Author's note: Since this fic had not been updated until, like, yesterday, I decided to update with chapter 13 to make it up to you guys, my awesome readers.
Chapter 13
City life
Albel shot up from his sleep, after having one of his regular nightmares. He was sleeping on a couch in his and Fayt's apartment in the city of New York. He had slept on the couch, for some reason even he could not even explain. He liked the couch, one could say. He stood up drowsily and walked sleepily to the kitchen fridge. The apartment was much like that of a 20th-21st Century New York's apartment, with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a living room, dining room and kitchen all fused into one. Albel opened the fridge and examined its contents. The more he looked, the more he got frustrated. He started picking things up and throwing them across the room in a fit of rage. Bottles of milk smashed and plates of leftover food broke and splattered the floor. Fayt unlocked and entered the front door during this outburst and stood there.
"Albel! Not again! Will you stop destroying the apartment and getting rid of perfectly good food. What is it this time?" Fayt asked. Albel slammed the fridge door, making the fridge magnets fall off and he stomped half way across the room.
"There are no fizzy drinks left! And I just felt like doing that! I paid for it in the first place," Albel shouted, before slamming his bedroom door.
"Oh for heaven's sake, if you wanted more fizzy drinks, then you should have told me. I'll get them after I return from college. Until then, make sure you don't do anymore damage," Fayt said. Albel stomped out of his room.
"Forget it, I'll get the stuff," Albel said. He was wearing a black uniform, an old-fashioned style police attire with a black police hat. He had become an officer, as his stamina, fighting skills and lack of proper education made this job perfect for him. Fayt stifled a laugh, to which Albel got angry.
"Grrgh, stop laughing and get over it already!" Albel shouted. Fayt was taken aback.
"Wow, you're coming out with some modern language. That's good…for you," Fayt said. Albel growled and stormed out of the apartment. He walked out onto the street and looked up at the many vehicles and creatures that roamed the skies. Earth had developed tremendously over the past four centuries and now there were flying automobiles floating through the sky.
Due to the diversity of Earth's population, where a number of people from other planets had come to settle, bringing their unusual creatures with them, flying creatures transported people from place to place. Albel dodged out of the way of a large flying bird-like thing, which had clumsily fallen out of the sky. Albel whistled and a large black dragon called Reayru descended. Albel mounted the beast and ascended into the sky. He signed into his patrol shift and flew around the city, looking out for wrongdoers. Before enrolling into this job he tried driving a floating car. Needless to say he did not like it that much. He nearly set the car on fire. So he returned to Elicoor and tamed a dragon in the ancient ceremony his father had saved him from. Luckily he summoned a dragon who was not bad tempered; in fact, it was quite the opposite, seeming to have really taken a liking to his master. He passed his licence for flying a large creature around the planet, though.
Albel flew around for while, until he saw a vehicle flying too fast. He sped up and caught up to the vehicle. He got a phone-like device out and started talking into it.
"Slow down, or I will have my dragon grab your car with its teeth, destroying your vehicle," Albel said. The car sped up, blatantly ignoring the large fire-breathing dragon hovering near its back end. Albel sped up and Reayru sank his teeth into its boot. Loud screeching sounds could be heard and the car stopped. Reayru turned around and flew to headquarters. The car was sent to lock-up, where it was kept until the felon came and picked it up, having paid a sum of money for his offence. Albel sighed and returned to observing the town.
While he was on shift, he started holding his head, as numerous horrible images flashed through his brain again. The images made his vision blurry and his limbs feel heavy. Reayru looked back anxiously, as Albel fell backwards in a faint, dropping his hat. The dragon descended slowly, making sure not to hurt his master. Albel woke up sometime later and stared at the sky above him. He lifted his left arm to the sky and stared at it, flexing his normal looking fingers. When he first arrived, Fayt suggested that he could have his arm fixed up and looking like any other arm. Albel found the makeover a lot of help. He sighed, thinking about all the strange things he had met in this absurd world, as he put it. He was almost used to the way things were going. This world made him think a lot, thinking about all the troubles that were in his old home. He smiled faintly, knowing that he had come to the right place and found himself.
All of a sudden, something darkened his sight, as his hat was slammed lightly onto his face. He shot up, took the hat and glared at his attacker. She giggled.
"So, you lost your hat again? You have to start looking after it, you know?" Sophia said. Albel grunted and fell back onto Reayru, staring back up at the sky.
"Things still bothering you? You know, you should go see a doctor or a psychiatrist about this, it might be serious," Sophia said. Sophia had just left the high school and got hit by the falling hat while on her way home. Albel turned his head away from her.
"Heh. I don't need a doctor. I'm perfectly fine," Albel replied.
"You say that, but deep down you're hurting. Share your worries. Don't be afraid to open your heart to those around you," Sophia said.
"You sound like a prissy choir girl. Shut up, I don't need your sympathy," Albel said. Sophia looked hurt. Albel gathered the reins of his dragon and started to prepare to fly. He sighed.
"While I'm at it, do you want a ride home?" Albel asked, feeling dejected. Sophia gratefully accepted and mounted the dragon behind Albel. He told her to hold on, to which she did and he took off. He stopped at a supermarket on the way and picked up some shopping, pilling up on fizzy drinks and sweet stuff.
"You know-," Sophia started, before she saw Albel's glare. "Never mind."
They walked into the apartment building and ascended to their floor in silence. The elevator binged and they exited it. Albel, without a glance at Sophia, entered his apartment and Sophia entered hers, which was opposite the boys'. Albel slammed the door behind him and put all the stuff in the fridge. He took out a can of Dr. Pepper and walked to the couch. He drowned it in one and lay back on the couch, falling asleep. Visions of Luther and others clogged his dreams. Some time later, voices started to enter the apartment and Albel could not awaken fully for the life of him.
"So, how's he been?" Someone asked. A huge sigh came from another.
"I swear he's getting more psychotic each day. Look, he's out on the couch again," Fayt said. The footsteps came closer to the semi-conscious Albel.
"Yeah, looks pretty zonked out to me. Has he-," the first voice said.
"-No, but I'm afraid he might crack and commit some horrendous crime. I mean, no one can totally get rid of old habits," Fayt said.
"Old habits die hard. Well, maybe he just needs some time out, so that he can think things through," the first voice said.
Albel growled.
"Could you worms keep it down?! I have a headache," Albel shouted.
"Wake up Albel, we're all leaving," Fayt said. Albel opened his eyes to find Fayt and Cliff standing not far from him. He got up reluctantly and put his hands to his face. Cliff slapped him on the back.
"Come on, we're going on a trip. Now pack some things," Cliff said. Albel grunted and walked to his room. He slowly packed some clothes into a bag. Over the half a year living on Earth, he had moved out of his old style of clothing and into wearing gloomy black clothing, which could only be described as "mosher" or "goth". It was the only thing he could think of wearing. He returned to the living room after ten minutes of packing. Cliff mocked him for taking so long, to which Albel growled in anger and followed them out into the hallway. Sophia walked out of her apartment packed and Maria joined her moments later.
They got onto Cliff's airship, where Mirage was waiting for them. Albel stomped straight to a spare room and fell into slumber. Mirage started the engines and took off from Earth. They headed for the second planet in the Elicoorian system. Fayt, Cliff and Sophia got off and headed towards Aquaria. They entered the vivacious town of Peterny, where noise and sounds of laughter rang through the air. The town was prospering more, as commerce grew and the tension between the countries of Airyglyph and Aquaria had disappeared. They walked up to the innkeeper of the west-side inn and asked about Nel.
"Hmmm…Nel is currently training some troops in the Kirlsa Training Facility," the innkeeper said. They left the inn and on doing so, they saw Peppita and her troupe walking past the inn.
"Peppita!" Fayt shouted. Peppita turned her head and smiled, running towards them.
"Fayt, there y'are. I haven't seen you in ages. What's up?" She asked.
"Hey, do you want to come with us for a while? You know, for old time's sake?" Fayt asked. Peppita bowed her head for a minute and then lifted her head, smiling and nodding. She danced around a little. Fayt nodded and Peppita told the circus master of her plans, to which they nodded encouragingly. They set off for the Lost City of Surferio. They found Roger straight away, leading his minuscule army out of the town. Fayt approached him.
"Hey Roger, how have you been?" Fayt asked. Roger told them of all the adventures they had been on. Hunting treasure, fighting of monsters and saving the world. Cliff laughed at this.
"Ok, how would you like to come on a real adventure with us? A big reunion," Cliff asked. Roger spared no second thought and told his friends they could have a holiday from being superheroes. They sighed with relief and ran back to the town.
They found Nel in the Kirlsa Training Facility, just like the innkeeper said. She was busy training up Farleen and Tynave. Fayt told her of their plans and she bowed her head, deep in thought.
"I have a lot of work to do…," she said.
"Awww, come on. Give yourself a break. Farleen and Tynave could use a break too, from the looks of things," Cliff said, pointing at the two panting women. They nodded.
"Nel, go with them! You need a break," Tynave said. Nel bowed her head once more and after a couple of seconds, she nodded.
"Now we need to find Adray," Fayt said. Cliff groaned.
"Do we really need to find that old man? I mean, he was only with us because he invited himself along," Cliff said. Fayt refused to let it go and they travelled towards Aquios. They visited Her Majesty, who was very happy to see them all well.
"No one has heard from Adray in a long time. In fact, I do not think we have heard from him since Fayt left," Her Majesty replied to their question. Fayt sighed and nodded.
"It is nice to hear you are having a reunion. But where, may I ask, are Albel and the two other young ladies who were with you?" Her Majesty asked.
"Oh, don't worry about them. Maria and Mirage are looking after the ship, and Albel is busy snoozing in one of the rooms on the ship," Cliff replied.
"And how is Albel doing these days? Last I had heard he was going with Fayt," Her Majesty asked.
"He's doing better. He is now in a respectable job on Earth. The only problem is, he is having psychological problems," Fayt replied. Her Majesty nodded, saying that she and His Majesty King Airyglyph had once discussed how his past could affect him far worse than before sometime. Fayt nodded and they said their goodbyes, before bowing and leaving the room. They headed towards a good transportation spot to get back on the ship. They started up the engines and headed off to explore.
Author's note: Sorry to any Adray fans, but I couldn't bear to have him around. He's annoying and invites himself. Grrr. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. 3
