Line in the Sand Chapter 7, an el tigre fanfic

This is certainly clipping along at a good pace. I worry about the day when I run out of steam and this story fades into, I don't know, obscurity or something. But for now I present chapter 7.

Chapter 7, Cactus Paybactus

Skies of Miracle City, Wednesday, 8:00 PM

Voltura scorched her away above the skyline of the city, just high enough to avoid everything but being seen. Not that it mattered, really. No one was fool enough to snitch on a villain who's actually out and about. After a crime, maybe, but never before. She scanned the streets, seeing nothing more than the day to day below her. Every now and then a petty theft or similar wrong doing occurred, but mostly just filthy people being filthy people. She turned and followed another street when she ran out of room and scanned that one as well. After a time of doing this, she heard a voice on her radio.

"Anything yet?"

"Not yet… are you sure he'd come back to the city."

"No," M replied, "but that's why I'm having you check it out. Lady Gobbler has nothing to report on the outskirts thus far, either. When you're done with you street duty, check any heavily populated events."

"Roger that."

She soared on for another five minutes when it occurred to her exactly how best to find the Cactus Kid. Like any villain, his top concerns would be money, a hideout, and vengeance. She would try for vengeance.

"Do you think he would be where El Tigre is?"

"How would he know where El Tigre is?"

"Do you think he could be?"

"… Possible. I'll see if I can't find that out. I have a man on the field."

The Carnival, 8:07 PM

"Da?"

"Nikolai, do you have them in sight?"

The boy who had been following Manny and Zoe all night looked up at the still stopped gondola. Normally two hundred dollars wouldn't buy this much time, but another hundred said ten more minutes. He couldn't hear over the crowd, but it didn't look or sound like the couple was fighting. "Da, they're on the Ferris wheel."

"Ferris wheel? What, did he take her to a carnival or something?"

"Da," Nikolai responded solemnly, "why?"

There was a scream, then the sound of a booth collapsing. People panicked and ran, a few bumping into the Russian, drawing his attention. Turning he saw a pair of ugly, spine-covered green things. He couldn't describe them, having never heard of cacti before in his life, despite having travel the world over.

"Oh… green guys?"

"That sounds about right. Don't let yourself get killed; help's en route."

Nikolai snapped the phone shut and backed away slowly. He wasn't afraid, but he really couldn't risk going ape on these ugly things in public. Blowing cover is a big no-no. Instead he retreated to behind the Ferris wheel. It was about this time that Manny looked over the gondola rail and saw the havoc unfolding below.

"Hang tight, Zoe!"

He climbed up and out, jumping over the side. Out of impulse, Zoe slid over to look at him as he descended. Already green light and fire had burst from his form, and he landed with a roar on the platform below. This immediately got the attention of the twin cactus monsters, and they roared themselves before stomping over. El Tigre smiled, but was still a little surprised. It had been a long while since the Cactus Kid was actually a problem, having been in prison for some eight weeks. Just the same, he leaped off the platform and sliced the first of the two plant beasts down the middle, jumping again to land behind the second. With a powerful spin, he bifurcated this one, knocking to the ground in a pair of heaps. The first was still struggling for life, so Tigre finished the task of cutting it in two with a sharp kick to the weakened back. The cactus collapsed lifeless, letting the hero turn up to see Zoe in the gondola above. His ego stopped him from noticing someone approach from behind.

"Rivera!"

Tigre stood stock still when he heard his name. The voice was unfamiliar, rattling with something that made it hard to pinpoint. The accent made it obvious, though. He turned around to face the mutated Cactus Kid.

"Whoa. What the hell happened to you?

Not only did it appear as though the Kid had replaced his arm with what looked like an appropriately shaped cactus, but a stretch of green had consumed half of his neck and face. Spines emerged from his cheek, splaying back like a beard. He was clearly no longer just a human with odd inborn abilities. There was something wrong with him.

"I made a mistake… but that doesn't mean it's all bad. I can feel it! I can destroy you now!"

The Kid simultaneously stomped his right foot and clutched his left hand. From the ground emerged what at first appeared to be prickly pears. The plants grew rapidly, but didn't take on the normal aggressive shapes that his other creations did. But when there was enough plant matter to go around, the cacti shifted and stood, coalescing into eight-foot tall humanoid creatures. Tigre backed up a few steps, now convinced that things had indeed changed. The nasty things lurched forward, snapping as their spines rubbed against each other and the earth, but making no other sound. The Cactus Kid laughed as he lifted his cactus hand slowly through the air, shuddering as if it met resistance. At first this appeared to do nothing, but the slain cacti behind El Tigre made that different. They cracked and regenerated, discarding old tissue and forcing out new. Though horribly disfigured and lacking any semblance of elegance, four new cactus monsters stood behind the hero as the two humanoid ones stomped forward.

"Damn…"

Once that word was uttered, Tigre jumped as hard as he could into the air, barely avoiding the swing of the arm of the first beast to come at him from behind. He landed behind it, dug in, then rushed forward with incredible force, slicing it apart again. He took the bottom half and threw it hard at one of the lumbering prickly pears as it wandered close. This, unfortunately, left him vulnerable to the still active upper half of the downed beast. It grabbed Tigre by the leg and pulled him across the ground, scraping his body against dirt and gravel. Another slice and the cactus's arm was lopped off, freeing the pressured hero long enough to duck and jump once more out of the fray. He sighed as he saw the sliced halves of cactus beast stand up again, regenerated into even more vile forms. He did notice, though, that they didn't appear to be fairing well; one could hardly walk, and not because of leg damage. This brought a smile to Tigre's face, this limitation. He jumped forward again, cutting away at everything in sight. The second generation of cactus monster lay defeated, leaving only the prickly pear to deal with. What was curious here was that it appeared to be taking a piece of its arm off. Why would it do that? That question was quickly answered when it threw the severed piece at Tigre, who only barely managed to dodge. It stuck fast to the wooden platform behind him, a testament to the sharpness of the needles.

"Man, you guys are nasty. But I bet you come apart easy!"

El Tigre jumped forward, and once close enough sliced the prickly pear from bottom to top. It broke fairly easily, but something happened that he had not expected. Instead of just falling over like its crushed companion, the prickly pear exploded, sending each piece of the cactus out through the air. Tigre was rewarded with one such chunk of spine-covered plant in his leg. He back to tend to this injury, pulling the cactus out gingerly. The Cactus Kid just laughed again, and the sound of popping filled the air again. Behind Tigre rose the third generation of cactus monster, though much like the previous example, these appeared sickly. And he smiled wide when they reared up and collapsed, succumbing to some unknown ailment.

"Looks like you should've practiced some more! You aren't half as tough as you said!"

Tigre stood again, claws at the ready, then charged forward. No longer being the sort to be taken off guard, the Kid backed up a few steps, firing spines from his knuckle ridge as he went. El Tigre had to abandon this plan and leap aside, trying to evade the barrage despite his injury. He failed, taking a few spines to his hip. Yelling in pain, he fell to his side, sliding across the dirt with good momentum. The Kid took the time given here and clenched his fist again, sprouting a new cactus. At first Tigre didn't take it seriously; it looked like it was caught in a run, limbs curiously angled and a body stuck in a lean. Its facial expression exhibited surprise, as if it had accidentally eaten something sour. It wasn't until the thing rapidly closed the distance that Tigre started panicking. He lurched backward as it stopped and kicked at him, flipping backwards and releasing a strange whooshing sound. It landed perfectly, bending to take aim and twisting its arms. The crown of its head was revealed, and when Tigre saw the many needles on its body stand straight, he jumped hard and barely evaded the barrage of spines it launched. The sound of a thousand needles filled the air as they filled a piece of wood, splintering off the panels and themselves. Then he saw it: the opportunity this had brought him. Tigre pointed and fired a chain claw at the head of the cactus as it stood again, splattering it with a loud smack much like that of a pumpkin hitting asphalt. His claw then found the earth, gripping it hard. Tigre reeled himself in to the ground, curling into a hand stand, then sprung himself forward. Too late did the Cactus Kid realize that Tigre was on the offensive again, too late did he turn to aim his needles. With a single, powerful kick, the Kid was down, unconscious, bleeding from the nose. El Tigre stood over his vanquished opponent, breathing hard and hoping he'd stay down. That was a good exercise.

Carnival Entrance, 8:22 PM

The Cactus Kid was loaded into a transport vehicle, barely conscious, but stable nonetheless. The doors slammed shut and the truck pulled off, destined for the closest prison available. Manny, similarly, was in the back of another vehicle. Face down on the ambulance gurney, he whined every time a needle was pulled from his flesh, groaning a bit whenever the pain had troubled him too much. Zoe rubbed his back sympathetically.

"You did great, Manny. I've never seen anyone fight like that."

"Thanks Zoe," he said, lifting his face from the gurney, "but I don't usually end up getting de-needled. That could have gone better."

"Don't worry about it. You're fine."

Zoe was interrupted by the sound of a jet engine overhead, and for a moment she entertained the idea that her mother or grandmother was there now. Why would they be here now? Could they have been here the whole time? She dismissed both questions when she heard Manny whine again.

"Okay, that's the last needle. Now we'll just bandage you up and you can go home."

Zoe stepped down from the ambulance and looked up into the night sky. There weren't any stars visible from here, typical of the huge city. But just the same, she felt calm, and she smiled upon the heavens. She lost focus and blushed when she felt a hand around her own.

"Come on. Let's get you home."

They waited at the bus top for only a few minutes. When the 8:30 bus rolled in, Zoe climbed aboard first, helping Manny limp up the steps. People smiled as they saw this cute procession, some remembering what it was like to be young and in love, others simply too young to not laugh at a girl helping a boy. Manny sat down slowly, the puncture marks burning as his muscles worked. He hated cacti now more than ever. Zoe sat next to him and leaned in close. The bus doors closed and the vehicle started off towards the station. But there was one passenger that went to the carnival who wasn't on board now.

Suarez Residence, 8:25 PM

"Well done, Frida! I've never seen such improvement in you!"

"Uhh," Frida stammered, briefly looking back at Diego. He was not at all happy. "Sure, Papa."

"Your teachers were right to send this aid to help you. Tell me boy, will Frida be able to improve her grades by years end."

"I should say so." Diego frowned a bit, giving Frida a glare that was just unpleasant. She smiled as cutely as she could in an attempt to diffuse his anger.

"Okay, Papa, but now Diego has to go. He'd love to stay, but dinner and such. Say bye Diego."

Chief Suarez just stared blankly as Frida pushed Diego out of the room. He seemed surprised and uneager to comply. Once he was out the front door, Frida stopped pushing him. With a deep breath, she calmed down enough to communicate.

"Hey… thanks for, you know, doing my homework…"

Diego simply brushed off his sleeves. "Well, maybe next time you will do a few of the problems." He forgot that the tutor system was just a ruse.

"So there's going to be a next time? You'll help me again tomorrow?"

"Oh," he smiled, rolling with it again. "Of course. That is my job. To help you."

"Great!" After yelling that she hugged him. It was only a hug of gratitude, of course, but the look on Diego's face? Priceless. "I'll see you tomorrow after school then."

"Okay, Frida…" he whimpered, stumbling about in half swoon. She watched him meander down the walk to the fence, wondering why he was behaving like a drunk now

Miracle City Outskirts, highway, 8:35 PM

Voltura, having followed M's instructions thoroughly, flew in plain view of the police truck that was hauling the Cactus Kid away to the next city over, where the closest working prison was located. She watched it drive swiftly along the highway, keeping its position locked in her glowing visor. She activated her radio to confirm the next part.

"I'm out of the city limits. Move in?"

"Move into range, but don't fire until I give the order."

"Roger that."

Moving in the closer to the truck for the plan had its disadvantages. For instance, the driver, a man just doing his job, took notice of the noise. He turned to his partner, curious about the sound outside.

"D'you hear that?"

His partner only shook his head, intent to keep looking forward. And for a short time, the driver was satisfied with that. He didn't bother to question why his partner's phone was on, or why it was ringing now of all times. He didn't even bother to ask why his partner braced his arms against the roof and dash after saying only "yes sir" to whoever called. But when the truck lurched to the side after a flash of green light, the poor driver had little choice but to panic as the vehicle fell far beyond control. The metal of the now bare wheel and axle sparked against the road as the police truck skidded across and off the road, flipping twice once it caught its front left corner in the ditch running parallel to the highway. Once the dust had settled and the damage done, the driver coughed a bit. He heard something from next to him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," coughed the driver, "I think so."

"… That's a shame."

Voltura landed some yards behind the truck and approached it slowly. She stopped when a gun shot rang out from the cabin, then started around the side to see a police officer climbing out of the window, apparently unharmed. Voltura gasped and backed up a step when he stood straight, featureless, and grey-skinned.

"You must be Voltura. Come. We must check on the passenger."

Complying, Voltura strolled to the back of the truck and with one sharp shot destroyed the lock on the door. Nikolai pulled it open and stepped inside. He was jostled a bit, but the Kid was no where near dead.

"You're coming with us, little man."

The Bus Station, 8:45 PM

Just as Zoe had helped Manny into the bus, she carefully led him back down. She smiled when he stumbled a bit, clinging to her arms for added support. He smiled back, though somewhat more bashfully. She held his hand for a while, saying nothing. Then she spoke.

"Come on. I'll walk you home."

"I think this is supposed to go the other way around, don't you?"

"Well," she responded, quietly, "if I was full of needles, I'd expect you to carry me. But you're strong, so you can at least help me by carrying yourself."

"Ooooh," he taunted, "is that an admission that guys are stronger than girls?"

"No…" Yes, inadvertently. But it was as cute as it was unintended in her eye.

"Alright. Please, lead the way, miss."

The streets were quiet, but still full of energy. People dotted almost every piece of sidewalk that they strolled down, but none of them were interacting all that much. Every now and then a conversation could be overheard, but now it was more like people just trying to get home on time. Which was just fine. Once inside the apartment complex in which Manny lived, Zoe pushed the elevator button and stood fiddling for a moment. She clutched her wrists neurotically, contemplating how best to end the evening. Finally, she leaned in and kissed Manny's cheek.

"Thanks for the good time… call me."

Manny watched her leave, confident she would be okay, confident he would be okay too. And he smiled, certain that now they would be a "they." The doors opened and he stepped in, pushing the button to take him upstairs. Zoe, meanwhile, did everything in her power to keep herself from skipping. It seemed like just two days ago that she hated everything… and now everything she hated no longer bothered her.

Unknown Location, 9:23 PM

It had taken Nikolai and Voltura sometime to return to the base with their prize in tow, but once they did it was smooth sailing. Dr. Chipotle Sr. ran his cybernetic hand over the tank that held the Cactus Kid in stasis. Tubes ran into his arms and legs, sensors were attached to vital areas, and an oxygen mask kept him alive in the fluid environment.

"So, doctor, what did we learn from last time?"

"Many things," he replied, "but mostly that we should keep him tranquilized, even though it stunts his growth."

"Don't worry, doctor," M said, turning away from the tank, "he's already grown fantastically. Start him on serum 5. I want maximum growth."

Chipotle watched him leave, then turned back to the tank. His face was covered in bandages, as were many other parts of his body. That breakout earlier today was not a pleasant one for anybody… but at least the Mexican military was kind enough to build two labs inside the base. The second was up and running as soon as the clean up on the first had begun.

"You have caused Dr. Chipotle a great deal of pain, cactus boy… you would be wise to watch your back. I will return the favor one day."