“I guess you might be right, melodramatic soul. So, here we are. Oh boy, it’s sad that Roy’s journey may already be over before it has even started.”
“Well, maybe instead of running away, what we’re not going to do, we should make a plan about how we’re going to face Toogaan and most importantly, how we’re going to defeat him. Because if it’s one thing my father taught me, it is that strength is in numbers.”
“Your father is a wise man, I see.” A smile appears on Henry’s face, but then Julian continues, “Unlike you, melodramatic soul. But I have to give it to you, you are right. Instead of directing our focus towards running away, which is probably going to fail regardless, we should focus on creating a plan to defeat Toogaan.”
“Yes, exactly what I said.”
“Quiet, you’re ruining my concentration.” Henry shakes his head and as he lets out a sigh, Julian continues, “But in order for us to defeat Toogaan, Roy needs to become stronger. Which means I’m going to have to give him a crash course in learning everything he can possibly learn about his powers. I’ve made a lot of mistakes by letting him be a hero too early on and without the proper training and I don’t fully agree with the fact that he’s going to face Toogaan together with me. But I guess it was always meant to be like this, maybe my mind became cloudy so that I wouldn’t interfere with the path Roy has to walk and the dangers he has to face. Yes, maybe Master Joauura was right, maybe my intelligence isn’t failing me after all.”
“Master who?”
“That is irrelevant, quick, we have to go to the hospital,” Julia replies, as he walks out of the apartment. “Come, melodramatic soul, I can’t believe that I’m saying this, but I think we’re going to need you in this battle we now face!”
Henry then walks out as well and sighs, “Could you please stop calling me melodramatic soul?”
“Hey, Roy Tabby here, again. Yeah, yeah, you may wonder why I’m interrupting again, but this is important, alright? So, stay with me. Please. I think you may have some questions about who Toogaan really is, at least, I would be having those questions. I mean, if you don’t have those then that’s fine, I’m not saying anything is wrong with you or whatever but… anyway, I’m getting off track here. But since I think it’s important that you know exactly who he is, or at least, who I was told he really is, I’m going to tell you who he is. I know, I know, I’m all over the place but anyway, Toogaan. Oh boy, where do I begin? Apart from him being a psychopathic, bloodthirsty, emotionless, and a complete delusional idiot, yes, I hate him, for good reason, he apparently is the strongest warrior the world has ever seen. Given birth by five of the most fierce, strongest, and most powerful people that ever lived, Toogaan was brought into this world, and given the power of those five powerful people, for one thing only. And that thing was to exterminate my kind. That… that sounds strange, but you know what I mean. To kill those who have the same power as I have since in their eyes, and his, we are the cancer of this world and we will bring nothing but death to this earth. Yeah… like I said, delusional. Anyway, that is who Toogaan is. Ah, how could I forget, he also is immortal until he fulfilled his destiny. Great, I know, but anyway, now that you know who Toogaan is, well kind of, let’s get back to the story. Oh, hold up! Before we go back to the story, you’re probably wondering who those five powerful people were. Well, let me tell you. One of them was a man called Raku Tanaka. Born in Japan and long story short, he was the mightiest and most powerful samurai that ever existed. Alone, he could defeat an army of a thousand men, with only a stick made out of bamboo. The second one is another man called Antonio Santos, born in Brazil and the greatest hunter the world had ever seen. Word goes that he could slaughter a fly by just staring at it. Crazy, right? Anyway, the third one was a woman called Hannah Fischer. Born in Germany, she apparently was very spiritual and was able to be in contact with the afterlife and not only that, but she could also summon demons from the deepest depths of hell and use them as a weapon. The fourth one was a woman called Ava Jaxon. Born in Australia, she was the most intelligent human being on earth. They once calculated her IQ and the result, which still remains a secret, was apparently so high that a scientist got a stroke right there and then. Word also goes that she had the ability to control minds. And last but not least, the mother of Toogaan. A woman called Arjana Abebe. Born in Africa, she was known for being a fierce leader and she once ruled all of Africa. Word goes that when people spoke of her name in a negative way, they got decapitated on the spot. Alright, now that you know who Toogaan’s ancestors are, and who his mother is, let’s finally go back to the story.”
In the hotel, Toogaan is squatted down on the coffee table wearing nothing but his underwear, and he is surrounded by his ancestors. Sweating and with a concerned and slightly fearful expression on his face, Toogaan says, “I… I have failed. The unthinkable has happened.”
“Worry not, my son, you are the greatest warrior that ever lived, and you are the best of us. Your journey is not over yet nor is your mission, in fact, it has now begun. Now that you’re facing your toughest challenge yet, is the time you need to be stronger and wiser than you have ever been. Yes, Julian Herrick somehow survived your wrath but when you give it some thought, now you actually have been given the satisfying opportunity to kill two flies with one stone. I and your other ancestors have faith that you will fulfill your destiny. It may not be with ease, and you may experience various kinds of pain in the process, both physically and mentally, but you will succeed. You will save this world from the parasites who want to bring death and despair to this world. You will do what you were destined to do. And your ancestors and I promise that after you have fulfilled your destiny that paradise awaits you. Stay focused, stay determined, eliminate the weak thoughts that have entered your mind, let the bloodthirst in your body awaken, feel the wisdom of all of us in your mind, feel the power of us combined in your heart, awaken your hunger and exterminate those parasites! You are the greatest warrior who has ever walked this earth, act like it!”
Toogaan nods and says, “I am honored and blessed by everything you have given me. My powers, my wisdom, my life, I am forever grateful. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for your wise words. I promise that I will not fail again, and I will not disappoint you. I will fulfill my destiny and save this world from the ones who want to bring harm to this beautiful place.”
“Do as you say, do not waste any more time. Go now, my son, go and do what you are destined to do.”
The ancestors then disappear and as Toogaan gets up and puts his suit back on, an angry and determined expression appears on his face! But right as he is fully dressed again, a staff member of the hotel, an older woman, knocks on his door and enters his room. “Sorry, Mr. Toogaan, I hope I’m not disturbing you, but Mr. Einar is on the phone for you.”
Toogaan gives the woman an angry stare and the woman doesn’t hesitate and leaves immediately. With a deep sigh, Toogaan walks over to the phone next to the couch, picks it up, and says, “Speak fast.”
“Toogaan, my sincere apologies for what Lexi has done. By no means was she supposed to interfere with your destiny like that. Just know that as we speak, she is being tracked down and she will face punishment for what she has done. But I hope that her actions did not jeopardize the relationship that we have built up for over the years.”
“Do not worry, Einar, just make sure that you send me her head. Consider it a gift of celebration for when I will save this world from the parasites that walk on it.”
“But of course, I will do as you please. Thank you for that you are willing to save this world, Toogaan, I cannot express how appreciative I am. If there is anything, I can do for you then please let me know.”
“Well, actually there is something you can do.”
In the meanwhile, at the hospital, Roy is seated beside his sister who is still lying unconscious on the bed. He is holding her hand and as he is staring at her with tears in his eyes, he reminisces about the good times they us
ed to have when they were young and how they would always have each other’s back. He also takes this moment to apologize for giving her such a challenging time throughout the years when things went downhill with him and tells her how much he genuinely cares about her and loves her. But, then the doctor comes walking in and says, “Hello, Roy, there are two visitors waiting by the front desk, is it alright for them to come in or would you prefer that I tell them that right now isn’t the best time?”
Roy takes a deep breath and replies, “It’s fine, doctor, thank you. But may I ask how Tom is doing?”
“He is doing better, and he has a good chance of making a full recovery.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“And regarding your sister, she might be waking up any time soon now. Just make sure to keep her calm as everything will be quite a shock to her. So, just so you know, she is going to need you.”
“I will be here for her and I will make sure that she won’t jump out of bed,” Roy replies with a slight smile.
The doctor nods and then walks away and about five minutes later, Henry and Julian come walking in. Henry immediately walks up to Roy and as they give each other a hug, Henry asks, “How is she? And how is Tom?”
“She is doing good and so is Tom.”
“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that, man.”
Roy then looks at Julian and as Julian bows his head down, he says, “I believe I owe you an apology once again. My fear took control of me and because of that I may have said and done things that were completely out of order.”
“Don’t apologize, I understand your reasoning for what you did and said. But I hope you can also understand why I can’t leave, and I swear it wasn’t just to go against you or anything.”
“Oh, I know, and if I were in the same position as you are in now, I wouldn’t have left as well. As I said before, you are a lot braver than I ever was and you’re not afraid to stand for what you think is right and to protect those you care about. Which shows that you do not need to be taught by anyone how to become a hero, you already are one.”
Roy then walks up to Julian and as he gives him a hug as well, he replies, “I appreciate that I really do. But just know that I need you more than ever now.”
“And I will be here, we are going to do this together. And together, we are going to defeat Toogaan.”
“Wow, really? I was going to say that. Why do you have to take such a motivating moment away from me? And, Roy, before you ask, I already said the exact same thing to him when you left. He legit stole that sentence from me.”
Julian closes his eyes for a moment and lets out a sigh while Roy chuckles. “It doesn’t matter who said it first. But what does matter is how we are going to defeat Toogaan. And to be honest, I have no clue since I don’t even know him.”
“But I do, and melodramatic soul and I may have already come up with a solid plan. But as with all plans, we need to create multiple in order to guarantee success, or at least to dramatically increase to chances of success. But I was thinking that I should explain our plan to you while we do so much needed training. I’m in fact going to give you a crash course and try to teach you everything you must know in the short amount of time that we have. Melodramatic soul here could keep watch over your sister while we seek out a quiet place close by. What do you say?”
“Sure, but the doctor said my sister is going to wake up soon so when that happens, be sure to keep her calm and let us know that she’s awake, okay?”
Henry nods and replies, “Sure, but you’re going to need this.” Henry then tosses Roy’s earpiece over to him.
Roy directly puts it in his ear and says, “Thanks, alright then, let’s go.”
Julian nods but right as they are about to leave, the lights in the room go off! “Wow, what’s happening?!” Henry asks.
“Quiet! Stay here, both of you,” Julian replies, as he carefully opens the door. “The lights in the hallway are off too and I assume that the whole hospital is currently without power.”
“Do you think Toogaan did this?” Roy asks.
“If we’re lucky then it’s just a power outage, but since the emergency power generator hasn’t taken over already, it must be Toogaan. Which means he’s close!”
“Oh no, oh no!” Henry says.
“Please, melodramatic soul, let me think!”
“Hey, Henry, calm down, alright? Together we are going to defeat him, remember?”
Henry nods and takes a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down again. “Listen, Roy and I have to leave. Melodramatic soul, you have to stay here with Nathalie.”
“What?! You can’t leave me here alone!”
“He isn’t coming after you, melodramatic soul, just man up will you?!”
“It’s going to be alright, trust me. And just so you know, my heart is pretty much pounding out of my chest as well, you’re not the only one feeling afraid. But Mr. Herrick, where are we gonna go?”
“I don’t know yet, but we have to keep Toogaan away from your sister. So, I suggest we go somewhere where we have the tools and space to defend ourselves and face him. I’m thinking of the factory that we trained in.”
“Sure, but are you sure that Toogaan will follow us? What if he’s coming in here while we’re gone and takes Henry and my sister hostage?”
“He won’t, believe me. Especially not since he knows that I’m still alive. He is more determined than ever to kill the both of us now. And all that is on his mind are our faces.”
“That is… so creepy,” Henry says.
“Yeah, I know. Why is he like this anyway?”
“He is delusional, that’s all you need to know. Now, are you ready to go?”
Roy nods and then he and Julian both run out of the room and make their way past the doctors and hospital staff that are panicking. They take the stairs and as they go all the way down to the main entrance, Julian quickly changes two coins into blue ski masks and gives one to Roy. Like Julian, Roy puts the blue ski mask on and then they reach the main entrance. But they are left in absolute shock when they see that people, including doctors and hospital staff, are running out in absolute panic as Toogaan is standing there with two swords in his hands! With a blank expression on his face, Toogaan looks at Julian and Roy and says, “Finally, the time has come! Paradise awaits me!”
As Julian holds Roy back, he replies, “Let me guess, Toogaan, you still see us as the parasites of this earth, right?”
“That is correct, your kind will bring nothing but death and despair upon this world and I cannot allow that to happen. The sole reason for my existence is to exterminate your kind and save this world and it’s people from the horror you want to cast upon them.”
“Hell, you are even more delusional than I thought. Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe we aren’t as evil as you think we are? Ever since we have walked this earth none of us has ever harmed the innocents.”
“You haven’t harmed the innocents, yet. But that time will come, at least, if I were to fail. But failing is not an option and something I don’t do. And you may call me delusional but I’m far from it. I am awake. I can see things clear; I can see things for what they are. I can see that your kind will only bring death, destruction, and despair upon this earth. Sadly, the people of this earth cannot, but they do not have to worry as I’m here to prevent your kind from doing evil. And believe me, Julian Herrick, this time, I will feast on your heart and use your eyes as a compass. And for you, Roy Tabby, I have something incredibly special in mind for you.”
“You know, Toogaan, there was a time in which I used to be terrified of you. But I no longer am. No longer will I run away from you, no longer will I let you cause harm to kindhearted and innocent people! I’m no longer afraid of you, Toogaan! Your wrath ends today!”
“Not being afraid is one of the biggest mistakes you can make, Julian!” Toogaan replies, as he then jumps all the way towards them!
Julian immediately pushes Roy back and as he takes off his jacket, he t
urns it into a shield made of solid steel! Toogaan hits the shield with both of his swords and to Julian’s surprise, the shield crumbles into pieces! Toogaan then kicks Julian to the floor and puts one foot down on top of his chest! “Run, Roy!” Julian shouts.
“No, I’m not leaving you alone!” Roy replies, as he grabs a pen from behind the front desk, changes it into a handgun, and right before Toogaan tries to decapitate Julian, he aims the gun at him! But right before Roy pulls the trigger, Toogaan immediately drops his swords, picks up Julian, and uses him as a human shield! Roy shoots once but luckily, Julian directly changes his dress shirt into a bulletproof vest and as soon as Roy immediately stops shooting out of shock that he almost killed Julian, Toogaan throws Julian at Roy and they both make a hard landing on the floor! With some grunting, Roy and Julian slowly get back up on their feet and Julian says, “We can’t take him on like this, he’s too strong! We have to trap him somehow, but we cannot do that here!” Julian then picks up the gun that Roy dropped and continues, “Go upstairs, now!”
“But I can’t leave you alone!”
“Go, now! I will be right behind you!” Julian says, as he then aims the gun at Toogaan and starts shooting!
Roy doesn’t hesitate and runs towards the stairs and goes up while Julian slowly walks backs towards the stairs as well while at the same time, he keeps shooting! But the bullets simply deflect on Toogaan’s suit! But none of the less, Julian keeps on firing bullets at Toogaan since it does slightly stop him in his tracks, but when the bullets in the magazine run out, Julian opens the doors to the stairway and runs off. But what he doesn’t see is that Toogaan grabs three razor-sharp steel arrow tips out of his jacket and throws them at Julian! Two of them miss but one of them hits Julian in his leg right when he was about to close the doors behind him! Julian falls to the floor and as he screams it out from pain, Toogaan walks up to him and says, “I will come back for you, Julian Herrick, worry not.” He then stomps Julian on his head which knocks Julian out and after that, he grabs two daggers from behind his belt and runs upstairs to go after Roy! At the same time, Roy is running through the hallway on the third floor and shouts to everyone that they have to stay inside of the rooms and that they shouldn’t come out. The people do so and as Roy quickly runs into the janitor’s cleaning closet, he takes a couple of very deep and shaky breaths. He looks at his hands which are sweating and shaking and says, “Oh God, this is… this is insane! What am I going to do?!”
The Hero Without A Cool Name Page 9