BLACK WINGS Chapter 2- Chupacabra by Justin Anderson Friday, June 28th, 2002. 2:00 PM Cletus entered the briefing room of the small NSA offices of Austin, Texas, prepared to see the details of his current assignment. So far, he had been given no details other than he would be leaving the country. His employers were funny that way. Waiting to fill you in on the important details. Around the small table in the office stood two Agents, one puffing on a cigarette. A stack of papers sat on the desk. "Okay, what's the deal? Drug smuggling? Kidnapping?", he demanded. One of the men grabbed a photograph from the desk and handed it to him. He looked it over, the animals torn apart in the open fields. "That was taken in Puerto Rico last week. We want you to go in and find out what did that." "Puerto Rico?", he pondered. "Hmm... that's where all those creatures are supposed to be found, right? So what you need me for?" "That IS believed to be the Chupacabra's territory.... IF it exists. But we don't think that's what did it. Look at these..." Cletus took two more photos. One showed a pile of chickens, half their bodies missing. Another showed two small children. Both were mutilated. Blood covered the ground, small footprints visible in the red liquid. "The Chupacabra is known to suck the blood of animals dry, leaving no traces... and they've never attacked a human, since the first believed sighting of 1970. Those are clearly not the animal's style. We'd send someone else, but... General Peterson insisted on you for this mission." "Goody," he remarked. "when do I head out?" "Immediately. You'll be heading to the town of Canovanas. The attacks were south of there. Those pictures are the tip of the iceberg on this one... the residents are beginning to panic. We need to find what's causing these slayings. You up to it?" Cletus pulled a pistol, checking the clip. "Let's get going!" 9:41 PM Cletus watched as he was driven into the edge of Canovanas, the old jeep driving along the road past the farms, the headlights his only way to see the area in the dark. "Senor Kasady, what do you hope to find tonight?" The man driving was Pedro Martinez, a local zoological researcher. He had picked Cletus up at the airport in San Juan, and was in charge of taking the man into the area. "Probably nothing," he replied. "Is it El Chupacabras, you think?" "Doubtful. The things probably don't exist. By the attacks... I'd say something more explainable," he answered. The jeep stopped at a small shack alongside the road. It was the local field office that had been set up outside of town after the killings. Cletus grabbed his bag from the back, both men entering the building. On the wall hung a large map of the area, the attacks marked. "These attacks have a pattern of any kind?" "None," came the reply. He took a flashlight from the bag, sticking it inside the coat. He drew three pistol clips, shoving them in the pockets. "You're taking this..." Cletus tossed the man a small walkie talkie. "I'm going out alone. It's too dangerous to take anyone with me." "But Senor... you are unfamiliar with the area, correct?" He didn't look up as he replied. "It doesn't matter. Besides, I need someone here. I will call you if I find anything. You have any guns here?" Pedro pointed to a small rack in the corner. Two rifles sat inside. "Good. Stay here and wait. If I don't find anything in three hours, I'll come back." 11:53 PM Cletus sat in the shadows watching the small animal pen behind a tiny house. Two goats and a chicken, the goats in their pen, the chicken running around in the dirt. He had been over most of the area already, watching small farms and groups of animals. So far, he had jumped at the noises of several small animals, drew his gun on a goat, and charged a falling twig. He looked up from the bushes as he heard a noise. His eyes adjusted to the low moonlight, he could barely see, but he could see well enough in the dark. He watched as something moved from behind some nearby trees. It stood upright, walking along. It limped as it did. It was too small to be a child, too large to be anything else. Drawing his pistol, he pointed it forward, watching as the creature made its way through the dirt, making small chattering noises. It seemed to be looking back as it walked. His head spun as the chicken, standing at the edge of the trees, let out a yell. It was picked up, tossed and shaken, feathers spreading over the area. A chunk of the corpse landed at his feet. Staring at the source, his eyes focused on another form crawling from the brush. The shape registered in his mind as it opened the large mouth, letting out a scream that shattered the air, the sound of a million tormented souls screaming in agony. The monster ran through the dirt, the smaller creature tripping as it tried to run. The larger monster moved fast, mouth open, letting out disgusting noises. It moved within feet of its prey, mouth open, ready to snap down, leaving it to the same fate as the last victim. His gun pointed forward, Cletus pulled the trigger. The loud scream of gunpowder exploding in the night, over and over, as his finger pulled back on the trigger repeatedly. He finally stopped after he had fired ten times. The larger creature lay dead on the ground, the smaller one stumbling to its feet. The lights came on in the house, a dog barking nearby. The small creature took a single look at him before it ran off. Stepping into the open, he jumped again as he heard another of the loud screams in the distance. He grabbed the call box from his pocket. "PEDRO! You there?" 12:29 AM The animal sat on the table in the small building. The black blood dripped on the floor. Pedro looked it over in the light, taking in the features. Dark red skin, four legs with four large claws per foot, and a large head with no eyes. "I brought a few files along with me to study with the one I had on the Chupacabra. This one is NOT a myth... it's called a Krylakk," he explained. "Bastards are still alive, looks like." "I've heard the name. But I never thought I would see one up close!" "Yeah. We have one in captivity. They're dangerous. They eat everything, skin, bones, clothes, probably anything else they swallow," he added. Pedro ran to the small phone. Cletus stood in his way. "Whoa! Hold it, Mr. Martinez. I don't want this place full of locals... there's at least one more out there!" "But I must tell the Mayor! What should I say?" he shouted. "Tell him we have it under control!" Cletus screamed. "And don't mention Chupacabra! That's all that was out there!" He reloaded his weapon, heading for the door. "SENOR! Where are you going?" Pedro asked. He replied, "Back out there. Don't follow me!" 12:47 AM Cletus stumbled through the area again, his flashlight off. He had heard one of the yells again, and made his way carefully, pistol ready. Edging along a hill, staying in the trees, he saw a slight movement in the woods beyond. He recognized the form, a meter tall creature on hind legs. He remained still. The creature looked him over, moving towards him in the dark. It stood next to him. He could make out the large eyes, the teeth, and the spines running along the back. Cletus Kasady was facing down a Chupacabra. It moved closer. Reaching out one of the small front paws, it touched the coat, letting out a small, faint growl. He sniffed the air himself. It smelled the same as burning gunpowder, though a bit faint. The creature didn't react to him. It knew he was not hunting it. They turned their heads to face a noise from a short distance away. Pulling the tiny flashlight, Cletus pointed it forward. It stood out among the plant life, the red skin clearly visible. The Chupacabra hissed in anger. Slowly, he pulled his pistol. This time, a silencer fit on the barrel. Three shots took the creature down with little noise. The Krylakk lay dead. He turned the flashlight to the Chupacabra. The gray skin, covered in spots, the reddish eyes, and the small teeth were clearly visible. Not far away, in a small opening, several of the creatures sat, each one awake. In the middle of the circle sat another Krylakk, dead. Small puncture wounds covered the body, but not tooth marks. They were claw marks. 'Of course... the Krylakks munch on a few of them, these things get their revenge. They're intelligent, too...' He could hear growling in the distance. The noises of both creatures were distinct. The Chupacabras made short sounds, ones you would make taking air in. Krylakks were vastly different. They screamed an incredible cry, almost of pain. It was much louder. One you would make forcing air out. He headed for the growls, in the dark. His light had just burned out. 'Well, SHIT! How'm I supposed to-" He drew his foot back in time to avoid the jaws. The flashlight fell, the impact activating the light once again. The light was simply cheap, it seemed. He could see three of the creatures. They had their heads turned towards him, despite their lack of vision. They could hear and smell him too easily. Pulling the pistol, he fired into the first, five shots killing it. Four more into the second, the creature dying as his gun went empty. The third ignored its brothers, walking forward, jaws snapping as Cletus tried to draw another clip. 'Screw this,' he thought. Dropping the weapon, he lunged, grabbing the monster by the head, squeezing the jaws together with his arms. If not for his enhanced strength, his arms would have been broken by now. Wrestling the weight of the Krylakk, he rolled it over, rolling himself for a better angle. Pulling on the jaws, bending his waist to draw the creature into place, he quickly twisted his upper body. He could hear the neck breaking, the creature take one final breath. 2:09 PM Cletus finished placing his items in the bag. Pedro Martinez was making records of the creatures he had brought in. The one from earlier, and a second from the woods. Dragging it back must have been a nightmare. Each one must have weighed two hundred pounds or more. Loading the first one on the jeep took ten minutes. "Senor, how should I advise Mayor Soto?" "Simple... see one of those, shoot it. Don't try a capture. We have a live one already. You'll know their attacks," he replied. "But what of El Chupacabras?" Cletus picked up the bag, heading for the door. "That's something you'll have to work on yourself. Those are all I saw tonight. Now... I have a long walk ahead of me. I should meet the other jeep down the road in a few minutes.... remember, keep those rifles ready. I can't say for sure that I got 'em all!" He left, heading down the road until he met the second jeep. Notes: Set within the Marvel universe, I will be using my own continuity, mixed with new characterizations for some established characters from Marvel's story universe. These stories are a sequel to my fiction series Maximum Carnage. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and others are copyright Marvel Comics. Jack Arden, Raicaak, and others are copyright myself. Other characters appearing may be owned by separate parties. I make no claim of copyright on any character I do not own, only on these stories and those I do own. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories. Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may not be altered, and especially NOT TO BE SOLD, unless Marvel wishes to license this series from me. Black Wings song and lyrics copyright Tom Waits.
