Incident 27 Read Online Free PDF Page B

are back,” Ev said.
     
    “But
who could be controlling them? Belial’s dead.”
     
    “Maybe,
but he used that Blood Key to control them. It disappeared when he died.
Professor Strong was evasive when I asked him what happened to it. What if
someone else now has it?”
     
    Her
face grew clouded with worry. “That would be a very bad scenario, Ev. Whoever
controls the Key controls not only the Nephilim, but the Tower of Babel as well.
     
    You
saw just a few of the dangerous Artifacts stored in there. They nearly killed
you and Professor Strong.”
     
    “Yeah,
but we survived.”
     
    “But
rumor has it on the top floor is the most dangerous Artifact of all. It makes
all the others look like toys.”
     
    “I
wouldn’t put too much stock in rumors, Maya. And even if it’s true, Professor
Strong told me it takes time to unlock the most dangerous ones. The Academy
won’t simply let some lunatic make off with them.”
     
    She
looked out the window of the plane. “I hope you’re right, Ev.”
     
    * * *
     
    Heimdall
materialized from the Bifrost into another chamber. The Bifrost—or Rainbow Bridge—was a system which enabled quick transport throughout the Tower of Babel. Normally one had to fight the skeleton Keepers to get to it, but Brandon and Ev Bannen
had destroyed them during their fight through the Tower last year. Heimdall
considered that fortunate; he didn’t have to waste time facing the Tower’s
defenses. He simply stepped into the multicolored wall and willed it to take
him to where the intruder had gone.
     
    However,
upon materializing, Heimdall’s eyes went wide as he realized where he was.
Unlike the other chambers of the Tower, the floors, wall, and ceiling were a
pure white color. Large wooden crosses lined the circular wall. No doubt about
it; this was the top floor and home to the most dangerous Artifact of all.
    He
cursed inwardly. He had allowed himself to be distracted. He needed to find the
intruder, and fast. He could be anywhere.
     
    Suddenly,
his chest exploded. A magnificent spear had impaled him from behind. A torrent
of blood burst forth, drenching the floor in crimson. Heimdall hacked up the
stuff.
     
    “Hope
you don’t mind me using Gungnir,” someone said behind him.
     
    With
tremendous effort, Heimdall turned around to see his attacker. It was the same
man who had struck the Murnau destroyer. “Bastard. Who…are you?” He struggled
to talk despite all the blood filling his throat.
     
    “Sorry
to do this to you,” the man said casually. “It’s necessary. But don’t worry;
I’ll bring you back later. Maybe.
     
    “Fool…you
mean to use…” Heimdall weakly gestured to where the ultimate Artifact lay.
“…that?”
     
    “Of
course I do. Wouldn’t you, if you had the chance?” He didn’t seem to have a
care in the world, no understanding of what he was doing.
     
    “D-Don’t.”
     
    “It’s
a bit too late for that. For me, there’s no turning back now. A new world
awaits. A better world.”
     
    “Not…better…”
     
    “Hmph.
I disagree. This world’s a failure, just like all the others. I’m going to end
it.” But Heimdall did something surprising, even to himself. He laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
     
    “Just…remembered—urk.
Can’t…use… it…even if…you—urk—want to.”
     
    “Yeah,
I guess you’re right. I can’t use it. Not here, at least. I’ll have to
move it.
     
    “I
gotta say, you’re a lot tougher than I thought you’d be. I pierced you through
the heart, and you’re still not dead. I wanted to give you a quick death. I
guess I’ll have to try again.”
     
    The
spear was ripped from Heimdall’s chest, and everything abruptly went dark. The
Norse god knew no more.
     
    * * *
     
    Arcturus
plunged Gungnir deep into the head of the other god—Heimdall, if he remembered
correctly—boring out skull and brain matter. He fell to the floor in a gory
heap.
     
    Now, time to get back to the business at hand