The Bullworth Never Ending Story

[BloodChuckZ]

Nick and Laurent pounded up the front steps and made to follow Tony.  But before they could, a huge blast sounded inside the school, shaking the building and Patio.  The boys stumbled and fell as the shock wave blew out the doors, as did a number of the staff who were unlucky enough to be too close. 

Recovering after a minute, Nick and Laurent approached the door.  Inside, in the settling dust, they saw a huge hole in the floor extending both right and left and more that halfway to the second-floor staircase.  The way was impassible. 

“Mon Dieu !”, Laurent exclaimed.  “Such Damage !”

Nick’s eyes took in the sight. “Where is Tony ?”

Both boys peered into the smokey gloom, but could see nothing moving.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Captain Curry and his platoon arrived just minutes later.  Seeing the ruins of that gate, he ordered, “There’s an Industrial Area to the East of here.  Sargent Carter, take a detachment and find it, and appropriate a Bulldozer or a Frontloader !”

Yes, Sir !”, the Sargent responded, and gathering a few men, hopped onto a Humvee and sped off.  The Captain next turned to Sargent Billingsly.  “Everyone alright ?”

“Yes, Sir”, Sargent Billingsly replied.  “A little shook up from the blast, but otherwise fine.”

“Good”, the Captain replied, “Gather some men and scout for another way into the Academy grounds.  We’re not getting in this way for awhile.”

“Yes, Sir !”, the Sargent said, and went to carry out his orders.  More vehicles arrived, Jeeps, Humvees, and Troop Transport trucks, and began filling up the street. 
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[BloodChuckZ]

Tony sat up and rubbed his head.  He had been stunned, but not knocked out.  He slowly rose to his feet.  The air was still a bit dusty from the blast, and he shambled back towards the Great Hall.  The damage he saw was incredible.  Through the dust, he saw Nick and Laurent standing at the doorway.  “Is Everyone Alright ?”, he called.

“Oui, They Are All Safe !”, Laurent called, “No one is hurt !”

“Good”, Tony was relieved.  “Can You Get Across ?”

“Non, There Is No Room For Me To Jump High, And I Can Not Parkour This !”, Laurent returned.

“Try The Other Doors !”, Tony called.  Nick went off to do so, and was back in a few moments.
 
“They’re All Locked !”, Nick called, “Even The Back Ones, The Clinic, And The Basement !  The Prefects Say The Keys Are Somewhere Inside !”

Tony was perplexed for a few seconds, then a thought bloomed in his head.  “Have Karen Get Her Lockpick Set, And Get The Side Patio Door Open !”

“Right !”, Nick yelled, and the boys disappeared from the doorway.  Tony went to the foot of the stairway to the second floor.  Jake was in the building, up there somewhere.  He took a look back on the damage, and suddenly became very angry.  Angry at what this Lone Psychotic Jackass had done over the span of the school year to his school....Yes, HIS School, for now the school was a part of him, part of his life.  Here he had his Friends, he had his Girl, he had ROOTS here now, and all along there had been Jake, trying to take that away from him, from everyone here. 

No more Cat and Mouse, it was to end here, today, this very instant.  Jake was weaponless, and Tony would beat him with his bare hands.  He started up the stairway and called out.

“HEY ASSHOLE !!!  HEY CHICKENSHIT !!!”, Tony called into the gloom.  “HEY JA-A-A-KE !!!!  COME OUT AND PLA-A-A-A-Y !!!!!”
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[BloodChuckZ]

Jake heard Tony calling him out.  He could easily go out the Doctor’s secret door to the balcony, if he wanted, and escape, run to the Football Field, then the Observatory, and out through the tunnel at the edge of the Nerd’s Playground, to the old Rail Line, then climb the mountains and lose himself in the woods to the South of the school.  Escape, regroup, and try again.  He could. 

But No.  He had bet his full hand on this one.  There were no more left to recruit to his cause.  School was coming to an end for the Summer anyway.  And, there were forces from the outside here.  No, it was now or never.  Unbidden, an image arose in his tormented mind.  Facing his Grandfather, Mr. Smith, builder of Empires, and hearing his mocking voice, saying, “You’re a Failure, Boyo !  Just like your no-good Mother, and your Uncle, and your Cousin !  You’re Worthless, Boy, Just WORTHLESS !!”

Jake stopped looking for the Gun.  There was no time left to find it anyway.  The time had come to even up the score, to put paid to the one fuck who was wholly responsible for the derailment of his plans.  But it was going to be on his terms.  Jake still had one ace up his sleeve, rather, in his pocket.  The Detonator.  And he was going to lead that Traitor Fuck Tony to his doom.

Jake ran our of the Head’s Office....HIS Office, Jake reminded himself....And back through the School Office to the railing overlooking the staircase.  Tony was just reaching the first landing.

“Well, if it isn’t the Complete Human Trash !!”, Jake said, unknowingly echoing what his Cousin Gary had said in this same hall just a year before.  “I’ve been waiting just to finish you off !  But we’re gonna fight on MY turf now !  So follow me, if you dare.  Let The Games Begin !!”

With that, Jake broke and ran, past the Trophy Case, past the upper entrance to the Auditorium, towards the near West hallway, where he took a left turn around the corner.  Tony ran up the stairs after him, and when he turned the same corner, a door was pushed open....The same door that Tony had ventured through on Valentine’s night.  The way to the Third Floor.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Outside, the students had started to disperse into smaller groups.  Still uncertain of the outcome of these sudden events, and still uncertain of where to go, most stayed in the Quad.  Jimmy and Zoe went up the steps to find Nurse McRae to send her down to help Algie, who was still lying bleeding on the pavement.

“I’m always doing something for that little freak”, grumbled Jimmy.

“Oh, Hush”, Zoe said, “He’d do the same for you, he wouldn’t let you bleed to death !”

“Not so sure about that”, Jimmy said, but nonetheless, they found Nurse McRae in the crowd of staff on the Patio and directed her down to where Algie was at.  Since the outside door to the School Clinic was still locked, like the rest of the doors, she would have to treat Algie the best she could where he lay.  Turning to go, they were approached by Mr. Galloway.

“Jimmy !  Good to see you !”, Mr. Galloway said sincerely.  Mr. Galloway had never forgotten how Jimmy had helped him get free of the Asylum last year and inspired him to quit drinking.

“How have you been, Sir ?”, Jimmy replied, shaking his offered hand.

“Been real good, thanks to you, Jimmy !”, Mr. Galloway returned.  “But I hear you’ve had some trouble yourself, I’m so sorry to hear.”

“Yeah, well that.....”, Jimmy began.

“Hopkins ?  Is that really you boy ?”, came from Dr. Crabblesnitch, who was approaching, with Ms. Danvers hobbling along in his wake.

Jimmy turned to face him.  “Yes, it’s me.”  There was no point in running now, everyone had already seen him.  Besides, his name would be cleared before long, if his guess was right.

Mr. Hattrick butted in, striding over to the group.  “Why aren’t you in Prison ?”

“I Was”, Jimmy said, turning his attention back to Dr. Crabblesnitch.  “Why is he even back here ?”, Jimmy asked, pointing at Mr. Hattrick.  “For two years in a row now, I took pictures of him selling Test Answers to the Preps !”

“Now, you just wait a minute !”, blustered Mr. Hattrick, “That...That’s not true !”

“Stuff It, Hattrick”, Jimmy said snidely.  “I already turned over the proof.”

“What Proof ?”, thundered Mr. Hattrick, then he said, “To WHO ?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Cocknocker ?”, Jimmy said mockingly.

“I would like to know, Hopkins”, Dr. Crabblesnitch said.  “I won’t tolerate cheating on my campus here !”

“That’s a laugh”, Jimmy said, “You not only tolerate it, you encourage it !  That’s why this Pervert is back here.  And talkin’ about Perverts, why didn’t you fire Burton like you told me you was gonna in your office after I saved your bacon form Gary last year ?”

Dr. Crabblesnitch was taken aback.  “Well, he was fired !....Er, is fired, as of right now, I’ll see to it !”

“Ahh, save yer breath”, Jimmy said.  “I know all about your corruption here.”

“And just what do you mean by that ?”, Dr. Crabblesnitch demanded.

“Let’s just say I read it somewhere”, Jimmy jeered, “In a FILE.”

Dr. Crabblesnitch blanched.  “Now, boy, you should have turned that over to the Authorities !”

“Why ?  So they could make me disappear ?”, Jimmy said.  “Fat Chance !”

“It would have gone a lot easier on you if you had cooperated”, Dr. Crabblesnitch persisted, “And let them know where that File was !”

“Naw, I’d been floatin’ in the bay, just fish food by now”, Jimmy said.  “But don’t you worry, Dr. Crabblesnitch, the Feds probably have it by now.  You can work off your bad deeds....In Prison !”

Dr. Crabblesnitch looked like he was going to have a stroke.  Zoe touched Jimmy’s arm.  “Com’on Jimmy, let’s go.”

“Yeah”, Jimmy said, “You’re right.  The air is gettin’ too foul here.  This place is like a rotten Onion....Peel off one stinking layer and there’s an even smellier one underneath.”

They turned and walked away.  Zoe wanted to go back to the secret cave, but Jimmy was having none of that.  He pointed over to where Karen, having returned with her lock-picking tools, was working on opening the lock to the side Patio door.  Nick, Laurent, Constantinos, and Ray were clustered around her.  “I wanna see how Tony comes out.  If he don’t finish off Gary’s Cousin, I will.”
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[BloodChuckZ]

Tony chased Jake up the staircase that doubled back on itself, coming to another door, which was open to the gloom. As he ran through to the Third Floor, he was suddenly poleaxed in the guts by a heavy object.  He went down on his knees, gasping for breath.

Jake stepped out from behind the shadows from where he had bushwacked Tony as he came through the door.  In his hands he had a Sledgehammer. “Ha-Ha !!  Saw this little baby on my last trip up here.”  He lifted it in his hands.  “Seems pretty hefty.  Howszat feel ?”

Trying to suck in some air, Tony couldn’t answer.  He fell over on his side, doubled up.

“You know what, Shitass ?”, Jake went on, savoring the moment. “I’m much smarter than Cousin Gary.  I had everybody fooled.  Fuck, I took on TWO other different identities, and nobody even knew the difference.  I was workin’ at the Carnival, right under your noses, and nobody knew !  I blew off that dumbshit Algie’s Nut, and later on the pissy fat shit came beggin’ to me for weapons !  I made him work for me !  I snuck in here and planted Pipe Bombs, Balloons full of Cow blood, and C-4 explosives, and you dumb fucks didn’t catch on to any of it !”

Tony said nothing, as he was just able to suck in a breath. 

Jake came closer.  “You thought you could stop me, you low-life Traitor Fuck ?!?  Here I am, and I WON !! And now, I’m head of the School !  I got a paper in my pocket that says so !”

“That....Paper....Don’t mean....Jack”, Tony gasped.  “Nobody....Will follow You !”

“We’ll just see about that, now won’t we ?”, Jake snarled.  His voice rose to a shout. “Well No, You Won’t See Anything, Cause I’m Gonna Bash Your Brains In !!!!”

Jake raised the Sledgehammer and began to swing at Tony’s head.  Tony lashed out hard with his foot at that instant, making contact with Jake’s shin.  The Sledgehammer swing went wild, burying itself in the nearby wall.  “OUCH, YOU FUCK !!!!”, Jake screamed, hopping on one leg and attempting to loosen the Sledgehammer from the wall.  “I’m Gonna KILL You For That, Calderone !!!”

Tony crawled away and got shakily to his feet, but by the time he rose, Jake had ripped the Sledgehammer from the wall and began advancing on him.  With no weapon at hand to fight back with, Tony turned and staggered down the Third Floor hallway, Jake trailing behind him and screaming curses.
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[BloodChuckZ]

It had taken some time, but Sargent Billingsly’s men had finally discovered the other entrance to the Academy Grounds.  It had been overlooked, partly because of the long drive back to the gate to the Parking Lot had not really been noticed by any of the incoming Troops to begin with.  Bolt Cutters had been rounded up and the Soldiers returned to cut the chains that held the gates shut.  The Gates were then thrown open, and the Sargent ordered most of the convoy that was stretched up and down the street in front of the School to proceed back there.

A score of National Guard vehicles poured into the Parking Lot.  At about the same time, Sargent Carter radioed in that his men had secured a Frontloader and it was on the way to clear the rubble from the Archway collapse in front of the School.  Captain Curry arrived at the Parking Lot to brief the Soldiers on their assignments before invading the Academy grounds.  It was not yet known how many suspected Terrorists were still at large, so they were to proceed with Caution.

Up on the Patio, Karen was struggling with the locked side door, trying pic after pic but not yet being able to spring the lock.  Nick and Laurent were encouraging her to keep trying, but Karen wasn’t about to give up.  Tony’s life was at stake, she reminded herself, as she grimly bent to her task.

Meanwhile, Lance and Bo, followed by Ted and Bob, had gone up onto the Patio.  They first walked over to Kenny, who was not dead, but wouldn't be waking up for a long while.  Lance looked loathingly down at Kenny, and supported by Bo, planted a vicious kick to Kenny's ribs with his good leg.

The group made it's way over to where Denny laid.  He was groggy from being shot, and was trying to sit up.  Bob, at a nod from Ted, pushed him back down again.

“Remember Me, Motherfucker ?", Lance said with hatred.  “It's Payback Time !"

Denny's eyes widened in recognition just as Lance, supported by Bo, kicked him hard in the head, knocking him out.
________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Jake chased Tony toward the end of the dim hallway, and Tony staggered around a corner.  Here, light was coming through the dirty windows.  Jake swung the Sledgehammer and missed, smashing into the corner of the wall instead, scattering lath and plaster.  Tony limped faster to a dark room at the end of the hallway and entered.  He discerned he had wound up in what was a bathroom.  There were no windows in here to cast in any light, and Tony hoped that he could waylay Jake and disarm him in the dark.

As Tony felt his way along a wall, he tripped over something that resounded with a clanging sound on the tile floor.  Tony reached down and found it was a length of steel pipe about two feet long.  Tony grabbed it up.  At least he had something to defend himself with now.

Jake had slowed, and entered the bathroom cautiously, Sledgehammer at the ready. “You can’t hide from me, Traitor !”, he said, clearly relishing this.  “We’re going to have a Smashing good time, I think.  Me the Smasher, you the Smashee !”  A high giggle escaped him, an Insane giggle, Tony thought.  Just how unbalanced had Jake become ?

Tony remained where he was without moving, and stayed silent, his guts still hurting.  Jake began moving into the dark bathroom, swinging the Sledgehammer in a lazy arc in front of him.  “Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are !”, Jake called gleefully.  He was clearly enjoying this.

As Jake moved in further to the bathroom, Tony began to silently slide his feet, feeling his way along the wall the way he came in.  Jake was making swooshing noises with each swing of the Sledgehammer that covered any small noises that Tony was making.  Suddenly, Jake’s Sledgehammer impacted something with a clatter.  Jake had found the stalls on the far side of the bathroom.  Thinking Tony was in one of them, Jake cried “HA !!”, and swung the Sledgehammer.  A sound of a porcelain breaking resulted from his effort.  Jake had busted a toilet. 

Undeterred, Jake moved on to the next stall and repeated his swing, with the same results.  At the Third stall, Tony slipped around the doorless opening as Jake was busy breaking the third toilet.  Out of stalls, Jake moved next to the sink area.  Swinging the Sledgehammer in front of him like a Mace, Jake managed to destroy the sinks with a few blows.  Breathing heavily, Jake looked to the dimly lighted area of the doorless opening.  His quarry must have escaped him, he concluded.  He went to the opening, and stopped, listening.  Not hearing anything, he stepped through.

“OOOF !!!!!”, Jake screamed as Tony whacked him in the ribs with the Steel Pipe.  Jake retaliated by taking a wild swing that Tony easily ducked.  The Sledgehammer smacked the doorframe, breaking and splintering the wood to smithereens.  At that moment, Tony jabbed out with his left and landed a solid punch to Jake’s jaw.  Jake went sprawling and dropped the Sledgehammer.  Tony snatched it up.

“Now we’ll see who does the Smashing, you Crazy Asshole !”, Tony said.  Jake got to his feet and shot Tony a look of pure hatred.  Then, a psychotic lunatic grin lit up his face.  Without a word, Jake turned and ran off into the inner gloom of an intersecting hallway.  Taken by surprise, Tony lagged, then gave chase.

Jake zigged and zagged down the dusty, unused hallways of the Third Floor.  Carrying both the Sledgehammer and the Steel Pipe bogged Tony down, and he soon lost Jake in the maze of hallways.  Tony stopped and listened.  Faintly, he could hear the sound of someone climbing up a metal ladder.

The Bell Tower Dome !!  Tony hurried back to the place of the Third Floor entry as fast as the poor light would allow, hampered by the weight of the Sledgehammer and the Metal Pipe.  When he reached the ladder, he had a decision to make.  He couldn’t climb up trying to hold on to two objects at the same time.  Tony thought, then tossed the Metal Pipe away.  It clattered away, making a clanging sound in the dimness. 

Tony grasped the ladder and began to climb up after Jake to the Bell Tower dome.
______________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Karen’s persistence finally paid off as the Patio doorlock finally sprang.  She rose up and opened the door. 

Nick and Laurent made ready to enter the school.  Karen wanted to go inside as well, along with Melody, who had joined Nick and the others on the Patio, but Nick vetoed that, saying it was too dangerous.

“I got the door open, I should go in too !”, Karen argued. “I can take care of myself !”

“Of that we are sure”, Laurent said, “But Tony would never forgive us if we let something happen to you !”

“And none of us have any weapons”, Nick added, “What if that lunatic tries to take you hostage ?  Or blows up something else ?”

Karen relented, but only if she and Melody could wait inside the door.  Nick grudgingly allowed that, provided that they weren’t to come into the hallway, and that they watch for the Soldiers to arrive so they could be directed into the school.  Nick had been watching the front, and had seen the arrival of the Frontloader, which had started plowing a path through the rubble.  Laurent’s keen hearing had also detected the sounds of trucks in the Parking Lot, it wouldn’t be long until help was here.  Tony’s fate, however was uncertain.  He was facing off Jake all alone, and there wasn’t time to argue about it.

Nick and Laurent entered the school.  They had to go down the hallway by the School Store, then to the end and past the Chem Lab to get to the rear of the Great Hall.  They snaked around and headed up the staircase, the last place they had seen Tony, to the Second Floor, and began to search.
______________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Having received their orders, the National Guard soldiers began to stream from the Parking Lot.  About half of them went towards the back Quad, where they would continue on to Harrington House, the Gym, the Football Field, and the Observatory.  A detachment was sent through the back way to the Autoshop. 

A Platoon ringed the school itself, while another detachment went to the Library.  The main group headed to the front Quad, where they discovered the students milling about.  Barking orders, the students were moved back against the Quad walls for safety, once Captain Curry learned the Bomber was inside the school.  Arriving on the Patio, the staff was moved out past the Quad as well.  The Prefects, whom everybody has quite forgotten about, were unbound and ungagged, and began following the soldiers around like puppy dogs, asking for National Guard applications.  After a bit of that, they too were herded out past the Quad and told to keep their traps shut.

Denny and Kenny were strapped into backboards and taken away on stretchers. They were to await transport in the Parking Lot, under guard, until they could join their two fellow Punks, Frankie and Sean, already in custody.

Karen and Melody, true to their nature, had not stayed put by the door as they promised.  They wound up sneaking into the halls anyway, winding up by the School Store, staring at the gaping hole in the floor of the Great Hall.  They strained to listen, but could make out nothing in the quiet school save for the footsteps of Nick and Laurent, still searching for Tony.

After a while, Melody whispered, “Do you think we ought to check on the door, like Nick said ?”

“I guess so”, Karen replied after some hesitation.  She wanted to go upstairs so badly.  She knew she could find Tony, if only the boys would let her look.

Karen and melody went back to the Patio entrance door, and opened it.  They must have been in there a lot longer than they realized, Karen thought, for now the Patio was full of soldiers carrying real guns.  At last, help had arrived. 

Karen spotted a Soldier giving orders and called him over. “Mr. Soldier, Sir, could you come over here, please ?”

Sargent Billingsly hurried over to where they were standing in the open doorway.  “What are you girls doing here ?  We have reports this building is not safe.  You will have to moved away from here with the others.”

“We have to tell you, Sir, the Bomber is inside !”, Karen said in a rush.  “He’s upstairs somewhere, and our boyfriends are up there looking for him !”

The Sargent looked at her for an instant, then turned and barked orders.  “Corporal Scully !  Get 'C’ Patrol, On The Double !  We’re Going In !!”

“Oh, Please, Sir", Karen went on, “Our boyfriends are Tony and Nick, and there’s another fellow in there too, Um, his name’s Laurent, please help them !!”

“We’ll do our best, young lady.  I’ll have you escorted to safety first though, if you don’t mind”, Sargent Billingsly said, eying them both.  “Say, would you happen to know the name of the Perpetrator, by any chance ?”

“His name is Jake Brown”, Karen said with distaste, “And he’s a Psychotic Ass----”

BOOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An explosion that shook the building cut Karen short.  In an instant, debris began to rain down on the Patio and the Front Quad.  A large, gaping hole appeared 40 feet above the front doors.

“OH, NO !!!!  NO !!!!!!”, Karen screamed.  “TONY !!!!!!!!!!”
___________________________________________________   

[BloodChuckZ]

As soon as Tony had climbed from the ladder to the Attic through the square access hole, Jake had triggered the blast of the C-4, set near the small access door Tony had used to climb out onto the steep, peaked roof.  Tony was thrown back against the wall by the force of the blast, the Sledgehammer torn from his grasp.  Tony lay stunned in a heap on the floor.

Jake had miscalculated.  He had barely had time to input the code for the bomb on his detonator after he had climbed to the first catwalk and ran across to the ladder to the second.  When he saw Tony emerge from the hole just after he climbed to the second catwalk, his desire for revenge overtook whatever semblance of reason he still possessed, and he punched the detonator button.

But Jake hadn’t had time to place himself up high enough out of the blast’s reach either.  The force of the blast flattened him into a corner of the Tower, where he lay stunned also.
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Even before the blast’s echos had died away, Karen tore from the door and ran down the school hallway towards the Chem Lab, followed by Melody close behind.  The girls ignored the shouts of the Guardsmen to stop as they began to pour through the door.  The girls disappeared around the corner and made for the staircase, taking two steps at a time.  Karen was sure she knew just where to go.
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Ahead of them, Nick and Laurent were already racing to the door to the Third Floor access.  They pushed through it and ran up the doubleback staircase in record time, and going through the open door at the top into the gloom of the Third Floor.  Hoping Tony was here, they began a search, not even paying attention to the Attic access ladder close by.
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On the Patio and the Quad outside, chunks of debris had rained down from the blast.  Some of the Gaurdsmen had been struck by the falling pieces, but miraculously none was hurt seriously.  The students and staff escaped injury entirely due to the Guard’s action of moving them back against the Quad’s wall earlier.  Captain Curry immediately ordered his Troops to assault the School.
____________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony got groggily to his feet.  He was beginning to feel like a battered fighter with all the hits he had taken this morning, not to mention last night.  Tony stumbled to the front side of the Tower where the gaping hole was and looked down.  What he saw was controlled chaos, there were chunks of debris everywhere.  Tony moved as close as he dared to the hole, warily expecting an attack from the back, and looked down again.  He could only make out a part of the Patio, but he saw no students there.  They were all lined back against the Quad’s walls, he saw. 

A particularly large chunk of granite laying on the Quad caught his eye.  Visions of his dream flooded back to him, of seeing Karen lying there, cut in half.  Tony half-sobbed in relief to see that there was nothing there....No mangled Karen, no Intestines or ripped body parts riddled about.  That much hadn’t come to pass.

At Least Yet, thought Tony with a start.  Jake was still here, and was still a danger, and obviously, still had the power to blow things up, Blow The School Up, Tony reminded himself.  His job wasn’t over yet.  Jake still had to be stopped.

But just where was Jake ?  Tony turned and walked back towards the rear of the Tower.  He looked briefly for the Sledgehammer, but couldn’t find it, despite the light flooding in from the gaping hole.  He stopped by the access hole down to the third floor and heard voices calling his name.  Nick...Laurent....and dear sweet God, Karen !  They were all still in danger !

Another noise caught his attention, from up above.  Tony looked up and squinted, then saw what he had barely paid attention to the last time he was up here.....A series of ladders and catwalks that snaked around the inside of the Tower, reaching ever upward towards the Bell Tower Dome.  A figure was moving around on the second catwalk.  It was Jake.

Jake had regained his twisted senses not long after Tony.  Still clutching the detonator in his hand, he stood upright.  Looking over the railing,he was shocked to see Tony standing there, staring up at him.  Incensed at the sight of his arch-enemy looking unscathed, Jake hollered, “WHY DON’T YOU DIE, MOTHERFUCKER ?  YOU SHOULD BE DEAD, DEAD, DEAD !!!”

“I Like To Think I’m Made Of Stronger Stuff”, Tony called back.  “You Have To Be Stopped, Jake, Stopped For Good !!”

“PHIS-SHIT...BY A LOW-LIFE TRAITOR FUCK LIKE YOU ?”, Jake shouted. “THAT’S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN, NEVER !!!!!”

“I’m Comin’ To Get You, Jake”, Tony called.  “There’s No Way Out !!”

“WE’LL SEE ABOUT THAT, COCKSUCKER !!!”, Jake crowed, holding up his detonator.  “I STILL HOLD THE KEYS TO THIS KINGDOM.  TRY AND STOP ME !!!”

With that, Jake ran the length of the second catwalk and began to climb the ladder to the third.  Tony raced to the ladder and climbed to the first catwalk.  The race was on.
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[BloodChuckZ]

It took a while for the News Media to catch wind of the crisis in the Vale Valley, but an event this large could not be kept secret for long.  As always, there is somebody willing to leak information for the right compensation, and as soon as the word was out that there was a major Anti-Terrorist Operation being mounted by the National Guard at the tiny, obscure Town of Bullworth, the Media descended with a vengeance.  The previously almost-impossible-to-find Valley was soon overrun with all manner of Reporters, News Broadcasters, Radio Personalities, and the like.  CNN led the charge, followed by the other major networks, arriving in large News Vans equipped with a gaudy array of Satellite Dishes and powerful transmitters. 

What they found was what resembled a war zone, with debris and shattered buildings all over the place.  Eagerly, Reporters and Cameramen were dispatched from the vans, and live feeds were soon set up to be broadcast live across the country.  The leads were prefaced with the headings of “Terrorists Thwarted” and “Bombers Captured”, as the interviews with the Townspeople told of the brave sacrifice of one of their Towns leading citizens, describing in excited prose the events of the morning. 

Soon, other vehicles were making their way to the Vale Valley.  Most were curiosity seekers, wannabe looky-loos, and opportunists, with a few conspiracy nuts thrown in.  It wasn’t hard to find the near-hidden road into the Vale Valley on this morning, all one had to do was follow the stream of vehicles heading there.  After this day, Bullworth Town and all the rest would be open for the world to see.

Almost invisible in the bevy of traffic streaming into the Vale Valley that morning was a Black Limo with New York plates.  The passenger inside had waited for this day for many long years, and he didn’t intend to miss it.  Not one bit of it.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Jake’s twisted mind raced furiously as he climbed.  He had hoped that last blast would have taken out Tony and he could reach the Bell Tower unimpeded.  Since there were other factors to consider now, he had hastily come up with a new plan.  But it all depended on his reaching the charges of C-4 he had placed on the Bells of the Bell Tower Dome. 

Jake stumbled over something.  Looking down, he saw it was a Brick.  In fact, there were several Bricks strewn on this fourth catwalk.  He grabbed it up and leaned a little way over the rail.  Tony was just climbing up the third catwalk.  Jake took aim and threw the Brick hard at Tony’s head.

Tony looked up just in time to see the Brick coming towards him, and ducked.  The Brick went clattering off the catwalk and to the floor below.  “Throwing Rocks Now Jake ?”, he called.  “What A Childish Thing To Do !”

“That’s Because You’re All STUPID CHILDREN, Calderone !”, Jake snarled back.  “Violence Is The Only Thing Your Kind Understands !”

“What Are You Talking About ?”, Tony called, but Jake didn’t answer.  Instead, he scooped up another Brick and ran for the ladder to the fifth catwalk.  Tony ran to the fourth catwalk and began to climb.

WHACK !!!  As soon as Tony came to the top of the fourth catwalk, a Brick smashed into his left shoulder.  Barely keeping a hold on the ladder, Tony ducked as more Brick missiles came raining toward him.  When the flurry of Bricks stopped, Tony chanced a peek.  Jake was already running across the fifth catwalk. 

Tony struggled back up.  His shoulder ached from the hit, but he moved on.  Climbing up the fifth catwalk, he took a cautious look, then began to pull himself up.

WHACK !!!  With his stomach level with the catwalk platform, Jake had popped into view and began hurling more Bricks at him.  One hit him dead in the chest, and Tony lost his grip on the ladder, falling 8 feet to the catwalk below.  As he landed, he felt a sharp pain as he twisted his leg.

The catwalk shuddered and swayed sickly, accompanied by metallic tearing noises.  Tony gripped and held on, fearing the catwalk would pull loose from it’s moorings.  But the swaying stopped and the catwalk held.  Getting to his feet, Tony tried putting weight on his leg.  It wasn’t broken, only sprained.  He glanced up and to his right.  Jake has ascended the sixth catwalk, and was running for the last ladder.

Tony climbed the ladder carefully, and limped across the fifth catwalk.  When he reached the ladder once more, his climb was a bit harder.  His chest and shoulder were aching, and his leg almost buckled under the climb to the sixth catwalk.  He limped across, nerves tight for an expected attack, but none came.  Jake had already climbed to the seventh catwalk, which broadened out into a platform, and was lost from Tony’s view.

Grasping the final ladder, Tony started up slowly, his leg cramping.  Jake would be ready for him, he assumed, but he was also ready.  In his back pockets, he had stuffed a couple of Bricks of his own.  Tony slowly brought his head to eye level with the seventh catwalk, expecting to see a Brick zooming at him.  Instead, he saw Jake further out on the platform, appearing to fiddle with something in the ceiling.  It looked like a tiny pinwheel.  Tony narrowed his eyes and could just make out the shape of a small hatchway next to it.  This must be the way to the Bell Tower Bells.

“That’s Far Enough, Calderone !”, Jake cautioned, barely giving him a glance.  “The Next Brick Will Split Your Head Open, And I Won’t Miss !”

“What Are You Doing, Jake ?”, Tony said without moving.  “You Can’t Win.  It’s Over !”

“It’s NOT Over”, Jake replied serenely. “You’ll See.  EVERYONE Will See.”  He resumed cranking the tiny pinwheel, and the small access door began to open.  “I’m The Ultimate Fixer”, Jake resumed, in a strange voice.  “I’m Gonna Make Everything All Right.”

Tony was taken aback by this strange shift in Jake’s personality.  Tony peered intently at Jake.  His eyes seemed to be shining with lunatic intensity, and a manic grin had appeared on his face.  Jake looked like he was opening the Holy Grail.

There was no way Tony could let him escape up through that door.  Whatever he was planning lay up above.  Steadily, Tony pulled one of the Bricks from his pocket and carefully judged the distance.  Quickly, all in one motion, he heaved the Brick hard at Jake.  It struck him in the kneecap with an audible 'CRACK !’

“OWWWW !!!!!!”, Jake screamed, grasping his leg and falling to the floor of the platform.  “YOU FUCK !!!!!!!!!!!”

Tony scrambled up to the catwalk and advanced towards the platform.  At that moment, he heard yelling down below.

“TONY !!!  TONY !!!  YOU UP THERE ?”  It was Nick’s voice.

“TONY !!!  ANSWER IF YOU CAN !!!”  That came from Laurent.

“RIGHT HERE !!!”, Tony yelled back, looking over the edge.

“You Best Tell Your Fucked-Up Friends To Stay Where They Are !”, Hissed Jake.  Tony’s head swiveled back.  Jake had regained his feet, and was holding his Detonator in his left hand. 

“TONY !!!  PLEASE BE CAREFUL !!!”, came Karen’s voice.

Jake flashed an evil sneer.  “And The Girlfriend Too.  This Is Rich.  Tell Them All To Stay Back.  One Push Of This Button, And This Dump Is History.  I’ll Blow This Tower, And It’ll Collapse Into The School, Just Like Them Buildings In New York.”

“Why would you want to do that, Jake ?”, Tony said, trying to remain calm.

“Because I Can !!!", Jake said harshly.  “Because making the Assholes like you and the Morons who ran this place get what’s coming to them will make me feel Great !!”

Tony stared, then called down without taking his eyes off Jake or the Detonator, “STAY DOWN THERE !!  DON’T COME UP !!  HE HAS A BOMB !!”

“That’s Better”, Jake sneered.  “I’m always one step ahead of you, and that’s why I’m smarter than you !!”

Yeah, sure you are", Tony uttered a short laugh.  “You hate everyone and everyone hates you !
 That’s real Genius !”

“You’re such a Loser !”, Jake snickered.  “I took you under my wing, and you just betrayed me, just like the common guttersnipe you are.  I had a PLAN, and YOU fucked with it.  You’re just Trash !”

“I just wanted a fair cut of the action”, Tony said.  “I didn’t want to take over the school, that was your thing.  If you’d just tried to talk it out with me instead of tryin’ to run me over with that car, it’ll all been different.”

“No Different”, Jake said.  “You’re like all the rest, all fools, just like he said !”

“Just like who--”, Tony began, but then he knew who. 

Jake continued as if he hadn’t even heard.  That strange lunatic look had come back to his eyes.  “He told me I had to be ruthless if I ever wanted to run an Empire, and that’s right as rain, it is.  He’ll see now that I’m worthy, better than his precious Gary, I’m the one who should inherit his Empire.  Gary could only tie Crabblesnitch up, But I turned his DUMP of a school into a battlefield, blackmailed him, and TOOK IT FROM HIM !!!”

Tony was silent in the face of Jake’s ranting.  The pieces all clicked together at last.  He had been battling against a unbalanced, power-mad, affection-starved, warped personality for the greater part of the past school year.  Anywhere else, Jake would have been institutionalized for his highly erratic behavior, possibly for life....But here in the Vale Valley he had free rein to sink deep into his Psychosis.  Tony wondered again, as he had many times, just what kind of place this was, where normal people were locked away at Happy Volts while the crazy ones were let free to roam.

Jake’s mood abruptly shifted again. “You better go join your friends, Calderone.  I got work to do.”

Tony shook his head.  “I can’t do that, Jake.”

Jake’s eyes registered sudden confusion.  “And Why Not ?  I’m holdin’ the trigger to the Bomb Here !”

“I can’t leave because of that man standing behind you”, Tony said, shifting his gaze and staring at a point beyond Jake.  “Isn’t that....Your Grandfather ?”

“Whaa--”, Jake said, and turned his head to look.

Tony didn’t think his ploy was going to work, but it had.  Quickly, he pulled the other Brick from his back pocket and flung it.  His aim was true, the Brick whacked Jake’s arm, and the Detonator was knocked from his hand.  It clattered to the platform, bounced twice, and sailed over the edge.

“AHH, YOU GODDAM FUCK !!!!!!”, Jake screamed, and charged at Tony.  But Tony was prepared and easily ducked the haymaker that Jake swung at him.  Tony buried his fist in Jake’s guts and he doubled over.  Jake stuck a left into Tony’s ribs, and Tony retaliated with a punch to Jake’s mouth. 

Jake retreated back onto the Platform, wiping blood off his face.  “I’M GONNA KILL YOU, ASSHOLE !!!!”, he snarled.

Tony advanced on Jake.  The immediate danger may be over, but Tony couldn’t be sure that Jake didn’t have some other way to set off the explosive.  The only thing he was really sure of was that he couldn’t let Jake go through the access door to the Bell Tower.  The two boys began sparing about, both hampered somewhat...Tony with his sprung leg, and Jake with his bashed knee.  Tony landed a punch to the Jake’s ribs, and Jake countered with a punch upside Tony’s head.  The platform began to shake ominously.

The fight continued until the two began to grapple, swinging each other first one way, and then another, finally mashing up against the railing.  The load of two bodies struggling against it were more that the thin railing could bear, and with a screech, it gave way. 

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH”, Jake screamed as he fell over the edge, falling 50 feet to the floor, where he landed with a loud 'WHUMP !!!’  Tony had grabbed a piece of the railing before falling, and his stomach slammed into the floor of the platform. He desperately hung on with his legs flailing over the edge.
______________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Karen Screamed.  The four had moved to a side wall to better try and see what was happening on the platform far above, heading Tony’s warning about a bomb.  After Jake smashed into the floor, Karen tried to run to him, fearing it was Tony. 

“TONY !!!!!  TONY !!!!!  OHHH, NOOOO !”, Karen tearfully cried as Nick and Laurent held her back.

“UP HERE  !!!!  I’M UP HERE !!!!”, Tony called from above, hearing Karen. “I CAN’T HOLD ON FOR LONG !!!  NEED HELP !!!!”

The four looked up and could just make out Tony’s legs dangling from the platform.  “HOLD ON !!!!”, Nick yelled, “WE’RE COMING UP !!!!”

“I’LL TRY !!”, Tony called.  “HURRY....WATCH THE CATWALKS....THEY’RE SHAKEY....”

They first approached a prone Jake, who had not moved since he hit the floor.  “He looks hurt bad”, Nick observed.  “Girls, go down and find those Army guys, bring them up here.”

“I’m not leaving !”, Karen insisted stubbornly.

“Well then....Mel, you go”, Nick said.

“I’m staying with Karen”, Melody said firmly.

“But...He might wake up”, Nick said, “I don’t want you girls gettin’ hurt.”

Laurent came up. “Here, they can use this !”  He had found the Sledgehammer.

Karen took it from him.  “I’ll bash his head in if he so much as moves a muscle”, she muttered.  “Now GO !!  Go Save Tony !!!”

Nick and Laurent sped for the ladder and began to climb.  It seemed a lot longer to Tony, but the boys reached the platform in less than a couple of minutes.  Grasping Tony’s arms, they pulled him up on the platform.

“Whew, thanks guys”, Tony said shakily.  “What took you so long ?”

“Eh, the Girls”, replied Nick. “You know....”

“Oui, they can be stubborn !”, Laurent chipped in.

“That they can”, agreed Tony said with a smile. “Com’on, let’s get down from here.”

The three friends made their way back down the catwalks without incident.  Karen ran to Tony and threw her arms about him.  Laurent went off to get the Guardsmen to tell them of the situation.  Nick and Melody kept watch over Jake.  In just a few minutes, Laurent returned with the National Guardsmen, who had been conducting a room-by-room search and were unaware of the Third Floor or the Bell Tower Dome access.  One, a Corporal Spicer, bent and examined Jake, while the others searched the area and some went up the catwalks to the platform to gain access to the Bell Tower and secure the C-4 explosives planted there.  One Soldier found and secured Jake’s detonator, which appeared to have broken when it hit the floor, much like Jake himself seemed to be.

“I’m not finding any reflexes”, Corporal Spicer muttered, and looked up.  “Private, get me a stretcher and backboard, on the double.  This boy is Paralyzed !”
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