My hands came away full of grey whiskers after rubbing my cheeks. My nose began to bleed, and the pressure in my nose grew stronger.
SNAP
POP
I could hear the cartilage inside my nose rearranging itself. I cursed out loud. It hurt like hell. Large drops of blood fell to the floor of the shower. I found myself getting light-headed. I grabbed out at the tiled wall in order to steady myself but the sudden stabbing pain in each of my hands made that impossible.
In the back of my mind, I knew what was happening but that didn’t make it feel any better. The crunching bones of my hand laughed at the pain in my nose. The screams came at that point. I just couldn’t help myself. The pressure on my bones would build and build only to release in a break as they refitted themselves into their correct positions.
My knees gave out.
Consciousness was lost for the briefest of moments, and the water fell directly on my wounded knee. The pain is almost indescribable. Seriously, how do you explain to someone what it feels like to grow back the damaged cartilage of a knee? I’m not sure I can. I swam on the edge of awareness. My brain wanted me to go to sleep, but the pain was having none of that.
Skie was banging on the bathroom door.
She was asking me if I was alright.
“Give Merrick a bath,” I shouted through gritted teeth.
“What?” Skie asked.
“Just do it!” I shouted. “Put her in the tub and pour water on her.”
The pain spread out from my hands and knee. It circled around my hip and danced along my spine. I heard every bit of it. I felt every bit of it. The pressure was too much. I wasn’t as strong as I used to be. When my spine began to crack, I finally passed out, and I wasn’t complaining.
I woke up to screaming.
I also woke up feeling like a brand new man. I laughed out loud and found my feet. A loud ruckus was going on at the opposite end of the house. My family was running from something. I went to the mirror and wiped away the condensation.
The face that looked back at me seemed ten years younger than the last time I saw it. The grey in my stubble and hair had been replaced by a light brown. The nose was no longer misshapen.
I flexed my hands. They were a little stiff but they worked just fine. The scars and burns all over my body had vanished. In their place was healthy pink skin. I was still pretty skinny but the slightest impression of muscle was now evident. Unfortunately, the paunch that hung over my waistband was still there, but even that had begun to shrink away.
I heard my dad laughing. I heard the sound of a table being turned over, and then I heard the giggles of multiple people.
I stepped out of the bathroom.
I went to my closet and dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt. I then threw on some shoes, and stretched.
I was smiling from ear to ear as I stepped out of my bedroom. The smile turned to laughter as soon as I entered the living room. A soaking wet Merrick was chasing my family around the living room. Skie was rubbing her butt where she had evidently been nipped.
Gone were the signs of age Hell-bent on claiming her life. The dog once again had the energy of a puppy. Her paws scrambled against the hardwood floors of the cabin as she tore around the room.
“Merrick,” I called out.
The dog stopped in her tracks.
“Come see Daddy,” I said.
Merrick ran towards me at full speed. She jumped from five feet away, and I caught her out of the air as if she were weightless. I laughed, and wrestled around with her on the floor. From the corners of my eyes I could see everyone watching us in disbelief. They wanted answers. I was too hyper to give them.
“I’m feeling much better,” I said to their astonished faces. “I think I’ll go for a run.”
I didn’t wait for them to say anything. Instead, I scooped up Merrick and bolted out the front door, a soft rain greeting us, as we jumped off the front porch. The rain was a friend. The living, beating heart of the forest an ally, we tore off through the mud.
I wasn’t nearly what I used to be. That became evident almost immediately. My speed was off. My reflexes were slower, and I got tired. But I was running. I was running and jumping my way down the trail. I wasn’t one hundred percent but I was on my way. It takes time for the power to settle in. Waiting a few months wouldn’t be a problem. I was running again.
We ran to the clearing.
There was no evidence of lightning strikes anywhere. Not even the smallest bit of burnt grass could be found. Perhaps I dreamt the entire thing. Perhaps the Guardian power recoiled inside my mind after I was told Skie had died, because I truly gave up at that moment. I lost my will to live, and perhaps the rage I felt upon seeing the Monster on television brought forth the power once again.
I have no idea. I also don’t care. For good or bad, the power was once again mine. I had work to do in the near future. My mind was already churning. However, the moment was mine. I gave myself one day in which to play, and I wasn’t about to waste it.
I had gotten my breath back with the brief rest. I wanted to lose it again. Calling out for Merrick, I tore into the woods. I didn’t need a trail. Trails were for pussies. Around trees we went. Jumping, sliding, crouching. We ran fast. Merrick did a lot better than me. I’m not sure how she managed to stay in respectable shape despite her advanced years, but she was embarrassing me.
I had to stop frequently. When I did, I would lie back in the nearest patch of grass and watch as the living tendrils slowly climbed up my body. A few hours before dark, I took a nap. My heart wanted to keep on running, but my body had reached its limit.
I fell asleep in the forest with Merrick resting beside me.
The sun was slipping past the horizon when I woke up. The grass released me from its grip as I stood. The rain was pouring, and a soaking wet Merrick looked at me rather grumpily for resting so long.
We ran.
We ran all the way back home. I didn’t stop: not even when the burning in my chest became almost unbearable. I wanted to push myself. The freedom was what I sought. The thrill of moving fast through the wet forest: I loved it.
I hit the path at a dead run. From there, it wasn’t far to my parents’ cabin. As I stepped from the forest, I saw the team all standing there in the rain on the muddy driveway. Each of them looked at me as the rain drenched their clothes. None of them said a word.
I joined them.
We stood in a loose circle. Thunder boomed above us. Lightning flashed over our heads.
CRACK
BOOM
Georgie smiled. He then raised his fist over his head.
“REGULATORS!” He shouted.
“REGULATORS!” The rest of us echoed.
We were back. We didn’t need to discuss things. We were ready to go. The horrors and regrets inside our minds had quieted down. We were back with a vengeance.
I looked towards the cabin. I saw my wife looking out at me from the window. I told the boys to wait as I went to her.
She was washing the dishes as I entered the kitchen. The rest of my family was nowhere to be found. She heard me walk in but she didn’t turn around, a bad sign.
“Skie,” I said. “Don’t you want to talk to me?”
“Nothing I say matters,” she said.
“It does matter,” I replied.
“Is this why you stopped your physical therapy?” Skie asked. “Is this why you refused all the surgeries even though they would help you with the pain?”
“I think so,” I said. “At least, I hoped my powers would return.”
“So now you’re back,” Skie said. “I love that. I really do. I’m happy for you. Of course I am. All you did since I woke up was mope around. I did my best but a normal life isn’t enough for you anymore. You’re only truly alive when you’re out there risking your life fighting monsters.”
“I’m the only one that can,” I said.
“So what?” Skie said.
“I need to go,” I
said.
“Why?” Skie asked. “Why does it have to be you? Why not just take your life and run? Let someone else deal with the nasty things out there. I saw what they did to you, Jax. I saw your body. I saw the hurt. How do you expect me to let you go?”
“Because everything I do,” I said. “I do it for you. I do it for my family. I do it so that you can sleep safely at night.”
“I don’t care about that,” Skie screamed as she threw a glass across the room. “He beat you. He hurt you. I don’t want you fighting him again. I don’t want you to get hurt. Why do you rush off so eagerly to face him again after what happened?”
“How could I not?” I asked. “How can I let him live after what he did to you? I can’t stop thinking about it. Every time I close my eyes I see you lying there covered in blood. I couldn’t wake you up. I kept trying but you wouldn’t answer me. I see that, and I can’t go on. I see a man that hurt my wife and I can’t go on.”
“He’ll kill you,” Skie said and walked out of the room.
I stood there for a bit and collected my thoughts. I cleaned up the broken glass. My dad walked into the room.
“She needs time,” he said. “She was getting used to the idea of having you around all safe and sound.”
“I guess so,” I said.
“Tell Dudley and the rest of that bunch to take their shoes off before they come in,” my dad said. “Your mom will be pissed if they get mud all over her floor.”
The team brought booze. Lots and lots of booze. Before I knew it the shots were flowing, and the jokes were rolling out. We were laughing. We were pounding drinks. Georgie was so happy he was literally jumping up and down. Eventually, he made the mistake of humping Nick’s leg. Nick, in turn, smacked him on top of his head, which led to Dudley smacking Nick in the balls. All of that led to a free for all.
My mom came running into the kitchen. She didn’t want us rough-housing inside. Things ended up getting broken that way. Dudley tried to give her a shot. She refused, but my dad came into the room behind her with no thoughts of turning it down. The kids eventually ventured into the party. Merrick was happy to see them and began running in circles.
The doorbell rang.
Ivana walked into the cabin. All of us cheered out for her and raised our glasses. The poor girl was crying. She made a beeline straight for me, and held my face in her hands.
“My favorite boy,” she said. “I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t dare to hope.”
I later heard that as soon as Georgie hit the shower and got his powers back he ran up and down the hallways screaming about how the Regulators were back. Word had spread pretty fast after that, though the boys didn’t stick around. Instead, they made a bee-line straight to my parents’ cabin to see what was going on.
“You need a shot?” I asked.
“I need a million shots,” Ivana said as I threw her over my shoulder and made my way over to the liquor.
Two hours later, the doorbell rang again.
Miriam walked in. She smiled when she saw us.
“I knew this day would come,” Miriam smiled. “I knew it in my heart. I can’t tell you how happy I am.”
“Somebody pour her a shot,” Dudley said.
The party continued. We were loud. We were rowdy. We told jokes. We told stories. We made up for lost time, and we had a great time doing so. It got late. My parents and the kids went to sleep. The rest of us continued.
At one point Dudley tried to convince Miriam into letting him color her hair. In turn, Miriam threatened to turn him into a rat. Javie broke out the music and began ripping his shirt off. Nick started crushing beer cans on his forehead, and Georgie began moaning about wanting a fine glass of wine.
“Whiskey is for bad asses,” Nick growled. “Bring up wine one more time, and I’ll shove a wine bottle up your ass.”
“Beer is for high school kids,” Georgie laughed. “I’m a classy motherfucker, you beer chugging panty-waste.”
Georgie then farted loudly.
Nick threw a beer bottle cap and hit Georgie in the forehead. I jumped on Nick’s back, and started riding him like a bull as everyone counted out eight seconds.
Skie entered the room.
Her eyes were puffy. She was wearing a t-shirt with my emblem on it. Everyone quieted down immediately as she grabbed a beer and proceeded to chug. When she finished half the bottle, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and raised her bottle into the air.
“REGULATORS,” she screamed out.
Everyone cheered as she ran over and jumped at me. I caught her easily and spun her around. She was smiling that big smile of hers. My heart was singing.
“Still mad?” I asked.
“I know the man I married,” Skie said. “He’s not a quitter, and I love him for that. It just took me a few hours to figure things out. Now make me a promise. I won’t ask you to not do anything stupid. I know you better than that. Instead, I’m asking you to return to me. I want you to survive this battle. I want you to come home.”
“Silly girl,” I said. “Haven’t you learned anything yet? I always find my way home to you.”
Skie tilted her head back and laughed heartily. I spun her around the room. I kept kissing her cheeks as she giggled merrily. This was my wife. This was my life. I had it back. The future would be tough but the present was upon us, and we were going to celebrate.
The party raged on for another two more hours until a soft knock was heard upon the front door. Dudley let Hardin into the room. He was smiling broadly and carrying a wooden box.
“Wow,” Hardin said. “I don’t even have the words. I won’t stay long. I know I’m unwelcome. I just had to see for myself.”
“Balls,” Skie giggled drunkenly. “You’re as much a part of this family as everyone else. Grab a drink and get after it.”
Hardin did as asked. He partied with us. I couldn’t remember seeing the man unwind before. As far as I knew, all he ever did was work. It was strange seeing him clap the boys on the shoulder and join in on their jokes.
“Awe,” Javie said in his best Brad Pitt impression. “What’s in the box?”
Everyone looked at the box.
“Yeah,” Dudley said. “I was wondering about that myself. Then I drank some more and forgot all about it.”
“Best to leave the man and his box alone,” Georgie added. “I am personally uninterested in his vibrator collection and have no desire to hear all about it.”
Hardin laughed.
“This here is a gift for Jaxon,” Hardin said. “I found it on the wall of Major Crass’s office.”
I went to the box. Something about it kept drawing my eyes to it from the moment Hardin walked into the cabin. It was a plain box stained in a light color. The gloss on the wood was of the highest quality, and it even reflected the light a bit. The two hinges popped open with a slight creak. I lifted the lid.
My fingers twitched. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. The metal had been refinished. I couldn’t see a scratch. The handle had been replaced. The new wood was pale and waxed.
My tomahawk.
The weapon called out to me from a bed of velvet cushioning. My hands were shaking as I reached for it. The handle felt warm. The metal felt alive.
“I sent it down to our weapons team,” Hardin said. “They were more than happy to fix it up for you. Even went so far as to polish it up and everything. Made them a little nervous to handle it though, I’m not sure why. Where’d you get that thing anyway?”
“To tell the truth,” I said. “I can’t really remember. I’m sure I ordered it somewhere. I just can’t remember ever doing the ordering.”
“Well,” Hardin said. “There you go. I just thought you might want it back.”
“Oh fuck yeah,” Georgie said. “Now we’re talking. Let’s see the Monster deal with that shit.”
“I’ve got the dirt on the Monster as well if you want to hear it,” Hardin said. “Major Crass held out for a while on that sc
ore but eventually he cracked.”
I heard Hardin. I was interested in what he was saying. Yet, I had just been reunited with an old friend. I needed a moment. I took a practice swing. I tested the weight. I tested the balance. The tomahawk sang with each swing. I smiled.
“Let’s go somewhere and talk,” I said.
That somewhere ended up being my underground bunker. The girls and Merrick stayed behind. The team, Hardin and I went to talk.
We all pulled out a seat at the table while Georgie made coffee. Playtime was over. I was in the mood to work.
“Tell me about Max,” I said.
“Every read any Mary Shelley?” Hardin asked.
That had to sit a bit. Of course I had read Mary Shelley. I knew immediately what Max had become. I just didn’t know the how of anything.
“Who’s Mary Shelley?” Nick asked.
“She’s an author,” Dudley said.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Nick asked.
“She wrote Frankenstein,” Javie said. “Are you trying to tell us that the Monster is the Monster from the book?”
“Not really,” Hardin said. “He’s had many upgrades that the original creation never had, but he was created in the same way.”
“How did Major Crass do this?” I asked.
“The original Monster was created using two different items,” Hardin said. “Black energy and Ichor: mix them both together, and there you go. You see, Ichor is a fluid that stops decomposition and infection completely. Black energy is an energy source that behaves very much like traditional electricity but it can only be used to power a body.”
“Where did you send Crass after I beat him up?” I asked.
“We sent him to the Arctic circle,” Hardin answered. “It was a punishment: a horrible job investigating some tunnels that had been discovered. Evidently he found something in those tunnels. He shared what he found with a scientist at his station and together they created the Monster.”
“I don’t get it,” Georgie said. “How did they get ahold of Max’s body?”
“I’m not sure about that one yet,” Hardin answered, “But somehow they managed.”
Broken (Book 3 of The Guardian Interviews) Page 32