Jax threw another one of those dog creatures across the gym like it weighed nothing. The thing hit the wall with a satisfying crash and didn't get back up. He was breathing hard, sweat dripping down his face, but man, he felt good. Really, really good.
"Holy shit, Jax!" Tommy shouted from behind the bleachers, where most of the group was hiding.
"How are you doing that?"
"I don't know, man!" he called back, grabbing another dog by the scruff of its neck. "But I'm not complaining!"
He'd always been strong. Captain of the wrestling team, could bench press more than anyone else in school, the whole nine yards. But this was different. This wasn't just regular strong. This was like having the strength of ten guys all rolled into one.
When the earthquake hit and these monsters showed up, something inside him just clicked. Like his body had finally become what he'd always felt it should be. No explanation, no warning, just sudden power flowing through his muscles.
Diana was watching him from the sidelines with this huge smile on her face, which just made him want to show off even more. She always knew how to make him feel like a hero.
"Babe, you're amazing," she said when he tossed another creature aside like it was made of paper. "I always knew you were special."
"Yeah, well, today everyone gets to see it," he said, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
There were maybe twenty students crammed into the gym with them. Most of the athletes had been here for after-school practice when everything went to hell, plus some random kids who had managed to find their way inside when the monsters started appearing. They all looked at him like he was Captain America or something. It felt good. Really good.
"What do you think happened to you?" Diana asked, walking over to stand next to him while he caught his breath. "I mean, where did this strength come from?"
"No clue," he said, his eyes scanning the gym doors for more threats. "But right now, I'm just focused on keeping everyone safe."
And he meant it. These were his people. His friends, his teammates, his girlfriend. He wasn't about to let them down. Not when he finally had the power to protect them.
"You think there are more of those things out there?" asked Sara, one of the cheerleaders who'd been in the gym when it all started. She was huddled with a few other girls near the water fountains, her face pale and scared.
"Probably," he said, trying to sound confident even though his muscles were starting to ache. "But we're safe in here as long as I can keep them out."
He'd been doing a pretty good job so far. Every time one of those dog monsters tried to get through the doors, he was there to meet it. His fists were like sledgehammers now. One good hit and they stayed down.
That's when the whole building started shaking again.
"Another earthquake?" Tommy asked, his voice shaking as he looked around nervously.
"No," Jax said, his stomach dropping as he recognized the rhythm. "That's not an earthquake."
Something was coming. Something big. He could feel it in his bones, a heavy thump-thump-thump that made the floor vibrate. The footsteps were too heavy, too purposeful to be anything natural.
The gym doors didn't just open. They exploded inward, ripped off their hinges and sent flying across the room.
What came through wasn't just another dog. This thing was huge, maybe the size of a small car, with muscles that rippled under its patchy fur. Its teeth were longer than Jax's fingers, and its eyes glowed with an ugly red light that seemed to pierce right through him.
And right behind it, at least a dozen of the smaller dogs came pouring in, all snarling and snapping at the air.
"Oh, fuck," someone screamed from the bleachers.
The big one looked around the gym slowly, taking inventory. When its glowing red eyes landed on Jax, it did something that made his blood run cold. It smiled. Actually smiled, showing off rows of those massive teeth.
"Well, shit," Jax muttered. "This is gonna suck."
The big dog let out a roar so loud it made everyone in the gym cover their ears. Then it did something even worse. It looked at the smaller dogs and growled something that almost sounded like words, guttural sounds that had a pattern to them.
The pack spread out immediately, surrounding the group of students with military precision. They weren't just mindless beasts anymore. They moved with purpose, like soldiers following orders.
"Jax!" Diana shouted, pressing closer to him. "What do we do?"
"Stay behind me," he said, but even as he said it, he knew it wasn't enough. There were too many of them and only one of him.
The first wave attacked all at once. Jax managed to grab two of them and slam them together with a sickening crunch, but another one got past him and went straight for the students.
"Help!" Sara screamed as one of the creatures tackled her to the ground.
Jax spun around and kicked the thing off her, sending it flying into the basketball hoop, but while he was distracted, two more got through. One of them jumped on Tommy, and before Jax could even react, it had torn into his best friend's throat.
"No!" he yelled, punching the creature so hard its head caved in. But it was too late. Tommy was already gone, his eyes staring at nothing.
More students were screaming now. The pack was working together, keeping him busy while the others picked off the people he was supposed to be protecting. They had a strategy, and it was working perfectly.
"Jax, behind you!" Diana shouted.
He turned just in time to see the big dog charging at him. He braced himself for the impact, planting his feet and raising his arms, but the thing hit him like a truck. His enhanced strength meant nothing against this monster. It sent him flying across the gym and into the concrete wall.
He hit hard enough to crack the concrete and slumped to the floor. Everything hurt. His ribs felt broken, maybe several of them, and his shoulder was definitely dislocated. Black spots danced in his vision.
The big one stalked toward him slowly, taking its time. Around the gym, the smaller dogs were still attacking the students. He could hear Diana screaming his name, but he couldn't see her through the chaos.
'Why am I so weak?' The thought burned through his mind as he tried to push himself back to his feet, his muscles screaming in protest.
The monster stopped right in front of him and tilted its massive head. Then it spoke, and its voice was like gravel being ground together.
"You thought you were strong," it said, each word careful and deliberate. "But you are nothing. Just meat. My master will be pleased with this harvest."
It raised one massive paw, claws extended, ready to crush his skull.
And that's when Diana came flying out of nowhere.
"Get away from him!" she screamed, jumping onto the creature's back and wrapping her arms around its thick neck, trying to choke it.
It was brave. It was also completely useless. The creature just reached back with one paw, grabbed her like she was a doll, and threw her across the gym. She hit the far wall with a horrible crack and crumpled to the floor.
"Diana!" Jax shouted, adrenaline giving him the strength to get back on his feet.
She was trying to get up, her whole body shaking. Blood was running down her face from a gash on her forehead. But she was looking at him with this fierce, determined expression that made his chest tight.
"I'm not letting you die," she said through gritted teeth.
Her eyes started glowing purple. Not just a little bit, but bright enough to light up that whole side of the gym. The air around her began to shimmer and distort, like heat waves rising from hot pavement.
"Diana, what are you doing?"
She raised her hands, and suddenly every loose object in the gym started flying through the air. Basketballs, pieces of broken concrete from where Jax had hit the wall, metal folding chairs from the sidelines. All of it flew straight at the big dog like she was controlling it with her mind.
The creature got pelted with debris from every direction, but it just stood there and took it. The objects bounced off its hide like they were made of foam. When the last chair clattered harmlessly to the floor, it looked over at Diana and actually laughed.
"Is that all?" it asked, sounding genuinely amused.
Diana's eyes went wide with shock. "No," she whispered. Then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed, completely unconscious.
The big dog turned back to Jax, who was already moving. While it had been distracted by Diana's display, he'd gotten close enough to land a real hit.
He put everything he had into an uppercut that connected right under the creature's jaw. The impact was huge, lifting the monster off its feet and sending it flying backward. It crashed into the gym wall hard enough to leave a crater in the concrete blocks.
"Got you, you piece of shit," Jax panted, immediately running over to check on Diana.
She was unconscious but still breathing. He knelt beside her, checking for serious injuries. Definitely a concussion, probably some broken ribs, but nothing that looked immediately life-threatening.
"Diana, can you hear me?" he asked, gently shaking her shoulder.
She didn't respond. Behind him, he could hear the other students crying and calling for help, but there were a lot fewer voices than there had been a few minutes ago. Too many had gone quiet.
He looked back at the crater in the wall where the big dog had landed. It wasn't moving. 'Maybe I actually killed it?'
Then teeth sank deep into his shoulder from behind.
The pain was incredible, white-hot agony that shot through his entire body. The big dog lifted him off the ground by his shoulder, shaking him like a rag doll. He could feel his bones grinding against the teeth.
"Did you really think that would work?" it growled, its voice vibrating through his bones. "Pathetic."
It threw him across the gym, and he bounced off the floor twice before sliding into the bleachers. He could taste blood in his mouth, and everything was going fuzzy around the edges. His body wasn't responding right anymore.
He tried to get up, but his legs wouldn't work. The big dog was walking toward him again, taking its time, savoring the moment.
"You failed them all," it said, gesturing with its massive head at the bodies scattered around the gym. "Some protector you turned out to be."
Jax looked around through blurring vision and felt his heart break. Tommy was dead. Sara was dead. Most of the other students were dead too, torn apart while he'd been fighting. The few that were still alive were hiding behind the bleachers, too terrified to even move.
Diana was still unconscious where he'd left her. At least she was safe for now, though for how long?
'I was supposed to protect them. I was supposed to be strong enough.'
He'd failed. All that strength, all that power, and he couldn't save the people who mattered most. What was the point of being strong if you couldn't use it when it counted?
The big dog was almost close enough to finish him off when he heard a new voice in his head. It wasn't his, or Diana's, or anyone he recognized. It was deep and ancient, and it sounded amused.
[You have spirit,] the voice said. [Even in defeat, you do not give up. I like that.]
"Who are you?" Jax asked out loud, his voice weak and rough.
The big dog stopped walking and looked around, confused by his sudden speech.
[I am someone who appreciates potential when I see it,] the voice continued. [You are weak now, but you could be strong. Stronger than you ever imagined. All you have to do is accept my offer.]
"What offer?" He coughed, tasting more blood.
[Let me sponsor you. Let me give you the power you need to protect what matters to you. In return, you serve my interests when I call upon you.]
He looked at Diana's unconscious form, at the dead bodies of his friends, at the monster approaching to finish him off. There was no choice really.
'Deal.'
[Excellent. Now get up and show me what you're made of.]
Golden light erupted around his body, so bright it lit up the entire gym. But instead of burning, it felt warm and incredibly powerful. His injuries healed instantly - ribs mending, shoulder sealing, even the taste of blood vanishing from his mouth. His muscles swelled with a strength that made his earlier power feel like nothing.
He stood up slowly, feeling better than he ever had in his entire life. The big dog was backing away now, its confidence completely gone, replaced by something that looked like genuine fear.
"What is this?" it snarled, taking another step back.
Jax just smiled and cracked his knuckles, golden light still dancing around his fingers. "This is me getting serious."