Darren hoped his young friend was all right. It had been two whole days since they’d tried to escape Chant’s fortress and warn others of his insidious plans, since they tripped every alarm, inviting an army of minions to swarm in from every direction. Two whole days since he’d allowed Chant’s minions to capture him at the last moment so she could get away.
Darren stepped through the hatch, his wrists and ankles still clasped by cuffs and bound to each other by short but heavy chains. He looked around at all the workers, some waiting impatiently in long lines, some grabbing food or being served, and still others wolfing down their meals before their brief lunch breaks were over. Chant worked his people hard but he provided everyone three square meals.
That lunch line was way too long. Chant wanted his soda now. Darren had no choice but to skip ahead.
Minion 1564: Hey, punk, back o’ the line!
Darren: Sorry, but--
Minion 274: Sorry, nothin’! Didn’t you hear what he said?
Darren knew enough to lower his eyes. If he told them he was here for Chant, they might kick him out of the lunch room empty handed, just to get him in trouble with the Mailmaster of Mayhem.
Darren: Yeah, I heard.
Several minions laughed.
Minion 3987: Not so tough without your superpowers, huh? Just a scrawny teenager with pimples.
Minion 1564: I heard he can’t even use ‘em right. They caught him pretty quick when he tried to escape.
Minion 3987: They still haven’t caught that girlfriend of his, though…
They were talking about his friend! She hadn’t been caught! A sigh escaped Darren’s lips.
Minion 3987: …tougher than him.
Minion 274: Guess we know who wears the pants in that relationship.
Even more minions laughed.
Minion 1564: Wouldn’t mind getting in those pants, though.
Every minion in earshot snickered.
And Darren was furious.
Darren: Pi!
Nothing.
Darren: I know you can here me, Pi? Answer me!
Minion 274: What’s wrong with him?
Darren searched all around him, but his ‘companion’ was nowhere to be found.
Darren: Don’t ignore me!
The minion’s fist came across Darren’s cheek like a brick, sending him tilting. His shoulder hit the marble floor hard, but the taste of his own blood across his tongue kept him focused. It wasn’t fair. He didn’t want to be there. He was a prisoner caught in a mad villain’s newest scheme of world domination.
It wasn’t fair.
The lunch server looked over the glass partition that separated Chant’s working crew from himself and the food he scooped and splattered on their plates. He watched the kid cup his fist-struck cheek while his eyes remained shut tight so whoever hit him wouldn’t see the tears.
Server: Hey, kid, we ain’t got no more pie.
Slowly, Darren began to lift himself off the floor.
Darren: Chant wanted a soda.
Server: Damn. Well, why didn’t you say so, kid?
The server disappeared into the back. Soon enough, he returned with a can of root beer.
Server: Here you go.
Darren nodded his thanks, looked at the line of minions, and wished they would all go to hell.
Then he felt the rumble.
The lights flickered, and everyone caught their footing. No one said a word, but everyone wondered the same thing. Were they under attack? Minion 274 wished he’d paid more attention at the Emergency Battle Stations briefing.
There was another rumble, this one more violent, and another flicker. Someone’s glass clashed to the floor and shattered, spilling juice and breaking the silence.
Minion 1654: What’s goin--
The third rumble sent people, dishes, and food crashing down. Darren fell hard again on his side. Chant’s can crashed and spray root beer all over Minions 274 and 3987.
The alarm finally sounded and everyone scattered.
Darren was able to move his leg. That meant his hip wasn’t broken, thank God.
Darren: Pi!
He always appeared differently in our realm. This time there was a spark, like a firecracker going off. Then there was a huge, blue puff of smoke. Then…
Pi: You don’t have to yell, you know. I can hear you quite fine.
Darren: Then why didn’t you show up before?
Pi was more than satisfied to hover over the ailing boy. There was another rumble but Pi never bothered to notice. Human affairs were usually silly anyway.
He adjusted the brim of his hat and flew close to Darren, inspecting the boy’s cheek.
Pi: Listen here, kiddo, I’m not your genie in a bottle. I show up when I feel like showing up. Besides, it was funny.
Pi sighed heavily and snapped his fingers. The cafeteria’s alarm silenced leaving others to be heard through the thick doors and walls from adjacent rooms.
Pi: There, that’s better.
Darren: Something’s going on.
Pi: So? Like the narrator said, I think human affairs were usually silly anyway.
Darren: Like who said?
One of Pi’s eyes was purple, while the other was a metallic grey. He rolled them both.
Pi: I wouldn’t expect a human to understand.
Darren: I need my powers, Pi.
Pi: YOUR POWERS???
Pi was getting angry now. This human was crossing the line. Perhaps he should turn him into a rooster, he thought. Or maybe a pig.
Darren: Whatever. Your powers. Please.
Pi grinned from ear to ear.
Pi: All you had to do was ask.
Darren could feel the sudden rush of air being displaced from the other side of the fortress--Chant’s laboratory, to be exact. A portal? Could it be? Did she find help? Was he being saved?
Darren flew through the corridors as fast as the chains would allow. They’d grown stronger in near proportion to his own strength increase, but not even Chant to could come up with a contraption that could compensate for the rush of Herculean power Pi would give Darren, the human he considered a worthy pet, with a snap of his blue fingers.
Darren busted through the last thick iron door, both fists first, and landed on the floor running.
He saw them there, standing in their triumphant poses while the portal closed behind them.
And she saw him.
Girl: Darren!?
Darren: Jade?
Since the day the girl escaped, Chant had been expecting this. As he gripped the main power switch, he couldn’t help but say...
Chant: Glad you could join us, Justice League. And you brought the girl back too! Thank you. Too bad I no longer need her. You see, Darren here just finished my little machine.
Jade (Girl): No!
Chant: Now all it needs is one last test run.
Chant flipped the switch again and light filled the room.
To be continued…
