The tomb raider tilted her head and listened. She could hear an oscillating buzzing sound from around the corner, and she doubted they’d stumbled onto an electrical transformer in the middle of a series of halls.
She pulled out a couple of grenades and nodded at Maria. The cop brought up her rifle and grinned.
Shay took a deep breath, pulled the pins, and then spun around the corner to toss the grenades.
“What the fuck?”
Her grenades disintegrated without exploding when they slammed into a shimmering yellow field extending across the hallway, emanating from tall glowing rods on either side. A gnome encased in what appeared to be a suit of jade armor stood opposite the field, smirking. Instead of hands, wide barrels tipped the arms of the suit. A solid faceplate lay right above his eyes.
Fuck. I doubt he’s just wearing that as a fashion statement.
Maria fired a few rounds. The bullets also disintegrated.
“I am Ferrao of the Council,” he declared. “I’ll give you a bit of credit for tracking us here and surviving our little presents.”
“I’m Shay Carson and this is Maria Hall.” She nodded toward the cop. “You’re gonna be dead real soon, though, so I guess this shit is just wasting time, right?”
“Perhaps.” The gnome shook his head. “You could be useful. I sense you’re not like the other tools the government has sent against us. The Council offers wealth and power if you serve us competently.”
Shay groaned. “It doesn’t matter what species it is, men always want to give a big speech about how badass they are.” She reached into a pouch and pulled out a small tied-off bag. “You gonna fight, or are you gonna try and bore us to death, Ferrao?”
The gnome shrugged. “You’ll never make it past the culling field, so it doesn’t matter. I’ll just wait until all your friends are dead and hunt you with the others. This is the problem with you humans. You have no patience.” He snorted. “I’m amazed your species has advanced as far as it has.”
Maria looked at Shay, an eyebrow raised in question. The tomb raider shot her back a huge grin.
Time to bag me a Council member.
Shay nodded. “You’re right about one thing, Ferrao. I’m not a very patient human at times.” She tossed the bag at the field.
He rolled his eyes. “Please. You’re embar—"
The field vaporized the bag, and a cloud of shimmering dust blasted out. On contact with the field, it spread in a purple wave. A second later, the two glowing rods crumbled to dust and the yellow field disappeared.
The gnome took several steps backward, his eyes wide. The faceplate fell over his eyes.
Can he even see in that thing?
“Impossible,” the gnome exclaimed.
Shay aimed her rifle. “That’s the problem with you Council assholes. You got too used to dealing with soldiers and bounty hunters. Guys who aren’t always the most flexible.”
“And what are you, then?”
She grinned. “I’m a tomb raider, asshole.”
Maria and Shay opened fire, and their bullets sparked and bounced off the gnome’s armor. Bright white orbs grew with a low rumble in his barrels. The women ducked around opposite corners as he blasted two shots off.
The shots slammed into the walls behind Shay, blowing a huge chunk out of the wall. The shockwave knocked her to her knees, but she just shook her head and stood.
Okay, he can see well enough to shoot.
“I’ve been wanting to test this,” the gnome yelled. “It was worthless, you see, until I got my hands on an artifact from that museum. I can’t wait to improve it.”
Maria pulled out a sonic grenade and tossed it around the corner. The telltale whine sounded a moment later, but the gnome didn’t groan or cry out.
“Pathetic,” Ferrao called out. “Your toys are nothing before true artifacts.”
The corner near Maria exploded a second later, knocking her back several feet. She brushed some rubble out of her hair and dust off her face, coughing.
“Damn it,” the cop muttered. “How do we fight that? I’m not sure our anti-magic deflectors can take a direct hit from something like that.”
Shay frowned. She’d forgotten to give Maria one of the rings, but she didn’t have time to mess with it right then. They needed to take out Ferrao first.
She shouldered her rifle and twisted two rings on her hand, muttering a quick incantation in Latin. A white aura appeared around her.
She unsheathed her tachi. “I just need to get close to win….I think.”
Maria’s eyes widened. “You think?”
“Killing’s an art, not a science.” Shay shrugged.
“Killing’s an art, not a science,” Maria mimicked with a high-pitched mocking voice. “I hope that shit goes on your tomb—” Another blast blew out the wall and sent her flying into the wall behind her. Her head smacked against the wall, and she slumped to the floor.
“Maria!”
Ferrao laughed. “That’s what happens when you won’t come and face me, little human girls.”
Shay stared wide-eyed at her friend, almost dropping the sword until she saw Maria’s chest was still rising and falling.
Okay, she’s just knocked out. Fine. I’ll finish this bastard myself. Since the guy can obviously see even with the faceplate down, I’m just going to have to trust these damned artifacts.
“As I was saying earlier,” Shay shouted, “men are men no matter where they’re from. Always overcompensating for small dicks.”
“This is your idea of taunting me, human?” Ferrao snarled. “I’m older than most of your pathetic excuses for countries. You’re an insect, maybe a cute pet at most.”
Shay turned the corner, her hands gripping the hilt of the tachi tightly. “Am I supposed to be impressed? From what I can tell, Mr. Super Ancient, you’ve been having your ass handed to you—mostly by humans. I’d be pretty embarrassed if kittens kept kicking my ass.”
Ferrao snorted and raised his arms, aiming the blast cannons right at her chest. “I’ve seen things you couldn’t even imagine.”
She rolled her eyes. “Is this the part where you talk about everything disappearing like tears in the rain?”
The gnome’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Huh?”
“Look it up on the internet, asshole. Oh, you can’t, because you’ll be dead.”
Ferrao blasted Shay. The orbs slammed into her, the heat warming her face, but the aura around her only brightening.
“Impossible,” he yelled.
Shay laughed. “You really need to check out a dictionary if you’re gonna keep saying that.” She charged him.
The sword cut into the armor. Ferrao jumped back, his blood dripping on the ground. Shay didn’t hesitate as she charged and brought the blade down on his arm. The tachi sliced through, and his armored limb flew to the ground, blood spraying all over the hall.
The gnome howled and shoved the other cannon into her stomach at point blank range. The following blast sent her into a wall, pain spiking through her entire body. The tachi fell to the tile.
“You insect,” Ferrao shrieked. He fell to his knees, supporting himself with his remaining arm. “You worm. How dare you!”
Shay shook her head, trying to clear it. Her aura and rings had both vanished, and his blast had torn into her abdomen, giving her a nice view of her charred digestive tract. Every breath brought new agony. She pushed off the wall and snatched her sword from the ground.
“It’s your fault,” the tomb raider muttered through gritted teeth. “All you had to do if you didn’t want me involved was not kidnap me.” She channeled her pain into a scream and rushed toward the gnome. He brought up his cannon, but not in time. With a powerful swipe, she decapitated him.
Shay fell to her knees as the gnome’s helmeted head bounced off a wall and landed with a clatter. She pulled out a healing potion and downed the contents. Her flesh restored itself.
After grabbing her weapon, she sheathed it an
d hurried over to check on Maria. Thin trails of blood ran down the cop’s face. Shay pulled out another healing potion and forced it down the unconscious woman’s throat.
The wounds healed, but she didn’t wake up.
Damn it. Should have brought some energy potions, too.
“Guess you’re just gonna have to sleep through the second half.”
Shay glanced down the hall past the gnome’s body.
If he was a Council member, then they probably have others going after James’ and Trey’s team.
She frowned, trying to decide who to reinforce, then, decision made, she ran down the hallway.
James arrived at a set of double doors, this time wood, but decorated with the same crest as the front doors. He kicked one off its hinges and rushed into the vast vehicle bay on the opposite side. Trucks, cars, helicopters, and VTOL aircraft were parked in the area, along with a few strange contraptions he assumed were Oriceran, including winged harnesses and ornithopters.
A distant whisper tickled his mind. He felt like he should know what it was, but he couldn’t make it out.
Shay appeared around a truck with a smile. She tilted her head.
James frowned. “How did you get here so fast?”
“You know the world would be better off if you just gave up.” She sighed. “And before you die, you should know that I don’t love you. You’re just a distraction, and I plan to leave you.”
He blinked. “What the fuck?”
Heather walked out from behind the same truck. “It’s your fault, you know.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? How can you even be here? Wait, how the fuck are you walking?”
James grunted as he gazed at the two.
The faint whisper became more insistent, but he couldn’t make it out. He was forgetting something important, but with Heather and Shay suddenly in front of him, it was hard to concentrate.
Heather pointed at him. “You think you saved me? Please. Now I work for the greatest monster of them all. The criminals don’t avoid LA because of you. Is that what you thought? Nope. They come because you’re there. To challenge you. You invite death. You’re nothing more than a Horseman of the Apocalypse.”
Shay nodded. “If I’d never met you, I’d have probably been satisfied with teaching at the school. Your bloodlust amplified my own. That’s why I haven’t been able to leave the violence behind.”
A soft sigh came from behind him.
James spun to find Alison shaking her head.
What the fuck is going on?
Alison stared at him, eyes narrowed. “You’re trying to turn me into you, Dad. A thug. A remorseless killer. My Drow side’s going to overwhelm me and I’ll become a monster, and it’s all your fault. Everything’s all your fault.”
James stumbled backward. “What the fuck? How can you be here?” He frowned and growled. “Something… What?”
The three women surrounded him, pointing. “Sinner. Failure. You damage everything you touch. Monster. Thug. Freak.”
Something clicked in the back of his mind, and he realized exactly who and what was in the room.
James roared in rage. “Fucking get them out of my mind.” Agony struck his head, and he fell to his knees.
Link reestablished. Initiating thought filter.
The three women blurred, their forms replaced by hideous monsters. For a moment he thought they were despair bugs, but there were obvious differences—eight pairs of legs instead of six, the long body still segmented, but pale and fleshy instead of chitinous. Each was the same length, about ten feet, and rather than mandibles, their massive jaws were lined with several rows of sharp teeth. A single compound eye sat atop each of their heads.
James glared at each of the monsters, the pain in his head gone but his heart still thundering. “You fucking bastards. How fucking dare you pull that shit. I’m gonna tear you apart. You think you know fear and despair? I’ll show you fucking despair.”
Yes, the amulet whispered. Anger hate. Power sufficient for advanced transformation.
Silver-green tendrils shot from James’ chest. This time the metallic bioarmor didn’t stop with his chest and back. It moved all the way down his legs, ripping his pants in several places. A sort of helmet formed over his head, but despite his eyes being covered, he could see fine. Better than fine. His peripheral vision was wider. Both arms were tipped by blades, and his gauntleted hands now had claws.
His rifle clattered to the ground, and the armored bounty hunter advanced toward one of the monsters, growling under his breath. It charged, scuttling along the ground before launching itself at him. He gutted it by running a blade the length of its body. The monster body fell to the ground, and James finished it by slicing the head off.
The other two creatures backed up.
I will fucking rip you to shreds. You don’t get in my fucking head.
The amulet was all but shouting in his mind. Yes. Anger. Hate. Extended advanced transformation achieved. Whispy Doom’s thought collapsed into pure bliss and murmurs of excitement.
James growled and pointed one arm at each creature on instinct. Sparks of green light played over the blades. More and more sparks flowed over the blades until a torrent of pure energy twisted and turned around each, accompanied by a growing crackle.
“Die, you motherfuckers!” he yelled.
Twin rays of intense green light blasted from the armor and tunneled through the monsters. Their bodies twitched for a few seconds before slumping to the ground.
James stood for a moment, his breathing labored.
Enemies defeated. Continue. Find additional enemies for adaptation. Grow stronger. Kill.
Yeah. Kill.
Trey hissed and downed a healing potion, then shook his head and looked at the wounded men lined up against the wall. No one was dead, but most had burned through their healing potions and could barely move from exhaustion. Piles of dead witches and wizards lay in the cafeteria that had become their battleground.
Fuck. Never gonna bitch about a boring bag and tag again.
Shorty wiped some blood out of his eyes. “This shit is fucking nasty, man. These fuckers are all fighting like they’re high.”
Guess we’d fight hard, too, if someone invaded Camp Brownstone.
Trey frowned and pointed at Shorty’s neck. “Where’s your deflector?”
Shorty looked down. “Guess it broke in those last attacks.” He laughed. “Don’t look at me like that. Yours is gone, too, Trey.”
He glanced down. Shorty was right. Zoe’s locket remained on his chest as well as the chain that had held the deflector, but the crystal was gone, probably shattered like so many others.
Trey walked over to a Council wizard who was bleeding out. His wand lay beside him, broken in half.
“Looks like we won, bitch.”
The wizard coughed up blood. “So many of you are wounded. It’ll take a while for the paralysis spells to wear off on the rest. It doesn’t matter. The Council will finish them. You don’t understand their power. We’re apprentices compared to them.”
Trey snorted. “I don’t think you understand the power of James Motherfucking Brownstone, bitch.”
The wizard laughed. “You won’t survive anyway.” He lifted his hand to his face. “You never could win.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“For the Council.” The wizard grabbed a tooth and twisted it.
A bright flash blinded Trey.
“Shit.”
Shorty rushed toward Trey and shoved him away “Look out, Tr—”
The wizard’s body exploded, and the shockwave slammed both men into a nearby wall.
Trey groaned and shook his head, every muscle in his body aching and his clothes shredded and burned. He grabbed his final healing potion and downed it. Zoe’s locket turned pale blue and cracked.
He took a few deep breaths as the pain vanished and his wounds healed.
“Yo, Shorty, you all right? That shit
was too close. If you hadn’t pushed me out of the way, I might have taken a dangerous little nap.”
No answer.
Trey swallowed and slowly turned his head. His friend and teammate lay against the wall, his head lolling to this side and his eyes staring straight ahead, glassy. His chest wasn’t moving.
“No,” Trey yelled. “Hell, no!” He crawled to his friend and took his pulse. Nothing. He shot to his feet and spun toward the wounded men on the side of the room. “Does anyone have a fucking healing potion left?”
Max pushed himself to his feet and hobbled toward him, potion in hand. “I thought I might need it later.”
Trey ran to him and snatched the potion. He ran back over to Shorty and forced his mouth open before dumping the potion down his throat.
“Come on, you stupid son of a bitch,” Trey muttered. “This ain’t how you’re supposed to go out. You talked about it, bitch. You have a motherfucking future now. You have to live.”
The seconds ticked by with no change. Trey shoved Shorty on his back and started chest compressions. “Come on. Fight, damn you. Fucking fight. You’re a bounty hunter for the Brownstone Agency. You don’t give the fuck up until the big man gives you explicit fucking permission.”
He kept up the CPR as every wounded man forced himself to his feet and made their way to them.
“It’s no use,” Lachlan whispered, tears leaking from his eyes. “You can’t heal a dead man.”
Trey threw his head back and howled in rage. “Shorty!”
24
James slammed through the doors out of the vehicle bay and continued down a hallway. Two wizards jumped from a side corridor and blasted him with fireballs, but he barely noticed the attack as he moved forward and cut them in half.
Whispy Doom kept alternating between flooding his mind with joy and encouraging him to seek the Council—not that he needed to be told. Anger fueled his movements.
The armored bounty hunter’s steps echoed in the narrow hallway that opened into a vast high-ceilinged room filled with chairs. Some sort of assembly room, perhaps.
The Unbelievable Mr Brownstone Omnibus Page 95