Jody sat on the side of the fountain in the Archive. He looked around it and admired its glory. 2 levels of books and shelves and practically every book ever written. He'd never seen anything like it before. Nor would he again he supposed. He sat there thinking and admiring.
"How did I get to this point?" "Is this what Laura warned me about?" "What does a Caretaker do apart from take care of stuff?" "Can I use my speed for this?"
As he ponders the difficult questions, Roberta sits next to him.
"I understand if this is all a bit overwhelming..."
Jody chuckles.
"That's one way to describe it..."
Roberta puts her hand on Jody's.
"I felt exactly the same as you are now when I was first shown this place. I felt the same sense of wonder, dread and amazement that you'll be feeling now. But I promise it gets easier!"
"How? Please tell me how?"
Roberta smiles.
"Let me show you..."
*****
Roberta takes Jody into a different room. It has a desk in the middle of it. They walk up to it and lean on it.
"This is a diversion of the Split in space/time. It allows us to access different parts of the time line. See the past, the present...even the future..."
Jody's ears prick up.
"The future?"
"Yes"
"Why would you want to see the future? Surely that's a bad thing?"
"Not in all cases. We don't do it often but it's sometimes useful..."
"And you're telling me this...why?"
"Because I figured that maybe seeing a part of your future would rest your worries?"
"But then I can't prevent it...Akara is predetermined. Time is a cycle and it cannot be changed or altered..."
"It might help. I won't show you everything..."
"I don't want to know..."
As Jody protests more, a blue light comes from the desk, pointing upwards. As they look, a clear picture starts to appear. It's a man in a blue suit with purple rims and purple streaks across it. Jody stares at them as the image looks panicked and looks around. It speeds off before returning.
"Is that...me?"
Roberta nods.
"I look...like a...superhero!"
"You're definitely not a Superhuman, Jody. Trust me, they're assholes. No, you're something much more fun!"
"What?"
"You're the Speedfreak!"
Jody looks unimpressed.
"'Speedfreak'. Seriously?"
Roberta nods.
"Great. Now I can't change the name..."
Jody looks at images and more appear. A woman appears. A pretty young woman appears on the screen. She's wearing a green suit and produces a force-field.
"I can send you back there, but it might take a little while..."
The image changes to a woman in a gothic outfit.
"My name is Stilio. What's it to you!?"
The image fades away to just Speedfreak again. Jody looks astounded. He stumbles back as he finds it hard ti process.
"I'm going to be a...superhero?"
Roberta nods.
"Like The Flash?"
"But real, Jody..."
Jody lets out a big sigh. He pauses for a moment and then opens his mouth.
"No..."
Roberta looks astounded.
"No?"
"No. I don't want this".
"You don't have a choice..."
"We have free will don't we? That's what your God teaches us?"
"But your God teaches you that you can't fight time. I know a bit about Edenic culture and I know Akara controls all. This is Akara's work!"
"Then I'll fight her!"
"Jody, can you hear yourself? This is meant to be. That young girl in green? She's called Jessica and you two become very close over time. That gothic chick? She's going to be a pain in your arse but valuable in the future. All the things you'll do NEED to happen. You don't have a choice!"
"I DEFY YOU! I DEFY AKARA! I DEFY TIME ITSELF! I DON'T WANT THIS AND NO ONE CAN FORCE ME TO BECOME A STUPID SUPERHERO! I COULDN'T EVEN TIE MY OWN SHOELACES UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO! HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO LOOK AFTER A WHOLE WORLD AND ITS MOON!?"
"Well I know damn well you do..."
"How!?"
"Because I've seen it, remember?"
"SCREW THIS CRYSTAL BALL! I MAKE MY OWN FUTURE!"
"You can't. No one can change time. History is pre-determined!"
Jody sits crossed legged on the floor and stares into space.
"I can access time, you know...I once accidentally ran back to the 1930s. I've never been more scared in my life. And then I met you. I only followed you because I have a massive crush on you..."
Roberta smiles, she's flattered.
"...I don't want your life, Roberta. I don't want that life for me. Or my sister!"
Roberta looks at him confused.
"Why would you not want her to share this adventure?"
As she finishes this, an alarm goes off in the main room of the Archive. Roberta notices and runs back towards it. Jody gets up and runs back there too. They both enter the main room of the Archive and to a computer. Roberta presses a button and an image comes up of Mr Joel. He looks at the camera and smile as he moves away. He's dragging a body behind him. It's Laura, unconscious. Jody looks shocked and saddened.
"LAURA! WHERE IS THIS TAKEN!?"
"In the sports block. But, Jody, don't do anything..."
Jody speeds away before Roberta can finish.
"...rash. Great!"
Roberta picks up her belt and runs after him.
* Stilio was created by Josh Elliott. Used with very kind permission.
Jody looks at images and more appear. A woman appears. A pretty young woman appears on the screen. She's wearing a green suit and produces a force-field.
"I can send you back there, but it might take a little while..."
The image changes to a woman in a gothic outfit.
"My name is Stilio. What's it to you!?"
The image fades away to just Speedfreak again. Jody looks astounded. He stumbles back as he finds it hard ti process.
"I'm going to be a...superhero?"
Roberta nods.
"Like The Flash?"
"But real, Jody..."
Jody lets out a big sigh. He pauses for a moment and then opens his mouth.
"No..."
Roberta looks astounded.
"No?"
"No. I don't want this".
"You don't have a choice..."
"We have free will don't we? That's what your God teaches us?"
"But your God teaches you that you can't fight time. I know a bit about Edenic culture and I know Akara controls all. This is Akara's work!"
"Then I'll fight her!"
"Jody, can you hear yourself? This is meant to be. That young girl in green? She's called Jessica and you two become very close over time. That gothic chick? She's going to be a pain in your arse but valuable in the future. All the things you'll do NEED to happen. You don't have a choice!"
"I DEFY YOU! I DEFY AKARA! I DEFY TIME ITSELF! I DON'T WANT THIS AND NO ONE CAN FORCE ME TO BECOME A STUPID SUPERHERO! I COULDN'T EVEN TIE MY OWN SHOELACES UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO! HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO LOOK AFTER A WHOLE WORLD AND ITS MOON!?"
"Well I know damn well you do..."
"How!?"
"Because I've seen it, remember?"
"SCREW THIS CRYSTAL BALL! I MAKE MY OWN FUTURE!"
"You can't. No one can change time. History is pre-determined!"
Jody sits crossed legged on the floor and stares into space.
"I can access time, you know...I once accidentally ran back to the 1930s. I've never been more scared in my life. And then I met you. I only followed you because I have a massive crush on you..."
Roberta smiles, she's flattered.
"...I don't want your life, Roberta. I don't want that life for me. Or my sister!"
Roberta looks at him confused.
"Why would you not want her to share this adventure?"
As she finishes this, an alarm goes off in the main room of the Archive. Roberta notices and runs back towards it. Jody gets up and runs back there too. They both enter the main room of the Archive and to a computer. Roberta presses a button and an image comes up of Mr Joel. He looks at the camera and smile as he moves away. He's dragging a body behind him. It's Laura, unconscious. Jody looks shocked and saddened.
"LAURA! WHERE IS THIS TAKEN!?"
"In the sports block. But, Jody, don't do anything..."
Jody speeds away before Roberta can finish.
"...rash. Great!"
Roberta picks up her belt and runs after him.
******
Mr Joel continues to carry an unconscious Laura through the sports block. He turns into a room which has a long corridor ahead of it. He walks halfway down before something stops him.
"HEY!"
Mr Joel turns around to see who's at the end of the corridor. As he sees who it is, he smirks.
"LET GO OF MY SISTER, ASSHAT!"
Mr Joel laughs.
"Speedfreak...as I live and breathe..."
Jody looks angry.
"...You look so young...you're not quite ready yet!"
"Don't make me hurt you. Because I could, and you wouldn't see it coming!"
Mr Joel laughs.
"Feel free to try, Mr Kent...Go on...There's a good boy..."
Jody looks more angry. He starts to power up. Electricity crackles around his body as Mr Joel smirks more evily than before. Jody screams as he runs faster than anyone can see. He races towards Mr Joel, who throws Laura to the floor, and turns around. As he does, he throws his fist towards the blur. He strikes Jody with force and sends him flying into a nearby wall. Jody shakes his head and tries to recover as quickly as he can. Mr Joel laughs as Jody stands up again.
"Yeah. You're definitely not ready yet. You really think it'd be that easy, Jody? You're more naive than I possibly thought!"
He removes Mr Joel's face to reveal his own. Jody looks terrified as Mr Joel disappears...and Tragedy appears.
"Do I look beautiful, yet?"
Jody looks terrified as a throwing star streaks past him and into Tragedy's shoulder. Tragedy flinches as it enters his body. Jody looks back to see who threw it, only to see Roberta in her gear, waiting to take Tragedy on. Tragedy pulls it out and laughs.
"Looks like your friend got an upgrade, Speedfreak. No matter, it makes no difference! I always win!"
Tragedy opens his hand and a beam of energy comes out of it towards Jody. He speeds out of the way before it can hit him. Tragedy sends another one towards Roberta. As it nears her, Jody outruns it and speeds Roberta out of the way. Tragedy chuckles as he realises he and Laura are alone in the corridor now.
"I STILL HAVE YOUR SISTER, SPEEDFREAK! LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN SOON!"
*****
Jody speeds Roberta back into the Archive. When they stop, Jody paces around angrily.
"THAT SON OF A BITCH IS GOING TO DIE!"
"You can't think like that..."
"HE HAS MY SISTER! I'LL KILL HIM MYSELF!"
Roberta runs across and grabs his shoulders.
"Now you listen to me. You're about to become the next Caretaker. And, as such, you should know that the role comes with a strict 'no kill' policy. When I transfer the coin onto you, you'll be bound to an oath of not taking a life. If you do, the coin will corrupt your brain and will cause you to become a dark being. It's only happened once before in 1823 and, trust me, that wasn't pretty! We'll get your sister back but there's something you missed!"
"WHAT!?"
"He seems to know you!"
Jody looks confused.
"Huh?"
"He knew you were going to be called Speedfreak! He knew your full name! Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
Jody thinks.
"I haven't become Speedfreak yet..."
"Exactly!"
Jody thinks some more.
"So he's someone from my future?"
"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is that he knows you. And maybe, just maybe, we can use that to our advantage..."
* Stilio was created by Josh Elliott. Used with very kind permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment