Bystander

When Hank saw the numbers in his shop slowly start to wean, at first he’d figured it was getting late. It was hard to tell the time, these days, and he was getting old anyway. He was just pleased to get some restful moments on this loud winter day. A few minutes ago, he heard some strange loud pop off in the distance, but ever since, he’d had nothing but peace and quiet.

But when he looked outside and saw the barren streets, dotted only by a few tourists from nearby coming in, getting confused, and walking back out, he started to get the feeling something was up. He took a step outside, locked his cafe door, and sauntered up to the knife shop across from him.

Persephone was still haggling with a customer over an anime replica. He didn’t understand the words they were saying, something about a “die ranger” or some other nonsense. They didn’t make them like they used to.

“Seph, you got a minute?” Hank interrupted their meeting. There really wasn’t anyone else buying anything, so she gave him the time of day.

“What’s up? You know anything? I think someone’s boycotting me.”

“Yeah, no, I uh- it looks like nobody’s really coming near here, you usually see ‘em walk up from around the Missile Man, but now the few I do see are only coming from other areas.”

“Huh. Yep, that’s a puzzle. Do ya know why that is?”

“Not the foggiest. Thought maybe you would.”

The businesswoman handed the customer the multicolored blade and received a wad of bills, shaking his hand before she shooed him away. For some reason, only now was she getting concerned.

“Hank, you reckon we oughta close up shop for the day?”

“Well… alright, sure. Seems to reason if we’re not getting guests, something’s gotta be-“

Hank pressed his tired hands to his ears as the crack of a roof, combined with the breaking of the sound barrier, made a sound like double cannon fire. Persephone instinctively grabbed a blade off her wall before she saw it outside the now-cracked window of her store- across the road, the figure shop next to Hank’s place was blasted open from the top.

Dust was flying off the caved-in roof, and in seconds it was surrounded by fifteen armed people in suits. It was probably the most startling sight either of them had ever seen, and it only got worse from there.

The screaming began. First it was middle-aged and angry, then young, terrified, and not to mention many. The brawl of the century was going down just beyond what they could see.