by Adam Oster
“Oh, Zero,” D.A.W.N.’s voice filled with concern. “Are you going to be alright?”
“Nothing a little time can’t heal,” Zero beamed, obviously happy to be sporting war wounds once again.
“D.A.W.N., wasn't there supposed to be some sort of message that played as we entered the room, some sort of cryptic clue that would assist us in determining what we are supposed to do here?”
“I don't know, honey. You tell me.”
“Well, I'm pretty damned sure there was. Shouldn't you be reciting it about now?”
“I don't believe I've had any new sub-routines activate for this program.”
“Well can you check, please? We could use some help around here.”
“Don't get so worked up, I'm looking for any additional edits to my dialogue databases. Oh, yep, looks like there's one right here. Seems like there was an error in the batch file, calling some unknown program. I should be able to correct the code quite simply like this and then I'll-- Congratulations travelers, you have managed to select the door to the Pink Bandita trial.”
“The who?” Talmadge asked.
“The Pink Bandita,” Murphy answered happily. “Rose Reed née Ainsley. Wife of Oscar Reed. Mother to Ryan and Alexa Reed.”
“Oh,” Talmadge said simply.
“Ahem,” D.A.W.N. pretended to clear her non-existent throat. “The first of your trials may seem quite simple. Retrieve the gem in the midst of the temple. Yet you'll quickly notice something's amiss, as you step forward and are threatened with a twist. To keep this temple from making things tragic, like a bandit your actions will have to be magic.” D.A.W.N. paused. “How'd I do?”
“Perfect, thanks,” Oscar answered, wrapping a bandage around Zero's arm. “Alright, pal, you're good to go, for now.”
“Okay, so, what the heck is that message supposed to mean?” Ryan asked. “Mom didn't have any magic abilities.”
“Well, that depends on who you talk to, son.”
“Eww,” Alexa responded quickly. “Shut up already.”
“I think I know what she means,” Talmadge cut in. “I used to do a bit of magic in high school.”
“I thought you said you didn't have any powers,” Buddy asked.
“Well, no, I mean like real magic, not, well, you know, real magic.”
“I don't think that helped clear up the confusion,” Zero responded weakly.
“I used to do magic tricks, you know, things like guessing what card you picked, or pulling flowers out of mid-air.”
“Okay,” Ryan said slowly, “I'm not sure how pulling a rabbit out of your hat is going to be all that helpful here.”
“Magic's history dates back to groups like the gypsies, who were well-known thieves. The reason these two things went so well together is that they were both based on the same concept. Misdirection.”
“Oh, that's right,” Oscar said, a look of realization coming over his face. “Talmadge hit it right on the head. Misdirection is the key. We need to make the room think we're after something else, in order to get what we really want.”
“Okay, so, like what?” Buddy asked.
“I get it,” Alexa said with a smile. “That box that came slamming down, it's not just protecting the gem, it's protecting all of the treasure, right?”
“Right,” Oscar said.
“Oh,” Ryan joined in, “so, if we trick the box into thinking we're interested in another piece of the treasure, perhaps we can keep it preoccupied long enough to snatch what we're really after.”
“Precisely!” Oscar cheered. “I knew I had smart kids.”
“And I think I know exactly what needs to be done,” Talmadge added. “See the pile of gold that's to the side of the main pile?”
“Yeah?”
“Okay, so, what you need to do is run over there and make it think you're going to grab something from that pile.”
“And how do I do that without getting electrified?”
“I don't know, throw something at it or something. I'm guessing it won’t take much.”
“Okay.”
“Great, and then, Zero, when the box drops, Alexa will run back here before it catches her as you nab the rock with your purple fist of fate.”
“Purple Fist of Fate? I like it, chum,” Zero beamed.
“That sounds like a pretty solid idea,” Buddy said.
“I have to admit,” Murphy agreed, “that I had not expected you to be of much use when I saw you joining the group down here. However, this appears to be quite the solid strategy.”
“Thanks,” Talmadge smiled. “So, that's the plan then?”
“I think so,” Oscar said, staring off at the field in front of them. “There's only one problem left.”
“What's that?”
“Don't you remember the last time Alexa ran across the field here? She set off almost every trap in the place. That will put all of us in some pretty serious danger.”
“Oh, yeah,” Talmadge replied with a smile. “I had thought of that too. Zero, can you grab the rock and put up a field around us at the same time?”
“Who do you think I am, Do-Only-One-Thing-At-A-Time Man? Of course I can do that!”
“Perfect.”
“Okay, Zero,” Alexa said, getting into a running position. “Whenever you're ready.”
A wall of purple surrounded the group.
“Force field's up,” Zero said, his eyes closed.
“Great, but, um, can you, uh, you know, not have me on the wrong side of it,” Alexa laughed. “I kinda need to get to that pile of gold over there.”
“Oh, yes, of course young Alexa,” he said as the field moved behind her.
“Thanks, ready?”
“Ready,” Zero said.
“Go,” Alexa yelled as she disappeared from view. The room filled with the sounds of clicks once again and within a second of her disappearing, the metal box fell from the ceiling, crackling with electricity. Alexa reappeared in her initial location as the recently-named Purple Fist of Fate burst from Zero's chest and grabbed the jewel.
“Zero,” Alexa said anxiously as the first arrows shot out around her knees. The field moved forward, enveloping Alexa just as the pink jewel arrived at the wall. Zero reached out and pulled it into safety as the room filled with a cacophony of noise and destruction. The door behind them opened, playing a chimed melody.
The group quickly escaped the room and reentered the corridor they had previously entered from. Buddy looked back into the room as the door shut behind them and saw the temple dissolve into a fine dust.
Ryan, Zero, and Alexa cheered. Oscar joined them, giving his daughter an enormous hug. Murphy smiled with delight as Kent continued to look annoyed by the whole process. Talmadge stood silently, while Buddy looked at the now-closed door and contemplated the room’s disappearance.
The lights blinked rapidly, causing the celebration to stop.
“Good, now that I have your attention once again,” D.A.W.N. said, “congratulations on passing the first trial. I knew you could do it. Please place the jewel within the supplied enclosure.”
A panel slid open in the floor, showing seven indentations in the same shape as the jewel now in Alexa's hands. Alexa walked to the panel and placed the gem within the enclosure outlined in pink. The panel snapped shut.
“Now, please hold onto one of the hand rails while the vehicle is moving.” A series of railings appeared from within the walls.
“Oh, yeah, this corridor's an elevator too; it's how we get down to the bottom. You may want to hold on to something,” Oscar said as he steadied himself against the nearby wall. The rest of the entourage followed his lead.
The room shuddered shortly and then dropped hard for five seconds before landing roughly. Talmadge screamed as he fell to the floor.
“Elevator?” he said.
“Yeah,” Oscar replied. “There were some early troubles with the mechanism I developed to move the entire room smoothly, so, I ended up just redesigning the who
le thing to drop from level to level. I thought it added a bit more drama to the whole situation. Pretty fun, right?”
“I'm not sure if fun is the right word,” Talmadge said, his face turning green.
“Okay,” Zero said, wincing as he rubbed his injured arm. “What's next?”
CHAPTER 18
“Another four doors, just as before. One door will give you a chance to escape, the others will test your will and your shape. I urge you choose wisely, trespassers or saint, the trials ahead are not for the faint.” D.A.W.N. paused briefly and then continued. “Really, Oscar. You are really stretching with these rhymes.”
“Hey,” Oscar rebutted. “I was more focused on developing the funhouse than the stupid rhymes that went with it. At least I thought to add something a little fun to the whole event.”
“So, there are four doors to choose from,” Ryan asked. “And we still have no clue which ones are which, right?”
“Yeah, sorry,” Oscar replied. “I can’t believe I'm still drawing a blank on that.”
“No worries,” Alexa said quickly. “I'm on it.” She turned around and opened the door behind them. The room beyond was dark and silent. “Looks like Talmadge had the right idea. Just pick a door and go through.” She stepped her foot across the door's threshold. Shink. Two shiny sheets of jagged metal snapped tightly together, filling the door frame. Beyond the metal, the sound of grinding could be heard.
“Alexa!” Oscar yelled.
Buddy ran to the doorway and began punching on the torture device that blocked their view of the events occurring behind them. The metal gave way slowly.
“Chill out, dudes,” Alexa said from behind them. “You don't think a girl knows to get clear the second she hears a couple of spring loaded traps let loose?”
“Thank God,” Oscar said, as he let out a sigh of relief. He ran to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her. “I told you to be careful.”
“Well, what the heck was that all about? Seems like something more suited for a video game where you’ve always got extra lives than it is for a back door to your own damned place.”
“It’s difficult to explain, sweetheart, but suffice it to say that we were up against some rather dangerous individuals. I couldn’t risk any of them bypassing any of my security measures. All the same, I’m glad you didn’t get hurt.”
“Yeah, Alexa, don't do anything like that again,” Buddy added.
“It would appear,” Murphy joined in, “that we have found the one door we do not wish to enter. I would think we are free to choose any door we wish now, am I correct, Mr. Reed?”
“Doctor Reed,” Oscar corrected with a grimace. “And yes, it looks like we found the most dangerous option. But we’re still not out of the woods. There’s still the possibility of choosing the nightmare-level door, which, believe me, is not something you wish to visit.”
“Okay,” Murphy responded. “So, we still must choose our door with caution. If only there were some method to know which door is the most appropriate option.”
“Actually,” Talmadge chimed, “I think I might have a way.”
“What’s that?” Oscar looked intrigued.
“Well,” Talmadge said slowly, “I’m not sure I know how to explain it, but when I picked the last door, it was almost like I was being led to it, like somehow I knew that was the door we needed to go through.”
“I’m sorry if I don’t sound confident,” Buddy said, “but I don’t think we want to put our lives in the hands of how you feel about a door.”
“I’m with Buddy on this,” Zero agreed. “Although I always appreciate a good headstrong approach to most any obstacle, hunches can be quite dangerous when presented with pure life or death situations.”
“I don’t know,” Oscar disagreed with a smile on his face. “You might be surprised with how often hunches are based on more than just a gut feeling, Zero. Talmadge, are you getting a vibe on which door we should choose now?” Oscar asked.
“Yeah.”
“Anyone got any better ideas?” Oscar asked the group. “I designed the damned place and I certainly don't.”
The group shook their heads.
“Well, then,” Oscar beamed. “I suggest we follow the kid.”
Talmadge closed his eyes and nodded his head slowly before opening them. He confidently walked across the room to the opposite door from the one they had entered.
“Hey, kid,” Oscar said, grabbing his shoulder. “You sure you're not just picking at random?”
“If I was, would it be any better than any other option?”
“I guess not.”
“This is the one, I’m certain.”
“Okay, kid. You lead the way.”
Talmadge grabbed the door knob and twisted slowly. Pushing the door in, he turned to the group. “Okay,” he said, “here goes nothing.” He stepped through and the lights inside turned on silently. The rest of the group followed him in.
The sight before them was one of a massive complex of buildings. These super-structures rose above and away from them as far as the group could see.
“Whoa,” Buddy said. “How the heck did you fit all this down here, Oscar?”
“It would take too long to go through all the technical specifications,” Oscar began explaining. “But it’s basically a holographic projection. There’s quite a bit more to it than that, but, well, yeah. Maybe some other time I can—“
“Welcome, one and all, to the trial of the Fat Mogul!” D.A.W.N.'s voice echoed through the blue-colored sky.
“The Fat-who?” Talmadge asked.
“The Fat Mogul, also known as Arthur Flores, leader of the Meta Mob, which just so happens to be that same group that attacked the Super-Con upstairs,” Ryan answered.
“Oh,” Talmadge responded slowly. “Wait, you mean THE Arthur Flores?”
“The one and only,” Alexa chirped.
“He was one of these super-hero types like you guys?”
“Tis true he was one of us for a time, young Bee,” Zero added. “Yet, he turned out to be one of our most devious foes in the end. I shudder to see him included in this pantheon of heroes.”
“Yeah,” Oscar agreed, “when that all played out, I was ready to wipe him out of everything, but it all happened so damned quickly. And, you know, it takes time to redesign a statue, not to mention the series of complex entrance trials. All the same, this should be a fun one, if I remember correctly.”
“Fun?” Buddy shrugged. “Sure.”
“D.A.W.N.?” Oscar asked. “You got our clue for us?”
“You've chosen wisely with the door in the center. The trial before you is the best you could enter. The oddly named hero we call the Fat Mogul, has an odd power with which he could grow small. This same trait allowed him to be, as small as an ant or as big as a tree. What you see before you may appear quite vast, and you'll quickly find that you'll lose yourselves fast. Another gem is yet hidden among these skyscrapers; this story has become a detective caper. But time's running out, you mustn't hesitate. For all will explode when the timer hits eight.”
A loud air horn sounded and clocks lit up on buildings all down the street ahead of them, counting up.
“What the hell?” Kent asked. “Murphy, I know this will come off as insubordination, but I can’t waste any more time on this crap. I’m heading back topside to see if I can’t do more with a simple interrogation of those idiots in our holding cell.” He said as he disappeared with a pop.
“I had feared Agent Kent would be one to give up quickly,” Murphy spoke.
“Oh, don't worry,” Oscar laughed. “He won't get far. The entire Bunker system is set up to keep people from teleporting in and out, unless they’re using The Bunker’s own teleporter. He won’t have gotten very far.”
Kent reappeared with another pop. “Dammit, what the hell? I just reappeared on top of one of these buildings. What's going on here?”
“Sorry, dude,” Ryan laughed. “You're trapped in here like the res
t of us.”
Kent stormed off. “I guess I'll have to start looking for the stupid stone then.”
“Kent's got a point,” Oscar agreed. “It will be smart for all of us to split up, that way we can cover more ground. I’d say we go off in pairs.”
“I shall accompany my associate. I’m going to have to have a chat with him about his recent act,” Murphy said as he followed Kent.
“Son,” Oscar asked. “You wanna do a Red Rocketeer team-up? Could be fun to get up in the air together.”
“Sure,” Ryan agreed. The two lifted into the sky simultaneously.
“How’s the arm treating you, Zero?” Alexa asked.
“Which one?” Zero laughed before responding with a more serious expression. “Nothing that’ll keep me down, why?”
“Just needed to know if you were going to need extra protection. Since you don’t, I’m pairing up with Buddy,” Alexa said, grabbing Buddy's arm. “Seems like a perfect time for you to show Talmadge the super-heroing ropes.”
“I understand, dear Alexa,” Zero said, gazing unhappily at Talmadge. “Alright, young Bee, I suppose we shall have to be off on foot to start, huh? Perhaps you can use that odd talent you have for choosing doors to find this sparkling gemstone.”
“I'll see what I can do,” Talmadge answered.
“Perfect. You lead the way, then.”
Talmadge closed his eyes and led Zero away from Buddy and Alexa.
“Well, what should we do, now that we're alone?” Alexa asked Buddy with a smirk.
“Hey now, what have I told you about giving a guy the wrong idea?”
“Sheesh, settle down, Tiger. You know I love you.”
“Kid,” Buddy said, reaching over to give her a light tussle of her hair, “you have no idea how happy any man would be to hear those words come from your mouth.”
“And they only come out for you,” she giggles.
“Seriously, you had better be careful with that kind of talk, missy.”
“Aw, come on, Buddy. You know I'm just teasing you. But, it's not like it would be so horrible if something were to happen between us.”
“Lex, I'm a man, so I have to be honest in saying that there is absolutely no reason I would ever be able to turn you down if you ever showed that type of interest in me for real. But--”