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Sawyer Fan & LotRseer3350 – Thank you for continuing to read and review this. Wonder what's become of my other reviewers…?
Anyway…
A single experiment walked down an abandoned corridor of Frankenstein's laboratory building. He lingered in the hallway as he realized how alone he was. He knew his job was to obey his master's wishes. His master's wish was that no outsiders would make their way into the fortress.
No outsiders were present. No outsiders had ever been present, except when the other experiments brought one in. This experiment was intelligent enough to know that he need not be afraid of anything as long as he was alone. And he was just intelligent enough to figure he deserved a break.
Everything seemed blissfully peaceful.
Then a ball of black fur shot up before the experiment's eyes and he found himself lying on his back.
Bagheera stepped over the body and darted around another corner. The panther's padded feet provided both speed and stealth until Mowgli tugged its hair and signaled Bagheera to stop.
"Skinner," whispered Quatermain as he dismounted the panther. "You and Mowgli split up and try to find the others."
"What about you?" Skinner whispered back.
"I'm going after the bleeding monster that's really behind all this."
Quatermain watched Bagheera bound down a corridor to his left with Mowgli clutching tightly on his fur. He could only assume Skinner was running in the opposite direction. He waited until the panther and the boy were out of sight before darting forward.
> > > > > >
Victor Frankenstein kept his penetrating eyes fixed on the wall of his lab as one of his latest experiments addressed the back of his head.
"I have a message from the outer sentry, sire," reported the experiment. "Outsiders fought their way through. They injured some of the weaker guards. One of them matches the description of Allan Quatermain."
Frankenstein quickly turned and focused the beam of his penetrating stare on the messenger, who immediately began to tremble.
"I warned him!" cried Frankenstein. He turned to the monsters around him. "Spread out. I don't want to see any of you back in here until all intruders are dead." He paused and the anger on his face was replaced by a crooked smile. "And bring out the lady vampire and kill her as well. I've said enough that all guests to my island will abide by my rules or face the consequences!"
The monsters around Frankenstein filed towards the door. The monster who had spoken tried to exit as well, but a grunt and a gesture from Frankenstein signaled him to stay.
After the other monsters were gone, Frankenstein leaned against a lever protruding from a nearby panel. It took little effort for the strong young science student to toggle the switch, causing a huge device overhead to creak and slowly pivot and descend.
"I warned you, too," said Frankenstein, looking at the monster. His smile faded and the monster continued to tremble.
Frankenstein toggled another switch and a volt of lightning thundered from the above device. The monster erupted into a cloud of smoke and a flame of fire. Frankenstein pulled the switch again and the monster fell into a blackened pile on the concrete floor.
Frankenstein stepped towards the charred remains of his experiment.
"I have some regrets about that," he said. "You were one of my most promising experiments."
"Then you shouldn't have killed the messenger." The voice echoed off the walls and slabs and strange devices throughout the massive laboratory. Frankenstein spun around as Allan Quatermain emerged from behind a larger than life statue of Benjamin Franklin.
"You must be Allan Quatermain."
"And you're Victor Frankenstein, I assume?"
"That's Dr. Frankenstein to you, Mr. Quatermain."
"You're no doctor."
"That's exactly what your friend Jekyll said."
Quatermain quickly drew his twin revolvers and aimed them at Frankenstein. Even as he was reaching for the gun, Frankenstein was raising his hands in the air.
"You'll come with me peacefully and show me where your other prisoners are, or I'll shoot you right now."
Frankenstein just smiled disarmingly. He then threw himself to the side. A bullet struck just over his shoulder, ricocheting off the panel behind him. Frankenstein grabbed two levers as he fell. The device overhead quickly swung and emitted beams of pulsating electricity. Quatermain dropped to his stomach and rolled under the beams just as one would have sliced through his gut.
Frankenstein squatted just high enough to throw one of the levers back up and cause the mechanism to swivel again. Quatermain rolled the opposite direction and again safely avoided death.
Quatermain leapt to his feet and fired from both barrels. Frankenstein dove away from the control panel and ran around a large machine before the guns could fire.
Quatermain moved forward as Frankenstein came around the corner of the machine. The first bullet took Frankenstein by surprise, but it missed and rattled off the large metal cylinder behind the scientist instead. Frankenstein ducked just as the second bullet flew over his head.
Frankenstein pulled a lever on a different panel. This time, metal walls swung open all around the laboratory revealing an armory of guns, knives, swords, and axes.
Frankenstein cackled maniacally and smiled vengefully as he removed a rifle from the wall. Now it was Quatermain's turn to duck as Frankenstein laughed and fired shot after shot at Quatermain.
Quatermain ran and managed to hide behind a concrete slab, where he proceeded to return fire.
When the last shot had been fired from both revolvers, Quatermain cursed and threw both guns to the ground. A returning clatter told Quatermain that Frankenstein's rifle had met the same fate.
Quatermain stood up and watched as Frankenstein wrenched a saber from the wall. Quatermain turned to the wall behind him. He considered removing a battle axe in order to end the fight quickly, but he then remembered his duel with the infamous Professor Moriarty. He quickly grabbed a weapon similar to Frankenstein's and turned to face his opponent.
> > > > > >
Meanwhile, Mina Harker swung her head to the left and to the right, trying to close her fangs in on someone, anyone. But the monsters that carried her by the arms and legs were spread out beyond her reach. They dropped her to the ground, causing her even more discomfort, and then they quickly surrounded her and pinned her down.
Two monsters stepped forward holding wooden stakes. Mina snarled at them, but they both just smiled back.
Quasimodo ran up behind the monsters.
"Waa-aa-a-iiittt! St-o-o-o-o-opppp!" he cried.
The monsters turned puzzled expressions towards the hunchback, but then turned back to Mina and continued to smile viciously.
"Doo-oo-o-nnnn't huuuuurrrrrrrt-t-t heerrrrrrr!" screamed Quasimodo. The monsters raised the stakes above their heads. Quasimodo grabbed both of the monsters by the necks and began to squeeze. The other monsters paused, released their grip on Mina, and looked up to watch. Quasimodo squeezed with all of his might. A portion of each monster's neck crumbled into dust and the monsters fell in piles on the ground. The other monsters stood up and ran away, making shrieking noises as they left.
> > > > > >
Sparks flew through the air as sabers collided and scraped against one another. Frankenstein stepped back and thrust his saber forward. Quatermain parried it with his and pushed the blade up into the air. He then thrusted forward himself. Frankenstein jumped back and struck his blade against Quatermain's. The elderly Quatermain lost balance and fell to the ground. He swung his body to the side and the blade of Frankenstein's saber hit the concrete beside him. Quatermain threw a kick and struck Frankenstein in the knee. Frankenstein howled in pain and grabbed his injured knee as Quatermain climbed to his feet and ran.
When Frankenstein looked up, Quatermain was climbing a ladder to a catwalk above.
Frankenstein limped to the ladder and began climbing up as Quatermain ran to the other end.
"I expected you to be smarter than this," said Frankenstein. "There's no where for you to go now."
Quatermain turned towards him and poised his sword to attack.
Frankenstein hobbled forward and swung his saber. He deliberately missed Quatermain and instead, grabbing tightly on the railing, he sliced through a cord that was keeping the catwalk suspended. As the catwalk shuddered, Quatermain grabbed for the cord and pulled himself up. Frankenstein tried to take a swipe at Quatermain, but the explorer rocked his body back and forth, swinging the cord back and forth and himself out of Frankenstein's reach as he climbed.
As Quatermain threw himself over the ledge of a higher platform, Frankenstein jumped for the cord. His leg throbbed with agony as he landed. He grunted angrily and limped towards a ladder that would take him to the same level Quatermain was on.
> > > > > >
Tom Sawyer smiled as he was brought lunch. He'd come to look forward to his meals, and he had to wonder who on the island was responsible for the cooking. The cell swung open, and a monster came forward holding a tray full of steaming food. Two other monsters stood by his side. Suddenly, the monster's face fell into the tray of food and then the monster slid to the ground. The other monsters snarled with fury, but their heads then flew against one another and they fell to the ground.
Sawyer looked forward and blinked.
"Quit staring at me like that," said the voice of Rodney Skinner. "It's time to get out of here."
> > > > > >
Quatermain turned and held out his saber and Frankenstein's blade hit against it. Frankenstein raised his blade again, and this time it struck against Quatermain's shoulder. Quatermain cried out and brought his hand to his rapidly bleeding shoulder. Frankenstein thrust his blade forward, and Quatermain thrust his fist out. As Frankenstein stumbled back, Quatermain kicked him in the stomache. When Frankenstein fell to his knees, Quatermain kicked him in the head. When Frankenstein shook the pain away and lifted his head, Quatermain had disappeared.
"You call yourself a doctor," Quatermain's voice echoed across the lab. "Then your creed is to help people."
"I am helping people!" insisted Frankenstein, slowly pivoting in an attempt to discern which direction the voice was coming from.
"By killing them?" asked Quatermain.
"You couldn't possibly understand!" cried Frankenstein. "I've lost the only person I've ever loved!"
"So have I," replied Quatermain. "Several times."
Frankenstein looked up and saw Quatermain tip-toeing across another catwalk above. He slowly made his way to another ladder.
"Then you know what a person would be willing to do to get a loved one back," said Frankenstein. "Scientists have been able to cure all sorts of injuries and sicknesses, but for nothing."
"Why for nothing?" asked Quatermain, ducking behind a device similar to the one that had nearly killed him.
"Because sooner or later, people still die," said Frankenstein. "I'm trying to find a cure for the ultimate disease: death."
Frankenstein slowly climbed rung after rung of the ladder. Quatermain held his breath and became as still as a sleeping tiger.
"When this project is complete, no one will ever need to fear death again," said Frankenstein. "I will have secured life after death!" With that, he took a mighty swing with his saber.
The huge device hiding Quatermain fell to the ground below and crashed with the sound of an explosion, sending chunks of metal and bits of wire flying across the entire lab. One bit of wire hit Frankenstein right between the eyes, causing him to step back and grab his forehead. Quatermain quickly climbed over the railing of the catwalk and threw himself towards the ground, grabbing quickly to another railing below.
When Frankenstein opened his eyes, Quatermain had hidden himself again.
"You plan on stopping death by killing people?" asked Quatermain. "That's ludicrous!"
"I knew you couldn't understand!" yelled Frankenstein. He angrily sliced through another suspension cord, this time towards the middle.
The cord fell and swung like a whip, catching Quatermain on the cheek. The sting caused Quatermain to involuntarily yelp in pain. Frankenstein grinned impishly and began to climb down the ladder to the next catwalk.
"I understand, alright, boy," said Quatermain. "I understand that you fear death."
"Of course I do," said Frankenstein. "It's human nature. Life is all I know. Life is all I understand."
"And we fear what we don't understand," said Quatermain.
"Exactly," said Frankenstein.
"Look at what you're doing," said Quatermain. "You aren't giving these people life. You're taking it away. You're ruining what they have left."
"What do they have left?" demanded Frankenstein.
"Death," Quatermain replied. "Just look at what you've done."
In response, Frankenstein looked down at the charred remains of what had once been one of his faithful servants.
"I've become a monster," said Frankenstein. "But I was just trying to save people."
"You can't fear death, boy," said Quatermain. "You're afraid to see what comes after death. You're afraid because there's no possible way of knowing for sure until you get there."
Frankenstein nodded.
"But death must be accepted as a part of life," continued Quatermain. "Only by dying can a man achieve his true destiny."
"What is man's true destiny?" asked Frankenstein.
"Whatever comes after death," said Quatermain. "But we can only reach that when our time is right. When your time comes, I can assure you, there is something wonderful after death."
Frankenstein looked up and saw Quatermain looking directly down at him, his eyes full of sincerity and truth.
"Are you sure?" asked Frankenstein.
"I am," said Quatermain. "I know from experience. It just wasn't my time. My destiny is still here."
"Then I think it's time I welcome my destiny," said Frankenstein. He climbed onto the railing of the catwalk and jumped.
After hitting the concrete below, Frankenstein rolled over and looked up at Quatermain. He managed a weak smile, and then he pulled another lever.
"Ten minutes 'til this island self-destructs," said Frankenstein.
Then, with the evil grin still spread across his lips, Frankenstein spit out blood and faced his ultimate fear.