Week 12.3 – Frog Boy Redux

Previously: Instead of going back in time to stop the Cobalt Czar from abducting his unknown hostage, Digger has traveled back over a decade to find out that he is his own worst enemy. And now…

Digger was sprinting the moment he landed, using his sticky feet to minimize his bounce and give him immediate traction. He dodged around and between booths, hopped over people loitering in his way, vaulted over a last booth just in time to see his younger self turn anxiously toward the door. His body tensed as if he were about to leap, when Digger slammed into him.

The younger Digger hit the ground, but quickly rolled to his feet, pretty impressive given how easily he could have gotten tangled in his poncho. “Dude, what the hell?”

Digger pitched his voice low to keep his voice from being recognized. The reek inside the stifling mask made him want to gag. “Listen, you don’t know me, but…”

“What?” His younger self asked. “I can’t understand a word you’re saying, and I’ve really got to get going.”

Digger grabbed his arm before he could walk away. He spoke a little louder to be heard through the mask. “You’ve got to let that guy leave the building.”

The younger Digger shook his arm free of Digger’s grip. “No way. If you know about him, then you know he’s got information I need. So you can either help me or get out of the way, because you can’t stop me.”

“I’m already stopping you,” Digger said.

[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”right”]“Hey, I know that song,” he said. “So what?” his younger self said as he lunged forward to swing at Digger…[/blockquote]“Whatever, dude,” his younger self said. He turned and tensed to leap away. But just as his feet were leaving the ground, Digger leaped up and kicked him with both feet, knocking him through two rows of booths. He followed amid startled cries and angry shouts.

His younger self was just getting up beside a booth full of old sheet music and Dungeons and Dragons miniatures. Digger spotted an old piece of sheet music with an illustration of two cute kids dancing–Dance With a Dolly (With a Hole in Her Stocking). “Hey, I know that song,” he said.

“So what?” his younger self said as he lunged forward to swing at Digger.

It was an embarrassing punch, clumsy and telegraphed. It might have hurt if it had connected, but Digger evaded it with ease.

Man, was I ever this green? Digger wondered as the attacks kept coming. Even if he hadn’t played and replayed this fight in his head dozens of times over the years, he would have been able to evade almost all of his other self’s attacks. His years in Hell had given him a lot more experience fighting without his Drillers, and his reflexes were still just as fast. And the more frustrated his other self got, the easier it became to read his moves and counter them.

But then something caught his eye. Down an aisle, he could see a swarthy fellow, young with a stringy mustache and a scattering of straggly chin whiskers desperately wishing to call themselves a beard. He was dressed in pressed khakis and a madras shirt. But that wasn’t the remarkable thing.

Around his neck, he wore the blue crystal!

What will happen next? Be here tomorrow for the next exciting episode!

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