Chapter 6: The Stubborn Viltrumite Concedes

The sky was overcast in the country of Germany. A decent amount of snow trickled down at a constant rate, covering the land in white. Ruining this scene was an abandoned concentration camp in the distance. The surroundings were silent, save for some old rusty doors, opening and closing in the wind. Rock debris would scatter on occasion.

Floating in the middle of the area was a lone figure. His black skin tight suit had undergone a small change, the symbol on his chest no longer visible. A white cape flapped in the wind. The man seemed to be deep in thought.

It had been a month since the flaxan invasion and his collab with Omni Man. His appearance during this event had become public. There must've been a camera somewhere that caught his arrival. The world had quickly gone into a buzz, talking about the new hero.

Eventually, the press had given him the name 'Absolver.' The term describes someone who frees one from sin. The cold expression on his face when caught on camera had led to this moniker. He was now thought of as a judge, the man who decided one's fate.

Ever since then Taz had made more appearances, beating villains into submission through force. It was completely different from Omni Man, who was a beacon of hope in the eyes of the people. The stoic viltrumite had finally found a way to use his strength freely. He was a demolition man. A nightmare to strength based villains.

On top of this, the funeral for the Guardians was held a few days prior. Taz didn't watch it, but he did hear Nolan's sonic booms as he flew beside military jets.

As the young viltrumite remained in the air, the sound of moving debris resounded. A large building stood directly in front of him with a hole in the wall. Bestial groans could be heard as whatever was inside the hole made its way out.

"Grrrr! Raaahhhstaaaa! Grrrrr."

A weirdly formed man appeared from the rubble. Metal boots were attached to black pants, forming a slim frame. Once it got to the waist, everything changed. Muscles on top of muscles decorated his torso. They seemed as if they were about to burst. It was like they were inflated. His torso was so large compared to his legs. His head seemed like a small marble on top of it. There were machinations all over his face, resembling a lab experiment. Saliva could be seen dripping from his mouth.

"Stay down." Taz spoke coldly. A fist sized dent could be seen on the rabid villain's chest.

"Grrr!" The lab experiment growled in response. According to the intel that was sent to the young viltrumite, he was known as the Nazi.

The villain burst into motion, leaving cracks in the ground with each step. He jumped into the air in order to reach the floating hero. Both of his hands swung down onto the stoic man. Taz easily sidestepped the attack before raising a fist.

BOOOM

The punch smashed into the Nazi's back, sending him into the pavement. A crater quickly formed. The elite soldier wasted no time, speeding down toward the villain and landing on top of him. The impact caused the crater to widen. Two more punches reigned down on the back of the rabid man's head, cracks appearing throughout the camp.

The Nazi waved his hand in an attempt to throw the viltrumite off his back. It was futile. Taz caught his massive arm. Red light flashed before the muscular limb was severed.

"Aaaaaagh!" The villain roared in agony.

Small flecks of blood landed on Taz's suit as he pummeled the rabid nazi further into the crater. The surrounding buildings started to crumble to the ground. The earth was shaking with each blow.

BOOM BOOM

Eventually, the noise stopped. Taz floated out of the crater while looking at his handy work. The villain lay in the crater, mangled beyond repair. He was barely breathing. It was a bloody sight.

"Tch."

The viltrumite soldier clicked his tongue before flying out of the camp. A long distance away, military vehicles could be seen along with infantry soldiers. An old man in a suit and tie could be seen barking orders to a man beside him.

Taz arrived with a burst of wind. Everyone shielded their faces from the harsh gust. After a few moments, it died down.

"Cecil, it's done." He stated. The old man lowered his arm to see the stoic hero floating above him.

"Thanks, Absolver. The Guardians Of The Globe need new heroes. It would be an honor to have you, if you're willing." He offered. Taz shook his head.

"I work alone. And this one was weak. Send me a stronger target next time." He ordered before flying to the clouds. A sonic boom accompanied his exit.

Silence permeated the area. Once Taz was far enough away, Cecil grit his teeth.

"Arrogant prick. Why do I have to deal with these egomaniacs?!" He complained. The man beside him wiped his glasses.

"Trick of the trade, sir." He responded. The old man rolled his eyes.

"I didn't ask for your input, Donald."

The military unit quickly entered the concentration camp. Upon seeing the mangled body, Donald ran to the side before vomiting his breakfast. Cecil rubbed his temples.

"Jesus Christ."

…

…

…

Taz stared at his plate of food. The cafeteria was filled with noise as students gossiped about whatever they could.

"Ever heard of eating?" Lexi mocked from the side. Eve bumped her shoulder.

"Leave him alone. Can't you see he's brooding?" She joked. Taz sighed.

"I'm not brooding." He responded.

"Really? I thought it was some type of pre-game ritual." Mark spoke from across the table.

"I think it's cool." Will commented with a smile. His eyes roamed Taz's muscular figure.

"Dude, chill." Mark whispered.

Ever since the young soldier became a hero, the group had flocked to him. Every lunch period was now full of people. Mark, Will, and Amber had joined the table in the past few weeks. Of course, only the heroes knew of his identity.

DINGALING

A notification went off on his phone. The name said 'Kate Cha.'

'It feels like I haven't seen you in ages. Come see me!' The text message said. Taz read it before putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Don't you have a football game this weekend?" Lexi spoke. Taz nodded.

"I do. I should get a few plays in this time." He answered.

The table conversed and time passed. The stoic man finally started to eat. It wasn't anything delicious, but it would hold him over until he got home.

DINGALING

'I know you read that.'

DINGALING

'Tazzzz!'

DINGALING

'My guardian angellll. Why aren't you guarding meeee?!'

Everyone turned to look at Taz. Eve smiled and pulled his plate away from him.

"Is that who I think it is?" She asked. The elite soldier shook his head.

"It's not." He lied while reaching for his plate.

DINGALING

'I'm trying out for the Guardians Of The Globe.' It read.

Upon reading it, a frown appeared on his face. He quickly responded.

'No.'

'Yes.'

'No. Are you suicidal?'

'We talked about this already.'

'This is different.'

'I'm sure I can persuade you. You better stop by. It's been too long!'

'A week isn't long.'

'Yes it is…'

'No it's not.'

'It is for me.'

Taz put his phone away in annoyance. When he looked up, he saw the entire table looking at him with knowing smiles.

"Did you see how fast they were responding? Hahahaha!" Lexi giggled.

Amber glared at Mark who sweatdropped. It was obvious that he wasn't responding nearly as fast to her.

"Taz, you should come with Mark and I after school." Eve suggested.

"I'm busy." He responded.

DINGALING

His phone continued to ring after he spoke. Eve stared at him with a raised eyebrow. The young viltrumite rubbed his eyes.

"I'll go."

______

The rest of the school day went by slowly. The stoic viltrumite left the football field early under the angry eyes of the coaches and players. Unfortunately, his skills were too good for them to kick him off the team. It was a clear display of favoritism from the coaches and higher authorities.

A few hours later, Taz could be seen floating at the top of a crane. Invincible sat on the edge.

"You know, one day I'll be as strong as you." Mark declared. The stoic hero crossed his arms.

"Indeed. You will." He responded. The ameteur hero raised an eyebrow.

"That doesn't make you mad? Annoyed?" He asked. Taz shook his head.

"All vil-err…heroes start off weak. In time, you will be strong. Patience and training is all that should matter to you right now." He explained. Invincible nodded.

'I don't know about surpassing me though. I don't feel a limit to my growth.' He thought.

"Were you weak at the beginning?" Mark asked.

"I was."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Even Omni Man was weak in the beginning." Taz declared. Invincible shook his head.

"Bullshit."

Nolan was indeed weaker in the beginning, but his pure viltrumite DNA made him grow strong much faster than Mark. At this moment Eve could be seen flying over. When she arrived, she flipped around the crane.

"You ready, boys?" She spoke before speeding away. The two viltrumites looked at each other before following after her.

The flight quickly turned into a joyride. Taz suppressed the urge to cringe seeing Invincible's terrible flying skills. It was hard to watch. They flipped over obstacles and sped through tunnels. The trio then flew under the city bridge, parting the waves with their speed. Mark dragged his finger across the water. It was easy to see how much fun he was having along with Eve. Eventually they landed on a rooftop.

"This is it?" Mark spoke with raised eyebrows. Eve giggled.

"Not quite." She said.

At this moment, the ceiling opened up. There was no warning. The trio quickly fell through the hole. Invincible flipped over and over as he struggled to find his balance in the air. Taz descended with his hands behind his back. As the trio walked forward, they located the rest of the team.

Robot could be seen on an elevated platform working on who knows what. Rex and Dupli-Kate could be seen playing ping pong with two of her copies. Upon noticing their arrival, Rex walked over.

"Babe!" He exclaimed with open arms. Eve quickly jumped into his embrace and they immediately started making out. Invincible's face fell.

Meanwhile, Kate approached Taz with light steps. Her two copies followed. No words were exchanged. The nonchalant heroine grasped his wrist before pulling him to a nearby couch. Once he sat down, she plopped on top of his lap and covered his lips with hers. The clones sat on both armrests. A beautiful smile adorned Kate's face when pulling back.

"You finally remembered me." She joked. Taz stared at her with a deadpan.

In the last month, the two's relationship had blossomed. His first public appearance showed him saving Kate from the flaxan general. This obviously led to much discussion about their relationship status. The relaxed and nonchalant Dupli-Kate and her guardian angel, the cold and apathetic Absolver.

Clone one and two wrapped around his arms. Kisses rained down on his cheeks. Unfortunately, these honey tactics didn't work on the elite soldier. The original Kate could feel his stare burning into her skull.

"Must we talk about this now?" She whispered. She didn't want the others to hear. The stoic hero's eyes narrowed.

"Yes." He responded simply.

Kate released a heavy sigh before getting off Taz's lap. The clones held his hands and led him to her room. Eve, Rex, and Invincible were currently speaking with Robot.

Seeing Taz and Kate's exit, Rex looked her up and down right in front of Eve. It seemed like he was having ideas. Before he could even speak, the stoic viltrumite had already grasped his throat. Nobody even noticed his quick movements.

"Your eyes don't seem to work right. Should I fix them for you?" He spoke with glowing eyes. His expression resembled a killer's. Taz's grip tightened and lifted Rex in the air.

"Kahk…I give…I give…" He croaked with what little air he had. His now glowing hands constantly tapped the elite soldier's arm.

At this moment, Eve flared her powers. Her eyes glowed with energy.

"Let him go. I know he's a jerk but…please." She pleaded. Her powers seemed to imply something entirely different. Was she prepared for the hopeless fight that could possibly ensue? Kate grasped the stoic man's free hand.

"Didn't you want to talk? Let's go do that." She suggested. Taz pulled Rex close and whispered in his ear.

"I think we both know what will happen if you overstep your bounds. Don't force me to leave your corpse in a ditch somewhere." He muttered. Rex put his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, man! Jesus!" He yelled. The bastard seemed to be in shock at how fast his death almost came. Taz released him before leaving with Kate to her room. Rex gasped for breath and basked in his new lease on life. Turning to Eve, he spoke.

"Thanks for sticking up for me."

SLAP

Eve's hand smacked his cheek.

"I saw what you did. And I saw the expression you had when doing it. You didn't use to be like this. It's disgusting." She screamed before flying off.

Invincible watched everything happen with confusion. He didn't even know why Taz exploded. Robot was in the same boat.

"Eve, wait!" Rex yelled before chasing after her.

Meanwhile, Taz and the three Kates stood face to face in her room. It was silent for a few moments. She eventually broke the silence.

"So what was that?" She asked.

"What was what?"

"You know what."

"I don't actually."

"I didn't really see, but he was just looking right?"

"It was a bit more than just looking."

"I didn't know. Still, you can be really possessive sometimes." She commented. Taz raised an eyebrow.

"Sometimes? Have you met me?" It was the first time the viltrumite ever attempted to joke. Kate smiled.

"I think I kinda like it. How about you show me off once I get into the Guardians of the Globe?" She asked.

"No." He responded coldly.

"Why?"

"It's a position for the weak who will die in time." He explained.

Taz knew that any of the high status heroes would most likely die when the viltrumite empire arrived. It would be a shame if she died too.

"You know that this is my dream. Can't you just let me follow them?! What type of control freak are you?!" She exclaimed in frustration.

The two locked eyes. Silence permeated the room once again.

"Just this once, Taz. I've been working toward this my entire life. Don't take this from me." She pleaded.

Kate had an inkling that if she proceeded without his approval, he would put a word in with Cecil. Taz finally sighed before pulling out a gadget from his wrist guard. The tiny item instantly grew to normal size.

"Fine, but you will keep this on you at all times." He relented. The beautiful heroine took the item.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Click the button, and I will arrive. It releases a high pitched frequency that only I can hear. Don't you dare abuse it, or I'll take it away. Only use-" His words were interrupted by Kate's lips. Her tongue forced its way into his mouth.

The quick action caused both of them to fall onto the bed. After a good five minutes, Kate pulled back due to lack of air.

"I knew it. You really are the best." She exclaimed. Taz sat up on the edge of the bed..

"Only use it for yourself, and nobody else. I don't care if your friends-"

Her lips covered his again, but her clones took action this time. Clothes quickly came off, and the two copies kneeled between his legs. They were already breathing on both sides of his length. The original Kate sat behind him, her soft body pressed against his muscular back.

"I call this…investment." Kate whispered before nibbling on his ear.

The two copies slowly ran their tongue up both sides of his member. Taz watched in fascination at how this woman used her clones.