The God Hunters

by Gordon D Lanyon

  I thought of the rent ripped in the earth from his earlier experiments. I remembered the terror in the voice of the little girl nearly buried under tons of earth and stone. I thought of the hundreds killed and the carnage going on even now outside this very building and knew there could be only one answer to such a statement. I felt my anger build and in response my katar activated. The time for stalling was over. It was time to fight. The trouble was, the katar felt heavy in my hands. My link with Kat was gone and so was all her training. With the odds stacked so heavily against us, I needed her to have any hope of winning.

  Kailex saw my katar weaponize and read the anger streaming from my mind. His face twisted in a look of contempt.

  “Pah! What a waste!” He pointed disparaging at Walker who was already advancing on Lisa. “So foolish!” Then he nodded toward Fusto. “Very well then, if death is what you choose, I will provide it. But know this. Once you’re dead I‘m going to take your bodies. Whether you wish it or not, you‘ll serve me in the next world!” With a dismissive wave of his hand he turned toward his console. “A pity I can’t watch Fusto destroy you, but I must finish this final sequence. I've already delayed too long“. He made a striking motion toward Fusto. “Kill them. Try not to damage the bodies more than necessary.” With that he turned away and focused on the console in front of him.

  After that I was too busy running to care what he was doing.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Walker focused totally on Lisa. Inside she felt nothing but hate and a growing hunger. She let her Beast out a little more and started laughing. Across from her Lisa's eyes widened, then narrowed. “You've changed,” she growled.

  “I've changed,” agreed Walker. “I'm going to rip you open and eat all the creamy parts.”

  She felt different. Like she was going to enjoy this. She was almost panting with eagerness. Her Beast was more in control now than ever and it wanted to feed. She leapt forward, striking down hard but Lisa danced left while deflecting much of the blow. Her katar slid down the opposing weapon in a continuous 360 motion that almost took her right into Lisa’s blade. Desperately she pirouetted to the side. Even so, Lisa's katar cut a thin line across her vulnerable hip. Blood swelled to the front but it was only a surface nick.

  “You're cut,” whispered Lisa, smiling.

  For answer Walker ran a long finger over the injury scooping up a little of the blood. She tasted the finger. “I wonder if yours tastes as good. Let's find out.” Then again she attacked, katar flicking in and out in a complicated pattern that Lisa struggled to match.

  “Aaah!” screeched Lisa as Walker's katar bounced off her vest in a spray of sparks but still managed to cut deep into an arm. Instead of following up, Walker stepped back triumphant but a little out of breath.

  “Does that hurt?” she asked, eyes totally black now. It was all she could do to hold her Beast back. It wanted to drop the katar and just pounce, but Lisa was still dangerous.

  Not yet, she whispered to her Beast, not yet. Hold, hold. Give me your strength and you’ll soon feed! Deep inside she felt a shock of power that almost overwhelmed her. Now she shut her mouth and drove directly at Lisa, katar a blur. In front of her, Lisa's mouth set in grim lines as she backed away, looking only to defend for the moment.

  “Bren,” she shouted. “A little help!”

  Belle had been about to circle round and attack Fusto when she noticed Bragg scuttling across the ceiling toward her. Immediately her priorities changed. This was the one she had to kill. An image of her mother moving through the dark forest, sleek, muscular and deadly came to her. She relived the moment her mother had died. Bragg had paused before killing, drinking her fear. Belle’s anger spiked and she changed. Too fast, it left her helpless for a moment. Bragg fell upon her. She felt its bite penetrate. Then strength returned and she pivoted hard tossing the crab like creature to the floor where it rolled up hard against a row of machines. Then it did the thing she feared. Collapsed into a hard ball even as she sprang upon it, claws and teeth flashing. The ball spun away from her. She couldn't catch it in her teeth and her claws barely scraped it. Then she saw it expand and contract and bounce all the way to the ceiling where it spattered, cocoon like and stuck. There was a brief frenzy of activity before it ripped open and a creature the image of Belle fell back to the floor. It was larger with thicker armor, panting heavily.

  Knowing how much energy Bragg had used to facilitate the change, Belle leapt upon him, easily ripping the left shoulder open to the bone. But Bragg somehow skipped away, kept her at a distance though she pressed the attack hard. Bragg was gaining in strength. She felt its weariness dropping away.

  Suddenly it stopped running and turned to fight. Now they fought for real, tearing at each other, each doing damage. In a final frenzy of battle they abruptly separated, each spitting and roaring at the other.

  Breathing heavily Belle saw Bragg had taken several vicious wounds; one of his legs hung uselessly now. But she was unable to take satisfaction from this as her own vision suddenly flickered and she stumbled. Surprise washed over her, then frustration. Her stomach was torn open, guts and small intestine visible, spilling out from the tear. This was a killing wound. Roaring her frustration, she showed all her teeth, challenging Bragg to come in for the finish though she knew he wouldn't. His enemy was already dead, all he had to do was wait. She could save herself if she changed, but then he’d be on her and the result would be the same. She felt a terrible sadness. Bragg had killed her twice and now her mother would never be avenged. A wave of dizziness struck her and she fell to the floor. It was all she could do to turn her body so she faced him while he circled, waiting to make the kill. Or to drink her fear.

  ◆◆◆

  I pulled my gun and fired three quick bursts. The blasts hit Fusto in the chest but didn't stop or slow him down. His armor flared, absorbing the energy, though some must have penetrated because he gave a short bark of pain and stumbled. His momentum carried him into me, spinning me through the air. The action saved my life though as Bren's katar sliced through the very spot I’d just been standing.

  “Oomph!”

  I struggled to put air back into my lungs while dancing away from Bren's charge. Just in time I remembered my own katar and used it to block a blow that would have beheaded me. I parried back and forth with him, while he slowly pushed me towards the wall. Fortunately there were machines everywhere and I was able to successfully pivot behind them whenever things got too intense. Fusto meanwhile had regained his feet and was tenaciously pursuing. On the positive side, he was slow, while on the negative he was an unstoppable tank. If Bren ever cornered me so Fusto could get a grip on me I’d be done for. Grimacing at the thought I decided it would be better not to allow that. When in doubt, run. As I ran I sent a questing thought deep inside.

  “Kat, where are you?”

  I had to re-establish our link. Kailex had broken it and without it I didn't have the skill needed to seriously fight Bren, let alone Fusto, the unstoppable.

  Nothing...

  I concentrated harder, pushed my need deeper. Was there something there? I thought I’d felt something? A pressure...

  I smiled, leaping lightly onto a metal casing some nine feet high. I watched as Fusto crashed into it, bouncing to the floor. Pulling himself up he favored me with a flinty look. This time there was real anger inside those tiny eyes. Abruptly he threw himself to the side just in time to avoid Bren‘s katar which clipped the space I’d been standing in. Staggering to his feet he back handed Bren, sending him hard into some heavy machinery. No words were spoken but I saw hatred flit across Bren’s face at this treatment. Whatever they were, they weren’t friends. That had probably saved me to this point because they definitely weren’t working together.

  Leaping from the top of one machine to another I kept running. I was using my speed which was my one advantage. Even Bren wasn’t as quick as I was. I needed time. Yes, I definitely felt it now. Something inside was pushing back. Kat was
trying to get to me! Whatever Kailex had done, it felt like it wouldn’t hold her much longer.

  ◆◆◆

  She felt so alive and happy! Lisa was bleeding from a dozen wounds and was desperately defending herself. She knew toying with Lisa was dangerous but couldn't stop herself. Her Beast was enjoying itself too much. The kill was there and it was savoring the moment, letting the Hunger build. Then it happened, a stumble, a block that wasn't quick enough. She swung hard and felt a momentary jolt as her katar seemed to pause against Lisa's neck. Then she heard a wet "plop" and the head spun from Lisa's shoulders, the last expression on it one of shock and fear.

  “So sad you died again. NOT!” she screamed. Then she sprang on the head and everything dissolved into rich, creamy pleasure as she fed. Deeper! She dug, scooping out all that was there, licking the edges for what was left. She took everything! Felt the moment of actual death with a thrill that rolled through her body like a different kind of feast. Her eyes rolled. A killing feed was different! She shuddered in momentary ecstasy. Then screamed!

  Pain exploded through her awareness, snapping her back to the present. Her chest was on fire, sparks shooting from her protective vest. Somehow she was on her back. Rolling to her feet she stumbled disoriented but intent on pulling the remains of the charred vest off before it burned her too badly. She tossed it clumsily to the floor, where it lay smoking. Someone had tried to put a hole in it and failed, but only barely. She checked herself. Still intact, surprisingly.

  Bren stood over Lisa's remains. He looked up, surprised to see she was on her feet. His eyes narrowed. They were very angry.

  “I see SHIP made you the very best armor. It never did that for me.”

  He shrugged. “No matter. You‘re wounded and you've let your Beast out too far. A fighter needs control to win in a contest of equals and your Beast has little. But your greatest mistake? Feeding in the middle of a battle.” With a light step forward he attacked.

  It had been all she could do to pull off the vest. The damn thing had scorched her so badly the skin ripped away as she tore it off. Bren was speaking to her but her Beast was roaring so loudly she couldn't hear a word he was saying. Probably nothing good. She was struggling to regain her balance. Blinking, she shook her head to clear it while staggering backward to gain distance. Somehow she still held the katar but her Beast, damn its black soul, was urging her to attack. She almost did. Then Bren was on her and she was defending.

  His was a different attack from Lisa's. Much more sophisticated and variable. Often he attacked her legs forcing her to turn in ways that she wasn't ready to move. In a short time she was cut in several places and bleeding badly. Still he kept to the outside, waiting for blood loss to make her vulnerable. He didn't like risk she realized. Still, if she continued fighting defensively there could only be one end to this contest. She had to do what he wasn’t willing to do, take a risk. A Hail Mary, winner take all! Her Beast screamed in fear, tried to retreat weakening her! She ignored it. Maybe that was Bren‘s problem, he thought too much like his Beast? ‘Fuck that!’ she thought.

  When Bren was as close as he was likely to come, she threw her katar. It was a high throw to the chest that forced him to move and parry wide, leaving his center undefended. She closed with him in a flash of bodies. Together they crashed to the ground and rolled over and over. She kneed him and pulled a wicked little knife from her boot in one smooth action. She almost got him. The knife stopped at his throat, drawing a tiny bead of blood. Eyes wide in sudden terror his right hand held her knife arm while his left pushed up under her chin. Sweeping his hips up he tossed her onto her back.

  “Ahh!” she cried as he broke her wrist and took the knife from her. A moment later a fist holding the knife hilt slammed into her head, rocking her.

  “And now little one,” he purred, “I can feed because this battle‘s over.” Pulling her head to the left he brought the knife up for a sweeping cut across her throat. Dazed, she felt her Beast retreat deep inside her. ‘Coward,’ she thought.

  She felt a distant shuddering jolt and the legs wrapped so tightly around her abruptly loosened. She was no longer being held.

  “What?” she whispered. Opening her eyes Bren’s headless body still straddled her. Blood from its neck fell in a thick, warm rain. Screaming in disgust she shoved it away! Rolling onto her side she saw Belle standing on wobbly legs, Bren's head contained in her massive jaws. The jaws closed with a crunch. Then a bigger Belle appeared, snatching her up. It shook Belle hard enough to make cracking noises before tossing her to the side. Bragg! Had to be, she thought. It turned to her, anger and frustration in its eyes. It had failed to protect Bren, but it could still kill her.

  She climbed to her feet, looking for her katar. Bragg stood in front of it. Her Beast wanted to go immediately to Bren. It disliked wasting food. Feeding would give her strength, fix her wounds. Still, what she'd taken from Lisa was already healing her, pouring strength into tired muscles. She remembered what Bren had said about feeding too early and showed her teeth to Bragg. It was never good to show weakness. This startled him, even forced a backward step. Then he stopped and showed his own teeth in reply, of which there were rows and rows.

  ’That didn't go well’, she thought.

  ◆◆◆

  I was beginning to get worried. I was pretty sure I could stay away from Fusto but Bren was just too fast. He’d cornered me a couple of times and the exchanges hadn’t gone well. I had the distinct impression he was playing with me. My right arm hurt and my left leg was bleeding nicely from a long gash down the thigh. I was slowing because of it, barely able to keep ahead of Fusto. Suddenly Bren appeared above me.

  “Ah, there you are. I was wondering where you'd gone”. He squinted appraisingly, a look of concern on his face. “That leg looks bad. I don’t think you’re going to be able to outrun my partner much longer and all this running has really pissed him off.” Abruptly he turned and looked to his left frowning deeply. We both heard a distant voice calling him for help.

  “Damn! It appears I have to go. Lisa‘s in trouble again. You know women, can't live with or without them.” He winked. “We’re in a relationship.” Casually he flicked a knife at me. I moved but the knife was faster. It ripped through my left foot, in effect nailing me to the floor. I yelled my displeasure appropriately.

  “Don't worry, I'll be back. Probably not soon enough, though. I wouldn’t want to be you when the big guy gets here. I've asked him not to kill you right away. All this running has given me a serious appetite. I'm in the mood for some real food!” He laughed, looking back towards Lisa he added, “Maybe Lisa and I'll get to start early.” Then he was gone, leaving me in agony and wondering what to do about my foot. Already I could feel the meaty vibrations that where the precursor to Fusto‘s arrival. Right on time he pounded around the corner, breathing heavily. He pointed a huge meaty hand at me and pulled the thumb across his throat. There was no mistaking his meaning.

  I looked at the knife and decided I had little choice. Grimacing I pulled it free just as he charged like a crazed rhino. Pivoting, I ducked under his arm and managed to avoid most but not all of him. His shoulder caught and held me against some machinery. It was like being held under the wheel of a truck as it sped down the highway. I heard one of my ribs snap then squirted out from his grip while he flailed around in an attempt to catch me more fully. That wasn’t smart as he lost his footing and went airborne. The crash when he hit was like the ‘whump’ of a mortar. I would have laughed but my side was already quite painful so I just smiled. He’d been doing a lot of falling lately and I didn’t think he was too happy about it. A monster of few words I heard him whisper something I couldn’t catch. Probably ‘Hulk, smash’ or something to that effect. I got to my own feet and hobbled as swiftly as I could in the direction Lisa’s call for help had come from.

  Behind me was a trail of blood a blind man could follow, not that Fusto needed any trail to find me. He was right behind and gaining. Whoever had de
signed him knew what they were doing. He never tired. I, on the other hand, was fading fast. My only real option was to keep moving. Fusto was too big to fight hand to hand. I needed an edge of some kind. I could still feel Kat digging her way through the block Kailex had set but she was still nowhere to be found. That might have been my fault. I hadn’t time to offer her any help and right now I needed all my strength for myself.

  I rounded a bank of machines and saw the God-King hanging in the air, still caught up in whatever he was doing. I hobbled towards him.

  I'd just gotten to where I needed to be when I felt a large meaty hand slam me to the floor. I skidded some six feet before I stopped. Fusto loomed above me. He smiled down at me. I hadn't noticed how wide his teeth were until now. His wasn’t a pretty face. He reared back to give me another good smack but I rolled out of the way. His fist slammed the floor and I swear lifted my ass into the air a good foot. This actually turned out to be a good thing because it helped me leap up onto his shoulder and from there I quickly scrambled around behind him. I pressed the energy gun I'd just retrieved from in front of Kailex into the back of his neck, under his protective vest and started firing. I'm not sure how many times I pulled the trigger but suddenly he was screaming and dancing around with me holding on like I was a rodeo rider trying for the big prize. Seventeen pulls of the trigger later I was on my back once again, thrown a good fifteen feet. Sparks were flying from his armor, along with a good amount of smoke. Something was glitching badly. The vest where it crisscrossed his chest was glowing like bands of heated steel and I could smell the stench of burning flesh even as he tore it from his back and threw it the distance of a large field. As he turned toward me, murder in his eyes I saw a fuzzy image of the vest had burnt right into his chest. That must hurt I thought!