Mom gave me a concerned look as I sat down at the dining table, a plate of buttered toast in front of me. I suppose it was because my hair was messy and bags had appeared under my eyes. I avoided eye contact with her, picking up a piece of toast.
"Alice?" Mom asked, frowning at me. "Did you sleep well? You look tired."
I casually bit into the toast. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a weird dream. But I'm all good now."
My heart thumped. I knew I was going to have to tell Mom about Poptropica at some point, but… I wasn't sure I was ready yet. I didn't even understand it myself. How was I even entering Poptropica at all? That was something I still needed to figure out.
Mom tilted her head. "Well, if you say so…"
I could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't entirely convinced yet. Mom certainly wasn't an idiot; she could read my emotions very well. Even if I was avoiding the subject for the moment, she'd definitely be onto me about it in the future.
I entered Poptropica once again that night, landing on the all-familiar Home Island. My body shivered. Today's island was far more dangerous than the other ones. And I couldn't help but feel silly for thinking that Monkey Wrench was bad.
Maybe I should just go to one of the Wimpy Kid islands instead, I thought. They don't have anything too dangerous…
No, I shook my head. I need to worry about Fierce Fox. Where is she?
My poptropican was roaming around on the bridge as usual. I breathed out in relief.
I cleared my throat.
"Hi," I said.
Fierce Fox turned to me. We stood in silence for a few moments.
"Hey," she replied.
Awkward silence.
"So, uh…" I played with my fingers. "Ready to go…?"
"Super Power Island?" Fierce Fox asked.
"Yup… !" I piped up.
And so, without another word, we awkwardly climbed into her blimp, and she pulled up the rope.
"We're going this way," I pointed over the great Poptropican sea. We took off in that direction, peering down at distant islands.
"Why this island?" Fierce Fox asked me. "You seem to have a little order going on with all the islands we visit."
"Huh?" I asked. "Oh, well, um… chronologically, Super Power is the 6th island released, and the 6th island narratively speaking, so… I think it makes sense."
"Really," Fierce Fox's expression was hard to pinpoint.
"Yep," I felt sweat crawling down my neck. "Hey, Fierce Fox, um… I've got a question for you now. If that's okay."
"Fire," Fierce Fox waved a hand.
"... back on 24 Carrot, you mentioned… something about a prophecy," I tilted my head. "What did you mean by that?"
Fierce Fox grimaced. "We shouldn't talk about that now."
She avoided eye contact with me. I sighed and slumped down, gazing at the sea.
We stayed silent for the rest of the trip. A painful amount of silence later, the blimp docked onto Super Power island, which was a little New York-esque city with terrorised people. Broken pieces of roof were everywhere, followed by the bold, yellow police tape. Straight in front of us was a comic shop, with a small green and white rooftop sticking out the front. It had thick stone walls and surprisingly clean glass windows.
"In here," I instructed, and the two of us headed inside. There were shelves and shelves of comics, plus superhero posters on the wall.
A nerdy-looking guy named Ned Noodlehead was at the desk, with french-fry themed hair and huge glasses. Don't forget the sticking out teeth and pimples.
"Do you have anything else apart from comic books?" I asked him.
"I'm glad you asked!" he exclaimed. "Check out this awesome handbook I wrote!" He proudly shoved a handbook into my hands, which disappeared into my inventory.
Fierce Fox raised an eyebrow. I shrugged and gestured for her to follow me outside, which she did. I led her into the shop next door, which was called 'Superhero Masks & capes', with a big mannequin head at the front, wearing a dark purple superhero costume. Inside was far nicer than the comic store; with a light lime superhero-themed wallpaper and clean superhero costumes.
"Now," I said, getting Fierce Fox's attention, "go and talk to him," I pointed to the man behind the counter, "he'll give you an I.D. Then if you want you can pick up a superhero costume."
"And what about you?" Fierce Fox asked, with her brow raised. I bit my lip.
"I'll be outside." I decided, leaving the store. If I got an I.D card, then I would be a hero too...
No... this is Fierce Fox's mission... not mine... I'm just going to be there as assistance, no more. I've already been a bother to her for too long. This is my dream, but… I'm not the hero.
Fierce Fox came out, wearing the dark purple superhero suit. It had a cat-like mask and an indigo cape, which matched the t-shirt, crested with a diamond cat symbol. A silver belt was around her waist, and her pants were again the dark purple colour.
"Nice costume," I observed… though in actuality it was one of the worst costumes I'd ever seen. But Fierce Fox wasn't someone I wanted to laugh at.
"Anyway, swim across to the other side and talk to the lady about superheros," I told her. "She'll give you anti-power handcuffs. Then talk to the old man and he'll give you super villain files so you know who you're up against and-"
"Wait," Fierce Fox interrupted me, gritting her teeth. She breathed out. "Uh... so, what exactly are you doing? You seem to be letting me do everything."
I bit my lip. "... Honestly, I think I should take a backseat this time 'round... this is a pretty dangerous island. You can handle it without me."
"Thought we were a team," Fierce Fox huffed, expression darkening.
"We are, just…" I trembled.
"You're never gonna get out of your comfort zone if you keep hiding and running away, Alice," Fierce Fox told me, scowling. She held up a fist. "You wanna become braver, right?"
I flushed red. "I, yes, but…"
Fierce Fox grabbed my arm. "Then you can be my sidekick. Every superhero has one of 'em. And you can learn how to fight."
"I'm really not cut out for this…" I shook my head.
"Not with that attitude," Fierce Fox crossed her arms. "You know what, I'll go and get all the files. You get yourself a hero costume if you want. Then you go and wait by whoever the first enemy is. Once I'm back… we'll combat them together."
"I…" I trailed off.
"See you then," she waved. "And make sure you're there, or I'll kill you." She turned away. "And don't worry. You won't be alone on this."
She leaped off to the other side of the island, which had a big green meteorite. I bowed my head a little, tears threatening to come out.
I really am useless… being dragged around by my heels… Fierce Fox must hate me.
No… I have to do this for her. She wants me to.
Slumped over, I walked through the rest of the main street. I barely noticed the buildings we passed, apart from the 'downtown'. I arrived in front of a bank, cliche, it was being robbed by the supervillain known as Copy Cat. The windows were smashed, and the white cement statues had been destroyed.
"We're going in there, right?" Fierce Fox asked, appearing right beside me.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. Fierce Fox just continued to stare at me.
"Yes," I answered. I shivered. "Are you sure you want me to…"
Fierce Fox glowered at me.
"Okay…" I breathed out. I gasped. "Wait, we need to know what we're fighting! The villain in there is called Copy Cat. Hence the name, she can make copies of herself. When you go inside, she'll make tons of copies of herself and chuck a smoke bomb. We need to destroy all of her copies and capture the original."
"Well, it'll be easier with the two of us, right?" Fierce Fox asked, her expression strained.
I chuckled nervously. "Yeah! Ah ha…"
And so we went into the bank. The bank walls were a grey metal, with lots of wooden platforms hanging objects such as fans. To our left I heard a menacing cackle, where Copy Cat was inside a broken vault, surrounded by piles of cash.
"I'll go and see Copy Cat," I whispered to Fierce Fox. "Go up to the top," I pointed to the layer above us, "to where the money desk is and when you see her, ambush her with the handcuffs."
"Got it, sidekick." Fierce Fox whispered back, giving me a salute.
Meanwhile, trembling, I apprehensively made my way past the broken building parts, trying not to step on the glass shards. I climbed into the vault, where a fallen Copy Cat smirked. She was wearing a black and white prison uniform, and her skin was a pale grey.
"You'll have to be quick to catch all of us!" she jeered, as suddenly lots of Copy Cats ran out of her, dashing right past me. The original dropped a smoke bomb on the ground, spurting out white smoke; the air felt thick and smoky. Coughing weakly, I escaped the vault, bending my knees and punching through the first Copy Cat, who disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Leaping quickly, I smashed my fist into a Copy Cat on the chandelier. I flung down like a bird, landing straight on another Copy Cat. I whacked the smile right off the Copy Cat on the bank counter. I was getting near an elevator. Using the pot plant on the wall, I hopped to the final chandelier, taking out the last Copy Cat.
By now the atmosphere was getting thicker and hotter. I smashed my fist on the elevator button, and I heard it whirring down to greet me. Climbing on board, getting nostalgia from Early Poptropica, the elevator slowly floated upwards. The air had dried my throat, and I forced my coughs in.
I arrived on the top layer, ignoring the white smoke and smashed my way through the Copy Cats, the smoke in my hair and eyes, until I found the last one on the little wooden desk.
"You'll never defeat me!" she cried, making a fist. Suddenly, from behind her, Fierce Fox tackled her to the ground, forcing the anti-power handcuffs around her wrists.
"How did you defeat me?" she panted.
Wheezing from the smoke, I breathed: "You're not the only one with a double act."
What can I say, becoming a superhero (or rather, a superhero's sidekick) allowed me to say really corny lines.
After Copy Cat was arrested (Fierce Fox got the credit), I led Fierce Fox to the next villain: Speeding Spike. I led her into the disgusting subway, which had moldy, sea-green tiles and cockroaches everywhere. Graffiti was drenched all over the walls, and the stairs were crumbling. The one electric light was dimming, surrounded by moths.
Trying our hardest to ignore these gross things, Fierce Fox and I stopped in front of the train (which was also pretty gross), with graffiti all over the windows. Yet weirdly enough, I almost felt… empowered.
"In there is Speeding Spike," I explained, gesturing inside. "He's got the power to run super fast. He also has a bit of a temper problem and will try to strike you when you go near him. In the end, it gets the better of him. Since there are two of us," I couldn't help but grin, "we can make it even more frustrating for him."
The inside of the carriages weren't much better than the outside, drenched in cleaning materials and graffiti. The seats weren't very appealing either, with the stuffing inside poking out.
I felt the train clack along the tracks, vibrating the vehicle. To our very right, Speeding Spike's face had gone crimson and smoke was pouring out of his ears.
"This way," I ordered, gesturing for Fierce Fox to follow. We both did, rather nervously if I say so myself. We eventually (avoiding the split water) got close enough to Speeding Spike for him to strike.
He had a spiky, fluro green mohawk, stubble on his face, a black and white prisoner uniform and two golden, ringed earrings. With me in front, he jumped right at me, causing pain - actual pain - to my body. But unlike pain on Earth, it was gone as quickly as it came.
"Run forward!" I hastily whispered to Fierce Fox. I bent my knees and propelled upwards, leaping over the villain, while he chased after my partner.
Being a sidekick is dangerous… dangerously… fun?
Fierce Fox ran too far away before Spike could get to her. I took a deep breath, heading to the dead end of the carriage.
"Yoo hoo!" I cried, waving to him. With a furious expression, he charged towards me like an enraged bull. I winked at Fierce Fox, who dashed forward, appearing at the other end of my carriage.
"Hey!" she called out, just as Spike was about to strike me. He turned around and charged for her instead, when I cleared my throat.
"Hey slow-poke!" I jeered. "Am I too fast for you?"
Spike gritted his teeth and dashed for me, head first.
"BETCHA CAN'T GET ME! WHAT ARE YOU, A SNAIL?" Fierce Fox blew a raspberry at Spike.
The villain appeared even more enraged than ever, and turned to Fierce Fox. Leaving my dead end, I bolted over to him and tapped his shoulder. While I did, Fierce Fox skyrocketed over his head.
"I'M HERE, LOSER!" she cried, as Spike whacked me to the ground. I got to my feet and rushed to Fierce Fox's original position, screaming insults at him while I ran. His eyes began to roll back into his head.
Soon after, he fainted on the spot. Fierce Fox handcuffed him.
After Speeding Spike was shoved back in jail, I led Fierce Fox to the next baddie, who was Sir Rebral. I led Fierce Fox to a far nicer place than the subway: The Park.
There were lovely, stone statues, some destroyed of which where destroyed. Many flourishing green trees were in the background, as well as city buildings. Someone was selling hot dogs there, so I bought one before I forgot to.
"Are you hungry?" Fierce Fox asked, raising a brow.
"You'll understand later," I answered. "Anyway," I pointed towards Sir Rebral, who was standing on a statue Poptropican's torso and below. "That's Sir Rebral. He's got telekinesis, so he's going to float boulders around and stuff. What you have to do is destroy those things floating around him in a circle. This won't be too hard since yet again, there's two of us. It'll be harder for him to take us both on."
Bending my knees, I led her and myself towards the villain, who had a frustrated scowl on his face. He had metal rimmed goggles with green lenses, a black and white striped prison uniform, spiky marigold hair and beard and many rocks and papers floating around him.
As soon as he saw us, he growled and chucked huge stone boulders using his telekinesis. We split up, jumping out of the way.
"We'll run our separate ways!" I cried. "That'll trick him!"
So we did just that. I hopped around left, while Fierce Fox was right. Sir Rebral scowled and tried to aim the boulders at us, but we just kept switching positions and he couldn't keep up. I eventually did a humongous jump right up to his personal circle and knocked down one of the floating papers.
His face turned crimson and he knocked me down onto the ground, where a platform of dirt smashed me into the floor. It didn't hurt, despite how violent it appeared.
However, while he did, Fierce Fox using a fist chipped away at his circle. He clenched his fists, placing his fingers to his temple and smashing her away with a boulder. Back with me, I climbed onto the roof of the bathroom, shoving down a boulder from one of the statues.
It landed right by my side, launching upwards towards the Sir Rebral as he tried to manipulate a patch of grassland beneath my feet. It knocked him straight in the leg, bringing him crashing to the ground. Fierce Fox handcuffed him, saving the day.
Three villains down, three to go, I thought. Please don't let this end badly…
After arresting Sir Rebral, Fierce Fox and I headed to the Junkyard, where the next supervillain Crusher was. The junkyard was a huge mix of rusty metal squashed into a forced field, all held together by a wooden fence. Everywhere I stared there was junk, trash... and more junk. The whole ground shook as Fierce Fox and I entered the junkyard.
"Crusher..." I mumbled, peering up at the villain. "That guy has super strength, as you can sort of tell. What we need to do is to climb up this big yellow crane and get to the top so we drop things on him." I paused. "We'll both head to the top, and one will stay out of sight, while the other will drop the fridge on Crusher."
"I volunteer to drop the fridge on him." Fierce Fox declared, raising her hand. I gave a little chuckle.
"Thank goodness... because…" I paled. "Something happens to you once you do that. No spoilers. Okay, um, let's go!"
Leading her to the end of the fence, I climbed onto an old, ruined couch. Fierce Fox followed behind me, as we jumped from ruined item to ruined item.
"Watch out for the tyre!" I cried, as a monster-truck tyre flew straight towards us. I fell to my stomach, the tyre briefly passing over my head. Fierce Fox however, got hit. I grimaced.
"I'll meet you up there!" I yelled down at her, as I prepared to jump again.
Crusher was glaring straight at me, with an oil canister gripped in his fingers, standing on an old car. Almost throwing up, I sprillad in the air in cool slow motion, the oil cannister right beneath my legs. Landing the other side of Crusher, I latched my arm around the bottom of the yellow crane.
I pulled myself onto the first diamond-shape stretch of the crane, leaping up to the next one. Crusher kept chucking oil canisters at me, which I thankfully managed to avoid. Fierce Fox was struggling a bit however.
"You can do it, Fierce Fox!" I encouraged from the top. "Your sidekick is waiting for you!"
Strange. I had never felt so… peppy before.
Eventually Fierce Fox got to the top. I smiled at her.
"Nice job!" I said. "Now, go in there and turn the magnet control off." I gestured to the little yellow office, on the crane.
Fierce Fox entered the office, while I snuck behind it, where Crusher wouldn't see me. Sure enough, I heard the fridge drop and Fierce Fox get slammed by the fridge being thrown back.
Sneakily, I crept into the office, grasping my fingers on the 'magnet control' lever. I pulled it.
The piece of metal that Crusher was standing on was dragged up by the magnet, crushing him against the magnet, until he was as thin as paper. I peered down from the crane, watching Fierce Fox tie him up.
"Who's the Crusher now?" I mumbled to myself, with a smirk.
The next villain was Rat Man. Unfortunately for him, we had to go into the public bathroom, near where Sir Rebral was. I was extremely thankful that we were both girls, or things would've gotten awkward. We headed into the disgusting toilet, description not needed, and down a sewer in the middle of the room.
As you can probably guess, the sewer was covered with grime, silt and rusty pipes. Right in front of us were dirty brick steps covered with cement slabs. Beneath the two steps was a lake of filthy, sewer water.
"Remind me to have a shower." I cringed, stepping to the edge of the second step.
Thank goodness there were a few floating crates in front of me. I hopped to each one, bobbing gently. Fierce Fox followed closely behind me, until I reached one where a red hydrant wheel was. I turned it, and the water level dropped a few feet.
I pointed to another red hydrant wheel to my right, on another set of brick steps.
"Could you pull that wheel?" I asked Fierce Fox. She nodded, jumping over to the wheel on the other side. She tugged it, and once again the water level raised.
The crate I was standing on was on the right level with another hydrant wheel. Gripping and pulling it, the water level raised once more.
"HERE!" I called, my voice straining as I eyed Fierce Fox. She swam across the disgusting water. I faced such water, a silver pipe blocking my entrance to the next room. I sighed in disgust, dipping my feet in the filth.
Holding my breath, I shoved myself under the pipe, then remerged on the other side.
Thanks to Poptropican physics, all the water cleared off my body as quickly as it came. Fierce Fox joined my side, and we headed into the next room.
The next room was just as disgusting as the last. There was grime all over the walls, platforms of rusty pipes and rats crawling all over the place. I resisted the urge to barf.
"You found me?!" someone cackled. "Well, let's see how you like my little friends!"
It was Rat Man. He had scruffy brown hair and a beard, the black and white prison uniform like the other villains, and a furious scowl. Plus the flies flying around him. Fierce Fox gave me an unusual glance.
"Rat Man," I explained to her. "He has the power to control rats... which is probably the most boring power out of all them. So what we have to do is avoid the rats and get up there." I pointed upwards, towards another hydrant wheel. "Once we do, his fly friends will come after us. They sting, unfortunately. Since there are two of us, it'll be a hundred times easier. I'll turn the hydrant wheel and you can handcuff Rat Man."
"Got it." Fierce Fox nodded.
Taking a deep breath, I leaped to the first pipe platform. A brown, hypnotised rat bared its fangs at me. I leaped out of its way, to the next platform.
Another rat was there and bumped into my foot. I screamed as it knocked me off. My fingers, however, quickly gripped the platform, and I flung myself upwards, landing on the final rat platform.
The hydrant wheel was just above me. I bent my knees, spiralling upwards and grabbing it. I pulled it, and sewerage knocked Rat Man out. His flies, with dangerous stingers, came right for me.
However, before they could, Fierce Fox handcuffed Rat Man. The relief.
"That's 5 villains," I said, once he was in jail. "One to go."
Fierce Fox and I returned to the Main street, sharing grins.
"I'd never thought I'd say this, but we make a pretty good team," Fierce Fox chuckled. "Whoever this last villain is, they have no chance."
I was about to grin with her, until I remembered who the last villain was.
"Oh... about that..." I began, looking away. "Well... we get a superpower for this battle."
"Awesome!" Fierce Fox exclaimed. I took a deep breath.
"Well, the thing is that only one of us can get the power... I think..." I replied, feeling guilt sit at the pit of my stomach.
Fierce Fox didn't reply, but a small frown appeared on her face. I sighed and led her to a silver telephone box, next to the news building. The phone inside rang loudly.
"Go inside," I instructed. "And you'll get the superpower."
"What about you?" Fierce Fox asked, hands on hips.
I bowed my head. "Well, I guess I'll just tell you what to do..."
Fierce Fox raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
I took a deep breath. "Fierce Fox, this is your island and your mission, not mine. You're the one who's going to win the medallion. Like I said, I'm just your sidekick."
Fierce Fox put her hands on my shoulders. "The only reason we're on this island is because of you, Alice. You said that completing this island lets you go back to... your 'world'. The medallion is not just an achievement. It's your path back home. And heck, I wouldn't have been able to beat those guys without you. If anything, you deserve the medal. That's what you want, right?"
My eyes welled up. "Who are you and what have you done with Fierce Fox?"
"Just get in there, idiot," Fierce Fox said, pushing me into the telephone box. "I'll let you have this… just this once."
I was about to pick up the phone, when I gazed at Fierce Fox one more time.
"Are you sure you want me to have it?" I asked. I shivered. "I don't think I can just-"
"I've been credited for all the islands we've been on," Fierce Fox grumbled. "I think it's your time to shine. Don't give me that look. You've been through much more than this. This superpower will be a breeze." She grinned at me.
Reluctantly, I picked up the phone. Suddenly, the whole world felt unusual. It felt like waves of power were entering my body, like my genetics were changing. My skin felt lighter, and my whole body glowed a bright yellow. I walked out of the telephone booth, feeling as light as a feather.
Fierce Fox gave me a salute. "Show 'em who's boss, sidekick."
I blushed, hiding my face from her. "Thanks, boss."
She walked off, letting me do my thing. I breathed out.
"Now..." I muttered to myself. "How do I fly?"
I bent my knees and jumped, hovering in mid-air for a few moments. Then I dropped to the ground, although my feet were about an inch or two above the cement.
How to go up…?
I pictured people flying, gliding through the air. I bent my knees, as if I was going to jump, then sprang into the air. It worked.
I soared into the sky like a bullet, my legs dangling behind. I kept going diagonally right, which I didn't really want.
Ah crap, I can't stop!
I wiggled my legs, which made me look like a belly dancer.
Goddammit…
I bent my legs left, and I flew straight left.
"Okay..." I straightened my legs out, and I soared upwards. Far too much.
Screw this, I'm walking.
I bent my knees. I crash landed on the floor, thankfully not getting hurt. I got to my feet, never more happy to just be able to walk.
I headed past the bank to the next tall building, which was an office apartment. I glanced at the thick, stone concrete building, with many glass windows.
"Great..." I muttered, knowing I was going to have to fly again. I bent my legs and straightened them, heading directly into the sky, like a bullet. I was beginning to regret accepting the superpower.
I sighed, stopping to pause on someone's balcony. Right, if I move my legs left, I go left. Same for right. If I bend my knees I fall down... If I straighten them I go up. Depending on how much I move them, I'll move a certain speed.
I glanced at the top of the apartment building.
"Up!" I cried, straightening my legs. I took off once more.
Once I arrived on the roof, I rested my hand against the diamond shaped point. Flying wasn't easy. Then, from on top of the antenna, I heard a menacing cackle.
"Well well well..." a voice hissed. "If it isn't Alice! I've heard all about you."
I shivered, staring up at Betty Jetty as she loomed above. "What do you mean, you've heard 'all about me'?"
She smirked. "Oh... well, I know you're not really from around here, are you? You're from another world."
"What…?" I breathed, shivering. "How do you know that?"
"A little birdie told me." she cackled, glaring down at me.
"Tell me who!" I cried, suddenly flying up towards her.
"You'll have to catch me first!" she chuckled, dashing into the blue sky. I flew after her, and it became a chase.
We soared through the air, as she chucked sharp green slime balls at me. I avoided them, mainly out of fear alone. Betty Jetty continued to chuck the green balls at me, narrowly missing my face. I approached her body, trying to reach out to grab her. She chucked a huge green ball at my chest, shoving me backwards.
I still did not fall, however. I clenched my fists and kept going, flying above her. Betty Jetty chucked a few green ball boomerangs, growling. I avoided them and instead jumped on her body. We both smashed into the roof of the apartments.
"Tell me who!" I scowled again.
"You'll never find out!" she laughed, cackling at my face. "And you'll never stop me - or what's coming for you!"
She was suddenly hit in the back by someone's lightning staff.
"Fierce Fox!" I gasped.
"Your boss has arrived!" she declared, making a triumphant fist. She handcuffed Betty Jetty, and so she got the credit. Of course.
Man, what was even the point of giving me powers if you were just going to steal my victory?!
While we were heading to get the medallion, we had a chat, Fierce Fox ignoring praise from civilians.
"So… Betty Jetty told me something is coming for me," I looked at her. "Does that have to do with the prophecy you were talking about?"
"... I don't know," Fierce Fox admitted. "Maybe. Got any answers about it from your world?"
"Not that I know of…" I shrugged.
"What's your world like, anyway?" she asked.
"Well... it's really different from here," I said. "Ever heard of humans?"
"A few times," Fierce Fox admitted. "I heard us Poptropicans are apparently very similar to them."
"That's true," I agreed, "but we're taller and we have thumbs. There's more, of course, but I can't really go into details. Maybe I'll bring a picture. Anyway, my world's way more dangerous than this one. I mean, some of things you do here would be considered outright deadly in my world."
"I see," Fierce Fox narrowed her eyes. "Explains why you're cautious, then."
I chuckled. "Yeah, it does." I patted her on the shoulder. "Well, go and get your medallion. I'll see you later. Oh, and have this hot dog. It was meant for Ned Noodlehead, but you sort of took his place."
"Uh, thanks," she took the hot dog. "See you later, Alice."
My expression was optimistic, but deep down inside I wasn't. Betty Jetty's words kept repeating in my head. Something was coming for me, and I knew it wasn't good.