Jack Blank and the End of Infinity (6 page)

Oblivia shook her head. “You shouldn’t have come back. Your presence here puts us all in grave danger.”

Jack held out his hands. “What else could I do? The Imagine Nation is my home.”

Oblivia raised an eyebrow. “Do you really still believe that? After everything that’s happened?”

“Leave him alone, Oblivia,” a voice called out before Jack could answer. He turned around to see Solomon Roka standing behind him. “It’s been a while, but I’m pretty sure the Secreteers are still the Imagine Nation’s secret keepers, not its gatekeepers.”

Oblivia gave Roka a disgruntled “Hrrmmpph” and turned back to the wheel.

“Roka?” Jack said, looking back and forth between the space-pirate and Oblivia. “You guys know each other?”

Roka nodded. He had a hard look in his eyes. “We’ve met. You’re not the only one going home today, kiddo.”

Oblivia shook her head. “I told you before. This isn’t your home anymore.”

“Not your call to make,” Roka said. “Not for either of us.”

Oblivia gave Roka an icy stare. “Wake your friends,” she said to Jack. “The island is up ahead.” Jack turned back toward Jazen and Allegra, but Oblivia tapped his shoulder before he went to them. “A word of advice before we return . . . Don’t expect a warm welcome. It’s no secret where you’ve been all this time.”

Jack frowned and touched the Rüstov mark around his eye. Oblivia was, of course, correct. A whole new battle was waiting for him once he got home. Winning over the people of Empire City was going to make escaping the Rüstov look easy by comparison.

“Nice,” Roka said to Oblivia as he put his arm on Jack’s
shoulder and ushered him toward the others. “Real nice.”

As the Secreteer’s ship made its final approach to Empire City, Jack stood at the front of the ship, leaning out over the railing with Jazen and Allegra, taking in the view in all its glory: the island, impossibly floating over a ring of waterfalls, that roamed all around the ocean. The massive translucent mountain behind it that framed the setting sun’s rays with a rainbow glow. The Imagine Nation’s diverse capital city, like six worlds pushed together, one from every genre of comic book that Jack used to read. What once was just a fantasy was now his reality. It
was
his home. No homecoming parade would be waiting for Jack when he returned, but the Imagine Nation belonged to him as much as anybody else. He was going to fight for it, and for his place in it.

The flying ship coasted gently past the statue of Legend, who was once the Imagine Nation’s greatest defender. Jack stared at the towering tribute to the fallen hero in solemn silence. One day in the future, or fourteen years ago, depending on how one looked at it, Legend would die at Jack’s hand. Jack had known this for years. He had always refused to believe such a horrible act was in his future. Now he couldn’t be so sure. It all depended
on what the Rüstov had done to him. A large crowd had assembled at Hero Square, awaiting Jack’s return. Like Oblivia said, everyone knew he was coming and nobody was happy to see him. The people of Empire City watched the ship approach, pensive and quiet.

“Getting that déjà vu feeling again,” Jazen told Jack. “It’s just like that first time I took you here, isn’t it?”

“It’s worse,” Jack said. “Back then they were just worried about my Rüstov infection and what it might mean. Now they think they know my future for a fact.” Jack shrugged. “Can’t say I blame them. I’m the one who told them all about it.”

Two years ago, Jack had met Revile, a future version of himself who was supposedly the key to the Rüstov’s eventual victory over the Imagine Nation. One year ago, Jack had confessed that fact to his friends and enemies alike. His honesty and candor had failed to put his detractors at ease, and his subsequent abduction by the Rüstov had no doubt added to the problem.

“Oblivia said I’m putting everyone in danger by coming back. She might be right, Jazen. Nobody wants me here.”

An orange-white flash filled the sky, and Jack blinked
through blinding lights to find he’d been transported directly below the sphere in Hero Square. “I wouldn’t say that,” a friendly voice told Jack.

“Stendeval!” Jack said, rushing into his old teacher’s arms as Jazen, Allegra, and Roka materialized beside him. A barrier of red energy particles behind them held back the crowd, for the time being at least.

“Jack,” Stendeval said, holding him tight. “Thank the stars.” He separated himself from Jack and knelt down to look him in the eye. Unlike everyone else, he didn’t flinch at the sight of Jack’s scar.

“There he is!” Blue’s booming voice called out. “Welcome home, little man!” Before Jack even had a chance to turn around, he felt himself being snatched up from behind and tossed in the air like a stuffed animal.

Jack came down laughing. “Hey, Blue.”

“C’mere, lemme look at ya!” Blue caught Jack and held him out in the air. His reaction to Jack’s face was the exact opposite of Stendeval’s. One look at Jack’s eye and Blue cringed like he’d just seen a bad car accident. “Yikes.”

Jazen came up alongside him. “Same old Blue . . . Worst poker face ever.”

“What? No!” Blue stammered. “Hey, I’m sure it’s fine,” he said, trying to recover. “I mean, it’s just . . . you know, it’s, uh . . .” Blue swallowed uncomfortably and shook his head. “They gotcha good, huh, kid?”

Jack nodded. “They got me all right.”

“Yeah, they did. That’s gonna go over real big here,” Blue said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Don’t worry, though. Sounds like you’re still you. That’s all I care about. You are, right? Still you, I mean . . .”

Jack shrugged. “So far. It’s been a rough year, Blue.”

Blue set Jack down on the ground. “Just take it one day at a time, partner. You’re safe now. Ol’ Blue’s always got your back, you know that.” The blue giant put up a fist for Jack to bump.

“Thanks,” Jack said. He pushed his knuckles into Blue’s, but he didn’t feel the least bit safe. Blue couldn’t protect him from himself.

“I also bid you welcome, Jack,” Chi said, coming out of nowhere and startling Jack. Falling snow made more noise than the Circleman of Karateka. “Unfortunately, not everyone in Empire City is going to share Blue’s enthusiasm. You must prepare yourself.”

“They’ll share his enthusiasm,” Virtua corrected Chi. “Just not in a positive manner.” The gorgeous Circle-woman of Machina touched a holographic hand to the mark on Jack’s eye. “Not to worry. I’m sure Jack expected nothing less.”

“I kind of figured,” Jack said, looking up at Virtua. The last time he saw her, the Mechas were rioting in Machina, and she was blinking out of existence. The Circlewoman had resigned herself to certain death if the heroes of Empire City couldn’t stop her and her people from doing the Rüstov’s bidding.

“I never got to properly thank you for saving Machina from the Rüstov virus.” Jack’s actions a year ago had been vital in stopping the Rüstov plot and saving Virtua’s people.

“I haven’t saved anything yet,” Jack said.

Virtua’s glowing holographic image changed color, turning into a cool, somber blue. “No, perhaps not. Still, my people and I remain in your debt for what you’ve done. I’m sorry your heroics continue to be met with such inadequate rewards.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Jack said. “I got exactly what I had coming to me.”

Jack’s friends all started talking at once, but he waved off their protests.

“I mean it,” Jack said. “I’m going to handle things differently this time around. I’m through lying to everyone. There’s no point anymore. It’s not like I can hide what the Rüstov have done to me.”

“There is nothing you ever need to hide from me,” Virtua told Jack. “As long as I’m in charge of Machina, you will be welcome there, and you will have a home.” Virtua turned to Jazen. “And you . . .”

Jazen bowed his head in respect. “Lady Virtua.”

“I’m glad to see you back in one piece as well, Commander Knight.”

Jack’s head turned at the mention of Jazen’s new title.

“You can thank Jack for that too,” Jazen told Virtua. “I wish I could take credit for busting him out, but he did more than anyone to get us back home.”

Solomon Roka cleared his throat loudly.

“And Roka, too, of course,” Jazen added. “He was the one who actually went in and got Jack.”

“Ah, yes . . . the incomparable Solomon Roka,” Stendeval said. “So good to see you again.”

Roka turned to Stendeval with a confused look.

“You know
him
, too?” Jack asked Roka.

“Everyone knows who Stendeval is,” Roka said. “Not sure how he knows me, though.”

“Your reputation precedes you,” Chi said. “Our fellow Circleman, Prime, was negotiating an alliance with the Calculan Delegation when Jack’s distress signal came in. It was Stendeval who suggested that we engage your services to free him.”

All eyes turned back to Stendeval. He shrugged and said, “I simply explained Jack’s value in the war effort and proposed to the Calculans that it would be worth commuting your sentence if you could successfully retrieve him.”

“And they agreed, just like that?” Roka eyed Stendeval suspiciously. “Doesn’t sound very Calculan to me.”

Stendeval tilted his head. “I can be very convincing.”

“That’s it, then?” Roka asked. “I’m free to go?”

“Circleman Prime is meeting with the Calculan Delegation as we speak,” Stendeval assured Roka. “We’ll see to it your record is cleared.”

Roka rubbed his beard. “I’ll believe it when I see it.
How’d you know the Calculans had me, anyway?”

Stendeval smiled again and shook a finger in admiration. “Very good. They asked me the same exact question.”

Before Stendeval could finish his answer, he was interrupted by the noise of someone banging against the energy barrier. It made a loud humming sound as fists pounded away at it from the other side. People were calling out to be let through in voices that were every bit as unfriendly as they were familiar: “Stendeval! Enough of this. Drop these shields and let us pass!”

Stendeval frowned at the energy barrier. “I’m afraid this oasis of civility in a sea of angst can’t last forever. I can put this off a short while longer, but—”

“No,” Jack said. “Let them in, all of them. I’ve got news they need to hear and none of it’s good.”

5

The
Harbinger
of Doom

Stendeval waved his hands, and the red energy particles that made up the shields protecting Jack evaporated into thin air. Jazen and Blue stepped in front of Jack as an angry crowd came into view, with Smart and Hovarth at its head. The chairman and CEO of SmartCorp and the warrior king of Varagog Village walked toward the sphere with clear, angry purpose. Jack’s old School of Thought classmate and former friend Skerren was there too, just behind his king. None of them were smiling. Jack didn’t expect Hovarth or Smart to welcome him back, but the look on
Skerren’s face hit him hard. The two boys had started out as enemies and became friends, only to have that friendship derailed by secrets and lies. Skerren had been one of Jack’s closest friends in the Imagine Nation, second only to Allegra. Jack had hoped that Skerren had forgiven him for hiding his connection to Revile, but as the young swordsman fell in behind Hovarth, it was clear that he had not.

“It’s about time,” Smart grunted as he crossed into the area directly below the Inner Circle’s sphere. “Outrageous behavior, this. It’s bad enough you fought to bring the boy back here, but to disrespect your fellow Circlemen this way . . .”

“He got elected Circleman again?” Jack asked Jazen.

“Not yet,” Smart said as he strode in confidently. “Don’t worry, that will come soon enou—” He stopped short when he saw Jack’s eye. He glared at Stendeval.

“Where is he?” Skerren asked. “Where are they hiding him?”

“Og’s blood!” Hovarth called out, pointing. “His eye!”

Smart shook his head like a man who knew better than everyone else. “Stendeval, you damnable fool.” He gave a slight smirk as he tapped away at his handheld holo-computer.
Flying NewsBots swooped in to record Jack’s image for SmartNews as another figure fought his way through the crowd.

“Let me through!” the voice called out. “Step aside! I’m a Circleman, you disrespectful proles!” Clarkston Noteworthy broke through the mass of people just as a score of SmartNews holo-screens appeared throughout the square showing a close-up of Jack’s face. A collective gasp ran through the crowd at the sight of him. Frightened exclamations rang out through Hero Square.

“His eye!”

“It’s the mark of the Rüstov! He’s one of them now!”

“He’s going to turn into Revile!”

Jack felt like he was being stoned with words, but again, he couldn’t judge his critics too harshly. They weren’t saying anything he wasn’t worried about himself. Noteworthy inched forward toward Jack, moving with both extreme caution and intense curiosity. “I don’t believe it,” he said, reaching toward Jack’s marked eye. “I’d heard you were coming back, which was bad news all by itself, but I never expected . . .”

Jack pushed Noteworthy’s hand away, and Smart
grinned like a creepy jack-o’-lantern. “Get used to that reaction, Jack. Things have changed since you left. I’m taking this city back.”

Jack sighed. “We don’t have time for your games, Smart. Not now. The Rüstov are coming for us.”

“Coming?” Virtua said. “They’re coming now?”

“Everybody!” Jack shouted, trying to get the attention of the crowd. “Listen to me, you need to hear this! The Rüstov are on their way right now. They’re ready, and they’ve only got one target: Empire City. We need to get ready. We need to . . .” Jack trailed off. It was no use. The crowd was too big. The people were too loud. Only the people closest to Jack on the plaza heard what he had to say. Jack threw up his hands and turned to Smart. “You have to listen for once in your life. We can’t afford to mess around here. War is coming. They’re finally coming back.”

“I understand,” Smart replied. “You can tell your Rüstov friends that this time we’ll be ready for them.”

Jack scrunched up his face. “Rüstov friends?”

Smart snapped his fingers, and a series of holographic circles projected out in front of his face. He cleared his throat, and the sound echoed across Hero Square. The
holograms amplified his voice, and he addressed the crowd with booming authority.