House of Cards
written by Brahma
Uno and all other characters © 2002 by Brahma's player

Ever since I started junior varsity football, I took pride in my body. I trained every day, watching myself get bigger and stronger. After I graduated high school, I went to college to pursue my career in sports medicine. I wanted to help others attain their goals, and exceed them. I then went back to the high school I graduated from to be their football coach (while also teaching Civics, because a healthy mind supplements a healthy body), and I also was a personal trainer at a local gymnasium. I lived a healthy, happy life.

Then came Uno.

My first encounter with Uno was shortly after an incident in the park. He was a scrawny thing, barely five feet tall, and he was being pushed around by some of the local bullies. Lucky for him—or lucky for them—I was their teacher, and I was never one to allow people to take advantage of those weaker than themselves. In retrospect, my gesture was foolish, because of what Uno embodies.

"Hello, boys," I growled, and was inwardly chuckling as they immediately stopped pushing the little wolf around. The three were members of the football team, and they were very good on the field. Two rhinos and a hyena. All three of them bigger than Uno, but not as big as me. back in my days on the field, they had to make special football gear for me. My parents were both very large grizzly bears, and I guess I got the best of both sides of my parents.

The hyena (Randy, I recalled) grinned the characteristic grin of his species. "Hiya, Coach Margold," he chuckled, as if pushing a runt around was commonplace. Well, they were highschoolers, and the survival of the fittest was always in effect.

"You boys mind explaining what's going on?" I folded my arms across my broad chest, and gave them a withering stare guaranteed to intimidate any student, no matter who. It didn't fail me this time, either.

One of the rhinos scuffled his feet on the dirt. "We're just havin' a...man to man talk with this kid here," he muttered, jerking his thumb in Uno's direction.

"Well," I growled, "maybe you boys should go home and talk to the young man some other time?"

I pretended not to notice the glares all three gave the wolf, who gave them an indifferent look in return. They grumbled a "Yessir," and walked away. Mission accomplished, I turned my attention to the wolf.

"You OK, son?" I asked him, looking him over for any injuries.

He waved away my concerns with a paw. "Yeah, yeah. I'm OK. It's a good thing you came along though."

"You think they would have hurt you?"

He cracked his mouth open with an arrogant smile, exposing pearly white fangs. "Hell, no. I would've spanked them, and sent them home crying for their mamas."

His confidence was a bit unnerving, because somehow, subconsciously, I knew it wasn't an idle boast. There was a fire in that kid's eyes, and I should have just stepped away right then and there before I got burned. "Maybe, maybe not. What's your name, son?"

"I'm not your son, old man, but you can call me Uno."

I didn't think anything of the nickname—hell, he was a teenager after all. "Pleased to meet you, Uno. I'm Coach Margold. You new in town?"

Uno nodded his head. "Yeah, just got here. Won't be staying long."

"Oh? You and your folks here for a visit?"

"I am, yeah." He then folded his thin arms across his sunken chest which a tank top covered loosely. "I'm just here for the sights, play around a bit, then I'll be gone, but not forgotten."

I idly wondered if this wolf was a runaway—he certainly looked the part, what with his clothes and vague comments. I pulled out my wallet, getting a business card which had the address to the gym I worked at in my spare time. "I don't know what kind of situation you're in, Uno, but if you need to talk, I work at the address on the card after school. Feel free to stop by if you want to, alright?" I said, handing him the card, which he took after a moment's hesitation.

"Yeah, alright," he muttered, then looked away. "Listen, I gotta go. Catch you later." He took off running, and I was amazed by how fast he was moving. We could use a runner like him on our team, I thought as I turned to walk home.

After lunch came the announcement: Randy was dead.

While no details of the death was divulged to the student body, rumor spread like wildfire that it would be a closed casket funeral because his corpse was found in a small crater, and the only way he was recognized was from his driver's license. The rumor was absolutely correct—I was told by the principal Randy's body was smashed into pulp. His death would be a mystery for at least two days.

I was on automatic for the rest of the school day, and I went to the gym under the impression I was going to cancel my appointments. Instead, I saw a very imposing sight in front of the gym—a wolf was leaning against the window of the building, and he was the largest wolf I'd ever seen. Standing at least (if not over) fifteen feet tall, he was powerfully built. His legs were as thick pillars of muscle, and wider than I was broad. His arms were folded across those massive plates of pectoral muscle, and were thick as tree trunks. He was shirtless, and wore a pair of shorts that were threatening to burst apart thanks to those mammoth quadriceps. He looked down at me, and it was then I felt I had met him before. Something in those eyes of his looked familiar. He moved away from the window, and started walking towards me. I couldn't help but notice the cracks on the pavement he left from the weight those bare paws were supporting. "You Margold?" he said, his voice rattling the windows around him.

Possessing more bravery than common sense, I slowly nodded my head, forcing myself to look into the eyes of this gigantic wolf. "Yes, I'm Coach Margold."

The wolf grinned, but there was nothing friendly about it. "I'm Uno's...brother." The way he hesitated immediately made me suspicious, but I wasn't about to challenge this hulk, not without some serious backup, like maybe the entire football team. "He told me how you saved those kids from some embarrassment."

Amazing how no one stood to gawk. Everyone steadfastly avoided making eye contact with us, almost as if Uno's...brother...was radiating some kind of presence that said "Don't mess with me." Maybe it was the fact that he looked like he could bench press a semi that made people avoid eye contact. Very smart—wish I were that smart too.

I took my time to answer him, because I didn't want to test that giant wolf's temper. "That's...not how it looked to me."

"You don't know m--" he paused, catching himself before he said anything else. Ignoring the curious look in my eyes, he continued, "You don't know him. He would've spanked them, and sent them home crying for their mamas."

The way he said that statement froze me to the spot, and I gawked at the towering wolf in front of me. "Uno?" It couldn't be him, how did he get so big? Yet, when he narrowed his eyes and started to sneer at me, I knew this was the scrawny wolf I thought I had saved from the jocks.

"You think you're so damned smart, don't ya?" he shot me a dark look, and I took a step back instinctively. For the first time in my life, I felt like prey. I think anyone would to this predator. "Well, when you see me again, 'Coach', we'll find out just how smart you are, huh?" Those words said, he turned away from me, and started to lumber away.

I didn't know what I was doing when I reached for his enormous hand in a futile effort to stop this behemoth. "Wait, what do you mean by that..?" I started to ask, but the hand I was tugging on suddenly lashed out at me, shoving me away with little effort. I hit the ground, hard, and knew I was going to get a bruise tomorrow. When his bulk eclipsed the sun from my view, though, I wondered if I was going to see a tomorrow.

"Don't touch me, 'Coach'. I let you off easy, but next time, I might not be so nice." He then gave me a cruel grin, and walked away from me, who was very grateful to be alive and basically unhurt. The whole experience was both humbling and terrifying—I had never met anyone bigger or stronger than me, and I felt shaken from the experience. I scrambled to my feet, and avoided the stares from everyone. They saw the whole thing, and not a single one came to help me. Who could blame them? Not a single one in the gym could even come close to Uno's size or strength. I doubt anyone could. After canceling all my appointments, I went home, took a long, hot bath, and slept fitfully. I had nightmares all night, and they all consisted of skyscraper-sized boots. The owner of those monstrosities could not be seen, but I could hear the thunderous voice from above:

"We'll find out just how smart you are, huh?"

I woke up to the sounds of my alarm, and for a moment, it sounded like a wolf's laughter. Uno's laughter.

As I entered the high school, it finally clicked in my brain: Uno killed Randy. Had I not seen the hulk Uno had become in front of the gym, I would have laughed at myself for what should have been a leap of illogic. My eyes saw the evidence, though, and when I didn't see Randy's fellow bullies in homeroom, I knew I wouldn't see them again.

When the ground shook, I wasn't surprised.

"I'm just here for the sights..."

The next tremor was more focused, more powerful. I think a few of the desks actually moved from the impact. Yes, he could see a lot of the sights if he wanted too, I think.

"...play around a bit, then I'll be gone..."

The next tremor was more of a shockwave. I could hear the car alarms going off from the powerful quake. The outside started growing dark as a great shadow started to cover the school. Uno was playing with the bullies, and because I stopped them, I became part of his game.

"...but not forgotten."

From the window, I saw the impossibly huge sole of the black combat boot come crashing down on the parking lot, flattening cars underneath its sole.

I didn't run as the roof of the school was ripped open. My life was now a house of cards, and Uno was ready to tear it down.