Joe mason 2: The End Of Captain Nova

chapter 8: the trap snaps shut

As Joe pulled the lever, the factory roared to life. Massive gears turned, machinery that hadn’t run in decades suddenly groaned and clanked into motion. Sparks flew, and the heavy steel doors of the engine room slammed shut behind Joe with a loud clang, trapping Captain Nova inside.

Captain Nova paused for a moment, his glowing eyes flicking around the room as if mildly amused by the sudden change of atmosphere. He turned his gaze back to Joe, his face unreadable, but the aura of power around him was undeniable.

“Another trap?” Nova said, almost bored. “You think locking me in here will stop me?”

Joe’s heart pounded in his chest, but he didn’t flinch. “Not exactly.”

Timmy, who had scrambled to the far side of the engine room, gave Joe a thumbs-up from behind a wall of machinery. He had the last piece of their plan set up, the part that might just work. Joe took a deep breath and glanced around at the complex system of levers and pipes they’d rigged together over the past few hours. It was crude, but if it worked, they could buy themselves some precious time.

“I don’t know what happened to you, Nova,” Joe called, trying to keep his voice steady. “But this isn’t you. The real Captain Nova would never do this. You’re supposed to be a hero!”

Captain Nova laughed, a deep, chilling sound that echoed through the room. “A hero? Is that what you think I was? Heroes are just pawns for people who are too weak to fend for themselves. I was never a hero—I was power. And now, I’ve transcended the pathetic morality that held me back.”

Joe gritted his teeth, anger rising inside him. “No, you haven’t. You’ve become a villain, and the real Captain Nova—the one we all believed in—would be ashamed of what you are now.”

Nova’s eyes flared with anger, and he raised his hand. In an instant, a blast of energy shot toward Joe, but Joe dove to the side just in time, the energy searing the wall behind him. The heat was intense, and Joe could feel the sweat trickling down his neck.

“Enough!” Nova roared. “You’ve wasted my time long enough. I will end this now.”

But before Nova could make another move, the entire room began to tremble. The machinery, which Joe and Timmy had rigged earlier, began to churn violently. Gears ground together, pistons pumped furiously, and steam hissed from every crevice. The old engine room was about to reach its breaking point.

Joe staggered to his feet, breathing hard. “Now, Timmy! Do it!”

Timmy, hiding behind a rusted control panel, pressed the button they’d set up, and the floor beneath Captain Nova’s feet shifted. Nova’s eyes widened as the ground gave way, and he fell into the trap they had prepared—a deep pit lined with reinforced metal. As soon as he hit the bottom, the walls around him surged with electricity, crackling and sparking, trapping him inside.

Nova let out a roar of fury as the electric charge pulsed around him, momentarily stunning him. Joe and Timmy had rigged every wire they could find to that pit, funneling all the factory’s power into it.

“Did we get him?” Timmy called from his hiding spot, his voice trembling.

Joe stared down into the pit, his heart racing. Captain Nova was thrashing inside, struggling against the electric currents that surged around him. For a brief moment, Joe thought they might have actually done it.

But then, with a sudden, terrifying burst of energy, Nova broke free. The electricity around him shattered like glass, and he floated back up to the surface, his entire body glowing with an ominous light.

“You... think... this can stop me?” Nova growled, his voice filled with fury. “I am beyond your traps! I am beyond your petty tricks!”

Timmy’s face went pale. “Oh no. We’re so screwed.”

Joe’s mind raced. This was their final plan, their last-ditch effort to stop him—and it had failed. Captain Nova was more powerful than ever, and now he was angrier, too.

Joe glanced at Timmy, his mind whirling, and then he realized: the factory’s power. They’d rigged it all into that one trap, and it wasn’t enough. But maybe... maybe if they could overload the system, everything would blow. It was risky, but they had nothing left to lose.

“Timmy!” Joe shouted. “We need to overload the entire factory! It’s the only way to stop him!”

Timmy’s eyes widened in panic. “Overload the whole factory? Joe, that’s gonna blow everything up!”

Joe nodded grimly. “Exactly. We have to do it. We’ve got no other choice.”

Timmy hesitated for only a moment before nodding. “Okay, I’m on it!”

As Timmy darted across the room, heading for the main control panel, Captain Nova turned his gaze back to Joe. His eyes blazed with rage, and Joe could feel the heat from his energy blasts building up in the air.

“I’m going to destroy you, Joe Mason,” Nova snarled. “And when I’m done, your little friend will be next.”

Joe swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fear gnawing at him. “You’ll have to catch me first.”

With a surge of adrenaline, Joe sprinted toward the far end of the room, zigzagging between the crumbling machinery as Nova’s blasts exploded around him. He could feel the heat and pressure from the energy as it tore through the factory, but he couldn’t stop. Not now.

Meanwhile, Timmy frantically flipped switches and yanked on levers, trying to push the factory’s power grid to its breaking point. Sparks flew from the control panel as everything went into overdrive, the machinery groaning under the strain.

“Joe! I think I’m almost there!” Timmy shouted over the chaos.

Joe nodded, dodging another blast from Nova. “Hurry! We don’t have much time!”

Captain Nova floated closer, his body glowing brighter with each passing second. Joe could feel the intense pressure bearing down on him as Nova prepared his final attack.

Just then, Timmy’s voice rang out. “Joe! It’s ready! But once I hit this, we’re out of time!”

Joe didn’t hesitate. “Do it!”

With a deep breath, Timmy slammed the final switch.

The factory shuddered violently, and a deafening hum filled the air as the entire system began to overload. Joe braced himself as the lights flickered, and the machinery groaned louder than ever. The whole place was seconds away from exploding.

Captain Nova’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. “No! You won’t escape me!”

But it was too late. The factory was about to blow.