Chapter 30: Drifting Through Normalcy
"Once you've ventured through the depths of space, fought around the rings of Saturn, and escaped the gravitational pull of a black hole…Everything should feel slow."
"That's bullshit."
"Speed has never felt greater than when you're in the driver's seat of your formula race car, hearing the roar of your engine in a sea of a hundred more."
"It's a competition, nay, a fight for survival. Whoever's engine roars the loudest isn't just the best, they're the one who respects their vehicle the most."
"Because once you're behind the wheel, you're not just putting your trust in your skills, you're putting your trust in the wheels, the engine, the pistons, and all the other parts that I CANNOT be bothered memorizing."
"But this track? I've been down it plenty of times. Never gotten the gold. But that's not the point."
"It's the thrill. The chills of a close engagement with the wall. Punching the gas at the crucial moment. Fighting to get even ONE inch ahead of the pack."
"This is the one place where I can compete on even terms with my peers without having to feel guilty about lying or holding back."
"This is where I put my feet to the ground and tell the world 'Here I am!' And the best part is…"
"Hey partner!"
Mew widened his eyes open and looked out the window as he was being rolled out onto the track by his crewmates, his main man giving him a thumbs up and smile, "Don't go drifting into your thoughts now! The race is about to start!"
"Ah chill out, Stephen. I'm revved up and ready to WIN!" Mew gave a thumbs up back and then flicked the visor over his helmet, decked out in diesel flames.
"I get to do this alongside a team!" With a fired up smile and the will to succeed burning even hotter, he took his place alongside many other racers in his black and red car, dotted with a bunch of sponsor stickers and refurbished with some new tires after the last ones suffered for his…risky maneuvers.
The scale of racing had changed a bit over the years. In order to spice things up the width of the tracks have been doubled, so riskier plays can be performed if one learns how to manage their space.
But it's still the same amount of laps, same amount of racers.
When you're out there going at blistering speeds, you have to be ready to think ahead down to the millisecond to cut off another racer or get ahead of your opponents.
Mew licked his lips and gripped leather tightly against leather, eyes laser focused on the descending lights, carried by a drone.
The crowds were roaring, he had plenty of fans raising banners for him. He was number 93, but he also was commonly attached to an emblem consisting of two "Ds", with the curves on them elongated and becoming brighter and brighter until flames spurted out at the bottom of the curve.
He looked on with a mix of adoration to his loyal fans, and some canned laughter regarding the choice of letter.
"But it can't be helped…" He murmured.
"What can't be helped?" Stephen remarked.
Mew tapped the side of his helmet and smiled, "Don't mind me, just getting into the groove!"
"Hey, just make sure you don't ruin these tires alright?" A female chimed in with a vaguely threatening tone of voice.
"Ha! If I win it'll totally offset the cost." Mew said cockily.
"DON'T." She raised their fury enough to throw a shriek into his ears.
"Alright, quiet down guys, I need to focus," Mew said, looking back up at the lights, "Heh heh, she reminds me of how Kairi used to be…She's got the guts to go far, that's for sure."
He gripped the wheel tightly again and all the preparations were set. Announcers were hyping up the crowd, he looked over to his right to see his racing rival, the Silver Stream as he's been referred to by the press, glaring at him.
The one who has consistently beaten him every time they meet up on the track, but he KNOWS that their races have been too close for comfort.
The lights countdown, getting louder and louder in his head until it reaches green, when there was only him…and the ignition of his engines.
The car hurtled forward across the asphalt as his body dug into the seat and he immediately prepared to take the first turn.
"The first hundred or so laps don't matter that much. You test the waters, see who'll bite, who is patient."
And sure enough, before he knew it, those laps were done with. He stuck to the middle of the pack, just like his rival.
It doesn't take long for the first racers to drop out to the pit stop and refuel, and get check ups.
He's able to achieve quite a few more laps because of the car's fuel efficiency, and the efforts of his crew to perform the upkeep when he's off the track.
When he finally hits the pit stop, they're able to get him ready to go again in record time, shaving off precious milliseconds.
After the type of life he's lived, it's fun to sit back and watch them work hard to increase their "power level".
He then rides out onto the track to catch up with his rival, who was currently edging closer to the front of the pack.
Hundreds of more laps go by rather quickly, from his point of view. Only once the last hundred flash before his eyes does he start to grip his wheel tighter and murmur to himself, "Alright, time to make a break for it…"
He had memorized what all his opponents were capable of across many encounters, and as the laps ticked down by the tens he was able to use careful swerves and acceleration to start edging closer to the front of the pack.
But the Silver Stream knew everything HE was going to do, and was already swerving his car across the track to block off his options.
"Tsk…! You're good…!" He said in a forcibly gruff tone, eyeballing the turf off to his left.
He took a deep breath and practiced patience. If he mistimed this plan of attack, he was going to get a certain someone in his pit crew upset…oh and he'd probably get a heck of a lot worse than second place, but that's just pennies for the pound or whatever they say.
After a few more laps of playing along with the Silver Stream's expertise on the track, Mew took a deep breath and cut off his crew mates giving him advice, "Alright guys, I'm gonna do it."
"Hey! NO! We JUST got those tires-"
"And this is the best time to TEST them!"
"MEW!" The shout of his name was a familiar blunt force to his eardrums that only made him happier.
"Sorry, can't stop me now…" Mew diverted finger power to flicking on his custom installed music player, and then grit his teeth in a fearsome smile as he held his head forward and narrowed his eyes, "I already turned on the Eurobeat!"
"DO YOU LIKE?!"
"MY CAR?!"
"OH…HELL…YEAH I DO!" Mew tried to swerve around his rival to the left and the moment he went to cut him off, Mew continued to turn the car to head towards the turf.
There was a VERY good reason he had earned that emblem, as the announcer would so kindly explain, "The Drift Devil is at it again! AND THIS TIME HE'S GOING FOR THE TURF, IS HE CRAZY?!"
As about roughly 90% of his friends and family could attest to: "YES!"
There was a series of complicated moves he had to make here with the wheel that if even ONE step went wrong, he'd probably be seeing the world upside-down inside some burning wreckage.
But fortunately, he ordered some features on this tire to better handle off-road driving to help raise the odds a little.
And heck, not like he hasn't faced down the odds hundreds of times before!
"I'm the guy who stared the creator in the face and lived to tell the tale! I CAN DRIFT THIS TRACK!"
The tires shifted into the right alignment and he managed to hold his speed perfectly. And with the sheer insanity of the maneuver capturing the attention of all the other racers, yes even his rival, Mew was looking ready to secure his victory.
All he had to do was realign with the track and push back onto it, take the lead, and run a couple more laps.
While singing along to the Eurobeat tune, he was interrupted by the Silver Stream connecting into his intercom, "Not bad. But this is why you're my rival. Say. I got a trick up my sleeve too. Want to see it?"
Mew widened his eyes and stared out at his rival's car, "N-No way…he's using THAT technique…?!"
He grit his teeth and had to hurry back onto the track, but it was too late.
Blue fire spewed out of the back of the Silver Stream's car to give him a brief but critical boost to cut Mew off from taking first place.
And not long after that they crossed the finish line, with Mew once again in second place.
He clunked the wheel with his right fist and barely raised his voice in anger, "Damn it! I even remembered the music this time…"
During the cool down for the race, he turned off the music player and let out a deep sigh.
Eventually, once all the racers were off the course, Mew was able to get out of the car. The only thing he had to fake was his body being stiff from sitting in there for too long.
He took off his helmet then took a hit to the back of his head from a clipboard, which he did NOT fake a reaction to.
"Ow!" He turned to the short lady with freckles and black hair as she was pouting and wagging her finger at him.
"You're lucky those tires aren't burnt rubber! How many times do I have to tell you to quit showboating?!"
Mew chuckled her concerns off and said, "Hey, I developed brand recognition off this insanity, right?"
"...I feel so sorry for your wife." She murmured.
"Oh if only you knew…" Mew said, his brief stint of nostalgia hampered by the presence of the Silver Stream coming over to greet him, both parties surrounded by the crowd of reports and cameramen trying to get their shots.
The Silver Stream kept his helmet on as he extended his hand, "Always a pleasure to face you, Drift Devil."
Mew glared at him for a moment, then raised a smirk.
"Silver medals are nothing to get upset over. That's not what racing is all about. Like I said, it's about the thrill…"
He shook his rival's hand tightly.
"And paying respect to all the parts that keep you driving, your teammates and rivals included."
"See you at the next cup?" He said with excitement towards the future.
"Heh, who knows? Maybe I'll retire before you get any better." The Silver Stream said in a joking tone.
"Ha!" Mew enjoyed it though. Even if he's never seen the dude's face, he knows there's a good spirit inside.
After that was the wind down. Answer some questions for the press, deal with cleaning up, all that rather…normal stuff.
When all was said and done, Mew was leaving the racetrack in his normal getup all by himself, with the moon shining down between the rain clouds.
His pit crew had invited him out for dinner, but he had to pass. Tonight he just felt like…strolling through town.
The eastern half of the states had a different vibe to home. A lot more cities, a little less nature.
Every step he took was a step into another aspect of society and the people who mingled in it. From night drinkers to moviegoers, to the simple families wanting to treat their kids to ice cream, and even a clique wanting to show off their music to passerbys.
He stopped to tap his feet to the tune. It was a new age techno beat with electric drums and reverb using some metal panels they had lying around.
It wasn't half bad. Probably could catch on with a little push.
Mew reached out and gave them some money to reward their efforts, and after they shared some thanks he departed and watched a few more people gather around. Probably recognized him from the race.
He smiled and was happy to see effort be rewarded. By the time he took to the streets, the numbers just continued to grow around the small band.
He shrugged with the hopes that they'd do better in the future.
After a short walk he took a detour into a local flower garden and explored flowers he rarely got to see elsewhere, thriving in the early winter climate.
He saw a rather exotic red flower with a bunch of petals spread out in a circle, and then a bit of pink in the center.
He snapped a picture of this and sent it to Maria asking, "Do you have 1 of these?"
He then browsed more of the garden until his phone buzzed, giving him an answer of "Yeah, I got a few in stock."
Mew typed back, "Can you hold one for me?"
"Kairi would like that, I bet."
"Sure ;)" Maria replied a few seconds later.
Mew smiled and then put his phone away, warming up his hands with a little rub, "Hmm, speaking of the family…"
Once he went back into town he headed into a sports shop in the local mall and bought Serra a bottle representing the state football team.
Then he strolled down to a music shop and picked Leo up an album released by an indie band. The genre was country, but maybe he'd dig the instrumental versions that came included on the second disc.
As he wandered through the mall he had a hard time thinking of what Maria would like, "I get her way too much cowboy stuff…"
He puckered his bottom lip and then passed through the food court, where his strong hearing picked up a young couple who seemed to be having trouble fulfilling their order.
He stopped over and kindly and somewhat awkwardly wedged himself into the conversation, "Excuse me, what's the problem?"
"Ah, I think my card declined…!" The lady said.
Between the two, she seemed like the one usually better put together, so this mistake was extra embarrassing for her.
Mew smiled and whipped out his card so fast it was like a magic trick to the awestruck couple, "I'll cover it. Forget about the stress and enjoy your date."
Mew put the card in before any objections were raised.
"Ahem…a-actually, we're cousins," The young boy remarked, "We were just catching up because it's been a while since we last saw each other."
As Mew stared at the boy he gulped down his nervousness and said, "Thank you though-"
"Ah, I'm just a stranger that's happy to be a part of your world." Mew winked and was off, leaving the impression of a humble hand in the twos thoughts.
But in truth he was flustered at his big goof, "Well, totally read that wrong. Still…"
He then made his way to a pawn shop to see if he could happen upon something for Maria.
He found a few Blu Rays for himself and a couple games at a very low price.
But what he found for Maria was a portable leaf mulcher behind the front counter, "...Hey, how much does that cost?"
With his spectacularly suave way with words and a bit of his popularity, he managed to haggle down a good bargain and hoisted the device onto the back of his shoulder with the aid of a sturdy bag.
"I should probably look into getting one myself." Mew said on his way out of the mall.
By now it was drizzling, and go figure, he forgot his umbrella.
"Ha, Kairi warned me on the news too…" He shrugged and decided to walk in it.
The gentle rainfall was enjoyable and he raised his head to take in more.
He had never enjoyed the rain when he was living alone. It always brought down the mood.
But now he can take it in as part of this great and lively world he was happy to be a part of.
"Twenty years ago really feels like yesterday…" He thought of the faces of all his friends and family, yes, even Alura.
They were scattered around the world. Grown up, and facing new challenges.
Nothing as terrifying as the end of reality, or a man who could wield black holes with but a thought.
Only the "simplicity" of being a parent, and all that entails.
He wants to boast that he's been the dad of the century, but he's got a lot of competition.
Not that it matters. As long as he's keeping his kids happy, he can enjoy his own dreams in peace.
His stroll through the rain was stopped upon hitting an obstacle that seemed to wiggle.
He stepped back and looked down, "Sorry about th-"
There was a young man in his mid 20s sitting on the sidewalk, wearing a barely out together ensemble of thrift store clothes, and having to use a rusted pan to hold back the rain.
He looked starved and was barely getting any sleep.
Mew paused and after a brief thought he gestured his hand out and asked the guy, "Hey. Want a bite to eat?"
The boy looked up with his soft blue eyes in confusion.
Mew flicked his thumb back and smiled, "I know a good chicken wings place down the road."
Without saying a word, the guy stood up, put his things in a bag, and trailed behind Mew.
They wound up at the place without incident, where Mew once again dipped into his wallet to get this guy a couple appetizers and plenty of wings.
He was almost like a dog with how much he was scarfing down.
"Hey, make sure to get some water in between bites."
After that passing joke, Mew sat quietly and looked at the kid, "Some people are still getting left behind."
"You can change the world…make laws that better serve the lower class…but you can't force people to be kind."
It's hard to admit, but his brother's work in the White House had so far only improved the world by making things easier for people to live day to day.
But that could very well be the domino that starts the chain reaction to world peace.
Mew raised a brow and smiled, "So, do you have a dream…?"
He hung on the question until the guy raised his head and asked, "Hawthorne. And uhhh, I did…once."
Before anything further was said, the boy remarked with suspicion, "...This isn't a recruitment attempt, right?"
"Play along for a bit." Mew whispered.
Hawthorne swallowed his food and wiped off on the napkin, then took a moment to itch his hair, "I…had earned a medical degree in college."
Mew flinched internally, "Really? Trying to become a doctor?"
The boy clammed up, with Mew taking a few pokes at what happened, "Student loan debts? A bad run in with a criminal?"
"...I got scared." Was not even in the bottom 3 for guesses.
Mew paused patiently as Hawthorne eyes stared like a pale ghost was in his sights.
"We were doing tests on a 'live' patient to make sure we had learned…proper work ethic."
"But our 'patient' let out the most blood curdling scream of pain I ever heard a-and I remember my legs and arms locking up."
"And I realized 'God…what if I cause that?' I-I always knew I'd be entrusted with another person's life, but…"
Mew nodded, "You couldn't handle the responsibility."
Hawthorne bit his teeth and looked ready to cry, "The nightmares pulled me from all sides even after graduation. I kept telling myself I'd go to work at a good hospital, but never did."
"I wasted away in my one room apartment, putting off stuff until eventually, I had no rent money and had to start living on the streets…"
Mew had heard enough, "Hawthorne, do you still want to save lives?"
Hawthorne flinched and upon looking at him, nodded his head, acting solely upon subconscious wants.
Mew smiled, "You need to include yourself in that statement then, first off."
He then pointed at him briefly, "Second off. I want you to actually work one day in a hospital. You'll see why you want to endure the pain pretty quickly."
"But…how…?"
Mew smiled wider and placed his hands on the table, his phone beneath one, "A week from now, a swell guy named Riku will be working at the hospital on the edge of town. He looks a lot like me, but with a beard and black hair."
"Tell him I sent you, and he'll show you how a hospital is run. And if you decide you can't handle being a doctor after that, AT LEAST ask him if you can get a job as a janitor to earn yourself a little pay."
Mew then pulled up a map to the hospital on his phone, and let Hawthorne take a long look at it.
He then put the phone away as the guy started tearing up, "I-I don't get it…why?"
His throat was dry, but his voice was steadily recalling what it was like to feel hope again.
Mew stood, slipped enough money for the bill and a tip, and then whispered to the guy, "Think nothing of it. I want you to do well."
As he started to leave, the kid pulled up behind him and grabbed his hand, the rattling of coins hitting the floor.
Mew slowly turned around and saw that there was money in his hand, confirming what he had suspected the moment he turned his back on him earlier.
Hawthorne stared at him, panting with desperation and his eyes swelling in guilt.
Mew tapped him on the shoulder with his fist and gave him a smile, while silently tucking his money back into his pockets.
"Are…are you an angel?" Hawthorne begged quietly.
Mew pulled his head back and laughed, "Ha ha ha, no way!"
Mew gladly left him with a swollen heart full of renewed faith in the kindness of people, and after double checking to make sure he had all of his other stuff he left the restaurant.
The rain then "suddenly" stopped as he snapped his fingers to a tune on his head, his steps as light as a feathery pillow
He eventually made it back to his hotel on the middle floors, which was perfect for looking across the city rooftops while sleeping, and down on the streets while standing.
He dropped his gifts beside his bed and lied down with his legs kicked up and the pillows fluffed behind his neck.
Those last couple of hours felt really good.
He only briefly thought about the race to laugh about his nickname, "Drift Devil…DD. God, I can't escape your stupid initials…"
He raised his hand up high and projected the image of his sword in front of him, "Twenty years…"
So much happened in that one year: Meeting Kairi and Auris, reuniting with Riku, finding out Joe Dark was his brother, adopting Maria, everything surrounding Ba'al, the Sage, and "D."...
Defeating Yukari Yakumo…
Mew saw Alex in his head the moment he thought of her, dying before his eyes.
He closed his eyes and with a deep sigh he laid his hand down on his chest and laughed fondly at how much their lives have changed, "You wouldn't even recognize Joe anymore…"
All these changes…except for one.
He held his fist against his chest and turned his smile to the side with a huff through his nose.
He was still himself. Maybe a little more grown up in terms of responsibilities, but his body has never fully shaken off that itch to fight to save the world.
In some ways, normalcy was a cage.
In other ways, it was liberation.
It's easy to save the world from big threats. But it takes a lot more spirit to put two feet on the ground and solve smaller problems, some just right around the corner.
"I still want to be the hero…" He admitted this selfishness all to himself, then laughed, thinking he sounded like a damn idiot, "But trade that for all I have now? No way in hell."
He squeezed his fist and pumped it towards the air with a smile, "But if you got anything to throw my way, universe, don't think I've been sitting on my ass! I got some new tricks up my sleeve!"
He had gotten so absorbed in the moment he forgot to check the clock, "Oh SHIT! The kids should be out of school by now!"
He scrambled out of bed, grabbed Serra and Leo's gifts, and then ran for the bathroom.
And now, out of the camera's focus, he opened a dark rift and stumbled through it back home.
The sun was still out, just barely, but it stunned him.
"Damn, still ain't used to that," He then strolled into the living room and raised his hand to shout, "Hey! Guess who's home?"
The house had a fresh pine smell to it. Lunis must've stopped by to check up on the place.
Serra came barreling out of her bedroom and jumped to tackle him, but Mew sidestepped out of the way and she rolled onto the floor and sprung back up.
"Not right now, Serra, I just ate. Hey! Catch!" Mew tossed her the mug and she snatched it in both hands and held it up.
"Oooooh! AWESOME! Thanks, pop!" She ran up to him and gave him a house shaking hi five, then immediately they grabbed each other's hands for some mid-air arm wrestling.
But he blindsided her with a quick tug to get her in closer, followed by patting her on the back and thinking about all the silver medals he's gotten all throughout his racing career.
"Serra, you two are my greatest victory." He said sincerely.
And though she blinked rapidly in confusion, it didn't bury his feelings.
Being as strong as he was meant nothing if he didn't have someone to care about and protect.
And it's for that reason he'll accept being normal for as long as he has to.
Next Time: I Don't Want to Go Shopping