3 I guess the Fire changed things

…"you left me behindd,, NOOOO… you selfish fuckk… nos dejaste.. No nos dejeee.. your Familyy now Alex too.. NOOOO… you are all just a bunch of insectss… AHHHHHHH…" 

Hermes wakes up breathing hard and sweating bullets (slang for sweating a lot) , "arghh" he grabs onto his wounds that were caused by the fire.

"You're finally awake"

He looks to his right side, it was Lydia laying on the bed next to him and he changed his facial expression back to normal, "Heyy, you're okay I see"~Hermes

"Thanks to you"~Lydia

"It was nothing really..."

They both looked down… Then he looks at the clock. It was 10:18pm.

Hermes was about to get out of the bed and Lydia said "My mom brought you some clothes from my brother they're for you to wear, i don't know if they'll fit you tho."

"Oh thank you. See I knew you cared about me haha," ~ Hermes

And grabbed the pants and shirt and put them on and grabbed his belongings that were on the night table next to the hospital bed.

Lydia giggled but then stopped and started crying about everything that happened. He went to the bathroom washed his face and after seeing Lydia crying he told her that Alex is in a better place and gave her a fist bump, then made his way to the door. "You shouldnt be moving around, you know." Lydia said worried.

"Im good, just worry about yourself." He stopped at the door and said to Lydia as a way to cheer her up, "See you when I see you Clauriece."

It made her smile.

After he walked out the room Lydia's family were in the waiting area and they thanked him for everything he did. Afterwards, he made his way towards the reception and asked, "Hey, whatever happened to the other person that was caught in the fire?"

"Any normal person that gets out of a burning building full of bruises doesn't just start walking around like nothing happened" the receptionist said and Hermes laughed then responded. "This is nothing, no worries" 

"We're letting you go because the doctor was amazed how fast you recovered from the burns and injuries. Also, there wasn't anybody else but Ms. Lydia and you." 

He scratched his head and thought he was going crazy... meanwhile there was someone strange staring at them from outside of the hospital's window.

Afterwards he took a taxi back to where his car was parked. It was around the burnt building and during the ride he called his brothers back after all of the missed calls because they saw his job was burned on the news and explained what happened…

"we're here," said the taxi driver.

He got out of the car and just stared at the now burnt down building and thought *Its mind blowing how anything in front of fire just ends up in ashes* and got inspired for his next drawing.

After a couple of minutes of appreciating the art formed by the burnt down building, he turned around and started walking towards his car.

However, as he got closer to his car he noticed there was a person sitting on top of it. "Hey!! Get the fuck off my car!" but then he notices that it was the same person he saved from the fire.

"You're that person from the fire. Are you good?"~ Hermes

The person jumps of the car and starts talking. "Thank you for earlier, risking your life to save a stranger like me and that other person. What is your name strange one?"

"I'm Hermes But are you okay ? I didn't see you at the hospital." 

The person walked towards him and took off the robes of their head and looked at him in the eyes. Hermes stared back and stared deep in their pistachio mixed with a bit of tortilla brown colored eyes.

"My name is E and dont worry that little fire is not enough to hurt me."

He was stunned, mostly because of her short thick and dark brownish hair with blond highlights and the complexion of her silky golden skin or was it her soothing voice that came out of those soft tasty looking lips. He didn't hear a word she said after her name.

"Do you want to Hermes?"

"Huh?" Hermes said while biting his lip.

She Laughs.

"My fault I haven't seen such beautiful eyes before, I couldn't help but get lost in them." ~Hermes 

She blushed and giggled and looked at him "follow me Hermes"  she grabs his arm.

"Ayee where are we going ?"

" I just don't wanna stay here long, the place I wanna take you is a little far from here" 

"Here we can just go in my car" ~ Hermes

They got into his car. He put Hip Hop music but lowered it in order to hear E guide the way.  He starts driving while following her directions, she did not seem like a bad person but Hermes did something that E did not expect.

He stopped the music and asked her a question.

"E… Who are you?... How did you survive the explosion? and why were you the cause of it?" 

Her whole facial expression changed, she was surprised by the accusing questions all of a sudden.

There was a few seconds of silence, as a result, Hermes jumped in and said, "Haha i was joking about the last part." he turned the music back up.

She smiled and thought *I was right about this one*.

"You'll know the truth once we reach our destination, just be patient. I will tell you everything you want to know."

He stares at her for a few seconds with a doubtful look.

"It's a promise Hermes, dont..." ~ E

"Dont worry," He cuts her off and continued, "I can tell from your eyes you're not a bad person, i'll give you what I give everyone. The benefit of the doubt."

She thought *This guy is interesting. I just need to test him. I need to prove if he is worthy of the journey*

"Anyway, what is your favorite artist? " Hermes asked E.

"Umm, I don't really have one but my favorite type of music is soulful music."

He smiled and said "I got just the right thing for you" and played Awaken my love! On the aux. 

-Let me in to your heaaaarrrrttt- the song Me and Your Mama plays.

He kept driving to wherever she was taking him, all he knew was that they were going south. On the ride he asked Ashley a few questions, the highlight was that if she had a boyfriend but E just laughed it off and never answered the question. He also complemented her unique eye color and she replied "really ? I don't like it much, it reminds me too much of my family…" Hermes didn't ask anything about her family he just left it there.

It's been roughly 35 minutes of Hermes driving and E finally says, "okay we're here". He put his jacket on that was on the back seat of his car and they got out.

It was the middle of nowhere, below them was an empty field with a really nice view. Even though it was night time the field and surroundings shined a thick lively green with a little bit of reddish and spots of yellow, the moon shone over it. He's always loved and appreciated nature. To the sides of it there was a big forest all you saw was dark green with the moon lighting from above, Hermes has only seen a forest similar through pictures. It was quite a view, this view and E next to it ultimately inspired him to create art. His mind was filled with passion because he had a perfect vision for another of his artworks, the burnt building in black and white, this one in color.

"What are you doing? Keep walking Hermes" E said as she kept walking towards the dark forest. "Haha chill, im coming" He replied and kept following her out of curiosity. He intended to find out who she was and discover the mysterious air he felt around her because it felt similar to the air around the hole made by the supposed meteor he had witnessed earlier that day.

They passed a few obstacles like little ponds, fallen trees on the ground and walking up a hill. However, E suddenly stops walking. Hermes stops as well behind her and checks out his surroundings "Okay. So what was that you wanted to show me that you took me this far into the forest" he was standing there with his arms inside his pockets, trying to look cool.

However, E was just quiet, she did not say a word to Hermes. "Hey I asked you a ques.." *Swushhh* In a flash E appeared behind Hermes as she pulled out a blade from under her clothes and attacked him with killing intention. He didn't notice the blade at first, he didn't even have time to think, she moved at a speed Hermes never had experienced before, but It seemed as if just by reflex and instinct alone Hermes body reacted and evaded the attack on it's own, then he jumped back a little. She managed to still cut him a little.

"Interesting" she murmured.

After a few seconds of being frozen Hermes reacted and his tiny burns and cut started itching and hurting 

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ?? " she stayed quiet and thought *I attacked him at a speed a normal person shouldn't be able to follow even if it was just reflex.. It looks like he had practiced some type of fighting before, that would explain how he hit that piece of wood back in the fire. With proper training he has potential to be of big help to us.*

"Shit" he pulled out a little knife he had in the pocket of his jacket, got into a fighting stance and said in a serious voice "enough with the games speak E, if it's even your real name."

She withdrew the weapon and kneeled down, put her arms out and said "Haha you got me, my real name is Ashley, E is just a nickname that i use."

"Get up and talk" 

She gets up and started talking, "Together with some comrades we set out on a journey from a faraway planet called *Europa* However, we are technically humans as well…" Hermes just stayed quiet and listened... "we are part of the recruitment expedition. Our mission is to bring back people with potential to live on planet Europa, it's a tradition that happens every 2 years. Even though for a few reasons we are 1 year late. Unfortunately, that's all I can tell you on that topic for now. If this catches your interest then my suggestion is to stick around me." 

A word does not come out of Hermes. He just stays staring into her eyes with his head a little tilted. He gave her the lightskin look... 

She looks to the side blushing "why are you looking at me like that?" she asks.

He just keeps staring...

After a few seconds of questioning she realizes. "oh and I apologize for my actions earlier, I just wanted to test you... I trust you hermes."

"Ummmm, *thinking pose* okay I forgive you but with one condition" Hermes responds as he puts one finger up. 

"I won't tell you anymore about Europa unless you agree to join us" Ashley says.

"That's not it dummy " Hermes responds.

"My apologies, then what is the condition?"

"You owe me a kiss" 

*Ashley blushes and smacks his shoulder and yells "WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?!" 

"Hahaha, you actually look cute when you're mad" Hermes responds. Then his facial expression changed and he got serious.  "Planet Europa, huh? That sounds really interesting. But how come you're telling me about all of this? I'm just a regular guy who draws, nothing special. I'm a pretty boring person if you ask me." He took out a cigar and cut it. Then lit it.

Ashley just stayed quiet and listened.

"Don't get me wrong tho" he continued as he laid back and looked up to the night sky, blew the smoke and put his right fist up "I promise you won't meet anyone more interesting than me." 

The wind blew by and Ashley just stared at Hermes with a smile on her face, she really was amazed by the type of person Hermes is turning out to be.

"Anyways Ashley, the least you can do is answer my question from earlier." Hermes said.

"Which question ?" Ashley responds.

"Well, even tho I said I was joking about the last part of the question, there was still some truth behind it. While I was trying to figure out what could have been the cause of the fire, the only explanation was a third party and now that you mentioned something never heard of here, a new planet it all adds up. With that let me ask you again, why were you the cause of the fire that destroyed my workplace?"

Ashley stared at Hermes more than usual because that was the first time since she met him, that he sounded smart about something. He is way more than meets the eye I guess, "I am sorry Hermes but I cannot answer that yet. As it involves information about Planet Europa." 

"Its cool, I get it." Hermes stops her. "I'll ask again when possible" right after he said that he notices that someone is calling him on his phone, the name showing was "T😋"

"Sorry, Ash I gotta pick this up… Yooo?"

"Why didn't you pick up the phone i've called you 4 times already, you're with your hoes arent you ?" 

"Haha my fault I was busy.. what time is it anyway?" Hermes responds nervously. 

"Ive been out of work, when are you gonna come pick me up. did you forget?… date rapido o no te toca nada hoy." (it means: Hurry up or you get nothing today)

"Mira deja tu relajo con mi comida, (stop playing with my food) haha im on my way" he hung up while T was still talking... on his phone he saw there were missed calls and messages from many people, however, he puts the phone down and looks at Ashley, "Ashley, it was a pleasure, I gotta go now but when can I see you again?" Hermes asked as he got up.

She looked at Hermes and asked, "Who was that?" 

"Haha just a friend but anyway, give me your number so we can stay in touch."  

"My phone is not on me just leave me your phone number and I'll reach out to you." Ashley responds.

Ashley walked with Hermes back to his car. On the way he noticed there was something bothering Ashley but he didn't want to intrude… When they got to his car he wrote his number on a piece of paper and gave it to Ashley and said as he walked away "oh yeah, the real condition if I agree to come to Europa or whatever you gotta teach me how to move that fast." 

Ashley smiles and responds, "It'll take you years to move as fast as me."

"Haha is that a challenge?" 

He got inside the car but before he left, he rolled the window down and told her something a player would say, guess he was still trying to act cool, "don't think I forgot about my kiss." he winked at her then drove away as she watched him giggling.

... "it seems you have taken a liking to him." someone said on the shadows from the top of a tree branch. "but why him?... Was it your instincts?"

She closed her eyes and smiled and said as she put her hand on her stomach.

"idk I guess he sort of reminds me of the Captain" 

"Come lets get those injuries patched up."

...

What type of future awaits Hermes?