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AE/AE: The College Chronicles
Episode 1: “Trouble in Paradise”
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Time: 10:55 PM Pacific Time
Myles College stood on the balcony of his honeymoon suite, looking out at the ocean waves crashing against the shoreline. He had arrived at his hotel two hours ago after a grueling ten-hour flight from Gotham.
Myles breathed in deeply, taking in the sweet island air. I truly am blessed, he thought, to be standing here right now.
Myles remembered the events that had happened during the last few weeks. The team had gathered a house to fight Scarecrow. But Scarecrow had attacked first, ramming an oil truck into the house. Everyone barely escaped, except for Gabriella Phoenix. The team, leaderless, laid low for a while, stealing to survive. But Myles found Hector and helped his friend fight off Scarecrow. The team regrouped and, after breaking someone out of jail, they attempted to leave Gotham. However, Scarecrow intervened and they ended up crashing into the ocean, barely surviving Scarecrow’s attack. Then…came the arena.
Myles sighed and felt his arm, which was still healing from a breakage. The final battle in the arena haunted him, even now. The whole teamed gathered and faced Scarecrow in an all-out battle…only Myles wasn’t focused on Scarecrow. He discovered that Hector attempted to kill a girl Myles liked, and challenged Hector to a duel to the death. After seeing two friends get cut down, the two boys stopped fighting. Hector went off fighting a girl in armor, while Myles stood in the middle of a sea of enemies, alone.
Left, right, backward, forward…he was moving everywhere, fueled by adrenaline and the will to live. Suddenly, Myles saw Victoria Shank, the girl he had just fought over, about to be cornered. He hacked his way to her and helped her out. The two stood back to back, fighting all comers. Eventually, all the Scare-X members had been killed, leaving Scarecrow. Hector tried shooting the b******, but he suffered a migraine and collapsed. Scarecrow disappeared, leaving the team alone in the arena…
Until clones of Scarecrow appeared. Myles faced several, fighting his hardest. But whenever he cut one down, two more took its place. Suddenly, he saw Hector getting strangled by the real Scarecrow. After trying to decapitate him with a scythe, Myles and Scarecrow fought scythe to scythe.
Myles shuddered, remembering looking into that zombie-like face, that rotting flesh, the stench…but he kept on fighting. He received a slight scratch, but kept going.
Suddenly, Scarecrow shot Victoria. Myles remembered the look on her face as the bullet went into a rib. Victoria, who had just agreed to marry him, fell, possibly dying. Myles fought harder than ever. But eventually, he too fell, getting thrown into a wall near Victoria and breaking his arm.
Myles faintly remembered Victor and countless others fighting, but all he saw was Victoria, blood coming out of her chest, where Hector had removed the bullet. She looked so scared…
He promised her. He had promised her that he would protect her, that he would never leave her. He had held her hand, even as everyone, including Hector, Lynn, and Ann, fell to Scarecrow. But eventually, Roxy killed him, ending the nightmare.
However, the nightmare still lived. Inside Myles’ head.
“Honey?”
Myles turned and smiled, seeing Victoria—now Victoria College—standing behind him, a bathrobe covering the nightgown underneath. Yes, lucky indeed.
Victoria coked her head to one side, looking at him. “You okay?”
Myles nodded. “Yeah, just…remembering”
Victoria walked up next to him and stood there, looking out at the ocean. He followed her example and put an arm around her waist. In response, she leaned against his side, putting her head on his shoulder. “The arena?”
Myles nodded. “And…everything else.”
Victoria looked at him. “That stuff’s over, Myles. He’s dead. He won’t come back”
Myles sighed. “I know, but…it’s hard to get all those things out of my head. Caren, Derek, Gabriella...”
Victoria nodded. “And everyone else.”
“However” Myles continued. “It was worth surviving. Here I am now; with you…I never thought I’d live to see this day.”
Victoria looked back out at the ocean. “When I first met you, I thought you were just Hector’s sidekick. I didn’t really think much of you. I only had eyes for him. But I soon realized that you were much, much more. You were smart, funny, insightful, caring…”
“Hopefully handsome” Myles replied lightly.
Victoria smirked. “Yes. And handsome.”
Suddenly, Myles’ phone began ringing. Taking it out of his pocket, he looked at the caller ID…and sighed. Answering he said, “Hector, it’s my freaking honeymoon, for God’s sake! What is it?!”
Hector Crane laughed. “Nothing. I just wanted to check on you guys. How’s Hawaii?”
In response, Myles hung up and turned off the phone. Shaking his head, he turned to Victoria. “Stupid Hector”
Victoria grinned…and kissed him.
* * *
The next day, Myles got up at 10 AM, had a marvelous breakfast of bacon and eggs, and began watching TV…before realizing that we was in Hawaii, next to the ocean, with his wife.
Wife. Myles looked at Victoria, who was chatting on the phone with Natasha, another friend. The word still sounded odd…but perfect.
“Victoria?” he called, standing up and grabbing his black windbreaker. Putting it on over his white T-shirt and denim jeans, he continued. “I’m going out for a spin on the motorboat. I’ll be back soon”
Victoria nodded, mouthed “Have fun” and waved. Myles grinned, took the card key, and left the room.
In about ten minutes, he had reached the dock. After selecting a black mini motor boat (model MB-200A) and paying the guy, Myles jumped on, gunned the motor, and sped out into the ocean. Soon he was going 200 miles per hour and having the time of his life. The ocean sprayed his face, the wind ruffling his hair, his windbreaker billowing behind him...life was perfect.
Suddenly, something grazed his neck. Giving a cry, Myles felt his neck and felt blood. Then something hit the water next to his foot. Looking back, Myles noticed two motorboats, the same as his own, tailing him. The two men wore all black, including ski masks.
Both had guns.
Swearing, Myles veered back to shore, bouncing slightly as he passed over the waves. The men changed course so they were still behind him.
Suddenly, a something whooshed passed him, leaving a trail of smoke. That’s not a bullet, Myles thought. With a sinking feeling, he looked back: one of the goons had taken out a rocket launcher and was aiming at him again.
Myles increased the speed and started swerving, both to avoid rocks and to prevent the men from locking onto him. He was almost there, just a couple more minutes…
Suddenly, he was flying through the air, his back screaming in pain. He hit the water hard, nearly losing consciousness. But he surfaced.
Gasping for air, Myles looked around. The two men were still coming closer. His boat was in shambles. And he was about 200 meters from shore.
Shoot, Myles thought, reaching into his pocket and taking out a gun. Let’s hope this works!
The men stopped about 50 meters away from him and both took out machine guns. Thinking quickly, Myles fired six shots. But not fast enough: right when the bullets hit each man, they opened fire, spraying 20-odd bullets at him. They all hit him in the chest, forcing him back under. With superhuman effort, he climbed himself onto a nearby rock and laid their, his life’s blood streaming out of him.
Someone isn’t happy with me, Myles thought.
He thought he heard sirens…
Myles College then lost consciousness.
* * *
Pain…gunfire…water…
Myles opened his eyes, wincing in the light.
When his eyes cleared, he saw that he was in a hospital room. Flowers were next to his bed…and Victoria was standing above him.
Myles cracked a grin. “Hi honey”
Victoria gave a cry and threw her arms around him. “Oh my God, Oh my God…”
Myles hugged her back, making soothing sounds. “I’m here hon, don’t worry. I’m fine.”
Suddenly, the door flew open. Looking over Victoria’s shoulder, Myles grinned once more as he saw Hector standing in the doorway. “Hey buddy”
Hector walked over to the bed and punched Myles in the shoulder. Laughing, Hector said “Some guys have all the luck”
Myles raised an eyebrow as he and Victoria let go of each other. “How so?”
“Getting into a gunfight in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?” Hector remarked. “Man, I would’ve loved that!”
Myles grinned. “Would you?”
“Oh yeah!”
“By the way Hector, the sharks said hi”
Hector looked at his best friend. “That’s not funny Myles.”
Myles laughed. “So, anyone else here?”
Hector grinned and whistled. On cue, Victor and Natasha filed in.
Myles grinned. “Hey guys”
Victor laughed as he pulled up a chair. “Trouble in paradise?”
Myles laughed, hugging Natasha. “You have no clue.”
“Do you know who was behind it?” Natasha asked.
Myles shook his head. “I guess I’ll go to the police station once I’m out”
Hector snorted. “Dude, you’re going to walk there?”
Myles raised an eyebrow. “Duh?”
“What he’s trying to say” Victoria interrupted. “Is that you’re in Gotham”
Myles’s mouth dropped open.
“You’ve been asleep for about a week now” Hector said.
Myles sighed and looked at his wife. “Sorry about the honeymoon”
Victoria kissed his forehead. “The only thing that matters is that you’re alive”
Myles sighed and leaned back on his pillows. Looking at his friends and loved ones, he said “You guys are the best”
Suddenly, a nurse walked in. “Mr. College?” she asked.
Sitting up, Myles answered “Yes?”
“There’s a note for you” the nurse said, handing him a letter.
Myles took it and looked at it. “No return address…” he mused. He opened the flap and took out the note. After a second, he crumpled it up and tossed into the wastebasket. “Damn it”
“What is it?” Hector asked.
Myles looked up at his friend and quoted “Love is sweet, but revenge is even sweeter”
Hector paled. “You don’t mean…?”
Myles looked at Victoria, a panic gripping him. No. I won’t lose her.
I can’t.
End of Episode