“What’d you find out?” Beppu asked, concerned. “Was Ken home?”
“.... No,” Nick said with an annoyed sigh, cradling his cellphone against his ear. He was walking across an empty intersection on his way home.
“Then why did you bother to call me, turd?” Beppu grumbled. “Did you find ANYTHING?”
“Surprisingly… I did. Our little incident at the academy wasn’t the only one… These attacks are happening all over Stellaris.”
“Oh… There have been more people disappearing? There’re more invisible monsters skulking around?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Nick nodded. “Erm… if I were you, Beppu… even knowing how tough you are, I’d be careful no matter where you go these days. Monsters could be lurking everywhere. Anytime.”
“What do these damn things even look like?” Beppu growled. “What are we supposed to watch out for?”
“We probably can’t see them, no matter what. It’s probably impossible to fight them, anyway. Unless you’re one of those angels, I guess.”
“I wish we had superpowers like them,” Beppu muttered. “If we did, they’d be fucked.”
Nick suppressed a smirk. Speaking of angels, they brought to mind that strange girl who had shown up at Ken’s house. Nick wondered why. Was she Ken’s girlfriend? If so, he’d never spoken about her. Did he think they’d be so jealous of him? Nah, not him. Never.
“By the way, the strange girl that showed up in the park the other day was at Ken’s place.”
“Huh? That hot chick? Wow. Small world. Did you have a chance to talk to her?”
“Pretty much, but I was there to find out about Ken.”
“Tch… Goodie shoes. I’d have hit on her… or at least pulled her aside.”
“Man, I’m not that kind of a guy.” Nick rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I’m sure it means something that she was there, but assuming we run into her again, I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Heh… if I run into her first, I’ll ask her out.” Wincing, Nick’s lips twisted. “Keep your tiny brain out of your pants for once, man.”
“Ooooh… sick burn.” Beppu’s tone was mocking. “Fuck off.”
The phone clicked as Beppu hung up on Nick. Pocketing his phone, he shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. He felt a bit cold, even though it was summer. There was something about the situation that had Nick on edge.
He felt kinda alone, considering the lack of people on the streets at the moment. His lips pursed as he looked down at his feet. People like him were probably the most vulnerable. A cool wind blew up the street, scattering old leaves up the pavement.
His phone buzzed in his pocket then, making chills rush along his spine. What a coincidence. Just when I needed someone to talk about. Who? He pulled his phone out and saw Beppu’s name on the screen. What? Why?
With a frown, Nick answered the call and said, “Hey. Fuck off, right?”
“Did you? Anyway, I realized something. I’m a freaking genius. What’s the big deal that there are predators in Stellaris now?”
“Hmmm? I wouldn’t exactly call them that. What’s your point?”
“I don’t really follow science and shit, but I remembered the law of nature. That Darwin dude’s law.”
“And? You’re thinking of them as predators? I’m not sure it’s that simple. You didn’t see Tommy’s eyes like me.”
“Pshh. Creepy eyes. Anyway, the weak always get picked off by predators. This isn’t so different, right? What I wonder though is bigger. If these things are invisible, they can get you literally anywhere, am I right? Walking alone with no one around to see when you got grabbed… or even in the middle of public places.”
“What?” Nick frowned, feeling even more cold, but despite that, sweat was beading on his forehead.
“Why bother waiting until you're alone? Wooooo…” He made spooky ghost-like noises. “Seriously dude, it’s not like anyone pays attention to each other even in public, right? We’re all ripe for the picking.”
“....” Nick nodded, feeling cold sweat rolling down his back. Was anyone safe? Safety in numbers was just an illusion. The asshole was trying to scare him, while Jared wasn’t even remotely worried. Did he only think with his muscles? They didn’t do him all that much good against the monster.
Jared might be a meathead dumbass, but he was right this time. “Take care, Beppu.”
Aurora’s wristwatch started blaring as she was looking down, licking her lips anxiously. She couldn’t give them any proof that she was their son… she had nothing at all. She knew that before coming, and yet she still came, hoping her parents would give her the benefit of the doubt. They were good people, right?
Those problems aside, she had to go. They were calling her.
“I’m sorry Mom and Dad…” She quickly bolted to her feet and put a hand on her screaming watch. “I have to go… but I’ll be back if I can. Duty calls,” she said bitterly as she fled. Her parents followed her to the front door as she desperately unlocked it and dashed outside, sprinting as fast and far as she could. Based on the sound of the alert coming from her watch, this was a very serious alert.
“What’s going on?”
Alarms were blaring, coming from her skirt’s pocket. Ami frowned. She was in the process of putting on some clothes set aside for her, cleaned and restored versions of the clothes she had been wearing prior to her transformation.
“There’s a critical alert. A Victim attack,” Perkons said coldly.
“What, now?” Ami asked, chewing her lip as she dug her phone out. The Felicitas had given her this modified version of her cellphone after having recruited her, telling her that it might make a loud noise and that whenever it did she must be ready to be recalled, ported to the site of attack, or deployed from the ship. It was blaring madly now. “Are you actually going to send me off again to battle, while I’m still recovering?”
“Rest assured, not. Being as the alert notifies all active Lodestaran of an attack, your phone will always let you know. But you don’t need to go this time. Aurora will attend to the attack. It’s been determined that the Victim is fairly low level, but to be safe, I will go to her side.”
“Can I go to meet her before you send her?” Ami asked.
Perkons shook his furry head negatively. “No. There’s never time for such niceties. Speaking of which, put on your clothes and call out when you’re ready to be sent home. A portal will be opened for you.” He waved a paw and vanished in motes of purple light.
Ami sighed in relief, but felt keen disappointment that she wouldn’t be joining her partner yet in battle. Hopefully next time. Although, part of her was kind of afraid to go back into action since her first mission had ended in epic failure.
She finished dressing and stood, settling her feet in her shoes, marveling at how they felt new made. The Felicitas probably remade her clothes. That was kind of handy, but it was a bit lazier than cleaning them, wasn’t it? Lifting her cellphone, she pressed and held a button on the side, hidden lower on the phone than they’d typically put one, most likely to avoid accidental presses.
The phone beeped and in a moment a portal opened that showed the grassy passage beside her family’s Japanese house, just inside the gate. Their Shishi-odoshi made its booping noise as it poured water and its back end fell onto stones as it refilled under a constant pouring of water from a metal pipe. Ah, the sweet sounds of home.
… Boop………………. Boop .………………. Boop…
She hurried through the portal before it snapped closed behind her.
:)
Thanks for the comment!
Ok, the tomeline confuses me a bit. I thought Ami was back already, since nobody mentioned her being missing. So is the last part a flashback to a previous attack and not the one Aurora is running off to?
Amy was recovering in the Felicitas' Rehabilitation Unit. Since she was a bit converted like Tommy, she required special treatment. Given that she's a Lodestaran, one of their chosen warriors, the Felicitas don't mess around with conversions. After millennia of war, they've learned a few things, despite losing the war to preserve the light.
@Rellawing From previous chapters,. it sounded like she hadn't been missing like Aurora's previous identity, so I assumed she was already home, back at school and all that.
Thanks for the story.
g.
Thanks for the comment! Welcome! <3