Part 6 - Infected

Chapter 119 - Wrath and Ruin

Miles, Michael and Liam piled into the latest car they had hijacked. Miles wasn't a fan of the whole stealing thing, but there was no other option if he didn't want to be shot. Now, however, he and the other two had bigger problems: the police were coming. Michael put his foot down as the sirens came round the corner. Liam turned to Miles, but the spider shook his head knowing he was going to ask if he could use his power. A police car came up beside them and attempted a pit manoeuvre, but Michael remained in control and slammed the police vehicle off to the side where it hit a line of parked cars. At that point, Miles' spidey sense alerted him to danger. He looked back just in time to see a pair of attack helicopters swerve round the corner behind them bearing the INTF logo. Michael spotted them as well.

"How'd they get Apaches here?" He muttered.

Miles made his decision.

"Keep driving. I'll slow them down."

"Good luck."

He opened the car door, morphing up his mask and jumping out. One of the police cars screeched to a halt, but he fired webs over the doors and windows to stop the officers from getting out. Next he took a running jump, firing a web at one of the helicopters and swinging up. One of them jerked to a halt and turned round sharply, letting loose a barrage of machine gun fire that would make short work of him if it caught him. He twisted and turned as he swung, getting close enough hit the machine gun with a web and clog it up. The barrel exploded sending the machine spiralling down with smoke pouring from its nose. He dropped down and hauled the two pilots from the cockpit as the flames took hold. By now its counterpart was a fair distance down the street but he caught up quickly enough. This one suffered much the same fate, cutting off the police cars. Miles landed on top of the car and clung on as Michael drifted it through a red light and round a corner, only to be faced with a blockade of police cars. The spider looked the other way: it was clear. Michael brought the car to a halt, skidding it so it turned half-way around by the time it came to a stop. He turned the last ninety degrees and put his foot down again. Suddenly, there was a crack and one of the tyres exploded. Miles was thrown clear as the car struck a parked one. Michael and Liam scrambled out and the spider returned to them.

"I think I'll get some points on my license for that." Michael muttered.

"Escape now, jokes later. I don't want to die." Liam replied.

"Yeah." He pulled his pistol. "Run. I'll give some covering fire."

He pulled the trigger, causing the police officers running at them to dive for cover.

"You won't last a minute." Miles replied.

"You put yourself on the line for others all the time. Let me do it this time."

"No, we're running."

"Make me."

Suddenly, there was a 'brrrt' sound. Miles hauled the other two out of the way as the street erupted in a spray of shredded concrete and dust. An Ares jet tore overhead, pulling up sharply and spinning on its axis to face them. Now they were trapped between the police and the single most powerful aircraft ever built. Liam raised his hand and snapped his fingers: the police officers disappeared and their cars crashed down on top of the jet bringing it spinning into the side of a building. Miles shot him an angry look.

"Don't use your power! If you embrace it, its grip on you get's stronger and we'll never be able to get it out of you!"

"I won't be alive to get it out of if we're blown up by an anti-tank gun."

"Well don't put jets in the side of buildings."

"Whatever you say, spidey."

They began to run, but the break for freedom was short-lived. Another pair of Apache helicopters, two more Ares jets and a fleet of both police cars and black pick-up trucks appeared. Michael fired his pistol but the INTF thugs held their ground.

"Run, you two. I mean it this time."

"We stand together. Nobody get's left behind." Miles replied.

"I'm with Miles on that." Liam agreed.

"Fine. What's the plan?"

"I'll flip the world upside down. Miles can deal with aircraft and I'll tidy up the pedestrians. Michael, you can have a free trial of my new business idea: skydiving."

"Oh what fun."

"Nobody dies if we can help it; not even them. Just tie them up and put things right." Said Miles.

"Last to a hundred has to buy the drinks."

"You're on."

Max opened his eyes. He could see what was happening to his father who he hadn't seen in one-and-a-half billion years, and he wasn't going to procrastinate by stretching seconds into millennia. He shrugged Grace off his shoulder and stood up, reaching out his hand into which flew Furore Mortale. Grace gave him a thumbs up.

"Go get 'em."

He nodded, trying to remember what to say in this situation but deciding that was enough. In a blaze of light, he was launched into the next narrative.

Liam stretched his arms out and was just about to make the Z shape when a jet of pure energy struck the ground in the very centre of the intersection. Miles felt an enormous amount of pride welling up as he realised it was Max. The world shook as Dei Volente spoke:

"Let them go."

One of the INTF thugs stepped forward, but before the objection had even left their lips, a sinkhole opened beneath their feet, swallowing them whole and sealing itself again. The rest of the hostile forces backed away, apart from the four aircraft. Dei Volente turned his gaze to them and they crumbled apart. Miles leapt up, doing his best to catch the six crewmen. Now the police cars and pick-up trucks began to turn and drive away. When everything was quiet, the High Elder God turned his masked and hooded head to the three people he had just saved. He stared directly at Liam, shifting his grip on his sword a little.

"Do you oppose me, 3812?" He asked, the world still shaking.

Liam shook his head vigorously. The fear was obvious in his eyes. Dei Volente double tapped the side of his head, morphing away his dark grey hood and mask. Miles dropped his gaze, as did the other two. However, the spider risked a glance at his son's expression and began to wonder what was going on in Max's mind with the stone-cold look. Suddenly, Liam grasped his head and sank to his knees. He cried out in pain as if someone was trying to tear his brain out, then passed out. Above his unconscious form floated a white orb. Dei Volente walked over to it and drove the tip of Furore Mortale into it. Miles and Michael stepped back as the orb began to flicker faster and faster until, with not a bang but a whimper, it burst into nothingness. Liam stirred and as he came around, Max dragged him to his feet. The world didn't shake this time when the God spoke:

"The INTF is too dangerous to be left. Their power in the narrative above is absolute, just like the Ethereal Legion's once was. Their world has to burn."

"Max?" Said Miles hesitantly.

This was clearly not the same Max he had raised. This one seemed cold and serious, as if he treated his word as law. Of course it was law with him being a God, but the old Max had always listened to people and didn't act so superior. He turned to look at his father who dropped his gaze again.

"What?"

"Is everything…are you OK?"

"My feelings don't matter. My mind is made up. You'll see what I mean. Now, who wants to blow up Yellowstone?"

Michael raised his hand a little.

"That's gonna be one heck of a Fourth of July fireworks show."

Miles, Gwen, Michael, Liam and Stanley watched from the ramp of an Ares. A slight haze surrounded the jet: a shield from the devastation that would follow. Gwen rested her head on Miles' shoulder, watching as a bulge began to grow in the ground. It expanded, soon encompassing the entirety of the Yellowstone caldera. Then, cracks began to form. After nearly twenty minutes, the bulge exploded sending out a shockwave which flattened everything for over a hundred kilometres around the super volcano. A cloud of ash rose high into the air and began to spread towards the east. Very quickly, the area was plunged into a darkness which may not lift for months to come. Max appeared on the edge of the edge of the ramp and watched his handiwork unfolding. He felt guilt at what he had just unleashed, but to stop the INTF from starting more wars it was necessary. He had a solution for his narrative, and the group could not be allowed to interfere.

Crossovers in this Chapter

- SCP Foundation