Chapter 22 Imagined Flight Part 1

“Under the sky is where you belong

Accept, comply

Limitations of life”

“Why? Because the world you want is gone and nevermore. You understand it, but you still refuse to admit it,” Ranpo said.

“Your goal of saving Jaiden is noble, but how many more children are in comas across the world? How many more require saving?” he asked, “Yet you don’t worry much about them, for you don’t know them. Your goal is small in the grand scheme of things, and I don’t want to have my life, however short or long it may be, be spent entirely on such things.”

“You think my goal is not worth it?” Aiden asked, his eyes narrowing.

Ranpo dipped his head, “Don’t get me wrong Aiden, it is a noble and good goal, but I realise I want something more. I don’t want to be like men who spend their lives bumping into things and then dying quietly.”

His voice quietened, almost hushed as he continued, “A natural crow’s lifespan does not exceed thirty years. Maybe I will live longer as a created creature, maybe I’ll live shorter, I don’t know. Compared to the lives of men, the lifespan of a common crow is short, so I want it to be filled with something meaningful.”

Sighing, Aiden sat next to Ranpo, “And you think you can find meaning?”

“Perhaps searching for meaning is meaning itself,” the crow replied.

“I never did well in philosophy,” Aiden admitted, recalling his past life, “the subject felt like people wanking off the pretentious pricks of the past.”

“I wouldn’t know a thing about wanking, I don’t have hands.”

“Maybe philosophers are into beaks, didn’t one of them say man was just a featherless biped?” Aiden muttered in reply before he shook his head. “Maybe you are right, maybe I am wasting my time worrying, maybe I should say screw it all and just live how I want.”

“Then why don’t you?”

“Because I am unsure of the path forward,” Aiden answered softly, “but I am sure that if I turn back here, I will regret it one day.”

“Because even if she didn’t have Jaiden’s face, one day, years or decades later, I’ll sit in my kitchen one morning and I’ll remember the girl I could’ve helped. The girl I could’ve saved, but chose not to,” he breathed out, his breath uneven and shaky. “And I’ll feel shitty, and that day is ruined.”

Ranpo was quiet as he listened, making sure Aiden had finished before he began again, “Noble, good perhaps, but the helping of one life is nothing. Thousands die every day, hundreds of faceless people across the world might’ve already died over the course of this conversation. The saving of one life cannot dictate an entire life’s purpose, for if it were a matter of arithmetic, spending a life to save a life just leaves you at a net neutral.”

He stepped forward, beady black eyes meeting human ones, “So tell me what is your meaning? The reason why you are.”

Flapping his wings, he rose into the air, “This isn’t an immediate thing, I still wish to see the world, but there is still time. I await your answer to this, Aiden Lu.”

Ranpo flew off, leaving Aiden alone.

And Aiden chuckled, “Net neutral, huh?”

The alarm clock blared in a quiet apartment. Causing a pile of blankets to shuffle and groan, a single hand escaping the pile to grope out blindly. A hand that had the symbol of a crescent moon on its back.

Only to pull up short, for Jun was smart enough to have the alarm clock out of reach for just that reason, if also spiteful enough to curse that foresight.

Begrudgingly, the burrito of blankets slid off the bed, falling onto the carpet with a soft thud. Then like a blind slug wriggled towards the desk the alarm clock was set on, knocking aside half-opened boxes and plastic bags.

Finally, after blearily rising from the mess that was the ground, the apartment returned to silence. Jun yawned as the morning sun fought its way through rubbing hands. But in a staring contest between the burning life-giver of earth and fragile human eyes, the human would always be the first to blink, regardless of any cover. So Jun shambled away into the bathroom to wash up.

She brushed her teeth, her appearance in the mirror was unkempt, her short hair wild and mangled, a too-large shirt hanging off and exposing a shoulder.

As she finished rinsing, she glanced at herself, then at her palms.

On her left hand was a crescent moon symbol, and on her right hand was a rising sun. Both symbols glowed and disappeared from her hands, becoming two half-face masks. The crescent moon becoming a black mask with a smiling oni design, covering the nose below, while the rising sun became a fox mask that covered the nose above.

“Nightcore I guess,” she murmured, placing the mask on her face, the other disappearing into light and becoming the symbol on her palm once again.

Almost instantly, her hair straightened as streaks of purple ran through it. Her clothes morphed as her shirt tightened, exposing her midriff while a hoodie jacket appeared around her. On the back of the hoodie was written ‘One Damn Good Mistake!’ in colourful graffiti.

She yawned, then blurred, appearing a few moments later with her school bag slung over her shoulder, taking a few quick steps out of her apartment.

The world slowed, everything around her seemed to move sluggishly as she walked around them.

The Nightcore half of her power gave her superspeed by speeding up her time. Right now to her perception, everyone was moving at maybe half their normal speed, but if she pushed it...

The world froze for a single moment, the fly she was watching froze in mid-air, she casually grabbed it and tossed it in a bin as the world resumed its plodding speed. Feeling her mask, she could feel the rust creeping onto over half of it and the paint peeling off. Barely half a second of super speed, yet she was spent, something to improve later.

Still, she stretched, relaxing and taking in a breath of fresh air as she looked up into the sky.

Half a month ago she was the unwanted bastard child, now she was living alone with more freedom than she could ever hope for. Ideally, she would be able to sleep better… but there wasn’t a point in thinking negative thoughts.

“Is that Ranpo?” she murmured as she noticed a crow fly overhead. She waved at it, and the crow actually seemed to glance back, nodding in mid-air as it flew away.

She smiled, though it was hidden by her mask… which was smiling as well so the message probably went across.

The sounds of buzzing returned as the fly escaped the bin, she rolled her eyes as it began flying around her. She swatted at it, shooing it away as her phone dinged.

She took it out, glancing at the text she just received.

‘M.I.A Connect Help Bot

Dear Students,

Due to the intensity of Gates and Staff on leave for service, a ‘Snow Day’ has been called…’

The buzzing was getting loud as hell, “Couldyouknockitoff!” she snapped as she slapped the fly.

...Only to feel her entire hand get filled by a furry thing.

Turning to look, she saw a massive fly almost twice the size of her head held in her hand.

“WHATTHEFU-”

A high pitched scream rang throughout the street, temporarily drowning out the constant buzzing as a massive swarm of flies rushed overhead.

“Whoever screamed just got the fright of their life,” Aiden murmured as he glanced at his phone.

‘M.I.A Connect Help Bot

Dear students,

Due to the intensity of Gate Events and staff on leave for service, a ‘Snow Day’ has been called, classes are cancelled for the day. We hope students will stay safe at home or at a nearby shelter while maintaining their studies…’

He glanced again at the swarm of flies, the same he saw rushing out of that Gate yesterday. Most people were smart enough to start moving away, a few adventurous young souls were taking pictures with their flip phones, but even they were edging away slowly.

Except for one idiot wearing a tuba as a helmet who was rushing straight towards the swarm. He looked young, probably around Aiden’s age- well, Bu’s.

“Should I do something about that?” Aiden murmured, only to remember no one was there to answer him.

“TODAY I SHALL EARN THE TITLE OF TUBA KNIGHT!” the tuba yelled.

“Someone should stop him right?” he asked.

Unfortunately, no one answered.

Shaking his head, Aiden took off, “Hey! Stop kid!”

“FEAR NOT CITIZEN FOR I SHALL VANQUISH THIS FOE!” the tuba yelled and kept charging.

“Goddamn LARPers,” he muttered before he grabbed the road railing.

Half a dozen snake tattoos slid off his hand and onto it. In an instant, they came alive and hissed, “Oh no, I am being accosted by serpents!” Aiden cried in ‘distress’.

Instantly the tuba turned around. It glanced at the serpents, then at Aiden, then at the swarm of massive flies. Clearly hesitating.

Aiden rolled his eyes, “Bite me,” he whispered. Though he had no idea what he put in each individual one, one of them should listen to his words, and he probably used non-venomous snakes for this charade.

Luckily, one of them did bite him on the arm and judging by the lack of muscle seizing it was indeed a non-venomous snake.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT CITIZEN!?” the tuba called out.

‘Oh yeah I’m supposed to scream in pain,’ he idly remembered. “Aaaaaaah…”

“WORRY NOT!” the tuba yelled, “I’LL SAVE YOU!”

Then moving with surprising speed, the tuba rushed towards him.

Aiden waited till the tuba was about a few metres from him before he reabsorbed the snakes.

“HUH?” the tuba yelled before he skidded to a stop in front of him. The tuba’s head swerved to the railing, still in the shape of snakes, then at Aiden, then at the railing, “Wha- wait- what? You tricked me…”

The buzzing began to lighten as the swarm of flies moved away, still, the tuba’s eyes (not that they were visible since he was wearing a tuba) were fixed squarely on him.

Aiden shrugged, “Kids shouldn’t be using their power irresponsibly.”

“You’re a kid, and you just used your power,” the tuba pointed out. “You’re a student like I am right?”

“Correct on both accounts, but I didn’t use my power looking for an unprovoked fight,” Aiden answered, “I swear you tuba weirdos are everywhere.”

“You read the message didn’t you?” the tuba asked, “Everyone is working hard, even we gotta chip in a bit.”

“If you think you can do the same thing they do without years of training, experience, and a developed frontal lobe, then you are free to do so,” Aiden answered, before walking away. “Just don’t do it around me.”

“Ah! THEN YOU DID SO WITH THE INTENT TO SAVE ME!” the tuba yelled, his voice getting bass-boosted by the stupid tuba he was wearing, “I AM HONOURED, KIND STRANGER! FEAR NOT! I SHALL KEEP YOUR SECRET IDENTITY SAFE!”

Aiden flinched at the sheer… volume he was projecting. Covering both ears, he yelled back, “Don’t talk of secrets while screaming at the top of your lungs!”

“UNDERSTOOD!” the tuba answered with a wave. “I SHALL VANQUISH MY FOES MORE RESPONSIBLY FROM NOW ON!”

“Don’t do that without a license!” Aiden yelled back, before rubbing his forehead, “kids man…”

He shook his head, “And no Ranpo, I don’t count because I actually am a…” he paused, realising he was talking to no one.

“Goddamnit.”

And he kept walking.

Aiden wasn’t sure where he was walking. Only that right now, he needed to move, he needed to do something, and he had nothing planned for the day.

Nothing to do, nothing to null his mind with.

Eventually, he found himself back at the bridge leading to the abandoned factory district. That same uncomfortable feeling he sensed from before.

He ghosted over the bridge, his steps silent even on the old wood.

‘Why am I here?’ he wondered as he strode through the quiet and empty roads.

‘Merely exploring?’

“...or perhaps Ranpo was correct.”

He paused in his thoughts as he sighted a blue-black police car parked in front of the warehouse he fought the goblin.

A helmeted head poked out, glancing at Aiden. He waved and received a wave back.

“What are you doing here kid?” the military police asked as he stepped out of the car, walking forward to stand in front of Aiden.

“I heard there was a goblin here, so I got curious and came to check it out.” Not quite a lie, as all good lies were. He rubbed the back of his head, and looked slightly embarrassed, “Should I not be here?”

“Of course not,” the policeman replied, “I’m only here to make sure another one doesn’t show up, what would you do if one came at you and tried to kill you?”

Aiden suppressed a grin, and with the most sincere voice he could manage, he said, “Run?”

“Run? Goddamn, you better be the fastest in your class or-”

The first thing Aiden heard when he came to was ringing, a ringing so loud it deafened his ears. Then a heavy weight on his body.

His eyes lowered, only now noticing he was flat on the ground, and that the weight above him was the body of the policeman.

“Hey- Hey are you ok?” Aiden yelled, grabbing the man. Behind them was the burning wreck of the police car.

His eyes widened as he saw the man’s back.

His uniform was blown off, revealing yellow fat, darkened by heat and blood, just underneath he could see hints of white. Several dozen shards of metal shrapnel stabbed into him.

‘He took the blast for me…’ Aiden realised.

The policeman grabbed his arm, “Get… get out…” he weakly coughed, “...run away…”

Aiden lifted the man’s arm, rising as he slung it behind him, already he could hear the sounds of something coming, “With all due respect sir, fuck no.”

There was a wet gurgle, the policeman threw off his helmet, spitting blood onto the pavement, “Ha… ha…”

Though he knew not to disturb a patient from their original position, something blew that car up. Something that sounded like it was coming.

Sure enough, several goblins on scooters rolled by the flaming wreck, pointing and shouting at the burning husk of the car.

Aiden was gone by then.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

The man’s weight was miniscule, just focus on the breath. Left foot forward, right foot forward.

There was only the sound of breath, the steps Aiden took, and the ragged breathing of the mortally wounded man.

“... my wife…” he croaked out.

“Shut up about that,” Aiden cut, “If you have last words then tell her yourself.”

“Heh… heh…” he chuckled. “Don’t worry…” he said, every word a mouthful of blood dripped from his mouth, “... I already gave her my last words on our honeymoon… this is that sorta job after all…”

Aiden’s blood chilled, though he still focused on putting one foot forward.

“I’m done for… so run without me… call more cops here…”

“Calling, of course!” Aiden almost slapped his face, if he didn’t need to hold up his charge. Scrabbling for his pocket with his one hand, doing his best to balance the man on him, he took out his phone. Quickly dialing 000, the call came through almost immediately.

“Hello 000-”

Before a bullet sliced through his phone’s screen.

Immediately, green scales covered his body, a second bullet slammed into the back of his head, stopped barely, but still with enough force to draw blood and knock him down. Crashing onto the ground, Aiden rolled to the side, pulling his charge into an alley and behind a dumpster just as more bullets followed, pinging onto the ground.

“That’s definitely more than one goblin,” he muttered. Blood dripping from the back of his head. ‘How did they find-’

And finally, from his position on the ground, Aiden noticed the blood trail that had been dripping from them.

“Get out without me…” the policeman groaned, coughing out blood.

“Absolutely not-”

“I said get the fuck outta here!” he yelled, causing another coughing fit. “... an infestation like this needs to be handled as quickly as possible, but with all that’s going-” his throat gurgled, and he spat out another glob of blood, “-it might be a week before an effective response is gathered up…”

‘So it needs to be warned of as soon as possible,’ Aiden finished in his mind.

“But still-”

“I’m already fucked,” the man muttered, “I’ll drag you down, at least one of us needs to-” he entered another coughing fit. But even as the man held back coughs, he pulled something out from his vest.

And Aiden knew what he was planning to do.

“You’ll die.”

“Stating the obvious innit?” he replied with a bloody smile. “Run kid, run and let the adults do their job.”

Slowly, Aiden took a step away, deeper into the alleyway. He turned back, giving one last look to the man, before he ran away.

The man smiled, everything was turning darker, as if curtains were being pulled around his eyes, but with his remaining strength, he pulled himself up, leaning against the wall.

And he gritted his teeth in pain as the shrapnel on his back buried themselves deeper into his flesh, but the pain kept him awake, kept him there just a moment longer.

Soon, hazy green figures strolled into the alleyway, kicking aside trash and jumping over the dumpster that hid him. When they poked him with their contrived guns to check if he still lived, the man looked up at the sky one last time.

“What a wonderful day.”

And he pulled the pin.