Disclaimer: I don't own Ultimate Muscle, and I don't claim to.
SLASH WARNING ADDED! SLASH IMMINENT! If you don't like it, look away!
Chapter Two: The Return of the Palaeologai.
The meeting in the main hall of the Herculean had broken up gradually, with people milling quietly away from the scene, scarcely daring to breathe in the fear-congested atmosphere. Brocken Jnr stomped off alone, fuming silently.
Why wouldn't that ass of a captain listen? He didn't want to die here, sitting helpless in what was now little more than a steel coffin! He wanted to die fighting, like a man, like he had been taught to. The frustration was making his blood boil.
Even now, he could almost feel the cold water on his skin…
Blind with rage, he spun and slammed his fist into the wall, hard. The steel dented obligingly beneath his fist. For a moment, he stood there, slowly grinding his bruised knuckles into the paintwork.
"Brocken?" Robin Mask's voice was laced with worry. The German retracted his fist from the wall and ran his fingers over the knuckles, trying to reason why. Robin took another step forwards.
"Brocken, its not your fault that we're staying here…"
"Nein, das is not vhy I am angry." He let go of his fist and looked up at Robin, raw fury boiling in the depths of his eyes. "I am angry because I vas taught to die like a man, not a snivelling coward! Ve should be out zere, fighting to protect people, not cowering in here!" His eyes stung with tears as he spoke… "It's not right!" He protested loudly, his voice ringing with cold injustice.
Robin baulked. What the hell was he meant to say now? Brocken looked fraught with anger, and it was only a matter of time before someone came along and saw him like this.
"Shall we go and… talk… about it?" Brocken looked relieved.
"Ja… ja. I need to clear mein head."
Tokyo, Japan.
Mars squeezed the pineapple even harder, shattering some of the scales into razor-sharp fragments that dug into his skin. Ignoring the shock of pain, he made one final squeeze before releasing the crumpled remains onto the worktop with a sigh.
He picked up the glass from the worktop and padded through into the living room, half-stifling a yawn as he did so. He dropped down into the armchair, and drained the glass in one go. As the last dregs of liquid vanished from the bottom of the glass, he realised his programme had been replaced with a news flash.
"If you're just joining us, we have received confirmed reports that a large number of insurgents have taken over the Turkish city of Istanbul. Other insurgents appear to have also overthrown both the Greek and Cypriot governments. We do not know if they are related, or what their demands are. As always, we'll keep you informed of further developments."
"MERDA!" swore Mars, leaping to his feet. The IWF was there, wasn't it? No… there was no way his revenge was going to be cut short by some bunch of trumped up punks with AK-47s. He had a right to get his pound of flesh from them, after what they had done to him – not only beat his face into the wrestling mat, but tried and prosecute him three times for a whole range of charges…
He stormed out of the living room. He had a flight to catch.
To be continued…
Sorry for the shortness, but I need to update one last time before I go away for two weeks over Easter, during which time I shall be out of touch. See you on the other side!