Enjō slowly opened his crusty eyes as he felt his nerves go down his body like a river. His glossy eyes looked up at the white ceiling.
Good...mornin'. Why does my arm feel so...
He bent his neck to look as he raised his left arm.
That's not...
The knob of his hand was covered in bandage. He felt his fingers curl.
Man, what's this?
He chuckled quietly. Then it returned to silence.
Enjō relaxed his neck and landed on the pillow.
Oh, he thought, as his eyes gazed up aimlessly. The door opened and a man walked to his side.
"Jojo..." His frail hands gripped the rail of his bed.
"H-Hey," Enjō croaked as he turned his head to meet him, "Hey Dad." His smile twisted and his lips shook.
"Hey."
With a sharp inhale, Enjō groaned and sunk his face into the pillow, trying to cover his ear with his nub. Muffled sobs filled Omari's ears. He bent down and wrapped his arms around him, planting a kiss on the back of his head.
"Hey."
———
After a couple of hours, Omari left Enjō in the room. Enjō was sat up now, looking more skinny than usual. He reached for the TV remote with his knob, only tapping it. He stared still.
Pulling back his knob, he reached around with his right hand to turn on the TV. It was a news anchor. Then came a familiar voice.
"We don't have those details." He groaned as he scratched his white hair.
"Who was responsible for the attacks across downtown?!" A news reporter yelled past a crowd of flickering lights.
Machida's face rested on his hand, "The blame doesn't fall to only one individual. We're still working on it—"
"But there's footage! We all saw it! The fighting in the sky!"
"There is more to this than one altercation. Much of the damage and casualties were caused by the citizens—"
"More importantly, where is Steele in all of this?!"
Machida paused and clasped his hands on the stage. His throat seemed to tighten as he tried to open his mouth, and he finally turned away.
"I've answered all the questions I can." Machida walked away and the crowd surged. The screen faded to blue as the anchor switched subjects.
How's he so...together? He knew Uyama longer than any of us, Enjō thought as he slumped down in his bed. A knock came to the door.
"Enjō? It's me," Machida peeked through the door. "I heard the TV." He walked in and sat down next to Enjō. They looked at each other awkwardly as Enjō fiddled around with his knob.
"I figured you were awake. I'm—I'm sorry about your arm. There was no other way." Machida spoke softly.
Enjō looked down at it and muttered, "Do I gotta live like this now?"
"You can recover. You could go to rehab and get a prosthesis—only if you want. Your dad is fine with it as long as you are."
"It doesn't hurt so bad, though."
"It should, but it'll go away in time."
"Where's Omega?"
Machida pressed his lips together and looked at his shoes.
"I'm not—" He sighed, "I'm not sure. No one saw where he went."
"Hm." Enjō's eyes narrowed, "Then what do I do?"
Machida kept silent and looked at hum.
"I got what I wanted, I guess. I'm not gonna lie, I didn't plan for what happens after." He smiled weakly.
"Focus on recovering for now, Enjō. I took care of all the bills, and I might be able to cover for your rehab. With how things are going..." Machida rested his chin on his palm, "It's not looking great, honestly."
"Sorry for getting negative." Machida stood up and dug into his pocket and fished out a business card. "Just call me if you're having any troubles," He said as he laid the card on the bedside and turned to leave the room.
"Machida...how are you—"
Machida opened the door and turned to see him, pressing his lips together again.
"Rest well, Enjō." The door closed.
Enjō looked down at his nub again as his body tightened.
But why? After everything, I still lived.
I don't even know what to do. 'Yama wanted to start a family.
I don't have any friends left. 'Yama had plenty. Why did it have to be him that died?
Every time I use my powers I felt like I got closer with every little scar, but when is it gonna be enough?
Enjō's head hit the headboard and he grit his teeth.
When am I just gonna give up?
He sat there for a while, his legs numbing under the covers.
A phone notification in the cabinet went off, making Enjō jump. With a sigh, Enjō finally got out of his bed, his legs feeling like static. Supporting himself with his good arm, he stumbled to the cabinet. He reached up and opened it.
Who leaves their phone in a hospital? He thought as he grabbed it and turned it on.
Wait, this is... Enjō looked at the lock screen, a photo of him, Uyama, and Omega eating ice cream.
When we went to that parlor in JanuEri. It's his phone. Why's it here?
He opened it, mildly surprised there was no password. Scrolling through the phone, Enjō only found one app left on the home screen: Notes. His thumb gravitated to it, but he held back.
I can't do that, Enjō sighed as he turned the phone off. As he reached into the dresser to put the phone back, it vibrated in his hand.
"Someone's calling..." Enjō muttered. "Spade?" The phone buzzed in his hand as he stared at Spade Mask's photo.
Spade's a...girl? I didn't notice that?
The ringing ended and another notification came up. She'd called nine times before. Enjō stared at the phone for a few moments before sliding it back into the dresser. He plopped back onto the bed and closed his eyes. The bed creaked as he tossed and turned under the covers. His groans turned into a yell as he threw the covers across the room and rolled into a ball, clenching his knob. Enjō bit down on his lip and squeezed his eyes shut at the burning sensation in his nub.
Fuck...Fuck! This shouldn't be hurting!
He peeked at the red call button near his bed, his eyebrows furrowing, Why...is this shit happening to me?!
———
A wet layer of mud covered his gashes, and his mind was muddled by the moist air. His fingernails dug into the dirt as he scrambled up. Birds chirped as they crossed overhead his dripping body.
Omega took in deep breathes as dirt spilled from his mouth. His eyes half open, he looked around at the dense forest, the lush bushes rustled all around.
His torso felt heavy as he trudged through the bushes, Stray branches pricked his skin through his torn clothes, but garnered none of Omega's attention. He drooled from his hanging jaw. He gasped as more soil sputtered from his mouth.
Where...am I going? Am I? I don't feel...
Omega's eyes were fluttering when he heard the sound of flowing water. He opened his eyes to a river running through a gap in the forest. He rushed towards it, stumbling against the rocks as he threw his head in the river. Omega yanked his head back after the wounds burned, and he cupped the water in his hands and drank. He splashed the water on his face, a slight smile crept on his face. Then, as the stream settled past the blood dirtied water, he saw his reflection.
Omega stared at it while an unease rose in his stomach. Then it all came to him. The pain, the blood, Uyama's eyes, himself. He was flooded with pressure and his hands squeezed his throat, but the dam didn't last. He turned away from the river and vomited on the grass. Drops of the spew dribbled from his gasping mouth while the bushes rustled behind him.
Omega turned his head around cautiously, his wide eyes squinted at the figure emerging from the bushes. A tall, lean man walked through, his knees bent as he approached. He wore a mismatched t-shirt and shorts combo. He spoke in a different language and reached his hand out to Omega.
"I don't..." Omega shook his head and backed up.
The man sucked his teeth and rubbed his stubble beard. Another voice came from the bushes. The man responded and signaled to another direction. A grunt came from the bushes, then a shadow moved away, disappearing into the forest.
He looked down at Omega with a smile, and grabbed his hand to lift him up. Despite his leanness, the man easily dragged him along the river with one hand. Omega didn't resist, but he did notice his fading strength.
Eventually, they reached a dark tunnel made of stone that surrounded the river. The man let go of his hand and nudged him forward. Omega looked back at the man, who had his hands on his hips, and shook his head.
He walked further into the pitch black tunnel, guided by the water's stream. The air was cold, and the stone beneath his feet—chill and gritty. Then light leaked back to his eyes, a burst of green glowed as he turned the curve.
Tall and wide stone buildings were surrounded by a vibrant meadow. A figure stood in the distance as Omega looked around, his eyebrows furrowing.
This is...nature. I'm in nature? I've— Omega thought of Uyama, then his wide eyes drooped. Suddenly, the figure closed the gap and was now in front of Omega's face. His acne ran rampant over his face and his smile was wide and toothy.
He spoke in another language. Seeing Omega's confused face, he switched to another language. Then another, another, and another.
"Hello, you understand?" He asked choppily.
"Oh, yes, I do—" Omega replied as the young man jumped up with pumped fists.
"Yes, final! Come!" The man pulled him by the arm into the meadow. A warm breeze passed Omega and his feet squished the wet soil as they rushed toward the town along the path.
"Where are we?" Omega asked, still trudging around.
The man raised an eyebrow.
"Home?"
———
Kitt clutched an envelope in his hand and he bit his lip as he looked up at the hospital.
Her room should be on the third floor, he thought as he began glitching through the ground. He submerged his body in the ground and left his eyes out to see, then started gliding across the ground. He clipped into the wall and scaled up, avoiding the windows.
Here, Kitt glitched the rest of his head through the wall and landed softly on the floor. He stood up and quietly creeped over to her bedside.
Sorry, Iseri, but I can't let this keep happening.
He left the envelope on her bedside and glanced at her before turning away.
See you later.
Kitt glitched out of the hospital room and disappeared into the streets.