So here I am, one knee on the ground, fist on the deck, just gazing at this gleaming hologram of Grand Regent Thragg, Viltrumite King. His image pulsed with a light, and you could sense his cold fury. "Your... your Royal Highness," I stuttered, not wanting to sound too dashing. The ship's gravity had me dazed, reminding me that I wasn't really kneeling there before him, but actually floating around out here in space.
"What is it?" he snarled, his gaze blazing with a look that sounded as loud as a screaming alarm. My Butcher's Voice lay low, silent during this meeting.
"Well," I replied, combing through my bald head, "I haven't exactly, you know, conquered Earth yet."
Thragg's face went from hot, molten lava all the way up to a supernova explosion in a split second. "What?!" His words just bursting out inside the small cabin of my ship. "You had one job, Conquest! One job! The kid couldn't possibly be that much for you!"
I raised my arms, palms out, in a whoa there gesture. "Please, my Grand Regent. The kid's a pushover, I promise. It's just that if I conquered earth, it's going to be tiresome to maintain. Rebels springing up all over trying to play hero, all kinds of surprises popping out, out of nowhere. I'll have to babysit the entire planet."
Thragg's fists were clenched tightly, and his knuckles popped with this cracking sound as if ice was breaking. "Are you seriously questioning the efficieny of the Empire?"
I swallowed hard. "There's more," I told him, leaving it sort of dangling like a Sword of Damocles. "Nolan's not dead, actually. He's been running around with the Coalition of Planets, selling all his 'humanitarian' garbage to them."
Thragg's projection completely stalled, his eyes narrowing to slits. "No way," he spat. "You're lying."
"I wish I was" I replied, knowing the truth. "But the intel is real. Nolan's joined the Coalition."
Thragg was absolutely silent, like when something is about to explode. You could really sense his fury amidst all the commotion. "You propose," he growled finally, not really posing any question.
I nodded. "Yes, I propose to return back to where I am really needed, right at the heart of the empire's turmoil. The Viltrumite War," I repeated, liking how it sounded. "I kill off Nolan and his son, who's sure to continue family tradition with making The Viltrum Empire's life miserable for the Coalition."
Thragg went from "No way" to sorta looking impressed. "Ah, so you're thinking strategically," he said, stroking his mustache. The old Conquest was a dog to Thragg, always looking for a fight, but not this version. "But why didn't you just kill the kid when you had the chance?"
I couldn't help but grin, drinking it all in. "I wanted steal his girlfriend, and break her," I replied with a cheeky wink. "It's all well and fun until you rip the heart from the hero, right?"
Thragg's eyes literally glowed with enthusiasm as if impressed, and his mustache quivered this as if on the verge of a smile. "Psychological warfare, huh? Now that is true art. But, don't let your... wants get into your head again, Conquest. Your tricks are... clever, but remember your place."
"Of course, Grand Regent," I replied, careful not to allow any sarcasm to escape.
Thragg's image nodded rapidly. "Proceed with your strategy, Conquest. Just remember, this is your final chance. Don't blow it for me again."
With a final flick of his hologram, Thragg disappeared into thin air, leaving me standing alone amidst the cold, dark silence of my ship. The Butcher's Voice was gone entirely, a nice respite. I took a breath, feeling Thragg's threat really hit me. Last chance, yeah. I couldn't help but smile a little. Like I didn't know that.
I summoned my crew to the main deck—this wacky group of aliens, all with their roles on the ship, part of the whole Viltrum Empire thing. They emerged, but did not look me in the eye, avoiding any sort of contact whatsoever. They knew what was going on: stand up to Conquest, and it'd be a done deal, no question. But to be honest, I wasn't in that mood today. At least, not with them. I had something way, way bigger on my mind. I had my crewmen connect with me Lucan, Kregg, & Anissa.
"Lucan, Kregg, Anissa," I greeted them with a grin. "What's the view from your rock?"
Lucan's scowl conveyed it all. "Conquest," he growled, his voice thundering through the comms as a low bass drum. "What do you want?"
"Oh, just catching a breath," I replied, attempting nonchalance. "Just, you know, the typical. Blood, mayhem, and conquest of the galaxy." The Butcher's Voice in my ear reminded me, softly, of what a mess we'd soon be causing. "It's actually on orders from Thragg. I require your three to accompany me. Immediately."
His face contorted as if he had swallowed a lemon. "Why?"
"Why?" I asked, as if I had not known. "Because your kind Grand Regent has a small job for us, and here I am, apparently, his only choice for getting it done properly," I explained with a grin. The Butcher's Voice laughed softly into my ear, exercising his authority.
Lucan's expression was difficult to decipher, a brick wall, but I sensed that he didn't believe me. "What is this... project?"
I grinned widely, and the Butcher's Voice inside me rang out with increased volume as I contemplated what lay ahead. "It's a surprise," I explained to them. "We're after Nolan, the traitor. He's throwing a little bash of Avengers, and we're crashing it. Big time."
Kregg's eyes widened, as if holes on the top of space whales. "Nolan? Alive?" It sounded as if something bad. "And with the Coalition?"
"Unfortunately," I replied, gazing at the screens as if they were sad lines from a space novel. "But don't worry, we will correct that one small error."
I clicked my fingers, and the holography was displayed before me, the coordinates materialized. "This is where we will go," I indicated, and a red dot glowed on my HUD. "It's a clear location, which means nobody will disturb us there. Plus, it's near where the Coalition is supposed to gather, so we'll have a clear idea where to head after."
Lucan, Kregg, and Anissa stared at the chart, their features etched with shock and rage. "How do you know about Nolan's involvement with the Coalition?" Anissa demanded at last.
"It's a secret," I replied with a wink, tapping on my nose. "Just assume I have my... sources. They tell me that Nolan has been playing a very risky game. But that will all be past now," I went on, as the Butcher's Voice whispered softly into my ear. "We will teach him what betrayal means."
I nodded again at the crew and headed back into my room, sensing a shift in the ground as I exited the main deck. Eve, whom I had stolen from Mark, gazed up at me with frightened eyes. She knew better than to fight with me when I'm this way, or generally whenever she's around me. The System within me had given her some amazing upgrades for being creatively cruel to her, so she was a great... companion. She appeared as a thick version of herself when she was pregnant in the comics, but better. Now, however, all she reminded me of was what awaited me.
"I've got some bad news and some good news," I said to her, in as nice a tone as I could muster.
She gazed at me with her wide, vacant eyes, hope flickering as a small flame amidst the despair that came with being here.
"Good news" I began, moving towards her, "I'm leaving." I held out my hand and steadied her as I helped her rise, holding onto her arm. "But," here's the bad part, "you can't play with your toys." I produced chains from a pocket—thick steel that would hold her at bay. The System had provided me with a handy upgrade on this trick to seal away her powers.
Eyes widening with terror, Eve struggled for breath as she gazed at the chains. She knew what they signified. "Conquest no," she implored. "I won't do anything."
"Aww, don't be like that, please," I told her as I clicked on her wrists' chains and laughed softly. "I have a lot planned, and I don't want you ruining the party." The chains jangled as they clicked into position. Eve's arms tensed as she suddenly lost her abilities, but she remained silent, her eyes blazing with rage capable of incinerating the sun.
I patted her on the cheek and headed for the door. It closed softly behind me, sucking all the air out. The Butcher's Voice whispered nasty words into my ear, propelling me toward the airlock. My heart pounded wildly as if it might burst, and anticipation for the fights that awaited me filled me with a rush of nothing but the best whiskey ever made could provide.
I moved into the vastness of space, which was quite cold. I shut one eye and concentrated, and with a resounding crash that might have startled any onlooker, I leapt from the ship. My muscles ached, but I did not care. I soared through space like a brilliant comet, with stars whirling rapidly around me like cosmic confetti, cold wind in my face as I sped toward our rendezvous.
The Butcher's Voice was completely abuzz, discussing all the crazy things we were going to do, and I could sense the thrill from the hunt coursing through me. Destruction points all ready to trigger. It was going to be epic, and the System was already awarding me points just for thinking of the plan.
So, when I crashed into a space rock, there holes all over everywhere, walking on the moon, I meet my comrades giving me this irritated look. Honestly, they looked as if they had been chewing nails and drinking battery acid.
"Alright, let's get this party started," I told them, not trying at all to hide how excited I felt. "Our little excursion is ready to begin."
We shot through space, a team of total legends on a job to mess up someone's day. The Butcher's Voice had all his sneaky tricks, warning me about watching out for Allen the Alien—such a threat, much worse than those 'heroes' we were sent to capture. Thinking about him made me smile. I had a plan with Anissa. She wasn't there for her cute face alone; she was gonna provide us with some help, and I thought Allen would have mercy on her because she's a girl.
As we approached the Coalition ship, it was enormous, sort of like a giant Christmas tree, all sparkly and just begging to be plundered. We sailed right over to ship with no issues, and the Butcher's Voice in my head was analyzing the defenses and vulnerabilities on this ship like it mattered to me.
When we crept closer, I could sense their faces. They just had a look of total confusion on their face, as if they had been struck with a meteor shower out on a picnic. The defenses on the ship went off with a sound akin to popping popcorn microwaving, but we had flown inside before they even knew what was happening. The Butcher's Voice told me, essentially, "Move quickly and catch them off guard," and, bro, we really hit a bullseye.
Its sirens were blaring wildly, a mad alarm sound, and we simply cut through their metal hull as if through butter, destroying the ship and propelling the heroes into space. Those 'heroes' of the universe, as they liked to think, were wildly struggling around as if insects floating around in zero G. I caught a glimpse of Omni-Man, Techjacket, and Invincible, caught as off guard as anyone else.
Honestly, the best part was absolutely Oliver. This half-alien kid was just staring up at me with those giant completely freaked-out eyes, and his mouth was agape like he'd just seen a ghost or something. I couldn't help but smile a little bit. "Well, hello there, little fella," I thought. The Butcher's Voice was having a field day in my mind—it had been anticipating this moment.
Oliver's eyes widened even further, if you can imagine, and took off flying like a jackrabbit on redline. He was speedy, I'll give him that, but I'm a lot faster. I caught up with him in a flash, getting a hold on his hair as his little fists pounded against my chest as if trying to knock down a mountain with marshmallows.
"You," his voice shaking with rage, screamed inwardly at me, "you stole Eve!"
I couldn't help but laugh as I pulled a little harder on Oliver's hair. "Oh man, the irony," I stated, raising my mechanical fist, completely ready to crush his skull like a walnut. "You're actually angry with me for taking something forcefully?"
But just as I was ready to enjoy the crunch, a blur of blue and yellow tore into our little space and crashed into me like a meteor. Wow, that's tough. Gotta give Invincible points, he's got guts. I could really feel the impact. He sure wasn't as frail as he had been back on Earth.
"Conquest," he growled, baring his teeth as a beast might. The Butcher's Voice whispered in my ear with a snicker. At last, the time all of us was waiting for, has come—the hero getting revenge on the bad guy, the bad guy getting his due at last. Will it actually occur, though, today?
"Hey, Invincible," I told Oliver, playfully tugging on his hair. "Look what the cosmic winds left in our laps," I smiled. The Butcher's Voice flashed into my mind, telling me, 'Get ready for the crazy battle headed your way.'
"What have you done with her?" he shouted, his fists clenched with all the force necessary to break a diamond. You could tell where his heart lay.
"What did I do with who?" I played dumb, pulling on Oliver's hair a bit harder and as if I had just figured out why the sky was blue, I grinned. "You know full well what I did. I had a great time. She's just a broodmare," I grinned, watching as his face turned crimson. The Butcher's Voice inside me was just celebrating his misery.
But just as he reached us, I pulled Oliver in front of me waving him around like a human shield. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," I grinned widely enough that I thought I might eat up everything around me. "You really wanna do that?"
Invincible completely froze, his fists all clenched like he was going to punch a hole in the ship. "Let him go," he growled, looking extremely angry and kind of intimidating.
"Or what?" I teased, holding Oliver aloft above me. He struggled furiously against my arms, and his eyes were really frightened-looking. "Gonna save yourself, boy?"
Invincible's eyes widened ridiculously, and his fists trembled furiously as he struggled desperately not to lose his cool. "Conquest, stop." he told me.
I just grinned and pulled Oliver up over me. "Or what?" I repeated, my other hand grabbing hold of his legs too. "You gonna save your little brother?" Then I began ripping him open. You seriously heard stitches popping out everywhere, and the kid's cries sounded like a symphony to me. The Butcher's Voice within me was jamming entirely on a victory tune, and I felt great.
Then something shifted. Invincible's rage dissipated, replaced with something else. His gaze met mine, and his eyes weren't blazing with fury anymore but with something else—a touch of desperation, perhaps. "Conquest," he said softly, nearly a whisper. "Please don't do this."
I felt a weirdness within me, not sympathy for this boy, but a perverse sense of humor. I discarded Oliver like a plaything, and he plummeted through the air, his eyes open in shock. The Butcher's Voice within me paused, taken aback by my change. Or perhaps it was not a change. Perhaps it was a trick.
"Oh, okay," I replied with a shrug, watching as he soared towards Mark. "But don't tell me I didn't offer you a chance."
Oliver gazed at me with a look of hope as well as amazement on his face. He caught on quickly, I will grant that. Still, not as quickly as he should have. As soon as he took off flying, I followed after, a speeding bullet, poised to collide.
"No, Conquest!" cried out Mark, his eyes gaping open with terror. It was too late, however, as I had crept up on Oliver, rushing through the air, a meteor-like figure with hand.
Oliver's eyes widened further as he felt cold metal slide into his belly from his back, and his expression remained in shock, disbelief, and betrayal. "No." he managed, his words barely above a whisper as he gazed down at the red stain on his suit.
I gave a weird malicious grin and drew back my robot hand back, stained with that young hero's blood. I put it near my mouth and licked it as if a cat licks its bowl of milk. The Butcher's Voice in my head sounded extremely cheerful.
The fearless Mark charged at us with his eyes streaming with tears, and with great rage. The boy, Oliver, whom he caught spaceborne, was cradled towards Mark's waist. The connection they shared was stronger than any metal employed on spaceships, and I knew that if he possibly could, he would have ripped me into pieces.
"You are a monster," he shouted & sobbed. "I will punish you for this."
I smiled, gazing at the pathetic scene like someone accustomed to reading pathetic love stories. "Oh, Mark," I told him, waving my hand to indicate I didn't care. "You're so easy to read." The Butcher's Voice whispered gently in my ear, nudging me.
Mark embraced Oliver, his costume becoming stained with his brother's blood. His eyes burned with rage, fierce and ready to burst out at a second's notice. "Help me," he implored his fellow heroes. "I need help!"
But it was only just beginning. In the midst of it all, someone flew in mid-air. Nolan, the traitor had come, and he was exceedingly angry. The Butcher's Voice in my head fell silent, probably ruminating about something important. His fists were clenched shut as if he could grip black holes.
"You son of a bitch," he yelled, his words resounding through our minds. "What have you done with my son?" He was furious, a storm that would raze everything down. His eyes bulging as if they might burst, his fists as hard as stones, striking at me towards my nose and lips, causing me to bleed.
"Looks like Daddy's here," I joked. "You know what they say at family reunions, right?" I winked, my eyes glinting with mischief. The Butcher's Voice inside me growled, poised for trouble.
He said nothing and punched me again and again like a ravenous beast. I pushed him back, but he again charged at me. We fought as giant warriors, our punches echoing loudly through the asteroid field as if a great catastrophe.
"Get Oliver, Dad, I'll handle Conquest," Invincible yelled above the din, his rage evident and intense, filling the area around us.
Nolan's face reflected his sadness and he looked torn, his eyes darted back and forth from his deceased son to me, whom he perceived as a monster. There was something, however, within Mark's tone as well as his grip on Oliver that made Nolan realize that Mark needed this fight. He nodded, and then took off for a planet below, his dying son cradled within his arms.
"You're going to pay." declared Invincible, his fists glistening with determination. "For all that you have done. I swear you will pay. I can see the future. You don't get to see tomorrow."
"Aye, really?" I repeated, cracking my knuckles. "You'd think you can match me now?" The Butcher's Voice whispers sweetly into my ear about a challenge at last. "Then have at it kid," I told him.
And that's how the our devasting fight started with a loud bang. I and invincible, two powerful warriors, fought one another with all we had. The asteroid belt trembled due to our might, and its surface shattered as if made of fragile glass.
We slammed into one another with a force that would terrify the gods. Our fists struck with a resounding crash that thundered through the heavens. I knew I had to leave everything I had on the table or I would lose this fight.
Invincible tapped all his might, and his fists struck me as if meteors striking solid skin. We charged through the field of asteroids, dodging with grace, punching holes with fists and holes with feet as we charged on. It was a difficult battle, a battle prepared for where the asteroids trembled.
"You think you can defeat me, you little shit?" I yelled, striking his face with fists. His body struck with such ferocity that the rock shattered into two, with sharp fragments spreading all around us like a meteor shower.
"For Eve, For Oliver," Invincible growled, his mouth twisted into a snarl and his teeth clenched as his mouth filled with red, running blood as he glared back at me. "For everything you've stolen from us. You don't get to see to tomorrow!" His eyes was filled with so much fury and for a second, I felt a twinge at something. Not fear—never fear—but something akin to respect. The kid wasn't afraid.