Heroes Rising Fiction: Mythic Chase part 9

Part 9

The BADGE landing craft lowered down into long tunnels that docked in bays deep underground. Dozens of robots filed out and helped the despondent people inside.

Chase ran ahead of everyone. She dashed down the corridors, dodging robots and heroes as she went. Finally reaching the control center she found Nova surrounded by those monitors and several new heroes.

Nova spoke to a strange, devilish looking man with horns on his head. “What do you think, Fuma?”

The man watched the monitor as it played out another attack by Cupid, “Strange. This power...I haven’t seen this kind of power in a long time.”

“But, you have seen it before?” Nova asked.

The horned man nodded, “Yes. A long time ago, in another part of space. This isn’t magic, not like humans think of it. This is something else. Something I presumed gone for centuries.”

“What I need to know is if it can be stopped,” Nova asked.

“Perhaps. It will take considerable force. No one hero among your BADGE gathering could hope to deal with him alone.”

A fiery red woman laughed, “Not even you, Hanzo?”

He shot her a deadly look, “Shut it, Fiero. You know I’m not the save-the-day type.”

She sauntered past him, looking at more of the monitors. “Just admit it, you couldn’t beat him alone, even the great Fuma Hanzo would need help.”

“You want to test my skills!” He turned to her in rage.

Nova scoffed, “Enough bickering. We have a situation, and this is not helping.” He looked up and actually smiled, “Chase, good. Where’s the bow?”

“It’s coming. Some red-winged guy has it. Where’s Gar?”

Nova shook his head, “He’s in the medical bay. But, I don’t know if we can do anything for him.”

“What?” Her heart sank, “He can’t be...”

“We have no idea. He isn’t a living being, at least not like anything we can register. All our medical and scientific sensors don’t show any life in him. But, they never did.”

Fuma walked over and nodded to Chase, “Perhaps I should have a look. I have a unique understanding of healing.”

Fiero laughed, “Oh, gonna play the hero now?”

“I’m not heartless, woman.” He left at that, knowing how it would enrage her.

Just then Krystal Fae and Heretic came in, the red-winged man holding the infamous bow in his hands. There was a strange exchange of looks between him and Fiero, but neither said anything.

Nova looked at the bow, “So, this is it?”

Chase nodded, “Yes, I checked it out myself. It came from Cupid.”

“Good. This just might turn the tide of this war.”

Krystal frowned, “War?”

Nova led them to the middle of the room, “Look for yourselves.”

They watched the screens. Entire cities filled with people laying in the streets, inconsolably weeping. No cars moving, trains standing still, water flooding out of buildings where it was left running, fires burning were stoves were neglected.

Krystal asked, “What happened to the monitors, why is everything in black and white?”

“It’s not the monitors,” Fiero answered, “That’s the state of the world over there. As Cupid attacks, the color of the world is drained and people are left in that state of despair. They leave everything unchecked and simply cry.”

Chase thought about those people they brought back with them, “What happens to them? I mean, do they ever get up, leave, move...eat?”

“No. Cupid may not be slaughtering them directly, but they will die if they don’t get over this. So far we have already registered several deaths from starvation or medical neglect. And, it gets worse.”

“Worse?”

Nova pressed a button and their drones focused on Cupid, “As he spreads this sorrow, he grows stronger.”

Fiero said, “It’s as if he draws strength from their sadness….somehow.”

“Dear God,” Chase whispered. “How many people has he struck down?”

“Millions, we don’t have a full count, but he has moved out of Italy, and is all the way into France.”

Heretic said, “With that many feeding his growing darkness, he’ll be nearly unstoppable.”

Fiero answered, “We were just talking about that. We haven’t faced a villain like this before. Even Krampus wasn’t this strong when we faced him.”

Nova said, “Which is why we must face him now. Any time wasted will only give him time to grow stronger. His path is heading toward Paris, so that is where we will make our stand.”

“When do we leave?” Chase asked.

Nova looked up at the other heroes, “Go, get ready. The transports will leave in one hour. I will get the call out to all the leagues.”

Krystal Fae nodded, “Understood.” She led the way out.

“Not you.” Nova stopped Chase.

“What!”

Nova waited until the room was empty save the two of them. “Chase, this battle will be hell. You have powers, but not the kind to face something like this. I was hesitant to let you go after that man, but this is worse.”

“No! You can’t do this.” Chase reached for a knife to threaten him but realized she was empty.

Nova saw this but didn’t respond, “It’s good to see you so passionate about something that isn’t selfish. But, I won’t let emotion guide me. You stay behind. That is my final word.”

Chase watched him leave. She had a thousand arguments running in her head, but she didn’t voice any of them.