As Remy chewed on a slab of meat he couldn't quite identify, he observed the Navy SEALs sitting at nearby cafeteria tables. Their hardened eyes were devoid of emotion, and nearly all of them bore scars or signs of mutilation. They ate in silence and quickly, as if under a time constraint.
Wide Awake had once told him that licensed superheroes and special ops were cut from the same cloth but differed like night and day. Superheroes basked in the spotlight of a lucrative, competitive industry, while soldiers worked in the shadows. Although their jobs overlapped in many ways, the biggest contrast Remy noticed was the lack of facade among the soldiers. They had likely faced abominations and endured countless horrors--nightmare fuel on par with the Mantis Monster--and it showed. Superheroes, on the other hand, were trained not only to eliminate villainous threats but also to entertain and reassure the public, serving as beacons of hope.
Well… They were supposed to.
Lyra practically slammed her tray on the cafeteria table, causing Jay to wince at the impact. “There’s no time to lose. We need to get back out there soon.” Neither Remy nor Jay replied immediately which prompted Lyra’s tone to shift angrily. “Are you telepathically communicating without including me?”
“No, I’m just shocked,” Jay said. “You were unconscious from fainting less than forty minutes ago.”
“What’s your point?” Lyra asked. “You don’t think I can survive out there?”
Remy froze, hoping his cousin saw the obvious landmine.
“I don’t think any of us can right now,” Jay said. He told Lyra about their conversation with Commander Preach, and she sighed heavily, dejection on her face.
“I know how passionate you are but we can’t go out there again without any intel,” Remy said. “Let’s grow stronger. We have to. There’s no other way.”
“Easy for you to say, superpower boy,” Jay replied. “We didn’t enter any Flow Site Pathway.”
“You have superpowers too, you know.”
“My point still stands.”
“We’re surrounded by professionals. Let’s take advantage of this. That reminds me. Lyra, I think you should create a weapon. Something like mine.”
“That’s not possible,” Lyra said quickly, with a slight dismissive gesture. “I don’t have the resources and even if I did, I wouldn’t know what to make.”
“Really?” Remy said, throwing a look of scepticism. “You could create something cool. I’m an idiot, so maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about but it seems plausible to me. It’s worth a try.”
Lyra didn’t respond, yet her eyebrows scrunched. Remy could almost see the gears in her head churning. “In any case,” he continued. “Let’s stay positive. We’re not dead. That’s an underrated win right there. From this point forward, we can only go up.”
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Commander Preach let out a long huff. “You shouldn’t be smiling, kid.” He held a glass jar and inside the container was a crimson caterpillar. It moved about wildly, wiggling and rolling. “You’re about to go through a mental hell you’ve never experienced before.”
“I’m smiling? I didn’t mean to,” Remy said.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Preach asked.
“Yes,” Remy answered. The commander probably thought he was quite ignorant, but in reality, he knew exactly what he was getting himself into. Amelia had spoken of the Agony Caterpillar only once, telling him to do his research and so that’s what he did. Every victim had said it was the worst pain they had ever experienced. It triggered pain receptors in a unique way that scientists couldn’t explain properly.
Despite knowing this, Remy saw only a window of opportunity. If his sister could survive it, then so could he. If enduring the pain brought him closer to achieving his ambition of vengeance, then it was worth it.
They stood in an empty, windowless room where Remy had agreed to stay in complete darkness for 24 hours.
“Raise your arm,” Preach said.
Remy obeyed, and Preach unsealed the lid on the jar and turned it upside down. The caterpillar dropped and landed on Remy’s forearm.
“Good luck,” Preach said. He quickly left the room and slammed the door shut. The dim lights switched off.
Remy didn’t feel any pain at first. He encircled the room twice until he felt a sudden burning on his forearm. He howled in agony.
It took everything in him to resist flicking the caterpillar away. The insect glowed red and grew in size, feasting on his skin cells. Remy fell to his knees and collapsed on his side, groaning loudly and squirming. There was no way to focus on anything else but the pain. Like a hole in the chest, it was too glaring and severe to simply ignore.
Finally, Jay sent him a telepathic message.
First hour down.
“The fuck did you say?” Remy boomed. He strongly believed he was at the halfway point. There was no way only sixty minutes had passed. His cousin had to be tricking him unless…
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Nooo,” he wheezed, rolling on his back. All of the rumours were true. Every minute was like an hour. A barrage of negative thoughts assaulted him, all of them doubts and excuses as to why he should relieve himself of the pain now.
But Remy held his ground. There were plans he had to see through. He squirmed and groaned on the ground some more, until, somehow, the physical pain elevated to a level he didn’t think was possible, expanding from his forearm to his whole body. Every inch of his skin was on fire, and a colossal migraine forced him to gag, attacking him in a frequent series of pulses. He took a long deep breath, remembering that was an essential function to stay alive.
More time passed and Jay telepathically sent him another message.
Half way. Hang in there.
Congratulations! Night Vision Acquired.
* Time spent staring in complete darkness: 500/500 hours. [Time limit: 2 months]
Remy hardly acknowledged the accomplishment. His bloodshot eyes locked onto the caterpillar on his arm, which was not only the source of his pain but the area which hurt the most. Tears flowed down his cheeks.
Then a few hours later, everything changed.
He sat cross-legged, breathing slowly, his eyes still focused on the caterpillar. He fought against the torment with an adamant mind he had cultivated during his childhood. While the world slept, a 14-year-old Remy meditated and trained to fortify his mind. Now, the fruits of his labour were showing. He effortlessly swam in the ocean of suffering. The Agony Caterpillar was no longer his enemy. It was merely a step to help him defeat the ones who had wronged his sister.
Jay sent him another message. “Supervillains are invading the base by the way. The Navy SEALS are handling it.”
I’m going to check it out from the roof.
What?
Remy jolted to his feet and burst out of the room. He sprinted down the narrow hallway, and Jay caught up next to him.
“Aren’t you supposed to be suffering?” he asked.
“I am!” Remy howled back, tears flying from his eyes, no longer in the focused zen state. “But we’ve got to see this!”
The two ran up a set of stairs until they reached the rooftop of the base. Remy hopped about. “Ow, ow, ow, ow, fuck, shit, ow!”
Jay helplessly stared at him, worry planted on his face. “Are you okay?”
“I’m dying!”
“Do you want me to take it off?”
“No!” Remy yelled louder. “Just let me–” He cut himself off and saw clearly in the darkness, the night vision already proving to be helpful. Unfortunately, the battle already seemed to be over. Preach and his soldiers stood over a group of corpses, all of them armed with assault rifles.
“I think you missed it,” Jay confirmed.
Stage One: Place the notorious Agony Caterpillar on your arm for 24 hours. (24/24)
Congratulations! You’ve completed Stage One!
You endured. Great job.
Stage Two: Fast for 14 days (0/14)
Remy flicked the caterpillar off with a finger and sighed. “I know.”
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Over the next few days, Remy and his friends received strict orders from Commander Preach, subjecting them to an unforgiving training regime. Mornings were spent on gruelling cardio sessions, running miles across the grey-sanded terrain with the other soldiers. Evenings were no reprieve, filled with aggressive sets of callisthenics.
On the training grounds, Remy breathed heavily alongside Lyra and Jay as he completed his 60th press-up. Normally, the exercises wouldn't have been a problem, but fasting had weakened him. Waves of hunger periodically hit him, and he craved sleep more than ever. But rest was a luxury they could not afford.
By his 81st press-up, Remy's muscles were trembling. He collapsed from exhaustion, and Commander Preach was immediately on him.
“What do you think you’re doing? This is not a vacation resort!”
Remy didn’t respond, though his eyes narrowed in defiance. Silently, he resumed a plank position and continued his press-ups until he finally reached 100. Jay had already finished his set. Lyra completed hers moments after him.
“I’ll be honest. None of you have done anything to impress me,” Commander Preach said, shaking his head.
“You haven’t given us much of a chance to do so, sir,” Lyra retorted, her voice layered with anger.
Remy’s stomach rumbled loudly.
“She’s right,” Jay agreed.
“If that’s the case, here’s a chance right now,” Preach said. “One hundred more press-ups!”
They all groaned.
As the days went by, Remy fought the overwhelming urge to go home. Starvation and intense exercise created a unique breed of hell. Though it wasn’t as immediately painful as the Agony Caterpillar, it was long-lasting and more deadly. He could feel his body wasting away, his muscles screaming for more energy.
But somehow, he endured. By the end of the second week, he was plagued by symptoms of sleep deprivation such as difficulty concentrating and slower reaction times. For someone with Eternal Insomnia, this was highly alarming because his whole superpower was invulnerability to such symptoms.
Stage Two: Fast for 14 days (14/14)
Congratulations on completing Stage Two! Starvation sucks, but I felt it was a necessary challenge. Only the most resilient are worthy of Dark Energy… but we’re still not done I’m afraid.
Stage Three: Travel to the peak of Shadowspire
Remy broke his fast with a small slice of bread late at night. He chewed slowly, a weak smile forming. Following Wide Awake’s footsteps was satisfying. One again, he was reminded how badass his sister really was.
He met Lyra and Jay at the training grounds later in the morning. “I’m leaving to go up a mountain,” he said. “It’s one of the challenges I need to undergo to acquire the Dark Energy ability. I’ll be gone for a while. Probably a month.”
There was a brief silence.
“Are you serious?” Lyra finally asked. “You can’t be gone for that long.”
“Wait, this might be ideal,” Jay interjected.
“How?!”
“Hear me out. We need to grow exponentially. One month sounds like a realistic time frame for us to develop right in front of Preach and show him we’re not just stupid tourists.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Remy said. “Assume I’m dead if I don’t return in time.”
“But that won’t happen,” Jay said. “You’ll survive.”
“Of course. I have too many plans to die soon. You know that.”
“One month,” Lyra said, gripping his shoulder. “No more.”
Remy nodded. “One month.”