Washu POV
Playing with the glass against the wooden counter of the bar I waited for Elina to arrive. Rather unusual for my friend to be late, especially when it concerned a mission at hand. The music must have been especially loud tonight as well as the chatters, causing my head to pound without a break. Or maybe it was the guilt of my earlier outburst that caused me to feel this bad?
"Another one?" the barman asked pointing at the empty glass in my hand. Glancing to the side, noticing the 'troll girl' whose name I did not know, she was doing her best to ignore meâit didn't feel right.
"Yeah, whatever," I muttered and checked the phone noticing a new message. "I won't make it tonight, do your best..." whispering under my nose I couldn't believe Elina has stood me up, but most importantly the mission. Has she gotten a lead I wasn't aware of?
Ugh, I was such a shitty friend. Elina should have never seen this side of me, why did I allow myself to snap? On top of it on her, the only person in my life who I knew cared about me. Maybe she wasn't the most considerate person, she made her deal of mistakes and for certain took many livesâthe number of times she returned covered in blood that wasn't hersâbut she wasn't a monster.
Taking a quick shot my face twisted at the awful taste. This 'alcohol' thing was seriously nasty, making sure to ask for a glass of water the next time they want to pour more.
Sighing I searched the crowd. Was the princess even here? Wouldn't she prefer to keep herself low and not exposed in a place filled with intergalactic beings? The mustache dude wasn't here either, which wasn't a bad thing. He was giving me weird vibes.
This made me wonder however, was there any chance another moonchild resided on earth? The possibility of meeting my own species enthralled me.
Suddenly the crowd began to cheer and scream loudly, confused as to what this was about, I asked some random girl standing not too far from me. "You haven't heard? The guild liberated one of the planets taken over by the Pentagon! It's the first time they made such a huge step!" she screamed into my ear as if I wouldn't be able to hear otherwise.
"Wow..." I uttered.
Watching the crowd curse out the military and cheer on the guild was revolutionary and terrifying at the same time. If only they knew I was a part of it... willing or not, they would burn me alive.
"Stop looking so shocked, others might start questioning," a voice that has already imprinted itself on my mind sassed with a touch of concern. "What? You just had a funny expression that's all. I will leave you alone."
Today she seemed a bit different, almost down in a way, the way her usually cheeky smile resided on her full lips, tonight wasn't present.
"What about you? I don't see you celebrating," I pointed at the others.
Frowning she shifted unsurely, not knowing whether she should allow herself to talk to me after I told her to leave me alone.
"Not my concern really, got my own problems to worry about," she put forth without any remorse. "Pentagon is the least of it as of now," an unintentional scoff escaped her lips. "What about you?"
Shrugging I replied truthfully, "Not into politics."
Her unexpected laugh offended me. "Wish I could be this carefree," she added without any thought.
"Excuse me?" I grew irritated, something that has rarely happened before earth.
Leaning against the wooden counter she spoke lowly, ensuring I got each and every word. "It's not something to be into. It's all around us, whether we like it or not."
"I don't see you caring," I grumbled.
"Told youâ"she took the hairband out of her hair, letting it fall loosely against her shoulders. "Got my own problems to worry about."
"So do I."
Feeling her icy blue eyes clashing against my bright grey, she frowned. "Somehow I doubt that. What is it, an existential crisis?"
My jaw clenched with force; this girl!
"Ha! I knew it," she mocked.
"Get lost," I seethed. "And here I thought to give you a chance."
Seriously! For a second there I believed we could have carried a normal conversation without her acting like an ass. Almost as if she had to put this charade for some reason. Well, I wasn't buying it.
"Always so serious, geez..." she murmured, thinking about what she said, clearly not understanding why I got upset. Here I thought Elina was oblivious, this girl just took it to another level.
"Since this is the last time we are speaking, can I be honest?" I asked but didn't bother with permission. "Stop this, it's tiring. Whatever or whoever has made you act this way is not here anymore."
Now I've done it; I thought when her expression has shifted into fury. The dark locks bounced on her cheeks as she angrily rushed around the counter and stood right in front of my sitting figure, even now remaining shorter in height.
Watching her index finger poke against my chest, I slightly blacked out, ignoring the swear words she was throwing my way, instead entirely focused on the sparks her touch provided even if through a piece of fabric.
"âthe worst!" she spat the last part, which was the only thing I heard after pulling myself together. "What?!" she hissed, searching into my lost eyes.
Before I could muster an answer, we got approached by a blonde dude who hang his hand around her petite shoulderâit pissed me off.
"Done with your shift?" he asked the girl. "Still want me to take you to that dinner?"
She smiled brightly, but I saw past her and very well knew that it was fake and the most ingenuine I've seen from her as far. The dude hasn't caught on however, how? It was beyond me. Instead, he smiled back and whispered into her ear, evoking an awkward giggle from the girl who scowled at me for some reason.
"Right, have fun." I stood up not wanting to watch any more of this ridiculous play.
My feelings were all over the place, having a difficult time keeping them in check I pushed through the crowd right into the bathroom. My hands rested against the cold sink, supporting the weight of the dizzy body while I stared into the dirty old mirror.
Almost as if under control of my own spell, I observed my shaded by the red cloth irises. My index finger has pulled down onto the skin under my right eye, I leaned in needing a closer look.
It felt foreign, looking into them, never before seeing how they turned under the power of my ability, only used to the descriptions Elina has given me.
"Who are you?" my words roughly accusing the person with red eyes staring back at me.
Grazing my fingertip over the mirror, in pure disbelief of how those eyes could ever be mineâbut they were. Is that what Elina has feared? What our galaxy feared?
The sound of the door hitting the wall like a switch turned my eyes back to its normal shade of grey. A group of girls singing and wobbling has pushed past me towards the second sink. The sound of the cheers and happiness coming from the outside allowed me to return to reality which somehow disappeared after watching the blonde guy touch the girl.
My heart ached, oh it ached so badly, yet there was no explanation as of why, only confusion. Leaving the bathroom, but not before giving myself one last look in the mirror I frowned when seeing the mustache guy from before, standing in the corner of the club, looking back at me with a smirk as if he knew who and what I was better than I would ever know myself.
Walking up towards him at a steady pace the sounds and screams became muffled to the point where I wondered whether the time has stopped moving; even with the advances of our galaxy such a thing was simply a tale.
His smirk hasn't left his lips, brown messy hair not fitting his character. Such intimidation, the world might have been his if he wished for it to happen. Who was this person? Did I see things, have others seen him?
"Hello Washu," his tone unbothered by my shocked expression. "It seems that you are slowly becoming what you were meant to be from the start."
There was pain in my heart, a different kind from the one I had when thinking about the girl. This one was truly suffocating to the point where if not for the absence of blood I would think someone has stabbed me right through my heart.
"Who are you?" my words slipped out, ringing in my ears letting the mind know it was me who said it, yet there was no awareness of such action.
The man shrugged. "Did you know, your eyes were always meant to be red."
I remained silent waiting for him to continue as he grabbed a drink from someone's hand and began drinking it without any care in the world. Has the time truly stopped?
"Your species were the most interesting one in this galaxy, and what have they done to you?" A displeased expression after taking a sip. "There's not many of you left, but there is one other here on Earth. Did you know that?" He chuckled at his own words. "Of course not... You don't know anything. Ah," he chippered happily, putting the glass on the bar. "I cannot wait to see how it will all play out."
Questions lingered at the tip of my tongue, about the other moonchild, about my eyes and what he meant by his last comment, yet there was no point in any of it. He wouldn't answer, simply because he didn't feel like it.
"Also," he added before leaving me behind. "Don't let go." With that said he vanished behind the moving and dancing crowd.
Blinking a couple of times, having no way of telling whether the time has stopped or not, I glanced at the skinny man who complained about losing his drink.
Don't let go.
The words repeated themselves a few more times before I decided to go outside and take a breath of fresh soothing air. Checking my phone Elina hasn't messaged, must have gotten into something herself. Looking at the empty streets as the night hours overtook this side of the city a stroll didn't seem all that bad.
Walking past a group of drunk boys the bars and pubs were at their peak. My ears perked at the voice my heart couldn't keep itself steady whenever she spoke.
"I said no!" she screamed there was distress in her tone I never heard before. With a rush of adrenaline and a sudden urge to be by her side, I walked towards it. "No! Stop it! That's not what I want!" she kept on screaming.
"You seriously think I just wanted dinner? How stupid are you?" he hissed frustrated but hasn't raised his voice, instead, spoke calmly not wanting to alert the humans. "Come on stop fucking around it won't take long. I know you wanted it, stop pretending, you were all over me at the club."
Turning into the small ally not far from the lively bar my heart broke at the sight. The girl was only in her bra, with trousers pushed down her knees, as the blonde guy from earlier has held her shoulders against the wall, being much stronger and in control of the situation. Maybe if he were an earthian she would have had a chance with her small physique, however he wasn't.
My eyes snapped towards a shiny tear falling down her tanned cheek, without knowing the consequences of seeing that single droplet at this very moment I realized that the pit wasn't even close to the pain this scene has given. My soul broke. For this infuriating, strange girl, it broke.
Grabbing his wrist without any mercy, his bone crushed under the pressure of my hold. He dropped the girl who quickly stepped backward falling down onto the damp ground.
"Fuck!" he screamed and glanced at me with fury. Without uttering a warning, he smashed his other fist against my cheek. Allowing him to hit me, pain was the switch.
"Hey," my voice leveled and curious. Suddenly I felt it, my eyes must have changed because he froze in place, unsure of what to do. Smiling I couldn't help, but ask, "Have you ever stared into the eyes of insanity?"
His lips trembled as he spoke in a stammering mess, "W..w-w-what a..ar.are you?"
Tilting my head amused by the question to which I had no answer I chuckled lightly.
"Let me go...?" he begged, his eyes snapping between me and the other girl.
Ah, of course. Don't let go. The smile disappeared off my lips, leaning closer to his ear I whispered, "No." His eyes tearing up as he begged for forgivenessâpathetic. "Look into my eyes," I ordered through pursed lips. Once he hasn't listened closing them on purpose, I dropped his wrist and squeezed his jaw with so much strength it began to break, making him open them right back. "Look," I repeated calmly. "Allow yourself to explore the deepest parts of your mind, drown in your own guilt." It was an order, not something to oppose.
Never have I used my powers in such a way, never under control, seeing his dilated pupils and screams of pain as he grabbed his own hair and began to rock back and forth fighting with his own mind and images it created.
When the blood began to make its presence from his eyes and nose, that was the moment I called it. "Enough," I growled gaining his attention. Within a second, he was back; confused and terrified. Pulling onto his feet he ran off in the clumsiest way possible, falling down a few times before disappearing off my sight.
Sighing I took a deep breath, calming myself down before looking towards the girl who with her knees against her chest sat in the corner of an ally, shivering from the cold.
Looking around, her shirt was soaked in the puddle of rainwater, and by the look of the stretch material, he must have pulled it off of her forcefully. Gritting my teeth, anger has rushed through me for the last time tonight as my attention went back to the girl.
Approaching her carefully she shouted while trembling, "Don't touch me!"
Hesitating to take another step I took off my coat and gently allowed myself to come forth, having no intention of making any skin contact. Covering her petite shoulders, she gasped and glanced at me from under her long dark lashes.
"It's you..." she commented in shock. "How? Why...?" her icy irises began to stagger towards different spots as if she tried to comprehend the situation.
Crouching in order to have a better look at her face I scanned for any possible scars as I answered her question in the calmest and most truthful manner, "I heard your voice, you needed help. So here I am."
"Just like that?" her voice pure of innocence I never knew she had.
Smiling softly, I nodded and reached towards her cheek, yet retracted right after, allowing myself to observe her unwanted tears that caused my soul to resonate with anger.
"Just like that."
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