A Boy, a Dog Girl and the Weight of Years: Part Four

“Um…what exactly do you plan on doing?” Zack asked, scratching his head. “I busted your shin with your own bat, bro. Only reason we let you talk as much as you did is because we wanted to make sure your whole plan was spent. And you can’t revive skinny back here without Chistos powering him up.”

“And you aren’t a magic user. You can only use artifacts. No offense, Zack,” Chista said, busting the last shackles on the remaining chained hostage. Baltz had slowly been helping his fellow captives up and outside while Zack talked, and he gently helped the last girl stand with Chista.

“Magic? You think I need magic? Your failure is evident, wizard pupils. I never NEEDED Chistos to activate the Fallen Doctor. I WANTED him to die in such a way. It was also an act of mercy on my part. You see, the Doctor is fueled not by magic, but the soul of the man who revived him. I used the children to begin the process, to program his instructions. I hoped to give wizard kind a kind, quiet apocalypse from a hero, programmed to bring death but repulsed by pain. But if you deny my gift…”

“Oh no…” Chistos suddenly realized they had missed something. The alcohol which had gone missing. He realized the box had been used to sneak the massive slab the Doctor was attached to into the city. But the alcohol itself was unaccounted for. And if mixed appropriately, it was a powerful accelerant.

“…then I shall show you how devastation does not need wizard hands to be wrought!”

Chistos saw the detonator in Skabbart’s hand, slipped from his sleeve. His finger twitched.

“CARPET!”

The flying carpet moved at a speed which the kids did not know was possible. It wrapped around Zack, Honey, Chista and Baltz, shooting them outside faster than they could perceive. The last thing they saw of the warehouse was Skabbart using the end of his physical strength to lunge at the Fallen Doctor as Chistos and Madam VanVeer manifested glowing shields.

Then the world was fire.

The crates around them exploded, loaded with bombs in the event of things not going Skabbart’s way. The walls and the roof of the warehouse blew outward with tremendous force, and the carpet rode a shockwave which caused them to slam into the wall of a nearby building.

The other four hostage children hobbled forward, drained of energy but recovering, helping their rescuers out of the carpet. Chista was the first to spring free, immediately running towards the warehouse.

“DAD! ANSWER ME!”

“Chista! Get back here!” Zack shouted.

“SCREW YOU! MY DAD IS IN THERE! DAD! DAAAD!”

A wall of fire rushed towards them, causing Chista to halt in her tracks. She turned slowly, seeing Baltz controlling the flames.

“Don’t…don’t go in there. Don’t throw your life away in panic.”

“He’s my father! I know you don’t have anyone who loves you, but…”

Her words died in her throat. Baltz face remained like steel.

“He told me he killed Jelks weeks ago. I am so self absorbed an individual I didn’t even notice the man who raised me was a fraud. You are right. I have nobody. So don’t throw your life away, you interesting failure.”

Chista’s face crumpled. Honey ran to her, holding her tight. Zack stared into the fire, eyes training on the dancing flames.

“They’re not dead.”

A clap of thunder came from inside the inferno. A bolt of electricity shot out. Crashes, booms, the sounds of large objects being thrown echoed around. An inhuman roar bellowed skyward.

Then two figures surrounded by glowing force fields flew out of the fire.

“RUG!” Zack shouted. The carpet moved and caught Chistos and Madam VanVeer, both of them grunting, bruised and bleeding.

“Father!” Chista sprinted to them, most others following closely as the flying carpet gently set them down.

One stayed where he was.

“Where’s Skabbart?”

The figure slowly walked out of the crackling inferno of the warehouse. What once was an emaciated form now had sturdy muscles bulging from it. Its eyes were emotionless, staring forward, only one simple thought on its mind.

“Bell…”

“The Fallen Doctor…” Chista choked out.

“And Skabbart. He’s both,” Chistos said, straining to stand.

“The thief's rage. The doctor’s sorrow,” VanVeer moaned through straining breaths.

The Doctor began moving, walking forward, looking at none of them, his eyes fixed on the bell in the far distance. One foot fell before the other until a small form stepped in front of him, arms wide.

“No! You can’t do this!” Honey yelled, her eyes pleading.

“Dog girl…” the Doctor murmured, his head tilting.

“Don’t you touch my sweetheart!” Zack roared, sliding in the snow and throwing himself in front of Honey. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you!”

“How?”

The question was whispered like a graveyard dare.

“I will protect her.”

It was not a threat, but a promise.

The Doctor crouched, then leapt, shooting into the sky as he arched over Zack and Honey, landing behind them before running towards the bell.

“After him! If he reaches the bell, it’s all over!” Chistos commanded them.

“Why can’t you?!” Zack asked.

“Chistos and I are too injured. Zack…power did not phase him. I hope you studied this man well,” VanVeer said.

“Plan B?” Zack asked, squeezing his eyes shut. “Damn it! Honey…”

“Hop on, sweetheart,” Honey said. She had transformed into her dog form, lowering herself onto her knees so Zack could climb onto her back.

“Chista, get help for them. We’ll be back,” Zack said with a nod as he gripped Honey’s fur.

“You better be. I don’t want to be an only child again,” Chista said, her bravest face locked in place.

Honey began to sprint down the road, her feet kicking up snow as she ran.

“Hey Honey?”

“Yes?”

“Sorry if I grab your boobs while you run.”

She laughed, a mad howl pushing down the fear as she chased the monster.