Starmaster put Shizue behind him as they backed up. The children gathered near him.
“Who are you? Your thoughts, they are...strange.”
Just then, General Paneki pulled himself up from the ground, a horrible looking burn on his face from where a small girl hit him with a fire blast. “You’re clever, human. Befriending these dregs of society, I didn’t expect that.”
Now Starmaster felt a deep worry. “I know that sensation, but it cannot be. You shouldn’t be here.”
“Who is he?” Shizue asked.
Paneki laughed, his voice growing deeper and deeper. He stepped over fallen bodies, heading for Kaukatsu. “Oh, just a lesser-known god among you pitiful humans.”
“Get them out of here, NOW!” Starmaster shoved her back.
“No, we can help with these people.”
“No, you can’t.”
Paneki grew in size, and his clothing bulged. Fangs cut through his face as he transformed. “Listen to the little man, or I shall feast upon these brats. I am so very hungry.” He snapped his fangs at them.
Starmaster held up his hands, and a barrier formed in the air between them and the two generals. “Take them, NOW!”
“We won’t leave you here alone!” Shizue grabbed his arm.
Starmaster said, “I have to stay. I have to find Chase and destroy those weapons! GO!” He dropped the shield and used his teleportation power to send them away. The children and their caretaker vanished, at the same time, something hit Starmaster and he flew across the room, slammed into a wall, and crashed to the floor.
Krampus stood on the table near where he had slammed into Starmaster. Now in his full, horrid glory, he growled out. “One little hero, how foolish.”
Starmaster glared at them from his fallen position. “We’ve beaten you before.”
“True, and I am in no mood to deal with you minor heroes right now. Besides, I promised my new friend that he could play with you. I have other business to take care of.” He turned and pointed a claw at Kaukatsu.
General Kaukatsu shook and twisted while cackling in glee. His human form melted away, revealing a red-skinned, bone covered villain well known to BADGE. He held out his arms and laughed as Krampus continued to feed him power, growing in size.
Once completed, Krampus commanded. “Kill everyone in this pitiful nation. I will return to our project.” In a blur of speed, Krampus sped away.
Skelanimal, now twice as big and still growing, smiled at Starmaster. “Wanna play?” He lunged forward, his claws ready to strike.
Starmaster focused and vanished just as those claws hit the wall.
He appeared in a hallway near the banquet hall. Scrambling to his feet, he heard the ferocious monster destroying the room and calling out for him.
Slapping the comm unit on his arm, he said, “CHASE, RESPOND!” he backed up as that crashing grew louder. “CHASE, COME ON, RESPOND!” Nothing came from his communicator, but Skelanimal came crashing through a wall. The enemy had grown to three times his normal size now.
Starmaster raced down the hall and rounded several corners. “I have to stop him.” He turned and held up his hands, projecting a mental forcefield.
Skelanimal rushed at him, his head breaking parts of the ceiling. He met the barrier and smashed right through it. With one claw, he sent Starmaster hurtling through a wall, into a small office.
Realizing he did not stand a chance, Starmaster summoned his remaining strength and vanished just as that beast tore the hole wider so he could get to his prey.
Starmaster appeared on the roof of the compound, laying on his side and holding a bloody wound across his ribs. He was certain he had broken bones, but that was not what worried him.
“That stupid monster will kill everyone.” He held up his arm communicator and punched in the emergency BADGE code. Speaking into it he said, “Oh god I hope you’re hearing this. BADGE, Nova, whoever, Krampus is on the loose and he just gave Skelanimal some kind of power boost. Skelanimal has been ordered to lay waste to North Onnotangu...just because. Not only that. I think they have taken Chase and the shards we were after. This is a real mess. Get heroes down here or it will be a bloodbath. Please get here now.” His communicator stopped working, the power drained by the damage it had taken.
Suddenly the entire building rocked. Huge sections of walls erupted and splintered as a monstrous creature came through. Skelanimal was still growing, and now towered two stories in the air. He threw handfuls of debris at approaching police cars and then kicked a limousine, which sent it crashing through a wall.
“I have to help,” Starmaster said and crawled over to the edge of the building. He focused his mind and lifted another limousine. With a great thrust of his power, he sent the oversized car into Skelanimal’s side. It didn’t even stumble him.
Military units arrived and were firing guns and missiles at Skelanimal. This seemed to amuse him as he laughed and then grabbed a military truck and threw it through the army.
Starmaster groaned under the pressure of broken bones and then summoned his strength again, this time hitting Skelanimal directly with a mental blast. It did no good, Skelanimal doesn’t have a lot of mind to hurt.
To his surprise, a wall of bricks appeared and surrounded Skelanimal, trapping him inside. Shizue came running through, her hands up where she was focusing her unique power to stop this beast. When a red claw smashed through the bricks, she reassembled them, but he punched through another section and kicked yet another. She couldn’t keep up. With a final burst, he forced the bricks apart, raining them down across the meager defenders.
In an oddly deep voice, Skelanimal bellowed, “I’ve had enough of you, brick lady!” He reached down and grabbed her up, squeezing her. She formed bricks around her body, but they were crumbling.
“NO!” Starmaster tried to focus hard enough to transport her away, but his strength was failing. He did not want to watch her die like this.
Suddenly a tremendous blast of orange energy hit Skelanimal. Then a red beam struck him right in the chest. Heroes came pouring out of the skies with a few BADGE transports flying through. Major William flew at Skelanimal’s hand, punching it twice and causing him to release Shizue. He caught her and carried her to safety.
Starmaster laid back and smiled. “Oh, thank god.”
A BADGE craft landed on the roof near him. Two medic droids and Nova came out. The medics immediately scanned him for his injuries.
Nova said, “Good to see you’re still with us, son.”
“He has gotten bigger since I called. I don’t know what Krampus did to him.”
“Doesn’t matter. We will take him down.” Nova pressed his communicator. “Nova to all Heroes, we have a class five attack in North Onnotangu. All travel restrictions to this country are lifted. Get here, now!”
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