Heroes, Villains, and Renegades Fiction: Light and Dark Part 7

 Carlingford grew darker than it should be. The sun hadn’t entirely set yet. However, the clouds in the sky grew dense and a strange green glow peeked out from areas.

Dense mist rolled across the hills, creeping along the ground in a fluid motion. Cars and people stopped when the mist moved through them. People asked questions, but no one had answers. Many ran indoors and a siren on a police car started.

The mist moved toward the old Leprechaun home. BADGE robots stationed there prepared their weapons.

“Signal... blocked... signal... blocked,” The robot kept repeating.

The mists undulated around the hole in the ground, and a single blob of the mists formed. It became a

beautiful woman in a revealing dress. The dress moved like liquid. Natural designs adorned her otherwise pristine skin. Long evergreen hair fell down her shoulders to the middle of her back. Wooden antlers grew from her head that shed iridescent leaves that floated around her. Her eyes beamed a green light, yet her face was calm and lacked emotion.

She strode forward with delicate steps, her demeanor soft and uncaring. The weapons of the robots did nothing to stop her or even frighten her.

“Clearance required, do not approach,” The robot stated.

She held up her hand, and the robot lifted from the ground. Her mellifluous voice softly said, “I will not be stopped.” Casting the robot aside, the mechanical agent rolled across the ground.

Another robot fired laser bolts at her, but she waved her hand, forming a large, leaf-shaped energy shield that deflected the lasers. Protected from their attacks, she continued walking toward the opening into Leprechauns old home. A robot jumped at her to attack, but she thrust her hand out and vine sprung from the ground and trapped the robot.

“Lily, are you okay? Here have some chocolate.” EB stood next to her as she sat on the ground, holding her head.

“Oh, thank you. I think I’m okay. I don’t know what happened.” She took the egg and then frowned at the computer station still beeping. “That is mighty irritating. I can turn it off.” She went to stand up but sat back down. “Oh, I think my head still needs some time. I wish I were like you, could just flick my hand and...” she flicked her hand at the computer station and a series of vines grew instantly underneath it and threw it across the room, smashing it against a dirt wall.

EB’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s not right.”

Lily looked at her hand, which now had a green glow around it. “Did I just do that?”

“Looks like it. Oh, this is really strange. I mean, totally strange. Super strange. The strangest of...”

“It’s strange. I get it,” Lily said.

“Sorry, I ramble. Uh, this is something we should report to BADGE,” EB patted himself. “Oh, Cadbury! I left my comm unit at the lab.”

Lily took a bite out of the chocolate egg and then smiled. “Oh, wow. This put some pep back into me. I feel better right away.”

“Magic eggs.” EB said, “Not on the market, but really effective.”

She stood up, “I feel much better. Let’s head back.”

“Good idea.” EB walked toward the opening in the cave. “You know, I really should market those energy eggs. I don’t have to tell the public the energy is magic-infused. It’s healthier than most of the stuff in energy drinks. But I’d have to do some medical tests and then...” He jumped back when they both heard an explosion.

“What’s that?” Lily asked.

EB shook his head, “I don’t know. Sounded like something went boom outside.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Lily said.

A mist poured through the opening across the floor. The woman with antlers stepped through, casually staring directly at Lily.

EB stood between this woman and Lily. “Hey, no bueno, lady. This is a restricted area. Who the heck are you?”

She casually glanced down at him. “So much power. So much to feed on.” Then she looked at Lily, “You will become.” Then she reached up with her hand and walked toward Lily.

Lily backed up and held up her hands. “No. Stay back.” A vine sprang out of the ground, but the strange woman grabbed it and took control. The vine grew fast and started wrapping around Lily.

EB jumped up and threw an exploding egg. The egg erupted on impact with the woman and threw her back. “I said. NO BUENO!”

The woman staggered, but then returned to her relentless pursuit, eyes fixed on Lily.

“What does she want?” Lily struggled to detach herself from the ever-growing vines.

“I don’t know.” EB said, “But this ends here.” He threw another egg.

The woman caught it, and it did not explode. “Do not interfere with the will.” She tossed the egg aside.

EB said, “I see you have some power. Great. But this is my friend’s home, and this woman is my buddy. You’re not welcome.” He jumped up and put both paws together. He cast a blinding light energy that hit the strange woman and blasted her out of the cave, through Leprechaun’s old home and outside.

Lily said, “Woah, that was amazing.”

“I’m not just the Easter Bunny, I’m a Vexillian who’s survived Legion multiple times.” He grabbed her hand as she was still being taken by vines. “Take a deep breath and...” In a flash, they both vanished, leaving the vines to fall freely on the dirt floor.

Gargoyle watched the map of the world on the monitor in Operations. Justin had gone to bed for the evening, leaving him in charge. A constant sweep of sensors moved back and forth across the planet.

Chase walked in, looking over a computer tablet. “Hey, Gar, how are things looking?”

“Normal. I don’t know what we are going to find.”

She looked up at the map. “Nova said to look for morphon elevations, even small ones.”

Gar nodded, “I know. We have found four hundred spikes in the past twelve hours. Every time it is a false alarm. Nova said he is tired of me telling him about every spike. But he asked me to contact him.”

“Nova is just annoyed with the task at hand. This part of the job is tedious.”

Gar said, “I just tell him it’s an all-clear, not an actual emergency.”

There was a playful smile on Chase’s face. “At least there aren’t any dangerous issues.”

“Why are you smiling like that?”

She shook her head, “It’s nothing.”

“Tell me. I am very bored.”

Chase said, “You have grown so much over the years. When I first worked with you, you were like a child. You hardly understood most things and were simple. Now, you talk like a normal agent.”

“I like that. I have read many books and things to be more mature. Director Nova wanted me to be a better person, so I am working on it.”

Chase said, “I’m glad. But don’t disregard the childlike element in your heart. It’s what makes you so gentle and sweet.”

Gar smiled with that innocent grin of his, “I like it when you say nice things about me.”

He didn’t know how to flirt, but he still harbored an attraction to her, and everyone knew it. Chase said, “I think I’ll finish my paperwork in the mess hall. Assigning people to the Rangers posts means a lot of paperwork needs to be approved by local governments. It is menial, but necessary.”

A flashing light and a beep stopped both of them.

Chase asked, “What’s that?”

“Another spike.” Gar looked up at the map. A light blinked over Ireland, with a series of numbers next to it.

“Is that normal?” She asked.

Gar’s innocent face grew worried. “That is big, really big. It is staying a long time.”

Chase asked, “Where is it?”

The robot at the map controls stated, “Signal in Carlingford, Ireland.”

Gar said, “That’s where EB went.”

Chase clicked her comm, “Chase to EB...” nothing. “Chase to EB...” nothing.

The comm robot stated, “Comm channels to that area are currently being blocked.”

“We have a team of permanent robots around Leprechaun’s old home. Can we get any of them?”

“Negative.” The robot stated.

Chase and Gar shared a worried glance.

Gar said, “Contact Director Nova, urgent.”