Nova piloted the shuttle toward the station and sent a code. A small panel on the outside of the hull of the station opened and revealed a docking slot.
“Sir, why is this here?” Krystal looked up at the metal wall approaching the shuttle.
Nova carefully turned the shuttle around so the aft door was lined up with the slot. “There are several docking ports built into the station to give access for emergency exits. To be honest, I never expected to use one to gain access.”
The Wizard asked, “Where will this put us?”
“Near the food court. It’s the most centrally located port I could find and the nearest to the command center.”
The Wizard looked back as the shuttle’s automated system attached to the station. “Did they not build any nearer the Operations center?”
“No. In case of emergency, we can eject the Operations center from the station and have its own thrusters to help it make a safe landing on the planet.”
“Oh, good to know.”
The whole shuttle came to an abrupt stop, and the lights blinked to indicate that the internal systems had connected. Nova turned off the controls and activated the aft door. It opened, and they were staring at a metal wall. Nova stood there and waited.
“Sir?” Krystal ventured.
“It appears the station’s systems aren’t working right. This should have opened with the back hatch, even without power. It has a general battery back-up.” He pulled off a panel and pulled a lever, the door split open, and then stopped.
“I got this.” The Wizard put his hands together and then slowly lifted them apart. A blue magical field formed and pulled the doors open.
“Excellent work.” Nova grabbed his gun and headed for the door.
Krystal smiled, “At least we know our magic still works here.”
Nova paused and said, “Krystal, I want you to head to the labs and make sure the shards are safe. Wizard, see to the detention area. I’ll head for operations and find Gar.”
Both answered, “Understood.”
Nova led them through the door and stopped. “I want you to...” he looked back and realized they were gone. “Krystal? Wizard?” No one answered. Even if they used magic to transport themselves, he would have heard or seen something.
The lights flickered, and the station rattled. Explosions rang down the corridors as an eerie orange glow came from every corner.
“Hello! Gar! EB!” Nova called out.
He walked through the food court, debris scattered everywhere. All the lights were broken, the deck plates cracked and strewn with rubble. The massive glass windows holding the vacuum of space at bay had fractures webbed across the surface. The station was a complete disaster.
“WHAT’S GOING ON!” Nova yelled, hoping for some kind of answer.
He watched missiles flying through space, going over the station. Suddenly a great flash of light filled every window. Moments later, a massive shock wave knocked him over. Before he got back to his feet, he watched a large section of the League Wars arena floating by, shattered and broken with fires burning across the ragged edges.
“Oh, god!” Nova scrambled to his feet and ran for the Operations center. He reached an elevator and was whisked away at top speed.
Nearly shoving the door open faster than it would move, Nova rushed into the Operations center and came to a dead stop. The large screen was a flashing mess, the robots lay about with sparks spewing out of their joints, and rubble scattered across the floor.
Nova walked down to the front of the room and felt a cold ice fill his body. All breath in him was stolen by the sight on the floor at his feet. He fell to his knees and gently picked up Gar’s severed head. Broken from his body as if a hammer had smashed the stone he was made from. The rubble of his remains were scattered before him. For the first time in many years, Director Nova of BADGE had tears in his eyes.
“What could do such a thing? Oh, Gar, what have I done?”
Just then the screen flickered on. A live video displayed the destruction of the League Wars Orbital Arena, now in three massive pieces. Bodies of heroes lifelessly floated by, their skin covered in the ice of naked space. Not one hero was moving, no shuttles or escape pods were active. It was a complete massacre.
Without warning, the screens changed to several news broadcasts. Disheveled news anchors across the planet spoke from burning and wrecked news rooms. The images behind them of war and death. Mushroom clouds expanded over every major city.
“This is TNN asking, where were the heroes? Earth is facing extinction. Every known, and a few unknown, villains were able to enact some kind of doomsday plan. Unless something miraculous happens, they will exterminate human life. In a matter of hours, the surface will be completely irradiated, there is no hope in sight. Say goodbye to your loved ones.”
Nova sat there, holding Gar’s remains, unable to speak. All he had worked for his entire life was gone. His worst possible fear had been realized.
Suddenly, something hit the screen and exploded. Then another object hit it and exploded. Each time a bright flash of light followed and then faded.
Nova looked around, but found nothing. Only a faint voice came to him saying one word, “Buddy.”
A third object hit the screen, and this time the flash of light remained. A fourth object hit the light, and it exploded outward, spreading that light like a field of energy. As it passed over Nova, the head in his hands vanished, the surrounding rubble vanished, and the images on the screen vanished. All that remained was the face of that reporter, looking him in the eye.
“What the hell?” Nova stood up.
Just then, EB jumped up and landed on his shoulder. He threw an egg right at the smiling reporter. “TAKE THAT YOU JERK!”
The egg popped, and the reporter melted away and turned into an orange light. It quickly took the shape of the Spirit of Halloween, a Jack-o'-lantern with a green energy aura around it. It cackled and flew directly at Nova.
The Wizard came running by, “Watch out!” He then said something and a magical barrier deflected the spirit.
The Spirit of Halloween flew off, vanishing through a wall.
Nova looked around, still stunned. The robots were lying around, but they weren’t nearly as broken. The screen was fuzzy, but it too was in far better shape. “What...what just happened?”
EB explained, “Spirit has been up to his old tricks. Though, I have never seen him go this far. He’s spreading fear like never before. I mean, he’s good at that. You know how he is. Normally he likes to possess people and really mess them up, but this time he is really going all out to scare the crap outta everyone. I was so scared, I thought you had died, really died, I was so upset that I cried and then got really mad and...”
“EB!”
“Sorry, rambling again. Anyway, I chased that jerk around the station when I ran across some of his magic. I found this guy locked in a hex from Spirit. I pulled him out of it, and he said you were here. I knew just where you would go and where Spirit would torture you at.”
The Wizard said, “Yeah, I don’t know what he was doing to you, but he really got me. No sooner had we stepped out of that shuttle did I find my precious dragon attacking me. I tried to stop her, but my spell killed her. I was so….well, it was just an illusion, a nightmare really. EB broke the spell over my mind and we found you.”
“Good. EB, you did well. We need to find the others.”
EB hopped up and down, “I’ve tried finding other people. Don’t know where they are. I could use some magical help. Mr. Wizard guy here can help, but if I had one more, we might be able to unlock all the spells.”
“Krystal!” Wizard said.
Nova nodded, “We have the extra help, but we need to find her. I have no idea what kind of torture he’s putting her through.”
EB continued hopping, bouncing nearly up to Nova’s face each time. “Were you crying?”
“No.”
“Yes, you were. What could make Nova Cry? I betcha thought I was dead.” He grinned.
Nova snatched him out of the air mid-hop. “We don’t have time to talk about this. Use that magical brain of yours and help find Krystal Fae, NOW!”
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