings around, they had to move to a boarding school. 
They all planned to do this for over a year and now that it was happening without Terrence, it felt empty. Sad.
"Are you sure you still want to push through with this?" Vas Morrison took a sip of his coffee. "You know, I'm sure your brother or sister would be more than happy to come home and look after you while I'm gone. Mandy can stay over too while her mother is away. You don't have to leave your old school."
The concern was touching, but Reese had made up his mind.
"It's not like we can pull out now that the mid school year is about to start back up." It was a lie. He could very well cancel it if he wanted to and just stay here.
He looked up at the clock. They had time before he needed to bring his dad and Mandy's mom to the airport. "And beside, I'd rather not drag Molly or Trent back home from their busy lives. I'm sure I can handle living in a fancy boarding school for a while. And it's not like it's gonna cost you much."
Vas sometimes wondered what his wife would have said if she were alive. He knew that there was something more to what Reese wanted, but it's not like he could force him to stay if he didn't want to.
"I'll be fine, Dad." Reese smiled. He hoped this one wasn't a lie. Considering his nightmares, he's already considered seeing a therapist. But he didn't want to worry his father. His concern touched him, but if Vas knew he wasn't okay, he'd drop everything for him. He'd rather just see his school councillor once he gets there.
"I'll go load our things into the car."

-X-
Vas was always casual with Reese and didn't express his emotions without being extra. He gave him his allowance, hugged him goodbye, and told him to stay safe and contact him if anything happens.
Larissa Roe was far more exaggerated when she was parting with Mandy, barely pulling away when Vas told her they had to go.
But it really was the sort of distraction they needed as they drove to Eastbrick Academy.
They spent about the first 20 minutes discussing their parents reactions and what they would do when they reach Eastbrick.
"I just wish Terrence was here." It wasn't until his name was brought up that their moods dipped and silence enveloped the car. Just the sound of Reese's spotify blasting The Ballad of Mona Lisa echoed in his car.
Mandy tried hard to just browse social media but she just couldn't bear it.
"We need to talk about it at some point, Reese." She was right. They did need to talk about it. "And how we're still going even though we definitely could have opted to not go."
Reese clenched the steering wheel. He wished he could shut his eyes for a sec but he would probably hit something if he did.
He didn't know what to say. Was he going to shout at her? Was he gonna break down and cry? Was he going to make a joke? Was he going to reminisce?
Terrence wasn't dead. Terrence's father wasn't in jail yet. Terrence still hasn't woken up from his coma. Terrence could die if they pull life support. Terrence could have avoided all of this if he didn't suddenly swerve the steering wheel.
"Terrence should have been the one here." Mandy noticed Reese tremble. "I should have been the one who got shot."
Mandy didn't even have time to tell him to pull over. Reese had the sense to stop at a convenience store parking lot.
He felt his breathing get heavier and his eyes water. His whole body was shaking.
"I should be dead."
"You two were at the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't your fault."
It wasn't like she was wrong. Reese realized that. He was smart enough to see that logic. So why did he feel such intense survivor's guilt?
"Why do you want to go to Eastbrick?"At the back of Mandy's mind, she already figured why he wanted to stay at Eastbrick Academy. She's known him for years. She knew what kind of person he was. He was kind, maybe a little snarky, but full of heart.
"Terrence's dad used to work there." And this confirmation was enough for Mandy to affirm her theory. That he'll look into Mister Sanders. Try to find him, maybe. And then...
"What will you do when you find the leads you're looking for?" She asked, again already sure of his answer.
Reese stopped shaking. His exhausted expression faded, a fierce anger replacing it.
"Revenge."

-Author's Notes-
Good day Everyone! This chapter, while originally meant to be Chapter 2 has been rebranded as Episode 0 because there's just way too much to move it forward with the actual plot I planned for Reese's beginnings as Thanos Venge.
This chapter is meant to serve as a remake of the third chapter of the original run of Thanos Venge: Wind Up. I wanted to make this much more impactful to Reese's being than simple anger.
I hope you enjoy!

You can read the original version right here