“My turn, fucker,” James growled. He charged the wizard.
Gavin took a step back, confusion and fear in his eyes, and his men rushed forward with their glowing knives. James backhanded one man, who spun through the air and landed on his arm with a loud snap. Being unconscious kept him from screaming.
Two more men stabbed at James, but their weapons bounced off without a scratch. James gutted one man before spinning and slashing the throat of the other. Their blood coated the floor, and James made a mental note to make sure to offer the club owner extra money to hire special cleaners.
Kill the enemy, Whispy cheered. Kill the enemy. Kill the enemy.
Gavin fired off another ray, but the new attack barely penetrated the top few layers of armor. Terror seized the wizard’s face as his remaining men continued slashing at James with their magic knives. James stabbed another man and smashed him against one of his friends before pulling the blade out.
The surviving member of the entourage dropped his knife and ran for the door. James didn’t bother chasing him. He wasn’t there for random thugs.
James stepped toward the wizard. “You know what they say, Vanders. Be careful what you fucking wish for.”
Gavin raised his wand, his arm trembling. He launched a large fireball toward his tormentor and it exploded around James, but it didn’t accomplish much more than stinging his eyes, even without a helmet.
“Bring it, bitch,” James rumbled. “Because that shit was just fucking embarrassing for both of us.”
An ice lance came next, and it shattered into thousands of pieces against his chest. The impact did jostle him, though, increasing the ache from his shoulder.
Definitely regenerating slower.
Limited power available from alternate power source, Whispy responded.
James reached down and grabbed a knife from one of the dead men.
“What the fuck are you doing, Brownstone?” Gavin shouted.
“Making this bullshit worthwhile.” James placed the blade against the center of the armor.
Alternate power usage in progress, Whispy reported.
James tossed it to the ground and grabbed another knife and repeated the process.
Regeneration accelerated.
“You know why it’s your lucky day, Vanders?” James asked.
“Fuck you! Die, shithead!” Gavin shouted his next incantation and a massive electrical bolt blasted into James.
Maximum adaptation already attained, Whispy reported. Previous attacks indicate minimal additional adaptation potential. Kill the enemy. Find and engage stronger enemy.
James picked up the other knives and drained them. “It’s your lucky day because I decided I need to test some shit, which meant I didn’t finish you off as quickly as possible. You got a little more time without some serious pain, asshole.”
“I’m a fucking wizard, Brownstone, not some gangster,” Gavin snarled. “You’re not going to win.”
The wizard spent the next thirty seconds pelting James with every element and material the man could summon, but none of his other attacks approached the damage of his initial null ray. Whispy’s excitement continued to fade, and his requests for immediate termination increased.
Whispy, James thought, is that enough power for extended advanced transformation?
Yes, but stability limited with alternate power sources used.
Fine, just do it.
The silver-green metallic tendrils spread, encasing James’ entire body in armor. His helmet formed, blinding him, and his claws extended. It was an odd sensation wearing the full armor without the familiar all-consuming rage. A few seconds of pain in his eyes preceded his vision returning with a wider field of view.
“You’re fucking finished, Vanders,” James thundered.
Gavin raised his wand again, and several of the massive speakers tore away from the roof and hurtled toward James. The bounty hunter didn’t even bother to dodge as they slammed into him. The impact barely even made his shoulder hurt. Most of the previous pain had vanished.
Kill the enemy, Whispy demanded. Limited power available for extended advanced mode.
Guess I’m not gonna end up in Forerunner mode just from draining artifacts, huh?
Insufficient power for Forerunner transformation. Primary power source necessary.
James grunted. It was time to finish this shit. He charged Gavin and slammed an armored foot into the man. The wizard flew back and crashed into a nearby wall with a crunch. His head lolled forward, but he was still breathing.
“Fan request, asshole,” James rumbled. “And a little payback for all the people you’ve hurt.”
Extended advanced mode instability, Whispy reported. Insufficient power to maintain form.
Revert. I don’t need that shit anymore. This battle is over.
The armor pulled away from his body and flowed back into the amulet. James rolled his shoulder a few times. The hole was gone, but a slight ache remained. Getting pissed was definitely more effective than draining artifacts, but it was nice to have a backup plan.
“Shit. Now I do need the cops here.”
9
Senator Johnston looked up from his computer screen as a frowning bald man in a black suit entered his office. It was Senior CIA Agent Timothy Franklin, and unlike the last time, he was expecting the man.
These CIA types should mix it up, the senator thought. They should start wearing more earth tones or something. That might be interesting. As it is, I swear, every time I see one of these guys, they’re wearing basically the same suit and have the same haircut. Well, maybe not Tim, but he had the same haircut back when he still had hair.
“Thanks for coming, Tim.” Senator Johnston motioned to the chair in front of his desk as the new arrival closed the door. “Take a seat. It’s been too long. Been a few months since we last talked face to face, if my old memory hasn’t failed me.”
Tim nodded. “Unless mine failed too, that’s about right. There have been a lot of things happening behind the scenes since then.”
The CIA agent pulled out a small metal cube and set it on the desk before taking a seat.
Senator Johnston frowned. “This room’s secure. You don’t need that gadget.”
Tim shook his head. “I haven’t lived this long by not making sure every time. No offense, Angus. After everything I’ve seen in my career, let alone the last few years, I can’t be sure about anything. For all I know, you could be an alien clone or an Oriceran illusion.”
“And I thought I was paranoid. Just trying to lower your stress, but I hear you. Things are a lot more complicated, true enough.” The senator chuckled. “I’m surprised you haven’t stroked out yet. You’ve never been a laid-back man, and these last couple of decades have been tough on people like you and me.”
Tim snorted. “I’m too stubborn to have a stroke. I have a lot of unfinished business. What’s this all about? You said it was important. I’m assuming your granddaughter isn’t selling cookies.”
Senator Johnston rolled his chair forward. “I trust you’re fully up-to-date on the Nine Systems Alliance situation? It’s my understanding that you’re in the loop on all of the most important details. I don’t mind explaining, but it’ll save us both a lot of time if you already know.”
Tim nodded. “Trust me, I know far more about this garbage than I want to.” He shook his head. “I remember when I used to worry about a single alien species, and now we’re in communication with a whole group of them. Plus, we’re caught up in their mess with those Vax. I feel like Earth got dragged into an intergalactic war when we were doing nothing but minding our own business. At least the Oricerans had the decency to have their wars under control when the gates started opening.”
“True enough, but I don’t see how these new creatures being from outer space makes much difference when compared with the Oricerans. Advanced tech might as well be magic. After the open return of magic, it’s hard for me to be flustered by anything.” Senator Johnston
shrugged.
“That’s the problem. Oriceran’s one planet, but now we’ve got a whole galaxy to worry about. At least with the magic, we theoretically have the Oricerans backing us up, and simple time will make magic stronger on Earth. However, some of the alien tech we’ve recovered is on a whole different level. Forget reverse engineering it.” Tim grimaced. “It’d take us centuries to even begin to understand the most basic principles involved.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small crystalline slab only a few inches in height and width. He tossed it on the desk. “Right now, we’re like birds who have gotten our hands on a phone. We can use it to crack nuts, but that doesn’t mean we understand it.”
Senator Johnston peered at the slab. “What’s this? Alien nutcracker?” He chuckled. “I could use one.”
Tim shrugged. “Hell if I know, and that’s the problem. One of my guys picked this up a few years back. It’s an artifact I keep on me to stall if I ever get grabbed by foreign intel. It’s definitely alien, but we’ve never been able to figure out its function—if it even has one—or what species it comes from. For all we know, it could be nothing more than an alien bookmark. The only reason we know it’s alien is because it was found in an area with an energy signature similar to some of the other alien species we’ve dealt with, but the design of the slab is unlike anything else we’ve seen from them. A mystery. That’s the problem with these damned aliens: too many mysteries.”
Senator Johnston gazed at the slab for a long moment before looking back up at the CIA agent. “I don’t understand. How does this help you if you get grabbed if you don’t even know what it does?”
“If I’m grabbed, I’ll just lie about it being a data storage device.” Tim tapped the slab. “This is a perfect illustration of what I’m talking about. The best minds on this planet, men and women who have researched alien technology for years, have examined this object. I’ve had some friendly magicals do it as well, and you know what they’ve been able to tell me about it? You know what the sum total of all that careful exploration and research is?”
“What?”
“It’s made of a crystalline material not found on Earth, and it has patterns inside.” Tim scoffed. “That’s it. That’s the best that Earth knowledge and magic can discern. I’m not some idiot with a conspiracy website on Mars. I’m a senior CIA official with access to magical and technological specialists and billions of dollars, and I have no fucking clue what this is. It could be a toaster, or it could be alien porn.”
Senator Johnston eyed the other man, letting his apprehension show on his face. “We all know we’re behind in a lot of ways, which is why we need to take every advantage we have. Or are you saying it’s hopeless, Tim? I have a hard time believing that, but if you do feel that way, it’s fine. I don’t believe that, and I refuse to continue forward under that assumption.”
Tim shook his head. “If it was hopeless, I wouldn’t bother getting up in the morning, but I am saying we’ve been damned lucky. Relying on luck is not a good strategy for defending either your country or your planet from hostile threats with power far beyond our own.”
“Some of it hasn’t been luck. Even if she turned out to be disagreeable, the previous Shepherd assigned to Earth was watching over us, which meant we had some protection. The Nine System Alliance is keeping at least some threats away.”
“That’s like saying you don’t have to worry about local muggers because the local Mafia would be pissed at them.” Tim picked up the crystal slab and slid it back into his pocket. “The Alliance has already threatened to use advanced weapons against Earth, and the previous Shepherd was killing people without our explicit permission. The Alliance is just as much a sword pointed at us as our enemies, and that’s assuming Brownstone doesn’t go bad. Again, I’d rather not rely on luck.”
“This time it’s not a matter of luck.” Senator Johnston chuckled. “Being a politician means learning how far you can trust people, and I’m pretty damned good at it. You might be alive because you’re paranoid, but I’ve been re-elected this many times because I know how to read people and take advantage of that.”
“Does that mean we’re depending on your gut to make sure we haven’t made a horrible mistake in not turning over Brownstone?” Tim raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, Angus. I don’t trust you enough to leave Earth’s safety to your gut.”
“No, this isn’t about just my gut. In every negotiation, you bring leverage to the table. Sometimes negative leverage, and sometimes positive leverage.” The senator leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together. “I’ve already brought positive leverage by helping to protect Mr. Brownstone from the Nine Systems Alliance, and I’ve got plenty of backup plans for James Brownstone. He’s one man. Even if he’s a powerful alien, he’s still just one. I’m not very worried about him threatening the Earth. One man can always be dealt with.”
Tim locked eyes with the senator, disbelief on his face. “What’s your big plan? Sending him to the World in Between? Considering how much anti-magic he’s already displayed, that might not even work, and these Vax can open portals. He might develop that ability and somehow get out.”
“Doubtful, and yes, that’s one plan, but I’ve got others to slow him down—if and only if he goes bad.”
“Such as?”
Senator Johnston grinned. “Bury him in ten tons of concrete, just as an example, and toss him into the Mariana Trench. That would at least slow him down, I bet.”
Tim blinked. “Seriously?”
“That’s one of them.” Senator Johnston lowered his hands. “For now, I’m choosing to treat him as an asset until such time as he proves not to be. He’s not the problem, and he’s not why I asked you to come.”
“Okay, so I don’t want to be more of a cranky asshole than I already am, but why am I here, Angus?” Tim gave him a questioning look.
“I’m just doing the same thing you’ve always tried to do: make sure there are backup options. That’s what we’re here for, to discuss more of those.”
“More options? Other than tossing Brownstone into the Mariana Trench? I can loan you a matter transformation gun, but I’m not sure if it’d work on him.”
Senator Johnston chuckled. “This isn’t about Brownstone, but about his biggest fans, the Nine Systems Alliance. I don’t care if the two I’ve talked to from the Alliance are aliens. People are people, whether they have pointy ears or wings or were born on a planet light-years away.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“I can smell desperation on people, and I know it’s only a matter of time before the Alliance does something stupid because of desperation. It could be tomorrow or it could be ten years from now, but it’ll happen. When it does, we need to be ready to counter that.”
Tim nodded gravely. “You’re talking about interstellar war?”
“Maybe I’m just talking about stopping the Apocalypse.”
“You could give Brownstone up.”
Senator Johnston snorted. “Brownstone’s just one problem. Oriceran and Earth have a unique relationship. Today, it might be Brownstone the Alliance is pissed about, but what happens when we start opening magical portals into space? The Alliance doesn’t have that ability. They could decide to try to take us out before we get that far.”
Tim nodded. “Not that I disagree with any of that, but how do you intend to be ready? It’s not like we can wave a wand and improve our industrial and technological base by centuries. We’re just starting to get going again after all the chaos that followed the gates opening.”
“Exactly. We need to take advantage, not only of our technology, which is behind, but our magic, which is the one thing the Alliance doesn’t have.”
“How?”
“I managed to get some help to point me in the right direction for the recovery of a little something that might be helpful if this Nine Systems Alliance turns hostile,” the senator explained. “I’m confident Brownstone will help us if he’s still around
, but he can’t do much if they decide to bomb us from orbit, and Oriceran magic has its limits once you get off the planet. Even a lot of the toys your people have collected won’t be helpful in that kind of situation.”
Tim snorted. “From what I’ve seen of this Nine Systems Alliance, they’re a little behind some of the aliens my people have dealt with.”
“Maybe in absolute technology, but those other aliens barely cared about the Earth, and they weren’t planning anything other than observation. They weren’t wetting their pants about a Vax on Earth or magic, either.” The senator took a deep breath. “Anyway, the point is, I’ve got good people who can be trusted to help to recover what I need as the first step of my backup plan, but I’m worried about interference from other people who might decide they want to handle this situation in a different way. People who have far more experience dealing directly with aliens than I do.
“You’re talking about Fortis.” Tim narrowed his eyes. “Or what’s left of them, anyway.”
Senator Johnston sighed and shook his head. “Yes. It’s one of the reasons I’ve reached out to certain people outside the government who are used to dealing with dangerous operatives to recover what we need. I’m a US senator. I’m used to depending on the other parts of the government to watch out for me. All this spy versus spy crap is annoying, especially when the people I’m worried about are from my own country.” He frowned. “People have attempted to assassinate me in the past. That’s fine; it’s part of serving my country, but I can’t have those dangerous cowboys undermining my attempts to protect the country and the planet.”
“Trust me, I know how annoying that is. Fortis agents have tried to kill my people and me more than a few times.” Tim reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stress ball, then gave it a tight squeeze. “It took us a while, and we pushed them back, but there’s no way of being sure we got them all. You’re right to worry.”
Senator Johnston scowled. “I’ll be honest, Tim. I don’t care if you got them all or get the rest now. I only care if they don’t screw up the operation I’m about to initiate. I need your help to help keep those Fortis bastards from taking what they don’t need. This operation might prove critical to the future defense of Earth.”
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