Alfred contacted Juan through my Rayment or Driger badge somehow. That’s a fast upgrade. I spotted a few more kids wearing badges walk through the hallway through our open door. Only a few had made their Rayments obvious or ostentatious. It seemed the locals like practicality.
Alfred leaves us to work on the hotel and help new guests. It’s not long before I hear the old steps creak under the weight of a new arrival to the floor.
A joyful voice speaks, “I like the room! Nice view of the ocean, a glowing butler, and, last but not least, good amigos!” Juan smiles as he jumps on the first bed. Lee giggles and joins in. I guess Lee isn’t that tired after all.
Quick slaps of penguin feet outside our room announce Alfred’s plea, “Young Masters, please be careful! These beds have been sitting here for years. There is no guarantee how long the mattress or springs will last. Especially if you jump on them like, like… ruffians!” Alfred’s anguish falls on deaf ears. He could no more halt the fun than the beach could stop the waves. Especially when I decide to join in! It’s nice not having to be stuck up and responsible. The moments where I don’t feel like some cross between a guard and a babysitter are rare. I cherish them.
Lee picks up a pillow and starts whacking Juan over the head. Juan responds as a tickle monster and merely leans into the feathery flogging. I just grin and enjoy the feeling of escaping gravity as I jump to a different bed. Then I look at the still-open door and notice a small Holo creature.
It has an orange glow around its ape-like body. My eyes flow down its form as I start falling back down to the bed. The ape’s forearms bulge disproportionately to its babyish round body. Gauntlets? They have a rocky texture like weathered stone. The ape’s large knuckles rap on the floor as it trundles towards us. Its green eyes are bright as it releases a happy hoot and accelerates towards us.
Juan and Lee are turned away, wrestling over the pillow. My instincts flare, the protector roaring into life. I act before my mind realizes this is a Terror I helped design.
As my feet meet the mattress, I spring from the bed in a flying tackle ready to restrain the small creature. “Holo!” I yell.
I wrap it in my arms and we roll out into the hallway. My shoulder protests but isn’t aching like expected. Until the little guy rolls over me. The creature weighs at least three times the Driger! It feels like a stone rolling onto my chest. The ape gives an enthused cry and uses its body weight to keep us rolling. We end up in the hallway with the ape jumping on my belly, clapping thick hands above its head. I look up at it from my new position on the floor while my legs rest against the wall.
“Oops.” Juan guiltily scratches at his head. “I should have warned you, amigo. Matt, meet my Terror, Rockong.” Rockong releases a happy cry and climbs off me to the floor so it can reach my shoulders better. Rockong tries to pull us into a new roll.
I reply, “Huh.” Rockong looks like a baby gorilla in those nature documentaries President Belen loves to show us. Except for the big rocky forearms. And I could swear it has a cuter face than a real gorilla. Bigger eyes maybe? Hard to tell from my current angle. “It’s not…”
“Violent? Nah. It’s no Driger. Some species are more mean or nice. Beyond that, amigo, Tara says they all have different personalities. Unique to each Terror. It glows orange to you until we add each other to a Friends list. Orange is like neutral. It won’t attack unless provoked. After we become friends, then it should have a green glow, which means Rockong’s tame and won’t attack humans unless ordered to or provoked.”
“Maybe all tamed Terrors should have a green glow so people won’t try to catch them?” I ask.
“Stop hogging Rockong, Gēgē, it’s my turn to play!” Lee could care less about my predicament. Not when Rockong is so eager to have a ball. Or be one. The laughter carries down the hallway and several young faces observe us cautiously. I spot the blonde girl by her large baseball cap. She’s walking up the stairs making her way towards our room. I could’ve sworn she had already gone up for the night. Is she scoping out the hotel? Her size makes her seem younger than me, but her quiet confident steps lead me to reconsider. I bet she’s seen things. Things she’d rather never have seen. Survived and come back stronger. I mentally peg her as being around fifteen instead of thirteen.
The blonde girl pokes her head in, “Mister- I mean, morons, some people are trying to sleep. Quiet down.” Her voice is gentle like silk. But there’s a hint of something beneath the gentle fabric of her tone. “Or else.” Ah, there’s a brief glint of steel beneath the silk as she turns sharply toward the stairs leading upward. I hear Lee and Rockong hide beneath one of the beds. Instinct telling them not to push their luck.
I do my best to observe her gait, her demeanor, and run an assessment like Dad trained me. Was she running surveillance? Was she a threat? Or a spy? Where could she hide a blade on her hoodie if-
“Amigo, I know she’s cute, but you’re staring way too long.”
“What?” I stare at Juan’s uncomfortably close upside-down face and realize I still haven’t moved from the hallway floor.
“It’s natural to want to check out girls. To find a beauty worth fighting for. Just don’t be a creep or I’ll beat you up. Comprende, ese?”
I roll to get away from the sight of nose hair and Juan’s bad teeth, get a normal perspective. I sigh and walk back into the room. Motioning Juan to follow. I close the door gently behind us. “Juan, that girl just threatened us. I wasn’t checking her out, I was—”
Juan puts a hand on my shoulder and smirks at me. “Hey, I get it.”
“Juan, I was—”
“She’s cute, a little thin for my taste, but beggars can’t be choosers. I get it, amigo.”
I clasp my hands like I’m praying Juan will understand. “Juan, she threatened us.”
“Oh, that’s just the competition talking! Don’t take it seriously, amigo.”
“Competition? What competition?”
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