The Enemy Within, Chapter Two

He was still doing so as rays of Flaban sun filtered through the gossamer curtains of his room. The storm had rained itself out overnight. As soon as she’d sufficiently recovered Neetra had tucked Robin up in bed, and now she watched as slowly he began to wake. His Mini-Flash Juniper action figure, which Neetra had made a point of slipping under the covers for him, was cradled to one cheek. Lovingly he nuzzled it, murmuring softly and happily.

For Neetra knew now, as she’d always done, that those feelings were real too.

When Mini-Flash Robin saw her there smiling by his bedside he began to blush, partly because he was in his pyjama-tunic and as far as he knew it was the first time Neetra had seen him so underclad. Still, he also beamed at her right away and declared: “Now that was totes a good night’s sleep!”

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Neetra. She’d already showered and changed out of her party-dress and been to the bakery across the road, and now Robin’s smile widened to impressive proportions even for him as Neetra brought out his favourite kind of cold custard tart.

“You deserve it for being very brave,” she told him. “I mean putting up with me this whole business-trip,” she added quickly. “Got to be every male Mini-Flash’s nightmare!”

He had been brave too. Not for the peril he’d faced, of which he was oblivious, but for taking ownership of something Neetra happened to know he’d once despaired of ever being able to sort out. She’d not forgotten the day Mini-Flash Juniper made him cry, back when Neetra herself had still suspected her of being up to no good. Jenny could be like that, whether or not she knew it. What did you do with something you so wanted but couldn’t have? In his own way, for better or worse, Robin had addressed that question. He’d staved off future tears through the illusion of control.

Doing so however didn’t help when you ran afoul of Neetra’s new friend. Entities of that kind were the spirit-manifestations of some or other dark desire prevalent in the denizens of this galaxy, and that same atavistic inclination which generated them was in turn their sustenance. Flashtease had explained to Neetra that the one he and Joe encountered, Brumber, fed thus on the race-or-die competitive urge. That was why Brumber visited himself periodically upon the quadrant’s most dangerous dragstrip, and there was nothing at all abstract in the way he went about his feeding. This made Neetra shudder to think what might have been Robin’s fate had she not intervened.

The battle to rescue him didn’t feel especially arbitrary to Neetra’s morning aches and pains. Nevertheless, her breakthrough had been earlier when she enmeshed her mind with his. That was when she’d learned what darkness in Robin her new friend had coveted. Now if the latter was to trouble them no more, that particular Flashball wasn’t in Neetra’s court.

“In fact you’ve been a little too brave, Robin, if there’s any such thing,” she went on. “You see, if someone hurts you, you do know it’s OK to tell them about it? No matter who they are. Even if they’re Special Program,” she finished significantly.

Robin stared from the bed, looking awed.

“I still want you to go easy on her, because of what she went through,” Neetra added. “But that doesn’t mean there’s anything you have to go through alone.”

Our heroine chose to believe that was how it should be. Harbin hurt Jenny, Jenny hurt Robin…there had to be more to it than that, and if finding it wasn’t part of her cause, Neetra didn’t know what was. You didn’t have to be some sort of superpowerful being to take advantage of what was left to fester within. Far more mediocre creatures of evil got onboard with that just fine. Caring for each other instead was a thing you sometimes had to feel your way to.

Neetra knew someone she cared for now, even if he was two-timing her disgracefully. She kissed him, letting her lips linger perhaps a little longer than they might have done.

Then she made to leave, instructing Robin to join her in the lobby as soon as he was dressed. “Thanks again for the gift,” he grinned to her. “Chap could totes start to put on weight with you around!”

“You must be ready for something sweet, after all those pickled onions,” Neetra replied.

The words were out before she realised she’d spoken them. So Neetra thanked the two moons she’d already turned to the door.

Down the one teetering hill of Flaban town Neetra and Mini-Flash Robin proceeded, to say their goodbyes to Wodding before setting off back to Nottingham. Robin was bearing his cold custard tart before him in both hands and beaming at it periodically. Neetra had never known a boy like him for not getting round to just eating the things, though she suspected the only ones he treasured indefinitely were those which had come from her.

From behind the descending duo a familiar voice chanted:

“His mouth a great black chasm, and his house full of unpleasant plasm.”

It was the Flaban girl who’d plagued Mini-Flash Robin ever since he arrived. She stood on the incline a distance above them, posing as she always did. Her delicate blossom-tinted waviness was almost invisible under bright sunshine, but she still looked to Neetra’s eyes exactly like Mini-Flash Juniper.

That resemblance was why it had been anything but downhill work encouraging Robin to stand up for himself. All of a sudden though, his expression gave Neetra an urge to tell him not to do something they’d both regret.

“Chap’s probably going to get splatted for this,” the Mini-Flash muttered, and then he was off, taking his custard tart with him. Neetra watched from below, hardly daring to breathe.

Up the steep incline Robin struggled, until he was face-to-face with his other girlfriend. He gave her an enormous smile. Then he held out that which he carried and offered it to her.

Seldom had Neetra seen a girl melt so swiftly and completely. All at once the Flaban female’s gigglesome grin made her look twice as shy as Robin ever did. With a dainty thumb and forefinger she detached the tiniest imaginable particle of custard tart, and graciously popped this into the wide waiting mouth of which she’d said such beastly things mere moments before. Then after appropriating the remainder for herself she skipped away on sunbeams and was gone.

Mini-Flash Robin gazed after her as though he couldn’t quite believe he’d really done it. Neetra couldn’t believe it either, but she was starting to.

Because that wasn’t the illusion of control. That was just plain old taking control for real.

She was ever so proud of him!

END OF CHAPTER TWO