Discoman & Panzerboy City at War: Episode 1

Submitted by: Eroyan Barmy

“I will survive”

All day the t.v. had been broadcasting that people in the south side should stay in their homes and not venture out. That the situation would soon be under control and not to panic but to simply remain out of the way of the Dominion Police that was attempting to restore order. As I looked at my wife and two children I wasn’t so sure. First a couple of weeks ago there is this huge fight out in the fields and some crazy nut named Garlak that was trying to take over everything gets thwarted or something. But now I’m not so sure things are better. The whole south side of the City of Dominion erupted into gang warfare yesterday and it’s like living in a demilitarized zone or something. Even know as I barricade our apartment door, and hold my wife and children as we watch the news showing Disco-man taking out some thugs, I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t worse now.

With most of the worst gang leaders captured or dead that was with the nut Garlak it seems every gang in Dominion was attempting to gain control over the city. Some gangs split and were fighting each other others trying to run people off and some where just fighting to fight. The whole south side was under siege from inside and outside. Surrounded by police and even the Dominion National Guard had been called out. It had been non-stop and I just kept doing my best to tell my family we would be alright.

The hero’s of Dominion were running all over the place trying to save as many as they could we had already watched several news casts of Disco-man, Panzer-boy, Gentleman Caller and even reports of this shadowy figure only known as Huntress saving citizens as best as they could. But it would still take time before things were under control.

I was a simple man I didn’t even own a gun thou some might have said that was foolish for where I lived but if I could afford a gun I wouldn’t be living in the south side. There were good people here it is just that there are bad people too and they liked to get together and blackmail rape steal even enslave people. My family wasn’t one of the kind that went for the whole control thing we were traditional. Husband my beautiful wife and children married for twelve glorious years so far and I went to work every day and did my best for them. Now it seems as I looked at my six year old that “Daddy will have to protect the family”.

Yes Daddy would keep them safe no matter what it took. My wife comforted the children as got up and went to our bedroom and got my baseball bat and set it by the couch and I settled down and put my eight year old on my lap.

“Will a hero save us daddy?” My eight year old asked.

“Yes sweetie it won’t be long now and one of the hero’s will be here and take us out of danger. But they are busy with people who are being hurt. So we have to just stay together and wait our turn.”

“Oh I hope its Panzer-Boy that saves us Daddy.” My six year old said.

“Why is that?”

“Cause I wanna ask him if he will let me try on his helmet.” He replied.

We couldn’t help it my wife and I smiled and my eight year old laughed. Suddenly in the middle of all this peril we were a stronger family laughing about what we would ask hero’s if we actually met them.
As they talked I was drawn back to the t.v. reporting that the police had moved past 38th avenue heading towards the 40th block district. I sighed a bit and felt a little better the cops were only about three blocks away now and if they kept taking back blocks and streets they should be here in a few hours.

I laughed at my daughter saying she wanted to dress as huntress for Halloween and I told her maybe when she was a little older. I’m not sure I wanted my daughter running around trick or treating in tight leather or latex.

Then the window broke out and my wife and I pushed the children to the floor as stray bullets sprang through the window into the ceiling a few of our neighbor’s screamed as they hit other windows.

“Oh God Harold!” my wife said “they are shooting at us!”

“Easy Linda easy.” Noticing that the bullets had stopped coming in.

Slowly I got up and crept to the window and looked out. Down on the street gunfire was still sporadic but I saw a tricked out caddy roaring down the street and swinging around the corner packed full of Bullet Eaters. Bullet Eaters are the kind of gang that even gave gangs a bad name. They lived to do nothing but create chaos. Seems they were just enjoying the mayhem buy roaring up and down the streets unloading on everything.

I closed the curtains and after a little maneuvering got a mattress over the broken window. Then helping my family back up we decided to sit on the floor. Well what we told the children was we were going to have a picnic in the house. We laid out a blanket and my wife made sandwiches and we sat around the t.v. listening to the news and stories. A more detailed story was coming up about Disco-Man and a recent act of heroism he had done at the old movie theater on 37th street. Calming the children enough to pay attention they finally got into watching one of their hero’s in action as a news crew was right there when it happened.

I looked at my wife and smiled at her she smiled by trying to be as strong as I was. But I know she didn’t have to pretend she was tough she married me didn’t she. That thought only made me smile more as my children cheered at the report. I heard a breaking sound down on the street and got up to look.

My heart leapt into my throat the metal bars locked by the manager in our build was being torn off its hinges by four large men all flying gang colors. They would be in the building soon after they broke the door down. I hoped someone in our building had a gun and could fight them off. Or secretly where the hell were the Bullet Eaters when you could use a well timed drive by.

I turned around and my children were still watching the news report. My wife looked at me concerned. I just told her it was alright nothing to worry about. But she knew I was lying as I sat down and put the bat across my knees so I could watch the door. But to her credit she didn’t say anything and just held her babies in her arms.

Yes my dear child Daddy will protect you no matter what it takes. I let me eyes drift between the door and T.V. Waiting and hoping a hero would come.