Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Five

It was a few seconds before Hanna could hear the wind howling again through the ringing in her ears. Hanna lifted her head from the snow to gaze upon the decimated structure in front of her. Rubble, ash, and debris rained from above. The sky was filled with smoke as what remained of the castle was in flames. The once magnificent castle was in complete ruin. The blast had thrown her back a ways and she could no longer see DJ or whatever it was he was carrying. Hanna blinked, trying to focus. The explosion was done, but the ground did not stop rumbling beneath her. She attempted to stand only to collapse back into the snow. Hanna had no strength left. Why is the ground sliding? Where is DJ? Where is Lui? Get up! Hanna attempted to lift herself again. She looked up toward the peak of the mountain. That was when she saw it, the avalanche heading straight for her. She watched the snow tumbling, like clouds gathering force as it slid down the mountain. Her heart sank. She could not move. She could not breathe. All she could do was watch. That’s it... It’s over… I can’t stop it... We’re all… 

GET UP! A voice in the back of her head screamed. 

I can’t…

YOU WILL! 

Without thinking, Hanna grabbed the autoinjector from her satchel. She popped open the tube, removed the safety, and jammed it into her own leg. Hanna’s eyes turned red and she took one large gasp of air. Three. Two. One. Heart racing, she shot into the air as if launched from a cannon. Throwing out both arms, she created walls of ice in steps, trying to stop or slow the massive amount of snow coming toward her. Neither worked. I can’t stop it. Hanna drew her sword. Landing between the wreckage of the castle and the doom barreling toward it, she plunged the blade into the ground, blue gemstone in the hilt brightly glowing. Hanna put up one more thick wall of ice, using the sword as an anchor. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she focused on crafting the shield as tall and wide as she could possibly make it. The avalanche crashed into the barrier. Hanna held on to the sword with all her strength, kneeling as she held the shield in place. “NO!” she screamed. The avalanche of snow poured around the barrier while she held on, the roar of destruction drowning every sound. After what seemed like an eternity of holding the snow back, the avalanche slowed and finally stopped. Head pounding and chest heaving, Hanna stood and yanked the sword out of the ground. The wall of ice stayed in place, holding back a sea of snow. She turned around with a slight wobble. The charred ruins of the castle sat untouched behind her, ice and snow fanning out around it. She diverted the deadly force away from her friends, but who knew the damage done further down the mountainside. With shaky breaths and eyes back to blue, Hanna glanced down at her sword hand, fingers fused to the grip in ice. The gemstone was no longer glowing, now dull and dark. With gritted teeth and some effort, she pried her fingers free of the grip and sheathed the blade. 

Hanna flew back around to the castle’s front entrance. Back to where the large boulder sat. Luckily, she spotted a figure clad in blue armor lying in the snow not far from the boulder. “DJ!” She flew to the body and turned him over. “DJ? Can you hear me? Are you okay?!” 

DJ’s eyes slowly opened, but he looked dazed and his voice was faint. “Mel…?” 

“You’re alive! Hang on!” Hanna grabbed DJ’s arms and pulled. 

DJ coughed violently as he came to. “Hanna…? Lui?” 

“I got you,” Hanna said, still dragging, but not making as much progress as she wanted. Just a little farther. She pulled again, stumbling along. “I’m not leaving you here to freeze to death. I’m getting you off this cursed mountain even if I have to drag you the whole way!” Strength already gone again, it took everything in her to drag her friend toward the back of the boulder. With a bit of perseverance, she reached a spot behind the boulder next to the mirror. Hanna leaned DJ against the rock and made sure he wouldn’t fall over before checking on Lui. The mirror was face down in the snow. Please don’t be broken. Hanna lifted the mirror and set it upright against the rock again. Thankfully, the fragile object was not damaged. “Lui?” she asked, brushing away the snow from the surface. She could barely see him, but he was still there. 

“Is Lui ok?” DJ asked. 

“He's out of the castle, but not out of the mirror.” Hanna turned her attention back to DJ. “Are you alright?”

“Think so,” DJ muttered before coughing again. “EO…”

Hanna paused. EDJ. “Is that what you were doing? Did you go back for him?” DJ slowly nodded, eyes closed. “I’ll find him.” Hanna got up and flew back around the boulder. She found the frozen figure half buried in the snow headfirst. She dug the frozen Evil Other out and proceeded to pull him behind the boulder as well. She had just as much trouble dragging EDJ over. When everyone was safely in the same location, Hanna checked on DJ again. “Hey, are you still with me?” Blood was caked on the side of his armor and he had several other burns and cuts over the less protected areas. She dug into the medical supplies on her belt. “You shouldn’t have gone back for him,” she said quietly. 

“I couldn't just let part of me die,” DJ answered weakly, eyes still closed. “I had to rescue him…”

I meant that I should have gone back instead of you, Hanna thought. 

“How’s Lui?” DJ asked. 

Hanna frowned. He already asked that. “Nothing’s changed. I think you hit your head on something,” she muttered, unwrapping some gauze and alcohol swabs. DJ’s head and body suddenly drooped forward. “HEY!” She caught him and sat him up again. “No, no, no, no. Don’t pass out on me. I need you to stay awake. Talk to me. What year is it?” 

“...2002,” DJ answered. He opened his eyes, but blankly stared ahead. “Up… is… down...” 

Hanna’s concern grew. That’s not even close. She waved a hand in front of his face, but he was not particularly responsive. “Who’s the president?”

“...Aragorn,” DJ responded. “No, that was… Washington…” Something was definitely wrong. His head dropped again. 

“DJ? DJ, snap out of it!” Hanna lightly shook him by the shoulders, but DJ could not be revived from his unconscious state. While she could not tell how cold DJ was, she could tell there was very little warmth left in him. “No, please wake up! Please!” She attempted to wake him again, but there was no response. 

Hanna sat back in the snow. She looked at EDJ, still stuck in a block of ice, lying on his side in the snow. She looked at the mirror. The reflection of sunlight and snow blocking Lui’s image made it appear cold and empty. She looked at DJ, unconscious, freezing, and in need of medical attention above that which she was capable of. I don’t have the energy to make a shelter. The castle is still in flames, but I don’t have the strength to drag them back to keep them warm. What am I supposed to do? I can’t do anything… She looked around behind her. Even if she called out for help, who was around to hear her? She had no clue where the closest form of civilization was, assuming it hadn’t been taken out by the avalanche. Hanna looked up at the sky. Soft beams of sunlight broke through the dark smoke and filtered down on the sparkling snow below. I can’t do this by myself... Please… Please help me. There was no answer. No sound, save the howling of the wind. She sniffled, tears returning. Are You listening? Can You even hear me? No answer came from the sky. No answer came from the wind. No answer could be found anywhere. Nothing. Hanna’s shoulders sank. …Are You even there? 

Foolish girl. Haven't you had enough of fairytales? No one is listening. No one is going to save us. Giving up, Hanna wiped her face and attempted to wake DJ again. “DJ?” 

“Seems to me your friend is passed out,” a new voice behind her said. Hanna jumped to her feet and spun around, drawing her sword. The stranger was bundled head to toe in winter weather gear, green jacket standing out against the snowy mountain. How did she miss this stranger sneaking up on her? Between the fluffy hat, snow goggles, and striped scarf, Hanna couldn’t make out who this new person was at all. “Prolly will be for a while,” the stranger continued. “I’m Misty.” 

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Four

Hanna raised the radio. “DJ? What happened?!” 

“Wrong button,” DJ’s voice replied. “Find an emergency exit and get out of there right now! I’ll keep looking for Lui.”

“I already found him,” Hanna answered. “But he’s stuck in a mirror.”

A mirror? DJ thought, but responded with, “Hanna, you need to leave!” 

“No!” Hanna shot back. “I’m not leaving Lui here! I will not abandon him!” Hanna watched Lui in the mirror. Seeing her friend in the state he was in and now faced with a countdown to destruction, the panic and despair drown everything else out. “DJ, he’s stuck here and I…” Hanna faltered. “I don’t… I don’t know what to do. What should I do?!” 

“Can you get the mirror off the wall?” DJ asked. 

Hanna inspected the frame. “I think so,” she answered. 

“Take the mirror off the wall and find the nearest exit,” DJ said. “Can you do that?” DJ remained composed, though the need for urgency was still present. The solution was obvious. At least, it would have been had Hanna not given in to despair. 

“Yes. Right. Hang on, Lui.” Hanna grabbed the frame and gently lifted it off the wall. The mirror came down freely. Hanna checked the back of the object as well as the wall it rested on. The back of the mirror was normal and the wall was solid rock. No hidden rooms on the other side. Only Lui stuck inside a mirror. Hugging the mirror in her arms with the glass facing outward, Hanna flew out of the room and down the hallway, frantically trying to remember where the exit was. “Left,” the radio buzzed. Hanna took a left. 

“Straight then take a right through the second doorway.” DJ said, watching the screens. DJ was still in the control room, guiding her to safety. Don’t worry, Hanna. I won’t leave you and Lui here. “Go down the set of stairs on your right. That will lead you to a room on the third floor. From there, there’s an elevator shaft across the hall that leads directly outside.”

“Got it! Thank you,” Hanna responded. Relief and gratitude swept over Hanna before panic set in again. “How much time do we have left?” she asked. 

“Less than four minutes,” DJ answered. “Hurry!” 

“You better get out too!” Hanna said, following the directions DJ relayed to her. “Be safe, alright?” 

“Yeah, I'm headed toward the emergency vehicle door now,” DJ answered. He double checked the coordinates on the map one more time before leaving the control room. “There’s a giant boulder in front of the castle,” DJ said over the radio. “I’ll meet you on the other side of it when we get out.” Halfway to his destination, DJ checked on Hanna again. “Did you make it to the exit yet?”

“Just made it to the elevator,” Hanna responded.

If we can all get out of here in one piece… DJ stopped dead in his tracks when a nauseating thought hit him. EDJ was still frozen in the arena. Oh no. EO?! I have to go back and get him out of here! The exit was in sight, but DJ turned around and raced the other direction. He only had a couple minutes left. Would he make it in time?

“Hanna,” DJ radioed. “No matter what happens, promise me you’ll get out, ok?” 

“Yeah, I’m almost out,” she responded. “The doors just opened!” 

Good, DJ thought. At least they’ll get out in time.

********

Hanna flew through the open door into the frosty mountainside. “Yeeouch it’s bright out here,” she muttered as soon as she was outside. The sun was up and the wind was blowing. Even though it was evening now, the sunlight against the snow still almost blinded Hanna after being inside for so long. Hanna circled the castle until she found the large boulder DJ mentioned. She flew behind it and landed in the snow. 

“Lui?” Hanna turned the mirror around and held it out at arm’s length. “Are you alright? All things considered…?” Lui was still there. Still chained. Still trapped. Hanna carefully placed the mirror in the snow, propping it up against the large stone. 

“Better… now that… I’m outside…” Lui was still incredibly hard to hear. Hanna could see him speaking, but only half his words were audible. If the mirror was intended to be a method of communication, the signal reception was lousy. The howling wind did not help. In addition to this, it was harder to see Lui in the sunlight. Hanna still wasn’t sure how he got into the mirror and how she was going to get him out, but at least he wasn’t in the castle. Why do these things always have to have a self-destruct button lying around? Hanna thought. She peered around the boulder, looking back at the large structure with worry. Why did DJ say that at the end? Was he worried we wouldn't get out in time? Hanna looked down at the radio she was still holding.

“DJ… ok?” the soft voice asked through the mirror. 

“I… I hope so,” Hanna answered as she moved back behind the rock. She sat in the snow next to the mirror. Aside from the wind, it was somewhat peaceful and beautiful out here. “There’s always hope… right?” Hanna asked hesitantly. In the moments of quiet silence, doubt began to crowd. 

“Always… hope… even for… you,” Lui answered. It was hard to tell, but it looked like he was nodding. There was a slight pause as Lui watched her. “Are… ok?”

Even now, he’s still looking out for my best interest, Hanna thought. A tiny smile crossed Hanna’s face, but it was overcome with sorrow. “No,” Hanna answered honestly, but quickly tacked on, “But I’ll be alright.” She sniffed and blinked at the sky. The tears threatened to creep up again, but she could not let them fall. Not in front of Lui. Not now. He was the one in trouble here. Hanna could not allow herself to show weakness when Lui needed her strength. Concern grew as the seconds passed. Hanna kept looking off in the direction of the castle, though could not see it through the boulder. “Do you think I should go back for him?” she asked. 

“No,” the mirror answered as Lui shook his head. “You… just… hurt too…” Lui either paused or the mirror didn’t relay his next few words. Hanna couldn’t tell. She scooted closer in an attempt to hear him better. “Destruct… kill…?” Lui asked. 

“I don’t know,” Hanna answered. “It was only supposed to be in the dungeon…” Hanna anxiously chewed on her lips again. “If DJ doesn’t show up soon, I’m going back for him. I have to. I can’t leave him there…” She looked back at the mirror. “But I can’t just leave you here either.” The indecision ate at her. Her choices ate at her. The whole situation was her fault and nothing she did was fixing any of it. And yet, through everything, Lui still trusted her. Why? Why does he still look out for me? I don’t deserve that. “Lui,” Hanna started quietly. “Back when I was… Why did you still…” She frowned, but looked directly at the mirror. “How could you still believe in me?” 

Lui smiled softly and said something, but Hanna couldn't hear him. Realizing she did not hear him, Lui attempted to shift closer to the mirror as well and spoke a little louder, though his words were still broken. “Special…power… can tell… good… inside people. You… still had… good…” His face scrunched, as though he were trying to understand something. “Why… you… doubt?”

Hanna turned away from the mirror in shame. The wind continued to whip her dark hair around. Hanna pulled up her knees and hugged them, but it wasn’t out of cold. “Nobody… should have a friend that betrays them,” Hanna started. “It hurts too deep. You start to feel that you can't trust anyone anymore. You become… empty… cold... and lost. Nobody should become that way.” Hanna shook her head and started crying. There was no stopping the tears now. She had a moment to rest and, in that moment, exhaustion came crashing down. Hanna looked back through the mirror at Lui with tears in her blue eyes. “True friends don't do that to each other. True friends don’t lie to you. True friends don’t betray you. True friends don’t shut you out when you’re trying to help them. It would have been better if you two had never met me.” 

“No!” For one second, Lui’s voice rang clear as a bell. Then it was garbled again. “Would… rather… die… than… forget. DJ… say… same.” 

“Lui, stop it!” Hanna yelled, jumping within inches of the mirror’s surface to face him. Streams flowed freely down her cheeks. She looked just as mad as she was hurt. “You’re trapped in a mirror with the possibility of never getting out and DJ’s inside a castle that’s about to blow him to bits! All of this is because of ME! I did this!” Hanna pointed at herself. “I’m not worth keeping as a friend!” she ended. 

Lui’s eyes widened as he stared back at her. “No… want… be… friend?” Confusion and shock mixed with hurt and disappointment. Hanna saw a tear slide down Lui’s face. 

Hanna kicked herself. Now you’ve done it. How many times are you going to hurt him? Hanna held her hands out to the mirror. “Don’t cry… Please don’t cry...” She took a deep breath and wiped her face. “Of course, I still want to be your friend… but I don’t understand why you still want to be mine.” 

Lui offered a gentle smile. “Just… because… one… mistake… not… worth… throw away… friendship…” What Hanna wouldn’t give to reach through the mirror and pull him out. 

A loud computerized voice echoed in the air, counting down. “TEN… NINE… EIGHT… SEVEN…”

“DJ?!” Lui and Hanna said in unison. 

Hanna jumped into the air a few feet back and flew around the boulder. Her head swiveled, looking for any sign of her friend. “DJ!” Hanna called out, but received no answer. He’s still in there! “NO! NOOOO!” 

Hanna was about to fly back into the castle when she spotted DJ emerging from it with a large object over his shoulder just as the countdown was ending. “THREE… TWO… ONE…” The massive, stone castle exploded. 

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Three

“LUI!” Hanna called out as she flew along the hallways. “WHERE ARE YOU?!” She had no fear of coming across guards after seeing all the empty security screens back in the control room. Even if she found any, she wasn’t worried about them. She was prepared to face any threat as long as she found Lui. Where did you go? I’m sorry I got you into this mess. Hanna searched the open rooms. When she would get to a locked door, she slammed the pommel of her sword against it and called out again. No response. She was relying on DJ to figure out how to remotely open the doors for her the way his Evil Other had. Until then, Hanna was limited to the easily accessible rooms. On a good day, perhaps when Hanna was fully rested, she might have tried breaking down the doors or blasting through them with ice. But this wasn’t a good day and Hanna was in desperate need of respite. In one of the rooms, Hanna found a medic station. She stopped long enough to stash everything she could fit into her pouch. Different types and sizes of bandages, various medications, antiseptics, and an epinephrine injector. Hanna took everything. She didn’t need to. She was still relying on DJ to contact help outside the castle. Once he did, backup should be relatively quick. But Hanna took all the supplies she could find anyway. 

“LUI!” Hanna shouted again, her voice bouncing off the empty, stone halls. She worked her way down the floors, passing the traps, and through as many rooms as she could. It seemed like the direction EDJ led her through previously was completely separate from the rest of the castle. Hanna passed through living quarters, a kitchen, break rooms, gyms, and training rooms. Everything was in recent use. The food in the kitchen was still warm. But Hanna still saw no one. The uneasy feeling never left. Hanna was flying down another hall when a sound stopped her mid flight. 

“...help me…please…” a soft voice pleaded. 

Hanna turned around. “Lui?” she whispered. “LUI!” she shouted and waited for an answer. Nothing. Did I imagine it? Hanna raised the radio. “DJ, I’m two floors down. Do you see anything in the lower levels of this place?” 

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

What a time for Lui to go missing, DJ thought as he focused on the console controls in front of him. He’s more familiar with this sort of tech. I bet he would have easily navigated this thing and had backup on the line in seconds. At the very least, DJ was able to figure out how to pull up the 3D image of the castle. Between the holographic model and the security camera shots, he was working up a clear picture of where the different rooms were located and where Hanna was in relation to them. DJ flipped through the screens until he came to a shot of plexiglass cages. “Is that the dungeon room?” he asked himself, looking back and forth between the model and screen. Doesn’t look like a full shot. If I can find the intercom button, maybe I can- The radio buzzed with Hanna’s voice. 

DJ lifted the radio to answer. “I found the dungeon, but it looks empty as far as I can tell. I’ve looked through four of the six levels so far. No sign of Lui on any of them. I even checked the locked roo-” a noise from behind caught DJ’s attention. He spun around, instantly drawing one of EDJ’s swords, and looked over the control room. Empty. Silent. Still. DJ put the blade away and turned back to the console. Focus. Need to call for help. Need to find Lui. DJ did not see the shadow of a hidden wall panel sliding back into place. 

**********

Hanna listened. Maybe she hadn’t heard anything at all. Maybe she imagined the sound. She continued flying down the hall as she searched. The small voice returned, stopping her again. Hanna landed on the ground and listened with bated breath. “Please… help… trapped…?” It was definitely Lui, but the voice was so quiet and broken it was impossible to tell where it was coming from. 

“Lui! LUI!” Hanna shouted, trying to determine the source. “Hang on, Lui! Where are you?”

DJ buzzed in on the radio. “Did you find him?” 

“I don’t know,” Hanna answered, voice anything but calm. She spun around in circles in the middle of the hallway, unsure of which direction to take. “I think I hear him, but I don’t see him anywhere. Did you find anything on the cameras?” she asked, hoping for a bit of guidance. 

“No,” DJ answered. “I don’t see anything at all on the screens.” 

Hanna turned around again. Why can’t we find him?! I know he’s here somewhere! He should be on one of those screens or something! Please be safe, Lui, please… The grip Hanna had on the radio was tight enough that her hand shook, but she did not notice. Where are you?

Thankfully, the little voice spoke again. “Trapped… no… see… .me… this…” the soft voice said. Hanna picked a direction and followed it as quietly as she could manage. “Particles…” the disembodied voice continued. “Soul… shattered… rescue…?”

Hanna paused. “What… What are you talking about?!” she asked loudly, hoping Lui could hear her. “How can I help you?!” 

“Check… cameras… fight… particles… disappear… me… Particles… trapped… me… in… castle…” 

Hanna’s mind raced. Something's not right. What’s he talking about?! Particles. Disappearing. Trapped. Cameras. Hanna gasped and pulled up the radio. “DJ! check the cameras right after the battle. EDJ was recording everything! Maybe you can figure out what happened!” 

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

“I’m on it.” DJ answered and set the radio down. Not seeing the commands directly at his current console, DJ went to one of the closer workstations. This workstation still had cameras filming the arena. Thankfully, EDJ was still frozen solid and had not moved from his position. DJ tapped on the keyboard, accessing the video files, and scrolled through the footage. There it is! He rewound the recording until he got to the tail end of their battle. Too far. He moved the footage forward a little, rewound again, and stopped. He watched the screen play out. That’s not possible. With a frown, DJ rewound the footage and slowed it down. Lui was there one frame and gone the next. 

“He… he really did disappear…” DJ whispered, brows furrowed. That doesn’t make any sense. DJ rewound again and slowed the feed down even further before pausing on a frame. DJ moved back  to the main console and grabbed the radio. “Hanna, Lui’s body dissolved into little particles and left the room.” DJ gave a frustrated sigh as he flopped into the large command chair. He put his head in his hands, needing a moment to stop and thoroughly contemplate the situation. Lui dissolved into particles. How? Nothing hit him. Not visibly anyway. No one else was around. Could someone have activated a remote particle transmitter? With everything else in this crazy place, I guess it would make sense for EO to have a particle transmitter on hand, even if only a handful of prototypes are in existence. But why? What am I missing? DJ took a breath and stood up. He grabbed the radio again. Maybe talking it out would help. 

“Ok,” DJ started, mostly to himself. “If EO has a particle transmitter somewhere in this castle, it’s possible Lui ended up in a part of the castle we haven’t checked yet. We still have two levels to go through. If it’s outside the castle, then it’s possible he’s not even here to begin with.” DJ squeezed his eyes shut in thought. “Then again, it’s also possible the particles wound up in an object of some kind between transmission. The range of those things is sketchy at best. This is all so weird.” DJ shook his head before looking back at the screen of Hanna standing in the hallway. She did not move. “Are you still there?” DJ asked. She still did not move. “Can you hear me?” DJ looked at the radio in his hand. DJ turned to the main console. Which one of these is the intercom? DJ held down the most promising of the buttons on the console. 

A loud, robotic voice broke the silence of the control room. “DUNGEON SELF-DESTRUCT WILL OCCUR IN FIVE MINUTES.” 

“Uh oh.”

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

Dissolved?! Hanna stood frozen to the ground. That doesn’t… That can’t… What have I done? How do I fix this?! How am I supposed to bring him back now? DJ’s voice was still going on the radio in the background, but Hanna wasn’t listening. He was discussing something about particles and the possibilities of Lui being inside an object. Or something along that line. Hanna’s mind was stuck on the word “dissolved” until the tiny voice returned. “...Mirror…”

Hanna’s head snapped up. Mirror? Hanna lifted from the floor and called out into the hall. “Lui! If you can hear me, say something!” She continued checking the rooms she could access. 

“Mirror… rescue? Hear… voice… louder… You…?” Lui’s voice was also growing louder, but not by much. Hanna entered a room with a bunch of furniture draped with white sheets and boxes scattered throughout. It looked like an unfinished guest room currently serving as storage space. Hanna didn’t see anything terribly out of the ordinary. 

“Lui, it's me,” Hanna called out. “I'm gonna get you out of here alright? Just hang on. Where’s the mirror?” 

“Behind… table… see… me?” the voice answered. 

Hanna went up to a large table, grabbed a corner, and pulled it out of the way so she could see the mirror behind it. It looked like any other ordinary mirror. Hanna could see her reflection and the reflection of the room, but nothing else. “Lui?” Hanna put her hand against the glass. The surface was warm. She flew back to the open door and turned off the light. In the dim room, light from within the mirror poured through and a figure on the other side could be seen. Hanna gasped. “Lui!” She flew back to the mirror and stared at it. 

Lui was on the other side, chained and looking to be in rather miserable condition. “Me… See… in… mirror?” Lui’s broken voice emanated from the mirror. 

Even this close, Hanna had trouble hearing him. She nodded slowly with a small smile. She found him. So close. So far. How did this happen? How did he get in there? How do I get him out? Hanna swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “Lui… I… I'll get you out of this,” Hanna said in a somber tone. “I promise.” 

A computerized voice boomed through the castle, “DUNGEON SELF-DESTRUCT WILL OCCUR IN FIVE MINUTES.” 

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Two

-Mysterious castle; Mount Everest; Earth; May 12th, 2009-

“We should move before we lose any more time,” Hanna said as she stared down at the frozen body of EDJ with a critical eye. “That prison isn’t going to hold him forever.”

“Agreed,” DJ said with a nod “I’m sure EO still has plenty of guards around too. You mentioned a shortcut?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Hanna answered, turning around to point to an exit. “The doorway is right over-” she paused as she glanced around the arena. “...where’s Lui?” 

“Lui?” DJ echoed as he also turned to look around the room. Aside from EDJ’s frozen form, Hanna and DJ were the only ones in the arena. Even the bodies of the defeated guards were gone, having been dragged out by their injured companions a while ago. “That’s weird,” DJ said, stepping in the direction he last saw his Other. “He hasn’t said anything in a while… he’s not here…” DJ did not feel his Other’s presence. He was right here, wasn’t he? DJ turned back to Hanna with a quizzical look. “Did he leave the room?” 

“I’m not sure,” Hanna answered. “He just seemed to disappear…” Her brows scrunched together as her concern grew. Did he leave because of me?

DJ headed toward the open door on the far end of the arena and cautiously poked his navy-haired head out. The doorway opened into a hall. He looked both directions, but saw no one. “Lui?” DJ softly called out, not wanting to draw too much attention. He did not get an answer. DJ pulled back into the arena and walked toward Hanna. A small, green object on the ground caught his attention. DJ stopped to pick it up. 

“Did you find him?” Hanna asked, still standing guard over EDJ. 

DJ slowly shook his head as he stared down at the green and black string bracelet he picked up. He disappeared, Hanna’s words replayed in his thoughts. Where could he have gone? A feeling of unease started to creep in, but DJ dismissed it as he returned to cryomancer. “You should probably hold on to this until we find him,” DJ said, handing over the wristband. 

Hanna took the familiar object, eyes widening. “If something bad happened to him,” Hanna whispered. She shook her head, unable to finish the thought. “This is all my fault… everything… none of this should have happened.” The tears threatened again. 

“I prefer to blame EO in these kinds of situations,” DJ commented, voice calm and even as he glanced down at the frozen Evil Other. Talking about things that never should have happened… “I’m sure Lui’s still in the castle somewhere,” DJ reassured. “I can only imagine what’s going through his head right now after everything that’s happened.” Too much of a reminder. “Maybe he needed some time alone,” DJ finished. 

“You don’t think he trusts me?” Hanna asked. 

“I think he was hurt,” DJ clarified. “But not to the point of total loss of trust. Maybe he went to look for a way out.” 

“Or maybe one of the guards found him,” Hanna said, tone becoming anxious. 

DJ frowned. “I hope not.” Settling on a course of action, DJ spoke again. “Let’s go find that control room.” 

Nodding, Hanna pointed to the doorway closest to them. “This way.” She tucked the little bracelet into a pocket. 

Readying his lance again just in case, DJ opened the door and went through first. Hanna paused, looking back at the frozen EDJ, as though to verify he wouldn’t cause any more harm in his current state. She debated whether to put another layer of ice over him or to leave him as is. 

“Hanna?” DJ whispered, already a third of the way down the hall.

“Right, sorry!” Hanna let the door close and followed DJ. This hall was narrower than the previous one DJ checked, but he was still wary of stumbling upon any guards who might be loyal to EDJ. 

“You ok?” DJ asked Hanna, still in a hushed voice. “If you’re still recovering, you can hang back. I’ll take care of whatever we come across.” 

“Pfft, I’m not letting you take on the rest of EDJ’s guards by yourself,” Hanna countered, though she leaned against the wall as she walked. 

DJ gave her a dubious look. “Do you need a shoulder to lean on?” he asked. 

“Thank you for the offer. I can always use my friends’ help,” Hanna answered sweetly, but made no move to accept his assistance. “Thank you for coming to save me,” Hanna continued, tone more somber. “You and Lui were there when I needed you the most… I’m sorry for turning you away.” 

“I told you already, you’re completely forgiven.” DJ glanced back at Hanna, but continued forward down the hall. “Tell me what’s ahead of us,” he requested. “I didn’t get a good look inside the control room. How many guards should we expect?” 

Hanna thought for a moment, recollecting what she saw. “There weren’t many guards at all,” she answered. “At least not when I was there. There were about a dozen techs with maybe three or four guards. The room is mostly filled with work stations and tv screens. More like a command center on a sci-fi ship or something.” Seeing the end of the shortcut, she added, “This door leads out into another hallway. The control room will be on your left.” 

DJ nodded before pushing through the door. The hallway was clear so he moved on to the control room. The guards were nowhere to be seen, but three techs were still in the room. They raised their hands as soon as they saw DJ and Hanna enter.  

“We’re taking your boss into custody,” DJ said, addressing the techs. “I suggest you either stick around long enough for the authorities to get here or hightail it off this mountain.” 

The techs quickly made their way out of the room, leaving DJ and Hanna alone. DJ put away the lance and walked up to the massive screens behind a sizable desk. He watched the monitors, seeing the techs go up and down the halls as they made their escape. DJ frowned. “He’s been keeping an eye on everything this whole time.” 

Hanna nodded. Noticing a tray of untouched snack food on EDJ’s desk, Hanna helped herself. She grabbed and stashed everything she could fit into the satchel on her belt while simultaneously taking bites of the more perishable foods. “Hey,” she said to get DJ’s attention. “Eat while you can.” Hanna tossed an apple, which DJ caught. Food supplies safely stowed, Hanna stepped up and pointed at one of the screens. “That’s the arena we were just in,” she said, unwrapping a massive chocolate chip cookie and munching on it. DJ nodded, taking a bite of the apple and moving to one of the tech stations. Hanna glanced at the station that used to have the big red button on it, but the button was missing. Perhaps it had been locked back up. When did that happen? 

“If the guards did catch Lui,” DJ started, already halfway through the apple as he turned back to Hanna. “Where would they have taken him?” 

“The dungeon,” Hanna answered in fair confidence. “EDJ had a whole bunch of plexiglass cages in there. I can’t think of anywhere else they would keep him.”

DJ finished the apple and started tapping away on the keyboard in front of him. “This isn’t it.” He moved to another station and did the same thing. “Not this one either.” DJ moved back to the main desk. “One of these has to be…” One of the monitor screens flickered as it started switching between cameras. “There we go!” He flipped between cameras and angles. 

The more screens they went through, the heavier the feeling of unease settled in the pit of Hanna’s stomach. It was either dread or the half-eaten cookie. Something’s wrong. “Where is everybody?” Hanna asked. There was no sign of life on any of the screens after the remaining technicians ran off. Where were the guards? Where was EDJ’s army? Where were all the workers? Every room was empty. Even Stitches was missing.

“I don’t know,” DJ answered with a perplexed frown. “It’s a bit disconcerting…”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Hanna muttered. She started exploring the rest of the room while DJ fiddled with the console on the main desk. There was a door nearby, but it was locked. Hanna checked the other technician stations. One of them had a number of radios charging on docking stations. She grabbed two radios and set them to the same frequency, testing that they worked before heading back to DJ. “Here.” Hanna handed one of the radios to him. “I’m no good with tech and I hate sitting around. You stay here and figure out what you can. I’ll start sweeping the castle for Lui.” 

DJ was about to ask if she was up to it after the battle, but the look on Hanna’s face indicated that might not be a question worth asking. She acted like an entirely different person when she had an objective to focus on. “Got it,” he answered. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.” 

Hanna nodded. “Your EO was using drones and a PA system in addition to all the cameras. Good luck figuring it out.” With that, Hanna opened her black wings, took flight, and left the control room. 

Headstrong, that one. DJ smiled. He looked back at the console in front of him. The computer was easy enough to figure out. It was all the extra buttons, sliders, dials, and switches that concerned him. Why is none of this labeled?