Fulcrum

The world lingered upside down in her gaze.

In a society of super powers, soldiers and spies- this was not her life, for Junko Watanabe wished only to perform.

Some scientists surmised her power manipulates fields of gravitons, the reason for her impeccable balance and the potential limit of her could be made into a perfect weapon. The truth of the matter, however was far simpler- she merely could isolate and control her own center of gravity giving way to incredible feats of agility, perfect for a performer; a paragon of form and finesse.

The gathered crowd gazed in awe at her upon her perch, wondering gasping if she was going to do it. As part of the last show of the gem of the Watanabe family, she loosened her grip. She would have to shatter the expectations of the world to get ahead in this business. She would have to fall, in order to fly.

Breaking in as monarchs of the business world, the Watanabe family’s greatest achievement would always be Junko, the true pride and joy of her father; she was raised as the shining gem of her family’s crown jewel.

For her last trick, she would ascend to the top; to a place far and away, a place where no one could reach her. To show them all a finale of grandiose display, just what she wanted. Her towering legacy over a wide world, just as father wanted.

She balanced, a premiere acrobat, inspiring imagination above a sea of adoring eyes, the audience blending with the dark of the stage like a tower overlooking a city’s bustling night life.

Effortless, graceful: she crawled along the wire on naught but her hands, a feat no other person could perform; that is why she was perfect for the job- her talents would steal the show! She hopped from wire to wire, ledge to ledge. Camera lights flashed, attempting to follow and capture her unrestrained celerity.

This came to her as naturally as breathing. She grinned, arching her back, anticipating the encore performance. Her audience gasped at her amazing display shouting “Back up! Back up! Back up!” Flip, spin, twist! No one alive could keep up with her. Even still, across the way two expectant handlers met her, waiting for her approach, and reached their hands out to grab hold. It was always the same steps, after all. This dance was little challenge, and slipped through and vaulted past the hurdles with ease. Even blindfolded, Junko could have reached her destination.

As a last showing of skill, she climbed to a rafter, walking across on hands her legs dangling over at impossible angles, bending and contorting for the cameras’ capturing glare. She moved past the stage taking all the way to the entrance. In this moment, the Watanabe owned the building. She finished successfully, was all that mattered. This is the one they would remember her all by. The one they will all say: “Watch her here, standing vigil at the edge of the world; the Great Fulcra!”

But the great fulcrum shifts…

And here she stands watch, vigilant at the edge of the world.

And so say they all, this is the one they would remember her by. But all that mattered was success, finishing this. A moment, and she moved past the entrance of this Watanabe owned building. She moved past the entrance taking to her stage, climbing first to the rafters bending and contorting to impossible angels to avoid the cameras’ glare. Her legs dangled over the edge, as she crossed on her hands: a showing of her skill at last.

Even blindfolded, Junko could have reached her destination. She vaulted past the hurdles and slipped through with ease, a dance of little challenge. After all, the steps were always the same: still even. Across the way, she was met by two expectant handlers waiting for her, reaching out to grab hold. But they could not keep up with her. A flip, spin, pull, and twist- no one alive. The rest of her audience gasped and shouted at the display, “Back up! Back up! Back up!”  She grinned, arching her back, anticipating an encore performance. This came to her as naturally as breathing.

Her celerity unrestrained, cameras and flashlights followed attempting to capture her image as she hopped from ledge to ledge. Her talent to steal showed a feat that no other human could perform; she was perfect for this job, and so her hands moved along the wire’s edge, graceful, effortless.

Now atop the edge of a tower, she overlooked the city, alive and bustling at night; the sea of lights and darkness as stage, and imagined herself a premiere acrobat balancing above inspired and adoring fans!

Father just wanted world-wide legacy, a tower over her. She wanted a just, grandiose display of finality!  To show them all, she went to place where no one could reach her, a place far and away, ascending to the top for her last trick…

She raised the shining gem of her family’s crown jewel: the true pride and joy of her father. Junko Watanabe’s greatest achievement would be breaking in to the world of these business monarchs.  

In order for her to fly, a head of business would have to fall. So to shatter a world of expectations, she let loose her grip. A gathered crowd gazed in awe at her upon her perch, gasping, wondering if she really did it. A parting: the last showing of the Watanabe family gem

A paragon of form and finesse… She could have been a perfect performer- one who could isolate and control her own center of gravity and giving way to incredible feats of agility. The truth of the matter was far from simple, however.  From what scientists surmise, her powers manipulate fields of gravitons around her, the reason for her impeccable balance. The limits of her potential made her into a perfect weapon.

Junko Watanabe only wished to perform, but her life was not this. This was a society of super powers, soldiers, and spies.

And so her gaze lingered at an upside down world.