Chapter Six

Jedediah and Octavius both tried to sooth the legions of minitaures, but only when the Mayans started to shoot at them did they realize they'd failed completely, and they retreated.

"Jedediah, do you have a plan?" Octavius asked, once they were inside his chambers in Rome.

"Nope, none."

"None? It seems, then, that we are truly and completely done for."

"Nah, not really. We're just in a pickle, that's all."

"That's all? Jedediah, do you not understand that we are being shot at and pursued?"

"It's 'cause they're scared. Once the beast gets killed, they won't be so scared."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Thought you'd know this, though, conditioning your men and all that jazz."

"They are not taught to avoid fear, they are taught to rise above it, and it's the Mayans that now want us dead."

"Dunno what to tell you."

"We're screwed."

"Yep, we're screwed."

Larry and Brunden took posts on opposite sides of the lobby when a group of screaming miniatures flooded in. Following them was an earth-shaking, ear-splitting roar which seemed to be nine in one, somehow. Once it was over, the two worked their way to the center and looked around, back to back. "I dunno about you, homie, but I'm officially weirded out," Brunden said.

"Join the club."

"What're we supposed to do?"

"Kill it."

"How?"

"I don't know, okay? I don't even know what it is."

"Maybe if we get it to show itself."

"Brunden...that's the smartest thing I ever heard you say."

"Thanks, bro."

"Yeah, no problem."

The beast lumbered into the lobby, squeezing through a corridor almost too narrow for its bulk, it's nine heads squirming toward freedom until, finally, it one its prize. It fanned its heads out as if it were stretching before turning its attention to the two guards in the center of the lobby. It took a few steps and lowered one of its heads to meet them. An oddly feminine voice rang through Larry's mind. "I am Hydra."

"Okay, did you just hear that?" Brunden asked.

"So it's not just me."

"You gentlemen smell as if you feel I'm the enemy."

"Are you?" Larry asked.

"I just wanted to get out of that basement, but some idiot destroyed the key."

"Well, in our defense, we didn't know what was in it." Brunden fully faced Hydra, his hands up half way, not quite a gesture of surrender.

"You know, he's...he's right," Larry added, also fully facing Hydra and gesturing with his head toward Brunden.

"Oh, well, then." Hydra raised the head and looked around. "In which case, the hole I have created for myself will suffice until I kill you all."

"So you are the enemy."

"And you are the first to die." Hydra spit a stream of acid toward them, and they ran separate ways.

"Get to the Egyptian wing as fast as you can," Larry called to Brunden. The latter nodded and took off running.

The Germans cast a circle and Hitler took his place in the center, the Nazis on either side standing watch. Tally strode into the circle, just half a step away from him, staring up at him with a cold face. "Tell me where to start."

"Turn around." Tally did as she was told and allowed herself to be blindfolded. Hitler held a knife to her throat. "You give your life so that I may live again, infidel. Are you here of your own will?"

"I have no choice."

"Then we may begin." Hitler pressed the knife into Tally's throat and prepared to slice across when she kicked his legs out from under him and ripped off the blindfold. She took the knife and pointed it at his chest.

"If there's anything I know about World War Two, you ended yourself."

"Oh, good, we're just in time for the show." Tally snapped her head up and within milliseconds found herself looking up with Hitler on top of her, aiming the knife at her chest.

"Dammit, Cecil," Tally said, turning her head as much as she could toward whoever had spoken. "Everything was going just fine until you showed up."

"Can it, hopscotch," Gus snapped.

"You can it." Tally pulled her arms free and pushed the knife aside, turning her adversary so that she was again on top. She seized the knife and plunged it into his gut. She took a few steps back and glared at her grandfather and his two cohorts. "You three about had me killed."

Hitler pulled the knife out and struggled to his feet, where he slit Tally's throat.