“Are they saving people?” Miguel asked.
“You're confusing the chicken for the egg. All they're doing is cleaning up their own mess. Don't forget: If they didn't exist, none of this would be happening.”
Miguel nodded, happy that his mentor could help him see through their lies. People would cheer for them, fooled like he was into forgetting what caused all this chaos in the first place. He watched as more debris fell down around the front door, blocking the entrance. This time, instead of a few wooden beams, brick and metal lodged around each other, creating a thick wall of rubble. Stiletto was still inside.
“There's no way she's getting out of that.”
His father chuckled. “I think someone needs to spend more time studying the diseased.”
The caved-in pile rumbled and shook before Stiletto came bursting through, her sword-hands slashing wildly in front of her, turning the brick and steel into a cloud of dust. A trail of people followed her out of the building, coughing and holding their shirts up to their mouths.
Miguel's father pointed at her and said, “Her body is covered in a metal that doesn't exist anywhere in nature. It's not only unbreakable, but her sword-hands can cut through anything.”
“Anything?”
“As far as I know. You saw her on the news. She was even doing damage to Malignus, albeit slowly. If that thing wasn't so large, her swords might have made a real impact.”
As they continued to watch, Miguel saw Stiletto fall to the street. She went into a coughing fit with the rest of the building's tenants, overwhelmed by the smoke inhalation she suffered inside the building. Mermaid rushed down to her side, but the metal woman shook her off. She sat on the street for two minutes before she caught her breath and climbed the outside of the building, entering into a third floor window.
Miguel chuckled and said, “Her skin might be unbreakable, but her lungs sure aren't.”
“Yes,” his father said. “How interesting.”
Miguel looked up at his father, recognizing the tone in his voice. He was elsewhere, strategies and plots twisting in his head.
“What is it? Should we make a move against Mermaid while Stiletto is-”
His father waved his hand. “No, no. Shush.”
“But she's right there. I could-”
“We need to assume there are more of these Alliance members flying about. It's far too risky to go shooting old women in public.”
“So what do we do?”
His father clapped his hand down on Miguel's shoulder. “We're going to do exactly what we set out to do, what you reminded me to do. We're going to use ingenuity, inventiveness, and resourcefulness to combat sheer strength.” He grinned and winked at Miguel. We're going to use a disease to kill a disease.”
His father took off running. Miguel followed, frustrated that his father was being so cryptic about the plan, but assuring himself of the brilliance of both his parents. Because together, they always won. It was why he would follow them into any battle, no matter the odds. It was why he was sure they would win this war, no matter if their enemies stood fourteen stories tall, or had invincible skin. They would all fall before Hector Diaz and Esmeralda Majesty. And Miguel would be right there next to them. They would show the world that mortals can slay gods.
17
MAKSIM
The Warhammer, Guardian of the West, sipped the deepest red wine from his golden chalice, silently watching the surrounding festivities. He did not care for alcohol, but his mother insisted that he partake on that day. She told him that it was another of his duties, that he needed to support the family, that he needed to show loyalty to his uncle and let the rest of the empire know that the Zharkovs still stood strong. It was insulting to him that she felt the need to say any of this.
Maksim spent every day with his head down and his ears open. He took orders like a servant. He never questioned his grandfather or his father. His brother once joked that he was the most loyal pet the family ever owned, but Maksim took it as a compliment. He did not see his royal heritage as a right. He did not see it as something he deserved. He saw it as something he needed to work for, every day, always. His guardianship, his home, the empire itself, were all his to win or lose. His father had spelled out his role in the empire when he gave him his title.
The Warhammer.
He was a blunt instrument. He was not meant for the meetings where they discussed rations and laws and border disputes. He was meant for the battlefield. His brother and sister were the smart ones. They were raised with a book in one hand and a pen in the other. But Maksim's father recognized his talent when he was a child. Maksim was raised for one thing, and there was no place for it in the grand hall.
“You look thrilled to be here,” a voice from behind Maksim spoke.
He turned to see his niece, Zana, standing behind him. She looked stunningly beautiful, which always took him by surprise. He could not believe how old she had grown, looking like a woman now instead of the small child she still was in Maksim's mind. She wore her Guardian armor and cape proudly, knowing how to stand with both grace and power among the representatives from the domains. He knew she would one day become a dominant force in the empire. It was only a matter of time.
Cowering beside her, peeking out from behind her cape, was his youngest nephew, Yuri. The small boy's eyes were darting around the room as if he were waiting for one of the attendees to attack him at any moment. There was a darkness in Yuri's eyes that worried Maksim. He hoped it was a passing, youthful phase that would drift away as Yuri matured, but it seemed so ingrained in the boy, as if it were attached to his soul. Maksim wanted to spend more one-on-one time with Yuri, but Yuri was always clinging to his sister, and Maksim wasn't sure what he could show Yuri that would lighten the darkness. All Maksim knew was battle.
“Hello,” he mumbled. “You two having fun?”
“I'm getting there,” Zana said, raising her goblet with a smirk. “Maybe you just need to drink faster. The trick is to outpace our invulnerability. Don't let it keep up with the wine.”
“I am not comfortable at these events. And wine will do nothing to cure that.”
“So you'll just be miserable? Sulking over here by yourself?”
“I'm not sulking.”
“Uncle, come on. You're definitely sulking.” She elbowed him in the ribs. “What would grandmother say? You aren't representing the joy that our family feels now that Padamir is the imperator.”
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and saw her smiling as she sipped her drink.
“She gave you that speech today too?”
“Really, I don't see where she finds the time. Between burying great-grandfather, dressing and feeding her husband, and handing out directions on how the rest of us should eat, drink, smile, and stand. When does she use the restroom?”
Maksim chuckled. “Haven't you heard? Royalty doesn't shit.”
Zana's eyes grew large. “Well, well, well. Was that a joke? And a smile? Here I thought all you could do was brood.”
Maksim cleared his throat and dropped the smile from his face. “I should be somewhere else right now.”
“What could be more important than the coronation of the imperator?”
Maksim twisted off his belt buckle and showed her the alert that was still flashing on the small screen inside.
“You're still receiving a Guardian alert?” her eyes filled with panic. “Why are you still standing here? Go!”
“Your father told me to ignore it.”
“My father!? My father is the Guardian of the South! He can't tell you what to do on your border.”
Zana's eyes were full of fury and passion. He knew she wasn't actually worried. She was jealous. Nothing happened on her side of the Fatherlands. The people in the east were notoriously loyal, and the Oshiros were the only domain on that border.
As Maksim contemplated his actions, he saw Magda walking toward them, a graceful smile on her face as she waved and said hello to
everyone she passed. When she stepped up to Maksim and Zana, she held her goblet with both hands and burned her eyes into both of them.
“What is going on over here?” She turned to Maksim. “You look like a cloud is permanently hanging over your head-” She turned to Zana. “-and you look like your cape is on fire. What could be so important that you decide to embarrass our family in front of the entire empire.”
“He got an alert!” Zana said, pointing at Maksim's belt buckle.
Magda's eyes glanced down, then up toward Maksim. “Where is the problem?”
Maksim bowed his head. “The American Homelands. I'm not sure what's happening, but they keep sending it.”
Magda rolled her eyes. “Those Americans. We should have let Beastrix take over the whole damn place. It would have been easier to deal with her than that Alliance.”
“I think I should at least go see what's happening,” Maksim said. “But Azakor advised me to let the Alliance deal with it.”
Magda glanced over to the table where Everlast was flirting with one of the members of the Hive. “They couldn't wipe their own ass if we didn't show them how.” She let out a deep sigh and said, “Fine. Go. But I want you back here as soon as you're finished. And if this is some kind of minor threat, I want you to remember the name of the person who sent that alert. There will be consequences for interrupting this celebration.”
Maksim nodded his head and said, “Yes, Ma'am,” before shooting out of the room so fast that he knocked over the tables he flew past.
He turned down the hallway toward the courtyard. As soon as he was outside the citadel, he lifted into the open sky and rocketed toward the ocean like a comet bursting through the atmosphere.
Maksim knew the Alliance had a teleporter, someone who could turn any doorway into a portal, but Imperator Konstantin banned the family from using it. He worried that a person wouldn't be the same when they came out the other side. Konstantin feared that perhaps the portals were actually disintegrating a body in one place and creating a copy in another. Even if Padamir lifted the ban, Maksim would never be able to shake the idea now that it was in his head.
When he turned up his speed, the clouds he passed blurred and the green and brown of the earth underneath him turned to the solid blue of the ocean. He tried to remain calm as he passed over the Atlantic, but his anxiety thrust him forward, pushing him toward the American Republic even faster. Soon enough, the blue of the ocean turned to the sandy wastes of the Dead Zone. He thought of his father and Plasmax when he passed over the decimated continent they had left in their wake.
He unbuckled his Guardian alert and glanced down at the screen to check the direction of the emergency. He banked to the south and slowed as he reached the edge of Patriot City.
A black haze covered the skyline as fires raged across the city. The sounds of buildings crumbling, the screams of the dying, and the constant wail of sirens was like a wall of despair slamming into him. He hadn't seen destruction like that since he was a child helping to rebuild after the Super Power War.
As he flew over the rubble and debris, he scanned the horizon, looking for the source of all the devastation. It did not take him long to spot the gigantic beast wrestling with the over-sized superhero known as Behemoth. The creature's claws slashed across Behemoth's face and its tail slapped him in the chest, knocking him into a skyscraper. The purple-costumed hero fumbled about, trying to stop the already crumbling building from falling over, but it turned to dust in his hands, the bodies of the people inside falling through his fingers, screaming as they plummeted to the streets below.
It should have shocked him, the sight of Malignus wreaking such devastation, but that was not his way. There was no point in fear or contemplation of death.
He needed to act.
Maksim shot over the tops of the buildings, clenching his fists in front of him, aiming for Malignus. A sonic boom erupted behind him, thrusting him forward at the last second before he struck the beast. Maksim expected to pierce through the creature's skin like a bullet, but he slammed into the impenetrable hide and lifted the beast off the ground. It went flying through the air before it came crashing back down onto an already flattened city block. The creature shook its head, dazed for a second before climbing back to its feet.
Years ago, his brother had fought the beast, launching it toward space, only to watch it fall into the ocean and disappear among the waves. They had hoped it was gone, swallowed by the depths, but now his brother's mistake was his to correct.
Maksim flew at it again, this time reeling back his fist to deliver a punch to the creature's jaw, but Malignus was ready for the approach. It swatted him away, backhanding him just before he reached the beast. Maksim's body went spinning through the air and he struggled against the momentum, stopping himself before he crashed into a skyscraper. Maksim glanced over his shoulder and saw the people inside the building cheering. He turned away from them and shot back across the sky, toward Malignus.
Behemoth was moving in to attack again, but Maksim flew in front of his face and held out his hand. “I've got this. Help the people.”
Behemoth looked confused. “But I can help. I'm the only one big enough to-”
“You're bleeding all over the city.”
Behemoth wiped the wound across his face and watched as giant drops of blood fell across the reddened street. Before he could say anything else, Maksim flew off toward Malignus.
The creature threw out its clawed hands and roared into the air. Maksim took the opportunity to dive into the center of its chest. He drove it into the ground, cratering the earth and sending up another cloud of debris. He couldn't see anything through the cloud, but he felt the creature underneath him, so he threw punches, over and over, beating his fists into the thick flesh. He heard something shatter inside and Malignus bellowed in pain.
An enormous hand wrapped around his body and lifted him into the air as Malignus crawled to its feet. Maksim felt a sudden rush of air pass across him before Malignus smashed his body into the ground repeatedly. He felt the solid pavement of the street breaking against his skull before the creature tossed him across the city.
Maksim crashed into a row of apartments, plowing through wall after wall until he finally came to a stop. He felt a gentle pressure against his face and opened his eyes to see two women standing above him, the younger one slapping his face as hard as she could and yelling, “Get up!”
He crawled to his feet and glanced around, finding himself in a living room with the TV still showing the battle on the screen.
The younger woman pointed out the window and said, “You have to stop that thing. Please. You have to-” before the ceiling cracked open above them.
Shingles and plaster showered the room as he grabbed the crossbeam that shattered overhead. The two women screamed as he held the crumbling rooftop over them.
“Run!” he yelled at them and after a moment of shock, they scurried past him.
The young woman looked up at him as she passed, her large brown eyes capturing his attention for the briefest moment as she whispered, “Thank you.”
As soon as they were out the front door, he tossed the debris to the side and shot into the open air. He directed himself back at the beast, who was now focused on stomping on the few people left alive underneath him. Maksim realized that he could punch the same spot all day and never pierce through that hide. And while he tried, thousands more would die.
But he had broken something inside the beast.
He screamed as he approached, trying to gain the creature's attention, but he pulled back just as Malignus turned toward him. The creature roared again in anger, and as it did, Maksim dove into the creature's mouth. Malignus snapped its teeth shut, trying to bite Maksim in half, but he was already diving down its throat. When he landed in a pool of stomach acid, sloshing around with the corpses of Malignus's victims, he grabbed onto the side of the fleshy bag and dug his fingers in. With as much strength as he could muster, he tore open th
e side of the organ. As soon as he broke free, the contents of the stomach spilled past him into the beast's innards. Maksim continued to rip apart everything he could reach. He dove through the liver, burst through the lungs, and clawed his way through the heart. Blood gushed over him as the muscle pumped slower and slower. It finally came to a sudden, convulsive stop, but Maksim didn't stop his attack until he felt the creature fall over, slamming into the ground in a lifeless heap.
As Maksim made his way back out of the body, he lifted the jaw of the creature, startling those who had gathered around the dead beast. Some of the crowd even turned to run, thinking that Malignus was waking back up, but they looked even more scared when they saw the blood-soaked Guardian emerge, the torn apart organs sliding off his armor in bloody chunks. When Maksim let the mouth fall shut behind him, it let out one last thunderous snap that almost knocked the crowd on their backs.
Maksim stood among the flattened landscape that was once a great city, covered in the blood and gore of the beast that caused such destruction, but he did not feel victorious. He should have been there sooner. He should have stopped Malignus as soon as it appeared. He was too late, and the lives of thousands of innocent people were the cost of his delay.
He rushed over to help a woman trapped under a pile of bricks, and as soon as she was free, he dug two children out from another pile. He tore the door off an overturned car and helped the man inside get out, then rushed to save another woman trapped on the third floor of a burning building. The battle may have been over, but he would not stop until he saved every person he could. His mother, his family, the empire might have disagreed, but Maksim knew what he had to do. Saving the lives of those weaker than him was his job. It was his duty as Guardian. It was his purpose in life.
The Super Power Saga (Book 1): Super Powers of Mass Destruction Page 15
