Chapter 7: Setting The Stage For No RE:Turn-WAR Beyond The Horizon. Part 8

Part 8

Time: 11:37 a.m.

Location: Roberto Clemente Plaza

Third Ave., East 149th Street, Bronx, NEO New York City

Cars and buses were passing by on the road.

The hub.

The oldest shopping locale in the Bronx, which now stands as a major and popular commercial center for retail stores,

A smaller version of Time Square.

A place where four roads converge: Wills, Melrose, East 149th Street, and Third Avenues Where two train lines and nine bus lines ran through this area.

The streets were filled with crowds walking through and street vendors.

"Ooooooooooohhhh"

The voice came from Aoi as she had her face and hands pressed against a street cart window, looking inside.

"There are red, blue, green, orange, and white flavors"

Right now, Aoi was staring at the flavors inside an icee cart with drool coming out of her mouth as she was amazed by what she saw.

"Um, is she alright?" the cart handler said, turning his head to the other young female, Alexis.

The girl was carrying several bags in her hands.

Alexis lightly smiled before speaking.

"Please forgive her; it is her first time trying this treat"

"There are so many combinations to choose from" Aoi said as she moved around the cart.

Aoi turned her head toward Alexis.

"All" Aoi blurted out, drool coming from the side of her mouth "I want them all"

With Alexis paying for the ice, the two made their way to a nearby bench next to a black fountain, which, when the water was not flowing, became a stage for performers. Sitting in the shade of nearby trees, Alexis and Aoi began to relax.

Alexis looked at the girl as she was humming, holding a spoon and an icee cup in her hands.

The girl sitting beside her.

Ad quod obtinendum scientia Universo. (To obtain knowledge of the universe)

The city's motto

For that very same reason, the city sought to use every resource in the world, mainly through the use of science and magic to reach that goal.

The girl from another world-definite proof of life to a world beyond her own.

And yet-

The young mage could not shake one thought.

Aoi, the girl that was sitting beside her, occupied in her own world, was by all definition an alien—something foreign to this world—with a power far greater than anything both magic and science can create. She thought that the city would make a more assertive effort on their part regarding her since she was everything the city was searching for, though if one were to look at her, one would not guess.

To the outside world, Aoi was nothing more than a normal girl.

She did not believe that the city would hold her up in a cell or harvest her body and organs, but right now Aoi was being treated by the city no different than any other citizen. She, and by extension, Reiko, received an allowance from the city to cover her living expenses.

(It is completely odd; everything is normal for her) Alexis thought as she stared at the girl who was mixing two flavors in her cup.

She knew the city believed that there was a larger universe outside of her own and that the powers that existed in the world were nothing but stepping towards that goal. She expected a huge celebration in this discovery of life beyond, but-

Nothing

This was the biggest discovery in history but-

(If she isn't what the city is looking for towards its goal, then what is?)

As she pondered that thought, her phone vibrated in her skirt pocket.

Taking her phone out, she looked at the screen to see a message pop up alerting her that her order was ready to be picked up at a nearby store.

Alexis looked up at the store they were sitting across from. She stood up and patted her skirt, with Aoi's eyes following her movement.

"Alright, the last item on my list is ready to be picked up"

Aoi did not reply, as she had a plastic spoon in her mouth.

Alexis looked at the girl.

"You're still eating" Alexis sighed. "Alright, alright, there are not going to let you inside eating, so can you stay here and watch the begs as I quickly run inside?"

Aoi closed her eyes and nodded her head.

With that statement, Alexis made her way to the store, leaving the Crystal Guardian behind.

As Aoi sat there, she took another bite out of the icce.

She began to look at the people around her.

Something was off about this city and some of the population that resided here.

Although she had been on this planet for what was like sixty years, this city was unlike anywhere else on the planet.

(Some of the people here)

To her eyes, some people had a shimmer-like aura around their bodies, something they were not aware of.

(That faint shimmer around them)

Aoi took the spoon out of her mouth.

(Even though mortals can't use energy, that shimmer effect is almost reminiscent of energy but-)

Aoi put the spoon in her mouth.

(Its shape and density are almost similar to aura)

Aoi sat there on the bench, twiddling the spoon in her mouth.

Several pigeons landed on the floor as several small pieces of bread were thrown by someone passing by. Through various shades of gray and white, something caught Aoi's attention.

She watched as the birds began picking at the bread.

One of the pigeons was not like the others, as it was all black in appearance from its head to its feet, but that was not what brought her attention to the bird.

It's bright red eyes were staring daggers at her.

As the other pigeons were preoccupied with the bread, this one bird's gaze never left her.

"Do not react" A deep male voice spoke out, its voice echoing from the bird body.

Aoi looked on.

"Do not make any sudden moves; just listen. If you don't want anything to happen to yourself or the other Crystal Guardian, then you will do what I say"

 ___________________________________________________________________

After standing in line for a while, Alexis was finally able to walk up to the pick-up counter identification card and and the barcode off her phone in hand.

"Hello, here for a pick-up," a female employee said.

"Yes," Alexis replied.

"Alright, I just need your I.D. and your order barcode"

Alexis handed her both items.

The employee took both items, scanning the barcode, and then looked at the ID card.

After a few seconds she spoke.

"Give me a second, and I'll bring you your order " the female employee said, handing her items back to the young girl before turning around to a sliding wall behind her. Sliding the wall to the right revealed several brown baskets with several boxes of various sizes inside.

She dragged her index finger across several of the baskets before stopping at one.

She grabbed the box out of the basket and placed it on the counter. She then scanned the barcode on the box.

"Alright, with this, you are good to go"

"Oh my god, thank you" Alexis then picked up the box and headed toward the entrance of the store to exit.

The sun's rays felt irritating to the touch on her skin as she left the store for the outside world.

She made her way to the area that herself and Aoi were sitting in—only that she or the bags Aoi was tasked with looking after were not there on the bench.

Aoi was not her.

A million thoughts ran through her head, but-

Whatever the reason, she was not here at the moment.

Alexis began looking around the area.

She turned her gaze back to the bench where she was sitting, and her eyes narrowed as she saw small water droplets rise up into the air behind the bench in the grass.

Placing the box on the bench, Alexis slowly peeked over the wooden seat and saw her bags, which were now surrounded by an orb of water.

"What the…."

From what she can tell and what she has seen of Aoi prior, she knew that this was Aoi's power.

Alexis slowly moved her hand towards the orb.

Her index and middle fingers felt too cold and wet as she touched the orb. She grunted as she continued pushing her hand inside.

As her hand got closer to the bags inside, she felt nothing.

Neither cold nor wet.

(Wow, everything is dry inside) Alexis thought as she felt around the bags. (If the bags are here, then where is Aoi?)