The Conference Room, the Citadel; Nitz the Bloody and the Lair Legionnaires Trickshot, CrazySugarFreakBoy!, Mr. Epitome, and Hatman arrive, only to find the entire room cleared out. Except for the heroes ( and Nitz ) who have entered the room, there is nothing but darkness. Nitz shouts “ Lumineku “ and generates a small fluorescent light, only to see that the room is deserted.
“ Great, “ Nitz scowls, “ We’re too late! “
” Exactly, “ Stanng’s voice echoes, as all the screens in the room light up with his smirking, youthful face. “ My plans are going to be executed without your interference. Now say hello to my little friend! “
Nitz turns around, and a glob of some sort of green goop hits his mouth, and plasters itself to his cheeks. He can’t speak through it, and thus can’t command his spells. He tries to tear it off, but all that happens is the feeling of the pain of the goop sticking to his skin. He falls to the floor, trying to tear it off, until a large metal arm grabs him by the sides of his head. The arm is attached to a large machine, an anthropomorphic green metal suit with various guns bristling from its shoulders and back. Inside the machine is the Enlisted.
“ Allow me to introduce the Rhinoslayer, “ Stanng’s voice notes. “ A machine designed with the purpose of fighting Priests of Zeku. And if it can take down a Priest, imagine what it can do to the rest of you little s---s. Enlisted, will you do me the honors of crushing Nitz’s head like a metal-clad grape? “
” SIR YES SIR! “ the Enlisted screams, as the metal hand starts to tighten around Nitz’s skull. “ I will destroy the Priest of Zeku, sir! “
” Then do it, “ Stanng smiles, “ Kill that son of a bitch. “
” Don’t do it, Enlisted, “ Hatman shouts, “ Or we’ll have to take you down. “
” Sir yes sir! I will destroy the Priest of Zeku, sir! “
” You already said that, “ Stanng growls, “ Now DO IT! “
” Sir yes sir! Sir! Si.... “
” What are you waiting for! Kill him! “
” Si....si......I Can’t! For God’s sakes, I can’t! “ the Enlisted sobs. He puts Nitz down and emerges from the Rhinoslayer, to fall on the ground in a fetal position, bawling.
” What the hell are you doing, “ Stanng growls. “ Why are you showing sympathy! “
” Because... “ the Enlisted bawls, “ Because I LOVE Nitz! “ Nitz’s eyebrows shoot upward as he tries to ask “ What “, but is unable to through his gag.
” That’s right, “ the Enlisted continues, “ I’m gay. I’m queerer than a three dollar bill. My dad sent me to St. Steranko’s, the most cutthroat of all the military schools, to straighten me out. After years of training I thought I’d finally get the homosexuality out of my system, and when Stanng recruited me for the Commission, I was able to sublimate my sexuality into my mission. But when Nitz showed up with his big brown eyes and tight little bum, he reminded me that I don’t want to be a killer. I just want to be....to be.... “
He starts crying again, “ A Fashion Designer ! “ The large man in the leather pants keeps on wailing, holding himself as he shakes. The rest of the Lair Legion just look at themselves in confusion. Nitz finally gets the goop off his mouth by pushing it off with his magical cudgel, and walks over to the Enlisted, trying to comfort him. The Enlisted gets up and hugs Nitz as he keeps crying, then plants a big, wide kiss on Nitz’s mouth. Nitz isn’t sure whether to back away or to just stand there in bewilderment.
“ Well, “ Nitz notes, “ That just came out of nowhere. “
” Just like a Mark Millar plot twist, “ CrazySugarFreakBoy! reminds everyone.
“ Now, “ Trickshot shouts, “ If we’re done with all the feelings, let’s go find Stanng and stop him for good, shall we? “
Nitz nods, and opens up a portal leading down to the Earth, to the reflecting pool outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. The Lair Legion follows him through it.
“ You’re too late, “ Stanng shouts with glee. He is wearing a black suit with oversized silver gauntlets, gauntlets holding Stacy Infinity. “ My ascension begins....now! “
To Stanng’s front, Nitz and the Lair Legion stand ready. To Stanng’s back, the Commission also steel themselves for battle. Between them is Stanng, who pushes a button on his large metal glove, and starts draining energy out of Stacy. A protective shield resembling a cyclone of blue winds forms around Stanng and Stacy. Stacy starts crying as she glows blue, her energy pouring into the pubescent leader of the Commission. “ Mama, “ she screams, “ Mama! “
” For God’s sakes, Stanng! “ the Umbra shouts, “ You’re killing her! “
” Please stop, Johnny, “ Molly cries as she looms behind Stanng and Stacy. “ Please stop! “
” Shut the f--- up! You sluts aren’t going to ruin this for me! “ Stanng starts to glow blue as well, surging with energy. He closes his eyes, basking in his newfound power.
But Molly’s eyes are wide open. Open, it seems, for the first time in her eighteen years of life. She looks at Stanng, and sees not the charismatic, brilliant leader she thought he was, but a monster who would kill an innocent baby in order to get what he wants. And she looks at Stacy and sees not an infinite power source in human form, but her own flesh and blood, a part of her. And for once, she realizes she has the power to stop this horrible scene.
The next thing that happens, Stanng is lying on the ground, bleeding. Molly has struck him in the neck with one of her giant fingers, incapacitating him. She holds Stacy in her palms and looks down at Stanng, screaming “ Stay away from my daughter, you bastard! “
Stanng just squirms in the water, his neck disjointed in several places. He coughs up some blood, and makes several choking noises.
“ Johnny! “ Molly screams, as she kneels down to look at his badly injured body. “ I’m so sorry! Are you okay? “
Stanng starts chuckling to himself, and glows blue again. His chuckling turns to full-blown laughter as large spikes spurt out of his back. He gets up, and sees his hands and feet turn into oversized clawed things. Once Stanng has stood up, he looks up, and starts to grow in size, until he is about thirty feet tall. When he looks down, his face is no longer a human one; it has three eyes, two giant nostrils, and a very pronounced, toothy grin. He looks at Molly and shoots a beam of blue light between her eyes, which goes right through the back of her skull. She immediately falls over. Stacy Infinity falls out of her hands, but lands with surprising grace. She looks at her “ mother “, and asks “ Mama? “ over and over, touching Molly’s giant form. No response is given.
“ MOLLY! “ Nitz and the Umbra yell in unison. Nitz angrily shouts “ Terminateku! “ to Stanng. A slight crackle of dark energy fizzles over Stanng’s leathery skin. The Umbra tries to envelop the monstrous Stanng, but he projects a forcefield that incinerates her shadowy body. She discorporates into floating particles of black dust.
“ God damnit, “ Stanng roars, “ Isn’t anyone on my side anymore?! “
” I am, “ Bateleur notes, flying by Stanng’s side “ But this whole turning-into-a-monster thing doesn’t help my career. Could you shift your appearance to be a little more telegenic? “
” Shut the f--- up! “ Stanng shouts, and shoots a beam right through the chestplate of the Bateleur’s armor, killing him instantly. He plummets from the air and into the water.
“ Now, “ Stanng smiles ( as much as his expression is close to a human smile, anyway ), “ Who wants to be next? “ The Lair Legion rush forward to attack him, as Hatman shouts, “ Lair Legion LINE-UP! Line-Up like you’ve never lined-up before! “ CrazySugarFreakBoy! somersaults over Stanng, and tries to kick him in the face, but his entire foot is dissolved the moment he tries to touch Stanng’s skin. The same applies to Mr. Epitome’s hand and Trickshot’s arrows. Hatman puts on his Steelers cap, and rushes towards Stanng, but the monstrosity shoots a beam that immediately blows a hole through Jay Boaz’s chest. Stanng shoots several more beams, killing each and every member of the Legion. The water is littered with four altruistic corpses
Through this, Nitz just stands in the reflecting pool, staring at Stanng and shaking in a very pronounced fashion. “ Nitz, “ Stanng growls, “ If it weren’t for YOU, the Commission would still be on my side. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had to kill all my teammates. I’m going to enjoy taking you apart. “
” G-g-g-o ahead, “ Nitz stammers, “ B-b-but first, look down at your reflection, and t-tell me what you s-see. “
Stanng looks downwards, and doesn’t recognize himself. He doesn’t see a boy anymore, he sees a disgusting, mutated creature. He plunges his claw downward at his reflection, splashing water everywhere, but it just reappears.
” L-look at yourself, “ Nitz shouts anxiously. “ In your quest to destroy the monsters on Earth, you’ve become a monster yourself! Killing all your friends, destroying people whose only goal was to help make the world a better place, trying to murder a child-- is this what you wanted of your life? Is this the finer world you envisioned, one ruled by a mutated creature’s force? “
” N-n-not....q-q-uite...’ Stanng admits, still focused on Nitz.
Nitz starts to walk forward to Stanng, keeping his cudgel sheathed but his fists clenched. He looks up at the giant monster. “ Don’t you see what you’ve done? Heroes are supposed to give people hope! Give them something to aspire to! All you give people is a reason to fear you! You don’t make the world a better place, you just become another monster we have to slay! Meet the new boss, same as the old boss! “
Stanng starts backing up on his hind legs as Nitz walks towards him. “ I know you wanted to make the world a better place, but this isn’t the way to do it. You can’t just kill anyone who disagrees with you. You have to work with them, reason with them, help them see their own errors. Human life is the most valuable thing on Earth, and we’ve just been taking it so nonchalantly. We can’t keep doing it like this. We have to find a better way for our better way. “
” But, “ Nitz notes, looking down, “ If you don’t agree with me, if you think humanity is irredeemable and we’re all just monsters to be slain, then kill me where I stand. I didn’t realize death would be so frightening....but I guess it’s the only option left for me now. “
Stanng stares at Nitz with his three eyes. His eyes glow blue, and they start to charge up with energy, but instead of shooting at Nitz, Stanng howls an inhuman, haunting cry and shoots energy directly up at the sky. A large column of blue energy consumes him, and from the column shoot electric blue sparks. Each spark falls to the ground, and where the sparks hit, life is reborn. The Commission and the Lair Legion get up from their short demises, feeling completely refreshed, and wonder what just happened. Then they look at the blue column that revived them, and see that as it fades, it converts back into a normal young man. He is naked. Powerless. Vulnerable.
” Oh god, “ Stanng sobs, kneeling in the pool, crying for the first time in his life, “ Is this what I’ve done? Is this how my plans have worked out? I didn’t want to do this.....but the stains.....the stains on my soul....they just won’t come out... “
” It’s okay, “ Nitz assures Stanng, putting an arm on his shoulder. “ It’s okay. “
” No it’s not! “ Stanng screams. “ I’ve killed countless people, I’ve tortured even more. What will become of me now? “
Military and CIA helicopters swarm the pool, and soldiers and secret service agents pour out. “ Jonathan Armstrong Stanng, “ one of the men in black states, “ You and your cronies are under arrest for massive crimes of-- “
” Not now, “ Nitz hisses.
“ Get back, son, this is government business, “ the agent replies.
“ NOT! NOW! “ Without even saying an “ Eku “ command word, Nitz forms a green energy barrier around himself and both superhuman teams. He holds Stanng as the younger man lets out all of his pain. Everything on Earth seems to stop to let young Stanng come to grips with himself.
NEXT: The Epilogue.
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