Post by Stardrifter on Apr 7, 2013 14:31:54 GMT -5
by
Stardrifter
#5 - Road Trip: Part Two
<RAAAARGH!>
Baran's thoughts are wild, all instinct and rage. Arthur braces himself as the giant man charges toward him. He takes a deep breath and holds his place until the last possible second. Just as Baran's meaty hands get within grasping range, Arthur twists his body to the right, side stepping the attack. As Baran barrels past him, Arthur throws a hard punch with his right hand, slamming his fist into the side of Baran's head, causing him to stumble and fall to his knees.
Baran's rage is slightly curtailed by the sudden shock. Arthur's strike is a glancing blow, not doing any real damage, but it still causes Baran pain. Pain is something Baran hasn't encountered since he was a child. He looks up at Arthur, seeing him standing in a defensive stance, and hesitates. It only lasts a moment.
Jumping to his feet, Baran charges at Arthur again. He swings his fists wildly, his attacks telegraphed so obviously that Arthur can anticipate them despite his lack of training. Arthur ducks under one swing and jumps back to avoid another. Seeing an opening, Arthur leaps forward and throws his fist in a downward punch to Baran's head. It impacts hard, knocking Baran to one knee. Arthur follows up with a left uppercut, sending Baran back a few steps.
Blood trickles down Baran's lip. Arthur's attack caused him to bite it. He reaches up and wipes the blood away with his hand. Baran has never experienced a real fight with someone equal to him. Over his initial frustration, he finds he's enjoying it. "Little man strong," Baran growls. With a smile, Baran attacks again.
Despite his new found vigor, Baran's attacks continue to be too slow. Arthur expertly dodges or blocks each one. He gets a couple more hits in on Baran, but the giant man shrugs them off. The fight seems to be going nowhere until Baran slams his foot down onto the boardwalk. His foot breaks through the wooden planks, knocking the end Arthur is standing on into the air. Arthur stumbles forward and into the arms of Baran.
"Argh!" Arthur screams as Baran squeezes him in a bear hug. Baran laughs with glee, spraying spittle onto his beard and into Arthur's face. Barely able to breathe, Arthur struggles against Baran's grip in vain. Desperate, Arthur rears back and slams his forehead into Baran's face. The impact dazes him slightly, but it also causes Baran's laughter to cease as he stumbles. Arthur hits him with another headbutt, loosening Baran's grip enough for him to muscle his way out. He falls back onto the boardwalk on his back and quickly rolls aside to avoid Baran's giant feet.
"Baran!" a female voice calls out, causing the giant man to pause for a moment. Arthur quickly gets back to his feet and looks over at the woman. <God dammit Baran! You ruin everything!> "We need to go! Now!"
"But Selinda..." Baran looks back and forth for a moment, not sure what to do. Arthur, thinking back to the dying police officer's final thoughts, makes the decision for them. "You're not going anywhere! He's a murderer!"
Baran's eyes go wide and the rage overcomes him once more. He runs at Arthur, tackling him and sending them both crashing through the wooden railing of the boardwalk. The two tumble through the air and impact hard into the sand below. Baran rolls on top of Arthur and punches him in the face. The hit sends pain shooting through Arthur's face, but he grits his teeth against and blocks Baran's next punch.
Arthur raises a knee into Baran's crotch, causing the giant man to fall on top of him. Arthur pushes Baran off of him and rises to his knees, straddling Baran. Arthur's fists rain down on Baran's face over and over. Baran manages to raise his arms to cover his face, but Arthur continues raining blows down on him.
A hand suddenly grips Arthur's face and pulls him back. Selinda puts her other hand on Arthur's mouth and suddenly the air in his lungs turns to water. Arthur jumps to his feet and takes a few steps back. He doesn't feel any pain, Arthur long ago having gotten used to water filling his lungs, but the sudden change shocks his system.
Selinda, assuming her attack enough to defeat Arthur, turns her back on him to check on her brother. She pulls his hands away to find Baran's face covered in bruises. "Jesus fucking Christ, Baran," she says, her voice filled with pity. Her mind flashes back to their childhood, back when their father was the worst thing they could possibly imagine. "See what happens when you don't listen."
Baran coughs up a bit of blood to croak out, "Selinda!" Realizing he's looking behind her, she turns just in time to see Arthur's arm swinging toward her. Arthur's grabs her across her chest and pulls her off her brother. He spins Selinda around and tosses her through the air. She lands hard on the wet sand, the waves rushing up to drench her.
Arthur turns back to Baran only to find the giant man rushing toward him. Baran's shoulder slams into Arthur's stomach and he lifts Arthur off his feet. Baran throws Arthur onto the beach, knocking the wind out of him. Arthur tries to roll away but is met with kicks. After taking a couple hits, Arthur finally gets to his knees and catches Baran's large boot. A push back knocks Baran off balance and onto the beach.
"Fucking die!" Selinda screams. Her black makeup runs down her face, making her look even wilder as she runs toward Arthur. She flings a handful of sand at him, but when it hits him it's a cloud of glass. Arthur barely manages to cover his eyes.
The glass does little harm, but the distraction allows Baran to get to his feet. He swings for Arthur's head, but Arthur is able to block the attack. Arthur rises to his feet and counters with a punch that lands right in Baran's eye.
"What the fuck are you?" Selinda shouts, breathing heavy and keeping her distance. Baran takes a moment to catch his breath as well.
Arthur ignores the question. He reaches up and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "Give up! More police will be here any minute. I won't let you get away!"
Baran holds back, waiting for Selinda's lead. She watches Arthur, not sure what to do. "The cops can't hold us! Keep this up and there'll just be more dead pigs!"
Arthur can hear the sirens in the distance. It won't be long before they're here. What if she's right, though? Can the police hold people like this? He reaches out with his mind and reads Selinda's thoughts.
<Just let us go. Let us go. Let us go. God, I don't fucking want this shit. He's not. Not gonna let us go. Quicksand!>
Arthur leaps into the air just in time to avoid being caught in the quicksand forming at his feet. He lands on top of Selinda, rolling along the beach with her. She lands up on top of him and pushes his arms into the sand. Suddenly the sand solidifies into rock, trapping Arthur.
"Ha h-" Selinda's triumphant laugh is cut short as Arthur rips his hands free of the rock and slams them into the sides of her head. She falls on top of him, dazed, and Baran screams in fury.
Baran reaches down and wraps his hands around Arthur's throat. He lifts Arthur into the air, shaking him like a rag doll as he strangles him. Arthur struggles against his grip, digging his fingernails into Baran's skin, but it's no use. Baran swings him around, keeping Arthur at a distance and preventing him from kicking.
Baran stumbles along the beach into the waves. The tide starts coming in and sprays his legs. Arthur fights his lack of oxygen and tries swinging to kick Baran. He has no luck. As a last resort, he swings his legs up and wraps them around Baran's arm. The sudden shift in weight knocks Baran off balance and he stumbles forward. Arthur's back hits the wet sand, but Baran maintains his death grip on Arthur's throat. He pushes down with his full weight, causing Arthur to sink into the sand.
Arthur's vision starts to turn black when the tide rushes back in. The wave flows over Arthur's body and up to Baran's elbows. Arthur's ears twitch as he breathes in deeply with his gills, the rush of oxygen invigorating him. No longer panicking from the lack of oxygen, Arthur goes limp.
As the tide goes back out, Baran looks down at what he assumes is his dead foe. He slowly loosens his grip, watching intently for any sign of life. The tide starts to come back in and, seeing no movement out of Arthur, Baran starts to stand back up.
The instant Baran begins to move, Arthur springs to life. He reaches up and wraps his hands behind Baran's head. Pulling down with his arms and pushing up with his legs, he flips the unsuspecting giant over him and into the water. Arthur leaps to his feet and rushes toward Baran. He tackles him and thw two tumble into the rising waters.
Suddenly Baran finds himself completely at a disadvantage. Now underwater, Arthur grabs a fistful of Baran's hair and pulls him behind as he swims into deeper waters. Arthur swims so fast that the rushing water leaves Baran disoriented. He fights in vain against Arthur's grip.
Once they're out into deep water, Arthur pulls Baran down to the sea floor. Arthur pushes him into the sand. Baran fights wildly, but he has no leverage to use against Arthur. Panic grips him and water fills his lungs.
<Air! Air! Air!> Baran repeats over and over in his mind. Arthur watches as the life drains from Baran's eyes, happy to see justice done. <Air! Air! Selinda! Selinda please! Where are you?>
Arthur's rage vanishes. Water rushes past as he pulls Baran as fast as he can toward the surface. They reach the warm summer air and Arthur pulls Baran above the water. Baran's eyes are closed and he remains still. The surface of the water sprays up around them as Arthur swims for shore.
Once he has Baran on the sand, he frantically begins chest compressions. "Come on! Come on!" Arthur shouts at the unconscious murderer, desperate to save him. "Breathe dammit!"
As if in answer to his demands, Baran suddenly spits up the water from his lungs. He blinks his eyes open and looks up to see Arthur's smiling face. "Thank God," Arthur says, breathing heavily. He then smashes his fist as hard as he can into Baran's face, knocking the man back into unconsciousness. A strongly breathing unconsciousness.
Police cars begin pulling up on the street at the top of the beach. Arthur can also hear the sounds of a helicopter in the distance. He quickly scans the beach for Selinda and sees her lying unconscious a couple yards away. Satisfied the police can handle it, and desperate not to be seen, Arthur makes a break for the water. Once he's safely under the waves, he swims north along the coast.
****
The sun is setting as Brian and Jenna continue to wait outside the police barrier. Still no sign of Arthur, Jenna stares at the beach for any sign while Brian paces behind her. The two of them have been questioned and requestioned by a half dozen officers and detectives, all asking the same things over and over.
What little news they've received has been vague. The police have taken the two bank robbers into custody, but they're still searching the wreckage for missing persons. Brian overheard a witness interview, a young woman saying she thought she saw the large man fighting someone on the beach. When he told Jenna, she just went silent.
"There's not much else you two can do here," a disinterested young officer tells them as he looks down at his cell phone. He smiles to himself about something, his bushy brown mustache curling up over the corners of his mouth, before putting it away and looking up at them. "You should go back to your motel. We have your numbers if anything comes up."
Brian starts to say something, but Jenna interrupts. "No. No we're not going anywhere until Arthur gets back."
"Jenna," Brian tries to console her, gently placing his hands on her arms. "He's right. They should have found Arthur by now. He probably got away and is back at the motel by now. I'm sure he's fine."
Jenna can see the doubt in her friend's eyes, despite his comforting words. Brian was never a good liar. She looks back at the officer, who has returned to his cell phone, typing something out while chuckling to himself. "Fine. Let's g-"
"Jenna! Brian!"
They turn at the sound of their names and see Arthur jogging toward them, barefoot. His clothes are covered in sand and muck. Jenna and Brian rush to meet him, the three friends embracing in a group hug. Upon touching him, they discover Arthur's clothes are damp as well.
"Thank God you're all right," Jenna whispers into Arthur's chest.
"Yeah man, we were worried!" Brian claps his friend on the back. "They found the cop you went back for, um...dead. But you were nowhere to be found."
"Arthur Curry?" the officer asks, eying him up and down as he walks up. He rubs his hand over his mustache and adjusts his hat, revealing a sweaty head of brown hair.
"Yes?"
"I'm gonna have to ask you some questions," the officer says, annoyance in his voice. He pulls out a small notebook and flips to a page. "Your friends here said you stopped to help a fallen officer. Can you tell me what happened?"
Arthur and Jenna share a look before Arthur answers. "I went back to help but that huge guy was coming right for me. I jumped over the side of the boardwalk and fell on the beach. I was worried he was still coming for me, so I ran into the ocean. I swam a ways down the beach before coming ashore. Then I ran back here."
"Uh huh." The officer jots it down in his notebook. Without looking up, he asks, "And did you see anything else? A woman? Or another man fighting the suspect?"
"I'm afraid not," Arthur tells him. "I was...well I ran and didn't look back."
The officer lets out a loud sigh. "Can I get your number in case we have any follow up questions?"
Arthur reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone. It's wet and the screen is shattered. "I think you'll have to call Jenna or Brian for now."
The officer rolls his eyes and turns to leave, obviously satisfied to be done with the three of them.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Jenna asks Arthur, running her eyes over him to see if there's anything wrong.
"Yeah I'm pretty sure that cop should have asked if you needed to be seen by a doctor," Brian mumbles, his brow furrowed in anger. "Dick."
"I'm fine," Arthur smiles widely at his friends. He looks Jenna in the eye. "Really, I'm fine. I just want to go shower and change and get something to eat. Let's get out of here."
****
Back at the motel, Arthur exits the shower feeling refreshed. Despite the chaos of the day, it made him feel good to know those two were in police custody. When Brian and Jenna told him, he felt a sense of pride he'd never felt before. Looking back on the attack on the hospital by Dr. Simon Jones, Arthur remembered just being relieved that Jenna and his father were okay. He didn't really think about the other lives he helped save.
Today was different. He had chosen to get involved even though he and his friends were out of danger. He kept going back to the last thoughts of the police officer. That woman he saw in his mind and how they'll never see each other again. Just like that. In an instant, it's over.
He wipes the mirror with his hand and looks in his eyes. His mind returns to the anger he felt as he was drowning Baran. He felt certain, justified, yet when he looked into the man's thoughts he saw the fear and regret there. Also the love he had for his sister. As much as he felt Baran had to pay for the lives he took, he couldn't go through with it. Arthur closes his eyes and hopes the police can find some way to hold the two of them safely.
When he opens his eyes, he notices the bruises on his face. He reaches up and touches one on his cheek, surprised to find it's already gotten smaller since before he got in the shower. He's never really been hurt since his powers manifested themselves. Apparently faster than normal healing is part of them.
Arthur finishes drying off, having to use two of the thin, tiny towels available just to get the job done. He throws a pair of shorts on and opens the door, the cool air hitting him in a refreshing wave. When he turns the corner he finds Jenna sitting on the closest bed, her arms and legs crossed, staring at him. Her ponytail is gone, her dark brown hair hanging down on her shoulders.
"We need to talk."
Arthur smiles nervously, not sure what to make of this. He looks around the room and finds Brian no where in sight. "Where's Brian?"
Jenna smiles conspiratorially, "I sent him to get dinner. Chinese. When I called the order in I told them not to start making it until eight-thirty."
Arthur looks over at the digital clock on the nightstand. Eight twenty-five. He can't help but laugh. "You're so bad. Sooo...what did you...?"
Jenna lets out a breath in a huff, slams her hands down on the bed to push herself up, and walks over to Arthur. Before he can even react, she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down to her height, kissing him passionately.
Arthur opens his eyes wide, not sure what to do. He doesn't resist, and is surprised to find his hands suddenly on her hips. When she pulls away, she looks up in his eyes, studying his reaction.
Reflexively, Arthur's mind reaches out to hers. What he finds is a wealth of emotion he's never sensed before. He can feel the love she has for him. It's almost overwhelming. He can also feel the fear. Arthur looks down at his best friend and, as if a switch is suddenly flipped in his mind, sees her in a way he's never seen her before.
"I almost lost you today," she whispers, tearing her eyes away from his. "I can't do this anymore. I can't..."
Her words are cut off as Arthur pulls her in and places his lips on hers.
****
"...be taking them with us. We appreciate your hard work, but you can't hope to contain them."
The words reach Baran's ears but he can't make sense of them. He blinks his eyes open, the light blinding him. The metal floor beneath him is cold on the side of his face. He tries to look up and all he can see are shoes.
"Under whose authority?" an angry voice asks.
"The F.B.I.," another voice offers, calm and confident.
"Fucking Feds," a third voice whispers.
Baran can feel the chains on his arms. They make him angry. A growl escapes his lips as he pulls himself up onto his knees. A swift motion breaks the chains and brings his arms in front of him. He finds himself in a small, simple cell. A police officer and a man in a brown suit reach for their sidearms. Another man, dressed in a black suit and tie with sunglasses on, doesn't react at all.
Baran starts to rise to his feet when he feels two sticks jam into the sides of his neck. Everything goes white as his body convulses, electricity running through him. A kick in his back sends him back to the floor.
"See what I mean?"
When he starts to regain control of his body, Baran finds his arms pinned behind him. He struggles against the restraints, to no avail. A hand yanks his head up by his hair and slams a collar around his neck. He falls back onto the cold metal floor and rolls onto his back.
The grunts and growls that escape his lips are more animal than man. Yet despite his struggles, Baran can't break the bonds that hold him. The man in the black suit walks up and kneels down in front of him. His short brown hair is perfectly styled, not a single strand out of place. Baran lashes out with his teeth, but the man doesn't even flinch.
"Get used to it," the man whispers. "You and your sister belong to the D.E.O. now."
-The End-