The Jocking: 3rd Quarter, 1:00 -- Last Play of the Quarter
by CallMeCrazy
Adam was pretty sure he was dead. The sound of the gunshot pierced through him, ripping away any cognitive process. He just sat there and closed his eyes. James was reaching for Briggs’ hand, and Kai and Chloe were running as fast as they could.
It was a second after the gunshot that Adam opened one eye. Briggs was standing in front of him, the gun still pointed at Adam. But when he looked into Briggs’ eyes, he could see fear and pain. Then, the older man’s body slumped to the ground. Behind him stood Brock, holding his own gun pointed at the spot were Briggs was standing. Kai and Chloe stopped running, and Adam stared in shock at the body of Briggs. The room sat in silence for a few moments while everyone processed what had just happened.
“What... that hell?” Adam finally spurt out. Brock slowly lowered his arm, pointing the barrel of the gun at the ground. “Why did you do that?” He asked Brock.
“I didn’t want him to kill you. It might have ruined all my work,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders. James was behind Adam, holding his back. Adam reached behind to give me a gentle pat as the two stood up. Chloe was bent over Briggs’ body, checking the pulse. After a moment she stood up and sighed.
“Well, you killed him,” she stated precisely.
“Killed him dead,” Kai added, causing Chloe to nod. Adam walked towards Brock and stood in front of the larger man. His lithe frame was dwarfed by the mammoth giants body. They stared into each others eyes for just a moment before Adam looked away.
“Well Brock... you are officially a murderer.”
“He would have killed you.”
“So? Wouldn’t you do the same?” Brock didn’t immediately respond to the question, but answered with a tiny smile.
“I might kill you. But, it’s not too late.”
“Oh, but it is. You, you killed Briggs.”
“Killed him dead,” Kai said again, apparently in shock.
Brock surveyed the remaining four, looking them up and down. Adam just stared at him, his arms crossed over his body; a serious expression on his face. Finally Brock just shrugged and turned away.
“You know Adam, it didn’t have to be this way. You made this choice. If you had joined me, he couldn’t have killed you. You would have been invulnerable too.”
“You’re invulnerable?” Adam asked. Kai opened his mouth to speak, but then quickly shut it to let Brock answer.
“Essentially.”
“That must be nice.”
“I can’t be hurt. It makes football perfect. We can never get hurt. We get up and keep playing. Keep performing. We are all the ultimate team players. The ultimate team now. I mean, look at them,” he said gesturing to the muscle goons behind him, from Hunter to Fish and the others. “Before, we were a team. But now, we are me. I think therefore they are. It’s not unity, they are a piece of me. It’s a wonderful world you’re fighting against.”
“Your world,” Adam said.
“Yes. But if you don’t wanna be a part of it, still...”
“No! I have no desire to help you. You just fucking killed someone. No offense, I mean thanks for not killing me... but you only did it to save yourself. It was, it was selfish. It was cruel. He MADE you!”
“I MADE me!” Brock responded vehemently. “I am my own master. And I could have been yours too, but now...I guess, well, I’m gonna have to kill you.”
“Won’t that just, move your soul?”
“Oh no, big difference. If I kill you, my soul goes away forever. If someone else does, it’s like a karma thing. I can kill me, but no one else can. Fun stuff, huh?”
“Oh, sounds....swell,” Adam said as he started to back away from Brock, a tinge of fear entering his voice.
“Scared, little man? Scared I’m gonna kill you? I wouldn’t use a gun, I could just crush you with my bare hands. Doesn’t that sound like fun?” Brock walked closer to Adam, pressing his weight against the boy.
“Adam!” Adam and Brock both looked behind Brock to see Chloe holding a shovel. “Duck!” She yelled as she swung at Brock’s head. The blow knocked him to the ground, and she began to slap him with the shovel a few more times, while Kai grabbed hold of both Adam and James and dragged them out the door. Brock’s goons didn’t stop them, as they were too tightly controlled by his mind. Chloe finally stopped and ran after the boys. As she ran off she yelled, “Can’t kill you but I can hurt you like hell.”
Brock lifted his body off the ground, a newfound rage building inside of him. He let out a primal scream that was echoed by his teammates.
“Fucking stop those mothafuckers! We are gonna fucking kill them!” He said. The men all charged after the kids, Brock close behind.
“How do we get out?” James asked the others as they ran.
“Just follow me,” Chloe answered.
“But won’t they be waiting for us?” James asked.
“I think I hit him hard enough,” Chloe said.
“If they really are tied to his mind, then they might be distracted,” Adam said.
“Yeah, and he may not be connected to the others yet.”
“Briggs is really dead,” Kai said.
“You’re not processing that one anytime soon, huh?” Chloe asked.
“And I didn’t kill him! Woah,” Kai laughed he nodded.
The foursome ran straight towards the doorway, each side guarded by a massive goon. But they seemed a little distracted and Chloe swiped her entry card and they ran outside. The front led to a small parking lot surrounded by green fields. There only a few cars in the lot, but a quite a few huge pickup trucks.
“Do you have a car?” Adam asked. Chloe just nodded as she threw her shovel to the ground.
“Stop running you fuckers!” Brock was out the door, his growing entourage grunting and stumbling behind him. It was obvious that the transformation hadn’t quite finished developing, as he was having some trouble controlling his men. But he seemed to have picked up some of Briggs’ insanity, as he was now the one waving a gun wildly. He let off a quick shot in their general direction before dropping the gun to ground and charging forward. He tackled Adam with defensive precision, despite his own offensive position.
“I can play both sides,” he said as his body slammed into the ground. Adam tried to struggle against his bulk but it failed. “You’re not getting away that easily, fucker!”
“Brock!” Adam grit his teeth, “Get off me, now!” His teammates had already grabbed Kai, Chloe, and James- each fruitlessly struggling against the bulk of their captors.
“Come on, just let me kill you!” Brock said as he tried to get his hands around Adam’s neck. He started to choke Adam, who continued to flail against the larger man.
“Brock!” Adam said, expending the last of his breath, “Fucking. Stop. It. Now!” He said as he slammed his head into Brock’s. Brock screamed in strange pain, and the other men slumped lifelessly, like puppets, to the ground.
“Get in the car! Get in the car! Get in the car!” Chloe said quickly as she ran up and unlocked the doors. The three boys were each running towards the car as Brock came to his senses. His eyes burned bright red as his face exploded in rage.
“Fucking kill them all!” He screamed. The muscle freaks charged forward again, but they weren’t the real threat. Hunter, consumed by Brock’s rage, had picked up the gun that had been dropped at the entrance to the research lab. He pointed it at the boys and fired.
The sound of the gunshot caused Adam to turn around and look, but Kai and James hit the ground. Adam could see Hunter try to fire again, but the gun wasn’t working. He turned around to see Kai lifting himself off the ground, his shirt covered in blood. Kai stared in confusion at his bloody hands, and both boys realized that James wasn’t moving. Adam bent down by his friend and turned him over. James’ eyes were open but unmoving. The blood on the ground had poured out where the bullet had pierced his heart. Adam pulled James’ body close as tears began to fill his eyes.
“Adam,” Kai said as he placed a hand on Adam’s back. Adam let out a small sniffled and then a loud scream. He shoved James into Kai’s arm as he charged back towards the entrance. He picked up the shovel where Chloe had dropped it and slammed it into Hunter’s head. The meathead didn’t move but just stood in place. Adam proceeded to hit Hunter again and again, with Kai yelling behind him. Absorbed in his rage, he could hardly hear Kai’s words.
“Crotch! Crotch, Adam!”
“What?” He said as he swung again.
“Get the dick!” Kai yelled. Adam flipped the shovel over, so the base was facing down. With one strong stab, he sliced it down behind the cup protecting Hunter’s massive dick. The force sliced through the underarmor that he was wearing, behind the cup, and straight through the thick member it contained. The cup, balls, and penis all fell to the ground with a metallic clunk.
A thick, cream goo began to pour out of the open wound. A shocked look passed over Hunter as he tried to cover up the hole of his former groin. His body began to deflate, with some muscles decreasing in size before others, giving him a strange morphing effect. The hyper masculine features began to fade as his skin gained a fairer tone. His shrunk like a balloon, his body melting away into a thin, more feminine form. Finally his body collapsed into a gelatin mass on the floor before turning to dust and blowing away in the wind.
Adam stared in shock at the former spot that Hunter stood. He heard a horn honk, and turned around to see Chloe and Kai in the car. Kai had placed James’ body in the back seat, with the seatbelt on. Adam began to run towards the car, as Brock called out to him.
“Guess you’re a murderer now, too. How quickly things even out,” he said as he laughed. Adam simply flipped him the bird and hopped in the car. Moments later, Chloe was driving away from her place of employment. Brock got up, dusted himself off, and just smiled as they went away.
******************
Chloe had driven them for about an hour before they stopped near a lake off the highway. They had wanted to be far enough away, to make sure they weren’t being chased. But, they also had something to do.
Adam carried the body of his friend, his once unrequited love, his rejecter, to the coast of the lake. He walked until his was to his knees in water, and then set James’ body to float on the water. Chloe and Kai stood on the shore, watching. Adam proceeded to push the body further into the lake, before pushing it down into the water and letting it float away.
Adam stood in the lake for a long time afterwards, looking at the spot were he had last been able to see the body. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Chloe, her high heels being held by the other hand above the water. He looked her deep in the eyes as tears welled up in his own. Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Adam took several deep breaths before pushing back and forcing a smile. The two walked back to the shore, were Kai joined in the hugging of Adam.
Adam just shook his head and turned back towards the water. He put two fingers to his lips and blew a kiss at the calm tides that slowly ebbed in the water. The sea was tranquil and calm. Adam sighed a little and turned back towards the other two.
“I’m going to kill Brock,” he said solemnly. They both gave him wide-eyed stares.
“How?” Chloe inquired. Adam just shrugged.
“Haven’t gotten that point down yet,” he said. “But I’m going to kill him.”
“What now?” Kai asked.
“We go to the source,” Adam said. “Back to a place that you call home, I think.”
“My high school?”
“That’s how these things always end, isn’t it?” Chloe mused.
“Back to where it all began,” Adam said. The trio got into the car, got back on the highway, and drove.
0:00 remaining in the quarter . . .
End of the Third Quarter
Start of the Fourth Quarter
Next time, on the Jocking:
It’s all down to the final quarter, the two teams are tied.. Will Kai, Adam, and Chloe be able to defeat Brock and his horde of über jocks? Or will the world descend into strange jock happiness? To find out- and have fun with some good-ole-fashioned jockings. Tune into The Jocking: Finale.
It’s unquestionably, the final episode.