Halloween Contest Entry: Strangely Liminal

Contest Entry by ID 10850

Quark woke up to the voice on the communicator, "To... any... heroes who can hear... me...," it crackled. "BADGE has been compromised... help..."

Then it went silent.

It was on Director Nova's emergency channel. Within a fraction of a second, Quark teleported to BADGE HQ. One good thing about teleportation is that he didn't have to take the two-mile ride down the elevator, which he thought was extremely long and boring. The other good thing is that it didn't take any time, like tunneling through a wormhole.

Quark emerged in the corridor outside the central computer room, which was where Nova's call originated. An eerie green glow lit up the corners of the entrance, pulsating with an ominous energy.

The door flung open and out came Nova, floating mid-air, his eyes glowing green (including his eye patch), and his limbs suspended limply like a marionette. He had a mischievous grin on his face, and let out a shrill high-pitched laughter.

"Aha ha ha! Welcome to my world, stranger!"

"Director?" Quark was startled. "No... Who are you?"

"I am the stuff of Otherworlds. Tonight your world is mine!" Nova said without moving his mouth.

Needless to say, it was bizarre. Not that Quark had never seen anything more bizarre in the multiverses. Still, he had never expected to see Nova like this.

"Um... I don't think you belong here. And you certainly don't belong in the Director's body," Quark said.

"It is my time, and I belong where I choose! How dare you challenge me!" Nova raised his voice.

"I'm not challenging you but..."

Before Quark could finish his reply, the Nova marionette lurched forward with his fist right in the direction of Quark's face. Quark didn't have time to dodge but his head did. It quantum jumped five feet away, leaving his body momentarily before phasing back.

"What? You're an Aos Sí too?" The voice in Nova asked, surprised.

"A what?"

"Spirit of the Otherworld, like me," the voice added.

"No I'm not," Quark replied. "I'm..."

"IMPOSTER!!!" The green glow in Nova turned red and flung his body headfirst towards Quark.

Instinctively, Quark raised his fist and Nova's nose flew into it.

CRACK!

"Ha ha ha ha! You can't hurt me," the voice laughed gleefully, even though blood was running down Nova's broken nose. "I don't feel pain!"

Again, the spirit controlling Nova flung his body against Quark; this time ramming Nova's eye into Quark's other fist. The good eye.

THUMP!

"I don't need eyes to see," the spirit smirked. "But you obviously need three!" It lifted Nova high into the air and threw his body in Quark's direction.

This time Quark tried to duck and lifted his right arm to block his head.

CRUNCH!

Nova's mouth hit Quark's raised elbow, and Quark thought he felt a tooth splinter off.

"I can do this all day," the spirit once again raised Nova's body into the air and flung it at Quark.

Quark managed to phase five feet away and Nova's body crashed into a heap on the ground.

"Why are you doing this?" Quark asked.

"It's Samhain. It's the only time of the year I get to be free in your world and have fun!" It lifted Nova up again and lurched towards Quark.

Again and again. Each time, Quark just phased a few feet away.

"But you are no fun to play with," the spirit was getting frustrated. "What kind of Aos Sí are you? How do you phase like that?"

"I am the Strange Quark."

"You're too weird to fight," the spirit sighed. "And now it is time for me to go... But I will be back again next Samhain when the boundaries between our worlds converge. And I will come back STRONGER!!!"

"Oh yeah? Well I will come back WEIRDER!!!" Quark retorted.

And just like that, the green glow left Nova's body and turned into a flying Jack-o-lantern before disappearing into thin air.

*****

Director Nova came to in his chair, feeling bruised and battered. He had a broken nose, a black eye, and a missing tooth. And not to mention aches all over.

"You OK, Director?" Quark asked.

"Wh... What... happened?"

"Long story, sir, but basically a spirit from another world took over your body, and hit you in the nose, eye, and mouth..."