Forged

by G S Michaelson

  * * *

  Douglas prepared to bid farewell to the Nirthi family, putting on a jacket and donning his boots.

  Richard’s image flashed through his mind. He would find and kill him later, but first, he needed to leave the house so as not to endanger others by his presence, and then he needed to find the rest of his team. Their plan didn’t need him, but he could help regardless.

  He thought about the family that housed him, accepting their fate under a cruel system determined to grind the soul out of everyone in that County and gritted his teeth.

  There was loud banging at the door. Mr Nirthi went on to open it, expecting a friend or two. Many on the street knew of their predicament, so they at least expected someone to come and say their farewells.

  The door opened. A dozen stony-faced soldiers stood outside, in full gear, The Order Squadron.

  “I’m sorry, can I help—,”the lead soldier interrupted him with a knee to the gut.

  “Search the house, prepare the family here for purging,” He signalled to his men. They were armed with the standard energy batons and were uninterested in any resistance, principled or otherwise.

  Douglas quickly realised what had happened as the Nirthi family screamed and begged for their lives. Someone had seen him come in. Someone had heard the broadcasts. Someone had snitched. Someone had been cruel enough to tear the lives of this poor, sweet family apart.

  The rot in this town was everywhere, spreading from the top. But first, he had a job to do.

  Protect the Nirthis.

  He stepped out of the guest room. The first soldier saw him and began to call out.

  He never finished his sentence. In a matter of seconds, every soldier had been crushed by Douglas. The Nirthis looked at him as if he was some kind of

  “Stay here.” Douglas warned the Nirthi family, “Lock the doors. Don’t let anyone in. We’re going to clean this place up from the inside out.”

  * * *

  Across town, Derek, Zeke, Simon and Rachel raced across the rooftops. The van had been securely stowed, but they still needed to get to the Shining Towers of the County soon. The parade was about to start, and the streets were crowded. Travel by rooftop was the fastest and most efficient way for Godspark users like them. Derek especially bounded over buildings like he lived for that, his natural athleticism shining through.

  Derek looked at Zeke and Simon through the corner of his eye and understood. They were about to either save their town or die trying. Even if they succeeded, they would not be able to settle there for a very long time. Even if they could, the wounds of the past could not be un-inflicted.

  It would be painful victory he reflected, but a victory nonetheless. They all needed one.

  It was the ever-observant Rachel that noticed them first.

  “Stop!”

  Everyone’s eyes snapped to attention as two figures stood abreast of them. One of them, not quite standing but seemingly floating.

  “Are these the ones that killed Georgina last night, Julian?” Annabelle asked, eyes flitting from one to the other. She was dressed for battle, her black woolly hair tied back in a bun, the white and green combat armour they wore accentuating her brown skin. More noticeable was the pair of multicoloured butterfly-like wings suspending her just so much above ground.

  “It seems so, Annabelle,” Julian replied. His hands gripped a pair of tonfa batons, his gaze too appraised the group.

  “Damn,” Derek said, “It seems we’ve been intercepted, and we were so stealthy too.”

  “They were ready for us,” Zeke said.

  “Flying on rooftops-,” Annabelle began to levitate higher, “-Isn’t exactly what one would call subtle.”

  Sparkling Moth Scales!

  Fine powder like scales drifted down towards the group, and then exploded.

  A webline shot out from the smoke, snagging the nearest building. Following the silvery, sticky life rope, Derek swung out. In one hand, Zeke’s shirt was tightly scrunched up. Rachel clung to his back for dear life.

  “Simon!” Zeke yelled as the smoke cleared.

  Julian had leapt from his perch, swinging his tonfa towards Derek, he caught him on his back and knocked him off his trajectory. Crash landing onto a nearby building, the trio readied for battle.

  In the sky above them, Annabelle prepared another explosive volley, then she abruptly dropped. A plasma beam pierced the air where she had once floated.

  Simon had geared up. His gauntlets assembling on his arms and legs.

  Hephaestus: Plasma Shot.

  More and more beams pierced the air, as Annabelle darted and weaved her way through them expertly.

  “Forget her and head to the Tower!” He yelled, “I’ll take her on and meet up with you guys later.”

  “Oh.” Annabelle said as she and Simon moved away, “You’re forgetting someone.”

  Julian dashed towards Derek again, his tonfa fully extended.

  “Alright Simon, Zeke and I will head off,” Derek said, nodding towards Zeke.

  “I could crush your skull before you moved-” Julian’s tonfa swung out towards Derek— and then he pivoted — the surprise turn catching Rachel’s swing before she could complete her movement, “-but that’d clearly be a mistake.”

  “Nice reflexes,” She smirked.

  “I try.”

  Rachel and Julian faced off on the rooftop.

  So far so good, the others had recognised that Derek was by far the most physically powerful of them. So throwing him at Timothy would be the most effective strategy. The hard part was getting to Timothy, but as his lieutenants had intercepted them part way, thereby splitting them up, that too would be easier.

  Once more, a web-line lanced out. Derek, grabbing Zeke, swung away.

  Julian scoffed. “So, you’re the infamous Rachel. You do realise that facing me here means you’re simply going to die.”

  “Never heard of you.” Rachel retorted.

  “I’m not sure you understand. My fellow comrades and I serve under the power of a Nephilim. Crushing a rebellion or two isn’t even one of the most taxing things we do in this role.” He boasted, “There is not a weakling among one of us, and you will most certainly die here. Just because you ganged up on one of us, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to repeat that feat.”

  Rachel whipped out her staff and simply spun it in response.

  Julian tightened the grip on his own weapon.

  “Very well then.”

  * * *

  Douglas walked out of the house and stacked the unconscious soldiers on the street. He drove into their vehicle and drove off towards the main city, keeping the Shining Towers in view in his mind’s eye.

  He had only gone about a mile when something snapped him out of auto pilot.

  A solitary figure stood in front of him. Awaiting his approaching vehicle. Douglas’ eyes were filled with rage as he recognized the man who had sent him into a river the day before.

  Richard charged up his palm, then swung both arms down on the bonnet of the truck, the shockwave destroying it near completely. Douglas managed to escape, just as the shock spread through the van, mangling and crushing it.

  Rolling out on the street, he stood up.

  “We have some unfinished business, don’t we?” Richard challenged him, “Intruder.”

  Douglas dusted himself off and met Richard’s empty gaze with a furious glare.

  “Well, you’ve saved me the trouble of hunting you down and killing you.”

  Richard ignored him.

  “Last night, you seemed intent on protecting a family here. You need to understand that this is not the way things work here. But it’s fine. I’ll discourage hero worship from now on, I clearly haven’t been doing the best I can in this area.”

  “What does that even mean?” Douglas asked, “Do you just spout whatever nonsense makes you able to kill children and old women?”

  “Karn County is ours by right of power and promised to us by the Nephilim. People w
ho don’t understand that should stay out of it.” Richard’s eyes flared, “Here’s an idea, how about I kill you and skin you alive? Douglas ‘The Invincible’.”

  “You can try.”

  Richard shifted into a battle stance.

  Douglas charged at him.

  * * *

  Tyler and Timothy stared at the town over the bannister at the Shining Towers, as news of battles breaking out around town spread.

  Timothy gripped the railing, his strength bending it. This was the first time anything like this had ever happened.

  “Tyler.” Timothy asked through gritted teeth, “Just what is going on here? Where is everyone else?”

  “I just received reports that Julian and Annabelle are fighting, and Richard went absent earlier this morning.” Tyler responded, “We’ve planned for this, they should fall shortly. Even if some slip past the others, we are here. No one will get past us.”

  Tyler looked at Timothy as he processed all this. “Apologies for not filling you in on this. Should I move out as well?”

  “No. Stay here.” Timothy replied, his eyes catching sight of movement. “Do not forget that I serve directly under a Nephilim, I am a step or two above you when it comes to combat experience.”

  Then he grinned “Besides, someone has to hold the fort, it seems our soldiers have proven useless against this unconventional form of attack.”

  He gestured, and Tyler noticed Derek for the first time.

  A webline had wrapped around the building, and Derek was swinging towards it at high speed, with Zeke under his arm.

  Tyler raised an eyebrow as he and Zeke’s eyes met. This was unexpected, and yet, completely so.

  Both men crashed through the window, Zeke rolling as he landed, Derek just bounding upwards. He spotted Tyler staring at him and made a beeline straight for him, Zeke made to intervene — Tyler was his — he needn’t have bothered.

  Timothy’s powerful kick struck Derek on the side, sending him reeling and crashing through the bannister.

  “Hold the fort Tyler,” Timothy warned, then he leapt off, transforming as he did so. His skin turned grey, his arms grew claws, his legs lengthened, and a tail began to sprout from his spine.

  Timothy’s Kangaroo Godspark granted him the reflexes and power to bounce between buildings, Derek had escaped falling to death by ziplining to the rooftop of a nearby building. Timothy was not about to let him escape.

  The two faced off as Derek dusted himself off.

  “Another animal ability godspark?” Derek said, “You’re a bit like me then?”

  “No, nothing like you,” Timothy replied, “I’m an entirely different level. How much?”

  “What?” Derek was plainly confused.

  “Surely you’re doing this for some remittance or pay of some sort? No one would take on a Nephilim for nothing. I have another proposal, you let today go smoothly, you take your friends and leave, and I’ll pay it double whatever you’re offered. You buy yourself another few weeks of life because you’re dead anyway, why rush it? So - how much can I pay to get you people out of my business.”

  Timothy smiled. These kinds of people were familiar to him, bounty hunters with no ethics. He didn’t have to dirty his hands to get them to leave, and if he returned, he could deal with him. This man was clearly the leader from the way he had moved and acted, and he would exert some influence over the others.

  “How much?” Derek asked incredulously, “I don’t think you understand. There’s a little boy in this town, who was once hurt badly and left for dead. Now that little boy is back and wants revenge. He wants to topple the sickness that has taken over his town, and when I look at his face and see his determination, and I look at yours and see your…really ugly face, I just can’t help but want to support him.”

  Derek continued.

  “Even if that wasn’t so, I already decided a while ago that I want to have the eyes of the world on me. Every flashy star needs a debut, right? You pathetic thug.”

  Timothy let the words sink in.

  “That was a long way to ask me to kill you, kid.”

  “Yeah well, I wasn’t-”

  Derek put his hands up, blocking the kick aimed at him. Blood came off as Timothy’s claws cut into his skin. He looked up in time to see Timothy lunge at him again.

  Chapter 25 - Invincible, Implacable

  Battle on the West Side.

  Douglas and Richard.

  Douglas crashed into a building once more. He spat blood from his mouth, his opponent, unharmed.

  Richard walked towards him, fists covered in blood, eyes filled with malice.

  “Have you had enough?” he mocked, “Intruder.”

  Picking himself from the ground, Douglas winced. He felt a little tender on the inside.

  “Don’t get carried away now,” He smirked, putting all his weight on his back foot.

  “It’s you —,” Moving with a burst of speed, he was suddenly in front of Richard, stance prepared, ready to strike “— who’ll have had enough!”

  Butterfly Style: Meteor Strike!

  Douglas’s kick landed with all the force he could muster from that stance. An ordinary man would be put through a building, Richard didn’t move an inch. He stood, unimpressed and motionless. Spinning around to recover momentum, Douglas aimed another kick at his head, intending to crush his skull with another strike.

  Butterfly Style: Wheelhouse Strike!

  This kick landed, but once more, Richard simply didn’t move. It was as if his attacks weren’t even hitting him. Leaping 20 feet into the air for more momentum, Douglas now swung his leg down on his head.

  Butterfly Style: Crashing Axe!

  The kick landed with all the intended power, but Richard didn’t move. Just like the last time they had fought, his attacks were making no headway.

  Dammit!

  “What kind of power do you have?” Douglas leapt back, putting some space between them with his hands held in mock surrender, “Help me out here.”

  In response, Richard simply smiled. Now, it was his turn to attack.

  Closing the distance in a second, his first blow sent Douglas back into another building. His bones were invincible, and his muscles had adapted to that, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t stunned. Richard appeared in front of him again, another kick. The martial artist dodged it entirely, the kick itself damaging the rest of the building.

  People ran screaming in the background as soldiers cleared the area. The intent was transparent. Richard was engaged in combat with an intruder, and no one was to interfere. When the fight was over, they would only need to know that he had won. And there was no doubt in their minds that he would win.

  As he avoided Richard’s attacks, Douglas formulated a new strategy. If power wasn’t doing it, he reasoned, then speed would solve it. Swaying on his feet, He switched his more rounded butterfly fighting style to one focused on speed.

  Richard struck at him again, this time, Douglas rolled under his arm and came right up to him.

  Cheetah Style: Flicker Shot!

  This technique he had trained in let him strike up to 100 times in a minute, at the cost of halving the total power of his attacks. If Richard was able to absorb powerful strikes, then perhaps a barrage or weaker strikes would get through. The first attack landed. Then the second, The third. Richard dodged the fourth, but was hit by the 5th, the 6th, he evaded the 7th, but was struck by the 8th…

  30 strikes had been thrown, and Richard was having trouble dodging them all. The fact that he was dodging at all, of course, was not lost on Douglas. Concentrating the absorbed kinetic energy to his feet, Richard leapt backwards to create distance. Douglas chased him down. He had finally created an opening; his opponent wasn’t invincible. If he was, there would have been no need to dodge any of his attacks.

  With another burst of speed, he jolted right in front of Richard, He switched stances again, another power stance. He would strike while his opponent was distracted.

  S
outhern Crane Style: Rising Heaven Strike!

  Douglas’ torso twisted as he swayed towards the ground, then shot upwards in single fluid motion with an outstretched palm. His palm struck the other man’s face, the shockwave from the attack blowing away debris behind them.

  It was too late. Richard didn’t move an inch. He didn’t dodge it, he just let the attack hit him with the same urgency one might give a thrown wad of paper.

  Frustrated, Douglas swung at him again. Now Richard weaved his head to the side, letting the blow waft past him. As Douglas’ body followed the momentum of the punch, Richard threw a punch of his own. His attempt at capitalisation failed, Douglas caught the blow with his other hand, his hand moving in space between breaths. In the next breath, he hefted Richard into the air and threw him a few feet away. While Richard flailed around in the air, Douglas dashed towards him, striking out at him. Richard avoided it mid-air. Touching the ground for a second, he pushed himself off and away from Douglas. The tables had turned. Now Richard was the one creating distance.

  He dodges…. He evades…He takes an attack…where’s the logic there…. Douglas’ thoughts trailed off as Richard began to speak.

  “You’re ruining a perfectly good day. It’s not your fault, I don’t expect you to understand,” Richard said. “Your reputation makes you sound much better than you really are. ‘Invincible’.“

  “Understand what?” Douglas responded. “You and your gang spend so much time terrorising the people of this place, you’ve somehow gotten it into your head that this is a good thing?”

  “My role isn’t to ask why we do what we do, only to do it properly.” Richard replied, “What you call terror, I do to keep order and peace. The people of Karn are vulnerable, weak. Without us, they’re nothing but prey for the strong.“

  “Wouldn’t you be the predators?” Douglas clenched his fist. All he could see was Richard hunting down and slaughtering Max and his family. The same fate awaited the Nirthis if he failed here.