by Joshua
Regaining his footing, Alpha rushed in and punched it in the sternum. Both of its arms went straight out as its body flew back against a metal container. Its breath escaped its lungs in a quick cough as it smashed into the painted steel. The police all scrambled away, avoiding the battle at all costs.
Alpha flew towards it, but was met with a powerful foot to the chest. The hero fell flat on the ground, gasping for breath as the beast looked down on him with its dark puffy eyes. It grinned, flashing its diminutive teeth as Alpha put his arm up to shield its next attack. It sat on his chest, pushing his arm away and began punching Alpha in the face repeatedly.
The hero’s head smacked into the ground, cracking the concrete below. The beast raised both arms up with tight fists and slammed them down just as Alpha punched it in the throat. It stood and stumbled away with both hands at its throat, gasping for air. It choked and began to turn a light shade of blue, but then took a deep breath and shook it off. Both of its eyes rolled before focusing back on Alpha. It released a powerful scream and charged at Alpha again. The hero braced himself, but the force was too powerful. It tackled him, and rammed his body into the nearest police car. The four door sedan folded in two as they bent the metal. It still screamed as it punched over and over, beating on the hero’s head again and again. Blood ran from Alpha’s nose. He could taste it in his mouth as the hard pounding pushed his face deeper into the car. The thing stopped long enough to grab a sharp piece of metal, but as it went to stab Alpha, gun shots rang out. Five bullet holes appeared in its pig pink flesh and it turned towards the two police officers shooting at it.
Throwing the metal spike, it impaled one of the officers and pounced on the other. The man’s shattered legs collapsed under the weight, and went down. The creature ripped his arms from their sockets as the officer screamed and cried out for help. Taking one of the dismembered limbs, it began to devour the meat, pulling and tearing it from the bone, while looking around. Rose and her men watched in horror as it lifted the limb and drank the runny blood that poured from it. This distraction was enough for Alpha to grab a broken sign post and run the thing through.
It howled and arched back, gripping the metal protruding from its chest. Alpha grabbed the pole and slammed it to the left, and the right. The monster dropped to its knees with a low groan. Alpha looked down on it, breathing deep from the exertion. It looked up at him, tired and broken as blood drizzled from the opening in its chest. Tightening his fists, Alpha gritted his teeth and punched it in the face. Its head rolled with the punch and turned back, revealing its teeth with impotent aggression. Alpha brought his fist down again and again until its head tilted in defeat, and its breathing shallowed. Alpha took the metal and bent it around the creature’s body, locking its arms in place. Blood ran from its front and back before leaking from its mouth. The teeth were reddened with the fluid.
Alpha grabbed the creature and shot off into the air as Rose and the other officers watched.
"What the hell was that?" Mac asked.
"I don't know, but we need to cordon off this area," Rose said. "Who were the two officers..."
"Billy Williams, and Jerome White," Mac said.
"God damn it," she said, holding her head with her hand. She rubbed her temples in a circular motion. "Get word to their families," she said, and turned away. “Tell them, I’ll be in touch with them personally.”
Chapter Seven.
Ivy and Jon walked through the abandoned train terminal. It was cramped with rickety hovels and plywood lean-tos, leaving little room to walk. They had to shimmy past the destitute residents as they stood around, talking and yelling in angry voices.
"We didn't want this," one man yelled.
"You're damn right we didn't" said another as a wave of echoed sentiment rippled through the crowd.
"He feeds us and protects us. Eddy has cared about us when no one else would. You guys are just overreacting," replied a woman standing in front of them.
"Yeah!" said another.
"Everyone please!” Ivy said. The crowd quieted, but many voices could still be heard. "This can't come between us. Remember, who else will take us? Eddy has his agenda, sure, but he takes care of us. We were homeless and now we have a home. A community. We owe him our lives."
"He sent a monster to kill a hero. That’s too much! Stealing here and there is one thing, but this revenge kick is insane," replied a lady.
The group roared around Ivy and Jon, crowding in closer. Ivy felt suffocated as a dirty man yelled in her face. She exhaled in relief as a group of Omegas came down the tunnel towards them.
“Break it up!” said the teenaged boy, walking in front of the small group. He was wearing a dingy denim vest with the omega symbol drawn on to the chest. He had on a long sleeve red striped shirt beneath that with dirty navy khakis. He had decorated his clothing with trinkets and items he had found in the sewers. Most notable was the plastic baby doll face sewn into his vest.
“Come on, break it up,” he said again, stepping into the crowd. “We all have complaints and we all know where to voice them. Eddy will see all of you later this evening. You can take it up with him then.”
The people all stopped and looked at the boy. He was tall, towering over most of the crowd by at least a foot. They all wanted to say something, but none of them did. Instead, they dispersed, leaving Ivy, and the other Omegas there.
“Thanks Keen,” she said, looking at the boy.
“I don’t know why you do this,” he replied. “They never listen to you. A group like this, they only respond to strength...to force. Why the hell do you think most of them are in this situation in the first place?”
“Don’t say that...” she said. “Your mother, she—”
“Don’t talk about my mother,” he said, nostrils flaring with anger.
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking down.
“Come on guys,” he said, waving along the small gang of companions behind him.
“What the hell was that?” Jon asked, looking at her.
“I don’t know, I just…” she started.
“Don’t,” he said. “I know what you’re going to say. There’s no reason to apologize so much.”
“I know!” she said, clenching her fist. “It’s so compulsive; like I can’t even control it. We should get going.”
“What do you think is going to become of all this?” Jon asked, walking beside her down the long tiled tunnel.
“I don’t know, but we’ve been down here for years,” she said, her face lit by the construction lights strung up on the walls. “We’ve been showing ourselves more and more lately. I can’t help but think Eddy’s planning something big for us.”
“Planning?” Jon asked, surprised. “A giant mutant just fell into his lap and he let it loose on Alpha Male. I don’t think it sounds like Eddy has much of a plan.”
“Either way,” she said. “He’s dangerous.”
“Yeah,” Jon replied. “I remember when he started this gang; when all the other gangs began to trickle down here. God, he was just a kid then, but they listened to him. His anger and ferocity—it was electric. Do you remember that speech he gave them?”
“I’ll never forget it,” she said. “He had me sold with just the promise of a better life.”
“The shitty thing is,” Jon said. “He’s given it to us, look at this place.”
As the words left his mouth, they stepped out of the tunnel and into the larger terminal that had become their home. The shanty town of plywood and scrap metal housed many hovels and shops. The air smelled acrid from the glowing burn barrels. Christmas lights were strung up and patched into illegal outlets to offer light.
“Look at this place,” she said. “It’s a fucking nightmare.”
“It’s better than what we had before,” he said, looking down at a bucket that collected fresh water from a leaky pipe.
“Yeah, it is,” she said, looking at him. “But it’s still not goo
d enough. Eddy protects us, but he still has his plans. I’m worried that we come second to that.”
“Of course we do,” Jon said. “A fire doesn’t burn that hot without hurting the people around it.”
“Spare me the philosophy,” she said, rolling her eyes with a slight grin.
“What?” he said. “It’s true!”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
*****
Rose stood in the shower, staring at the cream colored wall in front of her. She didn’t see the soap scum that had built up, or the few random hairs that snaked around as the water hit them. She was so far away she couldn’t see anything at all. The hot water that ran over her naked body steamed up the entire bathroom, but she didn’t take notice of that either. The warmth seeped into her body, but it offered her no comfort.
“You OK?” her husband asked.
Rose jumped back, colliding with the wall.
“Rose, seriously. Are you OK?” he asked again.
“Yes Jim, I’m fine,” she said, annoyed.
“You’ve been in here for so long. I was getting a little worried about you,” Jim replied.
“Everything is fine,” she said. “Just a long day at work. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be in bed.”
Fifteen minutes later, the door opened and she emerged into her bedroom. The lights were off, but she knew he was still awake. She could tell by the fact that he was lying on his back. She shut off the bathroom light and crawled into bed. The rigid give of the mattress was cherished as her tensed up muscles started to relax for the first time since she watched that monster kill two of her officers. She sighed with relief and closed her eyes.
“Baby, are you sure you’re ok?” Jim asked in the dark.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said. “You don’t have to worry about me so much.”
His hand came under the covers and rubbed against her stomach. She ignored his advances, but when he scooted closer and his hand started down towards her panties, she stopped him.
“Please, not tonight,” she said, moving his hand back onto the sheet.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said. “I just thought since it’s our anniversary...”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Something is wrong, but I just don’t want to talk about. I don’t want to think about it, or hear about it. I just want it to go away.”
“I understand,” he said, pulling his hand away, but she couldn’t let go of it.
She held it for a while, and stared up at the dark ceiling, crying as he slept.
*****
Alpha Male sat on the banks of the Nicholson River, watching the current go by. The large moon cast its reflection off the water, lighting up the entire area, but the hero was shrouded by the shadows of a large concrete pillar. With his knees up by his chest, he looked down at the monstrous thing beside him. With a large sigh, he got up and pulled it along to the edge of the river.
He examined the body, almost admiring it as his eyes ran over its contours. The thing was pure muscle. An eight foot monster with elongated arms like a gorilla and tree trunks for legs. Its misshapen head still wore a disgusting scowl and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.
Alpha glanced around for scrutinizing eyes. When he found none, he took a rope and tied it around the creature’s legs. Pulling the rope up, he tied a knot through a line of cinder blocks and then around its wrists. With a heavy sigh, he picked it up, and dropped it into the river.
The thing plopped down with a slash, and began to sink as the current took it away. Within seconds it was out of sight, lost beneath the water. Alpha took a step back and sat on the ground.
Resting his head in his hands, he sighed and said, “What have I done?”
*****.
Al awoke to his friend Larry shaking him. The toothless mouth covered in a stringy beard was the first thing he saw as he eyes opened up. The breath in his face was enough to gag him.
“Come on,” he said, pulling on Al’s shirt. “The cops are scouting the area looking for us. There’s a place down a few blocks where we can hide out. They don’t ask any questions there.”
Al stood up, groggy and tired. He fell against the wall as the pounding in his head took him off balance. Larry hobbled over and helped the weak man stand up.
“You need some food,” he said to Al as he took the man by the arm for support. “This life isn’t for everyone. Come on, let’s go.”
Together, they walked down the empty midnight street beneath the neon signs. A few blocks later, they came to a small brick building with a dull red door. On the stoop was a passed out black man with white hair and a brown paper bag in his hand. Larry bent down and peeked in the bag, but the bottle was empty.
“Oh well,” he said with a sneer, while pulling out the bottle he kept in his jacket. With his arm wrapped around Al’s, he twisted the cap and took a giant swig emptying half the bottle. He then passed it to Al who took a final gulp and finished it. “Sally’s a real bitch about us bringing in booze.”
“I need to lie down,” Al said, clasping his head with one hand.
“Let me see if I can’t get us a bed,” Larry said, placing his friend down by the drunken man on the stairs. Larry plodded up the stairs and in through the front door. Al could hear him talking through the open door.
“Sally,” Larry said, slurring his words. “Honey, it’s good to see you.”
“Don’t call me that, Larry,” a female voice said. “I’ll let you stay here, just don’t call me that. Your pervy ass is just about on my last nerve.”
“Can I bring my friend?” Larry asked. Al turned to look and saw a woman with black rimmed glasses, and dark hair pulled up in a bun. She had a single mole on her face just below her nose.
“Yeah, but then I’m full,” she said, leaning back.
“Is there grub?” Larry asked, stepping outside.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said. “I’ll heat you up some soup, but next time, you come at dinner, or you don’t eat.”
Larry helped Al up, and dusted him off a bit before leaning right in his face. “Sarah’s a fine piece of ass, don’tcha think?”
“I thought her name was Sally?” Al asked.
“You know what I mean,” Larry said. They stomped up the stairs, one at a time, until they were through the door. Larry marched Al down the hall and helped him sit at a table.
“I’m so thirsty,” Al said, resting his head on the table.
“Yeah, you’re always thirsty,” Larry said. Sally placed a pitcher of cold water in front of them both and some sliced bread with a tub of unlabeled butter. “Oh, my favorite.”
Al snatched up a cup and poured some water into it. He drank it down and refilled it again. Larry slopped some butter onto two pieces of bread and made a meager sandwich by mashing them together. He passed it to Al, who then picked it up and devoured a third in one bite. Larry made another sandwich for himself and bit into it as Sally approached with two steaming bowls of soup.
“Hey Sally,” Larry said with his mouth full. “Can you switch on the box?”
“You’d ask the world of me,” she said, placing the soup down. She pulled a chair out and climbed up, reaching for the button on the elevated television. Larry gave her exposed legs a lascivious glare as her skirt raised above her thighs. Her finger hit the switch and the television buzzed on. She got down and left the room as a black news anchor appeared on the screen.
Larry watched the screen with wide eyes, and said, “Holy shit, are you seeing this Al.”
“Today, Alpha Male fought and killed an unidentified creature. We have a few seconds of raw footage. Please be advised, this is not for the faint of heart,” the anchor said. The screen switched to the battle between Alpha and the beast.
“Turn it off,” Al said, his voice strained.
“As you can see here, the creature was a fair match, but thankfully, Alpha was able to take it down,” the female anchor replied.
“
What, it’s just getting good,” Larry said, still looking at the footage.
“We don’t have any information on the creature, or its origins. All we know is that Alpha Male has saved us once again,” the female reporter said.
“Please, turn it off,” Al replied, his voice even more strained than before.
“That’s something we should all be thankful for. We will have more on this story as it develops,” the male anchor reported.
It wasn’t until the television set began to shake and the dishes started to rattle that Larry looked at his friend. Al was shaking, and sweating. His teeth were clenched as he spoke without moving his jaw. “Please, the TV.”
“Yeah, yeah, no problem,” Larry said, jumping up to switch it off. A crack had formed in the glass screen of the television set. Larry pulled the cord from the wall and the screen went dark.
“You Ok buddy?” he asked, stepping closer to the shaking Al.
“I don’t know, that man’s voice…It was driving me insane. I could feel the anger building up inside of me. I’m scared Larry, I’m so scared,” Al said, curling up in a ball.
“What was that?” Sally asked from the next room. “It felt like an earthquake.”
Chapter Eight.
The podium outside City Hall stood empty as the press crowded around. They all pushed forward to get closer to the partition. The giant clock above them read 11:12, the second hand rapidly approaching 11:13. The reporters were growing impatient, checking their watches, as they waited. No one saw the shadow glide across them.
Alpha Male touched down behind the podium and waved as the crowd behind the press went crazy at his appearance.
“Thank you,” he said into the microphone. His words sent them into further frenzy, hooting and hollering. They waved and cheered for him as he gave a graceful wave back. A smile crept across his face until he was grinning wide. Alpha put both hands up and gestured for the people to lower their voices. They responded by getting quiet as he said, “Thank you, thank you!”
“As you all know, there have been some issues of late. Reports of monsters and mutants terrorizing the city. You’ve been disappointed in my efforts lately, and I understand this, but please know, I’ve been doing what I can to stop this. You’ve seen the video for yourselves, and you can clearly see that I am not taking this situation lightly. I had to put that…creature down because there was no other option.”
