Nova woke up in what appeared to be a hospital. Sitting up straight, she placed a hand on her head, trying to piece together how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was Cain about to kill her, and then someone flying down from the sky. But everything after that was a blur.
She glanced around, hoping to find someone who could explain what had happened. Her eyes landed on a doctor attending to a patient beside her.
Hearing movement, the doctor turned and noticed Nova was awake. "Oh, you're up," he said. After finishing with the other patient, he walked over to check on her wounds.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, examining her closely.
"Okay... I think," Nova replied, unsure of how to process everything—unsure of who had saved her, unsure if this was real or some dream, or worse, the afterlife.
"I see," the doctor responded, satisfied with her recovery. "Your wounds are healed. If you want to leave, you're free to go." He turned to tend to the other patients.
But a question plagued Nova's mind, one she couldn't ignore. "Wait," she called out, stopping him.
The doctor turned back to face her. "Is there something else you need?" he asked.
Nova hesitated for a moment, curiosity burning inside her. She took a deep breath and finally asked, "Who was the man that saved me?"
The doctor gave a small smile, almost as if the answer should've been obvious. "It was the number one hero," he said, leaving her with the answer she had been searching for.
She was stunned by the revelation. She had always believed he was in outer space, entrusted with the safety of everyone aboard that ship. But now, everything began to make sense, the truth clicking into place, bringing clarity to her confusion.
Nova was married to the number one hero. Their bond had formed years ago, back when she had first risen to the rank of number two at the age of twenty. They had embarked on countless missions together, their connection growing stronger with each adventure, and within a year, their partnership had deepened into marriage. The number one hero had always been stronger and more popular than Nova. Yet, despite his unmatched strength and fame, he never let arrogance or pride take root. He remained humble, never allowing anger or darkness to consume him. At every event they attended together, people from all corners of the world would gather just to catch a glimpse of him. Though many came to see Nova as well, the difference was clear. She often felt as if he cast an enormous shadow over her, a reminder of the gap between them.
Nova rose from the hospital bed and made her way to the door, pausing briefly as the cries of pain echoed through the room. One of the fighters who had faced Cain was writhing in agony, his body ravaged by the brutal defeat. Feeling a pang of sympathy, she averted her gaze and stepped into the hallway.
It was her first time in a hospital, and the sight overwhelmed her. Nurses and doctors rushed about, attending to patients, some of whom she recognized from the tournament. Others were victims of Cain's violent rampage. The air felt heavy with suffering.
As she approached the front entrance to leave, a voice called out from the reception desk. "Excuse me, before you go, we need you to fill out some paperwork, please," the receptionist asked, handing Nova a clipboard.
After a few minutes of scribbling down information, Nova returned the completed forms, thanked the staff, and stepped outside. The cool breeze hit her face, bringing with it a sense of calm. She inhaled deeply, savouring the fresh air, allowing it to centre her before she set off for her next destination, the Hero Association building.
Not wanting to draw attention, Nova leaped into the sky, flying swiftly toward the towering headquarters.
Meanwhile, inside the Hero Association building, Marc waited for John to finish the entrance test. Bored and passing time, he chatted with the severed head resting on the table in front of him. After what felt like an eternity, John finally emerged, grinning from ear to ear. He approached Marc eagerly, ready to share the good news.
Marc glanced up at John, noticing his calm expression with a subtle hint of happiness. "So, how did it go?" Marc asked.
John sat down in the chair next to him. "They said I passed. I'll get my rank in about an hour," John replied, then turned his attention to the head Marc was carrying. "By the way, is it even okay to be walking around with a robotic head like that?" he asked, waiting for Marc's response with a curious look.
Marc glanced at John, unsure of how to respond. "Honestly, I don't think anyone really cares," he finally said.
John nodded, trying to recall if Marc had ever mentioned his rank, but nothing came to mind. "So, what rank are you?" John asked, curious.
"My rank?" Marc paused for a moment, thinking. "I'm rank A. Why do you ask?" he replied, glancing at John.
"Just curious," John answered, though his mind drifted to memories of the world he was born in. The sound of gasps behind him pulled him back to the present. Turning his head, he saw Nova walking into the Hero Association building, surrounded by people from various ranks eagerly greeting her.
John looked back at Marc, expecting him to be interested. "Aren't you going to talk to Nova?" he asked.
Marc shook his head, still looking down, his mind elsewhere. "Not really," he said quietly, thinking about the promise he made to someone to watch and learn from the tournament fight.
Nova walked up to the front desk, hoping to find something to do to kill time until the return of the number one hero. But everything had already been cleared out; there were no missions or tasks left for her. The realization irritated her, and the thought of sitting idle until the hero came back only made it worse.
She leaned against the wall, scanning the room for someone to train or spar with. But there was no one, everyone at her rank had gone on a space expedition to another planet. She was the only one left behind.
As her gaze drifted, she spotted John, Marc, and the head of War Machine. John and Marc were seated beside each other, with War Machine's head placed on the desk in front of them. *Hmm, maybe I could challenge him to a rematch, she thought. He might give me a decent fight this time*. But when her eyes fell on Marc, she dismissed the idea. It wasn't because he wasn't strong, he was, but she and the number one hero had made a silent agreement to avoid getting too close to him.
John noticed Nova staring at him, but there was no friendliness in her gaze, just irritation mixed with a hint of anger. He avoided making eye contact, but her piercing stare weighed heavily on him. *Why is she looking at me like that? What did I do?* His mind raced for answers. *Did she find out I'm not from this world? Oh no, she's going to kill me, isn't she?*
Unable to resist, John glanced at her briefly. But before he could fully meet her eyes, she was gone. He looked left, then right, and felt a wave of relief when he realized she wasn't there anymore. He sighed, feeling the tension in his chest ease, until a voice spoke behind him.
"You're John, right?"
He jumped, startled by the sound, and turned slowly. Nova stood right behind him. "Y-Yeah, that's me," he replied, his voice trembling slightly, unsure of what she might do next.
"I'd like to talk to you in private," Nova said, walking away and waiting for John to follow.
"What did you do?" Marc asked, glancing at John.
"I have no idea," John replied, sounding a bit anxious. He sighed and headed toward Nova, mentally preparing for whatever was coming. His hand slipped into his pocket, fingers brushing against the shrunken staff he'd found in that cave, now the size of a toothpick.
"What is it you want?" John asked, gripping the tiny staff tightly, his expression turning serious.
"You're not from around here, are you?" Nova said, her tone equally serious as she locked eyes with him.