Heroes Rising Fiction: Mythic Chase part 10

Part 10

The moment Chase entered the infirmary she heard the crying and wailing of the affected heroes still being tended to. They were not her objective. She came to the last room in the analysis section. Fuma Hanzo, that strange demon looking hero, stood over the bed where Gar lay.

Chase walked over and put her hand on Gar’s arm, “He’s so...still. His body feels like solid stone.”

Fuma said, “He is nothing like I have ever seen. To the touch, he is solid. The density of his body is greater than almost any known matter. Yet, when he moves on his own, it’s like he’s alive.”

“Can you help him?”

Fuma shook his head, “No. I don’t know what is wrong with him. However, I can tell you I sense something strange about him.”

“Everything about him is strange.”

“Moreso than you realize. I sense a power holding him together, a power that I’ve only seen twice, a long time ago and...”

Chase frowned, “And...and what?”

“And, I sensed it recently, when that man stole the bow and from cupid.”

“What?” Chase stepped back, “He….and that man?”

“I don’t have answers. But, something about Gargoyle and the bowman….and even cupid and Santa, are connected.”

Chase asked, “You sensed this before, a long time ago. What was it then?”

Fuma became silent, lost in thought. There was an ounce of fear on his face as he dove into his memories. “I...I can’t recall it clearly. However, if my feelings are correct, we are in a lot of danger.”

Just then a man appeared next to the bed. It was Strange Quark, “Fuma’s correct, we are in a lot of danger.”

“You!” Chase backed up, “I thought you had died.”

Strange laughed, “No, just had to change my existence to repair the damage done to me.”

Fuma cocked his head, “You were damaged?”

“Yes.” Quark said, “I was hurt in ways I have never felt before.” He looked down at Gar, “Oh, no. Who did this?”

Chase quietly answered, “The bowman.”

“Damn him!” Quark scoffed. “I thought Gar was indestructible. How?”

Fuma said, “I thought you were indestructible as well. But, this kind of power is more than either of us understands.”

Quark said. “As I healed, I realized the power behind the attack.”

“And, what is this power?” Fuma asked.

Quark softly shook his head, his three eyes blinking independently of one another. “I don’t recall where the power came from. I only know that Legion was bested once before Earth gave them a real challenge. Out of rage and fear, they brought war against the winners and ultimately destroyed them. But, for some reason, I can’t recall who the enemy was. Who Legion feared so badly.”

Fuma shook his head, “If Legion could fear them we are in deeper trouble than I imagined.”

“That’s why I’m here. I need to warn Nova.”

Chase said, “He’s gone, with everyone else.”

“Gone?”

Fuma nodded, “They’re attacking Cupid to get the bow back in his hand and stop his onslaught.”

“Who went?”

Chase said, “He called the leagues, I think.”

“No.” Strange ran right through the wall, heading for the command center.

Chase and Fuma didn’t ask questions, they followed.

“What’s wrong?” Fuma asked.

Quark stood in the middle of the monitors. “That.”

They watched several drone feeds of Cupid battling in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Heroes converged on him, but he was bringing them down quickly.

“He activated the leagues,” Fuma said.

“That’s not enough, not nearly enough.” Quark grabbed a comm unit and waved his hand over it to rework it.

“That’s not a battle, it’s a slaughter,” Chase whispered.

Fuma said, “He isn’t killing them, but they’ll be good as dead if we don’t stop him.”

“We? I can’t do anything. All I was ever good at was stealing and throwing blades. I am out of blades and no amount of theft will help this situation.”

“Give me your hand.” Fuma took her hand and then placed a pair of shuriken blades in her palm. “There, these will give you a fighting chance.”

“What? Two blades?”

“They’re magical. Trust me.”

Just then Quark came over and plugged that comm unit into the computer. He pressed a button and spoke aloud, “BADGE HQ to all heroes on Earth. We have a critical situation in Paris, France. I don’t care if you’re in a league or not, or if you aren’t aligned with BADGE, we need you. The world needs you.” He pressed another button and said, “There, it’s on repeat.”

Chase gasped, “LOOK!”

They turned to see Nova laying on the ground, Cupid flew over the fallen, screaming in fury.

"He's too powerful." Chase said.

"No, not yet." Quark's three eyes each watched a different screen. "He is growing in power with each fallen, at this rate he will become completely corrupt and unstoppable."

"How long do we have?" Fuma asked.

"I'd say we have three days before he is gone. But, that gives us a fighting chance."

Chase shook her head, "So, we save the world by Valentines day or Cupid destroys everything. How's that for irony."

Quark grabbed Fuma’s arm, “You ready?”

“Yes.”

He then looked at Chase, “Are you with us?”

Chase looked down at the two blades and then thought about the man who saved her life. “I have to try.”

Quark took her arm as well and then all three vanished in a fold in space.