Baji Belmir

The idea that they were being led into a trap, despite all their preparation, didn't register to him. Not really. He knew what he was leading his team into, knew the consequences of failure. Despite that, the pay was higher than usual, and all it took was putting down a mad dog with delusions of grandeur.

"Contact!"

The first to die was a child, barely into her teenage years; Alicia's bullet carved a hole through the undead's skull. Baji and his team cleaved through the horde of undead. The few that made it through their line of fire, El's superhuman strength crumbled their skulls into pulp.

And yet, despite their progress, bullets were running out. Fast. There were just too many.

"Nim!"

"Got it."

A wave of liquid nitrogen washed over the undead ahead of them, enveloping the whole area with mist, whilst El and Alicia lay down suppressive fire behind them. Have you ever wondered what would happen if cryogenic fluid ever had contact with the living or dead flesh? It wasn't pretty, and the undead, mindless as they were, continued to advance.

They simply broke.

His team ran for it, through the throngs of cracked and broken flesh, their power armor giving them strength and speed to outrun even the untiring zombies. It gave Nim more than enough time to seal the hall with stone and conjured steel. Baji could still hear the banging of flesh against the stone.

Alicia found the door to the basement, soon enough. "In here."

"Catch your breaths, and load up," Baji glanced at the others. "We go in two minutes, then terminate the target."

"Hmm, too bad. I would have loved to get my hands on the boy's mind." The magus sighed. "His capabilities are beyond what I thought possible for such a late practitioner."

"I'm more worried about another," El turned to Baji, curious, his tusks gleaming white through his visor. "When is he getting here?"

"He'll come," Alicia scowled fiercely. "If he knows what's good for him."

Baji nodded. "He'll make it, if not already here," He looked around, content for a moment, then exhaled. "Alright, time to move."

They went down the stairs, slowly, silently.

The basement was large, spacious, and completely normal. It didn't look like the lair of a madman, where the archives of ancient scrolls and tombs still lay intact in their shelves.

And there was the boy, sitting on a stool, looking hale and healthy. He wore pale blue jeans, a sweater, and glasses to frame a handsome face. A normal teenager, if he ever saw one. And yet, the boy looked cool and calm. The boy, John, just watched them with indifferent brown eyes.

The giant blue crystal floating behind the boy was new, and a bad sign, for whatever purpose it was built for. Well, it wouldn't have mattered. Nim would know how to deal with it after they dealt with the boy. Baji didn't even have to signal for Alicia to put a bullet into his skull.

She aimed, then took a shot. It took but milliseconds.

A sure kill. Yet, the bullet seemed to stop in mid air inches from the boy's forehead.

"Shit, is this the part where the villain monologues?" Alicia growled out. Oh, she was angry. There were very few barriers that could stop her bullet.

The boy watched them silently.

"Interesting," Nim muttered. "No incantations, not even a twitch of a finger to stop the bullet. It wasn't prepared beforehand, this was instinct and knowledge guiding his magic. This boy is a savant."

Well... fuck. There were those few who have such instinctual affinity for the magic that they were regarded as treasures by the government. To do otherwise would be unthinkable. The boy's kind always contributed to the world, leading to innovation and magnificence decades ahead of its time. And here, this one boy had gone mad.

Putting the kid down was going to be tough.

Whatever defenses the boy had must be formidable. Nim was already working on taking down the barrier, and it would only be minutes before they put down the rabid dog.

Baji lowered his weapon, then he took a step forward. "Kid, you have any idea what you've done?"

John Bennit nodded, fully aware. "Yes."

"Care to tell us why you did it?" Baji paused, then added, "Before I kill you."

"I was bored," The boy shrugged, then took to his feet. His fingers brushed against the glittering blue crystal, easily towering over six feet.

Alicia scowled. "Thousands are dead because you were bored?"

The boy ignored the question, simply staring at the crystal.

"What is that... thing?"

Nim was busy, and wasn't in the mood to answer the question.

The boy answered instead. "A catalyst, of sorts. A doorway."

"A door... to where?" El finally spoke, having finally broken his silence.

The boy finally deigned to look upon Baji, as if seeing something beyond his sight. "A place."

"Well, that was vague as fuck." Alicia so eloquently put, then lifted her gun. "Kid, lower the barrier, and I promise I won't shoot you. We'll take you, nice and healthy, and put you on trial for your crimes. What do you say?"

John ignored his cousin, simply waiting. For something.

The air shimmered behind the boy.

"Wait, Paxt! Don't!"

"Sup, dudes!"

A blade shimmered into existence, extending out from the boy, John's, neck. Baji noticed the smile as blood flowed like a river from his neck.

"Shoot the crystal! Shoot the fucking crystal!" Baji all but screamed out loud.

Bullets flew, and Paxt, the AI golem, leaped away from the hail of bullets.

The barrier collapsed near instantly, but the boy stood before the crystal as hundreds of bullets tore through his flesh. Blood splattered across the crystal.

The crystal pulsed.

"Oh... fuck."

Everyone stopped firing.

The boy slumped against the crystal with a smile on his face, blood seeping from a hundred holes. His last parting gift to them was the birdy, his middle finger aimed right at Baji.

Well played, kid. 

"Oh... fuck! Run!" Baji all but screamed. 

The crystal pulsed again, and a sun blossomed. Then, just as suddenly, the sun died.

"This isn't what I signed up for!"

Baji could hear Paxt's squeal as their bodies got crushed into a black hole.