Tales From the Cave-Beauty & the Superbeast

Love Conquers All

Conner stood by his bedroom window, watching the moon, as he counted down the minutes till his impending doom.  The last petal was now hanging by a thread on the rose.  Any minute, it would fall, and his eternal sentence would begin.

Suddenly, he heard someone kick his door open.  He turned around to see a young man around his own age enter the room.  He was very handsome, as handsome as Conner had once been.  But there was a wicked smile on his face, and the look in his eyes was cold and menacing.  "So,", he said, malice dripping from his deep voice as he pulled out his handgun.  "We meet at last.  Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Wolfe.  Megan sent me."

Conner went into shock.  M'gann sent this man to invade the Cave and murder him?  It didn't seem possible.  Wolfe noticed the heartbroken look on his face.  "Were you in love with her?"  He laughed heartily, like this creature's admiration for Megan were a joke.  "Did you honestly think she'd want you...when she could be with me?"  Conner hung his head, devastated.

His sadness disappeared as a great pain emerged in his shoulder.  His hand flew to remove the bullet Wolf had ever-so-kindly placed in him.  He jumped up and clung to the side of the mountain, climbing it to escape his intruder, the back of his left shoulder still seeping out blood from his wound.

Wolfe smirked as he ran to the window and watched him struggle.  Did the beast really think he could get away from him that easily?  It would take much more than mountain climbing to escape his grasp.  His hand fell to his belt to reach for his dagger, only to find that it was not there.  He swiftly turned around to see M'gann standing behind him, holding his dagger tightly in her hand.  Her eyes glowed green, and the dagger twisted so that it would be useless.

Wolfe was flabbergasted.  While M'gann proudly showed get green skin, she had never openly displayed her Martian powers.  "How are you able to do that?!"  "Never mind that!", M'gann yelled at him.  "Where is he?!  Where's Conner?!"  Wolfe simply scowled at her as he got out his gun again.  "When we return to the village, you will be my bride!"  He made sure it was loaded.  "And that beast's head will hang on our wall!"

M'gann screamed as Wolfe aimed his gun at Conner. Thrusting out one hand, she telepathically ripped the weapon from his grasp and onto a nearby mountain ledge. This time, Wolfe didn't question her abilities. He simply sprung himself onto the mountainside and made his way towards the beast. M'gann levitated herself up and onto a safe ledge. She found Conner struggling to reach the top of the mountain. "Conner!"

His head spun around, and his eyes widened at the sight before him. "M'gann..." There she was, standing below him, calling out his name. He leaned out, a smile slowly forming on his face. He could scarcely believe it. "M'gann! You came back!" "Of course I did!", she called out. "I tried to stop him!" "Stay where you are!", he said. "I'm coming over!" He jumped down ledge by ledge towards her.

Halfway down, Wolfe intercepted them. "I don't think so!", he barked, pulling out a few sharp wooden stakes. "Megan belongs to ME!" He hurled his arm back and attempted to stab Conner, but to his shock, the beast held up his hand, blocking his strike without seeming to feel an ounce of pain. Conner grabbed the thick stakes and closed his fist around them, breaking them as if they were toothpicks.

Now Wolfe was afraid. This beast was obviously more powerful than he had anticipated. He tried to jump on another ledge to escape him, but Conner grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him back to look at his snarling, ugly face. Wrapping one deformed, wrinkled hand over Wolfe's defined throat, he held the hunter midair and dangled him off the edge. Below, the dark, rapid waters waited for their next victim.

It was the first time Wolfe had experience true terror. He had never been so scared of anything or anyone in his entire life. He gasped for air and kicked his legs at the air. "Please.", he rasped out feebly, begging for his life. "Please don't drop me. I'll do anything. Please, let me go. Please, beast."

Conner simply sneered at him. As far as he was concerned, he didn't owe this man any favors. Not only had Wolfe broken into his home with the intent to murder him, but he also spoke of M'gann as if she were some prize to be won. The very thought of such made Conner's blood boil.

M'gann...

He looked over Wolfe's shoulder to see her staring at them with wide eyes, waiting to see what would happen next. Conner softened as the situation became clearer. While he was certain that she would be glad to have Wolfe out of her life for good, she would no less be horrified that he chose to get rid of her would-be suitor in such a manner.

Conner slowly brought Wolfe back onto the ledge and looked him dead in the eye. "The only beast around here...is you." Wolfe had no time to be surprised that the creature could speak, as he thrust him aside like a rag doll onto the ledge and gave him one final glare. "Get out." He didn't need to repeat himself. Wolfe immediately scrambled away.

"Conner!" Addressed former man looked back at his beloved smiling, his wrangle with Wolfe completely forgotten. "M'gann." He did a super-leap off the ledge he was standing on, and landing right in front of her. As he rose, their gazes locked, their smiles met, and for one brief moment, the whole world felt full of light.

But the sound of a gunshot rang through the air, ending the moment as quickly as it had begun. Conner roared in pain, falling towards the floor face first. M'gann rushed over to his side and gasped seeing the new bullet push blood from his back. She looked up to see Wolfe standing tall and proud on the ledge, holding his reclaimed handgun, smoke wafting from the nozzle, and smiling wickedly. "Wolfe!"

Wolfe merely chuckled as he loaded another bullet into the gun. "Oh, Megan, Megan, Megan.", he said in a taunting voice. "Did you really think I'd give up that easily?" He aimed and shot another bullet into Conner's back, earning another roar of pain from him. "Wolfe! Stop!", M'gann screamed, tears falling from her eyes. The hunter only ignored her pleas as he loaded the last bullet.

"The ledge..." M'gann spun around to see Conner weakly reaching out. "The ledge...", he whispered hoarsely. M'gann looked back at Wolfe, and for the first time, she notice the cracks forming on the mountain. "Wolfe!", she screamed. "Get off the ledge!" Her warning fell on deaf ears as Wolfe aimed his gun at Conner and prepared to deliver the final blow. "So long, beast."

But before he could strike, he felt the ground shift under him. He looked down just in time to see the ledge he was standing on crumble beneath him, sending him tumbling down the side of the mountain. Conner and M'gann watched, helpless, as Wolfe fell into the wild seas below. They waited and waited, but their enemy never emerged, lost to the dark waves forever.