Sequel to: Grudges
Written by: Irvine Kinneas the Coyote
Plot: A flashback fic. The grudge between Brad and Irvine is better explained.
Tanaka and Irvine sat on the terrace in San Diego's finest hotel. Tanaka leaned forward and looked at the street below. "So there was nothing to really fight about?" Tanaka asked. "No..." Irvine said, his voice sounded like he was hiding something deeply painful. "I do believe YOU had a reason of ripping Brad's throat out." Irvine looked at him, his teal eyes focused in Tanaka's exotic purple ones. Tanaka put his hand on Irvine's cheek and wiped a tear from Irvine's eye. "It was the fight in Arizona... wasn't it?" "Yeah. 100 Rangers died... 100 unnecessary deaths..." Tanaka kissed Irvine's forehead. "At least the Uktena was sealed away in the Umbra like it should have been..." "But 100 Rangers died! You were there!" "I know..."
***** 4 months ago, in the deserts of Arizona, Irvine and Tanaka got out of their jeep to see the Texas Rangers and US Marshals gathered around an Indian burial site. Tanaka and Irvine pushed their way past the Rangers and Marshals and saw clay figures of a strange beast by the skeletons. With the Rangers, was New York war correspondant, Brad Crawford. Tanaka picked up the figure of the Uktena and felt the incredible hatred deeply encrusted in it. Irvine saw a tear fall down Tanaka's pink cheek as he set the figure down. "This site is a site of hatred." Tanaka said. "Cut to chase, Spook Boy." Brad said, writing shit down. "This place was a slaughter of Native Americans in the hands of the Cavalry. The hatred still lingers here. The Great Uktena is waiting for the catalyst to awaken it and destroy us all." Irvine's eyes narrowed. He bent down and picked up another clay figure of the Uktena. "It's cold. Clay figures aren't supposed to be icy cold in the hot sun." "It's the hatred you feel." Tanaka said, standing up. Irvine nodded and set the figure down. He used his shotgun to lift himself back up. A wild coyote walked up to Irvine and sat down. "It's a coyote!" A ranger shouted. "Easy, pardner. She's okay." Irvine said, looking down at it. The coyote whined and barked. "It's a bad omen. Someone in this crowd has the potential to wake the Uktena." Tanaka said. The rangers and the Marshals began to talk amongst themselves. Brad shook his head and walked out of the crowd. Sitting down Brad felt his hand get pricked by a glass shard. He raised his cut hand and groaned. A drop of blood touched the ground. Irvine walked up with a guaze strip. "Gotta be more careful, pardner." Irvine smiled. "Ya don't know what kinda stuff you find out here." "Point taken." Brad smiled. "You're awfully young to be a high ranking marksman for the Texas Rangers." Irvine smiled half-heartedly. "Aw, hell, Mr. Crawford. It's nothing... I've been a Ranger for 6 years now. It's nothing to gap about." "Yeah, but you're 19 years old." "I know. It's nothing." Brad nodded. Another drop of blood fell to the ground. Then the ground around the drop cracked and a crater formed. Rangers and Marshals fell into the hole. Tanaka looked around as the eart continued to shake. Then there were screams of total horror and pain and the sounds of eating and chomping. "IT'S HERE!!" Tanaka shouted. "SHIT!!" Brad shouted, getting up. "EVERYONE REMAIN CALM!!!" Irvine shouted, loading his shotgun with anti-Supernatural rounds. Brad grabbed his gun and ran to a boulder. Irvine ran from the widening gap near Tanaka. Tanaka readied a spell. The remaining Rangers and Marshals readied their guns. Then, like a whale surfacing under a ship, the Uktena arose from the ground, swallowing a great many Rangers in it's massive mouth. The Uktena was a beast with a puma's head and frotn legs, ram horns and a snake's body. Irvine screamed as he unloaded round after round into the beast. The Uktena shot an energy blast at Irvine, knocking him against the rock face. Tanaka ran to his side. "Don't mind me. Save the others." Irvine said. Tanaka ran into the fray, getting front row seats to the death of a Texas Pride. Ranger upon Marshal died in the wake of the Great Beast. Brad ran as fast as he could away from the Uktena, but it was following him. He tripped over a rock and looked up. The Uktena sniffed him, then roared and buckled. It didn't attack him but it constantly shifted in response to Brad's fright. Then it spoke in Cherokee. Brad stopped shaking and looked at the Uktena. He responded in Cherokee. The Uktena whirled about, making hand gestures and movements, communicating with Brad. Tanaka drew his Spirit Blade and leapt into the air. "WAIT!!" Brad shouted. "It's....!!" Tanaka decapitated the Uktena. The thrashing tail nailed Tanaka in the chest, sending him flying for about three miles. Brad dodged the thrashing tail and landed next to a ranger's SUV. The Uktena's body sank back into the ground. Irvine awoke from his unconsciousness to see Brad communicating with the Uktena, and hearing every work. Irvine knew much Cherokee, he was taught that in Ranger training. Irvine watched in total anger and rage that Brad didn't condemn the Uktena for the deaths of 100 good men, and that he actually condoned it. After Tanaka decapitated it and went flying, Irvine got up off the ground and grabbed his shotgun. When it sank back into the ground and Brad went behind an SUV, Irvine ran up and slugged Brad with the butt of his shotgun. Brad fell down into the rocks and looked up at Irvine, trembling. "YOU GODDAMN FUCKING SON-OF-A-BITCH TWO-FACED INDIAN-LOVING NO-GOOD PAMPERED CITY FUCK!!!! THOSE WERE INNOCENT FAMILY MEN THAT THAT THING KILLED!!! YOU CONDONED ITS' FUCKING ACTIONS!!!! I OUTTA KILL YOU!!!!!" Irvine cocked his shotgun and aimed it at Brad. "WAIT!!! I....!!!" "Irvine!!" Tanaka's voice whispered behind Irvine. Irvine turned around to see Tanaka, bloody from his flight. Tanaka bowed his head. Irvine ran up and hugged Tanaka, then cried on Tanaka's shoulder. Tanaka looked at Brad. "KEEP HIM AWAY!!!" Irvine cried. "KEEP THAT MURDEROUS CITY FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!!" Brad said nothing. He grabbed his laptop and headed for his car.
****** "...yeah..." Irvine said. "100 men died and he condoned it." "He didn't condone it, Irvine. Yes, he agreed that the Uktena was sad for the deaths of the Native Americans..." "But..." Tanaka stroked Irvine's cheek, brushing his hair from his cheek. "Brad too was angry with the Uktena for killing those Rangers.... I could sense it in his tone that day. I read his aura." Irvine nodded. "But it was his blood that awoke it." "I know." Tanaka whispered. "But I forgive Brad... For a God, it's impossible to forgive a mortal... but even I learned to forgive him... think on my level... all 100 of the Rangers forgave Brad for awakening it.... it was an accident..." Irvine nodded, more tears fell. Tanaka hugged Irvine tightly, stroking his long brown hair. "Please, Irvine... learn to forgive him and put this behind you..." Irvine sobbed in his shoulder. "I'll try." Tanaka smiled. "Thank you...."