“Wooow, you’re soOoOo bad at this.” Jeremy sarcastically said.

“Well, I’m learning, ok? It isn’t my fault you made me play an infamously difficult game.”

Jana and Jeremy sat in a box of ice, floating adrift on the ocean. Jana was busy playing Darkest Souls while Jeremy laid down, watching her constantly die to the game’s intentionally unfair obstacles with a smirk. The game was a parody of a much better game and was much more difficult in some ways.

Jana focused on playing the game for a few seconds, avoiding barely noticeable spike traps on the ground, only to be hit by one from above, killing her character.

She threw her controller over her head, sending it clattering on the ice. “Ok, this shit is dumb and unfair.”

“Sorry, sorry. I shouldn’tve thrown you into a rage game first thing first.”

“Rage game?” Jana responded, confused. “Why would anyone play a game to get angry?”

Jeremy looked like he was going to say something but quickly shut his mouth, rethinking his response. “You know, I don’t have a clu- OH SHIT!” he scrambled away from one of the box’s corners, looking at the plain ice with surprise.

“Am I really that startling to you?” a blue-robed newcomer asked, leaning on the wall.

“W-well, yeah, when you teleport out of the blue, it tends to freak me the heck out!”

They clicked their tongue.

Jana looked at Jeremy with confusion. “What’s wrong? What are you- Ohh, I see.”

“Yeah, it’s the blue guy,” Jeremy responded hastily.

They wore their ornate blue robe, as always, and leaned against the wall, arms behind their back as their perceptive but passive eyes flickered between the two teens. “So, what’s going on? Quite a bit seems to have changed since I last left.”

“Well, for one, we’re on the road.”

“And here I thought you were floating on the ocean for recreational purposes...” it responded sarcastically before glancing at the computer. “Well, perhaps that wouldn’t have been as much of a stretch as I presumed. So, what’s ‘up’, as the kids say these days?” the being said with ample irony. They didn’t look all that old to Jeremy, but what did he know.

Jeremy flicked the wall of the ice cube, his fingernails hitting it with a crystalline clink. “Well, we’re traveling to Iraq to talk to its new dictator.”

The being tiled their head, looking at Jeremy with a befuddled expression. “That...I wasn’t expecting such a fast turn of events.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Isn’t this what you planned for me to do?”

“Not really,” the being admitted.

“Then what was the plan?”

The being shrugged, their expression frank. “I was working on it.”

Jeremy’s eyes fluttered like he couldn’t register what was being said.

The being’s eyes landed on Jana. “I never anticipated that Jana would actively work to help you, let alone that you two would already decide on a pathway. It amazes me how...how people can forge their own destinies so quickly once the time for action comes.”

“Is it all that strange? My sister is in danger. Even I know to stop complaining when shit like that hits the fan.”

Jana chuckled. “Yo, you didn’t even want to come with me at first.”

The being clicked their tongue, amused. “Is that so?” It raised an eyebrow, sending Jeremy a cocky grin. “Anyway, since I’ve finished my own sleuthing, I’ll volunteer to be your informant.”

“My informant? How?” Jeremy asked. “What would I need from you?”

The being shook their head, eyes closed. “I don’t talk in vague riddles because I’m dumb. I talk in vague riddles because I’m smarter than everyone else around me. I have channels by which I can gain a whole lot of information.”

“Big talk for someone who can’t even make a plan.”

They shrugged, wholly unconcerned with his opinion. “Perhaps. Nonetheless, I can currently only stay with you for a certain period of time. I suggest you and your new comrade think about what you need before you initiate a conversation with someone dangerous.”

“What sorts of things can you find out for us? We’re mostly going to this guy to see if there’s any way a psychic could create a portal to another world. If you could just tell us if that’s a possibility...”

The being shook their head. “Unfortunately, it has been quite a while since I had contact with the person who would best know the answer.”

“Then do you know someone else who would know it?”

“Given the resources at his disposal...” they flicked their eyes towards Jana in an almost accusatory way. “You’re already going towards the next best person. There could be others I’m overlooking, though.”

Jeremy sighed, annoyed that the best option was still the most dangerous.

Jana yawned. “I’m not exactly sure what you’re talking about since I can’t see this dude, but couldn’t you ask them about Samuel’s defenses?”

“I thought you agreed not to start a personal war between a dictator and yourself.”

She shrugged. “You never know what could happen. You said it yourself, this is dangerous.”

“Well, he isn’t a super psychic, isn’t he? Why would you be worried?”

Jana raised a finger. “If I wanted him dead, it wouldn’t be hard for me to hypothetically swoop in and kill him. The thing is, I doubt a scientist with experience in war, an entire country’s worth of funds behind him, and years to prepare would let me get one over him so easily...” She shrugged. “...if I were led into a trap, that is.”

“But still,” Jeremy said, “Is there really any way he stops you, a crazy-powerful super psychic from-”

“Tell me,” Jana interrupted, “do you think I’m just some nuclear bomb you can drop on someone? An inanimate object with power?”

Jeremy shook his head. “Of course not, but-”

“Then, if you can really think about this the way I do, answer me this. Would you like to walk into a dark alley where you know a mugger is waiting for you just because you have a gun?”

After a moment of thought, Jeremy said, “No, I guess I wouldn’t.”

“That’s what this is like for me. I’m not as worried as you, but I’m still nervous. At the same time, I’m not going to leave your sister to rot in another dimension.” She poked her forearm, the skin squishing, despite the muscle. “I’m keenly aware I’m not invincible, but clearly, you aren’t. Super-psychics die all the time, usually to the dumbest things.

Jeremy averted his eyes, not sure what to say. Eventually, he reluctantly met the being’s eyes in anticipation. “So, erm...‘Hatty’? Can you do that- look into his defenses?” he asked.

The being smiled. “I’ll get to business!”

Darkness had long overtaken the skies above Cannada. The sun was rising at a narrow angle, as in most northern winters, coloring the grey, cloudy sky with a yellow glow.

After a long day of travel, a figure streaked across the sky, blasting towards her destination as quickly as possible. In no time, she flew through a small city, then above mostly unoccupied suburban streets.

She landed in front of her destination, a small, plain house with chunks of ice scattered about its snow-covered lawn. After a glance at the GPS in her hand, she pocketed it and walked to its door. She knocked.

After a minute passed, she rang its bell once or twice. When that failed, too, she decided to simply force her way in.

She closed her eyes and focused her attention on the lock. She began telekinetically prodding it. She worked her way through it for a minute, getting a grasp on the pins’ shapes, then once she was confident, the psychic pulled them back and turned the lock.

She walked through the door.

Jana woke up to the somewhat calming sound of a cracking glacier.

She immediately jerked up, looking about her vessel in confusion. Was the box of ice melting?! The sun hadn’t yet risen, so she could barely see a thing, leading her to search for her phone for light. It didn’t take long to find, since it was already on, shining light.

She quickly snatched it from the ice and remembered it was just her alarm.

“What's going on!?” Jeremy asked, panicking as he stood up in confusion.

“It’s just my al...” Jana began before squinting at her phone. “No, it’s a call from area code 500...”

He sighed, smiling a little at the ridiculousness of it. “Oh, so you set your phone ring to be the sound of cracking ice. Nice.

“Oh, shut it,” Jana responded, rejecting the call. “I wish scammers didn’t wake me up at night...”

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that happening,” Jeremy said.

“I was just venting. It’s never happened to me before either,” Jana said, curling up under her small blanket again. “Let’s get back to sl-”

Her phone rang again.

She turned over to look at it, scowling at the number. “Let me sleeep, damn it!” After declining the call again, she rolled around to face the wall.

Jeremy reluctantly rolled back up, facing Jana. “How does your phone number work, anyway? Aren’t you kinda a celebrity?”

“That has my private phone number. Unless it got leaked, random people wouldn’t know it.”

Her phone rang again. Jana, with no hesitation, viciously twisted around and took the call, putting the phone so close to her face that her breath condensated on its screen. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but there better be a damn good reason you’re calling me, yo.”

“Hello...Jana. Yeah, definitely you. It’s always a pleasure to hear your voice,” the scornful, British voice of a girl said through the phone. “It’s even better to hear you haven’t changed.”

Jana moved the screen away from her face with a bemused expression. “Excuse me, who are you?”

“I’m Parkarka, you dolt.”

Jana held her mouth open for a second, confused, before her expression quickly turned indignant. “Ok, how the fuck did you get my number?! I’ve been doing everything I can to not talk to you again, and you’re still harassing me.”

“I found it on a table. Also, did you seriously make your phone number’s first three digits the numbers for absolute zero?”

“It’s none of your business what inside jokes I have with friends, Parkarka. What fucking table did you pull my number from?”

“Psychi’s.”

Jana looked to Jeremy in confusion, only to see him looking to the side in a jokingly guilty manner. He quickly lost the act as he thought a little bit more about the implications of what Parkarka had said, though. “Wait, wait just a second -are you in my house?”

“Is that Jeremy?” Parkarka asked.

“Yeah, duh,” Jana responded. “Now, answer the question.”

“Yes, I broke into your house. Sorry about that.”

“Not cool, man. Erm...but who are you, again?”

“I’m Parkarka, Psychi’s friend. We don’t talk all that often, though.”

“Right...Psychi mentioned she was flying off to visit...you...hmm...” Jeremy looked down, contemplative. Besides Jana, she was the last person to see Psychi. He looked up a moment later. “But that’s beside the point. Who are you to walk into my house, then scrounge around it like a bandit?”

“A worried friend,” Parkarka said. “I heard what happened to Psychi, so I came here as fast as I could. But what’s going on? Why are you with Jana? Where are you?”

“Well, that’s obvious,” Jana said, smiling with obviously cruel intent, “We’re currently going to updog.”

“Where is updog? Wait what even is- Oh, bloody h-”

“I dunno, where’s up for you!?” Jana responded with an ecstatic smile, quickly hanging up. She wiped her brow, looking quite proud of herself.

Jeremy slowly blinked, then looked at Jana with a dumb smirk. “Nice.”

“Got em’!” Jana said, raising her hand. Jeremy met it in a hi-five. She then laid down her phone and snuggled back into her sleeping bag.

“Umm...but why...”

“Parkarka’s a jerk, that’s why.”

“But should you really hang up on her like that? She must’ve been really worried to-”

Jana lazily waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. She’s a pushover.”

He wasn’t so sure.