Yolan and IM walked closer to my side.
"Looks like they're fighting over something?" Yolan asked, observing the scene below.
IM leaned in, "Probably because one cut the other off, and the guy didn't like it?"
"Yeah, that's possible..." I replied.
Yolan stretched her back, "Let me handle this. You two wait here... Xian, make me fly again."
I nodded.
Yolan can fly as she wishes... floating in the sky without any wings, I imagined, focusing my power on her.
Just then, Yolan lifted off the edge bulding and soared towards the two men who were locked in a heated brawl.
Yolan descended gracefully, landing between the two men with a powerful thud that cracked the asphalt beneath her feet. The fighters, startled by her sudden appearance, immediately ceased their struggle and stared at her in bewilderment.
"Hey, boys," Yolan said, her voice amplified by the night air. "Why don't we settle this like civilized people?"
One of the men, a burly fellow with a shaved head and a tattoo snaking up his neck, scoffed. "And who are you, lady? The fashion police?"
Yolan grinned, her eyes glinting dangerously beneath her mask. "Let's just say I'm someone who doesn't appreciate senseless violence."
The other man, lean and wiry with a nervous twitch in his eye, spoke up. "This guy!" he pointed to the burly man. "Almost killed me and my family by driving recklessly!"
"I wasn't driving recklessly! You were driving in the middle of the road!" the burly man retorted.
"That's what the road is for! Driving in the road!"
"The road has two sides, left and right! And you were in the middle!"
Yolan stepped between the two men, her hands resting on her hips. "Enough!" she commanded, her voice cutting through their heated argument. "I don't care who's at fault. What I do care about is that you're causing a disturbance and endangering innocent lives."
She gestured towards the backed-up traffic, the frustrated drivers honking their horns and yelling obscenities. "Look around you. You're holding up an entire city block because of your petty squabble."
The burly man crossed his arms, a defiant look on his face. "So what? It's none of your business."
Yolan's eyes narrowed. "It becomes my business when you start endangering others," she said, her voice hardening. "Now, I'm going to give you two options. Either you settle this peacefully, or I'll settle it for you."
The two men exchanged uneasy glances. Yolan's imposing presence and the glint of the blades on her boots made it clear that she wasn't bluffing.
The lean man sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Fine, fine," he muttered. "I'll apologize. I'm sorry for driving in the middle of the road."
The burly man hesitated, then grudgingly mumbled an apology as well.
Yolan nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now, shake hands and move your vehicles out of the way."
The men reluctantly complied, their faces still flushed with anger but their bodies obeying her command. As they cleared the road, traffic began to flow once more, the tension dissipating like a popped balloon.
She flew back to the top of the building, joining us.
"That was an easy one... and I can feel people taking pictures of me secretly, or just staring," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Of course they would... a woman who just descends from the sky, flying? She looks like a goddess, I thought, chuckling to myself.
I continued to sit on the edge, my legs dangling over the building's side.
"So, any danger?" IM asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"Honestly, it's not like there's danger all the time, you know?" Yolan replied, leaning against the railing.
"Of course... this country seemed so ordinary... or at least that's what we thought," I mused, gazing out at the cityscape.
A comfortable silence settled over us, each lost in their own thoughts. The city lights twinkled below, a mesmerizing tapestry of human activity. It was easy to forget, amidst the hustle and bustle, that there was a hidden world beneath the surface, a world of ghosts, spirits, and extraordinary abilities.
"I wonder what other secrets this city holds," Yolan mused, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Only time will tell," IM replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "But one thing's for sure, we'll be there to face whatever comes our way."
I nodded in agreement, a sense of determination filling me.
"Honestly," I said, breaking the silence, "I thought being a hero would be like in the cartoons, you know? Hanging around or flying around, helping people... But now, it's actually kind of boring. There aren't many people who need saving..."
"That's because we're just staying in one city," Yolan pointed out.
"If you want more action, go to Papua and fight the OPM," IM blurted out.
I looked at him and smirked, "Well, I'm a bit scared of what the Human Rights Commision would say about that."
Yolan chuckled, "Stop talking about people like that... You're right, this country has plenty of worse things going on... but on a larger scale..."
I lay back against the building, looking up at the sky. "So we're just going to wait?"
"Yeah..." Yolan said, sitting beside me.
"Hey, IM," I called out.
"Yeah?"
"Are there any ghosts that commonly attack humans?"
"Ghosts? Ghosts are actually rare. Most of what people encounter are Jinns, creatures who whisper to humans, tempting them to make bad decisions," he explained.
"Is there any big ghost like that Whale we killed that day?" I asked, recalling the terrifying encounter.
"If we're talking about big whales or legendary ghosts, there are plenty, but not in the city. They know it's a bad decision to venture into the middle of the human world," IM replied.
"Cowards, huh?" I scoffed.
"Maybe," IM chuckled. "Or maybe they're just smart enough to avoid unnecessary conflict."
I sighed, my gaze returning to the city lights below. "So, what now? We just sit here and wait for something to happen?"
Yolan shrugged. "I guess so. Or we could go grab some ice cream. My treat."
"I didn't bring any money," I said, patting my pockets.
"Use mine, I brought plenty," Yolan offered generously.
"Alright..." I got up, a smile tugging at my lips.
***
Arriving at the ice cream shop, everyone stared at us as we entered.
"Umm... that would be 45k...." the cashier said, her voice faltering slightly. She seemed to be struggling to contain her laughter.
She couldn't handle our costumes, huh? Though, they were kind of cool... maybe people were just astonished.
Yolan handed over the money.
Everyone in the shop was taking pictures of us, not even trying to hide it.
Yolan chuckled, seemingly unbothered by the attention. "Well, this is certainly attracting some attention," she remarked, taking a seat at a nearby table.
IM leaned closer, a mischievous grin on his face. "Maybe we should start charging for photos."
I rolled my eyes. "Let's just enjoy our ice cream before this turns into a full-blown circus."
As we savored our frozen treats, the whispers and camera flashes continued. It was a surreal experience, being both admired and feared at the same time. I couldn't help but wonder how long we could maintain this double life, balancing our ordinary high school existence with our extraordinary abilities.
Maybe this is the new normal, I thought, taking another bite of my ice cream. A world where heroes and villains coexist, where the line between reality and fantasy blurs.
It was a world full of danger and uncertainty, but it was also a world where anything was possible. And I, for one, was ready to embrace it.
"Come on, Xian, don't just stand there," Yolan called out to me, snapping me out of my reverie.
I jolted back to reality and realized that both of them were already at the doorway, ready to leave. I had been so lost in my thoughts, creating my own story in my head, that I hadn't noticed them getting up.
I hurried to catch up with them, a sheepish grin on my face.
"Here," Yolan said, handing me an ice cream cone.
I took the ice cream, holding it in my hands while walking and wondering, How the hell am I supposed to eat this thing with my mask on?
"We should find a high place again," I suggested, hoping to find a more secluded spot to enjoy our treats.
"Yeah, I don't want to blow my cover either," Yolan agreed.
We retraced our steps back to the tall building where we had started our patrol. Once again, we found ourselves perched on the edge, the city lights twinkling like a sea of stars beneath us. I looked at the ice cream cone in my hand, then at IM and Yolan, a mischievous grin spreading across my face.
I opened my mask, letting my long hair flow in the wind. "You know, I think my hair is going to get ruined if I keep it tucked inside my mask," I complained.
Yolan laughed, "Then just cut it."
While eating the ice cream, I shook my head, disagreeing with her. "I don't want to," I said, protectively touching my hair.
< Chapter 126 > Fin.