by Jason Luthor
Tommy bows his head, and when he does, another burst of cheers and applause start to move like a wave down the streets. The screens lining the buildings show Tommy from all angles as he raises his gloved hand, smiling at the crowds. He looks . . . really, really good, wearing his dress uniform and the presidential awards across his chest. From a jock kid I knew in the Tower to the leader of the last of humanity . . . Life is weird like that.
And then, he leans forward, and those dreaded words come out of his lips. “But I know I’m not the only person you came here to see,” he says as his smile widens, his eyes shooting over to me. I can actually feel the sweat starting to form on my skin as my muscles start to tense into knots. “So, I would like to present the latest recipient of our city’s higher military honor, the Mantle Victoriam.” He draws it out, letting the cheers peak until they feel like a wall of sound. “You know her by many names. To the enemies of our people, she’s the Dark Angel. To any friend of humanity, she’s the Angel of Freedom. Some just call her the Angel, but to me, she’s just my friend . . . Jackie Coleman.”
The burst of sound from the crowds is deafening. I force myself onto my feet when Tommy says my name, and there’s this surreal moment that passes by faster than I can take it in. He shakes my hand, then I step up to the podium, and it all takes place in what feels like half a second. Before even realize it, I’m standing there, my fingers clenching to the sides of the podium with enough force that I think I’m going to break it. Maybe out of sheer panic, I look at Erin on one side and then Nina on the other. I’m just looking for friendly faces. But, out of nowhere, the applause dies, and I realize I’m staring out onto crowds of people who expect me to say something.
So, after what has to be an equally uncomfortable moment for the crowd as it is for me, I lean forward. “Thank you, everyone,” I say, almost too quietly, but it’s enough to get just one more quick burst of applause. “Thank you . . . thank you for all being here.” It takes about five seconds for me to feel like I’m dying, but standing there, looking at how happy they all look . . . Maybe that’s what I need to motivate me, because it makes me feel . . . good. Good, to see them happy and ready to move on. To live. “I won’t take up a lot of your time because President Jones is one of the best speakers I’ve ever heard.” More applause. At least they like Tommy.
“But I did want to say just a few words, because I thought it was appropriate on a day like today. I first arrived in Central Freedom almost half a year ago. When I did, the city was cut off from Fort Silence and fighting with the people living in the Deadlands. I didn’t have a good impression of anyone outside of the city back then. I didn’t completely trust the soldiers from Fort Silence . . . and I felt even worse about the Sha’b, who we were still calling raiders at the time. To be honest, I didn’t even trust many people living here in Central. It was hard to trust people, or at least, to trust people I didn’t already consider friends.”
“One thing I’ve learned this last year though, is that we’re all sort of like that, in our own way. Because it’s hard to trust. That’s why we put up barriers. It’s natural. We know that it’s impossible to trust everyone. Still, there are too many times when make those barriers too high. We make it so hard for others to reach us that we push away really good people. We don’t build the relationships we should. And . . . we lose out, as people, when we do that. Then we just keep piling on one mistrust after another and start fighting instead of trying to understand each other.
“What I’ve learned is that there are good and bad people everywhere, and there’s no one rule on how to see who is who. People I fought against became my allies. Allies I trusted turned out to be my enemies. I had this idea of who could be trusted, when the truth is, good people are everywhere, if you have the bravery to see them. When you decide to take a step and understand each other, it makes the world a better place.”
I stop and take a breath as I try to sort out my final words. “Since I’ve gotten here, I’ve tried to make the world a better place, and you’ve made me feel so welcomed. And I will always fight for you. I will always fight to make this city safer. But, just because I can do certain things doesn’t mean I can improve the world alone. Everyone here can do their part to make a better future. That’s the secret. That’s how we’re going to make the world a better place.” The dead silence in the streets makes me suddenly very aware of how many people are watching me as I reach my final words. “But I also know it’s a dangerous world. Everyone needs to look out for each other. So, when you need me, when the people of this city are threatened . . . When there is someone or something that threatens the safety of innocent people living in Central Freedom or anywhere in the Deadlands. . . I will be there to fight for you.”
Then it’s like a sudden release of pressure as shouts and cheers explode with so much force that I can feel it traveling through the crowds. The applause is so intense that the floor underneath me starts shaking again, and for a second, I almost believe the shouting is causing my hair to drift, like it’s caught on a wind. I raise my hand up to the crowd and smile, maybe a little uncomfortably, but still. I just . . . I let them cheer. Because it’s important. But honestly, I don’t really care about the praise. I’m just happy that they’re happy.
The crowd starts dying down, and I’m just getting ready to step away, when I hear someone screaming for me. It’s loud enough, even in the crowd, that I hesitate just as I’m leaning away from the podium. Tommy’s already at my side when we both see who it is that’s yelling. Kali. Even the Baby Boys have turned to capture her face and broadcast it on all the screens. I look at her confused, but when the crowds realize something’s happening, everyone goes dead quiet again.
“Jackie!” she’s screaming. “Heavy Metal. Angel. Whatever.”
“Um.” I try to lean back into the mic. “Uh. Y-Yes?”
“Hey, I heard you can fly now without the jet pack. Is that true?”
I give her this death stare as I cock my head, trying to figure out why she’s asking. “Well, it’s more like . . . I use Pocket Space to displace the space around me, so it shifts me upward. It’s . . . technical, and . . .”
“So, basically you can fly, right?”
“Kind of.”
“You can fly. Why don’t you show us?”
I stare at her for what feels like a minute, my mantle flapping in the winter winds sweeping down from the skyscrapers that frame the streets. “I mean . . . I don’t . . .”
Tommy looks over at me. “Jackie.” He smiles as his voice is caught on the mic. “You got to give the people what they want. Why don’t you show us what the Angel of Freedom can do?”
My death stare turns from Kali to Tommy, at least until I realize there’s a cheer going out through the crowd. I turn back to look into the square, listening as they cheer and watching as they clap, louder and louder. It feels like it’s filling the whole city.
Dammit.
But then I look at them again . . . and they’re all so happy, you know? And that’s when I realize just how happy I am, too. I’m more than just grinning. I’m beaming as I look into all of their smiling faces. The chants aren’t stopping either, so I finally step back from the podium.
I look over at Tommy and almost laugh as he smiles back at me. Then I raise my hand upward, waving to everyone. On the screens lining the city streets, I can see images of the crowds as they’re cheering and waving before the view switches back to me. Then I just give them one last, big smile as I feel the silver light pass over my eyes. My body starts to shift upward, sliding into the air. I’m not flying, technically. I’m displacing. But Nina’s right. It might as well be flying as I start to drift slowly upward, the crowds laughing and chanting as I slide out over them, hovering dozens of feet in the air. Then I clench my fist, look upwards . . . and, okay. I fly.
The world fades behind me as I rocket upwards, Baby Boys streaking after me, trying to keep up for as long as possible. Then the fire really burns through me, and I can fe
el myself pushing through the air faster than even the cameras can keep up. I laugh as I leave the world behind, seeing everything from far above before I angle back toward the earth. As fun as it is to soar through the sky, and as grateful as I am to see everyone so happy, I have friends that I want to be with during my last days in Central.
Jackie’s Recording 44
“Symbols are important.”
Mandy says it right before throwing a punch. It’s obvious she’s feeling better. I turn her punch to the side and then strike at her, but she brings up her hands to block me. “What do you mean?”
She takes a step back. “You’re a symbol. For the city, I mean.”
“Maybe,” I say with a shrug. My hand flies at her in a light thrust, but she twists to the side and avoids it before jumping back.
“I mean it, Jackie. You’re . . .”
“What?” She needs to say something, so I drop my hands out of fighting position. “Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just . . . Mike was my hero, Jackie, but . . . You’re my hero, too.”
“I’m not really . . .”
“Jackie.” She looks me right in the eyes until it’s uncomfortable. “I’m serious.”
I give her a smile and drop to the ground, taking a seat on the stairs leading up into her apartment building. “Well thanks for the compliment.”
“I know that Mikey thought you were one of his heroes, too.”
That gets me. I feel my throat tighten up when she says it, and I have to fight back the stinging I feel in the corner of my eyes. “Well, we all got thrown into such a crazy, upside down situation. You know, when we all started out trying to get out of the Tower, things were such a mess. I didn’t think I’d ever feel normal, but here I am, with actual friends and people that want me around. I could do without all the electronic billboards that have my face on it. All the glory and fame thing is for crazy people like Yousef.”
Mandy takes a seat on the stairs next to me and folds her hands together, her eyes on the pavement in front of us. For a second, she just sits there, tucking herself into her jacket. “Mike always said he was a lot like you. He never wanted to be a soldier or anything, but he was good at it. He liked doing a good job, but I know what he really liked.”
“And what’s that?”
“Coming home to Cynthia and kissing her hello, then giving me a hug before I started on my homework. He liked having Tommy and Dodger over so that they could all have dinner. And he liked watching the rowboats going by in the Green Zone. He said that the only reason why he kept fighting was because he wanted to make the world better for everyone. But he really didn’t like fighting.”
“Yeah, Mandy. I know the feeling. Maybe that’s why me and Mike were so tight. The only reason we wanted to be Scavengers was because we wanted to learn the truth about the world. I mean, it was cool to think about fighting sometimes but . . . Honestly, once we saw what fighting really does to people, I don’t think either one of us really wanted to keep doing it. Like you said though, he was good at it, and so was I. That’s why we made it out of the Tower, and that’s why we were able to protect the people we cared about.”
“With Mike though . . .”
She trails off and goes quiet, and I give her a soft tap with my elbow. “What’s up?”
“With Mike, I think he found what he was looking for. This was his home.”
“Yeah. Yeah, it was.”
“He felt like he belonged here, with Cynthia and me. He was kind of different when they first met. After a while, he felt, I don’t know . . . happy.”
“At peace.”
“Yeah. It sounds like you feel that way now too.”
I take a deep breath as I look down the street, at the rows of apartment buildings disappearing down the block and the people standing around, talking as the sun is starting to fall. “Central Freedom’s my home. I really feel that way. With you, Cynthia, Tommy, and Dodger . . . Honestly, I feel more comfortable here than I ever did when I was in the Tower.”
“But something’s still bothering you.”
“Well, there’s still a lot of things we have to do. We still have to keep fighting back the Creep, finding out where it came from, that kind of thing. There are things out there we still don’t understand. I might not have ever wanted to play hero, but it looks like I don’t have a choice anymore. If I’ve got the power to do something about the way the world is, then I’ve got to do something.”
“You’re never going to start that garden you want, are you.”
I smile as I keep looking up at the skies way above us, where the last of the sun’s starting to disappear. “One day. It’s the sort of thing you have to work for.” I slide Mike’s cross out from a pouch on my jumpsuit, my fingers turning it over sometime. “I actually changed my vision of what I want the house too look like though.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. When I do end up building that house, I’ll make a little tribute to Mike along with the flowers I plant, so I can remember him every time I go gardening. It’ll go next to the roses, since they’re my favorite flower. Then I’ll be able to really be at peace about all of this.”
Mandy’s arm wraps around mine and she leans into me in a kind of half hug. “Do you think the food’s ready?”
That gets a chuckle out of me. “If not, we’ll have to get angry at your sister.”
The two of us get up off the stairs and walk into the apartment as the last bit of sunlight disappears. It’s not long before we’re in Cynthia’s apartment. The food’s already on the table, and Tommy and Dodger are there, out of uniform and smiling at us as we step into the kitchen. There’s nothing warmer than Cynthia’s smile as she waves me to a chair. As I sit down, I see an empty chair at the table with Mike’s uniform jacket draped over it. The second I see it, I can’t help but bite my lip as I try to hold back everything I’m feeling. As we all settle in at the table, Cynthia reaches over and squeezes my hand. I look back at her in surprise as she grabs Mandy’s. Mandy grabs Tommy’s, and Tommy grabs Dodger’s, and suddenly Cynthia’s saying a prayer.
I’m not going to lie. I don’t know how to feel about it. At least, not at first. Still, even if I don’t believe what Cynthia believes . . . what Mike believed . . . I can appreciate what she’s saying. She just gives thanks that Mike came into her life. In that second, when she says her thanks, regardless of what it is I do or don’t believe . . . I say thank you that Mike was in my life, too.
Jackie’s Recording 45
When I step into Yousef’s cell, it’s been almost two weeks since we fought. It’s just a cube surrounded on all sides by a field of blue energy you can barely see. Actually, it’s a little like the cells back at Highpoint. There aren’t even any guards in the room. They’re all outside the door. No, it’s just me standing there with Yousef. He’s bent over on a bench, one arm bracing himself, the other one missing. I shake my head as I look at him. “I’ll make sure they give you a prosthetic. They shouldn’t be keeping you like this.”
“Why bother,” he asks as his eyes look up at me, his lips twisting into a smile when he sees me. “The Mantle Victoriam. I guess there really is no one better to wear it. After all, you defeated the ‘evil’ Golden Jackal.”
“Don’t do this, Yousef.”
“Why are you here, Jackie? You’re not the gloating type.”
“No, I’m not. First, I wanted to check up on you, because . . .” I frown as I look him over, looking down his thinning arms and legs. It’s such a huge change from when we fought. He looks like he’s been starved. “Doctor Watson told me you’re dying.”
“I paid a consequence for fighting for what I believed in. Obviously, even the greatest technology produced by Apeiron wasn’t enough to match the Creep. You were able to beat me without looking any worse for wear.”
“They’re working on trying to reverse the effects for you. If anyone can do it, it’s the doc.”
“I’m ready to die, if that’s my fate.”
I take a deep breath as I stare from the other side of the cell. “The other reason I came was because I’m the kind of person who likes to know the truth. Who likes answers. It’s the same way I was when I lived in the Tower.”
“And what sort of truth can I reveal? I’m not that mysterious.”
“Yeah, you are. What motivates you makes no sense to me.”
I take a step closer to the energy field and his eyebrow cocks upward. “Careful. You might get shocked.”
“It couldn’t hurt me at this point.”
“I suppose not.” He straights up, his eyes staring directly into mine. “I’m your prisoner, Jackie. I couldn’t say no if I wanted to, unless I wanted to be executed.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you, Yousef.”
“No, you’d just allow your people to do it for you. In the courts.”
“What else should I do? What else do you want me to do?”
“Nothing at all. It’s the right move. The only move. I know that, and so do you. That’s what’s important now that you’re leader. You have to make the hard choices. I did, and I’m paying the price for it. Maybe the future will show that I was wrong, and you were right, after all.”
“I’m not the leader. That’s Tommy.”
“Oh, of course. You’re just another soldier.”
“You really want to keep talking to me like this? You really hate me that much?”
His eyes slide toward me, burning even if there’s no golden light there anymore. For a long second, he just stares, his jaw grinding as his one hand clenches down on his knee, before he finally says, “No. It doesn’t seem so. In some strange way, now that it’s all over, I find myself missing that night we spent together in Fort Silence. Missing what could have been friendship.”
“Yet you wanted me dead so badly. You were willing to do almost anything to make it happen.”
“Almost. Not quite. Not enough. I should have finished off that first time we fought, outside your apartment.”