Robert Ragan aka Chromatic Death: In Memoriam

In Memoriam Chromatic Death
Real Life Name: Robert Ragan

Rob was a cornerstone for Heroes, Villains, and Renegades (he even spearheaded the contest that changed the name from Heroes Rising to Heroes, Villains, and Renegades!). Having been a player since the early inception when it was Heroes Rising, his main toon was Chromatic Death, and he later created the toon Artemisia (which is now forever imortalized as "Dev Toon Artemisia"). He loved the game so much and wanted to see it grow, and he believed in it so much that he joined up with Justin and Cat Castle Games in October 2024 to do marketing for the game. Sadly, his time on this Earth was struck short when unexpected tradgedy took him from us in September 2025. He was a great guy, enthusiastic about HVR and life in general, who loved his friends and family dearly and took great care of them. Rob helped shape Heroes, Villains, and Renegades through collaboration with the devs and players alike, and was an endless source of positivity and enthusiasm for the game and the community as a whole. He is sorely missed.

Robert's widow, Kelli Ragan, shares her moving story of her life with Rob in her GoFundMe: Help Kelli Rebuild After Robert's Passing. Any support in the form of donations is much appreciated.

A tribute to all past Heroes is located in-game under the BADGE tab ➡️ BADGE HQ ➡️ HALL OF HEROES.

If you would like to write something nice to leave in memoriam, write and submit here. All Inscriptions are read by the devs before being approved for display, so keep it tasteful. Inscriptions are anonymous unless you input your name/user into text as part of the inscription. Thank you.

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 19

 

The Avenger blasted two beams of radioactive power from his fists as he skidded across the ground in a crouching slide. Drocha took the blast and pushed his hands into the power. With a throwing motion of both hands, Drocha sent the beams to either side of him. Dashing toward The Avenger, Drocha called out a bolt of dark purple electricity from his hands. The Avenger held up his arms, and an energy barrier stopped the blast.

The Gentleman ran in from the side and used a mechanical gauntlet on his right arm to fire a repeating blast of energy.

Drocha was hit and thrown into rubble from the Renn Tech building. He rebounded quickly, grabbing a massive chunk of concrete and throwing it at The Gentleman. No sooner had the concrete left his hand did he turn and called a strange force of gravity to flatten The Avenger to the ground.

“This is child’s play. Hardly any effort, heroes.” Drocha taunted them.

Clearly, he was suffering more than he expected. The shock of each hit was apparent in his eyes. Nova’s orders to keep the corrupted spheres had paid off. In this fight, the heroes felt stronger if they had them. But it still didn’t seem enough to completely bring him down.

Tri-Blade came flying down as he threw both of his enchanted daggers at the floating box that was currently uploading the massive AI program to the ship above.

A wave of energy sent the daggers flying away, and Drocha quickly flew toward Tri-Blade, grabbing the hero by the neck and throwing him against the ground in a hard slam.

“Now, now. Let’s not mess with Daddy’s office. Kids should play with their own toys.” He flicked his arms out, and a series of energy blasts in the shape of knives rained down on Tri-Blade.

An eggshell covered Tri-Blade. The energy knives stuck into it one by one until it exploded. EB rushed in at his typical blinding speed and threw a barrage of his exploding eggs at Drocha. “DODGE THAT YOU ARROGANT MUTANT!”

Drocha blocked the first ten, but the three hundred that followed nailed him with an endless series of minor explosions. He crashed into the side of the box of his office and then hit the ground.

“HE’S DOWN! KILL THAT BOX THINGY!” EB yelled and began throwing his eggs at the box.

The heroes all targeted the same place and threw everything they had at it. An energy barrier flickered and buzzed.

The Avenger called out, “It can’t last forever.” He poured as much energy as he could into destroying Drocha’s box.

A massive eruption from the ground sent hundreds of chunks of concrete at the heroes. That was followed by a massive wave of energy that pressed them all to the ground. Drocha, dripping with greenish-yellow blood, rose into the air. His wounds were healing before their eyes as he hovered in the air, his hands controlling the gravity force pressing them into the dirt.

“Legion tech has withstood eons before this world had civilization. You think a few blasts of your pitiful power can stop me?” He flew toward them, still pressing them down. “Do you know the endgame? The reason for Legion? We never conquered worlds; we destroyed them. We sought only the most powerful to join our ranks. But that was not the end goal. Building a legion of elites loyal to a leader is hardly desirable if the result is all civilization across the universe burns. No, Drocha, my creator, had a vision. It was Drocha who discovered the true power of the morphons. How that these particles gave incredible strength and unique abilities to those deemed worthy. But the avatars, the gods of the morphons, refused to let him become a god among them. So, Drocha used his incredible power, his brilliant mind, to craft corrupted, twisted morphons. Using them, he would develop a new pantheon of power. Drocha would bless his generals, and those he deemed worthy would rule this universe as a new heavenly realm. Drocha would rule as supreme god, and his avatars of the corrupt morphons would reign over all mortals. We would crush the inferior avatars and dominate. That, my dear fools, is what our goal remains.”

Tri-Blade gagged out, “Why are you... telling us... this?”

Drocha drew closer to him and said, “Because, for some reason, the avatars gave your race powers. You didn’t have to beg or barter or corrupt anything. You harness the power that Drocha desired for eons. And yet you treat it as nothing. You are undeserving. This world is a blight in the eyes of the true god that will rule the cosmos.”

At that moment, Santa’s sleigh flew by. A sword hit Drocha across his midsection, leaving a long bloody gash that oozed yellow. Drocha went face down, his blood spilling across the ground.

Santa jumped out of the sleigh and landed near Drocha’s fallen body, his sword ready for more. He said, “This world was chosen because they have honor and compassion, something that the almighty Drocha never understood.”

The Gentleman rose to his feet, taking deep breaths. “You... you beat him.”

EB hopped up and down. “Of course he did. Santa is AWESOMESAUCE!”

Santa stood back as Drocha’s broken body rose, the gash in his chest slowly mending itself. Santa readied for an attack. “This is far from over. His powers are unstable and beyond any of you right now. I will keep him busy. Destroy that box before it finishes the upload.”

Drocha stood before Santa, glaring at him with his empty eyes. “You know you cannot stop me.”

Santa readied his weapon. “I don’t have to; I just need to keep your attention.”

Drocha turned to go after the heroes again when Santa attacked him with his sword. Drocha jumped back and grabbed the lower half of a lamppost, swinging it to counter. He met each of Santa’s strikes.

Santa struck Drocha’s improvised sword and pushed down on the villain. With a wicked smile, Santa said, “Having trouble countering my strength?”

Drocha struggled against Santa’s might. He growled at Santa, “You will succumb; everyone does.”

“You harness your false morphons to counter the power of morphons in the heroes. We Vexillians don’t use Morphons for power, which was why we were so hard to fight.”

Drocha purposely fell back and twirled on the ground to avoid Santa’s strike. With a hard swing, he hit Santa’s legs and toppled the old general. Drocha flipped up onto his feet and held the post above his head for a hard strike. “If I recall, Vexillia fell.” He swung down like a hammer to hit Santa in the head.

An exploding egg hit the post just in time to knock it away. EB rushed over and hit Drocha with five eggs that exploded into gummy goo that acted like inflating bubble gum, which messed with his ability to move his limbs for a moment.

“Vexillia remains while we still live, you piece of Legion trash!” EB ran to Santa, who was getting to his feet. “You okay?”

“I’ve been better. Seven centuries are taking their toll on this old general.”

They watched Drocha rip the gum off his body.

EB smiled and conjured an egg in each paw. “We can take him.”

Santa looked up at Drocha, who was now preparing for the next round. “No. We can’t.”

Drocha laughed, “Giving up so quickly. Afraid you can’t defeat me?”

Santa shook his head. “We can’t defeat you.”

“WHAT?” EB gasped.

Santa smiled. “But he can.”

A giant sword jammed into Drocha’s chest from behind and was shoved until the hilt touched his back. 

Nova stood behind him, glowing bright eyes, and wings on his back. He whispered into Drocha’s ear. “This world is protected.”

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 18

 The world screamed around Arx. Unbearable cold spun around him in a cyclone that expanded out across the heart of Africa. Heroes fled the growing catastrophe. A few maintained a barrier around the extent, bitterly trying to contain the ice.

Arx had Adrianne in his arms, holding her close to him. The horrible pain of cold that was cutting at his flesh and burning his muscles was not enough for him to give up on her.

She struggled, fought against him with a wailing scream that twisted into a sobbing cry.

“Please... let me go.” She yelled over her own hurricane of ice.

Arx yelled back, “I will not leave. I won’t let you destroy the world.”

She looked him in the eyes, hers as clear as the day he met her. “Let me go.”

Arx only then realized what she was saying. This wasn’t the monster Drocha created; it was the remnant of the person inside. Ice formed at the corners of Arx’s eyes; he couldn’t control the tears. “I can’t. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you.”

“I’m gone. There is nothing left of me but this.” She struggled and grunted as she fought the invasive thoughts planted into her mind. “No! I won’t!” She writhed back and forth, resisting the demon within her.

“Fight it! Don’t let it win!” Arx yelled.

“I’m not strong enough... I can’t... it hurts so much... I can’t stop this!” she screamed over and over as the surrounding energy grew stronger, the storm sped up and threatened more of the continent.

“Stay with me! Don’t give up! Fight this to the bitter end!” Arx doubted the demon in her would let her hear anything he said.

In a moment of clarity, she looked up at him one last time. “Save yourself.”

Arx flattened himself against her and pressed his lips onto hers. She grabbed him with her hands like claws digging into his flesh. He did not stop; he held her to him and embraced her with all he could. Her grip on him turned loving, and she returned his kiss.

The storm calmed down as the energy fled back into her. She beamed a bright blue. In an instant, they froze solid while still embraced.

Santa lowered the sleigh back to the ground as he and the remaining heroes watched the storm subside and the icy winds vanish. Though still frozen, the August heat of Africa had already started to thaw the ground.

“General Santa, what’s going on?” A younger hero asked, her hand still up ready to create a barrier again if the storm returned.

Santa pulled out an ornate spyglass and looked through it. He scanned the area and then his gaze fell upon the frozen couple. “Oh, no.”

“What is it?” She asked.

Santa slowly put the spyglass away. “He did it. He stopped her. Why must victory always come at such a high price?”

“What do we do now, sir?” She asked.

Santa looked at his comm device on his sleigh. “Looks like we are being called to Seattle. Follow me.” He snapped the reins, and the sleigh quickly launched into a low flight and sped up as a portal opened. Heroes followed behind him, speeding into the warp.

***

Before that:

A metallic box hovered in the middle of the air above the center of the destroyed Renn Tech building. Small lights flickered on the outside, while the surface reflected the miasma cloud that blocked the sunlight from above. BADGE guards surrounded the object at a great distance, all training weapons on it. Justin held his communicator up to his face, desperately trying to get Nova back on the channel while EB held an exploding egg in his paws ready to throw.

“Is Drocha in that box?” EB asked.

Justin said, “That’s a safe bet. I just wish I could get Nova back on; something is blocking the comms.”

“Let’s just break this box open and get Drocha.” EB tossed the egg up and down in his paw, eager to slam it into the object.

Justin said, “We need to be certain. I would hate to trigger a trap or kill an ally. We thought we had him when we found Gamer G.”

EB admitted, “Good point.”

Nova glared at the horrible visage before him. Drocha, as he appeared in his original form, smiled at them through their monitors. He seemed to have complete control over their systems and was taking delight in looking down on them.

With a calm, threatening tone, Nova said, “This is far from over, Drocha. We’ve defeated Legion before, and we will do it again.”

Drocha merely smiled. “The Legion you defeated before was not Drocha’s, not my creators. They feared him enough to banish him. His plan, in me, is far more than this pitiful world can handle. Not only are your best heroes currently occupied by just a tiny portion of my creatures, the nations of this world are about to irradiate the planet in a desperate attempt to fight what they barely understand.”

“Never under-estimate me or this world. I have seen it through worse times than this.”

Drocha scoffed at him. “I doubt that. Fortunately for me, Legion tech is way beyond simple nuclear weaponry. It will reduce the surface of this world to radioactive dust. And given a little time, this world will be my home to launch a new, more powerful Legion. On the mass graves of the former human race, an empire that spans this galaxy and beyond will be born. An empire without end. And it will begin with these people killing themselves. I will simply sit here and watch.”

Nova’s gaze looked to the side. He could see Gar desperately trying to cut through the interference to get the United Nations on the line. He knew better than to offer surrender. Drocha doesn’t want cowering populaces; he wants death.

Drocha looked at his computer and leaned closer to the camera so his face filled the screen. “Time’s up.” He smiled and waited, then lost his arrogance as he looked back at his monitor. “What? The systems are offline?”

Nova looked back at his Gar and found him confused, then he looked at the robots; they were not doing much of anything. Something stopped the nuclear launch.

“Doomsday will have to wait, Drocha.” Nova didn’t question this turn of events; it was in his favor, and that is all that mattered.

Drocha pounded his computer in fury. “The spheres won’t respond! The ship... it needs the program.”

“Surrender, or I will destroy you.”

Drocha laughed, “This is nothing. The AI program is uploading to the ship now. Once it is in place, that ship will command every creation, every sphere, and a dozen Drocha clones will activate. The war, my dear Director Nova, has only begun.”

“I will send every available hero to take you down, you...” Nova’s threat was cut off by a slam of Drocha’s fist against the computer console in front of his camera and a wild face.

“Bring them to me! I will buy all the time I need while I rip apart all of your heroes. So many are occupied right now, but I’ll take the dregs. If they thought fighting my creations difficult, they have no idea what I’m capable of!” He destroyed the camera with a quick punch of his fist.

Gar said, “We have the comms back. The United Nations is screaming mad.” He held up the special comm device for a Black Alert.

Nova waved his hand. “Tell them I’ll call back.” He clicked his own comm and pressed the all-call button. “Director Nova to every available hero, head to Seattle. Meet me at the Renn Tech HQ remains.”

Gar asked, “You are going?”

Nova pulled out his sword. “Drocha’s right. This is a threat like few we’ve faced before. None of us can sit on the sidelines. Robot 10915, you have Operations. Quark, get us down there.”

Quark smiled and snapped his fingers. All three vanished in a flash of blue light.

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 17

 Moments before the sky darkened;

Nova watched the screen as he followed Justin and EB’s investigation of the Renn Tech HQ in Seattle, Washington.

EB moaned, “There’s nothing here. I can name all the chunks of this building. That one’s Charlie, that one looks like a Deb, and this one is Phillip... since it has all these screws in it.” EB was poking at the bits of the destroyed building.

Justin said, “I hate to admit it, but EB’s right. We’ve scanned and scanned this place. The only oddity is there is a strange blip when we get near his office. But, BADGE robots and five specialists have scoured the remains of his office and the ground under it for five miles below the surface. There is nothing here.”

Nova said, “Go back to The Oracle and see if he can check your readings with his computers.”

EB groaned, “Seriously! We are never going to find...”

“EB, JUST DO IT!” Nova bellowed into the comm.

“Okay, okay, don’t blow your top, sheesh.” EB said, “I’ll zap us to The Oracle. Ready Justin,” He waved his paw, and a flash of power surrounded them, but went nowhere. They remained in the middle of the rubble of Drocha’s former office.

Justin asked, “What just happened?”

“Dunno,” EB said as he looked at his paws. “This normally works. I’m really good at teleportation magic. Let me try again.” He clapped his paws together, and the flash happened, but they remained. “Okay, now this is just annoying. Seriously, I use this magic all the time, especially at Easter. It has… Oh, wait! Oh, wait! I know this!!!” EB hopped up and grabbed Justin’s arm, so he could look at Nova directly. “Something’s blocking my teleportation. The only thing that can block folding space teleportation magic is... you know this, buddy, I know you do.” He smiled at Nova.

Nova’s mouth hung open. “Space is already folded. An interdimensional pocket in space.” He quickly clicked his comm. “Gar, have the Quantum Wave Generator focused into a rotating frequency beam and direct it at the location of Drocha’s office in the destroyed Renn Tech Building.”

“Um... what?” Gar replied.

A robot behind Gar said, “Orders confirmed, activating Quantum Wave Generator.”

Fortunately, the robots listened closely when Nova gave orders.

***

Drocha had been watching this situation. He could see both Justin and EB standing in the middle of the rubble. At first, their tenacity amused him. They had searched this place so many times already, and found exactly what he wanted them to find. They were wasting their time. Though he had to admit he found it interesting that they came back here, as if they knew it was the logical choice. He gave them credit for being that wise.

Then he heard EB make the connection. “That irritating rabbit figured it out.” This made him sit up and pay closer attention. However, he couldn’t hear Nova on the other end of the call. The scrambling of the signal to Nova prevented anyone from listening in with spying tech.

“What are you idiots going to do now?” He whispered as he watched them simply standing there.

The room he was in rang like a drum, and the computers within flickered. He could hear a loud pounding noise above him, like a massive waterfall crashing on top of a tin roof.

“No, no, no, this can’t be happening. Not yet.” He hurried to his Legion computer and called up the specs of the alien tech that was folding space around him. A red warning message appeared on the screen telling him that his room was being pushed out of flux and into normal space.

“Come on, recalculate the specs. Move power into the secondary system... come on, MOVE!” He attempted to counter this with little success.

The red warning sign appeared again on the screen, and Drocha snarled as he looked at a different part. “I know, stop telling me... oh, wait a minute.” He saw this was a different message. His fury returned to joy as he no longer worried about being revealed.

“Time’s up, BADGE.”

***

The screen in Nova’s room displayed the horrible truth. Outside the station, the rift in space opened, expanding wide with a strange cloud of energy from inside a wormhole. The cloud swirled around, creating a dark vortex that spread far. A deep shadow cast over the planet, cutting off the sun’s light.

Gar’s voice boomed through the comms. “DIRECTOR, A SHIP IS EMERGING FROM THE CENTER OF THAT!”

Nova had no response, just a deep, terrible, icy feeling in his gut as he watched an ancient Legion mothership pierce the center of the vortex. This was older than any known Legion tech. There were few alive who would recognize this style of technology, and Nova was one of them. He has seen this in a time before recorded history on Earth, before the Vexillians fought the Legion War, in the days when Nova and Lady Echidna were lovers, not enemies.

Gar broke his focus. “Sir, please come to Operations. I don’t know what to do. We need you.”

Nova glanced back at the sleeping baby. He had little choice. Grabbing his comm unit and taking up his legendary sword, he raced to the lift and sped away.

In moments, he burst through the door of the lift and raced down to stand with Gar. “Sensor information! NOW!” He looked up at the many various video feeds of that ship surrounded by the vortex of clouds.

A robot announced, “Quantum interference is blocking most available sensors. Active sensors cannot penetrate the vessel’s hull.”

Nova said, “Get me Strange Quark. I want him here immediately!”

Before the robot could respond, Quark appeared beside him. “I heard you.”

“Can you do anything?” Nova asked.

Quark shook his head. “Legion tech messes with my powers worse than anything, and with that wormhole around it, I’m afraid of ripping the fabric of space and time in this sector if I do something. I need information.”

“We don’t have any,” Nova stated.

A robot announced, “Defense sensors are active. Information available.”

“By all means, what do they say?” Nova demanded.

“Defense sensors indicate five thousand level twenty weapon target systems online and scanning the planet’s surface, the BADGE League Wars Orbital Stadium, and BADGE space station. No active weapons detected.”

Nova said, “That thing is already picking out targets.”

Quark frowned as he closed his eyes. “No, I can feel it. It isn’t targeting the planet exactly... It’s targeting much smaller objects.” With a slow opening of his eyes and a look of horror on his face, he said, “It’s targeting each of the spheres and active Legion clones. It isn’t targeting them; it’s connecting to them.”

“This can’t be good.” Nova said.

Gar held up a tablet. “Director, the Global Defense network has picked up the targeting. It has put the global defenses on alert.”

Nova grabbed the tablet and looked at it. “Damn! This is going to spread panic, or worse.”

“What could be worse than a global panic?” Quark asked.

Nova looked back up at the screen. “A planet-wide preemptive strike from a hundred nuclear-powered governments who don’t even know what they are attacking.”

“Oh, crap,” was Quark’s inarticulate response.

“All nuclear weapons activated,” stated the robot. “Fifty percent of nuclear weapon targets are targeting spheres; the others are targeting the spaceship approaching the planet.”

Nova bellowed, “Get me the United Nations, black alert channel! If they don’t pick up in five seconds, force the signal through. I don’t want...”

Everyone jumped when the screens all changed, activating a different feed entirely. Ten different views of Drocha’s putrid yellow, scaly face smiled down at them. His visage was that of the alien creature that spawned him, not the false human face he wore.

“It’s so nice to finally see you, Nova. You’re a hard man to find.”

***

Sirens screamed across the planet, all emitting a warning of utter doom. Military bases prepared their worst response. Missile silos opened, and nuclear weapons activated.

The news cut through every channel from the global emergency response system. “This is a priority alert to all citizens of Earth. Go to a shelter immediately if you haven’t gone to one already. The Global Emergency Response system has activated all nuclear weapons. God help us all.”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 16

Nova swayed gently with a baby sleeping in his arms. His private secret quarters flashed and flickered with the images running across his computer screens. Not unlike Drocha, he too had a dozen screens displaying the carnage in the world. Sirens screamed, local and national militaries organized to evacuate civilians, and heroes fought to the death against the growing menace of the Legion clones.

The door of his room opened and closed. Dr. Henderson walked in with a computer tablet in one hand. She stopped and stood next to him, taking in the horrific sights.

“I have to admit, you’re taking this calmly.” She said.

Nova turned and walked away from the screens, still rocking the baby. “Trust me, doctor, I feel it all. I learned a long time ago to focus myself, to seek the path through the storm. If I let myself get lost in the grief and horror of the moment, then the enemy wins.”

She held out the tablet. “From Gar, a report on all of... this.” She gestured to the screens.

He took it with one hand and looked it over. “This is getting worse by the moment.”

“If I read that correctly,” Dr. Henderson said, “the clones are all steadily getting stronger. And they spiked this morning, jumping to incredible strength.”

Nova flicked through the tablet with his thumb. “We aren’t capturing them any longer; Leagues and Rangers are simply containing them as best as they can. We’ve lost two dozen heroes already, and four hundred citizens.”

“What do we do?” She asked.

Nova said, “Find Drocha and his control center before that ship arrives. Stop him and figure out how to shut down the wormhole before it completely opens.”

She asked, “Can’t we close the wormhole without having to find Drocha?”

“We have a quantum wave generator that could be fine-tuned to try, but wormholes are dangerous at the best of times. Few spacefaring civilizations ever found a way to control them for travel. One slight miscalculation and it rips apart this entire solar system. The risk is too great. Even Strange Quark, who understands these things better than anyone I know, won’t touch it without getting into Drocha’s computers first.”

“That’s bad. We...” Dr. Henderson’s comm unit beeped at her. She pulled it out of her lab coat and clicked it on. “Henderson here.”

One of her assistants said, “Doctor, it’s Gamer G. He wants to speak with Nova. Say’s it’s urgent.”

Nova put the baby in the crib and then took the comm unit from Dr. Henderson. “This is Nova, put him on.”

“Oh, uh, yes, sir.”

Gamer G’s voice came through clearly. “I don’t want to talk to the doctor; I need to talk to Nova.”

“This is Nova.”

“Oh, good. Hey, I just had this incredible spike in my energy readings I’ve been monitoring using the tech Drocha left me.”

“We know. We saw it too.” Nova was slightly frustrated by this seemingly unimportant discovery.

“Well, then you know it lit up something like a firework.”

Nova frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Look, I’ve been studying the signals that your people followed that led to me. The signals are now dead, like totally dormant. But, when that spike happened, there was a suddenly flair, and it stuck around in one location for a full thirty-four point two seconds.”

“And?” Nova asked.

“This kind of signal can only be made by a Legion computer; I should know. And for almost half a minute, I was seeing a legion computer lit up hot. If there is any place to look for Drocha, it’s where there’s a random Legion computer.”

Nova had a refreshed look of determination in his eyes. “Send me those coordinates. Also, work with Gar and use every available scanner on this station and planet to scan that location.”

“Can do. Agent Gamer out.”

“You’re not an agent.” Nova said and turned off his comm.

Dr. Henderson said, “You have to admit, he’s being helpful.”

“He trapped us all in a simulation that nearly murdered eight billion people.” Nova commented.

“Point made.”

Nova punched in his comm channel and connected with Justin. “Justin, are you there?”

Justin appeared on the screen, looking down at his watch. “Director?”

“I am sending you coordinates. Check them out right away. We have a lead.” Nova sent along the coordinates that Gamer gave him.

Justin frowned as he looked at them. “Sir, this can’t be anything of value. We checked that place thoroughly. Not to mention we have a BADGE unit stationed there to monitor the rubble.”

Nova looked at the map after plugging in the coordinates. It was then he realized where this was. “Renn Tech HQ?”

EB jumped up, grabbed Justin’s arm, and yanked it down so he could look at the screen. “Ugh, not there again. I don’t think there’s a piece of rubble we haven’t turned over. No one is there, cept maybe some rats and bugs that got in. Plus, it smells funny.”

“Just go. We’re running out of time, and this is finally new information.”

Justin pulled his arm away from EB and said, “On our way.”

The screen shut off.

Dr. Henderson said, “Could this be a false alarm? That was Drocha’s place before it was destroyed.”

“If there had been even a microscopic piece of Legion tech there when we scoured that place, we would have found it. Something set off the sensors as Legion tech, and I want to know what it was. This has to mean something.”

***

Chaotic winds and ice crashed around the heart of Africa as dozens of heroes attempted to contain the icy form of Adrianne. A blast of intense cold struck hero after hero and sent them crashing to the ground frozen.

Santa swooped in and jumped from his sleigh, landing in the middle of the battle. “RETREAT! GET OUT OF HERE!” he screamed with a magical roar. His hands filled with power as he rushed toward her.

“YOU HEARD HIM, MOVE!” Trailblazer yelled, leading the retreat away from the fray. Heroes stopped to gather their frozen comrades, while others simply ran.

Santa sent blasts of fiery energy at Adrianne. “I’ve taken down a dozen Legion monsters like you!” he threatened her.

She screamed, “I will freeze this world... I....” Struck by a blast of his magic, she staggered back and then looked up with different eyes. “Stop me! Please!” She begged and then threw another blast of cold at him.

Santa balled up a bundle of his magical power and threw it at her. She deflected it and then sent a series of ice spikes back at him. He cast a barrier that shattered the spikes.

“I WILL END YOU!” Adrianne rose into the air, the gales turning into a hurricane and her hands readying a powerful energy.

Santa was ready with his own response when suddenly a hero bounded through the air and crashed into her, plowing her into the ground. They tumbled across the frozen wasteland until coming to as top. Arx was on top of her, pinning her down.

“Release me!” She screamed.

Arx pulled her to her feet, standing with her arms pinned to her sides by his grip. She was powerful but not as physically strong as him. His hands were frosting over where he held her, the pain in him obvious by the look in his eyes. "I will never leave you."

She cried, a weeping wail of mixed sorrow and fury, two minds fighting for control. "Please! Don't make me kill you!" 

"I will die in your arms." He pulled her close and kissed her with passion. She struggled at first, but then folded into him, returning the passionate kiss. The storms slowed down as the sky cleared up.

Parting from her, Arx said, “Come back to me. Please. I will save you.”

She jerked and groaned, “I... I can’t control it. It hurts so much. Leave me before I kill you. Please.”

“I would rather die here than watch you be taken from me again.”

Smiling at him, she said, “I love you.” Her pain seemed to lessen; her struggling weakened.

Santa approached slowly. “Adrianne... are you with us?”

She looked Arx in the eyes with a loving gaze and then grimaced in agony. “The power... in me... it’s burning... the world is... in danger.”

The skies turned dark, but it was no ice storm. Stars and the moon appeared as something blocked the sun. A strange celestial cloud expanded far above the atmosphere of the planet.

Santa looked up, and his rosy cheeks turned white. “Oh God.... it’s here.”

With an ear-splitting scream, Adrianne’s body emanated a blue aura, and her eyes were blindingly bright lights. Arx struggled to hold her. A thick fog of freezing air poured from her body and spread across the ground, what was icy earth became tundra. A blistering, cold world spread fast and far. Arx's arms had ice growing up toward his torso, his morphonic resistance slowly failing as she locked the world in pure ice.

“ARX! LEAVE HER! SHE’LL FREEZE YOU TO DEATH!”

Arx held her closer. “GO! SAVE YOURSELF! I WON’T LET HER DIE ALONE!”

“Damnit!” Santa ran as he rubbed the side of his nose. With a perfectly executed jump, his sleigh met him and sped away from the frozen Arctic Africa. He looked back to see Arx once again embracing Adrianne, their bodies connected, their faces frozen in a kiss. 

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 15

 “LEAD IT AWAY!” Tri-Blade raced along a bridge between islands. A team of heroes battled one of the red Legion creatures.

Vendetta stopped in the creature's path and let it strike him. His powers absorbed the force of the punch, and he reciprocated it with a solid blow to its chest. The creature crashed into the bridge and skidded hard across the ground.

Tri-Blade yelled, “Get it away from the islands!”

California Surf’n suddenly appeared near the bridge on a wave his powers had conjured. As soon as the creature woke up, the ocean washed it away. The wave continued tumbling the creature out to sea.

Aflima and Nebula sped toward it, each holding the end of an extremely thick metal cable. They caught the creature with the cable and then wrapped it up tight. It struggled and blasted energy out of its eyes, but this cable was just enough to contain it.

California Surf’n stood on his board near them as the rest of the team hovered over his head. He asked, “How many more of these creeps do we have to take out? This one destroyed half a hospital. They’re getting worse.”

An all-too familiar sound they hated deeply grabbed everyone’s attention. Someone activated the global emergency alarm system. This sound meant that citizens were in grave peril, and they had to find the nearest bunker to survive whatever hell had been unleashed.

Tri-Blade clicked on his comm and played it for everyone.

Gar’s voice announced, “This is a black alert, priority one. The Legion attackers have grown stronger and are only getting stronger. A new Legion creation just appeared in Chad, Africa, that is threatening to freeze the entire continent if we don’t stop her. Every country is now at top risk with the growing threat of the Legion monsters. And we have a dangerous ship approaching. Protect the citizens, contain the Legion creatures, and be ready. We have to find Drocha. This is a black alert...”

Tri-Blade said, “I’ve never heard them call a black alert without a specific target. This is seriously bad.”

Nebula snarled at the writhing creature in their grasp. “We will not back down. This world will not fall, not today... not ever.”

***

A pair of twin superheroes bounded across icy lands. One had a claw for an arm; the other used his hands to craft a bubble of water. He threw it out, and his twin shot through the water with his arm, springing forward at supersonic speed. His punch nearly hit Adrianne when she cast a wave of cold that sent the young man into the ground. His human arm froze to the earth while he tugged at it with his claw.

“HELP!” he screamed.

Arx raced by him, and then stood firm as a beam of icy energy sped toward the freezing boy. The beam hit Arx in the chest, and his body resisted the attack, protecting the heroes. The young man’s twin reached him, and together they could escape.

“ADRIANNE! YOU HAVE TO STOP!” Arx yelled out.

Hovering over the land, surrounded by gales of arctic winds, Adrianne looked down upon him with bright blue eyes. She called out with a voice that sounded like five people speaking at once. “I do not answer to that human name; I am Legion! I am the icy soul of power.”

Step by step, Arx pushed into the winds. Heroes tried to attack her, but her strength overwhelmed them. Only through fierce determination and love could Arx get close. He shoved through the storm, tears freezing against his face. His body struggled to resist the pure power being thrown at it.

“No, please! Stop! I have you back, I will not lose you again! I will save you!” He reached out with a desperate hand for her, ignoring the countless heroes she sent away and tried to kill.

Her eyes looked deep into his, the blizzard whipping around her stronger than ever. She held out her hand toward him. A flicker of pleading fell across her face as her fingers stretched to meet his. “Arx... I ... will not... I can’t...” her voice was still oddly multiplied.

His hand met hers, and he held tight. “Just stop this!” he screamed over the blasting gales.

She shook and jerked. “You... have to... kill me. I... I can’t... I will destroy... everything.”

“NO! I CAN’T DO THAT!” Frost covered his hand, and his arm began to turn blue. The pain was immeasurable, but he ignored it.

Adrianne wept as she said, “I am... programmed. I will destroy; I will obey. Kill me! PLEASE!”

“NO!”

She screamed, and the storm grew even further, freezing more of the land and tossing heroes away as if they were mere toys. His arm turned blue, and ice grew down from her to him.

A red blur swooped through the storm, pulling Arx’s body away from her. He felt himself being tossed over and slammed into a hard, wooden seat. Looking up, he saw Santa snapping the reins of his sleigh.

“Don’t be a fool! She’ll kill you,” Santa said and then threw a package at her.

There was a strange explosion, and the storm quickly stopped. Everything within a quarter-mile radius around her paused; ice and leaves hung in the air, and Adrianne stopped mid-motion.

“What the hell?” Arx held his quickly thawing arm, thanks to his resistance powers.

Santa said, “Time bomb, one of my specialties back in the Legion War. Won’t last long. We need a parameter!” Santa clicked his comm. “Heroes, this is General Santa. I am in command of this fight. Everyone, create a circle around the time-frozen zone. We need to contain her. MOVE!”

Arx watched the gathered heroes move, taking orders quickly. “Santa, we can save her. She is still in there.”

Santa turned the sleigh and directed it to a landing position. “Son, I know you don’t want to hear this, but she’s mutated beyond whatever you loved. That she retains any memories is both a blessing and a curse. This would be better if she were completely gone. I’m sorry. But, we have to stop her, we will have to stop them all.”

Arx put his head down and fought to breathe. He thought she was dead, and now he has spoken to her, and yet he has to let her go... has to watch her die.

***

An unmitigated joy beamed from Drocha’s calm demeanor as he watched all the carnage his creations were causing across the planet. His computers had many smaller screens showing him the horrible minions he unleashed being attacked by BADGE heroes. The minions reduced buildings to rubble, and some heroes died, which was beautiful.

The release of Adrianne, one of his masterwork creations, also elated him now. Ice spread across an arid continent. Not only was this driving fear and panic, it was doing terrible harm to the world itself.

Yet, through all this joy, Drocha still had one lingering worry. Nova. This was an adversary that remained a problem for his plans. Nova has historically defied the worst odds and triumphed over situations that should have ended life on this world.

To his right, the ancient Legion computer console let out a shrill beeping and an indicator blinked on a star map.

“What is this?” Drocha looked at his computer, reading the alien text as it sped by. “So, the power emanating from the forming wormhole is already enhancing my creations further than I expected. This ship must be incredibly powerful. Truly, I will be a god among insects.” He punched in a command. His fiendish mind concocted a plan as he considered the incoming power. After punching in the last code, he smiled and took his seat again.

Gazing upon the warring minions terrorizing the world, Drocha said to himself. “Nova, you have eluded me. That is a feat worthy of the greatest challenger of Legion. So, I shall change my course. If I can’t take you out, then I will take out all the rest of your little peons.”

The Legion computer displayed a growing scale that told of incredible power being siphoned from the wormhole to feed the monsters of his making.

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 14

 Nova paced in his room, Chase held the baby while Santa appeared on one screen and Justin with EB appeared on another.

“Are you sure about this? This is a Legion Bio Mother ship?” Santa asked.

EB answered, “Gamer knew details that no one I have ever met knows.”

Nova said, “I know of this kind of technology from ancient times, before I came to this world. The civilization that created it did not know the power they unleashed. It called itself the Malevolence. Drocha intends on recreating it. He has already incorporated bio-tech into his work. Renn Tech defied our ability to scan it, to even understand it because it is made from a tech that is far older and far superior to anything our technology has encountered.”

“I’m lost,” Chase said. “What does this mean? Why is it so horrible?”

Santa said, “Biological technology is alive; it thinks like an organism. You understand that the brain is the most complex computer in the universe. No matter how much we try, even with the most advanced technology, the way a brain works is far superior. Biotech combines technology with that kind of thinking. An unfeeling computer with the capacity to consider, make choices, and calculate decisions. Legends say that in the first era of Legion, back when Drocha controlled Legion, they obtained this technology from a race they defeated and then used it to craft ships that would control their growing power. In time, those ships became sentient. They were bloodthirsty and evil. The only emotion they could feel was greed for power. Biotech doesn’t have a soul; it doesn’t feel or emote like a true organic.”

EB said, “Think about it. You have a ship with power beyond measure, an army of drones that obey without thought, and absolute greed. Then, make that ship have zero feelings of compassion, mercy, or justice. It is... horrible.”

Nova said, “What Gamer G told me is that the last ship of this biotech was unstoppable, even for Legion. So after they deposed Drocha, they erased its brain. They rendered it unable to think, and thus it became useless. But Legion did not foresee Drocha’s machinations. He reconnected with this ship. All he needs is to put the algorithm he crafted from human minds into the ship’s systems, and it becomes a threat once more.”

Santa said, “If what I remember of the ancient history is true, then the risk is deep. Biotech desires to create. It wants more drones to obey it; it wants more power to control. That ship will try to absorb every human and turn them all into drones like those poor souls in the spheres. It will absorb the station and turn it into another biotech ship. It will feed on every soul and technology it can find here and then start a march toward the next inhabited world. This is why Legion deposed Drocha. He was feeding this, using it; he wanted to become supreme ruler using this kind of evil.”

EB said, “I should have seen it before.”

Nova asked, “What do you mean?”

“Remember when that really old Legion ship appeared, and we had to destroy it, and it dropped that robot thing in Australia? Well, that was really, like, older than Legion attacking Vexillia by a loooong time. It was super old, really...”

“We got it; it was old!” Justin bellowed, a hint of growing frustration with all the time he has spent with EB alone.

EB said, “Yeah, so that ship was from the age when Legion was using bio ships. It wasn’t a mother ship like the one that’s coming. It was more like a drone ship. It heard the call of the tech Drocha was using, and it came like a dog hearing its master’s call. Why do you think Drocha helped us destroy it back when we thought he was just a CEO of Ren Tech?”

Santa said, “It makes sense. He didn’t want us to get inside and learn about the tech he was using."

Nova said, “That was a surprisingly accurate assessment, EB.”

EB beamed a smile. “I have my moments. I was a warrior against Legion once upon a time.”

Chase rocked the baby. “If that thing is so powerful, we are hopelessly outmatched. What can stop such a ship?”

Nova said, “Do not let your thoughts defeat you before the battle has begun. What we must do is find Drocha and get that algorithm so we can destroy it. If we stop him before the ship gets here, then that ship is just a relic of the past and we can throw it into the sun.”

“I like your thinking,” Santa said.

“Justin, EB, your mission continues. Sniff out Drocha. Gamer G is working on helping us with whatever he can decipher from the information he has left. Santa, I need your military expertise on the field. We have an army of Legion clones already causing havoc. We need an experienced general out there helping.”

Santa said, “I’m at your service.”

“Good. Chase, I want you...”

All their comms beeped. Justin looked down at his. “It’s from Arx.”

Nova clicked his comm. Before he could say anything, Arx’s pained voice said, “It’s her... she’s here. Please send help. Please help!”

“What’s going on?” Nova asked, but the comm shut off with coordinates displayed.

Santa said, “Looks like we’ve got trouble. Heroes are reporting another sphere has opened in Africa.”

Nova commanded, “Go. Chase, find Gar and get people on this now.”

“On it.” She put the baby in the crib and left.

“You have your orders, people, move.” Nova said, and the comms shut off.

Nova felt a hard knot in his chest. “Africa...” he whispered, “God please, don’t let it be her.”

***

Moments before the alert:

Arx stepped out of a tent, walking under the vast starry sky. The world was so calm right now, at least in this place. The Legion monstrosities hadn’t come here to terrorize the ATLAS work being done. Only a few of his teams across the world had any encounters, and most were only nearby, not the direct target.

“Why have I stayed here? Why can’t I just leave and go help the other teams?” Arx asked himself this, knowing the answer was deep inside him. This was the place where he lost her. This was a knife in his heart he hadn’t been able to remove.

The further he walked out, the darker it got. The minimal lights of the encampment were growing distant. He took solace in the stars; they were so quiet and gentle. He sought peace in realizing how grand the universe was compared to him. Yet, he still ached.

“I should get back to bed. We have to pack up tomorrow and get down to...” A wind blew across the arid region. There was a sliver of extreme cold in that wind, an odd feeling that this wasn’t supposed to be there. “It shouldn’t get this cold here yet.”

Looking out across the vast region, he noticed something out of place. A blue light that wasn’t there moments ago. “What is that?”

Approaching it slowly, he held up his wrist comm to scan it. The moment the only reading came back, his hand trembled. It told him it couldn’t scan the object, for it was a Renn Sphere.

“This isn’t good.” He knew two other spheres had already opened. Whatever comes out of them is dangerous. However, if this was a false alarm, it would strain resources that are already stretched thin. He would need to be sure.

The closer he moved to the blue light, the more certain he was that it was one of those spheres. It had a bright blue line around the midsection of the sphere, and a thick fog rolled down from the surface and across the ground. A brisk, chilling air stung Arx’s skin.

“Oh, this isn’t good.” He reached for his comm when the sphere turned to frost and shattered.

A person knelt on the ground, surrounded by cold fog and clad in a blue outfit.

“Who are you?” Arx asked.

She looked up, and that face sent a cold into his soul far greater than the mere chill in the air. He knew those eyes.

“Adrianne...” He rasped out and stumbled back, falling down.

She slowly rose to her feet and looked down at him. For a moment, her face was soft and gentle. It seemed she might even smile.

She spoke, “Arx... where am I? What is going on?” She looked at her hands and arms, her outfit entirely new.

He got to his feet, his breath caught in his throat. He finally said, “Is it really you?”

She grasped at her face. “I.... I can’t... it hurts... my head... I can’t think...” with a shattering scream, she let out a wave of power that sent Arx tumbling away and a thick frost to cover the surrounding nature. Bright blue light beamed from her eyes, and she rose in the air. With another yell, her power blasted straight up into the sky, summoning rolling clouds and a frigid wind.

Arx slapped his wrist comm, sending an emergency signal directly to BADGE. “It’s her... she’s here. Please send help. Please help!”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 13

 

Drocha walked around his dark lab, which was lit by the eerie glow of his computers. His eyes scanned the shadows with deep scrutiny.

“I can feel you there... I just can’t see you.”

The beep of a computer grabbed his attention. It was a peculiar beep that he knew exactly what it was pointing him toward. He rushed over and said, “Computer, report.”

“Director Nova’s presence detected.”

“Coordinates! Give me the damn coordinates!”

A series of numbers appeared on the screen along with a map that had a crosshair blinking on the surface. Drocha frowned. “That’s not possible.” With furious strokes, he typed in a command, and the view changed to a camera feed from a satellite. It was showing him open ocean. He zoomed in several times, going as far as the surface of the water. “Computer, confirm that I am looking at the location of the detection of Director Nova.”

The computer answered, “Affirmative.”

“There is nothing there! I sank that base after the simulation was over. It is at the bottom of the ocean in pieces!” He slammed down in the seat between the computers. “Keep scanning for Nova’s signature.” He then frowned. “Signature... you said presence. Please clarify the detection.”

“Visual of Director Nova detected at specified coordinates.”

“Visual? Can you put it on screen?”

“Affirmative.” The computer played a visual feed that zoomed upward away from the water’s surface. It passed clouds and froze at a moment looking at the old World Corps HQ was mid-air with Quark maintaining altitude. Nova marched with a team into the building. The feed lasted just a few seconds before it stopped.

“Wait, play more?” Drocha commanded.

“Visual readings ended at four point seven seconds.”

Drocha watched as the image feed showed nothing but clouds and water again. “Someone blocked me? How is that base still there? Why? What was Nova doing there? Why can’t I see it any longer? DAMN!”

While he mulled this over, he heard another sound. His head turned slightly to look at the Legion computer screen. The ancient Legion language displayed a promising update.

“The wormhole is forming... which means...” his face twisted into a wicked laugh as he saw the dots of the spheres glowing brighter. “Power is growing. I think it is time to give them an even greater challenge. Can’t have them thinking they can thwart me.” He put in a command into the Legion computer, pressing his finger onto one of the spheres. “I’ve been waiting to unleash this one.”

***

Gar watched the monitors in Operations with EB bouncing around him in a continual circle.

“I have sooo missed this place. Running around can be fun, but it is not fun when you are going, going, going, never stopping to enjoy the places. We were all over the world, but most of the time I was just sniffing around for signs of Drocha. Well, I took a lot of selfies with fans and got to flirt with this hot babe in Ecuador and then...”

A robot interrupted EB. “Communication from Santa.”

“On screen.” Gar commanded in a cool, determined voice.

Santa appeared and squinted at Gar. “Uh…”

“No time to explain. You have the report. We found Gamer G, but not Drocha,” Gar stated.

Santa said, “I see. Well, the situation down here has gotten much worse. The two Legion creatures we are fighting have grown more violent and tougher. The duplicating villain has killed five heroes in the past day, and put at least twenty in a hospital. Capturing that one is proving to be far more difficult, but defeating it only creates more. The mechanical villain is searching harder; I can only imagine it is searching for... uh... Nova. But I don’t know. Defeating it is hard, and it simply reassembles afterward. We haven’t found a method of stopping it from auto-repairing. This one — the mechanical one — is a new type I have not faced before.”

“Do you have any idea why they are getting stronger?” Gar asked.

Santa said, “Not sure. Right now, we are trying to find ways to stop them. Please issue a direct order to the heroes to be ready for a tougher fight. Most of those injured or killed wrongly believed that these Legion creations were weaker than normal Legion enemies. Heroes must be ready to contend with actual strength.”

“I will. Keep me updated.” Gar stated.

Santa nodded, “I will. Just... find Drocha before this becomes a global massacre.”

“He is our top priority. Good luck, BADGE out.” The signal cut.

Gar’s wrist comm beeped, “Gamer G is stable and ready to talk.” Dr. Henderson said.

Gar answered, “On my way.”

***

EB and Gar walked through a security checkpoint in the detention area. They passed many holding cells that were designed for high-risk villains. At the back of the area, there was a special cell used only in unique situations. Right now, it had been redesigned to hold a special apparatus that hooked into the chair that held Gamer G’s limp body. Dr. Henderson and her team of specialists attached cables to him and connected them to computers.

“About time!” Gamer G responded to the sight of Gar. “Wait, where’s Nova?”

Gar ignored this and spoke directly with Dr. Henderson. “Is this secure?”

She said, “Techno Harvey constructed this room just this afternoon. Although it connects to the station, it is completely independent. We’ve put every security protocol in place, and no pre-existing camera or device within fifty meters of this room in all directions could be accessed by Drocha. I activated a scrambler that will block any unwanted signals. This place is as secure, if not more so, as your own private quarters, sir.”

“Do it, EB.” Gar said.

EB waved his paws, and a magical field melted away, and Gar transformed into Nova.

“What is this all about?” Gamer G asked.

Nova cocked his head. “You of all people should know what is happening? You helped Drocha mine the brains of every member of my staff. You helped him recreate a near-perfect replica of BADGE. You know he has his eyes looking at us through every camera available.”

Gamer G said, “But, anything new or unknown to us is a blind-spot for him. Brilliant. This room is perfect. He won’t see or hear us if it as secure and new as the doctor said.”

Dr. Henderson said, “It is.” Her tone betrayed irritation at him, but that was to be expected of anyone who suffered the virtual reality Gamer G trapped them in.

Nova stood near Gamer G and looked down upon him with a stone face and a seething tone. “Now, prove to me I can trust anything you say. If for a single moment I think you are part of Drocha’s grand schemes, I have ordered this room to have an ejection system installed. I will eject this room, with you in it, into space and then have the station’s defense systems vaporize the room to ensure you are nothing but atoms. Do you understand?”

Gamer G’s normal cocky ego broke as a look of fear quivered in his eyes. “Are you serious? This room can be ejected?”

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” Nova bellowed.

“Yes, yes, I do. Please believe me.”

EB laughed, “You gotta do better than that. And I’m gonna help.” He conjured up a chocolate egg and held it up.

“Are you sure this will work?” Nova asked.

EB said, “Absolutely. My magic may not work so well on some alien races, and people like Drocha. But for humans, it’s easy peasy.”

“What is that?” Gamer asked.

Nova held it up to him. “Eat this.”

“What is it?”

Nova said, “This is enchanted with a truth-telling magic. You will have to tell us the truth.”

Gamer snarled and then nodded. “Fine. I have nothing to hide from you. I’m telling the truth. I want Drocha to pay for what he did.”

Gamer G ate the egg with help from one of the nurses in the room. He gagged and said, “What the hell is in this?”

“Goya melon, better known as bitter melon. An Okinawan delicacy that is pretty strong.” EB giggled.

“Nasty. Ugh.” Gamer G coughed for a moment.

Nova said, “This isn’t supposed to be torture.” His tone had a touch of humor in it.

Gamer said, “There, happy? Now, let me talk.”

Nova said, “Talk.”

Gamer said, “Look, Drocha’s ship has a power core that, while near the clones, will give them power. The closer they are to it, the more powerful they will become.”

Nova said, “That explains the wormhole. The ship is getting close, and so the clones are getting stronger on the field.”

Gamer nodded. “Exactly. There is more. You can’t let Drocha get near that ship. I mean, you have to find his base and wreck his computers right now.”

“Why?” Nova frowned.

“The AI program — the thing we created that virtual world for — is vital. That mother-ship of his uses some kind of organic technology that Legion created.”

EB gasped, “Oh no, I thought... that was just a legend.”

Nova looked down at EB. “You know of this?”

EB looked pale, even for a white rabbit. “Yes. If this is true, and it has to be... we are in serious trouble.”

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 12

 

“This is too easy.” Marbled Maverick laughed as he and his fellow teammates zoomed around one of the ghoulish Legion creatures, tying it up with a thick power-line. It screeched and tried to blast powers out of its eyes, but a block of marble was currently covering its head.

Daisy clicked her comm. “Hey, BADGE, we've got another. Sending coordinates to come pick him up.”

Maverick, a man with snowy white skin and the power to create marble objects out of thin air, said, “You know, I thought Legion would be more of a threat.”

Daisy, a small woman with dainty clothes and flowers following her footsteps, closed the cover to her wrist comm. “I’d rather have a simple situation than a genuine threat. This world is still recovering from a lot.”

A purple streak of energy stopped right next to them, and there stood Violet Vanish, still holding the end of the power cable they had used. “Easy? My fat aunt Harriet. These fights are no small thing. We’ve been lucky.”

“Luck?” Maverick laughed. “We’ve taken down and sent off five of these things. None of us has been seriously harmed. Look, I just would like a real challenge now and then.”

“I want a cup of tea,” Daisy said and turned to leave.

Violet let out a small scream and said, “Look!”

They turned to see the creature’s body glowing and the marble on its face cracking. With a shattering explosion, the marble fractured, and the beams from its eyes cut across the ground. Maverick had to dodge out of the way to avoid being cut in two.

“Stop him!” Daisy called out.

“I’m trying. He’s pulling... too... hard.” Violet lost her grip on the end of the power cord.

The creature burst out of the many layers of thick power cables and flew up in the air. With a powerful scream, he sent a blast of energy out that burrowed a deep trough in the soil and found the slowest member of this team.

“DAISY!” Maverick screamed.

***

Gloomy clouds and a hard rain surrounded the old World Corps HQ. The ocean waves crashed against the side of the tilted structure. The building shifted around, but didn’t sink. A blue flash of light appeared, and with it came Strange Quark, Nova, and a team of armed BADGE agents and four heroes.

“Oh, woah, this is... unsteady.” Quark slid to the side as the waves hit the building again.

Nova and the team all knelt in a practiced method of maintaining their balance in unbalancing situations. “This will not work. Can you help?” He looked up at Quark.

“I can try. But don’t blame me if this building becomes a giant duck.”

“I will certainly blame you. Focus.” Nova had to hold the ground again as the whole building shifted.

Quark quickly slapped the ground and lifted his hands. A filmy blue energy connected his hands to the ground. That energy spread across the entire building, wrapping around it and then slowly tilting it back to an upright position. Then, they all shifted around as the building lifted out of the ocean waters and rose into the sky.

“The air’s gonna get a little thin.” Quark warned, “I’ll keep a bubble around this place, but don’t stick around too long.” Quark looked up as they sped toward the clouds above. Passing through the clouds and into the bright, sunny sky, Quark slowed their ascent and leveled them off. “Now that we’ve reached optimum altitude, you can unbuckle your safety belts and move about the cabin. Little depressing bags of peanuts will be served...”

“Enough. How long can you maintain this?”

“Long enough. Don’t dawdle.” Quark said, his hands still holding that blue energy up.

Nova said, “We will make this brief. Team, let’s move.”

The team ran into the building, Nova and the heroes at the lead. They walked through the ruined hallways and wet corridors until they saw the same lights at the end.

EB came rushing toward him. “NOVA, BUDDY!”

Nova intercepted EB before the bunny could attach himself. “Not now. Where is he?”

“He’s in there, but there’s something you should know.”

“Move!” Nova pulled out a gun and ran ahead.

“Wait!” EB rushed behind them.

Nova kicked open the door and ran into the computer-filled room. Justin stood near the seat in the middle. Running around the chair, Nova held his gun out and then his jaw fell.

“Gamer G?” he said.

The nemesis of the virtual reality world sat in a chair with a dozen cords and cables attached to his head and body. His skin was pasty, and his eyes were tired. With a weak shift of his gaze, he looked up at Nova.

“Yeah, it’s me. I can’t tell you how glad I am that you found me.”

Nova fumed for a moment. “Glad? I thought you had died and was happy the world might be a better place.”

“Come now, Nova, that is heartless even for you. I may be a villain, but I’m also a person.”

Nova scoffed, “You tried to help Drocha exterminate the human race.”

“And your heroes tried to exterminate me.”

Nova asked, “How did you survive that? How are you here at all?”

“I shouldn’t be. Every time you destroyed one of my copies in that virtual world, I felt it. I knew that if you killed all of me, I would not wake up in this world. I saw the last of my copies die. I was looking through his eyes at the sight of that vehicle that an old woman threw at my head. Everything went dark. I was sure it was game over. No more extra lives, no more respawn, nothing.”

Nova said, “Don’t play on my sympathy. You worked with Drocha, and he is one of the most calculated minds in this universe. This is all part of some scheme.”

“No!” Gamer G screamed in a rasping, pained voice. “Look, I know I did a horrible, horrible thing. And in that moment when I thought I was finally going to see what comes in the next life, I had time to consider a few things. Death. I mean, actual death. If Drocha killed me and everyone else, humanity is done. I wouldn’t become the epic Legion general I wanted to become, I would only be the end of all human life. And it made me realize how much of a douchebag I had become.”

“This is all interesting, but I still don’t buy it. What do you want?” Nova asked.

“Look, here’s the thing. The moment I realized Drocha had played me and he had used me to try to erase my own kind. I said to myself, if I could have one more life, respawn, then I would do everything I could to stop him. I can’t redeem myself; I know that. But I can make him pay. Then, I felt someone there, something there; I don’t know. But I felt myself being pulled out of that world, and I woke up here. I have another chance.”

Justin asked, “Is that why you led us to you?”

Gamer G. frowned at him. “Led you to me? What are you talking about?”

“The signal we followed.” Justin held up the scanner.

“I know nothing about any signal. Look, guys, I was just compiling all the information I have on Drocha in these computers, and I was gonna send it to BADGE. I hadn’t even figured out how to send a signal, but I was going to try. Now that you’re here, you can help me get you that info and maybe bring me to a place where I can be disconnected. I’m telling the truth, I want to make Drocha wish he’d never played me like that.”

Nova put his gun away. “I refuse to trust you yet. But I can’t turn away a potential ally with the information you might hold. You will forgive me if I don’t roll out the red carpet at BADGE for you.”

“Just get me out of this computer and take the data I have.”

“Justin, tell Gar to get a tech team down here now.”

EB hopped up. “I’ll do it. Be back in a jiffy.” He vanished in a flash of light.

Gamer G said, “Nova, you need to know one thing right now.”

“What?”

“Drocha has a ship coming, and it’s dangerous.”

Nova said, “We know.”

“No, you don’t know. That ship has a power core on it that is specially designed for this process. He crafted this plan of creating a Legion clone army a long time ago. It has loads of components. One of the most crucial is that ship. Once it gets here, all clones near it, and I mean any of them on the planet if it is in orbit, will become ten times stronger. It won’t be a fight; it will be utter slaughter.”

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 11

 Gar watched the monitors in Operations. The screens displayed various battles between the two different Legion creations roaming the world. Strangely, the creations seemed less focused, as if they were looking for something.

“Sir, you need to sign this.” A younger BADGE agent came up to him with a computer tablet.

Gar looked at it. It was a report on the medical assessment of the Legion creature they had in stasis. He hardly understood the highly technical readings given to him, but he signed it and then sent it along so that Nova would see it.

The slurping of a straw announced the approach of a familiar friend. The blue hero, Strange Quark, walked up, drinking a rather tall tropical cocktail, with a colorful umbrella in it. “How are things going up here?”

Gar said, “Steady. I feel strange being in command this long.”

Quark nodded, “True. I don’t think you’ve held the command position this long before.”

“Not like this. But five years ago, I would not have been able to do this without help. Now, I think I can handle it.”

Quark said, “You’ve grown.”

Gar frowned at Quark. “Aren’t you supposed to be down helping fight those Legion things?”

“I was, I did, and now one is being put into storage.”

“Frozen again?” Gar asked.

“Nope. Mr. Rockalanche turned this one’s skin into solid stone. The creature is still alive, but can’t move a muscle.” Quark took a long drag off the straw and then asked, “Do we know anything more about these things?”

“Nothing much. I can’t understand the stuff Dr. Henderson writes, but I think she says that they are like copies, fakes, something that isn’t real. One out there is the original, and it must still be on the loose.”

“Joy,” Quark lamented in a sarcastic tone. “And, to make matters even more fun, the mechanical dude is still causing trouble, and we can’t seem to take him apart without him coming back together.”

“It has to stop sometime,” Gar said.

“It will.” Quark quickly held his head and seemed to be in pain.

Gar asked, “Brain freeze again?”

“Nope. I feel something... something that is ripping space apart.”

Gar cocked his head. “What?”

Quark looked up at the lone monitor scanning space, a routine operation. “Focus on section seven five five four, by two eight, nine six, by four four eight three.”

Gar looked at the robot that immediately followed the directions. The image shifted to a different part of space. There was nothing unusual about it. “I don’t see anything.”

“It’s there.”

Gar asked, “Can we scan that with something that will tell us more?”

The robot said, “Affirmative. Conducting full multi-vector sensor analysis of the target section.” It processed the scans for a moment. Then, it plainly stated, “Gravitational sensors indicate a point zero seven stress increase in the primary space layer. All other sensors are normal. Analysis complete.”

Gar looked at Quark. “Does that mean anything?”

“Maybe space needs a therapist to reduce its stress?” Quark snorted a laugh.

Gar said, “No time for jokes. Is this important?”

“I don’t know. It feels like it is growing, but I don’t know what it is.”

“I’ll tell Nova. He might know something.” Gar started to leave and then said, “Uh, Quark, could you watch Operations?”

“Sure. I need to finish my Zombie.”

Gar paused, “Your what?”

Quark held up his drink. “This isn’t going to drink itself.”

***

EB zipped through the shadows that fell across most of the interior of this ruined building. Each room tilted, and every floor was wet or slimy. This place was dredged out of the bottom of the ocean and is now being used again.

Holding onto a railing, EB made his way down a tilted hall that had long strands of seaweed hanging from the ceiling. Here and there, a few lights flickered, reminding him that someone had restored power.

“This is a horror movie in the making. Only I’m not gonna run into the basement or hide in the closet. If any horror monsters are lurking, they’ll think twice once they get a face full of Easter Bunny magic I...” He jumped when something dislodged and crashed onto the floor. A decidedly unmanly scream escaped his mouth, and he had to catch himself before he too slid down the hall. “Soooo glad Nova wasn’t around to hear me do that. But I guess Drocha might have heard that as well. I gotta find him.”

Focusing on his job, EB followed the trail of flickering lights and searched for anything that might be Drocha’s command center. He opened doors and found bathrooms, old meeting rooms, a broom closet with a noisy mop and pail that fell out and slid down the hall.

He was about to give up and go back to Justin when his keen hearing picked up a strange buzzing sound. It was a constant sound, like a computer running.

“That has to be him.” He whispered and crept down the hall with one hand holding a rail and the other holding an explosive egg.

At the end of the hall, there was a room with an eerie glow emanating from the crack in the door. Someone had laid wood and metal plates roughly to level off the floor in front. The hum of the computer system grew louder as he got closer. Someone was making a noise in there, but he couldn’t make out any words.

“Now Drocha’s talking to yourself. Guess we already established your nuts.” EB muttered.

He stood on the metal and wood plates in front of the door and sucked in his stomach so he could slide through the opening without moving it. Tiptoeing across the room, he saw a ring of computers surrounding a chair that had a dozen wires hooked into it. The screens each displayed various parts of the BADGE space station, and a few BADGE facilities.

A voice rasped out, “Who is there?”

EB slunk into the shadows again, hoping to avoid being seen. The chair didn’t turn; the head of the person didn’t look around. He slunk around the room until he finally set eyes on the person in the chair.

EB’s eyes widened, the glow of the computers reflecting off his face as he said, “Oh my God.”

***

Gar stepped out of the lift into Nova’s private quarters. Nova had his eyes glued to a monitor where Justin waited on EB. The baby sat up in her crib, playing with a stuffed bear.

“Director, we have something. I don’t know if it is important.” He held out a computer tablet.

Nova looked over the readings and examined a calculation on a chart. “I don’t like this.”

“I don’t know what it is.” Gar said. “Is space hurt?”

“What?”

“The robot said something about space being stressed. I don’t understand.”

Nova smiled. “That’s what I like about you.”

“Huh?”

“You have a simple mind. I don’t mean that negatively. You keep a childlike attitude and a naïve understanding of things. You see good in things first, and first seek to do good. This is why you’ve been a good leader up in Operations during this time.”

Gar said, “I’m not a child.”

“I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean, you have a quality many of us lost a long time ago. I hope you keep that for as long as you can.” He looked again at the tablet. “This, however, is troubling.”

“What is it?”

Nova said, “Something is creating a rift through space. I have rarely seen this in my long life. It is the first stage of an artificial wormhole.”

“Uh... worms?” Gar asked.

Nova smiled, “No. This is how people travel in space over very long distances.”

“What does it mean?”

Nova said, “It means we have to find Drocha sooner than later. If his command ship arrives while he is still in control, we could face something we don’t know how to fight.”

“Where is Drocha?”

EB interrupted Nova’s answer. The voice on the comm came alive as EB was hopping around. “NOVA, NOVA, NOVA!”

“Calm down. What is it?”

Justin looked at him through the comm as he walked through the interior of the tilted base. “We have something you need to see. Come down here and bring a tech unit with you.”

“I will make arrangements…”

Justin said, “No time. Get here now.”

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 10

 The ocean waves lifted and lowered the boat as it cut through the water as fast as the old motor could handle. A rusty old fishing trawler sped far out into the open ocean waters. Behind it was a slight, sparkling rainbow of colors.

Justin held the wheel of the boat as he navigated it using his sophisticated sensor to track the signal. He had been piloting for a long time, only making minor corrections to keep them on the right path.

EB bounced into the pilothouse of the ship and held up an egg. “Here ya go, my finest.”

Justin took the chocolate egg and ate it. “Sure this won’t do me any harm? It’s my second.”

“Naw, these things are magic. Four or five, you might need to see the doctor. But two is safe... I think. But don’t worry, even if it does harm, Dr. Henderson is a wizard with human medicine. The best. But don’t worry, don’t worry, it is just fine. I eat like twelve a night during Easter and nothing ever happens to me.” He said this while bouncing around non-stop.

Justin asked, “How long will your magic on the engine work?”

“Few weeks, maybe a month.” EB said this with a casual tone.

Justin said, “Good. You can remove it then? Don’t want to return this after our little voyage and have the rental people get hurt.”

“I can remove it. So, how much longer?” EB hopped up onto the dash and looked out the window.

Pointing to the sensor, Justin said, “We’re approaching the destination. Will be there in a few minutes. According to all the ocean charts I could find, there is nothing out here. No island, no platforms. This is deep water.”

“Might be an underwater base,” EB said.

“That would... complicate things. I’m not sure we’re ready for that kind of exploration.” Justin heard a beep on his sensor.

EB jumped down and checked the sensor. “Whoa, look at that! The signal just spiked like a million times higher than ever. Whatever it’s pointing us to, we’re right there.”

“I see something.” Justin pushed the wheel, shifting the path of the boat.

EB gasped, “It can’t be.”

Justin sneered, “The World Corps HQ.”

They approached the old headquarters of the World Corps before it fell. It was a large square-shaped building with angled sides that gave it a pyramidal shape. It once was a white, gleaming building with artificial gardens and water features on top. Now, it was broken, burnt in places, and half-submerged in the water.

“I thought someone destroyed that place. Also, it was a loooong way away from here.” EB said.

Justin nodded. “Someone moved it. And it’s the source of the signal.”

“Oh, Nova’s not gonna like this.”

***

Drocha glowered at his myriad of computer screens as he spied on the world and kept track of the progress of his master plan. There was one hitch in his plan that made him furious. He still couldn’t find Nova. There was only one person he feared. The matrix that created his brain ingrained a genuine fear of Nova. The legend of this man stretched long into the past, before Drocha’s creator was born.

“Why can’t I see you? I have eyes and cameras across this planet. I can access ten billion high-definition cameras, and still I can’t see you.” He grumbled into the darkness of his command center, a place he hadn’t left for weeks.

“Computer, have they captured any of the clone creatures?”

“Affirmative. Ten clones have been negated in various methods of stasis.”

He sat up and moved to the Legion computer system. “How many are on the BADGE station?”

“Five clones have been transported to the BADGE space station. All are currently in a frozen state.”

Drocha smiled. “Let’s see what I can do.” He put in commands in the ancient language used by Legion, and the commands were transferred to a clone on the space station.

A window opened on the Legion computer screen. It transmitted the visual information coming in through the eyes of his cloned monster. He was working its brain and eyes like a computer; the monster itself was still in a state of frozen hibernation. It looked directly at a computer screen, and then the computer worked remotely by Drocha’s command.

“Oh, BADGE, putting my creation in one of your labs to study it. Brilliant, that gives me access to what I...” he fought the controls and watched the computer through the eyes as the screen turned blurry and then went black. “What! How was I blocked? They can’t possibly have organic computer technology to block me. I know every system on their damn station. This is not...” He jerked to the side and looked back into the darkness.

“Someone is here.”

***

Nova was alone, save the baby, as he paced around his personal quarters. The baby slept in her crib after having been fed and changed. Santa had left to help Gar with the normal operations, and deal with the captured Legion clones.

Pacing had become a normal routine for Nova. He spent his days in quiet resolve, keeping command and never looking nervous. Now, he was pacing all the time. Questions were pouring in about this situation, and very few answers.

His screen made a beeping noise, and he put in the special scrambled signal command. It came on, and he looked at Chase. She stood next to the elaborate throne of computers where The Oracle of Tech sat.

“Report.” He ordered, as was habit.

Chase said, “The Oracle wishes to communicate more in person.”

“What?”

The Oracle said, “May I approach?”

Nova frowned. “Okay?”

There was a strange buzzing of the picture, and then both Chase and the Oracle, who was now hovering in the air still in his seated position, were in his room.

“Do not worry; this is a hologram. We remain at the University,” The Oracle said.

“Good hologram,” Nova commented. “Now, what’s this about?”

The Oracle held up the sphere that Chase had brought him. “This.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“I do. This is inert Legion MP.”

Nova frowned. “I’m sorry?”

“Legion fed off of Morphons, corrupting them and turning them into wicked powers and evil energy. These creatures that Drocha has mutated are not Legion-born creatures, but the bodies of unfortunate humans. Legion spent centuries developing the ability to harness and live on their MP. Drocha sped up the process. However, when you defeat one of his creations, the corrupt MP they expended to fight you congeals into this sphere. It is as if the body is sloughing it off in rejection.”

“Can we remove this from those who have been changed and free them?” Nova asked.”

“I do not believe so. Their bodies have been changed beyond recovery. However, their sacrifices are your gain.”

“How so?”

The Oracle said, “I calculate Drocha has a master plan that has yet to be shown. When that comes, a battle will ensue that will decide the fate of this world. Each hero who holds these spheres will gain strength from them just as Legion once did.”

Nova said, “I will not allow my heroes to become like Legion.”

“Fear not, Director Nova of BADGE. Their extra strength will only work against Drocha. I believe the term is, fighting fire with fire.”

Nova nodded, “I understand.”

“I am pleased to be of service once more. Please call upon me when you need.” The hologram flickered.

Nova said, “Wait, I need to ask you a couple more questions while I have you here.”

“Ask your questions.”

Nova asked, “Have you figured out any answer to why Drocha wanted to harvest so many human minds to create a massive AI algorithm?”

The Oracle shook his head. “I have no answers for that. I can say that what he created is the most advanced algorithm ever created. Almost 8 billion human brains are greater than any known computer in all existence across this galaxy. To create a program with that kind of accumulated power means it has to be terrible. However, I do not know to what end he needed that.”

Nova let out a defeated sigh and then asked, “You created a scanner to help us find Drocha.”

“I did.”

Nova asked, “Do you know where the signal is coming from that we are following to find Drocha?”

“I do not know its origin.”

Chase asked, “Isn’t this signal coming from Drocha?”

Nova shook his head. “I don’t think so. It seems to lead us to him. I honestly doubt that after all of his scheming and planning he would fumble at the end and create a traceable signal to find him. Someone is helping us.”

“Who?” Chase asked.

“That is what I would like to know.”

The Oracle said, “I must go. Someone wishes to communicate with you.” At that, he and Chase vanished from the room, and the screen activated with Justin looking at him.

Nova said, “Do you have news?”

“We do.” Justin said, “I think we found Drocha’s base of operations.”

“Where?”

Justin held the comm device up and let it show him the area. EB hopped up and down into the view. “It’s the World Corps’ old HQ. Someone ripped it up and moved it across the ocean to this place. It’s a total wreck. Completely not on the radar. Miles away from everyone. Super secret...”

“It’s a secret. I got it. Do you have any indication that someone is inside?”

Justin said, “Nothing clear yet. The signal led us here and is now beaming with a strength ten times bigger than any other we’ve picked up.”

EB grabbed Justin’s arm again and said, “Plus, this place is floating like really strangely. It should have sunk by now. SUUUPER creepy. Like some kinda horror movie. Oh, you know the one by N. Might Shamealot… it was this house in a lake that was floating and…”

“Enough. EB, can you sneak in and make sure who is in there?”

EB said, “TOTALLY. I‘m soooo good and sneaking. I play Skyland and am the best sneaky archer ever. I mean, I can take out giants and dragons, and...”

Nova interrupted EB. “Be careful. Just make sure this is the place and then report back.”

“AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!” EB zipped away.

Nova said, “Justin, don’t let him get in too deep. I want both of you back in one piece.”

“I’ll do my best.”

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