A group of Japanese tourists screamed and ran down the street, beams of energy following them. The road exploded, sending asphalt raining down over everything. The tourists barely made it to a side street before the explosion consumed them.
“HELP!” the tour guide yelled over the explosions.
Heroes darted all over the city, battling a single figure that dashed around, toying with them in the skies. Often, stray beams of energy, or bolts of plasma, would miss the intended target and blow a hole in a building or the street below.
Suddenly, Arx landed in the middle of the wrecked street and smiled at the tourists with that insane, glimmering grin. He lifted his hands, and the ground began to shake violently.
“JISHIN!” The Japanese tourists yelled.
Something slammed into Arx and sent him flying back. A strange-looking man with blades on his hands had body slammed the villain.
“Oh, crap! I FOUND MORE OF EM!” the hero called out and ran over to the huddled group. “Don’t be so scared. I’m a hero. Pain-guin is the name, I will... OOF!”
A blast of yellow light hit him and Arx came flying by, pouring out his power at this hero.
Another hero landed near the group, a man with a metal arm and white wings. “Over here!” Solomon called out.
Magnificent Punlork appeared on a tour bus. He slapped the side, and the door opened. “Get in!”
“HE’S COMING!” Hotwings yelled as he swooped by.
Arx came blasting down the street again, his eyes set on the bus. This entire battle he has been selectively targeting their efforts to get the civilians out of danger. However, just before he got to the bus, The Avenger, Slayer B.A.S., and The Gentleman met him and shoved him back.
“Get in, hurry!” Punlork shoved an old lady in last and then slammed the door. “Hold your hats!” He slapped his hands on the side of the bus and it vanished with him.
Arx laughed and stopped just long enough to allow several heroes to get closer. Opening his hands, he sent a wave of psionic energy. Many heroes were thrown away, a few went down with massive headaches.
WhiPs darted up through the falling heroes, her large metal claws buzzing with electricity. Arx smiled at her. His grin always set to flirt. He dodged her first swipe and then caught her claws with his hands, the blades not penetrating.
“Nice try, sweetheart.” He twisted around and threw her.
Lumpsum caught her mid fall as he flew at Arx. With a good pitch, he sent the bladed hero back at Arx as he, too, went for her. Hotwings joined them with Midgardsomr stomping through the streets. Arx met hero after hero with punches and kicks, blasted several with mental attacks, and blinded one with a divine orb of light. When Midgardsomr got to him, Arx backed off, landing on a building. The giant world eater serpent bore down on him just as the skies twisted into a storm. A catastrophic gathering of lightning bolts hit the serpent in the face and actually threw him back.
“WHAT AREN’T YOU GETTING? I. AM. A. GOD!” Arx bellowed in glee.
Krystal Fae snatched a child off the streets and sent her by portal to a safe place. She dodged an explosion by flying up to a rooftop. WhiPs crashed into the rooftop next to Krystal.
“Whips!”
The bladed hero pulled herself up. “This guy is too much. I thought Jinn was bad, but... nothing even touches him. Did you see what he did to Midgard?”
“Yes. His power level is something I haven’t felt before. I don’t know how we’re going to stop him.” Krystal suddenly waved her hand and portalled a falling hero safely to the ground.
Whips charged her claws again. “We can’t stop. That jerk needs to go down.”
“Wait. I think I sense something…” Krystal watched Arx fight hero after hero in the sky.
Whips frowned, “well? Don’t keep it to yourself.”
“He can match anything we throw at him. He nullified our strengths.”
“Great, just what we didn’t need to hear.” Whips said.
Krystal shook her head. “It is what I don’t feel that is important. Magic. He is demonstrating strength, tech, elemental, supernatural, and even mental powers. But, he hasn’t once used a magic attack.”
Whips said, “they never got their hands on the Avatar of Magic… maybe that’s why?”
Krystal gasped, “That’s it!” She clicked on her comm. “Heroes with magic powers… stop saving civilians and go after Arx. Everyone else, keep distracting him and saving people, but let the magic users focus on him.” Krystal looked at Whips, “you help with the rescue efforts, I have to lead this attack.”
“Gotcha!”
***
Nova watched the battle from the drones hovering over the city. Now that Arx was occupied, their drones weren’t being shot out of the sky.
“This is out of control.” He muttered.
Justin stepped up with a tablet in his hands. “Sir, listen to this…” he played the communication that Krystal just sent to all the heroes.
Nova actually cracked a smile, “so, they found a weak spot.”
“Will it be enough?”
“We can only hope. Go, check on EB and Magic. See how they’re doing.”
Justin left Nova to his silent observing. Moments after Justin left the Operations center, the elevator opened and five soldiers stepped out.
“Everything okay?” Nova asked.
“Everything is fine, sir. Just reassignments.” The leader stated, and the men took up positions around the room.
***
EB darted around the Arboretum, zooming by trees, through the legs of several of these special soldiers, and then back to the Avatar of Magic. The old book floated in the air, always aglow.
“No sign of evildoers.”
The book tilted toward him. “Nothing has changed since you checked two minutes ago. I believe we are safe.”
“One can never be too cautious.” EB spoke with a lowered, gravely voice.
The book chortled, “you are the amusing one. Merlin was right about you.”
EB flopped on the ground, laying on his belly, kicking his legs as he put his chin in his paws. “Merlin talked about little me?”
“Why, of course he did. That human was most curious about magical things. You fascinated him. He wrote about you, or what he assumed about you. I have all his thoughts in my pages right here.”
EB snapped his fingers, and an enormous egg appeared. He peeled it open to reveal a pile of caramel popcorn. “Tell me what he wrote about me.” He crunched a mouthful of popcorn.
“Master Merlin believed you were some kind of spirit from another world. He wasn’t certain if you were good or bad, but believed you were good. It was his opinion that you were a protector of children, possibly a forest guardian too.”
EB’s eyes twinkled. “He really thought all that about me? So amazing. What else, what else?”
Justin walked up at that moment. “Uh, EB, Master Avatar… everything okay?” there was a serious concern in his voice.
EB said, “everything is hunky dory. This outstanding book is telling me all about what Merlin thought about me. He got stuff wrong, but he really thought I was nice and all. It is so cool that I made that kind of impression on someone as smart and good and neat as Merlin. I know, millions of people have loved me for a long time, but to have someone like him talk about me is flattering. Its like watching one of those silly Easter movies about me. Some are cool. There was this one about an Easter Bunny that leaves home to become a rock star and played drums and met celebrities and I loved it and…”
“EB!” Justin interrupted him.
“Sorry. You want some?” He held up the popcorn filled egg.
“No, thanks. I was just concerned.”
“Why? I found nothing unusual. Been patrolling all day.”
Justin motioned around. “There are three times as many guards here as when I last checked in.”
EB looked around and shook his head, “I thought Nova told them to come.”
“He has changed no orders.”
“Oh... guess they’re just doing their job. Come on, sit, lets hear this story about me.” EB patted the grass next to him.
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