LIGHTFOOT (ONC 2021)

9.2| the dark tower.

The tall tower reminded Saint-Max of the religious texts that spoke of how humans once tried to build a tower to Heaven but stopped midway after God cursed them by giving each person a distinct language, making them unable to understand each other and continue.

Janice punched the tower's large metallic door off its hinges. "Do you think anyone heard that?"

"Does it matter? He's expecting us anyway," Saint-Max said.

"Not his soldiers."

"I won't be surprised if fighting his soldiers is another test."

"Same. This whole thing has been one test after another. All for the sake of saving the world."

"I'm not complaining."

"I am."

They entered the tower and saw many staircases leading to different floors. There was no room for Janice to fly. Even from the outside, it was impossible because the tower ended in space, and she didn't have a spacesuit.

"Your turn." Janice climbed onto Saint-Max's back.

Saint-Max ran up the stairs, not looking back. But he stopped immediately when he came across more soldiers. "What now?"

"We fight, though it'll eat the little time we have left."

"I know."

Saint-Max shot every soldier he came across with concussion waves until his arms hurt. In loop two thousand and twenty-six, he tested the limit of the concussion waves, finding out it hurt his hands when he used it without rest.

At best, he'd have aching arms.

At worst, his arms would disintegrate.

Janice took care of the other soldiers with her ultrasonic scream, destroying some staircases and floors. What a devastating power it was. She'd fit in well with the other Class-1 superheroes with destructive powers.

They arrived at the top floor. Only a thick metallic door now stood between them and Future Saint-Max.

"Can you break it?" Saint-Max asked.

"Of course." Janice rubbed her throat, then screamed. The door bent inwards but still stood. One more scream and it'd fall. But Janice looked uncomfortable, clearing her throat repeatedly. Her ultrasonic sound also had limitations to how long she could use it. She learned the hard way in loop eight hundred and five when her neck snapped from over-using it.

The reporter screamed again, thrusting the door towards the wall on the other end of the room. She swayed sideways before Saint-Max caught her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she said in a hoarse voice.

She didn't look alright. Unlike him, she didn't have a healing ability, leaving her face plump and blood soaking her suit from the wounds caused by the soldiers.

"I just need to sit down and I'll be fine," she added.

Saint-Max carried her in his arms and entered the room.

They found themselves in the largest office Saint-Max had ever seen. Even Skyscraper would fit in there. A large window to their right displayed the dark abyss outside. Even in such a world, there was nothing more intriguing than space; humanity had sent countless people to different star systems, searching for other life forms and habitable planets. The conspiracy theorists believed lizard people lived among them, while the non-believers laughed at them.

A brown-skinned man with grey hair stood in front of the window, staring outside with his hands behind him. He wore a gold super suit and a matching crown on his head. When he turned, Saint-Max's eyes widened.

"It's really you," he said, staring at his future self.

Future Saint-Max looked old and beaten. The wrinkles on his face resembled worms, and black dots covered his skin like an incurable infection. But his brown eyes glinted with excitement.

He hobbled towards them with the help of a cane, then stopped when he got close. He hunched over a bit, making him look shorter. Turning to Janice, he placed his hand above her face and healed her wounds.

Then he glanced at Saint-Max and said, "Welcome to the future."

Total Words: 17,617.