Halloween Contest Fiction: Pumpkin Spice

Thank you Tryangle for entering the Halloween Fiction Contest: Here is their entry...


(Story prompt by Dan Peyton)

The elevator doors slid open and Director Nova stepped out into BADGE HQ. He hated that two mile ride down, but this was the most secure location on Earth. The headquarters of the most advanced base on the planet were surprisingly vacant, but this was normal. Most of the work conducted here was done by robots along with the most sophisticated AI system in the world.

After a short walk down the corridor, Nova came into a large room filled with computer consoles and a massive set of screens. Two robots worked at the consoles as the only crew today.

“Let’s check in on the teams.” He stated. “Call up the world maps, I want to see where these leagues are?”

“Understood Director.” The computer answered and the screens filled with maps of the world. Each map had the location of the various teams of superheroes that worked for BADGE. They organized themselves into leagues so they could fight crime locally as well as more easily respond to a call for international emergencies.

“Unit 10915, contact the leagues around the Detroit area. I want to know why the crime rate there has doubled this week.” The robot at the computer stopped moving and nothing happened, “10915 respond.” Nova approached the rigid robot.

Before he could find out what was wrong both robots stood up and started dancing around, their bodies acting like puppets on strings.

“What the hell is going on?” Nova struck a fighting stance.

Just then the computer monitors buzzed and the lights flickered. The screens began to run through map after map, and then it all became fuzz. The two dancing robots flung themselves at Nova. He was pummeled to the ground, pinned down. He shoved on them, unhurt but furious. “GET OFF OF ME!”

One turned it’s head all the way around and then cackled at him. In a high, cracking voice it screeched, “Having fun yet?” and then laughed.

Nova finally shoved them off of him and backed away, “Okay, that’s creepy.”

A green energy streamed out of the robots and formed a sinister looking Jack-o-lantern in the air. It laughed in that same horrible voice and then flew around the room, passing in and out of the computers like they weren’t there. When it went through something, the already crazy machine went even more haywire. Computers exploded, the lights shut down, and the fuzz on the main screens became the only light in the room.

Nova pulled out a communicator and pressed a switch, “Nova to...” suddenly that Jack-o-lantern flew right into his body and he felt it filling him. He lost control of his left arm, his head twitched erratically, and his mind was slowly fading as if he were falling asleep. It didn’t take much to realize this creature was taking over his body. He managed to hold that communicator up, “To...any...heroes who can hear...me. BADGE has been compromised….help...”

(Continuation by Tryangle)

“To...any...heroes who can hear...me. BADGE has been compromised….help...”

"Shoot, better relay that to Tri-blade, stat," called the tech chief.

"On it", replied her assistant.

Tri-blade happened to be driving a barely-roadworthy car along the freeway when his comms buzzed.

"Yeah, Jake?"

"Problem at BADGE HQ, looks like!" came the shout, almost in a panicked tone. This was followed by the recording from Director Nova.

"Jake, do you know if other groups got this message?"

Another voice, Jake's superior, took over.

"We don't know, Tri. We've tried to reach Seraphim, 5th Precinct, Avengers and others. We can't get through. It's like all communications have been severed. It's like -"

The comms line went silent.

Tri-blade sighed, then spun the car 180 degrees and put heel to floor.

As team HQ's lights all went out, Jake muttered, "Hope Tri-blade sorts it out. BADGE has been getting me a wicked deal on those combat boots."

The tech chief groaned loudly.

The first time Tri-blade visited the headquarters of BADGE, there were raised security gates everywhere, the place was a total fortress. Now, as early evening settled across the area, all gates were open, and security personel were completely absent.

If Legion forces chose this time to attack, they'd have a heck of an advantage, thought Tri-blade as he exited the car and raced to the main building.

As the elevator doors opened, Tri-blade walked through and turned in time to see what appeared to be a giant pumpkin floating towards him.

"Booooo... ooo... ooo..." it called ominously as the doors shut and the elevator descended.

Tri-blade was bewildered. "The hell?" he whispered to nobody in particular.

The descent complete, Tri-blade raced to the Situation Room as soon as the doors opened, one of his trusty daggers at the ready. With the room in total darkness, Tri-blade pulled out a pair of emergency light bars and threw them to the ceiling. As soon as they stuck, warm light illuminated the room - and a slumped-over figure.

"Nova?" called out Tri-blade as he shook the body.

"Nopey nopey nope," came the voice from Nova's body.

"The hell?"

Nova's body erratically rose to its feet. While Nova's head remained slumped, its voice emanated in a child-like fashion.

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie... Down!" Nova laughed.

Emerging from thin air, a dozen figures appeared, each with a bizarre jack-o-lantern head and wielding a scythe. The ghostly figures cackled menacingly.

"Cower, and despair! The Hollow King is everywhere!" they shouted in unison.

Hollow King... we had one of those fellas in that other realm, thought Tri-blade.

The creatures pounced. Tri-blade quickly whipped out two of his enchanted daggers to parry the first assault. Despite the appearance of being somewhat transparent, the clash of metal against metal was real. Tri-blade quickly found himself backed up against a wall, the pumpkin-headed soldiers closing in.

"Trick?" called out one.

"or treat?" replied another.

"Let me think!" cried out Tri-blade.

To his surprise, the creatures stopped their advance, and looked on.

On a hunch, Tri-blade sheathed his weapons, and walked over to Nova, who was standing upright and staring blankly ahead.

"Come," Tri-blade said calmly, and walked out the door. Nova followed silently, the pumpkin-heads immediately afterward.

A right-turn, then a left,... Tri-blade may have to send some compensation Bux to BADGE later on, but he had to play this hunch right through to the end. Ahead of him lay the cafeteria, and the object that he figured could help end this weird situation.

The vending machine was chock-ful of treats.

The glass pane was shattered by a thrust from Tri-blade's dagger, and a handful of sweets was grabbed. He turned to a now-grinning Nova.

"Have... some... candy!"

Tri-blade ripped open a bag and threw candy into Nova's wide-open mouth. With amazing ravenousness, the older gentleman chewed and swallowed the candy. Another handful of treats was devoured rapidly, and then a third.

Suddenly, Nova collapsed. Green, nearly translucent mist darted out of his body before forming a jack-o-lantern shape. It vanished with a pop, and immediately the pumpkin-head creatures vanished. Lights flickered back on and the buzz of computers rebooting filled the air. A robot helper emerged from a side room and scanned the area. Unit 10915 walked to the damaged vending machine and began to slowly sweep up the broken glass and empty candy wrappers, as if that was the most critical task to attend to.

Tri-blade rushed to Nova, held him up. Nova only moaned as Tri-blade tried to rouse him.

"Nova's gonna have one heck of a tummy-ache in an hour or so," Tri-blade mumbled as his now-working comms started to buzz in.

Elsewhere...

"Heh, now wasn't that a good bit of Halloween fun, eh?" came a voice.

"Those geeks probably think it really was the Hollow King... wait till they see THIS blast from the past!"

A face turned to gaze at a monitor. The face was masked by a red-rimmed VR-headset.

He cackled wildly.