“What I never planned on was you being that damn good. I tip my dreads to you Trouble Consultant. You are without a doubt, the best damn opponent I’ve ever fought.”
“Don’t you mean cheated?” Havoc snarled.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don’t ruin the moment with petty technicalities. Instead graciously accept your death with the comfort of knowing you’ve earned my respect. Now with that said, duces.” Nature said then pointed and squeezed the trigger as Havoc flinched in anticipation. Except nothing happened. It jammed. Nature’s eyes went wide and he squeezed again and again. Each time he got a click instead of a bang! He couldn’t believe it and shook his head in utter disbelief, then grinned. “What is bad luck for one man, is good luck for another.”
“You damn skippy!” Havoc said then lunged forward and grabbed his legs. Cold, sore and exhausted, Havoc powered through the sharp punches and pistol whipping raining down on his head, neck and shoulders as Nature attempted to free himself. Then with one mighty surge of strength combined with an ear-splitting rage induced yell, Havoc stood abruptly launching his enemy skyward where unbeknownst to him was a long curved rusty metal spike hiding in the darkness that once held the deteriorating structure in place. As he pushed with all his might, the metal spike made a horrible popping sound like it was piercing a watermelon as it drove through the top of Nature’s skull and out the side of his jaw pinning him like a slab of beef in a butcher’s shop. “Oh shit!” Havoc said as he backed away when he realized what he’d done. Nature began choking and flailing wildly, clawing at the hook protruding from his face. Then the Trouble Consultant stepped forward and looked Nature directly in his eyes and said, “Now you know, who’s the baddest!”
Nature calmed down. His’s lips parted as though he attempted to respond over a steady flow of dark blood running out both sides of his mouth. But to Havoc’s surprise he smiled as the life slowly drained from his body. His arms swung to his sides as he hung there impaled, staring back at the only man on Earth he both feared and respected.
Staggering out the gate’s entrance accompanied by his loyal and limping dog, Havoc found his clothes and got dressed. He looked over at Mayhem, no worse for wear. “Worst night ever huh?” he asked to which she replied with a concurring whine. Then with a brave smile the pair soldiered on.
Chapter 39
Donnie sat on the floor of the ticket booth as her brain raced with only one thought. How could she escape and help her man?
“Donnie?” a sore voice whispered.
Donnie stood up trembling and looked around certain she heard her name called but no one was there. She turned and almost leaped out of her skin when she saw Havoc standing on the opposite side of the gate looking exhausted. “Jesus! You almost gave me a heart attack!” she said clutching her chest.
“Sorry baby. Step back from the gate.” Havoc said and pushed the caterpillar statue out of the way with a deep grunt.
Donnie came out and fell into his arms. “I was so worried. I thought-” She stopped in mid-sentence and looked down at his chest, “Oh my God! Is that your blood?”
Havoc looked down at his battered torso, “Some of it.”
“And Nature?” Donnie asked.
“…I sent flowers.” Havoc answered with a wry look.
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m fine but…” Havoc shook his head sadly then looked over at Mayhem having trouble standing from her wounds.
“Oh no!” Donnie said.
Havoc’s eyes welled up. “There’s a vet I have on twenty-four hour call. Once we find Tee-Tee I’ll take her to him. He can fix her. My girl’s a trooper. Ain’t cha baby?” He asked his dog choked-up.
Mayhem climbed wearily to her feet and shunned the help offered by her master. She barked indicating she wanted him to follow then hobbled in slow motion leading them through the amusement park. After a moment she was distracted from her mission and began growling towards the edge of the pier where a lone figure in a long black robe was standing with their arms folded behind their back looking out over the ocean. They walked towards the figure when Havoc paused half way along the pier and turned to Donnie.
“Wait here. And I do mean here.” he said pointing at the ground for emphasis. “And that goes for you too, stay put!” he said to his dog then with a look of uncertainty in his eyes traveled the remaining short distance of the pier stopping a few feet behind the person standing there.
“With everything going on I almost forgot all about your spooky ass.” Havoc admitted.
Doll face turned around slowly, “Really? And here I was trying to make a lasting impression.
“So, care to tell me why you went through all this trouble for little ol’ me?” he asked.
Doll face eerily cocked his mask at Havoc as if he should know the answer then finally asked, “Have you ever heard of Scleroderma?”
“Scleroderma-Scleroderma? Nope. Doesn’t ring a bell.” Havoc pondered for a moment then lit up at the realization, “Hey wait a second. I think I do know her. Doesn’t she live in Fort Greene projects and got two baby daddies, and three baby fathers?”
Doll face shook his head, “No Scleroderma is not the name of one of your little hood rats. It’s an extremely rare chronic autoimmune disease that translates to ‘hard skin.’ Sclero meaning hard, derma meaning skin in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own connective tissue and organs.”
“And this rare genetic disorder, I take it you were the one in a zillion to get it?”
Doll face began with an exasperated sigh, “It came without warning. Unannounced, like a thief in the night, robbing me of my identity and integrity. Imagine for me if you would that you’re living a normal life then one day out of the clear blue your skin begins to thicken and harden, turning shinny and discolored. Then on top of this you have a painful sensitivity to cold, frequent heartburn and stiff and swollen joints. You see one clueless doctor after the next and they all tell you the same thing. That it’s a chronic ailment and the cause for this is unknown. Treatment can help somewhat but unfortunately, there is no cure.” Havoc frowned and took a cautious step back. “Oh don’t worry handsome, it’s not contagious. Cause believe me if it were, I would have infected you a long time ago. But even then, you’re more than likely not to have caught it since it afflicts primarily women.” Havoc frowned confused wondering what that was supposed to mean, “There are two categories of this disease. Localized and systemic. I guess if you absolutely had to contract Scleroderma, localized is the version you’d want to catch because it is relatively mild and while it affects the skin it’s only in the lower arms and legs and it does not affect the organs. Now Systemic is a bitch. Not only does it harden both your skin and blood vessels, your internal organs as well.”
“And I take it you’ve got Systemic?” Havoc asked.
“Guess I was born under a lousy zodiac sign because not only was I blessed with a rare incurable disease, I have both forms of it, merged into one souped-up monstrosity on steroids.”
“Di-zamn, sucks to be you.”
“That it does. Doctors said the odds are so great, the probability so inconceivable, that my condition is unbelievable. Unbelievable, has to be the stupidest word in the dictionary. It shouldn’t ever come out of our mouths. It happened. I witnessed it. I’m living it. Believe it. But there’s the other side of unbelievable, for instance certain parts of my body are damn near impenetrable. And because of all the anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid shots and a host of experimental drugs I’ve taken to combat muscle pain and deterioration, as a result I have increased strength equivalent to that of a small army.”
“Well that explains a lot He-Man.” Havoc said.
“Of, course those costly experiments came at a much bigger price. Cancer! But luckily, if you want to call it that. Pounds of flesh were hacked off in time. Still the negatives far outweigh the positives. Every waking moment feels like my bones are being scorc
hed and my essence is being torn away by the fiercest hounds of hell, even now I suffer. I’ve just learned to tolerate it. Movement of my tongue is greatly impaired which is why my voice sounds like tumbling boulders. Alopecia, a skin condition common with Scleroderma, caused most of my hair to fall out and my face…my face…” Doll face paused, “well in just under a year and a half of being diagnosed, I went from attracting the opposite sex, to making them run in pure horror!”
“Ok, I get it. You were dealt a shitty hand…and a shitty face. But life’s not easy. It never was. It isn’t now, and it won’t ever be. We’ve all got our problems. But what the fuck do yours have to do with me?” Havoc asked.
“Because while this godforsaken disease has made my life a living hell. You took away from me the one last thing I had worth living for!”
“Sounds like you have a lot of misdirected anger…Mister Carter.”
Doll face twisted at Havoc eerily, “What did you call me?”
“Your name. Nice try Tide but losing a ton of weight and dressing like an extra from Hellraiser can’t hide who you are.”
“So you have it all figured out?”
“I did a little investigating. Word on the street is after our brief tussle, you left the hospital badly disfigured and vowing revenge. Then the back to back deaths of Lisa Greenstein and her boyfriend Nathan Owens followed each a year apart. And if we connect the dots to your diabolical plan, I’m the last thing on your to do-list.”
“Brief tussle huh? I love how you just neatly explained away all the damage you caused.” Doll Face’s head shook. “Regarding your detective work, I have to agree with you. Little effort was put into it”
“So, what are you trying to say?”
“I’m not trying to say anything! I’m flat out saying it!” Doll face shouted. Havoc looked back at Donnie who was just as confused. “That day in the hospital, I could hear those insensitive bastards. I just chose to ignore them because I had bigger issues to deal with, namely my little brother losing his sanity because of what you and your dog did to him. But over his ranting and raving I could hear the guards on staff gasping, whispering things about me. Calling me a living Autopsy.”
“Hold up. You’re not Tide? But you’re Autopsy?” Havoc asked confused, recalling what his informant Drake told him. The mask nodded a response. “So then you and Tide are…brothers?”
“No, siblings.”
“But you just said he was your brother.”
“Yes he is.”
“How the hell can Tide be your brother but you’re not his, yet you just said the two of you are siblings?” Havoc suddenly paused and his eyes widened at the same time Donnie realized it too, “Unless you’re his…Sister?”
“Boy George, I think he’s got it.” Doll face said then removed the porcelain mask, shattering it as it fell, revealing a leather hood underneath. But unlike the first mask that was a handcrafted work of art, this one was gnarled and ugly and made of patchwork leather sewn and riveted together covering Doll face’s entire head.
“What the fuck, Ben Cooper’s running a sale on shitty looking masks?”
“But wait. There’s more!” Doll Face said and grabbed a piece of stitching hanging from the leather mask and pulled unraveling it. Long stringy patches of silver hair spilled out as the mask split in half and dropped to the floor. “Ta-dah!”
Donnie’s eyes bulged and her lips parted into a gasp as she fought the urge not to faint. Havoc flinched shock-faced and his mind overloaded as reality hit him. Never in all of his clamorous years as a Trouble Consultant had he ever seen something so frighteningly appalling. The hospital security guards were ruthless in their name calling, but spot on. For lack for a better word, the only way to describe Tide’s sister was Autopsy. A skin-crawling-awful, nightmare come chillingly to life. A living breathing mummified corpse with leathery skin, twisted lips that drooped down her face like melting candle wax and gnarled teeth that were unequal to a jack o’ lantern’s. But what was most alarming was her eyes. There weren’t any. She didn’t have irises, just huge, soul-less, deep, black-pool pupils.
“Yea I know. It’s pretty bad. But I didn’t always look like this. Once upon a time I was a successful business owner. Undeniably pretty. Men literally lined up around the corner to date me. Can you believe that this was once the face that promoted Jan’s luxury car and limousine service on billboards all over the city?” Autopsy paused to reflect on happier days.
“Funny. You don’t look like a Jan. I’m getting more of a Marsha-Marsha-Marsha vibe from you,” The Trouble Consultant said literally smiling in the face of danger.
“That is funny. But you know, what’s even funnier? Is when the Doctor told me he had to remove my breasts due to the cancer. I actually protested. Like it still mattered. Guess it was the last thing left that still made me feel like a woman. Unbelievable? I don’t think so.”
“There’s somebody out there for everybody.” Havoc said cynically.
Autopsy saddled up to Havoc and got disturbingly close. “So pretty-boy you really think I still got it?” she asked then licked her lips with a nauseating smile.
Havoc returned a half-cringed smile as a chill ran down his spine. “Totally. Hell, I’d ask you out if I wasn’t already seeing someone.”
“Aw, isn’t that sweet? But unfortunately, you ain’t my type!” she said with a crooked sneer and dazed Havoc with a backhanded smack. “I like my men with a little more flavor than you have to offer!” she hissed swinging.
Since Havoc had already become painfully aware to Autopsy’s power, he avoided the granite fists at all costs. While returning blows that only seemed to hurt his hands, he discovered that various places on Autopsy’s body were brick hard while other body parts were soft and fleshy as he deflected a well-executed punch. He then followed up with a kidney shot that got a reaction, as the monster staggered back clutching her side.
“You felt that?” Havoc said in an a-ha like voice then dipped under a wild swing and followed up with what he was certain was the problem solving-knockout punch across his adversary’s jaw. “Fuck!” he snarled in pain rubbing his throbbing fist. A spinning round house kick from Autopsy put the Trouble Consultant on his back and he looked up in disbelief at the most bizarre foe he ever had the displeasure of coming into contact with.
“You felt that? Tae Bo!” Autopsy bragged.
Mayhem could no longer stand watching her master hurt and let out a bark showing there was a bit of fight left in her then protectively charged at Autopsy. Unable to sink her teeth into the ghoul’s iron hide she was easily swatted aside and overwhelmed from pain and fatigue, collapsed when she tried to stand.
Donnie moved in breaking a bottle over Autopsy’s head which did nothing but piss her off! She shook her disfigured head in utter disbelief and grabbed Donnie by the throat and lifted her into the air.
“Let go of me you ugly bitch!” Donnie demanded struggling in Autopsy’s grasp as she began to squeeze the life out of her.
“Let her go!” Havoc shouted tackling them to the ground and freed Donnie from her grasp. He then climbed on top of the monster and hit her in the face, inadvertently hurting his own hand.
“Good luck trying to hurt me.” Autopsy laughed.
Something occurred to Donnie and she reached into her pocket, “Baby!” she called out. Havoc turned to Donnie and she was holding his lucky four-fingered HAVOC ring. “Here!” she said and tossed it to him.
Havoc snatched it out of the air, slid it on grinned and began viciously pounding Autopsy’s stone face and torso with profanity laced vengeful haymakers! When he landed one jackhammer punch too many, the ring split in two and she made a sound like a wounded animal. With his fist drawn back he froze then looked down at her. Regardless of how vicious natured she was or how hideous she looked, underneath it all was still a woman. And here he was striking her with everything he had. His momma raised him better. He momentarily forgot who he was and dropped his
head in shame.
Autopsy began to shake while making a demonic noise that resembled a witch’s cackle, “Aw, what’s wrong Dudley Do Right? Moral code won’t allow you to hit a lady?”
Havoc shook his head and removed the broken ring pieces then jammed them back into his pocket. “Not even one that’s batshit crazy and looks like a bowl of burning diarrhea.” The Trouble Consultant said and was violently forced off of her with a sudden groin punch.
“What’s the matter Havoc? You don’t look so good. Can I get you something? Water? A transfusion perhaps?” Autopsy laughed trailing behind him as he crawled around on all fours deliriously. She planted a sharp rib cracking boot in his side causing him to twist on his back in agony. “So this is the man you love? This killer?” she asked Donnie who crawled to her man’s side.
“I didn’t kill your brother!” Havoc said in a pain-filled voice clutching his sides.
“That’s right, I forgot. You only tussled with him!” Autopsy snarled facetiously. “Believe it or not Havoc there was a time I would have never been capable of such brutal acts. But sometimes it takes a major tragedy like an incurable disease and the death of a loved one for you to find out who and what you really are capable of. As my condition intensified and my appearance worsened, my boyfriend dumped me. Friends stopped calling. The world abandoned me. But not Tide. He was there for me from the start. Selflessly accompanying me to doctor’s appointments, and anywhere else I needed to go. I wished I was dead. People were frightened by the way I looked. Especially children. It was very difficult for me to deal, so isolation was ideal. But that meant I could no longer run my business, so he quit his job and took it over. I would have taken my life if it wasn’t for my brother. But as a result, he didn’t have a life. All he did was run the business and come home to tend to my needs. I became totally dependent on him. And he selflessly put my needs before his own. Then all that changed when he met Lisa. She was pretty, free-spirited eccentric, educated and a successful entrepreneur. Like I used to be. And I despised her. It’s not like he neglected me now that he had found love. He just didn’t have as much time for me like he used to and I lived for our time together. Sometimes he’d bring her around and she seemed cordial but then I’d catch her staring at me with the same pity and disgust like everyone else. I didn’t trust her. Tide had managed to turn my company into an even bigger success. I was convinced she saw dollar signs. Why else would she spend so much time with an overweight reclusive and his hideously deformed sister? So, I hired a private investigator to do a background check on her. Get something, anything I could use against her. And do you know what I found out?”
Havoc and Mayhem Page 46
