Heroes Rising Fiction: Strange Allies Part 9

 “What do you mean you don’t know what is on the other side?” Nova asked.

Quark, holding the growing hole in time together, said, “something, or rather someone, is trying to come through. I felt this days ago and raced here to stop it.”

“And you decided not to report this?”

Quark shrugged. “Everyone is busy with the World Corps nonsense. I thought this would be easier. I thought it was just a tear in time from all the damage Father Time did during his two attacks this year. It turned out to be something completely different. Once I got this under control, it became impossible to move or lose that control. I knew someone would eventually come. This hole is still getting larger, even with me holding it back.”

Peyton asked, “do you think this has anything to do with the World Corps?”

“I have no idea.” Quark said.

Nova shook his head. “I may have been wrong to assume that part of their plot. This might be something completely different. This is bad. If we have an incursion by a dangerous force while the World Corps is enacting their plans, we could be in serious trouble.”

EB hopped up and smacked Nova on the shoulder. “Don’t be such a Debbie Downer, bud. We’ve handled worse. Remember when Jinn unleashed ghosts all over the world and turned himself into the devil? We got through that, didn’t we?”

“This is different. That was one enemy with one plan.” Nova said.

Peyton sat down on a broken piece of a statue. “This is one hell of a doozy. I...woah!” He fell off the stone as it lifted and joined back together with other stones to reform the statue.

“What the?” EB hopped around, avoiding more stones that moved backward in time to return to an earlier state.

Quark strained as he said, “time...is breaking...this is about to open...I can’t hold it alone.”

“Gotcha!” EB held up his paws and created a bright flash of light. The time reversals slowed down.

Quark strained, “thanks, but this is still growing. We have to stop this.”

Nova took in a deep breath and released it slowly. He held up a hand and the time disturbances stopped. The statues repairing themselves froze in place.

Peyton rubbed his hands together and prepared to use his own powers, but Nova stopped him. “No. You must leave!”

“What? I can help. I’m not as powerful as you, but I can help.”

Nova pointed with his free hand. “Get out of here. Take the shuttle back to the crystal drop zone.”

EB said, “buddy, we can use all the help we can get.”

Nova said, “no. We’re strong enough to hold time together inside this place. We can stay here for years inside this pocket of time. Whatever is trying to come through must be held at bay until the heroes have dealt with the World Corps’ plans.”

“What do you want me to do?” Peyton asked.

“Go back to Chase. Tell her she is now in charge of BADGE. Tell her to never come here, send no one else here to save us. We’ll stay here until we no longer can hold this place. When the heroes are strong enough, when the World Corps is defeated, then we will face what comes through that rift.”

EB said, “he’s right. My candy factories will go on without me, but this world might not survive two invasions at once. Go.”

Peyton gave a quick nod and then ran, leaving the three heroes behind to keep time from breaking.

***

Chase walked with Justin around the storage facility. Heroes stood guard along the fences. A small clutch of heroes sat around a tall, bald man in a lab coat. Each held their heads with fierce concentration.

“Dr. Stone, how goes the deflection?”

The bald black man smiled as he answered, “right now the World Corps heroes are attacking a compound ninety miles from us.”

“I hope they aren’t hurting anyone?” She asked.

He laughed, “nope. They’re destroying an abandoned depot with no living soul inside. We have their minds twisted in a deep fantasy.”

“Keep it up.”

Justin held up his comm to his ear. “Alright. Landing zone two is open.”

A blustery breeze cut through the grounds as a cloaked shuttle landed.

“Chase!” Gar waved at her from inside the main building.

“What is it?” She approached.

He smiled and pointed at the table in the middle of the room, surrounded by computers and scientists. “Dr. Henderson said she has good news.”

“Doctor?”

Dr. Henderson came up and showed her the computer tablet. “We have gathered enough magic morphon energy to attempt a resuscitation of the magic avatar. It’ll be strange reviving a book, but I suppose it will be the same process as any of them.”

“Then, get to it. We need answers fast.”

Dr. Henderson gave the go-ahead to her team, and everyone jumped into action.

“Chase! Chase!” Peyton came running up, out of breath. He stopped and held his knees. “Boy, I gotta start jogging or something. I am outta breath.”

“Peyton? Where’s Nova and EB?” She looked around.

“That’s why I’m here. We found the source of the time fractures. It’s a place in the middle of Egypt. Strange Quark was there, trying to keep it together. But it only got worse. The place was going nuts, everything reverting in time. Worst of all, some kinda strange creature is trying to come through.”

“Damn. This is not the time for some alien invasion. Our heroes are currently scattered, running from the World Corps and the United Nations. I will have to contact...”

“No! He doesn’t want you to send help.”

This stopped her cold. “No help? He can’t possibly try to fight something like this on his own.”

Peyton said, “he aint trying that. Nova, EB, and Quark are holding that pocket of broken time together. Their combined powers are awesome. But the catch is they gotta stay there. They’ll stay there until we find a solution to the World Corps problem.”

“But who will lead BADGE if Nova is stuck there?” Justin asked.

“He put Chase in charge.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. He trusts you to save this world.”

Chase stood there in stunned silence.

Gar gently asked, “are you okay?”

“I...I don’t know. I feel like we just lost him. I’m not ready for this.”

Justin said, “all you can do is take it one step at a time. We have a crisis on our hands and need leadership. Right now, that’s you.”

“What do I do first?”

Dr. Henderson came over. “We’re ready to revive.” She frowned at Chase. “Something the matter?”

“No.” Chase straightened her shoulders and said, “go ahead.”

Dr. Henderson pressed a button on her tablet, and everyone waited. Five lasers emitted energy drawn from stockpiles of crystals. Each beam met in the center of the area, charging a focusing apparatus. Finally, a single beam came from the center and hit the book. The process was quick and everything went dark.

“Well?” Chase asked.

Before Dr. Henderson could answer, the book opened and closed on its own. It lifted into the air and gained the magical aura normally around it. A wave of glee swept through the room, but was soon replaced when a loud, screeching scream came from the book and it changed colors. A blast of magic exploded out from it and destroyed all the equipment while throwing everyone back.

“I MUST DESTROY EVERYTHING!” the book boomed, then sent another wave out that destroyed part of the building. Several heroes attacked it, but they were quickly subdued by its formidable powers.

“It’s registering massive amounts of unstable morphonic energy!” Dr. Henderson yelled.

Chase slapped her comm badge. “All heroes who can hear my voice, we need you at my location. NOW!”