Conquests of a Supervillain, Chapter 2 (Patreon)

Chapter 2 – Wave the Flag

Now, some people would wonder why I wouldn’t just attack one of the main Silexian bases, if I wanted to make a point. Frankly, there’s good and bad to that kind of approach. Sure, it is high visibility, but it also has higher risk, and a higher likelihood of them adapting. Before I went for decapitation strikes, I wanted to be sure that the crazy scifi portals to another planet could be shut down without, say, ripping open a tear in spacetime and turning Earth into a black hole. That would be what the scientists call a ‘bad thing’.

Also, much of my work since starting the Vendetta was centered in North America at that point. Sure, there were reasons for that, but political realities would come into play if I didn’t at least put in appearances elsewhere. Yes, I could ignore them easily enough, but it would save time and effort later on if I dealt with the issues before they grew. Which is why my ‘statement’ couldn’t be delivered in the US. Europe was also out, since I’d spent a good bit of time there while working on the Vendetta.

Further, while I wanted to make a show of multinationalism, I also wanted the eyes of the world to be on what happened. Both human and silexian. Everyone had to see the Vendetta returning to the fight. That meant Africa, Australia, and South America were all out, as well. There just weren’t enough people close enough to the action to make the statement worth it.

Which is why, a little over a month after the Silexians invaded, I was in one of the Vendetta shuttles, along with my pets, and Cardsharp and her surviving pilots were flying their fighters alongside us, all of us cloaked as we flew over China towards the front lines. We were going to make a statement to the world, and China was going to be the stage we gave it on. And it was good PR, since the Chinese were still one of the more recalcitrant members of the United Solari Federation and helping them would go a long way towards easing tensions at home.

The Silexians were making another push on Chengdu, trying to break through the lines, and into the greater part of China. So far, the Federation had been holding the line, mostly because of the use of attrition attacks. The gunboats had been able to keep the Silexians in orbit from simply parking over the battlefield and using orbital bombardment to erase the opposition, which was just enough to leave the skies contested, despite the Silexians having the technological edge.

It was the perfect time for me to make my statement. While we were on final approach to the lines, I looked over at Web Mistress. “I know that we’re late but see if we can’t send a welcome gift to the guests. Something appropriate for the boorish way they introduced themselves to the neighborhood.”

She smiled, and nodded, so I turned my attention to my attention to Lieutenant Calloway, who was sitting in the copilot chair with flushed cheeks. I’m sure that had nothing to do with the ‘team-building exercise’ I included her in before we lifted off. I reached out and touched her cheek with my gloved hand. “Now, you’re going to be a good girl and stay in the shuttle, yes? Feel free to run the weapons systems, and shoot anything Silexian that gets close. Cardsharp and her fighters will be doing the same.”

“Y-yes, sir! I won’t let you down!”

“I know you won’t. And if you do a really good job, I might find some way to reward you when we get back to base. Doesn’t that sound good?”

I left the furiously blushing woman to her fantasies of her reward, and walked over to the transfer rings, where my harem of fallen superheroines were waiting for me. “All right, people, we’re here to make a statement. The bigger and flashier, the better. Don’t get too separated from each other, though, because the Silexians aren’t idiots. We have to assume that these guys have heard the stories about what happened to their buddies in the fleet, so they’re probably going to try to find some way to get rid of me in particular once things get hairy.”

Green Knight nodded, though she looked worried. “Do you think they’ll try using that artillery of theirs on us?” It was a good question. None of us were pushovers, but those plasmathrower artillery pieces were decidedly unhealthy for anyone on the receiving end. I mean, it wasn’t just a splash of superhot, energetic material. Bad enough if it is, say, some nitrogen or oxygen that was phase-shifted to plasma, but somewhere during their history of military science, the Silexians had not only designed a way to condense and energize material to make it change phase into plasma, and then launch it at enemies, but they did it with white phosphorus. That shit didn’t just burn a hole in you. It ‘splashed’, covering an area with superhot energetic material, which then cooled down enough to realize that it was white phosphorus and was being exposed to oxygen, and it caught on fire, burning anything it was touching until it stopped being reactive! Nasty shit.

So, I completely understood her concern. Personally, I hoped that whatever brilliant maniac came up with that weapon was on the receiving end immediately afterwards, as penance for introducing something like that to the galaxy. There were, simply put, Things That Should Not Be.

“No, so far they haven’t proven to be crazy enough, or desperate enough, to risk hitting their own people with that shit, but they’ve proven to be quite liberal with it on the defense, which is why the Chinese haven’t had much luck pushing back. It also has some anti-air capabilities, which isn’t doing any favors for the battle for aerial supremacy.”

I took a breath, and said, “So, the plan is, we go in, make as big a splash as possible, and, if the Silexians retreat, we all get the hell out of there and back to friendly lines, where they at least have static energy shields to keep the artillery from hitting them. We’ll worry about the next step after that. Any questions?” No one said anything. They all knew the score.

From the pilot’s chair, Web Mistress called back, “Entering the target zone. Dropping in twenty seconds. Good hunting!”

The white light of the transfer rings blinded us for a moment, and then we found ourselves in the middle of the Silexian formation. In fact, I noticed that there were… fractions of several Silexians smoldering around us, with them getting caught halfway in and halfway out of the transfer ring’s energy stream. Anything that had been caught by the stream was vaporized and sent up to the ship. What was left was cauterized by the energy. Sucks to be them, since a couple of them were still alive.

My blade, Frozen Wind, flashed as I drew it from its scabbard, and a Silexian warrior’s head fell to the ground, followed shortly by the rest of him. In a clear voice, I shouted, “KILL THEM ALL! NO MERCY FOR THE INVADERS!” My pets answered the cry with ones of their own, even as the sky lit up with the sudden sight of Cardsharp’s fighters destroying the few fighters the Silexians had launched over the battlefield. And with that, my girls burst into action.

Green Knight was the first to strike. Her enchanted sword cleaved through Silexian armor and flesh as she cut her way out from our landing spot, heading for the largest group of enemies. Her magic shield blocked and deflected the enemy’s blows, protecting her from harm. Their green blood splashed across her armor, and it was barely noticeable against the enchanted emerald plates.

It did not take long, of course, for the SIlexians to respond to her. They were no cowards, and were far from weak. Indeed, their strange blades, which looked like the bastard child of a two-handed axe and sword, were well suited for melee combat with their powerful builds, and it showed. After the fifth warrior fell, they began working together. They were not stopping her as she began carving a path towards friendly lines, but she was forced to work for every kill, and I knew that there was only so long she could keep up that pace, even with her supernaturally enhanced stamina.

To the right, Yukihime, clad in her icy oyoroi armor, wielding her magic blade of constantly swirling ice and snow, showed herself to be less of a brute force fighter, and more one who focused on finesse, almost dancing across the battlefield. Her blade was special, for it was not so much steel, as snow enchanted to hold its shape and be stronger than forged steel. But the snow shifted according to her will, allowing her to slip the blade through an enemy’s guard, before it solidified again in time to strike. But her blade was not the only weapon she wielded against the enemy. With every step she took, with every swing of her icy katana, a snowstorm began to blow, and the ground beneath her feet froze, and became covered in a slick layer of ice.

The Silexians, we had learned, were ill suited for cold climates. While they were not as bad as many cold-blooded reptiles on Earth, they still had little tolerance for the cold. However, the Silexians understood that this was a weakness, and their armor always included heaters designed to fight against the cold. Unfortunately for them, they quickly found that the magical ice and cold formed by Yukihime’s magic was not so easily dispersed, and, while it only had half the effect it normally might, thanks to their armor, it was already beginning to affect their ability to resist her attacks, as their reactions slowed, and their movements became more cautious, to avoid slipping on the icy ground.

To the left, Incantrix, my lovely mistress of enchantments and illusions, began whipping the throng of Silexian warriors into a frenzy. Many people looked down on illusionists and enchanters for their lack of raw offensive output. Those people were idiots. Sure, Incantrix carried a weapon, but she did not need it. All the weapons of the SIlexians were useless against her, for she did not target their bodies, but their minds. She manipulated emotions, got people to act in ways contrary to their nature. They weren’t able to trust their senses, their memories, their friends. After all, what is real, if your perceptions cannot be trusted?

Incantrix stood there, unmoving amidst the maelstrom of blood and violence that was spreading wherever she set her gaze. Being a heroine limited her so much. There were so many things that she could do, if she just gave in and ignored the morality of things. The Kratuan hive mind made influencing the bugs in any but the simplest of ways all but impossible, but the Silexians were not so fortunate. Roars of rage and bloodlust filled the air as those closest to her turned their weapons on their fellows and each other, slaughtering any Silexian they could get their hands on, with no thought to their own defense or safety.

Of course, I was far from idle during all of this. I had been given plenty of time to learn the rank structure of the Silexians, and what insignia the officers wore to denote their rank. Like a wraith, I moved as mist, only solidifying long enough to strike. I did not go for the quick kill, though. No, that would be too easy. Each officer I tucked away inside the timeless dimensional pocket within my blade. They would be safe enough there, until I chose to release them. But the warriors beside them, I cut down, always looking to maim instead of kill. The screams of pain and terror as warriors were found missing limbs and their officers nowhere to be found sowed confusion and fear throughout the enemy ranks.

But it was the ones I allowed to get a good look at me that screamed the loudest. Those who had been on the ships of the Silexian fleet had spread the stories, the images of my attacks upon their ships. Even those who were completely unaware of my activities while buying time for Earth to prepare for the invasion had seen the video of me butchering the Rithenalese Senate. They knew my visage, and as their commanders disappeared and the number of dead and wounded grew, I could see their resolve begin to waver.

They just gave the retreat order, brother. Artillery incoming. Hurry along now.

I chuckled at Web Mistress’s words. “Fine, fine. I have enough toys already. Be sure to take out the artillery when it fires, to make it look like we just became aware of it. If we can make this section of the line free from artillery, perhaps the Chinese can force a breakthrough.”

Consider it done.

Quickly, I turned my attention to my girls, gathering them together, before turning to an icy mist, even as the Silexians began retreating. Someone behind the lines had recognized me, as I intended, and had called in the big guns, to try and take me out. Unfortunately for them, I was allergic to dying, so I felt obligated to disappoint them.

The plasma balls began falling not a minute after we had evacuated the area, creating an unholy maelstrom of fire along the lines. But by then we were safely behind the shields, and I made us all solid again next to a Chinese officer. Smiling behind my mask, I said, “Nǐ hǎo! I have a delivery of enemy officers ready for torture—I mean interrogation. Where do you want me to put them?”