The Undead Pool

by Derek Ailes

  Hamlet stumbled back into the room holding a thermos full of coffee. He drank it in one gulp and then stared at Tybalt with angry eyes.

  “Bring it on!” Tybalt screamed.

  Hamlet glowed bright red as he sped forward punching Tybalt. Tybalt flew backward through the wall and into the roulette wheel on the casino’s main floor. He pressed a button on his watch and several men armed with machine guns rushed into the room.

  “Kill everybody!” he ordered as he rushed past them. He headed for the helicopter parked in the parking lot across from the casino. He would have to wait to capture his brother another time.

  Before any of the men fired a shot, Hamlet had them on the ground unconscious. Tigernaut walked over to him. “Tybalt must be stopped.”

  “We can ambush him at the facility where I was kept. Catch him by surprise.”

  “If we release everybody there, then they can help us defeat him.”

  “We’ll take my private plane.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Three Mile Island.”

  Chapter Three

  Vance stood over the operating table where a bald man was secured by restraints. Wires were wrapped around his head connected to a computer on the desk next to the table.

  “Patient Zero’s vitals are stable,” the doctor reported.

  “Good. With the super abilities from Scott duplicated and added to him, he will be the ultimate weapon for the US military. Our enemies home and abroad will fear him.”

  “Are you sure his body can handle all the modifications we’ve made to him.”

  “It. Not a him. It is a weapon that I can truly control.”

  “Vance, we need to talk,” Tybalt said as he entered the facility.

  “Where’s Tigernaut?”

  “He was with a speedster possessing strength I’ve never encountered before. I’ll have to deal with him another time−a time when I’m much more powerful. I kept my end of the bargain. Now it’s time for you to honor your end. I want you to inject me with the serum from the green crystal like you did Vincent.”

  “I used the last of the serum on my creation here.”

  “You promised!” Tybalt fingernails extended outward ready to strike.

  “Tybalt, there is still enough of the crystals left to create more of the serum. When we’re done with my new creation, then we’ll perform the procedure on you. I made a promise to you and I will honor it.”

  “Fine. I’ll wait a little longer.”

  Hamlet flew his plane over Vance’s facility on Three Mile Island. Tigernaut grabbed a parachute and jumped out the back of the plane. As he fell several hundred feet before the chute opened, he noticed that Hamlet’s plane had safely landed outside the facility.

  Tigernaut landed on the ground and watched angrily as Hamlet approached him.

  “Why did you jump?” Hamlet asked.

  “I didn’t know you were going to accompany me on the mission.”

  “I thought that’s what the plan was. It was cool watching you skydive, though.”

  “We have company,” Tigernaut said as several armed soldiers surrounded them.

  “Amateurs,” Hamlet said and collided at full speed into the first soldier in line causing each soldier to crash into one another in succession like a row of dominoes. He grabbed all of their weapons, placed them in his plane, and then returned holding a cup of coffee in the time it took Tigernaut to remove his parachute.

  “Here’s the plan,” Tigernaut said. “You go release the prisoners, and I’ll go find Tybalt.”

  “See you on the inside,” Hamlet said as he sped away.

  Tybalt stood next to Vance as they watched the doctor finish the last modifications on the new creation. The lights suddenly turned red as the alarm system chanted “Red Alert!” Vance scanned through the security screens on his computer monitor.

  “Tigernaut!” Tybalt shouted. “I’ll rip him to shreds!”

  “Wait. Let’s test our new creation on him. If it defeats Tigernaut with all of its modifications, then we know we can incorporate them into you. Then you will be the ultimate weapon. No one or anything will be able to stop you,” Vance explained.

  “Very well, send him.”

  Vance walked over to the Commodore 64 sitting on the desk next to his creation and typed: STAND UP.

  His creation jumped down from the gurney and stared at him.

  CREATION: ORDERS?

  VANCE: ENGAGE.

  CREATION: SHOULD I CHOP OFF HIS HEAD?

  VANCE: MAKE IT SO.

  His creation turned around and walked into the hangar outside the medical bay as Tigernaut entered. Tigernaut stood in shock as he saw the creation walking toward him. It was a human. Its head had been completely shaved, and its mouth was closed shut from numerous sutures. Hundreds of wires were attached to the back of its head leading down to a small computer attached to its back. It stared at Tigernaut preparing to attack.

  “Mace Murdock, is that you? I can see Vance found a way of shutting you up permanently.”

  Large katana blades extended out of its hands. Tigernaut’s wooden stakes ripped through his fingers in response. Mace ran toward him. The blades and the stakes collided, the momentum flinging them both backward.

  Hamlet reached the cells where hundreds of superhumans were imprisoned. “I’m here to rescue you. Stand back.” He sped past each cage, opening each door. Within seconds everybody was free.

  “Hamlet, bring them to the airfield. I have a transport waiting for them,” he heard Professor Zagar say in his head.

  Mace was relentless in his attack. As fast as Tigernaut’s wooden stakes regrew, he chopped them off with his katanas. Mace was forcing him backward outside the facility where the tall towers stood. Tigernaut grabbed his katanas, the blades slicing deep into his hands, and used all of his strength to throw him to the side. He ran for the ladder attached to one of the towers and climbed up. As he reached the top, he looked down at Mace who stared at him before vanishing and reappearing right next to him.

  “What other tricks do you have?”

  Mace vanished and reappeared punching Tigernaut in the face repeatedly. He continued the attack until Tigernaut was on his knees spitting up a pool of blood. Mace grabbed his chin with his left hand, and his right katana was ready to chop his head off.

  As the group of superhumans exited the facility, Scott spotted the two on the top of the tower.

  “I can help,” Scott said. “Remove this muzzle.”

  Hamlet grabbed the muzzle and jerked it away. Scott opened his mouth and fired a large beam of fire toward Mace setting his right arm on fire. As Mace staggered backward, Tigernaut stabbed him in the chest. The wound quickly closed up. Mace slammed both of his katanas into Tigernaut’s chest.

  Scott fired another beam of fire toward the tower causing it to explode, sending large pieces of concrete debris in a downward spiral. As the tower collapsed, Tigernaut ripped the katanas out of his chest and then ripped the computer off of Mace’s back. As the wires detached from his head, Vance’s control over Mace’s mind was replaced by Mace’s own free will. He grabbed Tigernaut and transported them safely away from the collapsing tower.

  Tigernaut’s wounds quickly healed.

  Mace pointed to the sutures.

  “Ok, but it’s against my better judgement,” Tigernaut said as he ripped the sutures out of his lips.

  “Thanks!” Mace screamed in pain.

  “Are you ok?”

  “No! You just ripped my lips apart. Blood…so much blood,” Mace said as he passed out.

  Tigernaut slapped him repeatedly until his eyes opened. “Your lips are healed. You have my regenerative abilities.”

  “For now. I heard the doctor say that all these powers will go away if I don’t have constant injections of that serum.”

  “Then we better stop Vance and Tybalt before you lose them.”

  Scott and Hamlet ran over
to them.

  “There’s a transport waiting to take all of us out of here,” Hamlet said.

  “Get them to safety. Mace and I have some unfinished business to attend to,” Tigernaut explained.

  “Meet me at my plane when you’re done. I’ll wait for you,” Hamlet said.

  Vance smashed the Commodore 64 on the floor. “Useless junk.”

  “Trust me. In a few years, everybody is going to say that,” Tybalt added.

  “We have a superhuman version of Mace Murdock on the loose.”

  “Even the playing field. I want all of his superpowers,” Tybalt said.

  Vance looked over at the doctor.

  “There’s enough serum left for one dose. The effects will be temporary,” the doctor said.

  “Inject me.”

  Tybalt rolled up his left sleeve as the doctor injected him with the serum. He looked over at the doctor angrily waiting for the serum to course through his veins. As the serum reached his brain, he collapsed. His body violently contorted as his DNA was being altered. His muscles extended causing his clothes to rip apart. His shirt fell to the floor in shreds. His shoes flew across the room. But for some reason, his jeans enlarged as his legs muscles did without ripping apart. His once orangish skin and fur was now white, and his black eyes were bright silver. His short hair now hung below his shoulders. He was now eight feet tall and went from being played by one actor to another. He roared since he no longer had the ability to speak.

  With his enhanced senses, he could smell Tigernaut. He followed his scent into the hangar where Mace and Tigernaut both stood stunned.

  “What the hell is that?” Mace asked.

  “That would be Tybalt.”

  “Man you have grown,” Mace said. “Let me guess, Fee-fi-fo-fum!” He stomped around mocking him.

  Tybalt, unamused, flicked Mace aside and rushed Tigernaut. His momentum sent Tigernaut backward a hundred feet.

  “Hey, Andre the Giant! Behind you!” Mace shouted.

  As Tybalt turned around, Mace opened his mouth sending a large beam of fire forward igniting Tybalt’s fur. He patted the fire out with his large paws and fired a beam of fire back at Mace.

  “Is this a ‘what you can do, I can do better’ game?” Mace asked as he dodged the fire. “If that’s the case, Simon says transport!” Mace disappeared and reappeared on Tybalt’s back. He stabbed him repeatedly with his katanas.

  Tybalt laughed as he disappeared causing Mace to crash to the ground. He reappeared above Mace and landed feet first on his chest crushing him. His fingers extended outward like large swords and sliced away at Mace’s chest showering the hangar with his blood.

  Mace transported and reappeared on the other side of the hangar. He felt a sharp pain rip through his chest as his bones reassembled. “I think I need a new strategy.”

  A flash of bright red light zoomed past Mace and collided with Tybalt causing him to tumble backward. As Hamlet stopped, he launched Tigernaut into Tybalt. Tigernaut punctured both of Tybalt’s eyes with his wooden stakes. Tigernaut then grabbed both of his eyes and yanked them out and threw them to the side.

  Tybalt screamed in pain as he tried to attack Tigernaut without the use of his eyes.

  Mace transported onto Tybalt’s head. “Hey, Stevie Wonder. I just called to say I love you.” He opened his mouth and threw up a large fireball engulfing him in fire. He jumped off his head and looked over at Hamlet. “Does the word dismemberment mean anything to you?”

  “I have a rope in the plane.” Hamlet disappeared and a few seconds later, he was wrapping rope around each of Tybalt’s limbs. “As I extend his limbs, you two chop them off.”

  As Hamlet ran forward, he extended each of Tybalt’s limbs and Mace and Tigernaut chopped them off. As the effects of the serum quickly wore off, Tybalt returned to his original form minus his eyes and limbs.

  Mace impaled him with his left katana and pulled out his heart with his right hand. As Tybalt’s heart beat in his hand, he crushed it, the blood pouring out all over Mace’s body.

  “This isn’t the first time I’ve had a man’s liquids all over me.”

  “Mace!” Tigernaut and Hamlet shouted in unison.

  “Blood. I’m talking about blood. You sick bastards.”

  Vance stared at the security monitor in disbelief. He knew there was no way he could escape. He looked at the syringe that still had a little serum in it.

  “Don’t even think it,” the doctor warned. “There’s no telling what the effects on a regular human being could be.”

  He jabbed the needle into his arm. “That’s a risk I’ll have to take.” The serum quickly began to alter his DNA. He screamed as his body quickly transformed into a snake-like creature. His clothes ripped apart as his muscles grew. With the transformation complete, he salivated as he eyed the doctor. In one quick motioned, he swallowed the doctor whole.

  The three superheroes entered the medical bay as Vance finished his snack. He walked over to the back wall where a blue military uniform, blue helmet and a reflective silver mask hung on a hook. As he put on the uniform and placed the mask on his face, he laughed sinisterly. He turned around and spoke in a high-pitched, rasping voice. “You think you can defeat me! Think again heroes!” He grabbed a transporter device off of the adjacent desk. The last thing they heard him say before disappearing was “Long live Cobra!”

  “Cobra, that’s another franchise isn’t it?” Mace asked.

  The other two nodded.

  “It’s their problem now,” Mace said. “I think it’s time to get off this rock? My stomach is growling and that can only mean one thing…tacos!”

  “And that’s the story of how I met your Tigernaut,” Mace said to two kids sitting on a brown leather couch.

  “So the story had nothing to do with our mother?”

  “You thought the story was about how I met your mother? Yep, they screwed the pooch with that one. We waited nine seasons for Ted to end up with the mother and she dies! Sorry, did I just spoil that for those who are currently binge watching the series. My bad.”

  “What does screwed the pooch mean?” one of the kids asked.

  “They @#%& up!”

  “Mace, we’re not done,” Tigernaut said as entered the room.

  “We’re not?”

  “Remember the falling out?”

  “Lithuania?”

  “Yes, Lithuania.”

  “Tell us about Lithuania,” the other kid demanded.

  “The events of Lithuania began…”

  Chapter Four

  Mace and Tigernaut became a team of mercenaries for hire after the events on Three Mile Island. Tigernaut was obviously the brains while Mace was not only the nitwit but also the muscle. They had been hired to go to Lithuania where there was a mansion haunted by a deceased superhuman named Killbesa.

  Mace cautiously investigated the mansion where every digital clock was frozen on 6:66.

  “6:66, that is very strange,” Tigernaut said.

  “It is. I didn’t know they had digital clocks in Lithuania. Look at this.” Mace pointed toward a rotary phone. “Is this a museum?”

  “Plenty of people have rotary phones. I have one.”

  “Embrace the now! Touchtone phones are the wave of the future. I bet you there isn’t a VCR in here. That’s technology that will never go out of style.”

  “Mace, do you ever shut up?”

  “Once the voices in my head shut up, then I’ll shut up.”

  “Then that’s a never?”

  “I’m sensing nothing down here. Let’s go up the stairs.”

  Mace was the first to walk up the stairs. As he climbed each step, it melted causing his feet to get stuck. “I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

  “Or wrong one,” Tigernaut said as he struggled to move through the melted stairs. As they reached the top, they could see a long hallway where two naked, twin, brunette women were standing.
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  “Let me take care of them,” Mace said excitedly.

  “Take care of what?” Tigernaut asked, not seeing anything ahead.

  “Come play with us,” they invited him, pointing to an elevator at the back of the hallway.

  Mace skipped forward and vanished.

  “Mace!” Tigernaut shouted. He opened every room, but saw no sign of him anywhere.

  The fur on his neck stood upward as he sensed a presence behind him. He turned around and the spirit of Killbesa floated above him. She had long, silver hair and wore a silver dress. Her pale skin shined brightly making her appear to be the most beautiful woman he had ever witnessed.

  “Killbesa, what did you do with Mace?”

  “Trust me, he’s having the time of his life,” she laughed. “Why are you here?”

  “You don’t belong here. This is somebody else’s home now. We’re here to remove you by force if necessary.”

  “I’m not a spirit haunting this place. I’m trapped here. Imprisoned. I have the ability to transport my spirit out of my body, but I can’t find my body to return to.”

  “Imprisoned by what?”

  “I don’t know. I’m hoping your friend can help me.”

  “I can help too. Just show me where he is.”

  She waved her hand, and the back wall disappeared revealing the elevator that Mace had followed the twins into. “Find out what is keeping me here.”

  “Do you remember the last place in the mansion you remember being?”

  “No, but I do remember a dark, hot room.”

  “The boiler room,” he said.

  He walked toward the elevator followed by the spirit and entered it. He pulled the lever down and the elevator slowly descended to the basement. He walked out of the elevator where Mace was having a conversation with himself.

  “Mace!” Tigernaut shouted.

  The naked twins disappeared. “Wait! Where did they go! Bring them back! I was about to get in the middle of a twin sandwich!”