/A wise man once said that no one should give up on their dreams, so keep sleeping/ Winks an imaginary eye
*One more and we'll remove this section*
/But it's just to pass the time, Arthur. He's on his way to the tower and he's not doing anything because he's afraid of "Flora" /Sighs lazily
*Well, I don't have enough imagination to think about the way, so keep telling your jokes. *
/Yesterday I tried to commit suicide... and I almost killed myself. /Throws himself to the ground as if his imaginary soul were crushing him
*He who laughs last thinks slowest. *
"Bad jokes multiply, or maybe before there was one voice and now there are two," Arthur thought angrily. "I'm going crazy."
/But not all of us are crazy in our own way We are born without wanting to be born and we die without wanting to die, life itself being the greatest torture of all. /
*The separators were missing "...". Arthur, you shouldn't have spoken yet.*
"It doesn't matter, we've already arrived at headquarters," Arthur replied quickly, calming his mind.
The Tower of Heroes was gigantic and imposing, with walls so dark it seemed as if sunlight had been sucked into a black hole. This was the Hero Association, although, contrary to what one might expect, the tower itself looked more like a villain's base than a place where heroes should be.
--I suppose you're wondering why the teleportation failed-- the journey, which until now had been silent and uninterrupted, finally stopped at the sound of Flora's voice.
--Yes, but throughout my life I've learned that there are some things that are better left unknown-- Arthur replied without giving Flora a chance, thinking of certain voices in his head.
/Well, if you want to know about me, you should ask me out, shouldn't you? / he muttered, biting his finger.
--How mature are you trying to impress me? Although you're right, it's better not to know. After all, it's disgusting to know what people with the power to protect themselves are capable of—Flora's voice sounded like she was spitting venom, something she tried to hide with her unflappable smile.
Upon crossing the tower's entrance, they arrived at a vast, almost deserted lobby. Aside from the receptionists, there weren't many plants and a few screens displaying the hero rankings from 1 to 10.
--I spoke with Flora-- But Arthur quickly realized. The lobby wasn't as empty as he'd imagined, though he didn't know why. It was as if something was lurking in the reception area.
--Gentlemen, may I see your hero credentials, please?-- The voice came from a very attractive young man on the other side of the counter.
--Yes, of course-- the two heroes replied in unison, their cell phones consuming some power to be recognized. After confirming their identities, one of the agents in the room approached the duo to guide them to the elevator.
But even inside, something didn't add up. His first thought was that it could be Flora with her annoyed expression, or perhaps the voice in Arthur's head, which was now silent.
/Meow? / he stopped the imaginary movement of his paw-arm.
No, impossible. Someone that stupid couldn't be the cause of Arthur's constant fear.
--He calls me stupid for being afraid of everything, although this time it would be wise to be suspicious-- the voice said, urinating on Arthur's mind.
--Leave my brain alone, you bastard! -- Arthur said, concentrating to control his thoughts. He generated a fist that struck the voice for the first time.
/Why are you giving him extra power? I thought you were my friend / the voice shrieked, pleading.
*Elevator doors open*
/Don't ignore me/
The first thing that greeted them was the boss sitting at her desk, a large desk compared to the boss herself, but small in the spacious office they were in, with paintings hanging on some walls and a sofa set in the center, next to a private bar.
"Expensive" was Arthur's first thought upon seeing the office.
/Boss, become my sugar daddy, I'll wag my tail for you / wiggling his rear end like a dog's tail.
Upon entering the office, Flora quickly sat down at the bar and, snapping her fingers, ordered the guide from before to prepare something for her, completely ignoring the presence of Arthur and the boss.
--Kid, I don't have all day, hurry up -- the boss said, like an order, managing to snap Arthur out of his initial shock and forcing him to enter.
As he entered the room, the doors closed behind him, and as if by magic, his constant fear vanished. Whatever had been watching him was gone; he realized that much.
"Well, the help we've sent you so far has been useful. Any problems to solve? Speak now, and be as brief as possible," the boss said, still staring at her screen, indifferent to what the heroes in front of her were doing.
This was the second time he'd met her. She'd only given him a card and a rank; since then, there had been no contact or support. Even with his mental state, unable to control his powers, with voices appearing in his mind like a circus, she was the one who was bothering him.
/How cruel you are to me, Arthur/
--There wasn't any -- Arthur's voice slipped through, almost a whisper.
--Speak up, kid. You didn't complete a single mission while you were a hero. You're one step away from losing your job, you know that-- the boss replied dismissively.
--There wasn't any help whatsoever! I don't know anything about using my powers. I write in a book I don't even know where it came from, and yet they tell me to complete tasks I know nothing about! -- With determined steps, Arthur approached the boss's desk, completely forgetting his shyness.
The boss could only be surprised. Obviously, it wasn't by the boy in front of her, although it was curious how he'd overcome his initial timidity. What surprised her was the fact that the boy hadn't received any help until now. Her gaze immediately shifted to the woman in the back who was drinking uncontrollably.
--If you're going to fire people, then go ahead -- Arthur slammed his fist on the desk so hard the floor cracked beneath it, then dramatically turned to leave.
What a disgusting job, the thought raced through Arthur's mind. He'd never received any training on how to use his powers beyond what came directly to him, but even that had begun to falter with the parasites that constantly danced within it. Just recently, he'd tried to stop some thieves and had been ambushed by something incomprehensible.
He was simply fed up with the job, a feeling that, no matter what, never faded.