by Ramy Vance
Buzz ducked while throwing open one of the refrigerator doors. The door frosted over and made cracking sounds.
“And the hunter becomes the hunted. I think I’m going to enjoy this,” Rueben-Z roared. “Say hello to my little liquid nitrogen blaster.” He discharged another icy burst at Buzz, who stumbled to the floor and scrambled under one of the stainless steel tables. Beakers and science equipment froze solid and shattered.
“This isn’t you!” Buzz cried out as he dashed through his lab, placing as many obstacles as he could between him and his attacker. “You may be a parallel Rueben, but I know Rueben, and he’d never do this. The virus must be messing with your head—”
“My head is fine.” Rueben-Z coated the ceiling above Buzz with ice and Buzz scrambled for his life through the frosty air.
Part of the ceiling caved in behind him, but Buzz kept moving, gasping for breath.
“Death by ice-skating, perhaps?”
Buzz dodged to the side as the floor he’d been standing on skimmed over with ice. On the other side of the patch were the stairs leading up to the living room area. If he could just make it up those steps, he could lock Rueben-Z down here until Rueben, and everyone else arrived.
“Feeling lucky?” Rueben-Z called out. “Go ahead. Try it. I’ll give you a head start.”
Buzz didn’t know if he was honest or not, but he had to get out of here or at least try.
He sprinted toward the ice patch, throwing out his hands to try to steady himself. He started sliding, and at first, he thought he’d be able to keep his balance. Then he lost it and fell and slid into the base of the steps, hurting his ribs.
Rueben-Z laughed harshly behind him as he trudged confidently up to Buzz.
Buzz tried to shoot to his feet, but his feet kept slipping out from under him. Right before Rueben-Z reached him, he was able to throw himself forward, and he started clambering up the steps. He was at the top step when he felt Rueben-Z’s hand grip him by the shirt collar, hoist him into the air, and throw him into the living room. Buzz landed on top of a glass coffee table, which shattered. He choked and gasped for breath as he rolled over.
“Nice digs.” Rueben-Z proceeded to ice over the living room interior, coating the sofas and tables and walls in ice. “For a polar bear, maybe.”
“You’re…not funny.”
“No, I’m hilarious.”
Buzz glanced around the room as Rueben-Z started toward him.
“You can try to call for help, but I disabled all communications before I let myself in.”
“How’d you know about this place?”
“I’ve been to many worlds. I’ve conversed with many Buzzes.”
“Right.” Buzz was about to give up hope when his eyes landed on the button concealed beneath the end table a few feet in front of him. Miraculously, it had survived the onslaught of ice. Buzz crawled toward it, each movement hurting his sore ribs.
“Crawling under a table now? Still a coward, I see.”
“What…do you mean?” Buzz asked as he inched toward the table.
Rueben-Z stopped walking as he explained, “It may surprise you that I was there at the Canadian border a few months ago, observing as you and your gang attempted to apprehend Pout’s microwave bomb. I saw how scared you were when the trucker took you hostage. Hah. Pathetic.”
“Oh? Oh yeah? S-so are you. Instead of dealing with life, you decimate it.”
“What would you know about decimating life? You haven’t seen what I’ve seen.”
Buzz was almost to the table. “Of course I haven’t. But admit it, Rueben, you need me. You wouldn’t be where you are without me. That’s why you find me wherever you are—whatever the world. I’m the only one you can count on. Now you want to kill me for it?”
Rueben-Z snorted and laughed bitterly. “You know less than I thought you did.” He lunged at Buzz, but Buzz had already sent his hand up and smacked the button under the table. As Rueben-Z lifted Buzz by the back of his shirt, one of the doors opened, and Biddie sauntered in, wearing denim short-shorts and a midriff tank top.
“Yes, Buzz?” Then she saw Rueben-Z and his intentions for Buzz, and she flexed on the balls of her feet. She raised her hands in front of her. “Intruder, you are like, so overmatched. My programming has jujitsu, karate—"
Rueben-Z raised his free arm and blasted Biddie into a perky block of ice. “She seemed nice,” he said flatly and shoved Buzz forward into the air, where his body connected with a frozen couch that shattered under his weight.
“You may be a bit different in each world, but you know what I can’t stand about you, Buzz? Your ego. You know what I think? Everything you’ve ever done for me, I don’t think you do it for me. You do it for yourself so you can end up in your precious CR magazine. Here’s a little tip—on my world, you do make it. But by then, no one gives a rat’s ass because the magazine’s dead and washed up. Your issue sells a mere five hundred copies. In both print and digital. Three months later, it goes out of business.”
Buzz picked himself up, fighting through the pain in his ribs, and threw himself at Rueben-Z who swatted him to the side. As he fell, Buzz struck his head on the wall or the floor. He couldn’t tell.
Through foggy vision, he watched as the front door opened, and Marshall and Martha stepped inside. Martha’s eyes widened at the sight of Rueben-Z. “Oh shit.”
Rueben-Z stopped and turned toward the visitors. “If it isn’t the cavalry.”
The room fell silent, and Marshall took long, hard steps, his shoes echoing against the floor. “Now you listen here, son. I don’t know who you think you are, but goddamnit, on this world I’m your father, and you’d better goddamn respect that.”
Rueben-Z raised an eyebrow. “Nice speech. I’m sure the Rueben on this planet is pussy enough to be intimidated by it. You did a great job with him. Truly. You raised one hell of a sniveling little—”
“Cut the bullshit,” Marshall said. “I’m proud of my son. We’ve come to terms here, on this world. And it was about damn time. Me and him. We’re good now. Sorry that it looks like you and your father never got the chance.”
The comment hung hard in the air, and for the first time, Rueben-Z looked stung. Then he regained his resolve and glanced from Marshall back to the liquid nitrogen blaster under his arm.
It was at that point that Buzz’s vision went black and he passed out.
Chapter Nineteen
Thursday, May 25, 7:13 p.m.
Rueben and Aki arrived back at Buzz’s hideout in the Jeep. It had been a long drive, and Aki had driven like a maniac. They pulled into the underground garage and parked next to Martha’s and Marshall’s Jeep. Rueben exasperatedly clicked off his seatbelt.
Aki shut off the engine. “What?”
“Let’s just say that your driving would have scared a mere mortal.”
“Well, considering you’re not one, what’s the problem?” She laughed, and they both got out of the vehicle.
Upon seeing Martha and Marshall’s Jeep, they relaxed a bit. They’d been in such a hurry to get back because they hadn’t been able to get a hold of Buzz’s phone. When he’d called Martha, he’d found out that she and Marshall were going to arrive just before them. She said she’d call him if there was trouble.
She’d never called him back. Maybe Buzz and Carolyn were busy with the blood samples or whatever they were doing. Regardless, Rueben felt like he could relax now.
He and Aki exited the garage and headed for the front door. Rueben wrapped his arm around Aki. She winced slightly from the pain of the table falling on her back at the Paper Warriors office, but she leaned into him and wrapped her arm around his waist. It felt so good to have her next to him. He felt like he could take on the world with her by his side.
They arrived at the front stoop of the hideout, a small sitting area comprised of a wrought iron bistro table that Marshall and Carolyn had claimed as their own. It was empty now, containing only a couple of empty beer bottles.
Nothing seemed out of order.
They opened the front door and descended the trap door. Still good.
Then they stepped into the main level living room and found it all a mess of ice and puddled water. Broken glass lay everywhere, and Biddie stood lifeless.
Rueben crunched up to her. Water was dripping from the robot’s humanoid skin. Large patches of it remained frozen. “What the hell?”
Aki shook her head. “She’s been murdered.”
They both looked at each other. They didn’t have to say it. Rueben-Z.
That’s when Emma the kitchen robot entered the room with a piece of paper taped to her metal chest. On it was a note.
Meet me in the greenhouse. Or else.
Rueben and Aki crept down the hallway to the greenhouse. Rueben carried a pool stick in his hands, and he had a billiards ball in his pocket in case he needed it. Aki clutched a paring knife in both hands, liberated from the kitchen. They’d asked Emma for weapons, but she hadn’t been able to help them. It seemed that Rueben-Z had reprogrammed her.
“You ready?” Rueben whispered as they edged up to the reinforced greenhouse door, which was slightly ajar.
Aki nodded, and they slipped inside.
They saw no sign of anyone. A canary hopped along the limbs of a tree somewhere above them, chirping out a tune. Beside them, a stream burbled. When they sneaked up behind some tall bushes, they finally saw them.
Their wrists were all bound out in front of them, and they were all gagged. Marshall sat with his back against a tree trunk, and he had a black eye. Beside him sat Martha with a bruise on her cheek. Carolyn was slumped over on the ground sleeping. Out of all of them, Buzz appeared to have taken the worst beating. He had plenty of cuts on his face, and it looked like glass or sharp ice had torn his clothes in places. Judging by the way he scrunched up against a rock, his ribs hurt.
That bastard’s going to pay, Rueben thought as he searched the greenhouse for Rueben-Z. At least they were all alive. How had he got the jump on Carolyn, a Repeater? Had he knocked her out with a sleeping serum, like when he’d kidnapped Rueben?
Rueben stole another peek at his friends through the bushes. Martha happened to be looking his way, and she blinked her eyes wide as if there was danger.
“Glad you both found the place,” Rueben-Z’s voice called from off to the side. A moment later he emerged from behind some trees.
“What do you want?” Rueben asked.
“I want to challenge you to a little game of hand-to-hand combat. What do you say? Fight me?”
Rueben stared the man down, trying to figure out his angle.
“You win, and you get your friends back. I win, well, you can always warp back and kick my ass.”
“Don’t do it,” Aki said. “Don’t play his game. If he knocks you out or puts you to sleep, he can do whatever he wants.”
Rueben-Z threw his hands into the air. “I only want an even fight. To see who’s a better fighter. You, or me. What do you have to lose?”
Rueben turned his gaze to his friends. Buzz was trying to send him a message with his eyes, but Rueben wasn’t understanding. It was probably a warning not to fall for Rueben-Z’s trap.
Aki stepped forward and addressed Rueben-Z. “What’s to stop me from freeing them right now?”
“Just try it. I’ve buried explosives in the ground around them. With a press of the remote in my pocket, they go boom. From what I’ve gathered, you’re not supposed to be warping, or it might trigger the virus.”
“He could be bluffing,” Aki said.
“I’ll face you.” Rueben prepared to toss his cue stick to the side.
“Oh no. By all means, keep the stick.” Rueben-Z sneered. “If you think it will help you.”
They stepped up to each other to face off in a grassy clearing. There was a four-foot-deep pool beside them.
“What are the rules?” Rueben asked.
“Fight to the death. Of course.”
“So this is about you dying and getting rid of your mess?”
Rueben-Z shrugged. “Or you dying. It’ll feel good to get to kick your ass—even if I don’t remember when you warp back. Oh well.” Suddenly he stepped in and landed a quick jab to Rueben’s jaw. Stumbling, Rueben stepped back and brought his guard back up. He swung with the cue stick, and Rueben-Z stripped it from him and tossed it into the pool.
Rueben-Z turned to Aki. “Don’t try anything. Remember. Bomb.”
Aki looked like she wanted to spit at the man.
Rueben and his opponent circled, taking the occasional jab at each other. They each landed punches, and after a few minutes, Rueben started to tire. He still had his combat training though, and a pool ball in his pocket he could use as a weapon if he got in close. On a thought, he decided to play up his weariness to prompt Rueben-Z to make a move.
At the moment, Rueben-Z wasn’t taking the bait. “You’re a real bastard, you know, for taking away my warping ability.”
“Maybe you not being able to warp is the only thing stopping the time disease from destroying this world.”
Rueben-Z shook his head. “Nah. I don’t think so. This world is as doomed as the rest of the worlds I’ve been to. It’ll die. And there will be nothing you can do to stop it.”
Rueben raised his dukes, feigning fatigue. “We’ll figure out a way. I have a team, remember? You’re all alone, and it’s killing you.”
That made Rueben-Z grimace. He unsheathed a combat knife from under his shirt. “Well, at least I won’t have to bear it for much longer.” He lunged at Rueben, who barely dodged the strike.
“We can still work together. We don’t have to try to kill each other.”
Rueben-Z swiped again, nicking Rueben’s arm. “This only ends one way. Come on, give me your best.”
Rueben grunted as he analyzed Rueben-Z’s motions. Rueben-Z had the greater combat expertise, and he was bigger. What Rueben needed was the help of his friends, but Rueben-Z had the bomb.
Rueben knew then that he had to get the remote. Then Aki could help their friends.
Rueben-Z lunged again with the knife. Rueben countered Rueben-Z’s arms with his wrists. Then he charged in close as one hand grappled with the knife hand and the other darted into Rueben-Z’s pocket. It was empty.
“There’s no bomb!” he shouted to Aki.
Aki sprinted across the grass to where everyone sat or lay in the grass. She started cutting through Buzz’s bindings first.
Rueben-Z roared as he elbowed Rueben in the face and shoved him to the grass. “I’ll kill them all!” He made to rush toward Aki and his hostages, and Rueben caught Rueben-Z by the ankle. With a grunt, Rueben-Z fell to his chest, and Rueben leapt on top of him.
Rueben-Z kicked him off, and Rueben started punching him repeatedly in the face. His knuckles had blood on them from Rueben-Z’s nose, and he kept on punching until Rueben-Z finally blocked him and got in an uppercut to Rueben’s chin.
“Go ahead. Get mad. Feels good, doesn’t it?”
Rueben wiped his face on his sleeve and attempted to throw another punch. Rueben-Z caught it. “You’ve still got much to learn.” He shoved Rueben hard to the ground, but as Rueben fell, he slung the pool ball up at Rueben-Z. It connected with his temple, and he crashed down beside Rueben with a thud. Dizzily, Rueben-Z raised his blade and was about to bury it in Rueben’s heart when his eyes went wide and the knife slipped from his grasp. Then he slumped over unconscious.
Buzz crouched behind Rueben-Z with a syringe in his hand.
Rueben drew a deep breath as he recovered. “Nice jab.”
“Why, thank you. That felt good.”
“What was in the needle?”
“Knockout serum. From that asshole’s body armor.”
Rueben eyed his opponent’s body armor. It contained many hidden compartments and secrets, he was sure. “What gave you that idea?”
Buzz shrugged. “He used it to knock out Carolyn down in the lab. It was either that or throw him into th
at pool and carbonite freeze him like Han Solo.”
“Huh? Are you joking?” Rueben peered into the pool beside them in the grass.
“No.”
Over by the trees, Aki was finishing up freeing everyone’s bindings. Rueben joked, “I don’t believe you.”
Buzz shook his head. “There’s no guarantee he’d have survived though, without his warping ability. At least now we can interrogate him.”
Everyone else was walking over to them now. “How would you have frozen him?”
“Science.” Buzz grinned. “Tell you what, once we save the world, I’ll carbonize you just to prove I can do it.”
Rueben smirked. “You’re offering to kill me as a reward for saving the world?”
“For science. Now I have a completely self-contained and sealed cell for this jerkoff. I’ve got some sore ribs. Maybe you and Marshall could do the heavy lifting?”
Chapter Twenty
Friday, May 26, 7:01 a.m.
Buzz paced the living room in his silk robe and slippers. His chest was all bandaged up, and he was irritable as he waited for Emma to bring him a beer and aspirin.
Emma brought them to him and began cleaning up the mess in the living room. Everyone else sat on the few remaining pieces of furniture that had survived Rueben-Z’s icy wrath the night before. They all wore bandages and winced when they moved what hurt them.
“Well, people,” Buzz said. “We have Rueben-Z in a sealed-off cell in case he somehow triggers the time disease. Don’t want this world destroyed by it. We still have to figure out what to do to reverse the damage on all those other worlds.”
“Have you tested his blood yet?” Rueben asked.
“It’s processing. I’m also inspecting his high-tech body armor. Thank you for removing it from him, Marshall.”
Marshall sat proudly, his arms folded over his chest.
“Now, if we are to get to the bottom of this time virus, we’re going to have to determine Ground Zero, which has to be on Earth-Z. Carolyn. You were writing down all the memories you had on Earth-Z of Rueben-Z right up until he started showing signs of infection…”