Chapter Text
Leave it to Firey and his friends to accidentally dissolve ancient Yoyle technology.
Rocky beamed, watching with innocent eyes as Gelatin and the Enhancement L-Yoy-Ser disintegrated in a pool of Rocky's own acid vomit. Gelatin's screams faded into a faint sizzle in the air. Hydrogen gas quickly rose from the scene.
As horrible of a sight as this was, death was a typical end to the group's shenanigans. If someone died, they could always be recovered later. For these reasons, Firey was relatively unfazed by his friend's death. In fact, all this dying was getting a little old.
"Maybe we should dial the chaos back a bit," remarked Ice Cube, ducking her head sheepishly.
"Yeah," agreed Firey.
"Let's recover Gelatin and call it a day."
"Okay," he replied, and stepped into place behind her and Rocky.
The trio strolled down the stairs and out of the science museum. Their footsteps on the cracked, overgrown sidewalk were quiet, the only sound in this abandoned city. Now, the air was crisp and warm on Firey's limbs.
The sun had just begun to set.
Ice Cube and Rocky turned the corner, stepping out from the shadows of the buildings towering above them and into the sunlight, and Firey followed.
He took a glance to his right. His pace slowed to a stop.
It was a lone tree. Firey's breath caught in his throat.
Her.
The tree's green leaves captured the wind like little sailboats, and they drifted away into the sunset. Its trunk was slender, yet strong. The sun brightened each leaf with a warm, yellow hue.
Firey gazed upon the tree in awe. It loomed over him, large, yet friendly, almost gentle. He slowly let go of a sigh.
The sight was beautiful. She was beautiful.
How could he ever forget her?
Ice Cube's voice rang out, Firey's anchor to shore.
"Come on, Firey, what's the holdup?"
Firey snapped back to reality. "Coming!" he answered breathlessly, and he rushed after Icy and Rocky.
He punched the name.
[G]
[E]
[L]
[A]
[T]
[I]
[N]
[GO]
Firey cranked, the motion muscle memory.
Gelatin popped out, chuckling. "Well, that was fun! Let's go home now."
Icy and Rocky happily agreed, and with one arm wrapped around each of them, Gelatin merrily skipped away,
Firey just watched.
He waited for their silhouettes to disappear into the horizon, to fade into the dark, starry sky.
Then he punched the first letter.
[L]
[E]
[A]
[F]
[Y]
He hesitated.
[GO]
Firey cranked as he'd done hundreds of times before, displacing her body from the metal machine. A loud ding came from the HPRC.
Firey knew he should leave as fast as he could, but he couldn't resist the opportunity to see her again.
So he turned his body as he ran, slowing his pace to watch her in repose for what might be the last time.
As she sat up, hand against her head, he looked away.
He hoped she'd be happy.
"Huh? Wha—who?" Her voice, her footsteps. Following. Searching.
Firey had vanished behind the HPRC.
She couldn't know it was him.