Amanita: Poison Shot

Chapter 110: Butcher

"This is insane, D," K8 replied, standing by my left side when the delivery guy was already driving away in his van. "First all those trinkets, and now this?"

"Yep, the most beautiful motorbike I have ever seen," I whispered, lengthening those words as I stared at that mechanical goddess in front of me.

"Hey!" Sigi complained as if he couldn't believe it. He was standing on my right side. "What about mine?!"

Yes, I know I had said his bike was the most beautiful I had ever seen, but... Come on! That was a Harlequin Davidsohn Butcher Blue Edition! Gift from Apollo or not, it was mind-blowing!

I was biting my lower lip in an unconscious admission that I loved what I was seeing. A lot. It felt as if I was having the best dream ever that Friday evening. A dream starring me and that dazzling, electric blue motorbike.

"Oh my God..." I said as if I was out of breath due to that stunning gift. "Let me get a closer look," I said while taking a couple of steps forward.

"NO! This is a fucking trap!" Sigi exclaimed while grabbing me by my arms and pulling me to him with brute force. I couldn't fight him. I remained staring at the bike.

Its name, Butcher Blue Edition, was evident from the solid blue materials and paint job, and it was based on a Harlequin Davidsohn Softail Slim S. Its gold-plated throttle valves had been welded by hand. The heat-resistant LED lamps added a modern touch to the bike, with a 5.4-carat diamond glass dome. There was a window that revealed the rotating camshaft. It was the only motorcycle in the world to have an engine that was illuminated from inside, or so said the magazines I had read. It was powered by a 1.8-litre air-cooled V-Twin with 148Nm of torque and it had a 6-speed gearbox.

The moon was already shining in the sky above us that night. That and Dawn's dim streetlights were giving the bike a lascivious aura.

"Just a peek up close!" I exclaimed trying to get rid of Sigi's arms. I wanted to examine that priceless bike.

"NO! Can't you see Apollo knows you're gonna fall for this?!" He was stronger than me, so obviously I couldn't escape from his arms no matter what I did.

I realised that there was also a watch enclosed on the right side of the fuel tank. Several jewels had been embedded in various parts of the motorcycle. Each of those gems shone like the stars in the sky.

"He's never sent poisoned gifts before," I tried to argue, but I admitted that that was the lust talking.

"What if this is the first one, huh?!" Sigi replied, sounding desperate.

"Can I make a photo of it with my phone at least?" I begged. Boy, was I desperate!

"NO!!!" everybody yelled at me.

"K8 scan it!" I begged her. "Please tell me there's nothing wrong with it. Please, please, please."

"Sure, I'm gonna scan it, D. But then, I'm carrying this to Amanita's back and throwing it down into the sea."

"No! If it's harmless, I could keep it. I could work on it. I could... make it... I could customise it or..."

"Oh my God, you're so freaking desperate, aren't you? It's just a bike," Kono said, mildly ashamed of me.

"She adores motorbikes, K," Gabi answered. "A lot."

K8 scanned the bike just as she had done with all the previous gifts, with her glowing pink eyes roaming up and down the suspicious object. She circled the bike, and then she frowned while squinting her eyes while examining a component close to the embedded watch.