Age of Heroes: The Witch Hunter's Gauntlet

by Bret Schulte

  He barely had time to take a few grateful deep breaths and remind himself that he was never really in any danger of drowning before the simulator reset.

  Lucas found himself in a completely different city--Hong Kong, he guessed. Before he even had a chance to scope out the city he was under attack. He managed to fire off one blast from his laser cannon before exploding over the city.

  He suffered the same defeat in Toronto, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo, and a dozen other cities around the world before the VR pod finally powered down and the door slid open.

  Lucas crawled out of the pod to find Dr. Zhang smiling at his computer.

  “Mr. Fry, average survival time four minutes, twenty two seconds,” Dr. Zhang announced.

  Lucas saw the other players had finished too. Everyone except Zack was already out of their pods. Riko, Chris, Naomi, and Joe were furiously arguing over how each other had suddenly gotten so good.

  Zack’s pod opened.

  “Mr. McQueen, average survival time four minutes, twenty-nine seconds.”

  “When did you learn to do that?” Zack demanded. “That was a dead-on shot from over a hundred yards.”

  “One hundred and fifty-four, to be exact,” Dr. Zhang said. “Very impressive.”

  “I didn’t make a hundred-and-fifty-four-yard shot,” Lucas said, very confused.

  “Quite right Mr. Fry. You did not. Mr. McQueen did. In a way.” Dr. Zhang held up a computer chip roughly the size of a postage stamp. “In fact, in a way, each of you just defeated yourself. Congratulations; you are the first people in the world to be cloned. At least electronically.”

  “You copied our brains?” Lucas asked.

  “Essentially, yes.” Dr. Zhang flipped the blue chip like a coin. “In fact, this one is yours Mr. Fry.”

  Zack snorted. “Kind of small, isn’t it?”

  Dr. Zhang held up the red chip. “They are not exact copies, of course. Your personal thoughts, feelings, and memories are still safely locked inside your mind. These chips merely contain all of your gaming skills. Your responses, reflexes, intuition, and strategy.”

  “You made copies so we could fight ourselves?” Lucas asked, bewildered. It was certainly cool, but it also seemed like a big waste of time and money.

  Dr. Zhang shook his head. “No. These chips will allow me to continue my research without human subjects.”

  Zack perked up at that. “Does that mean you won’t need us anymore?”

  “For now.” Dr. Zhang said graciously. “I will need to call you back later for future experiments, but for now you are free to go.”

  “Yes!” Zack actually did a little happy dance.

  Lucas was even happier to be free, but he thought it would be a little rude to celebrate right in front of Dr. Zhang, so he waited until they were outside to do his own happy dance.

  “We’re free!”

  “Why do you care? All you’re going to do is go back to your room and play games by yourself. Later, loser.” Zack took off running for the dorms.

  Lucas hung back to think about the truly weird night he had just had. It wasn’t every day that he found out that his brain—or, at least, the useful part of his brain--had been copied onto a computer chip. He wondered if his scholarship was in trouble now that they didn’t need him anymore.

  The truly depressing part was that Zack was right. The very first thing Lucas thought to do with his newfound free time was to rush back to his room and get started on the brand new Legend of Zelda game he had been dying to play. On the long walk back to his dorm, he tried to think of something better to do. He couldn’t go visit Samantha, Tasha was probably out on vampire patrol already, and he really didn’t want to see Natch right now. Maybe Jerry was doing something fun.

  When he reached his dorm, he was surprised to see someone sitting on the steps. At first he figured one of the guys had forgotten his swipe card, but none of the guys in his dorm had long, beautiful blonde hair.

  There was a girl waiting for someone.

  “Lucas?” She jumped to her feet. “Just the guy I was looking for.”

  Chapter 17

  The Sick and Wrong Show

  “There she is! Grab her!”

  Before the elevator doors had opened completely, four hands reached in and roughly yanked Sam out.

  “What is going on?” Sam asked.

  “Never mind,” Tasha said before clamping her hands over Sam’s ears.

  Zoey grabbed both of Sam’s hands and pulled her down the hallway.

  There was an insane level of excitement in the dorm that day. Sam hadn’t seen the hall this chaotic since the day she moved in. Girls were literally jumping up and down in the hallway.

  Sharon popped up in front of her. She was rapid-fire talking about something. All Sam could hear through Tasha’s hands was a constant stream of high-pitched squealing.

  Zoey rudely hip-checked Sharon out of the way.

  “Sorry,” Sam yelled as she was dragged into her dorm room.

  Tasha finally let go of Sam’s head when Zoey shut the door.

  “So.” Sam sat down on her bed. “Why are you kidnapping me?”

  Zoey and Tasha just stood there looking at each other, urging the other to speak first.

  “You’re kind of freaking me out here,” Sam said, breaking the silence.

  “Sorry,” Zoey said. “It is just that we have something to tell you, but we don’t know how to tell you.”

  “Unless you already know. Do you already know?” Tasha asked.

  “Do I already know what?” Sam asked, very frustrated. Had they jumped her just to play an extremely annoying round of Twenty Questions?

  Tasha turned to Zoey. “She doesn’t know.”

  “Is it Bad Guy-related?” Sam asked fearing the worst. “You have to tell me.”

  “No. It has nothing to do with Bad Guy,” Tasha said.

  “It could,” Zoey added. “We can’t know for sure.”

  “I really don’t think so, Zoey.”

  “Seriously,” Sam said as sternly as she could. “What is going on?”

  Tasha and Zoey looked at each other again, but said nothing. Sam was about to scream.

  Finally Zoey took a deep breath and started talking. “Okay, so you know how Sick and Wrong have been trying to get their own TV show?”

  “Yeah.” Sam already didn’t like where this was going.

  Tasha sat down at Sam’s desk and spun the laptop to face Sam. The banner at the top read “THE SICK AND WRONG SHOW,” and there was a picture of Sick and Wrong grinning like idiots while holding up a video window.

  “Did you know your Internet was turned off?”

  Of course she did. She was the one who had turned it off. It was the only way she could stop herself from responding to Lucas’ messages.

  “No. How weird.”

  Tasha gave her a look that told her that she knew Sam was lying, but was happy to play along for now and ask questions later.

  “Anyway, Sick and Wrong apparently lost their patience and took their show online. Twenty minutes ago they e-mailed the entire school with a link to their first episode.”

  “Uh huh.” Sam wasn’t sure why this warranted the cloak-and-dagger treatment. She tried to remember all of the embarrassing things that had happened to her lately. Like three days ago when one of Tiffany’s posse ‘accidentally’ spilled half a plate of spaghetti on her lap or the other day in Physics when she stepped on her very new, very expensive calculator. But lots of people had already seen those things happen. In fact, thanks to the Sam Curse, most of her embarrassing moments happen in front of large audiences.

  Besides, those things weren’t really Internet-worthy. Seriously, there was no way that stepping on a calculator was going to compete with toilet-flushing cats or idiots trying to jump over speeding cars.

  Unless…

  “Did they film me in the shower or something?”

  “No, no. Uh, you’ll just have to see for yourself.”

  Tas
ha clicked the play button.

  Sick’s head filled the video window.

  “Welcome, viewers. As you can see our site is still a work in progress. Wrong and I are currently working on the premiere episode of Geek Wars, which is coming soon, but for now we have a very special treat for you. The following is a sneak peek at our most recent rehearsal with a special surprise none of us saw coming. Enjoy.”

  The screen switched to two boys who were fighting with plastic swords outside of the dorms at night. But these were not just any swords; one had a yellow Jedi lightsaber, and the other had one of those weird curved blades from Star Trek. The kind used by the bumpy-headed Klingon guys.

  “This fight is completely unrealistic,” the Jedi boy said. “If this were a real lightsaber it would slice right through your stupid bat’leth.”

  “It sounds like someone is afraid to battle with a true warrior,” the Klingon boy said.

  The Jedi kid held out his right hand. “Ha! What makes you think a Jedi wouldn’t just snatch your blade with the Force?”

  “The same reason they never do that in the movies. They’re too dumb.”

  The Jedi swung his sword, but the Klingon blocked it. Then the Klingon swung at the Jedi’s head, but the boy ducked just in time. The Jedi smacked the Klingon in the shin with his sword.

  “Ow,” the Klingon boy yelled.

  “Cut,” Sick said from somewhere off camera. “You were supposed to jump Barry.”

  “He swung too early.”

  “I did not.”

  As the boys argued, the camera focused on a girl walking by in the background.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Sick yelled. “Let’s just try it again.”

  The camera stayed on the girl.

  “Uh, Wrong, over here, please.”

  “Look. Is that who I think it is?” Wrong asked. The camera bobbed slightly as he spoke.

  “Who?” Sick asked. “Oh. I think it is.”

  Sam had no idea who the girl was. It was too dark, plus she had on a baseball cap and seemed to purposely turn away from the boys as if she didn’t want to be seen.

  “Follow her,” Sick ordered. “Stay down and keep quiet.”

  The camera followed her from a distance. Finally, she sat down on the steps outside of Hathaway Hall.

  Sick and Wrong crouched down behind a bush. Wrong tried to brush a few branches out of the way to get a better look at the mystery girl.

  “What is she doing?” Sick whispered.

  The camera bounced as if Wrong had just shrugged.

  The girl pulled the baseball cap off and set it down on the steps. As she tossed her hair a few times and strategically pulled it down over her shoulders, Sam finally caught a glimpse of her face.

  It was Tiffany Summers.

  She checked her watch and tapped her foot in annoyance.

  Sam had never seen Tiffany go anywhere without her gaggle of fans. Something weird was going on.

  “Someone’s coming,” Sick whispered.

  Even in the dark Sam knew who it was.

  “Lucas?” Tiffany bounced to her feet. “Just the guy I was looking for.”

  “Why?” he blurted out. “Er, can I help you?”

  She brushed his arm. “I believe we can help each other. I heard that you are still looking for a date to the dance. So am I.”

  Lucas was truly stunned.

  “You want to go to the dance with me?”

  Tiffany giggled.

  That sneaky little snake actually giggled!

  “Yes.”

  “Um, that’s cool, but why? I mean, why me?”

  She leaned in and whispered something in his ear. A big dopey smile spread across his face. Sam wanted to shake the computer silly.

  “Okay, it’s a date,” he said.

  “Great.” Tiffany looked over her shoulder as she walked away. “I can’t wait.”

  Lucas watched her walk away with a dumb, bewildered look on his face. Finally he pulled out his swipe card and let himself into Hathaway Hall. At least, he did eventually, when he remembered it was a pull door, not a push door.

  “Wow,” Sick said. The camera turned to look at him. “Lucas Fry and Tiffany Summers. Wow. We have to get this online right-“

  Tasha paused the video.

  “Lucas turned to the Dark Side,” she said.

  It certainly seemed that way.

  It had been so long since Tiffany had directly done anything to make her life miserable that Sam had actually thought that she had moved on. Apparently Tiffany was a lot more patient and diabolical than Sam had given her credit for. Sam already had one diabolical enemy out there; she really didn’t need another one.

  Sam had to get up and move. She paced around the room a few times as Tasha and Zoey watched silently. She found Mr. Hopscotch and hugged him tightly.

  Now she knew why everyone was so excited. It wasn’t every day you found out that a classmate was going to the big dance with a pop star, or at least the sister of one.

  But why did it have to be Lucas? Was it possible that Tiffany really liked him? Had Lucas just been biding his time until he could trade up to a better group of friends like Natch did?

  “He’s a traitor,” Zoey said, breaking the silence.

  Sam really wanted to agree with her.

  But part of her knew she didn’t have the right. Lucas could dance with whomever he wanted. Tiffany was pretty, and popular, and maybe even nice to people who didn’t insult her. Sam could see why most guys would have said yes.

  But Lucas was supposed to be her friend, and Tiffany was sort of her enemy. She wasn’t nearly as bad as Bad Guy, of course, but she was still pretty up there. Lucas should know that.

  “I just can’t believe it,” Tasha said. “To be honest, I really thought he was going to ask you Sam.”

  Sam looked away. She couldn’t tell them that he had. It would just raise too many questions about how she was purposely avoiding Lucas to protect him and how she had done it so well that she was probably going to lose one of her best friends. She clutched Mr. Hopscotch even tighter.

  “You know what? He can do whatever he wants,” she said.

  “No way.” Zoey stamped her foot. “Friends don’t let friends date evil. We have to save him.”

  Sam cracked a small smile, but before she could ask Zoey how she planned to do that, someone burst through the door.

  It was Zack.

  “Howdy, cousin! I just heard the good news about your old friend Lucas.” His fake sympathetic eyes landed on Mr. Hopscotch. “Aww, what a cute teddy bear. It is good to have a friend that can’t runaway.”

  “Shut up!” Sam yelled.

  He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture of her. “Perfect. That one’s going to be my new wallpaper.”

  “Get out!”

  “I’d like to see you make me.”

  Tasha stepped up to him. “Fine by me.”

  Tasha had the same warrior look in her eyes that she had while fighting the vampire cheerleaders.

  Zack took a step back. “Now, now, there’s no reason to get violent.”

  Tasha didn’t move a muscle; she just kept right on staring at him.

  He put his cell phone away.

  “It must be nice to have your own personal bodyguard. Although it doesn’t really make up for not having any actual friends, now does it?”

  “Out!” Tasha grabbed his right hand while Zoey grabbed his left, and together they dragged him out of the room.

  Before the door closed Sam caught a glimpse of Amy Rosenberg standing in the hallway with her arms crossed and an extremely annoyed look on her face, although Sam couldn’t tell if Amy was angry more as a BEA agent or as the RA. Either way, it just reinforced Zack’s point. Amy and Tasha were both assigned to protect Sam. She might not even know Zoey if they weren’t roommates. So the only actual friend she had made on her own was Lucas, and she had done a pretty good job of chasing him away.

  She told herself it was for
the best. Anyone connected to her was in danger.

  But it still sucked.

  If she ever figured out who Bad Guy was, she was going to punch him in the nose.

  Badoop.

  Sam recognized that badoop noise. Someone was IMing her. Her internet had only been back on for a few minutes and someone had already found her.

  It had to be Lucas; she couldn’t think of anyone else that would be trying to reach her right now.

  But if it was Lucas, what was she going to say? She figured she would have to pretend to be happy for him, which would probably make her physically ill.

  She could just leave. Or she could pretend she wasn’t here to see the message.

  Badoop.

  She couldn’t help herself; she looked to make sure it was Lucas.

  It wasn’t.

  Jigawatt121 : ur finally online.

  Jigawatt121 : hello? anyone home?

  Saraberlinfan#1 : who is this?

  Jigawatt121 : Esteban. DUH!

  Saraberlinfan#1 : hi Esteban. what’s up?

  Jigawatt121 : I got the information u asked for.

  It took Sam a full three seconds to realize what he was talking about. So much had happened since she had talked to Esteban. Everything had gone insane so fast.

  Suddenly a file folder labeled WITCH HUNTER’S GAUNTLET popped up on her screen.

  Jigawatt121 : tadaa!

  Saraberlinfan#1 : wow. thanx a bunch. was it hard to find?

  Jigawatt121 : not if you know where to look.

  Saraberlinfan#1: I hope it didn’t take long.

  Jigawatt121 : it took longer than I expected. MGU has the most amazing computer security I’ve ever seen. Probably cuz a few dozen of the best hackers in the country go there.

  Jigawatt121 : u wouldn’t believe some of the stuff I found while looking for ur files.

  Jigawatt121 : did u know the school is built on top of a thorium nuclear reactor?

  Saraberlinfan#1: No.

  So the school was nuclear. That didn’t seem like a good thing. Not surprising, but not good.

  Jigawatt121 : Dr. Lazslo is attempting to clone her own Woolly Mammoth.

  Saraberlinfan#1: neat.

  Saraberlinfan#1: I can’t thank you enough. This is very helpful.

  Jigawatt121 : no prob. it was fun.