Chapter 24
Madness ensued. The circle grew, allowing more demons to escape their Hell dimension. Smoke remained perched in the center, basking in the chaos. But try as he might, the legion of evil wasn’t making much headway.
Two demons swept Cobalt into the air. With palms pointed outward, I launched a stream of fire, vaporizing the gargoyle-like creatures.
As he plummeted toward the bridge, a man wearing a jetpack caught him.
They might not all belong to the same team, but the heroes of Vanguard stood united against the threat.
Hellcat waved her arms, trying to get my attention. With a quick spin, she batted a nearby demon with her staff. Another thrust and the end electrified, shocking the creature into submission. I dropped onto it, turning it to embers.
“We can’t keep this up.”
“The good guys are holding their own,” I argued.
“We’re human—” The Machinist’s suits flew over. “Mostly human. We’ll fight until we can’t, but people are going to tire.”
I had tried to approach Smoke half a dozen times. No matter how much fire I threw, his demons protected him. He was the key to winning this battle. If only I could get to him.
“I can’t reach him.”
“Not alone.” With a spin of her wrists, the staff separated into two batons. As she let the tips touch, sparks flew out in all directions. “We need backup.”
“You’ve got it.” The gruff voice stepped around an overturned taxi. I knew the Centurions had joined the fight, but to see Sentinel up close, I couldn’t help but stare. It didn’t hurt that the burly bearded man had ‘daddy bear’ written all over him.
“Centurions,” he yelled.
Sentinel nodded to the four teammates gathering about him. “This man needs to reach,”—he pointed a metal gauntlet at Smoke— “that man.”
Sentinel charged forward without another word. Crimson, Iris, Lightyear, and Elixir followed suit without a word. Forming a human V, they drew the attention of a horde of demons.
I was about to yell a warning when Sentinel ducked under an outstretched talon. Crimson hurled a knife, striking the creature in the forehead. He rolled, grabbing his weapon and springing back to his feet. It was almost as if he didn’t need to absorb solar radiation to be heroic.
None of them did.
Sentinel slammed his fist into a demon’s face. Lightning exploded from the impact, much like Hellcat’s staff. Had she been receiving equipment from the Centurions? Were they the secret network she always referred to? I had so many questions to ask once this fight ended.
The Centurions had almost cleared a path to the glowing circle, and I pushed off, flying through the gap. Dodging a giant demon, I hurled a fireball toward Sentinel. As if he predicted the move, he jumped out of the way, letting the projectile burn through a demon’s chest.
I was going to make it. I just had to clear two towering ugly creatures, and I’d be at Smoke. I tucked into a ball, rolling along the ground before kicking off, drilling my knuckles into the chin of one beast.
The other snatched me out of the air, its fingers closing around my chest. Its jaw opened, bearing rows of jagged, misshappen teeth. The flare from my body dissolved its hand. Fire from my chest bombarded the creature until nothing remained.
Smoke.
“They’re all going to die,” he said. The words were unnervingly calm, as if he had discovered his inner peace amidst the chaos. Smoke had gone from the type of villain who sought power and fame to the kind who wanted to watch the world bathed in blood.
“Not if I can help it.”
The blackness receded down his body until William’s naked torso sat exposed. It was the opening I needed. Both palms out, I sent forth a flood of fire. But the perfect white of William’s skin broke away as a hand shot forward, catching the fire and extinguishing it.
“Mortals,” William’s body vanished as claws pulled their way free of his body.
The beast half emerged, half consumed him until all that remained was a large beast with inverted legs, lizard-like skin, and a head shaped like a bull.
The smell of sulfur filled the air, confirming that this was Beleth.
William’s plan had worked, but I doubt he understood the price of bringing the denizen to the mortal realm.
“A demon. Sure, no problem.”
With a glance over my shoulder, I watched as Sentinel punched at a trio of demons threatening to drag him away.
Iris pulled herself along the ground while Hellcat tried to protect the hero.
I couldn’t have made it this far without them, but they were about to lay down their lives.
Too many heroes had died in my ambulance.
I wouldn’t be the cause for their deaths.
“Beleth,” I shouted. “If you want this realm, you’ll need to best me.” It sounded as if I was confident. But the snorting chuckle with steam puffing from its nose said he wasn’t convinced.
“You will be the sacrifice that keeps me here.”
Wait, did a demon from Hell just threaten to kill me? I shook my head as I rose into the air. Forget the beast's attempts at witty dialogue; he had already given away the solution to this problem. Nobody dies. Simple enough, right? Maybe if it weren’t for the demons trying to kill depowered heroes.
Four fists forward, the fire tore its way from my chest, down the limbs, into focused beams. Its talons reached out, absorbing the fire as if it were nothing more than a nuisance.
The suit's arms shifted and, with one more attempt, a beam struck the demon’s shoulder.
Charred flesh vaporized, flying into the air.
The beast roared.
“Good.” All four fists tightened into fists. “You can be hurt.”
I flew at Beleth, arms drawn back, ready to smash knuckles into the demon. Annoying editor or hellspawn, they weren’t so different. But now, there was no reason to hold back.
Beleth moved faster than his size should allow.
I couldn’t slow my approach before he snatched me around the neck.
Pulled at his hand and, with the help of the suit’s appendages, I jerked free.
If I was going to be close enough to smell the decay, I might as well brawl like it was the end of the world.
All four fists flared a searing white. He caught my right hook, but couldn’t prevent the suit from jabbing its snout. Beleth pulled at my hand, opening its mouth to claim his meal. With a burst of fire, his hand loosened enough for me to slip down.
As my heels hit the pavement, I ducked its attempt to grab my head.
With a punch to the groin, I prayed demons had testicles.
Unfortunately, it did little more than aggravate the beast. With a kick to the chest, I watched as the sky passed overhead.
I slammed into a barrier, pulverizing it as I slid.
Beleth landed on me before I could form a string of coherent swears.
I tried to fly away, but the demon caught me by the ankle, slamming me against the pavement as if we were living out a children’s cartoon.
Each mouthful of asphalt left my bones more and more achy.
The suit protected its wearer, but even it had a limit.
I glimpsed a hero being hurled over the side of the bridge. If they were lucky, they’d die. At worse, they’d survive the fall and have their skeleton turned to powder on impact. The heroes were dying. I led them here. I’d carry every death on my shoulders.
William did this.
The anger pooled, gathering in the pit of my stomach in a tsunami of rage.
That arrogant prick rendered the heroes, Vanguard’s last line of defense against evil-doers, unable to protect themselves.
For what? Power? Fame? An extra inch on his penis?
Whatever the reason, his name would serve as a curse for generations.
My fingers dug into the pavement, preventing Beleth from tossing me around like a rag doll.
Kicking, I freed myself enough to roll over.
I directed the rage, the pent-up anger that lingered behind a thin calm.
Willing it from my body, it was less fire and more a blazing light.
The ground tore away, leaving a hole down to the rebar.
While a nearby car flipped in the air, Beleth’s toes dug in, holding him steady.
“Xander…”
Black tendrils wrapped about William’s arms, holding him in place within the demon’s chest. While Beleth hadn’t moved, I shattered the shell hiding his tribute.
The source of this carnage sank into the beast’s chest, vanishing once again, but not before I glimpsed the necklace dangling about his neck.
The suit’s arms reached for the pendant, hoping that pulling it from William’s neck might end the battle. Beleth caught both hands and with a foot braced against my chest, he tore the limbs free. They weren’t my limbs, but the suit vibrated as if it screamed in reply.
“Mortal dies,” Beleth said as he roared. Holding my severed limbs in the air, the demons on the bridge cheered, a cacophony of hissing and grunts.
It leaned in, foot and nails digging into my chest. Even with my strength, the weight of the creature held me captive in the hole my powers created. With a puff of smoke from its pig-like nose, it roared again, close enough I could smell the death.
“My legions will roam free from Hell.”
I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t draw enough air. My ribs were bruised and my sternum threatened to break. I struggled, trying to pull my arms free. Even the fire raging through my veins did nothing to force Beleth from crushing me.
I imagined a respectable death. Instead, I was about to be eaten by a minotaur with bad breath.