Tales From October Volume II

I stood up and suddenly, I felt weak and sore beyond belief. My left arm in particular, with an ache that made me wince and it was all I could do to keep from screaming.

"Are you a Strordinaire?"

And there a boy
Not more than ten
With hope in his eyes
Looking at me
Like I was
The who he'd been waiting for

"I am."

Tales From October Volume II

And there I lay
Silently still
Calming myself
As there I felt
The need of beratement
Which led to tears
And the subsequent need
To calm calm down

Aye some Strordinaire
I was I wasn't
At least not yet
And one would have to wonder
If so I would become
As there I was
Covered in anything but
The glory of my done

Trash alas
Yes fitting for sure
Though saved from hearing
His unending laughter
So at least at least
It wasn't as bad
As bad it could have been

Like I could have died. And in fact, maybe I did, but was brought back, by the power of the suit. Not that I knew for certain either way. And that wasn't good. "Oh man, this is not my day."

Tales From October Volume II

"I'll be up to the challenge next time Jonny, you saying it can't be is just words. And I am not afraid of words."

"Good for you Junior. but I can say the same about your words, that they are just words. And they are, as I have proven myself in battle against you. And I am just a man, while you are a Strordinaire."

And then he was gone, leaving Jonathan easily beaten and feeling low, hardly the auspicious beginning as a Strordinaire he had thought to have.

Tales From October Volume II

"And what kind of man would I be Jonny if I had ignored the screams I heard? This is nothing compared to how I would have felt if that is what I had done."

"Oh how full of valour you be Tykyn. Will you think the same when this I do?" Jonny smiled then, as Jonathan lay groaning on the ground and gathered a bag from a nearby dumpster, spilling open its smelly contents with a swift cut of his blade all over him. "A fitting final act of this our first meeting, because I can see that you are too foolish a man not to seek me out again. Just know you this Tykyn, it will go no better that next time."

"I'll learn my abilities Jonny and then watch out."

"You can learn them all you like and I will still not fear you in the least. I have your number now and will always have it."

Jonny laughed and charged at him, leaving his cursed blade sheathed in his pouch, certain sure he needed nothing more than his fists to deal with Tykyn II, or junior, which was certainly apt.

And they met in battle again
If such it could be called
As Jonny struck
With but a single blow
Felling Tykyn
As if he wasn't
Any trouble at all

Which of course he was
But in name alone
And should have not
But met him so
Or anyone else
Just yet as yet

"Fool, you should have waited until you knew yourself as I know myself. But no, you had to be the hero you aren't. Lucky for you, you're stronger than my blade, or I'd put you out of my misery."

Tales From October Volume II

"You do Jonny, but how long do you think you can stay free, now that I am on the scene and you don't just have to deal with cops, instead of a bonafide Stordinaire?"

"If you are the Strordinaire Junior, as long as I want. And since only boredom would bring me to allow myself to be caught, which is something I've not experienced in twenty years, you ain't got a hope in that. And all you've done is talk the talk Junior, you've yet not walked the walk, so do your thing now, or watch as I make my easy escape and leave you cursing your ineptitude like a sulky little man."

"Shut up Jonnny. I'm giving you a chance to surrender here and now, without hurting you. Be sensible."

"Oh Junior, I'm the bad guy, not wanting to hurt me, when you know I've done no good, is not what you should be thinking of. Idiot. I'm gone, I have places to be."

"Like jail?" And with a deep breath, Jonathan charged at Jonny, hopeful the suit would show him what do to. "They'll find a place for you there."

Tales From October Volume II

Only Jonathan had no idea as to what he could do, which made him a terrible fool, challenging a man with a cursed knife, let alone a regular one, impressively dressed or not.

"As I said, you can't make me shut up. In point of fact, you can't make me do anything I don't want to do, like kill you."

"But you tried that before and here I am, hale and hearty as if you didn't stab me at all."

"Well, I'm guessing that you're a one trick pony Tykyn, nothing more. You can't die, but can't do anything because you punch like a pushover and have no fighting skills. And dressing impressively doesn't mean a thing because it isn't how you look, it's what you can do. And since you can't do anything, you really shouldn't be here."

"Well, as you also said, I saved Sarah, so that in itself is a victory Jonny."

"Some victory Junior, I can reach out to her anytime I want to. And if you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way, because I've seen your face and if I put my mind to it, I can find the people in your life and make certain sure they pay for that fact. Do I make myself clear Tykyn?"

Tales From October Volume II

And now it was the time
The time for him
To no longer be
Merely Jonathan the man
But Tykyn The Strordinaire
In battle with
His first own villain

Only he was not ready
To do as what
He needed do
And froze he did
In his face

"What's this Junior? You're not ready to face me? Are you just going to be responsible for saving Sarah from harm and nothing more? Ha ha ha fool. Oh my, what would Tykyn say about his successor, if he could?"

"Shut up Jonny, just shut up."

"Only if you make me Junior, only if you make me. And I don't think you can make me."

Tales From October Volume II

"The name is not Junior Jonny. And I'll thank you not to call me Junior again."

"Oh Junior, if you're going to be a Strordinaire, you're going to have to deal with people like me, who do their bad things, while making fun of those like you, if you turn out to the first of a second wave of Strordinaires."

"Shut up Jonny!"

"Words are not going to hurt me Junior, you know that right? You're going to have fight me and you certainly didn't do a good job of it before now did you? And don't try and deny it, you're the fool I stabbed. You should have died, but apparently you're harder to kill than a normal idiot. I'll just have to do a better job now and really kill you."

"Well, you can try, but you will fail, because I am a Strordinaire and you are not. And that gives me the advantage."

"Show me then Junior, I'm always happy to learn."

Tales From October Volume II

"Dead? Not hardly, I'm alive and about to do to you what you sorely deserve." And there he stood, October II, merely Jonathan Creech no more. he was now a Strordinaire, and woe to such as those as Jonny Ten Blade. "Can you say you're ready for me little Jonny Ten Blade? I think not!"

Jonny glared at him and snapped open his blade. "So you're a Strordinaire eh? Funny, I thought they were all gone, never to return. Oh well, I was wrong. But that's okay, I always wanted to take on a Strordinaire, certain I could take several of them down. Not the least of which was that foolish Tykyn. Him I know I would have beaten easily."

Jonathan wanted to answer back, in some defence of Tykyn's name, but he knew that would serve no good purpose. It was time to fight. "Let's have at it Jonny, or are you afraid to face me, the first Strodinaire you've ever faced?"

"A rookie Stordinaire? Not hardly. Come, show me what you're made of Junior." And he smiled, bidding him to attack with a casual gesturing of his fingers.

Tales From October Volume II

Sarah did just as he asked, flinching in advance of seeing a bloody mess of a man lying dead on the ground not far from where they stood.

As for Jonny himself, his smile faded as he heard no scream or other reaction from Sarah, who was not possessing of the strongest stomach. "You've changed since we were together Sarah, otherwise you'd have surely screamed by now, given what I did to that idiot."

"I am looking Jonny and I have say, you need to look too."

"I've no need to look at the dead fool. I killed him but good."

"Then why am I not screaming at the sight of his bloody body then. because you know I would."

"I don't know Sarah. You must have taken something."

"So I've taken to drugs have I? No, that's not it. There's just nothing for me to scream about Jonny."

"No, it can't be, I killed him with my blade. He's dead!" But still he turned to see what she was seeing, with an awful feeling in his stomach. "No! This can't be so, he was just a random idiot, nothing more, he has to have crawled off to die simewhere else."

Tales From October Volume II

"You wound me babe, I always had the best of intentions with you, you know that. Not once did I ever want to do you any wrong. And you know we had that chemistry. And I'll bet it's still there, under the hate you hold for me now."

"Yet now you wish to use that cursed blade on me Jonny. Why the change in heart?"

"Well babe, you kicked me to the curb, so what I would have done before, is not what I'll do now. That being said, this is just a painful lesson you need to learn."

"I don't need anything from you no more Jonny, now go away and leave me be."

"But you know things that I cannot allow you to know without now making you aware of the penalties for ever sharing that information with anyone. So, this I have to do babe."

"But I've known these things for months and you've not never said or done a thing about it and I got happy again. I even met a great guy. Life was good. Why'd you have to pop back up Jonny? What's changed? Are you not your own boss now? Are you not the big man anymore?"

"That will be quite enough from you Sarah Maresten! Take your punishment like a good girl and I'll not have to administer more of it to those near and dear to you, like Billy Taddison for example." And Jonny was enraged, hurt even, as her cutting remarks felt as like a slap to his manhood. And that he couldn't abide.

"You leave Billy alone, he never hurt anyone ever."

"Then smile babe and say thank you Jonny and I'll consider this I do to you the end of the matter, because with you, I can promise that I'll not get carried away, I can't say the same thing with Billy."

"You monster! How dare you?"

"Was I a monster all those nights we lay together, exhausted from the making of love? I think not babe. And don't you dare say I wasn't the best you ever had, because that would be a lie and we both know how much you hate lies."

"Blast you Jonny, throwing my words back at me and twisting them for your own ends."

"I'm a bad man Sarah, it's what I do. Just look at what I did to the idiot over there. I gutted him but good."

Tales From October Volume II

"And death is a lesson Jonny? No thanks, I'll pass."

"No. I don't do this to kill you babe, not you. I just need to leave you with a lesson. That's all, nothing more."

"You don't call me babe! You lost that right months ago."

Tales From October Volume II

And Jonny watched him bleed for a few moments, smiling all the while, before he turned his vile attentions to the unfortunate woman, Sarah Wills, a woman he dated but a couple of times before she saw him for what he was, a rather bad man.

"Sarah, oh Sarah, it is time for you to wake up because we have things to discuss."

"Oh please Jonny, let me be, I've never said nothing about you to no one and I'm not about to either. Just leave me be, please." And poor Sarah struggled to her feet, very much fearing what he was wanting to do to her.

"Don't make this any harder on yourself my dear, it will hurt less if you just accept what I will do. And then you can just carry on with your life, having learned a necessary lesson."

Tales From October Volume II

"I'm waiting for your downfall Jonny. But it's taking longer than I thought it would."

"You're going to cause my downfall fool? How? You're nothing but a squirming worm that I will only too happily deal with." He smiled then and waved his blade to and fro. "So far, you've but felt the delicious pain of my blade. You haven't felt it as the blade it was meant to be. You will now though." And he pounced on Jonathan and thrust the blade into his chest repeatedly, with quick and decisive strikes.

"Oh God no, it wasn't supposed to be like this."

"Ha ha ha! Die fool, die!"

Tales From October Volume II

Sadly, it was a fickle tide and Jonathan's quick blows soon slowed and Jonny Ten Blade smiled and turned to his cold cutting laughter. "Ha ha ha fool, out of energy eh? Too bad for you, but good for me."

And a flying back is how Jonathan went, from wailing away to sailing from in but a handful of blinks of the eye.

"Where is it? C'mon, how long does it take to be?"

Jonny Ten Blade strode towards Jonathan then, certain of course that he had no need to fear the fool. "What are you talking about fool? What are you waiting for? More pain? Well, you are in luck, because I have it to give to you."

Tales From October Volume II

"Dear sweet God, the pain. How can a simple knife strike cause such pain?"

"Ha ha ha! You should have listened to me when I gave the get out of pain card idiot, because the likes of you are no match for Jonny Ten Blade." And he looked towards the poor woman, just then rising, on shaky knees, with fear racing her heart faster than was normal. "Now if you'll excuse me idiot, I've a few words for my friend."

"No, Jonny, though the pain is excruciating, unlike any I ever thought to know, I can't let you do that."

"Oh really fool? That was but a single stroke of my blade and the pain of more would surely knock you senseless, do you really want more?"

And painfully, with the need to scratch his face still there, he slowly rose and fiercely stared at Jonny. "Want it? Hell no, I don't want it, but I have to do this."

"A glutton for punishment then? A would be hero? Whatever the reason, so be it, I will gladly give you this more pain you seek. And if you die, as you surely could, the fault is yours."

"Shut up you villain! Aargghh!!"

And Jonathan charged at Jonny, who smiled at the thought of the hard charging idiot, as so far as he was concerned. Ha, ha, ha! Oof!"

Nonetheless, down he went. suffering a series of furious blows from Jonathan's quick strikes.

Tales From October Volume II

But his laughter passed by quick and he sprung to his feet and charged hard towards Jonathan, waving his blade like a fencer., only to stop a mere two thrust away. "Listen idiot, there's a reason they call me Jonny Ten Blade and you do not want to find out, so do yourself a favour and take a hike now, or you will discover why firsthand. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, very."

"Well maybe you're not the idiot I took you for. Now go, I won't hurt my friend Trixie. i just need to talk to her. You tried to do the right thing, but sometimes doing the right thing isn't the right thing when you're only going to get yourself cut real bad."

"I understand, but I can't leave Trixie with you."

"Oh no? Didn't I just give you a get out of pain card? And this is how you're going to take my kindness? No, that's not what you do to me." And he sliced jonathan's cheek open with a quick but shallow stroke, laughing as he did so. "Ha ha ha! What an idiot you are. It didn't have to be that way."

Jonathan fell to his knees,clutching and rubbing his bleeding cheek, trying to scream, but finding he just couldn't, try as he might.

Tales From October Volume II

Jonathan gulped nervously. "A knife eh? Is the big man afraid of insignificant me?"

"Not hardly idiot. If I was afraid, I'd have left when you interrupted me and my friend here. And I'd also not be walking towards you very purposefully with a knife at the ready."

"Yeah, I guess not."

"So you're not a complete idiot then. Maybe you'll see reason and get yourself out of harm and leave me to talk to my friend. What do you say fool?"

"Your friend? No you're no friend to her and you damn well you aren't. So how how about you go away now before I have to do something to you that you won't like."

"You?" And the man stopped and fell to his knees laughing. "You're going to hurt me? Ha ha ha!"

Tales From October Volume II

"Help me, please. Someone, anyone!"

And Jonathan decided then and there, suit or no, he had to act then.

So he rushed to the aid
Of the first good soul
He sought to save
Not knowing what
He was to face
Just knowing that
It was right to do

"You there, let her go now!"

The man, struggling with the woman threw her down to the ground and scowled at Jonathan. "Oh really hero? And what are you going to do?" And with that, he pulled out a switchblade and opened it as he slowly walked towards him.

Tales From October Volume II

But he froze he did
There without the suit
For it yet had shown signs
Of being ready
To aid him in the cause
Of justice dealt

Not to mention, he had no training at all in the way of doing such things outside of what he'd seen in movies and read in comics. And that was nothing to go on, seeing as that was fiction and not real life.

Yet, he couldn't just stand there and nothing could he? How would he live with himself if he let some poor woman be attacked with impunity when the very least he could do was scare her attacker off.

Action though could not wait, he had to decide now.

Tales From October Volume II

Yeah, that's what I'll do, I'll go see Mom and Dad. Now they'll have a question or two for me visiting them during the day, but that isn't anything I can't handle.

So on his way he went
To see his folks
On a day he normally would as not
But such is life
We can think it will go left
And it will zigzag right

Then again, it can veer back to the left in the blink of an eye.

"No, don't. Please, someone help me!"

And Jonathan, waiting for the bus, spun around and looked towards the cries of a woman.

Tales From October Volume II

So, a day to myself then? An unexpected boon. But how best to make use of it? If it was Tuesday, I know for sure where I would go(A movie of course, Tuesday is my favourite day to see a movie), but it is Monday and the movie I would most want to see is one I still hope to see with Terri.

Speaking of Terri, I'd dearly love to drop in on her, but that seems like a risky proposition seeing as we will see each other later this week and I don't want to put her off, since our first date didn't end well and I have no idea how many chances she's liable to give me.

As for heroing, well, the suit shows no obvious signs of being ready so that's just a bad idea waiting to happen.

Hmm, if I was a writer, I know what I would do, but I'm not so I am at a loss at what to do with myself.

Maybe I'll go see Mom and Dad.