Cleanse the City

Now a member of the saviors, Jessica is added to Yuuki’s list of people she picks up for school, and drops off afterwards. She tries to arrive at the first person’s home roughly 30 minutes before classes begin to give them ample time to prepare, and prevent others from being late.

Jessica is the third person to be visited by Yuuki, teleporting to the room of her apartment by 7:46 am, but she’s nowhere in sight. She peeks out the opened door to search while attempting to hide from any relatives who may be here.

Jessica is sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. She notices her new stalker and holds up her hand as a greeting, “Morning.”

Not seeing anyone else, Yuuki walks over to the table, observing Jessica’s home life. There’s a living area dimly lit due to the open kitchen right beside it, and a few surrounding doors that lead to other bedrooms and bathrooms. It’s dark and gloomy yet neat and clean, making it difficult to tell if people use these rooms much if at all. Even though it’s just the two of them, Yuuki whispers.

“I didn’t want to startle your family.”

“I hardly ever see my grandmother myself.” Jessica stands and places her dirty plate in the sink before grabbing her bag hanging on the chair. “Ready when you are.”

Without another word, Yuuki teleports them both to school. Once there, Jessica notices someone new in classroom 313. Kahler is putting away a small stack of books, probably getting ready to sleep, and there is a tall African American man with a big build and wide shoulders. It’s not just that he has large muscles, his body is naturally larger. He has to be at least 6’, if not then close to it. You almost wouldn’t believe he’s a high school student at 17 years old. Jessica can’t help staring at his physique, causing him to become anxious.

“You’re thinking I’m a freak, aren’t you?”

Surprised he would even say such a thing, Jessica quickly corrects him. “No, not at all! If anything…I’m amazed.”

“He is amazing isn’t he?” Yuuki cuts in, complimenting him further, “I’m not sure how often you’ll be working together, but he has a strong shield that is made even better by his immense strength. It’s the best protection.”

Embarrassed by the kind words, he almost shrinks in an attempt to hide.

“I just do what I can. My name is Marquise, nicknamed Pro.”

“I’m Jessica, nicknamed Hope.”

“Your power should have awakened by now, want to give it a try?” Kahler says as he walks into the hall, indicating he may know what it is.

Jessica follows him with the others watching from the doorway. Students rarely walk up to this floor, even though it would make a perfect delinquent spot. It’s as if they have it all to themselves. A secret lair.

Kahler suggests Jessica run to the other end, but advises she only take a few steps. Confused by his instructions, she attempts to follow them the best she can.

With her bag slung over her left shoulder, she runs one step, then two, then three until she is suddenly at the other end by the stairs. Almost losing her balance, Jessica’s arms fly forward as she catches herself. She turns back to them before trying again, ending up right in front of Kahler.

Jessica is surprised by her own ability. Going from one place to the next in an instant. This isn’t like Yuuki’s teleporting. It’s more like–

“That was…”

“Superspeed, I suppose is a good term. This may help alleviate some of Yuuki’s workload if you learn to jump from building to building with someone.” Kahler explains.

“That thought should make me happy, but I don’t like the idea of not being with the group.”

“Well, it’s merely a suggestion anyway. I leave those decisions up to you.”

Every weeknight, Yuuki joins two others and teleports to different areas, saving as many as possible within a few hours. She’s been doing that for months, not complaining about being tired nor showing any sign of it so no one knows how much it affects her.

“I’ll keep the thought in mind.” Yuuki says with a grumble. She then speaks to Jessica, “If you’re comfortable with it we can try tonight. Maybe first with me in case you miss your target when jumping.”

“That’s not very encouraging.”

Yuuki didn’t need to say anything for Jessica to figure out what may happen. Not to mention buildings within the city are of all different sizes which would make their route very limited. Unless certain nights are dedicated to a few sections, with them calling Yuuki to return home once finished. She has no reason to refuse, though, and agrees to try it.

With 10 minutes left before the bell rings, Jessica gets ready to head downstairs. Yuuki tells her to go on without her since she wants to check on Andres, the last member of their group who she has yet to meet.

Jessica assumes Marquise will walk with her despite being one grade apart, but he grips his bag, refusing to take a step.

“I’ll wait until classes start.”

“Why is that?”

Hesitant at first, his tone remains low as he tells her. “The way I look…people make fun of me a lot. I prefer to wait until the halls are empty.”

Jessica now understands his ‘freak’ comment from earlier. She wasn’t lying when commenting on his physique. Since it can be considered ‘unique’ it must make him easy prey. Wanting to make up for earlier, Jessica stands beside him.

“I’ll wait as well. I can be late to class a few times.”

“Thank you. Shayna usually waits with me, but she seemed upset this morning and went to class right away.”

Jessica then realizes she hasn’t seen Shayna. She expected to be met with her haughty attitude first thing in the morning. Is that how she always is? Or does that come from exhaustion? Jessica doesn’t have a good understanding about these abilities, but in general she can tell Shayna pushes herself more than most would, so there must be more to it than their nightly duties. It comes off as feeling strangely familiar.

Later in class, leaning her elbow on the desk, propping up her chin with the palm of her hand, Jessica continues to ponder. After struggling to pay attention to the lesson, she turns to her classmate.

“Hey Yuuki, do you know why Shayna…how should I put it…?”

“Why she’s a brat?”

Jessica wanted to avoid saying that, but Yuuki’s mischievous smile makes it clear she has no issues being blunt.

“I only met Shayna this year, but apparently she gets in this mood every once in a while. When she was really feeling down, she told me she’s an orphan in foster care, going from one home to another, sometimes even switching schools in the city. She always felt she had to work hard to impress each family in the hopes she would get adopted. That still hasn’t happened. I guess it became a habit.”

Then it hits her; Shayna is exactly like Jessica was before moving here. Or rather, before being sent here, shunned by her own adoptive parents. Working hard to impress people at the expense of your own health. It’s not worth it in the end.

With a somber expression, Jessica gives her own opinion.

“Getting adopted doesn’t guarantee happiness.”

Neither feeling the need to say any more so the conversation ends there. Jessica wants to be able to help Shayna in some way, maybe to have her calm down. However, the thought of talking to her is overwhelming. She decides to leave it for her future self.

When school is finished, this time ending with study hall, the group of saviors meet in room 313. Today there’s Kahler, who made sure to get himself up in time, Marquise, Yuuki, Jessica, and Shayna. The sick person they keep mentioning is absent, leaving the heavy load on Shayna once more. Even if anyone asks if she’s okay enough to go out tonight, Shayna will say ‘yes’ no matter what so no one bothers and instead keep a watchful eye on her.

“Before focusing on saving souls, you should test Jessica’s ability. That way you can get an idea of what she’s capable of.”

Normally only 3 people would go out, but tonight, Marquise joins them for extra protection. Yuuki starts with teleporting Shayna and Marquise, leaving Jessica behind.

“What about me?”

“Yuuki can only teleport with two people at a time. If she adds anyone else she gets exhausted much quicker.”

So it does take a toll on her too. Jessica thinks before inquiring further, “But if she teleports more often doesn’t that affect her too?”

“Not exactly. People with abilities are apparently heavier, so she delegates all your ‘weight’ so to speak.”

He’s speaking metaphorically, but one’s weight isn’t something that should be stated lightly. The word is displeasing even to her.

Jessica then remembers one of the many questions that came to mind after observing the group and decides to ask Kahler before Yuuki comes back.

“I was wondering, why did you choose a school as your base?”

“Well, this is one of the few schools with classes year round so students are constantly attending. Plus it’s easier to get people your age to believe what I say is true.”

There are select schools throughout the city that teach year round in an effort to help combat the low graduation rate. Whether or not you attend extra courses is decided by the student or their parents. Despite being labeled as classes, they’re more like study sessions for those who struggle with certain subjects. Statistics show favorable results, having increased the graduation rate by 60%.

Kahler takes a seat behind the front table and leans back, looking at Jessica as he adds to his explanation, “Also, when you’re an adult you are far more likely to have found your place in this world.”

Jessica can understand the first part, but ‘finding your place’, how is this related to their work? It is true this could be considered a hobby or weekly gathering rather than a career. It has definitely given her something to do in her meager free time at least.

Suddenly, Yuuki arrives to take Jessica. With one hand on her shoulder, she waves to Kahler before taking Jessica elsewhere, not giving her a chance to respond.

Today they start on the roof of a row home. The area consists of a few blocks of homes with a gas station across the one street, making it seem as if it’s a line separating them from the larger buildings.

A set of homes on each block are connected. Whether it’s a set of 5 or a few duplexes, almost half of them are run down and even boarded up. Some are missing an entire wall, windows and doors, or the roof is caving in. It makes you wonder about the condition of the homes directly attached to them. Despite that, people continue to live as normal. Another reason to tread carefully.

Marquise and Shayna are standing on the center of the roof, waiting for them to begin.

“Sorry if I interrupted a conversation.” Yuuki says.

“No it’s fine.”

Jessica wasn’t sure what to say so she’s glad to have teleported when she did, saving her from an awkward moment.

Without wasting time, they start by having Jessica use her ability to jump from this set of homes to the next. However, Yuuki changed her mind and plans to watch. Jessica will jump with Marquise, leaving him as confused as the rest. Why would she choose the heaviest person here?

“Let’s just save time and start with the biggest person. I’ll still be able to act in time if you fall.”

Her lazy explanation makes it apparent that Yuuki wants to rush things. Yuuki turns around to point to where they will be jumping. It won’t be across the street, that would put them at a higher risk. Instead it will be across a small alleyway in between the two sets. The opening is about 4 feet wide, filled with enough trash to block anyone from traversing through it.

While preparing to run, Jessica becomes frozen in place. This isn’t from fear of falling and getting injured, it’s the idea of failure itself. Receiving a look of disappointment is worse than a verbal comment to her.

At some point, her parents stopped saying anything in such situations. They didn’t have to. Their expressions said it all. Disappointment. Despair. Regret. Hatred. There was very little praise for a job well done and even if there was, it got lost in a cloud of negativity that was constantly around her.

That hadn’t come to mind since moving because her parents were the cause of all her worry. Jessica worked hard to avoid being on the receiving end, but wasn’t always successful. What if I fail? Will they shun me too? With those thoughts racing in her mind, she starts to see double and squeezes her eyes shut.

Just as she’s about to give up and take a step back, a large hand suddenly rests on her back. She turns to her left to see Marquise facing their goal. With no hint of fear on his face, her own is shattered. What was I thinking? This group of high schoolers has already proven to be vastly different than anyone she dealt with before.

Jessica places her hand on Marquise’s back in return, both holding onto each other to stay balanced, anticipating the speed. She takes in a deep breath and lets it out as she runs, immediately feeling a surge of power.

It may be superspeed, but it’s all in slow motion to Jessica. Racing through the stagnant air, she can feel it flow around her as she moves, almost like swimming in water, though much lighter.

Starting a few inches from the ledge, then over the alley and onto the other roof, Jessica’s feet slide as they land. The two let go of each other and step back. Yuuki quietly shouts from across the alley.

“How was it?”

“So lightweight, it was as if I could see the air itself.” Jessica says.

“Maybe that comes with transportation abilities? Mine is kind of similar.”

“It seems you’re not scared anymore.” Marquise says after observing Jessica’s reaction now compared to earlier.

Jessica didn’t realize she made it obvious and is thankful he trusted her despite that. It’s another thing that allowed her to conquer the fear.

“What’s the plan now?” Shayna asks, cutting into their conversation.

Yuuki’s teleportation remains their mode of transportation, but moving 3 people with abilities at once is impossible. After contemplating for a moment, she makes a suggestion.

“Let’s split up for tonight. Hope and Pro, you two can hop around to practice her ability. That way Pro can use his shield if anything happens. Meanwhile Bling and I will do the usual clean up. Sound good?”

“Sounds like we get the most of the workload.”

Shayna complains without hesitation. Yuuki simply laughs and pats her head.

“Hey- don’t mess up my hair!”

“We can meet back here in 2 hours. Stay safe.”

Yuuki leaves without waiting for a response once more. Jessica is getting used to her bad habits, but it doesn’t make them any less annoying. Apparently Yuuki has full confidence in her superspeed after testing it once.

As usual, the two will avoid going on the ground and stay on the rooftops. The row homes cover a few blocks, giving them plenty of room to practice, though after a short while it becomes tedious. In agreement, Jessica and Marquise take a break. Looking at the sky, they sit side by side against a metal door containing a stairwell that leads into the home below.

The sky is dark with a tinge of light blue and no stars in sight. Although light pollution was always a problem in cities, it spread so much over the past decades, making it impossible to see stars in 95% of where the population resides in the United States. This is also in part due to the enhanced security system that is installed across most of the country. Unless you plan to travel to a desolate area, far from ‘safety’ as many would put it, then stargazing is a pastime you can only read about in books.

Jessica is slightly upset she won’t be able to see the beautiful sight that occurs after saving someone and tries to tell herself she’ll have plenty of chances.

In an attempt to prevent boredom, Jessica tries getting to know the schoolmate she just met.

“Do you have any hobbies? Besides this.”

“I workout and practice football at the dorm I stay in.” Marquise says, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s my favorite sport, I hope to play in the big leagues in the future.”

An answer without hesitation and a grand ambition at that. You can tell how hard he works from looking at him. Marquise is usually soft-spoken, but talks with much pride when it comes to football.

Sports are very favorable in the country with some of the stadiums having been moved close to the border of these dangerous cities. The games have very high security which results in few incidents each year, but it’s not enough to convince most people from outside the area to attend in person.

Though the word ‘dorm’ sticks out.

“You don’t live with your family?”

Hearing that, his mood quickly shifts and he tenses up, “My dad and brother are in prison with a life sentence. I don’t have a family anymore.”

It’s easy to forget how the dangers of the city can affect people’s lives, especially if you weren’t raised here. Jessica immediately apologizes, though Marquise doesn’t hold anything against her for her curiosity. If anything, their imprisonment saved him from a hellish life since his father and brother were involved in gangs and drugs, putting his life in danger as well.

Jessica places her hand on the band covering the chip in her wrist. Even if she ends up fully trusting these people, Jessica doesn’t want to tell them where she is originally from. With so much suffering in the city in contrast to the calm that used to surround her, she’s afraid it will completely change the way she’s treated.

“What about you? Do you have any hobbies?” Marquise asks.

“No, actually. I’ve done nothing, but study in my free time.” Jessica can only laugh at how pathetic her answer is compared to his.

“We all have plenty of time to choose. There’s nothing wrong with not knowing yet.”

Jessica stretches her legs and looks at her feet. Marquise’s words are a callback to what Kahler said earlier; ‘finding your place in the world’. Jessica is young with plenty of time to build her life, but believes she has a late start. It doesn’t even feel like she’s making her own decisions and instead going along with those around her.

After noticing how much Jessica dislikes this topic, even though she’s the one who brought it up, Marquise tries to focus on something else such as favorite foods or general likes.

They both agree winter is the best season of the year, but their taste in foods are vastly different. Jessica hasn’t even heard of most of what Marquise loves such as stromboli and cheesesteak. These examples are unique to the city with other areas only able to attempt to imitate them. This shows Jessica how little she knows of the world. She is sure to make a mental note of everything interesting, eventually cheering up over the course of the conversation.

Once they began talking, time passes by in a flash. Afraid of being late, the two quickly go back to the designated meeting area. There, they spot Yuuki standing with Shayna by her side, waving to them as they land on the same rooftop.

“Did everything go well?” Yuuki asks.

“It did, but surprisingly there didn’t seem to be many attacks around here. We barely heard any gunshots or sirens.” Marquise reports.

“Hmm, Bling didn’t sense much here either. We were mostly in Center City. How many did we get? 27?” Yuuki asks Shayna, trying to recall the amount of people they saved.

“That sounds about right. Though you were in charge of counting.”

Yuuki looks away to avoid her glare. “I did say something like that, didn’t I?”

Shayna sighs and turns to overlook the city. Even from the small home, you can see many miles out; streetlights that line each block, people on the streets, cars driving around. It’s 7 pm and the city is as busy as ever.

Then all of a sudden, Marquise rushes over and pulls Shayna down onto the roof and raises his shield. He’s sure to make it large enough to cover all of them despite being scattered. Everyone is surprised by his actions. In the process, you could hear a gun fire not once, but twice. They didn’t see anything with the first shot and the second grazed his shield.

It happened in an instant, not giving anyone besides Marquise a chance to react. Was it instinctual? Or was there enough time after the first shot to allow him to do so? He wasn’t even sure what direction it was coming from since the shots can sometimes echo or sound like they are coming from behind when it’s actually right in front of you. He could only gamble and hope he made the right decision. In this case, he did.

As if he was holding his breath, Marquise lets out a heavy sigh and sits back. His eyes now focus on Shayna to make sure she’s alright. His sole thought was to protect her, he didn’t consider how hard he may have pulled her.

“Sorry, did that hurt?”

With her knees folded flat on the roof, Shayna gives Marquise a look of relief, “Why are you apologizing? You saved me.”

Yuuki and Jessica move closer to the shield that may have saved their lives as well, crouching beside them while Shayna assesses the situation. The incident occurred in the home directly across the street.

“It’s a 64 year old woman…she died instantly from a gunshot to the head..”

She raises her hand, palm facing the home, and closes her eyes. “Rest in peace.”

The woman’s soul floats up into the sky until it disappears. This makes 28 for the night. To witness 28 murders, saving all those lives in two hours, it’s about the average for one weeknight, making it a good time to stop.

This is Jessica’s second time joining them and the closest she came to the violence in the city, but she was more shocked by Marquise’s sudden action rather than almost getting shot. Though this makes her wonder, if they didn’t decide to meet here at this time and missed the murder, then-

“What happens to the souls you don’t save?”

They can’t cover the entire city in just one night. Not to mention, the saviors only go out during the week, never the weekend, further limiting the amount of souls. Jessica thought this was a simple question with an easy answer, but the rest of the group’s pained expressions make her think otherwise.

“According to Kahler, there are two possibilities;” Yuuki begins to explain, “they pass on their own, or they’re taken and used.”

“Used?”

“That’s why it bothers me when I can’t stay out for long.” Shayna says with a sharp tone before mellowing out, “No one deserves to go through that. Especially not the innocent.”

Unsure of how to follow up after her comment, the conversation ends there. Yuuki decides it best to take Shayna home first and asks Marquise to watch over Jessica a little longer. He agrees and expands his shield into a sphere to cover the two of them. This is one of the two functions of his ability; he can either widen it to cover a large area, or enclose two to three people at once. It’s strong no matter what he uses.

Before Yuuki teleports, Jessica glances at Shayna. She did more than on the first night Jessica joined them, and looks even more pale compared to a few hours ago. She now understands her resolve, but from what Jessica was told, this also stems from the pressure she puts on herself. To be the perfect daughter and student. Jessica doesn’t fault her for any of that, she’s the same in some ways.

No one is forcing the young girl to do any of this and, no matter what any of them say, none of them can get through to her. Does she not even notice how worried she makes everyone? The urge to reach out to her grows even stronger.