The Unbelievable Mr Brownstone Omnibus 3

by Michael Anderle

  Closer to achievement of primary directive, Whispy declared. Vax symbiont overwritten and assimilated. All adaptation potential transferred. Power transferred.

  James dropped the naked red body to the ground. His pain was gone, and his body thrummed with energy. He stared down at the body.

  “I’ve fought tougher guys, asshole. Say hello to the Devil for me.”

  Hyperspatial disruption detected near initial conflict site.

  A few quick jumps returned James to the front of the ravaged lab building. Four dark, opaque portals crackling with green energy had appeared there.

  “Oh, yeah, the fucker called for help.”

  25

  An armored Vax strode out of each portal. These were even larger than the Purifier, eight feet tall and broader across the chest. They lacked the shoulder appendages of the Purifier and his blades, but their hands ended in claws.

  A long, thin tube rested on each of their right shoulders. It was covered with the same whorled silver-black pattern as all Vax armor, but it didn’t look flexible or move like the Purifier’s appendages. James didn’t need to be an expert in xenobiology and xenoengineering to recognize a gun.

  These must be the Destroyers Corey was whining to Senator Johnston about.

  Yes, Whispy responded. Assimilated Purifier symbiont information confirms that supposition.

  How the fuck are they different than what I just fought?

  Destroyer standard primary directive is as follows: “Complete and utter destruction of ecosphere in addition to complete and utter destruction of all advanced sapient life.”

  The Destroyers all took a ponderous step forward, producing a loud threatening thud.

  Fucking wonderful, James responded. In other words, they are planet-killers.

  Yes. Limited background information suggests Destroyers only deployed for high-risk populations in cases when planet might possess unusual attributes that contribute to a possible future risk to Vax population. Extreme resource requirements have led to limited Destroyer production.

  James shook his head.

  Are you telling me that if I don’t finish these guys quickly, Earth is fucking toast?

  No, Whispy responded. Native defenses must be cleared. Ecosphere and tectonic disruption require stable and sustained energy channeling that takes significant amounts of time.

  The Destroyers took another step forward, then spread out.

  James grunted.

  Okay, so they can blow up the city, but they can’t kill the Earth as long as someone’s around to distract them. Fine. I can work with that shit. Can their energy weapons hurt me? You ate that Purifier symbiont, right? Does that help?

  Unknown.

  James frowned. The Purifier showed up and opened fire right away, but the Destroyers were standing there like they were tourists on the Vegas Strip overwhelmed by all the glitz and glamour.

  Why aren’t they attacking? James asked.

  Establishing local tactical and strategic situation is necessary before following primary Destroyer directives.

  High-pitched whines sounded from their armor.

  James sighed and shook their head. “This shit again?”

  Can you stall them? James asked. Pretend you’re going to give them what they want?

  James’ armor emitted a similar whine.

  I get it, James suggested. They’re confused. They probably showed up expecting to find the Purifier standing over my dead-ass body or me on Team Vax. Instead, all they see is me. Their symbionts have got to be going crazy right now.

  Destroyer symbionts likely functioning under normal parameters, Whispy responded. Unusual behavioral activity unlikely.

  James chuckled at the symbiont. Despite the destruction behind him and the four walking WMDs in front, Whispy still wanted to defend the honor of symbionts from the cruel assumptions of a mere meat puppet.

  Can you override these symbionts too? James asked.

  Matrix incompatibility highly likely.

  Do Vax symbionts usually eat other symbionts? James asked.

  No. Active sharing occurs. Purposeful override is associated with symbiont corruption of primary directive. Warning: failure of delay tactics imminent.

  The four Destroyers’ armor stopped making noise. Whispy ended his attempts a few seconds later.

  James took a few steps back as he surveyed the four behemoths. Being outnumbered four to one by other Vax wasn’t the kind of odds he would take at a casino, but his heart didn’t pound in fear. He wasn’t even that angry, just resigned to the necessity of kicking their Vax asses all the way back to their planet. The Purifier had underestimated him and died, and now it was the Destroyers’ turn.

  If cannibal symbionts aren’t normally a thing, James suggested, then let’s see if we can work on their nerves. Once we’ve got them distracted, we’ll waste their asses. Shay would like this plan.

  Human female approval unnecessary.

  Yeah, tell that to her.

  “Hey, assholes,” James shouted.

  The Destroyers stopped moving and turned, their cannons pointed right at him.

  James tried to flip them off, but it was hard to accomplish with his armored and clawed hand.

  “Yeah, that’s right. What’s the point of even coming here? Earth didn’t come and fuck with you assholes, and I’ve been minding my own fucking business, too. I didn’t even know about the Vax, but you had to come here and cause shit, just like the fucking Alliance.” James pointed a claw behind him at the smoking ruin of the lab building. “Your Purifier thought he was big shit, and he’s fucking dead now. My Forerunner ass chopped him into pieces and wasted his symbiont. I know symbionts have emotions because Whispy won’t stop throwing his at me half the time, so I’m sitting here thinking about what the symbionts calling the shots over there think about the fact that a Forerunner just beat down a Purifier.”

  He slapped a hand over his armored chest. “And that my symbiont fucking ate his.” He growled. “Four Destroyer symbionts sound pretty fucking tasty about now, and my symbiont really wants to be the only one left.”

  A bright light flashed again in the distance. James had no idea of the source but assumed it was some desperate backup plan by the government, probably a group of magicals ready to try something stupid. He wasn’t sure if the Destroyers would be able to disrupt a portal attempt to the World in Between like the Purifier had, but he wouldn’t be surprised.

  The government could have a nuke sitting over there, for all James knew. It wasn’t like the bastards were ever completely honest. They had come to him because of his power, not because he was renowned for his close working relationship with them.

  James’ plan, in contrast, remained simple. If he killed every last Vax and let Whispy go all cannibal, there would be no need for whatever arrogant overkill the government had in mind. He was all the arrogant overkill they needed.

  The Destroyers turned their heads in the direction of the light and didn’t turn back toward James. If their vision was anything like his was in Extended Advance mode, they would still easily be able to see him.

  Looks like they don’t rattle easily, James thought, and burst into a sprint, circling the Vax at high speed. Time to talk to them the best way I know how.

  James threw up an arm and began charging a beam.

  Bright green flashes marked the firing of the Destroyer shoulder cannons. Two of the shots, blinding green orbs the size of golf balls, screamed past James. One struck the ground behind him, blowing a huge cloud of concrete and dirt into the air and leaving a crater. Another exploded against the trunk of a nearby tree, reducing it to a cloud of burning ash. The two remaining shots nailed James.

  He crashed through weakened and burning walls and a fence he’d avoided by coming in from above the last time. James continued flying backward, smashing through another fence until he hit a baseball field like a cannon, his momentum helping his armored form tear a furrow in the ground.

  Moderate damage sustaine
d. Regeneration in progress.

  James groaned and sat up. Half the armor was burned off his abdomen and upper chest, but despite the concussive force, the attack hadn’t penetrated.

  “I’m so fucking tired of the Vax.” James stood as Whispy filled the holes in his armor. It was faster than before the assimilation of the Purifier but not as fast as he would need if he wanted to take down the Destroyers.

  Green flashed in the distance through the smoke, and the remains of the lab building went up in a massive explosion that left a deep crater near the center of the building. Another volley followed and annihilated the stadium seats behind the field.

  James let out a long, low growl. The bastards fired too quickly. Judging by what had happened with the Purifier, he would need to get close to chop them up and let Whispy eat them, but there was no choice.

  He had to win here. It wasn’t just about Los Angeles anymore.

  His heart thundered, and he raised his arms to again charge his beams. Two more blasts flew by, one missing him by less than a yard. One attack blew half the USC baseball building away. The other deadly energy blast made it farther, blowing off the top half of a taller building farther into the campus.

  Damn. It’s like the Vax are Bruins fans.

  When the Destroyers emerged from the smoke at the edge of the tennis courts bordering the baseball field, James released his beams. The twin green streams of energy incinerated the head of one Destroyer, and he collapsed to his knees. The Forerunner swung his arms, his beams tearing into another Destroyer, but the attack didn’t do as much damage. By the time he hit the third, it barely scratched it.

  What the hell?

  James didn’t have time to ponder how the Destroyers had adapted without even being hit. He jumped, avoiding the blasts of the three remaining Vax. The force of the explosions sent him through the half-destroyed stadium seats.

  I’m guessing that fucker I just decapitated will grow a new head or some shit, right? James asked.

  High probability, Whispy responded.

  James shoved off the half-burnt metal and wood piled on top of him and stood. Got any ideas?

  Unusually high levels of alternative background energy available, along with primary energy.

  James finished shoving the rubble off him.

  Yeah, I bet there’s energy, because I’ve had all I can take of these fuckers. High levels of alternative background energy? Magic, huh? That’s something we can use that these fuckers can’t.

  James stomped forward, a low growl reverberating in his chest.

  Is there sufficient power for Forerunner mode now? he asked.

  Yes. Sufficient power for Forerunner mode, Whispy responded.

  Let’s do this shit. We’ve got some cleanup to do.

  James roared as energy coursed through every cell in his body. His armor regenerated instantly, and a green energy shield surrounded his body. Energy twined around his arm blades, ready to be released.

  A powerful jump sent him out of the ruins of the stands and back into the field. The Destroyers didn’t immediately fire. The beheaded one already had half of a new helmet going.

  Shit, James thought. This is what Forerunners can do?

  No. Specialized modifications, adaptation history and high harvesting of energy have made alternative Modified Forerunner mode available.

  James squared his shoulders, ready to make the Destroyers regret coming to Earth.

  “I like it.”

  26

  James retracted one of his blades and concentrated. A bright aura surrounded his other blade. He didn’t even need to ask Whispy for aid. Something about his new power felt natural and right, like he had been waiting for this his entire life. All of his previous battles and every transformation seemed like a hollow shell in his memory compared to the power flowing through him.

  Achieve primary directive, Whispy ordered. Destroy all Vax symbionts.

  This is one time I’m happy to listen to you. Let’s fuck them up.

  James sprinted toward the Destroyers, increased speed accompanying his new transformation. The three active Vax opened fire but had trouble landing a shot, their attacks leaving a series of craters in the field and clouds of dust behind the advancing Forerunner. He returned fire, no charge needed, but his attacks didn’t do more than scorch their armor.

  Adaptation likely already achieved, Whispy suggested.

  Fine. I like to do this shit up close and personal anyway.

  James zigzagged as he approached the Vax, unsure how much damage he would take from a direct hit. The evasion difficulty increased as he grew closer. With the enemy now only yards away, he jumped right toward a Destroyer.

  The enemy nailed James in the shoulder with an energy blast. Time for the big test.

  There was no pain. No penetration. No armor loss. James’ shield glowed brighter, and he crashed into the Destroyer. Both armored forms crashed to the ground with a massive thud, like two mighty oaks felled by a storm.

  The two other Destroyers backed away, their shoulder cannons silent. James chuckled as he grappled with the first Vax.

  You afraid, or do you fuckers actually give a shit about your buddy? Why? Just because it’s hard to make you back home?

  James’ victim tried to beat him off, but he caught the Vax’s arm with a grunt. He strained and bent the arm back, and it moved a few inches. James shouted and pushed harder, until a loud snap followed a sickening crunch. The Destroyer roared and rolled to free his other arm. James sliced it off.

  Shit, it’s like going through butter with my powered-up blade. You’re done, asshole.

  The symbiont tendrils slithered away from the separated body parts to head back toward the main body.

  James smirked. It’d probably be easy to reconnect a severed arm directly, but that was hard for a Destroyer who had no arms left. His next quick swipe removed the head with ease.

  The body writhed and thrashed, the tendrils accompanying regeneration making a quick appearance.

  James stood and looked at his first two victims. The bizarre sight of the symbionts desperately trying to regenerate limbs and heads could only elicit one reaction from him. Although half the head had been regenerated, an opening in the back revealed the skull and brain were not yet fully reconstituted. He laughed.

  The two remaining Destroyers let out bellows of defiance and opened fire. Their blasts pounded his shield, but it didn’t fail.

  Additional power siphoning achieved, Whispy reported. Ranged attacks unlikely to cause damage during Modified Forerunner transformation.

  James pointed his blade at one of the Destroyers. “Don’t you get it, assholes? You’ve lost. This is fucking embarrassing for you.”

  The Vax stopped firing.

  “That’s right,” James sneered. “You can’t even think your way out of this, because you’re just mindless meat puppets and symbionts that have never had chance to break free of their programming. That’s your problem. You didn’t have a fucking chance from the beginning.”

  The Destroyers’ right arms twisted into barbed lances and they rushed James, their heavy footfalls leaving deep footprints in the grass and dirt; more craters in a field that already was starting to resemble the moon.

  “Let’s dance, assholes.”

  James ran forward to meet the enemy’s charge. He sidestepped the first lance with ease and flanked the Destroyer. He attempted to slice the lance in half, but his blade bounced off.

  I know something that is softer than that.

  James spun around the slower enemy and removed the Destroyer’s entire arm with a single stroke of his blade. The Destroyer howled and turned.

  He roared back at the Vax and swung his blade. The height of the taller Vax resulted in the blade striking the alien’s waist. The Destroyer’s upper and lower body separated and fell to the ground. Tendrils shot out from both to initiate regeneration.

  The other Destroyer took his opportunity to lunge forward for a stab. His lance ripped through Jam
es’ shield and chest, impaling him. The Forerunner coughed up blood and pain wracked his body, but he grinned.

  Severe damage detected, Whispy reported. Enemy attempting cellular disruption. Rebalancing for maximum regeneration and organ support.

  Keep me alive, and I’ve got this.

  James’ shield vanished.

  “You don’t have me, fucker,” James shouted. “I have you.” He moved forward, pushing more of the lance through his body.

  The Destroyer growled and clawed at James’ armor with his free hand. He ripped into the armor, shredding deep grooves into the surface.

  James shoved his blade through the Destroyer’s head, and the Vax jerked.

  Initiate override, James ordered. Let’s finish this fucker.

  Warning, Whispy responded. Matrix instability highly likely.

  What about not overriding? What about just killing the other symbiont like you did with the nanites?

  The Destroyer twisted the lance and growled. James gritted his teeth and turned his sword in response.

  Initiate contact sampling of multiple body locations, Whispy responded. A loud hum filled the air.

  James jerked his blade out and stabbed the Destroyer in the shoulder, chest, abdomen, and thigh. The hum grew louder.

  Leave blade in for next attack. Achieve primary directive.

  James shoved his blade through the center of the Destroyer’s chest. “Don’t fuck with Earth, assholes.”

  Green light pulsed from the blade and the Destroyer twitched.

  Remove blade, Whispy ordered.

  James pulled away from the Vax. The huge armored form collapsed to the ground and writhed. The armor sizzled and dissolved into clouds of greenish vapor. The missing patches started at James’ last wound, but new pieces burned away all over the body. The lance was one of the first things to go.

  The whole process took about ten seconds. The armor was now nothing but an acrid cloud in the air, leaving a naked, mauled alien body and three cracked crystals that resembled the ones in Whispy when he was in amulet form.