10 Years Earlier
Cody Ingalls stared at the two officers towering over him in the doorway. “My neighbor has been checking on me every few hours until my parents get back,” 8-year-old Cody told the officers. “They’re on a business trip and I’m allergic to my neighbor’s pets so I can’t stay there or else I’ll die.” “Son, we have some bad news,” the officer said as he met Cody at eye level. “Your parents were found dead in a park yesterday morning. They were strangled to death.” “No,” Cody said nervously as he backed up. “They’re coming home in the morning. They promised. They’re not dead.” “We need to take you somewhere until we find a new home for you,” the other officer said. “You’ll have to come with us now and—“ “NOOO!” Cody shouted as he punched the officer in the groin and slugging the other one. Before either officer could catch him, Cody was on the fire escape, making his way toward the street where he started running as fast as he could. “They’re not dead, they’ll see, they’ll be home soon and—“ Cody instantly hit an older man and fell backward. “Hey, kid, watch where you’re going,” Morty said as the officers caught up to him. “Uh oh, what’d you do, knock over a bank?” “Sorry, sir, we’ll take the boy now,” the officer said. “May need to handcuff him.” “What’d the kid do?” Morty asked, seeing the fear in the kid’s eyes. “He’s orphaned, we can’t let him stay by himself,” the other officer said. “He’ll go into foster care.” “Foster care? This kid’s my nephew, he can stay with me.” “Why was he in a neighbor’s care instead of yours?” “Me and my brother ain’t on good terms. Guy owed me money and I think we kind of a drunk. But the kid’s good with me, I’ll sign whatever.” The two officers looked at each other. It beat dealing with the loads of paperwork that they’d have to sign. After a few minutes, they just shrugged and walked away. “You got a name, kid?” Morty asked. “Cody, sir.” “Well, Cody Sir,” Morty told him. “Looks like I’m stuck with you, and just in time because I have got big plans that are going to make us a ton of money. You good with a card deck?” “No, sir.” “Then I have a lot to teach you, my young friend.” Nightmare Warriors #2 “The Scaring of the Green, Part Two” "Well, this isn't what I was expecting to happen," Jacob said as he watched Jason Voorhees stomping toward him with a machete. "Although given the last 4 years, I probably should have expected this." "What the hell is that!?" Cody asked as he got to his feet. He thought he'd been finished with the strange and unusual events such as Leprechauns and monsters after recent events. "Jason Voorhees, the Crystal Lake killer," Jacob explained. "You gotta wake up, pal. Then wait for my friends, they can help you." "But this is a dream, right?" Cody asked. "He can't hurt us, can he?" Jason swung his machete, slashing Jacob's shirt. Luckily his dreams had protected him with only his shirt having taken the damage. "Oh, shit!" Cody shouted as Jacob focused his power and punched Jason backward through a tree. He used his other hand to put his palm on Cody's forehead. "Trust my friends when they find you, they can help you." * Cody woke up under the tree, gasping as he felt his body to make sure he was in one piece. "Okay, I'm alive," Cody sighed as he stood up. He felt around his pocket for the gold coin, starting at it in between his fingers. "Stupid fucking coin. I should toss you in the lake and be done with you for all this rotten luck." "Now why would you be doing that?" Lubdan the Leprechaun asked as he sat on a tree branch over Cody's head. "Be a nice little lad and give an old Leprechaun his treasure back." "No, you're dead! I killed you!" Cody asked as he backed up, tripping backward on a tree branch. He fell backward, hitting his head on the ground. "Ah, so it was you that sent me brother to Hell," Lubdan said as he jumped off the branch and landed feet first in the grass. "You murdered me kin; now I'll peel off your skin!" "You can't hurt me while I have the coin," Cody told him. "You can't lay a finger on me!" "True, but they can!" Lubdan said as the trees around the area started reaching for Cody with their branches and vines. "I'll have me coin, or they'll have your blood!" "You gotta get me first!" Cody shouted as he started running, only to be tripped by one of the vines. "Bring me the coin!" Lubdan shouted as the vines of the tree held him down before they snuck up through his pant legs and shirt, the thorns cutting through them. The fabric started tearing apart as Cody's clothes were ripped like tissue paper, soon tossing the remnants of his shirt and pants away while Cody struggled. "You should have given up the coin while you had the chance, now I'll kill you and take it anyw--" A shotgun blast hit Lubdan, sending him flying backward just the trees were about to finish ripping off the rest of Cody's clothing to get the coin. Tommy stood not too far away with his sawed-off shotgun. John had his pistol, Andy had his sword and Jacob had a mace. "The kid was right, it is a Leprechaun!" Tommy shouted as he fired off several more rounds at Lubdan as he tried to get up. The Leprechaun stumbled, falling back into the bushes with the final shot. "Get Cody!" Andy and Jacob started chopping the tree limbs, only for Cody to start running once he was free, not looking back for an instant. "Well, that's gratitude for you," Andy said. "What do you expect, those trees were going full Evil Dead on him," Jacob told him. “We gotta find him." "John and Andy, you two follow the kid," Tommy told them. "Jacob, where did you see Jason in your dream?" "Right over there," Jacob said. "It felt so real." "That means he's awake," Tommy realized. "The water that you saw. It had to have been the lake he's under right now. If he's awake, a lot of people are going to die if we can't put him back." "There was something else," Jacob told him. "It was brief, but there were, I don't know, flashes of something. A kid in a red ball cap. He felt somehow different like he's important." "Think he's got powers like that psychic girl Tina?" "I don't know, but I know he's got some kind of ability," Jacob told him. "If he falls asleep I may be able to get more info. I need to change my shirt and try to find this guy." "You work on that, I'll go find John and Andy," Tommy told him. "Good luck." As Tommy ran off, Jacob looked at his torn shirt. "I don't even think I have another shirt. Hope my other one's dry." * Cody exited the woods with only his boxers left, now worrying about the Leprechaun's return. "This can't be real," Cody said. "I must have hit my head. There are no Leprechauns, no men in hockey masks, no killer trees, and no weird kids showing up in my dreams. I'm going to wake up any minute now, fully clothed and my girlfriend waiting for me. Wait... Bridget! I have to get to her." * "How are you holding up, kid?" John asked as Andy chopped through the brush with his sword. "You had three beers along the way." "I would have had more if Jacob hadn't shaken me down and tossed the rest of my stash out the window," Andy told him. "I could have used the rush since we're fighting a Leprechaun." "Maybe Tommy got him," John said as he stopped. "You know, we've been a group for a year. You know you can... talk to us, right?" "Tommy only talks 'the mission', Jacob only wants to jerk off to... well, stuff. And you? You're still waiting for your mom to tell you when to take a piss. Been holding it in for a year, haven't you?" "Wow, you are a mean little drunk," John told him. "I know you got a raw deal with the Cult and your little friend--" "Little friend?" Andy asked. "I was content with being stalked by a killer doll. I was even starting to accept that I might never see my Mom again. But then the Cult kidnapped me and Danny. And they tortured me, they made me believe that I could only be loyal to Danny. That I'd die for Danny and fuck everyone else. And you know what? It worked. I haven't seen Danny in a year and he's still the only thing I can think about. He's my best friend and the thought of him being stuck in that cult... Drinking him out of my head is all I can do so I can kill monsters and save the world. I don't know what else there is. They put him in my head, John. They forced him in and now he’s all that’s there and I can’t get him out.” "Then let us help you," John told him. "We're a team. We can get you through this if you let us in." "What, you mean like one of those Lifetime movies?" Andy asked as he flipped a gold coin in his hand. "Fuck that. Let's go find this kid before he gets himself killed. My buzz is wearing off and I need something.” “What the hell is that?” John asked. “I found this back there when Cody ran off,” Andy told him. “It was just laying on the ground. Probably fake, but I think it needs neat.” “Hang on to it, we’ll get it appraised when this is all over,” John said as he kept moving forward. * Tommy found the old apartment that Cody shared with his guardian Morty. There were empty pizza boxes all over and empty alcohol bottles in the sink. Tommy eventually found Cody’s bedroom, a small bedroom with barely enough room for a bed and dresser, along with a small black and white television set. “Better pack the kid some clothes, I doubt he’s ever coming back here,” Tommy said as he found the book on Leprechaun lore laying on the ground. “Well, what do we have here?” * Lubdan stood on the sidewalk, using magic to levitate a stick with a piece of red fabric attached at the end. “Me brother had been intending to get married. With this piece of his bride’s wedding dress, I can find the lass. The boy must be her white knight, so if I take her as me hostage, the boy will give up the shilling to save her,” Lubdan reasoned as the stick stopped spinning, pointing to the nearest street. “She’s in that direction! Soon I’ll avenge the brother who should have died by me own hand.” As Lubdan started walking, he passed a yard where a tied-up dog sniffed at him. “Poor little beast,” Lubdan said. “I may be evil, but even I think animals should be free. You look starved, boy.” A cooked turkey appeared in front of the dog, who got closer to it. Seconds later, his owner appeared and grabbed Lubdan’s arm. “You get away from my dog!” the man shouted. “He doesn’t need to eat, I fed him last night!” “The poor beast is starving, I was merely helping one of nature’s creatures,” Lubdan said as he pulled away, sizing the man up. “How about I kick your little ass and teach you a lesson?” the man asked as he punched Lubdan, sending him to the ground. “Get up so I can do that again!” Lubdan stood up, dusting his top hat off as he stared at the man. “Perhaps I’ll give the creature another treat. How about a large meal for a starving dog?” As the man went to punch him again, Lubdan pointed his finger as the man’s stomach started rumbling. “What did you do!?” the man shouted as he fell to his knees. The dog’s leash disappeared as it sniffed the air. As the man started feeling weird, a brown liquid started coming from his eyes, nose, and ears. The dog growled as it pounced the man as it started biting into his flesh, eating the meat inside. The man’s organs were now comprised of cooked turkey, coated with gravy as the dog bit larger chunks out of the man. Soon, more dogs came running as the man screamed while Lubdan stood back, laughing. “Sorry lad, but it’s a dog eat dog world!” Lubdan laughed. * Cody found himself in an alley, tired and out of breath as he backed against a wall, sliding down until he sat on the ground. A light rain started as he stared up into the sky. “I’ve lost everything,” Cody said to no one. “My family, my clothes, my girlfriend, my freedom… why is this happening to me? All because I held onto some stupid piece of—“ Cody felt his nearly naked body, realizing that the coin was no longer with him. It had been in his pants pocket when the trees ripped his clothes from him. “Shit!” Cody shouted. “I’m defenseless!” “No, you’re not kid,” a voice said as Cody looked around. “Morty, is that you? Where are you?” “I managed to strike a deal to come talk to you, but just this once, kid. Now I taught you better than that, didn’t I? When I took you in, you were in just a bad situation. Starving, alone, not a person in the world willing to give you the time of the day. I clothed you, fed you, and taught you to survive. Have you forgotten everything I taught you?” “No, but this thing is powerful and I—“ “AIn’t a creature in this world that can’t be conned,” Morty told him. “Hell, how many times did we con that little Irish bastard before he killed me? If I hadn’t gotten greedy, we would have had him right there in that iron safe.” “You’re right,” Cody told him. “Give him the con of a lifetime. Thanks, Morty.” “You’re a survivor, Cody, you’re going to run this town someday,” Morty told him. “Now get your life back and stop taking shit from that little green asshole. You’re my boy, you know how to work the system. Now go get ‘em!” Cody smiled as he stared up at the sky. “I’m going to need some clothes. Don’t worry, Bridget, I’ll kill this thing again.” * Jacob returned to the van, pulling off his slashed shirt as he dug around for his other shirt, hoping it had been dried by this point. As he pulled the shirt on, he felt a force hitting him. The kid from his dream was getting drowsy. “He’s asleep, and he’s going to be having a nightmare,” Jacob said as he sat down and focused. “I need to get him somewhere he can feel safe. That little diner up the street should do.” * Minutes later, Max fell through the diner door, spitting out water as he got to his knees. As he slowly stood up, he realized that he was standing in a diner he'd never been to before. "MAX! Hey, buddy!" Jacob shouted. "Get your ass over here, you have got to try this apple pie!" Max slowly approached him, water dripping with each step he took. That's when Max noticed that no one in the diner even took notice of him, as if he were invisible. "It's my first time here, too. You're kind of across the country and I can't hold this connection too long, so let's cut to the chase," Jacob said. "I know you're spooked right now, but trust me, I'm a friend." "Where did you come from?" Max asked as he tried to move out of the booth, realizing the floor beneath his feet was cold. He looked down, seeing his shoes and socks were gone, as he'd taken them off to dry next to the fire the night before. But if they were at the cabin, how did he get to the city?" “What the hell is going on?" "It's going to be okay, Max," Jacob told him. "You just haven't figured out what you can do yet. Just remember to keep calm and focus on where you to want to go." "Who are you? How did I get... where the hell am I?" "As I said, I'm a friend, one you're going to meet real soon," Jacob told him. "Just remember that you can do this. It's going to get rough, and a lot of people are probably going to die, you just gotta be brave. We all had to be brave before he brought us together. Face your fear, Max, it's the only way to beat him." "Beat who?" Max asked. The boy just smiled as Max woke up on the couch at Will's house in Higgins Haven. Meanwhile, Jacob woke up in the van and took a deep breath. “That kid’s got power,” Jacob smiled. “I felt it this time. It has something to do with that hat. I gotta find the others.” * “You sure the kid’s going to come here?” John asked as Tommy tossed him a bag with Cody’s clothes. “I saw a picture of him with his girlfriend,” Tommy told him. “He’ll try to save her from this thing now that he knows it’s back. We find the kid and we kill this fucker once and for all. We need to find some wrought iron, that’s the best way to either contain it or kill it according to the book I found.” “According to the GPS, she lives in that house over there,” Andy said. “Think the kid’s okay?” “He’s running around nearly naked with a Leprechaun hunting for him, things could be worse for him,” John told him as Tommy’s cell phone started ringing. “Tommy, I got in contact with the kid,” Jacob told him. “He’s special, he has some kind of power. I think we could use him if we can get to him first.” “Hang tight, Jake, I’m on my way,” Tommy said as he looked at John. “Find anything iron-based to fight the Leprechaun if you need to. I have to go take care of something.” “Where are you going?” Andy shouted after Tommy as he ran off. “Well, that’s just great. So now what?” “We find some iron,” John told him as he started walking. Andy just sighed as he pulled out a flask and took a long drink. As Andy followed John up the street, Lubdan appeared just outside of Bridget’s house… TO BE CONTINUED…
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Ed's Note - Be sure to catch up on Mighty Max, and then NW: The Gathering, before you carve into Nightmare Warriors!
by Tobias ChristopherJust a body. Meat, bones, some skin... Archives
July 2020
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