Dick was changing from an emaciated, walking lich to a monstrous, mountainous behemoth. His skin stretched and repaired itself as he bulked up, becoming even taller. The tentacles on his chest came to life and began to writhe around with sentient abandon. The spider-legs on his back rose up like balloons having helium shot into them. They grew longer, deadlier, razor sharp. Even the grisly ponytail of his wild hair came to life, snapping around like a whip. I swallowed hard and glanced at Boomer. He was trying to hide it, but I could see that Boomer was afraid, and I was too weak to really put up a fight.
"I'll start with you...more Chemical X, means there's more power for me!" Dick lashed out, swinging one of his massive arms. It soared at the two of us like a rampaging bull. Boomer blinked and tackled me, knocking us both to the ground. Dick began to lurch toward us, his every step shaking the outcropping we were situated upon. I winced and climbed to me feet, breathing heavily. Boomer jumped to his feet and helped me up, leading me back away from the monster.
"Brick this is bad, this is really, really bad," I rolled my eyes, despite our situation and forced myself to stand.
"Brilliant analysis, Captain Obvious. Are there any more sharp observations from the idiot corner?" Boomer shook his head and yanked me away from a jab from one of those spider-legs. The appendage crashed into the ground, throwing up debris and tearing a nice new ditch in this less attractive side of town. Boomer pulled me back again from another charge. By about the fourth save, it had really sunk in just how badly I was holding my brother back. He had the strength to fight. He could go toe-to-toe with this abomination. He was just too focused on me to do it. I jerked my arm away from him.
"Boomer cut it out, just fight him!" Boomer blinked and fixed me with an incredulous stare of absolute frustration. He stepped back away from Dick's new charge and licked his dry lips. His cheeks were flushed, I noted absentmindedly. He always got worked up in a big fight. Somehow...shifted from being a mindless goof to being a shockingly efficient warrior. Unfortunately in this situation the goof was beating the warrior. He turned to face me, after a near miss knocked us both to the ground.
"No way! I'm not just gonna let him knock you around!" I started to respond, but froze in abject horror as Dick's spider-leg came flying at Boomer. In my weakened state of body, I couldn't react fast enough to save my own brother's life. I wasn't even faster...than a fucking three-legged mongrel.
"Ah! You wretched cur! Let. Me. Go!" Boomer and I both looked up and watched Dick slam Scooter's body, now impaled on his other spider-leg, against the ground, over and over long after the pathetic mutt had stopped moving. I choked on my breath and turned to face Boomer, who was staring with his mouth hanging open and an exponentially greater sense of disbelief in his eyes.
"B-Boomer..." Boomer shook his head and stared at Dick, who laughed and started to advance on us again. I heard a scraping sound and looked down to see Boomer's fingers digging into the Earth, tearing out fistfuls of soil and rock. He slowly rose to his feet, panting and glaring with all the hatred in the world at Dick Hardley. He clenched his fists tighter, and began to grind his teeth. I winced in pain and climbed to my feet, putting a hand on my brother's shoulder. He whipped around and looked at me with a frenzied look in his eyes. I just inhaled and exhaled softly, before giving him an approving nod. Boomer nodded, and clenched his eyes shut. I could almost see the steam rising up out of his hair.
"You. Are. Fucking. Dead!" The dirt at his feet exploded and Dick Hardley's scream would have been heard 'round the world, had he any breath left with which to scream. Boomer's fist, wedged deep in Dick's chest at an upward angle had stopped any air from escaping his lungs...and from ever entering them again. Dick tried to take a swing at Boomer, but my blond-haired brother was far beyond confrontation. He wasn't fighting to protect me anymore, now he was fighting to kill. And Dick Hardley, no matter how much Chemical X he had, didn't stand a chance.
Boomer threw another punch, one that threw Dick across the cliff, pushing him off Boomer's now bloodied arm. Boomer leapt through the air, flying with unreal speed. Before Dick ever hit the ground, Boomer brought up both hands and swung them down with all his might, sending the monster crashing through the cliff, and into the ocean below. He started to follow, but I caught him by the arm and stopped him.
"Boomer no...he's gone...it's over," Boomer turned back to face me, and quickly his fury faded into absolute sorrow. My arm now around his shoulder, we stumbled over to his broken, bloodied dog. Scooter laid with a fierce snarl on his lips, and a chunk of Dick Hardley's arm in his maw. Boomer chuckled, despite the tears now flowing down his cheeks. He dropped to his knees and gently scratched the dead dog's bloody side.
"He...He was a good dog..." He finally muttered, after being silent for so long. I nodded and sat down next to Boomer, keeping my arm around his shoulders. Frowning, I looked at my brother's tear-stricken face. I gave his shoulders a squeeze and wet my dry lips.
"Let's go bury him...then we'll go eat a ton of those nachos he loved so much tomorrow," Boomer laughed and gave me a watery grin.
"Yeah...I think he'd like that," I chuckled and couldn't help returning a smile. I gave Boomer's shoulders another squeeze. I'd realized through all of this...I missed having him around.