“Given the way all the others have turned out, I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”
“We don’t know that the ones the Indui produced went insane. All we have to go by is what the project did… and for all we know, they may have missed something.”
The trio slowed to a stop as they entered the village — because standing before them, his face a horrific mess, was the still very-much alive Maxwell Schmidt. The villain was swaying on his feet, blood streaming from the remains of his nose, but his eyes were clear enough. The villain held his helmet in one hand and he quickly dropped it over his face, snapping it shut.
“Schmidt,” Lazarus said. “Stand down. You’re in no shape for a fight.”
“I am Prometheus,” was the reply. “And I shall bring the gift of fire to the world.”
Raising both gauntlets, Prometheus unleashed a powerful wave of flame at his enemies.
Abby, Eun and Morgan passed the time by playing cards, having set up a small table just outside their plane. Though Morgan was an experienced gambler, he soon found himself consistently outfoxed by Abby, who used her beauty to great effect. She laughed gaily, flirting audaciously, and it kept Morgan off-balance. He tried to remind himself that she was deliberately teasing him but it was impossible when he was confronted by her lovely features.
Eun, meanwhile, was absolutely horrible at poker. Never good at hiding his emotions at the best of times, he was completely unable to hide his reaction to whatever hand he held.
The young Korean groaned and tossed down the last of his chips. “I give up,” he said as Abby raked in her winnings.
“Don’t quit yet, sugar.” Abby said in her sweetest Southern twang. “I’ll even let you borrow some of my chips so you can keep playing. But I’m gonna charge you interest,” she added with a wink.
“You’re a card shark,” Eun said hotly. He stood up and paced about, unable to contain his frustration.
“Calm down,” Morgan laughed. “It’s just a game. And we’re not even using real money.”
“I just hate losing.”
Abby rose from her chair and arched her back, stretching. She didn’t seem to notice the way Morgan stared at her up-thrust breasts — or else she didn’t mind. “I wonder how things are going with the others?”
Morgan cleared his throat, suddenly very warm in his coat and tie. “I feel sorry for Schmidt and his friends. Lazarus and The Black Terror are going to tie them up like pretzels.”
“No offense, but I’d rather be with them. I can’t stand waiting.”
Eun looked at Abby and nodded. “I’m the same way. It’s ridiculous! I’m a fighter and you’re a witch — we should be with Lazarus, not Jakob or Samantha.”
“Samantha’s a fighter, too,” Morgan pointed out. “And so is Jakob. ‘They also serve who stand and wait,’ remember?”
Eun was about to reply in a rather filthy fashion when Abby touched his arm and directed his attention towards the mountain that Lazarus and the others had attempted to climb. There were two men tumbling down the mountainside, rolling end-over-end. Remarkably, they were both exchanging blows while doing so.
Morgan sprang up, his pistol in hand. Even from that distance, it was obvious that one of the combatants was The Black Terror, and the other matched some of the wanted posters of McIness that they’d studied.
As the two men hit bottom, they both scrambled to their feet, continuing to punch at one another. Both were bruised and bloodied, the force of their attacks echoing through the jungle.
The Black Terror drove an elbow into the side of The Titan’s head and as McIness slumped to the side Abby cast a spell that created a small funnel of air between them. The two combatants were driven apart and both of them noticed for the first time that they were no longer alone.
The Black Terror held up a hand towards the members of Assistance Unlimited. “Stay out of this!”
Eun grinned, the possibility of battle having restored his good humor. “The hell we will!” The young Korean sprinted forward and threw himself into the air, foot first. His heel slammed into the back of The Titan’s head but the villain’s dense flesh had very little give to it. As a result, Eun landed in a crouch, a grimace of pain on his face. His foot felt like he’d kicked a brick wall!
Abby and Morgan were almost just as trigger-happy. Morgan fired two quick bullets but they ricocheted off The Titan’s chest, narrowly missing Eun. Realizing that his gun was useless, Morgan holstered it and let out a curse.
Abby’s attack was a bit more effective: she called upon the elemental spirits in the area and charged the air around McIness with electricity. It crackled up and down his flesh like tiny bursts of lightning, eliciting a howl of surprised pain from The Titan.
The Black Terror knew that this was his chance. They were too evenly matched for a clear victory on either side but now that McIness was stunned, he was free to end the battle.
Sadly, he knew that it would have to be ended permanently. The madness that held The Titan in its grasp would not be improved — and it could only be slaked through murder and violence, neither of which The Black Terror could allow.
The Black Terror drew back his right hand and then drove his fist forward; channeling all the inhuman might that he possessed. The blow struck McIness right above the heart, landing with all the force of a bomb.
The Titan’s eyes widened in shock as his heart skipped a beat… and then another…
McIness fell forward, his heart seizing up. The villain gasped and then grew still.
The Black Terror swayed on his feet. He reached up to wipe at his eyes, knowing that he might possibly have killed the only person in the world who would ever be like him.
Lazarus Gray shoved his aides toward the ground, landing atop them. He shielded them with his own body as Prometheus unleashed his flames and the skin on Lazarus’ back sizzled.
When the attack ceased, Lazarus rolled off and stood up. He could smell the burned flesh of his back and knew that he was going to leave today with a new set of scars.
Samantha let out a gasp when she saw Lazarus but she knew that there was no time to check on him. She and Sporrenberg both looked towards Prometheus, who had fallen to his knees.
“I’m going to be a god,” Prometheus said. “Bring fire to the world of man.”
Lazarus approached him slowly, kneeling before the man. He reached out and unhooked the tubes leading from the back of Schmidt’s armor to the gauntlets. Once he felt comfortable that the villain was disarmed, he began removing Schmidt’s helmet, revealing the glazed eyes of a man who was near death.
“Maxwell,” Lazarus said, ignoring his own pain and focusing instead of the suffering of the man who had just tried to kill him. “We can get you help.”
“No. I’m broken inside. I can… feel it.”
Lazarus saw that one of Schmidt’s eyes was filling with blood and he knew that the German was right… but all hope was not lost. “One of our members is a witch. She might be able to heal you.”
Maxwell’s face suddenly broke into a grin. “I can see it… my golden throne. Everyone is calling my name. I’ve won! I’m a god! Hahahahahahahaha!”
Sporrenberg stepped up and put the barrel of his gun against Schmidt’s skull. The villain didn’t even seem to notice.
“Lazarus?” Jakob asked.
With a weary sigh, Lazarus stood up and nodded. “Do it. We can’t let him suffer like this. Whatever’s wrong inside of him is not going to be easily repaired.”
Lazarus led Samantha further into the village and the girl jumped slightly as Sporrenberg pulled the trigger, ending the short-lived godhood of Prometheus.