Adventure Contest Entry: St. Petersburg

And last but not least, the winner of the Adventure Fan-Fiction Contest is... 

CdnDraxis! 

Congratulations! 

A big thank you to Dan Peyton for organizing and judging the contest, and of course, to all participants. It was fun and very interesting reading your stories. 

Heroes Rising would not be what it is today without all of you.

St. Petersburg 

By

CdnDraxis 

Heeding the call from B.A.D.G.E. Headquarters, CdnDraxis and his companion Bora, a young orphan polar bear he had rescued while patrolling the northern arctic wastes, headed to St. Petersburg to collect the eggs strewn across the world by the Easter Bunny. The power in the eggs, intended for the heroes of the world, could become a liability in the hands of the unscrupulous.

Landing just outside the city, CdnDraxis and Bora made their way through the city, collecting eggs when found, while proceeding towards the Faberge Museum. CdnDraxis considered it ironic that EB would actually hide eggs in a museum of Easter Eggs, but there was no understanding of rabbit logic. He approached the museum and flashed his B.A.D.G.E. identification. “I am here to search the building for artifacts. You were to have received notice of my arrival” he stated, waiting patiently while the guards examined his credentials.

“Ah, yes, we were informed, but the B.A.D.G.E. team is already inside” replied the guard, handing back the card.

“There is no other team assigned for this location. Something is amiss. Seal all the exits; let no one leave while I investigate this matter” stated CdnDraxis. The guard began speaking into his radio as CdnDraxis and Bora ascended the steps and entered the building, locking the doors behind them.

The man and the bear did a sweep of the lobby and foyer, with minimal grunts and gestures as they cleared the area and proceeded into the display room. There, they found a group of men working around a showcase cabinet with tools.

With a grunt and head nod, Bora turned right and began to make his way around the perimeter, gently and carefully weaving amongst the showcases. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” called out CdnDraxis to the men. The men spun around, startled by the call. A tall man stepped forward.

“We are with B.A.D.G.E. We are here to collect the eggs and return them to Headquarters” he stated, extending a card.

CdnDraxis smiled with a wry grin. “The only people authorized to collect the eggs were heroes, and I do not see a cape on any of you. So why not surrender, and avoid the forthcoming unpleasantness; it will go easier on you” he said, as he began to draw power and form shields around himself and Bora.

The men’s response was not unexpected. Guns were drawn, and the leader fired a shot at CdnDraxis, staring in disbelief as the bullet slowed and became visible. Stopping its forward motion a foot from CdnDraxis’ raised right hand, it began to sink to the floor. An arc of power leapt from CdnDraxis’ left hand, striking the leaders gun, causing him to yelp and drop the weapon. He clutched his smoldering right hand to his chest. “Get him, you fools, or it’s Purgatory Penitentiary for the lot of us” the leader snarled.

Warned by the Purgatory reference, CdnDraxis extended his shields, plunging the temperature around him. Two of the men raced forward, at higher than human speed, only to lose traction and slip on the thin ice coating the floor. As they struggled to regain their feet, they began to move slower and slower, until they collapsed, unmoving on the ground.

Seeing the men slip, the third man rose into the air and began to circle behind CdnDraxis. The fourth man’s hands began to glow and a beam of light shot out, striking CdnDraxis and forcing him back a bit towards the door. The fourth man began a barrage of attacks, forcing CdnDraxis further back.

Suddenly a massive white form reared up behind the fourth man and knocked him brutally to the floor, stunning him. Bora pressed his advantage, climbing onto the prone man and taking his neck into his massive jaws. The figure on the floor froze, unwilling to move.

The flying third man darted in towards CdnDraxis with a sword drawn, only to check up mid-air. With a gesture from CdnDraxis, the flying man began to gasp and breathe heavily, falling to the floor to lie unconscious with his companions.

The leader glared at CdnDraxis. “You should not have been here until tomorrow. The paths were clear of hero interference today. I checked them all” he said, shaking his head with anger.

“The prophets and seers at B.A.D.G.E. are obviously better. Once you chose your own path, it was flagged and suggested that I move my St. Petersburg visits to today rather than tomorrow. You had the potential for so much more, but your choices have brought you to only one end” said CdnDraxis as he lowered his shields and extended a fatigue field around the leader and Bora’s captive. When both men were unconscious, he grunted to Bora, who released the man.

CdnDraxis radioed for B.A.D.G.E. pickup of the morphon-enhanced criminals, and began a search of the room for eggs. He approached the showcase the men had been working around, gazing down at the exquisite Faberge egg on display. CdnDraxis was still puzzled by the greed displayed by so many; what was so special about things, that you would trade your freedom for them?

Bora growled from a showcase near the wall. CdnDraxis approached and saw an egg-shaped object wrapped in bright and shiny foil on display in the cabinet. To the rear, a jewel-encrusted egg lay on its side. Smiling, CdnDraxis turned to the front doors to have the curators open the showcase that he might retrieve EB’s gift. He chuckled as he imagined their reaction to the chocolate masterpiece in the stand, and the jewelled masterpiece neglected to the side.