Endgame

The news van flew low. Its rider, melding his own magnetic energies with that of the Earth, generated a fierce static cloud around him. The van flew over the water, toward Jeruselem.

The rider read the signs of activity correctly. The Son of Man and his support team were fortifying the Temple Mount, one of the few structures above the flood.

The Fisherman, a.k.a. Deepwater, created waves the height of a building. Supercell kept his flying van well above the reach of the waves. A strategy formed.

Within a mile of the city walls, he plunged the van into the deep, cold waters. He floated, suspended by magnetic repulsion. The van continued on under water. It emered a few feet from the submeged Wailing Wall.

The van and anything metal within a mile hurtled towards the Temple Mount, electrified and pushed by the human dynamo in his pale yellow singlesuit.

He heard screams. The Son would know he was here. The psychic sidekick would also know. Supercell understood the principle of forced moves. Dubois had taught him that giving people a choice invited disaster. He had to leave no choice for them. He showered them with more metal.

Sure enough, a cruiser sized military boat came at him high speed. The boat fired, but all ammunition would fall into the water.

He realized, almost to late, that it was controled from dry land and loaded with a nuke. His magnetic field would hold off the radiation if he could stay conscious through the wall of compressed air from the explosion.

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"Decoy is away," Fredblast said. The Son of Man nodded. "Closing, 700 meters. Detonate?"

"No," The Son said.

"What?" Deepwater exclaimed.

"Hold off the detonation. He's seen through the trap," The Son said. Ebard stood beside him, smiling.

"He's pulling up," Ebard said.

"Now can I detonate?" Fredblaster asked. There was a long pause.

"Detonate, now," the Son said.

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The waters withdrew as the small, tactical nuclear warhead went off one mile from the Temple Mount, above a place called Horeb.

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Supercell dove towards the Son of Man. The Son unsheathed his sword, the Sword of David. Belial knew about the sword. It slew his Golliath. It slew the body of Dubois. Supercell knew.

"The one who wields the Sword of David cannot die in combat," Dubois had said. Supercell was curious. He swept an arc of electrons over the Son of David Mott. The Son was knocked back but got up.

Supercell flew at him and landed a punch to his jaw. His electrified fist hit with the force of a boulder falling from a high cliff. The Son was knocked back but got up again.

Supercell circled around him and back up. He laughed. He focused his energy and magnetically pulled the sword from the Son's hands.

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Moments before, The Son sent all his remaining friends into the labyrinth beneath the Temple Mount. The would emerge safely in Horeb, he assured them. He would distract Supercell.

He he came out of Al Asque and waited in the open courtyard. A yellow thing of a man flew at him. Lightning erupted, knocking the Son down. He stood. A fist rammed his head. He stood.

Sensing his opportunity, the Son readied himself and, as he saw the energy building in Supercell, he added his own force when the blade was torn from him. Instead of travelling at the predicted speed it should have, it travelled twice as fast.

The second arc of lightning hit him.

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Supercell caught the sword in his gut, blade first. He fell from the sky in pain. He landed on the sword, right next to his enemy, the Son. Ebard watched.

The life force of both men retreated from his view. He ran into the courtyard. He cupped the Son's head in his lap. The last thought startled him.

This couldn't have been, he thought.

"Yes," the Son said aloud. "I am."

Ebard sobbed. The thought was too beautiful to bear. As many times as necessary to serve God. He was transported back to the day he met this man. He'd asked the Son a question when they were alone. Ebard was afraid to die. He asked if he would die. The Son didn't give him an answer, until now.

Issue Two: Part 11 | Issue Two: Epilogue