Fallen Angel

Chapter 9

Hagar led the way down empty hallways with the occasional passing soldier. Nyx stayed in the back of the group with Johnny as he continued trying to talk to her. In fact she had been so distant that it took him snapping fire past her face to snap her out of it.

            "What was that for?" Nyx asked.

            "I was trying to talk to you." Johnny hissed before looking up at where Victor had paused to look at them. "I don't like the look he's giving you... do me a favor and stay away from him. In fact I don't want you out of my sight."

            She let out a short bark of laughter. "Actually he's looking at you... watch."

            Nyx walked away from him before Johnny could process what she meant and into the room to watch the video, Johnny saw Victor continuing to look at him with cold hatred before following her inside. He hurried into the room and sat down beside Nyx before noticing Victor had already sat down on her other side and was now showing her something.

            "Victor everyone's here." Hagar interrupted much to Johnny's relief.

            Doom stood up and took a remote out of his pocket to address everyone. "Hagar told you earlier I encountered the alien. Well what I'm about to show you is a detailed recording of that encounter."

            Victor pressed play before sitting back down to watch the short video, Johnny tried to pay attention to it but he kept casting suspicious looks towards Nyx and Doom who were busy paying attention to what was happening on the screen.

            Suddenly a voice filled the room... a familiar one. Surfer. "All that you know is at an end."

            The Victor on the screen said something too quiet to hear as Silver Surfer retreated before shocking it. That turned out to be a good and bad idea; Surfer turned back around and blasted him back off the screen before disappearing down the icy gorge. Ben grinned and held in his laughter before the screen Victor came back on healed of the metal that had been taking over his body.

            The screen went blank and Hagar turned on the lights. Ben finally let out his laughter and turned to face Victor. "I like the part where you fall on your-"

            "We are not going to be starting another fight here!" Hagar cut him off.

            Victor ignored what Ben had been about to say and rewound the video to the part right before he was hit and let it play. "Look at where the energy levels surge when he attacks me."

            "The energy was channeled through him from the board." Reed examined. "If we can separate him from his board, we can cut off his power completely."

            "That's what we have to do."

            "How?" Johnny spoke up.

            Victor turned to look at him. "If I knew that, I wouldn't need you people now would I?"

            "You two should get started right away." General Hagar ordered.

            Reed nodded and led the way out into the hallway before Victor caught up. "I'm glad we have the chance to collaborate again. I'll try to talk slowly so you can keep up."

            Nyx, who was walking between him and Johnny, elbowed him in the side just hard enough to let him know she wasn't amused. "Be nice Victor."

            She heard him sigh in defeat but knew there would be trouble again. There always would be no matter what she or anyone else did; it was as if the universe wanted her brother and Victor to hate each other. Nyx turned away from them as she followed Johnny, Ben, and Sue to a room Hagar had designated for them to hang out in as the scientists worked.