Chapter 43: Letters

"The outside world, it feels like it has been years since I last laid upon its beautiful infrastructure."

"Polluted is what it is. And stop being so dramatic, we've only been gone for like a month. And can you please stop waving!? We can't even see the outside anymore!"

"Never."

The buses of the Academy were now nearing Toronto, and it would seem that a number of the population were aware of their exercise, as there were parts of the road where some civilians were waiting for them from the sidewalks, either taking videos and photos of them or just waving and wanting to see them.

They have been traveling for more than 6 hours now, so most of the students that were previously all hyped up in excitement were either asleep or just quietly talking with their peers. There were a few, however, who still seemed to have all the energy in the world; with one of them being Gary. But an hour after they passed the border, the glass window suddenly dimmed, completely blocking their view of the outside.

Gary wanted to open one of the windows to wave to the people, except they couldn't be opened as they were securely embedded on the walls.

"Man, if only phones are allowed in the Academy. This would have been nice to vlog," Gary then let out a sigh as there were no more people to wave to.

"A vlog?" Silvie then joined in on the conversation as she slightly leaned forward to look at Gary, "That's like a video diary, right?"

"...Yes? I have like 30 subscribers," Gary snickered, "Don't you have vloggers back in Russia?"

"I… I think so," Silvie muttered, "I wasn't really allowed to go out much. The first time I was even able to have a phone was when my father and I arrived here 2 years ago," she then said with a small chuckle.

"Seriously?" Hannah could not help but let out a slightly surprised hum as she glanced at Silvie, "So that's why you didn't have any posts in FaceLog before 2019."

"...You searched that far?"

"A habit learned from my dad," Hannah said as she burst out in laughter, "Know your friends, as he said."

"You… have quite the interesting father. He was also the one who taught you martial arts at a young age, right?"

"5 years old," Hannah quickly replied as she slightly stretched her legs, causing her muscles to etch out from her suit.

"You thick af, girl."

"Don't look!" Silvie quickly pushed Gary's face away, planting it on the bus' unnaturally thick window.

"I guess we both had strict parents," Silvie then sighed before letting go of Gary's face, "I don't remember much from my childhood, but what I can remember was father always locking me in my room, even for days; cuffing me in my bed."

"...Seriously? Isn't that abuse?"

"Pft, I think that's normal in Russia. I heard they even ride bears there."

"A… anyway, he said it was for my own good. And I can understand why… My powers woke up when I was just a baby."

"...What?"

"He didn't say it, and he doesn't need to… but I think I killed my mom."

"..."

"He said she was alive and just left us… but I think he's only protecting me from the truth," Silvie muttered as she let out a meek and wry chuckle, "But yes, enough about the depressing--"

And before Silvie could finish her words, Gary suddenly hugged her,

"It's alright, it's alright," he then said, his words stuttering as tears started to flow from his eyes, "We're here for you, okay?"

"..."

"..."

And suddenly, from the few moments of awkward silence, a slight sizzle in the air began to whisper.

"Let go of me, you motherfucker."

"A… aw!" Gary then yelled in pain as he felt a tingling pain boiling through his armor; and with the sudden pain lingering, he could not help but back away and let go of… Hannah,

"Ah, my cape!" He then yelled as he raised the ends of his cape, with a small part of it completely melted off.

Seeing this, the heavy weight that suddenly wrapped around Silvie's heart started to disappear, reflected by the chuckle that she could not help but let out from her mouth,

"You look very stupid, Dragon Monarch," Silvie then said as she covered her mouth, still giggling as she watched Gary bounce up and down from his seat.

"At least I made you laugh, right?" Gary then smirked. And if it weren't for the tears coming out of his eyes from having a part of his cape burnt, he would have looked much cooler; Silvie thought.

"A… anyway, enough about me," Silvie then said as she waved her hand, "So you've been training since 5 years old? What about Riley?"

"Well, you could say the training got easier when he joined in," a small smile appeared on Hannah's face as she glanced at Riley, who had not even said a single word since they left from the Academy, "The training became more strict, but father became more lenient since his focus was split in two."

"So… does that mean Riley knows some martial arts as well?"

"Some?" Hannah let out a scoff before letting out a slightly mocking chuckle, "This idiot can probably kick Dragon Monarch's ass with his eyes closed if they weren't using their powers."

"You seem to underestimate my power, Nuclear Vixen."

"What the-- My name is Nuclear Baby!"

"Does your body look like it screams baby!?" Gary then roared, his voice almost seeping through the sound-proof windows of the bus, "Such proportions should be given the proper name it's due! You could even star in your own adult parody series if you get famous!"

"Mega Girl, is it against the law to kill your fellow Super?"

"Unfortunately so."

"Riley, back me out here!" Gary then said as he stood in front of the silent Riley, "If Hannah wasn't your sister, then would you consider dating her!? You would, right?"

"Don't. Fucking. Answer. That."

Seeing her brother slowly turning his head towards Gary, Hannah's eyes started twitching. But alas, Riley, who had been keeping quiet the whole time, started opening his mouth.

"No," he answered, "I love Hannah, so I would not burden her with the curse of being with someone like me."

"T… that's…"

"E… eh?"

Seeing Riley answering without even a hint of hesitation, Gary and Silvie could not help but take in deep and stuttering breaths. As for Hannah, she clicked her tongue and looked away, but not before lightly hitting Riley on the head.

"You little shit," she then muttered as a small smile slowly crawled on her face.

"Haa. I wish I had a brother," Silvie then breathed out, "Maybe I could have remembered more of my childhood."

"Meh, it's not that great," Hannah shrugged.

"Speaking of childhood…" Gary then let out a sigh as he looked at the dimmed window, "When I was young--"

"Alright, we've arrived! Please step out of the bus one by one!"

"W… wait, what about my backstory!?"

"Let's not keep the others waiting," Silvie then stood up to fall in line, immediately followed by Hannah and Riley, "Let's go, Dragon Monarch."

Seeing the three just leaving him behind like that, Gary could not help but place a hand on his chest as he fell to his knees, "C… could it be… I'm a side character!? Wait…

...wait for me! I don't want to be reduced to a minor rol--"

Gary's somewhat comical behavior instantly stopped as soon as his foot left the bus; his mouth, left open as his eyes quickly started to wander everywhere. And it wasn't only him, most of the students that were exiting their corresponding buses were all left speechless; not even a whisper could be heard flowing through the air.

It has been several months since the tragic defeat of Mega Woman; since the dreaded news that most of the city of Toronto had been completely obliterated. With a majority of the students living in the U.S, they have only seen the damage through the pictures and videos being released on social media.

But now, seeing the destruction in person… it made the rising excitement within them completely wither in the air; the silence, broken by the sound of someone retching on the ground.

Buildings, torn.

Cars, pulverized.

Sky, covered in darkness.

Families, forever separated.

It had been several months, and yet the skies above Toronto seemed to have never recovered towards the light. Most of the population outside were unaware of it, but the country's local government had ordered the cremation of all the dead since recovering them from the state of the city back then would have been next to impossible.

And so, within the ruined buildings, inside the melted cars; were little bits of bones that managed to survive; perhaps the only physical memory left of the city's casualties. Most of the students strayed their eyes away as there were a set of skulls peacefully planted with the debris near them.

But within all of this chaos, was a serene garden. No, perhaps it was better to say that it was a collection of almost a million different flowers, with some, already turning into ashes.

There were also letters pinned down near the walls, almost covering it entirely. Letters…

...that would no longer be able to be read by the one it was written for. Letters... that would just forever remain as a collection of words without meaning. Like the sunlight that has not reached the ground for what seemed like forever-- the letters too, would no longer reach their journey's end.

And seeing this solemn memorial in front of them, some of the students completely woke up from their stupor and their childish dreams. From their stay in the Academy, everything felt surreal; like everything they did was just a game, a holiday.

But this was real-- this is real.

Millions of people have died where they were standing; and since the memorial was here, that would mean that this was just the face of the destruction. Deeper into the city, a much horrifying hell probably awaited them.

This was just the beginning of the dark day that plagued this city. How could one man… how could one man commit such a slaughter to society?

How was one man able to strip thousands and thousands of families of their loved ones… and get away with it?

"This… is unforgivable."-- were the words that came out of Hannah's mouth as her hand touched one of the letters pinned on the wall, "All of these people… Darkday should die for his crimes."

Hannah then lightly breathed out, causing a trickle of smoke to fume from her mouth.

"I apologize, I don't think he can, sister," Riley then said as his eyes roamed across the letters, "I don't think he is going to stop…

...Not until the walls are completely empty."