Chapter 135: Max’s First Mission
Ward watched the door to his office close, leaving just him, Avalon, and Full Monarch. He waited until he was sure Sini and Max were far enough away that they wouldn't be able to hear anything, even if they had enhanced hearing that allowed them to pierce the soundproof walls.
"Are you sure of what you saw?" Ward questioned.
"I'm sure." Full Monarch nodded and floated off of the ground. His body kept flickering in and out, no doubt using his speed to get rid of some of the stress he was feeling by flying around the city saving people.
Avalon held the smallest hint of a smirk on his face as he leaned against the wall and shrugged his shoulders a bit. "I had a feeling it wouldn't be so simple."
"Did you?" Ward questioned and frowned. "What exactly do we know about this Emperor figure in the first place?"
"Tall, dark, strong, scary red eyes." Avalon sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, we don't know what their powers even are other than that they can affect life in some way, so it has to at least be related to Nier, right? And they seem to be doing the same dark experiments Nier did seven years ago, though I doubt they're going to stick to just bad guys."
"Wait? Back up. Red eyes?" Full Monarch questioned. "What do you mean by that?"
"Yeah. You know the glowing that came out of his helmet." Avalon said, pointing up at himself. "They're all red and stuff. Like red fire."
"I thought they were blue." Ward piped up.
"That's what I saw as well." Full Monarch noted. "He had blue eyes, not red. Although, now that I think about it, when did you see Emperor Ward?"
Ward was saved from answering the question by Avalon, who spoke up. "So let me clear this up. Some of us have seen him with glowing red eyes, and some of us have seen him with glowing blue eyes. None of us know what his power actually is either. Do we even know if it's a guy or not?"
"What are you suggesting?"
"Supers still have bodies that look like normal humans," Avalon explained. "Some of them have powers that can change their bodies, but that is always temporary, such as the Thaddeus clan. The Emperor, however, was able to alter a person's form and change them into something no longer human or Super—a Monster, is the term Nier came up with when he tried to bring his daughter back. This would have to fall under a power that the Lord of Life uses. It's possible for Nier to change his form at will if he wanted, but unless he found a way to clone himself, I don't know if there would be two of him. That said, there is another power that changes a person's eye color and even glows."
"If you're suggesting it's my daughter, then you're wrong." Full Monarch sighed. "Jill was there in the alleyway."
"Of course, it isn't her. I was there also." Avalon chuckled. "I do think you were onto something earlier, though. The children of Lords seem to come out weird. In some cases, you get someone like the hero Young Dog. Despite being the son of Sini, he failed to inherit any of his father's power. Max also failed to inherit the strength of a Lord, and it wasn't until the title was passed down to him that he truly gained strength. On the other hand, people like your daughter and River not only have amazing power but even have their own power up similar to the battle mode Lords use. It makes me wonder what would happen if two Lords had a child."
"Something like that won't ever happen."
"Maybe not directly." Avalon hummed and looked at Full Monarch. "Indirectly though… I mean, just look at your daughter-"
Full Monarch grabbed Avalon's shoulder, looking down at the scientist. "Careful." Was all he said.
Avalon's smirk didn't fade as he stared up at the number one hero. "If the two of you are going to fight, then you can take it outside." Ward sighed and lowered his face into his palms. "This desk is expensive, you know. Whatever the case is, we have no way of knowing who the Emperor is at the moment or why they have changing eye colors and powers. We'll put a pin into it for now and focus on gathering more information. I want to make sure none of our field agents of heroes are taken. We also can't let word of this get out. We hid what Nier did to stop panic. Now it's coming back to bite us."
"I believe there was another reason you asked Full Monarch to drop by?" Avalon questioned, shooting a look toward the Hero Branch leader.
Ward tapped his finger on his desk, and one of the drawers unfolded. It glowed and formed into a holographic device showing various planets in their solar systems. "A few days ago, one of our satellites caught something flying by Mars." The device zoomed in, allowing a massive golden blur to be seen flying over the red planet.
"Another Super can survive out in space?" Full Monarch questioned. "As far as I knew, that was a gift only I held thanks to my title of Lord of the Cosmos."
"It could be a ship." Ward placed his hands together, staring at the golden object. "Sini has a Mental-based power that helped us almost reach space travel. That said, whatever this object is, it was spotted flying through our solar system at incredible speeds. It reached Mars in only five days and has gone further than we can see at this moment. I don't think I need to tell you what could happen from something like this visiting Mars, do I?"
"The Beast." Full Monarch closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "It's about the time again anyways. I fought him three years ago for the third time, though I managed to keep him off of Earth, so I doubt the people even know about that fact."
The first time humanity had dared to travel outside of the planet, it had been born after they stepped foot on its planet. The first Beast attack had wiped out an entire city. He had managed to defeat it in the end, but the thing blew up, taking the city with it. That was the same day Nier left them. A few years after that, the Beast once again came back for a second time. That was what caused Wano to truly give up. The thing was just going to keep going back, and he was the only one that could truly stop it. Now his plan was to just battle it up in space before it could get to Earth. He'd take the burden all on his own and fight it alone until he killed it.
Ward managed to keep a calm expression somehow despite the grim subject they were discussing. "I'd like for you to check on Mars, and if it does seem like the Beast will rise up, it will be your job to defeat it before it can reach Earth."
"On my own?" Full Monarch questioned.
"Can you not?"
"I can. I'll beat it if I have to." The hero shrugged. His last fight had also been mostly alone, though he had some drones from Sini and Avalon with him. "That said, it's what happens after. I've never fought it on Mars before. My last fight had been in deep space. What we do know is that each time it loses, it blows itself up and then somehow reappears on Mars, fully restored. I don't know if fighting it there will work or not. Not to mention each time something has always gone wrong after it's been defeated."
"We don't have much of a choice." Ward stood up from his chair and walked in front of the window, looking down at the city below. "I don't like placing my fate in the hands of Supers. I truly believe that this world would be better without all of your kind. That said, only you can stop this thing."
"I understand." Full Monarch nodded. "The other heroes will be able to handle everything while I'm gone?"
"They have to. This world can't survive if it relies just on you. You're simply not enough." Ward rubbed his chin. "For the sake of my planet, I'll work alongside anyone that will bring mankind forward. A world for humans created by humans. Even if I must use you Supers to get it."
Full Monarch floated forward, his body vibrating at such a high speed he simply phased through the wall and appeared on the other side of the glass. "I'll return with good news, I hope. Until then, I'll leave my planet in your hands."
And with that, he was gone.
The golden blur, the number one hero, took off into the sky at his top speed, breaking past the clouds and the blue of the sky, leaving the planet in an instant.
Avalon waited until he was sure Full Monarch was in space before he spoke up. Even with enhanced hearing as good as the number one hero's, space held no sound. "Now that he's gone, I think we should get down to real business." Avalon took a seat on the desk and gave a smirk to Ward. "Who's side are you on?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean." Avalon hummed. "Are you going to stay on this side, or are you going to join the winners? After all, you and I both know the Emperor offered you a job. Unless you're already doing what he told you to?"
"You're with the Emperor?" Ward spun around, staring at the scientist in horror.
"I'm with the winners." Avalon hummed. "If Full Monarch is winning, I'll side with him. But I'm going to take a guess and say you're doing exactly what that villain told you to do, aren't you?" Avalon slid off of the desk and began to walk toward the door. "After all, with Full Monarch on planet Earth, it'd be almost impossible to pull any loud stunts. That's why he needed you to get him off of the planet."
Ward felt his fist clench as he stared at the man's back. The Emperor had practically threatened him with his son's life if he didn't obey. What choice did he have? That's what he kept telling himself, at least.
"How long have you been planning all of this!"
Avalon opened the sliding door. "Oh. We haven't even begun the plan yet."
And with those words, the door slowly sealed shut, leaving Ward alone in his soundproof office…
***
"I seriously have to wear something like this?" Max questioned.
"You'll get a better outfit once you become a bigger known hero, Yellow Spark." Mermaid cheerfully explained and clapped him on the back.
"Also, what kind of name is Yellow Spark?" Max's eye twitched a bit. He seriously regretted agreeing to join the heroes.
"You'll get a better name later also!" Mermaid announced.
They were up on a building in Daisy City. He had been gifted a bright yellow skin-tight bodysuit. It covered him from the neck down and looked really dumb, if he was being honest. It hadn't been built by anyone important, as far as he could tell, and the only symbol on it was a white lightning bolt that clashed heavily with the rest of it. The thing hurt his eyes just looking at it, and the sunlight bounced off of it awkwardly, making it hard to take a photo of him while he was in it.
It didn't help that Daisy was a very small city, at least compared to the other ten great cities. It didn't have any towers or skyscrapers and was more like a massive suburban town. That meant they were just standing on the roof of some house and weren't very hidden. Down below, a large crowd was taking pictures of him and the other two heroes that were with him.
He didn't have a mask either, so the cameras caught how red his face was. Heroes seemed more like a mix of celebrities and cops in a way. Posters of them were scattered about all over, and many decided not to hide their identity, wanting a piece of the fame that had been created by Full Monarch.
On the roof with him, Mermaid stood, striking a pose for all the people down below. She was one of the newest members of the current Enforcer team, so she was pretty popular. Down below in the streets was the hero he had been assigned to as a sidekick.
Legend was said to be second to only Full Monarch. Despite how good that might sound, it was a large difference… Legend was a thin, frail, dark-skinned man who wore what looked like traditional robes. His face was always frowning, and he quietly talked to a group of police officers, seemingly ignoring his two teammates and the crowd.
"I have one last question," Max said, shooting a look at Mermaid.
"Go for it."
"Why the hell is she here with us!" He yelled, pointing to the final member of their squad who had randomly shown up out of the blue. "She's not even a hero!"
Ruby Admiral had her hands on her hips, and her head was thrown back as she laughed and posed for all the cameras. Her hair and eyes were ignited in red, and she gave off a powerful aura of strength. She had finally changed out of her schoolgirl uniform as well, now sporting what looked almost like a black military combat uniform. It was the same sort of uniform the soldiers that fought in the war with Lucifer wore fifty years ago. Many had been placed into a museum for how famous they now were, and yet here she was casually walking around in one. It was a priceless artifact.
"I invited her." Mermaid shrugged casually.
"Why!"
"Felt like it."
"Well, why's she dressed like that!"
"It was my dad's." Ruby turned to him, giving a smirk. "He never came back home last night, so I totally broke into his safe and stole it."
"Oh my God, you're actually wearing a war relic that belonged to the guy that defeated Lucifer! Take it off before you tear it or something!" Max panicked. "That thing must cost millions!"
"Why do you want me to get naked so badly?" Ruby slapped at his hand and folded her arms. "Who cares what happens to this outfit? It's just clothing."
"Your dad never returned home?" Mermaid asked.
"Nah. I bet he's on some super-secret mission."
Mermaid frowned and rubbed her chin. "Can we handle him being gone? What could be so important he'd leave at a time like this?"
"He's up in space." Legend's voice suddenly came up from behind them, causing all of them to jump and spin around. Despite how weak he might have looked, he somehow snuck up on all of them without any of them noticing, even with enhanced hearing. It was actually kind of spooky. "That's why it's important we take this patrol as seriously as we can. We don't have him to fall back on if something happens."
"If you want us to take this seriously, then why the hell did you allow her to come along?" Max asked bitterly as he shot a look toward Ruby, who just poked her tongue out at him and began to dance for the cameras.
"She's strong." Legend said bluntly. "Stronger than you, and maybe even me."
"Only because I haven't awakened my Lord power yet," Max muttered. "A bit more, and I'll surpass her. I'm sure."
"Nah, I'd win," Ruby said casually, placing her arms on his head and using him to lean. "I'm going to be so strong I can beat even my father one day, you know."
"Like that'll ever happen." Max snorted.
"So what's the mission boss?" Mermaid asked, giving Legend a salute.
The hero pointed his thumb down in the direction of the cops. "For years, the only villain group that has successfully managed to come together has been the Prince gang. They're all gone now. That means there's a serious power vacuum going on. More and more villain groups have been going missing, but it isn't just them we have to worry about. Kidnappings have been happening more recently as well."
"I noticed that Water Prince had been taking a lot of kids and was heading to Oleander for something." Max hummed. "The villains Nier had me hunt, I would usually study up on, and kidnapping has never been something they normally do. Could that have anything to do with the Emperor?"
"Not everything has to do with that new villain." Legend barked out. "There are other bad guys, you know. Plenty of fish in the sea."
"I'm not so sure though." Max said, shaking his head. He couldn't get rid of the memories Full Monarch had shown him. He was sure this was all connected.
"So, I take it you want us to look into these disappearances?" Mermaid asked, folding her arms.
"That's right." Legend nodded. "I spoke to the police, and they told me the street the disappearances have been most frequently happening on. This city used to be run by Earth Prince and his people. Soon, people will start to notice that the blur hasn't made his usual rounds. The villains will be quick to figure out that Full Monarch isn't here anymore. If we're lucky, that'll cause them to get a little cocky and act up."
"They'll know we're here, though?" Max said, looking down at all the people with phones and cameras aimed at them. They'd be all over the news if they weren't already. "Will they really come out? We're not exactly hiding after all."
"That's the only good thing about having Full Monarch in my experience." Legend's face actually managed to crack into a half-smirk. "So many of these guys know that they can't beat him in a fight, so they stay hidden. For years, they'll move slowly and carefully, praying he doesn't turn his gaze their way. When they're sure he won't look at them, though, they get too big for their britches. They forget that other heroes exist and still have roles to play. They forget it isn't just Full Monarch they should fear."
The next thing Max knew, they found themselves walking down what he could only describe as a shady street. During his time at Oleander, he had crossed through Spider Street, and yet this place was somehow worse.
The road was narrow, and several large red brick buildings were scattered on either side. Each building looked old and abandoned, and he didn't see anyone around them. A lot of the cities were built by different Mental-based Supers and Hero Branch workers, and this one seemed like it had the least amount of effort placed into it and had been lazily done.
He tried to use his Paths to look for danger, but with how many strong people were near him, the Paths kept breaking and crumbling. Ruby also didn't offer much help. The girl casually walked behind him, keeping her arms thrown back behind her head, and wasn't listening to a word he was saying.
"Bingo." Legend once again caused him to jump. They had been walking in a straight line down the street, and the hero hadn't stopped. They stood out pretty severely since they were still dressed in their brightly colored costumes. They were just asking to be jumped by an arrogant villain. "Directly behind us." Legend said, not turning around. "Don't look at him. He's trailing us. Bugger thinks he's sneaky by staying in the shadows."
"Do you got eyes in the back of your head or something?" Max questioned. He resisted the urge to turn around as he followed after the hero, who stuck close to Ruby and Mermaid.
"The darkness told me." Was Legend's blunt response.
"That's kind of creepy."
"Is he really following after us?" Ruby tried to turn around, but Mermaid gripped the girl's chin, stopping her. Ruby puckered her lips up for a kiss, so Mermaid let go and just smacked the girl upside the head. "Ow…"
"He likely thinks we're easy pickings." Legend said flatly. "Yellow Spark-"
"Just Max is fine…"
"- and Ruby Admiral don't have any reputation yet, no matter how strong they actually are. Mermaid is new to the Enforcers and a girl, so he likely assumes she's weaker than him automatically-"
"Pretty sexist, not going to lie."
"-Lastly, that leaves me. Most people don't see me in this form. I look pretty weak, I guess."
"So what's the game plan, boss?" Mermaid questioned.
"We wait for him and his friends to strike."
"Friends?"
"Didn't I mention it?" Legend allowed a sly smirk to come onto his face once more. "It isn't just one. In fact, we're surrounded on all sides. I'd say about twenty or so."
On the nearby roofs, staring down at the four Supers, dozens of hooded men stayed low to the ground, trying to blend in with the shadows. Even with it being the middle of the day, light seemed almost to bend and twist to their will, allowing them to stay hidden due to the fact that one of them had a widespread invisibility power. They all waited for their captain's order.
He was down on the road, silently stalking after the four heroes. He wore a simple black jacket and kept his head down, moving through the twisting alleyways and staying in the shade. Every step he took made no noise, thanks to his power that allowed him to control sound freely.
They had waited a few hours for Full Monarch to do anything, but the number one hero was nowhere to be found… They even did a couple of throwaway jobs to test the waters, and still, he didn't show.
They weren't a particularly big group by any means. They were all that was left after Earth Prince went and got himself killed. They'd be more than enough, though.
"Let's see here." He licked his lips, still trailing after his prey. "One, two, three, four. Four little arrogant heroes that think they can step into my turf and escape unpunished." He reached into his jacket, pulling out a switchblade.
None of the heroes seemed to notice him as he stepped out of his alleyway and silently made his way over to them. All of his men stood up top, using their various powers to stay out of sight, but he could tell they were tensing up and getting ready to strike. Thanks to his power, he kept himself silent along with his crew.
It didn't matter how strong these Supers were. He had ten guys with powers and ten without that had spent years living on the harsh streets. He twirled his knife and allowed his eyes to roam over his victims. "The boy in yellow has newb written all over him. Still, I'd say he's the strongest one here. The girl in the swimsuit looks like she'd be about as strong as him. The frail guy behind them should go down easily. The weakest one, though, without a doubt, is the girl leaving herself wide open." He stabbed his knife up toward the red-haired girl and shut off his power, letting out a loud howl to catch them off guard. "This girl is the first to die-"
Ruby's fist lazily slammed into the man's face, shattering most of it and knocking him out instantly.
He had been dead wrong. She was, in fact, the strongest one there.
Meanwhile, outside of planet Earth, flying through space, a golden man slowly stared down at the red planet that rested below him.
He wasn't alone…
A being made of pure white energy stood staring up at him. The Beast was awake. That meant any day now, it was going to head for Earth.
Full Monarch looked around as he landed on the surface of the harsh planet. He didn't see any sign of that golden ship Ward had shown him. "Can we not fight this time?" He questioned.
The Beast simply pointed a hand in his direction, sending out a wave of destructive energy. Full Monarch sighed and sidestepped the attack, allowing it to go flying past him and blow up a series of hills in the distance.
'Did you just try to talk to the Beast?' An annoyed voice asked the number one hero, speaking directly into his head.
Full Monarch allowed a genuine smile to slip onto his face as he heard his old friend. "I thought maybe it would be different this time. I had to try, right?"
'What you need to do is win.'
"Right." Full Monarch closed his eyes as the Beast crouched down and began to charge toward him. His golden light twirled around him and began to change. Blue fire gushed out of his fingertips, and his energy took form around him. In an instant, he was bathed in the purest flame, taking on the form of a man. "Lend me your power, Brightest Star!"
'It is yours to do with as you wish. I only ask one thing. Defeat your foe.'
"And so, I shall!"
And for the fourth time in his life, Full Monarch clashed with the Beast. A battle that would cause an old evil to return to the world…
Chapter 136: The Return Of Death
The last of the grunts hit the ground as Mermaid's water whip slammed into them. "This was kind of underwhelming." The girl commented.
"I told you." Legend hadn't even needed to lift a finger. Max and Mermaid had taken out all twenty grunts with ease. "They allow themselves to get cocky, thinking only Full Monarch can beat them."
"Villains like these guys are the worst." Ruby rolled her eyes and adjusted herself. The captain was flat on his stomach, being used as a stool, still gushing blood from his nose as the red-haired girl sat on him. "Maybe I should take them under my wing and teach them the real way to be evil!"
"That's a horrible idea!" Mermaid and Max both yelled at her.
Legend hobbled over toward the downed captain, who was still whimpering beneath Ruby. "I'll cut to the chase. Are you the one in charge of your entire gang?" He questioned.
Ruby hopped off of the leader, allowing the man to glare up at the Enforcer member before him. "So, what if I am?" The gang member growled.
Legend let out a grunt, and steam began to lift off his flesh. His frail body started to grow as massive bulging muscles formed along his arms and legs. He rose to nearly eight feet in height, and long, flowing blonde hair poured down his back. Everyone stared at him in shock, and Ruby quickly took a photo of his abs. "Then you'll be facing the wrath of the one and only Legend!" He announced, flexing so hard he shook the street.
Then it all vanished as his muscles shrunk back down, and he seemed to age several years, becoming hunched and gripping a cane to keep his frail form upright.
Despite that, though, the villain's face had gone pale. "Y- You're Legend! The Legend! Member of the Enforcers!"
"So am I," Mermaid said flatly.
"I was invited to join but turned them down since they're so weak." Ruby announced smugly.
The captain began to realize just how badly he screwed up truly…
Legend jammed his cane down on the man's gut, digging it in. "I know you aren't the real leader. Someone as weak as you is just an errand boy, right? You guys are behind the kidnappings, aren't you? If you talk, I might consider putting in a good word for you. If you don't talk, well… Ruby here isn't a member of the Hero Branch and is too strong for me to stop. I'd hate for her to get any ideas on how to get the information out of you."
The captain shot a look at Ruby, who picked his switchblade open and then bit into it, snapping the metal and swallowing it. She did it all while maintaining eye contact to assert her dominance. "Butt stuff." Was all she had to say.
"I'll talk!" The man grunted. "Just keep that freak away from me."
"Good answer."
"There's someone else pulling the strings! Several people, actually. They call themselves the Building Bros." The man explained.
"Building Bros?" Ruby snorted and spat out the blade she had been chewing on. "What a dumb name."
"This coming from a girl named Ruby Admiral." Max said flatly.
"Shut up Yellow Spark." Ruby said snidely.
Legend ignored his two teammates and jammed his cane down into the grunts gut. "Tell me about these Building Bros. Now."
"Y- Yeah, I'll talk okay. They were a member of Earth Prince's elite group, but after the Prince got wiped out along with his right-hand man, they turned to some other leader. I don't know who they're getting their orders from, but he's asked that they start taking people off of the streets. That's where we come in. Our job is to find folks and bring them to the Building Bros. Recently, though, they asked that we start bringing them Supers. Specifically heroes."
"That's why you decided to target us." Legend nodded, slowly putting the pieces together. "You thought we were weak heroes you could capture easily? What happens to the people you bring to these guys?"
"I don't know! I swear I ain't lying either! All I know is it has something to do with some portal!"
"Portal!" Max stepped forward, glaring down at the man. "A blue portal?"
"Yeah? Why-"
"I knew it!" He glanced back at Legend. "See, I was right! This is the Emperor! Now that the Prince gang is gone, he's taking up what's left of their groups for his own. He was the one wanting all the people. I don't know why, but he's been going around kidnapping dozens of men and women!"
"We don't know that for sure." Legend didn't sound too convinced himself. He glanced up at the sky silently. If Full Monarch discovered that the Beast was moving about, then the hero would be busy for a few days at least. That meant if this threat was indeed on the level of Lucifer and he was the one to take it out instead of the number one hero, he'd get quite the pretty praise… He didn't need someone like the number one hero. He would be the one to save the planet this time. Not some Lord. "Mermaid." Legend suddenly barked out.
"Yeah?" The water-based hero asked, jumping slightly when she heard his tone.
"Round all these bastards up and get them for the Hero Branch. I want you to remain here until they arrive." He put his cane down on the captain's leg and pushed it in, staring the man dead in the eye. "As for you, you'll be taking me to meet with these 'Building Bros,' got that?"
The man sneered but nodded his head. "Whatever! They'll totally kick your ass."
"Ruby, Max, the two of you are with me." Legend said, forcing the grunt back to his feet.
"Good luck." Mermaid shot them a nod as she used her water powers to tie all the men around her up.
"We won't need it." Ruby snorted. "I'm the strongest after all."
Legend smacked the goon in the butt with his cane, forcing him to walk. They began to head down the empty street at a brisk pace. The grunt's arms were bound by a tight rope that Max had found, and the electric-themed hero stayed close to him in case the man tried to make a break for it.
Max kept his guard up and looked from building to building, expecting more goons or gunfire to rain down, but it never did. Legend stayed behind them, walking at a slow pace, each step taking forever. The man looked as if he could barely support himself with his cane, something that he didn't seem to have an issue with earlier. In fact, he didn't even remember the man having the cane until this moment. It was strange. He had no idea what the hero's power could be.
Ruby stayed on the other side of the goon. The girl was still in her own little world. He wondered how strong she truly had to be to not seem bothered by anything. She was humming some famous pop idol tune and weaving another metal knife into the shape of a flower.
She noticed his stare and wiggled her eyebrows a bit, causing him to look away. She pouted a bit, and he did his best to ignore her.
Finally, though, the street opened up to a road that at one time might have held several homes. The road went forward in a straight way and then completely looped back around, forming a circle that led to the street they were on. All along the circled road, a few buildings stood, but none of them were the kind that people would live in. They were large and forged out of thick red bricks. There were no windows on them, and they were perfectly square. They didn't even seem to have doors. It was more like giant cubes had formed around the road. There were five of them in total, each the size of a large warehouse.
"What the hell is this?" Legend questioned with narrowed eyes. "Is this some sort of trick?"
The goon stopped walking and spun around to face them. He had a wide smirk on his face, which instantly put them all on guard. He backed up a bit, his smug look only growing. "What was it you said to me? That I got cocky? We thought we could win because we're so used to dealing with Full Monarch. I think the same can be said for you heroes as well! None of you ever have to fight anyone strong, and so when faced with a real threat, you have no choice but to rely on your golden savior! He isn't here, though, is he? Well, here's a real threat!"
They were ready for an attack to come from all around them—all except for one place. Faster than any of them could move, a massive arm made from red bricks jutted out of one of the cubes. The palm came down fast, directly onto the head of Legend. It slammed into the street, and red splattered everywhere as the hero's body was crushed instantly.
Max collapsed back in shock; his eyes wide open. He felt sick to his stomach as the brick hand slowly lifted itself off the ground, revealing the puddle that was now Legend. The hand came back down and aimed at him this time, but Ruby grabbed him and jumped out of the way, avoiding the attack.
"Snap out of it!" She yelled at him. "You think you can act this way when the Emperor arrives?"
"R- Right." He did his best to look away from Legend's corpse and focused on the villain in front of them.
Another arm formed out of the other side of the cube, followed by a pair of legs and a head. All of it was made out of bricks, and the villain stood up, flexing slightly. He unleashed a loud battle cry and began to pound on his chest, sending small shards of rock down in every direction. "I am the Building!" He cheered out. "Younger sibling to the Tower!"
"Oh hey, that's one of the villains I killed." Ruby piped up.
The Building glared down at her, his face twisting into pure rage. "What! It was you who murdered older brother!" He took a thundering step forward, shaking the street. "I'll kill you!"
Ruby smirked and stepped forward, but she was suddenly stopped by Max, who held his arm out. His eyes ignited with blue lightning, and he gently shook his head. "Let me."
"Huh?"
"I want to get strong." He announced. "Strong enough to defeat the one who killed my father! Please allow me to be the one to fight him!"
Ruby rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Well… I guess I can. Only because I'm so nice—wait, I'm supposed to be evil!"
"Thanks Jill."
"It's Ruby! Ruby Admiral! Gah, you tricked me!"
Max felt the energy course through his body as he stared up at the Building. The Building glared right back down at him, its face forming into a sneer formed out of the white side of the red bricks. The grunt from earlier smirked and pointed at them. "That's right, bro! Kill them-" He was cut off when the Building stepped on him, crushing him to death.
"Whoops." Was all the Building said, scraping his foot across the road. "My bad."
Max charged forward at his top speed. Lightning flowed out of his body, and the wind twisted, causing his hair to flow. He blasted out a powerful gust of wind, shooting him into the air just in time to dodge the Building's giant fist. The hand of the Building rammed into the ground, tearing it up and sending debris scattering in all directions. Ruby remained on the sidelines, keeping her arms folded and ignoring the sharp rocks that smacked her in the face.
The Building brought another fist down, but again Max weaved out of the way at the last moment. He moved with the wind, shooting out powerful gusts to blow himself forward or backwards at a moment's notice. No matter how many times the Building swung, it couldn't land any of its attacks. All it was managing to do was destroy more of the street they were on.
"Way too slow, big guy!" Max called back. He had gotten some distance now, and the wind and lightning twirled around his hands, growing sharper as he got ready to attack.
"Why can't I hit you!" The Building screamed.
"Like I'd tell you that!" Max taunted.
The Building howled and curled back up into a cube shape. Then, despite being square, he rolled across the ground, ripping more of it apart in an effort to squish Max. The blonde man avoided this by simply blowing up the air beneath him with a spark of lightning, sending him flying into the sky. Mist formed out of his feet, forming into a thick cloud, which he stood on now, hovering above the Building, which had stopped rolling.
The Building unfolded and attempted to reach up for him, but he simply floated up a bit higher, causing the villain to whine and stomp his feet down in anger.
It was all thanks to the Paths he was able to dodge the Building's swings so easily. He simply followed the direction his powers told him, and he was always just out of reach of the blockhead. It was also thanks to the Paths that he knew exactly what the villain was going to do next.
"Fine!" The Building yelled up at him. "If you won't fight me, then I'll have fun stomping her!" He turned to face Ruby and began to stomp toward her, cracking more of the road.
Max stayed up there, keeping a careful eye until the villain took a step into the center of the circled road. "Just what I was waiting for." He flicked his finger out, launching a powerful swirling mass of wind and lightning that stabbed into the ground beneath the villain. All the cracks the Building had created in the street began to expand, and the floor cried out as it collapsed in on itself. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall!"
The Building cried out as the ground beneath him opened up, and he dropped into the sewer system. His stone body grinded against the street, shooting up sparks, and he was unable to crawl his way out. "Hey! No fair! You're cheating!"
"Yes, fair! You're a freaking building!" Max dropped out of the sky and landed next to Ruby, who was directly in front of the Building. The villain tried to bite them, but they were just barely out of reach, and his blocky head couldn't lean forward enough. He trashed around and hissed, glaring at them. "Looks like we caught him."
"I hope the people in the city won't mind you destroying their sewer system," Ruby said, looking around. "If only there was some clean-up crew or something? Ah well, we can always just get my dad to fix it when he's back from space."
Max punched out with his fist, denting part of the Building's face and causing the villain to cry out. Black blood poured down the Building's face, who whimpered and shrank back. "You're going to tell me everything I want to know. You're going to tell me who is ordering you guys to kidnap humans and Supers, and where you put all the people."
The Building gritted his teeth before giving what might have been a smile. "I used to be small."
"Okay?"
"A lot smaller. So small, big brother Tower picked on me. I was called the Shack because I used to be made of wood."
"Looks like you got one hell of a makeover then," Ruby noted. "Now you're all big and stoney. Good for you."
"It was thanks to him." The ground shook a bit as the villain tried to flex himself out of the hole, but he was still stuck. "He gave me this new body. He used his power over life to twist my form. He gave me my new job. He also gave me a new power to go along with my new stone body! A power that allows me to make copies of myself!"
"Oh no-"
"Oh yes!"
All around them, the other stone cubes began to shake and twitch, and arms and legs formed out of them. Four more Buildings stood up, flexing and cheering. Ruby had the biggest smile on her face while Max face-palmed. "I like him." Ruby said, grinning. "He's cute."
It didn't stop there, though. All the Buildings began to shake, and the bricks that formed their bodies started to pull their way out of them. Even the one that was trapped. The bricks flew out and circled each other in the air as all the Buildings vanished, and the bricks started to stack back up, now forming themselves into a single massive cube the size of a small skyscraper.
Arms and legs formed out of it, and a giant shadow fell upon them as the gigantic building posed. "Behold! I am the Tower once more!"
"This is a fun gimmick," Ruby said happily. She stepped forward and readied her arm. "I'm sad I'm about to wipe this guy off the face of the Earth out in one punch; he's kind of funny."
"Allow me to handle it." A familiar voice announced, catching them off guard. Legend rubbed his chin, standing back up. He was no longer a crushed puddle, nor was he an old man. His body began to change and transform, taking shape. "I'll handle this and show him the power of the number two hero!"
His dark skin began to change into a dark blue color. Black lines formed along his veins, and his hair grew out and almost seemed to become liquid magma. His robes tore a bit, struggling to hold back his muscular form, and he crouched down low.
Legend destroyed the ground as he jumped into the air at insane speeds. The Building pulled his fist back and struck out, but it was over before their attacks even landed. Legend's fist flew forward and didn't just unleash all his body's strength, but it also created something out of it. A rare gift that hadn't yet been fully understood when compared to other powers. The ability to create his own realm!
It formed in the air around him and the Building, taking shape. They were no longer in the city. It was only for a second, but that was all he needed. In that second, the Building found himself transported to what he could only describe as pure hell. Fire and brimstone stretched out in all directions, and the screeching howls of monsters danced in the air.
"Bear witness to the power of the underworld!" Legend roared as the full force of his realm slammed into the Building.
The realm shattered and broke away, and Legend dropped from the sky. The damage had been done, though. The top half of the Building cracked and shattered to bits, falling apart. The villain made a gurgling sound as the equivalent of the top half of his head was blown clean off. Then, slowly, he slumped forward and crashed onto the ground in front of the group.
Max stepped away and stared at Legend in shock. He knew that Ruby and Full Monarch were in another dimension of power compared to himself, but he figured he'd at least be as strong as normal Supers. What was the point of being given the title of Lord if he was fodder?
Legend folded his arms behind his back as his skin changed back to normal, and he shrank back down. He looked to be an older man now, around thirty or forty, and no longer was hunched over. He was still thin, but he wasn't frail anymore. "I knew he had a transformation-based power, but I didn't know it let him heal." Ruby hummed, scanning the hero up and down. All his wounds were totally gone.
The hero smacked his head a bit, clearing it of some of the thoughts that were screaming in his skull. "Don't mind me. You two can go ahead and enter. I'll be right behind you. It takes a lot out of me coming back from the dead like that. Need to figure out what memories I lost."
"What you lost?"
"Oh, don't worry about it. Just an old man mumbling to himself."
They moved past the old man and entered into the hole that was in the dead Building. There were no lights inside, but Max held his finger up, creating a spark of lightning that allowed them both to see. He wished he hadn't the moment he set his eyes on what was inside of the villain.
"Oh my God."
"No God here." Ruby's voice was low, and her fist clenched tightly. "Just the Emperor's leftovers. I'm going to seriously kill that sick bastard."
Chained up to the walls or in cages were twisted creatures. Some looked like a mix of different animals; others looked like an object that had been given arms and legs. None of them looked human. Not anymore. Twisted beyond their form, they were Monsters. That was all that was left of them.
They howled, hissed, spat, and used their powers. The Egos within them had burned out, and all that was left was the madness that was the Emperor's gift. These were the people who failed to take control of their abilities, unlike Fairy Queen or Hell Hound, who kept most of their humanity. Their bodies hadn't stopped growing, and even now, they were changing and twisting, getting more enormous and more monstrous with every second that passed.
"Looks like we found them." Legend stood behind them, now staring into the stone room at all the different monsters. There were nearly forty of them in total. "The missing people have already been lost."
"Damn it." Max slammed his fist into the wall. "This can't keep happening! He has to die! Why are they still doing these experiments!"
Ruby stared at the room in silence. "Love can be a strong thing. It can also be a cruel thing. I think there is an act of love here. Only that could drive a person to do things like this."
Up above, far away from Earth, Full Monarch winced and rubbed at his chin as the blue fire flickered across his flesh. How many days had he been fighting now? He wasn't sure. What he did know was he won.
The Beast's corpse glowed and exploded in his face, but he blocked the blast with his arms, only being pushed back a bit. He had once again managed to beat the Beast for the fourth time. He doubted it would be the last time that it came back, though. After all, it was already putting itself back together once more. The entire planet was piecing it back slowly—bit by bit.
He forced his injured body to rise up and leave the planet. It wouldn't be for another two or even four years before the creature was reborn, and he'd have to do it all over again, at least until he could figure out a way to beat it for good or convince it to stop.
'Are you okay, Jackson?' The voice of the Brightest Star questioned.
"I'm fine." Full Monarch felt the chill of space hit him, and the blue fire around him died out, leaving him in his golden glow once more. "I need to get back to Earth though-"
'You need to rest. Even you have limits, and this is it. We just slayed the Beast. No one would blame you for taking a moment to rest.'
Full Monarch gave a weak chuckle and floated through the void. He couldn't fly as fast as he normally did. His costume was a bit torn, and he had several bruises that scattered across his flesh from his battle. Most of Mars was left in ruins. It was a miracle the planet even held together. Neither of them had held back.
"I haven't slept in over ten years, and I don't plan to start now. Not while the world still needs me."
'One of these days you'll die from overwork.'
"Maybe. But that won't be today." He sped up a bit. It'd still take him four or five hours to reach the planet, but his injured body couldn't move any faster than that. "I have to get back in time. Each time the Beast is beaten, something always happens."
'Yes. A new Calamity might be born. Or… It could be the return of an old one.'
"What do you mean?"
'I just have a bad feeling, that's all.' The Brightest Star hummed. 'I awakened inside of you when a darkness was born. You are the light that will fight that darkness. Now though, I feel it. Something is crawling its way out of the abyss. Or maybe, it's someone.'
***
"Are you sure about this?" Avalon asked.
The Emperor didn't say anything as he marched forward. His fiery red eyes stared at the object in front of him. It was smashed into the side of a stone mountain. It looked almost like a giant cube. It was also the place he had experienced his first ever death.
He reached out and placed his palm on it, rubbing the metal gently. This was where the final battle with Lucifer happened, where Full Monarch was born. Where Nier had first died. The start of it all.
"You said you were doing all of this to create a world that would never have to worry about a Calamity ever again," Avalon spoke up. "Is it really a wise idea to bring 'him' back?"
"He is the only one that comes close to the power I now wield." The Emperor felt his power surge out. "I feel him. Even after all this time, even after his matter was undone, he still lives." It struck the air wild. A black energy he channeled with his control over life. It began to grab at things so small the eye couldn't see them. "The energy the Beast creates is something not even the Lords can stop. A power that has existed since the dawn of time. It controls fate itself. That power is what allows it to create new threats. That power can also be directed."
"You swore you would destroy the Beast and any other threat that would bring harm to our kind." Avalon gripped his hand into a tight fist. "You gave me the power I needed to help you. Changed me and got rid of the rest of my humanity, yet now you're using the energy of the Beast?"
"If it will bring me one step closer to my goal, then yes!" A shape began to form into the air above the Emperor. "I will create a world of only Supers! A world that can surpass fate and change the story itself! I will be the savior of planet Earth, and I'll use him as my weapon!"
The shape formed into a humanoid body and dropped to the floor below. A man had been generated from thin air, one with pale skin and black hair the color of oil. Golden eyes slowly looked up, meeting the Emperor's.
"Welcome back, Lucifer."
"Nier?"
"Not anymore."
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