Wino (pronounced: we-no), like many other citizens, adored his cozy human life. Its tranquil, predictable, and equitable nature intoxicated them––almost to the point of blissful submission. As an added bonus, this liberal lifestyle unshackled humans from the brutal dominion of wayward magicians. Their reign had come to a bitter end a few years back. Anti-magician sentiment fueled a bloody overthrow and kick-started the sovereign rule of the Humans. These were to be the golden years of humanity. They believed it'd last forever. But little did they know, the war with the magicians was far from over.
Wino stared at Ibrahim's wand stationed atop his marble kitchen countertop. It symbolized near-infinite power restrained only by the talent of its wielder. He thought it a pity that no life swirled through its amethyst core anymore. It sat coldly for months. Distressed wood swathed the now gray, cold, and lifeless orb. It was no larger than a fist, and no livelier than a dead mouse. Wino panned to his best friend slouched over the living room couch.
Ibrahim was a short magician. His foot rocked over the center table. TV rays washed over his Oakwood brown skin draped over by a flowing satin dress. This robe swept down to his ankles like an overgrown shirt. Bags hung beneath his sleepy eyes and a single vein bulged above his furrowed brow. He detested this new reality.
Wino didn't want to further irritate Ibrahim. It'd been months since he'd last held his precious wand. Wino hoped Ibrahim might actually let it go if granted enough time. For now, it just sat there. And every day, Wino inched it closer and closer to the trashcan. He hoped that one day, he'd knock it down, and Ibrahim wouldn't notice because he'd moved on or simply wouldn't care enough to do anything about it. He thought, Then I'll turn the wand into the police for him, give him the reward money and help him to move on. He could try and make something of himself in this new world of ours. But for now, he'd simply wait it out, measuring time by the inches.
Wino snuck his head around the corner of the door. He peeked out from his room, and analyzed the expression on Ibrahim's face from a distance. Ibrahim, his life-long best friend, had been kind of down lately and acted rather grouchy. But, Wino considered this part of his transition. He'll get through this, Wino thought.
Wino emerged from his room, into a little corridor, and stepped into the adjacent living room. He was about one foot taller than Ibrahim, had golden brown skin, and a thin frame. His black hair faded at the sides and coiled along his scalp. His striped socks grazed over the oatmeal-and-raisin carpet. They ruffled as he shuffled past Ibrahim—and the wand—into the stone-walled, polished wood floor of the kitchen. He sparked on the gas stove. Ibrahim reeled one arm over the couch and stared blankly at some sitcom. The warm light stemming from outside the apartment dimmed, as the evening breeze rushed upon the windowpanes. A burnt orange sunset faded just beyond the horizon.
The glittering cityscape twinkled in Wino's periphery like a series of flashlights communicating across the towering concrete buildings. The hazy glints mimicked a Morse code conversation. The lights of this apartment complex switched off and stillness set about the scenery.
The complex was labeled The U cognizant of its U-shaped, ultramodern design. The two wings contained multi-unit dwellings while the center mass consisted of a series of lobbies with showrooms topped by a glass-bodied, steel-framed sky bridge. Transactions rang into Wino's earshot. Youths patronized the shops that ran along the inner walls of The U. They enclosed a courtyard creating a mini-shopping complex complete with exotic food stands and flamboyant entertainers.
Suddenly, a loud crackle shattered the serenity of the evening, masking it beneath a surging storm. Ant-sized guests and residents swiveled curiously. Storm clouds swirled about a focal point, forming a whirlpool of frosty moisture. A call echoed from above The U, it heralded from the heavens. Residents inside the opposing apartments glanced towards their windows as others threw them open. They jutted their heads out.
High in the sky, hovering atop a wide cruiser board minus the wheels, sat a Witch. She perched atop this decorated hoverboard with legs crossed at her knees. She had warm bronze skin that gleamed sleekly in the moonlight.
The Witch laughed, "Come on people! You don't have to give up. Magic isn't dead yet. We can't just give in to this. Let's make some noise. Let's have some fun!"
More people inside The U shuffled to their windows. They pressed up against the glass sky bridge and windows of the walkways. Lights sparked on from within their rooms. Wino curiously motioned for his own window while Ibrahim simply glanced over his shoulder. He quickly snapped back to the TV – like he couldn't be bothered.
Eventually, the Witch in the sky raised her arms, conjuring a purple ball of electricity. The flash of light revealed her deep, glittering, and purple blouse with a black skirt. Like a turtleneck, the cut out shoulders and waist revealed her supple skin. She wore boots and fishnet stockings. Her yellow eyes gleamed like a cat's against the night sky.
She shouted, "Don't worry, I'll take the first shot. I'll wake you up myself!"
She hurled the ball skyward where it divided into individual violet missiles. They arced for the crowds beaming towards the ground. They scattered and pummeled the environment: fountains, sections of The U, and the distant cityscape. Colorful chairs scraped the clay-colored stone tiles as everyone leaped from their seats. The crowds scattered into the shops.
Screams rang out. Residents cowered in the hallways crouching along the walls while others dashed back into their rooms. They trampled over one another in their scramble for shelter. The shops backed up so much so that fleeing occupants reversed into the hailstorm, forced to search for alternative hiding places.
An elderly man tumbled in the uproar while another guy, likely a resident, curled to shield his fractured arm, wrapped in a caste from further injury. Screams of terror filled the night sky echoing as they rose. Rubble rained down over the pavement from collapsing infrastructure. It sprinkled over the fallen, the weak, and the helpless. The chaos stirred confusion.
Some parts of The U, however, were untouched––for now at least. One such space was Wino's room.
Wino calmly scanned the hellish scene beyond his window. "Sounds like someone's using magic. It's been a while."
Ibrahim lurched forward, as he changed the channel. Flickering over it, he read, 'Breaking News.' A suited newscaster came online beside a live-streamed video of the maniacal Witch in the sky.
"I'm not sure what's going on," the anchor started. "But it looks like the popular residential complex commonly known as 'The U' is under fire from yet another magician."
Ibrahim gripped his knees unsettlingly.
The anchor continued, "We're not certain of the details, but we do have live video coming from eyewitnesses inside the complex as we speak. Authorities have been notified of the destructive use of magic and have been dispatched. Additionally, connections to the Blue Bandit have yet to be established. For all we know, she may be acting alone. In the meantime, we're urging all residents to stay inside and lock their doors. All pedestrians need to find shelter."
Ibrahim wore a look of genuine fixation. He'd never displayed this degree of stimulation since he'd moved in.
Wino pivoted back to the window. "Well, The General will get to her and––"
A rumble stirred behind him. He whipped around, as Ibrahim gunned for the door. It flung open.
Instinctively, Wino barked, "Wait! Where are you going? Ibrahim!" A glance to the kitchen countertop revealed the wand disappeared. Wino gasped. "Oh no."
Behind Wino, beyond his windows and beneath the heavens, the Witch projected an inferno of chaos. She volleyed blasts randomly, and with no regard for the lives she wrecked. This attack painfully reminded him of the days when he and Ibrahim used to travel the world. They often encountered these beings––these magicians. A smirk clearly lined her face, her eyes gleamed like moonlight over the ocean, and she energetically launched additional projectiles into the fleeing crowd. She fed on their helplessness and basked in the madness. Her board twirled, exposing hoards of civilians to her sadistic terror. Her own violence enthralled her.
The Witch sang ecstatically, "Come on people, let's go back the way things were. Let's have some fun! Somebody's got to have magic, right? Who's with me?"
Wino sprinted into the hall after Ibrahim. He bolted past frightened people in the hallways, shouting for him to stop. The Witch's voice broke past the plastered walls as they sped past. Paintings, glass panels, and people blurred out of sight. It felt like riding a bullet train through a tunnel. Now, Wino had never been one to fly down the halls at max speed, but this fearless maniac just might do something they both regret. Before Ibrahim could turn the corner and dart into the sky bridge, Wino tackled him. The galaxy-carpeted hallway spun. Ibrahim's robe scrunched in Wino's fist. His back bounced against the floor.
Ibrahim growled, "What are you doing? Get off me!"
"You'll get yourself killed or arrested!" Wino retorted. "We're supposed to stay inside."
Ibrahim tightened his face in response. He squinted, furrowed his brows and grit his teeth. He glanced into the sky bridge and spotted the Witch hovering in front of the glass. There she was, his ticket out of this miserable lifestyle. Floodlights projected her shadow upon the opposite glass panes of the bridge. The light shone from the courtyard. The pair froze.
A voice from the plaza projected, "Well, would you look at this? It's been a while since I've had any takers."
The diminishing echoes of this voice silenced Wino and Ibrahim.
***
Beyond the walls of The U stood a woman in a militaristic police uniform. She wore a confident smile and flashed a row of pearly whites. Her hands folded behind her waist, as she planted her feet shoulder-width apart in a power stance. Her maroon jacket laced with white trim dangled over her broad shoulder. Badges adorned her left breast. Foot soldiers scurried into the plaza from her rear. They wove into position. Many of them stopped to check on the people inside the shops while others took up defensive positions behind shattered concrete walls and toppled objects. The Witch hovered in the sky with a cocky grin upon her face.
She broke the tension with an air of nonchalance, saying, "You must be The General."
This woman, this soldier, 'The General' responded, "And you must not be from here, otherwise you'd know this town is mine."
The Witch sneered. "Oh? I don't see your name on it. This city belongs to the people who can run it––people with powers."
"People like you?"
"We handled things much better than you lot. Always have."
"Times change."
Wino glared at the Witch with anxiety creeping upon his face. His heart pounded in his chest. He scrunched Ibrahim's shoulder in his grip. Like a child soon to be caught red-handed, his stomach stirred with anticipated guilt.
The General led the human revolution against the magicians. She seized control during Ibrahim's stasis and took advantage of what societal stability Wino and Ibrahim had set in place before his disappearance. Her militarized foundation allowed places like The U to develop. By taming the magicians and restricting the flow of magic, the world metamorphosed. This domestication of wild magicians, however, spawned power-hungry magicians like Ibrahim.
***
Outside, the General commanded, "Bring it in." She twirled around.
Her subordinates rolled in a creaking steel container on a dolly. They plopped it onto the floor with a loud thud bellowing into the atmosphere. One soldier presented himself before the ominous container while others retrieved pieces from the steel crate and clipped them onto him. They clasped smooth, metallic armor plates onto his thighs, his forearm, and neck. They clamped elbow pads and a biker's helmet on top of his head, veiling his eyes. It lit up with an orange "V." He faced The General. He resembled a humanoid cyborg with very few crevices exposing his uniform beneath. In fact, the soldier had to twist and bend to reveal these openings. The General strut up to him.
A subordinate started, "Chief, you know this is still under development?"
"I'm aware." She hummed flicking particles from the uniform. "Just give it your best shot."
The man inside barked patriotically, "Yes, ma'am!"
He turned into the Witch and clenched his fists. An eerie silence fell over the plaza. Subtle chattering crept into the ambiance. They rippled into the halls.
Wino wedged his palm into Ibrahim's shoulder mumbling, "What is that thing?"
Ibrahim groaned, "Get off me."
The bionic soldier leapt skyward. An emerging sound wave cracked the glass windows of the first-story shops. The Witch threw herself back to evade him. He darted by like a spear, snagged his fingers upon the sky bridge, and chipped the glass near Ibrahim. The Witch glared at the cyborg. Turning back, she found The General shrugged with immodest approval.
The super-soldier hunched on the steel frame of the glass sky bridge. He leapt, clutching for the Witch. She dodged the man and threw her palm out to blast him towards the concrete. A glint of violet light shined followed by a thunderous clap. The man plunged like a meteor. He splattered into a cloud of dust, debris, and gravel. His subordinates drew their guns at the triumphant Witch. However, from the smoke and rubble, the suited man climbed to his feet. He scrubbed his helmet like he suffered a headache.
The officer that advised the General commented, "It absorbed the impact!"
Astounded, the officers scanned the sheer height of The U.
"What's it made of? Is it magic?" The Witch grumbled in the air.
The super-soldier rose to attempt another grab. He ricocheted against the walls of the U trying to land a single hit. The Witch outwitted his every strike. She swirled like a spinning top and zigzagged to evade suppressive fire. She outmaneuvered the assault while maintaining eye contact with her nemesis.
The General clearly commanded great influence. Those that stood against her risked lifetime imprisonment or even execution at her hand. However, this was precisely why the Witch challenged her. If The Witch could best The General in front of all these people, the marginalized magicians who observed from the shadows would likely heed her call. Then, she'd successfully overthrow this new world order. This gamble hinged on The Witches desperate performance. But, she may have bitten off more than she can chew. The onslaught prevented her from retaliating. Its pressure was nearly too great for her reflexes.
As, he spun slowed, her hair danced majestically in tune to her dress. The cyborg made for her thigh. She repelled him onto the sky bridge. He skidded to a halt, cracking the glass as he slowed. Determined, he jousted back into the swarm.
***
Ibrahim suddenly broke from Wino's grip. He palmed Wino's chin and threw him onto his back. Ibrahim dashed for the sky bridge.
Wino screamed, "What are you doing? You'll get yourself killed."
Ibrahim stopped midway. He flailed his arms to signal the Witch. Wino froze at the connection between the bridge and the west wing of The U. He whispered desperately for Ibrahim to stop. Onlookers set their sights upon him with wonder. Wino receded. His mind spun as to how he should quell this sudden inferno within Ibrahim. It's like Ibrahim dismissed the dangers of The General, her team, and even the super-soldier bouncing all over the place. Ibrahim saw something in the Witch and desperately sought after it. Wino hoped this battle would end quickly. The sooner the Witch fell, the safer they would be.
***