Heroes Rising Fiction: This is Halloween...time to scream

 

Director Nova stepped out of his office with a computer tablet in his hand. He walked down to the front of the Operations Center while still reading. There was an abrupt stop just before he ran into Justin.

"Sir? You seem distracted?" Agent Justin asked.

Nova looked up, blinking a few times. "Sorry, just checking on reports from our listening posts around the planet."

Justin looked up at the screen, which displayed the daily reports from the heroes about their activity. "Everything seems normal. Bank robberies, attempt assassinations, purse snatching, pretty basic stuff. Is there a global threat I should be worried about?"

Nova paused and looked at the screen as well. "Not yet."

"What are you expecting?"

With a shaking of his head, Nova said, "Halloween is just weeks away and so far there hasn't been any sign of activity from our friend the Spirit of Halloween."

"Maybe he's not going to cause mischief this year?" Justin said.

Nova laughed, "doubtful. Besides...wait, was there a shipment today?" Nova noticed one of the robots working at the docking controls.

Justin turned and said, "yeah, something was just delivered. I sent Gar to help out. Seems EB had something sent to the station."

Nova frowned, "he shipped something to the station? What?"

"Not sure. I thought you'd know about it. Since EB is involved, I wasn't too worried."

"EB did not tell me about this and he tells me everything. This could only be trouble." Nova shoved the tablet into Justin's arms and stormed out of the Operations center.

After a short ride down the lift to the main level, Nova stepped out and beheld a strange sight. The floor of the wide Mess Hall was covered side to side with pumpkins. Gar had a box of them in his arms that he was bringing down the corridor.

"Gar! What the hell is all this?" Nova barked.

Gar stopped with that massive box of pumpkins still on his shoulder. "EB's delivery. Look at all these pumpkins." Gar was amused by this.

Nova was not amused. "EB!!!" he stormed through the pumpkin patch that had replaced the mess hall.

EB strolled among his pumpkins with a small case in his paws. "three hundred and fifty three, three hundred and fifty four, three hundred and YIKES!" He was unceremoniously yanked up by his ears.

Nova held the bunny in front of his face. "What are you doing with all these pumpkins ON MY STATION!!"

EB grinned, "oh, you spoiled the surprise. I was hoping to have some of them ready before you saw them. I know it isn't like decorating an egg, but carving a pumpkin is not difficult. I mean, except for those really big, fat ones that are like lumpy and uuuuugly. But, those are not what I want to use. Did you know that I once tried to make an egg that big and mass produce...OW!" he was then dropped.

Nova pinched the bridge of his nose. "What are you rambling about? Does this have ANYTHING to do with the Spirit of Halloween?"

"How'd ya guess?" EB pouted. "I wanted this to be a big ole surprise for that stupid spirit thingy. That's why I'm doing this up here and not on the planet. That dumb, stink-head would sense this a mile away. But, not way up in space."

While Nova's one good eye twitched he calmly asked, "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like! I'm gonna carve a bunch of pumpkins! Only, I'm gonna make em better than stupid old scary faces. I'm gonna make them nice and sweet, and filled with the bestest chocolates ever."

Nova retained that calm, though his face was turning a new shade of red. "Why?"

EB opened the small box and pulled out a knife. He stabbed it into the side of one of the pumpkins as he explained. "You know, that stupid Spirit of Halloween got in my head once before. Well, I'm gonna repay him. I'm gonna make his dumb old holiday better by doing what I do best. I'm gonna carve these, fill em with candy, and then hide them. It'll be like Easter, which we all know is WAAAY better than some stupid..." he stabbed the pumpkin harder, "ugly," he ripped the knife around, carving the pumpkin, "dumb," he yanked out a paw-full of seeds and glop, "costume holiday."

Nova wanted to say something, but knew better than to speak. His words wouldn't be at a decent volume, and he would probably use language that was technically forbidden while on the station. Then he saw it, looking up from the working bunny, he realized that the floor of the mess hall was only the beginning. He could see into the arboretum. Every last inch of space was covered in pumpkins. The hallways leading away from this room was filled, and there were boxes to be unloaded still stacked near the lift.

"Just how many pumpkins did you order?" Nova said, through clenched teeth.

EB took a step around a heafty pumpkin, putting it between him and Nova. "Uh...well...you see...I just order...um...one hundred and fifty thousand..."

"ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND!!!"

"To start." EB whispered.

"TO START! HOW MANY MORE DO YOU NEED?"

EB stated, as though anyone should have guessed this, "I need a lot if I'm gonna hide them all over the world. Duh! Do you have any idea how many eggs I hide each year? Don't worry, I used the BADGE credit card with the best interest and frequent flier miles to pay for them."

Nova grabbed up EB by the ears again and had him close to his face. He couldn't speak words, just glare at the bunny. His face was red, his breath cut sharp through his clenched teeth, and he appeared ready to murder.

Just then Gar said, "EB! There is a problem."

Nova turned and screamed, "WHAT NOW!?"

Gar held a pumpkin that already had a carved face. "This was in the last box."

EB said, "hey, I didn't order any that were already carved, I will call them..."

Nova growled, "you will call them and return ALL OF THESE BEFORE...."

A low, rumbling laughter echoed throughout the room. The pumpkins all shook. Then, a green mist rose up like a terrible fog rolling in.

"Aw, crap." EB muttered.

The pumpkin in Gar's hand pulled free and hovered in the air. It's face became aglow with a hideous green light.

Nova, still holding EB let out a defeated sigh, "just what we don't need."

"Little bunny, this is not your domain. To your own holiday, you should remain. Your challenge, I accept. Call your heroes, my power must be met. Never before, will this have been seen. Prepare yourself to face the power of HALLOWEEN!"

Gar quickly punched the floating pumpkin, smashing it. He smiled while pumpkin bits dripped off his stone fist. However, two more rose up from the ground and faces appeared on them with that same glowing light.

Nova dropped EB, "this isn't good." He slapped his comm unit, "HEROES, GET TO THE STATION NOW!"