Discoman & Panzerboy City at War: Episode 6

Submitted by Eroyan Barmy

“Heroes”

My wife held our babies close to her and moved them to the hallway. The news was carrying on about a scene in the park found that morning were several members of a crime cartel had been found killed and one seemed to be drained of blood. As they whispered of the works of Huntress, I tightened my grip on the bat in my lap.

Linda my wife, and my two children where now hunkered down in entrance to the hallway. The four gang members had forced their way into our building and the sounds of doors breaking and people yelling had gotten slowly and methodically louder over the past few hours.

They were heading this way on our floor now before I told Linda to move the children. I watched the door and waited praying that they would pass us by. That they would not be interested in my little home that they would have more important places to steal from.

“Harold…” my wife whispered.

“Stay calm Linda, and no matter what protect the children. You should take them into the bedroom and lock the door.” I said.

“What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me just take the kids, lock the door and don’t come out.”

I heard her get up and move the children. I never spared a look I remembered my family smiling and laughing already today. I would take it to my grave happily if I could protect them. I did not have to see their concerned faces. Daddy will protect you my darlings. Have no fear of that.
I heard movement behind me and turned just a bit from the door. Linda was standing there and I sighed a bit.

“What are you doing my love?” I hissed at her.

“I can’t leave you.” She said softly.

“Where are the children?”

“In the bedroom, under the bed, I locked the door. They are frightened.”

“They are not the only ones. I want you out of the way my love. I know I cannot make you leave. But don’t get yourself hurt.”

She moved behind and slightly to my side as I inhaled deeply hearing heavy footfalls outside our door stop and rough voices speaking to each other.

“I don’t get it whole freaking apartment building and so far barely anything of value.”

“Well if you had brought the truck idiot we could be putting some televisions in the back to sell.”

“Hey fuck you man, Chester’s the one that said let’s just keep it low key and rob money and jewelry from them.”

“Both of you shut the hell up! Rick… kick that door in and let’s hope at least this poor son of a bitch has got some money stashed away.”

I tensed and my heart was racing I could see shadows moving on the underside of the door. My palms were sweating and I could hear my wife’s breathing getting rapid. This is it I thought do or die time. The crashing of wood and a door slamming back against its frame made me jump almost clear out of the chair I was seated in. Instinctively I shut my eyes from flying debris expecting to get pelted with pieces of wood.

When I opened my eyes our door was still intact. I inhaled deeply and realized they had busted into our neighbors apartment across the hall. I heard glass breaking and things being dumped all over as they rushed in and searched for thing. That god I knew our neighbor wasn’t home. He was a single fellow nice enough really that worked the late shift at the harbor. He had gotten stuck outside the area when the City of Dominion shut down the whole south side. When all the trouble started, he had gotten through to us briefly to say he was stuck at work and if we would to feed his fish this afternoon. It was one of the last calls that got to us before many of the phone lines went down.
I breathed deeply and continued to pray they would find what they wanted and just leave. Just go, I wasn’t a brave man though I wouldn’t let anything happen to my family but I didn’t want to have to face four gang members with nothing but a bat.

I held my wife’s hand tightly as we listened to them tear that young man’s apartment apart. We heard the rough laughter and curses they flew at each other. We waited… it seemed like eternity just waiting listening praying.

“Is there nothing in the whole damn building that’s worth anything!” one of the gang members screamed. It sounded like the one they called Chester.

I moved, somehow I knew what was going to happen and protected my wife. Just as our door kicked inward slamming against our wall and shattering a vase my wife loved into a million pieces. Without thinking I came up swinging and cold cocked the first guy in, sending him sprawling back into the hallway. Amid the curses and tumbling bodies I was up and grabbed our door and shut it bracing myself against the door to hold it shut.

My wife to her credit did not cry out or scream she simply ran to the closet and got the hammer out of my work-belt and found a few old nails I had dropped in there. Running back to be I felt the gang members beat on our door. I strained as I held them back as my wife did her best to beat a few nails into the door. But I knew it wasn’t going to be enough.

They were screaming for blood. Someone defied them and that sent them into a rage. Not to mention I probably at least cracked the first guys jaw. Wordlessly I held the door and my wife was able to get a few nails into the door and door jamb to ease the pressure on me a bit. I braced myself ready to stay there forever if needed. I said one small prayer that had been voiced by my children earlier that day. Lord please let a hero save us.

The door rocked violently and I heard one of the nails pop out and had to scoot bad into place. They were ramming the door with something large and hard. Again and again it beat into our door and I scrambled to try and keep myself braced against it. My wife still, holding the hammer, started to weep and I heard the door frame cracking a bit as the wood gave way slowly.
I looked to her and her at me and she nodded. No words had to be spoken she knew what I was saying. I love you with all my heart. We are going to have to fight. If I should die, know that I give all and everything to you willingly.

I moved and the door exploded inward again. The heavy couch from my neighbor was a makeshift battering ram for them. A second later they poured into out apartment. I swung and missed at the first one again. Bringing my bat back around for another swing. My wife got a good hit on one of the guy’s hands as he was trying to climb over the couch into the room. I gut checked one and was about to crack his head open when I heard my wife scream. Spinning around I saw one of the guys had my wife down and holding a knife to her neck.

Screaming in a blind red rage I rushed forward only to get clocked in the head by a heavy boot and down I went. Two of them held me down and they kicked the bat away. The third one kicked me hard and I could see the bruise on his jaw and the blood on his lips from where I had knocked out a few of his teeth. I grinned even as I groaned and gasped for air from the kicks and punches that landed on me.

I looked to my wife she was still alive and weeping as she watched them beat me. I didn’t care; Beat me damn you beat the hell out of me. But don’t touch my family. And if you do you better kill me now or you will never get away from me. Those words ran through my mind over and over and to be honest I didn’t feel the pain.

“Well…seems there was something of value after all.”

“Chester, what are you thinking?”

“Oh I’m thinking we have a little fun with hammer girl here and make batman there watch.”

They laughed and I found the energy to struggle free and lunge at the man on my wife. I was quickly grabbed and pinned back and my wife held still as that dirty son of a bitch put his hands all over her. I could see the look in her eyes. They might take her body but they wouldn’t be taking her. I struggled like a wild animal it took all the strength of the one that had me just to keep me still as they began to grope and molest my wife…my love.

It happened so fast I don’t know if I was seeing things or just my vision was that blurred. Two men appeared at our door. At first I thought it was more friends of the intruders. The first one was on the man at my wife in a heartbeat. Jerking this Chester up and throwing him across the room with a crash. One of the intruders swung around at the other only to get blocked and a punch landed to him I know that had to break the rest of his teeth in his mouth.

Exhaustion caught up with me as I was dropped weak to the floor and listened to the battle around me. As these two men rushed in and saved not only myself but my family. Things broke curses sounded. It was all dull to my ears as I looked into my wife’s eyes and she into mine. I heard gunshots loud and violent in my apartment. I wasn’t sure who shot who or even if I got shot. My wife crawled to me and we held hands and then the world was black.

Voices….gentle reassuring… I know that voice. I heard “Daddy” and opened my eyes. I was on a gurney. I looked around and there was a medic checking an I.V. on my arm. I tried to move and groaned in pain.

“Take it easy now Sir.” The medic told me, “You’ve had a nasty hit on the head and I don’t want you moving around too much.”

“Listen to him Harold; you can be awfully stubborn sometimes.”

I turned and looked into the eyes of my smiling wife and children. I cannot relate how suddenly the world went from dark to complete and utter light. It was as if God shone down around me at that moment in all his glory. I wept in joy.

“Linda…” I wanted to shout but could only manage a whisper.

We both held each other and wept and my children giggled as they always do when mom and dad get all mushy as they call it. I reached out and hugged the treasures in my life tight to me and my children sniffled a bit and whispered I love you.

“Guess what dad!” My boy said a little too loudly.

“What son?”
“I got to meet Panzer Boy!”

“You did?” I looked around and then noticed my son had this crazy helmet on his head.

Two men approached us then and I looked into the faces of people I had never met. The large muscular man known as Panzer Boy and the lanky one known as Disco Man, two people I thought I would never meet beyond a television screen. I attempted to sit up and Disco held me down.

“No Sir you take it easy. Panzer just needed to get his helmet back. We have a few more stops to make today.” Disco man said.

“I want to thank you for rescuing my family and me.” I stammered out.

“Oh well if you want to thank the people that saved you. Let me go get them.”

I watched Panzer pat my son on the head and tell my daughter that no he didn’t know Huntress’s phone number but he would try and let her know next time he saw her to stop by. He moved over to a large van we all knew was their vehicle called “The Lady” and got in. About that time Disco Man returned and nodded to me. Then stepped aside and moved to join Panzer in their van.

I looked up and into the faces of the heroes who saved my family and me. And with gratitude I thanked them both.

To this day we send cards to Officer Jimmy69 Oh and Officer Epicyclic Gears. They had heard the noise and were apart of advance police scouting into areas before the job of reclaiming the area was to be undertaken. They disobeyed orders, to patrol and get out without stopping, by rushing in without backup and taking on the intruders in my home. They saved more than likely my life and my family. Heroes don’t have to be special or well equipped. They are normal people who decide to not let bad things happen, to believe in justice and truth. They stand up when all others sit down.

They told me once after a few Christmases had gone by that they still remembered Disco Man and Panzer words to them that day. They were happy to see they were not the only hero’s in the City of Dominion.