#8
August 2010

MARVEL 2000 PRESENTS...

"RED OCTOPUS"

Written by
Gregg Epstein


 
Crisis












 

Police Officers Greg Miller and Brian Johnston were called into the offices of Code: Blue by Stone and the Sarge to be notified of the threat of Red Octopus. The Sarge told them that Red Octopus was a human/ octopus hybrid who had eight tentacles and was colored of a reddish hue, hence the name. He was once a man who had been taken under the wing of the King Snake who had used his synthetic drugs to transform him forever into an octopus. The King Snake had given him a mission; to destroy Crisis and Sonik.

“I want Red Octopus! And I want him now!!” the Sarge said with thunderous volume.

“We’ll do it, Sarge, but you have to give us a little more time,” Greg Miller said.

“Yeh,” Brian Johnston added. “We’re the best in this business. We can do it. Have some faith.”

Stone stepped forward. “Anything you can tell us about this Octopus creature and when he’ll strike?’

“It could be any time,” the Sarge said. “But I do think that he will strike at One Police Plaza, here, where we are now. We have to be prepared and forewarned.”

“I understand that, Sarge, but the tricky thing is we don’t know when he’ll strike or with what army.”

“No army, just him. And no King Snake this time.”

 “Well, we’ll handle it. Are we dismissed?”

“You are.”

Greg Miller and Brian Johnston walked out of the meeting room and walked through the hallway to their squad car. Brian turned to Greg.

“Think we can handle this threat?’ Brian asked his friend and partner.

“Yeh, we are the best, aren’t we? Anyway, how tough can this Red Octopus be?” Greg said.

“I guess there’s one way to find out, right?’

“Right.”

Exiting the police plaza, they walked to the car, opened the doors, and Greg drove them away. Greg felt it was better if they told the wives what they were about to do. Colleen would be concerned, but Stephanie would take it all in stride.

In minutes, they made it to their apartments in the same complex and greeted their wives with a knowing glance and told them their mission.


When Greg Miller and Brian Johnston returned to Police Headquarters, the Sarge and Stone of Code: Blue had informed them that Red Octopus was on his way to attack them. They had seen that he had been horrifically transformed by the King Snake’s synthetic drugs to a human octopus.

Red Octopus swung his eight red tentacles at the entrance of One Police Plaza. Greg Miller and Brian Johnston had already changed into their leather uniforms of Crisis and Sonik and had exited the entrance to attack their enemy.

One wary tentacle had hit Crisis on the head and he fell ever backwards against the wall. Sonik rushed to his side to see is he was all right. The blow had only grazed his temple.

“Get him, Sonik,” Crisis said, angry at his wound. “Get him now!”

“Gotcha, pard. Consider it done.”

Sonik launched into battle and used his sonic enhanced powers to drive Red Octopus back in the opposite direction. But Red Octopus had diversionary tactics up his sleeve. The red tentacles swung rapidly at Sonik, enrapturing him in an iron vise.

Crisis’ wound had already healed because of his healing factor and he had been ready to attack anew. He hoped his kinetic redoubling powers would be enough to bring Red Octopus down for the count.

Red Octopus hit Crisis with his tentacles and then redoubling those blows, Crisis punched him back.

It was at that moment that Stone and Code: Blue came out in full force with guns and weapons blazing. This was the only way to drive Red Octopus back because obviously Crisis and Sonik’s super human powers weren’t doing the job.

Explosions hit Red Octopus under his feet and the octopus creature knew this would not be a winning battle. He retreated into the night, back to his hideout to plan his next move.

Stone and the Sarge knew that they would have to follow him there but not when he was noticing.

Crisis just hoped that he and his partner Sonik would be more successful when they met up with Red Octopus at his place of residence.        


Crisis and Sonik set up a stakeout in the apartment complex opposite where Red Octopus was holed up at. They had watched that over the past week Red Octopus had stolen a lot of jewels and money and had been counting it at his apartment. The reason he had attacked One Police Plaza was to do away with the competition.

“I think we’ve seen enough, Sonik,” Crisis said.

“So what do we do now?’ Sonik asked.

“We bust in and arrest him.”

 Crashing through their outside window, Crisis and Sonik soared through the air and crashed through the opposite apartment’s window. Red Octopus was taken totally by surprise.

As he did at police headquarters, Red Octopus swung his eight crimson tentacles at the two fighting super human police officers. Crisis and Sonik fell aback and had to regroup, attacking anew.

‘See if your sonic waves have any use against him, Johnston,” Crisis said.

“Okay. Here goes nothin’.”

With arms outstretched, Sonik released the sound waves that had been housed within his very body as per his synthetic drug-induced powers. The sound made Red Octopus go deaf for brief moments, as his tentacles went wild for a minute. 

This was the opening that Crisis needed. He used his redoubling powers to punch Red Octopus in the stomach, the octopus man reeling back against a wooden table. The table had broken from the brunt and the weight of him.

“Keep pouring it on, Sonik. I’m almost there!” Crisis shouted.

“Okay, Crisis. You got it.”

Crisis lunged forward, hurling himself in the air and on top of Red Octopus, pounding punch after punch on the villain.

When Red Octopus fell into unconsciousness, it was then at that exact moment that Stone and the rest of Code: Blue burst through the front door of the apartment. The Code: Blue agents used their power dampening shackles to put Red Octopus into their van outside.

Stone waited with Crisis and Sonik. “You guys did good today.” He patted them on the back.

“It may have been good, but not easy,” Crisis said.

“Well, whoever said police work was easy,” Stone said. “You should know that by now, Miller.”

“C’mon, let’s go back to headquarters to fill out those reports, Greg.”

With that, Miller, Johnston, and Stone left for One Police Plaza.  


END