Born a Queen (Lilith's Shadow Book 1)

by Benjamin Medrano

  The sudden impact sent Warden flying sideways, pain lancing through her body. Gasping for breath, Warden looked up at the villain, whose eyes were filled with malevolence as he threw a half dozen more blasts at her, grinning all the while. Extending a hand outward, Warden hissed in pain as she reinforced her shield, her right hand gingerly reaching to touch where she’d been hit. It felt like a couple of her ribs might’ve been cracked from the way pain radiated with every breath.

  “It looks like I’m out of time to play with you, bitch. I haveta say, you look good beneath me,” Blue Impulse spoke in a condescending tone, smirking nastily. “I’m looking forward to a rematch, and giving you what you deserve.”

  “Shut up, you!” Warden gasped, throwing a lance of golden energy at him, and it almost seemed to catch him off-guard.

  But just as her attack was about to hit, the villain vanished in the brilliant blue flash of a teleportation, prompting a growl of frustration from Warden. Hypergizmo spoke a moment later, his voice not quite frantic. “Warden, are you safe? I’m getting a flood of reports from the dockyards. While you’ve been dealing with Impulse, some villains were down there, and now I’m getting reports of Pyroclasm causing a massive explosion!”

  “I’ll be alright. I got hit once, but it doesn’t feel bad enough to slow me down. Impulse must’ve been a distraction, since he teleported away a few seconds ago,” Warden replied after taking a moment to catch her breath. She checked for other villains out of habit, trying to ignore the pain and keeping her breathing as shallow as she could. “I’ll head for the docks to help out. Redirect Comet, please?”

  “Damned villain… Orchid also says that if you feel unsteady at all, she expects you back at the base pronto,” the tech replied, his tone clipped and the sound of his typing echoing in the background. “Black Comet is almost there, and most of the team is on their way as well. Do what you can, but be safe.”

  “I’m sure it’s just a couple of cracked ribs at worst. I’ve had worse, I’ll be fine,” Warden replied flatly, then stopped for a moment as the dockyard’s devastation came into sight. The center of the blast was obvious, from where dozens of shattered containers had spilled their damaged contents. The twisted wreckage of a crane had fallen across the container ship, which was listing heavily from the damage it had sustained. Rows of shipping containers had toppled like dominos, adding to the damage. Even as sirens approached, she could see Black Comet darting through the docks at blinding speed, trying to find survivors. Her voice grew soft as she added, “This is really bad, Hyper. We’re going to need a lot of help.”

  When compared to what had just happened, Warden’s injuries felt minor. Praying there wouldn’t be too many fatalities, Warden flew lower and began shaping barriers to help smother the fires and make the area safer for the approaching emergency personnel.

  Once the others began to set down the things they’d stolen from the docks, Blue Impulse took a moment to relax. It’d been a bit closer than he’d liked with Warden’s last attack, but he’d teleported out just in time. His sense of satisfaction grew as he pulled out the tiny magical field he’d made moments after the teleportation.

  Floating in the palm of his hand, buried inside a field of blue energy, was a fragment of golden magic, a piece of Warden’s last attack. It’d surprised him when it’d come through the teleportation with him, but he wasn’t one to miss such a golden opportunity. Looking at it, Blue Impulse chuckled, murmuring, “This could be useful.”

  Friday, July 15th, 2030

  Ocean Shield HQ, San Francisco

  “What happened out there, anyway?” Warden asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. The only ones present were Black Comet, Crimson Bull, Hypergizmo, and Morgan, with the others all out on patrol or resting. “All I really caught was that Pyroclasm was involved with another group of villains, and it sounded like Blue Impulse was cooperating with them, too.”

  The rescue operations had gone on for hours, and even now some people were going through the wreckage, but everyone known to have been present had been accounted for. If the news was right, at least seventeen were dead and over fifty were injured. Worse, the explosion had been frighteningly close to the Oakland bridge, and the sight had caused a dozen wrecks, forcing traffic to be redirected for hours. Warden really didn’t want to know how many people had been injured on the bridge, the docks were bad enough.

  “Like you said, Blue Impulse and his bank raid was a damned distraction. I wish we’d realized that at the time, but there’s no use worrying about it now. It seemed typical for him, after all,” Hypergizmo replied, nodding grimly at Warden. He was using a multimeter and screwdriver while idly tinkering with a device the size of his fist, continuing absently. “While he was keeping your attention by the rail yard, Dreamer put most of the dock crews to sleep and prevented them from raising an alarm. According to some surviving footage and testimonies, it sounds like it was Dreamer, Ebon Dragon, Heavy Metal, Megawatt, and Pyroclasm IV who hit the docks.”

  “Holy shit. That’s a hell of a lot of firepower to raid a dockyard,” Black Comet replied, his eyes wide. “I mean, any one of them could’ve done that on their own! Sure, Dreamer wouldn’t have been able to do that much damage, but she’s way deadlier than most of the others. What the hell were they after?”

  “We’re not sure, to be honest. They destroyed a lot of containers, as well as the ship manifest, so we’re going to have to go get copies from their stops overseas. The ship they raided was the Bayou Dream, which came in a few days ago from China,” Hypergizmo explained. “For all we know, they were a distraction, too.”

  “Don’t put too much stock in that. While all of them are best known as mercenaries for other villains, they might have just teamed up to grab something valuable in the cargo. We’ll have to wait for the manifest to have a better idea of what must have happened,” Morgan spoke up softly, frowning. “Though if they’re mercenaries, the rumors about Omega Code being in the area make it worrisome in its own right. The only one of them that I would normally expect to get along with him is Pyroclasm, and even that’s a stretch. Most of them aren’t nihilists.”

  “Damn it, I just wish we could track them down and beat their faces in!” Crimson Bull rumbled angrily, standing up and starting to pace. “I hate being on the defensive, and they just wrecked a chunk of our city!”

  “You’re saying that they just set off an explosion and vanished?” Warden asked skeptically, not entirely believing them as she adjusted her position to relieve her aching ribs. “Aside from Dreamer and Ebon Dragon, that seems out of character. Especially in regard to Pyroclasm. He seems to delight in causing as much damage as possible.”

  “Yeah, that’s right,” Black Comet confirmed wearily, taking a bite out of an energy bar. “I got there just in time to see your Blue Boy teleport out with ‘em. A couple of the survivors who weren’t shell-shocked said that they grabbed some stuff, and then Pyroclasm just went boom.”

  The hero demonstrated by opening his fist like a blossoming flower, prompting a mental image that Warden didn’t especially appreciate. For a few seconds the room was quiet, before Hypergizmo looked up from his project, blinking as he focused on Warden. “Oh, right! Didn’t you say you got hit earlier, Warden? Are you alright?”

  “Wait, what? How’d that happen?” Black Comet asked, his shock obvious as he looked at Warden. “I didn’t think it was possible for Impulse to hurt you!”

  “Normally he couldn’t, but the explosion caught me off guard and distracted me. My barriers are maintained by concentration, so that weakened the shield, right as Impulse attacked with a particularly powerful bolt. It hit me in the side,” Warden explained, grimacing as she rubbed the spot. “When I got back I asked Morgan to look me over, since Orchid was out. It’s just a couple of bruised ribs, and I heal fast. I’ll be fine in a couple of days, and it’s a good reminder that I’m not invulnerable.”

  “Really? Morgan, is that true?” Hypergizmo asked, turning his attention to the other sorc
eress. “I really don’t want an injured heroine flying around the city.”

  “It’s true,” Morgan confirmed with a slight smile at Warden as she teased. “She even promised to take it easy until she was healed. I consider that an unusual concession, considering her usual attitude about injuries.”

  “That’s good. With what’s been going on, the last thing we really need is to have you out of action for a few weeks,” the tech replied with a smile of relief. “That being the case, why don’t you go get some rest, Warden? We can contact you if anything comes up, and you look almost dead on your feet.”

  “I really could use a good meal and night’s sleep,” Warden admitted, standing slowly and wincing. She was hurt and tired, but she couldn’t go without some protesting, so she added, “I do think you’re all overreacting, though. I’m not that bad.”

  “Good night, Warden. I hope you get better soon,” Crimson Bull quickly spoke, his voice much calmer now, and Warden blinked once before smiling and nodding at him. The others bid her farewell too, and then it was time to leave.

  As she left the building, Warden paused to catch her breath, then took flight slowly. She didn’t go invisible immediately this time, instead taking a more roundabout route home. She’d go invisible once she was closer, but considering how she was feeling, the last thing she wanted was to have to deal with the difficult spell for the entire trip.

  Thinking back to the others, Warden mentally shook her head, wondering what was going on with Crimson Bull. He’d been strange lately, and she wasn’t entirely certain why. Even so, she imagined that most of the others would be heading home themselves, considering how long the day had been. The only exception would be whoever got the job of keeping an eye out for villains. Someone had to do it, after all.

  Still, Warden was just glad that tonight it wasn’t her job.

  Chapter 5

  Friday, July 15th, 2030

  Dr. Johnson’s Lair, Santa Cruz

  Some people would find the massive fish tank surrounding the room distracting, but for Doctor Johnson, it was calming. The saltwater tank was filled with colorful coral, plants, and fish. In particular he enjoyed seeing the clownfish darting out from among a cluster of anemones. Why a clownfish was his favorite was a question he’d pondered many times, but it really didn’t matter. Still, his smile vanished as the chime of someone seeking admittance rang out from the door that was the only break in the tank’s circle.

  “Come in,” the villain spoke calmly, typing slowly as he continued his work, his voice a pleasant baritone that was only just starting to break down due to age. With a soft hiss, the door slid into the ceiling and he looked up curiously at his guest.

  The man looked nervous as he stepped into the room, Johnson noted with amusement. Blue Impulse wasn’t the most confident or striking of villains that the older man knew, and it showed in his attitude and personal care. Gangly and thin, Blue Impulse actually reminded Johnson of a weasel or rat, but he knew better than to say something about it. Instead he watched the younger man for a long minute.

  It took a while for the other villain to work up his courage. Smoothing his chevron-patterned black and blue suit, Blue Impulse finally asked nervously, “You asked to see me, Doctor?”

  “I did,” Johnson replied shortly, taking a moment to sit back and study the other villain critically. When Blue Impulse didn’t panic, he mentally nodded and gestured to the chair across from him, keeping his face impassive. “Go ahead and take a seat. You aren’t in any trouble, Impulse.”

  “Oh, good. Thanks, Doctor, I just…” Blue Impulse visibly relaxed at the explanation, pulling out the chair and taking a seat. In all honesty, he was probably nervous because he was terrified of Johnson, but the older villain knew there was no way he’d ever admit that if it were true. It took a moment for the young man to swallow hard and speak again. “Well, I was just worried. You’ve never called me to talk to you alone, and I was afraid that you might be upset about something.”

  “Oh? Should I be upset about anything?” Doctor Johnson asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

  In all honesty, he shouldn’t have been all that intimidating to Impulse. Doctor Johnson was a bit under six feet in height, with a straight back and handsome face despite his age. He kept himself immaculately shaved and had his gray hair cut short, while wearing a black suit. He took pains to look like an elderly businessman, not a villain. It was too hard to go out in public otherwise. Casually taking a toffee from his candy tray, he began unwrapping it, enjoying the younger man’s worried introspection.

  “Uhh…” Impulse paused for a long moment, seeming to be thinking hard. Finally he shook his head. “I don’t think so. I pulled off my part of the plan pretty easily, and it looked like the others got everything done right.”

  “That’s what I thought as well. You carried out your part of the plan perfectly, Impulse, which is why I’m giving you an additional ten thousand as a bonus,” Johnson agreed, smiling at the other villain. “While I am moderately annoyed at the destruction Pyroclasm inflicted, that’s hardly your fault. I should’ve expected it from him.”

  “Seriously? Thank you, Doctor, I really appreciate it!” Impulse’s eyes lit up, more at the bonus than the praise, Johnson thought. He mentally filed the information away, since it was a good idea to keep track of what motivated his hirelings. Knowing helped him keep them in line, and also gave him a good idea of what might tempt them to betray him.

  “I should add that that’s not the only reason I asked to speak with you. You fought Warden for what, a quarter of an hour? What did you think of her powers?” Doctor Johnson asked, popping the toffee into his mouth and watching his guest intently.

  “Oh, that bitch.” Impulse’s face distorted in fury briefly before he regained control of himself, one of his hands clenched tightly. It took him a few more seconds before he spoke further, the rage in his voice barely restrained. “She pissed me off like nobody else. Every other time I ran into her, she had other people around and I couldn’t get a bead on her power, but this time I managed it. Her barriers are ridiculously powerful, and normally I wouldn’t be able to hurt her. Hell, I only landed a hit because she was distracted by Pyroclasm’s blast! With the sort of things she said, I want to kill her!”

  “Is that so? Do you believe yourself to be capable of managing that?” the older villain asked, keeping the skepticism from his voice.

  No matter how talented Blue Impulse was, and he was very talented, the young man simply hadn’t put the effort into his powers that was needed to excel. Unlike Morgan or Warden, Blue Impulse had always taken the easy road in his pursuit of power, leaving him with a starkly limited skill set. Still, the young man could always surprise Johnson, and the villain knew better than to underestimate the occasional genius that could come of a complete idiot.

  “While I’d love to say yes, I know better than that,” Blue Impulse admitted, but smiled as he raised his hand. A flickering prism of blue light appeared above his hand with a golden shard at its heart, and he continued. “But I did get my hands on a fragment of one of her spells. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to grab it before it dissipated. I know that I’m not any good at ritual magic, but Ebon Dragon is. If he’s willing to help, I bet we could take her out, given a couple of months.”

  “One minute,” Doctor Johnson replied, standing and turning to look at his fish, considering the situation. Behind him the younger man shifted in his chair, but obviously didn’t have the nerve to say anything.

  Going through the possible impact of Impulse’s actions on his plans took quite a bit of time and exposed a great number of risks, and would have even with a cursory glance. That the villain hadn’t seen the potential problems told Johnson a great deal about him. Even so, that the ignorant young man had captured and preserved a fragment of Warden’s magic was surprising, and did open some possibilities. Impulse realizing he needed help was even better. Still, Johnson had to rein in the young man before he caused a disaster. Turning bac
k to Blue Impulse, he sat down and looked at him for a moment.

  “No. You may not kill her while you’re working for me, as that would very likely have unpleasant consequences for my own plans. I may change my mind later, but for now it’s out of the question,” he told the young man flatly. As Impulse opened his mouth to speak, the older man raised a finger, shaking his head. “Please don’t interrupt, I’m not finished. I’m not saying that you can’t have some revenge on her, or that you can’t make her life miserable. I’m saying you can’t kill her or cripple her. Do you know what would happen if you or one of the others did manage to do that to Warden?”

  “Not really? I mean, her team would probably go apeshit, as would some of her fans,” Impulse replied, leaning forward and shrugging in obvious confusion. “That always seems to happen when a hero gets their ass kicked.”

  “You’re right. Her team and fans would be exceedingly upset, and I don’t think you realize just how bad that would be, Impulse. I’ve lived this long as a villain by carefully weighing each option to ensure that I don’t do something that’s too far over the line, or at least by hiding those things that are,” Doctor Johnson explained patiently. “Remember, she’s a core member of Ocean Shield, and they’re networked with teams across the country via SuperNet. You forget that there’s a tacit understanding between heroes and villains, that we never try to cripple or kill one another, though everyone knows that accidents happen. Even with your… personal grudge, her death would alert the heroes that something strange was going on. They might call in the Arbiters from LA, or LANCE might send a reaction force. If you were extremely unlucky, the Guardians might respond. How would you like to meet Destiny or Frostfire in combat, Impulse?”