Portal

Since she knew where I lived, I was wary of going home. I doubted she would attempt to retaliate, as I’d shown her just what I was capable of, but it never hurt to be cautious.

I wandered around the city for a time, occasionally opening a door to another section to throw off any would-be tails, but realized that I would eventually have to go home. That eventuality could wait, though.

It was dark by the time I got tired of walking, so I steeled myself, ready for whatever I might find at home, then opened a door into my room. I cautiously stepped through, and dissolved the portals.

Nothing was amiss, but I couldn’t be too careful. I expected No-Face to leave me a parting gift, but I found nothing. Nothing missing, nothing extra. I opened a small peephole onto a telephone pole nearby, and looked out, scanning the area slowly. I saw no movement and no people wandering around nearby.

What I would give for a set of thermal goggles.

I had no idea where to find any, so I put that thought out of my head. Instead, I opened several other tiny doors in various locations around the area, and saw nothing. Nobody extra, nobody with any odd movement, and no weirdness.

It seemed I was safe. For now, at least.

I did see two people. Lab and Michael from across the street. He was on his way home, a couple of grocery bags in his hand, chatting amiably with our neighbor. Mike had always been a stand-up kind of guy. Figuring Lab had his dinner taken care of, I went to the kitchen and checked the fridge. Nothing but a few bottles of beer. Dammit.

Lab walked in, seeing me in front of the fridge. “Shit. Sorry, man. It’s been busy and I haven’t gotten to the store, yet. I got a few sandwiches for my dinner. You want one?”

I shook my head. “Nah. I’ll head to New Amsterdam and grab a gyro or something.”

Lab stroked his beard. “New Amsterdam, huh? I’ve not been there in a few years. Could I come along?”

I nodded, surprised by the relief I felt at not being alone. Opening a door on 24th street, in a darker area of the nearby buildings, we walked out into New Amsterdam. This particular part of 24th was an old hangout for some friends I’d made while I was hitchhiking. There was a Greek place just around the corner, and we wandered in, eyeing the menu.

The smells of the restaurant were amazing. The warm, heady aroma of cumin and dill, mixed with the mouthwatering scent of cooked lamb and beef served only to increase our appetites. When we got to the front of the line, a smiling, dark-skinned man greeted us. “You are new faces. Welcome to The Halal Guys! What can I prepare for you tonight?”

“Uh, I’d like the beef gyro with lettuce, tomato and onion, please.”

The man nodded. “A drink? A side?”

“Oh. Uh… fries, please and a large soda?”

“Absolutely, sir.” He turned to face Lab. “And for you, sir?”

Lab studied the menu for a half second longer and nodded. “I’ll have a beef gyro, the combo platter with beef and falafel, baba ghanoush with pita chips, baklava cheesecake and a large soda. I got the pair of us.”

The man blinked a couple of times, but put the order in. “Anything else?”

“Nah. That should do me.”

The man shook his head and recited the order to us. “That’ll be 57.78, please. Out of a hundred? Okay.” He counted out the change after verifying the bill. “And 42.22 back to you, sir. It’ll be just a few minutes. What’s the name for the order?”

“Labrador.”

“Thank you. Give us just a few minutes.”

Lab nodded as he pocketed the change, leading us to a nearby booth. “So what’s got you on edge, Jackson?”

“I’m kinda running from the Guild.”

“The Guild?” His eyes widened. “How did you piss off Brighthawk?”

“Um… I kinda trapped her in a door prison.”

Lab let out a low whistle. “Holy shit. You didn’t know, did you?”

I leaned forward, my brows knitted together. “And you did? How?”

“I’ve been places and done things, Jackson. Not all of them good, remember?” I nodded and he continued. “You’re lucky she hasn’t killed you herself.”

“I might have threatened her.”

Lab dropped his face into his hands. “Jackson. How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?”

“I’m sorry! She said she was going to keep tabs on me so I don’t fall to The Alliance. I wasn’t about to tolerate that. Hell, No-Face himself said he would leave me be. Let me carve my own path out into the world, and would leave me an opening if I ever decided to join them. He didn’t threaten me with constant surveillance, at least.” I crossed my arms and glared out the window.

“Labrador!”

“Cool. I’ll get the food. You sit there and pout.”

I briefly considered stranding that bastard here, but I knew that he would somehow make it home with more money than he started with and several new friends. Plus an adventure or two, to boot.

“Fuck you, dude.”

He returned, and set my tray down in front of me, spreading both of his out across the table. He sat down with a smirk, and began diving into his meal. I sighed and chewed on my fries.

“You know I hate being monitored, Lab. More than anything. I won’t allow it. Not from anyone.”

“Izzat why you cut your arm up?” he asked softly.

“You know about the trackers?”

“Mm-hmm. Wondered what was taking you so long. They never could get one into me. Tried to prescribe me “pills”, and I took them for a few years. Later on, I found out what they were after I had one that was broken. Had this tiny little nub sticking out of it. I took a close look and never took another one of those gawdamn things again. I ain’t about to be tracked, either. Pretty sure they know where I am, though. You, on the other hand? You can vanish like a fart in the wind.” I snorted. “I’m serious! With that power of yours, you can go anywhere. Vanish and hide, away from prying eyes. I’m honestly jealous.

“I’m stuck working on cars and trucks in Chicago, but you? You can go to Orleans, if you want. Disappear here in New Amsterdam. Wherever you please. Let them watch you. They sure as shit can’t follow you wherever you go.” He dipped a pita chip into his baba ghanoush.

I contemplated his words as I ate. He was right. There was no way for them to know just where I was at any given time. Especially if I never showed my face on the street. How could they follow what they couldn’t see?

“I’d need to have words with someone, but I think I can keep them from following me. At least to anywhere important. Let them follow me to the grocery store or to some fast food place. Let them wonder how I can afford anything. With no proof, I can never be charged with any crime. And if I can get a “legit” job, they can all just kiss my ass.” I took a bite of my gyro. “Yeah. That could work. Hmm. This is really good.”

Lab snorted as he shook his head and took a bite of his combo platter. “Yeah. This is good. We should come here more often.”

“It ain’t cheap for a couple of nobodies from Chicago, though. Maybe once we hit it big, huh?”

“Speak for yerself. I do just fine at the shop. Three month waitlist isn’t exactly “common” for a mechanic, Jackson.”

I nodded, conceding the point. I’d been to several places across the country, but I’d never heard of a mechanic with a wait list. A doctor? Sure. All the time, actually. It would be a blessing if that was all one had to wait for.

We ate in a companionable silence, then took care of our trays. Lab had, unsurprisingly, finished all of his meal. We waved to the employee at the counter as we left, promising to return, and turned back towards 24th.

I looked around, seeing nobody nearby, and created a door on a dark patch of the wall. I opened it, revealing our apartment, and we stepped through into the kitchen. Lab immediately grabbed a sandwich from the fridge and began to devour it.

“Jeez, man. Have you ever been full?”

“Once. About thirty years ago. I ate at an All You Can Eat barbecue joint. Damn good food. A pity they went out of business.” He shook his head wistfully.

“All you can… Lab? Did you literally eat a restaurant out of business?”

“....maybe.” He took a furtive bite of his sandwich.

I shook my head, laughing. “Never change, fucker. Never change. I’m heading to bed. Goodnight.”

I Opened a door to my room and collapsed into bed. It had been an exhausting day.

*********

I opened my eyes to another sunrise, a thought rattling around in my head. What sort of job could I get that would still leave me able to do whatever work was needed for The Cloud? Time for some online searching. I had little in the way of practical skills I could levy to influence my job prospects.

Insurance agent? Nah. Scroll…click. Freelance journalist? I do like writing, but no. Don’t want to deal with interviews and putting on a fake-ass happy face. Scroll…scroll…click. Security guard? Too many people. Scroll…click. Security consultant? That could be… no. Still have to deal with asshole bosses. Let’s see…. What’s this? Cybersecurity consultant? Huh. Mostly online/remote. Decent pay. All I need are some certifications. That shouldn’t be too hard. I can communicate well enough, and do most of it remotely. Could also get me new locations around the country to be able to go to. Yeah. This could work. I’ll talk to Shade today, if I can find him.

I checked the time. About time to go get more training. I got a shower and dressed myself, then opened a door to the Wendy’s near the gym. A little fuel for the upcoming fire wouldn’t be amiss. I ate as I walked, figuring I should get there as swiftly as possible. Ten minutes later, I was standing in front of the Stormforge Gym, and tossed my empty breakfast wrappers into the can outside.

The inside of the gym was rather quiet. Not surprising, since it was Sunday. There were a few people on treadmills and various other equipment upstairs. I headed to the front desk.

“Good morning, Bethany.”

The effervescent desk clerk -who, I was certain, was much more than a simple desk clerk- perked up when she heard my voice, her magazine left forgotten on the counter. “Morning, Jackson! I hope you’re ready for a workout. Jennifer seemed pretty peppy today.”

I sighed. “Oh boy. Another day of endless drills.”

She giggled. “Yep! And another and another and another until she’s sure you’re not going to die on your first mission. She has a ninety-eight percent success rate. That’s why she’s so damn strict.”

Ninety-eight? “What do you mean, Bethany?”

She cast her eyes around and dropped her voice to a whisper. “I shouldn’t be the one to tell you, Jackson. Best you hear it from her.”

I nodded. “When she’s ready to tell me about it, I’ll ask. Thanks, Bethany.” I headed to the back office.

“You’re welcome, Jackson! Have a good workout!” She picked up her magazine once more and got comfortable as I entered the office.

I made my way down the now-familiar route to the lower gym, finding it mostly empty. I guess even superheroes take a day off now and then. I spied Jennifer in her usual corner, working her way through a kata with a long spear. I stood politely to the side, watching her lithe form step through the motions.

She was really quite beautiful. Fluid and graceful, like a panther, she moved from one form to another, her movements precise and balanced. I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her skill and grace.

“Quite the show, isn’t it?” a familiar voice murmured from my left.

I nodded, looking over at Shade. “It is, sir. She’s got to be one of the most graceful people I’ve ever seen. She looks calm and kind of lost in the movements.”

He crossed his arms across his chest. “She is. Lost, that is. Her mind goes…elsewhere when she walks through the forms. She’s happy, Jackson. That right there” -he motioned with an outstretched hand- “is her peace and solace. She doesn’t go afield anymore, so she makes a living instructing our members.”

“Why not?”

He rested a large hand on my shoulder. “Best let her tell you that. When and if she ever feels it appropriate.”

I nodded. “Um, sir?”

“William.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Huh?”

“My name, Jackson. William.”

“Oh. Okay, then. William, it has come to my attention that I will probably need a day job. I have to make money somehow to help pay rent.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Oh? I thought you had one? How did you plan to buy dinner the other night?”

“Uhh….Well, you see, the thing is-” I stopped when he held up a hand.

“I don’t need to know the details, Jackson. You stole it, didn’t you?” His face bore no hint of admonishment, no trace of disappointment.

I nodded. “Yeah. I did.”

“I see. Well, I’m not going to tell you that you can’t continue doing that. If that’s what you choose to do, just don’t ever get caught. But, I suspect that you brought this up for a good reason, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. I made a couple of calls yesterday, to the Alliance and the Guild, and now I think I need to stay hidden for as long as possible.”

Jennifer finished her routine and walked over to us as I finished. “Stay hidden, huh? What’d you do? Threaten No-Face?” She chuckled good-naturedly.

“Brighthawk, actually.”

“What?” Shade -William- uncrossed his arms, planting his hands on his hips. Even Jennifer’s jaw dropped.

“Yeah… I kind of….discovered? her weakness in doing so.”

“Jackson, it’s common knowledge that she’s weak to ice.”

I shook my head. “No… not ice. Her psychological weakness. She has a phobia.”

William leaned forward. “Oh? Do tell.”

I shook my head. “No, man. That’d be wrong. Taking a couple hundred from a wealthy asshole? Pfft. Whatever. Revealing someone’s deepest, most secret fear? That’s a violation I’ll never commit. No matter what you or anyone else do to me.”

William nodded. “Good to see you have some scruples, Jackson. I won’t pry any further. But! What do you mean you need to stay hidden?”

So, I told them of my call to No-Face, and my visit to the headquarters of the local branch of The Guild, leaving out what exactly had transpired within Brighthawk’s office. Both William and Jennifer agreed that it would be prudent for me to lay low for a few months or so. The threat of either The Guild or The Alliance finding out that The Cloud existed and where was far greater than most other concerns.

William scrubbed his face with a hand. “I’m going to ask you to do something, Jackson, that might get you hurt. Are you willing?”

I shrugged. Pain was nothing new to me. “Sure. Lay it on me.”

“Open a door to the front desk. A small one. Like, barely able to stick your hand into.”

I thought for a moment, remembering the structure of the desk. An idea came to me. A small door, barely bigger than my fist, appeared in the air beside me. I knocked loudly.

The door opened slowly, revealing Bethany’s alarmed face. “Jackson? I told you not to do this. Now I’ll have-”

“That’s enough, Bethany. I asked him to.”

“William! Ohmigod, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean-”

William chuckled. “Calm down. I’m glad to see you take your job seriously. Here’s the deal. You listening?”

I saw Bethany nod, and I smiled at her.

“Good. Until further notice, Jackson will be opening a door directly into the office when he comes to the Gym. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir. May I ask why?”

“That’s for him to tell if and when he’s comfortable doing so.”

Bethany nodded, and I felt the need to interject. “I’ll knock on the office door to let you know I’m here. It only feels right, you know?”

I heard her sigh. “Thank you, Jackson. That would be greatly appreciated. But just you, right? You’ll never bring anyone else?”

“Correct. Just me. Not even Lab.”

“Okay. Thanks for letting me know, guys.”

“You’re welcome Bethany.” William closed the door, and I let it pop out of existence.