Post by Buck U on Jun 25, 2017 10:41:12 GMT -8
Houston, Texas:
Dave Flynn slept.
To those who knew Dave that statement would almost considered an oxymoron. Dave didn't seem to sleep at the best of times. Tiger Mask Red, who now traveled almost everywhere with Dave at his side, had learned that the hard way. Many a night Tiger was awoken to the sound of his cousin pacing the floors in the middle of the night, and on more than one occasion, when forced to share a bed due to poor sleeping accommodations, he had witnessed the sheer energy Dave put into tossing and turning in bed.
How he managed to survive on the little slumber he managed to get was anyone's guess, but he did. Dave simply wasn't a sleeper and when he did he would wake at the slightest noise and yet here he was, sleeping soundly for the first time in years while his cousin hasty packed a bag.
The flushing of the hotel room toilet, startled Tiger. He turned around to watch a masked giant step out of the washroom, followed by two much smaller individuals.
Tiger only offered them a single glance, not bothering to ask how the three of them had entered the hotel room through the bathroom, or even if they had washed their hands after using the toilette. The matter was, Tiger didn't care, he had enough on his mind as is.
"Are you sure that Charlie and Haruto will be fine while you're gone," he asked the giant.
"I am Brute."
Tiger simply nodded and continued throwing things in his bag. If his luck held up, he'd been gone for only a few hours but he wasn't leaving anything to risk. He tossed a few packages of Peanut M&Ms, her favourite, into his bag and zipped it shut before turning to the giant.
"Ok, let's go."
"I am Brute?"
Tiger turned to his cousin, still sleeping, and smiled.
"Who him? Nah, he won't wake up. That potion I gave him should make him sleep until check-out time."
He chuckled as he turned back towards Brutus Smith.
"Maybe with a good night sleep he won't be as neurotic when he wakes up," he joked.
For the first time he turned to look at his mentor's companions, a sea monster and a goblin.
"Seriously? I asked you to bring someone to watch over to watch Dave and you brought the Surf and Turf Connection?"
Zaros started to say something, but a catcher's mit sized hand covered his mouth before he could shriek something out.
The giant glared down at both his students. They both owed him huge debts. He shook his fist at both of them and they both silently. His message was clear, if anything happened to Dave, they wouldn't live to regret it. Satisfied, Brute turned to Tiger and gestured to the bathroom.
"I am Brute."
"Fine," Tiger answered, following him, "but try not to breaker the crapper, I don't want to any repair bills on my credit card."
The light in the washroom blinked off and on and a flush of the toilet later the two of them were gone.
***
Somewhere over the United States:
Holly stared out the window into the darkness. Normally sleep came easily to her on plane rides but tonight it was elusive. She looked over at her husband, Jacob Hammerstein, snoring loudly and mumbling "bro" every once in a while. At least someone was getting some rest.
She pulled out her paperwork from the office and looked over some of the commercial requests. Several companies had come forward wanting Buck U Productions to submit proposals to them for advertising. Holly had to look through the requests and see which ones best suited her team's strengths. After a few minutes though she shoved the papers back into the file and stored it away.
Holly turned back to the window and the darkness. She was too distracted to think about work. Her thoughts went back to her last conversation with her brother.
The battle at the funhouse had was over, but she could tell that there was something troubling him. As she approached him, she heard the familiar whispers of his two "selves" arguing. The conversation ceased as she grew near and her brother offered her a weak smile.
"Hey, are you ok," she asked.
The smile melted from his face and shook his head.
"No," he replied, "I thought it would end here tonight. I thought all this would fix me, but I was wrong."
Holly grabbed her brother by the shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.
"I know, but Eli you've been fighting this battle with Castor for as long as I can remember. One battle isn't going to change that. You've got to keep seeing the psychiatrist like Charlie asked you to. It's the only way you're going to get better."
He shook his head and pulled away from her.
"It's not that simple," he told her, "There's more going on here," pointing around the carnival grounds, "and in here," pointing to his head, "then you realize. This place, it's done something to me. It's unlocked something... I can't explain it.
Holly tried to say it was all going to be ok but he held up his hand.
"I'm not giving up Hollybear. The psychiatrist is helping, but I need more. I have to go find El Bruja," he told, "she'll know what to do."
She recognized the name right away from the tales told by the staff at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico. Holly and her brother were often threatened by El Bruja's wrath by the staff when the two of them misbehaved.
"Eli, El Bruja's just a myth."
He started laughing.
"A myth," he shouted, calling attention upon them from everyone around, "After everything you and I have seen in our lives in Mexico, after everything we've witnessed tonight, how can you say something like that? No, little sister, El Bruja's very much real and I know where to find her."
He suddenly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. Startled, it took Holly a moment to process what was going on. It had been over a year since the last time he had hugged her, it felt odd but good at the same time. After a few seconds she managed to break out of her shock and returned the hug.
The stood there for several minutes, while people moved around them, going along their business.
"Take care of yourself," he whispered in her ear, before finally breaking the embrace, "and that lughead head of a husband of yours."
"Eli..."
He silenced her with a finger to her lips and kissed her on the forehead.
"I'll see you in a week," he told her, "if I don't return in a week, tell Charlie I'm gone and that I love her."
Before she could say another word, her brother had turned away and disappeared into the darkness. She had thought to go after him but realized that she had little chance of finding him.
Back on the plane, Holly remembered the text she had received from Charlie, who was pleased how Eli was continuing with his sessions with the psychiatrist. Charlie said the last report from the doctor said they were making progress. Holly had resisted the urge to tell her sister-in-law otherwise.
Holly pulled the blind down over the plane window. There was no use looking into the darkness, she wouldn't find any answers there. She slid over next to her husband and nestled her head on his shoulder. Sleep finally came to take her away for a while.
She only prayed that wherever her brother was, he was finding rest as well.
***
Somewhere near the Texas/Mexico boarder:
Alice shooed the last customer from the diner and locked up for the night. It was the end of another busy day and now it was time for some rest.
She nearly jumped out of orthopaedic shoes when she heard singing from the back of the darkened dining room.
"Walk right in, it's around the back.
Just a half mile from the railroad track.
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant..."
Alice quickly turned the lights back up just as the song concluded and saw two figures, a masked giant and a redhead hold a mask in his hand, sitting at a table.
"... except for Alice, that is," the redhead finished.
"Eli? Brute? Is that you too," she asked.
The redhead put the mask on and smiled.
"Yes," he said, "it's us. We need to talk, Alice, or should I call you El Bruja?"
Dave Flynn slept.
To those who knew Dave that statement would almost considered an oxymoron. Dave didn't seem to sleep at the best of times. Tiger Mask Red, who now traveled almost everywhere with Dave at his side, had learned that the hard way. Many a night Tiger was awoken to the sound of his cousin pacing the floors in the middle of the night, and on more than one occasion, when forced to share a bed due to poor sleeping accommodations, he had witnessed the sheer energy Dave put into tossing and turning in bed.
How he managed to survive on the little slumber he managed to get was anyone's guess, but he did. Dave simply wasn't a sleeper and when he did he would wake at the slightest noise and yet here he was, sleeping soundly for the first time in years while his cousin hasty packed a bag.
The flushing of the hotel room toilet, startled Tiger. He turned around to watch a masked giant step out of the washroom, followed by two much smaller individuals.
Tiger only offered them a single glance, not bothering to ask how the three of them had entered the hotel room through the bathroom, or even if they had washed their hands after using the toilette. The matter was, Tiger didn't care, he had enough on his mind as is.
"Are you sure that Charlie and Haruto will be fine while you're gone," he asked the giant.
"I am Brute."
Tiger simply nodded and continued throwing things in his bag. If his luck held up, he'd been gone for only a few hours but he wasn't leaving anything to risk. He tossed a few packages of Peanut M&Ms, her favourite, into his bag and zipped it shut before turning to the giant.
"Ok, let's go."
"I am Brute?"
Tiger turned to his cousin, still sleeping, and smiled.
"Who him? Nah, he won't wake up. That potion I gave him should make him sleep until check-out time."
He chuckled as he turned back towards Brutus Smith.
"Maybe with a good night sleep he won't be as neurotic when he wakes up," he joked.
For the first time he turned to look at his mentor's companions, a sea monster and a goblin.
"Seriously? I asked you to bring someone to watch over to watch Dave and you brought the Surf and Turf Connection?"
Zaros started to say something, but a catcher's mit sized hand covered his mouth before he could shriek something out.
The giant glared down at both his students. They both owed him huge debts. He shook his fist at both of them and they both silently. His message was clear, if anything happened to Dave, they wouldn't live to regret it. Satisfied, Brute turned to Tiger and gestured to the bathroom.
"I am Brute."
"Fine," Tiger answered, following him, "but try not to breaker the crapper, I don't want to any repair bills on my credit card."
The light in the washroom blinked off and on and a flush of the toilet later the two of them were gone.
***
Somewhere over the United States:
Holly stared out the window into the darkness. Normally sleep came easily to her on plane rides but tonight it was elusive. She looked over at her husband, Jacob Hammerstein, snoring loudly and mumbling "bro" every once in a while. At least someone was getting some rest.
She pulled out her paperwork from the office and looked over some of the commercial requests. Several companies had come forward wanting Buck U Productions to submit proposals to them for advertising. Holly had to look through the requests and see which ones best suited her team's strengths. After a few minutes though she shoved the papers back into the file and stored it away.
Holly turned back to the window and the darkness. She was too distracted to think about work. Her thoughts went back to her last conversation with her brother.
The battle at the funhouse had was over, but she could tell that there was something troubling him. As she approached him, she heard the familiar whispers of his two "selves" arguing. The conversation ceased as she grew near and her brother offered her a weak smile.
"Hey, are you ok," she asked.
The smile melted from his face and shook his head.
"No," he replied, "I thought it would end here tonight. I thought all this would fix me, but I was wrong."
Holly grabbed her brother by the shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.
"I know, but Eli you've been fighting this battle with Castor for as long as I can remember. One battle isn't going to change that. You've got to keep seeing the psychiatrist like Charlie asked you to. It's the only way you're going to get better."
He shook his head and pulled away from her.
"It's not that simple," he told her, "There's more going on here," pointing around the carnival grounds, "and in here," pointing to his head, "then you realize. This place, it's done something to me. It's unlocked something... I can't explain it.
Holly tried to say it was all going to be ok but he held up his hand.
"I'm not giving up Hollybear. The psychiatrist is helping, but I need more. I have to go find El Bruja," he told, "she'll know what to do."
She recognized the name right away from the tales told by the staff at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico. Holly and her brother were often threatened by El Bruja's wrath by the staff when the two of them misbehaved.
"Eli, El Bruja's just a myth."
He started laughing.
"A myth," he shouted, calling attention upon them from everyone around, "After everything you and I have seen in our lives in Mexico, after everything we've witnessed tonight, how can you say something like that? No, little sister, El Bruja's very much real and I know where to find her."
He suddenly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. Startled, it took Holly a moment to process what was going on. It had been over a year since the last time he had hugged her, it felt odd but good at the same time. After a few seconds she managed to break out of her shock and returned the hug.
The stood there for several minutes, while people moved around them, going along their business.
"Take care of yourself," he whispered in her ear, before finally breaking the embrace, "and that lughead head of a husband of yours."
"Eli..."
He silenced her with a finger to her lips and kissed her on the forehead.
"I'll see you in a week," he told her, "if I don't return in a week, tell Charlie I'm gone and that I love her."
Before she could say another word, her brother had turned away and disappeared into the darkness. She had thought to go after him but realized that she had little chance of finding him.
Back on the plane, Holly remembered the text she had received from Charlie, who was pleased how Eli was continuing with his sessions with the psychiatrist. Charlie said the last report from the doctor said they were making progress. Holly had resisted the urge to tell her sister-in-law otherwise.
Holly pulled the blind down over the plane window. There was no use looking into the darkness, she wouldn't find any answers there. She slid over next to her husband and nestled her head on his shoulder. Sleep finally came to take her away for a while.
She only prayed that wherever her brother was, he was finding rest as well.
***
Somewhere near the Texas/Mexico boarder:
Alice shooed the last customer from the diner and locked up for the night. It was the end of another busy day and now it was time for some rest.
She nearly jumped out of orthopaedic shoes when she heard singing from the back of the darkened dining room.
"Walk right in, it's around the back.
Just a half mile from the railroad track.
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant..."
Alice quickly turned the lights back up just as the song concluded and saw two figures, a masked giant and a redhead hold a mask in his hand, sitting at a table.
"... except for Alice, that is," the redhead finished.
"Eli? Brute? Is that you too," she asked.
The redhead put the mask on and smiled.
"Yes," he said, "it's us. We need to talk, Alice, or should I call you El Bruja?"