Disappointment

" A-A gun?!" The man was taken aback.

' Lady!!!' David and company screamed internally.

" But...Humph! What are you going to do with an antique?! Stop trying to scare people!" The man snorted as a bead of sweat slid down his face.

" Why don't you see if it's antique or not?" A playful smile grew on Miss' supervisor's face as she pointed the pistol.

" Ah! ah! Stop! Are you crazy!" The man began flailing as a bluish-gray dot appeared on his cheek.

" Stop! What are you trying to do to my son?!" The woman suddenly bellowed.

Her face changed from sunny to dark and cloudy.

" Don't worry your old head! It's what I'm doing to both of you!" Miss supervisor smiled mysteriously, as she changed targets.

" You-You-You-" The old woman stuttered.

" Is this how you treat people?!" She wore an interesting expression. Angry yet fearful.

" Humph! Like you have any room to speak. On the other hand, you both seem to think this is a joke?" Miss supervisor pointed the pistol to the side.

A loud sound roared between the wall and the half-constructed building.

" Ahh!" The guy covered his ears while screaming. He turned and ran off, forgetting about his mother.

" You-You-You! Sue! I'm going to sue! Wait 'till the police come and drag you away!" The old woman shouted.

" You useless son! How could you leave me behind?!" She ran behind the man.

"..." Three people stood in silence.

" How long are you going to ogle me for, Mr. David?" Miss' supervisor questioned.

" Ms. Brown, what are we going to do now? You..." David said while still holding his nose.

" I told you to call me Grace, didn't I? Brown sounds too poor." The lady, Grace, said.

" Focus? Please? I can't believe you shot a gun and threatened people!" David pointed at the pistol.

' This is quite the situation...but, if I use it to redirect her attention away from me, then my problem will be solved!' He thought.

" When? Where? How come I don't remember?" Grace furrowed her brows.

" Ms. Grace...Can you be serious for just a minute?" David pleaded.

" Just grace is fine, and I am very serious," Grace said.

" Fuck! Is how you are Addressed that important?!" David asked.

" D-David-" The younger guy called out.

" We know that you aren't poor! We know that you act however you want, wherever and whenever you want! But lady, you are still an adult, at least be woman enough to wipe your ass afterward!" David said.

"..." The guy's mouth opened and closed repeatedly. While the older man just shook his head.

" Humph, shouting at your superior. Quite brave." Grace smiled dismissively.

" You-" David was cut off.

" Here!" She chucked the pistol.

" Hey!" David clumsily caught it, his face pale.

"..." His expression read, ' Don't! Throw! Not! Safe!'.

" Huh?" David found that the 'pistol' in his hands was rather light.

" It's light." He mumbled.

" And how would you know how heavy a gun should be?" Grace narrowed her eyes.

" But now that you have it in your hands, how do you feel about my toy?" She asked.

" Toy?" David asked.

" It's a lighter, to be more specific." She corrected.

" Oh..." The other two took a few glances at it.

" But, then how did it make that sound? There was even a bit of fire when you shot it!" The younger guy asked.

" It's a toy, but it also doubles as my protection," Grace said.

" This lighter can be used as a flame thrower or you can use the gunshot sound as a way to scare unwanted people away. The laser was added afterward to increase its 'authenticity'." She took back the pistol lighter.

"...But there is still the matter of threatening people with a dangerous tool." David said after some contemplation.

" People? Ha, those two came here specifically to cause trouble, and even got physical with one of my employees, in addition to being extremely disrespectful to me." Grace said.

' So because of that...'

' The last line was the biggest deciding factor, I'd bet!'

The two guys thought.

" Even if they were to try anything, I have 3 witnesses right here, willing or not, isn't that so?" Grace smiled.

' This lady is still at it!!' The three thought. Couldn't she go a few minutes without threatening someone?

" But, miss supervisor, why do you need that kind of protection anyway?" The younger guy asked.

" Hmm? Because I'm a beautiful lady." Grace shifted some of her hair from her shoulder.

" You're calling yourself that?" The three instantly questioned.

" Sometimes I walk about at night and when I go out, I get harassed constantly. Some of those fuckers even think they have the right to touch me." She said.

" So with my little friend here, I won't have anything to worry about. Worst case, I'll just roast a face or blow off a finger." She rubbed the lighter as if it was a pet.

" How about, instead of that, just stay at home? And did you just say 'blow off a finger'? I thought that thing was just a lighter!" The younger guy said.

" Yeah, a lighter that can mimic the sound of a gunshot and can spew fire like a flamethrower. Why is the thought of it being able to cripple a hand or two difficult for you to accept?" Grace asked.

" You just have to point it at something close up when it's in "gunshot mimic" mode and pull the trigger. The force created by the internal explosion is strong enough to blow off a finger. I can demonstrate if you want?" She said as she motioned for his hand.

" No thanks! I love all of my fingers equally!" The guy stuck his hands behind his back.

" As for why I don't stay inside?" She asked.

" Why should I have to stay inside just because people are assholes?" She asked.

" People drink even while knowing that it can lead to several health issues, but have you ever heard someone who liked alcohol say, ' Well, I like drinking, but the hangovers man, the hangovers! I'll just quit!'?" She asked.

" Well, no, but it could have happened?" The guy said.

" The fact that you don't know for sure proves my point." Grace pointed.

" I go out because I want to and I shouldn't have to stop because of the actions of others. That's like jailing the victim and letting the culprit go free." She said.

' Yeah, but if you know something dangerous could happen, it would make more sense to stay inside, that's just basic logic...' The guy sighed internally.

" Well..." He decided to keep silent.

" Hmm." Grace nodded and put the lighter back into her brown handbag.

" But this has cleared up a lot, hasn't it, Mr. David? How you see me, for one." She emphasized the "Mr".

"..." David kept silent.

" I am pretty, beautiful in fact," Grace said.

" And I was born with some money." She said.

"...I might also have a strong personality, making it hard for people to get along with me." She said.

' She is listing them so smoothly, isn't she!'

" But I've never relied on anyone to 'wipe my ass' after the age of 6, so don't talk like you know me." Grace looked him in the eyes.

" Yes, I'm loud, vulgar and strong-willed, but I know when and where." She said.

" I don't expect anyone to notice the slight differences in my behavior when in different venues, but those who don't notice, don't have any right to criticize me." She said.

" As for you..." She paused.

" You took a punch to the face, but now? Look at your face, not a scratch on it." She said.

"..." David held his nose.

" As for these two, one old man..." She paused.

' Hey!'

" And a brat doing part-time for a bit of extra cash, possibly." She said.

" It seems like you don't have any issues with people like those two, as you'll just let yourself be pushed around." She said, meaning the mother/son pair.

" I feel like if they beat you up outright, you would just take it." She laughed.

" As for these guys, if this one gets hurt, he's going to die with that injury still acting up, we both know it, let's be real." She said.

' No delicacy!' The older man thought.

" And this kid? His family must not be in the best shape, seeing as he's working in a place like this. He might be an orphan supporting himself for all I know. In which case, do you think he could afford food, much less hospital fees if he were injured?" Grace asked.

" Urk..." The boy stiffened.

"..." David kept silent.

"...Sorry, David. I gotta agree with Miss Supervisor on this point." The boy scratched his head.

" Me too." The older guy said after a pause.

" I get it, you know? You're David Stein! The resident on-site hero!" Grace said in fake awe.

" But these guys? These normal guys? Their situations are more important to them than your prided 'status'." She said.

"...You say that like I want them to keep acting like that." David said.

" That's the thing, you see? These guys? They know you are different from them, more capable. So, of course, they are going to put you on a pedestal to praise you." Grace said.

" But on the other hand, because of your capability, when shit hits the fan, who do you think they will shield themselves from the splatter with? You. Because you can endure the stench." Grace said.

" I mean, anyone can, really, but no one want's to." She said.

"..." David kept silent.

" And don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to piss you guys off, granted you're not yet pissed off," Grace said.

The two kept silent. For a while now, this one-sided conversation didn't sound like something they should involve themselves in.

" I said all of this to say one thing; Since you have taken up the position of this lot's god, their hero, you might be used to cleaning up behind them, groveling and allowing people to disrespect you for as long as they want, enduring-"

" But under no circumstances should you think I am the same as you. I know how to make messes as well as how to clean them up." She said.

" But at the same time, I know when I'm getting used, when to use other people and when to not give a fuck and defend myself," Grace said.

" I just hope that I can always distinguish between these things, so I don't ever look as pathetic as you." She said.

Grace turned and began walking away.

She paused.

" You disappoint me." She said, before continuing.

"..." David kept silent.

'...I disappoint you?' He thought.

"...I'm done for today," David said as he turned.

" David..." The boy called out.

"..." David walked in the opposite direction of Grace.

"...Do you think he's going to be alright? I've never seen him make that kind of face, maybe...Maybe we should go with him, just to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." The boy said.

"...I don't know, but I feel like he might want to be alone. To gather his thoughts." The old man said.

" And in any case, he's that David you know? The same one who held up a building top by himself! What trouble couldn't he handle on his own?" The man raised his hands to lift an imaginary object.

"..." The boy kept silent.

' That's exactly what miss supervisor was talking about just now, you know?' He thought.

He began walking back around to the construction site.