Change of Plans

His name was Iroko, Kiyoshi Iroko. He always had a fascination with heights and landscapes, so he sought a job that involved being in the sky. Pilot? No, too much responsibility and danger. He just wanted to be in the sky, so he chose the perfect position: flight attendant!

He boarded the plane as usual, ready to make the preparations for the flight. He always needed to arrive hours before the passengers to ensure a safe and comfortable flight. He practiced smiling and greeting everyone; even though his teeth were sharp and intimidating, his eyes showed compassion and love for his work.

Besides his love for the sky, he could also travel from place to place, having some time for sightseeing. It was a perfect life, although he didn't have much freedom or money. He was the type who couldn't make decisions on his own, so receiving orders wasn't such a bad option.

The time came for the passengers to arrive. They were all ordinary, with nothing to draw his attention. Security was always strict, so none of them could wear extravagant clothes, since every pocket could be used to hide a tool. 

However, someone peculiar boarded. His clothes were normal, but his hair was green, very light, and straight. They were about the same age.

A cosplayer? I guess he can't use his clothes here.

The flight began without anything unusual happening. It was like any other day, but that wasn't a problem for Iroko. Daily life was easier to bear, as he was already used to it.

He was in the aisle of the plane, watching the passengers, when something sudden happened: an explosion. But it wasn't an ordinary explosion. The entire left wing and the wall were destroyed, throwing nearby passengers out and killing everyone closest to the point of impact.

As Iroko was about to be sucked out, something blocked his path: a green grate. It wasn't opaque, but it was solid. The wall, wing, and seats that had been destroyed were replaced by the grid, preventing air from escaping.

Even so, Iroko hit his head hard, so he was bleeding a little. To make matters worse, the escaped air caused the pressure inside the plane to decrease, as well as the oxygen level. He tried to stand up, but his body wasn't used to such critical conditions. A helping hand reached out to him.

He looked up; it was the green-haired guy.

— Are you okay?

Iroko: "Not really, but thanks."

He got up with the help of the kind young man, who looked around for survivors. Most were alive and well, with some minor injuries.

— Does anyone need urgent medical assistance?

— Me!

A fat, middle-aged man ran up to him, pointing to a small cut on his face.

— That isn't urgent, but we have time until... wait a second, you, you work here?

He pointed to Iroko.

Iroko: "Me? Y-Yes, I'm a flight attendant."

— Could you go up to the cockpit and see if the pilots are okay? And ask them in detail what happened?

Iroko: "Sure, I'll get going!"

He rushed to the cockpit, expecting the worst. He knocked on the door, not expecting an answer.

Iroko: "Hey, is anyone there? I'm Kiyoshi Iroko, I work here. What happened?" 

The door opened, revealing one of his coworkers. They didn't know each other very well, since each flight attendant was assigned to a different plane and a different trip, but they had seen each other before boarding.

— You're with us, right? We fear a terrorist attack might have happened.

— No, I don't think that's what it was.

The pilot spoke up, breaking the tense atmosphere.

— We saw something bright and very fast approaching the plane, but it was so quick that we couldn't avoid it.

Iroko: "A bright object? Can you describe it in more details?"

— We couldn't see properly because of the sun, but it looked like a fireball. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but my co-pilot saw the same thing.

He nodded, confirming that everything the pilot had said was true. The other flight attendant was confused.

— A fireball? I was just inspecting the site, so I didn't see it. Are you sure the engine wasn't faulty?

— It was working perfectly before we parted. Besides, a simple malfunction wouldn't cause that much damage to the plane.

Iroko: "The entire wing was destroyed, along with part of the wall..."

The flight attendant was perplexed.

— The wing?! Even the wall?! We're going to crash!

Iroko: "Oh, right, you weren't back there. Don't worry, it's already been repaired."

— But how?! How is this plane even flying?

Iroko: "You can see for yourselves, it's hard to explain. Thank you for the report, everyone, I'll think of something."

— What do you mean? So that explosion simply disappeared?! What is going on?

He rushed back to the passenger aisle and met the green-haired guy.

Iroko: "Alright, so..."

— Call me Kuroki.

Iroko: "Kuroki, the pilots said they saw a very fast fireball approaching the plane. I have no idea what that means."

Kuroki: "Just as I suspected... Blazy..."

Iroko: "Who?"

The flight attendant came running to meet them.

— What the hell happened?! And why is the wall a green grate now?

Iroko: "Calm down, I'm just as confused as you are. Haven't you learned how to stay calm in emergencies?"

— How can I stay calm when we're being attacked? We're going to die!

Iroko: "We don't have much oxygen. If you panic, you might faint."

Kuroki: "I won't let any of you die."

Iroko noticed something strange: the cut on the middle-aged man's face had been replaced by a green grate, identical to the one that covered the broken wall and wing.

The flight attendant took a deep breath and calmed down.

— I'm sorry, you were right. If we don't stay calm, the passengers will panic.

Iroko: "They already are."

Everyone was confused after witnessing supernatural events. Some injured people tried to get Kuroki's attention so he would heal them, but he ignored them.

Kuroki: "I no longer have a reason to hide my power, but be warned: I can't heal people. I replaced the damaged surfaces with this solid grid, but it will disappear after a while. So, unless it's urgent, don't bother me."

Iroko: "You have a power...?"

Kuroki: "Yeah, I'd rather keep it hidden, but we have no choice now."

Iroko's smile widened, revealing his sharp teeth and crimson eyes. He was used to seeing beautiful landscapes in his work, but this time, he was genuinely amazed.

Iroko: "I always believed that powers existed! So yours is to fix things temporarily, right? That's so cool! How can I acquire a power?"

Kuroki: "More importantly, will the pilots be able to get us to safety? The destroyed engine and wing are functioning now, but only thanks to my power. If I get distracted for a moment, the hole will open up again."

Iroko: "Oh, okay, sorry, I didn't know. They seem to be doing just fine in the cockpit, so everything is alright."

Kuroki: "Good to know. But if Blazy attacks again, I must be quick... I let some people die because I wasn't paying attention."

Iroko: "You mean the people who were sucked out? Don't worry, it wasn't your fault."

Kuroki: "It was. I'm the only player here, so I should have expected an attack."

Iroko: "Player?"

Kuroki: "I wouldn't recommend venturing into this world unless you're willing to risk everything, including your family."

Iroko: "I don't live with my family."

Kuroki: "Doesn't matter. They always find a way."

Iroko: "Who is Blazy?"

Kuroki: "Listen, I know the supernatural sounds exciting, but it's not worth it. I got into it for a reason, but you don't seem to have one."

Iroko: "That's where you're wrong..."

He pointed to himself with a proud smile.

Iroko: "The supernatural is my main passion!"

Kuroki: "Then why are you here?"

Iroko: "Doesn't flying seem supernatural enough to you? Seeing all the cities from here... the breathtaking landscape... we're almost like gods watching over humanity."

Kuroki: "Is that your reason for working as a flight attendant? Don't you have a stronger motivation?"

Iroko: "Hey, don't mock my dream! I thought it was impossible for me to become a god until now, but you proved me wrong."

Kuroki: "A god? Don't be ridiculous. You'll end up like Blazy."

Iroko: "Then again, who is Blazy?"

Kuroki didn't answer. They listened to the chaotic conversation in the background, thinking about their next words.

Iroko: "I want to have a power. Please, let's form a team. I'll help you. Taking care of everything and everyone alone is exhausting."

Kuroki: "Speaking from experience?"

Iroko giggled.

Iroko: "Kinda."

Kuroki: "Let's continue this conversation after we land. We can't risk having another player here if she plans to attack again."

He was disappointed.

Iroko: "Seriously...?"