Fallen Gods, page 14
“What are you doing, are you crazy!”
“We aren’t gonna win this just sitting about. Where is he?” Luca coughed and spluttered.
“Who?”
“Thanatos.”
Aaron looked around for some sign of him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then he spotted a glimmer of light as the sun reflected off something above them. He looked up and saw Thanatos running along a pipeline forty feet above them. He took a running jump in what looked suicidal to the police officer. Sunlight dazzled from his armor and shield on his back as he soared through the air, blinding the enemy. He finally struck the ground so hard it cracked the tarmac, sending a shockwave through the ground that they all felt. He was on his feet in no time, pulling the shield off his back as one of the enemy opened fire with his rifle. A burst of fire bounced off the shield like it would an armored vehicle, and he didn’t skip a beat as he closed on the vehicles. He leapt over the hood of one, smashing his shield into the shooter. He thrust his sword down into him while he was down, vanishing from Aaron’s view as he did battle behind the wreckage of the two vehicles. They could see the odd flash and spark of light, and movement in between the broken glass as the battle ensued.
Several more shots rang out, followed by cries of pain, until finally all fell silent. Aaron and Luca were on their feet, peering around the cover of the caravan, hoping their new ally would return alive. They cautiously waited with their carbines aimed ready to fire. Finally, a figure stepped out from the wreckage, striding toward them. Aaron almost fired, but his finger quickly moved away as he recognized Thanatos. He lowered it as he gasped in relief.
“It’s okay. Besides, it’s not like you could have really hurt him,” replied Luca calmly.
“That’s not the point, is it? What if next time it’s you? And where did you learn to use that monster, anyway?” He gestured toward the machine gun surrounded in empty casings.
“You know the right kind of people, and you get to try these things.”
“Don’t you mean the wrong kind of people?”
Luca laughed. “Yeah, something like that.”
“You took your time, didn’t you?” Aaron asked accusingly as Thanatos approached.
“He just had to make an entrance,” replied Luca.
“You were handling it just fine, officers. It was rather entertaining seeing you in action. Fighting the good fight,” Thanatos smiled.
“You what? You just sat there watching while we battled it out? It was a damn war zone out here!” Aaron was angry and didn’t hide it.
“And now I know you can really handle yourselves.”
“A test, is that what this was to you?”
“Yes, of course it was. We aren’t playing around here. What did you think this was, some fairytale story? This is the big league. When Hades really brings the pain, you’re gonna wonder why you ever wanted in on this.”
“I’m starting to wonder that right about now,” he snarled.
“What in God’s name did you bring to my door?” Max ran out into the middle of what looked like a war zone. He was sighing and cursing as he looked at the damage to his trailer, his workshop, and the devastation across the yard.
“I live here, man. You know how long I’ve kept things together out here and avoided trouble?”
“Not what I hear,” replied Aaron.
“Hey, I deal with my own problems. I don’t leave them lying about like a few tons of horse shit on someone else’s lawn!”
Aaron couldn’t help but smile.
“Is it over?” Grace came out with a Remington hunting rifle in hand. Her voice was shaky, but she still came forward.
Aaron went to gleefully say yes when they heard the roar of engines in the distance.
“Ah, shit,” he muttered.
“You thought that is all they’d send? There’s nothing here but common soldiers, scouts running ahead of a hunting party,” replied Thanatos.
“Come on. Get that .50 loaded back up!” Luca shouted.
“Can’t, look at it.” Max tried to lift the breech, but it was bent and jammed in place where several rounds had landed.
“What? Those things don’t ever let you down.”
“They do, Luca, if you put a few rounds where they aren’t supposed to go. A few hours in the shop and it could be fixed, but right now it ain’t no good to no one.”
“What are we doing here?” Aaron was looking out at the five vehicles heading their way.
“It’s going to get worse, isn’t it?”
“Much worse, Luca. They’ll be much tougher fighters this time around.”
“Goddamnit, we came here for weapons, and we’re just going to run?”
“I can get you more guns, if you can get the money to pay for them,” replied Max.
“If you stay here, they’ll probably kill you for it,” said Aaron.
“Yeah, no shit, I wasn’t planning on staying. Come on!” He ran on through the open roller shutter.
Thanatos was looking back to the convoy coming their way. He wanted to fight, even though he wasn’t confident of winning. Aaron grabbed his shoulder and tried to pull him around, but he resisted. The veteran cop groaned angrily as he got up in his face.
“Look, Theodosia needs you, and needs what we came for. We didn’t come out here to fight. We came for weapons. Leave now, and that might still be a possibility. Stay, and we’ll probably just get ourselves killed, and what would that serve?”
“I don’t run from fights.”
“No, but this isn’t our fight. It’s not what we came for. It’s what those assholes came for. Don’t play their game. Don’t fight this on their terms.”
He wouldn’t be convinced, and Aaron knew he had but one card left to play.
“You let your gut decide for you before, and look where that got you.”
“What?”
“You let your gut and your instinct drive you to do terrible things, even though deep down I bet you knew it was the wrong decision. You said to look to Theodosia for leadership, and for what was right and wrong. Well, I’m asking you to stand by that. Trust her. We aren’t ready for this fight, and neither will she be if we don’t get out of here, and get the weapons we need for this war. That’s what she would want, isn’t it?”
He looked angry, but finally nodded in approval.
“Come on, now!” Max yelled.
Aaron pulled Thanatos along as they rushed on through the workshop and into the armory. Another door at the back was opening, and they stepped into a dark room. Lights flickered to life, and they found Max opening the hulking door of a Terradyne fully armored vehicle. It sat on four wheels like a large truck but was built like a tank.
“Where in the hell did you get this?”
“You think a guy like me doesn’t have a perfectly good exit strategy?”
Max threw the bag of money inside and ushered them to follow it. He went for the driver’s door. Aaron shoved Thanatos in who still was reluctant to go and heaved the heavy rear door shut. The engine roared to life as an electric shutter rolled open ahead of them.
“Hold on to your asses. This is gonna get ugly!” Max hollered in a half-excited tone, as if this was the most fun he’d had in a decade.
Chapter 11
“What are you doing?” Aaron yelled as Max kept going and drove them right at a wall.
It was too late to do anything, and he seemed at least confident in what he was doing. They struck the corrugated sheet steel wall and burst through it like it was nothing. The sheet flattened before them as they soared out into the light of day. Max turned sharply, and the weight of the hulking armored truck pulled them sideways, sliding out widely before he snapped it back under control. But as they straightened up, the side of the vehicle was peppered with bullets. Aaron jumped with fright, for he’d never been in an armored vehicle under fire.
“Don’t worry. Ain’t nothing they’ve got that’ll get through this baby,” said Max.
Sparks flashed on the other side of the glass as the bullets glanced right off, and Aaron watched in amazement. The only time he’d ever been shot at in a vehicle, the rounds went right through. The engine roared as they flew toward another exit from the site, but an SUV was converging on them. Max floored it to try and get to the opening first, but the sheer weight of the armored vehicle meant they barely gained any speed at all. The SUV slammed into the side of them at a thirty-degree angle, but they barely moved off their trajectory. The SUV crumpled into their armor and snapped in line with them, so that it was running parallel. The hood prized up and blocked the windshield. The vehicle looked a complete wreck, for no noticeable effect to them.
“That’s right, you son of a bitch. You came to the wrong place to be playing these sorts of games.”
Max veered off a little as they went through a gateway with large girder barriers either side. He nudged slightly to one side so the SUV beside them crashed head on into the barrier. The nose of the vehicle plunged as the rear came up and over in a spectacular fashion. The vehicle smashed down onto its side and ignited in a ball of flame.
“Jesus!” Aaron was horrified at the violent scene.
“Really? We just blew the shit out of them, and you’re concerned about that?”
“I’m a cop, okay, and so are you, Luca. We don’t hurt people unless we have to in defense of ourselves or others.”
“Not today, we’re not.”
“What?”
“Cops. Come on. Look around. We aren’t cops out here.”
Aaron looked lost; being a cop was all he’d ever known. He looked to Thanatos, but quickly realized he would find little humanity there. Finally, he went to Grace, knowing she would have a different perspective to the rest of them. But he didn’t even have to say a word before she gave her opinion.
“They were trying to kill us, weren’t they?”
He nodded.
“Then we did the right thing. You said this is a war, a war between good and evil. Do you honestly believe that?”
“I think so,” he replied hesitantly.
He was thinking deeply when a truck seemingly came out of nowhere and slammed into the rear of their vehicle at a perfect ninety-degree angle. The force was enough to send their vehicle barreling out of control, and it smashed into a tower, rocking to a halt. Aaron opened his eyes. He was lying on the floor of the vehicle, stunned and confused. Light came into the cabin beside him, the rear door of the vehicle swung open, and Thanatos stepped out.
“What? Where are you going?” His voice was husky and strained.
Thanatos said nothing as Aaron fought to get himself upright. He looked into the front cabin. Luca was bleeding from the head, even more stunned that he was, and Max was completely out of it. Grace was huddling in the corner beside him and looked terrified. Aaron knew he had to do something, even if he was barely conscious.
He climbed to the edge of the tailgate and staggered out, stumbling a few paces before finding his footing. He coughed, trying to clear his throat and get some air in. He found Thanatos standing before three opponents. Two he recognized, Rastus and Dion. But at their fore was another, larger figure. His skin was black, but darker than the skin of any human being. So dark it seemed to swallow all light as if it was matte black. His clothes were no different. He wore a long flowing black coat. He was empty-handed, but two sword hilts extended out over his shoulders where they were slung on his back. He looked as intimidating as he did terrifying.
“Who the hell is that?”
Aaron rubbed his eyes to be sure he wasn’t seeing things. He kept thinking nothing would surprise him anymore, but that was a mistake. This creature had the form of a human, but nobody would mistake him for one. Black fog floated about him as if he were emanating it.
“Erebus,” said Thanatos in a pained voice.
The name meant nothing to Aaron, but he could tell from Thanatos’ tone that it was not good news.
“You, too? You’re fighting for Hades now? You stayed out of the war, and now you pick sides?”
Erebus scowled as smoke poured from his body like the belching fumes of an oil-burning eighteen-wheel tractor. Had it happened a few months back, Aaron would have assumed it was some prank or trick, but he knew better now, and that terrified him. Erebus looked like the personification of death or some kind of unspeakable demon. There was complete silence as each side weighed the other up. Finally, Erebus spoke in a deep growly voice.
“Had I known you’d win, I would have fought to stop you.”
“And yet now you fight with them?”
“Zeus kept control and power. But now all of that is gone, we need order.”
“And Hades is going to give us that?”
“Yes.”
“He’s crazy. He’d kill everything to get what he wants.”
“Yes.”
Aaron felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized just how much was at stake. He was terrified for his own life and those of his friends still in the truck, but he didn’t think of turning from the fight for a moment. In his stunned state he’d forgotten his rifle, and lost hold of it during the crash. But that didn’t bother him, knowing it would be of little use against such formidable foes. His pistol was still holstered at his belt, but he didn’t even bother reaching for it. Instead, his hand went around to the small of his back and drew downwards. The bronze blade gleamed as he drew it from its concealed position. Thanatos looked stunned to see it, but also impressed.
“Now you’re starting to get it,” he smiled.
“Do we have any chance here?” Aaron whispered.
“Not much.”
“That’s not too comforting.”
“Leave Erebus to me. You don’t want to be tangling with something like that.”
“And you do?”
He shrugged. “I’ve always been curious about what it would be like.”
“This is over, Thanatos. You have chosen a side that has already lost, Theodosia and her band of rejects, misfits, and losers. You served Hades once.”
“I never served him,” snapped Thanatos.
He knew to some degree it was true. His strings were pulled along like a puppet, but he’d never seen it at the time, and he had too much pride to admit it now.
“We can rule this, all of us. But there’s a natural order to things. There always has been, and there always will be. Join me, as an equal, and we can achieve anything,” roared Erebus.
“Pretty sad to see the day you knelt before anyone,” replied Thanatos.
“I kneel for no one. Hades was wrong to overthrow the Allfather, but that cannot be undone. Join me, Thanatos, and we will achieve great things.”
Aaron was carefully studying his newly found ally, still not knowing how far he could trust him, or how much he could be tempted over to the other side. For a few moments his face was blank. The lack of emotion worried Aaron, as he wondered if he was really considering the offer.
Erebus chuckled in a low down way that almost sounded like a cat purring, but deeper and with a wicked glee as it echoed around them. Finally, Thanatos reached for the hilt of his sword and drew it out, letting it rest beside him.
“You should have stayed out of this fight. It was never yours to begin with.”
“And you’re willing to die for this?”
“Nobody said anything about dying.”
“But you know you cannot win?”
“I thought I couldn’t win against Zeus. I thought it was a useless folly, that I would die a glorious death. But here I am. Still standing. Zeus himself could not defeat me, and you think you can?”
Erebus drew out his two blades, which hissed and spat with white energy as if they were electrified before even making contact. Smoke and mist surrounded them, too.
“Join, or die, everybody does,” he growled.
“I’ll never serve Hades another day, and you’re a fool to do so,” snapped Thanatos.
Erebus let out a shriek of a battle cry as he rushed forward with murderous intent. He moved across the ground so quickly and so nimbly it looked as though he were floating like an ethereal creature. Aaron wondered what he really was, and yet he didn’t know if he’d even live long enough to pose the question. At the same time, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Thanatos pulled the shield off his back just in time and braced himself for the impact. A cloud of dust exploded out from Erebus as he impacted on the shield. Thanatos held firm, but slid back several feet from the weight of the blow. A barrage of cuts followed from his attacker, which he parried from side to side with his shield as sparks and energy flew. It was quite a sight to marvel at, but Aaron had problems of his own as the other two came for him. They clearly had no regard for him. No fear whatsoever, and he knew how dangerous that could be. He needed to show them otherwise. He stepped off to one side to nullify their numerical superiority and swung a heavy downward blow toward Rastus’ head. He lifted his sword to parry, but to Aaron’s amazement, the blow beat his parry down, almost striking him on the head. Aaron’s eyes widened in shock, he’d not expected to match one of them in strength.
The surprise caught him off guard, and he froze for a fraction of a second. In that brief moment, Dion’s foot smashed into his flank. He crashed down to the floor, but the plates in his body armor saved him from a fair amount of the impact, although he still got a mouthful of dirt for his efforts. He’d lost the grip of his sword as he fell, but quickly turned over to find both attackers towering over him. He’d never felt more out of his element in all his life. When he first faced Thanatos and Theodosia, he had no idea what they were. The unknown was scary, but now he knew what they were, and how powerful they were, it seemed so much worse.
