Chapter 25: So Much for Covert
Richie
You know a mission has gone south once the radios stop working. As soon as we stepped through the roof access door, they must've begun acting up because I tried calling Brianna and Grease on every channel and all I got was static. In fact, all any of us got was static. Zach ripped off his earpiece, mumbling about how he has to fix everything. Jenna and I continued on, while Zach began dismantling the poor thing.
I stood at the ready, as Jenna kicked in more doors. The building had an odd orientation: several doors that led to a central conference room which was surrounded by a fork of hallways. On the perimeter was all offices with one wall an entire window. Some offices had windows looking in, while others were completely closed. We decided to split up, Jenna taking every door on the right while I dealt with all of the offices.
Zach trailed behind, still fumbling with his toy. He was so engrossed, he didn't even bother to check the central conference room he strode into; Jenna and I ran behind him, making sure he wasn't ambushed on the way in. He calmly took a seat at the round table, mindless ripping apart the Bluetooth. A few seconds later he threw it down in frustration. "It isn't the Bluetooth!" He yelled angrily.
I laid my knife on the table and leaned over Zach. He angrily passed the torn apart comms unit to me and whipped out his laptop. I looked over the tangled wires, but it was hopeless; if Zach couldn't fix it, there was no chance of me figuring it out. I'm a smart guy, but advanced tech is definitely more of Zach's speed. Jenna still combed the doors, searching for any sign of The Circus or our team.
She strode over and stood next to me, leaning on her staff while staring blanking at us. She looked back and forth at Zach and I while he feverishly typed on his laptop and I continued to tear open Zach's comm unit.
"Can I help you?" I asked once I started to get annoyed from Jenna staring at me.
"What do you think you're going to accomplish?" she asked.
"I'm hoping that I'll be able to hear my friends once they've found Mitchell." I said, paying more attention to the piece of metal than my teammate.
"And you?" She asked pointedly at Zach. When he didn't flinch, she softly whacked him with the butt of her staff.
Zach jerked and squirmed in his seat, still angrily pounding on his keyboard. "Trying to break into the encrypted server. If I can get in, I can reverse whatever is blocking the signal."
"Keep at it. You'll get it." She said, trying to be encouraging. Zach was neither shocked nor affected by Jenna attempt at being a good teammate; he still angrily punched the keyboard.
Something dropped outside, making a loud clang as it hit the floor. Jenna and I swarmed the nearest door, carefully peeking out while Zach ducked below the desk, still going at the server. I peered outside, only to find everything in the place that I remember. Jenna and I kept watch for a little longer, Zach slowly coming from behind the desk asked, "We good?"
"I think-" I started, until something rustled just around the hall corner. I quickly jumped back into place, carefully watching the hall. Something metallic and out of my sight skittered across the floor. Large shadow moved across the wall and stopped just before my line of sight. I saw the shadow flinch, preparing to move around the corner of the hall. I clicked the black button on Kindness (Yes I named my weapon. Don't judge.), and pitched a throwing knife down the hall. It missed the person by a mile, mostly because the person was a rat. It hopped across the hall, staring at its attacker. The knife was wedged is the wall high above it: perfect for trapping a person, but not a rat. Jenna looked on surprised, then, covered her mouth with her hand, trying her best to suppress a laugh. A wave of relief rolled over me as the rat skipped away, but that relief quickly turned to anger. I walked across the hall and unwedged Kindness from the wall. Jenna still stood in the doorframe, trying her best to look serious, but ultimately failed. I caught her let loose a giggle and gave her an exasperated sign in response. I pushed past her and threw myself into a chair next to Zach.
Jenna came from behind, making noises from behind. The first few made me jump, but I quickly figured out she was just making fun. After I stopped twitching and jumping, Jenna came from behind and grabbed my shoulders. I jumped for my knife, but stopped myself. I slumped back into my chair, tapping my bluetooth.
"Zach, can you give us a minute?" she asked.
He looked at her, aggravated, "Of course. It's not like I'm trying to break into an encrypted server or anything". They continued staring, until Zach grabbed his laptop and stormed outside.
Once he was gone, Jenna quickly said, "You didn't correct my grammar."
She plopped into the chair next to me, staring expectantly. I stared back, confused.
"I'm sorry?" I said, confused at the point she was trying to make.
"You didn't correct my grammar." She repeated. When I didn't respond, she continued. "You always correct my grammar and I always punch you for it. What's wrong?"
"I must've missed it. Sorry."
"You never miss a chance to embarrass me. What's really going on?"
I rolled my eyes. Now really isn't the time and place for this talk. "I kind of have a job to do, so can we have this conversation later?"
"No." she quickly retorted. "Because your 'later' means never. Now quit dodging questions and answer me.""
We continued our little staring contest until I finally caved. "I'm stressed, I guess."
Jenna looked at me, dumbfounded. "I thought you were supposed to be smart."
I leaned back in my chair, annoyed, as Jenna continued. "For a spy, you suck at lying."
"Fine! I realized how much I missed my old life, my family, my friends. When we were dividing up, it reminded me of playing Capture the Flag with my neighbors; when Zach was aggravated punching his computer, it reminded me of Game Nights at my house." I regretfully looked across the table. "I was supposed to be keeping it together, but I can't even do that."
"What are you talking about?!" Jenna said, bursting into laughter. "You rallied the team into finding Mitchell! You got us all here and are sure enough going to get us out! You're by far the smartest person I know and not just because of some hard math problems!"
I raised my eyebrow, waiting for Jenna's punchline. "You're a survivor. That's why you're smart. I saw your orientation video. None of us even thought of smashing the chair or climbing the ventilation. You find a way to solve everything: you'll solve this, you'll solve The Jester, and you'll be back with your family."
"You're surprisingly supportive." I noted. "Are you feeling okay?"
Jenna reclined in her chair, laughing. She got so loud, I had to shush her before she awoke everyone in a ten mile radius. " I can't support a teammate?" She asked jokingly.
"You can, it's just unlike you." That shut her up surprisingly fast. He sat back, pursing her lips, obviously deep in thought. " What happened to you while we were gone?"
Jenna thought for a second, then looked up with a strangely happy look. "It's funny what an epiphany can do."
And the question-dodger strikes again! If there's anything my team can do, it's dodging questions better than most politicians.
Jenna suddenly jumped forward. " You never talk about your life before this train wreck. What was it like? To be normal I mean."
I had to really think how to answer that. My life was so boring: tests and quizzes, annoying classmates and less annoying friends, and most mundane of all, a stereotypical bothersome family.
"Nice, I guess. I haven't really thought of it, after all, there's others things occupying my thoughts right now."
"Well, what did you do for fun? Who were your friends? Come on, there has to be something interesting!"
I tried my hardest, wracking my brain for something that was interesting before I was, in hindsight, kidnapped. I shook my head, smiling, at the sudden remembrance of a stupid ordeal with my friend. "Last year, my friend and I stuck in school after we snuck in to change his test grade."
"Seriously?!" Jenna screamed before dying from laughter. "Do tell!"
I tried my best not to smile and turned my head. That was stupid, I told myself. That is a story that has an awful ending which I'd prefer to not get into.
Luckily, Zach came running into the room. I owe you one! I silently told him, but, unluckily, he didn't notice because he was too preoccupied with something else.
"I have good news and bad news. Which do you wanna hear first?" He quickly asked.
Before either of us could respond, Zach continued. "Good news: I broke into the server and shut down the signal blocker. Bad news: A-"
Zach didn't get to finish because a blaring alarm interrupted him. It echoed through the building: the lower floors ringing amplified our floors, making it sound like two different alarms were going off in chorus. "THAT!" Zach screamed.
We jumped from our seats and rushed out the office. I stormed down the stairs, Jenna and Zach in hot pursuit. "We need to find Brianna and Grease and get out of here!"
I suddenly remembered Zach deactivated our headsets. "Brianna?! Grease?! Answer me!" The headset only sent static back. There's nothing wrong with our headsets, there's something wrong with theirs, I chillingly realized.
We quickly made it to the second floor, an open area with entire wall windows lighting up the floor. I carefully picked my way into the room, Jenna and Zach close behind with her lacrosse stick and his arm length gun out and ready. I heavily gripped my knife, practically turning my knuckles white. "We need to hurry. We may still have the element of surprise."
Of course with my luck, a figure stepped from the shadows. The dismembered voice called out, "I'm afraid you lost that a long time ago".
The Jester stepped into the light, revealing her oddly well done, yet messy mask of black, purple, and red.
"You. What have you done with Brianna and Grease?!" Zach yelled.
The Jester let out her annoyingly infamous laugh. "Myself? Nothing." Zach's face exploded with relief, and despite his best attempt, he failed to hide it. "However, I cannot say the same for my associates."
"Yes," another familiar voice said from behind. Time Queen sneakily came from behind, blocking the stairwell. Except for the decommissioned elevators, we were trapped. "Harlequin is downstairs right now, no doubt dealing with the bookworm and the garage junky."
Time Queen slammed the door shut, slowly pushing us into the center of the room as she strode forward. Now, without all of the talking, I heard a soft tick coming from the stairwell. Then, another followed, harmonizing with the other faint noise. More and more faint ticks began to sound off until the point where it caught the attention of Time Queen. She turned back, curiously checking the door. The Jester watched as Time Queen inspected the door, pressing her ear against the steel wall. Just as she began to back away, the door blew off its hinges, throwing Time Queen to the other side of the room. Brianna, Grease, and Mitchell stormed into the room, ready to fight.
Time Queen scrambled from the floor, practically fuming with anger.
"Incompetent little weasels..." The Jester muttered. "In any case, this is no problem. Now, I can explain my evil plan once before I kill all of you."
"Let me stop you right there." I said. "Why explain your evil plan?" Jenna punched me in the back, hinting to stop, but I continued anyway. "If you have some spectacular plan to take over the world, why tell us? Then we know exactly how to stop you."
Everyone looked at me dumbfounded, even The Jester, who was now contemplating my point. I have a feeling that Jenna was going to beat me up, but before she could act, The Jester piped up. "You have a point. However, you all think of me wrongly."
We obviously made our confusing clear because despite our fierce stance, The Jester and Time Queen looked on happily. "I want you to join me."
"And why on Earth would we even consider that?" Mitchell angrily asked.
"I didn't want to hurt you children, not in the beginning. I always planned for you to be special. At first, you were all an idea, a speculation. In fact, it was just random chance that I ran into you, but I knew there was something special about you children."
I don't ever recall running into a creepy clown like this (and I most definitely would).
"Then, I watched you children grow and prosper. In other words, you are different, special and that is talent that shouldn't be wasted in some second rate school for the other type of special children. You children have gifts like no one else! They just need to be opened. There's so much more to you children than you understand. So much potential in just 11 souls!" The Jester reached out her arms longingly, like a mother begging her child. When we didn't respond, she turned to Jenna. "Jenna, please. I've taken care of you since you were 13! I've given you everything you've needed for those 3 years."
Mitchell stepped in front of her, blocking Jenna from The Jester's view. "And what about that attack on Headquarters? Was that out of love too?!"
The Jester shamefully looked down. "My dear children, you must understand that wasn't me. I wasn't myself that day. Please, all I ask is for you to join me now and see who I truly am."
We all stood, still ready to fight, but slightly uncomfortable. Zach was the first to come forward.
"I'm not completely sure what you're planning or if you're entirely sane," he began as The Jester excitedly smiled. "But, knowing what you're capable of and what you've done, I will never join you. These '11 souls' that you've tampered with will fight you with every chance we get!"
Immediately, her smile was wiped from her face and the familiar sneer returned.
Next, came Jenna and Brianna, standing next to Zach with their weapons at the ready- an obvious agreement. Then, came Mitchell, awaiting orders with a grenade in one hand and his steel bat over his shoulder. And lastly, me.
"Looks like we've made our choice." I said confidently. The Jester angrily stepped forward, obviously about to make a winded speech about how we will never win and how we disappointed her, blah blah blah. Honestly, nothing I haven't heard from my parents after I got suspended. But before she could continue, I flicked the green button, making Kindness drip with a dark green poison, and pitched it at her shoulder.
Now, you're probably saying, Wow Richie, you're so stupid! You could've killed the villain who kidnapped your friend and conducted science experiment on everyone, however, The Jester is still Headmistress; I don't want to kill her, just maim and arrest. Still, that throwing knife to the shoulder really pissed her off.
She screamed in agony and fell to the floor as the knife pierced her shoulder. Time Queen ran to her aid, but just as quickly, The Jester pushed her off. She rose to her feet and furiously yanked the knife from her shoulder.
"I tried to be civil! I tried to resist her, but you leave me no choice!" she indignantly screamed, all while wildly waving Kindness in the air.
Kindness's poison should be, at the very least, paralyzing, but The Jester was angrier than my mom when I brought home that B+ on my Algebra midterm. In case you don't know, the only thing scarier than an angry Bahamian mother is a psychotic clown carelessly waving a knife. Still, The Jester should be flat on the floor by now.
"I swear, you children will regret your betrayal." She angrily yelled, taking a step forward.
I sensed she was about to do something desperate, so I stepped in front of my team, despite being defenseless. "Headmistress, please just come with us. Let us help you."
She whirled around, pitching the knife just as fast as I do, directly at me. Everyone jumped aside, dodging the knife, but I didn't have enough time. I ducked right, just enough to not get skewered. I'll take that as a no.
"That's it!" Brianna screamed, and charged forward with Mitchell on her heels.
The Jester charged as well as dodged past Brianna and Mitchell, making them run into Time Queen.
Jenna pushed me behind her. "I got Crazy Number One, get us out of here!"
While Jenna went at it with The Jester and her sledgehammer (which she pulled out of nowhere), I ran to Kindness who was lodged in the doorframe of the stair entrance. Zach and Grease were suddenly next to me.
"Got a plan?" Grease asked nervously while she dug through her fanny pack.
"Working on it!" I grunted as I dislodged Kindness from the wall.
I clicked the button to return Kindness back to her normal state, but in the process, a drop of poison landed on my hand. I pursed my lips, trying to hide the pain. Already, I could feel my hand tingling as my nerves shut down. Luckily or unluckily (leaning more towards unluckily), Harlequin appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily and looking disheveled. Whatever happened downstairs, Grease and Brianna gave Harlequin a beat down because her face paint was washed away in some areas and drained in others.
Grease pushed me away, throwing a screwdriver in her face. "Go help Jenna! We've got this!"
I turned as Zach fired his iGun, blasting a crater in the wall, which Harlequin somehow dodged.
I turned Kindness into Baby Kindnesses - 3 in each hand- and charged at The Jester. It's about time this ended.