Gargoyleman: Carousel of Pain
Sometimes pain just circles round and round
Heat Rock Kitty
We have a heated kitty blanket, but instead, Lando sits on the router
Heads up to new readers:
This story is part of a series. Luckily, you can read the whole Gargoyleman series for free!
…Time for this week’s story…
Gargoyleman: Carousel of Pain
After fighting Muscle Mountain and Fearmonger, Gargoyleman floated over Newmoon City’s watery sewers and awoke in the comfort of their darkness. He turned on his night vision and found his way to a ladder that led to an alley above. His suit was in tatters, his body broken. The simple task of scaling a ladder was like climbing a mountain. His body screamed at him to stop, but he endured until he reached the top. Thankfully, the tech on his suit made it easy to move the heavy manhole cover, removing at least one painful and nearly impossible task from his plate. His body spilled out of the hole in a heap, and he lay on the ground looking up at the stars. Even breathing was strenuous and painful.
He could have called Anestasia for help, and he might not be in so much pain. But he was still alive, so her help was not needed. The longer he could keep his distance from her publicly, the safer she would be. So much pain! His body hadn’t hurt so much in years. His suit had either burned through its reserves of painkillers or the mechanism was broken. Worst of all, he was vulnerable. If Paragon-Man were to show up, even with the cosmonium Gargoyleman had on him, he may not be able to access it. Even the rat scavenging for food nearby would be too much for him to swat away.
The options for getting home were few. Walking was out of the question. His next best option was to call his personal flight drone. The only problem was that he had already clicked the button several times, but his suit did not confirm that a signal was sent, and his vehicle was on the way. He lay there for a while, hoping it would come, but there was nothing. In the days of the Justice Guild, someone would swing by to check on him, but nobody was coming. His old friends were enemies now, and Gargoyleman was alone.
Help! That was all he wanted to say. It was all he needed to say, and Anestasia would appear before him, then teleport him away. Then, she would heal all his wounds, probably dressed as a nurse, too. Still, Paragon-Man might hear him. They might both die. He wished he could summon help, but there was nothing he could do. Still, lying there would accomplish nothing. Regardless, there was nothing more he could do at the moment. He was helpless, just like the night his family died.
It replayed in his mind, torturing him anew. It was a rainy day in Newmoon City. He held his mother’s hand as they crossed the street to meet his father, who was waving at them beneath the protection of his umbrella. Jason had been begging to see the Gargoyle Ninja Squad movie, and they were finally going to see it. Then, a giant black Newfoundland fell from the sky and crushed his father. They both died instantly.
A young Jason Maverick ran across the street, screaming for his father. His mother froze in shock, umbrella falling limply next to her, a hand over her mouth. Dogs and cats fell all around them from the sky instead of water. Cars came to a screeching halt, and pedestrians took cover. When young Jason turned around, he witnessed his mother being crushed by a bullmastiff. Jason hid beneath a supply truck and narrowly avoided being struck by a poodle. Metal thuds, screams, and yelps rained down around him, and an ocean of blood closed in from all sides.
Pain. Helplessness. Sorrow. Loneliness. Anger. They cycled through his mind like an endless merry-go-round. The operator turned it on and clocked out, leaving Gargoyleman on this spinning wheel of emotional torture.
“Sacrebleu, could you please keep it down? You’re giving me a headache.” A familiar voice said from nearby. But, who? Who was that? Was he real? Why was he French? Gargoyleman wondered if he was hallucinating again. “Oh my, you’re in bad shape. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you looking this bad before.”
“A flesh wound,” Gargoyleman sputtered. Laughter erupted from the voice, then a body stood over him and came into focus. It was the face of a friend. “Le Fiels?”
“Yes, it’s me. I know we’re not on the same side anymore, but… You really need help, don’t you?”
Gargoyleman nodded weakly.
“Okay, first things first. Something is clouding your mind.” Le Fiels knelt down and placed his hand on Gargoyleman’s forehead. The cloud of paranoia that had enveloped Gargoyleman swirled in his mind, then was lifted away. His mind was as clear as the night air. It was like he could see in high resolution again, and everything was the right size. Gargoyleman suddenly felt lightheaded, but managed to stay conscious. “What was that? Fearmonger?”
“Yeah. Fought him and Muscle Mountain earlier.”
“Hah! No wonder you look like crap. Since when do those guys work together?” Le Fiels asked.
“Since they started working with Cackling Clown to create chaos in the city.”
“Wow. You’ve really got a lot on your plate. Okay, let’s get you patched up.” Le Fiels pulled a toy wand from his pocket that looked like a stick wrapped around a gem at the top. Gargoyleman recognized it as a magic healing wand from the Gargoyle Ninja Squad cartoon.
“Are you serious?”
“It really works, watch.” Le Fiels held the wand over Gargoyleman’s injuries, and the gem glowed. Gargoyleman’s bones righted themselves and healed. His skin closed, and bleeding stopped. Soon, he took a deep breath again.
“Whoa, is that who I think it is?” Another voice said nearby.
“It’s okay, Bullet. He’s okay,” Le Fiels said.
“Brah, are you healing him?” Bullet asked.
“Hey, I said he’s okay. Okay?”
“You got it. Here, I brought you snacks from the snack table inside.”
“Meat, cheese, and jam? Even my favorite chocolates. C’est incroyable. Thank you, my friend.” Le Fiels took the meat and cheese plate with a smile. Then, he sat down next to Gargoyleman and set the plate on his stomach, snacking on meat, cheese, and jam with his free hand while healing him. “I hope you don’t mind if I use you as a table. This alleyway is filthy.”
“I don’t care,” Gargoyleman said.
“Bullet, do a perimeter check. I sense someone with bad intentions around here.”
“You got it.” Bullet dashed away with a whoosh.
“What are you doing here?” Gargoyleman asked.
“I’m negotiating a truce between Pelican and Crossface.”
“I heard their gangs have been at odds. Thanks for the help.”
“Yeah, It’s my pleasure.” Le Fiels healed Gargoyleman, but a silence lingered between them until he spoke again. “So, I can feel you thinking about someone,” Le Fiels said. “Would it be fair to say…”
“Don’t say another word,” Gargoyleman interrupted Le Fiels. “Don’t say the person’s name. Actually, be careful what you say. He might hear.”
“Oh? Interesting. I was surprised to see the tower taken away from the guild. Now, I feel like, perhaps I was too hasty to assume we aren’t on the same side,” Le Fiels said.
“I’m not a criminal. We’re not on the same side.”
“Yet, you’re letting me heal you.”
“What choice do I have?” Gargoyleman said begrudgingly.
“You have a choice. Unlike most of the guild, you have true character. That’s why I always liked you, even when I left.”
“I remember,” Gargoyleman grumbled. “I always felt like I could trust you. When you turned to crime, I felt… betrayed.”
“Well, once you learn how things really work, you can’t really stick around, can you?” Le Fiels tapped the wand on Gargoyleman’s head.
“I suppose not.”
“So, you know the truth, do you?” Le Fiels moved on from mending broken ribs to Gargoyleman’s arms.
Gargoyleman said nothing. He simply grimaced and grumbled, turning his head away.
“Okay, let’s talk about something else. I saw a flash of… a childhood memory. A painful one. Do you want to talk about it?”
“What’s to talk about? A criminal named Literal Lee killed my parents simply by saying it was raining cats and dogs. Because a criminal was irresponsibly using his powers for self-gain, a lot of people died.”
“Self-gain can take many forms, my friend. Like, setting up criminals to get the reward money. That’s quite crooked as well.”
“I don’t do that,” Gargoyleman said quickly.
“I didn’t think you did. That’s why I’m helping you now.”
Gargoyleman turned back toward Le Fiels, and they shared a look, an understanding. Heroes like them were few and far between. They had both learned the truth and chosen different paths from that point forward, but they were on the same journey.
Bullet zoomed back into their company. “Checked everywhere I could think to look. Didn’t find anyone.”
“Thanks for checking.” Having run the wand over Gargoyleman’s whole body, Le Fiels grabbed his plate and stood up.
Gargoyleman sat up, moving his arms and fingers, looking at himself in shock. He was in perfect shape. Not a scratch remained. Although, the same could not be said about his suit. He stood up and shook Le Fiels’s hand. “Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure. Here, maybe this will come in handy.” Le Fiels handed Gargoyleman the toy wand. “I can just get another one.”
“I’m sure I’ll find a use for it.”
The conversation was halted by a barrage of gunfire nearby. Without a doubt, from the warehouse where they were holding their meeting.
“Go! I’ll be right behind you,” Le Fiels ordered, and Bullet zoomed away without question.
“Maybe I’ll see you again, old friend,” Le Fiels tipped his hat to Gargoyleman, who returned the gesture with a nod.
Le Fiels ran down the alley toward the gunfire. Gargoyleman checked his gravity belt, which was thankfully still in good enough shape to get him up the side of a building. He hurried to the roof and followed Le Fiels. There, he waited to make sure everything was okay. The gunfire stopped, there was a scuffle inside, then Deathbolt ran outside. He manifested a drone and grabbed on tight as it rose into the sky.
Listening into the conversation inside, Gargoyleman received confirmation that Le Fiels was okay and got himself caught up on the latest news on the street. Most importantly, based on the situation, he had a better idea of where Cackling Clown was hiding. The bad news was that Deathbolt appeared to be working with him as well. Deathbolt would be difficult to deal with.
Cackling Clown typically didn’t operate so collaboratively. Paragon-Man was surely responsible for the strange behavior. The timing was too convenient. Thankfully, Cackling Clown seemed to be making as many enemies as friends. On the note of friends, Gargoyleman was pleased to have mended bridges with one that evening. He reveled in his new healing wand before tucking it safely away for the ride home.
Because the journey was long and it didn’t hurt to try, Gargoyleman called for his drone again, even though it had already failed him so many times that night. This time, he got a response. The small one-passenger flying craft arrived a few minutes later. Apparently, he had hallucinated his previous attempts.