In the noisy street, rich with people, carriages and goods. That man in a dark grey robe and hood found it difficult to get back to his inn. That bustle of people pushed that man here in there.
"THAT MAN TOOK MY PURSE!!!"
Suddenly he heard some old woman, walking with a stick, scream.
Yet no one in that busy market street paid any mind to her. That cruel behavior, no matter how many times he had seen or experienced it, He just couldn't get used to of it. Like usual, he was the only one ready to help someone. So he chased down that theif and got back the purse. He gave that purse back to the old lady and stsrted to make his way again to his inn.
"This guy, he was wearing the same dark brown colored colthes wasn't he? Is it a gang of some kind running around here? Heckk.. Not just that gang. Everyone in this country is weird!"
That man thought to himself. After sometime, he finally reached his inn.
"I am back!!"
He announced as he took his shoes off.
Then he took of his coat that he was wearing, and pushed his Red Mahogany colored hair to a side.
"Oh Steve.... You are back!"
Jessica said in a melancholic tone.
"Where is everyone? DONT TELL ME!!"
Steve said as his voice enraged.
"Its not your fault, Steve. Please, Dont coarse yousrself over it!"
Jessica consoled Steve.
Besides the two, there was no one inside the shabby room. The broken vase, sliced in half, left to erode on the wooden table, the glimmering low lights, the burnt rug, and most of all, The scrapes and sratches on Jessica's arms, made Steve zone out and realise his flaws in keeping them together.
"Steve? Steve? STEVE!!"
"Huh?"
Steve finally came back to his senses.
"Are you alright?"
Jessica asked.
"Yeahh... Yeah I am good! What about you? How did you get these marks? You guys had a fight?"
Steve inquired in a frenzy.
"First come up here and sit down. Relax yourself."
She said as she brought a bottle of water from her bag.
"Come on.."
She dragged Steve and made him sit on a sofa.
"Here drink this water! Steve? Are you listening to me?"
His eyes were still. All of Jessica's words were resounding in his head.
"Is it my fault? But I am tgere Older brother! They should do what I say, they should obey ME! Who are they to leave ME? huh!
Steve thought as the water inside the bottle splashed out for he applied too much pressure.
His still eyes, now frowned. He gnarled as he chugged down the remaining water.
Jessica, who sat beside him, comforted him, could only stare at his hopelessness.
He let out a hot, violent sigh!
"I treated them.. like my little siblings, Jess! You! You! You were, their Older SISTER!!"
His voice enraged.
Jessica again calmed him down.
"Dont be rash, Steve! Everyone has a right to share their opinions!"
She said.
Steve glared at her as she said that!
"Oh?? YOU THINK SO TOO HUH?? YOU THUNK LIKE THAT ASWELL HUHH??"
Steve shouted as he grabbed Jessica's neck and started to choke her.
"Steve! Steve! You are hurting me!!"
She agonized in pain.
Steve got up fromthe sofa tightening hisgrip on her neck.
"Jess, if you think that's the case, then why didn't you go along with them? Huh? Jess! Answer me!"
He growled.
Jessica, on the mercy of Steve's daunting fingers, started to shake uncontrollably, as this was the first time she had seen this much arrogance in Steve.
With his left hand, Steve grabbed her hair bun, She screamed. He pressed his knee on her belly, choking her from all entries. He had cleverly placed himself direclty infront of Jessica.
"Steve! Steve!"
Her voice started to break, as her breath wore out.
With his monstrous strength he chocked her. A grin on his face and eyes ecstatic. Jessica trembled, she moved her legs back and forth to try and weaken Steve's hold. Yet then she placed both of her legs on the ground, and suddenly hit him with a powwerful Earth amplified punch. That uncontrollable punch was so magnanimous that it broke his jaw, as blood came out. Steve flew over the wooden table hit his head on the Kitchen counter and went unconscious.
As he woke up, he found himself strangled in Earth. Jessica had binded both his arms and feet with Earth.
With a blurred vision, and besides a screeaching noise, he heard some footsteps. He lifted his head and saw Jessica, wearing a tank top and shorts, that revealed all her bruises. Steve laughed as he saw her.
"Thank you"
He said after passing out again.
As he passed out he could hear Jessica call out to him in a worried voice. He stried to calm her, yet Steve was so out that he didn't even have the strength to speak.
After he had passed out, Jessica continued to call out his name, tears went down from her face to Steve's. She checked her forhead and got surprised. Steve was suffering from high fever! She picked him up with the help of her Earth and gently placed her on a bed. She put the blanket on him and started to tend for him all while he was out like a reveller who had drunk all night after a life changing adventure.
Steve would wake up with little consciousness and notice Jessica there beside him, tending for him. Before he woke up for good after being bedridden and sick for three days.
As he did, he saw Jessica sleeping while holding his hand. He smiled for abit, yet then again, those memories of him torturing Jessica came back to him. He sat up on the bed. The noises made Jessica open her eyes. As she did, her eyes met those of Steve's yet she got scared. She instinctively freed her hand from Steves' and got back.
Steve was surprised, and so was she, not because she freed herself from her, but because all she could see in Steve's eyes was malice!
"Ohh... You're you're awake! Heh.
She clumsily said.
"Yeah. Its me! Everything's alright!"
He replied, as if to reassure her.
"Oh.. Goodness me. I must've mistook you for someone else. I'll bring water!"
She said as she got up and went outside the staunching room.
As she closed the door of the room, she sat down with her back against the door. For the trauma and betrayal she felt as Steve choked her, couldn't leave her mind.
She looked at her hands, that trembled like never before. Yet she calmed herself.
"No! That wasn't Steve! He.. He must be. But then? Who was that?
No. I mustn't think like that! He was just angry, right now he needs me and that is most important!"
She clashed with her mind as she took a deep breathe and calmed herself. Yet that incident had gotten Jessica to think about her safety aswell.
" Am i alright just like this? No! Steve might do something like this again! I must protect myself! From whoever or whatever Steve became that day!"
Jessica remained steadfast. She went to her bag and took out another water bottle.
"Was all that because of this water?"
She thought to herself. She quietly put the water bottle back into her bag.
"What's takimg you so long!"
Jessica's eyes widened and she quickly closed her bag as she heard Steve. She looked behind and Steve was right infront of her.
"Oh Steve... Why are you outside? Go lay inside the room!"
She said.
"What are you hiding from me?"
Jessica's heart skipped a beat as she said that, yet without maintaining eye contact she put the back on the Kitchen counter and completely closed the zips.
"Huh.. What are you... talking about?"
She said in a mischievous manner. Steve was very preceptive, he could see through anyone's lies just by looking at thier eyes.
As Jessica turned back Steve was right at her. His sharp eyes glared at Jessica, tearing her soul down. He brought up his hand, Jessica protected herself as she got scared. Yet Steve only put her hairs at the back of her ears, fromhe same hand he got his chin, making her look into his eyes. Jessica curled up her arms as tried to get even closer. His leg was between Jessica's legs. As he glared down at her, top to bottom. Her tightly bunned hair, closed, scared eyes, her tiny frail arms, filled with bruises that tried to maintain a gap, yet Steve was so close that he could even see inside her clothes from their hieght difference. Steve placed his hand on the Kitchen counter, as Jessica got behind, her back touched the counter.
"Steve! Steve!"
Was all she could say. For again, she was on the mercy of the man, she called her older brother.
He swiftly placed his hand on her back and started to rub her back. The windows suddenly started to clatter violently. Clouds rumbled in the sky and a thunderous rain started to fall. Steve was unbothered by all of that. With his tongue, he licked Jessica's neck, with his rubbing hand, he unbuttoned his blouse, and started to become intense. Jessica trembled in fear, the same man, she called her brother, the same man who protected her millions of times in danger. The Same man who tortured her and tried ti choke the life out her the other day, the same man, was now, trying to force hisself on to her. Jessica again, bit her tongue, and hit him with all his might. Steve went back abit.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING??"
She shouted.
"Heh.. You dont like it? I am just apologising for the other day!"
He had a devilish smirk on his face as he said that. Yet that only contributed in enraging Jessica even more.
Jessica screamed as a green aura enveloped her. The inn got demolished suddenly.
"Wait!!"
Steve shouted but all in vain as the violent cracks appeared on the walls, the ground opened itself up like the mouth of an all devouring whale.
This sudden incident got all the attention of the busy people on the street. A panic gripped amoug them and they all started to run away from that inn. Yet the cracks were not limited to just the house, the earth split even in the street. Steve saved himself from the rubble and started to fly in the air. He didn't make any effort to save any of those around him as he just flew up and watched the people get swallowed by the Earth.
Soon after the rumbling and the shaking stopped. The rain was intense, yet now, there was nobody to be seen on the street. Only the cries and cacophony of the injured and dead remained. The green aura that guarded Jessica disappeared, She was standing on a block of Earth that flew in the air.
Huffed up, battered and bruised, clothes now torn from different places. She glared at Steve. Frightened and worried. Suddenly she got aware of the damages. All those cries amd curses reached her. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked down. Her legs trembled and she fell downon that block. Covering her quivering jaw with her hands, She cried and screamed.
"What have i done? What have i done? No no no! This is all my fault!! What have i done??"
She thought to herself as she broke down, completely.
Steve looked at all that scenery, smirking and laughing quietly.
"What have you done Jess?"
He said.
He walked on the air, slowly and went to her. On her block, he saw her scribbling something. Smirking, he snapped and Jessica started to fly in the air.
Steve took Jessica away from there, towards the outskirts.
It was a heavy night. Jessica had already broken down due to Steve's actions and her emotional trauma. Steve took her into a cave, gently put her down onto a rock. The lecherous, looks he had, he forced himself onto her, brutally.
*************
Tips:
The Phantom Troop is disbanded!