Exodus Part Three

Posted on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 @ 6:09pm by Ethan Hale

413 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Episode 0: X Lang Syne
Location: LA, California
Timeline: July 12, 1990

He was on his own for the first time in his life.

He had the clothes on his back, thirty dollars, and nothing else other than a big target on his back.

And he was already hungry and knew he was only going to get hungrier. Still, he had to push on. He had no choice.

Then it got worse.

"Hello, Predator," he heard Apex say. Apex had been given that name for a reason, he was the toughest of the LA Phoenixes.

Ethan turned to face the source of the voice. Apex was a year older than him, closer to twenty-one than twenty. Except for the wings, Ethan could pass for human, mostly. At least if he didn't extend his claws. That wasn't true with Apex. He was close to seven feet tall, jet black fur covering his skin and wings larger than Ethan's. Ethan was a falcon, Apex, a condor.

"I never have liked that name," Ethan said.

Apex smirked "Would you prefer Boy Scout?"

"I'd prefer Ethan. Just plain, ordinary Ethan."

"Well, that's not what's going to happen. And I guess Boy Scout doesn't work either. Not after what you just did. You killed Daniel. Man, that took some big balls. I have to hand it to you. And cutting that homing device out. That is even more inspiring.

"Then just let me go. No one has to know."

"I can't do thatEthan. Actions have consequences. But, I don't have to kill you. You could come along peacefully."

The two of them had tangled before in practice sessions and Apex almost always won. That was how dangerous he was. And that was when it didn't really count. The intelligent thing to do was to hit him first, a preemptive strike. But Ethan was really tired of the killing, of the violence. So, he did something different.

"I'm not going back. Not alive anyway. You'll have to kill me."

The smirk slowly faded from Apex's face, replaced by a more serious expression. "We're not exactly friends, Boy Scout, and I don't hate you. I kind of respect you. but if I let you go, they'd find out, and then they'd turn on me. And, I'm not going to let that happen."

Giving up on talking his way out, Ethan decided to try escaping from Apex. Just flying away. He was faster, he hoped. then a shot rang out and he saw Apex fall backward.

TBC

Ethan Hale
Gryphon




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