“Virtua, please. You can’t do this,” Chi pleaded. “We can’t waste time fighting each other. Not now.”
“We can’t spare the men,” Prime agreed. “We’re already outnumbered as it is.”
“Don’t tell me,” Virtua said. “Tell the Circleman of Hightown to make Smart let Jazen go.” Noteworthy just tugged at his collar and stammered.
“You know Noteworthy can’t control Smart,” Midknight told Virtua. “Be reasonable. We have to think of the—” Midknight stopped short when he noticed Jack standing in the entryway. “Jack?”
Lorem Ipsum and Trea dropped what they were doing and ran to him the moment they saw him. “How did you get here?” Lorem asked.
“Thank goodness you’re all right,” Trea said.
Jack slid into a chair to keep from falling over. “Let’s not get carried away. Sounds to me like we’re all pretty far from all right.”
Virtua’s image shot out of a projector that was concealed in the data center floor by Jack’s feet. Her guards informed her that Jack had come alone. “Where are the others? Are you the only one who got out? Where’s Stendeval?”
“We could sure use him right now,” Lorem mumbled to Trea.
Jack took a deep breath. He couldn’t have agreed more, but Stendeval was gone. He looked up at everyone and shook his head. Virtua’s image turned a pale white. “That can’t be. Are they all . . .?”
“I don’t know,” Jack said. “Blue, Zhi, and the others . . . they all got put into holding pens. Stendeval, Roka, and I were separated from the pack. They took us up to see the Magus. I only got away because I . . . Stendeval, he . . .”
Jack was still struggling to find the words when terrified outbursts filled the data center. Along with everyone else, Jack looked up to see what all the commotion was.
“What’s going on?” Midknight asked.
“Look out your window,” Prime called out over the holo-screen. “You need to see this.”
Outside, several giant holo-screens were blinking on, projected out from the sea of Rüstov ships that filled the air. The Magus was getting ready to broadcast a message to Empire City. Everyone but Jack gasped when they realized he was using Stendeval’s body as his host. Jack’s eye burned as the Magus looked out from the screens. It was as if the Magus was looking right at him. Glaring lights flared up before Jack’s eyes. He saw spots, like he’d spent too much time staring at the sun.
“People of Empire City,” the Magus announced. “I am the Magus, supreme ruler of the Rüstov Empire. I am your new lord and master. Let it be known that I hereby declare the Imagine Nation, this planet, and everyone on it to be the rightful property of the Rüstov. You belong to us. From this moment on, your world will be known as Rüst. Your city is now the capital of the Rüstov throneworld. This is an honor. Those of you living here will serve as hosts to the upper echelon of Rüstov society, provided you do not waste your lives in foolish and pointless efforts to resist our rule. I believe you recognize my host, Stendeval the Wise. He was
not wise enough to accept the inevitable. For all our sakes, I hope you will choose a different path. Stendeval’s loss is proof that even your strongest heroes cannot withstand our might. Embrace your future as my willing subjects, for it is unavoidable. We have released the boy you know as Jack Blank into your city. To me, he is Khalix . . . my son. He will soon become Revile, the engine of your destruction, but only if you choose that fate. We have no desire to destroy this city or its citizens. You are valuable resources. There is no need for us to be at war with one another, but if you force our hands, you will die by them. I await your formal surrender. You have until dawn.”
The screens blinked out of the sky, and a hush fell over the room. It lasted only a few seconds before everyone started talking at once. The twin currents of fear and alarm overtook the data center and drowned out everything else. Jack remained quiet. He sat in his chair thinking about how Stendeval looked with the Magus’s iron horn grafted onto his head. It was the kind of sight that could make a person abandon all hope. Jack knew the Rüstov well enough now to know that was exactly what they were going for.
“The Magus using Stendeval’s body . . . ,” Midknight said. “This is going to scare people to death.”
“He’s right,” Khalix told Jack. “They’re all scared, and not just because of my father. They’re scared of you. Scared of
us
.”
Jack cast his eyes around the data center. He didn’t need to scan the Mechas there with his powers to recognize the truth of Khalix’s words.
“We still have a chance,” Noteworthy said via holo-screen. “We have Jack.”
Everyone spun around to look at Noteworthy. Jack’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was it possible that Noteworthy was starting to believe in him? Was his father finally coming around?
“We can turn him over to Smart!” Noteworthy explained. Jack slumped in his seat. “Jonas will see to it that Jack doesn’t live to become Revile. He’ll release Commander Knight and we can call a truce between Hightown and Machina. We can fight the Rüstov together! The only thing keeping us apart is sitting in that chair.”
“You mean your son?” Midknight asked.
Noteworthy pounded his desk. “He’s not my son! Stop saying that!”
The adults in the data center argued, and Jack put his head in his hands. “We’re doing exactly what they want us to do,” he said to himself. “This is the way it always goes.”
“What do you mean?” Trea asked Jack.
Jack looked up. He hadn’t realized he was talking loud enough for anyone to hear. “The infinite war. I know the Rüstov’s history. They crammed it into my brain. They break their enemies apart before they invade, that’s their playbook. They infiltrate their targets, psyche out their enemies, and get them to fight each other. The details change, but the story’s the same. It always ends the same way.”
“Then we have to break the cycle,” Trea said. “We can’t just do the same things everyone else has done and expect to fare any better. If you know their history, think. What’s different about this invasion? Anything we can use?”
Jack ran through all the battles the Rüstov had shown him. Every war the Rüstov had ever fought. All the reasons they gave him for giving up. In all that carnage, there was only one thing that made this invasion different from
any other. “There is one thing that’s different. Me.” Jack looked up at the holo-screens where the Circlemen were fighting about what was to be done with him, and something clicked. They didn’t stand a chance against the Rüstov if things went on like this. He was the wedge driving everyone apart. Something had to be done. “I hate to say it, Trea, but Noteworthy’s right. I just wish he felt the tiniest bit bad about it.” Jack touched Lorem’s elbow. “Hey. How’d you get over having a father that didn’t want you?”
Lorem turned toward Jack with a look that was one part pity and one part amusement. “What makes you think I got over it?” She shook her head. “I didn’t get over anything, Jack, but I do know this. Family . . . real family is about more than blood. A lot more.”
Jack leaned back in his chair. He found comfort in Lorem’s words. He thought about the closest thing he had to a big brother—Jazen Knight. He wasn’t human. He didn’t even
have
blood. That didn’t mean he wasn’t family. Stendeval had told him something similar when he first came to the Imagine Nation. He had a family, and right now, they needed him. He had to save Jazen. He had
to make Stendeval’s sacrifice matter. He had to do something for Allegra, Roka, Blue, Zhi, and all the innocent people the Rüstov had taken.
Jack stood up. His body was worn-out and on the verge failing him, but he wouldn’t let himself quit. “Lorem, give me your hand. I’ve got an idea.”
Jack grabbed Lorem Ipsum’s hands and spoke for two full minutes, saying nothing but absolute gibberish. Virtua, Midknight, Trea, and the other Circlemen all stopped and stared as Jack blathered on in a language only Lorem Ipsum could understand. When Jack finished talking, she touched his hand again, unscrambling his words.
“Got all that?” Jack asked. Lorem nodded tentatively.
“Got all what?” Khalix demanded. “What did you just tell her?”
Jack shook his head. “Sorry, Khalix. Private conversation. Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop?”
Midknight brought his hands together. “Very clever.”
“I don’t understand. What’s clever?” Noteworthy asked. “What did he do?”
“Jack just cut the Rüstov out of the loop,” Midknight explained. “The Rüstov prince can’t listen in on his plans
if it can’t understand what he’s saying. The question is, what was said?”
Lorem swallowed hard. “This is risky, Jack. I don’t think I like it.”
Jack snorted out a small laugh. “I
know
I don’t like it. But this is war. Everything is risky.” He put up his hand, heading off any further discussion. “Let’s not say too much just yet. You can talk more about it after I’m gone.”
“What do you mean, after you’re gone?” Noteworthy asked. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going exactly where you told me to,
Dad
.” Noteworthy turned three different shades of red and started yelling at the top of his lungs until Jack got fed up and disconnected his holo-screen. “Virtua, call Smart back and tell him to get ready to send Jazen home. I’m turning myself in.”
Getting Smart
Night fell as Jack arrived at SmartTower, carried there by flying Mechas. Khalix chirped in Jack’s ear the whole way. Jack could tell he was nervous as they approached the top of the building and Smart’s lab. The glass from the lab’s great round window split into eight curved triangles and spiraled open like an aperture door. The Mechas brought Jack and Trea inside and set them down.
“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, Jack, but whatever it is, I promise you it won’t work.”
“Said the broken record,” Jack told Khalix. “Don’t
worry. You’ll find out what I’m up to soon enough.” Jack was enjoying the opportunity to taunt Khalix for a change. He had to take pleasure in the little things, because they were all he had left. Everything else hurt. Jack’s muscles ached, his head was throbbing, and his fever had climbed to a hundred and four degrees. Smart and his WarHawks were waiting in the lab when Jack got there. He locked eyes with Smart as he entered and as a result missed a small set of steps leading down toward his workstation. He stumbled and fell, hitting the ground hard. Trea helped Jack up. He was breathing heavily. His chest was glowing. Jack absolutely hated that he had made such a terrible entrance. For his part, Smart barely seemed to notice. He pointed behind him at a holo-screen that had just blinked out.
“That was Circlewoman Virtua. I didn’t believe her at first. She said you agreed to come here?” Smart looked Jack up and down, frowning at the state he was in. “More likely, you were too weak to do anything about it. Don’t tell me you’ve finally accepted your fate. . . . You’re truly ready to think of the greater good and end this?”
“That’s exactly what I’m here to do,” Jack said, dusting
himself off. He felt flushed. He wiped his brow and found that he was dripping with sweat. “Where’s Jazen?”
Smart nodded to his guards, and a row of WarHawks stepped aside to make room for the prisoner Jazen Knight. Armed escorts marched him in with his hands bound in electro-cuffs. Jack breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Jazen was still in one piece.
Jack ran to his friend. “Are you okay?”
“Jack?” Jazen looked back and forth between Jack and the WarHawks as they deactivated his manacles. “What are you doing here?”
“He made a deal,” Smart said. “He wants to do the right thing.”
“What?” The WarHawks went to place Jazen’s cuffs on Jack’s wrists. Jazen pushed them back. “Get away from him!”
“Jazen, it’s okay!” Jack said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Jazen glared at Jack as he offered his wrists to the WarHawks. “You don’t look fine to me.”
Jack shrugged. “I’m not really. But I will be. Now, so will you.” He looked around at the lab’s antiseptic white walls, organized workstations, and glaring bright lights.
“The last time you and I were in here together, you ran a pair of Left-Behinds out the window to save me. It’s my turn now.”
Jazen shook his head. “If you think I’m going to let you go through with this . . .”
“I’m doing it, Jazen. They took everything. I’ve got nothing left to lose except you, and that’s not gonna happen.”
Jazen’s nostrils flared, but he kept his cool. “I can’t leave you alone here, Jack. No way. Unless . . .” He leaned in close to Jack and whispered. “Tell me you have some kind of a plan here.”
Jack tilted his head to the side. “I have an idea. We’ll see how far I get with it. Don’t worry, Trea’s here to help.”
Trea shook her head. “I don’t even know why I’m here.”
“We don’t have time to get into every last detail,” Jack told Jazen. “You have places to be. You need to get up to Mount Nevertop with Lorem Ipsum, and you need to take Roka’s ship.”
“Roka’s ship?” Jazen repeated. “What are you talking about? Roka’s ship is wrecked. It can’t fly anywh—”
Jazen stopped talking midsentence and locked eyes with Jack. The two friends stared at each other in silence for a few moments while everyone else looked on with confused faces.
Smart rolled his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “I’ve clearly tolerated this heartfelt good-bye of yours far too long. Enough, both of you. Circlewoman Virtua and I have come to an accord. Commander Knight, you are free to go. I suggest you take your leave before I rethink our agreement. As for you, Jack, you may consider yourself my prisoner. At least for the next thirty seconds.”
“Listen to him, Jazen,” Jack said. “Go.”
Jack and Jazen shook hands.
“Good luck,” Jazen said as the Mecha guards got ready to take him home.
“To all of us,” Jack replied.
The Mechas flew out the window carrying Jazen in their arms. As soon as they were gone, twenty WarHawks trained their weapons on Jack.
“Jack, what are you doing?” Khalix asked. “You’re not really staying here. You can’t!”
Jack remained calm, even as a score of red laser-sight
dots danced over his forehead and chest. “I just want to say one thing, if that’s all right.”