Issue 17: Family Obligations
Ahh, so this was the golden child my wife would ruminate over. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I found Eliza quite earnest. Considering the circumstances we met in, she’s a good egg. A bit scrambled but lots of heart. No wonder my wife egged her on most times. She’s very much like that Poppi fellow. Must have hurt terribly to see that in such a personal way. Puns intended.—Theodore “Teddy” McQuire.
How did Anna manage to legit seduce an honest to god red-blooded Texan man a 2nd time around?—Jonas “Eddie” Olsten.
Stupid Brick. Why does Poppi make me care?—Anna
Hilary had no idea of course. I didn’t either but it made for an explosive greeting. That day was a seesaw my mother didn’t need but it happened anyway. I never told Anna this but her 2nd husband left a very fun first impression. I think he found me a bit scattered brained but that was mostly in response to splitting my knuckles on Hilary's chin.—Sleeping in Starlight, a memoir of the 22nd century.
McQuire Household
New Ashbury (North Wood Residences)
February 8th, 2104
A fist with the force of a sledgehammer stuck Hilary across the jaw.
Sending her crashing to the pavement. A familiar sight with that horrid golden NASA cap greeted her. The Void Brood Mother spat out a tooth. Her human cover partially dissolved.
“Murphy. I might as well play with you!”
Dominion couldn’t resist adding, “Did your father give you some implants? It won’t be enough!”
*****
My fist ached something fierce. That wasn’t normal whatsoever.
I expected the nosebleed but not the bursting pain across my knuckles.
Not good.
I took up a defensive position while Anna made her way to the back of the house.
Bits of human teeth reformed. Her skeleton and muscle structure were radically altered.
She smiled. A small ugly thing.
“Let’s dance cripple.”
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Each hit that she landed burned.
Poison most likely.
She aimed a kick at my rib. I blocked it with my forearm.
Her eyes pure black now. Bits of green flowing from the edges.
“Now you see the face of your death!”
I dived to the side, rolling painfully on my right shoulder as acid arced overhead.
My HUD was filled with alerts. ///Foreign material detected. Analyzing.///
I aimed a quick blow to her diaphragm. Lifting her off her feet. She licked her lips. A long pale green tongue flashed out and clamped down on my neck. I pulled with everything I had. A piece of it stayed lodged in my neck. Making me sicker by the moment. Her maniac warble filled the air, “You work for those Muthra. Pale creatures of a misbegotten race!”
Her tone changed, “Ahhh. So you do come enhanced from those Scholars builders as well. Their taint is over you. So desperate to pick crippled tools like you! They thought they could hide from Unity? No, Set has promised me vengeance.” Each word warped by Keeper speak.
She didn’t realize that I understood her.
White burrowed so far back within my mind that I couldn’t feel her presence.
Hilary continued, “I have surpassed my father. I will devour Unity.”
Her monologue of enlightenment was cut off.
The hum of a grav rifle was the only warning I had.
I threw myself to the ground.
Shots rang out. The ringing absolute. Half of Hilary’s head disappeared within a cloud of grey-green mist. A man with blonde hair and a neatly trimmed beard tipped his huge tan cowboy hat. His Oakleys reflected in the sun.
“Let’s move people!”
Beyond Texan.
Eddie raced to my side and helped me into the grav car.
Anna shot me a look, “What the hell?” She paled when she saw my face.
Teddy shouted, “No time babe! GUN IT!”
Anna took off in a tear. I looked back. Hilary ran after us. Her head reforming.
I called out to mom, >>…she’s resistant to….<<
Serpents fluttered across my vision.
Wrapping themselves around a white tree.
Poppi pressed his palm to my neck.
Beware the Path of the Ancients.
Jonas hollered, “Get us out of her dampening range! Eliza is flatlining!”
A sharp prick hit my chest. Just above my heart and the pain subsided.
Anna rammed her foot down on the accelerator. Weaving past traffic with the grace of a professional stunt driver. Teddy indicated the interstate anti-grav tethers, “There!”
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*****
Thomas held on for dear life, dropping the Jupiter Rising into the atmosphere, his fingers dancing over the console just as well as Eliza’s would. J’ino was at the weapon station. Anger and fear making her face lean. Lips pulled back in a snarl. “I will destroy that thing. She will not take my daughter.”
Lorain had already strapped in near the emergency loading ramp. They would catch Anna’s car in mid-flight. Gulliver and the Bardaxians were on standby with General Whitehouse. Ready to unload on that Void Walker abomination. The readout from Eliza’s vitals burned behind Lorain’s retinas.
///First One DNA detected. Remnants found. Match: Set///
Her eyes narrowed behind her dynamo mask. It was time to use her abilities offensively.
*****
Teddy’s eyes were locked on the grav ways. The energy guided most vehicles to their optimum route but the highest levels were for free-roaming. Going as fast as the car could take you. He glanced back and frowned. Using the lower levels meant many would get hurt. Murphy raised her eyes to him. Green cracks bubbled over her neckline. Climbing to her face. She reached out, “My ship. Higher…”
He didn’t see anything skyward but his chance % went through the roof. He retracted the roof of the car. Aiming his rifle. Waiting. What he had seen under that face had horrified him. The fact that it wanted to kill him to get to Anna pissed him off even more. He hummed. His HUD linking in automatically with a JR-RVS network, a soothing voice hit his ears, <
Banking the car to the left. Blasting past a Caution: Work Ahead holosign.
*****
Hilary galloped after the grav car. Her form hunched over. Hands and feet absorbing the grav rail energy to propel her forward. The grav-car’s undercarriage glowing bright red as that worthless human woman tried to escape her fate. Her chest caved in as another barrage of strange pellets burrowed deep. Exiting her back with enough force to send her flying into the barriers of the transit system. Whatever that man wielded was made to kill Keepers. She wanted it. Because every daughter should gift their father with surprises.
She slid over the side.
Time to hit them a different way.
*****
The Howling rested his chin against my chest. His orange eyes locked onto me.
Poppi weaved protective sigils over me. “God protect this child. Unfetter her mind against the corruption. “ He was solid. That couldn’t be good for me.
A white hand clutched mine, “Hang on.” A black one joined it.
Hilary was chasing us under the energy barrier. Clinging to it like a spider riding a web.
I reached out. Poppi murmured into his grandaughter’s ear.
*****
Anna listened. So that cocky FBI bitch monster was playing dirty? Anna glanced at her husband. “How fast to keep us all alive? Direction?”
Teddy replied, “Like the wind. Right cha cha cha!”
Anna disabled the safety cap. Their speed well beyond what most motorists would consider sane.
She hugged the right side and prayed.
Crowing with delight as the full force of the grav car mowed over Hilary as the beast howled indignantly.
Anna’s eyes grew wide as saucers, “We have no more road!”
“Keep going!” was her husband’s frantic reply.
Anna kept the car centered. Her amazement grew when the sky opened up and swallowed them whole. They were in the hold of the Jupiter Rising. But her relief was short-lived. Hilary’s clawed hands were clinging to the edge of the ramp. Her head appeared soon after. She hissed at them in that messed up language of her’s.
It reminded Anna of nails on a chalkboard.
The Brick’s partner waltzed in like a model on a catwalk.
Doctor Impossible said, “Please. Don’t enjoy your stay!”
*****
Lorain filled the feedback grenade within her palm with a special kind of cocktail.
Taken from the sample of Hilary's blood that Zach had managed to acquire for Arthon a while back. Doc’s hands heated as she threw it. It lodged itself within that gaping mouth. Its fangs warping as the grenade exploded. Sending the Void Walker hybrid over the edge. To the waters below. Dexter and his team would be waiting. She dashed to the car. Pulling Eliza from the back seat. Moving her to a hover sled with the Puzzler’s help. The black corgi whined when Lorain attempted to move him from her captain’s chest.
“Alright. I’m guessing you are keeping that from killing her?”
He nodded.
Turning his head back to the piece of Set’s tongue lodged in Eliza’s neck, helping Poppi weave more protection wards. As they prepped the medical bay, far below, another battle was just beginning.
*****
Dexter’s hands filled with the power of the cosmos. Unlike his sister, he still wielded that power. He hit Hilary with a blast that would have melted mortal men but she crept towards him from the sea. The beach sand glassing over as she kept coming. Her human cover long gone. The part of him connected to Black was dormant. They were hiding from this thing. Murphy understood why. If set knew that White or Black was within reach, he would consume them before they were fully awakened. A Void Walker covered in mottled black skin pointed a finger at him, “I will have your head little Osiris man!” Her head was similar to Chronos but with one key difference, where his mouth was small and nearly seamless. Hers was filled with fangs. Each dripping with poison. He guided her away from populated areas. Using his senses to key in on the Weave. Letting it guide him.
Almost there.
He hid his other abilities. He wanted her to follow.
That’s it.
Try to eat the standard soldier.
*****
The demi most knew as Moonlighter phased in behind Hilary, placing the bigger package within her ribcage. His hand came away shaking. Already his Light Shaman healing threads worked to bring his fingers back to life. This one wasn’t truly in control of herself. Set’s mind already a part of her. She swiped at him. Her claws passed through him as he phased out of the physical realm. He knew how his daughter felt about demis so he had kept his role within the Mavericks a secret. So many things to hide. Including her, Eliza Murphy, Dexter Murphy, and the few First Ones hiding upon Earth herself.
His white cloak briefly flashed blue. Only a moment longer.
Sir Avalon was ready.
*****
Dominion bellowed as the toy that ghost demi stuck to her exploded. The magic of the Weave’s servants burned her flesh. Immobilizing her. Sir Avalon appeared with a flash of lightning. His blonde hair and chiseled chin reminding her of that cowboy hack of Anna’s. Her eyes dripped green poison that smeared the earth.
“Servant of the Pale One.” Sir Avalon frowned at Dominion’s name for Queen Guinevere.
She was the head of Project Barracuda.
He would protect her as a son and knight of the Round Table.
He clasped his hands together. Chanting, “Of Lands and Sky! Hear me!”
The threads holding her to the earth hummed with life. She twisted. Her eyes bulging as the pain hit her. Dexter joined him. Both willing Hilary from Earth. Banishing her to the Twisted Mirror. It wouldn’t stop her but it bought them time. Her voice cracked, “I see you! I KNOW THE TASTE OF YOUR TEARS!” She wavered from sight. The threads thudding to the ground as the Void Walker was banished from this universe.
Moonlighter heaved a sigh of relief. “How long will the Twisted Mirror hold?”
Sir Avalon replied, “Hopefully long enough for Black and White to Awaken as Defenders.”
He commed his wife, <
Dexter scanned the horizon. The sights and sound of New Ashbury calm once more.
Black touched his mind, <
Now to break the news on why.
Moonlighter hovered a moment longer. Then floated skyward. To the Jupiter Rising.
The Twisted Mirror
Universe Unknown
Time Unknown
Dominion examined the bones before her.
Whatever creature it had been was irrelevant.
Deep within the gigantic skull was a message.
She read it.
The Legacy of the Slumbering One
THE MIND WILL TWIST
THE BODY WILL REFORM
THE CORRUPTION BREAKS THE WALL OF THE INFINITE
REBIRTH!
THE DECAY OF UNITY CALLS OUT TO THE VOID
CONVERGENCE
DEATH EVERLASTING!
TO CONSUME ALL!
She slumbered no more. This place, those fools, they banished her to their doom.
She walked.
The ashes of this dead world feeding her with every step.