Sunday, October 18, 1987
Philadelphia Elite Squad
1st Precinct
Philadelphia, Pa
“Got another one,” Detective Grimes tells his partner as he approaches the desk. “Another rich guy up town cleaned out.”
“Same deal, witness saying it was him that closed out the accounts?” Detective Berger asks.
“Right down to the fingerprints,” Grimes replies. “Cleans out all of the targets accounts in one day without anyone getting wiser.”
“I’ve been thinking about it all morning,” Detective Berger says. “Assuming this is a Zeni-human, taking control of the target’s body is not possible because all of the victims have witnesses that say they were elsewhere when the thefts occurred.” “That leave only someone who can take on the target’s appearance completely, right down to fingerprints and voice prints.” “That would mean that the victims must have had some kind of contact with the Zeni.”
“Problem is there is nothing to connect any of these men,” Detective Grimes says flipping through his notebook. “Although when I interviewed this guy I got the same feeling that he was holding back something, like the others.”
“Which brings me to my next point,” Berger says. “What would all of these rich guys be doing that they didn’t want anyone to know about, even the cops?”
“Drugs?” Grimes suggests.
“Think more Biblical,” Berger says with a raised eyebrow.
“Hookers?” Grimes realizes instantly. “High end call girls no doubt.”
“My thought exactly,” Berger responds. “I know just the person to ask about it too.”
The Warehouse Apartments
Carol Lopez’s Loft
9 N 9th St,
Philadelphia, PA
Steve Roberts and Carol Lopez lounge on the large overstuffed sectional couch in the center of her living room. Their lips move over one another as tongues caress each other. Steve is lost in the passion of the kissing. He has never felt so excited in his life. His body is alive with sensation. Carol lets out a soft moan as their passion increases. He holds her tight around her waist with his left arm as her hand moves to unbutton his shirt.
Steve is so lost in the passion of the make out session that he does nothing to stop Carol as he hand slips under his open shirt. She slips her fingers through his chest hair exciting a moan from between their tightly pressed lips. As they continue to kiss Carol teases Steve’s nipple to a plump point on top of his pectoral mound.
This is Steve’s first true sexual experience and he is not sure what to do. He lets his instincts take over as he moves his right hand to her breast squeezing it gently. It is then that Carol moans feeling encouraged by him to take the next step.
Carol slides her hand down to the respectably large bulge in the front of his pants, giving his cock a squeeze. He moans again not wanting this excitement to end. She moves to unbuckle his belt. Her fingers quickly move for the button of his pants. Steve breaks their lip lock to look down at what she is doing. “Carol, what are you doing?” he asks with surprise.
“I’m getting this monster out,” she replies unzipping his pants.
“No, no, stop,” Steve says in a panic pulling his arm from under her back. Steve jumps to his feet, adjusting his hard-on and zipping up his pants. He looks down at Carol who slouches on the couch with a shocked look on her face. “I’m sorry but I can’t do that,” he tells her.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Carol shouts in not too happy of atone. “I am sopping wet here, I am so ready for a good hard fuck!”
“I’m so sorry I’m just not ready for that,” Steve says as he buckles his belt. He is a little shocked by Carol’s language but can understand her disappointment. The boner in his pants would like nothing more than to do what she wants but his fears override that desire.
“I think you should go!” Carol says. “I really don’t know how much longer I can wait for you to get ready.”
After pushing the elevator button Steve leans against the back wall, his shirt still open. What is wrong with me? he ponders. He wipes his hand down over his mouth drying it from the intense make out session that was just cut short. How am I ever going to be with a woman if I can’t get past this fear? Clearly my body wants to do it, it is just my brain that keeps getting in the way. I keep telling myself that when the time is right, when the right one comes along, but what if there is no right one or time? I conquered my fear of falling, but I still can’t get laid! What if Carol is the right one? How will I ever know?
The man known to so many as Master Warrior is on the verge of tears when the elevator stops and the doors open. An elderly lady dresses in a heavy winter coat with a small dog steps on the elevator. She eyes the man from head to toe, giving him a sly grin. “You better button up that shirt young man, you’ll catch your death outside tonight,” she giggled.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I was in a hurry,” Steve replies as his fingers move to button his shirt.
“I’ll bet you where, I do appreciate the show though,” the lady chuckles. “Always enjoy Ms. Lopez’s callers.”
“You know Ms Lopez?” Steve asks stepping up to stand next to the lady.
“Not directly but I’ve seen plenty riding this elevator,” the lady replies. “Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say the girl is loose but she always chooses the best prime beef.” “Like yourself,” the old lady smiles.
Steve isn’t sure if he should be flattered or question Carol’s lifestyle more. At any rate he decides he isn’t in the mood to go home when the elevator doors open at the lobby. He begins to walk down the city street. It is rather chilly but the cold never really bothers him much.
Hard Times Gentlemen’s Club
2865 N 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA
Steve has been walking around the city for hours not really intending to go anywhere in particular. He is rather surprised at what an uneventful walk he has had tonight. Not even so much as a pickpocket has crossed his path, It is far past midnight when Steve finds himself outside a strip club. He has sent hours going over his own drama, he is in desperate need of a distraction. He has never been in a strip club before, he hopes it will help him exercise his demons.
The club is dimly lit and smoky inside. Steve makes his way to the bar where behind it a girl dances on a raised stage around a brass pole. He watches the topless blonde as she swings around the pole wearing only a tiny pink thong and a red star over each nipple. “What can I get ya,” the bartender says to Steve breaking his concentration of the nude girl.
“What…What was that?” Steve asks looking to the older woman tending bar.
“Drink, what will you have to drink?” the woman repeats.
“Nothing, thanks,” Steve replies.
The bartender does not look happy as she tells him, “There is a two drink minimum to watch the titties.”
“Oh, okay, give me a 7 & 7,” Steve has never had that drink before but he heard it in a movie once. He pulls a twenty from his pocket and lays it on the bar. He can’t keep his eyes off the near nude blonde as she swings on the pole. Steve feels as if she is actually making eye contact with him. Her athletic skill on the pole is impressive as well.
“Here’s your drink,” the older barmaid says sliding the glass toward the young man and taking his money. “This your first time in here?” she asks when she returns with his change. Steve’s his attention is still held by the dancer.
“Yes, yes,” Steve stammers sipping the 7 & 7. Watching the girl he is now pretty sure that she is looking at every man at the bar the same way. Being raised by such a strong mother he can’t imagine why any girl would put herself on display this way for the ogling eyes of strangers. He looks to the other men along the bar, the one five stools down from him appears to have his hand down his pants.
“You know if you really want to get your money’s worth you should sit at a table, get a lap dance,” the bartender suggests as Steve gulps down the rest of his drink. He looks at the tables behind him where several men sit alone with strippers on their laps. The bartender takes his glass giving him a refill that is stronger than the first.
“I don’t know, this really isn’t my scene,” Steve says feeling very uncomfortable at the thought of a naked stranger wiggling on his lap.
“Do you like girls?” the older woman asks.
“YES!” Steve replies firmly, why does everyone keep asking him that? “Yes, I like girls!”
“Then you need to have the full experience!” she replies making Steve feel like she has a stake in the game.
Swilling down his second drink he passes the glass back to the bartender. “Make the next one stronger,” he tells her, even though he knows it will have little effect on him.
“Here you go sport,” the bartender says handing him the glass as he gets up from the bar stool. Steve leaves what was left of his first twenty as a tip on the bar. Walking through the dim bar he finds an unoccupied table to sit. It doesn’t take long for a big breasted red-head to make her way over to him.
“Would you like a dance?” she asks leaning forward shaking her big titties in his face.
“Yes please,” he says politely trying not to sound too nervous.
“Twenty dollars and you can call me Double Dee,” the stripper says lifting her big boobs to display them for him. Steve smiles not saying another word as he hands her the money. Her boobs are fantastic he thinks to himself. Double Dee then slides the table back away from his lap so she can shine her ass in front of him and across his lap. Steve remains speechless as he watches the blue string in her ass crack that hold her thong. She smell of her perfume almost overpowers the cigarettes that his keen nose picks up on her hair as she swishes it in his face.
Then DD turns around straddling his legs almost sitting on his lap as she wiggles those big titties in his face. “Ahhh, there we go,” DD says as she plops down on his lap. Steve knows what she is talking about. He can feel her body pinning his hard-on to his abdomen through his pants.
DD places her hands on his sweaty neck. Is he sweating? Steve thinks. He is just sitting in a chair, how can he be sweating?” He has no idea that there is more than one reason for the human body to produce sweat and this is one he has never experienced before tonight. She moves her hands to his broad shoulders feeling his muscles as she continues to slide on his lap stimulating the rod in his pants. Steve watches her face now as she dry humps him.
Suddenly the girl’s expression changes slightly from a fake smile to surprise as she continues to give him a lap dance. He is not sure why but his Danger sense flares slightly. He ignores the slight pain in the back of his skull as Double Dee comments, “Many powerful men come in this place but I never imagined one as powerful as you.” She leans forward running her tongue up the side of his face licking his salty sweat.
Shocked back to reality Steve realizes, “That is enough!” “I have to go,” Steve says pulling another five from his pocket to tip the girl as he pushes her back against the table getting up to leave.
“But you didn’t finish, did you?” DD calls after him. Almost in a blind panic Steve makes a bee line for the door. Outside in the empty street he gives no thought to it as he touches his ear to transform into Master Warrior. Double Dee stands in the door of the club watching the local hero leaps up into the night sky.
Master Warrior crosses the city home in the beat of a heart. On the roof of his apartment building he transforms back into his street clothes to go in through the roof stairs door to his apartment. Steve tries not to make a sound as he enters the apartment to head straight for his bathroom and a cold shower.
Stripping down Steve leans against the tile wall to let the cold water wash over his body. He hopes the cold of the water will relieve his hard cock because he has no desire to beat it off. He wants to wash away the events of this night although he knows it is not that easy. How is this happening to him? he ponders. He has fought off Centaurs whose only desire was to sodomize him. How can he go into such a panic over a five foot something stripper licking his face? After an hour the cold shower has seemed to do half of its job, calming him enough to get out of it. Sleep will come easier now.
Monday, October 19, 1987
Madame Stroud Psychic
342 Hanover St
Atlantic City, NJ
As it would turn out Mrs. Beachum has more financial support for the investigation to find her son than Steve and David would have believed. The only clues that were found at the cabin in Eagles Mere were that Beachum had been hiding there for a few months. The search for Xander Beachum leads to a rich older woman, Margret Farnsworth, whose son was friends with Xander at the gym. Both David and Steve wonder about what kind of a friend Jacob Farnsworth was to Beachum.
But that is not the mystery at hand now. As luck would have it, bad luck, Mrs. Farnsworth has not spoken to her son, Jacob since around the time Xander disappeared. Mrs. Farnsworth had a falling out with her son over his new girlfriend, who she believes was only after Jacob for his family’s money. Finding Jacob Farnsworth now becomes a side job that the Private Investigators hope will lead to Xander.
Beginning the investigating for Jacob Farnsworth, Steve and David learn that he met his girlfriend after visiting a psychic, Madame Maria in Atlantic City. They arrive at the fortune teller’s store front on the boardwalk around 1 pm. Madame Maria and her shop aren’t at all what they expected. The shop is clean and well maintained, even if it does still have a creepy feel to it. Stepping inside to the ring of the bell on the door Steve and David meet with a pretty middle aged woman. “I am Madame Maria,” the woman says entering the room through a beaded drape at the back of the room. From the moment she enters the room the woman’s over made-up eyes are focused to the floor. “Enter freely to bare thy soul.” The black pits that are her heavily made-up eyes give David a chill even if he will not admit it.
“Madame Stroud, we would like to ask you a few questions,” Steve says. The woman appears to be oblivious to the two men that stand in front. She gazes up at them for a moment as she takes a seat in a large high back wicker chair in the corner of the room. The green of her dark rimmed eyes almost glow at the sight of Steve Roberts. “Madame Stroud can you hear me?” he asks.
“You man call me Madame Maria,” she tells Steve with a smile, then she looks back to Steve’s feet saying, “My but you have large feet.”
Steve looks down to his feet and then over to David’s, that appear to be the same size. “Excuse me,” Steve says not sure what to make of the comment.
“What size shoe do you wear?” Madame Maria asks, an excited look in her green eyes.
Steve looks to David who shrugs his shoulders. “Size 10 and a half,” Steve replies.
David Rogers steps forward then to block the woman’s view of his partner’s black high top sneakers. “We need to ask you about Jacob Farnsworth,” David says trying to draw the woman’s attention from Steve’s feet.
“No, no your feet are too small,” she says reaching out to nudge David aside. She again has a view of Steve’s feet from where she sits. “Might I see your feet, nude?” Madame Maria asks smiling at Steve.
“Look we are just here for some answers, Miss Stroud,” David says again refusing to call her Madame Maria.
The attractive older woman’s features turn angry as she looks at David Rogers. “Perhaps if you give me something I will give you your answers.” Then her gaze turns back to Steve with a much more somber appeal. “May I see your feet now?”
David looks to Steve to say, “What could it hurt?” Steve’s experience from the previous night still lingers in his head. The idea of feeding this woman’s weird request may seem harmless to David but he is not too sure. Reluctantly Steve steps over to a nearby chair to sit down and untie his sneakers.
The look in Madame Maria’s eyes is that for pure desire as she anticipated the reveal. “Socks too, socks too,” she says with excitement, now sounding like a starving woman being served her first meal in weeks. She puts her hand to her mouth as Steve pulls off his socks to reveal his nude feet. “Oh my those are some handsome feet,” she said through her hand as Steve wiggles his toes. “Now what was your first question?” she asks pleased with what she has been shown.
“Is Jane Darcy one of your clients?” David asks as the woman’s stare is focused on the seated man’s feet.
“Yes, I have seen her many times,” Madame Maria answers. “Might I hold your feet in my hands?” she asks politely.
“I really don’t think that is necessary,” Steve replies moving to put his socks back on.
“It is if you want me to answer your next question,” the woman tells the men. David gives Steve a glance that lets him know he should do as the woman asks.
“Okay, no tickling!” Steve says firmly. Madame Maria moves from her chair to kneel in front of Steve. She reaches down to lift his feet with her palms on his souls.
“Just beautiful,” the woman sighs leaning in as if to smell his feet. “What was your next question?”
“What did you tell Jane Darcy about Jacob Farnsworth?” David asks the woman as she closes her thumbs over the top of his partner’s feet to hold them tightly.
“The girl wanted to know if the man loved her enough to marry her,” Madame Maria says, no longer asking permission as she moves her hands over the souls of Steve’s feet to massage them with her thumbs. “Your feet are soft to the touch, but still strong and powerful!” she tells the young man. “Also impeccably manicured, I might add.” “I have never seen a man with such well groomed feet before, simply beautiful!”
“Thanks, I guess,” Steve replies blushing slightly as David looks at him. Clearing his throat Steve asks, “Madame Maria what did you tell Jane?”
“The first several times I told her no, she would have to work harder for him to love her that much,” the woman replied as she moves to hold Steve’s feet in one hand. She begins to run her finger down between each of his toes one at a time from big to small, making each one wiggle. “Your feet have many more miles on them, than a young man of twenty-one years.”
Surprised Steve asks, “How did you know how old I am?”
“Your beautiful feet told me,” she answers dropping his left foot to focus on his right. “The amount of hair on the top of this foot tells me you are a strong, fierce fighter.” Madame Maria then lifts his left foot again to examine them together. “The length of your toe tells me you are a passionate and tender lover.” “A very unusual combination.”
“Okay, that is enough!” Steve says pulling his feet away from the woman kneeling on the floor. For the second time in two days he feels this strange insecurity. “This is getting a little too personal,” he says pulling on his socks.
“Very well then,” Madame Maria says standing up to return to her chair.
“We still have more questions,” David says as Steve fumbles to put on his shoes.
“You have one question left, that is all,” Madame Maria tells them. “It matters little what it is.”
David thinks over what the best possible question would be, to settle on, “What did you tell Jane to do to win Jacob’s love?”
“I told her what I tell every woman in love, be honest with the man,” Madame Maria replies. “Honesty is the only way to build a strong relationship.” The woman gives Steve a look with her left eyebrow raised. “Unlike your associate here who keeps many secrets,” the fortune teller says. “He won’t even tell you who he has been dating for the last four months.”
Steve looks to David who gets a guilty look on his face for a minute. Steve recognizes a distraction when he hears on. Madame Maria knows more than she is telling, she is definitely holding something important back. He takes a deep breath knowing he is probably going to regret saying this, “Madame Maria would you like to lick my feet?” David looks at his partner in shock.
“Come on, we’ve found out all we are going to here,” David says to his partner. “I’m not letting you do that!”
“It will be fine,” Steve tells him thinking how he would much rather this woman lick his feet then his face. “Will you tell us everything if I let you do it?” Madame Maria sits back in her chair licking her lips. “Why doesn’t it matter what the last question was?” Steve asks the woman.
She leans forward grinning, “Might I suck your toes?” Steve tentatively nods pretty sure he is going to regret this deal. “Because they are both dead!” she says bluntly. “Eaten by the beast with one eye.”
“Eaten by the beast with one eye,” David repeats. “This bitch is out of her mind!”
Although David might think the fortune teller is crazy, Steve has a very different thought. “Is Beachum the Cyclops?” he asks shocking his partner again.
“Beachum is but one of the many the beast has consumed,” Madame Maria confesses. “As the first, Beachum is the strongest but the beast can take the form of any that he has consumed.” Madame Maria sits back in her chair again pleased with herself. “I would have my prize now.”
“Both or just one?” Steve asks moving to take off his sneakers again.
“Need you ask,” Madame Maria relies getting down from her chair to the floor in front of him again. “Take heed, my touch shall bring you luck in the fight ahead.”
Steve has taken off his shoes and socks again as David turns away. “I can’t watch this,” he says a disturbed tone in his voice.
Maria Stroud kneels before the man seated on a chair as if she is about to worship at an altar. She begins by running her nose between each of his toes breathing in the aroma deeply. Steve is sure his feet are clean yet he feels self conscious over her pleasure. Then she begins, the first touch of her tongue to the soul of his foot almost makes him want to yank his foot away. Steve is a man of his word and he must suffer through this as she licks from his heal to his toes. Her wet tongue does not tickle as much as he feared. She ten moves to his toes. Starting with his big toe she sucks each one individually all the way to his pinky toe. When she begins on his second foot he is glad that it is almost over.
After Madame Maria has had her fill of Steve’s feet she returns to the wicker chair licking her fingers and lips. Steve sit almost unable to move, holding his wet feet up from the floor. He can not bring himself to put his socks back on with his feet still wet from her saliva. “You are a brave warrior, one fit for your future battles,” Madame Maria says as Steve finally returns his feet to the floor to stand up.
Steve will not be putting his shoes and socks back on to leave, so he carries
them in his hand. The two men don’t speak as they turn to leave when the woman gets up from her chair calls to them. “Wait, I have something else for you,” she steps over to a secretary cabinet and takes a small box from inside it. Moving to Steve she says, “You may not be able to see your future clearly but I can.” The men look to each other giving a skeptical expression. “You will soon fall in love and a prized piece of jewelry will be given and accepted.” She opens the box that contains a large ugly amulet on a thick gold chain. “You will need this,” She takes the amulet from the box by the chain, it is made of gold and bronze with a red garnet in the center surrounded by several smaller green Helenite stones. Madame Maria takes Steve’s hand to place the amulet in his palm.
“Okay, Thank you,” Steve says, “David let’s go!”
Outside Steve looks at the medallion in his hand it is the ugliest thing he has ever seen. “That was the strangest fortune teller I have ever met!” he comments. “Who would give this to anyone they loved?” He pushes the necklace into his back pocket as they cross the boardwalk.
“I can’t believe you let her lick your feet!” David says as they walk.
“I did what I had to do, it really wasn’t terrible.” “Besides she does give a good foot massage though,” Steve jokes trying to lighten the mood.
“Just be glad it was your feet she wanted to lick and not anything else,” David cracks.
“You have such a special way of looking at things,” Steve says as he gets starts down the steps toward the beach. “I really need to go wash my feet!”
“Are you crazy?” David shouts at the top of the steps. “It is October, that water must be fifty degrees!”
“You didn’t have your feet in that woman’s mouth,” Steve replies stepping down onto the cold sand. “Cold water is nothing in comparison!”
“What was all that talk about a Cyclops?” David asks jogging after Steve onto the beach.
“With what happened up in Eagles Mere, I’ve been thinking Beachum might somehow be the Cyclops,” Steve replies. “I never considered that the Cyclops could become any of the people it has killed.”
Northeast Philadelphia
7932 Castor Ave
Philadelphia, PA
Detectives Berger and Grimes pull up to the house on Castor Avenue. It is a well known Irish mob run brothel, one of the more high end ones. Paddy has some experience with the location from when he was a beat cop. It is just the kind of place that a rich guy would frequent. It is about their tenth stop on a tour of Philadelphia whore houses. Getting out of the car the two Detective try to avoid identifying themselves as such.
The Detectives walking up to the house does not go unnoticed. “Patrick Berger what do I owe the pleasure?” a tall red-headed man announces as he steps out onto the front porch.
“Ahhh, Sean O’Reilly I see you’ve moved up in the game,” Detective Berger comments as the two Detectives stop in their tracks halfway to the front porch.
“How long has it been Paddy, old sod?” O’Reilly asks with a half hearted smile.
“A little over ten years I would say,” Paddy replies. “Might we ask you some questions Sean, for old time sake?”
“Things have changed around here Paddy my boy, ever since you put away my parents,” O’Reilly says as several large men stepped out onto the porch behind O’Reilly.
“You put away his parents?” Grimes whispers.
“They were running this brothel back in the late seventy and weren’t doing too good of a job at it,” Paddy explains to his partner. “You know as well as I do that they brought that on themselves.” he calls to the man on the porch. “If they had just stuck to prostitution they would have been fine.” “It was the drugs that did them in!”
“Well, there is none of that here now!” O’Reilly assures the Detectives. “So you should just be going!” A gesture of his head and the five men behind O’Reilly move down onto the lawn.
Detective Grimes steps forward holding out several photos. “Look Mr. O’Reilly I don’t know what your history is with Detective Berger, but all we need to know is if any of these men frequent your establishment.”
O’Reilly grins, “Violate client’s privacy, typical of you Paddy.” “Show these men the street boys!”
As the five large men move in on the two smaller Detectives a man descends from the sky. Master Warrior has arrived on the scene, landing between the opposing groups. He stands with his hands on his hips, his chest puffed out to asks, “What is the problem here, Citizens?”
“Ha haaa,” one of the bodyguards laughs, “Look at this guy?” The goons are not impressed by Master Warrior’s costume or stance as they converge on him with pummeling fists. The men laugh and shout slurs as they beat the hero down to the ground.
Grimes and Berger draw their guns stepping back away from the fray, fully expecting what happens next. One by one three of the gang of men are tossed skyward off the dog pile. Until Master Warrior stands up from the ground holding the remaining two by their throats. “That was kind of fun!” Master Warrior states as he gives both men a heave back onto the porch of the house. Then the hero turns to see the other two gun toting men. “We’re not going to have any other problems here are we?” he asks.
“We’re cops you idiot!” Detective Grimes shouts at Master Warrior as he lowers his gun.
“You just ruined any chance of us getting inside!” Paddy shouts. “This needed to be handled with kid gloves!” “O’Reilly is never going to trust us now!”
“You got that right, Paddy old chum,” Sean O’Reilly says from the porch as several young women help the two beaten men up and into the house. “Run along now before I call in this little incident of Police brutality.”
“We are not responsible for what this idiot in a costume did!” Detective Grimes shouts. “We came he to talk, nothing more!”
“Should have kept your dog on a shorter leash than before it shit all over my lawn,” O’Reilly replies following the girls dragging the men in from the yard.
“Thanks a lot, hero!” Grimes says to Master Warrior.
“Your welcome Citizen,” Master Warrior replies leaping back into the sky. Paddy watches as Master Warrior flies away. There is something very wrong with him. That is not at all the man he has been living with for the past year. He would have never acted like that to those goons. If there is one thing Steve Roberts knows, it is how to talk his way out of a fight if he can.
“This should have never happened,” Detective Berger says as he holsters his gun under his arm. “We need to regroup, O’Reilly will put out the word now, not to talk to us.”
“Thanks to that Asshole!” Detective Grimes says shaking his gun in the air. “We should be taking that guy down, not protecting him, Berger!” Paddy suspected that was the way Grimes felt but this is the first time he has said it out loud.
Trademark Investigations
1267 Pamlico Avenue
Camden, NJ
It is afternoon by the time David and Steve get back to the office. They stopped to pick up Chinese food for lunch. Sitting down at their desks starting to eat from the takeout boxes. “I still can’t get over all that talk that woman gave us,” David says taking a bite of sweet and sour pork.
“Don’t tell me you are starting to believe what she told us,” Steve jokes to his skeptical boss. Steve thought over Madame Maria’s words very carefully the whole ride back. It was better than thinking about his other problems. He believes that Madame Maria does have a gift, one much stronger than his own. The things she said about the Cyclops eating Beachum and the others is in line with what the other shadows did. The only way that is possible is if Beachum was eaten before MAster Warrior defeated the Cyclops. Steve knows there is not time for guilty now, he has to find that thing before it kills anyone else. “Nevertheless, how are we going to tell Mrs. Farnsworth that her son and his girlfriend are most likely dead?”
“We’re not,” David replies before taking a mouthful of soda. “We can’t not without physical proof, but I do intend on returning her money, the case is a dead end.” “We can head over there after lunch and then to Brighton’s Quick Shop to check in on their security upgrades.”
“I just need to be back to Philly by four today, I have plans,” Steve tells his boss.
“Got a hot date with Carol tonight, aye?” David cracks with a wink.
“What was it that Madame Maria said about you dating someone for months?” Steve asks trying to take attention off of his own pathetic love life.
“You really do believe everything that fraud said don’t you?” David replies leaning back in his chair.
“I saw the look on your face when she said it,” Steve replies. “You many not believe she is a psychic but she did hit a nerve.”
David glares at his old friend, he has know Steve since he was fifteen. The problem is Steve has known him since he was seventeen and at the time he was something of a sexist pig. “I’m not the same kid you knew that summer at the beach,” David says. “I’ve grown up a lot since then.”
“We both have,” Steve says confused by his confession.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m that same stupid kid who said all of those things about taking advanced of girls.” David tells Steve. “Most of those things I used to say I didn’t even do.” “I was just bragging, trying to look like the big man to the two of you younger guys.”
“I guess I can understand that, but what does that have to do with anything?” Steve asks curiously.
“I’ve been dating someone it is true,” David confesses. “I really like her, she is becoming very special to me and I was afraid you wouldn’t approve.”
“Why would what I think matter,” Steve asks. He suddenly feels as if everyone he knows is keeping secrets from him. But none of them are as big as the secret he has from them.
“I have been seeing Julie,” David tells Steve as he hangs his head.
“You’re Julie Snyder’s secret boyfriend?” Steve laughs.
Philadelphia Elite Squad
1st Precinct
Philadelphia, Pa
Getting a moment alone Paddy tries calling the apartment to speak with Steve after his most recent run-in with Master Warrior. “Steve we need to talk, call me when you get this message,” he says into their answering machine. Then he moves to call Trademark Investigations where he also gets an answering machine, this time he leaves no message not wanting to involve David Rogers in their squabble.
Detective Grimes has gone down the records room, Paddy has no idea how long he will be gone. He glazes over the desk to Grimes’ top drawer where he keeps that mystery file. Paddy wonders if he has time to take a peak? Scanning the room he knows that Commander Olpere is off for the rest of the day, Zadlo and Bower are out on a case leaving only the new guy Polanski in the room working at his computer. Then to Paddy’s surprise and relief Polanski gets up to go to the men’s room.
Paddy races around the desk to quietly slide open the top drawer. Inside he finds not just one folder but several. The top one has no labeling on the tab, it is about an inch thick so he starts with that one. Inside he finds reports on every appearance Master Warrior has made since January. There are events that took place that not even Steve has disgusted with him over a few beers. There are pages of interview after interview with eyewitnesses. Many of the eyewitness interviews are ones that Grimes did himself. At the back of the folder are photos of Master Warrior that he hasn’t seen in any TV news reports or newspapers. Grimes has written on the back of some of the photos, suggestions of what power Master Warrior might be using in the photo.
Pressed for time Paddy doesn’t take it to read all of the pages. He closes up the unmarked file to look back at the others. The next one is labeled on the tab; Steven Andrew Roberts, Jr. Looking inside Paddy can see that it is clearly Steve’s personal employment record going all the way back to his High School days when he worked at a warehouse in Montgomery County. There is a local police report in the file about a serial killer during the time Steve worked at that warehouse. Steve never mentioned it to Paddy but it would seem that he was somehow involved with breaking the case.
Glancing to the last file still in the drawer Paddy hears the men’s room door open signaling him that Polanski is returning. He barely has time to read the tab before he neatly returns the other files to the drawer on top of it. Returning to his desk Paddy runs the name on the last file over and over through his head, Patrick Anthony Berger. Grimes is investigating him too!
Barclay Prime
237 S 18th St
Philadelphia, PA
Steve is running late after their trip to Brighton’s Quick Shop in Camden so a quick change to Master Warrior and he is flying over the river back to Philadelphia. Another quick change on the roof of his apartment building and down the stairs he is in the shower in record time. Carol told him to meet her at Barclay Prime that is fairly upscale so he will have to dress the part. They made these plans for dinner before what happened last night. He almost wonders if she will even show up. Checking his watch it is nearly four, he has no time left. Again to the roof a quick change and a flight across town.
Steve meets Caroline Lopez outside the restaurant, she greets him as if nothing happened wrong between them the previous night. Once inside the hostess escorts them to their table. Carol monopolizes the conversation telling Steve about her day. He makes some suggestions to her about the case that she is working and she takes what he says under advisement. They joke about old movies as they share wine and dinner. Steve gets the impression that Carol doesn’t even remember what happened the night before at her condo. He knows that she had a few drinks but Carol didn’t seem drunk to him.
After finishing dinner Carol tells Steve very bluntly, “Steve you are a great guy, I enjoy spending time with you.” “You are intelligent enough for us to talk about my job and the law.” “You are very handsome and from what I have seen and felt have fantastic body to boot.” “So the question that remains is are you ready to go back to my place and Fuck?” The waiter approaches the table with the change from the check to look at Steve with a big grin on his face having overheard Carol’s speech.
Shocked by her language Steve replies, “Carol, I really don’t think this is the place for this talk.”
“Than that is a no, Good Night Steve,” she says gathering up her purse and coat to leave the restaurant. “Let me just make one thing clear to you, I have a high pressure job.” “At the end of the day I am not looking for some Prince Charming to sweep off my feet to ride into the sunset.” “I’m looking for a stress release, I’m looking for some hard cock!” “I’ve been patient with you, but if things don’t change I’ll need to look somewhere else for what I need.” “Pick me up Wednesday night for the Banquet and have an answer for me by then.” Carol lays down a hundred dollar bill on the table for the tip as she turns to leave.
The waiter picks up the large bill from the table, then looks back to Steve still sitting in his chair. “I get off in an hour can I have her number?” he asks offering Steve his pen and pad.
Steve pushes the waiter aside to follow after his date. By the time he gets to the street Carol is in a cab pulling away from the curb.
Center City
Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
“Where is the Master Warrior!” The one eyed monstrosity screams as he lifts a SEPTA bus over his head. The people on the bus scream and shout as they are thrown around the inside. An emergency exit window pops out falling to the ground as the Cyclops shouts again, “Bring is the Master Warrior!”
A panicked man dressed in a business suit jumps down out of the Emergency exit window to the blacktop in front of the behemoth. The business man twists his ankle as he lands, left huddled there on the ground in terror. Before he can get away the Cyclops smashes the bus down on top of him. People who stand near by on the sidewalk, too afraid to run, are sprayed with glass and blood. The bus passengers scream as the Cyclops raise the bus again as it tears in two. Helpless people tumble from the open end of the bus to the street below as the Cyclops stomps around the street. A woman is crushed under the monster’s huge foot as he throws what remains of the bus down the street. THe creature roars in anger causing those to scared to move to finally flee the scene.
“Here I am,” a voice says from over head as Master Warrior descends from above. He lands on the pavement in front of the Cyclops his hands on his hips to announce, “Fear not, I have arrived to slay the foul beast!” The furious behemoth swings out his huge arm sending Master Warrior sailing down the street into the line of backed up cars. He tumbles head over heels for several block smashing every car windshield and rooftop he crashes into on the way.
Five blocks away Master Warrior comes to stop on the hood of a Mack truck bloodied and groggy. He can hear the howling of the Cyclops and the crunch of metal as the creature follows after him throwing cars in every direction, but Master Warrior can’t seem to move from the spot where he landed.
Steve Roberts & Patrick Berger’s apartment
1701 Tulip St
The Fishtown section
Philadelphia, Pa
Paddy sits reclined in his lazy boy, commercials on TV, still confused by his encounter with Master Warrior, trying not to think about Grimes’ files he discovered. Why would he be investigating me? Paddy contemplates.
He hears the door open and close, Paula said she would stop by with dinner but he didn’t expect her for another hour or so. His mystery guest goes into the kitchen, Paddy can hear the clink of ice in a glass and dishes being taken from a cabinet. “Hey, could you bring me a beer when you come in, sweetheart,” he calls out.
A few minutes later Paddy is handed the beer. “Here you are darling,” Steve says handing Paddy a beer before flopping down in his chair next to his roommate. “You wouldn’t believe the day I have had!”
Paddy is surprised to see his roommate home so early from his dinner date with Carol. “I spent my day going to every Whore house in the city, but you probably know that already,” Paddy replies.
“How would I know that?” Steve says drinking from a glass of iced wine. “Problems with Paula already.
“No, because of your interference on Castor Avenue,” Paddy responds. “What was that anyway, an act for the benefit of Grimes?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about, I was in Camden all day,” Steve replies.
“That isn’t possible I saw Master Warrior today on Castor Avenue, more importantly so did Grimes,” Paddy tells his roomy.
“We interrupt your regular programming with this live report!” Anchorman Jim Gardner announces on the television. “Master Warrior has been spotted on Market Street fighting the second Cyclops creature to appear in our city since the beginning of the year.” “The police have closed off Market Street in an eight block radius of the disturbance.” “People are warned to get off the street and out of the area as soon as they can!” The two men turn their attention to the Channel 6 live report. “Video from the channel 6 copter shows Master Warrior taking a much worse beating from the Cyclops this time, than previously,” Jim Gardner reports as onlookers watch the brutal fight live. “Police, Fireman and EMT are arriving on the scene now.” “There many injured from a bus and perhaps several dead at the scene.”
Steve looks to the TV with shock. “That isn’t me!” “Who is that?”
“Wait a second, the case I’ve been working has been about wealthy men who have had their identities stolen right down to the fingerprints,” Paddy tells Steve. “We were hunting all day to find a hooker all of the men came into contact with who might have been able to steal their DNA.” “Did Master Warrior somehow have come into contact with someone like that?”
Steve considers what Paddy has said for a few minutes as he watches the News report unfold. “Oh my God, the stripper,” Steve mumbled under his breath.
“What stripper?” Paddy shouts getting up from his chair.
Blushing Steve explains, “Late last night after a disagreement with Carol I went to a Strip Club.”
“You went to a Strip Club alone?” Paddy asks in disbelief.
“Yes, just let me get to the point,” Steve insist. “The girl giving me a lap dance commented on how powerful I was.” “I thought it was just a come on for a bigger tip.” “Then she licked my face, she might have stolen my DNA then!” The men look back to the TV as the Cyclops swings Master Warrior around by his leg smacking him down onto the ground. “She is going to get herself killed!”
Center City
Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
The Cyclops holds up the Master Warrior he fights by the throat. “You not, the real Master Warrior,” it grumbles at the man who it has beaten near unconscious. The monster heaves the limp body back a hundred feet into the back of a Bread truck. “Bring me the true Warrior!” the Cyclops shouts the blood of the imposter on his hands and arms.
“You called?” the real Master Warrior says coming down hard feet first onto the back of the Cyclops’ head. The Cyclops is driven to the ground its skull crushed into the blacktop. Having subdued the Cyclops if only momentarily Master Warrior leaps to the Bread truck to retrieve his imposter. He leans down to lift his doppelganger from inside the torn open truck. It is a bizarre feeling to lift himself, to look at his own bloody and beaten face. Whoever this person is that stole his body certainly didn’t master his skills. The beaten person is barely conscious as Master Warrior runs toward the EMTs. He lays the victim on the gurney as an unsteady hand reaches out grabbing him. Master Warrior is pulled closer to hear the whisper, “You have a nice cock.”
“What did he say?” the EMT reaching past him to place an oxygen mask on the victim’s face.
“Nothing important,” Master Warrior tells the EMT as he turns back to the battle. Master Warrior looks to the nearby sidewalk where he sees an oddly familiar face. “Madame Maria, get out of here, it is too dangerous!” he shouts to the woman as he leaps into the air. The distraction is brief but long enough for the Cyclops to act. A right cross to Master Warrior’s face sends him sailing headlong to the curb. His cape extends out to shield his shoulder as he slides over the blacktop creating a shallow trench.
The monster rages on stomping across the street toward the fallen man. Master Warrior regains his composure much faster than the imposter. His ears are ringing and he could already feel his face and eye swelling. The last two times he fought a Cyclops they were tough, but nothing like this one. His hand felt like concrete hitting his face. He will need a weapon is his thought as the monster closes the distance between them. Master Warrior does not intend to take another hit from this abomination
Pulling the strap from his leg Master Warrior creates a large broadsword from his arsenal with but a thought for the first time. Swinging the blade over his head and down onto the Cyclops making an attempt to end this fight quickly. It is like driving a sword into stone as Master Warrior looks to the sword embedded the monster’s shoulder. There is no blood, only the sound of metal scraping thought the rock like flesh. That sound is nothing compared to Master Warrior’s surprise at the appearance of the broadsword. It has taken a shape identical to the one from his dream that Nozama warrior held. He pulls on the blade to retrieve it but finds that it is held fast.
“Foolish human,” the Cyclops says to Master Warrior. “Decagon’s arsenal tells me that you are the real thing and not an imposter.” The Cyclops shrugs his shoulder to release the blade.
Master Warrior stumbles back holding his sword to watch the bloodless wound seal instantly. “Your speech has greatly improved since last we met,” Master Warrior comments trying to make banter to distract his foe.
“I possess eleven human souls now, with all of their knowledge,” The Cyclops replies to the hero’s horror. “I can at last tell you of my hatred for you!”
“If you should hate anyone it should be Decagon, it was Decagon who enslaved you made you fight in the tournament,” Master Warrior justifies.
A grin comes over the giant’s strange faces, “I chose to be in the ring, I took pleasure in slaughtering would-be ‘Master Warriors’ never did I guess that you would come to that arena,” the Cyclops confesses.
It is clear to Master Warrior that its hatred is personal but he has no idea why. “Do you have a name?” he asks the giant as the two combatants pace each other in the street.
“Never have I had a name, until now,” its foul breath in Master Warrior’s face. “You can call me Beachum after the first that I consumed here in your world.”
It strikes Master Warrior then. Everything he knows of what happened to Xander Beachum makes sense now. The struggle the young trainer must have went through trying to control this beast inside of him. All of the Psychiatrist, all of the pain, all of the death. It is not the Cyclops, Master Warrior must address it is the victims. “Xander I know you are still in there, you’ve been fighting this thing for months, don’t give up now!” Master Warrior shouts.
The Cyclops only laughs at Master Warrior. “That weak willed human is long gone!” the monster chides. “Just as you soon will be!” The creature reaches out for his foe, his hand met by the blunt edge of his blade.
“What of Dr. Carson, Dr. Hamilton, Jacob, Jane and the others, have you silenced them too?” Master Warrior shouts as he swats the large hand away. “You said yourself that you have eleven human souls within you, human souls are born to fight, to resist enslavement!” “You maybe able to suppress one, but you are one against eleven?” The Cyclops gets an even odder look in its eye as it dilates wide. Something is happening, an internal battle is beginning, it is time for Master Warrior to strike. He charges forward ramming the broad sword into the creature’s chest. There is less resistance this time from the creature’s flesh as Master Warrior drives the blade clean through.
The Cyclops kicks Master Warrior to the ground leaving the sword stuck through his chest. “Gullible human,” the Cyclops laughs. “Did you think you could make me lose control?” Master Warrior does a back flip and hand spring back up onto his feet as the creature pulls the weapon from his chest with not even a single drop of blood from the wound. The behemoth flings the sword back over his shoulder high into the air where it plunges onto the side of a building high above the street unseen by anyone.
“You’re not even alive are you?” Master Warrior questions out loud for the first time realizing it. “You are nothing more than anger and vengeance held together by magic!”
“NO!” the Cyclops bellows. “I am more than that!” “More that you could ever imagine!” The furious giant lunges forward at Master Warrior, who leak frogs up over its head and shoulders. Landing back on the street behind the raging one-eyed hulk. Master Warrior know he must have a new plan. The souls inside Beachum are no longer reachable, they are only fuel for the creature’s rage. He must burn through that fuel without getting killed in the process.
The Cyclops picks up a car in each hand slamming them down in Master Warrior’s direction. But the hero is too fast as he dodges the cars before they are smashed to pieces on the ground. Master Warrior looks to the S.W.A.T. team that has moved in closer, too close for his liking. “Get back!” Master Warrior shouts at the men as the Cyclops finally turns to see them in his blind spot. The creature sends a car hurtling at the men as they try to flee.
Master Warrior has little choice other than to move fast enough to put himself between the S.W.A.T. team and the flying car. His cape whips out around him to shield his body from the jagged bent metal of the car wreck as he slams his shoulder into it. Master Warrior manages to force the wrecked car back to the ground but he is thrown back to the edge of the police line. From the broken blacktop, he spots Commander Olpere spitting orders to Zadlo and Bower. Neither man looks too pleased with what she is saying.
Getting to his feet he shouts, “Commander Olpere, you can’t kill something with bullets that isn’t alive, you need to keep your men back!” The look on Olpere’s face makes it clear that she is shocked by the fact that Master Warrior knows her name.
Unfortunately the momentary distraction has again given Beachum the opening he needs to grab Master Warrior by the leg. The Cyclops jerks the man to hold him upside-down by the leg. Master Warrior does not struggle as he hangs at face level, staring into the creatures single large eye. He notices that the creatures grey skin has changed, it has become pinker. Then looking down to his ground, Master Warrior realizes the creature has become shorter as well.
“You’ve been hiding for months in human form!” Master Warrior declares. “Taking more and more victims, you can’t hold this form for long can you!” he questions to no reply. “You don’t just want revenge on me, you need me!” “Normal humans are no longer enough to sustain you!” Beachum growls and spits in Master Warrior’s face before flinging him by the leg back down the street.
Master Warrior flips and twist to land on his feet atop the roof of a car. He has hit a nerve, magic has a price and for this creature to continue to exist it needs to feed. It is just like Galio told him. Over time only one soul can maintain the shadows, his. Master Warrior has no intention of giving his soul to this abomination. He spies his arsenal embedded in the side of a building eight stories up. It failed him the first time there is no reason to try for a second. He can tell that Beachum is losing more control by the minute as he throws a tantrum in the center of the street. It is almost as if the creature has forgotten about him.
Looking around the scene Master Warrior sees all of the camera, outside the police line, in high rise windows and helicopters circling overhead. If his theory is correct it would be easier to wear down this behemoth down until it reverts to human form. The problem with that is destroying a human in front of all of these cameras would not look good on his resume. That leaves only one option, magic destroys magic. Now where is he going to get some magic?
In all of his years of training his mother always taught him that he should be wary of magic. It doesn’t always work the way it should. How he could use the help of those three witches now! Then Master Warrior remembers something his mother once told him, “There is magic all around that most of humanity can not see.” “You must first accept that magic exist in the world to find it.” With all he saw in Zeeza and Olestra he full accepts magic is real. What happened to him in Eagle Mere is now clear.
Suddenly, the Beachum turns to glare at Master Warrior as if he just now remembered his goal. This time it is a manhole cover that sails in Master Warrior’s direction. An easy projectile to deflect. The Cyclops’ attack gives Master Warrior an idea. There is so much debris on the ground everywhere he looks. Jumping down onto the street Master Warrior moves at top speed to begin gathering up whatever he can find to use as a projectile. He begins to launch the debris at full force at Beachum. The creature rages as he is pelted by chunks of blacktop, car tires, and scraps of metal. In minutes Master Warrior has cleaned up the street that would have taken a maintenance crew hours. As Beachum weakens the debris begins to penetrate his quickly deteriorating flesh. What was once rock hard now become more of a Jell-O in texture. Soon the creature looks like a pincushion with all of the debris protruding from it. Then as the Cyclops begins to shrink Master Warrior knows it is time to end this spectacle.
As a final act Master Warrior bangs his gauntlets together releasing all of the magic contained within. He has not used the stored energy since in the forest of Sullivan County. The results are completely unexpected. The energy contained in his gauntlets is like nothing he has ever known. It explodes sparking waves of light that engulf Beachum. The raging Cyclops is lifted from the pavement in a ball of light and energy. If it cries out those sounds can not be heard from outside the airtight bubble that takes shape around him. All of the people of Philadelphia watch as the glowing bubble appears to feed on the creature as it begins to shrink around the Cyclops.
Not far way on the sidewalk behind the police line Madame Maria holds out a ruby attached to a wand from under her coat. It glows with power as the bubble around the Cyclops grows smaller. The bubble shrinks so does its occupy until there is nothing left and the bubble blinks out of existence with a large burst of light. It is them that Madame Maria’s wand goes dark as she slips it back under her coat to quickly disappear into the crowded street of spectators. His gauntlets drained Master Warrior drops his arms to look around the street for any sign that my remain of the Cyclops.