Deicide

by M. K. Gibson

  Cassy just looked at the insane god with defiance. Arby, on the other hand, responded in his normal fashion.

  “So . . . you’re an idiot, then?”

  Mason and Madison took a step towards her partner, reaching for their weapons. But Buddha stood and waved them off.

  “No, Agent Deacon, I am not. I simply see what could be. While I’ve made a great life for myself here in the city, it constricts me. It confines me. I wish to breathe free. I wish—”

  Buddha stopped and looked over at her. “Agent Cross, forgive me for being forward, but . . . why are your breasts glowing?”

  Cassy looked down and saw the soft purplish-blue glow coming though her black performance top. She looked up and him and smiled.

  “Oh that? That’s a herald, for things to come,” she said, mocking him. “In my heart, I’m simply a cop. And a successful cop requires bad guys to run their mouths long enough for backup to arrive. Arby!”

  “Got it!”

  Both agents closed their eyes as a blinding blue-white light suddenly filled the room. Buddha and his minions yelled out in pain, squinting and turning away. When the light subsided, Cassy opened her eyes to see Jessie, Freeman, Kyle, and Gabby standing there armed with guns and wands.

  Arby looked over at Buddha and smiled.

  “Namaste, asshole.”

  “Kill them!” Buddha ordered his bodyguards. Dropping his yoga mat, he turned and ran out of the room with supernatural speed.

  “Gabby, defense!” Freeman commanded.

  Gabby pulled a small wooden statue of a medieval knight from her coat and held it before her. A thick, greenish-brown shield of energy that resembled tree roots sprang up around the group just in time to stop the hail of gunfire from Mason’s and Madison’s machine pistols.

  Instead of ricocheting off the shield, the bullets were simply stopped and were suspended in the air as if they had been shot into a tree. When the firing stopped, Gabby released the spell. The bullets dropped, clacking against the concrete floor. Gabby tossed the now-depleted item over her shoulder.

  Mason and Madison wordlessly looked at one another, then quickly started to reload, ejecting their spent magazines and reaching for fresh clips.

  “Ito,” Freeman said, “sic ’em.”

  The half-satori myth sprang at the two muscular humans. Cassy watched as her former husband dove at Mason. Caught off guard before he finished reloading, the larger man threw a powerful but clumsy swing. Kyle nimbly ducked under the attack, then rose up with an open-handed strike to Mason’s chin to snap the big man’s head back. He followed it up with a left-handed palm strike to Mason’s throat.

  From behind, Madison slammed a fresh clip into her pistol. Kyle smiled at her. One thing that Cassy knew about her ex-husband was his love of martial arts. With his mental gifts, he could sense attacks before they happened. Some would call that cheating, but she believed as he did: On the street, you took any advantage you had.

  Before she could chamber a round, Kyle’s tail whipped out, wrapping around the gun barrel. With a sudden turn, he spun, lashing out with his right leg, and knocked Madison to the ground. As she fell, he continued his turn, and his tail wrenched the gun from her hand. Taking the weapon, he ejected the mag and tossed the gun to the ground.

  Both Mason and Madison were on their feet in seconds. But no sooner had they found their footing than they were hit with a blast of energy. Both bodyguards hit the ground and were unconscious.

  “Do we really have time for this?” Jessie asked, who stood there with a crackling wand.

  “You really know how to shut down someone’s fun time, don’t ya?” Kyle asked.

  Cassy laughed. “More than you know.”

  “Cut the crap and get them free,” Freeman said. “We still have a mission to accomplish.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  15 May - 9:04 pm

  Body by Buddha, 1st Floor Utility Room, District of New Dorado

  “Did you really just say ‘Namaste, asshole’ to . . . the Buddha?” Jessie asked.

  “Yes!” Arby said. “You weren’t here. See, when he walked in a few minutes ago he had said that to us and—oh never mind, you had to have been there. Cass, back me up.”

  “Don’t know what he’s talking about.”

  Arby sighed. “You never support me.”

  “Heya Cross,” Jessie said as she stowed her wand and set them both free. “How’s it going?”

  “Been better,” the woman said as she rubbed at her wrists and legs, attempting to get their feeling back.

  Gabby offered them both a stim pack. Cross took hers and passed the other to Arby. They both cracked the stims and inhaled the vapor. A moment later, they looked like they had had a full night’s rest.

  “Thanks.”

  Gabby smiled and handed them both gear belts with pistols, wands, and extra comm links. Jessie quickly scanned the room they were in. From the mental map of the gym’s floor plan, based on the concrete walls, odd machinery, and power cables, she guessed they were in one of the utility rooms along the north edge of the complex.

  “Why’s it smell like old Cheerios and asparagus?” Kyle asked.

  “Cassy had an accident,” Arby said as he rubbed at his wrists. “I tried to stop her, but you know women. What with their tiny weak bladders and all that.”

  “Oh that’s bullshit,” Cross said while Gabby stared at him with her hands on her hips.

  “Don’t fall for it.” Deek’s voice came over the comm link. “Ask him what happened to him on our seventh grade field trip to the Smithsonian.”

  “Shut. Up. Derek.”

  “The kids called him ‘Mud-Butt’ for the rest of the school year.”

  Arby hung his head. “You know what? I’m glad you can’t walk. There, I said it.”

  “Arby!” everyone said at once.

  “Okay, fine!” Arby boomed, throwing his hands in the air. “I pissed my pants. Are you all happy?”

  “I am,” Deek said over the line.

  “Cut the crap, folks,” Freeman said. “Okay Cass, I assumed that they took all your gear?”

  “Yeah, just as we planned. They shook us down for everything we had. But they missed the important stuff hidden in plain sight,” Cassy said, tapping the side of her head. “The contacts camera caught everything he admitted to, and the storage chip is safe.”

  “Where was that hidden?” Kyle asked.

  “Right next to the homing beacon.” Cross smiled and patted at her fake breasts. “From what I gathered, the soul-sucking tech is housed here and the receivers are located throughout all his gyms.”

  “Good job. Deek?”

  “The Eye can’t see anything in that building, so I have a drone flying overhead with thermal imaging.”

  “Wait, we have drones?” Jessie asked. “Then why the shit were we running all over the city?”

  “Yeah, I’m going to agree with Jessie on this one,” Cross said. “What the hell?”

  “Y’all needed the exercise?” Deek offered. “Especially Eric.”

  “Watch it.”

  “Good thing for you all that you’re in a gym. Bad news is that thermal imaging shows Buddha is making a dash for the main stairwell to the west side of the complex and there are at least thirty other people in the building with you.”

  “How can you tell which one is Buddha?” Freeman asked.

  “Well, for one, he’s running opposite the way from where the others are coming. Second, he’s glowing hot. And there are four others glowing nearly as bright. So my guess is that you have other gods in the building, and if I’m reading these heat signatures correctly, they’re all amped up on Vitae.”

  Freeman nodded at the information. “Cross, Arby, you two ready?”

  Cross shot Arby a look. The big man nodded. “Yeah, we’re good.”

  “Ito, DeLeon, take point,” Freeman said. “Deek, you’re our eye in the sky; keep us informed. Gabby, you stand by with magic support. Cross and Mud-Butt, you watc
h our rears.”

  “Goddamnit,” Arby sighed.

  Jessie and Kyle moved through the door. They were in a long hallway. Ahead of her was the entrance to the women’s locker rooms. If she recalled the plans correctly, the main stairwell was to her right, along the west side of the building. Down the hall, she saw several armed security guards coming their way. They were dressed in their uniform of black polo shirts and khaki slacks. But each of them carried a semi-automatic handgun.

  “Shit! Contact!” she yelled and fired off several quick warning shots above their heads, then ducked back into the room, pulling Kyle back.

  “A hallway was a horrible place for any kind of firefight,” Kyle said.

  “No shit,” Jessie said. The lack of cover meant this space would quickly become a killbox. Peeking her head out, she saw that the oncoming employees had ducked at the sound of the gun.

  “Buddha’s making a dash up the stairwell, people,” Deek said. “He’s heading up to the next level.”

  “The hall is flooded with fitness dorks in polo shirts,” Kyle said.

  “Is there another stairwell?” Freeman asked.

  “Yeah, by the main entrance,” Deek said. “It’s a long way around, past the pool.”

  Jessie shook her head. “It feels like—”

  “Like we’re being herded?” Freeman said.

  Jessie nodded.

  “Well, we can’t stay here,” Cross said. “All it takes is one grenade and we’re toast. Gabby, you have any more of those shield spells?”

  Gabby nodded, holding up one finger.

  “One more? Okay, let’s do it,” Kyle said. “Lemme see it, Gabs.”

  Gabby passed another small wooden knight statue to Kyle. He nodded his thanks.

  “I’ll activate it, and y’all haul ass towards the pool. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement. Then Jessie looked back at Arby. “Why are you carrying that?”

  “What?” Arby said, tucking the neon yellow mat under his arm. “This is Buddha’s yoga mat. You know how much I can sell this for?!”

  Jessie rolled her eyes. “You ready, Kyle?”

  “Yup,” he said, then stepped into the hallway, activating the item.

  As before, the hallway glowed with a thick, greenish-brown shield of energy that resembled tree roots. The shield intercepted all the incoming fire. Kyle yelled back to the room.

  “Run!”

  Jessie again took point, hauling ass down hallway towards the pool, the smell of chlorine guiding her. Reaching the glass double doors, she put her hand on the entrance lever bar just as Deek’s voice came over the comm link.

  “Stop!”

  “What—” Jessie tried to say, but was cut off as the rest of her team collided into her back at full speed, knocking her through the door. The team of MORTAL agents, with all the dignity of a badly scripted comedy, fell to the rough wet concrete floor in a painful heap of failure.

  “God I hope no one saw that,” Cross said.

  “Me too,” Freeman said. “Now get your hand out of my ass.”

  “I think that’s mine,” Arby said. “But good news, I saved the yoga mat.”

  Gabby gave him a thumbs-up, then stood and began helping the others.

  “What are you idiots doing?” Kyle asked as he entered the pool area.

  “Trying to kill me,” Jessie said as she accepted Gabby’s hand. “Deek, why did you tell me to stop?”

  “I picked up a godly signature on the thermal vision moving your way.”

  Jessie looked around. “Where? I don’t see anything.”

  The area was illuminated only by the pool lights, which made the room glow with a light blue, wavering light. Ahead of her, Jessie saw that the exit to the main entrance of the gym was at the far end of the pool area.

  “Greetings, mortals,” a powerful voice boomed from the metal rafters, high above the pool. A dark form suddenly jumped while shouting, “Cannonball!”

  The large, man-like figure hit the water with tremendous force, spraying water everywhere. Jessie and the rest of the team were quickly drenched in chemical-smelling pool water.

  “What the hell?” Cross asked.

  “I don’t know,” Jessie said, wiping the water from her face.

  “Is it weird that I have half an erection right now?” Arby asked.

  Jessie looked at him. “What?”

  Arby pointed towards the water. “Look.”

  Turning her head, Jessie saw two large hands emerging from the water and grabbing the pool’s ladder. The hands were attached to thick, hairy forearms. A mop of wet red hair came up next, obscuring the face of a burly giant of a man.

  Slowly the massive man stood, stretched, and took several oddly, and obscenely, coquettish deliberate steps towards them. Suddenly, the man stopped, lowered his head, and flipped his long hair back out of his face.

  Standing there, legs askance, dripping wet, and wearing nothing but a red Speedo and a smile, stood Thor.

  The former god of thunder stood between them and the exit.

  The ginger-haired god smiled, his hands on his hips. His wet hairy belly on display hung slightly over his barely-there swimsuit.

  Jessie shook her head. “Gross.”

  “You should try to be more body positive,” Arby chided her.

  “Hello,” Thor said. “Sorry, but this is where it ends.”

  “Thor Odinson,” Freeman said. “You’re under arrest.”

  “Sorry, I think we’re long past me being afraid of the police. You don’t have The Knife anymore.”

  “We don’t need him,” Freeman countered.

  “You sure?” Thor asked. “Because he might have been able to stop me from doing this.”

  Fast as a snake, Thor reached into his Speedo and retrieved a small vial. Popping the top, he poured the contents into his mouth. A moment later his eyes began to glow and crackle with blue-white electrical energy. His muscles swelled and his veins bulged in response to his power.

  “Okay, this time I’m in full salute,”Arby said. “And I don’t even care where he got that vial from.”

  “Shoot him!” Freeman yelled.

  But before anyone could react, Thor slammed his hands together. A powerful thunderclap BOOMED through the pool area. The wave of raw kinetic force knocked them all off their feet once again. Thor immediately dropped to the wet concrete and slammed both of his palms into the water.

  Jagged arcs of angry lightning crackled and leaped from puddle to puddle. In a flash, the entire pool area floor was electrified. Jessie felt searing pain and smelled ozone. Her back arched, her fingers clenched, and the muscles of her jaw were locked open in a silent scream. While it only took seconds, the agony seemed to last for hours.

  And then it was over. Thor took ragged gasps as the brief echo of his once godlike power was gone in a flash. Jessie’s body collapsed and her head lay on the wet ground. Around her, the rest of the team, like her, groaned in pain.

  All of them, except . . . Arby?

  Chapter Forty

  15 May - 9:20 pm

  Body by Buddha, Pool Section, District of New Dorado

  Eric watched his friends fall. They screamed in pain. They writhed in agony. But he couldn’t help them. He dare not. In order to save them, he could . . . not . . . move. Arms crossed, he stood on Buddha’s yoga mat, waiting. A moment later, Thor’s electrical display faded and the former Norse god gasped deep, labored breaths, exhausted from exertion.

  “Arby?” Jessie said weakly.

  He shot Jessie a wink. “What? You thought I was carrying this for fun? This is made from recycled rubber.”

  “Well done,” Derek’s voice said in his ear. “I was wondering if you would pick up on that.”

  Eric frowned. “We assumed Thor, god of thunder, was in on this, right? Am I the only detective in this bunch?”

  “Shut . . . up,” Cass said through gritted teeth. “Kick his . . . ass.”

  Eric slowly turned to fa
ce Thor with a grin not of mirth, but of sadistic desire. Thor had hurt his best friend. Eric’s hands flexed in and out of fists as he advanced on the god.

  “T-take it easy, Officer,” Thor said.

  “You hurt Cass,” Eric said. “Now I hurt you.”

  Thor sneered at him. Pushing himself to his full height, Thor easily met Eric’s height. “I’ve been alive for thousands of years, boy. I’ve felled giants, gods, and monsters. You’re just a man.”

  “And without your power, so are you,” Arby said. “And you better watch it with that ‘boy’ shit.”

  Thor’s face softened. “Oh, wait. Look, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant ‘boy’ as in—”

  Eric punched Thor with all the speed and power his six-foot-seven, three-hundred-plus- pound frame could generate. The god’s head snapped back and his nose broke. Not letting up, Eric swung a hard left hook to Thor’s jaw, followed by a right uppercut.

  To Eric’s surprise, the god didn’t go down. Instead, Thor grabbed Eric around the waist, picked him up, twisted, and slammed him down hard onto the poolside concrete.

  “Dude, what are you doing?” Derek’s voice said. “Thor was a champion wrestler in Norse mythology.”

  “I wrestled, remember?” Eric said. He grabbed and pulled Thor’s hands apart, then headbutted the god in his already broken nose. Thor grunted in pain and then delivered his own savage headbutt that made Eric see stars.

  “Trying out in junior high doesn’t count,” Derek said. “And if I remember right, you cried when they put you in the super heavyweight division.”

  Eric jammed his right hand under Thor’s chin and rolled the god off of him. With his left hand, Eric slammed clumsy but heavy hammer-fist blows against Thor’s head. The god brought his arm up, deflecting most of the attacks.

  “No, I quit because the uniform was unflattering to my figure,” Eric said as he tried getting to his feet. Derek was right; there was no way he could beat Thor in a wrestling match. Even with all the punishment he had just dished out, Thor was still coming.