Shadows and Light - part 5
by Glitch Girl

"...Mentor..? Mentor, wake up... Can you hear me?"

The alien mentalist opened his eyes and blinked a few times, slowly becoming reacquainted with the world around him. He was cold, damp, and lying on rough wood amid a mass of broken metal with the familiar masked visage of the Ant leaning over him.

"Mentor?" the Ant asked expectantly.

"I believe I am unharmed," said Mentor as he sat up and looked around. "Suns of Shakar, what has happened?"

"The fight didn't go to well," sighed the Ant. "After you got frozen, everything went all pear-shaped. You're lucky though. I think that ice saved your life when the crane fell over on us... I just can't figure out how Demonika knew we were coming," he pondered, absently fingering a tear along the arm of his costume that revealed a jagged cut beneath.

"Are you-"

"I'm okay," he replied. "Just a little banged up. I managed to find some cover for us by burrowing into one of the larger crates, though it took a while to get out again."

"You said 'us', but I sense you do not mean Alche-Miss."

"No. That girl, Jenni, she followed us here... I can't find Alche-Miss anywhere," the insectoid hero said in a worried tone. "Demonika and Nuclear Winter are gone too."

Mentor stood up unsteadily and frowned. "I cannot sense the Alche-Miss' thoughts, but... there is another presence here. Under those beams," he pointed.

"There is? I better get him out!" The Ant wasted no time and began to lift the heavy metal struts from the heaping pile of debris. As he worked, Mentor noticed the girl from the college sitting forlornly by herself next to a storehouse. She looked up as he walked over to her.

"Sorry I messed everything up," she apologized.

"I was not aware that you had made a mistake," Mentor replied. "Please, I am curious as to why you followed us here. You knew it would not be safe."

"Well..." she said reluctantly, "after you left, I realized that I didn't tell you about Sukov."

"What about Sukov?"

"That he was going to be here. Doctor Demonika wanted to talk to him and was going to try to ambush him. I got here too late, and, I just wanted to help..."

"I see," Mentor said thoughtfully. "How did you learn of this information?"

"I..." Jenni trailed off. "I don't know. I just-"

"Over here guys!" called the Ant, "I found him!" At his feet was a barely conscious man in a dark coat that was covered in tiny bits of melting ice.

"The ice must have taken most of the impact," explained the Ant. "He doesn't seem hurt, unfortunately..." he waved his hand in front of the man's face and got no reaction, "...the lights are on, but nobody's home."

"That's the guy!" said Jenni. "That the commie who tried to buy the canister for Sukov!"

"Allow me," said Mentor, stepping forward.

He placed his fingers on the man's forehead and intoned "Open your mind to me!"

It took only a moment before the man's eyes suddenly snapped into focus. He sat up abruptly, looking fearfully at the group around him and started to scramble backwards as he fished around in his coat for a weapon.

"Looking for this?" asked the Ant. He held up a revolver by the barrel that had been mangled badly by the falling metal and was bent almost "J" shaped.

Leninski's eyes fixed on the broken weapon. What fight he had left drained away. "Blasted Americanskis," he swore under his breath.

"Hey watch the language, there's a lady present."

Leninski flashed a dark look at the Ant. "You'll get nothing from me, swine!"

"You mean after all the trouble I took digging you out you won't tell us why your boss is working from Doctor Demonika?"

At the mention of Demonika's name, Leninski paled. "I... I... I do not know."

Before the Ant could press further, he felt Mentor's restraining hand on his shoulder. "Do you remember what Doctor Demonika did to you?" Mentor asked the cowering communist.

Leninski dropped his head and stared at the ground.

"He is a devil," he began reluctantly. "He came for me as I drove away and told me... compelled me to tell him about Sukov. His words... I drowned in his words, they were so think and dark. I could not resist him, even when he told me to kill Sukov."

Mentor and the Ant exchanged looks. Apparently Doctor Demonika had many talents.

"It appears this Doctor Demonika has the ability to force his will on others. I believe he has done the same to your employer-"

Leninski snapped to attention. "WHAT?"

"That's right," said the Ant, "And since we both want to get Demonika, we need to know where he is. Remember anything?"

The damp communist sagged once more and shook his head. "I cannot help you. That monster brought me here after our 'meeting'. He did not say where he was going afterwards."

"Are you sure?"

Leninski's eyes narrowed at the Ant. "I may not like you Americanski dogs, but this beast is a bigger threat than your decadent ways-"

"Gee thanks."

"-If I knew where to find this Demonika, I would tell you, but I do not."

"Guess that's a dead end," muttered the Ant. "And we still don't know what happened to Alche-Miss..."

There are times when you wake up and you immediately know that the day is going to go straight downhill at top speed from there.

Waking up tied to a chair is definitely one of those times.

Miraculously, Alche-Miss managed to stay calm, despite the growing knot of panic in her stomach. The Freedom Force had faced down psychotic aliens, mechanical madmen, minor gods, and one of the most powerful beings in the universe, but somehow this was more frightening because it was far more personal than the greater, more anonymous threats of before. Her mask was gone and her arms were secured tightly behind her back, neither of which helped her state of mind in the least.

Bits and pieces of memory slipped back into place; she'd been at the docks, that Demonika character tried to use some power on her that didn't work, then Nuclear Winter hit her (she could still feel the radiation burning against her cheek), and then there was a whole lot of falling metal and Demonika rushing at her and...

And then nothing.

She peered into the gloom and tried to figure out where she was Where ever it was, it was mostly lit by flickering braziers which cast an eerie moving glow about the room. The decor was strange, with pillars and gothic statues on all sides. The statues almost looked like gargoyles or demons, but as she looked at the nearest one more carefully, she noticed it was nothing more than a plastic devil mask, some crepe hair, some fabric, and a wooden pitchfork all stitched together and stuck on a pole. Nothing more than a funhouse dummy. In fact, all of the statues were funhouse dummies.

"I see you have awakened," a nearby voice oozed.

Speaking of dummies... Alche-Miss thought and turned.

As she suspected, it was Demonika. He'd abandoned the torn lab coat and suit for a gaudy costume that look like something you'd see if Hell had a Mardi Gras. It was mostly green with bits of gold fabric and occasional sequins. It looked like it might have once belonged to a strongman in a circus, or a carnival or something similar.

Demonika lounged on a blocky throne covered in gold glitter that would have looked more at home on a parade float. Next to him, standing emotionlessly, was the faintly glowing icy figure of Nuclear Winter, his eyes staring blankly at the world.

The demonic doctor rose and walked confidently over to his captive. "I trust you are well after your long nap. I'm afraid we didn't get a chance to be properly introduced. I am Doctor Demonika, and you are..?"

"Unimpressed," the southern sorceress said flatly.

Apparently Demonika hadn't expected a response like that.

She'd met his type before: all bluster, convinced that they were the greatest thing since sliced bread, that everyone, especially women, would automatically be in awe of their muscles or car or sports record, or in this case, their evil demonic power. They thought they were invincible. What was his name..? Greg, that was it... he was like that, and what a controlling jerk he'd turned out to be, even if he did have a nice car.

Of course, that was months ago, back when she thought things like cars were important. Things had changed a lot since then.

Demonika recovered his unflappable exterior quickly. "You should be impressed. Were it not for me, you'd be a broken memory under a pile of metal."

"Gee, my hero," Alche-Miss drawled sarcastically.

"I admit, it was foolish. Those silly movie serials I use to watch when I was a child, when the villain would do something idiotic because he took a fancy to the heroine... I always wondered what would possess someone of such power to do something so amazingly stupid. Of course, now I have a better perspective on things," he grinned.

"However," Demonika continued, "you are here, because you are potentially useful. Your power is much like my own, you see."

"Do tell," she said flatly, despite the fact that her heart was pounding like a jackhammer.

Demonika laughed. It wasn't the laugh he used at the University, it was a low, amused chuckle. "You can't tell me you don't feel the darkness in your own powers. I can practically taste it from here, yet you continue to play the hero, as if the darkness doesn't exist. It's not that bad, you know. It's actually quite refreshing."

"If I want to be refreshed, I'll have an egg cream." Making jokes had always worked for the Ant, she thought, so why not. She knew about her own inner darkness more than she ever wanted to. Hearing a stranger talk about it was even more unsettling.

Demonika flinched again at her retort, but kept going. "Such a dreadful waste of potential. We both know morals are for lesser beings, Alche-Miss. People like those pathetic students and that idiotic Leninski. I always suspected that I was meant for better things, and now fate has finally decreed that it's time. time for me to take my place as it's new ruler. Science... I spent my whole life on science seeking power like this, only to find it in something more than science. The power of Energy-X is unlike anything, it transcends the laws we once knew to be true and..."

Apparently, though Alche-Miss, this guy had watched a LOT of movie serials; he was starting to sound like one of those villains from Flash Gordon with the goatee and the big cape. And boy could he drone. She's stopped actually listening somewhere around "lesser beings", realizing that he was going to keep talking because he like to hear himself talk. Thank goodness he hadn't taught at Patriot City University, his lectures were probably unbearable.

She waited until there was a pause in his megalomaniacal ramblings and asked "What about Nuclear Winter, is he a 'lesser being' too?"

Maybe it was her imagination, but she thought she the faintest flicker of recognition in Nuclear Winter's eyes at the mention of his name.

"...Somewhat. He has his uses, true, but he is no where near my level... or your level either for that matter. He is but a tool for a greater end."

"Your end?" she asked with false sweetness.

"Yes." He answered, then quickly caught himself. "I mean he has information I can use to further my aims, his powers are useful to me, and every ruler needs a body guard and loyal servant. Lots of servants... You see, I have the strangest feeling that your friends from the Freedom Force somehow survived that accident at the docks, which means I should soon have others who might prove even more useful than my little ice minion, and then I shall be able to take steps towards securing my proper place in the world.

Suddenly, Demonika lunged forward and Alche-Miss yelped as he grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him eye to eye.

"Am I boring you?" he snarled. "Perhaps I haven't given you sufficient reason to listen to me.

As he said this, his left hand began to burn with a ball of red-black flame. Her eyes were glued to the flames as they danced in his palm as he brought it closer and closer. Her arms strained against the ropes as she tried to pull away, but she wasn't strong enough and his grip on her face was too tight.

Demonika leaned closer and asked in a very nasty tone "Do I have your full attention now?"

He held the ball of fire close to her face, it heat just starting to burn her skin. Then, slowly and very deliberately, he drew his hand away, and casually tossed the flaming sphere against the dirt floor. The fireball made a small explosion on impact and upset a stack of crates and one of them hit something solid and wooden hidden behind the canvas wall. Cheery calliope music began to play, but only served to darken the mood inside the former funhouse.

Demonika completely ignored the tinny tune as he tightened his grip on Alche-Miss' face, his nails just starting to dig into her skin, and snarled "Remember this; you are only alive because I let you live. I hold your life in my hands. Never forget that. And now, where was I..?"

The police were taking Leninski away and the port authority as trying to figure out how they were going to write up the report about the fallen crane and other damage since the code for "Property Destruction Due to Supervillany" hadn't made it outside of Patriot City yet, which left one immediate problem for the two members of Freedom Force on the scene.

"Anything yet, Mentor?" asked the Ant.

"Unfortunately, I am still unable to reestablish the mental link with Alche-Miss," the alien answered.

"Great, And the sensors on the Freedom Flyer can't find her or Demonika either, so we still have no idea where she might be."

The two heroes stood thoughtfully in silence. Nearby, the college girl, Jenni, sat on the edge of the dock, her legs dangling over the edge of the pier. Neither of the two heroes had been able to cheer her up much, nor had they had time to, but at least she was staying out of the way. Occasionally, she'd dejectedly throw a bit of metal into the water to watch the small splash as she absently started to hum a little tune.

For some reason, Mentor started staring at her.

"What is that music? he asked.

It was an odd question, thought the Ant, but he answered it anyway. "She's humming. Haven't you heard Bullet when-"

"No, what is that music she is humming?"

"Oh... Hmm. It sounds familiar. Reminds me of a merry-go-round."

"What is a 'merry-go-round'?"

"It's a thing that turns round and round with pretend horses on it that go up and down. Little kids like to ride it and imagine they're on real horses. You usually see them at carnivals and things like that."

"I have heard of carnivals... Hmm...

"Hm?"

"Ant, prepare the Freedom Flyer."

"Um... Did I miss something?"

"It is, as you humans say, 'a long shot', but I believe I know where we can find Alche-Miss."

"You do? How?"

"Did you say you can find your friend?" said Jenni as she trotted up to join them.

"Possibly. I cannot say, not at this time."

The Ant gave Mentor a confused look that was lost beneath his mask. Didn't he just say..?

"Can I help?" she asked. "I know I screwed up before, but this time I'll be really careful!"

"It's going to be dangerous," began the Ant.

"No," said Mentor, "she will come with us."

"I can?" said Jenni.

"Mentor-"

"You must trust me," Mentor told the Ant. "You see, Jenni Martin may be our key to finding Alche-Miss."

To be continued...