Generation Antihero 2

A fish in a cherry blossom pond

At 9PM Koi's alarm clock went off. He forgot that now it was time to work again. But he woke up to a very interesting message. On his display he saw an unknown number: "You made quite the clever move there with your demand, didn't you?". Shortly he laughed, then he typed: "He doesn't see you as his girlfriend". "'Cause he's an asshole", came back. To himself he mumbled sleepy: "That's not how to treat a lady...". From the printer Shark asked: "Are you awake now?". "You guys know that I always get up an hour later. I don't mind breakfast as much as Zigz does", he rolled his eyes and got up.

After he looked around he complained: "Chef isn't here yet anyway. Why is it so important for me to be awake?". Henry sounded: "Because he's going to be down here soon and wanted everything to be set up. The systems still need to get installed". "I'm already shutting up", Koi raised his hands, changed and took care of the IT. With a few tricks everything was done even before Ilus came down the stairs. He looked at his phone while mentioning: "Our reputation here isn't all too well known yet. So in this night we won't get many jobs. Maybe a few of you can go out to advertise us. Oh, Shark - Please don't wave around with a glowing sign in front of the police station like six years ago". He nodded ashamed. Henry was confused: "How do you advertise this business and yet keep the location a secret from police and other gangs?". Zigz leaped up from a chair: "I'll show you". Shark sat down beside the printer: "I don't want to make mistakes". Ilus agreed: "Then we'll stay here. Koi, the system should be the same, right? Let that advertising be taught to you and Lucky by Zigz".

No objections. They went on their way and wandered through the streets. Zigz walked ahead: "There may be more people here that search for drug dealers, but Seattle is a big city. There is always someone having problems with the police. Probably getting rid of the cops is going to be a bigger deal now. Still, you can just see it in someone's eyes, if they're searching for a ticket to paradise. Let's go to the harbour and observe. You then tell me from who you think they'd want to travel". Lucky raised an eyebrow: "You sound like my old physics teacher from eighth grade. I hated him". "Maybe you should've chosen a less challenging subject than physics for your brain", Zigz puffed. Koi protected his best friend: "And what did you choose? Music and art?". "Yeah, but I was good at it!", he countered. Lucky objected: "But I also had PE and I always got straight A's!". "A for asshole!", Zigz groused. Koi got annoyed: "When did you two get so tense with each other?".

Henry spoke inbetween: "What about her?". Curious everyone looked into the direction he pointed towards. He added: "A woman with a baby. She looks hungry and sad". Zigz patted on his back: "Well done. Now watch me". Unobtrusive he walked past her, but let a small card fall down. She picked it up, read it and already made herself on her way. Then Zigz gestured them to come over. When they were back with him he explained: "With luck she knows more people and will inform them. After a while a net of rumors will have spread". Lucky and Koi nodded understanding, Henry questioned: "We have business cards?". Zigz nodded, gave them a few and kept going: "Either you'll follow me or you'll go advertise yourself. One person won't be enough. There have to be rumors from every corner". They agreed to split up. After all, everyone was armed.

They diligently did well. At some point they even got a message from Ilus: "The people are queueing up already. Good job, you can take the rest of the night off". Henry was on his way back, but he got hungry and stopped at a McDonald's. There he spotted Zigz. They looked at each other as the only customers there. Henry asked skeptically: "Didn't you want to loose some weight?". With his mouth full of fries Zigz bluffed: "No, that was your imagination". He laughed and ignored him and his wannabe-diet.

Just a few streets further Lucky was on his direct way home. Another two blocks further Koi leisurely walked down the harbour. He even arrived at the great ferris wheel. In front of it he stopped and smiled at it. In Seattle he felt much more comfortable than in Los Angeles. All the lights made it seem friendlier. Suddenly he heard beside him: "Didn't think that your light-green eyes could look even more colorful". His smile got wider when he gazed over to the young woman: "Well, it's not my fault". "The underground in one of the most lit up places of Seattle. Don't you have work to do?", she asked. "Got all my work done for today. Chef said so himself. And what does your boss say about your work?", Koi teased. She sighed: "You've realized yourself already that I can't stand him and am nothing more than a pet to him. All humans are animals to him. That's why he gave all of us animalic names and your Chef therefore calls us a pet zoo". Koi had to laugh: "I adore my boss".

"It has to be wonderful to work for Ilus. Generous payment, no matter what rank, and a close bond. Whitefur doesn't put great value on us. Main thing is that we're all doing what he says", she complained. Koi bumped her lightly: "I'm sure Ilus would adopt you if I say a few nice words". -"I can't. None of us like Whitefur, but we all owe him. Just like Ilus got all of you from the streets, Whitefur also saved our asses. But Ilus has different reasons. He opened his own business. With that he wants to help other humans from the streets. Some make it into his family. Basically all his customers are family to him, since everyone shares the same destiny. Have you ever wondered why he hasn't opened a drug dealership instead? He doesn't want to harm others, but help them".

Koi kept walking: "I know that he has an incredibly big herat. That's just the typical Russians". She went back on her skateboard and followed him: "It's just a shame that Whitefur saw me first. You can consider yourself lucky if you get saved by Ilus instead of Whitefur". "If he doesn't value you so much, then he should be easily influenced by money. I would buy you out - For multiple reasons", he offered. "That's not how it works. He wants to outclass Ilus, that's something personal between them. Money isn't prosperity to him, it's the amount of people. For Ilus money isn't prosperity either, but the extent of membership is more important to him than the amount of members", she explained. Koi shrugged carelessly: "I'd try anyway. Starting with him not treating you like his girlfriend". "No offense, but no man knows how to treat a woman right", she rolled her eyes.

Koi stopped and grabbed her: "Don't challenge me. I've already had a few relationships". "And what did they end for?", she raised an eyebrow. "My taste apparently attracts the hidden hussies. I've always been used", he meant without emphasizing his despair. She narrowed her eyes: "Wouldn't I be a hussy like everyone else then?". "I don't hope so", he wore a crooked smile, "Because you've already convinced me. And I won't let go". "The koi fish, ambitious and determined", she noted. "Exactly. But you tell me why you've followed me", where a few seconds ago he held her wrist, now their hands intertwined. "You call it following, I call it controlling the city", she shook her head. He let go and provoked: "Then I can leave. I'm not doing anything special".

Slick he pulled the skateboard from her feet and rolled forward. She ran after him: "Hey! Come back here!". Koi was surprised how fast she could run. The more he kicked for speed. His problem was just - He didn't know how to handle a skateboard. When the straight street ended and he landed into a housewall at the corner, he lost the race. "Pathetic", she looked down on him as he lied between trash cans on the ground. He wanted to pull himself up, but wheezed in pain and broke down: "Not again...!". "You good?", she asked. "Broke a bone in my arm to the wrist a few months ago...", he hissed. She blamed him: "And you're not wearing at least a bandage?". "That lowered my ability to type... Oh, whatever. That'll be fine again by tomorrow", he waved off and pushed himself up on his ellbow.

She pulled him up quicker and pressed him against the wall: "Surely Fishhead is still with you. Please pay him a visit". "I don't need to, really. I already shot an AK with that hand", he waved off again. "Is it always necessary to convince you so you stop contradicting?", she asked and kissed him. He was overwhelmed and agreed to her request. She took her skateboard back and rolled away: "Send me a text tomorrow on how you're doing". Dreamily he looked after her.