He swam through a city that was not his own. He wore clothes that he felt sure he didn't own. It had to be a dream. All around him, through the dirty windshield of an antique, he could spy nearly featureless spires rising at odd angles toward a distant moon or giant star. It all seemed to be hastily painted, or maybe smeared with grease. This wasn't Aikaga City. It was something else entirely. Other cars passed by in a blur, whatever machine he was driving easily outpacing them. Sirens blared somewhere far behind. He didn't need to know the situation, fully, to know that something big was going on.
A familiar face, though the term would be mocked if used aloud, sat in the seat beside him; crossed legs and the attire of an American gangster from the thirties; straight down to the leather shoes. He shrugged it off and kept driving. Things would work out. They always did. Empty was his partner, on this botched outing...an outing of which the details were incredibly blurry. Goji couldn't focus on what happened. He knew from the faint smell that there was blood in the car. The sounds from the back seat were indicative of a captive, or wounded comrade.
"The Dive is just ahead," his passenger said from behind a paper bag, briefly directing empty circles in Goji's direction, "shame about what happened to the kid." He didn't respond, but smoldered beneath the brim of a hat that felt overlarge on his head; keeping his eyes on the road. "Never seen you so mad about something, Goji-kun. Pretty impressive, all things considered. Some of the guys were startin' to wonder about whether or not you had the-"
"The guts?" He wheeled around a sharp corner, nearly putting the old moonshiner on two wheels, setting something to thudding around in the separated back seat. "Don't start in on me about guts, Empty. I know what I can and can't do." His face remained mostly neutral, only a slight frown, but the bagface was already getting on his nerves. "I know where The Dive is, alright? I'm the driver for a reason. What we should be worried about is what we're going to do with the mook, back there." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
"Ah, yeah, that's a problem," Empty turned in his seat and directed himself toward the back, sliding a small window away to peer back. "He ain't looking so good, Goji-kun. You didn't have to go so far, y'know." There was a hint of approval in the comment, despite its surface meaning. Empty wasn't exactly open-handed with his praise, but Goji had never much cared whether the bastard approved of what he was doing. "He's still hanging on, though."
"Not for long," Goji slowed the vehicle, catching sight of The Dive ahead. Smaller than most of the surrounding buildings, it bore a sense of familiarity; casting a warm glow from within. The Dive was something of an HQ for the crew he'd been working with. A bar, sequestered in the veins of a strange metropolis. "We're here. Help me get him out of the back." A small lot in front of the building was the standard fare for parking, a few other similarly styled cars situated around in odd clusters; but the lot was unusually empty. No one was lingering outside The Dive, something Goji noted as he got out of the car. "Let's get him out of there."
"Yeah, sure, you got it," came the reply and Empty following suit, moving around the car to take his position beside Goji, "let's try not to get blood on the suits, though." Bagface opened the door with a languid motion. Crimson dripped from the inside, hitting the pavement in a gush. A low moan came from the shadow-eaten back seat, as the pair reached in. Grabbing the unseen figure by the shoulders, Empty and Goji hauled him out with a couple of steps backward and a little bit of effort. What spilled on the pavement, aside from all the blood, made Goji freeze in place; crouched and still holding on to the wounded man's shoulder.
The face staring up at him was all too familiar. It had always been said that he and Shin looked a lot alike. His knees buckled and Goji swayed a little, Empty's hand steadying him from the side. "Careful, there, Goji-kun. Don't need you freaking out. Did you forget or something? Shin was the mark-"
He twisted away, covering his mouth and fighting down the urge to vomit. He'd shot his brother. From the looks of it, at least three times. The scene was immediately thrust into his mind, events from earlier in the aging night becoming razor-sharp. "N-no...I remember." Shin didn't speak, moving his mouth though all that came out was more blood and a rattling gurgle. "I remember." Horror ripped through him, tearing away any semblance of apathy that had remained. He sank low, finally dropping fully to his knees; unable to let go of Shin's blood-soaked jacket. "He dared me to do it..." It wasn't justification, but disgust. Even Shin hadn't thought he'd pull the trigger.
"Yeah, but is that what you wanted?" Empty stood behind him, tapping a foot against the ground. The night air had become oppressive, the heat from beneath reaching up to Goji; laced with the now-overpowering scent of his brother's blood. He retched, dryly, and tore his eyes away from Shin's, casting a glance backward. Haste had been forgotten, his head spun and the entirety of his murky surrounding seemed to edge closer. "C'mon, kid. You chose this, right? Now," he felt a hand resting on his shoulder, "let's get him inside before someone-"
"No, goddamnit! This isn't what I wanted! I wanted him to live! I didn't want it to end up like this-!" Goji had found the words, but he didn't know where they were coming from or what exactly they meant. "I just...I just wanted to impress him."
"Well..." Empty stood up, slowly, taking his hand away, "would you feel that way if it were anyone else dying in front of you?"
"...What?"
With that, the entirety of the umbral city collapsed around him; a clap of thunder heralding the end of the world. Crimson overtook black, filling his eyes and threatening to drown him. What had been a city of grease became an ocean of blood. He fought for air, trying to move to the surface-
"Goji! Wake up!"
Yuzuki had been shaking him, a hand on his shoulder. He sat up with a gasp, eyes opened wide. Thankfully, nothing remained of the scene still seared into his mind. It was just his mother, concern plain on her face. He wondered how long she had been trying to wake him up and swallowed hard, looking at her with an evident lack of understanding. "Mom? The hell...aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"Not for another two hours," she seemed to relax, Goji's usual attitude shining through, "I've already made breakfast. I'm about to head out, anyway, but I came in here to wake you..." She put a hand against his forehead without warning, he looked away reflexively, "are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm..." he reached up and lightly moved her hand away, trying to feign a smile, "I'm alright." He didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to relive it. It was just a bad dream, anyway. No big deal. It happened, from time to time. Though it usually wasn't so vivid. "I should get ready. Thanks, mom." She took her cue with grace, giving him a quick hug and smile before leaving him to his preparations. Once his mother was gone, Goji sighed at length.
His uniform was tossed somewhere amidst a small pile of clothes, situated in front of his closet door. The entire room was a mess, but he always had a penchant for remembering exactly where something had fallen; once he tossed it aside. The rest of the apartment was stunningly organized, though not always clean. He preferred it that way. It was, after all, his stuff...his to throw about as he pleased. Goji walked about for a moment, fixing his jacket and trying to free his mind of earlier turmoil.
Would you feel that way if it were anyone else dying in front of you?
The question was still there, though, no matter how he tried to turn his thoughts from it. As though the bagface were still lingering with him, standing right behind him...tapping a foot against blood-splattered pavement. As though Shin were still staring up, light fading from his eyes. Goji didn't know the answer, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose instead of delving into the macabre query. He heard the door shut, quiet and somewhat distant; Yuzuki making her exit.
Automatically, he ate and kept himself occupied with speculation about the coming day. Soon, he would be heading to Aikaga Central High. It wasn't exactly something he was looking forward to. Still, it wouldn't be all bad. Opening the door, he stepped outside; running a hand over his face, enjoying the distant chill that seemed to linger in the morning air.
A familiar face, though the term would be mocked if used aloud, sat in the seat beside him; crossed legs and the attire of an American gangster from the thirties; straight down to the leather shoes. He shrugged it off and kept driving. Things would work out. They always did. Empty was his partner, on this botched outing...an outing of which the details were incredibly blurry. Goji couldn't focus on what happened. He knew from the faint smell that there was blood in the car. The sounds from the back seat were indicative of a captive, or wounded comrade.
"The Dive is just ahead," his passenger said from behind a paper bag, briefly directing empty circles in Goji's direction, "shame about what happened to the kid." He didn't respond, but smoldered beneath the brim of a hat that felt overlarge on his head; keeping his eyes on the road. "Never seen you so mad about something, Goji-kun. Pretty impressive, all things considered. Some of the guys were startin' to wonder about whether or not you had the-"
"The guts?" He wheeled around a sharp corner, nearly putting the old moonshiner on two wheels, setting something to thudding around in the separated back seat. "Don't start in on me about guts, Empty. I know what I can and can't do." His face remained mostly neutral, only a slight frown, but the bagface was already getting on his nerves. "I know where The Dive is, alright? I'm the driver for a reason. What we should be worried about is what we're going to do with the mook, back there." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
"Ah, yeah, that's a problem," Empty turned in his seat and directed himself toward the back, sliding a small window away to peer back. "He ain't looking so good, Goji-kun. You didn't have to go so far, y'know." There was a hint of approval in the comment, despite its surface meaning. Empty wasn't exactly open-handed with his praise, but Goji had never much cared whether the bastard approved of what he was doing. "He's still hanging on, though."
"Not for long," Goji slowed the vehicle, catching sight of The Dive ahead. Smaller than most of the surrounding buildings, it bore a sense of familiarity; casting a warm glow from within. The Dive was something of an HQ for the crew he'd been working with. A bar, sequestered in the veins of a strange metropolis. "We're here. Help me get him out of the back." A small lot in front of the building was the standard fare for parking, a few other similarly styled cars situated around in odd clusters; but the lot was unusually empty. No one was lingering outside The Dive, something Goji noted as he got out of the car. "Let's get him out of there."
"Yeah, sure, you got it," came the reply and Empty following suit, moving around the car to take his position beside Goji, "let's try not to get blood on the suits, though." Bagface opened the door with a languid motion. Crimson dripped from the inside, hitting the pavement in a gush. A low moan came from the shadow-eaten back seat, as the pair reached in. Grabbing the unseen figure by the shoulders, Empty and Goji hauled him out with a couple of steps backward and a little bit of effort. What spilled on the pavement, aside from all the blood, made Goji freeze in place; crouched and still holding on to the wounded man's shoulder.
The face staring up at him was all too familiar. It had always been said that he and Shin looked a lot alike. His knees buckled and Goji swayed a little, Empty's hand steadying him from the side. "Careful, there, Goji-kun. Don't need you freaking out. Did you forget or something? Shin was the mark-"
He twisted away, covering his mouth and fighting down the urge to vomit. He'd shot his brother. From the looks of it, at least three times. The scene was immediately thrust into his mind, events from earlier in the aging night becoming razor-sharp. "N-no...I remember." Shin didn't speak, moving his mouth though all that came out was more blood and a rattling gurgle. "I remember." Horror ripped through him, tearing away any semblance of apathy that had remained. He sank low, finally dropping fully to his knees; unable to let go of Shin's blood-soaked jacket. "He dared me to do it..." It wasn't justification, but disgust. Even Shin hadn't thought he'd pull the trigger.
"Yeah, but is that what you wanted?" Empty stood behind him, tapping a foot against the ground. The night air had become oppressive, the heat from beneath reaching up to Goji; laced with the now-overpowering scent of his brother's blood. He retched, dryly, and tore his eyes away from Shin's, casting a glance backward. Haste had been forgotten, his head spun and the entirety of his murky surrounding seemed to edge closer. "C'mon, kid. You chose this, right? Now," he felt a hand resting on his shoulder, "let's get him inside before someone-"
"No, goddamnit! This isn't what I wanted! I wanted him to live! I didn't want it to end up like this-!" Goji had found the words, but he didn't know where they were coming from or what exactly they meant. "I just...I just wanted to impress him."
"Well..." Empty stood up, slowly, taking his hand away, "would you feel that way if it were anyone else dying in front of you?"
"...What?"
With that, the entirety of the umbral city collapsed around him; a clap of thunder heralding the end of the world. Crimson overtook black, filling his eyes and threatening to drown him. What had been a city of grease became an ocean of blood. He fought for air, trying to move to the surface-
"Goji! Wake up!"
Yuzuki had been shaking him, a hand on his shoulder. He sat up with a gasp, eyes opened wide. Thankfully, nothing remained of the scene still seared into his mind. It was just his mother, concern plain on her face. He wondered how long she had been trying to wake him up and swallowed hard, looking at her with an evident lack of understanding. "Mom? The hell...aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"Not for another two hours," she seemed to relax, Goji's usual attitude shining through, "I've already made breakfast. I'm about to head out, anyway, but I came in here to wake you..." She put a hand against his forehead without warning, he looked away reflexively, "are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm..." he reached up and lightly moved her hand away, trying to feign a smile, "I'm alright." He didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to relive it. It was just a bad dream, anyway. No big deal. It happened, from time to time. Though it usually wasn't so vivid. "I should get ready. Thanks, mom." She took her cue with grace, giving him a quick hug and smile before leaving him to his preparations. Once his mother was gone, Goji sighed at length.
His uniform was tossed somewhere amidst a small pile of clothes, situated in front of his closet door. The entire room was a mess, but he always had a penchant for remembering exactly where something had fallen; once he tossed it aside. The rest of the apartment was stunningly organized, though not always clean. He preferred it that way. It was, after all, his stuff...his to throw about as he pleased. Goji walked about for a moment, fixing his jacket and trying to free his mind of earlier turmoil.
Would you feel that way if it were anyone else dying in front of you?
The question was still there, though, no matter how he tried to turn his thoughts from it. As though the bagface were still lingering with him, standing right behind him...tapping a foot against blood-splattered pavement. As though Shin were still staring up, light fading from his eyes. Goji didn't know the answer, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose instead of delving into the macabre query. He heard the door shut, quiet and somewhat distant; Yuzuki making her exit.
Automatically, he ate and kept himself occupied with speculation about the coming day. Soon, he would be heading to Aikaga Central High. It wasn't exactly something he was looking forward to. Still, it wouldn't be all bad. Opening the door, he stepped outside; running a hand over his face, enjoying the distant chill that seemed to linger in the morning air.