Indestructible:PAST

By Rustin Petrae

Broke, desperate, and on the verge of getting kicked out of college, Alex Porter decides to sign up for a medical experiment to get enough money to pay his tuition. But he’s too scared to go alone so he signs up his best friend, Darius Clark, to do the trial with him.

Despite the fact that both are terrified of what they might be walking into, they still go ahead with the test. The day of the trial comes and as soon as the experimental drug hits their system, it wreaks complete havoc on their bodies. Convulsions. Extreme agony. Even some electricity thrown in for good measure. They come out the other side alive, mostly okay, and with the money Alex so desperately needed. But that’s not the only thing they walked away with. There was something else.

Superpowers.

The drug has turned them into something more than human. Something strong and indestructible. They only find this out after getting run over by a car and walking away without a scratch. The only evidence of the wreck is their torn and shredded clothes. Now they have true power and they use that to take on a powerful drug lord. But behind the scenes and unknown to them, is a highly secret, government agency keeping a careful, ever-present eye on them.

For Darius, the powers are a blessing he uses for his own selfish gains.

For Alex, however, the cost of the powers becomes increasingly evident.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rustin Petrae
• Release date: Dec 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005907952

Rustin Petrae

Rustin Petrae is the author of the Histories of Purga Novels, the Bane Pack Novels, Hybrid Earth, and Forfeit. He is also an art director/graphic designer and recent BFA graduate from The Ohio State University. Currently, he lives in Ohio but was actually born in San Antonio, TX. However, he spent most of his childhood and early adulthood overseas in Japan and Korea. The experiences gained from living in Japan (Misawa Air Force Base) and Korea (Yongsan Army Base and Osan Air Force Base) helped shape his writing. Living among other cultures did a lot to expand his worldview. He started writing very early on but was interested in becoming an author even back in elementary school. In fact, when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up as part of a school project, he said he wanted to be either a cartoonist or an author. While he still draws here and there, he spends most of his time working to hone both his writing and graphic design skills. He's written several stories, flash fictions, a few novellas, and six novels. He also creates his own cover art and promotional materials.To get up to date news on Rustin's projects, freebies, and more, check out his official website at: rustinpetrae.com.

Book preview

Prologue

The sun broke over the horizon with colors of rich pink, deep purple, and bright orange. It gave the sky a sullen, fiery glow. The air was cool in the early morning hours and a light breeze carried along the smells of the lake. The rising sun cast the line of trees on the opposite shore into stark silhouettes. It was a picturesque landscape. A place of peace.

CLANG!

That sound shattered the tranquility of the lake, causing birds and other creatures to take flight in sudden fear. Two figures could be seen, inhumanly fast as they dashed past each other. Each time they did, that horrible clang would fill the air. Curtains of sand exploded upward as they dashed past each other and they were so fast, the human eye could barely track them. Then they would come together in a crash that thundered across the lake, two chisel-tipped katanas meeting between them in a shower of blue and white sparks. One of the figures glared at the other with ice blue eyes filled with hatred and rage. His lips were peeled back in a snarl that bared his teeth. The sun struck his fair skin and highlighted a spray of freckles over the bridge of his nose. His light brown hair drifted in the morning breeze and he was constantly shaking his head to shift it out of his eyes.

Don’t do this Alex! The other man lifted his blade to catch Alex’s sword on it. His muscles stood out starkly against his dark skin and his teeth were clenched. He had to exert a massive amount of force to hold Alex off. Then he stepped to one side and slipped Alex’s sword out and away from himself. Alex stumbled slightly and the other man took the opportunity to dash away.

I would never hurt her. Not on purpose, he yelled while he ran.

Shut the hell up! Alex’s voice got louder the angrier he got. Don't try to pretend you’re not a killer! And don’t try to pretend this could have ended any other way. It stops here, Darius!

Alex lashed out in a series of lightning quick, brutal swings but Darius deflected each blow with casual, almost lazy, skill. At the end of the exchange, Alex leapt backwards through the air and landed ten feet away.

Things don’t have to end this way. Darius’s voice was low and full of guilt.

Shut up! Alex screamed. He didn’t want to hear Darius. He didn’t want to hear his ex-best friend try to rationalize what he’d done.

Alex swept his leg out in a broad, sweeping kick across the beach. The pure strength of it caused a literal wall of sand to rise up and race toward Darius. Alex moved behind it, ready to time his next attack so that it would land right when the sand wall smashed into its target.

The wall hit Darius.

Hard.

Even though he braced himself against it, the sand still blinded him and he started choking on it when he accidentally breathed it in. He knew Alex was about to strike so he dodged to one side, trusting his instincts on which way to move. He narrowly missed a ferocious downswing meant to split his skull down the middle. He stumbled away, wiping at his watering eyes and struggling to cough out the rest of the sand that went down his throat. Alex, however, wasn't giving him much time to recuperate and he barely got himself together in time to defend against the next series of attacks.

The increasing certainty he was going to die served to bolster his own instincts of self-preservation. He increased his offensive attacks, trying to lure Alex into giving him an opening. He wanted to end this quickly but neither one could gain an advantage on the other.

Darius jumped away in a series of rapid leaps and tried, once again, to talk things out.

I don't want to fight you. We can still stop this. Darius’s voice was hoarse from the sand he’d breathed in.

It's too late, Alex replied.

Damnit, Darius cried. The tears streaming down his face had nothing to do with the sand this time. Seeing Alex ready to kill him was painful. It hurt more deeply than he ever would have imagined. I don’t want to kill you.

Why not? Alex screamed. It’s not like you haven’t done it before. Not like you won’t do it again. Come on, Darius. Make me just another scar on your fucking arm.

He gestured at Darius’s left arm and the dozen or so pale lines there.

That’s what they are, aren’t they? Your kills? Alex asked.

Darius didn’t say anything but the truth was there in his eyes all the same.

She on there? Alex asked with tears in his own eyes now. You put her on there too?

Alex. Darius whispered the name. His eyes were sad. And tired. So tired. I didn’t...mean to. It was an accident.

You lie. Alex darted forward, his blade held high.

The fighting resumed.

Darius dodged and defended against Alex. Things got desperate and he had to launch into a series of strokes and parries to fend Alex off. He was, by far, the quicker one and finally managed to score a thin cut on his old friend’s upper arm.

The cut was shallow but Alex could already feel blood soaking through the cotton of his shirt. He ignored the incessant, burning pain there and continued the fight. They’d been fighting for nearly an hour but didn’t show any signs of fatigue. They weren’t sweating. They weren’t even breathing hard.

They were machines with one purpose now.

Kill or be killed.

Indestructible:PAST

Chapter 1

September 2006

Darius walked one of the many paths that crisscrossed the university’s grounds. Eventually, the one he was currently on would lead him to Hill Hall where his girlfriend, Anna, lived. She’d been assigned there ever since freshman year. She tried a number of things to get a different dorm but no such luck. She ended up there year after year and hated it, with good reason. Most of the students at Ashbrook University called it Hell Hall due to its rundown nature and less than reliable elevators. Him and Anna had been dating for the last two years and up until recently, he thought they were doing great. They both loved each other and were genuinely happy to be around the other.

Things, however, had changed.

And it was frustrating.

He was frustrated because of her recent one-word dismissals and erratic mood swings. Three weeks ago she was her normal, loving self and then all of a sudden she was just...hollow. It was like someone scooped out everything inside her that made her who she was and put nothing back in. She would barely talk to him and when she did, her words were emotionless and empty. Darius tried countless times to get her to open up, but she wasn't willing to do so. It made him angry to know that she didn't want to talk to him anymore, about anything. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't fix things.

So what options did that leave him with?

No good ones but he had to do something. He finally settled on a surprise attack of sorts. He thought catching her off guard was his best chance of making her actually talk to him. He had it all laid out. He’d show up, surprise her, and then guilt trip her into taking a walk with him through Hastings Park. Anna always loved nature. He thought taking her for a walk through the park, when the leaves were a mix of reds, golds, and oranges, would get her to let her guard down. He needed to find out what was wrong so he could change the direction their relationship was starting to head down.

Which was looking more and more like she was going to break up with him.

He knew he didn’t want that but Anna was another matter entirely. He wasn’t as sure about her feelings anymore. Or maybe he was. Maybe he just didn’t want to admit it to himself.

He turned his mind away from those dark thoughts and instead, focused on all the happy moments of their relationship. His memory flashed through several of them but finally ended with the first time they met. He’d been lost to her almost the second he saw her. He remembered her hair, which had been black and cut to fall just beneath her chin. It framed the lovely features of her face perfectly. Then there were her eyes. They shone with happiness and a warmth he rarely saw in people. It was her smile, however, that really ensnared him. She always smiled so radiantly. It was like she smiled with everything she had. He went up to her seconds after he laid eyes on her and asked her out. It had been one of the most exhilarating and scariest moments of his life. His heart had been beating super fast and his hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

All that was gone now. Her smile was never genuine anymore, and her eyes looked shadowed and haunted. Something was definitely going on but he couldn’t figure out what it was. What he did know was that this...thing, this mysterious thing that was bothering her, was hurting her so deeply she wasn’t even herself anymore. That, in turn, was ruining their relationship. Not for the first time since this all started happening, he realized he could lose her. Possibly forever.

He came out of his thoughts when he was almost to Anna’s dorm. He walked inside a minute later, shoving every poisonous thought he had into the furthest reaches of his mind and burying them there.

He took a deep breath and headed toward the front desk. When he got to it, he swiped his card through the reader sitting on the counter. The light on the machine switched from red to green. After it did, he went up the stairs to the third floor, deciding not to ride in the elevator. He still remembered his first and last ride on the damn thing. There had been numerous screeching sounds, jerking motions, and when he finally reached his floor, the doors wouldn't open for a long time. It was enough to make anyone afraid of elevators.

After he got to the third floor he turned right and headed down the east wing of the building. As he passed the floor's common room, he looked through the large windows to see if Anna was in there. The only person he saw was the floor's resident advisor, Victoria Pance. She was a tall, skinny girl with angular features that made her look like she was always angry or annoyed about something. Her hair was pulled painfully tight into a bun, which she habitually wore. All in all, she looked like a particularly nasty librarian.

Darius quietly hurried past the windows, even ducking down so he wouldn’t be seen. If Victoria caught him out in the open, she would flay him alive. Somewhere in the past he somehow pissed her off (although she refused to tell him what he did). Now, she was determined to make his life a living hell every time she saw him in her hallway.

He cleared the common room just in time. Just as he moved past it, he heard the microwave inside beep. Whatever Victoria had been making was done and she’d be coming out soon. He quickened his pace and got to Anna’s door a few seconds later. He ducked into the little alcove there, hiding himself from Victoria right as the common room’s door opened and shut. His heart quickened and he didn’t feel like he was in the clear until he heard her going into her own room.

He breathed a sigh of relief, waited a couple seconds more just to be sure, and then approached Anna’s door. The only thing on it was a dry erase/corkboard hybrid so people could leave messages for her. The board was wiped clean and a cluster of pins with colored balls on their ends were neatly arranged by color. Above the message board was a peephole that was bright from the mid-day sunshine. He wasn’t afraid of bothering her roommate because Anna didn’t have one. The girl that had been sharing the room with her decided to drop out of college last semester. She had it to herself now.

He approached the door and hesitated, feeling more than a little self-conscious. A stab of doubt hit him as thoughts of pushing her too hard infiltrated his resolve. It was so strong, he almost turned and walked away. The reasons for doing so were compelling after all. The biggest one being that she told him, sternly, she wanted to be alone. Several times.

His doubt, however, was outweighed by his concern.

Without stopping to think about it again, he knocked.

The sound was loud in the empty hallway. He looked around nervously in case Victoria came out to investigate the knocking. He stepped back slightly and waited…and waited some more. She was supposed to be there. She told him yesterday she was staying in.

He knocked on the door again, this time a little harder.

He continued waiting for Anna to answer and when she didn’t, his imagination started running wild. Images of her invaded his mind that were so intense and horrifying, they were like tangible objects. His mind tortured him with an image of her lying on her bed with a handful of pills shoved down her throat. Then with a gaping hole in the back of her head from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Finally, with an image of her body hanging limp and lifeless from the pole in her closet with a belt noose around her neck.

He was almost positive she was depressed but he’d never given serious thought to her committing suicide. She wasn’t capable of that. Atleast, that’s what he would have said if asked that question even a month ago. As he stood in front of the door she still wouldn’t open, his confidence in that certainty wavered and started to crumble. He was about to try and force his way in when he saw the light in the middle of the peephole suddenly darken. His heart soared with joy as he realized his fears and morbid, mental pictures were entirely baseless. The door opened, but only as slightly as Anna could possibly manage.

When Darius looked at her, the only thing he could really see was a curtain of black hair and her left eye. Her hair was longer and somewhat frizzy. Her left eye, Darius noted, was sad and filled with a deep sense of pain and anguish.

What do you want? Anna’s voice was a lifeless monotone. She peered at him with something akin to anger, but it lacked the intensity most people have when something makes them mad.

I thought we could go for a walk in the park. He tried to make it sound like it was the best idea in the world but he wasn’t all that convincing. The leaves have changed colors and I know how much you like to look at them. I thought we could go to the park and talk things out. You know?

I just want to be left alone. She started shutting the door on him.

Darius slapped his hand against it, forcing her to stop.

What’s the matter with you? The anger and hurt he felt surged forward and colored his tone. Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?

It’s not a good time right now, she said, her voice was cold and her eye flashed a warning look at him. She shoved harder against the door but there was nothing she could do to stop Darius from holding it open.

You’re gonna make time. I’m tired of this shit. You act like you want nothing to do with me. You’re distant to the point where you’re on a whole other planet. You snap at me for no reason, even though all I’m trying to do is save this relationship and show you that I love you. Tell me I don’t deserve some kind of explanation. Tell me I don’t deserve at least that much and I’ll leave and never come back. You can go on living whatever this is and I’ll move on too.

He looked at her, trying to convey how serious he was. That’s when her hair shifted and he got a good look at her other eye. The minute he saw it, raw, burning, fiery rage consumed him.

What the hell?

Anna’s right eye was completely covered in bruises. They were dark purple and the edges were yellow-green. The flesh was swollen to the point where her eye was just a slit.

Anna saw the look on his face and terror swept through her. She tried to slam the door on him again but Darius was quicker. He managed to push his way in completely. Anna was a slight, petite girl and he outweighed her by about a hundred pounds so there was little she could do to stop him. His left hand latched onto her shoulder, pinning her in place, while his right gently traced the edges of her injury. He leaned in, trying to get a better view of the damage, but after a second or two of that, he decided he wasn’t able to handle the up close and personal view. He took a step back from her, not even trying to hide the disbelief on his face.

Everything started falling into place. Her hollowness. The way she dismissed him. The way she didn’t even seem like herself anymore. It was all because of one fact.

Someone was beating his girlfriend.

Every bit of anger and frustration he had toward their situation coalesced into a hard knot of determination in the pit of his stomach. A determination to find out who was abusing her and make sure they, whoever they were, never hurt her again.

He pulled her to him, her body stiff and rigid. He grabbed the tip of her chin with his thumb and forefinger. He gently tipped her face so that he could look her in the eyes. She stared back and he saw a tiny depth of emotion, of love, buried deep within her glittering brown eyes.

Who did this to you? Darius’s voice was strained with the effort to keep any animosity he was feeling out of it. Tell me who it is and I’ll take care of it. You don’t have to worry, okay?

Anna suddenly bucked in wild terror the minute the words were out of his mouth. Her eyes were huge with fright.

No! She thrashed against him.

His hold on her was ripped away and he was left staring at her, dumbfounded.

You can’t do that! She was yelling now and so out of control he actually backed up a bit.

Then his anger came back. He took a step closer to her.

The hell I can’t, he said, his voice as hard as steel. There’s no way I’m letting some piece of shit beat on you. I’m going after him. Is it your dad? Is that who’s doing this to you?

You can’t, you can’t, you can’t. She repeated these words over and over. She shook her head back and forth aggressively. Her hair flew around her head.

I can’t just walk away, Darius pleaded, his eyes begging her to let him help her.

JUST LEAVE IT ALONE! She sobbed uncontrollably now.

Darius rocked back as if she’d slapped him. He never saw her lose control like that, not even once. She rarely raised her voice and when she did, it was usually out of laughter or joy, not anger. This version of Anna was something Darius never knew existed.

He moved a bit closer to her. She collapsed to the floor with her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. She was rocking herself back and forth, still sobbing.

Just leave. Her voice was a croaky whisper.

If that’s really what you want, then I’ll go.

She nodded her head, the movement jerky and awkward looking. Darius felt his world collapse around him.

Okay. I’ll be here for you when you finally decide to talk. You know that don’t you? Darius asked.

I do. She nodded her head but she didn’t look at him.

He turned his back on her, probably the single hardest thing he’s ever had to do, and left her room. In his rush to get out of there, he almost ran headlong into Victoria. The loud crying from Anna must’ve summoned the she-beast.

What are you doing here, Clarke? Her mouth was curled into a vindictive sneer. What’s all the yelling about? I always knew you were no good. What did you do to her?

Darius shoved his way past her and ignored what else she was about to say. At that moment, her irritating voice was dangerously close to setting him off. Victoria looked like she might chase after him, but apparently decided against it.

As he left Anna, he felt the hard knot of determination in him start to expand rapidly, consuming his mind. He was going to find out the truth and make sure whoever was beating Anna paid for hurting her. Abusing a woman was bad enough, but whoever was physically assaulting Anna also destroyed everything he loved about her.

As far as he was concerned, they murdered her.

Chapter 2

He got back to his room a few minutes later, his mind preoccupied with finding a way to get the information he needed. It ran through dozens of different ideas but each one came up short. His frustration as he entered the room was evident on his face. He shut the door harder than he needed to, the loud noise jolting him out of his storm of thoughts.

He found Alex, his lifelong best friend and roommate, staring at him with concern on his face. He had the phone up to his ear.

I gotta go, Alex said to whoever he was on the phone with. He hung up and then turned to Darius. Everything all right? You look pretty pissed off right now.

Don’t worry about it. Just got a lot on my mind. He sat down at his desk, his mind far away.

Sounds serious. Did something happen with Anna? She she... He stopped himself from saying the actual words break up with you.

No and quit bugging me. I said don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it on my own, he replied, practically growling with irritation. He gave Alex a sharp look which clearly meant drop the subject. If I need your help, I’ll ask for it.

Fine, fine. Alex held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. Just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help. You know, if you needed someone to talk to about it.

No, Darius told him flatly. Like I said, if I need your help, I’ll ask for it.

Understood. Alex got out of his chair and hopped onto his bed. He eyed Darius casually, his face set into a mask of calm and patience.

Darius grew annoyed after a few minutes because Alex wouldn’t stop staring at him with that irritating look on his face. Finally, he let out a frustrated sigh.

Something else? He asked the question even though he knew he was going to regret it. Alex was the oversharing type.

As a matter of fact, there is. He abruptly dropped the joking-around attitude he’d had and his face got serious. I just found out I’ve got my own problems and since you don’t want to talk about yours, maybe you can help me with mine?

This can’t wait? I’ve had a really shitty day. Darius wasn’t sure why he asked that question. He already knew the answer. Alex was the sort to gladly let other people solve his problems for him.

Not really. Unless you want me to drop out of college my senior year and die as a bum on the streets. If you do, then it can totally wait.

Alex was also overdramatic.

Fine. What is it? Darius rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache forming there. And this better be as important as you seem to think it is.

That was my mom on the phone, he started. She lost her job. They laid her off and she can’t find any work. Now she can’t afford what she usually pays for my tuition. She was going to try anyway, but I told her not to. Apparently, last semester nearly bankrupted her. Now I have to find a way to come up with the rest or I don’t graduate and the last four years have been for nothing.

How much do you need? Darius sat up when he heard this news, actually concerned. Alex had worked hard over the years to earn his degree and this wrinkle could prove disastrous for his friend’s life goals.

Well, since she already paid for this semester, I only have two left, Alex said. I still need just under twenty grand for them, minus the money I get from my Pell Grants and loans.

He stared at Darius, hoping his friend had some brilliant insight into his predicament.

Any extra jobs you can get? Darius tried.

Not unless I want to flunk out instead, Alex explained. It’s hard enough working two jobs and trying to maintain passing grades. If I tried to take on a third job, I might as well just call it quits.

I’ll call my parents, Darius told him, but Alex was already shaking his head no. Vigorously.

Why not? They’re loaded, they can afford it, Darius noted.

Remember the last time I borrowed money from them? Alex asked.

Darius smiled despite himself as he remembered what his parents made Alex do to pay them back.

I had to clean every room in your house for a week, including all the bathrooms. Even yours, which, by the way, still gives me nightmares. I’m not putting myself in that position a second time. So thanks, but no thanks, Alex said with a slight shudder.

Darius let out a snort of laughter.

Alex tried to throw a book at him but missed.

They spent the next several moments trying to think of a way to get Alex the money he needed. They thought of several possible solutions, only to have each one be rejected for one reason or another. There was just no way they could come up with that kind of money in that short a time period. Alex was constantly running his hands through his hair, fighting the urge to pull it out in frustrated anger. He was about to give up when he spotted a simple white flyer on his desk with his other mail. Its design was very plain. All it had on it was a small paragraph followed by a single line in bold type. It read:

Looking for candidates for drug trial testing

Must be between the ages of 18-25

Male or female

You do not need a clean health record

If interested, contact Dr. Emil Tiberius at:

369-852-0147

Large Cash Payout:

$10,000 per candidate

Well, this sounds promising. Alex re-read the flyer. If I did this experimental testing thing then I’ll have a little more than half the tuition I owe paid off in one shot. What do you think?

He handed the flyer to Darius, who snatched it and started to read it for himself. After a moment, he looked up at Alex. He had an expression on his face that said, quite clearly, Alex was stupid for even considering an experimental drug test as a solution.

Are you screwed up in the head? He threw the flyer in the trash can beneath his desk. You’d let some crackpot give you an untested drug that does God only knows what to you instead of cleaning my parents’ house? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.

I have my pride, okay. Alex reached into the trash can to pull the flyer back out. If I do this and get the money, I can still have the same amount of time to devote to studying. If I have to get a new job then I won’t be able to get good grades. If I don’t get good grades, I won’t be able to get a good job when I graduate. It’s a balancing act. If one side gets too heavy, the whole thing falls apart.

You’re an idiot, Darius replied but Alex waved the comment aside as if it didn’t matter. What if you end up with some kind of weird rash? Or you grow a third hand? Or you come back and you’re missing a kidney? I can keep going.

Then I’ll buy ointment, put the third hand to use, and I have two kidneys, so what if the second gets cut out of me. I’ll live. Alex clearly wasn’t backing down. I know it’s not a perfect solution but it’s the best option at the moment. Besides, it’s Dr. Tiberius. He’s probably the world’s smartest dude. Remember when he invented that plant food that made them grow to three times their size, three times as quickly. He’s not your ordinary crackpot. The guy’s a certified genius.

Whatever, Alex. Darius sat down at his desk and started doing some homework. Leave me out of this. I’m not taking part in this idiotic scheme of yours. Hope you survive it.

You’re always so negative, Alex retorted as he dialed the number on the paper. In a moment he was speaking with Dr. Tiberius himself. He took down Alex’s information: his height, weight, ethnicity, sex, and other pertinent facts.

You call me negative, I call myself realistic, Darius responded. He turned his back on Alex and focused again on his homework.

I’m twenty-one. Alex answered the last question Dr. Tiberius asked.

He looked over at Darius before leaning forward a bit. He hunched over the phone and whispered, Do you have room for one more test subject?

Chapter 3

Alex slapped his hand on the alarm clock. The blaring noise jolted him awake. Still groggy with sleep, he fumbled with it until he finally managed to turn it off. He got up and jumped off his bed, walking over to where Darius was still snoring. Without so much as pausing, he started shaking his friend as roughly as he could until Darius got up. He was angry and swearing loudly.

What the hell is wrong with you? Darius’s eyes were squinted nearly shut against the bright morning light. He looked over at his own clock and then back at Alex. My first class isn’t for another two hours.

I know. Alex was nonchalant. Cheery even. He was pulling on a pair of jeans and then went to his closet. He took out a striped polo shirt and put it on. Only after he put on his shoes did he look at Darius again, who was still scowling at him. We gotta go.

What do you mean? Darius had to restrain the urge to hit Alex. The only place I’m going is back to sleep.

He laid back down, putting his pillow across his face to block out the light.

No. We have to go, Alex said again. He had an annoyingly patient tone to his voice, like he was talking to a rather stubborn child. Today’s the drug test…er…rather experiment. Whatever you want to call it.

And why do I care? Darius’s voice was muffled by his pillow.

Because... Alex paused. Then he said the next part more quietly. I signed you up for it too.

You did what? Darius sat straight up and glared at Alex. Why the hell would you do that?

Come on, Alex said, his voice changing to a whiny tone. You can’t help me with this? I can’t do it alone, man. I’d freak out before I got halfway there. I need this money. Besides, I thought you’d like to have some money for yourself too. You know, without the strings your parents always attach. It’s not like the stuff will kill us or anything. How would Dr. Tiberius explain that to our parents?

Darius didn’t say a word but his face was still set in anger.

I need you for moral support. Alex gave Darius a pleading, begging look.

You can shove that moral support excuse right up your ass, Darius declared. I didn’t even want you to do it and now your dumbass signed me up for it too? That’s messed up.

I know it is and I’m sorry, but I need this money. What else was I supposed to do? Alex asked. I swear I’ll owe you for life. Anything you want and if I can do it then it’s as good as done.

Darius was pissed but it eventually petered out. Ultimately, he knew how things were going to go down. It’s how things always went when Alex got him to do something he didn’t want to do. He would guilt trip him and Alex was the master of guilt trips. It didn’t matter if the idea was ridiculous or potentially dangerous. He would play that card and it would work.

It worked now too.

Fine, I’ll do it, Darius finally said, grudgingly. But I swear if I come out of this thing with any weird rashes, a crap load of acne, or some other weird shit then I’m going to kill you. And you’ve used up your favors for the rest of your life.

Fair enough. Alex had a huge grin on his face. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.

Whatever. As long as you stop the guilt trips, then it’s worth it. Darius reluctantly got out of bed and got dressed. He took his time too, drawing out every little motion until Alex let out a frustrated sigh of annoyance.

Seriously? Alex asked, annoyed. We gotta be there in ten minutes, D.

All right, all right. Chill out. Darius put on his shoes. It’s not like we’re going to a job interview or something. He’ll wait for us.

Despite how much fun it was to push Alex’s buttons, Darius quickened his pace and got finished dressing. Then they left their room.

Outside, the day was bright and warm. The sky was an almost surrealistic blue and there was a light scattering of clouds up there. The grass was green but there were spots that were looking dried out and brown as autumn started peeking around the corner. They crossed the street and walked in the direction of the building where Alex said their appointment was. It was called the Glass House by most students but it’s official name was the Emil Tiberius Building. Naturally, Dr. Tiberius’s laboratory would be in the building named after him. Alex and Darius were nervous as they caught sight of the five story, glass-walled building. The morning sun turned the walls into a blinding sheet of light. It was so bad they had to put hands up to their eyes to block out the reflection.

As they drew closer to it, their thoughts inevitably veered toward all the unfortunate outcomes that might happen by taking an experimental drug. They tried to block them from their minds, but neither one was completely successful. The money, however, was too good to pass up. Although Darius wasn’t poor like Alex, his parents only gave him a small living expense that paid for necessities like textbooks, school supplies, gas, etc. and not much else. He was tired of never being trusted with more and the ten grand might be a good start to gaining a little more monetary independence from his parents. He also knew that however scared Alex might be, his