by Eric Burney
“Did we win?”
I breathed a huge sigh of relief and cracked a smile. Nope, there was no monster here. Nick was going to be A-OK.
“Not yet, but we're about to," I promised.
Chapter 86
The doors to the elevator clanked shut and suddenly I was all alone. Alone with my thoughts of what I had to do next.
The ride to the launch chamber was rather bumpy, as the old iron box creaked and groaned during its descent. I peered up at the illuminated numbers that slowly ticked down. Viktor had promised he’d get Nick clear of the facility, so that was one less thing I had to worry about. My focus now was where it needed to be: how to defeat Cain.
His abilities had proven to be extraordinary, impenetrable to say the least. I had to find a weakness, or this was going to be the shortest fight in history.
The elevator car grinded to a halt. I braced myself for anything as the door chimed and slowly opened. Then my eyes grew wide as I took in the sheer size of the new and improved Orion device. It was at least three times the size of its predecessor and looked just as imposing. Pillars of hot steam rolled from the propulsion system below.
I stepped into the vast launch chamber and cautiously scanned the room. Cain was several yards away, standing atop a scaffold. He appeared to be laying into another much older man, whom I could only assume was the architect of the device.
“Get this thing in the air now!” Cain’s nostrils flared and his eyes sparked emerald. The other man flinched, but surprisingly did not concede.
“It is almost ready. I just need a little more time. If we launch now, the impact of the detonation will not be significant enough to achieve the maximum exposure as previously discussed.”
“I don't care! Launch now!”
That wasn't good news. I didn't have much time at all to stop the impending apocalypse Cain was planning. I had to make my move now.
“Cain! Why don’t you come down here and face me!”
Cain turned and glowered, then flashed a heinous smile.
“Back for more, huh? You really are a sucker for punishment. And what, no backup this time? Oh wait, that's right… your loudmouthed friend is DEAD.”
Cain levitated in the air a full second before flying hard and fast towards me.
“So I guess it's just me and you!”
I flew up to meet him, matching his speed and intensity, but the impact at which we collided was too great for me to withstand and I was forced backwards into the elevator doors behind me. The metal buckled under the combined force, giving way until we were both inside. Cain had the advantage of leverage for the moment, and pressed me against the far wall.
“You're all alone. Just like you've always been when I wasn't around to carry you. I was your emotional crutch. Well, I’m not in your shadow anymore, Charlie. And I'll make you a promise: once I'm done with you, I'm going to destroy all of your friends and those you care for one by one. But… I might just keep Kara for myself. The new world will need a queen, after all!”
Enraged, I leapt upward, pivoting in midair to shift position and drove Cain straight through the elevator ceiling. Concrete casing and fluorescent lighting shattered around us, creating a shower of electrical sparks. Cain was staggered for a brief moment. I had to take advantage.
Continuing the upward momentum, I unleashed a flurry of blows to his midsection. Cain grunted, but fought back furiously. Then, pivoting in midair, he grabbed me by the shoulders. His eyes glowed so bright I had to turn away momentarily. So much for maintaining momentum.
I tucked my chin to my chest and braced for impact. This was going to hurt, I sensed. A lot. With an effortless flip of the wrist, my back struck the opposite wall and broke through the concrete elevator shaft. Dust and debris trailed into the launch chamber after me, as I slammed painfully into the metal grating on the floor of the chamber.
Groggily, I staggered to my feet. Increasing rolls of white, hot steam billowed up from underneath the missile, blanketing the air and limiting visibility. Clutching my rib area, I searched the room for any sign of Cain. I found him, or more like I found his silhouette by the sinister green eyes that pierced the fog like a creepy lighthouse in a storm.
“Ready to give up yet?” he called through the mist. “No one will blame you.”
“If you really knew me, you'd know that’s not an option.”
Cain laughed off the notion.
“You ARE alone. The Orion device will go off just as I’ve planned, affecting more useless human lives than you can even imagine. But, fortunately for you, you won't be around to see it. Because you WILL die tonight.”
Chapter 87
Bursts of energy streamed from his eyes, slicing through the smoke and steam with the singular intent of causing my demise. But, thanks to my reflexes and sheer luck, I was able to sidestep and avoid the blasts—barely. One hit a junction box on the wall behind me, causing sparks to shower. The other struck the concrete wall and left a sizable indentation.
“That all you got?”
I was taunting him now. And it must have clearly worked, because Cain wasted little time following the jaunt with a heavy barrage of bursts. Taking flight, I sprang into action. I must have looked like a frantic dog trying to cross the street in heavy traffic. I banked, spun, rolled—did everything I could. And somehow, luckily, I was able to evade each like a professional dodge ball player. All those years spent as the runt on the school playground were finally paying off.
And then I went on the offensive. A stack of metal crates nearby were my weapon of choice. With the use of telekinesis, I flipped each one over and launched them at Cain. He laughed heartily, mocking the obvious, poor attempt I’d mounted against him. The crates froze in midair, and were instantly crushed like tin cans, falling to the floor at his feet.
But, unbeknownst to Cain, he'd fallen right into my trap. He failed to notice the fifty-gallon drum hovering behind him. The steel drum slammed hard into Cain's back, barreling over him—pun definitely intended. He was down, but most assuredly not out. I needed to tend to more urgent matters at the moment.
I paused only briefly enough to ensure he was no longer moving before turning my attention to the Orion device. Version 2.0 was significantly larger in scale than its predecessor. Circling the doomsday weapon slowly, I ran my hands along its metallic exterior, searching for something—anything that would lead me to an access panel. If I couldn't stop the device from detonating, everything we’d done up to that point would be for nothing. And that, I couldn't have.
A sadistic, evil, and distorted laugh emanated from the metal catwalk high above and behind me. I turned to face the culprit and witnessed Dr. Weirdo standing there. He appeared by all accounts to be quite pleased with himself.
“You're too late. There's nothing you can do to stop it now.”
In his left hand was some sort of electronic remote pad. The index finger of his right hand hovered over it like a pendulum of doom, as his lips stretched into a horrid smile exposing rotten and broken teeth. Without a moment of hesitation, I took flight, closing the gap between us in no time at all. I ripped the pad from his grasp simultaneously while delivering a devastating shoulder charge to the feeble old man. Lifted from his perch, he soared through the air a moment before coming down hard on the metal grating of the catwalk several feet away. I admit, it might have been a bit excessive, but he would live. Plus… I was pretty confident he deserved it.
Chapter 88
The remote pad was state-of-the-art, complete with backlit LED buttons, none of which I knew the function of. A low rumble forced my attention away from the pad. Then the catwalk began to vibrate and rattle violently. Barely able to maintain my balance, I peered over the edge to Orion II, just as its independent thrusters fired up. Gigantic bursts of smoke and flame emitted from underneath the doomsday device and extended outward.
The same repugnant laugh I was quickly beginning to despise reached my ears over the roar of the thrusters. Dr. Weirdo was awkward
ly gathering himself up by his forearms just to gloat. Apparently, I didn’t hit him hard enough.
“I”—cough, cough—"I told you. You are too late. There is no stopping what is about to come.” He seemed almost proud to witness his creation take flight, just before he was roasted alive by its missile propulsion jets.
Dejected, I slumped back into the railing. I didn't want to accept the painful truth, but there it was right in front of me. He was right. Cain was right. I wasn't strong enough. Wasn't fast enough. And now hundreds, thousands—maybe more—would suffer for that. It was too much to bear.
The remote pad slipped from my fingers and banged against the catwalk, bouncing twice before resting on its side. And then, the absolute strangest thing happened. Orion’s access panel, previously hidden, mechanically slid open along the anterior surface. My heart must have skipped a beat. Maybe two. Hope was somehow, inexplicably restored. We had a second chance!
Seizing the opportunity, I took flight and raced off after the rapidly ascending missile like a flaming bat out of hell. Orion II was increasing in speed as it approached the opening of the launch chamber. I veered wide and accelerated, steering clear of the scorching heat beneath it as best I could, which was really cooking! But, thanks to Jasmine and her ingenuity, my suit’s integrity was somehow holding up. I made a mental note to inform her of that when—if—I ever made it back. Hopefully this wasn't going to be a one-way trip.
The crown of Orion II cleared the launch chamber just as I reached the access panel. With the missile steadily gaining momentum, I found it difficult to stay close. As the Orion fully emerged through the launch chamber, the thrusters pulsed once more and the trail of smoke and flames beneath expanded outward, creating a widening vortex of destruction and knocking me off course. The men and women engaged in battle along the ground, friend and foe alike, scattered like roaches and ran for cover to escape the emerging mass from below the earth. Like a Learjet besieged by heavy turbulence, I fought my way back to the access panel. The digital display was foreign to me, but luckily, I didn't need to understand it. I knew someone who could.
“Destiny, I need your help!” I shouted into my suit’s comm. “I've reached the Orion device, but the access panel is encrypted.”
I prayed Jasmine had found a way around the earlier communication blackout. It didn't take long to get a response.
“’I'm on it, Icarus. Here's what I need you to do. In your suit’s liner is a small electronic module, near your wrist… I need you to take it out and place it on the screen. I'll do the rest.”
Sounds easy enough.
I fumbled in my suit's lining until I found the tiny device. It was no larger than a watch battery.
“Got it!”
“Good, now place it on the access panel.”
I swooped in closer and reached out to attach the module. That was when I felt a firm hand grip me by the ankle and pull down hard.
“What--?”
I descended back towards the ground at a rapid pace. Cain had apparently awoken from his slumber to join the party. I was able to halt my descent after a moment and spun to find him hovering behind me.
“You are not going to ruin this for me. This is my destiny.”
“Listen to yourself. Do you know what you're saying?” I pleaded, tucking the module safely away for the time being. In my periphery, the Orion climbed higher and higher.
“You don't want to do this!”
Cain smiled wryly. He didn't seem to have a remorseful bone in his body.
“Yes, I do. And you're not going to stop me.”
“This isn't you, Freddy,’” I insisted.
I had to believe that at least some small part of him still existed.
“You're right. It's Cain!”
With murderous intent, my former best friend lunged at me. He moved with such incredible quickness that a bone-shattering punch connected with my chin before I was able to react. The earth rushed up to meet me. Or maybe it was the other way around. I was too dazed to know the difference.
My body collided into what appeared to be an abandoned post office building, tearing straight through the outer wall. I didn't come to a full stop until I'd careened off the opposite wall. Cain didn't allow me a moment to recover, tearing through the roof of the building and descending upon me. With his fingers firmly clutched around my throat, Cain lifted me up until I was eye-level.
“This has been fun, it really has. But your time is up. It's a real shame you don't see things as I do. We could have ruled this new world together.”
Firmly in his grasp, I struggled to work free.
“Never.”
Enraged, pulse beams shot from his eyes, striking me dead-center of the chest. The force slammed me through the remaining wall of the post office. I slid to a painful stop against a rusted and battered delivery truck outside. The blast burned a sizeable portion of the bio-suit, just as it had done to Nick. I clenched my teeth together to keep from screaming out in agonizing pain. Warm blood trickled down my face.
Cain leaped down through the rugged hole my body had made in the building and stalked toward me like a lion sensing the kill. His countenance was cold, dark. From pure instinct, I reached out and somehow lifted the delivery truck, tossing the vehicle in his path in an attempt to slow him. With ease, Cain swatted the truck to the side, unfazed by the assault.
“Icarus,” Jasmine's voice cracked over the comm. “The Orion device is at 30,000 feet and climbing. You have to stop it before it makes it into the stratosphere.”
“I'm working on it! Little busy at the moment.”
Through stabbing pain, I willed myself to my feet and lunged at Cain. Together we ripped through what remained of the post office. Battered steel girders, drywall, metal pipes and plumbing all collapsed around us. Blasting through the opposite wall, the building finally caved, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble. We continued on, exchanging powerful unearthly blows that would fell a tree. It was time to take the kid gloves off, no holding back. I had to end it, and soon.
Cain prepared to hammer me into submission again, his eyes glowing an effervescent green. This time I was ready, shielding myself from the blast by redirecting a large dumpster in its path. But Cain's attack had only been a diversionary tactic. As the energy from the twin beams sliced through the dumpster, leaving it cleanly halved as though it'd been cut with a surgeon’s scalpel, Cain rushed through, delivering a flying kick to the sternum.
The kick was a solid one, sending me spiraling into the night sky before crashing through a plate glass window of the post exchange, a department store of sorts on military installations. Rows of dusty and neglected metal shelving broke the fall.
Cain materialized through the shattered store front, eyes burning bright as a supernova, illuminating the dark. A surging blaze of energy beams tore into the floor, instantly pulverizing the tile, concrete, and anything else in its path. The beams crept towards me, and this time, I felt powerless to stop them. I had nothing in the tank. My reserve was finally empty.
The emerald beams receded abruptly, inches from my feet. Cain towered triumphantly over my broken and badly beaten body like a conquering general. He savored the moment, basking in his inevitable victory.
“Any last words?”
I coughed and clutched at my ribs. I must've had one or two broken, not that it would matter much in a moment.
“I accept your surrender.” I couldn't think of anything else poignant to say, so I went with that.
“I have to admit, I admire your courage. It's a shame you won't be around much longer. I think we would've had excellent chemistry. No matter. I'm sure someone out of the millions of enhanced beings that will soon populate this planet can fill your shoes.”
Defiant to the end, I flipped him off.
“This is what I think of your chemistry.”
My rebellious display had no effect on Cain. His confidence was soaring.
“Goodbye, Charlie. And don't you worry. I'll take care o
f Kara while you're gone.”
Cain's eyes grew brighter and the veins along his neck and brow bulged as he drew on the power within for the ultimate killing stroke.
Charlie. Trust in yourself. The ability to defeat Cain is within you. Use it.
Viktor's voice suddenly echoed in my head as I stared into the glowing abyss of my pending doom.
Did I really have the power inside me? I wasn't so sure. But I closed my eyes and cleared my mind anyway. Either I believed in myself, or Earth, my adopted home as I'd come to know it, would be no more.
And then, as if by magic, something clicked in my head. Suddenly, everything went eerily quiet, almost as if I were completely deaf. The necklace underneath my bio-suit began to vibrate. The air started to ripple in front of me just as waves of unbridled energy rolled throughout my body. Gone was the excruciating and unrelenting pain of my previous injuries. In its place was... power. Raw and unadulterated power.
Rising to my feet, I opened my eyes slowly, catching my own reflection in the glass encasement of a nearby refrigerated food compartment. A visible aura radiated over my entire body. I'd never felt power like this, so raw and brilliant, not even during the infamous fight with Viktor many months ago.
“Don't make me do this,” I pleaded.
Cain didn't respond, allowing his own power to swell in preparation. His body trembled from the exertion.
I could sense he was almost ready.
“Please.”
The ground beneath our feet shook.
With a furious roar, Cain unleashed a concussive blast of energy, shattering every pane of glass in the vicinity.
I, too, screamed from the strain, releasing my own forceful blast and creating a massive force field construct unlike anything I would have thought possible. The barrier somehow both absorbed and contained Cain’s energy. It took considerable effort to keep so much unstable power under control, but so far it was working.