Alone

The door bell jingled above my head as I pushed back through it.

I saw them starting their pre-fight ritual. All eight of them. They were stretching, cracking knuckles…

“You look like you eat gummy bears, Pretty Boy,” one of them scoffed from afar.

Wait, how did he…

I chose to selectively ignore him.

Flashback humor.

Great.

Outside, out into that beautiful evening sun, I couldn’t help but notice Thread was so very warm colored. Warm temperatures as well. It only got cold three months out of the year.

Two of those months were viciously brutal because of Thread’s orbit.

They called it The Weird Wobble. It had an orbit with a short period quite a ways out from the sun.

Otherwise it was a beach town.

A beach city really.

People paid an insane amount of money to live here. One of the few planets that was still worth it.

After billions of people flooded into the illusion, the first thing to go was the cool planets.

This one.

Couple other resort-like worlds.

Sure, Thread had her ghettos but for the most part, she was…

This.

I couldn’t help but realize I felt so naked, though.

Even as I stepped out into the parking lot, looking to my flank at the curving road that led all the way up to the bowl rise. Seeing the lake wrap around us like it could pour in at any time. In a city full of people…

I felt utterly, utterly alone out there.

So much for ‘never fight alone’.

What a messed up time to miss The Silence.

I saw them.

All starting to charge each other up with shoves, shoulder pats. Gesturing around to decide on how they were going to come at me. They weren’t in any particular hurry.

Like this was everyday business for them.

They were just busting up some small fry from another gang.

This was just them catching him on his own and doing what needed to be done.

I remember seeing stuff like this on other worlds. When The Silence rented my squadron out to solve a problem.

I’d inevitably screw it up worse and hear Mido threaten me. Blame the entire mission’s failure on my antics. Take me to the training ground and take his frustration out on me by letting his students have at me for a while. They enjoyed it.

My own fault though. I’d talked enough shit on Meridian to ensure I’d never have a friend in my life there.

I just get so mad.

“I’m going to have you demoted to Courtesan Hunter if this keeps up.”

Couple of times he even sent me to the harem to train. If that’s what you wanted to call it. I don’t think I’ve ever had somebody’s tongue that deep in my ass after or since. Not gonna lie, I fired off a few rounds though. They weren’t exactly voluntary.

Looks like in the end he ended up demoting me anyway.

Couple days from now I’d probably have a control collar around my neck.

I looked back at Dvar. He was gesturing calmly and talking on the phone.

No clue why I expected him to care. He just sent me out here to get beat up.

Why did I like that he held me with such little regard?

That his life was his life and he didn’t need me or require me, he just wanted me?

Was I happy being someone’s convenience?

Yeah…

Maybe because I’d never been anything else?

Yeah…

Ouch.

Guess I know why I liked it.

Y’know. Cus I’m a little twisted.

As my dance partners all surrounded their trunks, what Dvar said to me about his own stuck out in my head..

I should probably do the same as them. Get to the trunk.

I mean, they were cool… so I was cool, right?

I could feel the tension tickle the back of my neck.

Felt my stomach start to do that weird thing where it threatened to do flips.

I had to force myself to move.

“C’mon, Uno…” I said softly, willing my feet to move towards Dvar’s midnight blue convertible. “First time solo.”

I walked over to his car, closer to them. Closer to their conversation. I could hear them talk and chuckle. They made fun of everything about me.

“Look at this little guy.”

I mean, I kinda knew what they were saying. They were speaking in flawless Hindi. I was still working on it but my brain filled in the bits I didn’t understand clumsily. I was a little disappointed in myself for knowing Hindi insults and jeers more than useful conversation.

“He’s lucky we have nothing lethal here.”

“Sexy little princess.”

“Pocket Pussy.”

Guffaws followed.

Why was that a hallmark of my life?