His purple spandex suit was clean and shiny, a strange contrast to the clouds of dust and debris that covered everything else. He scanned his surroundings and as soon as he spotted Malignus trashing another city block, he strode toward him, his size growing with every step. A loud stretching noise, like rubber tearing in half, accompanied the unnatural growth. Ten or twenty feet was tall enough to intimidate most foes, but Behemoth was forcing himself way past that. Mermaid could see the pain in Behemoth's eyes as he pushed himself upward, trying to match the size of Malignus. When he towered over the city, even Mermaid paused. Those were the moments when even the people with SPMDs felt like gods walked among them.
Once he had matched the size of the creature, Behemoth took a few steps toward Malignus, shaking the ground with each one. Malignus turned toward the giant man as Behemoth threw a punch, connecting with the beast's jaw. The sound was like a bomb exploding, rumbling through the streets like rolling thunder. Malignus stumbled backward and Behemoth didn't stop his advance. He lunged forward again, bringing both hands down like a hammer, crushing Malignus's head into the small park they were standing over. Malignus tried to stand up from the cratered ground, but Behemoth landed a kick into its ribs. The snapping sound was like a forest of trees breaking in half, all at once. Behemoth raised his fist to rain another punch down upon the beast, but Malignus leapt up, thrashing its claws across Behemoth's chest. The purple suited hero stumbled backward as giant droplets of blood splashed onto the street below.
“You need to get him out of the city,” Mermaid shouted into her mind. “Go north. Take him to the Dead Zone.”
Behemoth rushed toward Malignus, trying to grasp onto its body to lift it up, but the beast managed to clamp down its jaw onto Behemoth's arm. Malignus shook its head back and forth, ripping and tearing the flesh as much as it could. Behemoth dug his fingers under the creature's lip and yanked upward, trying to pry open the vice-like jaw. When that proved useless, he dug his fingers into the creature's eyes. Malignus howled in pain and opened its mouth. Behemoth yanked his arm free, blood streaming from the open wound. Mermaid could see Behemoth's bare bone showing through the torn open flesh.
“This thing is going to kill us all,” Stiletto thought.
“No!” Mermaid mentally shouted. “I refuse to believe that. You can do this, Behemoth.”
He held onto his arm in pain, but with Mermaid shouting into his mind, he gritted his teeth and turned back toward the beast. He didn't rush in this time, carefully choosing his opening. Malignus roared at him and spun around, swinging its tail at Behemoth, but he was ready for it. He caught the thick appendage in both hands, the spikes driving into his palms. He pushed past the pain and yanked on the tail as hard as he could. The motion ripped Malignus from his feet and swung the beast into the air. Behemoth continued the turn, using the creature's own momentum to keep spinning. When the spinning monster had built up enough speed, Behemoth let go. The giant beast flew over the rooftops, howling and flailing its arms. It fell out of view, but a few seconds later, the ground shook as if a meteor had impacted miles away. Behemoth went sprinting across the city, toward the creature, each footstep like an aftershock.
With the battle moving north, Mermaid stood in the aftermath. Sirens wailed. Flames flickered. Soldiers shouted instructions as a hovering medical vehicle descended toward the chaos. Mermaid stood up and looked around at the cloud of gray they all stood in. She was scared for it to clear. Right now, she could barely see a block away, but when the dust settled, she'd be able to see the true extent of the devastation, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle that. So many buildings flattened. So many lives lost.
The ground shook again as one of the giant bodies landed hard against the earth and she heard Stiletto yelling into her ear, “Get your butt in gear. This ain't over, yet!”
Mermaid pushed her jets of water into the street and lifted herself into the air, shooting across the sky toward the raging battle. She passed buildings on fire and people screaming up to her, begging her to help them. She paused when she saw a woman trapped on top of a burning building, holding twin babies, one in each arm. Tears were streaming down the woman's face as the flames devoured the rooftop, inching closer to her.
“Go on without me,” Mermaid thought, lowering herself toward the woman.
“What?” Stiletto thought. “What are you talking about? We need to put that thing down! We need you!”
“No,” Mermaid thought. “These people need me.”
She doused the rooftop in water to keep the flames at bay long enough for her to bring the woman and her babies down to the street level. Before the woman could thank her, Mermaid was jetting off to the next building.
As Mermaid put out another fire and watched another family make it safely out of their building, she thought back to when the first supervillains had appeared. The epic battles between heroes and villains swept across TV screens, and soon the superheroes forgot what they were originally trying to do. They were no longer heroes. They were celebrities.
For Mermaid, it was never about fighting people. It wasn't supposed to be SPMD vs SPMD. It was supposed to be about saving people's lives. The Alliance should be policemen and firefighters and EMTs, not soldiers. She might be able to cut through steel with a high-pressure stream of water, but she could also put out fires, water crops, or provide clean drinking water to those in need. She could take lives, or she could save lives. And no matter what kind of weapon the Zharkovs wanted her to be, no matter what they told her was valuable about her power, Mermaid was going to be a superhero. For as long as she could be.
16
MIGUEL
When he ran into their secret headquarters, his father was already suiting up.
“Get ready,” Hector said, and Miguel thought he heard a slight sound of fear in his father's voice.
“I don't like this,” his mother said, her eyes flashing between the screen on her MajesTech phone and the commotion in the arsenal. “It's too dangerous.”
“Of course it's dangerous, but it's also necessary. If there's any possibility I can do something to help out there, I need to take it. This is going to be the biggest tragedy the city has ever seen from one of the diseased since that damn war tore us apart.”
“But what do you expect to do against something like that? Guns and gadgets aren't going to touch that thing.”
“I know.”
As Miguel slipped into his armored leggings, he glanced over at his father and asked, “What's wrong, father?”
His father set his jaw in place, clenching his teeth as he contemplated the question for a moment. “I feel helpless. I don't like feeling helpless.”
He helped Miguel strap on his armored vest as he continued. “SPMDs like that thing outside. Like the Zharkovs. They make me think we aren't doing enough.”
“We're doing what we can, for now,” Miguel said. “We just need to give mother the time she needs to invent something stronger, something more powerful, something that can kill things like that monster outside. Right?”
His mother shook her head. “Maybe with unlimited resources, I'd feel more confident. But on the budget of a cell phone and computer company? I don't know if it's possible. I flood all my surplus into this war, and it's still not enough. MajesTech will never have the freedom to build weapons like Neo-Nippon. They've cut deals with the Zharkovs to arm the Fatherlands. We're still under the thumb of their laws. Everything I build has to be in secret. I don't have factories for manufacturing rockets or laser guns or whatever those Oshiros are inventing this week.”
Miguel buckled his belt around his waist and said, “I don't believe you two. 'Ingenuity will always overcome sheer strength.' Those are your words.”
His mother smiled at him with pride in her eyes, but he saw just a hint of a tear glimmering there as well.
His father patted his shoulder and handed him his coat. “Come on. We need to at least witness this thing first hand. Maybe we can spot a weakness.”
His mother had sent everyone home to be with their families during the crisis, so there was no security guard to deal with as they made their way into the underground parking ramp. When they reached their car, his mother still didn't look happy.
“I urge you to reconsider this. That creature has already destroyed thirty-seven city blocks. Completely wiped them off the map. This is exactly the type of situation I designed our bunker for.”
“Esmeralda?” Miguel's father said, climbing into the back of the car, “I love you. I trust you. And right now, I need you to do the same for me. If you want to stay here-”
Miguel's mother shook her head and climbed into the car after his father. “If you think you're going out there without me, then you have no idea how much I love the two of you.”
The Lexus pulled out of the parking stall and drove up onto the street. Traffic was bumper to bumper as people tried to escape the city. The driverless car tried to edge its way between two sedans, but the driver it tried to cut off waved his fist out the window and yelled a string of curse words.
Miguel's mother picked up the phone next to her seat and dialed a number. There was only a single ring before someone on the other end picked up.
“Hello, Jackson? Yes. Splendid. How are you?” Miguel's mother smiled and nodded as she listened. “That's wonderful to hear. I'm glad your family is safe. Say, I'm in a bit of a bind here. Do you suppose you could open up a lane for me in front of my building? I'm in quite a rush.” There was a pause, then, “Wonderful. Don't work too hard now.”
She set the phone down and tapped on the driverless command screen. “Pull into the left lane.”
The car did as it was told, inching its way between two taxis.
Miguel's mother smiled and said, “That was my friend Jackson. He's a good man. Sloppy drunk, but he always shows up to work. Consistency. That's an important attribute in a person.”
A team of men walked out from an alleyway and set down orange cones in the middle of the left lane. Horns honked and people waved their middle fingers in the air. The cars in the left lane merged into the right in order to make their way around the sudden detour. When all the traffic in front of the Lexus cleared, the two workers waved the car forward, moving the orange cones out of the way. The driverless car sped past the angry motorists and into the open lane.
She was good at working people, getting them to do her bidding with a smile. They were always thankful for the opportunity to do whatever she asked of them. Miguel realized again that both his mother and his father had so much to teach him. If he could capture both of their strengths, he could be stronger than either of them alone.
The Lexus pulled onto a less busy side street and zigzagged through the city, toward its programmed destination. As they went further north, the car began to bounce as the streets shook like there were tiny earthquakes happening every few seconds.
When the car pulled up to the StarCorps building, Miguel's father kissed his mother, activated the masking technology in his suit, and said, “Wait here. I just want to get a better view. We'll be back as soon as we can.”
Miguel said goodbye to his mother and activated his own mask. Then he crawled out of the backseat after his father and followed him to the side of the building. The StarCorps building was one of the taller office buildings in this part of the city, and Miguel was surprised it was still standing.
“MajesTech engineering,” Miguel's father said as he slapped the wall. “If this thing is still standing tomorrow, your mother is going to make a fortune during the rebuilding phase. Everyone will want the same structural integrity.”
He pointed his watch toward the rooftop and fired his grappling hook. The rope twirled through the air until the claw on the end sunk into a small patio a third of the way up the building. Miguel did the same, allowing the gears in his suit to pull him up. It took them a few more shots, but eventually they were climbing over the edge of the roof.
When Miguel stood up and looked out over the city, he could see the true destruction that Malignus wrought. There were so many fires, it felt like the entire city was burning. Black smoke and ash filled the air. The skyline was completely different, missing large chunks of the beautiful architecture that used to define Patriot City. And in the middle of it all, was Malignus.
The creature was battling Behemoth, a giant man in a purple costume that looked to be the beast's equal in stature, but he was covered in gaping wounds. Every time he swung his fist, he sprayed a trail of blood behind him.
The destruction they left in their wake showed the progression of the battle. From one neighborhood to the next, the purple man was trying to force the creature out of the city, but Malignus was pushing right back.
Miguel and his father were close to the action, so much so that the building shook with every step, every strike, and every fall the giants took. Miguel's father put on his sunglasses and adjusted some knobs on his watch. Miguel followed along, zooming in his vision toward the combat. They watched as Behemoth fell backward into a building, crushing it under his weight.
“Do you think he can stop it?” Miguel asked as the bloodied hero struggled to stand back up.
“Never rely on monsters to defeat other monsters.”
“But if he doesn't stop it, then we must.”
His father was silent while he studied the action. They both watched Behemoth smash Malignus's head into his knee. The creature stumbled backward, crushing a line of cars under its feet.
“A creature like this feels more like a tornado or a flood. A force of nature. And who can stop those? Perhaps your mother is right. Perhaps the bunker is our only hope. Perhaps all we can do is prepare ourselves for survival.”
He sounded as if they were already defeated. He sounded like a man who already gave up, but was afraid to admit it. That wasn't his father.
“But what about the Zharkovs? Maybe they-”
“No.” His father slammed his fist down on the edge of the building. “I'd rather put a bullet in my own head before I look up into the sky and pray for their help. Never, Miguel. I never want you to think that the Zharkovs are here to help you. They are the greatest enemy of all.”
His father bowed his head and closed his eyes.
“What is it?” Miguel asked.
“Evil,” his father said, his voice sounding weak. “Today it feels invincible.”
Miguel had heard enough.
“Stop it!” he yelled, his voice breaking. “Stop talking like that. You told me they're all mortal. You told me that with a bit of resourcefulness and a bit of inventiveness, we can take down any one of them. That has to be true for the Zharkovs.” Miguel shoved a finger out toward Malignus. “And it has to be true for that thing too!”
His father let out a heavy sigh. “Miguel, you don't understand. It's not-”
“If I don't understand, then that's your fault. Because everything I know, I learned from you and mother. And everything the two of you have taught me has been true so far. So which is it? Are you lying to me? Or are you wrong? Because I refuse to give up on this war. And if I have to do it without you, I will.”
Miguel turned his back on his father, crossing his arms over his chest. He heard his father chuckle behind him, which infuriated him, but then he felt his father's hand on his shoulder.
“You're right, Miguel. You're right. And this is why you are so invaluable to me. You remind me of my strength. You remind me of why I must continue fighting. I came out here to learn something. And I think I just did.”
Miguel turned around and pointed at his father, tapping the tip of his finger against his father's chest. “There's you, and there's mother, and there's me. That's it. If we fail, the war is lost. And we can't lose the war. We can't let those things rule the world.”
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br /> His father nodded. “You've been listening to me. Apparently I should have been listening better to myself.”
Malignus crashed into another building and the entire structure crumbled around his shoulders. The building they were standing on shook, and Miguel's father crouched down, pulling Miguel with him. Miguel peeked over the edge of the rooftop to see what they were hiding from, just as the superhero named Mermaid went flying by on her jets of water. Stiletto followed her, leaping from rooftop to rooftop across the street.
“Was that-”
“Yes. Yes it was,” his father said with a grin. “Maybe there are things we can accomplish today other than witnessing the destruction of our city.”
His father leapt off the side of the building and launched a grappling hook out of his watch. It sunk into the building adjacent to them and he swung around the corner. Miguel followed him, a bit more nervous about the jump, but his adrenaline and excitement pushed him over the edge. He launched the grappling hook and gasped for breath when it sunk into place. His weight yanked on his shoulder, but the exoskeleton in the suit took the brunt of the pressure, saving him from dislocating his shoulder. He swung through the air, following the streams of water down the street. He watched his father release the grappling hook at the bottom of his swing and land safely on the ground. Miguel did the same, but his footing was off and he rolled forward. He managed to finish the roll back on his feet, which relieved him of some embarrassment in front of his father.
Miguel's father ran between the abandoned vehicles scattered around the street, chasing Mermaid as she rushed toward a burning building three blocks away. The hydraulics built into the legs of their suits helped their speed, assisting them in making bounding strides to keep up with the diseased woman. Miguel saw Stiletto drop down from the rooftop and continue her run, her metallic body uninjured from the fall.
That impressed him. Slightly.
His father motioned over to an alleyway where a police cruiser had crashed into a brick wall. He crouched down and Miguel did the same, peering around the hood of the car. Mermaid was standing on the street in front of the building, spraying out huge streams of water onto the second floor. Stiletto slashed her way through the debris blocking the front door with her sword-hands, then dove inside the burning building. Seconds later, she came bursting back out, her metal body still glowing from the heat, but carrying a small child wrapped in a blanket. She set the child down and rushed back inside.
The Super Power Saga (Book 1): Super Powers of Mass Destruction Page 14
