Learning to fight with it.

Carlos' survival skills really went up, he still struggles to find and actually go through with killing animals but he still does it but he wastes nothing that they give him. He's not a frail boy anymore. His body is growing because of training and the fact that he's eating properly, he's gained a tiny bit more muscles compared to his almost bone and tortured state from when he was in the facility. remembering it starts getting him angry but without that he would've never grown as a person. One day while resting he looks up, his eyes widening as he sees smoke.“Is the forest on fire again? Wait, people?” he thinks to himself before rushing over. Eventually he gets to an area that's flat land, and in the distance a loud crash is heard. As he peeks from behind a tree, he spots a group of guys holding axes, taking swings at the trees, others talking and looking around. The most notable one is some guy scratching his arm, he's wearing dark lensed goggles. From the fire they have set up he's squatted right in front of it. He's looking oddly close at it. Another thing is that his neck and arms are pretty red from the scratching.Carlos feels a little intimidated by the group, him not having not seen other humans in forever. And the last time he did it wasn't really a good experience. That fact made him a little scared to face them again, especially because what if they are working for bad men like in the facility, it's that and they don't look friendly either.His fear grows at the sound of one of the axes hitting a tree, and suddenly others arguing with each other. And in the distance there's a big tent and what crawls out is a big lizard beastling. The lizard grabs the guy who's squatted in front of the fire from behind his neck, and then he throws him into a table, crashing into a bunch of supplies and tools.“I told you if I caught you doing that I'd have your head, I don't want no slackers holding me back but the boss begged me into bringing you” his voice comes off annoyed deep and rugged as the guy with the goggles groans holding his back and he rolls off the table into the soft grass landing with a thud.“Yes! Sorry sir!” his voice comes out fast and scared, slightly crazed as he takes off the goggles tossing them into a bag. The lizard groans and walks back into his tent not before glaring at the others arguing, making them stop.“Something is off about these guys seem off” he takes a peek at them again taking in their characteristics. Some of them have multiple scars on them, their tones of voice are aggressive and they look on edge. Because of the lizard? Carlos wonders if he can even show himself to them what would happen if they saw him?“What if they know about me? What should I do? I think they have food on them. I kinda wanna try and steal it. I need this and that bag.” Carlos nods, but then an idea strikes him.“The goggles, if I use that to cover my eyes then they won't know who I am… right? So I also shouldn't use my lightning if things go south.” He peeks past the tree and looks at the bag, inching closer and closer but fear stops him.“Now? Damnit this isn't smart” Carlos makes the stupid and brave decision and runs over him tripping over his own feet as he grabs the bag, digging inside it looking for the goggles closing his eyes just in case anyone sees.“What the hell, who's this?" The lizard's voice comes from behind Carlos and he digs in the bag faster, finding the goggles he then puts them on quickly grabbing the rest of the bag and putting it on.“Hey. Hey! He's trying to steal stuff!”The crazed man says as the lizard runs over their footsteps heavy on the ground while the others who are working stop to watch, Carlos turns around and dodges the lizard as he tries to grab him.“Who the hell? You're a quick thief huh?” The lizard looks Carlos up and down. “Don't kill him, just grab him!” He commands the others and they put the axes down and start walking over.“He stole my goggles!” The crazed guy runs over and Carlos freezes scared but quickly snaps out of it as the lizard gets on all fours crawling over to him, then jumps up and tries to pounce down on him. Carlos at the right time jumps back making the lizard miss hitting the ground making dirt fly up. Carlos sees this as an opportunity rushing through the debris and kicking the lizard right on his side making him groan and turn, on instinct the lizard tries to bite Carlos’s ankle but Carlos grabs the upper jaw and lower jaw of the lizard pushing him back, but the weakness is still evident and the lizard almost bites down on his hands making Carlos push himself up and flip over the lizard.“GIVE ME THEM BACK!” the crazed man says rushing and reaching out to Carlos’s face coming from his blind spot but Carlos notices and on landing ducks his head to the side pivoting and elbowing the crazier man letting go of the lizard who's now falling forward due to him pushing against Carlos hands Carlos being smart using the weight against him.“If I never played all those games of tag with Eusebio, or I'd definitely be caught.” Carlos pants a bit pivoting again and turns around running back into the forest finally getting some distance."Don't let him get away! Ugh fuck it you better bring him to me!” the lizard says while spitting out dirt the others running over with their axes and other weapons Carlos rushes deep into the forest, the adrenaline helping him move because without it he would've been stopped and out of breath, he takes turns and eventually after running for so long he collapses on a tree holding himself up until he lets go, landing on his back looking at the leaves. Carlos takes deep breaths and removes his goggles that are foggy due to the sweat and heat. he holds them then closes his eyes putting his goggles around his neck After a while of resting Carlos starts thinking then his eyes widen“People have to mean I'm closer to a town right? But damn what's their deal… maybe I could've just asked them for stuff instead of stealing it, its a good thing I have experience in that to.” he is a bit more hopeful now the town part, he remembers when he would go out with Arabella and Eusebio he would steal some drinks or snacks from small little shops.When Carlos gets the chance and gets into a safe enough area, Carlos opens up the bag and looks at what's in it. Spare clothes and a gourd half full of water.“Better than what I have now.” The clothes he was wearing are badly destroyed from the explosion, his shirt is cut up, the pants are also pretty destroyed, what's in the bag is a button up and a new pair of pants. And he starts changing into a new outfit.“People means a town, maybe it's nearby. I just need to back tra-” A sudden yell is heard in the distance, along with a crash, and multiple sounds of trees cracking and or falling maybe.“huh?” he stands up his legs feeling wobbly due to him pushing himself while running. He starts walking and looking around, approaching the noise then pausing for a second to check his surroundings.He takes a deep breath and actually turns around and starts walking back, then Carlos ears perk up a bit as he hears a stick break from behind him, following up with a big huff, an animal?Carlos turns his head slowly facing the animal that is seen to be a huge bear, scars are all across its body along with dried blood and dripping blood from its snout and on its claws, along with some of the same axes and weapons the ground had lodged around its body. The bear sniffs the air and stares at Carlos for a moment before it slowly starts to stand up on its back legs, now it's completely towering over Carlos. As Carlos takes a step back, fear rushes all through his body. The bear huffs then lets out a ferocious roar, Carlos's eyes filling up with terror at the beast.he pauses remembering the simple words of his brother “I mean, if anything really does happen then I wouldnt give up or run away id wanna protect you and arabella, well that's if you already don't have it handled.” Eusebio's chuckle rang in Carlos's mind and he snapped back to reality.“Breathe… breathe…” He takes a step forward getting into his shaky fighting stance putting the bag he had on the ground “I can't keep running.” The bear roars again and in one swift motion swings his big paw at Carlos's stomach almost hitting him too but he avoids it narrowly by jumping back. The beast doesn't let up, it covers the distance he made in a second and swipes at him again but Carlos ducks under it this time.“You’re too big to be so fast!” Carlos's back hits a tree and he gets hit with an overhand by the bear's paw. Staggered he stumbles forward and the bear uses its other paw to hold him still and try to bite down at him, but just in time he pushes himself free but hitting the bear felt like hitting a tree.As Carlos pushes himself free he steps back and stumbles onto his back, the bear tries to pounce on him but he rolls out the way of him looking for an opening. Something's holding him back though, he's not pushing himself to run away unless he desperately needs to, and he's not even trying to attack the bear yet.“This fear I need to let go of it” he gets up and gains more distance back while dodging another strike the bear pauses and gets on all fours again this time charging at him.“If I keep holding onto this fear, what will happen to me in the future? If I keep hesitating will I die here? I can't let that happen though not so soon. Every day if I keep thinking about that day, I'll die and all my work and everything I've done to this point will be for nothing. I won't allow myself to die this soon, not in vain. I need to attack!” He dodges another attack getting behind a big tree which the bear claws right through it and pushes the tree to fall on Carlos but he jumps back barely.“You're not a normal bear!” Carlos sees an opening and rushes in, the bear's eyes widening and swings at Carlos but he ducks low and punches the bear right in the stomach. Like the push he tired before, it did nothing.Carlos slowly looks up at the bear as it lunges down at Carlos trying to bite him again which Carlos jumps back. The bear's snout connects to the ground and makes a huge dent in the ground and Carlos stumbles backwards trying to regain his footing but the bear isn't giving him a chance to attack relentlessly. Carlos is observing the bear though and he sees another opening he just needs to stand up. Carlos dodges one last time and instead of standing up he kicks the bear this time and tries something new, usually he shoots from a distance but why not shoot it at a connecting attack. He shoots that powerful purple lightning into the bear,He kicks at it again shooting more of his lightning into the beast, the bear stumbles back the attack affecting the beast but not killing it. Carlos jump up his eyes sparkling with purple as he holds his hand out but pauses as the bear grabs a tree lifting it off the ground Carlos eyes widening as he turns around and runs but the bear swings the tree hitting other trees and Carlos gets hit on the side of his stomach flying past multiple trees skidding on the floor as he hits flat land groaning loudly the wind getting knocked out of him The bear is already on the move holding a bigger tree this time holding it above his head and swinging it down at Carlos.“Shit!” He rolls out the way and pushes himself up while the bear swings the tree again aiming for his legs which he jumps over and rushes over to the bear and the bear rushes in dropping the tree.“I feel it, I just need to hit him one more time” As Carlos rushes in he tries to slide under an attack but his muscles spasm making him stumble then the bears claws connect directly with the right side the cut is deep and Carlos stumbles more his hand reaching to touch it.“No…” he feels the heavy amount of blood spill out and he coughs up even more. The bear is behind him crawling to Carlos slowly, Carlos turns around and grabs the bear's face and from his palms shoots lightning into it. He jumps over reactive attack from the beast and spins in the air holding his hand above the bear's head while above him.“AFTER SHOCK!” lightning shoots out from inside the bear Carlos using the same energy like how he felt inside the deer when he killed it activating the energy and enhancing it shooting it from inside to outside the body of the bear And the bear falls over as Carlos lands on his knee struggling to stand watching the bear as it falls limp he groans putting the goggles on and stumbles walking away.“Someone please I cant be that far from a town” He stumbles and falls over reaching his hand out past the flat land crawling seeing a town his eyes widen finally civilization it looks far though only miles from where he's at“Please..” it all goes black for Carlos.