VS.
Arena:
Author: Birdman
Word Count: 2,974 words
Posted: July 4th, 2018
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Santa Monica. Every year, thousands of citizens and tourists visited its beaches to enjoy the beautiful sands and sunshine. From sun tanning and sandcastle building, to surfing and water polo, the activities of this golden paradise are limited to the imagination of its visitors. It has known peace ever since the founding of the city it borders. Today, it would know it no longer.
Near the water’s edge, a young boy focused his efforts on finishing the sandcastle he had spent the last half hour creating, while his parents enjoyed the warmth of the sun’s rays. As the boy applied the finishing touches, the sea surged forward, washing the structure away. People turned in the boy’s direction as he started to cry, but he was not the object of their attention. His mother picked him up and carried him away from the water with a horrified look. The ocean has changed from a deep, tranquil blue, to a bright red. Further out at sea, a cloud of blood spread out, and at its center, a thrashing shape could be seen, tearing apart some helpless giant creature. The strong smell of iron filled the air, but it was not coming from the sea.
Terrified screams were carried up the beach from further down. A huge shadow fell over countless onlookers as something massive was thrown onto the sands. The crowd backed away, muttering in fear, confusion and surprise at the dead beast before them. From atop the hill, another figure appeared. Unlike the creature below, this one was humanoid, resembling a man in a rubber suit. Rather than looking heroic, like the other giant heroes of Earth, this figure brought a feeling of dread to the crowd. His already red form was stained with the crimson blood of his defeated foe. His golden eyes glanced at the spreading blood in the water, and the massive form in its midst that could only be another giant monster. Having lost his planet to the forces of destruction, he set his goal to defending his new home. But unlike the warriors from Nebula M78 and Peaceland, Redman did not care for the lives of the humans around him. The only logical course of action, his sole mission in his lonely existence, was the extermination of all monsterkind.
“Red Jump!”
The crimson warrior leapt from his perch, flying over the masses on the beach, and heading for deeper waters. He dropped from the air and hit the water hard, generating massive, powerful waves. While the water originally came up to his knees, the landing made it rise to his waist and spread out. The beach quickly began to evacuate as the miniature tsunami closed in, washing away those unfortunate enough to not escape in time. Redman paid no attention to their peril. After a few short poses with his arms, he raised his fists, letting his opponent know that he was ready for combat.
“Reddo Fight!”
The thrashing water calmed. Chunks of flesh bobbed on the waves as the ocean went still. Despite the peace of the situation, Redman knew better. Sure enough, the water began to ripple again, as something large moved towards the alien of ‘justice’. A bow wave formed as the water began to shallow and it neared the surface, rapidly increasing its speed. Emerging from the water, a massive version of the sight that sent shivers along every beach-goer’s spine; the huge fin of a shark cut through the ocean like a knife through butter. With a tremendous roar, the offender leapt from the waves, jaws wide open and rows of teeth present. Far exceeding the prehistoric megalodons in scale, the colossal predator lunged at its blood-stained adversary. Redman’s hands found and caught the predator’s jaws, throwing the beast into the shallower waters. As Mega Shark thrashed wildly on the sands, Redman leapt onto his struggling victim. His fists pounded the shark’s ribcage as he pinned it against the seabed. The super predator growled, snapping its jaws and slapping the water with its tail. To prevent itself from being beaten to death, Mega Shark’s tail fin slammed into Redman’s back. The warrior yelped and spasmed as he slipped off his adversity. As he regained his composure, the carcharodon’s tail struck him again, whipping across the red giant’s face and knocking him into the waves. Quickly, Mega Shark thrashed from side to side, moving its beached form closer to deeper waters.
As its pectoral fins touched the open water, Redman rushed in. Sprinting through the knee-high waves, he grasped the aquatic killer’s caudal fin and pulled back, slowing dragging Mega Shark back onto the sandbanks. The ancient shark roared and writhed wildly, swinging its powerful tail as Redman struggled to keep his grip. The sandpaper-like skin of the shark cut into the ‘hero’s’ palms, forcing him to release his prize. With its earned freedom, Mega Shark sped away into the depths. But Redman was not ready to finish the fight. So long as his foe breathed, his mission was far from over. He leapt into the sky, calculating the distance and height needed in the span of seconds. As he reached the required conditions, he made his assault.
“Red Kick!”
The red ‘defender’ outstretched his right foot as he fell, homing in on the dark form beneath the waves. As the distance to the water’s surface shorted, the shape under the water became more visible. It was not the killer shark, but, in fact, the kill it had made. Realising his error, Redman’s head snapped to the side as Mega Shark jumped from the waves. Impossibly leaping hundreds of metres, the carcharodon smashed into the crimson giant’s side and knocked him from the air. Both killers fell separate from each other, splashing loudly into the ocean. Redman flailed his limbs as he struggled to tread water in his dazed state. Homing in on its panicked attacker, Mega Shark rushed toward, ramming its snout into Redman’s stomach and carrying the red warrior into the depths. Spasming in pain from the impact, Redman went limp in the super shark’s hold, unable to fight back as he was dragged into the darkness.
The giant slammed into the ocean floor. A haze of mud and debris rose around Redman’s form as Mega Shark retreated into the shadows. His limbs flailed, but as his senses returned, Redman’s struggles became graceful movements. He moved along the sea floor, staying low to the ground as he sought his quarry. Oxygen was not a problem for the extra-terrestrial, and his aquatic rival surely did not know this. It anticipated Redman’s ascension to the surface, like the mammals it hunted. But Redman was no fool. Such an act would leave him in the open; exactly where the shark wanted him. It was a cunning plan, but he was just as, if not more cunning than Mega Shark. If the shark wanted to face Redman, it would come to him.
Redman’s golden eyes shone in the gloom, but could not help the ‘hero’ to locate his assailant. His sensitive, antenna-like ears, however, detected the movements of the predator. The speed it was capable of was phenomenal; Redman could barely keep track of the beast. Its movements rapidly slowed. The shark turned in Redman’s direction. With a burst of speed, it lunged at the red warrior from the darkness. Rows of triangular teeth pierced Redman’s hide as Mega Shark clamped down on the giant’s torso. The water muffled the alien’s shout, but the shark’s ampullae of Lorenzini detected his pain-motivated struggles. Blood mixed with the water to create a crimson plume as Redman was thrown about in the cold-blooded killer’s jaws. His left fist, the closest to the carcharodon’s head, pounded away at its haunting visage. With a lucky strike, his fist struck the beast in the right eye, disorienting the mega predator. Blinded on one side, Mega Shark released its captive and writhed in agony.
“Red Knife!”
Suddenly, there was a red-handled blade in Redman’s hand. Fighting through his own pain, he slashed at Mega Shark’s exposed side. The blade cut down the prehistoric killer’s side, spilling more blood into the water. The aquatic monster roared and took off, leaving a crimson trail in its wake as it sped into the darkness. Before it could escape completely into the shadows, Redman hurled his knife after the shark. Though impaired by the resistance of the water, the blade found its mark just above the pelvic fin. Mega Shark howled again as it vanished from Redman’s sight, and the red ‘hero’ ascended to the surface hastily. He breached the surface in seconds and hovered over the ocean surface, searching for his deadly rival. He clutched his wounded stomach, blood dripping from his wounds and polluting the sea below. A dark shape under the waves, leaving a red cloud behind, was the distraction from his wounds that Redman needed. He soured over the frothing waves, towards the city of Santa Monica that was the super shark’s target.
Crowds flooded the tight streets. Abandoned and parked vehicles served as obstacles for the fleeing populace as they sought solace beyond the city’s boundaries. Scores of Santa Monica’s finest herded the people to safety, controlling the chaos as best as they could. The call for military assistance had been sent, but the lawmen doubted it would reach Santa Monica in time.
Loud, horrified screams from the direction of the beach drew the public’s attention. The rear of the crowd surged forwards, seeking escape from an unseen terror. As the police attempted to control the panicked masses, they caught sight of the object of their terror. A massive wave, as tall as the buildings towering around them, rushed towards the packed streets. The people ran on in a panic. Groups of desperate families, businessmen, gang members and cops fought to squeeze into buildings for safety. In the moments before the wave’s impact, the entire city was lost to mayhem.
The ocean extended its reach into the city. Millions of gallons of water weaved through the streets. Windows low to the ground shattered under the pressure of the rushing liquid, yet the buildings they were part of remained standing. Fortunate lives on rooftops and in helicopters watched as the streets below were wiped clean of life. On one street, the masses were replaced with a gigantic, streamlined form. With the momentum of the tsunami, Mega Shark was propelled through Santa Monica. The water was just deep enough to keep the colossus afloat, yet it managed to navigate the tight roads with the same grace it possessed in its ocean environment. As it turned off a junction, a red form landed down the street, barring the carcharodon’s progress. Sprays of saltwater drenched onlookers as Redman charged through the almost-waist high water. Shark and alien bore down without a thought for the humans around them. Once the distance was closed, Mega Shark sprung from the waves to bite off Redman’s head. Instead, the crimson giant fell to the ground, sliding across the street and under the leaping predator. As the shark passed over, Redman’s hand shot up and grasped the Red Knife’s handle. The blade was ripped out of Mega Shark with a geyser of red, spraying the buildings to the side with the endangered killer’s blood. Coming to a stop, Redman sprung to his feet, wielding the Red Knife before him defensively. Down the street, the gushing Mega Shark turned a corner, disappearing into the maze of streets.
Redman scanned the many street entrances around him, searching for his quarry amidst the concrete labyrinth. It was unnerving, how something so large could move so quickly and silently in this environment. Redman tightened his grip on the blade, preventing these thoughts from hindering his resolve. A grey blur moved in another street, returning to the building cover as Redman spun to locate it. The blur shot past another intersection, slow enough that this time, Redman was able to briefly identify the stalker’s fin-tipped tail. Around him, survivors of the tsunami cried out for the red warrior to save them. Redman chose not to listen to their pleas as he continued tracking the predator. His actions, while seeming cruel, were bolstered by logic. To save a handful of lives would expose him to Mega Shark’s savagery. The protection of human lives was a hindrance in the midst of battle. In the ultimate end, their safety was meaningless. Heroes like Zone Fighter and Ultraman had constantly come close to death by choosing to save a handful of lives. But what use was the safety of a dozen, compared to the suffering of thousands? To protect the human race, Redman had to relinquish his humanity. For the survival of thousands, the sacrifice of a few was necessary.
The skyscraper behind the crimson ‘defender’ crumbled into twisted metal and granite boulders. Redman spun around as Mega Shark broke through the structure, its meat-cleaving jaws primed. With only seconds to use, Redman twisted to the side as the super monster’s jaws shut, biting down on empty air as the crimson giant thrust his knife at the shark’s gills. The stained blade pierced the sensitive organs, but the momentum of Mega Shark’s descent ripped the Red Knife from its flesh and Redman’s grip. The weapon vanished in the crimson waters as Redman stumbled, falling and catching himself on another skyscraper. Mega Shark smacked into the water, blinding its enemy with a wave of stinging water. It swam down the narrow lane, building up speed as it navigated the flooded metropolis to face Redman. While the extra-terrestrial wiped his eyes clean with one hand, the other delved into the polluted waters in search of his weapon. As his vision cleared, his fingers touched the Red Knife’s blade. Down the roadway, Mega Shark charged at the distracted ‘hero’, its hungry growl echoing across the streets. As the frothing water crashed into the warrior’s abdomen, Redman pulled the Red Knife from the waves and grasped the handle with both hands, aiming the blade at the approaching predator.
“Red Shot!”
From the knife’s tip, a series of explosive bursts fired. As the first rounds entered the air, Mega Shark reared up in the waves, allowing the explosive volley to detonate under its form. A blast of fire and water lifted the colossal shark from the drowned street and sent it soaring through the air. Time seemed to run in slow-motion as Redman looked up at the flying behemoth. Twirling in the sky, the oceanic beast’s tail fin came down across the alien warrior with a thundering clap. The force of the blow send Redman flying through a skyscraper, demolishing it in its entirety. As he flew out the structure’s other side, its remains rained down on the wounded ‘defender’. Failing to hinder his recovery, though, Redman struggled to his feet.
The splash of thrashing waves drew the crimson giant’s attention down the street, where Redman found his carcharodon adversary already turning the corner and bearing down on him. The prehistoric terror lunged, leaping from the waters as Redman ducked low. His arms wrapped around the aquatic predator’s body, hugging it close to his form. He struggled to shift Mega Shark as it writhed and roared in an aggregated frenzy. Eventually, the ‘hero’ stood tall, clutching his squirming victim like a fisherman with his catch. With a single phrase and motion, the shark was cast from his clutches.
“Red Fall!”
Redman spun around and hurled the mega beast across Santa Monica’s devastated streets. Mega Shark roared as it crashed into one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers, and disappeared into a cloud of grey smoke as the structure crumbled to the ground.
The settling dust revealed the extent of the damage as Redman sprinted over to the wreckage. Trapped over blocks of concrete and frames of steel bars, Mega Shark moaned in agony. Metal beams and glass shards impaled its body in various places. Yet the super killer refused to yield. Its bindings began to crumble and fall apart as it writhed furiously. Before it could attain freedom, Redman fell atop the wounded predator. He held Mega Shark down as he wrestled with the beast’s jaws, trying to get a grip. The shark writhed in distress. Onlookers would see that the shark merely wanted to escape and return to the ocean. Any other hero would have given it that opportunity, making the argument that it was merely an animal acting on instinct. But Redman was not a giver of mercy. He refused to believe that a monster could be associated with the terms ‘misunderstood’ and ‘good’. Once, he had believed such things, and had paid the ultimate price for it. His misplaced trust cost him his home and family, and the events of his world’s destruction showed Redman the futility of heroism. Ever again could he allow another world to suffer the fate of the Red Nebula. There could be no peace between man and monster, because there was no such thing as a good monster.
Redman’s hands secured the jaws of Mega Shark. He began to pull, slowly separating the carcharodon’s powerful jaws. The snapping of cartilage and tearing of flesh filled the air as blood leaked from Mega Shark’s maw. In a brutal display, Redman tore apart the shark’s jaws, splitting them open like a banana. The once great predator’s lower jaw hung separately from the main body and its gills were ripped apart. For a brief moment, Mega Shark struggled, but its strength quickly waned, and it fell limp in Redman’s clutches as the life left it. Triumphant, Redman stood over the dead beast without sorrow or remorse. He raised his right hand to the sky in a salute, signifying his victory over another of Earth’s denizens, now one step closer to a monster-free world.
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