“This moment has to be acknowledged,” Chained Angel held her glass high in the air. Champagne sparked as it bubbled in the starlight streaming through the windows of the Stellar Battle arena. “Congratulations, Star Force. We won our first round at League War! Huzzah to you all.”
Each teammate brought their glass up and clinked it against the glass held by another seated beside them, cheering in unison. “Huzzah!”
“I didn’t think we would ever see this day,” Wyldfyre admitted. “You all proved me wrong.”
“Oh, ye of little faith,” Chained Angel said after sipping at the pale liquid. “I never doubted that we had it in us to rise to the occasion.”
“Me either,” The Infinite Tempest agreed. “It is in our destiny to triumph.”
Prysmatica finished the contents of her fluted glass. “Not me. I prayed we would, but after that first round, I lost hope.”
“Did you see those guys from PAIN this round?” Catalyst set his glass on the table without drinking. “Most of them were walking around in their tighty-whiteys all day long. What happened to their clothes?”
“I’m sure they had their reasons.” Chained Angel shrugged as she took a seat. The area they had been assigned in the league pit wasn’t what would be considered prime real estate. Far from the theater of activity surrounding the big-name leagues, or even the bustle of the junior leagues, their group’s celebrations were rather isolated. “Not good reasons, but reasons all the same.”
Wyldfyre emptied his glass of champagne in one chug and then refilled it with a deeper, richer amber liquid from a different bottle he kept in his duffel. “What surprised me is the one-sided fights in the top brackets. 112 to zero between Black Order 51 and 5th Precinct Galactic. 100 to 1 for Avengers vs Angels of Sorcery. I expected to see some titanic battles go down. Real earth-shattering fights, or should I say space-shattering, with this new facility. Talk about disappointing.”
“I don’t know how I feel about the fight in Division 3.” Catalyst rubbed at his shoulder and winced. “On one hand, Krystal Fae lost with her league, Legacy of Spawn, when they fought 666 HO$, the league $uperMac returned to. On the other hand, he fought with the Star Force last league war. I don’t like when I have to choose who to cheer for between friends.”
“I’m sure they both appreciate your support,” Prysmatica said before she pinched her face tightly and sneezed. She pulled a handkerchief tucked behind the fabric of her costume top and wiped her nose. “I’m so sorry. None of you have seen any cats around here, have you.”
Catalyst opened his mouth as if readying to speak but took a deep breath instead and relaxed back into his seat.
“El Rey, Unstoppable Nightmask, you guys really did help bring it home.” Chained Angel said to the newest members of the team. “You should both be very proud.”
The two masked men nodded and fell back into conversation with one another, comparing their fights from recordings from their individual battles.
The team finished the bottle of champagne over the next half hour while Wyldfyre emptied his own collection of stashed spirits. Staggering as he stood, he headed to the arena’s concourse. “Time to find me some evening entertainment, if you know what I mean. Laters.”
“Coffee and breath mints, Wyldfyre,” Prysmatica hollered after him. “Coffee and lots of breath mints.”
“Does anyone else feel like tacos?” The Infinite Tempest asked, rubbing his belly. “I feel like some and I saw an all-night Taco Garden kiosk up in the food court. Oh yeah! Tacos.”
“I’ll join you,” Prysmatica nodded. She sniffed and wiped her nose again. “No contests on who can eat the most this time, OK? I don’t want heartburn to keep me up all night.”
El Rey and Nightmask joined the two of the as they headed off, leaving Chained Angel and Catalyst alone in the pit.
“Did you ever find the equipment you needed?” Chained Angel asked her remaining companion.
“Yes. I’ve set up a few scanners around the arena.” Catalyst pulled out a tablet, tapped the screen a few times, and handed it to the temporary team leader. “Krystal and I aren’t familiar with the energy wavelengths. Not dangerous. Just unusual.”
“As long as the two of you are on top of it, I’m not worried.” She studied the data for a moment, failing to comprehend most of the streaming information, and handed his device back to him. “I’m going to go and work on some tactics for the final round."
She stood and began to walk away, but stopped and turned back to the young scientist. "Good job, today. I know you don’t enjoy the fighting as much as some of us, but you came through in all your battles.”
He smiled. “Good to practice. Never know when next challenge might arrive.”
*****
Three-million miles away from the Stellar Battle arena, propulsion engines fired in the silence of space. Bright yellow energy cascaded from the dark side of a massive asteroid and it moved out of its delicate orbit in the middle of the solar system, beginning its 40-hour journey.
A single Legion Dreadnaught remained behind, near where the asteroid originated its redirected flight path. On the vessels viewscreen, the ship’s computers traced out the space rock's new trajectory.
“No, I don’t believe any of them will see this coming until it is far too late.” The former Legion commander chuckled. “My thanks to you, Director Nova, for putting them all in one place for me. This is almost too simple, but I too have no trouble accepting an easy win.”
He smiled. “Good to practice. Never know when next challenge might arrive.”
*****
Three-million miles away from the Stellar Battle arena, propulsion engines fired in the silence of space. Bright yellow energy cascaded from the dark side of a massive asteroid and it moved out of its delicate orbit in the middle of the solar system, beginning its 40-hour journey.
A single Legion Dreadnaught remained behind, near where the asteroid originated its redirected flight path. On the vessels viewscreen, the ship’s computers traced out the space rock's new trajectory.
“No, I don’t believe any of them will see this coming until it is far too late.” The former Legion commander chuckled. “My thanks to you, Director Nova, for putting them all in one place for me. This is almost too simple, but I too have no trouble accepting an easy win.”
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