Cybil (2018) #projectsuper

Chapter 17: Heat

With Ryu and Raelynn...

Ryu wiped the sweat off his brow using his bandanna. Normally, he wouldn't even have considered doing such a thing, but he hadn't exactly planned to be outside in the heat.

Then again, he should have at least told someone about this, period.

A small oasis in the middle of a desert proved a somewhat difficult place to find hiding places in, as all that sprawled out in front of him, whether shadowed or not, was baking in the heat.

He did manage, however, to tuck himself in the back area of the gas station, Trudy's, and find a window to look into.

Unfortunately, climbing up to said window was a challenge for him. Upper arm strength was all he could rely on as he climbed up a pole to the side of the building. He made sure to be as quiet as possible, as to not attract undue attention.

Finally able to sidle up to the window, he got a look into a rather rustic joint, with a lack of so much as a chair to sit down in.

He wondered why he was here. Who's supposed to be here, exactly? This place is an empty tin can in the middle of an oven.

He was seconds off from giving up when he noticed something: a lone black car in the side parking lot.

Where did that come from?

He found out who the occupants were very quickly. An African American woman came out of it, followed by a small boy, about 7 years of age. The boy was clutching an aluminum bat, but didn't seem to be wearing a baseball uniform. By far the most striking thing about him, however, was what was on his head: a metal machine heavily resembling a king's crown.

Ryu was silent as he listened in.

"...but no one's here..."

The woman looked exhausted and exasperated. The boy was dancing around, clearly in need of a bathroom break.

"Mama," the boy pled. "We've been driving for hours! I feel like I'm gonna explode! Where's the bathroom?!"

Desperately trying to keep her temper in check, she said curtly, "Look, we don't have anywhere else to go. We're too far along to head back to the city. If you have to pee, you'll have to go in the back."

Ryu held his breath. He needed to stay undetected. He needed to move fast.

Then the boy looked around for a moment, and then relieved himself. From Ryu's higher vantage point, he didn't have to see that. For that, he was eternally grateful. As the boy began to walk away, however, he clutched his head and groaned. What really caught Ryu off guard was the pinkish​ glow his eyes seemed to emit for just a second, just bright enough to be undeniable.

A classic manifestation of a Power.

As he watched him shrug it off and leave, Ryu wondered just how much he knew about his family...