by Riker Kane
“A slight miscalculation.” Redgrave answered my question before I had a chance to ask it. “It tends to happen when you’re dealing with a dimension made of Mana. Something must have happened to shrink the zone and allow you to reach the end of it so quickly.”
“I got no problem with that. I’d rather it shrink than expand. Wasn’t exactly a fan of the Flats.”
Redgrave walked over to the display and trailed his finger along it. “You’re already nearing the halfway point. By my calculations, keeping in mind that it’s only an estimate, you only have two more zones to venture through before you’re on the doorstep to Anarchy. Once you’re there—”
“I’ll find my dad.”
Redgrave gave me a half-hearted smile. I knew what he was thinking just from the way he looked at me. Nobody took losing my dad as hard as me but Redgrave was determined.
He put a hand on my arm and sighed softly through his nose. “He’d be proud of you.”
I clenched my jaw and stared at the map, looking at the distance between the blinking blue dot and the glowing red one at the other end of the display.
“Nothing to be proud of yet. We’ve still got a long way to go.”
“How are you feeling?”
“You closed all of my wounds. Lost some blood but it was more painful than actually life-threatening. I’d say I’m okay.” There were no scars on my skin or any evidence of the vulture claws and beaks cutting through me. But after all trips into Pandora, I was still tired as hell.
“Get some rest, Enzo. Or if you’ve still got the energy, treat yourself. It’s not often you defeat a Shadow at the end of a zone.”
“How about you, Redgrave? You feel like coming along?”
“I have all the necessities I need. Someone needs to make sure this equipment is monitored at all times.” The storage warehouse had a bathroom and it was stocked with enough canned food to last for months. But the cramped space Redgrave was confined in only made me want to get this thing done even faster.
“Thanks. Maybe we’ll take a day off while you’re upgrading the gauntlets.”
“Perhaps. But know it’s always a pleasure, Slayer.”
~ ~ ~
The sight of Alisa holding a half-pound hamburger in her hand was kinda comical, considering she wasn’t very big herself. The mustard, ketchup, and grease stained her cheeks and around her lips but she didn’t seem to care. While one hand did a balancing act to make sure her burger didn’t fall apart, her other hand combed over the Fancy Diner menu.
“Let’s see… What else is good here?”
Ruthie leaned against the other side of the counter, waiting for Alisa to make her order. “You sure you want something else? That burger looks good enough.”
“A burger and fries is nice. But tonight is special. How about some Mexican? A nice, juicy beef and cheese burrito.”
Ruthie nodded. “Beef and cheese burrito. You know you still have to pay for this, right?”
“What?” Alisa’s face twisted in confusion, her mouth open with half-chewed chunks of hamburger threatening to fall out. “What about my employee discount?”
“Employee discount? What are you talking about?”
“I work here. I mean, it’s only a few shifts here and there. But that counts, doesn’t it?”
The older waitress stared blankly at Alisa.
“You don’t get an employee discount?” Alisa frowned as the realization slowly dawned upon her.
“Get a load of this girl.” Ruthie motioned at Alisa with her thumb as she looked at me. “Next thing you know she’ll be asking for stock options, a pension, and an executive bonus. Ha!”
“Whatever.” Alisa went back to munching on her burger. “I made a few bucks. Gimme the burrito.”
Ruthie shuffled away to place Alisa’s order.
Alisa sat between Jade and me, eating like she’d been starving herself for a week.
“Pretty hungry, huh?” I said as I picked at some fruit.
Alisa shook her head as she dipped her fries in some ketchup. “Listen. You can pretend like everything we just did was normal. But it was rough. It was hot. It was exhausting. And I made it. It’s a celebration. I just fought some goblins. I shot some giant birds big enough to fill this diner. And I just leveled up, too. Check me out, Champ.”
She put her burger down and flexed her arm.
“I see it,” I said, glancing at her arm.
“Go ahead. Touch it. Poke that muscle.”
“I’m not touching it.”
“You know you want to…”
“I don’t.”
“Just touch it.”
“Fine.” I threw my hands up in the air. “I’ll touch it.” I poked my finger out and pressed it into her bicep. “Actually, that is pretty firm…”
“Joke’s on you. I only leveled up my speed and control.”
Alisa giggled as she picked up her hamburger. I rolled my eyes but Jade smiled with some amusement.
“C’mon,” Alisa said with a mouthful. “Don’t tell me you haven’t celebrated before. After some of your biggest fights, you splurged a little bit. What better way to enjoy knocking somebody out than having a great meal?”
“Meals after a fight are always nice. But that’s mostly because of having to cut weight. You stay disciplined for weeks, your body starts to crave junk food.”
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about. Reward yourself.”
“It’s too late for a burger. Maybe I’ll have a big breakfast in the morning.”
“You’re still getting up early, huh?” Alisa sipped on some orange juice to wash everything down before immediately beginning to fill her mouth back up. “You two need to learn how to live a little. That’s how we’re gonna make this team work.”
“Team… I guess we’re a team now.”
“That’s right. And every team has a team name. What do you think?”
“No,” I said. “No team name. We’re just three people trying to get something done. We’re not Omegas. We’re not soldiers.”
“Nah. I think we need a team name. What do you think, Jade?”
She’d been quiet this whole time. Sipping on a glass of water, most of her time was spent clutching her cell phone. Even though it wasn’t the first time I saw it, it was still unusual.
“Whatever you decide, I’m fine with,” Jade said. “Listen… It’s been a long night. I should probably head home and get some rest now.”
“The night’s just getting started though,” Alisa said. “You sure?”
“I’m sure. I’ll talk to you both tomorrow.” Jade popped up from her seat and headed for the exit.
I didn’t think much of it, just staring straight ahead with my thoughts empty. But from the corner of my eye, I could see staring right at me.
“What?” I said to her without looking. “What is it?”
“You gonna do something?”
“What are you talking about—”
“Jade. Something’s wrong.”
“You’re still on about that, huh?”
“You care about her, don’t you?”
“Sure—”
“Then you should do something. Now is better than later.”
I sighed a breath of frustration and shrugged. “If you’re so worried about her, why don’t you go talk to her?”
“Because she trusts you more.”
“Whatever.” I picked up a piece of cantaloupe and chewed on it, trying to forget everything Alisa just said. I couldn’t, of course. Not with how peacefully quiet the diner was.
“Should I just follow her?” I said.
“I think that’d be a good idea.”
I got up from my seat and pointed my index finger at Alisa. “If nothing’s wrong, I’m gonna blame you.”
“Something’s wrong. I know these things.”
I waited. One second. A last moment. The time I needed to ask myself if I was actually gonna bother Jade.
I told myself not to do it. But I still ended
up walking out of the diner.
22: The Thing About Jade
Newmire late at night wasn’t very interesting. Working-class folks were in bed, getting ready to start another day. There wasn’t much action on the streets outside of a few patrol cars. Of course, they were never actually around when you needed one. Most of the thugs and pushers lurking in the alleys got away with the shit they did because the cops were too lazy to bother with them. Then again, most people were smart enough to stay off the streets past midnight.
Any punks that tried to start something with me were the least of my worries at the moment. The smoggy air of the city made me think about how fresh and clear it was back in Pandora.
I looked up and down the streets before spotting Jade a few blocks ahead of me.
What was I doing? I didn’t know exactly. Questions were still running through my head as I walked after her. I should’ve minded my own business. But whether it was Alisa’s nagging or my own curiosity, something kept moving my feet forward.
I kept my distance to make sure Jade didn’t notice I was behind her. A girl like her was a perfect target for some asshole who was up to no good but out of all the people in Newmire, I knew she was the last woman they’d wanna mess with.
Jade walked at a decent pace, heading toward an old apartment building. She turned inside and I jogged to catch up. She didn’t seem to notice me getting closer. She kept glancing at her phone from time to time, more likely reading messages than checking the time.
The building wasn’t much different from the outside. The wooden floorboards were creaky. The paint on the walls was chipping. Fluorescent bulbs flickered with their last breaths, desperate to be replaced. It was completely empty though. And quiet except for the sound of Jade’s heels clicking against the stairs.
I ascended up the steps behind her. One floor. Two floor. Three floors. She stopped at the fourth floor and kept moving down the hall.
As I got closer, more doubts started to enter my head. I’d seen Jade every day since I met her but I didn’t know a thing about her. I wondered if now was the time to start meddling.
It was too late at this point. I walked down the hall and watched her push the door open, disappearing inside.
Shit. I’d been in cage fights with people who wanted to rip my limbs off and knock me out. I’d fought giant beasts that were big enough to swallow me whole. But the uncertainty of what I was doing now made me more anxious than all of that. Never liked dealing with personal shit. Never liked dealing with somebody else’s business.
It was too late to stop now.
I walked up to the door she walked into. I was only standing outside for a second when I heard it.
“Where the hell were you? What the hell is going on?”
A man’s voice. The bastard was shouting loud enough I could hear him clearly. I listened for Jade but there was nothing. I started to wonder if she was even there in the first place.
I stopped waiting to avoid letting my annoying doubt get to me.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Three soft taps on the door and the shouting inside stopped.
I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Suddenly, the door clicked open a crack. Inside it was dark but there was enough light from the hallway to see the confusion on Jade’s face.
“Enzo? What are you doing here?”
“Who is it? Is that the asshole you’re messing around with?” The voice came from inside.
The worry in her eyes didn’t go away as she stared at me.
“What’s going on, Jade?”
“Enzo, you shouldn’t—”
The door suddenly swung open. A fat guy in an undershirt and a pair of boxers stood there. His head was bald, clinging to the last few strands of dark hair. His beard and mustache were thick. His belly extended out, full and round, but the rest of his body was average-sized. I was a few inches taller than him but he stared at me like he was bigger than me.
He furrowed his brow in anger, his fists clenched. “You…” he grunted. “You’re the asshole keeping her up.”
I ignored him, staring at Jade as she put her head down. “Jade?”
“Enzo… Just go.”
“Yeah, go!” the man shouted.
Something was wrong. The longer I stared at Jade, the more uncomfortable I got. I couldn’t move like my feet were glued to the ground.
“Are you deaf?” the man yelled. “She said leave. Or maybe I should do it for you!”
He took a step toward me. Then he swung a right hand. The punch was slow. Untrained. Predictable.
I moved back and reacted as I always did, sending my own right hand into his stomach to not hurt him too much. His belly was big but it was soft as hell.
He grunted in pain as he keeled over at his doorway.
“Enzo! What the hell are you doing?” Jade knelt down next to him as he wheezed in pain.
Shit. I had no clue what the fuck was going on and now Jade looked pissed.
“I’ll meet you outside,” she said. “Just gimme a few minutes, okay?”
I nodded and slowly backed up, watching her help him catch his breath. They moved back into the apartment before I went downstairs, anxious to hear what she had to say to me.
~ ~ ~
I leaned against the wall, my hands in my pockets as I stared out across the alley. Some punks were lurking in the shadows. Probably sizing me up to see if they could mug me. I didn’t really care too much though. All I could think about was Jade.
“It’s dangerous in this part of town at night.” Jade appeared and moved to the entrance next to me.
“This part of town? Is there any part of Newmire that’s safe?”
“Maybe around the police station.”
“Even around there wouldn’t be safe wandering around for an old lady.”
“Is that how you determine safety? Using an old lady?”
“Why not? They’re the most vulnerable. Perfect targets for muggers.”
“What about Ruthie? She looks like she could break a few bones.”
“True. Ruthie’s an old lady. But I guess every rule has some exceptions.”
I smirked at her. Jade gave me a half-hearted smile before shifting her eyes back down to the sidewalk. There was an obvious question on the tip of my tongue but I didn’t bother asking it. She’d give me the answer whether she wanted to or not.
“There’s a part in every District,” she said. “They call it the Central Square. Eateries and pubs and places for Omegas to unwind. Considering how the average age of an Omega is twenty, it seems like a good idea. A spot for a bunch of kids to forget about the burden of having to protect humanity’s existence.”
“Kids gotta be kids.”
“There’s this grassy area in the middle. It’s like a small park. A few trees for some shade. The grass is artificial, so it’s perfect to lie in. You don’t have to worry about any bugs crawling on you.
“Sometimes after hard Junctions and long days, I’d go out to the park by myself at night. I’d just lie on the grass and stare at the stars. The weather was always amazing because of the climate-controlled dome.”
“If you’re trying to convince me to become an Omega, you’ll have to do better than that.”
Jade laughed softly. “It’s funny…” She turned her head up and looked at the sky. “The stars aren’t any different. It’s the same sky here as it was there. But it was so much more peaceful when I was at the District. My mind was so clear. Except for one thing. There’s one thing I always thought about.”
She clenched her jaw suddenly. Her eyes glazed over slightly, almost like she was about to cry. I kept staring at her, watching her throat bob up and down with a swallow.
“I was happy. I was actually happy. I was pushing myself to my limits, fighting monsters in another dimension, and I was… happy.”
“You don’t seem too happy now… I’m guessing it has something to do with that guy.”
“It’s complicated.”
“And I’m too stupid to understand. That what you’re saying?”
Jade turned to me, that same half-hearted smile on her lips as she shook her head. “I never knew my father. Never knew my mother. Woe is me, right? I don’t know what happened. Most people would say it was not having proper parents. But for whatever reason, I got involved with the wrong crowd.”
“You join a gang?”
“Worse. Started using. When you were a kid without any direction, drugs were more appealing than the future. Teenagers don’t look that far ahead. Why would they care about something they can’t see, years, decades away?”
Jade twisted her lips like she was struggling to get the words out.
“It got bad. Real bad. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. I was addicted. In and out of jail. But there was someone looking out for me. Tim…”
“Tim. Your friend up there.”
“Tim gave me a place to stay. Food to eat. Looked after me.”
“Something tells me Tim isn’t exactly the sweetest guy in the world.”
“He’s not. He’s just… misunderstood. I had somewhere to go because of him. Even if he was a dealer.”
“Doesn’t sound misunderstood.”
“All I know is I wouldn’t be alive without him.”
“Miserable existence, even if you’re alive.”
“I agree,” she sighed. “But something happened. I applied to the Legion because it was the only way for me to get away. Next thing I know, I’m fighting monsters. I’ve got Red Mana in me. I’m saving the world. And with no drugs, the only thing I could get high on was the view of the stars. I don’t even think about getting high now. No cravings or anything.”
I scratched the side of my head and shrugged. “Here’s what I don’t understand. You finally found a purpose with the Legion. You kicked your drug habit. And I know Omegas make money. Not a lot but…”
“You’re wondering why I’m still hanging out at Tim’s place. That’s exactly why. He gave me a place to stay when no one else would. He helped me quit, believe it or not. Who knows better about how bad drugs are than a dealer? I kicked the habit completely when I was at the District. Now that I’m back… I can’t leave him now. I… I owe him.”