Another Front Part 2 - Tales of the Parodyverse

     “I swear this to you. While my body still draws breath, I will see you avenged. I will see that this Parody Master does not destroy another race as he has ours. I will see him dead.”

    Gamona looked away from the Portal of Pretentiousness as the image of the last son of Equin left the remains of his race behind. The picture faded as the Portal resumed the appearance of a mirror.

    “And,” loomed the Hooded Hood from the shadows, “what have you decided?”

    She turned to face him. “He bears a warrior’s pain.”

    “That is not an answer to my question,” pointed out the arch-villain.

    Gamona did not answer as she stood and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

* * * * *

    Gamma Ray Gary flew through space, letting Ljouis, his enchanted baseball bat with a nail in it, pull him along. Now that he had buried his race he was forced to face the reality that while his blood boiled at the very thought of the Parody Master, he did not know how to find him.

    Not for the first time did Gary consider using Ljouis to transport himself to Earth to gain the aid of Donar Oldmanson. And again, Gamma Ray Gary discarded the notion.

Vengeance would be his and his alone.

    Gary glanced behind him. He could no longer see the planetoid where he had buried the Equinites. He turned and refocused his gaze forward. There was no going back.

    Time lost all meaning to Gary as he soared through space. He was alone with his thoughts, growing more bitter and angry as time passed. A passing meteor was obliterated with a single blow, though it did not make the warrior feel any better.

    Gary was finally considering setting down on the next inhabited world to get his bearings when he spotted a red and gold craft in the distance. For a moment he felt a pang of sorrow at the memory of his faithful sentient ship, Buttkeskutt. The finest starship the Equinites had ever created had sacrificed itself against the Avawarriors. In vain, Gary thought darkly.

He was preparing to move on when he saw a yellow light darting erratically around the ship. He thought it odd at first, then even odder as he saw a hole in the hull. Then he gave it no more thought as he prepared to move on. He had not the time to give pause.

That was when his Ausgardian powers disappeared.

* * * * *

    “Interesting,” the Hooded Hood noted. He cradled his fingers as he contemplated the scene before him.

    “Proceed.”

* * * * *

    What sorcery is this?! thought the Equinite in alarm. He gave Ljouis a shake, as if that would fix whatever problem the weapon was having. Where have my powers gone?!

    Gary had reverted to his “natural” form of a cybernetically-enhanced Equinite. Fortunately he was able to survive unaided in space before his fateful meeting with the Ausgardian HemiGod of Thunder. Unfortunately he was nowhere near as mobile.

    The small jets in his legs activated as he made his way for the ship. It would seem that I must pause to help these people in hopes that they will aid me. As he moved closer he could see the yellow light was actually a humanoid. A humanoid doing battle, apparently defending the ship. His attackers were…Avawarriors!

    Gary’s blood curdling roar could not be heard in the vacuum of space as he barreled into the nearest creature. He ripped the Avasword from the hands of his opponent before the creature could react and then beheaded it with its own weapon.

    Two more Avawarriors oriented on Gary, doing their best to flank him. Gary lashed out with a blow that should have taken the head off of the nearest Avawarrior. Instead the creature was knocked away, but it quickly righted itself and resumed its attack.

    Though my strength is still great, it is far below the standard I usually enjoy, Gary thought as he grappled with an Avawarrior. It was another of the variety he had fought before, a beast with little finesse but great savagery. He struggled with the Avawarrior as its teeth gnashed at his face.

    Another set of teeth sunk into his shoulder and dug in, trying to tear a large chunk of flesh and muscle from his body. Gary howled silently in pain, but he could do nothing to protect himself while he was occupied with the other creature.

    “Hang on buddy, I’m coming!” a voice rang out. Gary was so surprised he almost lost his grip on the Avawarrior in his face. A yellow beam of light blasted the Avawarrior in his grasp, sending it spinning away. With his hands now free, Gary ripped the Avawarrior from his back and hurled it into its partner.

    A yellow trash compactor surrounded the two Avawarriors, projected by Gary’s unknown ally. Gary couldn’t hear the crunch as the compactor did its job. He watched their deaths with a sick satisfaction.

    Gary quickly looked around for more Avawarriors. It was then he remembered his on-board tracking systems. It had been quite awhile since he had last reverted to his old form. He activated his systems now, sweeping the area for more Avawarriors.

    He found only one more, inside the ship. His rockets flared as he flew towards the hole in the hull. He landed inside, quickly taking in his surroundings. The interior of the ship looked as if a wild animal had gotten loose. Bulkheads were smashed, personal possessions were strewn about, and scorch marks marred the entire cabin.

    He found a sealed hatch. Sealed, he assumed, due to the wound in the ships hull he had entered through. He pitted his strength against the door, but found he could not force it more than a few inches. That was then, through the small opening he could manage, he heard the cryimg of a small child. And the snarl of their assailant.

    “NOO!!” cried Gary. With a tremendous heave he threw the doors open wide and barreled through, the doors quickly sealing shut again once he as through. A single Avawarrior was menacing a small group of people. A mother cradled her son to her as the child wailed.

    The creature then charged the group, and Gary was too far away. “Not this day monster!” he shouted as he instinctively drew Ljouis from his belt. Lightning lanced forth from the Ausgardian weapon and seared the Avawarrior, dropping it to the floor.

    Gary charged forward to ensure the creature was down. He hadn’t yet noticed his Ausgardian raiment had returned, nor had he stopped to think about how he had stopped the creature. He stood between the frightened aliens and the Avawarrior. He prodded it with Ljouis, and it did not respond.

    “It’s alright now,” he assured them. “The danger has passed.”

    “We thank you, stranger,” said one of the women, straightening her red uniform as she stood. A boy Gary assumed was her son had his head buried in his mothers shoulder.

    “I…am glad that I could help,” Gary said. It was then he noticed that his Ausgardian powers had returned. What could have caused my power to abandon me so? Perhaps a problem in Ausgard? Gary decided to ponder the problem later.

    “Everyone okay in here?” the energy-sheathed man asked as he entered the cabin. A yellow wall projected from a bracelet on his wrist plugged the hole in the hull behind him. There was a rush of wind as the cabin pressure equalized with the other compartment.

    “We are fine,” answered the woman. “The Clan Klayhog would thank you as well. I am Yesmin.”

“My pleasure ma’am. All part of the job,” the man clad in yellow and black bowed . “Name’s D’ur Acell, Power Bracelet carrying member of the Yellow Flashlight Corps.” He glanced behind him at the hole he was plugging. “I don’t suppose you have anything a little more permanent to deal with our little problem back there, do you?”

    One of the Klayhog was working at a console in the front of the cabin. “Give me but a moment,” said one of the Klayhog. “I am Argo, leader of the Clan Klayhog. It is good to meet you in person, Donar Oldmanson,” he said to Gary.

    Though it did not happen often due to his Equinite features, most prominently his horse-like face, this was not the first time Gary was mistaken for the Ausgardian who granted him his power. “I am afraid you are mistaken, Argo. While I would call Donar Oldmanson my brother, I am not he. My name is Gamma Ray Gary.”

    “My apologies, my friend,” said Argo, tapping a few more buttons. “And there!”

    “Whoo!” came a voice from the loudspeakers in the cabin. “Anyone get the number of that transport carrier?”

    “Are you alright, Sally?” asked the Clan Elder, Broto. Gary and the Yellow Flashlight looked around in confusion.

    “Umm, am I missing something here?” asked D’ur. “Is somebody trapped in another compartment?”

    “I am the compartment,” said Sally. “And the engines, and the bridge, and the bulkheads…”

    “I think they understand, Aunt Sally,” Yesmin stopped her. “Sally is an Austernal exploration vessel, a sentient vessel. She has been with us for some time now, our partner and friend. We have been through a great deal together.”

    A sentient ship. Gary once again was reminded of his destroyed companion.

    “Wait a minute, are you THE Aunt Sally?!” asked D’ur Acell excitedly. “The Aunt Sally of Earth in the Transworld Challenge?”

    “One and the same,” agreed the ship happily. “You can drop your forcefield now D’ur. My auto-repair systems are back on-line.”

    D’ur stopped powering the barrier with his will as Aunt Sally took over. Gary took a moment to admire the Austernal craft; it seemed that the Austernal craft’s systems were on par with Buttleskutts.

    “Wow, I can’t believe I helped rescue a galactic hero!” said D’ur, clearly awestruck. “It was the Earth team in the Challenge that inspired me to become a Yellow Flashlight!”

    “Our friends in the Lair Legion inspired a great many people that day,” agreed Yesmin. “Were it not for their aid little Whitnos would not be here today.”

    “And what of you Gary? What brings you out this way?” asked the canary-coloured champion.

    Gary nudged the Avawarrior with his boot. “I seek this one’s master.”

    “Whoa, really? Why would you want to find the Parody Master? We’ve been stretched pretty thin just trying to contain his forces wherever they spring up. We don’t have enough Flashlights free to think of taking him on,” asked D’ur.

    “He,” Gary choked on the words, this being the first he had spoken to another being on the subject, “had my people slaughtered. I am the only one left.”

    The cabin was hushed as the group digested the news. Yesmin stepped forward and laid a comforting hand on Gary’s shoulder. He shrugged it off and took a step back. He did not wish comfort.

    “We are sorry for your loss, Gamma Ray Gary,” said Broto. “If there is anything the Clan Klayhog can do to ease your suffering, you have but to ask.”

    “The death of the Parody Master is all that will soothe my pain,” answered Gary grimly.

    “Do you even know where to look for him?” asked D’ur.

    “No, I do not. But I will find him. My people cry out for vengeance and through me they will have it. That is all that matters.”

    Yesmin handed her son to Argo, then approached Gary. “Vengeance will not ease your pain, brave warrior. Our people learned this many, many years ago. If you feel the need to do battle with the Parody Master, do it to safeguard the innocent, not to spill blood for its own sake.”

    “She’s got a point buddy,” said D’ur. “The Flashlights take a vow against such actions for a reason.”

    “I am not a Yellow Flashlight. I am the last of the Equinites. If the danger to the Clan has passed, I will be moving on.” Gary looked for an airlock. “If you will show me the way out.”

    “Wait,” said Yesmin. “While I do not condone your course, I sense within you a core of nobility and justice. I cannot tell you where the Parody Master is, but I can tell you where he will be. I have faith that your true nature will win out.”

    “How do you know of this?” asked Gary suspiciously.

    “I am a Seeress. It is my way to know.” Yesmin concentrated for a few moments, then spoke again. “Aunt Sally, will you please pull up a star chart with our current position?”

    “Anything for your dear,” said the whiz wagon as a star chart came up on the main monitor. A bright red glow indicated their current position.

    “We are here,” said Yesmin, indicating the glow. “You will find the Parody Master there. The planet of Maxel.”

    “Maxel? But the Parody Master wiped out all the Maxellains, didn’t he?” questioned the Flashlight. News of such events traveled quickly within the Corps.

    “That I do not know,” admitted Yesmin. “But I can see your path leading there, Gary.”

    “Thank you for your help,” said Gary as he pulled Ljouis from his belt. “I will take my leave now to avenge my people.” He began to spin the enchanted baseball bat above his head to open a portal. Nothing happened.

    “Not again!” he cried in dismay. His powers had faded once more, leaving him in his cybernetic form. He could see the question on the face of all in the cabin. “My powers have been…fluctuating, of late.”

    “Can you still travel unaided?” asked Argo.

    “Only for short distances,” Gary admitted. “I shall have to find transport on the nearest planet.”

    “Not necessarily,” D’ur spoke up. “It seems to me that if the Parody Master is going to Maxel, there has to be a reason. A reason the Smuurfii, the little blue guys behind the Corps, would love to know about. I’ll give you a ride.”

    D’ur gestured with his Power Bracelet and a yellow light engulfed him and Gary. He lifted off from the floor, but Gary did not budge. “Oh yeah!” said D’ur, smacking his forehead with the palm of his head. “Sorry, I’m still kind of new at this. My Power Bracelet can’t affect anything starting with the letter ‘G’.”

    “Are you serious?” asked Gary incredulously.

    “Afraid so. I don’t make the rules, buddy boy. Don’t worry, we’ll find a platform or something I can carry you on.” D’ur turned to the Clan Klayhog. “Sally, do you need any more assistance or are you alirght?”

    “I am fine. I’ve weathered a lot worse than this in my day,” the Austernal exploration vessel assured him. “Thanks for your help.”

    “Yes, thank you both. Go in peace,” said Yesmin. “You can pass through the force bubble above us to make your exit.”

    Gary fired his rockets with D’ur Acell following right behind. D’ur turned and waved farewell to the Clan Klayhog. Whitnos gave a tiny wave back.

    Gary did not turn back.

    “I pray he finds his true nature soon,” said Yesmin softly.

* * * * *

    “And?” asked the Hooded Hood.

    “I will go to him,” decided Gamona.

    The Hooded Hood’s eyes glowed green. “Excellent.”

To be continued…

Post By Hatman Wed Aug 16, 2006 at 10:10:51 pm EDT	Subject Another Front Part 2

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