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TROUBLE CHAPTER 20

Howie took one glance at Aaron before groaning and passing out in front of the blonde.

“HOWIE!” Aaron cried pulling out of Viper’s grasp as the cell’s door was shut. He stooped down next to Howie and rolled him over onto his back. Howie was breathing fine, just out cold, but Aaron was afraid to touch him, settling for glaring at Viper who was grinning.

“Now,” he said evilly, “the fun begins.”

~*~*


“That was you?!” Howie exclaimed, “I thought it was Nick…”

“No, just me,” Aaron said quietly, looking at his feet. The room was silent for a moment as Nick wouldn’t meet his gaze.

‘That bastard,’ Nick thought furiously to himself, ‘Aaron’s just a kid! When I’m through with Viper and Ace-“

“What happened next Aaron?” Brian asked bringing Nick out of his thoughts. Aaron took a deep, calming breath.

“Well, Viper wasn’t done tormenting me yet for the day…”

~*~*


“F…fun?” Aaron squeaked, “what kind of fun?” Viper motioned for Aaron to follow him down the hall. Aaron obeyed. He didn’t want Howie to get hurt because of him.

“Well Aaron, don’t you remember our discussion about missions earlier?” Viper asked.

“Yes.” Aaron answered carefully, adding a hasty “master” at the end of this statement when Viper looked at him in annoyance. Viper grinned in delight.

“Well your first mission will be a test of your mental abilities,” Viper told Aaron, “as a warm up.”

“How so?” Aaron inquired.

“They’re all riddles Aaron…we ask the riddles, you answer them. Simple as that,” Viper told the boy.

“What’s the catch?” Aaron asked suspiciously.

“Whatever do you mean?” Viper asked.

“Like my brother said, ‘that’s too easy’…I want to know what the catch is,” Aaron replied.

“Well…you have to get 4 out of 5 questions right, for your brother’s pal Howie to live… and every time you get an answer wrong, your buddy Howie gets beaten for ten minutes,” Viper answered with a grin, “is that more difficult for you?”

Aaron paled. “O…oh…”

“Let’s go,” Viper ordered laughing loudly.

Aaron was led down the hallway and shoved into another room at the end of the hallway. Inside was a simple table and single chair. In front of the table was a window that Aaron guessed was a one-way mirror. “Right here Aaron,” Viper instructed the boy as he forced him into the chair behind the small table.

“Now all we need is some motivation…” Viper said quietly to Aaron, “How’s this for motivation Aaron?”

Aaron’s attention was directed to the room across from the window where Aaron saw the guards dragging in a now conscious Howie. “HOWIE!” Aaron cried running to the window. “HOWIE!” he called again. Howie was thrown to the floor where he immediately jumped back up and faced the guards glaring angrily. The guards left the room and Howie looked around.

Howie looked straight at the window where Aaron was at one point and Aaron’s breath caught in his throat. Howie walked to the window curiously and looked straight into it. “HOWIE!” Aaron cried again banging on the window. Howie sighed and walked back to a corner of the room and sat down heavily against the wall.

“It’s no use Aaron, he can’t hear you,” Viper reminded Aaron. Aaron growled and turned on Viper gritting his teeth and eyeing him intensely.

“What are the riddles….master?” Aaron asked calmly. ‘Might as well get it over with.’

“That’s the spirit!” Viper cheered. “Sit back down Aaron and we will begin.”

Aaron sat down behind the table and sighed as Viper stood in front of him. “Ready Aaron?” he asked.

Aaron nodded silently. Viper smiled and read the first question. “Here’s a warm up question Aaron,” Viper told him, “If you were running in a race, and you passed the person in second place, what place would you be in now?”

Aaron smirked at Viper as he opened his mouth with the reply. “Well if you passed the second place person, then you were obviously in third, so therefore if you passed someone directly in front of you, you would be in second place also.”

“Good. Second question: A man buys a parrot from a shop. The shop keeper insists that the parrot will repeat any word it hears for it’s new owner. But the parrot never speaks, why Aaron?” Viper demanded.

Aaron thought for a moment before smiling. “He’s deaf,” Aaron replied, “He repeats words that he HEARS if he doesn’t hear them, then he wouldn’t repeat them would he?”

Viper smiled again. “Very good Aaron,” he praised, “next question…this one’s a bit harder are you ready?”

Aaron nodded. “What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?” Viper asked Aaron smiling to himself.

Aaron bit his lip and thought for a moment. ‘Black when it’s bought….red when it’s used…and gray when you throw it away…hmm…well red when it’s used suggests that maybe it has something to do with fire…fire…hmmm…black…gray….’ “Charcoal.” Aaron finally ventured.

“Three down and two to go…this one is really difficult…’I cannot be felt, seen, or touched…yet I can be found in everybody. My existence is always in debate, yet I have my own style of music…what am I?” Viper read.

Aaron thought frantically. ‘Let’s see, it isn’t tangible obviously, but it can be found inside everyone…that means it’s either an emotion, or…hmmm…the existence is in debate and it’s own style of music….’

“Well?” Viper asked impatiently. ‘He’ll never get this!’ Viper thought with glee.

“I’m thinking,” Aaron said. ‘Hmm…it’s not an emotion unless it’s love, and there’s nothing that suggests a music genre in that…hmm…what kinds of genres are there…blues? No…Jazz? No…Hip hop? No…hm…OH! THAT’S IT!’

“Did I stump you Aaron?” Viper taunted.

“No,” Aaron replied, “The answer is soul.”

“Wh…What?” Viper stuttered stunned.

“Soul. It’s a genre of music, and it’s something that’s inside that can’t be seen, touched, or felt. It’s something that is always in debate of existence,” Aaron answered.

“G…good job,” Viper muttered angrily. “Last question: In the NBA, how many men are on the basketball court for each team?”

Aaron thought for a moment. It all seemed so simple. Ten was the answer right? ‘Hmm…there’s got to be some trick…’ “Ten?” Aaron answered.

Viper grinned predatorily. “Wrong. The key words here are ‘for each team’. Each team has FIVE players on the court at a time. Ten all together, but only five.”

“No…” Aaron whispered paling considerably.

“But there is some good news. You did win the mission with four out of five right, therefore Howard lives…but you did get one wrong so his ten minutes start…now and you get to watch as we beat him,” Viper sneered at Aaron shoving the younger boy to the window.

On the other side of the window, guards entered the room. Howie looked up from his position in the corner and stood up. “What do you want?” Howie demanded. The guards approached him and two of them restrained him. One of them smiled cruelly and raised his fist, then brought it down on Howie’s face.

Howie let out a pain filled yelp as his head shot to the side from the blow. But it didn’t stop there. The guard continued to punch Howie in the face, head, neck, stomach, and chest until the other two guards dropped him. Howie fell to the ground and began to fight back.

Aaron’s eyes were wide as he backed away from the window. “Watch Aaron,” Viper ordered, “watch as he pays for your mistake.”

Howie was being repeatedly kicked and punched in his midsection as he rolled over onto his stomach with a loud grunt. Tears welled up in Aaron’s eyes as he watched. “S…stop,” Aaron choked.

Viper leaned down and spoke into the boy’s ear. “It’s all your fault Aaron, you caused his pain,” Viper whispered cruelly, “because of your stupidity, Howie is in pain.”

Aaron watched for a few more seconds before clenching his eyes shut. “P…please Viper,” he whimpered.

“OPEN YOUR EYES AARON!” Viper ordered loudly, “SEE WHAT YOU’VE DONE!”

Aaron immediately opened his eyes and watched as Howie stopped fighting back and instead took to curling into a fetal position, yelping weakly every once in a while. He then watched as one guard smirked and bent down. “Are ya hurtin boy?” he sneered.

Howie glared at him defiantly. “I can handle it,” Howie snarled.

“Really?” the guard shot back grabbing Howie’s arm. “Can you handle this?” The guard yanked Howie’s arm in different directions eliciting a sharp crack. Howie screamed before rolling over and cradling his arm to his chest.

Aaron’s knees began to give out as tears rolled unchecked down his cheeks. The guards continued their assault after a few moments. Aaron swallowed and sobbed loudly. “P…please Viper…M-master…stop hurting him,” Aaron begged timidly.

“But he still has…” Viper replied lazily checking his watch, “four minutes.”

Aaron looked back at Howie and swallowed. ‘Howie won’t last that long!’ his mind screamed in alarm. Aaron took a shuddering breath before grabbing the bottom of Viper’s shirt pleadingly. “Please, Master, I’ll do anything if you just stop hurting him,” Aaron begged barely above a whisper.

Viper glanced at Aaron from the corner of his eye slyly. “Aaanything?” he questioned, “would you take his place then?”

~*~

Nick took a sharp breath here as did the rest of the boys excluding Howie who let out a cry. “Aaron you didn’t!” Howie exclaimed.

Aaron looked down. “I had to Howie…” Aaron whispered tears falling down his face, “they would have killed you…do you think you could have lasted another four minutes of all of those men beating you? I couldn’t possibly watch you knowing it was my fault…”

“That’s not the point Aaron,” Howie lectured Aaron, “the point is you put yourself in un-needed danger.”

“Howie…” A.J. said quietly shutting Howie up instantly, “this is not the time.” A.J. motioned to Aaron who was shaking and Howie nodded.

Aaron’s body shook with sobs as Nick placed one hand on top of Aaron’s head while resting his forehead against the younger blonde’s. “THAT situation was not your fault Aaron. You did very well…nobody’s angry…well not at you anyway, so none of that okay?”

Aaron nodded and continued his story.

~*~

Aaron paled even further, then swallowed, lowered his head in defeat, and nodded once. “Yes,” he whispered.

“Very well,” Viper replied pushing a button on the wall, “That’s enough,” he barked. The guards on the other side stopped obediently, then left the room.

“May I see him?” Aaron asked timidly, “Just to know he’s alright?”

“I don’t’ see the point,” Viper responded, “but fine, why not.”

Aaron cautiously walked to the door that led to the other room and opened it. Aaron walked through the door and quickly made his way over to Howie’s unconscious form. “H…Howie?” Aaron whispered kneeling down to Howie, “Are you okay?”

Howie remained unconscious as Aaron looked him over. He had multiple cuts and bruises up and down his arms, legs, face, and his shirt was torn everywhere revealing dried and fresh blood. But those weren’t the main problem. The biggest and most obvious problem was the bump on Howie’s arm where his bone was pressing against the flesh. Aaron sighed and decided it was probably for the best that Howie was asleep for now.

“Aaron,” Viper called firmly, “let’s go.”

Aaron swallowed and looked at Viper. “Coming, Master” he replied obediently choking on the last word. Though it disgusted him to no end, Aaron did not want to focus Viper’s anger back on Howie again and played along instead. Aaron turned back to Howie and brushing his hair away from his battered face, “feel better Howie….I’m sorry,” Aaron whispered before turning and leaving with Viper behind him.

Aaron followed Viper down the hallway and back to his cell. Aaron looked confused. “Back here Viper?” he inquired, “but I thought…”

“You thought wrong! Howie will still be beaten for another four minutes plus another two for you begging for him,” Viper snapped.

“No! Please! He won’t last that long!” Aaron cried in shock.

“But maybe I’ll beat you too since you are such a weak little boy,” Viper snarled.

Aaron’s brow twitched as he was overcome with rage. “Get lost,” Aaron growled. Instead of getting angry like usual, Viper laughed loudly and left Aaron alone in the cell to reflect on how horrible he had done. Aaron sobbed and soon fell asleep.

When Aaron awoke, his cell door was being opened and Viper walked in. He said nothing but opened the door wider as two guards came in. The first dove at Aaron and knocked the boy to the ground. Aaron yelped in shock as the guard kicked him in the stomach roughly.

The second guard walked to Aaron and picked up only to punch the boy across the face. Aaron fell to the ground in pain. He never fought back. ‘This is what I deserve,’ Aaron thought to himself as punches landed on him. Instead of fighting Aaron fought to go to a different place. He thought about his mom, dad, and sisters, and most of all about Nick and his friends.

A sharp kick to Aaron’s ribs took him from this happy place and he cried out loudly. Aaron rolled over onto his stomach and held onto his midsection breathing rapidly and moaning in pain. More kicks and punches landed on him until he finally blacked out.

Aaron came to a bit later to find the guards gone, but Viper was waiting. “You handled that very well Aaron…maybe you aren’t as weak as I thought originally,” Viper commended the boy.

Aaron slowly pulled himself to his knees. “Go to hell,” he spat.

Viper backhanded Aaron who fell on the floor. Aaron didn’t say anything but got back to his knees glaring defiantly at Viper. “Watch it Aaron, you don’t want another one of your friends to be hurt because of you do you?”

Aaron lowered his head. “No,” he replied softly.

“Good, now you will wait here in this cell until we come for you again. Rest up, you’ll need your strength as your next mission will be physical…here,” Viper said shoving a tray of food at Aaron, “eat up.”

Then Viper stood and left the cell slamming the door shut behind him. Aaron picked up the tray and sighed. He picked at the food for awhile before deciding that he wasn’t very hungry. Instead, Aaron laid down on his cot and slept.


~*~