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  The major, who was driving their jeep, rode up on the sidewalk. People he could move—wrecked cars he could not. “He’s certainly not trying to hide his tracks is he?â€� asked the soldier in the passenger seat.

  “He’s creating chaos to slow us down,â€� Jonathan said. “He probably knows we’ll chase him all the way to Genetic Corp, but he needs to get there first.â€�

  The jeep slowed, as a group of victims tried to complain to the soldiers about what had happened to them. The soldier in the passenger seat got on a bullhorn and announced their intentions to go through unhindered. When they didn’t disburse, he pulled his pistol and fired it into the air. The people moved.

  The jeep surged through. Jonathan wondered about the mentality. Is it worth injuring or killing innocent people just to get this monster?

  An object caught Jonathan’s attention. He looked and saw a car tumble through the air. It came down five hundred yards ahead of them. An explosion erupted near the impact sight.

  Jonathan pointed out the area for the soldiers. “That must be him!â€�

  The driver hit the gas, trusting the pedestrians would have the good common sense to move out of his way. They did—barely.

  There was no easy way of getting through the mess that Nemesis had left behind. Commuters went this way and that, trying to get to their destinations with little concern for the danger facing the city, or the military trying to stop the cause of it. “We’re going to have to go around another way,â€� the driver shouted over the increasing noise.

  “We don’t have time to go around,â€� Jonathan complained. “He’ll reach the Genetic Corp building, if we don’t get to him.â€�

  The major looked at his fellow soldier and then at Jonathan. “Well, I’m open to suggestions!â€�

  Jonathan surveyed the situation. Only one other possibility presented itself. He stood up in the back of the jeep. While the soldiers watched with puzzled expressions on their faces, Jonathan leaped away from the vehicle into the street, then up onto the top of a car.

  “Where are you going?â€� the major shouted.

  “Hopefully, to get the job done!â€� he called back.

  Jonathan flipped off the roof to the pavement again, dodged several cars, including two that had been piled roof to roof on top of one another. He ran into a blocked intersection again and then took to the tops of the vehicles—leaping from rooftop to rooftop, up onto a bus, running down the length, and down to a Subaru. He kept a steady pace and his eye on the path of destruction, while making his way steadily toward Nemesis.

  A new plume of smoke appeared at an intersection just ahead. Jonathan noticed the injured, and longed to help them, but knew if he stopped it would only make for more victims ahead.

  Finally, Jonathan spotted him. Nemesis held a man in one hand above his mutated head and the man’s motorcycle in the other. He spun around, throwing the motorcycle through the sidewall of a school bus. Jonathan cried out, but was still too far away to stop him. The driver’s side of the yellow bus caved in as all of the windows shattered into thousands of pieces of glass.

  Nemesis turned when he heard Jonathan’s voice, but it was too late for him to react. Jonathan ran, then launched his body through the air in a flying kick. The beast seemed, only at the last fraction of a second, to realize who his attacker actually was.

  Jonathan smashed the creature in the face with his boot. Nemesis flew backwards into a stopped car, caving in the empty passenger side. The biker in his hand, launched skyward.

  Jonathan leaped to the roof of another car, crossed three more, and caught the man as he came down again. The biker looked stunned, but glad to be alive. “Thanks,â€� was all he managed to say before Jonathan set him down on the street and surged after Nemesis again. The beast recovered very quickly.

  “Jonathan!â€� he shouted angrily. “I had hoped, by now, you had learned not to interfere.â€�

  Jonathan said nothing, but circled the beast Trenton had become. He left himself plenty of room to move around. Jonathan sized up his adversary, quickly. Clearly, he didn’t have a chance of going toe to toe with Trenton now. The enhancement drug, Dr. Tanner had prepared, had transformed Trenton into something many times stronger than he’d been before.

  Nemesis smiled. His skin was deep scarlet. He bore almost no resemblance to Trenton Hallowed, now. The whites of his eyes were almost purple from severe hemorrhaging. He appeared to Jonathan like pure evil incarnate—some demon unleashed upon Imperial City, and he was the only one who had even a glimmer of hope of stopping it.

  “Come give your cousin a big hug, Johnny boy!â€� Nemesis laughed. He was barely covered by any of his clothing at all. His apparel had been shredded by the metamorphosis, and all of the violence since had stripped the majority away.

  “I don’t think so, Trenton,â€� he said. Jonathan continued circling the beast, hoping to delay him by any means possible, so that Michael might rig the Genetic Corp building for self destruction.

  “Trenton doesn’t live here anymore,â€� the beast said. “Nemesis rules now.â€�

  “If you’re not Trenton, then I guess I shouldn’t worry about having to kill you.â€�

  The creature laughed, baring his teeth. They had been pushed out by new bloodstained, white daggers—unlike a human being at all. “Pardon me, if I don’t run and hide. You’re nothing but a man,â€� Nemesis said.

  “And what are you?â€�

  Nemesis smiled again. “A god!â€� he bellowed. Then he lunged at Jonathan.

  Jonathan only had time to evade the attack. He used his martial arts training and back flipped onto the roof of the car behind him. Nemesis charged through blindly, like an enraged elephant, plowing into the vehicle. Glass exploded in every direction.

  Angry at missing his target, Nemesis pushed harder, overturning the car Jonathan stood upon. As the vehicle rolled back, Jonathan ran across it like a circus performer on a giant ball. He kicked the creature in the head again, then jumped away to land behind him.

  Nemesis tore away a door from the car and hurled it at Jonathan. He deflected the twisted hunk of metal with his arm, but the weight of it knocked him off balance. Jonathan tumbled sideways, expecting the beast to follow through with another attack. Nemesis kicked at his head, but missed as Jonathan rolled back to his feet.

  Jonathan’s arm had been sliced open by some of the metal on the car door. But the bleeding stopped almost as soon as it started, and was beginning to heal already. Jonathan had no weapons to fight the beast with—hand to hand all the way.

  Nemesis threw a meaty arm at him, but Jonathan dodged it and tried to sweep the creature’s knee. Nemesis buckled at the joint, as Jonathan moved in with rapid punches to his head. He gave it every ounce of strength he could, but it was still a mistake.

  Nemesis grabbed hold of him around the waist and began to squeeze. Jonathan pounded into the creature’s bloated face like a jackhammer. Blood covered his fists and arms, but Nemesis still did not let go. He squeezed harder and harder, until Jonathan felt like he might pass out from lack of oxygen. His spine popped, but he did not lose mobility.

  Desperately, Jonathan gouged at Nemesis’ eyes. That did it. The monster let go of him. He fell to the ground. Nemesis clutched his face. Jonathan rolled away and stood again. The creature lowered his hands, revealing bloody eyes—even worse for all the subconjuctival hemorrhaging. Nemesis howled, then picked up a car. He pushed it up over his head, as overblown muscles bulged all over his body.

  Jonathan took advantage of the opening and lunged at him with a swift kick. He slammed a boot into the creature’s breastbone, knocking the wind out of him. Nemesis staggered backward, dropping the car on top of Jonathan.

  Nemesis jumpe
d back to the car, when he realized his good fortune. He looked down through the driver’s side window, hoping to see his crushed opponent. Jonathan burst through the window from inside the vehicle, catching him on the chin. Nemesis flew back into more stopped cars, crushing them.

  Down the road, Jonathan noticed the National Guardsmen coming. They had more trucks, carrying soldiers and even an armored carrier with a large machine gun turret. They began clearing out the remaining civilians who, up to this time, had been watching the fight of the century.

  Nemesis noticed them, too, peeling himself out of an SUV. He growled at them, then at Jonathan. “You think you’re clever, but I realize what you’re trying to do, Jonathan.â€�

  He watched the beast, but said nothing. The cut on his arm had almost completely healed. The damage to Nemesis had healed even faster. Whatever the enhancement drug consisted of, it certainly made him a tougher opponent.

  Nemesis smiled with eerie confidence. “We’ll play soon enough.â€� Then he leaped back over the smashed cars, caving in the roofs of several more and hit the sidewalk on the other side. He ran into an apartment complex, high-rise—smashing right through the front doors in the process.

  Jonathan ran after him. He hated to think about how many potential victims were living in this place. At this time of the morning, most of the children would already be at school. He jumped smashed cars like hurdles, then followed Nemesis into the building.

  Immediately, Jonathan heard screaming from above. He hit the stairwell running. Jonathan heard a woman’s drawn out scream and looked up the stairwell just in time to see a body falling toward him. Jonathan snatched her by the arm. She screamed louder, as her right shoulder dislocated. Jonathan pulled the woman onto the stair landing and set her on the floor. “You’ll be all right now.â€�

  The woman moaned in pain, holding her shoulder. She was too distressed to speak, but acknowledged with a nod. Jonathan ran up the stairs again. More screams descended to him. Knowing what Nemesis might be doing to these people spurred on his pursuit. He ran up the stairs. The lights flickered in the building, then went out completely.

  Light filtered into the dark corridors from small windows at the end of each landing, but no more than that. Jonathan heard different voices—men, women, and children. He heard something else…Nemesis lunged from the shadows, smashing Jonathan in the chest.

  His breath surged out of his lungs, as he flew backward through the air. Jonathan smashed through a wall. It slowed him. Jonathan tumbled over furniture, then crash landed among broken wood, water, and clothing. He realized he had gone through someone’s apartment, but they did not appear to be home. Lucky them.

  Nemesis followed through with the attack. He ran at Jonathan, through the holes in several walls, wailing like a rabid animal. Jonathan tried to untangle himself. He was in a closet, having apparently busted a water line at some point coming through.

  Jonathan grabbed the metal bar that had been used as a clothes rod in the closet, then rolled out of the mess of wet clothes. He stood just as Nemesis reached him. The beast lunged after him, but Jonathan went into his training. He dodged, then struck with the pole. A solid hit to the back of the head.

  Nemesis tumbled off balance. Jonathan spun the bar like a Bo staff, hitting him again. Nemesis faltered, smashed through the kitchen, then came back with a block of knives in one hand. He laughed maniacally, then began throwing them from the block.

  Jonathan blocked most of them, but one got through, and embedded in his leg. He pulled it out quickly, but the distraction was enough. Nemesis grabbed a chair, entangled the metal rod in the legs, then tore the makeshift weapon out of Jonathan’s hands.

  They exchanged hand to hand blows, but Nemesis was simply too strong. He pummeled Jonathan across the torso with a doubled fist. Jonathan flew back into the entertainment center. The live television tube exploded under him, sending a shower of sparks into the dimly lit room.

  Nemesis picked him up before he recovered. The creature ran to the window and hurled Jonathan through it. He had been about ten stories up, inside the apartment building. Jonathan landed two stories down on an adjacent roof and skidded to a halt in the gravel.

  HALLOWED_BE_THY_NAME

  29 SHOWDOWN

  “Look officer, I can’t just let a trunk load of explosives go out of here without someone qualified,â€� Robert said. “This is my Pop’s business—we’ll get fined like crazy for this.â€�

  Michael knew he was running out of time to get to Genetic Corp before the creature did. “I already told you I’m a demolition’s specialist from my army days. I’m a police officer. I’ll take care of any red tape.â€�

  Robert stood there, next to the open trunk, with his meaty arms crossed defiantly. His crew had gathered around him by now. “What if you make a mistake with my stuff and blow yourself up? Then the cops come after me over it.â€�

  Michael stammered. He didn’t have time for this.

  Robert gave him a self-assured grin. “That’s what I thought.â€� He turned to his work crew. “Saddle up boys we’ve got a job to do downtown.â€�

  His men dispersed to their company trucks.

  Michael tried to protest. “What are you doing? You’re hampering a police investigation!â€�

  Robert stood his ground. “No, I’m doing a demolition job and protecting the public from some half-cocked cop who should know better. Now, would you like to do this thing, or should we all go downtown and discuss it with your boss?â€�

  Michael knew when he was licked. “Meet you at the Genetic Corp building.â€�

  •••

  Nemesis watched the body of Jonathan on the neighboring roof—he wasn’t moving. “Poor cousin, Johnny,â€� he whispered with satisfaction. “You never could cut it.â€� He waited a moment longer—considering whether he should bother to cross over to the other building and make sure he was actually dead. But his time was limited. According to Tanner, he had to get back to Genetic Corp and retrieve his mutagen. Only when he had dosed himself again would the enhancement’s transformation be complete.

  Nemesis turned, catching sight of himself in a cracked, full length mirror in the ruined apartment. His body had changed so dramatically. The dark wavy locks of Trenton Hallowed clung to his head and neck, matted with sweat and blood. His brow looked like an armored plate beneath his skin, causing his eyes to be recessed in his skull. His jaw had squared, and his mouth drooled blood from new predatory teeth pushing out all of his old ones.

  He flexed his hulking muscles, which ripped away more of the tattered clothing still hanging from his bulky form. His bright red skin seemed ready to burst open under the strain of ever increasing muscle mass. He looked like something from a comic book, not a man. For a moment, the thoughts of Trenton Hallowed interrupted his euphoria. What have I done? I’m a monster—a freak—what have I done?

  Nemesis quickly resumed control. “NO! I am a god!â€�

  Jonathan flew through the smashed window and hit Nemesis with incredible force. They both sailed through the small room and through another wall. The floor above gave way to the lack of support, bringing the upper apartment down on top of them.

  Water sprayed everywhere from burst copper pipes. Jonathan pulled himself from the mound of wreckage first. He heard the sizzle of electricity and spotted a sparking cable snaking across the debris.

  Nemesis heaved a pile of plaster and wood off his body, rising enraged. Water sprayed the beastly man-thing from a pipe above. Jonathan grabbed the severed power line and whipped it at Nemesis. “Catch!â€�

  He dove out across the room, landing on a dilapidated sofa as the electricity surged through the water-drenched creature. Nemesis screamed furiously, as sparks of fire and tendrils of smoke rose from h
is body. Jonathan waited for the beast to fall.

  Instead, it leaped from the wreckage pile and blasted through the wrecked apartment like a juggernaut. Nemesis screamed liked no other being Jonathan had ever heard—otherworldly—unnatural.

  •••

  Jonathan picked himself up from the busted sofa and stood in the middle of the destruction. Nemesis had fled, leaving a path of debris as it went. Jonathan ran to catch up. He had to detain the beast long enough for Michael to get the charges set at Genetic Corp.

  Jonathan reached a dead-end of wreckage. The sun beamed through dust suspended in the corridor. Where had he gone? Jonathan walked cautiously down the hall toward a partially open apartment door. He noticed wet footprints leading toward the place. The floor creaked a little beneath his feet.

  The closed door beside him exploded. Nemesis plowed through, spraying wood fragments everywhere. He hit Jonathan like a runaway freight train and kept going. The impact nearly knocked Jonathan unconscious, as the creature pushed him through a wall and then through a window. Jonathan, couldn’t stop him.

  Both of them fell out of control toward the pavement below. Jonathan saw the beast separate from him, as they cleared the window. Fragments of glass, wood, and brick followed them down. Jonathan tried to rotate his body to see where he would land, but he was still dazed from the tackle.

  •••

  A Branton Transit bus rolled at a good clip down Twelfth Street. The driver had managed to bypass some heavy traffic on the main road where National Guardsmen were conducting an emergency of some sort. He would be able to make up the time he had lost, if he drove it a little above the legal limit.