The Accidental Hero

by Matt Myklusch

  All eyes turned to Prime, who was pondering the issue with a very serious look on his face. “As you all know, the Rüstov destroyed my home world and killed nearly everyone I ever loved,” Prime said, rising to his feet. “And despite everything they have done to me, I still say they will find no more ardent foe than you, Jonas Smart. You are willing to kill children to defeat them.” He shook his head. “I will not vote to kill this boy because we are afraid of what he might become. If he turns or corrupts the emissary, I will be ready. I am a Valorian soldier, and the sons of Valor know no fear. I vote no. On both counts.”

  Jack breathed a sigh of relief as Prime returned to his seat.

  The vote moved on to Hovarth of Varagog. Hovarth picked up his sword and stared down the blade, examining it. “I’m sorry, lad,” he said with a distant look. “I mourn the loss of all who fall prey to the Rüstov, I truly do. But in Varagog we trust no machines, and it’s only a matter of time before you become one.” Jack’s face fell. “Take heart, young fellow!” Hovarth urged. “If what they say is true, if we can discover a cure to the Rüstov virus by studying your body, why, you’ll be remembered as a hero!” he promised with great enthusiasm. “In Varagog we ask nothing more from life. On both counts, I vote yes.”

  Hovarth’s vote made the score now 2-1 in favor of executing Jack and dismantling Jazen. Jack’s heart pounded in his chest and his mind raced. What would he do if he lost the vote? There was no way for him to escape the sphere. He was trapped, and one more vote against him would seal his fate.

  Chi stood at his seat, his expressionless face hiding any emotion. Jack fought the urge to hyperventilate. He was just about ready to really freak out.

  “I vote no,” Chi said firmly. “Jack is an innocent child. Emissary Knight has done nothing wrong. No other explanation is required.”

  Jack exhaled deeply and smiled up at Chi, mouthing the words “Thank you.” He wasn’t out of the woods yet, though; it was time for the tiebreaker. He held his breath for the final vote.

  “It seems that it is up to you now, Virtua,” Smart said fiendishly. “A word of advice before you decide this matter. Do not forget it was your predecessor, the android Silico, who was revealed to be the traitor to this Circle—the Great Collaborator responsible for the Rüstov invasion.”

  Virtua looked daggers back at Smart. “I haven’t forgotten,” she said. “I haven’t ever forgotten! What exactly do you mean, bringing this up to me now?”

  Smart put up a finger. “Think for a moment. A vote for this child could be interpreted by some as the behavior of a Rüstov conspirator. A vote to protect the infected? To protect the Mecha that brought him here? It all reeks of more traitors in Machina. Tread carefully, or I might be forced to send Peacemaker teams in to sweep your borough for Rüstov agents all over again.”

  Virtua’s holo-image flickered as she let out a startled gasp. Prime pounded the table, his fist crackling with radiant energy. “You go too far, Jonas Smart!” the Valorian bellowed.

  “The public would demand it!” Smart retorted. “Don’t subject your people to that over this boy,” he told Virtua. “Who knows who might get caught in the cross fire?”

  “That’s not fair!” Jack yelled. “He’s bullying her! You can’t bully her like that!”

  “This is blackmail!” Jazen agreed.

  “I’m merely offering my opinion,” Smart said, waving his hands. “By all means, Virtua, vote your conscience. We are all equals in the Inner Circle,” he added with a smug grin.

  Virtua looked trapped, and Jack could tell she was conflicted. The look on Jazen’s face didn’t do anything to put him at ease either. Jack could see that Virtua wanted to vote in their favor, but the looming shadow of doubt cast by talk of the Great Collaborator worried her, and that worried Jack. If one more vote went the wrong way, he would be as good as dead and Jazen would be spare parts.

  “There is no cause for concern,” Chi announced. “I am sure your counsel is appreciated, Jonas, but the final decision will not fall to Virtua’s shoulders alone. You see, it is not yet her turn to vote.”

  Chi motioned to an empty chair between himself and Virtua—the chair that had once belonged to Stendeval.

  “You’re not serious,” Smart said, incredulous.

  The Circleman of Varagog roared with laughter. “Chi, Stendeval has been missing for years! Do you think he’s going to come here today simply because the emissary got a mysterious letter? Jonas is right; surely the letter was sent by the Rüstov.”

  “No, it wasn’t, actually,” Chi stated, his voice cool and even.

  “You know this for truth? How?”

  Chi reached into his robe. “Because twelve years ago Stendeval sent me a letter too. He wrote to tell me that on this day he was going to be fifteen minutes late for a meeting concerning one Jack Blank.”

  The room fell silent as Chi dropped another, much older orange envelope onto the table.

  “Imagine that,” he added with a smile.

  Jonas Smart picked up the letter and read it silently to himself. The clock on the wall struck 12:15 p.m., and Jack saw all the color drain from Smart’s face.

  A gust of wind blew through the room. Above Jack’s head, tiny red energy particles swirled in the air, spinning outward from a teeny-tiny dot into a large ring. A humming sound grew and the room shook.

  A radiant orange-white light flashed out, blinding Jack. When Jack’s sight returned a moment later, a man was floating in the center of the room with his legs folded beneath him. He had dark brown skin and red lines painted on his smooth, bald head. The entire Inner Circle, whom Jack imagined saw the impossible happen every day, fell speechless.

  “Hello again, young friend,” the man in orange said to Jack.

  “Am I glad to see you,” Jazen said.

  “Yeah,” Jack agreed. “It’s good to see you again… Stendeval.”

  CHAPTER

  7

  The School of Thought

  “Og’s blood!” Hovarth exclaimed. The feeling was shared by everyone in the room, even if they didn’t put it the exact same way.

  It took a minute for the group to get over the initial shock of Stendeval’s return and also for Stendeval to give everyone a proper hello. He first greeted Chi, whom he had written to about this moment so many years ago. Stendeval lowered his head in a formal bow to the ninja master, who returned the swift motion with his arms at his sides. Facing Prime, Stendeval raised a fist to his heart, in what looked to Jack like some kind of Valorian salute. Prime snapped to attention and returned the gesture without a word. Next, Stendeval greeted Virtua and congratulated her on her election to the Inner Circle. He also offered his condolences about Silico, the reason her seat was open in the first place. On the other side of the table, Stendeval gave Hovarth’s hand a hearty shake. Hovarth leaned in to look him closely in the eye, perhaps to see if it was really him. Whatever he saw satisfied his curiosity, and he told Stendeval it was good to have him back. He appeared to genuinely mean it. The same could not be said for Jonas Smart. He reached out to Stendeval, offering his hand with all the strength and enthusiasm of a dead fish. “Welcome back,” he said drily.

  Once the formal greetings were complete, Stendeval nodded to Jazen and Jack with a thin smile and drifted through the air to his seat at the table.

  “I must apologize for my lateness to this meeting,” he announced. “And also for the fact that I will be unable to answer any questions regarding my whereabouts for the last twelve years.” Stendeval settled into his chair like an old pair of comfy slippers. “I hope I have not missed the vote.”

  “You have not,” Chi told him.

  “Excellent.”

  Smart cleared his throat. “Ahem!” he grunted. “Surely you don’t expect to cast a vote here today,” he said in protest. “You don’t even know what we’re voting on.”

  “I’ve been watching your NewsNets,” Stendeval replied. “I can deduce.” He looked to his fellow Circlemen. “The entire city
is terrified of an infected child who just happens to be standing right in front of us. Obviously, you are all here to decide what is to become of him.” Stendeval raised up his hands with the palms out. “Elementary.”

  Smart frowned. “But the motion itself,” he pressed. “You haven’t heard any of the arguments.”

  “That, too, is not overly difficult,” Stendeval said. “Based on how well you have done for yourself in the wake of the Rüstov invasion, I expect that you are taking a hard stance against this child, favoring execution and dissection. Hopefully in that order, but knowing you, perhaps not.”

  Smart raised a crooked eyebrow and leaned over the table, glaring at Stendeval. “How well I’ve done for myself?”

  “Indeed,” Stendeval replied. “Since my return this morning, I don’t believe I’ve seen an inch of Empire City without your thumbprint on it.”

  “What exactly are you implying?”

  “At the moment?” Stendeval asked. “Nothing. I am merely remarking that your dogged pursuit of the Rüstov has made you quite a powerful man. I expect that you realize this better than anyone, and will continue on that path by calling for this boy’s head. And perhaps the head of Emissary Knight as well, am I right?”

  The other members quickly agreed that Stendeval was as wise as ever, and that he fully understood the matter at hand. They all affirmed his right to vote, even Hovarth, whom Jack sensed had a grudging respect for Stendeval. Hovarth could likely guess how Stendeval’s return would affect the outcome of the vote, but he appeared resigned to it. Smart was a different story.

  “I seek only to protect our people from the Rüstov,” Smart stated. “We must never forget the lessons we learned the day that Legend died. If I must remind the people, so be it. Too often, it seems I must remind this very Circle.”

  “You make a strong case, I am sure,” Stendeval replied. “Fear is a very effective political tool, and I know that you can be very… persuasive.” The way Stendeval said the word “persuasive” reminded Jack of the way Smart had tried to “persuade” Virtua before Stendeval had arrived. “I cannot endorse your motion,” Stendeval continued. “I went through too much trouble to help bring this child here. Jack must live. He must be trained in the proper use of his powers. He must be trained in the School of Thought.”

  “Og’s blood!” Hovarth cried again. “You mean for us to train this Rüstov?!”

  “I do, mighty Hovarth,” Stendeval said. “I do, indeed.”

  “The School of Thought?” Smart asked. “Have you gone mad?”

  “What’s the School of Thought?” Jack asked Jazen.

  It took Jazen a second to form an answer. He was still reeling from Stendeval’s proposal. “It’s the most prestigious… it’s a big honor, Jack—only the most powerful students get a chance to go.” Jazen stopped himself, realizing he wasn’t answering the question. “It’s a school run by the Inner Circle. If we get through this, you’re going to be taught how to use your powers by the champions of the Imagine Nation.”

  Jack’s eyes grew to the size of silver dollars. “They want me?” he asked.

  Before Smart or Hovarth could argue further, Chi and Prime reasserted their votes, each of them seconding Stendeval’s amendment. Jack should not only live but have his chance at admission to the School of Thought. Suddenly, a 3-2 majority was voting in Jack’s favor! The vote moved on to Virtua. As she was no longer the swing vote, Smart’s threat now rang hollow.

  “It seems the matter is all but decided, Jonas,” Virtua said. “Your advice notwithstanding, no one can fault me for standing alongside Stendeval the Wise. I shall vote with the majority. Emissary Knight will not be disassembled, and Jack shall be allowed to live, on the condition that he be trained in the use of his powers. To that end, he will be considered by this Circle to be an official candidate for the School of Thought!”

  “Bah!” Hovarth tossed his ax out on the table.

  “Yes!” Jack shouted, jumping up and down and hugging Jazen.

  Jazen put his arm around Jack and messed up his hair. “I told you everything was going to be fine, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah, no worries,” Jack said.

  Smart looked down on the happy little scene with disgust. “This is outrageous!” he asserted. “Worse, it is irrational. Virtua, I order you to change your—”

  Stendeval started laughing softly to himself. Smart stopped talking and flashed a How dare you? look. “I’m sorry, Jonas,” Stendeval told him. “I was just thinking of something an old English king once told me. ‘It is only a great fool that tries to sit at the head of a round table.’” The other Circlemen chuckled a small bit as well.

  “Who do you think you are?” Smart asked Stendeval. It was clear he couldn’t stand the man. Despite his earlier proclamation, it seemed Smart regarded Stendeval as “greatly missed” only when he was missing. “We have rules and protocols for dealing with the Rüstov! While you’ve been off on vacation, my policies have kept this city safe! I’ve personally forced this Circle to keep the Rüstov at bay! Now we are supposed to just follow you, without a word to where you have been all these years? You can’t just waltz back into this sphere after twelve years and change the way we do things.”

  “In my humble opinion, change should be the only constant in the Imagine Nation,” Stendeval replied. “As for where I’ve been, I do not mean to be cryptic—that is just my nature. I do apologize. Trust that the information you seek will be revealed in time.”

  “I will not allow this child to enter the School of Thought.”

  “Time will tell, Jonas. Time will tell.” Stendeval looked to the rest of the Circle. “I move that we adjourn,” he announced.

  “I second that,” Virtua said, giving off a warm, happy glow.

  “And I,” Chi added. “You must open the festival. The people outside will be most glad to hear of your return.”

  Stendeval looked down into the pit where Jack was standing. “Jack Blank, Emissary Knight… you are excused with the thanks of this Circle. Be well.”

  Stendeval raised a single finger and the floor beneath Jack’s feet once again turned into thick metallic syrup. Jack and Jazen passed through to the platform outside.

  Jack squinted as he cleared the orb, jolted by the bright light outside the sphere. When his vision adjusted, he looked out on Hero Square with new eyes. This was officially his home now. He was going to stay with Jazen in his übercool apartment. He was going to Hero School! Jack’s heart was still beating superfast, but it was a good kind of superfast. The best kind.

  Blue was waiting for them at the base of the pedestal, anxious to find out how things went. “Well?” he asked.

  “It went good,” Jack told him. “Real good.”

  Jazen stepped up behind Jack. “Remember that letter I told you about?” he asked.

  “No way,” Blue said.

  There was an orange-white flash, and the crowd oohed and ahhed as the Inner Circle materialized on the square. Seconds later, there was another flash and Stendeval appeared, floating in a ring of red energy.

  “No way!” Blue said again.

  The crowd went absolutely bananas when they saw him. They cheered loud enough to shake the walls of Varagog. It was the loudest sound Jack ever heard, a noise you might expect to hear if the local Empire City sports teams won the World Series, Super Bowl, and World Cup all at the same time. Stendeval was back and the SmartCams buzzed over to him, automatically shifting to record and broadcast the most newsworthy story. STENDEVAL RETURNS! instantly appeared on all of Smart’s NewsNets, and soon the entire city was cheering. People who were watching in their homes, people at work, and people everywhere else.

  Stendeval tried to quiet the crowd. “Please! Please, I thank you, but that is not necessary,” he said with a booming voice that carried over the crowd. He had no microphone or megaphone, but his voice was still so amplified that he could have been heard all the way up on the 437th floor of the Ivory Tower. “It feels good to be home!” Stendev
al continued. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed this place, and all of you. I promise you I won’t be disappearing like that again.”

  The crowd roared. They loved him. Jack asked Jazen about the strong reaction, and Jazen reminded him of Stendeval’s age. He had been a guardian of Empire City for as long as anyone in the crowd could remember. They had grown up with him. Their parents had told stories about him. Stendeval’s effect on the people was visible on every face in the crowd. He made them feel safe. He was a comforting presence, like an old grandfather: noble, wise, and caring.

  “So much has changed since I’ve been away,” Stendeval said. He turned to look on the monument of Legend, the Legendary Flame ever burning in the statue’s hand. “They tell me that today is Dedication Day. That is good! It is good that we should honor those heroes who fought in the Battle of Empire City, and of course Legend, who gave his life to save us from Revile the Undying.”

  As Stendeval spoke, Smart pulled out his pocket holo-computer and rerouted the SmartCams to focus on Jack, filming, bumping, and generally annoying him. New headlines began to scroll on the NewsNets: INNER CIRCLE BUNGLES RULING ON RÜSTOV INFILTRATOR. DEDICATION DAY FESTIVAL MARRED BY INSULT TO LEGEND’S MEMORY. The screen went on to display how each of the individual members of the Inner Circle had voted.

  Stendeval grimaced. “Legend was my good friend,” he declared. “I miss him more than words can say. Still, it is my hope, my great hope, that the shadows of the invasion do not ever loom too large in this place. It is one thing to remember our past, but quite another to become mired in it. Paralyzed by it. Paralyzed by fear. That we can never do without losing sight of who we are, for imagination is never static, never the same. Imagination is change. Many years ago in India, I met a man who told people, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’ I would urge all of you to do the same.”

  Jack felt like Stendeval was speaking directly to him. He could hardly fathom that this man had had a hand in bringing him back to Empire City. Stendeval had written to Chi about it twelve years ago, apparently planning Jack’s return since the day Jack had left. What did it all mean? What did he know about Jack’s past?