Pheo went to face Don. He looked as if he was waiting for him, slowly rotating the mineral with one of his hands. "I thought I told that boy that he should work with you to face me?" Don asked himself.
His eyes were on Pheo, looking at him as if he was an intruder in his house. Pheo looked at the mineral, "What are my chances for getting what's in your hand?"
"Compared to the fierce one?" Don asked. "Slim." He told him upfront. It didn't look as if he was bluffing either, he was certain. It made Pheo doubtful of his chances for a bit, then he took a look at Ryu.
He was going toe to toe with Warhound, both of them smiling as they fought each other. "Battle maniacs." he murmured to himself. Pheo got a glass shard out from his pocket, the same one that cut from out of the restraints Narfius tied him in.
Don looked at it, his expression unwavering. "You think that's going to be enough?" Pheo chuckled, "I think that it's more than enough." He knew he wasn't as strong as the others, but he could still fight, even if it was futile.
After waiting for the perfect moment, he lunged at him with the shard. He almost lost his balance as his opponent dodged. Don grabbed his shirt and flipped him over. Pheo saw the world turn as he fell to the ground.
"When you attack, you must have a target in mind." Pheo dusted himself off before getting back on his feet. "The target just has to be in front of me!" He shouted before throwing a punch at Don, but it flew over his head as he ducked.
Don grabbed his hand firmly and gripped it, "When you throw a punch, you must keep it firm the entire time." Pheo screamed as Don crushed his arm.
Agh!
He managed to break free by swinging the glass shard, forcing Don to move back. He stood still as he stared at Pheo, "And that weapon, has it not done more harm than good?"
He looked at his right hand, it was bleeding from how much he gripped the shard. "I didn't need it anyways," Pheo said as he threw it away. Don scoffed at Pheo as ran towards him again, "You mock yourself."
Pheo swung an obvious left hook that Don easily avoided.
Not just yet.
He then flung the blood from his other arm, managing to make Don flinch for a bit as it went in his eyes.
It was his chance.
Pheo went for the rock, almost touching it before Don's eyes flickered purple, making his instincts take over. Don seamlessly threw the rock in the air, kicking Pheo away from him along the way.
"Mine."
Warhound said as he towered above them both. He clasped both of his arms, but Don managed to quickly hit it away as right as Warhound was about to clasp his hands. The mineral, flying across the room, rolled right towards Ryu.
He laid down after being beaten up from Warhound. Ryu looked at the rock, flashing a quick smile before speaking.
"Checkmate!"
He quickly grabbed it with his hand, causing Pheo to shout out and celebrate.
"Hah! You lose fur-boy!"
Warhound looked at Don menacingly, then went to Pheo. "You know it doesn't matter, right?" He transformed his hand. revealing his claws that could tear rocks apart. "In the end, all I have to do is kill you."
"No, wait!" Ryu shouted out.
But he was too late, Warhound already swung his hand. Right before he tore Pheo's face however, Don grabbed Warhound's hand with both of his arms. "You, out of everyone here, should know that there is no point in revenge."
Don stared at him, "Are you really still there?"
His words rang in Warhound's mind, his eyes started to calm down as his hand reverted back. He sighed, then sat down next to Ryu, "He's right, you beat me kid." Ryu was hurting in a lot of ways, but he still smiled when he heard him.
"You're goddamn right I did."
Warhound laughed heartily at Ryu's comment. The two watched as they started to bond together. Don placed his hand on Pheo's shoulder, "This may be endearing, but don't forget."
"You're still a slave."He tightened his grip, but it didn't faze Pheo. "I know," he smiled warmly. It confused Don, but he didn't pry on it. "And for all of you watching, this moment of solace is over, get back to work."
Don shouted out to the others, making them go back to mining. Pheo was about to go towards Ryu before Don stopped him again. "What is your plan with that?" He gestured at the mineral that Ryu held.
Pheo hadn't really thought about that, he was just engrossed in the moment. Don read the look on his face, he went to Ryu and extended his hand. "How about you hand it to me for a bit, I have something in mind."
Ryu looked at Don, then Pheo. "I mean, what were we going to do with it in the first place?" Pheo told him while shrugging. Ryu chuckled, mixed with a bit of choking.
"Alright." Pheo said as he handed it to Don. He began to admire its luminescent nature one last time before placing it in his pouch. "I'll give it back in a few." He told him as he patted Ryu's shoulder.
He wasn't sure of it, but Don's stoic face moved slightly as if he was about to smile. "And you," Don looked at Pheo. "Start mining again."
"But what about him?" Pheo complained, pointing at Ryu, "Why does he get a pass?"
Don looked at him, angry that he would even ask. "Are you as injured as he is? Or do you want to be so you can be next to each other?" his eyes quickly flashed purple. Pheo groaned before picking up a pickaxe.
He looked at Ryu while he passed by, seeing how he put his tongue out to mock him. "Looks like I get to sit back while watching you work." He teased Pheo before he started coughing out blood.
Pheo wanted to talk back to him, but saw that Ryu quickly went to sleep right after. He felt conflicted, angry at Ryu for his comment but also didn't want to wake him up. Warhound laughed at the two, they reminded him of better days.
Maybe they'll end up differently.
He put on a conflicted look before going off somewhere else. Since then, days have passed by. Pheo was eating slowly at the cafeteria. He kept thinking about what to talk about with Ryu once he was finally able to get back up.
Due to his injuries, he was deemed unable to work efficiently enough as he had before. This made Don decide that it was best for him to rest for a few days contrary to Parquatz's wishes.
I can't believe he wanted Ryu to still mine in that state.
Pheo thought about how different Parquatz was compared to Don and Warhound. Something about the way he acts and thinks made his cruelty more malicious than the other two.
"You look like a lost kitten right now, you know?" Pheo looked up to see that Jen was sitting at the same table as him. She cracked a smile, "That guy you hung out with, what was his name again?"
"Ryu." Pheo kept his eyes on his food, "He's dealing with something else right now." Jen looked to Pheo's right, it was an untouched platter. Half of Pheo's food portion was in it.
"He's still fine, right?" She continued to ask questions, "From that fight you guys had with that mutt." Jen giggled, "He probably started that fight for his own entertainment in the first place."
Pheo was sure that Jen genuinely hated their captors, but he never knew why. Hatred could form from even the smallest things, it would be pointless for him to try and guess with all that they've done so far.
"Maybe." He responded back. Jen got a bit annoyed, Pheo's responses clearly showed his disinterest. She decided to continue, "What do you think?"
I think you're annoying.
Pheo hated that fake smile she wore, the way she talked, that comforting tone, he knew what she was here for and he isn't going to dance in the palm of her hands. He looked at his reflection from the water in his cup. He didn't really know, but he knew that response won't satisfy her or the people she hung out with.
"As long as it isn't unbearable, I'm fine" The response flipped a switch on Jen. "Unbearable?" She said sarcastically, "So you think this treatment is?" Pheo looked at her, she was clearly mad, but could also see that she was genuinely curious.
He thought that it wouldn't hurt to say what he thought, so he responded honestly. "I think that this treatment is unfair, but it isn't unbearable." He replied, "If you've ever experienced something unbearable, you would know."
Jen's anger continued to swell, she was about to talk back at him but his eyes prevented her from doing so. Something about how Pheo looked made her know that he wasn't talking nonsense, that he knew exactly what he was talking about.
Jen took her time and calmed down a bit, she wasn't there to argue after all. "Maybe you're right," she admitted. "But Ryu won't get any better here." She gestured for Pheo to look around himself.
I know.
An underground mine is no place for a medical patient. He had read of the conditions miners had to deal with. The pollution in the air that makes it thick, the unknown properties of exposed ore that could lead to disasters, and the constant threat of a collapse.
"He can make it," He concluded. "Warhound wasn't going serious after all." Pheo knew that Ryu was a fighter, he's probably been through sparring lessons that were way worse.
Jen tried to reach out to him, to try and comfort him, but she stopped her hand before it went up the table. "Are you sure you don't want to join us?" She asked one last time, but she already knew what he was going to answer.
"I'll just wait and see what happens." He said before grabbing Ryu's meal and heading off.
What made him change, what turned him different from before?
Jen asked herself, she watched as he went past the gate where he was allowed to go and deliver the food to Ryu who rested elsewhere. She smiled brightly, finishing her food quickly. She headed to another table where the others waited for her.
She went and sat down next to Jim. "Did you do it?" He asked her. Jen grabbed something from her pocket to reveal Pheo's half portion that he saved for Ryu. "I switched it," She told him. "I also spread it around, to make it look natural."
Jim smiled, "I knew you could do it." he went in and hugged her tight, "Now all we need to do is wait." Jen's body tightened up, she didn't expect the sudden hug. She felt time slow down as she hugged him back, her heart racing.
Jim's wasn't, however. The genuine smile on his face wasn't for her, but for the thought of finally getting out. "It better work," Mark warned Tom. "That plan of yours." Tom cackled, "You should know by now that this is the best shot we've had in a long time."
He looked at him in the eyes, "I never fumble."
"Alright, quiet down." Jim told everyone, moments before Jug went to the table and sat down with them. He took a big bite of his bread before he started talking, "Okay guys, I have something in mind."
"Something that would definitely get us out of here." He flashed a smile as he told them. They all looked at each other, then at Jim. "Let's hear it then." He told him. Everyone else followed along with Jim, listening to whatever Jug said.