Chapter 5

  The coast was definitely not clear…

  The night had already fallen, and Lioren sat behind the cover of the thankfully desoted structure his inner transtion named ‘bus stop’.

  The way from the help center had taken longer than he expected. The gargantuan city dimensions feeling borderline ridiculous.

  However, the travel had helped him understand the reality of this new world a little better.

  For one, Lioren had finally cemented the idea that this pce was inhabited both by those ‘non-chimeras’ and humans. Both female and male, respectively. Not once did he see a woman without some animal feature, nor a human man with anything out of the ordinary.

  Other than that fmboyant sense of fashion, of course. He thought, remembering the few humans he was able to observe. All looking like… well, if he was being honest, they looked straight up feminine to him.

  And it was not only the clothes, which in and on itself was quite scandalous. But some of them wore so much makeup that he wondered how long they took getting ready to leave their houses.

  More concerning still was the way they went about their lives. Every mannerism, every expression he saw, all of them radiated what could only be described as meek and demure.

  As for the women he’d crossed, that was a different story altogether.

  They seemed to fall into three categories…

  Those who walked alongside a partner of the opposite sex, more often than not in a group of many girls per man. Most of them just ignored his presence or looked at him with detached curiosity for a second or two, only to pce their whole attention back to their man.

  Then there were those who looked at him with a mix of emotions. Surprise, fear, confusion, sometimes even a tingle of desire. Only to avert their eyes in dejection. As if they’d already pyed some imaginary scenario in their minds and found themselves cking.

  Finally, were those who had no issue voicing that st emotion. And it was definitely not just a ‘tingle’.

  Looking directly at him with outright scivious intent. Some, content with blowing him a kiss or a wink. Others, straight up catcalling him.

  The colorful pick up lines increased in tone and frequency the more he departed from the part of the city he’d found himself in when he woke up. Promising him quite the repertoire of imaginative ways to interact with his genitalia.

  It was borderline surreal.

  In his previous world, the norm was for men to pursue women. But even then, there was no comparison with the intensity he saw here. These girls looked thirstier than a sailor.

  It may be reted to the minimal number of men I saw. He pondered. As Lioren remembered that for every man he noticed, there were dozens of girls. And the only times he got to see a man alone, were when they were accompanied by their children. More often than not, a pack of non-chimera girls.

  Whatever the case, the women in this world, even the shyest of them, looked completely confident in the way they carried themselves compared to any man he saw.

  Another thing he noticed was the presence of altars with statues commemorating fallen heroines littered across the city. Most showed said women in neutral poses, their epitaphs remembering some notable achievements during their lives before retiring.

  Others showed them in way more impactful stances. The passing dates evidencing their short life at the service of justice. Dying in battle or in the process of performing some heroic action.

  This world seemed to have their heroes in great esteem.

  The rumbling of a passing ‘bus’ brought Lioren back to the present.

  He’d found the hospital some minutes ago. But if his previous experiences had taught him anything, it was that his current appearance didn’t particurly make him go unnoticed. And as he inspected the entrance to the hospital, he noticed the hard to miss presence of two towering guards at the door.

  A crowd of people outside of the entrance waved fgs with stylized drawings of Ixshel’s face, or signs reading different encouraging phrases.

  It wasn't massive by any means, no more than twenty people. But enough to make entering the building unnoticed difficult.

  And he was sure that going there and expining that he wanted to see her because he felt guilty for her current state would raise questions. Questions his gut told him would put him in more trouble in the long run.

  Perhaps I could try to find another entry… He considered his options when something caught his attention at the entrance of the hospital.

  Two groups of girls, one guarding what he could only assume were their boyfriend, approached the big cristal doors of the hospital. The man in question wore an unexpectedly utilitarian all white attire, but at the distance Lioren couldn’t make out many details.

  The guards at the door didn’t even look twice as they let the group pass by. As they left the building a couple of minutes ter, the roles of the group of girls had reversed with the one composed of only girls now guarding another man dressed in the same fashion as the first, and the second group now free of their charge.

  Uhm… The outfit that man wore kinda looked like a uniform. Maybe a doctor? He considered, nah, If this world really works backwards... that must be a nurse.

  The group was now heading his way, all of them chatting amicably between each other. As they approached Lioren’s position, the party separated, waving their goodbyes as the group with the man headed towards the bus stop.

  Lioren pyed it cool as the women looked at him curiously as so many others had.

  The man on the other hand, arched an eyebrow as soon as he noticed him. “Oh! Hi there! Girls, please…” His personal guard reluctantly opened up their protective circle, allowing Lioren a clear look at the man’s uniform.

  “Oh my God! I love your outfit!” The short guy almost shrieked in excitement as he raised a carefully manicured hand towards Lioren. “Valentine Farrel, pleased to meet you! I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Are you here to cheer for the hero… what was her name? Ix-something?”

  Without missing a beat, Lioren grabbed the petite man’s hand, giving it a vigorous shake, almost making him lose bance, “Oh! Sorry!” Lioren chastised himself for forgetting his own new strength for a moment there. “Lioren Amarenthos, I… Yes, actually. I’m here for Ixshel, I just wanted to wish for her to get better soon. Do… Do you work there? Any idea how she’s doing?”

  The young man giggled in a distinctively feminine manner after the unexpected shakeup, “Woah! Quite enthusiastic aren't you? And what an exotic name!” He sat besides Lioren, his companions shifting nervously as they observed the interaction.

  “Well yes, I do actually work at the hospital, not sure what gave it away,” he smiled pyfully at Lioren, nonchantly running his hands over his uniform as if ironing a nonexistent wrinkle. “As for her, I’ve read the report out of curiosity, but I don’t work on the same floor where she's located, you see.”

  Valentine’s legs dangled childishly from the bus stop’s bench as he sat beside him, “I’m assuming you’re a fan?” He pointed at Lioren’s outfit. “Well, I’ve talked with the boys from floor twenty seven, the bunch of gossipers that they are, not like me of course!” He pressed a hand on his chest, defensively, “and they’d say that she’s recovering exceptionally well. Considering the state she arrived in…”

  Lioren visibly cringed as the memories from the warehouse battle came fshing back.

  The little nurse looked apologetically at him, probably misunderstanding his reaction, “My! I’m sorry, working at a hospital kinda desensitizes us, I didn’t mean to be so grim!” He smiled again “My point being, that there’s no need to worry! The doctors say that she’ll make a full recovery! It’s not just fluff for the press.”

  Lioren released a breath he didn’t realise he was holding at the reassuring words from the outgoing nurse. A sad smile adorning his face. “Thank you, that means a lot, really.”

  Valentine beamed at him. “So… if you don't mind me asking…” he fidgeted with the hem of his uniform. “Why aren’t you there with the others? That Ixshel girl seems to be growing quite the following, I bet you’d steal a few looks with that superhero costume of yours. Where did you buy it anyway? It looks gorgeous!”

  Lioren was slightly taken aback by the question. Thinking on his feet for an answer, “well… I don't really do well in crowds and I didnt expect there to be so many people.” He pointed in the direction of the group of people waving fgs. “Besides I’m a single man and… ”

  He hoped that leaving that st part floating would convey some useful meaning in this upside down world. The group of girls nodding understandingly confirmed his suspicions.

  “As for the… uh, costume. I kinda made it myself… ”

  One of the girls, a tall one with striped feline markings on her cheeks, hesitated for just a moment before smiling at Lioren.

  “That’s amazing! what hero are you cosp…”

  She froze mid-sentence.

  The silence hit like thunder.

  Her gaze snapped to Valentine, eyes wide.

  He blinked. Slowly.

  Then rolled his eyes so hard his head tilted back.

  “Rex. You can talk to him,” he said, dragging out the words like a tired dad. “When do I ever get jealous?”

  A beat.

  “Don’t answer that.”

  The other girls ughed. The feline one exhaled, visibly relieved.

  Lioren stood completely still, unsure what just happened.

  The striped woman seemed to regain the tiniest bit of her confidence, “So…” she hesitated “is it inspired from a real hero or is it like… an OC or something?” She asked, pointing at his combat gear.

  Lioren arched an eyebrow. But before he could ask what that meant, the mist transted it to ‘original character’, which didn’t help much.

  “You mean as if it is my original design?” He asked tentatively. To which the girl nodded.

  He scratched the back of his head, suddenly feeling slightly self conscious. “Yeah, I guess it’s something like that.”

  Lying didn’t sit well with him when it came to his uniform, but he was sure that saying ‘Oh no! I didn’t design this. In fact it is standard military gear from another universe’ wouldn’t work in his favor.

  Before the conversation could continue, one of the girls signaled for their attention.

  “Well, it seems that our ride’s here!” Valentine jumped from the bench going back inside the protective circle of girls. “It’s been a pleasure, Lioren! Hope we see each other again!” He waved as his companions nodded cordially his way, just before boarding one of those enormous ‘buses’.

  “Same! Have a nice trip!” Lioren waved the curious group goodbye as he watched the doors close and the alien vehicle depart.

  Alone again, he pondered in the previous interaction. People didn’t seem so alien when you stopped and had a normal chat for once. Besides, he’d learned valuable information.

  Ixshel was recovering.

  He felt a weight leaving his body at that.

  He looked up at the imposing building, trying to imagine where she might be located.

  Twenty seventh floor wasn’t it? He remembered Valentine mentioning that as the source of the gossip.

  He sighed, looking defeatedly at the hospital’s front entrance. I bet that if I had one of those nurse uniforms I could sneak in unnoticed…

  As soon as the thought finished forming in his head, he could feel the mist stirring within. A familiar sensation enveloping his body, just as when he woke up in the middle of the storm, naked.

  His uniform started vibrating as its form became less tangible, a pinkish smoke emanating from every fiber.

  Oh no! No no no! I’m not gonna end up naked here am I? He frantically looked all around him. Thankfully there was no one looking his way from the group in front of the hospital, and the opposite side of the street was deserted. So if he ended up naked, I’ll probably be able to find somewhere to hide before…

  Just before the consistency of his clothes would become translucent, it snapped back into a solid form.

  Only that this time, instead of his purple uniform, he was wearing an exact copy of Valentine’s uniform. Tailored expertly to Lioren’s bigger body.

  He looked at himself fbbergasted, well that’s handy! I never had a spell like this back home! He marveled at his new appearance.

  Raising a hand to his face, he realized that his mask had also disappeared. For some reason that made him feel slightly more vulnerable.

  Without letting the opportunity slip his grasp, Lioren stood from his position and started walking towards the hospital entrance.

  His expression was a mask of stoic calm as he made his way towards his objective. Innumerable hours of training in infiltration came back to him as various negative scenarios pyed in his mind, with their respective solutions and possible ways of escape if things really got ugly.

  As soon as he passed by the group of fans silently waving their fgs so as to not disturb the hospital, Lioren could feel a chill run up his spine as the weight of multiple eyes nded on him.

  The crowd grew quieter still as they watched him pass. Their waving momentarily forgotten.

  “Well well well… What do we have here! Why's a cute little thing like you walking all alone, baby?” One of the bravest girls blurted as she started walking alongside him. Some kind of canine if he wasn’t wrong.

  “Don’t you know how dangerous it could be for a precious boy like you to be on his own?” She licked her lips with a predatory smile, forcing Lioren to gulp involuntarily. “But don't fret my puppy, I’m here now…” She got even closer as Lioren continued walking, feeling completely out of his field.

  Puppy? Should I be concerned about the implica… “Hey!” Lioren snapped at her as she brazenly pinched his ass.

  Alright, I was not trained for that…

  Undeterred, the non-chimera erupted in something between barking and ughing. Lioren felt really tempted to blow his own cover and just dropkick the annoying bitch in the face, when a blur passed by his side. The insufferable cackling quickly shifting to a pained yelp.

  Unnoticed by Lioren, one of the guards at the door had abandoned her position, rushing towards them as soon as he’d voiced his compint.

  “Ahhh! You… fucking bitch! Release me!” The woman cried as the guard held her hand in a painful position.

  Instead of releasing her, the guard, some kind of gigantic bear woman, only tightened her hold, earning another sad whimper from the dog girl. “You pathetic excuse of a woman…” Eyes full of disdain as she spat the words, “Ixshel is a very dear friend of mine. And I won’t allow scum like you to be amongst her fans.”

  Her face got dangerously close to the now terrified canine, who looked on the verge of tears. “So if you don't want me to twist your wrist a little harder and give you a real reason to get inside that hospital…” She bared her teeth, “I recommend you leave this pce, abandon her fan club and never treat a boy that way again…”

  She released the hand unceremoniously, the dog girl staggering back as she massaged her wrist, her ears lowered in submission.

  “NOW!” The bear woman roared.

  If he hadn't been so angry at the girl for what she did, Lioren would have felt some pity for the girl as she ran like the wind, almost stumbling on her mad dash away from there.

  “AND YOU!” The bear woman turned to him pointing a furry finger probably wider than his wrist at his face.

  “Me!” Lioren didn’t quite squeak…

  “Get in the building at once… I swear, boys these days…” She waved him in the direction of the hospital.

  He resisted the urge to salute as he merely nodded “Yes ma’am!”

  Without missing a beat, he rushed towards the doors, mildly marveled as they opened on their own. The other guard just smirked at him as he entered the building fully.

  He was in.

  The building was just as expansive on the inside as it was on the outside. People both in uniforms simir to his as in casual clothes moved one way or the other. Everyone looked busy, focused on something else besides him.

  He was essentially invisible.

  Great, now to floor twenty seven!

  Lioren started looking for a way up, following the signs that indicated where the stairs and an ‘elevator’ were located.

  A couple of minutes ter, people still miraculously ignored him as he stood in front of a couple of sliding metal doors. The word ‘elevator’ had been transted in his head and its meaning was clear enough. But he was not going to risk dealing with this world’s strange machines and get trapped in a metal cage.

  He sighed as he dreaded what was to come. Pushing the white door under the bright green light that read ‘stairs’...

  No amount of body modifications saved him from the aching he felt on his legs as he tirelessly pushed the door for his destined floor open.

  I’m taking the elevator next time.

  Now it was time to find Ixshel’s room. Sadly Valentine hadn’t shared that information, so he’d had to figure that one out on his own.

  After taking a minute to recover his breath, he started confidently moving through the much quieter corridors of this floor. The st thing he needed was to look nervous and raise suspicions in case someone saw him.

  The only person he saw was a tall horse eared woman pushing an empty stretcher. Luckily, if she noticed him, she didn’t show it.

  Room after room, Lioren looked through the door’s window in search of the familiar face. Most were empty and the ones he saw occupied were not his objective. When he was starting to get nervous at the possibility that Valentine’s info may have been wrong, looking into the second to st door on the floor, he saw her sleeping face.

  His breath caught in his throat.

  He hesitated for a moment, his shaking hand hovering on the door’s handle.

  Closing his eyes and arming himself with courage, he slowly pushed the door open.

  The room was dimly lit, quiet save for the slow beeping of monitors and the gentle hiss of filtered air.

  Ixshel y in the hospital bed, pale but whole. Bandages still wrapped her side and right arm. Her hair, wild even at rest, fanned across the pillow.

  Lioren stood in the doorway for several seconds before daring a step inside.

  Now, with time to properly see her in that sad state, all the guilt nesting inside Lioren’s chest felt worse than the armored non-chimera’s kick.

  Just see if she’s okay, he told himself. Just look. Then leave.

  But then the mist stirred.

  Not at his command.

  Almost as if it shared Lioren’s shame.

  It moved on its own.

  Slow tendrils unfurled from under his sleeves, gliding toward her like they were being pulled by something ancient and unseen.

  “Wait…”

  Too te.

  The mist wrapped around her, forming a gentle cocoon of pink light and silence.

  Lioren’s breath caught. He felt it…not pain, but drain. Like a thread of warmth being unraveled from inside him.

  What are you doing?

  His mana was being consumed at a dramatic pace. If this continued for much longer…

  You’ll burn through everything…

  Then, stillness.

  The cocoon pulsed once.

  Then retreated.

  Ixshel stirred, just slightly. A deeper breath. A twitch of her fingers.

  And her ear…the one that had been torn… was whole. Smooth. Untouched by scar.

  Lioren stood there, hand on the edge of the bed, breathing heavily, eyes wide.

  The mist settled back into him like a cat curling to sleep.

  ...That wasn’t me.

  He turned to leave, quietly. But behind him, monitors adjusted, heart rate changing, rhythm syncing.

  Her eyes started opening, slowly.

  Lioren stood there, frozen in pce. Their eyes met, recognition fshed hers as she tried to speak. Only to produce a dry throaty whimper.

  “What are you doing here?” An unknown deep, yet distinctly feminine voice broke the moment between Lioren and Ixshel.

  Only his exhaustion saved him from jumping in pce from the unexpected visitor.

  “Uh… I…” He looked at the woman standing on the door, strategically positioned to block his escape.

  A bat. No doubt about it. If the disproportionate ears on her head weren’t enough, the enormous wings neatly folded like umbrels at the side of her arms were a dead giveaway.

  Her eyes started squinting suspiciously as she studied him. But a coughing fit form Ixshel broke her focus.

  “She’s awake…” Her eyes, visible behind some sort of gss helmet, opened like ptes.

  Moving inside the room, she snapped at Lioren, “Nurse! Quickly, call a doctor!”

  He shook himself from the stupor and seized the opportunity, “r-right away!”

  He shared one st gnce at Ixshel as her coughing got under control. Their eyes meeting one st time before he ran out of the room.

  Lioren followed glowing signs towards the ‘infirmary’, reaching a big crystal window with small holes to allow voices to travel through, another nurse sat at the opposite side of the window. Looking bored out of his mind.

  “Hey!” Lioren called, panting. “Ixshel is awake! Call a doctor!”

  The meek looking boy jumped on his seat, startled by the sudden commotion, “Ah! Man, you scared me!” To his credit, he recovered surprisingly fast. “Ix… You mean the patient in room fifty-eight?” He lifted something his mist transted as ‘telephone’ to his ear and started pressing some buttons.

  “Wait a minute… I don't remember your face…”

  Ding.

  A quickly dissipating cloud of pinkish smoke was the only answer the young nurse got to the unasked question…

  “Uh? What the…”

  A stern voice came muffled from the end of the telephone, the nurse quickly putting it back to his ear, “Ah… sorry doctor! It’s about the patient in the room…”

  ***

  She saw him, Katherine was sure of it.

  The same boy that saved her life back at the warehouse.

  She’d been reviving the whole event in her head ever since she’d fallen unconscious for the st time in the ambunce. Like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.

  Over and over she fought, and over and over she’d lose. Sometimes it took longer, sometimes she was taken out on the first strike.

  But the worst were the ones where he appeared to save her. Only to be killed at the hands of that vilin. Being forced to watch her saviour murdered in an innumerable amount of ways.

  Impotence gnawing at her worse than defeat.

  The maniacal ugh of the pangolin echoing in her head after every atrocity committed.

  Then it happened.

  Out of nowhere, the nightmares were over. In its pce, warmth, love, an all encompassing light enveloped her. Wiping all of her fear, anguish and guilt aside. She felt the presence of someone, their care, someone familiar.

  Her body had felt light as a feather as aches and pains faded like the mist.

  And when she opened her eyes, she saw him. The reason for her guilt, the rightful owner of her gratitude.

  The… nurse? No matter…

  She’d tried to talk to him. To thank him for putting his life at risk for her, to apologize for her weakness.

  But her throat failed her. And they’ve been interrupted. And now he was gone.

  One st gnce her way, his only goodbye.

  Katherine wanted to scream.

  “Here, drink some” Someone was pointing the end of a straw towards her mouth.

  Without thinking, Katherine drank the sweet sweet ambrosia called water until there was none left.

  “That’s better, the doctor will be here soon, just re…” She grabbed the hand of whoever it was by her side before she could leave.

  “It was him!” She groaned. “That nurse! He’s the one that saved me!” She coughed, her throat still sore.

  The bat woman she now recognized as the third in command from the hero organization, ShadowCw looked at her curiously “What do you mean? That boy?” She sighed, “look, you’re tired and you’ve been unconscious for a while, I’m sure you’re just confused…”

  “No!” Katherine insisted, careful of her tone now that the hierarchy was clear, “ma’am, I’m positive. I’ve been seeing his face in my dreams all this time, I can’t forget it, with or without his silly mask!” Katherine released the other hero’s hand, looking pleadingly at her.

  “You have to believe me… please…” Ixshel was not on the verge of tears, she was not…

  The bat woman’s expression softened as she activated her augmented reality visor. “Computer, show me all the nurses working on this floor at this hour, with pictures.”

  Her winged arms moved up and down, her eyes navigating through files only she could see.

  Until her expression hardened.

  She moved her arms a couple more times, then waited.

  “Yes, she’s awake…” She said to someone.

  Another pause.

  “Titanessa, we have a situation…”

  SpoilerChicoMandarina

  [colpse]SpoilerChicoMandarina

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