birthday

Chapter 10: Restart

Where was he? "Hmm?" he murmured to himself, wincing as his throat burned in protest.

Deja Vu.

This had happened before, he knew. But why, when and how? But most importantly, where was he right now?

He had no idea. None at all. What to do? Stay still and wait to die, he thought to himself ruefully.

All he remembered was betrayal and surprise and remorse and-

A smash. Before he so-called died and blacked out, darkness enveloping him. But he was awake? Now? Maybe this was heaven, he didn't know.

His whole body aches. His head felt itchy and sensitive, delicate. One touch and he felt like his head would break open, blood and life spilling out of him.

He was a fire manipulator. He shouldn't feel hot. But.. He did. He felt hot and cold and dizzy and lazy and miserable. He had truly no idea what was going on.

Car honking… loud noises… betrayal.. glass shards. Ah. He had two accidents, it seemed. But he couldn't remember anything else. Why? Why him? Why did he have two accidents?

He wanted to know why. A word flashed across his mind. His brothers did this? Why would his brothers do this? He didn't even remember them.

At the very back of his mind, there was a memory of them all. But… They were blurry, fading into the darkness.

He figured out three things already. First, he was in a hospital, that was obvious. Second, he had been in two accidents. Third, his brothers did this.

But there were still many more things to figure out. Like why his brothers would do this, was he dying right now, was he unconscious?

Arghh..

He forced his eyes opened, blinking rapidly at the bright lights hanging above him. Beside him, a heart monitor beeped. He spotted a figure beside him, taking his blood pressure.

Probably a nurse.

But at the far end.. Six motionless figures stood. Familiar but indecipherable, and Blaze had the sense that this had happened before. But when??

Two of them, one clad with green, black and a bit of yellow, the other sporting light blue, white and yellow, we're radiating warmth and happiness.

They also seemed sad and nervous, though. Actually, all of them were. The were two others, one with a yellow visor, the other clad in black and deep red, seemed to be arguing in hushed tones.

There was another so-called brother that seemed to be in charge, every so often glancing worriedly at the duo that radiates warmth.

But.. The last one.

A name flashes across his head the second he saw him. This person was Ais, or Air, his closet brother.

He was filled with hope and determination.
Ooooh. He seemed nice. Well, all of them did. But Ais seemed nicer.

Maybe it was because they were brothers? No, it couldn't be. According by Blaze's mentally unstable brain, they were all brothers.

Maybe. He couldn't rely on his brain that well, he supposed. He wanted to rest, but his eyes shone with curiosity. Yet, he didn't want his 'brothers' to notice him, it seemed, as he found himself squeezing his eyes shut when Ais glanced at him.

He could rest. He should, but he didn't want to. The nurse got up and left. The brothers remained.

At the far end of the room, a radio stood rigid.