22 DAYS BEFORE THE REMATCH IN HALLOWSVILLE

  I got a lot more from the Radius leader than I expected, and we drove off with my head held high and a grin on my face. Strangely enough, the same could be said for Kofi — despite the fact he stayed in the car for the entire conversation I had with Daemon.

  “Yo, he totally made you his bitch back there,” Kofi laughed, pointing at me. “I wish I could’ve filmed that.”

  I scoffed, pressing down on the accelerator a little. “You didn’t film it ‘cause you were too busy hiding like a mouse in a hole?”

  “I wasn’t hiding,” the boy denied, punching my shoulder. “I was curling up my body, charging a special attack to release it at the right moment. Basic fighter shit.”

  “Yeah, fucking Son Goku over here.”

  “Oh, and I’m still waiting for you to tell me what you two talked about in there.” He scratched his chin and laughed quietly. “Aaaactually, don’t tell me. Being kept in the dark about something important sounds more fun.”

  Respecting his wishes, I decided to explain where we were going and what I was planning to do at that location. This wasn’t mentioned to Daemon, but I wanted to see if Lyra had the guts to join the fight against Jason. It wasn’t right to ask a father for his daughter to risk their life right in front of his dead wife’s coffin, after all.

  That was why she was gonna risk her life behind his back!

  Kofi crossed his arms. “I gotta say, Jerome, if that pampered pretty princess gets hurt or killed out there, you’ll be fucked. Like gaping asshole type of fucked. Her daddy really loves her.” His amusing tone didn't really match with how serious he made the consequences sound.

  “Well, all fathers love their little girls,” I said, nearly hitting a cat on the road.

  “No, like, Daemon really, really loves her. He doesn’t even let her come up to the surface without permission. Permission she never gets, by the way.” He pointed at himself. “Just like this guy.”

  “But I saw her on the surface one time. She helped Sunshine take down these Corleone family pricks. I don’t think I ever thanked her for that.”

  Kofi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Holy shit, are you serious?” I nodded, and he started patting me on the shoulder very aggressively. “Yo, her daddy’s gonna blow a fuse when he finds out. You think I should snitch?”

  “Snitches get stitches, kid,” I answered, shooing his hand away. “And if her dad’s that overprotective, don’t tell anybody a word of what I just told you. You’ll screw everything up.”

  He responded with a sly smile, which immediately filled me with regret.

  “So, uh, what did you mean by ‘just like this guy’?” I questioned. “You weren’t allowed to leave Underground City.”

  The kid shook his head no. “People are chosen to be in the Underground Radius if their power can actually change shit about this world.” He looked at his hand, electricity sprouting from his palm. “I’m the one who powers up everything in NY. Status Boards, all the technology they use underground, etc.”

  Energy for an entire state was impressive. I wasn’t gonna boost his ego even more though.

  “So, in other words, Daemon needed your electricity down there, or else his city goes dark,” I concluded.

  “Yeah. I’m pretty important, right?” Kofi asked, flexing his arms.

  “Eh, I wouldn’t say you specifically are. To him, I mean. He just needs your Radius Ability. Just like how he only needs my daughter and I’s abilities. If he found a way to separate the person from the power like Jesus said, then you’d be screwed, right?”

  He didn’t answer that question, and went back to the pissy look he had last time.

  “Hey, but the fact he didn’t attack you back there probably means you’re safe.” I was about to add in a “for now”, but I was sure that would only worry him more.

  Kofi looked out his window, and then looked at me. “Is that why you and your kid keep me around? And everyone else around y’all? Because I’m strong? Only because my power is useful?”

  I glanced at him, about to answer.

  He had more to say. “I mean, it can’t be because y’all like me. I’m an asshole. I don’t mind being an asshole, but it doesn’t mean those ‘what a dick’ looks I get don’t hurt a bit. Hold up, why am I even telling you any of this? I don’t give a shit what you think.” He punched the door on his side, leaving a dent. “I’m Kofi goddamn Kingston!”

  After waiting for him to finish his ramblings, I spoke. “You know, when we were playing basketball the other day — after I totally destroyed you — it, uh, reminded me of when I used to play with my dad as a kid.”

  “You didn’t destroy me! I-”

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  “Kofi, just listen for a sec. I was just trying to say that, um, playing with you made feel like… a dad playing with his son. Weird to say — maybe — but that’s how I felt.” I rested my hand on his shoulder, and felt a tingle in my bones. “You’re a crazy kid, but you’ve already met Sunshine. And Sunflower was no joke either. If anyone knows how to deal with your type, it’s me. Besides, you’re fun to talk to. When you’re not zapping me, that is.”

  The kid didn't reply back, but for a split second before he covered his mouth, I noticed a smile.

  After a few minutes of more driving and almost crashing into a tree, Kofi finally said something. “You’re a loser.”

  “What a way with words,” I said sarcastically.

  “But you’re a good dad. I guess.”

  I paused, and then chuckled.

  “What a way with words.”

  ********

  “Are we there yet?” Kofi asked, flicking my head.

  “No,” I said calmly.

  “Are we there yet?” Kofi asked again, the speed of his finger increasing.

  “No,” I repeated sternly.

  “Yo, are we really not there yet?”

  “Jesus, aren’t you the one supposed to be giving me directions? I’ve been driving straight ahead for, like, thirty minutes.”

  Kofi’s eyebrows raised. “Woah, check that out.”

  I looked to where he pointed, and my teeth clenched, muscles tightening up. There was a boulder being held up in the air by a giant hand that towered over the trees — a hand made of fire.

  The only person - the only monster I knew capable of that was that Flame Radion, but what the hell was he doing here? Sure, I wanted to get my rematch with Incinivon, but not now. And yet, if I wanted to get my Radius Ability back, beating him was one of the options I had to achieve that.

  And yet, my foot was pressed down on the accelerator, nearly snapping the pedal. The car made an abrupt stop. Only ‘cause Kofi kicked me out the open door on my side.

  I landed on the ground. The kid was already next to me. We both weren't hurt, however the same couldn't be said for the car. It was swallowed up by a huge crevice in the Earth that I totally didn’t see before.

  “Woah, you saved me, Electro. Thank you,” I said, standing up.

  “Saved you?” Kofi looked at the crevice. “Bomboclaat! Yo, I would’ve totally totally let us fall down there if I saw that.”

  “So then why’d you kick me out the damn car!?” I shouted, grabbing his collar.

  Kofi tore away from my grip with ease. “I wanted to get a closer look at that fire over there.”

  I looked back, noticing the fire hand was placing the boulder down at a different spot. “We are not going over there.”

  “Chillax, I recognize that ability. Someone I know from the Radius has fire powers,” he assured me.

  Kofi didn’t sound genuine, but he definitely knew more about Underground City and the stuff that goes on down there than I did. Besides, maybe this fire person could help us find another way to the city.

  As we got closer to the flames, my body slowly began to calm down. If this person was Incinivon, then my ooze would surely be melting off the bone. My suspicions were proven right when my eyes were flashed by the back of a woman’s flame print suit.

  The fire construct was being controlled by the stick in her right hand, dispersing once the job was finished.

  “Hey, who are you?” Kofi asked out loud.

  The black haired woman whipped around and aimed her stick at us, a shocked expression plastered on her face. “Who the he - Kofi Kingston!? You’re here?”

  “In the flesh,” he replied, ego in his voice.

  I guess he wasn’t lying about knowing her. That came as a surprise.

  The space between her brows wrinkled. “What are you doing back here? And why is there a KB up here with you? They’re not allowed on the surface.”

  “I’m not a KB,” I joined in. “I’m a zombie. You’ve probably heard of me or seen me.”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “Oh… I’m Jerome. Hunter. Father of Sunshine Hunter.”

  “Oh, you’re the criminal,” she said casually.

  Fire burst from the stick, burning through the air. I slapped the beam away, closed the distance, and locked her neck and her right hand in my grip.

  “Let’s calm down now, buddy,” I murmured. The urge to bite her face off ravaged through me like a raging tiger, but I locked that feeling away.

  She gulped. “I’m not attacking you because I want to kill you. I just don’t want Daemon to think I’m buddy-buddy with you fucks. His Energy Sense is no joke.”

  “Well, don’t twist your panties about it. I already struck a deal with Daemon. A temporary partnership. He or any of you Radius pricks can’t attack me until after we defeat Jason Zoorhees.”

  “When the hell did we do that?” Kofi asked, scratching his head.

  “Even if I actually believed you, the fact that you think you can take down that psycho shows me how fucking stupid you are,” she said. “Oh, but I already knew that when you came here the last time over some girl who’s going to die anyway.”

  “What did you just say?” I growled, raising my fist at her.

  “Yeah, me personally, Jerome, I would never let her speak to me like that,” Kofi cut in. “If you let that slide, you’d be a bitch.”

  Why did I get the feeling he didn’t actually care about my anger?

  “If you guys are done endangering my status and life, can I go back to burying my dead friend?”

  My fist returned to my side. “Dead friend?”

  My eyes drifted past her and locked onto the boulder to our left. Dried blood streaked its surface, dark like old paint. Then I noticed what lay at its base.

  A body. Half of an old man.

  “Brutal,” Kofi said. I was gonna punch him if a laugh came out of his mouth.

  I let go of the woman and backed away, a wave of regret washing over me. “Geez, that is… a terrible look for him.”

  She sighed. “No shit. How do you think he felt after getting crushed by that fat fucking rock?”

  After a closer look, I saw that the guy was smiling. “No offense, but, uh, he looked happy.” I paused. “Not in a suicidal way, obviously. I mean… proud of his efforts?”

  The woman glared at me for a sec, and then her eyes softened. “Yeah… maybe you’re right.”

  Kofi snapped his fingers, alerting the both of us. “Oh, I remember this dude. He was the old wizard guy that I met one time at the bar. He was giving these long, boring summaries of everything Lord of the Rings. Or was it Harry Potter? Some magic shit.”

  “His name is - was Zandalf. And he was more of a Harry Potter fan,” she said, folding her arms. “But he liked a bit of that Lord… Rings story or whatever you call it.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss, whatever your name is,” I said carefully. “Must’ve been a terrible accident. Didn’t think earthquakes this bad would still happen ten years later.”

  “That’s because this earthquake wasn’t a natural occurrence. Zandalf created it. Probably his final attack against Jason.”

  I shook my head, groaning. “That goddamn bastard. How many more people does he have to murder on his path to my kid and I before he’s satisfied?”

  “1500,” Kofi said like a student answering an easy question in class.

  I turned back to the kid, jaw tightened.

  He shrugged. “What? You just gotta do fifty times thirty. Frankly, that was a pretty dumb qu-”

  “Shut… the hell up, kid.” My focus rotated back to the woman. “So that fire hand you made, were you taking his body out that crevice?”

  “Did that days ago. I’ve been trying to find his staff.” She walked to the gaping hole in the Earth, and I followed. “But finding it was hard when it doesn’t have the same disgusting stench as, well, you know.”

  I didn’t know. “And yet, you're still trying to find it for him.” I crouched down in front of the crevice, looking down at the darkness. “I’ll help you.”

  “Huh?” she responded in a confused tone. “No, I’m think I’m o-”

  “But in exchange, you have to tell us where Lyra Williams is. Oh, and your name.”

  “How can there be an exchange if I never agreed-”

  “Alright, let’s go!”

  I leapt into the crevice, the darkness swallowing me whole. For the next half hour, nothing existed but the search. I tore across the bottom floor, kicking through rubble, checking every crack and hollow. I flipped rocks, dug through dust, pried apart broken slabs — anything big enough to hide it beneath.

  Still nothing.

  I climbed back up fast, panic gnawing at me, realizing Zandalf’s staff might've been gone for good.

  Kofi deleted that worry. The staff was in his hands. Well, at least what was left of it. “Yo, isn’t it funny how your search was a total waste of time? I found it in his clothes. It’s like someone put it there purposely.”

  Maybe the old man held on to it in the very end.

  Kofi tossed it to the woman, and she caught it. After staring at the staff for a couple seconds, she held it close to her bra-less chest with a somber face.

  “Sorry I couldn't find it, lady,” I said, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

  “Eh, there aren’t many people nowadays that would do what you just did for me, so you get props for that.” She smiled softly. “Thank you.”

  I nodded.

  “And I’m sorry about that shit I said involving your daughter.” She walked over to her friend’s body and picked him up, his insides sticking out like spaghetti. “To make up for that, I'll let you follow me back to Underground City. It’s easier to find Lyra than you think it is.”

  “Wait. Aren’t you forgetting something?” I asked.

  The woman rolled her eyes. “You can call me Flamazing.”

  There’s no way her parents named her that.

  “Good thing you told us to come over here,” I said in Kofi’s ear. “I guess you weren’t lying, after all.”

  “Oh, I was totally lying about that, man.”

  “What!?”