Deathstalker 03 - Deathstalker War

knowledge only to be revealed when necessary.
    Giles was shaken. He'd grown used to depending on his powers, to having an unbeatable ace up his sleeve. He quickly brought himself back under control. If he couldn't win that way, there were other ways. Giles hadn't become a legendary warrior without learning a few dirty tricks along the way. The SummerIsle had had the right idea. Like Kit, Giles had a hidden dagger. He'd never told Owen about it. Never saw the need. All he had to do was lure Owen in close and stick the dagger in while the boy was distracted. Simple. Owen would never expect him to use a dirty trick like Kid Death's. Giles smiled.
    And so he carefully maneuvered Owen into a corps a corps, making him think it was his idea, and the two men came face-to-face, glaring at each other over the
    crossed swords, so close their panting breaths moved in and out of each other's mouths. They were both pushing with all their strength, legs braced, holding them where they were.
    Giles locked eyes with Owen, holding his attention, while his free hand surreptitiously drew his hidden dagger. He smiled at Owen, and thrust it up into Owen's ribs. Only to meet Owen's golden Hadenman hand coming down to block it.
    The steel blade shattered on the golden hand. And Giles realized Owen had been waiting for just such a trick. He lurched forward, off-balance, and Owen slammed his head forward and headbutted Giles in the face. There was a loud crack as Giles's nose broke, and he staggered backwards, blood spilling down over his mouth. And in that moment of confusion and indecision, it was the easiest thing in the world for Owen to step forward and run Giles through.
    For a moment they stared at each other over Owen's extended sword. Giles's sword dropped to the floor as his fingers grew numb. He looked down at the sword protruding from his chest, but he did not fall. Owen wondered crazily if he'd have to cut off the man's head to finish him. And then Giles's legs buckled, and he fell to his knees. Owen pulled his sword out, and Giles fell forward onto his face and lay still. Owen stood over his dead ancestor, breathing hard. Hazel came forward and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
    "I'm the last one now," said Owen. "There were only ever Giles and David and me, and now I'm the only one left. The last of the Deathstalkers."
    "How very touching," said Lionstone from her Throne. Her voice was brittle, but still controlled. "Well, much as I enjoy watching my enemies slaughter each other in front of me, I think it's time I brought this nonsense to an end.
    Didn't it ever occur to you that I might have foreseen such a situation as this,
    and planned accordingly? I have insurance, you see, a little something I put aside for a rainy day. To be exact—a planet-buster bomb, buried deep in the planet's core, right next to the geothermal tap that powers my Palace. Yes, I know, such things have been banned for centuries, but I never let a little thing like that bother me. All it takes is a simple activation code from me, and Golgotha will blow apart into so much glowing rubble. So either all of you surrender to me unconditionally, right now, or I'll take you and this world and your precious rebellion down into Hell with me. Your choice. Which is more important, your victory, or the billions of people who will die with us?"
    Silence looked at her, shocked. "You wouldn't destroy the homeworld of Humanity!"
    Lionstone smiled. "Try me."
    Ruby looked at Random. "What do you think? Is she bluffing?"
    "I doubt it," said Random. "After all, one of her ancestors gave the order to use the Darkvoid Device. And she's just desperate and crazy enough to see death as a victory. If she can't play with the toys, at least she can make sure no one else will have them."
    "She's bluffing," said Kid Death. "I'll kill her, if you're not up to it."
    "Hold it!" said Owen. "Odds are the bomb's booby-trapped to go off if she dies."
    "How well you know me," said Lionstone.
    "We can't surrender," said Hazel. "Not after all we've been through. Not after we've got so close!"
    "What else can we do?" said Owen. "We can't get to the bomb, and we can't let billions of innocent people die!"
    "God, you guys go to pieces easily," said Jenny Psycho. She reached out with her mind and suddenly they were all linked, their Maze-given powers merging with
    hers into a white-hot flame that burned in all their minds. Their collective mind dropped through the floor of Hell, and