Chapter 59: 59

The night stretched over Chicago like a funeral shroud. Nova stood atop a rooftop, watching the city lights flicker in the distance, having just ended the game session with his friends. Dizzy's latest assignment had gone smoothly, but something felt... off. There had been rumors. Whispers of a masked figure targeting corrupt officials. Someone with a twisted sense of humor and a vendetta against the same people Joseph had been dealing with. The Prankster. Joseph had done his research. The guy had been at this for years, but his pattern was escalating. And now, it seemed, their paths had converged. He didn't like complications. He received a call on a comm. Carla Viti: Got word. Someone's planning a show. Big target. Wallace Cole. Joseph's eyes narrowed. If Prankster was making his move on Wallace, this was his chance to deal with the problem before it got out of hand. There could only be one hunter in Chicago. And Joseph intended to make damn sure it was him. ** After assembling a team of henchmen, the Prankster set his endgame in motion against Mayor Wallace Cole. At precisely 2:00 PM on Sunday, July 4, 2010, every television screen in Chicago flickered and distorted before displaying his masked face. His voice, laced with venom and theatrical amusement, echoed across the city. "Good afternoon, Chicago! Your esteemed mayor, Wallace Cole, has stolen over 52 million dollars from the good people of this city. Until that money is returned, I promise you, Chicago will suffer. Consider this my Independence Day gift. Let the fireworks begin!" Chaos erupted across the city as panic gripped the citizens. Nova, who had been scouring the city for Prankster all morning after hearing rumors of his potential activity, clenched his fists in frustration. He had hoped to handle this himself, but this was escalating too fast. He couldn't afford to let his pride endanger innocent lives. Pulling up his communicator from his belt, he called the Justice League. Captain Atom answered. "Nova, what's the situation?" "Prankster's making his move. He just hijacked every screen in Chicago and is threatening to terrorize the city. I need help tracking him down before he does something drastic." Captain Atom hesitated. "Nova, we're stretched thin. Wotan has the Amulet of Aten and is blotting out the sun. The League is in full response mode. You'll have to handle Chicago until we're done here." Nova gritted his teeth. "Of course that fucker Wotan somehow escaped," he muttered under his breath. Next time, Nova would make sure Wotan's bones were broken enough that he'd never wield magic again. For now, Chicago was on its own. He needed a new plan. Nova picked up his comm and called Carla Viti. "Have your men find me Prankster's location. Now." Carla scoffed, but complied. "Yeah, yeah, I'll put my guys on it. Costumed freaks blowing up the city ain't good for business." As if on cue, the city trembled. A distant explosion sent a deep rumble through the air, followed by a thick plume of black smoke rising into the skyline. Then, chaos unfolded on police frequencies. "Emergency! We have hostiles invading CPD headquarters! Repeat, we have multiple hostiles attacking!" Nova barely had time to process before Carla called back. "Prankster just hit the subway and police headquarters." His mind raced. The police could hold out for longer. Civilians on a subway train? Not a chance. "Give me the subway location." Carla relayed the location, but he needed to be there instantly. Without hesitation, Nova willed himself into the Dream State mid-flight. His body, now void of conscious control, tumbled towards the ground as his mind entered the infinite white expanse of the Dream State. Here, he accessed the Data Archive—every bit of information AI Nova had stored before being terminated. He willed for the exact location of the subway attack to appear. The information surfaced in an instant. 'Found it.' Nova forced himself out of the Dream State and snapped back to reality just in time to regain control of his body, adjusting his flight trajectory. He rocketed toward the subway wreckage at full speed. The devastation was horrifying. The wreckage of the subway car was twisted metal and shattered concrete, fire licking at the remains. Bloodied civilians screamed, some trapped under debris, others limp and lifeless. The smell of burning plastic and flesh mixed in the suffocating air. No fire trucks. No paramedics. No backup yet. He was all they had. Nova pushed the fury swelling in his chest down and focused. The first step was containing the fire. He extended his hands, using his anti-gravity field to create an air pocket, suffocating the flames as he stabilized the area. He moved with precision, carefully lifting debris to free survivors while avoiding further injury. The people he could save, he moved to a cleared area, instructing those who could still move to help the injured. His heart pounded as he worked. Every second mattered. But despite his speed, despite his effort, it wasn't enough. Seven people died before he could reach them. One was a young boy. The fire department and paramedics finally arrived, rushing in to take over. Nova, his hands trembling with unspent rage, turned away from the scene. He clenched his fists as he took off into the sky, his vision narrowing with fury. Prankster would pay for this. It was time to end this game.