Tempest: The Renegade

Phase 7, part 3

"Yeah, I just want to ask," he says with his deep, husky voice. "About the raid on the factory you're talking about. I want to go and fight with you. But only if you don't mind it."

"And why should I mind?"

Isaiah bangs his head to fix the eye once again, then looks at the carpet with his shoulders drooping in shame. "You know, after everything that happened, it would be understandable if you didn't want me around. And I admit it's risky. I'm able to control that something which forced me to hurt you for now, but I don't know if it wouldn't awaken again if I got into a fight. I'm probably still too dangerous."

I catch myself acting a little too careful when he's around, like he was a bomb with a short fuse - which is, to some degree, the truth. Then I find a simpler way to put it - I'm afraid of him. When I look at him, I recall all the moments he tried to hurt me, to end my life.

No matter what happens, I won't be able to look at him the same as before.

And I'm not sure if I want him to be a part of my life.

I know he's probably suffering from some kind of mental illness and I know what he did was immensely brave. But the cowardly part of me wishes he was gone, not interfering with me anymore. If the clash in the factory turns out to be harder than expected, I want someone I trust to watch my back.

Is it Isaiah? No. I wouldn't be able to trust him with my life. My trust has been damaged beyond repair. Even though he claims he's controlling the insanity inside him, is it really true? He admitted he's not completely sure himself. But then... if I cut him off completely, it would probably destroy him.

I decide to take the easy way out. "That's a question for you to answer," I tell him. "Do you think you can handle it without attacking me or anyone else who's supposed to be your friend? Do you trust your willpower enough? If you do, then I can't stop you from going."

"Damn, I don't know myself," he groans and raises his natural hand in the air. It's shaking.

A doorbell saves me from having to handle this situation any further.

...

I approach the door with a churning bad feeling in my stomach. It disappears when I open and see a giant, broad figure of an old Castaway with long, grizzled hair and beard.

"Konstantin!" I squeal and hug the man tightly.

"We've heard you need some help, little one," the man smiles.

"We?"

Konstantin steps inside. Since his body was blocking the whole doorway, I haven't seen the people standing behind him. All my friends are here. Sotiris, Svetlana, Sasha - they all give me a heartfelt greeting. I'm overjoyed to see them again.

"Your performance on TV - it was brilliant!" Svetlana cheers with her high-pitched voice. "I cried."

"Yeah, you did pretty well," Sasha grins and hugs me. "Come to me, ya terrible terrorist!"

Sotiris, a burly Champion from Greece, stays silent, as usual. But his solemn smile and firm handshake tell me he's also happy to see me.

I almost didn't notice the person who walked inside the last - a tall woman with pigment scars all over her face, with wavy black hair and deep brown eyes, dressed in a sleeveless black dress with a cross pendant on her neck. She's shuffling anxiously, making her way towards me.

"Maria!" I say. "I... I didn't expect to see you again."

Sasha pats her back and to my surprise, she doesn't flinch. "I took care of it," he says.