A Cute Girl

A wet slap jolted me awake. Something heavy and damp pressed against my face, reeking of spoiled takeout.

What the- I thrashed, shoving the damp thing off.

A dumpster. I was lying in a fucking dumpster.

"Peng?" My voice echoed off metal sides. No "peng." Just silence and the buzz of flies.

You fucking useless penguin. I dove into the sea of trash, flinging bags and rotting food.

The stench made my eyes water, but I kept digging. Memories of Ten's words burned in my mind as I dug.

"You noticed it too, didn't you?" She asked after the Rust attack. "Every time you defeat one of them."

I hesitated, remembering that yellow bar filling up when Jiko... when I couldn't save him.

"Yeah."

"And you're absolutely certain about finding Inorin? No matter what?"

"More than ever."

She'd sighed then, the sound heavy with something I couldn't name. "There are other realms beyond this one. Each vastly different, each guarded by a Heavenly General like me. If Inorin exists anywhere... Well, that's where you'll find her. Realm by realm."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you're ready. Your Lobak has cultivated enough for ascension."

Ascension. The word had painted pictures of golden light and dramatic music. Not me face-down in yesterday's trash.

Suddenly, a flipper broke through the trash like a drowning man's hand. I lunged for it, yanking Peng out by its flipper. It emerged with a wet splorch, covered in what I desperately hoped was just curry sauce.

"I hate you sometimes."

Peng's vacant stare said everything.

I hauled myself out of the dumpster, feet dropping onto surprisingly clean cobblestones. An alley stretched before us, the walls looking like it was freshly scrubbed.

Right as stepped out of the alleyway, a blur of black slammed into my shoulder. Some asshole in tactical gear sprinted past us, not even breaking stride.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Peng slipped from my grasp. Its cylindrical body hit the ground and started rolling.

"Oh for fuck's sake, Peng, why do you have to be so god damn round!"

I chased after it. Just as I was about to grab it, the ground... ended.

My stomach lurched. Below stretched an endless maze of cloth awnings, cascading down a jagged cliff face like massive steps. And there went Peng, bouncing from awning to awning.

"Peng!"

I vaulted over the cliff edge, my feet landing against the first awning. The fabric sagged under my weight but held.

A group of merchants screamed as Peng crashed through their display of merchandise.

"Sorry!" (Not really.) I leaped from awning to awning, the world tilting with each landing. 

Just when I thought I gained on the runaway penguin, Peng ended up hitting a sloped awning and shot sideways. It smashed through a hanging basket of fruits, emerged covered in pulp, and kept rolling.

"Oh come on!" I changed direction mid-jump, grabbed a clothesline, and swung after it. The line snapped. I tumbled through someone's drying laundry, emerged wearing underwear on my head, but kept running.

Finally, Peng's roll ended with a resonant bong. It landed in a massive bronze chalice at a metalworker's stall. The vendor, an old man with more piercings than teeth, plucked Peng up by its flipper.

"This yours?"

"Yes, now give him back." I reached for Peng, but the vendor yanked him away.

"Not so fast." He turned the chalice around, revealing a Peng-shaped dent in the bronze. "Pay up first."

My eye twitched. "Are you kidding? Some asshole in black knocked into me! How is this my fault?"

"No money no… whatever this shit is." He shook Peng for emphasis.

I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles cracked. One punch. Just one punch would feel so good right now...

A flash of black caught my eye. The same tactical gear bastard who'd knocked into me, now weaving through the market crowd.

"Hold my penguin. I'll be right back."

Fat chance they're getting away.

The crowd ahead parted in waves around my target. Perfect. I grabbed the edge of a fruit cart and used it as a springboard, launching over a cluster of shoppers. Their startled yelps followed me as I landed in a roll.

Tactical Gear glanced back. Even through their face mask, I caught their eyes widening.

Tactical Gear ducked under a line of hanging lanterns. Amateur move. I grabbed the line and yanked, sending the whole row swinging in front of Tactical Gear. They stumbled, giving me the opening I needed.

I tackled them from behind, both of us crashing into a pile of carpets. Before they could get up, I grabbed their collar and jerked them around to face me.

"Got you, asshole!"

"Let me go!" The voice crackled through their helmet like a broken radio.

"Oh shut up with that robot voice! It's annoying as hell!"

I grabbed their helmet and with one hard yank, it popped right off. Long black hair spilled out, framing a delicate face with bright brown eyes.

"A... cute girl?"