Target Practice - Part VII (Patreon)

Mystery voice - "who's down there? You'd better start talking NOW!"

The last word was a shout, threatening, hard, almost violent.

Vincent recognized the voice, he had only met the boy once and heard him speak, but once had been enough, he looked to Max and went over to him, suddenly not caring that he'd just stepped in Neds vomit

Vincent - "Look, let's just get out of here.

Max looked at him in disbelief.

Max - "Why? it's just one guy, we can take care of him."

Vincent was looking visibly shaken at this time, a look Max had never seen from him.

Vincent "Trust me, this is one guy we don't want to mess with, let's go, before he sees us."

Max was still unsure, but Vincent slapped the ball from his hand, and just grabbed him, then started running in the opposite direction of the voice, taking Max with him.

Max too stunned to believe his fun was just stopped, followed and almost yelled at Vincent

Max - "What the fuck?"

The voice then spoke again.

Mystery voice - "If I find any problems down here, you're soon going to have problems yourself!

Again the voice, calm, collected, but with an obvious amount of threat to it.

Ned suddenly found his voice again and screamed.

Ned - "HELLO! HELP! HELP ME PLEASE!"

The voice had started turning into a shape now, not running, but steadily walking towards Ned's pleas, walking with a purpose.

Ned - "Thank you"

The figure came even closer.

Mystery boy - "There's nothing to thank me for yet,"

He said this in a calm soothing tone.

As he came into Ned's vision, Ned saw him for the first time, the first thing Ned noticed was his hair, it wasn't grey, it wasn't blue, it was a mixture of the two, which made the boy look young and old at the same time.

The voice came closer still and examined the situation, Ned tied up, his vomit on the floor, his sport's top ripped open and Ned could now see his emerald green eyes and a disgusted, disappointed look, Ned suddenly got scared again.

The boy suddenly took out a penknife and Ned panicked.

Ned - "NOOOO, please, don't hurt me!"

The boy smiled a genuine smile, as he used his knife to cut the zip tie holding Neds arms in place.

Mystery boy - "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.

Ned fell to the floor landing in his own vomit, but the boy lifted him up, almost effortlessly with one hand.

Mystery boy - "Who did this?"

He asked this in that calm, smooth voice.

Ned just looked at him.

Ned - "I just want to go home, I don't want any trouble,"

He feared Vincent and Max's retribution if he ratted them out

The boy moved Ned away from the vomit and then extended his hand to him

Zen - "my name is Zen, you're Ned aren't you?"

Ned looked at him warily but took the offered hand to shake it. 

Ned - "Yes, but how do you know that?"

Zen just shrugged.

Zen - "I know a lot of things."

He looked at the balls scattering the field and where Ned had been tied up, 

Zen - "Vincent? Max? Both?"

He asked in that soothing tone, there was no menace in his voice, but you could tell he was angry just by staring into his emerald eyes.

Ned - "How did you know?"

Ned was still afraid, but slowly gaining some form of composure, as much as you can, when you have your own vomit on you and are wearing a ripped shirt.

Zen "As I said, I know a lot of things."

Zen then took his bag off his shoulder, opened it and pulled out a new college sports shirt, and handed it to Ned.

Zen - "I think you might need this."

Ned wasn't sure what it was about Zen, he felt threatened and safe at the same time, but he took the shirt and using what was left of the old one to clean himself up, as best as he could, he put the new shirt on, he looked at Zen, who stood there almost expressionless.

Ned - "I'm glad you got here in time, I don't know what they would have done if you hadn't, thank you."

This time Zen actually smiled and somehow eased the tension that was inside Ned.

Zen - "Come back with me to the college, we can get you cleaned up properly. There's also someone I want you to meet properly, I know you must be a bit scared, but I promise, while I'm with you no one will touch you."

He said just as if it was a matter of fact.

Ned eyed him with a touch of fear, suspicion, and trust at the same time, his emotions were all so mixed up he didn't know exactly how he felt.

Ned - "Who do you want me to meet?"

Zen just looked at him and said calmly

Zen "Just someone who wants to help things like this stop happening at the college, I think you two will get across just fine"

Zen smiled again.

Zen - "I did just save you, I didn't have to, can you trust me, just this once? And if you feel unsure after you meet him and want to leave, no one will hurt you, no one will stop you, I just need you to trust me this once, ok?"

Ned felt like he owed Zen a debt, but at the same time felt like he wasn't being given a lot of choices either, this boy's demeanor and presence scared him and calmed him at the same time.

Ned - "Ok, I'll come and meet this person, but i can leave at any time? Promise?"

Zen - "Trust me, when you hear what he has to say, i don't think you'll want to leave."

Ned "OK."

Ned was still weak from his ordeal

Ned - "I do need to get cleaned up anyhow."

With that Zen put his arm around Ned's shoulder, which flinched at first remembering Vincent, but relaxed a little, then together they calmly walked back towards the College, Zen helping Ned when he felt too weak to walk.

Scene ends with both boys walking back to college.