Chapter 27: Mission Plan? Never Heard Of It.
Richie
I'm not sure how long it's been, but I know I passed out. The sound of my body hitting the hard tile floor is still echoing in my head. At first, it didn't seem real. Everything moved in slow motion: the dust particles in the air, Jenna's distant rampant screaming, even the shadows against the walls. I couldn't sit up, much less stand. My body felt so exhausted, as if all of the adrenaline I'd felt previously had never existed. Then, it came came flooding back to me: The Jester cracking the floor, the giant crater opening, and myself being sucked in along with Grease in her heroic, although irrational, attempt to save me.
Grease! My eyes opened fully with a start. She's down here somewhere. But that means. A chill ran down my spine. So is The Jester.
"Richie?" I heard someone weakly call from across the room.
I sat up with a start, only to collapse to the floor in agony. Before I could even see my surroundings, I crumpled, finally feeling the effects of my fall. I tried to answer what was hopefully Grease calling me, but all that came out was "Arghh". My eyes flooded with tears and shadows filled my vision as I tried to move. With all of my spare energy, I bent my torso to see my legs; the result was definitely not worth the pain.
Sticking from the center of my thigh was a shimmering silver and red steel rod; glimmering and stained with my blood. All of the air in my lungs left in an instant. Alone I sat, in the dark and gasping for anything concrete (not the stone, there's plenty of that). I sat up again, slowly inching so I could look at my injury. Even though my shattered glasses weren't much help, it was obvious it wasn't good. The rod pierced clean through my mid thigh, leaving my leg skewered in a long, bent steel beam. That was all I could assess before my vision swam and, once again, I fell to the floor.
Tears welled in my eyes as I sat in the darkness and let it envelope me. Zach and Brianna were upstairs, knocked unconscious; Grease and I trapped down here with a homicidal clown hunting us while my stupid ass is in a metal shish kebab; and Jenna and Mitchell who were likely still upstairs, either defeated or winning the fight, but no matter how much I hoped, I knew the latter was impossible. Besides, their battle cries and clashing weapons had both stopped: not a good sign.
How hopeless his all seemed! Six barely trained teenage spies with bad attitudes and scarred records rebelling against three professional teachers who have years more training than us and know everything we can do. Exactly, impossible.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move in the darkness. I slapped my thighs, expecting to grab Kindness, but only managing to hurt my already in pain leg. I scrambled to find the closest object for defense, a small rock at the edge of the circle of light. I tried to scoot over to it, but I forgot, once again, my leg was practically nailed the ground. I cried out in pain as my entire left side lit up like I was being burned alive. Regardless, I continued to stretch until I'd slipped one finger over the rock. I slowly flicked in the rock in my direction until I managed to get my hand over it and retrieve it.
It felt so good to rest, that is until the pain flared up again. Still, I tried my best to see what was moving in the darkness. I turned as far as I could without turning my leg. Just as I was about to blame my cautiousness on paranoia, I saw something small and quick move through the shadows. I clutched the rock, even though a sharp edge was piercing my hand. I squinted, trying to look through the thick black, hopefully, it was Grease looking back at me.
I heard another mysterious item skitter across the ground opposite of where I was looking, this time sounding much closer. Panicked, I quickly turned, expecting to see The Jester's hideous smile inches away I was greeted only by silence and more rubble. However, my quick turn sending burning stabbing up my leg. Too afraid to scream in pain, I clenched my fist, trying my best to suppress the rising outburst inside.
Lucky thing I did because The Jester's terrifying voice echoed through the dark room. "Where are you?"
First rule of not being killed by a homicidal maniac: hide; second: don't get yourself trapped. Lucky me, I've already broken the first two rules. That just leaves the third: run. Wait! I can't do that either! Perfect!
Panic began to set in as she continued her search. Honestly, she must be taunting me because there's only two areas with any light: the few windows that aren't blocked by plywood and the giant crater I currently reside under. Still, if there's any possibility she hasn't found me, I need to escape.
I gripped my thigh with both hands and carefully lifted my leg up the pole. The pain was worse than I expected, so much so that I accidentally bit my tongue, filling my mouth with a copper taste. Also, I reflexively dropped my leg, causing my vision to swim.
This isn't going to work. I thought.
Now, I was moving in robotic, stiff grabs. I threw my left hand onto Grease's (formerly beautiful) shredded long sleeve black jumpsuit and tore open one of the holes. In a minute, the sleeve was gone, lying in my hand. I quickly wrapped it around my leg in a tourniquet and tore of the other sleeve and jammed it into my mouth. My parents always told me that if you are doing something difficult, do it quick so the pain lasts less. That is so not true.
I jerked my leg up, completely forgetting that the rod was bent. Tears welled in my eyes once again, but I couldn't give up. I had a sneaking suspicion The Jester was lurking in the darkness behind me, happily watching me struggle. Just as I was about to slid my leg over the lip of the beam, a glass vial burst over my hands, splashing green liquid all over me. In a panic, I dropped my leg, which lumpy landed with a thud at the base of the rod, once again. I laid back numbly as pain flooded my brain. Grease's suit protected my arms from the poison, leaving the cloth sizzling as it slowly dissolved, but my hands weren't so lucky. Despite my noxiousness and sluggishness, I managed to rub and shake most of the chemicals off before they completely burned my hands, but I could still make out raw skin and bubbling sores through the spots in my eyes.
And on cue as usual, The Jester's creepy, peppy face bobbed above me.
"You were so close!" She taunted. "Don't worry, you get an A for effort!"
She flopped down on top of my bad leg. This time, the rush of pain was so quick and unbearable, I couldn't keep from screaming. She planted herself there, happily watching the tears stream down my face.
"If there's one thing you can do, it's get yourself into trouble!" She exclaimed jokingly.
She then straddled my chest, playfully stacking her fingers as if she was waiting for a response. I tried to come up with some witty clapback, and of course I did, but my voice couldn't cooperate as it was currently busy waking Chinatown with its screams. She slowly pulled a vial from inside her shirt. Waving it above me, she joyfully asked, "Do you know what this is?"
Too busy coping with the pressure on my leg, I refused a response. Still she smiled, looked down at me like I was a naive child, and solemnly shook her head. "Here's a taste."
She uncorked the vial, wafting a putrid smell into my nose. She slowly tipped the vial over my head, barely increasing the tilt until I watched a single drop well at the end of the glass and plummet the few inches between my face and its former home.
Instantly, a searing pain spread across my face, making me thrash so violently, I nearly threw The Jester off my chest. In the commotion, several more drops sloshed from the tube, landing across my forehead and dangerously close to my eyes.
"Aw does that hurt? I'm so sorry! Here's a little gift to make you feel better once we get where we are going."
She slipped a small vial of purple liquid up my sleeve and promptly bounced off my leg.
"But, we can't go anywhere with this predicament you've gotten yourself into!"
She gripped my thigh and knee, kindly smiling. I knew exactly what she was doing, "Please no..." I began, but both she and I knew what was coming. She yanked my leg upwards and sideways in a matter of seconds, dropping my leg like the useless hunk of flesh it now is.
My alternating loud screams and shallow breathing echoed through the dark room as my brain failed to cope with the pain. She left me there for a second, sniffing on the cold tile while she puttered around out of sight. Soon, her footsteps echoed closer as she returned with something in her hand. Once I heard the familiar zip of the zip-tie and felt my hands being restrained, I knew I was utterly defeated.
"Hey..." someone whispered from the shadows.
"Quit your whimpering!" The Jester screamed before she returned tending to my hands. The zip-tie ripped one final time before I felt it digging into my wrists. The Jester returned to the darkness again, searching for something else.
"Hey!" someone called again, a little louder.
I watched as Grease's soot-covered face slowly emerged.
"You need to leave..." I groaned, trying to sound forceful.
"Like hell I am. We are getting out of here!"
"No go. Find the others The Jester was talking about. You can rescue us later!"
"Richie,-"
"That's an order!"
The Jester's footsteps began echoing down the hall again, growing increasingly close. "Go!" I whispered, and tried my best to return to the pained expression I previously wore (honestly, it wasn't too hard. Thank you Left Leg!).
Grease's pain stricken face sunk into the dark just in time for The Jester to miss her.
The Jester skipped into the light and yanked my left leg upwards, causing me to yelp in pain. She proceeded to drag me into the darkness while happily singing the Dora the Explorer theme song. My head and torso knocked against scattered debris as The Jester made her way to another source of light: the stairwell. Just before we turned the corner to enter the stairwell, I looked back just in time to see Grease's shadow disappear through another lit doorway.
She then pulled me up each step, subtlety though not so subtly making sure my head knocked every step on the way up. By the time we reached the second floor, I couldn't tell if I was going to pass out from hypovolemia or the massive concussion I just received. Though my vision was blurry, I could clearly see Harlequin and Time Queen's bright and tattered outfits as they stood over my clearly defeated team.
Brianna and Mitchell laid limply beside Jenna and Zach, who, although weary, struggled against their bonds. They froze as The Jester and I entered the room, watching as she dragged my limp body past them.
"Richie?" Jenna asked, clearly trying to keep herself from bursting into tears. "Richie?!"
I raised my head I response, revealing my battered and burnt face. All of the sudden, my head felt heavier than I ever thought possible and I flopped to the floor.
"Richie!" Zach screamed. "Hang in there! We are going to get this-"
"Now Zach, don't finish that sentence. It's rude to make promises you can't keep." The Jester said with a little too much enthusiasm for my taste.
I wanted to say something to both calm Zach and Jenna down and irritate The Circus, but I, first of all, couldn't speak: the only sounds I could muster were small scratches and squeaks of my voice; second, for once I couldn't think of anything to say. No witty remark or sarcastic comment was filling my head, giving me the energy needed to say exactly what I thought. What was I supposed to say? Don't worry, these gashes and chemical burns are nothing? My leg would disagree.
I numbly rolled my head, hoping for some miracle that we'd be the heroes of the story. Let me tell you from personal experience, no such ending exists. Just at the moment you need them the most, those "superheroes" you love can't help. That's my one regret, my one goal I never accomplished: to be the "hero" of the story, the knight in shining army that saves the damsel in distress. Well, we have a damsel, there's plenty of distress, where's the hero?
As wonderful of a question as that is, I'm afraid I didn't have to time to find an answer. Suddenly, I felt The Jester grip my leg a little tighter and began feeling myself move sideways. The Jester dragged me in circles, pivoting until she had spun me long enough to finish singing Ring Around A Rosey. Too woozy to defend myself, I numbly watched as she slowly lost her grip and I went sliding across the slick tile. I felt myself slow to a stop. Filled with relief, I lolled my head back to rest it on tile tile below, only there was no tile below. I panickingly jumped at the realization of the empty floor, only I didn't jump fast enough as my head knocked the edge of the pit. Just as I reflexively reached back to hold my head, I felt time slow and myself become even more sluggish. Jenna and Zach's screaming slowed until it was almost impossible to understand. But just as quick as it came, the cloud disappeared, and I knew exactly what was coming next. Like clockwork, The Jester appeared overhead, smiley as always. With one knee on my chest and one hand practically strangling my throat, she had me easily pinned.
She continued to questionably stare at me until the awkward silence became unbearable. "No snarky comments?" She asked. " I really thought you'd put up more of a fight!"
I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a simple, painful wheeze.
"No matter. I suppose this is where the villain," she said gesturing to herself, "explains her evil plot and the heroes", another gesture at my incapacitated friends, "lie hopelessly defeated and wait. Only, here's the twist, there is no miraculous rescue! For none of you five!"
Five? I thought. Then it came to me, The Jester forgot about Grease! She doesn't know that Grease escaped! Now I just have to follow my number one rule for school: stall as long as you can to avoid taking a test. Luckily, The Jester loves to talk. Not so luckily, The Jester loves to talk. Even better, she only spoke about her plot to "correct nature", as she called it.
"Humanity is a disease!" she exclaimed, as she dangled the familiar vial of poison over my head. "I'm merely doing Mother Nature a favor. You see, once my plan is complete, we special few, the chosen eleven of this crusade will save what is dying."
Part of me was listening to her monologue, trying to understand what exactly she was ranting about, the other part was focused on that damn vial precariously positioned above my face. I can't tell you how happy I was to see her quickly tuck it back into her pocket.
" But you rebellious children have ruined my plan the save our damned world; you five are the enemy of my crusade. I'm afraid I cannot allow that."
She began poking around in her pocket again. Please no more poison. I silently hoped. Finally my wish came true. The Jester pulled a green vial from her pocket, only this one was definitely different, darker.
"This is my adventure. Not world domination, not global extinction; this is no fantasy. No, my adventure is rebirth... perfection!"
"Per... fect... ion?" I croaked, grimacing at every syllable.
"Yes, perfection. Something people strive for, yet claim it to be unattainable. Aggravatingly, they are correct, for now. Take my associates for example. You've already seen what Time Queen can do, but do you know the repercussions? Except the distasteful name, the poor thing is frozen twice as long as whatever she freezes. You see, my serum does not give power, it unlocks truths. Its digs through the mind and soul, enhancing your power, making your sad fragile self stronger. And I am so close! But still, it isn't perfect. Similarly, you children are not perfect. Broken, in pain, confused, you children are strangely oxymoronic, in a contradictory way, perfect. For my experiment at least."
"Where are the others!" Jenna suddenly blurted from across the room.
The Jester angrily jumped off me, twisting my leg in her hurry. While I gritted my teeth and hugged my leg, The Jester stormed to a furious Jenna. " You'll meet them soon, you aggravatingly incompetent child" She said distastefully. Harlequin and Time Queen loafed around, either complaining about their injuries or playfully snickered as they harassed my friends.
The Jester plopped next to me, purposefully landing on my leg. I choked back a sob, trying to refrain from giving her the satisfaction of seeing me in pain. "You've seen what Harlequin and Time Queen can do, are you ready to explore yourself?" She cackled joyously.
Harlequin and Time Queen carried me back to my friends and plainly dropped me in front of them. By now, Brianna had begun to stir, however, still dreary. Mitchell, on the other hand, was wide awake and fighting. He froze when he saw me, my beaten and burnt face, my bloody suit. I heard him mumbling "No, no, no..." as I watched him fumble with his restrains.
Zach, Jenna, and Mitchell were all calling my name, begging me to look their way, but I stared ahead, into The Jester's gleaming eyes. She clasped my throat, threw my head back and uncorked the vial. A single stream of dark green liquid cascaded into my agape mouth.
"No!" Mitchell screamed as he grabbed a piece of debris with his feet and hurled it at The Jester. She barely dodged it, but the vial did not. The glass shattered, sending shards of glass and drops of serum in every direction. The Jester sailed in protest, desperately picking at the glass pieces.
"Do you know what you've done?!" She demanded as she stormed towards, Mitchell.
This is it. I thought. We win. I choked and coughed on the disgusting serum, trying to get it all out of my system. And I thought I did. Until I felt the shakes. At first I thought I had finally begun to feel the effects of bleeding out, but I didn't feel sickly, in fact, it was just the opposite.
An ecstatic Jester appeared overhead as I involuntarily quivered.
"Yes Richie!" she cheered, "let the serum course through you, let it envelope you, become you. You are like a computer, constantly searching for answers, creating tools at your disposal, a weapon beyond understanding. You can generate exactly what you need in the time you need it!"
I felt myself beginning to not only shake, but bounce. I heard a steady, loud drumming of what I first thought was my body. The Jester must've felt it too because a look of confusion crossed her face, but quickly disappeared. I felt myself beginning to shut down, but I willed myself to stay awake. I turned my head and watched The Jeter stride towards a defeated looking Mitchell.
"Thought destroying my vial would stop me?" she asked.
"You aren't turning any more people into your little science experiments!" he yelled defiantly.
"No indeed, at least not via that method." she said as she pulled, not a vial, but a canister from her pocket. "There are many ways of digestion."
She pulled the pin and dropped the canister in the center of the ring of my incapacitated teammates. Thick green smoke began pouring out, and one by one, my team was felled as they inhaled the toxic gas.
"You five will obey me, no matter the rehabilitation you'll endure." she angrily mumbled as she walked back to me, Time Queen and Harlequin close behind. My arms and leg still sporadically jumped, but I oddly felt energized. It was a strange paradox how utterly powerless I was, but how incredibly active I felt.
She grabbed my face with one hand and lifted it close to her's. "Not you or any of your weak friends will stop me."
In all the commotion, I hadn't realized the thumping had grown increasingly louder and closer. Once I saw the Squadjet outside the window, and Grease in the pilot seat, I knew things were going to get crazy. Well, crazier.
"I beg to differ." She calmly said over the loudspeaker, as a gatling gun dropped from the base of the jet and opened fire. A halo of bullets shattered the glass and blasted the battered second floor. The already damaged ceiling rattled as the force of the bullet sent cracks across the walls. I watched the cracks grow, connecting in a circle above me. To my horror the ceiling above broke and plummeted towards me and The Jester. She managed to roll away, but I couldn't move much less jump away. The best I could do was weakly raise my arms in a pathetic attempt to block the giant falling cinder block and hope the rest of my team could escape with Grease. But to my surprise, as it was seconds from crushing me, it disappeared. You heard me right, disappeared. In a flash, a loud crash echoed outside followed by a plume of smoke which rose just yards outside the building. Before it could register, a girl I've never seen before looked down at me worriedly. Without saying a word, she picked me up and proceeded to bring me to my team. I tried to see who she was, only I couldn't. Not because I was hopelessly exhausted (maybe a little) but because she didn't have a body. Her disembodied head floated and moved with me. I could feel her hands under me, but saw no sign of them existing.
"You... you're like them?" I quietly asked, terrified that I was slowly losing it.
She carefully lowered me to the ground next to a knocked out Jenna. "We are here to help."
Grease and an unfamiliar boy came running to us. Grease hollowly stared at me for a second, then turned to the boy and girl. "You came back!" She exclaimed.
The girl smiled as the rest of her slim body faded into existence. "Of course! We owe you."
"And our debt is paid." The boy said hurriedly, tugging at the girl's arm.
I wanted to say something, ask who they are, but all that came out was a weak groan. Now, I couldn't fight the effects of The Jester's serum: I could feel my strength waning quickly. My head felt increasingly heavy to the point where I could no longer sit upright. As I lowered my head to the hard, debris covered floor, I noticed the growing cracks along the ceiling. At first, they were only small fractures, but the soon grew to be webbed crevasses. Chunks of ceiling rained from above as the ceiling began to collapse, a large square falling dangerously close to Zach and Mitchell who were completely unconscious.
The boy annoyedly rolled his eyes, "everyone grab hands". He's lucky I'm currently incapactated because that amount of laziness is only acceptable from me. And maybe Grease...
I used my last ounce of energy to grab Jenna and Zach's hands. Grease pulled Brianna and Mitchell next to each other, forming a circle of knocked out secret agents.
"Can you get us on the Squadjet?" Grease asked nervously.
I looked through the winodw to see the Squadjet lifting into the air, preparing to take off. "You children had your chance!" The Jester called from the jet's loudspeaker. "Now, just like it, you are never getting a second!"
The boy squinted his eyes in concentration. All of the sudden, he yelled angrily, "I can't see into the cabin! And even if I could, there's no place clear enough that I could teleport everyone where we'll be safe."
"You have to see where you're going?" Grease asked.
He sarcastically smiled at Grease, "that's the way the world works, Diesel."
Surprisingly, Grease ignored the snarky remark. "How about pictures?" she asked as she unfolded a small rectangle form her pocket.
Shocked, he responded, "I've never tried."
"Well there's a first time for anything and I don't hear any betetr plans coming from the five knocked unconscious spies laying at our feet, so let's get this show on the road!" (There's the returning sass!)
Pieces of the ceiling continued to fall as the boy and girl contemplated it. After several nervous glances and shrugs, everyone linked hands again.
Eventhough my eyes were growing increasingly droopy, I watched as the roof above us exploded and caved in. I felt cement powder brush across my face and watched the ceiling cascade towards me. But in a flash of light and swirl of wind, the familiar Academy courtyard appeared in front of me. Before I could comprehend what just happened, much less react, I felt my eyes roll into my head and saw the world go black.