Scuttling about, Solis made ready for the invasion. “May the Shadowverse be with you, my lord.”
“Let us certainly hope not,” Titan replied.
~~~
The Shadowforce left the bunker. “Mr. President, where is the ship?” he asked through his communicator.
“The Gobi Desert.”
“The Gobi? What?”
“I don’t know, but you had better get over there.”
“He’s at the Gobi Desert,” Johnny clarified to the others.
“The Gobi?” Ryan asked, scrunching his expression. “Why there?”
“Ask him when you see him.”
“He is gonna wish he hadn’t ever come here.”
Sonovan stepped in front before they departed. “On the other side, there will likely be a contingent of his military. Fight with caution. Johnny, your speed will be our best aid.
Dustin, as soon as we arrive, I want you to go ful hurricane mode, if you understand.
Ryan and I will drop as many as we can. Rose, I want you to light everything that moves ablaze. The heat should be scorching. Sam and Jane, I want you both to keep close together. So, the pairs are Ryan and me, Sam and Jane, and Dustin and Rose. Johnny will be rogue.”
“Sounds fire,” Rose replied, smirking.
“Remember your training. I have been blessed to be with you. Now, into the fray, we shall go.”
Every suit illuminated its colors—Dustin gold, Sam white, Jane red, Ryan green, Jane gray, and Johnny blue. They fired fortification mode up, so the uniforms bulked themselves, adding ancil ary weight as the armor materialized and hardened onto their bodies.
With a tentative voice, Dustin spoke, “Aurora, take us to the Gobi Desert.”
~~~
Taking a small ship to the Valley of Megiddo, Titan stepped out, armor and al , breathing in the fresh air as a smooth breeze flowed across his large frame, red eyes, and bald head. “A beautiful day. A beautiful day for the birth of the Justification.”
Despite more on the way, five-thousand soldiers fol owed behind him, three dozen carrying the machine. The tan creation had a rectangular shape, with a conglomeration of spires and pieces inside it.
Once set up, Titan, stressing the need to do it himself, ignited the Justification Machine. Constructed by Titan himself, the automaton was created to open a portal into the Shadowverse, paving the way for its energies to surround the planet, which would offer the Ooris Titan needed to possess every living human on Earth. Once initiated, Titan sneered as a ray of black energy shot out of the center. The beam halted twenty
thousand feet above the surface, when a piercing sound emanated. In the spot where the energy had accumulated, a gap emerged. Murky energy seeped from this anomaly, mixing with the beam from the machine.
There was an explosion, and the beam shot higher into the sky until its top skewered out of sight. It stopped at the edge of the mesosphere, where Titan’s satel ites had been placed. At this moment, the beam split into a multitudinous number of directions, curving across the face of the planet, gradually basking it in darkness. The Ooris had begun to spread.
“I waited long enough for mankind to advance,” Titan said, grinning a disgusting smile. “Now I can justify.”
A timer appeared on the Justification Machine, ticking down from sixty minutes. Once the timer reached four zeroes, the Justification would commence.
~~~
The portal shoved the brigade out in a moment’s notice. The sun seared their skin as the Shadowforce surveyed the scene. High above, the Titan soared over them. Straight in front of them, ten divisions of soldiers stood. Their armor was black and the helmets translucent, tinted black as wel . In their arms were white blasters, the appearance of which similar to rifles.
“Slip on your masks, guys,” Johnny directed.
“Party time,” Ryan exclaimed. The Shadowforce, except for Sonovan, almost appeared as ninjas.
Sonovan walked to the front of the pack. “Who is in command here?”
A soldier in gray armor stepped forward and approached them. “It is I, Sonovan Lung. How grateful we are that you could join us, coward.”
“Coward no longer. Where is Titan?”
“It is of no importance.”
“Must you take the difficult way? If I do not have to fight, I wil not. But if I must, be ready to meet your maker.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It is whatever you make it to be.”
“Death, then.”
“For you.”
The commander chuckled and took out his blaster. Sam froze him on the spot, white hair blown by the quick strike.
“Sam, was that necessary?”
“What? Was I the only one who knew that conversation was going to Nowheresville?”
“He might have been able to tel us.”
“Eh, but I hate wasting time.”
The soldiers unhinged their rifles and aimed at the Shadowforce. “All right, here we go,” Johnny said, printing his feet into the sand.
“Red,” Sonovan exclaimed. The strategy of battle, termed ‘red’, sent the message.
Johnny blasted off and into the fray. He ran as if his life depended on it, and technically, it did. Johnny kicked up the sand as he moved like a hyper-speed
locomotive. He punched, kicked, elbowed, and threw aside anyone in his way—a man on a mission. In fact, he had not thought he could ever be so violent and devoted to a cause. Only a couple of weeks ago he was in his apartment studying for an exam which seemed meaningless now. Yet, this is what he had yearned for: a higher purpose.
“For the Shadowverse!” Ryan cried.
“For the Shadowverse!” the others roared.
They ran into the battle. Dustin recognized the opportunity and exploited the environment’s main constituent—sand. Upon his command, the sand was raised and blown into a vicious fury of wind, transforming into five distinct twisters.
Sonovan leapt into the fight, slamming down with an Energy burst. The pure Ooris ripped apart the soldiers around him. His eyes burned white, never more prepared to complete the responsibility Oora had charged him with.
Adjacent to him, Ryan smashed, flipped, and kicked the enemies. Their blaster fire proved innocuous as he prodded through to clear the way for Rose and Sam. Similar to Sonovan, though not quite as powerful, Ryan mashed through the soldiers, obliterating some with ease. Their bodies were wiped out from his power.
On the contrary, Jane slipped under an attacker, who followed her move and grabbed her by the throat. Johnny careened by to the rescue, slipping through before breaking the neck of her assailant. She flinched. “Thanks,” she replied.
“Get on,” he motioned, trying to make out her form. The sand blew in torrents.
“What?”
“Get on.” He opened his arms for her to climb onto. “Don’t be afraid. We will work together.”
She got on and they both sped off. Jane focused her power on the air. This formed a wave of telekinetic energy that immobilized the bulk of the army. Running at an unparal eled speed, Johnny, carrying Jane, encircled the battleground. In an ear-splitting scream, she pushed her arms down, and nearly half the soldiers face planted into the sand.
“Nice job,” Johnny approved.
Dustin turned the twisters into the path of the downed warriors. “Rose, now!” he cried.
Fire ejected and gushed from her hands, immersing the sand devils in flames. “Fire tornado coming around!” she screamed to Dustin. “Do it!”
On their way to the immobilized soldiers, the fire tornadoes drove through the other four hundred, bathing them in a blaze. The soldiers screamed in agony as the tornadoes plunged them into flames. The other five hundred which Jane had immobilized were eliminated, the fire baking them in their armor.
Sam froze the last remnants of the once formidable foes. He turned to see Sonovan somehow surrounded by twelve.
Closing his eyes, Sonovan felt peace—tranquility in the middle of battle. �
��All that surrounds me is fear,” he said. Every movement of the opponents he heard and deciphered—nothing was safe. The soldier behind him moved his foot in preparation to shoot. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. “And the dead,” he finished. The sand beneath him underwent the ful fury of the Ooris. His fist impacted the ground, the Ooris rushing through the sand beneath like an earthquake. Thus, the twelve adversaries were no more.
Sam froze the burnt soldiers. In the span of a few minutes, the entire brigade had been slain.
“Woohoo!” Ryan roared. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”
They came together and congratulated each other. “Excellent job, Shadowforce,”
Sonovan complimented. “Johnny, that was an excellent idea to take Jane on a joyride.
Perfect use of her power. Dustin, you came in clutch, as did Rose. A flame tornado! Did not expect that. As for the rest of us, excel ent work. Bril iant, Ryan and Sam. Brilliant.
But now, the true fight begins.”
Johnny nodded and replied, “Where is he?”
A transmission came through his attached headphones. “Great job out there. Titan is in Megiddo. Like, the Val ey of Megiddo. In Israel. And the Justification has already begun.”
Johnny looked up and turned to them. “He’s in the Valley of Megiddo. Israel.”
“Israel? Why would he choose that place?” Sam asked.
“It’s already been started,” the voice informed. “The machine, I mean.”
There was silence. “Well, what are we waiting for?” Sam exclaimed. “Let’s get this sucker!”
“It’s not that simple, Sam,” Johnny replied.
“Well, sure it is. You’re thinking too much.”
“Trust me, I’m not overthinking anything. Titan is ready for us, I know it.” He turned to Sonovan. “What are we going to do?” His heart beat with such ferocity he could barely detect it. Clearly, this little brigade had been a distraction. Above, two more invading ships were making their way through the calm, blue skies, fil ed with more soldiers.
Sonovan grabbed his hand, grasping it tight. “You know what to do.”
Johnny stared at him, unsure yet somehow sure. “Dustin, open the portal.”
He gulped. “Aurora, take us to the Val ey of Megiddo.”
“Certainly.”
“For the Shadowverse,” Dustin muttered, gulping deep.
~~~
The mist of the Energy had dimmed the sky surrounding Earth. Solis stood near Titan, admiring the sight.
“This is it! My ascension!” Titan bellowed. “In only fifty minutes, mil ennia of searching will finally come to a head. The Justification is here.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” retorted a voice from behind. Titan rotated his body dreadfully slow, his eyes making contact with Johnny’s, the rest of the Shadowforce with him. The five-thousand soldiers behind him, along with Solis, armed themselves. Vultures soared above in the air as if in anticipation of the conflict.
Before he could reply, Sonovan front-flipped gracefully from behind Jane and to the front of the pack, between the Shadowforce and the Titan.
CHAPTER 41
ULTIMATUM, PART I
Johnny had never wished to witness a glaring Titan on Earth soil, the world he had cal ed home since birth. Yet Ryan, Rose, Jane, Sam, and Dustin felt the same. But that very reaction spurred something fresh: a global patriotism.
Titan glared at the Shadowforce. “So, the heroes found a way back home. Incredible!
Your power is thus unprecedented!”
“You know what we’ve come for, Titan,” responded Johnny, scowling. “You think you can take away the free will of the universe? I believe you are mistaken.”
“You can recol ect what I had said about free will, can you not? Free will is an il usion. A mirage. Take this place, for example. A beautiful planet, yet its inhabitants cannot control their evils. Even now, a murder is taking place. Even now, someone starves to death. Even now, something terrible ensues.
“The political leaders of this planet are naïve, corrupt, greedy, and inhumane. They only seek to do evil—to better their lives. Fakes! Don’t you understand? Give a species free will and they will destroy themselves. Your world wil fail, like al the others.”
“I believe in humanity. We may hurt each other, but if we work together, we can achieve anything,” replied Johnny.
“No. Humans are too weak to do as you say. This world—this society—is far beyond repair. Won’t you agree, Adia? Or may I say, Justice? Did your time with me show you the truth?”
Rose glared at him and ignored his question. “You wil pay dearly for my parents.
You will wish you stayed in the Shadowverse.”
“I miss you, my dear.”
Her jaw clenched. “I never wanted you as my lord.”
Sighing with a false sadness, he continued all the more. “Don’t you see?” Titan bellowed. “This civilization is too weak! They say ‘I believe in humanity’ yet continue their evils. And now it had gotten to the point of irony. The politicians and so-cal ed good people, condemn the acts of treason and murder, yet take part in the same. In their little huddles—their sects of debauchery—they secretly condone the very act they would condemn. Irony! So, since humanity is too weak to change, I wil do it for them.”
“You’re right, Titan. You’re right. But when people fail in so many areas, I still believe in hope. Hope that humanity wil one day choose the right path.”
Sonovan nodded, as did the others. “You must have faith and hope, my old enemy.
You must have faith.”
Titan shook his head. “Then, since they are too slow to improve—to change—I will speed it up. No longer will there be death, chaos, or war, for al wil be me. All wil be me.” Johnny flinched under the chil ing declaration, his expression proving he was
intimidated. The others gulped. “And I will rule with an iron rod for all the days that remain.”
But Sonovan was fearless, for he had been through this before and knew Titan better than anyone. “So be it,” he challenged. “I wished I would not have to fight you, but I cannot allow you to commit such a twisted act.”
Titan chuckled aloud. “When I win, your powers wil be mine as well. I will inhabit your bodies, and your powers will be spread across al of us. Think of it! Speed, wind, ice, rock. All mine!”
“Not on my watch.”
“You wil not get to my machine, Sparks.”
“And h-how can you be so sure?”
“Your ignorance blinds you. You are not the first, nor will you be the last. Many have been as arrogant as your freshly christened Shadowforce.” With this, he turned his head to Sonovan, smiling maliciously.
Sonovan recognized who Titan implied. “And we defeated you. Orslon. Venarian.
Zydok. In their name, I wil defeat you again—permanently.” Titan snarled at the comment, for he hated the very recitation of their names.
Sonovan stepped closer. “By the end of today, you and I will be together in the Shadowverse. You will never again be able to escape and terrorize reality.”
“Now do not jinx your already dwindling odds.”
“You talk a lot,” Dustin cut in. “Even more than me. Damn, I never thought I’d see the day. Someone who blabbers more than me!”
“Fascinating, indeed!” Sam added.
“Yeah, you should know him,” Ryan added, “He talks a lot.”
“How amusing,” Titan replied.
“We’re gonna destroy that thing, you do know that, right?” Ryan promised.
“You wil try.”
“Starting now,” Johnny retorted.
“You wil never win—any of you. If I fail today, Earth wil destroy itself within the century. Would you not rather save your species than let it slowly suffocate over time?”
“I would rather do my part in saving ourselves.”
Rotating in place, Titan turned, creating a telekinetic shield around the Justification Machine. “Well
then, if you love these feeble souls so much, you will have to slay me to ever stop the Justification.”
“And that, Titan, we shall.”
The soldiers behind Titan adjusted their stance. At the same time, Sonovan unsheathed the Vorson Swords.
From among the soldiers walked Solis in full gear. He wore gray armor with metal ic rib cages and a massive scythe. He stopped when he reached where Titan stood. “The ultimatum is here, my lord.”
“Yes, Solis. It will pave the way to millions of worlds with no heroes to guard them.”
“No!” Johnny screamed. He sprinted to Titan and aimed for his side. Titan threw a hook punch, but Johnny ducked and lashed back with an array of punches. They were so quick that Titan lost his balance. Johnny pounced onto him, but Titan was ready this time. Grabbing Johnny by the throat, he squeezed with a tremendous force. Ryan stormed in and kicked Titan in the side.
“Get off my friend!” he screamed. Titan stood back up, squaring up with Ryan. “And my name is Rocky!” Titan attempted to thrust kick him, but Ryan moved to the side, squatted low, and sprang out like a trampoline, just how Sonovan had taught him. The two slammed into each other, flying in the air at nearly one hundred feet, landing with a loud bang.
The Special Forces, realizing battle had begun, bolted into action. Their armored outfits resembled the ones Z had given the Shadowforce, since the Tetra initial y created theirs for the very Special Forces they were now fighting. Dustin flared up a torrent of wind, collapsing the soldiers. Unlike the ones they had destroyed, these were robots. The wind from Dustin threw them off-balance, which was the necessary effect the Shadowforce sought.
Ice rained down upon the army. Sam had unleashed a furious spasm of ice, which froze nearly seventy of the robotic soldiers. The ice shaped gargantuan frozen drifts.
Rose followed by discharging fire, aiming at the warriors surrounding them. She leapt into the air and slammed back into the ground, similar to how she had done when she had fought as Justice.
When she landed, an explosion of fire and energy burst out from her center. Her eyes burned in fury as the robots blew apart and fell to their knees, ablaze. Though no longer a servant of Titan, the lessons he had inadvertently taught her had not been forgotten.
The Shadowverse Page 33