Chapter 9: Pa Cooley

Bombard just told me he's been fucking Piece. I begin to lose it right now. He has this sly smile on his face right now. He's thrusting his hips in the air.

“I hit it from the back,” Bombard stated, “That fat ass of his. I loved every moment of it. Man. He was screaming. You should have heard it. When I put this 10 inch dick up his ass. I rode it from the back.”

“You better stop,” I tell him.

“He loves sucking dick too. I nut in his mouth all the time,” Bombard stated, “Usually I don't kiss the guys I fuck after I nut in their mouths. But Piece is different. You know? I don't know what it is about him. We grew up together. We were always friends. And the truth is...I'm falling in love with him too. Hell. Fuck that. It's past that. I'm in love. I think he's the one. He said it back. You just meet that one person and it's just...sparks man. Real shit. That's hubby...”

“I'm warning you,” I tell Bombard.

He's laughing. Bombard is laughing at me.

All of a sudden I can feel things. It feels like I'm touching the air. I can feel the chains around me as though I was rubbing my hands against them myself.

I can feel the Bombard near me. I can feel his 6'2” inch body. I can feel the 180 pounds of solid muscle. I can feel the sewer rats running around behind him. I can feel their little legs. I can feel their sharp teeth. I can feel the cold walls of the underground. And I can feel the cars running on top of them on the street above.

I am connected with the world all of a sudden.

“Did you think that me and him didn't have a history?” Bombard asks me, “I've known him way longer than you. He was the only one who understood me. Did you think he would have chosen you over me? We had a fucking bond. Don't you get that? You and him will never compare.”

“Shut up...shut up...shut up...”

Bombard isn't realizing it. He is so worked up in what he's saying. Things have changed. I'm focusing. And the chains...are moving...

Bombard is pacing. He's walking side to side, “He'll probably be sad when I tell him you died during training. But it's for the best. He needs a real man there to protect him. You know. A real warrior...like me. That's all I ever wanted you know. That's why I followed Antietam down here. I knew how much Piece hated Victoria Cass. I joined Antietam because I was going to take revenge for Piece. I was going to be his hero. You know. His night in shining armor. I was going to protect him. I was going to save him.”

“He doesn't need you,” I respond.

“Why? Because he has you?” Bombard asks, “You're fucking worthless. I'm the one whose been there. Once you're dead and gone it's going to be perfect. We are going to fall in love. On some fairytale kind of stuff. Happily ever after. We've been writing our story already. We've written it since we were kids. Did you think you would just run into the picture and ruin that?”

“Exactly what I thought.”

“Then MAKE YOUR MOVE!” Bombard yells at me.

That's exactly what I did.

All of a sudden the chains unravel all together. Bombard isn't expecting it. He starts to raise his hands and use psychokinesis. It's too late. It's WAY too late. I've unraveled the chains with my mind and then my hands are up.

The chains that once bound me slither towards Bombard like a snake. They wrap him up. They constrict him. They go around his neck and pull. Tight.

Tighter.

He's struggling now. He's struggling to breathe.

“I can kill you right now. I can kill you right here,” I explain.

Bombard looks defeated at that moment. He was stupid enough to provoke me and let my guard down. I guess he thought after 8 days I wouldn't learn how to use psychokinesis. Now all of a sudden it seems as simple as riding a bike. I can feel everything around me.

I have that connection to the world. And my mind is demanding respect.

“Do it. I won't beg you. You got the wrong one.”

Piece spits at my feet. His pride will let him die rather then say something human to me. It'd be so easy to snap that pompous neck of his right here and now.

I think about it. I really do. Then I think about Piece. What if Piece really is in love with Bombard? I'd be taking away the person he was in love with. I couldn't sit here and say that I had real feelings for Piece if I was going to do something so petty.

I let the chains drop. I let the chains drop for Piece.

“Take me back,” I say at that moment, “I passed your fucking test. I don't need your training anymore...”

I'm back in the Antietam's refuge. The members of the Sewer Lineage stare at me like I'm some ghost come to return when I get there. Tonnet literally stands up when I walk in. Antietam crosses her arms. The quiet Old man and the little boy are staring at me with a strange interest.

I don't say anything. I look like shit. I look beat up. It's Bombard who comes up after me.

“He's done it. He's unlocked his mind.”

Is that what they call it. Bombard doesn't seem happy about it. But he's the only one. The others sit there for a second. I don't know how the will respond at first. They are just staring at me. Then all of a sudden Antietam starts to clap. It's a slow clap at first and gets faster. Soon the others join her lead. It's clear they were waiting to see her reaction at first. Bombard doesn't give it a second look. He walks into the sanctuary and disappears down the corridors that lead to the sleeping quarters.

Time seems to pass throughout the day. I'm waiting for Piece but there is no sign of him. The old man is treating my wounds. Young Prall is by my side. He doesn't leave. I'm not sure what he wants from me but he has these bright eyes or something.

“No one's ever been able to control their mind in just a week,” the young boy states.

He talks a lot. It hurts for me to talk. Old Man Keeper who is treating me is the opposite. He barely talks at all.

“Bombard pushed it out of me. I'll give him that,” I acknowledge.

“Show me.”

I look over to Prall. He's wearing a bookbag. I begin to lift the book bag slowly with my mind. I don't need to use my hands. Prall is being lifted with the bookbag slowly off the ground. You would think he was on some wild adventure by the way the young kid starts giggling and laughing.

“Holy shit!”

“You shouldn't strain yourself,” Old Man Keeper tells me, “Your mind is a muscle. You can easily injure it if you use it too much.”

He's right. It takes a lot more energy to move something with my mind then to just walk over and pick it up. I can feel the strain already. It's the first time the Old man speaks to me directly really. It's almost as though he respects me more. They all do it seems...minus Bombard of course. Then there is Piece. If he's around he hasn't come out to speak to me.

I took a cold bath down there with epsom salt. All they have in this place is cold water. Prall gave me some of his clothes to wear. They are way too small but they are better than nothing.

The old man is cleaning up my bruises. He's has an ice pack wrapped around my side and is rubbing some sort of cream under my black eye. A part of me doesn't want Piece to see me like this. A part of me doesn't want to see Piece at all after I found out that he was having sex with Bombard.

“So Piece and Bombard are close,” I ask.

Old Man Keeper doesn't respond. He doesn't seem like he has any interest in personal matters. Luckily Prall is there and he's beyond talkative.

“Depends on what you mean by close?” Prall asks.

“Since I've been gone.”

Prall looks up at me, “I'm confused.”

I want to be blunt but he's still a young teen. I want to know if it's as bad as Bombard stated. Has Piece completely forgotten about me. Is he in love with Bombard? It hurts to ask all of these questions. It hurts to think about what the answers will be.

“Maybe I should talk to him. When is he coming back?” I ask.

“Who knows?” Prall responds, “Ever since you and him had sex he hasn't been back...”

“Wait what?” I ask.

“Piece is gone...”

“LIAR!”

I'm breathing so heavy right now. I move Old Man Keeper away from me without touching him. I'm walking down the hall right now. I'm more than pissed. Bombard was fucking lying to me. He didn't fuck Piece. Piece hasn't even been back since I was gone.

I make my way down the corridors. Luckily I hear Bombard's voice. A part of me wants to finish what I started back in the abandoned subway station. Bombard really made me resent Piece for a moment. He really made me think that Piece was some kind of loose guy that just had sex with one person one day and someone else the next.

The door he's behind swings off it's hinges without me touching it. My mind is straining. I know it is but it doesn't matter. I'm so mad.

“What's going on here?” Antietam asks.

Bombard is in the room with Antietam and Tonnet. I haven't seen this room yet. It looks like some sort of ratchet conference room. There are pictures all over the walls. There are plans drawn up everywhere. The room looks like some sort of war room or something. When I walk in they are clearly in some type of serious conversation. I don't give a fuck though. I turn to Bombard. The fucking liar is just looking back at me.

I've never hated anyone so much in my life.

“Where's Piece?” I ask him.

“I don't know,” Bombard replies.

“You fucking liar.”

A part of me wants to just choke him up. I want to try use psychokinesis to bang his head on the wall over and over. He looks so pathetic right now though. He lowers his head. He probably thought he'd never be in this position. He thought I would never come out from under his chains. He thought I'd die thinking that Piece and him were together.

Bombard can't even look me in my eyes right now. The punk stares at the ground shaking his head.

“Piece comes and goes,” Antietam explains, “It's always been like that. He's like the wind. You don't hold onto the wind.”

“Maybe he thought he was special,” Bombard replies.

“I got further than you ever did. Isn't that why you're so mad?” I ask Bombard.

I shut him up. Clearly he never got anywhere with Piece. He had to result to lying about it in order to make himself feel more like a man.

Tonnet shakes her head, “It's Piece. He'll be back. Try to start some more trouble somehow to entertain himself. Rich brat syndrome...”

“That's not enough. He could be in danger,” I reply, “He saved Bombard and I.”

“He's never in danger,” Tonnet replies, “Victoria won't hurt him.”

She seems so sure about it. I'm not. My mind is running a million miles an hour. Piece never returned after we had sex. I don't know him but that just seems like weird behavior. The sex was more than just a fuck. There was emotion behind it. He wouldn't just up and leave like that. I know he wouldn't. There had to be an explanation to why he left.

Antietam nods at that moment, “Yes. There are other things we have to worry about. Victoria has a plan to kill all the humans. We have to find out what that is. Jamison, you're strong now. You can join us. You can help the fight.”

“After I find Piece,” I respond.

I start walking away.

“Where are you going?” Antietam asks.

“To the surface. I'm going to see if I can find him.”

“You can't go to the surface anytime now. Victoria is clearly after you. You saw what she did to your Aunt Gloria. You are her enemy now.”

“I'm not afraid of her.”

I walk out of the room at that moment. My first plan was to find Piece. My next plan was to kill Victoria Cass.

It's a rainy night. The city of Chicago is lit up.

“You guys can stop following me now,” I say.

Tonnet and Bombard have been following me for blocks now. I am heading back to Aunt Gloria's house. I plan on getting some clothing and supplies. If I'm going to return to the underground I could at least be comfortable when I do it.

“You aren't the only one who wants to find Piece,” Bombard states.

It's not what I want to hear right now.

Tonnet adds almost immediately, “What Bombard means is that we can work together. We find Piece and maybe we find out more about her plan as well.”

“I don't need your help.”

They won't take no for the answer. I realize that after I walk almost one mile to Aunt Gloria's place. The place is torn up. Luckily I have a key. The cops have been here. It's clear. As I walk inside I look at the pictures of Aunt Gloria on the wall. Tonnet and Bombard are close behind. It's Tonnet that walks up to me. I kind of wanted this moment alone.

I'm packing up some of my own clothing. I'm taking as much as I can. It probably won't be safe to keep coming here. The cops will want answers as to why I've been away so long right after Aunt Gloria's death. They'll want to question me. I don't have time for questioning. There is major shit going on. I need to get my stuff and get the fuck out of here.

“It still smells like her in here,” I tell Tonnet, “Aunt Gloria always made Jasmine Tea. She loved the stuff. We would sit together on Sunday nights and drink it. She would tell me stories about Uncle Charles and they fell in love. Aunt Gloria loved the idea of love. It rubbed off on me, you know. Her stories about Uncle Charles... made me believe in love you know....”

“Benedict...” Tonnet states.

Tonnet paces. She has a look in her eyes that reminds me of Aunt Gloria sipping her tea and thinking about Uncle Charles.

I sigh a little, “I forgot you knew him too.”

Tonnet struggles, “I'm sorry that...Benedict left her. I'm sorry that he died. I'm sorry that your Aunt Gloria died.”

“Everyone leaves me.”

I say the words in the most pathetic way. Luckily Bombard is by the door and not listening. A part of me wants to cry. Tonnet rubbing my back and feeling sorry for me isn't helping either.

“We're all in this together. I understand how it feels to be abandoned. We all understand how it feels to be left.”

“That's why I need to find Piece.”

Tonnet nods.

“I'll help you.”

I want to trust her. Out of all of the Sewer Lineage members I want to like Tonnet. It's hard really. This is a war and you don't know if people are just using you for their own needs. Maybe I'm just a piece on a chest board being moved by my mother. Tonnet is nothing but another piece. Still, I want to care somewhat. Maybe there's more to all this. Here I am with my uncle's mistress and I'm getting along with her. She's consoling me as I mourn the wife of the man she loved. Somehow we are able to find common ground in this.

Somehow we are able to find peace.

“Someone's coming,” Bombard interrupts us.

I'm not sure who it is. I hear the key to the door open. No one has the key to this apartment but me and Aunt Gloria. I had an extra key in my locker at work...at the fucking corporation...

FUCK.

The door starts to open at that moment.

Someone takes a step inside.

Tonnet raises her hand and drags the person into the room using Psychokinesis. The person lets out a hard shriek as he realizes he's not in control of his own body. He's dragged into the room he stops a food away from us. He's suspended in the air by Tonnet's mind powers. He dangles there helplessly and the look is one that I'm familiar with.

Cedric.

Cedric turns to me, “What the fuck...”

“Drop him,” I tell Tonnet.

“Why?” Tonnet asks.

“Just do it,” I respond.

Tonnet drops Cedric. He looks like he's about to run but he's either too weak or too scared to get up and do it. So he just sits on the rug. He's sweating. He's looking up at Tonnet. He's scared out of his life. I remember he was at the park when Tonnet fought Mal. He knows what they are capable of.

Cedric looks like he's about to piss himself right here.

“Oh my god...it's her...” he says.

“Cedric. Stop panicking. It's ok. She's on my side,” I tell him.

Cedric looks over to me. It's almost as though he just realizes that I'm in the room. He jumps to his feet and runs over and hugs me. For the first time in a long time I feel a slice of home when Cedric hugs me. My life has been nothing near normal lately. This small piece of the past makes me feel a little happy.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Cedric asks, “You have no idea what I've been through. I been coming here everyday hoping that you'd be back.”

“I've been in...hiding. There are people after me Cedric.'

Cedric nods, “No shit! Your Aunt Gloria is dead and you disappear. No one knows where you are. You haven't been to work. People think you're dead.”

“Have people been asking about me?”

“The cops...”

“No...people at work. People at the corporation,” I say.

Cedric looks over at me and just shrugs, “No.”

Bombard rolls his eyes, “He's lying.”

I want to push Bombard at that moment. I could care less what the fuck he thinks right now. I grab a hold of Cedric and hold him there.

“Cedric. You need to quit that job. Those people at the Corporation are monsters.”

Cedric shakes his head, “I got pills to pay Jamison...”

“You need to leave the city. I'm warning you Cedric,” I tell him, “I'm your best friend. If you ever cared about anything you'll do what I'm telling you.”

“Listen to your friend,” Tonnet backs me up.

Cedric looks at me. He looks at Tonnet. He looks back at me. Right now he seems just as scared of me as he is of Tonnet. He doesn't seem to trust a word that is coming out of my mouth. I don't know how else to push this. I don't know how else to warn him to make him understand how serious I am.

“What's happening?” Cedric asks me, “Weird shit is really starting to happen at the Corporation. People moving shit with their minds. What the fuck is going on Jamison?”


“The less you know the better,” I respond.

It hurts to be like that with him. It hurts to tell my best friend that I don't want him involved. I can't have him involved though. They already killed Aunt Gloria. I don't want to lose anyone else.

“Ask him about Piece,” Bombard states.

It's the only thing we agree on. I turn to Cedric.

“Piece?” Cedric asks, “The boy you were obsessed with? He's been at the Corporation. He's been hanging around this really heavy set guy. One of the big shots at the Corporation. I followed them one day. They go to a club everyday. I figured he'd be with you. I never got the chance to get too close though. The club is always heavily guarded...”

“Pa Cooley,” Bombard states.

“Who?” I ask.

“One of Victoria's henchmen,” Bombard replies, “Where is the club?”

“I still have a flyer for it,” Cedric states and pulls it out of his pocket, “Here.”

He hands me the flyer. It has the address of the club on it. The club reads Pa Cooley presents Pandemonium. I recognize the face of the man.

“We need to get there. They are throwing something tonight,” Tonnet states, pulling out her cellphone and looking at it.

“Wait,” Cedric states.

He grabs at me.

Tonnet and Bombard are halfway out the door.

Bombard looks back, “Now.”

I shake Cedric off. A part of me wants to stay with him. I want to run away with him and forget all of this. It's too late for that though. I'm too deep in it. I'm far too involved.

“Get out of the city,” I warn Cedric, “Get out.”

Club Pandemonium is downtown Chicago. Luckily we stop back underground and change. Tonnet stands out like a sore thumb of course. She probably couldn't wear a dress if someone paid her to do it. She has on some bright floral colors. Bombard looks decent though. He has on another muscle shirt that he's using to show off his figures. I have no doubt he dressed like this because of the idea that Piece might be there.

We're standing on line to get into the club.

“I can't believe I'm worried sick about Piece and he's out partying,” I say.

“Sounds like Piece,” Bombard states.

I wonder how long he's had to deal with Piece rejecting him. I can't just be someone else getting rejected by Piece. He was a virgin. I don't see him just giving away his virginity and treating me like he does Bombard. There's no way in hell that Piece was looking at me as another Bombard.

“This may be a good thing,” Tonnet states, “Pa Cooley the weakest Olympian. He's a fat slob. Always laughing. All he cares about is having a good time.”

I remember him. The fat man when I was on the 40^th floor of the Corporation. He was constantly laughing and spitting his food out when he talked. He made me sick just looking at him.

“Is he some sort of club owner?” I ask.

“He owns a lot of things. He's a 12^th richest man in the world and the biggest investor of Adam and Adam Corporation. That's why Victoria keeps him around. He also happens to be a receiver. Not very gifted though. But it's good that we are able to get at the weakest link first. We can kill two birds with one stone. We find Piece and we press Pa Cooley to find out what Victoria has planned.”

As I’m standing on the line. I see a limousine pull up It’s him. Someone walks out from the driver’s side. He comes around. He opens the door at the back of the limousine.

Piece steps out.

He has on a European cut suit. My heart skips a beat all over again as soon as I see him. He just has that mystery to him. I wonder if I’m the only one who sees just how special he is.

“It’s Piece,” Bombard states.

All of a sudden I’m reminded that I’m not the only one who has feelings for him. I find myself looking over there. I’m looking at Piece. A part of me thinks about calling out for him but I stop. Piece isn’t alone. Someone else walks out of the car. The heavy set, gray haired man that I saw on Olympus is there. He still looks the same. His fat gluttonous body literally had to dragged out of the car by a band of assistants. He has something that looks like a robe. A very expensive robe, but a robe none-the-less. You can tell he’s important by how he begins to waddle towards the door.

I stop calling him and find myself turning away along with Bombard and Tonnet. We don’t want to be caught.

We follow them close into the club.

The club is luxury. It’s the only way I can explain it. I’ve been to night clubs before. This club cost 50 dollars to get in. Once you get in it has a posh red runway rug that you walk down. Chandeliers are headed over. There is club music playing loud and clear.

I follow Bombard and Tonnet into a dome like atmosphere. They seem to be a little taken back. Tonnet is saying something but I’m not listening to her. I’m thinking about Piece.

Where is he?

My eyes catch onto him. He’s all the way on another level. It’s not hard to spot him in the crowd. He stands out. He always does. He glides around the floor as though he’s floating. Hell…it could be possible that he is with his abilities.

“These humans are clueless,” Tonnet states, “They gather around. They dance in the club of a guy who is threatening to kill all of them. They have no idea. They just think it’s a good time.”

“It is a good time,” I respond.

That’s why Piece is here. Even though I’m not sure I think he just wants to be in here. He just wants to have a good time. The look on his face at that moment however shows me that he isn’t having a good time.

“I’m going to go look for Piece,” Bombard states.

It’s clear that Bombard hasn’t spotted him yet.

“Me too.”

“Are you guys serious?” Tonnet asks, “I thought we were here to go after Pa Cooley. Now that your boyfriend is here, you just want to disappear and go look for him?”

She’s annoyed. A part of me feels bad but I see the desperation in Bombard’s eyes. He’s wants to talk to Piece. He probably wants to confront Piece about having sex with me.

I want to talk to Piece as well. I want to talk to Piece about why he ran out on me.

Bombard is walking away immediately without hesitation, “It won’t take long.”

His eyes are streaming around everywhere. Luckily I’ve already spotted Piece. I make my way away from Tonnet. I head towards what looks like some staircases. There are guards there. They are security guards. It must be VIP or something like that.

I raise my hand and cause the security guards to trip over one another with psychokinesis. They fall to the ground and while they are down I am running up the stairs.

I see him there.

He’s standing alone. The light is hitting him perfectly as he sits in the corner of the club nodding his head to music.

“Piece!” I scream out.

Piece turns. He sees me. Then he does something odd. He turns and he walks away down a dark hallway. I pursue as fast as I can. Why the hell is Piece avoiding me? Why is he walking away from me?

I find myself running and I’m out on a private balcony of the club. We are high up. Piece is looking over the balcony. He looks down.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Piece tells me.

“I came to find you,” I tell him, “Piece…I…miss you.”

“Listen…”

“No you listen,” I tell him at that moment, “I know I probably fucked things up with you when I told you that I loved you. That was my fault. But I can’t help how I feel. What we had that night was magic yo. It was some Harry Potter, Wizard of Oz, Wonderland type shit. I didn’t make that shit up. I didn’t imagine it. I’m not that creative yo. I deal with facts. I didn’t feel that shit by myself. I didn’t feel the magic.”

Piece is staring out at the city at that moment. He’s acting like he doesn’t hear me. He sits there in silence. I can’t help myself. I walk up behind him. I grab him from behind. I pull him close. Just to feel him under my embrace for a second sends shivers down my spine.

It only lasts for seconds though.

“Please…”

His voice sounds odd. He’s whimpering. Something’s wrong…

“Piece what’s the matter?” I ask, “Are you scared? Are you scared to let your wall down? Is that what it is?”

“Stop trying to pretend like you know me.”

“Just a week ago you were telling me that you’d fight for me. Now I can’t even be around you. Now I can’t touch you?”

I’m so confused. Piece walks to the other side of the balcony. He’s avoiding eye contact. He is acting so strange. Something is wrong. It’s deeper than him just not wanting to put his wall down. I can tell. Something is just completely wrong here.

“I take it back,” he responds, “I don’t have time to worry about your war. You deal with that. I don’t care about any of it. I don’t care about you, Jamison.”

It stabs me in my chest.

He is literally carving a hole in my chest right now. He’s opening it up with every fucking word. He’s ripping it out and I just feel emptiness. Why the fuck does this shit hurt so bad?

“You don’t mean it,” I tell him, “I know you don’t mean it. You’re a liar. You’re a hypocrite. You’re sneaky. You a mess. You’re full of trouble and I know that. But you’re the most beautiful mess I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen trash that I want to lay around with. I never seen a liar that I was willing to believe completely. You are the worst kind of person. But your eyes they don’t lie. Under those eyes I see the best kind of person. I see a lover. I see a friend. I see the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Under those eyes I see you. Hidden there. The person you don’t want anyone else to see. Under those eyes. I see your real meaning. And I know what you just told me…you don’t mean it.”

There is a silence. I’m pouring my heart to him. Everything I’ve ever wanted to say to him I’m saying it now. I’m praying he hears me. This isn’t some run of the mill type bullshit. I want him in my life. I want to love him. I want to be there for him.

The Pest hesitates. He breathes slowly.

“Fuck you. Yes I do,” I finally states.

I don’t believe a word.

“Then look at me and say it.”

I grab Piece at that moment. I turn him around. Tears are in his eyes. Why is he crying? Why the fuck does he look so distraught.

Piece pulls away.

“Stay away from me,” he tells me, “I don’t ever want to see you again. You understand? I want nothing to do with you. You’re dead to me. And if you keep coming after me…I’ll make sure you’re dead to everyone else as well.”

My mouth drops. I take his threat loud and clear.

Piece jumps off the balcony at that moment. He jumps off the balcony and literally FLIES out of the club. He is some beautiful superman in the sky as he soars away. He flies out of the club. He flies out of my life.

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