The blue skies were pale and soft, without a cloud in the sky. With a cup of coffee in hand and a suitcase on the other, Felix headed to the agency's air terminal, which was already set to leave. Ahead of him stood Maria, waiting for him beside the jet.
Felix took his time walking.
When he finally made it, Maria reached out her hand with eyes full of pity and pressed it on Felix's shoulder, "I won't be there to take care of you, okay? No one's gonna be there to pick up after your mess, understand?" She said condescendingly.
A vein pulsed on his forehead, but played along regardless, "I understand. You don't have to worry about me."
"You didn't forget to pack a grappling hook, did you?"
"I actually brought two, in case one explodes again."
"Hope you do a better job bodyguarding this girl than you did with me. If you want my advice, just try not to let her get shot."
"I'll... try my best." He replied with a click of his tongue.
"Don't forget about me, okay?" She teased, placing her hand on Felix's cheek with a teary, mocking smile on her face.
I really want to hit her but she unfortunately had a point. I did make for a lousy bodyguard. However...
Felix, overcome by his annoyance of her taunts, pinched her checks. "What is wrong with you?!"
"Ah guwayt— menny thi— s-stahp it!" But as she tried to whimper out her response, he pinched her cheeks harder.
He sighed and let go before looking at her with a serious look, "You want me to get you an autograph or something?"
"What, are you gonna take a photo with them or something? Nah, I'm more of a rock kinda girl." She answered in a somewhat oddly triumphant tone.
"Mhm… why?"
"I don't like how idols are always so upbeat and overly cheerful. How they always seem ecstatic to make fans happy. It all seems so fake to me." She said as she lowered her head, her tone was sharper than usual and dripping with petulance.
"Harsh... Alright, if that's it, then I'm going—" Felix replied, about to go inside the plane.
"Actually, I want you to tell me something." Maria spoke in a more serious manner.
"Mhm, what is it?"
"What is it that's bothering you?"
"Wha— nothing's bothering me."
"Liar, you've looked troubled since this morning."
"Like I said, it's nothing."
"It's about Jackal, isn't it?"
"Huh?"
"I saw you smirk when you heard his name."
"Hm… right. I'm just… we finally get a trail. We finally get to find him."
"Right… Good luck, and leave nothing to chance, as Chief Vivian would put it."
"Thanks."
As he took a step forward, however, Maria added, "And Felix. You may be the Blue Phantom, the professional masked assassin... but without the mask, you're just you. Resident dumdum and... my irreplaceable friend. So, be careful, okay?"
"Okay. Don't worry, I'll be fine." He replied as he placed his hand on her head.
From inside the jet, he noticed from the corner of his eye, the silver-haired girl and the blond young man from before, getting down from a black car at the agency's entrance. He continued to gaze with his cheek against his hand, but they were eventually out of sight as it began to ascend.
*
As the hours passed, visions of the past flashed in his mind as he drifted to sleep. Fragmented memories replaying as dreams.
He saw himself as a child on a podium with several other children, standing under the gold and red banners of the Golden Lion Agency. The loud voice from the microphone was an indescribable blur, and the only words that he could clearly make out was "Proud" and "The Implementation."
They were then herded into black cars by men in dark suits, their faces obscured by shadows.
As he stepped out of the vehicle, he was greeted by the warm, stiff air under the clear blue sky. Yet the sight ahead struck him much more discomfort, as he saw the facility standing before them — A white building that felt like it belonged to a city long forgotten. A relic with crumbling corners and a dirty, fading white coat that grayed with age.
The feeling of desolation quickly dawned on them. Their senses screamed not to enter inside.
Not a single one dared to step forward, so the men in suits dragged them inside one by one. Yet as the man grabbed his arm, he heard one of the men yell out in pain.
One of the other boys had bit his handler's hand and quickly bolted.
Fear and adrenaline took over the boy as he made his escape, but before he could get far, a loud crack, along with the scent of gunpowder.
Felix's eyes jolted open as he gasped. He had a distraught expression as his heart raced, only to realize that the jet was descending.
He looked out the window and saw that he was already landing. And as he got down, he was greeted by a breath of cool, crisp air, before immediately being taken to the city by a car with Obsidian Industries logo, to the building where the heiress was residing.
At the front of the building were three bars, one taller than the next, encased in two triangles. The logo of Obsidian Industries.
Felix walked through the corridor at the highest floor, where he found a number of girls in colorful outfits stood behind the door of where he was supposed to go.
"You girls wouldn't happen to be Starry Sweethearts, would you?" Felix asked.
"Ah, y-yes!" One of the girl's responded in a tense manner.
"Um, are any of you girls Yumiko Sakurazawa?"
The girls looked at him with an uneasy expression.
"A-are you her new bodyguard?" One of the girls asked.
"W-wait, Ayame-chan." Another girl from behind her tugged her sleeve.
"Yes. Is there something wrong?" Felix smiled warmly in response.
Somehow, I feel relieved they don't speak English perfectly.
"She's… in-in the room." The girl stammered to answer, looking at the door with weary expressions.
There was an uneasy atmosphere. Something about their expressions hinted to Felix that he should proceed with caution. But as he looked at their faces, he suddenly found himself thinking about a woman with silvery hair patting him on the head.
Maybe I should try to ease their worries, the way Luna used to do for me. Now what would she do… Or what would Maria do. How should I handle this?
The ecstatic, orange-haired woman from earlier suddenly flashed in his mind, asking for his autograph.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"I'm um… I'm actually a fan… your music is… really good. So would it be alright to take a picture?" Felix's voice cracked as he did his best to finish his sentence.
Their eyes lit up slightly as they replied in a livelier manner, "Y-yes!"
"Ayame-chan, won't your boyfriend get mad if he saw you with another guy?" One of the girls teased.
"He, he's not my boyfriend!" The one named Ayame yelled out with bright red cheeks, "Let's take the picture!" She sighed.
"Alright, thanks."
As they took the photo, the girls briefly smiled brightly. Felix would have rather not done it, yet he did so in the hopes that it would calm their nerves, even if, just by a little bit. He then waved to the girls, but as he reached for the knob, one of the girls caught his sleeve and spoke.
"It was… nice to meet all of you." He said stiffly as he offered a handshake.
Ayame's face shriveled in panic at the sight of his hand.
One of the girl's then looked at him, "Don't worry about her, she just doesn't do handshakes… Be careful."
"Ah, I will. Thanks." He replied before waving goodbye.
"Cheerful, upbeat girls who would be ecstatic to make a fan happy… Idols sure are a strange bunch." He mumbled to himself as he reached for the door.
Felix opened the door slowly, the scent of meat permeated the room, while a thin young girl in a white tank top stood next to the stove with chopsticks in hand. Her ponytail swayed with her movements as she cooked.
"Are you my new bodyguard?" She asked, not even giving Felix a glance. Her voice was clearly more used to speaking in English than the rest of the girls in her group.
"I believe so." He answered as he flashed his Golden Lion badge.
The room was dimly lit, but it was clear how spacious it was. Felix placed his luggage next to the marble pillar on the corner of the kitchen. The stove let out a sharp click as it was turned off.
She turned to him and eyed him down while still cooking, "Moody, broody, and covered in all black. You must be the agent papa sent."
"That assessment is… harsh. So, that means you're Yumiko Sakurazawa, real name Natsumi Sakurai?" Just as he turned to face her, his mismatched eyes met with the muzzle of a gun she pointed at him. And just as suddenly – it fired.
~