A radio was in the back of the room, playing some soft music. It was accompanied by the soft beats of the ticking clock hanging above the door and Koichi’s head. Perfectly symmetrical, and directly in the center, Koichi was seated. In front of him was a balding man; his focus on a game of Candy Crush playing loudly from his computer, and not the young man sitting in front of him, waiting for an interview.
Koichi was dressed in a nice suit with slicked back hair. He wore glasses for style, in order to accentuate how intellectual he was. Not wanting to interrupt the man’s gripping game of Candy Crush, he took a quick peek at a crumpled piece of paper he had in his left pocket. It contained an outline of how to interact in a situation like this.
The clock kept ticking, on and on, for what felt like an eternity. Finally, the man sighed, signalling defeat from his game of sweets. Turning around, he glumly looked at Koichi, letting out a sigh.
“...Welcome to the first stage of your new life,” the man said in a monotone, uninterested manner. “My name is Mr. Kowalski. I am here to be the bridge, crossing the treacherous waters of mediocrity, into your brand new career, here at King Chicken.”
The man took out a clipboard and a pen, prepared to take notes and doodle some sketches on the side.
“I, for one, love my career at...King Chicken,” the man sighed. “And soon, you will too...now please, tell me why you think you’d be a great fit at one of our premiere restaurants.”
Koichi saluted in his seat with a smile.
“Yes! I am so excited to be here!”
“...Great.”
“I have...uh, always wanted to work at King Chicken! Ever since I was a little kid!”
“...Is that right.”
“And, uh...I have lots of experience with uh…”
“...With, ‘uh.’”
“...E-Er…”
Koichi took out his paper in a panic, scanning through his outline.
“...U-Uh, I have lots of experience with people, places, and things! And I love, x!”
“...What is x?”
“...I-I mean, and I love chicken!”
“...”
The man looked wholly uninterested, something even Koichi could tell. He knew he had to raise the man’s interests...but how? Koichi instinctively pointed to his heart -- the place where his badge usually rested.
“This is a badge! I am, a...uh...cadet!”
“...There’s no badge.”
He had forgotten. He had left it behind back at the blimp -- the location where Koichi helped facilitate a mass murder killing game. The deaths of nearly a dozen talented individuals, far more talented than he was. He gave up his badge, making a judgment to himself that he was no longer worthy. But that couldn’t stop his habit of believing he lived in the past.
“...E-Er…”
What would pique the interests of the others, Koichi thought. He needed to think of something quick. He needed something...flashy. Something that would give his interview a little kick. He really needed to go out with a bang. He couldn’t play it safely.
“T-This is a gun!” he said in a panic, whipping out his pistol and pointing it at the interviewer. “I-It is designed to withhold order!”
The interviewer raised his eyebrow, staring at the waving gun in front of him.
“...Why do I always get the wackos?” the interviewer sighed to himself. He took out a taser gun from underneath his desk, and shot it at Koichi who collapsed immediately. Ignoring him as he fell onto the ground, the interviewer took out his ‘REJECTED’ stamp and looked for his papers.
“...I am so sorry, but you are not a fit for King’s Chicken,” he said, out of necessity.
“Now where did I place his application..?” the interviewer wondered to himself. But there was no sign of it. The man must have lost it...but where? He needed it. It was the only thing in life that gave him joy -- the ability to transfer a heartbreaking dismissal onto the life of someone who so desperately needed a future. What middle aged man disenchanted with life wouldn’t love that? It was a power trip, all things considered.
Eventually, the man had a bright idea.
***
Waiting at the back of the building was another middle-aged man -- a troubled one, with grays splitting out of his scalp several moments too early. With a cigar in his mouth, he held a newspaper up with two hands, reading a story about the UJTS event. What really happened that day, it asked. Who was behind everything? Of course, the man knew the answers. They were explained to him by a cadet he picked up from the streets many years ago.
“...Piece of shit tabloids,” the man sighed, tossing his cigar and newspapers away.
He leaned against the brick wall, looking up at the sky. What was he going to do with Koichi..? After he went missing, there was no search. No sense of urgency from anyone else besides himself. He considered it sickening, but maybe it was his fault for creating a person that was so disdained back at the base.
His deep thoughts were interrupted by the whizzing of a metal door -- a tased young man with the word ‘REJECTED’ stamped onto his forehead with big red letters suddenly flew onto the ground, carried by the interviewer.
“...You’re rejected,” the interviewer sighed. He didn’t even acknowledge the man standing beside the door, as he went back to play more Candy Crush in his office.
After a brief pause, the man nudged Koichi with his foot.
“...You alive, soldier?”
“...I-I’m not sure,” Koichi responded after a while.
“...I’m guessin’ the interview didn’t go as planned. What with you being knocked out here on your ass.”
Koichi didn’t respond, sitting up, surrounded by a gaseous cloud of shame.
“...Do you think this will wash out, General Tachibana, sir?” Koichi asked, rubbing the ‘REJECTED’ stamp on his forehead. “I-I would not like this to remain on my head.”
“Sure, it’ll wash out,” Tachibana replied, carrying Koichi like a log. Koichi shamefully hung his head as Tachibana whisked him away to his 2019 Jaguar I-Pace. Sliding him through the open window to the passenger seat, he took out a list of paper, checking off different potential job opportunities for Koichi.
1) Stock Broker
“...Don’t know what I was thinking with that one,” Tachibana said as he scratched it out.
2) Bank Teller
“...Didn’t think you needed a degree just to count a fucker’s money.”
3) Factory Worker
“Was this the one where Koichi dropped a box of college textbooks on a cat by accident..?”
4) King’s Chicken
“...And this one didn’t go well.”
After a few moments, Tachibana entered the driver’s seat, and disappointingly passed his list over to Koichi.
“Congrats, kid. You’ve gone down from King’s Chicken to McDonalds. Your life is going places.”
Koichi took the list, a frown on his face. He looked at the list -- the only thing that wasn’t scratched out was the opportunity to become a fry-cook at their local McDonalds. It was a couple blocks from their grungy apartment, dead center in the middle of a ghetto neighborhood -- to say that there was an abundance of crime in the area was an understatement.
“...Well, okay,” Koichi sniffled, handing the list back to Tachibana. “McDonalds it is…”
“How in the hell did you screw up King’s Chicken..?” Tachibana grumbled as he turned the ignition. “It’s even greasier than Popeyes. Hell, KFC.”
“...I-I don’t know...I didn’t know what to say to the man interviewing me. Wonderful person, by the way. He was very attentive. I felt like he really appreciated me being there. I guess it just didn’t work out in the end...I’m sure there are better candidates than me.”
“They’ll hire a chimpanzee, kid,” Tachibana said, driving out of the parking lot.
Koichi tilted his head. “What would a chimpanzee do in a fried chicken store..? I would assume that would be quite the health hazard.”
Tachibana resisted the urge to point out that a chimpanzee would be a safer choice than Koichi in his current state, but was able to keep his comment down with the power of paternal love.
The drive back to their apartment was awkward and silent. Koichi didn’t talk much -- after the killing game, he wasn’t much of a talker. Tachibana took several worried glances at Koichi before turning the radio on.
“She’s a killer queen! Gunpowder, gelatin, dynamite with a laser beam!”
He switched stations in a panic, after Koichi visibly cringed at the lyrics.
“Psycho Killer! Qu’est-ce que cest! Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa better!”
He punched the radio once more, frustrated at the violent music. “R-Retro music should be fine…”
“It’s all your fault, it’s all your fault. You acted smart, you broke my heart, it’s all your fault!”
“Goddamn, shit radio…” Tachibana spat, turning the radio off. He glanced at Koichi, who was visibly trying not to react. His buried his face in the palm of his hand, his leg shaking.
Tachibana took one arm and nudged him in the soldier.
“C’mon, kid. What’s done is done.”
Koichi didn’t respond with words -- he just kept shaking his head.
“...You gotta stop blaming yourself for everything. You weren’t even the one to start that damned game. It was that chromosome-less girl. What was her name? Flabby?”
“P-Please stop saying that, sir,” Koichi responded softly.
“And I bet you’re blaming yourself for the death of that little girl, too. Except you didn’t trigger the explosion. There was nothing you could do. She didn’t die because of your failure, soldier, she died because of something that was out of our control.”
“E-Enough..!” Koichi cried.
“It wasn’t your fault, goddamn it!”
Koichi kicked the dashboard in frustration, prompting a violent reaction from Tachibana as he hurdled to a stop at a nearby gas station.
“Hey! Don’t kick the fuckin’ Jag!”
“D-Don’t call me a soldier anymore then,” Koichi cried. He punched his heart twice. “This badge is gone! I made a conscious decision to drop my title, because I am not deserving of it anymore..!”
“Oh, shut the *hell* up. No one likes a goddamn crybaby!” Tachibana snapped.
“...I-I’m not crying,” he pouted in response, wiping his eyes. “I-I’m just...I don’t know what to do with myself, sir...in the end, I couldn’t save anyone...I couldn’t get a job...heck, I couldn’t even take my own life..!”
“Wow, I’m so fuckin’ disappointed that you couldn’t kill yourself,” Tachibana sneered sarcastically. “You’re really getting on my nerves, soldier. I didn’t raise you to be this emo kid, blaming himself for everything.”
“I’m sorry, sir…I know I’m a disappointment…”
“Damn straight.”
Tachibana exited the car to get gas and a some cigarettes. Koichi just sat and waited in the blistering heat, observing the people around him. He tried to get a good sense of how people acted, seeing as Tachibana had been pushing him to become an active member of society. The way people drove up to the gas station, got out of the car; he tried to take notice of everything. As he waited in the car, one family struck his attention. There was a single mother, who went into the gas station to buy a can of Coke for her daughter. The daughter smiled brightly as she took a sip, as her mother gave her a pat on the head. Soon, Tachibana entered the car again, and they drove off.
“...Sir?” Koichi spoke a few moments later. “Why did you resign..?”
Tachibana didn’t face Koichi.
“...It wasn’t because of me, was it..? Because *I* decided to resign…”
Tachibana still didn’t respond.
“...You had such a wonderful career, sir. Why would you give it all up for someone like me..? There isn’t a thing in the world I can do.”
The two of them pulled up into their apartment complex and parked at the front. Tachibana turned around to Koichi and placed his hands on his shoulders.
“That’s not true,” Tachibana said. “That’s not true at all, soldier. I resigned for you because I know your future. It’s a bright, wonderful future. And I’m enlisting my trust in you.”
Koichi didn’t meet Tachibana’s eyes. He simply looked downwards, trying to hide his tears.
“You matter to people, soldier. Maybe not the dickheads back at the base, but you matter to someone out there.”
They didn’t speak again as the two of them left the car and headed back into the apartment. Tachibana left for his job at the supermarket as Koichi stayed home, laying in bed. He stared at the ceiling, images of his former friends spontaneously bursting in his head. He hoped those he betrayed were resting in peace, and those who managed to survive were well. These thoughts hung over his head as he drifted asleep for another restless night.
***
“...”
“...”
“...Koichi?”
“...”
“...Koichi!”
Koichi snapped awake at the booming voice of a true man. The man gave Koichi an aggressively rough pat on the back before rubbing his head.
“Wake up, soldier. We made it.”
He opened the car door and motioned for Koichi to exit. Groggily, he made his way out of the silver sedan, and was greeted by a grandiose display of shining lights, posh decor, and the hopeful faces of Ultimates who were ready to discuss their future. General Tachibana had taken Koichi privately in his modest sedan, while the rest of the cadets took the bus. They were assigned to protect and govern order during this UJTS event -- especially important because of the magnitude of the location.
“Heh. Look at ya...I remember your first UJTS meeting. You just got that badge right there.”
Koichi pointed to the badge on his heart. “It was that long ago?”
“Hell yeah. I put in a good word with the guys up top. And that badge didn’t hurt nothing. You’re a strong soldier; the fact that they even hesitated putting you into their program? Sort of pissed me off.”
Koichi responded with a powerfully optimistic salute. “And I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me, sir!”
“Well, we’re here to make sure nothing goes to shit. And nothing tends to go wrong with these meetings, but there’s some weird faces here. Ultimates and eccentricity...it’s like ketchup and fries. I’m damn hungry…”
“...Sir..?”
“E-Er, never mind that. The actual event doesn’t start for a good while later. Why don’t you take a look around while I brief the other soldiers?”
“Should I not be briefed as well..?”
“Well, you don’t really gotta be briefed with the rest of them. I’m entrusting you with something important, cause I know you can handle it. There’s a main reactor down here, you see. And it’s pretty fragile. This facility isn’t necessarily the hallmark of architecture…”
“W-Wait…”
“What?”
“You’re trusting me with the protection of the entire nuclear facility, sir..?”
“Well, yeah! You’ve done this kinda stuff before.”
“...T-The magnitude of this situation is quite high, sir…”
“Relax, son! Not like anything will happen. We’re just here guarding the inside. But the staff here are pretty good at screening who gets to come and who doesn’t, so not like some terrorist can waltz in here and plant bombs willy nilly anyways.”
“I don’t know...I would rather leave that honor to you, sir! You are certainly the most qualified!”
General Tachibana laughed a hearty laugh. “Yeah, but I gotta make sure the dickheads back at the bus don’t shoot a fuckin’ puppy or something.”
Koichi crossed his arms, hesitating at the task ahead of him. It was true that these events didn’t particularly have security issues...
“...Alright! Alright, I can handle it, sir! And I’m sure things will go smoothly! This day is a wonderful day, where the talented coalesce together and create hope!”
“That’s right, so don’t you let no one go down to the reactor who doesn’t belong there.”
“Yes, sir!”
With that, Koichi gave Tachibana a proud salute. He felt confident that he could do things right. With the guidance of Tachibana, he usually did. Tachibana led Koichi in different fights and crusades, and most of the time, the two of them emerged victorious. Their reputation was fierce and unmatched. A father-son mercenary duo, hardened by the military lifestyle. Yet, Tachibana was sure to raise Koichi with the right mind -- to respect others and their feelings. It was because of his guidance that Koichi didn’t turn out to be a mindless killing machine who lacked empathy.
He happily left the scene, exploring the nuclear reactor alone. The event was still getting set-up; staff were frantically setting up chairs and refreshments for the talented guests that would soon cascade them. One particular couple fought fiercely with each other, rambling on and on about how their failure to keep on schedule was each other’s fault.
“That must be what they call...a lover’s quarrel,” Koichi whispered to himself, making mental notes. He’s only human interactions were with his fierce comrades and the enemies he fought on the battlefield, and so whenever he had the privilege of attending an event like this, he always tried to absorb as much information as possible. If he was to ever protect the public, he must have the ability to understand them as well. He packed “lover’s quarrel” away in his mind bank of human cliches and stereotypes. It was one of several that he was able to acquire throughout his attendances.
Hmm...this would be an apt time to step in and provide some assistance! Koichi thought to himself. And so, he confidently walked over to the couple in question.
“Excuse me, do you need any help?” Koichi asked politely.
“Fuck off,” replied the man, in as aggressive as Koichi thought humanly possible.
“V-Very well,” Koichi yelped nervously, galloping away at a brisk pace.
Hm...they are quite on edge. Koichi thought to himself. They must take the time to relax after this…
He found himself wandering a bit far from the reactor, looking for something to do. It was a few moments before he actually had to go to his post, so there was a ripe opportunity for exploring. Unfortunately, it appeared that he wandered a bit too far -- Koichi couldn’t tell where the reactor was by looking behind him. But he managed to stumble upon a beautiful garden. The peaceful breeze beckoned Koichi inside. Somehow, Koichi had wandered into a field of dreams.
The roses and tulips bloomed together in perfect harmony. Bees fluttered through the air, birds observed the landscape from their nests outlooking the garden, and a summer breeze frisked away at Koichi.
“W-What a beautiful garden,” Koichi blushed, in awe at the magnificence of the scenery. He took a glance at a pocketwatch he had in his back pocket.
“Maybe I’ll just take a little nap,” he sighed to himself, lying down in a nearby patch of grass. The grass was moistened with remnants of a recent rainwater, cooling down Koichi and helping him go to sleep.
It was a wonderfully relaxing sleep. Until Koichi felt a force to his lower half -- pain that rivalled a bullet to the chest. Koichi, startled, looked up, trying to gauge the pain that was being transmitted onto him. Much to his horror, there was a little girl in a floral dress kicking him in the balls.
“You. Are. In. My. Spot!” the girl spat at Koichi, kicking him even harder and at a more rapid pace. Her foot nearly caught on fire with the tremendous speed at which she was flinging her foot into his genitals.
“W-W-What?!” Koichi stammered as he realized the magnitude of the situation.
“I said..! You are in my spot!!”
“S-S-S-Stop that at once!!” Koichi yelped, gently brushing the girl aside before retreating in a bed of roses. “T-That is a sensitive area!”
“Yeah?! Well you were in my spot! I was tryna get you to move for like, two minutes!! And get out of those flowers! Those are my flowers!”
Koichi rolled out of the roses, fearful over the potential fate of his crowned jewels. It took him a near century to realize that there was a little girl standing in front of him in the middle of nowhere. Her long, straight hair blew in the wind, contrasting her extremely irritated face and body language.
“How did ya even find this place?!” she yelped. “This place was supposed to be my secret!!”
“S-Sorry,” Koichi said gently, getting up into a crouch. “I’m attending the UJTS event, and I just found my way here...”
“Yeah, right!!”
He tilted his head. “Do you think I am lying?”
“Pssh! Yeah!! Only the super talented get to go to the UJTS event! And you look like a pig-faced, pig-brained, smelly, dirty, loser!”
Koichi recoiled at the ferocity of her insults. He was getting roasted by a little girl.
“B-But it’s true!” Koichi said nervously, getting back into his crouching position. “I am Koichi Tachibana! Raised under the guidance and tutelage of General Tachibana! The Ultimate Cadet, reporting for duty!”
He rose up and saluted the little girl, hoping to impress her.
“.....Laaaaame,” she said, picking her nose. She flung her booger at Koichi, causing him to recoil and jump backwards.
“W-What?! T-Then..! Uh..! How about this?”
Koichi did a marching routine that Tachibana would have him and his cadets do at certain events.
“...Stupiiiiiid,” she said, flinging another booger at Koichi.
“Y-You have no respect!” Koichi cried sadly. “F-Fine! Here! Take a look at this!”
Koichi pointed proudly to the badge pinned by his heart.
“This is a symbol of my honor! Only General Tachibana can bestow these medals of honor to me and my comrades! And I have worked my entire life to receive one of these! It is my greatest pride and joy, and a sign that I am ready to put my life on the line for the safety of people!”
“Meh...Well, I like that it’s shiny,” the little girl nodded. “I like shiny things. Like gold bars!”
“G-Gold bars..?”
“Yeah! Cuz that’s what all the rich people have. Lots of gold. And I wanna be rich! Rich, rich, rich!”
“A little high maintenance, I suppose,” Koichi whispered to himself. “So, uh...you would like to be wealthy?”
“Duh?! Who wouldn’t! I wanna be rich! And have a really good job, too!”
“...What would you do with all that cash, little girl?”
“Hmm...maybe....I’d just buy a lot of roses!”
“Roses..?”
“Yeah! Cause I love roses! I think one day, a big handsome prince will come sweep me off my feet! It’s so romantic! It’s what happens in all of the movies!”
Koichi smiled, kneeling in front of the little girl. He had never interacted with a child before, but he knew that as a soldier, he had to be a role model for children everywhere. He pointed at his badge and nudged towards her.
“You can look at it if you’d like.”
The girl stared at Koichi cautiously, before creeping over and rubbing the badge on his heart. “Ooooh...it feels nice! And it looks super cool..!”
“That’s cause I’m a soldier!” Koichi exclaimed, flexing one arm. “My job is to protect people like you!”
“...Hmm, I don’t know,” the little girl replied, scrunching her face, as if she were studying him. “You still look like a loser to me. Your face is stupid.”
“A-Ahahaha…”
He put up a fake smile, but deep in his mind, he was crying up a typhoon of despair.
“Well, there are bound to be some lame Ultimates. At least the lame ones are probably the nice ones!”
“...Y-Yes, I hope I am not mean…”
She nodded and smiled. “I just had to be sure!! Not just anyone can call themselves an Ultimate. Only the greatest, most talented people in the *world* can do that. And you don’t look like you fit the bill, mister!”
“...I swear I am a soldier,” Koichi cried.
“Meh. Well, anyways, my mommy always says not to judge a book by its cover. And I was judging you by your stupid, underwhelming cover! Sorry!” The little girl bowed in an attempted apology.
“...S-Sure, that’s alright,” he replied, tearing up still.
“So you’re really an ultimate!” the girl said in a sudden bout of admiration. “I wanted to meet like, a cool Ultimate or whatever, but you’ll have to do..! So amazing..!”
These backhanded compliments were better than nothing for Koichi, who responded with an overconfident smile and salute.
“Yes! I am the Ultimate Cadet! You could say I am the best at what I do!”
The little girl rambunctiously ran circles around Koichi, studying his body mass, attire, facial features, and props. At one point, she saw Koichi’s handgun, to which she nearly shot Koichi in the face. But that situation was avoided, luckily.
“Okay, okay! So like, you’re like one of those guy who fight?”
“We have established that, yes.”
“And so you like, protect people and go to wars?! That’s soo cool!”
“Indeed! I love what I do.”
“I wanna be an Ultimate when I grow up..! I go to this event every year! And I’ve always wanted to meet an Ultimate up close, b-but I was always too shy…”
Somehow, Koichi doubted that she was too shy…
“W-Well, uh, sorry that the first Ultimate you meet was just an underwhelming guy like me, heh.”
“That’s okay. Like my mommy always said, other kids like are starving in Africa. You gotta take what you can get!”
“...Y-Yeah…”
She began to frolic in the flowers and hum nursery rhymes as Koichi watched over her. For a while, they talked about inconsequential things. Those conversations typically ended with the little girl roasting Koichi to a temporary state of depression, but they were pleasant conversations nevertheless.
“My parents aren’t Ultimates,” the little girl said suddenly. “It’s okay that they aren’t. But they just work for the UJTS. They set up the events and stuff.”
“Well, they are always a great help,” Koichi affirmed.
“I know,” the girl nodded. “But they don’t get paid much, so they can’t afford babysitters, so they have to take me to these things. I don’t mind, cuz I love these things, and I’d wanna come anyway, you know? But mommy and daddy are always fighting over me…”
“I am certain they are not fighting because of you,” Koichi comforted, patting the little girl on the head.
“Well, what else would they be fighting about..?”
“T-That is...I am certain it must be something else…”
“...I don’t know.”
The little girl turned away, disappointed in the lack of response.
“...I think I’m gonna head back now,” the little girl said. “My parents told me I had to go back and meet with them before the event starts.
Startled, Koichi whipped out his watch before hurrying away from the garden with the girl.
“A-Ah, it is about time that I make my way back as well.”
With that, the two of them began to jog back to the base together. Seeing as the girl knew her way around the garden and what not, he relied on her to guide him back to the reactor.
“Y-You know,” the girl panted, running out of breath. “T-The other kids at school make fun of me...c-cuz I wanna be an Ultimate. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“O-Of course not! Y-You seem like a very bright girl!”
“...I don’t know. T-They always call me stupid. And my parents are like that to each other to. They’re always calling each other names and stuff. Is that just how people treat each other?”
Koichi couldn’t answer that question again with a satisfactory response. “...I-I don’t know how people treat each other.”
Disappointed again, the little girl faced forward and didn’t speak to Koichi again until they reached the reactor.
***
Koichi had woken up the next morning in a daze. He didn’t sleep much, nervous for his interview at McDonalds tomorrow. Obviously, he knew that a job there wasn’t one of much prestige, but he believed it could be a start of a new future. Someway, somehow. He had considered his other options, and they weren’t that appealing. He even wanted to return to his military work at one point, but Tachibana had refused. Koichi wasn’t in the proper state of mind for that.
Their grungy, ghetto apartment that Tachibana was renting out came with a decent coffee maker, at the very least. He walked over to the machine. An old, wrapped brownie was kept in a jar next to it. Koichi took a moment to stare at the jar, cringing a bit as he looked at his former friend’s memento. After shaking it off, he went on with his morning. Koichi would wake up every day and make a cup of coffee, placing it next to Tachibana who would sleep on a sofa they managed to fish out of the dump. Then Koichi would head off into the neighborhood, do some errands, and hopefully find a job. Yesterday was Tachibana’s only day off, which was spent on an unsuccessful job hunt with Koichi.
After heading outside, he saw the McDonalds waiting for him. In the middle of a run-down shopping center was the flashing yellow arc that signalled joy to millions of workaholics or obese folk around the world. Taking a deep breath, Koichi walked over. Dressed in his same job hunting uniform -- slicked back hair, fake prescriptionless glasses, he confidently entered the restaurant.
The restaurant was surprisingly mellow. For some reason, he could hear cries throughout the seats, and people’s heads were pressed against the greasy tables. He was confused on why they were crying -- he had heard the food was bad, but it couldn’t be *that* awful. He shrugged, and headed to the front of the counter, cutting in line.
“Hey! Buddy?! What do you think you’re doing?” yelled the man behind him. Koichi turned around and saw a man wearing a black mask and cheap dollar store sunglasses. He was pointing a gun and waving it at Koichi. “Well?!”
Koichi tilted his head, staring at the gun. The safety was still on.
“...Sir? I don’t think you can use guns at McDonalds,” Koichi said. He turned back to the counter, asking the frightened woman behind the cash register for the manager. “Excuse me? May I speak to the manager here? I’d like to get a job.”
The man tapped his shoulder. As Koichi turned around, the man whacked him across the face.
“...Fuck you!” the man screamed, not liking Koichi’ ignorance. He waved his gun around some more. “You wanna get shot, you punk?!”
Koichi rubbed his head in pain, as he took the sunglasses and mask off of the man’s face. He understood the situation now, but he wasn’t worried. The gun wouldn’t fire. He decided it’d be a funny time to reveal the man behind the mask.
“...Mr. Aster?” Koichi had recognized the man underneath the mask. It was his landlord.
Aster pulled the trigger on his gun, but the gun didn’t fire. Koichi kicked him across the face, a nicely formed roundhouse kick, knocking the gun from his hand. He picked up the gun, and placed it in his pocket.
“S-Someone call the police!” someone cried from behind the counter. “We’re saved!!”
Koichi ignored them and picked up Aster’s head by his hair.
“What are you doing, Mr. Aster..? This is no way to start the morning.”
Aster spat at Koichi’s face, prompting a punch to the face.
“...All these innocent people just want to eat their breakfast in the morning. And it’s a beautiful day...look at you, spending it like this.”
“H-Hello?! Police? There’s a robber, threatening everyone with a gun..!”
Koichi took Mr. Aster and forced him to an open booth, watching his movements with his gun. There was a brief moment of awkward silence, before Tachibana suddenly came in, looking dazed and confused. Tachibana turned around to see Koichi waving a gun at Aster.
“Koichi..? Not again..! Why are you holding a gun to a random fella again?”
“Oh, but this isn’t a stranger, sir. Also, he was robbing this McDonalds. Threatening these poor people with this gun in my hand.”
“...Is that so?” Tachibana asked, turning around and seeing the panicked clientele nod their heads.
“...True shit? Huh. I just came in here for a coffee. I accidentally spilled the batch you made this morning.”
“Oh, I see. Well, since the robber is now under control, there should be no harm in getting a coffee.”
Tachibana shrugged. The two failed to realize that the entire restaurant was staring at them. Koichi had been dealing with the criminal, while Tachibana was shirtless, not realizing he had forgot to put a shirt on. The intimidating tattoos and slicked back haircut almost made him seem like a gangster. Like a criminal himself.
“...One coffee please,” Tachibana asked with a straight face to the lady, still shaking with fear.
“A-Are you nuts?!” she screamed back.
“...What?”
“T-There’s a robbery!”
“...Yeah? Not anymore. My boy over there got it under control.”
“W-Well..! There’s still a man over there with a gun!!”
“Yeah. Pointed at that robber.”
“...B-But..!”
“...C’mon. The robbery is under control. The police is on their way. What’s the problem..?”
The lady didn’t move, still shivering.
“Hey, are you gonna get me a coffee, or what? I need my caffeine. Or my entire day gets ruined, and then I get pissed.”
The frustrated lady motioned at the other staff to make a cup of coffee. Meanwhile, Tachibana had already gone to help Koichi withhold Aster from escape.
“...Hey, this guy is our landlord,” Tachibana observed, walking over to the pair. “The fuck are you doing robbing a McDonalds? There’s a bank right down the street.”
“Perhaps he thought this McDonalds would be an easier target,” Koichi observed. “Regardless, I was surprised as well. I had taken off his mask and sunglasses over there, and to my surprise! There was Mr. Aster.”
“Yeah? That’s some Scooby Doo shit,” Tachibana laughed.
“C-Coffee is ready, sir,” called out one of the staff members. Tachibana casually got the cup of coffee, took a sip, and walked back over to Mr. Aster.
“...Do we just wait now?” Koichi asked Tachibana. “It’ll be awhile until the police come.”
“Maybe we should interrogate him,” Tachibana said, taking a sip from his coffee. “...Blech. This is disgusting.”
He set the coffee aside and tapped Aster on the cheek a few times. “Just a little reminder of the past. Remember? Our good cop, bad cop routine?”
“I-I never enjoyed interrogating the enemy,” Koichi shuddered. “It was a bit inhumane.”
“And that’s why you were good cop.”
Tachibana opened the lid from his freshly brewed coffee, and poured a little bit over Aster’s head. He screamed in pain as the boiling hot coffee trickled down his face. Tachibana took another sip and placed his foot on Aster’s crotch.
“So like I asked. Why are you robbing this McDonalds here?”
“...S-Shut up!” Aster cried back. “I’m not telling you guys shit..!”
“Let me try sir,” Koichi said, patting Aster on the head. “Will you please tell us why you are robbing this place? Many people here are just trying to enjoy a nice breakfast.”
“...W-What?! You expect me to tell you my motives after that?! Go fuck your mother!!”
Koichi took a brief pause, and whispered to Tachibana. “Good cop rarely worked, sir.”
“Yeah. It’s why I love bad cop so much.” Tachibana stomped roughly on Aster’s crotch, eliciting a loud scream of pain. He moved his foot back and forth, making sure to properly pressure the parts that hurt the most.
Aster recoiled in pain, before burying his face on the table. “J-Just leave me alone..! I can’t get none of my goddamn tenants to pay rent...my wife left me...I was nearing foreclosure! The fuck was I supposed to do..?”
“Not rob a bank,” Tachibana replied, twisting his balls some more. “...This guy ain’t too much fun after all.”
Koichi looked at Aster in his pathetic state, studying him carefully. Tachibana focused in at Koichi’s face perplexingly, interrupted by the shrill cry of one of the customers.
“T-The cops are here!” cried out one lady.
Koichi and Tachibana whipped their heads over to the glass doors -- men in blue police suits came running in, hurtling towards their location.
“The police are here!” said Koichi in excitement.
Suddenly, Koichi and Tachibana were in cuffs and being taking to the police cruiser parked outside.
“W-What..?”
“Hey!” Tachibana snapped. “We’re not the one who tried to rob this place!”
The police guard tilted his head in confusion. “But he’s the one holding the gun. And you got those...those tattoos.”
“...He has a good point, sir,” Koichi replied.
“T-Tell them!” Tachibana snapped at the witnesses. Immediately, the witnesses all pointed to the booth where Aster was. Aster’s head was still face down on the table, unable to move. The cops also took a look at the security footage, showing Koichi taking the robber down and saving the restaurant.
A few moments later, Koichi was released from his cuffs, where he wandered slowly to Tachibana, rubbing his shoulder. Aster was taken away in a fit, struggling and trying to break free, crying as he was taken.
“Err, sorry about that,” one of the cops said as he entered the cop car. “Good on ya for helping these folks. We’re gonna need you to issue a statement, however, so stay right there. Someone else will come in and bring you over to the station.”
Tachibana nodded, and waved as the car drove away. There were a few awkward moments of silence, most likely the natural response following a failed robbery attempt. Yet, Tachibana still felt proud, and even somewhat excited at Koichi’s successful infiltration.
Tachibana stared at Koichi, as he seemed taken aback at the situation.
“Good work, soldier,” Tachibana smiled, trying to comfort him. “I knew you still had it in ya.”
Koichi didn’t reply. His face was still a bit solemn.
“...What’s the matter, kiddo?” Tachibana asked, rubbing his head. “Didn’t you just save all these people?”
He faced away in response.
“...I wonder why Aster felt the need to rob this place…” Koichi sighed, ignoring Tachibana somewhat. “There are many of us in that apartment, living life as best we can, and he could not handle it…”
Koichi rubbed his shoulder again, leaning his head against Tachibana.
“I just don’t understand people, I suppose.”
Tachibana held Koichi close, patting his back.
“You’re just like Aster, you know that..?”
“W-What..? I’m nothing like him…”
“Put in a shitty situation, and after awhile, you just snap. I wonder if Aster would have done anything if he had more than those shitty cats of his.”
“...”
“...When I found out you tried to off yourself, I was furious, you know that? That’s not the person I raised. I raised you to be strong and courageous. And to put others before you. Didn’t you do that..? You believed there was a force out there, who was a danger to more and more people. Maybe you were wrong, but your heart was still with the world. So why would you give up..? I kept wondering to myself. But then again, I don’t have the weight of what you did on my shoulders. Thinking back, I guess I couldn’t imagine having to carry all of that. Maybe you even had to carry that alone.”
Koichi quivered a bit, but stood still and listened.
“You think you don’t deserve this ending. You think you deserve punishment -- but you’ve punished yourself enough already. I still believe in your ability to help people, soldier. I believe in you.”
Koichi buried his face in Tachibana’s arms. He looked like a little kid as he sniffled softly under Tachibana’s smile.
“Don’t carry it alone, kid. You just gotta find someone to share your grief with. And I’m here for ya.”
Of course, Koichi’s act was insignificant in the grand scheme of where he was from. There were dozens of crimes a day. There were bound to be a few heroes birthed from the depths of those evils. Koichi was just another brave man in the cog of other, unspecial, friendly neighborhood vigilantes. He received momentary praise, but it was fleeting.
And later, the day turned to night. And night turned to day. And the days kept passing, the seasons came and went, and time didn’t stop. Koichi didn’t get the job -- it didn’t really make sense to anyone. But Koichi was a little different after that day; he was a little more introspective, according to Tachibana. He thought maybe he was on his way to rise up once more -- away from the bottom of the barrel that was so dreadfully crippling.
***
“H-Hurry..!”
“S-Slow down..! I-I’m sure it’s nothing!”
The sirens were blaring and creating an event wide panic. Screams filled the air as people rushed away from the reactor, away from the booming explosions that could be heard just moments away. The scene was horrifying -- what happened..? Did this mystery man do something to the reactor..? Before Koichi could get a better look at his face, the man went running.
“We must evacuate these people immediately!” yelled the man. “You understand, don’t you soldier?! Get moving!”
Koichi didn’t have time to question the situation. All Koichi could do was run to try and find his squad. He needed the guidance of General Tachibana, or what could he do? Going against his orders and evacuating without consent may go against the face of procedure. Running to the auditorium, he saw Ortwin Young panicking, yet trying to control chaos on the stage. But no one was having it. People were horrified, and cries pierced the air. Thankfully, no one in this area seemed to be hurt, but he knew that somewhere out there, people were suffering.
He looked around. The auditorium seemed to be filled with other, confused Ultimates who were attending the event. But where was everyone else..? Where was the staff?
“...T-This is bad…” he panted to himself. It was a miracle that the damage wasn’t worse than it was. Koichi ran out of the auditorium, sprinting towards the blast radius.
He wasn’t sure who would be inside it, or what he would find when he got there. An explosion combined with a nuclear meltdown could lead to disastrous results, however, and he didn’t have the time to wait for Tachibana to tell him what to do. He blasted himself towards the explosion, going to save whoever he could save. And what he saw was a nightmare.
Bodies littered the ground. It was a field of ambiguously deceased -- many were getting up, to the point where they seemed to be alive, thankfully. But the unmoving ones stayed unmoving, and soft cries filtered their way across the room. One trio was found lying in the middle of the ground -- a couple who had their arms wrapped around a little girl, missing a leg. There was no doubt about the fate of the couple surrounding the little girl, but there was no telling what would happen if Koichi didn’t save her.
He sprinted towards the center, trying to get the girl free from her parents clutches. She sobbed softly, while the others were too preoccupied with their own recovery to watch. Eventually, Koichi managed to break the girl free from the clutches of her parents. Her eyes were open and in shock -- he quickly propped her onto his back, and faced her away from the horrific sight.
Koichi didn’t pay attention to the gory details.
He just took off and ran.
The landscape was remarkably normal for a nuclear meltdown, following a bombastic display of explosions. Even amongst the raining screams and retreats of the people around him, Koichi was running. Running as fast as he could, unknowingly hurdling the little girl into the sun. Unknowingly futile and unknowingly tragic.
“A-Are you the Ultimate Cadet..?” the little girl breathed softly behind his back.
“D-Don’t worry about a thing!” Koichi cried nervously and helplessly behind him. He adjusted the girl on his back once before continuing his sprint. “Everything will be okay! We’ll get you help!”
“...”
“S-So cool,” she sighed weakly behind Koichi. “Y-You’re pretty cool after all…finding me in a place like that…”
“Y-Yeah, and once you get help, you’ll be an Ultimate too, right? W-What kind of Ultimate do you wanna be?”
“...Mmm. Maybe the Ultimate Gardener...I love roses…”
“T-That’s great! Really!”
“...”
“...”
“...H-Hey, where are my parents..? Are they okay..?”
Koichi didn’t have the heart to respond back. He couldn’t answer her questions. And for the entire time, the girl didn’t say another word.
The sprint towards General Tachibana was long and arduous. He didn’t have time to look back, all he could do was run.
But before he could find Tachibana, he could no longer feel the breeze of a weakened breath on his neck. He didn’t want to realize what had happened. He just kept running until he could find someone else who could confirm the dark truth he had encountered for him.
***
Months later, Tachibana was once again woken by the familiar scent of coffee left by Koichi as he went throughout his day. He sat up from his seat groggily, before walking over to get his morning drink. To his surprise, there was a note attached to the machine.
“Dear General Tachibana,” he read out loud to himself. “Ever since that day, I kept thinking about what you said...how I was like Aster. I realized that Aster must have been in a terrible situation, and lashed out in a terrible way. He tried to rob a local McDonalds, and I tried to rob myself of my life. Not just my life. Lives. That day at the reactor...I couldn’t save her. That was something I failed to do, and in response, I did something so utterly foolish. Yet, even as I realized that, I didn’t want to believe that I was in any way like that man who desired to vent by hurting others. I thought it was selfish of him.”
Tachibana nervously ripped the note off of the machine, and began jogging towards the door.
“But then, would my suicide solve anything either..? Wouldn’t I have hurt the ones I met at the killing game? I cannot say for sure...How would I know what they thought of me after we parted ways? And others I have grown fond of no longer exist. But I still would have hurt the man who raised me.”
He jumped into his car, and turned the ignition.
“I still have much to learn. But I know I still want to help people. With the burden of those I have hurt, I shall use that experience and carry on. I will be stronger than ever. There is some learning I must do by myself, of course. And so, I will see you again when the time is right.”
Tachibana put his foot on the pedal, but didn’t move. He held the note with shaky hands, before laughing and shoving it into his dashboard.
“Seriously, Koichi...Son of a bitch. Leaving me after I retired for him like that.”
Taking out a cigarette, he puffed a smoke into the air, staring at the sky through his sunroof. The smog filled the air as the memories he had with Koichi played through his head, over and over again. The image of his little soldier.
“Well, whatever the case... Best of luck, soldier. Go on and find your way.”
As Tachibana sat alone in his car, somewhere in the distance was a cloaked man, concealing his face with a hood and mask. He trekked up a path onto a hill, and at the top was a beautiful view of a city in a flawed world. He took his mask off, and smiled excitedly.
He had remembered the people he betrayed. What were they up to..? He really wanted to know. Maybe someday, he would face the redemption he wanted and work up the courage he needed to face them again. At the very least, he decided that those who deserved his apologies the most would have to wait. He wanted to enjoy a long life.
A lone rose glistened against the sunset as Koichi headed towards the city -- the start of a new life.