Joe and Timmy sat huddled in the shadows of the factory, their backs against a cold concrete wall. The adrenaline rush from their narrow escape had faded, leaving behind a tense silence between them. Joe stared at the floor, lost in thought, while Timmy fidgeted nervously, glancing around every few seconds like he expected Captain Nova to burst through the wall at any moment.
“I don’t know how we’re supposed to do this,” Timmy muttered, breaking the silence. “He’s unstoppable, Joe. Every time we try something, he just walks right through it. And now he’s... like, supercharged with this creepy villain energy.”
Joe stayed quiet for a moment, clenching his fists. Timmy was right—they were in way over their heads. The whole idea of taking down Captain Nova seemed impossible. But he couldn’t let that stop them. Not now.
“We can’t give up,” Joe finally said, his voice low but firm. “There’s gotta be a way.”
Timmy shot him a look. “A way? Dude, the guy is practically invincible. He just took down that whole building like it was made of cardboard, and you’re saying there’s a way?”
Joe pressed his lips together, trying to focus. His mind raced with everything they’d learned about Captain Nova in the past few days—about his powers, his weaknesses, and how he wasn’t the same man they once admired.
“We need to find something he’s not expecting,” Joe said. “Something that’ll catch him off guard.”
“Like what?” Timmy asked, rubbing his temples. “He’s been ten steps ahead of us this whole time.”
Joe thought back to their encounters with Captain Nova—his confidence, his power, and most of all, his arrogance. “He’s overconfident,” Joe said suddenly. “That’s it.”
Timmy raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“He thinks we can’t stop him because, well, we’re just kids,” Joe explained, the pieces starting to come together in his mind. “He’s underestimating us. That’s our advantage.”
Timmy sighed. “I dunno, Joe. I’m not really feeling the whole ‘he doesn’t think we’re a threat’ thing. What’s that gonna do? Make him laugh so hard he surrenders?”
Joe cracked a small smile. “No, but it gives us a chance to set a trap. If we play our cards right, we can use his ego against him.”
Timmy’s eyes narrowed as he started to follow Joe’s train of thought. “A trap?”
Joe nodded, his mind working fast. “Yeah. We lead him into a situation where he thinks he’s won. Somewhere we control. We make him overconfident and then... we hit him with everything we’ve got.”
Timmy chewed his lip nervously. “That sounds like... a really dangerous plan.”
“It is,” Joe admitted. “But it’s the only shot we’ve got.”
Timmy leaned back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. “You really think this can work?”
“I don’t know,” Joe said honestly. “But if we don’t try, Captain Nova’s going to destroy everything. We have to stop him.”
Timmy sighed heavily, but he nodded. “Alright, fine. What do we do?”
Joe glanced around the factory, taking in the broken machinery, rusted metal, and abandoned equipment scattered throughout the space. “We turn this place into our battleground,” he said. “We’ll rig it with whatever we can find—anything that can give us the upper hand.”
Timmy’s eyes widened. “You mean... like booby traps?”
Joe smirked. “Exactly. It’s not much, but if we can slow him down, distract him, we might have a chance to get close enough to take him down.”
Timmy’s shoulders slumped a little, but he gave Joe a shaky thumbs-up. “Alright, man. I guess we’re doing this.”
The two of them stood up and began scouring the factory for anything they could use—old wires, heavy chains, broken pieces of metal, whatever could serve as a makeshift trap. Joe worked fast, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he tied ropes and set up tripwires, his mind constantly running through scenarios of how they could use the environment to their advantage.
“This feels like one of those old-school trap movies,” Timmy said as he handed Joe a coil of wire. “You know, like we’re about to Home Alone this guy.”
Joe chuckled. “Except with a superpowered villain instead of burglars. No pressure, right?”
As they worked, the tension between them eased a bit, though the looming threat of Captain Nova was never far from their minds. Joe couldn’t shake the feeling that this plan was their last hope. If it didn’t work, they wouldn’t get another chance.
Once everything was in place, Joe and Timmy stood back to admire their handiwork. The factory now looked like a giant, chaotic death trap. Wires dangled from the ceiling, broken machinery was rigged to fall, and heavy objects were poised to drop at the slightest touch.
“Okay,” Joe said, taking a deep breath. “Now we just need to get him here.”
Timmy swallowed nervously. “And how exactly do we do that?”
Joe thought for a moment, then pulled the device out of his pocket—the one that could signal the strike team they’d been trying to avoid.
“We give him what he wants,” Joe said, holding up the device. “A showdown.”
Timmy’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re not serious.”
Joe nodded grimly. “I’m serious. If we activate this, he’ll come to us. He’s been waiting for us to make a move. Now we give him one.”
Timmy looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. Instead, he gave a shaky nod. “Alright. Let’s do it.”
Joe’s finger hovered over the button for a moment before he pressed it. A small light blinked on the device, and Joe knew there was no turning back now.
Within moments, a low hum echoed through the factory, growing louder with each passing second. Joe’s heart raced as the air seemed to thrum with energy. Captain Nova was coming—and they had to be ready.
Joe glanced at Timmy. “Whatever happens, just stick to the plan.”
Timmy nodded, though he looked like he was about to throw up. “You too, man.”
They stood side by side, staring at the entrance to the factory, waiting for the inevitable showdown with the most dangerous man on the planet.
YOU ARE READING
Joe mason 2: The End Of Captain Nova
Ficțiune adolescențiIn "Joe Mason: The End of Captain Nova," a month after their last adventure, 14-year-old Joe and his friend Timmy face an unprecedented threat: the real Captain Nova, who has returned more powerful than ever. As Nova unleashes chaos across their tow...
