Far Pangaea 25 : Bigger Problems

Nearing home base Cam and Malcolm spotted the warzone activity in the distance. Arming up with their weapons they began sprinting. Malcolm however was lagging behind as if his blood sugar was running low. His entire body began to ache. Muscles enflamed. Joints grinding with each movement.

"You gonna faint on me Buddy?" Cam realized his partners slowing pace.

"I'm hurting. Keep going I'll catch up. Help them however you can." The black man encouraged.

"They weren't kidding. That things a bus for sure." As Cam huffed he spotted the smaller lizard racing across the desert in a huff of dust just to their right.

"There's another one. Short Bus." Cam joked glad that it was hightailing it away.

Mal was even having difficulty breathing. His sight blurring. Presuming hunger, he indulged upon his ever growing fruit from his nap sack. The bites did help his body feel better for short periods. Enough to keep him moving. With each foot fall he felt more energetic. Maybe he thought, that was all it was. Low blood sugar.

Tenth of a mile away Jack Ramse ordered everyone back. It was time to try the grenades. Circling around Sophia who squatted in the sand while rising from her fall, Jack hissed, "Get back up there. Let's try this again. Jaws wide, grenades as the appetizer."

Ruby Goddard continued firing at the beast. Her hopes of at least blinding it were dashed. Even it's eyeballs were bulletproof.

As Sophia charged back into battle Jack motioned Ruby to move out. She began stepping backwards when she noticed James Ian crouching in the dirt to collect his fallen drone. Loading it carefully while wearing gloves he placed it in his pack.

"James, move. Head for the ship where it's safe." Ruby races up to him.

He turns quickly and feels Ruby clutch his arm.

"I just needed to rescue D.R.1."

"All good. Now go!" Ruby is joined by Xander who had been darting about barking.

The three race away toward the Ganthorian ship leaving Jack, Sophia, and the continually phasing Maddy to battle the giant lizard.

"Keep him confused Mom." Sophia barks.

Maddy literally hovers in front of the Komodo dragon's face, "What do you think I've been trying to do?"

The dragon snaps at her form only to bite open air. In it's dramatic hunger Sophia makes her way in to grip the beast's jaws. It's strength was incredible. Even Sophia with her amped up physique could barely hold on.

Suddenly, Jack heard a rumble from the other side of the yacht. Just as he prepared to toss a grenade the once penned up cattle roared around the boat. Greta Winston had herded three of her cows out into the desert and was using them as bait.

Jack upon seeing Greta on horseback darting about with Quiver and firing her Winchester into the air, called out.

"What are you doing?" He knew at least a cow or two might be sacrificed by her plan.

"Luring him away. What other choices do we have?" Greta huffs back forcing Quiver into another direction.

Seeing the cows the dragon shrugged off Sophia yet again as if a fly on it's skin. In a sudden momentum the monster crushed its way off of the boat to give chase. Hitting the ground rustled up a dust cloud.

It was nothing for the serpent to capture a cow and devour it whole. The sight made Greta shed a tear. What it did do though, was slow the creature down while savoring the still moving cow as he swallowed it.

"Fuck!" Jack growled as Maddy flew past him to attempt another distraction.

"Mom is useless." Sophia joins Jack for her next assault.

Jack growls at Sophia, "She's trying. Give her some credit."

"I am. Just saying." Sophia pouted.

In the chaos the dragon faltered as if trying to decide it's next move. Feed on another cow or escape? In it's hesitance Jack decided to lob a grenade under it's throat area. The blast did nothing but create a denser cloud of dust.

Sophia did do something useful, she jumped in front of Jack in case shrapnel spat in his direction. Jack did feel shards whiz past him. Luckily she sheltered him. The fragments that struck Sophia were easily absorbed without harm to Sophia herself.

"Tasty!" She giggles then moves away from Jack.

He wanted to know his own skins density, "I knew the risk. But, thanks."

"Anytime Jack. You know I loves you." She winks over her shoulder.

The lizard continued chewing the dying cow within its jaws. Small chunks fell from it's mouth to the ground. It was good that Jack had a strong constitution. Sophia not so much. Even with her new organic structure the thoughts alone challenged her senses. This was something personal. This was a friends property.

Greta hated her own plan. These cows were her only connection to her past life. Losing another only made her hate her life more. Seeing the sacrificed cow she decided to turn the remaining two back toward the ship. In doing so the dragon was prompted to pursue her. To increase her stress it decided to go invisible once more. Only it's foot falls in the soil allowed them to keep track of it.

"This is a losing battle Jack." Madigan suspended in the air beside him.

He wondered if she was right.

In a bold move Jack raced toward the tracks and jumped on to it's back. It was liking riding a bucking Bronco. Even invisible it had enough thick scales to find a grip. Jack was nothing more than a nuisance. Even he knew it.

Ruby assisted Greta in nudging the two remaining cows back into the statically charged pen. Once she knew the cows were guarded Greta reversed her horse to charge toward the lizard. Veering away at the last second forced the lizard to give chase. Directly into the path of the oncoming Cameron and Malcolm.

Cameron realized the beast was headed in his direction after spotting Jack bouncing about in what looked like empty air. It was weird to witness for certain. Even stranger when Sophia charged in to join Jack's ride. Nothing hotter than a naked woman on a bucking bull. So to speak. Cameron's thoughts quickly changed when he realized he was directly in it's path and closing fast. He was afraid to fire upon it for fear of hitting Jack or the careening Greta.

As Greta sachets in front of the Komodo her horse Quiver gets too close and panics. It rears up and unintentionally throws Greta to the desert below. The impact left her winded and sore. Also directly in front of the dragon. She could feels it's breath and a spray of nasal residue. The odor of dead cow on it's breath.

Sophia forced her way bravely toward it's head and attempted to gouge at what she presumed was it's eyes. It was barely enough to make it slow down. Luckily it needed to finish swallowing the cow before eating more. Terrified Greta merely paused in her seat, her hand poised out in front of her as if to stop it. As if she could. In doing so she felt another gust of nasal snorting which drenched her from head to toe. She looked like a drowned rat wearing a cowboy hat.

Cameron raced in to pick her up causing her to yelp. But, the beasts breath proved to both of them that it's face was inches away. Cam too felt helpless. Even the excessive cries from Jack to run were hollow to their fear.

Jack suddenly spotted Malcolm running toward them. He seemed bigger.

Sophia realized Malcolm's charge as well. His clothing was shredding from his body as if it were ripped away by an unseen force. Her eyes grew wide. Even in her predicament she had to huff, "Whoa! Biggest dick I've ever seen."

Like a bull charging toward the invisible dragon Malcolm Brand was growing taller with each footfall. On his chiseled body were glowing tattoos. Strange spirals as if runes from some unknown civilization.

At twenty yards the dragon reacts. It shrugged Jack and Sophia off as it turned to embrace battle. Both of them toppled to the ground. Jack rolled directly on top of Sophia in a very compromising position. He could feel her cells burning gently at his flesh. His shirt was frying on his body. He swiftly jumped away and to his feet.

"Sorry Jack. My friends didn't mean to hurt you. They're all worked up over my adrenalin flow." In her drama she still found it appealing that he was on top of her. Her hormones were always on high.

"What the hell happened to Malcolm?" Jack rushed in to grab Cam and Greta to their feet.

Cam sweating bullets at the tension turned to see a thirty foot tall version of his buddy Malcolm.

"Uhhhhhh! Got me." Is all Cam could mutter.

Malcolm charged the dragon which was phasing back to being seen again.

Cam turns pale, "Kong versus Godzilla."

Jack held the trembling Greta close.

Sophia sprinted over to join them. As did the floating Maddy Ridge.

It was the wrestling match of the century. Malcolm snarled at the top of his lungs as he and the dragon rolled on top of each other time and time again. A dust storm billowed following each tumble.

Back at the ship everyone's reaction was the same. Awe!

Ruby, Elle, and James observed the struggle.

"That's some cavalry." Elle dropped her jaw.

James swallowed hoarsely almost teary eyed, "Giant Man!"

"He really did wrestle gators." Ruby recalls Malcolm's story of his past.

There would be plenty of questions later. For now everyone could only watch the events before them.

Malcolm was being bitten but fortunately his own skin was as hard as the dragons. What affected the dragon was the glowing runes on Malcolm. It was as if they were acid to it's touch. Loud hisses expelled from the beast.

It's whipping tail slashed at Malcolm's face. He ignored it and felt himself grow even larger to compensate. Reaching forty feet tall he was larger than the dragon. Now he had the leverage to grip the beast in a bone crunching spinal snap. In a mad convulsion the Komodo dragons body suddenly went limp. Malcolm stood up holding it in his arms. Eying it's final breath Mal tossed it to his right, followed by a deafening thud as it landed in the sand below.

Afraid to move everyone awaited Malcolm to turn his attention toward them. His breathing returning to normal Malcolm finally looked down at everyone.

"Anyone hurt?" His voice erupted like a bullhorn on steroids.

The group below had to hold their ears.

Maddy smiled, "At least it wasn't me this time."

Jack threw his hands up, "Don't speak. What's happened to you Malcolm?"

Mal raises his arms to see the glowing runes and touches them. He offers a strange expression. It was almost as if he felt their power. Finally, his response was a shrug.

Cam eased toward Mal, "Thanks for the save, Buddy. You can come down now."

Jack stood next to Cam, "Let's hope he can."

"He can. He will. I have faith." Cam stared at Jack with a strong conviction.

Malcolm closed his eyes. As if meditating he slowly began to decrease in size. Within five minutes he had returned to normal.

"How are you feeling Soldier?" Ruby approached from the distance.

Malcolm opened his eyes with a realization, "Damn I'm hungry. Where's my apple?"

"Apple?" Jack questioned.

Cam looked around them and spotted Mal's nap sack in the dirt. He races over to it and brings it back. He reaches into the bag and produces the fully reformed fruit.

Mal snatches it from his hand with a growl.

"Easy Buddy. Just feeding the bears." Cam carefully eases away.

James approaches eying the fruit.

"Was that the fruit I made you throw down over in Eden?" The boy worries.

Mal almost pouts, "Yeah! It's good."

"YIKES!" James starts to turn away when Jack grabs his shirt collar.

"Explain yikes." Ramse scrutinizes.

"I told him some of the alien fruits and veggies weren't safe. How was I to know he would ignore my warning?"

"What is this fruit?" Ruby eyes it, trying not to share in Sophia's glare of Malcolm's ten incher that had been a seven footer just five minutes ago.

James lowers his head, "I'm not positive. Only a hunch okay? The tattoos that showed up on his body were Nordic runes. I think he ate apples from the tree of Idun. Idun was a Norwegian Goddess of Immortality. She grew fruit that made people grow and become addicted to them. They would also never age. Myth? Maybe not."

"Immortality?" Mal again looks at his lifted palms.

"Yeah! So the mythology says. Hela had apples too that made people grow. I'm thinking the apples are a hybrid of the two fruits. In case nobody has been keeping track the Ganthorian's were Masters of Gene splicing."

"So I'm stuck this way?" Mal raises his eyes toward James.

"I'm guessing Yes. That apples been eaten how many times?"

"A lot. I eat it to the core and it just keeps growing back ready to eat again."

"Immortal apple. Obviously, you grow but you also returned to normal size. This might be temporary though. I hate to say it but I'd sleep outside for a few days. If you grow indoors that could be a bad situation."

Jack sneers at the dirt, "Lesson is?"

Mal frowns, "Don't eat everything that looks delicious."

Sophia coughs into her hand, "Except me. If anyone's interested."

Maddy crosses her arms, "If only I had a bar of soap."

As everybody groans and rolls their eyes a shrill scream fills the air.

Turning toward the ship they notice the amphibian hybrid and resident beauty "Animahni". From the top of the ramp she looked as if gasping for air and holding her throat. Before anyone could react she topples down the stairs to the feet of Elle Franklin.

Catching her fall Elle crouches beside her.

"Animahni!"

The bright red beauty though breathless points toward the ship.

Her eyes then roll back into her head.

Lights out.