Part 2
As I fly over the grounds with Marley, blasting monsters with fire, I try to work out our next move.
There haven’t been any casualties yet. Any team members who get injured are being blipped out to Blueberry’s Forest so Tommy can heal them.
I can see the Docs and Vic in their old Trinity getups. Vic’s switched his bazooka out for a flamethrower, having Des cast Zatur whenever the fuel tank runs low.
Fortunately, everyone’s warded with Ambus by now, so we don’t have to worry about friendly fire.
The expanded Kelmu Force have arrived to join the fight as Duwen said they were, and I can see Ghurt watching with an expression of awe and glee as Bomber uses his new power to summon bombs on the monsters.
BOOM
But the monsters that get splattered to bits just regenerate into more monsters. Only burning them seems to keep them down, and I’m not sure if Bomber’s bombs explode with fire or some kind of concussive blasts.
Still, they can do some damage. They’d be good for, I don’t know, blowing up cracked walls hiding secret passages or something.
Maybe we could have used them when we found Ursula. To blow the rubble off those murals.
Me and Marley are definitely copying that power, but that’s if we make it out of this alive.
It’s only a matter of time until we’re overrun, so we need to end this before it gets out of control, or the monsters find a way to circumvent the force field.
Cetteville has been invaded enough times.
There has to be a way to get to Anti-Venom, stop these monsters from coming, and end this attack.
There has to be a way to lure her away from her safe place by Pax’s side.
And there has to be a name for these monsters.
“Lightlings” sounds a bit awkward.
If Michelle is wherever Pax is, she’s gotta be watching this, right? Pax can see us through any PHOTON, and he probably has a way to let her watch the show too. And the weather’s pretty sunny today, so getting a message to the bitch wouldn’t be hard, but what do we SAY to her? What would push her buttons?
Well, we know what she wants: the death of Venom, and any other Klyntar hosts in the ChaotiX. And we know that they’re all here, going after Carnage under the School. Perhaps we can provoke Ms. Howard into going after them and exposing herself.
But we have to keep in mind that she’s still on Pax’s leash. She isn’t going to join the fray without his permission, and he’ll want to keep her away from us, because he knows we have to get to her to stop his attack.
So PAX is the one we need to talk to. What can we say to provoke HIM?
Good question. I already unmasked him, so that threat holds no power anymore.
We need to think of something quick, before the team tires out and we’re overwhelmed.
Wait a minute, I’ve got it!
You know what we need to say to Pax?
No, what we need to lure Michelle out to play, and beat these monsters! Remember the Eye of the Storm Maneuver from the San Francisco incident, Cal?
Of course.
And do you remember what I suggested doing back then?
I do, so I see what your plan is, but we can’t use that plan right now.
Not unless our Klyntar members vacate the premises for a bit.
And right now, they’re hunting Carnage.
Below the School, the five Klyntar hosts stand in front of a pair of sliding doors, sealed shut, a keypad next to it.
The humanoids have all recovered from the damage their Klyntar took, and they’re armed with sonic cannons, sticking to their backs.
Venom looks up at the door.
“Wut am awn da udda side of dis doow? We neba bin down hewe bee-fowe.”
“The FauCore that powers everything in the School, Venom. Faucheuse Tower isn’t on Cetteville’s power grid, and neither is the School. Otherwise the electricity bills would be HUGE. Or our electrokinetics would be stuck down here with plugs in their noses.”
“And according to Alex and Sander, Carnage is in THERE. You don’t think he’s trying to cut the juice, do you? Maybe he thinks it’ll get the force field offline.”
“Well, that’s why Valerie did it THIS way, with the drones. They all have their own smaller FauCores powering them, so if that’s Carnage’s game, it won’t work.”
Venom scoffs.
“Cawnage am awweady inside, foh. An he onwy wan WUN fing: tu kiww us.”
“An tu kiww US. An aneewun ewse hu git in him way. Ow hu wook at him fun-eee. Ow hu NU wook at him fun-eee.”
“Otay, he wan a WOTTA fings, but wite NAO, he wan us.”
Mania looks down at Venom.
“Even if he kills all of us, he’s TRAPPED in here. Well, his main body is. But he probably doesn’t care if he dies here, as long as he can kill YOU first. Let’s just get in there already so we can see what we’re dealing with.”
bip bip bip… bip
Bellikose punches a code into the keypad, and the doors slide open, the Klyntar hosts stepping inside.
The room on the other side is rather large, and a massive version of a FauCore is the centerpiece of the room.
It’s spherical and black, with glowing white lines, mounted on top of a podium, wires connected to the base going into the floor. There’s a podium with a control panel in front of it, and screens displaying information on the walls.
FauCores are power sources initially invented by Pierre, and improved by Valerie, the synthesization of octavium playing a key role in the latter.
Octavium is the element that the Stones of Octavo are compromised of. The Nerd Squad has been learning much about its properties.
Most FauCores are smaller, small enough to be held in one’s hand. But to meet the energy needs of Faucheuse Tower and the School, Pierre needed to go bigger.
It is because of these power sources that the late Oliver Dinopoulos became desperate enough to invade Primal Earth. Because the thought of FauCores providing the world with cheap, clean energy terrified him.
He knew that it would render fossil fuels obsolete, and drive companies like his own Dino Energy out of business.
Which was entirely intentional on Pierre’s part, he just didn’t think that Oliver had what it took to actually try making his crazy schemes a reality.
Pierre blames himself for the current situation too. Had he taken Oliver more seriously, he could have nipped the problem in the bud before Oliver ever thought of hiring mercenaries.
The group can see Carnage, standing atop the giant FauCore, looking down directly at Venom with a grin.
“Wong time nu see. Hewwo, daddeh.”
And then he looks at the red and dark blue symbiotic fluffy.
“An hewwo… BABBEH. Wooks wike yu am bein a BAD babbeh.”
Both fluffies glare up at Carnage.
“We sed it wast time: we NU am yu daddeh, yu am jus sumfin we shat owt.”
“An WE nu am yu BABBEH, Cawnage. Yu wan tu knu wut we am?”
The red and blue stallion snarls.
“We… am TOXIN.”
Bellikose chimes in.
“A fitting name, yes? Seems your spawn takes more after Venom than YOU, Carnage.”
Mania cracks all six sets of knuckles.
krrrrrrrrrrrrk
“So what’s your plan, here? Were you going to cause a blackout? Or do you not even HAVE a plan at all?”
Shadow chuckles.
“We have you outnumbered and outgunned. So how about you explain how you got in here, and what you were going to do?”
Carnage stares at Shadow, not recognizing them from his previous encounter with the ChaotiX. Kirk wasn’t in the squad back then, as he and Reilly discussed yesterday.
Then Carnage looks at Mania, vaguely recognizing them from last time, and then he looks back at Shadow.
“Otay, Cawnage fink dat Cawnage knu hu da wun wif siss awmies am, but hu am YU?”
“We are Shadow. And you… are DEAD. So before we kill you, mind telling us how you even got in here?”
Carnage snickers.
“Yus, Cawnage DU mine, ack-shu-awwy. Yu fink yu can kiww Cawnage? Gu ahed an twy, but Cawnage am AWWAYS gunna bounce back.”
Venom snarls, losing their patience.
“Fuk it. Dibsies!”
They leap up, flinging themselves at Carnage.
WHUMP
Venom knocks Carnage off the giant FauCore, both of them falling to the floor.
As Carnage gets back up, he grins.
“Oh, Cawnage gess we gut stawt-ed!”
The two symbiotic fluffies start grappling like a couple of angry alley cats.
In his white void, Pax watches the start of Round Three between Venom and Carnage.
“How did he get there so fast? …Ah. Must be Dehak’s meddling again.”
Anti-Venom is still spawning Antibodies.
“So are you going to give me a proper explanation about this Dehak guy? Who IS he?”
“The most dangerous of the Devourer’s servants, Michelle. You see, in most timelines that fall to the glutton, it is usually by Dehak’s hand that the Devourer breaks into reality and… well, devours everything. That seems to be a constant, like Calvins being so stubbornly defiant.”
Pax chuckles.
“And do you wish to know what usually happens to those Dehaks who supposedly win? The Devourer devours him too, in the end. That is the final reward the Devourer’s servants receive for their faithful service: to be among the last people in the universe to be eaten. But, of course…”
“They STILL get eaten. They just bought themselves a little extra time and a front row seat to the end of the world.”
Pax beams like a teacher proud of his student for acing a test.
“Exactly! Again, it is to save worlds from that gruesome end and to spare the inhabitants of said worlds from an eternity of torment that I do my work. At least in the worlds I save, everyone is still alive. They are safe, and they are happy. Can’t say that for the worlds that the Devourer gets. Those are the only two outcomes, I’m afraid. I’ve seen it in every world I visit. Why should this world be any different?”
“And… and Korkea knows about the Devourer too, right? Why didn’t he say anything about THEM earlier?”
“He had his reasons. At the moment, it’s me who concerns him. It was not Dehak who threatened to expose him. No, Dehak is employing different methods. And he’s still waiting for an opportunity to strike, that much I know.”
Anti-Venom looks at the televisions.
“Can’t we just watch what HE’S doing?”
Pax sadly shakes his head.
“He and his friends hide in the shadows, away from the light, and their base is illuminated by anti-light. That is what you get when you go all the way through darkness and out the other side. I can’t see through anti-photons, as much as it frustrates me.”
“Okay, that doesn’t sound very scientific, but my degree is a LAW degree, so what do I know? I dealt with the laws of government, not the laws of physics. I don’t know enough about scientific stuff to argue with you about that.”
“Yes, that is one of humanity’s failings. They think they know everything about the universe and how it works, but the sum of humanity’s knowledge is but a drop compared to the endless ocean that is mine. Even the Faucheuse brothers aren’t on my level. I would know, I’ve met enough versions of them.”
“Hey, so, uh… there isn’t a version of ME who isn’t a wanted criminal, is there?”
“Probably, but what you intend to do is not necessary. As I told Calvin, everyone’s past crimes will be forgiven in the world of light. Everyone’s… except his. It’s too late for him to apologize. I see now that I’ve been going about this the wrong way.”
Pax stares at the television showing Calvin and Marley, still flinging fireballs at Antibodies.
“In every timeline where I introduce myself to him, he inevitably defies me. So the solution is simple: eliminate him from the equation before he defies me. Before he even meets me. He is the reason everything goes wrong. So once I’ve killed this version of him, I’ll apply this lesson to his counterparts. Perhaps the entire multiverse is better off without him. I wish that I could allow him to exist, but Calvins will never stop defying me as long as they draw breath.”
“So… what are you going to do if he survives this?”
“If. The battle isn’t over yet.”
BOOM
PLOP
BOOM
PLOP
BOOM
PLOP
BOOM
Bomber keeps blowing up Antibodies with his glowing bombs.
It was only yesterday that Bomber demonstrated his new power for Calvin and Marley, and he can still only summon one bomb at a time.
He's noticed that the bombs aren’t actually destroying the Antibodies, but Dave is following him in demon form, spewing fire at the splattered bits of white slime before they get a chance to regenerate into more Antibodies.
FWOOSH
FWOOSH
FWOOSH
Slayer, however, has managed to pin an Antibody down, and is currently…
“Enf! Enf! Enf! Enf! Enf!”
…doing what he does best to it.
He’s trying to save some nut for Carnage, knowing that the little psychopath is on the premises.
Reilly’s in Unfriendly Neighborhood Woman-Spider form, palm-mounted flamethrowers on all six hands, letting the Antibodies have it.
FWOOSH
The Kelmu Force are doing the same with red laser guns, designed by Ghurt to fire beams of pure heat that cook Antibodies from the inside out. Rocket has those beams built into the power armor he wears under his uniform.
PEW
Merlom is having the hardest time out of the Kelmu Force’s more recent recruits, not being much of a fighter. Since he and his associates joined the Force, his main role has been negotiating contracts, and they’ve been staying on Tenneb Island to help Merlom and his brothers keep the peace, so they haven’t been doing many other jobs lately.
Fortunately, Duwen flies in to clobber the Antibody that was about to kill Merlom.
WHAM
“Thank you, Duwen.”
“Think nothing of it. Merlom. Your survival is necessary if our people are to survive.”
Konba lands with Xanitas and Trota, all three in Super Saingan form and wearing palm-mounted flamethrowers.
“Come on, you were just looking out for your brother. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Duwen.”
Duwen turns to Konba.
“I have been meaning to ask: do you have any siblings, Konba?”
Konba shrugs.
“Now’s not the time for that.”
He holds his hand up, palm open.
“Get yourself two of these, I think Jack is handing them out.”
Duwen raises an eyebrow.
“The blond human with the time powers? I’m… not sure if they’re a man or a woman. Is it rude to ask that in Earthling culture?”
Konba shakes his head.
“He’s a man. We actually hooked up a while before I started dating Val, but again, not really the time.”
He turns to Xanitas and Trota, already using their flamethrowers. Saingans aren’t usually the type to use weapons, but the Antibodies have proven to be resilient to punches, kicks and energy blasts.
“For now, we’ve got work to do. Business before pleasure.”
Duwen grins eagerly.
“In this case, it’s a bit of both.”
I hover above the battle, talking to Valerie via MIKA, Marley facing flown down to assist Judy, Piccolo and Snowball.
“Is everything ready, Val?”
I hear her reply as if she’s right next to me, even though she’s still in her lab.
“We just need to get our Klyntar members off the grounds, and I believe they’re fighting Carnage as we speak.”
I spot one of our recent recruits down on the ground. His purple clothing stands out in all of the white.
“I know how to contact ‘em.”
I land next to Ulysses, who is using his psionic powers to hold the monsters still for our other teammates.
“You having much luck with these fuckers, dude?”
He shakes his head.
“They don’t have much of a mind to affect, Cal. They are enthralled to another’s will, and even I can’t break into the Light’s mind.”
“We’ve got a way to end this, but I need you to do something for me.”
In the white void, Pax points at Anti-Venom, and she stops spawning Antibodies.
“I think we’ve got enough forces now. It’s time for you to make your move.”
“What? Why now of all times?”
“Because Calvin is preparing to wipe out all of our Antibodies in one go. He’s trying to force the confrontation with you. If he wants to speed up his demise, why not oblige him?”
“So what do I do now?”
Pax gets up.
“Get your sword ready. I’ll move you into position.”
“Well, at least you WARNED me this time.”
CRASH
Inside the School’s lobby, Venom and Carnage crash in through a wall, the rest of Venom’s allies following them through.
Carnage gets back up before Venom does, and Carnage lunges, teeth bared.
But Toxin intercepts, grabbing Carnage’s leg with a tendril and slamming him into the floor.
WHUMP
As the tendril lets go and retracts, Venom and Toxin stand side by side, glaring at Carnage with identical expressions of disgust.
“Jus gib up awweady. Yu neba wuz gunna win dis. Yu spawn hab cho-sun a side, an nu YU side.”
“Yu fowt dat we wan-ed tu be a munstah wike YU? Fow-git abowt it.”
Carnage gets to his hoofs, grinning insanely at his renegade spawn.
“If yu nu wiww join Cawnage, yu wiww DIE fow Cawnage.”
“Neba gunna happun. We am stwong-ew den yu. An we nu am AWONE.”
Bellikose, Mania and Shadow step up.
“YOU’RE alone, in enemy territory, surrounded on all sides. There’s no winning this, Carnage. Maybe if you had brought another army, you’d have stood a chance.”
“And if you couldn’t tell from the commotion coming from outside, we have enough shit to deal with right now, so we’re all kinda thankful that you DIDN’T bring an army.”
“We would know if you had any fragments of yourself hidden here. So let’s just wrap this up.”
“Gladly.”
Anti-Venom suddenly leaps down from the ceiling, pointing All-White down, holding the hilt with both hands.
SHUNK
The blade impales Carnage, nailing him to the floor.
“Wut da fu-- SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!”
Carnage screams as his Klyntar bubbles and writhes, the red biomass quickly burning away entirely, exposing the restored fluffy body of Woody underneath.
This surprises the ChaotiX members present.
They knew that Carnage’s head had been bitten off by Venom, and he had formed a substitute from his biomass when his Klyntar reanimated his rotting corpse.
And they knew that said corpse had been destroyed by Calvin, during his very brief stint as Venom. Incinerated, along with all of the biomass Carnage recalled to become Maximum Carnage.
But they didn’t know that Carnage had reconstituted his fluffy body, using another fluffy as raw materials.
Up until Anti-Venom came out of nowhere and impaled the bastard, that is.
With the Klyntar biomass burned away in seconds, Woody is as powerless and fragile as the average fluffy, and he cannot survive the injury he has sustained, succumbing in seconds.
“ghk”
When Anti-Venom pulls the sword out, Woody is extremely dead.
Carnage, of course, lives on elsewhere, but his presence here has been eliminated.
Dehak and his associates have a piece of his Klyntar now, so now Carnage’s presence extends across worlds. And he already reconstituted his body once. Woody’s DNA still lives on in every cell of his Klyntar half, all he needs is the materials.
And the ChaotiX do not know that a piece of Carnage is in the New Order’s custody now.
As far as they know, there are no traces of Carnage left on School grounds, and he no longer has a horse in this race, so to speak.
As the ChaotiX’s Klyntar hosts gape in horror, Anti-Venom grins, pointing her sword at them.
“So… who’s next? Eenie… meenie… miney…”
Her eyes linger on Venom, who has realized whose face hides under that slimy white façade.
“…you.”