Week 33.5 – Powerless

Previously: Digger and Cole were imprisoned in the Czar’s dungeon. And now…

“Twain, you’ve been here before,” Digger said. “You think you can guide us out?”

“Twain’s not here,” Cole said.

“Where is he?”

“Being tortured, I think,” Cole said. “They came and got him not long before they brought you back.”

“That sucks, but I can’t say I feel too bad,” Digger said. “What about you? Are your powers gone permanently, you think?”

“No,” Cole said. “The buzz from the drugs is wearing off, and I heard that nurse say I needed to be brought back once a day for treatment.”

“Okay,” Digger said, “then we wait for Twain and leave when he gets here.”

“He won’t be in any shape to leave,” Cole said. “I said, they’re torturing him.”

“But only one of him,” Digger said. “He can flip to the other one and be just fine.”

[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”right”]They had all seen the stiffness in her posture, the fixed stare, the tightened lips which signalled determination and stress. They pitied the man who would be on the receiving end of that stare…[/blockquote]“No, he can’t,” Cole said. “He told me he lost his powers. “Plus, if they bring him back, who’s to say they won’t leave with me?”

“Damn,” Digger said. “You’re right. So okay, do you feel up to leaving right now?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Cole said. “But where would we go?”

“I don’t know,” Digger said. “We need to find the mask so I can get my powers back, which means we need to talk to Twain. If we can hole up in the hills long enough for you to get your powers back, we could break back in here and get him tomorrow, maybe. Then he can lead me to the mask, I get my powers back and we go home.”

“What about the danger to the Czar?” Cole said.

“I already warned him of that, and besides, he’s having Twain worked over now,” Digger said. The door to Cole’s cell opened and Digger hunched down to look through the door. “I’m pretty sure that danger is past.”

***

Yi Fan stepped lightly around the work crew putting the finishing touches on the repairs to the north wing of the Czar’s palace, fixing the damage done during Hell on Earth months before. The workmen fell silent and still until she had passed them by completely, not even daring to breathe until she was well away from them. They had all seen the stiffness in her posture, the fixed stare, the tightened lips which signalled determination and stress. They pitied the man who would be on the receiving end of that stare.

Yi Fan didn’t even notice the men, her mind fixed on her task. At her side, she clutched the canvas messenger bag which held the golden mask. More than anything, she wanted to pull the mask from the bag and place it over her own face, but the Ghost would never allow it, now that he knew of its nature.

So she had to take another path to her goal. Yi Fan couldn’t bear the thought of Twain being tortured, so she had determined to make her move now. She would place the mask on the Czar herself and steal his powers.

Yi Fan is too late to stop the torture, Digger’s on his way out of the palace to find the mask Yi Fan is currently carrying, and the Czar has been warned of possible danger. Is this the prelude to a big event, or just a tease? Join us next week to find out as we continue with the next chapter of Run, Digger, Run!

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