Yuko
November 2, 2007. 4:07 p.m. Aegis Student Hospital. Viv’s room. Managed to pull myself out of bed today. Didn’t bother showering, but whatever. I’m only going to be here for a little. Nobody cares. I’m sitting by Vivian’s bedside looking at her. That scar’s… awful. Just… I feel gross just looking at it, but I can’t stop. It doesn’t look like it belongs on her. I can barely tell it’s even her.
My finger wanders over to her face and runs gently down her cheek.
Vivian doesn’t move a muscle. No sound. No change in breathing. She still just lies there.
gashunk
I hear the door open behind me and I immediately thrust my ass back into the chair. “What do you want?” I look behind me to see Will and A.D. walk in with some purple hyacinth flowers and one of those cheap teddy bears they sell at the hospital gift shop. The flowers are still damp and reek up the hospital room.
“We’re just here to check up on her.” Will walks over and places the teddy bear in Viv’s arms. “I hope you’re here for the same reason.”
“Duh.”
A.D. puts the flowers on the table next to Viv’s bedside and does his best to make it look nice.
“Purple hyacinths, huh?” I admire the flowers for a second. “You’re really going all in for an apology, arentcha?”
“Huh?” Will tilts his head like a golden retriever. “What in tarnation are you talking about?”
“Different flowers have different meanings. Purple hyacinth is typically given when you’re begging for an apology.”
“Yeah, we didn’t know that.” A.D. finishes arranging the flowers and turns to me. “We just thought they looked nice.”
For some reason, that gets a chuckle out of me. “Hah… you two really are boys. At least you got the color right. She loves purple.”
“Wanna take bets when she wakes up?” A.D. asks.
“Bro.” Will looks disgusted.
“What? Josh and Angie have a pool open. Do you wanna make money or not?”
“I call Wednesday.” I raise my finger.
Will maintains his face and looks at me. “Are you serious?”
knock knock
Someone knocks on the door frame behind us and all our heads turn.
A stocky, tan woman is leaning against the door frame. Looks to be about fifty, but she’s rocking it. Definitely a mom. Straight dyed shoulder length hair. Plain jeans and a maroon red sweater. Simple earrings and a basic ring on her right hand. “Hello. Is this Vivian’s room?”
“Uh… yeah. Why?” I ask.
A wry smile bleeds over the woman’s face. “I’m Vivian’s mother. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet her friends.” She approaches us and looks up at Will. “You’re Billy, right?”
“Will, ma’am.” Will really doesn’t want to look at her, but does anyway. “Just Will.”
“Oh my gosh. Your accent is adorable. Let me guess. Oklahoma?”
“No, ma’am.” Will chuckles for half a second. “Texas. Good guess though.”
“My goodness you’re a big boy.” She pats Will’s bicep. “What is your workout routine? Please tell me.”
“If you have forty minutes, I’d love to tell you.”
“Aw… Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of time right now. I would love to have lunch with you all later though.” she turns to A.D. “Let me guess… Um… Hold on… Mumbai?”
“Chicago.”
“Ooooh. That’s right.” She sounds exactly like Viv for a moment. “That’s right. I forget how many peoples are in this country sometimes. Viv told me your name was A.B.?”
“A.D.”
“Right.” she throws one hand up. “I’m so sorry. I thought she said A.B. You seem like a very polite young man. You have my permission to date my daughter.”
Will looks hurt, but only a little.
“That leaves… you.” Viv’s mom turns around to face me. “You must be Yuko, right?”
“Yes… ma’am.”
She hugs me and pats my back. “Thank you so much for being Vivian’s friend. Every time I call, she always talks about you. Yuko this, Yuko that. Yuko’s so cool. Seriously, I could probably write a book on everything she’s told me.”
My brain begs me to ask her what else Viv has talked about, but my mouth really doesn’t want to form words right now. “Uh… ye.”
“I know she can be a bit much sometimes.” she lets go of me and looks at the three of us. “But, thank you for being her friends. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
“Don’t mention it.” I finally get words out. “She’s cool.”
“Indeed.” A.D. nods. “Pretty capable too.”
“Yeah…” Will sighs.
“One more thing… Please indulge this old lady for a moment. Do you know who’s dating my daughter? She refuses to tell me who it is she’s trying to cou-.”
“Nope. Not a clue.” I respond before she can finish.
“Truly?”
“Yeah.” A.D. stretches. “We keep trying to get it out of her, but she won’t tell us.”
“Aw…” Viv’s mom sighs. “Darnit. Aw well, I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually.” she gently brushes A.D. aside and kneels down at Viv’s bedside. Her fingers carefully brush hair out of Viv’s face and gently cup her cheek. “Vivian…” her eyes become glossy and her jaw trembles for a moment. “What did the doctor say?” she asks without turning back to us.
“Aside from the scarring, she’s fine.” I reply. “Nothing beside her skin is damaged. She’s just asleep from shock for now. We can tell her to call you when she wakes up.”
“Please do.” She ruffles Viv’s hair a little. “I’m getting you a dermatologist appointment for Christmas just you wait…” Viv’s mom sighs. “Say, is it okay if you leave us alone for a minute?”
We nod and walk out of the room.
“Was it just me or was she kinda hot?” A.D. mutters.
“Dude.” I feel my face contort. “Just. No.”
“Aw come on… Just trying to lighten the mood.”
“Somehow I doubt that was your true intention.” Will walks away.
Will
November 7, 2007. 8:21 p.m. My bedroom. I’ve been looking at myself in the mirror for about five minutes. Aside from the bruise Janelle left on my neck at the park, I’m perfectly clean. Just took a shower. Hair’s brushed. Mustache is trimmed and my jawline is still burning from aftershave. Why do I feel filthy? I trace the bruise with my fingertips for a brief moment before turning and jumping into my bed.
I… I do not know if I still like Janelle. I do not know if it is her, me, or just our current situation, but I am not sure which scenario is worse. My chest feels maligned. I wish I could just rip out my heart and see what’s wrong. Seeing her just… does not provide the same spark it used to. I feel disgusting for merely thinking that. Should I though? Is this entire inner argument a sign of weakness or foolishness? In all fairness, she has been acting… off lately. I haven’t exactly been in a good place this week either…
Calm down, Will. Just calm down. Remember what dad said. When in doubt, just make a laundry list of the pros and cons. Pros of being with Janelle: She’s cute, can hold her own in a fight, is a decent workout partner…. uh… I think she likes cowboys? Maybe? Oh, she’s a good cook. And she gets physical… really physical. Not sure if that’s a pro or a con yet… Let’s just count it as both. Cons: Cries if I don’t kiss her goodbye enough times. Texts me while I am trying to sleep. Puts herself in stupid situations during missions. Then there was that whole fiasco with Yuko at Vinny’s… That is about all I can think of. That is probably not a good sign… I do not even know her birthday. Certainly that’s acceptable, right? We have only been dating for a month. Is that information expected to be memorized within a month of dating? Will, you are getting off-topic. Count the pros and cons. Five pros. Five cons.
Remember what dad said. When the pros and cons list fails, flip a coin. Coins are never influenced by sentimentality or carnal desires. I fish a 1988 South Dakota quarter out of my back pocket and gaze at its sheen. Heads I break up with Janelle. Tails I try to make it work. After all, this could be just a bad night.
flip
The coin spins in the air and lands flat on my forehead. I pick it up between my fingers and look up at it. Heads. I feel an immense burden fly off my shoulders, jump off my bed and head out. While I do feel bad for being so relieved by the outcome of the coin toss, I do not care. This has been a weight on my mind for far too long. Out the door. Into the hallway. At Janelle’s dorm door.
knock knock
While my heart is pumping like a bull in heat, my stance is firm, and my determination is rock solid. There’s no turning back now. It’s now or never. This is fine. Good even. It would never work out. I don’t deserve her… and I might cut her if she wakes me up during a nightmare. I can’t let that happen. This is for the best.
Janelle answers the door wearing an apron and mixing a bowl of what looks like cake batter. She still hasn’t fully recovered from her fight with A.D., but she still looks cute.
“Janelle, I need to tell you som-”
Her face lights up like a puppy. “Will! Oh my gosh. You came at just the right time. Come in, come in.” She grabs me by my hand and leads me into her dorm kitchen. The countertop is littered with sprinkles, frosting, and a whole mess of other utensils and ingredients.
“What do you mean the right time?” I feel my heart depress into my liver.
“Hold on a sec. Where did I put it?” Janelle puts the bowl down on the counter and begins perusing the kitchen. “Ah! Here it is!” She picks up a small neon colored bento box off the counter and presents it to me. “Here’s your lunch for tomorrow.”
“My lunch?” I feel like Judas clutching his silver pieces.
“Not the box, you dummy.” Janelle shakes her head and opens the box revealing freshly cooked rice, little hot dog sausages cut into octopi, some steamed broccoli, apple slices cut to look like bunny rabbits, and a little compartment for a ketchup packet. “Well? What do you think?”
“Thank you… this is an expertly balanced meal. You hit all the important food groups… and it smells amazing. Why did you make me a lunch?”
“Because that’s what girlfriends do.” She smiles and gives me a short, but tight hug. “Plus I know you have a big workout day tomorrow and didn’t want you just eating protein bars and jerky again. You’re going to hurt yourself if you don’t keep a balanced diet.”
“I appreciate this so much… thank you.” I close the box and put it on the counter. “What’s the cake for if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Oh, this? I just think everyone needs a pick me up. Everyone’s dour and sour after Halloween. It isn’t much, but I figure I could do something. Got any requests for the cake?”
“Yeah…” Is she trying to tear my heart out? “Could you add sprinkles to it and maybe some strawberries along the sides? I like some texture with my cake.”
“Way ahead of you. I know you love your sprinkles.”
Each sentence crushes me more than the last. “You’re great.” I ruffle her hair. “Thank you kindly.”
“Anything for you, my love.” she hums. “Anyway, what did you want to tell me?”
“Oh. Yes. That.” I stare at her for half a second before putting my hand on her shoulder. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m proud of you. Keep up the good work. You’ve really come a long way since September.”
A small, significant smile graces her lips. “And there’s more of that to come. I promise.”
She takes my hand off her shoulder and plants a soft kiss on the back of my hand.
I feel my lip quiver as her soft kiss blesses me.
“Is something wrong, love?”
“No.” I rub my eye. “You just make me happy… that’s all.”
“That makes me happier than you know…” she presses my palm to her cheek and lets it stay there for a moment before letting go. “Anyway, thank you so much for visiting me, but isn’t it past your bedtime? Don’t you have a five o’clock run tomorrow?”
“Goodness.” I check my watch. “It is. Thank you for reminding me.” I give her a short hug, let go, pivot around, and walk out of her dorm. “Sleep well, Janelle.”
“I will.” She shoots finger guns at me and winks before the door closes behind me.
…
…
…
Was I even talking to the same woman?
Suzy
November 9, 2007. 10:54 p.m. Office. Okay let’s see… no one from Familia or Lovers has complained to any staff. There’s been no incidents on campus. Good. Looks like everyone solved things on their own. Or they just bottled it up like adults. Either way, it makes my life easier. I’ve fended the press away from Lovers and Familia for now, but they’re insatiable… Come on, Vivian. Wake up already. Wait a sec… I could just make my own news corporation… that could save me a ton of headaches... You know what? That’s next on my to-do list. I’ll expand the school newspaper into a nationwide news service.
Is there anything else I need to do? I feel like I’m forgetting something… Let’s see. The Alumni are helping rebuild Chicago, staff is winding down for thanksgiving holiday, everyone’s been attending their psych eval appointments like good little students, going to send Wilhelm a thanksgiving card next week, no word on Doc’s whereabouts from Cameron, cleaned up my office… even all the paperwork I had to do is done. Am… Am I free? Is there really nothing for me to do…? Hell yeah. Time to make youtube poops until I fall asleep.
Open the elevator, into the elevator, scan my retina on top of the button console. The doors close and I begin my descent to the lab. Huh… there appears to be a sticky note on the inside of the elevator doors. I feel my chest contort and tighten before I snatch the note off the door and read it. “Please talk to me, Suzy. I’m alive. I’m here. Why don’t you believe me? Do you think I’m ugly?”
I grit my teeth, open my palm, and cause the sticky note to split into an innumerable amount of pieces. That’s it. Next time I see Doc, I’m eviscerating that bitch on sight. I don’t care who’s watching or where we are.
The doors to the elevator open up and I’m greeted by one of my turrets lying busted up in front of the elevator. “What the…” I peer over to the wall where the turret used to be installed and find a freshly torn hole complete with some stray bullet holes littering the rest of the wall. At least the rest of my equipment is safe… Alien tech works wonders. There’s another sticky note stuck on the turret’s barrel. I take it off and begin reading it. Geez… the handwriting’s impeccable… It looks just like Patty’s… It’s even got the weird Qs and the slanted Ts. “I can’t believe you changed the passwords on me. I just wanted some of my research back. Is that too much to ask?”
I eviscerate this note as well and touch the turret’s barrel. Still warm… How did she get out of here? When did she get in here? I look around me and see nothing else out of the ordinary… yet. Okay… Okay. Calm down. Doc is just messing with you. Chances are her Sejong morphed into me to get past the retina scan… but then who took out the turret… No. Just don’t think about it. I am not going to let that bitch ruin my one free evening. I march over to my computer in complete silence. Got incense burning down here and jewelry of every religious symbol blessed somewhere on me. No way in hell is Junko or any other ghost going to possess me. I sit down at my computer, crack my knuckles, and roll the keyboard out from a little compartment under the top of the table. There’s a laminated picture haphazardly taped to the keyboard with my office tape.
This… No… No. No. This - this can’t be real. It’s a photo dated January 3, 1996. The old camping trip… It’s me, Patty, Jimmy, and Junko all smiling. Patty’s got her hand on Junko’s head and her arm around my shoulder. Jimmy looks happy as all hell. I have a freshly caught salmon lying in between my teeth looking like a complete goofball. Even Junko’s there… Complete with her short hair and hello kitty jacket. Yeah… My eyes start to water as I gaze down at the photo.
I swear Junko in the picture just blinked. No. No. I must be imagining things. Flipped the photo over and I see withered writing on the back. “Blood is actually thinner than water. Metaphorically at least. My one and only family.” - Patricia
I lean back in my chair and look up at the ceiling. My thumbs are gently grazing the edges of the photo. She… She’s really alive… I close my eyes and cry tears I thought I lost long ago.
Vivian
November 14, 2007. 5:46 p.m. Aegis Student Hospital. I can tell I’m sleeping. My entire body feels heavy, but functional. What was I just doing? Was I in Chicago or was that just a long dream? I don’t know… It’s hard to say. My entire upper body feels cool, but that’s hopefully just because of the air conditioning humming in the distance. There’s this weight on my legs. It’s so heavy… I can’t even move… but it’s also keeping my legs warm, so I can’t complain. I’ve been asleep long enough. Time to open up.
I open my eyes and see Yuko asleep on one of my legs. She’s out. Open mouth, hair all over the place, I can even see her eye twitch and do that creepy REM thing under a half-open eye lid. “Pffft hahaha!” It doesn’t hurt to laugh. That’s a good sign.
“Bwah!?” Yuko shoots up off my legs and looks around. Her hair’s completely covering her face. “Who’s there? The hell do you want?!”
“Yuko. Yuko. Chill. It’s me.” I reach out for her.
“OH MY GOD, VIV!” Yuko brushes her hair out of her face and practically tackles me into a hug. She pulls my head into her shoulder and rubs the back of my head with her hand. It feels so tender… So warm. I can feel something pressing against my back, but I can’t tell what it is. It doesn’t feel like a hand or a pillow.
“Viv, are you okay? How do you feel?” her voice cracks. I can tell she’s trying not to cry.
“I feel tired, stiff as a brick, and like garbage overall, but fine.” I weakly chuckle as I wrap my arms around her back. I can see some bandages on my left arm that go well past my elbow.
“Are you hurting anywhere?” Yuko refuses to let go.
“Yeah… stomach and hands feel a bit stiff and tender at the same time, but fine otherwise. I rub my hands against Yuko’s back… but can’t feel anything. It’s hard to explain… I can feel my palms pressing against her, but I can’t feel the fabric of her shirt. It’s like something should be there, but just isn’t. I’m sure it’s just numbness from whatever medicine’s being pumped into my arm…
“Good… Good. I thought it’d be way worse.” Yuko kisses my forehead. I still feel that thankfully. It’s warm, a little wet, and sweet as can be. I feel like I gained a year of life just from that little peck. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Last thing…” I rack my brain. “I was in Chicago fighting off those bunny chicks… That happened right?”
“It did. That was on October 30th.” Yuko lets go, but still looks at me and gently rubs the top of my head. “It’s November 14th now.”
“Damn…” images of Junko flash in my mind. “Right! Yuko.” I motion for her to come close to me.
She does just that.
I press my ear to her mouth and whisper, “Headmaster really did kill someone. The victim’s the ghohmgpghgh!”
Before I can continue, Yuko pulls away and cups her hand over my mouth. “Viv… Imma be real with you. Shut up. Whatever plot you learned about, I don’t care. Give me - give all of us - some time to relax before you reveal some conspiracy, okay?” Yuko doesn’t look angry or sad. Just tired.
I nod.
“Very good…” Yuko sighs and relinquishes her hand.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
“You’re right… sorry. I really should learn to take it easy.”
“No crap.” Yuko takes a deep breath. “Just… be more considerate in the future okay? I can’t move at the same speed you can.”
I don’t know what to do, so I just end up chuckling to try and defuse Yuko. “You’re right. Sorry. I’ll be better. Anyway, did I miss anything good over the two weeks?”
“Nah. Everyone’s pretty much the same as far as I can tell. Oh, and don’t worry about homework or tests. Headmaster got you hundos on everything you missed for your hustle.”
“Heh… jealous?”
“You could say that…” I can tell Yuko’s forcing a smile as she looks at me.
“Hey, Yuko. What’s wrong? I’m fine.”
“Well… um…” she looks away and rubs the back of her head. “I’ll just show you…” she pivots over to a table by my bed, picks up a hand mirror roughly the size of a soccer ball and puts it in front of me.
“Whoa…” My mouth lies ajar as I take everything in. I look so different. Left side of my face, neck, and even shoulder looks dark red and burnt… Almost looks like dragon skin. I can barely even recognize myself. If it wasn’t for my eyes and hair, I’d be completely lost.
“Yeah…” Yuko bites her lip and closes her eyes. “I know… Your entire back is like that too. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. Don’t worry, I just bought a bunch of foundation and other makeup. I can con-”
“Holy crap I look badass.” I snatch the mirror from her and admire my beastly form.
“What?” Yuko looks like I just grew a second head.
“I said I look badass! Come on, look at this! I look like I just got out of a fight with a dragon! Doesn’t this look menacing? I drag my fingers across my hair to expose more of my cheek. “No one in their right mind would mess with someone with a scar like this. Hell, even I’m getting chills looking at me. I could even get some rad Phantom of the Opera cosplay going.”
Yuko pauses before bursting into a cacophonic fit of laughter and tears. She covers her eyes with one hand and stumbles backwards. “Ohoho… ahaha… awawawaw… Goddamnit...” she rubs her eye and wipes her nose before looking back at me.
“Are you okay?”
“I think… you’re just… a lot sometimes.” Yuko pulls me back in for a hug.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I smile and pat her back before gently pushing her away. “Now help get me in front of that mirror over there. I gotta see what my back looks like.”
“You got it.” Yuko pulls me up out of bed and guides me over to the mirror.
I turn around and open the back of my hospital robe, exposing my back and butt to the mirror. My back looks just about as gross as my arm, except there’s a massive scar across the center of my back that looks like I got struck by lightning. Small, intricate marks branch out all over my back. They look like black, cancerous tree roots.
“Viv…” Yuko mutters, but doesn’t look away.
“Ooooh… yeyeye!” I rotate around to get a good view from all angles. “Oh my god this is the best! Aw I gotta start making up stories on how I got this bad boy. Maybe I can get it tatt’d up… Make it look even more badass.” I poke my back and can’t feel my finger. “It’d be super easy since I can’t feel anything. Hey! Yuko. Come touch my back. Tell me how it feels.”
“...” Yuko shakes her head.
“Aw c’mon. I’ll let you touch my butt if you do.” I wiggle my butt.
“I-uh-” Yuko’s face goes through eight different expressions before settling on acceptance. “Fine. Why not?” She steps up and runs her hand over the center of my back.
If it wasn’t for the mirror, I couldn’t tell if she was touching my back. “How’s it feel?”
“Feels like worn out sandpaper mixed with crappy leather.”
“Nice nice.” I smile. “What about my butt?”
“I was getting to that.” Yuko looks away before her hand slides down and squeezes my butt. Thank god that’s not damaged. “How’s it feel?”
“Fine…” Yuko mutters. “I guess…”
“What was that?” I tilt Yuko’s chin so she’s looking right at me. “Look at me when I’m talking to you.”
GASHUNK
A.D. kicks open the door and is followed by Will.
The door to my room opens so quickly it bounces off the little bumper on the wall and smacks A.D. in the face.
“Ow… Ow…” A.D. holds his nose and stumbles backwards.
“You earned that.” Will sighs.
“I wanted to see if I could parry that…” A.D. shakes his head and looks at me. “Whoa! Hey, Vivian! You’re up!”
“A.D.” I slide past Yuko, get in a wide stance, and begin doing this sick secret handshake with A.D. Complete with slaps and punches. “Yeyeye!”
“Yeyeye! Hell yeah! Glad to see you’re still able to kick ass!”
Will turns to Yuko. “Yuko? Is something wrong?”
I look back to Yuko to see her blushing like mad. She’s twitching, and trying to cover her eyes, but she’s not taking her eyes off me. “You okay?”
“Viv… I can’t believe I’m saying this… but please close your legs…”
My eyes widen as my legs close.
“Thank you…” Yuko’s composure slowly begins to return to her.
“So. Uh… anything I got to do? Any plans we got for the day?”
“I believe Headmaster requested you contact her when you awaken.” Will says. “Said something about having to plan around interviews and pay.”
“Sick. Going there now.” I pick up my iv drip stand and march out of my room.
“Put some pants on please!” Yuko begs.
“You all have full permission to view my butt! Problem solved!”
“That’s not how that works!” Yuko chases after me.
“Up! Can’t! Hear! You! Breaking up!” I try to run, but my legs still feel like lead.
Janelle
November 15, 2007. 7:11 p.m. The door to Vivian’s dorm room. I’m here to visit Will and give Vivian some of the cake I made. Got three slices of cake on a large plate in one hand and a hand-made card in the other. If someone would just answer the door, that would be wonderful.
A few more moments later, the doorknob turns and the door opens, but only slightly. A.D. pokes his head out. “What’s the password?”
“A.D.”
“Are you still mad at me for the… ya know, beat down?”
I sigh and feel a gross cloud envelop my head. “Yes… but I know I shouldn’t be.”
“What do you mean?” A.D. tilts his head.
“Look…” I feel my throat begin to tighten. “Sometimes I just get really wrapped in the moment and I just let my emotions get the better of me. I know it’s bad. I know it isn’t heroic, but I can’t help myself. This isn’t the first time it’s happened either...”
“I mean no offense by this, but don’t you think you should get that checked out?”
“Get what checked out? Normal human emotions?”
A.D. closes the door a little. “I just do not think being that reckless is good or healthy. I didn’t mean anything else by it.”
“Aren’t heroes all about sacrifice?”
“Meaningful sacrifice.” A.D. starts to look and sound like my dad… Just his voice is enough to make my chest tighten and my stomach churn. “That wasn’t selflessness. That was recklessness.”
“Excuse me?”
A.D. smiles. “You weren’t trying to absorb the cannon blast because you wanted to save Vivian. You had something to prove. Best case scenario, you prove your strength to us and look like a cool guy. Worst case scenario, you evaporate to dust… and you would’ve been happy with either.”
I feel naked. I’d fall on my butt and just try to not exist… but I’m not giving him that satisfaction.
“You don’t have to prove anything to us, Janelle.” A.D. opens the door and motions me in. “I know you’re strong here.” he pats his bicep. “and more importantly, here.” he points to my chest. “But if heroes get anything done, they get it done together, alright?” he extends his hand towards me. “It’s not a race. It’s not a contest. As long as everyone can still smile at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
“A.D…” I feel steam puff out of my nose. “You’re right… Thank you.” I shake his hand, but wince and pull my arm back after a single shake. “Atatat… Damn…”
“Still in pain?” A.D. winces along with me.
“Yes…” I whine. “Why do you have to be so strong?”
“Sorry… might have overdone it…” A.D. rubs the back of his head. “Do you want some painkillers?”
“Wouldn’t help.” I shake my head. “I’m resistant to a lot of them.”
“Sorry… Would a protein shake help? I make a pretty mean mix.”
“I’d love to find out.” I start to walk towards the door.
“Hold up.” A.D. closes the door a little. “Do you forgive me for supering you?”
“Yes.” I smile. “I forgive you.”
“That’s the password.” A.D. smiles. “You are granted access.” he opens the door all the way and shows me in.
Vivian’s lying on the sofa again with her head resting on Yuko’s lap. They’re watching some movie on tv. There’s a man on a bed humping a red dress and crying his eyes out. Yuko’s burying her face in her hands, but I can hear her laughing. Meanwhile, Vivian just has this disgusting grin on. I don’t like it. Will is off in the kitchen corner doing squats. Yes… improve that booty… Yum…
“Oh hey, Janelle.” Vivian’s grin melts away as she tilts her neck to face me. “What brings you here?”
My body revolts upon seeing her face. My spine straightens, my stomach churns, and my face contorts. I am awful. I’ve already seen her scars, so why do I still react like this? “Oh, I… um… just made a card for you and some cake for you all.” I bend down and place the plate on the table between the sofa and tv. “Consider it a little getting-better present.” I toss the card over to Vivian.
“Yooo noice.” Vivian catches the card and hugs it tight to her chest. “I’ll be sure to read it later. Thank you so much for the cake.”
“Yeah.” Yuko pauses the movie, collects her breath, puts one plate next to her and one onto Vivian’s stomach. “Good call on the sprinkles.” she shoots me a thumbs up before eating the cake with her bare hands. “Damn… mmm that’s good.”
I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that. “Why don’t you read the card now?”
“I’m not doing that. It’s too embarrassing. I’ll tell you about it later though. Pinky promise.” Vivian licks some frosting off the side of the cake and hums. “Thank you so much… I’ve been craving cake so bad…”
A.D. glances at Will before swiping the last slice for himself. “Thank you!” he rushes over to the kitchen, gets a fork like a civilized human being, and begins digging in. “Aaaaaw yeeeah… Hey, Will. You want some?”
Will does not respond. He just keeps working out like the hard worker he is.
“Willy?”
“It’s okay. He asked me not to bring any more for him.” I wave my hand. “He ate three slices yesterday and is on some new kind of intensive training regiment.”
“I see…” A.D. says after chewing and swallowing some cake. “Welp. More cake for me. Thanks, Janelli.”
“Don’t mention it.” I sigh upon glancing back at Vivian. “It’s the least I can do. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to packing for tomorrow. See you all later.”
“See ya.” Everyone wishes me well and I return to my dorm.
Sejong
November 15, 2007. 10:21 p.m. Dorm room couch. Angela and Josh haven’t packed anything. Guess they’re staying here… Janelle’s still packing. Angela’s just playing some game… I cannot tell what it is or read it, but it looks painfully anime. Josh is texting someone and looks like he is not having a good time. I’ve already finished packing and am just waiting for time to pass. That Sejong I saw in Chicago… Was that the one that took my place here last month? Is that the only one? I don’t like where this train of thought is taking me… I need someone to distract me.
“Hey, Angela. Mind if I ask you a question?”
“Not at all.” She pops a gum bubble. “Shoot, my dude.”
“If you were a Sejong, you would tell me, right?”
“Wha?” Angela pauses and looks towards me. “Uh… yeah, I guess. I’m not though. Seriously.”
“Are you lying to me?”
“Sejong, I am not smart enough to pull off a lie that complex.”
“If you say so…” I sigh. “Thank you.”
“Something got you down?” she puts down the controller and rotates towards me.
“How would you feel if there were clones of you just roaming around?”
“I’d be down for that… all my other selves would probably be super hot. We’d be unstoppable.”
“Not me.” Josh fixes his hair, puts away his phone, and laughs. “If I had clones running around, I’d kill ‘em all.”
I want to vomit.
“Why the hell would you do that?” Angela pushes his thighs.
“There can only be one, man. The world can barely handle one of me. I don’t want to get in trouble for crap my clones cause.”
“So what if there was a cloning machine. First one ever made. What would you do?”
“I’d smash that crap up.” Josh responds without hesitating. “Humanity isn’t meant for certain technology.”
I force myself to interrupt. “Josh. Be honest with me. No jokes. No skirting around the bush. Are you a Sejong too?”
“Dude, if I could shapeshift, do you really think I’d be in some dinky hero school?”
“What would you do if you could shapeshift?”
“Honestly, probably be some model banging other models in some Swiss castle somewhere.”
“I can respect that.” Angela nods and fistbumps him. “That’s a hustle.”
“Hell yeah.” Josh smiles and fistbumps her back before looking back at me. “But what’re you doing here with that power? You seem to hate combat and would seem much happier doing something else.”
“I… I don’t want to be afraid. I don’t want to live in fear of my other selves… but I also want to make friends and grow strong…”
“Is that even your idea?” Josh tilts his head. “Or is that just a thought that split off from a different Sejong when you were made?”
“I… I don’t know. I don’t know what part of me is me. I don’t even know if anyone I’m talking to is real or just another me in disguise.” I feel ready to explode.
Angela glares at Josh like a mother.
Josh sighs, leans forward, and puts his hand on my shoulder. “Hey. Sejong. Buddy. Listen. What if you’re a clone of me?”
“W-wha?”
“What if I’m a clone of Angela? What if nothing is real and we’re in a big simulation? We could go on spewing theories all day, but we wouldn’t get anywhere. Got it?”
“Yeah…” I wipe my nose. “I got it… Hey… Um… You have a gun, right Josh?”
“Indeed I do.” He pulls it out of his holster and rubs it like a magic lamp pointed away from everyone else and with his finger off the trigger. It’s petite and black and doesn’t look like Josh would own it at all. It even has some cute stickers around the handle that Angela probably put on. “Good ol’ Ruger. Why ask?”
“After break… Do you think you could take me shooting?”
“Hell yeah.” Josh holsters his gun and pats me on the shoulder.
Yuko
November 15, 2007. 10:24 p.m. My bedroom. I’m sitting on my bed with Vivian. She’s facing the wall topless and I got a bottle’s worth of aloe vera and some goop the doctor told me to put on Vivian’s back all over my hands. It’s quiet. A.D. and Will have already retired to bed. Even the crickets outside decided to shut up for once. All I can hear is the sound of medicine sloshing between my hand and Vivian’s back. I… don’t like it. She’s not squirming or giggling even when I slide my fingers against her sides. It sometimes feels like I’m rubbing against a rock.
“Is this helping at all, Viv?”
“I dunno. I can’t see it.” she says without looking back. “How’s it look?”
“Better. I think.” I run my fingers down her spine. “Can you feel that?”
“Nope.” Viv shakes her head. “Could you try putting some more pressure? I can feel pressure just fine.”
“Sure thing.” I crack my knuckles and begin digging my thumbs and knuckles in deep around her shoulders. “That any better?”
“Nngh…” Viv inhales through her teeth and tenses up a little bit. “Yeah… that’s the stuff. Keep going. Don’t be afraid to get in deep.”
“You got it…” I continue massaging her shoulders and upper back in silence.
…
…
…
Fine. Guess I’ll have to do it. “So… any thanksgiving break plans?”
“Wha?” Viv tilts her head. “Oh. Yeah. That’s next week. Woo time sure flies when you’re not conscious.” she chuckles. “I’m just going home and hanging out with the family. Nothing fancy. You?”
“Just staying here.”
“What?” Vivian swivels around to face me. “Why?”
“Parents said I’m not allowed back until I graduate, become a hero, and grow up. Holidays are no exception.”
“The hell’s their problem…” Viv sighs and shakes her head. “Wanna have Thanksgiving with my family then? They’d love to have you.”
Jackpot. “Hell yeah I do! What do they serve over at your house?”
“Just typical spaghetti and fried chicken.” Vivian’s face lights up. Even her withered left eye looks radiant. “You have to try my grandma’s potatoes. They’re just the right balance between mashed and chunky. Perfect texture. Salty and moist as all hell… It’s just perfection. Oh, and my mom makes these oatmeal cookies that sound like dumb health snacks but are super tasty too. I have like nine of them each time she makes them and then the cakes and chips everyone brings is the best and my uncle gets out this weird root beer he always gets when he goes to his annual Wisconsin fishing trip and then the-”
I put my hand to Viv’s mouth and caress her cheek with my thumb. “Just… thank you, Viv. Thank you.” My chin begins to tremble.
Viv falls silent, closes her eyes, and wraps her hands around mine. She graces the back of my hand with a kiss before pressing my palm against her scarred cheek. “You know… when it’s just the two of us and I concentrate real hard, I swear I can feel something here.” she slowly rubs my hand against her cheek. “Can you?”
I pull my free hand to her other cheek and gently hold her face. She’s so rough and messy… but warm. I kiss her scarred cheek before resting her forehead against mine.
No words. No tears. No sound. No sight.
But for once in my life, I feel right.
Jimmy
November 16, 2007. 3:57 a.m. My room back at the safe house. In the middle of the street. Safe house. I’m lying wide awake in my sleeping bag with Sejong sleeping on her bed across the room and Oliver indulging himself in a mountain of poetry. He’s on this massive William Blake kick right now. Oliver. Buddy. Boy. My man. If you just grew out your hair, greased it out a little bit, wore some black, every girl with daddy issues in this city would start throwing their cat at him. I’m gonna help him. He really needs a girlfriend.
Hoo boy. Boyo boyo boy. We just got back from Chicago and man my knees are killing me. Removing rubble and helping move people around is a lot harder when people don’t hate me. I wish my Tech didn’t necessitate me being an anti-hero or a villain, but here we are. Sometimes heeling really gets to me. It’s nice and all and I love hearing the crowd start to boo… Sometimes I wish there was more than that. Still, I got to be the good guy for a little bit. It does feel good. Time hasn’t rewound ever since we left. Oliver seems to be in… manageable condition. But what do we do? What’s Doc got planned? She promised that we’d help Junko out by now and reveal Aegis’s secrets. What’s taking her so long? Is she waiting for something? Am I just being used? I can’t stand this anymore. I need to discuss this with Doc.
I sneak out of bed and open the door only to be greeted by a drastic shift in Oliver’s tone. “Young man, what errand are you running at this time of day?”
“I’m just going to talk to Doc for a sec. You want me to bring you anything?”
“Could you bring me a coconut candle? I find they help me stay awake.”
“You got it man.” I turn to leave.
“Also, could you suggest that Doc go heavier on the spices? I can barely smell what she’s trying to cook.”
“What?” I sniff the air, but can’t smell anything. “She’s cooking something?”
“Allegedly.” Oliver shivers. “It smells like what I imagine 15th century English cuisine to smell like.”
“hngh…” I grumble, leave, and close the door behind me. I tiptoe through the hallway and find the kitchen lights on. Doc is cutting a bunch of vegetables and fruits, mixing some cake batter in a bowl, and checking on a huge turkey in the oven from time to time. It’s painful to watch. It looks like she should have died three times by falling or accidentally stabbing herself by now, but she hasn’t. Well, I could be wrong, but I really hope I ain’t.
knock knock I knock on the support pillar. “Hey, Doc. Whatcha doin?”
“Oh, Jimmy!” she sighs and smiles. “I’m so glad you’re up. Please, could you dice these vegetables for me? Prepping all this is far more difficult than I anticipated.”
“Uuuh… sure.” I do just that and begin dicing some tomatoes, potatoes, and onions. “Didn’t know you cooked.”
“I have never cooked turkey. This is a learning experience.”
I pop open the oven and nearly give up. “Doc. With all due respect. What is this?”
“A turkey. Is that not obvious?”
“Did you put stuffing in?”
“Not yet.”
“Did you put a nice glaze on it? Did you make a brine?”
“... I am working on it.”
“Well I guess that explains the veggies… Here.” I turn off the oven. “I’m going to teach you how to make a brine before we spend any more gas money heating that poor birdie up. Capiche?”
“Sounds wise.” Doc nods and smiles. “I had no idea you were so adamant about cooking, Jimmy.”
“Yeah… um. It’s kind of a hobby. Useful too. Don’t tell anyone about this though, aight? I don’t need Sejong and Oliveman begging me to cook for them every day.”
“You have my word.” Doc chuckles.
“The hell made you want to make a turkey anyway?”
“Is that not what you’re supposed to do around this time of year in this country? Make a big meal for your family?”
“Doc…” I feel like such an ass. “You really didn’t have to.”
“You three have been more loyal and useful than I could have ever hoped for. It is only natural for me to repay the debt.”
“Thank you, Doc…” I start mixing a fine brine with what I got. “You’re too kind.”
“You’re very welcome.” she smiles as she mixes an egg. “What would you like for your birthday?”
“I… Doc. Please. One thing at a time.” I feel my strong, manly jaw begin to quiver. “You’re too kind.”
“You better tell me soon, or else I’ll have Sejong tell me.”
“Alright alright… I’ll make a list when I can.”
“Good boy.”
We mix and cook in silence for a few moments. “So… what do we got planned after this? Those moon bunnies kinda just threw all our planning out the window.”
“Right now… We relax. We’ve had a rough week and we should just relax. After this week, we’ll resume operations.”
“Got any new ideas?”
“Well Vivian could be promising…”
“You said that about Will.”
“I said could.”
“Any other grand ideas?”
“Well…” Doc starts doing that smile again. “I’ve been researching where the other bodies are. One’s holed up in some Vegas collection. Another one’s in a Japanese museum.”
“Ohohohoo… this is gonna be good.”
Suzy
November 16, 2007. 9:21 a.m. Outside the Crash Revenger Event Center. Okay. Good. Great. Excellent. Outstanding. AMAZING. Everything is in order. Alumni helped clean up Chicago and keep the peace there. Aegis got in the first and most generous charity donations out of every other super school on the continent. Doc hasn’t shown up again and there’s been no more break-ins into my lab. Everything’s set up and where it needs to be. Vivian’s still able to function and is on track to make a good recovery. Got the press lined up and ready to go right inside the event center. God, they’re like vultures. Always swooping in and cawing at each other the second tragedy strikes… Abhorrent, but they still have their uses.
All I have to do is wait for Vivian to get here, then we get settled. Shake the right hands, get some merchandising going… Might have to change that hero title though. ‘You’ isn’t exactly the most marketable name. Now if only we could have Yuko have a big moment… They could sell so much merch together. I just need to find the right job for her. Same with Will and A.D. If I just put them on the right mission and everything goes according to plan, I can have mountains of thirsty teenage girls buying anything with their faces on them.
Vivian’s sure taking her sweet ass time. I flip open my phone and call her.
ring ring
ring ring
“Heeey, Suzy.” Vivian chimes in from the other end of the line. “How’s Thanksgiving break treating you so far?”
“Vivian. You remember about the press release. Right?”
“... The what?”
“The interviews with the news people. The thing I sent you emails, reminder texts, and talked to you about yesterday and the day before?”
“Bzzzt. Crrrrrrrch. S-wh-at? C-n’t. He-” Vivian keeps cutting herself off with noises. “Br-ki-g u-”
“Goddamnit, Viv.”
???
November XX, 2007. Virginia.
Everything is set up. My heart is racing. My stomach is under control. I even prayed to God Jesus and the Bear. My Playstation Eye is set up to record. I have painted my face with the same war paint my ancestors used those many decades ago when they fought against the slaves. This has to work. It must work. Otherwise, I spent my welfare on nothing… I check myself in the mirror one more time before I start filming and immediately look away. Terrifying… Just… terrifying. This will work. I look at the best camera ever made, bare my mighty wolf fangs to let them make sure I mean business, make sure my Nintendo Zapper is tucked into my jeans, and start recording.
“Calling all trolls. Calling all trolls. You are at- WE are at war. This is war. I will not s-stand idly by while you take heed and mo- and curse my friends and my family. For you have dishonored me, and I will not stand for it. As I stand upon my native Cherokee heritage, I will hunt you down, you damn dirty trolls. This is war. AYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAAAY!” I pull out my Zapper and point it at the camera like an action movie star. I can feel the energy of my proud Cherokeean ancestors flow through me. Their power rivals that of the chaos emeralds. “Put down your wares and bring yourselves unto me, or I will hunt ya down and really smite thee. You have been warned with the Cherokee ancestry. How.”
I stop recording and feel my body go woozy. Ugh… The world is spinning… but I feel great. Powerful even. I feel like I went super saiyan a little. I pat my tummy. Huh. Think I even gained a little bit of muscle there. Maybe the paint is giving me muscles… If I keep wearing it, I’ll get big and get a girlfriend in no time! Now time to just upload this on the Youtubes and the trolls will finally leave me alone.
“Rick!” Mommy calls me from downstairs. “Come down here! I brought home McDonalds and it's getting cold!”
“Okay, mommy! Sorry! I’ll be down in a skip- jiffy!”
To Be Continued...