All-Patron Reward: Gods, Demigods, and Superheroes

As mentioned last month, when I worked with Wizards of the Coast I wrote the first draft of a Primal Order supplement called Unorthodox Strategies: Deities in Non-Fantasy Campaigns. Each section of the supplement covered a different non-epic-fantasy genre, and began with a little story vignette. The following one is from the section on gods in superheroic settings. When my own superhero novel (tentatively titled Legend) comes out, you'll see that a lot of the characters and basic concepts in that novel were already present in this little story fragment...

Another concussion rocked Enforcers' Eyrie. 

"What in hell was *that*?!" Fireflux demanded as she picked herself off the floor. 

The Rat, gray and almost featureless in his smooth unadorned costume, was punching orders into MINERVA, the central computer. "I don't know exactly yet; trying to get a visual with the satellite uplink. But the epicenter wasn't even *near* this building; it's right at that dimensional warp that Impact, Steel Sentinel, and the Admiral went to check out."

Red gemlike sparkles flashed off Crystal Vision's armor as he turned sharply. "What? *Kerianalan!* But that's more than five miles from here!"

The Rat's voice was grim. "I know."

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"Son of a bitch!" Charles Medon, the Steel Sentinel, cursed as he shoved a four-ton steel girder off his chest. "Impact? Admiral? You there? That blast blew out every window in sight, and my suit's systems show I'm down to 80% capacity."

"I am here." Impact's voice, as usual, showed no emotion other than barely leashed anger. "I did not expect so much force so soon."

Glancing up, Charles saw the black and silver cape of Admiral Twilight, standing on top of a lone girder which had somehow managed to stay solidly planted when the rest of the building went down. *Wish *I* had the power to affect probability like that.* "Admiral?"

Then the huge figure of their adversary appeared, looking down on them from atop the Tiara Tower. {How very interesting. You all survived.} The voice echoed back from the rest of the city, as though the human-looking figure wearing archaic red, gold, and green robes was using a 50,000 watt speaker system. {The others I do not quite understand yet, but you below, in the silver and white -- your armor is of surpassing strength. Since I wish to be inconvenienced by you no longer...} a long-fingered hand made a negligible gesture, and a ball of white energy seemed to drift slowly down towards Charles. The others dove to intercept it, but the deceptive speed of the sphere outdistanced them. Charles activated the Steel Sentinel's full force-screen and braced for the impact.

Without slowing in the slightest, or even causing the smallest twitch in the monitor display, the energy ball passed through his deflector shield as though it wasn't even there and smashed straight into the armor itself.

The explosion left Charles stunned for a moment; he was even more stunned to find himself alive. It was only when he saw his allies' incredulous stares that he realized that nothing remained of the nearly-indestructible Steel Sentinel armor.

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"There it is... oh my God." the Rat said as the picture from the satellite came in. 

In a circle almost a mile across, buildings were broken and smoking. Only one structure seemed untouched; in the center of the devastation the Tiara Tower still thrust its arrow-straight bulk skywards. And from a tiny-seeming figure standing atop it, a sphere of energy streaked downwards and hit another doll-sized figure standing below.

"By the Dragon King's claws..." Crystal Vision breathed. "The Sentinel's armor... *gone!*"

"Went right through his shield without resistance." The Rat's fingers flew over the keyboard. "Telemetry shows that the energy didn't even *register* to the Sentinel's sensors. Impact's going after the guy now, I'm trying to get a better picture."

Impact walked forward. None of the Enforcers had ever seen him change his pace. His walk was like the advance of a glacier; slow but utterly irresistable. The fanged mouth on his costume's chest seemed to drip malevolent venom, the eyes to glow in the royal purple background. His adversary simply regarded him, head tilted to the side, as though studying a curious, if insignificant, insect. Impact drew back his fist and slammed home a punch that, they knew, could wreck any wall of armor plate ever made.

The target of that blow made no effort to evade it; he simply held up his hand as if to catch Impact's fist.

The result stunned both parties; instead of either disintegrating into a spray of pulped flesh or flying over the horizon, the unnamed figure in crimson and green skidded backwards over sixty feet, nearly going over the edge of the tower and toppling over backwards to land squarely on his back.

But the figure rose up, and there was a red glow emanating from it that sent chills down every watcher's spine. {You dare to strike me? I know not where your formidable strength comes from, but it will not save your soul! None in all the Nine Worlds would dare such a thing, unless they be ready to pay the price!}

Impact's face had registered mild surprise, but now the indigo eyebrows furrowed the square forehead and his eyes narrowed. "You are tougher than you appear. But you have intruded here and assaulted the innocents of this world. I am one of its protectors. Your resilience will only make the process longer." He started forward again, an irresistable force against a nigh- immovable object.

Suddenly Windlash was at the control console, grabbing for the transmitter mike. "Impact! Rall, *DON'T!*"

The warning came too late. The stranger raised his finger and a bolt of fiery red streaked into the oncoming hero; Impact was picked up and slung backwards, flaming like a meteor into the distance.

Admiral Twilight's voice came back. "Judging by your voice, the probability is that you know what we're up against. I'd appreciate hearing it, since he's turning towards me now."

Windlash nodded, eyes on the narrow-faced figure in crimson,green, and gold. "There was never any occasion for me to discuss my origin with the rest of you. But that out there is *my* problem."

Prepared now, Windlash teleported squarely between the two as the stranger unleashed another bolt at the last of the three who'd first opposed him. The scarlet beam splashed off Windlash's blue- silver armor, leaving no mark whatsoever; the others, knowing how titanic a force must have been needed to halt Impact, gasped involuntarily. "Damnation." the Rat said softly. "I know he *called* himself invulnerable, but that's... incredible."

As though he'd never left the microphone, Windlash continued talking. "I am the chosen emissary of the gods of my forefathers; I am the representative of Odin and Thor."

At those words the robed figure's eyes widened and the mouth tightened.

Keeping his eyes still focused on the figure before him, Windlash continued. "And that is our greatest adversary; traitor to Asgard, ally to the Jotuns, father of Hel and Jormungand. He nearly destroyed the world in First Ragnarok, a thousand years ago."

The figure drew itself up and red flared like anger and pride around it. "And what of that? If you believe in the Fates, Verdandi, Uld, Skuld, they prophesied my treachery, if so you'd call it, and I was bound in their web as firmly as any. If you believe not in fate, well, was I supposed to hold all loyalty for the great thundering buffoons in Asgard, and none for my own blood? Pfah! An they were too blind to see it coming, they deserved all that happened to them, and my regret is only that they all didn't perish!" He laughed and pointed at Windlash. "And so this is their answer to me? A mortal child endowed by that one- eyed king and his hammer-hurling churl of a son? Then they've learned nothing at all. But if you'd have it so, then come, Windlash, and dance the final dance with Loki!"

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Those few who've read my old fanfic also would recognize Windlash himself; whether he'll ever show up in my real fiction I have not yet decided, for a number of reasons.