Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven  

DJ, Lui, and Hanna stared at the red beam of light above them for a few seconds before Hanna pulled out her phone. “We need to get you two out of here. You’re both turning the same shade as DJ’s hair.” 

“We’ll be fine as soon as we move around a bit,” DJ commented with a laugh, stretching and loosening the frozen joints of his armor.

Hanna sent a text before looking back at the structure. A panel on the side read 62%. Hanna’s phone rang and she answered without looking at the number. “Hey Zhenya, I’ve still got that fl-”

“I see you found your friends,” EDJ’s voice interrupted. Hanna stared back at DJ and Lui with wide eyes. EDJ continued, “Good job, hero, but you’re not off the clock just yet.” 

“I have indeed rescued them. What are you after?” Hanna asked. 

“Worldwide diluvial destruction,” EDJ answered easily. 

Hanna blinked. “What?” 

“A giant flood to conquer the world,” EDJ clarified. “As you can see, the structure your friends were previously tied to is a heat ray designed to melt the polar ice caps. There are two others in addition to this one and all three are working at full capacity. Have you given up hope yet?”

“NEVER!” Hanna shouted at the phone, not noticing DJ and Lui jump. “Unfortunately for you, ice is my specialty so if anyone can fix this mess, it’s going to be me. I already saved my friends. Watch me save the world. And after I’m done with that, I’m coming for you.” 

“I’m trembling in terror.” The voice sounded bored. 

“Wait a second,” Hanna said with realization. “What happened to not telling me your plans?” She smirked in self-satisfaction. Finally, the enemy had given something away. So she thought. 

“I’m in a good mood.” EDJ shrugged as he answered, though Hanna wouldn’t have heard that. 

“If this is you in a good mood, I’d hate to see what you do when you’re in a bad one.” Hanna glanced back at the panel, noticing it had jumped to 73%. 

“Just ask DJ. I’m sure he’d be happy to tell you all about it sometime,” EDJ answered. “Anyway, if you’d let me finish talking, the heart rays are raising the ocean levels. If you want to save humanity, I suggest you quit dawdling.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll destroy your heat rays without breaking a sweat so you might as well come clean. Where are you?” Hanna demanded. 

“Is that really the question you should be asking right now?” EDJ asked. 

Hanna would not be deterred. “Tell me so as soon as I clean up your mess, I know where to send the bill.” 

“The one place floodwaters won’t reach. Good luck, hero. Don’t drown.” EDJ hung up again. 

“Augh,” Hanna pulled the phone away and glared at it for a minute. She looked up to see DJ and Lui waiting patiently. “Oh, um, he’s planning to flood the world.” She pointed at the beam above them. “Heat ray.” 

“Ah.” DJ nodded. “Classic super villain move.” 

Hanna nodded in return, starting to circle the structure. “He said there are three of them,” she said as she inspected the base.

“I wouldn’t take anything he says at face value,” DJ commented. “Most of the time he only says stuff to mess with people.” 

Lui went to the panel to see if there were any commands he could access. Hanna flew to the top of the structure. She could see the beams of the other two rays in the distance converging with the one in front of her. Frowning, she flew back down. “He wasn’t lying. There are at least two more. They’re all aiming at the same spot in the ice.”

DJ turned to Lui. “Anything?” 

Lui shook his head. “It was activated remotely, but that shouldn’t stop us from physically disabling it. Assuming he doesn’t have some sort of backup plan in anticipation of that.” Hanna’s phone buzzed. “How do you still have service out here?” Lui asked. 

Hanna shrugged before she took the phone out to read the text. “Listen,” Hanna started. “I have a friend with a plane. She can get you two out of here and somewhere safe while I deal with this problem.” 

DJ shook his head. “We have a responsibility here too. We’re staying to help.” Lui nodded in agreement. 

“Fine.” Hanna put the phone away and looked up. “Is there a technical way we need to shut this thing down or can I bash it?” 

“Bashing should work,” DJ answered, also looking up at the ray. 

Hanna stomped a boot on the ice, cracking the surface just enough to send a large chunk of ice into the air. With one spin, she sent the block of ice hurtling toward the pinnacle of the structure. The ice hit the nozzle of the laser, smashing it to pieces. The red beam stopped and smoke rose from the top of the structure where it had been damaged. 

“Nice throw,” DJ said with raised eyebrows. “Do you know where the other two heat rays are?” 

Hanna nodded. “Not far. One’s to the left that way and the other is on the right in that direction.” She pointed as she spoke. 

“Can you take care of the one on the left while we deal with the one on the right?” DJ asked. “We can meet in the middle to assess the damage.” 

“Fine by me.” Hanna flew off before either of them could say anything else. 

“Let’s go,” DJ said, waving for Lui to follow as he headed for the second ray. Lui followed, but not before glancing back to see the number on the panel still increasing. 

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Hanna had the second heat ray smashed without difficulty shortly after reaching it. She noticed the panel on the side was still active and the number was still rising. 91%. Hanna went up to the panel and tapped it. Nothing. Taking out the rays should have impacted the progress... Unless it was a diversion for something else… Hanna frowned, looking back toward the spot the lasers had been aiming at. Hanna took off into the air again, heading toward the last heat ray. By the time she landed, Lui was just finishing up disabling it with a blast of lightning. 

“All done,” Lui said, stepping back. The panel shut off at 99%. “Was that it?” he asked, looking to DJ. 

“Knowing Iul, probably not,” DJ said. “Let’s go check out the spot Hanna mentioned.” 

Nodding, Hanna turned to lead them when all three suddenly heard a muffled boom. The icy surface under their feet quaked, cracked, and shifted, knocking all three off their feet. 

“What was that?!” Lui asked, rising to one knee while both hands were flat on the ice. 

Before anyone could answer, a huge pillar of water exploded from the area they were about to investigate. The geyser shooting water straight into the sky was an odd mix between a cone and fountain. The base was at least 50 yards across easily, but the pressure sent the water so high before it came back down, it looked like it never would. The cracks in the ice grew into chasms from which more steam and water shot through, creating walls of water forced into the air. The sky darkened with rain as the water fell back down. Hanna’s heart sank as water continued to gush from the ice. “...no…”