“It wasn’t your fault,” Maya said.
“But it was. Poor Ev lived in constant fear because I was too weak to do anything. I kept telling myself Dom would change, that he would eventually see the light and stop abusing us. I was such a fool. And then came the night where he actually decided to kill me. I was so scared, I couldn’t move. Because of that, Ev had to do the inconceivable, the thing no child should ever have to do. It’s my fault he has to live with that for the rest of his life.”
She was in tears now. Ev went over to comfort her.
* * *
After Anni had calmed down, Ev returned to his place on the couch beside Maya. “I’m sorry about that,” she said.
“No, it’s OK. You have a right to be human. That’s something I didn’t learn until last year,” Maya said.
Anni smiled approvingly at her. “Thank you, Maya. I can tell you’re a good match for Ev.
“Let’s change the subject, shall we? Tell me about this university. You suddenly ran off to it, and I never really got the details. To tell the truth, I’ve been so worried, wondering if you chose a good school.”
Ev sighed. He had not been looking forward to this. He didn’t know how she would react when he revealed the truth. Nevertheless, he decided it needed to be done.
“Mom, were you following the news last year when that evil god took over Stiftung in the Murnau Islands?”
“Of course I was. It was unbelievable, really; a real, live god who isn’t Bethos! But what does this have to do with your college?”
Ev told her everything, starting with how he had been saved from refghasts by Brandon Strong, to his sudden enrollment in Divine Protector University, to their field trip to Stiftung and the subsequent attack by Belial, to their journey through the Tower of Babel. Anni stared at him, dumbstruck.
Finally, she said, “I think I need to lay down for a bit. This is a lot to take in.”
“Sure, Mom. I understand.” But did Mom understand? Could she accept the reality of her son as a god-in-training? Only time would tell, he supposed.
* * *
In the backyard, Ev and Maya stared at the indistinct patch of grass. It looked no different than the rest of the grass. “This is it,” Ev said.
“This is where you buried him?”
“Yeah. Luckily it happened at night, so were able to dig up the grass without anyone seeing us. I still see it clearly when I close my eyes. His blood was on my hands and I was going crazy with fear. I had just killed my father. I had taken a life. I knew what it was like to be a killer. For the love of Bethos, I was eight!”
Maya put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault, Ev. There was nothing else you could have done. If you hadn’t done it, your mother would have been the one to die, and your father would have been the one to live. I’d say that’s an even worse scenario. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yeah. It would have been. Still, it doesn’t change what I went through. It doesn’t change what I go through every single day.”
She squeezed his hand. “But you don’t go through it alone, Ev. And you never will again.”
Despite (or because of) everything, he smiled. She was right. He wasn’t alone anymore.
* * *
Captain Arnold Schmitz stood on the deck of the DRM Blitzkrieg, one of several destroyers stationed at the giant tower which had appeared off the coast of Stiftung last year during the attack by the sinister stranger who called himself Belial. He claimed to have been a god, and with everything he was able to do, few doubted him. Having grown up in an atheist home, Schmitz had never been very religious, and still didn’t know what to make of Belial. It was difficult to argue with what his eyes saw. After all, Belial had summoned angelic giants to terrorize the people of Stiftung. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he also had called down this behemoth of a tower. What exactly it was or what might be inside, no one knew. Not long after Belial went inside, three mysterious individuals were seen flying up from the depths (apparently, the tower’s entrance was underwater).
When the Murnau military sent divers down there, however, they reported finding no means of entry. The only conclusion to be drawn was that there had to be a secret method of entering the structure, but so far no one had been able to find it. Schmitz and his crew tried using a blowtorch to cut a hole inside, but that didn’t even make a scratch on whatever material the tower was made of. Ditto for D5 explosive charges. Next they tried shelling the place with the destroyer’s guns, but that produced no results as well.
Thus they could not get inside. With that being the case, the Murnau government decided to bow to mounting pressure from other governments to allow them access to the site; they had nothing to lose at this point. Therefore, the Blitzkrieg was now part of a joint operation to study the tower and prevent any unauthorized entry. Of course, Schmitz suspected his superiors would be secretly pleased if someone could get the damn thing open.
So, with nothing to do, he just stood there on the deck, staring at the tower in the vain hope it would reveal its secrets to him. There was full cloud cover overhead, and it looked like it might rain. Schmitz hoped it would. At least then something would be happening. This was incredibly boring.
Suddenly, a private ran up to him. “Kapitän! Radar is picking up a high-speed object heading this way from the east.”
Well, that was something, at least. “How big?”
“About the size of a missile.”
Could one of the other countries be launching an attack on the site to gain control of the tower? That, he could not allow. “Are we sure its not one of ours?”
“Positive, Kapitän. Central Command has nothing in the air.”
Schmitz ran to the bridge. He told his first officer, Friedrick Gastoff, “As soon as we confirm the unknown object isn’t nuclear, I want it blown out of the sky.”
Gastoff looked worried. “And if it is nuclear?”
They both knew the answer to that question. If it was a nuke, they would wait for it to pass by the major population areas and then destroy it over the ocean. Unfortunately, they would likely get caught in the explosion, as close as they were to Stiftung.
But Schmitz just said, “Tell me when we have confirmation.”
A few minute later, one of the officers on the bridge announced he now had a clear radar return. Schmitz asked if it was a known nuke type. The radar operator shook his head nervously. “I don’t think it’s a nuke. It doesn’t even look like a missile.”
What the hell was that supposed to mean? “What does it look like?”
The operator hesitated for a moment. “A person.”
“A what?”
“Take a look sir. Two arms, two legs.”
Schimitz studied the display. The unknown did indeed resemble a human being. And it was coming in even faster than a missile. He had a sickening feeling the events of last year were about to be repeated. He had to prevent that at all costs. “Shoot it down.”
Gastoff nodded. The object had been close enough to lock onto for quite some time, but they hadn’t fired for fear of unleashing a nuclear holocaust. Now, though, they locked on and fire away with every non-nuclear missile they had. Schmitz wanted that thing shot down, but not bad enough to utilize the final option. If he was wrong, a finished career would be the worst of his worries.
The Blitzkrieg unloaded a volley of warheads at the unknown. After thirty seconds, a series of explosions lit up the eastern sky. “Did we get it?” Schmitz asked.
His hopes were high that they had just ended a threat before it could begin. However, movement in the direction of the smoke cut that hope short. The thing was still coming in, and fast.
He ran out onto the deck for a better look. It was almost upon them, now, and Schmitz could see it was, in fact, a person. It had to be another of those gods (or whatever they were) flying in to do who-knew-what.
The dark blur slammed into the hull of the Blitzkrieg, and the ship rocked from the impact. The whole thing tipp
ed sideways as water rushed into the punctured vessel. Schmitz grabbed onto the railing to keep from falling off. Aboard the bridge, Gastoff was shouting for all hands to evacuate.
The Tru Republic’s ship, Emerald Valiance, pulled up alongside them. “D’ye be needin’ assistance, Blitzkrieg?” one of their officers asked in their sing-song accent.
Schmitz thought about it for a moment. “It depends on how bad the damage is. For now, you should keep an eye out for the guy that hit us.”
“Oh, it was a guy now, was it? Didn’t realize you could be taken out so easily.”
“This is not the time for jokes. Those gods—or whatever the hell they are—are back. He’s probably going for the entrance to the tower. You’ve got to do whatever it takes to stop him.”
If they failed, Bethos only knew what would happen.
* * *
From miles away, on a deserted building in Stiftung harbor, Heimdall watched the events unfold. A fellow god just crashed through a Murnau ship standing guard at the Tower. Heimdall knew almost all of the players in this game, but he didn’t recognize the man that had now put his token in.
Following the Stiftung Crisis, Bethos had stationed Heimdall here to watch over the Tower in case someone tried to enter. Evidently the Blood Key was still out there somewhere and could be used to open the entrance. As the god with the greatest eyesight, Heimdall was the logical choice.
He gritted his gold teeth nervously and contacted Bethos via telepathy. Someone’s trying to get into the Tower. He’s making an unnecessary mess of things.
Bethos responded, I’m sending reinforcements. Wait until they arrive. Don’t try taking them on by yourself.
By the time they arrive, it might be too late. If this person has the Blood Key, we can’t afford to wait.
Don’t do it. Wait for reinforcements. And with that, Bethos was gone.
Heimdall stood up. He knew what he had to do. Orders or no, he wasn’t able to wait around while some unknown god made his way into the Tower of Babel and helped himself to all the goodies inside. The most dangerous weapons on the planet were stored in there, and a twisted mind could do almost anything with them.
And there were plenty of twisted minds in Zero Grade.
Heimdall launched himself off the building and towards the Tower.
* * *
The three of them once again sat down in the living room. Ev’s mother had suitably recovered from the shock of his revelations and was now willing to talk about it. “It’s a lot to take in,” she said.
Ev nodded. “I know. Think of how much it was for me to take in, being the one who had to go through it all.
“But at the same time,” Anni said, “I’m so proud of you. My son, a god! Not only that, but you fought to save the world.”
He looked away, sheepishly. “Well, I really didn’t do that much to help Professor Strong…”
But Maya said, “That’s not true, Ev. You distracted Belial long enough for Professor Strong to pull the spear out of his chest and hurl it at him, piercing him in the heart and killing him.”
“And what was your role in this?” Anni asked her inquisitively.
Maya squirmed, afraid to admit the truth of her involvement. Ev decided to help her out by telling his mother the truth. “Maya was by my side at the time. She healed me after Belial struck me with lightning.”
Anni rushed over and took Maya’s hand. “Thank you so, so much for everything you’ve done for Ev. He’s so, so lucky to have someone like you in his life. He’d be dead if not for you.”
Looking uncomfortable, Maya averted her gaze. She was clearly tempted to admit the truth, that she was the one who had put Ev in so much danger in the first place.
“Please, Misses Bannen—”
“Call me Anni.”
“Please, Anni. I didn’t do that much. Ev’s done so much more for me than I’ve done for him.”
“Really? Like what?”
Before Maya could say what she was thinking, Ev intervened. “I just helped her out with some things. No big deal.”
Perhaps sensing she was wading into sensitive waters, Anni backed off. “Well, I won’t pry. I’m just glad you two are there for one another. I worried about Ev for years, but I now I think he’s going to be OK…”
His mother’s words were droned out by a ringing in their ears. It was Freya. Attention, all students of Divine Protector Academy currently on leave. An emergency has been declared. Everyone is hereby instructed to return to the Academy immediately.
“Sorry, Mom, but something has just come up. We need to get going.”
Ev and Maya rose to leave. Anni looked confused. “Those giants aren’t invading again, are they?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Maya said.
“Well, OK.” Anni hugged the two of them and told Ev to keep in touch.
* * *
They returned to the plane. A bunch of students were crowding in and around the cockpit, pressuring Brandon to tell them what the emergency was. He danced around the question as best he could. “I don’t know all the details. You’ll find out once we get back to the Academy. I can’t tell you any more than that.” The students pressured him further, but he kicked them out of the cockpit, telling them to take their seats.
Ev and Maya took theirs. “I wonder if the Nephilim really are back,” Ev said.
“But who could be controlling them? Belial’s dead.”
“Maybe, but he used that Blood Key to control them. It disappeared when he died. Professor Strong was evasive when I asked him what happened to it. What if someone else now has it?”
Her face grew clouded with worry. “That would be a very bad scenario, Ev. Whoever controls the Key controls not only the Nephilim, but the Tower of Babel as well.
You saw just a few of the dangerous Artifacts stored in there. They nearly killed you and Professor Strong.”
“Yeah, but we survived.”
“But rumor has it on the top floor is the most dangerous Artifact of all. It makes all the others look like toys.”
“I wouldn’t put too much stock in rumors, Maya. And even if it’s true, Professor Strong told me it takes time to unlock the most dangerous ones. The Academy won’t simply let some lunatic make off with them.”
She looked out the window of the plane. “I hope you’re right, Ev.”
* * *
Heimdall materialized from the Bifrost into another chamber. The Bifrost—or Rainbow Bridge—was a system which enabled quick transport throughout the Tower of Babel. Normally one had to fight the skeleton Keepers to get to it, but Brandon and Ev Bannen had destroyed them during their fight through the Tower last year. Heimdall considered that fortunate; he didn’t have to waste time facing the Tower’s defenses. He simply stepped into the multicolored wall and willed it to take him to where the intruder had gone.
However, upon materializing, Heimdall’s eyes went wide as he realized where he was. Unlike the other chambers of the Tower, the floors, wall, and ceiling were a pure white color. Large wooden crosses lined the circular wall. No doubt about it; this was the top floor and home to the most dangerous Artifact of all.
He cursed inwardly. He had allowed himself to be distracted. He needed to find the intruder, and fast. He could be anywhere.
Suddenly, his chest exploded. A magnificent spear had impaled him from behind. A torrent of blood burst forth, drenching the floor in crimson. Heimdall hacked up the stuff.
“Hope you don’t mind me using Gungnir,” someone said behind him.
With tremendous effort, Heimdall turned around to see his attacker. It was the same man who had struck the Murnau destroyer. “Bastard. Who…are you?” He struggled to talk despite all the blood filling his throat.
“Sorry to do this to you,” the man said casually. “It’s necessary. But don’t worry; I’ll bring you back later. Maybe.
“Fool…you mean to use…” Heimdall weakly gestured to where the ultimate Artifact lay. “…that?”
“O
f course I do. Wouldn’t you, if you had the chance?” He didn’t seem to have a care in the world, no understanding of what he was doing.
“D-Don’t.”
“It’s a bit too late for that. For me, there’s no turning back now. A new world awaits. A better world.”
“Not…better…”
“Hmph. I disagree. This world’s a failure, just like all the others. I’m going to end it.” But Heimdall did something surprising, even to himself. He laughed. “What’s so funny?”
“Just…remembered—urk. Can’t…use… it…even if…you—urk—want to.”
Incident 27 Page 3