Mathematics

[Dingus]

It was the last period before home time. Math class. 3:55 pm. Friday. Gertrude Schrader sat behind his large metal desk as his student worked on booklets he slapped together earlier in the day. Luckily, Gil Matsuda had help Gertrude work the photocopier. A true friend to Gertrude indeed. However, a few days prior, Mr Schrader had his hand mangled using the photocopier by himself. A horrible machine it was. The hospital he usual frequented had an absence of regent cells until the next Friday. Which left Gertrude with a three pronged claw for the upcoming week. Not too bad considering he can still play his game behind his desk as his student continued their work solving equations and some other shit he truly never cared for. Except for one student: Declan Fairbanks.

A few nights ago, before Gertrude's hand was mutilated, Declan had tried to kill him while on a "job". There was something strange about this student. His strength during the fight was way beyond what Gertrude would have expected from a greasy teenager wielding a baseball bat. He sure put up more of a fight than the asshole Gertrude had killed minutes prior at the time. But after a few absent days he had returned to his desk at the back of the class near the windows. With his hood up. The bell finally went off and everyone began to leave. Gertrude put his game boy that he specially order from out of town safely back into his bag and stood up. Before his failed assailant left he called out

"Declan... what was that all about?"

@Garbage Chan

 

[Atom]

Dragging himself to school was tiring enough but thankfully the last class was easy. All he remembered was sleeping for days straight after trying his best to tend to his own wounds. It was still fuzzy figuring out how he got them, but it didn't phase Declan much for some odd reason.

Sitting at the back of the class had its ups and down, first off he wished the blinds were closed. The sun shining in hurt his already pounding head, intensifying the sick feeling deep inside him. On his desk sat the booklet he didn't even bother to touch yet, he was days behind in the work anyways. Lately his grades had gotten worse, seems like graduating was impossible all of a sudden.

Blood trickled down his cheek from under the shabby gauze taped to his cheek. He looked like a target for bullies yet none would dare talk to him. The bell rang and he smeared away the blood, shoving his booklet inside his battered up messenger bag. After today all he craved was a good sleep, his body felt heavy as if weighed down by something. Maybe he always felt this way and it was just worse from the mysterious beating.

"Huh?" Quietly, Declan looked over to his teacher just before leaving the classroom, why was he even talking to him? The staff barely paid attention to him. He glared at Gertrude with empty eyes, devoid of any feeling. "What...was....wha...?"
Blood fell out the bandage again but this time he paid no mind to it, the drops falling onto his workbook. Declan's eyes looked at the splatter then pulled the hood to his black hoodie over his head even more.

 

[Dingus]

Playing dumb, huh? Gertrude felt all of his rage charge to a full boiling point. The kid tried to kill him after presumably spying on Gertrude's during his own hit job. The idea of someone like Declan even knowing anything about the assassinations was enough to make Gertrude furious.

"Okay, listen..."

Gertrude took a couple of steps towards Declan and slammed his clawed on his left shoulder. With a little bit of quick thinking he continued.

"If you say a single thing about what you saw that night, or I will rain fury upon you like a damn hurricane. That's not a threat, that's a promise."

Gertrude then realized he was threatening to obliterate a teenager. However, if anything detailing his secondary career were to get out to public, it would be the end of Gertrude. His clawed grip tightened.

 

[Atom]

Once Gertrude's hand grabbed his shoulder, Declan flinched unreasonably hard. His visible eye looked at the teacher with a sickly face, still unsure of what was going on. What he did know though, was that claw hand of Gertrude's fuckin' hurt his already battered frame.

A barely noticeable shudder went through his body before coughing slightly. "Get your filthy justice hands off of me..." Declan threw his papers onto the tiled floor, they scattered into a mess while he ripped his teachers tight grip off his shoulder. "Don't touch me."
Gertrude's hand was nothing compared to Declan's sudden strength. He took a few steps back and began to grasp at his body and sides, breathing getting labored.

"I'll kill you...first..." The few words barely managed to escape the teenagers clenched mouth. From any normal view it looked like he was in immense pain.

 

[Dingus]

"Try it. We've already seen how it happened."

Gertrude re-adjusted his bag on his shoulder and began to leave his classroom. He then turned to Declan and stated

"Go home and clean yourself up. The school is closing up early tonight so there is no extra curricular activities or study hall."

Gertrude had a busy night ahead of him and he desperately hoped he wouldn't be interrupted yet again. As he head down the hall, he pulled his personal phone from his back and called a familiar number.

"Operation starts now. I'll meet you at your place."

The job begins.

Justice begins.

 

[Atom]

Declan only scowled while standing in pain, he didn't know what to say back to Gertrude's comments. First he was terrifying then seemed to care in the slightest. He watched his teacher leave the classroom before kneeling down to catch his breath, gasping for air at the relief. Suddenly the heavy feeling wasn't so bad. After stealing a glance of his messenger bag, both hands scoured for the papers he threw on the floor. They were full of messy pen writing, obviously half assed work.

After shoving them inside his bag, Declan stood up and ran out of the classroom frantically, hitting the door frame on the way out. Feeling blood stain his clothes near his ribs, he knew the bandages needed to be changed. That is if he didn't pass out on the way home.

Home.
Where no one was waiting.

 

[Dingus]

After the strenuous battle with a sentient fucking machine (a machine meant for fucking), Gertrude's mind was scrambled beyond belief. To recount the events: the usual tool bag was missing from the drop spot and a fucking machine had essentially grown an artificial intelligence and had created a techno organic virus that had spread throughout an abandoned factory turning every mechanical subject "alive".

Of course Gertrude had won the fight and unfortunately had to live with every detail that occurred within this industrial sex toy hell. Reaching the core of the factory, he uncovered the original fornication tool hard wired into multiple computers. The job left him more depressed than anything. Almost as if it were more of a mercy killing than a mission of justice.

Examining the mechanical bastard, he found a branding hidden behind multiple cables and wires.

CASSIUS CORPORATION

Just then, Mr Schrader felt a chill run through his spine as a loud clang echoed among the currently dead factory with the tinkle of chains clattering. Believing he was the only one here, Gertrude realized that was the same sound of the door he had entered.

"For fuck sakes..."

 

[Atom]

That night Declan had awoken to a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. A terrible feeling of despair spreading throughout his being. It was like this almost every night.

There was no light in the room he was staying in, seeing as there was no window. If you could even call it a room that is, more so a glorified closet. Declan lived with many older roommates that never questioned him or his life. As long as he paid enough to stay every month—which wasn't much. There was no family for him so getting along in this pathetic life was all he had.

The light from his flip phone suddenly lit up the corner of his room, it had to be his friend. He was the only person who really had his number. Declan didn't bother to check it out of spite. Gripping at his face, he struggled to breathe through the overwhelming anxiety. Nothing was going to stop it right now except getting up and leaving, satisfying the restless feeling. Swiftly, he grabbed his jacket surrounded by bloody bandages and left the old house. Of course, he'd grab his weapon hidden in the backyard before slipping away into the nighttime shadows.

-

"Again?" Declan called out, his entire body hidden by a dark shadow. "How many times do you have to act upon your shitty justice?" There was a low red glow lighting up enough to see blood falling off his bat. It splattered quietly onto the factory flooring.

Evidence that Declan already found a target before Gertrude...

"I can't stand people like you."

 

[Dingus]

"Shut up! Fuck you! You fucking dick!
Always nay-saying everything I do! You piece of shit!
You fight something like a fucking machine! You fucking shit!
You fucking sit in your desk! Fucking nap! You fucking bitch! Fucking fuck you!
Fucking cock ass!"

In complete blind rage, Gertrude charged towards Declan with his fist winding up.

"You're expelled!!!"

 

[Atom]

For a split second, there was a childish fear on Declan's face, disappearing into a blind rage to match with his teachers.

"Watch your fucking language!" He laughed to himself a bit while only barely dodging the hit coming his way. If Gertrude were more composed, it would have gotten Declan good. Though in a slight panic, he hit his back on the wall near him while trying to move out of the way.
He chuckled and raised his bat, attempting a hit on the large target of a head. It'd make a nice crunch noise upon impact.

"Get out of my sight!"

 

[Dingus]

CRRRRRANK

Unfortunate for Gertrude, in his blind fury he did not see the large club coming for him as it collided with left side of his head creating a crater littered with large cracks. He stumbled for just a moment and landed on his knee in a kneeling position.

"Fu-ffff-fu..."

He regain only a fraction of his balance and stood up as if all his limbs were weakened to the point of numbness.

"FUCK YOU!!!"

With all the strength he could muster after taking the blow to the head, he clutched on to Declan's bat with both hands (both organic and synthetic) and began pulling it from the teen's hands as his own bled from the barbed wire wrapping. Still he did not let go.

 

[Atom]

Declan's lips curled into a sickening smirk while watching Gertrude struggle to collect himself after the harsh blow. He should have kept going but his mind made him indulge in the madness.

Suddenly the yell from his teacher startled him out of the feeling. He got pulled forward by the grip, eyes going wide and confused. Declan glanced down at the hands on the opposite end of his bat and saw blood being drawn.
"W-Wha...?" The look in his eyes was clueless and even the slightest bit of innocence returned while he stared.

It felt like someone kicked him in the spine, the pain radiating all the way to his chest. The feeling burned, almost making him gasp for air. At that moment, his hands became tight on his end, hand beginning to bleed from the splinters beneath the old bandages.
"Fuck you too, old man" Words could barely escape his mouth through such gritted teeth.

Declan let go of the bat in a swift movement, hoping it would knock back Gertrude from his own grasp. "I didn't want to use these but you leave me no choice now!" Hopping back into a factory shadow to gain distance, Declan reached inside his jacket and pulled out multiple syringes filled with a strange coloured substance. It had a glow to it, enough to light up his hand. Upon each needle was a symbol similar to the Cassius Corporation logo.

 

[Dingus]

Declan pushed Gertrude away, giving up the bat in the process. Once the blunt instrument was in Gertrude's hands he was not too sure what to do now. After remembering that the baseball bat was coated in other people's blood he threw it to ground with a repulsed grunt.

After tossing the splintered mess to the floor, Gertrude noticed Declan pulling a set of syringes out from within his jacket. The colour of their contents was sickening and grotesque.

"For real, man!?"

Gertrude took a deep inventory of all his options before settling on the definite solution to all of this fuckery.

"I'm not old, watch this!"

With that, Gertrude took off through the door Declan entered in a hard a sprint. Almost cackling under his breath.

 

[Atom]

"W-What?!"

Declan watched his prey escape, leaving the scene in quite a swift takeoff. He mumbled to himself and began running too, picking up the bat that Gertrude previously took from him. In one hand was the syringes between fingers, his spiked bat in the other as he hopped the factory railings to lose distance between his teacher.

"I'm not letting you escape this time!!!" He nearly screamed the words as his eyes went wide and veins became visible in his neck. While he ran, his fingers tinkered with the needle to prepare it for throwing.

"Drop dead!"

Finally, aiming for the back of Gertrude's neck, he flung a single syringe, letting it slip away from his finger tips.

Just as it left Declan's grasp, a window could be heard shattering in the distant factory rooms.

 

[Dingus]

Gertrude was so sure he was going to make it out once he reached the doors he entered through earlier in the night. Just then, a loud crash came from behind his head and a sudden sharp pain emanated from his neck. As he began to grasp for the nape of his neck to clutch on to whatever it was that bit him, his knees slunked to the floor as his vision turned red, orange, and yellow.

His head clattered to the floor, the upper half of his body lying outside of the industrial maze with his lower section still inside. His vision now turning from indigo into violet, he could at least see another silhouette standing within the fluorescent bulb illuminated building. While the colours in his vision still fluctuated, Gertrude muttered "fuhr fug zake".

 

[Atom]

Just as Gertrude hit the ground, Declan forgot all about the sound in the distance and began to laugh uncontrollably. Inside his mind he felt blank, almost like he was watching himself do all these things from a glass wall...it felt lonely. After gaining control of his laughter he walked up to the poisoned body and raised the baseball bat in his hands, readying a large swing. He was going to bash in every part of the no good fake justice.
"People like you..." Declan began to bring down the bat. "...Make me sick!"

Before the weapon could reach any part of Gertrude, a large knife was flung through the air, landing inside the wood of Declan's bat. It threw off his swing quite a bit, hitting the floor instead.
"Huh?" Looking down, he stared at the knife stuck between the barbed wire and razor blades.

"Stop it, Declan!" A faint sillhouette dropped from a factory beam and landed on the ground. The light from the open door was enough to make out who it was. In reaction, Declan furrowed his brows and took a step back. There wasn't supposed to be company interrupting them...Gertrude was going to die tonight.

"Why are you here...Teague..." A audible shudder was in his voice while staring at his only friend just steps away. He wasn't supposed to see this side of him...HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!

Anger was building up in Declan, his chest beginning to feel tighter. With each minute that loss of control feeling began to feel like he didn't know himself at all. All he knew was hate.

 

[Dingus]

HE CAN STAND!!! The revelation was even more of a shock to Gertrude than anybody in that room. As he wobbled back and forth Gertrude continuously tried to gain footing on the dusty industrial (industyrial?) floor. The spectrum of colours still continued as if some hippie horror movie spammed its bright lights into his consciousness.

"Br-bring it o-"

Gertrude created a horrible whiring noise that interrupted his threat. He continued to teeter backwards, forwards, and side-to-side. In his drugged status, he just then realized the slightly taller figure standing near Declan. Gertrude wasn't even sure they were staring or acknowledging him. Still standing closely to the factory's secondary entrance, Gertrude slammed the door shut. If they didn't notice him yet they sure would now.

"Neither of you are leaving this damned building as long as I still stand!" Gertrude shouted, surprised that he was able to announce that without bungling it up.

Knowing his priorities, he rushed after Declan in a plan to throw his own entire weight on top of him. It was a desperate move but Declan has to die.

He needs to die.

 

[Atom]

Teague took steps toward Declan, knowing it was dangerous but didn't care. "Why are you doing this?" He paid no current mind to Gertrude until the awful noise came from him. It made his gaze slightly break from staring at Declan. "Hasn't he had enough? And what does this have anything to do with you anyway!?"

Declan only mumbled to himself quietly, letting his hair fall over his entire face. There was a visible shiver in his body as if he was cold.

"Declan." Teague tried to get an answer out of him again, voice getting more stern than before.

It was useless, he wasn't going to reply. Declan only sat welling in the feeling of hate that was quickly becoming dangerous. The fact that his best friend was also a part of this fake justice bullshit made him even more livid. He wanted answers but instead could say nothing. It didn't matter anymore, everyone he'd ever known was going to die or betray him.

When Gertrude snapped, Teague jumped slightly. He had gotten himself into one hell of a situation...and what for? Some pathetic loser with no family or friends? He was psychotic! Thinking these kinds of things were out of place for him but he knew something had to be done either way. Declan was becoming a threat to much more than just himself.

Interrupting Teagues thoughts was Declan slamming his bat onto every single nearby surface in a fit.

"YOU WANT A FIGHT YOU PIECE OF SHIT!? I'LL GIVE YOU ONE!!!" Declan ripped the knife Teague threw out of his bat and whipped it in Gertrude's direction. It flew with inhuman speed. He began to run toward the object head as well, face contorted with pain and anger all at once. It spoke words in silence, words that said he was going to kill Gertrude.

"Stop!!!" Teague yelled and began running at the same time for the two.



'You're mine, son. This is what you wanted isn't it? That's right. Your anger, let it out here and now I'm giving you everything I have.'

"This...is...this isn't what I want..." Declan heard his fathers voice while losing grip on reality, unable to fight back.

'I'm going to take care of everything for you. Let me take control."

There was no point in fighting back whatsoever, the horrid feeling consumed his mind, fathers words echoing deeply. The voice made him sick and only brought back unwanted memories.

That's right...Gertrude dying...would make the voice go away. It would make the feeling subside...right?

 

[Dingus]

Gertrude wasn't sure if it was the concoction of drugs or his own mind making him cackle like a maniac. Seeing Declan get so upset over everything triggered something recessed in his psyche. The only word to describe the feeling was joyous. The drugs only amplified this feeling. Gertrude obviously wouldn't have laughed so hard at something so petty in his normal state.

Then the knife came flying towards him. Colliding with the glass screen of Gertrude's face, the decently sized blade made a sharp "ting" noise. His head spun around along with his body like a sort of drunk ballerina. Right after, Gertrude snuck his right hand into his coat to pull out a Cassius Corp. hand gun. The AMX099. Standard issue police weaponry. He had kept it in his jacket since the last few jobs in case he truly needed to use the firepower. Gertrude took aim and fired. More of a warning shot than anything since his sight was still damaged. Lucky if he were to hit one of his targets.

The thought of Declan suffering was quite inebriating in itself.

 

[Atom]

Once the shine of the gun became clear to Declan's eyes, panic struck deep within him. He didn't have the proper weapons to fight back from long range. The worst he could do was throw another syringe but it was only making the situation crazier. Things like this made his sanity return, the fear of dying kept Declan in one piece...for now.

"I said stop!!" Teague ran up to Gertrude and did his best to disarm the gun from his hand. He had learned how to do so from someone but had never actually done it. Grabbing the hand holding it, Teague shoved it aside and kneed him in the gut.

Declan jumped out of the way, clumsily slamming into a wall of the factory near him. In the panic, he had knocked the wind out of his chest, taking a large gasp of air. He was fearing for his life again, the constant homicidal rage kept phasing in and out, making his head hurt.

'Don't be afraid of a measly gun, don't let something so small get in the way! I'm all alone here, you left me all alone! I have nobody now! HELP ME DECLAN, LET ME LIVE AGAIN!'

"AGHHHHHH!" While Teague was after Gertrude, Declan was dealing with his own pain again. The anger was only being fuelled by each nerve that was currently hurting, especially his head. Getting back up on his own two feet, Declan joined in with his friend, a large black mass appearing behind him. It was translucent with red blinking eyes. The smokey figure enveloped his arms in thin spirals as he took a swing at the T.V. head with his bat yet again. Gertrude probably already had his hands full but there was no mercy for the damned people of this filth ridden city.