And of course Akira was the one left to clean up.

He watched as Ava left with that cop dude. Just because she was two years older than him didn’t mean that she could just take the liberty of walking out like that…

He sighed and began bundling up the trash bag. Whatever. He’d ask her a favor later or something. Maybe buy him lunch?

As he heaved the trash bag into the dumpster that was situated in the alleyway right next to the cafe, he heard a soft clearing of a throat behind him. He almost didn’t hear it at first, assuming that it was some random cough being carried by the wind, but after a moment his brain registered it so he said, a bit sharply, “What do you want?”

“Who, me?” A soft male voice, young, slightly higher pitched. “Oh, I was just wondering if you had any food to spare?”

“Eh?” Akira turned to look at him, feeling around in his pockets. The boy didn’t look particularly poor; he was maybe around his age, wearing a gray windbreaker and a knitted hat, wisps of white hair peaking out from underneath it. “Will, uh, half a pack of gum do?”

The boy stared at the mint gum in Akira’s hand, then took a stick. “Thank you,” he said, unwrapping it. “I have barely seen a kind face in this city so far…”

“Oh, you new?” Akira pocketed the gum again and dusted his hands off on his pants.

“No. I’ve always been in the city.”

“Oh. Well, okay.” Akira had learned long ago not to question the strangeness of some people. “I should get going.”

The boy didn’t move, so Akira, frustrated, turned back to him. “What else do you want?”

“Not much,” the boy replied. “Are you going home now?”

“Maybe I am; what is it to you?”

“Oh, nothing…it’s just been so terribly lonely…”

Akira couldn’t tell if the guy wanted to mug him or was just being plain creepy. “I’m sorry, I’m busy, I have other things to do, I’m sure there will be plenty of other people in the city who will be willing to hang out with you. I’ve already given you some gum, so will you just let me be?”

He was just about to turn the corner when he bumped into someone coming from the other side. All he could see was suit and coat. When he looked up, he saw the face of very serious man staring down at him, and for some reason he felt fear.

“Pardon me,” the man said. “Is something going on?”

He carried himself professionally, like a business man, but maybe something more. The police? A governmental agent? Akira stepped back, and saw a woman with the man, a smoke in her hand, hood over dyed hair, and plenty of tattoos and piercings.

“I was just closing up shop,” Akira replied, indicating the cafe, “when this kid comes up and starts talking to me. I gave him some gum but he won’t leave me alone.”

“Is that so?” The man eyed the boy. “Why are you talking to him?”

The boy gave a half smile that unsettled Akira. “He smelled of smoke and magic.”

“Surprised he doesn’t smell like coffee,” the woman muttered, putting her cigarette out. “You do serve coffee here, right?”

“Look, I’m just locking the place up, I really want to go home, so could you guys just leave me alone? I haven’t done anything wrong,” Akira said. “Seriously. If you want to talk to me, come back when we’re open.”

“Are you an ability user?” the man asked. “What is your name?”

“Akira,” Akira replied, ignoring the first question. “What are you, the police? I told you, I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Then why are you being so defensive about it?” the woman asked, her eyes boring into him. “If you really had nothing weighing on your mind, then you should be calmer.”

“I’m just annoyed, okay? I don’t wish to be bothered, and I want to go home and finish my show. It’s been a really long day.”

As he tried to push past them, however, the man grabbed his shoulder. “Not so quick. We aren’t done with you yet.”

Akira would have liked to fight, but seeing the man’s face, he once again was filled with that paralyzing fear from before, and he stepped back obediently. “What do you want with me?”

“You said you’re Akira, right?” The man stared down at him. “Akira from District Three?”

“...we’re in District Three right now.”

“Pardon me. Akira from the District Three Subway Incident seven years ago?”

Akira’s eyes widened, then he scoffed and turned away. “Who even remembers that? Who are you guys, anyway?”

“I’m Thorn,” the man replied. “From the government. And this is Kendra.”

The woman said nothing, but merely blinked.

“But right now we’re not really interested in you, Akira, though you are interesting. No, who we want right now is this Dema boy…” His gaze trailed to the boy standing behind Akira. “Well?”

“Oh, not today. The government, you said? Yeah, no.” Dema turned on his heel and ran, and Thorn quickly shoved Akira aside in pursuit of him. The woman Kendra followed as well, leaving Akira alone in the dust.

“Well.” Akira heaved a great sigh, and headed back inside the cafe to gather his things. “No one’s brought up that incident in a long time.”

And he thought of that boy Dema, and his strange reaction. Well, that reaction he was familiar with, for he himself had been the one running away long ago. He wondered what the kid had done to land a government agent on his tail.

He sure hoped that he wouldn’t see any of them again. He wanted to go home and watch his show, but he felt restless. That encounter was too out of the ordinary, even in a city like this.

Well, no matter. If trouble came, he would be ready for it.

He always was.