Chapter 20: RV & TV

I woke up and glanced at the clock. It was past noon already, and a sense of panic washed over me. “Lois? Lois!?” I called out, my voice echoing through the quiet house. I stood up, my legs still shaky from the fever, and began to search every room. The emptiness felt suffocating, and my heart pounded with fear until I heard Lois’s voice from behind me.

"What are you doing? You should be resting!" she scolded, her voice firm yet filled with concern as she stood by the door.

"Lois! Where have you been?" I asked, relief flooding through me as I turned to face her.

"Outside," she replied casually.

For the first time, I noticed she was dressed in civilian wear, a plain contrast to her usual lazy attire. She had been outside, just like she said. Without thinking, I ran to her and hugged her tightly, the fear of losing her still fresh in my mind. I felt her palm on my forehead, checking my temperature with a gentle touch.

"You are still feverishly hot, so you should rest," she insisted. “Also, drink lots of water.”

"Where have you been, Lois?" I asked again, my voice trembling with emotion. Tears blurred my vision as I realized just how much the thought of her absence had terrified me. "I… I thought you were gone…"

"I won’t just leave you, silly!" Lois reassured me, her voice soothing. "I retrieved the documents proving my identification from Chet. I also ran by the pharmacy to get you medicine."

Her words brought a wave of relief, and I held her tighter, grateful for her presence. She had taken care of everything while I had been incapacitated, ensuring our safety and well-being. At that moment, I realized just how much I relied on her, not just as a partner but as a steadfast pillar in the tumultuous world we navigated together.

More than anything, Lois had become my emotional support in this world. Her presence was a balm to my frayed nerves, a beacon of stability amid the chaos we faced. As I held her close, her words sunk in slowly.

"I took a hundred thousand credits from your stash if you didn’t mind," she mentioned almost as an afterthought.

"It is fine; take as much as you want," I assured her, maintaining my embrace.

Lois then explained, "I paid off Chet’s fees around 55K and used the rest to buy an RV…"

"RV?" I questioned, intrigued by her purchase.

"Y-yeah, which should be helpful if we are on the run… you know?" she replied, her tone slightly hesitant.

I couldn’t help but laugh, a genuine sound that broke the tension in the room. Lois’s foresight and practicality always amazed me. She had thought of everything, even planning for our potential escape should things go south. The thought of hitting the road in an RV, with Lois by my side, brought a sense of adventure and freedom. We could leave our troubles behind, even if only temporarily, and chart a new course together.

"Thank you, Lois," I said, my voice filled with gratitude. "I don’t know what I’d do without you."

"Well, you’d better take care of yourself first," she replied with a smile, her eyes twinkling with affection. "Now, let’s get you back to bed, and I’ll bring you some water and your medicine."

I nodded, feeling a newfound sense of peace.

Lois nursed me back to health, and before long, I was quickly back on my feet. It was August 2, 2030, a Friday. The past month had been a flurry of activity. I buried part of the entrance to our underground hideout with concrete and installed a sturdy steel door to secure it. To add a touch of comfort, I bought a nice flat-screen TV so we could enjoy some downtime.

I started to get to know the neighbors, engaging in casual conversations and building a rapport. Despite the looming threat of discovery, I remained cautious. A few enforcers in uniform came knocking on our door one day, but we managed to avoid their suspicions by flashing the fake IDs Chet had procured for us. With the amount of money I had stashed away, I knew I wouldn’t need to work a day in my life if I didn’t want to.

Lois continued her self-studies, delving into various subjects with a dedication that I admired. Meanwhile, I found myself lounging on the couch, basking in the freedom we had carved out for ourselves.

"You are becoming a lazy bum," Lois commented as she sat beside me, her eyes flitting between the TV and the book she was reading.

"I’m learning to cook more recipes, so we can enjoy a wider variety of food," I protested, not wanting to appear idle. "So, I can’t be a bum."

"Maybe… but I doubt that," she replied with a playful smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Her teasing was a reminder of the normalcy we were striving to maintain despite the upheaval in our lives. It felt good to banter with her, to share these moments of levity amid the uncertainty.

I liked this. I loved this.

Hopefully, it would continue this way.

It was past seven o'clock in the afternoon, and we had just finished dinner. I had been watching a spy movie on the TV, which had been captivating, but after it ended, the news came on, and I dozed off for a few minutes. When I woke up, the news was still playing.

A blonde, petite woman delivered a rather mood-downing opening. “Of the fifty-two City-States, Kane City has been infamously at the lower rungs of society for a long time,” she announced. “Crimes have been rampant within the city. Every day, more enforcers on duty are killed in gang encounters and the like. It has been a terrible time.”

I noted once again how in this world—or worlds, as the World Order described them—the concept of traditional normal human police did not exist. Instead, there was the Law Enforcement Division, a hybrid of an intelligence agency and a military organization. They performed various functions, knocking on doors to track down criminals and villains. They generally overlooked petty crimes unless they had conclusive evidence, and when they did act, it was with the precision and firepower of soldiers.

If they decided they would lack the firepower, they would send the heroes.

The news anchor continued, “However, thanks to the efforts of the new KCU director, Ivory, things are getting better in Kane!”

The screen shifted to show Ivory in all her glory, wearing a red cape with a white inner layer. Her presence exuded authority and strength, a symbol of hope in a city plagued by chaos.

I recalled the last time I encountered Ivory. I had been the one to knock her down. Yet here she was, not only back on her feet but doing incredibly well in her efforts to counter the Order’s vision… of course at my designs.

Ivory was raising awareness about the dynamics between superhumans and normal humans, promoting a form of self-empowerment centered on self-reliance. It was only a matter of time before the World Order noticed her unusual behavior.

The World Order had built the Union, an organization filled with superheroes intended to be worshipped by the non-powered populace. The Union's sole purpose was to unite the Order—or more specifically, the worlds—under a singular banner.

It was funny to me how I’d manipulated Ivory to act like this without her knowing.

The news anchor continued to shower Ivory with praise, which seemed like propaganda most likely enabled by Ivory herself.

I glanced over at Lois, gauging her reaction. "What do you think?" I asked.

"What?" she replied, her attention still partly on her book.

"She was the one who killed you, remember? Of course, you don’t remember, since she blew your head off."

Lois looked at me, her eyes narrowing. "Are you asking me... permission?"

"Ivory will be almost ripe for the taking," I explained. "Sooner or later, the Union will act against her. They might recall her back home, and when she refuses, the Order will send operatives to apprehend her. This planet doesn’t have a hero who can contend with her, and Ivory is the kind of superhuman who will need either specific countermeasures or stronger opponents, at least in the specs department."

"Are you setting her up... to become a villain?" Lois asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Yes," I confirmed. "And when she’s at the lowest point of her life, that’s when we will kill her."

Lois turned to me, her eyes softening as she spoke. "Can’t we just be satisfied with what we have? I am happy now as I am. Planet Mol can be our home. If we reveal even a whiff of our existence to the Order, then we won’t have any peace. We will have to leave this planet."

Kane City was based on Planet Mol. Unlike most habitable planets, Mol was a small planet, roughly the size of Origin Earth’s moon. To put it strongly, Mol was a place that belonged to the boonies, and Kane City was the boonies of the boonies. This was the perfect place to settle down and have a family. No matter how heavy the Ebony Knight’s bounty, as long as Lois was with me, she’d almost never be found out that she used to be Ebony Knight.

"Hmmm… There are advantages to not moving against Ivory," I mused aloud.

Personally, I wanted to kill her. But Lois had a point. She was not wrong either that I was asking her for permission. The cold, rational part of me felt it was troublesome, but the emotional side of me wanted the other—to inflict death on the person that caused me and Lois’s pain.

I agonized over the idea of letting go for Lois’s sake. Even if I didn’t make the move, Ivory would inevitably suffer. I could imagine Ivory suffering the same fate Ebony did. I smiled.

“Why are you smiling?” Lois’s voice cut through my thoughts, snapping me back to the present.

I quickly wiped the smile off my face. "No. It is nothing," I replied, trying to mask the satisfaction that had crept into my expression.

“How about we take the RV you bought with my money for a spin tomorrow? I don’t know, maybe a picnic to the park?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Sure,” she smiled. “Go ahead.”

Thus, the next day arrived with two lovebirds looking forward to it. I cooked up some grilled sandwiches for breakfast and packed up some greens. We’d have to stop by the mall to buy meat and grilling equipment. Meanwhile, Lois was checking on the RV, making sure it was working just fine. She could do mechanic stuff because she was that capable—it just took her a few hours of late-night reading.

I was a bit envious of Lois’s superpower of self-mastery.

But then again, I was more thankful she was slowly easing into this world with her memory loss. I might have lost the old Lois, but I wouldn’t forget her. And the new Lois was as much a Lois as the old her.

"Also, do something with the hideout’s entrance," complained Lois, her brow furrowing as she glanced at the concrete. "It doesn’t look… quite hidden…"

"Ah, it could use some paint," I replied, trying to downplay the issue with a casual shrug.

Lois didn’t seem convinced. "Paint? Do you think paint is going to solve the problem? It’s supposed to be a hideout, not some art project. You need to make it look less conspicuous, not more colorful."

I chuckled, appreciating her attention to detail. "Alright, I’ll take care of it. I’ll make it blend in more with the surroundings, maybe add some foliage or a false wall. Happy?"

She nodded, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. "Much better. We can’t afford to be careless. Even if this planet is off the radar, we shouldn’t take any chances."

I admired her vigilance, another trait that had carried over from the old Lois. Even without her memories, she still had the instincts of a warrior, always on guard, always thinking ahead.

"Consider it done," I promised, making a mental note to work on the entrance as soon as possible. "But for now, let’s focus on the picnic tomorrow. We deserve a break, don’t you think?"

Lois smiled again, a genuine warmth in her eyes. "Yeah, we do."