Duality, part two.

About three days have passed, and both of them haven't said anything to each other. Jonny nonetheless still leaves food and water at his door still and Carlos still eats it. Even the shoppers can feel how tense it gets in the shop.

It's been a couple days Carlos broke his deal and Jonny went alone.During this time Carlos's injury finally fully healed. He wants to say thank you despite the argument but in that time Carlos hasn't really had the guts to approach Jonny.

In the morning like always he starts the day with putting on his goggles, and everything else later. Carlos, when about to leave, finds a note on Jonny's desk. When he looks at it its gibberish, Carlos looks around the shop not seeing him he remembers every day jonny has been leaving to go check on the town or just to go. Carlos decides he's gonna go into town alone. Before leaving Carlos spots the same bandages that Jonny used on him when he was injured, and upon seeing that he feels extremely bad, he lifts his shirt and takes a second to look at the bandage he put on himself yesterday. It's the same routine. His wound is healed but the habit didn't leave, but he takes it off and leaves the shop.

Before getting into town he makes sure to dig his hand into the ground and slowly shoot out bits of his lightning sense. It's the morning he's trying to be more quiet, this is what he's been doing these past couple days in the early morning before Jonny wakes up so that he doesn't overcharge. He's growing a better understanding of how to control the outputs of it but it's still and might always stay sloppy until he actually starts to properly train again.

Getting into the town some people pass looking at Carlos with a little bit of recognition and Carlos is pretty nervous because of that attention. He's still not used to being in an environment like this in a long time, it's still a complete opposite of his hometown and he thinks about that while walking.

The nervousness in his eyes are hidden by the shaded goggles mainly that's the whole reason why the people recognize him, from being the one walking beside Jonny and those goggles. he fidgets with them as He walks for a while, still not seeing any sign of Jonny, that is until he gets to the middle of the town. There's an oddly built wooden shack with a stage in front of it. Standing there is a wolfman and who's next to him holding the wolfman by his hair is the same lizard who he had a run in the woods with. The wolfman is covered in blood and the lizard pushes his head down putting the wolfman on his knees.

“Anyone else who defies us or even attempts to go against us like this little dog, we will make sure to kill you like we will with this pathetic doggy!” The lizard tugs on the wolfman's hair to show him off to the growing crowd. Carlos notices something though, the lizard looks different. He's missing an eye and has a pretty big scratch mark on his face, the bear definitely did that.

The lizard knees the wolfman in his back, the wolf groans in pain and looks around in the crowd. The more Carlos looks the more he notices, he's badly bruised up on his face and almost everywhere on his body.

“Is that what they would've done to me?” Carlos can't help but think to himself. The more Carlos looks at the wolf being set as an example he notices something different there's still some type of anger in there, Carlos can see it in the wolf's eyes.

Some townsfolk start whispering to each other, others looking scared and slightly remorseful while others are looking worried. The whispers keep growing all they are saying is bad things about the lizard man.

The lizard gets behind the wold and ready his claws as he's about to kill the wolf. Carlos grits his teeth and takes a step forward but the wolf kicks his legs out behind him and hits the lizard right in his shin making him stumble, then he spins around and whacks the hand holding his hair up and kicks the lizard in the stomach. The lizard lets go and the wolf takes a quick breath before jumping on the lizard, he grabs his face and uses his body weight to push him down and onto the ground then opens his mouth and bites down on the lizard's neck. but a crack sound heard almost sounded like he bit metal the wolf man jumps back holding his mouth and when he removes his hand blood and two teeth fall out.

“All this happening in the two weeks I was gone , tch..” the familiar voice makes Carlos' head turn fast, only to see the man who had just talked was actually Jonny surprisingly standing right next to him. Noticing the presence Johnny turns looking at Carlos and when he sees him his eyes widen in surprise.

“What, Carlos you're here?” Jonny looks Carlos up and down the shock evident.

“Yeah…” he says not knowing what else to say, Carlos takes a deep breath and looks down then back up at Jonny.

"I'm sorry.” That's all he can get out and after saying this Jonny's eyes soften and he shakes his head.

“You don't need to say sorry, I got you just wanted info and it's ok to be mad. Jonny shakes his head feeling bad as well.

“I…” Carlos looks taken aback but his attention is shortened by another loud scratching noise. The lizard and the wolf man are fighting the wolf using his claws now but they seem to have no effect. The clashes make some sparks every time he's about to connect with the lizard's scales.

"He's turning his scales into metal before the impact” Carlos looks at Jonny surprised then back at the fight as the wolfs speed is incredible, the wolf gets behind the lizard wrapping his arms around his waist and lifts him up then slams him into the ground right on his head, but yet again he makes the scales on his head turn right into metal. The lizard breaks free from the grip they rush into each other trying to tackle each other, in the stalemate the lizard opens its mouth and bites down on the wolf's shoulder.

“Makes sense right” Jonny says nodding and watching the fight Carlos does too.

The wolf pushes against the lizard and pries its mouth open while the lizard starts punching him in the gut multiple times. The wolf does get free though and gains a good distance in that second.

“Yeah… how did you figure it out“

“He tries to hide it by making it only be on the part of impact, and or he's just timing it because spreading it across his body is tiring. You can tell by the noise that that's only what something sounds like whenever you hit metal but I think he's trying to trick people because of the fact that he wants to seem like he's strong without a property.” They both run in at each other again and the wolf starts with a bite at the same spot he bit before and he hardened a spot on his shoulder, but it was a feint and the wolf kneed the lizard in the stomach making him doubles over and get the wind knocked out of him for a second.

“I think he figured it out,” The wolf, even while weakened due to whatever happened to him before, figured it out and started to feint more and more, the feints make the lizard need to react and dodge more, rather than taking hits to show off. He's now taking the fight seriously he lands a good punch on the wolf's face making him stagger and in that time he grabs the wolf's face slamming him on the ground then dragging him on the floor. The lizard then throws him into the crowd making people back away, some even scattering to run. The lizard hardens his feet and slams one foot down on the wolf's chest making a huge crater making some civilians slip from the shockwave.

“Damn your resilient, that should've broken your RIBS” he pushes down harder the crater below, people run away except the ones left watching are Jonny and Carlos and some other watchers.

The wolf his gritting his teeth and pushing through the pain smiles, he grabs onto the lizards leg digging his claws into the lizards scales then tearing away at them making the lizard scream and stumbling as the wolf scurries fast getting on all fours then pouncing on him. The wolf grabs the head and relentlessly bashes it into the ground, not letting up at all.

“You only harden your scales, not what's under. That flesh is free game” he aims for his eyes but he closes them on time making his hand clank back from the impact. The wolf jumps away stumbling at the landing and holding his side as he gains enough distance for a breather. The lizard stands up slowly looking at his torn leg then back at the wolf.

“Smart doggy.” He jumps a bit on his unhurt leg and then rushes in a flash elbowing the wolf right in the stomach, another hard crack being heard. The wolf groans and elbows the top of the lizard's head then tries kicking his legs. But the lizard metal scales block the elbow with both arms, but with his focus on his head he forgets about the attacks going to his leg and gets hit in there. The lizard retaliates by headbutting the wolf but the wolf grabs his neck and pushes him away.

“That wolf is good” Jonny says and Carlos nods, his eyes widened as he's extremely focused on the fight.

“That lizard defense is crazy but the wolf is really running off adrenaline” Jonny follows up while shaking his head.

“Lets hope wolf boy wins, this guys 3rd in command with the “way we go inc.””

“Wait who?” Carlos looks confused at the really weird name.

“These guys apparently took over the town by the time I was gone. They aren't used to loungers, only adventurers who stop by for supplies and an occasional rest.” Carlos looks confused by his relaxed tone while explaining it.

“You're not concerned? Aren't they bad people?"

"Apparently they are horrible. But I come to believe someone will come to stop them soon enough” Carlos tilts his head confused by his words then sighs looking back at the fight. The wolf is panting the same as the lizard but the wolf smacks his hands together.

“Wait what does “inc” mean?”

“No idea.” Jonny says simply.

“We aren't done, let's go!” the wolf runs in feinting once more but the lizard predicts it and he counters hitting him with a fast jab the wolfs head snaps back staggering him as the lizard fist connects the wolfs jaw, as he stumbles back a bit things look bad but then the world then launches forward spiking his elbow into the lizards head the sudden connection and speed and the sound is sickening, its almost like the lizards skull cracked and the thing is the wolf didn't hit metal this time.

The lizard stumbles, grabbing onto the wolf's shirt, then ducks under another sudden punch and uses his tail, swinging it and hitting the wolf on his legs hard, making him fall.

As the lizard is holding him down, knee on one arm, hand holding on tight to the wolf's other arm and his other hand on the wolf's face pushing down hard onto the ground. They are both breathless, the wolf grits his teeth looking up at the lizard with pure anger and clear bloodlust. Jonny grabs Carlos' shoulder, his expression showing concern. Carlos stiffens at the sudden contact but reads it off his face , Carlos nudges Jonny's hand away.

“We gotta back up” he starts backing up, Carlos looks at him confused but follows along backing up only a bit.

"Something about this wolf isn't right” after he says that steam rises from the wolf's body as a black liquidly like substance starts to surround and engulf his body starting from his hands and moving up. But the steam suddenly stops and the substance starts seeping back into the wolf's body. During that the lizard stands up looking at the knocked out body of the wolf, startled by the whole thing, but when it ends the lizard lifts his leg and hardens the sole as it's about to slam down hard onto the wolf's head.

Suddenly Jonny rushes forward grabbing the ankle of the lizard's leg struggling to hold it from connecting down on the lizard's skull, with this Carlos rushes in grabbing the wolf's body and starts to run away.

“You fat piece of shit, get out of here!” He tries to push down harder but Jonny pushes his leg outward making the lizard lose his balance and fall over landing with a hard thud onto the ground laying on his back, the lizard looks back up but Jonny is already gone. Carlos runs holding the body of the knocked out wolf.

“I hope Jonny is right, this guy better be worth saving. How can I even trust this guy if I can barely trust Jonny” Carlos thinks to himself.

“Damnit your heavy too” he runs into a dead end and Carlos starts hearing people sound angry and yelling and he groans and looks around and then turns back running faster and fixing his grip on the wolf. After a while of running he finally remembers the exit and leaves running back to the store bursting the door open seeing Jonny sitting at his desk eating an apple.

“What took you so long? I thought you would've been here before me.” Carlos pants looking tired he opens his mouth to say something but then sighs shaking his head stopping himself.

Jonny walks over, taking the beastling from Carlos and walking over, setting him down in Carlos' bed in the room. Jonny examines hims and sighs.

“You don't have to be here for this, thanks for your help though.” Carlos nods and looks at the wolf as he steps out the room and closes the door.