The Broken Heart of Behemoth

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                                                   The Broken Heart of
                     
                                                                          Behemoth

                                                           EvilEgg

         He sits with massive shoulders slumped, a somber giant miniaturized in rose quartz.

         “My heart breaks for you, Ean.”  Delicate hands hold the figure lovingly.  “I wish I could make everything alright again.  But I can't.  And it's going to get worse.”

         The woman places the figurine back onto the table.  Another crystal giant sits nearby. It's wild hair billows with motion, it's mouth hangs open in a silent roar.

         “Be strong, Behemoth,” she says.

         At an over sized table in a drab stone room, the real Ean gulps down a soda.

         “More burgers, big guy?”

         “Yes, thank you.”

         A middle aged man with unkempt gray hair lays some buns on a plate.  “You got another offer this mourning.”

         “Yeah?”  Ean drones, uninterested.

         “Yeah.  You ever heard of the Shooting Stars?”

         “I don't think so.”

         “Only been around for a year and a half.”  He slides the plate of cheese burgers over to Ean.  “But they got finances.  Probably financed by some billionaire that's secretly a super-hero himself.  Like we don't know.”

         “I really don't want to get into all of that, Oliver.  I just want to fight Lancaster and find my cure.”

         “But how are we going to find the cure, Ean?  I'm a physicist.  You need a geneticist.  Preferably one who isn't secretly a super-villain like that son of a #@&*$ Lancaster.  Here, won't you take a look at this letter?”  He unfolds a paper in front of Ean.  “It's a bit of a commute.”

         “I can't read this word,” Ean says.

         Oliver leans over and looks at the paper.  “Valkyrie.  I think that's the leader.”

         Ean reads the rest of the document slowly.  “I don't know, Oliver.”

         The older man sighs.  “It's your call, Ean, but we can't do this alone.  We've got food money for maybe another two months.”

         “Then we'll eat ramen.  I'm not setting one foot outside of Columbus until Lancaster's in prison.”

         Frowning, Oliver says “Alright.  Well then let's get working on that.”

         Ean loads himself into the back of a van and Oliver drives.  The big man watches red lights blur against the rain drops on the windows.

         “How's the ear piece working?”

         “Just fine, Oliver.”
         
         The van pulls along the side of a building and Ean gets out. He flexes his arms, testing the mobility of his red and black suit.  “Fourth from the bottom, second from the right?”  He asks.

         “Yeah,” Oliver says through the ear piece.

         The bricks on the corners are larger by design allowing the big man to grip them with his thick fingers.  He inches his way up until he gets to the fourth story where he breaks out the nearest window. 

         “Wrong window,” Oliver says.

         “I know.  Easier this way,” he says as he climbs into the office.

         “Don't forget the hall security.”

         “I haven't.”  He rears back and punches through the wall.  Kicking down the shattered drywall, he gets into the office.  “I'm in.”

         “Put that yellow disk I gave you into the computer.  Use the stylus I gave you to open the disk tray.”          

         Ean teases the disk into the machine with the stylus.

         “Press enter when that thing pops up.”

         “Done.”          

         “Alright, just sit tight for a minute.”  Oliver dials a number on his cell phone.  “Mickey?  We're ready.  No I don't have it yet but I'll have it to you by the end of the week.  You know I'm good for it.”

         After a few minutes Oliver says back to Ean “Alright, the lasers should be down.”

         Ean ducks through the door.  A red light blinks at him from on top of a silver orb on a moving platform.  “Oliver, there's a robot in here.”

         “It can't see you.  That's what the suit's for.”

         “Oh, right.”  He presses against the wall allowing the buzzing machine to pass by.  He makes a right at the next hallway.  “I'm at the vending machines and water cooler.”

         “You remember where the stairwell is?”

         “I could find it blindfolded.”  He continues down the hallway and turns left.  “I'm here.”

         “Good.  The basement door should be unlocked, but if not just smash it.  All of the alarms and cameras are off.”

         Behemoth opens the door and produces a glow-stick from the pouch at his side, shining the stairwell in an alien green light.

         He takes the stairs carefully, his feet being too big for them.  The silence causes his ears to ring. 

         “Where are you at, now?”

         The noise startles Ean.  “Second floor.  Everything good with the computer stuff?”

         “According to Mickey.  I don't know computers.”

         “I used to be great with computers.  I could...”

         The glow-stick illuminates a massive object on the lower platform.

         “Ean?”  Oliver says through the ear-piece.

         Two eyes reflect green back at Ean from underneath a lion-like mane of hair.

         “Oliver...”

         The Creature moves fast, punching Ean in the stomach 

         Oliver hears him groan.  “Ean?  What's happening!”

         Hearing nothing but blows and smashing objects, he keeps screaming into the ear-piece.

         The Creature has Behemoth in the first floor office area.  It throws Ean though a cubical wall and stomps on his chest.  Ean grabs the leg and tries to trip him.  The Creature punches Ean's face, who manages to grab a fist full of red hair and pulls the Creature to the floor.

         They struggle with each other.  Ean gets on top of the creature and knees him in the stomach  The monster wraps its arms around Ean's torso and bites his shoulder.  Ean screams.

         The digitized scream reaches Oliver in the van.  He takes a pistol out of the glove compartment and gets out of the car.

         Glass shatters.  Behemoth spins through the office window and smashes a dumpster in an alley.

         “God!  Ean!”  Oliver runs to him.

         “Get out of here...” Ean says, weakly.

         The monster climbs through the shattered window, unmindful of the glass crunching under his bare feet and hands.

         Oliver starts firing the pistol. 

         The Creature growls, shielding his eyes instinctively.  The bullets thump into his flesh leaving little red holes, but don't slow him down.  He jumps at Oliver.

         “Look out!”  Ean gets to his knees in front of Oliver.  The monster's foot smashes into Behemoth's chest.  Oliver drops as Ean flies over him and crushes what's left of the dumpster against the ally wall.

         Oliver scrambles out of the way.  “Ean, get out of there!”

         Ean swings clumsily.  The monster dodges it easily and right hooks the other man, sending him spinning like a top before he hits the concrete. 

         Oliver fires off two more at the monster.  Roaring, it picks up the crumpled remains of the dumpster and launches it at him.

         “Holy!”  He drops the gun and dives under his van.  Steel smashes and glass shatters as the van rocks above him.

         Ean pulls up his knee and buries his heel into the universal weak spot; the Creature's groin.  The Creature's eyes bug out and he groans, falling over. 

         Ean wraps his arms around the Creature's neck.  The Creature gets up to all fours, thrashing around like a bull as Behemoth tries to choke him out.

         The giants roll out of the alley with the Creature face up at the sky elbowing Behemoth.  Ean fails to get his legs around his opponent's waist and the monster gets up on all fours again.  He charges at a building wall and turns, ramming Behemoth against it.

         He breaks loose of Ean's hold and turns toward him, cocking back his massive fist.

         The van smashes into him, brakes squealing as the Creature skids across the street.

         “Get in, Ean!”  Oliver shouts.

         The big man staggers to the back of the van.  The Creature recovers faster.  Running towards the van, he pump kicks the engine, jolting the vehicle back.  The steering wheel smacks Oliver in the mouth and he spits out a tooth.  Through the web-cracked windshield, he sees the Creature launch his fist. 

         Oliver slides down to the floor board as the Creatures massive fist cuts through the windshield and seat padding.  Howling like a man on fire, the Creature pounds in on the door and roof.  The steel bends inward and every blow shakes Oliver like a child on a mechanical bull. 

         Two police cars show up.  The Creature gets a grip on the van and pushes.  The abused wheels and axels protest with creaks and jolts, but obey.  The targeted officer throws his arms up over his face as the Creature rams the van against his car.

         The van rolls on its side.  The officer in the other vehicle gets out behind his own car with his shotgun aimed at the creature.

         “Marty!  Are you alright?”

         “No, I'm not alright!  I just got hit with a damned van!”

         The officer says into his radio “Mary we need backup, the swat team and an ambulance.  We've got a freak fight.”

         Panting, the Creature stares at the wreckage.  He hears glass crack. 

         Behemoth looks at him and then charges.  “If he's hurt I swear I'll-!”

         The two giants trade punches.  Oliver slides out of the crumbled wreckage of his van, blood coloring his beard.  “Ean...”

         “You can't help, Oliver!  Get out of here!”

         The hurting man pushes himself to his feet.

         “Hey!”  The officer shouts.  “You!  Stop or I'll shoot!”          

         Pushing the Creature out of the way, Behemoth kicks the van, sliding it between the officer and the limping Oliver.  “Hurry!”  He ducks another punch from the Creature. 

         The officer stays with his injured comrade, allowing Oliver to escape through the alley.  He curses, taking out his cellphone.  “Mickey, I need you.  The phone security's down, right?  I don't care if you're busy, look, I've got a line on mint condition Mahou Shojo Mitimi doll still in the original packaging, you want it or not?”

         The Creature throws Behemoth into the van.  The front wheel breaks off.  Behemoth grabs it and hits the Creature in the face with it.  The Creature staggers.  Behemoth side kicks him, knocking him backward. 

         Ean slides the van out of the way and grabs the empty police car. 

         “Hey!”  The officer shouts.

         The Creature stands up as Behemoth lifts the vehicle over his shoulder.  In a mindless rage, the creature runs right into it.  The vehicle's headlights shatter on the concrete on either side of the Creature's head. 

         Behemoth hoists the crumples vehicle back into the air.  In a daze, the Creature stares at him as he brings it back down across his torso.

         Helicopters spotlight Behemoth as he drops to all fours beside his antagonist. 

         “Are you alright?”  He asks.

         The bloodied monster groans and looks at him.

         Across town, in a dark apartment bedroom, a phone rings. 

         “...the hell?”  The man in the bed groans.  He picks up the phone.  “Hello?”

         “Jarvis, turn on the local news, please.”

         “Mister Lancaster?”

         “Now, Jarvis.”

         The man grabs his remote control and turns the television to channel seven.

         “Why am I watching Seventeen brawling with some freak in the middle of Armstrong Street?”  Lancaster asks.

         “God.  He was supposed to stay in the building.  That other one must have-”

         “Hold on, who is this?”

         “Sir?  It's Wesley Jarvis.”

         “Not you.  Someone's listening in on us.”

         Both men stay silent, listening to the clicks on the phone line.

         “Rather crude technology,” Lancaster says.  “Even by your standards, mister Radcliff.” 

         “Oliver?”  Jarvis exclaims.

         “Yeah, it's me,” Oliver says over his line.  “It might be crude, but it's enough to end your crap.  You just identified that creature as 'Seventeen,' Lancaster, and your towel boy just told you it was supposed to stay in 'the building.'  You're ruined, you bastard!”  Oliver hangs up.

         Both men are silent for a second.  “Jarvis,” Lancaster says.  “Get dressed.  You're coming in early this morning.”

         “Yes sir, Mister Lancaster.”

         Lancaster hits two buttons on the speaker phone.  “Abigale,” he says into it.

         “Yes, Mister Lancaster?”  A female voice responds.

         “Get my lawyers on the phone.”

         Back at Armstrong Street, Ean pants as he tries to talk to the Creature, Seventeen.

         “Can you talk?”  Ean asks.  “Who are you?” 

         The Creature growls and pushes at the vehicle pinning him.

         “Hey, stop it!”

         The Creature throws the vehicle away.

         “Damn it!”  Behemoth gets up and tries to tackle Creature Seventeen, grabbing him by the waist.  Seventeen clasps his hands together and brings them down on Ean's back, knocking him down.
With his foot he rolls Behemoth onto his back, then straddles the hero and wraps his hands around Ean's neck.  The Creature grins.

         A silver blur leaps over the police barricade.  It rushes to the giants and a metal-clad fist smashes into the side of Seventeen's head.

         Seventeen skids down the street.  The armored woman squares off with her fists raised to her sides. “From the way you were strangling that man just now I'm guessing you're the one I'm supposed to hit,” she says.  “Who are you?”

         He sits up, staring dumbly.  “Don't know,” he says.

         “You don't even know your own name?” Behemoth asks, coughing.  “Lancaster did this to you, didn't he?”

         Seventeen stands up.  “Don't know,” he says.

         “Stay down!”  The woman warns.

         “No.”

         The armored woman yells and drives her fist into the Creature's stomach.  He doubles over and she upward cuts him under the chin. 

         He staggers and kicks at her.  She braces her arms against his kick, her feet gouge several inches out of the street.

         Seventeen screams as he hammers his fist into the woman's shoulder.  She screams as something in her cracks.

         “Damn you, I'll break your arms!” She yells.

         Behemoth runs toward them as the woman grabs onto the Creature's arm, apparently to make good on her promise. 

         The Creature twists his body and flings the woman into Behemoth.

         She gets up quickly and goes after Seventeen again.  “Wait!”  Behemoth shouts.

         With her good arm, the woman punches at Seventeen's face.

         Behemoth pulls himself up and looks around.

         Seventeen hammer fists her again.  This time she brings her arm up, blocking, but the strength of the blow brings her down to one knee.

         Behemoth staggers to the wreckage of the van.

         Seventeen hammer fists the woman again, the street cracks under her.

         Searching the underside of the wreck quickly, Behemoth pries the fuel tank loose.

         Seventeen kicks the woman away from him.  She hits the street limp.

         Behemoth runs at the Creature one more time, ripping open the fuel tank.  He empties it's contents on the Creature, soaking his arms also.  The creature wrestles with him as he looks for something to light it with.

         “Ean!”  Oliver rushes toward the police line with a road flare.  The officers tackle him, but he tosses the flare over the barricades.

         Behemoth breaks loose from the Creature and goes after the flare, Seventeen right behind him.

         He dives at the flare.  It ignites the gasoline on his arms.  He jabs his flaming hands at the Creature, who's bare body ignites.

         The Creature roars, batting at his body as Behemoth rolls on the street.  The Creature crashes through the barricades, officers diving out of the way.

         A couple of officers empty their fire extinguishers on Behemoth. 

         “Are you alright?” Oliver shouts as the officers handcuff him.

         “I don't know.  My gloves have melted, it hurts.  And I think that hero-lady needs help.”

         “I'm fine,” she says, sitting up.  “Is that man a friend of yours?”  She asks Behemoth.

         “Yes.”

         “Take the cuffs off of him,” she says to the officers, showing them an I.D.  “I'm Valkyrie, leader of the Shooting Stars, a sanctioned team.”

         “Well I've never heard of you.  And an officer was hurt here.”

         “Is he alright?”  Ean asks.

         “He's got a broken jaw and punctured lung.  He's going to be in the hospital for a while.”

         “That wasn't my fault.  It was that Creature.”

         “And Eliot Lancaster's the one responsible!”  Oliver shouts.  “I've recorded him admitting knowledge of that thing he called 'Seventeen.'  Ean, we've got him, buddy.”

         “If that's true we can release you,” the officer says.  “But not until you produce that.”

         “Fair enough,” Oliver says.  “Hey Ean.  We've got what we need on Lancaster.  Does that mean your going to be more flexible on the whole team thing?”

         “I don't know, who's team?”

         “Hers.  Shooting Stars, remember?”

         “Oh yeah, you guys sent us an invitation, didn't you?”

         “Yes, we did.”

         “I'll meet you guys later,” Oliver says.  “We'll talk benefits.”

         Three rose quartz figurines, Behemoth, Oliver, and Valkyrie, stand side by side on the wooden table.  A set of full red lips smile.  “Creature Seventeen would have never thought to use the gasoline, Ean.  Give yourself more credit.  And where you need help you will have it.  Despite what you may think, a hero is never alone.”

         She stands up, leaving the crystal trio, and walks across the huge table, seeking her next project amongst the thousands of crystal pieces that cover the board.

                                                           The End.