Children of a Lesser God

Chapter 66: Poison Isn't As Effective As One Might Think (party 8)

Laz might have been oblivious to the plot set against him, but he wasn't oblivious to what happens to his body. For instance, when you are focused on something, you might be able to tune everything else out. Heavy sleepers are a good example. It would take something like a loud fire alarm or their house collapsing for them to wake up. In this case, although it wasn't apparent to Laz at first, it didn't mean he didn't notice it shortly after it happened.

As it was, Laz was in the middle of watching the fight when he felt a strange itch in his stomach. It kind of felt like indigestion although it was more like concentrated on one spot. Normally, a poison starts acting as soon as it's ingested, making it's way quickly to the blood stream. But that would be the effect for a normal person. Laz was anything but.

After having ingested a few weird things not too long ago, things that would kill a normal person, Laz had become much more resistant to harmful substances. If he was old enough to drink, he would find that he could drink as much as a man twice his size even before he might have felt it. In a similar way, the amount of drugs used on Laz to make him unable to exert himself was more situated to someone Laz's size or a bit bigger. The old man didn't know this, but due to his holding back on attempting to poison Laz, he actually shot himself in the foot.

Not only was the poison not effective, but it had actually cause Laz a strange discomfort that he felt. Since Laz couldn't exactly reach into his stomach to itch it, he did the next best thing. Sitting back in his seat, he focused his sense on himself in an effort to see what the problem was. Normally, his body would appear to shine a bit golden and blue, thanks to the water and nectar he had consumed. However, looking at himself, he was able to see a black spot on his abdomen where the poison was attempting to penetrate his stomach lining and force it's way into his blood stream. The poison wasn't alive, it was just that the powder wasn't able to sit in one spot long enough to affect him until it had reached his stomach.

Laz was confused at first, but gradually, he figured it out. If the golden and blue colors represented a positive energy balance within his system, what could black possibly be? Something foreign and harmful. Knowing that he had just drank the water, he was able to quickly figure out that he was being targeted.

He started to panic a bit after figuring this out as this was a completely new experience for him. He had been poisoned after all and he had no idea what to do.

As he kept looking at the black spot just sitting there, Laz could feel little beads of sweat starting to form under his clothes.

'What the hell am I suppose to do about this? Should I say something to Kennedy?' Looking over at Kennedy who had come back with a happy smile on her face, he felt like telling her would be a bad idea at the moment. This wasn't something she could do anything about, so what would be the point? Make her panic? He was barely keeping himself in check since he could see it wasn't spreading. But there was no way she would react so calmly.

In Laz's head, he felt like it was a small bomb someone had planted. He didn't know what it was, why it was there, or what the result would be. Even if it wasn't doing anything now, that didn't mean it would stay like that.

Over the past few weeks, Laz had been subconsciously circulating his energy according to the natural way he learned while observing the energy in the air. He didn't know why he did it, but it made him feel more energetic every time he did it. Since he was already somewhat on edge, he started the circulation naturally as he tried to calm himself down.

The result was amazing.

As Laz watched the blue and gold lights of energy cycle around his system, every time they passed by the black spot, it shrunk more and more. It didn't take more than a few cycles before the black patch was gone. Moving his hands and feet, Laz realized that he was feeling just as good as he did normally while doing this.

For whatever reason, his body's energy eliminated that black patch before Laz even knew what it was.

Although he was relieved that he was out of danger, he now had a bigger problem.

It was obvious he was being targeted and since it didn't take a genius to figure out who had slipped him the poison, he knew he was being targeted by the people at the house. He couldn't help but look over at where Tommy was sitting, wondering if it was him. He would be the first choice that Laz could think of. But as he observed him, he noticed that Tommy didn't even look in his direction. He was more focused on playing with his two toys while watching the blood fly on stage.

Laz felt that considering what had happened, if it was Tommy, he would at least be sneaking glances at him. Since he wasn't, Laz felt like it had to be someone else. As opposed to looking around though, Laz just spread out his sense so that he could observe the people of the house and see who was taking looks at him. He noticed the waitress immediately. And standing next to her, while she kept looking at him, was the old man in charge of security.

One might think that Laz would feel better about it not being Tommy, but the truth was he was far more scared of the old man. Tommy was young, impulsive and hot headed. He could be figured out easily. But the old man was a sly, crafty one. Those were the most dangerous.

Laz wasn't some super solder or some all knowing tough guy. He was a student with a bit more experience than most. Knowing that someone was acting against him like that, his first thought was to run. But could he?

Looking over at Kennedy, he decided it was best to feel the situation out.

*Hey!* He thought towards her. She had been taking a drink at the moment and had almost spit it out upon hearing his voice in her head.

*Jeez. Would you not just do that all of the sudden?* She asked while holding back her cough..

*Sorry. Did you get the money from the bet?*

*Yeah. Then I put it all on your next match. I'm not sure what the odds are, but we can still win quite a but more since everyone is still looking down on you,* Kennedy responded with a smile. She had quite a lot of trust in this body guard of hers. And since they both needed the money, she felt like any bet on him was a sure win.

*Damn it,* Laz said, not hiding his thought.

*What? What's wrong?* Kennedy asked, sitting up and looking over at him.

*I think we are being targeted. Well, me anyway. I have no idea if they want to do something to you,* Laz thought to her while looking in her direction.

*What do you mean? Did something happen?* Kennedy now looked alarmed. Although Laz couldn't see her face, he could feel the changes in her thoughts immediately. Despite the severity of the situation, Laz couldn't help but feel a bit touched. Even if he didn't know how much it was, he did know he liked this girl. And when a girl you like shows concern for you, it ends up hitting you far more than you can imagine.

*I think they tried to poison me. But, for whatever reason, it didn't work. So, before you lose it, I am perfectly fine,* Laz said, shaking his head as though it would somehow prove he was ok. Since she couldn't see his face, he felt it was the next best thing as though his body language would match his words, so to speak.

*WHAT? THEY...YOU... ARE YOU SURE?* Kennedy almost screamed this, but managed to keep it inside her head at the last moment. Laz's head nodding did little to comfort her.

*Yes. I'm sure. Trust me?*

Kennedy sat back to collect her thoughts and carelessly started playing with the leash in her hand. Her pet seemed started to sit up as though she might need to be used for something, but Kennedy didn't react at all.

*So... what should we do?* Kennedy asked a bit apprehensive. She didn't want to lose out on the money she had bet, but she wasn't about to bet his life or hers to get it. What's the point in being rich if you are not alive to enjoy it?

*We will wait until my next match is over. Then you go collect the bet if I win and head for the door. Make up some excuse about needing to go outside to the bike to get something. Start looking through the bags like you can't find it and keep doing that until you see me coming. Then get the helmet on and get ready to go.*

*Are you sure? I'm not about to risk you just for this.* Kennedy said a bit emotional. Even though it was his life being threatened, he was still making sure to take care of her. He knew how important the money was to her even if he didn't know the reason why. So the fact that he was going to go through with this next match despite the risk caused her heart to quiver a little bit. It was a feeling she wasn't used to.

*It's fine. Besides, we need to make this as natural as possible. I don't know what they are trying to do but it is already to this point. I can't fight the small army they have here so we might as well get out before things get any worse.*

The plan in Laz head was taking shape. Getting Kennedy out would be easy as no one thought much of her in the first place. The one they seemed to be targeting was him and as such, he was the one they would watch. Despite the danger of it all, Laz was getting a little excited.

As the final match of the first round was starting up, Laz just sat back and watched, almost as though he didn't have a care in the world. The truth was that he was scanning the surroundings in a effort to make an escape root. Looking at the camera placement along with the building arrangements and guard positioning, he got a rough idea in his head.

Since he could figure out where people were just by using his sense, he knew he could make this work, at least he thought he could.

The final match involved a rather well muscled middle age man who had several tattoos on his back. The mask he was wearing looked like a clown mask that, when placed on his body, would scare anyone he came into contact with. In contrast, the one opposite of him was wearing a smiling theater mask, the kind that was pure white with pitch black eyes and smiling mouth. If anyone hadn't been paying attention, this would look amazingly like a creepy showdown between two serial killers.

As the judge started the match, both men took a moment to circle each other in the ring, as though looking for their opponents weak point. The clown was using a sliding step to circle while smiles, who was also quite ripped, was just lazily walking around in a circle as though he didn't have a concern in the world. When his opponent finally stopped, he just continued to move as though it didn't affect him in the slightest. The clown, a bit taken off guard, turned his body to face smiles who was still moving, but didn't take another step.

Finally, when smiles was only a few feet away from the clown, the clown pounced at him, aiming a faint at his face while his real target was his lower body. Most people, when being attacked in the face, would move a hand or two to stop it as that was instinct. Doing so in a fight was actually pretty stupid. Not only would it tie up both of your hands, leaving the rest of you exposed, but it would also block your vision. It was normal to start a fight this way as a probe.

Smiles however, had a different idea. Instead of blocking the punch with his hands, he brought his head down to headbutt the fist coming at him. He then raised his left knee to block the lower blow while bringing both his hands up in a reverse chopping motion, going directly for the clowns neck.

As the clown was to focused on his hand being hit and his lower punch being blocked, he failed to bring his hands up fast enough to block smiles' attack and as such, it landed square on clown's neck. The blow was so hard, it ruptured his windpipe almost immediately and caused him to grab his neck in a panic while backing off.

The judge, seeing this, tried to rush forward, but he wasn't nearly fast enough to stop smiles from kicking the clown in the stomach. The kick forced all the air out of the clown's collapsed windpipe which caused him to faint due to oxygen loss.

He twitched a few times before his body went limp while the judge was waving over medical personal. All the while, smiles just sat down, off to the side as though watching a show.

Sadly, even though they tried sticking a tube in his throat, it was far too late due to the damage and clown passed away in front of the audience.

The room was once again quiet before bursting into cheers at the sight of a man dying in front of them. For these rich and spoiled youths, this was the ultimate kind of high.