The wind blew swiftly and silently through the air, pushing on anything in its path gently, like how a bee lands on a flower when it's trying to gather pollen. The sound of this gentle wind was drowned out easily by the honking of horns and footsteps hitting the ground. Even then, I could hear it all. I must be alert. If I wasn't, it was a moment too late. A moment wasted could be the moment I'm captured. I can see them everywhere, looking for me. Looking for it. I had to pretend to be something, someone I wasn't. It's not hard once you get used to it; hiding amongst the crowd, blending in. Being nobody was the closest thing I could get to hiding away at the moment.
The smells of fried foods of all kinds caught my nose. My eyes drifted towards a fast food restaurant. The people there were so happy, just eating away. I checked my pockets, nothing. I didn't have time to grab my wallet before I left. I couldn't go back home. They're looking for me there. My stomach grumbled, angry at this. I kept forgetting. It's been 2 weeks and yet I kept forgetting. I forgot how I didn't have any money. I forgot how I didn't have a nice warm bed to lay down in. I forgot how much I loved being able to shower.
I looked down my left arm. The pink glow shined through the jacket's sleeve. I tried my best to conceal it, but it did no good. The best thing I could do was to keep it in the pocket of the hoodie, making sure no one saw it. It aches. It burns as much as my eye does. The sunglasses help to keep that away too. Sometimes someone would notice the subtle pink glow from underneath the hood and black tinted glasses, but they never asked about it. I could just tell they knew something was off.
We could always try their dumpster again.
Oh right. Food. We needed food.
" You know I hate cold fries." I grumped.
They're better than the burgers.
She was right. Their burgers were garbage. Literally.
Eating out of the trash wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't too bad either. I ended up picking up a few tricks from the homeless people I've met. They were always so nice. It's a shame we're pretty much in the same boat, except that I'm a wanted criminal with a glitch attached to me…Maybe not that same exact boat, but you get the picture.
" Hey, what are you doing?" A voice peeked up behind me. Time to skedaddle. My legs carried me faster than the wind with stray fries in my hands and mouth, falling onto the cement beneath me. The worker couldn't catch up in time before I made it out of the parking lot. Another successful raid. Not a full stomach, but at least I got my cardio in for the day.
This was my life now, just running from the "law" and trying to get by. It didn't help that part of my body was glowing like a night light and drawing attention anytime it turned dark. Even then, at least I'm alive.
Not for long if you can't get a decent meal. They don't have anything that's free around here?
" No, that's the way things are. I can't get a job because I can't stay in one place for a long time, yet I can't eat without one. Times are tough. At least I have soggy fries. Woo." I sarcastically put out. I looked down at my arm before turning into the dark alleyway. Slumping down against the wall, sliding onto the floor, I glared at it. When I pulled the sleeve up, I noticed just how bad it's gotten.
" It's worse. It's spreading more and more."
I'm sorry.
" This isn't your fault. You can't control it. I just wish it wasn't so bright."
This is new to me.
" Yeah, having a glowing glitch arm attached to me is new to me too."
No, I'm serious. I am not programmed for this. I wasn't meant to become one with someone like this. This is not normal. Even I don't understand what's happening.
" Hm, well that makes two of us." I took out some fries from my jacket pocket, munching them down slowly, savoring each bite. The hunger in my gut wasn't satiated, but I wanted to make the food last as long as possible. My arm burned. It hurt less and less as this grew, but it still ached and burned like pouring soap into a cut. I wish I could say I'd gotten used to it. It's been a week and a half since this appeared.
My mind wandered as I sat with my own thoughts, apart from Bolypius. My memories coming back swiftly. The warmth of my bed, the smell of freshly cooked meals. I remembered my job. My friends. My only 2 friends…I swore I had more.
" Emma." I muttered. " I'll never forget that. The look on her face when I took you. You could never replicate the pain and betrayal I saw. Nothing I do would ever make it up to her. Was this worth it? Did I really do any good?"
You saved me. You saved yourself.
" Yeah, I might have saved you, but I sure as hell didn't do myself any favors. I'm cold and eating soggy, day old fries that I got from a dumpster. I literally smell like death, that doesn't sound like I've been "saved"".
You can fight another day.
" Fight what? I'm probably dying from this thing," I gestured at my arm, " you don't even know what's happening to us, er, me. We aren't in any shape to be fighting anything. If I don't die from mother nature, then I'm dying from hunger, end of story."
The silence was deafening.
I'm sorry.
I sat alone again. Quiet dripping into every crack and crevice. The darkness became more apparent. My situation became real again. I was alone. For once in my life I was truly alone. I had Bolypius, but that meant nothing. I had no home, no one to go to. I was lost. I had nothing.
That's not true. You have Centridom.
" Centi is gone. They took her from me."
She is with Emma.
" She's gone!" I slammed my fist into the wall, cracking it. My head perked up, as I looked at my hand. I barely felt it. There was a small dent in the brick, but cracks spreading throughout the wall. A strength I didn't know I had.
This is new.
" Yeah, you're telling me." I flexed my fingers. I felt strong. The burn was overshadowed by this new feeling of power. I stood up, faced the wall, and hit again. This time, I broke through several layers of the brick. The dust poured to my feet as the sound of brick falling onto each other echoed throughout the alley. Amongst these sounds, I heard yelling coming from inside the building. That was my que to leave.
" Did you know you could do this?"
No. I've never had an experience outside of a character.
" So you just casually didn't know your arm had super strength?"
I have never been attached to just a person before, give me a break.
" Alright, alright, but this might come in handy. I wonder what else this thing could do. What kinda stuff are you used to doing?"
I possess people and turn them into a video game character from a game they are near or touching. I can mymic the powers from said character.
" Hm, let me try something."
Our next stop; the arcade. Inside there were about a hundred games to choose from, ranging in types. There was also my pride and joy; Chomp Kitty Classic. A beautifully made cabinet of the greatest game known to man. I was practically drooling.
" Okay, if you can make people turn into characters, then maybe I can now."
I touched the cabinet with my left hand, but nothing happened. A moment passes. Then another. The another. I focused my energy into the hand, trying to become the very being I loved so much, but nothing. I smacked my hand.
" C'mon, work!"
The smack seemed to work as the arm began to glow. Pink electricity emitted from it, covering the machine as it shook.
" Ohoho, here it comes." I giddy exclaimed. The cabinet shook and shook before the screen blared pink and something jumped out. I moved out of the way just in time to see before me a life sized Chomp Kitty. " Wait, no I wanted to become you, not create you." The Chomp Kitty meowed before running off. " Wait! We can still be buds! Gah! Okay, that was a bust." I looked at my arm. " So, we can create glitches then."
It appears so. Also your Chomp Kitty is destroying things.
I looked over to see just that.
" Ookay, so uh, not my problem anymore. I can't stick around if the techs are gonna show up sooo.." And with that I was out of there. Maybe if the techs are distracted, I can get some more downtime. This ability was useful, more than the strength. If I can create glitches, then I can have distractions.
Then a realization hit.
If I have enough distractions, then Hinobi will be empty.
If they haven't destroyed her already, I can get Centi back.