Dad forgot his lunch again, which meant that I now had the job of dropping it off ever since Winter break started. That must've been one of his schemes to get me out of the house and take in some fresh air, not that there was much fresh air by the Docks where Dad worked. It smelled like rusted metal, and rotten fish. Some people enjoyed the smell, the environment, I really wasn't one of those people. The sacrifices a daughter made for her father, I should write a book about that one day.
The bus ride was bumpy, with only a handful of other people in the seats in front of mine. School would be out for one more week, and everyone either at work or having fun meant that I most likely wouldn't run into anyone from school, that hellhole. At least Winter break gave me a reprieve, a chance to finally breathe. The bus drove deeper into the Docks, with every block that we passed being more rundown than the last. Gang signs, old and new, were everywhere as usual, though they slowly started to disappear the closer the bus drove to the Dockworkers headquarters. Kurt, Lacey and Dad came home with bruises sometimes after a scuffle with the local Merchants.
There were a lot of homeless people here, unfortunate souls who had been forced out of their houses because all of the jobs in Brockton Bay were slowly drying up. Dad complained a lot about that since he was the head of hiring, he drank a lot whenever he had to let people go, that was almost everyday now.
My bus stop came soon enough at the corner near the convenience store Mom would buy me snacks from whenever we visited Dad at work. Now it was boarded up, the owner, a nice man who always gave me a piece of gum for free, had been murdered when some crackheads killed him to fund their addiction.
"Thanks." I muttered, drawing my eyes away from the driver's gun sitting in his holster, as I quickly stepped off the bus. The driver didn't answer, just silently shutting the door behind me, my Dad's lunch box in my hand. It would be a twenty minute walk to Dad's office from here, and that was using the shortcut, a jetty right by the water. Well, there were rails, they were just so rusted that even a light touch from them made me want to get a tetanus shot.
All of this walking would be my exercise for the day, I was never the most active person, even before my trip to summer camp that cost me my best friend. Sighing softly, I began my dull journey with just a single step. Keeping my eyes open, as much as the Dockworkers liked keeping the gangs out of the streets by their main office building, no part of the Docks was truly safe. The same could be said about the rest of Brockton Bay.
With my ratty old hoodie that was starting to tear at the seams, unwashed hair and well worn jeans, I looked like I belonged here. That made it easier to blend in and not attract any unwanted attention, not that I was ever going to get any if I tried. I was too ugly for any of that.
Unlike an Asian lady with dyed white-pink hair leaning against the wall of a half torn down pharmacy. She was staring at her phone intensely, while wearing the tackiest clothes I had ever seen, with the logos of expensive brands on every piece she wore. Wearing that, this deep in the Docks was just asking to get robbed. I'd better get out of here before someone actually tried it. I sped up my pace.
The familiar scent of the salty waters continued to assault my poor nose, forcing me to wipe it with the sleeve of my hoodie.
After a few minutes of walking, I finally reached the jetty. While I could have taken the long way around, I'd rather not take any chances on running into any secret drug deals going on, or coming upon people getting mugged like that pretty lady was going to be. Plus, I had walked the jetty hundreds of times before, and it led straight to the dirty beach right next to Dad's office. It would disappear once high tide came in a few hours so I had to hurry.
I licked my dry lips and kept walking. Hopefully there wasn't anyone else taking the same shortcut as me, that would just be awkward, having to make eye contact and saying hi just to not look like an asshole.
I didn't need more trouble outside of school.
Walking on the jetty was nice, unlike the unfortunate neighborhood that I would have to walk through if the water levels were high. I could see the ferry from here, and if I had eyes that didn't need glasses I'm sure I would've been able to see the Boat Graveyard as well. The symphony formed by the small waves hitting the jetty's rocks felt like music to my ears after all the car honks and shouting I heard in the city proper.
Sadly, my hopes of walking the jetty alone were dashed when I noticed a figure ahead of me just as the Dockworkers Association office building barely came into view. They weren't looking in my direction thankfully, even as I drew closer and closer.
It was a dark skinned man, staring out into the Bay, with his muddy work boots by his side, literally. He was barefoot and standing close to the edge of the jetty. I squinted my eyes and used my free hand to block the sun's glare. Now that I was closer, he looked a bit more familiar.
He was a dockworker, I remembered seeing him around Kurt and Lacey's house whenever they had barbecues. Jerry or Gary, something like that, I didn't remember his name exactly. I never had a reason to talk to him.
"Uh hey, Jerry?" I said as soon as he turned his head. Jerry's eyes were puffy and red, and his hands were balled up into fist. "How are you?"
"Hebert's daughter right?" Jerry's voice had the faintest hint of an accent, Irish or Scottish I couldn't tell the difference.
"Yeah." I nodded awkwardly. Jerry turned his head back out towards the water. "Well, it was nice seeing you-"
"I had a daughter a few years older than you." Jerry interrupted me before I could finish speaking. He kept staring out at the Bay. "She lives in Boston now, going to school, and has a perfect GPA.
I literally didn't need to know any of this.
"That's nice." I held the lunch box in front of me with both hands so it wouldn't just rub against just one.
"She only speaks to me when she wants to pay for her tuition ever since her Ma left me." Jerry sighed, rubbing his forehead. He spoke again before I could leave. "Your Dad just fired me. There's not enough work to go around anymore he says." He sounded bitter.
Oh no, he wasn't going to take that out on me right? He had a solid half-foot on me, and at least a hundred pounds. I took a step backwards.
"I'm, uh, really sorry about that." I really needed to get out of here fast, preferably past him since this was about the middle of the jetty.
Jerry picked up one of his work boots and threw it as far as he could into the water, screaming with frustration. "Damn it!"
He started to cry as he fell to his knees. Man, I really didn't know what to say without pissing him off. I flinched when he punched the ground, scraping his knuckles against the rocks. I really needed to get out of here, if only he wasn't in the way.
"I'm sorry." That escaped my lips without even thinking. There was really nothing else I could say.
"It's not worth it anymore. There aren't any jobs in Brockton Bay anymore, none that I can do." Jerry stood up again, swaying slightly as if the wind itself could easily blow him away. He took a step forward, but not towards me. Jerry started walking towards the water, stepping on the rocks. I dropped Dad's lunch bag and ran.
"Woah Jerry! You don't have to do this." I grabbed his elbow and pulled him back from the slippery rocks. I wasn't about to be a witness to a suicide! Dad would be devastated if he found out he had a part of it.
"Let go of me!" Jerry pulled himself free by pushing me away. I landed on the ground, a little bruised but fine. Suddenly, I felt a strong breeze come through, and a blur tackled Jerry before he could jump into the water.
"Gah!" Jerry coughed as he fell onto the sandy part of the jetty. He must've cut himself on one of the rocks judging by the red stains on the ground.
"Sir, please don't do that." The blur was the tacky Asian lady from before. My lips suddenly felt dry. What was she doing here? I'm sure I would've noticed if someone else was following me. "Why would you try hurting yourself like this?"
H-How did she get here so fast? Was she a cape, or were my eyes playing tricks on me?
"Please go on your way and don't interfere." Another voice spoke up just as two strong arms lifted me off of the sandy ground. I tilted my head ever so slightly to get a view of the newcomer. It was an Asian guy with a weird mullet, with the tips of his hair dyed blonde. He also wore the tackiest clothes I have ever seen, just like his lady friend. He casually walked in front of me and stood by the lady's side.
"Damn it! I can't live or die without others getting in my way." Jerry shouted, jumping up from the ground. "All I have left now is debt, and a daughter that uses me as a bank."
My legs refused to listen to my commands as I froze in place.
"There's no reason for me to live anymore, is it so wrong for me to just decide to quit?" Jerry dug his hands into the sand as he broke down. "This is all because of that bastard who fired me! What can I do other than cause a burden to others?!"
Jerry looked up, his face red and wet. "Tell me! Talk to me!"
The Lady sighed and took several steps towards Jerry. "Let me ask you something first. If you take your own life, what changes?"
She knelt down to his level, dirtying the fringes of her expensive coat. "Your daughter's name is Joanna, right?"
Jerry's bloodshot eyes widened. "M-My daughter! But how did you-"
"Right now it might seem easier to end it all, but what about Joanna? She goes to sleep every night hoping that instead of sending money, you reach out to her, instead of being afraid to see her in person." The Lady spoke bluntly, but her voice was kind. "Do you really think there isn't a single reason for you to live?"
Jerry balled his hands into fist and rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his old jacket.
"That's not true, you don't want to die. You just don't want to live like this." The Lady continued speaking. She carefully took Jerry's hands into her own.
"I-I've let so much time pass me by…I'm not sure if I can do it all over again." Jerry shivered, whether from the stress or the wind I couldn't tell.
"I don't know if you can, but you got back on your feet every single time you've fallen before." The Lady calmed Jerry. "You know that better than anyone."
Were they cops? Therapist? A cape? How was she able to calm him down so fast? Someone touched my shoulder causing me to jump.
"Are you okay?" The handsome guy that was with her asked. He had a backpack with him, and pulled a handkerchief out of one of his pockets. "Your glasses are dirty, here, use this to clean them."
The handkerchief was baby pink with floral designs all over it. Forcing my grimace away with an awkward smile, I took it.
"Thank you." I didn't want to scratch the lenses, I couldn't afford another pair with the pay cuts Dad had been taking.
"You could have just avoided him and kept walking." The mysterious guy said. He looked like he was a solid ten years older than me, not even in his thirties. "You're a good person."
"I'm not." I took my glasses off, using the handkerchief to wipe off the sand and drops of seawater. "My Mom always taught me to help others when they were in need, and uh, my Dad's the one who just fired him, so I felt kinda bad about everything."
The other Lady stood up suddenly. "Sir, please give me one moment."
She marched up to me, finally allowing me to get a better view of her, outside of her white-pink hair. She wore a crop-top under her coat, with heels that probably costed as much as a car payment. Her make up was nice, way better than anything I could do back when I used to practice with Emma. The red eyeshadow really made her eyes pop.
"Hey you, be quiet." The Lady ran her hand through her hair, pushing her bangs back. "You're disrupting my work. Read the room a little, he doesn't need to remember what happened earlier."
"I-I'm sorry." I looked away. I just wanted to deliver Dad's stupid lunchbox and go home, or visit the library on my way back.
"And I saw you thinking about just leaving him there." The Lady smirked. "But at least you tried in the end, looks like your Mom's lessons weren't just for show."
I narrowed my eyes. How was she watching without me noticing? "And who do you think you are to talk to me like that?" Looks like she was a big jerk as she was pretty.
The Lady rubbed her forehead slowly. "Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, but I don't need you putting him any more at risk. We'll talk more once I'm done with Gerry."
She walked away without another word. Well at least she apologized, but I still didn't like her, not anymore at least. The other guy remained silent, watching as she knelt next to Gerry. I had gotten his name wrong, which was to be expected, but it still made me feel bad.
"Here." I handed the dirty handkerchief back to its rightful owner. "I'm sorry I dirtied it."
He held his hand up and pulled another out of his shirt pocket. "Keep it, I have a dozen more just like it."
That was weird, unless they belonged to his friend which would make more sense.
"N-No! It's all over for me!" Gerry pushed the Lady away from him roughly and started running towards the rocks again.
"No!" My legs finally decided to move without thinking. I grabbed Gerry's arm as he prepared to jump from a slippery wet rock. Dad would never forgive himself if he ever found out, and he definitely would.
"Let go!" Gerry pulled back, trying to free himself when he lost his balance, falling backwards and taking me with him.
"Woah!" The last thing I felt was my head hitting one of the rocks and splashing into the water.
Then all I saw was darkness.
I gasped, taking a deep breath as I shot up. What happened? Where was I? Was Gerry okay? Was I okay? I grabbed the back of my head where I remembered getting hit and didn't even feel a bruise. I was wearing a hospital gown, laying in the only bed in a room.
I pressed my thin lips together tightly. Damn it! We couldn't afford a hospital bill, we were already living paycheck to paycheck. Dad didn't need more debt, not because of me. I touched my face softly. Where were my glasses? I gave the nightstand beside me a glance, it was empty.
Sighing, I was about to get off the bed when my hands caught my eyes, as blurry as they were. I-I could look straight through them!
"Ahhh!" I jumped off the bed, staring at my transparent hands. What was going on here?! Did a cape do this to me?! Was it those two weirdos with the tacky clothes? Breathing deeply over and over again, my eyes drifted back towards the bed. My body was laying there with a respirator attached to my mouth and nose, and a bandage wrapped around my head.
"What the fuck?!" I screamed, taking several steps back that caused me to trip and fall on the cold hospital floor.
"I must say, you have a nice pair of lungs on you, for someone stuck in a coma at least." A familiar voice said. Twisting my neck, my eyes widened, I knew that lady even with my blurry vision.
"YOU! What did you do to be?!" I scrambled to stand up and backed away from the crazy Asian lady. "Why are there two of me?! Why am I see-through?! Why did you-"
The Lady snapped her fingers, causing my mouth to close shut.
"Mmmm!! Mmm!!" I couldn't speak no matter how hard I tried!
"I'll unzip your mouth if you promise not to scream again." The Lady placed a hand on her hip. She was wearing a different outfit now, a jean jacket with a white shirt that showed off her stomach instead of the long coat she wore earlier.
I nodded my head carefully. She snapped her fingers again.
"W-Who are you?" I asked slowly. This was weird, this was unnatural. Were they going to kill me? What was I doing in a hospital bed? What was with this out of body experience?! I didn't say any of that out loud so she wouldn't have a reason to zip my mouth again.
"Let me get to the point then." The Lady crossed her arms over her chest. "We are existing here right now, but we're not alive."
"What are you talking about?" This had to be a prank, right? It was either that, or this was a strange nightmare from hitting my head on some sharp rocks. "So you're both ghosts?"
"We from Flashback, the Underworld corporation." The handsome guy from earlier appeared out of thin air. He turned to the Lady. "The nurses are changing shifts so we don't have much time."
"Flashback? The Underworld? You're from the U-Underworld?" I stuttered. Did this mean that I was dead?
"That's right." The Lady took a seat on the couch on the far side of the wall. "Back in the day people used to call us…" Her smirk from earlier returned.
"...Grim Reapers."
I was so dead.
A/N
This is a crossover with the webtoon/Kdrama Tomorrow. Due to the heavy content that will be featured, such as suicide, I'm not sure if this story would be appropriate on Space Battles or Sufficient Velocity, so this will be an AO3 exclusive story until I find out otherwise.
This is the longest first chapter I've written in years.