25. Death by claw (1)

"I'm going to kill him," Buzz says.

"He probably thought that you were raping me."

"And that should be none of his business."

I thought he was better than others. Honestly, not a surprise I guess.

"I… know what happened between you and Love-bite, last night. Quite lovely you know."

"She… that bi***."

"Oh, really? Really… after… that? What, you thought you could just dominate and fuck her, thinking it was me, as if I'm your whore?"

"Toni…" Buzz says and nervously laughs. "We still were about to do it ourselves. So what is wrong?"

"What is wrong is… I'd have gotten it. If you just had masturbated on such a thought. But this… this is, honestly, disgusting."

"What, you thought you could just get the taste, only when you want it? It is so easy, because you are just a whore. Just like your mother. You think I don't know? Adleon… she was his, wasn't she?"

Thinking out such a scenario… I just stare at Buzz, thinking it through, after he said that if he really was raping me… it was none of the hero's business.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Buzz asks.

"Nothing," I say, clearing my throat. "Does it… hurt?"

"My soul hurts… bodily, it is fine."

Soul? I couldn't expect such a thing in this lot… not even in my own self.

"I met him just the previous night, you know. That same guy… with such an overcoat, just like you. It was a failed attempt on the Mwah recruiting."

"Mwah recruiting?"

"Kidnapping," Buzz scoffs. "All these so-called heroes… on their high thrones of protecting everyone. They always have a way to get to a distress call. So with Roar on my side, I attempt to get such recruits. Time-to-time."

"Roar?"

"Somebody with sound-related powers. She can even make sure that ones with heightened senses are caught. Because she can produce such a tune of sound… you understand? Or sometimes her screaming may break my ear, but get the call for help; all over."

"Is that how you brought Slit?"

"Slit?"

"You know… the guy I fought."

"Don't you mean the guy you killed?" Buzz laughs in an irritating way. "And yeah… I was working with Roar, then too. But we didn't have to use her distress strategy and her to back stab at a right moment. He just… came right to us, and got caught."

"Was he maybe hurt?"

"Don't think so… Love-bite thought that maybe he was distracting us from getting to the queen. Or the snake-gem or whatever. She even went there to find it… but, no luck."

"Love-bite said that the queen would hunt the man who took her man."

"Yeah, warned me too," Buzz scoffs and mumbles, "not like a girl could beat me."

I stare at him, but look away, silently.

"I mean… come on. I'm strong. But… yeah, not like I mean all girls are weak. I meant it in a comic way, yeah?"

"Yeah… I get it."

"Hey," Buzz says and puts one hand on my thigh. "You seemed to be in a position when I saw you… are you still in that heat?"

"No I'm fine," I say. "Thank you… and sorry. It happened because I was impatient."

"It is sad that we couldn't… but hey… I'll get better. And I'm all yours, baby."

I just feel cringe as if it were lightning striking me… but I smile through it.

I finally am able to leave Buzz's side, as he just rests in the same room he was treated. And I reach out after the exit.

"M," a pressed voice which I could barely recognise, twitches my ears. "W-A-H. Seems a bit like an… acronym. Hiding in plain sight."

I take a step to my right, and turn back… but right where I land, somebody finds me: and pins me to the ground. The hero from before… raises his other hand, formed as a fist, at a distance to my masked face.

"A place where you take to get your friend treated. A place where… a TERRORIZER, like Fro, comes casually. A place you spent so long, within. My condolences to your friend… whom I hurt. But is this a mere hideout?"

I push my body forward, as he tries to press harder. But the pressure only makes my body hard like stone. The hero seems shook at the sudden noticeable change and exerts more than enough pressure to break bones as if they were chips.

"You are right," I say.

"What?" he stops pushing me.

"Keep fighting."

I pull his hands away from me, and picking him up: push him to the ground and pin him there. I put one hand on his chest and other hand above his neck, barely gripping on the skin.

"Missing weak asshole heroes."

"How dare you say such a-?"

"-no, that is the acronym. You were right, it is an acronym."

"This is where they…? Why are you just telling me that?"

"You think you could just save them by yourself?" I ask. "Toss me away, using your legs. Let's keep fighting."

The guy freezes but follows. I make sure not to get injured severely and get up. The guy stands right behind me, and grasps my neck… but slightly, just like the pressure I had applied. So, my stone-like form slowly starts fading.

"Find this girl inside, in one of the private rooms. Can you read minds?"

"No."

"Well, she can. So she'll see glimpses of our fight, if she touches either of us. Doubt about dialogues on the memory."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Cause I have daddy issues."

I shove my legs backwards, while falling forward. As I fall, I let him get tossed to the ground, and break my fall.

"She needs to know that you can beat me, by the memory she sees. You may see things, but focus. You need to scare her enough, by the memory you show. So let's work on defeating me."

"Sounds easy."

"Seems to be working well for you."

I push my foot to his face on the ground, but he easily moves aside.

Good, I wanted that, of course.

He glides up, and bashes his body into me. Quickly coming up to my falling self, he hits my stomach. First I feel pain, then my body changing to stone suddenly… I feel like I have swallowed a stone.

"You mother-"

I punch at his right eye, and yet he moves while getting hit.

"Trust me… kid, if I want to… I would fight you and get this finished with ease."

"What exactly is your plan here?"

"Is it seriously not clear? Go in, save those lot… don't you DARE hurt this girl, or that guy from earlier."

"Not that… this is a bit confusing. Plan's clear."

"I'll explain the next time. How far could you throw someone?"

And after getting thrown this way… and taking my time in getting back, and finding the whole place to be empty... I find a baffled Love-bite and hurry closer.

"Love-bite, are you okay?"

+

Nobody bats an eye, as I enter this bar… it seems like a regular bar, strippers, drunkards, people in costumes even. Probably villains. It was good that I wasn't well-known, as of now. Or they'd have identified and come at me.

I find one of the private rooms which the girl from earlier mentioned… I didn't get to ask her name. She did say there'd be a next encounter.

I find Cosplayer lying on a bed. And a beautiful girl looking at him, with concern.

"Who are you?" she asks.

"The person who got him on that bed."

I push my body forward and cover her mouth after taking the cigar she is smoking.

"These are bad, even for a lady like you," I say, breaking the cigar.

Must this be enough contact for her to read my memory? Maybe she needed a skin contact or something. But that could be risky.

"His friend outside was stronger than him. And I don't think you must be much of a fighter, then I won't harm you. I promise."

"You met Season?"

"So that is her name… I could read her memory, you know. Even with all that overcoat of her's. Tell me where the heroes you kidnapped are. Or I WILL further break his body."

+

"That guy… some guy… I think the same guy who did Buzz this way…" Love-bite says, gasping. "He took them… all of them. Toni… there were more than a dozen of them."

Good.

I make sure to comfort her without touching her, and get her another smoke… because the guy had broken the one she had.

"Is Buzz fine?" I ask.

"He said he'd damage Buzz's other parts… or I had to give up on the heroes we had piled," Love-bite recalls, while puffing out smoke. "Fro left at a great time," she sighs.

"Right, Fro… all he said is how this girl could see all. However he could… where did he even go?"

"To meet someone similar."

"And who'd that be?"

"Have you heard of the Asuraas?" Love-bite asks, and I nod in response. "One of them. Though, his powers are a bit more sophisticated and rather… contained"

The Asuraas were dangerous. Even to a person such as Fro. And after knowing more about him… it'd be for the better, if the Asuraas didn't help him. By definition of the powers Fro talked of… Asuraas should never have it.

"He said the two of you fought," Love-bite says.

"Yes, he threw me far away. Got me crashing into these rods…"

"And you're fine?"

"Takes time to heal. Has its side effects. But I'm fine… but just worried," I sigh. "Fro heard us at the wrong part, earlier. What do you think his reaction to this, would be?"

Love-bite freezes for a moment, taking that in. "Fuck!"

"We need to… do something."

"No… I know," Love-bite says, holding her head. "I know exactly what to do."

"What?"

"There is only few people who know… who can get in there. Everyone usually use them, like I took you there."

"And?" I ask… but she remains silent. Leaving rest to my imagination.

Who did she mean?

And when I ask myself that question… Love-bite tilts her head, towards where the other room was… where Buzz was.