Chapter 29: D-Day (3)

The young viltrumite floated over the ocean with his arms crossed. There were a few moments of silence as the waves crashed against each other in a calm fashion. This period of tranquility was violently interrupted by a massive splash. The Immortal burst out of the ocean on a straight path to Absolver.

"Get out of my way!" He roared.

His fist was raised for a heavy punch. Once he reached the floating figure, he swung with all his might. Taz didn't move and allowed the strike to connect.

CRACK

A small shockwave blew through the area. Absolver and The Immortal looked at his fist. Blood was leaking out of his arm like a fountain. The bones in his hand had shattered all the way up to his elbow. It was as if he had punched the hardest metal in existence.

"Ahhhhh! What the-" His words stopped as he held his arm in pain. The guardian's eyes were wide as he realized just what kind of person he was fighting.

"...Unfortunate. Let's end this quickly then." Taz spoke calmly.

The bioelectric field opened up. The ocean below them instantly sank as if the water had been sucked out. Absolver gripped the collar of the hero's suit before launching toward the ocean floor. The salt water opened up around him, disappearing and moving out of his way.

"Wait! You don't understand! Omni Man is evil! He killed the Guardians!" The Immortal yelled in desperation.

He now understood that fighting wasn't feasible in this situation. The hooded man was an unstoppable force. Even worse than Omni Man. If he could convince Taz, then Nolan would easily be dealt with.

"Sure he did." Absolver responded sarcastically. He pretended to not believe him.

"I'm serious! Believe me, kid. I wish I was wrong! Why are you helping him?!" The guardian roared. By this point, they were nearing the seabed.

"...Helping him? You misunderstand. Your blood is useful to me." The young elite answered.

"What?!"

BOOOOM

The two crashed into the ocean floor. A massive crater opened up in the wet sand. Mouthfuls of blood spurt from the hero's mouth. He was like a ragdoll that could only try to survive the storm. Taz's eyes glowed red. Sharp intense rays swept across the guardian's waist, severing him instantly. The Immortal was now dying once again.

"Why…" He croaked. The light was slowly leaving his eyes.

Absolver began tapping on his wrist guard. After a few more taps and clicks, two small vials appeared in his hand. He filled them up with the guardian's blood before sending them back to the gadget's inventory. Grabbing onto The Immortal's lower half by the foot, he spoke.

"If you find a way to revive again, you should quit being a hero. Your time has passed."

As soon as these words finished, the stoic viltrumite flew to the sky. The ocean water finally crashed on top of the dying hero, drowning him. Taz's next destination was the Guardians Headquarters. He soared through the sky for a while before dropping the lower half of The Immortal's body.

The young elite didn't move at extreme speeds this time. He needed to gather himself. Once he got to the headquarters, he knew who he'd see there. Kate. Eve would probably be there as well. The viltrumite had a plan and he'd see it through. The problem would be keeping his hood on so they wouldn't know it was him. He also would have to act as if they didn't exist. A difficult task with what he was trying to do.

About thirty minutes later, he arrived. The surroundings were covered in white. A snowy mountain range was now becoming a familiar sight. In the back of a mountain was a metal hole. It was the entrance. Taz took a deep breath and exhaled. His face became extremely calm.

________

"Holy fuck…Okay, what do we do?! Do we go out there?" Rexplode panicked.

The Guardians of the Globe watched a massive screen. It showed a bloody Omni Man flying through the clouds. A beat up Invincible was flipping across the sky from a punch given by his father.

"And do what? We couldn't even keep up with them!" Dupli-Kate exclaimed.

"No! We follow Cecil's orders and remain here. This battle is beyond our current capabilities!" A young version of Rex cut in. Behind him were two orange robots.

"Robot is…Rudy is right. We'll get our chance to help." Black Samson chimed in.

At this moment, Eve flew into the room. Rex jogged over to her. His expression showed a bit of joy. The two embraced for a second.

"Eve! Jesus Christ, you're okay." He said. The redhead nodded.

"I'm fine. What's happening with Mark and Omni Man?" She asked.

When she saw Kate, they nodded in greeting. The image of Lexi popped up in her head for a second. The pink heroine would keep her mouth shut. The two heroes weren't THAT close.

"Omni Man's kicking the shit out of him. The world's gone fucking nuts!" Rex answered. Rudy cupped his chin while watching the screen. He overheard them talking from the entrance.

"Indeed. I truly hope Mark lives up to his name. To face his father and survive, he'll need to be-"

[INVINCIBLE]

…

…

…

The sound of quiet footsteps could be heard from behind them. Shrinking Rae was the only hero to notice. When she turned around, she frowned. A hooded figure in a bloody white and gray suit strolled over to them with his hands behind his back. The heroine immediately got into a battle stance.

"Uh…Guys?!" She exclaimed.

The group of heroes turned to her in curiosity. When they saw her nervous expression and battle stance, they instantly became alert. Kate's sweat turned cold. The man's physique was similar. She had laid on top of his body too many times to not be able to recognize his frame and gait. Even though his face was partly covered by the hood, those bright orange eyes were full of coldness…she could recognize it anywhere.

The chinese beauty's fight or flight instincts were kicking in. Mortal terror began to gnaw at her mind. Was he here to kill her? The other guardians and Eve prepared for battle.

"How did you get here?! Stand down or you will be detained!" Rudy declared sternly.

"..........." There was no response.

The stoic soldier steadily approached. His confidence left them a bit worried. They could tell that he wasn't just anyone. Black Samson was the first to move. Ever since the Battle Beast incident, his powers had returned. He still wore the golden armor even then.

Thrusters under his feet sent him hurtling toward Taz. His arms raised in an attempt to blast him with his flight stabilizers. Unfortunately it was useless. To the powerful viltrumite, they might as well have been moving in slow motion.

Utilizing his flight, the young elite flipped over the man with surprising acrobatics. His hands gripped onto the hero's shoulders and slammed him to the ground.

BAM

"Pfffftt!" Blood spurt out of Samson's mouth. His ribs and spine cracked in several places.

The guardian only saw white before falling unconscious. Just like that he was out of the fight. A pink barrier formed around the soldier, keeping him in place. Another useless move. With a swipe of his hand, the pink construct shattered.

Taz's feet tapped on the ground, sending him on a straight course to Rudy. Before anyone could react, he was in front of the man child. A massive green fist launched toward Absolver. Taz effortlessly caught Monster Girl's fist.

Two pairs of orange robot arms elongated and wrapped around the stoic man's body. This was their chance. Rudy took the opportunity to gain some space. He wasn't that kind of fighter. Dupli-Kate scattered into several clones. Two of them flipped in sync before kicking him right in the jaw.

DINK

The attack did nothing. Both clones froze while staring up into his eyes. Taz smirked before flexing his muscles. The robot arms were torn off his body. He then grabbed both of Kate's legs and gently threw the clones to the side. When the chinese beauties landed on the ground, they smiled wryly.

Taz could've ripped them apart right then. Instead, he tossed her to the side. Was he really going to let her off? Why was he even here? Monster Girl threw another punch toward the man. Tilting his head, he dodged the attack. He then grabbed her arm and hurled her into the wall. Cracks appeared where the green giant landed.

Shrinking Rae sprinted toward him. When she jumped, her body shrunk to the size of an ant. The heroine attempted to land in his ear and take him out from the inside. It was futile. Absolver waved his hand at an extreme speed and smacked her with force. The little guardian went splat on the wall like a fly. She was dead.

"Nooooo! You bastard!" Rexplode exclaimed.

After waving his hand, a bunch of shining letters flew to each of the remaining heroes. They caught them and dashed toward him. Multiple Kate's dashed toward him. Taz ignored their antics and locked onto Rudy. He was the target. In an instant, he was beside him again. The man child's eyes widened. Right before the young elite grabbed him, the green giant jumped on top of him.

"Little girl, you're getting on my nerves." Taz muttered quietly.

"He's going after Rudy! Get him to safety-" Monster Girl's roar was interrupted by a hand covering her mouth. Absolver smashed her face into the ground with a little more force.

BOOOM

The ground shook. The green giant was incapacitated. She passed out instantly. All of the Kates threw the glowing letters at the viltrumite. They immediately exploded on contact. Smoke covered the area due to the explosions. Unfortunately for them, this was a bad move. Taz quickly appeared beside Eve. With a well placed chop to the neck, she was knocked unconscious. He wouldn't let go of his advantage.

The remaining Guardians of the Globe were unable to react as Absolver appeared beside Rex. A light shove sent him flying across the room. His sternum was shattered.

"Stop!" Rudy screamed. The stoic viltrumite ceased his movements and turned to the boy genius.

"......." He said nothing and waited for him to speak. Rudy sighed with defeat.

"No more. Will you leave them alone if I go with you?" He asked. Absolver silently held out his hand.

"Wait!" Kate exclaimed. She and her clones were the only ones left standing.

The boy ignored her and grasped Taz's hand. There didn't need to be any more casualties. No more time was wasted. With a burst of wind, the viltrumite flew them out of the headquarters. Dupli-Kate sprinted after them. She would follow them if it was the last thing she did.

In only a moment, they were on the roof of a city covered in snow. They didn't move too far. Once Rudy was set down, Absolver crossed his arms. The little genius frowned.

"What do you want? Are you going to kill me?" He asked.

"Maybe. That depends on you."

"What do you mean?" He asked. The powerful man approached the boy. He towered over him.

"You're going to do something for me." Taz declared. Rudy frowned.

"I won't do a thing for you." He retorted. Absolver raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Even if I torture you?"

"I don't fear pain. I lived with it my entire life." The boy genius answered. He was adamant.

"...So you don't fear pain or death. But what about your friend? The…other child. Monster Girl, right? Don't you care about her?" He asked. Rudy's face turned solemn.

"Don't you dare touch her!" He growled. Taz smirked.

"If you don't do what I say, she dies. I'll make you watch. Then…I'll kill you and burn your bodies together. Romantic, isn't it?" He mocked.

"I'll do it! What do you want?!" He spoke in defeat. The young elite tapped on his wrist guard. The two vials of blood appeared in his hand. He handed them over.

"You're going to take these and make a serum. Something that a human can take into their bloodstream. Focus on longevity and appearance instead of strength." he ordered. Rudy frowned.

"Who's blood is this?"

"That's none of your business."

"I need to know if I want to do it right." The boy genius was adamant. Taz sighed.

"It's The Immortal's blood." He revealed. Rudy's eyes widened.

"How did you get this? He should be dead."

"Enough questions. Make the serum. You have a month." Absolver declared. As he prepared to fly away, the little genius spoke up.

"I know who you are now. Your voice and eyes gave you away." He said. The powerful man turned to him with a frown.

"...Don't test my patience." Taz growled. Rudy smiled.

"This serum you want me to make. It's for Kate, isn't it?"

When this question left his mouth, an eavesdropping Dupli-Kate listened with rapt attention. That last question was the only one she was able to hear by the time she arrived. It had taken an extreme amount of effort to track them down in a fast manner. Taz smirked while noticing her arrival. With his hands behind his back, he floated in the air. His eyes locked onto hers.

"This…is her punishment. She will live to see her friends and family die of old age before she even looks thirty. The saddest part about it is that she's going to take this serum even though she doesn't want to. She won't defy me." He explained while staring her down. It was a subtle threat.

'When everyone she knows and loves is gone, she will only have me.' He thought.

Kate fell to her knees in shock. Tears began to drip down her face. She had never heard of such a horrid fate. What kind of punishment was that? All because she moved out without telling him? The chinese beauty knew he would find her. She was a Guardian after all. But this…this was too much. She should've never left that apartment.

"That's…so fucked up." Rudy commented.

In the back of his head, he couldn't help but agree though. He'd do the same to Monster Girl if he could keep her forever. He'd have to thank the viltrumite in the future for giving him this opportunity.

"You have a month." Taz said before taking to the skies.

BOOM

A sonic boom accompanied his exit. Absolver flew above the planet and scanned for Omni Man. It only took a few minutes to locate him. He was in a mountain range on the other side of America. He sat on top of Mark, raining punches on his face. He was brutalizing his own son. Taz frowned.

'He's killing him.' He realized. What did he miss? After a few more devastating punches, Nolan stopped.

"Why did you make me do this?! You're fighting so you can watch everyone around you die! Think, Mark! You'll outlive every fragile insignificant being on this planet. You'll live to see this world crumble to dust and blow away! Everything and everyone you know will be gone!" He roared.

"........." Mark said nothing in response. He was critically injured and his face was split open. This might've been his worst beating yet.

"What will you have after five hundred years?!"

"You, dad. I'd still have you." Invincible croaked.

Nolan froze hearing his words. He couldn't help but look at his bloodied hands. The blood of his son. What the hell was he doing? Was this really the correct path?

"...Dad?" Mark called out softly. He didn't hear a response.

The amateur hero just wanted to hear his father's voice. To let him know that he was still there. Omni Man's face scrunched up as he struggled to hold back his tears. Without saying a word, he took flight. He was on a straight path to leave the atmosphere. Taz appeared in front of him before he could reach space.

"Omni Man. What happened? Where are you going? Is phase 2 underway?" The young elite asked. Nolan shook his head.

"I can't. I can't do it, Taz. I'm leaving." The older viltrumite declared.

"Leaving? You're leaving your post?! Don't you know what that means?!" Absolver questioned. Omni Man nodded. His eyes were still watery.

"I know what it means. I don't care anymore."

The two were silent for a moment. This was enough time for Nolan to calm down and control his emotions. His expression was calm again. A few more seconds passed. The stoic man finally took a deep breath.

"That…makes you a traitor." Taz muttered. He clenched his fists. The two stared each other down.

"So it does."

"I won't let you go. You hounded me about this for so long, and now you think you can leave?!" Absolver yelled with rising fury. Omni Man's face turned cold.

"You won't LET me? Laughable. You can't beat me. You're just a kid. Don't make me do this." He warned. The young viltrumite scoffed.

"I realize now that I'm more than that. Viltrum doesn't allow traitors…That means you need to be put down, Nolan."

The older viltrumite focused his senses. All trained viltrumites knew that there wasn't time to think in a battle against kin. It was all actions. Delivering more pain than you receive. The two viltrumites got ready to square off. It was time for a serious deathmatch.

"Then come put me down."