Ch 2
It's been two months since Ben left the band. He found himself at someplace call "Dead Solitary". It used to be called "Heaven Society". It was the place where musician gathered and played the music. Many popular stars were found here.
During the galaxy war, military took this place and changed it to training camp and barrack. People need to leave and go to refugee camp. Some tried to protest and resist, they faced with the military force. They arrested them and threw them into the prison without trial.
Ben did not know why but there is something called him. He is walking through the deserted building. There are people who living here but most of them are bounty hunter or bad person. He can find hooker, slave, and drug everywhere at here.
"Hey handsome" hookers approached him "Do you want to have some "fun"?"
Ben did not say a word, he keep walking through them. They do everything to stop him such as pull his shirt, say sweet and temptation word, and drag him back. Finally he managed to escape from them.
"Go and Fuck yourself, Pussy." They yelled
Ben sighed and kept walking until he stopped in front of the old and dirty bar in this place. It called "The Falling Heaven Soul". They have alien and robot as the guards at the front door. They got a gun at their pant.
Ben is thinking, he should take a break and find something to drink at here or not. He look around and cannot find other bar.
"Well, let take a break here." He thought and stepped into the bar.
Guards stop him at the door and check him roughly. They touch from his shoulder to his butt. They let him go after they found him cleared but he did not step in yet.
He saw people are surrounding something and yelling "Fight fight fight". He wondered what is going on there. He walks and takes a look at it. What he saw is people beating a dirty old man in the old green cloak. He did not know why but he needs to stop them before kill him alive.
"Stop it" He yelled and broke though the human wall. He managed to get in to the middle of circle. He pushed them away and took a look at the dirty old man. He cannot see his face clearly because his mustache and bread but he is a human definitely.
"Who the heck are you?" Alien thug yelled "Get your butt away from here. This is not your business"
"Yeah" That man said while his mouth is bleeding "This is not your business, young man. Let me deal with them alone"
Ben stands up and looks around and then says "6 against 1, this is not fair fight. It is my business already."
"Ha ha, you stupid meat head. You do not know why we beat him but you want to help him" Other said
"Then, tell me why." He replied
"He owed me the money" he said "He needs to pay me today no matter what."
"How much?" He asked
"You want to pay for this shit" He replied
"Yes! Do you have a problem with it?" He yelled
"Two thousand bucks" He said "If you pay, he will be freed to go."
Ben grabbed two thousand bucks from his pocket and hand it to them. After they count, they smiled and said "Good to do the business with you." The crowd is separating and going back to do their own businesses as those thugs walk away.
Ben tried to help that man stood up but he refused. He pushed Ben away and said "I can stand up by myself". He stood up and walked away from him. Unfortunately, he falls down after walked for a few step. Ben walks to him and help him stand up properly.
Ben said "At least, you should take a rest and let me buy you a drink at that bar."
"Fine" He groaned
They walked in and took a seat at one corner of the bar. Ben looked around and saw the inside of this bar is better than outside. They have two bartenders who mixing the order. Waitress are walking and serving the order. Most of them are the robot.
One of them is taking the order from Ben's table. Ben ordered a simple cocktail while his unknown friend asked for a ton of liquor. That's made the waitress hesitate to take it. He orders too much for one person to drink alone.
"It's okay" Ben said "I can pay for it."
She leaves them after she saw his money. Luckily, Ben prepared money which is enough for his trip even though he might face with an accident.
The old man is looking at him and exclaimed "Why did you help me, young man? Did you know, you just lost two thousand bucks for a stranger?"
Ben smiled and said "I am Ben Tennyson." He also tried to shake his hand.
"What are you trying to do?" He yelled
"Well, I am just introducing myself to you" He replied "We will not a strange anymore."
He stunned and laughed "Ha ha, you are so funny young man. Good, people called me Avatar."
"Good to see you, Avatar" He replied as their drink was served.
After a few drink, Avatar felt much better and want to talk with his new friend who just saved his ass.
"What bring you here, Ben?" He asked "The good and young man like you should not be here."
"You flatter me too much" He replied "I am not a good man like you thought."
"Hey, believe it or not, I never wrong about people." He exclaimed "If I said you a good that mean you are. Now, tell me why you came here."
Ben sighed and said "I used to be in the band. I gathered my friend and created it together with them. There is a good, bad and ugly memory which we shared with each other."
"I see" He replied "But something happen to you, right?"
"Yeah, I do not know why but I lost my inspiration" He said "I want to travel and look for the new inspiration."
"I might have the idea" He suggested after he thought
"What is it?" Ben excited
"Why don't you try to live here?" He said
"At here?" He exclaimed "Why?"
"I guessed you lost inspiration because you are boring." He said "You lived in the same environment for a long time, you need to change. It might give you a new inspiration."
Ben is thinking about it. His suggestion is quite make sense. He used to read some musician book. It said some of them almost loss the career after they bored. They solved the problem by do something else such as disguise as janitor in school or worked in the grocery store.
"But what can I do here?" He asked "I do not know anyone."
"You know me" He pointed at himself "I can share my house with you."
"Are you serious?" He doubted "Look, no offense to you but I do not want to disturb you."
"NO!" He yelled "We will go to my house after we finished drinking."
Ben wants to reject his proposal. Unfortunately, it looks like he did not have a choice but follow Avatar's idea. While they are drinking, the live music shows is beginning. In this bar, they have indie bands take a turn to play each day.
Ben is listening and enjoying with their song. They started with a slow and simple song to warm up their audience but no one care them. People are yelling and drinking, the music is just a background for them.
The only person who is listening to their song carefully in the bar is Ben. He found this band is not bad. Their rhythm work and match with each other without any mistake. He wanted to tell and make everyone listening to their song but he did not.
He hoped this band will not give up after they faced with this problem. He and his band were facing with this problem before they succeed.
"Thank you, for listening our song" Singer said "Now we will play the Thunder Hawk's song"
Ben opened his eyes widely with full of surprise. After her left the band, he did not read or saw any news about them. He even did not listen to his song anymore. This will be the first time he heard his own song again.
During he is hearing their singing, the image of his friend are showing up like they are here. He see them sitting and looking at him as the same as they did. They grabbed and raised their drink and said "For the band".
Ben grabbed and did the same. He is crying and smiling to see them again but his imagination faded away when Avatar called him.
"Ben, what the heck is wrong with you?" He asked
"What?" He exclaimed
"You raised you glass for what?" He questioned
"I…" He thought "I praised them. They are good."
"Them?" He exclaimed and pointed at the band on the stage
"Yea" He replied "Do you have a problem?"
He sighed and said "Nothing."
They stopped talking and back to do their own stuff. Avatar did not ask him anymore but drink. On the other hand, Ben is thinking and missing his band so much. It is so hard to leave the band since he was one of the Thunder Hawk founder.
"Hey, Avatar" He said
"What is it, young man?" He replied
"Do you know how to forget you past?" He asked
He surprised and said "Do you have a bad memory?"
He sighed and said "Not bad memory but I just want to forget it."
"You are weird" He yelled "People want to forget bad memory only but you wanted to forget a good memory."
"Do you have a way?" He asked with serious face "Just answer me, yes or no?"
He sighed and yelled "Girl, we need that liquor. This young man needs a help."
In a few minute, the waitress is coming out of the bar with a dark green wired drink and placed on the table. Ben surprised and stunned from it. He looked at Avatar and thought what his intention is.
"You asked me, how to forget a thing?" He yelled and raised his drink "You need to get drunk. Here drink it."
Ben grabbed a glass of liquor that he never saw and knew. He is hesitating and thinking, should he drink it or not? While he is thinking, Avatar and the other in the bar keep yelling and cheering him to drink.
"Drink drink drink" They yelled
"Here we go" Ben thought
"Glup glup glup" He drank it in one time.
When he finished it, he felt refreshing and energizing. He never drinks something so tasty and awesome like this before. He wants to drink it more and more.
"This is good" He yelled "What the hell is this?"
"Ha ha" He laughed and said "Now, you forget it, right?"
"No" He replied
"Then, you need to drink more" He said "Girl, bring it more."
Every time Avatar asked, if he said "No" the next one came again and again. Ben did not know how many but he kept drinking it like there is no tomorrow. People in the bar are gathering and surrounding his table like a mob.
They are yelling "Drink drink drink" while Avatar stood up and clapped his hand with a rhythm. In that moment, he lost his consciousness and let himself followed with the flow of emotional. He started to see everything around himself blur including his own hands.
"How do you feel now?" Avatar asked
Ben looked at him with drunken eyes and said something but it so quietly. At first, Avatar and other did not understand, they need to shup their mount and quiet. He asked him with the same question again but this time he got closer to Ben's mouth and listened. The only sound in the bar is Ben's gossiping voice and he said something.
"Ha ha" He yelled "I cannot understand his words"
People looked at each other and did not understand Avatar's word while he is the only one who happy and jump around the table like a kid until someone stopped him and asked.
"Why do you happy, old man?" Waitress asked "We still did not know what he just said."
"That's why I am happy" He replied "He is drunk already. There is no one understanding him right now if he cannot say a word properly."
"Oh I see" They yelled
Ben looked around and thought, he is dreaming. He saw people yelling and celebrating something but he did not care. He kept drinking it until he knocked out.
"Baaam" Ben fell from the table and lied down on the ground.
Avatar sighed and said "I hoped, you get what you wanted."
***In Ben's mind***
Ben is sitting on the table which located in some white room without any door. He looked around and thought, is he dreaming or not?
"Hello" He said "Avatar, is this your room? Are you there?"
No one answer him. Ben stands up and look around the room but there is no door or anything looked like the exit. He is trapped in this white room. He takes a seat before he panicked.
"Okay Ben, you need to think and remember what happened to you before you came here?" He said to himself "Did he poison me or something?"
"That's son of the bitch" He yelled "This is how he repay me after I helped him and brought a drink"
Ben is yelling and swearing with anger. He is also punching and kicking the wall like a crazy until he exhausted. His hands are full of blood while he felt painful at his feet. He released all of his angry emotion already but sad replaced
He took a seat and started crying. He is despair. He might not meet his friends anymore if he stuck in here. While he is crying, someone appeared from nowhere and stood behind him. Ben noticed him because he saw his shadow.
He turned and saw the old man with white beard. He is wearing a black cloak. His eyes are red like a blood. He is not look friendly. Ben stepped back from him and raised his fists. He did not know him but he will not make a same mistake again.
He raised his skeleton hand and said "Take it easy, Ben"
"Do not tell me to take it easy!" He yelled "I do not know where I am and who you are but I am not going to let you do as you wanted."
"Do as I want?" He asked and laughed "No, silly boy. We are going to talk about what you want."
"I want?" He surprised "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Then, we better take a seat" He suggested and snapped his finger.
Then, something happened; the chair in the room split up and became two chairs. Ben looked at with stunned and wondered, how could he do that? The old man did not say anything and took a seat like nothing happen.
"Come on, take a seat with me" He called "I am swear, I will not hurt you."
Ben grabbed a chair and takes a seat but he still far from the old man. He might what to talk with the old man but he did not want to make a same mistake.
The old man laughed and said "I know, you are looking for a new inspiration. Something that's hard and strong. It must drive people crazy and insane."
"Whoa, stop your talking" He yelled "How can you know that and who are you?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out" He mocked
"I am not joking with you old man" He threatened "If you do not tell me the truth, I will…"
The old man stood up and yelled "What will you do?" before Ben finished his sentence.
"If you want, I will leave you here alone" He said "But I suggested you to listen to my offering."
Ben sighed and took a seat again. The old man smiled and said "Good boy."
"What can you do for me?" Ben asked
"This is the list that will lead you to meet your new band member" He said and handed the list to Ben.
"What are you talking about?" He replied "I am not looking for a new band. I am looking for a new inspiration"
"That why you need these people" He said "You need to forget your past, in order to create something new"
"Okay. I will try to believe you but who are they?" he asked
"You will know and understand when you met them" He replied "Now as a gift for our meeting, when you wake up, asked Avatar about name Blackwolf"
***The real word***
Ben is going to ask him more but he snapped his finger and he woke up on someone bed. Ben looked around the room and thought he was dreaming
"What a weird dream?" He exclaimed "Oh, my head, I feel it is going to explode…"
Ben noticed something beside him. He takes a look closer and sees the list placed beside him. He stunned and found that was not a dream. While he is taking a sweat, Avatar opened the door. He brought some food with him.
"Here, young man" He said "This is my recipe to solve the hangover. Last night, you were drunk like a shit"
"Avatar, do you familiar with someone name Blackwolf? He asked
Avatar stuns and drops the glass on the floor. It breaks and scatters into a hundred pieces.
He grabbed Ben's shoulder and yelled "Where did you hear that?"
"Hey, you are hurting me" He yelled and pushed his hands away. "Are you crazy or something?"
Me made a serious face and said "Ben that is not a name you should know and talked, you must forget and never talk about it again."
"Why?" He asked
"Just trusted me" He said "This is for your own sake."
Before Avatar is leaving the room, he said "Oh, you should come down and eat a breakfast, today is your first day."
"First day for what?" He confused
"Last night, I found a job for you" He smiled "You should not be late for your first day on the job."
"What?" He yelled