by Scott Mathy
He banged on the glass with his palm to regain the man’s attention. The startled driver looked back, convinced Dwight was some Power come to take his life. Dwight shouted through the window, “Get me to StarPoint, or they’re going to destroy the city!”
The conductor didn’t argue. He hurried to put the train into motion. After a few quick movements on the console and a press of the accelerator, they were speeding through the tunnels towards Wulf’s office, Lia, and Bernard. Above them, New Haven burned in the fires of a thousand Powers unleashed.
Sixteen
The subway exit let out across the street from StarPoint’s enormous park. In the distance, Dwight could hear the sounds of the battle happening across New Haven. Constant flashes of unnatural light and smoke filled the sky against the intermittent lightning. The rows of statues lining the approach felt darker than before, as if each one was mourning the state of the city. The exterior gave no indication of anything amiss inside the massive building. If there had been a fight between Bernard and Wulf, it hadn’t happened here.
Dwight lamented his lack of preparation. He prayed Bernard hadn’t realized the full extent of Lia’s abilities; if he had, this would be a short trip. Dwight remembered what it felt like when Lia froze his mind. A sadist like Bernard could do terrible things with that kind of power.
He made it to the entrance just as the rain reached a full-blown downpour. Waves of heavy precipitation chased him up the final landing and through the glass doors.
Inside the lobby, he found the room empty. There were none of the usual guards; even Wulf’s Associates were nowhere to be found. Dwight was prepared to see the aftermath of the struggle for control of StarPoint. Instead, he found only Wulf’s immaculately displayed trophy collection. The cases of memorabilia remained undisturbed. Dwight shook the moisture from his hair as he made his way deeper into the foyer.
Dwight crept between the cases into the guard station at the room’s center. He searched through the security desk for a keycard – something to get him through the express elevator to Wulf’s office. He had last seen one in the hands of his lizard escort a month ago. His makeshift plan hinged on someone here to hold down the fort. Since his arrival, he had not seen anyone guarding Wulf’s empire. It was as if they had all disappeared with their boss.
There was a ding from the elevator bank. Dwight ducked down behind the desk. He could fight any Power Bernard had sent to retrieve him, but it would take Ellis’s serum to do the job. He needed to save it if he was going to have any chance of killing Bernard. Keeping low, he decided that stealth was in order. He’d have a few seconds to make it to the doors before they closed. If he ran, he could probably surprise whoever was coming.
Rampage exited the elevator, licking her jaws with her long, forked tongue. She stopped a few feet from the doors, “You can come out, numb-nuts. The cameras had you the second you got off the train.”
Dwight should have known. The security feed captured every square foot of the property, right down to the city subway station a quarter mile away.
He shouted back, “I’m here to challenge your new boss for StarPoint. You going to let me through?”
Rampage chuckled, “You? Weak little meat?” She picked her teeth as her raspy laughter continued. “What are you gonna do, whine him to death?”
“You know the rules, gecko. I want to challenge; if I win, Power or not, I control StarPoint.” He doubted the giant reptile was going to get out of his way, but it was worth a try. Dwight stood and left the safety of the heavy security station. He crossed the twenty foot distance between himself and Rampage.
Rampage was still laughing at him as she looked down the sizable difference of their heights. “No challenge, Ref. The boss said he’s not taking any visitors while he watches this shithole burn.”
“You’re okay with that, Rampage?” he asked, “You’re going to let your new boss hide while it all falls apart?”
“You think I give a damn about this city? This place is just another playground. We can do whatever we want, and people like you can’t do anything about it.” She wasn’t budging. “Who cares if a few more norms die?”
If appealing to the creature’s sense of loyalty to her old boss’s rules didn’t work, he’d try the promise of a good fight. “Come on, at least let me up so you can see me get torn apart.”
A low hiss echoed from Rampage’s mouth. She lunged at Dwight with startling speed. The attack caught him by surprise. His torso fit completely in the beast’s clawed hand. Rampage’s strength was more than enough to lift Dwight from the ground. Pulling him in close, he could smell the lizard’s putrid breath.
“Mr. B. said I could do whatever I wanted with you if you came here. Think I’ll make you a quick snack and get back to the show.” She was close enough now for Dwight to see the pieces of rotting flesh between those sharp fangs. He suddenly understood what happened to the rest of the StarPoint staff after the takeover. Bernard apparently didn’t want any of Wulf’s loyal Associates on payroll.
Dwight wasn’t fond of becoming the woman’s next meal. He swept up his legs and kicked against Rampage’s scaly chest. It was enough to break the hold. As he fell away, her claws ripped ragged lines through the fabric of his shirt. The thin cloth parted beneath her nails, the flesh raked below. Catching himself, he broke into a sprint, racing away from the elevators and the abomination.
Heavy footfalls followed as he ran; Rampage was close behind. Dwight dove to the left between a row of displays. The cases were too close for Rampage to fit between. Dwight thought he had bought himself a few seconds to strategize.
Recovering her bearings, the lizard reared back and swung her thick tail through the cabinet. Shattered fragments of wood and glass went flying, along with broken scraps of memorabilia. She plowed through the remnants of the displays as Dwight took off again, this time back toward the guard station.
“Can’t we talk this out!?” Dwight shouted back, still running. He took a flying leap over the surface of the rounded desk.
Rising to his feet, he looked back to see Rampage charging like a cold-blooded bull. His mind had just enough time to curse its own existence before the beast rammed the marble station with her shoulder. The stone violently exploded upon impact, but Rampage continued unhindered into Dwight’s smaller body.
Being airborne reminded him a lot of his fight with Killstreak, though he still wasn’t sure if he could call that a fight. It was more of a mauling; his participation was passive at best. Those thoughts carried him across the lobby into the elevator doors. At least in the chaos of the chase, he had managed to get closer to his objective. He took this small victory as he lifted his aching body from the cold floor.
Rampage rounded the corner of the station at a casual stride. “Pathetic, Knolls. How is it you managed to kill so many of us?”
“Oh, just lucky, I guess. You all make so many mistakes.” Getting air into his lungs hurt. “If I wait long enough, you Powers forget you’re not invincible. Anyone could figure out how to kill you.”
The lizard’s shadow was looming over him now, just a few feet in front of Dwight. “You have a good, hard think then. How would you kill me?” She brushed the flecks of crushed marble from her ragged jacket.
“Don’t need to; I figured out your weakness over a month ago. You could just give me your keycard and we could skip all the nastiness.” He looked up into Rampage’s reptilian eyes, the offer completely honest, “We don’t have to do this, please.”
Predictably, Rampage declined. She snapped forward with her jaws, reaching out with both hands to grab Dwight’s torso again. He ducked under the monster’s arms, sweeping behind her. In a single motion, he pulled back his bionic arm and engaged the electrified knuckles. He was getting used to the Doc’s upgrades; controlling the prosthetic felt natural now. Current arced between the spiked surfaces as he delivered a solid punch directly into the rear of the beast’s right knee. His strange hallucination all those weeks ago was playing itself
out in real time.
The force of the blow to her joint combined with the improved weapon brought the monster to her knees in front of him. Rampage roared in pain.
Dwight nearly felt bad as he struck again, this time at the discolored scales of the creature’s neck. The charge let loose directly into her spine, overloading her nervous system. Rampage remained down, unable to control her muscles. Dwight quickly circled around his opponent.
Despite her inability to move, Dwight could see the rage in the beast’s eyes. Her mouth hung open in a hideous snarl. Before Rampage had a chance to recover, Dwight plunged his mechanical fist into the creature’s maw. He locked on to Rampage’s disgusting tongue and unleashed the knuckles’ entire capacity. Sparks flew from the creature’s teeth as lightning danced between them. The lightshow reminded Dwight of a reptilian Tesla coil.
Rampage spit furiously, struggling to bite down on the prosthetic arm. The combination of the surging electricity and Ellis’s craftsmanship made the effort futile. After fifteen seconds of exposure, the beast’s life was spent, her organs burnt out under the load of the arm’s internal battery. Dwight wrenched the slimy metal from Rampage’s gaping jaws. She fell forward, forcing him to step to the side, and hit the floor with an audible crash. A thin line of blood ran from her mouth. Her eyes were open but vacant, the brain behind them turned to ash.
Dwight looked down at the corpse of the huge reptile, “You could have just let me up,” he said, crouching down to search for her keycard.
As if in response, a cloud of black smoke rolled out of Rampage’s mouth. Turning over the beast’s body was difficult. The sheer dead weight of her required all his strength to even budge. When he finally did, Dwight found the card tucked into the jacket pocket of the monster’s tattered coat.
He stepped up to the terminal, swiping the card, then slipped it into his pants pocket. There was no telling when he might need access to the building in the future, if there was going to be one. Replacing the spent battery in his prosthetic limb, he stepped between the sliding doors.
Seventeen
The elevator silently ascended the tower. Through its floor-to-ceiling window, Dwight could see the fires consuming whole sections of the city. The Justice Guild’s headquarters, still visible at the furthest end of the downtown high-rises, was the center of a warzone. He could make out the minuscule shapes of Powers clashing around the building in their life-and-death struggle for control of New Haven. Occasional flares of multi-colored light served as reminders of the terrible destruction they were unleashing. The normal people would have no defense against the carnage ravaging each block. Anywhere two Powers did battle, there would be casualties.
Dwight realized this was the nightmare scenario that Wulf had been trying to prevent. His existence as the biggest threat had forced the city into a peaceful stalemate. The point of the Referee was to stop this. Dwight was going to end Bernard, even if it destroyed him; he had to restore Wulf’s balance.
The elevator slowed as it reached the top of the building. The small waiting area outside of Wulf’s office was remarkably spotless, just as the lobby had been. However Bernard had taken down Wulf, he had done so without disrupting a single piece of furniture.
Dwight strode over the ebony tile as he had always done, assured that Bernard was expecting him. The doors leading to Wulf’s inner chamber were wide open as he made his way inside the darkened hall.
The first thing he noticed upon entering the office was the clear view of the scene outside from the oversized windows lining the room. The flames in the distance illuminated every corner in their eerie glow. Lia sat cross-legged on the floor beside Wulf’s looming black desk. Her gaze shifted toward him, then tilted upward. She continued the mechanical rotation around the office without any expression. Dwight realized she hadn’t actually registered his entry.
Bernard’s booming voice echoed over the room, “Dwight! So lovely o’ you te join us!” He spun around in Wulf’s oversized chair. “I was jus’ tellin’ our old boss ‘ow much I’ve bin wantin’ this little reunion.” He tapped on the glass dome seated on the desk’s surface. Beneath its shiny exterior rested Wulf’s head. The frozen look of shock said enough. His hair was drenched in his own blood. Bernard’s grab for the crown had been messy, and clearly one-sided.
As justified as Wulf’s death may have been, this wasn’t the outcome anyone sane would have wanted. “Why, Bernard? Why do any of this?” Dwight asked.
He leaned over the enormous desk, “Because they ‘ad to pay. I’m gonna make ‘em tear each o’va apart.”
Dwight took a step closer, trying to reach Lia with Ellis’s remote. “Not everyone out there took your powers, Bernard. There are innocent people dying because of your grudge.”
“Normal people die every day ‘round ‘ere. You fink for a second any of them give a damn. ‘ey’re all too busy playing the game: see’n ‘o’s got the biggest powers.” He tapped on the glass atop the table. “’e was no different.”
Bernard stood up from his throne, “Funny fing about being immortal; it’s a power just like any other. Wulf couldn’t believe just ‘ow much it ‘urt when our little friend ‘ere switched ‘im off.”
He stepped over to Lia, still sitting unaware of the world. “She did ‘er part flawlessly. Think I’ll get ‘er a suite or somefin’ up ‘ere.”
Dwight was sick of his ex-partner already, “Let her go. This is between us.”
“What is? You challenging me, little man?” Bernard started laughing the twisted, hateful laugh he had used with the Phoenix – with all the Capes they had killed. “I ‘ate to tell ya, Dwight, but I’ve got my powers back. You thought I was a badass before?”
Dwight stopped him, “I thought you were a sadistic prick before, back when we were working. Now I’m just convinced how right I was.” He took a step forward, trying again to get close enough to Lia to drop the disruptor.
Bernard moved in his way, “Oh no you don’t, little man. You’ll not be laying one ‘and on me girl.”
They locked eyes. “Come on then, you pathetic fuck. I don’t need a briefcase to tell me that you need to die.” Dwight used the reflex trigger to the serum. Instantly, he felt the rush of every cell in his body pushed beyond human limits. The feeling was incredible.
The giant took a few steps closer, now looming over him. He stooped down, right in front of Dwight. He sneered in his ex-partner’s face, so sure of his invulnerability.
Dwight’s first uppercut sent the larger man hurtling through the air, directly into the window at the back of the room twenty feet away. The glass cracked, but did not shatter. Bernard fell to his knees.
The blow was strong enough to shatter concrete, but for someone like Bernard, the surprise was much more powerful. He shook his entire body, collecting himself from Dwight’s opening shot. “You got some new trick there, D?” A toothy grin crept along his lips.
“Little something the Doc worked up for me. She really wants you dead for what you did to her friend.” Dwight smiled. He could imagine that this is what the Capes felt like all the time. The power was beyond intoxicating.
Bernard pointed at him, shouting to Lia, “Oy! Little girl! Turn ‘is powers off. I want to watch ‘im struggle while I kill ‘im.”
The light on Lia’s limiter went green. Her head snapped to attention with stiff focus; the machine had full control of her. She leaned forward, her vacant eyes locked on Dwight. After a few panicked seconds, nothing happened.
Dwight thought for a second. Lia’s telepathic power to turn off superhuman’s abilities came from switching off the part of their brain that enabled them; his borrowed talents came from the chemical pumping through his blood. She couldn’t affect something that wasn’t there. Without the instruction to completely freeze his mind, she wasn’t actually doing anything. Realizing she wouldn’t react to it either way, he pressed the advantage and stumbled toward her.
By the time Dwight was within arm’s reach of her, Bernard had gotten
up and was advancing on them. Reaching into his pocket, Dwight activated the disarming device and held it tightly in his hand. He purposely dropped to one knee, pretending to have his stolen powers drained from him. As he fell, he tossed the remote. It bounced against Lia’s chest before falling into her lap. She didn’t register the disturbance. Her eyes never left Dwight as her limiter attempted to assault a blank spot in his mind.
A second later, Bernard was standing over him. The instant Dwight felt the giant’s palm on the back of his neck, he grabbed Bernard’s wrist in both hands and twisted. Bernard’s entire body flipped over him, landing hard on his right side. Dwight rose and gave the giant a tremendous kick to the ribs. Bernard slid a few feet away before rotating to his feet. The two rushed at each other, colliding with a loud crunch. They fell to the floor. Bernard pulled himself onto the smaller man, throwing punch after punch into Dwight, who could only shield himself in defense.
After four blows, Dwight activated his arm’s electrified plates and met his attacker’s fist as it came down again. The jolt stunned Bernard long enough for Dwight to fling his ex-partner off of him. Bernard collided with the marble desk.
They both rolled to their feet, facing one another. Dwight figured he had about two minutes left of the formula. If he was going to pull this off, he needed to find a way to end it quickly. Bernard may have mass and brute strength on him, but Dwight made up for it with skill and technique.
They charged each other again, but this time, Dwight went low. Catching the huge man off balance by the leg, he slid underneath him and gripped the limb with both hands. As he stood, he used all his might to pull Bernard over and started swinging. The giant toppled over, then lifted off the ground like a doll, spinning as Dwight turned over and over. When he built up enough momentum, Dwight let go. Bernard sailed across the office, crashing into two of the armored knights at the outskirts of the room. Pieces of the metal suits went flying as the man came to a halt against the solid wall. Fractures marked his impact in the rock, but the huge man was far from done. He got up again, ready for a counterattack.