Phthalo Blues: Fragments

by Will Wallner

  "What are you doing?!" Viper quickly snapped out of his fantasies, but it was too late. Nakita ripped his gun out of its holster and pointed directly at his face.

  "Woah Nakita!" Taz screamed. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. He didn't understand her actions but was impressed none the less. "That was pretty cool how you did that."

  "Taz, be quiet for moment, and do exactly what I say." She turned her attention back to Viper, who looked down the barrel of his own gun. "You men are so stupid. You'll fall for any girl who looks at you the right way. Now tell me why you're really here." A jolt of adrenaline shot through her body, as she realized just how much danger she was really in.

  "Nakita, I don't know what you’re talking about. Please put the gun down." Viper looked into her eyes and knew it was already too late.

  "It's funny, you don’t look like the type of person who would eat junk food, but I happen to know someone else who likes to eat those exact snacks. In fact, he would eat them all day long. You wouldn’t happen to know who I'm talking about, would you?" Nakita realized the moment she saw the foil packet, why Viper had come back to Grunewald. "Now it all makes sense. I remember Mickey talking about meeting with MAW out in the desert. It only just occurred to me that MAW would be connected to Nexus. That's why you're here, isn’t it?"

  "Kudos, Nakita. You're a very smart woman." Instantly, Viper's demeaner changed from fun and flirtatious, to stone cold. "I knew bringing that fat pig with me would be a mistake. I suppose there's no more point in trying to hide it. What happens now?"

  Nakita hadn't had time to think of a plan. She knew she needed to act quickly, but now she was locked in a stale mate with Viper. Even though she had the gun, she knew Viper still had the upper hand. If it was just her by herself, she might have been able to get away, but there was someone else she had to look out for.

  "If I come with you, will you let Taz go free?" Nakita thought about trying to escape with Taz, but realized they'd only get so far without Hunter to protect them. She hoped offering to give herself up, would at least guarantee Taz's safety.

  "Listen Nakita, I know you don't trust me, but I'm not a bad guy. I would rather resolve this situation peacefully. I don't really care about Mickey or the Overlords. All I want is information about your friend." Viper spoke slowly and calmly, trying not to provoke Nakita.

  "You mean Hunter?" That didn’t make any sense to her. What could Viper possibly want with him?

  "That's right, I just want information about your friend Hunter. If you tell me everything I need to know, chances are, I'll let you both go." Viper knew he was still in control. As impressive as Nakita's opening move was, she was facing an unbeatable opponent.

  "Taz, go back into Grunewald and find Dante. I'll speak with Viper, alone. I'll come find you when I'm done." Nakita spoke to Taz, while maintaining constant eye contact with Viper.

  "Actually, it would be better if Taz stayed." Viper was ready to reveal the ace up his sleeve.

  "I don’t think you're in a position to be giving orders. Remember, I'm in control." Nakita held the gun even closer to his face. Little did she know, it had never been a threat to Viper.

  "Are you sure about that?" A wicked grin came across Viper's face. "That's no ordinary gun you're holding. It's MAW special issue. It's an incredibly powerful weapon, with a very unique safety feature." Nakita froze in panic, as she realized she never had a chance. "The trigger has a fingerprint failsafe. Only I can fire than gun."

  Nakita considered if he might be lying. She pointed the gun slightly away from his face and squeezed the trigger. Nothing. She tried again, squeezing as hard she could. The gun still didn’t fire. It was clear she was defeated. Nakita handed the gun back to Viper, there was no point holding onto it anymore. Now, her only hope was if he would keep his word. She had no idea the sort of people Mickey had been dealing with, but knowing Mickey, they were probably ruthlessly dangerous.

  "Sorry for not telling you sooner, but it was fun watching you believe you were in control." Viper winked at her. "I must say you were very good at seducing me. I really was under your spell."

  "You talk too much." Nakita wasn't impressed. "Let's just get on with it." She had been manipulated by men for too long. Just when she thought she was finally free, another lying scumbag comes into her life. She briefly thought of Hunter.

  "Alright, let's go to my vehicle, it's parked just over there. Taz, I know you like to run, but do yourself a favor, and just stay still. If Nakita doesn’t have all the answers I need, I'll come back for you, so just wait here and don’t move." Viper looked at Taz and thought of Clyde, which of them was more reliable to follow his orders?

  Unsure of what to do, Taz looked to Nakita for guidance. Even though they had only known each other a short amount of time, she was now the closest thing he had to a friend.

  "Just do as he says, Taz." Nakita didn’t know if Taz should try to run. The last thing she wanted was for him to get hurt. For all she knew, Viper had more soldiers with him, ready to pounce the moment they stepped out of line. Taz silently nodded and watched as Nakita accompanied Viper.

  When they reached the stealth vehicle, Viper opened the rear door and gestured for Nakita to get inside. He closed the door behind her and locked it.

  "Surprised to see me again aren't ya!" Clyde twisted his overweight body, which barely fit in the front passenger seat, and confronted Nakita.

  "I could smell you from a mile away." Nakita wasn't afraid of Clyde.

  "Hey! You might have been able to talk to me like that when you were Mickey's girl, but now there's a new boss in town! Mr. Viper is in charge, and I'm his partner, so you better talk to me with some respect!" Clyde waived his chubby finger in Nakita's face.

  "Clyde, shut up!" Viper sat inside the stealth vehicle, in the driver's seat. He looked back at Nakita from the front cabin. "Just answer my questions and I'll let you go." Nakita nodded in agreement. "Good, lets start with what happened to Mickey and the Overlords. Did Hunter really kill them all by himself?"

  "Yeah, that's right." Nakita shrugged her shoulders.

  "How did he kill them?" Viper looked at Nakita with an intense gaze and she fully understood the meaning behind his expression.

  "It's probably as you've already heard from Clyde. Hunter has some 'special' powers. He killed Mickey and the Overlords like they were nothing. Too bad he left one behind." She looked at Clyde who instantly rose to her provocation, ready to retaliate.

  "Not now Clyde! Can you describe these powers?" Viper now realized, without doubt, that Clyde had been telling the truth.

  "It's like a blue energy that comes from his body. Almost like he can fire lightning bolts from his hands." As she said the words, it sounded ridiculous. If it wasn't for the fact, she had witnessed it with her own eyes, she never would believe her own story. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but we both saw it. Maybe he has some special suit or concealed weapon that gives him special powers. I have no idea."

  "The energy is blue?" Viper asked, as if this was surprising.

  "Yeah, it's like a pale blue glow. Why is the color important?" Nakita thought it was strange question.

  "No reason." Viper considered what the blue color could mean. "Tell me what you know about Hunter, about his past. Where does he come from?"

  "I just met him about a month ago. I only spent a few days with him before he disappeared. He came to Tech City looking for a missing child. You know, the children Nexus paid Mickey to abduct! What the hell is wrong with you people!" As she was explaining the events that led to her meeting Hunter, she remembered just how dark Mickey's dealings with MAW and Nexus were. It made her angry. Hearing the word Nexus triggered Viper. He looked at Clyde with a discerning stare.

  "She didn’t hear it from me!" Clyde coward in fear. "It was Mickey and his big mouth, always blabbering about working with some big wigs from Capitol City. I tried to tell him he should be more secretive, but he wouldn’t listen." Clyde shook his head, then tried to put the attent
ion back on Nakita. "And you shouldn’t talk to Mr. Viper like that, show some respect. I'm sure Nexus have a very good reason for wanting those children." He nodded at Viper.

  "You mean like sex trafficking? You both make me sick." She kicked her heels and leaned back in her seat. She was done speaking to Viper.

  "Unfortunately, the truth is far worse." Viper rubbed his temples, clearly disturbed by his thoughts. The images were locked inside his mind, with no escape. He could never forget the horrors.

  "What does that mean?" Nakita angrily asked.

  "It means…" Viper let out a long sigh. "It doesn't mean anything. We do what we have to do. That's our duty. Respect the chain the of command. You have no idea what you’re talking about. You couldn’t possibly imagine what's at stake. What you know, or rather, what you think you know, about MAW and Nexus." He let out a sarcastic chuckle to himself. "What am I saying?"

  "Viper tell me, what are you doing with those children you've abducted in Tech City?" She could read his signals. There was something there. A moment of weakness. An opportunity.

  "I haven't abducted anybody! I'm just obeying orders!" He screamed.

  "You sound like you're trying to convince yourself. You know what you're doing is wrong." Nakita continued to push him.

  "When the time comes, I'm sure I'll be judged appropriately, but this isn’t that time." Viper regained his composure. "Right now, I need to know more about Hunter. You said he came to Tech City looking for a missing child, where did he come from?"

  "I don't know. He never said." Nakita didn’t want to reveal the name Valley Village, in hopes of protecting Taz. "Why do you want to know about him so badly? Is it just because of what he did to Mickey? I'm surprised you even care about that scumbag."

  "It's because of what he did to the MAW soldiers out in the desert! We can't let him get away with that, right Mr Viper?" Clyde stuck his chin up proudly, as he thought he was towing the MAW company line.

  "Clyde, for the last time, shut up!" Viper gave him another death gaze.

  "Oh, I get it." Nakita chuckled to herself. "He's already started causing problems for you. What's the matter? Can’t MAW or Nexus handle just one guy?" She spoke sarcastically, before realizing something. "Hang on, now that I think about it, what is Nexus? Who are they? What's the connection to MAW?"

  "Actually yeah, I was kinda wondering the same thing Mr. Viper, you never told me." Clyde rubbed his chin, as he tried to use the few brain cells he had floating around his thick skull.

  "Are you kidding me?" Viper couldn’t believe how badly this interrogation was going. All he wanted was information about Hunter. "Nexus doesn’t exist. I don’t know where you've heard that name, but it would be in your best interest to forget it. This isn’t a two-sided conversation. I ask the questions, and you answer them, got it?" Viper placed his hand on his gun, trying to make a point.

  "Absolutely Mr. Viper sir, you got that Nakita? Just answer the man's questions!" Clyde looked at her angrily.

  Nakita rolled her eyes, then noticed something even more ridiculous, which was likely to make Viper even more mad. Maybe it was seeing the way Viper and Clyde interacted, but she started to feel as if this wasn't as dangerous a situation, as she first thought. As intimidating as Viper was, as an MAW agent, his interrogation skill were less than threatening. That's why she wasn't concerned when she saw Taz peering through the blacked-out glass windows of the stealth vehicle. Neither Viper nor Clyde had noticed him, but Taz was trying to see what was going on inside.

  "Viper, I don’t want to upset you, but there's something I need to tell you about that boy Taz." She tried to break the news calmly, but just seeing Taz made her giggle uncontrollably.

  "I'll get to Taz when I'm done with you. What's so funny?" Viper was becoming seriously irritated.

  "I'm sorry it's nothing." She had to cover her mouth to hide the fact she was laughing so hard.

  Before Viper could resume his interrogation, a light tapping sound could be heard coming from the outside. Taz was knocking on the window. As Viper looked over his shoulder to see where the noise coming from, all he could do was let out an even longer sigh.

  "Do you want me to take care of him Mr. Viper?" Clyde started pounding his fists.

  "No Clyde, just stay in your seat. I guess we better let him in." Viper opened the door. "I thought I told you not to move." What should have been a precise interrogation to obtain some key pieces of information, had turned into a clown show. Between Clyde's stupidity and Nakita's verbal sparring, adding Taz into the mix was just the final nail in Viper's coffin.

  "Sorry man! I just got bored waiting." Taz noticed the high-tech interior of the MAW stealth vehicle. "Woah! This is so cool! Can I come inside?"

  "Get in the back seat next to Nakita." Viper was completely outnumbered. He opened the rear door using a remote control, then locked it shut, behind Taz. Now all of them were inside the rather cramped MAW vehicle. This was a stealth unit, designed for travelling at high speeds without detection. It wasn't designed with passengers in mind. The front seats for the driver and passenger, were just about large enough to be considered comfortable, but of course, they didn’t have someone as large at Clyde in mind when MAW designed the vehicle. He didn’t quite fit into the front passenger seat. His rolls of fat stuck out from either side, and he struggled to get comfortable. Clyde's constant repositioning, as they drove from the desert in Tiberia, back to Grunewald, was just another source of immense irritation for Viper. Now they had two more people with them inside the vehicle. Even with Nakita's petit frame, and Taz's body of a young boy, the back seat was still a little cramped. They were all stuffed into the vehicle, locked inside this confined space, as Viper tried to get the information he so desperately needed.

  "Taz, tell me about your friend Hunter. Where did you two meet?" Viper asked calmly.

  "I met him when I became an orphan." Taz shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t understand why anyone would be interested in hearing this useless information. Viper nodded, as if to tell Taz to keep going. "During the war, they sent me to Valley Village, on the western side of the continent. That's where I met him. He's my best friend, I mean, he was my best friend, until he abandoned me."

  "That’s right, I remember you said yesterday you had been abandoned. We'll get to that later. So, you met him in this village, is he originally from there? What do you know about his past?"

  "That's the thing, no one knows where he came from. It happened before I got there, but apparently, they just found him one day, washed up on the beach. I think they said it was about five years ago."

  "Five years ago?" Viper thought back five years. During that time, he was living a very tough existence, fighting to survive in the mouth of hell. As he thought about that time, he realized it had been almost exactly 5 years to the day, since the worst moment of his life, when he lost the person most dear to him. Everything he had done, every terrible action, even what he was doing right now, was as a result of that day. But it had no connection to Hunter, it was just a meaningless coincidence. Viper tried to bury that sorrowful memory along with the rest of the demons in his mind. "Did Hunter ever tell you anything about his past before Valley Village?"

  "He couldn’t, Hunter's lost all his memories. That's not even his real name. He has no idea of who he really is, or where he comes from." Taz thought about the time when Hunter had decided on his new name. It was the same day they found Moja on Mysitc Mountain. These were now hurtful memories for Taz, as he'd lost his two best friends."

  "No memories…" Viper thought what that could mean. "Why did you two go to Tech City?"

  "It's complicated." It seemed like such a long time ago, but it had only been about a month since they had travelled to Tech City. "There was another orphan in Valley Village called Malcom. He was adopted to someone in Tech City, but then we stopped hearing from him. Me and Hunter went there to check on him. That's when we found out he had gone missing, and all this crazy stuff happened." While listening to Taz,
Viper looked at Clyde, who cowered in fear.