Be More Chill, Dante! {Vylante BMC AU}

Chapter 5: ZANE Enters

*Dante*

I walked into Payless Shoes, Travis by my side. I noticed this short, brunette lounging about the store. He had these scary, red eyes, that surveyed the area. If it's a drug dealer that I'm looking for, in this store- it's probably gonna be this guy...

I took a step forward, but paused. Travis rolled his eyes, pushing me towards him. I cleared my throat, attempting to think of some sort of conversation topic.

"I like your sideburns. Wolverine, right?" I put on an awkward smile, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"Let's see the money," he sneered, glaring at me.

"What?"

"It's from Japan," the guy narrowed his eyes, reaching behind him. "It's a grey, oblong pill. Quantum nanotechnology CPU. The quantum computer in the pill, will travel through your blood, until it implants in your brain, and it tells you what to do."

Wait...how the Hell did he know I was here for this ZANE thing!? Does he have one that can predict the future?!

"…How did you know why I'm here?" I asked, glancing back at Travis for a split second.

"Just look at you, kid," he shrugged, looking me over. After a moment of reconsideration, I decided to pull out my wallet. I grabbed some of the money I gathered, from what Garroth said before, and held it out in my hand. "That's four hundred?"

"Four?"

"Is that a problem?" He stepped towards me, with a menacing look on his face.

"No! Actually, there's a guy at my school charging..." Travis nudged me, clearing his throat. I nodded, biting my lip. "Uh. Four hundred? Wow. Well, if you insist."

I handed the scary guy the money, and he shoved it in his pocket. Looking around quickly, he spun around, and grabbed some kind of box. He handed the box to me, and I glanced it over with a confused look.

"Ladies' running shoes?"

The guy sighed, opening up the box. Inside, was a small, grey, oblong pill. He pinched it between his fingers, and held it out to me.

"Just so we're clear: this is untested technology. And it's not exactly legal. Which is why you're paying for it with cash in the back of a shoe store. I take no responsibility for what you might do with it. Or what it might do with you."

"What might it--" I started, but he cut me off.

"To activate, take it with Mountain Dew. Don't know why. Just something about Mountain Dew." His eyes lit up, as if he remembered something. "And, this is important--"

Both of our heads shot in the direction of the door to the store swinging open. Aphmau stood in the doorway, looking around. The stockboy glared at her, shooing her out.

"I'm sold out!" He barked.

"Of...shoes?" Aphmau cocked an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"Oh, you're here for shoes. My bad," he glanced back at Travis and I, gritting his teeth, and shoving the pill into my hand. "Scram, kid."

"Wait, you were saying something important..."

"Oh yeah. All sales final," he shooed me away, strolling over to Aphmau, with a smile on his face. "We just got in a killer pair of pumps..."

Travis and I took our leave, heading out to the mall food court. I threw my backpack onto the chair beside me, flopping down on my own chair. Travis walked over, after I paid him a buck to buy me a Mountain Dew. He slid it over to me, and I thanked him.