Part 50

A Night in Bludhaven

By: BobCat and Ash the Wanderer

Disclaimer: Erik, the Legacy and all associated names and concepts are the property of Ash the Wanderer. Phil, SU5 and many characters featured are the sick and twisted creations of BobCat. And everything else belongs to some poor guy who's getting ripped off.

He was a giant of a man, a bear almost, except he was larger than most bears. He stood at least nine feet tall, and could have easily cleared ten. His arms and legs were thicker then some oil pipelines, all of it muscle as hard as rock. His hands were the size of computer monitors, and his feet put Shaq's to shame. His head was a somewhat misshapen globe, the forehead so large it would be more accurate to call it a sixhead, tinted with a strange dark tone. The giant was mostly bald, save for a long mane of yellow-blonde hair that flowed from the lower base of his skull, and two long tuffs of the same hair extending from his cheeks in a strange kind of beard. Although he was human, one could not say it on the first viewing. His visage inspired thoughts of other creatures, far deadlier.

And the fact was, he was as deadly as those creatures, and more.

You would think such a mammoth to be clothed in animal skins of some kind. In this case you would be surprised, for the giant wore not the skin of fallen prey, but an expensive suit (most definitely custom made). He sat at a desk in a chair also built especially for him in a quiet dark office towering high over the rotten city it surveyed. His hand clutched a phone, also especially made for him after he got annoyed of the usual cell phones being crushed in his hands. His voice was a low rumbling growl, but there was no anger in it.

"It is fine mother. No need to worry about that." The giant said, looking at nothing in particular as he spoke, his gaze passing on random things beyond the window of his office. "Yes, I am eating enough…yes mother."

Outside the window, a sharp hook of metal suddenly bit into the stone above it.

"Mother, I would appreciate it if you stop bothering me about that, I did it a week ago…I see…yes…well then…"

And then the room was full of noise and shrapnel as a figure swung down and went feet first through the window, shattering it into a thousand glittering shards of crystal. The figure swooped up, doing a graceful back-flip before he landed on his feet, the impact driving him to his knees as he landed ten feet in front of the giant, as if the glimpse he had gotten of him filled him with the desire to bow at this man's size.

The giant looked perturbed, but not too much so, as if these things happened on a more then average basis. He hadn't even stood up.

"…I will call you back mother." The giant said, and hung up. "I do not know what death wish has brought you here this time Nightwing…"

Then the figure looked up, and his eyes showed his appearance of kneeling was just that, an appearance. His left eye shone bright crimson, and his right eye, although it did not illuminate, also glowed with contempt and rage. He wore nothing but black, a skin tight armored bodysuit that clung to his body like the veil of night itself. A long mane of full black hair flowed down from his head, and metal glinted from his right hand as he raised himself up from his crouch, locking eyes with the giant, who now looked a bit surprised and confused.

"You are not Nightwing." He said in a matter of fact fashion.

"No." the dark man whispered. "I'm Nightmare, as in, Your Worst."

Now annoyance creased the brows of the giant, and he stood, towering over the dark man. The dark man did not budge.

"…Do you know whom you are speaking too?"

"All too well."

"Well, I do not. Who are you and why do you trespass in my place of business?"

"Exactly that, Blockbuster." The dark man said. "Business. Your business. I've been in this town two hours and the stink of Corruption is about to overwhelm my senses. It's gagging me, a putrid elixir of crime, repression, and cruelty. I will not stand for it. I'm going to clean it up as best I can, and I may as well start at the top."

Blockbuster's frown deepened.

"Who are you?"

"I'd tell you, but to pronounce it correctly, you'll need your tongue. And your HEAD!" the dark man yelled, and leapt.

Blockbuster swung and knocked the man aside like swatting a fly. The dark man rolled with it, angling himself so he hit the wall with his feet rather then a more sensitive body part and landed.

Blockbuster pushed a button on his desk.

"Tix, bring your men!…Tix! Tix!"

"Don't bother Blockbuster. I made sure we were alone. You can see your men again at the morgue, except you'll be joining them there."

Blockbuster's look of annoyance deepened into one of full on rage.

"I may not know who you are, child." Blockbuster snarled as he grabbed the front of his suit and tore it off with the shirt and tie, ripping the expensive fabric to shreds easily and without a care. "But interrupting me when I am speaking with my mother is a bad thing for the best reasons, and this, child, is the worst reason I can THINK OF!"

Muscles bulged as Blockbuster easily lifted his desk above his head as the dark man charged silently at him. With a roar, he hurled it.

The dark man did not alter his path as the desk bore down on him.

SHA-CLAKRK!

And then the desk split in half, each part flying away from the dark man, revealing the long metal talons that now extended from his fingers. He allowed himself a brief smirk and then resumed his charge.

On a nearby rooftop stood two figures. Neither was particularly at home in Bludhaven. In fact, they looked like rejects from an Anime or Sci-Fi convention. One was a young Asian girl clad in a white Sailor Fuku highlighted with a black that matched her hair. The other was a middle sized Caucasian man with brown hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a hooded brown robe over a white tunic. From his belt dangled what any fan of Star Wars would recognize as a lightsaber.

"Vengeance, AKA Christopher Erik Damien Ravensky." Ecks said as she looked into the scanning device that was currently analyzing the charging dark man. "Vigilante anti-hero. Powers: Cyborg, with synthetic parts in his right arm, left leg, and face. Superhuman strength, speed, agility, and reflexes. Highly skilled in weapons and martial arts, with preferred weapon being two foot metal claws extending from his right hand. Has the ability to tell if a person is basically good or evil, and to what degree of each or both. Also commands various energy abilities if the universe has the correct kind of power. Home Universe AK-BH7-8363-LE, AKA The Legacy."

Ecks ended the scan and turned it to Blockbuster, as he tried to grab Vengeance.

"Blockbuster, AKA Roland Desmond. Criminal mastermind and meta-human. Powers: Incredible superhuman strength and endurance from an untested steroid compound. Traded his soul to this universe's devil in exchange for intelligence. He's survived six hollow point bullets to the chest and having a house dropped on him. Home Universe TV-HE2-0737-DC, AKA DC."

"AKA this one." Ralph said. "Erik is a fish out of water, and he's messing around where he shouldn't be."

"Should we go break them up?"

"Not yet. Those two are far too intent on pounding on each other. I need to think of a plan."

"But Ralph…!"

"Relax Ecks. Blockbuster is far too tough for Erik to get an early kill, and Erik is too quick, crafty and stubborn for Blockbuster to easily kill him. Once they've worn each other down a bit, we can step in. If Phil wasn't…"

"Yeah, yeah we could go in right away. Are you SURE Erik can't easily kill Blockbuster?"

"No, and Erik has his pretty new wife waiting for him at home. I doubt he'll want to risk his life too much." Ralph said, as he stood back and used the Force to make sure his assumption held up.

Erik dove between Blockbuster's legs and reached up, grabbing as firm a grip as he could of the man's torso and pulled, yanking himself up. He grabbed Blockbuster's shoulders and swung down and out, driving his knees into Blockbuster's face, ignoring the shock waves of pain. Damn this guy has a hard head.

Blockbuster swatted Erik aside again. Erik rolled and was back up in a second. He dodged away from a punch and countered with one of his own, punching Blockbuster as hard as he could in his chest with his metal fist. There was a low "OUGH!" from the giant, and Erik felt pleased.

"THAT…HURT." Blockbuster growled. This time, Erik didn't dodge away in time.

"OW-WOUCH!" Ecks groaned as Blockbuster's punch carried Erik right thought the nearest wall. She sure wouldn't have wanted to take a blow like that. "Now?"

"Not yet." Ralph said, although he was beginning to wonder how much of this waiting was proper timing and how much of it was worry that he could screw this up.

Ecks watched as Blockbuster followed Erik into the room and continued the fight, but even she could tell that Erik had analyzed the fighting style and was using the knowledge as he danced around Blockbuster. For every punch Blockbuster managed to land, Erik landed five or six blows of his own. Soon Blockbuster's chest and arms were covered in blood from the myriad of minor chest wounds Erik had managed to inflict on him.

"Impressive. Blockbuster has a few broken bones and a slight internal injury. All Erik has is a bunch of bruises. He is skilled."

Erik finally made a mistake and Blockbuster literally put him through the ceiling with a cracking uppercut.

"And now he's airborne." Ecks added as Erik exploded out of the roof of the skyscraper. He got to his feet and shook his head as Blockbuster pulled himself up after him. "Now?"

"Yes, this has gone on long enough. Let's go." Ralph said.

"Enough trickery boy. It's time for me to twist your head off from your body." Blockbuster growled.

"Forget it jackass, I have more tricks then your namesake has videos." Erik shot back.

"PLANET X BEAM!"

The blast shot out, not aimed at either of the combatants, instead exploding at the end of the roof. Erik and Blockbuster looked at it, and then where it had come from. Which, in the end, had been the point: to draw their attention rather then hurt them.

Ralph landed and reached out with the Force.

"Stop."

The figures did so. Ralph figured he would do the home-boy first.

"You no longer want to fight."

"I no longer want to fight." Blockbuster intoned.



"You will walk away."

"I will walk away."

Good. Now for the intruder. Then we can get him home and give him enough paperwork to fill out so he doesn't try this again any time soon. "You no longer want to fight either."

"I no longer…"

And then Erik's body suddenly jerked as if someone has shocked him, and the dull look in his eyes faded away, replaced by the old rage.

"LIKE HELL I DON'T!" Erik yelled, and leapt at Blockbuster, slamming into him with his shoulder. Blockbuster was shocked out of his trance by the blow.

"Shit!" Ralph cursed, as Blockbuster bellowed and resumed the fight. "He must have something in his computers that activated if it reads mind control!" Or else he just has more willpower than the average Stormtrooper? He was greatly annoyed, but it was still fixable. He would just have to…

And then Erik was airborne again, as Blockbuster tossed him. Ralph forgot about the Force mind control and switched to a Force shield as Erik slammed into him. The small stairway structure that led up to the roof crumbled in a hail of brick as both went through it. Ralph tried to find his head (not literally) as Erik got back up and attacked again. Ralph had absorbed all the impact.

"Ecks!"

"I know!" Ecks said, but in fact she didn't know. She was used to being told what to do. Well, the Reality Checker was out, it was for her own protection and not for others, and even if she walked to the point where she was in range, it wouldn't change the fact that they still REALLY wanted to kill each other. Ah, the IRS Audit Gun! Ecks pulled out the one issued to her and fired.

Unfortunately, her aim sucked. The beam blasted past the two combatants and away from the building, hitting some unfortunate half a mile away. Ecks cursed and fired again, this time missing by a good ten feet. Her Planet X Beam had never been this much trouble! Well, third time was…

Not happening, as the gun suddenly flew out of her hand, knocked out by a tossed blade. Ecks squawked as it bounced off the ground and off the edge of the roof.

"Stay out of this girl! Whoever you are, it does not concern yo-UGH!" Erik yelled as Blockbuster barreled into Erik like a bull. Erik used the momentum and every ounce of strength he had to roll and toss Blockbuster over him. His landing shook the building.

Out of options, Ecks did the first thing that came to mind. He pulled out her radio.

"Phil! We need you! NOW! NOW! NOW!" Ecks yelled as Blockbuster got back up.

"Want to keep this silly thing up, or do you want to take the gloves off?" Erik said.

And then a man with green eyes and brown hair blurred into existence between the two, a martini still in his hand and a look of incredible annoyance on his face.

Phil, as the man was called, immediately started barking orders. "Stop right now! To continue this fight is to risk making me mad!" Phil said. He had thought, that for once, he could relax on an assignment, but life always said no.

"And to defy me is to court death, fool!" Blockbuster bellowed, and charged at Phil.

Right into his fist, which slammed into Blockbuster's forehead with a thunderous crack. Blockbuster looked confused for a moment, and then he toppled over backwards, landing with a thump.

"The bigger they are." Phil said, and finished his martini.

"Thanks Phil." Ecks said.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Ok Ralph, Force lift or whatever this guy back to his office and give him a new memory that accounts for all the destruction."

"Force-lift him? Phil, this guy must weight at least…!"

"And I would have carried him if you had subdued him, but you didn't, so you will." Phil said, and turned to Erik.

Erik had been taking this new situation in, but as Phil turned to him he struck a combat pose. Phil glared at him. Erik glared back.

"Not easily intimidated, are you?" Phil said.

"I have fought the blackest and the bleakest. You are not either." Erik said.

"You aren't killing this guy either. In fact, here's what you're doing…" Phil said. "You are under arrest…"

"BITE ME!" Erik snapped, and tossed something at Phil.

Phil easily hit it, expecting it to be knocked aside or broken. It was a sphere, and it broke…and discharged a sweet-smelling gas in Phil's face. He coughed and blew it away.

"Nice try. Now you are…"

"Leaving. And I will have his head yet!" Erik yelled, and waved his arm.

And to Phil's surprise, he broke up into a flock of bats.

"WTF? He can't do that!…Can he? Ah, to hell with it!" Phil said, and flew up and after the bats.

"Phil, what are you DOING!?!?" Ecks yelled. Phil stopped.

"Huh? I'm chasing him!"

"What? He ran the other way!"

"What?" Phil said, and zapped up to the bats. His hand went right through them. His eyes watered a bit and the bats blurred away. Hallucination.

"SHIT!" Phil cursed. That was what the gas had done, and while Phil was chasing ghosts Erik had actually run a different way. "Which way did he go?"

"Well that way, except I looked at you and he…" Ecks said, and made a motion that basically said "He's gone."

Everyone in the city of Bludhaven heard the bellow of rage and frustration.

End Part 50