He didn’t plan on it, though.
The robot dodged and weaved past the alien blasts, returning fire as he could from the twin cannons his arms had morphed into. But though he seemed to concentrate on the battle, his true fixation was on his teammates. With Gunsmith presumed dead, the team had no clear leader in the field. Zenith found himself falling into that position, although he certainly didn’t feel too comfortable in it.
A fighter targeted Zenith, rocketing right in his direction. Zenith held both cannons in front of him and unleashed the teleforce blasts, but the fighter vanished. Zenith’s sensors warned him that the craft had reappeared behind him and it slammed into his body at full-thrust.
Zenith was pinned to the plane’s nose as it rocketed towards a building. The force made it difficult to move at all. Zenith was able to pull his legs free and hold them in front of him. He activated his thrusters, trying in vain to at the very least slow them down.
The building grew closer despite the robot’s best efforts. Zenith strained, pushing all his power into the thrusters. But the fighter blew through them and they went crashing into one of the buildings, bringing it down on the city.
Zenith fell amongst the rubble, the ship crashing alongside him. It took a few moments before the robot was able to move, the dust rising above in a cloud. His sensors picked up a number of bodies within the rubble. There were some survivors.
Including the pilot.
Zenith’s eyes flashed with anger and he stalked over to the fallen fighter. The canopy was open and the Kotharian pilot weakly climbed from the wreckage of his plane. Once he saw Zenith, he reached for his waist, presumably to draw a weapon.
But Zenith raised his cannon and opened fire, using his most lethal setting. The Kotharian pilot’s body slumped over the craft.
Zenith gave the alien no further thought and instead went to help those trapped within the rubble.
CHAPTER 8
Paragon channeled her power into her telekinetic forcefield and barreled right through the wing of a Kotharian fighter. The pilot spun out of control and Paragon slammed into the plane again from above. She grabbed the tail and swung the fighter, spinning around several times before releasing and hurling it into another Kotharian ship.
She was hit from behind and arched her back while grunting in pain. Paragon started to fall, but quickly halted her descent and flew right back at her attacker, flying from side to side to avoid the energy blasts. Her fists slammed into the plane’s nose and sent it flipping in the sky. Paragon flew at it again, tearing the canopy free and grabbing the pilot by the collar of his black and gold armor. She tore him from the harness and tossed him without a care into the sky.
The ship, however, she kept a firm grip on. Paragon felt strain on her head as she pushed her powers even further to try and hold the plane aloft. She raised it over her head and threw it at a fighter closing in on her. The two planes slammed into each other and detonated in a massive explosion.
The force threw Paragon back and she crashed through the large window of a hotel. She bounced off the tiled floor and landed in the swimming pool, where she remained for a few moments.
Paragon awoke and stuck her head out of the water, breathing heavily. She shook off the disorientation and swam to the edge, pulling herself from the water. Stepping to the edge of the broken window, the shattered glass crunching beneath her feet, she looked out at the battle as it continued to rage.
The odds weren’t in their favor. She saw Sentinel had managed to take control of a few more fighters with his powers, but he was pushing himself to the limits of what he could do. Shift and Sharkskin were putting up an impressive fight in the Icarus. But she saw no sign of Zenith. And the Cerberus and Air Force support had all but been eliminated.
Buildings had been destroyed. No way of knowing how many were dead. Could they really hope to continue this fight? Paragon wanted to fly back out there and jump into the fray once again, but something held her back. It all felt hopeless.
Then she saw the Icarus take a direct hit and spin out of control. Paragon’s eyes widened. Fighters surrounded the plane, unloading on them. She tapped her comm-link.
“Erin? Can you read me?”
No response. They took out comms.
Paragon coiled her legs, then sprung out the window, flying like a red and white rocket towards her teammates. Erin and Koji, she wouldn’t let them suffer the same fate as Jim. She pushed herself as fast as she could manage, watching in horror as the Kotharians overpowered the Icarus.
“Zen, Sentinel, we’ve got a situation!” she shouted into the comm-link.
Paragon slammed into one of the attackers, throwing it off-course. As she moved to engage another, a third came up to ambush her from behind. She caught sight of it over her shoulder and was about to react when energy blasts from yet another Kotharian fighter took out the third.
Sentinel hovered there, holding out his hands and using his powers to will three Kotharian fighters to attack their comrades. Paragon joined in the fight, moving directly against the planes herself.
But she saw Sentinel struggling. His face was contorted, fixated on the effort. He couldn’t keep control of that many at once and still protect himself. And then he was struck by a Kotharian who snuck up on him.
Paragon left her target and flew after Sentinel, catching him before he could crash on the street. She held him in her arms, and that’s when she heard the explosion.
She spun around. The Icarus’ tail was on fire. It plummeted towards the East River, passing right by the United Nations Headquarters. Paragon carried Sentinel, flying after it. But she couldn’t reach it in time to stop the Icarus from crashing into the water.
“Erin! Koji!”
Kotharian fighters descended around it, volleys of energy blasts flying into the water. She wanted to intervene, but she still had the unconscious Sentinel to worry about. There was no way to fight off the Kotharians and continue to hold onto him. And she didn’t see anywhere to put him.
“Paragon!”
She turned at the sound of the metallic voice and saw Zenith flying towards her. Paragon looked back at the river, her mouth open but not saying anything.
“I know, I saw,” said Zenith.
“We have to help them,” she said. “Erin and Koji, they’re still onboard. They—”
Zenith placed a hand on her shoulder. “As cold as it is, we cannot do anything for them right now. There are far too many fighters for us to engage and we have Sentinel to worry about.”
Paragon sighed and looked down into Lee Parker’s face. Her eyes drifted back to the wreckage in the river. She looked at Zenith. “Can you tell me…are they alive?”
“There are too many life signs around the wreckage to pinpoint for certain,” said Zenith. “But we must have faith they survived. For now, this distraction is how we can make our escape and find a way to help them.”
Paragon didn’t want to believe him, but she knew her teammate was right. She gave a solemn nod and the two of them flew off, back in the direction of Virginia.
CHAPTER 9
Lieutenant Q’Rynn approached the captain’s chair. He stood at attention and delivered the Kotharian salute of hitting his right fist to his left pectoral and bowed.
General M’Lak, the supreme commander of the Kotharian fleet, remained seated in the captain’s chair and looked up at his lieutenant. “Yes, Q’Rynn?”
“Our fighters have won the battle,” he said. “The human forces have been decimated. Those Chaknaar-enhanced individuals you spoke of attempted to interfere.”
“What of them?” asked M’Lak.
“We’ve defeated them. Our scouts are currently performing a search. Any orders for the team?”
“If any of Vanguard survive, I want them captured, not killed.”
“And the dead?”
“Bring me their bodies,” said M’Lak. “I want to see them for myself.”
“Understood,” said Q’Rynn. “Our fighters have form
ed a perimeter around the city. We are taking human survivors as prisoners of war.”
“And we are in range of broadcast?”
Q’Rynn nodded. “Yes, sir. As soon as you are ready, we can begin transmission.”
“Then begin.”
Q’Rynn turned from the general and barked commands in the Kotharian language. The technicians put those orders into action. They broke through the Earth’s satellites, using the signals to hijack television sets all across the world. Every human would be able to view M’Lak’s impending message simultaneously.
Q’Rynn heard acknowledgments from the crew and looked down at M’Lak. “Transmission is about to begin.”
M’Lak rose from his chair and clasped his hands behind his back. The view screen showed an image of the transmission being sent. His armor was sleek and black, trimmed with gold. His Kotharian features—reddish-orange skin and bright yellow hair framing his face and his pointed ears in tightly-wound braids—combined with his statue and catlike eyes gave him the look of a conquering warlord.
“People of Earth,” he spoke in English. He would leave it to the humans to provide translations for different regions of the world. But first they needed a base language. And Zukov’s mental imprint told him that English would be a better choice than the late director’s native Russian. “My name is General M’Lak, Supreme Commander of the Kotharian Fleet. By now, you have no doubt seen images from the battle in your city of New York. Your United Nations Headquarters is now under our control. As I speak, Kotharian shock-troops have invaded the building and taken everyone inside prisoner. We have set up a barricade around the city. Any who attempts to enter or exit will be killed on sight.”
M’Lak paused to allow the effect a chance to sink in. Then he continued.
“You may be wondering why we have come for your planet. And the truth is, we haven’t. Ours is not a violent culture. We have no desire for war with the Earth. Mankind, simply put, is not our enemy.
“But our enemies are among you. There are those who walk your planet who have been changed. They are not one of you. They think you beneath them. And their atrocities on your planet are well documented.”
M’Lak paused again and nodded to one of the technicians. On the transmission, smaller video feeds appeared all around M’Lak’s body. Each one showed a different battle between specials. He removed his hands from behind his back and gestured to them.
“These are just a few examples of the damage these individuals have wrought upon your planet. They call themselves specials. Your planet is not a perfect place, but it was far more peaceful before they arrived.
“These specials are enemies of the Kotharian Empire. They did not rise up out of nowhere. They are not products of human experimentation or evolution. These specials were created through the theft of a holy Kotharian essence, which we call the Chaknaar. It grants abilities to our warrior class. And it has been stolen and used on these Earthlings.
“What we want is what they have taken from us. You have an opportunity to make restitution for this crime. All we ask of you is to turn over these specials to our forces. Once all the specials have been rounded up and acquired, I give you my word that the fleet shall depart from your planet and maintain no further presence in your galaxy.”
M’Lak took a breath and clasped his hands behind his cape once more. His golden eyes flashed with anger—a warning not to underestimate him or his capabilities.
“However, should you decide to oppose us, the full force of the Kotharian military will rain down upon you. What you have just seen in New York is but a fraction of our true strength. And I promise you that you do not want to see what we are capable of.
“I shall give the leaders of your nations twenty-four hours to determine which course of action you will take. I implore you, make the right decision. The Kotharian Empire does not want war with humanity. But if you test us, if you attempt to resist, then you shall be destroyed alongside these criminals.
“The choice is yours.”
The transmission ended and M’Lak smiled. He returned to the captain’s chair and sat down, setting his elbow on the armrest and rubbing his chin. Q’Rynn moved beside the chair, still staring at the now-empty screen.
“Do you believe they will comply?”
“Does it matter?” asked M’Lak. “Humanity has shown compatibility with the Chaknaar. And in ways that not even Kotharians have proven capable of. The variety of abilities they display, imagine what this could mean for our strength if we could discover what it is about humans that allows for such results.”
“So if humanity agrees to your terms…”
“They will still fall under our control,” said M’Lak, completing Q’Rynn’s sentence.
“But sir…they’re a primitive people. They pose no threat to us.”
M’Lak’s head snapped in Q’Rynn’s direction. “No threat? You’ve seen what they can do.”
He worked the controls on the armrest. The screen displayed footage from the battle between the Kotharian fighters and Vanguard. M’Lak froze it on a shot where Paragon, Zenith, and Sentinel were all engaged in battle in the air.
“Just three of them were more effective against our forces than these squadrons of human fighters. As of now, these specials only make up a small portion of the human population. But what will happen in a generation from now? Or two generations? All of humanity has been infused with the Chaknaar. And at some point, they will pose a threat.”
M’Lak closed the footage and leaned back in his chair. He linked his hands together.
“This is the will of the Matriarch, Q’Rynn. Do you doubt her holy wisdom?”
Q’Rynn shook his head. “No, sir. I apologize. By your leave.”
M’Lak dismissed his lieutenant with a grunt. The plan was in motion. Soon, the humans would willingly surrender to M’Lak and then he could use them to locate and capture these specials.
CHAPTER 10
Thorne began setting up one of the rooms for a makeshift infirmary so that by the time Zenith and Paragon arrived, there was already a sleeping bag rolled out for them to lay Lee on on and medical supplies within easy reach.
Anita gently set her teammate on it and Zenith removed the gauntlets, jetpack, and the belt that generated Lee’s holo-armor. As the robot did that, Paragon removed her cape and gloves.
Zenith’s eyes flashed, scanning over Lee’s body. Anita watched him do so, concern evident on her face. Zenith’s eyes flashed again and he looked at her.
“He’s okay,” he said. “The armor protected him from the brunt of the attacks. It seems he simply over-extended himself.”
Anita and Thorne both breathed easy.
“So he’ll be okay then,” said Thorne.
“He just needs rest, and he’ll be damn hungry when he wakes up.” Anita reached for the medical supplies. “I’m going to set him up with an IV just in case. Make sure he’s staying hydrated.”
Thorne and Zenith both stood from their kneeling positions as Anita went to work.
“We’ll be waiting for you in the lab once you’re ready,” said Thorne. “We have a lot to talk about.”
Anita nodded and remained behind as they left the room. Thorne closed the door behind him and he and Zenith walked in silence into the lab. The monitors all showed footage from the battle on a near-endless loop.
“Ever since I got your message, I’ve been trying to reach Erin and Koji. But haven’t gotten a response,” said Thorne. “I think they’ve been captured.”
“Not killed?” asked Zenith. “Is that wishful thinking or do you have some evidence to justify it?”
“The Kotharian general sent out a message, saying they’ll leave if the specials are handed over to them,” said Thorne, bringing up M’Lak’s message on one of the monitors. “Seems to suggest they’ll want to capture as many as possible. So my guess would be Erin and Koji are more valuable to them as prisoners. But things are bad out there all around. They’ve taken the UN hostage.”
“Doesn’t mean they won’t try. Especially when they’ve got the UN as a bargaining chip. There’s at least one place we know of where they can get a head start on grabbing specials.”
“The Island,” said Zenith. “But they don’t know where it is.”
“Yet. Won’t take them long to find it,” said Thorne. “Think we gotta be proactive here, get down there as soon as possible.”
Anita entered the room and joined the duo. She looked at the monitors, watching a replay of M’Lak’s message to the world. Her head cocked to the side as she studied him.
“M’Lak…”
“What’s that?” asked Thorne.
“General M’Lak,” she said. “I know him. I mean…from J’Karra’s mind-link.”
“What do you know about him?” asked Zenith.
Anita’s face contorted as she struggled to recall the flashes from her brief connection to J’Karra. “It’s…hard to say. I know there’s no lost love between them. Seems he’s an opportunist, though.”
“The Colonel believes the Kotharians are going to target the Island,” said Zenith.
“They want all specials rounded up,” said Thorne.
“Okay, so we have to get there,” said Anita.
“My thoughts exactly.” Thorne opened a communications channel with the Island. The images on the monitor were replaced with the face of Howard McCabe.
“Thank god you’re alive,” he said once he saw Anita and Zenith standing beside Thorne. “Wait…where are the others?”
“Lee is recovering,” said Zenith. “Erin and Koji have been captured, however.”
“The transmissions from Ramsey are getting more insistent,” said McCabe. “And now that general is after specials? What are we going to do next?”
Vanguard: Seasons 1-3: A Superhero Adventure Page 83