Maximum Carnage, Year 2
Issue 13 - "Back in Business"

by Justin Anderson


 

Saturday, April 16th, 2002. 3:26 PM

 It has been well over a year since Maximum Carnage saved the world. And
in the short span they worked, they saved it from two beings. The first
was a man. He had tried to become immortal. But he failed. The second was
a being called Carnage. The symbiote, which had once possessed Cletus
Kasady had been bonded with a demonic entity that had also possessed the
man. Maximum Carnage retired shortly after. The stress had gotten to them.

 Things had changed. Taking the rest of their money and leaving New York
behind, they traveled south to the nation's capital, Washington, DC. They
had a special interest in going there. The remains of Carnage were stored
in a special facility there. But reasons can be many. Today, we see the result
of several of those reasons.

 Jack Arden piloted the small riding lawnmower over the yard. It was rather 
hot today. Too hot to be doing this. But it was his job. He and Cletus had
set up business on the outskirts of the city, mowing lawns for money. It
was okay money. Enough to get by. They didn't need much food, really. They were
immortal. They only needed enough to stay healthy. But most had to be saved for
the winter when their business had to close down due to weather.

 But Jack had also enjoyed the irony. No matter how some people complained
about the current situations, they had no idea how good things were. They
didn't know they almost became the victims of a demon, who, if not for a
simple weakness, would have done the damage he had planned. But those days were
gone.


3:37 PM, "Lawn Cutters", home of Jack and Cletus

 Jack walked in the door. He slapped a few bills down on the table in front of 
Cletus.

"Fifteen dollars! Enter it in the books"

Cletus set down his can of soda and walked over to the desk. Picking up their
records book, he entered the date and amount paid. 

"Listen, Jack. We're not making near the amount we used to. Inflation's gone
up, and our rates haven't. I don't want spend all winter hoping we had heat!"

"Oh, all right. I'll work it out later. But current rates for seniors stay!"

Cletus let out a sigh. Jack wanted to keep prices low, he wanted food. He
had grown sick of arguing about it. He honestly hated this job, but knew
it was better than his past life as Carnage. But this would have to wait.
The phone was ringing. Cletus answered.

"Hello? ....yes, that's right.... just a minute.... Jack, it's Fort McNair.
...yes, that's right. Seven dollars an hour. But don't you have people to
do this?.....well, all right. Hang on. Jack, get the truck ready....wait...
don't bring equipment? All right....bye"

"What was that all about?"

"I don't know. Fort McNair wants us over there, immediately. They said not
to take any equipment. Sounds a bit odd to me"

"Eh....let's check it out. We'll take the car"


4:24 PM, Fort McNair

 The corporal led both men through the grounds. Jack looked around, impressed
by this place. Cletus was too concerned with why they were here to admire
the buildings. As they marched onward, the corporal stopped in front of a general.

"Jack, Cletus. Nice to see you two"

Jack stopped.

"Hey....I know you.... you're that general from last year!"

"Oh, no. Jack, I knew this wasn't going to be good!"

The general pulled off his sunglasses. 

"Gentleman... you said if I ever needed you, to call you. Well, something has
come up. Corporal!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Get my car ready for our guests"

The corporal left to fill the general's order.

"Now, gentleman. As soon as our ride is here, I'll fill you in"


4:31 PM

 Both men were sitting in a limousine, opposite the general. They had no
idea where the car was headed.

"Now, I imagine you need some things cleared up first. My name is General
Robert Peterson, US Armed Forces. And, in addition to my normal duties, I've also helped
you since the beginning. One of the guards at Jacobs Research Labs was
an agent. We were preparing to move in and shut him down when you were
brought in, Cletus. At that point, we backed off. We knew it would be a matter
of time for you to take him out, especially with the explosives we planted
in the storage room"

Jack was busy resting. Cletus looked up.

"So.... the government was setting him up. But what if I had failed?"

"Simple, Cletus. If you hadn't switched the drug on him, we would have destroyed
the building ourselves before he got the injection. We were all over the
grounds that night. We managed to get some nice footage of the building 
falling over as well. Real nice stuff.... anyway, we also kept the police
off your backs. Don't you find it odd you were able to speed into Manhattan
at 90 miles an hour without a single siren?"

"But....why would the army even do this?"

"Army? I said nothing about it being an army affair...."

The car stopped. 

"We're here, gentleman!"

All three men stepped out of the car. They were in an underground parking
garage.

"Follow me, gentleman"

The two men followed the general to an elevator. Sliding his key card through
the access lock, the door opened. Stepping inside, the general pressed a
button. The elevator moved.

"Now, all will be explained very shortly"

The elevator stopped, and the doors opened to reveal a large room. Inside,
men in black suits walked around, manned computers, and carried on various
activities.

"Gentleman.....welcome to the Nation Security Agency. Washington DC offices"

Jack stepped out into the room.

"NSA? But.....why would the army and the NSA work together like this?"

"Now, Jack, I never said we were working together. Truth is, I'm an
army general, and one of the lead members of this organization. In fact,
all command decisions are ultimately mine!"

"That means.....Jack, this guy RUNS the NSA!"

"Now you're catching on! Follow me. I have something to explain"

The two followed the general down a long hall. As they walked by, men stopped dead
in their tracks to salute the man. Cletus was very uneasy. Jack was
thrilled to be this close to adventure again. They entered a room at the end.
Inside, more men in black suits. The general sat behind the large desk. Jack
was too busy staring at the soft, dark green walls to notice Cletus's
disapproving look.

"Gentleman....have a seat. Now, the matter at hand. A small town in Arkansas
has had some mysterious murders lately. All African Americans. We believe
the Ku Klux Klan may be involved, but we have no solid proof. In fact, we
can't get any. The problem was made worse when one of our agents was killed
in these hate crimes. We need you to go down there and stop them"

Cletus stood up so fast, he nearly tipped his chair over.

"Whoa! Hold it one second! We didn't men 'get us to do something you can
do yourselves'!"

"That's the problem. We can't! If we went in now and interfered, we'd be
breaking numerous laws! Plus it would jeopardize everything we do! Lesser
groups would investigate. The public would find out what really goes on
here. Besides, we aren't a Gestapo force, despite what some think! But....
people do not deserve to die like this....for these reasons. Believe me,
if I could go myself, I WOULD! But it would throw away the protection of
every citizen in this country. However, private citizens would have no trouble
investigating"

"I get it. Jack, he wants us to go in and do it ourselves. Avoid any
involvement. Sorry general, but-"

Jack had pushed Cletus back down.

"Ignore him for a second. I may be willing....but why should we?"

"Well, we didn't intend to ask you to do this for free, of course. We will
supply transportation, weaponry, money, and other supplies. And after the
job is done.....$25,000 each, tax free"

Jack looked over at Cletus.

"Clete, I know you hate mowing lawns. I hate it too. It's meaningless work!
I'm doing this, whether or not you go along too"

Cletus looked around, from Jack, to the general, and back.

"All right. But we're doing this as we see fit! And you'd better have men set 
up in the area in case something goes wrong!"

"Hey, no problem. You didn't think I was going to send you in alone, did 
you? Now, do you need anything before we get you ready?"


5:45 PM, Jack and Cletus's home

 Jack pulled the old black coat out from under his bed. It hadn't been worn
since they got back from Alt-World. It was a little dusty, but still clean
from where he had hand-washed it. Checking the pockets, he slipped it on.
It was still too big. He hadn't aged a day, physically, since being injected.
He clipped on the shotgun belt and slid the weapon into the long leather
ring on his left hip. He'd thought about taking Carnage's sword with him,
but he saw no need. It would be useless, and the less those artifacts saw
the light of day, the better. He'd thought about destroying them, but thought
they might come in useful some day.

 He made his way through the living room and out the front door. Cletus was
waiting by the limo. Both men stepped in. General Peterson walked over to
a nearby Jeep, where two privates sat.

"Now, guard that house. Make sure no one enters until they get back"

"Yes, SIR!"

The general walked back to the car. He wished the soldiers wouldn't act
so strict towards him. But they were just army privates. They didn't know
what he did, and he figured it was better that way.


7:02 PM, NSA facilities, unknown location

 Jack walked through the large supply room. He had thrown his shoes away in
favor of a pair of thick, black boots. They went better with his getup. He
had also slipped on a pair of thin, imitation leather gloves, perfect for
firing a gun. He had slipped several pistols in the large pockets. Clipping
ammo belts filled with pistol and shotgun ammo around his chest, he remembered
the small inner coat pocket. He had once carried the immortality drug in this
pocket. But he had put that up long ago.

 He and Cletus had made a promise. It was to stay up. It was only to be
used in one of two conditions- if a man important to the future was going
to be killed, or if either fell in love with a woman. Otherwise, it remained
locked away. Personally, Jack saw the first choice as having a better chance.
He had been buying up Triazomine off the streets without letting Cletus
know. $1000 a bottle! But it kept his mind off girls and on more important
matters. Cletus simply avoided women because of his past.

"Heads up!"

Jack looked over and caught something as it flew towards him. 

"Recognize that?"

Jack knew what it was. It was one of the small black explosives they has
leveled a lab with. He looked over to see who had thrown it. It was Cletus.

"They let us have a few more in case. Anyway..."

Jack looked him over. Three pistols, a grenade torso belt, and a knife 
strapped to his left shin.

"Nice.... now, all we need is a nuclear weapon, and we can star in a
TV Funhouse sketch!"

Jack spun around as general Peterson walked into the room, followed
by two soldiers.

"All right. If you're ready, we are. You'll be flown in to the area, 
just outside of town. A Jeep will take you to where you need to go.
Once there, you'll have a small building to leave supplies in. After
that, sleeping quarters, food, and anything else you need will be your
responsibility. You will each be given a thousand dollars to handle
light expenses"

Jack looked at Cletus, the amount of weaponry almost causing him to burst
into laughter.

"Oh, I think we're ready!"



10:34 PM, Hicksburg, Arkansas

 They had just entered the town minutes ago. Their supplies were stored in
a building on the edge of town- it looked like an old, abandoned ice
cream stand, but was actually a storage building used by the NSA for
occasions like this. Cletus kept one of his pistols, Jack kept his shotgun
and a few spare shells, plus a couple of hidden pistols.

 They decided to check out the local situation. They figured the local bar would
be the best place to begin. They walked in. The place was filthy. Country
music played faintly in the background, and the only one here who looked to
have bathed was the sheriff, who sat at the bar, sipping what appeared to
be a glass of water. Jack was glad his coat's length hid his shotgun. Both men
sat at the bar.

 The door opened again, a single man walking in and sitting down at one of
the booths. Jack kept an eye on him. One look, and he knew to expect something.
The man was black. And something did happen. immediately, the crowd at another
booth stood and walked over. Five men, Jack saw. All fat hillbillies.

"I thought I told you....your kind isn't welcome here..."

The man simply ignored the comment.

"I told you once.... now, either you get out of here-"

"HEY! Leave him alone!"

Jack had stood from his stool. He didn't see any need for this hazing to continue.
Besides, he had been hired to interfere.

"Or what, fancy boy?"

Jack reached into his coat for the shotgun. Before he could pull it, he heard
a gun being cocked. He looked up. The bartender had pulled a rifle.

"My friends aren't causing any trouble. You are. Now, I will ask you to leave"

Jack looked over at Cletus. Both men started chuckling at the threat. They 
were daring this man to fire. He did. The bullet his Jack in the stomach. Reaching
down to feel the wound, he reached under his coat. The bullet fell out and hit the 
floor, rolling along the inside of the coat. The bullet had gone through, thankfully.
Jack had a nasty look on his face. Without looking up, he pulled his hand out of
the coat. He had drawn a pistol out in the process. Without aiming, he raised the
gun and fired. The bullet hit the bartender in the head. The rest of the crowd
looked on in horror.

"SHERIFF! You saw that! DO SOMETHIN'!"

The man looked up from the bar.

"Yeah, I saw it. Self defense. Nothing I can do"

Jack spun around, gun facing the group.

"Now....get out of here. Before I get mean...."

The crowd hesitated for a second, finally bolting out the door when Jack began
to squeeze the trigger. He fired into the wall anyway, just so they would
hear that he was serious. The sheriff stood. He was just shy of being six
foot tall, his sand colored hair barely reaching his ears. He was slightly
balding on the top. Jack guessed his age to be late forties.

"I suppose I should call the coroner. Anyway, whoever you are, thanks.
I've had trouble with that group for quite some time. You see, I can't 
do anything. If I try anything, they said they'd kill my family"

"Listen.... don't worry about it. We're just a few...concerned citizens.
My partner over at the bar is the quiet one, I'm the guy with the
big gun. Anyway, what IS going on?"

"Well...didn't catch the name"

"Jack. That's Cletus at the bar"

"Well, Jack. Klan members. They've been working on cleaning out this
area. Some sort of purification. And they got me cornered. All I can
do is try to keep them quiet as much as I can. Speaking of which...
what about that wound? It looks pretty bad. how are you even
standin' the pain?"

"Uhh... it's an ancient Chinese meditation ritual. I can feel no
pain if I concentrate hard enough. Anyway, I didn't get your name
either"

"Paul Jacobs. Sheriff here for fifteen years"

Cletus stood from the bar.

"Any relation to an Aram Jacobs?"

"No....none I've ever heard of. I have a cousin Arnold, but that's
close as I can think of. Anyway, I'd like to invite you to my home
for dinner. I imagine you're hungry"

Jack put his pistol back in the coat pocket.

"All right"

The sheriff walked over to the pay phone and placed his call to the
coroner. Jack poked Cletus in the ribs.

"Dammit! What were you thinking? Even if he is, it's none of
our business!"

Cletus hung his head. He didn't have a reasonable answer.

"All right. You can ride in the squad car"


10:46 PM, Sheriff Jacobs's house

 Jack removed his coat and weaponry. Cletus also removed his weapons.
The sheriff led them into the kitchen and sat them at the table. He
called out to his wife to bring the food in. She entered the room,
and both men saw why the sheriff was so afraid to fight back.

"I guess you can see why I can't do anything. I had to put up with 
the disapproval, but I don't care if she had dark skin. I loved her,
she loved me. And I can't put her life on the line"

"Okay, sheriff. Obviously, a black wife puts you in a bad spot
with the whole situation. Jack, we can't let them get caught up
in the crossfire"

Jack swallowed the roll he had been chewing on.

"I agree. Listen, you may want to clear out of town. Get yourselves
out of danger. There will be gunplay....and we don't play nice. And
I especially hate white supremacists!"

"I'd like to, but we have nowhere to go. Besides, this town needs
a sheriff"

Jack stood from the small wooden seat.

"I think....I can make special arrangements. Can I use your phone"

"In the other room"

Jack walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. Picking up
the phone, he pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket and
dialed the number on it.


10:49 PM, Little Rock NSA facility, location unknown

 The phone rang in General Peterson's office. He picked it up.

"Jack....so what did you fins out?.....I see.....right.... well, 
I can easily make arrangements.....right, sheriff, wife, and kid...
no problem.....I'll have them to safety by tomorrow morning, and
they won't know who supplied accommodations.......yes.....the
Karylakk? Yes, we do still have it.....it is alive..... that's
an odd request, but if you need it......yes, tomorrow morning. All
right....all right. I'll begin immediately. Good bye!"

 The general set the receiver down. He turned to one of the agents
in the room. 

"I want a hotel reservation in DC for a family of three. A nice hotel.
Plane reservations too. And prepare the captured Krylakk for
transport" 
  

10:51 PM

 Jack walked back into the small kitchen. Cletus was sucking down a cup
of coffee.

"All right. I've made the necessary arrangements to get you and your family
to a safe area. You'll be put up in a nice hotel while we clean up. And
don't worry about keeping an eye on the town. I think we can handle it"

"Well, I won't ask how you did it. It might be best for me not to know. 
Anyway, we-"

 The sheriff's speech was cut short as one of the kitchen windows shattered.
Jack looked at the opposite wall to see a single, fresh hole. 

"Okay, everyone in the other room. Sheriff, get upstairs and watch your boy.
Cletus, get your guns and move on my signal. I've got an idea...."

Jacobs and his wife moved up the stairs. Cletus loaded his pistols and stood
beside the door. Jack slipped on his coat, and pulled his weapons from the
closet. Slipping the shotgun in his belt, he slowly moved to the door. Opening
it slowly, he stepped out. Three trucks could be seen. As he stepped off the
porch, headlights nearly blinded him. Jack loved forward, his right arm
dangling, his left hand holding onto the edge of his coat.

"Hold it. You picked the wrong people to mess with, sonny! Now, if you come
without a fuss, we might let you live"

"What about the sheriff and his family?"

"Oh, you saw his wife. He's a traitor. After we take care of you, we're gettin'
them! Now, how about it? Your own ass worth it?"

Jack didn't move.

"Well, if that's the deal...."

Jack raised his right fist and flipped out his middle finger. Irritated
at the answer, one of the dumber looking hillbillies raised a rifle. As he
fired, Jack raised his coat, stopping the bullet cold before it could hit
him. He'd already played that game. Before they could take another shot,
Jack pulled his shotgun, and with the gun already pumped, fired a quick
burst, striking one of his attackers in the chest. He moved faster than they
could have guessed, dropping three more.

"CLETUS! NOW! THE KNEES!"

Cletus ran out the front door, and before the final man could react, he dropped
to the ground as his knees were blown out from under him, pistol fire courtesy
of one Cletus Kasady. Jack walked up to him and picked him up by his shirt collar.

"Okay, inbred! TALK!"

"What....I don't...think so..."

Jack dropped the man, his knees hitting the dirt, hard. He let out a loud
scream. Jack grabbed him again and planted the end og his shotgun barrel under
the man's chin.

"Now I'm mean....Cletus, make sure he stays still"

Cletus pointed his gun down. Jack holstered the gun, and reached into the
long, thin pocket. He had seen fit to use it for drugs again. He pulled out
a small bottle, a needle, and a syringe. He assembled the needle and 
filled it with the liquid.

"Sodium Penathol. I thought it might come in useful!"

He jabbed the needle in the hick's arm ad pumped the drugs in. Within seconds,
the man had calmed down.

"Now, again. Who are you working for, and where can I find them?"

"Uhh.... Klan.... bowling alley in town, back room.... meeting place...."

Jack placed the bottle back in his inner pocket. He pulled a pistol and fired
into the man's chest. After the shot's echo cleared, he heard a new sound in 
the air. Another truck. It was hidden in the shadows, no lights. Jack fired a 
few rounds as it pulled out and sped down the road.

"DAMMIT! Cletus, come on. We can't do anything now. They'll come back if we
leave. Tomorrow, we move"


Sunday, April 17th. 9:37 AM

 A limo sat outside the sheriff's country home. By all outward appearances,
the driver was just a chauffer, but Jack had recognized him from the NSA
facility in Washington. He knew they would be safe.

"Listen, I want to thank you for helping my husband. We thought there
was no hope left. But now, I have faith all will return to the way it
used to be around here. It was so peaceful until they moved in here"

Cletus was over by the car. Jack tugged on his gloves.

"Don't worry about it. We had nothing better to do, and I hate these supremacist
assho- well, supremacist freaks. They pale in comparison to some stuff we've
faced, but they're still evil. And I have no plans on losing. By the way,
I never caught the name...."

"Oh, right. Michelle. And my son....hey, Brian! Get over here and thank these
men for helping us"

The boy ran over to his mother. He was only about six, his skin dark, but
slightly light. Jack had heard the term "half-breed" used to describe this.
He hated the term. He preferred "human being".

"Hi! Thanks for helping my mommy and daddy!"

Jack bent down.

"Don't worry about it. And you take care of yourself. And I will make this
town safe for you to grow up in, and safe for everyone. These people won't
bother you anymore"

The child put his arms around Jack and gave him a weak hug. He let go and
ran back to the car.

"Trust me, the only way I plan on breaking that promise is if I die. And I have
plans on living a long time"

The woman didn't say a word. She put her arms around Jack as well and gave him a hard
hug. She let go and walked to the large vehicle.

"Aren't we the popular one?"

"Shut up, Clete! I thought you were talking to the driver"

"I was. They're going to a hotel in DC for a few days. At least until we finish
up"

Jack was about to answer, but stopped when he say Sheriff Jacobs walk out onto
the porch. 

"Thank you for what you're doing. I know this is costing a lot, and I will repay
you for every cent!"

"Forget it. We....well, I think Cletus can give up his wine collection for
a while!"

Cletus almost exploded. He knew it was revenge for asking about Jacobs. He
calmed down after he realized that it wouldn't do any good to complain.

"Well, anyway.... raise your right hands, please. Okay, good. Now, do you
promise to uphold the laws, and conduct yourselves in a proper manner?"

Both men shook their heads in agreement.

"Good. Here are your badges. You're now deputized. Take care of my town" 

 The sheriff walked over to the car. Closing the doors, the agent in disguise
entered the front and closed his own door. The car drove off. Minutes later,
two military Jeeps came down the road. Both men walked over. It was a special
package they had been waiting for.

"This the creature?"

"Yes, sir! Alive and hungry"

Jack inspected the case in the back. It was clear, big enough for the creature.
He hadn't seen one of these in a long time. It was as ugly as he had remembered,
but he admired it's form. It was an evolutionary mistake, evolving from...
who knew. It had no eyes, but had no trouble getting around. Cletus stepped
around to see what it was. Spotting it, he almost went insane, all over again.

"Jack.....WHAT THE HELL?"

"Hey, I thought it could come in useful. These guys will have guns. Being
the Klan, there will probably be a lot of them! I don't want to take out
a small army with what we have. I figure with this chewing on a few, and
the fact a lot of these Klan rejects are fairly religious, a demon will
frighten a few. Besides, the only other choice was Carnage, and he doesn't
get to come out and play!"

Cletus let out a weak sigh. He knew Jack was right. Besides, if it got out
of control, they could just shoot it.

 One of the privates walked over and handed Jack several keys.

"These are to the locks on the case. That's triple-thick lexan, so it can't
get out. Believe me, its tried. Now, we have orders to take the empty Jeep
ourselves. You get the other Jeep. That creature weighs 52 pounds, the box
weighs about thirty"

"All right. That will about do it. You can go now...you're relieved, or 
whatever they say. We can take it from here"

The two privates climbed into the second Jeep and drove off.

"Jack, it might not hurt to get those few supplies we stored away"

"That's what I was thinking. A Krylakk can do some damage, but not enough" 


10:12 AM, outer edge of town 

 Jack saw what was going on. Several Klan members, all in white sheets,
gathered in the center of the street. A black man, tied up, sat in the front.
They had a hostage. He estimated roughly fifty men in white sheets.

"Okay... take the Jeep around and get behind them. Plant some of those remotes
on a few nearby vehicles. I'll distract them. Set the bombs off, then release 
the Krylakk into the crowd. I want to do this without killing any innocent
people. All right....go"

 Cletus started the engine, which was fairly quiet for a Jeep. It must have
been tuned recently and fit with a better muffler. Either way, it worked to 
their advantage. Seeing that his partner was far enough away, he stepped out
from the woods and into the edge of the town.

"Look here! It's one of them! One of the unbelievers in purity! Tell me, why
waste your efforts on these sub-humans?"

"Well, shithead! Frankly, your argument is bullshit, that's why! And before
you fire off some justification, I've heard far greater hate arguments! 
From a DEMON, no less. One that wanted to kill all humans, because he saw
himself as superior. And I kicked his ass. So don't think you hold a candle
to what I can take on!"

Jack hoped they bought the insults, or at least grew angry. Sure, they were
no Screelaks, but then again, Screelaks didn't carry guns.

 Cletus was busy planting bombs on the nearby cars. These bombs were slightly
upgraded from the model they once used. They now had an automatic detonation
feature, as well as the time. Cletus flipped the switch for that setting on
each one as he planted them. The read the instructions. Those set to do so would
go off when he pressed the remote button. He placed the final one. Running
back around the corner, behind the building, and up the alley to the jeep,
he pressed the button.

 Jack watched the panic as the cars behind them went up. Each was reduced to
scrap as the flames flared out in large clouds. In the confusion, Jack ran up 
to the gathering, grabbed the hostage, and ran off. He took a few bullets to the
back, the synthetic coat blocking the shots. He sat the man down.

"Stay here. I'll untie you as soon as I deal with these lunatics!"

 Cletus turned the final key to the storage box. Opening the end, he pounded
on the back of the box. The creature moved forward, falling from the Jeep.
It sensed the nearby crowd. It made its way out of the alley, and waddling
up to a leg, opened wide and bit down. A loud scream could be heard as the
man was drug down, his leg chewed off and swallowed. Others looked around
in panic- explosions, a strange animal eating a man's leg..... pure
chaos. Cletus took the chance to fire several rounds into the crowd. His
targets dropped as they were hit.

 Jack ran out, firing pistol shots as he did so. He hoped to take out as
many as possible while the Krylakk fed. He blocked bullets with his coat,
taking occasional pot shots. He dropped suddenly as something crushed the back
of his head, ending his shooting spree. He stumbled around on the road, looking
up to see a Klansman with no hood. 

"So....you challenge my cause, kill my followers.... over some personal
desire? You should have tried better, little man!"

Jack received more blows as he was hit by the butt end of a rifle. He
was almost unconscious. His wounds would heal, but for now, he was injured
pretty bad. The man raised his rifle, ready to fire. But he didn't get the
chance. He felt his left calf being torn into. He looked down to see the
Krylakk. He screamed as he was pulled to the ground. Jack, realizing what
was going on, pulled his shotgun. The Klan leader didn't need to worry about
his pain anymore. Jack squeezed the trigger, ending his suffering.

 He stood to see the final results. Few Klansmen stood, and they had dropped
their weapons. They had given up. Jack walked over to the hostage. He pulled
out a small knife and cut the ropes holding the man down. After receiving
several 'thank you's, Jack walked back to the Krylakk. It had fallen asleep.

"Hey, Cletus! While this thing's passed out, let's get it back in the box!"


12:32 PM, center of town

 General Peterson had started cleanup. Bodies were to be hauled off, the
place to be put back in order. There had been no witnesses, outside the hostage.
The buildings nearby were empty, as was a good portion of the town. Buildings
owned by the murder victims had been used by the Klan. And the town residents
left hadn't seen anything. He walked over to the heroes.

"That was a great job! You did a better job than I'd hoped. My faith in
you was well placed"

"Thanks. Now...I guess we go back home. Cletus, make sure you have everything.
I want to get back as soon as we can"

"Uhh....speaking of that. Before you return home, I want you to hear me out.
What you went through today is just a tip of the iceberg. Things like this
happen all the time, and the law can't do anything. Even if we eventually
can, people die before we can interfere! No matter how high we are, even with
the activities the public has no knowledge of, we still have no power in 
some matters. That is why I'm making a simple proposal. Work for us. It will
be official work, but you won't be listed as government employees. You will
still be listed as private citizens. But you can help so many people!"

Both men looked at each other.

"Well....sounds good. Cletus?"

"It would give me a chance to make amends for what I did as Carnage. Besides,
we helped a lot of people today. Even if they were dead, their deaths didn't
go unpunished"

"Okay, general....what do we get out of this?"

"Simple. A home, free food, clothing, supplies, transportation, and anything
else you want. And a substantial bank account. Plus immunity from prosecution
from actions done while working a job, and a few other minor details. But....
you will have to move. Arizona is a good place. You'd be closer to the real
stuff, and have privacy"

"Arizona, huh? Jack, it would be a nice change of pace..."

"Also, Cletus, we'd have it easy. Aside from missions. Speaking of which, why 
us?"

"Yes, I thought you would ask. We know about the immortality drug. I know it
was used on the both of you, and by all rights, you are indestructible. Besides,
anyone who can survive Sub-Nizzuran has to be good for the job!"

"Sub....Cletus, how does he know about that?"

"We located the sanctuary under Manhattan. We examined the books and learned
what had really happened. Yes, Domientius, all of it. And personally, I think
anyone who can fight against that can take on anything. Besides, you'd be
doing humanity a big favor! Mortal men can't do stuff like this. We need you
two. Besides, President Bush has approved the deal. The decision was mine, 
and his. The money is ready, as are the accommodations. It would be a shame
for them to go to waste"

Jack looked over. Cletus nodded. Jack removed his gloves and stuck them in
one of his pockets. Her stuck out his right hand. The general took it.

"You have a deal. Tell the president....tell everyone... Maximum Carnage is
back for good!"


THE END


Author's notes: The town is fictitional. 100% made up. And the plot
holes are starting to be filled. Bet no one saw that coming! The
Fort McNair info was taken from their web site. Don't take the inclusion
of it to mean the facility was really an NSA facility. The general just
used it as a meeting spot because it was close to their home. Officially,
he was there to meet them. Nothing more, as far as the base was concerned.


Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my
own continuity for this series, and generally focus on the main characters.
Appearances by Marvel's universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with
characters/titles from other companies will be treated as "single universe",
not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will also try to ignore major
Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel characters
are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either
my creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-
Marvel licensed characters. Characters used without permission/not for
profit. These are strictly fan stories. Permission to reprint extends to
placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may not be altered,
and especially NOT TO BE SOLD, unless Marvel wishes to license this series
from me.