Chronicle 42

Duperman spent the night in a cell better meant for a villain. But that was how they saw him. His reckless reaction and limitless power posed the greatest threat to Big City that there was. His keen awareness of this gave him pause every moment he had a passing thought of melting his way out. It wasn’t horrible anyways. His guards were friendly, the food was alright. Tango Monday would bring in a hesitant specialist every so often to see if there were any methods of euthanization that had even the slightest effect. None did.

Past contemplation of escape, Duperman was surprised to feel a rumbling taking place beneath him. The entire precinct began shaking wildly as through the wall behind his cell, Duperman heard screaming on the streets of Big City and an otherworldly screech. The guards, Devin and Kevin avoided the hero’s gaze, knowing what his intentions were.

“You have to let me help.” he reasoned, the two maintained the posture of someone whistling inconspicuously. “Call the Sheriff. Better yet, call the Mayor.” Still no response.

The whole city was trembling from whatever was taking place. Duperman tuned in to the sounds of tanks and rifle fire. “Just tell them I had no choice.”

Duperman blasted energy at the back of his cell towards the exterior wall of the precinct. When the light faded, the slackjaw guards saw the opening that had been created. They realized the tungsten cage around him was futile and silly. Just then, between them, the door to the holding room slammed open.

Officer Mike Nasty burst in and roundhoused Devin in the head, then pistol whipped Kevin. “Nighty night.”

Mike heroically stood beside his fallen colleagues and announced, “This is our chance, I’m here to bust you out.”

He realized quickly that he was viewing daylight through the cage Duperman was meant to be held in. “This is just crazy.” he complained, missing his chance to save the big man by only a couple minutes. Mike went around the cage and followed the chaos to find the escapee.

“Sally, to me!” he commanded his motorcycle before running around the building to get it.

Duperman sped through the air, following the noise and the epicenter of the rumbling. Within seconds, he was face to face with the Never, a beast from a realm of darkness he’d never seen, but had heard about through myths and legends over millennia, Jarawangadananan. Its size dwarfed how it was depicted in the stories.

The creature thrashed about, consuming the entire center of a four way intersection, and the damage was astounding. Duperman collected any civilians still nearby or fleeing and relocated them somewhere safe before returning to deal with the monster.

“You here for something?” he asked, not quite sure how to attack it yet. It listened, stopping the thrashing for the moment. A symphony of voices all speaking at once came from the beast, though not from its mouth. It was many languages and creatures all saying something different in pained voices. “Cool.” Duperman noted.

“Duperman! Stand down.” a megaphone hosted Tango Monday on the ground.

“Oh, sorry, you guys have this under control? That’s my bad.”

“Stop messing around. Look at the destruction you’ve caused here.”

“I just got here.”

“You’re putting everyone in my city in danger.”

Jara was still, listening to the chatter. He began to prod Duperman with his pincers, which were swatted away.

“You know what Monday? This isn’t your city. This is their city.” Duperman pointed at the civilians he placed down far behind the police blockade.

“You’re right. It’s all of our city. Just not yours. There’s no difference between you and that thing.”

Duperman flew over to the civilians he saved. “Guys, I’m going to start fighting this big monster. It would be awesome if you guys chanted ‘Duperman’ when I do. Okay?” There was a small enthusiastic response.

“I can’t leave you to be killed, Monday. If that means I leave the Earth, so be it.”

Tango threw down his megaphone and watched as Duperman threw his first punch at Jarawangadananan’s head, aiming towards the street so the bug wouldn’t smash into a building. It definitely moved the bug, but not as far as Dman expected, and there was no obvious damage. And now, it was angry again. Defeating the Never would prove more difficult than serving up a few blows. Duperman bowed his head as he heard the weak chanting of the disheartened civilians blocks away.

Officer Mike Nasty made his way through the blockade riding Sally to where Tango Monday was fuming, shouting at his top ranks to take out Duperman along with Jarawangadananan. Overhearing the shouting and now desperate to prove himself to Duperman after his failed breakout attempt, Mike put the Sheriff in his place.

“Watch it, Monday. You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. None of us would.”

“Oh, I see. You’re a sympathist.” Tango’s smirk widened.

“I’m just not jealous.”

“Jealous?” The Sheriff’s face lost all color.

“You want to be Duperman. You couldn’t stop one crime in the time it takes him to save the world.” Mike stole his smirk. Chiefs, colonels and majors hid their laughter seeing Monday called out so accurately. Tango Monday regained composure and his expression said his words before he did.

“Your badge, Mike.”

“Already on your desk.”

“Your guns.”

“Not a chance.” Mike passed through two tanks to ride towards the intersection where Duperman still contemplated how to be rid of the forbidden one.

 

As if the city wasn’t in peril, Duperman inspected the pincers of Jarawangadananan, who had again cooled down. It seemed to recognize the hero’s immortality and felt a kinship. Though ravenous, enraged by Cassius Killmove fleeing its clutches, the beast was content waiting for a replacement meal. Near the ring of flame it emerged from, Officer Mike Nasty delivered some mighty dropkicks to the carapace.

“Wrong city, dumbass.”

Jarawangadananan screeched at the feeling. It extended its pincers down to where Mike was rearing for another attack, Sally beside him. It grabbed Mike by the waist, knocking the bike down in the process.

“SALLY!” Mike Nasty cried out. After a deep breath, he warned the insectoid, “Prepare for the full force of my law.”

Mike proceeded to pole dance on one of the pincers, evading the touch of the other. Duperman looked on, impressed by the moves, enjoying the show too much. Mike had that effect. Since the dance was rehearsed, Mike was unable to continue past the two minutes of stage-time he gets at the club. When finished, Jara grabbed him with both pincers again, tighter. Mike took out two pistols as he neared the face and unloaded the magazine towards its eyes. Then he threw those two pistols at the face and grabbed two more from around his waist. Rinsed and repeated, grabbed another two from his combat boots and did it again. He reached for a final pair on the other side of his ankles, realizing he’d left them for Sally to defend herself with…

“Damn it... Another mag and this thing would be down.”

Jarawangadananan was wholly unaffected by the gunfire. Duperman watched it pull Officer Mike Nasty towards its gnashing teeth and moved to intervene. He flew behind the soon-to-be-food and pulled apart the pincers on his sides, the ends of which were beginning to penetrate the skin.

“Get Sally out of here.” Duperman suggested as he carried Mike down to the ground where his motorcycle was. “You’ve loosened the lid, I’ll just pop it off now.” 

“Uhh, you too.” Mike said as a goodbye. The ex-cop’s heart had jumped when Duperman acknowledged his ‘help’, he kept it cool.

“Okay.” Duperman smiled awkwardly and flew back up to deal with Jara.

“Idiot.” Mike said to himself in a hushed tone, a rare acknowledgement of his own failings.

“So you’re just hungry?” Duperman posed. He recalled, the moment the words left his mouth, the myths of the Never that recounted its hunger. He hadn’t even thought to search for the summoners who brought it upon the Earth. It was said whoever called the beast would be the first to feed it. In legends, it was a great honor to be sacrificed to the lord of the neverending. Duperman scanned through buildings and down at street level, trying to keep Jara calm as he did, allowing it to stroke his body with its pincers. “There.” he said.

Down the street, sand-red robes caught Duperman’s eye. A single, tiny figure scurried away from him at a hurried pace, making little ground due to its size. In the empty street, Duperman felt safe to send a beam of light at it, knowing he’d harm nobody else. With his attention focused, his forehead instantly illuminated and light gathered. 

He stopped short at the sight of some sort of machine descending from the sky. It looked like a flying castle, or a kind of pillar. Flying beside it was Dark Duperman. The two landed on the street and the front of the machine opened. Inside was Charles Masters, there to retrieve the little thing who had summoned Jarawangadananan. Duperman looked behind to see the police and military still holding position. Directly ahead, the beast. And further ahead, his nemeses.

Everything in Duperman wanted to rematch the anti-him. Dark Duperman had made a fool of him in front of his favorite restaurant and then goaded him into becoming a public enemy. The duo down the street flew off and Duperman’s choice was made. Dealing with Jara had many more benefits for Big City at the moment. The others could be handled in time.

Focus turned back to the sore thumb at the center of the city. Duperman knew he had to feed it, but sacrificing wouldn’t go well on his resume. He wondered; would anyone miss Tango Monday? Not an option. While Jara hadn’t shown interest in Duperman as food, there was no reason to believe he couldn’t be. His only worry was how gross it would be to enter the mouth of the beast, but to save the city, he’d take it.

Duperman spread open the mouth of the outsider and flew in at top speed. He found himself in total darkness. Light emanated from his body, and still there was nothing. He couldn’t even see his own body. It wasn’t surprising to him, knowing that the Never wasn’t entirely a physical being. Its internal structure was a void, potentially endless.

Not feeling any real motion other than floating, Duperman worried that he hadn’t satiated Jara. He rooted around with his hands to see if he could take hold of anything physical. Any organs, veins or arteries would serve to destroy it from the inside out. He did feel something in each hand eventually and held them firmly, clueless as to what they were due to the nature of the darkness.

Duperman flew straight up at top speed for what felt like hours. At last, a light peered through the mouth of the creature and he blasted out from behind its teeth. Now night time, helicopter lights revealed to him what was in his hands. Not vitals… people…

“Bierguardian?” he looked at the German legend hanging from his left hand. “Blake Baxter?” he looked baffled at the poorly disguised hero hanging from his right hand. 

Jarawangadananan thrashed wildly as a knowing croak came from Duperman’s right hand. “So you figured out my secret identity…”

Though happy to have rescued the duo who’d been missing for almost a year, Duperman hadn’t fed the beast sufficiently… and he’d taken something from it. But now he had allies. And Beaver Claw held something with the power to damage or kill Jarawangadananan if it came to that. Big Knife.