Chapter 11
"Drop the gun sister...Make a wrong move and she dies..."
"Pamela...Drop the knife, or your comrade perishes." Haruko answered defiantly.
Pamela giggled. It was a sound that would melt the hearts of most men but at the moment it sounded full of malice.
"You mean your brother? Anyway, this," Pamela's smile widened, her lips more luscious than ever, "knife here...Won't pose much of a threat, by itself...But when it's coated with batrachotoxin, that's when you have to watch out. So you should think twice before shooting my...comrade."
Haruko stood firm, gun aimed at Kisho whilst looking at Pamela.
"I think not Pamela. You waltz in and give me some poisonous mumbo-jumbo? I've already called the authorities so give it up. Surrender and no one gets hurt."
Pamela stopped smiling altogether.
"Haruko...Since when have I been known to make idle threats? Bring the beast my babies!"
Frank swung upward ninety degrees as the plants rose, moving towards Pamela.
"Let him speak."
The leaves and vines parted, exposing Frank's face.
"Bitch!" Frank yelled before spitting in Pamela's face.
A flurry of leaves blanketed Frank's head immediately as Pamela wiped the spit with her free hand.
"No matter my babies...He is an animal after all...Precisely why I want him to enlighten Haruko...Now Dr. Grey...Can you kindly inform Haruko about batrachotoxin? After all...You are the animal expert or rather, the animal..." Pamela said, pulling the blade of the dagger deeper into Debbie's flesh.
"Oh and don't spit again or else..."
Pamela held out her free hand, palm faced upward and fingers outstretched. Her hand closed up into a fist slowly.
"Or else you punch me?" Frank let out a guttural laugh.
"No, or else your boyfriend suffocates." Pamela replied.
Frank and Haruko's eyes turned to Guo Xin. He was bound by vines which were squeezing him tighter by the second. His face reddened as he started coughing. Kisho threw a vial at Haruko while she was distracted and she was enveloped by plants instantly.
"Oh I forgot...You're a guy..." Pamela remarked.
Frank trembled as his fists clenched, a low growl emanating from the depths of his throat. He roared as he ripped the vines at his sides to shreds with his razor-sharp fangs.
"No! My babies!" Pamela shrieked.
Frank proceeded to pulling apart the weakened vines apart with his arms. He leaped towards Guo Xin but was confronted by Kisho.
"Frank, I've always thought of you as a fellow advocate of the intellectual realm. Don't turn savage or I won't hold back." Kisho said as he brandished his fingernails threateningly.
Frank swung an arm outwards as Kisho prepared to parry the blow, only to be sent flying backwards into a wall by the sheer force of it. Frank bent down and shredded the vines around Guo Xin with his claws. He picked the limp form of Guo Xin up and bounded towards Pamela.
"Freeze!" Pamela screamed as the dagger cut deeper into Debbie's neck. A scarlet droplet rolled down.
Frank continued his stampede, charging towards Pamela as he raised an arm to attack. Pamela gasped and released Debbie, running out of the apartment. Frank followed, eyes filled with murderous fervour. Pamela turned and hurled the dagger at Frank. It flew with little resistance, burying itself in Frank's thigh. Frank barely seemed to notice. He leaped, almost reaching Pamela when the dagger burst into numerous vines, effectively rooting him to the ground. He clawed at the vines fervently. They had only served to greaten his thirst for blood. Kisho appeared at the doorway, shooting Frank's other leg with a gun.
"Frank...I suggest you take a look at Debbie...She's not going to live knowing how poisonous Miss Isley is..." Kisho said with a laugh before running after Pamela.
Frank's mind cleared a little. The girl was going to die. Did it matter?
Help...Frank looked back. He started to think academically. It was something his brain had not done in years...Not since he turned...Animalistic. Batrachotoxin...He turned back, one leg fully healed while the other continued healing at an unnatural rate. This was not his fight.
But it is. You fight on all for Guo Xin. Isn't that why you're here?
There was the irritating voice somewhere in the back of his head. He sighed. The voice had not stemmed from some desultory source. It was his mind again. The over-analytical mind that had put him right in the middle of all this.
He put you here. It's not your fault.
It sounded darker now, the voice. More malevolent. He put me here. These four words were simple yet they harboured so much impact. Isn't that why you're here? Why was he here? You fight on all for Guo Xin.
Guo Xin...
The voice echoed. Frank ran to Debbie's side and set Guo Xin down on the ground softly. Debbie's body had tensed up and her breathing came in quick short gasps. He looked down solemnly at Guo Xin.
All for you...I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it...
His vision blurred at the thought as he fought back his tears. Focus on the task at hand. That was what he always told Guo Xin wasn't it? The task...Debbie was dying. He racked his brains for a solution. Batrachotoxin...There was no known antidote. It was a deadly poison and that was an understatement. It was approximately fifteen times more potent then curare, the paralytic poison used by South American Indians. Frank thought hard. This was an animal poison...He should know it...Batrachotoxin...Skin secretions of Dendrobatidae frogs that acted primarily on heart muscles. Skin secretions...Could it work?
You'll never know until you try...Guo Xin had said that didn't he?
Frank spun around, seizing Haruko's bound body and frantically shredding the vines while taking care not to hurt Haruko. Once her arms and legs were free, Haruko pulled off the remaining vines and tried to get up but Frank held her down.
"Haruko. I need your help and fast. You have to listen to me first or Debbie's not going to make it."
Haruko opened her mouth and closed it again before nodding.
"Batrachotoxin. You know how it works?"
Haruko nodded once more.
"Good. There is no antidote for it. At least, no known antidote. But do you think reversing the membrane depolarization will work? That is how batrachotoxin works isn't it? If we could reverse it..."
"Then Debbie will be fine...Thereotically speaking..." Haruko finally spoke up.
"But you're the poison expert here since you've worked for Poison Ivy. Do you know any poisons...Preferably neurotoxins that work the similar way but opposite in charges?"
Haruko froze. The memory she had suppressed with the help of Guo Xin was coming back to haunt her. Of course she knew of such a poison. She had killed with it. Tetrodotoxin. The poison from the puffer fish. She had poisoned Mr. Hayashi's puffer fish dish with this poison. It was an ingenious plan according to Pamela for the restaurant would be responsible for serving contaminated food and no foul play would be suspected.
"Haruko! There's no time! I know you had cell implants in you too! And I know how hard it is for you to remember the process or what you did. Poison Ivy told me you killed someone with your implants but it's all in the past now! You can use your implants to save Debbie's life now! So tell me, do you have a suitable poison?"
Frank was shouting himself hoarse. Debbie looked up at him with teary eyes and nodded.
"Tetrodotoxin...It should work..." Haruko stammered in between sniffs, holding out a little finger and rubbing it with her thumb.
Within seconds, the surfaces of both thumb and little finger were moist as the tetrodotoxin was secreted.
"We need more. Then smear it on the wound. Make sure it gets into her system." Frank instructed.
Haruko continued rubbing both fingers together, more vigorously now. A droplet had amassed on her little finger. She moved her finger slowly but steadily and smeared the clear fluid on the gash in Debbie's neck.
"Easy...Apply too little and there'll not be enough to counteract the batrachotoxin. Too much and she'll be poisoned by the tetrodotoxin." Frank stated.
Haruko nodded firmly as the both of them watched Debbie earnestly for any sign of neutralisation the batrachotoxin. Debbie's body started to relax as her breathing slowed and became more regular. Tetrodotoxin, the noncompetitive inhibitor, was having an antagonistic effect to that of batrachotoxin on the sodium flux of Debbie, reversing its effects.
"Si Heng..." Debbie murmured.
"Debbie!" Haruko exclaimed, wiping dry her eyes as she smiled.
"Haruko. You gonna start being concerned 'bout me anytime soon?" Guo Xin asked as he sat up.
Haruko's eyes lit up at the sound of Guo Xin's voice.
"Guo Xin! I was so afraid..." Haruko squealed as she embraced Guo Xin.
"Don't cry...Ouch! Hey watch it baby...I may have the looks but I'm not untouchable...The last squeeze from those vines really hurt...And it still does now...So you gotta go easy on the hugs okay?" Guo Xin said gently.
Haruko sobbed as she nodded, arms still around Guo Xin.
"You probably have a broken rib or two. We can get it fixed up in no time." Frank said.
"Oh yeah, thank you Frank. Seriously, I mean it." Guo Xin replied.
Frank gave an impassive nod and excused himself by saying he was going to check on Howl and Si Heng. He gave both Si Heng and Howl a quick look-over and walked past them He could not stand being near Guo Xin and Haruko while they were so madly in love. Mad? Wasn't he the mad one? Their love was innocent and pure. What right did he have to criticise it? And yet, it pained him to see them this way. The pain...It fought hard to surface everytime he thought of him...The pain that ripped him inside-out, stabbed him like a thousand daggers, crushed him without mercy...But no, the pain was worse. It was this feeling of desire. A desire of something that would never be his. The pain pricked him again, another attempt at liberty that succeeded accompanied by tears. The tears blurred his vision as he walked towards the balcony. The memories started a fresh assault on his mind now, serving only to deepen the pain he was experiencing.
*
"Oh come on Frank...It'll be fun!" Guo Xin reiterated.
Frank rolled his eyes.
"That's because you like getting kissed!" Frank protested.
"It's the girls, not me!" Kisho said with a snort.
"Exactly!" Frank exclaimed as he fidgeted with his tie.
"It'll still be fun watching! And heck, it's the holidays! Let's have some fun! You gonna stay in the lab all day?" Guo Xin asked with a pout as he repeatedly tugged at Frank's hand, acting as if he were a child begging his parent.
"Oh alright...Seriously! I don't see how the girls swoon over you when you can behave this way..." Frank said with a sigh.
"You should be honoured I act this way only in front of you! Let's go! We're late!" Guo Xin said excitedly as started dragging Frank out of room.
The duo ran across the many corridors of the student dormitories and stopped in front of a particular room with the heading “Self-Study”. Guo Xin opened the door and was immediately welcomed by a deafening blast of music.
“Guo Xin!” A raven-haired girl called out as she rushed forward to hug him.
“Hi Katie!” Guo Xin said as he returned the hug.
“What happened to the Self- Study room?” Guo Xin asked as he looked around in wonder.
“Oh nothing much...We girls decided to give it a little of a party touch since the holidays are here. You like it?”
“Are you kidding? I love it!”
There was a long table at the side of the room that was occupied by an assortment of finger food and beverages ranging from minuscule quiches and pies to red and white wine. The sofa and chairs had been pushed to the edges of the room and someone had brought a few bean bag chairs and pillows to make the chairs more comfortable. The teacher’s table at the front had been converted to a DJ corner and all the furniture in the middle of the room had been cleared away to make space for a dance floor. The regular lights were replaced by spotlights and a hung from the ceiling.
“Katie, meet Frank from Zoology.” Guo Xin said as he pulled Frank’s hand forward.
“Frank, meet Katie from Medical Sciences.” Guo Xin continued the introduction.
Katie took Frank’s hand and shook it.
“Hi, I’m Katie. Nice to meet you.”
“Uh hi.” Frank replied laconically before withdrawing his hand quickly.
Katie raised an eyebrow.
“He’s a little shy sometimes.” Guo Xin explained as he gave Frank a little pat on the back.
There was an uproar at the table behind the three of them as Katie laughed.
"Guo Xin!"
"He's here!"
And Guo Xin was instantly barraged by a mob of squealing girls as Frank hastily took a step backwards to avoid being crushed by them. He looked on at Guo Xin as the wave of girls soon engulfed him. He sighed and cursed himself silently for allowing Guo Xin to sway him so effortlessly. And yet, it was difficult to resist, wasn't it?
"Frank Lewis Grey." A voice came from behind.
Frank stopped. He knew that voice. He smiled and turned around.
"Kisho Ida. Which part of this hallowed hall enticed you to grace this occasion?"
"Still linguistic I must say." Kisho replied before bursting into laughter.
"Kisho! Comment ça va??"
"Je vais bien, merci. I guess you only remember those three words?"
"Et bonjour. Oh well, my French was pretty sucky anyway. So why are you here? God, it's been long hasn't it?"
Kisho threw himself into a bean bag chair, looked up at the still standing Frank and then pulled him down into the bean bag chair beside.
"Like Madame used to say, asseyez-vous! Anyway...It's only been a month...And well, Katie invited me so I couldn't refuse. It's a friend kinda thing. You've met her right?" Kisho asked.
"Yeah..." Frank said as he looked sullenly at the group of girls that were flirting at Guo Xin.
"So why are you here?" Kisho's eyes followed Frank's gaze, "Ah...Pretty boy made ya huh?"
Frank sighed and looked back at Kisho. Kisho always was spot on. That was the reason they had been fast friends. Kisho was the only other friend Frank had besides Guo Xin. Although Kisho was a year younger than him, he had always seemed to know more, resulting in Frank confiding in him.
"I'm being tortured day and night...Just looking at him..." Frank said gloomily.
He had been in love with Guo Xin since the past year and had been repressing his feelings. After all, how could he tell his dearest friend he was in love with him?
"Hmph...I can't believe this! I'm going to go there and help you right-"
"Hi bitch!" Si Heng sneered.
Kisho blushed for a moment before he stood up calmly to face Si Heng.
"Hi Si Heng. Nice party don't ya think?" he answered sweetly.
Si Heng flung his wine at Kisho's face before scrambling away.
"Hey! Si Heng! How could you!" Frank exclaimed as he took some tissues for Kisho to clean up.
"No matter...No matter...Mmm...Merlot, you should try some." Kisho said while he wiped his face with the tissues.
"You took that lying down?" Frank asked incredulously.
"Well...He's the only one that talks to me in my class..."
"Hi bitch hardly counts! Why, Joshua merely made a remark and you landed him in the hospital!"
"No, he's really nice sometimes...And Joshua deserved it! That pig...Don't go telling everyone about that!"
"Okay fine. But nevertheless..."
"Frank! The game's starting!"
Frank groaned. It was another of those party games that Guo Xin never failed to take part in and those games were exactly what he loathed. Well, apart from the bullies that Guo Xin shielded him from of course. Kisho grinned and started pulling him towards the table where the game was starting to commence.
"Spin the bottle...Lovely..." Frank remarked sarcastically.
The circular conference table was being used as the platform for the wine bottle that was to be the bottle for the game. Guo Xin, his unofficial fan club of girls, Sean, Kisho and a few other guys frank did not know were seated around the table. Sean went first and spun the bottle. The spin was rather brief, the bottle wobbling a little due to Sean's mindless spinning, and landed on one of the girls in Guo Xin's alleged fan club.
She gasped as she looked at the lecherous expression on Sean's face. The conference table retracted into the ground as the pair made their way into the middle. The girl kissed Sean reluctantly on the lips and tried to pull away when Sean grabbed her behind to pull her closer. She broke the kiss immediately and kneed him between the legs. Sean grunted as the girl brought him to his knees. He moaned in pain as he crawled back to his seat. The table rised up again and the girl started the next spin. And so Frank sat at his seat as couple by couple kissed, watching the bottle carefully and praying each spin that the bottle would miss him.
The next spin ended with the bottle landing on Guo Xin. The table retracted into the ground as Katie and Guo Xin started to get into a heated kiss. Frank tried not to watch as he looked down, drawing his knees up to to his chest. He felt miserable and the kiss seemed to last for eternity. He felt even worse when Guo Xin's hands slid behind Katie's back to draw her in more tightly for the kiss. They were just friends, he told himself as he watched. It's just a game, he repeated to himself as the couple broke apart. It was Guo Xin's turn to spin the bottle and Frank realised he would have to watch Guo Xin kiss some other girl a second time in a row. He heaved a helpless sigh and turned around to avoid watching Guo Xin and the would-be fortunate girl.
Guo Xin gave the bottle a quick spin playfully as if he was tossing a basketball into the net. The bottle spun and spun and spun. Frank made his decision to leave and stood up when Kisho tugged on his sleeve. Frank turned around grumpily and looked in horror at the bottle that was pointing directly at him. Guo Xin looked a little shocked at the results of his spin at first before an amused smile appeared. Frank continued staring at the bottle, as his repressed feelings fought to burst out of the deepest recesses of his heart. Hadn't he waited long enough? Finally, a kiss with Guo Xin. Wasn't that what he wanted? Everyone around the table fell silent for it was the first time in the evening the bottle had unexpectedly matched two guys together. There was once two girls had to kiss but everyone took it lightly. However, when there were two males involved, most people saw things in a different light.
"Haha...Spin for a girl man! You don't have to kiss me! Go on! Spin again!" Frank exclaimed as he laughed nervously, his mouth dry.
Sean immediately saw this opportunity as one for his entrance.
"No way! You can't back out even if he's a guy! You spun the bottle! So you kiss him!" Sean shouted.
"Yeah! Kiss him!" One of the guys beside Sean called out.
And soon there was chorus of voices calling for Guo Xin to kiss Frank. The table retracted once more and Guo Xin walked to the middle, still laughing as he held his arms up for silence.
"The council has decided! So get up here and get your kiss!" Guo Xin called out, his voice resonating across the room.
"Come on...Don't force him...He really doesn't have to do it..." Frank said weakly, a desperate attempt at escaping from his impending fate.
"Come on! The people want a show, let's give them a good one!" Guo Xin exclaimed as he walked over to Frank.
"I'm sorry Guo Xin-"
Frank didn't get to finish before Guo Xin put his arms around him and drew him close. His heart pounded furiously against his chest, his palms sweating and his vision blurry. God, was this even happening? His doubts were instantly cleared as Guo Xin kissed him. There was no gradual increase in force or brushing of lips, just intensity from the very start of the kiss. Guo Xin tried inserting his tongue into Frank's mouth. it was definitely a queer sensation, kissing his best friend, albeit a nice one. Frank felt Guo Xin's tongue swirling inside his mouth and gave a soft whimper which only Guo Xin could hear. Guo Xin continued his intrusion before finally ending the kiss. Frank drew back, face flushed from the kiss.
"Did you all like the show?" Guo Xin asked.
There was a unanimous reply of "yes" except from Kisho who looked at Frank anxiously.
"You're quite a good kisser Frank...And you seemed to like that." Guo Xin said with a laugh as his gaze dropped towards Frank's pants.
Frank gave a tiny nod, blushing furiously as he wished his state of arousal less obvious. Sean shouted for an encore and soon, there was a chorus of voices again shouting for an encore. Frank looked up at the people crowded around the table laughing and chanting as humiliation burned him from within. He turned his back, fleeing as fast as he could.
"Hey! He's escaping! Get him!" Sean yelled.
Kisho ran after Frank and looked back at Sean and his lackeys who were in hot pursuit of Frank.
"Meat gang...Bozos.." he muttered to himself before he threw a sealed test tube of titanium tetrachloride on the ground after he exited the room as he continued chasing after Frank.
The titanium tetrachloride reacted immediately with the atmospheric moisture, creating clouds of white titanium dioxide and tiny droplets of hydrochloric acid to deter Sean and the other pursuers from going on.
Kisho ran around the dormitories in search of Frank. He tried Frank and Guo Xin's room and then proceeded to look around in the hallways and toilets. He then looked in the library and science laboratories but he still could no find Frank. It was only until he went onto the rooftop garden then did he see the lachrymose Frank sitting on the swing. He advanced forward, thought for a moment, before he stopped.
"Frank..." Kisho started.
Frank didn't reply.
"Do you wish to be left alone?" Kisho asked.
"I already am." Frank replied wistfully.
Kisho got onto the swing beside Frank.
"Frank...Do you intend to let this continue? I mean...I can't bear to see you suffer like this..."
"I know...I just can't help it...I can't just tell him I love him!"
"Why not?" Kisho challenged.
"Because..."
Frank thought about it. Kisho was right. Why couldn't he? He could make his feelings known. It was his right wasn't it? After all, those were his feelings.
"You're right Kisho...Thanks so much..."
"Don't mention it. I'm sorry for not stopping them earlier...If you really didn't want the kiss...I could have stopped them."
"Nah...I'm just glad you didn't laugh with them."
"Hmph! I'd never do that!"
Frank finally laughed.
"Okay fine, fine, I know. I was just joking."
"Ha! I made you laugh! Muhaha!" Kisho said jokingly.
Frank rolled his eyes and smiled, feeling much better as he started swinging himself forward. Someday, he would take Kisho's advice. He would stop running away and face his feelings. He would face Guo Xin, and tell him how he felt about him.
*
"So...How have you been?"
That voice cut through Frank's reverie.
"Oh hi...I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I was just asking how have you been?" Guo Xin repeated.
"Great. I'm doing fine. Can I help you with anything?" Frank answered impassively.
"Oh it's really nothing...I just...haven't seen you in a long time huh?"
"Yes, it has been long." Frank said as he continued looking out the balcony.
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen you since high school."
Frank laughed dryly and nodded.
"Naturally, our universities were in different countries." he replied.
"You know...I just wanna ask if we could be friends again...You know...Like in high school..."
Frank laughed again, with emotion this time.
"No." Frank said apathetically.
"Why not?"
"Tch! Why not? You still want to be friends with me after that incident? I'm sorry. We were once friends but it didn't work out apparently."
He felt horrible saying all those words to Guo Xin but he had to. It was his folly during his teenage years that caused him so much pain and then his humanity. He couldn't afford to repeat the same mistake he made. He made up his mind to be firm as his eyes began to water once more.
"But-"
"Enough! I don't want to hear anymore! Please!" Frank pleaded.
"Why did you avoid me? After you confessed, why? We could still continue being friends couldn't we?" Guo Xin asked.
"Then why did you run away when I confessed? Couldn't you sort things out then?" Frank retorted hotly.
"I...I always thought we were just good friends...You would help me with schoolwork and when I was in trouble with teachers...I never thought you would..." Guo Xin said slowly.
"It's scary. I'm just a tool, aren't I? Frank will get you out of trouble with the teachers, if you have an overdue project or if your grades are dropping. Fang can save your sorry ass if Poison Ivy and Kisho comes attacking! That's it, isn't it?" Kisho said, blinking his tears away furiously.
"No that wasn't what I meant!" Guo Xin protested.
"I never knew...Do you have any idea how I went through life beside you in high school? Do you have the idea how it feels to love someone and not be able to confess? Have you asked any of the girls in your fan club how they felt? And so I confessed...But the pain was worse...Much worse than before I confessed...Of course I had to leave!"
"Then how...Why did you become this-"
"Monster? That was what you wanted to say wasn't it? After I left...I kept on thinking about you...And I just couldn't stop...You were driving me to the brink of asininity...So I tried killing myself with my animal research...Now...You find me repulsive with gene alteration don't you? Look at me! Fangs, claws and reptilian eyes..."
"I..."
"And now I see I've been such an idiot...Pining for you day and night...When you've already got yourself a girlfriend..."
"Frank...I-"
"Stop calling me Frank! You've killed Frank...I told you that! There is only Fang ! The monster! See!" Frank exclaimed as he ran into the living area.
Frank picked up the gun Haruko was wielding and luaghed bitterly before emptying the whole gun cartridge on his head.
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