Dwarf

Life is what you take it as. Lawrence Dodge was thinking this when the two officers grabbed him in the middle of a futuristic metropolitan junkyard. It was an area stacked with piles of iron, broken-down vehicles and stray cats and dogs. It is surrounded by condemned buildings and low-cost housing.

The officers fought to take custody of Dodge. He responded by saying, "Get the hell off me!"

Each arm was twisted and placed brutally to Lawrence's back. They dragged the tall male from junkyard to jail cell, nearly breaking his arm, like they wanted to make some point. He joined ten others there.

Lawrence commits crimes against upper class communities, a kind of Robin Hood, only when the police come and he quarrels with them. He wants to get arrested. His actions are accepted by some and hated by others. He is the cause for the rift.

So much so, the police are divided between two groups in this day in 2010: The OP, Original Police and the Cavalier officers, both agencies wear black uniforms but dawn different symbols. One wears a large crimson C while the other adheres to a metallic blue and gold, OP, on their clothing and vehicles.

Lawrence sat on a bench in the cell, bleeding from his lips. He spoke through his blood-stained teeth.

"Here we are, the eleven of us heading down the river. We are going down for a good cause, though. Those people killed today deserved to die and all of you found a reason to do so."

Lawrence pointed at ten pairs of fixed and hopeful eyes.

"We went to the wealthiest section of the city. We murdered and took what we felt was ours. We did it with intelligence and purpose, unlike many individuals before us. We killed brutally today in their neighborhoods, the privileged class. We showed no mercy, for man, woman or child."

Lawrence began to smile. Some people laughed though the group of individuals began to divide in the dark, dank cell, either accepting or denying the man's words. Lawrence spoke slowly and with purpose, to reach everyone in that room. He boasted.

"This behavior is acceptable. These riots are for justice. It was for the freeing of two rogue officers who killed Monty Wilson, to start with!"

Five of the males began to applaud Lawrence as he raised his hands to the sky. It was the other five that sat and reflected on their riotous actions.

A green eyed male, Jackie Sparks spoke as low as possible, so he wasn't heard at first, "This is not worth all this. An eye for an eye is not what is important here." Lawrence still heard this man. Four others seemed to hear those words and saw him speaking the truth.

Jackie said, "Monty Wilson was killed by the police, the OP, the original police, in the past. Over the years, his name was part of many on a list of names who suffered police brutality but would eventually be forgotten."

Jackie's voice grows bolder," Lawrence would riot; police response would match his actions causing more blood shed. Lawrence and his faithful always survived. Others die helplessly in the streets but they followed his lead."

He continues," Part of the problem was officers using their own personal judgment, imperfect, to determine the fate of another's life. This is why there is the OP Old Police and the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers reasoning behind their decisions are unknown but they seem more for the poorer neighborhoods, not like in the past."

Jackie, a fair haired, short, stocky, male spoke on behalf of five other individuals with differing opinions in the cell. He nervously wiped his brow, "I think we should stop this." Without, hesitation, Lawrence leaped into the man's chest. He gripped his denim shirt, "Stop what!?"

Jackie responded quickly.

"We need to get on a television broadcast, immediately! We need to prevent others from copycatting what we did. We were wrong from the start! What was done was done in the past. It can't be helped now! I should have said something before but now it's much more important."

Lawrence threw Jackie down. He gazed through him, "Think of Wilson, first. I want you to imagine this has gone on for hundreds of years. It hasn't stopped. That is important to change."

Jackie yelped, "Monty Wilson was shot in the back of his head seventeen times by police officers! Wilson was pointing a weapon at them! He deserved it. In some ways others may have too if they followed our actions."

Jackie pulled away from Lawrence. Lawrence said, "This was not wrong!" Lawrence could see the loss of hope in some of their eyes.

He peered at five swollen and pissed individuals. United soldiers were now at odds with each other. The original eleven had now divided the cell. Lawrence raised his fist as though he captured lightening. He whispered to himself, "The hell with order. This is why there are two versions of law."

The two bulls crashed into each other. Jackie yelled in his opponent's ear," We are all going down for this together! There will be no rebels here!"

The men removed their garments and were out for blood. Lawrence got in Jackie's face. Shards of metal were quickly being shoved at individuals as shanks.

String would become a good weapon for strangling.The men leaped at each other like lions, throat first.

Two officers wearing C and OP came in before any blood dropped. They only came for one of them. Lawrence was taken out of the cell while the others were left rioting. He would foam at the mouth as they first blood hit his face.

Lawrence was pushed ahead of two Officers; Rod Tyler of the OP squad and Terence Maggie of the newer C coalition. He was taken a short distance, by police car, to a natural, green hedge maze.

Lawrence was thrown into the maze by the bulky Officer Tyler. Maggie unlatched his hands. He darted at the men. Officer Tyler held his ground.

"Wait.", a gasping red headed Tyler spoke. He nonchalantly threw his plump fingers up, "You have to save your strength. Don't direct it at me. You'll get your exercise. Just relax and start thinking how you will get out of this maze alive. Maybe you and I can have a little dinner after this." Lawrence looked at the men confused.

He pulled himself together. Tyler would pat his back. Officer Maggie, ivory haired but youthful; shook his head. He gripped Lawrence, "What he's asking you to do won't work. It's an experiment. Just think about when this is done. You'll come right back into my arms hoping there is a cell you can get inside."

Tyler cut off Maggie, "You get to challenge a new weapon in crime prevention, very high tech and takes stress from the police, at least the Cavaliers."

It was then Maggie poked Lawrence in the head with a night stick, for Tyler's comments. Lawrence fell. Lawrence knew about old police justice. The nudge was just the start of the brutality.

Officer Tyler grabbed the night stick and pushed it into his Maggie's face. Tyler shaken yells, "Are you crazy! You touch this man again and I will personally kill you right here." Maggie wiped his blood from his night stick.

Officer Tyler put his arm around Lawrence, "Are you okay?" Lawrence smiled at the man who smelled like sugar and cinnamon, "Yeah!" Officer Tyler looked at Lawrence kindly. He went to the police car, popped the trunk and grabbed sugared donut from the driver's side window. Lawrence ravenously ate the donut.

Officer Tyler calmly, told Lawrence, "We don't, as part of the C squad, do things the old way, as you know. We look out for everybody. What I do need from you is to know if you are ready for a challenge of the mind, body and spirit, you with me?"

Lawrence shook his head in a pleasant shock. He wiped powder from his mouth. "We as an organization find it easier to let things sort themselves out. You were right in your heart in what you did in the riots and looting, you think?" Officer Tyler said unstressed. Officer Maggie reached into the trunk of the vehicle and struggled to pull out a small item with legs covered with a sheet. Lawrence smiled, "Yes, I did."

Officer Tyler unveiled what was covered with the sheet," I am not taking it on myself to understand destructive nature or reasons behind it. I have to stop it though, that kind of behavior is dangerous. What we have to do that is the Dwarf. C squad keeps it simple and sweet as you'll find. So you know this creature will pass judgment on you for me."

Lawrence stared at the dwarf, in fantasy garb: leather boots, jeweled hat and crotch tunic. A large axe lay in the trunk of the police car. He stopped smiling.

Lawrence, confused again, asked, "Is this a joke?" Tyler serious said, "What I suggest you do now is run. This gene spliced law enforcement weapon has the duty of feeding off your hate, rage and your understanding of right and wrong to change all that, immediate repentance. There will be no begging, just change, or you will die horribly. You have to get to the center of the maze to end this exercise. "

Lawrence confidently claimed," This will be easy I am very fast as you both know."
Tyler came back with, "Maybe but this guy is built for this situation, any for that matter. He literally mines your personality, who you are; determines that person's ability to change. He takes your personality either way into himself and makes the change for you or not. Since this exercise is short. If you get to the center of the maze we can have that dinner we talked about. That's if you win."

Officer Tyler pulled a mini control panel with a glowing blue dwarf to indicate the Dwarf's signature. Next to it is Lawrence's signature, a man icon, in orange.
Lawrence was sold, "That's a deal." He readies himself stretching. Officer Maggie inopportunely asks, "What kind of pain can this little maggot cause?" The creature's eyes turned blue. It latched on to Officer Maggie's leg and removed it. As he fell, it then drew a clear blue essence from his eyes into himself. Maggie grabbed at the nub, his skin color faded to a light blue. He screamed but seemed to lose the force in his voice gradually.

Officer Tyler begged Lawrence to watch Officer Maggie. The dwarf stared at Maggie. He nodded his head and squeezed his wound with plump arms. The officer fainted. Officer Tyler leans on Lawrence, "He won't remember he was a cop. He will believe he was a citizen, injured somehow. His skewed views, determined by the Dwarf will no longer be there. He will be like a blank slate. Otherwise he will die at the hands of some dwarf just like this one. They'll be everywhere soon. So, you think you're ready Lawrence?"

Lawrence was only a vapor under Tyler's arm. Lawrence couldn't run fast enough. He entered the tall maze. He heard Tyler yell, "There are weapons to give you a fairer chance in the maze." Lawrence could only place one foot before the other. Tyler whispered," But you'll die if you fight anyway." The dwarf tore holes through the walls of the maze, leaping quickly from area to area. It hid and leapt out of the areas it felt Lawrence would be, not finding him.

Lawrence crossed a knife while running. He'd turn around to see the image of the long, blond bearded, chiseled dwarf reaching for him. Lawrence stabbed him, bending the blade on the creature's thick palm. The dwarf then snatched and ate the blade. It leaped into the air and onto Lawrence's chest. He comforted Lawrence in his failure by bear hugging him, crushing his upper body.

Lawrence ran away turning corners and hearing earth explode from the ground behind him. The dwarf flew over his head and over hedges missing Lawrence's crown. He would bend over to spit out blood.Lawrence then crossed a gun while running. He pointed it to where he heard a dry, rustling in the hedge. The dwarf erupted from the hedge. Lawrence shot it six times sending it backwards. But not before, punching Lawrence once. The small fist knocked out all of Lawrence's front teeth and broke his nose. Lawrence ability to breath was gone.

Lawrence, bloodied now, sensed he was close to the center of the maze. He fell on his back. Lawrence slurred," Nothing is getting up from that."
The dwarf erupted from under Lawrence's ankles as though arisen from the grave. Lawrence was hyperventilating. The creature dragged him by an ankle. It easily dragged him to the center of the maze. Lawrence looked to the heavens above and said, "I am dead."

Lawrence looked for mercy in mythical man's cold silver eyes. "Please no." He tried to get up but couldn't. The dwarf stood on his chest and lower gut. His hands were skyward trying to grip the stars. The dwarf grabbed him by the collar. He spoke with an ancient, deep and eerie tone, "Give me what is left.

You can't fight anymore." Lawrence looked at the dwarf indignantly and squirmed. The creature looked into his eyes and shuttered, "You are very strong. You can't win though. Don't make me kill you."

The creature would stare at Lawrence knowing he wouldn't budge, not now. The dwarf's eyes turned blue. The dwarf said, "I shouldn't do this." It grabbed Lawrence as tight as possible. Lawrence pushed out the sentence, "You definitely can't beat me now." Lawrence began to get dizzy. The creature froze on his chest. The dwarf mentioned to Lawrence, "You hurt so many with so single minded an effort. You left so much to clean up with your negative attitude. You already have lost. "Lawrence spat, "No!" His body became limp.

Lawrence grabbed the man's stubby hands. He barely got out an audible word, "I'll go when I'm ready." Lawrence balled his fisted, gathered the last of his strength and punched the dwarf. The dwarf tightened its grip on Lawrence, undisturbed, and disregarded his leaking nostrils.
Lawrence smiled as if he won the lottery.

All at once, Lawrence could feel all of his heart, his fire, his hate for authority, his feelings and beliefs were drawn, as blue mist, into the dwarf. The dwarf cringed at the strength in the male. The dwarf cried. He tried to release his grip but couldn't. Lawrence would fight with every ounce drawn from him. He thought of Monty Wilson the most. How wrong it was what happened to him but he now knew Wilson's death would be avenged somehow. Lawrence whispered, "I was wrong." He grew dull in color.

The mist was eventually gone and Lawrence turned purplish blue and cold. Officer Tyler watched the control panel as Lawrence's icon was now discolored. The dwarf was a strong blue but began to fluctuate between a blue and orange. The control panel suddenly shot a bright orange.

The dwarf cracked the neck of the body and left the corpse in the middle of the maze. It walked away when suddenly it came back and hugged Lawrence's body for a long period of time. It buried Lawrence deeply and would pray over his corpse. The creature cleaned himself off and went back to the police vehicle. The dwarf shook his head, woozy

Officer Tyler watched the panel glow a bright orange. He called police headquarters and explained the news. Officer Tyler yelped, "It is glowing orange! It means the dwarf body was overtaken?" Tyler's eyes widened, "You want to send in the dragon?" Tyler closed his eyes. The sky above him would crawl with black mist. He closed his eyes. "I am thankful to have served then."

Tyler heard a knock on his window. Officer Tyler stared at his weapon, "Good job! I don't see the prisoner. Are you alright?" The dwarf nodded his head. Tyler attempted to lift the dwarf into the trunk. The dwarf responded, "I can ride in the backseat." The officer fearfully responded, "Okay."

The creature walked on what was left of Officer Maggie. The dwarf sat in the backseat hidden below the passenger side windows. He continued to shake his head, obviously disturbed by something. Tyler responded to the creature's problem, "Are you alright? I am thinking let's just hang here for a little bit."
The dwarf became angered by Tyler but calmed himself enough to respond, "I am fine. Let's just go back to headquarters. " Tyler continued," Change or die, right?"
The dwarf looked at Tyler and dropped the first thought that came to his head. He asked confused, "How about that dinner?" Officer Tyler stared at dwarf feeling he heard the voice of a ghost.

"I knew it was you man. I knew it." Tyler locked up the car. The dwarf grabbed his neck, "What are you doing?" "We're pretty much dead." Officer Tyler said. "I called the dragon you left me no choice. It was created in case something was to happen to the dwarf Lawrence. You're will was stronger, definitely a first. "
Lawrence sat back," I still have many souls to dig up. I have plans." The beaten cops says, " Not here Lawrence." Officer Tyler rams his shoulder into the car door only shaking the vehicle slightly.

Officer Tyler said, "The car is made out of titanium. There isn't enough time for you to break out but plenty easy for the dragon to break in. It's like a metal egg and he's the only one that can break us out of it." Lawrence punched the door hardly making a dent. Lawrence sat back in his seat.

Lawrence modified his words, "I mean we are going back to the precinct? Tyler shook his head in agreement. "We are going back but not as a whole." A dark cloud drew over the police car. A winged rider on a motorcycle comes roaring at the police vehicle.

Officer Tyler said, "It was nice meeting you Lawrence." Lawrence said, "Thank you Officer Tyler. "

There was an explosion.