9AN: This is a re-write of Dawn Visit, with more planned to come! Further info will be at the end of this chapter. Enjoy!
Aiden Pearce awoke with a sudden jerk in his bed. His vision swam in the darkness, struggling to make sense of his surroundings. He laid back down, rubbing his eyes with the back of his… pilly, sweatered hand? Ah. He was still in his attire from yesterday. Now he was starting to remember. He had been out stopping petty crimes around Chicago Loop until midnight… he had barely stripped his cap, trench coat and shoes off before collapsing into bed.
Aiden finally registered the suffocating heat and sweat on his body, and after deliberating whether it was worth the effort or not, kicked the covers off, sat up and pulled the sweater off. He laid back down with a sigh of relief, rolling on his side to reach for the charging smartphone on the bedside table. He unplugged it. He shut his eyes as the brightly lit display came on, and squinted to see the time.
"You've gotta be kidding me…" Aiden groaned. It wasn't even sunrise yet. He slipped it under his pillow and rolled back, facing the ceiling. He closed his eyes while idly smacking his dry lips, willing himself back to sleep. He blearily thought to try a deep breathing exercise.
It had been a long couple of hours. Aiden had awoken several times throughout the night, thanks to his own paranoia keeping him alert, even though he desperately needed time to recharge. But when he had finally fallen into a deep sleep, he was faced with the same nightmare that had plagued him for the past year.
His hands moved up and he rubbed his face, dragging his fingers down his cheeks. The stubble was starting to kick in; tiny, annoying pin pricks under his dry, calloused hands.
Oh, why couldn't he have had a normal dream for once? Why not him holding Lena in his arms? Playing with her in her room? Him reading her a bedtime story, and him kissing her soft little forehead goodnight? Aiden knew he'd never have a family of his own, but being a supportive uncle to his sister was everything he needed to be happy. But alas, the only other dreams he had were ones of him fighting gangs and dying. Apparently, dreams were influenced by what had constantly been on a person's mind throughout the day… could he really be blamed for his inability to let go of Lena's murder, or his constant obsession over his family's safety?
In the end, after half an hour of thinking in bed, Aiden gave up on his futile quest for sleep. There were other, more pressing matters he needed to attend to. He hadn't eaten since yesterday evening. His stomach grumbled audibly. And he really needed to use the bathroom. And take a shower. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of himself. He wondered if he should start carrying breath mints or something… he'd even started to notice plaque gathering on his teeth.
Aiden finally got up from his bed, stretching and working out the kinks in his back and neck. He read some article about millennials getting "tech necks" from staring down at their devices for so long. Aiden hoped he wouldn't be feeling the effects of that, especially since he was about to hit the big 4-0. And as one aged, their body would start to weaken… Aiden was aiming to delay that for at least another decade to come. He hadn't really stopped to consider where he might be in the future, at retirement age… thinking about that made him feel old.
He showered, ridding himself of all the grime, dirt and blood that had built up on his person. Aiden tried to ignore his stomach rumbling, to no avail. He didn't have much time to sit down and enjoy a full meal, opting for a burger or a wrap at some places. Besides, running around town on a full stomach could leave him nauseous, and he didn't want to be throwing up whilst on the run from the cops. However, he found himself starting to become a familiar face in some places, which he didn't know if he liked or not. Aiden did his best to stay as healthy as he could, staying away from any cigarettes, drugs or a lot of alcohol. He had a build and a razor-sharp focus to maintain, after all. He wouldn't be much of a Vigilante if he let himself go. He was constantly burning any fat on his day to day activities though, walking through the city on his "patrols".
After much scrubbing, Aiden let himself have a moment in the shower, where he let the water pound rhythmically against his back. He sighed in contentment. He was thankful for these small mercies – the rare moments where he got to be alone and let his worries wash away for a few minutes. Of course, there was always the chance that someone might ambush him in the shower, and so the man kept his phone and baton nearby. Though luckily for him, that hadn't happened yet, and hopefully, not at all. He wouldn't want his enemies to find him in that state, let alone the news team. That wouldn't do for his reputation post-mortem.
Speaking of reputation, Aiden supposed he was starting to build one up. After much time spent hacking the ctOS database and infiltrating one of their towers in the area he lived in, he now had access to that vicinity's information on the citizens. He could profile the people around him, gathering general data about who they were and what the ctOS found noteworthy about that individual. A few months ago, it began to identify potential criminals, and Aiden could confirm it on the spot via checking their texts or eavesdropping on their calls. And in the spur of the moment, he found himself stopping a crime the moment before it happened. Although he initially had hesitations listening in to other's private lives, in the end, he decided that Chicago needed a more proactive approach to fighting crime. He reasoned that he also didn't want other people to lose loved ones like he had.
At last, he opened his closet to decide what to wear for the day. He used to be more picky about what he chose, especially when visiting Nicky's place. He didn't want his family seeing him in his so-called "Vigilante" get-up, as some people were now calling him. But since he was so focused on finding Lena's killer, he hadn't visited so much. The nicer clothes were in the back of the closet. He mentally reminded himself to bring some of his clothes to the laundromat – there was a pile building up on the floor. Maybe later in the day. He dressed in black and grey this time around, with a matching trench coat and flat cap, before heading out of his apartment.
He first made a quick stop at a café, grabbing a black coffee and some slices of banana bread to kickstart his day. Aiden didn't have to wait long, and he was a little happy that the bread was still warm – freshly baked. Strolling out of the shop, he thought of a place to go. Thankfully, Chicago was fairly peaceful around this time, so he could have a bit of a breather. He had all of the Windy City to explore, but after thinking a bit, he made his choice.
Mentally mapping out the city, he drew a path to his destination. With all the missions he undertook, he had naturally come to memorise the city's layout. Looking around, he noticed some parked cars and motorbikes. He briefly paused, considering their convenience, but shrugged and kept walking. He didn't feel like riding or driving, not right now. Besides, he only felt like stealing vehicles in dire situations – part of him felt guilty that his N3X U5 car was always safely parked in a garage.
Casually walking past the small shops in the Chicago suburbs, he did a double-take at a florist. He stepped closer to the window, examining the flowers on display.
"Roses, daisies, orchids, lavenders…" Aiden murmured. He shook his head. He really needed to stop talking to himself. He debated whether getting flowers was worth the break-in. He didn't think stealing flowers from a grave or something was morally right. Convenient, of course, but he wouldn't stoop so low. But he didn't want to arrive empty-handed.
At last, his eyes settled on some sunflowers by the door. After a sigh, he pulled out his smartphone, scanning the perimeter. There were a few security cameras inside and the electronic door lock. With a smile, he hacked the alarm system, switching it off, cutting the cameras and unlocking the back door. He looked around, making sure there were no witnesses around, before slowly pushing open the door. He looked up. There was a bell, too high for him to reach. He grimaced as he slowly entered, trying not to set off the frustratingly simple alarm for his arrival. When he was in, he grabbed a small bundle of sunflowers, and stepped towards the counter, digging in his pocket for some loose change. He didn't want to bother trying to make a payment with the computer. In the end, he found a humble 50 dollar bill, old General Grant sternly staring back at him. There was a notepad and a pen nearby.
Took... He frowned and crossed the word out. Bought some sunflowers. Aiden looked up and noticed the neatly organized rolls of ribbons hanging on rows of wooden poles. He looked down at the loose bundle of leafy stems in his hands. His shoulders lowered as he sighed.
"I can't believe I'm doing this."
Several minutes later, Aiden Pearce left the florist with a bundle of messily tied sunflowers in his arms, with a red ribbon. He looked to the 50 dollar bill he left on the counter while re-locking the store, wiping the security camera footage and resetting the alarm system.
Walking the streets once more, it wasn't long before he reached his destination – the cemetery. He let a small smile show as he noticed an elderly groundskeeper unlocking the rusty gate. Aiden was relieved he didn't have to break open the lock because he didn't know what time the memorial park opened. He waited across the street silently, looking up at the sky and checking his phone. It was almost sunrise.
Aiden waited for the groundskeeper to walk away before entering, making a beeline for his niece's grave. Lena Pearce's name was on his lips as he saw the familiar lettering on the stone. He noticed the bundle of lavenders atop the grave. When he approached, he noticed that they weren't very withered. It was clear someone else was still visiting her too. But not Nicky.
"Hey Lena," Aiden greeted her. "Good morning." He gestured to the lavenders on her tombstone. "Looks like you've had some visitors, sweetie. Maybe Uncle Aiden will run into them someday." There came no response, just the rustling of the grass and the birds nearby.
"Uh… I got you these flowers. Sunflowers. I tied them up myself." He chuckled. "Don't worry, I did pay, heh." He knew Lena would laugh and hug him if she was there in person. Maybe slap him a little for the break-in.
"I know that you're watching me up there…" Aiden began. "I guess you must be disappointed in me." He rubbed his hands, warming them up. "I know, Nicky told me to stop going after your killers, and I promised that I would, but I broke that promise." He sighed. He justified his crime-fighting actions as just wanting to help and protect others, but he knew deep, deep down, he couldn't escape the burning resentment for those men. "I'm sorry. I hope you'll forgive me one day." He took off his cap and stayed silent, thinking of his beloved niece, He pushed away the tragedy and did his best to focus on Lena's face, her smile, her laugh. He took a shuddering breath.
Then to his right, the sun peeked over the horizon, turning the sky an orange-pink. He looked in its direction, shading his face with a hand. He felt his heart flutter slightly. Lena was the sun in his life, no doubt about it. He hoped he'd never lose sight of it.
Standing up a little later, he groaned as he heard the cricks in his knees pop. "Alright Lena, Uncle Aiden's gotta go." He said. "I'll uh, bring some other flowers next time." He let out a small chuckle before waving goodbye and turning away. As he made his way out of the cemetery, he didn't notice the small, child-like apparition watching him from her tombstone. She squeezed the lamb doll in her arms. She giggled as she waved him goodbye.
"I'd like that. Bye Uncle Aiden, see you soon."
AN: I'm looking to make a small series out of this, showing everyday occurrences with Aiden around Chicago. I'll be deleting the previous Dawn Visit once this story gets rolling. Some ideas of what to come include:
- Aiden sporting an unfortunate hard-on whilst fighting crime. News articles have hilarious headlines about it the next day.
- Aiden needing to find a restroom. Badly. He finds one, but it reeks, and it's all too late when he finds there's a single square left on the toilet paper roll.
- Aiden donating to a struggling single mother at the checkout in a supermarket.
Please feel free to leave a suggestion, whether it be a funny, wholesome or interesting scenario. Thank you for reading, remember to favourite, review and follow!
-Flowtonair
