Book One: The Viper's Bite

Eleven

There was indie rock flowing through the pub, as sports played on the big screens over the bar and padded booths. It was packed with familiar faces and plenty of strangers, all rooting on their favourite athletes or talking and laughing. I smiled, glancing to see that Cody had leaned over the counter to ask the cute bartender something. She smiled and nodded before turning around and grabbing one of the hoses on the tap.

"You gonna go watch the nudey movies?" I laughed over the sound of the music and people, to which Cody just flashed me his smile and shrugged. "Might just hang around here with all the civilized folk for a bit, actually drink a beer or two." He stopped to turn and pick up the chilled mug of icy beer the bartender had slid his way. "Besides, I wouldn't just want to leave you here by your lonesome."

I pouted, leaning past him to take a beer from the smiling lady. "It's not like I'm here with a pack of strangers. I know, like, a third of them." Motioning to the crowd, I rested a hip on the counter. "Go on, have fun. Don't get lost, use a condom. Wouldn't want you getting pregnant." Cody's indignant expression made me laugh so hard that beer came out of my nose. "Seriously, seriously. I'm cool."

He nodded, and after a final glare, he walked deeper into the crowd and disappeared in the mass of bodies.

Perching myself on a round barstool, I looked up at one of the bigger screens, seeing it was playing yesterday's episode of RAW. My attention fixated on the earlier part of the show, where I had been too frustrated to pay attention. Damien's song 'Hallelujah' flooded the arena, and we watched as the TitanTron played the little clips that came with his entrance, but a few seconds passed with no one coming from the Gorilla.

I frowned. Before anything else could happen, a slightly flushed Damien strode onto the ramp, his hair falling a little more carelessly than usual. Not everyone would notice that he was flustered, but I did. He was late on his entrance, his timing about eight seconds off, and he looked ruffled and not at all like the composed intellectual saviour of the masses. I raised an eyebrow, and felt a light tap on my shoulder. The bartender - who's name tag said Rhea - gestured to my bottle. "Do you need another drink?"

I looked down at my almost empty bottle curiously, then nodded. "Can you make it a Corona? Not light, though. I don't drink that crap."

She nodded, a smile blooming on her face. "Coming right up."

*********************

'Hail to the King' by Avenged Sevenfold was pumping from the speakers, bringing the mood from jumpy hipster vibes to a darker, more pumped atmosphere. I tapped my fingers on the pitted black surface of the counter, nodding my head slightly to the beat. I fingered the cool neck of the bottle in front of me, eyeing the other four lying on their sides in a uniformed line.

"Feeling lonely?" I heard behind me, and turned slowly to see a man standing with a small smile on his face. I immediately noticed the dark hair on his head, matching scruff on his cheeks and chin, spreading over the lines of his jaw. Pale grey eyes rested on my face. I smiled, shaking my head, turning minimally to face him. "No, not really. Why, are you?" I attempted a smile, which felt like it came out like a pained grimace.

Instead, the man laughed lowly and sat down on a stool next to me, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his hand. "I saw that you've been sitting here by yourself for a little bit. Did you come alone?"

"Actually," I started, glancing around the still crowded room in search of Cody. I didn't see him, but saw a huge 1950's diner styled clock on the wall with neon piping, that read 1:13. It was old-fashioned and didn't say AM or PM, but even in my inebriated state I knew it was well past my bed time. I turned to the man, who's startling eyes made my words stick in my throat for a moment.