Heroic- Zero

by Ted L C

  Helmet materializes. They shift to the upper right screen on his heads up display—nothing but the pillars he passed through.

  “This isn’t funny—”

  The muscles lining Derek’s arms twitch as he envisions his limb moving.

  The sky fills with flashes as booms mixed with shattering fill the zone.

  A thick object slams into the center of the boy’s chest. The images expelling from the figure breathing on the visor hastens.

  * * *

  Unmindful

  A searing sensation blossoms inside of Derek’s abdomen.

  The Revelator gyrates to the left. A blur mixed with ebony and mahogany tints jerks itself toward the same direction.

  Within his peripherals, an obscured aura engulfs the huts stuffing the background.

  The boy’s right leg skids over the other.

  What’s happening?

  The multihued smudge having the shape of a human appears on top of him. A dagger with a stag’s head as the hilt presses against the surface of his visor. Burrowing through the clear material, no cracks stem aside the blade.

  “Alyss—”

  * * *

  A corpse afar beckons his gaze. A silhouette uproots the dirk from his helmet. It smears the edge of a sports bra along the blade.

  A teardrop slips across the girl’s glossed cheek. Sniffles reverberate throughout the frigid ocean of gold dust

  Now that I think about it, I can’t hear or feel the wind. Or smell.

  Within Derek’s mind, he visualizes his arms moving. Upon looking forward. No arm.

  Am I—

  “I’m so sorry, Derek,” the figure’s obsidian coating fades.

  Diluted mascara flees a girl’s eyelids, drizzling on the boy’s chest. “I prefer you not to have seen what awaits us further down the road.

  “Pp-please forgive me—I love you.”

  A series of spiraling lights fill the skies, transforming into twilight.

  An image of a man garbed with a light blue outfit illustrates itself. He weaves his fingers with Derek’s neck, pulling him backward.

  “Congratulations, Ms. Kuklinski!” a person overpowers the laughs flowing from a distant television. “What’d you name him?”

  “It is up to you, my powder sugar cake,” a grafting tone scrapes the insides of his ears.

  “Derek,” a voice replies as brown eyes, surrounded by pale skin glues to Derek’s face. The sunlight unveils a glisten hidden behind her gaze. “Li’l sug’s got tha most charmin’ set of peepers ahv seen. Reminds me of space in a way—”

  * * *

  Avarice

  Yakutsk, Russia

  “Space you say?” a grafting tone flows through the ears of the woman before him. “Why would we use intergalactic banner transports to advertise a consumption product geared toward owners of cats—”

  “Sir,” a man garbed with an ashen suit faces a hand who reaches from the shadows. Fingers clasp a light brown glass of liquid. “I have dire news for you.”

  “What is it?” they pull the drink into the darkness. A wooden flavor with an aftertaste of alcohol dribbles through the figure’s throat.

  A saucer appears over an olive tinted palm. It erupts a clump of capsules. He hurls the pills into his mouth

  “Derek and Alyssa went off-course when en-route to Thede. What’s our course of action?

  “Your objective won’t be complete within your stated timeline.”

  “Ready my transport ship. Assure the pilot gets me to the Temple of Yama on Barter in two hours.”

  “Yes, my lord,” the suited figure arcs their body’s upper half forward.

  * * *

  “The lord, he has returned!” two ragged men rush toward an escalator. It extends from the bottom of a massive chrome cylinder. They hurl themselves on their knees and raise their palms to the skies. “Have you come to save us from this wretched false deity?”

  “Artemis!” a golden arm hurls itself with a circular motion. “Feast.”

  A scythe manifests as they dash throughout the air. The heads of the two figures drop into the sand.

  Those men damned themselves when stepping on the grounds of this blasphemous temple.

  Glimmering gloves face the doorway before him. The metallic sheet of metal crumbles like a paper ball as it floats ahead of Liam. It dives through the darkened corridor. Heavy jingles sing as the orb hovers, mirroring the man’s movements.

  An orange beam of light shreds the figure’s shoulder, dissolving a slab of his armor. The sphere forms a door, fencing the hall.

  A silhouette wearing a gas mask paints itself inside of Liam’s mind.

  “My lord, it has been a long time,” a voice hums from the other side of the sheet. “Didn’t expect to see you for—well—ever—”

  The armor-clad man appears behind the character garbed in all black. A constant beam emits from a chrome weapon, dissolving the conjured barricade.

  “It has been a lifetime, Mr. Sao,” Liam’s fingers mash into the soldier’s skull. His arms twist. The man’s neck follows. “I must make this encounter short, though. I am behind schedule.”

  Releasing the helmet, the trooper’s feet jerk his body toward an elevator door. The corpse collapses.

  “Nuh uh uh,” an upbeat voice echoes through the corridors. “You of all people are not getting up here to fight the mighty demon of the east.”

  The lifeless mirrored visor faces the doorway. “Clone of the false god, Zeresh. Doest thou have Rainy in your possession?”

  “Why yes we do, my lord.”

  “Hold your tongue, for you do not deserve to call me ‘lord’. You do not deserve to sniff the shit on my boots,” he rests both palms against the ground. Waves of stone surge throughout the temple’s walls and flooring. “There is only one, singular vision. And that is mine. Free her or else I will topple this building and destroy you.”

  “By the same token, you’ll slaughter her, my lord—” the trembling intensifies. Bricks shatter upon bombarding Liam’s armor.

  The scent of frankincense intensifies as it pulses throughout the room.

  “Sir,” a voice echoes against the insides of the helmet. “the Chinese-Faxian forces are attacking in an m formation. One ess-class cruiser, fourteen Yagers and a squadron of fighters. We cannot hold them off for too long. Please assist at your convenience.”

  Liam’s foot rams into the ground. A corner of the building arcs inward. Bricks rain downward as a brown cloud fills the room. A massive chrome cylinder visualizes itself within his mind.

  * * *

  “Your service to the one true god is noted, my faithful followers,” his mirrored visor drags itself toward the decapitated corpses. “However, your time is nigh. The cycle needs to end, along with the other HESTEKS.”

  For every step taken, a part of the escalator’s staircase collapse. Absorbing into the ship’s doorway.

  As the sounds of engines ignite. His helmet reflects within the window. He watches a section of the wall lining the building before him topple inward.

  “My next arrival is nigh, demon. My vision will be achieved.”

  * * *

  Golden boots trudge along a silver runway toward a group of figures wearing suits. Their fingers move in blurs across a myriad of hologram screens and LED monitors.

  The floors rumble as the helmet faces a screen.

  A massive cylinder appears. A giant metal hammerhead blossoms from its tip. His eyes shift to the planetary sized ring enveloping the vessel.

  “Stragglers, sir,” a voice echoes whilst pointing at the ship. “Shall we retreat? We can’t handle the firepower of these cruisers.”

  “Begin transmission,” his modulated grafting voice overpowers the numerous metal jingles. “I wish to take a tour of their ship.”

  “Yes, sir,” a frail voice utters as nails glide across a hologram keyboard. “Transmission in progress.”

  A man appears on the massive screen before them. “Good day, HESTEK dog shit.�
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  “A wonderful evening to you as well, sir” his legs spread themselves, aligning to each shoulder blade.

  Liam’s eyes move toward the background. Embedding numerous figures wearing charcoal uniforms into his mind. “To whom am I speaking with?”

  “Oh-ef-ten Generalissimo Shiao Ping Huang of the Grand People’s Liberation Navy of Faxian’s HESTEK and Democratic Progressive Party Predatory Division. What brings you back to our planet?”

  A clip streams within Liam’s mind of the same man. This time, equipped with a sword, shield, and black armor—

  Liam swings his claymore at the man who hurls his barrier forward. It smacks the giant sword, sending it backward.

  Three other figures appear and clamp their palms against the man’s body, they haul him toward an archway. Screaming with an aggressive Chinese tongue their catlike eyes stare down the golden hulk. The general cries using the same language as he’s dragged to the opposite direction.

  “Generalissimo,” Liam’s glued on smile blossoms. “I see past encounters with me have treated you fair over the years. Moreover, you were a worthy foe. I am here for unfinished business with some HESTEKS on Faxian.

  “I see oppressing your denizens and censoring galactal media has given you wonderful skin as well. I do not wish to face your almighty army.”

  “It is too late for that, heretic king,” the man’s eyebrows arc inward. “Billions were massacred thanks to you and your blind followers. Today is the day to avenge my fallen brothers and sisters.”

  “My blind followers? The blood of billions runs through your fingers, generalissimo. Instead of honing your mistake, you use it as an excuse to persecute not only HESTEKS, but those who oppose you—even my baby, Reivscere,” Liam brushes two fingers against the chin of his helmet. “I take credit where it is due; however, this is not the case.

  “I will ask you this once more. Is attacking my forces your final decision, Generalissimo?”

  “It is—”

  The hulk of armor dissipates, morphing into a shadow.

  He emerges from the background of the other side of the television screen with a scythe in hand.

  “Artemis,” the weapon rips a person in half. “Feast!”

  A group of figures falls to the ground like stones.

  Shiao turns. Raven armor manifest, encasing his body. A shield and sword emerge from his grasp.

  His arms swing in every direction. As the Reivscere logo tears through hordes of figures, the general taps his wrist. His legs carry him backward toward the door as he watches his soldiers fall into the blade’s wrath.

  A frigid breeze flows across the deck. As cool air blows against the corpses of the followers. Bolts of red light beat against Liam’s armor. They ricochet, firing into opposite directions.

  His body transforms into a blur, dashing at Shiao.

  “Yes, HESTEK king—come,” a grin forms on his face.

  Shiao throws himself to the left, vanishing.

  Like a wave, a sheet of ice rides toward Liam, yanking him into the ground.

  “It’s been a while, old friend,” a character wearing a pallid hood stands over the warrior. The scent of skunk fills Alexander’s helmet as his gaze beckons to the figure. “I see once again, you’ve remembered how to teleport.”

  “General Achilles?” Liam’s arm hurls themselves forward, pulling sheets of ice from their structure. Webs of ice synthesize, replacing the vandalized conjurations. “Why aid a monster like this? He has placed my followers, Zeresh’s, even your into concentration camps. Simply due to their beliefs. Harvesting their organs and forcing them into labor.”

  “I’m reenacting what he did to our planet. Gain his trust like he did to the Faxians. Give him a false sense of hope. Forcing him to rely on me. Then take away his freedoms, one limb at a time.

  “I see you let Cynthia get the best of you, twenty-one years ago. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  “I do not know of any HESTEKS named Cynthia?” Liam nudges a shoulder. “I am glad your rebellious take on life has not changed. Despite us being enemies at this time, I respect your resolve.”

  “If you cannot remember, then you don’t deserve to know. However, you do deserve to know this is now your tomb. You fell for our trap. You are finished, your majesty. Wait—I also respect my resolve.”

  “You know, young one. Wouldn’t it be more honorable to fight me on equal grounds?”

  “Honor is for those who wanna empower their ego,” the figure’s fingers yank the hood from his face, revealing reddened eyes. “In the end, what would an honorable fight bring me? Power? Wealth? Fame? None of that matters to me, anyway. I only want to eliminate you and that armored panda.

  “If you’re gone. The threat of the mad king comes to an end. HESTEKS can finally live among Normies without being looked at like an executioner,” a sword materialized from ice manifests in his palm. The blade extends into the edge of Liam’s neck. “Go ahead, attempt to control my mind, you Souvlaki lovin’ ass hole. You’ve got no catalyst.”

  “Why would you off me? I have the truth of our ancestry. I can reveal it to you,” the image of a massive metal dog forms within Liam’s mind. An armada of tiny metal shards pulls from every direction behind Achilles. They mold a ball the size of a small apartment unit.

  “We can capitalize on this knowledge and save the four galaxies from what is to come. A threat greater than I. Than the Faxian government.”

  The sphere expands into many directions. Forming limbs similar to a dog.

  “Captain, all cannons to upper section of the light speed ring!” Liam says.

  The ship surfaces vibrate.

  The wolf made of metal dashes to the controls. Achilles plants his palm against the ground, the wolf transforms into a frozen structure.

  It detonates. Thousands of pellets propel at the ship’s interior.

  A wall of ice springs from the surface, walling Achilles. One of the balls pierces through the barrier and wedges into the man’s arm. “See you soon, kingy-poo! Next time, I’ll be the one fucking you in the ass.”

  Numerous red streams appear on Alexander’s visor, sprouting from the damaged monitors. A tsunami of lightning materializes from the king’s body. The particles dash toward every direction. The lights enveloping the room turns to darkness.

  “I will see you in the next life, general!” his body bursts into ashes. Flames erupt from the collection of screens lining the walls.

  * * *

  Wrath

  “Don’t go into the afterlife, my ivory prince!” Alyssa’s voice flows through Derek’s ears. A tingling feeling brushes against his brain. “Did you starve?”

  Didn’t she just assassinate me? The boy’s eyes drift to the left. A series of abandoned stone and metal buildings appear. Where’s the garden? The oasis?

  A rumble reverberates from his gut. Legs collapse upon one another as an empty sensation comes from his stomach. A heavy feeling circulates through the head. Vision blurs.

  The boy flashes an electric brick tinged sphere from his pocket. A tiny droplet of red liquid rests over the button carved into the side. The lad plants his lips against the hollowed surface atop the device. A spiral of smoke forms within the transparent orb as his belly collapses inward.

  “Don’t think smoking’s gonna help your hunger,” her arms drag a crate across the path of dust ahead of Derek. “I found us an abandoned supply drop. This lab-grown meat has so many preservatives, it could stay fresh as long as I’ve been alive. Furthermore, I’m sure this rice doesn’t have a shelf date, either.”

  “That’s a lot of preservatives,” watery droplets run across Derek’s lips and sink into the brown dust. The expanded veins within his eyes pull his dilated pupils toward a chicken breast. “What about cooking it?”

  She snatches the casing and slides her dagger through a clear bag. As the vacuum seal depletes she sinks her canines into the meat.

  “It’s only been here for less than a month. At lea
st in the third month, the food would be in a deep-frozen state, from there we need to heat it for a couple of hours. It’s fine to eat it raw. Eat up. Griffin thighs, even in the lab-grown variety, have all your daily nutrients.”

  As teeth tear a chunk from the flesh, his gaze meets her crystalline brown eyes.

  I would rather you not to have seen what awaited us further down the road. Alyssa’s voice repeats itself within his thoughts.

  “We havin’ a staring contest?” she says as a grin creeps across her face.

  “Nah,” chunks of torn meat with the taste of chicken brushes against the back of his throat. “Where are we going next?”

  “Don’t wanna ask where we even are ?”

  “I already know. I want to skip this town and find out what’s next. It should have a spaceport, right?”

  “Where do you think we are, exactly?” her pupils contract while aiming at the half-set sun hiding behind the building. “That’s the temple of Yama. If I’m correct, Zeresh is the only one who’s managed to make it to the other continent. Then steal a cruiser and store it at his base of operations for whenever he needs it.

  “It’s a three-person fighter class 170. Capable of using antimatter to travel faster than shadows, which would get us back to Earth in no time.”

  “Why don’t you just say he’s a clone?”

  “Because I’m not so sure about who’s here and who isn’t,’ shivers surge across the surface of her skin. “There are even shape-shifters here. When you were out cold, a thin man with long hair tried to pick-pocket your fruit.

  “When noticing me, he immediately went into his state of Final Offer, which forced me to do the same. Like, I never thought I would run into someone as tough as him or her—”

  “Wait, you’ve mastered the Final Offer?”

  “You know what it is?”

  “I do—what do you do during yours? Achilles can create an invincible ice shield. Alexander can create a planet that magnetizes toward him.”

  “How do you know this?

  “Anyway, the first phase involves the Seven Pillars of Life,” she jumps to her feet as a cloud of dust swarms behind her. She rests an arm against Derek’s shoulder. “Tell me how you found that out, then, I will tell you the rest of the phases.”