Hydra Heart

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter 14: Fuck Chapter Titles

Maro invited his new acquaintances to one of his matches, and Tenra compelled them to attend. "You should probably wear disguises, because we'll be in such a public place..." Maro advised. "Not that I'd ever hide my face! Anyway, surveillance is pretty low-profile in Alogos. Not much need for cameras on every street corner, most people are too busy for crime or plotting against the government... but, I am not most people! While I'm practicing? Thinking about crushing skulls. My off days? Pondering how I'm gonna--" He clenched his puny fists. "--toss black eyes to every corrupt fat cat who uses Alogos as a litterbox!"

Vesta engaged in a mighty battle attempting to restrain her vicious tongue when she saw Maro sporting a jersey for his big match. She wrangled the demon in her mouth, but could not restrain a laugh, nor could Molly. The two women looked at each other, their giggling mutually exacerbated.

Maro cracked open a bottle of Sanguine Waterfall: Crushed Beverage. "Behold, my pre-game ritual!" He began pouring the sports drink on his face.

--

"Do you have any more tickets?"

"No. We're sold out, the auditorium is full."

"Can you check in the back?"

--

"Sweet creator, why is it sticky?" Vesta griped. Despite the ungodly scope of the auditorium, it seemed every centimeter of the floor had some sort of soda or candy spillage. Despite their personal connection to Maro, their tickets had placed them behind the cheap seats. Suddenly, a pluck of a guitar rang throughout the auditorium.

"GIVE IT UP!" The announcer announced.

The guitar began shredding, and a drummer joined in for support. The crowd began cheering.

"FOR THE CHAMPION!" he continued.

The crowd began cheering in anticipation. Maro's home-field advantage was a force to behold.

"THE BEST IN THE WORLD, OUR HOMETOWN HERO, THE WORLD'S UNDERDOG... MARO CORAL, THE WORLD ENDER!"

The crowd exploded, damaging Vesta's ears temporarily. Maro appeared on stage, sporting his jersey and a cape that flowed behind him. He posed for the crowd, sticking two fingers to the sky. He took off his cape and threw it to the people, but he didn't toss it far enough, so it flopped down just out of reach of the moshpit. The strobelights welcomed him with an overpowering display, accompanied by a climax in the guitar solo.

Then, Maro's opponent entered the ring: a girl smiling and giving two thumbs up. Vesta could not hear her name over the booing, but she was sporting a recognizable flag.

The two adversaries shook hands and sat in their respective thrones. Maro held up and connected his controller of choice, an iconic, custom built device perfectly tailored to his style. At this point, Molly began to zone out and decided to search for nourishment. She conveyed her intentions to Vesta and slipped out.

Outside the main stage room, vendors pushed merchandise and food products. Molly joined the line for a meat product. There, conversations drifted into her eavesdropping ear.

"It's my anniversary, but my loyalty to my husband is easily trumped by my loyalty to Maro."

"I had to ask for this day off from work four months in advance. This is the first time I've gone to an event that costs money in who knows how long... but, hey, I'm here!"

Molly silently thanked her parents for not raising her in a big city. Then again, counting trees wasn't the most memorable way to spend a childhood.