Flying Graysons

Flying Graysons

Kufstein, Austria,

Although this place had not fallen to World War III, the clouds of war still hung over everyone's heads, freely spreading their negative influence.

There were few pedestrians on the streets. Aside from work, people seemed to care only about the Amazonians' next target after conquering Britain.

Would they head north, south, or attack nearby Austria directly?

The horrors of war left them struggling to breathe.

In the park,

beside a seesaw,

a blond, curly-haired boy clutching a huge pineapple-flavored lollipop stared wide-eyed at the man before him.

The man wore a dark green suit, black trousers, and yellow Oxford shoes.

If there was anything most distinctive about him, it was not the strange smile constantly on his face, but his mismatched socks.

"Watch closely~"

The man bent down, took the lollipop from the boy's hand, and gave it a light flick.

"Ta-da~"

He made the sound of a surprise egg cracking open, then handed the lollipop back to the boy.

The boy instinctively took it and looked down.

"Wow~" Surprise overflowed in his blue eyes.

The lollipop had turned into a toy, made of fuzzy nylon fabric and stuffed with what felt like cotton.

"Do you like it?" the man asked.

The boy nodded vigorously, his delight impossible to miss.

The man smiled as well and reached out to pat the boy's head.

"Kata!"

A woman's voice rang out from afar.

A golden-haired, curly-haired woman hurried forward and yanked her son behind her just as the man's hand was about to touch his head.

"Mom?" Held behind his mother, the boy poked his head out and looked at her in confusion.

He did not understand why she was so agitated.

"Sorry, our family has a gathering tonight. Goodbye!" The woman spoke to the man with an expression of disgust, then turned and left while dragging her son along.

"Mom, what are you doing? He's a magician. Look, he turned my candy into a stuffed toy!" Kata questioned his mother in confusion. Compared to some gathering, he would rather spend more time with the amazing toy magician.

"Kata, have you forgotten what I told you? Don't get involved with people who look strange! I never should have let you go out by yourself!"

"Didn't you say the war had nothing to do with us? And that gentleman isn't a weirdo!"

Kata argued with his face flushed. Apart from his older cousin who could solve difficult math problems in an instant, the man in the green suit was the person he admired most.

"Look at his smile and those differently colored socks. How could he possibly be normal?"

"That's a fashion trend!" Kata wanted to argue further, but his mother ignored his defense.

"Didn't we agree that we'd go see Acrobatics after the gathering today? Remember?"

The woman decided to redirect her son's attention.

"Flying Graysons? One has seen them already. I heard Boston Brand is in that circus too!" Kata's attention was indeed diverted by the conversation, as easily as by a little trick.

"Why do you like that dangerous lunatic? His movements have no beauty to them, and he always makes people scream. I prefer the Grayson family. Their coordination is flawless, like robins dancing through the sky. They... all right." Noticing her son pout because his favorite acrobat had been insulted, the woman quickly changed her tune. "Actually, Boston Brand is pretty good too. Boys like you always enjoy thrills, and he can always give you that."

In a voice only she could hear, she quietly muttered, "Watching dangerous Acrobatics is still better than staying with a dangerous weirdo."

The man in the green suit remained frozen in place, his hand still outstretched as if to pat the boy's head.

Several seconds passed before he withdrew it.

"Flying Graysons?"

His expression was like that of someone who had found a new toy.

Beside the towering mountains,

rows of tents stretched out one after another, forming a small village encampment.

The residents came curiously, carrying colorful flyers as they searched for shows that interested them.

The town had spent heavily to invite this circus troupe, hoping to disperse the dark clouds hanging over the residents' heads.

Some came looking gloomy, while others naturally left excited.

Thrilling acrobatic performances really could soothe one's mood, even if that relief was only temporary.

A female circus performer in a leotard wiped the sweat from her forehead, lifted the tent flap, and walked outside.

The mountain wind did not disappoint her. Compared with the stifling tent, the air outside was pleasant and refreshing.

People began arriving one after another.

Some liked watching acrobats whose bodies bent with the flexibility of snakes.

Some liked watching freaks, finding pleasure in their strange or mutilated bodies. As one of the circus's biggest stars, King Shark was one of them.

More people enjoyed Acrobatics. The Flying Graysons and Boston Brand were the circus's most famous representatives.

"Sir, what show are you planning to see?"

She noticed a man in a green suit standing motionlessly by the entrance, holding a promotional flyer.

He seemed to be hesitating, and had apparently been hesitating for quite some time.

The man looked up at the actress strangely and pointed at the flyer. "When does this show begin?"

"This is Doctor Fate."

In the corner of the flyer was an inconspicuous photograph.

A man wearing a leather jacket and jeans, with an antique helmet on his head, sat on an old sofa.

There was also a brief introduction.

"Doctor Fate, performing tonight at eight. Choose your destiny!"

The actress looked oddly at the man in the dark green suit. "Doctor Fate's show is in the little tent at the very end of this road."

"Thank you~" The man smiled and nodded, tucked away the flyer, and headed toward the small tent.

"How strange!" She shook her head.

Doctor Fate performed acrobatic stage plays, and his was the show with the fewest viewers per session.

Even when there were more than ten people watching, most of them were only there to see the mysterious helmet that seemed steeped in history.

Clearly, this man had been drawn in by the helmet too. Still, the actress believed he would soon emerge from the tent full of regret.

She had seen this happen no fewer than thirty times.

"The show is starting, Kuna! Come quickly!"

"Dick, I'm coming!!" the actress shouted back, then hurried into the backstage area of the tent.

Flying Graysons, Boston Brand, King Shark, Ragdoll Cat.

Their tent stood at the very center of the circus. Not only was it packed inside, but people were still filing in outside, eager to watch a breathtaking and thrilling performance.

By contrast,

in an inconspicuous corner,

a tent seemed to be surrounded by an invisible wall, with no one able to approach it.

The man in the dark green suit lifted the tent flap.

There was no one inside, only a helmet placed on the stage.

He walked to the front of the stage and picked up the helmet that had been casually tossed onto the ground.

It was heavy in his hand,

and carried an aura of mystery.

It was impossible not to become absorbed in it at first glance.

"You came for the helmet too?" A drunken voice came from behind him. A stubbled man with flaxen hair staggered over, carrying a bottle of liquor.

"Many people come for this helmet?" the man in the green suit asked.

"It's just an oddly shaped helmet, maybe a few decades old at most. It's not an antique at all."

"You should treat this helmet better. Maybe it can bring you something unexpected," the man in the green suit said meaningfully.

"Something unexpected, like an audience?" The man sat down drunkenly and took a swig. "I really don't understand them. They like watching freaks, and those things just sit there without moving, either onstage or in jars. What's the difference between being alive and being dead? Even the Flying Graysons can make people smile, but making people smile should be the Joker's job."

"I'm different from them!" He roared under the influence of alcohol.

A man in a tailcoat rushed in. "You bastard, you're drunk again!"

He dragged the drunken man toward backstage and apologetically said to the man in the green suit, "Sorry, sir, we may not be able to perform for you. The Flying Graysons' performance is about to begin. Perhaps you could go there~"

"Wait, you forgot the helmet."

(End of chapter)