Mastermind immediately placed his hand over his heart, touching his chest. And in his next heartbeat, Mastermind began crying out in unspeakable agony. The pain. It was overwhelming. Unbearable. Impossible. He screamed louder. Oh – make it stop! Make the pain stop! He… couldn’t… take it… anymore!!!
Luke stepped back.
Mastermind began transforming.
His skin turned red.
His arms and legs grew larger, vastly more muscular.
His eyes burned with a fiery rage.
His whole body grew larger… and larger…
He tore through his clothes.
His Rolex watch snapped off, falling broken to the sandy ground below.
He burst through his shoes. His hands turned into animalistic claws. He tore into and shred apart what little remaining clothes still hung on his ever-enlarging body.
Luke took another step back.
Larger. Larger.
Ten feet tall. Fifteen feet tall. Twenty feet tall. And still growing.
Horns ripped through his skin and spawned out of his head. The nails on his hands and feet turned nightmare black. A long tail struck out from his lower back. More and more muscles, bigger and bigger, throughout his entire massive red-skinned body.
The horns on his head grew bigger and bigger, curling like ram’s horns. His feet became monstrous claws that dug into the Earth. His hands grew bigger and bigger, fingers cracking and bending in inhuman and unnatural ways. He still grew taller and taller. Bigger and bigger. It didn’t stop.
Fifty feet tall.
One hundred feet tall.
Two hundred feet tall.
And still growing…
Luke took another step back, staring upwards at the rising monster. What did Mastermind do to himself?
Nearly two-hundred and fifty feet tall.
The beast roared – and it boomed and echoed like thunder across the desert. He beat on his massive chest. It shook the Earth.
And as his transformation slowed to a halt, Luke saw what this “god” had become – a towering monster demon.
And that demon looked down at the tiny speck known as Luke, the little armored space suit boy who dared to defy him. Mastermind lifted his enormous foot to squash this annoying pest once and for all.
“Oh shit!” said Luke. He didn’t know what to do. The massive foot came down. The shadow covered over Luke and all around him. He did the only thing he could think to do – teleport – just as Mastermind’s gargantuan foot slammed into the Earth, creating a giant crater and massive earthquake in the process.
Ray and Dawn were kissing.
Luke reappeared next to them, right where he left them at the shipping dock.
“There you are!” Ray exclaimed. “Where’d you go?”
“Oh, well, you know…”
“Where’s Mastermind?” asked Dawn.
“Funny you should ask that,” said Luke.
The three of them teleported back to the desert.
Mastermind was gone.
Ray looked around at the vast wide open desert. “You sure this was where you left him?”
“Positive,” said Luke.
“He couldn’t have gotten far,” said Dawn.
“Something that big won’t take long to show up on the news,” said Ray. “Back to our place?”
“Done.”
They disappeared in a flash.
“Luke!” exclaimed his uncle, back at the apartment. “Ray, Dawn… Glad to see you’re all okay.”
Dawn checked her newly replaced arm. “You have no idea.”
“What’s happening? Is it over?” asked his uncle.
“Not quite,” said Luke.
“Anything on the news?” asked Ray.
“Our hacker friend stuck to his word,” said Uncle Charlie. “He released the edited video. Anyone who sees it will want to kill Mastermind on sight.”
“That may be easier said than done,” said Luke.
“Most of the networks are showing the new version now,” said Charlie. “But his old video is still running on some other channels too. The Internet, I imagine, is flooded with both.”
“Great,” said Luke. “So half the people will want to obey Mastermind, the other half will want to kill him.”
“There was a major mutant outbreak in New York,” said Charlie, “but it doesn’t seem to be spreading any longer.”
“Yeah… apparently Mastermind can transform people just by touching them now,” said Ray.
Charlie nodded solemnly. “I saw him turn a pilot into a dragon… Anyway, aside from a few isolated cases around the world, most people seem to be staying human for now.”
Just then Ray noticed something on the TV. Some major breaking news in Los Angeles. Going live to their on-location reporter. “Hey, turn it up. I think we found Mastermind.”
Charlie quickly turned up the volume. “I’m Alex Alvarado reporting live for NBS News,” said the news reporter. “A new mutant – bigger and more terrifying than all the others – has just been spotted near Griffith Park. No other mutants have been witnessed in the area since my last report. And, I’m happy to report, the rhinoceros mutant that was terrorizing downtown Los Angeles has been neutralized by a mysterious duo of, what this reporter is calling, the world’s first real life super heroes.”
“Wait, what?” remarked Ray.
“Kathy, would you show our viewers that footage again, please?” said the reporter.
Luke and Ray leaned in closer. Was the reporter actually talking about them? Were they caught on camera?
Kathy, the news anchor back at the studio, began narrating. The TV cut to a video of Rhino-Man smashing through walls and tearing up city streets with his stomping-earthquakes. “This is earlier footage from when the rhinoceros mutant started destroying downtown Los Angeles – but pay attention to the back left corner of your screen.” There was a flash of white light. Luke and Ray suddenly appeared. “The identity of these two individuals is as yet unknown, but they seem to possess classified military technology being employed to neutralize and capture the powerful mutant.”
“It’s not classified,” said Luke.
“I’m not military!” exclaimed Ray.
They watched themselves, on TV, defeat and escape with Rhino-Man. Pretty impressive stuff. They almost looked like they knew what they were doing!
“Similar sightings of these two individuals have been reported all over the world, wherever super-powered mutants were attacking civilians,” continued the reporter.
“Hey!” said Dawn. “What about me?”
“How they manage to travel around the planet so fast is also unknown, but experts speculate they may be using some kind of ‘teleporting’ technology, previously believed to be only hypothetical. We’ll provide updates on this mysterious duo as we learn more. Back to you, Alex.”
“Trio!” exclaimed Dawn. “We’re the dynamic trio!”
“Thanks Kathy,” said Alex. The TV switched back to his live, on-the-scene location. The camera zoomed in to the famous Hollywood sign behind them in the distance. Mastermind – the giant that he was – began crawling up the mountain. Helicopters and military jets swarmed around him. He swatted one out of the sky, sending it crashing into the mountainside. He crawled even higher up the mountain – to him, it was just a big hill. He smashed and squashed through the famous Hollywood sign in the process.
More helicopters surrounded him. Trained snipers on board fired upon him. It hurt. A little. Like a tiny little insect bites. Nothing more. He roared. He reached out, clutched one of the helicopters, and threw it spiraling into another one. They both exploded upon impact.
“Both the military and local law enforcement are working together to take down this unbelievably larger-than-life mutant,” continued the reporter. “But so far—”
Mastermind began speaking. His voice boomed for all to hear for miles and miles on both sides of the mountain – across the LA Basin and the San Fernando Valley. “Here me, my
children! I am your God! I am Mastermind, ruler over all the Earth! You will worship me! You will obey me!”
Alex seemed confused. He returned to face the camera, microphone in hand. “The giant demon-like mutant claims to be Mastermind.”
Mastermind slammed his fist down on another jet rushing by, knocking it hard and fast to the ground.
Boom. Another fiery explosion on impact.
Alex paused for a moment, listening to an update in his earpiece. “I’ve just been informed that riots have begun breaking out near hospitals and other cure distribution centers around the world. People are claiming that the vaccine is, in fact, the very source of Mastermind’s plague. Previously unexposed people soon began mutating after receiving the vaccine. And independent lab tests are now showing the chemical to be extremely mutagenic. Officials are now warning citizens not to receive their cure until after further tests can be verified.”
“Well that’s good news,” said Charlie.
“Officials are urging citizens around the world to stay in their homes, let local law enforcement contain any existing mutants, and to please keep the roadways clear and telephone lines free for emergency and official use. All mutants will be detained humanely until a real cure can be found. Local law enforcement and military divisions are working in cooperation around the world to keep the public safe and regain control of our cities. But if you ask me” – he looked at the giant demon behind him – “we sure could use a helping hand from those mysterious heroes here in Los Angeles again right about now.”
Luke turned to Dawn. “You think you can shape-shift as big as him?”
“Probably. Maybe. I dunno,” she said.
“Do your best.” Luke turned to Ray. “What about lifting him? You think you can levitate him and hold him in one spot?”
Ray shrugged. “I’ll try.”
“What are you going to do?” asked Uncle Charlie.
Luke said, “Something I wish I didn’t have to do.”
Chapter Thirteen
Final Act
A flash of white light – and the three heroes arrived in Hollywood, not far from where Mastermind continued to keep the police and military quite busy.
The cops were also still busy evacuating people out of the area. Tanks rolled up and began firing upon the giant beast. Jets fired missiles. And Mastermind laughed.
“Whatever you do, don’t let him touch you,” said Luke.
“Or look at you,” said Dawn.
“Or talk to you,” said Ray. “I really wish we had a better plan.”
“I need you guys to keep him busy. Our mission now is to save as many lives as possible,” said Luke.
“You sure this is the only way?” asked Dawn.
“If I can’t time travel back far enough – then yeah, I’m afraid this is our only option.”
“Good luck, man,” said Ray.
Mastermind stepped on a tank, crushing the metal under his massive weight.
“Go, hurry!” said Ray.
He and Dawn charged towards Mastermind.
Luke closed his eyes. He concentrated hard.
Backwards. As far back in time as he could go. He knew this wouldn’t work. But he had to try.
24 hours. 48 hours. One week. One month. One year…
Could he go back in time far enough to stop Mastermind from killing his parents? From getting his power of mind control? From ever overhearing Uncle Charlie talking about the crystal in the first place?
Come on… dammit!
Everything shifted into a brilliant red blur.
Luke jumped back in time – as far as his power would let him.
The City of Los Angeles transformed around him. The sun moved backwards across the sky. People returned to their cars, their homes, their jobs. Luke reappeared. Found himself standing in the middle of the city streets. He almost got hit by a car. Luke quickly jumped out of the way, onto the sidewalk.
How far back did he go?
Newspaper. He needed a newspaper.
Suddenly he felt an earthquake. Someone screamed. Then more screams. He looked. People pointed at a skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles. The building started to collapse.
Uh oh.
Another small earthquake. Then another building shook. All downtown.
Shit. Rhino-Man was there. He barely went back in time at all! Just a few hours. Maybe. If that!
He had a choice. He could teleport to downtown and help stop Rhino-Man, but he knew his other self and Ray would be there soon enough anyway and take out Rhino-Man by themselves. And helping them would alter his own timeline, and likely create another duplicate – who would only somehow die anyway, and Luke just didn’t want to risk that.
And that worried him. The longer he stayed in the past, the greater the chance he’d knowingly or unknowingly change his own history. And since he now knew another copy of him existed – the mutant Echo – he worried that at any moment, either one of them could die. That whole anti-duplicate timeline preserving law of the universe thing. Luke didn’t think it really mattered if the last survivor was a mutant or not. He could die just as easily as Echo.
And right now, in the past, there were now three of him – himself, his other self fighting alongside Ray, and the mutant Echo. He didn’t want to tempt fate too long. He couldn’t change much at this point anyway. He couldn’t go back far enough. So he closed his eyes, concentrated, and used what little power he had left to jump forward. Light around him shifted into a blue hue. Time fast-forwarded. And suddenly Luke was back in the present, the instant after he left.
Ray and Dawn charged towards Mastermind. Ray levitated himself up off the ground, sending himself flying higher. Dawn shape-shifted into some kind of mythological bird – beautiful multi-colored feathers, massive wings, and talons any mortal would fear.
“It didn’t work,” said Luke. “Guys? Oh.”
He sighed.
“Good luck, guys. Don’t die.”
He said it for himself, too.
Hmm. Maybe there was another option. Maybe he didn’t need to go that far back in time. He wanted to save all those people – prevent all those deaths and random mutations around the world. But that wasn’t an option any more. But maybe… maybe he could stop things from getting any worse.
If he went back to the desert, several minutes ago, he could stop himself from accidentally teleporting Mastermind’s frozen body out of that abandoned starship. He could leave Mastermind trapped on the other side, a million miles away in space, where he couldn’t harm anyone!
No giant demon.
No additional deaths or hideous transformations.
It involved some risk. He’d be directly altering his own timeline again. Would he create another duplicate him? Sheesh, time travel was a mess. Whatever. It was worth the risk. Countless more lives were still at stake.
Okay. It was a plan. Just a few minutes back in time. That was all he needed. And then he’d teleport back to the Mojave Desert. He’d warn his younger self, or immediately toss Mastermind back into the portal, or something. He closed his eyes. Concentrated.
And…
Red shift of light.
“It didn’t work,” Luke saw himself say. “Guys? Oh.”
Dammit! Only a few seconds? That was it? His power took way too long to recharge!
Before the other Luke saw him, this Luke immediately time-traveled a few seconds ahead – back to his own time, the instant he left. He sighed.
“Well, that didn’t work either.”
Fuck.
That left only one thing…
Luke held his crystal in his metal-gloved hand. He took a slow breath. He really didn’t want to do this.
But he was out of options.
He knelt down and started tracing a circle on the sidewalk. He drew the symbol for Eden.
And the portal opened.
He looked back at the giant Mastermind demon in the distance – and jumped in.
“Hi, welcome to Eden! I’m Tristina—”<
br />
“No time,” said Luke. “I need to get to your temple.”
“Of course,” she said. “Would you like me to teleport you there now?”
“Please.”
And he was gone.
He greeted the guards at the door. “Hiya, fellas.” If only they knew.
Luke vaguely remembered how to get to the innermost chamber now. The Temple of the Gods. The Altar of Destiny.
This was where his parents got their powers. Where Uncle Charlie got his super vision. Where Mastermind got his ability for mind control.
Hopefully, this was also where Mastermind got his latest and greatest new super powers too. One explosion should do the trick. Completely disable Mastermind. Make him normal. Make him mortal again. The police should have no problem handling a regular human. They weren’t prepared for someone with powers. No one was.
Of course, even if Mastermind’s powers were completely cut off – would everyone who got mutated by his touch return back to normal? Or would they be stuck in their new form forever? Either way, Luke had to do this. Had to stop Mastermind from mutating any more power. Had to prevent Mastermind from controlling anyone else – ever again.
It, unfortunately, came at a very high price. His uncle would lose his powers too. But it didn’t stop there. There were the millions of other people throughout the galaxy who had acquired powers through this pyramid too. Luke really didn’t want to think of the fallout after he completed what he came here to do.
He arrived at the innermost chamber.
He walked in. The alien writing along the floor illuminated. The spotlight from above centered over the mysterious pedestal. A floating sphere emerged.
He stood close to the pedestal. He took a deep breath. “Okay. You do can do this.” He glanced back over his shoulder, at the entrance to the chamber. No one was around. No one would see him. He raised his arm – pointed his hand at the pedestal – and fired.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, Dawn and Ray had their hands full.
Dawn clawed at Mastermind’s eyes. He grabbed her and started squeezing her to death. She morphed into liquid form, leaking through his fingers. Then, while falling like a human-sized raindrop to the pavement below, she transformed again – into an even larger dragon than before. And thanks to their encounter in New York, she knew how to breathe fire now.
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