The Action Man Series

X’s Dream

Authors Note: This chapter is rated PG-13

Chapter 5

The freezing air blew into the room harder than ever.

The snow blowing in harder than earlier too, creating a drift on one wall of the room. In one corner of the room, to right of the windows in which the air was coming from sat a shivering Ricky.

It was cold, his air turning into little ice spikes, or specifically, icicles. The blizzard outside was strengthening. Ricky could tell. He had already tried to break through the door. It was steel-enforced; in other words, impossible to break through.

Yeah, it was a sad situation…but Ricky didn’t think so. I deserve to die, he thought. I could’ve saved Grey. I could’ve help Fidget and Alex when they needed me. But I am a coward. He sat in the corner.

He knew that in about half-an-hour, if the wind worsened and the snow kept piling up, he would freeze alive.

Always wanting a part of the action but when it comes…

-

Action Man and Dr. X slowly walked through the increasingly powerful blizzard toward the huge fortress. "I thought that it was the Council of Doom," Alex commented.

X nodded. "That it was…but eventually three of the positions were already full so I realized that I need more people. It was renamed the Council of Thirteen…but of course, not by me."

Alex agreed and thought He isn’t too happy about the truth. I hope he doesn’t turn on me. Alex snapped out of it when X said, "I used to hate you very much Mr. Man. But now I realize that you were just trying to help the world."

"And even though I was too, I have come to realize that even though my intentions were good… they probably could’ve had…less violent solutions…"

Alex didn’t say anything; what was there to say? X was having a change of heart…sort of.

"I will, of course, continue my research and quest for neo-humanity, but…I will attempt less… casualty-wise courses of action."

Alex nodded and smiled. "That’s great X. Just hope that we live through this to continue that research."

X nodded. "We should have a plan. I will create a diversion; I will begin destroying all the security cameras and then, when I am about to be captured, tell you to go ahead. That way the path will be clear and they won’t know you’re there or know where you are."

Sounds good, Alex thought.

They reached the building. "Well X, I’ll keep in contact through the com-links. If you need back-up, just call." Alex smiled. "Good luck X."

X nodded. "And the same to you Mr. Man." Then Dr. X opened the door to the building and went inside, destroying the camera that monitored the front room in the process. Alex stepped inside and said, "I’ll wait here."

Dr. X smiled at him. "Good luck with your part Mr. Man. I shall, if I don’t die, respect your AMP Factor after this."

He will WHAT?!

Alex blinked and watched as X wheeled himself down the hall. The elevator doors opened and he went inside and then they shut, carrying him somewhere above Alex.

The wind shrieked outside; Alex grimaced. Things weren’t looking good…not good at all.

-

Tempest jerked awake.

He looked around the dark room he was in. He glanced up at the twenty small TV screens up on the wall in front of him. Twenty different rooms were displayed. Tempest looked closer at one and frowned.

He took his feet off the desk and grabbed a keyboard. He hit a few function keys and then glanced up at monitor 14. No difference. Still nothing but static and fuzziness.

Tempest picked up a nearby phone and said, "Check out 14," and then hung up. He glared at the monitor and said, "Stupid machines."

Then he got back into his chair, put his feet back onto the desk and thought about his ‘replacement’. He heard the news a couple hours ago; he was shot through the heart. Tempest snorted. That geekaziod was definitely a replacement for the mission.

Heard that Asazi’s replacement was killed too, but lasted longer than his. Oh well, Tempest thought. The bitch could fight.

Tempest sat upright, very quickly…I just…cussed?!

He smiled and thought, she is a bitch! He smiled again. I could get used to this.

-

Grey realized he couldn’t even move his jaw; the spit inside had frozen the joints. Glad its stuck open, he thought. The light bulb had gone out a little while ago, and the blizzard was picking up. "Thi-thi-this shi-I-I-t is co-col-col-cold," he said; he kept moving his tongue so that it wouldn’t freeze.

I’d say I’ve got about ten minutes till I freeze over…about thirty until I die.

Simon Grey got up, walked over to the door and started beating on it for the hundredth time. No use, he thought. I’m just gonna…die.

Grey sat back down felt weariness come over him. It took a lot a energy to keep warm…Grey fought the urge to sleep. You sleep you die! But it was still there, tempting him for just on wink…

-

Alex jumped as he heard gunfire above him. Definitely gunfire.

His com-link popped on. "Mr. Man, I’ve encountered some…turbulence. Your assistance would be most-," he paused and made a grunting like a sound, "-appreciated."

"On my way," Alex replied. He ran down the hallway; he was a walking arsenal. Guns strapped around his legs, two guns wrapped around his back, ammo on his belt, and knives wrapped around his shins and arms.

"Time to check it out," he said to himself as he ran down the hallway, "dial it in," he said as the elevator door opened, "-and AMP IT UP!"

The elevator started rise as he punched in the 13^th floor button…then as Alex looked at the number pad more closely, he realized they were all 13. "Uh, X? I have a problem. Which thirteen on you on?"

No reply. But gunfire erupted and bullets tore into the elevator. Alex jumped to his right and hit the open-door button as he did. "My floor," he grunted and threw himself onto the floor.

It was war.

A long hallway went down and then came to a four-way intersection. Alex ducked as bullets streamed by him. On Alex’s side of the intersection was an overturned steel table, creating a wall of bulletproof metal. Bummer it was only five feet tall. There were some lamps on the sides of the walls scattered about around the hallway and a desk in a corner, on the opposite side of Alex.

On the opposite side was Asazi and Brandon! They were hiding and shooting from behind another intersection down the hallway. Alex ducked as another high-energy blast flew at him from Brandon’s…what the?!

On Brandon’s left arm was a gun strapped around his arm. It was totally cool…but deadly. It was basically Dr. X’s gun when Brandon was Dr. X or…whatever. Alex crawled up to the steel table.

Dr. X had fallen down; his lower-body mechanical attachment couldn’t pick him up. "So what do we do," asked Alex.

"We MUST KILL them," X replied in a sadistic voice. Enraged and out-of-control. It looked and sounded like X wasn’t having the best of days.

"Cool it," Alex said, almost laughing. Dr. X was always calm and polite even though they were enemies. "THEY WILL DIIIIIIIIEEEEE," he screamed again and pushed himself up with his hands.

He raised both hands, which were armed with automatics, and fired at Asazi and Brandon.

No, thought Alex. He’ll hurt Brandon! A voice in the back of his head seemed to say but he’s your enemy. No, Alex thought again. He’s just…just…

Purple liquid splattered onto Alex’s face. X flew back, his left arm no longer attached and his chest bursting with purple blood from multiple bullet holes. Purple blood began to soak into the floor and one more shot from Asazi’s crossbow sent X falling to the ground.

Alex crawled over to him and started to rip his shirt when X said, "Don’t even try, Mr. Man. I want to die…my life is a hoax and…" His head rolled to the left and his arms went limp. The mechanical heart slowly stopped pumping…

Alex closed his eyes shut…this wasn’t supposed to happen. NO ONE was supposed to get hurt.

His breathing became fast.

His adrenaline began to pump.

His heart racing and his brain beginning to use the AMP Factor.

He jumped to his feet, guns in hands and he yelled, "AMP IT UP!" The calculations flew into his head and out as he quickly estimated his best idea for taking them out. The little lamps on the wall, the steel table in front of him, Asazi and Brandon on the other end… He chose his pattern.

Action Man jumped toward the wall, feet first, then, when his feet hit the wall, he pushed himself up and popped up into the ceiling. Like he thought (or calculated), it was hollow, ventilation shafts above the fake cardboard ceiling.

Alex pulled the rest of himself up, a crossbow stabbing his leg as he yanked it up. Damn! He looked at his leg and pulled the crossbow out, throwing it to the ground. He crawled through the vents, getting away from the gunfire.

When he was above a different hallway, he busted out part of the ceiling and hung out, the lower half of his legs keeping him hanging from the ceiling. The gunfire ceased and he quietly pulled out the two 50-caliber pistols from his rib-holsters. He waited for the enemies to step away from their hiding placed and step into his view.

He saw a green crossbow peek out from behind a corner. I bet they have cardboard walls too, Alex thought with a nasty grin and aimed his pistol at where Asazi should be standing around the corner.

A grim look of hatred passed across Alex’s face and he fired three rounds. The crossbow was dropped and Alex grinned a nasty grin as he heard a cry of pain. Die!

Alex fired three more, then dropped out of his place in the ceiling. He walked quietly up to the corner. He could hear Brandon and Asazi saying something. "I..I…I wish we could’ve…actually had time for…" It was Asazi. "Sorry…Brando-do-don…"

Alex looked around the corner for a brief second. Asazi was choking up blood, Brandon holding her head in his arms, shaking his head. "NO!" Brandon’s yell was like a knife to Alex’s heart. He had…he had killed Brandon’s girl.

"Asazi! Don’t die! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!"

Tears formed in Alex’s eyes. He had done this. He had hurt Brandon so badly…and for what?

Alex turned and started to walk away, disgusted with himself…

-

All my life that freak has taken my life; my prizes, my trophies, my work, and now…Asazi. "Asazi, don’t die, please," I whimpered to her. She smiled and coughed up blood. After a few convulsions she finished her sentence.

"Brandon…I’m sorry but there is something that I must tell you before I…" She hacked up more blood, some of it splattering on my face. I didn’t care. My one love of life, taken from me. Taken from me by Alex Man…

"What is Anatzi," I asked, tears streaming like a river down my face. Anatzi was the fun name I called her. She reminded me of a Nazi so eventually I came up with that nickname.

She replied with a secret that killed me. Literally killed me…

"I…I…I love…I love you-," she stopped, coughing up more blood, "-and I…I love…Action Ma…" And she died. She didn’t finish the sentence but I knew…I knew! I wanted to die with her, to join her in heaven or hell. Whichever, I didn’t care. But…Alex. He had done this.

HE killed Asazi. The ONE love of my LIFE, and he had to kill HER.

My breathing went hard. He…Alex…tears came to my eyes. He was always better than I was. So much better than me. He took everything. My career, my friends, my one love…

Tears came into my eyes. Hundreds of them, like trilibugs. "I HATE YOUUUUUUUUU," I yelled. Or screamed.

My put my head in my hands. He would die. That is the one thing that must be done before I join Asazi in hell. I will do it. I will kill him. Taking everything from me…

I stood, revenge in my eyes. He would die. He would die. He would die. He would die. The thought ran through my head thousands of times, and every time, it got sweeter and sweeter.

I armed myself with guns. I don’t even know which ones. I didn’t care. Alex would die. All those times that he said he was my friend. All those times he lied. I started down the hallway. I heard an elevator ring. I saw Dr. X’s dead body on the floor behind a table, purple blood surrounding his body.

I went into a jog and screamed, "AAAALLLLEEEEEEEEXXXXXXXX!" I turned the corner, abandoning Asazi. Don’t worry, I told her. I’ll be there soon…

I saw the elevator doors shutting, Alex inside, a sad look piercing into me.

I didn’t care.

"DDDDDIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!"

His expression changed but the doors closed. I shot the door. At least a hundred times before a tiny portion of my rage was gone. There was hardly even a door left.

I hit the elevator button and the doors opened. Nobody. In that case, let the chase begin.