Chapter 37: Indestructible Habits and Indestructible Villains
The night was descending on Star Island, but the workshop remained lively, lit by the sparks of cleanup efforts and occasional bursts of laughter. Team Vapor was used to chaotic days, but Nica’s self-destructive experiments still managed to take the cake.
“Alright,” Vapor announced as he stacked broken parts of Mira’s drones onto a makeshift pile, “we’ve got most of this cleaned up. Now let’s hope Nica doesn’t try to set anything else on fire before Mira gets back.”
“Hey, I’m learning, okay?” Nica called out, grinning as she adjusted the settings on one of Mira’s old power cores.
Rosie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, learning how to blow stuff up in record time.”
The room broke into chuckles, even as Geo muttered, “We’re all gonna be kicked out when Mira sees this.”
The banter was interrupted by a low, ominous hum that filled the air. The lights in the workshop flickered, and an eerie silence followed before a mechanical voice boomed through the room.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Team Vapor. You’ve been busy.”
The group froze as a hologram of Professor Wousay materialized in the middle of the room, her signature smirk plastered across her face. She looked as smug as ever, surrounded by projections of her latest gadgets and destructive plans.
“Oh great,” Geo groaned. “The queen of unsolicited drama is back.”
“What do you want, Wousay?” Vapor asked, stepping forward.
Wousay’s hologram chuckled. “To finish what I started, of course. I’ve got a brand-new toy, and I can’t wait to test it out on all of you.”
The sound of heavy machinery approached, shaking the ground as Wousay’s latest war machine—a towering, spider-like robot armed with glowing cannons—emerged outside the workshop.
“Well,” Nica said, cracking her knuckles, “this should be fun.”
---
The team rushed outside to face Wousay’s monstrosity, which towered over the HQ. The robot’s cannons began to glow ominously as Wousay spoke through the machine.
“This beam can destroy anything in its path. Let’s see how your so-called indestructibility holds up, Nica.”
Before anyone could react, the cannon fired a blinding purple beam directly at Nica. Vapor yelled, “Nica, move!” but she stood her ground, crossing her arms as the beam slammed into her.
The impact sent shockwaves through the area, leaving a massive crater where Nica had been standing. Smoke and dust filled the air.
“Nica!” Rosie shouted, searching the haze.
As the dust cleared, Nica emerged, standing tall, albeit with burn marks and gashes covering her body. Her clothes were singed, and for a brief moment, she looked like she’d taken serious damage.
But then, in the blink of an eye, her wounds healed, her skin returning to its flawless state. She stretched her arms nonchalantly, popping her neck.
“That’s it?” Nica said, raising an eyebrow. “Felt like a tickle.”
Wousay’s voice crackled through the speakers. “What?! That’s impossible!”
“Yeah, it’s called being immortal,” Nica replied, rolling her eyes. “You should try reading my character bio sometime.”
The group exchanged glances, Geo whispering, “Did she just… break the fourth wall?”
Before anyone could comment further, Nica’s hands began to glow with her own purple energy. “Alright, Wousay, let’s see how you like it.”
With a burst of energy, Nica fired a beam that was twice as large and far more intense than Wousay’s. It tore through the robot’s armor like it was paper, sending the machine stumbling back.
Wousay screamed through the speakers, “You think this is over? I’ll be back!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Nica said, dusting off her hands. “They always say that.”
The robot exploded spectacularly, the remains collapsing into a heap of smoldering metal. The team stared at Nica, who was casually brushing soot off her clothes.
“I’m starting to think you’re too powerful,” Austin said, shaking his head.
“I mean, what can I say?” Nica replied with a smirk. “It’s not my fault I’m built different.”
---
Back inside the workshop, the team gathered around the table, still buzzing from the encounter.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Geo said, poking at a plate of fish Vapor had prepared earlier.
“Not everything has to be dramatic,” Vapor replied. “Sometimes it’s just about surviving the day.”
Rosie nudged him. “That’s a very responsible thing to say. Who are you, and what did you do with the real Vapor?”
“Ha ha,” Vapor deadpanned.
Meanwhile, Nica leaned back in her chair, hands behind her head. “You know, it’s moments like this that make being immortal fun. I mean, who else gets to casually survive death beams and then have a fish feast with their friends?”
Vapor smirked. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Rosie leaned toward Vapor. “So, about that date… is this how all our evenings are gonna go?”
He laughed. “What can I say? Life with Team Vapor is never boring.”
The group laughed, the chaos of the evening fading into the background as they enjoyed their hard-earned meal.
