The Dimension Heroes Trilogy Omnibus

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

The Dread God’s Avatar?” said Bolt, tilting his head in confusion. “Nicknacks, what are you talking about? You sure you’re thinking all right?”

“Apocalypse,” said Nicknacks. “Death. Complete and utter annihilation. Earth won’t survive.”

Nicknacks normally spoke very calmly and rationally, which made his nihilistic ranting extra concerning to Bolt. Nicknacks sounded traumatized, which made Bolt wonder just what Nicknacks had gone through since the last time he saw him.

Over a year ago, Nicknacks—real name N’ckn’ax—had left Earth in search of his fellow Pokacu. During the last Pokacu invasion, Nicknacks had learned of the existence of a group of independent Pokacu who had broken away from the Mother World’s control and went off to form their own colony somewhere in space. Nicknacks had left Earth to find them and let them know that the Mother World was destroyed and that they could come to Earth if they wanted.

Bolt had not heard from Nicknacks since then. Nor had anyone else in the NHA, as far as he knew. That, of course, made sense. Bolt was under the impression that the group of independent Pokacu which Nicknacks had sought out had been very far away from Earth. And without the technology necessary to make intergalactic communication possible, it made sense that no one in the NHA or on Earth in general had heard from the alien since his departure.

That was why Nicknacks’ sudden reappearance here was so alarming to Bolt. He had no idea who this ‘Dread God’s Avatar’ was or, for that matter, what a ‘Dread God’ even was. Yet if Nicknacks was telling the truth, then Earth itself was in danger of being destroyed by this figure, whoever it was.

“Nick, you shouldn’t try to move or anything,” said Bolt. “I’m going to stay by your side until help comes. The janitors sent out a Code A, so we should have help here soon enough.”

Nicknacks raised a hand and grabbed Bolt’s bicep. “N-No … it’s too late. They are already here …”

Bolt was about to ask Nicknacks what he meant by that when he heard a deep growl come from within the darkened escape pod. Bolt looked at the open escape pod, which was completely dark, but then two glowing green eyes flickered open. A clawed hand emerged from within and, grabbing the lip of the hatch, pulled its form into the light.

The alien creature which had emerged from the pod looked nothing like a Pokacu. It was a vaguely humanoid figure covered head-to-toe in thick, metallic armor. Long, mechanical wings extended from its back, while it carried a strange double-bladed sword in its right hand that was almost as long as Bolt’s torso. Two glowing green eyes peered out from the eye holes, which Bolt noticed were covered with glass. It had no mouth hole or any other kind of opening and it didn’t seem to have any sort of oxygen tank, which made Bolt wonder how it was even breathing at all.

“What the heck is that?” said Bolt in shock.

“A Darzen warrior,” said Nicknacks in a heavy voice. “Thought I knocked it out, but it must have just woken up, which is why it hasn’t attacked us yet.”

As soon as the words left Nicknacks’ mouth, the Darzen looked down at Bolt and Nicknacks. It had no human expression for Bolt to read, but when it pointed its blade at them, Nicknacks shouted, “Bolt, move!”

Bolt didn’t even hesitate. He just scooped Nicknacks into his arms and flew into the sky away from the Darzen. He was just in time, because a strange energy beam exploded from the Darzen’s sword and exploded against the ground. When the smoke cleared, there was a crater about a foot deep where Bolt and Nicknacks had been kneeling just moments before.

“Whoa,” said Bolt as he landed near the base of the Justice Statue. “What was that?”

“Energy,” said Nicknacks. He coughed and hacked. “Darzens can take their life energy and convert it into a blast. Very deadly.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” said Bolt. “Anyway, Nick, I’m going to try to distract that thing until help arrives. You stay here and try not to move too much, okay?”

Nicknacks looked at Bolt in alarm. “No, you should run. You can’t beat it. It’s too powerful. And even if you do beat it—”

“Nick, come on,” Bolt interrupted. “I know that thing hurt you, but I guess you don’t know that I graduated from the Young Neos recently and am a full-time adult NHA member now. I can take care of myself. You just worry about yourself, all right?”

Before Nicknacks could respond, Bolt laid him on the ground and flew into the air back toward the Darzen. The Darzen had jumped out of the escape pod by now and was looking up at Bolt as he approached, its unnatural green eyes following his every movement. The Darzen’s eyes reminded Bolt of a robot’s eyes, though he figured that that was just a coincidence.

“Hey, ugly!” Bolt shouted. “Let’s dance!”

Bolt fired a red lightning bolt at the Darzen. The Darzen, however, batted the lightning bolt aside with a single swing of its sword. With a flap of its wings, the Darzen launched itself into the sky toward Bolt. It flew much faster than Bolt expected, forcing him to swerve sharply to the right to avoid getting hit. As Bolt flew by the Darzen, it slashed at him with its sword, though Bolt managed to dodge it at the last second.

Coming to a stop several feet away from the Darzen, Bolt turned around to see the alien. It flapped its wings furiously to remain in place, though now it held its sword in both hands defensively, perhaps expecting Bolt to fire another lightning blast at it again.

He’s about to get disappointed, Bolt thought, punching his fist into his other hand. I don’t make the same mistakes twice.

Activating his super speed, Bolt rushed toward the Darzen. The Darzen raised its blade, but it was too slow. With a single punch, Bolt sent the Darzen flying backwards through the air. But the Darzen regained control of its flight and landed on the ground below as gracefully as if did that sort of thing every day. Bolt was pleased to see a dent shaped like his fist in the Darzen’s chest, though he was less pleased to see that the Darzen was still standing.

“You’re tough!” Bolt shouted. “But I bet you can’t take a few more hits like that!”

Bolt flew in a circle around the Darzen, launching lightning bolt after red lightning bolt at the creature. The Darzen blocked or deflected each bolt with its massive sword, but one of the bolts got through and hit the Darzen’s hands, knocking its sword out of its hands and sending it flying several feet away outside of the Darzen’s reach.

Sensing his opening, Bolt landed in front of the Darzen and began pummeling it with several super fast punches. His rapid fire fists struck every inch of the Darzen’s face and chest, sending it staggering backward with each mighty blow. He hit it so hard and so fast that the Darzen didn’t even have time to respond. The only sounds which came from the Darzen were the sounds of his fists as they smashed against its surprisingly tough metal armor, which was getting more and more dented with every punch.

Finally, with a yell of triumph, Bolt punched a hole straight through the Darzen’s chest. He expected to feel some kind of flesh or even mechanics, but to his surprise, it was completely hollow. He yanked his fist out of the Darzen’s chest and watched in disbelief as it immediately collapsed onto the ground at his feet, looking quite dead.

“Huh,” said Bolt. He looked over his shoulder at the Justice Statue, where Nicknacks still lay. “Hey, Nick, look! I killed it.”

Bolt expected Nicknacks to be joyful, but to his surprise, Nicknacks shouted in alarm, “Bolt, get away from that thing! Now, before it gets you!”

Puzzled, Bolt looked back at the dead Darzen at his feet and saw some kind of strange green energy rising from the hole he had punched in its armor, like smoke from a chimney. Before he could react, the energy suddenly twisted and began wrapping itself around him until it entered his mouth. Bolt gagged and struggled against the energy, but he was unable to break free of it. He could only feel the energy entering his body, flooding his whole being, making it almost impossible for him to focus on anything else.

Bolt wanted to scream for help, wanted to scream for aid, but all he could do was gag on the energy. His body felt number and number until soon he couldn’t feel any part of his body at all. And the pain only stopped when the last of the energy exited the armor and went into his body, at which point all of the feeling suddenly returned to Bolt’s body and he gasped for air.

“Holy crap,” said Bolt, panting and sweating. “What … what was …”

A sharp pain shot throughout his body and Bolt screamed. He fell to his hands and knees, but soon began to feel control over his body starting to slip between his fingers. First went his arms, then his legs, and finally his whole body. He tried to get up, but found his body entirely unresponsive to his commands.

What’s going on? Bolt said in his mind, because his mouth didn’t work. Why can’t I control my body?

That was when a voice answered in his head, a voice he had never heard before in his life but which sent chills down his spine nonetheless:

Because I’m in control now, human. And, although flesh-based bodies are normally pathetic, this one seems fitter and stronger than my old suit of armor. It will be useful for helping to bring the Dread God back to life.

No way … said Bolt. You’re not …

But I am, said the voice. I am the very same Darzen you just ‘killed.’ Now I am in your body, in your head, in your very soul. And there’s nothing you can do about it other than watch helplessly as I conquer your world in the name of my god. Rejoice, for few mortals are ever granted such stupendous pleasures.