Part 2 Chapter 4- Roadhouse
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You are Now Leaving New Mexico! Welcome to Arizona! Said the small sign on the side of the dusty back road. I had to hand it to the guy who thought to take the time to put signs like that in the middle of nowhere. 

It would have been faster to take the highway, but way back when I began my expansion Tulip advised against it. She felt that because I was getting so much traction online that people would possibly recognize me and become a problem.  I asked Tulip if she could just do some kind of illusion, but she said.

"Not moving at that pace I can't, to many people and variables. Besides, it's hard to get an illusion working with stuff like windows in the way."

"Can't you just wrap one around me? You make that lump of pillows look like me sleeping all the time." I asked pointing a thumb at the lump under a set of very pink bed covers.

"Yeah but, those are inanimate objects. Living things have an aura that rejects false images of themselves. To make you look like some else, or completely invisible I would have to get my magic directly into their brain."

So that's why I'm out on the back road. The night air was cool and the sky clear, and without any cities around, the whole Milkyway before my eyes. It was very difficult to keep my eyes on the road at times. 

As I sped across the dust landscape I spotted a light in the distance. "What could that be?"

"I don't know but theirs something going on." Tulip pointed out. Taking a quick look at her holding on my shoulder. I could see she had her eyes glowing which meant that something was likely a crime of some sort. 

Rolling closer to the build a neon sign came into the reading distance. "The Rattler Bar and Grill" With a coiled Rattler Snake above the bars name. 

"Rattler?" Asked Tulip.

"You know a Rattle Snake."

"Eew, why would you name your restaurant after a snake."

"I don't know because theirs a lot of them down here." 

"So, eew."

"What do have against snakes?"

"I don't know. There just snakes."

I took my eyes off the road for a moment and gave my small friend a funny look. "What?" She asked. 

"Nothing." I chuckled. 

Pulling up to the bar, the sound of shouts, breaking glass could be heard. As well as what I would describe as classic Thud, thump, thwack, sounds. It was clear, at least to me, what was going on. 

Tulip on the other hand. "Alright, let's go get them!" She said taking off from my shoulder sounding the charge.

As quickly as I could I grabbed her by the leg. "Whoa whoa whoa! Not so fast."

She turned to me stunned. Kicking my hand away. "What? Why?"

"It's only a bar fight." 

"What so, your not going to shoot'em up?" She said making finger guns. Confusion abounding upon her face.

"I would hardly put drunk bikers in the same category as muggers, murderers, drug lords, and rapists. So, no." 

"Then what are you going to do then?"

"I don't know let them fight it out?"

"What? You can't do that the distraught owner needs your help!"

"It's only a bar fight," I pointed out slowly.

Tulip only looked at me as if I just told her the sky was blue. "Uh, yeah." 

I hung my head in surrender. "Fine." Dismounting my bike I moved for the door. 

"Alright, let's bust some heads." 

"Just to be clear I'm going to talk to the bartender first."

"Ok, why?"

I couldn't answer her because I didn't hear her, I had already opened the door, and my ears were met with contradictions. The welcoming sound of  Rock Music from an old jukebox, and the unwelcoming sound of people beating the crap out of each other. 

There were five groups of people in the building.

  1. The staff. Working behind the bar, some trying to deflect Incoming Flying Objects while others did their best to move their inventory of booze to a safe location. 
  2. The men. there wasn't a single man in here (except for the staff members) that wasn't hitting or being hit in the face, over and over and over again.
  3. The tough chicks. They too were part of the brawl, taking on the men with varying degrees of success. 
  4. The not-so-tough chicks. Hiding in the shadows, using their purse, shoes, or whatever to take potshots at passers-by.
  5. The cheerleader.  the third and final group of women who did not participate except to drunkenly cheer on her man. Regardless of whether or not, he was winning.

As if it were perfectly normal for a little girl to calmly walk into and through a brawl and up to the counter. I did just that. Bobbing and weaving through using my size to my advantage. 

As I approached the Bartender, like a boss, he blocked an entire table from coming over the counter and hit a waitress on her way to kitchens with a box full of fragile whiskey bottles. The Bartender was a tall, broad-shouldered, older balding man with a grey handlebar mustache. A little overweight but with just enough muscle to suggest former athleticism in his youth. 

With minimal difficulty due to my size, I took a seat on a barstool. "I would offer you a drink sir, but as you can see this isn't a good time. 

"I can see that. How did this start, don't you have a bouncer to prevent stuff like this?" I didn't question why he called me sir as I already knew Tulip likely had something to do with it. To confirm my suspicions she gave me a wink while fluttering behind him.

"I did, but two of them went AWOL so I hired a new guy and now he's missing, took one of my waitresses with him too." He scratched his head and glared at the brawlers. "As for how this started I have no idea."  

"He took a waitress?" 

"Yeah, they were getting all flirty the other day. Hired them in together actually." 

I raised my eyebrow at that. Coincidence?

"Hey, boss! Boss!" A waitress emerged from the back in a frenzy. "We have a problem!"

"What is the sam hill? I'll be right there!" He responded with much annoyance. "Look you don't want to be mixed up this, and I can't serve you right now. You can do whatever you want, but I advise you to leave." He said to me before rushing back to the kitchens. 

I turned around on my stool leaning back and rested my arms on the counter, and watched the brawl. None of the men had paid much attention to me, on the flip side some of the women had, giving me odd looks and whispering to each other. "Tulip?" 

"Yes." Responded the Pixie.

"That guy, saw me as a man right?"

"He sure did, your welcome," Tulip said proudly. 

"And I'm grateful," It was nice to talk man to man with someone for a change. "But what about them? They're looking at me funny." I pointed my nose to the women. 

"Oh yeah well, there are a lot of people in here, and emotions are running high, makes mass illusions difficult."

"Ahh, I see." 

"Yeah, if it were just a few highly hyped up guys it might work, but there are like 20+ people in here. So I just focused my magic toward the staff."

Just then some poor shmuck took a chair to the face. I couldn't help but cringe, that looked like it hurt. 

"Hey, kiddo you lost?" 

I looked over to my left, a woman had approached. She seemed genuinely concerned, looking over her shoulder, I could see that every woman who wasn't participating in the violence was now giving me their full attention. You had to hand it to maternal instinct even with everything going on around them these women still thought of the children first. 

"You need any help? She persisted. 

"Actually yes, could you and your friends leave the building, please?" I put on my best innocent little girl face.

She was understandably taken aback. "Excuse me? I don't think you understand what's going on the here little girl."

"Allow me," Tulip said buzzing past my head, toward the concerned woman. Then her friends, touching each one of them on the head. 

"Hey, ah, I think we should leave." There was suddenly a chorus of agreement from the ladies. 

"Yeah, this fight is getting boring anyway."

"I got stuff to do."

"I need some fresh air."

On the way out one of them even plucked an unconscious man off the floor. I assume it was her boyfriend. 

"Well, that was easy, good job."

"Thank you." She said with a bow. "Too bad, it won't be as easy with the rest of them. They have too much rage on the brain right now."

"Yep, I should probably put a stop to this." Looking around I was really feeling sympathy for the old Barkeep. Who judging by the way he talked and was addressed to by the waitresses, was likely also the owner. There was a lot of damage being done, most of the damage was smash tables and chairs, also there were holes in the wall likely from heavy thrown objects or someone straight-up punching it. Very expensive indeed. "Before I start I have an idea, and I need your help."

"Oh, What's up?" Tulip asked curious about my intentions.

"I don't want the Staff coming out here while I clean up,"

"One magic sound barrier coming right up!"

While she went to do that I stood upon the stool so everyone could see me. "Attention everyone!" 

"Hu, who brought their daugh... UGGG!?" I only managed to get the attention of one before he was knocked unconscious, his penalty for paying attention. Also partly my fault, my bad dude.

"Tulip, you are done with that yet?" 

She returned to my side with good news. "Yep, what's the plan?"

"Hopefully I can get everyone out of here peacefully." I pulled out my .45.

BANG! 

People nearest to me scattered, some covering their ears as I open fire on the ceiling. 

"Hu what the..."

"who..."

BANG!

Many were now looking my way.

"Is that..?"

"A kid?"

BANG!

Now I had all of their attention. 

"Who let a kid have a gun?"

"What?"

"Alright, now that you're all listening. I'm going to ask you to leave."

"Who the hell are you?" A woman who was a part of the brawl stepped forward."Little Girl." Those last two words came out like a growl. The woman had to be no older than 19, was dark-skinned, earth brown eyes, hip long black hair tied up in dreadlocks held in place by a flat-billed ball cap. Unlaced sneakers, skinny jeans, a denim jacket, and underneath a white tank top with the classy quote...

"SUCK IT BITCH!"

- Me Myself and I

 

Is this woman going to be a problem? "The one asking nicely. Now get out of here you've caused enough trouble for the owner." 

"Fuck you bitch!" She began approaching aggressively. One of the men grabbed before she could get one step closer.

"Whoa, chill it's just a kid." 

"A kid? Please. That chick got a gun and it's the middle of the night. Bitch is a midget."

Wow, just wow.

"Yeah fuck you bitch!" Some guy shouted in the back, throwing a beer bottle at my head. I ducked easily, but still.

"That's right fuck this bitch!" Shouted The Problem woman. 

"Yeah fuck a bitch!" Shouted a dozen other people! Next thing I knew I had a dozen beer bottles coming my way!

"Whoa!" I had to jump from the stool to the counter to do it but ducked and dodged every one of them. 

"Ow, bitch can dance!" The Problem laughed joyfully. 

"Leave the girl alone!" The brawl broke out one more.

"You've got to be kidding me." Sighing I watched to brawl closely. I noticed something that I missed before, this was never a free for all. This brawl had two sides. On one side, you had the people typical to a bar out in the middle of nowhere like this. Leather jackets, flannel shirts, muddy boots, skull tattoos, a moderate amount of piercings, and full beards.

Come to think of it those girls you wanted to help me earlier were part of the group. Minus the beards. 

The other group was more urban. Skinny jeans, flat-billed caps, artsy tattoos, a ridiculous amount of piercing, trimmed beards. I noticed unlike Team Rural, Team Urban had only one female. I called her The Problem.

The Problem was cheerleading in front of the counter, just to my left, and having a great time. How much money would I win if I bet that she started this? "You wouldn't happen to be the cause of all this would you?" 

"Mind your own business!"

Ding ding ding! I'm a winner!

"So what's the point?" She didn't answer. "Just bored and needed something to do?" 

"Yeah hit em again!" Still ignoring me." Remember if you get beat you'll never get anywhere!" What does that mean? 

"Does watching your friends wrecking other people stuff make you feel good about yourself?"

She glared at me, her glare then morphed into a sour smile. "Why?"

"I don't know you tell me. What is the point of the fight?"  

"I get you." She said hopping up on the counter with me. "You're chosen like me, just cus you go after different targets, and use diffrent methods don't, mean we can't be friends."

"Wait what?"

"Oh, don't play dumb your all over the internet." I was actually more curious about her "chosen like her" statement, but she continued. "So what did you wish to be a kid again or something?"

"Hu?" Now I'm extra confused.

"Hu?" And so was Tulip.

"Haha what really? Ha, don't worry I won't judge, what old lady doesn't want to be young again!" She must have taken my look of confusion for confirmation. "I won't ask your real age don't worry grandma."

"Right..." 

"Y'know she diffrent from mine."

"Yours?"

"Yeah, I guess that's to be expected though," She took two steps closer and looked Tulip straight in the eye. "You can't expect all of God's angels to look the same."

"Um, h-hello?" Tulip's voice was shaky from shock but she managed. "So, just where is my comrade in arms? Haven't seen my old friend with you."

"Yeah, she not the hand on type of girl." She backed off, and sat on the lip of the counter, swinging her legs back and forth, thoroughly enjoying the show before her.

Boom one of her guys hit the floor. 

"Hey check on him!" The Problem ordered.

A young man came to check. Slapping his friend a few times. "He out, done." He announced before jumping back into the fray. 

"I guess so." With a snap of her fingers, The Problems subordinate twitched as if he was having a seizure. 

"What was that?"

"Oh, I killed him,"  She looked at me with a tender smile. "One of my wishes. I wished for the power of a queen the decide who lives and who dies. Only works if you pledge your loyalty to me thou." 

"Uh-hu so, how many wishes are you up to?"

"I'll be coming around my third soon."

"fourth! wait..." Tulip tried to interject but I stopped her with my hand. This young woman was under the impression that I was an ally, and therefore a chatterbox, no sense wasting that advantage. 

"Well, you guessed my wish, so what did you wish for?"

"You know me second, but my first was for some real firepower and my third." Her smile betrayed great pride in herself as she told me of her third wish. "To grant power to my loyal servants."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, if they can't hack it, they die. If they exceed my expectations I grant gifts. Nothing like what our little angel friends can give can have my boy toys getting too powerful now can I."

Boy toys? I looked over the brawl with a new set of eyes. Now that I pay attention to it, every one of her groups was a man. Literally, every woman in the bar apart from the staff was on Team Rural, including the ones I asked to leave earlier. Also Team Rural was winning, or should I say, should be winning. Team Urban was being beaten to a pulp, by rough rowdy rednecks, and judging by the Army, Marine, Airforce, and Navy tattoos and veteran hats I was seeing it was little wonder.

So why was this still going on? 

It was so simple and without the details, I didn't think anything of it. These boys were fighting like fanatics, for a queen who can kill them with a simple snap of her finger.

"Stay down kid, God!"

"How many times do I have to put you down?"

"Get off of me you nut!"

Team Rural was getting tired. How long could they keep this up? 

"How many of these gifts have you handed out so far?" I asked.

"None yet, I just had that wish granted yesterday." 

"Yeah, and what did you have to do to get that granted."

"Same as you, killed a lot of useless people."

"Oh?"

"Hmm, I need to thank you for that soundproofing you had the Angel put up."

"Why what's happening back there?" Oh, shit did screw up? It was everything I could do to keep the panic out of my voice. 

"Oh, nothing much I just recruited some people the other day, I guess you could say that they're proving their loyalty. I was kind of hoping to hear the screaming but that might have ended badly if some of these guys heard it too." She said referencing Team Rural. 

I couldn't ignore that. I had to get back there and help if I could. As casually as I could, I hopped off the counter and made my way for the kitchens. 

After pushing the door open, I couldn't tell you which was worse. What I saw or what I heard. 

What I saw, two men standing over six bodies, the bartender/owner, two waitresses, and three other staffers I assumed were cooks. Their eyes were wide open with horror. The men who stood over them were having a good old time drinking out of the bottles that the, now dead waitress, worked so hard to carry to safety as the brawl in the other room grew. One of the men even held a cleaver in his hand blood still dripping off its edge.

What I heard, a woman somewhere further back into the building. Screaming for help. "Ah no stop, please! Someone help ahmm!" Followed by the sound of cloth being torn. 

I heard a gasp beside me looking toward the source. Tulip's eyes were wide, her flight shaky, holding her hands to her mouth. "This is..."

Her body language told me everything I needed to know, experience told me where she was going with this. "...Not your fault." Back in the Army the worst fear of any commander worth their salt was getting people killed because of a bad call. Vis Versa for anyone simply following orders. 

"But if we heard anything..."

"I told you to do put up the barrier. It's not your fault."

"I..."

"Hey, kid! You lost?" We were interrupted. Both men had noticed me. One had placed himself in front of the bodies as if trying to hide what he did, the other was hiding the cleaver behind his back.

"Hey, ah, there's need to worry these people are sleeping." Said The Cleaver guy.

"Yeah, we had a big party back here." Said the Other guy.

"Your dad bring you or something? Tell you what we some leftover candy..."

"...Candy?" Asked Other Guy.

"Yeah from our party." Cleaver Guy said nudging his friend with his elbow to encourage him to keep up. 

"Right? Right! The party!"

"Yeah, just come over here and..."

BANG

I shot Cleaver Guy in the mouth, with my .45.

It was pathetic, trying to lure me over like that, I didn't even hide my hostility, and yet they acted like I was just a lost scared kid.

Pathetic.

"Hey! What?" Another guy hidden wrapped his head around what just happened to his friend. "You!"

BANG

He didn't last very long ethier.

"Hey what the hell!? Was that a gunshot!?

Another man called out from the back, from where the screams were coming from earlier. 

"You guys ok!?"

"Help me please!" The woman cried out once more.

"Shut the fuck up!"

I heard a thump, a familiar sound of someone being kicked in the gut. "Ahhhaha!"

"I'm coming out there!"

I wasn't going to wait. I began marching back there and met him in the doorway to what looked like an office. He was stark naked with a deflating hard on. The moment he saw a little girl standing in front of him he instinctively covered himself. 

"What the, a kid?"

"Tch."

"What are you..." He shook his head. "Screw it where are..." He tried to move past me to look for his friends. I had another idea, sweeping out his leg, he fell face-first to the floor. 

"Oof! What the fuck!" He faced me, fire in his eyes.  I kicked him, twice, once to his balls, "Gaa!" and once to his face. "Oommf." I knocked out a few of his teeth. 

He was still nice and awake for interrogation. "So what is this?"

"Hu?" I kicked him in the gut. "Gaa!"

"Why? Why do any of this?"

"For our Goddess."

"Goddess?"

"She was gifted from heaven. Power to save the world."

"You mean the black girl with the dreads?"

"Yes, her power is amazing. One day she'll rule the world!"

I'm not getting anywhere with this guy. "Whatever." 

BANG

Now that he's dead. I turned to the office, the door ripped off its hinges. Spare cooking aprons hanging on the wall behind the dislodged door, at the far wall old war medals and photos of the Bar Owner and his old war buddies. Korea by the looks of it? In the center of the room, a desk sat crooked all items that usually sit on such a dest, including a family photo, a PC monitor, and an old landline phone had crashed to the floor, also on the floor was an assortment of men and women's clothing. The women's clothing being torn and unwearable. 

Looking under the desk slender young woman 18 or 19 years of age hid underneath. 

As I approached. "Don't come closer!" I moved closer grabbing one of the spare aprons "I said stay away!" I walked over to her side and knelt down. 

"Hello," I said softly greeting the woman who hugging her legs against her chest. She looked at me as if I were Death in the flesh. The poor thing was naked and bruised, her left black eye stood out above all. "What's your name?"

Green eyes stared back at me, disbelief overtaking her fear for just a moment. "You're a kid."

"So I've been told."

"How?"

"Doesn't matter I'm here to help," I said offering her the apron. She gladly and quickly took it, returning back to her hiding spot as soon as possible, as if the man who assaulted her would come from behind me any second. 

In spite of the cramped space, she applied the apron to herself as best as she could. I, acting as casual as I could looked away.

"Thamk hou." She mumbled half her face buried in the cloth, the other half hidden by her Aburn hair.  

"Can you call the police or someone?"

She shook her head then looked back at me. "No, no signal." 

"Right, I guess we are in the middle of nowhere." 

"No, I mean we do get one, there's a tower not far, but for some reason."

"Ah, you tried then?" 

"Yes."

Remembering something I saw on the floor. "What about the landline?"

"I tried that too. Nothing, I don't know why."

"Ok," I had an idea, The Problem covered her bases well.

"That bastard!" She suddenly cried out. "That liar!" Tears came down her face like a waterfall as she sobbed. Not knowing what else to do I put my hand on her shoulder. Her crying began to lessen to soft sniffles after a minute. "Thank you. He was sweet to me. We were hired together. He asked me out I said no, but he insisted even said he cleared it with the boss. Then we came back here said he forgot something. We met with the other bouncers and then..." 

"You don't have to relive that."

"Danm it! I'm sorry."

"It's alright." 

"He was my first, damn it, he was my first." She began sobbing again, slightly less intensely than before.

"I'm sorry."

"You're a good kid."

I had to hold back a laugh. "Thanks."

She turned her green eyes to me again. "How did you, get past them?"

"Look just stay here I'll be back."

"But..."

"Stay where it's safe," I commanded walking out the door.

Me and The Problem needed to talk.

 

It's Finally done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After 4 count them 4!!! rewrites, I finally feel like I got this chapter right on track. Heck originally The Problem wasn't even a character, and our MC was going to bust biker heads and get it over with.

Still not sure how it evolved into this.

Fate?

Well, however, it happened you are likely looking forward to seeing how The Problem will fit into future chapters.

So am I! Seriously I never planned for her, now I have to fit her in like she's always been there.

Also is it just me or is this the longest chapter I've ever written?

 

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