Fan-Fiction contest: ZOMBIE EX-Girlfriend

ID: 10824 April contest, discovery/origin of powers



Your Zombie Ex-Girlfriend. Now there's a story without a clear ending... or even much of a clear beginning either. What follows is a summary of my thoughts after reviewing all known collected data since the creature first appeared. I'm sure there is still more to uncover.

Zombie is also known by the name Jade. Apparently it's a name that was assigned to her during her time in The Asylum and quite assuredly, it is not her true birth name. THE ASYLUM is the experimental bio-sciences wing of the group known as Area 51. Not a lot of detailed or even reliable data gets out of that organization, but from what we can tell it is primarily a benevolent group dedicated to furthering the future of mankind via the development and propagation of the Morphon affected super human. It is rumored that they utilize what could be best described as "fringe science" techniques and they're not afraid to actually test their research devices and enhancement discoveries on live humans. This is tech that even Dr. F would balk to make a buck from distributing in a dark alley. In retrospect, it looks like Jade was likely one of the earliest known victims of the Z-Virus... one of "The Infected." She was found about 6 months ago in her emergent Zombie form, wildly rampaging though the city streets, destroying everything and anyone she came upon without mercy. I can say, after reviewing the surveillance footage from the street level cameras, it appeared that Zombie was searching for something or maybe even someone that she believed was hiding nearby. It was... horrible and a scene of pure terror that even the most realistic of horror films fail to capture. We have obtained footage that shows Zombie pausing to eat select... ah, portions of her first few victims all over and done for 'em. She was so god-damned fast. It looked like a dark day for the city until one of the supers, code named Misty Monsoon, showed up with some of her team and took Zombie down with a massive concussive wind blast and subsequently kept her in a vacuum stasis field for transport back to Area 51. I wish the surveillance footage was of a bit better quality. It's just conjecture at this point, but I'd go so far as to say that Zombie might have actually recognized Monsoon and intentionally calmed down... even let herself be captured at that point. All I can say is, if that 51 agent had not showed up so quickly, this would have been an Alpha Level event with widespread deaths across the city. I know they treated her with something during her time in the Asylum. Some otherworldly concoction blended from their own secretly developed tech and weapons acquired from the defeat of multiple off-world visitors and invaders. A se-ries of injections was administered. Was it nanotech Implants? Or did it go beyond into the realm of mind control? Nobody knows the actual instruments of 51's success, but I'd bet it's a bit of everything available. All I know is they got this monster under control and brought her slightly closer to something definable as human. Three months after her capture, Jade is no longer a raging, murdering monster and appears almost... let's call it "tolerant" of other humans. In my opinion she hovers dangerously somewhere between the living and the most assuredly undead. She has been observed with the ability to quickly heal from injuries, even massive ones, but strangely she also sports bloody cuts and scars all over her body that do not seem to ever fully heal. Whatever treatment 51 gave to her, it also restored a portion of her sanity and her ability to form speech again. There are few that can say they are able to spend more than a few minutes with her, describing it as like entering the Lion's cage. You don't turn your back and there is always that uncomfortable feeling when she looks at you, she just might be looking for her next meal. She's insanely strong and fast as hell. She heals and her body regenerates itself and yet she may not actually still be alive. If she could fly and didn't scare little kids...and most other living things, then she could damn well be Superman's little sister. As a result of the Area 51 treatments, we know that Jade helped defend the city during the recent Infected outbreak. She fought side by side with the humans and other groups of supers, defending them all and destroying more than 500 of the infected onslaught. Only a few knew they were fighting with Zombie Ex. Area 51 provided her with a holofield generator that gave her the appearance of a human. If she didn't have this cover, she would have been the focus of attacks from both sides of the Infected battle. Seems as though the holo-generator was destroyed near the end of the Infected war, but I've also heard rumors that Jade ripped the device off and destroyed it herself. Jade's new-found clarity of mind has also revealed a small portion of her past. Surveillance has picked up that she truly believes that she was in a relationship with one of the other supers prior to her infection. I'm not sure of the validity of that belief as it seems that nobody is sure which super she was involved with, not even Jade herself. The relationship ended badly she says and speaking of the memory of her feelings brings her to a rage. This breakup went badly and there is the assumption that Jade's infection with the Z-Virus may have been someone's attempt to keep her quiet... for the long term. The idea that there is a super powered being out there that would literally terminate an old girlfriend in this way is even more disturbing than what Jade actually went through. What did she know? Is there any legitimacy to her belief that the infection was a "hit" on her or is her mind so corrupted that she'll never know the truth? Was Area 51 involved from the start? It certainly makes me wonder if she wasn't simply an escaped Area 51 experiment gone wrong and mind con-trolled from the start. She's too agile to be blocked. Too strong to be contained. Too much burning revenge... to ever die easily. Jade now seems resigned to the fact that she needs to uncover the missing pieces of her past, her identity, how she came in contact with the Z-Virus and what is keeping her undead yet sane. Holy crap I've seen firsthand what she can do. Super powers or not, if she ever finds him I sure wouldn't want to be that rumored ex-boyfriend

Continue the Story

Fan-Fiction Contest: Time Hunter

time hunfer ID: 11219

Discovery/1st appearance of powers (as witnessed)

My name is Jasper, and I have a story to tell you. Nobody believes me, and you will under-stand why pretty fast, because it involves time travel and zombies and the first... maybe last appearance of a heroic young lady.

I am a self-described lower tier Morphon powered superhero with the power of Zebra Kick. Basically, I jump and dodge, and I have a powerful knockout kick. I'm still working on the upper body strength and endurance part, but someday I will be the one to watch.

So I am out on patrol in Ravensport, when a bright flash erupts in the street. Out of it steps this woman in a leather top hat and leather armor. Retro steampunk cliché to be sure. She is covered in tech gadgets, and there is this faint ticking sound coming off her gear. Honestly, I am surprised she is not billowing steam like some 1800s train engine. I guess even steam-punk heroes have upgraded to more efficient tech. She's wearing tinted round retro-welder goggles and I can see... she has the most beautiful sparkling eyes. There is something familiar about her, even though we have never met.

And I am immediately and ashamedly, smitten.

She rushes over to me, seemingly desperate.

"I need your help now. I am running out of time!"

"Sure," I say. "I am here to help. My name is Jasper."

"Call me Hunter."

She checks a green glowing gauntlet strapped to her forearm. “There is a Level 5 time anomaly nearby."

"Time anomaly?" I ask. "What am I looking for? What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to have my back," Hunter says. "I can do the heavy lifting, but anomalies can distort vision and perception. I have read the files on you. I know I can trust you."

"Files?!" I start to ask, but then a thunderous BOOM shakes the street.

A swarm of ragged zombies comes tearing around the corner.

"Holy f*#k," I blurt. "Not again." Ever since Zombie Ex-Girlfriend showed up THREE MONTHS AGO, we've had random infected out-breaks. She is a menace masquerading as a hero.

Hunter's eyes narrow. "This must be it. We need to squash the horde before anyone else gets infected."

The battle hits fast. Hunter pops zombies heads apart with a green glowing blaster that makes a "VOOOPH!" sound. I am jumping over cars, high kicking zombies into oblivion while clearing panicked civilians out of the way. Con-trolled chaos is so satisfying.

When the last zombie drops, we finally pause to breathe. Hunter kneels and unhooks her wrist gauntlet which is barely holding on, laying it on the ground to repair the clamps that keep it attached to her arm.

"You did friggin awesome," she says, leaning in. She kisses me on the cheek, quick and unexpected, and definitely not something I am complaining about. That is more reward than I usually get on patrol. Maybe we have a future as a patrol-duo.

Out of the corner of my eye, something moves behind a row of parked vehicles.

"Hunter, stay here," I say, leaping over to investigate and while trying to take on the gentlemanly protector role.

A cloaked figure slides into the shadows of a shop doorway. I am on him in a moment, pin-ning his shoulders against the door. He does not make a sound. I yank his hood aside and I am staring at my own smiling face.

While I'm clearly visibly stunned, He breaks my hold with great strength, launching me into a parked car as the air is temporarily knocked out of my lungs. I look up to see if Hunter is watching and I see a shimmering portal opening above her.

Another dark figure teleports in and drops a powerful zombie right on top of her! She's been bit! They crash to the ground, Hunter is losing control, her eyes glazing over as she fights to stay conscious. Her gauntlet, only partially repaired, skitters across the sidewalk.

She claws her way toward it, rogue zombie still holding tight and she slams her hand down, wildly mashing at the controls.

TIMESHIFT flashes across the display.

She fades from view in a flash and a pop, and she is gone. The gauntlet remains on the ground, smoking slightly. As I approach, I can see the destination date flickering across its cracked screen. It is exactly THREE MONTHS prior to today.

I swear I just witnessed a hit job carried out by teleporting a zombie.

A van quietly pulls up beside me. A heavily armored, military looking figure steps out, and gives me a quick salute. He scoops up the gauntlet.

"It is exactly where you said it would be," he says to someone inside the van.

I look past him and see her. Zombie Ex-Girlfriend is sitting in the back, staring at me with those empty, amnesiac oh-so beautiful eyes.

The soldier climbs back in, the doors slam, and the van speeds off. As it drives away, I no-tice the AREA51 logo on the back.

Suddenly, everything feels a lot bigger than zombies and time anomalies.

It's about the future, and a wheel of possibilities and... I know who she is, even if she doesn't.

Continue the Story

CONTEST RESULTS

Thank you to all who entered the special fiction contest for April. I spent a late hour last night reading through the entries a couple more times. Honestly, I had to really dive into deep consideration about which took which prize, they were all great efforts showing love of their characters, which is awesome. The stories will be posted in the games feed, so you can read everyone's. Prizes have been sent to all entrants. Here is the breakdown of who won. Congrats to all who entered, writing is no small task for anyone.

1st place is: Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ CAPTAIN MARVEL Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ5¹ (For a really great re-imagining of characters and making a fun story out of the Easter event.)

2nd place is Furious Squirrel (For having so much fun giving an action story that included using the hidden villain boss from the April operations.)

3rd place is: zoмвιe eх-ɢιrlғrιeɴd 5¹ (For creating such a rich backstory for the character that is unique and intriguing.)

Honorable mention: PAINKILLER SDMF painkiller

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SENTINEL REWARDS AND BONUS FOR MAY

Another month has come and gone. Last month concluded with Dan Peyton's fiction contest which promises some really great prizes, including MPs just for participation.



All stories shared on the Sentinel and published will also get additional prizes as per the usual Sentinel monthly rewards.

Meanwhile, a new seasonal ops has started: with more quests and challenges, including tracking down and defeating the Shadow Hare.

Concurrently, each week features a few events, such as the March Madness Chrono, item explosion days, and tug of war, to name but a few.

Reviews, role play and commentaries on the events are greatly encouraged; these types of editorials are very useful for the game, and we've had many excellent ones in the past, but as the game evolves, we need more player guides like these especially on all the new features introduced. Players guides, reviews, players PoVs, and role-play tied in to game lore, etc, are most welcome. Feel free to share your thoughts and options by submitting them to the Sentinel Facebook page.

The usual editorial bonus for reviews, commentaries, game guides, gear talk, fan-fiction, and origin stories applies to all submissions that are published.

REWARDS:

PLATINUM: 7 Strange Fiction cards (only reserved for EXCEPTIONAL submissions)

GOLD: 5 Strange Fiction cards

SILVER: 3 to 4 Strange Fiction cards

BRONZE: 1 to 2 Strange Fiction cards

These rewards go out after the end of each month and are IN ADDITION to the usual Sentinel rewards from Daniel Andrade for published entries.

Here are the categories/prompts:

Category One:
REVIEWS/COMMENTARIES of ad hoc and regular events, including fan-fiction role play, etc.

Category Two:
GAME GUIDES, GEAR TALK, and other editorials about game mechanics.

Category OPEN:
What is your origin story? How did you end up in the Heroes Rising universe?
(And any other Fan-Fiction.)

REMINDER:

Post your submissions to the Sentinel page as usual for Categories One and Two. To enter the OPEN CATEGORY post your entries to the Fan-Fiction forum with the following in the title: MAY CONTEST" and the title of your entry. Please also add a link to your entry in the Sentinel page so that we can monitor all entries.

Yours Quackily,
SQ

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EVENTS FOR APRIL and the monthly Sentinel Bonus

It's another new month and Easter is upon us. That means the Easter Village is back! Time to hunt for blank eggs.

Meanwhile, a new seasonal ops has started: with more quests and challenges, including tracking down and defeating the Shadow Hare.

Concurrently, each week features a few events, such as the March Madness Chrono, item explosion days, and tug of war, to name but a few.

Reviews, role play and commentaries on the events are greatly encouraged; these types of editorials are very useful for the game, and we've had many excellent ones in the past, but as the game evolves, we need more player guides like these especially on all the new features introduced. Players guides, reviews, players PoVs, and role-play tied in to game lore, etc, are most welcome. Feel free to share your thoughts and options by submitting them to the Sentinel Facebook page.

The usual editorial bonus for reviews, commentaries, game guides, gear talk, fan-fiction, and origin stories applies to all submissions that are published.

REWARDS:

PLATINUM: 7 Strange Fiction cards (only reserved for EXCEPTIONAL submissions)

GOLD: 5 Strange Fiction cards

SILVER: 3 to 4 Strange Fiction cards

BRONZE: 1 to 2 Strange Fiction cards

These rewards go out after the end of each month and are IN ADDITION to the usual Sentinel rewards from Daniel Andrade for published entries.

Here are the categories/prompts:

Category One:
REVIEWS/COMMENTARIES of ad hoc and regular events, including fan-fiction role play, etc.

Category Two:
GAME GUIDES, GEAR TALK, and other editorials about game mechanics.

Category OPEN:
What is your origin story? How did you end up in the Heroes Rising universe?
(And any other Fan-Fiction.)

REMINDER:

Post your submissions to the Sentinel page as usual for Categories One and Two. To enter the OPEN CATEGORY post your entries to the with the following in the title: "APRIL CONTEST" and the title of your entry. Please also add a link to your entry in the Sentinel page so that we can monitor all entries.

Yours Quackily,
SQ

Continue the Story

Heroes, Villains, and Renegades Fiction: Light and Dark Part 19

 Nova sat on a bench near the icy statue of Arx and Adrianne. In his hand he held a large computer tablet that had several news broadcasts playing. The world was quickly recovering from what had happened.

Chase walked in with her own tablet in her hands. “I thought you’d be back here.”

Nova said, “I needed a quiet place.”

She sat next to him, a knowing smile on her face. “You’re avoiding EB.”

“That little annoying brat won’t leave me alone.”

“That’s nothing new,” she said.

Nova turned off his tablet. “If he would just stop telling everyone that I might have shed a tear over him.”

“You like him, why is it so hard to admit it? You’ve said it before.”

Nova said, “If I give him an inch, he takes a hundred miles. I need focus and calmness to do this job. That erratic bunny is the antithesis of who I am.”

“Which is why you two have worked together for so long. You are each other’s perfect match.”

Nova groaned, “You make it sound like a romance.”

“Of course it isn’t a romance. EB is the worst skirt chaser I’ve met. A bromance, maybe.”

Nova looked toward the door and then down around the statue the other way, then back at the door.

“What are you doing?” Chase frowned at the way he was acting.

“Making sure he isn’t around.”

“For what?”

Nova softened his voice, “EB is the best friend I’ve ever had. He is the most loyal person I’ve known in my long life. And when you’re immortal, it’s hard to make friends. People live such brief lives compared to me. Having a friend who is just as immortal as I am is refreshing. He gets on my last nerve, but I would be lost if he weren’t around. And...” before Nova could finish that sentence, a white blur smacked him in the face and was now hugging him around the head.

“I knew you liked me, you really, really, like me. This is the best day ever. And I thought it couldn’t get better after having your cry over me. Oh, I am your best, best, best, best...” Chase pulled him off before Nova threw him across the room.

Chase wrestled with EB finally resorting to holding him by his ears off the ground.“You heard him?”

EB said, “Of course. These aint just for show.”

Nova said, “I take it all back. You are a pest and a nuisance.”

EB grinned as he dangled by his ears. “You don’t mean that, and we both know it.”

Nova said, “What are you doing in here? I thought I asked you to check in with the media and get a casualty report.”

EB said, “I just finished talking with all my contacts and I have super, amazing, great news. There were no reported casualties from the energy attack. A few injuries, a couple car wrecks, but no one died.”

Nova slowly lost his irritation as a small smile crept across his lips. “That’s fantastic news. Finally, an incident without a casualty report to face. Still, creatures killed several people during the attacks.”

“Don’t dwell on the negatives, good news is good news.” Chase said as she set EB down on the bench.

Nova nodded. “Yes, it is.”

EB’s ears perked up. “Whoa, I sense something powerful coming.”

Nova looked around and saw a green haze growing in the room. It grew brighter and congealed in one location until it flashed, and there stood Dr. Fagan as the Oracle of Supernatural.

“Nova, it is time we spoke,” she said.

Nova stood up to greet her. “Dr. Fagan... or should I call you the Oracle of Supernatural?”

“Dr. Fagan is fine. We are one. The avatar of Supernatural has bonded with me and we became a single being.”

Chase asked, “What are you exactly?”

Dr. Fagan pondered her answer. “The Avatars did not exist at the beginning of the morphons. Over time, as the morphons had variations, individual consciousnesses came to be. However, they lacked emotional intelligence. They were merely an awareness. Over time, they grew stronger, but still lacked identity. When the morphons came to this world, the avatars soon followed and found growth unlike anywhere else in the universe. Nowhere have morphons been more actively used and connected with living beings than here on this world. The avatars congealed themselves into beings, hoping to grow even more intelligent and gain new existence. However, it was folly. We could not create what we did not understand; emotions.”

Nova said, “How did you decide to bond with humans?”

“It was the avatar of tech. His knowledge is superior to all of ours, and he learned many things that confused us all. Tech always sought new experiences before the rest of us, and thus he sought a body to inhabit. His bonding with Dr. Hermes gave him insight far beyond anything we expected. Instead of just learning from the experience, he became part of the man. Now, they are one being. This is what I have become. I am no longer two beings, I am just one. I have all the knowledge and experience of the avatar of supernatural in me, as well as the life, experiences, and emotions of Dr. Lily Fagan.”

Chase asked, “Why Dr. Fagan? What reason did the avatar pick her?”

Dr. Fagan answered, “The avatars seek people predisposed to the morphon type they connect with. However, they also wish to find those who lack ambition.”

EB said, “Dr. Fagan had ambition. She was… sorry… is an accomplished scientists. And she had a goal.”

Dr. Fagan smiled at EB. “Speak not of me as though I am gone. I am Dr. Fagan. And to answer your question, the ambition they deny is that which drives an evil heart. The avatars are not well-versed in emotions, but they understand evil enough to recognize the danger. In my dreams when I was unconscious, the avatar spoke to me, investigated my life, and found I was acceptable. And he clarified his eyes had been on me for some time, and this may be why the malevolence also sought me.”

Nova asked, “Will all the avatars do this?”

“In time, yes. This goal was ours before the Malevolence returned. However, the bonding of the Avatar of Tech with Dr. Hermes did something unexpected. It drew a desire from the Malevolence. We all face danger now if a human does not bond with us. And, even while bonded, we aren’t entirely safe from its grasp.”

Nova said, “I think it’s about time we got some answers about this. What is the Malevolence, and its goals?”

She said, “Tech once told you that where there is light, there is shadow. Such is the truth about the Malevolence and the Morphons. We aren’t just particles floating in space; we are an existence. Everything we are, the Malevolence is the opposite. We feed energy into others; it takes. We seek harmony and peace; it wishes violence and dominion. We have avatars, separate forms of awareness that are distinct from each other. It has a unified awareness. Do not think of it as simply evil. It is pure domination, greed, desire, hungry for power. However, while we can exist in this universe cohesively with the rest of creation, it can only exist in a void. Again, opposites. It desires what we have, and is crafting a grand plan to obtain our power and our place in this universe.”

“Tech said that it would want to control the oracles, to take them and make them its own.”

She nodded, “Yes. That seems to be its scheme. It wanted the avatar of Supernatural. In fact, it almost succeeded. Why I... the avatar part of me... was in the Malevolence void when EB and Dr. Fagan first fell into it was because it had taken me. I fought for a long time inside that void, resisting as best I could. I was calling to someone with a great connection to the supernatural when I accidentally pulled that box with them into the void. It was a refuge for me. I put myself in her and then sent the box away.”

EB asked, “What about that other dude with the wings? Who is he? A dark oracle?”

Dr. Fagan said, “It took time for me to fully form the bond. Dr. Fagan wasn’t ready. In that time, the Malevolence was still looking for me. It has taken a different soul and corrupted it into a false oracle of supernatural. What it plans now that we have denied it my form... I don’t know. We, the morphons, can only glean information about the Malevolence from our limited encounters. We are too opposite to truly understand it.”

Nova said, “You seem to understand a lot about it.”

“We have both existed for over a million years. Though we only know what we do from our limited encounters, in that great span of time, there have been many encounters.”

Nova asked, “When will it make its next move?”

She smiled, “A wise and tactical mind you have. Yes. It will continue this plan, which we do not doubt. When it will move again is impossible to tell. It could be soon; it could be a thousand years.”

“It will be sooner than a millennium,” Nova said, “I have fought enough evil to know that when it begins, it doesn’t sit and wait.”

EB hopped up and down, “At least we have a kick-butt oracle to help us.”

Dr. Fagan shook her head. “The avatars of the morphons have always remained neutral in their own way. As oracles, we will offer advice and wisdom. We will aid you in your fight against the Malevolence, but only to a point. We are opposites, and while it desires dominion and power, we do not. If we stepped into your world’s history as heroes, we would soon become gods. That would corrupt us and turn us as wicked as the Malevolence. It is for your own good, and ours, that we do not fight this war. That will be on you. But do not worry, we will not be silent. We will help in any way we can within our own limitations.”

Nova held out his hand before either of them had a rebuttal to her words. “We will respect your choice. What will you do now?”

She smiled, “Now that I am this Oracle, I feel a need to travel the world, explore it and discover it with fresh eyes. The avatars have made a choice. Earth is now their home. This world will be where they place themselves to grow as emotional beings, as these oracles. It is difficult to explain, but there is a childlike joy emanating from the avatar in me at this new life they will all experience.”

EB said, “This all started with a plan to free Arx and Adrianne from this ice. Now that you’re this all-knowing Oracle... do you have an answer?”

She looked at the frozen statue. “I am not all-knowing. But I know the answer wouldn’t come from studying the supernatural. However, I sense there is a powerful morphon at work here. Perhaps the answer will come.”

Nova stood next to her, looking at Arx. “We aren’t entirely sure they are still alive in there.”

“They are,” Dr. Fagan said, “I can sense that. They are resting, they are not in pain. But they are certainly alive.”

“Thank you. I needed to hear that,” Nova said.

She held out her hand, and a crystal flower bud appeared and then bloomed into a beautiful blue and yellow blossom like a lotus. “Here. Speak to this and I will come. But remember our limitations.”

Nova too the amazing flower. “Thank you.”

“Farewell, we will meet again.” She vanished in a green flash that left a few leaves trickling down in the air.

Chase walked up next to Nova. “What does all this mean?”

“It means we’re facing a strange new evil, and we must be ready for its next move.”

“How can we possibly be ready to fight an ancient evil that we barely understand?”

Nova looked at her and then walked out of the room. “Like we’ve done every time before, with unshakable determination.”

Continue the Story

Heroes, Villains, and Renegades Fiction: Light and Dark Part 18

 An emergency broadcast around the globe broke through televisions and online. The panic in the streets was evident in every corner of the planet. A woman on the news in Detroit, Michigan had a controlled attitude, but fear burned behind her eyes.

“Authorities are uncertain what the cause of this mass attack is. But across the planet, people are lying in the streets, seemingly on the verge of dying. The source of this... is unknown and... Brenda?” She looked over and then jumped out of her seat as the camera shook around to move. She rushed across the set and held their weatherperson who was on the ground clutching her face.

“The pain! I... can’t see. Help me!” The woman writhed around as she held herself while people tried to help.

Nova held EB in his arms while the heroes around him fell silently into slumped piles.

“My God, this is worse than the Ren Tech incident.” Chase said, “They aren’t in a dream world, they are just having their life pulled right out of them.”

“I’m so helpless. What do I do?” Nova whispered.

“I can try... “ Quark said something but simply stopped.

Nova looked up, “Try what?”

“They are glowing.” Is all he said.

“Look at EB!” Chase pointed at the bunny, who had a green hue around him.

Nova rose to his feet and looked around. “Is it over? Are they gone?”

People moved, some gasped in breaths and slowly moved their hands to their chests. EB even moved around and made small noises.

The dark oracle cried out, “NO! This is not possible!” He reached up and his hands glowed bright again, but no one was affected. His head snapped toward them and he screamed, “What have you done? I will end you!” He darted toward the bubble containing Nova, Chase, Gar, EB, and Quark.

Nova rested EB on the ground and had his hand on his sword when something met the dark oracle halfway to them. A person slammed into him, and he flew back and crashed into the mountain again.

A woman carried by angelic wings hovered over the ground with a green dress on and leaves swirling around her.

Chase said, “Oh my god. It’s Dr. Fagan.”

The dark oracle rose from the deeper crater he had formed. This time, he looked injured and angry. He flew toward her with his hands out. “You will become!” He screamed.

She didn’t move, didn’t flinch, merely waited for him. When he reached her, she grabbed both of his hands, flipped him over and slammed him hard into the ground. After he hit, she thrust her hand over him and the energy in him drained.

With a dual voice from her mouth, she spoke, “We are the Oracle of Supernatural. We protect his realm. The Malevolence is not welcome. I take from you that which you stole.”

He screamed in pain for a moment as she ripped the energy from his body. Heavily breathing, he threatened, “This is not the end, Avatar of Morphons. We will have dominion. We cannot be stopped. The Malevolence has grown, it is strong.” A hole opened in the sky above her, and a dark shadow poured down, pushing her to the ground and stopping her siphoning of the energy in him.

He stood, ragged from the attacks, but all the more terrifying in his eyes. “You will become.”

With all the effort she could muster, she pushed her hand over her head and blocked the pouring shadow, but still couldn’t move. “I... will not fall this day.”

“You will become, what power do you have that we cannot match?” He smiled with blackened, jagged teeth.

She looked at him and said, “We are not alone.”

The dark oracle didn’t see Nova’s divine sword. Like a baseball, Nova hit the dark oracle and sent him toward Gar. Gar grabbed the man by his wings and spun him around and threw him even further. Chase nailed him with all three of her throwing stars in his side just as Strange Quark cartoonishly slammed him back into the ground using a massively inflated fist.

“QUARK!” Nova yelled.

Quark knew the cue and cast another barrier, this time over Dr. Fagan, helping to block the shadow. She could fly free and join them. Using her power, she trapped the dark oracle in a series of thick vines.

“This world is our home now, and we have many allies. The Malevolence has none but its own creations.”

The dark oracle didn’t squirm or fight, he simply glared at them. “What has begun shall be done.” He evaporated into a dark mist and was gone.

“Damn. Chase, contact the station. I want a planetwide sensor sweep.”

Dr. Fagan said, “That will not be necessary.” She turned and gestured to the sky where the hole had been. “He has fled to where he can exist. I took from him that which kept him alive in this universe. His time here was limited, and the Malevolence retrieved him before he perished. He will not return to us soon.”

“Are you absolutely certain?” Nova asked.

She nodded. “I could feel him leave, or rather, his master took him. However, he is correct. This is far from over.”

EB staggered across the ground, blinking with bleary eyes. “What... who... wait, is that Dr. Fagan. Wow, you look amazing. Did you always have wings?” He was a little loopy.

She smiled at him and said, “I am Doctor Lily Fagan, but I am also the Oracle of Supernatural. We have become one being.”

Nova said, “I have so many questions.”

“I will answer them in time. Right now, I have work to do.” She said nothing more and simply flew up on her wings and held her arms out. Waves of green light spilled from her, spreading from horizon to horizon. She slowly flew west, leaving them as she continued to glow.

The surrounding people quickly regained their strength and stood. EB smiled as he ran around at blinding speeds for a moment, then stopped right in front of Nova.

“Wow, I feel all better. Better than better. This is amazing. What happened to me? I felt like someone had completely emptied my body, and I was going down. I mean, really down. Like down down down. I remember feeling arms under me, and... wait... wait, wait, wait....” He felt his side. “Someone cried over me. This isn’t just water, these are tears. Someone cried. Oh, Chase, I knew you loved me.” He ran toward her, and she looked up at Nova, who appeared as if he were about to flee for his life.

“It wasn’t me.” She refrained from saying who.

EB bounced around. “Welp, Gar can’t cry tears and I doubt Quark likes me so much that he would cry over me. If he did, that would be soooo sweet, and his tears probably would smell like vodka. But, I really doubt it, and the others were down, that just leaves.......” He looked over at Nova, a big grin on his tiny face.

Nova took a step back. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop.”

“BUDDY!” He rushed over and climbed up Nova and was on his shoulder. “I knew it! You really do love me. We are bestest of best friends. I mean, I cried hard when you were kidnapped by that ugly Lady Echidna, and so it only makes sense that you would cry over me. Did you think I had died? Wow, you are such a good friend! We should get matching t-shirts, and friendship bracelets, and...”

Nova grabbed EB by the face to make him stop talking. “We have a serious situation to sort out. Now is not the time for your incessant rambling.”

EB nodded with a hand still clutching his face. He saluted with one paw and said something under Nova’s fingers that sounded like, “Aye-aye, buddy.”

Nova let go and EB dropped to the ground and bounced around, handing chocolate eggs to all the present heroes.

“Chase, work with Justin and set up a mobile lab here. I want every sensor reading we can make. Get every scrap of footage of this incident from any local cameras. We need data.”

“Understood.” She walked away with her comm already out.

“Gar, you and EB talk to the local media and tell them only that BADGE is on this, but that the situation has calmed considerably and the fight is over.”

“Why us?” Gar asked as he watched EB giving eggs out half a mile away now.

“You and EB are both known enough and people like you. Plus, it will keep EB out of my hair a little longer while I go and wait.”

“Wait?”

Nova walked toward the landing zone. “To talk with our new Oracle. We need proper answers.”

Continue the Story