Chapter 23 - Achievement Unlocked: Friend #2 Obtained!

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

["Speech Through Technology"]

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…

What am I watching? A human versus a monster? If that were the case, why is the monster more shaken than the person?

It was common sense that a person couldn't beat a monster. The physical difference between the two was too much of a barrier. Giving a person a gun may help them, but against the stronger monsters, they would surely fall.

'So, how in the hell is he doing this?' I thought as I watched the newest hire, Dante, right? Get his shit beaten in by the monster that had been attacking me.

At this moment, he seemed more ravenous than the monster. The smile he had on his face could only prove my point about how demented he would have to be to try something like this.

'This is...' Mid-thought, I blinked, my eyes that I didn't even know were dry closed only for a second.

*BANG*

Large amounts of wind violently blew throughout the alley; I re-closed my eyes before I could even get a good picture of what I was looking at.

'Did I miss it? What happened?' Opening my eyes, I was greeted with the sight of Dante violently stabbing the monster in the head.

His back was turned to me, but I could clearly hear the squelching of flesh, the cracks of bone, and smell the blood.

How did he even beat that monster?

…

"Malo..." I said in a whisper.

My eyes widened slightly, and my arms stopped in their tracks. I was still mid-stab but quickly lowered my arms.

Malo's clawed hands had softly slapped my cheeks, and that had somehow woken me up from whatever blood craze I was in before. In that craze, I was still myself, but once again, I was far more aggressive.

I had a theory already crafted. Whatever my ability is, the same one affecting my body seems to be doing the same to my mind. Well, not my mind but my consciousness.

During the middle and end of that entire fight, parts of my fight or flight, including other emotions, were removed. Not removed, dulled heavily.

This could be a very serious drawback, especially in situations where fighting is not the correct option. I didn't even get a chance to use my martial arts due to the way "I" at that moment wanted that creature to feel terror.

I'm already thinking of a way that might fix this issue, but first.

I turned my head slightly in the direction of Malo. She softly knelt down further to my level, her clawed thumbs rubbing my cheeks while making sure not to be too forceful.

"I worried you, didn't I?" I softly said as I stared into Malo's white pupils.

I only received a slow, almost hesitant nod that conveyed her concerns. Here I was, claiming we were a duo, and all I did was get beat on by some creature because I was going blood crazy.

'Some first friend I turned out to be.' I thought as disappointment in myself filled my mind.

"Malo, I want to tell you something, but now seems like not the right time." I continued in hushed whispers as I pointed with my eyes to Ashley.

Malo nodded and took a step back. It was time to deal with Miss—would-be—Eldritch food.

Trying to wipe the literal blood off my hands, I stood up. Walking over to Ashley, who still seemed to be lying against a brick wall and lost in her thoughts, I held my almost clean hand out.

I awkwardly stood there for a few seconds before realizing she wasn't going to notice me.

"Earth to Ashley," I said in a calm tone while looking down at her.

Somehow, she still seemed as oblivious as before.

"EARTH TO ASHLEY!"

Her head practically snapped upward at my scream. Her eyes were wide as if she couldn't believe I was actually in front of her.

"You still... remember me?" Ashley's voice was a mixture of anxiousness and confusion.

"Of course, I remember you. You're Ashley, the girl who's depressed because some creature was trying to eat her." As I spoke, Ashley's head lowered slightly.

"The same girl who looks depressed while working." Her head lowered even more at that. "The same girl who makes a depressed and disgusted expression whenever she takes out the trash."

By now, she wasn't even looking at me anymore. Her eyes stuck to the concrete floor in the alley as if it were an art in a museum.

"You're Ashley, the same girl who—"

"Alright! I get it!" Ashley practically screamed out. Her head lifted, her eyes staring directly up into mine, and her expression changed to that of annoyance and embarrassment.

I grew a smile at my trolling being effortless and effective. Quickly, I twitched my fingers in my already held-out left hand.

"Since you get it, don't leave me hanging like—" Ashley took my hand and pulled it; my body stiffened, and instead of falling, Ashley was pulled up to her feet. "—this..."

Ashley quickly began walking towards the back door of the restaurant.

"Any idea what type of creature that was?" I said a little louder than normal as I went to rip my knives out of the creature's body. I didn't have the money to replace them.

"How would I know?"

I paused mid-tug of my knife. Ashley did seem clueless when it came to dealing with the creature.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I thought it would be better to ask in case you did."

Finally ripping my knives free, I stood up and turned to Ashley, who was now leaning against the back door of the restaurant while watching me.

Walking towards Ashley, she ended up opening the door for me. It was a kind gesture, considering I was holding two blood-covered knives that were definitely leaking over my hands.

"By the way," Ashley said as I passed by her. "You've got some blood on the corner of your lips."

"Thanks for the heads up."

Ashley quickly closed the door. We ended up walking side by side; the monster killing ended up going well—

*click*

Ashley and I stiffened like a board as the break room door in front of us swung open. In a split-second decision, I hid both knives behind my back.

'Wait, I have blood on my lips, don't I?' I thought as I quickly licked the blood from my lips. I had to make sure I got it, so I ended up trying a bit too long.

Amelia's head turned in the direction of both of us as soon as I got done licking the blood off my face.

'Please, please, PLEASE tell me she didn't see that!!'

…

'What the fuck did I just see?' I thought as I took in the scene.

I looked repeatedly between the new hire, Dante, and a noticeably brighter Ashley.

That motherfucker just licked some blood from his lip. I know he did! But was it his own blood?

Ashley seemed noticeably brighter as if she had experienced a release of sorts.

'They didn't fuck, did they?' I cast that thought away as soon as it entered my mind. Even though Dante was good-looking, I knew Ashley wasn't someone who would talk to anyone so quickly.

That also didn't explain the blood on his lip. 'If they didn't have sex and Dante had blood on his lip combined with a relieved Ashley...'

Did he eat her out?! But what about the blood? It didn't look like it came from an internal or external wound.

'Don't tell me that Ashley is on her—'

"Amelia! You alright?" Ashley said as I stood there, shell-shocked by my discovery.

"Yeah, I'm good," I softly said as I realized that the new hire, Dante, might be a freak.

The information I gained just now was too much. I took shaky steps back into the break room, my legs barely able to carry me.

Closing the door behind me, I hoped and prayed that through some miracle of God, I was wrong.

…

"What's her problem?" I whispered to Ashley as I saw Amelia take almost shaky-looking steps back into the break room.

"Amelia is very perceptive. It's almost like she's got a detective's mindset sometimes. She's probably already realized what had happened." I nodded at Ashley's response.

"You should probably wash your hands in the customer restroom before doing anything else. Lucas should be in the break room by now." Once again, I nodded and made my way to the customer restroom.

...

(A/N: Fell asleep before I uploaded the second chapter. I'll see if I can drop another but no promises.)