by Archer, Mia
“All these aliens are doing this,” I said. “They’re all fighting me instead of letting me help them!”
Tears came to my eyes and streamed down my face. I’d never felt this helpless before.
Okay, so maybe I’d felt this helpless in the days after Dr. Lana robbed me of my powers, but this was worse. I had my powers back now, and they still weren’t enough to save these people. Knowing that I couldn’t do anything made it seem that much more horrible.
“They’re going to keep fighting you,” she said. “That’s the way things are on this world. Now you know why I went off to live in a volcano lair where I was isolated from these assholes.”
“No,” I said. “I still don’t accept it.”
Sabine rolled her eyes. “Seriously? I’m starting to wonder what Natalie ever saw in you if you’re this much of a bleeding heart.”
I looked down at the two aliens who’d died at my hands. One because I’d underestimated how dedicated these mind controlled aliens would be to fighting me, and the other because I’d let my frustration overwhelm me and lashed out in a way I’d never meant to.
Sabine might be right. That alien I’d killed might be part of a mind controlled hive mind, but it didn’t change the fact that he’d died because of me as much as because of the hive mind.
“You’re wrong, and I’m going to tell you why,” I said. “This world isn’t like earth at all. At least on earth when people are fighting off the various villains they have a choice. They can leave Starlight City if they want. They can seek shelter. They can try to become a hero themselves and fight for what’s right.”
Sabine rolled her eyes again and let out a little snort that told me just what she thought of that, but I ignored it and kept going. I wasn’t going to let her cynical attitude get me down. Not when I knew to the very core of my being that I was right.
“You keep talking about the status quo on this world, and I know what’s wrong with that. The current status quo isn’t what’s right and natural for this planet or these people,” I said. “This is a post-apocalyptic world where the bad guys won. That doesn’t make me a villain because I’m challenging what those villains are doing now that they’ve consolidated their power on this world.”
I floated up higher and higher until I had a view of the entire city. It’d definitely seen better days. The place had already looked like crapola when I looked down on it from those sand dunes when I first arrived, and all the military action and giant monsters moving through the alien urban landscape hadn’t done the place any favors.
Smoke and flames rose all over the place. People screamed in the distance. Presumably they were so panicked or in pain that the hive mind wasn’t enough to keep them down. The local military types moved around in their flying saucers as though they were searching for a new target.
Probably searching for me, considering everything that’d happened.
I looked down on the terror and death and destruction being wrought by an uncaring hive mind of alien worms who didn’t care what happened to the individuals on this world as long as they maintained their grip on power.
My eyes narrowed. I knew what I had to do.
“This world going to crap isn’t my fault. The villains winning on this world isn’t my fault,” I said. “But if I stand by and do nothing, if I let things stay this way because that’s how things have always been, then that does make me the villain.”
“What are you saying?” Sabine asked, leaning forward as though she was anticipating something.
“What I’m saying is it’s time to be a hero. Saving these people from their enslavers doesn’t make me the villain. I’m not a villain. I’m a hero, and I’m going to save this world.”
17
Unwilling Savior
I turned to Sabine. To say she looked skeptical would be an understatement. She basically had the same look Natalie used to have whenever I accused her of being heroic.
“No way hero girl,” she said, holding her hands up like she was trying to ward off evil or something.
“You could help me,” I said.
“I already said no way,” she said.
“You know this planet.”
“I know enough to know that I have a good thing going for myself right now without going all heroic, and I’m not going to let some bleeding heart hero from earth change that.”
“But you said you knew how to interrupt their mind control. You could do something about it. You could do something about these people being enslaved!”
“Yeah, but I already explained I’m missing a critical component to interrupt that mind control. I know it’s theoretically possible. Not how to do it. Sort of important.”
I opened my mouth and was about to tell her that I had that critical component, but she kept right on going and shut me right up and reminded me why I was keeping my big mouth shut.
“Besides, what’s in it for me if I save this world?” she asked.
I blinked a couple of times. Something came whistling in from the distance and I turned in time to bat aside what I assumed was a high explosive round the military had sent at me now that I was obligingly hovering in the air presenting them with an easy target.
“What’s in it for you is the knowledge that you’ve added some good to this world,” I said. “What more could you ask for?”
“I could ask for a kickass volcano lair and a local hive mind that’s just as terrified of me as I am of her,” she said. “That seems like a pretty good arrangement. At least it’s been working for me so far.”
I sighed. “You villains are all the same. Always looking out for yourself and no one else.”
“Hey,” she said. “I’m not a villain either. I don’t have your powers. I’m just a human with some technical ability who was unlucky enough to get shoved through a portal to a planet with a hive mind that decided it wanted nothing more than to add my biological distinctiveness to that of its own. I’ve spent the past few years playing a game of cat and mouse with that bitch while hoping and praying that my girlfriend would mount a rescue and it turns out she’s been canoodling with some starry-eyed heroine instead!”
The venom dripping from her words was obvious.
“I… I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t realize.”
I’d been suspecting her of villainy this entire time, but I’d never stopped to think about what it must feel like from her point of view. She’d been abandoned on this world. She didn’t have any hope. She’d made the best of a crappy situation and now I came along after spending a few hours on this planet upending the apple cart telling her that her way of doing things, of coping with her situation, was wrong.
I wondered how I’d feel after spending a few years on this world. Always hoping Natalie would do something to save me, that she’d appear in a portal overhead and save the day, only she never came.
I guess I might go a little crazy too. Especially if I had to deal with more than a few days of the locals doing their best to end me.
She shrugged. Wiped something from her face that was probably tears. Great. I’d made her cry. Talk about making me feel like crap.
“No need to worry,” she said. “It’s not like you knew about it. Heck, she was telling you I was a dude which is totally not what she’s into, let me tell you.”
“Believe me. I know,” I said, then put a hand over my mouth because it occurred to me that an acknowledgment of all the fun I’d had with Natalie was probably the last thing Sabine wanted to hear.
“Right. Well you’ll excuse me if I don’t care about your little rescue mission, or about any of the creatures on this world,” she said. “I’ve spent the last few years dodging them, and I have no intention of doing anything to save a bunch of alien assholes who’ve been trying their best to end me.”
“Sabine!” I said. “You could get rid of that threat for good if you wanted to! Together we could…”
She rolled her eyes. “What? Rule this planet as goody two-shoes hero and borderli
ne villain? No thank you. I’m going back to my lair where I don’t have to worry about you or any of the alien worms that’ve been spending the past few years trying to end me.”
“You could be so much more than what you are,” I said.
“Maybe I don’t want to be anything more than what I am,” she said. “Maybe I like being a cynical bitch who hates her adopted home as much as it hates me. Look, I tried the whole hero thing you’re trying to get me to do. I learned the same lesson the hard way that you’re learning today. I figured if this world doesn’t want a hero then the least I could do was be the villain the alien queen thinks I am and have a little fun while I’m at it. That includes not mounting any rescue missions for the enslaved people of this city.”
She turned to float off to her volcano lair. It would’ve been a good plan were it not for the giant irradiated lizard that’d appeared between her and that lair. The thing appeared out of nowhere, too. Like one moment she was in the free and clear, and the next moment the thing had appeared from behind a building and wrapped its scaly hand around her.
“What the…”
She cursed a couple of times as she realized what had happened. Her arms were pinned at her side so it’s not like she could pull her gun out. It didn’t seem like she had as many automated systems as Natalie had to help in situations like this.
I watched in horror as the thing pulled her closer to its mouth. It opened and I could smell its breath from here, so I guessed it was even less pleasant for Sabine who was getting up close and personal with the thing.
I swooped into action. There was someone who needed saving and I was going to save her. I didn’t care if she was a cynical bitch who didn’t care about the people on this world.
Only as I flew towards her I noticed something terrible happening all around me. Something that made my stomach churn and twist.
“What the heck?” I shouted.
All around me the blue aliens were going to the edge of charred holes in the various buildings, waving to me with a smile, and then throwing themselves off. They plummeted to their doom, and I knew it was a choice between saving those people who’d attack me for daring to save them and saving Sabine who was still beating her hands against the giant irradiated lizard’s clawed hand and trying to break free from the thing.
I didn’t think she was going to make it if I didn’t intervene. We’re talking the trolley dilemma from a philosophy course I took back in my freshman year only it was ramped up to eleven.
“This is what the hive mind does on this world,” Sabine said. “She did the same thing to me back in the day. Once she figures out you have a bleeding heart she does everything she can to turn that against you.”
I frowned and went for Sabine. There were too many of the aliens to save all of them at once, and if I lost Sabine then I was going to lose the one connection I had to earth.
I thought of all the ridiculous superhero movies I’d watched growing up where the hero could never bring themselves to defeat a villain who was, say, the only connection to an old world or the only constant they had in their lives.
I always thought that trope was ridiculous until I found myself facing it down. Now I could understand it a little better, even if I thought it was ridiculous that my life would come to the point that I embodied that trope.
Besides, Sabine just gave something away with that little rant she’d targeted at me. Once upon a time the queen or the hive mind or whatever it was that was calling the shots on this world had thrown innocents to their deaths to try and overcome Sabine.
That meant that, at least once upon a time, she’d had a heart that could be manipulated. That meant there was some good in her, and maybe I could bring that out.
If she didn’t get devoured by a giant radioactive monster before I could bring it out. Something told me getting chomped down on by that thing was going to bring some of her insides out for sure, but not in the way I was hoping for.
I swooped up to the giant irradiated lizard hand. Looked at Sabine with a half smile.
“I don’t see what’s so amusing about this,” she said.
“You said the alien queen threw innocents to their deaths to try and get at you,” I said.
She looked at the giant irradiated lizard maw that was opening and preparing for a delicious human snack.
“Is this really time for you to do the whole ‘I know there’s good in you’ speech? Because I figure you could save me first then I can blow you off once I’m saved.”
“Nope,” I said. “Maybe there was good in you once upon a time, but it’s clear being on this world has done a number on you. What I want is your help.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“Looks like you could use a hero to save your cute butt as much as this world could use a hero to save them from those worms.”
“No way,” she said.
I looked at the giant lizard mouth. The thing was closing in faster now. As though the lizard could sense that something had come along to prevent it from enjoying its snack.
“You sure about that?” I asked. “Because I could totally save you if you agree to help me out.”
Her eyes narrowed. You might even say it was a scowl.
“You’re not acting like much of a hero right now,” she said.
“Maybe not,” I said. “But I learned some tricks from the greatest villain earth has ever seen.”
Sabine rolled her eyes. “Yeah right. She’s still spouting that line? Has she actually managed to branch out past Starlight City?”
“Is dunking on your old girlfriend really something you want to do when you’re trying to convince me to save your butt?” I asked.
“Right,” she said. She looked at the giant lizard mouth approaching. Smelled its breath. I wanted her to really get a sense for how unpleasant it would be to have that thing take a bite out of her. “I’m doing this under duress, but fine. Whatever. If you want to try and save this planet then I’ll help you. I might actually be able to pull it off with you around.”
I beamed at her. “I was hoping you’d say that!”
I flew up to the monster’s maw and pushed myself into its mouth. The thing clamped down instinctively, but that was too bad for the thing because it ended up clamping down on my hands and feet which weren’t going anywhere. The thing’s mouth shook from side to side like it was trying to get rid of me, but I was good and stuck in there like a piece of lettuce that refused to vacate the space between someone’s teeth on a first date.
“I’m going to hold you to this agreement!” I shouted at her.
“Whatever!” she shouted back. “Just save me! I’m not going out as a snack for one of these things!”
“I’m working on it!” I growled, pushing up with all my might.
This was going to be interesting, but not exactly hard. I’d already taken care of a couple of these things, after all. The important thing was I had Sabine’s help.
We were going to save this world. Together.
18
After Action
“Are you serious?” I growled.
“I don’t know why you’re acting surprised,” Sabine said. “This is what they do every time I make an appearance in the city. I’m not exactly the hive mind’s favorite person.”
“Yeah, but this is ridiculous! I just saved them from a couple of giant monsters and they’re acting like I’m the bad guy!”
On the screen I shot out of the thing’s mouth. Only I didn’t shoot out of the front of the thing’s mouth. No, I went right through its head and out the other side covered in muck and goo.
It’d taken some doing to scrub all of that out of my hair when we got back to Sabine’s lair. My suit was still in what passed for the laundry in this place. I worried that they didn’t have stain fighting technology on this world like they did on earth, but Sabine assured me that she could do something with my suit and walked off muttering something about the material being so ridiculously stron
g that she could just hit the thing with a pressure washer and be done with it.
“To recap. The glorious Silvani Collective is still recovering from the attack on our city by another of the strange pink-skinned creatures. This one far more powerful than anything we have seen before from the notorious criminal Sabine,” the anchor said.
Sabine rolled her eyes. “Cable news. They’re a bunch of idiots no matter what planet you’re on.”
“Y’know I used to think Natalie was getting all worked up over nothing when she got mad at SCNN, but now I’m starting to see her point of view,” I said.
“Right, well let’s forget about what they’re saying. As long as you’re with me they’re never going to say a good thing about you. If you’re used to hearing nice things on earth you might as well forget about hearing it here,” Sabine said. “What we really need to go over is how we’re going to make sure to beat those worms back for good.”
I turned and arched an eyebrow at her. “That was a rather quick change of heart you had there.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, looking up from a table that rose out of the middle of her volcano lair. A table that flickered and then a holographic map of the city appeared.
Of particular note was that the holographic map didn’t show any of the damage that’d been done to the city a few days ago during our fight that the local cable news idiots couldn’t stop talking about.
I made a disgusted noise in the back of my throat and turned away from the news. I figured the less I watched the less stressed I’d be. Honestly there were times when it felt like the whole world would be lest stressed if they’d just pull away from screens from time to time.
Though turning away from a screen to have a look at a fully tricked out holographic display seemed like it was cheating just a little.
“Your map is wrong,” I said.
“I know,” she said. “I haven’t had the time to do it in the proper detail and it’s not to scale, but y’know.”
