(Original 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...”
(Fiction written by Strange Quark)
Quark woke up to the
voice on the communicator, "To... any... heroes who can hear...
me...," it crackled. "BADGE has been compromised...
help..."
Then it went silent.
It was on Director
Nova's emergency channel. Within a fraction of a second, Quark
teleported to BADGE HQ. One good thing about teleportation is that he
didn't have to take the two-mile ride down the elevator, which he
thought was extremely long and boring. The other good thing is that
it didn't take any time, like tunneling through a wormhole.
Quark emerged in the
corridor outside the central computer room, which was where Nova's
call originated. An eerie green glow lit up the corners of the
entrance, pulsating with an ominous energy.
The door flung open
and out came Nova, floating mid-air, his eyes glowing green
(including his eye patch), and his limbs suspended limply like a
marionette. He had a mischievous grin on his face, and let out a
shrill high-pitched laughter.
"Aha ha ha!
Welcome to my world, stranger!"
"Director?"
Quark was startled. "No... Who are you?"
"I am the stuff
of Otherworlds. Tonight your world is mine!" Nova said without
moving his mouth.
Needless to say, it
was bizarre. Not that Quark had never seen anything more bizarre in
the multiverses. Still, he had never expected to see Nova like this.
"Um... I don't
think you belong here. And you certainly don't belong in the
Director's body," Quark said.
"It is my time,
and I belong where I choose! How dare you challenge me!" Nova
raised his voice.
"I'm not
challenging you but..."
Before Quark could
finish his reply, the Nova marionette lurched forward with his fist
right in the direction of Quark's face. Quark didn't have time to
dodge but his head did. It quantum jumped five feet away, leaving his
body momentarily before phasing back.
"What? You're
an Aos Sí too?" The voice in Nova asked, surprised.
"A what?"
"Spirit of the
Otherworld, like me," the voice added.
"No I'm not,"
Quark replied. "I'm..."
"IMPOSTER!!!"
The green glow in Nova turned red and flung his body headfirst
towards Quark.
Instinctively, Quark
raised his fist and Nova's nose flew into it.
CRACK!
"Ha ha ha ha!
You can't hurt me," the voice laughed gleefully, even though
blood was running down Nova's broken nose. "I don't feel pain!"
Again, the spirit
controlling Nova flung his body against Quark; this time ramming
Nova's eye into Quark's other fist. The good eye.
THUMP!
"I don't need
eyes to see," the spirit smirked. "But you obviously need
three!" It lifted Nova high into the air and threw his body in
Quark's direction.
This time Quark
tried to duck and lifted his right arm to block his head.
CRUNCH!
Nova's mouth hit
Quark's raised elbow, and Quark thought he felt a tooth splinter off.
"I can do this
all day," the spirit once again raised Nova's body into the air
and flung it at Quark.
Quark managed to
phase five feet away and Nova's body crashed into a heap on the
ground.
"Why are you
doing this?" Quark asked.
"It's Samhain.
It's the only time of the year I get to be free in your world and
have fun!" It lifted Nova up again and lurched towards Quark.
Again and again.
Each time, Quark just phased a few feet away.
"But you are no
fun to play with," the spirit was getting frustrated. "What
kind of Aos Sí are you? How do you phase like that?"
"I am the
Strange Quark."
"You're too
weird to fight," the spirit sighed. "And now it is time for
me to go... But I will be back again next Samhain when the boundaries
between our worlds converge. And I will come back STRONGER!!!"
"Oh yeah? Well
I will come back WEIRDER!!!" Quark retorted.
And just like that,
the green glow left Nova's body and turned into a flying
Jack-o-lantern before disappearing into thin air.
*****
Director Nova came
to in his chair, feeling bruised and battered. He had a broken nose,
a black eye, and a missing tooth. And not to mention aches all over.
"You OK,
Director?" Quark asked.
"Wh... What...
happened?"
"Long story,
sir, but basically a spirit from another world took over your body,
and hit you in the nose, eye, and mouth..."
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