Chapter 38 – High Sprite
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Tyrone drove the vehicle a bit faster, but not so fast that they appeared to be running from the previous explosion…

Even if they were, the world didn't need to know that…

Laura didn't care about the explosion or the blood that still stained her wrist after she had retracted her claws…

She was too busy munching on whatever snacks she could find in the backseat…

After all, her god-like healing factor, though automatic, made her quite famished…

"Where did you get those snacks from?" Sprite spun around and questioned, and Tyrone held his head because he already knew what was going to happen next…

"Grrrr!" Laura grumbled, turning her head aside as if to show Sprite that she wouldn't share the snacks…

"Those are my snacks!" Sprite complained, detaching her seatbelt, and leaping into the backseat….

What followed was a battle of snacks – a battle that Tyrone tried his best to ignore…

Even as the backseat was shredded, and heads were smacked through the windows, Tyrone drove like nothing was happening…

His art of ignoring the girls had reached a sagely level, but such an attitude could not persist when Laura kicked Sprite to the front…

Sprite smashed against the radio, causing the music to cease playing…

"SHUT UP!" Tyrone bellowed, pushing Sprite into her seat "YOU USELESS FUCKING-"

Before he could finish his statement, Tyrone paused as he felt his body heating up drastically…

"Your neck…" Sprite murmured, noticing the black necklace around Tyrone's neck that was glowing with faint darkness…

As the darkness of the necklace dimmed, black smoke spontaneously appeared around Tyrone, spreading outwards until the frame of the vehicle was firmly clouded…

"Tentacle play?" Sprite joked, though, she was somewhat scared in her heart…

Laura even tried to claw at the smoke, but, of course, it was intangible…

Darkness clouded their vision, and the next moment, the smoke cleared and the trip realized that they were driving down the street in a bustling city…

"Sprite?" Tyrone questioned…

"That was all you…" She quickly replied, not willing to be blamed for everything wrong with the world "My guess is that your Mutant Ability is weaker now, so it's easier for you to control…"

Tyrone sighed "More speculation…"

"Unless you want me to run experiments…" Sprite smirked, but Tyrone quickly shook his head…

"Besides…" Sprite smirked "It looks like your Ability is also good to discipline children…" she gestured to the backseat where Laura was shivering in fear…

"Is it that scary?" Tyrone asked, wanting to confirm if his Mutant Ability indeed had something to do with his nightmares every night…

"It felt like small hands crawling all over my body…" Sprite nodded gravely in a rare moment of seriousness…

Noting that the eyes of surprised pedestrians followed the vehicle, Tyrone turned left, avoiding main roads in an attempt to escape association with the earlier supernatural event…

It was only after he was sure that the location was isolated did Tyrone park the car in an alley…

"Why are we stopping?" Sprite questioned…

"I think it's too dangerous for me to drive…" Tyrone admitted, "At least until I figure out what it takes to trigger my ability…"

Not caring for Tyrone's deep philosophical thoughts, Sprite hopped onto his lap and used him as an extension of her own body…

She pressed her feet atop Tyrone's and started to drive like it was just another Tuesday…

"Wha-"

"Starstone…" Sprite interrupted before Tyrone could remove her from his lap "I just remembered… it is called Starstone…"

"What is?"

"The necklace around your neck is made from Starstone, a mythical stone that comes from outer space… it works well to contain magic…"

Tyrone was surprised "You're saying-"

"Turning left…" Sprite warned, and spun the steering wheel like she was driving a sportscar…

The vehicle was even briefly titled on one side, barely managing to stabilize instead of tipping over…

Afraid that Sprite would try another such turn, Tyrone quickly removed the little joker from his lap, and parked the car…

It didn't make much difference to Sprite since they were already where she wanted to go – the only place in the world that Humanity got right, a Casino…

"Casino?" Laura muttered, staring outside the window with a subtle smile on her face…

"You can talk?" Tyrone yelped, surprised…

"You're still here…" Sprite yelped as well, forgetting that Laura was still around…

"Wait…" Tyrone suddenly held his head in exasperation "You're not surprised she can talk?" he asked doubtfully…

"Why would I be surprised?" Sprite replied, confused "She cursed us in Spanish during her sleep… remember? We tucked her in before we left for the Diner?"

"I thought she was grumbling…" Tyrone admitted, a bit crestfallen…

He didn't know why but the fact that he thought Laura couldn't speak made her pitiful in his eyes, but now, he felt like she was bound to be another headache like Sprite…

"Let's go…" Tyrone grumbled, parking the car in the Parking Lot…

------------------------

A couple of minutes later, Sprite, Tyrone, and Laura entered the lobby of the Casino Hotel…

"Three rooms…" Tyrone tapped the desk to get the attention of the Receptionist…

"Two rooms…" Sprite quickly corrected, directing a death glare at the Receptionist, as if daring her not to agree…

Tyrone frowned "Three rooms…" he reiterated "My daughters need to learn to be independent…"

The Receptionist frowned, barely able to restrain herself from calling the Police "This Albino-looking girl and this Hispanic girl are your daughters?" she questioned…

Tyrone wore a charming smile "They're adopted…"

Sprite rolled her eyes and simply waved her hand, creating an illusion that forced the Receptionist to put her and Tyrone in one room, and Laura in another…

What she didn't expect was that Laura refused to have a room of her own after they had made their way to the top floor…

After all, Laura wasn't sure if she could eat without Sprite and Tyrone to order the food… she was not the most social person…

Sprite wanted to throw the disrespectful child out the window, but Tyrone intervened and said it was fine for her to stay with them…

Reluctantly, Sprite was forced to cancel the romantic evening she had planned, but there was always tomorrow, and she suspected that Laura would unknowingly disappear tonight…

"Behave!" Tyrone flicked Sprite's head the moment he noticed the evil smirk on her face "If aura goes missing tonight, I will drop you off at the next orphanage…"

After the threat, the disgruntled trio entered the room, none of them happy without the current arrangements…

Tyrone was displeased because he wanted some time away from Sprite…

Sprite was displeased because she wanted some time alone with Tyrone…

And Laura was displeased because she had no more snacks…

----------------------------

INSIDE HOTEL ROOM

Sprite munched on gummy bears as she counted the money in the paper bag given by Laura…

For one reason or another, she wanted to verify that each bill was authentic… Sprite didn't trust Laura very much…

She also didn't mind feeling the texture of thousands of dollars in her hands…

"We need more money…" Sprite yelled towards the locked bathroom door…

Even if she couldn't see Tyrone, Sprite was always aware of what he was doing… Tyrone couldn't take a breath without her being aware…

Some may call it stalking, but she called it protecting a friend…

Tyrone had entered the bathroom a couple of minutes ago… he was trying to sort his chaotic thoughts…

Earlier, Sprite had mentioned that his necklace was unique, and this necklace was given to him by Jessica so…

Somewhere in his heart, no matter how small, he was hoping that Jessica was more than she seemed, maybe even enough to survive a gunshot to the head…

Given all the things he had seen since acquiring his Mutant Ability, the world was filled with impossible things…

"Impossible…" He whispered, smashing his head against the sink to clear his head of such hopeless thoughts…

"TYRONE!"

Another shout from outside made Tyrone groan…

He quickly exited the bathroom before Sprite could turn his toothbrush into a snake once more…

'Fucking clingy…' Tyrone cursed in his heart, but didn't dare to confront Sprite about her clinginess…

As if sensing Tyrone had exited the bathroom, Sprite repeated "We need more money!"

He could literally see the dollar signs shining in Sprite's eyes, and since she was a skilled illusionist, Tyrone couldn't tell what was an illusion and what was her personality…

Tyrone walked and slouched onto the only bed in the room, pushing Laura aside as she munched on sandwiches and watched cartoons on the television…

Of course, Laura growled in Tyrone's direction, but he remained was unbothered…

His fear of the small girl had evaporated after he was able to humanize her…

Previously, he thought she was merely an animal in human skin, but since she could speak, it was obvious she had commonsense as well…

"You literally have thousands of dollars in your hands…" Tyrone reminded, wondering why Sprite wanted more money when they had enough to live like kings for a while…

"It's better to have more than you need…" Sprite answered with such certainty that even Laura felt like she was right…

"Some would call that being greedy…"

"I invented the word 'greedy'…" Sprite snorted "I got the inspiration sitting under a rainbow with a pot of gold, and someone asked me to share…"

Tyrone rolled his eyes "We have no way to make money…"

As if this was the answer she was waiting for, Sprite smirked "I know just where to get it…"

Tyrone knew he had fallen into a trap, but before he could recant his earlier statement, Sprite was through the door, walking with a pep in her step that Tyrone had never seen before…

-------------------------

The moment she was outside the room, Sprite allowed her powers to surge, creating golden lines that quickly changed along with her whims…

Feeling a bit provocative, Sprite changed her clothing into skinny, ripped jeans that highlighted the pristine, white skin of her legs…

Her top became a tie-front blouse that was wrapped just above her stomach, leaving enough skin to advertise her spotless stomach…

With a grin that extended from one ear to the next, Sprite skipped into the elevator, knowing she would make a great score in the casino…

----------------------------

THE CASINO (FIRST FLOOR)

When Sprite walked out of the elevator, a few of the older men in the casino instantly turned in her direction as if sensing a great beauty had come…

However, after witnessing a short girl that seemed no older than twelve years old, many of the men lost interest, apart from a few with 'unique' tastes…

Thankfully, Sprite was too prideful to determine her self-worth from the gazes of others…

In her eyes, everyone in the Casino was beneath her, so, of course, they could not appreciate the full impact of her beauty…

Sprite spend some talking walking from one table to the next, observing as many games as she could…

Of course, she had gambled many times in her very long life, but this was an entirely new era… the games played will no doubt be different than a simple coin toss…

Every time Sprite bumped into a drunk gambler, her hand moved swiftly to relieve them of the greed in their hearts…

After a couple minutes of walking around, Sprite felt that she had stolen enough chips to attempt a game of her own…

While watching people play was entertaining, she preferred playing herself…

"Let's see…" Sprite twirled on the tips of her toes, trying to decide what game would bring the greatest profits "That one should be the best…" she concluded, turning in the direction of the poker table…

Walking over to the Poker Table, Sprite unceremoniously took a seat amongst the older gentlemen gathered there…

It irked her a bit that the women were clinging to the men instead of playing themselves… while she didn't identify herself as a woman, there were definitely some tangents there…

The Older Gentlemen was surprised by a small girl attempting to join the game… they would have been more interested, but Sprite was too flat for men of fine tastes…

"Do your parents know where you are, child?" An Older Gentleman inquired in good faith…

Sprite shrugged "I am older than I look…"

Thinking Sprite was referring to a medical condition, The Older Gentleman did not see the need to pry "I will take your word for it…" he acquiesced…

Soon, Sprite submitted the minuscule chips she had stolen, and the game began!

A trickster was playing a game filled with tricks – how many ways could this end?

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INSIDE HOTEL ROOM

Tyrone exited the bathroom after taking a shower…

The moment Sprite left the room, Tyrone felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, but the longer she was gone, the more anxious he became…

Even though he wouldn't act like it, Sprite sort of completed him in a way… it was comforting to know that she was always there, and he knew she felt the same…

It was nothing romantic, but just a stronger bond than most…

Though she pretended to, Tyrone had no delusions that Sprite actually liked him beyond a physical capacity…

He was confident that should he try to press their relationship, she would disappear in the morning and reappear a couple months later as if nothing had happened…

That's how well he knew her…

The first thing Tyrone heard after he exited the bathroom was Laura's unsatisfied stomach… he could feel her gaze piercing his body, but he managed to ignore her…

After getting dressed, Tyrone could still hear the subtle groans of Laura's stomach, and being the soft-hearted person, he is, there was no way he could ignore it for long…

He walked over to the counter, and found the fruit loops and milk he had stashed earlier… Tyrone tossed the milk, box of cornflakes, a bowl, and a spoon across the room…

Anyone else would have been unable to catch so many separate projectiles, but Laura was a mutant…

With minimal movement and practiced effort, her claws exited her wrist as she performed two slashes in the air…

The first slash opened the box of cornflakes…

The second slash opened the carton of milk…

Then, Laura caught the bowl and spoon as gravity guided the cornflakes and milk into her bowl…

"Gracias…" Laura grunted as Tyrone exited the room, opting to search for Sprite…

There was no way he would remain in a room with the animalistic child known as Laura, especially when he knew the cornflakes would not satiate her hunger…

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---DING---

As the elevator arrived on the bottom floor, Tyrone was greeted by the loud shouts and chaos of a bustling party…

"WOOHOO!"

"WOOHOO!"

"WOOHOO!"

"THROW YOUR HANDS UP!"

"Isn't this supposed to be a casino?" Tyrone grumbled, finding the party a bit out of place…

He was pretty sure that a casino required peace and quiet for certain games, so such a wild party was totally unexpected…

Then, he glanced at the chandelier hanging above, it glistened with multi-colored lights that danced around the room…

That was all Tyrone needed to see to determine the cause of such an uproar -Sprite…

Noticing the noise was coming from one direction, in particular, Tyrone pushed through the crowd, arriving at the bar counter…

Atop the counter, Sprite had two glowing drinks in hand, dancing like she owned the place… if there was ever someone as carefree as Sprite, Tyrone was sure it could only be a god…

"My-Ty…" Sprite slurred as soon as she saw Tyrone…

Actually, she had seen him a long time ago, but she was confident that her loyal black knight would come to her as soon as possible…

"BRING ME YOUR MONEY MOTHERFUCKERS!" Sprite yelled and the crowd cheered, tossing their casino chips at her as if money no longer mattered in their greedy hearts…

As for the chips, they disappeared into motes of golden light before they even touched Sprite...

The crowd Sprite had garnered were recording the events on their phones, truly caught up in the amazing excitement of the party…

Sprite hopped off the counter…

The crowd parted for Sprite's landing…

She walked over to Tyrone, dragging along several skimpily dressed women from the parting crowd…

"My-Ty, My-Ty…" Sprite slurred, rubbing the breasts of the women around her flirtatiously as if advertising to Tyrone…

"This is my friend Tyrone…" She introduced smugly, winking at the girls on her side "This is the friend I was telling you guys about… he is still a virgin…"

Before Sprite could spout any more nonsense, Tyrone turned around and scanned the crowd, looking for something he was sure would be there…

After a couple seconds of just staring, Tyrone finally caught a glimpse of a small girl walking through the crowd, picking chips from the ground with utmost concentration…

That was definitely the true Sprite…

He had long grown accustomed to some of Sprite's most common techniques…

That meant whenever she created a scene so someone could look 'there', the true trick was happening somewhere else…

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