Double Edge | WATTYS 2023 SHORTLIST + AMBYS 2023 WINNER

Chapter 10

It had been so long since I felt pain like this. A distant memory; waking on a table after fifteen back-to-back experimental surgeries was a painful nightmare.

But this? Walking down the street, clutching the side of my head, was either the same or worse. I couldn't see, couldn't think. The buzzing in my ear sent sharp pangs down my sides. Tears were in my eyes. Blood in my mouth. All because Tommy hit me again, and my systems decided to shut down.

Why? I needed them.

I can't do this.

I groaned as I stepped forward, wobbled, and crashed into the side of a brick building. Looking up, I tried to read the street sign but didn't know where I was. How far had I wandered through my old neighborhood? The sun was setting. I was losing light. And blood.

"Gio?" a confused, panicked voice came from behind. I waited because if they knew my name, they knew who I was. And if they knew me, they'd help me. I'd forgotten how it felt to be helpless, and I hated this.

"Gio!" A hand fell on my shoulder. With a gentle, concerned tug, they turned me. With them so close, I saw them. I knew them.

Weakly, I tried to smile but lifting my cheeks hurt. "Anthony...." I never thought I'd be happy to see the troubled kid on the block. Mr. Cigarettes put his hands on my shoulders and held me up. As I looked at him, I saw two of him. This wasn't a computer error; my human body was shutting down.

"Shit, man, what the hell happened?" Anthony balanced me against the wall. "Do I call an ambulance?" He reached into his pocket. "I got to. I'll call for help—"

My hand shot out. I grabbed his wrist. He froze and looked at me with wide eyes. "Bro, you've got blood coming out of your ears!" he shouted.

Did I? Touching the side of my face, I felt moisture. That explained the buzzing. But he couldn't call a regular ambulance. Their standard medication wouldn't help me. And their technology would mess with my enhancements, not fix them.

"Gio." Anthony came closer. His blue hoodie was smudged with dirt on his shoulder. I reached out to touch him but missed. He grabbed my hand before it fell to my side. "Yo, listen," he said, "I need to call someone. I can't leave you out here. Science robot dude or not, you hurt and need help."

He was right. As I tried to grab him and missed again, I agreed with him. 'Hurt' wasn't a strong enough word to describe what I was feeling. It was more than that. This was death. It had to be. Leaning back against the wall, I closed my eyes. "There's no science anymore," I wheezed and opened one eye to look at him. "It's off."

"Off?" Anthony stepped back. "How the fuck is it off? You turn off?"

"Not me." Opening both of my eyes, I looked ahead. The sun sank further in the sky, the moon hugging its side as it found its spot within the clouds. Streetlights turned on. As three cars approached the traffic light, I glanced at Anthony. "I don't turn off. The computers inside my head do."

"Well, shit, I didn't know that." He cupped the top of his head. "What do we do?"

"My phone." When I reached into my back pocket, my fingers trembled. Pain shot up my arms. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, but he needed my phone. There was only one number on it he should call.

Anthony grabbed it before it fell from my hand. Then he held my shoulder to make sure I wouldn't fall. "Okay, who am I calling?" he asked.

My chest tightened. Sucking in a deep breath took everything out of me, and I slid against the brick wall behind me. That made it worse.

"Hey, hey," Anthony grabbed me again, "just tell me who am I calling, man."

Calm down, Gio. This is nothing. You're fine.

"Kimi." I let myself drop and sit on the sidewalk. Groaning, I rested my head against my knees. Another car drove by. Could they see me? What did I look like to them? Probably a drunk on the street. I was sure that was fine at a distance, but if they came closer and saw all the blood, the scenario would change; I was injured. Would they blame Anthony? No, they couldn't. Stop thinking. Stop panicking. You're fine.

"Kimi?" Anthony unlocked my phone. The gentle pop of unread notifications filled the air. "That girl I saw you with that one time?"

Slowly, I nodded. Kimi and I weren't supposed to be seen in public, but as I always said, for her, I had time. And that day, all she wanted was a sandwich from the deli I hyped up every afternoon.

"The cute one, right?" he asked.

My hands struggled to form fists. If I could snap my head up, I would, but a growl sufficed.

Anthony crouched in front of me. "I didn't mean it like that," he said, then put the phone in my face. "I just saw her pic,' and I needed to be sure before I called the wrong chick. I don't know if there's some secret science society or something."

Following Anthony's finger, I saw Kimi's photo. It was one I snapped when walking into her office one day. I had been late, and her scowl was worth it. Slowly exhaling from my nose, I nodded.

"All right, cool." Anthony tapped the screen. The call started. Was it on speaker? "What do I tell her?" he asked.

"I errored out," I hissed. My ears rang louder than before, and I tried to shake it away. It didn't help. Tears burned in my eyes.

"Errored out? Okay." Anthony stood, and the world spun. I looked at his shoes, his untied laces. They were dirty, too, like his sweater. Anthony was one to leave the house with clean clothes. He always looked ready to save the day. And as night absorbed the sky, I was glad his day ended in front of me. If he hadn't found me, would I have kept walking?

"Hey, yo, Kimi? No, this isn't Gio. My name's Anthony. I don't know if you remember me—"

If the cops had found me, this would've been worse. I'd committed a crime earlier. The security cameras wouldn't have gotten me, but what about the streets? If the police wanted to find me, they could.

"No, Gio's right here. He ain't doing too hot. He's bleeding. Yeah, bad. He said he's errored out and—"

Thump.

My eyes snapped open. My heart struggled in my chest. I opened my mouth to scream as I clutched my shirt, but a sound didn't come. Nothing. Just breath.

Thump.

"Yeah, he—hey, hey, Gio!" Anthony dropped down and shook me. "Yo, what's happening? Huh? No, I don't know, he's holding his chest and—"

Thump.

I coughed. Blood spilled on the sidewalk. Anthony jumped back, gasping. "Shit! Hey, Kimi, I don't know what to do. Send someone. He's coughing up blood and—yeah! He is!"

Thump.

The world faded into black. Another car pulled up. Its running engine echoed before phasing out, too. I dipped forward. My head hit the concrete. A car door opened. Then shut. Shoes slid across the sidewalk, but I didn't hear anything else. Just silence. And darkness.

Thump.