Cards Of Power

Chapter Eleven

Nick and I go around with Tina to try and find the photo album. She comes out of what is likely her bedroom holding a book. "Is that it," Nick asks. Tina nods and we return to the living room. Tina hands it to Zaire and the three of us crowd around the book. We look through the book and find a lot of pictures of different locations. Zaire stops flipping pages after a picture of a lake shows up. "This is definitely Jibri but who's this with him," he asks showing Tina the picture. "I believe that was someone who was supposed to be working with Jibri as a partner of sorts so they'd essentially be a hero team. I honestly don't remember this photo being taken or anything about the person with Jibri but, I think I vaguely recall Jibri liking the lake around here and Mason definitely loved it." "Do you have directions to get to this lake? Jibri hasn't moved in a while according to the star and he might be there." Tina gives us the directions and we decide to leave and see if we can actually get Jibri to talk. Meanwhile Nick calls Odette while we're driving to give her an update on what we found out. I look out the window to see the clouds from earlier even darker meaning the rain is closer. "How're we going to approach Jibri," I ask. "Well I perfected the invisibility trick I was working on yesterday so I could make us unseen to his eyes as we approach," Nick says. "In that case I have an idea. Nick makes us invisible after we suit up and we approach him quietly. Then we reveal ourselves once we're in a specific position. I think Alyssa should be on one side due to the water stream from the suit of clubs just in case he tries going there. Either Nick and I are both on the other side to cut off his escape as best as we can or Nick stands in a different direction. Nick will use illusions to make Jibri think that route is inaccessible and I'll use my boxing abilities. Hopefully he doesn't teleport away. Once we reveal ourselves we should start small as we don't want to agitate him so how about asking why he's there," Zaire suggests. "Alright but then what," I ask. "Maybe ask why he became a villain then quickly hit Jibri with the hard questions like maybe what happened to Mason and the other people who disappeared," Nick says with a shrug. "Maybe I could use the ace of diamonds to charm him into giving answers," I add. "Sounds like we've got a plan but let's try and be careful," Zaire says as we pull up into a parking lot before the lake. There doesn't seem to be anyone to ask to let us in or anything of the sort so we start moving towards Jibri.

We stop walking so I can summon the ace of hearts and the queen of spades so we're in costume. Immediately after Illusio uses his illusions to make us invisible. "Suits it's time for telepathy and I think you should use the diamond card now," Astral says. I nod and summon both the normal diamond suit and its ace. We move slowly and as quietly as possible until we see Jibri. Jibri is standing on a bridge that looks old and like it could fall apart soon while looking out on the side. "Suits you stay on this side. I'll go to the left side of him while Astral walks a little further so that he's behind Jibri," Illusio says through my telepathy. Astral and I agree through the telepathy as Astral and Illusio keep moving. I can see them faintly because Illusio is letting us but it's definitely doing its job. "On three let's reveal ourselves," Astral says. "Alright I'll do the counting down. One, two, three," I exclaim mentally before we all reveal ourselves. "What are you doing here," Astral asks aloud. Jibri immediately turns around with his eyes narrowing as he sees us. "The better question is why are you here?" "We happened to be in the area and were aware you were here," Illusio replies calmly. "Whatever. I doubt there's any point to trying to get information."

Jibri doesn't seem anywhere near as smug as he was when we met. In fact he seems rather sad. I can't help but feel pity for him hearing about his life. "How did you become a villain," I ask pushing aside my pity. Jibri simply looks at me. "Why do you want to know," he asks his body tensing and voice filled with bitterness. "Astral, Illusio, he seems saddened," I say via telepathy. "We heard about Mason and simply want to know more about you," Astral says. Jibri looks at Astral surprised and his breathing gets heavier. "I know I said you weren't an ally and were in fact an enemy when we met but knowing what we do I don't think that anymore," I say taking a small step towards him. "W-what do you know," Jibri asks like he's remembering something painful and very afraid. The three of us look at each other and Astral speaks aloud, "let's tell him everything." Illusio and I nod then tell him everything from our mission at Treasure of Infinity onwards to the end of our meeting with Tina. When we get to the parts with Tina, specifically the part when he was crying, Jibri slumps down to the ground. "Are you alright," I ask moving to sit with my legs to the side next to him. "Honestly I don't know. I've put my emotions on the back burner for so long but could never shake the emotions associated with this place." Jibri stops talking for a bit and Astral and Illusio sit on the side of the bridge opposite of us. "Thinking it through I think I'm feeling compelled to tell you everything however I don't think this is the place for it." I feel a little pang of guilt due to his compelling feeling being potentially due to the ace of diamonds being active. "How about our car," Astral suggests. Jibri nods and we all get up and go to the car. Once we arrive we see that Illusio used his illusions to turn the car into a van and get inside with Astral and Illusio being in the front while Jibri and I are in the back.

"I have a brother. When we were kids it was basically us against the world. I don't know anything about our parents since we more or less lived on the streets. For a while the two of us helped some people who were on the same street as us out with odd jobs to get some money and the like but, eventually something in my brother changed, or maybe I was just naive and my brain didn't comprehend what he was doing before that point. Regardless he became abusive both verbally and physically. If I didn't do one of the jobs or something to his liking he'd beat the snot out of me or yell at me and make me feel worthless." Without a second thought I grab Jibri's left hand with my right and squeeze it slightly. "Honestly I don't remember anything else about that time but one day I went to practice my powers alone since my brother was doing his own thing for a job or something and that's when I met Mason. To clarify when I was a kid I was terrified my brother would think my powers were a waste of time or use them to make me feel worse or something to that extent." "Right then after Mason found you that's when you became a hero and started working with him," Illusio says. Jibri nods as he speaks, "yes. After meeting Mason and getting the all clear to start training to be a superhero I went back to where my brother and I were staying and told him I found a really good job where we probably wouldn't have to do strange jobs and could have a decent place to stay."

Before Jibri continues there's a boom of thunder followed by the immediate pouring of rain. "My brother seemed really happy when I told him that so I went into the details. He told me to go through with it. As I'm sure you know Mason trained me. After training with Mason for about five years the organization held a meeting of sorts and told me I was to have a partner to go on missions and stuff. That guy was the first and only friend I had. Then about two years later when I was fifteen everything fell apart." Jibri stops speaking to look out the window and I glance at Astral and Illusio. They both have serious looks on their faces but both have sadness or pity in their eyes which I don't blame them for since we have a pretty good idea what happens next. With a resigned sigh Jibri continues, "my brother and I stayed in an old abandoned building with showers and other things we'd need close by, or at least that's how I remember it. One day before I went to train with Mason my brother said we needed to talk. I had a bad feeling because my brother had basically left me alone since the day I told him about the opportunity. He asked me if I really thought I'd be able to do hero work and then put me down with basically every insult he could think of. The one thing that sticks in my memory is that he said my partner was just hanging out with me pretending to be my friend because nobody would really want to be friends with someone as useless as me; then he punched me in the stomach. I don't remember what happened after but I went on my way to training and started crying."