Super Mega 3 (Heroes & Harems)

by Nolan Fury

  She spun around and raced down the hall to the elevators. She caught the lift down and met up with Curtis and Madison in the lobby.

  They darted through the lobby and burst onto the sidewalk. Chrome scanned the area, looking for threats.

  The street seemed clear.

  “Come on!” Chrome shouted, then raced down the sidewalk.

  They ran four blocks, twisting and turning, finally taking cover in an alley to catch their breath. Both Madison and Curtis hunched on their knees, heaving for air.

  “You guys really should get more exercise,” Chrome said. She hadn’t broken a sweat.

  In between gasps, Curtis said, “Yeah, well, we are mere mortals.”

  “So, let me get this straight. You’re from another dimension?” Madison asked.

  Chrome nodded.

  “And that’s what this is all about… Dad’s technology?” Her eyes filled with tears. “Is he okay?”

  Chrome nodded again. But she couldn’t say with any degree of certainty. She hadn’t talked to him in several hours. After Curtis went missing, at the insistence of Chrome and Surge, Mr. Bradford took shelter in a survival bunker that he had built underneath the mansion. Mr. Bradford had always envisioned he’d need to take shelter because of an economic collapse, an EMP blast, a nuclear attack by a rogue state—hell, he thought zombies would walk the earth before he’d have to shelter himself from super villains.

  The bunker was practically impenetrable. Now that Nitro-X had the power of the Ultraverse, he didn’t need Mr. Bradford or anyone else.

  “I can take you back to the bunker and watch over you. I think that’s probably the safest place right now.”

  “What about Ben and Nitro-X?” Curtis asked, concerned about his friend.

  Chrome wondered the same thing.

  35

  “You didn’t think he was really going to help us, did you?” Surge said as we left the bar.

  I shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”

  “After the exorbitant fee he charged us last time, you know he wasn’t going to do it for free.”

  “I thought he would have cared about Earth. He’s from here, after all.”

  “I don’t think Duane Earl cares about anyone but Duane Earl.”

  “I think he cares about Ruby.” I paused for a moment. “Do you know the sorceress he’s talking about?”

  “I wouldn’t expect to find a sorceress here that can accomplish what he needs.”

  Having made his point, Nitro-X left the area in ruins. It was a display of force that he hoped would induce capitulation among the citizens and government.

  Surge’s mobile phone rang. She slipped the device from her pocket and swiped the screen. “Did you get them?”

  “Yes,” Chrome said.

  Surge breathed a sigh of relief. She relayed the information to me.

  “Meet us back at the Delta Pi house.”

  “Copy that.”

  The party had died down. The destruction created a somber mood among the sorority girls. They were glued to the television set, watching the incessant coverage of the event. News anchors commented, making wild speculations about the origin of Nitro-X, the glowing energy vortex in the sky, and what it meant for the future of Earth. They pontificated about the coming doom and gloom and the end of the world. They showed clips of interviews with people around the city. Some called it a sign of the apocalypse.

  Chrome took Curtis and Madison back home to shelter in the bunker with their father, then met us at the Delta Pi house.

  “We need the tri-stone,” Surge said. “It’s the only thing that can take away his power.”

  “If Zepha hasn’t been able to stop Ranger, it might be lost forever,” I said.

  “Her telepathic powers won’t extend to Earth,” Surge said. “I’ll go back to the Ultraverse and see if I can contact her. Maybe she’s been able to stop Ranger from destroying it.”

  “Chrome and I will try to take out the power vortex,” I said. “If that can be destroyed, Nitro-X will lose his ability.”

  A wave of concern washed over Surge’s face. “Be careful. That is an immense amount of power being channeled into a small location. I would imagine it’s highly volatile, and Nitro-X isn’t going to leave it undefended.”

  “Guys, do you think now is really the time that we should split up?” Chrome asked.

  She had a valid point.

  “I’m just going to zip back for a minute, contact Zepha, lend a hand if she needs it, then come right back.”

  “That sounds like it could get complicated,” Chrome said.

  “I think it’s worth the risk,” I said.

  Chrome glared at me for taking Surge’s side.

  “Back in a flash,” Surge said. She found a bathroom and closed the door. It was best to make the transfer in private. A flash of light flickered under the door, and Surge was gone.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Chrome said.

  “Who? Me? I’m winging this.”

  Chrome huffed and rolled her eyes.

  We left the sorority house and made our way to the power generator. It was easy to find—we just followed the vortex in the sky.

  The facility was surrounded by a chain-link fence, ringed with concertina wire. Nitro-X had armed guards protecting the perimeter. The energy beam poured into the main structure focused through a tall cylindrical device. The guards strolled the fence line with automatic rifles at the ready.

  Perhaps local law enforcement hadn’t connected the vortex with the source of Nitro-X’s power? Perhaps they were too afraid to raid the building and attempt to disable it?

  Chrome and I positioned ourselves on a warehouse rooftop across the street from the complex. It gave us a good view of the property and allowed us to plan our attack. The facility was in the warehouse district on the outskirts of town. The blue glow of the energy vortex bathed the area in brilliant light. It rivaled daylight.

  “What do you think?” I asked.

  “I say we go kick some ass!”

  “No plan? No stealth tactics?”

  “Shock and awe, bitches!”

  I shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

  We jumped off the roof landing three stories below on the sidewalk. We ran across the street. I leapt over the chain-link fence while Chrome merged through it, transforming herself into liquid metal.

  I landed on the ground beside a guard and snatched the rifle out of his hands before he could react. I swung the stock around and smacked him in the face with the butt of the rifle. It opened a wide gash on his cheek that flowed crimson red. Blood trickled down his cheek as he smacked the ground unconscious. With my super strength, it was a wonder his neck didn’t snap.

  Another guard across the lot opened fire. Muzzle flash flickered from the barrel, and a torrent of bullets raced toward me. They slammed into my chest and bounced away. I have to be honest, it hurt like hell. It was going to add to the purple marks on my chest.

  I brought the weapon into the firing position and took aim. My finger wrapped around the trigger and I squeezed tight, unleashing a flurry of bullets at the guard.

  The bullets didn’t bounce off his chest. They tore right through it. Blood spewed from the wounds, and the impact sent jolts through his body. He crashed to the ground, and, his weapon clattered away.

  As Chrome passed through the fence, she had turned her forearm into a sword and stabbed a goon before he could get a shot off.

  We made short work of the remaining guards, then pushed into the main structure. There were more waiting for us inside.

  36

  The clamor of gunshots rang out as more guards attacked.

  A large cylinder in the center of the room towered three stories in the air. It was wrapped in wiring and conduit and reminded me of a giant rocket thruster. It funneled the vortex from the Ultraverse and focused the energy into an exposed crystal at the base that was the size of a large boulder.

  The translucent crystal glowed with bril
liant energy. There was a massive support base for the cylinder that was adorned with instruments and gauges. There were several control terminals in the room, reminiscent of a nuclear power plant. It was, after all, designed to harness energy from another dimension and supply an abundant source of power to Earth.

  More bullets ricocheted off my body. I returned fire, peppering the guards with bullets.

  Chrome absorbed the gunshots, allowing them to pass through her metallic form. The bullets pinged off the walls behind her.

  With lightning speed, she advanced, eviscerating the attackers with her razor-sharp appendages. She minced the guards without much effort, leaving a trail of corpses in her wake. Blood pooled around the bodies and severed limbs. It was brutal, and Chrome didn’t pull any punches.

  “Remind me to never get on your bad side,” I said, surveying the mutilated carcasses.

  Chrome flashed an innocent smile. “Now let’s shut this thing down!”

  I moved to the main command terminal and surveyed the array of buttons and switches. There were display screens with waveforms, level meters, temperature readouts, etc.

  “Do you know how to turn this thing off?” Chrome asked.

  “No. Don’t we just flip a switch?”

  “Bradford said there is a strict shut down protocol that needs to be followed. An abrupt cessation could result in catastrophe. The system could over load, causing an explosion equivalent to a 100 megaton nuclear detonation. And that’s the best-case scenario.”

  “What’s the worst-case scenario?”

  “It creates a distortion in space time and creates a permanent hole between the dimensions.”

  “We should probably avoid something like that.” I said. “Maybe we should get him on the phone?”

  Chrome pulled her mobile from her pocket and called Bradford. She put him on speaker phone. His panicked voice crackled through the thin speaker as he walked us through the shut-down protocol.

  I followed his instructions precisely.

  But things didn’t work out as planned. I expected a gradual attenuation of the power vortex. The beam should have slowly dissipated over time. But nothing changed.

  I flicked the last switch in the sequence. It should have been completely shut down by that point. “Nothing's happening. It’s not shutting down!”

  Bradford was silent.

  “What are we supposed to do?” Now I was the one who was getting panicked.

  Bradford hesitated, then stammered, “I was afraid this could happen. The odds were very slim, but…”

  “Well, looks like the odds don’t matter now,” I said, in a sardonic tone.

  “The crystal is receiving so much energy from the Ultraverse that it’s on a perpetual loop. It can’t be disconnected.”

  My face tensed. “What do you mean it can’t be disconnected?”

  “Power to the crystal needs to be interrupted—”

  I didn’t hear the rest of what Bradford said. I was distracted by the fact that Nitro-X and Plasmatron had entered the facility.

  “I’m gonna have to call you back,” I muttered.

  Chrome and I squared off against the two super villains. This was bad. This was real bad.

  37

  “Did you think I would leave this facility so undefended if I thought you could actually bring it down?” Nitro-X said.

  I felt like an idiot.

  “This is a permanent connection between our worlds. To shut this down would… well, I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now.” Nitro grinned.

  I stood in front of the control terminal. Nitro didn’t want to risk damaging his precious power facility, so he didn’t hurl any explosive pulses at me. Instead, he charged toward me. He lifted off the ground and flew across the facility and punched me in the face.

  The blow toppled me over the control terminal and sent me tumbling to the ground. My neck wrenched to the side, and pain shot down my spine. I felt like I’d been hit in the face within an anvil. My jaw throbbed.

  I staggered to my feet.

  Nitro chuckled. This was too easy.

  Plasmatron squared off against Chrome. The two charged each other and collided with the fury of a herd of rhinos.

  Plasmatron swung a body punch. His fist slammed into Chrome’s belly, but she morphed her metallic body around the blow. Like liquid, she swirled around him, reformed, then struck him from behind in the back of the head.

  Plasmatron crashed to the ground with a scowl on his face. He sprang to his feet and hurled a plasma bolt at her now that she was clear of any critical structures.

  Chrome conformed her body to avoid the beam, which further aggravated Plasmatron. She didn’t seem like she was having any problems handling the villain.

  I was getting my ass handed to me. Nitro-X slammed into me, tackling me to the ground. His fist pummeled my face incessantly. His knuckles hammered my cheekbone, pounding my head against the floor.

  He was so much stronger than I was. I thought the bones in my face were going to crumble. I damn near blacked out.

  Nitro cocked his fist back and launched it toward my face.

  I rolled aside and his fist smashed the concrete floor, sending chips of concrete flying. If he would have been an ordinary human, every bone in his hand would have been shattered. But the impact didn’t even scuff his knuckles.

  It provided enough of a distraction for me to buck him off me and wriggle free.

  Chrome’s fluid shape was giving Plasmatron a hard time. He’d swing, miss, then she’d materialize and clock him.

  I staggered to my feet and barreled toward Nitro-X.

  With a flick of his wrist, he sent a small explosive pulse in my direction. It slammed into my chest and knocked me to the ground. It wasn’t enough to disrupt the surrounding equipment, but it felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my sternum. It put me flat on my back. The impact knocked the air from my lungs, and I gasped for breath.

  Nitro was more concerned with Chrome than he was with me. Back in the Ultraverse, I shared her power, but not here.

  Nitro hurled a pulse at her. Where she was positioned, there was no danger of the blast disrupting any critical machinery. It distorted the air as it rippled across the facility. It slammed into Chrome’s side, catching her off guard as she was focused on Plasmatron. The blast sent her flying across the room. She slammed into the wall and crumpled to the ground.

  Nitro hit her with a second explosive pulse, and Chrome’s form distorted from the impact.

  I sprang to my feet in an attempt to stop Nitro, but with another flick of his wrist I found myself back on the ground, blood trickling from my nose.

  Nitro hurled another massive explosive pulse at Chrome. This one hit her square in the chest, detonating like a crate of TNT.

  My eyes widened with absolute horror at what I saw.

  Chrome exploded into a billion shards of metal that scattered across the facility, chiming against the floor. One minute she was there, the next she was gone.

  I screamed with rage.

  The veins in my neck bulged. My eyes welled, and my throat tightened. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t fathom what had just happened. A sick feeling twisted in my stomach and my heart sunk into the depths of hell. I felt like someone had ripped my soul from me.

  Chrome was dead.

  At that moment, I didn’t care about anything other than revenge.

  38

  I didn’t have anything to lose. I clearly wasn’t strong enough to defeat Nitro-X on my own, and nobody was coming to save me.

  I squared off against Nitro and took a combat stance. I must have looked like a demon possessed. A rabid animal. I didn’t care what happened to me anymore. Rage and hate consumed me. Maybe I was going to lose this fight. But Nitro wasn’t going to get out without a scar.

  I stormed toward him like a bull.

  Nitro threw a small pulse that flung me on my ass again. It knocked the wind from my lungs and made my head spin.

&n
bsp; The creep lorded over me hurling small blasts at me over and over again as I lay on the concrete. Each one felt like a wrecking ball had been dropped from atop the Empire State building and landed on my chest.

  My skin tingled, and I felt like I could spontaneously combust at any moment. In a matter of moments I would be scattered across the room, nothing more than bits of goo, blood, and bone.

  Nitro hovered over me with a snide grin. “You should have gone back to the Ultraverse when you had the chance. Earth is mine.”

  I watched as he formed a massive distortion pulse in his hand, ready to hurl it down at me. This was it. This was going to be my deathblow.

  Like a pitcher ready to hurl a fastball, Nitro was about to release the pulse when he was knocked to the ground by another blast.

  I stared in confusion. It took a moment for me to realize what had happened. An explosive pulse had slammed into him. But where did the pulse come from?

  I craned my neck and looked across the room to see Duane Earl. His necklace glowed a brilliant shade of green as it drew power from Nitro-X and transferred it to DE. He didn’t have quite the same strength as Nitro since the crystal was sucking power. But it also meant that Nitro’s power was diminished. Not only that, DE had siphoned off some of Plasmatron’s power as well.

  DE slammed Plasmatron with a plasma blast that knocked him across the room.

  Both of the villains shook off the attack, staggered to their feet, and advanced toward DE.

  Nitro hurled an explosive pulse at Duane while Plasmatron let a plasma bolt fly.

  Duane fought fire with fire, using explosive pulses and plasma blasts to counteract the attack. The crisscrossing streams of energy met with violent fury, sparking and cracking across the facility.

  Things were getting volatile. One stray spark of energy and the whole facility could explode. The whole city, maybe even the planet would be annihilated. Maybe the dimensions would collide and life as we knew it would cease to exist?

  DE wasn’t going to be able to hold them off forever. He put up a valiant fight, but they were backing him into a corner.