Episode 42
Disclaimer: Own nothing, write for no profit.
A/N: Chapter written by Sarah Frost, with a judicious credit to Lightning Flash. Sarah Frost would also like to explain that the POV-changes are neither orthodox nor artistic, but simply intended to help get something of the sense of a filmed episode by having a particular person as the camera's focus. Eventually Sarah Frost will get around to explaining just why she refers to herself in third person.
---
I'm finally back in my own world—on my own territory—and I'm going to demonstrate to my creations precisely what the name of "Master Programmer" means.
I insert my disk, and rub my hands together before placing them on the keyboard and beginning to type.
---
In the end, it was easy to break her. Easy enough to simply wrap a tentacle around her neck, and replace her programming with something of my own devising, adding an overriding command of loyalty to me and concealing her memories of love and jealousy, pain and fear.
To have that level of control over another being was…exhilarating. I can't say I learned nothing from her. I began to comprehend the use of pain as a manipulative tool, and to understand something of emotions. There was a power there, something desperate and illogical—as many of her actions since her arrival in the mortal world had been—but powerful nonetheless. Probably the same power that had enabled her to defy both Lord Fear and myself.
I knew a lot of her potential for individual initiative would be lost, but I regarded that as an acceptable loss.
Ultimately, she was lucky I spared her life for the third time. At present she's too important to me to be killed, though once this is over I'll see her executed.
---
"Hey, want to see the pictures?" Chuck asks.
"Um, sure," Mark says, and he and Kat gather around Chuck's locker.
"She went yesterday to get it done. Look at this one!"
"It's a boy," Kat says. "And you can see the little hands and feet and everything!"
"I almost threw up when my mother told me what they did," Chuck says, "but it's my little brother. Did you know that they get the ultrasound pictures from sound waves?"
"That's really interesting," says Heather, coming up behind them. "What happened, Chuck, you and Jessica went too far?"
"No!" Chuck says defensively, and looks rather disgusted. "My mother's pregnant."
"Isn't she like forty or something?" says Heather. "You know, the rate of birth defects goes up when you're that age."
"What's your problem?" Kat asks.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you. Remember the story you promised to do on the carnival? I need it by tomorrow. As the editor of the school paper, it's my responsibility to track down slack writers."
"She can't write the story—" Mark begins.
"Co-editor," Kat says, "and I'll get on to that story. It's a major scoop."
"Fine. Just give it to me tomorrow. I'll see you first period."
Heather stalks off.
"Kat, you can't write that story," Mark says. "People can't find out about Ace and Sparx."
"It's the scoop of a lifetime." Kat walks over to her locker and retrieves her books. "I can't not write it. This could make my reputation as a journalist."
"But…it's like the superhero secret identity thing, Kat," Chuck explains. "We can't tell anyone."
"Kat, you can't write that story." Mark repeats himself.
"It's my job," Kat says. "And since when do you get to tell me what to do?"
The bell rings.
"Look, Kat, I'll talk to you later. Just…please, don't tell anyone for now?" Mark tries to plead with her, but she's already left. He and Chuck look at each other in mutual frustration.
---
"Ace, I can't believe you're planning something like this!" I say. This is so incredibly wrong. Usually it's me who wants to dash out and look for a fight.
"We can do this, Sparx. If we get Random's help and attack now, before Kilobyte comes back, we can finally blast Fear into the Sixth Dimension once and for all."
He doesn't look entirely sane as he makes the last half of the speech, and there's a look of hatred on his face that I've never seen before.
I'm pretty sure this has something to do with Lady Illusion. He's been acting weird ever since she disappeared into the Sixth Dimension. As far as I'm concerned she and Kilobyte can stay there forever, Fear's enough to worry about right now. I decide to be as tactful as I can.
"Ace, if this is just about Lady Illusion…"
He doesn't answer the question, though he nods slightly.
"We have a job to do, Sparx. Coming?"
Ace lifts off, and flies out of the Tower. I whistle for the Flash and follow him out. After all, since when have I wanted to miss out on a good fight?
---
Random's in the junkyard, staring at a control panel he's ripped out of some human vehicle, when we approach."Random," Ace says, and our friend slowly raises his head to look at us as Ace continues.
"With you on our side, we can destroy Fear once and for all. Coming?"
His right eye starts to redden.
Not a good sign.
"The last time I tried to fight alongside you, you attacked me," Random says. "I won't make the same mistake again."
"I owe you an apology," Ace says quietly. "You're my friend, and I never wanted to hurt you."
"That doesn't matter." Random places the control panel on a nearby vehicle. "I will not fight with you today. Weaklings!" He spits out the last word, losing control of himrself.
Time for me to step in.
"Get a hold of yourself, junkman! Are you ready for a battle or not?"
Random raises his claw, and slowly makes his way towards us, his eye flashing between red and green.
Okay, so maybe I wasn't helping…"Leave. Before I hurt you," he says, and takes a swing at us. Ace leaps into the air while I duck and roll.
I end up next to the fence, with nowhere to go as Random looms over me.
Ace fires a bolt into Random's back, and the cyborg turns.
"Random, we were friends, once," Ace says. "Please. We need you."
Random laughs. It isn't exactly an evil laugh, but it's not pleasant either.
"You're no friend to me. And I neither need nor want your friendship," he says, and turns to leave.
I call the Flash, and join Ace in the air.
He looks serious, but it's hard to tell what he's thinking as he watches Random wheel himself away.
"Let's go, Sparx," he says. "To the Carnival. We can do this with or without Random."
---
We swoop over the carnival, looking for trouble. It isn't too hard to find.
Rotgut materialises from the golf course, and both of us blast him before he has a chance to do anything. With a sound that's a cross between a harmonica and a cowfield he fades into the grass. It's a loud noise, and attracts a few other visitors.
Anvil erupts from behind us, and Ace dodges a blow as I bring the Flash around to fire at our enemy. He blocks the swordflame with his fist, and lets out a roar.
Ace catches sight of Lord Fear, and leaps into action. An orange blast nearly sears his shoulder, but he doesn't pay any attention as he engages the Doom Wagon in an aerial battle.
As I try to hold off Googler and Anvil at once, I glance up at the fight above my head.
---
"This time it's over, Fear," Ace says, and a shock of lightning passes through the air.
Fear laughs, and blocks it.
"You're rather keen for a fight today, aren't you? Nothing to do with the long-overdue demise of the traitor?" He fires again, and this time Ace is thrown back by the force of the blast.
Ace turns in the air, and regains his control over his flight. "That was the last mistake you'll ever make." He fires again, but the blast goes wide.
"Another aim problem?" Staffhead giggles.
"Quite the hero, aren't we?" Fear says. "If it makes you feel any better, it was you I was trying to kill."
Ace spins in midair to avoid Fear's next blast.
"That's a nice thought, Fear, but I know you wanted her dead."
There's a savage expression on his face as Ace tries another blast. It sends the Doom Wagon into something of a spin, but Fear only laughs once he's regained control.
"Intent only, Lightning. And I was under the impression that heroes weren't allowed to judge that. Blame her if you're looking for someone other than yourself." He laughs again. "After all, isn't there something in your Code on the proper treatment of traitors? I have to say, you are in the wrong here."
Ace doesn't move, and there's no trace of humor in his frozen expression as he searches for a reply.
Lord Fear fires again, and this time the blast hits Ace full in the chest. He falls to the ground, next to Sparx.
Googler lets out a wild laugh, and bounces towards us in his spiked form, but Ace manages to hit him and send him flying.
---
I give Ace a hand to help him to his feet, but Lord Fear's next blast knocks us both down, Ace's weight pinning me to the ground.
I reach into his pocket to grab something before he levitates himself off me and dodges another blast.
I struggle to my feet and try to turn to blast Anvil, but before I have time to move I've uncomfortably landed in a Haunted House carriage with what feels like a massive bruise on my back. The carriage starts shuddering along the tracks, carrying me along with it.
This isn't as bad as it looks, I have just enough time…
I pull out Ace's phone, and dial a number.
---
"You don't tell me what I can and can't write," Kat says. "This is like my biggest scoop ever!"
She and Mark are walking quickly towards the Carnival, Mark reaching for his glove.
"Look, I'll talk to you later, Kat. Sparx said she and Ace were in danger, and I couldn't find Chuck anywhere either. You wait here, okay?"
Mark starts running, and Kat sighs. She sits down, pulls a notebook from her bag, and starts writing.
---
I type a few more codes into the file, and update the game maps and what
character files I can access. I have no direct control over Kilobyte—or over Lady Illusion, which probably indicates that he's already got to her—but I know the Sixth Dimension and its denizens like the back of my hand.
Such a simple plan, really.
---
Mark's running towards the Carnival, and sees Ace lying on the ground, Fear standing over him. Sparx leaps from the Haunted House and aims at Ace's archfoe. She hits him from behind, and he turns away from Ace.Mark's glad he has his glove, and adds his own beam to Sparx' efforts. Together, they force Fear to retreat while Ace blasts Anvil, who fades into the air.
"And in the nick of time you're rescued again, Lightning," Fear says, backing towards the Haunted House. He doesn't seem unduly disturbed. "It's obvious that your days are numbered. No doubt you'll be grateful to share Lady Illusion's fate…"He breaks into an evil laugh, and disappears into the Haunted House.
"Nice work, kid," Sparx says, walking over to Mark.
Ace looks sheepish.
"Thanks for rescuing me," he says. "I shouldn't have led you into this, Sparx."
Sparx shrugs. "Thank Mark, not me," she says. "And at least hanging around you isn't boring."
"No, I messed up." Ace looks depressed. "I…couldn't help her. And I just…wanted to kill Fear."
"She can help herself, Ace," Sparx says quietly.
Mark looks at them with concern.
"Emotions, huh?" he says, watching Ace. "The program's really messed up."
"The Master Programmer!" Ace exclaims. "I'd…forgotten." He seems surprised at himself.
Kat walks up to them, camera in hand.
"Hi, guys. Mind if I take a photo, Sparx?"
"Yes," Sparx says, holding up a hand to shield her face from the lens. "It's in the Code. We don't let anyone know about our mission."
"See?" Mark notices Kat looks a little crestfallen at the sharp reply. "If we told people about the Knights everyone'd get upset."
"I remember, back in the Sixth Dimension, it's never been good to show the normals you have powers. Our world has too many powered villains for most people to accept us," Ace says. "Of course, now I don't know what I remember…"
"Yeah, well, maybe you can get some answers from this Programmer person," Sparx tells him.
"I'll go alone, Sparx. I'm not putting my friends in danger again."
"How dangerous can it be? He's only a human." Sparx half-smiles, and whistles for the Flash.
"Where are we going, Mark?" she asks.
---
The zombie lurches towards me. At first, I don't pay attention, until it speaks.
"Hello, Kilobyte," it says. "It's about time I take control again."
The tone of voice is nothing like the usual incomprehensible mumblings of my lower-level minions, and I stare sharply at it.
"You have two choices. Surrender, and come back to work for me, or else be forced to bend to my will. Same goes for her," the zombie says, gesturing towards Lady Illusion, who's standing meekly next to me.
I laugh.
"You really think I'd return to a life of human slavery? Listen, programmer, I'll make you a generous offer. Work for me…or die."
The zombie cackles.
"The Sixth Dimension was always more my world than yours, Kilobyte, and I have control of it now."
The walls suddenly split open, and a horde of Sixth Dimension creatures pour in and advance towards Lady Illusion and myself. I use my tentacles to clear a space around us, and grabbing her leap from the room to slide down a ramp.
At times like these I really miss Fred.
---
I hear a knock on my Fortress of Solitude, which I ignore in favour of watching Kilobyte flee. That turns out to be a mistake.
The lock bursts into a flare of static electricity before the Lightning Knights, accompanied by that kid and a girl I've seen before on the monitors, burst in.
"Hi," I say.
They don't harm humans. They can't harm humans.
"That's the Sixth Dimension, isn't it?" Ace says.
"You're spying on Kilobyte!" Sparx exclaims.
Ace glances at her for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face.
Behind them, the two kids seem to be in some sort of dispute. I ignore both of the brats.
"Precisely. Soon I'll have bent the entire Sixth Dimension to my will. Why don't you two leave? Kilobyte's under my control."
I'll get rid of them for now…I can arrange for Kilobyte to destroy them later.
"No." His expression's cold and resolute.
He gestures at a monitor screen, where the two strongest entities presently in the Sixth Dimension are battling a horde of zombie mutants.
"Call them off," he says, "and I'd appreciate it if you brought her back."
Ah. That particular rumour was entirely true, then.
On the monitor screen, I see Kilobyte materialise two glowing daggers, which he throws at Lady Illusion.
Ace takes a step forward as the daggers slam into the wall next to her, close to her neck and waist.
She grasps the hilts, pulls the knives from the wall, and attacks the nearby zombies with dazzling speed and efficiency. I congratulate myself on a nice bit of coding there.
"This ends, now," Ace says, stone-faced, and raises his hands.
His wrists are glowing blue.
"Wait!" I say, trying to lean out of range. "I'm human! And I'm winning against Kilobyte!"
"I said now." Ace's expression hasn't changed.
Sparx puts a hand on his shoulder.
"We don't hurt humans, Ace. And if he can get rid of Kilobyte, it's worth it."
Ace doesn't move.
On the screen, the two figures disappear into a railway cart, fleeing the attacking zombies. Kilobyte rips out the track with a tentacle, allowing him to avoid pursuit.
For now.
"We don't hurt humans, Ace," Sparx repeats. She puts a hand on his arm, and he lowers his wrist cannons reluctantly.
---
We end up in the middle of the zombie territory, on top of a cliff rising from the stony ground around us, the left side half collapsed from a goldmine. For now, we're alone and safe, though in a while the programmer won't be.
"Do you have the power to teleport both of us back?" I ask her.
She shakes her head, expressionlessly. I deliberately suppressed many of her self-preserving urges, and she's entirely calm about the situation.
I notice a swarm of zombie bats swooping towards us from the east, and realise there's little time to act.
Reminding myself that Lightning is going to pay for releasing my pathetic creator, I wrap a tentacle around her neck and operate a reverse energy drain. I know I'll recover my powers soon enough, and for now I'm confident in her loyalties.
She doesn't move, and when I release her she steps forward and—rather gingerly—embraces me.
I notice that her skin is warmer than mine, and silken-smooth.
We leave the Sixth Dimension in a blur of flashing light, and in the whirl of colour I forget everything for a second.
---
"NOOOOOO!" I scream, and bang my fist on the keyboard, not paying any attention to the small group surrounding me.
When I eventually recover some of my composure I realise that they've all disappeared, as surely as Kilobyte from the Sixth Dimension.
Muttering a stream of curses and invective, I start to ready all the defenses at my command.
Kilobyte's back, and out of my control. I'll need everything I can gather to fight him.
---
Spinning into existence, we arrive in the middle of the Carnival.
I'm low on power, and to be honest I must acknowledge that long-distance teleporting tends to be painful. Not, of course, that I would ever show weakness to foes, and I know it won't take me long to recover.
She detaches herself from me, and reaches out a hand to lean against a stall, her expression still entirely neutral.
I hear the noise of cackling laughter as Lord Fear approaches.
He's never learned much of subtlety, for all he prides himself on his cunning. Of course, when one is powerful that ceases to be necessary.
"I haven't forgotten that you betrayed me, Fear," I say. "Though I'd prefer to have you on hand to defeat Lightning, so I might consider letting you live."
I gesture to Lady Illusion, and she materialises a crystal ball in her right hand.
Fear only cackles. "As I recall, you were both blasted into the Sixth Dimension upon your last encounter with me."
"You had help," I say.
Lightning and that brat. I will see them both destroyed.
He raises his staff, which glows a fiery orange rather than the green I'm used to seeing.
I react quickly, lashing out with a tentacle and throwing the skeleton to the ground, but I'm interrupted by Pigface's bellowing attack.
I meet his fist with my own as behind me Lady Illusion dodges Googler.
She materialises a dagger in each hand, duelling Zip and Snip, moving almost too fast for the eye to follow. I'm not impressed. The only reason why I let her live was because I expected her to be this competent.
I'm quite surprised at the newfound strength of the porcine mutant. It takes me almost a minute to defeat him.
I'm just about to face down Fear when I hear the sound of an engine above me.
It didn't take long for the do-gooders to arrive this time. Coincidence?
The Lightning Flash heads in my direction, and I'm about to be impaled by its skids when Fred flies to me.
I leap onto the wasp, and take the Knight on her own terms. She's certainly not as formidable as Ace, but at the moment the superhero appears to be paying more attention to Lord Fear. There's now four of us in the air, swooping and dodging.
I cut across Ace's path, and he fires at me. Predictable.
On the ground, after defeating Zip and Snip, Lady Illusion throws a crystal ball at Googler, and he melts into the air.
She materialises another crystal ball, and throws it at Ace.
Perfect. My reprogramming was entirely successful.
He turns, and flies towards her.
Idiot.
Sparx hits me from behind as my attention's focused on Ace, and I turn to wrap a tentacle around the Flash, tipping it.
She quickly increases the speed, and I'm forced to detach myself before I'm dragged along by her momentum and flung into the wall of the Haunted House.
The Doom Wagon lurches after a burst of swordflame, but Fear is able to adequately respond and engage Sparx in a duel.
I'm more interested in the little drama unfolding below. For now I'm sufficiently low on power that I won't bother to play to win, but I can at least gain amusement and knowledge.
"Listen," Ace says to Lady Illusion, flying down towards her, "I…I'm glad you're back."
He's some distance from me, but the open smile on his face would be visible from a hundred miles away.
"You disappeared too soon."
She materialises another crystal ball, but doesn't choose to throw it. He's not an immediate threat.
He lands, and takes her hand, for the moment not caring about the crowded scene before him.
"Let go of me," she says, quietly.
He doesn't listen, and she brings her other hand forward to punch him, sending him sprawling backwards.
Behind her, the kid fires his glove at her, and she turns.
"Ace! She works for Kilobyte!" the mortal brat calls.
A scream rends the air, and the kid turns to see the mortal girl running from Rotgut.
With a few more shots from the glove , joining with blasts from Ace's wrist cannons, the zombie's easily defeated.
I've often wondered precisely what the thing's strengths are, if it possesses any. Is it an unwritten law that Evils are required to be either treacherous or incompetent, or both?
I'm interrupted in my musings when Lightning changes direction to fly at me, and I easily dodge his blast.
On the ground, the children are standing arm in arm, watching the aerial dogfight with some interest.
I distinctly hear the girl say, "Mark, this is…amazing."
It's in my interests to finish this so-called amazing battle as soon as possible, before my foes realise just how low on power I am.
I lash out with a tentacle, sending Ace Lightning into an irregular spin, and turn Fred to lunge at Sparx. She doesn't react in time and cries out after being stung.
Rather than pressing an advantage and attacking me, Lightning goes to the aid of his friend.
Typical.
The two of them turn the Flash to leave, and Fear takes the oportunity to blast them on their way.
They're able to disappear into the sky, but I know that next time they won't be so lucky.
Fred lands, and I walk across to face Lord Fear.
"It was wise of you to cooperate with me today," I say. "We could easily finish off Lightning if you agreed to work for me."
"Agreed. We work together, for now."
I shake his skeletal hand.
"And one condition," he says. "When this is done, you turn her over to me."
Lady Illusion is standing some distance from us, watching with a closed expression.
"Once we've won, she's yours," I say.
I turn away from him, and kneel to pet Fred. It's good to be back.
The Master Programmer may have given me a temporary disadvantage, but I will recover. The Evils appear to have aligned themselves to me, and my powers are returning. Soon I'll be able to seize power over the mortal world and get my revenge on my creators once and for all.
---
Mark and Kat are walking home from the Carnival, hand in hand.
"Okay, Mark. You win. I won't write the article, for now. I think I understand—if we tell anyone, it'll hurt our friends."
Kat has her mobile out, and dials Heather's number.
"Hello? Heather? It's me, Kat. I called to tell you that I can't write that story."
Kat pauses for a while, and the faint sound of yelling crackles from the phone that she's holding some distance away from her ear.
"It's kind of personal, and there's no need to insult me like that, I'm nothing like a giant mutant pig anyway."
Kat listens to Heather for a while.
"Sorry, Heather, but we've both been appointed co-editors, you can't sack me. Once you've got your blood pressure down, I'll talk to you. What?…Oh, I'm not sure that's such a good idea…yes, I know when our deadline is…I suggested the English story before, no offence but I think it's a much better idea than the other thing…Fine. FINE. See you."
She turns to look at Mark.
"Heather's decided to take over my story on the carnival. She wants to find out more about the giant mutant pig that slimed her. See? If you'd let me write the story it'd at least have been better…"
Kat trails off, and they look at each other in dismay.
Chuck approaches from behind, and places one arm around each of them.
"I got your message, Mark. Sorry I had to miss out on the rumble, my mother had another doctor's appointment. What's up?"
The three friends start to walk along the path together, fading into the distance.
P/N: If you want to write an ep for this, email Lightning Flash. Addy profile page.