Chapter 103: 103

Words : 904 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

An hour passed before Amanda Waller finally called him back. Time to stop dwelling on cryptic prophecies and focus on the present. "We've found her," she said without preamble. "She's on the move. One of our agents is tailing her and will send you the coordinates." She hung up immediately. Seconds later, a new number pinged his burner phone with a message. The location: Ocean City, Connecticut—southwest of Chicago. Nova took a deep breath and rose silently into the sky. Higher and higher until he pierced the clouds, then ignited his feet with a burst of golden light. A blazing trail marked his path through the upper atmosphere as he rocketed eastward, pushing Mach 2.5. He could have used a Zeta-tube to appear closer instantly, but that would alert the Justice League. He wasn't in the mood to explain himself. Fifteen minutes later, Ocean City came into view. From above, it looked like a strip of civilization carved into the ocean itself—densely packed, artificial, and glinting in the afternoon sun. His comm buzzed again. Update: A jet had launched from a warehouse Silver Swan had entered. She's running? Out of the country? Not happening. Nova scanned the skies and spotted it—sleek and dark, ripping across the horizon at supersonic speed. Mach 2, maybe. Still slower than him. With a pulse of Nova Force, he surged ahead. Within seconds, he overtook the jet, hovered alongside the cockpit spotting only a startled pilot, then drifted toward a reinforced hatch on the side. He dug his fingers in, tore the door free, and stepped into the cabin. Inside, two startled women separated. One of them was unmistakable—dark skin, long black hair held back by a golden diadem, dark blue eyes like ice, and a regal poise dressed in gray with gold accents. The Queen of Bialya. Nova had heard stories from his mentor. Captain Atom described her as a despot cloaked in diplomacy—psychic, dangerous, and manipulative to the core. The second woman was the one he'd come for: red hair, silver combat suit, metallic wings folded behind her. Silver Swan. "Why are you here?" Queen Bee asked, her voice calm—too calm for someone whose jet had just been invaded. There was something in her tone, a compulsion woven beneath her words. Nova felt the tug in his mind—and resisted. If Martians couldn't even peer into his mind, Queen Bee had no chance of enthralling him. Had she controlled Silver Swan? Was she behind Kori's near death? He said nothing. The Queen didn't like the silence. Her eyes flicked toward Swan, and her voice sharpened. "Apprehend him!" Silver Swan leapt into motion, wings flaring as she lunged. But she never reached him. Nova willed his anti-gravity field to take hold of them. Both women slammed down, pinned by invisible force. He turned on his ability to hear thoughts. "Did you control Silver Swan to kill Starfire?" he asked, eyes locked on Queen Bee. 'He knows. He can't know. The Light must be warned. We need to kill him—now.' Nova's jaw tightened. That was all the confirmation he needed. The image of Kori's broken body flashed in his mind—ribs shattered, face bruised, chest torn open. Silver Swan had done that. And Queen Bee had ordered it. He forced his fury down. "Who are the Light?" he asked. Fear spiked in Queen Bee's mind. Her thoughts betrayed her before her face could hide it. Vandal Savage. Ra's al Ghul. Ocean Master. The Brain. Klarion the Witch Boy. Lex Luthor. Nova only recognized the last two names. Queen Bee's eyes widened. "How do you know that?" She turned to Silver Swan. "Kill him!" Silver Swan's mouth opened and let loose a blast of raw, sonic energy. The scream hit Nova point blank. He flew backward, crashing through the jet's hull, flung into the open sky. His ears rang. Vision blurred. The world flipped upside down. He tumbled, disoriented, spinning helplessly. Then—pain. Talons punctured his shoulders. Silver Swan caught him midair, wings slicing the air as she held him aloft. Her face twisted in triumph. "I thought I imagined it," she whispered, leaning in close. "But now I'm sure. I can feel it in your blood." Her words echoed through the haze. His helmet—cracked by the scream—had shattered, exposing his face. "You're Joseph Bell," she breathed, her eyes wide and glittering. "The only other survivor of the experimental procedure." Joseph's heart sank. 'The procedure?' he thought. 'That's how she got her powers? But I thought the experiments ended. How?' He clenched his jaw. Revenge was inches from his fingertips but he couldn't move—couldn't do anything. His body remained sluggish, his strength siphoned by the nanites he once trusted as Queen Bee's jet continued on its path. "I'm going to kill you the same way I killed Starfire." Silver Swan said She readjusted her grip. One hand at his throat. The other pressing against his chest. He felt her claws pierce skin. Blood spilled freely down his suit. At this rate he was going to die if he didn't do something. Then Nova recalled how Count Viper had brought him into the Astral Plane. Joseph focused, locked eyes with Swan, ramped up his psychic absorption ability, and willed both of them to enter Dream State.

Chapter 103: 103

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