Frontline

Omegazon couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

No, not just him. What the whole world had just seen.

The team was in their private craft, tending to their wounds as the ship rocketed over the water back to the mainland, when they had received a transmission. From an alien force orbiting the planet.

The Seven had had their fair share of experience with alien invasions, both overt and covert, and had come out on top each time. This time, though, was clearly different. This Emperor meant business.

His execution of Maxzor, one of the most dangerous and feared beings on the planet clearly showed how powerful the Emperor was. However, Omegazon was also surprised by this action, as the alien ruler had showed that he was aware of Maxzor’s criminal record, and his choice of making an example indicated a sense of some form of honor. This situation was unlike anything his team had faced.

Omegazon called up to the cockpit.

“Zindigo!”

“What’s up, Red?” asked the teams designated pilot.

“Take us straight to the Parliament; I have to see the Executive Council immediately.”

Zindigo was silent for a moment before replying. “You’re the boss.”

Omegazon sank back into his seat, avoiding making eye contact with any o0f his teammates, to save everyone to trouble of starting conflict. Omegazon knew what he had to do.

He just hoped he’d be able to do it.

A few hours after the broadcast had been made, the ship’s communication officer, an eight-sided, pyramidal, green being named Diamond, received a notification on his console. Diamond (or “Dee” as he was known amongst the bridge crew), remotely accessed the information and analyzed before summoning Delta.

The major-domo floated over from his ever-present place at the Emperor’s side to the communication station.

“Yes, Chief Communications Officer Diamond?”

~Administrator, the natives have sent a reply to the Emperor’s challenge.~

“Excellent, his majesty shall be pleased. Forward me the information.”

Diamond did as instructed and Delta returned to his ruler.

“Sire, the challenge has been accepted.”

Until this point, the Emperor had been staring at the world below him, patiently waiting to find out what his next course of action would be.

The Emperor squeezed his fingers and gave a small, satisfied smile.

“Excellent.”

The next morning, The Seven stood waiting the coming brawl in the area known as the Gray Wastes. The only thing nearby in the bleak, scorched lifeless region was an old, abandoned military waste that happened to be nearby precisely because it was in the middle of nowhere.

And the middle of nowhere was exactly where Omegazon wanted this battle to take place at.

Omegazon was the leader of The Seven, a tall, sturdy built man, who had been given the ability to emit blasts a bright red energy. The professor who had been responsible for the accident that gave him, his best friend, and his girlfriend their powers had designed a suit for him that would not only allow him to safely emit these destructive blasts, but also fuel the suit, allowing enhanced strength, speed and flight.

Omegazon was glad in slightly heavy dark gray and red armor that protected all of his torso and limbs, but kept his head exposed. A giant, red Omega symbol adorned his chest.

“I don’t see why you have to do this alone,” Said Betarange.

Betarange was Omegazon’s oldest and best friend. In the accident that had given Omegazon his energy powers, Betarange had been given enhanced speed and reflexes, making him fast enough to avoid a bullet at point blank range. Betarange was clad head to toe in a tight, orange speed suit, a black Beta symbol on his chest and with a swept back helmet and goggles offering the only real prote4ction to him.

“For two reasons, Beta. First, because this nut said he wanted a one on one fight, and I intend to give him the fight of his life. And secondly, if this guy turns out to be less than trustworthy…”

“Perish the thought.” Muttered Veta.

“Then the world is going to need you guys to lead the fight against whatever this guy is packing.”

This statement silenced any other protests for the moment, though it was clear to the Omegzon that his teammates were troubled.

Yellta, Omegazon’s girlfriend who had developed telekinesis in the accident, was staring straight at Omegzon, her worried eyes and crinkled brow the only indicators that showed how worried she was. Clad in a tight, yellow and white outfit, Yellta was also clothed in a large cape and hood, with her mouth covered by a concealing cloth, leaving only her eyes to be seen. The Delta symbol was emblazoned in black on her chest.

Gamreen’s expression was unreadable, clad as he was in his own heavy, emerald green, the spines and protusions that kept the garment from laying flat the only visible sign of the massive, monstrous figure underneath. A silver Gamma-symbol was over the left side of his chest, while a matching one adorned the belt buckle of his pants.

Blusilon was clearly troubled by the situation, as he was contemplatively rubbing his jaw and staring transfixed at a spot on the ground, his mind busy. Blusilon was the team healer, being able to stabilize and rejuvenate even the most grievous of injuries. If it hadn’t been for Blusilon, Omegazon would only be at half strength after the battle with Maxzor. Blusilon was clad in sky blue, loose fitting pants, a tattered, blue sleeveless shirt, with his forearms wrapped in strips of blue cloth and a blue bandana adorning his head. The Epsilon-symbol was adorning a bronze badge on his chest, as well as his bandana. Having no offensive abilities, Blusilon kept a small blaster holstered at his side.

Zindigo seemed the calmest of the heroes, aside from the indecipherable Gamreen. The team pilot, Zindigo was clad in an outfit that most closely resembled fighter pilot’s, only colored deep indigo with a white Zeta-symbol splashed across her back. The only sign that she was nervous was the way she nervously wrung her hands around her collapsible staff, her primary weapon to aid her in combat, along with her teleportation abilities.

Veta had her arms crossed tightly across her chest, her face showing quite clearly how unhappy she was with the situation. The shiny parts of her combat armor glinted in the sun as she fidgeted around, unable to hold still for more than a few moments. The armored, form fitting outfit had an Eta-symbol welded into the chest, the heavy armor allowing Veta to get close to enemies and use her stasis touch, which traps targets in a stasis field temporarily.

The group spent the majority of the time leading up to the agreed upon moment when the battle would begin in silence. Just before the moment of truth, Yellta pulled Omegazon aside.

“I know you’ve fought tough guys before.” She began. “And I know that you know just what is at stake here. Still, I feel that I have to tell you myself: if you get killed, I will find someway to bring you back and murder you with my brain.”

This brought a laugh from Omegazon, and he hugged the love his life. “I love you, too, Lynea.”

“And I love you, Rodo.” She said quietly.

Before anyone else could say anything, the moment arrived, and nearby, a flash of light and a gust of wind heralded the arrival of the alien leader.

Omegazon had registered the fact that this being was twice his size after seeing the footage of his execution, but it still left Omegazon a little stunned at the sheer size of him.

The huge, silvery clad being slowly walked towards the assembled heroes, his massive feet crunching the ground beneath him. Omegazon could just barely make out the pronged staff strapped to his opponent’s back.

The giant stopped just short of the group and quickly glanced over them all. Omegazon could tell by his standing that invader was filled with anticipation. The Emperor looked directly at Omegazon.

“Allow me to first say that I have nothing but respect for you, Champion. Standing up to impossible odds for the sake of your planet is a noble act.”

Omegazon merely nodded his acceptance of this compliment, not quite sure what to say to the giant. His teammates cast their own glares or fearful glances that the gleaming figure ignored.

“The Challenge is straightforward. The two of us shall battle until one of us is unable to, be it through unconsciousness or death, or surrender. Any outside interference, on either of our parts, will result in forfeiture.”

Betarange opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Yellta, who grabbed his arm and shook her head.

“One-on-one all the way, works for me.” Said Omegazon, mentally preparing himself for what was about to begin.

“Are you ready?” asked the Emperor.

Omegazon nodded.

“Then, as soon as your comrades depart, we shall begin.”

Omegazon turned to look back at his comrades and said simply: “It’s time, guys.”

Yellta cast a furtive look at her betrothed before moving to join the others who had bunched around Zindigo as she prepared to teleport herself and the others. As Veta placed her hand on Zindigo’s shoulder, she called out to her teammate.

“Kick his ass, Red!”

And with that, the group disappeared in a slash of purple light.

Omegazon turned back to his opponent, who now had a small smile across his face.

“Now than, shall we begin?” asked the Emperor.

The group reappeared not far from where the two combatants still stood. They were standing at the top of a rocky hill, and from their vantage, could make out the two figures, one huge and shiny, and the other, a small, colorful shape.

As the group studied the distant fighters, Yellta clasped her hands together for a quick prayer.

Please, let him be safe.

The two combatants stood motionless, Omegazon crouched low, sizing up his opponent and considering his options. The Emperor stood with his arms up at his sides, his hands clenched tight in anticipation.

Omegazon decided to take the offensive approach, and fired a lance of red energy from the symbol on his chest.

The energy appeared to strike its target, as a flash of bright light and the rumble of an explosion caused Omegazon to briefly turn his head away to avoid being blinded. When he turned back, the Emperor was gone.

“An admirable first strike,” Came a deep voice from behind him.

Omegazon raised his arms up and back behind him, channeling the energy from his gauntlets this time. Xandarius leaned back almost lazily to dodge the blast, and Omegazon activated his suits flight feature to put some distance between himself and his opponent.

When Omegazon came to stop, he discovered that his opponent hadn’t moved at all. Unsure of his opponent’s strategy, Omegazon decided to press the offensive, and let loose with another barrage from his gauntlets.

The Emperor raised his hand to chest height, his fingers spread, as though he intended to catch the blasts in the palm of his hand. Instead, his energy blasts struck an invisible barrier before detonating.

Ok, so he’s super fast, and he can project force fields, Thought Omegazon. Tough, but not the worst I’ve ever fought.

Deciding to change tactics, Omegazon raced towards his opponent, his toes skimming the ground as prepared to hit the alien with a mighty punch.

As he lunched his fist forward, the Emperor, again, seemingly casually moved slightly to the right, completely avoiding the punch. Omegazon didn’t allow this to throw him off, as he began delivering a flurry of kicks and punches.

Unfortunately, Omegazon wasn’t able to land a single one.

The Emperor used his own incredible suit to stay just out of reach of the hero, moving slightly left, right, and backward to avoid the blows.

As Omegazon threw a particularly strong punch, the Emperor caught the attack in his hand.

“My turn.” He said.

With his free hand, Xandarius pulled back his arm and slammed it into Omegazon’s stomach, causing the warrior to double over in pain, except his fist was still caught firmly in the Emperor’s grasp.

When the Emperor finally did let go of Omegazon, the hero was too stunned to act, and was unable to block or doge the kick from the Emperor that sent the combatant spinning away. Omegazon impacted a sand dune, the loose material serving to lessen the impact only slightly.

As Omegazon lay stunned, Xandarius slowly advanced on his fallen opponent, this time floating slightly above the ground as he had done when he’d silently moved to execute Maxzor.

“It can end now, you know.” He told the prone figure who was struggling to extract himself from the dune. “Most fights are quite short, and you are someone who I would very much like to spare. A man like you could have a high place within my Empire. Your friends as well, by the look of them. All you have to do is surrender, and this all ends.”

Omegazon mumbled some words that Xandarius missed. He bent closer to his opponent.

“What was that?” he asked.

In a stronger voice than Xandarius was expecting, Omegazon said “Surrender to this!” and unleashed a blast of energy from his eyes.

Unable to bring up his force field in time, the Emperor caught the blast full in the face, causing him to pull away with a roar. The damage was minimal, and the blindness was temporary, so Omegazon decided to press his advantage.

Omegazon burst from the dune, portions of his armor glowing as his energy flooded the systems, enhancing his strength and speed to the optimal output. Omegazon rushed forward and began delivering a furious flurry of blows, kicks and punches striking the alien in his chest, stomach and face. The hero struck the Emperor under his chin, lifting the invader into the air where he hung for just a moment before being caught by a full blast from Omegazon’s chest beam.

Xandarius was sent rocketing upward, the searing energy causing the Emperor pain even through his advanced suit. The alien ruler was able to throw out his arms and bring his flight to a stop. As he floated in the air, high above the ground, his still stinging eyes spotted his opponent, who was doubled over once again, only this time to collect as much energy as he could for his next attack. Before the Emperor had time to move, Omegazon unleashed the blast, energy pouring from his chest, gauntlets, eyes and mouth as he tried to bring this fight to an end.

Deciding not to dodge or block this shot, Xandarius pulled Silverbolt, the long staff with five small prongs on each end, from his back. Separating the staff into its two parts, the Emperor activated his weapons, and crackling electricity sprang to life from the prongs on both ends.

As the energy raced towards Xandarius, the Emperor held his weapons out before him and as the blast finally reached him, caught the beams in a web of electrical energy. In a single fluid motion, the Emperor swung his weapons over his head before bringing them back out in front of himself and hurling the energy right back at Omegazon.

The hero reacted in a second, gathering energy once more to fire at the incoming blast. The two beams met in mid air and exploded, bathing the area in blinding light.

As Omegazon recovered from the exhausting blasts and the explosion, Xandarius slowly descended to the ground. When his feet were firmly planted, the Emperor raised one arm and unleashed a blast of purple energy at the hero. Omegazon fired a burst of his own from both hands, and the two beams met in between them. For a moment, the beams struggled against each other, both trying to overpower the other, but slowly, Omegazon’s beam was pushed back. Omegazon fought past his exhaustion and pain to gather as much energy as he could to repel the blast, but Xandarius suddenly poured on more power, turning the slowly advancing beam into a rushing, oncoming wave of energy. Omegazon had just enough time to raise his arms to cover his face before he was swallowed by the blast.

The other members of the Seven had remained on the hill as the battle below them unfolded. They watched, tense and breathless as the opening salvo had been unleashed, as Omegazon made his first attempts to breach the Emperor’s defenses, only to be stopped and smacked down. They’d cheered as their leader blasted the giant and began his own onslaught, none of them wanting to hope that this would lead the fight to a swift and happy conclusion. Dread filled them as they saw the Emperor catch and reflect Omegazon’s strongest barrage, and had all been nearly blinded by the blasts exploding in mid air. Now, this purple beam from the invader had overwhelmed their world’s champion, and it did not look like he would be getting up from this one.

“We have to get down there!” said Veta.

Despite their orders, none of the assembled heroes could willfully standby and watch what they were seeing continue.

“Everybody hold tight, then!” yelled Zindigo.

Omegazon’s vision was blurry, his ears were ringing, his whole body felt like he had been stepped on, and he tasted blood.

All in all, not a good day to be him.

Omegazon was unaware when the Emperor had closed the distance between the two, but the hero felt the giant grab the front of his armor and lift him off the ground. Xandarius brought the warrior close to his face so that he could here him.

“You have fought valiantly, champion, but clearly you are beaten. Do you concede the fight, and your world, to me, or will you pointlessly throw your life away by continuing to struggle?”

Omegazon’s head rolled, it was hard for him to think. Before he could reply, a flash of purple on the edge of his vision distracted him.

Oh, no.

Help had arrived.

“Put him down, you monster!” came the voice of Yellta from behind him.

Even through his pain and haze, Omegazon could make out the look of sad disappointment on his opponent’s face.

“Interference equals forfeiture.” Said the Emperor simply, as he raised his free hand and began to collect energy.

Omegazon knew that this situation was about to erupt into an even larger brawl than he had just been through, so he summoned his strength for his final move.

“Wait…”

Omegazon’s voice came out as barely more than a croaked whisper, and yet all of the assembled combatants heard him.

“I surrender. You win.” He said, to Xandarius.

Omegazon could only imagine the looks on his friend’s faces behind him, but he was certain that they all contained shock, disbelief, uncertainty, and probably some anger.

The energy that the Emperor had been collecting dissipated as he lowered his free hand. At first, Xandarius’ face was unreadable but then, a small smile broke the marble face.

“Very good.” He said, as he slowly (gently, thought Omegazon) lowered his opponent into the waiting arms of his friends.

Just before he lost consciousness, Omegazon heard the Emperor say one more thing.

“It would appear I have chosen my governor wisely.”

…WHAT!?!?