The End of Infinity by Matt Myklusch
“How can you say that? You beat Khalix. What makes you think I can’t do the same?”
“Because we’re the same. I didn’t beat Khalix when I was your age. I tried. I failed. It took years before I finally built up the anger and resentment—the willpower—necessary to take back my life.”
“I’m not you. I’m me. Just me! And I’ve got plenty of anger and resentment, all right? I don’t just want to beat Khalix; I want the Magus, too. I want to beat all of them.”
Revile shook his head. “That’s impossible.”
“Time travel is impossible. This conversation is impossible, but here we are. It’s not too late to change tomorrow. It’s not too late for the Rüstov’s victims, either. We can save them. We can get back the people we lost.”
“The people we lost?” Revile looked like he was laughing beneath his mask. “You’re dreaming. You’d have to know—”
“I’d have to know how the Rüstov hook into our bodies. How they bond with us. Why don’t you know that? Haven’t you ever tried to figure it out?”
“Of course I’ve tried.” Revile tapped the power core in his chest. “Whatever part of Khalix that’s still alive in here keeps that information hidden from me. The bond is unbreakable. You won’t have any more success with it than I did. How could you? Like I said, we’re the same.”
Jack shook his head. “My life’s been different from yours. Different because of you. You changed things whether you realize it or not. I’m not giving up on this, even if you have.”
Revile straightened up. “I never gave up. I tore a hole in time itself to—”
“To kill yourself,” Jack said. “All that power the Rüstov gave you, and that’s the best plan you could come up with. To kill yourself. Is that really the limit of your creativity? You can stop their ships, same as me. I regenerate, same as you. Let’s fight back! They want a war, we’ll give them one!” Jack saw Glave high up on a junkyard ridge. He heard the Rüstov general inside his head, trying in vain to speak with Khalix. He waved a hand at Glave and the Para-Soldiers, all of whom kept a very safe distance. “Look at them. They’re afraid of us. They know what we’re capable of. They know they can’t fight us both. We can end this war today. We can end it forever.”
Revile looked back at Empire City. “But the future . . . I remember it happening.”
“Enough with the future already! If we worry about today, the future will take care of itself.” Jack offered his hand to Revile once more. “Please. Fight with me.”
Revile just stared at Jack’s hand. “I’m no hero.”
“That’s up to you. A hero is just another name for a person who wants to make a difference. We can do that. We’re the key to all of this. Forget about the future. Our time is now.”
Revile hesitated a moment, then reached out and took Jack’s hand. Jack gripped it hard and shook. With Revile on their side, the Imagine Nation had a better chance than ever before. The Rüstov’s future was coming back to haunt them.
CHAPTER
21
Invasion
Jack and Revile’s first order of business before returning to Empire City was freeing the prisoners in the holding pens. The deadly duo quickly scattered any Rüstov guards foolish enough to stand their ground, and ripped up the electrified fences confining Blue, Zhi, and the Varagog Villagers. Revile flew up and orbited the pens, sweeping their perimeter with more gunfire and holding the Rüstov back.
Blue looked up at Revile as the gates fell. “Jack? Is that you?”
“Over here, partner,” Jack said, coming up behind Blue. Blue turned with a jump. His hands were bound behind his back, held there by white-hot electric bolts emanating from a collar around his neck. Jack ripped off the metal collar like it was made of tissue paper. “How do I look?” he asked Blue.
Blue looked back and forth between Jack and Revile. It was easy to tell the difference between the two of them now. Revile was still wearing his iron mask. Blue rubbed his neck and grimaced. “You look terrible.”
Jack laughed. “Thanks,” he said, ripping an identical restraining collar off Zhi. “You guys ready to get out of here?”
“More than ready,” Zhi said. “I’ve got our ride.” He pressed a fist into his palm and bowed his head. Lightning crashed and seven serpentine dragons shot out of the ground like a geyser spouting wild, mystical beasts. They roared with feral rage and lashed out at the Rüstov Para-Soldiers with razor-sharp claws. The dragons circled the pens, adding a physical barrier to the barrage of bullets that Revile was laying down. Seconds later, the dragons were all flying back to Empire City, carrying the Rüstov’s former prisoners on their backs. Jack carried Blue, whose five-hundred-pound frame felt light as a tuft of cloud in Jack’s new ironbound arms.
As they flew across the sea, the tip of Mount Nevertop lit up with a blue glow, and a laser shot out from its peak. The ray of light expanded into a wide beam and rotated around the mountain like a lighthouse beacon. It blinked out after a single revolution, but not before it passed over every ship in the Rüstov blockade.
“Looks like Jazen and Lorem came through,” Jack said.
“What was that?” Blue asked.
Jack smiled. “That was Jonas Smart’s twisted brain coming in handy again. I never imagined he could be so useful.”
Jack and Blue arrived at Hero Square ahead of Revile, Zhi, and the dragons. A massive crowd had assembled on the square, with all the leaders of Empire City present. In Jack’s absence, the city had finally united against their common enemy. Virtua led the Mecha forces, Jonas Smart had his WarHawks, and Hovarth commanded an army of warriors from Varagog. Chi and his ZenClan ninjas stood side by side with the ShadowClan shogun and a horde of Ronin assassins. Prime, the Valorian Guard, and a legion of heroes and villains were all there as well. Jack recognized Midknight, Ricochet, Speedrazor, Arsenal, Backstab, and many more. Even Hypnova, Oblivia, and the Secreteers had come. They all stood ready to fight, and the reception they gave Jack reflected that.
A kaleidoscope of ammunition lit up the predawn sky. Jack turned around just in time to shield Blue from harm as the WarHawks, Valorians, and countless others opened fire. A hundred tiny explosions went off all over Jack’s body. He felt like he was being pelted with scalding-hot acid rain. The blasts sent him crashing into the square. He hit hard, tearing up the marble flagstones. Blue rolled into the crowd, knocking people down like dominoes. When the bullets stopped flying, Jack stood up and dusted himself off. His body was already repairing itself. “We good?” he asked as his arms, legs, and chest sealed back up with a new armor shell. “Everybody got that out of their system?”
The crowd was about to start shooting again when Revile touched down beside Jack. At first, there was no sound at all, then frightened exclamations broke the silence.
“It’s worse than I feared,” Smart said as all the color drained from his face. “This is the end. The end!” Smart’s words seemed to serve as permission for the crowd to panic. Blocks of people started screaming and trying to escape.
“There are two of them!”
“Smart was right!”
“Run!”
“Hold your ground!” Skerren shouted. His call was echoed by Hovarth, and for the moment, order was restored. The lord of Varagog turned to his army. “Turn your hearts into fire, men. . . . They’re going to attack.”
“No they’re not,” Zhi said, flying into the square and setting the rescued villagers down. They dismounted the dragons and pushed their way through the crowd, rushing back to the walls of Varagog and into the arms of their loved ones.
“What is this?” Skerren asked, looking around in confusion as he saw his countrymen safely returned. “They’re bringing people back?”
“Careful,” Smart said. “They might be infected.”
“No,” Midknight said to Smart. He motioned to the Rüstov ships that filled up every inch of the sky. “They’ve got us completely surrounded. They don’t need to sneak in sleeper agents anymore. I
“It’s not too late for us,” Jack said. “Not as long as the Imagine Nation will stand together and fight.”
Midknight’s eyes narrowed. “Is that really you talking, Jack?”
Jack held up his scrap-metal arms. “All evidence to the contrary.” He took a step toward the crowd. The majority of people bristled with fear. “It’s all right. I took all the power they had to give me and I’m ready to use it against them. I survived the Rüstov transformation by nullifying my parasite’s signals. Your device worked,” he said, raising his chin up at Smart.
“It worked?” Smart repeated, clearly skeptical. He scanned Jack’s body with his handheld holo-computer. Jack let him do it.
Trea worked her way through the crowd and went right up to Jack. She stopped a foot away from him and gave his armor a few curious pokes, trying to peel back its layers and look underneath. “I don’t understand. If it worked, why did you turn into this?”
“I know it sounds crazy, but that was my choice. I had to do it.”
Trea scrunched up her face. “You did this to yourself . . . on purpose?”
Jack gave an apologetic shrug. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
Prime came forward. “You did more than that. Jack, you destroyed the Calculan fleet.”
“No, I only blew up half,” Jack said. “I was very careful about that. I know it doesn’t look like it, but I know what I’m doing. I’m fine, Prime. I’m still in control.”
“Not based on these readings,” Smart said, holding up his blinking pocket holo-computer. “Your body is rejecting the nullifier I placed inside you. You have an hour at best before it fails. What then?”
“There is no what then,” Jack replied. “I’m fully infected. When this thing burns out Khalix takes over. My only chance is to get rid of him, get rid of the Magus, or both. We’ve got sixty minutes to end this war. That’s going to have to be enough. This isn’t the battle the Rüstov planned on. I’m on your side in this fight.” He motioned to Revile. “And so is he.”
Noteworthy pushed his way to the front of the crowd. “You expect us to believe that? Look at yourself. You’re not even human anymore!”
“There he is,” Blue said. “Father of the year.”
Noteworthy reddened. “I am not his father!”
“I don’t care,” Jack cut in. “It doesn’t matter. Only one thing matters right now. The Rüstov. Jonas Smart was right when he said it’s the end. It’s their end.” Jack took a step back and looked at everyone assembled in Hero Square. He was heartened by the completeness of the turnout. “Look at us, all of us here together. This is an army. We can end this war today.” The crowd looked doubtful. “It’s true! Not only did the Rüstov underestimate the Imagine Nation’s unity and resolve, but they were stupid enough to give us their ultimate weapon.” Jack tapped his own chest and then pointed at Revile. “You’re looking at them. They gave us two.”
“Can the ultimate weapons use their powers against the Rüstov?” Prime asked.
“We can and will,” Jack said.
“Can you force the parasites out of their victim’s bodies?” Chi asked. The people in the crowd looked to Jack with hopeful eyes.
“No,” Revile said before Jack could reply. “That we cannot do.”
“Not yet,” Jack added. “I’m trying.” He threw Revile a stern look as the sun peeked over the horizon. Dawn had come, and the Magus, using Stendeval’s body, appeared on a fresh set of giant holo-screens. As the Rüstov emperor prepared to reissue his ultimatum to the Imagine Nation, the crowd shuddered once again at the reminder of Stendeval’s loss.
“People of Empire City,” the Magus’s voice boomed. “Your time is at an end. My generosity, however, is boundless. I give you this one last chance to spare yourselves unnecessary bloodshed and devastation. Surrender and swear allegiance to the Rüstov. Kneel before me as a sign of your undying fealty, and I will spare your lives.”
Jack spun around at the Magus’s image. “Is that supposed to be a joke?” he asked, flying up into the air and using his powers to broadcast his response on every screen in Empire City. His face loomed large on the sides of buildings and floating NewsNet screens. “We’re not interested in any life with you in it, Maggot.” The crowd let out a collective gasp. “I’ve got a counteroffer for you. Pack up your ships, leave now, and don’t come back. Ever. You do that and maybe, just maybe, I won’t destroy every last one of you. This offer expires in thirty seconds.”
The entire city was shocked into silence by the brazen manner in which Jack had addressed the Rüstov emperor. The Magus’s eyebrows rose up in surprise, but he did not explode with rage like Jack expected. He showed restraint. “I hope you enjoyed making that little speech,” he told Jack, his voice calm and even. “It’s going to be the last one you ever deliver. All of you, pay attention. See what happens to those who dare to challenge me.” The Magus reached out his hand toward Jack. Jack braced himself, but nothing happened. As long as the nullifier held out, the Magus couldn’t hurt him.
Jack snorted out a laugh and held up his arms. “I’m waiting.”
The Magus looked back and forth between Jack and Revile. Jack could tell the Rüstov emperor had no idea what was happening, and that was how he wanted to keep it. “Confused?” he taunted the Magus. “It’s simple, really. I had it out with Khalix and he lost. Last time we met, you tortured me by helping him attack the uninfected areas of my body. Now that I’m a hundred percent infected, you can’t hurt me anymore. You’ve got nothing left to threaten me with.”
The Magus put a clenched fist to his lips, then relaxed his grip, trying to hide his frustration. It was no use. He was practically shaking, he was so angry. “What have you done to my son?”
Jack shook his head. “I told you, he didn’t make it. You’re dealing with me from now on.”
The Magus froze. He gritted his teeth and took several deep breaths, like a bull getting ready to charge. The realization was setting in that his son was gone. At least, that’s what Jack wanted him to think. The truth was, Smart’s nullifier was getting weaker by the minute. Jack just hoped the Magus wouldn’t find out about that until it was too late. Jack figured his best bet was to keep the Magus angry and off balance.
“Time’s up,” Jack told the Magus. “I need an answer. You going to do the smart thing and run away, or what?” Jack knew the Rüstov emperor wasn’t going anywhere. He was just pushing the Magus’s buttons.
“I’ll give you my answer,” the Magus told Jack. “I’ll deliver it to you personally. I swear on my son’s heart, I’m going to make you pay.”
“It’s my heart now,” Jack said. “Bring it.” He waved at his neck, making a “cut off” motion, and the Magus’s holo-screen blinked out. Jack flew back down to Hero Square. The crowd stood in awe of him as he landed.
Noteworthy broke the silence. “Are you insane talking to him like that? Look what you’ve done!” He pointed up at the sky. The Rüstov Shardwings had begun to move.
“I’m not afraid of them,” Jack said, dismissing Noteworthy as the Rüstov fighters descended. “I’m not afraid of what they made me anymore either. I know what I am, and I know what they are—bullies. Overconfident, egotistical bullies. I’ve been dealing with people like that all my life. You know how you deal with a bully? It’s simple. You stand up.”
“But you lied to him,” Smart said. “Khalix isn’t gone. When that nullifier burns out . . .”
“I told you. We’re going to have to end this before that happens.” Waves of Shardwing fighters fell on the Imagine Nation. It was a huge number of ships, but the heroes all held their ground and prepared to fight. Prime and his men moved forward to join Jack at the front of the crowd. Smart’s WarHawks flew to the frontline and armed their weapons. Jack held a hand out behind him, using his powers to freeze them in place. “Stand down,” he said.
“The devil we will!” Smart shot back. “Release my WarHawks this instant or I’l
“What? What are you going to do?” Jack asked Smart. “You can’t hurt me anymore. You can’t kill me, so you’re just going to have to trust me. Save your bullets. These ships are taken care of.”
Jack flew out past the edge of the island to meet the Shardwings. The Rüstov ships passed through him. A mixture of bewilderment and euphoric relief filled Hero Square as the Rüstov fighters streaked across the city like ghosts, unable to attack anything.
“I don’t understand,” Smart said as Jack flew back and landed next to him. “How is this possible?”
“We made it happen,” Virtua said, appearing next to Smart. “In a way, you helped. We couldn’t have done it without your SmarterNet.”
Smart spun on Virtua. “What?”
Virtua smiled. “One of my tech teams made a few alterations using the broken Ghost Box from Solomon Roka’s ship. It took some doing, but we were able to rebuild the damaged systems in time and modify the SmarterNet to broadcast a phase signal at the Rüstov.” She waved up at the harmless Shardwings. “These ships are useless now.”
Smart was speechless. As the Rüstov ghost ships continued their futile attempts to attack the city, a wave of confidence swept through the crowd.
“It was Jack’s idea,” Lorem Ipsum called out, flying in on an AirSkimmer. Jazen Knight was driving. “At the risk of stating the obvious, it was a good one.”
“Is that it, then?” Hovarth asked. “The armada isn’t a threat anymore?”
“No, that’s not it,” Prime said. “We just evened the odds. The Rüstov’s cannon fodder is gone, but the real firepower is waiting beyond those clouds.” He turned to Jack. “Why, Jack? Why did you destroy even half of the Calculan fleet? What possible good can come from that?”
Chi tapped Prime’s shoulder. “Perhaps we should direct that question to the other half.” Prime turned around and saw that the remaining Calculan ships had all moved into a defensive position around the city. As the drones armed their weapons, the members of the Calculan Delegation joined the crowd in Hero Square. Ambassador Equa walked up to Prime and whispered in his ear.