Seeing the Sun
Chapter 8
The burning... it's too familiar for Jo as she rests on a cliff. She used her ability without need, and she hates it. Even though Takane's face was priceless, it wasn't worth it in the end. She stuffs her jacket, mask and guns in the hidden trunk of her bike as she lies down on the soft, cool grass. It's dark out, no moon in the sky. She can see the stars.
She closes her eyes. She just has to endure the burning until it ends. The worst of it seems to be passing, she knows, but she'll have to take her medication again when she gets back. Jo gets up shakily, getting onto her bike. It'll be damn irritating on the ride back home, but she'll manage.
The wind feels good on her exposed arm as the bike speeds through the streets with a satisfying roar. D'jango's always been reliable, able to get her places fast. And shoot things. That's always important.
The silver-haired girl stops the bike, picking it up as she goes inside. She carries it into the basement carefully. Really, the girl doesn't want to leave it outside today. Just in case. Then she walks back up the stairs, opening the medicine. She looks at her scars. They're still glowing slightly, the crimson color illuminating a small space around her.
She hears a sigh and turns to see Sei as she pops the purple-colored pills into her mouth. The glow fades, leaving the two siblings in the dimly lit room. Jo swallows some water, forcing the medicine down. Her eyes lazily travel to where her older sister stands, arms crossed.
"You used it again?" asks Sei, sounding slightly annoyed.
"No," Jo puts away the small bottle. "It happened again. I told you, I can't control it. It happens." A small smirk makes its way onto her face. "But you should've seen the police-woman's face when I broke the handcuffs."
"You were almost caught?"
"She caught me when I was fighting, Sei. I was practically dead to the world, and you know it."
"Hm... I get it. Just be more careful, okay?"
Jo's eyes soften ever so slightly. "I'll try. No promises."
With that, the mercenary walks into the basement. She won't sleep, and everyone knows it. But she will rest, and in Sei knows that it'll be enough to keep her alive. For the time being. Eventually, she hopes it will catch up with her. Jo needs a good dream. Maybe someday she'll get one.
Meg's eyes shoot open as she realizes what time it is. She rushes to get changed, slipping out of her pajamas. Rushing, she gets on her outfit and grabs a banana before running out the door. She's halfway to school before she realizes...
It's summer. There is no school.
She slowly walks back home. At least, she thought she was walking home. She finds herself sitting in a park, enjoying the feel of the sun on her face as her eyes close in relaxation. The light soothes her, keeping her warm as she sits on the cool metal of the bench.
Someone sits next to her, their body close enough for her to feel the heat radiating from their skin. She catches the faint smell of smoke, hears the sound of someone turning on a lighter. The heat to her right seems like it would be too warm to be coming from a person, but she knows who it is.
"Why do you have your bag?"
Meg blushes as she remembers her misunderstanding. "I uh... thought we would have school today." She hears Jo laugh and is about to smack her arm when she remembers the scars. "Shut up! I bet you just woke up."
"Not even." Seeing Meg's look of surprise, Jo chuckles more. "I always wake up early, you could say. Or I don't sleep. The latter is much more common. I just... rest, I guess."
"That's not healthy."
Jo just raises an eyebrow, blowing out a large cloud of smoke.
"Oh. Right. You don't care." She sighs. "But what about your siblings? Do they care?"
"They can worry about themselves," snaps Jo. "I can take care of myself."
"That mentality will get you killed."
"I don't care."
They sit in silence. Jo is sitting on the shaded half of the bench, only a few inches from Meg. Meg is in the sun. It's almost funny that Jo stays inside all day yet still has darker skin than the redhead. Meg looks at Jo's face. She has a hard, cold mask on, and it rarely slips off. She's tough. Hardened. More so than anyone should be at their age.
Could you look out for her?
She jumps. Who's voice was that? She closes her eyes, trying to clear her head but finds herself seeing a face. A child's face. Their eyes look at her with hope as she smiles. She opens her eyes and it's gone. Instead, she sees Jo looking at her.
"You okay? You suddenly jumped a second ago."
"Yeah, I'm fine."
She observes Jo as the silver-haired girl leans back in her seat. The little girl had looked a bit like Jo. There was some sort of resemblance between the two. But wait... who was that girl?
My name is Maria, thank you for asking.
Meg closes her eyes again, trying to block out the little girl.
Just look out for Jo.
With that, the voice and image of the girl... Maria, apparently, are gone. So is Jo. She looks around, only to hear a certain bike roaring to life as Jo speeds off, on her phone and talking (somewhat angrily) with someone.
Weird... thinks Meg. She sits there for a bit longer before she gets up, deciding to take go home... If she could figure out where she was.
A/N: Short, but I plan for the next one to be longer... and more dramatic. I can't help but notice... I make a lot of Bakuten fics. I have FOUR. Just... wow. But hey, I feel more appreciated on this fanbase. And I love this show/manga. So it's a win-win.