Portal

Dice - Anna - assisted me to the main training area, where I saw Zack talking with Jennifer. She was nodding her head to his words, her arms crossed, until she happened to catch me out of the corner of her eye. I watched her heave a sigh and shake her head before she turned and stalked over to me.

“What are you doing out of the bed, Jackson? Hmm?” She crossed her arms once more.

Damn, but she was intimidating for someone not much bigger than a twelve-year-old.

I squeezed Anna’s hand, and she slowly let me go. “Well, I wanted to see just what it was I’d be doing when I felt better before I went home.”

“What do you mean ‘before you go home’? Jackson, you’re in no shape to walk, especially that far.”

I opened a door to my room. “I can get from here to there no problem, Jennifer. Trust me.” The door vanished, and I felt a little shakier. I was fairly certain I could do it again.

Jennifer shook her head and pulled a small rock from her pocket. She held it in her hand, palm up, and I watched as it swiftly grew into a staff six feet in length made of what looked like solid marble.

She went through a series of strikes, spins and thrusts before she stopped. “That’s what you’re going to be practicing tomorrow. Think you can handle that?” She leaned on the staff and stared at me, her eyes narrowed.

I took a gulp of the water, then opened a small door into my fridge. I pulled out the meal from last night, then opened a second door to get a fork. “One moment, please.” I said, then shoveled food into my mouth like there was no tomorrow. A minute or two later, I opened another door into my fridge, where I replaced my half-eaten meal.

“Okay. I think I can do that. May I use your staff?”

Jennifer snorted and handed me the stone staff. “If you think you can run through a kata after seeing it once, you have to-” She cut off as I replicated her movements precisely, albeit much more slowly.

“Yeah, Jennifer. I think I can run through the kata you showed me.” I handed her the staff back. “So you’re aware, I have an eidetic memory. No matter how I may wish to forget something, I never will. I’ll practice this kata until I can run through it at speed, and only then will I feel ready to move forward.”

She took the staff and nodded. “I see. Well, if you can keep up, you may learn all I can teach in a matter of months. However. There are no shortcuts to strength and precision. You hear me? You may have the memory, but you do not have the body. I’ll see you tomorrow. Rest.” With that, she turned and walked back to the mats, where she began practicing a kata.

I turned to Anna and my left leg gave out on me. She caught me, and helped prop me up. “Are you sure you can get home, Jackson?” She looked into my eyes.

Damn, she had pretty eyes.

I nodded. “Should be.” I opened a door into my bedroom again and smiled at her. “See? I’m right as rain. I’ll see you tomorrow, Anna.” I opened the door and stepped through.

“Wait! Are you sure you don’t-” The door vanished in her face and I collapsed on my bed, exhausted.

I don’t know how long I lay there, but it wasn’t long before I was asleep.

*********

“-son. Jackson? HEY ASSHOLE!” Lab bellowed and smacked me with a pillow, startling me awake.

“Wha?” I struggled to roll over. “What th’fuck is happening? Lab? Izzat you?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Ain’t nobody else gonna swat you with a pillow. Not in your own home, at least. Get up, man. It’s nearly nine.” He turned and stumped out of my room, leaving the door open.

I looked around, seeing sunlight spilling into my room. Nine? AM? Had I slept a whole day? I stood slowly, my joints protesting loudly.

The sudden and immediate need to pee assaulted my senses like a falling house. I ran to the bathroom and loudly relieved myself. As I walked back to my room on legs that felt like wet spaghetti, I heard a muffled buzzing, and pulled my phone from its hiding place.

A phone call? From a blocked number? Fuck that. They can leave a message. I hung up on the caller and slipped the phone into my pocket, then headed down to the kitchen. On the way, I felt my pocket vibrate no fewer than four distinct times. Whoever it was, they were quite insistent. They could wait until after I’d eaten.

I found Lab at the table, devouring what looked like a BLT with at least a pound of cooked bacon, four runny eggs and several slices of buttered toast. I shook my head and grabbed the last of my leftovers from the fridge, then sat down across from him.

“Hell of a sandwich. You okay?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I’m good. Have a couple of clients at noon, so I figured I’d eat enough to last until then. Settled for this light snack.” He took a crunchy bite of his sandwich and grunted in satisfaction.

“Only you would call a literal pound of bacon a “light snack”.” I shook my head as I dribbled a bit of soy sauce into my leftovers. “How long was I out?” I shoveled a forkful of food into my hungry mouth.

He swallowed as he thought. “Hm. Let’s see. The interview was Monday…” he trailed off as he mumbled into his beard, counting on his fingers. “Saturday. Today is Saturday, Jackson. Two and a half days. Whatever you went and did on Wednesday sacked you out like I’ve never seen. I dunno what they did to you and I ain’t gonna ask, but just be careful, man. I actually like you, and don’t wanna see you hurt.”

Tough, sweet, bastard of a man.

I nodded. “I’m good, man. Just a bit harsher training than expected. That’s all. Speaking of, I should get back there. I’ll see you later, Lab.” I stood, making a door that led to the Wendy’s near the gym.

“Alright. Tell ‘em I said hi!” He waved and took another bite of his inhumanly large sandwich.

I snorted and stepped through the doorway, emerging on the back side of the building. I walked around front and retraced my steps to the gym and wandered inside. I waved to Bethany, who smiled sweetly in return.

“I’m glad to see you again, Jackson. Before you go for your workout, may I have a word?” She tilted her head.

“Sure.” I made my way to the counter and leaned on it. “What’s up?”

She held out her hand with a smile. “I’ll need your phone if you’re going back there. Zack isn’t here today.”

“How about I just take it back home? Not that I don’t trust you…. Well. Actually, I don’t know you, so I really don’t trust you. I’m sorry.” I tried to look apologetic.

She laughed. “It’s okay, Jackson. I completely understand. But, how are you going to get it home? From what I’ve been told you’re a thirty to forty-five minute walk from here.”

I smirked and pitched my voice low. “It’s a security measure, right? Can’t let them know where I’m at?” She nodded. “How about this: I go into the office -you can watch me every step of the way- and show you how I’ll get it home. Shouldn’t tax me overmuch.”

I saw her fingers grip something thin, probably a needle, as she spoke. “Okay. Just know that you can’t move fast enough to escape me, Jackson. I don’t even need to move to use my ability.”

“Understood. I swear everything will make sense when you see what I can do. I just need privacy, as it’s somewhat obvious what my power is when you see it. Okay?” She nodded and the office door opened behind her. We walked in, the door closed behind us and she crossed her arms.

“Well?”

I created a door on the wall behind me that led to the Wendy’s. “That is how I’m gonna get the phone to my house. I make doors. Furthermore, I can make doors that not only breach a wall, but Link two points in space, like this,” I opened the door, revealing the alleyway behind the restaurant. “From there, I’ll make another set of doors that lead to my bedroom, where I’ll stuff my phone, then I’ll come back the same way. It’ll take two minutes, tops.”

She stood there in mute surprise. “I had no idea. Go, then. I’ll wait right here.” She started tapping her foot, and I took the hint.

I walked out the door and closed it, letting it dissolve into nothingness. Opening another set of much smaller doors into the hiding spot in my room, I dropped my phone off, and let those doors vanish. Opening a second set of doors that led back into the office, I walked in and smiled at Bethany. “Honey! I’m home!”

She hid a laugh behind her hand and nodded. “Very good. In the future, please do not open a door to or from anywhere in the gym, unless instructed to do so. No matter if you’re coming or going, we can’t be too careful. Okay?” I nodded and walked off to the back of the office. “And no phones either, Jackson. Seriously.”

“Noted, Bethany. I’ll see you again on my way out.” I heard the office door open and close as I exited the back door, and hit the elevator to make my way down to the first sub-basement.

Once I exited the elevator, I made my way to the gym floor, where I once again saw several people exercising and practicing. Spying Jennifer off to herself in a corner, practicing a kata with a pair of short swords, I made a beeline to her.

“Ah. Jackson. I was beginning to wonder if we hadn’t scared you off. Glad to see my fears unfounded.” She tossed a stone staff in my direction, which I clumsily caught. “Show me the forms from Wednesday.” She took a seat and crossed her legs at the knee, watching me like an owl.

I pursed my lips and nodded. “Okay.” I slowly worked my way through the forms, twirling and striking an invisible opponent with my staff.

“Stop. Move your left foot forward two inches, and your right foot to the right one inch. Good. Continue.”

“Stop. Bring your left elbow closer to your body. Do the strike again from that position. See how that grants you more power? Continue.”

On and on she drilled me into the proper form until I was sweating profusely and panting like a dog in the summer sun. Eventually, she seemed content with my work, and called a halt.

“Good job. Run through it one more time -slowly- so that I can judge it completely.”

I sighed and looked at my feet. “Okay. One more fuckin’ time.” Slowly, I stepped through the forms, remembering to use the adjustments she gave me, until it ended and I stopped, pulling myself into a standing position and faced her. “Is that better, Jennifer?”

“Yes. It’s adequate. Too slow to be of any use, but the form itself was good. Tomorrow, we will begin to speed it up. You’re going to hurt yourself a few times while we do this, so I want you prepared for that eventuality. Also, you’ll be given a much heavier staff. You’re going to get stronger and more skilled, Beanpole. Count on it.” She took the staff from me and I watched her convert it into a tiny stone and shove it in her pocket as she walked off.

Tomorrow? I still had to deal with The Alliance and The Guild. Dammit. I still didn’t know what to tell them. Maybe I should just show up at The Guild. They wouldn’t harm me, that was for sure. And I could leapfrog around the city until I’d confused any followers before I went to the headquarters for The Alliance.

Of course I knew where it was. Or, I had a good idea of their location, at least. I’d be putting my hypothesis to the test, and hopefully walk out of there with my life.

Hopefully.