Just the Beginning

Aftermath

Hiva fell forward and stumbled as she looked over what was probably the only empty street. She wobbled as she walked until something caught her eye, and she stopped.

She walked backward to look at the reflection that wasn't hers. "Not now," she grumbled as she walked forward and away from the shop's window. Ayame's voice followed her anyway.

"You are such an attention whore." Hiva covered her ears like it would do anything. "Embarrassing your poor uncle like that. For what? Another news special? Another front-page story?"

"I had to help him," Hiva defended.

"Did you?" Ayame asked. "I thought you were just trying to prove yourself again. Everyone has to know what you can do. Why must you always show off?"

Hiva stopped at the next shop window and braced herself with her hands against the cool glass as she stared into Ayame's eyes.

"Just like mommy taught you. Be the best in every room and make sure they know it."

"Shut up."

"No matter what you do, what you change," Ayame disappeared to show Hiva her reflection, and she backed away from it in shock, "you're still my daughter." Hiva pulled her hair out from behind her shoulders, looking at the now black strand curiously and then back into her own green eyes, not knowing if the woman giggling in her head was toying with her.

Hiva backed further away from the window, missing the curb and falling into the street, stumbling over herself again. There was a loud honk, and then Hiva suddenly rolled over a car's hood. The breaks screeched, and she rolled the other way, falling to the pavement. The door opened, and a panicked, tearful man got out.

"Shit.... Shit! Are you okay?" He ran up to her, trying to stop her from standing as he looked her over. "I'm sorry. I should've been paying attention. I'm trying to get to- Are you Hiva?"

"Yeah...?" She looked him over and stood anyway. "You're Hajime's dad." He didn't recognize her, so she guessed her appearance really had changed. "What are you- You're going to the hospital." Where else could he be going? She'd seen Hajime. He'd, of course, be on the way to see his son.

Saying where he was going seemed to bring heavier tears, and Hiva worried about the worst. "What's happened? How is he?"

"Hajime, they said, is fine, but Bashira, she's...." He couldn't even finish his sentence, and Hiva's heart dropped. "He can't be alone when she-" Again, he couldn't finish.

"I can get you there," Hiva told him. "Get in your car. I can get you through the traffic." She pushed him towards the vehicle. "Go, go. Move."

"Thank you," he said as she shut his door for him. She jumped to the hood, then the roof of the car. Her eyes faded to black, and matching black smoke wrapped around the vehicle. It rose from the air and flew over the buildings and traffic below. She looked down when they slowed over the hospital and let the car fall gently into a spot.

Hiva slid off the roof and grabbed him the second he opened his door, placing a hand behind his neck and head and running to the doors. The speed of it brought a sick expression to his face.

"You okay?" She asked, steadying him and leading him through the automatic doors. He nodded, and when he got his footing, he ran to the desk. Hiva fell back when he ran off down the hall. She wouldn't follow. It would be rude and an overstep.

"Hiva!" Never mind. If he was calling for her to catch up, there was no way she was intruding. She quickly caught up to him and followed him to the room.

She froze in the doorway. It was like another world in there. It was quiet, dark, and empty, much different from the loud, bustling halls behind her. From here, Hiva tried to guess what had happened. It didn't look good. Through the ringing of her ears, she thought she heard someone say Bashira had been crushed under the debris. Hajime had been incredibly lucky where he was a few doors down.