Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Hanna focused on the wall in front of her as she put the phone away and sheathed her blade. She took a deep breath and froze the wall one last time. “One escape trick, coming right up.” Backing up as far as the glass box would let her, Hanna charged forward and leapt into the severely weakened plexiglass wall, smashing it to pieces. She tumbled on the other side, stopping in a three point landing. She stood up, brushing the shattered remains of the wall and bits of ice off her clothes and out of her hair. Without warning, bright lights in the ceiling turned on, lighting up the entire room. 

“Congratulations, birdy,” EDJ’s voice echoed through the room. “You are free of your cage.” 

Hanna winced and blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden lightning change after being shrouded in darkness for so long. “What’s with you and blinding lights?!” Hanna shouted in annoyance. 

“It’s a useful tactic,” EDJ replied, as though the answer was obvious. 

Hanna drew her sword, ready for any guards that might show up, but the room remained empty. “Where are you?!” Hanna demanded. 

“Had you been paying better attention to the gift I sent you,” EDJ started. “You would have seen the tracking app on it.”

Hanna blinked then pulled out the phone. She maneuvered through a few screens before finding the right one, but was still having trouble getting it to work right. “You want me to find you?” she asked dubiously, pushing every button she could think of while trying to get the device to cooperate. How does this thing work?! At least the other tracker only had two buttons! Having a thought, she pulled out the old tracker. Expectedly, the battery was dead so she put the old tracker away. 

“I’m giving you the opportunity to try,” EDJ answered, smugness in his tone as he watched her fumbling with the technology. 

“Ri-ight, like I can believe that.” Hanna frowned and put the phone away, giving up on the tracking application. “Well, maybe I don’t need your help,” Hanna said, taking a step toward the open door. “I’ll find you either way and when I do, I’ll inflict terrible pain on you. You broke the terms of our truce not even two seconds into it! The question is, would you rather have that pain sooner or later?” She walked through the door into an open room with five doors, only one of which was open.

“Bwahahaha!” EDJ cackled evilly. “I fully expect your retribution to be swift and terrible, but only if you can find me. I might be in the same strategy room. I might be in a different one. You’ll never know because you’ll never make it through the next gauntlet of traps.” The open door closed and the one beside it opened. After a few seconds, that door shut and the next one down opened. The doors cycled between open and closed while Hanna stood in the center. 

“We’ll see about that,” Hanna said, watching the doors open and close of their own accord. “You can’t prolong your fate forever. Besides, I got through the last set pretty well before you tricked me.”

“You got lucky,” EDJ said with a sneer. “There’s no secret tunnel this time so you’re going to have to actually get through them all. One of those trap rooms will stop you, I’m banking on it.” 

“High hopes for a coward,” Hanna commented. “You keep hoping these traps will take me down, but your heart knows they won’t.” 

EDJ smirked. If only I had one.

Hanna finally decided on a door and walked up to it, sword still drawn. She waited for it to cycle open again before jumping through it. There was no reason to jump through as the doors were open long enough for someone to walk through without being in a hurry. But as soon as Hanna was on the other side, the door slid shut and did not open again. 

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Hanna started when EDJ didn’t verbally respond to her last comment. “What was it now… Ah, yes, what name do you want placed over your cell door after I capture you?” 

EDJ laughed. “I think you mean ‘if’ you capture me. And in that case, it should say ‘Iul the Magnificent’!” 

So confident, Hanna thought, lips turning up into a determined grin. What a whack job. It won’t be ‘if’ when I get done with you. She looked up at the solid, odd-colored wall In front of her. The room was chilly, not that Hanna noticed, and smelled of peanuts. Walking up to the wall, Hanna slid a finger down the surface and made a face. “I thought you said the wall of frozen peanut butter was hypothetical.” 

“Well, it’s less hypothetical now that it’s sitting in front of you, isn't it?” EDJ said with a laugh. “I bet you wish you knew fire magic right about now.” 

Hanna snorted. “I wouldn’t trade my ice abilities for anything.” Hanna frowned and looked around. “Though it can be a bit annoying sometimes.” There were dispensers in the ceiling, but they were not currently active. With the door shut behind her and only the wall of frozen peanut butter in front of her, Hanna figured the best way out was to find a way to melt it. Hanna walked to a side wall and checked the thermostat. As expected, the room was kept to a frosty level. She turned the temperature as high as it would go. She walked back to the center of the room, crossed her legs, and sat, resting her arms on her knees as she waited. 

“That’s your plan, huh?” EDJ asked, watching the feed. “So boring.” 

“If it works, it works,” Hanna said. She pulled out the phone and tried to figure out how to work the tracking app again. Again, she gave up and put the phone away. She grew uncomfortably warm and could feel her energy draining. Cold environments she loved, they reinvigorated her. But warm environments? They sapped the energy right out of her. She closed her eyes and blew out a ring of frosty air around her. She opened an eye and looked at the wall. It did not look like it had changed, but oil and liquidy peanut butter was starting to pool on the floor against the wall. Hanna smiled and closed her eyes, letting out another frosty puff of air to keep herself cool as the temperature in the room rose. She heard the hum of a drone again, but did her best to ignore it.

“You know,” EDJ started, speaking through the little drone that followed her. “To be called a hero, you have to do something worthy of the calling. Like, actually help people?”

“I am helping people by going after you,” Hanna answered, eyes still closed. “You’re the one that tried to melt the ice caps.”

EDJ smiled. “Would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for your meddling.”

Hanna smirked. “I suppose I should be anticipating another trap when I reach you.”

“It’s a distinct possibility,” EDJ answered. “Again, that’s only if you get to me. Quite honestly, I was hoping we could talk.”

Hanna cracked an eye open at the drone floating in front of her. “We’re talking now.”

“It’s not the same as face to face.” The drone’s lens watched her as EDJ spoke. “Harder to read people.” 

“Harder to trick people, you mean,” Hanna said with a frown. She swatted at the drone in an attempt to shoo it away. The drone flew out of reach above her. “Harder to adjust your lies to their reactions,” Hanna continued, closing her eyes again in an attempt to maintain serenity. 

“I don’t need to lie to get people to listen to me,” EDJ answered, the drone flying in circles around her like a vulture. “I only need to tell them what they want to hear. Money helps, of course. You catch more flies with honey, after all.” 

“Your tricks won’t work on me.” Hanna smiled, feeling pretty confident in herself.

“Ah, perhaps I’d stand a better chance if I were blonde...”

Hanna’s eyes snapped open, tone immediately shifting into animosity. “What was that?”

EDJ’s tone was innocent and relaxed. “Oh, nothing. Just bringing up a mutual acquaintance.”

Hanna huffed and closed her eyes again. “Leave Lui out of this,” Hanna said. 

“I never mentioned which acquaintance,” EDJ said, the drone continuing to circle. “But I appreciate you pointing it out.” 

Hanna let out another frosty breath, trying to ignore the drone. Remember what DJ and Lui said, he likes messing with people. Don’t let him get in your head. Don’t let him antagonize you. Just breathe. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seve-

“It makes me curious what lengths you’d go to for him,” EDJ’s voice continued. 

That’s it. Hanna opened her eyes and stood up. “If you are implying something between me and your Other,” Hanna stated in the most business-like tone she could muster as she glared at the drone. “You are completely off base.” 

“Oh, really?” EDJ’s voice sounded surprised. “You seemed pretty upset when I told you I tortured him. I thought for sure I struck a nerve with that one... Do you not care what happens to him then?” 

“Of course I care!” Hanna said, anger flaring. “He’s my friend.” 

“Friend,” EDJ repeated. “I see.” 

Hanna’s brows furrowed and she folded her arms, cheeks flush. “It’s not like that.” Why is it so excruciatingly hot in here?! The wall of peanut butter was glossy and globs started to melt down the surface. 

“You’re a terrible liar.” EDJ laughed. “While this conversation has been eye-opening, it’s far too boring. I’m going to have to edit it all out in post production.”

Hanna blinked. “What?” she asked, taken aback. 

“Say hi to the cameras,” EDJ responded with a grin as he moved the drone in front of Hanna. 

Hanna stuck her tongue out at the drone. EDJ stuck his tongue out back at the screen for no apparent purpose. “You’ve wasted enough time and now you’re going to drown for it. Better move fast.” EDJ flipped a switch on the panel. The dispensers in the ceiling turned on, filling the rest of the room with liquid peanut butter as the wall melted. 

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Hanna wasn’t sure how much time passed in the cage. She paced around the cube. She looked for weak points in the glass and secret panels in the floor. Tap. Tap. Tap. Still being spent from using so much ice energy earlier in the castle, she ended up taking another nap. More prepackaged food was set out for her when she woke up. Hanna opened a bag of chips and munched on them in thought. When her energy finally returned, Hanna attempted to send an icicle through the glass wall. It smashed against the wall and ended up in chunks all over the ground. Hanna tried to send a massive icicle spike through the ceiling, but the results were the same. She took the phone out of her pocket. Maybe at the very least she could talk EDJ into letting her out or giving something away. He certainly talked enough for the latter. It couldn’t hurt to try, right? Hanna dialed the only number in the phone and let it ring. 

It rang three times before EDJ finally answered. “Ah, I’m so glad you decided to take up my offer.” 

“What makes you so sure I was going to call you in the first place?” Hanna asked, sitting in front of the plexiglass wall, still trying to think of a way out. 

“I told you, they always break. So, are you ready to surrender?” EDJ asked. 

Not wanting to dive straight into the topic of giving up, but not great at small talk either, Hanna answered, “No, but hang on! Don’t… don’t hang up yet. Um… What have you been up to?” she asked innocently. It was a cringeworthy and disastrous attempt at casual conversation. But it was the best idea she had so far. 

“I did not realize we were on such friendly terms already.” EDJ’s voice sounded pleasantly surprised. He, of course, could tell what she was doing by her odd tone, but decided to play along anyway. 

“We’re not friends,” Hanna clarified. “I’m just curious what else could be more important to you than the only living person in this dungeon cell. Didn’t want to get forgotten and left to die of starvation. That’s all.” 

“That wouldn’t have happened,” EDJ reassured her with a laugh. “But since you so politely asked instead of screeching at me like a banshee, I might as well tell you…” EDJ spun his chair to the schematics on his desk and sifted through them as he answered. “I’m designing the new traps I’m going to build in some of the empty rooms in my castle! Maybe I’ll even let you out of your cage and have you run through them like a little guinea pig! Heh, how does that sound?”

“Lame,” Hanna answered honestly, her idea to pull information out of him already abandoned. “I couldn’t care less.” She wasn’t even really listening at this point anyway. Hanna absently froze a small patch of the glass and scratched it with her nails, but stopped when she heard a tiny crack in the wall. She stood up and began to freeze the entire side of the cage.

“That’s fair,” EDJ answered with a smile. “I don’t really care what you think either, but it’s nice to know it’s about me.”

“Misery loves company,” Hanna muttered without thinking. She paused with a frown, shook her head, and kept freezing the glass. “Well, aren’t you going to ask what I’ve been up to?” Hanna asked, trying to sound as bored as possible. “It’s only polite to return the question.” 

“If you insist.” EDJ pretended to think for a second, and then asked, “What have you been doing? Making a movie, perhaps?” A couple of the techs in the control room with EDJ snickered, but he was listening to the ever growing crackling noise in the background. 

Hanna snorted. “A movie?! I’m in a plexiglass cage, remember?” She drew her sword and started scoring the glass in a criss-cross pattern. 

“Fine, keep your secrets,” EDJ answered, turning back to the screens. The cameras in the dungeon had been focused on the entry points, but now he turned them to the cage to see what she was doing. He could see her score the glass, but he was not terribly concerned about it. “I have a hypothetical question for you, if you don’t mind,” EDJ said. “One of my traps is… not normal, let’s just say that.”

Hanna paused and frowned again, turning to the phone this time. “What do you mean not normal?” 

“I mean ‘not normal’ as in it’s a wall of frozen peanut butter,” EDJ mocked. “If you were to get out and come across this trap, I’m wondering how you would escape it. Hypothetically, of course.” EDJ added with a smile. 

“Peanut butter… that’s your ultimate plan?” Hanna rolled her eyes and continued scratching up the glass wall. “Peanut butter,” she muttered, still in disbelief. “How in the world is that supposed to stop me?” Hanna continued scoring the glass, weakening it with each blow.

EDJ flipped a few switches and buttons on the control panel, activating a drone in the dungeon as he answered. “Heh, it was originally intended for people with nut allergies, but still…You don’t happen to be allergic, do you?”

Hanna snickered. “Nope. You're out of luck on that one.” She almost recalled someone somewhere being allergic, but couldn’t remember who. Figuring it wasn’t important, she dismissed the thought and kept working on weakening the glass. 

“Say, what have you been doing down there anyway?” EDJ asked curiously, mostly to see how she would answer. 

“Oh, you know, different things. Sleeping, eating.” Hanna smirked. “Scratching up your precious glass box.” 

“Ah, of course.” EDJ laughed. “Are you enjoying making pretty patterns in the glass, princess?” 

“Nope, I’ve got a plan,” Hanna said with a smirk. She stopped and frowned for a second. “And quit calling me that.” 

EDJ laughed. “You started it.” 

Hanna finished up the last gorge in the glass and looked at the wall in triumph. She started laughing to herself. Finally, she was getting somewhere. Finally, things were going to go her way. EDJ was going to get what was coming to him and Hanna was more than happy to deliver. “Did you seriously think this cage was indestructible?” Hanna asked, the arrogance in her tone unmistakable. 

“Nah, but I had hoped it would have kept you in there a little longer than that,” EDJ admitted with a shrug. “Ah well, just one of the risks you take with these things. Do you even have any idea how long you’ve been in there?” In truth, Hanna did not. She could have checked the time and date on the phone several times throughout her stay, but that wasn’t a bit of information that stuck with her. She was far too focused on other things, vengeance being one of them. 

“Far too long when my world is at stake,” Hanna whispered, ending the call and staring at the cracked and shredded plexiglass wall in front of her. 

Chapter Nineteen

 

Chapter Nineteen

Hanna wasn’t sure how long she was asleep or how long she had been in the plexiglass cage, only that it was still dark when she woke up. She stretched and yawned, muscles sore and body stiff. Taking out the flashlight, she waved it around to check her surroundings. There were no guards outside her cage, not anywhere obvious anyway. She looked down through the row of clear, plexiglass cubes. All empty. It was then she noticed a tray in the opposite corner of her own cage. How it got there, she had no idea. She made her way over to the tray and inspected the objects sitting on it. A few bottles of water, a couple sports drinks, individual boxes of cereal, granola bars, a bowl of fruit, and a few other shelf-stable snack options. There was also a small white box with a red bow sitting on the tray. The first thing Hanna did was check the seals on the food and water before proceeding to chug her way through two of the three water bottles on the platter. She munched on a granola bar, staring at the little box. She had half a mind to throw it against the wall without even opening it. But it did look pretty. 

Hanna ignored it and stood up to think. Come on, think of something. You practically built this cage yourself. Doesn't matter how he figured it out, I can still get out of here. Think. Hanna paced the cage. She started off running her hand along the walls as she walked. The more she thought, the faster she walked and the smaller her pacing circle got. She stopped in the middle of the cage, tapping her foot in irritation. Think. Think. Think. Tap. Tap. Tap. Hanna pulled out her phone. Dead. She put the phone away and ran both hands down her face. She took a breath to calm her nerves. “How’d I fall for such a pathetic trap?” she muttered to herself. She went back to the tray and sat next to it, grabbing another granola bar. The red bow on the little box caught her eye. So pretty… She stared at it the whole time she ate. Curiosity getting the better of her, Hanna reached over and picked up the little box. Taking the lid off, Hanna found a phone inside. She tilted her head and looked at it dubiously. She stared at the phone for a few moments before reluctantly taking it and setting the box aside. The phone was at full charge and already connected to the wireless network. “Well, at least it’s got internet down here,” she mumbled. She debated whether or not to access her email accounts on the enemy’s network, but ultimately decided against it. 

The screen lit up as the phone rang, startling Hanna into dropping the phone. It hit the ground with a bounce, but kept ringing. Hanna grabbed the phone and answered it. “...hello?” 

EDJ’s voice greeted her. “Enjoying the gift, dear?” 

“Pfft, no,” Hanna said quickly. “Of course not. I’m… borrowing your resources. Speaking of which, you need better internet.” 

“Are you having connectivity issues? Join the club.” EDJ’s voice taunted. “How are you liking your accommodations? Is it lonesome enough for you in that dark, silent hole?” 

“Quite,” Hanna replied defiantly. “The dark doesn’t scare me. I thrive in it. And I was enjoying the silence until you called.”

“Ah, forgive me,” EDJ said with a short laugh. “I thought I might rescue you from the boredom.” 

“Rescue?!” Hanna echoed in disbelief. She pulled the phone away and gawked at it for a second before resuming the conversation. “You’re the one that trapped me in here to begin with, you dingbat!” She could hear him laughing hysterically on the other end. It took a moment for the laughter to settle down enough for Hanna to get a word in and, by that point, she was angry. “I might be locked in a castle, but I’m not a princess. I don’t need rescuing. Least of all from someone like you.” 

EDJ chortled before he spoke. “I admit, I’m no white knight, but I can still be charming when the situation calls for it.” 

“And I’m supposed to believe this is you being charming now?” Hanna asked, still miffed at his audacity. 

“No, this is me being polite,” EDJ answered pleasantly. “You are my guest, after all.” 

“Prisoner,” Hanna corrected. 

“Oh, I was under the impression you walked into my castle of your own volition,” EDJ commented, absently spinning around in his big chair. 

“Yeah, because you almost destroyed everything,” Hanna said. “You threatened the world. You hurt my friends. You imprisoned me. All that I could almost forgive. But EDJ…” she paused. 

“Yes?” 

Hanna smirked. “Blackberry? Really?” 

“Make fun all you want,” EDJ replied. “You’re the one still trapped in the castle, princess.” Hanna frowned as he continued, “I’m only waiting for your will to break. After that, I might consider letting you go.” 

“Then I guess you’ll be waiting a long time,” Hanna said. “This cage will break before my will does.” 

“So confident.” EDJ chuckled again. “You’ll break. They always do.” 

Hanna blinked. “They? They who?” 

“The oth-” EDJ stopped himself and paused in thought before continuing. “Wait. Did you do any research at all before coming here?” 

“No,” Hanna answered, not sure how that was relevant or what research he was talking about. 

“Do you… even know who I am?” he asked. 

“You’re DJ’s Evil Other,” Hanna answered, not really sure where the conversation was going. “What else is there to know?” 

“Oooh boy. One of us hasn’t done our homework and it shows.” EDJ tisked. “You really didn’t bother figuring out anything else before trying to confront me?” he asked. 

“No,” Hanna repeated.  

“The string of missing people in this area over the last few years hasn't come up at all?” EDJ persisted. “And the missing heroes in the guild? That's not suspicious to you in any way?”

“For the last time, no,” Hanna answered, annoyed with the questions. “I’m not affiliated with the guild and I'm a little busy for other countries' problems.” 

“Well, there’s your first mistake,” EDJ muttered condescendingly. He paused. “Do you even know why I'm on all those wanted lists?”

“I don't care why,” Hanna answered, irritation seeping through every word. “My job is to bring you in regardless of what you've done.”

“Dear, ignorant, little princess… to know the enemy is to know yourself.” EDJ shook his head as he spoke. “The fact that you made it this far at all should say something to the stubbornness of mankind… Oh well, this should be fun.” 

“Are you going to let me out?” Hanna asked, not expecting a positive response, but figuring it couldn’t hurt to ask. 

“No,” EDJ responded. “Get used to the silence. I’m going to give you plenty of time to think. Call me when you want to renegotiate a proper surrender.” Once again, EDJ hung up on her. 

Hanna glared at the phone for a minute before putting it down. “I’m not going to surrender,” she muttered to herself. “I’m not going to break. I need to find a way out of here.” Hanna started pacing the cage again. 

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Hanna jumped up, drew her sword, and rushed toward EDJ, hitting the glass wall as hard as she could with her blade. It did nothing. She smacked her fist against the wall. EDJ placed his hands behind his back and strode up to the ledge in front of the cage, an evil smirk on his face. 

“What is this?!” Hanna demanded, seething with anger. 

“Ultra-reinforced plexiglass,” EDJ answered calmly with a smile. “It can’t be broken by even the strongest warrior, let alone a trapped little bird like you. It’s shatter-resistant, crack-resistant, bullet-resista-”

“I get the idea,” Hanna interrupted, fuming. “You tricked me.” 

“Tough luck,” EDJ said, tone indicating her predicament was her own fault. “You should’ve paid better attention to your surroundings.” 

Hanna growled and slammed her fist against the wall again. “This is suspiciously the same kind of cage I was planning to put crazy people like you in… How did you find out about it?” she asked, completely frustrated at the turn of events. 

EDJ tilted his head. “I talked to your friends, didn’t I mention that? Lui was particularly helpful.”

EDJ kept his tone lighthearted, but carefully watched Hanna’s reaction. 

“He… he told you?” Hanna asked, frustration melting into doubt. 

EDJ nodded. “Ah yes, I think I remember him mentioning something about a plexiglass cage when I tortur- er… I mean… interrogated him.” He smiled when Hanna’s eyes widened. 

“You hurt… and you threatened Lui?” Hanna asked, eyes turning to the side. “He didn’t tell me that…” she whispered. 

EDJ continued talking. “It’s amazing how persuasive threats against loved ones can be, you know. He sang like… well, like a canary. All I did was tell him that your life was in danger if he didn’t talk…” 

Hanna’s head snapped up to scowl at EDJ. “Monster,” she whispered before instantly raising her voice to shout at him. “How dare you use me against him?! As soon as I get out of this pathetic trap, you will pay for this! I can promise you that!”

EDJ grinned, happy to watch her fury from the opposite side of the glass. “Are you ready to wave that white flag yet?”

“Never!” Hanna flew back as far as the plexiglass box would allow and rushed forward to attack the wall again. Once. Twice. Three times.  

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?” EDJ asked with a chuckle. “I was not expecting this much fire from a cryomancer.” 

“LET! ME! OUT!” Hanna shouted, smashing into the wall over and over again with the exact same results as she had the first time. The wall remained intact.

“What’s with all the screaming?” EDJ asked with a raised brow. He took a breath and raised his hands apologetically. “You know what? It’s been a long day. I can see you’re upset and not thinking clearly. I’m gonna leave you alone in the icebox to cool off for a bit. Okay?” 

Hanna stopped when she realized the cage was lowering into the floor. “EDJ!”

“It’s taking you to the dungeon,” EDJ quickly explained, watching the cage descend. “I’m going to have some of these nice guards meet you down there. You’ll be fine. This is for your own good. We’ll talk again when you can be civil.” He smiled and waved at her. As soon as the cage lowered far enough, the panels in the tile floor came back up and slid into place, covering the hole. EDJ’s smile dropped and he turned to head back to the control room. “Clean up this mess,” he commanded to the guards as he walked past the red on the floor. When he entered the control room, he looked around. The AV tech was nowhere to be seen, but he spotted the tech’s assistant. “Cassidy,” EDJ said, calling her over. “Where’s Chris?” he asked when she stepped forward. 

“Uh, I think he stepped outside,” she offered. 

EDJ nodded. “Go see if you can find him. The timing was off by five seconds.” 

“Ohhh, he… uh… he said he didn’t think anyone would notice,” Cassidy said with an awkward grimace. 

“I noticed.” EDJ frowned. “He’s not coming back, is he?” Cassidy shook her head. “Whatever. You’re the lead AV tech now. Enjoy your promotion.” He sent her away with a wave and plopped into his large chair. He leaned to the side, resting his chin on the back of his hand. Not really thinking about it, his fingers reached for the thin chain around his neck. He sat in thought, watching the screens. 

*************************************

It was dark on the way down to the dungeon level. Too dark for Hanna to see anything. Too difficult to tell how far down she was. The platform came to a stop the way an elevator does, with an uncomfortable lurch. Hanna waited. Movement, light, voices, anything. When nothing else happened, Hanna sheathed her sword and pulled out her flashlight. Shining the light through the glass walls, Hanna could tell she was in some sort of dungeon with similar plexiglass cubes. All the other cages were empty. Shining the light up, whatever hole in the ceiling this cage came through was already covered. Hanna huffed and sat with her back against the glass in the corner of the cage. She pulled out her phone, but was not surprised to see it had little reception and the battery was almost dead anyway. She thought about texting Lui, but then remembered EDJ still had Lui’s phone. Frowning, she put the phone away and realized she had something else in her pocket. Hanna pulled out a crumpled napkin and stared at it. She smoothed the crumples out until it regained its origami swan shape. Her shoulders sank the longer she stared at it. With a sigh, she put the swan back in her pocket. She turned off the flashlight, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rested her head on her knees. 

****************************************

-Hybrid Hero Project HQ; Ukraine; May 11th, 2009-

Mariah sat at the kitchen counter staring at her phone. “Anything from Hanna?” Kandi asked as she rolled out a ball of dough on the table. 

“No,” Mariah answered, putting the phone away with a frown. “Last I heard, she was going to Everest.” 

“Where’s that?” Kandi asked, rolling the dough into a large rectangle shape. 

“Another place far away from us,” Mariah said with a shrug. She folded her arms on the counter and buried her face into an elbow.

“Don’t worry,” Kandi said while brushing melted butter over the dough. “She’ll be okay. She always is.” 

Mariah lifted her head just enough to look over her arms. “One day, she won’t be.” 

“And that’s why she has us!” Kandi said cheerily, pink apron coated in flour. “Stop worrying! Either go help her or stay here, but quit moping about it!” 

Mariah blinked at her, fox ear twitching. “I guess you’re right.” She sat up and smiled. “I guess I should stop worrying. Hanna always comes back, even if it takes her a while.” Kandi nodded with a bright smile, sprinkling cinnamon sugar over the dough. “I guess I’ll go train then.” Mariah stood up, grabbing her bow and quiver from the seat next to her. She watched Kandi gently roll the dough into a log. “How long till those are done?” 

“Like, two more hours,” Kandi answered, carefully slicing the dough into rolls. “They have to rise again.” 

Mariah rolled her eyes as she walked away. “Baking is such a long process.” Kandi giggled in response. 

*************************************************

-Mysterious castle; Mount Everest; May 11th, 2009-

Lui stared up at the castle with big eyes. “Woooooaaaah.” He turned to DJ. “This castle is huge! Iul built this?!”

“Looks like it,” DJ answered, giving the open doors a suspicious glare from the rock they were crouched behind. The only sound was the wind. There were no guards and the doors were wide open. Everything in him screamed “trap”. He turned to see Lui staring back at the castle, mouth agape in amazement. “Let’s go.” DJ stood up and moved back the direction they came, away from the castle “We need to find another entrance.” 

“But the door’s open,” Lui said, pointing back. “Maybe it’s already been cleared.” 

“And maybe it’s Iul trying to be one step ahead of us,” DJ answered. “I’m not taking that risk. We find another way in.” Lui followed DJ away and around the castle. What exactly they were looking for, neither could say, only that they would know it when they saw it. “Get down!” DJ suddenly dropped into the snow with Lui close behind. They sat still for a few seconds before DJ raised his head. 

“What is it?” Lui whispered, lying two feet back from DJ in the snow. 

“Guards,” DJ whispered back. “Five of them. Looks like they’re on break.” He patted a few pockets before turning to Lui. “Did you bring any grenades?” The way he asked made it sound like a completely standard and reasonable question. 

Lui’s eyes widened. “No,” he answered, with a face that indicated the request was, in fact, not standard or expected. “I can throw a rock and clap really hard,” Lui offered in consolation. DJ stifled a laugh and turned back to watch the guards. “They’re moving,” he said after a moment. He watched all but one guard leave and go through a camouflaged door in the castle wall. The remaining guard stood watch alone. “Ok, there’s one guard left. I think we can take him.” DJ glanced back at Lui with a wide grin. “Ready?”

Lui grinned back. “Ready!” 

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Hanna blinked, struggling to process the information. “You… you… I did all of that… and you… and the door…” She turned from EDJ to the door behind her, confused and disheartened. After a moment, she turned back to EDJ, rage in her blue eyes. “Oh, you’re in for it now.” She spun her sword forward as it started glowing, though the light was very faint. Hanna smirked. “If your plan was to demoralize me, it backfired. I have even more reason to lock you up now.” She started circling, revitalized. 

EDJ smiled as he matched her speed. “It almost worked too.” 

Hanna sneered at him. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you?” she asked. 

“I was voted third-smartest supervillain,” EDJ replied. “You’ll find my picture in the dictionary next to mastermind. I’m kind of a legend.” 

“So smug.” Hanna narrowed her eyes. “Bet you won’t look so smug with your face smashed in.” 

She could have sworn his eyes lit up when he grinned. “Bring it, harpy!” EDJ shouted.

Hanna launched into the air straight for EDJ with her sword raised high. “AAAAUUUGGH!”

All the lights died and the room returned to pitch black darkness. Even the orange light from EDJ’s sword disappeared. Hanna landed on the ground in a crouch and her sword clattered as the edge bounced off the floor in front of her. All at once, ultra-bright light flooded the room, temporarily blinding Hanna. “ACK!” She squeezed her eyes shut and forcefully opened them several times, trying to adjust to the light. Hanna let go of her sword when an arm looped around her neck and pulled back. In panic, she grabbed the arm and covered it in a layer of ice. She ducked out of the assailant’s grasp and dove for the ground. Vision almost adjusted, she grabbed her weapon and turned to see a guard on the floor behind her, yelling and clutching his ice-encased arm. Two more guards ran toward her. Hanna froze the ground in front of her. One guard slipped and fell, the other dove over the ice in an attempt to tackle her. She dodged the second guard and turned to kick away another. Hanna saw a guard rushing toward her out of the corner of her eye. She spun and cut him down with her blade. 

“Hold,” EDJ commanded. 

Hanna stood panting as all the guards around her halted their advance. She turned to see EDJ in the back of the room, sword sheathed. Quite a few guards had filled up the large space between them. Where did they all come from?! Hanna thought. 

“I think that’s enough bloodshed for today, don’t you?” EDJ asked as he slowly walked up between the guards. Hanna watched a couple guards pick up the fallen one and drag the body away, leaving a red smear on the white tile. Another one guided the guard with the frozen arm out of the room. It was then Hanna noticed panels jutting out from the walls. Hanna frowned and pointed her blade at EDJ. “You sure are going to a lot of trouble just to stop one girl,” Hanna said. “What’s the deal here?” 

“Just taking no chances,” EDJ said with a shrug before looking down at the red on the floor. “... and apparently I was right in doing so.” He looked up at her. “What say you to a truce?” 

“A truce?!” Hanna balked. “Why would you want a truce?!” 

“Look around you,” EDJ said coldly. “You’re surrounded. Sure, you could continue to resist and fight. You might even win… but after spilling how much more blood?” 

Hanna bit back the guilt and covered it with anger. “Don’t pretend you care about what happens to your men!” she spat. 

“You’re right, I don’t,” EDJ agreed calmly. “They knew the risks when I hired them. It’s about resources, not sentimentality. You’ve made quite a mess trying to get to me already, I’d hate for you to wreck your way through any more of my castle unsupervised.” EDJ waved a hand and took a more agreeable tone. “Listen, I’m a negotiator at heart. You put in the work, so I’m willing to meet you halfway.” He smiled. “Name your terms. What’s in it for me if I surrender?” 

Hanna still glared at him suspiciously. “How do I know I can trust you?” she asked.. 

EDJ laughed cynically. “That’s the best part. You can’t. You’ll just have to take that risk.” Seeing Hanna still internally debating, EDJ raised a hand. The guards all raised their weapons. “I could just settle this fight now,” he reminded her. “Name your conditions.”

Hanna straightened and reluctantly sheathed her sword. “How about this,” she started, one hand on her hip and the other in the air counting as she listed her demands. “You leave Lui and DJ alone. You promise to never hurt either of them ever again. You stop trying to kill me. Aaaand you give up.” She smirked. “Reasonable enough to you?” 

EDJ motioned to the guards to lower their weapons. They also backed up a bit, giving Hanna more space. “Well now, that depends on how you answer the rest of the question,” EDJ answered, slowly starting to circle again while still keeping a row of guards between him and Hanna. “What do I get in return?” he asked. 

“Your life,” Hanna answered with spite and watched him with suspicion. “And as long as you keep to the terms, I promise not to hunt you down and inflict terrible pain on you. How does that sound?” She crossed her arms. “I’d say that’s quite a bargain.” 

“Oh, so you admit to being the vengeful, bloodthirsty hero, do you?” EDJ asked with a smile, still circling. 

“I never said that,” Hanna replied. 

“You kind of did.” EDJ raised his brows, tilted his head, and nodded to the spot on the floor. “Your actions speak loud and clear, dear. But back to the issue at hand… I have one more condition.” He paused and looked at her with a thoughtful expression. “I really, really want to keep my awesome castle.”

Hanna stopped and considered it. I guess if you take out all the guards and traps and access to all the illegal stuff… It’s just a big, empty castle, she thought, chewing on her lip. He’s already isolated from the rest of the world here at Everest. We could secure the castle so he can’t leave… I guess that just ends up being more like house arrest for him anyway. He doesn’t have to be in a maximum security prison if he’s locked up here… I could live with that. 

Meanwhile, EDJ motioned for the guards to give her more space, seemingly in an attempt to relax the tension in the atmosphere. It worked. Hanna appeared noticeably less agitated. “I could be persuaded to let you keep it,” she started. “As long as you don’t plot anything evil and the conditions aren’t broken...” 

EDJ smiled politely. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” 

Hanna raised an eyebrow, arms remaining folded. “I still don’t trust you.” 

“Nor would I expect you to,” EDJ answered, still smiling politely. 

Hanna found his smile creepy and off-putting, though there was no logical reason behind it. Perhaps it was his uncanny resemblance to DJ and Lui. Sure, his clothes and physical traits were different, not even mentioning the extreme difference in personality, but something about the face was still the same. Hanna dismissed the thought and focused on the situation. She was still surrounded, but had quite a bit of breathing room between her and the enemy, for which she was grateful. EDJ had been standing in the same spot for a few minutes now and it was starting to bother her. Where she once found his silence a welcome relief, now it was a growing concern. Was he waiting on something? Hanna narrowed her eyes and asked, “You’re not planning anything evil anytime soon, are you?” 

EDJ shrugged nonchalantly. “Just the usual plundering and occasional kidnapping, you know. Nothing too evil…” he said. “I can downscale.” 

Hanna frowned. “I’d prefer it if you stopped completely, but I guess it’s a start...” She nodded, mostly trying to convince herself. “Alright, I accept your truce.” 

“I’m happy to hear it!” EDJ’s smile widened, but he did not move from his position. 

Hanna suddenly got the feeling like he knew something she didn’t. “You’re seriously just going to give up like that?” she asked. 

“BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!” EDJ broke out into laughter. “NEVER! Drop the cage!” 

Hanna turned to see one of the guards flip a switch on a panel by the door. She looked up just in time to see large, glass walls drop from the ceiling. 

“What? WAIT!” Hanna dove forward, but not in time to escape the trap. The floor dropped out around the cage. Hanna flew up only to smack into the glass ceiling and fall back down. She sat up to see EDJ laughing at her. 

“You fell for it!” EDJ said almost in disbelief between laughs. “What now, genius?”