CHAPTER 11

The sun was setting, and the infamous Latverian city skyline shone in the light like giant glass mirrors. Below the tall buildings, however, were the terrible, crime-ridden city streets, haunted by the poor and hungry, the sick and the homeless. They wandered the sidewalks looking for hope but finding nothing. The people of Latveria had only one purpose in this world, to serve under their kind and caring master, Lord Luther Romanov. He was their government, he was their economy, he was their world. And he knew it. He knew it all too well. As he sat in his cold dismal office, he looked out his window at the glittering sunset. He put his hands to his chin and grinned.

"The fools," he muttered to himself, "they don't get it, do they? This world will be all mine, and there is nothing they can do about it." He stood up and squinted into the glaring sun. A black dot appeared in the sun, and it grew into a great shadow. Luther grinned. "No, you don't have to worry," he said to himself. "I can handle this, even if he does choose to take control." Luther clenched his fist and drew back for a punch. The shadow grew even bigger as the sun set, and it was heading right to Romanov. He shielded his eyes so he can see the shadow of Joe in the glare. Joe drew even closer and Romanov caught a glimpse of his face as he was within few feet of his office window. Joe had his arm drawn back also and it looked like the two of them would collide. Romanov clenched his teeth and got ready. Outside the window, Joe was about to hit, then he made a sudden veer to the left at the window and on his back, Lupin held a M16 in his hand and he fired through the glass at Romanov. Romanov was shocked for a second but quickly jumped and dodged the bullets. Joe flew around and landed in the open window of Romanov's penthouse office. Romanov caught his footing and stood up to face Joe as his family jumped off of him.

"Heh, so, Joseph Remarin, your style of choice is using your friends and family members as weapons?"

"Luther Romanov!" Joe shouted, "it's over now! Give it up, the people of this city are suffering, and I'm here to end it!"

"Oh, really now?" Luther laughed, "Pay attention, you little whelp, these people came here looking for two things: money and security, to which I provide the full extent, as long as they do what I tell them to do. What does anything else matter? Plus, they're providing the rest of the world with the wonderful robotics that make life easier that are all manufactured here! These are just simple workers with simple lives, you don't have to care about them!"

"BASTARD!!" Joe shouted and rocketed towards Romanov. He dodged him and slammed his elbow down on his back, knocking him to the ground. Joe painfully got to his feet.

"The people of the world only know that I provide them with luxury, I provide them with technology, I provide them with all that they need! They need not know anything more about anything else that goes on around here! It's people like me who matter, not people like them!" Luther laughed, but stopped abruptly when Joe appeared in front of his face.

"How did you-" he stopped short as Joe punched him in the stomach and sent him flying into the wall. Joe was glowing a bright white and his eyes became pale. A large white moustache grew out of his face. It seemed that Robotnik had taken control.

"You damn capitalist bastard!" Robotnik yelled. "All you see is yourself and your money, not the people! You don't care about any of them! I made my machines for the sole purpose of helping them, and you soil my good ambitions for your own personal gain! You sicken me!" Luther stood up, he was battered badly and blood streamed from his mouth. He looked at Robotnik and smiled.

"Come now, Ivo, is that any way to treat an old friend?" Luther's eyes went black and his blonde hair now turned dark gray and a menacing shadow seemed to glow from his body.

"Y-you bastard!" Ivo shouted at Luther, "You can't do that! How did you get this technology?!"

"Ha ha ha!! When you push the free peoples of the world to the limit, it's amazing what they can make, as you say, for the good of humanity! Even if it is twenty years behind that of a genius like you, it can still obviously be quite threatening, don't you agree?!" He cackled menacingly.

"Damn it all," Lupin muttered in fear, "Alexi Romanov made a machine out of Luther, like we did to Joe!" Ivo turned to look at Lupin.

"No, Lupin, it's incomplete. I share mental and physical control with Joseph. Alexi has taken over all of Luther, and is using his maximum energy level. He'll soon- agh!"

Ivo stopped. Alexi-Luther had punched him powerfully in the jaw and sent him crashing through the office. Alexi walked imposingly over to Ivo, a large grin on his face.

"Foolish banter, Ivo. You call this my maximum? I'LL SHOW YOU MAXIMUM!!!"

He shouted and power blasted from his body, filling the room with purple electricity. His fists, shoulders, chest, and back all split open and hundreds of missiles launched out in every direction.

"Hit the deck!" Jen screamed and jumped to the floor. Lupin laid next to her and covered his head. The missiles blasted apart all of the office, leveling the entire top floor of the Romanov building. A missile went off right next to Vikki, blasting her off the building. Ivo saw her fall and got up hurriedly.

"Vikki! No!!" He shouted, but it was in entirely Joe's voice. He suddenly emitted an immense white lightning glow and his back opened up, revealing a large jet engine and wings. He rocketed off the building and flew to Vikki. He burst downward towards her, but she was falling too fast. He pushed with all of his might and caught up with her. He grabbed her in his hands and braked forcefully. He slammed feet first onto the ground streets in the city below. He stood up, and looked at Vikki, cradled in his hands. She didn't move.

"Vikki? Wake up!" he shouted. She stirred, then slowly opened her eyes.

"Joe?" she managed to gasp. Her eyes widened. "Joe!!" she tried to say. He turned his head and got slammed with a beam of purple electricity. He was pummeled into the ground as the energy bolt exploded on him. Alexi hovered in the air, his dark metallic wings spread out fully. He laughed sickly at Joe's pain. The cloud of dust parted and a white thunderbolt shot upwards towards Alexi, startling him and he dodged it in fear. Down there was Joe-Ivo, but something was different. He stood close to twelve feet tall and was in heavy silver plated armor with a silver helmet, and his shimmering white mustache spread out like wings. His shoulders had sickle plates and in his hand was a shimmering, electrified hammer. His other hand held Vikki, protecting her from harm. His eyes burned crimson as he glared at Alexi. He set Vikki down on a sidewalk. He then spread his wings and jet engines again and blasted to Alexi. He was frozen in fear and surprise. Ivo appeared suddenly behind Alexi and clasped his hand around his neck. Alexi tried to scream but Ivo was crushing his throat with one hand. He whipped him around in a circle and threw him forcefully into the wall of the Romanov building, crashing him through to the other side. Alexi was sent back towards the ground, but Ivo appeared behind him again and punched him in the back. Alexi screamed loudly as his spine was snapped. He flew headfirst into the building and slammed into the side, breaking all the glass windows around him. He held there for a second, then fell to the ground. He lay there, limp and helpless, breathing heavily. He suddenly lost all of his black energy and turned back into Luther, he was bleeding heavily.

"No more, Alexi!" he gasped in pain to himself.

"Quiet you! I still have control! Go to full power again!"

"It hurts, father! Why? I told you I could take them, but now I will die!" he cried in severe pain. Ivo boomed down to the ground, shaking the earth. He walked over to Luther's body.