By Killer Cell’s command, his clones attacked en masse, a vast swarm of bodies converging on every target. The agents performed amicably considering the circumstances, as they never once wasted a single bullet. Yet, for every clone they downed, multiple took his place.

Ella leaped forward, her powerful limbs propelling her towards Crocman, while Obsidian Jess charged in from an off angle. The duo proved too much to handle for the large reptilian man. He grabbed a hold of Obsidian Jess and was determined to test his bite force against her living crystal skin. But that left the powerful lion, free rein to rip his exposed back to shreds. Crocman let out a pained scream and distanced himself from them once more.

Crocman’s situation would have further deteriorated if it weren’t for Killer Cell’s swarm of clones that closed in on them. Individually, the clones proved easy to handle for Ella and Obsidian Jess as they defeated schools of them. With her wild swinging paws, Ella pulverized any clone she came into contact with, turning them into an unrecognizable pile of body parts, streams of blood spraying in the air. The first one she killed visibly shook her to her core with disgust and guilt, vile rising in her gut. But when countless other enemies replaced the dead one, the aura of killing intent prominent on their faces, she pushed those worrying thoughts down and dove into the foray, defending herself, her swings laced with the fear of threading into the unknown.

As for Obsidian Jess, her extensive experience allowed her to dispatch the clones with brutal efficiency, only using her arms, which were shaped into spears. However, the crystalline superhero moved with a ferocious anger, a mad grunt released after every deadly blow.

Unfortunately, when Crocman rejoined the battle, along with another group of clones, who snuck up on them and detonated, the futility of their predicament dawned on them.

Jalen stood back to back with Ivarsson as they fended off their meager share of clones. Tragically, the rest of the agents had been overwhelmed by the mass of bodies and killed. Ivarsson’s incredible valor and superhuman strength allowed her to overpower the average clones with ease. Jalen, on the other hand, lagged behind, his peak human physiology proving insufficient to contend with the never-ending waves of clones.

Yun was off somewhere, preferably in Ivarsson’s blindside, hunting for the original Killer Cell, the clones daring to attack her, disintegrating.

A few clones grabbed onto Jalen and pulled him down, then piled on him. He even heard the desperate cries of Ivarsson as she, too, was brought down. There was no other option left but for him to transform. And so he opened the gates holding back his life force, only to shut them again when the clones paused their assault.

“Now, what do we have here?” A loud boom echoed, rocks and debris crashing to the ground, followed by a commanding voice.

Through the maze of body parts atop, Jalen could see the face of a clone whose facial features burst with a burning hatred, staring off at something.

“The self-proclaimed bringer of truth and justice has finally shown his face,” Killer Cell said, his tone tinged with some edge now. “And blessed us with his shitty presence.”

The clones released Jalen and Ivarsson, then inched closer to the newcomer. So he helped himself to his feet, pulling Ivarsson up after him. On a mountain of rubble stood Novaman, his hands folded before him, who glared at the procession below.

“I see you have been busy,” Novaman said, looking at Obsidian Jess. “Where is Ampress? She was supposed to be handling this area.”

“We killed her, you fucking twat.” One of Killer Cell’s clones said, a sinister smirk fixed on his face.

“Separated her head from her body,” another said.

All the clones pointed at the severed head resting in the corner of the room.

“I see.” Novaman’s eyes narrowed into slits and his brows arched down. “Obsidian Jess, move everyone out of the way. It appears I have important matters to resolve with these men.”

The clones surrounding Jalen ignored him completely as he, Yun, Ivarsson, Obsidian Jess, and Ella made their way to the corner of the expansive room. Ella transformed back and plopped down, her breathing heavy with exhaustion.

“Good job, E. You did well,” he said.

His sister smiled at him. “Where would you be without your big sister there to save you?” Then she winced when she tried to move her injured arm, which was rapidly healing.

Ivarsson sat down on the ground as well, marveling at the speed at which Ella’s wounds healed.

“Shouldn’t we be helping him?” Ella asked.

“I doubt he’ll need our help,” Obsidian Jess said, staring at the head of the fallen superhero. “We’d just get in the way.”

The mass of clones converged on Novaman like metal filings attracted to a magnet. The captain of The Radiant Assembly, clad in white and gold, shot into the air, easily avoiding the clumsy clones, then dove towards Crocman.

The unsuspecting reptilian man only had enough time to shield himself with his arms before Novaman smashed him deep into the ground, uprooting large chunks of concrete in the process. Bone-rattling shockwaves cracked the air as Novaman punched Crocman repeatedly into the ground. Crocman’s counterattack came in the form of a sweeping clawed swipe. However, Novaman caught the arm effortlessly, then twisted it, snapping it backward.

Killer Cell’s clones closed in on Novaman, but when they got too close, they dropped like fallen trees, their skin reddening and expelling pus.

“What’s the matter?” Novaman paused his onslaught, glancing at the clones. “Too weak to even survive in my vicinity?”

Visible veins throbbed on the remaining clones. Using the momentary opportunity, Crocman roared, summoning the last vestiges of his strength, and delivered a powerful blow to the side of Novaman’s head with his good arm. The impact sent the superhero skidding across the ground until he collided forcefully with the dense concrete of the far wall. Crocman wasted no time and swiftly pursued Novaman, his menacing jaws aimed at crushing the superhero’s head. However, Novaman swiftly countered by using his forearm as a shield, which was promptly clamped onto by Crocman’s ferocious bite.

Novaman winced and wrestled the reptilian man, easily overpowering his Crocman by pinning him to the ground. “I have you to thank for making it easier to deliver a decisive blow,” he said, then drove his fist clean through Crocman’s chest.

The two combatants maintained eye contact with deadly glares as the life slipped from Crocman’s eyes and his jaw loosened. Jalen noted the ease with which Novaman took a life.

With Crocman dealt with, Novaman regarded the sea of clones, flexing his injured arm, which only spotted shallow bite marks. “Now where were we?”

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The clones surrounded Novaman from every direction, but they quickly perished because of the radiation the superhero emitted. This clearly grated on Killer Cell, who sent wave after wave of clones to be killed by Novaman passively, with no replacements in sight.

“Turn nova, you fucking twat,” Killer Cell said through clenched teeth. “Show me your true colors.”

Only the original Killer Cell was left now, so Novaman flew towards him and grabbed him by the neck, lifting the defiant, superpowered criminal into the air. “You are too weak to require that much effort.”

Killer Cell spat on Novaman, sneering when his discharge made contact. “We’ll see if you maintain that confidence when your time comes. This ain’t over. I’m just getting started.”

Novaman wiped the discharge from his face. “Why did you attack the Radiant Tower?”

Killer Cell spat again, but this time Novaman whipped his head to the side and dodged it. Seeing that his attempt was unsuccessful, Killer Cell flipped off the superhero with his middle finger. Undeterred, Novaman plunged his fist into Killer Cell’s abdomen, causing the man to vomit his stomach contents, which he dodged, of course.

“I’ll ask again,” Novaman enunciated his next words slowly. “What purpose warranted this attack?”

Killer Cell laughed maniacally. “To fuck you in the ass, that’s why. To fuck the greatest superhero to ever live right between the ass cheeks. How does it feel, huh? You failed to protect your people when they needed you the most. You have all this power and yet I still killed a superhero from your premier team, all the while rendering this so-called stronghold to tatters. Who’s the fucking weakling now? You tell me!”

That earned him another punch from an enraged Novaman, this time across his face, which broke his jaw. The lights flickered off, plunging everyone into darkness, with only the faint red glow of some emergency light sources left to illuminate the devastated room.

“How are they messing with the power?” Obsidian Jess asked, to which Ivarsson shrugged, having relayed earlier that her comms device was offline.

As the power was restored once more, Killer Cell had another bout of hysterical laughter. “Oh, you have a long thing coming, mate. See you around.”

Then he engulfed Novaman in an explosion that shook the surrounding structures. Once the cloud of fire and smoke simmered down, Novaman floated to the ground, his face reddened, not from the explosion but from his current state of mind.

Novaman retrieved Ampress’ head, then stared long and hard at it.

Obsidian Jess walked over to him. “It was my fault for leaving her alone to—”

“No,” Novaman said, his head facing down. “She probably requested that you evacuate everyone. Our complacency with security is to blame here.”

Beside Jalen, a rippling doorway materialized in the air and a tall, blue-skinned woman with a sleek, muscular physique emerged from it. She was dressed in a black gown, embellished with a gold belt and vibrant crystal rings, partially concealed by a flowing cloak decorated with mystical symbols and intricate designs. Jalen instantly recognized her as Demistra, the only mystic practitioner in The Radiant Assembly.

“Such rampant destruction,” she noted.

Novaman spotted her and came over. “How is the situation everywhere else?”

“I’ve purged the lower levels of the intruders,” she replied. Her ashen-colored eyes shot down toward what Novaman carried. “Is that—”

“Yes, it is,” Novaman interjected. “Please, evacuate these civilians and any others who might still be in the building.”

Demistra rubbed the back of her head through her long, snow-white hair, still staring at the head. “The lower floors are clear. I’ll just get these folk, then continue upward.”

While Obsidian Jess thanked Ella for her bravery, Jalen had a mind to ask Demistra if she knew Laufey, because the superhero bore a striking resemblance to the high queen. However, her proximity to Novaman, as well as not knowing how she would react, dissuaded him. Perhaps another time.

By Demistra’s insistence, they all used the portal, save for Obsidian Jess, who stayed behind. The portal led to the ground floor where the convention was located.

Half the booths were unrecognizable, turned to debris. Shell-shocked people stood about, as agents, geared to the teeth in weapons and body armor, patrolled the premises. Jalen even spotted a few New York based superheroes present as well. Ivarsson left to rendezvous with her colleagues.

“What’s bothering you?” he asked.

Ella had remained quiet since she last spoke before the showdown between Novaman and the two intruders.

“Nothing,” she sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I just killed so many people.”

“Hey, E. It’s ok. They were just—”

“Clones. I know. Doesn’t really make a difference because it felt so real.” They stood motionless amongst the flurry of activity surrounding them. “I’ll be fine… I think. It’s just… I don’t know. I guess I need to get as strong as you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve changed, you know? You aren’t that scared little boy who still believed Santa was real when he was twelve. Or the one who ran away when mother died. You’ve become a little scary.”

“I would never hurt you.”

She smiled, her eyes wet with tears. “I know. I know.”

Yun leaped onto her shoulder. “Chin up, young god. You did well. You will become proficient at dispatching your enemies like I taught your brother. Time is all you need.”

Despite Yun’s inappropriate choice of words, her comments still managed to make his sister chuckle, if only a little.

Outside the Radiant Tower, a hectic mess of activity took place, paramedics tooling their craft from countless ambulances, while agents and police worked to evacuate the surviving attendees and staff. Beyond the gates, schools of reporters waited to gain access.

“Caleb?” Ella weaved through the busy walkway, towards Caleb, who sat on the curb beside an ambulance. The teen’s head hung between his legs, unresponsive to her calls.

“Hey, Caleb.” She patted his back. “I’m so relieved you’re alright. Where is Becca?”

Caleb’s sobbing grew stronger as he gestured towards the ambulance. Ella bolted off, so she failed to hear when Caleb whispered that his sister was dead. Jalen, however, heard it all as he sat beside the teen on the elevated stone walkway.

A few paces ahead, Ella argued with the paramedic, the details of their discussion unknown to him.

“It… was m-my fault,” Caleb murmured in between sobs. “It’s because she was protecting me. I’m sorry.”

He placed a comforting hand on the teen’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Caleb. Rebecca made the choice to protect you. We’ll get through this together.”

Caleb, whose wailing continued to increase, leaned on him. In the distance, Ella broke into tears as well. Shaking his head, he let the boy cry for as long as he wanted.

After ten minutes of silence, Caleb murmured. “Did they catch the people responsible?”

“No,” he said. “But they are working on it.”

❊ ❊ ❊

Later that day, Ivarsson drove Jalen, Ella, and Caleb through a secret tunnel under Central Park that originated from The Radiant Tower. The ride was understandably quiet, with Caleb fast asleep.

“Where do I sign up?” Ella asked, breaking the silence.

Ivarsson glanced up at the rearview mirror. “Sign up for what, Mrs. Nkanga?”

“Just Ella will do.” She leaned forward. “Considering everything that’s happened, I think we are now well acquainted. I’d like to become a superhero.”

“I understand the sentiment, Mrs. N… Ella, but you should think this through with a clear state of mind before making any decisions.”

“There is nothing to think about. I have to find everyone responsible for what happened to Rebecca.”

The car fell silent again as Ivarsson focused on the long road ahead, while his sister’s forehead manufactured creases with worry.

“That reminds me,” he said. “What really happened? Why would someone attack the Radiant Tower of all places? When Novaman was present, no less.”

Ella said. “Did you forget how Killer Cell flipped once Novaman appeared? They clearly have history.”

He stared out the window at the identical tunnel walls, whipping by. “If that were so, Ella, then Killer Cell would have waited for Novaman to patrol or something. That would have made his job a thousand times easier. Something else is at play.”

“Very perceptive of you, Mr. Nkanga,” Ivarsson said. “However, I cannot reveal the classified details of our investigation. I apologize.”

The car pulled into a narrow room, resembling a garage with concrete floors and a tool shed to the side. After the garage door rose, Ivarsson maneuvered the car into a typical suburban neighborhood in Hoboken, New Jersey.