The group assembled in a larger part of the Crash Pad. Every seat, tabletop, floorspace, and even a few stacks of tires, were occupied.
"All right," Night Thrasher barked. "We've tabulated the votes and we came to the conclusion that we couldn't come to a conclusion, so you're all in!" He let this sink in for a minute.
"I MADE THE TEAM!" Spider-Kid shouted suddenly, leaping from his pile of tires mirroring everyone's emotions.
"Does anyone know what we're gonna do with thirty-two New Warriors?" Speedball asked no one in particular.
"Hold a car wash?", Spider-Kid blurted out without thinking.
Frog Man glared at Spider-Kid angrilly. "Don't make me thwack you!"
"I've been toying with the idea of dividing us into smaller teams for a while," Thrash commented. "This would be a good time to implement that idea."
"Interesting," Nova stated. "But who'd be in charge of who?"
"That would be myself, Kymaera, and Vance. Each team will have at least two other veteran members, and..."
"An idea you were kicking around?" Speedball joked. "Sounds more like strangling in a dark alley."
Ignoring the comment, Thrash continued, "The rookies will draw straws for which teams they are on."
"OK," Frog-Man said. "I've got the paper. Who's got a pencil?"
"Eugene, if I could reach you I would hurt you," Nita grumbled.
Dropping out of hyperspace behind Mars, it engaged its cloaking device, slipping past Earth's "early-warning" systems.
"Is it confirmed?" the apparent leader asked.
"It is," another replied. "Centurion Saal is no longer alive. Scanning the planet's surface for the replacement."
"Somebody open up all the windows!" she exclaimed.
"What an incredible smell you've discovered," Porcupine countered.
"It could be worse!" Ariel retorted. "At least I didn't land us in the bathroom. This is just the engine room."
"Where's the bridge?" Porcupine asked, looking around.
"Follow me," Rich stated, leading them out the door and down a hallway.
"So, the replacement is on Saal's ship. Hail him, and if it is the young Rider, immobilize it."
"By your command."
"Nova Centurion scout team to Centurion vessel, do you receive?"
Looking around, she saw that everyone else was otherwise occupied, and answered.
"Nova ship phone call getting. Who you?"
Taken aback, the Nova Centurion glanced over his shoulder before replying.
"I'm looking for Nova Centurion Saal's replacement."
"At her you look. Who Sal?"
"Umm...."
"Catseye not have all day. Speak up!"
"Centurion, you did receive your Nova powers from Centurion Garthan Saal, did you not?"
"Oh! Want Rocket-Man! Catseye go get!" Flicking off the screen, effectively cutting off the communications, she ran down the hallway.
Barrelling into Nova, Catseye reverted to human form.
"Rocket! Phone call! Come quick!"
"Phone call?" Rich asked, puzzled. "From who?"
"Other Novas."
"WHAT?!" Flying into the bridge, he called for Ultra Girl to answer the call.
"Remember, just give them the line that we'll be returning Saal's body as soon as we can figure this ship out."
"Isn't that the truth anyways?" she asked.
"Part of it. Now make the call."
Borrowing Nova's helmet, Ultra Girl flicked the screen back on.
"Nova here."
"'Rocket-Man' is a female?" the Centurion commented, puzzled.
"Sorry. My associate gets confused sometimes."
"I see. Do you have the body of Nova Centurion Saal with you?"
Ultra Girl looked over to Rich, who nodded from off-screen. Not looking back to face the other Nova, she feined sorrow, and answered, "What's left of him."
"Very well," came the reply. "Prepare for us to dock. We will retreive the body as soon as possible."
"That might not be necessary. I'm aboard this ship preparing to return the remains myself."
"Very well. We will send over an officer to assist you in ships operations."
Ultra Girl was about to protest further, but a shake of Nova's head advised her otherwise.
"We'll be waiting his arrival. Nova out."
Switching off the screen, she turned to Nova.
"So what exactly are we gonna do, smart-guy?"
"I think I know what he has in mind," Nita answered with a smile. Looking around, she asked, "Where did Chance go?"
"I believe she's in the armory...with Ariel", was the reply.
"I'm in Heaven." she commented, grasping one of the larger rifles. "I could learn to like this."
"Do you know how to use that?" Ariel asked.
"No. But how hard could it be."
Pulling back on a lever, Chance listened to the high-pitched whine as the gun charged. Taking aim at the doorway, she pulled the trigger.
Poking her head through the remains of the doorway, Nita told them, "We need you two to head off a boarding party."
"Hey, Suck, how about giving me a peak under the mask?" she said, applying her possession ability. The responce she got was totally unexpected.
"FEEL THE SUCK!" he yelled, and pointed ceilingward. Looking up, she saw why he wasn't being affected. The ceiling fan was on.
"Pal, you've got to work on the name and dialogue," Speedball groaned.
"Sez you, Superball," Rage chuckled.
"Speedball! SPEEDball!" he responded sharply. "If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times...!"
"I had a Superball once," Spider Kid popped in. "I had this big dream to bounce it out the deepest part of the Grand Canyon! But I lost it."
Speedball pegged him with a bubble.
"I'm telling you, Ang," Jen commented. "Go for it! Set the date without his knowledge, tell him you'll meet him at a church, then show up in your dress. I'll even help you get ready."
Chuckling to herself, Angel gave it two seconds worth of serious thought. "Nah. I don't want him wearing jeans to the wedding."
"People've been married in worse," Jen commented. "You'd be surprised at most of the stuff they wear, or don't wear, in Atlantic City."
Thus preoccupied, the girls almost didn't notice the shouting and commotion farther up on the beach.
"Mutie loving scum!"
"Bigotted trash!"
"Uh-oh," Allison muttered. "Trouble."
As the girls watched, the police tried to keep two mobs of people away from each other. One group was holding signs that read "DIE, MUTIE", while the other was holding signs reading "M.O.N.S.T.E.R. POWER!"
"What's 'M.O.N.S.T.E.R.'?" Allison asked.
"They're a pro-mutant group," Angel explained. "The other group must be the Friends of Humanity."
"A most inappropriately named group if there ever was one," Allison remarked.
"Yeah," Jen commented, heading towards the commotion. "Mutants are people too, y'know."
"What are you doing?" Angel asked.
"Just giving these 'Friends' a little bad luck disc surprise," Roulette replied with a laugh.
Sailing in a graceful arc, the black disc struck one the the 'Friends' in the back of the head. At the same moment he took a step forward to get a better shot at a M.O.N.S.T.E.R. with the brick in his hand, and tripped on a volleyball that had no real business being there.
Trying to regain his balance, he let go of the brick, which traveled only a short distance to smack another 'Friend' in the forehead. Reeling from the impact, he fell forward, knocking over several other 'Friends' around him, and so it spread outward.
"Whatta ya know," Jen smirked triumphantly. "Jackpot."
"Ready?" Chance muttered.
"I guess."
The airlock doors opened, and the Nova found himself faced with two young ladies holding plasma rifles at the ready.
"Good evening, sir, ma'am..." he began.
"Wrong," Chance muttered.
"Yeah," Ariel added. "We're two bad, beautiful babes with really big guns."
"Feel like taking your chances?" Chance asked, levelling her gun at the Nova corpsman.
"Ease up, Chance. Invite the hunk in," Ariel twittered at her partner. "I'm Ariel, this is Chance. Welcome aboard."
Taking the Nova Centurion's hand, Ariel pumped it vigorously. Chance picked up on Ariel's cue, and took a chance.
Negating the Nova's powers, she slipped behind him, and got him in a chokehold.
"Wha?!" The Nova struggled, trying in vain to toss this human female off his back. Surely his strength would aid him, but it had deserted him.
"You don't want to do that," Ariel told him, her voice soothing. "I mean, with your strength, you could probably break her in half. Which would be a dark spot on your conscience, I bet. In fact, why don't you just go to sleep."
"Sleep," the Nova muttered, falling over with a loud thud.
"What a pushover," Chance muttered, giving the Nova a kick in the chest. "He's no match for a pair of Fallen Angels, is he?"
"Guess not." Hitting a comm station on the wall, she stated, "Ariel to Bridge. One Nova Centurion, soundly sleeping."
"Huh?" Alex responded, confused.
"You know. Earth-born people. Why can't all these Kree go try to live on Xandar or somethin'?"
"I agree," the Suck said. "They'll be easier to round up for reintegration."
"Whu...?"
The Suck got up and left the room before anyone could ask a more in depth question.
"Something tells me we're gonna have to watch him," Vance muttered.
The visiting Nova Centurion was tied to a chair on the bridge, facing a communications screen. Ultra Girl had dropped the charade of being the new Nova of Earth, and smiled sweetly at him.
"Sorry for the deception, but we're in a hurry. Now do as you're told."
"Understood. When do you expect a return to Xandar?"
"Within the week."
"Fine. Scout Pod out." Turning to the rest of the crew, the Pod Commander ordered, "Let's get out of this backwater system."
"This was collected by Saal, and given to me right before he died. Happy reading."
Most characters are registered trademarks of Marvel Comics, with the exception of The Suck, who is mine, and Porcupine, who is based on a deceased Marvel villain.