[center][img]http://baku-panda.org/images/absolute_billy_logo.png[/img][/center][COLOR=1E90FF][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]T H E F O R B I D D E N A S T E R O I D S[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][INDENT][sup][color=gold]The Andromeda Galaxy[/color][/sup][/INDENT][/INDENT] The young horse lord was seated in mid-air. It was a [i]floating meditation[/i]. A practical exercise in the application of physics that defined the fundamental principles of Kymellian technomancy. His three-fingered hands held out, the boy concentrated on understanding the present exercise. To understand his place in the universe. To reflect on what forces were acting on him. To appreciate how he affected the kinetic potential around him… He was interrupted by a chime. Looking up, the young Kymellian spoke to the air as he answered, [color=#00ffff]“Yes?”[/color] [i]“Lord Whitemane, you’d requested to be contacted when we had contact from the human.”[/i] The horse-boy’s ears immediately perked up. [color=#00ffff]“Billy?”[/color] he uttered wistfully, hopping from out of the lotus position. In a shimmery flash, the world surrounding him was displaced. Gone were his spartan quarters. In their place, he had returned to central assembly. [i][color=#00bfff]“Captain... og, star... whatever point...”[/color][/i] It was unmistakably Billy Batson. The sound of his voice brought a smile to Kofi’s long face, his imagination already running away with flights of fantasy that sought to speculate on what adventure that Billy might have found waiting for him on Tolmeria. G’Kar and Aelfyre were already present, the two figures pouring over different monitors. [color=#7fffd4]“The Galladorians have an exploratory vessel that received this transmission,” [/color]Aelfyre offered, casually taking note of his young cousin’s arrival. [i][color=#00bfff]“I’ve arrived... Tolmeria. Surface search is... ning up any signs of life... definitely been a... something here. Maybe a...”[/color][/i] The sound of Billy’s voice was becoming distorted, crackling in and out amid bursts of static. After a moment, Aelfyre looked up and noted, [color=#7fffd4]“That was as much of the signal that they were able to decipher.”[/color] Kofi looked down toward the floor, then raised his eyes again. It was more news than they’d had. And now they knew that Billy had arrived at Tolmeria. [color=#f9cb9c]“The vessel was able to capture several scans of the Tolmeria System,” [/color]G’Kar intoned, in his booming voice. Lowering his tone slightly, the Okaaran warlord noted, [color=#f9cb9c]“The energy readings are concerning.”[/color] An Okaaran who expressed anything resembling fear was cause for a double take. Aelfyre moved over toward the monitor where G’Kar had been standing. Reviewing the data there, the elder Kymellian remarked, [color=#7fffd4]“This electromagnetic signature is consistent with Billy’s power. But I don’t think we’ve seen him hold such a high output for any extended period of time.”[/color] G’Kar just gave a solemn nod. [color=#f9cb9c]“Whatever he’s fighting, Billy’s at his limit.”[/color] Kofi just blinked at that suggestion. Billy [b][i]had[/i][/b] a limit? Everything that Kofi had seen had caused him to believe that Billy was unstoppable. So, the Kymellian boy could hardly believe the question that he was posing, as he opened his mouth and asked, [color=#00ffff]“He’s in trouble?”[/color] Aelfyre didn’t answer. [color=#f9cb9c]“We may all be in trouble,”[/color] G’Kar murmured darkly. The two adults just stood there, arms crossed and brooding as they cast dark glances at the monitors in the room. Looking up at the pair, Kofi was quiet for only a moment before he reached up to tap his communicator. [color=#00ffff]“Friday, please prepare for launch.”[/color] Aelfyre’s head snapped up. [color=#7fffd4]“Kofi, what are you doing?”[/color] What was he doing? What [i]should [/i]he be doing? What would Billy do? Standing his ground, the horse-lord looked up at his uncle and said, [color=#00ffff]“Well, for starters, I’m not standing around.”[/color] [center][color=steelblue][b]+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - +[/b][/color][/center] Space was an infinite vacuum that was expanding infinitely in all directions. So how was it possible to be [i]out of breath[/i] in space? Well, beyond the notion of being out of breath all the time. Because of the no air thing. But, seriously, Billy ordinarily moved about in deep space with no problem. Now, he and this Terrax guy had been going at it for long enough that they’d moved from the planet into orbit and then beyond. For his part, Billy was pretty [b]winded[/b]. Which was remarkable, because he’d forgotten just what this felt like. The last time he’d felt this way, it was the Second World War and Billy still had no ideas just what his powers even did. And Terrax the Pants-less? Dude still seemed the same as when Billy first met him. He took everything that Billy could dish out and then came back without so much as a scratch. The transition from terrestrial planet to the interstellar medium allowing Billy a luxury of being able to cut loose without worrying about doing some serious damage to the environment. Even still, none of his blasts seemed to faze Terrax. They were fighting to a stand-still, but it wouldn’t last. Terrax was wearing Billy down. At this rate, Billy would exhaust himself and then Terrax would return to Tolmeria to continue the conquest and enslavement of the planet. Unfortunately, punching things repeatedly wasn’t looking like it was going to carry the day for this one. And Billy was running out of other ideas. There was a warbling chirp in his right ear. His communicator had just paired with another. Did that mean..? [color=#00bfff]“Friday, I need something to trap this guy. Quick!”[/color] [color=#00ffff]“Trap?”[/color] Kofi’s voice came back through the open channel. [color=#00ffff]“What trap?”[/color] [color=#00bfff]“I dunno,”[/color] Billy tossed back, ducking and weaving as he continued to try and press his attack. [color=#00bfff]“[i]Something![/i]” [/color] Trading a series of blows, Billy fought to try and get a word out. [color=#00bfff]“I just do the punching, [i]you’re[/i] ‘sposed to do the thinking.”[/color] Friday’s voice came back a moment later. [i][color=#fff2cc]“There is a neutron star at approximately two-eight-seven mark twelve, distance forty astronomical units.”[/color][/i] Glancing around, Billy finally stared down at his feet and oriented himself to the location that Friday had mentioned. He could feel the gravity from [i]here[/i]. Getting close to that was going to be a day time… [color=#00bfff]“Kofi, I hope you got a bodyslide in you,” [/color]Billy noted softly. Bracing himself, he deflected a punch along his forearm, before angling himself so that Terrax was between himself and the neutron star. [color=#00bfff]“‘Cuz I think I’m gonna need one…”[/color] [color=#00ffff]“You’re not actually [i]flying[/i] into a neutron star, are you?”[/color] [color=#00bfff]“See you in a bit,”[/color] Billy quipped, before rocketing forward in an explosion of nuclear energies. He slammed into Terrax, grabbing hold of him even as the two accelerated rapidly to the speed of light, and then beyond. Letting go of Terrax, Billy flipped around to kick away from the pants-less dictator. He didn’t get very far. He could feel himself falling backward into the star’s gravity. It was possible that this was a bad idea. Pressing against the edge of forever, he blacked out.