Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex Fan Fiction ❯ Cybernetic Phoenix ❯ Train ride ( Chapter 2 )

2

 

The trains doors open, letting in, along with a fleetly and huddled mob, the chill of the outside rain and the sound of raindrops splashing on the sidewalk. Nearly closed, the doors were forced to reopen when a hand, apparently coming from nowhere, touched their edge.

A man enters, not very tall, broad-shouldered, wearing a long, black coat, its edges nearly touching his heels. Taking off his wide hat he uncovered a black silk bandanna, which seemed to have dark-blue reflections in the dim light, covering his hair. A couple of long, thick tails, with broad gold rings attached to them, framed his face perfectly. He shook the water off his hat, then, shoving it back onto his head, turns towards the passengers. In his left hand he held something long, like a cane, or a thin plank, rapped in old paper, its color turned to a dark yellow by the passing of time. One end of the object nearly touched the ceiling, while he held the other like a hilt.

The whole train deepened in silence. The only sounds that made their way through the total dumbness were the pouring rain and the movement of the train along its rails.

Taking one step, he clears a path through the curious and speechless mob. Some shuddered at the noise that his heavy boots made on the metal floor, harsh, overwhelming, like the thunders outside. Each step he took made the storm seem even more furious.

He moved slowly, without turning his glare for a second, towards the end of the train, like he had a precise target.

Stopping near an old beggar woman, he put his hand into a pocket and took out a large, golden coin, which radiated in the flashing light of the thunderbolts. With almost a mechanical move, swift and without even looking at her, he hand it over. Once she took it, he continued to walk along the narrow hallway.

Entering the last car, he heads towards the last seat. A young girl is sitting nearby.

Making a graceful gesture, he asks:

- May I?

Not answering, she gets up and heads to the door, with a dim look on her face.

Sitting down, he opens his coat. In the obscure light, it seemed like the wings of a damned angel had opened. A black shirt covered his massive chest, which seemed bigger with every breath he took. He wore shriveled, large, military boots and a pair of dark blue trousers, mended on the knees.

Taking off his hat, he places it on the nearby seat as gentle as he could, like it was about to shatter. His face had a rare serenity, but his clear, green eyes had a wild glare, which could freeze the blood of any man. His thick, black eyebrows and short, pitch-black beard made a strange contrast with the whiteness of his hair. His face, of a strange, untamed beauty was covered with wrinkles. The full, dark-red lips as well as his olive complexion showed clearly that he wasn't a native. His old, seedy clothes and shriveled boots made him look like one of the refugees, but his strange accent revealed his European origin.

The flashing light of the light balls made his face look even more sinister. His eyes seemed to glow, like they were made of a blue flame.

His seat allowed him to view the entire train, from one end to the other, like he had chosen it as a strategic point.

The last cars weren't too crowded. Perhaps because of his presence, too. On the row across, a couple of seats farther, an old woman was reading “War and Peace”. She was the only one who had shown no interest in his appearance. Her silvery hair, stringed in a complex hairdo, sparkled in the neon light. Short of stature, her feet didn't reach the floor. She wore a long dark green skirt and an antiquated coffee-colored coat, shabby and moth-eaten. She licked her thumb before she turned each page. Her glasses and wrinkled skin revealed her poverty and lack of cybernetics.

Turning towards him, she smiles.

The man bowed his head, as a salute and smiled back.

Reaching a station, the trained stopped and in came a group of teens, noisy and strident dressed. The bustle they were causing attracted his attention.

One of the youngsters, about eighteen years old, was demonstrating the capacities of his new prosthetic arm by bending easily one of cars support bars. Wearing olive, military pants, a massive chain instead of a belt, tall boots and a leather waistcoat, he looked like a punk from the '80. His sophisticated hairdo, a large, purple crest evinced that money were not a problem for him.

Harassing the old beggar, they took her money and pushed her. Hitting the ground, she starts to cry … but nobody seemed to care.

Noticing him, the group approaches.

- Whadup, grandpa? Want some too?

He doesn't even bothers to look at them.

The young man quickly punches the chair next to him, making a hole in its back.

- I've asked you something!

No answer.

- I think he gave her that gold coin. I mean, his dressed droll enough to carry something like that around.

- That's right, old-man? You gave her the gold?

Again, no answer.

- I see he's dumb … or an idiot, said the young man, laughing. In this case, we're going to have to search him. Right guys?

A strange, sadistic smile appeared on the aged mans face, which stupefied and disconcerted the teens.

- Oni, smack him one and let's go. This guy's giving me the creeps!

Before the gang leader could hit, the train plunged in darkness, as it passed through a tunnel. Suddenly, two green lights reaped through the darkness, like small flames.

When the power came back on, the young man was sitting next to the strange man, shaking, murmuring something. He had a fix sight … like he saw something that scared the living day-light out of him.

The old man stud up, arranged his hat and passed through the amazed and spooked group.

Helping the old beggar up, he gives her back the gold coin and said “Pentru zilele negre ce vor urma, maica” (For the dark days ahead, mother)

 

*

 

Impatiently waiting on the platform, wearing a blue trench-coat, hair dripping wet, Motoko was mumbling irritated:

- Of all the days, today had to be the day my stupid car decides to break down!

Eventually, the train appears. A hasty mob got out, trying to escape the pouring rain.

Shaking her head as she entered the train, trying to dry her hair, she noticed a strange, dark silhouette passing by.

She swiftly turned her head, but all she could see before the doors closed was a black coat, flapping in the wind, as it disappeared in the blackness of the night.