"What?" Ben frowned, "Y-you can't be serious."
"He's serious," muttered Lucas, turning back to Frank, "Man, they're our FRIENDS."
"They've also been mutated into freaks of nature," Frankie protested, "And we'll be too if we stick around! That's what Mike said before he exploded."
"How do you know we can stop it if we leave now?" pointed out Ben, "It's probably too late!"
Frankie didn't seem to like this suggestion. He grimaced, looking from one of them to the other, "I'm not letting that happen to me. Okay? I have a LIFE."
"What, and they didn't?" neither Frankie nor Lucas had ever heard Ben sound so angry, his words trembling under the weight of his emotion, "Joseph was already done with school! He was a writer. And Nick...we only came here to help him get over that breakup. And then Mike..."
"Look, I get it. You want to have a bleeding heart and all that. That's great, bro, really. But here's the thing," he spread his arms wide, "Ain't nothing you or I or anyone can do? They aren't even HERE anymore..."
"Then we look for them!"
"Can you believe this, man?" Frankie turned to Lucas, only to find his friend glowering at him.
"You're being an asshole, Frank," said Lucas, "I know I should be used to it, but now..."
"Oh for God's sake..."
"Listen, I love you, Frank. You're like my brother."
"Lay off with that, okay?"
"But so is Nick. And..." he paused, "Well, Mike's kind of an uptight dick, but he's still in our frat. We're supposed to look out for him. And Joey..." he shrugged, not seeming to find much impressive to say, "Well, he's dating Mac, so for her sake I can't leave him behind."
"Why? So your sister can date the fucking Octo-Dad?" but Frankie seemed to realize immediately this was a bridge too far, "Look, man, I...uh, I'm sorry, that was..."
Too late. Lucas's fist flew, connecting with Frankie's jaw with enough force to send him staggering backward, "Don't you talk about my sister, man! Just don't," his eyes were bright, and his feet positioned as if ready to swing again.
Frankie rubbed his jaw, grimacing, "You know what? I've been wanting to hit someone since the plane anyway."
He swung back, striking Lucas in the gut, an underhanded tactic he wasn't prepared to guard. Lucas doubled over, convulsing.
"Hey!" Ben protested harshly as he could, which wasn't very much, "Frank, lay off!"
But Lucas had already retaliated, driving his knee into Frankie's crotch, prompting him to squeeze his eyes shut with a harsh, "ARGH! Motherfuck..."
"Got the manly bullshit out of your system, or should I try a little harder?" panted Lucas.
"Oh, brother," Frankie shook his head, "I'm just getting started."
He leaped back for him, striking once each on either side of Lucas's face while Ben looked on helpless. The pummeling may have continued, uninterrupted, indefinitely were it not for one of the group experiencing a sudden and startling change of his own.