This World

by Lee, TD

  When I open the door, I’m greeted by a shirtless Hiro who’s putting on his suit. He’s caught by surprise when the door opens, but smiles as soon as he sees me. “Hey Ridley, you made it!” he rejoices, coming at me for a hug. Goddamn this guy is really ripped, holy shit. When he releases me he says, “Sorry, I’m getting really used to this suit. Still feels a little weird to me.”

  “Looking good though,” I compliment. He is, he’s looking really good. Has he been this toned?

  “Aw, thanks,” he smiles. He puts his arms through the sleeves of the upper part of his suit. He zips it up to show off all of the black and white designs. There are some purple accents here and there, but for the most part it kinda looks like the design of Lancelot in printed form. The suit is even form-fitted too, it’s padded in some areas, but it definitely shows off his physique. Does this place provide all form-fitted clothes for the pilots? “I’ll be right back, gotta grab something.” He walks into a walk-in closet next to the entrance.

  Even though I’m glad that there’s a familiar face in the form of Hiro, I wonder why I was brought to his room. Hiro’s room is really spacious. A wide bed sits under several paneled windows that lets the sunlight in. A large TV sits on a wall in front of a comfy looking couch. A small table surrounded by chairs huddles in the corner. A long desk sits next his bed, hugging the wall. On his desk is a laptop and an assortment of small and large figurines standing proudly. Standing tall under the windows is a plant that’s barely sprouting leaves. Decorated in the form of posters and figures are several superhero memorabilia. The poster with the most presence is a large one of a superhero named Meteor. The poster has the superhero’s silhouette in front of a large flame and buildings. If I remember correctly, Meteor is Hiro’s favorite superhero. There’s a smaller poster of a superheroine engulfed in a cyclone of ice. I think Hiro even has a couple of figures of this hero as well. He hasn’t said much about any other superhero being his favorite other than Meteor, so it’s a little surprising to see another hero in his collection. Sitting in the corner are several large boxes probably containing the rest of Hiro’s stuff that he hasn’t been able to organize yet.

  As great as this room is, there’s one thing that seems missing. “No personal bathroom or shower?”

  Hiro replies from inside his closet, “There’s a shared one we all have to use. Well, one for guys and another for girls. But it’s okay, it’s kinda like living at a dorm.”

  “A really nice dorm,” I reply. Weird how out of all the things this room could have, there’s not bathroom attached. Does it really have to be communal for that one thing?

  Hiro returns from his closet with a box in his hand. He hands it to me saying, “I got you something.”

  I give him a quizzical look as I’m holding onto this box. “Shouldn’t I get you something considering it’s your ceremony today?” I shake the box a little bit to only hear a little bit of rattling.

  “I wanted to get you something as thanks for taking me to Gourmet Duel, and also because you’re a good friend,” he answers. The look on his face clearly says that he’s excited for me to open the present.

  “Well, guess I should open this now then,” I say. Inside the box is a wrapped CD case with the Spectral Singer logo on it as well as Kirika’s silhouette. Accompanying the CD is a keychain of Kirika holding a microphone. This isn’t one of the things I saw when I walked by Reali-Tea earlier.

  “You’re back into Kirika right? Sadie and I went to Reali-Tea and I saw this Kirika keychain that you might like. It’s the last one they had too! I also got her latest album for you since you’re into her music again. I thought they would go hand-in-hand with each other,” he says with a happy expression as he stretches his arms. This is Hiro for you, even though it’s his day he’ll still try to make you happy because he’s just a good guy.

  “Thanks Hiro, means a lot actually,” I say, pulling him in for a side hug. He got this stuff for me not just because of Gourmet Duel yesterday, but also because I’m a good friend huh? What a cheesy guy, but I’m happy. Especially since I am back into Kirika’s music. As I place the Kirika keychain with my keys, I ask, “So you went to Reali-Tea last night?”

  “Yeah, it was pretty cool. They had tons of themed stuff based off of the Spectral Singers. The drinks were pretty good, I’m not really a tea person, but they had this honey berry tea that tasted pretty good. Sadie got milk green tea which was good too,” he explains as he fixes his suit a bit.

  “Speaking of last night, what did you and Sadie end up doing after I left you two lovebirds alone?” I ask. It was pretty obvious that Sadie wanted to be alone with Hiro, although Hiro might be a little too dense to pick up on that stuff. Sadie may be a bitch to me, but she could be sweet person to Hiro.

  “L-lovebirds!?” Hiro blushes at the word, he even looks away for a brief second. “W-well, we just hung out at several different shops and went to Reali-Tea because she and I both wanted to check it out. We even looked at the lights and flowers at the plaza because it looked really nice, especially during this time of the year. We also went to her family’s bakery, they serve some really good pastries there. Th-then, we just sorta hung out here.” It sounds like he’s dodging something, and he’s a bit flustered, but I won’t press.

  “Sounds like you had a good time,” I respond, “so when’s this ceremony actually starting?”

  “In a couple of minutes, I’m just getting ready,” he exhales deeply. Anyone could tell that he’s really nervous. Maybe it’s just because I don’t understand, but I wonder why he’s nervous. All he has to do is get into the mech right?

  I pat him on the back, asking, “You doing okay? You look really nervous.”

  He nods, taking a couple of deep breaths. “It’s just—I don’t know if I can do this.”

  My brow raises. “Do what? Get into a mech?”

  “No, not that. I—You probably wouldn’t understand,” he stammers. What was once a pretty happy face has only become saddened and nervous. What’s with this big emotional change?

  “Try me,” I say, folding my arms.

  A heavy sigh causes the entire atmosphere of the room to get a bit gloomy. “Well, I’m scared. Not about getting into Lancelot, but just about going down this path. Being a hero, I don’t know if I’m really cut out for it. It’s scary.”

  “Hey man, you’ve been looking forward and working towards being a hero your whole life. Why’re you scared? Isn’t this a dream come true for you? You pretty much have your life set out for you, you’re a hero and that means you pretty much have everything,” I say.

  “Yeah, but it’s scary. The pressure and expectations people have about me. Stepping into Lancelot will be the start of it all and I don’t know if I can handle it. It’s a lot of stuff at once and I really just don’t know if I’ll be able to do everything I’m supposed to and-”

  “Hey, hey, breathe Hiro, breathe,” I respond. I honestly can’t say that I understand what he’s feeling, but seeing him like this is really sad. It’s really different too. Hiro’s normally such a cheerful guy, but I can’t definitely tell that all of this becoming a hero stuff is really taking a toll on him. I pat his back a bit. “You’ll be okay. You’re Hiro, the guy who has always wanted to be hero and you’re gonna do a great job at it. If there’s anyone I know that will kick ass, it’s you.”

  “I guess, it’s just that there’s so much I didn’t really realize before,” he takes another deep breath, “but you’re right, I’ll be okay. I got this.” He looks at me and smiles. There’s the Hiro I know. A knock on the door alerts the both of us. “Yeah?”

  The two guards that escorted me open the door. One of them says, “Sorry Sir Hiro, but the ceremony is about to start and we must escort your guest to the watching site.”

  “Oh, it’s okay,” Hiro responds, he turns to me, “well I’ll see you after the ceremony then.”

  I walk over to the guards, replying, “Yeah, see you then. Good luck, I guess.”

  The
guards and I leave Hiro’s room in a hurry. The guards are walking faster than they were before. Is the ceremony starting so soon that we have to rush? I’m escorted to the launch site and into a tall building that overlooks the entire launch site. The view is a lot closer and personal compared to where I was during the fieldtrip. So this is what Hiro meant by having a good seat. The room I’m in is very spacious with comfy looking chairs and even some snacks set out. There’s a couple of other people in here, they’re dressed in really nice clothes. Perhaps Hiro invited these people too?

  “Here you are, please remain here during the entire ceremony. Afterwards, we will escort you back to Sir Hiro. Please enjoy the ceremony,” one of the guards orders as they both leave the room.

  Well, I don’t have much of a choice than to just stay here. As if I know where else to go though. I move over to the table with the snacks and grab some chips, pretzels, and cheese. These look fancy, but not as fancy as Gourmet Duel. I take a seat close to a window so I get a really good view. On the launch site are tons of people moving about quickly, they’re probably making some last minute preparations. There are several film crews that are setting up also. This must be a pretty big deal. I can also see a bunch of normal spectators watching from the building I was in during the fieldtrip. Several more people come into this room, but I don’t recognize any of them.

  “Fancy seeing you here again,” a familiar feminine voice speaks out to me.

  I look up to find Mari. “Oh, Mari, what’re you doing here?”

  “I can ask you the same thing. For the ceremony, duh. I got specially invited because a friend of mine is a pilot,” she explains, taking the seat next to me.

  “Oh, cool, same here. I’m actually here because of my best friend,” I brag a bit, even though I’m not the one piloting the Mobile Knight.

  “Fancy,” she remarks.

  “Yeah, who’s your friend?” I ask, not that I care. I’m just trying to make conversation before the ceremony starts.

  Mari looks around a bit, replying slowly, “Oh, uh, she doesn’t really want me to say who she is, something about keeping loved ones safe or something. But she pilots one of the Mobile Knights that starts with G. The names are so weird, it’s hard to remember them all.”

  Before I could ask Mari about her friend some more, a loud boom nearly makes me jump outta my seat and drop my plate of snacks. What in the loud hell? Lining up on the launch site are the many different colored pilots of the Mobile Knights. Even from here I can recognize Sadie among the pilots. Marching out of a large door are several guards, Hisako, and that glasses CEO guy. All of the cameras are focused on the CEO.

  “Welcome,” the CEO greets loudly, his arms stretched out, “I, Gerald Doane, am here to announce Mobile Knight Zero-Six, Lancelot’s, new pilot, Hiro Watanabe!” A sea of applause comes from the staff members. Hiro marches out of the large door, escorted by his own set of guards. The look on his face says he’s really nervous, but he’s standing tall and strong. “For those who are unaware, Lancelot is the first Mobile Knight ever created. Despite the several amounts of upgrades it has gone through, it remains as the difficult Mobile Knight to pilot. Lancelot does not connect well with many pilots as well as the controls and mechanics within Lancelot are difficult to grasp. However, Hiro showed potential as a pilot and may be the one to tame the beast that is Lancelot!”

  Lancelot is the hardest Mobile Knight to pilot? Is that why Hiro was saying he was so nervous? And Lancelot doesn’t connect well with pilots? I really don’t understand any of this Mobile Knights lingo, but I’ll have Hiro explain it to me.

  Jumping and floating down from a helicopter is a large statured man who takes precedence over everyone else. I can see the muscles about to rip through this guy’s nice suit. He’s scarily tall, way taller than humanly possible. His jaw line is heavily defined and sharp. This guy looks so ideally handsome and human that he looks inhuman. It’s strange. He stands in front of Hiro, his voice is powerful and commanding, “Hello all! I am Walter Hendrix, some of you may know me as Blind Justice. I am also the boss or CEO of the Heroic Enterprise of the Righteous Organization, also known as HERO. I am here to proudly add Hiro Watanabe onto our ever growing roster of rising heroes that will spread justice and good all around the world.” Another sea of applause erupts from the staff members on the launch site. “Hiro, the task you’re about to take will not be a simple one. Not many are capable of being a hero, but you have been recognized to have that potential. Are you ready for a life of absolute righteousness and good?”

  Hiro doesn’t hesitate as he replies with a nervous, “Yes.”

  Walter smiles. “Good. Now please, repeat after me. I, Hiro Watanabe, will uphold the goodness in all the world. Evil will be expelled upon my presence as I defend the world order. In all of the world, universe, and beyond I will be the great protector. Bound by justice and hope, I will be one with my fellow brethren as a defender. With this contract, I declare my life as a hero.”

  Why does that whole thing sound so familiar? I’ve definitely heard it before.

  Hiro flawlessly recites, “I, Hiro Watanabe, will uphold the goodness in all the world. Evil will be expelled upon my presence as I defend the world order. In all of the world, universe and beyond I will be the great protector. Bound by justice and hope, I will be one with my fellow brethren as a defender of the people. With this contract, I declare my life as a hero!” The nerves that he seemed to have before has gone away as he stands proudly, a wide smile on his face.

  Another sea of applause erupts louder than before. Walter’s own claps seem to drown out the applause. “I congratulate and welcome you, Hiro, to HERO. I look forward to all of your future achievements.”

  “Th-thank you!” Hiro says with a gracious bow.

  “Is there anything you would like to say to everyone out there?” Walter asks.

  “Oh, um,” Hiro stammer, “Keep that fire in your heart burning!” People applaud to Hiro’s words.

  Rising up from a large hole in the ground is the white Mobile Knight Lancelot. It’s completely repaired since the last time I saw it. Hell, it even looks way cleaner and polished. Approaching Hiro is a vehicle with a really long ladder attached to it. Hiro climbs the ladder to the very top as the vehicle moves towards Lancelot.

  “Now, Hiro will enter Lancelot for the very first time to test their compatibility!” Gerald announces. All of the cameras are zooming in on Hiro climbing the ladder and shots are alternating between Hiro and Lancelot.

  As soon as Hiro gets to the top of ladder, he stands straight and slowly approaches Lancelot’s opened cockpit. His breaths become deep, his chest puffing out slowly. Each step he takes, the longer his breaths become. His nerves are back. Hiro stops right before the last step into the cockpit. I don’t know if he’s stopping intentionally for the theatrics of this event or simply because he’s just that nervous. There’s a brief pause and one final deep breath before he steps into the cockpit.

  Hiro sits and the cockpit closes. As soon as the cockpit closes Lancelot lights up with glowing purple lights. A finger moves. Then a foot. Then two hands. Within seconds Lancelot is moving easily. Lancelot takes off into the air, maneuvering freely. There you go Hiro! Look at you piloting a Mobile Knight. It looks like he’s piloting with little effort, almost as if he was born to just pilot this thing. He’s looping in the air and even pulled out Lancelot’s sword. He descends a bit to fly over the facility in a full circle. He ascends and slashes at the sky, a white wave flies into the sky dissipating from view. Hiro continues to fly higher and higher slashing his sword to create more of those waves.

  “It appears it is a complete compatibility! I have never seen anything like this, truly this is a true match!” Gerald praises, accompanied by a fanfare of cheering and applause.

  Disrupting the event and descending elegantly from the sky are Sefirots. Of course, what amazing timing, it’s like someone is writing this. Raining down are several Sefirot limbs, could Hiro have noticed the S
efirots were coming while inside of Lancelot? The alpha Sefirot this time around is a black scorpion-like monster with long legs, giant pincers, and instead of a stinger at the end of its tail it’s a deformed bird head. All of the pilots disperse, I assume they’re trying to get into their mechs too.

  Hisako’s voice announces, “Everyone please get to the nearest building! Do not remain outside, I repeat, do not remain outside!”

  Upon Hisako’s words, the several crowds of people outside scatter and run into several different buildings. In the sky, Hiro’s fighting the Sefirots. It already looks like he’s gotten a hang of piloting. He’s maneuvering to dodge attacks easily, slicing oncoming attacks, and using the guns so efficiently that it seems like he’s been doing this for a long time. He was made to do this wasn’t he? How efficient is he already? Swift strikes, nicely timed shots, and acrobatic maneuvers. It’s like Lancelot is dancing in the air, the sword being its partner. Despite how amazing Hiro is doing, there are way too many Sefirots for him to handle alone. The Alpha screeches loud, which I assume is a command for the betarots to attack in unison.

  Flying from the launch site are several different Mobile Knights. Each of them engage in battle with several Sefirots. Swords, lances, axes, guns, lasers, so many things are being swung and shot that it’s hard to keep track of it all. Whenever the Mobile Knights are moving, there’s always that weird colorful trail that they all leave behind which makes this battle scene look like rainbows attacking aliens. The Alpha screeches again, only this time it uses its long legs to stab the surrounding Mobile Knights. All of the Mobile Knights dodge and retaliate, however all of their weapons can’t sever the Alpha’s long legs. Anything that hits the Alpha just bounces off. How are they supposed to defeat something that can just make attacks bounce off?

  I’m doing my best to focus on Hiro. This is his first battle and it seems like he’s doing a good job. With each slash of his sword, Hiro takes out more and more of the Sefirots. When one gets too close he activates Lancelot’s ability to create a spiky armor. Somehow, it just seems like Hiro is in complete sync with Lancelot. I’ll have to ask him about what it’s like in the mech later. When the Alpha targets Hiro, he dodges any incoming attacks with ease, even causing the Alpha to have its legs get tangled within each other.