by Dean Lorey
Before today he’d only seen these vicious creatures roaming the vastness of their fiery lairs or wandering through the Rings of the Nether—but never like this; out here, in the open, in the daylight, with regular people around…or at least the ones the Nightmare Division had yet to evacuate.
“No!” Brooke suddenly yelled, startling Charlie out of his stupor.
He turned to see a screaming class of third graders running away as the shadow of a tank, flung by Barakkas, descended upon them. Just before it landed, a huge portal snapped open above the school group, allowing the tank to fall through and slam harmlessly into the Nether.
Charlie looked around and was surprised to discover that the portal had been opened by Tabitha. She was working so fast and so furiously that she’d already closed that portal and opened a new one to protect a zoo worker from a leaping Dangeroo.
“Duck!” Violet shouted.
Charlie ducked just as Violet threw her ax in his direction—the blade came so close to his head that it chopped off several hairs. He spun around to see the weapon now buried in the skull of a Silvertongue. The vicious beast had been a heartbeat away from using its scorpionlike stinger to spear a mother who had thrown herself in front of her little girl.
“Awesome!” Charlie shouted, but Violet rushed past without answering.
She yanked the blade from the dead Silvertongue, then waded into battle against a Hag with a calm, cool detachment that would have seemed eerie to Charlie if he hadn’t recognized it in himself. It was the same distance that always came over him when his skill as a Banisher took over.
As he followed Violet into the fray, he was thrilled to see elite squads of Nethermancers and Banishers in action all around him. They swung their weapons and opened portals with such astonishing skill and grace that they made the regular soldiers appear to be moving in slow motion.
“Look out!” Charlie shouted at Theodore. The young Nethermancer—who had just opened up a portal in front of a Netherbat, forcing it to fly into the 1st Ring, where it snapped its head on a rocky outcropping—spun around to see a group of Acidspitters rushing up behind him. Theodore opened a portal beneath them, causing them to tumble into the darkness of the Nether.
“Thanks for the warning!” the tall, skinny boy shouted.
“Don’t mention it!”
Charlie turned and swung his rapier at a Netherstalker that was scuttling toward a zoo security guard. The creature fell to his blade and Charlie thought for one wonderful, shining moment, We can do this—we can actually win this!
And then reality set in.
Rex had told him that Banishers needed courage to do their job, which meant that the longer the odds, the stronger a Banisher could become in facing them. But didn’t there come a point when the odds were just impossible? As hard and as brilliantly as everyone around him fought, Charlie knew that they were hopelessly outnumbered by the Class-5 monsters of the Nether. When you added in the Named, it was clearly a losing battle.
People were dying: soldiers, Banishers and Nethermancers, even some civilians who were just trying to enjoy a peaceful day at the zoo. There was nothing fun about this battle, only fear and destruction. Charlie glanced over and saw Rex and Tabitha facing off against Barakkas. Tabitha was trying to use a portal to trip the great beast, while Rex prepared to spring with his short sword—but Barakkas was too fast for them and they were quickly flung away like rag dolls, tumbling violently through the air to land in Gorilla Tropics.
“Are you all right?” Charlie screamed.
“Yeah!” Rex called back. “We’re fine, kid! Now forget about us and pay attention!”
“Will do!”
And that’s when Barakkas noticed Charlie. The great beast laughed deeply.
“Well, if it isn’t my old friend, Charlie Benjamin!” His swordlike talons were clenched around a tank, which he crushed effortlessly as he spoke. “So, what do you think, boy? Are you not surprised? Are you not amazed to see us in full, glorious action?” His massive hooves sparked fire as he strode across the stone embankment of the crocodile pen.
“It’s…pretty amazing,” Charlie said, fending off a Netherleaper. “I wasn’t sure you were still alive.”
Barakkas laughed again, long and loud and cheerlessly. “It was close, I’ll give you that. Your trickery those many months ago very nearly cost the lives of Verminion and me, but here we are, as strong and deadly as ever, ready to put an end to your pitiful tyranny! I bet you wish now you had chosen to join us, eh, Charlie Benjamin, instead of pitting us against each other? If you had, this could be the moment of your triumph instead of the moment of your death!”
Suddenly, Barakkas roared with a sound like thunder. He scooped up a fleeing elephant with his one good hand and flung the startled beast at an attack helicopter with startling precision.
The explosion was enormous.
“Aggravating little gnat!” he roared.
What are we gonna do? Charlie thought. How can we possibly stop them?
And that’s when he noticed Pinch.
The boy (man—why couldn’t Charlie remember?) stood twenty yards away, staring at Verminion, who was rampaging through a platoon of soldiers. Charlie had forgotten all about him in the chaos.
“Verminion!” Pinch cried out. “Look at me, you coward!”
The great beast stopped and slowly turned to him.
“You’ve something to say, boy?”
“I’ve waited a long time for this,” Pinch replied, walking steadily toward the deadly Named. “You killed my parents—now I’m going to kill you.”
Oh boy, Charlie thought. What was Pinch up to? Had he let the newfound discovery of his Gift go to his head?
“Edward?” Verminion said, staring at the boy curiously. The great creature’s Artifact of the Nether shined blackly around his scaly neck. “Is it really Edward Pinch?”
Pinch nodded. “Surprised? I’m as powerful as I used to be.”
“Oh, you were quite powerful indeed.” Soldiers continued their useless attack on Verminion’s shell—he didn’t even notice. “And yet, that didn’t save your parents, or your town, or your Gift, now did it?”
Charlie had forgotten how cruel the beast could be, but Pinch didn’t seem to care.
“Even though I don’t look it, I’m older now,” Pinch said. “Older and wiser.”
“Wisdom does not always come with age, Edward. Sometimes only age comes with age.”
“You should consider fortune-cookie writing. You’ve got quite a gift.”
“So did you—until they took it away.”
Pinch stared at Verminion with hatred. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dreamed of killing you.”
“Really? How curious. I’ve hardly given you a thought, ever since you foolishly brought me to your world.”
“You’re the one who’s about to look foolish.”
“You think so? Let’s find out.”
With truly shocking speed, Verminion rushed at Pinch, roaring fiercely. He was like a freight train, tearing apart everything and everyone in his path. His giant claw snapped furiously, and the great bony crest of his head was fully outstretched as he strained to get his filthy jaws that much closer to the offensive, boastful little human in front of him.
Pinch held his ground.
A split second before Verminion was in striking distance, Pinch opened a portal exactly the size of the Named beast’s skull. Too late to stop, the great creature’s outstretched head slipped through, and—with perfect, glorious timing—Pinch snapped it closed, decapitating him in an instant. His saucer-shaped body slammed into the ground like a downed jumbo jet, shearing up grass in great green sheets, while ichor fountained from his neck in a sticky spray.
To the complete and utter shock of everyone standing there, Verminion, one of the four Named Lords of the Nether, was dead.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
PINCH’S PLAN
“What have you done?” Barakkas roared, staring at Verminion’s headless corpse
. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, LITTLE MAN?”
Pinch stumbled back, clearly frightened, as the Named stormed toward him, massive hooves sparking showers of flame.
Charlie was surprised by the contrast between Pinch’s fearlessness toward Verminion and his terror in front of Barakkas. The big difference, he decided, was the pure, personal hatred Pinch had felt toward Verminion. After all, Verminion had killed his parents and was the direct cause of his being Reduced in the first place.
“Nothing will survive my vengeance!” Barakkas screamed, advancing.
Suddenly, Slagguron burst up out of the ground in front of him, stopping the beast with his tremendous bulk. “HOLD!”
“Stand aside, Slagguron,” Barakkas thundered. “They have killed Verminion. They must pay.”
“No. We must leave. We have already accomplished one of our goals.”
What goal is that? Charlie wondered.
The blue-skinned monster glanced up to see news helicopters flying around him, filming the incredible display. He roared at them, red eyes blazing—it was a terrifying sight.
That’s it! Charlie suddenly realized. That’s their goal—fear. Because the Named had shown themselves like this, people all around the globe could see firsthand what terrible creatures they shared their world with. There would be many nightmares tonight.
And those nightmares would open many portals, which would bring many monsters.
“We may have done one of the things we set out to do,” Barakkas said, “but at a great and terrible cost!” He glanced at the still body of Verminion. “All is now lost.”
“No,” Slagguron replied. “There is still hope.”
Hope? Charlie wondered. Hope for what?
“Follow me,” Slagguron said. “These miserable humans are nothing to us. We must continue as planned.”
He leaped into the air and dived headfirst into the ground, leaving behind a huge tunnel. Barakkas looked around at the assembled Nethermancers and Banishers who stood, tired and bloody, in the ruins of the zoo.
“This is not over!” he thundered. “SOON, WE WILL RETURN TO RIP YOUR WORLD APART!”
The great beast grabbed the Artifact of the Nether from around Verminion’s severed neck and, with terrible speed, dived into the tunnel after Slagguron, disappearing into the darkness. The rest of the monsters followed.
Almost as quickly as it had arrived, the army of the Nether was gone.
“I don’t believe it,” Rex said, breaking the silence. “You did it, Pinch. You actually killed Verminion.”
“I did, didn’t I?” Pinch said, a smile spreading across his boyish features.
The surviving Nethermancers and Banishers—exhausted, many wounded—let out a loud cheer. “Pinch! Pinch! Pinch!” they chanted, and someone hoisted him up into the air. Soon, he was passed from person to person in a joyful wave of adulation.
Pinch had never looked happier, and Charlie was happy for him.
After a lifetime of being marginalized and despised, he was now the hero of the Nightmare Division. What an awesome feeling it must be, Charlie thought, to go from such a terrible low to such an incredible high.
Even Rex, Pinch’s most vocal critic, had given the boy (man, Charlie thought, man, MAN!) his due. In the shadow of Verminion’s cooling corpse, Pinch was held aloft, worshipped like a dragon slayer of old.
Good, Charlie thought. Good for him. He deserves it.
Charlie saw only one person who did not seem pleased at the praise being showered on Pinch. The Director of the Nightmare Division stared stonily as the new hero was passed from person to person.
“Banishers! Nethermancers!” Drake shouted, his steely voice cutting through the celebration.
One by one, the adults under his command quieted.
“While it is entirely proper to thank Mr. Edward Pinch for his service to the Division—”
Service to the Division? That’s an odd way to put it, Charlie thought. Service to the Division meant service to the Director.
“—we must remember that this is not a time for celebration. Many of our comrades have fallen on this dark day. The world is now a different place than it was when we woke up this morning. We have not, by any means, won. So, please, let us keep our small triumph here in perspective.”
A somberness came over them. The Nethermancer holding Pinch gently set him down.
“I could not agree more, Director,” Pinch replied, straightening his clothes. It struck Charlie how odd it was to hear Pinch’s adult phrasing coming from what looked like a boy his own age. “This was only a minor victory. We must not be satisfied by it. Only total victory should be our goal.” He turned to the crowd. “And that is in reach by the end of this day!”
“What?” Director Drake said, alarmed. “How can you claim something so ridiculous?”
“I have a plan,” Pinch continued, “and if we follow it, the rest of the Named, as well as all the monsters of the Nether under their command here on Earth, will be dead by sundown.”
Back in the shambles that had once been the High Council Chamber of the Nightmare Division, the Banishers and Nethermancers stared in amazement as Pinch finished laying out his strategy for destroying the Named.
“With the Guardian at our side, we will portal into their new lair in the Himalayas. The monsters of the Nether will be utterly unable to defend themselves—the Guardian’s aura will cripple them—and then we can dispose of the vicious creatures with absolutely no danger to ourselves.”
There was silence for a moment as everyone processed Pinch’s plan. Finally, Rex let out an appreciative whistle. “I gotta tell ya, Pinch, that just may be the most audacious thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I think it’s brilliant,” Tabitha said. “Bringing the Guardian to Earth, using him as a weapon—it seems so obvious that I can’t believe none of us ever thought of it before.”
“Well, I did,” Director Drake replied from his tall chair at the front of the Chamber. “But I rejected it because of the risk it poses.”
“I’m afraid I don’t see the risk,” Pinch countered, walking toward him. “It is a bold move at a time when boldness is required.”
“What you call bold, I call foolhardy. While it’s true that we now know the location of the new lair of the Named—”
“Thanks to Theodore Dagget,” Pinch interrupted, shooting the boy a supportive nod. Charlie was amazed: That might have been the first time Pinch had ever given credit to someone else.
“Yes, thanks to young Mr. Dagget,” the Director continued, “we now know the location of their new lair, but taking the Guardian out of the Nether and bringing it to that lair is fraught with danger.”
“Yeah, for the Nethercritters,” Rex said. The adults around him chortled with laughter.
The Director darkened, and Charlie wondered if it was a good idea to antagonize the man like this. He seemed on edge.
“Would the Guardian’s aura cripple the Named and the other monsters in their lair, allowing us to easily destroy them?” the Director asked. “Yes, it would. However, that is if it survives being around so many humans, which we cannot guarantee. Also, you are forgetting that taking the Guardian away from the Anomaly would leave that giant gateway unprotected, and Tyrannus would surely take advantage to cross over to Earth.”
“I didn’t forget that at all,” Pinch replied. “We’ll simply kill him as well when he arrives at the lair. Surely anyone with half a brain could have figured that out.”
“I may not have the Gift like you, Mr. Pinch, but that does not mean I have half a brain. You are proposing that we remove the Guardian in the hopes that we can use its powers to destroy the monsters here on Earth, but the only thing we know for certain is that, by doing so, we will allow Tyrannus to escape from the Nether.”
“Yes, and so what? Verminion is dead. It’s impossible for the Named to summon the Fifth now, so we’re in no danger of that. The rewards far outweigh the risks.”
“Well, I stand opposed,” Director Dr
ake replied. “We would be putting the Guardian in jeopardy and releasing the last of the Named on the slim hope that we can kill everything in one fell swoop. It’s foolish and it’s dangerous, and I won’t approve it.”
“I agree with the Director,” William said, stepping forward, his two-handed sword gleaming brightly even in the dim light of the ruins of the Chamber.
“Now there’s a big shockeroo,” Rex muttered.
“We can’t let ourselves get carried away by this…man, I suppose”—William waved a hand at Pinch—“just because he’s having a brief moment in the sun.”
Rex stood. “Look, I never liked Pinch, that’s no secret. But when a man’s right, he’s right, and I gotta give him his due. Slagguron and Barakkas are in chaos right now after the death of Verminion, but that won’t last. Now’s the time to strike. With the Guardian in front of us, knocking those bad boys down will be like shootin’ fish in a barrel. We saw today what these monsters’ll do if we let ’em recover, so we can’t let ’em recover.” He turned to the assembled crowd. “Who’s with me on this?”
Tabitha stood. “I am.”
“So am I,” Charlie said, standing as well.
“Let’s do this,” Violet added, also standing.
One by one, every Nethermancer and Banisher in the Chamber stood in support of Pinch and his plan. The Director and William shared a dark, troubled glance.
Suddenly, Charlie had a flash of insight:
He doesn’t want us to kill them all, he realized with a shock. The only thing Drake cared about was staying in power, and if all the Named and their minions were dead, the need for the Nightmare Division would be gone. Without a constant, looming threat, Drake would be powerless. And, to make matters worse, Pinch would be the conquering hero, not the Director.
“So be it,” Director Drake said, staring at the room full of Nethermancers and Banishers who had turned on him. “I will approve this mission, but know this: I stand by my belief that Double-Threats are too dangerous to remain at full power, and the very fact that you are all blindly following one of them now is further evidence that I am right. I believe this desperate gambit will fail, and when it does, you will see that Pinch and the other Double-Threats are to blame.”
