Radar [The Maad Series #1.5]

6| Default Earth.

Luna puked after she had walked out of the portal. She then rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand and stared at the alleyway. "Is this your home?" she asked.

"Yes. We are in Default Earth—the universe I was born in," Radar said. He was from Prue—a country with over three million residents. Before the accident that burned his house and took the lives of his parents, Radar used to live in Mayfair. It was a small suburban community with white picket fences and trophy wives.

Luna puked again. "What's happening to me?" she asked and then kept vomiting.

"It is the side effect of entering another universe for the first time. No need to worry, it will not happen again when you visit Default Earth."

"Will I experience this every time we enter another universe?" Luna asked, then retched.

"Yes." Radar waited until Luna's body adjusted to Default Earth's frequency, and then said, "Let us go."

There were two types of portals: blue and white.

Radar and his kind—Trackers—opened blue portals. And portal guns opened white portals. The two had one difference, but it was very crucial. White portals left residue after they dematerialized, and blue portals didn't. And trackers could track the destination of the white portal using the residue.

"Why is Los in your universe?" Luna asked.

"That is what we are here to find out. You can smell him, right?"

"Yes." Luna nodded.

Radar and Luna covered their heads with hoodies and walked down the streets of City Central, Prue. Luckily, it was Halloween. Luna didn't have to hide. But Los could be anywhere. And Radar didn't want to take any chances in case Los recognized her.

"Your home has plastic beings?" Luna asked.

Radar shook his head. "They are costumes. People wear them to pretend they are monsters."

"And do the monsters wear people-costumes to pretend they're mundane?"

Mundane? Is that what she calls humans? "No. Unlike your universe, humans rule this one. There are no Gods or other humanoid creatures. It is just us... and non-humanoid animals."

Luna sniffed the air and pointed at Tony's Restaurant. "He's in there."

They entered and found a few customers inside. There was no sign of Los.

"Are you sure he is in here?" Radar asked as they sat at the furthest booth. Luna had her back to the door while Radar faced it. He could see everyone entering and leaving the restaurant.

"Yes. I can still smell him," Luna said. "Do your people dress like this every day?" She looked outside the window as people in superhero costumes passed by.

Radar shook his head. "It happens once a year. It is Halloween. A day to celebrate the dead."

"Then why are mundanes in monster costumes if they're celebrating dead mundanes?"

"I do not know." I lived most of my life away from this universe.

A waitress went to Radar and Luna and handed them the menus. "That's a sick costume, sis," she told Luna. "Who made it for you? Is it Kenton? Josh? The Amoeba Twins? Or is it someone new? Tell me, sis."

Luna stared at the waitress, dumbfounded.

"It's from Kenton," Radar replied instead. He didn't know who that was, but he hoped it would make the waitress stop asking questions.