Pumpking

Issue 15

The doorman let me out without comment and I hit the pavement outside, suddenly lost. I still had work to do before I could sleep. No doubt the offer from Ash Whisper for employment was about as genuine as his natural blonde on the table. Maybe I was being unfair, perhaps she had been his wife or girlfriend and I was the unwelcome interloper there.

No; Ash Whisper was not the sort of man that was married. If any woman could put up with the prick for longer than five minutes, I would eat my shoes.

I ran a hand through my hair and winced as it came away dark and stained. I needed to clean up. Well I probably wouldn't be let back in the building in my current state so there wasn't much I could do except walk back to the Helios and hope I could get to my car. Maybe the police would question me- what was I supposed to tell them? That a man from the Pantheon had removed me from the scene? Would Whisper even back that story up?

I grit my teeth, silently fuming the whole time as I started walking. The Helios made us wear a uniform, but the shoes were comfortable white sneakers, designed for walking and pushing carts which was, I guess, a small blessing since I wasn't in heels. There weren't a lot of people around, it was closing on one-AM and during a weeknight that meant that only a few hardcore drunks were still cavorting near the seven-elevens. I was parched but I wouldn't get much to drink without any money.

Outside eyes. It still bothered me, that he had used those words. Someone on the outside of things. Outside of what? The case? The scene? Unconnected to the other events? And if this had happened elsewhere, why hadn't I heard anything about it on the news? Or had I dismissed it?

Something white flared overhead, bright like sunlight and I looked up. Daystar. Only the biggest superhero in the whole world. I'd seen him flying over Capita before- during the afternoon once.

Leader of the Pantheon; if the rumours were to be believed, he was an alien. He blazed past and a few cars slowed to get a better look. You would think a celebrity like that would need a full squad of bodyguards and protectors, but I guess if he did, he wouldn't be the leader of the Pantheon. His costume was all white and gold glitter. A star was exploding from the emblem on his chest. If my phone had been working I would have taken a picture for Chou. She was a big fan.

He landed not too far away, I could see his cape billowing as he raised a hand to his ear and turned, scanning the streets below the building he was standing on, I wasn't sure he'd see the streets from so high up; but he was probably looking for something like an armoured van robbery. He had a full-face mask, covering everything but his long white-blonde hair, streaming in the breeze behind him. I wondered if he was blue skinned or if he had tentacles for a beard or something. No one saw him without his mask. To protect his identity, or so that if he went to the local grocery he wasn't mobbed, I guess. I knew what it was like to have at least part of an alien attached to me. How did humans seem to an interstellar being like that?

I shrugged and resumed my walk back to the Helios. I couldn't photograph him and gawking was not my style. Chou would have probably smacked me for not watching him stand there, look around and fly off, but she didn't have a sore throat and half a city to cover before morning.

"Excuse me." Someone had snuck up behind me and I almost jumped out of my skin when they tapped me on the arm.

I held a hand over my suddenly exploding mouth to stop a scream that came out half-strangled and turned. And then a very internal 'oh my god' when I realized that Daystar was floating behind me politely, "huh... I mean... can I help you?"

Big words now. This was like being asked for directions by the Queen. Chou was going to freak.

"Do you know where the Hatori hotel is?" He had a deep voice, the kind that gave me almost a little shiver. No trace of American accent in his tone; it was clinical, precise. Deliberate. I guess that was to be expected- he would have to be quite the linguist to learn English from whatever his native dialect was.

"Uh, it's just down this road another few hundred meters," You can't miss it, there's a man with an ego the size of the hotel in one of the rooms, I resisted saying "It has an open water feature in the courtyard if you're flying overhead. Uhm, on your left."

He smiled, I think and nodded, "Thank you."

"No problem," I bobbed my head. He was still stand- floating behind me, so I looked around, wondering if there was something else he needed.

He followed my gaze and I think his mask showed vague confusion.

"Was... there something else you needed?" I wasn't sure there was much else I could do for him.

"Oh...no. What's your name?"