Chapter 163 FOR JULIAN
Chapter 163 FOR JULIAN
“Julian was a child!”
Anton walked after him.
“You deserve to die in the most painful manner possible, and Eli will be the only reason I'll let Julian spare you.”
Anton grabbed and punched the man.
Henry's head snapped back.
“You deserve so much pain.”
Another punch.
“You broke him.”
Another.
“And after all that…”
Anton grabbed Henry's shirt...
“...you still had the nerve to show your ugly face to him.”
Henry roared. He snatched up a loose steel pipe from the floor, he swung it with both hands.
Anton ducked.
The pipe smashed into another container, sending sparks flying.
Henry swung again.
Anton caught the pipe.
For one second...
...they wrestled over it.
Henry was older...
...but still frighteningly strong.
Veins bulged in both men's forearms.
Then—
Anton slammed his forehead into Henry's.
CRACK!
Henry's grip loosened.
Anton ripped the pipe free.
Without hesitation, he drove the pipe across Henry's ribs.
WHAM!
Henry cried out.
Another swing.
WHAM!
His shoulder.
Another.
His thigh.
Henry finally managed to tackle Anton.
Both men crashed across the concrete.
The pipe clattered away.
Henry climbed on top.
His fists rained down.
One.
Two.
Three.
Anton blocked two.
The third split his eyebrow.
Blood ran into his eye.
Henry wrapped both hands around Anton's throat.
“Why are you so angry? What are you— Julian’s robot? I should've killed Julian when he was a boy!”
Something changed.
Anton stopped defending, his entire body went still.
Henry smiled. “You've given up? It's so weakening to imagine your all powerful Julian dying as a young boy?”
Anton quietly said, “No.”
He planted both feet, and bridged his hips upward. The sudden force threw Henry completely over him.
Henry hit the floor.
Anton rolled up before Henry could. He grabbed Henry by the ankle… dragged him across the concrete, and threw him shoulder-first into a forklift.
The machine rattled violently.
Henry gasped.
Anton didn't let him breathe.
He punched Henry in the mouth.
Blood sprayed.
Another.
A tooth flew across the floor.
Another.
Henry's lower lip split.
Another.
Another.
Another.
The punches stopped looking like punches. They looked like punishment.
“You made him believe…”
THUD!
“...he was a monster.”
THUD!
“You put voices in his head.”
THUD!
“You haunted his thoughts.”
THUD!
“You made him spend years of life in confinement. You made him violent.”
THUD!
Henry swung blindly.
Anton caught the arm and twisted till a sickening pop echoed.
Henry screamed.
Anton kicked the back of his knee.
Henry collapsed.
Anton shoved him face-first into the concrete.
His cheek scraped across the floor.
Anton planted a boot between Henry's shoulder blades.
Pressed harder… and harder.
Henry coughed, and blood pooled beneath his mouth.
Anton leaned down, his voice was frighteningly calm.
“You know what the funny part is?” He pressed his boot harder. “You failed. You tried to make Julian weak, but you only made him unstoppable. You tried to make him hate the world, but he found people worth loving. You tried to make him rot in solitary confinement,” Anton looked toward Julian for the briefest moment. “But now he has a family.”
He looked back down.
“And you? You have nothing. You've spent years of life running around and hiding from the little boy you tried and failed to break apart. Look at you, Henry, you fought a little boy and lost terribly to him.”
Henry suddenly reached behind himself—
—and grabbed a loose wrench from the floor.
He swung blindly, the wrench clipped Anton's ribs.
Anton hissed.
Henry scrambled to his feet and charged.
The two men smashed into another stack of crates.
Boxes rained down around them.
Henry threw a wild hook.
Anton slipped it. Drove an elbow into Henry's jaw, grabbed the back of his neck, and smashed his face into the edge of a steel workbench.
CLANG!
Henry collapsed. His nose flattened, blood poured from both nostrils.
His breathing turned ragged.
Anton wasn't done.
He hauled Henry up by the shirt again. Henry's feet barely touched the ground.
“I've wanted this…”
Anton punched him.
“...for years.”
He punched again.
“Every nightmare, every panic attack, every scar, every time Julian woke up shaking, every night he drugged him to sleep…”
Another punch.
“...was because of you.”
Henry's legs finally gave out.
Anton let him fall.
Henry hit the concrete like dead weight.
He tried to breathe, but each breath came with a wet gargle.
Anton stood over him.
Covered in blood; his own. Henry's.
He looked less like himself… and more like the monster people always assumed Julian was.
He took one step forward.
Ready to continue.
But he paused, breathing heavily like every breath was rage leaving him.
He wanted to beat Henry till he could see life leaving him, but he thought of Eli. He wouldn't want to be the killer of Eli's father. And Henry looked like he had reached the point where one more punch might genuinely kill him.
Anton hissed and looked around for something to tie Henry up with.
“I want you to know the only reason I'm letting you stay alive is because Eli is your son. The son you despise so much, is your saving grace.”