Savage Dragon:The new faces of freaks!

THE CONCLUSION!

After Dragon placed the third and final super-freak known as Whim away in a third holding cell,Frank let Dragon have the remainder of the day off after working so hard against the three arsonists he fought today.

Dragon then placed his sleeveless trenchcoat on,picked up a file containing the paperwork he had to finish and walked out to the nearest subway station,and headed home.

Little did he know that someone...or something was watching him.

Minutes later,Dragon was back in his comfortable and homey apartment.

He was laid back on the couch still wearing his grey pants,minus the police shirt and shoes and had on a white tank top,the set was on with an episode of Real TV. His files were laid out on the coffee table along with a cup of coffee and a couple of Tim Horton's donuts.

The fin-head himself was busy writing up the details of what had happened earlier with his encounters with the three super-freaks he fought,Flatliner,Distorter and Whim.

"I'm glad that's all over with."he thought."But if I go up against one more would-be world beater in the form of a typical super-freak I'm gonna---!"

Suddenly,there was a knock at the door.

"Huh..?"said Dragon as he turned to the attention of the front door. "Who could be here at a time like this?"he thought. "Hmmm...it might be Rapture,okay maybe I could use some of her...company tonight."

Dragon then went up to the door,and opened it. Only to find....

...no one there at all.

"What th--?"he said surprised. He then looked out into the hall,still finding no one there as well.

"Huh,what is this—pranks night?"he said scratching the back of his head.

Shrugging,he closed the door and was about to return to his couch.

When suddenly,he nearly ran into someone standing before him.

"Wha--?"replied Dragon as he stumbled away from the unseen force.

The person in question that stood before him was about 5'4 and wore a dark brown cloak with yellow tiger stripes across and a hood that covered the person's face in total darkness.

The lower half of his costume was a dark leather color and was designed to look like a bucaneer pirate of some sort.

"Who..the..hell are you?"said Dragon. "Who am I?"said the stranger in a faintly british voice. "Good question,officer Dragon. But first..."

The stranger raised his left hand upward and the entire surroundings they were in.

The living room of the Dragon's apartment suddenly transformed into something unrecognisable at first.

"HEY!"said Dragon. "What are you doing?"

"Transporting us both to my world of course."said the stranger.

The surroundings they were in appeared to be a large white arena of some sort with a long wide set of stairs attached to them that led up to a white pearl throne.

The sky above them was a neon purple with several different colored planet orbs,stars and comets hung above them.

"Now,"said the stranger. "as for my identity,even I did tell you who I was,you still wouldn't recognise me but...if you insist,"

The man lowered his head,revealling a human face of a man,but not laying in the ranks of anywhere normal.

He had spiky black hair atop his head,a yellow silken headband around his head and black tattoo markings on his face that made him look like a strange mix of native american and latino native.

His eyes were a deep ocen blue and stared straight at Dragon with a piercing look. He grinned widely and spoke again.

"I—am the keeper of this realm of time and space."he said. "I—am known as—PASSAGE!"

"Passage?"said Dragon. "Yes,you know as in a tunnel or means of travelling on foot?"said Passage. "I know what the word passage means,"said Dragon. "but what I don't understand is this---why did you come to my place—and where are we—and why are you doing this?"

"Ah yes,inquiries."said Passage. "What you mortals always do when you can't fashion a simple rational thought of a situation. Very well,fist off...believe or not—we are no longer on your realm of earth."

"What?"said Dragon. "That can't be!" "Oh,but it is."said Passage. "I simply transported you and myself here to my lair. You are now in a magically created battle arena of my own design.

As for the whys of what I'm doing and intentions well....how do I put it simply...I intend to test you."

"Test me?"said Dragon. "And pardon me for asking as well..For what?" "Oh.nothing much really."said Passage. "A test to see if you're worthy to be my entertainment."

"Entertainment?"said Dragon. "For what?" "Ah yes,more inquiries,"said Passage. "Well,if you really must know,I have been one of the many guardians over this plane of existence's time and space continium for many centuries. You have no idea how much boredom that sort of job brings.

And finding and recruiting super-powered inviduals to fight one another in a battle arena match is one of those things I enjoy.

That's where you and the three other super-freaks come in,Dragon."

"Three others?"said Dragon. "What do you mean--?" Dragon suddenly realized who that the strange being was referring to,it couldn't be—not them.

Suddenly,as if in answer,a white flash of light energy appeared before them and the same three super-criminlas he fought apparead.

It was FLATLINER,DISTORTER,AND THE WHIM all together as a trio of terror.

"Well,well..."said Distorter. "...look who's back with us." "Yes..."purred Flatliner. "..it's the fin-headed one himself." "I am so going to rip your head off and shove it where the sun don't shine,copper!"said Whim. "And I will do it with no regrets."

"Hey,save some for us will ya?"said Distorter.

"Now now,boys,"said Passage. "There'll be plenty of time for that when the match gets underway."

"What do ya mean match?"said Dragon in protest."I'm not here to fight anyone!"

"Oh,I'm afraid you are,Dragon-man."said Passage."I placed a lot of time,thinking and just a fraction or so of my power placing this whole project together..and I want no mishaps of any kind."

"And if I of course refuse?"said Dragon.

Passage shrugged,aimed his right hand at the Dragon and fired streamers of hi-intensity electric energy upon him.

Once the beams hit him,Dragon was slammed to the floor with the bolts of energy tearing into him.

His skin and body felt like it was being cut into by hot razors.

"AAAAARRRGGHH!"he screamed. "Do you wish further pain if you resist,Dragon?"he said. "I can do so believe me."

After a whole minute of resisting and experiencing intense fiery pain,Dragon reluctantly gave in.

"OKAY—OKAY!"he replied.

"Dandy."said Passage as he let off the currents.

"But one one condition."said Dragon. "If I defeats these three maggots,then you've gotta send me back to earth!"

"Well now,aren't we driving a hard-ish bargain."said Passage. "Very well,but..only if you win that is."

"Like that's gonna happen again." Distorter whispered to the other two villians.

"Now then."said Passage. "Players,take your positions."

The three super-freaks stood apart from Dragon on one side each of the arena while Dragaon stood defiantly apart from them,fists clenched,ready for action.

Passage meanwhile,transported himself to the top of the stairs where his white glowing throne was.

"Now—let the games—beginnn!"said Passage.

The Savage Dragon was able to take on these three hooligans one at a time,but would he be able to fight them all at once?

Only one way to find out.

Flatliner made the first move as he aimed one of his hands at Dragon—and fired off the tendril like whips that were affixed into his fingers.

Dragon saw what was coming and took the initiative.

He grabbed one of Flatliner's whip tendrils,pulled it with all his might and yanked the armored freak towards him.

"That's it—come to poppa!"said Dragon.

But before the cop could lay even a fist to succesfully knock him out,Flatliner did something very unexpected!

He aimed his free hand and fired an intense red blast of fiery energy at Dragon,causing him to go sliding across the white marble floor!

"UNNGH!"went Dragon as he collided with a wall.

"HAHA!"said Flatliner. "Think you could take me down that easily? You're freakin'dreaming!" "Keep back punks—he's mine and mine alone!"

"Hey,just a cotton picking minute here--!"said Whim.

But before he could protest further,the vengeful freak hurled himself at Dragon.

Dragon then suddenly saw a double bladed axe hanging on the wall.

"Risky,but it just might work."he said as he grabbed the weapon off the wall.

"You cost me a life's work of re-fitting blood plasma for my own specially designed weapons,Dragon!"said Flatliner in rage. "TIME TO PAY UP NOW!"

Dragon then jumped forward at Flatliner as well.

"Yeah---pay this!"said Dragon as he threw the axe at Flatliner.

The superfreak didn't see the axe coming and before he could do anything to deflect it,the axe hit him square in the chest,cutting right into his chest plate.

"ACK!"replied Flatliner as he fell forward and landed on one knee. "Ya sunava---!"he said as he began to pull the axe free from his chest.

Suddenly,just as he looked up,the last thing he saw was Dragon landing a fast and hard punch at him.

"KA-POW!" Flatliner was out for a second time and hopefully for keeps this time.

"Next,if ya please."said Dragon.

Distorter turned to Whim. "This time,we'll do it like a team."he said. "You hit'em high and I'll hit'em low." "Got it."said Whim.

"C'mon,you turkeys!"said Dragon as he picked up the axe,ready for battle once again.

"If you think you can take us on as easily you did,prune face there,Dragon."said Distorter. "You're way over your head."

"So they say."said Dragon. "Bring it on!"

Dirtorter flew upward and over Dragon.

The fin-head was ready to swing the same weapon that helped him fell Flatliner,but before he could,Distorter aimed his left hand down at the axe—and it turned to ash.

"HEY!"said Dragon.

Suddenly,while he was distracted,Whim came at Dragon with a full force of psi-energy,slamming him into another wall,this time—he went right through it!

"KRRRAKK!"

"Oh dear,"said Passage. "I should've known that some wear and tear would happen sooner or later,but—this is after all,a battle arena. So—take the good with the bad."

Dragon then began to rummage through the rubble,trying to find something else he can use against the pair of destroyers he was facing.

Suddenly,Distorter was upon him through the man-made hole.

"Really now,Dragon."said Distorter. "Trying to stop us with mere rubble?"

"Well I---uh..."said Dragon.

"Here's a drawback."said Distorter.

The villain waved his hand and the pieces of concrete rubble began to turn into white blobs of goo.

"Now then."said Distorter. "You by golly—are next!"

Suddenly,Dragon grabbed a piece of white goo and flung it at Distorter,hitting him square in the face!

"GAKK!"he replied.

"Gotcha now!"said Dragon as he jumped at Distorter—and laid him low with an even bigger blow than the one that he gave Flatliner.

"POW!"

Down went Distorter as he fell flat onto the ground,causing it to soften and mishapen into a vat of goo,fit only for him to be trapped in.

"Don't go nowhere,ya hear?"said Dragon.

The cop then raced back into the open where the third super-freak was for him to face.

"Whim!"said Dragon. "I just downed your buddies there,you want me to do the same to your face? Think about it."

"Oh I have thought about it,Dragon."said Whim as he began to levitate himself into the air.

"I....have thought long and hard about how to destroy you. And I shall do it-- --by ripping this whole arena apart and you with it!"

"Eh..?"said Passage.

"Oh boy..."said Dragon.

Whim's powers suddenly,began to flare up to the maxximum as the entire structire of the arena began to crack and break apart.

"Now wait a minute here,Whim!"said Dragon. "If you do that,you won't have any ground to stand on. You—you don't even know where we are!"

"Who needs to stand?"said Whim. "When I can float?" The entire arena then crumbled apart as Dragon ran and jumped about,trying to grab some sort of solid mass to keep himself into the formless oblivion that was beneath them.

"But—if you destroy the arena,you may just upset your kind'benefactor'there!"said Dragon. "And he may not send you home if you do that!"

Whim suddenly let off the attack as he turned his attention to the godlike being on the throne.

"Oh dear—I never thought of that!"he said.

"NOW!"said Dragon as he hurled a huge chunk of concrete straight at Whim.

"Huh—NO!"said Whim as he mind-blasted away the chunk. "Nice try but---!"he said.

Before he could finish his sentence,he saw Dragon come flying straight at him.

Ready to lay him down!

"KRAAKK!"

One super-hard punch and the last thug fell to the reamaints of the floor with a loud thud.

Dragon then landed upon the top of the stairs.

"OKAY,PASSAGE!"he said. "IT'S OVER! I played your little game there—I'm the victor,now—send me home!"

Passage said nothing,for over a minute,and then he arose. "You dare—to make demands—OF ME!"he said in a booming voice.

He then thrust his fist forward and an intense blast of yellow energy at the Dragon.

"No ya—don't!"said Dragon as he jumped high into the air.

Before Passage could get another round,Dragon swung both feet into Passage's chin,crashing him into the throne.

Passage fell backwards to the floor along with the throne,causing him to roll across the floor.

"You won't—stop me,mortal!"he said as he began to fire another shot.

"Oh yes,I am!"said Dragon. "I'm the Savage Dragon—and I never let the bad guys win!"

"I'm—I'm not a..bad guy as you would put it."said Passage. "I..simply am."

"That has gotta be the lamest ass excuse I ever heard!"said Dragon. "Think about others and not yourself the next time!"

"ENOUGH!"shouted Passage.

He then fired away another balst of energy Dragon just jumped over it,and then grabbed some nearby curtains that were hanging around the throne area.

Before Passage could get another shot at Dragon,the super-cop jumped at Passage,swung the thick white curtians around his head,therby wrapping them around it.

"HEY—MMMMF!"replied Passage as he got muffled and blinded at the same time.

"Hold that pose..."said Dragon.

He clenched both of his fists,took a deep breath...

...and slammed a double whallop upon the villianious being.

"BLAMMO!"

Passage went flying off the top of the throne seats and fell to the remains of the arena below.

He was instantly out cold.

Dragon then jumped down to the floor where the entire guilty and unconscious party was.

"Well now,"he said. "now how do I get out of here?"

Suddenly,as if in answer,a bright light appeared before Dragon and another strange being appeared before him.

The man wasn't as tall as Dragon or the others,but indeed radiated a sense of power unlike anything he ever felt since meeting Passage earlier.

He was old,and had a long grey beard and wore a strange get-up of grey tunic with green pants,brown boots,gold trim that was decorated from top to bottom on the clothes and wore a red cape behind him.

"And uh—who might you be..?"said Dragon.

"I am aware you'd ask such an inquire,officer Dragon."said the man,his eyes were like a set of black pearls that looked straight at Dragon.

"I..am the father of the one you fought earlier. I...am the doorman of the dimensions."said the man.

"Doorman...?"said Dragon bemused. "Oh uh..yeah sure—every lair needs a keeper right?" "Indeed."said Doorman. "Unfortunately,in this plane of existence for godlike beings such as ourselves,even our best does not turn out to be the best as you can see.

My son,was...growing bored with his occupation and decided to abduct super- beings to merly—pass the time."

"I can see why he did that."said Dragon. "The real question now is...how do I get home?"

"Allow me,valiant mortal."said Doorman. "Oh,and..my apologies for what has occurred here today. I can only promise that we of the kepers of the planes of existence shall try not to let such a thing happen to you or anyone else ever again."

"I hope so."said Dragon. "But no harm done. Oh...and what's gonna happen to..Passage there?"

"Needless to say,"said Doorman. "He shall be under strict supervision. And I'll remind him of when you laid him out like that one,Dragon. Ha-ha..good one."

"Yeah,I tend to lay him low when the situation gets outta hand."said Dragon.

"Well then,"said Doorman. "nice meeting you...and take care now."

With a wave of his hand,Dragon found himself back in his apartment room and home once again. Everything was as he left it.

The next day...he found that the three same super-freaks he fought and put away yesterday were all gone from their holding cells.

Dragon asked Frank if they were removed,but Frank simply replied that neither he nor any of the other officers had any info or regards of the three criminlas that he had fought.

"I..don't believe it!"thought Dragon. "Not only did Doorman not return those three freaks I fought,he also must have erased the memories of there being any trace of them ever existing around here."

Suddenly,he heard a voice in his head. "That's because they never really did exist in your world,Dragon."

It was Doorman's voice.

"Now,don't be alarmed and reply to yourself don't want anyone thinking otherwise eh? I am simply speaking to you on a mental private line like a specialezed telephone call.

Can you hear me now? Good. Ha-ha little joke there.

Anyways,Flatlner,Whim,and the Distorter were also snatched from other planes of reality and placed in Chicago a few days ago. He mentally programmed them to run amok until you were summoned. And well..you know the rest of the story.

I'm sorry for not informing you this last night,but it was all just such a big mess we had to sort it all out and learn for ourselves. I..decided to only allow you the real memory of this event ever happening. Because well..what can I say—you are indeed a truly impressive being in many ways. May your path to your destiny be truly great one.

Until we meet again....Savage Dragon."

And that was it,the message stopped,Dragon could no longer feel the old one's presence.

He then simply smiled to himself and went back off on his bike to take whatever action was going to be next in the streets of Chicago.

THE END.... THE SLAM-BANG ACTION CONTINUES IN ERIK LARSEN'S SAVAGE DRAGON ONLY FROM IMAGE COMICS!

E-mail or R&R me at FF.NET please,and I hope you enjoyed what appears to be the only actual Savage Dragon fic here at FF.Net.

Savage Dragon and related characters are copyright 2004. Flatliner,Whim,Distorter,Passage and Doorman are creations of my own,and I promise,you haven't seen the last of any of them.

C'iao!