Chapter Twenty-Three

 

Chapter Twenty-Three

When Hanna reached the top of the ladder, she found a small platform with a metal catwalk stretching over the top of the enclosure close to the wall. The ceiling was quite low, but not unbearable if she stooped. Hanna didn’t know if she trusted the flimsy-looking metal frame, but figured she could always rely on her wings in a pinch. Hanna watched the surface of the water for a long moment. A gray fin rose then lowered into the water, sending ripples through the surface. 

“Dare you to move,” EDJ’s voice chimed through the drone near Hanna’s head. Hanna instantly turned and swung a fist at the drone, which it narrowly avoided. EDJ chuckled at the scowl on Hanna’s face. 

“How many sharks are there?” Hanna asked, turning back to the water. 

“At least ten,” EDJ answered honestly. He grinned evilly from the safety of his control room. “It’s almost feeding time too. Do you think they bite hard?”

“Come down here and find out for yourself,” Hanna shot back. She let out a frustrated breath. “It’s a bit cruel,” she said as she gave the drone a look of annoyance. “Putting this trap here right after you so mercilessly drained my frost energy?” Hanna gestured to the water. “I could have frozen this entire tank, fishes included. I’d be feasting on frozen calamari while walking right over your trap.”

“Technically, you drained your powers on your own,” EDJ commented. “Also, you’re the only one still calling it a trap at this point. Not my fault you stumbled into the menagerie. I didn’t build this castle specifically with you in mind. But you have a point, the coincidence is in my favor.”

Hanna placed a cautious boot onto the grate to test it. Satisfied enough, she started to gingerly step across the platform. The smell of saltwater was stronger up here. Not wanting to risk her sword accidentally getting wet, Hanna grabbed the scabbard attached to her belt and held it in her left hand, keeping the weapon lifted. A safety admin would have a field day in this place, Hanna thought as she slowly made her way over the platform. No safety railings over a tank of shark-infested waters, not to mention every room being a literal death trap. And why is this ceiling so low?! I half expect music and a green-haired- Hanna stopped when she heard a mechanical humming sound. The ceiling started to lower and the catwalk jolted as it began retracting. “Wait?! What’s going on?!” Hanna exclaimed in panic, lowering to a crouch on the platform. 

“I’m throwing in a surprise for you,” EDJ
When Hanna reached the top of the ladder, she found a small platform with a metal catwalk stretching over the top of the enclosure close to the wall. The ceiling was quite low, but not unbearable if she stooped. Hanna didn’t know if she trusted the flimsy-looking metal frame, but figured she could always rely on her wings in a pinch. Hanna watched the surface of the water for a long moment. A gray fin rose then lowered into the water, sending ripples through the surface. 

“Dare you to move,” EDJ’s voice chimed through the drone near Hanna’s head. Hanna instantly turned and swung a fist at the drone, which it narrowly avoided. EDJ chuckled at the scowl on Hanna’s face. 

“How many sharks are there?” Hanna asked, turning back to the water. 

“At least ten,” EDJ answered honestly. He grinned evilly from the safety of his control room. “It’s almost feeding time too. Do you think they bite hard?”

“Come down here and find out for yourself,” Hanna shot back. She let out a frustrated breath. “It’s a bit cruel,” she continued as she gave the drone a look of annoyance. “Putting this trap here right after you so mercilessly drained my frost energy?” Hanna gestured to the water. “I could have frozen this entire tank, fishes included. I’d be feasting on frozen calamari while walking right over your trap.”

“Technically, you drained your powers on your own,” EDJ commented. “Also, you’re the only one still calling it a trap at this point. Not my fault you stumbled into the menagerie. I didn’t build this castle specifically with you in mind. But you have a point, the coincidence is in my favor.”

Hanna placed a cautious boot onto the grate to test it. Satisfied enough, she started to gingerly step across the platform. The smell of saltwater was stronger up here. Not wanting to risk her sword accidentally getting wet, Hanna grabbed the scabbard attached to her belt and held it in her left hand, keeping the weapon lifted. A safety admin would have a field day in this place, Hanna thought as she slowly made her way over the platform. No safety railings over a tank of shark-infested waters, not to mention every room being a literal death trap. And why is this ceiling so low?! I half expect music and a green-haired- Hanna stopped when she heard a mechanical humming sound. The ceiling started to lower and the catwalk jolted as it began retracting. “Wait?! What’s going on?!” Hanna exclaimed in panic, lowering to a crouch on the platform. 

“I’m throwing in a surprise for you,” EDJ answered with a laugh. “Resourcefulness will always defeat frozen squid.”

Hanna tried to scurry across the moving platform, but the ceiling prevented her from getting very far. Not having time to think about it, Hanna used what little energy she had left to coat her sheathed sword and scabbard in a protective layer of ice before slipping into the water. The ceiling finally stopped two feet above Hanna’s head, far too little room to fly over. The catwalk had fully retracted as well, giving Hanna no other option than to swim the rest of the way. Hanna was grateful she at least thought to seal her sword. While it didn’t float, it didn’t drag her down as much as it would have otherwise. Even so, she was still recovering from all her ice energy being sapped in the room with the melted peanut butter. The small act of protecting her blade left her even more depleted and now she had to swim. A dorsal fin above the water sent a pang of fear into Hanna’s heart, but she swallowed it and swam as gracefully and gently as she could manage. Hanna didn’t register the pain at first, but scrapes and cuts over her arms and legs burned as she swam along. In her preoccupation with immediate threats, she didn’t recall getting the minor injuries. Either way, she hoped the sharks wouldn’t take notice. 

The drone was still hovering above Hanna, close to the ceiling now. She had half a mind to reach up and yank it into the water, but she didn’t want to attract any more attention to herself. EDJ continued to talk either way, much to Hanna’s dismay. “The sharks were expensive,” he was saying. “But perhaps they’ll be worth the price if I get to watch you get torn to shreds.”

“Bet you’d just love to see that,” Hanna sputtered. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. 

“Now that you mention it,” EDJ said. “There’s a pool going in the room for how far you’ll get before the sharks eat you.” 

“You don’t think I’ll make it to the other side alive?” Hanna asked, miffed. 

“Twenty-seven feet.”

“Rude,” Hanna muttered through gritted teeth, mostly to herself. “So presumptuous. Not to mention really annoying.” 

“Look at that,” the drone chirped in surprise. “You’re halfway gone already!”

Hanna grimaced. “Gross, given the context. Halfway there sounds much better than halfway gone, thank you very much.”

“It’s all the same,” EDJ said with a shrug. “It doesn’t even matter how hard you try, they’ll still get you in the end. What hope could you possibly have of making it to the other side?”

“Oh, I’ll make it,” Hanna answered, still swimming. “As long as you don’t cheat again.” 

“Cheat?! Me?” EDJ asked in astonishment. “I’m insulted. Believe me, I would never intervene and try to kill you in the middle of a self-imposed trial. Even if it would speed things up.” Even that statement somehow came across sarcastic.

“Believe you?! Yeah, right!” Hanna would have laughed. “Your words are worthless. Give me a promise you can keep.”

The robot went silent just long enough for Hanna to wonder if the traps were starting to mess with her brain. “How’s this?” The drone flew ahead of her a little and turned to face her. “I promise not to attack you until you reach the other side. If you can reach the other side alive, I’ll agree to another truce.”

“Oh yeah, cause the last one went SO well,” Hanna snapped back. “I still don’t believe you.” EDJ’s persistence was maddening. 

“I could give you my word as an Evil Other,” the drone offered.

Hanna shook her head as she swam. “No good. I’ve known too many Evil Others.” 

“Whatever,” EDJ started. “I tried. You’re on your own with the sharks whether you believe me or not. I want to see how this plays out, so don’t take too long. Be sure to smile for the camera, shark bait.”

There he goes about the cameras again. “You got somewhere to be, villain?” Hanna asked with a smug grin. “You seem a little obsessed with time. Is this not entertaining enough for you?” 

EDJ smirked as he watched the screen. “Time is a valuable thing, hero. Far be it from me to waste it.”

Hanna’s blue eyes locked on to the ladder on the other side of the tank. So close! “That’s right, savor what little of it you have left before I get to you. When I get out of here-” 

“What was it you were going to do to me again?” EDJ interrupted. “Arrest me?”

“Inflict terrible pain on you for hurting my friends,” Hanna answered, completely forgetting about the danger of the waters now that her target was in sight. “After that, maybe find you a nice padded room. Four walls. Prison gates. Iron bars.” Her smile was vicious. “You’ll never see the light of day again.”

“So humane,” EDJ taunted. “Any alternatives?” 

“I suppose we could always put you in a villain rehab program,” Hanna answered doubtfully. “Teach you wrong from right. Model citizen. That sort of thing.” 

“Wow, a redemption arc?” EDJ laughed. “Hahahaha! Ah, a little late in the game for that. I’d say it’s going to take quite a bit of convincing to get me to leave this life behind.” 

“Death is always an option,” Hanna whispered vehemently. 

EDJ still managed to catch it. “I’m not quite ready to die yet, but you should be. My pets are taking interest.” 

Hanna rolled her eyes and kept swimming. At least they’re not the oversized sharks you always see in those silly movi- Something brushed against her foot. Hanna stopped and remained as still as possible while keeping herself afloat. A large shape passed her in the water and kept going. Another shape swam by her on the other side, gray dorsal fins disappearing below the water. 

“Do you know what that was just now?” the drone asked as it hovered above her. EDJ didn’t wait for an answer. “The sharks are circling you. If you still don’t believe me, just wait. They always get antsy when they’re about to feed on human flesh.” 

Another shark bumped against Hanna. Hanna instantly reached for her sword and tugged on the handle, realizing too late that it was still sealed. She didn’t move. She didn’t swim. She was barely treading water, breathing quick and shallow. Calm down! Hanna thought, squeezing her eyes shut. Breathe. Stop panicking. Breathe. She’s not going to help me here. There’s no way. Maybe if I can swim really, really fast… Who am I kidding? Hanna opened her eyes to see multiple fins above the water’s surface. It’s over.