Marc watched as Nova and John spoke, both wearing serious expressions. He wondered what they could be talking about.
"Hey, I can't see what's going on," War Machine's head said curiously, snapping Marc out of his thoughts.
Lifting the head for a better view, Marc let him take in the scene. The head's eyes shifted back to Marc, intrigued. "They look pretty serious. What do you think they're talking about?"
"I have no idea," Marc replied, his curiosity growing stronger by the second. He badly wanted to know.
Nova stood with her eyes locked on John, the tension in the air palpable. "Are you going to say anything?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, her impatience growing.
John hesitated, still unsure of how to respond. The staff in his pocket had expanded to the size of a phone, slightly visible but still concealed. "I—" he began, but before he could finish, Nova cut him off.
"The people in this city don't take kindly to outsiders, especially ones from that kingdom," she said, her voice tinged with both worry and anger. It was clear that her own troubled history with the other kingdom weighed heavily on her mind.
John was relieved she hadn't figured out that he wasn't from this universe. "So, how did you figure out I was from the other kingdom?" he asked, playing along.
"Everything about you gave it away," she replied, her expression still serious. John, though, had relaxed slightly, keeping just enough of a serious face so she wouldn't suspect anything.
"And here I thought I was being sneaky," he said with a light chuckle, trying to ease the tension.
She studied him for a moment, trying to understand what he found amusing. "You aren't supposed to be here," she said, her tone flat.
"No one else has figured it out yet—just you," John replied, subtly goading her into an argument.
"And what if they do, huh?" she shot back, her voice rising, more frustrated than worried. She was angry because he seemed to be treating it all like a joke.
"Then I'll go back to the other kingdom," John said, his response quick and thoughtless.
"That easy, huh?" she said, calming herself as she tried to suppress her anger. "Look, if the people of this kingdom find out, it could spark another war with the other kingdom," she warned, her voice steady but laced with urgency, hoping to make him understand how serious the situation was.
"Don't worry, I can hide myself just fine. Now, is that all you wanted to talk about? I'm exhausted from that entrance exam, and I need some rest," John replied, trying to cut the conversation short.
"Actually, there is one more thing," she said, pausing briefly before adding, "I want a rematch."
"Really?" John asked, confused as to why she'd want a rematch when she had already won their fight in the tournament. "Why?"
Nova hesitated for a moment, searching for a reason. "Because... all the high-ranking members are out on a mission, and I'm the only S-ranked person left. I've got nothing else to do. So, are we having a rematch or not?" she explained, her tone almost casual.
"Alright, that's fine with me, but I'll have to ask Marc and the head if they want to watch," John replied, turning to head toward where Marc and the head were sitting.
Before he could get far, Nova stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Her face was serious, but guilt flickered in her eyes. "Sorry, but Marc can't come."
John raised an eyebrow, his voice slightly irritated. "Why?"
Nova shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze. "Because... I just can't tell you," she muttered, clearly struggling to come up with a convincing explanation.
"Then he's coming," John said firmly, brushing past her without waiting for more excuses.
As John made his way to Marc, Nova stood frozen, watching them from a distance but careful not to meet Marc's eyes.
After a few minutes which felt like an hour to nova she finally sees John walking back to her, his face showing a slight smile. She rolled her eyes knowing what he is going to say.
"So Marc and the head did not want to come and watch this fight" John said looking disappointed bit his smile is still their.
Nova is surprised and taken aback because of what Marc had said, "Ok that's great" Nova said.
"So where are we gonna do this" John said ready to fight or spar with Nova.
"I know just the place" said Nova making her way of the building John following close by.
As they make their way out John is stopped by hearing something on the intercoms, "could John report to the front desk".
John looks at Nova, "sorry but I'll be right back" John said as he is making his way to the front desk, Nova seeming to be more irritated by the second.
After a few minutes John walks back to her but stopped by Marc to show him what he got, is infuriated Nova even more. After 10 minutes of talking John finally makes his way to her, the waiting only added to her already irritated state.
"Ok we can go now" John said as they continue walking to the place they will fight in.
After only a minute of walking John gets bored and decides to question her, "so, where are we going" he asked nova.
"The Poisonous Field" she gave a quick and short reply.
"Oh, I see" John muttered, the atmosphere feeling awkward.
They keep on walking until Nova got tired of walking and started to fly, she see John looking up at her, "are you not able to fly" asked nova john wandering if he can
"No, I can't," John replied casually, without a hint of hesitation.
"I see," Nova muttered, slightly surprised. She had assumed that, being from another kingdom, he would possess the ability to fly. "Just make sure you can keep up," she added, before taking off. In an instant, she broke the sound barrier, her speed leaving a sonic boom in her wake.
"Oh, I will," John said, grinning as he took off running. To her shock, he effortlessly matched her speed. Nova glanced down, only to see him casually yawning below her.
"Is this really the fastest you can go?" John taunted, his voice laced with amusement.
"Alright, let's see if you can handle this," Nova shot back, her eyes narrowing. In a flash, she accelerated to the speed of light, transforming into a streak of purple lightning.
Nova, confident that John couldn't keep up with her speed, allowed a small smile to creep across her face. But that smile quickly faded when she heard his voice echo through the arena.
"Wow, I didn't even know I could move this fast!" John shouted, matching her exact speed with ease, his tone filled with surprise and pride.
They both came to a stop. John looked up at Nova, a grin of achievement tugging at his lips, and pulled a staff from his pocket. With a quick motion, he extended it to its full length.
Above him, Nova hovered in the air, arms crossed, her expression turning serious. Unleashing her full power, a deep purple aura surged around her, crackling with intensity. The air grew thick with tension, charged with the weight of her energy.