Mark landed on her wet tongue, her spit covering his body within seconds.  Her turned back quickly, and was greeted with one last glimpse of a dying city before she closed her mouth, and shut out all light from his tiny prison. 

            “Stop!”  Chuck called up to her, but the giant wasn’t listening.  She was to busy rolling Mark around in her mouth, savoring his unique taste. 

            He was pressed up against the top of her mouth, her tongue brutally mashing him.  He knew he had broken ribs, at the least.  If he could see anything, he would have known his injuries were actually worse. 

            Then the giant rolled him up against her gums, pressing on him until she could feel the distinctive pop of something breaking, giving him a second to let the pain wash over him, then pressing him again until she heard a new pop, and loving every second of it. 

            Mark couldn’t think anymore, the pain blinding him, his screams so loud they even covered the sound of her saliva slushing around.  He tried to breath, but even that was proving impossible.  Whenever he had sense enough to stop his screams long enough to open his mouth, to try and take a desperate breath, it was filled either with her tongue smothering him, or a near endless supply of spit. 

            Chuck struggled with all his might against her massive fist, trying everything he could think of to break free, and more importantly, to rescue his friend.  But the giant was too strong for him.  As she squeezed harder and harder, he felt the blood rushing up to his head, his body, strong as it was, getting crushed.

            Alison opened her mouth up again, pulling her helpless toy from between her teeth.  His body was mashed.  One arm was clearly broken, and his torso was a gruesome mixture of dark red and purple, undoubtedly due to numerous cracked ribs.

            She delicately held him in the palm of her hand, his body lying motionless save for his slow, shallow breathing.

            “I have to give you credit bug.  Your stronger than you look.”  She said, still using her normal condescending tone.

            “He’s not a bug.” Chuck managed to squeak, his breath being forced out of him.

            “I’m sorry.” Alison said, turning to the hero.  “Was I talking to you?”  She squeezed as hard as she could, fully attempting to crush him.  She almost did.

            His body begged for mercy, and if he had any breath left, he would have cried out in pain, but he did not die.  He centered his vision on the tiny, crippled form of his friend lying in her massive hand. 

            “Well if you don’t want to die like this,” Alison continued, realizing that even she couldn’t squeeze the hero to death.  “I could always just step on you!”

            Chuck didn’t answer.  The sound of her insane laughter rolled into his ears, reminding him what a monster she was.  He remembered all the life she had cost.  How many people lay dead because of her.  Because she wanted something to play with.  And now Mark.  And who else was going to die at her hands?  How many others would be trampled under her foot?  How many others had to die?

            “None.”  Chuck whispered to himself, anger growing up inside him, his body filling with a reinvigorated energy.  He had a will to keep going.  He was not going to die!

            “What was that bug?”  She said coldly, her smile only adding to Chuck’s determination.

            He pushed as hard as he could, forcing his muscles to work to their very limits, the fire in his eyes seeming to give him strength. 

            The monster’s laugh stopped.  Her hand was being pushed open.  She was not strong enough. 

            “No!” She shouted, to close to her goal to loose.  She was not going to let this goody-two-shoes win!  Today was her day!

            But Chuck’s will was stronger.  Her grasp weakened, and he burst out, flying into the air, free.

            Escape was not on his mind.  He wasn’t going to stop until this threat was over.

            Alison backed up nervously, the injured boy still in her hand.  Her eyes reviled her real feelings.  Fear.  For the first time in what seemed like ages, the giant was afraid. 

            Chuck rocketed down from the sky, aiming at the giant’s face, his anger pushing him forward, driving him on.  She didn’t have any time to react.  His fist slammed straight into her, hitting her between the eyes and sending her stumbling back, crashing into a building behind her. 

            Chuck was quick to continue the onslaught.  Before she could even put her hands up to defend herself, the boy slammed into her again, this time hitting her exposed ribcage.  He thought he heard a crack as his body drove into hers.

            He rushed up then, to the injured boy still unprotected in her hands, gently picking him up and flying away.  He needed to find a safe place for his friend, or he might be hurt even more in the battle.

            Alison reacted quickly this time, attempting to slap Chuck out of the air, but he effortlessly ducked under the heavy attack.  He had the perfect opportunity to counter, but he couldn’t do anything with Mark still in his hands.  Instead, he flew away.

            “Coward!”  Alison shouted after him, though in truth she was thankful.  She didn’t know if she could win this time. 

            Chuck quickly found a relatively safe place for mark.  They were in a small clearing, flanked on every side by the rubble that once was a glorious city.  But there was nothing around to destroy.  Nothing left to fall down; nothing to accidently hurt his friend.  It would do. 

            He placed mark down softly on the concrete, resting his back against a lone tree that had somehow managed to stay standing, its green leaves standing in sharp contrast to the black and grey all around him. 

            “I’ll come back.”  He promised, although he knew his friend couldn’t hear him.  Again he blasted into the sky, his battle far from over.

            Alison’s rage was building each second that Chuck was gone.  He had actually fled from their fight! 

            “You pest.”  She mumbled under her breath, her confidence returning as she crushed a few cars beneath her.  “To challenge me.  Me!  A giant!  A goddess!  He was right to run.”  She stopped for a second, feeling as if something was out of place.  A sixth sense telling her that something was wrong.  She stopped moving and listened.  She didn’t hear anything.

            Suddenly she realized what it was.  She didn’t hear anything.  Not the tanks coming to attack her, not the helicopters flying overhead.  No people screaming, nothing desperately fleeing from her. 

            But she didn’t have any more time to contemplate it.  Chuck slammed into her temple, not even giving her time to relive he returned.  The silence was broken soon after as a sonic boom erupted behind them, and the crash of Alison’s body falling hard to the pavement. 

            She pushed herself up quickly, getting into a fighting position.  She was not going to be taken by surprise again!

            “You look tired.”  Chuck said, maintained a piecing stair at the giant.  Blood was running down her face, slowly flowing over the already dried blood from the day’s previous fights. 

            “I’ll kill you.”  She replied, no longer in the mood for witty banter.

            “That’s what Kalzbu said!”  He shot back at her, aiming for a gut shot.  This time she was ready.

            She jumped out of the way, letting the hero fly right past her.  She spun around, letting her open hand slam into the already speeding form of the boy.  Her massive hand proved tougher, and Chuck was sent careening back, his body crashing into the street below, ripping up concrete as he skidded along.

            He dug his feet into the ground, regaining control of the situation, and with a massive push, shot back into the air, followed closely by yet another sonic boom.

            Alison readied a fist, aiming for the blur quickly closing on her.  She threw it forward, but the hit did not connect.  At the last second, chuck changed his path, speeding above her hand, and gliding over her now outstretched arm, up to her unprotected face.

            He curved around, his fist slamming into the giant’s chin, sending her spinning uncontrollably.  She spread her legs wide to stop.  Her vision was still moving though, spinning all around her, and she wasn’t able to focus in time.

            Chuck did not hesitate.  He flew into her stomach at full force, but he didn’t stop.  Alison was pushed back as she doubled over in pain.  Her hands rapped around the tiny hero still pressing into her stomach.  She tried to retch him away, but found she didn’t have the strength to do so.

            With all his might, Chuck pushed forward, the visions of all those mangled bodies below flooding his mind, pushing him forward, not letting him quit.  The he smiled as he felt Alison’s humongous form rise into the sky.

            She tried desperately to be free from the superhero, but there was nothing she could do.  She felt her feet lift off the ground, Chuck holding her up as he pushed her further, gaining speed as they went.  The wind rapped around her head, and buildings soured past her, but there was nothing she could do.

            With a mighty scream, chuck pushed out, throwing Alison’s huge body away from him.  He watched in sheer delight as she crashed into a skyscraper, its glass shattering, it’s foundation crumbling.  She fell through it, hitting the ground hard, the impact rocking the very foundations of the city.  A few moments later, what was left of the building gave way, crashing on top of her.

            There was silence after that.  Chuck waited patiently to see the results as the dust slowly cleared.  The smoke passing into the air reviling the true extent of his attack.  For a moment he allowed himself to hope that it was done.  That his fight was over.  That his ultimate nemeses lay dead. 

            His hopes were dashed as he saw movement.  One giant hand shacking the rubble off first, then a leg reappearing.  Finally, Alison sat up, the dirt rolling off her perfect body. 

            Her eyes burned with an un-paralleled hatred.  She had never had a desire to kill someone as much as she had now. 

            “Your really something.”  Chuck said down to the giant.  “I had actually thought you might have died from that. 

            “I guess we can both take a hit.”  She responded coldly.

            “Guess so.  Now get up so we can end this.”

            “My pleasure.” She growled as she stood up, dusting what was remaining from the building away. 

            The two stood still, eyeing each other, neither one wanting to make the first move, but both wanting to end it. 

            “Wait.”  Chuck said, turning his head up to the sky. 

            “What now.”  She asked impatiently.

            “Do you hear that?”

            “No.”

            “Then listen!”

            They both trained their ears to the sky, listening.  Chuck could almost place what it was.  A high pitched whistling sound, but not like the whine of a jet engine, but not totally unlike it either.  It was defiantly above him, but what?

            Alison soon heard it to, but she didn’t care as much about it as Chuck did.  She was too eager to continue her fight.  To finally smash her nemeses in a pile of blood and guts.

            “It probably just a military thing!  Not look at me and fight!”

            But Chuck didn’t think it sounded like anything military.  It wasn’t a plane, or a tank, or a rocket.  His eyes opened wide in realization.  There was no military around.  They had all fled.  Not from Alison, but from their next attack!

            He didn’t waist any time.  He wanted to fight Alison.  But there were more important things to worry about now.  He quickly turned around, flying off into the distance, leaving the giant alone in the street, a confused look on her face. 

            “What the hell?”  She said in desperation.  She stretched into the sky, running her hands threw her blood soaked hair.  She stopped suddenly as she put everything together.  “Oh fuck.”  She simply said, a single rocket appearing high above her head.

            Chuck flew as fast as he could; crashing through any buildings in his path, desperately looking for his friend.  Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a single patch of green, a single living thing in the gloom.  He turned to it, quickly crossing the last gap to the tree.

            He landed next to Mark and quickly scooped him up, not wasting any more time as he once again launched into the sky, trying to get as far away from the city as possible. 

            Mark opened his eyes slightly.  He couldn’t feel much, undoubtedly because his body had gone into shock.  He smiled as he looked back at his friend, thinking himself saved.

            “Did we win?”  Mark managed to whisper.  Chuck looked down at the bloody mess in his arms. 

            “Almost.”  He said with a peaceful smile. 

            “Good.”  Mark said as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

            Alison was desperately trying to think of a plan.  There was no way she could outrun the thing, and she didn’t think she could survive a hit.  The only thing around her that se could use were the destroyed buildings that lined the streets.  They would have to do.

            She started to dig frantically, thinking it her only option.  She looked back into the sky after a few moments, the missile much closer.  She didn’t have time.

            The giant threw herself into the hole, sweeping as much debrief as possible onto her body, covering as much as she could. 

            Then she waited for the inevitable, barely daring to breath. 

            Chuck flew on, his only thought on escaping death.  He dared not look back, lest he realize he had not gone far enough, that his flea had been in vain. 

            All went silent for a second, as if the energy had been sapped from everything on the planet.  Chuck closed his eyes, not wanting to see what came next.

            The fireball erupted above the city sending a wave of destruction outwards, leveling everything in its path.  Any buildings that had avoided the giant’s destruction now fell, not standing a chance against the raging inferno. 

            A gust of wind past over Chuck, followed by the deafening explosion.  He clutched Mark close to him, trying to protect the injured boy from any more harm.  He could feel the heat now, growing quickly, threatening to over take him.  So he kept going, not looking back, not stopping.  Running for his life.