Chapter 4
October 31st 1959
“Man if there is any more of that sun I’m gunna become a raisin!” A man’s voice raised in frustration split the silence.
“Oh would you keep quite!” Another voice responded. If you speak any louder we won’t become raisins we’ll become skeletons. Don’t you know these forests are ancient and filled with ghosts?”
“Hey, I can take ghosts. But if I can’t use my power then you will all die no matter what we face!”
“Yah, well try to stay more quite will ya. If we don’t wake anyone then we won’t have anything to fear.”
The small group of four continued on their steady march. The leader Tino Martinez their expect guide lead the way with his machete and compass. The other three consisting of two workers which had been supplied to Tino for little pay and one well dressed gentleman followed behind. Tino was an elderly man around his 50’s or 60’s, no one could really tell, and always had his machete and compass with him when he led expeditions. This trip was unlike any other he had ever done. Selected out of many younger and more technologically advanced scouts Tino had been warmly and richly supplied for this trip. He carried with him boxes of water, explosives, and other utensils that were required for the trip but the most important package of all was the gentleman. This gentleman wasn’t your typical wealthy rich man. Instead of the nice suit and attitude problem this one was casually dressed with an almost peasant style attitude. He always was grateful and was ready to help work just as easily as the hired workers that Tino had hired for the trip. The gentleman was African American Tino could easily tell which made the mystery of where exactly he was going all the more confusing. Tino had been selected by some high official to take this man to the ancient ruins of the Emporer Yung-Taeung. This ancient ruin was well known to the people as being haunted by spirits. These spirits had never been seen by human eyes (whoever did never lived long enough to talk about it) but the sounds heard from the ruins was horrible and awestruckening in the same instant. The awefull screams and loud buzzing noises only gave travelers chills and happy trigger (now known to have killed 5 people and 20 cows). But worse than the screams were the cold gusts of wind that would happen at random times throughout the night. These cold breezes may seem nothing but on a warm summer afternoon these breezes seem unnatural and for the poor superstitious people of China its too much to stand. All the villages within five miles were either destroyed or abandoned in two weeks. Yes the ancient ruins, that was what this gentleman was going too.
“Take five,” said Tino. “We are approaching the edge of the forest. Once we cross the ridge the trees will disappear and the ancient ruins will come into sight. We must be quiet when we enter them or else we might awaken something inside. Raunch and Topea please get the guns ready.” Turning to the gentleman, “you haven’t had any experience with guns by any chance?”
The Gentleman looked him over and then back at the ruins. “Of course I have, I have had some thrirty years training with them.”
“Oh, good.”
Mister Tino, the guns are ready. The largest and toughest of the hired workers called over to Tino from their packs. The packs consisted on large wooden boxes about four feet by two feet. There were seven of them of which five were supplies and needed equipment the other was the Gentleman’s
specialty boxes.
“Kind gentleman, I must ask once more what is with your boxes? You aren’t going to set up a house in the ruins?”
The man turned to Tino. “You are quite right. I do not plan on settling down in this forsaken place. A man needs to roam freely and liberally and this place would not do for that. No the boxes I have hold equipement by which I will explore the ruins.”
“You’re not going to research the origin of the ruins are you?”
“I am, I have been sent by the government on a mission to explore this province.”
“The government?!?! Who do you work for?? A mission like this is deadly and all you have is me and two hired workers??”
“But they’re not just workers. These are two of the finest superhero’s from an academy in America.”
“America?!?! Who are you? And what are you doing in China?!?!”
“Alright, I’ll tell you. My name is Lucious Best a.k.a. Frozone. I’m a Superhero in search of a mysterious radiation spill that occurred three weeks ago outside of the ruins. My sources say that there must be a force working in the ruins building something. I have been commissioned by the United States Government to find out what it is and report back with the people dead or alive.”
“Who are these three?”
“Rico and Stanley.”
“And tell me, Mr. Best. How do you expect three superheros and a guide with a gun to take down a possibly large gang or coorperation?”
“With surprise, follow me.”
And with that Frozone now pulling his suit off revealing his real “super”-suit dashed forward to the edge of the trees and bringing a special spy binocular set to his eyes scanned the ruins.
“No life forms reported by the glasses. We must take little chances and hope for the surprise to be enough.”
Tino looked at Frozone. “And what if it’s not?”
“Then we are in big doo-doo” replied Frozone with a serious dry face.
Tino looked away smiling but it left shortly after he realized the joke.
The small gang of travelers quickly made their way down the hill that was directly in front of the ruins. Making their way up the north side they snaked along small rivers that led from the ruins towards the nearby lake. The mountains looked large and ominous on either side. The ruins were indeed more scary then the scenery around them. The carvings and stone figures resembled Chinese battles with scenes of defeat, victory, and blood baths. Tino was extremely perplexed at the easy style in which the superhero’s proceeded towards these rocks.
Suddenly Frozone put his hand up. All four of them stood stock still. The wind rustled the trees around the open plain and whistled through the small passages in the rocks. Slowly Frozone inched forwards slowly dropping his hand. Tino began to feel sweat beeds on his forehead as the tension grew. They were now no more than ten feet from the beginning of the ruins and the figures were even more horrific up close. Frozone now kneeled and silently crept towards the rocks. When he reached them he placed his back to them and signaled for the others to come. Tino, Rico, and Stanley silently crept towards Frozone. When they reached the spot Tino began to breathe again.
“Phew, that was tough.”
“What, you call that tough?” Frozone looked more amused than shocked. “Just wait till we have to take on whoever is inside.”
Tino looked around quite tired from their twenty feet of traversed ground. The jungle suddenly seemed evil and dark. After years of traveling the mountains the woods seemed more dangerous than ever before. Every little sounds, every little movement meant something more and more dangerous. He looked over at the three weird Americans. Each of them seemed quite calm considering the mystery of the ruins. Tino leaned back against the rock. “Maybe I am over reacting?” he thought to himself. “Maybe there is only a mediocre gang hiding out in the ruins and these three guys are just trying to take them out.”
Frozone turned around to his compadres. Are you guys ready to go? We are not going to make any offensive movements until we find out who is here. If they mean business we will give them a buyer, if they are just some traveling citizens I don’t want to see any weapons, got it?” His three partners nodded their heads, Tino rather weakly. Frozone stepped out from the rock and turned around the bend followed by the three followers. Frozone was alert as could be, he was quite prepared for anything…well almost.