evening the score (Zachary)

[Deleted]

Jack tried to put the ass out of his mind. He was a smaller boy, and Jack could beat him if he needed to. But he couldn't get it out of his mind. Not when all he could think about since Rumor was that he hoped they would link the hands to Zach somehow. Not when he found himself dwelling on making him pay. Zachary hadn't even done anything to him. But his very knowledge of him threatened to blow Jack's cover.

He had to respond in kind. He kept a recording of Hannah's attack, as the other copy had gone to the precinct. He audio recorded her screaming and going "God, please, no!" He left the tape on top of a lock of hair he had taken from her and left it with the note THEY DO PRAY He then added a pair of lips he had removed from Carolyn and set it beside the tape with the note DO THEY SCREAM? He had left it where Zach kept his things, not far from the shelter.

Jack quickly learned the reason why he hid his knife outside the shelter. He resided inside. So, the day after he left his gift, he signed up to volunteer at the shelter, just so Zach would have to face him. Oh, now he was looking forward to it. He had the upperhand this time. He walked inside the shelter, was given a helper tag, and roamed the shelter, looking for his rival

[Zachary Briar]

He answered him. At first, seeing the objects in the place where he kept his most sacred item made him nervous. He had stared at them for a long time, head tilted to the side, at first, before simply glaring. It was bold. He took time to listen to the tape and half of him appreciated the answer. The other half was made sick from it. He had to get rid of it quickly, to keep any of that from coming back to haunt him. Zachary was half lucid most of the time, but he was intelligent, moreso than people seemed to understand or get. He always had been. His brain worked quickly, and when the items were gone, he supposed he'd have to give him an answer. But how, he didn't know. Zach knew where his power was and he planned to use it bit by bit to his advantage. He was playing a game with Jack, whether he knew it or not. And Zach thought he was the one with the knowledge and control before he left him the little gift and now, he was a little concerned. He didn't want to give up control. This was his game. He felt a little crowded in, but he could reverse it easily. Of course, that was before he realized that Jack had decided to make himself a volunteer at the very shelter he was living at.

Zachary never got used to the shelter, but it was better than the hospital. He hated the hospital. Although, here he had roommates and they refused to give him one there. They tried to push him in the farthest corner they could, to lock him up nice and tight. It was his father's wishes, he knew. It didn't matter that he didn't need that kind of restriction, but he didn't care. He didn't care what happened to the boy as long as he didn't continue to stain his image. He had been sitting in his room, legs crossed beneath him with a sketchbook in front of him, sketching the outline of a rather vicious and realistic looking dog-like animal. When he got annoyed with it, he threw the book onto his bed and stood up, slipping out of the door. He needed to get out of there.

He felt like it was a more or less lucid day. He had control over his thoughts, with no one to slip in and bother him. It was when he turned the corner that he nearly walked right into Jack. He stopped immediately, eyes narrowing. Immediately, he tried to figure out reasons for him being there. And when he saw the helper tag, he almost laughed. In fact, he did laugh, because... It was a little... ironic. The laugh sounded for just a moment before he stopped and glared again. He took a step back, because the closeness bothered him, and it was his own fault for stepping right out in front of him. Bothered, he folded his arms. "The answer's no, by the way." He told him without any other greeting, and he figured since he was the one that left the question, he should know what he was talking about. They didn't scream, at all.

[Deleted]

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Is it?" the other boy admitted it. He was just like him. Actually, when Jack looked at Zach, he saw Amery looking back at him. He hated it. Amery was a weasel, a sniveling little wall-flower. His kills had been much slower than they were now. Because he couldn't charm them. They never liked him. His eyes narrowed on the smaller boy as he took a step closer, resting his hand on the wall by Zachary's head. He seemed to be uncomfortable with closeness. That worked for Jack. Because he could force the closeness.

"what's your number, mate? three? four?" he asked with a scoff. "You want to play a game, go find a grade-school kid. My playground is out of your league" Oh, he knew that the other teen was playing a game. Jack recognized it. Why else would he have given him praying hands? Jack liked games. But it was a dangerous one. And he would think nothing of killing Zachary. "Rhean has your hands, by the way" he decided to tell him. It wasn't Jack's fault that they found the shed. He was amused that they did have it though. And he couldn't wait to see what she did with them.

[Zachary Briar]

"It is, " Zachary replied. They didn't scream, because he didn't allow them to. He didn't find any pleasure in their pain. His rush came when they died, when he felt their blood gush over his fingertips and felt every last breath get forced out. Most of them died so fast and if they didn't die fast, the cut was effective enough to destroy their ability to make noise. It had only been a couple of times now, but Zachary understood how to kill. He knew the human body and when you knew the human body, it came simply. When he walked closer to him, Zachary felt himself brush the wall. He didn't like the closeness. His eyes went to the hand on the wall, then back to him, narrowing his eyes, even though his arms started to fold to reverse any fidgetiness he felt.

You're not below that psycho, are you?

Eyes closed for a moment, then reopened, listening to his insult before cracking a small insincere smile. "Actually, if you want to go there, Amery, you wouldn't yet be in grade school. I'll give you pre-school." He said, but only paused for a moment, because he supposed he'd want elaboration. "See, little kids, when they're learning, to read or to draw, or anything, they practice over and over again. They create all kinds of cute demonstrations. But they're quick, meaningless—sloppy. A real artist, or a real educated and skilled adult makes one masterpiece and then another, one with meaning and purpose, then again. Any three year old can draw stick figures, throw paint around and leave a mess." Zachary wasn't going to let himself be insulted. What he did meant something. He couldn't understand what or why half of the time and he couldn't tell the difference between hallucinations and reality, but he had a damn purpose. And he didn't lose sight of what he thought he was since he was a kid. He was an artist. And when he killed, he carried that art onward.

You're a little worried though, aren't you, freak?

He winced, putting a hand towards his head without touching it before dropping it and bringing his eyes back to Jack again. He sighed, hearing about his hands. He frowned a little, because he didn't quite expect that. "You got sloppy?" He asked, but then shook his head. "The rest of it's already been found. Not by your Rhean." He shrugged. And finally, unable to stand the closeness, he tried to slip to the side away from him to put more distance between the pair again. He didn't like that he was that close. It made him uncomfortable and he could almost see him looking right through him. Plus, it was quieter when he had distance. He liked the quiet. It'd been quiet all day.

[Deleted]

Jack's eyes narrowed when he compared him to a preschooler. And again, he used his old name! "Amery is dead. He was just like you" he growled. "No spine. You're not an artist. You're nobody. Check out the news, mate. They're not even noticing you" It was true, in Jack's mind. The news was all about Jack's kills. The press conferences, the special broadcasts...Jack hadn't even heard of anyone missing hands. "You might as well not exist. You don't matter" he growled at him. "The only thing you'll be remembered for is a scar behind your ear and bloody pieces being found all over the ground. You're not an artist. Just something to be used and thrown aside"

He noticed that he was trying to get space. Oh, he wasn't going to let that happen. Jack had never bullied anyone in his life. Killed, sure, but never bullied. But, he had spent plenty of time being bullied. He knew from having been on the receiving end. He stepped closer, and closed in on him by resting his other hand on the wall. "You really want to play this game? There's always a prize. You and everyone that you care about will end up dead." the threat was spoken in a low tone, so that anyone walking by wouldn't hear.

Sloppy? Jack chuckled. "You really expected me to keep them to myself? You invade my privacy, there are consequences." Ok, so now he was lying. But did he really deserve the truth? He didn't think so. He was nothing

[Zachary Briar]

"You've made a pretty big list. One guy on the news, the people panic. Two, it's mass panic. The cops start looking bad, the city looks bad—it's politics, really." He explained, "I don't want the fame. It isn't about that. You know who else likes to be noticed? Children!" He reminded him, and while he didn't want the media attention, he didn't like to be told that he was nothing. He shook his head, backing up a little. It was reinforced with the damn voice, and he lost count of whether or not Jack was talking or it was talking and he shut his eyes. "Shut up!" He growled, more or less at himself than actually at Jack himself. His eyes snapped open, frustrated. "You think so? Try to hurt me, Amery. Try it. You might scare them, but you can't scare me. You can't hurt me." He added, and even if he tried, he didn't think that he could. He may be able to physically, but physical pain didn't scare him. Not even a little bit.

His fearlessness was hard to hold when the other hand hit the wall next to him. He inhaled sharply, feeling crowded. He didn't even have a means of protection on him. His knife wasn't in the shelter, not that he was going to stab someone in the middle of the hallway. He wasn't that stupid or that out of control. "Get back." He snapped at him, and when he threatened people he cared about he shook his head. Sure, there were people that he liked. Well, one person in Toronto that he liked, but no one else. "I don't care about anyone." He replied, almost darkly. And while not the full truth, he wasn't going to tell him the specifics of what he cared about. It was true that he cared about very little and he had practically nothing in the way of personal connections.

"No, I just expected more from you." he shrugged. "It doesn't matter though. I was never hiding them." And that much was true. He didn't like it being found in a place that was close to home. So far he was good at scattering. It was a little nerve-racking but he could get through it. "I'm not worried." He was a very clean killer.

[Deleted]

Jack's eyes narrowed. He wasn't a child! "Don't fool yourself, mate" he growled, releasing his right hand off of the wall to press it against Zach's shoulders. "I can get to anyone. You think I can't hurt you? Guess again." His contact-turned green eyes glared daggers into his body. And when he said to shut up, he was ready to pummel him. But the tone...he wasn't talking to him. Jack's mind flashed back to when he was a kid. His uncle used to yell at himself to shut up, too. Amery was only six or seven, so they didn't explain it. But now, obviously, he knew what it meant.

A sly grin came across his face. "Is it one voice? Two? Male? Female?" his questions weren't sincere or out of curiousity; they were taunting the other murderer. "Do they tell you to do it, mate? Now I see what this is all about. Jealousy is the root of all evil, you know. Even if the evil is crazy" he said. To add insult to injury, Jack removed his hand from Zach's shoulder and knocked on his head. "Hello!"

[Zachary Briar]

Zachary nearly shuddered at the contact of his hand against his shoulder. He hated the touch, even the smallest bothered him and he tried to shrink back against the wall. He wasn't afraid, per se, he was uncomfortable. And he didn't care which it looked like. "Don't touch me." He said and when he said that he could hurt him, he shook his head again. "You can't. You can try, you can try all you like, but you can't." He told him, and sounded confident in that fact. He didn't think there was any way for him to get that close to what would hurt him. And he wasn't going to show any weakness in the face of the other boy. He wasn't that weak. He might not have been as big as he was, but he was smart and he thought that gave him an edge. He didn't give a lot of credit to Jack. And maybe he should have given more, but he didn't. Not at all. Because he thought he was better.

The taunting made his eyes close again. Because, the voice was piping up loud in his head, both furious with Jack and with Zach. When he felt the hand knock on his head, he snapped his eyes open, glaring coldly. "Jealous? Of you?" He shook his head, but then, began to laugh. It wasn't a real laugh and he didn't know why he was taking part in it. He couldn't stop quick though, and laughed directly at Jack. "No, no," he shook his head at him. Though it was the voice that often told him to initiate the kill. "But, he wants to see you bleed. " He lowered his voice a little, that laughter still apparent. "I think you'd cut easy," there was a cruelness in his eyes, the kind of glint that usually didn't come until he was about to kill. His taunting brought out that side in him. There was nothing healthy about the teenager, not mentally. He leaned his head back against the wall, still looking at Jack and laughing quietly, eyes practically slicing away at him with his imagination. The truth was, he wasn't happy, or amused, none of that was real. But, the reaction was all the same. He couldn't control that much of himself.

[Deleted]

Being laughed at was nothing that Jack took lightly. "oh so it's a he? Makes sense. Probably the only masculine part about you. Tell me, what's it like being a transvestite?" he taunted more and when when he talked about him cutting easily, Jack pushed him against the wall, his arm going across his chest to keep him there. Oh, he wanted to play this game? Jack knew who was bigger. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a swiss army knife. "I should cut him out of you, you psychotic bastard!" he growled. But just as he was about to pull the blade out, he heard an adult voice.

Max had a couple of bags of clothes in his hands. He knew everyone who stayed at the Y, and he brought in appropriate clothing when possible. He had gotten his hands on a bunch of really good clothes that would fit the kid who was on his own. Max hadn't talked to him, but he noticed him and he would take care of him. Everyone in the Y were considered his extended family. The boy, Zachary, he considered to be a son. Even if he didn't know him.

As he turned the corner, though, it looked like his son was in trouble. He had no idea what the bigger boy was doing, but there was a strict, no-violence policy in his YMCA. He had just had to ask someone to leave because they got in a fight. His eyes narrowed as he cleared his throat, announcing his presence. "Is everything all right?" he asked, loud enough for both boys to hear. Slowly, he set the bags down and approached the two, arms folded across his chest. He was an insanely gentle man, but he could be intimidating when he needed to be.

[Zachary Briar]

"Emasculate me all you like. I'm not overcompensating." He retorted, giving Jack a look over, as if to say 'unlike some'. Zach tensed when his arm went across his chest, immediately ready to plan an escape out of his grasp. Of course, he didn't quite expect him to really do much right here and now. Not when they were in public this way. He was positive that Jack was too safe for that. He wouldn't dare here. He wanted to rip him apart right now, he wanted to dig his knife in, although he wouldn't have been as satisfying of a kill. No, he was more interesting alive and he wasn't the type he needed; not what he wanted. He was something else, but he knew the voice liked blood, regardless. It would have been pleased in it. "I'm not afraid of the knife," he said, only to hear another voice.

"We're fine," he replied back, not about to rouse attention. And no, this probably wasn't fine by any account and anyone else probably would have said something. But, Zach didn't want to. He wasn't looking to get anyone into any trouble. As far as he was concerned, any outside intrusion wasn't that necessary. He wasn't worried about his own safety in the least bit. Though, he was well aware what it looked like. "Aren't we, Jack?"

[Deleted]

The knife was folded back and quickly slipped up his sleeve. He wasn't about to rouse attention. He was doing so well keeping off the police's radar. He wasn't going to let that be ruined. As he looked up at Max, he gave a friendly smile. "Of course. More than fine, actually. We're just playing around. Not to worry" and with that, he put his arm around Zach's shoulders and pulled him into a sideways hug. He was simply trying to alleviate any of the man's fears. He wanted the two to seem friendly, like they were mates. He didn't intend to give off the impression that he would next learn that he had given off. His first hint really should have been the look on the man's face.

Max raised an eyebrow, looking at the two boys. He knew better than to judge, despite his views on homosexuality. "All right. Just remember, boys, this is a G rated environment. I don't mind certain...displays of affection, but keep it clean, all right?" He thought he was being reasonable. After all, there were children who lived in this shelter. Besides, his reaction could have been far worse. After admonishing the boys, he continued on his way. He really didn't want to sit there and carry on an awkward conversation about the do's and don'ts about a gay relationship in his shelter. That was just a subject of conversation he felt uncomfortable touching.