Anyone at All

Content Warning: gore

Meanwhile Una sat criss-crossed in front of Felix's door. She had been doing this for around three hours as nothing else seemed as important as Felix in the moment.

Now more than ever, she could spend time doing absolutely nothing and still felt productive. She could choose to do something to occupy her mind, but the stress of boredom never came. It seemed her system had diminished the feeling of boredom to a pinprick. Like all things her software tampered with, it was still there, although Una didn't mind and it became unconscious. 

A pebble hit the back of Una's head. She decided not to investigate. Moments passed. Another pebble. It had to have meaning now that it was turning into a pattern.

Una turned her head to the left. On the staircase nearby was Tito. He ducked close to the floor to avoid her gaze. 

"Greetings Tito," Una said. Deep within she was still furious with him, but on the surface it came out as a mere 'oh well'.

"Una get out of the way! You're blocking my apartment," Tito hissed. 

"Do not be afraid Tito. I am currently waiting for Felix to return, and have no concern for you. I am only blocking your path if you believe that I am," Una said. She turned her head back to Felix's door, completely content. 

"Just move!! Please!!" Tito whined. 

"Why should I move Tito? I am open for debate if I should rethink my actions," Una didn't look back.

"MOVE!" Tito screeched.

"I am not convinced you have a real reason for me to leave my post, and therefore I will continue with my task," Una said. 

"UHG! You're so ridiculous!!" Tito stood up and stomped, "I just want to get to my apartment? Can't you get up for me??"

"What would you like to offer in return?" Una asked. 

"GRR!" Tito stomped down the stairs, and Una continued being satisfied. 

On the bottom of the apartment chamber other kids were relaxing in the lounge. Tito marched passed them. He only wanted his notebook, which he had left in his apartment, or sometimes just called his room.

Within the notebook was notes about people. These people were people with promise, people with guts. Future athletes in the making were decided there.

Tito paced a little on the first floor. He needed to continue his people watching work without his notebook. It wouldn't have any of his past information in it, but maybe it would work until Una finally stopped doing whatever she was doing. 

She was always one to start a grudge wasn't she? She might've been a robot but her frustrating spunk was still around. It made a great athlete, but now it was really obnoxious. How hard was it to get up and step out of the way really? Unbelievable. 

Anyway, there was definitely something in the paint studio available to replace his notebook for the afternoon. Tito headed over to the chamber, passing by crowds of bored children just like him.

Some were being beaten up while others laid around. He couldn't do much about the beatings. They were always around and they always would be. 

On his way on the first floor a boy and a girl spotted him. They dashed over, their tails lagging behind them. It was Olive and Nate, Una and sport superfans.

"Tito!" Olive shouted.

"Tito!" Nate shouted.

"Hello kids.." Tito sighed and stopped, "I'm on my way to something important so I'd like it if you left me alone for now ok?" He tried to take a step forward.

"No wait please!" Olive put her arms up to stop him.

"We've been practicing our boat racing!" Nate said. He tucked his arms in close.

"You guys actually like boat racing?" Tito snickered and held his head, "That's good 'n all but I really have to go, ok? This isn't going to make you athletes," Tito tried to walk past them, but up above in the balcony someone objected. 

"Boo!" Maxwell shouted down. He was leaning on the edge of the railing, "Boo!"

"Excuse me!?" Tito turned to face him.

"You suck Tito!! Let them try!" Maxwell said.

"I have somewhere to be if you don't mind. This has nothing to do with you!" Tito shouted. 

"We want Una! We want Una!!" Maxwell chanted.

"Una's gone! She's not herself anymore. She doesn't even like sport anymore!" Tito shouted.

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked her! Did you also remind her that you were a total badonk??" Maxwell barked.

"I don't have time for this.." Tito walked off. Olive and Nate stepped out of the way. 

In the paint studio on the second floor he walked in and strode past artists painting nonsense or something that existed in the real world. Nobody in there was ready to be Tito's next flagship. Una was such a beautiful thing, and it was hard to try and replace her. It was an everyday thing to look over the masses, but the pressure to find someone actually exciting was a little heavier today.

The teams he had already set up weren't going to surprise him at this point. He needed new blood. 

Tito walked up to a shelf that dispensed white paper and took one out from the bottom. Propping the paper on the counter, and using a red pencil to write he wrote down 'Nate' and 'Olive'. 

These kids were really just excited fans. They didn't have any promising traits other than the possibility of being underdogs. If he hired them nobody would want them on their team, and fans of particular teams would hate them for ruining their structure.

They would need extensive training that could end up being a waste of time. What was Maxwell doing telling him how to do business? There were so many reasons to say no, and now Tito had them written down. 

He picked up the paper and looked at the information. It was good, everything he needed to know. Now he didn't have to remember it. Without anywhere to put the note, he folded it up into a little square and put it in a pant pocket.

"Bam!" Sam, the tall knight pushed Tito from behind. 

"Wa!? Sam!" Tito caught himself and turned to see the knight and her athlete friends at the entrance of the paint studio. Artists stopped briefly to look at them laugh.

"Really deep in thought huh? You didn't even see me coming," Sam snickered. 

"Don't do that Sam!" Tito pushed back on her in a playful manner, "I almost hit my chin on the- the table!" 

"Yeah but ya didn't though. You wanna hang out? We're going to the Brawl Bar. Team Feather was going to spar there and I'm paying for drinks since I'm loaded," Sam said. 

"Of course! I still got some work to get done but I can hang for a while," Tito said. He turned back to the paper dispenser and grabbed sheets from the bottom until he was satisfied.

The two of them walked out of the paint studio and joined Team Feather in the main halls.

"What were you doing in the paint studio?" Sam asked Tito. The rest of the group giggled and talked amongst themselves in a mass of babble.

"I'm missing my notebook," Tito said.

"Oh where'd you put it last?" Sam's long ears drooped. 

"No no, I know where it is," Tito waved his hands, "Una was just sitting around waiting nearby, and I really didn't want to see her. You know how she is now. She wouldn't even get out of my way when I asked," Tito shrugged at Una's past nonsense. 

"Yeah it really is kinda sad that that ended up happening to her. You don't think she might be mad at you about kicking her off?" Sam raised her brows.

"Sam, she doesn't even get mad. She has no emotions, that's the whole thing," Tito said. 

"Yeah but like.. what if she does?" Sam suggested.

"Then she does ok?! I'm not responsible for that. I can't know everything. I just do what I think makes the most sense, and if Una can't be understood then she's dangerous. Does that make sense?" Tito snapped.

"Geez Tito hold back your fangs," Sam held her arms up, "I'm just saying. I don't think what you did is bad or anything. Just try to keep an open mind."

"Ahg," Tito held his face, "Sorry. I've been feeling stressed about this is all. People keep acting like I'm some horrible person for staying safe. It's like nobody was keeping away from her this morning. Everyone is a hypocrite."

"Yeah I guess... people suck.." Sam said, although it didn't sound completely convinced.

***

At the brawl bar the gang sat down at a small table, and then dragged more small tables together to make a bigger table.

"We call the first fight!" A standing Team Feather athlete shouted, joined by his friend. They put their arms in the air.

"No glass!" Tito shouted at them from his seat, "If you cut yourself up in there you can't play in the next sport game!"

"Good, I hate glass," one of them mumbled. They slipped under the ropes and into the ring. Their partner followed and they began to push one another around. 

Now this was exactly what Tito wanted in an athlete. Spunky extroverts playing a game for glory, for drama. Strength could be trained, but not the will to play the game. They needed to want it, be it. He had to find someone who had it. Couldn't live without it. Team Feather, Team Fur, Team Scale, Team Shell… There were already so many people in these teams. Some people were vaguely promising, but too young to have a lasting attitude. They were too unpredictable being that young. 

Tito turned to Sam from the action.

"You think anyone could replace Una? I've been working on trying to find someone. You have anything in mind?" Tito asked.

"Not really. Knights really like their jobs, and I don't think they could handle being athletes. You took everyone who could, now we just have old sturdy knights and silly babies who stand for justice more than fame." Sam said. A Team Feather girl stood up.

"I'm getting drinks, Sam what do you want?" The girl asked.

"Vanilla. Tito you want something?" Sam asked him.

"Bee Gone," Tito said.

"Bee Gone," Sam repeated.

"Tots," the girl dashed off to the bar.

"..So you think it might take a while then?" Tito asked, continuing the conversation.

"Yeah. I'd say wait for people to get older, or try to find new types of athletes," Sam said.

"New types?" Tito snickered. He leaned back in his chair.

"I don't know. Maybe some people are secretly really good athletes and just hide it. Mmn, like Felix." Sam gestured by pointing to nowhere in particular. "I'd like to get to know him better but Felix isn't an athlete," Tito said.

"You don't know that. You just said you don't know him that well. Everybody was saying he was carrying a gun on him this morning. A real one," Sam said.

"I saw. I didn't know it was real," Tito said.

"Yeah! And Felix also apparently rescued this giant bird on the third floor today and he wasn't even afraid. It jumped on him and everything and he didn't care. He might not be spunky but I think he's pretty stubborn." Sam said. 

The girl came back with their drinks.

"Thank you.. Oh he's stubborn alright. He went back to Una to try and fix her when I saw him last. What's he gonna do? Rip out her implant? You can't change grownbot stuff, that's not how the world works," Tito put his arms out.

"What's his face modded the arcade machines," Sam snapped her fingers trying to find a name, "Neaon."

"Arcade machines are not gwenens. No gwenen's parents ever wrote about becoming a kid again. It just doesn't happen." Tito took a sip of his 'bee gone'. It was an incredibly sour fizzy drink. He grimaced a little at the taste, but that was what he loved about It.

"Yeah ok, Felix might be trying at a lost cause, but what about people like him being athletes? Felix has a secret life that we don't know about, and apparently he's pretty cool right now with having a gun and taming a beast, both of which most people have never seen." Sam said. She took a gulp of her drink 'vanilla'. It was just melted vanilla ice cream.

"I'll stalk him about it. If he's promising I'll try to see what's what. Maybe get some answers about his 'secret life'. Watch it just be something stupid like he's in a meditation community," Tito snickered. He took another sip and watched the action in the ring.

A mental image of his notebook on the bottom of a boat. 

"..Aw crap!" Tito hissed to himself. He stood up.

"What?" Sam asked him.

"I think I might've actually left my notebook at Law Lake.. like in a boat. I have to see it's there. If it's not I'll just come back but I don't want anyone finding it just in case," Tito began to walk out.

"Alright. I'll just be here dude," Sam said.

"Shoot shoot shoot shoot," Tito said as he ran out. 

The Brawl Bar was on the sixth floor and Law Lake was on the first. He pushed past walking crowds in this more narrow and dank floor until he made it to the stairwell. Panting, he skipped steps. The lights dimmed. The night had begun, creating dark in their electric world.

Some lights were dimmed, while most were off. Kids didn't mind and turned on flashlights to make shadow puppets. 

On the first floor it was terribly empty. Most people down there had already gone back to their apartments, which the first floor contained. 

Tito huffed into the gwenenless Law Lake chamber. It was dim but he could still see. The boat was on the shore of the island. It was really great that Nate and Olive took the time to put the boats away properly. Tito really appreciated it. 

He was going to have to swim if he wanted to check for his notebook. His apartment was nearby. He could change. Tito stepped into the black water and wadded until it was deep enough to swim in. He kept his head above the water and swam to the other side. Ripples from somebody else swam past him. He didn't mind and climbed up the surface of the island. 

With the boat, or canoe, next to him he pulled it fully to the surface. He hopped in the beached boat and felt around the bottom for his book. It wasn't there. Tito sighed. Now he was all wet and needed to change before getting back to the hangout. It was night already and in a few hours everyone was going to go to sleep. He just knew something cool was going to happen before he got back. 

Tito stepped out of the boat but red eyes looked back at him. He had never seen a creature that wasn't shaped like a gwenen. The way it moved was so wrong. He lept backward, falling into the boat. 

The creature hit the sides of the boat and squealed. It stopped. Its head rose above the boat by unnaturally stretching its torso. It had the face of a boar, squinty red eyes, huge oozing fangs, and a barbed scorpion tail.

It roared. Tito fell further back into the boat. He ran into an oar. It wasn't the best weapon in the world but it created distance between him and whatever it was.

He picked up the oar and slapped the boar with it. It hissed and recoiled a bit. Tito got up.

He stuck the oar outside the boat and pushed it off the plastic beach. The boat landed in the water and began drifting. Almost losing balance he sat down. He turned back to look at the boar.

Its torso was stretching out to reach him across the water. It groaned and snapped on its way over. When it hovered over Tito, he slapped again, but the boar grew out in a burst of speed, coiling its torso around the oar. Its body was now holding onto it like a constricting snake. Tito tried to pull it out but the monster grew again closer to him. 

Tito yelped. It was so close now. He stumbled back to the edge of the boat. Desperate, he lept into the water and began paddling to the other side. A nudge on his shoulder, then a grip and a tug. Tito was being dragged back to the island by the boar in a retraction more swift than its growth.

Tito thrashed around in the water. The boar grew and curled around him like it did with the oar. Now he was being held onto by the monster's everlong torso. He put his hands on the beast's long belly and pushed off, but it just held tighter. 

The, as Felix had named, hooved death, dragged him back on the Island, and then toward its face. Its mouth was open and drooling. Its eyes locked on him.

Tito kept trying to push off but he definitely wasn't moving. He started punching the hooved death. It grimaced, but a moment later so did Tito.

Something sharp had just cut deep into his back. It felt numb, and then his whole body followed. He tried to keep hitting the creature but his arms got heavy, and fell, unmoving.

Tito's entire body fell limp. The monster stuck down on him, biting his right shoulder. It let go and bit down again right next to it. Everything in Tito's body screamed in pain and tried to and protect himself, but all of his parts were completely open. His neck and head, his chest, and arms, his eyelids couldn't even close. 

The creature dropped Tito. He fell and landed awkward on the beach, bleeding from his wounds. The creature walked off. Unable to see, Tito heaved in and out his breaths. Slowly it became easier. Feeling rushed back into his finger tips, and then into his arms. 

Tito sat up. He held his shoulder, but it was no longer bleeding. He ran his finger over the wounds but they were already sealed. Fur was already starting to grow back over top of the punctures. 

Tito looked behind him, but the hooved death was nowhere to be seen.

He stood up and looked at his white underbelly. He was soaking wet, and his blood had slightly stained his white fur. He grabbed the oar, walked back into the water and climbed into the boat. He paddled across and entered the main hall. Sam was there, just walking over.

"Hey Tito. Did you find your book? Ha! You look awful. Is everything ok?... Tito?" She noticed the distress on his face.

"Um..I was just attacked. I…" He gasped for air. 

"Oh my gosh! Who attacked you? Are you hurt?" Sam looked over him and then looked around the area.

"I don't know…" Everything had left him, including the energy to describe what had just happened.

"Does anything hurt? Are you in pain?" Sam asked.

"... Uhh, everything? I'm kinda getting a headache," Tito put his palm to his forehead.

"Maybe we should take you to the doctors," Sam stood up straight.

"No, no… I don't want to deal with robots. Not now. I just need to relax.." Tito sighed.

"If you say so dude. I only came over to tell you that Team Feather and I were heading over to the arcade. You want to come with or are you done for the night? It's cool if you're done," She held her arms up, "You were attacked. That's not good."

"..." Tito thought for a bit, "I'll come with. I really don't want to be alone right now."

"Ok. Let's go then, well after you change. I'll go with you to your apartment. You won't be alone." Sam said.

"Thank you Sam… I really appreciate it," Tito said.

They began to walk down to the apartments.

"What happened back there anyway?"

"Nothing!.. It's not important," Tito snapped. 

"Sorry.." Sam looked away. 

Tito looked at her. Why was he saying it like that? Sam was being really considerate and he was grumpy all of a sudden. Maybe he was too tired, so tired. 

"Sorry. I'm just really grubby about what happened. I'm exhausted.." Tito sighed. 

"Maybe you should stay home," Sam said.

"No no.. I wanna stay out," Tito said.

"I don't know if that's smart man," Sam's eyebrows went up. 

"I know what I want.. ok!" Tito hissed. 

"Ok dude you do you. I'm only looking out for you," Sam said. 

They entered the high ceilinged apartment chamber, walls lined with doors and balconies looking down. 

"I'll wait down here," Sam said, gesturing to the seating area at the bottom. Tito nodded and climbed the stairs. He noticed Felix and Una were talking nearby his apartment. When he got to the platform he greeted them.

"Hello Felix, Una.." He said, "!!!" Tito noticed the artifex on Felix's back. He recoiled, "What the hell is that!?"

"He's an artifex," Felix said, "He's harmless don't worry."

"As if I'm going to touch it," Tito walked past them, "Move!"

"Tito.." Una spoke up. Tito stopped and turned around, "Your mouth is bleeding. I suggest you get it examined by a doctor." 

Tito put his hand inside his mouth and took it out to look. His saliva was filled with blood. His mouth was bleeding, but why? He coughed, and coughed again.

"Are you healthy Tito?" Una asked. 

"I'm.. whatever!" He coughed. He walked over to his apartment door and opened it by placing his hand on the outside. It slid out of the way and he fell in. The door closed behind him.

What was going on? It was venom wasn't it? He was going to die because of the hooved death's venomous bite. Now he was bleeding from within and was going to lose what he needed. His blood. Lose what he needed. 

He sat up. He had to get dressed if he was going to hang out for the rest of the night. In his heart he knew that he didn't really want to go after an attack like that, but something seemed so appealing about it now. It was like he was starving and hanging out was the only thing that could satisfy. 

Tito sat up and pulled his soaked shirt up and off of him. He bit down on something. Something hard was in his mouth. He held his hand up to his mouth and spit it out. It was one of his canines, a tooth. It was dyed yellowish red from his bloody mouth. He stood there staring at it. Teeth just didn't fall out. Creatures just didn't come out of nowhere.

Oh no. Oh no.. The weight of it all was starting to suffocate him. He was really going to die. He was really going to die. He was really going to die. One mishap, one mistake. He was rotting inside to outside. His stomach felt cold, weak. He stepped back into the wall for balance. He was shivering now. With his tongue he located his second canine. Pushing it just a little bit knocked it completely out. Underneath was a sharper tooth. He went back to where the first canine was. Another much larger and sharper tooth had taken its place. Fangs? Fangs. 

Why fangs? What? Why fangs? Was he not going to die? This didn't make any sense. Tito pulled off his pants, but they snagged on the end of his tail. He tried to pull his tail through but it continued to snag. He pulled his tail toward his body and unhooked it. The end of his tail had a barb. It was a sharp venomous barb.

Nononono. No. No. He just wanted it gone, undone. This couldn't really be happening. Couldn't be real. Gwenens don't grow huge fangs and barbed tails. Maybe this was why the adults never wanted them outside. They knew this could happen. Terrible creatures from the unknown to make him…

His thoughts came to a stop. Voices. He could hear voices outside his door. Of course they were just Una and Felix, but now they had a pull, like gravity, like desire. Tito went up to his door and placed an ear up against it. He had to get out there, needed to, but he was in his underwear. He ran back to a wall and pulled a dresser drawer out to get dressed. 

Once dressed he opened the door and slipped out like a shadow.

"Greetings again Tito," Una said, turning to face him.

"Hi.." Tito waved. He could take her, but she was nearby too many people.

"Hi Tito.." Felix waved back.

Felix had a gun. Felix had a gun. Felix had a gun. Tito walked past them, his tail tightly curled to hide the barb. He walked down the stairs back to Sam. 

"Took ya long enough. Let's go. I told Toby to cut the line for us." Sam said. She got up from her seat.

"Ok.." Tito said.

"...Uhhh," Sam looked at him closely. More of his coat was black than white, but it puzzled her more than anything. 

"Would you stop staring please!? Let's just go!" Tito snapped.

"Fine fine!" Sam said. 

***

At Neaon's arcade the night offered special time for contests and tournaments. While Team Feather battled it out in fighting games projected onto the wall, Tito was supposed to watch, but he instead watched everyone around him. Anyone he wanted, anyone at all. All he had to do was choose. Anyone he wanted. Anyone at all. There were too many... He had to be smart. There were too many here.

"I have to use the bathroom Sam…" Tito walked off from the crowd.

"Want me to come with?" Sam asked him. 

"No! I'm good, I'm good.." Tito hissed. Sam rolled her eyes. If only she could understand. He was on a mission. He needed to do something with someone alone. His fangs needed to do something with someone alone. They ached so badly. He clenched his jaw so hard but it didn't satisfy. 

Tito went up the stairs to the entrance of the arcade. He stomped past the line and down the hall away from the kids waiting to get in. 

The dark empty sixth floor main hall.

A lone gwenen. They walked through darkness and light in a pattern. Tito began to follow, doing the same. On his pointer fingers huge talons had grown, almost like a raptor claws.

His walk sped up as the gwenen in front stayed the same. The gwenen turned around to face him briefly before walking faster as well.

Tito didn't let up and walked even faster. The gwenen being followed looked back again.

They continued, and then began to run. Tito did the same. 

The gwenen was fast, but over time they slowed. Tito did not. The gwenen being pursuited put their arms up as a last defense, but it did not stop Tito. 

He jumped out at the gwenen. Upon landing, he extended his torso, wrapping the gwenen up in dark coils. Now close enough to see, Tito realized it was Nate, the fan. The thought moved through his head like lightning but had no effect.

"Tito!? TITO!?!?" Nate struggled to free himself. 

"Shh!" Tito hissed. He put a claw up to his mouth. 

"Sorry! I'm sorry! What did I do? I'm sorry!" Nate squealed.

"Be still.." Tito whispered to him.

Using the barb on his tail, he stung Nate's shoulder and watched him go limp.

He dropped him on the ground and retracted his torso back to its original length. Tito kneeled down next to Nate's side. He pulled up the kid's shirt, and poked a talon into Nate's belly. He pushed it further, breaking skin and dripping into Nate's bowels. This was what he wanted right? Oh yes indeed. He flipped Nate over to his side, and using the hand already dipped in, ripped the skin off his stomach from the inside. This spilled the gwenens guts.

When he was finished the meal, for a brief moment clarity hit.

He was absolutely covered in thick, red, sticky blood on its way to becoming brown. He had eaten everything inside of this boy, well he made sure to dump the nasty parts.

Still, he had just seen what you were lucky to miss, first hand.

He wanted it so bad, but now, with brief satisfaction, he saw it all as Tito the gwenen. He had eaten a child.

His blood still coated his mouth, and the slime of his tendons were caught in between his teeth. Tito wanted his mouth to leave him. He did the eating of Nate when he was crazed about it, but now it was forced into his mouth from that other personality. It was left behind, and Tito dared not to swallow an ounce of blood more. He held his mouth shut.

What did he just do? What did he just do?? Nate was gone and he ate him.

He wanted to and he hunted him down and he ate him.

Tito shivered in disgust, but slowly, his urges swelled back into him, filling his muscles with strength and instinct. He watched his very own head turn to look at another lone gwenen. All alone, he could have anyone he wanted. Anyone at all.