“So, Fallenz… what’s she like?”
Inwardly, Fallenz groaned. He’d expected the question ever since his team started their trek to meet up with the other heroes. With Warbow injured, they could only limp along, leaving nothing for the group to do but talk, and after Fallenz’ admission of romantic activity, he knew MonochromeMolly would be wanting more information. Indeed, it was only the skirmish with the Nemesis patrol and the aftermath that prevented her from pursuing the matter straightaway. Fallenz considered the topic. Revealing personal information wasn’t something he often did; secrecy was second nature to him, and he relied heavily on information control to protect people close to him. Still, given that his feelings toward Crystal hadn’t yet developed into a relationship, this wasn’t something he believed would compromise anyone’s safety, and MonochromeMolly was a good friend. He decided a few hints wouldn’t hurt.
While Fallenz pondered the matter, MonochromeMolly pressed, “Did you meet her in the line of duty? Is she someone you rescued or-”
“No, she’s one of us. A fellow hero.”
“Oh. So what’s she like? What is it about her that appeals to you?”
“Well… for starters, she’s hot!” Fallenz laughed softly. “Though, if you knew her, you’d know that’s a strange way to describe her. Let’s say she’s OFFICIALLY hot.”
“I see,” MonochromeMolly replied, clearly dissatisfied with Fallenz’ explanation thus far. “There must be more to her than external appearance, especially in our line of work. Do you have anything to say about her character?”
“She’s…well…hmm…” Fallenz thought silently for a moment. Finally, he finished his sentence: “She’s True Blue.”
The capitalization was clearly evident in the way Fallenz spoke. One perfectly formed eyebrow arched on MonochromeMolly’s forehead. “True Blue? Really?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m surprised.”
Now Fallenz returned the puzzled look. “Why?”
“The hero most often described as True Blue is Statesman, and you and he don’t get along. What’s different about this woman, aside from her gender and external appearance?”
Fallenz grunted. “I don’t get along with The Man ‘cause every time I deal with him he’s got me doing his heavy lifting for him. I’m tired of carrying that man’s water! For someone who’s supposed to be the world’s greatest hero, he sure does a lot of delegating, especially where Recluse is concerned.”
“You are aware of the personal connection between the two men, aren’t you?”
“I know it. I still don’t care. He should just twist Recluse’s head off and be done with it instead of sending ME to deal with his brother-in-law’s schemes. This “war by proxy” thing isn’t much fun for us proxy types.
“But I think that’s one of the best things about this woman: she’s practically trouble-free! She’s friendly in the extreme, yet she’s embarrassed about the attention she gets in return. She can handle herself in a fight, but is one of the meekest and gentlest people I know. And you wouldn’t believe how easy it is to make her blush!”
“If she’s so trouble-free, why are we out here in the Shadow Shard attacking a Nemesis Army base with one of the most notorious arch-villains in existence in tow?”
Though MonochromeMolly’s point stung, Fallenz replied, “We’re after Nemesis because that’s what we do, and he needs to pay for his scheming. We’re here with Flog because I made a promise. And she was only barely responsible for that situation.”
MonochromeMolly shook her head and turned back to the path. “I don’t understand your reasoning. But, I don’t understand romantic love, so I suppose that’s expected.”
“Huh? I thought you had full emotions! I distinctly remember you saying you understand love!”
“All true, Fallenz, but romantic love is something different. I believe there’s some biological component to it, and, being inorganic, I don’t have the same needs humans do. I do feel love, or what I think is love, but I don’t feel any need to engage in the activities you do when pursuing that kind of relationship. And, from my own observations, the reality of romantic love closely resembles a bipolar mental disorder.”
Fallenz laughed. “I guess there’s something to that, but when things go right, it’s the best feeling ever.”
MonochromeMolly smiled. “Then I hope it goes all right for you.”
“Thanks, Molly.”
“And, if you really wanted to keep her identity a secret, you probably shouldn’t have told me anything about her.”
“Hey! Don’t go telling!”
“I don’t gossip; that’s gauche. But you should know that after analyzing your details and cryptic clues and comparing them to my database of known heroes, I believe I’ve established her identity with 67% confidence, and am 95% confident she’s in a list of five potentials I’ve formulated.”
Fallenz shot her a brief warning glance. “Don’t jinx it.”
“My lips are sealed, in a manner of speaking.” She smiled sweetly.
The rest of the conversation would wait; a series of horrible screams were carried by the still air to Fallenz’ ears. Warbow, MonochromeMolly, and Fallenz glanced at each other, then quickened their pace. In minutes, they encountered the rest of the heroes. Captain Glacier, the Phoenix of Syrinx, and Lucius Quintus clustered around a large rock formation jutting out of the ground. The Phoenix and Captain Glacier looked traumatized and pale. Lucius was more composed, though something was clearly unsettling him as well. Grog was nowhere in sight. The screaming came from behind the rock.
Fallenz broke away from his companions and sprinted up to the rock formation. “What’s happening?” he cried. “Where’s Grog?”
Captain Glacier croaked out, “Hahrible…just hahrible…”
The Phoenix made another pass of her hands through a ritual gesture. She pleaded, “Fallenz! Please, help! I can’t keep this spell going for much longer!”
“What?” Concerned about Grog’s fate, Fallenz started to round the rock.
Lucius barred his passage. “I don’t recommend you see this. Not unless you have a strong constitution.”
Fallenz eyes bulged, and he pushed past the older man, fearing the worst. He was not disappointed. The rock screened a field littered with scrap metal and body parts. Several of the human Nemesis soldiers had been hacked apart in the most gruesome manner possible. Their innards, limbs, and heads had been removed and piled around a shimmering green force field. Inside the force field was the source of the screams; a lone Nemesis soldier, weaponless and cowering on the ground, scrabbling against the rock in a desperate attempt to escape the horrific vision before him. That vision was Grog the Big, apparently uninjured yet covered in blood and gore, squatting in a ring of entrails and skulls. His left hand held the severed head of a human Nemesis soldier while he worked at it with his sword, slowly slicing through the top of the skull to expose the brain. He completed the cut, reached inside, and scooped the brains out with his bare hand, all the while explaining the process by which he intended to turn the man’s skull into a goblet.
Shocked, Fallenz could only stare in disbelief. This was never anything he expected to witness; another superhero desecrating the dead. His will was insufficient to force his voice work properly. The overwhelming revulsion locked his body into a catatonic state while his mind desperately tried to process the image. Even though Fallenz used a sword himself, in deference to the sensibilities of the citizens and government of Paragon City and the public image of his profession, he tried to keep the body count as low as possible. Accidents happened, but the mediport system and the facilities in Ziggursky prison were typically sufficient to catch the few that didn’t survive fighting. To see a fellow hero so casually killing, dismembering, and mutilating the bodies of his foes…
The burly warrior finally broke from his reverie and noticed Fallenz standing near. In a disturbingly casual tone, he said, “Oh, hello Fallenz! I was just making a skull goblet. Would you like one, too? There’s still an intact head left.” He pointed to the trapped Nemesis soldier, who screamed piteously. “Once the Phoenix drops her spell, I can get started on it.”
Fallenz still couldn’t move, but his voice began to function. “Grog,” he gasped, “I thought you were just joking about drinking from human skulls.”
“Not at all! I’ve made dozens of skull goblets, but the silly laws of Paragon City make it difficult for me to engage in the practice. But, rejoice! We’re not in Paragon anymore, and the mighty Grog can once again do as he pleases!” With an evil grin on his bloodstained face, he turned back to the Nemesis soldier, who screamed even louder.
Fallenz shut his eyes. It didn’t help; the scene was burned into his brain. With his eyes still closed, he asked, “Did he tell you where the base is?”
“He did, but I’m not sure he was honest. I need more time with him.”
“Oh please dear [censored] NO!” the Nemesis soldier howled.
“Back off, Grog! I think he’s told us everything we need!”
With a dissatisfied grunt, Grog stood and backed away from the soldier. He glanced at Fallenz’ face, noticed that his eyes were closed, and took the opportunity to dig the toe of a boot under a pile of entrails and fling them at the Nemesis soldier. They impacted wetly on the force field and slid down to join the collection of internal organs that ringed the base of the field. The soldier screamed even louder.
Fallenz raised his gaze to the heavens and opened his eyes again. The screaming and smells still assaulted his senses, but he could no longer see the gore. He relied on his memory and outstretched arms to advance on the force field. Once he made contact, he slowly brought his gaze down just low enough to look the soldier in the eyes. He stared at the soldier while he slowly calmed down. This had gone horribly awry, and as the one responsible for putting this mission together, Fallenz felt obligated to say something to his prisoner. “Umm… sorry.”
“Please!” he begged. “Release me! I’ll do anything you want!”
“Yeah, all I want to know is where your base is. Tell me.”
The Nemesis soldier pointed up the undulating slope of the hill. “That way! Around to the left once you clear the rock outcropping! You can’t miss it! Please, let me go!”
“Uhh, look, I’m not going to kill you, or keep you prisoner, but I can’t let you go free and warn your buddies either, so we’re just going to knock you out and leave you here on the other side of the rock.”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you! I beg you, render me unconscious and let me forget this gruesome affair!”
“Yeah… sorry about…everything.” In a louder voice, Fallenz shouted, “Phoenix! You can drop the force field now.” The green field popped like a soap bubble, and Fallenz put his hands on the Nemesis soldier and dragged him to his feet.
“You want a hand with rendering him unconscious?” inquired Grog.
“No! It’s under control. You stay here and get cleaned up. Seriously, you have GOT to get clean. Stay here and take all the time you need. We’ll handle the base; you catch up when you’re not covered in carnage anymore!” Fallenz and his prisoner swiftly scooted around the rock formation to join the rest of the team. “Warbow! Get your heavy arrow and knock this guy out. No arguments!” he added, seeing the look on his face. “The base is up the side of the hill. I want to get there as soon as possible.”
Warbow silently drew and fired. The Nemesis soldier let out a whoosh and doubled over as the arrow hit him in the gut. He collapsed to the ground and lay still.
From nearby over his shoulder, Fallenz heard Grog exclaim, “Hmph. He’s not bleeding! How disappointing.”
Fallenz waved a hand over his shoulder at Grog. “Dude! Get back behind the rock!”
“Hmm?”
“Fallenz, what’s wrong?” MonochromeMolly asked.
“It’s Grog! He was covered in blood and gore, and I told him to clean up before he joined us. It’s gonna take at least a half hour for him to clean up. Seriously, dude, you’re grossing us all out.”
“He’s clean,” said MonochromeMolly.
“What?” Fallenz turned around. Sure enough, Grog was spotless, looking cleaner than he had in a long time. His plate mail, horned skull cap, and leather boots shone as if brand new and freshly polished. Fallenz was no less shocked than he was at Grog’s grisly interrogation, though far less horrified.
“It’s a simple spell,” explained Grog, as if he could hear Fallenz thoughts. “But I prefer to leave some evidence of past adventures on my armor. This spell works too well for my taste.”
Fallenz shook his head. “I don’t know about you, man. Let’s go.”
“This way!” shouted Grog. He waved to direct everyone around the rock.
“NO!” Fallenz howled. He pointed up the hill and away from the scene of Grog’s interrogation. “Go THAT way, and if you value your sanity, do NOT look behind that rock as you go! Up the hill, to your left, and you should see our target.” The group moved out. Grog went around the rock anyway.
Fallenz put a hand on Lucius to stop him. With his other, he pointed to the other side of the rock. Staring hard into Lucius’ eyes, he growled, “What part of, ‘quit torturing the guy’ was unclear?”
Lucius coolly replied, “Though I did communicate your wishes to him, Grog did not consider his actions to be torture as he was unable to get his hands on the Nemesis soldier. I happen to agree.
“The Phoenix refused to drop the spell to allow access. That man had information we required, and we were without leverage other than intimidation. The soldier was physically unharmed, and would remain so until the spell faded, so… a more creative interrogation was required.
“The members of the Nemesis Army only reveal accurate information under two circumstances: either they tell you because they believe that Nemesis is too powerful to be threatened by your interference, or they crack. And Nemesis troops do not crack easily! Yes, it was barbarous, it was grisly, but it was necessary, the man remains uninjured, and it worked. Exitus acta probat.”
“[censored], this is…inhuman!”
“On the contrary! This is very human!” Lucius softened his tone. “What would you say if I claimed to have lived as many centuries as you’ve lived years?”
“I’d say you look pretty good for a guy who should have died a hundred times over.”
“It’s closer to fifty lifetimes, actually. The point is, what happened here is not outside my experience with human behavior. Nor were Grog’s interrogation methods especially gruesome. That’s why I remained composed; not because mutilating the dead is something I approve of, but that I’ve seen this sort of thing before.”
“You must have the most amazing stories,” Fallenz sarcastically speculated.
“Not all of which are worth repeating,” Lucius replied sincerely. “What’s most important is to remember what has passed as it was, not as we would like it to be. Shall we go?” he finished, gesturing up the side of the hill.
Fallenz turned and started walking. “This is not how I expected this to go down!” he grumbled.
“I’d be more concerned if you did expect Grog to torture the living and butcher the dead.” Fallenz snorted.
The rest of the journey up the hill passed in silence. Fallenz and Lucius joined the rest at a rock wall. In view around the wall was the entrance to the Nemesis Army base. The scene was a steampunk fan’s dream: brass and blackened steel were liberally used in construction, the decorating scheme was late Victorian with prominent rivets and baroque trim, and tall stacks belched smoke and steam into the air. More than just a monument to the ancient madman’s dated sense of aesthetics, the walls also sported walkways and crenellations for men to fight from. Curiously, there were no gates, only an open portal under the wall. Even more curious was the absence of guards. The Nemesis automatons did need to be periodically resupplied with water and fuel, but, as they didn’t get bored or distracted, they made excellent guards, and were the worst possible scenario for any hero to encounter if stealth was required.
That was the choice that Fallenz wrestled with now. On one hand, he wished to capitalize on Nemesis’ inattention to defensive measures by storming in immediately. On the other, he could be storming into an ambush; when dealing with Nemesis, one could never take anything at face value. Sending in a Tank or a scout would be the most prudent tactic. Choosing the safer option, he turned to MonochromeMolly and asked, “Molly, you up for a quick peek inside?”
“Of course,” she agreed. She vanished from view, her holographic systems bending the light around her.
“Careful!” Fallenz urged the spot where she had been standing. “Don’t forget about their snipers! They might spot you through the cloak!”
“I’ll be careful, Fallenz,” she replied from nowhere.
“Will you look at that?” said Captain Glacier as he nodded his head in the direction of the base. “It’s the kind of thing only a mechanical engineah could love!”
“It’s like some demented architect had an unlimited budget and a client with no taste,” Warbow speculated.
Lucius responded, “Nemesis stubbornly adheres to the nineteenth-century. His worldview, his plots, and even his sense of aesthetics; it’s all from a time gone by. I wish he’d grow up and abandon this romanticized fantasy.”
Warbow turned to Lucius. “He’s over a hundred years old! How much more growing up could he possibly do?”
“You’d be surprised,” Lucius dryly quipped.
A flash of purple light preceded the arrival of the mighty Grog. The teleport spell complete, he rubbed his hands in glee and asked, “So, when does the massacre begin?”
Fallenz snapped, “It doesn’t! Molly’s on recon, and we’ll wait to hear from her before moving in. And no massacring allowed! We still might need to ask some questions, so take it easy in there. Just do what you do when you’re back in…” His voice trailed off as he finally noticed the new design prominently featured in red on his breastplate. “Nice skull and crossbones, Grog.”
“Thanks! I made it myself!” Indeed, the skull and crossbones design was surprisingly clear considering that Grog was most likely still wearing the armor when he painted it on. On further inspection, Fallenz noticed that the red paint was fresh and wet, and the dirt that Grog was rubbing into his hands was absorbing the remaining paint from his fingers. Fallenz considered the possible sources of red finger paint in the Shadow Shard, and his stomach knotted.
“Dude, no more trophies from the fallen. OK?”
“Does that include plunder?”
“Uh, no, you can still plunder, just…you know…no body parts or bodily fluids.”
Grog sighed mournfully. “As you wish.”
The look of horror returned to Captain Glacier’s face. “Oh my [censored], Grog! You didn’t!”
Fallenz cut off Grog’s response. “Do you REALLY want the answer to that question?” Captain Glacier shook his head and turned away from Grog.
The team waited several minutes. The Phoenix of Syrinx used the time to weave a series of protective spells around every member of the team, and refreshed them when they faded, ensuring the team would have some protection no matter when they had to move out.
“I’m back.” MonochromeMolly reappeared after the brief warning.
“Good,” said Fallenz. “What’s in there?”
“I think they’re getting ready to move out. There’s more Nemesis than I’ve seen in a while listening to one of the big automatons deliver a mission briefing and pep talk. It sounded as though they’re still trying to contain whatever information that defector possessed. That’s probably why we don’t see guards at the gate.”
“How many are inside?”
“About seventy. I didn’t want to get too close, so I don’t have a more accurate count.”
Grog announced, “I’ll take half of them. You all can deal with the rest.”
“FLOG SMASH!”
“Let’s be a little smarter about it,” said Fallenz. “Phoenix, try and take someone prisoner early on, just like you did back there. Warbow and MonochromeMolly will provide cover for us as we advance, and help soften the Nems up during the fight.” He turned to Captain Glacier. “Sorry, man, but I have no idea what you can do.”
“I freeze things. I also fix and prevent injuries.”
“Good, we’ll need it. You fought Nemesis before?”
“A few times. Mostly I swept the streets of Peregrine Island.”
“In numbers like this, if you’re not that tough, you gotta stay away from anyone catching fire. That means Grog, Flog, myself, and probably Lucuis. You stand too close, and the explosions will tear you to bits. Hang back and help where you can without getting chopped up. Got it?” Captain Glacier nodded. “Let’s go. Molly, ladies first.”
Holographic evening dress shimmering in the sunlight, MonochromeMolly entered the open gateway of the fortress, closely followed by the others. Once past the exterior walls of the fort, there wasn’t much to see. A handful of buildings in the same ghastly style as the perimeter walls were scattered through the spacious interior grounds. The base backed up against a jagged wall of rock several stories tall, most likely the edge of this island of ground. Roughly central to the layout was a huge elevated platform. The Nemesis troops stood there in parade formation and listened to a huge Fake Nemesis automaton. Infantry, Jaegers, Warhulks, and officers filled the platform, leaving little room to stand.
“Anyone hear what they’re saying?” Grog asked.
After a pause, the Phoenix answered, “Some of it. The big one is talking about the traitor…what does “slanderous calumnies” mean?” She looked at everyone’s face in turn, and received only a shake of the head or a shrug.
Warbow’s face lit up, and a huge grin split his face. “Yes!” he exclaimed, “There is a God, and He is good!”
Fallenz gave him a funny look. “What brought that on?”
“Don’t you see him?” Warbow inquired. “Towards the rear of the mobs. He’s short, so you have to look for a spot where you don’t see one of those funny Nemesis helmets. Right there!”
“Who, God?”
“No! Manticore!”
Manticore was indeed in with the Nemesis soldiers. His height made him difficult to spot, but the bright red costume made him hard to lose once you spotted him. He stood in perfect formation with the soldiers around him as if he’d done it all his life.
“You know how long I’ve wanted to match my skill against his?” Warbow crowed.
“You think it’s really him?” MonochromeMolly inquired.
“Doesn’t matter. Either way, this is an opportunity I’ve wanted-”
Confronted with one of his nemeses, Flog could hold back no longer. With an ear-shattering roar of “FLOG SMASH MANTICORE!” he leapt into the air on a high ballistic arc aimed straight at the famed hero.
Fallenz swore. “Go!” He spread his wings and rode a trail of fire onto the crowded platform. Dropping down in front of the Fake Nemesis, he drew his Talsorian sword and thrust the tip of the blade into the face of the huge automaton. “A lot of good people died because you started the Rikti invasion,” he snarled. “I’m here to make sure everyone learns what a lunatic you are!”
The towering machine-man gave Fallenz a condescending smile. “Trying to steal our invasion plans? How droll! Have at them, my Nemesis Army!”
The roar of the opening salvo caused Fallenz almost as much pain as the projectiles themselves. Fallenz’ vision was temporarily obscured by smoke and flying shot. His bio armor had already thickened in anticipation of the fight, but even its protective abilities could not counter all the incoming damage, and fiery pain coursed through Fallenz’ body as shrapnel lanced his armored hide. Deafened, blinded, and seriously wounded, it was all Fallenz could do to remain in place.
The sound of a car crash heralded an abatement in the oncoming fire. The smoke and poison gas cleared, and Fallenz caught a glimpse of Grog the Big standing over the prone form of the Fake Nemesis. Bullets and explosive projectiles ricocheted off his glimmering armor as he smugly inquired of the Fake Nemesis, “Dare mess with Grog, eh?” The huge automaton gave no reply. It slowly stood as the surrounding infantry and Jaegers switched targets, giving Fallenz the time he needed to catch his breath.
Towards the rear of the parade ground, Flog landed with the force of a bomb. Deck plates flew into the air along with several Jaegers and infantry. Many of those who landed did not get up again. The savage fury with which he swung his stone mallet seemed to increase with each blow, and, in seconds, Manticore and the rear soldiers were fully occupied with the enraged caveman. Explosions and reports from the Nemesis weapons mixed with crunching sounds and loud bellowing.
Behind Fallenz, Lucius vaulted onto the raised platform with an agility that belied his elderly appearance. He lashed out with his own Talsorian sword, sending man after man to the ground in a spray of blood. The return fire blasted his clothes away and ripped into his flesh, but the injuries seemed to heal as fast as they were inflicted, and he would not be brought down.
Yet another group halted their fire when swing lines appeared out of nowhere, and Errol Flynn and his band of privateers swung onto the platform and engaged the Nemesis Army with rapiers and cutlasses. A ghostly apparition joined the black and white privateers and blasted the Nemesis troops with waves of force, sending Jaegers and men sprawling and further adding to the chaos and confusion. Captain Glacier took advantage of the confusion to run in and coat everything with a thick layer of ice. Very few of the Nemesis troops remained able to move afterward, and the phantom privateers had free reign.
It took Fallenz less than a second to take all this in and identify his next targets. One last group of Nemesis soldiers remained untouched. They broke from their parade formation and took up a firing line. Unchecked, it would be the end of his less durable teammates, but only he remained to handle their fire. Thinking quickly, he barked, “Grog, you handle things here! I’m moving on!”
Grog’s gigantic sword trailed a shower of sparks as it scored a deep gash into the torso of the Fake Nemesis. “Huzzah!” he howled. “A whole army for the mighty Grog to fight by himself!”
“Captain Glacier! Heal me up; I’m taking on those guys there!”
“You’ah covahed!” he replied. A green stream of healing nanobots flew from his outstretched hands to Fallenz. They did their job as well as those of the portable medical patches, almost instantly closing Fallenz’ wounds and blunting his pain.
Even before the healing process was complete, Fallenz charged forward, right into the teeth of their guns. Fewer weapons were pointed at him than before, and the damage that worked its way past his bio armor was not enough to slow him down. With a cry of, “Fall before the Four Winds!” he barged through the front line of the mob and began a deadly ballet. He parried a bayonet thrust and smashed his elbow into the face of the Nemesis soldier. Quickly reversing his grip on the sword, he plunged it straight down through the top of a Jaeger, pinning it to the deck plating. He followed the move up by ripping the sword free and slashing through two adjacent infantry, continuing the cut up until he was airborne, then suddenly landed and put his full weight and momentum into a downward swing that severed the arm off of a Warhulk. All the while, his wings worked furiously to keep his balance and prevent anyone from getting too close to the rear. His pain and fury transformed him into a whirlwind of doom that swept away all foes before it.
A translucent green globe of sorcerous energy descended and exploded around Fallenz. It knocked the infantry and Jaegers off their feet. Fallenz whipped his head around in time to see the Phoenix draw back on her bow and rapid fire a swarm of arrows into a high arc. They curved overhead, dropping straight down onto Fallenz and his opponents. The Talsorian sword was a blur as Fallenz deflected the incoming rain of arrows from himself. That same rain of arrows pierced men and machine alike. Once it was safe to do so, Fallenz scowled at the Phoenix of Syrinx, who now had a sheepish look on her face. “Watch it!” he howled.
“My apologies, hero.”
“Let me show you how it’s done,” said Warbow. He drew his bow and fired another swarm of arrows. Cursing furiously, Fallenz once again dodged and parried to avoid falling victim to the deadly rain. The second barrage finished off the remaining Jaegers and infantry, leaving only the one-armed Warhulk standing. The Phoenix and Warbow coordinated their shots, stitching the war machine until its boilers ruptured.
Fallenz rolled to escape the blast. Once righted, he shouted at Warbow, “Are you trying to kill me?”
“If you held still, I’d have missed you. I can’t help it if you’re going to dodge INTO the arrows!”
“You’re crazy, you know that?”
Warbow shrugged. “I’m a guy with light body armor and a bow hanging around a crew of super-powered bad-[censored] tangling with one of the best-equipped armies in existence. Doesn’t sound like a sane man to me.”
“We’re not done yet,” the Phoenix reminded the men. “That was only one squad of several.”
It was easy to see the truth of that statement. MonochromeMolly and Grog were still busy with their mobs. Captain Glacier was hopping back and forth between Lucius and those two, frantically providing support wherever and however he could. Even though he was out of sight, Fallenz could hear Flog still fighting. “Warbow, you help Molly finish off her group. Phoenix, go support Flog. I’ll help the big guy.” Fallenz continued to give orders as the trio moved to their respective tasks. “Glacier! Stay on Lucius! Help is on the way!”
“Rogah that!” He switched back to Lucius and his group. The deck plates under the hero glistened as Captain Glacier lay down a slick coating of ice. Lucius remained on his feet, but many of his foes slipped and fell, making easy pickings of themselves for the sword-wielding hero.
Right before Fallenz reached Grog’s foes, MonochromeMolly broadcast a warning: “Shut your eyes!” Fallenz blinked just in time. MonochromeMolly overloaded her holographic projectors and dazzled a huge swath of the platform with a flash of blinding light. Human troops stopped whatever they were doing to clutch at their eyes. The automatons fared little better as the pulse temporarily overloaded their processors. Every single foe that MonochromeMolly faced had been neutralized by her combined attacks.
The Fake Nemesis took note of her actions. Temporarily ignoring Grog, he pointed his staff at her and blasted her off her feet with a powerful force bolt. “Simpleton! Your cheap tricks are no match for the lord of technology!” it boasted to her prone body.
Enraged, Fallenz launched himself into the air. In a repeat of his attack on the Warhulk, he put his momentum and weight behind a downward slash that severed the Fake Nemesis’ staff hand from its wrist. “That’s for MonochromeMolly!” he shouted. He slashed at the back of one knee. The blade bit deep and severed the servos that kept the leg straight. The Fake Nemesis fell forward onto one knee, head bowed. “And that was for Sefu Tendaji!”
“And this is for booze!” roared Grog. He swung his massive sword, connected with the Fake Nemesis’ neck, and took its head clean off. The head bounced and clattered across the platform. Grog shouted, “Someone catch that! I want to keep it!”
“Dude,” Fallenz admonished, “you can’t use “This is for booze” as a battle cry.”
“Why not?” the gargantuan warrior replied.
“Battle cries are supposed to be about stuff that’s important!”
“Booze is very important to me!”
“Look,” Fallenz explained, “the Fake Nemesis hurt Molly, a good friend of ours. And Sefu Tendaji died because of Nemesis’ murderous scheming.”
“And if Nemesis weren’t a threat, and I didn’t have to deal with him and his evil plans, I’d still be back in Paragon City, drinking!”
Fallenz threw up his hands. “Oh, have it your way! Go finish off the guys Molly was fighting! I’m going to help Lucius.” Grog teleported into the fracas. His swordplay sent bodies flying everywhere, and in moments he finished off that group of foes. Meanwhile, Fallenz roared into the next group. He stayed airborne and slashed down at any soldier unlucky enough to stay on his feet. Once finished with the taller human troops, he hovered lower to take care of the Jaegers. The two swordsmen, with support from Captain Glacier’s ice work, whittled the mob down to nothing.
As the last Jaeger collapsed, Captain Glacier moved in close and bathed the two men in swarms of medical nanobots. Fallenz felt almost good as new. “Thanks, Captain, that’s just what I needed. Flog could probably use some of your attention now.”
“He needs a bath moah than he needs medical attention, but I’ll go fix him.”
“Great, thanks.”
As Captain Glacier walked off, Lucius grabbed Fallenz’ attention. He asked, “I’ve never seen that style of sword fighting before. What is it?”
“Four Winds sword style. Slightly modified ‘cause, you know, I fly, and most people can’t.”
“Once this is over, I’d like to hear more about it.”
“Yeah, sure. Hey, do me a favor and help me with Molly.” The two men moved to help the fallen hero. The blast did a number on her; it knocked down the holographic generator that covered her body and put a sizable dent in her torso. She was slowly picking herself up when they arrived at her side. “Yo, Molly, you OK?”
“In a moment, Fallenz. I need to reset a few systems before I can rejoin you. Sorry.”
“No problem. Take your time; it looks like there’s not much left for us to deal with.”
Lucius quietly observed MonochromeMolly’s true form. Her dull gold body bore only a slight resemblance to the female form she preferred to show. Segmented plates covered her housing. Her head was without nose, mouth, ear, or eye. Instead, three green optical ports arranged asymmetrically in her face provided all her visual data.
MonochromeMolly noticed his attention and commented, “It’s not polite to stare at a lady, especially when she isn’t decent.”
“Of course, forgive me,” Lucius immediately replied. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. It’s one thing to be told your true form, and quite another to witness it firsthand. A pity about that dress.”
“It’ll be back in about twenty seconds. Would you boys mind giving me some privacy?”
Lucius put an arm around Fallenz’ shoulders and pulled him away. “Come along, young man, let’s give the lady her space.” Despite his indignation at Lucius’ patronizing tone, Fallenz allowed himself to be herded away.
“Hey, you can quit trying to impress her, man!”
“Being a lady is a matter of behavior, not a matter of biology. There are many women, but precious few ladies, and any we find should be honored.”
“Yeah? You know something about ladies?”
“I like to think so. Why do you ask?”
Fallenz eyes narrowed slightly as he said, “How about a trade? My knowledge of Four Winds sword style for your knowledge of the ladies.”
Lucius’ gray eyebrows rose. “Not an even trade, but I accept nonetheless.”
“Good. Once this is over. Now, let’s finish this fight.” The two men raced up to the last remaining combat. Manticore had lost his entourage, but none of his fighting spirit. Flog swung at him over and over with his stone mallet, and Warbow, the Phoenix, and Captain Glacier heaped their own firepower onto the famed hero, but he refused to go down.
Fallenz paused by Warbow. “So, who’s winning the archery duel?” he inquired.
Warbow fired another salvo of arrows at Manticore, and grunted in disgust as they skipped harmlessly off his body armor or missed the rapidly dodging hero entirely. “He’s a lot tougher than I thought he’d be.”
“Save the regular arrows for the riff-raff. We’ll handle the damage now.”
Fallenz launched himself into the air for another finishing stroke, but Manticore noticed the attack and dodged out of the way, and Fallenz hacked into the platform instead. With that trademark smug grin, Manticore observed, “You call that fighting? I call it ERROR IN SARCASM DATABASE!”
Fallenz was so surprised he stopped swinging. “Say what?”
“He’s a robot duplicate!” Warbow observed unnecessarily.
“And a crappy one at that!” added Captain Glacier.
“That makes this much easier,” said Lucius. “We don’t have to hold back. Have at thee, Shamticore!” He darted in and took advantage of the automaton’s preoccupation with Fallenz to slash across his back. In response, Manticore turned and fired an arrow into Lucius’ chest. The broadhead pierced the chain mail, and the shaft sunk deeply into his body, but after a slight cough Lucius resumed his onslaught with no adverse affects.
Lucius, Fallenz, and Flog took turns whaling on Manticore. With the three melee combatants working in concert, the fake Manticore couldn’t dodge as well as he had before, and the damage started to work its way through his armor. Captain Glacier and the Phoenix supplied the three men with whatever protection and healing they needed, while Warbow cycled through his stores of trick arrows to weaken and hamper Manticore. Eventually, MonochromeMolly arrived and blasted him with radiation, further degrading his systems. Grog joined the fray soon after, but the fate of the mechanical imposter was already sealed, and after a particularly furious combo of hits, he sagged to the ground, uttering at the last, “Oh yeah, well SARCASM ENGINE FAILURE. SHUTTING DOWN SYSTEM.”
Grog left to pillage as soon as the mechanical Manticore ceased fighting. All the others stood around his immobile form and caught their breath. Captain Glacier was the first to speak: “Nemesis may be a whiz with steam, but he’s a lousy programmah. How could anyone think this was Manticoah?”
Fallenz reminded him, “If this was sent to the Rikti home world to start the war, they probably didn’t have a basis for comparison.”
“Maybe so. Now, what do we do with this thing? If it weah electronic, and I had it in my lab, I could read its memory, but you probably need a plumbah to figuah out how it woahks.”
“We take it with us. Vanguard can do what they want with it.”
“So that’s it?” MonochromeMolly inquired. “We’re finished here?”
Fallenz considered the question in silence, weighing his knowledge of Nemesis’ nature against the mission requirements. He had a mostly-intact robot duplicate of Manticore and the confession of the Fake Nemesis, but he still wasn’t sure if this was it. Invading the Rikti world must have taken more than just one automaton, and the word of a Nemesis stooge wasn’t very reliable. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that there was still more to discover in this base.
At last, he announced, “No. There has to be something else. The- what did you call it, Lucius?”
“Shamticore. A play on words regarding this creation: a sham of a man.”
“That was clever,” MonochromeMolly said. Lucuis gave her a gentleman’s bow in return for the compliment.
“Shamticore can’t be all that’s left. Nemesis invaded another world and set up the invasion of ours. He’d have to have used more than this. There’s got to be plans, or a portal, or something else. We need to find everything that might remain here that could support that defector’s story.”
“Unless there’s nothing else left, and this is a trap, or a distraction from one of his other plans,” Warbow interjected.
“Not everything is a Nemesis plot, man.”
“That’s exactly what Nemesis wants you to think!” Warbow shot back.
“And you call ME the conspiracy theorist!”
Smiling, Warbow replied, “I’m just messing with you. You’re still the champ, Fallenz.”
“Thanks, [censored]. Anyway, we gotta get this thing back. Grog!” The hulking behemoth ceased pulling copper tubes from a wrecked Jaeger and trotted over. “We need to take this with us,” Fallenz explained. “Can you do it?”
“Of course!” Grog thundered. He knelt by the feet of the fallen automaton and pulled a leather sack from his belt. He unfolded it into a wide mouthed sack roughly the size of a kitchen garbage bag and pulled it over the feet of Shamticore.
Fallenz watched dubiously as Grog tugged at the bag. “Bro, there’s NO way you’re…” His voice trailed off as the rim of the bag passed the knees, then the hips, then his waist, and showed no signs of stopping. Stunned, he asked, “Is that a Bag of-”
Simultaneously, Warbow whispered, “He’s got a Bag of-” Both men stopped at the same time and eyed each other warily.
“What kind of bag is that? Do you recognize it?” the Phoenix asked.
“No idea,” Fallenz lied as he stared suspiciously at Warbow.
“Never seen anything like it,” fibbed Warbow as he stared back at Fallenz.
The two men stared at each other until Grog stood. Shamticore, if it was indeed inside the bag, make a bulge roughly the size of a children’s doll. Grog held the bag up to his eyes, scrutinized it, then announced, “Plenty of room left! I’m going after my Fake Nemesis head, unless you want something else collected.”
“No, we’re good. Happy pillaging. Wait!” he corrected himself. Grog returned to the circle. Addressing everyone, Fallenz continued, “OK, this is good, but there has to be more here that supports that defector’s claims. The Fake Nemesis mentioned something about invasion plans. Pillaging will have to wait, we need to find the evidence first. Tear this base apart until you find those plans! And bring me the prisoners; I want them alive! Let’s get this done!”
“At once, Darth Fallenz,” MonochromeMolly quipped as she turned and began searching the wreckage of the battle.
“I always knew you’d join the Dark Side!” Warbow crowed. “I’ll bet you’ll get that Talsorian sword tinted red now, won’t you?
“I could tune youah rebreathah to make rasping sounds, if you want,” Captain Glacier volunteered with a laugh.
Without rancor, Fallenz shot back, “You [censored]! Shut up and get to work, or I’ll use The Force to choke you all!” The group merrily dispersed on their respective investigations.