Shameless AF: Dad of the Damn Multiverse

Chapter 45: The Attack

"What else can you do?" Frank asked, intrigued.

The more Frank talked, the more astonished he became. Svetlana, the prostitute, was a linguistic genius. Self-taught, she had mastered several languages. Truly, a diamond in the rough.

"What's 72 times 3,867?" Frank asked.

"Two hundred seventy-eight thousand four hundred twenty-four," Svetlana replied instantly, without a pause.

"Kevin, where's the calculator?" Frank asked.

"Huh? What did you say?" Kevin was already tipsy.

Seeing Kevin's state, Frank didn't bother asking again. He jumped over the bar, found a calculator, and checked the math. Svetlana was spot on.

Frank asked a few more math problems, and Svetlana answered each flawlessly.

Frank was amazed. Svetlana was not only a linguistic genius but also a math prodigy.

"I've always been good with numbers. It's nothing special; it doesn't magically put bread on the table," Svetlana said dismissively of her talent.

"You should go to school. Even if it's not college, at least learn accounting. Don't waste your talent," Frank advised.

"School costs money. Since you're not interested in having fun, I need to get back to work. If I slack off too long, the boss will dock my pay. But if you want a lap dance, I could chat a bit more," Svetlana said, eyeing a man in the corner, snuffing her cigarette and getting up.

Frank and Svetlana talked until the bachelor party ended, even exchanging contact information.

"Tonight was the easiest work I've had in ages. It's been a while since I had a real conversation. Call me sometime, and I'll give you a discount. Bye," she said, blowing Frank a kiss as she left with the other girls, smiling genuinely for the first time that evening.

As the girls and other partygoers left, Frank, slightly drunk, stumbled home. Lip and Ian had left halfway through the party because they had school the next day.

While walking home, a car approached, blinding Frank with its high beams, like flashbangs in the dark.

"What the hell?" Frank squinted, shielding his eyes.

The car accelerated straight towards Frank.

"Whoa!" Frank shouted, diving into a snowbank.

The car crashed into a fence, and Officer Eddie emerged.

Frank crawled out of the snow, shaken and suddenly sober from the near accident.

"Eddie, are you crazy?" Frank shouted.

"Eddie sends his regards, Frank," Officer Eddie said, drawing a gun on Frank.

Bang! Bang! Several shots rang out.

Frank clenched his eyes shut but felt no pain from bullets. Opening them, he saw Eddie stagger, shot in the back.

Amazingly, Eddie, despite being shot, pushed up from the ground, seemingly unfazed.

"You…" Frank hesitated, thinking of calling for help.

"Watch out!" John tackled Eddie, disarming him and locking his arm behind his back, knee on his neck.

Crack! Eddie, pinned, forced his arm out of the hold with a sickening crunch, dislocating it to throw John off.

When Eddie rose, both Frank and John noticed his eyes glowed white in the dark, his wounds healing rapidly, as if supernaturally.

"So it's you!" John exclaimed, drawing a knife.

But before John could strike, Eddie grabbed a broken fence post, stabbing John in the abdomen.

"Ugh!" John gasped, spitting blood.

Bang! Bang! As Eddie prepared to finish John, gunshots fired, hitting Eddie in the shoulder and neck, making him stagger and fall.

Frank stood with the gun, shocked.

"Are you okay?" Frank asked, rushing to John's side.

"I'm fine. Just go! Get out of here!" John, bleeding, urged Frank.

"We can't leave. Eddie attacked us first. He tried to kill me. Even if he's dead, it's self-defense," Frank reasoned, though he wanted to run, realizing he couldn't.

"He's not dead. That's not Eddie. It's a monster!" John groaned.

Turning, Frank saw Eddie, shot through the neck, rising, wounds healing unnaturally fast.

"Run!" John shouted, seeing Frank frozen in fear.

Frank snapped out of it, instinctively starting to flee but stopped.

"Damn it, Frank," he cursed himself.

The 'Frank' personality would have run, but Frank wasn't 'Frank.' He fought against 'Frank's' influence.

Returning, Frank helped John up, and they fled together.

Bang! Bang! As Eddie pursued, Frank fired again, aiming for his legs to slow him down.

Thankfully, practicing with Ian had improved Frank's aim. Though not perfect, he hit Eddie's legs, slowing his pursuit.

"Normal bullets won't work. Use silver weapons to hurt it. Take this knife," John said, handing Frank a silver dagger.

Frank took the dagger, throwing it at Eddie, striking his thigh.

"Damn, it's a silver knife," Eddie finally reacted, stopping to clutch his wounded leg.