Inferno Island

by Simon Archer

  At least I got to ride in the Judgment-mobile again. As if I’d ever say no to that, even if I was grumpy.

  When we arrived on the scene, there were only two cop cars as opposed to the giant fleet that had arrived for the bank robbery. One of the policemen was the same officer we had chatted with that night, Christopher. He waved to us nonchalantly as we approached.

  “Morning, kiddos,” he said in greeting to Kristen and me, then shook hands with Judgment.

  “What seems to be the full picture here, Christopher?” Judgment asked.

  “I’m not sure you’d believe it if I told you.” The cop shook his head. “Get this. The guy breaks into the place somehow, gets himself stuck, and then calls for us to get him out.”

  Judgment pinched the bridge of his nose with a long, exasperated sigh.

  “Was there any signs of forced entry?” Kristen inquired as she examined the storefront.

  “None at all,” Christopher answered. “There're no windows in this place and only two doors.”

  “But they lock from the inside, right?” I asked. “Couldn’t he just let himself out?”

  Christopher looked to Judgment, who considered this as well. After a moment, a lightbulb simultaneously went on in everyone’s minds. This was one-hundred percent a trap, and we’d nearly fallen right into it.

  “If he let himself out, regardless of how he got in, he would trip an alarm and alert the police,” Kristen worked out aloud.

  “But he called it in,” I added, “so he wanted someone here at the same time he was.”

  I looked at Judgment. It was probably him who Diamond wanted. This was likely another hairbrained plot to get Judgment killed.

  “Where do we go from here?” Christopher questioned.

  Judgment cupped his chin in his hand and thought it over thoroughly. He likely didn’t want to use his shadow teleport. It would likely be a repeat of what had happened at the bank, and I didn’t think he would fall for such a trap again, not when it was still fresh in his mind. It had only been about a month since that incident, and he had been out recovering for at least a week. Granted, Judgment was immortal, but that didn’t mean someone hadn’t figured out how to kill him for good.

  “I know this sounds like we’re playing into his trap, but we should go in through the front and take him in,” I suggested. “This may be mostly brick and wood, but the hinges and locks are still metal. Kristen can open things up, and I’ll keep my powers ready in case Diamond makes trouble. Between the three of us being aware, we can handle anything this guy might have planned.”

  Judgment considered this for a moment before he nodded and stepped aside. “As you wish, Mr. Gateon. Better to face the danger we know ahead than endanger the police or other innocents. Besides, it doesn’t seem like we have much of a choice.”

  Kristen nodded as well. “I agree, Nick. It’s risky, but our best option without causing too much damage.”

  I gave her a thumbs-up as I stepped ahead of her, keeping my mental hand on the controls to the floodgate of my power. Judgment summoned up a swirling mass of shadows, ready to blast any attackers, and Kristen took a deep, steadying breath. With a subtle wave of her hands, she extended her magnetic grasp, carefully and silently popping the hinge pins, manipulating the locks, and finally pulling away the front doors.

  There wasn’t an explosion, a hail of gunfire, or even a hurled scoop of vanilla ice cream. Not even a hint of danger.

  Instead, inside the shop, Diamond was sitting with the lights on behind the counter, his feet propped up, and eating what looked to be birthday cake ice cream straight out of the tub with a mixing spoon.

  “Ay, ya made it!” he greeted us with his mouth full.

  “Diamond, what the hell are you doing?” I asked, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

  “I was waitin’ ta be rescued, duh,” he scoffed as though that were the most obvious answer. Strangely, he put down his ice cream and raised his hands. “Guess ya better arrest me, too, yah?”

  I kept my fists clenched and the power at the ready. As I led the way into the store, Judgment and Kristen fanned out to keep a careful eye on Diamond. I think we were all expecting something, some last desperate trick to kill us all, but… nothing.

  “How did you even get in here?” I kept questioning him even as Christopher and his partner came in behind us to arrest him.

  “Dunno! Guess I just stumbled in! Gahahaha!” Diamond belly laughed as he shook his head. “But, seriously, ya guys did perfect! I didn’t want to leave here without causing a little mayhem. I coulda just let myself out, but I figured, ‘Ay, those guys might be lookin’ for a little action tonight.’”

  I stood there dumbfounded even as he very compliantly let Christopher and his partner cuff him up, not even complaining about his unfinished ice cream. In that, I wasn’t alone. Judgment looked as flabbergasted as I had ever seen, and Kristen’s brow was furrowed as if she were trying to analyze the situation from every angle.

  Diamond didn’t even struggle, which I thought was odd since I knew damn well that he could have busted out of those cuffs if he wanted to.

  Something wasn’t right, but I just couldn’t figure out what.

  As Christopher and his partner took Diamond outside to read him his rights, I looked to the others and stated the obvious.

  “There has to be a reason Diamond is doing this.”

  “Agreed, Mr. Gateon,” Judgment said gravely. “So, we should search for any clues or evidence that may help us discern that.”

  There wasn’t anything else to be said from there. We all searched around the room for any booby traps, clues, or anything at all that would be out of place in an ice cream parlor. There was nothing. Not a napkin out of place or a smudge of dirt on the floor. The only thing odd was the fact that a powered villain was chilling behind the counter and chowing down on birthday cake ice cream.

  The entire time, Diamond didn’t put up a fight, and as he was carted off, I still found myself completely dumbfounded by the entire ordeal. Judgment put his hand on my shoulder, a rarity in and of itself, though I was pretty sure it was to ground me back to reality.

  “Good work, Mr. Gateon,” he complimented, and I was in such a state of ‘what the fuck’ that I just let it roll off my back as I stared in disbelief. It wasn’t until Kristen stepped up beside me and laughed in my ear that I snapped out of it. She looked cute at that moment. Her hair was messy from being woken up, and her tired eyes made her seem just a little softer.

  I resisted the urge to cup her cheeks just to feel the smoothness of her skin against mine, even though I would have sworn that she was made from silk. I settled for a sleepy smile and put my arm around her shoulders.

  “I like this place,” she commented. “It’s pretty cute.”

  I took the time to take in the ice cream parlor. Kristen was right, it was really cute. The sign on the wall read ‘Creamology.’

  If I had to guess, the gimmick was that you could create and mix any flavor and topping you wanted, which was pretty cool, even if I enjoyed plain vanilla ice cream myself. It wasn’t the run of the mill colorful and decorated brightly set up. Rather, it had a more industrial feel, and the menus looked like vintage potion labels. The ice cream itself was served in deep medicine pots, and they had a pretty wide variety of mismatched seating. All in all, it definitely seemed like a place Kristen would like. She always had been a fan of nontraditional things.

  “If we end up back over her, I’ll buy you a cone,” I promised, and I delighted in the way her eyes sparkled at the suggestion. Her cheeks illuminated with a gentle pink blush as she nodded.

  “I’d like that a lot,” she murmured as she laid her head on my shoulder.

  I smiled and held her tighter, content to let this continued mystery set for the moment. “Me, too.”

  15

  Aylin

  The longer I was here on Inferno Island, the location of the Brand Academy for New Heroism, the more I believed th
at it was a terrible mistake to come. While I had found my time in the capital of the Brand, Phoenix, welcoming during the World’s Finest, this place was different. The humans here, from the faculty to the other students, had little to no regard for others, save for themselves. It was as though Lord Inferno had been raising puppies, and now that their leader was gone, they were on edge.

  The hallways, much like the rest of Inferno Island, were black with red accents. It was fitting for Lord Inferno, I thought, though it was not a design choice that I fully supported myself. I could say that despite being outsiders, we were properly cared for. The meals were warm and delicious, if not a little spicy for my tastes, but I did enjoy them. Lord Inferno may have been misguided, but he cared for his people. That much was obvious to me.

  Despite all this and the lack of my Starlight to lend me his strength, I made out well enough I supposed, but it was only because I had Andrea and Eric at my side at all times. Even though we had been assigned different rooms upon our arrival in the Brand, we did not spend a single night apart. It was not even something we discussed. We simply came to a silent agreement that we would all share one room. I do not think this decision was necessarily made out of fear. However, it was definitely one made of comfort.

  My people have a saying that applied to us: We were sky-seekers flying over a cursed land. The only way we would make it through to the other side would be together.

  I put myself into reclusion since we started our classes. Despite the Brand having another one of my kind on their staff working as a doctor, the very reason I came here, my fellow students stared at me with harsh eyes and cold faces. Was it because of my skin color? Were they simply wary of me because I had come with other Alexandrian students?

  Whatever their reason was, I did not know, and I feared to ask.

  The only time I felt that I was even a little welcomed was in the safety of our shared room and during Ms. Corcoran’s class. We did not know that she had decided to join us until we were already on the hover bus to Inferno Island. Andrea had asked her about her decision, but Ms. Corcoran only smiled and said that it was for the best. I was not going to pretend that I knew what that meant, but I did see the way she stared longingly at Starlight as we pulled away from Valcav Academy. Perhaps she would miss him as much as Andrea and I, though I wondered if that was appropriate. Perhaps that was what she had meant by it being for the best.

  All of these thoughts plagued me at night while I attempted to slumber. At the end of the day, although I woke up to Andrea’s slender body beside me, I missed my Starlight. We all did.

  Starlight was a driving force behind all of us when we were not feeling at our best. He could push through any amount of darkness and find the light. That was the power of his aura. Now that we were apart, there were days where the light was hard to find, and darkness consumed me. Those days reminded me of the isolation I felt on my home planet.

  Despite being surrounded by people, and yes, even people that I care for, I had felt as though I were alone. Although I had Andrea and, to a lesser extent, Eric, I could not help those thoughts and feelings from creeping back in from the shadowy depths of my soul.

  Despite the bad days, there were some good ones as well. Andrea and Eric tried their best to keep me smiling and laughing, and it worked most of the time. Their banter was contagiously amusing, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to their stories of their past. Both of them were such interesting humans, and I was thankful that I had been blessed to have them at my side.

  There was, however, another thing that troubled me. I had hoped to speak to the other of New Sahana that was here, a man by the name of Kyp Soval, a hero amongst my people. He had come here with Doctor Delacruz some time ago, and I had wished to speak with him about the war on our home planet.

  And yet, every time I sought him out, he was nowhere to be found. I left several messages with people to have him contact me when he was available. Though it would be acceptable if he really were so busy that he simply couldn’t spare time to meet me, I began to feel that he was simply avoiding me, though I couldn’t think of any reason why he would.

  Unless he was, despite what I knew of him, actually a tool of my father. I prayed that this was not the case.

  Today was a new day, though, and I was not taking no for an answer. Although my temporary home was here, I would one day return to New Sahana and fight for my people. Kyp Soval was vital to my success. His bravery and innovation had saved Sahana once, hence why we are called New Sahana now.

  Dr. Soval was said to work at the Academy’s infirmary, so I floated regally through the hall on a direct path there, Eric and Andrea on either side of me as if they were my personal guard. If I were to be completely honest, I was in a better position to protect myself than they were to protect me should things become hostile, but I did not foresee that becoming an issue. After all, much like it was here, most Sahanans frowned upon laying hands on a woman, most especially royalty. It had been a long time since I wore that birthright proudly, but today, I was prepared to use it if that was what it took to see Kyp Soval.

  Before us, the surly, ambitious students of the Brand did not try to stop us or make fun of us as they often did. Perhaps they saw the glow of determination in my eyes or the royal presence I tried to exude. Perhaps they simply realized that to try to stand in the way of three of the victors of the World’s Finest would be folly. Either way, they parted before us as we moved ahead.

  “Do you think that he’s really going to help?” Eric asked. His hands were clasped behind his head as though he were storing electricity in his palms and waiting to strike down anyone who stood in our way. That was how he was these days. Oh, he was still excited, energetic, full of life, but he had toughened up quite a bit since we’d arrived. He was always on his guard, even though he had zapped someone on his first day for disrespecting me.

  I appreciated his devotion to his promise that he made to Starlight before we left.

  “I am unsure,” I admitted, “but I will do everything within my power to at least meet with him today.”

  “That’s right!” Andrea cheered. “Kick down the doors and shove our way through!”

  Eric laughed as Andrea demonstrated her kick. I also found her enthusiasm quite invigorating. Starlight was most certainly correct when he dubbed her his Sun. Andrea was very much full of sunshine. I never felt bad about things when she was around, well, not too much. Her smile was breathtaking, and it was always there when I needed reassurance. I was most thankful that she and I had bonded these last few months.

  With that thought, the infirmary doors slid open before us. We stopped at the reception desk, and the woman behind it smiled brightly as she looked up from her work.

  “Hello there! Do you have an appointment?” Her perkiness was inviting to be sure, but I was not necessarily here to be polite.

  “Not exactly,” I answered her. “My name is Princess Aylin Ajlal of New Sahana. I wish to speak to Doctor Kyp Soval immediately.”

  I squared my shoulders in a way that I hadn’t in a long time. Even though I was still hailed as royalty to my people, my status meant nothing, and so I had held myself as such for so long, a princess of nothingness. It was only when I’d made up my mind about confronting Kyp Soval that I knew I would have to bring myself up to my true status as a princess of royal blood and heiress to the throne of my planet.

  “Of course, Your Highness,” the chipper woman replied, and she punched a few buttons on her intercommunications device. A man’s voice replied almost instantly.

  “Yes, Monica?”

  “Doctor, Princess Aylin Ajlal is here to see you,” Monica replied sweetly.

  There was a heavy pause from the time she had finished her sentence to the time Kyp Soval responded. “Very well. Please send her in,” he conceded, and very noticeably cut communications with Monica.

  This did not seem to deter her happiness, however, and she smiled at us with so much force that I wondered if she might split her face
into two pieces. All I could do was contain both my relief and astonishment. Why was I being given an audience now, after all this time? Was it simply because of my use of my royal lineage?

  “Doctor Soval’s office is through the right-hand doors.” Monica pointed to a set of black marble doors that were indeed to our right. “He’s located at the very last one at the end of the hallway, dead ahead.”

  “You have been most helpful.” I bowed my thanks, my surprise well concealed behind a regal mask, and I took my leave of her. Andie and Eric followed close behind me.

  “So, how are you gonna get him to go back with you?” Andrea whispered though I was not sure why she had lowered her voice so much. Perhaps it had something to do with how hollow and eerie the hallways here felt. The black and red did not mesh well with what should be a hall of healing.

  “Wait, you’re leaving?” Eric gasped, and I heard Andrea scold him quietly.

  “Not in the near future,” I smiled sadly as I replied, “but there will come a time that I have to go home and end the war on New Sahana. As much as I love being here surrounded by friends, my people need me.”

  Silence followed initially before I heard Eric scoff.

  “Well, that just means that we’ll have to go with you,” he decided definitively.

  “I do not wish to burden you with the troubles of another planet.” I brushed off the help quickly. I did not want to drag my friends and lovers into my troubles, especially ones that were so deadly as these.

  “Nonsense,” Andrea drawled and stretched her arm up over my shoulder. “We’re in this together. All of us. Your problems are our problems. That’s what heroes do… but more importantly, it’s what a family does.”

  I blinked at her rationale curiously. “Are we a family, Andrea?”

  “Sure!” She beamed happily. “Family doesn’t always mean blood, you know. Your family is the ones that are by your side, no matter what.”