7 Bloodbath

Meanwhile near the forest:

A group of ten burly and fierce-looking pirates surrounded Rogue and Nova. He had never been so scared in his life. He could hear his mother's heart pounding in her chest as they backed into a corner, their backs against the wall. He clutched his mother's hand tightly, feeling the fear and panic radiating from her. His instincts were telling him to fight, to protect his family, but he had never been in a situation like this before. Rogue was wounded and bleeding, previously she had tried to defend her son from the pirates but she was too weak.

As the attackers drew closer, Nova's hands began to shake. He could see the malice in their eyes, the weapons they held, and he knew that they meant to do them harm. The pirates laughed, taunting them with vulgar words, promising to sell Rogue into slavery after playing with her and making Nova their cabin boy for the rest of his life. At that moment, something inside of him snapped, and he let go of his mother's hand. He felt intense anger when he heard them disrespecting his mother. He realized if he didn't fight right now, he will regret the rest of his life.

"What pipsqueak? Do you want to fight? I don't mind beating you up before playing with the beauty." The leader of the pirates taunted and the others started laughing mockingly.

Rogue tried to stop him but that was the last straw for Nova. His anger boiled over, and he tapped into the power that lay dormant within him, a power he had inherited from his Kryptonian lineage. He felt his muscles grow stronger, his senses sharper, and his eyes glowing with a fierce red light. Even though he didn't learn any fighting techniques, his raw strength and endurance were off the charts. At that moment, Nova was no longer a scared little boy. He was a warrior, and he was ready for a bloodbath.

The pirates charged at them, their swords flashing in the dim light of the moon. But Nova was too quick for them. He dodged their blows and struck back with a fury they had never seen before. They watched in horror as Nova tore through the leader's body with a single punch. Blood splattered on the ground and everything was dyed red.

They fell like wheat before the scythe, their bodies littering the ground. Nova didn't feel any remorse for what he was doing. All he could think about was protecting his mother and taking revenge on those who had threatened her safety. He didn't think, he just acted, his fists and feet flying as he took down one pirate after another. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction as he fought, a sense of power that he had never experienced before.

But as the last of the attackers fell to the ground, Nova's triumph turned to horror. He looked down at his hands, now slick with blood, and felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He had never killed anyone before, and the realization of what he had just done hit him like a ton of bricks.

Nova stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock and fear. He could hear his mother calling his name, but he couldn't move, couldn't speak. All he could do was stare at his bloodstained hands and try to process what had just happened.

At that moment, Nova realized that the power he had felt during the fight had come at a terrible cost but he didn't regret taking the lives of those who threatens his mother's safety.

***

Roger arrived at the scene just as the last of the attackers fell to the ground. He could see Nova standing there, his hands covered in blood, and he knew that something terrible had happened. As he approached, he could see the horror and shock in Nova's eyes.

"What happened?" Roger asked, his voice low and urgent.

Nova didn't answer at first. He just stood there, staring at his bloodstained hands, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Roger could see that Nova was struggling to come to terms with what had just happened.

"It was the pirates," Rogue said, her voice trembling. "They attacked us, and Nova...he fought them off."

Roger looked around at the bodies littering the ground. He could see the fear and pain etched on their faces, and he felt a surge of anger and disgust. He knew that most of the pirates were a ruthless and vicious group, but he was more furious at himself for not protecting Nova and Rogue after all his big talk few days back.

"Are you both alright?" Roger asked, his gaze shifting back to Nova and Rogue.

Rogue nodded weakly, but Nova still seemed lost in his own thoughts. Roger could see the guilt and remorse written all over his face, and he knew that Nova was struggling to come to terms with what he had done.

Roger stood there for a moment, taking in the scene before him. The pirates lay scattered around the clearing, their bodies still and lifeless. Nova stood in the center of it all, his body shaking with shock and fear. Roger knew that what had just happened would stay with the boy for the rest of his life.

Without hesitation, Roger walked over to Nova and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did what you had to do," he said, his voice soft but firm. "You protected your mother, and you stopped those pirates from doing any more harm. But it's not something to take lightly. It's not something to be proud of either."

Nova looked up at Roger with tear-filled eyes, still trying to process everything that had just happened. "I didn't want to kill them," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," Roger replied. "But you did, and now you have to live with that. That's the burden of taking a life, even if it's in self-defense. It's not something to be proud of, but it's also not something to be ashamed of either. It's just something that happened, and you have to find a way to deal with it."

Roger took a deep breath and looked down at Nova. "But I think there's a way we can channel your abilities, your strength, and your anger in a more positive way. I can train you, teach you how to use your powers for good, and help you control your emotions so that something like this doesn't happen again."

Nova looked up at Roger, his eyes were still full of fear and uncertainty. But there was also a spark of hope there, a glimmer of something that Roger knew he could work with. He took Nova's hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get you and your mother out of here. We have a lot of work to do."

Nova came out of his trance and nodded. Roger picked up injured Rogue and the group headed towards the village. The villagers have captured all the knocked-out pirates and were now tending to the injured. Few lives were lost in the attack and their families were mourning their untimely death.

"Scenes like this are too common in this world. If you truly want to be free, you need strength to protect those you love." Roger said while reminiscing about his past.

****

AN: Guys, do you like my story? Comment and let me know.

*I put a lot of effort in showing the emotional aspect of the characters, and I think the action scene turned out pretty decent. What are your opinions and suggestions for future action scenes?

Thanks for all the power stones. ;)