Briefly, Remy ran out of thoughts. He felt the sharp prick of a syringe in his neck as Isolate picked him up and burst upwards, soaring through the sky. The drowsy sensation vanished. Though his body was still on fire, he could tell he was no longer at death's door. Isolate must have injected him with an antidote to the snow leopard's venom. It was obviously great not to die of poisoning, but he was going to miss the rare feeling of slowly slipping away into eternal peace.
A large flying island floated ahead of them. Its edges were cliffs and jagged rocks, while the interior gradually transitioned into a lush forest. Patches of wildflowers and exotic plants flourished, their colours vibrant and varied. Despite the high altitude, the air became abundant with oxygen, crisp and pure.
Remy shook his head in disbelief, yet a slight smile crept on his face. “How?” he yelled
Isolate only laughed cheerfully in response, and Remy was glad she did because the answer was too obvious. They lived in the Super Era where any human could surpass their biological limits and reach new heights. Almost every superpower could be acquired and levelled up since the dawn of the Flow Site system which meant that, technically, almost anything was possible.
Stylish architecture in the form of wooden houses scattered about the land and almost immediately, Remy knew he was in the presence of an organised, sophisticated society. Men, women and children walked around the village with smiles on their faces, free of tension and anxiety. In every textbook and even from Wide Awake's accounts, it was said there was no such thing as peace or tranquillity in the Deadzone.
"What is this place?" Remy asked.
Isolate slipped handcuffs on him as they lowered to the island's surface. "Stratosia... And you're under arrest."
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As Remy was quickly whisked away to his prison cell-- two bulky guards on either side of him– the villagers stared at him with a mix of intrigue and disapproval. He gave them an emotionless expression, though slightly amused. They seemed to fear him yet he was harmless compared to the abominations skulking far below them.
He lay on a bed in his prison and moments later he was whisked outside into a smaller interrogation room. He was alone with a man who seemed to be in his late 20s. His blond hair was long and chaotic, clearly left to grow and have a life of its own. Remy thought it looked artistic somehow.
An awkward silence stretched on. Remy cleared his throat. "I'm not a threat, honest. Can I have my gauntlets back?”
"Silence," the man barked.
"Alright," Remy said. He waited patiently until he finally realised what was happening. He chuckled.
"Why are you laughing?" the man snapped.
"Don't bother trying to read my mind.”
The man scowled and the next ten minutes consisted of him tensing what seemed to be every fibre of his being. Veins popped out of his neck and his whole body vibrated.
"You look constipated," Remy said.
The man took a deep breath and reeled backwards. "Stop resisting!" he commanded.
“No.”
"Fuck!" the man swore.
“Sorry. I promise I'm not a cannibal. Those guys suck. Can I talk to Isolate please?" Remy asked.
The man hung his head, then darted out of the interrogation room, leaving Remy alone, whistling. He waited a while, inflating his cheeks, before a flustered Isolate barged into the room, visibly pissed off. Her eyebrows furrowed, her fists clenched, and her already fierce golden eyes burned fiercer.
"I saved you. The least you can do is cooperate and allow the psychic to read your mind."
"Why am I in handcuffs?" Remy asked.
"You could be an enemy to this island."
"I'm not. I promise. Give me my gauntlets and I'll be on my way. Even though you're a supervillain, I'm not a superhero. All I'm trying to do is acquire the Dark Energy ability. To be honest, I'm surprised you're not a threat to this peaceful island. Didn't you do some fucked up shit? What was it again?”
Remy closed one eye as he thought hard. His knowledge of legendary supervillains was miserable but even he was familiar with Isolate's origins. "You killed your family and three superheroes. Classic villain origin story.”
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Isolate the Conqueror recoiled like Remy had hit her with a vicious combo. Her head tilted up and she closed her eyes. "No, no, no! That wasn't me! I was framed! You've got to believe me!"
Without hesitation, Remy nodded. "Okay. I believe you."
"What?"
"I said I believe you," Remy repeated, this time more sternly.
"Huh?” Isolate threw him a look of disgust. “You're weird. Creep. Loser. Is this flattery? It ain’t going to work.”
Remy laughed. "What? No. Everything tells me you are not the typical supervillain. You saved me for starters. And then you haven't tortured me to get the information you want. I mean, if I were in your shoes, I would definitely break a few bones or two. And then there's the villagers on the island. Everyone seems to be happy. Genuinely happy. You must not be a tyrant. I think someone unjustly ruined your life."
"Correct!" Isolate yelled, her eyes lighting up with delight. She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him back and forth violently. "Instant set me up. He killed my family and blamed me for it. I managed to escape to the Deadzone.”
Remy understood the fury burning in her eyes. She was just like him. "He abducted my sister, Wide Awake, which led to her death.”
"You're her younger brother?" Isolate whispered.
"Yes. Were you friends with her?" Remy asked.
"No, but I’ve heard of her. When I fled, she was a rookie superhero. I thought she was cool. I'm sorry for your loss."
Remy looked away momentarily. "Answer me any question and I'll answer truthfully. I'll tell you everything you want to know."
True to his word, he told her everything he knew about the corrupt superhero system and his adventure so far. Isolate listened quietly, though occasionally threw the odd facial expression.
“Are you sure Endless is evil?”
“Yes.”
Isolate groaned. “You think you know a guy. So you're going after the Dark Energy ability?"
"Yes," Remy answered. "I'm on the final challenge."
"The final challenge, eh?" Isolate said. “The miracle ball if I remember correctly."
"You know of it?"
"I’ve seen a few people attempt to acquire the superpower. None of them managed to pass the final stage. Everyone says it's impossible."
Remy grinned, happy to be reminded of the greatness of his sister. "That's not true."
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After a few more hours of discussing the world outside the Deadzone with Isolate, Remy was free to explore the magnificent flying island of Stratosia, and his gauntlets were promptly returned to him. Apparently, the island's surface was infused with Isolate's levitation superpower, enabling it to defy gravity.
Fighting the urge to play tourist, he sat on the nearest bench he could find and took a long deep sigh of relief.
I'm alive. Somehow.
He brought his attention to the final challenge. His thoughts alone were enough to trigger the text to reveal itself. He read the words, then stretched out a palm, and a black sphere the size of a tennis ball materialised in his palm.
"Hm."
Remy inspected the Miracle Ball and waited patiently. Suddenly, it began to vibrate and new text appeared before him.
Analysing user... scanning...
Complete!
73% purity achieved. Challenge failed. 100% purity must be required to pass.
Remy had expected to fail on his first attempt, but the low percentage was a surprise. Amelia had achieved 98% on her first try and passed on her second. The device measured the user's purity which was Reluctant Man's assessment of morality. It scanned the user's memories, thoughts, and experiences to decide whether or not they were pure enough to use Dark Energy.
Which was quite bullshit in Remy’s humble opinion. Who decided who was pure and who wasn’t? Nevertheless, he didn’t have much of a say in the matter. It’s not like he could argue with the deceased superhero.
He jumped to his feet and began to walk around the exotic island. To achieve 100% purity, according to his sister, was reflection, meditation, and pure thoughts. So that’s what he did. He thought about being a good person. A better friend and a better son. He thought about all the good that could come from following in his sister's footsteps and being a legitimate superhero and why that was amazing.
Several hours later, he tried again…
Analysing user... scanning...
Complete!
73% purity achieved. Challenge failed. 100% purity must be required to pass.
Remy pulled a deadpan expression, then threw his head back. After eating dinner with Isolate and her friends, he walked back into the forest areas and as midnight approached, he found himself at the very edge of the floating island.
He sat on the cliff’s edge, and moments later a sickening revelation entered his mind– was his quest for vengeance inhibiting his progress? Sure, he wanted to kill and maybe torture a few top-ranking superheroes but he was still a decent person, and the people who he wanted to kill most definitely deserved a painful demise. If anything, that should give him 101% purity.
Remy groaned, head in hand. Who am I fooling?
“Not like this,” he whispered. “I can’t get this far for nothing.”
“Can I sit there?”
Remy turned to see a woman with heavy bags under her eyes. “Um… what?”
She pointed at a spot right next to him. “There. Can I sit there?”
“Not a good idea,” Remy said, glancing at the precarious edge. “You look extremely tired and I’m worried you’ll fall off.”
Despite his concerns, the woman sat down next to him. “They said you have Eternal Insomnia, Otherworlder. How did you get it? What’s it like?”
“It’s an inherited ability. I don’t really like it but...”
The woman gripped his shoulder tightly and leaned in a little too close. Remy froze, studying her features– her brown eyes and long brown hair. She was beautiful. His heart raced, and a strong, warm sensation soothed his mind.
“I wish I could stay awake forever like you,” she said, her grip loosening.
“I wish I could fall asleep like you,” Remy replied.