by Roman Shepp
“You're telling me. I thought I was seeing things for a moment,” Tony said.
“Nope, it's all me, in the flesh, well, most of the flesh,” Phil said, laughing heartily. Tony hadn't realized how much he'd missed Phil until he saw the man again. There were so many people he never would see again. It was good to have a tether to his previous life.
“So, what do you make of all of this?” Phil asked.
“I'm not really sure what to make of it, Phil. You haven't even seen all of it. You should have been in the city that first night. People were crazy. Some of them were chanting to the heavens, like this was some kind of religious omen. Others were putting together their own private armies to wage war on anyone they wanted, and some just gave themselves to their sin, like nothing else mattered. All they wanted to do was have a good time.”
“Sounds much like the world in general, just on a smaller scale,” Phil said.
“As much as I like Jane and Saeed, I have been missing the company of someone on my wavelength. What do you think Captain America would do in this situation?”
“Cap? He'd be handling the situation no problem, rallying everyone to keep hold of the American Dream. That's what we need right now, a symbol to hold people together. Shows how messed up our country has become when there's nobody here to pull things together. But what about Iron Man?”
“See, I was thinking about people like him and Batman. On the one hand, they're geniuses and they probably could cobble together loads of devices to help keep the world running. Although they've never really worked without electricity, so I don't know if they'd be able to cope. I think the ones who would be the most useful are the ones who have increased stamina and strength, the ones who are used to surviving. They've never relied on money or technology before, so the world changing wouldn’t be as a big deal for them as it would be for others.”
“I wonder if Thor would be able to recharge our technology?”
“Depends if Asgardian magic is really magic or actually advanced technology, I guess,” Tony said.
“I wish we could find out.”
“I know. Can you imagine what it would be like to see a superhero flying across the sky, knowing that everything is going to be okay?”
“It certainly would help with policing the situation. I think a lot of people would think twice about what they're doing if they knew it could bring down the wrath of the God of Thunder.”
They were about to debate further when a rough bark caught their attention. Jane backed away with Tara. All of them got into a defensive posture. Tony was just about ready for anything in the woods. So far, they had been able to survive, sometimes by the skin of their teeth, so he was not prepared to surrender his life willingly. The trees rustled, much like they had before with the snake, except whatever was coming toward them was bigger. Much bigger.
Tony saw their eyes before he saw anything else. Beady, yellow things that peered at him from beyond the leaves. What followed was gray fur, flecked with spots of white and black. Long snouts narrowed and revealed sharp teeth behind curled lips. Saliva dripped from their mouths like water from a melting icicle. Their lips rippled as the wolves snarled. Ordinarily, Tony would have been confident given their numbers, but this wolf pack was large, six of them. Tony didn't fancy their chances.
“Maybe we should back away slowly,” Tony said, but the wolves approached.
Their thin legs strode gracefully across the ground. Tony's heart beat in his chest. Fear clanged within his mind, and when the wolves made their inevitable attack he swung with all his might. The impact shook his arms all the way up to his shoulders as he hit one wolf square in the jaw. Blood sprayed from the wolf's mouth as it slid along the ground, but the other members of the pack lunged forward in unison.
Tony smelled their stale breath. It took all his strength to keep himself away from their snapping jaws. They growled and snarled so loudly that Tony was deafened and had no idea how his friends were faring. Then another sound greeted his ears, the defiant barking of Groot. He barreled into the pack of wolves and tore at their flesh. They yelped and whimpered before turning their attention to the pit bull. Groot snarled and gave as good as he got. Two wolves circled him, but Tony knew how savage Groot could be in a fight. One wolf swiped his claws at Groot’s head, trying to blind the poor dog. Groot twisted his head away, so the claws only found Groot's thick neck. Then Groot went on the offensive, snapping around the wolf’s' legs. Tony joined in the attack, swinging his bat wildly to fend off the remaining wolves. Adrenaline surged through his body, which helped manage his fear, but ensured that his attacks were inaccurate.
Meanwhile, Saeed had dragged off another wolf and was wrestling with it on the ground. The mass of flesh and fur rolled around with him. During his brief glance, Saeed seemed at one with the animal, and Tony wondered if that was how the myth of the werewolf had been born. Phil had grabbed a stick and was helping Jane defend Tara. Jane kicked one of the wolves and rattled its teeth, but Tony knew the wolves had the advantage. They were trained hunters. Centuries of evolution had honed them into the perfect predatory machines.
Then a thought struck him.
The same was true of man.
Although humanity had progressed and left behind its primal, savage nature, it still was there, lurking in the depths of our species’s DNA. Tony's ancestors had been hunters and warriors who had fought and clawed their way to the top of the food chain. America had been cast back into a pre-industrial world and now it was time for Tony to reclaim humanity's natural heritage. The wolves were rivals, enemies, and a brutal part of Tony was unlocked.
He roared as he swung the bat with unerring accuracy, fighting the wolves off him, leaving them in heaps on the ground. He walked over and cracked the back of the wolf attacking Jane, Tara, and Phil. Saeed already had won his battle. Blood spilled on the ground beside him, and the wolf's fur was thick with crimson stains. Groot had emerged triumphant as well, although he looked battered and bruised. The scratches on his shoulder were deep, but the dog was resilient and did not seem to feel any ill effects.
The wolves that were left alive were beaten and cowed. They licked their wounds and left their dead friends. The pack had been thinned. With bowed heads, they retreated into the safety of the forest. Perhaps if Tony had been a member of the ancient human race he would have pursued the wolves, punishing them for daring to have the audacity to attack him, but on this one occasion he let them be. There had been enough death today.
Solemnly, they left the dead bodies and continued in silence. All of them had much on their minds, but when they heard water they rejoiced and sprinted to the river. The water rushed by, gleaming and pure. They all fell to the riverbank and lapped up the water, slaking their thirst and feeling the refreshing burst of the liquid against their skin. They filled their water bottles and splashed each other, laughing loudly, not just because they had found a source of water, but also because it would lead them to the promised land of the bunker.
They set up camp by the riverbank and each of them bathed. Jane and Tara walked off a little ways so they could have some privacy. Although once they were in the water, the men still could see Jane's body. Tony tried not to look, but he failed. Her white skin glowed under the sun, and her hair fell down her back. From his vantage point Tony only could see her slender back, apart from when she bent down, and a shadowed curve of her breast was visible. Tony flushed crimson and turned away, focusing on something else.
“So, that Jane, anything happen between you two?” Phil asked.
Tony blushed an even deeper shade of red. “No way, we're just making it through this.”
“But you want to, right?” he said.
Tony shrugged. “It's not as simple as that. When we found her, she was being chased by a guy. Some politician she worked for. He was a nasty piece of work and I still don't think she's quite over that.”
“You gotta strike while the iron is hot, my friend. If you leave it too long, you'll be doing
yourself no favors.”
“We're just getting to the bunker and taking it one day at a time. I can't think of much more than that,” he said.
Jane and Tara soon returned. Tara had a wide grin. Jane's hair was wet, which made her look like a mermaid as it flowed around her face in thick strands. Tara presented Tony with a big fish.
“Look what I got! Jane showed me how to grab a fish!” she said. Tony praised her, and took the fish, although he really wasn't sure what to do with it.
“Haven't you got a fire going yet?” Jane asked, shaking her head.
Tony stammered as he looked at her. When he looked at her now it was difficult for him to see anything other than her naked back glistening in the sun, or the dark curve of her breast, so mysterious in all the wonders it held.
“I'll gut the fish, you guys get the fire started,” she said, and pointed to some kindling.
Tony and Phil worked on the fire while Jane and Saeed took care of the fish. Jane used Saeed's knife expertly. Tony did his best with the fire, but he relied on Phil's help, who told Tony what to do. It ended up as a nice blaze, though, and the warmth from the crackling fire bled into the air.
Jane returned with the fish, and in the meantime, she had caught a few more. She made it look so easy, jabbing her hand under the water’s surface like a spear and bringing out a fish.
“My daddy taught me when I was little,” she said when she saw Tony and Phil looking at her, dumbfounded. The group ate a hearty meal, cooking the fish over the fire before sharing it. There was a surprising amount of fish, and although all of them, aside from Tara, showed some hesitation before they ate, they all soon were enjoying the taste of fresh fish.
The night was setting in, and Tony looked around at his friends. Tara was getting sleepy, resting her head against Jane's shoulder. The water was a calming sound, rushing by in the background.
“I guess we should enjoy these nights while we can,” Tony said. “Soon enough, we'll be in the safety of the bunker and we won't be staring up at the stars.”
All of them tilted their heads up to look at the night sky. Then, one by one, they went to sleep, after setting up a watch schedule. Phil said he would take first watch. Tony took second. He awoke to find Phil trying a few different implements on his arms, like knives and forks.
“None of these are as impressive as a hook,” Phil said, smiling ruefully. Tony took over from him. The watch was quiet, and nothing occurred, and when Saeed took over few words were spoken between the two men.
Morning came, and with it a new sense of purpose. They were able to bathe in the water, and to have a morning bath was a reminder of civilization. Tony barely could remember the last time he had felt so clean, and although he was wearing the same dirty clothes, he felt a whole lot better. After having breakfast, the group decided to move on down the river. As they ventured forth they marked trees with a knife, slashing a deep gash in the trunk so they could keep track of their path, in case they ever needed to double back this way.
They only had been walking for a little while when they came across a grisly scene. A group of campers had been killed. They must have been gruesome murders, for the bodies were strewn across the ground and they all had looks of anguish etched upon their faces. Tony watched Jane try to shield Tara from the sight, but it was too late. This was the nature of the world now anyway. At some point Tara was going to have to get used to seeing things like this.
“Are there any normal people left in the world? Or any safe places?” Jane said, grimacing. Tony walked into the campsite to inspect the bodies. There was no sign of whoever was responsible, though.
“Was it the bad man?” Tara said. All eyes turned to look at her. The cannibals had claimed it was just Tara's imagination, but clearly it was more than that.
“Who is the bad man, Tara? What can you tell me about him?”
Tara rolled the tip of her tongue out of her mouth as she thought. “He was tall, and walked like this,” she said, doing an impression of a man walking slowly, long legs and arms. Tara seemed to treat it as a joke, but the sight of her impression chilled Tony to the bone.
“Looks like there's a super-villain in our midst,” Phil said.
With a lump in his throat, Tony peered around him just in case this bad man was out there.
Chapter Fourteen
Saeed looked at the grisly scene along with the others, unable to take his eyes away from the faces of the murdered victims. There was no doubt it was a mass murder either. One of the victims had deep marks around his neck, and the color of his skin was an inhuman shade of purple. Staring into their lifeless eyes made him think of Nadya and Aaminah, and the way they had stared at him once they had died. The pain of that last look lingered in their glassy eyes, etched forever in Saeed's soul, and was now reflected in the eyes of these murder victims. There were four of them, and as Saeed looked at them he wondered what their last thoughts had been. They must have felt powerless about whoever had killed them. If any of them had fought back they had been defeated easily. It wasn't like when Saeed's family had been killed. Those men had guns, but still Saeed felt he should have done more.
“I can't see any trace of whoever did it,” Tony said.
“Lucky for us,” Phil replied.
Saeed wasn't yet sure what to make of Phil. The man had suffered great trauma, and yet a smile remained on his face. He'd lost his right hand which, in some ways, was just as intimate as losing a wife or a daughter. After all, they all were parts of him, and Phil was somehow able to continue living in a way that Saeed hadn't. The vision of Nadya had given him a purpose that should have seen him through life, but it wasn't enough to soothe the aching in his soul. Would he ever be free of this anguish and suffering? Part of him didn't want to be, for denying his pain would be disrespectful to Nadya and Aaminah. That's just what Tony didn't understand, he thought.
He is young, Nadya's voice trembled through his mind.
That is no excuse. He cannot understand the depths of my suffering. He seeks to blame me for my actions when I am as much a victim of this world as the next person. Allah has forsaken me. He has forsaken all of us and I do not have the strength of Ibrahim.
You have the strength of yourself, of me, and of Aaminah. Allah has not forsaken you at all. He has set you on a new path.
I do not want a new path. I do not want to be around those who remind me of you. Who is Tony to be upset with me because I do not wish to be reminded of my daughter?
Who is she who must suffer in your pain?
Saeed did not have an answer to that. He glanced over at Tara, who smiled at him, and turned away in shame. He thought about how he would have liked Aaminah to be treated if she had been left alone in the world, and he was filled with a deep regret about the way he was conducting himself. So much of him had been lost when the world went dark, when Nadya and Aaminah had been killed. Saeed didn't know when he was going to get it back, if at all. He had walked down a dark path, one from which he could not turn back. It was alright for Jane and Tony. They could laugh with Tara and delight in the girl's happy disposition, but for Saeed it only brought gloom.
Every time the girl laughed he was reminded of Aaminah's giggles. Even the way Tara poked out her tongue when she was thinking hard about something was reminiscent of how Aaminah used to act. When one memory came back, they all returned, dragged along in one unbroken chain. He remembered when she first fell over, first stubbed her toe, first walked, when she first asked him a question he did not know the answer to. He thought his soul was barren and he had cried out all the sadness, but it was a never-ending well inside him.
To try taking his mind off these things, Saeed busied himself by dragging the bodies away so that the group would not have to look at them anymore. They already had started to smell. Saeed gagged and had to cover his mouth and nose. Tony helped him. Phil offered, but with only one arm it was a difficult task.
“Seems like they were killed for the sake of it, not for anything they had,�
�� Tony said, tossing his head toward the campsite. Saeed nodded in agreement. All their equipment still was there. It was such a waste of life, and Saeed did not want to know the heart of the man who could do something like this. It was one thing to be ready to give up on one's own life. Yet to take another life for no other reason than you wanted to do so, was something abhorrent.
The more Saeed thought about it, though, the more he wondered if there was barely a sliver between them. The man who did this probably had lost everything, just like Saeed. There had been many moments when Saeed had been close to losing it, and it was only Tony’s influence that had managed to pull him back from the brink. Saeed owed him a lot, which made it all the more painful when Tony shouted at him and told him he was behaving shamefully.
“We need to find whoever did this and put a stop to them. Other people could be in danger,” Tony said.
Saeed grunted in reply. Tony seemed almost excited to have someone to fight. The man always was going on about superheroes and comic books. It was fairly rich of him to try telling Saeed that he was acting poorly when all of his life experience had been gleaned from comic books. There was a vicious part of Saeed that wanted to round on Tony and rebuke him for all the claims he had made. If Tony had had a family and had been through everything Saeed had been through, then he would understand why it was so difficult for Saeed to be near Tara.
After they had dragged the bodies away the group took a few moments to rest and take stock of their surroundings. There were a few ways for them to go. Tony and Jane were deep in discussion. Saeed didn't like to take part in those. His mind was clouded by the past, so much so that he couldn't think clearly about any element of the future, even though he wanted to do right by his wife's proclamation of his new destiny.
“Jane told me you were sad, Mr. Saeed,” Tara said. She stood in front of Saeed with her hands behind her back. Saeed stiffened, only seeing Aaminah when he looked at Tara. Although Tara had light skin and golden hair she was the spitting image of Aaminah in many other ways. Such as the way she held herself, and the sparkling light in her eyes. Saeed's first instinct was to turn away, remove himself from the situation so the pain could fade. Then he remembered Tony's words, as well as those of his wife, and he stiffened.