19. Love-bite (1)

'All of you. I represent all of you, when I go out there and save lives. So no way will they say that it is wrong, or not in the Bible. All love is pure!' the trending hero of the decade, Trans, preaches and screams through the T.V..

"Maybe you should first help find the missing ones," Varon murmurs, and lowers the volume on the T.V., after finding me. "Oh sorry, did that wake you up?"

"No… I woke up either way. But that was quite loud," I say.

"Noted."

I walk towards the washroom and-

"-no wait, someone's in there," Varon jumps up.

"Someone? I thought it was just us two."

The door clicks open and a jaw-dropping beauty comes out. Tanks like those? She sure was older. And made me embarrassed of myself. Oof. She sure was a beaut.

"Hi," she says, in a bit of a rougher-voice; making my heart sink. She clears her throat, after the realisation. "You must be Toni."

"Toni, this is Antonia."

"I was going to introduce myself," Antonia gives me her hand, and I hold it as if it were precious and fragile.

She was wearing less. Why did I just notice that? All white… was she a goddess?

"Toni," I murmur.

"I heard… nice to finally meet you, Toni," Antonia winks at me… is my nose bleeding? "And don't you worry, I won't be staying here or something. Just regular visits. I'm just his ass-"

"-girlfriend," Varon says.

"…ass…" Antonia clears her throat. "Hmm, assistant in life, if you may. You know how boys are."

"Yeah…" I say in a draggy-bit.

"You got a boyfriend, Toni?"

"Well… if it'd be a problem on me staying here, I could find one."

"Surely won't be a problem to you, honey. Can I call you honey? Your caramel tan makes me want to call you that. Would that be weird?"

"No… that's a cute name. Thank you."

"Antonia… let her go. She seems to be in a hurry. Could be late for the job," Varon says.

"Um… no… I'll… get a notice when I'm needed. It is that kind of a job."

"Oh, that's what made you worry about the pay," Antonia says, and I just tilt my head without looking at her. "Oh sorry, not to be nosy… it is understandable. Some jobs are that way. Please don't take it the wrong way."

"No, no. It is fine. You guys… go ahead with each other. Nature calls," I nervously laugh.

"Oh Toni," Antonia says, right as I grab the handle and open the door. "For your own good… not that it is a necessity but, find a guy. Makes things around here more fun."

I just flash a smile and go in. Fun? Was that an invitation to… huh, well. Sure was a weird character, so maybe was.

I look around the washroom in an anxious way… and continue my job here. After freshening up a bit, I go straight to my room, and find a letter on a piece of paper.

'Roof of the apartment in 30 – Buzz', it says.

I check myself out in the mirror, in a flash, and climb up the stairs. The roof was not very neat, with little wet-marks here and there. But a walkable and good enough place to be.

But there was no one here… oh but someone did follow me, so I just wait at the edge, for him to approach me.

"Maybe not always good enough," I say.

"Maybe I wasn't really trying to sneak," Buzz says, and I turn to find a normal-looking young man. "Mosquito by night," he shrugs.

"And who are you now?"

"Mm-mm, I know you but, you don't know me," he joins me at the edge and looks into the distance.

"Yet you wanted to flirt… in a rather crude manner. Also agreed on the date."

"You suggested the date though. I'm just… going with it."

"So you'd rather show your face to me, than tell me your name? Date me even."

"There's the fun in that. And let's put a hold on the date part."

"Ah… I get it," I scoff. "I thought you were older."

"Ooh, wanted a sugar daddy?"

"Let's get to the point of why you're here."

"Okay, so that is your limit," Buzz notes something down in his little book again. I try to peak but he quickly pockets it. "Tonight… I'll train you."

"I promise that you'll find me to be a quick learner."

"Better be, and you'll find the first payment by next weekend."

"Mm, and what about the date then?"

"That… also depends on your… performance tonight."

"Then I better put on a show."

…

"We need to work on your mission attire," Buzz says, looking at my plain overcoat.

"I don't really require a special attire for my kind of powers."

"There always is an attire for each. It'll sure be realised."

"And this yours?" I point at the all-black clothes with glittery wings.

"Let's concentrate on you, shall we?"

"Just what I like to hear."

Buzz levitates above and vanishes, appearing below on the ground. I walk backwards and run forward to do a forward flip and land besides Buzz, who looks impressed.

"What is this place?" I ask, pointing at the club ahead of us. "Really, is this why you called me? Someone was so serious about postponing the date."

"Don't get your hopes high… honey," Buzz says, making me throw a glare at him. "This place is a paradise to us. You must've heard about this club."

'Mwah' with plumy lips around it, as an indication of the obvious. Some stripper club or something?

"Come in, you'll know," Buzz says.

We enter to look at crazy people with crazy costumes. Almost-naked models – strippers. Lot of money being thrown on the floor. At the least, they didn't care about our usual out-of-the-place costume, because it wasn't so out-of-the-place in here.

Buzz signs me to follow him into one of the private premium room. I silently sit with him and wait for something to happen… and an actual naked model enters, making me look away.

"With all due respect: quite stunning. But what the actual fuck. Is this wha-"

The lady closes my mouth with her hand, and I feel like I'm being choked by Adleon again.

"Wow… she already had an incident with Adleon," the lady says. "Honey… you see what you want to see. Until reality kills you."

I get pulled into the chair by something, but the hand closing my mouth: seems to follow along with me. I feel breathless and close my eyes… but soon manage to open my eyes. Seeing that a severed hand is what is closing my mouth, I throw it away.

I look around… it was some… cave…

Really author? You didn't get any other idea?

What?

A cave again? Eesh, it is like you don't have more ideas. Go touch grass.

I see someone in a stone-tinted suit, right besides me. I push her away.

"Who are you? What is this?" I ask.

Hey, hey, hey, hey! What the fuck? Bro… no way you just… shit. It isn't just a… vision? Fuck's sake.

"What are you saying? Who are you speaking to? Who are you? Why are you speaking like that?"

I look behind her… this cave… it felt scarier than her.

The girl's suit shines in a silvery light, and she sways her hands towards me, sending me dragging back again.

"AAAAAA!!!!!!!" the girl holds her hand, the one which was touching me, and screams. "What the fuck, it just… I… my hand…"

"Woah, you need to take it easy. What did Fro say about doing that?" Buzz says, helping the girl stand.

"I… she saw it too… there was something different this time…" the girl whimpers, while crying.

"We'll figure that later… now is not the time."

The girl wipes her tears and holds mine and Buzz's hands. In a moment, the two of us are somewhere… still in the club… but a different location, filled with more people in costume.

"Welcome to 'Missing Weak Asshole Heroes', where you can kick one of their ass… to practice what to do when facing them out there," Buzz says.

"Mwah," I say, realising.

"That's right… the place where we fuck the heroes."

"Like… all those missing heroes… all of them are here?"

"Right again. Basic punching bags now," Buzz says and looks at my pale reaction. "Why, feel bad for them?"

"Just thinking about what just happened back there… with the naked lady."

"Love-bite," Buzz says, making me give him a weird reaction. "That's what they call her, alright. She has teleportation powers. Not exclusive to here… so she can teleport into your thoughts too… that's what you experienced, I believe."

"But those weren't… there was a cave. And some girl… which wasn't her."

"Rookie… she is still working on it. So can't tell. Let's work on Adleon's test, shall we?"

"Adleon's test?"

"Er… well. Yeah… should be obvious without me saying it, right? Love-bite was part of it. You need to fight one of them. This is where your powers will be examined."