A Most Unlikely Hero, Vol. 2

by Brandon Varnell

  The door groaned on rusted hydraulics as it slid open. It couldn’t open all the way thanks to the accumulated rust. Alex clicked his tongue and, grabbing it, strained his muscles to fully open the door.

  Darkness met his gaze. Alex stepped forward—and almost stumbled when the floor dropped out from underneath him. This wasn’t a hallway, he realized belatedly. Shining his searchlight down, he found a staircase that descended further into the depths of the building.

  His footsteps were loud as he walked down the stairs. What would he find when he reached the end of this stairway? Was Selene okay? Questions popped into his mind, but he squashed them for now. He couldn’t let himself be clouded by thoughts like that.

  The staircase turned into a hallway, and his footsteps echoed all around him, an ominous sound that combined with creaks and groans from the aged structure. He flashed his searchlight on the walls. Stains and scratches and rust covered everything. He wondered what this place had been used for, but he dismissed the thought when he came upon a door.

  Like last time, Alex had to hack into the door. The squealing of gears precluded its opening. This one opened all the way, as if someone had performed maintenance recently. He frowned and walked into the next room.

  There was no telling how large the room was. Light was sparse, with only several tiny bulbs that appeared to still be working illuminating a few areas within the room. They were like white spots on a black canvas. In the center of this canvas, hanging from the ceiling, bound by mechanical tentacles, still unconscious, was a familiar person.

  “Selene!”

  Alex rushed toward Selene—when his danger senses suddenly screamed at him! Diving forward and rolling along the ground, he felt more than heard something smashing into the floor behind him. The ground rumbled and shook. Skipping to his feet, he spun around, prepared to face whoever had tried to get the drop on him.

  Then he saw who, or rather, what it was.

  He paused.

  The creature before him was bipedal, but that was where the similarities between it and humans ended. Scaly green skin covered most of its body, except for where the scales turned gray. Its bald head had a ring of spikes going around it that reminded Alex of a crown of thorns. Bright yellow eyes peered out from beneath a thick brow ridge. This creature wore a dark jumpsuit, and a tail that was at least two meters long lay uncurled on the ground.

  An alien?

  “Who are you?!” Alex questioned out loud.

  “Shee-hee-hee-hee!” The alien released a wheezing laugh. “My name is Shii-rya.” A forked tongue flicked out from between his skinless lips. “And you are Alexander S. Ryker, the boy who Princess Gabrielle favors, shee…”

  He called her “Princess” Gabrielle.

  Gabrielle’s father was King Lucifer, the King of Angelisia and Emperor of the Galaxy. It made sense that this alien, this Shii-rya, would know about Gabrielle. What made his insides churn was not that he knew of her title as a princess, but that he had specifically mentioned her.

  Alex narrowed his eyes. “You’re one of her suitors, aren’t you?”

  There was no other explanation. This man—alien—must have been one of the people that wanted to marry Gabrielle.

  “I’m not one of her suitors. I am her future husband.”

  “Did Gabrielle agree to marry you? I don’t think she did.”

  “It doesn’t matter what the princess wants. This is what I’ve decided, so this is how it’s going to be.”

  “What?”

  Shii-rya grinned and puffed out his chest. “I’ve decided to marry Princess Gabrielle. She’s naive and childish, but she has a great body for a humanoid. And I can always train her to act the way I want later. More importantly, by marrying her, I’ll become the Emperor of the Galaxy. Ultimate power will be within my grasp!”

  Alex gnashed his teeth. This person… he was one of the reasons that Gabrielle had run away from home. This Shii-rya didn’t care about Gabrielle at all. He wanted to the throne, and he was willing to do anything he could to get his hands on it.

  Still, how did he know that Gabrielle was here on Mars?

  That was something that he didn’t understand. No one should have known where Gabrielle was residing save Azazel and her other bodyguards… and her father, too, he supposed. They certainly hadn’t broadcasted her location. So, how was it that this alien knew that she was on Mars?

  I suppose it doesn’t matter.

  Alex pointed at Shii-rya. “If you think I’m going to let some dickwad like you marry Gabrielle, then you must be several sparks short of a fuselage. I’ll never let someone who doesn’t understand Gabrielle’s feelings come anywhere near her!”

  “Shee-hee-hee! You say that like I’m giving you a choice. Either you give up on Gabrielle… or I’ll kill your friend.”

  Cackling, Shii-rya pressed a button on a device in his left hand. The tentacles that Selene was wrapped in suddenly constricted. Alex’s heart felt like a cold hand had clenched it when his friend let out a strangled gasp.

  This situation had just gone from bad to “fuck me sideways.”

  6

  After running out of the house, Gabrielle chased Mr. Sniff-Sniff Search all the way to a convenience store. She rushed through the sliding doors. Mr. Sniff-Sniff Search was already flying down one of the aisles. Chasing after her beloved robot, she eventually found Mr. Sniff-Sniff Search hovering in front of a door near the back.

  “Is Alex in here?” she asked. Mr. Sniff-Sniff Search squeaked.

  Opening the door and peering in, Gabrielle studied the room, which appeared to be some kind of… bathroom? She guessed it was a bathroom, though it was bigger than the one in Alex’s house—and there wasn’t a shower. Didn’t all bathrooms have showers?

  Mr. Sniff-Sniff Search floated over to one of the stalls. Gabrielle opened the stall to reveal… a young man who was not Alex sitting on the toilet with his pants pulled down.

  “Iyahn!” the man screamed. “What are you doing?! Close the door!”

  Gabrielle didn’t pay attention to the screaming man. “Muuuuu! Mr. Sniff-Sniff Search, this isn’t Alex!”

  Mr. Sniff-Sniff Search apparently wasn’t paying attention to Gabrielle as, barely a second after the door had opened, her robot flew into the stall and attacked its occupant.

  “What are you—GYYAAA! MY DICK! THIS THING’S RUBBING ITS NOSE ON MY DICK!”

  “No! Bad Mr. Sniff-Sniff Search!” Gabrielle admonished her robot, who wasn’t listening to her at all.

  “OH, GOD! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF!!!”

  It would be a while yet before the screams died down.

  7

  Alex was in a bind. It wasn’t a physical bind, necessarily, but an emotional one. He was stuck at a crossroad. Two choices had presented themselves, and he didn’t know which way to go. If he acquiesced to Shii-rya’s request, then his childhood friend would go free, but Gabrielle would be forced into a loveless marriage with this douchenozzle. If he refused, his friend would die.

  Neither of those options were pleasant.

  I need to stall for time.

  “Even if I agree to let Gabrielle go, what makes you think she’s going to marry a dick like you?” Alex asked.

  “Shee-hee-hee-hee.” Shii-rya had the creepiest laugh Alex had ever heard. “It doesn’t matter what the princess wants. I’ve already told you this: I have decided to marry her, so that is what’s going to happen. Her wishes don’t matter.”

  “There’s no way someone like you could marry Gabrielle,” Alex rebutted. “I can’t see either Gabrielle or her father letting scum like you into the family.”

  Shii-rya’s skin turned red as if all his blood was trying to break through his scales. “You know nothing of this galaxy, you miserable little ape! Might makes right! Those who have power can do whatever they want, while those who lack it must scrape along the bottom, picking up the scraps that the strong leave behind. That’s how it’s always been. I refuse to become one of the weak. That’s
why I’ll marry Gabrielle and become the Emperor of the Galaxy! Then I will be able to do whatever I want!”

  While Shii-rya pontificated, Alex tried to think of how he could save Selene without agreeing to let Gabrielle go with this monster. The problem, as he saw it, was that he didn’t know anything about this Shii-rya character or his species. He knew neither Shii-rya’s weaknesses nor his strengths. That being the case, he could deduce a few things based on his enemy’s appearance.

  He was clearly some kind of reptilian life form. His skin was green and scaly, and it was likely tougher than Alex’s own human skin. Alex couldn’t see them very clearly, but he was positive that Shii-rya’s claws were long and sharp. That tail also looked quite deadly.

  Alex didn’t know much about reptiles in general; biology had never been his strong point. Still, he’d watched enough holodramas that explored the concepts of deep-space and other races to have some basic expectations, such as increased physical attributes and enhanced senses.

  My electro-whip should be able to give me an edge in this battle… and my suit has increased my physical abilities. I’ll have to act quickly, but if I can just capture him with my whip, then I can end this battle before Shii-rya has a chance to do anything.

  To prepare himself, Alex slowed his breathing and calmed his mind. He would need to use every ounce of strength and speed that he possessed if he wanted to save his friend and the girl he’d come to appreciate.

  Alex subtly reached behind his back. The feel of metal on his fingers was reassuring. He was prepared to pull out his whip when—

  “Alex, are you in here?!”

  —the door behind Shii-rya burst open and a familiar, silver-haired figure strolled in without the slightest care.

  “Gabrielle?!” Alex gawked. “What are you doing here?!”

  Grinning, Gabrielle tossed him the peace sign. “I came to find you, of course! You were taking too long. By the way, why are you in a place like this? I thought you were going to the convenience store.”

  Alex was about to answer—but someone spoke before he could.

  “Shee-hee-hee, it’s been a long time, Princess Gabrielle,” Shii-rya said, turning around. “You look even lovelier than I remember. Now, come here. It is time for you and I to depart from this miserable planet.”

  Gabrielle looked at the alien lizard. She blinked. Then she tilted her head.

  “Who are you?”

  Alex would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so serious. The look on Shii-rya’s face was priceless.

  “H-how could you forget about me?” Shii-rya pointed at himself. “It’s me! Shii-rya!”

  “Ah! Now I remember you!” Gabrielle gasped. “You were that creepy stalker who got caught following me! You tried to sneak into the palace and were arrested for putting up a fight. What are you doing here?”

  Shii-rya coughed into his hand, regaining his composure. “Like I said, I’ve come take you back to space with me so that we can get married.”

  “Married?” Gabrielle’s expression, which crinkled in disgust, practically screamed what she thought of that idea. “You’re the last person in the galaxy that I would ever want to marry.”

  “What was that?!”

  “Bleh!” Gabrielle pulled down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue.

  “You little brat!” Shii-rya snarled before, with what appeared to be supreme effort, he reined his anger in. “Shee-hee-hee, you say that right now, but if you don’t come with me…” he pressed the button on his device, which elicited another pained gasp from Selene. “Then your friend is going to die!”

  “Selene!” Gabrielle gasped. Shii-rya laughed some more. He was no longer paying attention to Alex.

  Now!

  Before Shii-rya could do anything else, Alex pulled out his electro-whip, which crackled as he turned it on and lashed out at the same time. The electron particles slashed into the device that Shii-rya was holding, cutting it in half. Smoke and sparks sprayed from the broken device. Shii-rya looked down, his eyes bugging out of their sockets.

  That was his last mistake.

  With adrenaline pumping through his body, and his suit enhancing his physical stats, Alex reached Shii-rya before the alien had a chance to recover. A punch to the face caused the alien’s reptilian muzzle to break. As blood squirted from the reptile’s nose holes, Alex spun around and snapped a kick at Shii-rya’s head.

  Shii-rya wasn’t weak, however. He recovered quickly and blocked the attack with his tail, which wrapped around Alex’s leg. Rather than let this deter him, Alex wrapped his whip around Shii-rya’s neck and cranked it up to full. Thanks to his suit, which was resistant to all forms of elemental damage, he remained mostly unharmed. Shii-rya… not so much.

  Alex landed on the ground as Shii-rya’s tail slackened. His lizard foe was lit up like festival lights on Mars Day.

  His whip ran out of power five minutes later, but Alex didn’t let that bother him. He ran up to the smoking Shii-rya, who tried to attack him with a clumsy punch. Alex ducked and spun around, putting himself between the alien and Gabrielle. Gathering all his strength, Alex spread his feet wide, lowered his stance, and slammed both of his fists into Shii-rya’s chest. The result was… unexpected.

  Like a guided missile being set off, Shii-rya was launched through the air. He flew backwards, disappearing into the darkness of the room. Alex couldn’t see what was happening, but several loud crashes! and bangs! echoed all around him. Another second passed, maybe two, and then an unsettling stillness settled upon the room.

  “Well,” Alex said after a moment, “I just kicked his ass. That was a lot more anticlimactic than I thought it would be.”

  “I’m just glad you took care of him.” Gabrielle huffed. “That guy always annoyed me.”

  “Glad to be of help.”

  Alex and Gabrielle shared a smile—until they remembered that they had a friend who was still strung up by several metal tentacles.

  Rushing over to Selene, Alex and Gabrielle cut the cables tying her to the ceiling, and then lowered her to the ground. Selene remained motionless. Her head tilted back, and her feet canted inwards. Her eyes remained closed as though she was sleeping.

  “What should we do?” asked Gabrielle.

  “We need to call the IPF and let them know what happened here,” Alex said, fiddling with his watch. “We should also let them know to bring an ambulance. It’s a good thing I have Commander Karen’s direct line, otherwise it would take at least an hour to contact them.”

  “Hello?” A voice, feminine and familiar, emerged from his IDband after he had placed the call.

  “Comma—I mean, Karen?” Alex asked.

  There was a pause. “Is that you, Alexander? Why are you calling me?”

  “Listen… I have something to tell you, and I know it’s going to sound weird, but please hear me out.”

  Alex waited on baited breath. Beside him, Gabrielle watched with the curious eyes of a child.

  “I’m listening,” Karen said at last, and with that, Alex launched into an explanation of what had just happened.

  8

  Karen Kanzaki arrived in the Undercity half an hour after she got off the line with him. She didn’t come alone, but she didn’t bring the paramedics like he had asked either. There was only one other person with her.

  Dark hair wrapped in a severe bun allowed him and Gabrielle a glimpse of her slender neck. The woman who walked by Karen’s side had pearlescent skin and diamond-hard eyes. Unlike Karen, who wore her police unitard like a badge of honor, this woman was dressed in a charcoal business suit. She walked side by side with Karen, both of them entered and studied the room that he, Gabrielle, and Selene were in with matching expressions of derision.

  “Hey, Alex,” Gabrielle whispered into his ear. “Who are those two?”

  “The blond one is Karen Kanzaki, the commander of the police forces here on Mars. The other one is her second in command, Yumi Asahi.”

  “Oh…” Gabrielle said.
There was a poignant pause as she absorbed this knowledge. “Do you think they’ll be friends with me?”

  Alex looked at the pair as they wandered over to them. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

  “Alexander S. Ryker.” Karen sighed and placed a hand on her head as if suffering from a massive headache. “Even when you’re not a cadet, you still cause me no end of trouble.”

  Alex looked away in shame. “S-sorry.”

  “Well, this time, I suppose it couldn’t be helped. So, where’s this alien that you were talking about?”

  “Over there.” Alex pointed into the darkness where he’d last seen Shii-rya.

  Karen looked at her second in command. “Yumi?”

  “On it.”

  Yumi turned on a flashlight and stepped into the darkness. Alex watched her for several more seconds before turning away.

  An awkward silence ensued as they waited for Yumi to return, though only Alex seemed to suffer from it. Gabrielle was oblivious, smiling as she always did, and Karen remained as collected as ever. Her poker face was secure.

  “So, are you going to introduce me to your friend?” asked Karen.

  “Uh, right.” Alex coughed into his hand. “Comman—Karen, this is Gabrielle Angelise. Gabrielle, this is Karen Kanzaki.”

  “It’s nice to meet you!” Gabrielle beamed.

  Karen’s smile was dry. “The pleasure’s all mine. You know, I’ve already had the chance to make the acquaintance of Azazel.”

  “Wha—you know Azazel?” Alex and Gabrielle asked at the same time.

  Karen’s amused expression made Alex’s cheeks turn hot. “Of course I know who Azazel is. Do you think he could have entered Mars City without me knowing about it? Don’t be foolish. Azazel contacted us first, though his method of first contact wasn’t exactly friendly.”

  Alex wasn’t sure he wanted to know what that last comment meant. “Then does that mean you already know everything about our, um, situation?”

  “If by situation, you mean about how Gabrielle is an alien and the heir to the person who controls most of the galaxy, then yes, I do,” Karen confessed. “Azazel would have never been allowed inside of Mars City unless he informed me of every relevant detail in regards to his presence here. That includes knowledge of who Gabrielle is.”