Saturday, April 24, 2021

Heroes Rising Fiction: Arcane Knowledge Part 2

 

Nova stepped out of the BADGE shuttle and was met by two security guards. They each saluted and then walked with him through the overgrown field in the middle of nowhere.

“There has been a strong energy spike in the area, be careful.” Nova said. He stopped before a door on the side of a small concrete bunker.

One guard asked, “what should we look out for?”

“I don’t know. These morphon creatures have been popping up all over the place. That is the type of energy we’re seeing.”

The other guard asked, “are these avatars dangerous?”

“Not intentionally. But, they could pose a threat. Just be ready for anything.”

The guard pushed the door open for Nova. “We always are.”

Nova stepped in and the room was nothing but an elevator. Pressing a switch, he sped downward through the Earth.

It had been a few months since Nova was last in the former Headquarters of BADGE. This place was now simply another outpost to keep watch. It took a focused mind not to get lost in nostalgia as he rounded each corner. Finally, he entered the room he spent most of his time in when this was his base. The operations room was active with many screens watching the various views of North America. Once these screens were tuned into every corner of the planet, not they simply monitored this part of the world. Agent Justin stood in Nova’s place in the center of the room, a tablet in his hands.

“Agent, report! What was the emergency?” Nova waited for an answer.

Justin turned and said, “we have a guest.” and simply pointed to the side.

Nova turned and found the golem of computer parts smiling at him. The Master of Tech creature simply waved at the Director. “Greetings, human leader of BADGE.”

Nova frowned, “I thought we locked him up.”

“I thought so as well.” Just said.

Nova pressed the intruder button and an automatic force field surrounded the Master of Tech. “Sorry for the inconvenience. I don’t like uninvited guests in a BADGE facility.”

The Master laughed, put his hand up against the buzzing field, and then simply walked through it. “I enjoy that sensation.” He walked back and forth through the field.

“How are you doing that? That field is the strongest this base can make.” Nova was honestly stunned.

The Master stopped amusing himself and answered, “I am tech.”

Justin said, “apparently, since his power involves technology, we can’t use technology against him.”

Nova asked. “Then, he was our prisoner...by his own volition?”

The Master of Tech answered, “I wasn’t your prisoner. I was merely communing with other tech. All of us have been doing this. Once our challenge was met, we understood the humans are using our blessing correctly and so we have been exploring our element. Mine is technology, and this place is full of it. My brethren are exploring their own powers through your world.”

Nova asked, “what is it you want? Or are you just out and about to pet the machinery?”

“I am enjoying your lovely technology. However, my objective is not to simply explore. We seek answers and you need to help us.”

“We...you mean the other Avatars?”

The Master said, “yes. They tasked me with getting your attention, and I have.”

Nova narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like being manipulated.”

The Master looked up. “Ah, they are here. Come.” He walked out of the room.

Suddenly the comm came alive with the guards outside. “Sir, we have a situation up here!”


Nova rushed his way back up to the surface, even becoming a little lightheaded with the quicker ascent up the elevator shaft. To his great surprise, the Master of Tech was already at the top. The two guards were on full alert with their weapons out, and four other people standing around. The first was the lion man, Master of Strength. Next to him was a man made of rock, water, and even fire burning on his head, the Master of Elemental. An angelic man with his wings almost glowing, the Master of Supernatural, gave Nova a stern look. Last was a beautiful blue woman with red hair and streaks of red energy periodically flickering on her skin, the Master of Mental.

Nova stood before the two guards and put out his hands, “lower your weapons. I do not believe they pose a threat.”

A voice in his head stated, “we are not here to threaten you.”

The guards looked at each other in confusion, but said nothing about the disembodied voice.

Nova spent a moment looking at this strange gathering, his way of establishing a level of control by getting the focus on him. “So, you’re all here. My agents have had a hard time keeping up with your movements.”

The Avatar of Elemental said, “we know about your agents tracking us. We presented no threat to the populations of this world, thus we ignored our observers.”

“Oh, stop this talking! We have an issue to deal with!” The Avatar of Strength bellowed.

Nova said, “yes, apparently we do. What are you doing here?”

The Avatar of Supernatural stepped up, his imposing wings only overshadowed by that glowering look on his face. “Master of BADGE, we come seeking your help.”

“My help? You avatars have ignored BADGE and our requests since you first showed up, and now you expect me to help you. To what end?”

“You want to fight! I will…” The Avatar of Strength was held at bay by Supernatural.

Mental said, “this situation concerns the security of your world. There is one more of our kind we seek, but we cannot find it. We believe you can help.”

Nova said, “I have agents and specialist all over the planet keeping tabs on the morphonic spikes that accompany your appearances. We will see when the next one arrives.”

Master of Tech said, “this one is different. The last one is actually the first. It has been on this world for a long time, resting.”

“It… you keep referring to this as an it.”

“Many of your years ago, a human learned of what you call magic. He practiced human forms of sorcery, but upon learning of true magic from a creature named Jinn, he wanted to know more.”

“Jinn. Do you mean the time when he worked for the Ottoman Empire?”

“Correct.” Mental projected. “A man named Merlin began studying this new magic and writing everything down in a special book. He was not aware that he was touching the very essence of morphons. The magic used by this Jinn was harnessed through morphons, but only a very specific type. By dabbling in this, he infused those morphons into this book. It remained dormant for centuries, but it became the embodiment of Magic, the Master of Magic, an Avatar of Morphons.”

Nova whispered, “Merlins Tome.”

Supernatural asked, “you know of this?”

Nova softly nodded, “I have been protecting this world for a long time. In that time I collected and sealed away dangerous objects. I know of Merlins tome. It had strange properties that caused problems several centuries ago. It is in the archives in the BADGE UK outpost.”

Elemental said, “we must retrieve this. The morphons will awaken and the tome will become the last Master. We need him and we must protect him.”

Supernatural said, “the morphons of magic around this world have gained strength at his arrival.”

“That explains the heightened strength in the magical heroes.”

Mental said, “precisely. Our time is short, we must get to the Tome before he awakens.”

“What sort of danger does this avatar pose?”

Mental said, “it is not the Master of Magic that poses a risk, it is the information he holds that could potentially be used for nefarious deeds. There are those among your kind that seek knowledge they do not deserve to know. They desire to use this knowledge for terrible actions. We will not allow that.”

“I won’t either.” Nova pulled out his comm.

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