"Hide." And of course Krao had so much trouble filling this demand I had to shove him into a side alley with one arm while we were walking, fresh cigarette hanging out of my mouth in a smirk of slight amusement. Oh boy had I been waiting to do that.
"Why the hell are we hiding?"
"Hell is exactly the reason we are hiding." I pointed towards the corner we had been about to turn with a long white finger and shushing him with another. "Just listen."
Krao ceased his incessant whining and watched the corner as if a beast from hell was going to crack open a pit in the pavement and drag him in. He was almost correct in that assumption. Almost. Except the person turning the corner was worse than anything that could erupt a pit of molten rock from a chunk of pavement. At least in my point of view, and we all know how much that matters.
A brief sound of whistling, which was so horribly out of tune I could have played a better tune with a toothbrush and a slab of cement, wound it's way around the corner and festered itself unpleasantly in our ears.
"Oh. Oh." Was Krao's only words as we retreated further into the alley to avoid interaction with this whistling daemon. He definately knew why we hiding and made a point to hide behind a stinking garbage can of about his height. I would have found this hilarious had I not been thinking of the horror heading our way. It was still funny, but it could have been funnier. He hadn't even made his way past and he had already ruined part of my day. The Ten of Spades was coming.
Ten stopped in front of our alley, nose in the air as if he could smell us from our hiding place in the dank and filth infested alleyway, which I'm sure he probably could. I wouldn't be lying if I said he has some amazing, if somewhat socially unacceptable skills. Smelling people happens to be one of them. Along with a photographic memory and an appetite of a ravenous wolf and many more wondrous things that I have not the time to talk about. Well I could, but you get the point. Ten was more suited to a mental ward than the streets of a city.
"Oh sh-" Of course I never finished that curse. Ten waved at us standing on the balls of his feet, almost falling over in the tenacity of his own greeting. Throwing one of those "I'm so happy to see you, but I wish I was somewhere else" smiles onto my face I retreated from my garbage can shelter. I would have much prefered the garbage can as company over him. The smell was better.
"Hiya, Seoul! Is that Krao cowering behind a trash can?" Number Ten smiled happily and pointed towards a trash can that seemed to have a full head of spiky red hair. "What did you do to him this time? Did you stick a cockroach in his shirt again?"
Oh how I had to restrain myself from saying: "No, but I'm sure that cockroach would have smelled better than you after it got out." I bit my lip instead in a failing attempt to smile back. Being happy isn't my thing.
That may have been the first time I didn't say anything witty. I think I might have heard Krao bang his head against a trash can in amazement after I bit my lip, or it may just be he was so stupid he hit his head on it on the way up. Trust me, I was just as surprised as he was, if slightly horrified.
"Hi, Goyro." Krao stood up sheepishly, if that is possible for one of his size and stature, and gave a small wave with one hand.
"Hi Krao!" Goyro's tail and ears wagged happily, his dual colored hair flapping inthe breeze behind him. Don't ask. The disease somehow affected him differently out of tens and thousands of people. Again, I would have found this to be hilarious, but the smell of wet dog was starting to get to my head and mess with my senses- mind and smell. It seemed he had slept outside too that night, hopefully nowhere near me.
"Ace wants you back at headquarters immediately." Goyro's face took on a mask of mock seriousness, but returned to it's usual look of sickening happiness. I might have thrown up had he not been standing there, but I was never one for courtesy, so I lit a another cigarette from the pack I had stolen from Krao earlier during our walk, along with a lighter I had stolen from him. He probably carried it with him just so I could steal it. Go figure.
"Ace says he wants to talk to both of you, especially Krao- I think you are being promoted. Number Seven was pronounced deceased as of last night. Congratulations."
You never want to see Krao with a boost of confidence, it's like watching a newborn deer trying to prance. Absolutely embarrasing. One of those hand-to-face moments.
After that we began to walk normally again, me: down the street with my usual confident strut, Krao: walking in his own lanky bird-like style, and Goyro:
Skipping like a kid in front of us.
I had a feeling today was going to be filled with a lot of those hand-to-face moments.
