Arc 2 - Chapter 8: 100% Oxygen

Boris’s face puffed a purplish glow. His vision going blurry, the meatless arm stalled the air from entering his throat. Feeling like a hot knife was stabbing his chest, again and again, he raised his right hand towards it. Gritting his teeth, the tips of his fingers tried to garnish the pale skin of the lich.

Jerry and Loraine glanced down at Boris’ suffocating state, as they saw him try to tap the lich’s arm. His finger on the side, the barrel of Jerry’s gun aimed down to the lich’s bare feet, as it shook violently. Meanwhile, Loraine looked down, as she heard Boris’s attempts to breathe.

“Let him go…”

Her voice full or rigidness, her throat contracted the more she balled her fists. Noticing her animosity, he placed his other hand onto his right cheek, as he laid his cheekbone against his knuckles.

“I suppose you’re close to him?”

Spreading her feet apart, she took a step forward with her right foot. In a lunging stance, she pulled out a swiss army knife from her pocket, with the butt of her palm firmly grasping it.

Lowering her arm, a low hum rumbled her nostrils.

“Let him go!”

“Then make me.”

The lich untightened his hold on Boris, allowing the chubby man to finally breathe. His face still purple, he inhaled as much oxygen as he could.

Pushing himself away from the lich, Loraine lunged toward him, and pulled her arm back with her knife in tow. Her eyes feasted on his right tarred eye, the air surrounding her rippled the leather of her jacket.

“Now this is more like it!”

Because Boris pushed himself away, Pedro opened himself for her, with his hands, arms, feet, and legs spread out. Straightening his back, followed by his body, his head arched back as he heard the rippling of her clothing.

Inches from him, Loraine thrusted her right hand, pushing it forward as her skin rubbered the air. But as soon as—

It went through Pedro’s head … like air.

“W-What?”

With her forearm and elbow engulfed by his head, no blood spilled, nor did she feel a lack of solid state.

“Even if you hit me with your strongest attack, it wouldn’t do much to begin with.”

He then clutched her left wrist, his bony fingers digging deep into the bone and tissue of her skin. Grinding her teeth, she tried to claw herself out, but he didn’t bulge, even if tar began showcasing its hideous state from his knuckles.

“I think you should be disciplined, don’t you think?”

Pulling her close, her footing loosened, allowing herself to be dangled in the air. Just as he did this, he began to twirl the air around him, by spinning frantically like a runaway ballerina.

Steadying the tips of his toes, her entire body laid flat in the air as she spun. Blood rushing toward her head, she clenched her teeth, and with a small smug smirk, he widened his eyes.

“And up and away you go!”

Before he could throw her … he was tackled. Hitting the rich wooden floor below, he hit it hard, as an elf wrapped his arms around him in a chokehold.

But it meant the lich let go of, sending her soaring through the air.

“Aaah!”

Flying towards a random corner, she was about to collide against the wooden wall, until her back felt something soft. Like a huge pillow, it toppled over, leaving her to lay flat on the object—no … person.

Opening her eyes sluggishly, the said person below let out a groan.

“Boris!”

Cold sweat drenching his cheeks, he continued to lie on the floor, as Loraine got up from him. Breathing heavily, he tried to reclaim any air within his lungs, while she pressed her hand onto his stomach. Instead of a goofy smile, she had a warm one, filled with empathy.

“Dammit Jerry!”

‘I didn’t want to do this.’

Expanding his arm muscles, his right arm gleamed with strength as choked the lich.

‘Go to sleep.’

Tar dripped from the corners of his mouth, as he tapped Jerry’s right arm. Hearing gurgling, his eyes watered, and his scleras punctured a hideous red.

‘Go to sleep. Go to sleep.’

The lich’s eyes rolled into the back of his skull, leaving his body to violently twitch. With his arm, he felt a large bubble of tar building up from the lich’s throat, leading Jerry to flow a single tear from one of his eyes.

‘Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep—’

He pulled his arm back to himself.

Like he was wrestling something imaginary, his arm was stationed on his chest… Yet the lich was right in front of him.

A heap of cold sweat devoured his body, leaving his face to pale. His body began to shiver, his legs twitched once he tried to kick the lich with the tips of his boots; but he couldn’t.

‘W-W-What’s going on!? Why aren’t I touching him!? He’s right there!?’

Released by his own doing, the lich curled himself up like a ball, and coughed out tar from his mouth. His right hand on his stomach, his left caressed his throat, and remained in his curled up state. Spewing the wooden floor with his tar, it stained and molded it like gum on a sidewalk.

“gasps … just breathe … gasps … I just got to breathe … … … kidding.”

He put one knee on the ground, and ceased his coughing. His chest expanding itself back to normal, he pushed himself off the ground, and turned to look at Jerry who laid on the floor.

And pushing a sadistic smile, he raised his right finger up to the center of his lips.

“I’ve never seen you this terrified before. You really think choking me out will kill a lich?”

He then crouched down to Jerry, leaving the elf’s face to be covered in more sweat. Holding his body up by his bare feet, the lich pressed his elbows onto his knees, and had his palms facing up while pressing his smile.

“You may be decently strong, but you’re not smart.”

A small gas cloud formed around him, with the cloud forming along his neck. Wearing it like a scarf, Jerry’s breathing began to turn rampant, which left his body to twitch as if he tried to fight back.

“Do you know Jerry … that there’s something greater than blessings? I mean, who needs one when you have a curse.”

His jaw jittered with his eyes wide open, once he saw the cloud flow down the lich’s chest. Taking a huge whiff, the lich licked his lips, and rubbed his right hand over his stomach.

“Mmm … that smell … human odor at its finest. I don’t blame zompires for being attracted to it.”

The cloud didn’t just grow down, it soon went up, its diameter reaching the height of the lich’s head. Letting it sit on top, he brought up his two hands, and closed his eyes … and quenched his breath.

“I’ll make this quick and painless, so don’t you worry.”

Plucking out a piece of it with his bony hands, his body relaxed at the sight of Jerry’s fear. Arching his back, along with his head, he then ceased his sadistic grin; and replaced it with a frown.

“100% Oxygen.”

________________________________________________________________________

[Why do you love me so much … Out of all the girls, you chose me …]

‘No, why is this playing…?’

The cloud enveloping his face, everything from his hair down to his throat was engulfed in it. His voice inaudible, the cloud deafened it as he tried to scream.

‘I’m not dying this way! Not like this!’

Luckily for him, a rope bounded around the lich’s waist. Collapsing on the floor, he flopped around like a fish out of water, leaving Loraine to smirk. And along with a rapid gust of wind, the cloud enveloping his face soon faded, or rather dissolved instantly.

‘I should pay Fred more’ thought Boris.

The cloud gone, Jerry took a huge breath in, while his nose bled and his mouth released lung fluid.

‘I thought I was done for…’

But he coughed and gagged, as he released more fluid from the corners of his lips. Clutching his chest with his right hand, he felt like his heart wanted to pry itself open.

‘Shit! Maybe I am done for! What the hell was in that cloud?!’

Boris slowly walked toward Jerry, and towered over him with his chubby body. Seeing Jerry tighten with pain, he crouched down, as his heels began to blister the more his body kept him afloat. Taking out a small inhaler from his pocket, his chubby hand gripped the small handle.

“I guess what goes around comes around, huh Jerry.”

Placing the inhaler into his mouth, Boris tapped on a small button on top, which pushed air outward. Still pale faced, Boris tapped the button again, putting another round of air into his lungs.

Again. And Again. Until…

“cough cough … I’m fine Boris … cough cough … I’m fine!”

Jerry pushed away the inhaler from his mouth. No lung fluid flowing out, nor blood, his breathing went back to normal as red stains scarred his upper lip.

“I didn’t want you getting oxygen poisoning. Heard it isn’t good.”

Moving his hand onto his chest, the tearing pain toned down to the level of someone pinning a thumbtack on him. Caressing his chest, Jerry stood up once his vision returned to normal.

“Now that you’re good, all we need to do is pry some answers from him.”

Placing the inhaler back into his pocket, Boris then pulled out a sharp needle. Carrying it with his pointer finger and thumb, he double checked, and nodded at the shining metal. Turning his attention onto Jerry, he extended his hand that held the needle.

“Put this needle on me. Anywhere that may be discrete.”

“Just what are you plotting?”

“It’s for safe measures.”

Boris dug into his pants yet again, and pulled out another metallic object. Having within his hands a little remote, with a built in motion tracker, his fingers trembled the more he held it.

Both men saw the light blinking a fast red. His eyes widening, Jerry’s nose wrinkled upward.

“Who knows what that lich has in store for us.”

“But what if—”

“This is the only way to know about these abominations, and what they want from us. Worst of all … they were gunning for me.”

Nodding, Jerry tucked the needle into Boris’ butt pocket, which would be the last place to search for anything suspicious. Rubbing his chubby neck, Boris looked down at the lich tucked in a bind. Sharpening his eyes at the lich, the lich looked down against the wooden floor, as he heard Boris folding his arms underneath his chest.

“You’re after me, aren’t you? Who was your order given by?”

Pedro continued to lay on the ground, his face hidden from view. Looking like he was kissing the floor, Pedro forced his mouth open, his voice barely audible to many.

“My boss has a name, but he usually nicknames himself, ‘The Fox’.”

“The Fox? That’s an abnormal name for someone with so much power on his hands. So tell me, Pedro…”

Boris crouched down, and looked directly at the back of Pedro’s head. His legs keeping him stable, and his feet blistering from his body weight, his hands balled into fists.

“Why is he invading this city? What goal or purpose does he have here?”

He finally lifted his head, and pushed a warm smile. Seeing Boris’ eyes twitch, with veins sprouting from his upper eyelids, he licked his lips as the corners of them reached the bottom of his ears.

“Do you wanna ask him yourself?”

Pedro got out of the bind, fazing from the rope like he was air. Stretching his arms and legs, tar ran through his veins just like how blood would. And as he did this, Boris, Jerry, and Loraine took many steps back, their faces dozed in a heap of sweat.

“Oh no…” Muttered Loraine.

Loraine put her arms around Boris, and clutched him tight. Meanwhile, Jerry pointed his AR to Pedro, while his gun shook violently the more he aimed. With Pedro towering over Boris, Jerry tried to force his buckled legs to work, while blood oozed from his nose.

“My boss wanted to speak to you personally. He knew that you’re connected to a person that he knows of.”

Settling his hands on his shoulders, Boris turned his head away from the smell of Pedro’s rotting breath. His throat contracting, he gulped down whatever chunks of waste wanted to come out.

But as Loraine placed herself in front of him, with her face still pale, she extended her—

“Out of the way brat.”

He clutched her throat, and lifted her body, leaving her to dangle her feet amidst the air. Tapping his arms by using her flailing hands, Loraine began to gag from the lack of oxygen, leaving her face to turn blue.

But this was halted by Boris, who held Pedro's right arm firmly. Veins sprouting throughout his forehead, he pushed his fingers deep into his arm.

“Let her go.”

“Then do you really intend that you’ll go with me?”

“I will, but if you lay one hand on her…”

He let go of Loraine, leaving her to sprawl on the floor as she gagged and coughed. Drool running down her lower lip, she forced the air into her lungs.

“Consider yourself lucky I’m obliging to you.”

“Pedro!”

Gritting his teeth, Jerry placed the barrel of his AR onto the back of Pedro’s skull. Slowly turning his head, he had the barrel pointed into his forehead, and upon seeing Jerry, he pushed his lips down to form a frown.

“Ah, not you again.”

His hands trembled, as Jerry forced his finger on the trigger. The more he was deep in thought, the more his body listened. Closing his eyes, and maintaining his breathing, he let his finger caress the chromium metal.

“Sorry, but I have a meeting to attend.”

Pedro gripped the helm of the assault rifle, by using his left hand. Just as Jerry pulled the trigger, which sent a small storm of bullets to graze Pedro’s hair, the lich moved the barrel upward.

“This shouldn’t kill you.”

Pulling back his arm, Pedro steadied his legs, and clenched his stomach. As Jerry kept his grip on the gun … Pedro started blowing onto it.

“Huh?”

Jerry yanked his arm back, at an exuberance speed. Yet … his palm continued to remain glued to it. Like someone pulling a hideous prank, his literal skin was quenched onto it.

“W-What did you do?”

“I just blew high levels of oxygen onto that gun. Feels like trying to scrape off gum, yeah?”

Thrusting his arm back, Pedro slingshot his arm without bending it. Traveling toward Jerry’s right cheek, and reaching the point of no return, his fist reached his cheekbone.

“Off you go.”

Jerry was sent flying, the strength of the punch causing the air to jump in a boom. Flying several feet away, he landed on the hard oak wood, against his right cheek.

It felt like a sledgehammer slammed onto his cheek, burning and powdering the bones within his face. Placing his hands onto his deep purple bruise, his throat contracted by his vocals, which screamed and shrieked from the overarching pain.

“I’m surprised you’re still audible after that punch.”

Glancing around the room, Pedro saw a broken window, leading his eyes to scour the sharp glass laying on the floor. The fight from the other side of the room, which ended not too long ago, made Pedro glance at two adults sitting on the ground.

Two adults with darkened eyes, glum with grief.

“I guess Kenichi left huh? Come, Boris.”

With Jerry writhing in agony, and Loraine wheezing rapid breaths, Pedro soon began to … hover in the air. Like he was levitating, his bare feet unable to touch the ground, the lich extended his right hand toward Boris.

And picked him up like nothing; leaving them to fly out toward the broken window.