“What about Nick, Clark!?”, asked Dave.
“What about him? He chose his side so now he had better stick to it! And better not face me again or he will be sorry!”, answered Clark clearly shaken by the way things had ended up.
“But he is one of us, right…?” asked Greg still not sure of what had just happened.
“Are you blind or just plain stupid, boy? Did it seem like he was on our side? Is he by our side now!?”, yelled Clark, his eyes popping out of his head with anger.
Greg lowered his gaze, ashamed that he had even asked something which seemed so obvious for the other boys. He decided to try to keep up with the others and just listen to what they were saying, afraid not to upset and trouble Clark anymore. He was afraid of him. Clark could be very vengeful. If he hated someone or wanted revenge for something, he usually didn’t give up until he got it. No matter what it took or how long it took. He always got his way. So a few years back when Clark had first approached him, he almost pissed his pants. He had always been fat and everybody mocked him. But when Clark offered to include him in his gang, he was thrilled.
Even if he was their bait. At least he was in Clark's gang. And that meant from that moment on he was protected from the rest of the boys at the orphanage. Since that day, nobody had ever mocked him again. Besides Clark himself, of course. But it was preferable to withstand that than to suffer humiliations from most of the boys at the orphanage. This way, he only had to endure Clark. And it wasn't that bad, he didn’t always pick on him. Only when he was really upset. But as that didn’t happen often, he was ok with it.
“Ouch, what was that for?”, asked Greg as Clark slapped his head.
“That was a reminder that we don’t daydream. What were you smiling about anyway? Do you find anything of what happened as being funny?”
“No, sorry, I was just thinking that if we could find out who the girl behind that mask was and we could get our hands on her….”, he lied as he wasn't going to tell Clark that he was in fact happy that he was the only one who was abusing him, compared to his life before meeting Clark which had been far worse.
But he couldn’t finish his sentence as Clark snapped him again.
“Ouch!”, said Greg and decided to walk more slowly and let the others go a bit ahead so he wouldn’t be slapped again. But Clark addressed him, fixing his eyes on his as if it had all been Greg's fault.
“And if we do find out who she is, do you think we can beat her? We couldn’t do it today, so what makes your fat ass think we could do it next time, huh? Will you be more prepared to fight then, Greg!?”
“But why me, boss?”, said Greg, almost crying now. “You make it look like it was my fault… Nick is the one who left us to join that stranger while I am still here with you”, he added putting the blame on Nick.
“He is right, Clark!”, Chris intervened. “Let’s not turn against each other and rather lay low for a couple of days and then try to get our hands on Nick and that guy. Show him what we do to traitors.”
“Ok, ok”, Clark finally admitted that Chris's plan was good. “Oh, and one more thing…send word among the kids in the orphanage to keep their eyesand their ears open for any information about the leather dressed girl. Whoever gives me information to get her will be suitably rewarded. Maybe even offer him or her a place in our gang, especially now that we have lost Nick. This is also valid for you, too. If any of you find out anything, let me know. I want to get my hands on her, too.“
With these being said, Clark, Greg, Chris and Dave were returning empty-handed to the orphanage.