Halloween contest entry:The Haunting of Shady Manor

Thank you Fuma Hanzo for entering the Halloween fiction contest: Here is their story...

(Story prompt by Dan Peyton)

The elevator doors slid open and Director Nova stepped out into BADGE HQ. He hated that two mile ride down, but this was the most secure location on Earth. The headquarters of the most advanced base on the planet were surprisingly vacant, but this was normal. Most of the work conducted here was done by robots along with the most sophisticated AI system in the world.

After a short walk down the corridor, Nova came into a large room filled with computer consoles and a massive set of screens. Two robots worked at the consoles as the only crew today.

“Let’s check in on the teams.” He stated. “Call up the world maps, I want to see where these leagues are?”

“Understood Director.” The computer answered and the screens filled with maps of the world. Each map had the location of the various teams of superheroes that worked for BADGE. They organized themselves into leagues so they could fight crime locally as well as more easily respond to a call for international emergencies.

“Unit 10915, contact the leagues around the Detroit area. I want to know why the crime rate there has doubled this week.” The robot at the computer stopped moving and nothing happened, “10915 respond.” Nova approached the rigid robot.

Before he could find out what was wrong both robots stood up and started dancing around, their bodies acting like puppets on strings.

“What the hell is going on?” Nova struck a fighting stance.

Just then the computer monitors buzzed and the lights flickered. The screens began to run through map after map, and then it all became fuzz. The two dancing robots flung themselves at Nova. He was pummeled to the ground, pinned down. He shoved on them, unhurt but furious. “GET OFF OF ME!”

One turned it’s head all the way around and then cackled at him. In a high, cracking voice it screeched, “Having fun yet?” and then laughed.

Nova finally shoved them off of him and backed away, “Okay, that’s creepy.”

A green energy streamed out of the robots and formed a sinister looking Jack-o-lantern in the air. It laughed in that same horrible voice and then flew around the room, passing in and out of the computers like they weren’t there. When it went through something, the already crazy machine went even more haywire. Computers exploded, the lights shut down, and the fuzz on the main screens became the only light in the room.

Nova pulled out a communicator and pressed a switch, “Nova to...” suddenly that Jack-o-lantern flew right into his body and he felt it filling him. He lost control of his left arm, his head twitched erratically, and his mind was slowly fading as if he were falling asleep. It didn’t take much to realize this creature was taking over his body. He managed to hold that communicator up, “To...any...heroes who can hear...me. BADGE has been compromised….help...”

(Continuation by Fuma Hanzo)

Upon hearing the distress call sent out by Agent Nova, Super Rakly was quick to the scene, but not quick enough. Agent Nova and his mysterious attacker were gone. The Fallen, Strange Quark, Heretic, and Fiero were soon behind. The remaining Avengers were missing as they were away on a secret mission. They searched the premises for clues but found only a sticky, black residue on the ground where they had determined Agent Nova had fallen as he sent his message. Super Rakly scanned the residue with the analysis tech in his visor.

"It seems to be some sort of ectoplasm" he informed the others.

"Ectoplasm?" replied Heretic. "You mean he was kidnapped by Slimer from Ghost Busters?"

"I don't think so, Heretic." answered Strange Quark. "Now that Rakly mentioned it, it does appear our perpetrator teleported to an alternate dimension that parallels our own. I can see his trail, now that I know what to look for."

"Well what are we waiting for?" asked Fallen. "Let's follow it and smash this guy!"

"It's not that easy." Quark replied. "We can follow it in our world but, being in another dimension, we likely wouldn't find him in our own once we get to wherever he may have gone. Once we find his location, we'll have to find a way to transport ourselves to whatever dimension he's in. I could do that, but calculating exactly which dimension he's in will be nigh impossible. Furthermore, if he continues to to hop from one dimension to another, we could lose the trail altogether."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." answered Rakly. "For now, let's follow the trail as best we can before it goes cold."

The group followed the trail as best as Quark could manage to detect it, until they came across an ancient ruin guarded by a giant serpent.

"I hate serpents!" snarled Fiero, as she blasted it with Hellfire.

The dragon screamed and slunk away into the ruins before she could finish it off.

"I guess we go inside?" Rakly asked Quark.

"I don't know." Quark replied. "The trail ends here. Give me a minute to shift through the closest parallel dimensions to see if I can pick it up again."

"I've found his trail again though." Quark said. "But you're not going to like it."

"Why not?" demanded Heretic.

"The trail continues on a Hell dimension." answered Quark. "Fiero, we're going to need you to barter safe passage for us."

"Safe passage?" mocked Heretic. "Those demons are gonna need safe passage from me!"

"You don't understand, Heretic." said Fiero. "Only an Angel or demon can open a portal to Hell. Anyone else, and the energies required will tear them apart. I'll do it."

Fiero called upon her mystic powers to open a portal large enough for the group to get through. The strain was unbearable to her and she screamed,

"GO! GO NOW! I CAN'T HOLD IT LONG!"

The rest of the Avengers heeded her warning and rushed through the portal, leaving her behind as her strength gave way and the portal collapsed.

They had barely started their journey, and already they were down one member. They looked around to discover their surroundings were very similar to those they had left, the building ahead of them reflected the one they had come across in their own dimension, but everywhere there was fire and brimstone and the dragon Fiero had defeated had returned, his wounds healed as if the battle it had just endured had never happened.

Fallen looked grimly at the others and said, "Welcome to Hell....."

The Avengers wasted no time, simultaneously striking the beast with all they had. When the dust cleared, nothing of the serpent remained buy a black cloud of smoke.

"Well, that wasn't so hard." smirked Heretic. "I was expecting it to be tougher in its own environment."

The group entered the blazing ruins where they were greeted by a decrepit old demon.

Heretic raised his fists, ready to pummel this new threat to the ground, but the guardian simply stepped aside and let them pass. Heretic continued to look over his shoulder at the crone, unwilling to trust that he would just simply let them pass without some kind of trick or deception.

"That was a little too easy, Rakly." he said.

"I know." Rakly replied. "Keep your guard up. Be ready for anything."

The group continued on through the crypt like ruins, following the trail only Quark could see. Screams of the tortured sounded out all around them, though they could see no one. On and on they pressed until they came to an old throne room. Cobwebs covered everything as they carefully looked around. By chance, Fallen looked up, barely in time, to see the gargantuan spider crawling towards them up on the ceiling.

It was the size of a small car and moving fast. But Fallen was faster. Using it's own webs as a net, Fallen trapped the beast in the sticky, silky threads. As it tried to wriggle free, Rakly blasted the monster with his photon beams. With a hiss and a loud crackling sound, the beast expired.

Suddenly, a cackling scream affronted them. They looked up in time to see a pumpkin headed apparition lunging towards them from the throne.

Caught offguard, they were unable to stop the creature before it closed the distance and........ passed right through them......

Heretic screamed. "AHHHHHH!" before realizing the entity had simply vanished. "Is it inside of me? It's inside of me, isn't it?"

Heretic patted himself down praying his fears weren't happening.

"Do you see it?" he asked. "Is it inside me? Tell me it isn't inside me!"

"Calm down, Heretic." Rakly asserted. "My scans of us show nothing abnormal. It must have been an illusion or something."

As Rakly had been scanning the group, Quark had made his way to the empty throne.

"The trail ends here" he said abruptly. "It seems our perp teleported back to our own dimension again from this spot."

"So, now we have to go back to Earth?" questioned Heretic. "Great. And us with no Fiero to open a portal out of here."

"Fiero isn't our only Angelic being." Fallen replied. "I guess you never wondered why a speedster took the name Fallen."

"I thought it was cuz you tripped a lot." answered Heretic.

Fallen gave him a snide eye before calling upon his Angelic powers to once again open a portal from Hell to their own world, stepping through ahead of the other Avengers as he held it open. As the others finished crossing, he released his hold on it and it slammed shut.

Before them was another throne, unlike the one they had just left. This one was made of swords, and in it sat another of the pumpkin apparitions. Only this one was armed and armored to the teeth, and very, very real.

"Welcome, brave travelers!" the creature said to them. "I am Halloween Hanzo, the Samhain Superhero!"

"Heretic looked at the other Avengers before saying, "Waitaminute! Did he say Hanzo?"

The others looked around and realized they were in some sort of nightclub. They noticed Phantom of Phantoms was at the DJ booth, as eerie music started to play.

"And is that Thriller I hear?" he asked.

Hanzo took off his mask and smiled at his friends. "Welcome to my Halloween party, guys! Sorry about the elaborate hoax, but I figured an emergency like Agent Nova going missing was the only way I could get you guys to take a break from saving the world for once and take some time to simply enjoy yourselves." he said as the remaining Avengers that had been on a secret mission and Agent Nova joined him and took their positions for the popular 80's line dance.