Heroes Rising Fiction: World Eater Part 9

 

Before Midgard attacked:

Chase, wearing a lovely red dress, walked with Strange Quark at her side. He wore a blue tuxedo with a golden duck pin where a flower would normally be. Walking behind them was Gar, dressed as normal, but with a bow-tie around his neck at Quarks insistence. They approached the Prague Castle.

Chase took in a great breath and smiled, "I love Prague, the history, the art, the buildings, all so lovely."

Quark smiled, "I love this building, so Gothic."

Gar nodded, "Reminds me of many buildings in Rome."

Pulling out her special BADGE card, Chase said, "We can be tourist later. We have a mission."

Walking onward toward the amazing building, all three were allowed through several check points.

Gar casually said, "I wonder how Justin is doing with Midgard."

Quark replied, "No idea. Nova had a hard enough time getting through to the old world serpent, Justin might not even scratch the surface."

"Why would Justin want to scratch him? Does he itch?" Gar asked.

Quark chuckled at that while Chase said, "He means, Justin doesn't have much of a chance. But, things might be different now. Justin really has proven himself a worthy leader, and Midgard respects strong leadership."

A finely dressed woman approached them, "As you requested, President Pavel is waiting to speak with you in St. Vitus Cathedral." She held out a hand for them to follow.

Chase was amused by this, "I see. We were required to make a case before he decides to meet us in the cathedral? Very accommodating."

The woman said, "President Pavel is aware that if BADGE sends three of their highest ranked officials to meet with him, then he should respond."

A small contingent of security and this nice lady escorted them through the many opulent corridors of the ancient building. Soon, they walked through a set of doors that led into a classical Cathedral sanctuary, where an older gentleman and three security waited for them.

Chase approached and bowed, "Your excellency, I'm honored you have given us your time."

Gar and Quark followed with silent bows.

President Pavel smiled, "I'm honored to have such high ranking members of BADGE paying us a visit. However, I'm aware that no visit from BADGE is without serious cause, and potential risk to my country."

Chase straightened up. "I'm afraid you're correct. There's a great danger here, an object that must be taken to BADGE for safe keeping. However, I'm also afraid that it is currently nestled into an important artifact belonging to the state."

"The Crown of St. Wenceslas," President Pavel said.

Quark asked, "How did you know?"

"So many legends have arisen about that crown that our people have always felt it was abnormal. Then, in recent times, the United Nations sent inspectors to locate unique energy readings. They discovered something odd about the crown, but it was not morphonic, so it was not reported to BADGE. However, when you asked to meet me about a special visit to this cathedral, I had a strong feeling that the crown was the reason. Am I correct?"

"Yes," Chase answered. "I don't want to disfigure such an important artifact, so I ask that you allow us to take it whole. I promise the utmost care will be granted to it, and we will have the finest jewelers on Earth remove the stone in question before returning it. But, at this time, it has to be moved otherwise..."

All three of their BADGE comm units came alive with Justin's pained voice, "To all heroes, Black Alert, I repeat, Black Alert. Please, respond to my location, or the world will end today!"

"What is this?" President Pavel demanded.

Chase had lost the color in her face as she looked up at Gar and Quark. "Black alert... we haven't had one of those since..."

"Jinn," Quark answered.

The President asked, "Are we in danger?"

"I don't think so. The location on this is far from here. We need to go, find out what is happening." Chase said.

Before anyone could respond, a familiar voice asked, "Going so soon?"

Chase took a step back when her eyes fell upon Nova and a team of finely dressed mercenaries, all wielding the anti-morphon guns. "Nova, how..."

"Don't be an idiot, Chase. I was the one who hid the stones, I kept track of them for centuries. Don't you think I know where they all are?"

She took a step forward and readied her magic throwing stars. "I'm willing to take you down, Nova. I know what's at risk."

"You know nothing. The power Lady Echidna wields is far superior to anything you could possibly fathom."

Chase's eyes narrowed on him, "We only know that we must stop her, and we will. You trained us all too well for us to fail."

"Oh, I did, did I? Like this poor fellow." He gave a little wave with a gloved hand and one of his mercs tossed the body of the badge guard that had been one of Lady Echidna's spies. It landed in front of Chase.

"What did you do?" Chase looked down at the broken corpse.

Nova drew in closer to her, no fear in him as she threatened with her blades. "The battle for this world has already begun. Midgard was her fourth beast, a creature she used once and now has access to again."

"Midgard?" Chase frowned.

Quark gasped, "Oh, sweet baby Jesus...the Black Alert!"

Nova laughed, "Better head for the fray, little heroes. The World Serpent will consume all life and he will be nearly unstoppable. That is, unless you want to try and stop me from getting the Eye of the Charybdis." His eyes flashed that bright white light that Chase witnessed during the battle of Fenrir.

Chase stood back, "If you retrieve it and leave without harming anyone, we won't fight."

"You have my word." Nova smiled with the slick grin of a devilish politician.

Chase backed up, "Go."

Nova and his men headed for the secure vault hidden in the Cathedral of St. Vitus where the Crown of St. Wenceslas has been kept safe for centuries.

President Pavel demanded, "You have no right to go there! I protest!"

Chase kept a keen eye on the mercs and Nova as they went about their business. "No, don't interfere. We can't stop him and there aren't heroes left to invite to this fight, they're all trying to save the world from Midgard."

While the President threw out angry words, Chase watched Nova and his men return with the case holding the crown. They casually stepped over the corpse he had deposited and left the building. Nova remained for one moment to give his parting shot.

"Chase, let Justin know that if BADGE continues to fight us, it will only end the same way for all the agents as it did for that one on the ground. Only a flicker of light in his eye before death befell him." With that he left.

"I DEMAND YOU SEND A TEAM OF BADGE AGENTS AFTER THAT ARTIFACT. IT IS A PRECIOUS RELIC OF PRAGUE!" President Pavel bellowed at Chase.

Quark said, "Trust me, sir, if she hadn't let him go, we would all be dead. Besides, who can we send? The world is about to end and I don't even have a stiff drink to bolster myself before heading in to fight against the biggest badass in BADGE."

Chase walked over and knelt next to the man on the ground.

Gar said, "Should we go to the fight? If it is that bad, we need to help."

They waited while Chase simply looked at the man.

Quark said, "Chase, I can zap us all there right now, we need to go. It is a full black alert."

Gar, growing impatient, said, "Chase, what are you doing?"

She said, "Didn't you find that last word from Nova a little odd?" Reaching down she pried open the eyelids of the dead man.

"Do you see something?" President Pavel asked.

She nodded, "There is something in his right eye, like a fleck of sand. But, it is embedded. Quark, we need to get him back to the station now. If the real Nova is sending us another message, we need to decipher it right away."

"On it. Gar, you ready?"

Gar nodded.

Quark waved his hand and Gar was sent away to the fight with Midgard. Then, Quark and Chase vanished in a flash with the corpse.