Chapters (79)
- Cover
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Praise for Destroy All Monsters
- Books by Sam J. Miller
- Back Ad
- About the Publisher
“We’re one hundred thousand strong!” he said, the voice bigger and louder than I’d imagined would come from such a cherubic-looking face. “The time for waiting is over.”
I took a picture. He was framed with the blue dragon directly behind him, its jagged wings looking like they could be his. Had he done that on purpose? An angel with ugly wings.
“We’ve been afraid for too long. Of the othersiders, and their powers, and their monsters. But I am here to tell you today that those days are over. Their powers don’t matter. Not anymore.”
Through the lens, magnified, he looked possessed. Inspired. The hairs along my spine stood up, and shivered. I took pictures blindly. Helplessly.
Then I was noticed. They came at me from behind, one on either side. So fast I didn’t have time to struggle. Rough strong hands, picking me up off the ground.
“He’s got a camera!”
“A spy!” someone called, as they carried me to the front.
No, I wanted to shout, but I had no voice.
They had me by the arms but my legs were free. I could have kicked, fought, struggled to free myself. Maybe I wouldn’t get away, but at least I’d hurt them. So why couldn’t I move? Fear had frozen me solid.
Their powers don’t matter. Not anymore.
“He’s a photographer!” someone said.
“Perfect,” said the Shield, and they put me down. “Let him see. Let the whole city see.”
He clapped. From behind the old dragon statue, men and women in ultramarine led out a long line of people whose hands were chained, with sacks over their heads. They shoved them into two rows on the steps behind the Shield, like a choir of hostages.
“Our days of being afraid are over.”
The filthy burlap sacks were removed. Gasps went through the crowd—some of the captives were famous—crime bosses, entertainers, athletes.
The ones I recognized had unimaginable power. So why were they just standing there?
And then I saw Quang, standing in the back row, and at first I felt relief. He could blink and whisk all these Destroyers into a cornfield or the middle of the riversea or a Palace dungeon.
But Quang did not do any of that. He stood there, pale and shivering, his whole face wet with tears.
And I knew, somehow. What the Shield was going to say, before he said it. Because there was only one possible explanation for this.
“It is the othersiders who must be afraid, now. They can’t hide behind their unfair advantages any longer. Because I have been given a great gift. I have the ability to strip othersiders of their magical powers.”
He turned, looked straight at me, into my camera. My finger flinched. The shutter clicked.
“I can destroy them all.”
Seventeen
Ash
Now that I was looking for it, I saw the evidence everywhere.