The group hesitated, but Char too waved them over. Felicity dragged Ted toward the front of the mob. When she looked at the Queen’s feet she stopped abruptly, grinning.
She pointed. “I just love those boots!” Felicity exclaimed in her southern drawl.
Bethany Anne aimed a finger over her shoulder at the man behind her to prevent the comment she just knew Michael was straining to keep in as she replied, “I know, right? Finally, a woman with taste!”
She finally turned to Michael. “See? It’s all about the shoes.”
“San Francisco has some of the best shopping in the world if you can spare a few hours,” Felicity added.
Bethany Anne looked up at Michael. He struggled mightily, jaws working as he grimaced, but finally he surrendered and let his eyes roll.
“And Michael will go too,” Bethany Anne said. “I’ve been away from this hunk of mostly hairless hot stuff for way too long.”
Michael pursed his lips and commented, “It’s growing. It’s just taking a while.”
She looked at the group who now formed a semicircle around her. “I wanted to meet you personally and thank you for everything you’ve done, both in my name and on your own to help make the world a better place. Akio said he could not have chosen better—even if he’d had a choice.”
There was a rumble of laughter at that and she paused a moment before continuing, “What we’ve found across the universe is that no matter how hard we try, we can never fully defeat evil.”
She shrugged. “It can be stomped into the ground.” Bethany Anne put up her fingers, just an inch apart. “It can be sliced into little fucking pieces, but where one is removed, another takes its place. Fucking cockroaches! We can relegate them to the dark places, the slime and swamps in which they breed, but they’ll always be there.
“No matter. You have helped make the world safe for humanity once again. You have carved a chunk out of life’s cesspool, and you have handed it over so those who remain can make their own way. Self-determination and all that.”
She sighed as she took them all in. “And now you have some choices, one of which is to take the rest you deserve. God knows you deserve it, and it’s yours if that is what you want.”
She smiled for a moment. “However…” She paused and winked at Terry Henry. “You knew there was going to be a ‘however,’ right?”
Bethany Anne got the chuckles she was looking for as she waved a hand at the massive ship above them. “I want to invite you to take the War Axe through the Annex Gate and join my father, Lance Reynolds, in securing and expanding the brand new Etheric Federation.”
She smiled mischievously. “There is a little side business called ‘the Bad Company’ I think you and your people would be perfect to slide right into.” She looked at TH and Char. “What do you think about exporting your brand of justice to the whole fucking universe?”
Bethany Anne didn’t wait for an answer before continuing.
She pointed up, but her focus was strictly on the man in front of her.
A man who had walked through his own version of hell, the guilt over what did and didn’t happen during the WWDE. It had taken TH decades to come to terms with his responsibilities when he chose to come out of the mountains twenty years after WWDE and change the lives of those around him.
One day at a time.
Bethany Anne continued, “The sky beckons warriors, so come home to your place, TH. Earth will survive without you, because you have taught it to. You’ve done your duty. Your legacy will live on here, but I have a new mission for those willing to step up. To take your skills and your get-shit-done attitude to a place that will cause your eyes to pop.
“Come home to the stars. Come home to the Etheric Federation.” She looked at the group. “All of you.”
Terry squeezed Char’s hand, and they smiled at each other. He looked at the rest of the eager faces. It was everything he never knew he wanted. He opened his mouth to speak, but…
Before he could answer, a huge German Shepherd-looking dog vaulted from the ship, raced in a wide arc around the Elites, and slid to a stop near Terry and Char, wagging its tail furiously as he looked up at him.
Like he had found a new toy…Or maybe a friend.
“Who’s a good boy?” Terry said, wearing a ridiculous grin as he took in the dog. Char tried to keep her face calm as she watched her husband, who just couldn’t stop himself.
Michael answered from behind Bethany Anne.
“He knows who the good boy is. This is Dokken, Terry Henry, and he’s pretty smart. When and if you get a chip in your head, you’ll be able to communicate with him.”
Michael turned to the panting creature, who was staring up at him. “Yes? Are you sure? Okay, have it your way.” Michael shrugged and turned back to TH. “Dokken says to tell you that he thinks you’re a good boy too.”
Terry started to laugh in the way a person does when he’s among friends.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
QBS ArchAngel II, Heading Toward New York City State
“Because,” ArchAngel, the AI of the ship, told Bethany Anne, “you are too valuable to be out there with only Michael. John and the others got into a barfight in this very city.”
“A barfight?” Bethany Anne asked her own face. “You want to go down and help Michael pick up Valerie because of a barfight?”
“They have flying ships, so there is danger.” She sniffed.
Bethany Anne’s eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute…” She pointed to the screen. “You want to show off! This is from the reports of the War Axe, isn’t it!”
ArchAngel hesitated before answering, “I am a digital sentient being. I do not need to show off.”
Bethany Anne’s eyes narrowed. “When do you believe the best time would be to accomplish this?”
There was no telltale hesitation of an AI calculating the answer—ArchAngel already had the answer ready. “In the evening. The weather pattern shows that a cloud bank will be present from which we can descend at the same time the rays from the sun setting in the west highlight the ship.”
“Uh huh.” Bethany Anne waved a hand. “Set it up with Michael. I’m joining him to pick up Valerie and whoever wishes to come.” Bethany Anne pointed a finger at her ship’s avatar. “But don’t be scaring the locals…”
She finished her sentence as she headed off the bridge, “too much.”
—
Those in New York City State were very aware of the humans who had returned. Their efforts around the world had been recorded, and when possible, the recordings had been sent to those in power.
To both proper power—the authorities—and to improper power, the criminals.
On the top of the fifteen-story Jackson Building, which had been renamed after Conner Jackson, a man who had died in a recent battle to protect the city, a couple were dining quietly. By candlelight, even.
Not that they needed it to see, for there was plenty of light from the advertisements above them, and the waning light of sunset still glowed in the west. There were no other buildings close, so there were lots of floating vehicles heading back and forth above them and below them.
They ignored the cars.
The woman had blond hair and a medium tan. She chewed her food, but then used her fork to punctuate her comments as she and the other spoke. “I’m telling you, it is possible to take out one of their ships.” She swallowed as she leaned over the small table. “Bobby, we could use that ship to help us acquire a few more, and then decide if we can run up enough to take over one of the bigger ships.”
“Are you daft, Chelsea?” he asked. His mouth was open, his food-laden fork forgotten. “Do you have an ounce of logic in your brain, or is it completely full of stupid?”
“See?” She glanced at him, her eyes agates as she cut her meat. She stabbed it with her fork, but then used it to point at him. “You lack vision!” She stuck it in her mouth, continuing to talk, “You have the spine of an earthworm wallowing in the mud. You need
me,” she swallowed, “to point out the possibilities.” She looked back down at her food. “And you can call me ‘Barbara Anne’ from now on.”
“WhaaaaaAAAT?” Bobby sat there a moment, his hands on the table. “You’re changing your name now, too?” He shook his head, “And her name is ‘Bethany Anne,’ not ‘Barbara Anne.’”
The woman rubbed her nose. “I’m aware of that.” She corrected her posture. “But I don’t want to change my hair.”
Bobby looked at his partner in crime, thinking of the reckless ideas she had put into his head over the years and how many times he had accomplished those stupid things so she would admire him.
Now he recognized exactly what he was to her.
A pawn. A patsy. Someone she was using to climb the ladder. If he failed, she would jump on the next man and suck him dry, until he was used up or had provided enough for her sense of self-worth. She was still talking, her fork waving, but he tuned her out.
The stupidity of her latest idea had finally allowed him to see through to the dank core of her heart. He sighed, put down his fork and knife, folded his hands over his belly, and leaned back, enjoying the evening air.
For a criminal he wasn’t bad. He didn’t hurt others on purpose, and those Chelsea had encouraged him to destroy were in his profession too. One day he rather expected to be gunned down by someone like him.
Perhaps someone else with their own Chelsea driving them to accomplish great things for their own ego. But this Chelsea?
It was at that moment the massive thrum caught his attention. He leaned over to look down the street, where a lot of the air vehicles were turning, making sharp rights or lefts to get out of the flight lanes or going below the approved in-city flying altitude.
The cars on the ground had all stopped, and people were getting out and pointing behind him.
Bobby turned to his left, ignoring Chelsea, who was getting annoyed because he wasn’t paying attention. He ground out, “You need to pay attention too, you stupid bitch.”
His lips pressed together as she started calling him names.
In front of him a large ship, black in color, was slowly moving between the buildings. Now this was a vessel! Its majestic presence took his breath away as it slowly floated down the street at the same height as the roof of his building. The white logo of a female vampire with fangs fairly stared at him as it went by.
Something touched his mind as he watched the ship pass, then a male voice spoke to him.
Rabid dogs always come to an end, and how many people do they kill before it happens?
As the ship passed, Chelsea stood across the table pointing to it. “That one!” she exclaimed as she watched it. “That’s the one we will start with.” She turned to face Bobby, excitement in her eyes…until she noticed his gun pointing at her head.
He shook his head. “No, we won’t.”
“What are you doing?” She stomped her foot, her lips sneering. “Don’t be a boot-licking spineless—”
A bit of her brain splattered the roof’s deck but some went over, no doubt dropping to the street below as her body jerked backward and hit the safety wall before slumping to the floor. Her eyes were open, but lifeless.
Bobby slid the gun back into its holster as one of his men turned to call inside. Bobby picked up the napkin and wiped his mouth before he stepped around the table and squatted next to the lifeless woman. “I’d tell you it was the gods talking to me who told me to kill you.”
He reached forward and closed her eyes, “But the truth is, you were a heartless bitch who already ended too many lives, using me as the weapon. I couldn’t let you go, because there would have constantly been guys gunning for me with you pushing them from behind.” He stood up, nodding to his men, who had brought a large canvas tarp. “Sometimes the tool gains wisdom.”
He turned his back on her and walked away, heading into his suite.
—
Bethany Anne was in her suite watching the video Shinigami had taken of the incident. “Did Michael cause that?”
“I believe Michael played a part,” Shinigami answered. Her face was in the corner of the video. “He was in the front of the ship searching the minds of the people around, looking for Valerie.”
“We could always just announce ourselves.”
“True,” Shinigami replied in that tone that said, “Only if you make us.”
Ten minutes later, Michael sent word that he had found Valerie and was going to take the silver shuttle down.
Bethany Anne acknowledged his message and agreed she would meet him back on the ArchAngel, which was hovering behind them.
Allowing Michael a moment to greet his protege without her around.
—
A shadow fell over the city. At first Valerie thought it was simply another storm, but then a familiar voice called, “Valerie, I hope this isn’t a bad time.”
Valerie, her friend Sandra, Sandra’s husband and their baby named after Valerie, and finally her partner-in-crime Robin turned to see Michael walking toward them on one of the broad streets of New York.
Above him a silver shuttle hovered, and past that a spaceship larger than anything Valerie had ever seen took up most of the sky to the east.
It had to be several times as large as the whole city of New York!
“My...Dark Messiah,” she greeted him, bowing her head. “Is it time?”
He smiled and nodded. “Terry-Henry Walton is already aboard and looks forward to seeing you again. He brought a friend, so I will extend the offer to you to do so as well.” His eyes moved past her and he nodded. “Welcome, Robin.”
Valerie had almost forgotten that he could read minds, so she blushed.
“Thank you.”
He nodded. “Please say your farewells, and let’s be off. We have a war to win. We want to leave the area so Bethany Anne does not have to respond to attacks.” A small, grim smile graced his face. “She has become less patient even than I when she is responding to provocation. I might have to work on that with her.”
Michael smiled a half-second later. “Imagine that, if you can. I am to be the person who encourages restraint!”
With that he turned and the shuttle dropped into the center of Capital Square. People left a wide space around it and watched in amazement, many heads turning from the advanced shuttle up to the sky and back down once more.
A few spoke of gods and goddesses, and Michael tried to keep his eyes from flashing in irritation. There was nothing he could do except ignore the comments.
He moved forward and a door opened for him, and he stepped up into the shuttle. They could just make him out as he sat there waiting. At first Valerie hadn’t been sure it was him since his head wasn’t completely bald like it had been when they had first met. As they approached, though, there was no doubt.
“So this is actually it,” Sandra said, careful with the baby as she gave Valerie a one-armed hug. “Fuck! I mean,” she covered the baby’s ears and blushed, “I’m going to miss you. I really will. I’ll write you, let you know how we’re doing. Is there a way to get letters to you?”
“I’ll ask,” Valerie promised. She hugged Diego too and then turned to the shuttle, her eyes moving with awe to the large ship above. “I have a feeling this is going to blow my mind.”
“You and me both,” Robin replied.
You two have no idea, Michael’s voice said in their minds, and they looked at each other with wide eyes.
“Here we go,” Valerie said.
“Into the great beyond to kick alien ass,” Robin agreed.
“Let’s make it count.”
Together they gave Sandra, Diego, and baby Valerie a final wave, and walked forward to enter the shuttle and begin the next stage of their journey.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Nagoya, Japan, Hirano Residence
Yuko touched down in her Pod outside Hirano’s residence, then sat for a moment watching the breeze blow a blossom across the parking lot.
S
he knew she had to face him, but her mind churned with all the possibilities of how this might go. What if he wasn’t interested anymore? What if he had a girlfriend now, or worse? What if…
What if?
She stopped herself, realizing that she was just working herself into a state. She glanced up at the windows, trying to figure out which was his. Eve had already done a scan and confirmed by the location of his handset that he was home, so all she had to do was walk up to the door and see if he’d buzz her in.
Her heart felt like it was going to explode. She hit the button to open the Pod door and stepped out into the breeze, bracing herself against the slight difference in temperature.
In a moment she had crossed the asphalt to the entry and rung the button as if it hadn’t been any time at all since she was last here.
“Hello?” Hirano’s voice came through the intercom.
“Er...hello. It’s me. Yuko.” She paused, waiting for his reaction.
There was a long silence.
“Ah, er... Hello!” He didn’t sound displeased to hear her, but he certainly wasn’t jumping for joy. Her heart sank, and every second of silence crushed it deeper and deeper in on itself.
She wasn’t sure what else to say. Her mind started scrambling for ways to explain why she was back, and why now and not before.
But no words came.
After what seemed like an eternity, though, the buzzer sounded. She moved to push the door open while she had the chance and slipped inside.
The walk from the front door to his apartment was the longest distance she’d ever covered. Every step gave her new pause for thought.
It took all her training and will power to keep pressing forward. She knew she was walking toward disappointment and rejection.
She arrived at the door, which was slightly ajar, so she pushed it open and stepped inside. The place looked the same as it had the last time she had been here, although it was maybe a little tidier. She wondered idly if she had caught him the day after his cleaner had been there.
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