2 Minutes to save the world.

HG was just standing there, cackling, as his timer ticked down to whatever diabolical cataclysm he had planned. I was exhausted, wounded, and filled with dread. But I could feel a tiny spark of hope. Feed that spark! I thought. Keep him talking. Back up is coming.
'2 Minutes?' I sighed, exasperated. 'Oh come on, Madonna got 4, and I bet she wasn't facing anything as bad as you.'
113.
'Ha! Is that all you can do?! Make jokes! Aren't you even going to try and stop me?'
110.
I looked around the chamber, taking everything in. The vast array of buttons had come back out, the smooth metallic walls, the huge red screen with the timer in the centre, and a single blue pixel blinking in a bottom corner. The hole in the middle of the floor where the lift should be.
108.
'Well you don't expect me to just run at you do you? The one on one fight thing hardly ever works against supervillains. I'm certainly not risking it now.'
103.
'A wise decision. On the other hand, what have you got to lose at this point?'
100.
'Oh I'm optimistic, let's see how things work out. What about you? You'll be destroyed with us. Surely that's not something you'd allow?'
094.
'Quite right! But I have had many years to grow stronger since your time. I have learnt how to use my gift on the most powerful forces of nature, giving me power over life itself! My mortality has been reversed, ensuring that I shall never die! I shall watch you all perish, see the world burn, and then rebuild, when all who oppose me are nothing but dust! I AM ETERNAL!'
'....Oh. Bugger.'
076.
More cackling. Man that guy loves evil laughter. I glanced at the screen. There were now 19 blue pixels dotted randomly about the screen. An 20th appeared as I watched. Then three more.
075.
HG turned to the passageway as a screeching sound was heard, with the roar of an engine.
074.
The bus Playwrite was driving the original one I'd somehow summoned, came speeding up the last bit of the tunnel, fire and water and lasers and beams of light streaming from it's top deck,skidding round as he brought it to an abrupt stop.
073.
The heat was getting unbearable now, it had kept rising since that moment I'd felt in the tunnel.
072.
The bus groaned, parked sideways at the top of the slope. I could see every window was broken, and people had been fighting shadow creatures as it drove along. VHS started to pile out, a mixture of the people I'd known for years, and all the new friends I'd made while I was here.
071.
Future me was getting off. He nodded at me, with a hint of a smile. I seem to have gained his approval at last.
070.
'Ah! I'm glad you could make it. You can all die together. How nice for you!'
Jingle glared. 'We came here to destroy you! If this is the end, at least we can take you with us!'
I sighed. 'I'm not sure about that. He says he's immortal now. Tingle? HG is immortal.'
Tingle nodded at my test statement. 'Sorry, but that's true.'
Doom swore.
059.
Hundreds of blue pixels now littered the screen, surrounding the timer, with new ones replacing red pixels all the time.
'I don't care.' said FDiffy. 'You will not win. You think you're unstoppable, but nothing's really changed. Immortality's just a word, another ability we have to get round. You can't rely on abilities to keep you safe. We've had ours prevented or blocked or taken away so many times, and we've done it to others. Abilities mean nothing. What matters is loyalty, friendship, working together to win. We are together, and you have nobody. Good will triumph, united, as a family!'
043.
We all cheered FDiffy, who was staring daggers at HG, fists clenched, steely determination etched all over his face.
A third of the screen was blue now.
HG considered FDiffy for a moment, and smiled. 'Sorry if I don't take you seriously, it's just that none of you have the power to kill me. For all your noble words, there isn't anything you can actually DO...'
034.
'He's got a point.' Maelstrom look dejected. 'We don't actually have anything that could hurt him.'
031.
'You don't even have that model of mars from SOLAR's observatory anymore.' said Jingle.
029.
Blackmage frowned. 'Oh yeah, I heard about that. What happened to it?'
027.
I grinned. 'I'm glad you asked. HG's right, we don't have an ability that can hurt him. But a while ago, it occured to me that, in order to acheive the same result, a smaller sun would have to be MUCH closer to the Earth than the original. I asked Tingle exactly how big poor Healthbar's generated sun was, and calculated quite how close she must be. Then I sent a flying warmachine up to her, with instructions to blast the control collar, with the aim of kicking her out of the destructive loop that put her in that coma. You may have notice that the sun's warmth flickered off a while ago, and that it's been getting hotter ever since.'
010.
FDiffy looked shocked. 'You mean-'
009.
There was a heat haze now, and intense light seemed to be burning through the ceiling. HG paled, running for his bank of switches and buttons.
I beamed. 'Yes.'
008.
Darkblade threw his sword. Half the screen was blue.
007.
The sword stabbed into the ground infront of HG, cutting him off.
006.
'Mars. Known as-'
005.
HG darted round the sword, but Blackmage pulled him back, surrounding him in blue energy.
'The bringer...'
004.
Three quarters of the screen. Hg was being held back by forcefields, energy, plants, everything we had to hold him in place.
'OF.....'
003.
Everything holding HG withered, flickered, dying under the force of his power. Water started swirling round my fingers. Maelstrom and Future Me took the hint, joining in.
'WAR!'
002.
We swept the water round everyone creating a thick, protective dome around us.
HG was free, lunging for a button.
A blazing column of fire burst through the ceiling above him, slamming him to the floor. Pinned under an inferno of fury, pain, and revenge.
The screen was entirely blue, but the timer was still red, she wasn't going to make it!
001.
The blue flooded the red timer. HG screamed inside the firestorm. Steam filled the room as our water barrier evaporated as fast as we could generate it. Maelstrom was spinning furiously, a blur inside a vortex of water. It was just possible to make out, through the steam, a second dark shape inside the fire. A figure, suspended above HG, head towards the floor, feet flowing upwards towards the ceiling. A hand was stretching out, reaching for HG's chest. He was gasping in between screams now, as if struggling to breathe. Parts of the room were starting to melt. The ground was shaking, as if it was about to break open.
The timer stopped.



The fire was starting to die down, and we stopped creating water, watching our barrier hiss into steam. Maelstrom slowed from a blur, coming to a stumbling, dazed stop. He fell backwards, and was caught by Tingle and Don.
'You think you're unbeatable just because you can control your lifeforce? Well so can she.'
We could all see Healthbar now, floating above HG, with her hand on his heart. Golden energy burned around them, and her hand has shining with power. Her face was filled with rage, and her eyes burned with vengeance.
'I have watched from above.' She said, fire crackling and stars twinkling in her voice. 'I have observed you from on high, I have seen all you have done. THIS. ENDS. NOW.'
He was little more than a skeleton now. Twitching and jerking under the force of Healthbar's anger, wasting away as his life was drained and his body burned.
The column of flame faded, and Healthbar slowly spun upright, landing gracefully next to him. Casting him a scornful look, she turned to us, and her face broke out in a smile. She staggered forwards, unstable on her feet after so long. Future me ran to meet her, embracing her in a hug.
'I've missed all of you so much!'
'We've missed you too! I'm sorry for what happened to you.'
We cheered, and everyone crowded round to congratulate her, but I was distracted by HG, rasping weakly on the floor.
'How the HELL is he STILL alive!?'
Healthbar frowned. 'I don't know....I thought I drained him completely...'
'You fools.....I told you......I am....everlasting......'
He was, incredibly, slowly recovering. His skull-like face was filling out, his sunken cheeks swelling. I heard running feet, and saw that the surviving shadow warriors from the tunnel were advancing, eager to complete the job of destroying us.
'Seriously? Do these guys EVER give up?'
Healthbar frowned, and her hair faded to a deep, shining black. The fighters skidded to a stop, and went down on one knee, head bowed, facing Healthbar.
'You serve me now. Do not harm us, and be ready to help.'
'Yes, my Lady' chorused the group.
'Well THAT makes things easier.' said Playwrite.
The distraction had allowed HG to push himself into a sitting position. Reaching up, he slapped a recovering hand onto a red panel, which glowed green. We tried to rush him but a huge jolt sent us sprawling to the far side of the room, which started to tilt.
What's happening!?' Panicked Broadcast.
'The world is breaking apart at the seems.' Tingle explained, looking horrified.
'What?!' I yelled.
'I'm doing my best to hold it together but we don't have long.'
'YOU're holding the earth togeth- how?!'
'Dragon....gave me....' he groaned, holding his head. He didn't finish the sentence, he was too focused, and whatever he was doing was clearly taking a lot out of him.
HG coughed up blood, hair regrowing to cover his head. 'You will pay...you will ALL pay....Resume countdown!' This last comment was shouted at the computer. A light by the pad flashed, and the screen flickered to red for a moment.
The timer ticked.

Everyone tensed, expecting the worst, but nothing happened. I opened my eyes and looked at the screen. And laughed.
101.
'What! What is the meaning of this! How do you meddle with my command center, it was designed specifically to counter your technopathic interference!'
'Trust me, I know. That's some impressive wiring you've got there. And there's no way anybody else could hack their way past all your security systems in a different way. Not with all the time you've had to set them up. If however, they started years ago, when there were fewer defences.....'
Doom was looking at the timer. 'But what happened to it? 101? What's that?'
I was still laughing. 'It's not 101. It's lol.'
A blue face appeared about the timer, looking smug. 'Nice to see you all again!'
'HANA!'
I was glad to see her. 'You cut it pretty fine!'
Hana rolled her eyes. 'Have you got any idea how many layers of encryption I've had to work through? I had to beat as many as I could in our time, then come back along the time link, which I am having to hold open all by myself thank you very much, then use what control I gained back then to get access to the deeper levels of security-'
'Thank you for saving all our lives.'
'You're welcome.'
HG was struggling to his feet. I punched him. He fell down again.
The world shook again, and pat of the wall began to distort, warping and twisting.
'His control over the world is failing!' Yelled Tingle, who was awake again, terror filling his face. 'He's used his power to change the world so much, and now the planet can't cope on it's own. I'm doing what I can, but without his power holding his changes in place, everything's starting to unravel!'
'Everyone but Tingle, FDiffy and me rushed HG, determined to destroy him. Maybe if his power died, it's influence would to?
'It's no good!' I yelled. 'He can't die! We've seen that! It's too late!'
I turned to FDiffy. 'I thought we'd done it, I thought we'd won, but we're too late! We're still going to lose!'
'Not necessarily. Have you learned enough about him? If you went back now, do you think you could stop him?'
'I...I don't know. I think so, but what if he's already learned how to become immortal, or set this place up, or-'
'Let's hope he hasn't. But look what you've done.' He gestured at everyone.
'We're back together. You reunited us, led us as a team to fight together, and we got so close. If you get back, do you think you could beat him?'
'I.....Yes. I promise you, he will fall. But can I even get back?'
'Let's find out. MOIRA!'
A burst of white light blazed into being infront of me. I felt the world start to spin.
Hana looked shocked, and called out. 'Tempest! I've found something! You need to see this!'
A door slid open next to the screen. I heard HG screaming in pain. 'I will still win! He has promised me! He has seen it!'
I squinted in the bright light. I saw a shape in a small room through the door. FDiffy looked, and started to panic. 'No! He doesn't need to see that! Don't look!'
He pushed me, and I grabbed his arm to stop him getting in the way. The contents of the room came into focus, and I gasped, my scream cut off as the world span, and everything vanished.

Next thing I know, I'm falling to the ground, landing hard. I hear a similar thud nearby, but I don't investigate. Because only a single thought fills my mind at that moment.

Precog is alive.