The Dinner Treaty

Chapter Eight - A New Suit

I almost shed a tear when Mum told me what had happened to my suit. It'd ripped, and the staining properties of the slime did their work on the exposed fabric. It was ruined. The fire burnt extra brightly last night, fueled by its remains. I'll have to risk another jaunt to the tailor. And this time? I'm going to design a suit that'll make me invincible. Black and hot pink were far too gaudy for a villain of my caliber. The new suit will be in darkish greys and pastel pink, with long sleeves and an engraved mask. Money isn't an issue yet, so the only thing between me and my latest creation is the bloody cast pasted on my arm. I can't be PinK, she doesn't have a broken arm, but an injury can easily be hidden beneath a henchman's cloak. 

I pull on the black clothes I keep for occasions such as this, and pin a pink rose to my lapel. I decide to go for black knee-high boots instead of my usual pink boots, and with a bag of cash hanging from my side, I'm ready to go. I needn't be so sneaky now that Mum knows what, or who, I am. But still, I need practice in escaping, so I jump out of my window. I take off at a brisk pace towards the darkened alley that houses the tailor's workshop. I take the longer route through the outskirts of town - the majority of the population avoid the more run-down streets on the edges of the city - and stroll through the narrow alley to the store. The same cleric sits at the desk, and he lets out a tiny whimper as I stride in with an inflated air of superiority.

"Order for PinK," I growl, in the gravelly voice I've been practicing. In a movement almost identical to when I first came here, I toss the designs on the desk. With one swift motion,  I also plunk the small bag of cash on the desk and dare the man to question me - with my eyes that is. "I trust this will be sufficient funding?" 

"Ac-Actually-" he begins, but I cut him off. "Good. I'll be back in an hour" And with that, I strode out of the building, the little door-bell echoing down the abandoned alleyway.

I passed the hour quickly with plotting. What my next move should be, how I can change my plans to accommodate a broken arm. Before I know it, the timer I set on my phone is ringing, and It's time to return. I take the same route to the shop, taking extra precautions not to be seen or heard. My brothers have been M.I.A lately, but I've no doubt the tailor has contacted them by now. 

I push the door open with a resounding thud and walk up to the front desk. This time the tailor himself comes out and hands me my new suit. I nod in thanks and he gestures towards the changing rooms. There's something strange about this. Normally my brothers would be here, or the tailor wouldn't be. Still, I need to be sure it fits. I walk into the changing room and pull the door shut. Sliding into my outfit, it fits as well as Suit 1.0 did. This new suit is far more mature, with a geometric and form-fitting design. It's actually three separate garments: the pants, the top, and bulletproof undershirt. It's Perfect. 

I don't bother throwing my henchman clothes on over the suit, the tailor obviously knows I'm PinK. I do keep the cloak on, however, to hide my arm. I walk out of the store without acknowledging the tailor - who was waiting for my response. With a glance back over my shoulder, he appears to be very angry. He's checking the lock on the changing room door, the lock he had obviously rigged to stay shut. The same lock I disabled. 

A clever idea, I'll admit, but I'm not a novice. It'll take more than that to catch me.