War Of The Four Worlds Read online

  Too many people still here. Fucking Purifier got too eager. Why couldn’t you have waited a week?

  Kill the enemy, Whispy responded. Achieve primary directive.

  Green light flashed in the distance. Something exploded in the air miles ahead, the smoke and debris trails visible.

  “Shit,” the pilot.

  James pulled the rings out of his pocket. “What’s going on?”

  “Apparently, they were trying a Storm run, sir. The target blew it out of the sky.” The pilot sounded more angry than afraid.

  “Storm run?”

  “Big-ass close-attack semi-autonomous support platform, sir. The thing’s more bomb than plane.”

  Idiots. All you’re doing is helping him adapt more. Leave this shit to me.

  James grunted. “Okay, how far out are we now?”

  “About two minutes, sir.”

  The cloud of thick, dark smoke straight ahead marked the position of the Purifier. Another massive green blast erupted in the distance and struck a nearby building, and the top of the building fell to the ground in a shower of metal and glass.

  The only thing preventing worse destruction was the modest height of the nearby buildings, but the Purifier was only a couple of miles from the heart of downtown LA and a whole forest of skyscrapers to cut down.

  I need to stop this asshole before he really gets moving or just decides to fire in that direction.

  “Stop here,” James ordered. “You get any closer, you’re fucking dead. Put me down here.”

  “Roger that, sir,” the pilot replied.

  The helicopter descended until it was hovering twenty feet off the ground.

  “Good luck, sir,” the pilot offered. “I wish I had taken the time to get your autograph.”

  James grinned from the back. “Look me up later and I’ll give you one.” He removed his headset, unbuckled his restraints, and jumped out of the helicopter, landing in a crouch.

  The aircraft rose into the sky, its spinning blades kicking up the dust and rocks. The steady thump drowned out all other sounds as it turned around and fled the engagement zone.

  It was time to get to work.

  James grabbed the rings Shay had given him and pressed them against his amulet.

  Drain them, and let’s go extended advanced, James ordered.

  Alternative power source detected. Power sufficient for extended advanced transformation.

  The biometallic tendrils shot from the amulet and coated James’ body. His helmet closed around his head, blinding him for a moment before his expanded range of vision came online. Twin blades extended from his arms, along with claws.

  James took a few deep breaths. No rage or anger filled him, even as he prepared to face off against the Purifier. He was focused and ready to kick the visitor’s ass, but he was banking on his human mind to help him win. Whispy’s adaptations had given him advantages over the years, but maintaining control of the host-symbiont relationship might prove to be the most important of all of them.

  Everything James knew about the Vax suggested the host became nothing more than a meat puppet, needed more for their body and cellular structure than their personality or consciousness. Maybe Whispy was unusual, but if he was at all representative of symbionts, they were good at adaptation but not necessarily any good at tactics. If the enemy was a mindless killer, James could use that against him.

  Active symbiont signature detected, Whispy reported. Purifier transformation detected.

  James snorted as another explosion shot flame and smoke into the sky.

  Yeah, not worried about finding him. If you can sense him, he can sense me, and even though he’s making a big fucking show, he’s here for me. Let’s go say hello to the fucker.

  James sprinted and leapt, his enhanced armored legs pushing him high into the air. He landed and jumped again; poor man’s flight, but he would arrive at the location of the Purifier within minutes, no helicopter needed.

  A leap took him over several tanks parked in a line, their main guns pointed in the general direction of the Purifier. After a few more jumps, even the soldiers and military vehicles disappeared, leaving an empty expanse of concrete and glass—a hive of humanity without any people. There was nothing eerier than an empty city.

  The heavy clouds of smoke loomed larger as James continued his travel toward the Vax. A green beam shot from the ground and swept through the area, slicing buildings in half. The entire area shook from the collapsing debris, and so much fire and debris now choked the air, it was hard to remember this was the middle of Los Angeles and not some blasted war-torn overseas hellhole.

  In a matter of minutes, the Purifier had already broken James’ record for property damage, but that was just another grievance to add to the list. Whispy continued his demands for battle, but given that James was heading straight toward the enemy, he wasn’t sure if this was the symbiont’s version of murderous cheerleading.

  James let out a low growl as he hurtled between some buildings. He hoped approaching the monster would get it to at least stall its attack.

  “I’m not on your side, asshole,” James muttered. “And I’m about to prove it.”

  Another leap sent him flying through the air. He cleared a low-lying building and saw the outline of his enemy. The armored form of the Purifier was obscured by thick smoke. Whatever endless light-years separated Earth from the Vax home world, only a hundred yards now remained between Earth’s Forerunner and the Vax Purifier.

  Time to achieve the primary directive, James thought.

  Whispy beamed excitement into his mind.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  James marched down the street toward the Purifier, smoke and burning trees and buildings forming walls on either side. The other Vax walked forward. Neither armored man displayed any sense of urgency, their steps steady but slow, but at least the Purifier ceased his attacks. James’ immediate plan had worked.

  Engage and destroy the enemy, Whispy demanded.

  We’re gonna give him one chance to do this the easy way.

  Achieve primary directive, Whispy insisted.

  Shut it and get ready.

  James continued closing on his opponent. The other Vax stood a good foot taller than him. He wasn’t sure if that meant the Purifier’s armor was bulkier, or if the host was taller. The two twitching shoulder appendages were one obvious point of departure. There was something very disgusting and insect-like about them.

  “I should kick your ass for what you’ve done already,” James bellowed, his voice amplified by his helmet, “but I’m gonna give you one chance to leave here alive. Since you came here through a portal, I’m betting you can leave the same way, and not back via Oriceran, but all the way back to wherever the fuck you came from. If not, then we’re gonna have painful conversation that’s gonna end with you dead and your symbiont crying before I destroy it too.”

  The Purifier responded with a bestial roar. He spread his arms and curled his clawed hands into fists, and his blades and claws retracted. A high-pitched whine followed.

  What the fuck is that? James thought, unsure if the Purifier was pissed or ready to cooperate. He concentrated, and his own blades and claws disappeared. Talking it out wasn’t his style, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

  Symbiont data adaptation sharing request, Whispy explained. Direct contact necessary.

  Wait, you telling me that if that fucker touches me, he gets all your adaptations?

  No. Agreement necessary for symbiont adaptational sharing without override.

  James grunted. The next few seconds would determine if he could defend the Earth after all his big talk. The fate of the planet might come down to the loyalty of a violence-obsessed alien biotechnological symbiont.

  So the fucker wants my hard-earned secrets, James thought. But I think he’s a lazy son of a bitch who should have shown up when I got here years ago if he wanted this shit. I’m thinking he should fuck off and die.

  Acknowledged. Enemy is Vax s
ymbiont. Achieve primary directive of elimination of all Vax symbionts.

  James grinned inside his helmet.

  Go ahead and tell him that.

  A harsh whine came from the armor. The Purifier let out another roar and raised his arms.

  “Guess we’re gonna do this shit the hard way, huh?” James shouted. “Fine, fucker. There are a lot of dead people on Oriceran probably aching for a little revenge. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  The Purifier sprinted forward with a shout of challenge. All the previous lackadaisical movement was now a distant memory. James rushed forward, expecting Whispy to be shouting for blood, but the symbiont was eerily quiet—perhaps the closest it had ever come to showing true worry, despite its earlier desire for the battle.

  They met near the corner of the intersection. Both Forerunner and Purifier threw up their fists and hit the other in the head, the sound so loud it almost sounded like a gunshot. The armored aliens flew backward from the force of each other’s blows.

  James smashed into a tree. The trunk split with a loud crack, and the rest of the tree fell a few seconds later. The harsh blow might have knocked him a dozen yards, but even without rage fueling him, he barely felt it.

  The Purifier hit the hard asphalt of the intersection, rolling several times before jumping back to his feet and roaring.

  James sliced through the tree with a blade and pointed it at the Purifier. “You want to play a little, huh? You might be a mindless fucker under there, but you still have that urge to prove you’re tougher. But I’ve got a little something for you.” He jumped into the air and brought back a fist. “Let me give you your-welcome-to-Earth present, asshole.”

  The Purifier leapt into the air and caught James around the waist. James rained blows on the featureless silver-green metallic head of the Purifier, but each hit barely made the enemy’s head move. Their flight ended as they smashed through a fence constructed of tightly packed stones. The rocks scattered, raining down around them as James landed and skidded along concrete until he hit stairs.

  James kicked the Vax off him before jumping up and growling. Beating on the bastard might be satisfying, but it was accomplishing nothing. He needed to waste the asshole.

  The Purifier snarled and his claws reappeared, along with his blades.

  “Getting a little frustrated?” James asked. Without him concentrating or asking, his own claws and blades returned. “I’m only holding back because I’m trying not to leave a bunch of craters around here, even if I’m supposed to officially hate the Trojans. Not that I give that much a shit about sports, but it’ll make the next departmental party awkward for my wi…for my fiancée.”

  The Vax half-crouched as he crept forward, growling.

  James snorted. “You don’t understand a word I’m saying, do you? You’re nothing but a meat puppet letting your symbiont run you. Fuck, killing you is gonna be an act of mercy.”

  A quick charge brought the Purifier close to James again. The Vax swiped a blade at him, and James met the attack with his own blade. The Purifier tried to swing his other blade at James’ side, but the Forerunner parried the attack with ease and kicked his opponent back.

  They circled each other.

  “You’re not used to this, are you?” James asked. “Not used to anyone being able to stand against you. Trust me, fucker, I know the feeling. It’s been a long time, especially since I unlocked my transformations.”

  The Purifier stabbed again, and James jerked to the side before thrusting his blade toward his enemy’s chest. It sank into the armor, and the Purifier howled in pain. Its counterattack sliced into James’ shoulder armor but didn’t reach his body.

  The men separated, their movements calculated and wary.

  Minor damage sustained, Whispy reported. Regeneration in progress, but matrix interference causing efficiency loss.

  Vax can’t easily adapt to Vax, huh? Good to know.

  Direct contact limitations primarily.

  James kept his attention on the Purifier. Blood seeped out of the wound, but tendrils from the armor were already forming to clot and repair the wound. They could hurt each other, and the injury wouldn’t be as easy to shake off.

  Shit. Now I regret not bringing a healing potion.

  James banged his blades together. “What’s a matter? You were carving through Oricerans like they were nothing, and now you’re acting all worried because one Forerunner got in a good hit? I thought you fuckers were supposed to these big galaxy-spanning bad-asses? Now you’re acting like some scared piece-of-shit bounty punk.”

  The Purifier’s armor emitted another high-pitched whine.

  Purifier symbiont is again requesting adaptation sharing.

  James let out a dark chuckle. Was his opponent holding back because he didn’t want to risk losing out on decades of local adaptations? That was fine. It meant he would lose, because James didn’t give two shits if he blew the Purifier to dust.

  “You better start fighting me seriously, fucker, or this is gonna be over real soon. I’m James motherfucking Brownstone, and the only reason you’re still alive is because I’m trying to leave this neighborhood halfway intact.”

  The Purifier’s appendages jerked straight up and pulsed with green energy.

  James expected an energy blast, but the appendages flashed, and then curled forward again.

  Hyperspace transmission detected, Whispy reported.

  You telling me this pussy is trying to call for reinforcements?

  Yes.

  James scoffed.

  Let’s finish this asshole before he succeeds.

  Miles away in downtown LA, dozens of witches and wizards stood on the top of a high-rise building. The particular location belonged to a bank, but the government-sponsored team had selected it, not out of concern for the owners, but because it was the tallest building with a clear line of sight to the predicted battle zone.

  The witches and wizards watched through a scrying window as James traded blows with the Purifier. All were grim-faced, their wands clutched in their hands.

  May Wu stepped into a circle, looking at the PDA field commander who had recruited her for this little day mission. “He won’t lose. You don’t understand what a force of nature he is.”

  The PDA field commander nodded and raised his wand. “We have our orders. We’re not going to bet everything on James Brownstone without a little insurance. We also have a duty to defend this country, and we can’t let that alien win.” He looked her up and down. “You’ve already agreed to non-disclosure. Maybe you should just come work for the PDA after this is all over? This kind of thing has to be a lot more satisfying than hunting bounties.”

  “Not my style. The only magicals I’m used to working with is…were my family.” May narrowed her eyes at the scrying window. “And if I go to work for anyone, it’ll be Brownstone. Keep in mind that even if this works, it’ll still come down to him winning. We’re nothing but the pit crew in this operation.”

  “Saving the city and the planet’s more important than glory.” The wizard raised his wand. “Or are you having second thoughts?”

  “Having seconds thoughts about only being miles away from a super-powerful alien who can blow up buildings with a single attack?” May let out a bitter laugh. “Second thoughts, and third and fourth ones, but it doesn’t change anything. I’m here, and I’ll do what I need to do.”

  “Good.” The wizard turned and shouted, “Let’s get into position. It’s time for the ritual.”

  The other witches and wizards began to form a single massive circle, all raising their wands skyward.

  “Prepare to initiate the chant in five, four, three, two, one… Zero.”

  The gathered circle of magic users began their incantation, concentrating their power. Their wands glowed brightly, and energy crackled in the center of the circle. Everyone poured more energy into the ritual as they kept up their chants. The light grew blinding.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  A b
right light shone in the corner of James’ expanded field of vision, but he ignored it as he slashed furiously at the Purifier. The other Vax’s quick parries left his armor mostly untouched. The Purifier rushed past James and took a quick swing. The blade dug deep into the armor and sliced the Forerunner’s flesh. James hissed in pain and rolled out of the range of the counter-attack.

  Moderate damage sustained. Regeneration in progress.

  Blood, gouges, and slices now decorated both men’s armor, even as the wound sites slowly knit themselves closed.

  James hopped back and growled.

  He’s not using those shoulder things at all. Are they vulnerable?

  Unknown at this time, Whispy responded. Symbiont dynamic cellular modification means adaptation possible in some cases, but not others. Primary adaptive monoatomic blade system supplemented by spatial energy bleed for enhanced damage, but energy dissipation occurs at all macroscopic distances.

  James traded a few more blade strikes with the Purifier.

  I don’t get all that, but you’re saying I can cut into him with these blades, but not everything else will work?

  Yes, Whispy confirmed.

  The Purifier carved into his shoulder and James gritted his teeth, again backing up.

  Regeneration in progress. Minimize additional damage.

  I’m gonna do that by killing this motherfucker.

  The Purifier attempted a leaping stab, but James whipped an arm up and ripped through the enemy’s thigh. The other Vax’s roar was followed by two quick thrusts into James’ chest. Pain suffused his body from the wound, and he stumbled back.

  Fuck this, James thought. I’m not gonna win by trading slicing and dicing.

  The Forerunner crouched and jumped backward, his massive leap sending him high into the sky. His enemy jumped forward and stabbed, missing James, and piercing the concrete instead.

  James jumped again, brought his arms up, and began charging his arm cannons. Green light began to swirl and move over his blades.