A/N: The last chapter has been updated with a small segment between where Alex talks to the informer and goes to see Dr. Crypto to make the transition between scenes smoother.
Chapter 14/The Penalty Room
The first thing I saw was what I didn't see. The room had gone black but I did not panic . . . yet. It was only when the lights came on again and the floor was the ceiling that I started to get a little uneasy. There had been a single chair in the middle of the room when I had walked in, now it was above me on the ceiling . . . I mean floor. Man this was confusing. I wondered how it was staying up there then figured it was bolted to the ceiling . . . ugh, floor.
I took a single step forward and suddenly I was spinning around and around in circles. I began to feel sick and I fell to my knees . . . and kept falling. Biting back a yell of terror, I looked down into what appeared to be a large chasm that had opened in the middle of the floor . . . or was it the ceiling? Whatever, it did not matter now for I was still falling.
Looking around for something to grab onto and stop my fall, my eyes finally lighted on a small ledge sticking out from the wall of the canyon. But just as my fingers curled around the edge of it, I slipped and fell to the floor, three feet under me, of room full of mirrors. I shook my head to clear it but that didn't help much. I stood slowly, watching multiple Alexs stand as well. I walked over to a mirror, wondering if they were real. I touched the cool glass and watched as my breath made a small circle of steam on it. Knocking my knuckles against it to test for stability, I found that it was real enough.
I caught sight of something out of the corner of my eye and turned quickly to see a flash of red in several of the mirrors. I stiffened. Was there someone else in the room with me? It seemed to be a room full of illusions and I realized that they could keep multiple people in here without anyone ever knowing there were others sharing the same punishment as them. This realization came with the questions: does everyone experience different illusions? Who set this all up? How did it work? This, of course, led to a major headache.
Holding my head against the pain, I walked over to where I thought I saw the red flash. It was gone, but I had expected that. I saw another flash to my left and turned toward it. Suddenly the mirrors began to move, shifting position and causing the room and my image to spin and twist in unnatural ways. It hurt my head to witness and I closed my eyes, pressing my fists into my eyelids, now fighting confusion as well as the intense headache.
I did not open my eyes again until I began to feel stiflingly hot, as if someone had turned up a heater or I had just walked into a room full of bright lights. I felt graininess seep into my shoes and looked down quickly. I frowned. My shoes were covered in sand. How did that happen? I looked up and noticed that the mirrors were gone and instead I seemed to be in the middle of the Sahara desert or some such place. I coughed lightly as sand was picked up by some wind that blew past me. The wind was not cool however, just warm. It did little to relieve the warmth that was beginning to become overbearing. I bent and ran my fingers through the sand. How could it feel so real if it was just an illusion?
The heat seemed to suddenly increase and sweat had long since begun making its way down my back, head, face, and chest. Why did I have to like black so much? I knew black soaked in heat, but it had never been this bad. Suddenly I could not take it anymore and shed my shirt, shoes, and pants. Standing there in my boxers felt slightly weird, but it was better than nothing. I stepped forward only to jump back with a hiss as the sand burnt my feet. I realized I had to put my shoes back on if I wanted to move about. After slipping them on, I gathered up my clothes and began to walk.
After what seemed like hours my throat began to feel dry and I realized I was desperately thirsty. I looked around for an oasis of any kind. Of course there was none. And I knew enough about deserts to know that the patch of water ahead of me was nothing but a mirage. I sat down in the sand, exhausted, sore, and drenched in sweat. I began to feel the beginnings of a sunburn across my shoulders and wondered how that was even possible if I was still in the Penalty Room.
I closed my eyes and tried to forget about how miserable I was. However the heat would not allow relief of any kind. Sighing, I stood once more and began making my way toward the mirage, wondering if by some chance the makers of the illusion would have mercy on their poor victim and have some actual water in the friggin' place.
No such luck. I arrived at the mirage only to find that it was exactly that: a mirage. I gave a growl of anger and frustration that sounded a lot like Violet when she shifted into her tiger form. I dug my fingers into the sand and my shoulders sagged in defeat as I gave up all together. I wondered vaguely if I would simply die here.
I felt a sudden change in the weather and shivered as I was suddenly transported into a blizzard. While the cool wind and snow felt good for the first five seconds, I began to shake violently and hastened to put my clothes back on. When I had done so, I brushed the hair out of my face and scooped up some of the snow, putting it to my blistered lips, wanting a taste of the refreshing iciness. However as soon as the cold wetness touched my swollen tongue, it all abruptly disappeared and I was alone in the room where I had started. I gave a great cry and banged my fist against the hard floor, tears spilling down my cheeks, which surprised me for I didn't know I had any more water left in me.
The room seemed to be exactly the same as when I had first arrived, but looking around made me discover that it was different. The chair was gone and the walls were not walls but bars. I stood slowly and noticed I seemed to be inside some kind of cage. I groaned loudly as the door opened and a huge senior with red eyes and rippling muscles stepped into what I now saw was some kind of cage fight ring. I pressed myself against the bars and watched him warily, scanning him for emotions. My powers had not come in handy at any of the other illusions, maybe it would here.
I realized then, stupidly, that an illusion would not have emotions. Therefore I was surprised to sense anger, resentment, hatred, and, shockingly enough, fear in the large young man in front of me.
"Welcome to the Penalty Room," he boomed in a deep voice that made the bars rattle. He gave me a large feral grin full of sharp teeth that reminded me somewhat of Gabe's. However Gabe's pointed teeth were small and non-lethal. This guy's looked like they could tear a deer apart.
"Ready for a fight?" he asked, stepping toward me menacingly. I scurried away, staggering as I was still exhausted, and absolutely sure now that the Elridges were trying to kill me.
"They make you do this?" I asked, hoping, praying for another scene change. None came.
"Nah, I do it cuz I like taking little kid's heads between my hands and crushing them to pieces."
It was hard to tell if he was serious or not. I gulped rather loudly.
"Look," I said, my voice shaking and an octave higher than normal. I was quick to clear it and try again. "I don't want to fight you. Can't we just you know, wait for the next illusion to come?"
The young man laughed harshly. "What makes you think there is another illusion?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he leaned down to stare into my face. I felt the blood drain from my face and began to feel quite sick. I had Violet's training engrained in my brain, but I was so weak and tired from my experiences in this torture chamber that I knew I would not be able to defeat him.
I realized my only hope for survival would be to get him tired. With that in mind I promptly turned myself invisible. The giant's face hardened with malice. He ground his left knuckles into the palm of his right hand, his eyes searching the cage for me.
"Cute kid," he grumbled. "But you can't avoid me forever."
"I can try!" I piped up from behind him where I had stumbled while he was looking for me. He turned and swung his fist swiftly and I ducked, watching with some satisfaction as his fist rammed into the bars instead of my head. He howled in pain and stumbled back, wringing his hurt hand. I thought that if I could keep this up, I would have him exhausted in no time.
This went on for a while, with me ducking and dodging, and him swinging and cursing. Finally he got fed up and for some reason his eyes locked straight on mine and I got served a punch that sent me flying across the cage. My back hit the bars quite painfully and I slide to the floor, groaning and wondering how the heck he had seen me. I looked down at myself and saw that I was no longer invisible. I clenched my teeth and cursed inwardly, knowing they must have neutralized my powers so that I would get my 'punishment' thoroughly.
As I stood shakily, I attempted to scan the giant's emotions and found with surprise that I still could. I decided to use that to my advantage. I started channeling his anger and frustration, hoping that his adrenaline rush and rapid pulse would cause his heart to stop. Unfortunately I didn't think this plan through very well. It worked fine, but he channeled those emotions into me by punching and kicking me until I could hold out no longer.
I slumped to the ground in a bloody mess, every bone in my body screaming and every muscle crying. My vision grew blurry and I stayed conscious only long enough to see his fist coming at me again. Then my world grew dark and I welcomed the relief.
However my eyes did not stay closed for long. I felt soft grass beneath my head and a cool breeze ruffled my hair. I was afraid to open my eyes at first; afraid that this was another illusion and something horrible would occur. But then I heard the sound of people's voices and soft laughter from around me. The familiar sound of the engines of the buses at Sky High sputtered and coughed nearby and I opened my eyes with a slight frown. I could hardly believe my eyes but when I blinked hard and opened them again I found nothing changed. I was sitting on the grass near the front steps of former school.
Kids were walking back and forth, chatting with each other. I stood slowly, wondering if this was another illusion. However when I looked down at myself I noticed that there was not a scratch on me. Feeling rather suspicious, I made my way up the large concrete steps to a group of teenagers who were hanging out near the doors.
"Excuse me," I said, clearing my throat. They went on talking as if I had not said a word. I was used to being invisible to people (even when I was not using my powers) but they did not even blink. I waved my hand in front of one girl's face but she did not respond. I realized then that I must have been in a dream. But it all seemed so real. I reached down and pinched my arm. It hurt but nothing happened.
Figuring I was in a coma of some kind, I looked around to school yard, thinking that I might as well catch a glimpse of Ana Lucia. I did not see her but I did see something that made my jaw drop and my eyes bulge (something I knew did not make me look attractive at all but I figured if no one could see me I was good).
What I saw was me, myself, walking down the steps of one of the newly arrived school buses. I was younger, a freshman, and my ignorance clearly showed on my baby-face. Wide-eyed and jumpy, I shied away from anyone who came remotely close to me as I made my way up the steps. I rubbed my now thin (one could say almost gaunt) cheek as I watched the painful site. I had still worn all black back then, but my hair was shorter and I did not have the lip ring.
It was strange, watching myself as I was back then. It seemed so long ago when really it had only been a year and a half. I wondered if I was somehow seeing the past or if this was still a dream. I saw Brutus, Brock, and Butch watching me from across the yard, sniggering behind their hands and I could just hear their thoughts, planning out how they were going to stuff me in lockers and beat me up in Save the Citizen when Lash and Speed weren't the ones doing it. It was almost painful to see.
I stepped closer to my younger self, wondering if I could communicate to myself in some way, maybe change some of the past. No such luck. I didn't even look at me as I passed by. Just as I was wondering what to do next, I saw Lash, in all his freshman bully glory, with Speed at his side, stretch across the yard to land in front of me.
"Dude, all freshmen got to pay the entrance fee of five bucks, so pay up." Speed looked rather gleeful as Lash held out his hand. I watched with a grimace as my younger self's eyes widened and darted about, looking for a chance to escape.
"Come on kid, don't get yourself on our bad side," Lash said with a devious half-smile.
"Heck, it's bad enough being on our good side!" Speed exclaimed, cracking up at his own joke. I rolled my eyes and could not help but grin slightly. I knew what happened next. I watched as I promptly disappeared and skirted around them, leaving them looking rather ridiculous with Lash's hand out in thin air. I saw his face darken and his hand curl into a fist.
"Dude, that is not cool," Speed said. I raised my eyebrow in interest. I had not seen this part.
Lash seemed to shrug off the experience but I could tell his pride was hurt. Knowing how he was now, it was interesting to see him again as a bully. As it was he seemed to take the whole thing well. Then I remembered that Friday's Save the Citizen round: my first round against Lash and Speed.
I found myself in the bleachers then, as if I had been transported. I looked around but saw no one but the students. At least at first glance I saw no one. The second glance I saw a small blonde head making its way down the bleachers. The head was too small to be a high school student. I made my way towards it hurriedly. I had just reached the end of the bleachers when something slamming against the side of the Save the Citizen ring next to me, startling me and drawing my attention to the fight inside.
It was Lash and Speed as the Villains against two kids named Audrey and Steve as the Heroes. The two Heroes had just lost. Steve had been the one to hit the plexiglass wall. The two sophomores slunk out of the ring to the showers and Lash and Speed called their next victims: Kristi Drake and Alex Newton.
I winced as I watched myself, pale and trembling, stand up slowly and make my way to the ring. Kristi Drake followed me down. She was a pretty thing, with blonde hair, glasses, and alabaster skin. She had been a junior then, and had already come close to mastering her power of cyrokinesis.
We stepped into the ring and I placed my hands on the plexiglass to watch what I knew was about to happen next. The first thing Kristi did after the bell rang was cover the floor around Speed in ice. When the bully tried to run over it, he slipped and slid across the ring. He got up again and tried to come at her, but she simply put up a wall of ice in front of him. He ran into it and bounced back, shouting out in pain. I glanced back to where I stood facing Lash. I knew Kristi was giving me a way to free the citizen, but I also knew I could only use one of my two powers. I remembered the struggle I had trying to decide which one to choose. As it was, I had not yet mastered the skill manipulating emotions, all I could do was read them and feel them. That would not help.
So instead I turned invisible. I watched, fascinated, as Lash looked around for me and suddenly flipped down onto the floor on his back (I remembered grabbing his heel and pulling hard). This just made him angry and instead of going after me again, he stretched out his arm and grabbed Kristi around the waist, pulling her back and then smashing her into her own brick wall. She crumpled to the ground. This made me angry but I knew there was no way I could take on both Lash and Speed. I glanced at the Citizen, then at Kristi who was lying very still next to her ice wall. Lash and Speed grinned at each other and Lash reached out and grabbed the wall. I watched horrified, just as I did then, as he began to pull it to make it fall on top of Kristi's prone body.
I gritted my teeth as Speed ran over and pushed against it, obviously helping his buddy out. I watched as I materialized once more, glancing from the citizen to Kristi's body. I could remember my thought process exactly: the Villains were distracted, I could have made a break for the citizen and saved him, but at what cost to Kristi? Could I leave her for a casualty of war? Finally I made a decision.
Leaving the citizen lowering dangerously over the spinning blades, I rushed over to the wall and placed myself between it and Kristi's body, lifting my hands and catching it as it fell over. I dug my heels into the ground and gritted my teeth as I held the hunk of ice over the girl. Lash and Speed rejoined at the other end of the ring and stood smirking at me. The clock began to tick down. The students counted the numbers as they decreased. Water from the melting ice block soaked into my back and hair and dripped down onto Kristi's face. Her nose twitched and to my relief she seemed to be waking up.
The buzzer sounded and the citizen was demolished. The crowd went wild and Kristi woke up. She looked up at me and I looked down at her. She had smiled then, a quirky little smile that made her ice blue eyes sparkle.
"My hero," she whispered, and although I could not hear it from where I stood watching, I remembered it clearly. She had sat up then and reabsorbed the ice, leaving me holding empty air. I had fallen to the ground, soaked and exhausted.
The scene slowly faded away and I found myself in a long hallway. A small kid with blonde hair stood at the end of it. I couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl until I drew closer. Big, dark blue eyes looked up at me, blonde curls frizzed out at about mid-neck length. She (for I could tell it was a girl now), looked up at me with a serious expression that reminded me of Sarah Silbernagle, Lash's little sister. She looked about nine or ten years old and was wearing a red blazer. I looked all around us then looked down at her.
"Are you doing this?" I asked curiously.
She nodded, the tiniest of smiles flickering across her solemn features. I knelt in front of her so I could be closer to her level, looking up at her.
"Why did you come to me?" I asked.
"I do not go to people," she said softly, her voice strangely low for a little girl. "They come to me."
"Why?" I asked, frowning slightly.
"They have questions," she answered simply.
My frown deepened. "I don't think I have a question."
"Yes," she said, giving a silent snort of laughter. "You do."
I thought hard about that. Did I have a question? And if I did, what kind of question was it? Then I realized something.
"I have two paths ahead of me," I said cautiously, willing to speak in riddles since she seemed to be. "And I don't know which one to take." I looked up at her expectantly.
With another tiny smile, she leaned over and placed a hand on my shoulder, looking deep into my eyes.
"You already have the answer you seek," she said quietly, earnestly.
I blinked, confused. "What?"
She straightened and gave me a slightly wider smile. Turning, she walked away. I frowned again and hurried after her. "Wait!" I called. "What's my answer?"
But she was gone. Scratching my head, I turned back, only to find myself in the Save the Citizen arena, looking at myself holding the wall of ice over Kristi, only a couple feet away. I could see myself and her clearly from where I stood and as she opened her eyes and smiled, I could hear her voice in my head as if she was speaking it right to me now.
"My hero."
I blinked, wondering if I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. I saw a small blonde head move out from behind the block of ice and look me straight in the eye.
"You have your answer," she said softly and slowly grinned. My world then faded back into the unyielding darkness it had gone to before, this time without interruption.
Soooo sorry about the delay! I hope this uber long chapter makes up for it. :-D Btw, I can't take credit for the Penalty Room scene, I got my inspiration from The Phantom of the Opera (book) and The Nightmare Academy by Frank E. Peretti. And I can't take credit for the dream sequence either. I borrowed it from an episode of Heroes (kudos to you if you guess which one ;-) ). Some of the words of the girl and Alex in that dialogue is taken directly from that episode so I don't own any of it. Please review and tell me what you think of this super long chappy! :-D