“Please,” he croaked, and cleared his throat. “I have to finish what I started. You can’t just… destroy everything. It’s all for the best. I’m sure you can understand.”
An incredulous grimace overtook Peter’s face, and he took a small step closer. “Understand?” His gaze darted to Dave. “What is he talking about?”
Philip’s eyebrows twitched, as if surprised Peter still didn’t know.
Before he could reply, Dave said, “He found a way to strip skyfolk of their power. A serum, he said. Except it’s not finished yet, so his lab rats just keep dying instead. All so he can make some one man suffer, because simply killing him is not enough.”
Pain swallowed hard. If the Beasts decided to go after this knowledge, to take control of the lab… But no, Levi’s face was a grimace of disgust as his eyes drilled a hole in Philip’s back.
Peter opened his mouth, but Philip interrupted him, “It’s not just about him, not just about me! It could be revolutionary, a… an instrument, a measure of control for anyone who breaks the Code. It will make them fear, more than death, more than anything you’ve done up until now. Think about it! I lost my child, nearly lost my wife—no one else should have to go through that.”
“And I lost someone who was like a daughter to me,” Peter said through his teeth. “Thanks to you and your experiments. I’m sorry if some Beast went after your family, but it should’ve ended with his death, not spreading the misery all over New York.”
Philip’s face twisted in a wry grimace that vaguely resembled a rueful smile. “He’s no ordinary Beast. No one would stand a chance against him. I… I just wanted justice for my family. And I knew I had to do something about it, stop it once and for all.”
“And he came after you for no reason?” Peter asked, a skeptical note in his voice.
Eyes cast down, Philip tugged on his too-light coat as he hobbled up to his feet. “I only met with someone, just wanted to talk. Next day, my family was ruined by this… abomination. How was I supposed to know?”
Dave interrupted his muttering, “He found another man like…” he trailed off, but Pain understood. Like Dave and Albert. “Was trying to figure it out.”
Peter rocked back suddenly, something passing between him and Dave. Apparently, Philip had stumbled into something forbidden. Curious little human.
“What you’re trying to do,” Peter said, his face setting into a stony mask, “Your wife would never survive, and you know it. The rest is… destructive at best. A catastrophe for my kind at worst. I can’t allow it. We’re shutting it down.”
Philip’s expression instantly changed, all traces of begging wiped from his face. He really believed, Pain realized. Thought that someone would approve of his twisted ideas, support him even.
“The man who attacked your family,” Peter said. “You got him locked up somewhere, too?”
Philip’s lip curled, and he spat on the ground. “You deserve what’s coming for you.”
Then he darted up into the air.
“What the hell!” Pain yelled, about to berate Dave for not telling them, since instead of surprise, his face expressed only annoyance.
But before Philip could get high enough and before anyone could follow, he dropped to the ground, like some bird shot out of the sky.
Dave went after him and back in a blink of an eye, and when he held Philip up against him like before, a trickle of blood coming out of Philip’s mouth gleamed in the moonlight.
“This is the second time that happened,” Dave said. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You fucking moron,” another voice cut in, dripping with disdain.
Pain looked to the side, seeing Levi step closer, along with two of his men.
Dave whirled to glare at him, still holding Philip with one arm.
“He’s a filthy half-breed,” the Beast growled. “He will die for betraying his own kind like this.”
Dave’s brows went up, but he quickly recovered his composure. “Not by your hand.” He turned to Peter. “Who the hell is this?”
“Nobody.”
But Dave had picked up on the Beast’s attitude. “You’re working with Beasts now, Peter?”
Behind Levi, more of his men slowly crept closer to back him up. Pain looked over her shoulder, finding Ryan lurking behind a tree, at least a dozen men behind him.
“No,” Peter said. “It’s a temporary truce. We’re dealing with a bigger threat, and you’re well aware of that.”
“And then what? You gonna let them go, keep killing? Like you did with the Commandos, when you didn’t want to rush in, to kill humans? Here’s the man responsible for Elena’s death—take him, kill him. Before he bleeds out from his dumb suicide attempt.”
You fool, Pain thought. Fool, for thinking the world is black and white.
Peter shook his head. “Not like this. It’s beneath us. Only a fair fight.”
Dave snorted, shaking Philip up, and backed off farther into the clearing. “I’ll make sure he suffers then. I’m taking him. Don’t try to follow me.”
“The bastard dies!” the Beasts’ leader cut in before Peter could say a word. He and the other two strode toward Dave.
“One more step, and the deal is off!” Pain barked, drawing the katana.
Levi looked at her, his step faltering, but the Ghosts behind her were already moving, and his lip pulled up in a snarl.
He lunged forward—only to drop to his knees.
Everyone froze, the whole clearing falling silent as they watched the three Beasts clutch at their throats, eyes wide and mouths gasping for air. The Beasts’ faces turned a darker shade of red with every passing second, until Peter seemed to realize what was happening and ran to Dave.
Dave’s head snapped toward him, and he jumped backward, dragging the
