Starside: Villain

Copyright © 2020 by Joshua Sheppard.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-7960-0832-6

                eBook            978-1-7960-0831-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 03/09/2020

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 1

The first of Weather Woman’s attacks took five lives, and the casualties had only increased since then. Now, in 2023, the Detroit Police Department (DPD) database still didn’t have much information on superpowered criminals, even though it had been three years since the storm appeared, turning ordinary humans into antihumans. Debbie Parker was one of them; now she went by the name Weather Woman.

She was also my top priority. There was just one problem: I had absolutely no idea where she was or how to detain her.

Nothing, huh? I thought, sitting back in my office chair at the DPD. I looked out the window and saw nothing but fog.

I just assumed that the information I wanted was off limits to someone of my rank. So I decided to give my friend a visit. He didn’t like attention very much, but he was a hard worker. If anyone could get me the information I needed, it was him.

I knocked on his office door, but nobody answered.

Hey, James. I knocked again. I need some help with this … problem.

The door clicked open. Come back when I’m on break, James said, sticking his head out of the door. You know how much Paige hates it when we slack off during work.

He attempted to close the door, but I managed to stick my foot out and keep it open. Please, James, I really need your help. I’m so close to a breakthrough.

James stuck his head out of the door again. Is this about Weather Woman?

I nodded. James looked around to make sure nobody was watching. He was always so paranoid about pretty much everything. I was never sure why.

He quickly shut the door behind me and locked it. His office was filled with more figurines than a toy store, and massive sci-fi posters hung on the walls. It was all a bit strange for one of the smartest people in the DPD. I didn’t really understand the guy. I just assumed he’d seen way too many paranormal documentaries. I guessed the world’s having been plunged into a purple storm really didn’t help his mental state.

W-what is it? What do you need? he stuttered, closing all his desk drawers.

The usual information.

I can’t just give you information, he said. You always ask for more damn information! He lowered his voice. "You know who might be listening."

Who? The antihumans? I joked.

No, Captain Paige. That woman is scary. Remember the last time I told you stuff you weren’t meant to know, and she overheard?

I get it. I really didn’t get it. She’s a scary one, she is, but you can trust me to keep a secret, can’t you?

You were the one who almost spilt the beans last time. I’m not allowed to give you any off-limits information—we could get fired.

But that won’t happen today. Trust me, I have a plan.

A plan?

"That’s right, a super-secret plan that only you and I will know about."

He leaned in closer. Fine. What is it?

You know I’m working on a case to locate the Shepherd’s remaining hordes of lackeys, right?

Yeah. What about it?

You know what he can do, right?

I don’t like where this is going.

So it wouldn’t be too far-fetched if we, say, were to give him a visit?

No! Absolutely not! He looked around and lowered his voice again. "We can’t, and you know why."

Look, I’m going whether you’re coming or not. If I get caught doing something I’m not supposed to do, who’s the next person Paige would go to?

Me. … Look, I’ll go, but why do you even need me at all?

You’re the translator. You really think I can understand anything that geezer says?

He sighed. When do we leave?

Right now!

But I’m not on break yet. I was thinking maybe tomorrow at the earliest.

I ended up dragging him to the parking lot, which was filled with fog. You see this? I gestured to the mist and everything around me. If we find Weather Woman, all this will go away. You’ll actually be able to see more than a hundred metres in front of you.

Yes, I know. He slipped out of my grasp. I’ll go, OK? But we have to be back before five o’clock; Paige gets back around six.

I knew I could count on you!

We left at twelve. It was quite the journey to get to the Shepherd. All of the antihumans the police had managed to bring in alive were kept in a secret prison far away from civilisation. To say James was shaking in his boots would be an understatement.

You do realise that the Shepherd is being kept in one of the highest-security prisons in the country?

I know, I know. But what if he’s out for revenge? I was one of the people who arrested him. And we shouldn’t have been able to catch him anyway. I mean, knowing what he can do, it should have been impossible.

Stop theorising. I thought you said you’d never even seen his face.

I didn’t. I was on the opposite side of the building we found him in.

Then you have no reason to be worried.

It was around three when we finally got to the prison. We went through check-in and showed the officers on duty our badges and the paperwork, which I’d gotten done only recently. We were on the clock, which didn’t help. I’ve never liked prisons, but who does? The atmosphere was always so dire; it made my stomach turn.

James requested to be escorted to the cell, deep underground. And while I didn’t share his pessimistic point of view, I understood why a person would want to be protected in a place like that.

We approached the cell and told the guards we could wait around the corner. All the while I could hear yelling coming from the other side of the cell. There was a black glass panel right next to the door, which suddenly lit up, revealing a man in his sixties. Now we could hear him clearly. I heard James gulp as soon as the Shepherd became visible.

His back was facing the glass, and we got a front-row view of his scarred, pale back. The Lord was carved into his upper back, and Will Save Us were carved beneath it. He had stringy white hair dangling down to his shoulders.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want!" he yelled from the other side of the glass, his arms stretched upward.

I tapped on the glass, but he continued to scream Bible verses. We haven’t got long! I shouted to the Shepherd. So I’d suggest answering a few of our questions before … something bad happens. I couldn’t think of anything threatening to say.

But he kept shouting. "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake."

His arms flailed downward, and he stopped shouting. Then I told him, We have a few questions we need you to answer.

The frail old man turned to face James and me. Of course, my children. You wish to talk to me about the righteousness of your voyage. You will soon raise the flag of freedom above our heads!

You see why I brought you? I whispered to James.

James gulped. We … we need information on—

Yes, yes, the charlatan calling herself Weather Woman. Of course, I have been awaiting this day for many suns, and the time for rectification has finally come.

"Then can you please tell us everything you know?" James asked politely, out of fear.

"You don’t ask for things nicely from a serial killer," I whispered to him.

The pale-faced man rubbed his chin and smiled. Rejoice, my children! Your shepherd will guide you on your way to the desired path! Long have I waited for a champion to tear down the old world, and finally you have found your way into my abode. None of my acolytes could ever match the divine glory that is to come. You have truly been chosen by God!

You hear that, James? You’re the chosen one, I joked, trying to hide how bloody scared I was.

No, my child! For it is you who has finally answered the call! You and you alone will bring down the reign of those demons, the charlatans two, Weather Woman and Checkmate. Those villains have wreaked havoc on the city of Detroit for far too long! However, your paths will soon cross, which would have happened regardless of whether you came to me or not! Your meeting will have always happened. However, your coming here has vastly changed the outcome of your future quarrel.

How? All we want to know is where she is, and then we’re out of here, I told him, hoping he would give up his ramblings and tell me what I wanted to know.

Just take the left exit on the way out, and enjoy the spoils of trusting the Shepherd!

I don’t think he’ll budge, Newt. We should go, James pled.

No. If the files are correct, then the Shepherd can see the future. I need this information; he’s my last chance at finding Weather Woman.

I have given you all the information I can without straining the course of time, though I can say that had you not come here, you would have died—both of you.

James tugged at my sleeve. He clearly wanted to get out—and fast. If he hadn’t been there, I would have stayed until the time limit was up, but for James’s sake I decided to let it go.

The Shepherd shouted one last ominous statement before the glass window turned black: I like that design of yours—it truly captures what a champion of God should look like! Though the colours lack flair, like that black jacket you’ve got on. You need to be inspiring! How do you think I grew my group of dedicated followers?

I looked back at him in puzzlement, though all I saw at that point was a black screen as the cell once again deafened the old man’s ramblings. James was raring to go, and I guessed he had a just reason to be that way, apart from being afraid as hell.

We’re not going out the left exit, are we? James asked as we walked down the long hall of prison cells.

Sure are, I replied. It’s the only info we got from that geezer.

Surely we can’t trust a convicted criminal?

I already came here accepting that I’d have to take a few risks. Besides, he has no reason to hurt me.

"But he does have a reason to hurt me!" he urged.

All right then. I turned to face him. You go to the right exit.

But what if that was his plan?

Stop being so paranoid. I’ll meet you at the car. What can he possibly do from behind that cell wall?

So we split up and took different paths. I hated to see James like that, trembling over nothing at all. Though it was justified in a place like that, where approximately thirty antihumans were only feet away from you. Yeah, I was scared too; I’m only human. It pained me to see so many people like this. They were given extraordinary powers, and they continued to waste them on robbing banks. Of course I would fight crime. I’d always seen vigilantism as really inspiring. That’s why I joined the DPD. It was the closest thing to being a real superhero, but that kind of life wasn’t meant for everyone. I guess it wasn’t meant for me.

As I walked down the steel hallway, I could hear the shouting of the criminally insane just metres away. I wondered how loud they must be yelling to get their voices past the deafening technology. I walked towards the left exit, but nothing happened. Why would Shepherd lie? I turned the door handle, but no matter how hard I twisted it, the door wouldn’t budge.

Just my luck, I muttered and turned around. His plan was to make me waste a few minutes of my life.

I read a map on the wall and decided to take a shortcut and go even farther to the left. Hopefully I could circle around the facility and get out that way, but it looked like I was at a dead end.

Suddenly a feeling of dread fell over me as the banging and screaming grew louder.

Then I saw a guard patrolling the prison far down the hallway. He turned a corner. So I did the most sensible thing I could given the situation. Hey! Where’s the bloody exit? I shouted, running down the hall. I turned the corner, but no one was there.

I did see a swinging door with a glowing blue sign hanging high above the doorway, so I assumed that was where he’d gone. I ran to the door, and the voices died down again. I didn’t care to knock; I just went in. Sure, that was a bit rude, but you do stupid things when you’re scared. For some reason, that room had multiple sliding metal doors with digital number locks. The corridor of opened doors was about two metres long.

It didn’t dawn on me until I was utterly alone, but this place was damn scary. The banging on the doors followed by long, drawn-out silence was just disturbing. James saw it before I did, but that fear had led me to this room.

I entered the room, but nobody was around. I walked down the hallway of shelves stacked with knick-knacks and doohickeys that all glowed in strange colours. I picked one off the shelf, a small cylinder. It was labelled Stardust. Wait—like the antihuman? I pulled more off the shelves, and they were all labelled with the names of captured villains: Fire Rave, Nightlight, Silver Gunner. They were all of different shapes and colours, marked with the names of infamous superpowered villains.

There was a door at the end of the hallway. It was cracked open. I walked up to the doorway and was about to actually knock on the door this time, but just before I did so, I heard something that made my heart stop.

Yeah, the bombs are in place. … No. … Nobody knows; I made sure of that, a man in a security uniform said into his watch.

I stepped back. What? was the only word that came to mind when I tried to process the situation. Like I needed another reason to want to get out of this nightmare prison.

Any type of bombs should have been detected by the monitors at the beginning and end of each room. False IDs could never work. Whoever that person was had bypassed all the safeguards.

I trust you’ve done what I’ve asked of you in return for my participation.

Even though I wanted to keep listening, I willed myself to turn away.

Yes … five minutes, the man said.

Five minutes until the bombs go off? I was scared. In that situation, anyone would be. Though on my way out of the room, I remembered what the Shepherd had told me to do. Did he want me to go to the left exit because he knew this would happen? Now everything in that room was relevant to my search. That geezer wasn’t lying after all. But what’s his goal here?

I began to fill my pockets with the small cylinders, triangles, and squares. I didn’t know what they were, but I knew they were essential to my search. I managed to sneak about twenty into my pants, bag, and jacket pockets. And I know what you’re thinking: That must be illegal. Well, I convinced myself that I’d just return them if they had no purpose. I found them to be way too out of place not to be significant in some way. Maybe they were useless, or maybe I would stumble onto a government conspiracy. One never knew.

As I went to grab a small red triangle, one of the strange cylinders dropped out of my pocket. The sound echoed throughout the room.

Hey! Who’s there? the man shouted.

I made my escape. I didn’t look back as I ran down the halls. I found myself right back at the hallway where James and I had split up and gone in different directions. I ran back the way we’d initially come in and made it to the elevator. Two guards stood at the door.

We need to get out of here now! There’s a damn bomb somewhere.

Sir, one of the guards said, we’ll make a note of it.

It was clear that neither one believed me, so I gave up. I would never have made a joke like that in a place like this. Still, they didn’t strike me as the type of people to care. After the storm came three years ago and antihumans started popping up left and right, many of the prison guards had quit. I didn’t blame them; it was a dangerous profession. So I was not surprised that the prison was only able to find people who were either extremely brave or extremely stupid to take up the roles. These guards clearly fit into the latter category.

I got in the elevator. I only had about three minutes until the whole prison exploded, assuming what I had overheard was correct. I ran through checkout, screaming, There’s a bomb! The prison went into lockdown. With just two minutes left, I ran through the halls with other guards.

As the red flashing lights shone in the hallway, somebody turned the corner. It was the man, the one who’d been in that strange room. He turned and locked eyes with me.

So then, you’re the guy who overheard me?

I didn’t know what to say. The stranger stared at me with a smug look and began walking forward. I didn’t know why, but I was scared. There was something about him that made me more afraid than I’d been when walking through the prison alone.

He had dark skin and black eyes. He was at least seven feet tall and imposing as hell. I hadn’t noticed it until he was standing only a few metres away from me. It might have been an overreaction at the time, but I grabbed for my gun, which I’d picked up at the checkout. Then I noticed that the man had no weapons of his own.

I pointed my gun at him. Stay back! I shouted, arms trembling. What were you talking about in that room?

I was simply informing my employer that I had all the bombs in place so that all the antihumans in this prison will be free to wreak havoc on Detroit.

I found myself stumbling on my words again. W-w-what do you mean? If you’re joking, it’s time to speak up.

You don’t get it, do you? I’m going to blow this whole damn place sky-high! he shouted. "Now it’s time to get rid of any loose ends—and that means you."

The man began to groan as many veins stretched up his neck and head. I was left in shock as his muscles began to shake and enlarge. He sprouted brown hairs over his entire body. His face and head contorted into the shape of a wolf.

I tripped, stumbling backwards, as the man transformed into a hulking furry figure. His head was now touching the ceiling, and his eyes glowed red. He had to have been at least ten feet tall. His guard uniform had stretched and torn, but he was wearing some kind of stretchy pants underneath that fit his body shape.

Once the transformation was complete and he looked down at me with those evil red eyes, I knew who it was: Monster King. I was now standing right in front of one of the most dangerous antihumans in the country. All the records we had on Monster King, a.k.a. Danial Woods, only spoke of his killing sprees. He didn’t care about anyone or anything else. Only days after the storm had hit, he killed his entire family and went into hiding.

I was taken out of my trance by a yelling guard running down the hall behind him. Freeze, antihuman scum! the guard shouted, clearly confused as to why there was a massive hairy beast standing in the middle of the hall.

Monster King smiled at me with his evil wolflike face. Multiple shots rang throughout the hallway. He didn’t seem at all bothered. The beast turned and grabbed the guard by the head. The guard was kicking and screaming, trying to get out of the clutches of Monster King.

The guard looked at me with his free eye. It was a look of pure horror. The man continued to fire shots at the beast, but they all had little effect.

You can look forward to a similar death, Monster King said in a deep, cold voice, looking right at me.

The beast grabbed the guard’s body with one hand and gripped his head with the other. Right before my eyes, he tore the guard’s head off. The blood of the man sprayed onto Monster King’s furry body.

My feet moved on their own. Before I knew it, I was running through the halls with a werewolf laughing right behind me. I only had a minute and a half left before the whole place would be blown up. I needed to make a plan. Quickly I peeked over my shoulder. I regretted that decision instantly. Monster King was only a few metres behind me. The beast was clearly toying with me. Just like a wild animal, he seemed to enjoy playing with his prey.

As I was being chased through the steel hallways, I managed to come up with a plan. It seemed that the villain’s massive stature would help me escape. I decided to circle back around and run through the fire escape, which was small enough that Monster King might not be able to get through. Then I would run like hell to the car and drive off as the prison exploded behind me.

Unfortunately for me, it looked like Monster King was done playing around. He began to close the distance between us. I skidded around the corner. The beast was unable to stop and slammed into the wall at the end of the hallway, so I managed to gain some distance. Monster King didn’t seem anything beyond annoyed. He was now bent over, running on all fours.

I could see the emergency escape sign just up ahead. Again I peeked over my shoulder. Monster King was right behind me, only a few feet away. As he reached out to me, I looked for options to distract the beast. I noticed that there was a fire extinguisher about ten metres away. I grabbed it just as I felt a massive claw grab my jacket. I spun around and cracked the extinguisher over Monster King’s face. While he was distracted, I pointed the nozzle at his face. I squeezed the trigger, and white foam sprayed from the nozzle out onto the beast’s face. I aimed for both his eyes. I threw the red fire extinguisher at Monster King and then ran for the exit.

He howled, wiping the foam away from his stinging eyes just as I made it to the exit. I opened the door to the stairwell and ran through. I opened the next door to the outside world. I looked behind me for a final time and saw Monster King reach his claw through the door, just missing me.

I was stupid to have though that a stone wall would stop him. Monster King punched through the concrete with ease. I ran to the car and saw James leaning on the door.

Where have you—

Start the car! I shouted as the guards exited though the other doors.

It didn’t take James long to notice the massive beast running behind me, having broken through the walls of the prison.

We got in the car. What have you done? James asked, clearly afraid for his life.

Just drive the damn car!

We drove out of the parking lot. Monster King seemed to give