“I’ll go,” Ophion said. He had been standing next to her, silently watching events unfold. “I’ve been wanting to kill that pooslicker ever since he showed up here. I’ll take the Serpents and make quick work of them.” They were his elite guard detail, each one a serpent god, or naga.
“Make sure you take Minerva alive. She’s still a god of some renown, and the Flawless Few would rather not have her killed.”
His face lit up with sadistic glee. “Don’t worry about that. I can still rough her up, can’t I?”
Jane nodded. “Just as long as she doesn’t die. Bannen you can do with as you please.”
He slithered out of the Control Center, a sadistic look on his face. He would enjoy this.
Of that, she had no doubt.
* * *
Ev and Minerva had to pass through Level 15 to get to Level Z. They soon found themselves in the prison cafeteria. It was noticeably empty; most of the prisoners they had freed were busy rioting on other levels. Only a handful had accompanied the two this far.
“All right,” Minerva said. “All we have to do is get through here. From then on, it’s a short walk to the elevator which goes directly to Level Z.”
“Should be easy,” Ev said.
“Don’t get cocky. Warden Jane still has a few tricks up her sleeve.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “Like what?”
As if to answer his question, a ceiling panel suddenly dropped, along with a green figure. The newcomer landed behind one of the prisoners and, to Ev’s horror, shot out a long tongue which impaled the prisoner through the head. The now-dead man fell to the floor in a bloody heap.
Before Ev knew what was happening, four other similar figures began popping out of the walls, floor and ceiling from previously-unseen spaces. In short order, the prisoners who had accompanied them were wiped out.
The last assailant to appear was Ophion, the bastard with a stick up his ass. “So good to see you both.”
“How’d you get here so quickly?” Ev asked him.
“Wasn’t so hard. We saw you going deeper into the ship, so it didn’t take a genius to figure out you were headed to Level Z. Why else would you have gone to the trouble of infiltrating this prison if not to break out our most dangerous prisoners?”
Ev said to Minerva, “Who are these other guys? More guards?”
She shook her head. “Not just any guards. They’re the Serpents, Warden Jane’s best.” She began pointing at each one. “Besides Ophion, there’s Dahomey, Orochi, Waugyl and Typhon. We have to be extremely careful here.”
Dahomey was a good six and a half feet tall with slick blond hair and bulging muscles. Orochi was a good deal shorter with short black hair and slender eyes; he appeared to be the same ethnicity as Izanagi and Izanami. Waugyl was several inches taller than him and sandy-colored dredlocks. And, finally, Typhon was deathly pale, seemingly emaciated, with scant scraggly ash-colored hair. Ev swore he could see every bone on the man’s body sticking out. Typhon was the one who had impaled the prisoner through the head.
All of the Serpents had oily, disgusting skin with scales. Otherwise, they looked like sick humans. Each of them swayed back and forth like snakes, though, and as their tongues darted in and out of their mouths, Ev had the unsettling feeling they could strike at any moment.
“I’ve been looking forward to this,” Ophion said. He opened his mouth to give a twisted smile, and Ev saw his teeth for the first time. No, they were more like curved fangs, exactly as a snake would have. Ev wondered if they were filled with venom.
“Can we begin?” Dahomey hissed.
“Yes,” Ophion said. “I think we can.”
Ev turned to Minerva. “I don’t suppose you know their weaknesses?”
But Ophion yelled, “Enough talk! Now we play.”
Dahomey leapt at Ev, his body contorting in ways impossible for a human. He came down on Ev, locking onto his shoulders with powerful hands before exposing his fangs.
Perhaps reading his mind, Minerva said, “Don’t let them bite you! They’re full of venom just like real snakes.”
Dahomey tried to chomp Ev’s neck. Ev moved his head left and right to dodge and the snake man just bit air. He tried to pry Dahomey’s hands off of him, but they were a vice.
After several moments of this, Ev decided if the guy wanted his head, he could have it. Ev reeled back and head butt him, sending him reeling. He then conjured his gauntlets and drove his fist deep into Dahomey’s face, resulting in a satisfying crunch from his nose.
Ev spared a glance at Minerva who was trying to hold off Orochi and Waugyl. Both Serpents seemed eager to sink their fangs into her.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to help her. Dahomey came back at him with a vengeance, but now he was joined by Typhon. Ev punched at the latter, but he twisted his body like a real snake, nimbly dodging Ev’s attacks.
Ev realized his mistake too late; he had been focusing on Typhon and not enough on Dahomey who grabbed his head with both hands and began squeezing. A wave of pain shot through Ev while his skull was being crushed.
He couldn’t see, and Dahomey’s grip was too tight to pry loose, so Ev swung his fists blindly. When he felt them connect with Dahomey’s face, his kept at it, pounding away furiously. Eventually, the big man let go and Ev could see again.
He didn’t have time to breathe, though. Typhon came at him again, and Ev still couldn’t land a hit on the nimble lowlife. “Too ssssslow,” Typhon said.
Suddenly, Typhon’s head shot forward, his neck elongating in a disgusting display. He bared his fangs and tried to bite Ev.
But, sensing an opportunity, Ev let him get in close before sidestepping the attack. Typhon’s eyes displayed surprise and anger, but Ev wouldn’t give him time to contemplate those feelings. Ev grabbed his extended neck; it felt like slimy rubber in his hands. Nevertheless, he held on tight, resisting Typhon’s attempts to wriggle free. “Let go!” Typhon hissed.
“Nothing doing,” Ev replied.
Typhon tried moving his head toward Ev to bite him, but couldn’t quite manage it. Ev had a firm grip, and he wasn’t about to pass up this chance. So he twisted the neck in his arms and began swinging Typhon about. Around and around they went, picking up speed with each rotation.
In between spins, Ev noticed Dahomey coming at him again. Well, if he wanted some physical contact, Ev would oblige him. Ev abruptly let go, and Typhon flew into Dahomey, sending both of them careening into the far wall. There was a dull thud as they collided with the sturdy bulkhead, resulting in only a slight indentation. The walls here must have been made of a very strong metal to withstand such an impact. In any event, those two showed no signs of getting back up.
Ev turned his attention back to Minerva who had downed Waugyl but was being held by Orochi. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Ev had always wanted to say that.
“Have it your way,” Orochi said. He then charged forward at a speed Ev wasn’t expecting, baring his fangs like all the rest of these crazy snake men. Ev didn’t have time to dodge, so he brought up his arms to block. Orochi sunk his fangs into them, and thought he was done for.
He wasn’t.
Orochi howled in pain, and Ev saw his mouth was bleeding. He looked down at his arm; Orochi’s fangs were imbedded in it but had failed to penetrate. They must have broken off when he bit into the gauntlet.
Ev took advantage of Orochi’s incapacitation by decking him as hard as he could. Like Dahomey and Typhon, he flew backwards into the wall and collapsed.
Ev looked down at Minerva. “Are we done?”
In response, a powerful force bulldozed him from behind. Now it was his turn to fly into the wall. He’d done it before, and he would never forget the pain.
He gingerly got back up to find a smirking Ophion staring him down. “You ain’t done, kid. Not by a long shot.” Ev had forgotten about the bastard in the midst of the fight.
Ev cracked his neck. “Guess not.”
The smirk disappeared as Ophion plowed towards him. The leader of the Serpents came in almost too fast for Ev to see, and the aspiring god of justice was caught off guard. Ophion went high, and Ev raised his hands to block. But at the last moment, the head snake man crouched and began working the stomach. Ev grunted in pain as his midsection was swiftly pummeled, his insides turning to mush.
Left reeling by the attack, Ev was powerless to prevent Ophion from grabbing throat with one hand. Ophion effortlessly lifted him off the floor and held him to the wall. “Do me a favor, you twat. Don’t die so quickly. I’ve got a lot more frustration to work out.”
Ev managed to say, “I have that effect on people.”
“Aw, it ain’t just you. I got family issues. But a lot of it is you.”
Ev looked over to Minerva. She hadn’t yet recovered from the double-team attack earlier, and was still struggling to get to her feet. He’d have to do this without her for the time being.
He kneed Ophion in the stomach. The pooslicker grunted, but didn’t let go, so Ev began pounding on the arm that had him by the throat. Ophion used his free left hand to punch at his head, but Ev moved out of the way, and the snake man hit the bulkhead instead. Ophion howled in pain and finally let go.
Ev fell back to the floor. Wasting no time, he clocked the larger man in the jaw. Ophion gave an angry yell and focused eyes of pure rage onto him. Ev felt a twinge of fear that he was only pissing him off.
Ev punched him again, but it seemed to have little effect. Ev tried again, but Ophion caught his fist with his left hand and drove his left hand into Ev’s face. However, it hurt, but not as much as Ev thought it would. He suspected Ophion’s hand was still injured from hitting the wall. Ev still had his faculties.
He kicked at Ophion’s shin, and the snake man staggered. Ev then tackled him, sending both of them flying across the room. They came down in the middle of the cafeteria.
They got to their feet, and Ev swung a tray that he had just picked up off the floor. Ophion grabbed it and broke it in half before raining down fists on every part of Ev’s body he could get to. In between punches, he said, “You think you’re hot shit, kid, just because you beat a few Zero Grade nobodies? I’ve been fighting battles for millennia. I’ve been in every kind of skirmish you can imagine. You name a bone, I’ve broken it and had it broken. You can’t beat me.”
Ev, his face a swollen mess, was beginning to think he was right. Eventually, he fell to the floor, and Ophion stood triumphant over him. “I heard what Hades did to you. I bet you want revenge for your dear old mum. Well, if you can’t beat me, you don’t stand a chance against him. Time to accept reality, kid.”
Ophion reached down and picked him up by the collar. Ev winced as he pulled a knife from his belt and put it against his throat. “Better luck in the next life, kid.”
But before he could do anything else, a blur came between them. Ev recognized Minerva’s form which had interceded on his behalf. In a series of movements almost too fast for him to follow, she disarmed him and took control of the knife. Then, in the blink of an eye, she shoved it deep into his heart. Shocked, he staggered backwards onto the floor.
She turned around and helped Ev to his feet. “You all right?”
He nodded, though it hurt him to do so. His pride was hurt as well. “Yeah. Thanks. I’m sorry you had to save me.”
She shook her head. “No, Ev. I’m the one who should apologize. I was locked up so long, I got rusty. I could barely hold my own throughout most of that fight.”
“But then… how did you do… that…?” he pointed at Ophion and knife protruding from his chest.
She explained, “When I saw you in danger, my old fighting skills kicked in, and I let instinct take over.”
He felt ashamed. “I guess I was pretty useless in the end.”
Smiling, she said, “Don’t say that, Ev. You were great. You took out almost half the Serpents by yourself. And I probably wouldn’t have been able to beat Ophion so easily if you hadn’t weakened him for me.
“Yeah,” he said weakly. “But he was right; if I couldn’t beat him, I’ll never beat Hades.”
“Why do you want to beat Hades? I heard Ophion say something about your mother, but…”
“He…” Ev stopped. He wasn’t sure if he should—or could—tell her about his unimaginable suffering. But he had dragged her into his struggle and she had just saved his life. She deserved to know what it was all for (to him, at least).
So he told her. “Olympus grazed,” she exclaimed. Ev had never heard the expression before, but he guessed it was equivalent to “Bethos be damned.” “I’m so sorry, Ev. I always knew Hades was evil—he’s the king of the underworld, after all—but I never expected…”
He replied, “It’s OK. You don’t have to make excuses. I don’t blame you for what happened, even if you were once one of them.”
“Thank you, Ev. You have my word—I’ll help you find justice for your mother. And don’t feel bad about struggling against Ophion. You’ll only be getting stronger from here on out.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a very powerful Ultimus Point here on Olympus. With each battle, it will increase your already impressive powers.”
“Sweet,” he said. “But will it make me strong enough to take on Hades?”
She grinned. “I’d take that bet.
“Now, then. I’m not much of a healer, but I do have a little skill. I can help get you patched up before we move on.”
He smiled despite the pain. “Appreciated.”
“Oh, and before we go, Ophion has a certain key card on him. We’ll need it, so be sure to grab it.”
“Key card. Got it.”
* * *
Jane watched the video feed from the cafeteria. The Serpents had failed and Ophion was dead. Only Ev Bannen’s head would satisfy the Flawless Few after this debacle. And she would give it to him.
But first… she felt like having a little fun.
She turned to leave. “Ma’am?” one of the operators said. “Where are you going?”
A broad smile crossed her lips. “To meet Ev Bannen, of course.”
* * *
Ev and Minerva entered Level Z. Unlike the other dingy levels Ev had seen on this ship, this one was more akin to the underground lab he had wrecked in Adlo. It was metallic, sterile and futuristic-looking—just what he would expect from a space ship.
They walked down a long corridor. “I hope the others managed to make it out,” Ev said.
Minerva replied, “Me, too. We are, after all, the ones who put them in danger in the first place.”
“Yeah,” he said. “And I’m going to need help getting through the checkpoints to find my friends.”
She grinned. “You don’t have to worry about that. Level Z contains some pretty strong gods.”
“How strong?”
“You’ll see.”
The hallway ended in a circular chamber filled with prison cells. Ev called out, “Hello? Anyone here.”
A deep voice replied, “Keep it down. You’re too noisy.” Ev followed the voice to a cell across from him in which a massive silhouette sat against the wall.
“Sorry,” Ev said.
The large figure continued. “Anyway, what do you want? You don’t look like Jane’s thugs.”
“We’re here to bust you out,” Ev said.
“Hmph. Forget it. This is where I belong.”
“Still as stubborn as ever, I see,” Minerva said.
The giant seemed to notice her for the first time. “Minerva? Is that you?”
“Yeah. Long time no see, big guy.”
“Too long,” he agreed. He then stood up and approached the cell door, whereupon Ev could see just how massive he really was. He was easily twice the size of Adonis, and that guy was no slouch. This man also had long, wild copper hair and wore primitive animal skin garments.
“Who are you?” Ev couldn’t help but say.
Minerva pointe
d her thumb at the giant. “Ev Bannen, may I introduce Hercules. He’s one of the strongest gods there is, and you’ll never find a tougher ally.”
“N-Nice to meet you,” Ev said. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly intimidated by this guy.
Hercules didn’t seem impressed. “Well, you’ve met me. Now get lost.”
“Don’t be like that, Herc,” Minerva said. “Ev needs help taking down your dad.”
“His dad?” Ev said.
She replied, “Zeus. He’s the head of the Flawless Few, and the strongest of all gods.”
Where Gods Dare (Divine Protector Book 4) Page 7
