The Beginning of the End

Cody’s dream was a painful one. A child spread his arms like wings, pretending to glide through the sky. Nearby, a familiar woman was cooking smoked salmon.

“Er’ ya gonna land ta grab a bite, or what?” she called out to him.

“Didja see ’em? Didja see ’em?! They were like—whoosh! An’, an’, an’ grrrrrrrraaaa! So loud, so many! They looked like robot people, Momma! Robot people in the sky! I saw ’em! Didja see ’em too?!” the boy shouted, hopping excitedly in front of his mother.

“Yeah, yeah, I saw ’em… but,” she teased, “you’ll scare all the fish with all that noise, Cody.”

Cody froze in place as if that would help. He glanced at the river, realizing too late that his shouting wouldn’t matter at this distance. But in his innocence, he failed to grasp the true meaning of the saying. Quietly, he walked over to the woman and grabbed a plate of fish, eating it with his hands instead of using the wooden, two-pronged utensil. He beamed from the taste and whispered, “Thank you, Mommy.”

She smiled back and whispered, “You’re welcome, Cody… Cody?”

For some reason, he could never picture the woman’s face, no matter how hard he tried.

Waking up, Cody heard a soft whisper:

“Cody… Cody… Cody…”

He turned to see Ashley holding out a bowl. “Food. Looks like the chef said he’d make you anything you asked. I said you wanted more pizza… so I ate it. Here’s some sweet potato paste.”

The purplish-gray goop resembled pudding. Ashley’s eyes showed neither concern nor care for his feelings.

Cody took the bowl and stared at it. He wasn’t hungry, but he knew he had to eat.

“Maybe,” Stephanie suggested, “Heather asked him how he felt about her, and when he said he loved her, she turned him away. No Westerner could marry royalty…”

Cody almost said, You’ll scare the fish with all that noise.

“Shut up with the theories,” Tod cut in. “We already agreed: five ideas each. And the twins already claimed rom-com.”

Cody took a small scoop of the food. Its sweet taste was just enough to beckon him for another bite. But his body felt sluggish, and all he wanted was to go back to sleep.

Tiffany poked her head up and locked eyes with him in a silent, emotionless stare.

“Like kindred spirits,” Ashley jabbed. “Perhaps your melancholy is contagious, Tiffany.”

Without looking, Tiffany responded, “He’s going through something, which negates Tod’s theories and half of yours, Ashley. Cody, I recommend a back rub, chocolate, or sex from a harlot. Ashley, proceed accordingly.”

Tiffany retreated to her bunk before Ashley could react. Holding a single bolt that had come loose from who-knows-where, Tiffany wielded it like a weapon, keeping Ashley at bay.

“If you can’t take it, don’t dish it,” Tiffany said calmly.

Ashley stomped her foot and folded her arms. “Harlot goes too far, Tiffany. Apologize.”

“So does calling someone patient zero for a melancholy contagion. You struck first by hogging all the pizza… I just call it like I see it, bitch.” Despite the hostility, Tiffany’s tone remained flat.

Ashley eyed the bolt, debating whether to risk the threat. Pushing her glasses up with her middle finger, she smirked. “Fine. The gloves are off. You can’t read my smut manga anymore.”

Tiffany grunted, a clear indication she took the blow personally.

Ashley strutted triumphantly. “Let’s see if anyone will risk selling hentai to a minor.”

Tiffany glanced at Cody and said, “We should recognize that our actions are misguided. Instead of focusing on nonsense, we should prioritize Cody. Don’t you agree, Stephanie?”

Cody leapt off the bed, and all eyes were on him. Grabbing his boots, he realized they were the only things he had removed before collapsing into bed the night before. Tying them felt like a hassle, but he trudged through it.

“Guys, don’t worry about it. Please,” he said. “It has nothing to do with Heather.”

Ashley flashed a smile. “You’re right, Cody. We should respect your privacy… SINCE I WON! SUCKAS! Always bet red, fools!”

She held out her hand, and Tod slapped a chip into her palm. Still holding her hand out, she moved toward Tiffany and the twins, who reluctantly handed over their chips. Ashley pocketed the winnings and turned to Craso.

“Pleasure doing business with ya. I’m sure what you’re going through can change with a little money. It did for me. And those five M.U.s you brought back should fetch—”

“The money is useless now. It’s all pointless. It’s all…” Cody left without hearing the rest.

Who would say anything after that?

Cody’s Mid was customized from head to toe with every penny he’d spent on it, including a shield he’d confiscated from the Vatican. Required to paint it a different color, he chose solid black with crimson-red jaws and massive canines.

A familiar voice called out as footsteps clicked toward him.

“Such a beautiful representation of the threat you hold to the Vatican heathens,” Ariana said casually.

She stopped beside him, ripping off her prosthetic hand and placing it on his shoulder.

“Need a hand? Lost it in that last fight. Pretty realistic though, huh? Got all kinds of cool upgrades added to me. Now I can save my drink with my second stomach—it dispenses alcohol on demand. Sweet deal, huh? The hand’s got a secret compartment too, so I can smuggle whatever I want in the M.U. You’ll keep my secret, right? Oh, and I’ve got a cyanide tooth. Don’t wanna end up like that guy you brought in. I even swiped a recording of the fight with my fake eye. Wanna watch it together? I snagged some soda and candy bars on my way over here. They got stuff like that in War-shing-ton?”