17 "Master"

It didn't take long for Excelerate to mop up the mess. He hunted down and killed about half of the spawnlings in less than a minute, crushing them completely with kicks faster than the human eye could follow. The rest fled back into the forest, and he didn't pursue.

Kiren kept an eye on Lace. She had slipped out of consciousness and her lips were going blue.

'She should have run,' he thought.

He stroked a bit of hair out of her face. She was still smiling. In this light, despite the deathly pallor that had come over her face, she looked pretty.

'No. I won't let you go. You can't do something like that and then die.'

He leaned in and pulled down her chin, opening her mouth. Her cold lips met with his, and he blew air into her lungs.

It did nothing.

He tried again.

Nothing.

He gritted his teeth, clutching his bleeding left hand. The faulty flesh squelched and his arm trembled with pain.

He tried again.

"Come on."

There was a sudden, sharp tug at his scalp. He was lifted up by his hair, and he cried out at the wrenching pain.

"Give her some space," Excelerate said. "You're not helping anyone."

Kiren struggled, but he hardly had any control of his limbs. Excelerate put him down to the side and kept two fingers on his chest to keep him from running back to her.

Lace's eyes came open and she sucked in a shallow breath. She looked around blearily, but her eyes didn't focus on anything.

"She needs proper care," Excelerate said. He shoved Kiren to the side, bent down and picked her up. "I'll take her back to the Lodge. You stay here. I'll be back for you."

"You were there," Kiren said. "I don't know how long, but you saw what happened. You would have let us die."

Excelerate shrugged. "Yes."

He became a dull streak, throwing up leaves. He crossed the gorge, and after only a second or two he was gone.

Kiren collapsed, unable to control his shaking limbs.

'Fuck you, Excelerate.'

*****

Kiren was in a house filled with laughter and light and the earthy smell of honest work. He was about to sleep, on his very own mattress, beneath a roof that was solid and safe.

Mother leaned down and kissed his forehead. Her face was pale and framed by black locks. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He giggled when her hair tickled his neck and wriggled deeper beneath his blanket.

Father stood near the doorway. His face was a grey blur, and his body was continuously morphing, one second short and stocky and the next tall and lanky.

"Sleep now, my little Bean," Mother said. "Tomorrow, we will bake bread, and you will bring a basketful to Grandmother. If you're good, I might buy you something nice from the tinker."

'The tinker! He always had so many things up his sleeve, each trinket more fabulous than the next.'

Father's body ballooned. Growing, shrinking, then growing even larger. He took up all of the doorframe, bloated with squirming muscle.

Mother turned to leave the room and took the candle with her.

Father took ahold of her with one hand and lifted her up by her throat. She tried to scream, but only a hoarse whisper came out. He squeezed and squeezed until she croaked like a frog, squeezed some more until there was a crack and she went still.

There was a red daze around him, lightning arcing off his body. It oscillated and grew in intensity. The red energy set fire to the walls, bright flames crawling up the walls.

Kiren wanted to pull himself under the blanket, but his body was frozen. No part of him would move, not even a finger.

"I'm home, son," Father said.

He laughed as Kiren's home burned.

*****

Kiren jolted awake. He looked around a familiar, bright room and his movements were restricted by bandages. His mouth was bone dry, his joints protested with the slightest movement, and his muscles quivered at the slightest strain.

A little girl's face appeared right in front of him, pale and with black curls framing her cheeks. She wore a huge smile, showing needle-sharp teeth. Her eyes were a deep red.

Kiren started.

"He's awake!" the girl said.

Mina, the doctor's assistant. She skipped over to the open door and peeked into the hall. "Doctor! The ugly one's awake!"

"Who're you calling ugly?" Kiren growled.

He looked to his left. The bed next to him was empty.

"Where's Lace?" he asked.

The girl didn't answer.

Good Doctor walked into the room, her hands hidden beneath the folds of her roomy coat. She handed Mina a small vial of blood, and the girl ran off with a stifled giggle.

"Where is Lace?" Kiren asked, more insistently this time.

"Slow down, there," Good Doctor said. "Gotten a bit attached, have you?" She walked over to the side of the bed, a hand on the rail.

Kiren reached up and grabbed the woman's collar, ignoring the pain. "Tell me. Right now."

A series of muscle spasms went through his arm. It went numb in seconds, and his grip twitched open. He fell back onto the bed with a low groan.

"There you go," Good Doctor said, taking a thin needle out of his forearm and discarding it onto a table. "No fussing, now. You're still recovering from your injuries."

"Where…?"

Kiren looked up. Lace stood in the doorway. She clutched the frame tightly, as if afraid she might fall, but the color had returned to her face. She was smiling.

"Seems like I always recover faster than you," she said, walking up to his bed. "Are you sure you're the one with the regeneration?"

"Fuck off," Kiren said, fighting down a chuckle.

His body relaxed, muscles unwinding.

"Your injuries were… extensive," Good Doctor said. "And frankly, a little disturbing. We were forced to operate on the mutated growths one by one, giving your Power the time it needed to properly heal the damage done to your body. For now, all you need is rest."

"Great," Kiren said. "When can I start walking around?"

"A few days, if I were in charge," Good Doctor said dryly. "That would teach you a lesson, if nothing else. Unfortunately, Jorge has insisted on having you up and ready as soon as possible."

Kiren frowned. "Jorge?"

Lace looked just as confused.

"Excelerate, as he may well want to be known."

Kiren snorted out a chuckle and grimaced at the pricking needles across his chest. "He didn't strike me as a Jorge."

Lace's eyes widened and her face lit up.

She was no doubt overjoyed at knowing the true name of a Hero.

'Such a busybody.'

The doctor's face darkened, all motherly mirth disappearing. "What he subjected you to is far outside acceptable training regimen. We have asked him numerous times to cease this type of treatment of his apprentices. I'm afraid it's gone too far this time, as you must well know. If you would like to file a complaint, the Guild can make sure his actions are punished through expulsion, A Rank or not. Your testimony is all that would be needed to convince Bloodhound of his ill intent."

Kiren grinned at that.

'Fucking deserves it, the prick. He would have left us there to die if it hadn't struck him as convenient.'

His smile faded a little when he realized that Excelerate was also their only meal ticket. Without him, they had no entryway into the Guild.

He traded a look with Lace. She seemed just as conflicted.

Kiren shrugged.

"There's no need for a complaint," Lace said. "What happened at Winewater Village was an accident. We misstepped, and Jo— ahem, Excelerate did his best to pull us out of the situation. If not for him, we would both be dead."

Good Doctor regarded Lace for several long, silent seconds, eyebrow cocked.

"Whatever you think you're gaining by apprenticing for him, you're not getting it. Jorge is the best of the best when it comes to hunting Villains, but that's all he's good at. You'll end up dead, just like the other apprentices he's paraded around like toy soldiers over the years. Now, as someone who has invested significant time and effort into keeping you alive, that seems like a poor outcome."

"We appreciate the concern," Kiren said. "But it's none of your business."

She harrumphed. "Very well, then. Acting like that, let's see if I feel so kind as to devote my time to you the next time you end up in this bed."

She spun on her heel, coat billowing around her, and put a hand on Lace's shoulder. "Make sure he doesn't hurt himself. I know he won't say in bed, but no running, and certainly no fighting, until he's fully healed. That could take hours or days, I'm not familiar enough with his Power to say, but keep him out of trouble until then."

With that, she left the room.

Kiren breathed a deep sigh.

"We made it," Lace said as soon as they were alone. "Excelerate said he'd take us on. We're apprentices, now. Truly."

"How come I feel like that might be more of a curse than a blessing?" Kiren asked.

"We'll have to keep ourselves safe. We can't rely on Excelerate to keep us away from harm or show us the ropes. What happened back there made that clear enough." She shrugged and her smile returned. "That being said, it's still an amazing opportunity, isn't it? We'll learn from the best. We'll get access to all the equipment in the Lodge. Once we're inducted, we'll get to live and eat here for free. And one day…"

"If we don't die," Kiren added.

"And one day, if we don't die, we'll be Heroes all our own." Lace's smile widened. "That sounds like a future worth enduring some Beasts."

Kiren felt a tug at his lips. "Maybe."

"So let's put up with Excelerate for now, see what he has in store for us."

"Well," Kiren said with a sigh. "I've learned three things from this. Firstly, never trust a Hero. Secondly, there's always more Beasts. Thirdly, they never fucking die."

"Don't jinx it," Lace said. "We really don't need any more of that in our lives."

Footsteps sounded down the hall. Excelerate entered the room and shut the door behind him. He looked at Kiren and nodded slightly.

"Good. You're awake. We've been waiting for you."

"Hello, Jorge," Kiren said.

Excelerate's face went sour, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"That's Master to you."

"Whatever you say, Master Jorge."

I might not be able to get him kicked out of the Guild, but that doesn't mean I can't mess with him a little.

Excelerate sighed. "Play your childish games, if you must. Can you walk?"

Kiren shrugged. "I dunno. Let's see."

He worked his legs over the side of the bed, threw the covers aside, and put his feet on the floor. There was some pain, and his skin felt tight at certain spots on his legs and torso, but he could endure it. Lace helped him stand. Once he was up he could keep his balance on his own.

"Good," Excelerate said. "Be ready outside in a quarter hour. We have work to do."

"So soon?" Lace asked. "Respectfully, Master, Kiren is still recovering. Good Doctor said he's to rest and keep away from strenuous activity until he's fully recovered."

"Nothing like that," Excelerate said. "You'll be seeing the fruits of your labor. We're going back to Winewater Village for a little visit."