CH4: VAGUE MEMORIES (PART 1)

*GASP*

Dezhong's eyes burst wide open as sprung up from a deep sleep, only to find himself in the middle of the forest, far from Hallow's point. He was shirtless, very cold, and had blood all over his hands, mouth, and feet. He was butt naked, very lost and had dirt covering his elements.

'What the hell? How did I end up here?' He asked himself while trying to recall what exactly happened to him but he had no clue. 'Crap. It's getting late and it's almost midnight. How did I end up here? Where my clothes? Where's…the bag. Where's the BAG!!' The boy looked around where he was lying and luckily found the brown bag. He quickly stuck his hand inside and found only his phone. Once he switched it on, he found over sixty messages from two people, and they weren't very nice for someone who didn't know where he was to read.

"Sh*t. How did I end up here?' He questioned while remembering the heist he and his friends pulled off earlier. 'They must be pissed by now. I have to get going. He said as he made his way back home. The streets of Desper were buzzing with life as people began celebrating the end of another year and anticipated the start of a new one.

There were parades, loud music, food, and all sorts of celebratory things happening. Since the streets were so busy, there was no way Dezhong was going to make it home, without being seen naked. As a solution, the boy managed to creep his way through an open window of a nearby house into a room which thankfully had no one in it.

After making sure that no one was coming in the same room he was, Dezhong chose to smuggle a few clothes he could 'borrow'. He got a black shirt, black trousers, a black jacket, and a black cap, making it perfect for this time of night. He then slowly made his way out through the kitchen but just as he reached for the door handle, a little girl walked in and froze as her eyes kept Dezhong's in a deep gaze.

"Shhh, now now, little girl." He whispered. "I'll be out of your hair soon, alright. Don't scream...don't...."

"AAAAHHHHHH....." The little girl screamed with an weirdly wide smirk on her face. Dezhong quickly panicked and tugged away at the door as the girl's father came with a silver, half-sawn shot gun with a green crystal acting as its power source.

"Damn you teenagers, leave my daughters alone." The little girl's father aimed the gun at Dezhong and took a shot but luckily, Dezhong got the door open and missed getting his head blown off.

Once he got out, he ran as fast as he could while making his way through the crowds. As Dezhong ran and got his heart pacing, his body began to go through some changes. He got a quick flash of the dark creature which clawed at his face not long ago. As soon as the vision played out, he slipped and fell on his back and imagined the beast standing in front of him. His head began to pound once more as he imagined the beast coming and disappearing multiple times.He closed his eyes, shook his head, and forced himself to ignore the thoughts as he carried the bag and headed to his

After a few minutes of running, Dezhong finally arrived at his house, or rather, apartment. He lived a few miles away from Hallow's point and his house was at the top floor of the apartment building. As soon as he got home, he dialed the numbers of two specific people, but neither of them answered.

'Come on, come on. Why aren't they answering?' He asked himself.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

A loud knock came from the downstairs door, startling him a little. He rushed to see who it was and was welcomed by two familiar faces. "Luke, Blake. I've been calling you guys. Why didn't you pick up?" He asked as he let them in.

Luke and Blake were the first friends Dezhong ever made in this town. Luke was slightly shorter than Dezhong in terms of height but bulkier than Dezhong was. He had fair white skin, jet black hair, hazel brown eyes, and a cheeky yet serious face.

Blake, on the other hand, was taller than all the boys. He had golden blond hair, a tall, well-built frame, a chiselled face, and green, emerald eyes. Luke stood at Dezhong's back while Blake stood at his front. He then looked into his eyes and said with a chilling smile, "Where were you, Dezhong?"

"Yeah, bro." Luke barked. "We've been worried sick for you. We thought the cops got to you before we did. Where's the…the bag. Where's the BAG?" Luke put his arms around the neck hole of Dezhong's black shirt while racking him back and forth violently.

"Easy, Luke," Blake whispered as he returned his gaze back to Dezhong. "The bag you had was a decoy. I had the real one."

"WHAT!!" Luke and Dezhong replied in shock. 'Dude, why didn't you tell me, I nearly got, killed because of it." Dezhong replied.

"Easy you two," Blake replied. "I have reasons as to why I did that. But first.."

Blake and Luke began ceiling the place off while Dezhong set the dining table for the three of them. Blake took out a small, circular disc and placed it in the centre of the table. A blue holographic screen popped up, showing the architectural structure of a large building, a sporting arena to be precise.

"This is where we'll make our next hit."

"The MUTANT FIGHT RING!!" Both Luke and Dezhong spoke in unison.

"Do you expect us to hit this alone?" Dezhong asked.

"No," Blake smiled. "We'll have to gather a team of trustworthy comrades to help us. It's obvious we lack the man power to pull this off. We'll need to gather a team of at least three more people. We'll need another muscle head so we should get someone with a prosthetic arm."

"But wait, isn't this arena owned by the Gorillas?" Luke questioned. "I know it's a wild stretch but even I'm not stupid to cross with the Gorillas."

"I've got a plan for that as well." Blake replied. "See, by the end of January, the MBR, Mutant Battle Royale, will take place as scheduled. I heard from a source of mine that the winning prize is an unlimited pass to Neveah and a cash prize of six million credits.'

"SIX MILLION WHA…." Luke yelled out of excitement, causing Blake and Dezhong to quickly cover his mouth.

"Shut up, someone could be hearing us." Blake hissed. "Anyway, the three of us will need to be members of the Gorillas so that we'll have a better idea on how to get a hold of this thing. In the meantime, you two get some rest or head out for the celebrations. I'll be back in a few hours."

With that said, Blake left while Luke remained behind to discuss a few things with Dezhong

"Can't believe that sly fox had the bag and didn't tell me." Luke fused but laughed at the end. "What happened to you, D? How'd you get rid of the cops chasing you?"

Dezhong's memory played out everything that happened, from the police to the thugs, to the dark figure that nearly killed him. For a short moment, he began to drift into his thoughts and stare into nothing.

"Come on bro, snap out of it." Luke smirked while punching Dezhong's shoulder's playfully. "But seriously, how did you get rid of the cops?"

"I...I went through Hallow's point." He replied as images of the beast flashed in his mind.

"Dezhong, are you looking for a death wish?" Luke questioned while starring Dezhong dead in his eyes. "That place if filled with…"

"I know, I know," Dezhong interrupted. "I luckily escaped them, alright so…there's nothing to worry about. Let's just take a walk. We'll meet up with Blake along the way."