AN:
Thank you as always BlueSynth! Every review means a lot to me. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. Last chapter delivered some action and tension for Vash big time. Coming up with a bar brawl was a little challenging, but I think I captured Vash's eagerness to help stop fighting, but also his tendancy to run away. He also has THE WORST luck, right? Vash and Wolfwood will be getting more action now that they are back on the road, stay tuned! :D
Chapter 18 - Rip My Life into Pieces
Chapter Summary
Previously, Vash and company arrived in Little Jersey after hitching a ride. Upset with Vash's disregard for his own reputation, Lois stormed out of the tavern to find some clues. Vash tried to prevent a bar fight, but a patron recognized him, so he did what he does best—run away.
Now, tension ebb and flow after running out of Little Jersey. The gang settles in for the night, but not without some angsty. What's in store at Ripmela?
—T&J—
'Resource Survey Escort.' More like a babysitter for a bunch of fraggin' clankers. Tch, the Main Man's really losing his touch.
At least that bastich Kryptonian made things way more interesting. Too bad the coward ran away with his tail between his legs. No worries, I'll sniff 'im sooner or later.
Lobo was starting to get really bored after the third city, looting the identical-looking 'Plant whatsamabobs.'
Isn't there anything more fun to steal?
And 'course every damn city we've looted is practically the same. Shoddy as hell buildings falling apart, too much fraggin' sand, nowhere decent to get a drink.
These humans were hella amusing to play with back at that December City, but after going toe-to-toe with the Kryptonian, Lobo realized how pathetic and puny humans were in comparison. They had such bravado though, waving around their toy guns and lobbing grenades willy-nilly. Even punching and kicking humans in the gut and nads—those who were stupid enough to try and stop him and 'Mister Gold and Shiny's' survey drones—was losing its novelty.
Ah, well, at least I got paid for the first two heists. Time for some booze. Hell yeah! The Main Man's gonna get wasteeedddd.
With a cred-card and fresh funds transferred to his account, Lobo strolled into one of the fine drinking establishments on 'Norman's Land'—or whatever the hell the backwater planet was called.
He liked the name of this town better. Ripmela. He'd done a good job of ripping through the humans in the town when they got in his way.
Inside the bar, the humans scrambled out of their seats as far from him as possible. Chairs clattered to the ground, frightened cries of weaklings. Music to my ears. Lobo smirked, amused by their reactions.
Ain't they ever seen an off-worlder before? How backwater is this planet?
He took a seat at the bar. The bartender looked like he was about to shit himself. Lobo didn't know whether to laugh or roll his eyes.
"Hit me. Strongest ya got," he said, rapping his knuckles on the counter.
The barkeep just shuddered, frozen.
Lobo grunted and checked his translator. Hmm, piece of junk seems to be working. S'the bastich just deaf?
He repeated himself, speaking slowly and over-enunciated.
"R-r-r-right away, um, s-sir," the bartender squeaked and grabbed a clean glass and a bottle of something from a high-up shelf. "B-b-best in the h-house."
A man totally shitfaced in the seat next to him slurred, "I'll havvve watevaaa my frienddss habbin."
Oh, Lobo liked this guy. "And one for my friend here."
The bartender could barely pour the liquor into the glass without spilling it everywhere his hand shook so badly. Growing impatient, Lobo just reached over and poured it himself. And he was feeling generous, so he poured some into a second glass for his new drinking buddy.
"Cheers," Lobo grumbled, clinking their glasses. He threw the drink back and let out a big sigh, shaking his head from the burn.
—T&J—
Vash slunk down in his seat when Jessie swung by the tavern after the coast was clear. Wolfwood sat smoking on the steps, and Jim looked like he'd been pacing for a while.
Jessie leaned out her window to direct Wolfwood and Jim to get in the trailer. In a whisper, Jim tried to ask if Lois and Vash were okay. Lois peeked her head over so he saw her, and Jessie merely said, "Just fine. Now get in. We're leaving."
Wolfwood audibly scoffed and put out his cigarette, but they both loaded in without a word of complaint.
The drive to the next town took about an hour. An agonizingly tense and silent hour.
By the time they parked, it was already dark out. Three almost full moons shone brightly—Rosalind in a striking red, Marisol a brilliant blue, and Aurion a warm nickel. Shy Ophelia and Calliopea hid out of view.
The streets were thankfully quiet compared to Little Jersey's.
Before they stepped out of the cab, Jessie cleared her throat. "Y'all better get rooms at the hotel. No more funny business. That shit happens again, and I'm taking off without you in the morning. You tracking?"
Vash dared to glance over and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
He could tell both women were quietly roiling, but their eyes just begged for understanding. He felt sick again, anxious about their unvoiced thoughts and questions.
When the three got out, Jim jogged over with Wolfwood trailing behind, lugging his Punisher wearily. The young Earthling man was clearly about to launch into a rambling of questions, but Lois instantly cut him off.
"Not here, Jimmy," she said.
"But—" Jimmy prodded.
She gave her friend a stern look, shutting him up.
Her expression reminded Vash of Meryl.
Vash inhaled sharply. The reminder shocked him, as he still had trouble remembering Meryl at all. He shook off the strange sensation. Not the time to dwell on things like that.
"Vash? You okay?" Lois asked. Her expression shifted to something else. He couldn't quite discern it.
"Uh, I think I need to lie down," he mumbled vaguely and turned to walk toward the hotel.
Before he could take a step, Lois grabbed onto his shirt sleeve. He stopped and turned halfway back, avoiding her gaze.
"I want you to know… I don't believe what he said," Lois said.
Vash couldn't help but flick his eyes toward hers. He couldn't read any signs that she was lying for his sake.
His shoulders sagged. He gave her the smallest of smiles. "You—" he shook his head slightly, his bangs swayed over his face. "Thank you. Have a good night, both of you."
However, what he'd thought was, "You should believe him because he might be right."
—L&P—
Jimmy followed behind Lois through the dim, musty hotel hall.
They'd all somehow afforded separate rooms, but Wolfwood told him not to get used to it. Rooms were ridiculously expensive, and they'd have to pack in together when possible at other times.
He tried to get Lois to talk and swap stories about what happened back in Little Jersey. But his friend remained worryingly silent. Spotting their room numbers on the doors, Lois stopped before entering.
She grabbed a newspaper from her bag and held it out to Jimmy. Jimmy took it, scrunching his nose and raising an eyebrow. "What is this?"
"Just… read the front page article. And, well, pretty much whatever seems pertinent. If we're going to be here awhile, we need to know things."
"Really? That's it? You stormed out of the tavern to buy a newspaper? Clark is already MIA. Lois. We should try and stick together. How would Clark feel if he knew you got hurt looking for him?" Jimmy said more firmly than usual. His grip on the newspaper tightened, crumpling the delicate paper slightly.
"I just… I just needed to figure out Vash. There's a story here and—" Lois tried to explain, gesturing with her arms. She looked everywhere around the hall but at Jimmy directly.
"Lois!" Jimmy hissed, cutting her off and grabbing her shoulders. She finally looked at him. "It doesn't matter if there's a story. We're not in Metropolis."
He sighed heavily. He waited until she was looking him in the eyes before he continued. "We both know there's something off with the situation. But Vash clearly has his demons, and poking and prodding him isn't gonna help us. You're pulling the same stunt you did with Clark. Remember how that went down?"
Jimmy paused, letting his words settle in.
But at the mention of Clark, something must have snapped in Lois. Her eyes filled with tears, and she leaned into her friend. Jimmy wrapped his arms around her and just let his friend cry it out.
"I can't— I can't k-keep losing him," Lois balled into his shirt.
"Shh. I know. We'll find him."
—T&J—
A soft knocking at the hotel room door yanked Vash out of his rumination into a state of hyper-alertness. He swiveled his body, going from prone, laying on the lumpy mattress, to upright on the edge of the bed, legs over the side with his hand reaching for his revolver.
Maybe it was just Wolfwood, ready to give Vash a piece of his mind for the asinine stunt he'd pulled in Little Jersey.
But Vash could easily recognize the undertaker's languid footsteps. Vash was certain he hadn't heard Wolfwood up and about since he'd retired to his own room.
Vash pushed himself off the bed as smooth as silk, slinking over to the hinged side of the door. In case someone tried to break in, he'd use the door as a shield and take the intruder by surprise. He breathed in and out steadily and listened through the door for any sign of a weapon being drawn or cocked.
The person knocked again gently. "Va— um, Eriks? It's Lois…" the young woman spoke just loud enough he'd be able to hear her.
Vash exhaled, closed his eyes, and lowered his gun. He'd hoped he could get away from the others for the night to decompress. It seemed like the woman could sense his need for space earlier, but maybe her curiosity got the better of her after all.
He leaned against the wall as if it was the only thing keeping him standing. He didn't think he could face anyone until at least the next morning when it'd be unavoidable.
"Eriks… Vash," she whispered. "I know you don't want to talk right now. But there's something I want to show you. If you're awake, I'll leave it outside the door. I'll, uh, check back in a few minutes and take it back if it's still there."
Vash could just make out Lois placing something on the floor and then her soft footsteps fading down the hall. He waited a minute before unlocking the door and nudging it open a head's width.
A small yellow-framed device sat innocently for him on the mottled, neutral-colored carpet. The device's screen was backlit and displayed an image of Jimmy's face frozen, staring outwards.
Photos? Or maybe a video?
Vash bent and picked up the smallish, handheld device. The device might have been akin to Lost Tech, but it didn't surprise him they possessed something like this.
He closed and relocked the door, pattered back over to sit on the edge of the bed, and flicked the lamp on.
Familiar enough with advanced electronics, Vash tapped at the screen to see how it operated. He realized it was a video when the recording started playing.
Jimmy began to speak to the camera, his voice and expression lacking its usual cheer.
"Hi, Birdwatchers. You know me as Flamebird. But my real name is Jimmy Olsen. Superman's best friend."
Behind the young man, the sky was dark of nighttime, and a few tall city buildings stood in the near distance. Jimmy panned the camera to show Lois standing beside him.
"And I'm Lois Lane, Superman's…" She paused, blushing unintentionally. "A reporter for the Daily Planet. Metropolis is under attack." Lois turned to the side, pointing out across the city at a titanic purple creature. The screams of hundreds of people filtered through the microphone, as well as the creature's thunderous stomps, crunching metal and glass with each footfall.
"Superman is out there right now defending us. But he can't do this on his own.
"When I first met Superman, I didn't know how to feel. He was stronger than us, faster, more powerful. And every single day, he went out there and used that power to help us.
"People have told you to fear Superman because he's different from us. But we humans are capable of causing hurt and pain too.
"Because of greed. Because we want to punish those who don't look or act like us. Because of fear.
"But we're also capable of greatness.
"It's what we choose to do that matters. Superman's made his choice. It's our turn, Metropolis."
Jimmy cut in for a few instructions to their viewers before Lois continued.
"Superman has saved this city over and over again.
"It's time for us to save Superman."
Despite Lois's speech pleading to defend and save this 'Superman,' Vash couldn't help but feel as if her words were also meant for him. Had she really seen right through him this quickly?
Before he could ponder further, another video began playing.
The shift to landscape orientation and the shaky camera movement indicated someone else likely recorded this second video.
The gargantuan, purple creature filled the screen. The cameraperson clearly had a front-row seat to the confrontation.
The creature reminded Vash of a Grand Worm as it half slithered, half crawled down the city street. It surprised Vash, however, with its rumbling speech.
"You lose!" it bellowed, mouth gaping open ravenously. It raised its forearms, winding up for a double-fisted smash.
The camera panned to a relatively minuscule figure standing amidst a pile of broken stabs of the city street. The figure was clad in a vibrant blue suit. A primary red cape hung loosely from his shoulders.
Suddenly, the lights from the surrounding buildings winked out one by one. The city was plunged into darkness. Only the light from the Parasite's glowing purple veins and the moonlight lit the scene.
The red-caped man glanced around as if hearing something not captured on the video. Then, to Vash's surprise, the man flew into the air as if gravity didn't exist, coming to a hover a couple dozen feelz in the air.
Parasite whipped its head around as its body began to shrink in on itself. The creature glared down at 'Superman.'
"What did you do? You did something! You cheated again!" it screamed and snarled, pulling back a fist in its rage.
Parasite launched its punch with all its remaining strength, a blow that probably could have knocked over one of the skyscrapers.
The flying, caped man caught the fist five times his size as easily as if it was a basketball.
In a clear, determined voice, the man spoke just loudly enough for the video's playback.
"Dr. Ivo, I know you're in there. Please stand down. I won't let you hurt the people of this city or anyone ever again." Vash had to strain to hear the muffled speech.
"You aren't the hero here! You're not even human!" Parasite screamed and lunged wildly at the flying man.
Superman easily flew out of his reach, too quickly for the framerate to keep up with. The video angle wobbled as the cameraperson tried to locate Superman again.
"You turned me into a monster!" Parasite whipped its reptilian-like tail, catching Superman off guard. The man crashed into the pavement, and the solid asphalt surface crumbled under him.
Parasite's interlocked firsts slammed back down to crush his foe, but Superman raised both hands. He braced against the weight of the attack as if it was no heavier than a sack of Thomas feed.
"You chose to be a monster, Ivo," Superman declared.
Vash's breath caught as the creature and man exchanged heated words. The word "monster" had been echoing in Vash's mind all night, each time another nail hammered into his already scarred heart. Who exactly were these two? What were they?
"Then what does that make an alien freak like you?"
Vash felt numb at the barbed insult. It cut as deeply as the hatred humans lashed at him.
A crackling of neon blue light filled the area around Superman. He launched himself up, shoving away the creature's arms. He briefly hovered above Parasite and stated, "Don't you read the paper?"
Superman disappeared from the camera's frame. The camera shook, again panning to search for the hero. The Parasite's body twitched but went still.
The video playback passed over and then settled into a steadier hold after finding its target. The lens zoomed in, fuzzing out and back into focus. Superman knelt, holding a smaller humanoid form by the shoulders. They sat in yet another crater of street rubble.
The audio was so faint Vash wasn't sure he heard the man speak. If he wasn't mistaken, it sounded like the hero merely said, "I'm Superman."
—L&P—
AN:
Thanks as always for following along! Reviews are always appreciated!
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Next Chapter 19: Truth, Justice, and the No Man's Land Way
The three reporters board the sandsteamer on their mission to find Vash. Imagining what's happening back home on Earth, Clark's fears spiral out of control. And Meryl overcomes her passivity by showing Milly (and Clark) the hidden truth about their world.
