A Hero's Tale

Chapter Two: Secrets in Plain Sight

"Remind me again why I actually thought letting you drag me into downtown Neo Civitas was a good idea?" Shane asked as he followed Blake through the crowded city streets. Blake turned his head towards Shane with a grin.

"I told you before, dude, there's a huge party going on and I managed to snag us both an invite. Kevin and Sarah are gonna be there too," he said. Shane sighed as he dodged around another person.

"I know for a fact that you know I hate parties," he commented. Blake shrugged.

"Eh, sometimes we all have to do things we hate. Like paying bills and taxes," he said. Shane gave Blake a deadpan stare.

"You just compared going to a party to paying bills. Not exactly selling it to me here," he said in a monotone voice. Blake shrugged again.

"Eh, I don't have to sell the party to you, just have to drag you to it. Speaking of, we're here!" Blake said with a flourish. Shane looked up and found himself standing in front of a tall building that stretched high up into the sky. He turned back to Blake with a questioning expression.

"You got us all into a party in a place like this? What did you do, sell your soul or something?" he asked. Blake, again, shrugged.

"Only half of it, along with a bottle of whiskey. Come on, let's get inside, the party should have started already," Blake said as he walked towards the front door. Shane shook his head as he followed. The two stepped inside and took an elevator to the floor Blake said the party was happening. As the elevator went up a few dozen floors, the sound of loud music and people yelling grew louder and louder until the two reached their destination.

As the doors opened, Shane's senses were simultaneously assaulted. He thought he heard Blake say something, but he wasn't sure since he was now most likely deaf from the booming speakers playing party music through the entire floor. The heat of a few hundred people immediately made Shane feel like he was in an oven, and the smell wasn't that great either. Worse still, he could somehow taste the air, which tasted just as bad as it felt. The flashing lights and colors made Shane feel further disoriented, and it took all of his concentration to stay following behind Blake.

The two made their way through a clump of party-goers until they reached the main door to what looked like a sort of ballroom. Blake talked to the bouncer at the entrance, and after the man checked a list in his hands, he nodded and let the two pass into the ballroom. After they made their way through a raging throng of people dancing around, the two finally arrived at a table that was mostly unoccupied.

"I'm gonna go see if the others are here yet. Wait here, alright?" Blake asked. Shane nodded, and Blake quickly threw himself back into the sea of dancers. Shane, thankful for a moment's rest, chose to sit down. The woozy feeling inside of him surged again, and Shane was about to lay his head against the table when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned and found a girl in a hoodie and sunglasses standing behind the chair next to him.

"Is this seat taken?" the girl asked. Shane was about to say that he was holding the table for his friends, but he stopped himself. He counted the chairs and found that there were plenty enough for his friends and also the girl.

I guess there's reason to not let her sit. With that thought in mind, Shane shook his head. The girl smiled as she pulled out the chair and rested onto it. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a look of both annoyance and relief.

"Thanks, I really needed a break from the whole 'standing around in a crowd' thing. Parties aren't usually my scene," she said. Shane chuckled.

"They aren't mine either. I was dragged here by my friend," he replied. The girl grinned.