The Fastest Man Alive
Chapter 46
Morocco
It had been months since Selene had felt that burst of power. At first, she had ignored it, but there was that buzz of energy in the back of her mind. Selena had ignored it at the time because there were better things to do. She had her own companies to run, but she also had to corral those rabid animals in the Hellfires Club. The members were a constant irritation for her, even with the advantages she gained with being the Black Queen.
Selene watched from the shadows as a new power made itself known to those barbarians across the pond. Americans, they never learn, and now there was spawn trying to 'save the world.'
Interestingly enough, Shaw had contacted her a couple of months after this American had made himself known to the world. They had done their dealings, but Selene had kept a lookout for that well of power. Selene had summoned a few demons and tried divining a few times, but had not gotten any closer to finding the source. Something was hiding it from her, but Selene was not one to be dissuaded from her tasks.
More and more, Selene felt the winds of change drift around the world, yet. There was no way to understand where it came from. That young man had become a laughing stock around the world as the president had backtracked on his support, but Selene had noticed that there was no retaliation. Even with the information about the half a billion paid to the president's secret accounts, Blake made no retaliation on the deal-breaker.
It had been some more months before Selene had felt another spike of power coming from the direction of the Pacific Ocean. Selene had dispatched some of her underlings to find the cause, but once more, their findings were inconclusive. So with that Selene watched and waited for another sign, she had lived thousands of years after all, what's a little more time.
Yet, the day she was waiting for didn't take all that long to arrive. With the start of the new year, there was a mental call that went out. It was so brash, so bold and in the face of everything she knew. That Selene knew that it was Blake, there was no one else with such American brashness to attempt such a deed.
Within moments of that call, Selene had divined its origins, but her sight was rebuffed. This rebuff had come in the form of a shield type ward that covered the island. In a fit of rage, Selene had destroyed her arcane room from the backlash of her emotions.
It was another week before Shaw had made contact with a plan to control this new island with support from the Hell Fire Club, but he would need the assistance from the international branch. When Shaw had approached her with that plan in mind. Selene was already thinking of ways to remove Shaw from the board, allowing her complete control over the project.
They had the location to one safe house located on another continent and away from their own territories. Plans were drafted and made to be implemented once things were confirmed. They had made their plans, and Selene was ready to kill Shaw from having to share her spoils of victory.
All that changed once he walked through that door.
Selene could feel the raw, unbridled power that radiated from his being. Once again, it was that American, Benjamin Blake, like she had conjected, but now that she met him in person. The power was palpable. The anger was all-consuming, but it wasn't directed at her. No, the anger Blake was emitting was directed to her companion.
Yes, Selene thought to herself. She could use that to her advantage. Power, influence, and a nation, Selene was going to take this young man for all he was worth. Now, it was time to solve all of her opposition.
o.O.o
Morocco
Benjamin Blake
Extremely Pissed
The portal was cool and calming across my skin as I walked through it. Unfortunately, that was not enough to calm my rage. The gardens that surrounded us, but we marched passed ignoring everything. My smart HUD was activated, and I noticed the location ping of my guest sitting on the upper balcony. No words were spoken out of my mouth as I floated up to greet the two.
For a moment, I floated there and looked down on the two of them. My ax was on my back, itching to be used, and I made a combat twitch towards my shotgun. Shaw was just how I imagined him. A man of distinguished age with ham chops for sideburns. His chest was puffed up, and I noticed the hair on his arms. The man was damn close to looking like an old school barbarian.
Sitting across from him was a beauty of regal grace. Long flowing black hair past her shoulders. Arched eyebrows with black pouty painted lips. She looked up at me with a very sculpted eyebrow, and I noticed the mad gleam in her eyes. The eyes of the beauty flashed red before me, but I ignored that as the servers came out with two seats.
Ignoring the second seat, I sat down, taking command of the situation. The look that Shaw shot my way was more than enough to send anyone away, but I was all out of fucks to give right now.
"Not going to introduce yourself, boy?" Shaw snapped as she placed down his wine.
There were no words shared as I ignored Shaw completely. All of my focus was on the beauty before me. Deadly and grace all in the wrapper of one power-hungry eternal.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it Mr. Blake." Selene said with a smile while her eyes glinted with bloodlust.
"It is a beautiful day, Ms. Gallio." I returned with my own bloodthirsty smile.
"Yes, so I have heard the most interesting thing with the start of the new year." Selene said sultry almost conspiratorially.
"Do tell, Ms. Gallio, what did you hear?" I asked as I leaned forward, ignoring Shaw as his teeth ground together beside us. My anger was still simmering under the surface, and it was only a matter of time before Shaw lost his head. On my HUD, I was notified that my Praetorian guards were getting in position. Marcus and Faora were both standing at the door leading to the balcony, and so was Sage.
Sage stood there looking over the proceedings as stoically as she could. Hell, if I didn't know better, it would have seemed like she was at home. Lucky for her, I knew where she stood and would not be losing her head today. There was a reason why I wanted Xavier on my side, and Sage was one of them, besides the fact he gets around.
"You see, I was relaxing in this nice little place I had over in the French Riviera when I received the most particular telepathic communication," Selene said with such calm one would think she was an actor out for the Oscars. That glint in her eye said more than enough and took a lot for me not to pull my shotgun and start blasting. "There I was relaxing under the sun when another mind touched my own. This other mind spans a story about a new home for those with powers and so much more."
"That's a very interesting story you have decided to share with me Ms. Gallio." I replied smoothly as I accepted the glass of water handed to me by a waiter. "Now, my question for you Ms. Gallio, is what do you plan to do with such information?"
"Ooh, a little of this and a little of that." Selene said with a little phop wave of her hand. The staredown between us was intense as I watched the outer rims of her pupils shade slightly red. Before anymore was said, Shaw decided to be a cunt.
"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Shaw growled out as he slammed his palm onto the table, rattling the fine china.
My super shotgun was up and within the face of Shaw at the drop of a nano-second. I didn't even turn his way, but I noticed the shocked reflection from Selene's eye. We were all silent for a moment, and I allowed them to understand how dangerous I truly am. They decided to invade the territory of an apex predator, and they were going to regret it.
"You are consorting with a gentleman and a lady on this fine day, sir. So you shall act like a decent human being, or you shall be treated like that barbarian you resemble." I replied smoothly, before placing my super shotgun back into storage. "Now, why are you here, Shaw?"
"Yes, why are we here, Sabastian?" Selene asked slyly while never moving eye eyes from my own the entire time.
"We are here to have a discussion with the leader of this so-called mutant nation." Shaw replied a little too smugly. "Instead we are here waiting and being intercepted by this boy, who is trying my patience."
The curve at the edges of Selene's lips told me she noticed my irritation with the man. Sitting back in my chair, I finally looked at the man. Once upon a time, this man would have been extremely intimidating. That was once upon a time, and now he wasn't much of a blip on my radar. Plans were in the works on Emma's end to out the man from the Hell Fire Club, allowing her to take over, but now. Shaw delivered himself into my domain.
"I don't believe the leader of the nation would like to speak to you though." I replied as I idly tapped the table.
"Then tell him, I have his little bitches." Shaw stated smugly as he pulled a tablet from his inner breast pockets. I watched as Shaw powered up his tablet before inputting some code before flipping it over for me to see. "The little bitch thought I wasn't aware of her comings and goings. But I have eyes and ears everywhere; it was simple to check and match up the time frames to her schedule."
On the screen of the table were Emma, Raven, and my mother out having lunch in Paris. I tried hard, but there was no stopping the chuckle that came out of me.
"Insolent whelp, you think this is funny?" Shaw asked as he raised an eyebrow at my laughing. Even Selene was looking at me crossly as if I had something wrong with my head.
"Yes, actually, this is hilarious to me." I replied with a shrug for him to see. "If you had actually taken my woman, security would have grounded your people down into pulped flesh."
Selene cocked an eyebrow at me, the look on Shaw's face for a split-second told me he knew he fucked up in a colossal way.
"Keep watching that live feed," I said as I waved over Faora to my side. Faora came over and handed me a small package while Shaw went back to watching his little tablet. Turning, I gave Selene a smile since I knew she was watching me like a hawk. I double tapped the device on the table to bring up a live feed for us to watch. The holoprojector showed a little espresso shop in Paris as my woman and mother were sitting down for brunch. "Send your people in Shaw, and if they survive, then I will acquiesce to your terrorist demands."
Shaw looked at me, shocked before sending a little hand sign on the sly to Sage. Selene had finally stopped watching me in time to watch Shaw's little Hellion team get demolished. I didn't know who made up Shaw's team, but they folded like wet tissue paper.
We watched as a team of twenty ran in with skintight spandex as they attempted to take my woman and mother into custody. There were screams as the little shop was evacuated, but no one got up from my other table. I watched as the first one went down with his head removed. From the way Shaw let out a slight flinch, I knew that had to be one of his heavy hitters.
Raven just sat there relaxed before playing one of the hand cannons on the table, before taking another sip from her espresso. The hand cannon Raven used was from one of my working prototypes. Since we had antigravitation technology, I wanted to see if I could recreate the mass effect drivers without the eezo power source. They were a work in progress, but the hand cannons were only good for ten shots before needing a recharge.
My mother turned towards the camera, did a little espresso cup salute before going back to having her girl time with her daughters-in-law.
"And that is why I had no worries about your little plot." I said smugly as I took another sip from my glass of water.
I guess it was time to kill this fool and then deal with the real boss.
"Anything else?"
The look on his face said more than he ever wanted it to. With a snort of derision, I turned back to the holo-feed. We sat and watched as more and more of his Hellion's decided to use force to remove Emma, Raven, and my mother and detain them. None made it far though; Raven had pulled out her blades of Athena she got for Christmas. Emma turned into her diamond form and used the hand cannon that Raven had placed on the table.
The jacket my mother wore turned into a black trench coat as she pulled out a super shotgun of her own. Closing down the feed to not watch the slaughter that was going to unfold, I turned to the man who came woefully unprepared.
Taking out a storage device from my utility belt, I placed it on the table before pressing the activation key. Selene looked very interested in the clear glass box that was now on the table.
"Shaw," I said, pulling his attention from watching his people get slaughtered. The look he gave me could have killed if he had laser vision, but I was all out of fucks to give. "You think you could just walk in here and threaten me and mine, and I would just accept it. Well, you fucked yourself thoroughly. You now have twenty-four hours to get your affairs in order before I kill you and put your head in this box."
The stiff back posture was odd in comparison to how pale his face became. Shaw turned towards Selene for some help, but he was a fool. Selene only respected power and whatever he offered paled in comparison to what he just lost. She was going to fuck him over the first chance she got also, and he knew it.
"Twenty four hours Shaw." I repeated as he got up and excused himself from the table. Shaw's walk was slow and composed, but I knew better. He was going through plans and contingencies in that tiny little brain of his. Always missing the small and bigger picture he did. He never even realized that I didn't make a promise about those hours.
"And now there is only you, my dear." I spoke as I waited for Marcus to finish his little check. With the all-clear, I turned to Faora. "Make sure he disappears with bad maintenance as the cause of his plane crash. Stick his head with the rest once you have completed your task."
Faora took twenty from my guards as she left to complete her tasks while I prepared for the real fight to come. The look Selene gave me said she approved, and now it was our turn to tangle.
"Would you like some tea, Ancient One?" I asked the invisible lurker as she showed herself with a smile.
"Of course, of course, a little honey if you don't mind." The Ancient One said as she appeared with a chair as if she was there the whole time. I was getting better and better with my gravity manipulation awareness, so I wasn't about to tell her how I found her so that she may try harder to sneak up on me. Hell, I even noticed the moment Selene had picked up on the Ancient One phasing invisibly into our area.
"Are you here to reprimand me about my heavy-handed tactics with Mr. Shaw?" I asked as I waited for her to finish a sip of her tea.
Selene had a refill of wine while we waited on the Ancient one to finish her tea.
"Oh, nothing so contrite Mr. Blake." The Ancient One answered. "There's no reason for me to insert myself into your nation's politics and like you said. Mr. Shaw is very inconsequential in the grand scheme of things."
Hot damn that was a burn if I had ever heard one.
"No, I am here to make sure your battle doesn't end with planetary nor continental destruction." The Ancient One finished as she placed down her empty teacup.
"I have my doubts about something like that happening." I returned with a little irritation tingeing my voice. The smile she gave me though was damn infuriating, to say the least.
"It has been some time now, hasn't it Sorcerer Supreme, Argentina correct?" Selene interjected with a little smile of her own.
"Yes, the werewolves outbreak, I believe." The Ancient One returned with a smile and nod of her own. "Might I ask though, are you here to breach the contract that was laid down at that time?"
Selene returned a smile of her own, but that dangerous glint never left her eye at all.
"This nation is not one under the magical charter of man." Selene returned with glowing red eyes.
"Yes, I believe you are correct in that regard." The Ancient One packed on her own thoughts.
"So that is how it will be, huh?" I said, interrupting them both. "Fine then, let's find a place and throw down."
"Come now; terms should be reached before we get deep within such activities together," Selene said as she slid her glass of wine to the side out of reach.
"Marcus, do be a dear and bring us some parchment paper, please." The Ancient One called out while raising a hand to stop me from getting up. Marcus gave me a look before leaving once I gave him a nod to follow those orders. He might be brash and boisterous, but he knew not to fuck around during times like these. With Marcus leaving, we descended into silence, but even that was broken when the holo-projector started to beep red.
With a little applied gravity manipulation, the holo-projector activated showed a very interesting scene. Shaw never made it to his secret hanger to fly out of Morocco in his attempt to escape. I watched as whoever drove Shaw swerved in and out of traffic in their mad dash bid in escaping my Generals pursuit.
One of the Spartans was flying the sky car while Faora was half hanging out the side with a massive cannon strapped to her back. Behind that sky care were six others, all in hot pursuit of Shaw's vehicle. Shaw's black SUV back door opened with the side door, and a few things happened all at once. Sage was kicked out the side as they made a sharp left turn into traffic, then someone opened fire on the leading sky car that Faora was hanging out of. No one scattered from the shots fired, but the back sk ycar did pull over to pick up Sage.
Thinking of a map brought up an intuitive map of the area to my HUD. This same map showed that they were on the final approach to the hidden air track under HellFire International.
When Shaw's drive took the straight, that was when my General struck. Faora kicked off hard from the sky car as the security came pouring out of the HellFire International airline terminal. They stood no chance; Spartans took to the air behind their commander, destroying all opposition before them. Fire, ice, lightning, and water abilities were thrown around with a splash of magic here and there.
Twenty spartans took out a force of over one hundred, and none lived to tell the tale about it. Changing the camera to Faora's perspective, I watched as she flew over the mess below. She was tailing Shaw while also still giving out commands to those in her command. Faora had noticed the jetliner that was on the tarmac with the ramp down, waiting for Shaw's boarding. It was also noticed how the jet didn't show up on standard radar sweeps, and this piqued my interest because I didn't know he had any stealth tech of the sort.
The SUV that Shaw was in came to a stop beside the ramp, but Faora was already moving. Before Shaw could get very far, she came down on his SUV, crushing the vehicle beneath her completely before grabbing him in a telekinetic hold and throwing him.
Shaw went over Faora's shoulder while the heads of his guards went splat because of crushing telekinetic forces being applied. Shaw never stood a chance in the fight; I knew what his powers were, so that meant so did my people. Without any preamble, Faora held Shaw spread eagle in the air as she took out her swords. She looked at her swords before putting them away and doing something I was never expecting. She started to talk to the man.
"Kinetic absorption could only do so much, but I have read your history. I have followed the breadcrumbs of your deeds." Faora said while circling her prey. "My king had marked you as an enemy on principle, and I did my homework on scum like yourself. You are a man who sold his soul working for the Nazi's in Germany. You are a man who experimented on his own kind, and it wasn't for some noble goal. No, it was for-profit and because you like to inflict pain on those that could not defend themselves. So here you are defenseless and against someone that knows your sins. Let's inflict some pain, so grit your teeth, and bear it."
I watched as Faora cuffed the power suppressant cuffs around the wrist of Shaw before delivering a devastating rabbit punch to the back of his head.
"I like her." I heard Selene mutter from my side. "Even I didn't side with those monsters during that debacle."
Faora drilled a few more punches into Shaw's face before pulling back as one of my sky cars came flying down onto the tarmac. Out of this new sky car came Emma Frost and Raven, well damn.
Shaw was really fucked now.
We watched as Emma and Raven walked up to the now kneeling Shaw at the feet of Faora.
"As of ten minutes ago, Frost Industries has been purchasing your companies stocks wholesale as the word of your demise became live news coverage," Emma said as she stood over he defeated foe. "I made a promise to you a few years back that you would die destitute and broken at my feet."
"Take what we need Em," Raven said as she took up a post beside Faora. I noticed that Raven was carrying the blades I made her on her back while the chains were still attached to her wrist. Those blades were some damn scary things, and it didn't help that I made them far more dangerous than the versions in God Of War.
Shaw attempted to spit on her, but Emma's kinetic shield caught the wad of saliva and blood from making contact. With grace and swiftness, I knew that could only be taught from either Raven or Natasha. Emma changed to her diamond form in one strong stride before her fist knocked a few screws loose inside the head of Shaw with the powerful right she delivered.
Before Shaw could do anything else in retaliation, Emma grabbed him by the sides of his head while her eyes blazed with power. Hmm, that was interesting, even I could tell she had way more power than I thought should be possible. That would need investigating later, though.
Shaw screamed and screamed as Emma took everything she wanted out of his mind. Her diamond form was damn sexy with the all-white she was wearing. From the belt around her waist, I could tell that it was one of my UMF suits. I wonder who she had designed her outfit, though I wasn't aware we had anyone on the island with any fashion sense. Those thoughts were pushed aside as Emma basically shoved Shaw away from her with a mighty push.
Emma turned to my General and gave one hell of a command. "Bring me his head, General."
Shit, they were about to go old school mortal kombat on his ass.
Faora gave a salute before dragging Shaw kicking and screaming before Emma and Raven. The look in Emma's eyes, though spoke of fury and rage, and that said more than enough. It was strange because, over our months of interaction, she has never shown such emotions before. Not even when deals have fallen through worth millions has she even shown such anger.
I fired off a quick message to her and Raven to find out what happened, but all I received in reply was that they were going to raid Shaw's compound hard and fast. There was a notice to request a Spartan contingent for her assault against Shaw's holdings.
I, of course, gave the okay on that; then sent a message about her not having to ask. As one of my women, she would automatically have command of her own Proterian guards. That would mean that her and Raven combined would have six hundred soldiers between themselves to carry out their will.
Orders were given, and Spartans moved as gunships were launched from my military base on Pandora. An inhuman scream grew my attention back to the holo-projector, causing me to look up and see Faora dishing out some well-served justice for a lot of people. Shaw was on the ground screaming as Faora had a foot on his back while her hands were wrapped around his head pulling.
The sounds of Shaw's spine snapping crackled like popcorn as Faora put some more strength into her slow pull back.
"Silence!" Faora barked as she punched Shaw in the side of the head before pulling once more. Shaw's legs flopped around as Faora went about her grim work. Muscles snapped, tendons popped, and the cracking of bones reached my ears, but I kept on watching. With one mighty jerk and twist, Shaw's head was pulled from his carcass with half his spine swinging beneath it.
Kicking the now corpse aside, Faora walked in front of Emma. Getting down on one knee, she placed the head in the box I gave her before holding it up above her head in the presentation of her completed job.
Raven sneered at the head of one of her hated foes while Emma picked it up from Faora's hands. Blood pooled in the bottom of the box as Emma tilted it this way and that, as she inspected it like fine art.
"Place it on the shelf with the rest of the Sinister's," Emma commanded as she handed the head in a box to one of the Spartans standing at the side. "Faora, you will be with us for the foreseeable expedition; we have a compound to raid, come along dear."
"As you command my Queen," Faora replied, snapping off a salute before checking orders were given to take care of the plane with Shaw's cooling corpse.
Closing down the hologram, I noticed the fuck me eyes that Selene was giving me from across the table.
"You are the one that has been killing young Nathanial?" Selene asked subtly with a predatory smile.
"I have been killing his clones and raiding his bases, yes." I returned with a shrug of my own. "Fifty-three clones and counting, so far he has been one step ahead, but from the cellular degradation of the latest clone acquisition, we are extremely close to his capture."
Selene had a moment that looked like she was thinking about what I had to share, but chose not to say anything about Nathanial.
Instead, she changed the topic.
"Have you completed the contract yet, Sorcerer Supreme?" Selene asked across the table at our third companion.
"This magical contract was done in the old ways due to the level of power at both of your disposal.
"Marcus?"
"My king, it means that it is to the death or submission of either party," Marcus answered with a bowed head.
"The stakes," I asked while looking across the table.
"Your throne," Selene answered with a savage grin plastered on her face.
"Then place yourself as the stakes in this bout," I growled back as I pounded a fist on the table.
"No, I refuse to be the stakes of some duel." Selene spat as her red magical aura, started to shimmer.
"Then, I refuse to place the island and people that I have worked so hard to establish to be placed as winning stakes for you," I growled back as I stood to face her. Our auras clashed, causing plaster and the walls to buckle from our intense staredown. Through all of this, the Ancient One was cool as a cucumber on a midsummer day. "You want a throne, go build a fucking kingdom of your own. I refuse to put my hard built kingdom up so you can feel special about yourself."
"Why not citizenship?" The Ancient One interjected with a question.
"I SHALL BE QUEEN NOT A SLAVE AND NOT A CONCUBINE!" Selene snarled, but the Ancient One still paid her no mind.
"Then, enter it into the contract." The Ancient One returned. "I very much doubt the kind of woman that Mr. Blake already enjoys the company of would allow him to bring a slave home."
I could see the hard look in her eyes as she mulled over the idea.
"I have riches, and I have a nation with people at my beck and call. I even have a friendly relationship with the Ancient One, who is like a grandmother to my kids." I said with some heat in my voice. "You have nothing I want but your vast experience on this planet, and I accept no threats to myself or my people. So, I want it in writing that should you lose, you would do nothing to get out of said contract, nor will you attempt any coup of my empire be it on Earth or anywhere else amongst the cosmos we may venture utter loyalty and advice. You shall not usurp any child of mine, nor any child I call my own to attempt a coup. Any child or persons or anything of the sort to remove me or mine from power. No deals to demons or cosmic beings to remove you from your duties nor anyone to change reality on your behalf. No deed through action nor inaction on pain of magical evisceration of your soul to the cosmic winds to be collected by DEATH herself. Then and only then on your loss will I accept you and name you one of my Queens."
"Then I want it written that on my victory, you shall be made a slave with all those pledges themselves to your banner and cause. Your nation shall be mine, your mind shall be mind to do with as I please. Everything you are, will be and was, will be mine to do with and command as I please." Selene returned with her own conditions.
"Are you sure you would like to do this, Benjamin?" The Ancient One asked, and that was the first time today that she called me by my name. I turned to look at her with a grim determination set in my features.
It was time to nut up or shut up.
The Ancient One gave me a nod in return before writing up the contract with Marcus's help. My smart band started to ping, but I ignored it. I had some ideas on who might be contacting me to tell me not to make such a deal, but they didn't know that this was the only way to get Selene to back off unless I was committed to ending her. And it was a damn hard job to end an eternal such as Selene. She has been alive for thousands of years, older than the Ancient One and even Apocalypse himself. No, this battle had to be fought, and I was the only one that could do it.
"Rules for the match?" The Ancient One asked from over the contract on the table.
"No extra-dimensional demons summoning nor any that might be stashed in some hidey-hole, planetary nor continental destruction attacks. Also, no life force absorption during combat or attacking any close villages or people within the area." I answered instantly.
"Are these terms agreeable to you Miss. Gallio?" The Ancient One asked, turning to look at a red-eyed Selene.
"Agreed," Selene answered through gritted teeth.
"Then, please sign here in blood on this line." The Ancient One replied, handing over a black feathered quill. Selene looked at the quill for a moment before giving the Ancient One a raised brow. I didn't know why until it was my time to sign the contract. The fucking quill was a blood quill, an enchanted quill to take blood for signing. I showed nothing as the quill cut into my hand to seal my name onto the contract. "This way, please."
After signing, I found the Ancient One standing beside a portal leading out to somewhere with an ocean of grass.
"The place for this battle will be taking place on the Mongolian steppes." The Ancient One answered, noting my inquisitive look. "The Ward Master of Pandora has already placed protections. The land will return to how it once was upon this duel's completion."
"Satellites?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.
"I have been informed that they would be taken care of. This was in case of a situation like this were to happen." Answered the Ancient One with a smile. "You both shall start a mile from each other."
Before anything else could be said, she flicked her wrist, sending the portal at myself and Selene. Gold flashed before the world shifted to my senses. Looking up, I noticed the phase of the sun, then took a moment to feel the wind on my face.
It was time to go hunting.
Pulling out my triple-barreled super shotgun. I hunkered forwards as I took off sprinting at high speeds across the Mongolian steppes.
O.O.O.O
Somewhere over the Switzerland Mountains.
"Drop me here," Emma commanded as she waited for the gunship she was in to pull around for a hover over the compound.
"Emma, darling, wouldn't you like to change into something more suited for our party?" Raven asked from the side. Besides Emma, Raven was standing in full combat Athena loadout.
"Honey, I'm flawless the way I am," Emma replied, turning up her nose.
"Yeah, sure, but I already picked something out that you will love," Raven said as she started to input something on her smart band. Before Emma could reply, her clothing started to change. The all-white stayed to match what she previously wore. Now though, her outfit was no longer the flowing gown of before.
Styled boots wrapped her legs as leather pants wrapped her curves. The shirt she wore, changed form into a crop top with an X across her stomach. The crop top had long sleeves with golden accents. The wrist of her shirt had bangles that connected to a miniature cape on the back.
Emma noted that over her flat stomach was a thin film that could still provide protection against knives and bullets. She was sure that even the gell layer would protect against shock.
"So a stylized suit for me, and you're in armor?" Emma asked with a raised brow as her body slowly became diamonds. Raven gave her lover a beaming smile before doing a little twirl.
"Ben made me this after our little outing in Russia; we broke it in together rescuing Stark," Raven answered as the gunship touched down. Emma gave her a look while still in her diamond form before turning towards the ramps. One of the spartans at the end of the ramp handed Emma a smart device that worked as a scanner. This device connected around her ear without getting in the way of her hair or vision. The look she gave the spartan had him answering her swiftly.
"Scouter, my Queen." The spartan with the name tag Gorden answered as he held out the device. "It will give you smart lenses connectivity since you have not been issued a helmet yet."
Turning over the device in her hands, Emma noticed the C shape that would go behind her ears. She also noticed the swivel part that went in front of her eye that also doubled as a display unit. Emma gave the spartan a nod before placing the scouter where it was advised. A HUD display came into view over Emma's field of vision.
One of the tags, Emma noticed said shields. The thought of activating those scent a shimmer over her person. That shimmer was the activation of her personal shielding. Sending a nod to the team of spartans, they stepped forth into the fire.
Emma walked with the grace of a queen in her court while flanked with a team of ten spartans. Any and all opposition was gunned down as Emma strolled through the Shaw's secret compound. Nothing was going to step in Emma's way because she was on a mission right now.
One of the spartans had sent over a report of finding the server room. From there, commands were given, and a map was uploaded. Scanning over the map, Emma found what she wanted on the sixth floor down. Tapping on her scouter, Emma gave out the commands of what she wanted.
What she received in return was that the elevators were on lockdown with the rest of the compound. Before she could let her frustration known, a spartan with blue wings on her armor stepped forth with a platform device. The circular device was 10x10 with a one-foot ring around the outer edges. The spartan directed them to the center of the compound before placing the device on the floor. She waited for the others to get on the platform before activating the device.
The outer edge to the platform, pushed out securing its position before lasers of blue lights cut into the floors beneath their location. Floor after floor, they went lower and lower. On each floor, soldiers were there to take shots at them, but the Spartans following Emma and Raven made short work of them.
Raven knew something was up as they touched down on the sixth floor. The vibes that Emma was projecting were those of emotional turmoil. Her exterior was calm, but for those that knew her. They knew she was feeling anything but. Rage, sadness, excitement, and apprehension was all of the emotions that Emma projected. A spark inside of her ignited as the spartans headed down the hallway. Emma took the lead to the rooms she was after.
Her team of spartans secured the three doors she wanted as more and more Spartans secured the sixth floor. Half of the team was down here with Emma and Raven while the other half was securing the compound above. Taking a deep breath, Emma walked up to the first door labeled 1C.
On the door, there was a description of the person inside. That same description chilled her stomach. It said Viable clone, age seven female blonde, days without bonded pairs thirty-four, weight average.
Raven was with her at the door, but Emma held out a hand to stop her from proceeding. Slowly she opened the door; on the other side, Emma found who she was looking for. Huddled in a corner was a young girl, blonde of hair with a wiry frame trying to seek refuge from the world. Moving slowly not to startle the little child, Emma made her approach.
Taking a breath, Emma shared small whispers before connecting with the little girl telepathically. What Emma found almost knocked her over. The young child's mind was full of life and whole, but there was a devastating part of her missing.
"Spartan Wiggins, Open the other doors," Emma commanded as she picked up the little girl. They were stepping out of the room with the child in her arms when Emma noted the psy dampers. That was pure cruel treatment for any telepath. Add onto the fact that the girl needed two others, and it was inhuman treatment. Once the other doors opened, Emma felt the child's mind connected with the others in a semi-hive mind. Each of the girls could think on their own, but they worked better on a linked telepathic network. Looking over, Emma noticed that Raven was carrying one of the girls, while Spartan Wiggins was carrying the other.
Slowly and tentatively, Emma merged her telepathic thoughts with what she could only understand being a storm of joy. Blues, greens, and reds of emotional colors flashed before her mind's eye. This was before Emma put her telepathic might behind calming their minds.
{Calm, now, calm, tell me girls, what are your names?} Emma asked telepathically.
{We do.}
{Not carry.}
{Designations.}
Emma nodded before reaching behind her as a telepathic command went out to Spartan Wiggins once more. Deposited into her outstretched hands were 3 UMF suit belts. With some inputs into her own smart band, Emma made some changes to the suits.
She gave the red and white one to the first naming her Sophie. The second UMF belt was green and white and went to the middle one that Raven was holding, also naming her Phoebe. The last belt was given to the one being carried by Wiggins. This belt was changed to blue and white while she was given the name Celeste.
With Raven's help, Emma got the girls into the basic UMF jumper. The standard look of it made Emma want to turn up her nose, but the only saving grace was its programmable feature. Well, that and it's bulletproof nature, fireproof nature, and so many more ways to keep one alive.
With the girls dressed and named, one of the medic's looked them over before giving them a shot of chi solution. With the all-clear, Emma connected once more to the girls giving them a swift information dump to digest on the way out. Languages, basics to life, and so much more were shared along the telepathic network she now shared with her girls.
Emma placed some quick commands into her smart band, changing the clothes the girls wore. The girls now wore stylized black pants with boots, over that was a wrap that doubled as a cap with a colored undershirt to match their given colors.
With a smile and a nod to Raven, Emma turned around to head back to the platform. The girls fell in line behind Emma like little duckies. They rode the platform back to the surface while Emma thought over her next moves. Waiting on them up top was a fully staffed gunship while the compound was crawling with Spartans.
"It looks like Ben is having fun." Raven noted with a projection of Ben's fight above her wrist. From what the hologram showed, Ben was cutting a path of destruction.
{Who.}
{Is.}
{That?}
The girls asked Emma telepathically.
{Your new Father.}
The girls looked at Emma with their larger luminous eyes for a moment before nodding once she gave them some telepathic information on family dynamics.
"Alright, Wiggins, let's pull a number seven on this compound and head home!" Raven yelled out the command while Emma was distracted with the girls. Ben had made a scale on how to raid a base or fortress. Ten was the highest, and that was also the option to strip everything down to the bedrock before blowing a crater into the earth. "Doc, let the hospital know that we have three incoming."
With those commands, the spartans went to work. With the orders given, Raven relaxed into one of the available chairs. This was so she could watch the fight with the girls.
O.O.O.O
Bar in Salem.
"Here you go, ma'am, sixty wings with triple nacho fries and a pitcher to wash it all down." The waitress said as she placed down the order in front of a blonde male and a female with black hair and goth makeup.
"You mind changing the channel." The Goth chick asked. "Also, where is everyone?"
"Ohh, you missed it, sweetheart. People are migrating through here to Pandora for a better life." The waitress replied with a wistful smile.
"Pandora? Sorry beautiful, I'm Pietro." The blonde guy said, introducing himself. "And this ray of sunshine is my sister Wanda."
The waitress smiled at Pietro as she thought of how to answer that question. Before she could answer, another patron at the bar spoke up.
"Pandora, my friend, is a nation built by a meta-human for everyone." A large guy with four arms answered from his booth.
"Pull up a chair, Mr?"
"Call me Malcolm, kid." The patron at the bar answered as he took a seat.
"Ma'am, can you change the channel please," Wanda asked before taking a bite out of one of the wings.
"Can't most of our meta-population want to watch the fight." The waitress answered with a shrug. "And luckily, we have a deal with Pandora to show some of their channels live."
"Okay wait, why do you keep calling them that?" Wanda asked, holding up a hand to stall the waitress. The waitress looked at Wanda as if she was a fool. Malcolm barked out a laugh as he took a seat on the other side of the booth.
"It's a pretty commonly known thing around here girlie, but the facts are we aren't a mutation like cancer or any of those benign diseases known to man. We are evolved, yes, but that makes us a meta-physical manifestation of the human condition. So many power's so many options born of our X-gene." Malcolm waxed on poetically with a large smile splitting his face.
While he took a swing from his mug, he didn't notice the siblings sharing a look. Wanda, the goth, gave her brother a nod before going back to eating her food, but she did keep her ears wide open.
"So how can we get to this promised land?" Pietro asked before chugging half of his mug.
"Ha, that's easy," Malcolm answered boisterously. "There is a portal over at the school. You pass some simple test, and they give you citizenship, hell I got this nifty little smart band that protects against telepaths."
Malcolm was so cheery he didn't even realize the twins shared another look. They both looked at the miniature hologram over Malcolm's wrist before coming to their own decisions.
"Ha, look at him go."
"He's gonna serve that uppity bitch some ass kicking."
Everyone in the booth turned to watch the fight going on the tv. It looked like fiction, but the tag at the bottom of the screen was telling the twins that this was all live.
"Look at that, Benjamin Blake, the leader of Pandora, also known as the Fastest Man Alive."
That sparked the twin's interest more than anything else because they knew that name. Benjamin Blake was a thorn in their father's side for some time now. Wanda was wondering what it would be like on the island. While her brother was wondering who would be faster, him or this Blake guy, Wanda was sure of her next move. There was a boom and a crack that drew Wanda's attention back to the flatscreen tv.
O.O.O.O
MONGOLIAN STEPPES
The only clue that I had before the Ancient One pulled that bullshit with the portal was one mile. That could only mean I would have to start my search on finding my opponent. Well, if it was going to be a mile for my search radius, then so be it. With my super shotty pulled to my chest, I roamed the Mongolian Steppes going half of mach one.
I roamed the North, then the South, yet I was not finding Selene. All of that changed once I changed course to the South-East. Before I had seen the dust cloud on the horizon, my tremor-sense had picked it up. As my feet hit the dirt, a three-dimensional picture flashed through my mind of the South-East. Loping towards me were fast-moving bipeds.
There was no pause mid-stride, all I did was change course to an intercepting vector. I was one hundred meters out before my HUD brought up the image of dire wolves. The dire wolves on approach were three meters tall and four meters from snout to tail. Their face was drawn back in a snarl showing yellow teeth, but it was the eyes that drew my attention. Their eyes were a dark shade of red with a sigil shining brightly. That was the only clue I needed to understand that I was on the right track for now, at least.
Speeding up some more, I did a quick shift of my shoulder as I barreled through my opposition. There were snarling and yeps as I smashed my way through the leading dire wolf. With a backhand, I smacked aside a snapping maw as I launched myself into the air. Mid-jump, I released a sphere-shaped drone from my armor pauldrons. Charging up my right fist, I came down on the beast beneath me with a SMASH!
Rocks, ground, and lava flew upwards as the earth reacted to my actions. Within a 5x5 feet around me, earth spikes shot up, impaling the dire wolves. With that, the first half of my attackers were not dead. With a wave of my hands, the stone pillars drew back into the earth, leaving their corpses behind. My open attack took down ten from what my HUD told me, but there was more to come from the data my drone collected.
A howl drew my attention to one large fucker that sat on his hunches overlooking my attack. On the hill overlooking me was the Alpha of this pack. The dire wolves that circled me started to run in a circle before everything fucking changed. The beast went from quadruped to bipeds, and I now knew I wasn't fucking with actual animals. No, what I was facing were mythical creatures, and they were completely in the thrall of Selene.
Fucking werewolves.
These were fucking werewolves, and I was not facing mindless fucking monsters. Hell, I was now wondering how many mystical-type beings Selene had under her control. I didn't even know she had control over a werewolf pack, but I should know better. If I hadn't closed off her options of summoning demons, she would have used another type of summons.
Wait, do they even count as summons since they are from earth?
Shaking my head to get out of my own thoughts, I moved just in time to dodge a swipe from one of my attacking foes. I had to pull back my head quickly from that swipe leaving the werewolf in a perfect place for me to get a shot off. A light squeezing of my trigger sent the upper body of my attacker, flying away as nothing but meat sludge.
Shit had hit the fan now, and there was no longer a need to hold back. I dodged another swipe before firing off two more shots from my shotgun. Mid turn, I noticed that the Alpha had not moved from his position at all, yes he transformed, but he was still standing on top of that hill watching and waiting. If that was how he wanted to act, then so be it. With a savage punch, I shattered the maw of one werewolf that came at me with open jaws. The force of my punch was so terrifying that the air pressure sent them back five or six meters.
Before another attack could come, I placed the shotgun away before activating the chain gun I had on my right gauntlet. Triple barrels appeared on my right gauntlet below and on the sides. The looks the wares gave me said it all. They knew what they were about to face, but did they know that I was the meat grinder.
One took a step back, then another, but the howl in the back forced them into attacking. The roars and stampede overshadowed the sounds of the engine in t the minigun. Yeah, there was no stopping the death and destruction that I brought with me. Ten thousand rounds per minute were fired downrange, mulching each and every werewolf I walked my sights over.
Note to self, add shoulder-mounted weaponry in the next armor upgrade.
Some hid under the bodies of their comrades, but it was all for no. And that reason was that I believed in the philosophy of double-tap. Those that hid died without putting up much of a fight, and I cared not. With a double flick of the wrist, my minigun was sent back to its storage dimension. There was a bloodthirsty howl that tried to force a shiver down my spine, but I ignored the sensation.
Flipping backward, I missed the mad swipe of the claws that attempted to slice me in half. During my flip, I lashed out with a kick, but this wolf was made with sterner stuff than the others. As I landed on the ground, I started to bob and weave while the Alpha attempted to shred me with his claws. I dodged left and right as I moved to avoid the wild swings.
My own savage grin was plastered on my face that only angered my foe more and more. Without a word, the Alpha decided to kick it up a notch. The fucker upped his speeds, breaking the sound barrier.
Now, he was playing in my domain.
"Stand still so I can gut you for my mistress!" The werewolf growled as he took more and more wild swings at me.
"Hey, the mutt knows how to speak." I taunted as I shifted into high gear and vanished from his sight. Before he could react, I was on his left and slapping down a palm across the back of his head. There was a boom as the earth quaked from the Alpha turning into meat paste.
Looking down, I watched the twitching muscles, and broken bones try and fail to put the Alpha back together. It would seem his healing factor was not as strong as Logan's. There was a moment of peace as I was caught in the sight of one of the eyes. Gone was the sigil of control and, in its place, was a bright amber orb. For a moment, we just looked at each other before peace overtook its visage as it went glassy once the strength left it and death took over.
In my solace, I removed my ax from my back to bang the butt of the shaft onto the ground three times in completion. I did not know why I did it, but it felt like the correct thing to do. The earth moved and formed to my will. In the place of the dead Alpha now lay a coffin. The coffin was black with a stylized wolf embossed on the top.
Taking a moment of silence, I then banged the but of my shaft once more unto the ground sending the Alpha to his final rest. I turned to leave but was halted as a howl drew my attention back to the grave I just created. Sitting on top was the milky shade of a wolf towering over me, staring into my soul judging me.
My grip increased on my ax, but there was a nagging tell in the back of my head to not attack as the large shade leaned forward and gave me a sniff. A second howl, then a third, fourth and fifth, then more and more rose. Looking around, I found myself surrounded once more as the spirit wolves sniffed me as they circled me.
Instinctively I knew what to do next, slow I reached my hand out, and that was when the spiritual wolf reacted. My palm rested on the wolf's forehead before he was absorbed into my being. A shimmer of cool ran up my arm, and an image of what to do next flashed before my eyes. Picking up my ax one-handed, I spun it around before channeling my lightning though it.
With one mighty earth-shattering cleave, I split the air asunder pouring all that I am into the strike. A howl akin to a roar sprang forth as a massive white wolf cloaked in lighting was shot out from the strike. Yeah, that was fucking cool.
The surrounding wolves howled in union with the one I created before parting for a group of twenty to approach. They stood before me, then changed from quadruped to biped to human. These were the last of the werewolves that attacked, and I was Alpha now, this I knew it deep in my bones.
Fuck, I needed to learn magic, ASAP.
"This is all that is left?" I asked sizing up the pack.
"Yes, my alpha." They all answered as one.
"Marcus, portal," I commanded while I looked over their war-torn faces. They had gone from over one hundred wolves to only twenty in a pack. It was a damn shame, but I was alive, and they now knew better.
There was a whoosh as a ring of gold sprang to life at my command.
"You will all go to the Morocco safe house to get checked out by the doctors. Then and only then will I allow you into my territory." I said, putting some of the wolf intent behind my words. Those that were watching snapped to running for the portal at my command. Standing with Marcus was Ambrose, Faora's second in command."How many of my guards are still at the safe house?"
"Two fifty my king, all ready for battle." Ambrose swiftly answered.
"Give them portals, Marcus," I commanded while turning around to survey the land before me. At my back were two hundred and fifty Spartans, and in front of me was battle. "Check your sides and be aware of friendlies. Let's hunt."
My praetorian guards took to the sky using their telepathic abilities to fly while I ran along the ground. Selene wanted to summon wolves then, I was going to call my Spartans. We followed the path of my last battle before I felt a thrum in my chest, followed by a low growl from my new partner. The large white lightning wolf beside me growled as we came over a hill to a vast army.
While I had taken out her first salvo and gotten my people here, Selene had been busy. Before my Spartans and I was an army easily over a thousand earth golems and backing those were five large fucking dragons. And on the largest dragon in the middle was Selene in hot black spandex, with a FUCKING CAPE.
Oh, she's gonna learn today.
My Spartans lined up behind me, so I floated up with my gravity manipulation. No words needed to be shared as I looked into the eyes of my opposition. Pulling my ax from its magnetic holders on my back, I prepared myself for the battle to come. My back was straight, and I had steel in my blood.
The wood that made up the shaft of my ax felt warm in my hands. That same warmth offset the cool feel of the Mongolian air. I didn't know which side started it, but once a falcon flew through the middle. The powder keg was lit, and I was already moving along with Selene's dragon mount. Flame hot enough to melt dirt to slag was spewed at me, but I was already bringing down my ax in a cleave that could shatter mountains.
KA-KOOM!
Half of the army before me was reduced to dust as I brought my ax down with shattering mountainous force. The dragons took to the sky and half of Selene's army was reduced to rubble. Digging deep, I was already pushing forward, tearing through her army. With a twist and pivot, I spun like I was a barbarian in Diablo. Nothing stood back up as I grounded a path through Selene's earth golem. As I made it to the back of her forces, I leaped into the air.
My aim was true as I blasted my way out of the left dragon with some red coloring as he attempted to block my path from his master. As I burst out from the back of the beast, I swung myself around to run up its back. Getting to the shoulder joints, I swung hard, removing its head from its body. This beast was twenty meters, and I was certain that my woman would love a pair of dragonhide boots. Hell, I know Jean and Emma would be the first in line for such things. And I was going to be damn sure I got myself a dragonhide trench coat. And it was going to be made out of that large black one that had Selene on its head.
Standing on the dead carcass of Selene's dragon, I looked up at her with a smug smile splitting my face. The frown she wore said more than enough. I'm the Fastest Man Alive, and this battle was to only indulge her and get my soldiers some battle experience. I knew I could not have beaten her with speed alone, and she fell right into a magical contract trap. She would have won blasting me with magic before all of this started. Or any number of equally devastating magical moves. Now she was trapped with no way out because she wanted to be queen.
Selene did something that caused a black vortex to form at the mouth of her dragon. That didn't look good at all. Calling out the command to scatter, my spartans and I bugged out of there fast. Before the attack was even launched, I circled around, removing another head from a dragon.
And now there were three.
The black void type attack vaporized the body I was on when the attack first started to charge. Shit, looking down, I decided to pull out a Pokeball and send my latest kill into a pocket dimension. Putting that away, I looked over to my spartans fighting for all they were worth. Interestingly enough, I had a few magic users amongst my praetorian contingent. I watched water and ice get tossed around from mandala flairs. Another had the magic tattoos alight using metal swords as his means of attack.
While I was looking in the opposite direction of my adversary, something smashed into me, sending me flying as a burning sensation crawled up my skin. I was hit with such force that I went rolling along the ground for fifty meters. There was another flash of light that I could only think was a follow-up spell. I was not going to accept that shit and was already up and moving.
Gritting my teeth from the burning sensation that I felt, I turned to look. And I was not happy with what I saw on my left arm. All along my arm were black flames trying to consume me whole. On the ground where I was, was now a slagged and burning spot of black flames. Selene just tried to fucking Amaterasu my ass.
All bets were off now.
The pain was so much, I was damn near ready to cut my arm off to have it replaced with a clone version, but I stopped. What I noticed was the runes flaring along my sleeves. The blazing pain kept going, but the runic work was fighting the black flames slowly. Gritting my teeth, I allowed the runes to do their job while I had something for this mad bitch.
I took a hard solid step on the ground; the earth shot up in a display of power as I made my way towards a golem. Time of play was over with, and it was time to kick ass. Strafing to the right of the earth golem, I snatched it up by one of its legs. My flesh still burned as I dragged the oversized earth golem behind me. Selene fired more and more spells towards me, but nothing connected because of my speeds. The only things I allowed her now were my after images. This was time to prove why I was the fastest.
With a mighty leap, I slapped an azure blue dragon out of the air with the earth golem. I sent a command to my spartans to kill the lizard as I threw the earth golem in the way of another nasty spell thrown in my direction. The earth golem and Selene's spell detonated mid-air, sending a shockwave that knocked down a few people.
With my speed force, I ignored the shockwave and everything else as I made my aim for the forest green dragon that was having trouble staying afloat from the forces at play. He never survived as I ripped and tore his wings off his back, then came down on the skull with a gravity slam. The forest green dragon died with a smash with nothing to show for being in this battle.
ARRRGHHHH!
There was a scream of rage, but I was already moving. The only thing Selene was able to attack was an after image. The dragon she rode, flew overhead going for my spartans, but they had situational awareness better than my own. The spartans teamed up, and the mages put up a magical shield over the forcefield that was erected in an emergency.
I was already moving and behind her damn dragon. The spikes of its tail lashed around in the air, but there was no way they could have hurt me. Finding some solid purchase, I twisted, wrenching the beast with a mighty heave. My muscles strained, and I knew that this was the most I have ever used the strength force before. Up and over, the dragon went as I slammed it onto the ground. Jumping up, I brought it over for another slam, then another. With one last heave, I slammed its head against the side of the crater before tossing it aside in the directions of my spartans.
Again, I was moving as a flare of purple went through the chest of my after image. Circling around, I sent a devastating punch into the left side of Selene's temple. Unfortunately, she had copied my after image trick. The after image began to explode, but I was already moving. There was no way; I was going to stay still now that we were in the end game of the fight. My HUD pinged a location, but there were too many for me to be happy. All across the Mongolian steppes were clones of Selene.
Gritting my teeth, I pulled out my ax and was surprised to find my arm no longer burning. The flesh had to be fucked under the armor, but that was a worry for later. The only thought in my mind right now was to win, and maybe a little payback. One clone lost its head, then another before I started to get a little creative. By the tenth one in, I had dropped kicked the thing at mach four speeds plowing right through its chest. The twentieth got a closeline across the middle that took the upper body clean off.
I had sent my spartans home after a while, so I knew I was the only one here with Selene.
I was a fool.
Taking a moment, I sent out my senses in the same way I always find the Ancient One. I felt the spatial disturbance coming towards me, and I smiled. Yeah, I found her alright. With a twist, I swung my ax in an arc sending out a lightning wolf attack right at her. The white wolf was smashed into her shields, slamming Selene back down onto the ground. There was no time for her to recover because I was slamming a fist into her shields at high speed. Thousands of hits before I accepted that there was no way into her shield. Hell, I was hitting so hard that I had broken the ground around us from the force.
Our eyes met, and the smug smile Selene gave me grinded my gears like nothing else. The sound of flapping reached my ears, and that was when I knew she fucked up. Instantly the image of Edna Mode flashed through my mind saying, NO CAPES!
Vanishing from Selene's sight, I grabbed a fist full of her cape before pulling it with considerable force. There was a yeap, but I was already slamming her bodily into the ground over and over again. There was a blue flash as she released her cape to lunge directly at me.
I can do hand to hand, easy.
Selene came dashing at me with enhanced speed. Her face was bloody, her clothes were ripped, but she rushed me anyway. A flare of orange rolled over her body as we clashed fist to fist.
Damn, she had strengthening magic.
With a twist, I had Selene going over with a judo throw. A fist went past my face, but I ignored the scratch to my cheek. I blocked a kick from Selene's downed position. I did a swift reverse with a flare of her magic made itself known, allowing her to get back up. I dodged the mid kick with a swift instep before wrapping my hand around the side of Selene's head. Kicking out her support leg, I smashed her face into the ground, forcing her to eat dirt.
There was a scream and flare of magic launching me away, but I did a flip to recover.
"ENOUGH!" Selene screamed out as her arms glowed a crimson red with magical power radiating out. With no intention of allowing her to use that on me, I was already moving forward. Unfortunately, I was stopped inches from crashing into her. Somehow she had me trapped in her magical grasp, and I did not like this at all.
Instead of killing me, Selene started to monologue. I'm happy to say that I paid no attention to it at all. First, my pinky was able to get through her barrier; I took a moment to check and noted that she showed no knowledge of such action.
"Once I am crowned QUEEN, I will have you chained in my deepest darkest dungeons. There I will drain you for eternity to keep me young forever." Selene all but declared herself GOD-Queen.
Before she could say anymore, my left arm snaked out. The widening of her eyes was all too comical. Selene strained with my arm wrapped around her throat, but I had other plans for her. With a pull, I smashed my forehead against hers. Once, twice, three times before her struggles flagged. I dragged her forward, screaming once more, slamming my head into hers, before she finally passed out.
I shook her once to make sure she was out, but that wasn't needed because of the narrator sounding out in my ear.
[Winner Benjamin Blake, King of Pandora.]
Taking a look around, I noticed the camera sphere's floating as they watched over the battle. Before I could move to drop Selene, the Ancient One appeared to check her. Magical mandala circles appeared over Selene's body as the Ancient One did her thing. After a few scans, the Ancient One gave me a nod before calling over some medics. After the Ancient One left Selene to the mercy of my fanatical medic, she turned to me with a frown on her face.
The magical circles appeared once more, and this time a tighter focus on the side I was hit with magic during the fight. The Ancient One waved her hand, vanishing the top portion of my armor. What I found was black and crackling skin. I wished I had not looked at it. The burning sensation was back as she grabbed my hand for a closer examination.
"Very nasty spell, great runic work though to stop it from spreading." The Ancient One muttered as her magic mandalas ran up and down my arm in the examination. "Let's fix this then."
With a snap and flick, black flames were drawn out of my wounds.
I had to learn some fucking magic.
"There, now I believe it's time to go see the medic." The Ancient One said as she waved a portal into life. "Come along, Benjamin."
My only reply was to give a shrug as I followed along. What I found though had me shaking my head at the absurdity of it all. Maya and Alfred had a hologram sign held up in congratulations. The Spartans were giving me a standing ovation with some of the nurses. Ororo was looking at me with an exasperated look on her face. All that was normal, sure, but it was Emma that was standing at a door with three mini blonde versions of her that was tripping me out. Instantly my meta knowledge filled my gaps on who they were.
I waved away a nurse that was trying to probe my arm with some advanced medical device we had created. And I growled at some doctor that thought it was best to tell me to lay down in some damn room like I was some damn invalid.
"My king, your healing factor has not kicked in, and we would really like to get you under some scanners." The doctor that was trailing me said, rushing his words. I ignored him as I made my way to Ororo for my victory kiss. I pulled her in towards me, and damn did she fit perfectly. Her lips met my own, and it was like my being singing a song of joy. The kiss Ororo and I shared shook me something fierce, taking my breath away.
"Wow," Ororo whispered while her eyes were still closed in bliss.
"Damn, that was hot," Raven said in a husky whisper besides Emma. Something was different, and I was going to keep going until I figured out what. I sent Raven a sly smile before zipping over to her location, posting an arm onto the wall.
The blushing blue cheeks I received had Raven looking as if she was a shy maiden. Using my index finger, I tilted Raven's chin upwards. Before she could say anything, I placed a blistering kiss upon her. Again the kiss felt as if something was slotting into place within my being. The kiss was heated and wanting, and the moan Raven released told me that she wanted more than what we could do in public.
Raven went weak in the knees as I let her go. Turning to Emma, I noticed her cheeks pink. She knew it was her turn for a smooching of a lifetime and did I deliver. Emma put up a calm facade with a sculpted eyebrow raised at me, but I was not one to be scared off. I might be a pretty chilled dude, but it took a spine to deal with my uber badass woman.
Emma let out a yelp as I swept her off her feet at high speeds. With some fine gravity control, I had us both floating almost horizontally. Emma's chance of speaking up was stolen from her as I pressed my lips to hers. Once again, that feeling of peace came over me as our tongues dueled for dominance. We went at it as Emma tried to taste test my tonsils before I won pinning her tongue with my own.
"Damn!"
Emma and I parted to look down at everyone watching us. It was funny to see my astartes blushing different shades of colors. Emma ducked her head into my chest in a futile attempt to hide before punching me in the chest. With a light-hearted chuckle, I let her back down so I could meet the girls. Ororo was standing at the room's entrance with Raven waiting on us as Emma straightened out her outfit.
"You know UM fabric doesn't wrinkle," I whispered into her ear before pinching a butt cheek as I walked by. The look she gave me was completely ignored as I walked into the hospital room. Now that I had a closer look, I noticed that Emma had color-coordinated the girls. I knew that she didn't need that because, as a telepath, she would be able to tell which was which. I guess this was all of the nonreaders, if anything else. I was also certain that the astarte telepaths on the island wouldn't need the colors either. Putting those thoughts aside, for now, I allowed one of the doctors to fuss over my arm while I looked at the girls.
The doctor looked at my advances as I released a hearty laugh. I went from a flame headed trouble maker to a stoic technopathic son to now being the father to a set of triplet telepaths because, of course, I'll man up in this situation. It wasn't about the money or resources, no, I had the will, the family, and the heart to be there for these girls.
"Greetings."
"And."
"Salutations." The triplets said as they broke the sentence up amongst themselves.
"Salutations, huh, I guess that's not half bad," I mumbled while rubbing my chin with my right hand. "Well girls, I hope I haven't scared you with my weird looking arm, because hi, am dad."
"We did not feel."
"Any aversion to."
"Your appendage."
This time it was Ororo who chuckled from the gobsmacked look on my face. Great, I was now dealing with kids that were going to give me triple speak.
"They are still learning," Raven said from beside the monitoring holo-terminals. Nodding my head, I leaned back into a rest position as I started to float with my gravity manipulations. The girls looked at me with slightly widened eyes as they watched me floating there in their room.
"What?" I asked with a cheeky grin on my features. "The munchkins would like to fly?"
They looked at Emma with widened eyes before looking back at me. Raven gave me an exasperated sigh as I levitated the girls up into the air. The one on the left squeaked before pulling her middle sister closer, while the one on the right carried a boldface smile.
"Alright, girls, would you like to introduce yourselves please," I asked while having them do lazy circles around the room. The girls shared a lot before the bold one came forward first.
"Sophie."
"Celeste."
"Phoebe."
"And I'm Maya."
A sudden squeal came from behind me as a rush of heated air flew by.
"And you can call me Alfred or big brother because that is what I am. And take comfort in knowing that I shall protect you until my dying breath."
We turned to look at Alfred as he stood in the doorway. Natasha was trying hard to stifle her laughter, while the girls just looked blankly at him.
"Alright, alright, it's time you lighten up kid." I said while pulling him over with my gravitational manipulation. Alfred pouted as I tucked him under an arm as the rest of the family came into the room. I felt someone ruffle my hair, which drew my attention to my dad smiling at me from over my shoulder.
"I'm proud of you, kid." My father said before taking Alfred with him out of the room. I was wondering why he was making a hasty retreat before I realized that it was now a room full of women. That and also my mother was glaring at my injury.
Yeah, that was my queue to leave.
"Come on doc; I heard a room has my name on it."
Without looking back, I also bolted.
End Chapter...
Author's Notes:
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Ohhh and before I forget, Chapter 44 has been edited by the awesome Joe Lawyer.
Removes the - for the internet links
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The Fastest Man Alive
Chapter 46
Morocco
It had been months since Selene had felt that burst of power. At first, she had ignored it, but there was that buzz of energy in the back of her mind. Selena had ignored it at the time because there were better things to do. She had her own companies to run, but she also had to corral those rabid animals in the Hellfires Club. The members were a constant irritation for her, even with the advantages she gained with being the Black Queen.
Selene watched from the shadows as a new power made itself known to those barbarians across the pond. Americans, they never learn, and now there was spawn trying to 'save the world.'
Interestingly enough, Shaw had contacted her a couple of months after this American had made himself known to the world. They had done their dealings, but Selene had kept a lookout for that well of power. Selene had summoned a few demons and tried divining a few times, but had not gotten any closer to finding the source. Something was hiding it from her, but Selene was not one to be dissuaded from her tasks.
More and more, Selene felt the winds of change drift around the world, yet. There was no way to understand where it came from. That young man had become a laughing stock around the world as the president had backtracked on his support, but Selene had noticed that there was no retaliation. Even with the information about the half a billion paid to the president's secret accounts, Blake made no retaliation on the deal-breaker.
It had been some more months before Selene had felt another spike of power coming from the direction of the Pacific Ocean. Selene had dispatched some of her underlings to find the cause, but once more, their findings were inconclusive. So with that Selene watched and waited for another sign, she had lived thousands of years after all, what's a little more time.
Yet, the day she was waiting for didn't take all that long to arrive. With the start of the new year, there was a mental call that went out. It was so brash, so bold and in the face of everything she knew. That Selene knew that it was Blake, there was no one else with such American brashness to attempt such a deed.
Within moments of that call, Selene had divined its origins, but her sight was rebuffed. This rebuff had come in the form of a shield type ward that covered the island. In a fit of rage, Selene had destroyed her arcane room from the backlash of her emotions.
It was another week before Shaw had made contact with a plan to control this new island with support from the Hell Fire Club, but he would need the assistance from the international branch. When Shaw had approached her with that plan in mind. Selene was already thinking of ways to remove Shaw from the board, allowing her complete control over the project.
They had the location to one safe house located on another continent and away from their own territories. Plans were drafted and made to be implemented once things were confirmed. They had made their plans, and Selene was ready to kill Shaw from having to share her spoils of victory.
All that changed once he walked through that door.
Selene could feel the raw, unbridled power that radiated from his being. Once again, it was that American, Benjamin Blake, like she had conjected, but now that she met him in person. The power was palpable. The anger was all-consuming, but it wasn't directed at her. No, the anger Blake was emitting was directed to her companion.
Yes, Selene thought to herself. She could use that to her advantage. Power, influence, and a nation, Selene was going to take this young man for all he was worth. Now, it was time to solve all of her opposition.
o.O.o
Morocco
Benjamin Blake
Extremely Pissed
The portal was cool and calming across my skin as I walked through it. Unfortunately, that was not enough to calm my rage. The gardens that surrounded us, but we marched passed ignoring everything. My smart HUD was activated, and I noticed the location ping of my guest sitting on the upper balcony. No words were spoken out of my mouth as I floated up to greet the two.
For a moment, I floated there and looked down on the two of them. My ax was on my back, itching to be used, and I made a combat twitch towards my shotgun. Shaw was just how I imagined him. A man of distinguished age with ham chops for sideburns. His chest was puffed up, and I noticed the hair on his arms. The man was damn close to looking like an old school barbarian.
Sitting across from him was a beauty of regal grace. Long flowing black hair past her shoulders. Arched eyebrows with black pouty painted lips. She looked up at me with a very sculpted eyebrow, and I noticed the mad gleam in her eyes. The eyes of the beauty flashed red before me, but I ignored that as the servers came out with two seats.
Ignoring the second seat, I sat down, taking command of the situation. The look that Shaw shot my way was more than enough to send anyone away, but I was all out of fucks to give right now.
"Not going to introduce yourself, boy?" Shaw snapped as she placed down his wine.
There were no words shared as I ignored Shaw completely. All of my focus was on the beauty before me. Deadly and grace all in the wrapper of one power-hungry eternal.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it Mr. Blake." Selene said with a smile while her eyes glinted with bloodlust.
"It is a beautiful day, Ms. Gallio." I returned with my own bloodthirsty smile.
"Yes, so I have heard the most interesting thing with the start of the new year." Selene said sultry almost conspiratorially.
"Do tell, Ms. Gallio, what did you hear?" I asked as I leaned forward, ignoring Shaw as his teeth ground together beside us. My anger was still simmering under the surface, and it was only a matter of time before Shaw lost his head. On my HUD, I was notified that my Praetorian guards were getting in position. Marcus and Faora were both standing at the door leading to the balcony, and so was Sage.
Sage stood there looking over the proceedings as stoically as she could. Hell, if I didn't know better, it would have seemed like she was at home. Lucky for her, I knew where she stood and would not be losing her head today. There was a reason why I wanted Xavier on my side, and Sage was one of them, besides the fact he gets around.
"You see, I was relaxing in this nice little place I had over in the French Riviera when I received the most particular telepathic communication," Selene said with such calm one would think she was an actor out for the Oscars. That glint in her eye said more than enough and took a lot for me not to pull my shotgun and start blasting. "There I was relaxing under the sun when another mind touched my own. This other mind spans a story about a new home for those with powers and so much more."
"That's a very interesting story you have decided to share with me Ms. Gallio." I replied smoothly as I accepted the glass of water handed to me by a waiter. "Now, my question for you Ms. Gallio, is what do you plan to do with such information?"
"Ooh, a little of this and a little of that." Selene said with a little phop wave of her hand. The staredown between us was intense as I watched the outer rims of her pupils shade slightly red. Before anymore was said, Shaw decided to be a cunt.
"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Shaw growled out as he slammed his palm onto the table, rattling the fine china.
My super shotgun was up and within the face of Shaw at the drop of a nano-second. I didn't even turn his way, but I noticed the shocked reflection from Selene's eye. We were all silent for a moment, and I allowed them to understand how dangerous I truly am. They decided to invade the territory of an apex predator, and they were going to regret it.
"You are consorting with a gentleman and a lady on this fine day, sir. So you shall act like a decent human being, or you shall be treated like that barbarian you resemble." I replied smoothly, before placing my super shotgun back into storage. "Now, why are you here, Shaw?"
"Yes, why are we here, Sabastian?" Selene asked slyly while never moving eye eyes from my own the entire time.
"We are here to have a discussion with the leader of this so-called mutant nation." Shaw replied a little too smugly. "Instead we are here waiting and being intercepted by this boy, who is trying my patience."
The curve at the edges of Selene's lips told me she noticed my irritation with the man. Sitting back in my chair, I finally looked at the man. Once upon a time, this man would have been extremely intimidating. That was once upon a time, and now he wasn't much of a blip on my radar. Plans were in the works on Emma's end to out the man from the Hell Fire Club, allowing her to take over, but now. Shaw delivered himself into my domain.
"I don't believe the leader of the nation would like to speak to you though." I replied as I idly tapped the table.
"Then tell him, I have his little bitches." Shaw stated smugly as he pulled a tablet from his inner breast pockets. I watched as Shaw powered up his tablet before inputting some code before flipping it over for me to see. "The little bitch thought I wasn't aware of her comings and goings. But I have eyes and ears everywhere; it was simple to check and match up the time frames to her schedule."
On the screen of the table were Emma, Raven, and my mother out having lunch in Paris. I tried hard, but there was no stopping the chuckle that came out of me.
"Insolent whelp, you think this is funny?" Shaw asked as he raised an eyebrow at my laughing. Even Selene was looking at me crossly as if I had something wrong with my head.
"Yes, actually, this is hilarious to me." I replied with a shrug for him to see. "If you had actually taken my woman, security would have grounded your people down into pulped flesh."
Selene cocked an eyebrow at me, the look on Shaw's face for a split-second told me he knew he fucked up in a colossal way.
"Keep watching that live feed," I said as I waved over Faora to my side. Faora came over and handed me a small package while Shaw went back to watching his little tablet. Turning, I gave Selene a smile since I knew she was watching me like a hawk. I double tapped the device on the table to bring up a live feed for us to watch. The holoprojector showed a little espresso shop in Paris as my woman and mother were sitting down for brunch. "Send your people in Shaw, and if they survive, then I will acquiesce to your terrorist demands."
Shaw looked at me, shocked before sending a little hand sign on the sly to Sage. Selene had finally stopped watching me in time to watch Shaw's little Hellion team get demolished. I didn't know who made up Shaw's team, but they folded like wet tissue paper.
We watched as a team of twenty ran in with skintight spandex as they attempted to take my woman and mother into custody. There were screams as the little shop was evacuated, but no one got up from my other table. I watched as the first one went down with his head removed. From the way Shaw let out a slight flinch, I knew that had to be one of his heavy hitters.
Raven just sat there relaxed before playing one of the hand cannons on the table, before taking another sip from her espresso. The hand cannon Raven used was from one of my working prototypes. Since we had antigravitation technology, I wanted to see if I could recreate the mass effect drivers without the eezo power source. They were a work in progress, but the hand cannons were only good for ten shots before needing a recharge.
My mother turned towards the camera, did a little espresso cup salute before going back to having her girl time with her daughters-in-law.
"And that is why I had no worries about your little plot." I said smugly as I took another sip from my glass of water.
I guess it was time to kill this fool and then deal with the real boss.
"Anything else?"
The look on his face said more than he ever wanted it to. With a snort of derision, I turned back to the holo-feed. We sat and watched as more and more of his Hellion's decided to use force to remove Emma, Raven, and my mother and detain them. None made it far though; Raven had pulled out her blades of Athena she got for Christmas. Emma turned into her diamond form and used the hand cannon that Raven had placed on the table.
The jacket my mother wore turned into a black trench coat as she pulled out a super shotgun of her own. Closing down the feed to not watch the slaughter that was going to unfold, I turned to the man who came woefully unprepared.
Taking out a storage device from my utility belt, I placed it on the table before pressing the activation key. Selene looked very interested in the clear glass box that was now on the table.
"Shaw," I said, pulling his attention from watching his people get slaughtered. The look he gave me could have killed if he had laser vision, but I was all out of fucks to give. "You think you could just walk in here and threaten me and mine, and I would just accept it. Well, you fucked yourself thoroughly. You now have twenty-four hours to get your affairs in order before I kill you and put your head in this box."
The stiff back posture was odd in comparison to how pale his face became. Shaw turned towards Selene for some help, but he was a fool. Selene only respected power and whatever he offered paled in comparison to what he just lost. She was going to fuck him over the first chance she got also, and he knew it.
"Twenty four hours Shaw." I repeated as he got up and excused himself from the table. Shaw's walk was slow and composed, but I knew better. He was going through plans and contingencies in that tiny little brain of his. Always missing the small and bigger picture he did. He never even realized that I didn't make a promise about those hours.
"And now there is only you, my dear." I spoke as I waited for Marcus to finish his little check. With the all-clear, I turned to Faora. "Make sure he disappears with bad maintenance as the cause of his plane crash. Stick his head with the rest once you have completed your task."
Faora took twenty from my guards as she left to complete her tasks while I prepared for the real fight to come. The look Selene gave me said she approved, and now it was our turn to tangle.
"Would you like some tea, Ancient One?" I asked the invisible lurker as she showed herself with a smile.
"Of course, of course, a little honey if you don't mind." The Ancient One said as she appeared with a chair as if she was there the whole time. I was getting better and better with my gravity manipulation awareness, so I wasn't about to tell her how I found her so that she may try harder to sneak up on me. Hell, I even noticed the moment Selene had picked up on the Ancient One phasing invisibly into our area.
"Are you here to reprimand me about my heavy-handed tactics with Mr. Shaw?" I asked as I waited for her to finish a sip of her tea.
Selene had a refill of wine while we waited on the Ancient one to finish her tea.
"Oh, nothing so contrite Mr. Blake." The Ancient One answered. "There's no reason for me to insert myself into your nation's politics and like you said. Mr. Shaw is very inconsequential in the grand scheme of things."
Hot damn that was a burn if I had ever heard one.
"No, I am here to make sure your battle doesn't end with planetary nor continental destruction." The Ancient One finished as she placed down her empty teacup.
"I have my doubts about something like that happening." I returned with a little irritation tingeing my voice. The smile she gave me though was damn infuriating, to say the least.
"It has been some time now, hasn't it Sorcerer Supreme, Argentina correct?" Selene interjected with a little smile of her own.
"Yes, the werewolves outbreak, I believe." The Ancient One returned with a smile and nod of her own. "Might I ask though, are you here to breach the contract that was laid down at that time?"
Selene returned a smile of her own, but that dangerous glint never left her eye at all.
"This nation is not one under the magical charter of man." Selene returned with glowing red eyes.
"Yes, I believe you are correct in that regard." The Ancient One packed on her own thoughts.
"So that is how it will be, huh?" I said, interrupting them both. "Fine then, let's find a place and throw down."
"Come now; terms should be reached before we get deep within such activities together," Selene said as she slid her glass of wine to the side out of reach.
"Marcus, do be a dear and bring us some parchment paper, please." The Ancient One called out while raising a hand to stop me from getting up. Marcus gave me a look before leaving once I gave him a nod to follow those orders. He might be brash and boisterous, but he knew not to fuck around during times like these. With Marcus leaving, we descended into silence, but even that was broken when the holo-projector started to beep red.
With a little applied gravity manipulation, the holo-projector activated showed a very interesting scene. Shaw never made it to his secret hanger to fly out of Morocco in his attempt to escape. I watched as whoever drove Shaw swerved in and out of traffic in their mad dash bid in escaping my Generals pursuit.
One of the Spartans was flying the sky car while Faora was half hanging out the side with a massive cannon strapped to her back. Behind that sky care were six others, all in hot pursuit of Shaw's vehicle. Shaw's black SUV back door opened with the side door, and a few things happened all at once. Sage was kicked out the side as they made a sharp left turn into traffic, then someone opened fire on the leading sky car that Faora was hanging out of. No one scattered from the shots fired, but the back sk ycar did pull over to pick up Sage.
Thinking of a map brought up an intuitive map of the area to my HUD. This same map showed that they were on the final approach to the hidden air track under HellFire International.
When Shaw's drive took the straight, that was when my General struck. Faora kicked off hard from the sky car as the security came pouring out of the HellFire International airline terminal. They stood no chance; Spartans took to the air behind their commander, destroying all opposition before them. Fire, ice, lightning, and water abilities were thrown around with a splash of magic here and there.
Twenty spartans took out a force of over one hundred, and none lived to tell the tale about it. Changing the camera to Faora's perspective, I watched as she flew over the mess below. She was tailing Shaw while also still giving out commands to those in her command. Faora had noticed the jetliner that was on the tarmac with the ramp down, waiting for Shaw's boarding. It was also noticed how the jet didn't show up on standard radar sweeps, and this piqued my interest because I didn't know he had any stealth tech of the sort.
The SUV that Shaw was in came to a stop beside the ramp, but Faora was already moving. Before Shaw could get very far, she came down on his SUV, crushing the vehicle beneath her completely before grabbing him in a telekinetic hold and throwing him.
Shaw went over Faora's shoulder while the heads of his guards went splat because of crushing telekinetic forces being applied. Shaw never stood a chance in the fight; I knew what his powers were, so that meant so did my people. Without any preamble, Faora held Shaw spread eagle in the air as she took out her swords. She looked at her swords before putting them away and doing something I was never expecting. She started to talk to the man.
"Kinetic absorption could only do so much, but I have read your history. I have followed the breadcrumbs of your deeds." Faora said while circling her prey. "My king had marked you as an enemy on principle, and I did my homework on scum like yourself. You are a man who sold his soul working for the Nazi's in Germany. You are a man who experimented on his own kind, and it wasn't for some noble goal. No, it was for-profit and because you like to inflict pain on those that could not defend themselves. So here you are defenseless and against someone that knows your sins. Let's inflict some pain, so grit your teeth, and bear it."
I watched as Faora cuffed the power suppressant cuffs around the wrist of Shaw before delivering a devastating rabbit punch to the back of his head.
"I like her." I heard Selene mutter from my side. "Even I didn't side with those monsters during that debacle."
Faora drilled a few more punches into Shaw's face before pulling back as one of my sky cars came flying down onto the tarmac. Out of this new sky car came Emma Frost and Raven, well damn.
Shaw was really fucked now.
We watched as Emma and Raven walked up to the now kneeling Shaw at the feet of Faora.
"As of ten minutes ago, Frost Industries has been purchasing your companies stocks wholesale as the word of your demise became live news coverage," Emma said as she stood over he defeated foe. "I made a promise to you a few years back that you would die destitute and broken at my feet."
"Take what we need Em," Raven said as she took up a post beside Faora. I noticed that Raven was carrying the blades I made her on her back while the chains were still attached to her wrist. Those blades were some damn scary things, and it didn't help that I made them far more dangerous than the versions in God Of War.
Shaw attempted to spit on her, but Emma's kinetic shield caught the wad of saliva and blood from making contact. With grace and swiftness, I knew that could only be taught from either Raven or Natasha. Emma changed to her diamond form in one strong stride before her fist knocked a few screws loose inside the head of Shaw with the powerful right she delivered.
Before Shaw could do anything else in retaliation, Emma grabbed him by the sides of his head while her eyes blazed with power. Hmm, that was interesting, even I could tell she had way more power than I thought should be possible. That would need investigating later, though.
Shaw screamed and screamed as Emma took everything she wanted out of his mind. Her diamond form was damn sexy with the all-white she was wearing. From the belt around her waist, I could tell that it was one of my UMF suits. I wonder who she had designed her outfit, though I wasn't aware we had anyone on the island with any fashion sense. Those thoughts were pushed aside as Emma basically shoved Shaw away from her with a mighty push.
Emma turned to my General and gave one hell of a command. "Bring me his head, General."
Shit, they were about to go old school mortal kombat on his ass.
Faora gave a salute before dragging Shaw kicking and screaming before Emma and Raven. The look in Emma's eyes, though spoke of fury and rage, and that said more than enough. It was strange because, over our months of interaction, she has never shown such emotions before. Not even when deals have fallen through worth millions has she even shown such anger.
I fired off a quick message to her and Raven to find out what happened, but all I received in reply was that they were going to raid Shaw's compound hard and fast. There was a notice to request a Spartan contingent for her assault against Shaw's holdings.
I, of course, gave the okay on that; then sent a message about her not having to ask. As one of my women, she would automatically have command of her own Proterian guards. That would mean that her and Raven combined would have six hundred soldiers between themselves to carry out their will.
Orders were given, and Spartans moved as gunships were launched from my military base on Pandora. An inhuman scream grew my attention back to the holo-projector, causing me to look up and see Faora dishing out some well-served justice for a lot of people. Shaw was on the ground screaming as Faora had a foot on his back while her hands were wrapped around his head pulling.
The sounds of Shaw's spine snapping crackled like popcorn as Faora put some more strength into her slow pull back.
"Silence!" Faora barked as she punched Shaw in the side of the head before pulling once more. Shaw's legs flopped around as Faora went about her grim work. Muscles snapped, tendons popped, and the cracking of bones reached my ears, but I kept on watching. With one mighty jerk and twist, Shaw's head was pulled from his carcass with half his spine swinging beneath it.
Kicking the now corpse aside, Faora walked in front of Emma. Getting down on one knee, she placed the head in the box I gave her before holding it up above her head in the presentation of her completed job.
Raven sneered at the head of one of her hated foes while Emma picked it up from Faora's hands. Blood pooled in the bottom of the box as Emma tilted it this way and that, as she inspected it like fine art.
"Place it on the shelf with the rest of the Sinister's," Emma commanded as she handed the head in a box to one of the Spartans standing at the side. "Faora, you will be with us for the foreseeable expedition; we have a compound to raid, come along dear."
"As you command my Queen," Faora replied, snapping off a salute before checking orders were given to take care of the plane with Shaw's cooling corpse.
Closing down the hologram, I noticed the fuck me eyes that Selene was giving me from across the table.
"You are the one that has been killing young Nathanial?" Selene asked subtly with a predatory smile.
"I have been killing his clones and raiding his bases, yes." I returned with a shrug of my own. "Fifty-three clones and counting, so far he has been one step ahead, but from the cellular degradation of the latest clone acquisition, we are extremely close to his capture."
Selene had a moment that looked like she was thinking about what I had to share, but chose not to say anything about Nathanial.
Instead, she changed the topic.
"Have you completed the contract yet, Sorcerer Supreme?" Selene asked across the table at our third companion.
"This magical contract was done in the old ways due to the level of power at both of your disposal.
"Marcus?"
"My king, it means that it is to the death or submission of either party," Marcus answered with a bowed head.
"The stakes," I asked while looking across the table.
"Your throne," Selene answered with a savage grin plastered on her face.
"Then place yourself as the stakes in this bout," I growled back as I pounded a fist on the table.
"No, I refuse to be the stakes of some duel." Selene spat as her red magical aura, started to shimmer.
"Then, I refuse to place the island and people that I have worked so hard to establish to be placed as winning stakes for you," I growled back as I stood to face her. Our auras clashed, causing plaster and the walls to buckle from our intense staredown. Through all of this, the Ancient One was cool as a cucumber on a midsummer day. "You want a throne, go build a fucking kingdom of your own. I refuse to put my hard built kingdom up so you can feel special about yourself."
"Why not citizenship?" The Ancient One interjected with a question.
"I SHALL BE QUEEN NOT A SLAVE AND NOT A CONCUBINE!" Selene snarled, but the Ancient One still paid her no mind.
"Then, enter it into the contract." The Ancient One returned. "I very much doubt the kind of woman that Mr. Blake already enjoys the company of would allow him to bring a slave home."
I could see the hard look in her eyes as she mulled over the idea.
"I have riches, and I have a nation with people at my beck and call. I even have a friendly relationship with the Ancient One, who is like a grandmother to my kids." I said with some heat in my voice. "You have nothing I want but your vast experience on this planet, and I accept no threats to myself or my people. So, I want it in writing that should you lose, you would do nothing to get out of said contract, nor will you attempt any coup of my empire be it on Earth or anywhere else amongst the cosmos we may venture utter loyalty and advice. You shall not usurp any child of mine, nor any child I call my own to attempt a coup. Any child or persons or anything of the sort to remove me or mine from power. No deals to demons or cosmic beings to remove you from your duties nor anyone to change reality on your behalf. No deed through action nor inaction on pain of magical evisceration of your soul to the cosmic winds to be collected by DEATH herself. Then and only then on your loss will I accept you and name you one of my Queens."
"Then I want it written that on my victory, you shall be made a slave with all those pledges themselves to your banner and cause. Your nation shall be mine, your mind shall be mind to do with as I please. Everything you are, will be and was, will be mine to do with and command as I please." Selene returned with her own conditions.
"Are you sure you would like to do this, Benjamin?" The Ancient One asked, and that was the first time today that she called me by my name. I turned to look at her with a grim determination set in my features.
It was time to nut up or shut up.
The Ancient One gave me a nod in return before writing up the contract with Marcus's help. My smart band started to ping, but I ignored it. I had some ideas on who might be contacting me to tell me not to make such a deal, but they didn't know that this was the only way to get Selene to back off unless I was committed to ending her. And it was a damn hard job to end an eternal such as Selene. She has been alive for thousands of years, older than the Ancient One and even Apocalypse himself. No, this battle had to be fought, and I was the only one that could do it.
"Rules for the match?" The Ancient One asked from over the contract on the table.
"No extra-dimensional demons summoning nor any that might be stashed in some hidey-hole, planetary nor continental destruction attacks. Also, no life force absorption during combat or attacking any close villages or people within the area." I answered instantly.
"Are these terms agreeable to you Miss. Gallio?" The Ancient One asked, turning to look at a red-eyed Selene.
"Agreed," Selene answered through gritted teeth.
"Then, please sign here in blood on this line." The Ancient One replied, handing over a black feathered quill. Selene looked at the quill for a moment before giving the Ancient One a raised brow. I didn't know why until it was my time to sign the contract. The fucking quill was a blood quill, an enchanted quill to take blood for signing. I showed nothing as the quill cut into my hand to seal my name onto the contract. "This way, please."
After signing, I found the Ancient One standing beside a portal leading out to somewhere with an ocean of grass.
"The place for this battle will be taking place on the Mongolian steppes." The Ancient One answered, noting my inquisitive look. "The Ward Master of Pandora has already placed protections. The land will return to how it once was upon this duel's completion."
"Satellites?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.
"I have been informed that they would be taken care of. This was in case of a situation like this were to happen." Answered the Ancient One with a smile. "You both shall start a mile from each other."
Before anything else could be said, she flicked her wrist, sending the portal at myself and Selene. Gold flashed before the world shifted to my senses. Looking up, I noticed the phase of the sun, then took a moment to feel the wind on my face.
It was time to go hunting.
Pulling out my triple-barreled super shotgun. I hunkered forwards as I took off sprinting at high speeds across the Mongolian steppes.
O.O.O.O
Somewhere over the Switzerland Mountains.
"Drop me here," Emma commanded as she waited for the gunship she was in to pull around for a hover over the compound.
"Emma, darling, wouldn't you like to change into something more suited for our party?" Raven asked from the side. Besides Emma, Raven was standing in full combat Athena loadout.
"Honey, I'm flawless the way I am," Emma replied, turning up her nose.
"Yeah, sure, but I already picked something out that you will love," Raven said as she started to input something on her smart band. Before Emma could reply, her clothing started to change. The all-white stayed to match what she previously wore. Now though, her outfit was no longer the flowing gown of before.
Styled boots wrapped her legs as leather pants wrapped her curves. The shirt she wore, changed form into a crop top with an X across her stomach. The crop top had long sleeves with golden accents. The wrist of her shirt had bangles that connected to a miniature cape on the back.
Emma noted that over her flat stomach was a thin film that could still provide protection against knives and bullets. She was sure that even the gell layer would protect against shock.
"So a stylized suit for me, and you're in armor?" Emma asked with a raised brow as her body slowly became diamonds. Raven gave her lover a beaming smile before doing a little twirl.
"Ben made me this after our little outing in Russia; we broke it in together rescuing Stark," Raven answered as the gunship touched down. Emma gave her a look while still in her diamond form before turning towards the ramps. One of the spartans at the end of the ramp handed Emma a smart device that worked as a scanner. This device connected around her ear without getting in the way of her hair or vision. The look she gave the spartan had him answering her swiftly.
"Scouter, my Queen." The spartan with the name tag Gorden answered as he held out the device. "It will give you smart lenses connectivity since you have not been issued a helmet yet."
Turning over the device in her hands, Emma noticed the C shape that would go behind her ears. She also noticed the swivel part that went in front of her eye that also doubled as a display unit. Emma gave the spartan a nod before placing the scouter where it was advised. A HUD display came into view over Emma's field of vision.
One of the tags, Emma noticed said shields. The thought of activating those scent a shimmer over her person. That shimmer was the activation of her personal shielding. Sending a nod to the team of spartans, they stepped forth into the fire.
Emma walked with the grace of a queen in her court while flanked with a team of ten spartans. Any and all opposition was gunned down as Emma strolled through the Shaw's secret compound. Nothing was going to step in Emma's way because she was on a mission right now.
One of the spartans had sent over a report of finding the server room. From there, commands were given, and a map was uploaded. Scanning over the map, Emma found what she wanted on the sixth floor down. Tapping on her scouter, Emma gave out the commands of what she wanted.
What she received in return was that the elevators were on lockdown with the rest of the compound. Before she could let her frustration known, a spartan with blue wings on her armor stepped forth with a platform device. The circular device was 10x10 with a one-foot ring around the outer edges. The spartan directed them to the center of the compound before placing the device on the floor. She waited for the others to get on the platform before activating the device.
The outer edge to the platform, pushed out securing its position before lasers of blue lights cut into the floors beneath their location. Floor after floor, they went lower and lower. On each floor, soldiers were there to take shots at them, but the Spartans following Emma and Raven made short work of them.
Raven knew something was up as they touched down on the sixth floor. The vibes that Emma was projecting were those of emotional turmoil. Her exterior was calm, but for those that knew her. They knew she was feeling anything but. Rage, sadness, excitement, and apprehension was all of the emotions that Emma projected. A spark inside of her ignited as the spartans headed down the hallway. Emma took the lead to the rooms she was after.
Her team of spartans secured the three doors she wanted as more and more Spartans secured the sixth floor. Half of the team was down here with Emma and Raven while the other half was securing the compound above. Taking a deep breath, Emma walked up to the first door labeled 1C.
On the door, there was a description of the person inside. That same description chilled her stomach. It said Viable clone, age seven female blonde, days without bonded pairs thirty-four, weight average.
Raven was with her at the door, but Emma held out a hand to stop her from proceeding. Slowly she opened the door; on the other side, Emma found who she was looking for. Huddled in a corner was a young girl, blonde of hair with a wiry frame trying to seek refuge from the world. Moving slowly not to startle the little child, Emma made her approach.
Taking a breath, Emma shared small whispers before connecting with the little girl telepathically. What Emma found almost knocked her over. The young child's mind was full of life and whole, but there was a devastating part of her missing.
"Spartan Wiggins, Open the other doors," Emma commanded as she picked up the little girl. They were stepping out of the room with the child in her arms when Emma noted the psy dampers. That was pure cruel treatment for any telepath. Add onto the fact that the girl needed two others, and it was inhuman treatment. Once the other doors opened, Emma felt the child's mind connected with the others in a semi-hive mind. Each of the girls could think on their own, but they worked better on a linked telepathic network. Looking over, Emma noticed that Raven was carrying one of the girls, while Spartan Wiggins was carrying the other.
Slowly and tentatively, Emma merged her telepathic thoughts with what she could only understand being a storm of joy. Blues, greens, and reds of emotional colors flashed before her mind's eye. This was before Emma put her telepathic might behind calming their minds.
{Calm, now, calm, tell me girls, what are your names?} Emma asked telepathically.
{We do.}
{Not carry.}
{Designations.}
Emma nodded before reaching behind her as a telepathic command went out to Spartan Wiggins once more. Deposited into her outstretched hands were 3 UMF suit belts. With some inputs into her own smart band, Emma made some changes to the suits.
She gave the red and white one to the first naming her Sophie. The second UMF belt was green and white and went to the middle one that Raven was holding, also naming her Phoebe. The last belt was given to the one being carried by Wiggins. This belt was changed to blue and white while she was given the name Celeste.
With Raven's help, Emma got the girls into the basic UMF jumper. The standard look of it made Emma want to turn up her nose, but the only saving grace was its programmable feature. Well, that and it's bulletproof nature, fireproof nature, and so many more ways to keep one alive.
With the girls dressed and named, one of the medic's looked them over before giving them a shot of chi solution. With the all-clear, Emma connected once more to the girls giving them a swift information dump to digest on the way out. Languages, basics to life, and so much more were shared along the telepathic network she now shared with her girls.
Emma placed some quick commands into her smart band, changing the clothes the girls wore. The girls now wore stylized black pants with boots, over that was a wrap that doubled as a cap with a colored undershirt to match their given colors.
With a smile and a nod to Raven, Emma turned around to head back to the platform. The girls fell in line behind Emma like little duckies. They rode the platform back to the surface while Emma thought over her next moves. Waiting on them up top was a fully staffed gunship while the compound was crawling with Spartans.
"It looks like Ben is having fun." Raven noted with a projection of Ben's fight above her wrist. From what the hologram showed, Ben was cutting a path of destruction.
{Who.}
{Is.}
{That?}
The girls asked Emma telepathically.
{Your new Father.}
The girls looked at Emma with their larger luminous eyes for a moment before nodding once she gave them some telepathic information on family dynamics.
"Alright, Wiggins, let's pull a number seven on this compound and head home!" Raven yelled out the command while Emma was distracted with the girls. Ben had made a scale on how to raid a base or fortress. Ten was the highest, and that was also the option to strip everything down to the bedrock before blowing a crater into the earth. "Doc, let the hospital know that we have three incoming."
With those commands, the spartans went to work. With the orders given, Raven relaxed into one of the available chairs. This was so she could watch the fight with the girls.
O.O.O.O
Bar in Salem.
"Here you go, ma'am, sixty wings with triple nacho fries and a pitcher to wash it all down." The waitress said as she placed down the order in front of a blonde male and a female with black hair and goth makeup.
"You mind changing the channel." The Goth chick asked. "Also, where is everyone?"
"Ohh, you missed it, sweetheart. People are migrating through here to Pandora for a better life." The waitress replied with a wistful smile.
"Pandora? Sorry beautiful, I'm Pietro." The blonde guy said, introducing himself. "And this ray of sunshine is my sister Wanda."
The waitress smiled at Pietro as she thought of how to answer that question. Before she could answer, another patron at the bar spoke up.
"Pandora, my friend, is a nation built by a meta-human for everyone." A large guy with four arms answered from his booth.
"Pull up a chair, Mr?"
"Call me Malcolm, kid." The patron at the bar answered as he took a seat.
"Ma'am, can you change the channel please," Wanda asked before taking a bite out of one of the wings.
"Can't most of our meta-population want to watch the fight." The waitress answered with a shrug. "And luckily, we have a deal with Pandora to show some of their channels live."
"Okay wait, why do you keep calling them that?" Wanda asked, holding up a hand to stall the waitress. The waitress looked at Wanda as if she was a fool. Malcolm barked out a laugh as he took a seat on the other side of the booth.
"It's a pretty commonly known thing around here girlie, but the facts are we aren't a mutation like cancer or any of those benign diseases known to man. We are evolved, yes, but that makes us a meta-physical manifestation of the human condition. So many power's so many options born of our X-gene." Malcolm waxed on poetically with a large smile splitting his face.
While he took a swing from his mug, he didn't notice the siblings sharing a look. Wanda, the goth, gave her brother a nod before going back to eating her food, but she did keep her ears wide open.
"So how can we get to this promised land?" Pietro asked before chugging half of his mug.
"Ha, that's easy," Malcolm answered boisterously. "There is a portal over at the school. You pass some simple test, and they give you citizenship, hell I got this nifty little smart band that protects against telepaths."
Malcolm was so cheery he didn't even realize the twins shared another look. They both looked at the miniature hologram over Malcolm's wrist before coming to their own decisions.
"Ha, look at him go."
"He's gonna serve that uppity bitch some ass kicking."
Everyone in the booth turned to watch the fight going on the tv. It looked like fiction, but the tag at the bottom of the screen was telling the twins that this was all live.
"Look at that, Benjamin Blake, the leader of Pandora, also known as the Fastest Man Alive."
That sparked the twin's interest more than anything else because they knew that name. Benjamin Blake was a thorn in their father's side for some time now. Wanda was wondering what it would be like on the island. While her brother was wondering who would be faster, him or this Blake guy, Wanda was sure of her next move. There was a boom and a crack that drew Wanda's attention back to the flatscreen tv.
O.O.O.O
MONGOLIAN STEPPES
The only clue that I had before the Ancient One pulled that bullshit with the portal was one mile. That could only mean I would have to start my search on finding my opponent. Well, if it was going to be a mile for my search radius, then so be it. With my super shotty pulled to my chest, I roamed the Mongolian Steppes going half of mach one.
I roamed the North, then the South, yet I was not finding Selene. All of that changed once I changed course to the South-East. Before I had seen the dust cloud on the horizon, my tremor-sense had picked it up. As my feet hit the dirt, a three-dimensional picture flashed through my mind of the South-East. Loping towards me were fast-moving bipeds.
There was no pause mid-stride, all I did was change course to an intercepting vector. I was one hundred meters out before my HUD brought up the image of dire wolves. The dire wolves on approach were three meters tall and four meters from snout to tail. Their face was drawn back in a snarl showing yellow teeth, but it was the eyes that drew my attention. Their eyes were a dark shade of red with a sigil shining brightly. That was the only clue I needed to understand that I was on the right track for now, at least.
Speeding up some more, I did a quick shift of my shoulder as I barreled through my opposition. There were snarling and yeps as I smashed my way through the leading dire wolf. With a backhand, I smacked aside a snapping maw as I launched myself into the air. Mid-jump, I released a sphere-shaped drone from my armor pauldrons. Charging up my right fist, I came down on the beast beneath me with a SMASH!
Rocks, ground, and lava flew upwards as the earth reacted to my actions. Within a 5x5 feet around me, earth spikes shot up, impaling the dire wolves. With that, the first half of my attackers were not dead. With a wave of my hands, the stone pillars drew back into the earth, leaving their corpses behind. My open attack took down ten from what my HUD told me, but there was more to come from the data my drone collected.
A howl drew my attention to one large fucker that sat on his hunches overlooking my attack. On the hill overlooking me was the Alpha of this pack. The dire wolves that circled me started to run in a circle before everything fucking changed. The beast went from quadruped to bipeds, and I now knew I wasn't fucking with actual animals. No, what I was facing were mythical creatures, and they were completely in the thrall of Selene.
Fucking werewolves.
These were fucking werewolves, and I was not facing mindless fucking monsters. Hell, I was now wondering how many mystical-type beings Selene had under her control. I didn't even know she had control over a werewolf pack, but I should know better. If I hadn't closed off her options of summoning demons, she would have used another type of summons.
Wait, do they even count as summons since they are from earth?
Shaking my head to get out of my own thoughts, I moved just in time to dodge a swipe from one of my attacking foes. I had to pull back my head quickly from that swipe leaving the werewolf in a perfect place for me to get a shot off. A light squeezing of my trigger sent the upper body of my attacker, flying away as nothing but meat sludge.
Shit had hit the fan now, and there was no longer a need to hold back. I dodged another swipe before firing off two more shots from my shotgun. Mid turn, I noticed that the Alpha had not moved from his position at all, yes he transformed, but he was still standing on top of that hill watching and waiting. If that was how he wanted to act, then so be it. With a savage punch, I shattered the maw of one werewolf that came at me with open jaws. The force of my punch was so terrifying that the air pressure sent them back five or six meters.
Before another attack could come, I placed the shotgun away before activating the chain gun I had on my right gauntlet. Triple barrels appeared on my right gauntlet below and on the sides. The looks the wares gave me said it all. They knew what they were about to face, but did they know that I was the meat grinder.
One took a step back, then another, but the howl in the back forced them into attacking. The roars and stampede overshadowed the sounds of the engine in t the minigun. Yeah, there was no stopping the death and destruction that I brought with me. Ten thousand rounds per minute were fired downrange, mulching each and every werewolf I walked my sights over.
Note to self, add shoulder-mounted weaponry in the next armor upgrade.
Some hid under the bodies of their comrades, but it was all for no. And that reason was that I believed in the philosophy of double-tap. Those that hid died without putting up much of a fight, and I cared not. With a double flick of the wrist, my minigun was sent back to its storage dimension. There was a bloodthirsty howl that tried to force a shiver down my spine, but I ignored the sensation.
Flipping backward, I missed the mad swipe of the claws that attempted to slice me in half. During my flip, I lashed out with a kick, but this wolf was made with sterner stuff than the others. As I landed on the ground, I started to bob and weave while the Alpha attempted to shred me with his claws. I dodged left and right as I moved to avoid the wild swings.
My own savage grin was plastered on my face that only angered my foe more and more. Without a word, the Alpha decided to kick it up a notch. The fucker upped his speeds, breaking the sound barrier.
Now, he was playing in my domain.
"Stand still so I can gut you for my mistress!" The werewolf growled as he took more and more wild swings at me.
"Hey, the mutt knows how to speak." I taunted as I shifted into high gear and vanished from his sight. Before he could react, I was on his left and slapping down a palm across the back of his head. There was a boom as the earth quaked from the Alpha turning into meat paste.
Looking down, I watched the twitching muscles, and broken bones try and fail to put the Alpha back together. It would seem his healing factor was not as strong as Logan's. There was a moment of peace as I was caught in the sight of one of the eyes. Gone was the sigil of control and, in its place, was a bright amber orb. For a moment, we just looked at each other before peace overtook its visage as it went glassy once the strength left it and death took over.
In my solace, I removed my ax from my back to bang the butt of the shaft onto the ground three times in completion. I did not know why I did it, but it felt like the correct thing to do. The earth moved and formed to my will. In the place of the dead Alpha now lay a coffin. The coffin was black with a stylized wolf embossed on the top.
Taking a moment of silence, I then banged the but of my shaft once more unto the ground sending the Alpha to his final rest. I turned to leave but was halted as a howl drew my attention back to the grave I just created. Sitting on top was the milky shade of a wolf towering over me, staring into my soul judging me.
My grip increased on my ax, but there was a nagging tell in the back of my head to not attack as the large shade leaned forward and gave me a sniff. A second howl, then a third, fourth and fifth, then more and more rose. Looking around, I found myself surrounded once more as the spirit wolves sniffed me as they circled me.
Instinctively I knew what to do next, slow I reached my hand out, and that was when the spiritual wolf reacted. My palm rested on the wolf's forehead before he was absorbed into my being. A shimmer of cool ran up my arm, and an image of what to do next flashed before my eyes. Picking up my ax one-handed, I spun it around before channeling my lightning though it.
With one mighty earth-shattering cleave, I split the air asunder pouring all that I am into the strike. A howl akin to a roar sprang forth as a massive white wolf cloaked in lighting was shot out from the strike. Yeah, that was fucking cool.
The surrounding wolves howled in union with the one I created before parting for a group of twenty to approach. They stood before me, then changed from quadruped to biped to human. These were the last of the werewolves that attacked, and I was Alpha now, this I knew it deep in my bones.
Fuck, I needed to learn magic, ASAP.
"This is all that is left?" I asked sizing up the pack.
"Yes, my alpha." They all answered as one.
"Marcus, portal," I commanded while I looked over their war-torn faces. They had gone from over one hundred wolves to only twenty in a pack. It was a damn shame, but I was alive, and they now knew better.
There was a whoosh as a ring of gold sprang to life at my command.
"You will all go to the Morocco safe house to get checked out by the doctors. Then and only then will I allow you into my territory." I said, putting some of the wolf intent behind my words. Those that were watching snapped to running for the portal at my command. Standing with Marcus was Ambrose, Faora's second in command."How many of my guards are still at the safe house?"
"Two fifty my king, all ready for battle." Ambrose swiftly answered.
"Give them portals, Marcus," I commanded while turning around to survey the land before me. At my back were two hundred and fifty Spartans, and in front of me was battle. "Check your sides and be aware of friendlies. Let's hunt."
My praetorian guards took to the sky using their telepathic abilities to fly while I ran along the ground. Selene wanted to summon wolves then, I was going to call my Spartans. We followed the path of my last battle before I felt a thrum in my chest, followed by a low growl from my new partner. The large white lightning wolf beside me growled as we came over a hill to a vast army.
While I had taken out her first salvo and gotten my people here, Selene had been busy. Before my Spartans and I was an army easily over a thousand earth golems and backing those were five large fucking dragons. And on the largest dragon in the middle was Selene in hot black spandex, with a FUCKING CAPE.
Oh, she's gonna learn today.
My Spartans lined up behind me, so I floated up with my gravity manipulation. No words needed to be shared as I looked into the eyes of my opposition. Pulling my ax from its magnetic holders on my back, I prepared myself for the battle to come. My back was straight, and I had steel in my blood.
The wood that made up the shaft of my ax felt warm in my hands. That same warmth offset the cool feel of the Mongolian air. I didn't know which side started it, but once a falcon flew through the middle. The powder keg was lit, and I was already moving along with Selene's dragon mount. Flame hot enough to melt dirt to slag was spewed at me, but I was already bringing down my ax in a cleave that could shatter mountains.
KA-KOOM!
Half of the army before me was reduced to dust as I brought my ax down with shattering mountainous force. The dragons took to the sky and half of Selene's army was reduced to rubble. Digging deep, I was already pushing forward, tearing through her army. With a twist and pivot, I spun like I was a barbarian in Diablo. Nothing stood back up as I grounded a path through Selene's earth golem. As I made it to the back of her forces, I leaped into the air.
My aim was true as I blasted my way out of the left dragon with some red coloring as he attempted to block my path from his master. As I burst out from the back of the beast, I swung myself around to run up its back. Getting to the shoulder joints, I swung hard, removing its head from its body. This beast was twenty meters, and I was certain that my woman would love a pair of dragonhide boots. Hell, I know Jean and Emma would be the first in line for such things. And I was going to be damn sure I got myself a dragonhide trench coat. And it was going to be made out of that large black one that had Selene on its head.
Standing on the dead carcass of Selene's dragon, I looked up at her with a smug smile splitting my face. The frown she wore said more than enough. I'm the Fastest Man Alive, and this battle was to only indulge her and get my soldiers some battle experience. I knew I could not have beaten her with speed alone, and she fell right into a magical contract trap. She would have won blasting me with magic before all of this started. Or any number of equally devastating magical moves. Now she was trapped with no way out because she wanted to be queen.
Selene did something that caused a black vortex to form at the mouth of her dragon. That didn't look good at all. Calling out the command to scatter, my spartans and I bugged out of there fast. Before the attack was even launched, I circled around, removing another head from a dragon.
And now there were three.
The black void type attack vaporized the body I was on when the attack first started to charge. Shit, looking down, I decided to pull out a Pokeball and send my latest kill into a pocket dimension. Putting that away, I looked over to my spartans fighting for all they were worth. Interestingly enough, I had a few magic users amongst my praetorian contingent. I watched water and ice get tossed around from mandala flairs. Another had the magic tattoos alight using metal swords as his means of attack.
While I was looking in the opposite direction of my adversary, something smashed into me, sending me flying as a burning sensation crawled up my skin. I was hit with such force that I went rolling along the ground for fifty meters. There was another flash of light that I could only think was a follow-up spell. I was not going to accept that shit and was already up and moving.
Gritting my teeth from the burning sensation that I felt, I turned to look. And I was not happy with what I saw on my left arm. All along my arm were black flames trying to consume me whole. On the ground where I was, was now a slagged and burning spot of black flames. Selene just tried to fucking Amaterasu my ass.
All bets were off now.
The pain was so much, I was damn near ready to cut my arm off to have it replaced with a clone version, but I stopped. What I noticed was the runes flaring along my sleeves. The blazing pain kept going, but the runic work was fighting the black flames slowly. Gritting my teeth, I allowed the runes to do their job while I had something for this mad bitch.
I took a hard solid step on the ground; the earth shot up in a display of power as I made my way towards a golem. Time of play was over with, and it was time to kick ass. Strafing to the right of the earth golem, I snatched it up by one of its legs. My flesh still burned as I dragged the oversized earth golem behind me. Selene fired more and more spells towards me, but nothing connected because of my speeds. The only things I allowed her now were my after images. This was time to prove why I was the fastest.
With a mighty leap, I slapped an azure blue dragon out of the air with the earth golem. I sent a command to my spartans to kill the lizard as I threw the earth golem in the way of another nasty spell thrown in my direction. The earth golem and Selene's spell detonated mid-air, sending a shockwave that knocked down a few people.
With my speed force, I ignored the shockwave and everything else as I made my aim for the forest green dragon that was having trouble staying afloat from the forces at play. He never survived as I ripped and tore his wings off his back, then came down on the skull with a gravity slam. The forest green dragon died with a smash with nothing to show for being in this battle.
ARRRGHHHH!
There was a scream of rage, but I was already moving. The only thing Selene was able to attack was an after image. The dragon she rode, flew overhead going for my spartans, but they had situational awareness better than my own. The spartans teamed up, and the mages put up a magical shield over the forcefield that was erected in an emergency.
I was already moving and behind her damn dragon. The spikes of its tail lashed around in the air, but there was no way they could have hurt me. Finding some solid purchase, I twisted, wrenching the beast with a mighty heave. My muscles strained, and I knew that this was the most I have ever used the strength force before. Up and over, the dragon went as I slammed it onto the ground. Jumping up, I brought it over for another slam, then another. With one last heave, I slammed its head against the side of the crater before tossing it aside in the directions of my spartans.
Again, I was moving as a flare of purple went through the chest of my after image. Circling around, I sent a devastating punch into the left side of Selene's temple. Unfortunately, she had copied my after image trick. The after image began to explode, but I was already moving. There was no way; I was going to stay still now that we were in the end game of the fight. My HUD pinged a location, but there were too many for me to be happy. All across the Mongolian steppes were clones of Selene.
Gritting my teeth, I pulled out my ax and was surprised to find my arm no longer burning. The flesh had to be fucked under the armor, but that was a worry for later. The only thought in my mind right now was to win, and maybe a little payback. One clone lost its head, then another before I started to get a little creative. By the tenth one in, I had dropped kicked the thing at mach four speeds plowing right through its chest. The twentieth got a closeline across the middle that took the upper body clean off.
I had sent my spartans home after a while, so I knew I was the only one here with Selene.
I was a fool.
Taking a moment, I sent out my senses in the same way I always find the Ancient One. I felt the spatial disturbance coming towards me, and I smiled. Yeah, I found her alright. With a twist, I swung my ax in an arc sending out a lightning wolf attack right at her. The white wolf was smashed into her shields, slamming Selene back down onto the ground. There was no time for her to recover because I was slamming a fist into her shields at high speed. Thousands of hits before I accepted that there was no way into her shield. Hell, I was hitting so hard that I had broken the ground around us from the force.
Our eyes met, and the smug smile Selene gave me grinded my gears like nothing else. The sound of flapping reached my ears, and that was when I knew she fucked up. Instantly the image of Edna Mode flashed through my mind saying, NO CAPES!
Vanishing from Selene's sight, I grabbed a fist full of her cape before pulling it with considerable force. There was a yeap, but I was already slamming her bodily into the ground over and over again. There was a blue flash as she released her cape to lunge directly at me.
I can do hand to hand, easy.
Selene came dashing at me with enhanced speed. Her face was bloody, her clothes were ripped, but she rushed me anyway. A flare of orange rolled over her body as we clashed fist to fist.
Damn, she had strengthening magic.
With a twist, I had Selene going over with a judo throw. A fist went past my face, but I ignored the scratch to my cheek. I blocked a kick from Selene's downed position. I did a swift reverse with a flare of her magic made itself known, allowing her to get back up. I dodged the mid kick with a swift instep before wrapping my hand around the side of Selene's head. Kicking out her support leg, I smashed her face into the ground, forcing her to eat dirt.
There was a scream and flare of magic launching me away, but I did a flip to recover.
"ENOUGH!" Selene screamed out as her arms glowed a crimson red with magical power radiating out. With no intention of allowing her to use that on me, I was already moving forward. Unfortunately, I was stopped inches from crashing into her. Somehow she had me trapped in her magical grasp, and I did not like this at all.
Instead of killing me, Selene started to monologue. I'm happy to say that I paid no attention to it at all. First, my pinky was able to get through her barrier; I took a moment to check and noted that she showed no knowledge of such action.
"Once I am crowned QUEEN, I will have you chained in my deepest darkest dungeons. There I will drain you for eternity to keep me young forever." Selene all but declared herself GOD-Queen.
Before she could say anymore, my left arm snaked out. The widening of her eyes was all too comical. Selene strained with my arm wrapped around her throat, but I had other plans for her. With a pull, I smashed my forehead against hers. Once, twice, three times before her struggles flagged. I dragged her forward, screaming once more, slamming my head into hers, before she finally passed out.
I shook her once to make sure she was out, but that wasn't needed because of the narrator sounding out in my ear.
[Winner Benjamin Blake, King of Pandora.]
Taking a look around, I noticed the camera sphere's floating as they watched over the battle. Before I could move to drop Selene, the Ancient One appeared to check her. Magical mandala circles appeared over Selene's body as the Ancient One did her thing. After a few scans, the Ancient One gave me a nod before calling over some medics. After the Ancient One left Selene to the mercy of my fanatical medic, she turned to me with a frown on her face.
The magical circles appeared once more, and this time a tighter focus on the side I was hit with magic during the fight. The Ancient One waved her hand, vanishing the top portion of my armor. What I found was black and crackling skin. I wished I had not looked at it. The burning sensation was back as she grabbed my hand for a closer examination.
"Very nasty spell, great runic work though to stop it from spreading." The Ancient One muttered as her magic mandalas ran up and down my arm in the examination. "Let's fix this then."
With a snap and flick, black flames were drawn out of my wounds.
I had to learn some fucking magic.
"There, now I believe it's time to go see the medic." The Ancient One said as she waved a portal into life. "Come along, Benjamin."
My only reply was to give a shrug as I followed along. What I found though had me shaking my head at the absurdity of it all. Maya and Alfred had a hologram sign held up in congratulations. The Spartans were giving me a standing ovation with some of the nurses. Ororo was looking at me with an exasperated look on her face. All that was normal, sure, but it was Emma that was standing at a door with three mini blonde versions of her that was tripping me out. Instantly my meta knowledge filled my gaps on who they were.
I waved away a nurse that was trying to probe my arm with some advanced medical device we had created. And I growled at some doctor that thought it was best to tell me to lay down in some damn room like I was some damn invalid.
"My king, your healing factor has not kicked in, and we would really like to get you under some scanners." The doctor that was trailing me said, rushing his words. I ignored him as I made my way to Ororo for my victory kiss. I pulled her in towards me, and damn did she fit perfectly. Her lips met my own, and it was like my being singing a song of joy. The kiss Ororo and I shared shook me something fierce, taking my breath away.
"Wow," Ororo whispered while her eyes were still closed in bliss.
"Damn, that was hot," Raven said in a husky whisper besides Emma. Something was different, and I was going to keep going until I figured out what. I sent Raven a sly smile before zipping over to her location, posting an arm onto the wall.
The blushing blue cheeks I received had Raven looking as if she was a shy maiden. Using my index finger, I tilted Raven's chin upwards. Before she could say anything, I placed a blistering kiss upon her. Again the kiss felt as if something was slotting into place within my being. The kiss was heated and wanting, and the moan Raven released told me that she wanted more than what we could do in public.
Raven went weak in the knees as I let her go. Turning to Emma, I noticed her cheeks pink. She knew it was her turn for a smooching of a lifetime and did I deliver. Emma put up a calm facade with a sculpted eyebrow raised at me, but I was not one to be scared off. I might be a pretty chilled dude, but it took a spine to deal with my uber badass woman.
Emma let out a yelp as I swept her off her feet at high speeds. With some fine gravity control, I had us both floating almost horizontally. Emma's chance of speaking up was stolen from her as I pressed my lips to hers. Once again, that feeling of peace came over me as our tongues dueled for dominance. We went at it as Emma tried to taste test my tonsils before I won pinning her tongue with my own.
"Damn!"
Emma and I parted to look down at everyone watching us. It was funny to see my astartes blushing different shades of colors. Emma ducked her head into my chest in a futile attempt to hide before punching me in the chest. With a light-hearted chuckle, I let her back down so I could meet the girls. Ororo was standing at the room's entrance with Raven waiting on us as Emma straightened out her outfit.
"You know UM fabric doesn't wrinkle," I whispered into her ear before pinching a butt cheek as I walked by. The look she gave me was completely ignored as I walked into the hospital room. Now that I had a closer look, I noticed that Emma had color-coordinated the girls. I knew that she didn't need that because, as a telepath, she would be able to tell which was which. I guess this was all of the nonreaders, if anything else. I was also certain that the astarte telepaths on the island wouldn't need the colors either. Putting those thoughts aside, for now, I allowed one of the doctors to fuss over my arm while I looked at the girls.
The doctor looked at my advances as I released a hearty laugh. I went from a flame headed trouble maker to a stoic technopathic son to now being the father to a set of triplet telepaths because, of course, I'll man up in this situation. It wasn't about the money or resources, no, I had the will, the family, and the heart to be there for these girls.
"Greetings."
"And."
"Salutations." The triplets said as they broke the sentence up amongst themselves.
"Salutations, huh, I guess that's not half bad," I mumbled while rubbing my chin with my right hand. "Well girls, I hope I haven't scared you with my weird looking arm, because hi, am dad."
"We did not feel."
"Any aversion to."
"Your appendage."
This time it was Ororo who chuckled from the gobsmacked look on my face. Great, I was now dealing with kids that were going to give me triple speak.
"They are still learning," Raven said from beside the monitoring holo-terminals. Nodding my head, I leaned back into a rest position as I started to float with my gravity manipulations. The girls looked at me with slightly widened eyes as they watched me floating there in their room.
"What?" I asked with a cheeky grin on my features. "The munchkins would like to fly?"
They looked at Emma with widened eyes before looking back at me. Raven gave me an exasperated sigh as I levitated the girls up into the air. The one on the left squeaked before pulling her middle sister closer, while the one on the right carried a boldface smile.
"Alright, girls, would you like to introduce yourselves please," I asked while having them do lazy circles around the room. The girls shared a lot before the bold one came forward first.
"Sophie."
"Celeste."
"Phoebe."
"And I'm Maya."
A sudden squeal came from behind me as a rush of heated air flew by.
"And you can call me Alfred or big brother because that is what I am. And take comfort in knowing that I shall protect you until my dying breath."
We turned to look at Alfred as he stood in the doorway. Natasha was trying hard to stifle her laughter, while the girls just looked blankly at him.
"Alright, alright, it's time you lighten up kid." I said while pulling him over with my gravitational manipulation. Alfred pouted as I tucked him under an arm as the rest of the family came into the room. I felt someone ruffle my hair, which drew my attention to my dad smiling at me from over my shoulder.
"I'm proud of you, kid." My father said before taking Alfred with him out of the room. I was wondering why he was making a hasty retreat before I realized that it was now a room full of women. That and also my mother was glaring at my injury.
Yeah, that was my queue to leave.
"Come on doc; I heard a room has my name on it."
Without looking back, I also bolted.
End Chapter...
Author's Notes:
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It's a FanFiction so I plan to explode with maximum badassitude.
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Ohhh and before I forget, Chapter 44 has been edited by the awesome Joe Lawyer.
Removes the - for the internet links
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