Chapter 7
First day at the job
"So, I get to keep your room?!"
I was finally back in a place I felt comfortable and secure: my apartment. I hadn't been away from my small apartment for too long, and somehow, coming back here filled me with nostalgia. It's like I hadn't stepped foot in here for 10 years. I couldn't really blame myself, after all the insanity I had witnessed in two days, a normal person would seek the comfort of their home, no matter how dull it was. Even sitting in one of the old dusty, creaking wooden chairs felt rejuvenating in of itself.
Yet, despite my relief in being back to my safe zone, certain elements made it quite the difficult task to relax.
The first one was a being known as Gawr Gura. The Atlantean that had taken the smooth flow of my life and cursed it forever to become a maddening ride. Never mind the fact that I had been the one who had made the decisions to help her out...and invite her to stay at my place...and signed a contract to be a- It was all her fault, I will never plead guilty!
"Yes, Gura, it's all yours. I've told you already, I never go in there anyway. Now, stop acting like a 5 years old." I scolded the source of my current thoughts, who was pulling the sleeve of my shirt in an annoying fashion, stretching it repeatedly. She was now back in her unique shark hoodie, all cleaned thanks to the wonders of the washing machine. Her face was glowing with joy as her tail bounced on the floor with rhythm. Her eyes glistened like the morning sea, her smile radiating her bubbly personality.
"Sorry, sorry, it's just that I never thought I would get my own room so soon on the surface!" She exclaimed with happiness, unfazed by the remark I had thrown at her. "I get to decorate it, right?"
"Go nuts, ain't gonna stop you." I shrugged at her demands, picking up the glass of orange juice in front of me off the table. I immediately took a sip, enjoying the taste of a cold drink in the morning. Even if she had brought a wild ride, her presence was ultimately a good thing to have. After all, I wouldn't invite a bad person to stay at my place.
"I'd suggest you get a hot beverage such as coffee or tea for your guests. It wouldn't be polite to invite people over as an official caretaker and not offer them common drinks."
I couldn't say the exact same about the woman called Enma sitting opposite of me.
Whether she was evil or not was still in current interrogation. She knew about Gura, but she attacked Gura and I when she saw us. She answered all my questions, but forced me to tell her everything I knew about the shark girl. She managed to get me a new job...but I was now the slave of an unknown organization known as Cover Corp for the rest of my life.
Now? She was sitting at the other end of the table, calmly drinking a glass of water as she read the papers in her hands. Even with a piece of furniture between the two of us and three possible escape routes in the space we occupied, I was certain she could slice and dice the two of us in a couple of katana slashes. Instead, her weapon was secured in a stylish looking bag, which was hung behind her.
"I'm not a fan of hot drinks. Anyway, how about you tell me the details of this whole caretaker business." I questioned, hoping to get her attention. Her eyes peered at me behind the glasses on her face - a new addition to her outfit - and simply chose to sigh at me.
"Did you not read the contract before sealing the deal?" She stiffly asked back, putting down the documents she was combing through. The only reply I could muster was a half-assed shrug, which resulted in a second sigh.
As soon as I had left the black prison I was stuck in, a contract had been shoved in my face by one of the security guards. My only goal had been seeing if Gura was okay, so I simply signed it without thinking twice about it. In my head, I had already made up my mind about signing my life away, so doing it without reading the 50 page essay didn't feel like a bad idea.
Of course, my worries had been dashed into the nearest brick wall as the damn midget had been treated like a queen. The food she had wanted had been brought to her immediately, a majestic bed that held all the comfiness of the world had been in the middle of the room, and the room itself didn't even look like a prison cell. She had all that...while I was thrown into what looked like the garbage dumpster and forgotten about.
Life was not fair…
"Yeah, he's kinda weird like that." Gura decided to chime in as I was wallowing in my own pity, sitting on one of the free chairs. I scowled at the low blow, putting the glass in my hand on the wooden table.
"You can talk. You were acting so calm and docile you looked like a damn domestic dog. Come to think of it, what the hell happened after I passed out?" I grumbled to myself, resting my head in the palm of my hand. The last thing I remembered was Gura unleashing water magic all over the place, and then darkness.
"I knocked her unconscious and brought you two back to Cover Corp." Enma curtly replied, the Atlantean shouting a yelp of denial. "I then told her that we wouldn't harm the both of you and showed her what we knew about her species."
That surely explained the trusting part. Info about Atlantis was a powerful bargaining tool. And in the hands of Enma, it was deadly fatal.
It also explained why we were treated differently. The shark girl had been carefully handled like a precious rare artifact, responding to all her commands to gain her faith. Meanwhile, I was practically treated like a criminal, having to make gambles and deal to get what I wanted. Knowing the manager in front of me, she probably knew the information I was trading with her. For what reasons they worked this way, I had no clue...but I promised myself to find out one day.
"I wanted to at least listen to what they had to say...they did heal your wounds after all." Gura chuckled with uncertainty hidden beneath her words. Her logic was sound, if not a little naive. But maybe it was just me who was too jaded. Lifting my left arm to check my tricep, I could still the scar of my previous "battle".
Though to be honest, it was more akin to a one sided beatdown.
"Well, the past is the past, I guess. Now tell me more about this caretaker job instead." I simply waved it off with my free hand, taking the conversation in a different turn. I could already expect what the job would be just by the name, but it never hurts anyone to get more intel on it. The manager cleared her throat as she swiftly grabbed the papers on the table, readjusting her glasses with her other hand.
"As the title implies, your task will be to look out after every Myth that will be under your care. This includes making their meals, washing their clothes, cleaning the space they live in, providing them with entertainment if needed and most importantly, make sure that they aren't revealing their true identity to the world." She started as she passed on the contract with my signature on it. I reached for it only to have Gura snatched it from my reach, giving me a smug grin as I narrowed my eyes at her.
"So...I'm basically a slave. You weren't lying about it being a shitty option." I concluded from her description of the job, reaching for my glass of orange juice before finding it in the process of being gulped down by the thief who had stolen the contract. "Gura, you little shit…"
"Ha ha ha, I'm reading in the contract that you have to answer to all my commands, no matter what they are!" The midget laughed with a taunting tone, delicately placing the empty glass on the table in front of me with a smirk.
I shouldn't have signed that damn thing.
"Does it say in the contract that I can jump off a bridge?" I pleaded as I let my head slam on the wooden surface.
"No." replied the manager with a glare. Welp, there goes my only escape from this living nightmare.
My eyes noticed Gura giggling like a child at my despair. Despair upon the helpless. How hilarious. Her body sprung in tempo with her laughter. Her eyes were full of life, twinkling in the sunshine that bounced in the room. A stifled smile slowly morphed on my face. A living nightmare, it would be...but it was for a good cause.
"Now, prepare me a meal, slave!"
...if I could invent a time machine to go back, I would dropkick past me before he had any chance of signing this damn piece of paper.
"Now, of course, you have certain rights." Enma interrupted with another file, sliding it on the table toward me. I managed to catch it before the Shrimp's grubby hands had any chance of clutching it, giving her my best smirk as she pulled a grimace at me in response. "If and only a Myth's request could result in directly harming yourself, the Myths under your custody, the Company or even the civilian populus, then it is paramount that you should deny said request ."
"So...if one of them would act out of line, let's say, hypothetically...a certain Myth starts acting like a complete and utter megalomaniac spoiled brat...and this is according to what you just said, I could rightfully discipline them, right?" I questioned as my glare caught a glimpse of the Atlantean sweating profusely, switching her focus repeatedly between Enma and I.
"As long as you do not seriously harm them or torture them, I don't see why not. After all, they might not be familiar with their entourage in this world. Therefore, it's important for them to behave. I did say take care of them." The black haired samurai nodded, glancing at Gura with a smile. The shark jolted in what seemed to be fear, trying her best to whistle innocently but failing horribly.
...if I could invent a time machine to go back, I would hug the hell out of Past me right about now.
"This isn't fair! I'm not a child, I'm...9463 years old for crying out loud!" The tiny shark girl whined in protest, slamming her fist on the table in a rather childish manner. If irony had a voice, it'd be drowning the room with its endless wheezing.
"Bet you regret your power trip, huh?" I couldn't help but retort with a snort, thus receiving a frown from the Atlantean.
To summarize the contract: I'm now legally responsible for a bunch of Myths like some glorified babysitter. While it was hilarious to put it that way, it was the actual unbelievable reality I was gonna be living for the rest of my life. From what I gathered, a lot of these Myths weren't adapted to society and its numerous rules. If one of them messed up, it could lead to chaos and pandemonium. As for me, I wouldn't simply get a slap on the wrist or getting fired...I could receive a major penalty.
I took a peek at Gura, who was busy arguing with the manager about how this whole situation was "stupid and dumb". The shrimp did stop a robbery, but she also blasted the poor criminal with a pressurized water jet in front of cameras. She wasn't dumb or completely lost on the surface, but that didn't mean she was an expert on human behavior.
This entire deal made me wonder how many of these Myths existed...and did they have their own caretaker?
Wait...Myths...as in plural… but that would mean...
"...how many Myths...am I gonna take care of...exactly?" I shakily asked, my entire body trembling in fear. Enma finally noticed me, ignoring Gura's insane rambling about how society kept oppressing Atlanteans and what not. Her hand pointed toward an orange document on the table, tapping it to guide my sight on it.
"Caretakers also have an important responsibility to fulfill. You see, Myths are not easy to find…" She stopped herself as she stared at the two of us with a disappointed glance. "...well, usually they're not. However, we do have...certain hunches on where one could be hiding."
"Oh...and let me guess...it's my job to confirm their identity and take them under my wing, correct?" I muttered with a deadpan expression. Enma's answer was to toss the orange folder my way, my right hand moving by instinct to catch it.
"Not only that, but once you find out they're not human, we decide whether they're under your care or not." She added shortly afterward.
I quickly accepted my fate and opened the folder.
"You have got to be kidding me…" I whispered solemnly.
"Hope you like fast food."
"Of all the places to hide, why here?"
I blew smoke out of my mouth as I stared at the building in front of me, the fumes carelessly fading in the air around. The building in question was of a bright orange made of sanded stone, different shades of red and yellow in the mix. Two massive windows were placed on each side of the entrance, allowing people to peer inside. Big, bold red letters were installed above the doors, spelling out the name of the place.
KFP. A fast food restaurant that served products made of chicken. Not the first of its kind but one of the strongest in the market from what I could gather with a quick search on the net. It's been around for a long time, before I was even born, and managed to branch out in multiple states. For some reason, they never went outside of the US, always staying close to home. Hell, rumors circulated that the ancient original boss was still in the kitchens of the place.
From the outside, and the inside from what I could see through the glass, it looked like your typical fast food restaurant… except someone had an over appreciation for the color orange. Other than a few strides of white, the whole place was rivaling the sun with how bright it was.
"It says that a Myth would be coming here often or even working here." Gura, who was standing beside me, decided to answer my useless question, reading off the files in her hands. She was wearing the outfit we had picked for her yesterday, as Enma and I agreed that the hoodie would simply attract unnecessary attention, much to the chagrin of the shark.
I took a few glances at my surroundings. The parking lot wasn't too full, yet it had quite the attraction for a wednesday afternoon. Teenagers, grown ups and even elderly were entering and exiting the place with clear joy in their face.
"Okay, cool, fast food brings in people...so where's the correlation that a Myth is here?" I decided to test my chances again and throw my temporary assistant another question, taking another puff of the cigarette in my hand.
"Let's see...um...Ah! It says that the Myth Radar - terrible name if you ask me - made by Shion allowed them to sense the presence of a Myth multiple times in the area." I was once again rewarded for my gamble as the Atlantean read off another tidbit of intel from the folder. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at multiple statements in this single paragraph.
Who was Shion? What the hell was a Myth Radar, and seriously, who came up with that name? Couldn't they have been a little more original?
"Is this a folder full of files or the bible of truth you're holding in your hands?" I decided to settle for a rhetorical interrogation, getting an eye roll from my assistant in response.
"Enma gave me these to help us in our investigation. There's even a bunch of papers on you and me!" She said in an excited manner, handing me a blue folder with rattles of papers inside. Taking a peek inside, I could already see a scary amount of information on the girl standing beside me.
"That's...kinda creepy. Wait...what do you mean you and I?" I quickly followed as I closed the current binder in my hands. Gura simply smiled and opened the grey binder, grabbing a random sheet from it.
"Hunter Bell. Age: 27. Hair Color: Blonde. Eye Color: Green. Blood Type: O-. Height: 5,10. Weigh-" She started stating the info from the paper in her hands, my face growing paler with every word coming out of her mouth. Before she could find out something that would lead to conversations of impossible length, I quickly stole the envelope containing my private life from her, throwing it in the nearest garbage can. "Hey! What was that for?! Those are important files that Enma entrusted to me!"
"Yeah, how about no? We don't need to know every detail of my life to find out our Myth. Beside, knowing these stalkers, they probably have a bunch of back ups so losing one folder ain't gonna make them lose sleep over it." I briefly explained to her, sneering at the trash can beside me. Parts of me definitely regretted signing my life away for them. "Beside, if you wanna learn something about me, just ask."
"That kinda takes the fun away…" the shark girl pouted, crossing her arms in indignation. I had to hold back a sigh from escaping my mouth, until an idea struck me. My eyes stared at the blue envelope in my hand containing Gura's info.
"You know...just by reading this, I could find out your three sizes-" I waved the binder in my hand with a devilish smirk, hoping to catch Gura's attention. However, when I looked in front of me, she was nowhere to be seen...and the folder was gone from my hand.
I turned my head to the source of the Atlantean slam dunking the entire folder in the same trash can as mine, clapping her hands in a manner that exclaimed "Job well done!"
"On second thoughts, we don't need those stupid thing to accomplish our mission, right Hunter?" She sweetly smiled at me...however, her aura spelt danger, her smile all teeth, promising a world of pain if I dared to say the opposite of her conclusion.
"Y-yeah...as my good friend would say...Fuck that…" I replied to the apex predator, stuttering a little. Note to self: Don't mess too much with the shark.
"Now, let's head inside and find our mystery creature!" Her murderous intent immediately morphed into one of excitement as she ran toward the doors of the building. I took one last drag of my smoke, enjoying the feeling before throwing the remains on the ground.
As I stepped inside of the restaurant, the smell of fried chicken instantly assaulted my nose. The muttering of the crowds of people replaced the cacophony of the traffic outside, a few yells thrown in the mix courtesy of the workers. This definitely had the atmosphere of a fast food chain.
The Atlantean seemed to enjoy herself, as she looked around in awe, her mouth gaped open like a fish. Her sapphire presence clashed with the sunshine decor, which made her easy to spot among the crowd.
"Now, I don't think I need to remind you to not use your water voodoo in here, even if there's a robber...not like anyone would rob this place." I reminded her as I approached. A grunt of exasperation was my reply.
"Yes, grandpaaaaa."
"Yeah, well while grandpa is picking a meal, why don't you go find us a couple of seats, shrimp?" I proposed with a motion of my head, heading for the counter. As a teenager working behind the counter took my order, I began losing myself in the landscape of my own mind.
Finding a Myth in here was going to be a difficult task, especially since our only clue was the place itself. No mentions of species, no mentions of tendency, nothing that would lead to a trail. So many people entered and left the building in such a short time that identifying our culprit would be an impossible task.
It would be really handy to have the so-called Myth Radar right about now. Sadly, even if I had that tool, it would simply react to Gura being in the surrounding.
I quickly picked up the cabaret with our food, swiftly scanning the surrounding for Gura. My eyes caught the sight of her waving her tiny arm to get my attention. I slowly walked toward her, looking at her tail wagging left and right in excitement.
"Should be more mindful of your extra limb, people will find out." I pointed out as I sat in front of her, deposing the plateau of fried food on the table. She simply mumbled a dawl apology before digging in the food with vigor. "So, see anyone suspicious?"
"Nworg wkrelly" She attempted to respond through a mouthful of food, only to notice my disgusted expression. She softly blushed as she finished her current bite, using the back of her hand to wipe off the crumbs of chicken on her cheeks. "Not really…"
"Fantastic. Hope you like chicken because I have a feeling we'll be stuck here all day looking for them." I grumbled as I nibbled on a fry. First day on the job and I was already thinking about ways to get fired. Not like I could get fired, even if I wanted to.
Damn stupid contract!
"How about asking a detective for help?" A voice between the two of us called out, making us jump in surprise, Gura effectively choking on the wing she was murdering. I turned my head toward the one who was responsible for my mini heart attack.
A girl slightly taller than the choking girl stood in front of our table, her hands on her hips in a confident pose. Her outfit consisted of a white buttoned shirt complimented by a red tie, a beige clad skirt with a checkered pattern worn to her midriff alongside black thigh highs. A long open coat of a similar color to her skirt and a cloak of, once again, the same shade seemed to complete the look...except a few items stuck out as abnormal.
A syringe with a strange blue liquid was attached with a belt to her left leg, the tool contrasting her entire identity. To follow it up, she was wearing one of those beige detective caps with...a mustache on the top. If it wasn't for these two things, I would've completely ignored her appearance.
"Can...we help you?" I asked with uncertainty plaguing my tone, pushing Gura's soda toward her as the poor girl hadn't managed to stop the coughing fit. As the shark quickly downed the entire drink, the strange girl simply looked at me with a cheeky grin, taking out a wallet from the pockets of her long coat.
With a swift movement, she opened the object to reveal an ID and a golden badge. I squinted at the item to read out the words "Private Investigator".
"Private Detective Amelia Watson, at your service! Heard you were looking for someone, I think I might be able to help~"