Introduce a Little Savagery
Aug. 29th, 2008 01:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lil_hulkThe Keewazi reservation had a harsh beauty, and Jay thought the emphasis should have been on harsh. The land wasn't forgiving nestled this close to the New Mexico border. Not many people lived out in the panhandle, and there was a reason why. A lot of that reason was clear when Jay moved his foot. A dust plume rose and sank in aggravation. If he imagined hard enough, he saw a face growling at him.
The teenager sat forward on a flat rock with his elbows resting on his knees. The sun was slowly starting to set on the horizon in front of him. He watched the sky get painted various shades of red and orange. He could hear the grumble of tires going over rocks, but he paid it no mind. The road wasn't too far from here. He figured it was just somebody making their way home. All that Jay wanted was to sit here and clear his mind with nature like his Dad taught him.
Jay was almost in that comfortable state of ignoring all of his recent troubles when he heard car doors open and slam. He checked over his shoulder to see four teenagers coming right toward his spot. They looked like they were trying to be casual with their hands stuffed in their pants pocket. The setting sun cast shadows on their faces, but Jay could tell who they were by how they moved. He turned back to the sunset. If he ignored them, maybe they would go away.
That thought held until a rock bounced off the back of his skull. Jay winced and turned around. He rubbed the back of his head as he blinked at the four teens with faces bathed in red light. One of them was bending over to pick up a rock by his foot. The one at the front was smirking and tossing a rock from hand to hand; he was the leader of this war party. Jay was completely familiar with the boy. Whenever Jay messed up, he was there to gloat. Whenever Jay did something right, he was there to point out a better way. And now that Jay had broken up with his younger sister, he was here to be menacing.
"What do you want, Damon?" Jay asked without getting to his feet. He didn't need to show this guy and fear or respect by getting to his feet. Though he wasn't exactly ready for the jagged rock that scraped across his forehead. He hissed and put his hand up to the wound. He brought it down to believe the red smear of wet across his fingertips.
"I gave you a week to make it up to my sister," Damon answered as he held his hand out to the side. He was promptly handed another rock. "I always knew you weren't good enough for her, but she had her heart set on you."
"Look, we're still friends," Jay started calmly as he got to his feet. He noticed that they were slowly getting closer. Their feet didn't seem to move or touch the ground to kick up dust, but they drew closer step by slow step. His own feet kicked up roiling clouds of dust when he faced them. "I just can't be more than that to her. She deserves a guy who wants to be serious."
"You're about to get serious." Every one of Damon's words dripped with venom. The rock flipped through the air as it went from hand to hand. "You've always been hiding behind your father. Well, the chief isn't here."
This time, Jay caught the rock. It bit into his palm enough to draw blood but didn't hit him right between the eyes. That distraction was all they needed. The moved like a pack of wolves. He was bloodied enough that the scent drew them in. Jay might have been able to handle one or two of them with the training he got from both his parents, but four was beyond his ability. It would be so easy to Hulk out and take care of them. Jay's stubborn streak won out. This wouldn't end if he went green and beat them back. It had to be handled like a man. Like a warrior.
He lashed out around him, beating one back. But the three others piled on top of him, sending him back. He fell off the rock and hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind from his body. He tried to growl and kick out but had nothing to make the sound with and less energy with less air. He didn't realize he was on his stomach with his arms pinned behind him until the kicks started connecting with his side. He groaned and struggled. He could feel the need to grow and beat them down but fought it back. He lost all sense of reason when his head snapped to the side with the force of a steel-toed kick.
Jay caught a glimpse of the ground in front of him. He couldn't tell if it was small rocks or his teeth. There was blood splattered all over them. His blood. He arched his back in pain as a heel stomped down on his kidney. He coughed and spat up more blood. He wondered if the cut on his forehead was bleeding into his eyes. The world turned red.
The sound of the world around him was tinny and far off. He heard a loud roar and then a harsh grating sound. Metallic slamming and the weight on him lessened. He rolled over to gasp in air, but his lungs would not cooperate. Pain lanced along his body with every try. His will was holding on by fingernails. He couldn't let go now. He could ignore the yelling. He could ignore the girlish screaming.
He couldn't ignore his own voice. His scream rushed out like geyser. Pain and defeat. It burned his throat with anger. It sounded like kindling snapping as he arched his back. Except nothing was breaking, it was bones reknitting as his frame gained mass. There were more screams as his ears went deaf. Jay ceased to be as a tide of green swallowed him and submerged him. The power rushed in his mouth and choked him. It overwhelmed him and protected him at the same time.
Jay couldn't hear anything. He could smell anything. He didn't taste the dusty air. The only thing he felt was the fire under his skin as his body transformed. All he could do was watch.
The world righted itself as the large, green teen got to his feet. There were scared faces staring at him. He could see his own bloodshot eyes in theirs. He howled at them, and they ran down the rocky hillside as fast as their legs could carry them. One or two fell as large green feet pounded slowly to the edge, He could see the reflection of the massive monster he had become. Howling in rage as the two carloads of teenagers tried to escape.
They didn't get far as he leapt after them. He landed on top of one, the roof caving beneath his feet. How a silent roar could scare Jay, he never knew. But the one he gave before jumping at the other car chilled him to the core. His feet landed on the trunk, bucking the front of the car up. As the car came up toward him, both hands swung down to smash the roof like it was paper. The car's front pitched back forward and the front tires burst from the force of the impact.
The other car tried to go around. Leave the other behind, but Jay could only watch as his body jumped in front of it. Metal twisted around his body. He stood there panting in anger. His teeth bared like a coyote going for the kill. He brought his hands in on either side. This large, he had the span to grab both wheel wells. He roared as his back arched and the car was raised. Somewhere inside, he irrationally hoped that it would just stay there. Hover in the air and not come down. If he let go now it would happen.
But his body didn't let go. Instead, the car was slammed down. There were four people inside screaming. The glass was shattered and everywhere. He could see how his teeth snapped at them. Rage unfettered before the car was tossed to the side, rolling through the air until it made a deep rent across the ground. A lazy cloud of dust hung over the wreckage. It kicked up white and settled down red.
His body turned back to the other car. It hadn't used the chance to escape. He cursed it with every word he knew in his silent prison. The monster he was stalked over and around. Sizing the crumpled metal for the best attack. He grabbed the hood and yanked it off the ground by it. He saw their faces. Worried and scared. Pleading for him to stop. They were his friends. They had come to help him.
Jay could only watch as the monster he became repeatedly threw the vehicle around. He watched the rag doll bodies of Marcus, Bruce, Sam, and May disappear in a ball of metal. He watched that call of metal sail across blue sky. It hit the ground and rolled, finally settling in red dust.
He woke screaming. Clawing at his throat for the sound to come out. Until his ears heard that the screams he heard were his own and not his friends. He panted and shivered. Cold sweat trickled down his back.
He couldn't take this. He couldn't take losing his friends. Every night he dreamed it. Sometimes Mom took him down. Sometimes not. Jay sat in the middle of his bed and tried to hold the sobs in. He looked at his shaking hands, palm to back. It was dark enough he could almost see the dust and blood on them.
The teenager sat forward on a flat rock with his elbows resting on his knees. The sun was slowly starting to set on the horizon in front of him. He watched the sky get painted various shades of red and orange. He could hear the grumble of tires going over rocks, but he paid it no mind. The road wasn't too far from here. He figured it was just somebody making their way home. All that Jay wanted was to sit here and clear his mind with nature like his Dad taught him.
Jay was almost in that comfortable state of ignoring all of his recent troubles when he heard car doors open and slam. He checked over his shoulder to see four teenagers coming right toward his spot. They looked like they were trying to be casual with their hands stuffed in their pants pocket. The setting sun cast shadows on their faces, but Jay could tell who they were by how they moved. He turned back to the sunset. If he ignored them, maybe they would go away.
That thought held until a rock bounced off the back of his skull. Jay winced and turned around. He rubbed the back of his head as he blinked at the four teens with faces bathed in red light. One of them was bending over to pick up a rock by his foot. The one at the front was smirking and tossing a rock from hand to hand; he was the leader of this war party. Jay was completely familiar with the boy. Whenever Jay messed up, he was there to gloat. Whenever Jay did something right, he was there to point out a better way. And now that Jay had broken up with his younger sister, he was here to be menacing.
"What do you want, Damon?" Jay asked without getting to his feet. He didn't need to show this guy and fear or respect by getting to his feet. Though he wasn't exactly ready for the jagged rock that scraped across his forehead. He hissed and put his hand up to the wound. He brought it down to believe the red smear of wet across his fingertips.
"I gave you a week to make it up to my sister," Damon answered as he held his hand out to the side. He was promptly handed another rock. "I always knew you weren't good enough for her, but she had her heart set on you."
"Look, we're still friends," Jay started calmly as he got to his feet. He noticed that they were slowly getting closer. Their feet didn't seem to move or touch the ground to kick up dust, but they drew closer step by slow step. His own feet kicked up roiling clouds of dust when he faced them. "I just can't be more than that to her. She deserves a guy who wants to be serious."
"You're about to get serious." Every one of Damon's words dripped with venom. The rock flipped through the air as it went from hand to hand. "You've always been hiding behind your father. Well, the chief isn't here."
This time, Jay caught the rock. It bit into his palm enough to draw blood but didn't hit him right between the eyes. That distraction was all they needed. The moved like a pack of wolves. He was bloodied enough that the scent drew them in. Jay might have been able to handle one or two of them with the training he got from both his parents, but four was beyond his ability. It would be so easy to Hulk out and take care of them. Jay's stubborn streak won out. This wouldn't end if he went green and beat them back. It had to be handled like a man. Like a warrior.
He lashed out around him, beating one back. But the three others piled on top of him, sending him back. He fell off the rock and hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind from his body. He tried to growl and kick out but had nothing to make the sound with and less energy with less air. He didn't realize he was on his stomach with his arms pinned behind him until the kicks started connecting with his side. He groaned and struggled. He could feel the need to grow and beat them down but fought it back. He lost all sense of reason when his head snapped to the side with the force of a steel-toed kick.
Jay caught a glimpse of the ground in front of him. He couldn't tell if it was small rocks or his teeth. There was blood splattered all over them. His blood. He arched his back in pain as a heel stomped down on his kidney. He coughed and spat up more blood. He wondered if the cut on his forehead was bleeding into his eyes. The world turned red.
The sound of the world around him was tinny and far off. He heard a loud roar and then a harsh grating sound. Metallic slamming and the weight on him lessened. He rolled over to gasp in air, but his lungs would not cooperate. Pain lanced along his body with every try. His will was holding on by fingernails. He couldn't let go now. He could ignore the yelling. He could ignore the girlish screaming.
He couldn't ignore his own voice. His scream rushed out like geyser. Pain and defeat. It burned his throat with anger. It sounded like kindling snapping as he arched his back. Except nothing was breaking, it was bones reknitting as his frame gained mass. There were more screams as his ears went deaf. Jay ceased to be as a tide of green swallowed him and submerged him. The power rushed in his mouth and choked him. It overwhelmed him and protected him at the same time.
Jay couldn't hear anything. He could smell anything. He didn't taste the dusty air. The only thing he felt was the fire under his skin as his body transformed. All he could do was watch.
The world righted itself as the large, green teen got to his feet. There were scared faces staring at him. He could see his own bloodshot eyes in theirs. He howled at them, and they ran down the rocky hillside as fast as their legs could carry them. One or two fell as large green feet pounded slowly to the edge, He could see the reflection of the massive monster he had become. Howling in rage as the two carloads of teenagers tried to escape.
They didn't get far as he leapt after them. He landed on top of one, the roof caving beneath his feet. How a silent roar could scare Jay, he never knew. But the one he gave before jumping at the other car chilled him to the core. His feet landed on the trunk, bucking the front of the car up. As the car came up toward him, both hands swung down to smash the roof like it was paper. The car's front pitched back forward and the front tires burst from the force of the impact.
The other car tried to go around. Leave the other behind, but Jay could only watch as his body jumped in front of it. Metal twisted around his body. He stood there panting in anger. His teeth bared like a coyote going for the kill. He brought his hands in on either side. This large, he had the span to grab both wheel wells. He roared as his back arched and the car was raised. Somewhere inside, he irrationally hoped that it would just stay there. Hover in the air and not come down. If he let go now it would happen.
But his body didn't let go. Instead, the car was slammed down. There were four people inside screaming. The glass was shattered and everywhere. He could see how his teeth snapped at them. Rage unfettered before the car was tossed to the side, rolling through the air until it made a deep rent across the ground. A lazy cloud of dust hung over the wreckage. It kicked up white and settled down red.
His body turned back to the other car. It hadn't used the chance to escape. He cursed it with every word he knew in his silent prison. The monster he was stalked over and around. Sizing the crumpled metal for the best attack. He grabbed the hood and yanked it off the ground by it. He saw their faces. Worried and scared. Pleading for him to stop. They were his friends. They had come to help him.
Jay could only watch as the monster he became repeatedly threw the vehicle around. He watched the rag doll bodies of Marcus, Bruce, Sam, and May disappear in a ball of metal. He watched that call of metal sail across blue sky. It hit the ground and rolled, finally settling in red dust.
He woke screaming. Clawing at his throat for the sound to come out. Until his ears heard that the screams he heard were his own and not his friends. He panted and shivered. Cold sweat trickled down his back.
He couldn't take this. He couldn't take losing his friends. Every night he dreamed it. Sometimes Mom took him down. Sometimes not. Jay sat in the middle of his bed and tried to hold the sobs in. He looked at his shaking hands, palm to back. It was dark enough he could almost see the dust and blood on them.
