The hologram led all three deep into the base to a room that seemed to be a dead end. The back wall beeped as a hidden panel flashed when the hologram inputted a code. Panels lifted and parted, revealing a multilayered door. Each door required a new code and was timed so that if the code was not entered fast enough, the vault would re-seal itself back to the first door.
“Wow, even I wouldn’t have been able to get into that.” Chase said.
Once it was finished opening, the hologram turned and said, “you have full access for one hour only.” then flickered off.
Santa was the first to step in. The vault was considerably smaller than the other containment vaults at BADGE. Shelves were lined with items of all natures. Swords and spears, glowing golden armor, bottles of shimmer liquid.
“What is all this?” Gar asked.
Santa paused as he looked at a helmet from the Mesopotamian culture. “Relics of a warrior’s life. Each contains some level of power or magic, which is why they are sealed away here and not merely placed in a museum. I could linger in here for years, telling you the amazing stories of the few items that I know about. But, we don’t have time.”
Gar asked, “what are we looking for?”
Chase answered, “This.” She stood before a pedestal with a glass dome on the top. Inside was a glowing crystal egg.
Santa said, “precisely.”
“What is that?” Gar asked.
Chase said, “EB gave one to me around the first time we met. It’s a magic egg. When broken, EB will come to your aid.”
Santa gently removed the dome. “He doesn’t give these often. Only when he believes the holder is worthy. EB might be silly and playful, but he is wiser than anyone gives him credit.”
“How will this help?”
Santa took the egg in his hand. “This is a unique magic, something EB created before we even came to this world. It’s a tiny piece of his magic. That is how he knows exactly where it is when it’s broken. However, that connects it to him in a special way. Once broken, a link will be made from this location to him. If we are lucky, it will bring him directly to us, as that is how the spell works. However, even if that fails, it will create a connection from this point to him. Giving us something to follow. In either case, it will be our way of finding him.”
“What are you waiting for? Bust it.” Chase said.
“Let me.” Gar took the egg in his hand and then crushed it. A flash of magical light burst out and bathed the room for a moment.
***
In the middle of the high-tech city of Neo Utopia, two heroes wandered down a bustling street.
“What the hell are we doing here?” Skelanimal moaned.
Midgardsomr walked with him, both the size of a regular person right now. “We’re on patrol! That’s what we’re supposed to be doing.”
“I’m bored!” Skelanimal whined.
“I know. I am Midgardsomr. I shouldn’t be saving felines from trees and stopping simple heists. But, we’re still on probation with BADGE.”
“Probation...bleh!” Skelanimal stuck his tongue out. “Just because I tried to take over a small Asian country and kinda messed up a whole city doesn’t mean I need to do this crap. And why are you out here? You’re big and stompy, but you didn’t do anything wrong...that I know of.”
Midgard gained a devilish smile. “Oh, I have made enough trouble. Also, I was told to escort you on this. Nova’s orders.”
“I hate this whole thing, and Nova can just stick it!”
“We’ve only got two hours left today. Stop griping.”
Both their earpieces buzzed and Hotwings came through. “Hey, guys. We got a ping on the sensor for Neo Utopia. Looks like there could be some action.”
Skelanimal said, “what, a little girl lost her balloon?”
“Shut it! This looks like something big. Something is heading your direction.”
Midgard smiled, “good. Some action.”
“Don’t destroy the city.” Hotwings said. “If you need help, signal.”
“We can handle anything.” Midgard stated.
The signal cut and both turned yet another corner, now walking down the central square of the city. People stopped and stared at them more than once. No one dared approach the fearsome duo.
“Why are there so many news vans and that helicopter?” Skelanimal noted.
“Don’t know, don’t care.”
All at once, two people came flying toward them. Each wore gray suits with capes. While their bodies were devoid of color, their eyes beamed with bright color, each eye different.
“Who the hell are they?” Skelanimal asked.
Before Midgard could answer, these strange men attacked them with beams of energy. In a flash, Midgard grew ten times his size and went after one enemy while Skelanimal launched himself at the other.
***
EB stood at the edge of his cage, squinting to watch the monitors. The media was alive with reports from Neo Utopia where Skelanimal and Midgard were both battling villains. Only EB knew these men were not villains, but augmented heroes brainwashed in this lab.
EB shook, and his body flashed. “What?” The energy barrier around his cage made a buzzing sound and rippled. His body continued to flash and partially fade. “One of my eggs! I’m transporting! Oh, happy day!”
Delta turned around. “What’s all the commotion?”
The alarms went off, and the computer announced. “Disturbance in magical containment unit E1.”
EB gave off a quick little rude salute and said, “bye suckers!” And he flashed away. He reappeared five feet outside the cage, in the middle of the lab. “Uh...that didn’t work right. Your stupid barrier messed up my spell!”
“HE’S FREE! GET HIM!” Alpha screeched.
“Not this time!” EB zoomed around the room, dodging hands and weapons as both Delta and Osteen went after him, along with five mercenaries that rushed in at the sound of the alarm.
“GET THE ANTI-MAGIC WEAPONS!” Delta ordered.
EB threw an enormous egg at Osteen, which exploded with a stinking green fog. “So long, fatso!” he hit the door and bounced off an invisible barrier. “Ow, stupid anti-magic stuff.” Just before a pair of hands nabbed him, he zipped away, leaving an exploding egg in his wake.
Over and over, he threw eggs and dodged the people. No one was fast enough to catch the Easter Bunny.
“Oh, just let me leave. You guys are embarrassing yourselves.” He slid under the legs of one man and threw an egg at another, covering him in a thick goo that stuck his hands to his sides.
“STOP THAT RODENT!” Delta screamed.
EB stopped on top of the computer console. “Know what Nova HATES about me? Huh, huh? I break things.” He ran across the computers and left a dozen exploding eggs. Stations erupted in sparks and fire as he blasted an entire wall of tech. “This is fun!”
A blinding flash of light hit EB and he went flying into a wall. One of those colorless, augmented men stood there, his eyes glowing from where he had blasted EB.
Osteen sneered, “Looks like you just proved my heroes are as fast as any super out there.”
“End that vermin!” Alpha ordered. “Come, we have to get moving.” She led Delta out of the room.
The augmented hero grabbed EB up. The drooling bunny mumbled, with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. “I can’t feel mah face…or anything.”
Osteen smiled and said, “Strap that rodent to the table. I’m gonna slice the Easter Bunny in half.”
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