FicWad

Chapter Eight
Face Off

Logan was still approaching the ship. He knew this thing wasn’t from this planet, so it must be it’s space ship. He was slinking through the long grass, expecting anything past the next row of vegetation.
He finally came upon a huge circle of flattened grass. At the center was the invisible ship. From what he could gather, this was the front. As he slowly approached, the sound of sliding metal sent him back into the grass. He wasn’t about to rush into another fight. A large piece of the front was falling down to the ground like a hatch. He watched restlessly as it stepped out in front of him. It had his dog tag around its neck. He would take it back if he had to cut it’s head off.
As he exited the ship, he noticed the grass moving at the edge of his clearing. He immediately used the infrared vision to see a heat signature in the moving bushes. It was the creature! He hadn’t expected it to come upon his ship. He quickly drew his spear and extended it. He held it behind his head, extended his other arm, and invited his prey forward. He was ready.
The creature rose from the grass, and moved forward almost casually. He put his hands down and stuck the spear vertically in the ground. He stood and waited patiently for it. He had wanted to engage with it respectably. It might as well enjoy it’s last battle.
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He hadn’t expected to be called out like that. Then again, he hadn’t expected to be seen either. He ached to carve the bastard to pieces, but he hadn’t fought an honorable fight in a long time. Not since he had challenged his lover’s father for her hand. He had lost, but not this time.
He walked up to the monster, about 6 feet away. They circled each other. His claws were at full length, and the monster had his spear. He looked like he’d gotten some new armor too. They turned with each other for a few moments. It stopped, so he stopped. It grabbed it’s spear and rushed forward. Logan could only hold up his claws in defense. This thing was faster than he had thought! It jabbed again and again but Logan was able to parry each blow with his claws. Finally the thing pinned the spear against Logan’s neck, but he kicked it over his head and send it tumbling into the grass. Now it was his turn.
He charged forward and slashed at it’s chest, but it’s speed matched his own as he fought to block each swing with the spear. Logan finally got his hands around the spear and began wrestling with the monster for it. He pulled the spear down and slid through it’s legs, giving him the perfect opportunity to slash at it’s back. He kicked it away from him to the edge of the grass. The creature quickly stood up and made a sound that chilled even Wolverine to the bone. It sounded almost like a lion.
It took the spear and broke it in half over it’s knee. Stunned by the feat of strength, Logan could not stop the two pieces from colliding with his chest. He lie on the ground for a moment in agonizing pain. The two ends had stuck into his chest. He grabbed the two ends and ripped them from his own body. He knew this was do or die, and he wasn’t about to let anyone out do him at what he does best. He leaped to his feet, ready for anything now. Despite his healing factor, blood was pouring down his chest from the two wounds.
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Damn that creature! Damn him! There was no reason now. All sanity had left his mind. He knew he was entering the Frenzy, but couldn’t help himself. He hated this beast more than he had hated anything ever before. This thing was invincible! All the wounds he inflicted healed almost instantly! This was no longer about the pride of his race. To hell with pride! He wanted to win! He wanted to slaughter this creature and paint the jungle red with it’s inferior blood! He had been outdone for the last time.
As the beast rose from the throws and removed the spear ends, he unsheathed his own claws to full length. He had more reach and more raw power than this weakling, and now the Frenzy would give him speed. He made a mad charge at the creature and slashed again and again and again. The beast could barely hold him back. The Frenzy would win him the day, and he would mount this beast’s head in his trophy case. He slashed from all areas until he was in a position to stab. He got the creature through it’s chest. He relished the flow of red blood. The creature stood there in frightened shock. He took his chance and twisted his blade, even stabbing it again. He grabbed the beast by it’s shoulder with one arm with the other through it’s bleeding stomach. It screamed in pain, and he loved it. He lifted it up above his head and slammed it to the ground. He then fired the blades from his gauntlet, spearing it to the ground. It stopped moving. Red plasma flowed everywhere.
He had done it. He had killed it. After a moment of staring and admiring his kill, he grabbed it by it’s head and pulled. He needed the skull and spinal cord. But the creature’s skeleton would not budge. After an infuriating moment, he switched to x-ray vision, and was amazed at what he saw. Adamantium laced the human’s entire skeletal structure! Impossible!
Now he was pissed. This thing had somehow gotten even faster. What the hell! Now he was pinned to the ground and bleeding everywhere. His stomach burned insanely as it slowly healed around the wounds.
He couldn’t move at all because they kept him in place. He waited a second and the monster pulled the claws out, and lifted him over it’s shoulder like he was a bag of ice. Which sounded pretty good in this heat. It must have thought he was dead. He felt it walk probably toward it’s ship. As soon as he had gathered himself, Logan stabbed the bastard in the back. It roared in unexpected pain and fell to it’s knees.
He hopped back off its shoulder to the ground. He grabbed his tag with one hand. “Finders keepers you son of a bitch!” He slashed across the monsters face with his other hand. It fell to the ground as he turned his back to walk away. He refastened the tag around his neck. He finally killed the bastard. He would get back to the village, find the guy with the phone, and give ol’ Fury a call. He knew he’d want to know about this.
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He lay there still. For the first time he was playing dead. It was walking away. It thought he was dead. The Frenzy had died down. He opened his eye and realized that his mask wasn’t on anymore! He opened his other and saw clearly through the visor. The damn thing had destroyed his mask! He still had one set of claws. It was a mistake to try and take it back to the lab. He knew this thing was regenerative, and that it’s skeleton was nearly impenetrable. The Frenzy had, as expected, robbed him of his focus. But now he would get it. He would peel every layer of meat from it’s body. He stood up and leaped at the thing.
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As he was walking, he heard rustling in the grass behind him. No way. He heard it say “Son…of…a…BITCH!” just before it tackled him to the ground. It stabbed again and again into his back with its remaining pair of claws. This was really pissing him off.
It must have had its knees in his back because he couldn’t move. It kept stabbing into his back, like it was trying to find his heart. It almost did a few times, but Logan finally found the strength to roll over and get to his feet. He was dizzy from the blood loss and the head rush that came with that quick rise. But he was focused enough to get a look at the monster. He had only cut it’s mask off. It didn’t attack again, but rather just stood there. It ripped it’s destroyed mask off bit by bit. It was the ugliest thing Logan had ever seen standing on two legs. Except Sabretooth, of course. It’s jaw was separated into four tendril things that opened up to reveal it’s mouth.
It moved forward quickly and punched Logan across the face, which sent him down a few feet away. He scrambled to his feet, but it kept coming. It pulled it’s claw thing off of it’s arm and tried to stab it down his center again. He blocked it with his own claws. It was then that he saw it: a small button on top. It reached for the button with it’s finger, but Logan acted faster. He reached up and kicked it’s shin, causing it to fall to that knee. It’s hand instinctively grabbed it leg and Logan got to his feet. He grabbed the device with one hand and sliced clean through the monsters arm with his other hand. He held the device in his hand. The monster leaked green blood all over from it’s arm. It looked up at him and roared. It’s mouth spread ugly and wide. “Give it a rest.” He stabbed the claws through it’s collar bone. After it’s roar was silenced, he pressed the button and sent the blades straight through it. It fell flat on it’s back.
He knelt down next to it. He was more tired than he had ever been on this trip. He breathed heavily, listening to the silence around him. He looked over at the creature and saw it’s necklace. He didn’t know why, but he grabbed it. He just wanted it for a trophy or something. He stood up and looked around. He picked up it’s mask that it had thrown down, and one of the spear ends. He had to bring something back to prove he had fought this thing. He strapped the firing device to his arm as he scanned the horizon and realized that the sun was already getting low. He remembered that there was a full moon tonight. Enough light to camp without a fire.
He smelled fresh water. A river wasn’t too far from here. Past a few trees about fifty feet away. He made his way toward the river; toward the promise of rest.
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He wasn’t dead. Not quite. He had lost nearly all of his blood and his right arm. His left leg was useless. He didn’t have much strength left. The wound was more through his chest than his neck, so it wasn’t fatal. But he knew he couldn’t survive much longer.
He remembered the bomb. He pulled it from his back and set it, punching in each key as best he could with his right arm and his fading vision. After he heard the clicking of the count down, he relaxed. He had lost. He took his death with dignity though. He allowed death to grasp him. With his final thought, he honored his home, his race, his mate and, strangely, his foe.
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Logan was making his way to the stream. He thought about what the local newspapers would say about this thing. Everyone knew there were aliens, but this was new.
He was about half way to the tree when he noticed a light behind him. He thought about angels for some reason. Maybe he was dying, and they were coming to bring him to heaven. No such luck. He looked and saw a great big orb of light surrounding the ship. He heard whirring and crackling of electricity. The orb started getting bigger. So naturally, he ran.
He ran as hard as he could against his aching muscles. He heard the crackling growing louder and louder like it was following him. He heard a huge electric blast go off. He finally reached the trees and ran through them. He reached the river and dove in just as he felt a shockwave and saw a bright flash. It wasn’t a deep river, but it was deep enough. It wasn’t strong either. He stayed under until the blue light above the surface died down.
He swam up and grabbed a log floating by. His breathing was ragged as he looked up to see the tree line… perfectly fine, as well as the grassy clearing and the circle where he had battled. He thought it was a bomb or something. He ran all the way to the river for nothing. He put his head down to rest on the log, and blacked out.
He woke up to prodding at his back. He opened his eyes and realized that he was now in a small wooden boat, like a canoe, wrapped in a blanket. It was night time and the moon was at full brightness. He looked around at his rescuers and realized that they were from the village. He must have floated upstream back toward the town he had left. On one end he saw the old woman he had left his bag with. She held it against her chest until she noticed his open eyes. She quickly moved over and set his bag next to him. She looked at him with a smile. She must have asked a question because her voice raised in what sounded like concern. He didn’t know a word of Spanish, so he just nodded. “It’s dead.” She smiled. He pulled a cigar from the case in his pocket and looked at the man at the other end of the boat. “Got a match?”