Halloween Contest Story: Punkin Heads

Thank you ToGood 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 Togood)

It’s that time of the year. The time when the days cool down and the nights get colder, hot chocolate is the drink to warm up with. The leaves of trees are turning all shades of red and orange, a wonderful sight to behold and even a better sight if you live at the Appalachians Mountains Range BADGE facility, where the guys have been training me.

It’s also the time of the year to celebrate Halloween, dress up in fun costumes, to tell ghost stories, party and pull the occasional prank or two for fun. We all got the week off from training to celebrate Halloween and we’re gonna make it count. We all got together with some of the Colony crew for a weekend Halloween party. There is no telling what kind of mischief we’re gonna wonder into but it sure to be fun.

We were having a great time at the party. Everyone is dressed in their favorite costumes.

Knight was doing the DJ thing, playing tunes like ‘The Monster Mash’ while Biggus Dickus was over at the dance floor twerking around the stripper pole for Funsize bars. Super Rakly and friends were bobbing for Hater-aids while Inferno was magically making them disappear. Drift was judging the contest for best costume. Cap dressed as that Avenger guy with the shield, some of those Colony guys were dressed as buff penguins and I looked like a mean version of Big Bird but some chic with whips took the prize for first place.

Everyone was getting hungry so Inferno made a bonfire outside and we all gathered around to roast our weenies and warm our buns while taking turns telling ghost stories. Anomaly was telling a good one about ‘The Chef’, the programmer that was killed when his AI system, SkyWeb, went all apocalyptic. The story was just getting good when everyone’s BADGE communicator beacons rang out a distress signal from Director Nova. “BADGE HQ…has …been …compromised…help!” Everything stopped and we look at each other as if this might be a Halloween prank but Nova has never been the prankster type according to Gargoyle. Gargoyle suggests we all get to BADGE HQ and check around.

Zen said, “Looks like the party’s over gang, everyone get your gear ready, we’re gonna go check HQ and save the director.” Drift yelled at me, “Donald get it together, you’re coming too. You’re gonna get some on the job training, you’ll do fine. You have been progressing nicely; just remember what you’ve learned so far.” All of the magicians at the party started reciting transport spells and suddenly we were all at BADGE HQ, the alarms were blasting an irritating noise. Rakly used the wrist gadget he made, hit a few buttons and the alarms stopped. It was quietly creepy.

We all split into teams and each team leader decided it would be best to Split into groups of three to cover more ground while doing recon in different parts of the complex. Everyone watch your back and be ready for anything commanded one of the other team leaders. We all spit up and went in to find Nova.

Myself, Drift and Knight, team 3, went down the left corridor leading to the control room were Nova’s tracking beacon lead us. HQ was in shambles. Only emergency lights flashed in the darkened smoke filled hallways. There were small electrical fires everywhere and all the computer terminals were on fire and would emit arches of lightning strong enough to melt metal and hot enough to fry non-metas.

We could hear demented laughter and screams coming from the other corridors. Our communicators blasted a warning. TEAM TWO DOWN! TEAM FOUR DOWN! Rakly and his tech teams were short circuited and incapacitated and out of this mission. The last transmission from Rakly was, “It was Director Nova and he’s got a.” The communicators went silent and the message incomplete. “That don’t sound good”, I said. Drift and Knight agreed. We continued on to the control room with caution.

We made it thru the dark corridor and met up with teams one and five and we all stood across from each other at the entrances to the control room. “Do you all see anything on your side? Our view is blocked over here on this side,” exclaimed Knight. Team one, Whips, Evo and Zen hollered out, “We can’t see anything either.” Team five spoke out, “We got eyes on Nova. He looks unconscious, lying out on the floor.” At that moment, our communicators sparked and caught fire. We all threw them down immediately. Someone yelled, “Be on your toes. It’s about to hit the fan.”

Nova was surrounded by a green glowing smoky fog as he slowly raised off the floor and then we all saw that bulbous orange transparent pumpkin head surrounding the head of Director Nova. Nova had been possessed by something and was controlling the Director and whatever it was, was not benevolent.

The entity that had taken over Nova’s body had great power as well as those that Nova wielded and fired two ectoplasmic bolts of energy in my direction. I quickly ducked and only got light singe on a few feathers but Knight took a direct hit and Drift was hit pretty well also. I got them to safety while the entity was busy attacking the other two teams. Drift said that they would be okay, to get back in there and assist the others and remember our elemental training.

I got back to the action. The other teams were dodging almost everything thrown by the entity. I charged straight into the back of Nova and the entity that controlled him while its attention was on the others. Nova’s body was flung into the wall and was not moving. I hope I didn’t hurt Nova, I thought to myself. While the entity was down we had a little time to make a plan.

I got an idea I said. Listen up, We got to separate Nova from the entity without hurting Nova. This is what I need ya’ll to do. The plan was agreed to and set in motion. The entity started to stir.

As the entity that possessed Nova began to arise, our Supernatural specialist, Biggus, threw a canister on the floor in front of Nova and then used his power over the supernatural to hold them immobile. It was a struggle to hold them both. Evo and Zen each grabbed an arm and Whips used her whips to wrap the legs of Nova together. This gave me the time I needed to separate the ghostly elements from Nova’s body like Drift taught me. I separated the ectoplasmic mass from the flesh of Nova’s body and Evo froze the mass mid air and Biggus forced the frozen entity into the containment canister. Nova’s body collapsed from the exhaustion of being possessed but he was okay. Whips began to heal Nova’s and the other wounded. We could hear a shrilling voice coming from the canister. “I want out of here!”

We look over at Biggus; his eyes were glowing golden yellow and we asked, “Can this thing get out?” He replied, “Only if I allow it.”

The voice again cried out from the canister, “I want out of here! Let me out! Please let me out, I’ll behave. I promise. I was just having a little fun. ”

Who are you? Biggus demanded to know, “Tell me now or you will never be released from this new prison I have put you in!”

The sound of crazed laughing came from within the canister along with a reply. “I am Jack, a spirit of Halloween, ‘a Trickster and a Treater’. I haven’t had this much fun in years. Release me and be rewarded.”

I was like, "Yeah right, we let you go and you will wreak more havoc.” More laughter came from the canister. Jack replied, “I understand, you don’t trust me. I’ll have to let myself out then. Biggus is strong but not strong enough to hold me long.” The Trickster spirit flowed through the canister and rematerialized into a talking Jack-O-Lantern surrounded by a green glowing smoky fog.

Jack said, “I’m a trickster of my word. You bested me and that deserves a reward. I grant teams one, three and five an increase in your own powers and gift you one of mine. You now possess the power of illusion and trickery. Use it well, its time for me to leave.”

As the green glowing trickster Jack-O-Lantern started to fade into nothingness, Jack’s disembodied voice spoke out to Nova and asked, “Same time next year?” Nova watching the faces of everyone and laughing out loud replied, “You bet, this illusion prank never gets old and the kids got some training and added powers at the same time. It was as much fun for me as it was for you.”

We all looked at each other, with are jaws dropped, then looked at Nova, then back at each other, and back at Nova all confused. Drift was like, “Did that old geezer just pwn us and train us at the same time?”

Nova, laughing uncontrollably now, rolling on the floor replied, “Bwahahaahahaha, yep, you just got pwned, Happy Halloween suckers! Now let’s get back to that party.” We all started laughing out loud as Nova snapped his fingers and transported us all back to our party. Once back, all we could say was, “Good one.”