The Watchmen Files // Chapter Two

Hello there!

   It's Watchmen Wednesday! And you know what that means (if you don't, click here to read the first chapter)!

Note: this is not my favorite (or best written) chapter. My personal favorite is chapter four, and I also really like chapter three. But of course, we must go through two to get to three, so here we go!

The Watchmen Files

File One

Chapter Two

The First Encounter

   "And now- Mr.- *fuzz fuzz* Mace- *fuzz* Son- Wake up!..."
   Mason was rudely awakened by the small glitchy television across for the couch where he had fallen into a troubled sleep. "Ugh... wha...?" He yawned to the TV, which continued to flip from channel to channel as it pixelated.
   He pulled a pillow over his head to muffle the obnoxious noise as it continued in first a British accent, then an Australian, then back to the late night American talk show hosts.
   " *fuzz* Mace... Listen - carefully..."
   "Ugh!! Shush! Stupid TV..." He moaned and tossed the pillow at it in frustration. He was so tired he couldn't really hear that it was talking to him.
   "Are you- *fuzz fuzz* -even listening?" Then it got to the movie stations. "Please! We're here- *fuzz* to help you."
   He looked at it questionably. "What is wrong with this thing? I've gotta sleep, you know!"
   "No- *fuzz* -time left!... We need *fuzz* you to listen..."
   Mason dragged himself to it and went for the off button.
   "You have to-*fuzz* -what are you doing?!" A British actor and a German one questioned him.
   "There we go," Mason smiled to himself when he turned it off. "Problem solved!"
   Just as he had slumped back down on the couch, someone spoke. "Mace- sun. Listen to us-*fuzz* -it's about-*Fuzz fuzz fuzz* Hans."
   At that name, memories came flooding back before his eyes as if he was about to die. His dad's sharp, cold blue eyes and dark hair, bending over his work none-stop, his absence at Mason's baseball games, his parents fighting, all of it. "D-did you... did you say...?"
   "Yes... *fuzz fuzz* He's in trouble- *fuzz* -and now you are." He stared wide eyed as the screen flipped channels and pixelated as it finished, "-but we're here to- *fuzz* -help."
    "What's going on, who are you? What do you want me to do?" Mason face-palmed. "I can't believe I'm talking to a TV."
    "You aren't- *fuzz* - we need you- to get - out now- *fuzz* We - are outside."
    "How do I know you aren't just a friend playing practical joke? This is too weird to be real."
    "You don't- *fuzz* - but you have to believe." As those words left the speakers, a flash of what looked like a W came over the screen, then was gone. "And- you don't have any friends to play it on you."
    Mason nodded in acknowledgement, still unsure of it all. He hadn't seen his dad since he was fourteen (and it wasn't exactly a happy reunion), and his involvement didn't reassure him. Wherever he was, conflict was soon to follow. But what other choice did he have? Stay in the apartment with whatever dangers lurked inside and go back to bed? "Fine." He made for the door, but on second thought turned back. "I better grab Ava."
    "No!" It shouted, then its volume lessened. "There is- *fuzz* -no time. Go."
    "No way! I'm not leaving her to whatever is gonna hurt her."
    "Don't panic - we'll- *fuzz* -take care of it."
    "No. I'm getting her now."
    And with that, despite the TV's continuing protests, Mason pushed on to Ava's sticker covered door. "Hey Av?"
    The lump under her pink and white polka dot covers shifted ever so slightly, and a little noise came out. "Hmm...?"
    Mason tiptoed over ballet slippers, numerous teddy bears having a tea party, and sheets of paper with pink paint plastered over them to her bedside. "Av, you awake Sweetie?"
   Another groan.
   "We have to go now."
   A tangled haired head peeped out, along with a pair of sleepy little eyes. "Now?"
   "Um hm. Come on," He reached under the covers and as gently as possible, picked her up as she laid her head against his shoulder and wrapped her little arms as well as she could around his neck.
   He was just about to close to door behind him when the window over her bed smashed, scattering shards of glass everywhere as a character dressed fully in black landed gracefully on her floor, pulled something off his back and pointed it at Mason. And that something was a rifle. "Bewegen sich nicht!" The masked man shouted as he flipped a switch and a red light appeared on Mason and more men flew in after him.
    Mason didn't move. Would you if you had a red laser in the middle or your forehead? He felt hands on his shoulders as he was pulled backwards, out of Ava's room and down the hallway, which was now filled with normal looking men with handguns at the ready.
   Mason struggled and pushed the man who had grabbed him away as Ava sobbed into his shirt. "Get away from me!"
   "It's okay, Kruger! I'm on your side," The man wasn't any taller than Mason himself, but he had light brown hair and a black leather jacket on. He smiled and flashed a badge with a W on it, "Don't be afraid of us, we're here to help you. My name is Jason."
   That didn't reassure him much, and as you would expect, he was still a bit shaken up. "W-what.. what was that?"
   Jason checked his phone casually and stated, "I'll explain everything on the plane."
   "Plane? What plane?"
   "You'll see it once we get there." He nodded to the others as they carried the men in black out of Ava's room. "I'm surprised Hydra didn't put up that much of a fight this time, seeing it's your first encounter."
   He was confused. "What do you mean 'first encounter?' "
   "Mason, d'you hear that?" Ava lessened her grip on Mason's shirt and had stopped crying.
   "Not now Av-"
   Jason jerked his fist up, and the room fell silent. No one moved. A small noise, like little computer glitches could barely be heard.
   Mason looked to Ava. "Rice crispies," was all she said.
   Jason's eyes widened, and he hit the floor yelling, "Get down!!"
   An explosion rocked the apartment, throwing Mason, the only one who didn't get down off balance, and into the wall. Seconds later, through the smoke, at least ten more men in black streamed through the fresh hole in the wall and fired darts at them.
    They immediately sprang into action, firing back and reverting to hand-to-hand combat in the tight hallway. Even Jason was matched up against three of them, and he obviously knew his stuff, but so did they.
   "Stay back!" Mason ordered Ava before he tackled one to the ground before getting a good hit on the face.
   An ear piercing screen made him jump into off and gasp with horror. "Ava, no!"
   The young man wasn't much older then himself, and was wearing black like the others, but he had no mask. And his face... those same sharp, cold blue eyes, dark hair, and pasty white skin...
   His voice and appearance was so much like that of Mason's dad's that it made him sick. "Ich werde ihr weh ob ich muß!" He shoved the pistol into her head and shouted again, "Ich werde ihr wehob ich muß!"
    Mason put his hands up slowly, making sure to make no sudden moments. "Dude, I don't know what you're saying. Could we just... talk about this?"
    "I said," he seethed in fluent enough English, "I'm going to hurt her if I must. Did your father teach you nothing?"
    "Just don't touch her-"
    "Then try to take her from me." He interrupted him with had a cruel smile on his face. "I'd like to see you try."
    Now, Mason had been in plenty of school brawls in his time, but that sickly giddy grin on his opponent's face didn't reassure him of an easy victory. But the look on Ava's little face, the look of terror, the fear of death, was too much for him. He couldn't back down now.
    He made his move. Not wanting to hurt Ava, Mason went for his opponent's legs. Not such a good move. Sure, he dropped her, but immediately Mason felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck.
   Suddenly, all sound was muted and time itself was slowed. All he could hear was the pulsing of his heart-beat and his own breathing filling his ears.

   The young man smiled triumphantly, glad that his enemy had fallen so easily for his trap. But there were too many Watchmen about, he could never get away with Kruger. It was time for Plan B (or Zwei, in his native German). He grabbed the girl, who immediately screamed, but he had to handle much more then a wriggling child before. With a gun to her head as he threatened to use it to the remaining Watchmen, he made his exit and called over his earpiece in German, "I have the next best thing. Come get me."

   Once Jason saw Mason fall to the ground and cry out after his cousin, he fought the remaining opponents madly and yelled for his men to help the boy.
   Mason hit the ground, tense and in pain. The sharp sensation was pulsing out from his chest, making him reel on the floor. It was too much for him to handle. He felt like he needed air.
    Three other men held him down as Jason grabbed Mason's face and yelled something he couldn't hear or understand over the beating. But that just made him mad. He angrily shoved him off, but then was tackled and kept down by the others. One of them yelled for a doctor. One appeared above him and tried to give him an injection, but it didn't go through, so he ended up practically stabbing him with the needle.
   Then the world around him got hazy, and the moving doctors and bystanders turned into one big whirl of colors. He couldn't think. The only thing he could do, and he did, was groan out, "Ava..." over and over again. And when he passed out, in his head, he could still hear her terrified scream.

Continues in T.W.F.O. Chapter 3: Men In Black, The Freckled Freak, And The Human Guard Dog



    Well, that's chapter two. Make sure to check back next Watchmen Wednesday for chapter three! Watchmen Wednesday, I like the sound of that... if I'd like, please share your thoughts about the chapter.

Sincerely,

Darrion