Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 3
Chapter 36: The Wrestling King
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
It was a huge fight in the arena in the Southern Stride town of Celebrimbor as it was packed with dozens of fans and onlookers that saw the fight between Crusher McGee and his rival, Bagpipes Haller. The crowd was wild as they were cheering at whoever won the match-up in which Crusher was pinning his rival with his signature wrestling move, the Crusher Deluxe. With the referee counting three times and the bell ringing to declare the winner, Crusher was on top as he maintained his championship belt until the next title match-up that is. By the time the match was over, the man known as the Wrestling King was ready to call it a night as he was on his way home to see his wife and children, who were waiting for him. Little did he know was that something would change him the moment he walked towards the crosswalk to get to the street on the other side where his home was.
It was easy pickings to Crusher McGee as he stepped onto the concrete to get home until something occurred at that moment. When he saw a speeding peddle cart come towards him down the hill, it hit him as it sent him flying and rolling over out of the crosswalk in which the bulk of it nailed him to the core. By the time he got up, he saw the peddle cart go further away as he was lucky to be alive… or so he thought. Even though he was on his feet, he never expected to be on such a strange journey after being hit by a peddle cart, but his luck would soon go from bad to worse in hindsight so far…
It had been three days since I officiated the wedding between Matsuo and Guinevere back at the Mitani homestead as I was most likely to be on the train to the Southern Stride where Gale Canyon is. With Reiko at my side, she was slightly worried about the twins, but it was a godsend that Cynthia stood behind to care for them while we were gone, only to be on the train to our next destination. It was also the first time that we were travelling on first class instead of the traditional coach compartments we were used to as we were having breakfast that consisted of crepes with strawberry and cream cheese filling along with some orange juice. Even though we were blessed to travel with style on the train, we weren't without a certain chaperon that stood in the coach compartments, but he didn't go without doing his duties. In due time, Kevin would go towards the first class compartment to check up on me and Reiko as we were enjoying our breakfast as usual.
"Good morning, Kevin," said Reiko. "I trust that you hadn't eaten anything yet."
"Hey, just because you and Sam travel in first class, doesn't mean that you can ditch me," he said as his stomach later growled. "I'll take the continental breakfast in coach."
"What are you talking about?" I said. "The breakfast that was given to us was more than enough to feed you, even though you're still at the behest of Dean by being the bodyguard on this mission."
Kevin took up to the offer as he grabbed a saucer and got into one of the crepes that were on a large platter. The taste of it made his day as he loved the fancy spread of the first class breakfast more than the traditional bacon and eggs on a daily basis. As passengers on a train, all three of us were enjoying our breakfast until we were full. Little did all three of us know was that a certain ward was hiding in the distance as he had his journal in his hand in order to write about what he was experiencing on this train ride. It was Dirk as he wanted to have more adventure than being cooped in the castle all the live long while I was gone. When he got back into the coach compartment, he sat down as he stared at the morning sky that was a cluster of orange, red, and yellow that was very pretty to see. Just as he was about to write about more of what he saw, he saw the door to the compartment slide open as he saw me come in here just to scold him for wandering away from the castle without Cynthia's permission again.
"I had a feeling that you'd be here," I said.
"Sorry, but I didn't wanna be bored by Cynthia's lectures all the live long," said Dirk.
"You left under Cynthia's nose again, didn't you?"
"She get so boring and stern all the time, so I scrounged my allowance money just to get a train ticket to the Southern Stride of all places."
"There are reasons why I don't let you on some of the missions I have, Dirk. Sooner or later, you'll understand why some of them can be dangerous for someone like you."
"So? We spotted some tulpas in that movie studio back in New Bombay, didn't we? We might go and find a monster or something there besides the usual vampires and demons that run around all over the place."
"The Southern Stride is known for their ongoing vampire problem in which some of the Orcs there are most likely to keep the numbers dwindling before they do more further damage."
"And the only weakness for a vampire is Dead Man's Blood, but the only way to take 'em out is to chop their heads off. I bet that we'd be having our hands full with-"
Without warning, the train stopped as it was stuck on the tracks. When I looked out the window, I saw something standing in the distance as he was dressed up in wrestling garb complete with a championship belt around his waist. It was at that moment that I knew of him to be the legendary Crusher McGee due to his white hair and piercing blue eyes, along with his muscular build that would put any bodybuilder to shame. Just as I was about to see what he was doing, he disappeared without a trace as something screamed red flags about what went on so far. When I left the coach compartment with Dirk following me, we went towards the first class car as we later noticed that Reiko and Kevin were gone without a trace. My heart sped up in a primal panic as I was worried about Reiko and Kevin as they have gone missing for no reason, for something was wrong indeed.
"They were here earlier!" I cried as I was getting scared for their safety.
"Where's Reiko and Kevin?"asked Dirk.
"They're gone, but I have a feeling that we would soon be kept under the microscope of what would happen next."
"But it was early in the morning just a moment ago..."
"Wait..." I paused briefly as I realized the surroundings so carefully. "I know what we're in now. We're in a ghost pocket and they are quite dangerous if we don't deal with the source right away."
"A ghost pocket?"
"Yes. According to most lores, a ghost pocket is mainly an anomaly that is formed when someone hasn't made peace with himself or herself. From what I gather, this ghost pocket has been known to cover parts of this area where the activity occurred."
"We're already parked on the outskirts of Celebrimbor, but if we find the source, then we'll salt and burn the remains that causes the ghost pocket."
"And if we can find the source, then we can find Reiko and Kevin in this form of terror."
I left the first class car with Dirk following me as we left the train and went outside. The area that we were in was more like a horror film as we saw the fog covering the trees in which we had to find Reiko and Kevin before it was too late. In a blink of an eye, I felt my raw power surging as the jeweled sigil on my forehead became a nightlight in order to get past the fog that covered the trees and other surroundings. With Dirk catching up with me, we both were standing at an old house as it was nothing more than a derelict that fell to ruin many years ago. In such a stranger notion, we were ready to go and face what was causing the ghost pocket or else others would suffer from what would happen next…
Reiko found herself in the house in the middle of the fog as she was worried about me and Dirk. Her surroundings she was in were mostly in a room that had a dollhouse and many dolls and toys put on display in their shelves. She never saw anything like it before as she noticed the dollhouse on display in the middle of the floor. By the time Kevin came into the room, he was also seeing the toys on display in their shelves as they had an eerie energy that worried him to the core. The porcelain dolls that were in the shelves were the most creepy as he noticed them just stare at him for no reason at all. In all his experiences he had during his tenure being Colchuvar's right-hand man, he never saw anything like it before as the dolls were staring at him with their piercing eyes. Even though he had seen many toys in many shapes in sizes, he was scared of the dolls that were part of the haunted house as they were untrustworthy to the extreme.
"This place we got put into is nothing but hell," he said.
"The dollhouse looks good despite the fact that the room it's in has seen better days," said Reiko.
"Yeah, but the dolls on the shelves look like that they're gonna jump off and attack you all the live long."
"They're just toys, Kevin. They won't harm you not for a bit."
"That's what you'd think!"
Without warning, Kevin saw one of the dolls fly off the shelf as it landed on his face. The doll, which wore a red Lolita dress complete with a bonnet with blond hair and blue eyes, attached itself to Kevin directly as it was about to suffocate him on the spot. Reiko was shocked to see the doll do that as she went and yanked it off of Kevin's face and threw it on the floor. When they saw the doll face down, it got up and was on its feet as it was ready to attack again until something burst into the room and grabbed the doll before it did any more damage. Both Reiko and Kevin noticed Crusher McGee appear as he threw the doll out the window in which he didn't want anyone else getting hurt after what was witnessed earlier.
"You picked a wrong time to be in this house," he said.
"Something brought us here without warning just to have one of Barbie's cousins twice removed to attack me," said Kevin.
"Those dolls are like that, but this haunted house has been the source of what happens every year."
"Have you tried to get out of this place?" asked Reiko.
"No, and I wanna be with my family, not be here in this chamber of horrors." Crusher buckles to his knees as he was desperate to be with his family again. "I wanna be with my wife. I wanna play with my sons and teach them how to wrestle. If only I can get out of here..."
"You shouldn't fret too much. As soon as Sammy comes, we'll all leave this place."
"At least we can go to a different room for once," said Kevin. "Those dolls on the shelves creep me out."
And so, Reiko and Kevin followed Crusher out of the playroom as they were about to go towards somewhere else in mind in this haunted house. The place itself was a very haunted one indeed as it screamed danger all over the place. Even though they had to be on their guard, they had to be aware of what was going on in this place so far. To Reiko's shock, she noticed a light in the trees outside as she noticed me standing in the distance. The presence of me gave her hope as she was most likely to be seeing me come here to save her and Kevin from danger. She even noticed Dirk with me as he was also willing to help save the day in the end. It was the least we could do as the time to save everyone was at hand in the ghost pocket that was formed the moment the train stopped…
Dean was in my office again as he was busy looking into the files about both the Elect and Darbus Toller on the spot. As usual, he was on top of things as he was staring at the two files in front of him that were on my desk. The news about both problems were getting to him as he wanted them gone and away from everything as he was about to be called towards the Southern Stride to offer assistance the moment he got the chance. Just as he was about to get up, he saw Reuben come into my office as he was concerned about what went on the moment I brought back Matsuo from Shiganshina three days ago. The look on his face brought warning signs as Dean had a feeling that Reuben would soon be butting in on my ongoing problems that stemmed from the raw power that I had within me.
"Looks like you've got problems, don't you?" said Dean.
"That's not the reason why I came here, Dean," said Reuben.
"Well, then; spill it. I'm all ears when it comes to news about our two big problems that won't go away anytime soon."
"It's about Sam. After he brought back Matsuo and his sons from Shiganshina, he overused his power in which it caused a side effect in him."
"What the hell's going on here? I need to know before it escalates."
"Shortly after Sam used his raw power to convince Matsuo to return here to Alecrast, he began to cough up blood. I know that he'll blow it off, but I won't let him slide this time the moment he gets towards Gale Canyon."
"Speaking of the way into the Southern Stride, there had been a ghost pocket that's been haunting the outskirts of the town of Celebrimbor in which it lures its victims into a haunted house complete with all the withered trees and fog it can muster. Anyway, I hope that Sam's alright down there..."
"As of now, I'm putting my foot down!" Reuben remained firm in his stern manner. "After Sam wraps up business, I'm calling in the Medical Corps in which they'll keep him under surveillance whether he likes it or not!"
"Now, that's an invasion of privacy, but Sam's not gonna be put under the microscope all the live long just because he coughed up blood. He's no stranger into using his power just to save our asses, but you can't keep him bottled up forever."
"I'll do what I can, but my position still stands, Dean. He's our brother and there's no way in hell that he'll end up dying from using his powers too much. This isn't like the trials of the Elder Days in which his past self nearly lost his life into passing two trials and failing the third one. I won't let that happen to him, I swear of it. I'll even hold him down, even if it meant by locking him up in a room somewhere in which he can't choose his powers over his health."
Reuben made his point clear as he was most likely to be going towards the Southern Stride with his team from the Medical Corps. As for Dean, however, he was most likely to be going there as well as he wanted to be there to stop the Elect just like the rest of us. Even though the crucial lantern was ready to be lit in Gale Canyon, there would soon be an obstacle in the form of the unholy alliance as they were standing their ground over there just to subjugate the humans that lived amongst the Orcs who lived there. With the final lantern waiting in the wings and the showdown in Gale Canyon looming, everyone and everything had to be prepared to what was yet to come soon enough...
Dirk and I stopped at the gate of the haunted house after getting past the fog in the trees. When we went towards the gates and inside of the property, we saw it to be in bad shape as the sight of rosebushes strewn everywhere sent a chill to our very being. The house itself was also covered in rosebushes as the thorny vines were a red flag that worried us so far. By the time we got to the house entrance, we saw the vines covering the doorway as if they didn't want us to go in. It was something that we never expected before, but we had to get through in order to save Reiko and Kevin before it was too late.
"I bet that you're gonna do a little pruning here," said Dirk.
"This place is dangerous, so I suggest that you be careful," I said as I got out my sword to cut some of the vines away from the front entrance. "The power of the ghost pocket can imagine things like a haunted house and forest covered in fog, but there will always be a source to find in this horrible fantasy land."
"I bet that Reiko and Kevin are in some playroom there, but I bet the toy in there aren't gonna be friendly to play with."
"We best be on our guard. There's no telling when or where the power of the ghost pocket can strike at any time."
At that moment, I cut at the vines that blocked the entrance of the house the moment Dirk and I went inside as we saw the interior of the place. It was old as it had many portraits of people who passed on over the past centuries. I was no stranger into seeing things that haunted people the moment I looked into the lore of the Elder Days. Still, I had a feeling that there would be a ghost here haunting things and causing havoc without warning as I had to be careful about what would happen next. To my shock, I saw a painting above the fireplace as it was yet another one of me and Reiko that was painted long before we were ever born in this day and age. The painting itself was in good condition as it told of the light overpowering the darkness in it, for it was our purpose to stop the Elect before they took over the entire Ashizoka System to feed on the humans who lived in it.
"It's another sign of the Destiny of Worlds, isn't it?" said Dirk as he was staring at the painting.
"This sign is more than what we bargained for, but whoever painted this picture had a taste for art and fine wares," I said.
"Does Reiko know about this?"
"No, but she's probably in a different room with Kevin in which there would be more dangers if we don't find them in this chamber of horrors."
"This place is huge, but we don't know where either Reiko or Kevin are at."
"I know where they are, but they're not alone. Someone else is with them, but it's probably the same man known for his wrestling moves back in the day."
"You're not talking about Hulk Hogan, are you?"
"Ever heard of Crusher McGee? He was one of the most iconic professional wrestlers that ever lived throughout the Southern Stride and beyond. Unlike most wrestlers, he had a family and reputation to live up to in which he was considered the best in his league with his signature move, the Crusher Deluxe."
"Sam, look out!"
I turned around as I saw a sword come at me in such a quick speed. I used my own sword to counter the speeding blade as it fell to the floor. The haunted house was starting to get intense as I had to hurry and find Reiko and Kevin before it was too late, for this place was nothing more than one deathtrap after another already. During our search around the haunted house, we were looking into the downstairs rooms as the doors were opened, but were old from age. On a whim, Dirk was starting to get a little antsy as he had to find a bathroom quickly. By the time he entered into the bathroom itself, it was an old one indeed as it had a claw-footed tub, a vintage sink, and a toilet that hadn't been used in ages. When Dirk did his business while standing above the toilet, he was happy that he didn't wet himself as he flushed afterwards and went towards the sink to wash his hands.
After he did that, he heard the water running from the bathtub as he turned around and saw it filling fastly to the top. When he turned off the faucet, he was ready to drain out the tub as he reached in for the plug that kept it full. Just as he was about to do so, he felt something tug at him as it was dragging him further into the water in which he was about to drown from what was there in the bathroom. Just as he was about to lose the air he had, I sprinted into the bathroom as I yanked him out of the claw-footed tub and away from it as I noticed the water becoming black in it. In such a folly like that, it was a miracle that I got Dirk out of there as I saw him gasping for breath after what he experienced, for he didn't like the haunted house here after what happened earlier.
"After this, I'm hitting the showers," he said as he coughed.
"You're lucky that I'm here for you," I said.
"I bet that Reiko and Kevin didn't see this place here or else one of them decides to take a bath."
"As soon as you're dried off, we'll continue our search for Reiko and Kevin as planned. It's the least we can do for now."
And so, we left the bathroom as we resumed our search for Reiko and Kevin. In this chamber of horrors, it was hell here, but it didn't deter us from our goal as we would soon catch up with them soon enough if need be...
Reiko, Kevin, and Crusher were in a ballroom after going through the halls to find a way out. The room itself was a vast one as it even had musical instruments and a stage that went with it. Unlike the rest of the rooms in this haunted house, the ballroom wasn't haunted just yet. It was a safe place for the time being as Reiko was seeing the room not becoming suspicious at all. To her shock, she saw a mural on the ceiling as it featured both me and her etched into it in which we were most likely to become the Destiny of Worlds after defeating the Elect and their allies soon enough.
"It's another painting of me and Sammy," she said.
"You gotta be kidding me…," said Crusher as he was staring at the mural. "You of all people are one of the chosen, aren't you?" Reiko nods. "Then you must be prepared for the worst if you're gonna stay on top of the food chain."
"Sam and Reiko were the chosen ones, but there are those who fear their presence and power," said Kevin. "It's something that is etched in our heads the moment we saw the cave drawing in the tradarium mine on Earendil six months ago. If only Master Colchuvar were still alive, he'd be here swinging his Claymore around the moment he kicks ass and takes names. Sometimes, I miss him, but he'd be pissed off even worse if we didn't continue to fight the good fight."
"I bet that your master's probably seeing you from beyond the grave so far."
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The sound of someone pounding on the double doors worried Reiko, Kevin, and Crusher as they saw them about to be broken into. They were no longer safe as the pounding on the doors got a little louder in which they were opened up. To their shock, they saw the doll that was thrown out the window as it was standing on its own. The dirt that covered it was shocking to see as the doll itself was growing in half its size. It was the size of a bigfoot as it was most likely to attack Reiko, Kevin, and Crusher the moment it was ready to get its revenge.
When Crusher saw the doll in front of him that doubled in size, he saw it to be a huge opportunity to pin it down as he was ready to wrestle it in full force. It wasn't long until the doll got the upper hand and picked him up as it threw him against the wall where the musical instruments were kept at. By the time he got back on his feet, he was more than ready to return the favor as he ran towards the doll and threw it against the wall in which several pieces of porcelain broke off of its face. Anger flared in the doll as it was ready to attack Crusher with all its might. The man that was known as the Wrestling King wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet as he used all his weight and muscle to subdue the broken porcelain doll with his signature move that pinned his opponents in the ring over the years. Even though he knocked the doll down onto the ground, he had it pinned as he counted to three, for the match was over the moment he was back on his feet. He triumphed over the porcelain doll as it was finally shattered into pieces, for he was on top in the haunted house he was put in so far.
"And I'm still the Wrestling King!" he yelled triumphantly.
"At least you killed off the Cabbage Patch Kid from Hell," said Kevin.
"Still, by the time we all get out of here, I'm gonna be home by the time Priscilla makes her special meat loaf with mashed potatoes, which is the meal of champions."
It was a triumph for Crusher as he wasn't losing his fighting spirit any time soon. With Reiko and Kevin getting ready to leave the ballroom with him, they were most likely to be hearing footsteps approaching nearby that were familiar. By the time Dirk and I sprinted into the ballroom, we found that everyone was alright as we saw Crusher standing over the shattered porcelain remains of the doll he pinned earlier, for he didn't want anything to do with the haunted mess that was everywhere in this place. It was also at that moment that I saw the mural of me and Reiko as it was yet another sign of what was yet to come in our purpose of being the Destiny of Worlds soon enough, for we were set in stone after all.
"Sammy!" cried Reiko as she ran towards me and put her arms around me. "I knew that you'd come here."
"It's a godsend that you're all okay, but this place must be stopped," I said.
"I agree," said Kevin. "After this, I'm going to the bathhouse."
"You better do it quick 'cause the house itself is getting pissed off," said Crusher as he saw the walls of the ballroom begin to come forth to kill us all. "The place had its fun at haunting people, but it never expected the Destiny of Worlds just to show up here of all people."
"We better get out before it eats us!" cried Dirk as he saw the windows close up with bars, vine and bricks. "This ghost pocket's nothing but trouble from the get-go!"
The structure of the house was beginning to get its way until I used my raw power to dispel the place's attacks. I was in my super-charged form once again as I didn't want anyone to get hurt from the haunted house that had a way of creating the ghost pocket in the first place. My very appearance became much more different despite the fact that my hair turned silver and the aura of me burned the brightest in such a strange way indeed. I was showing the house who was boss as I used my power to simply destroy the infrastructure all over it while shielding everyone from the danger that was everywhere. It was something that was painted all over as I was protecting my friends and family from further harm when we saw the haunted house become no more in which the ghost pocket disintegrated and our surroundings were back to normal. I stopped the ghost pocket's power as I was in my most powerful form since I convinced Matsuo to return to Alecrast, for it was a boon for all of us in our fight against the Elect once and for all.
"The haunted house is gone," said Dirk as he saw the morning sky in the distance.
"The ghost pocket may be gone, but we still have work to do," I said as I reverted back into my normal form. "It's strange that I destroyed the house, but my powers were meant for something and that is to put the Elect in their place before they do more damage to those who stand in their way."
"You broke the curse, and I'm free," said Crusher as he was grateful to be unshackled from the ghost pocket. "Still, I gotta get back to my family so I can tell 'em about how I wrestled a doll in a haunted house."
It was at that moment that Crusher was grateful to be free of the ghost pocket as he was on his way to the place he wanted to get home to. He was at his house as it was different the last time he left for the wrestling match in the arena. By the time he got to his front yard, he peeked into the window as he saw his wife sitting next to his rival by the fireplace while staring at a pewter urn that was up on top of the mantle. What went on in his absence? Why was Bagpipes Haller comforting his wife? He was in a rude awakening as he was ready to pummel his rival to a pulp until Reiko stopped him in his tracks the moment she saw the urn in the distance inside on the mantle.
"Get the hell out of my way!" he yelled. "I know that Bagpipes Haller's wanting to make a move on Priscilla all this time!"
"It's not meant to be after all," said Reiko as she had a sad look on her face. "I sense it now that you've been dead the whole time and you hadn't realized it."
"That's impossible! The last thing to hit me was that peddle cart on the road while I took the crosswalk, only to get back up again."
"No…, it's not. You should see the bigger picture of what you missed out on."
"It's a sick joke that's about to get me punked, but-"
"It's not a joke. You need to see further before you say any further."
Crusher peeked into the interior of his home as he saw the newspaper clipping of an obituary that stood next to the urn on the mantle. The obituary had a picture of him as it even told about how he died all those years ago as if he was kept in a time bubble and not realized it until now. He even noticed his sons arriving as they were most likely to be teenagers by now. It was a shock for him as he had tears running down his cheeks, but sooner or later, he had to say goodbye to the ones who mattered the most before going to Heaven.
"I guess that there's no going back, is there?" he said.
"No…," said Reiko as she shook her head. "All those years ago, you lost your life and you never knew that you were dead until now."
"I can't believe that I've been dead and I didn't have time to say goodbye to my family… I bet that being dead sucks for a guy like me. And so, the Wrestling King's reign came to an end, but I can't just stick around too much. I had my fun, but the reality of me dying took the cake so far."
It wasn't long until Crusher saw the vision of himself all those years ago come to life the moment he won the match against Bagpipes Haller and took home the championship belt. When he saw himself cross the street while using the crosswalk, he noticed the peddle cart speeding as it hit him while it sent him flying onto the concrete that resulted into hitting his head. He even noticed several onlookers approaching his body as he saw several people attempt to resuscitate him, but to no avail. He was pronounced dead on the scene after that fatal accident as the sight of his lifeless body proved too much for the ghost that was known as the Wrestling King. He was sad to see this as it was a reminder of not realizing that he was dead the whole time until the time and future caught him in the ghost pocket that kept him prisoner for years after his death. By the time the rest of us came to where his house stood, we were most likely to give him a farewell before crossing over to the afterlife, for he couldn't stay in this world forever after being in that ghost pocket for a very long time.
"So, this is fate biting me in the ass for being in full denial," he said.
"Even though you've been a ghost and you're free, you can't remain in this world forever in which you would end up becoming a vengeful spirit the moment you step out onto that crosswalk," I said.
"You saved me from that hellhole of a ghost pocket, but I feel like I've been given a mickey just to realize that I bought the arena this whole time."
"Well, you did wrestle a porcelain doll to the ground," said Kevin.
"I know, but it's all I did just to prove myself against the haunted house..."
"I bet that Colchuvar and Ippei would hear your tales the moment you get up there," said Dirk.
"It's hell, but I can't remain a ghost forever." Crusher looks at the sky as he saw the sun shining up there in the clouds. "Don't worry, Priscilla…, we'll meet again in the next life… It's been fun, but I'll always be known as the Wrestling King for the rest of my days in the afterlife."
We saw Crusher ascending towards Heaven with a smile on his face and a thumbs-up salute as his very being vanished without a trace into the clouds that were behind the sun. In due time, he would find peace as the Wrestling King found a home up in the afterlife. When I looked up at the sky, I prayed for him until I felt the side effects of the raw power creeping up on me again. I was coughing up blood as I felt my knees buckle under the pressure. When Reiko, Dirk, and Kevin came to my aid, they were concerned about my health as I fainted onto the ground. I was unconscious after destroying the ghost pocket as I was in for a rude awakening if I wasn't careful…
"SAM!" everyone yelled out as they saw me unconscious from exhaustion.
I woke up in a hospital room as I was cleaned and dressed up in a white kimono complete with an i.v. drip inserted into my arm. Even though I was resting in a hospital bed, I noticed the window opened as the curtains billowed from the outside wind. Sitting up, I noticed the image of Crusher McGee standing in front of the bed as he was dressed up in white complete with the championship belt that he won all those years ago. He was grateful that I stepped in and freed him as he wanted to thank me for stepping in at the last minute during his imprisonment in the ghost pocket.
"I thought that you were in Heaven," I said.
"I wanted to thank all of you for saving me and to realize the truth," said Crusher.
"I bet that you're here to flaunt your championship belt, aren't you?"
"It's not just that. Some Elf and bald guy wanted me to tell you about what's been going on in Gale Canyon. It's the stronghold of the Elect and there's gonna be more danger than you're gonna pin in the ring."
"I see what you mean, but I have a feeling that I won't hear the last of the people I know just yet."
"He's dead serious, Sam," said a familiar face as he had his Claymore in his hand. "From what I observed from upstairs is that Gale Canyon isn't something that can be taken lightly. It may be in Orc territory, but the Elect are hiding there, so I suggest that you be careful about what you do there."
"I know what to do there by lighting the final lantern in order to cancel out their powers in order to make them vulnerable to strike, for they won't last long after what I've displayed."
"And I hope that you'll give 'em hell, Sam. The Elect are on edge, but their turf will soon become a battleground in the making, so I suggest that you be prepared for what's about to be thrown at you."
"And I will see to it..."
I saw Colchuvar and Crusher disappear as I remained in my hospital bed. Even though it was quiet, I was starting to get bored from being in bed as I decided to get up and leave the room altogether. Just as I was about to do so, I saw the door open up as I noticed Reuben enter and was ready to give another stern lecture about my raw power being a nuisance. As usual, he was about to have a staunch lecture about what I was suffering from as he was about to let me have it in spades.
"I had a feeling that you'd show up just to give me hell," I said.
"Once again, you overexerted your raw power in which you still cough up blood," said Reuben as he sat down in a chair. "You can't just use your powers just to save us from death in which you matter the most of all."
"I can't let my duties go unchecked, Reuben. Furthermore, there's a battle against the Elect that I must fight or else they'll end up taking over the entire galaxy if we don't stop them."
"And you consider putting everyone's needs first with your raw power over your health? No, I won't let you wriggle away that easily. If you think that utilizing your raw power is more important than your health, then you're considered to be expendable if you keep going on that path. I won't let you out of my sight just yet after what you demonstrated on Shiganshina. Do you even think about your own well-being for once?"
"Reuben, if you keep me here like a bird in its cage, then you'll end up making a much more bitter mistake by doing more harm than good. The Elect are out there in their enclave, but the sooner we get to Gale Canyon, the better we put an end to them."
"You're not going, Sam; not on my watch. Once again, you run towards death and not knowing the consequences about what would happen next. Anyway, there's no way in hell that you're gonna be going anywhere because I have my duties to keep you protected and to make sure that you don't die on my watch."
"You can't keep me here, Reuben. I have duties just as much as you do, but I have my choices to do what is right for the greater good."
With that, I got out of my hospital bed as I yanked out the i.v. drip that was in my arm. I didn't have time to deal with Reuben right now as I wanted to get out of here in order to get towards Gale Canyon as planned. By the time I went towards the door, I turned around and saw Reuben stand up and pin me down in which he didn't want me to leave my room. He was both a medical doctor and a man who had Winchester blood in his veins, but he wasn't about to let me leave just yet in which he refused to let me go. Even though I was struggling to get free, Reuben was strong into maintaining his grip over me until I couldn't take it anymore. I got up from my feet as I was still caught in Reuben's hold the moment I opened the door and left the hospital room until I saw Dean coming here with a disappointed look on his face. I had a feeling that he would side with Reuben sooner or later as he was also concerned about my health in such a trivial matter so far.
"I take it that you have Reuben on your back, Sammy," he said.
"I won't be cooped up in this hospital room like a caged bird!" I yelled.
"C'mon, Sam. There's nothing wrong about being in the hospital for a while."
"I won't be a caged bird nor will I shirk my duties the moment I go up against the Elect."
"And what about your health?" said Reuben. "Doesn't it matter to you or are you really hell-bent on going in there half-cocked?"
"I have that raw power within me and it's more than enough to put the Elect in their place."
"Why, Sam?" I heard Reuben deliver a much sterner tone as he refused to let me go. "Why must one from the man who sired us run towards death? Why must you put yourself last among all the people that you care love and about without a moment's hesitation? Are you so stubborn just to run towards a roaring fire than have a second thought for once? You of all people should think about the actions that you would bring if you think that everything else is far more important than your own health."
"You have no say in this, Reuben. This is my problem and I'm going to weed it out."
"What would Reiko say?' said Dean. "She'd be disappointed just as the rest of us if she sees you throwing your life away so recklessly. You can't just fight this battle alone 'cause you'd be in a casket if you did. Besides, you can't just wing it all because you're suffering from the effects of the raw power that you have. If you end up throwing your life away, then we'd be nothing so far. And another thing, there ain't no us if there ain't no you. Now, don't just overexert yourself, alright? Besides, this hospital here in Celebrimbor has a courtyard and a recreational area just for hospital patients to get back on their feet."
"I'll pass on it, but relaxation isn't on my to-do list."
"If you don't take time for yourself, I'll have the Review Board revoke your ass as a member of the Council of Elders if you don't do it, is that clear to you?"
I reluctantly agreed as I felt Reuben releasing me. I was given the worst ultimatum as I had no choice but to comply with what was given to me. Even though I was hospitalized, I couldn't get past Dean or Reuben on this matter as I had to recover just to prepare for the battle that was looming in Gale Canyon, for the Elect were about to come out of hiding soon enough…
To be continued...