Inhumane Retribution

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Author's Note: Hi~ Little prewarning. This chapter holds some graphic violence. So proceed with caution, or rather maybe not the chapter for you if these things bother you. 

5:12PM

Teeeeeeeeeeejayyyyy: Hey. Eden told me that she's worried about you.... Being a problem again? I'm kidding, but I think you might need to talk it out. Meet me at the coffee shop at 6:30.

Dexter looks down at the text message displayed on the screen of his phone again as he stood outside of the coffee shop that TJ had mentioned. He was glad that he had reached out to him, it made him feel better knowing that he was concerned for him and even so caring enough because of his friendship with his partner. He was troubled by what had happened with Eiji and didn't know what he should do now. He had planned to never bring it up and to brush it off as if it were nothing. It didn't surprise him that Eiji would even draw such things, he was an artist after all and of course it was standard to use references from time to time. But something about it gave a very uneasy feel about it. These pictures seemed authentic, not produced by CGI or even photo shopped. They were raw images with no signs of time passed from the incident to the founding. It haunted him at night, his dreams were plagued with the images, his uneasiness causing him to reflect on things that would have been dismissed as Eiji just being himself. Set in a different lighting, a lot of the things that had happened in almost every conversation with the older male now seemed to be grim. And it truly did eat at him, he had formulated so many suspicions and fears, believing that his friend was in fact, truly, possibly a murderer. That he had taken those photos, that he took them for references for his art, that he had caused the state of these mangled forms that were once a human life.

He shakes his head in disbelief, shaking the thought free from his mind, there was no way, there was absolutely no way that Eiji could do those things. He was always very kind and polite, when he was rude it wasn't to be rude, it would just be a statement so bluntly put that he seemed to not notice that the structure of it was implied to be as bold as it came out.

Dexter takes in a deep breath and exhales slowly through his pursed lips, he had formed an anxiety of being out now, in fear that he would run into Eiji, or anyone for that matter. Reality starting to set in that the concept of anyone being corrupted and twisted could be hiding amongst the throngs of people that lived in the same thriving city that he did was enough to make him want to run back to the safety of his shared home with Eden. He checks the phone again for the time, he had arrived a bit earlier because he had set out immediately upon receiving the text, despite TJ saying that he was joking about him being a problem again, that's exactly how he felt to Eden at the moment. He didn't want to burden her with this problem, that he had caused, it was all his fault, and he was probably just making a big deal out of nothing again. He was sure that TJ would be able to clear that up for him, he was Eiji's closest friend and if he knew anything, he knew that they were always together, so he would have had to caught onto something. If Eiji wasn't at home, or at even his own house, he was at TJ's, that's what he said anyways.

The realization of his thought process immediately sparking a dread in him as he looked up and around at the people passing by where he stood in search for the black messy hair that would belong to the person he was meeting, fearfully searching for the counterpart of curly brown hair that could be accompanying it. He jumps and fumbles his phone feeling a hand clasp on his shoulder from behind and whirls around in defense to meet the unimpressed gaze of TJ.

"You're jumpy... not used to being out at night... is it past your curfew?" TJ jokes dryly and holds up the drink tray holding two to-go cups.

Dexter sighs out dramatically in exasperation and takes the cup closest to him from the cardboard holder into his hands, relying on the warmth of the cup to aid his numbing fingers from the cold. TJ glances down and stoops down slowly to retrieve the dropped phone from Dexter. Righting himself he holds it out to him and shakes his head as if in disapproval.

"Come on dude. Pay attention." TJ scolds lightly in a way that almost seemed as encouragement.

Retrieving the phone from TJ, Dexter nods and pockets the device into his double-breasted black hooded coat.

"I'm sorry. I've just been on edge lately. I suppose that's why Eden called you. I'm sorry to be such a burden to everyone..." Dexter manages out dropping the comical cartoonish behavior that could be on par with most overly animated characters from any Japanese series.

TJ only nods pulling his drink from the holder and leaning over to toss the holder into a standing trashcan located on the street for public use. He points off to the side and begins to walk, expecting the bespectacled male to follow in tow. He glances over his shoulder to confirm that Dexter had in fact began to follow after him, those his eyes shifting nervously to the sides as if searching for something to jump out at him at any moment. TJ looks up to the streetlights flickering on as the sun finished setting on the horizon, casting them into a dim lighting of the evening. It was his favorite time of day where the light met dark and they mingled together for just a few minutes before being cast into one or the other. Sunrises were something different because it would be the opposition of his preferences, the end of the night was also the signal for him that he also needed to adorn his mask again for the masses.

Dexter nearly hops to catch up to TJ, falling instep beside him and glancing to the street to his left. He glances to TJ taking a drink from his cup nonchalantly, either paying no mind to his skittish behavior, or genuinely not noticing, he wasn't sure, but it was relaxing in a way that he didn't react so strongly as Eden would have.

"So what's up? You're stressing out your girl." TJ asks point blankly, as if firing the first shot as they continue to walk down the sidewalk to where he hadn't even mentioned.

"Oh. Geeze. Uh...." Dexter starts having not expected to get right down to it. He thought that he would be able to ease into it with some small talk, but remembering how TJ was, he hated the small talk and would rather address the topic at hand. "Its.... It's about Eiji."

"So I've heard. What happened?" TJ responds automatically, his voice vacant of any concern or interest though he knew that he was at least interested in the topic.

Considering TJ and Eiji were the closest, he had concerns that TJ would turn around and tell Eiji everything. But TJ didn't seem to be the person to do that, he tried to keep out of everyone's business because it would only mean that it was more trouble for him. And he avoided it like the plague, there's no way he would ever willingly involve himself in a situation that didn't initially already involve him. And even then he would do everything to resolve that situation in the fastest time possible because it was just a waste for him.

As Dexter remained quiet to think things through TJ stops him and gestures to the street, gently nudging him towards the parked car. Dexter looks to TJ and then the vehicle, realizing that it was his and absently gets in on the passenger side. Buckling his seat belt and setting his drink in the holder he looks to TJ ducking his head as he lowers into the driver's seat and starts up the engine.

"Where are we going?" Dexter finally asks having not realized this entire time that TJ was going to be taking him anywhere, let alone allowing him into his car.

"Just my thinking spot. I find it's easier to be there and speak freely. There's no pressure of eaves dropping by strangers. Or even phone service is spotty. It's just..... quiet. Trust me." TJ waves it off dismissively and turns to look between their seats as he backs up to pull out from the parallel parking.

"Oh... ok. That actually sounds nice....." Dexter speaks quietly and looks down at his hands on his lap, turning them over on his lap to inspect the lines on his palms as the car sets into motion.

He decides to wait to speak for when they get there, because it would be a pointless gesture if he talked everything out on the ride over when TJ was going out of his way to do this for him. He had never done anything like this and it was rare for him to show any form of compassion. He felt good for that, it showed that they had become closer, even if it was because of Eden. He was grateful for this, and thankful for the fact that he felt accepted finally. It was a struggle to find where he stood with everyone. At first he was closest with Eiji, and then Eden, and not so much with TJ, but he really wanted everyone to be close. He enjoyed having friends and now it felt like that was all slipping away. It wasn't unknown that Dexter tended to have a more lively imagination and would convince himself of something was false due to it, he told himself that that's what he was doing again, but it was just a gut feeling that he couldn't get rid of. On top of that, with the vague description of his feelings to Eden, she had recommended that he should listen to a gut feeling because often times they were correct off of intuition. Though it wasn't that easy, this was something that you would only read about or see in a movie, and maybe that's what he was basing it off of, he didn't have much else to go on besides some photos. And it only meant that Eiji had those photos. That's all. And yet it still didn't feel right. They were too real. And any crime scene photos he had searched on the internet, even on foreign servers, he couldn't find the stock images anywhere.

"So what about Eiji?" TJ prompts suddenly as they pull off of a main road and the car begins to rattle on the dirt path leading up a hill.

Dexter looks to the path illuminated by the blueish tinted headlights of the car, the dirt dry with a tan color, the path lined with trees and bushes, off to the left he could see a source of water flow that sparkled in the night life that was the emerging moon to take the place of the sun and the stars above. He glances to TJ beside him focused on navigating the path, his left hand placed on top of the steering wheel, his right arm leaned against the center console compartment with his elbow, he looked completely relaxed and as usual, disinterested. Leeching some of TJ's comfort from the area, concluding that it was completely safe, Dexter sighs out and nods more so to himself, knowing that TJ couldn't look over to him for focusing on the road.

"Yeah... I kind of messed up TJ. I've.... I've done something that could get a lot of people in trouble... and I'm not proud of it. And it could have all been for nothing because it could in fact be nothing." Dexter begins, his statements as vague as possible as was per his protocol on speaking about anything. "The other night, I saw you and Eiji outside of the bar. And... earlier that day I had asked Eiji if you two wanted to go out as we do every week. When he declined and said that you two would be busy, I became worried over it. I could've sworn it was you...." He continues on though trailing off as he realizes that he would be repeating exactly what he said to Eiji and hadn't considered that TJ would react in the same way.

Though Eiji had known before hand, whereas TJ wouldn't have, that security blanket was what Dexter was banking on. Not that he wanted to pit the two against each other, but he was hoping to gain a different reaction from a different person.

"Oh. Alright. I see. Continue." TJ encourages blandly, though not adding any commentary in either denial or confirmation of the adding.

"I thought that you both didn't want to see us or something. It really upset me." Dexter presses looking to TJ, this time trying to provoke something from the male.

TJ shrugs his shoulders and rolls his hands over in each position for the palms to be facing upward in his show of either not knowing enough of what was going on, or rather in an unapologetic way. Dexter sighs and turns his head to look back ahead as TJ pulls up to level ground and slows the car to a rolling stop. He parks the car with a sigh and turns in his seat to look to Dexter, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his forward facing elbow in a show for Dexter to continue.

"I.... I used Eden's computer to check if it was you two..... I couldn't get through to your phones, but I connected to Eiji's tablet because I helped design the software that he was using on it... and I did confirm that it was you two." He presses now clutching at the strap across his chest from the seatbelt, looking to TJ fearfully for his response to be only greeted by the same emotionless, hollow gaze that he always wore.

"Is there more or is that it?" TJ shrugs it off as that alone wasn't enough to be worried over at all and that he wasn't sorry for what had happened, playing at ignorance was easy when he didn't honestly care what he had to say in the first place.

"N-no.." He stammers and lowers his head, clenching his teeth as he recalls the images he had found and unable to shake the paranoia that he had over it all. "I found.... I found some pictures, that I don't think that anyone was meant to.... Tell me TJ.... Are there times when you don't know where Eiji is..... or what he's doing?"

"Pictures? Uhhh I mean I guess, we aren't connected at the hip or anything." TJ responds non-chalantly, his eyes shifting to the side towards the backseat and then to Dexter as he looks up.

"I... I know he's an artist and references are used for artwork sometimes. But TJ... this was dark. These were drawings of corpses, mangled, twisted broken bodies, covered in blood and guts. And the pictures... they looked so fresh, so real, so raw. I couldn't find them anywhere online. And there were no sources. Does Eiji work with the law on crime scenes? I never asked him if he worked in that field." Dexter blurts out becoming more and more frantic in his admittance, the words falling out of his mouth even startling him though TJ kept a calmness that was now coming off as extremely suspicious, or certain, with Dexter's mind racing a mile a minute with his worries, he can't help but lurch across the center console to grab onto TJ's forearm with a gripping touch.

"No. Eiji doesn't work." TJ answers plainly, his eyes narrowing on the grip on his arm. "What are you thinking?"

"I think.... I think those missing people, the signs around this district... I think Eiji-" Dexter swallows heavily unable to say it aloud with TJ glaring him down, the look could speak on it's own that TJ thought he was an idiot.

He gasps out as the seatbelt yanks back against him harshly, the rough cording of the fabric feeling as if it was cutting at his neck and the tightening around his chest and waist causing him to panic more. TJ inhales deeply looking to the window despondently and then back to Dexter with a snap of his eyes as the boy tries to release the buckle, becoming strangled by the device though him uncaring of the situation.

"Thank you for confirming that." Eiji's voice whispers over the passenger's seat into Dexter's ear.

Dexter stills, frozen in an instant cold sweat. He turns his head looking over the disinterested TJ to meet the cold steel eyes of the brunette he had not expected to have seen. TJ leans over pulling the emergency break to the car and moves to get out, shutting the door firmly behind him. Eiji chuckles into Dexter's ear as he turns his head immediately away from the accused male. He stutters a breath feeling the seat belt tighten over his chest with a sharp jolt.

"All you had to do was be honest. But you lied Dexter." Eiji choruses out in a sing-song tone, as if all of this amused him, as if all of this was a game to him, knowing that he was causing pain.

"Are...you going to kill me?" Dexter chokes out through his controlled breathing at the constriction against his lungs at this point.

"Oh no. Not today." Eiji mutters and releases the seatbelt from behind the seat.

Dexter gasps for air and leans forward, further away from Eiji in the backseat. The passenger door flies open shocking the younger male with a blast of cold air and he feels the seat belt release from around him. His head whips around to see Eiji leaned over the center console and pressing the button for the seatbelt with his signature smile spread across his lips.

He's ripped from the car by his shoulder and arm to stumble onto the cold, dry dirt, his feet slipping slightly. He reaches up and clutches at TJ's hoodie looking up to him. The cold mismatched eyes glaring down at him, he immediately plucks his glasses from his face and tosses them back into the car as Eiji emerges giving a small shiver.

"Please, please, TJ don't do this. Don't. This will hurt Eden." Dexter begins to plead desperately looking up to TJ's unfazed, set jaw.

"If you tell her." TJ hisses out.

Dexter chokes on his breath as he's slammed down onto his back against the ground. TJ grips onto the front of Dexter's coat and stands him up again.

"Real smooth trying to manipulate us with a guilt trip for your beloved don't you think?" TJ voices plainly, as if he didn't just body slam him into the ground.

Dexter finally takes in a breath of air with a small wheeze, the throbbing in his head beginning from hitting the ground.

"What a stand up guy." Eiji coos walking around the front of the car and leans back against the hood, tucking his hands into his coat pockets.

"N-n-no that's not-" Dexter tries to argue.

"Shut the fuck up." TJ snaps beginning to drag Dexter to in front of the car in the beams of the headlights.

He forces Dexter down to his knees with little effort considering he was still dazed from the impact to the back of his head. He swiftly brings up his knee to smash into Dexter's nose, knocking him back with a strangled cry. His form hunches over with his hands covering his face, his fingers warming with the blood now flowing from his nose. He braces for the next strike, his entire body tensing up from the cold and from the adrenaline that was keeping him paralyzed and rooted to the spot. He hears the dirt and rocks pop and scratch with movement around him. He chances a glance to see that TJ was no longer to his left as he was crouched before the bright rays of light facing the car. He looks up to see the silhouette of Eiji approaching him in a blurry view, his form touring, his walk smooth, silent, the sound of rushing water flooding his ears. He looks to his right in a panic to meet TJ's unblinking glare crouched beside him and looking to his face.

"You understand the weight of your annoying persistent prying right? Have I not been warning you this entire time to not dig so deep?" Eiji's voice rings out, his playful tone completely gone from it, his words stern and deep.

Dexter looks back to center and up at the unfocused shape of Eiji standing before him. He hears a deafening crack and his vision goes black for a moment, unsure of what had happened, Dexter blinks as the silhouettes of two figures stand over him, backdropped by the stars above. He pushes himself to roll over feeling as if he were joking and hacks up a mouthful of sticky fluid that he could feel clinging to his lips and the corner of his mouth. He

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