Force Works 11
War Crimes
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away
The man called as Nova streaked across the purple sky, and against his better judgment, looked down on the blackened, charred battlefield, and saw the burned husks of Skrull Infantrymen, most with gaping holes on in their bodies or burns unlike anything he'd ever see before agreeing to serve in this alien war. Laying almost side by side and sometimes on top of these alien warriors were over two dozen members of the Nova Corps, aliens with powers comparable to Nova's, who'd fought to their last breath to stop their hated enemy.
If the sight of his dead comrades wasn't enough to disturb the young corpsman, the planet's stark contrast from just hours before was. When the Nova Corps first landed on this world, it was a lush, vibrant green world (at least most of the plants had been green) brimming with life and potential. Now, the soil was caked in Skrull and Corps' blood, with all other signs of life being utterly erased in the crossfire. Blood and ash were all that remained now.
"Blue Blazes." Muttered Nova, his throat dry from shock. He'd broken off from the group to attack a Skrullian bombardier that'd been strafing them from above; an act at the time was more suicidal than brave at the time, even though he'd managed to pull it off handily. Nova had expected his comrades to be here, basking in victory and congratulating him on his daring victory.
But this was war, and things never turn out like you hoped they would. Sure, he'd pulled off a small miracle, but what did it matter now? There was still a war to be won.
Nova looked out over the horizon and saw another battalion of Skrulls approaching slowly, this time with heavy weapons in tow. Weapons that by appearance alone would put to shame just about anything Hollywood producers had ever created. The human rocket gulped hard, despite the fact that his throat was parched, and shot off in the opposite direction.
He streaked past the Xandaran lines like a blue comet, and touched down next to the regional campaign director, who on earth would have the military status of general. She was a tall, brown haired woman wearing a tight blue uniform created from alien material similar to earth's Kevlar. She was pouring over computer screens with several assistants, and excused herself when she observed Nova land.
"Director H'eather, we got problems. The Skrulls have reinforcements coming with weapons a lot bigger than anything we brought with us." Nova explained.
"I already know. Where are your fellow Corpsmen?" She asked, her voice steady and calm.
Nova couldn't reply, as the lump in his throat wouldn't allow it, never the less the silence spoke for him.
"I...see. Damn it, that limits our options considerably."
"Bet the kid wussed out and fled like a little bitch." A sharp voice that sounded more like two rocks grinding together than a human being, suggested smugly.
Nova didn't bother to turn around as he said, "Smooth, Diamond Head. Insult me, like we got time for that now." Diamond Head was another earth born defender of Xander, who'd joined up for the promise of power and seeing the universe outside of his own planet. And, Nova suspected, to escape more than a few outstanding warrants on earth. Regardless, Nova had to give him his due. Diamond Head was hell on Skrulls; his indestructible diamond body was an incredible asset that turned the tide of more than a few battles, however his manner always grated.
"Diamond Head, that's enough. I'd place my faith in Rider's courage over yours any day of the star chart." H'eather stated, "Still, we came prepared. Orders are we don't let the Skrulls keep this planet, no matter what."
"These green bastards are dug in deep though, like roaches. Shame we can't gas 'em out." Diamond Head proposed in a casual, offhand manner.
"You're sick." Nova sneered. Since day one, this war was chipping away at Nova's conscience, and he'd been fighting to hold onto it for just as long. Someone discussing mass murder as easily as others might discuss sports plays was easy enough to despise.
"It...may come to that." The director sighed wearily. Diamond Head smiled as Nova nearly choked.
"Excuse you?! You're not talking about what I think you're talking about, are you?" Nova demanded.
"Epyrus-7 is, technically, outside of the borders included in the Intergalactic Codes of Spatial Combat. Our...weapons of choice aren't exactly limited here."
"'Weapons of choice'. That's a damn fine why to describe plague weapons!" Nova snapped. The director replied, but it was drowned out by the sound of an explosion that threw the three off their feet, and sent Nova spiraling into darkness. Thankfully, it was for scant seconds only. Rider opened his eyes and saw Skrulls pouring over their lines, wearing mini jetpacks perfect for sniping, and doing just that. Diamond Head was brandishing a large laser gun and laughing and grinning like an insane clown while the Regional Campaign director dodged heavy fire to reach her goal. Nova could only see the battlefield, though, having been deafened by the explosion. Despite the chaos around him, Nova felt a serene calm, like an out of body experience. He was going to die on some random alien world, fighting for a people not his own, and no one back home would know. He knew that now. He'd fight to his last breath, like the good soldier, but as he flew towards his first target, he was already thinking of things he'd wished he'd said to his family, friends, things he would have done differently.
Nova slammed into one Skrull who hadn't been paying attention and grabbed him by the neck. Rider pulled his fist back, and was ready to deliver a fatal blow when everything around him froze. It was like God suddenly pressed the pause button. Nova looked around, baffled by this change of events.
"You could have stopped it."
Nova's attention snapped back to the skrull he'd been holding seconds before.
"You could have stopped it all." The skrull stated as his body melted like a roman candle. Nova's heart started pounding like a jackhammer as he saw the skrulls melting like ice cream on a warm, summer day. She'd done it, she'd really done it... Diamond Head's laugher, piped directly into his helmet by the former villain, grew louder as the burning in Nova's stomach swelled. Nova felted a legion of emotions wash over him. Shame, guilt, anger, hatred all boiled into one. As he watched his enemies die a horrible, agonizing death, Nova just willed it all to go away. Energy washed outwards from every pore, killing friend and foe alike.
Nova scanned the battlefield, and felt a sickening case of deja vu. The battlefield below him was covered with friends and foes, all dead. Only this time, they were dead by his hand. Nova tumbled thru the air, his head swimming at the realization of what he'd done. He came crashing to the ground, slamming into the soft ground next to one of the few survivors of the Nova power massacre.
"Damn kid, how powerful are ya anyways?" Diamond Head asked.
"Fuck... off." Rich rasped.
"Suit yourself. This may not be a BBQ, but..." Diamond Head pointed his fingers to the green liquid remains of what had to be the formerly attacking Skrulls, "...we got plenty of sauce, heh, heh."
"You're sick." Nova sneered. "Maybe," Diamond Head waved towards the charred bodies on the battlefield, "...but you're the one who did all this."
Metro City, The Workplace
"No!" Richard Rider shouted as he shot up like bullet, his body covered in a fine sheen of sweat. After a moment to orientate himself, he rubbed his eyes wearily, and glanced over at the blue sleeping form of Namorita, his lover. Thankfully, he hadn't awoken her.
"That's why you don't drink Rider, remember?" He groused to himself as he pulled the sheets off his body and walked towards the bathroom in his boxers. After splashing some warm water in his face to wake up, Rider examined himself in the mirror. He had the infamous five o clock shadow and his hair reached down slightly past his neck and looked like it hadn't been combed in two years. In other words, he looked perfect. Nova turned the shower on and bathed for a few minutes before stepping out.
"Monkey suit on!" With a flash, a yellow and gold uniform with three interconnected suns prominently displayed on the chest appeared around Richard Rider.
"Shuffering shad...what are you doing up so early?" Namorita moaned softly as Nova walked out of the bathroom. Namorita, like Nova, had chosen to get drunk off her ass the night before. Unlike Nova however, her body didn't burn alcohol out of her system half as fast, resulting in a hang over the size of Cleveland.
"Early? It's nine thirty, baby blue. I promised Rahne I'd run an errand for her." Nova replied.
"You're my boyfriend, you gotta hold my hair while I puke, though." Namorita protested feebly.
"You'll do fine without me, babe. That should teach you not to drink like a fish."
"Cute pun." Namorita groaned, "You didn't complain about the sex."
"Umm, 'Nita? I'm a guy. We never complain about the sex." Nova said as he opened the door to the hallway, "Sorry babe, I promised Rahne."
"Bastard."
"Hey you bitch, don't call Rahne a bastard!"
"I didn't, bastard." Namorita grumbled as she threw a pillow at the door. Nova just shook his head as he closed the door and strolled towards the recreation room. To most of Force Works, Rahne was like the little sister they never had, but actually wanted. She was kind, supportive and friendly unconditionally. If she ever disagreed with you, one felt like it was just the opinion she disagreed with, not the person them self. Heck, Nova suspected that Rahne was probably the only person every team member liked. So, when she innocently asked him to ferry a few things to Muir Island, how could he say no? He didn't care that he would have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to do it, because it mad Rahne happy. Nova entered the recreation room to see Rahne, fully human wearing jeans and a purple sweater, placing some final items a large black gym bag, naturally made of unstable molecules for the trip.
"Everything good to go?" He asked
"Oh, Rich! I cannae thank ye enough for this!" Rahne said as she set down the final item in the bag. She walked over to Rider and gave him a warm hug.
"It's no problem, Rahney." Nova said as he hugged her back. As he did so, he felt something odd. He couldn't place his finger on it though, so he dismissed it for now, "How was your date last night?"
"Umm, it was fine." Rahne said quickly
"You seen Robbie, by the way? He borrowed my MP3 player, and I wanted to get it back for the trip. I haven't seen him yet, though."
"The poor boyo had to go to a funeral." Rahne sighed, "he's hurting some, the poor lad."
Nova looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and snickered.
"What?"
"You gave him a pity kiss, didn't you?" Nova inquired
"Just a peck on the cheek, why?"
"Because he told me and Dani he was goin' to a wedding. He always jokes that they're the death of two single people." Nova laughed out loud as he picked up Rahne's bag.
"That....that little trickster!" Rahne huffed, her face scrunched up in annoyance, which Nova found to be very cute.
(To see what Speedball's up to, see the latest issues of M2K's Champions. If you didn't know that, what the hell is wrong with you?)
"Hey, there any cookies in here?" Nova asked with a mischievous grin as he started to unzip the bag.
"If there are, they're nae f'r you. They're f'r me mum." Rahne scolded mockingly as she slapped Nova's hand. Nova zipped the bag back up, and then paused. He had just felt it again, that little something wrong. He placed the bag down and grabbed Rahne by the wrist, and felt it again. A little tingling like his hand was asleep, or in this case, absorbing very small levels of energy. Like the energy produced when creating small holographic illusions.
"Rich, what... are ye doin'? What's wrong?" Rahne asked nervously
"I see flesh, but feel fur." Nova informed her. The man called Nova was many things, but one thing he was not, was stupid; "Turn the image inducer off Rahne."
"What...are ye talkin'..."
"Off. Now."
Rahne's free hand glided to her belt, and suddenly the reddish brown fur associated with her wolf form replaced Rahne's human complexion. Her long reddish brown hair also covered half her face, noticeably her left eye. Nova gently moved the hair out of Rahne's face with his index finger to reveal a black eye. It looked old, but Nova was fully aware of Rahne's healing factor. He also knew she hadn't a scratch on her, in either form, from the last battle Force Works was involved in.
That's when things suddenly seemed to click for Nova. When Rahne first joined the team, she was kindness and compassion come to life. But in recent weeks, she was rather subdued, quite, like she was carrying some hidden burden. The missing image inducer from last night and now, Rahne's rather out of character deception and bruises. "Rahne, is Doug treating you right?" He asked, not bothering to hide the suspicion laced in every word.
"O...O...of course. I just went out for a stroll this mornin', and ran into a mugging. Buggers got in a lucky shot, is all." Rahne stammered, very unconvincingly.
"Damn lucky, considering you went to a school to learn how to freakin' fight." Nova stated as he released Rahne's wrist and folded his arms across his chest and stared her down. Despite his best efforts, Nova couldn't corral his anger. To begin with, he needed something to get his mind off his dream and subsequent war past, and second, he loved Rahne like a little sister. Anyone who didn't treat her like a lady was in for a world of trouble, "Tell me kiddo, if I asked Dani to examine you, will that black eye be the only bruise she finds on you?"
"Of course." Rahne said weakly, without looking Nova in the eyes, rather looking away sheepishly.
"Really? Lets find out then." Nova answered. He steeled himself for any possible argument or excuse Rahne could come up with. Something was wrong, and the Human Rocket fully intended to get to the bottom of it. Nothing she could say or do would stop him from getting to the bottom of this.
"Epyrus-7?" Rahne asked, confused
Except of course, that.
"Excuse me?" Nova asked, utterly flabbergasted. Rahne pointed towards the window where great flaming letters spelled out 'Epyrus-7. I know the truth.' along with what some might mistake as random numbers, but which Nova recognized as an alien code he'd hoped to never to see again.
"Rahne, we'll talk later, I've got something I gotta do." Nova explained without turning around to face her.
"Rich, what's wrong? Lets get the others, we can..."
"You are not to assemble the team. That's an order, Rahne, from Force Works' second in command." Said Nova as he opened the window and hovered out over the edge, "We'll get everything sorted out when I get back."
"Nova, wait!" Rahne called out, but he was already gone. Rahne bit her lower lip lightly in fear. Nova was obviously keeping something from her (the irony of the situation escaped her), and was likely in danger. Anyone who'd call out Nova would have to know what he was capable of. At the same time, Rahne was loath to go against any order for any reason. What could she do...?
Lucky Hotel, Metro City
Metro City Police Commissioner Stone rubbed his baldhead in frustration as he ducked under the police tape surrounding the front door of a seedy hotel room. Laying on the dirty green-carpeted floor was the body of a mutant registration lobbyist, fifty years young, surrounded by two plain-clothes officers and a police photographer.
"Another one, huh?" Stone asked
"What do you think? Guy's been dead eight hours at least according to the M.E, and he's still too hot to touch. Like his blood was replaced with boiling water." The detective replied.
"Christ. Look, the meta crimes unit won't be here for at least another hour. Canvas the area, and see if any hydrokinetic felons are or have been in the area." Stone ordered. The detective snorted in sarcastic amusement.
"Sir, with all due respect, we know who's behind this. There's only one person who can boil body fluids within a hundred miles of here."
Stone sighed wearily and wished that he were still on Code:Blue. Things were so much simpler then, "I know, John, I know. But that guy's protected by one of the richest guys in the world. We act too soon we'll blow the case sky high. The rules are different for celebrities suspected of murder regardless of evidence," Stone turned and began to leave, "but only in the beginning. Only in the beginning."
The North Pole
Nova touched down on an ice drift and began scanning the area with the infrared lenses in his helmet while tensed for an attack. He spent the next several minutes searching, but predictably found nothing.
"I know you're out there, Skrull, so show your damn face already!" Nova roared aloud in frustration.
"I'm not a skrull, but will I do?" Asked a familiar voice. Nova spun around to see the second to last person he wanted to see right now. The first being the person who was calling him out.
"Arsenal." Nova grumbled as his steel skinned and winged teammate hovered a few feet behind him, "What are you doing here? I told Rahne..."
"She said that you told her not to assemble the team, but not a teammate." Arsenal answered with a concerned look, "Care to explain what Epyrus-7 means?"
"No." Nova replied sharply.
"Maybe you should do it anyways, because I suspect whatever it is, it'll come out shortly." Suggested Arsenal
Nova rolled his eyes heavenwards, and let out an annoyed sigh, "Fine. A few years ago, when I was fighting in a war with the Nova Corps, we were assigned to take an important planet, Epyrus-7. The skrulls had a colony there, and were using its star gate to halve the distance of their supply lines."
"Sounds like it was an important fight."
"Oh, yeah. The higher ups made it clear that if we didn't win this fight, we shouldn't bother coming home. We almost didn't too. Skrulls were dug in too deep and too well fortified. To say it got very bloody very quickly is an understatement. Which only left one option, in the high command's opinion, anyways." Nova explained angrily. He was still, to this day, ashamed of his fellows' decisions.
"What was that?"
"Biological weapons. Wiped everyone out. Some of those who objected, or were deemed traumatized by the incident, were mindwiped, like me. After a while though, I remembered bits and pieces until everything finally came together. Happy now?" Nova spat. He deliberately omitted the fact that he may have speeded more than a few of the dead along on their journey for obvious reasons.
"I won't be happy until you get over whatever damn grudge you have with me." Arsenal snapped back, pointing an accusing finger at Nova; "You've had a problem with me since day one, bucket head and I've had it! I'm here freezing my ass off to help you, and all you can do is show me contempt for some unknown reason! Why is that?!"
"Because he is a dishonorable man, more than likely." A new voice venomously spat, interrupting the two. The two workers looked up to see an ugly green skinned, rumple chinned creature with flaming, stony features, "Epyrus-7 was a colony world, filled with innocent civilians, women and children. You helped kill them Rider, but today they get their vengeance."
"That what you want, Skrull, your kind always does; but I never condoned what happened that day!" Nova snapped. Superskrull provided a counterpoint in the form of a blast of superheated plasma, bowling the two heroes head over heels thru the air.
"Fine, you want play it that way, we'll play it that way." Nova shot forward at Superskrull, intent on a face to fist meeting. The alien warrior side stepped Nova the last second and wrapped his elastic, orange rock covered arms around Nova's head and squeezed tightly. Arsenal saw this happening and released his optic blasts at the Superskrull, only to have them blocked by an invisible shield.
"Richard Rider, I hereby condemn you to death for you war crimes against all organics. No technicality will save you here." Superskrull snarled as he strangled the life out of Nova. Richard Rider felt his lungs burning for air, and struggled for freedom. Desperately, Nova reacted with an almost forgotten instinct and tried to unleash a gravity pulse, a power he'd gained after he'd restored the Nova Corps and Xandar. It was also a power he'd lost recently when his powers started to flux. Regardless, green energy cascaded off his body from every pore, washing his attacker away like a leaf in the wind and onto the powered white snow covering a nearby iceberg.
"A gravity pulse? How did you do that? My intelligence indicated your power wasn't anywhere near prime levels!" Superskrull exclaimed.
Nova was equally as baffled, but then he thought back to recent events. Several weeks ago, he was used as a battery to charge a prison facility, his entire body acting as a conduit for the Nova force. Could that have been what altered his powers, yet again?
"No matter, you'll die just the same." Superskrull said confidently as he stood up and stalked towards Nova. He was at the edge of the iceberg and ready to flame on when a crimson blast destroyed the ground underneath him and a freight train seemingly slammed into him. Or at least that's what it felt like to the skrull.
"Forget about someone? Well, you're going to pay for it now." Arsenal stated as he pummeled Superskrull with his steel fists and simultaneously blasting at him with his optic blasts. Despite his brave words, Arsenal knew Superskrull was in another league in terms of power. If he didn't keep the pressure up, Bobby knew this battle would turn against him in the blink of an eye. Already, Superskrull was covered in an invisible shield and trying to fight back. He just couldn't concentrate fully, Arsenal's only saving grace.
"Back off Arsenal, I got an idea." Nova stated as he grabbed Bobby's shoulder and gently tossed him out of the way.
"Nova, what are you doing?" Arsenal demanded, but Nova didn't bother to reply. His eyes were closed in concentration as he reached inside himself, tapping the force that gave him his powers. He had just rediscovered the link, and called forth as much power as he could safely handle.
"Good God." Arsenal said slack jawed as he watched his teammate. Nova was shining like a star as he unleashed a powerful, orange blast christened a 'Nova pulse'. It was the most powerful weapon in his newly restored arsenal, having stunned the might Gladiator of the Imperial Guard. Arsenal had to shield his eyes as the blast arced outwards and utterly devastated everything in its path. The blast faded after several seconds, leaving Nova slumped over in the air like a puppet whose strings had just been cut.
"Nova! Move!" Arsenal shouted seconds before superheated plasma struck his steel form. Nova looked up to see the Superskrull hovering above him, roughly sixteen feet away.
"Oh, fuck... me." Nova swore as he realized that in his haste to revel in his returned power, he'd wasted his most devastating attack. Not only that, he missed by a country mile at least. To make matters even worse, Nova didn't have enough strength left in him fight now. He was utterly screwed, and it was completely his own fault.
"You...*cough* ...are an idiot, Corpsman." Superskrull coughed sickly as he cocked his orange rock covered fist, elongated to the size of a dumpster, back and then nailed Nova squarely in the chest. Nova tumbled down thru the air like a discarded child's toy, scarcely able to stay conscious, let alone being able to stop his fall. But before he could strike the freezing cold water below, two steel hands grabbed him and stopped his plummet. Superskrull saw this of course, and instantly gave chase.
"He was right, you are a damn idiot today." Arsenal stated to Nova as they weaved thru the icebergs with Superskrull hot on his tail, literally, while shouting alien obscenities; thru a fit of coughing oddly enough, "You should have coordinated with me!"
A fireball streaked past the two and collapsed a wall of ice ahead of the two heroes. Arsenal knew immediately that Superskrull was trying to force them up, thus making them easier targets. He gritted his teeth and barreled the raining ice. It was painful and unnerving, but easily survived for the two heroes.
"Bitch later." Nova groaned, "Any ideas what to do?"
Arsenal nodded ahead to where a very wide and very tall mountain of ice was located. Arsenal cut back on his speed as he dived low, nearly touching the water as he sped towards the outcrop of stone with Superskrull nipping on his heels.
"That's the oldest trick in the book!" Nova warned.
"I know." Arsenal said thru gritted teeth as he pulled up at the last instant, barely avoiding smashing into the mountain wall, only a hair's breath from colliding.
"You'll not catch a warrior of my mett..."Was as far as the Superskrull got before his elastic face smashed into the steel footed feet of Arsenal.
"I come with anti lock brakes." Arsenal smirked. He moved his feet around slightly, still embedded in the enhanced Skrull's face, "Feels like I stepped in dog shit."
Arsenal pulled his feet out and lurched forward, giving him an excellent view of the Skrull warrior. The steel skinned Worker unleashed a powerful optic blast, striking the skrull directly in the chest and propelling him down underneath the water.
"I think he's down for the count." Arsenal opinioned as Nova floated out of his arms. Nova looked a little steadier, but not by much, "You okay?"
"No... feel like I've run a marathon with cement shoes." Nova activated his helmet's environmental controls and sealed his face off, "but that doesn't matter. I've gotta get him while he's down."
Arsenal grabbed him by the shoulder, "You mean we gotta get him. My steel form doesn't need air, and we're teammates."
"Fine, just try to keep up." Nova said as he plunged down into the murky waters. Arsenal was right on his heels. Luckily, Superskrull hadn't sunk too deep, so he was visible to both heroes. But Superskrull was hardly in attack mode. Rather, his entire body was limp, and he looked very much like he was having a seizure.
"Man, how hard did he hit me?" Arsenal asked over the comm. link.
"Be careful, he might be faking it." Nova warned with his fists raised. Arsenal ignored him and carefully approached the limp form of Superskrull, and came to the conclusion that if he wasn't sick or in serious trouble, he was doing an incredible acting job. Arsenal grabbed Superskrull by his collar and flew up and out of the water.
"I think something's seriously wrong with him, Rich." Arsenal stated as he carefully laid the skrull warrior down on his side. Superskrull started convulsing, spitting up water with his eyes rolling up to the back of his head. Nova hovered a few feet away, ready for any sign of deception. Superskrull, when all was said and done, was still a skrull, after all.
"I think I gotta agree with you there, but what?" Nova finally admitted
"Could you still be infected with that bioweapon and not know it?"
Nova's eyes went wide in horror, "Sonofabitch...that's gotta be it!"
Nova scooped up Superskrull and said, "Stay here. I think I can save him, but it's a longshot."
Bobby grabbed his shoulder, "And when you do, then what? He'll be at full strength ready for another round. I'm coming to!"
Nova knew he didn't have time to argue, so all he said was, "Hold on, then." Nova shot up and thru the air, and within less time than it took to tell, was on the edge of the atmosphere and finally in the fringes of space. Arsenal gasped, in fear and surprise at the same time. He'd suspected his steel form could survive in outer space, but never wanted to test it. The faux mutant was also afraid the Superskrull would suffocate before Nova's plan had a chance to bear fruit. However, Arsenal could see his chest rising and falling rapidly, so whatever method he used to breath during interspatial travel was still functioning. Nova led them towards a huge spacecraft, similar in design to a MIG fighter plane, but far larger and flashier. Once inside the airlock, Arsenal asked the obvious question.
"You got a damn space ship? When did this happen?"
"It's a little something left over from my time in the Nova corps." Nova explained as they walked down the halls of the vast ship, with Nova in the lead carry Superskrull.
"Those space cops who gave you your powers? Did you quit or something?" Arsenal asked as they turned into a room marked medi lab.
"Or something. I found out they were staging a faked invasion of earth to test the loyalty of the previous Nova, and told them what I thought of them and that with a few choice words. They don't talk to me now and I don't talk to them." Nova explained as he carefully set Superskrull down in a vat filled with a yellow solution, "This'll find a cure for puss bucket faster than we could hope trying anything else, with luck. But shit, my problems don't end here."
"What do you mean?"
"I know of another skrull living on earth. If I'm still infected, than he might be too."
"Once we got this contained, we can worry about that." Arsenal calmly stated he read the readout on the medical computers. Everything was translated into English, so he had little problem following it, "Huh."
"What?"
"The medical computer's already found a cure. The solution to your bioweapon, for skrulls anyways, is orange juice."
"I thought O.J kills?" Nova remarked
"Huh?"
"White boy humor, never mind." Just then, Superskrull burst out of the tank and reached out with his elastic arms, wrapping them tightly around the two hero's throats.
"I activate Grimm's power, which I can do at the speed of thought, and your necks are snapped." He warned.
"Then why... don't you?" Nova choked.
"Because I don't know why." Superskrull replied simply, "Why did you save me?"
"Because I'm a petty bastard, and I won't let Epyrus-7 claim another skrull life." Nova said firmly, despite the tension on his throat. The two warriors' eyes locked for the briefest of moment, before silently coming to an agreement.
"You may be a 'petty bastard', but I am a skrull warrior, and have my honor," Superskrull explained as he unwrapped his arms from around their throats, "you have saved my life, and I am convinced now that you had no real part in the massacre at Epyrus-7. Unless you wish to keep fighting, I'll take my leave now."
Nova and Arsenal cautiously escorted the Superskrull to an exit airlock, ready for any sign of betrayal. Superskrull, however, was a skrull of his word, and left without incident. Nova watched him leave as Arsenal took a moment to take in the alien craft.
"Man, this is one sweet toy you got here, Rider. Guess if we ever need more planes, we know what team member to call, huh?"
"Because you're better than me." Nova deadpanned, staring into his own reflection in the airlock's glass window.
"Huh?"
"Because you're better than me," Nova repeated without turning around, "that's why I've been riding your ass."
"I still don't understand." Arsenal confessed.
"I've been doing the hero thing for a while now," Nova explained, "and I'm good at it. It's really the only thing I'm good at and it's taken me some time to get this good. Then you come along, riding Parvenue's coat tails. And you know what? Despite barely any experience, you've held your own with the best of us. I guess...it made look at myself, and I didn't like what I saw." Nova turned around and extended his hand, "But that's my problem, and I'm sorry I made it yours. Sorry."
"No one's perfect, Nova," Arsenal said as he shook his hand, "And for what it's, I think you're doing a fine job, as a hero and as one of the leaders of Force Works. When you don't have your head up your ass, anyways."
Nova let out a small chuckle, "Thanks. I'll get you back to the Tower, then I gotta find someone in New York."
"That skrull you told me you met?" Arsenal asked. Nova nodded in affirmation, "You probably don't have to. Orange Juice, according to your med scanner, provides a lifetime immunization for skrulls. I'd bet my life your buddy is fine."
"I would too," Nova replied evenly, "but like I said, I'm not gonna let Epyrus-7 claim one more victim."
-The End-
Next Issue: Enter a new Eric the Red and his own all new, all different Factor 3! Who are they? What are their goals? And who will be maimed in finding out those answers? Plus, Rahne's relationship with Doug comes to a head!
Biography (long one this time, sorry)
Nova powered a superprison in issue 8. He supposedly lost his enhanced powers in Force Works 2. His 'Nova pulse' stunned Gladiator in Nova vol.2# 1 (Glads still kicked his ass, though). An alien invasion was hinted at in New Warriors 75 vol 1, but since it obviously never happened, I'm explaining it away as a loyalty test. Sue me
Nova met a skrull living on earth in The Max 3, my first M2K issue
Work Letters
Last issue got me a review from Brent Lambert, a great writer who mistakenly thinks Force Works can't take the Thunderbolts. Take it away, Brent!
Force Works #10 by David Ingram
THE GOOD: Force Works prove themselves with this issue to be worthy
of their name. X-Treme takes out all of Eugenix in clever ways that
showcase just how cool of a character he can be. Moonstar gives
Genetix a beat down without breaking a sweat. And Wiz Kid once again
proves why he is Force Works most valuable team member. But lets not
forget the abuse that Rahne is undergoing. David is stepping into
dangerous territory with this story, but I'm anxious to see where he
goes with it.
I've waited a long time to show just how much of a bad ass X-Treme and Moonstar really are, glad you liked it. Taki did have a cute contribution, did he? Rahne's plot is coming to a boil, as seen this issue, and I hope you like where I take it.
THE BAD: Arsenal's dilemma seems a little bit over dramatized to me
and I've never really known Moonstar to be such a cocky character as
she seems to be becoming in this series.
I actually thought it was a little under dramatized, actually. One the one hand, Sublime did chop up his body, on the other hand, Sublime helped give Arsenal a family and purpose in life, along with incredible power. To each their own. And yeah, Dani is unduly cocky, but that's because 'everything's going perfectly' ;)
OVERALL: A solid issue from a solid series
Thanks man! Rock on!
War Crimes
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away
The man called as Nova streaked across the purple sky, and against his better judgment, looked down on the blackened, charred battlefield, and saw the burned husks of Skrull Infantrymen, most with gaping holes on in their bodies or burns unlike anything he'd ever see before agreeing to serve in this alien war. Laying almost side by side and sometimes on top of these alien warriors were over two dozen members of the Nova Corps, aliens with powers comparable to Nova's, who'd fought to their last breath to stop their hated enemy.
If the sight of his dead comrades wasn't enough to disturb the young corpsman, the planet's stark contrast from just hours before was. When the Nova Corps first landed on this world, it was a lush, vibrant green world (at least most of the plants had been green) brimming with life and potential. Now, the soil was caked in Skrull and Corps' blood, with all other signs of life being utterly erased in the crossfire. Blood and ash were all that remained now.
"Blue Blazes." Muttered Nova, his throat dry from shock. He'd broken off from the group to attack a Skrullian bombardier that'd been strafing them from above; an act at the time was more suicidal than brave at the time, even though he'd managed to pull it off handily. Nova had expected his comrades to be here, basking in victory and congratulating him on his daring victory.
But this was war, and things never turn out like you hoped they would. Sure, he'd pulled off a small miracle, but what did it matter now? There was still a war to be won.
Nova looked out over the horizon and saw another battalion of Skrulls approaching slowly, this time with heavy weapons in tow. Weapons that by appearance alone would put to shame just about anything Hollywood producers had ever created. The human rocket gulped hard, despite the fact that his throat was parched, and shot off in the opposite direction.
He streaked past the Xandaran lines like a blue comet, and touched down next to the regional campaign director, who on earth would have the military status of general. She was a tall, brown haired woman wearing a tight blue uniform created from alien material similar to earth's Kevlar. She was pouring over computer screens with several assistants, and excused herself when she observed Nova land.
"Director H'eather, we got problems. The Skrulls have reinforcements coming with weapons a lot bigger than anything we brought with us." Nova explained.
"I already know. Where are your fellow Corpsmen?" She asked, her voice steady and calm.
Nova couldn't reply, as the lump in his throat wouldn't allow it, never the less the silence spoke for him.
"I...see. Damn it, that limits our options considerably."
"Bet the kid wussed out and fled like a little bitch." A sharp voice that sounded more like two rocks grinding together than a human being, suggested smugly.
Nova didn't bother to turn around as he said, "Smooth, Diamond Head. Insult me, like we got time for that now." Diamond Head was another earth born defender of Xander, who'd joined up for the promise of power and seeing the universe outside of his own planet. And, Nova suspected, to escape more than a few outstanding warrants on earth. Regardless, Nova had to give him his due. Diamond Head was hell on Skrulls; his indestructible diamond body was an incredible asset that turned the tide of more than a few battles, however his manner always grated.
"Diamond Head, that's enough. I'd place my faith in Rider's courage over yours any day of the star chart." H'eather stated, "Still, we came prepared. Orders are we don't let the Skrulls keep this planet, no matter what."
"These green bastards are dug in deep though, like roaches. Shame we can't gas 'em out." Diamond Head proposed in a casual, offhand manner.
"You're sick." Nova sneered. Since day one, this war was chipping away at Nova's conscience, and he'd been fighting to hold onto it for just as long. Someone discussing mass murder as easily as others might discuss sports plays was easy enough to despise.
"It...may come to that." The director sighed wearily. Diamond Head smiled as Nova nearly choked.
"Excuse you?! You're not talking about what I think you're talking about, are you?" Nova demanded.
"Epyrus-7 is, technically, outside of the borders included in the Intergalactic Codes of Spatial Combat. Our...weapons of choice aren't exactly limited here."
"'Weapons of choice'. That's a damn fine why to describe plague weapons!" Nova snapped. The director replied, but it was drowned out by the sound of an explosion that threw the three off their feet, and sent Nova spiraling into darkness. Thankfully, it was for scant seconds only. Rider opened his eyes and saw Skrulls pouring over their lines, wearing mini jetpacks perfect for sniping, and doing just that. Diamond Head was brandishing a large laser gun and laughing and grinning like an insane clown while the Regional Campaign director dodged heavy fire to reach her goal. Nova could only see the battlefield, though, having been deafened by the explosion. Despite the chaos around him, Nova felt a serene calm, like an out of body experience. He was going to die on some random alien world, fighting for a people not his own, and no one back home would know. He knew that now. He'd fight to his last breath, like the good soldier, but as he flew towards his first target, he was already thinking of things he'd wished he'd said to his family, friends, things he would have done differently.
Nova slammed into one Skrull who hadn't been paying attention and grabbed him by the neck. Rider pulled his fist back, and was ready to deliver a fatal blow when everything around him froze. It was like God suddenly pressed the pause button. Nova looked around, baffled by this change of events.
"You could have stopped it."
Nova's attention snapped back to the skrull he'd been holding seconds before.
"You could have stopped it all." The skrull stated as his body melted like a roman candle. Nova's heart started pounding like a jackhammer as he saw the skrulls melting like ice cream on a warm, summer day. She'd done it, she'd really done it... Diamond Head's laugher, piped directly into his helmet by the former villain, grew louder as the burning in Nova's stomach swelled. Nova felted a legion of emotions wash over him. Shame, guilt, anger, hatred all boiled into one. As he watched his enemies die a horrible, agonizing death, Nova just willed it all to go away. Energy washed outwards from every pore, killing friend and foe alike.
Nova scanned the battlefield, and felt a sickening case of deja vu. The battlefield below him was covered with friends and foes, all dead. Only this time, they were dead by his hand. Nova tumbled thru the air, his head swimming at the realization of what he'd done. He came crashing to the ground, slamming into the soft ground next to one of the few survivors of the Nova power massacre.
"Damn kid, how powerful are ya anyways?" Diamond Head asked.
"Fuck... off." Rich rasped.
"Suit yourself. This may not be a BBQ, but..." Diamond Head pointed his fingers to the green liquid remains of what had to be the formerly attacking Skrulls, "...we got plenty of sauce, heh, heh."
"You're sick." Nova sneered. "Maybe," Diamond Head waved towards the charred bodies on the battlefield, "...but you're the one who did all this."
Metro City, The Workplace
"No!" Richard Rider shouted as he shot up like bullet, his body covered in a fine sheen of sweat. After a moment to orientate himself, he rubbed his eyes wearily, and glanced over at the blue sleeping form of Namorita, his lover. Thankfully, he hadn't awoken her.
"That's why you don't drink Rider, remember?" He groused to himself as he pulled the sheets off his body and walked towards the bathroom in his boxers. After splashing some warm water in his face to wake up, Rider examined himself in the mirror. He had the infamous five o clock shadow and his hair reached down slightly past his neck and looked like it hadn't been combed in two years. In other words, he looked perfect. Nova turned the shower on and bathed for a few minutes before stepping out.
"Monkey suit on!" With a flash, a yellow and gold uniform with three interconnected suns prominently displayed on the chest appeared around Richard Rider.
"Shuffering shad...what are you doing up so early?" Namorita moaned softly as Nova walked out of the bathroom. Namorita, like Nova, had chosen to get drunk off her ass the night before. Unlike Nova however, her body didn't burn alcohol out of her system half as fast, resulting in a hang over the size of Cleveland.
"Early? It's nine thirty, baby blue. I promised Rahne I'd run an errand for her." Nova replied.
"You're my boyfriend, you gotta hold my hair while I puke, though." Namorita protested feebly.
"You'll do fine without me, babe. That should teach you not to drink like a fish."
"Cute pun." Namorita groaned, "You didn't complain about the sex."
"Umm, 'Nita? I'm a guy. We never complain about the sex." Nova said as he opened the door to the hallway, "Sorry babe, I promised Rahne."
"Bastard."
"Hey you bitch, don't call Rahne a bastard!"
"I didn't, bastard." Namorita grumbled as she threw a pillow at the door. Nova just shook his head as he closed the door and strolled towards the recreation room. To most of Force Works, Rahne was like the little sister they never had, but actually wanted. She was kind, supportive and friendly unconditionally. If she ever disagreed with you, one felt like it was just the opinion she disagreed with, not the person them self. Heck, Nova suspected that Rahne was probably the only person every team member liked. So, when she innocently asked him to ferry a few things to Muir Island, how could he say no? He didn't care that he would have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to do it, because it mad Rahne happy. Nova entered the recreation room to see Rahne, fully human wearing jeans and a purple sweater, placing some final items a large black gym bag, naturally made of unstable molecules for the trip.
"Everything good to go?" He asked
"Oh, Rich! I cannae thank ye enough for this!" Rahne said as she set down the final item in the bag. She walked over to Rider and gave him a warm hug.
"It's no problem, Rahney." Nova said as he hugged her back. As he did so, he felt something odd. He couldn't place his finger on it though, so he dismissed it for now, "How was your date last night?"
"Umm, it was fine." Rahne said quickly
"You seen Robbie, by the way? He borrowed my MP3 player, and I wanted to get it back for the trip. I haven't seen him yet, though."
"The poor boyo had to go to a funeral." Rahne sighed, "he's hurting some, the poor lad."
Nova looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and snickered.
"What?"
"You gave him a pity kiss, didn't you?" Nova inquired
"Just a peck on the cheek, why?"
"Because he told me and Dani he was goin' to a wedding. He always jokes that they're the death of two single people." Nova laughed out loud as he picked up Rahne's bag.
"That....that little trickster!" Rahne huffed, her face scrunched up in annoyance, which Nova found to be very cute.
(To see what Speedball's up to, see the latest issues of M2K's Champions. If you didn't know that, what the hell is wrong with you?)
"Hey, there any cookies in here?" Nova asked with a mischievous grin as he started to unzip the bag.
"If there are, they're nae f'r you. They're f'r me mum." Rahne scolded mockingly as she slapped Nova's hand. Nova zipped the bag back up, and then paused. He had just felt it again, that little something wrong. He placed the bag down and grabbed Rahne by the wrist, and felt it again. A little tingling like his hand was asleep, or in this case, absorbing very small levels of energy. Like the energy produced when creating small holographic illusions.
"Rich, what... are ye doin'? What's wrong?" Rahne asked nervously
"I see flesh, but feel fur." Nova informed her. The man called Nova was many things, but one thing he was not, was stupid; "Turn the image inducer off Rahne."
"What...are ye talkin'..."
"Off. Now."
Rahne's free hand glided to her belt, and suddenly the reddish brown fur associated with her wolf form replaced Rahne's human complexion. Her long reddish brown hair also covered half her face, noticeably her left eye. Nova gently moved the hair out of Rahne's face with his index finger to reveal a black eye. It looked old, but Nova was fully aware of Rahne's healing factor. He also knew she hadn't a scratch on her, in either form, from the last battle Force Works was involved in.
That's when things suddenly seemed to click for Nova. When Rahne first joined the team, she was kindness and compassion come to life. But in recent weeks, she was rather subdued, quite, like she was carrying some hidden burden. The missing image inducer from last night and now, Rahne's rather out of character deception and bruises. "Rahne, is Doug treating you right?" He asked, not bothering to hide the suspicion laced in every word.
"O...O...of course. I just went out for a stroll this mornin', and ran into a mugging. Buggers got in a lucky shot, is all." Rahne stammered, very unconvincingly.
"Damn lucky, considering you went to a school to learn how to freakin' fight." Nova stated as he released Rahne's wrist and folded his arms across his chest and stared her down. Despite his best efforts, Nova couldn't corral his anger. To begin with, he needed something to get his mind off his dream and subsequent war past, and second, he loved Rahne like a little sister. Anyone who didn't treat her like a lady was in for a world of trouble, "Tell me kiddo, if I asked Dani to examine you, will that black eye be the only bruise she finds on you?"
"Of course." Rahne said weakly, without looking Nova in the eyes, rather looking away sheepishly.
"Really? Lets find out then." Nova answered. He steeled himself for any possible argument or excuse Rahne could come up with. Something was wrong, and the Human Rocket fully intended to get to the bottom of it. Nothing she could say or do would stop him from getting to the bottom of this.
"Epyrus-7?" Rahne asked, confused
Except of course, that.
"Excuse me?" Nova asked, utterly flabbergasted. Rahne pointed towards the window where great flaming letters spelled out 'Epyrus-7. I know the truth.' along with what some might mistake as random numbers, but which Nova recognized as an alien code he'd hoped to never to see again.
"Rahne, we'll talk later, I've got something I gotta do." Nova explained without turning around to face her.
"Rich, what's wrong? Lets get the others, we can..."
"You are not to assemble the team. That's an order, Rahne, from Force Works' second in command." Said Nova as he opened the window and hovered out over the edge, "We'll get everything sorted out when I get back."
"Nova, wait!" Rahne called out, but he was already gone. Rahne bit her lower lip lightly in fear. Nova was obviously keeping something from her (the irony of the situation escaped her), and was likely in danger. Anyone who'd call out Nova would have to know what he was capable of. At the same time, Rahne was loath to go against any order for any reason. What could she do...?
Lucky Hotel, Metro City
Metro City Police Commissioner Stone rubbed his baldhead in frustration as he ducked under the police tape surrounding the front door of a seedy hotel room. Laying on the dirty green-carpeted floor was the body of a mutant registration lobbyist, fifty years young, surrounded by two plain-clothes officers and a police photographer.
"Another one, huh?" Stone asked
"What do you think? Guy's been dead eight hours at least according to the M.E, and he's still too hot to touch. Like his blood was replaced with boiling water." The detective replied.
"Christ. Look, the meta crimes unit won't be here for at least another hour. Canvas the area, and see if any hydrokinetic felons are or have been in the area." Stone ordered. The detective snorted in sarcastic amusement.
"Sir, with all due respect, we know who's behind this. There's only one person who can boil body fluids within a hundred miles of here."
Stone sighed wearily and wished that he were still on Code:Blue. Things were so much simpler then, "I know, John, I know. But that guy's protected by one of the richest guys in the world. We act too soon we'll blow the case sky high. The rules are different for celebrities suspected of murder regardless of evidence," Stone turned and began to leave, "but only in the beginning. Only in the beginning."
The North Pole
Nova touched down on an ice drift and began scanning the area with the infrared lenses in his helmet while tensed for an attack. He spent the next several minutes searching, but predictably found nothing.
"I know you're out there, Skrull, so show your damn face already!" Nova roared aloud in frustration.
"I'm not a skrull, but will I do?" Asked a familiar voice. Nova spun around to see the second to last person he wanted to see right now. The first being the person who was calling him out.
"Arsenal." Nova grumbled as his steel skinned and winged teammate hovered a few feet behind him, "What are you doing here? I told Rahne..."
"She said that you told her not to assemble the team, but not a teammate." Arsenal answered with a concerned look, "Care to explain what Epyrus-7 means?"
"No." Nova replied sharply.
"Maybe you should do it anyways, because I suspect whatever it is, it'll come out shortly." Suggested Arsenal
Nova rolled his eyes heavenwards, and let out an annoyed sigh, "Fine. A few years ago, when I was fighting in a war with the Nova Corps, we were assigned to take an important planet, Epyrus-7. The skrulls had a colony there, and were using its star gate to halve the distance of their supply lines."
"Sounds like it was an important fight."
"Oh, yeah. The higher ups made it clear that if we didn't win this fight, we shouldn't bother coming home. We almost didn't too. Skrulls were dug in too deep and too well fortified. To say it got very bloody very quickly is an understatement. Which only left one option, in the high command's opinion, anyways." Nova explained angrily. He was still, to this day, ashamed of his fellows' decisions.
"What was that?"
"Biological weapons. Wiped everyone out. Some of those who objected, or were deemed traumatized by the incident, were mindwiped, like me. After a while though, I remembered bits and pieces until everything finally came together. Happy now?" Nova spat. He deliberately omitted the fact that he may have speeded more than a few of the dead along on their journey for obvious reasons.
"I won't be happy until you get over whatever damn grudge you have with me." Arsenal snapped back, pointing an accusing finger at Nova; "You've had a problem with me since day one, bucket head and I've had it! I'm here freezing my ass off to help you, and all you can do is show me contempt for some unknown reason! Why is that?!"
"Because he is a dishonorable man, more than likely." A new voice venomously spat, interrupting the two. The two workers looked up to see an ugly green skinned, rumple chinned creature with flaming, stony features, "Epyrus-7 was a colony world, filled with innocent civilians, women and children. You helped kill them Rider, but today they get their vengeance."
"That what you want, Skrull, your kind always does; but I never condoned what happened that day!" Nova snapped. Superskrull provided a counterpoint in the form of a blast of superheated plasma, bowling the two heroes head over heels thru the air.
"Fine, you want play it that way, we'll play it that way." Nova shot forward at Superskrull, intent on a face to fist meeting. The alien warrior side stepped Nova the last second and wrapped his elastic, orange rock covered arms around Nova's head and squeezed tightly. Arsenal saw this happening and released his optic blasts at the Superskrull, only to have them blocked by an invisible shield.
"Richard Rider, I hereby condemn you to death for you war crimes against all organics. No technicality will save you here." Superskrull snarled as he strangled the life out of Nova. Richard Rider felt his lungs burning for air, and struggled for freedom. Desperately, Nova reacted with an almost forgotten instinct and tried to unleash a gravity pulse, a power he'd gained after he'd restored the Nova Corps and Xandar. It was also a power he'd lost recently when his powers started to flux. Regardless, green energy cascaded off his body from every pore, washing his attacker away like a leaf in the wind and onto the powered white snow covering a nearby iceberg.
"A gravity pulse? How did you do that? My intelligence indicated your power wasn't anywhere near prime levels!" Superskrull exclaimed.
Nova was equally as baffled, but then he thought back to recent events. Several weeks ago, he was used as a battery to charge a prison facility, his entire body acting as a conduit for the Nova force. Could that have been what altered his powers, yet again?
"No matter, you'll die just the same." Superskrull said confidently as he stood up and stalked towards Nova. He was at the edge of the iceberg and ready to flame on when a crimson blast destroyed the ground underneath him and a freight train seemingly slammed into him. Or at least that's what it felt like to the skrull.
"Forget about someone? Well, you're going to pay for it now." Arsenal stated as he pummeled Superskrull with his steel fists and simultaneously blasting at him with his optic blasts. Despite his brave words, Arsenal knew Superskrull was in another league in terms of power. If he didn't keep the pressure up, Bobby knew this battle would turn against him in the blink of an eye. Already, Superskrull was covered in an invisible shield and trying to fight back. He just couldn't concentrate fully, Arsenal's only saving grace.
"Back off Arsenal, I got an idea." Nova stated as he grabbed Bobby's shoulder and gently tossed him out of the way.
"Nova, what are you doing?" Arsenal demanded, but Nova didn't bother to reply. His eyes were closed in concentration as he reached inside himself, tapping the force that gave him his powers. He had just rediscovered the link, and called forth as much power as he could safely handle.
"Good God." Arsenal said slack jawed as he watched his teammate. Nova was shining like a star as he unleashed a powerful, orange blast christened a 'Nova pulse'. It was the most powerful weapon in his newly restored arsenal, having stunned the might Gladiator of the Imperial Guard. Arsenal had to shield his eyes as the blast arced outwards and utterly devastated everything in its path. The blast faded after several seconds, leaving Nova slumped over in the air like a puppet whose strings had just been cut.
"Nova! Move!" Arsenal shouted seconds before superheated plasma struck his steel form. Nova looked up to see the Superskrull hovering above him, roughly sixteen feet away.
"Oh, fuck... me." Nova swore as he realized that in his haste to revel in his returned power, he'd wasted his most devastating attack. Not only that, he missed by a country mile at least. To make matters even worse, Nova didn't have enough strength left in him fight now. He was utterly screwed, and it was completely his own fault.
"You...*cough* ...are an idiot, Corpsman." Superskrull coughed sickly as he cocked his orange rock covered fist, elongated to the size of a dumpster, back and then nailed Nova squarely in the chest. Nova tumbled down thru the air like a discarded child's toy, scarcely able to stay conscious, let alone being able to stop his fall. But before he could strike the freezing cold water below, two steel hands grabbed him and stopped his plummet. Superskrull saw this of course, and instantly gave chase.
"He was right, you are a damn idiot today." Arsenal stated to Nova as they weaved thru the icebergs with Superskrull hot on his tail, literally, while shouting alien obscenities; thru a fit of coughing oddly enough, "You should have coordinated with me!"
A fireball streaked past the two and collapsed a wall of ice ahead of the two heroes. Arsenal knew immediately that Superskrull was trying to force them up, thus making them easier targets. He gritted his teeth and barreled the raining ice. It was painful and unnerving, but easily survived for the two heroes.
"Bitch later." Nova groaned, "Any ideas what to do?"
Arsenal nodded ahead to where a very wide and very tall mountain of ice was located. Arsenal cut back on his speed as he dived low, nearly touching the water as he sped towards the outcrop of stone with Superskrull nipping on his heels.
"That's the oldest trick in the book!" Nova warned.
"I know." Arsenal said thru gritted teeth as he pulled up at the last instant, barely avoiding smashing into the mountain wall, only a hair's breath from colliding.
"You'll not catch a warrior of my mett..."Was as far as the Superskrull got before his elastic face smashed into the steel footed feet of Arsenal.
"I come with anti lock brakes." Arsenal smirked. He moved his feet around slightly, still embedded in the enhanced Skrull's face, "Feels like I stepped in dog shit."
Arsenal pulled his feet out and lurched forward, giving him an excellent view of the Skrull warrior. The steel skinned Worker unleashed a powerful optic blast, striking the skrull directly in the chest and propelling him down underneath the water.
"I think he's down for the count." Arsenal opinioned as Nova floated out of his arms. Nova looked a little steadier, but not by much, "You okay?"
"No... feel like I've run a marathon with cement shoes." Nova activated his helmet's environmental controls and sealed his face off, "but that doesn't matter. I've gotta get him while he's down."
Arsenal grabbed him by the shoulder, "You mean we gotta get him. My steel form doesn't need air, and we're teammates."
"Fine, just try to keep up." Nova said as he plunged down into the murky waters. Arsenal was right on his heels. Luckily, Superskrull hadn't sunk too deep, so he was visible to both heroes. But Superskrull was hardly in attack mode. Rather, his entire body was limp, and he looked very much like he was having a seizure.
"Man, how hard did he hit me?" Arsenal asked over the comm. link.
"Be careful, he might be faking it." Nova warned with his fists raised. Arsenal ignored him and carefully approached the limp form of Superskrull, and came to the conclusion that if he wasn't sick or in serious trouble, he was doing an incredible acting job. Arsenal grabbed Superskrull by his collar and flew up and out of the water.
"I think something's seriously wrong with him, Rich." Arsenal stated as he carefully laid the skrull warrior down on his side. Superskrull started convulsing, spitting up water with his eyes rolling up to the back of his head. Nova hovered a few feet away, ready for any sign of deception. Superskrull, when all was said and done, was still a skrull, after all.
"I think I gotta agree with you there, but what?" Nova finally admitted
"Could you still be infected with that bioweapon and not know it?"
Nova's eyes went wide in horror, "Sonofabitch...that's gotta be it!"
Nova scooped up Superskrull and said, "Stay here. I think I can save him, but it's a longshot."
Bobby grabbed his shoulder, "And when you do, then what? He'll be at full strength ready for another round. I'm coming to!"
Nova knew he didn't have time to argue, so all he said was, "Hold on, then." Nova shot up and thru the air, and within less time than it took to tell, was on the edge of the atmosphere and finally in the fringes of space. Arsenal gasped, in fear and surprise at the same time. He'd suspected his steel form could survive in outer space, but never wanted to test it. The faux mutant was also afraid the Superskrull would suffocate before Nova's plan had a chance to bear fruit. However, Arsenal could see his chest rising and falling rapidly, so whatever method he used to breath during interspatial travel was still functioning. Nova led them towards a huge spacecraft, similar in design to a MIG fighter plane, but far larger and flashier. Once inside the airlock, Arsenal asked the obvious question.
"You got a damn space ship? When did this happen?"
"It's a little something left over from my time in the Nova corps." Nova explained as they walked down the halls of the vast ship, with Nova in the lead carry Superskrull.
"Those space cops who gave you your powers? Did you quit or something?" Arsenal asked as they turned into a room marked medi lab.
"Or something. I found out they were staging a faked invasion of earth to test the loyalty of the previous Nova, and told them what I thought of them and that with a few choice words. They don't talk to me now and I don't talk to them." Nova explained as he carefully set Superskrull down in a vat filled with a yellow solution, "This'll find a cure for puss bucket faster than we could hope trying anything else, with luck. But shit, my problems don't end here."
"What do you mean?"
"I know of another skrull living on earth. If I'm still infected, than he might be too."
"Once we got this contained, we can worry about that." Arsenal calmly stated he read the readout on the medical computers. Everything was translated into English, so he had little problem following it, "Huh."
"What?"
"The medical computer's already found a cure. The solution to your bioweapon, for skrulls anyways, is orange juice."
"I thought O.J kills?" Nova remarked
"Huh?"
"White boy humor, never mind." Just then, Superskrull burst out of the tank and reached out with his elastic arms, wrapping them tightly around the two hero's throats.
"I activate Grimm's power, which I can do at the speed of thought, and your necks are snapped." He warned.
"Then why... don't you?" Nova choked.
"Because I don't know why." Superskrull replied simply, "Why did you save me?"
"Because I'm a petty bastard, and I won't let Epyrus-7 claim another skrull life." Nova said firmly, despite the tension on his throat. The two warriors' eyes locked for the briefest of moment, before silently coming to an agreement.
"You may be a 'petty bastard', but I am a skrull warrior, and have my honor," Superskrull explained as he unwrapped his arms from around their throats, "you have saved my life, and I am convinced now that you had no real part in the massacre at Epyrus-7. Unless you wish to keep fighting, I'll take my leave now."
Nova and Arsenal cautiously escorted the Superskrull to an exit airlock, ready for any sign of betrayal. Superskrull, however, was a skrull of his word, and left without incident. Nova watched him leave as Arsenal took a moment to take in the alien craft.
"Man, this is one sweet toy you got here, Rider. Guess if we ever need more planes, we know what team member to call, huh?"
"Because you're better than me." Nova deadpanned, staring into his own reflection in the airlock's glass window.
"Huh?"
"Because you're better than me," Nova repeated without turning around, "that's why I've been riding your ass."
"I still don't understand." Arsenal confessed.
"I've been doing the hero thing for a while now," Nova explained, "and I'm good at it. It's really the only thing I'm good at and it's taken me some time to get this good. Then you come along, riding Parvenue's coat tails. And you know what? Despite barely any experience, you've held your own with the best of us. I guess...it made look at myself, and I didn't like what I saw." Nova turned around and extended his hand, "But that's my problem, and I'm sorry I made it yours. Sorry."
"No one's perfect, Nova," Arsenal said as he shook his hand, "And for what it's, I think you're doing a fine job, as a hero and as one of the leaders of Force Works. When you don't have your head up your ass, anyways."
Nova let out a small chuckle, "Thanks. I'll get you back to the Tower, then I gotta find someone in New York."
"That skrull you told me you met?" Arsenal asked. Nova nodded in affirmation, "You probably don't have to. Orange Juice, according to your med scanner, provides a lifetime immunization for skrulls. I'd bet my life your buddy is fine."
"I would too," Nova replied evenly, "but like I said, I'm not gonna let Epyrus-7 claim one more victim."
-The End-
Next Issue: Enter a new Eric the Red and his own all new, all different Factor 3! Who are they? What are their goals? And who will be maimed in finding out those answers? Plus, Rahne's relationship with Doug comes to a head!
Biography (long one this time, sorry)
Nova powered a superprison in issue 8. He supposedly lost his enhanced powers in Force Works 2. His 'Nova pulse' stunned Gladiator in Nova vol.2# 1 (Glads still kicked his ass, though). An alien invasion was hinted at in New Warriors 75 vol 1, but since it obviously never happened, I'm explaining it away as a loyalty test. Sue me
Nova met a skrull living on earth in The Max 3, my first M2K issue
Work Letters
Last issue got me a review from Brent Lambert, a great writer who mistakenly thinks Force Works can't take the Thunderbolts. Take it away, Brent!
Force Works #10 by David Ingram
THE GOOD: Force Works prove themselves with this issue to be worthy
of their name. X-Treme takes out all of Eugenix in clever ways that
showcase just how cool of a character he can be. Moonstar gives
Genetix a beat down without breaking a sweat. And Wiz Kid once again
proves why he is Force Works most valuable team member. But lets not
forget the abuse that Rahne is undergoing. David is stepping into
dangerous territory with this story, but I'm anxious to see where he
goes with it.
I've waited a long time to show just how much of a bad ass X-Treme and Moonstar really are, glad you liked it. Taki did have a cute contribution, did he? Rahne's plot is coming to a boil, as seen this issue, and I hope you like where I take it.
THE BAD: Arsenal's dilemma seems a little bit over dramatized to me
and I've never really known Moonstar to be such a cocky character as
she seems to be becoming in this series.
I actually thought it was a little under dramatized, actually. One the one hand, Sublime did chop up his body, on the other hand, Sublime helped give Arsenal a family and purpose in life, along with incredible power. To each their own. And yeah, Dani is unduly cocky, but that's because 'everything's going perfectly' ;)
OVERALL: A solid issue from a solid series
Thanks man! Rock on!