World of Heroes: A Lia, Human of Utah and Blackbow Tie-In Short Story Read online

  So basically they’re all hybrids like me, but on a smaller power scale? Lia asked.

  Precisely. Evolved hybrids. They’re nothing compared to you, but like you, they are still fundamentally human. James replied in her mind.

  “Thanks honey,“ Lia muttered in reply. She was glad that she was still the ultimate lifeform. She marveled at her children's society, their roads, their skyscrapers, their traffic. All of it felt like home to her, a home she’d lost over a century ago to the shifted. Taken as a whole, excluding the occasional flying individual, their society was as advanced as hers used to be. Part of her yearned to live among them, to be more than just a statue alongside statues of Bruce and Spirit in each town square. On one hand it was good that they hadn’t forgotten about her, but she would’ve preferred her children to not make a religion out of her and her cloned Adam and Eve warriors. Ultimately, Lia decided to remain in a distant galaxy where she’d been since first starting her new world; opting to let the spectacle of life continue unabated.

  Chapter 2 – Year 2302 AKD: Bailey Knight

  Bailey Knight wandered down the main street on her way home when she heard a scream. “Help me!” A voice yelled out. Bailey ran into a nearby alley. She found a woman being assaulted by a man with a fish head, and what looked like a giant bear with a man’s face. Bailey rushed the fish man and threw him to the ground, freeing the woman. As the woman struggled to cover herself, Bailey took down the bear man with a sweeping kick. Several decisive moves later, both men were unconscious. Moments later, a massive man dressed in purple spandex suit with lightning badges on his shoulders appeared. “Purple Spark!” Bailey exclaimed, overwhelmed by fandom. “The triathlete hero who uses electrical discharges from glands in his hands to subdue enemies...” she muttered excitedly. “That’s me!” Purple Spark said, smiling casually. In one move, Purple Spark appeared beside the woman, holding her up by her shoulders in a comforting embrace. “Are you okay miss?” The woman nodded. “That lady saved me!” The woman exclaimed cheerfully, her tears more from relief than fear.

  Purple Spark sized Bailey up, seeing a khaki pants, black top wearing unassuming teen. “You don’t say? Well done young lady!” He exclaimed. Media drones flew quietly into the alley, lighting the area up for instantaneous broadcast. “Purple Spark, can you explain what happened here?” A drone asked. Purple Spark tazed the perpetrators with a touch then tied them up. “I heard a commotion, when I arrived the villains were already dealt with thanks to my friend over here!” He pointed to Bailey.

  All of a sudden, Bailey’s vision was awash with light. “Miss can you tell us your name?” a droid demanded with a pleasant synthetic voice. “B-Bailey,”she said. “Bailey how did you do it? What is your power? Are you a student at Guardian Mecca? Do you have a Guardian name?” Stunned? Bailey paused. “The Mecca wouldn’t have me because I’m powerless... as such I have no Guardian name. I’m just a good fighter,“ Bailey said with a hint of envious sadness.

  Purple Spark looked insulted. “Bailey, worry not. I’ll put in a good word for you. You’ll become a Guardian yet!” He exclaimed seriously for the camera’s benefit, pointing to the woman Bailey saved, then to the villains. “Can you actually tell me someone so brave shouldn’t be a Guardian? Tell me Bailey, what’s your last name?” He asked. “Knight...” Bailey replied nervously. “You’re a direct descendant of the Knights, the Founding Couple?” The drone asked incredulously. “Yes... as we all are...” Bailey replied exasperated, wishing she hadn’t answered. “Amazing!” The drone exclaimed then flew away rambling about its amazing exclusive. The police arrived to take the villains away, leaving Bailey alone with Purple Spark and the saved woman. “Well young Bailey, well done, I must be off!” he exclaimed before electrostatically scaling the wall of a skyscraper beside the alley. “Wait, I...” Bailey started to say but was cut off by a cloud of dust from his speed. A piece of paper glided down into her hand, with one look she noticed a winking face and his signature. Bailey felt overjoyed. The Purple Spark, Number Four Guardian of the entire Mecca said he’d help her.

  One Week Later -

  Bailey sat at a school desk in an itchy class uniform but she didn’t care, she was finally a student at GM. Whenever students looked her way, their expressions implied the usual ‘oh she’s a Knight’ or ‘she’s just powerless“. This changed to things such as “So what if she saved one lady? Purple Spark probably said that just to be nice.’ At that moment, Purple Spark walked in to teach the class. Instantly, the room fell silent. “What does it mean to be a Guardian?” He asked.

  “To save the weak!” the class exclaimed.

  “To be the pillar that holds up people’s sense of security?” Bailey asked nervously.

  “All correct!” Purple Spark exclaimed with a smile.

  “But most important of all, a true Guardian gives their all no matter the cost. You have to put yourself where you wish people would be: on the side of right!” He explained.

  An alarm blared. “Sounds like some villains are up to no good,“ Purple Spark huffed. “Everyone study your ethics books, I shall return!” He exclaimed triumphantly as he ran from the room.

  “Purple Spark, the Demon Gang has attacked the dark matter power plant. Report there immediately!” The President’s voice boomed over his cell phone. “Yes Ma’am.” Purple Spark said.

  Chapter 3 – Evolved Alphas

  Purple Spark raced to the scene of what he thought was going to be a petty crime, but what he saw horrified him. Countless numbers of the dead rose bloodied from the ground, their bodies were riddled with dark matter. Demon Gang members raced by him in panic, ignoring his call to halt. Purple Spark’s mouth was agape. Pro Guardians numbered three through two - King Whale and Captain Justice - were among the risen dead, their heads torn asunder. Dribbling brain matter and broken limbs were replaced with a black substance which fastidiously surrounded their entire bodies, turning them into massive armoured hulks with claws for hands while they bellowed and roared. Wasting no time, Purple Spark charged into the fray, desperate to restrain his colleagues and the villains so he could set about discharging or perhaps stabilising the compromised dark matter plant. Instead, King Whale blasted him across the room with a torrent of water from his mouth. Purple Spark careened painfully into the steel wall.

  Reacting swiftly, Purple Spark sent a knockout level voltage charge through the water into the feet of all those nearby. His targets didn’t react. Confused, Purple Spark tried a lethal blast on a Demon Gang member, who shrugged it off and continued roaring. The infected Captain Justice used his super strength to tear a chunk out of the steel wall closest to him, heaving it at the kneeling Purple Spark.

  Purple Spark dove right, narrowly avoiding the attack. He ran away hastily. He switched his cell phone to broadcast mode.

  “ALL GUARDIANS. I REPEAT ALL GUARDIANS...The dark matter plant is under attack by heavily armed entities who are unknown. They’ve killed numbers three and two, I barely escaped. Everyone converge on the plant!”He turned around, prepared to buy as much time as he could so the monsters couldn’t reach the city. They were twenty in total. He smiled courageously then charged at King Whale. As he hop, the infected number two hero, who was covered in black plate armour, fired another blast of water at him, soaking several nearby targets. Purple Spark sent a maximum torrent of energy, frying ten targets, but only slowing them down instead. “Well, darn.” he muttered, dodging an uppercut from an armoured and clawed hand. Two more strikes met their mark, cutting Purple Spark down like a dead tree, his bones crushed by the force. One clawed hand stabbed through his spandex and pierced his heart, killing him instantly. His corpse became one of them. All of the top heroes - from two to four, with their powers combined - were amongst the horde.

  Everyone, from students to Pro Guardians, converged on the reactor plant to take in the horror. Only those who fired energy type blasts had any effect, although temporarily.

  One by one, Lia’s precious children fell, only to ri
se again as evolved alpha shifted.

  “No. How?” Lia demanded to her empty ship.

  My guess is the leaking dark matter triggered dormant shifted DNA pulled from you when the human DNA was sequenced... like a cancer of sorts... something within them all just waiting to take over. James hypothesised.

  “Does this mean my people are done for?” Lia asked worriedly

  Not necessarily, it just means they need to limit exposure to dark matter. James replied.

  “I’ll fix this!” Lia exclaimed, preparing to set foot on the planet she hadn’t touched in over 2000 years.

  Chapter 4 – KamaGiri Returns

  Lia slammed down to Earth with the force of a meteor, crushing an alpha underfoot. She spun around with blade whilst screaming, “Release!” This loosened a wall of flaming energy so intense that it burned five alphas to ash. People all around her backed away and bowed in supplication. Chants of “KamaGiri” joined the din of alphas roaring. Only 16 more... no problem. Lia thought to herself. She let the alphas surround her, even allowing some to dig their claws into her armour just so she could feel something.

  Bored of their feeble attempts she slammed her katana into the ground, channeling her tendrils through it. Instantly, they burst through the ground like writhing serrated trees which ensnared each alpha. “Release.” Lia growled, sending a violent wave of crimson energy through the blade and into the tendrils. The alphas heads erupted, causing an eruption of black rain. Lastly, she charged into the dark matter plant and used her kynari to absorb all the remaining dark matter contained within. Once outside, news drones and people waited eagerly for a slight glimpse of her. Amongst them, at the forefront, stood Bailey Knight.

  How should I play this? Lia wondered.

  Be the number one hero they’ve been waiting for... Tory replied.

  Lia stood in the middle of the crowd while pondering for a moment, after which she raised a fist to the sky before giving a thumbs-up “It’s okay now, as I am here!” She announced triumphantly. The crowd erupted in cheers. “Abstain from using dark matter or this will be repeated, understood?” She yelled for all to hear before she took off into the sky amidst the cheers and adoration. Once back on her ship, she had an idea. She grabbed one of Bruce’s old bows and a massive stockpile of Holdfast arrows and returned to the crowd. “Bailey Knight, this is a gift from your ancestors which I’ve reinforced and sharpened with my tendrils. Should this issue arise again, I’ll be watching but I do believe that you’ll be prepared.”

  With her successor Guardian being chosen, Lia flew back to her ship so she could watch for another millennia, content in knowing her children were flourishing, and perhaps that this time, the shifted were gone for good.

  Chapter 5 – Politics of a Goddess

  One Day After Lia’s Departure -

  News outlets erupted like an explosive arrowhead about the return of the great KamaGiri and her new favourite, the popular Bailey Knight. On her way home, she‘s trailed by media drones and the occasional devout civilian eager to ask her about Lia. She opened the door to her modest two-story family home and slammed the door in their faces.

  “Hi honey, how was school?” Her mom, Julie asked, while her dad watched from the kitchen with a worried expression.

  “You all saw the news. You know what happened,” Bailey huffed

  “We just want to make sure you’re okay,” her dad, Steven, chimed in.

  Bailey used a look of announce to cover her sadness. “Purple Spark and a bunch of good people died while the great KamaGiri just watched. Where was she when the Communists nearly won World War 3? Where was she when President Dump almost started a nuclear war over racial tensions? Or any other major event in history? People had to turn into monsters before she finally showed up late. Some goddess...”

  Her parents exchanged knowing looks.

  Before she burst into tears of frustration, Bailey tossed her new bow and quiver onto her old family bow. Compared to Lia’s gifts, the old bow looked severely worn from generations of Knight training. Steven slowly bent down, picked it up and followed Bailey to her room. She was on the bed, crying.

  “This is one hell of a bow. It reminds me of Founding Father Bruce Knight’s,” he said.

  “That’s because it is his,“ Bailey said, irritated, knowing full well her dad watched what Lia said on the news.

  “I know, but imagine! You just turned sixteen last week and finally finished off five years of archery training to celebrate. If you had a bow like this it would’ve taken three years,” Steven said with a smile.

  “I know how old I am, dad,“ Bailey said.

  “Then you know why we’re worried... it’s a lot to take in and...” He glanced around her room at all the posters of Purple Spark. “We just want to make sure you’re doing okay.”

  “You said that already. I’m fine!” Bailey retorted.

  “Alright, well you know where we are if you wanna talk.” Steven said before handing her the bow and leaving.

  To blow off steam, Bailey seized the bow, stormed out of the house into the backyard archery range. All it took was one bullseye shot to send the reinforced target to the ground. Bailey’s eyes widened in surprise. The stories passed down bu her family said Bruce’s bow could devastate concrete but to witness the toughest target go down like paper, flabbergasted her. She bent down to retrieve the arrow, but discovered that the KamaGiri’s tendrils had already eaten away at the target and systematically devoured the rest. Bailey retrieved the arrow before it devoured any more of the generation-old target.

  Bored of what she’d already mastered, Bailey turned in for the night.

  Two Weeks Later -

  Guards that were previously tasked with cordoning off the dark matter power plant were reassigned to quell the various anti KamaGiri riots spurred on by a news drone. Bailey walked by one of the protests and noticed a drone broadcasting the video

  of her talking to her dad in private, decrying the KamaGiri’s centuries of inactivity. Her innocent private words of frustration were being used to rile up the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately mentality pervading the populace. Shocked, Bailey raced to GM to find all the students sharing the video, some even looked at her like she was some sort of cult leader. Bailey spent the rest of the day begging people to stop watching the video, but to no avail. To her chagrin, a pole-thin raven haired man with giant black wings, who called himself the Prophet of Truth, took the video and started a viral anti-Kamagiri religion that fed the riots. Between struggling to study and trying to mind her own business, Bailey found herself at a loss.

  As the weeks passed by, people from all walks of life got sucked into the Prophet’s apparently harmless cult. It was, from Bailey’s perspective, a fad. Until one day, while she headed home, she saw rioters, armed with anything they could find, amassed around the derelict dark matter plant. One man with three heads looked to the stars almost knowingly before he charged into the unguarded plant to bring it back to life. Streams of individuals gave chase. Aware of what was to come, Bailey rushed past last couple of blocks to get home. After seizing her new bow and loaded quiver, she prepared for a fight.

  Upon her return, she heard a horrendous roar echoing from the plant as more of the Prophet’s strongest followers came out as mega alpha shifted. Wasting little time, Bailey took aim at Prophet’s knee from behind and fired. The ground shook violently, sending her aim way higher then she intended. After she recovered her footing, she saw the Prophet face down on the ground with an augmented super-arrow eating away at his obliterated head.

  That was for Purple Spark... Bailey thought to herself, trying to be resolute despite being horrified of what was occurring

  To make matters worse, a veritable horde of the black armoured monsters who she saw on the news, was targeting one person: her. There were close to thirty of them with more being created by the second. Meanwhile, Bailey only had twenty-four arrows (make that twenty-three) and the alphas were gaining fast. Bailey fired an arrow at the
face of one before she retreated up the street towards higher ground, all while continuing to shoot. The ground beneath her trembled and quaked from the monsters’ footsteps as they advanced on her ceaseless firing. By the time she’d taken down ten of them, she was nearly four blocks from where she started. In the distance, she heard children crying. Some of the alphas had raced ahead of her, ignoring her completely, and abducted civilians and dragged them towards the power plant.

  Bailey backed into an alley where two crying children hid. She wanted to cover them while also manoeuvring herself so she could aim at those alphas who were abducting people. She managed to free five people by killing their kidnappers before focusing on Guardian duty.

  “Okay kids join your hands together! We‘re gonna form a train, the leader holds on to the belt loop of my pants. When I say go, we run away, okay?” The kids managed to nod. With that Bailey said, “Go.” and they quietly took off down the street toward her home. Every couple of steps, Bailey had to stop and kill one of their pursuers. It wasn't actually helping. The more she killed, the more they came. She only had five arrows left.

  Desperate, Bailey told the kids to run in the direction of her home, hoping they’d tell her parents what was happening, before she advanced on the monsters. Four more dropped mercilessly. One arrow remained. Bailey switched over to melee combat, using the bow to parry strikes while stabbing with the arrow like a sword, just like her mom had shown her. Eventually, they paid attention to the nuisance of a girl who was impeding their quest for fresh bodies. To Bailey’s dismay, it meant she was fighting for her life as they piled in around her, tore her clothing as they clawed at her exposed body. Tiring, it was all Bailey could do to stay awake as blood drained from her in rivers. She felt a tendril from the black-blood-coated arrow she held enter her arm. The skin turned pure white. Shocked and delirious, Bailey blacked out.