Bubble Gum and Monsters

by Mark Francis

  Chapter 12

  The evening sky was clear. Ottawa was much colder than when they had left. Daea and Eli marveled at the fog of their breath in the frigid air. Piles of snow gathered on the edges of the streets. Strings of lights hung on houses to celebrate the holiday season. A driver returned them to the Museum of Nature.

  Daea pointed out the window. “Things have really changed since we first arrived.”

  Eli nodded. “I read that Ottawa gets a lot of snow, but it’s something else to actually see it.”

  Daea impersonated Chuck. She bared her teeth and said, “You haven’t seen snow yet, rookie.”

  Upon their return, they were informed that they hadn’t missed anything. Jesi-Sera sat in a beanbag chair with a stack of comic books.

  “Reading, huh?” Daea said to the team leader.

  Jesi-Sera looked at Daea over the comic. “Aye. Want to join me?”

  “Sure. What should I read?”

  The Charm leaned forward and rummaged through the pile. “Well, it depends what ye like. This is mostly superhero stuff but there is some serious stuff too.”

  “Superhero, please.”

  “Team or individual?”

  “Individual.”

  “Larger-than-life or part of society?”

  “Larger-than-life.”

  Jesi-Sera handed the girl an oversized hardcover. “Here. I always like to read this during the holiday season. Do you think Superman could solve world hunger?”

  “Sure. Superman can do anything, right?”

  The Charm shrugged her shoulders. “I won’t spoil it for ye.”

  Daea pulled her beanbag chair next to Jesi-Sera. She got a bowl of candy from the kitchen and read the comic. A few snack breaks later, Daea finished and said, “That was amazing. It wasn’t what I expected. I always thought Superman was kind of boring because he’s so powerful, but he is actually really interesting.”

  “I agree. Superman is one of my favorite characters. Want to see something cool?”

  Daea nodded, and Jesi-Sera went to her room. She returned with a comic that had been bagged and boarded. Superman was on the cover holding up a car while people ran around in panic. The cover price of the comic was ten cents.

  She tossed it to the seated girl.

  “What’s this?”

  “Action Comics #1. The first appearance of Superman.”

  Daea ran her fingers across the cover. “How old is it?”

  “It was published in 1938. There are probably less than one hundred left in the world.”

  “I bet it’s expensive,” Daea said in awe.

  “It is. I got it as a reward for a mission we did in London. I tried to refuse, but the owner insisted. I promised to cherish it forever.”

  “Can I read it?”

  “Sure. Be warned, though, that it is a little outdated. Ye probably won’t find it as exciting as the newer stuff. And wash your hands first.”

  Chuck, who had gone to check the Suffering, entered the room and said, “Put on your fighting shoes. We’ve got a Stomp at the Palladium.”

  “Is there a hockey game tonight?” Eli asked.

  Chuck grinned. “Seven o’clock—Senators versus the Rangers.”

  The Palladium is home to the Ottawa Senators. The hockey team’s colors are black and red. Their logo features an ancient Roman senator. The stadium is located on the west end of the city in Kanata. It is a large oval building surrounded by a parking lot. While hockey games are the most numerous, the stadium hosts other events such as shows and concerts.

  The game was scheduled to start at 7:30. The team drove west on the Queensway along with hundreds of cars filled with thousands of fans. The bumper to bumper traffic could not reach the posted speed limit.

  The night was well below freezing, and a hard wind blew snow and Suffering across the Highway. The radio announcer said to expect stormy conditions over the next few days.

  “Anything we need to know?” Jesi-Sera asked Chuck.

  “I’ve been to three Stomps at a hockey game, and it seems to depend on the location. If we are lucky, it’ll happen away from the crowd. If we find monsters in a public place, we have to lure them away.”

  “Any info on the kinds of monsters we can expect?”

  “Not really. It’s pretty random.”

  Jesi-Sera gave the boy a smile and said, “You’re a real boon to this team.”

  “Part of me wonders if we should have called in the A-team for help given that we have two rookies.”

  Jesi-Sera looked in the rearview mirror. Daea poked her pinky finger over the imaginary middle line separating the sides of the seat, and Eli ignored her.

  “What?” the young girl asked.

  “I’m glad you didn’t,” Eli said. “I don’t ever want to see the A-team again.”

  Daea sat straight in her seat. “What? What are you talking about?”

  Jesi-Sera nodded. “I think we’ll do just fine. Daea and I will tank at the front, Eli can nuke from the back, and Chuck will support where needed.”

  They arrived and joined the queue into the parking lot. The long walk felt even longer because of the sharp, icy, gusting wind.

  There was a sense of electricity in the air. Loud music blared over the sound system. The Suffering pulsed on the floor. Someone, somewhere, blew a horn that bellowed throughout the arena. Fans wore red and black jerseys, hats, shirts, and jackets. Other people sold merchandise and food. Daea spotted a hot dog vendor and took a step toward it.

  Chuck grabbed the back of her jacket. “Not yet. We have work.”

  Daea scrunched her nose. “Can I have one when we finish?”

  “Of course ye can. Ye can have as many as ye want. But Chuck is correct. We have a job to do.”

  Daea stuck her tongue out at the Sight, who gave the young girl a hard stare.

  The team set out and looked for clues. Players warmed up on the ice and the fans took their seats. Not finding anything unusual, they expanded their search to an off-limits area.

  A security guard stopped them, and Jesi-Sera told him a story about her father being an important man in the Senators’ organization. He moved to the side and allowed them through. As they walked away, he shouted that they should be wearing their passes. The Charm said she had forgotten them at home. He threw her four lanyards with badges that read “VIP.” She gave him her biggest smile and waved goodbye.

  Where the public area of the stadium was clean and welcoming, the private area was not. Dusty crates and boxes lined the hallway. Tape marked travel lanes on the concrete floor. Because of the sloped seating in the stadium, from below it looked like a crashing wave rising high into the dull florescent lights.

  The game began, and the crowd reacted to the back and forth of the action. Every shot, pass, and check produced loud cheers and groans. A horn blared and the crowd grumbled. The Rangers had scored a goal.

  They walked the perimeter but only found a few Crawlies, which Eli scorched with ease.

  “Ye are handy to have around,” Jesi-Sera said.

  Eli pretended to blow gun smoke off the top of his finger.

  Bright lights emerged ahead. The floor changed from simple concrete to a red plastic covering. Huge Senators logos were painted on the red and black walls.

  “What’s this?” Daea asked.

  “Locker rooms,” Chuck replied.

  They walked up to two guards in front of a velvet rope. Five people holding clipboards and walkie-talkies stood behind them. The guards explained that their passes wouldn’t allow them any further, and besides, they should be up watching the game. Jesi-Sera tried to talk her way by the men, but they wouldn’t change their minds. They kept repeating that it was policy that only people associated with the teams could enter the area. The Suffering fluttered.

  The end of the first period was indicated by a loud buzzer. The Childaar watched as the Rangers walked off the ice and into their locker room. People in the stadium stomped above as they moved out of t
heir seats and into the concession areas.

  The Childaar turned and walked back around the stadium. By the time intermission finished, they had looped around to the Senators’ locker room. The second period was about to begin and the players headed back to the ice. Chuck rushed to the rope barricade. He patted players on their back, calling out their nicknames as they passed.

  “I think we should see if there’s anything in those locker rooms,” Jesi-Sera said.

  Chuck gave her a nod and disappeared.

  The Sight reappeared after a few minutes. “The Ranger’s locker room is clear,” he told the team, “but I heard noises coming from behind a door in the Sen’s room.”

  “Good job,” Jesi-Sera said. “Now we have to find a way to clear these people out so that we can investigate.”

  “Leave that to me,” Chuck said with a twinkle in his gold eyes.

  The Sight walked into the darkened tunnel. He clapped his hands and made chattering sounds. Hundreds of rats arrived from high and low. The rats squealed with delight. He pointed, and they ran down the hall toward the locker rooms. People screamed and shouted. The area cleared in a rush.

  “Whoa,” Eli and Daea exclaimed in unison.

  “That should buy us some time,” the Sight said.

  Jesi-Sera patted Chuck’s back. “Brilliant.”

  The Roman senator logo dominated the center of the locker room floor. Luxurious, wooden compartments for each player encircled the space. Chuck pointed at a door that had “EQUIPMENT” written on it. They heard tumbling and thrashing from within.

  “We should crack it open and have Eli launch fireballs,” Daea said.

  Jesi-Sera shook her head. “We have to see what it is first. What if it’s not even monsters and we hurt innocent people?”

  The thrashing continued and Daea lifted an eyebrow.

  “What say ye, Chuck?”

  “Jesi-Sera, you open the door. Daea, stay next to her, but be careful. Eli, you stay by the lockers. Focus your fire on whatever Daea and Jesi-Sera are fighting, but if they switch targets and you think you can finish off a monster, do that. I will get into a flanking position.”

  Jesi-Sera stood tall, radiating confidence. “Daea, it’s us up at the front. Feel up to it?”

  Daea jumped and gave her a high five.

  “Eli, those fireballs are looking good. How’re ye feeling?”

  The Smart swung his arms stylishly and struck his Bruce Lee pose.

  “Great plan, Chuck. Your experience and knowledge are invaluable. Ye ready?”

  Chuck nodded and disappeared

  As soon as Jesi-Sera turned the handle, the heavy door flung open. Five brutes wielding hockey sticks stormed out of the equipment room.

  “Orccs,” Jesi-Sera shouted as she was pushed back.

  The Orccs were humanoid, but bigger, stronger, uglier, hairier, and smellier than a regular person. Their whiskered faces were dark and scarred. Anger flared in their eyes. Daea stood not much higher than their knees. They wore full hockey equipment, except rather than skates, their large, hairy feet stood them solidly on the dressing room floor.

  “Prepare to meet your doom, ye filthy beasts,” Jesi-Sera screamed as her body radiated and she thrust her hands toward them. Her Fear affected only one of the monsters and it faded into the Suffering. The rest made her the focus of their rage.

  The monsters grunted and howled as they surrounded the girls, who stood back-to-back. Using a well-executed aikido chop, Jesi-Sera delivered a blow to the Orcc on her left, but it glanced off its chest pad.

  Daea adopted her tiger pose and leg swept the monster in front of her. The girl’s foot rebounded off the monster’s leg as it speared her with its stick. Daea tried to deflect the blow, but winced as the bottom of the shaft struck the top of her shoulder.

  The remaining Orccs all hacked at Jesi-Sera, who was able to deflect an overhead smash, but took slashes to her hip and ribs.

  Eli, who stood in a locker, hit the Orcc that flanked Jesi-Sera’s rear with a deep, red fireball trailed by yellow flames. The monster filled the room with howls of pain.

  With so many incoming attacks, Jesi-Sera adopted a defensive stance and did her best to block the incoming blows. She grimaced as a blade caught her on the side of her head.

  Daea and the Orcc she fought exchanged blows back and forth.

  Eli threw a dud fireball.

  Chuck appeared and charged the Orcc nearest the door. He landed a double jump front kick, which caused the monster to stumble. “We should draw them back. They’ll be easier to fight outside.”

  Jesi-Sera squeezed through the opening. “Aye. Daea, get beside me. Eli, keep back and keep shooting. Chuck, disrupt where you can.”

  Before Daea could escape, a massive glove caught her around the waist. The Orcc smashed her into the ground three times before throwing her across the room. The Orcc Chuck had attacked regained its balance, spotted Daea on the ground, and charged the girl. She dodged a kick, but a punch from its gloved fist caused her head to bounce off the floor. The two Orccs near Jesi-Sera wound up and hit the Charm with swinging uppercuts. She flew into the ceiling, then fell hard to the ground.

  Eli fizzled another fireball as he ran for the hallway. Chuck threatened snap kicks as he retreated. Jesi-Sera and Daea pulled themselves off the ground and met at the doorway in front of the boys.

  The Orccs’ noses flared. They banged their sticks on the floor, roared, and charged. The door into the hallway exploded into splinters as the team was slammed into the hall floor. Hockey sticks shattered as they swung down at the young vampires. The monsters jabbed with their broken sticks. The Childaar yelled in pain as sharp stakes stabbed at them.

  Jesi-Sera and Daea pushed back against the beasts. Chuck helped Eli off the floor and down the hall. The Smart spun and launched a fast, hard blast into the pack of monsters. The Orcc it struck howled as it melted into the darkness of the Suffering.

  The crowd in the stadium cheered as the Senators tied the game.

  “Is everyone OK?” the team leader asked.

  “I’m fine,” Chuck replied.

  “Me too,” Eli said.

  Daea crouched like a tiger and yelled, “Let’s finish this!”

  The Orccs dropped the broken sticks and began to throw heavy punches. Jesi-Sera and Daea grunted as they absorbed the blows. Rage and hate filled the monsters’ eyes as they pushed the team back.

  “Daea, stay low. Incoming.” Eli launched a dense, yellow fireball. Another Orcc wailed before it dissipated into inky swirls.

  “Great shot,” Jesi-Sera shouted.

  Eli fist pumped the air. “Yeah!”

  The two remaining Orrcs closed in on Jesi-Sera. Daea distracted one as she ran up its body and raked its face. Jesi-Sera soaked more punches but held her ground in front of the boys. Chuck protected Eli, who launched a ball of flame from the end of a centerline punch. The projectile exploded from his fist and annihilated the Orcc upon which Daea rode. The girl jumped off and landed on the last Orcc. She scratched at the monster’s face while Jesi-Sera delivered a knife hand strike to its face. Chuck moved forward and finished the brute with a simple front kick.

  The team didn’t have time to celebrate before a pounding noise emanated from the locker room. The damaged door blew apart as a sickly gray, bulbous but humanoid creature with six hands, each with a hockey stick, burst through. The creature’s head was large and round, just like its eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Tiny, sharp, crooked teeth protruded from fat crimson lips. It turned in the hallway to face the team.

  “Trolle,” Chuck yelled.

  “Hold the line,” Jesi-Sera said.

  The massive monster gurgled and lumbered forward. The hockey sticks swung wildly as the gargantuan creature bore down on the Childaar.

  Daea and Jesi-Sera formed a defensive wall. Chuck vanished while Eli readied a fireball.

  Jesi-Sera found room between the battery of sticks and tried to throw the massive creature to the
ground. She got her foot behind the Trolle’s leg but couldn’t get enough leverage to push it over. Daea moved in low. She jumped on the Trolle’s leg, but when she grabbed on to its waist to climb further, a stick struck her on the head, and she fell to the ground. Eli launched a fireball, but it barely damaged the monster’s thick hide.

  Loud squeaks came from down the hallway as an unusually large rat rounded the corner.

  “Shadow-Rats,” Chuck called, appearing behind the Trolle.

  “What?” Daea asked as she kick flipped off the floor.

  “The Suffering transformed my summoned animals into Shadow-creatures.”

  The rats were now bigger and scarier, and not at all friendly. They stampeded through the corridor. They crawled on and over Childaar and monster alike, biting and scratching everything.

  Eli screamed in pain. He tried to shoot a fireball but lost concentration and it faded into nothing.

  Chuck ran around the Trolle, grabbed Eli, and pulled him further down the hall. He pointed at a door with an exit sign above it. “Get outside. Now.”

  The Trolle’s sticks continued to whirl. Jesi-Sera and Daea blocked, wove, and dodged the attacks, but were unable to land any of their own.

  “Ready to make a break?” the leader asked.

  Daea nodded and shook a Shadow-Rat off her arm.

  The girls jumped away from the Trolle. They kicked and hurdled dozens of rats as they sprinted toward the exit. Eli and Chuck had just opened the door.

  A biting wind filled with hard sleet hit them as they moved into the cold, moonlit evening. A loud horn and cheer erupted from the stadium as the home team scored a goal. Rats and waves of Suffering poured out behind them. The Childaar used the open space to escape from the packs of rats.

  Unable to fit through the door, the Trolle smashed at the door frame.

  A coach bus sat parked not far from the door. A red, white, and blue crest which read “New York” across the top and “Rangers” diagonally through the logo was stuck to the front window.

  The Shadow-Rats chased and bit the Childaar. Eli tripped, but Chuck helped him up.

  “Get on the bus,” Jesi-Sera yelled as she leapt and climbed onto the vehicle’s roof. She helped pull Daea atop, where they waited to assist the boys.

  A shadow flickered in the sky, then against the backdrop of the night, four purple bird monsters with sleek bodies, long necks, thick talons, and sharpened bills swooped out of the sky.

  Daea dropped to her stomach, but Jesi-Sera got scratched by the flying creatures.

  “Fantalons,” Jesi-Sera shouted. She stumbled but caught herself from falling off the bus.

  Eli hobbled and jumped. Daea caught his hand and pulled him up. Chuck appeared beside them. He surveyed the sky.

  The exit door exploded as the Trolle stepped into the cold night.

  The Fantalons had circled and launched another dive attack. Jesi-Sera caught one out of the air and smashed it against the top of the bus. Daea delivered a roundhouse kick to another as it swooped away. They both turned into wispy strands of Suffering, which rolled over the bus and onto the snowy ground.

  Chuck cupped his hands to his mouth and released a high-pitched screech. He looked at the ground and said, “Eli, get some Fire on those rats. We can’t have them swarm us up here.”

  Eli stood at the bus’s edge. He threw yellow and orange fireballs. Big explosions eliminated groups of rodents. The rats on the periphery of the blasts grew smaller and scampered into the night.

  The Trolle lumbered forward. It dropped the hockey sticks and pounded and pushed the large vehicle. The Childaar struggled to keep their balance.

  Jesi-Sera, battered and bruised, said, “Get to our vehicle. Trolles are slow and we can outrun it. If possible, we’ll stop occasionally so Eli can get some shots off. If our situation hasn’t improved when we arrive, we may have to abort.”

  A whistling sound preceded a diving flight of Fantalons. They all targeted the Smart. Jesi-Sera jumped in front of Eli to block him from getting hit. She grabbed one, and using its momentum against it, threw it down onto the bus. It dissipated into blackness. The remaining monsters found their target as they pecked, clawed, and raked the young boy, who fell unconscious.

  Chuck picked up the Smart in a fireman’s carry. “Let’s go!” He jumped off the side. Jesi-Sera and Daea jumped after him. The team sprinted across the parking lot.

  Daea looked behind her and saw the Trolle’s muscles strain as it picked up and threw the bus at them. She screamed, “Watch out,” as the massive vehicle flew through the air.

  Her warning was too late. Daea managed to avoid the attack, but Chuck and Jesi-Sera tumbled across the concrete road as they were hit. Chuck lost hold of Eli, who skidded off to the side.

  Daea ran to her knocked out teammates while swatting away the Fantalons. The Trolle continued to walk toward them.

  The young vampire screamed and charged the Trolle. She felt a strange sensation in her hands. She looked down and saw razor sharp claws protruding from her fingers. The Hardy pounced at the creature with her newfound Gift.

  The Trolle howled, then smashed her with fists the size of car tires. Daea took the blows, counterattacking with slashes and swipes. The combatants beat on each other until Daea clawed her way up the monster’s body and finished it by ripping off its lower jaw. The creature gurgled and melted into a large pool of inky darkness.

  An aerial battle ensued overhead as the girl limped back to her team. A parliament of owls engaged the Fantalons. The battle didn’t last long. The owls overwhelmed and destroyed the air monsters. The Suffering returned to its normal state.

  Eli stirred. “What happened?”

  Daea knelt by her friend. “It’s OK, we won. I defeated the Trolle.”

  Eli struggled to sit. “Really?”

  Daea held up her hand and extended her claws before quickly retracting them back into her fingers.

  “I knew it,” the boy said with a smile as he pulled himself off the ground.

  They picked up their fallen companions and returned to the SUV.

  “How about this,” Eli said, “the two rookies saving the day.”

  Daea shook her head. “No, if it wasn’t for Jesi-Sera and Chuck, we never would have gotten this far.”

  Eli nodded. “I guess, but still …”

  “No buts,” Daea said with determination in her voice. “We are a team. We win and lose together.”

  They laid the Childaar in the backseat.

  “So, should we try this again?” the girl asked.

  “Because last time went so well.”

  “It was a learning experience.”

  “I guess we don’t have much of a choice.”

  Daea found a box of emergency supplies in the back of the vehicle. She placed it on the driver’s seat and climbed in. “Sit on the floor and put your feet on the pedals. I’ll hang my feet over your shoulders and push down on the right for gas and on the left for brake.”

  It didn’t take them long to work out a driving system. They merged onto the Queensway and drove home. Traffic was sparse since the hockey game hadn’t yet finished. As they approached the exit to the museum, a woman in a white car passed them. She looked shocked to see such a young girl in the driver’s seat. Daea grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.