The Action Man Series

X’s Dream

Chapter 2

Alex raised the bazooka and fired it at the helicopter. The helicopter started to swerve away but the missile hit the tail. The helicopter rocked from the impact then started to fly away. It got about a hundred yards away when it crashed into the ground, exploding into a hundred pieces.

"Come on," Grey shouted at Alex, "we have to find out who’s piloting that thing." They jumped climbed up the side of one of the houses and got onto the ground. They could see the helicopter in the distance and –

Someone jumped out of it. Alex started running towards the crash. There were a few trees around the area, a large cliff-face about fifty yards from the helicopter, and grassland. There would be no escape for the killer.

Alex saw the person look his way and start to run towards the rock wall. "No escape," he yelled as he got closer. "Put your arms on your head."

It was Asazi, Alex could now tell. She started trying to climb up the rock cliff. Alex stopped running and pulled a 9 mili-meter Smith & Wesson from its holster at his side. He took aim and fired. Asazi fell to the ground.

Alex had fired a few feet above her head to try and scare into falling down. Alex then ran to her and stopped. She was lying on the ground; her back turned to Alex. He raised the pistol and said, "I know you’re awake, Asazi."

"I never could fool you pretty boy," she said and turned over. "Oh," she said, surprise in her voice. "Didn’t know you liked that kind of hardware pretty boy," she said, looking at his pistol. "Yeah, whatever. Now who sent you Asazi?"

She smiled and tilted her head to one side. "What would make you think I would tell you something like that?"

Alex frowned. She’s up to something, his instincts told him. She slowly got to her feet, saying as she got up, "Since you had an…unpleasant encounter yesterday, I figured I would brighten your week."

Alex smiled a fake smile. "Well since you were so kind, perhaps you’d be so kind to tell me who sent you?"

She grinned. "You think its Dr. X, don’t you?" She laughed as if it were the stupidest thing. "That is the stupidest thing. You defeated Dr. X. Now who do you think took over his…things?"

Then it hit Alex. "The Council of Thirteen. So there really is one." Coach Grey just reached him. "Ah, the killer Asazi. What brings you out here to try and kill me?" As an afterthought he added, "Again."

Asazi laughed her seductive laugh. "Well I…gotta say, you all are some pricey heads on the market right now." She laughed again. "Very pricey indeed." Asazi looked Grey in the eye.

"So Coach, what do we do with her," Alex asked. Grey answered, "Take her back to the cavern. Have Grinder, Fidget, and Ricky work on reconstructing the metal roof and we’ll…talk with Asazi."

With that, they put Asazi in handcuffs and brought her back to the cavern

-

"Well, well, well," said Asazi. "They fell for it after all."

"Of course they did," replied a rough voice. "Give the binoculars so I can see." Asazi handed the binoculars over to the man. He watched as Action Man and Simon Grey hauled off the fake assassin. "My dream will come true…or more specifically, X’s dream."

-

"LET ME AT HER, RIGHT NOW," screamed Fidget as she tried to get past Alex. Her fists were raised and she looked like she was ready to take on Asazi one-on-one. Alex held her back, his hand around her waist.

If I keep this up, will he keep his hand wrapped around me, Fidget thought. "LET ME AT HER!" She struggled to get past Alex, but not hard enough to actually get past him.

"Fidg," shouted Alex. "Calm down." He put his hands on her shoulders and she stopped, shocked that he was actually touching her shoulders. "Fidg-," I love it when he calls me that, "-cool it okay? We need you to help fix the roof. Coach says the weathers’ gonna get bad tonight."

"Oh, okay," mumbled Fidget. She stuck her tongue out at Asazi as she turned back.

Alex turned back to Grey. "So what now Coach Grey?"

"We wait. I will stand guard outside tonight. You will watch her and make sure she doesn’t try anything. I have a feeling that we aren’t going to have tonight. I predict rainy weather too."

Alex nodded. He understood both meanings of ‘rainy weather’.

-

Asazi yawned and finally fell asleep.

Alex had to yawn too. It was one in the morning when she finally conked out. Alex got up. "I need a cup o’ coffee right about now." It was the biggest secret he kept from his friends. He loved coffee.

Wasn’t much, but then again, he didn’t keep secrets from people. Alex walked down to the living room and poured himself a cup of coffee. He yawned. He had had a whole day of training, then had to fight a helicopter, and even now, he had to stay awake all night. He sipped some of the warm coffee…

"Ah," he said quietly, the warm liquid going down his throat. Then he noticed a slight aftertaste. "That’s odd," he said to himself.

Suddenly Asazi’s voice was behind him and he whirled around to see Asazi standing in the doorway. "How did-," Alex started to say when she cut him off. "So you like my wonder-drink huh?"

Alex blinked. Then he started laughing. This was so stupid. He laughed even harder and harder. He drank more coffee, as if hoping it would calm him down. When he finished the cup, the last drop, he fell to the floor…unconscious.

Asazi rolled her eyes. The ‘aftertaste’ was a special chemical that gives the human brain more energy than it can take. Then, it cuts it off in a single instant, shutting it down for a few hours. Harmless. Asazi mumbled the word ‘rookie’ at Alex and wondered how she was going to pick him up.

Then she shrugged. "Oh well," and hoisted him up and over her shoulder. She walked down to the end of the cavern, where Simon Grey was standing on the ladder. His head was above the cavern, surveying the landscape outside for any…suspicious movement.

Asazi shook her head, mumbling the word ‘stupidity’. She yanked his leg down off the ladder. Grey let out a yell and fell down the ladder, hitting his head on the floor. She shook her head again. Then climbed up the ladder, carelessly not checking to see if Grey was unconscious.

Once she was outside, she walked toward the rock cliff. A small engine noise could be heard in the distance. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, an F-18 Hornet appeared, hovering a few feet off the ground. Tempest could be seen inside.

Asazi climbed up a ladder on the side and dumped Alex’s body in her seat. She then got in herself, and scooted him over so she actually had room.

"Let’s go," she said to Tempest and he nodded. The plane started to fly when a sudden light flashed in the distance and Tempest yelled, "EJECT!"

Asazi yelled, " CRAP," and hit the eject button. The windshield above her slid back and the seat flew from the plane in half-a-second. She was thrown from the seat, Action Man’s body flying away too. She flew straight into a tree and…lost consciousness. Unfortunately, there was a gash in her head, hidden by her green hair. It gushed with blood.

Action Man hit the ground and rolled the commotion bringing him back to full alert and awareness. "What the…whoa!"

The Hornet blew up, the wing flying straight at Alex. Alex hit the dirt and it flew over him, cutting off a few hairs…when it was behind him, Alex got up on his feet. What in the world is going on?!

He started to head back to the cavern when he heard a voice in the tree he was walking by. A young, mad voice. "Hey! Action Puny, wanna piece of ME?! Alex started to look up but Tempest had already jumped out of the tree.

Alex’s knees collapsed under Tempest’s weight. "Prepare to DIE, Action Man," Tempest yelled, aiming the two metal rods at Alex’s head. He-

BLAM!

The gun fired the bullet straight into Tempest’s heart, the bullet going all the way through and hitting a tree behind Tempest. Tempest fall back, dead. Blood was on the grass behind him and he fell onto it…

Alex got up and looked at Tempest, then at his killer…Coach Grey. Grey looked at the ground. "It’s not an easy job we have," he said simply.

Alex nodded in agreement…then exploded. "What the hell do you think your doing? You killed him! And he’s only about 20 years old. You IDIOT! There is always an alternative!" Alex stopped and looked at Tempest’s limp body. A pool of blood was slowly surrounding it.

Alex shook his head in disgust and walked away.

"I’m sorry," Coach Grey whispered. It wasn’t for Alex, or himself. It was for Tempest. Grey fell to his knees. He had killed a boy. "What have I done," he moaned. This is horrible…" And Simon Grey started crying…

-

It was a sad thing. To watch Alex and Coach Grey bury the poor kid…I shook my head.

Grey said that it had to be done, or Alex would’ve died…it still wasn’t right. He didn’t have to kill him. He could’ve just shot a hand or arm, or he could’ve just shot into the air for all we know…

I sighed and turned around. Asazi had disappeared. So we still had to look for her. I started walking. I didn’t know why, but I felt like I needed some air. I mean, some air. I hopped into the convertible, started the engine and took off. I heard Fidget yelling for me to stop. I didn’t.

I cruised toward the nearest town, something like ‘Adorer’ or something. I entered the city, found the theater and walked inside. I still had a few dollars. I needed something to take my mind off of…recent events.

I watched a movie called ‘Vixen’. It was disgusting. Just a bunch of people touching other people and rubbing on each other……

I left about thirty minutes into it. As I walked back outside I saw the rating: nc-17. Oh well, I thought. I guess you always should check the rating before you check the movie. I decided to go the park. It was still a little cooler up here in Canada. A few patches of snow in a few shaded spots.

I found the park and parked the convertible. As I walked through the park, I passed several people, some asking, "How are you doing, mate," with a British accent, and others asked the same with a different accent.

Definitely a different place then Jamaica.

I walked around the park a few times, after about an hour I reached the convertible and drove back to Grey’s place. Or Grey’s pieces it seemed to be lately.

Something had happened. I could tell immediately, as I drove up the driveway (a little trail) to his place. I parked on the driveway and then realized what was bugging me. Burn marks on the walls around the place.

I jumped out of the convertible and crawled toward the…cavern?! It was destroyed. Completely obliterated. You could hardly tell it used to be there. "Fidget," I yelled, searching for them. I looked under the burnt metals and burning wood…nothing.

Nobody.

"I got lucky," I said to myself. "I left just in time."

"You weren’t- ack- lucky," said somebody from behind me.

I jumped up and whirled around to see Fidget! She was pushing a huge piece of metal off of her. "Are you all right," I asked as I helped her up.

"They killed Vinny," she complained, then added, "And they took Ricky, Grey, and Alex." She looked okay; burnt in a couple places but okay.

"So what happened," I asked.

"About two minutes after you left, two F-18 Hornets flew over the canyon and bombed the place. I was looking at some of the wreckage of the first Hornet and…BOOM!" I jumped. "Suddenly Alex was doing his ‘super-power thingy’ and Grey was yelling and Ricky was screaming…," she lowered her head and shook it. "I ran and hid under a tree. But a few explosions later and I was flying into the cavern.

"Then a wall fell on me and…well, here I am. All I know is that they also had a helicopter."

I nodded. "I don’t suppose you’d know who they are, would you?"

She frowned and yelled, "DON’T YOU THINK I WOULD’VE TOLD YOU IF I KNEW!!!???"

She was stressed, I could tell. "Calm down, Fidget. I was just wondering. So, what do we do now?"

She just shrugged. We walked back to the convertible and climbed in. I started ‘er up and cruised back down to Adorer. We then parked in the park and slept in the convertible, sleeping to soft, classical music tunes……

So is it getting better? I don’t know yet…I haven’t really planned the story…heck, I never do. But I’ll keep going. I don’t think it’ll be as long as my other story. Anyway, tell me what you think and I’ll get back at you!