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thedrawingdragoon · 8 months

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The Breakers of Chaos

Once upon a time in the ancient times when demons roamed the land and the heavens stood still uncaring for the humans above.

A mischievous trickster god known as Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, who was previously trapped by the gods under a mountain to never hurt himself or everyone else again.

That was until the seven divine scrolls found their way to the demon-infested earth and a young monk by the name of Tripitaka was sent by the gods to awaken the Monkey King and find the seven divine scrolls and drive away the demons of the land.

After the Monkey King was relieved from his captivity, he traveled alongside Tripitaka, a pig monk man named Pigsy, a womanizer pilgrim named Sandy and the third prince of the Dragon Emperor, Yu Long, and eventually defeated a lots of demons on their travels and saved a lot of lives until…

They finally reached the location where the seven divine scrolls were located but just when they were about to hand them over to the heavens, Sun Wukong once more tried to take the power of the gods to himself.

Tripitaka needed to sacrifice his human body in order to summon all of the heavens upon the corrupted Monkey King, the hands of the cosmos once more deciding to trap him under a mountain…forever.

Until being sealed away once again, Sun Wukong sweared that if he ever was to escape his imprisonment…

That the heavens and all of humanity will pay and cursed that in exactly 14 centuries from then, he will escape and that no one would be ready for his fury.

And exactly at that time…

In the year 2020 AD, the Monkey King was to escape his captivity and bring chaos to the world.

The year was 2020.

Twenty years ago an event that came to be known as the Cataclysm occurred. That day…gates suddenly started appearing around the globe, eventually all opening on May 13rd 2020 and letting out monsters from the Underworld known as Breakers to do havoc on the world.

Eventually a mysterious person descended from the heavens, wielding a giant silver pole, riding a cloud, holding and wearing a golden headband…and appeared above the Zhongnanhai building in Beijing, China and in one swift move of his pole...he brought the entire building to its knees before announcing the following to the world:

“My name is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. You may know me from your myths and legends! I have come to tell you that the Jade Emperor and the rest of the gods have fallen at our hands! They thought they could seal me away under that mountain forever?! Well now I have brought my army of Breakers and the Ox King to have some fun. All we want is some good fun. And that fun won’t end until every one of the gods and you puny humans have fallen.”

Then as soon as the mysterious floating monkey calling himself Sun Wukong said that, he vanished and reappeared in the outer cosmos of the planet before using his fiery eyes to launch a beam of flames onto the planet, resulting in some provinces, cities and even some countries being destroyed and eventually…

50% of the world’s population was killed then the Monkey King and his army of Breakers apparently vanishing once again for good. Or so humanity believed until…

4 years later, in 2024, at the Guānhóu Conglomerate’s HQ…

A mysterious man in a flamboyant red office suit and sunglasses with a wild flowing dark brown hair and monkey-like ears could be seen sitting in front of the wonderful view of his 50 floor building, this was Mr. S.W., leader of the Guānhóu Conglomerate.

As he was looking down to the view of the ground below the 50th floor, the sound of a door opening was heard, causing Mr. S.W. to look behind him and noticed a woman with green hair put in a ponytail and blue eyes wearing an office suit entering his office, this was the lead secretary of the Guānhóu Conglomerate, The Great Third Dragon Prince Yu Long.

“Mr. S.W., the plan is ready to commence. The entire North Atlantic Treaty Organization is having an organized meeting. Most of the leaders of countries from Europe and the Americas are present right now.” Stated Yu Long as she bowed in front of her boss, causing S.W. to smirk in return.

“Just perfect. Are the breakers, Iron Fan Lady, Red Child and Bull Demon King in position near the White House and the moon? I want them to know we’re serious, ya know?!” Mr. S.W. exclaimed with a grin as he looked over to Yu Long with glowing yellow eyes being seen from above the shades he was wearing.

“Yes, sir, everyone is in their exact position, shall I get you your Ruyi Jingu Bang, Golden Headband, Kinto-Un and Gourd, sir?”

“Yes, do so. And if you still are on the job, Ms. Yu Long, also prepare yourself for the worst case scenario, got it?”

“Yes, sir, yes!” Yu Long yelled before bowing and turning her back before opening the door and leaving before S.W. suddenly jumped through the window of the 50th floor and seemed like he was about to die when suddenly the floating cloud known as the Kinto-Un emerged from thin air beneath him and in one swift move the Kinto-Un took off flying with S.W. on it.

Eventually the cloud stopped right above the White House located in Washington D.C. and Mr. S.W. entered the building as if he owned it, took quick care of the guards and FBI agents guarding the place before entering straight to the Oval Office where the biggest leaders of the world were gathered to discuss matters of national peace.

The US president got up from here he was standing with a shocked look on his face and glared towards the newly arrived S.W. and Yun Long, taking a few moments to realize what was going on properly before saying:

“W-who are you?! Who sent you? Russia? China? North Korea? How did you even get in here?!”

“I’m technically Chinese, that's true, but not the Chinese government sent me. I’m here on my own volition. As for how I got here…your boys were really weak, you know?!” S.W. laughed as he pointed to the halls behind him showing the fact that all and every member of the security team present was killed in a brutal fashion.

“W-what do you want then?! S-surely there must be a peaceful way to settle this, no need for violence!” Stammered the US president in a terrified voice before Mr. S.W. started laughing maniacally.

“Simple…what I want is a massacre. Total warfare! Carnage even! I want an entertaining fight, that’s all I want. Just tell everyone in that world that unless we get that…there will be consequences. Send all the armies, all the warriors, all the fighters you have to fight me and my organization!” Shrieked S.W. maniacally as his eyes suddenly turned to red as he was laughing louder and louder until it echoed across the entire building.

“A-and if we don’t do as you say? What will happen then?” Asked one of the other presidents foolishly before his neck suddenly snapped.

Every other one of the world leaders present froze in fear as the red orbs of the Monkey King glared at them in a demonic scarlet haze.

“I didn’t finish talking. And I don’t like interruptions.” Growled S.W. before returning to his manic energetic state from earlier. “Before I start to show you the consequences…I have one question: Whose country was the president I just snapped the neck of?”

“H-he…was the president of Albania I believe…w-why…?” The president of Germany muttered out causing the grin on S.W.’s face to widen and his face to contort into that of a monkey as he grabbed his sunglasses before breaking them in his hands.

“I see, then time for a little demonstration of what will happen in case you refuse to meet our demands, Mr. President!”

The monstrous being turned his head towards one of the windows of the White House with view towards the moon and in after opening his mouth wide enough to reveal his beast-like fangs…a beam of red light escaped it and broke directly through the window, shattering it before the beam went higher and higher at crazy speeds until the light beam eventually reaching the moon, destroying half of it in the process, shocking everyone in the Oval Office.

S.W. then flicked his fingers, causing the light beam to suddenly change trajectory and returning back towards the same person that created it.

It seemed as if the beam was about to hit the now monkey-faced leader of the Guānhóu Conglomerate until it came to a sudden halt as the leader suddenly exclaimed: “Ruyi Jingu Bang come to me now!” causing a giant silver pole to fall down from the heavens and land perfectly in his hands.

S.W. smirked before grabbing the giant pole known as the Ruyi Jingu Bang and giving it a powerful shake until he eventually hit the light beam backwards, causing it to vanish into the night sky, greatly both terrifying and confusing the present world leaders.

“W-where did that beam g-go to…?” asked the US president, not sounding too sure of whether he wanted to know the answer to that or not.

S.W. turned back to face the president before a sinister look of amusement appeared on his face before replying: “You said that guy I killed was the president of Albania, right? Well… that beam I launched with my trusty pole…destroyed that entire country.”

The president's eyes widened in horror to the monkey creature as soon enough the official white house telephone rang over from the office desk of the US president.

“Well, aren’t you going to answer? Maybe it’s important.” Suggested the fiery monkey man as the president rushed to the office desk, grabbed the phone with shaky hands and answered it with a shaky voice.

“Y-yes? W-what is the matter for calling me at this hour, lieutenant?”

“S-sir! I-it’s about Albania…i-it got hit by what appears to be a nuclear missile! E-everything is gone! All the cities and the people…i-it’s as if they all vanished, sir!” Exclaimed the lieutenant of one of the US military branches, shooking the president to the core as he dropped the phone from his hands

��Y-you crazy bastard…! You…actually destroyed…Albania…” Shouted the president in almost a barely audible whisper as that reaction only caused Mr. S.W. to giggle maniacally once more.

“Hahahahah! You’re damn right I did! And that’s not everything I did! Right now I sent my personal army to pay a little visit to your guys! “ S.W. laughed with a deranged look in his eyes as the president looked down at the phone he dropped and quickly grabbed it once again to learn what horrors the monkey did.

The president's eyes lost all the hope they had left in them as what greeted him once he grabbed the phone were the screams of soldiers.

"Lieutenant! Lieutenant, do you hear me?! What happened?!" The president exclaimed into the receiver, wanting to know exactly what was going on in his country's military.

"T-they…d…demons…monsters…! W…we don't know what they are or how many of them but they are killing my men and…and…!" But as he was about to continue his conversation, the sound of some kind of creature roaring followed soon by the sound of screaming before finally every connection that the receiver had in between the president and the lieutenant came to a halt.

"Now…will you and the other global leaders agree to my terms? Give me one bit of a good and fun fight…and maybe I won't exterminate all of your kind." S.W. growled as he looked back at the president with a glare of scarlet fury.

"W…we'll agree to your terms but…w…what are you?! A demon, a grim reaper or a god…wh…what are you, monster?!?" The US president shouted in a trembling voice just as Mr. S.W. was preparing his leave alongside his secretary Yu Long.

"Hah! Don't compare me with any one of those so-called monsters, grim reapers, demons or gods…I am neither. I am the trickster…the king of all monkeys! Ever heard of me?" S.W. exclaimed proudly with a puffed chest.

"T-the king of all monkeys…t…the trickster…w…what did you say your name was again?!" The US president demanded as he punched the desk with gritted teeth, causing the primate to look towards him, S.W. 's red orbs seeming to look straight onto the president's soul.

"First off…I am the only one allowed to make demands! Know your place, insect!" S.W. shouted in a shrill voice before using his leg to kick and eventually break both the office table and the president's hand in one swift move.

The pained screams of the US president could be heard echoing throughout what was left of the White House as the leader of the conglomerate shrugged his shoulders as he continued to walk towards the exit of the building.

Eventually S.W. stopped walking and turned towards the president with a cruel twisted expression on his face and stated through fits of laughter:

"I am Mr. S.W., leader of the Guānhóu Conglomerate. Though you might as well call me Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. The same one that killed 50% of the mortal world's population."

"Y-you mean…m…my family died on the day of the Cataclysm…y…you're the monster that took away my baby girl and beloved wife…" The president yelled while holding his broken arm in pain as he desperately tried to hold off tears, which just made the trickster known as Monkey King a whole lot more amused in his twisted kind of humor.

"I…I won't give up until you're eliminated now that I know you're the real deal . If a good fight is what you want…I'll give you just that. The moment you walk out that door, Monkey King…you'll become the national enemy no. 1 all over the world." The US president threatened as he pointed towards the Monkey King who was already ready to open the door and leave.

"Heh. Sure I will! No matter what you'll do, I'm sure I'll win in the end and get the revenge I wanted to get for so long. No one can possibly best me in combat!" Mr. S.W., now revealed to have actually been Sun Wukong all along, laughed as he opened the door and started walking away from the White House with Yu Long following close behind him.

Sun Wukong stopped for a moment and noticed the fact that not even a few seconds after he left that the presidents already started calling in all the military and secret organizations on him and that s group of men wearing black were approaching him and Yu Long.

"Yu Long, take care of the trash for me, will ya! I'll ride Kinto-Un and have some fun in the meantime." Stated the Monkey King with a mischievous streak in his tone as his secretary nodded.

"Sir, yes sir! Do I have the permission to use my true form this time around?" Yu Long bowed as one of her eyes glowed red for a moment as she said that.

"Sure, go ahead. Unleash your true form…Dragon of the West." Sun Wukong grinned before calling the flying cloud Kinto-Un to him with a hand gesture and flew away with it as a blind light could be seen from below followed by what seemed to be a dragon and a large explosion.

A few moments passed before the Monkey King silently arrived onto the night sky of New York City, stopping near the Statue of Liberty before grinning, summoning Ruyi Jingu Bang and dropping it out of his hands, leaving it fall towards the city below until eventually it obliterated half of the city, with a reverb following close behind it, causing blackouts and fallouts in most nearby locations to the attack.

Eventually months passed after that incident, the US and every other country covered the event up with either nuclear warfare or accidental missile releases, only government officials and a few others knowing the truth or about the Monkey King.

Secretly a complete war between the army of Breakers led by Sun Wukong and the entire humanity began that day and most didn't even know about it.

Back in China, in the main headquarters building of the Guānhóu Conglomerate, the leader Sun Wukong could be seen sitting cross-legged in his chair, holding a glass of wine while looking over some documents plastered over his desk as Yu Long entered the office with a bunch of photos of various people in her hands.

"Is that the list of potential people that could prove a challenge or danger to my fun that I asked the Ox King and his family to provide me with?" Demanded the leader of the conglomerate before yanking the photos from the dragon prince's grasp and looking over them.

"Yes. All of these people are very powerful humans, some even being reincarnations of gods or having innate godly chi in them." Explained the secretary Yu Long to her boss before noticing that Sun Wukong was stuck looking at a mysterious boy with blue hair and purple eyes.

"Who's this, Miss dragon prince?" Asked S.W. of his secretary in a demanding manner.

"Ah, I see you're looking at Baihu Aang from the Guizhou province from Southern China. I heard from the Ox King that his chi feels oddly similar to yours and some people from the province seem to believe he may be the next Monkey King after you." Explained the dragon princess before being shocked by Sun Wukong who suddenly grasped the wine glass he was holding with insane strength until it shattered into pieces, the wine falling onto the desk and splashed the photos and documents on the table with it.

"Miss Yu Long, clean this mess." Growled the Monkey King as he got up from his chair and looked out the window to see the view below as the dragon prince frantically tried to clean the mess he made.

"I don't care about Monkey King or god wannabes but for some reason this Baihu Aang kid got me interested. So did some other ones of the people you showed me…" Said Sun Wukong with a slight grimace on his face before an idea crossed his mind. "Oi, Yu Long! I got an idea. Tell the breaker army and the Ox King and his family to make preparations!"

"Preparations for…what, sir?"

"Preparations for a tournament event of sorts! One that involves every powerful human and wannabe god from around the globe! That way we will settle on who really is the strongest! Me or some random human that is able to win that tournament! Hahahah!" The Monkey King laughed, sounding as if he hadn't been amused or excited by anything in millenia.

"But…isn't that a bit too brash about this? Shouldn't we just wait for something to-" Started Yu Long but before she could finish her sentence, he threw his golden headband in her direction, slashing Yu Long's cheek like a blade…drawing blood.

"I'm the leader. I take the shots. You are just some secretary. So stop telling me about your "ifs" and "buts" and do whatever I say! No questions asked!! So…Tell. The. Ox. King's. Family. NOW!"

"I…I apologize sir, o-of course." Shaked Yu Long before asking the Monkey King a question: "But how shall this tournament be called, my lord?"

"Hmm…the tournament shall be called the Breakers of Chaos. Now go forth and proceed with the plan." Sun Wukong smirked as his secretary left.

New York City, USA

The scene changes to showing a young man with red hair and amber eyes wearing ragged clothes standing with a shocked expression on his face as he was looking down at some fallen debris where the bloodied body of a girl was laying in a pool of scarlet as tears fell down the young man's face.

Eventually he looked down at an invitation card he didn't notice before. His eyes widened when he noticed that it was signed by the rumored Breakers of Chaos tournament he heard before…

The one said to allow the winner to get whatever they wanted…even reviving the death.

This was it…this was his chance to bring his beloved childhood friend back to life.

He will join the tournament as a fighter and…

…win.

Targu Jiu, Romania

The scene showed a young woman with shoulder length light brown hair and blue eyes that was looking on her phone at information on the fighting tournament announced by the enigmatic chinese mogul known as Mr. S.W., not that she was all that interested into fighting but her family was in desperate need of money so she had no other option.

She felt someone putting their hand on her shoulder, causing her to look behind her to see an enigmatic masked man with an invitation card in his hand.

"Are you…Ms. Ana Vulturu? I was sent by Mr. S.W. to tell you that you've been chosen to be allowed into the Breakers of Chaos tournament. Will you accept?" The masked man asked as the girl now known as Ana Vulturu hesitated for a few moments before grabbing the invitation card, sealing her fate as one of the fighters from around the world joining the tournament.

The Guizhou Province, China

A young man in his 20s with spiky blue hair and deep purple eyes could be seen walking around the rice fields, helping the other citizens of his village however he could.

However, while he was walking and working the rice fields, he heard a voice he didn't recognize calling out to him:

"Hello, are you Mr. Baihu Aang?"

The sudden voice calling to him caused the blue-haired boy known now as Baihu Aang to turn around, seeing none other than the secretary of the enigmatic Mr. S.W. that was organizing that fighting tournament he heard so much about, Yu Long.

"Yeah? That's me. Are you here to ask me to join that tournament in Beijing?" Asked Aang, surprising the secretary a little, not expecting him to even know about the tournament, let alone who she was or where the tournament was taking place.

"You sure are very perceptive. Yes, that's why I am here. Will you join the Breakers of Chaos tournament or not?" The green haired woman questioned the boy.

"Depends, what's in it for me?" Baihu Aang questions, confusing the dragon prince secretary greatly.

"What's in it for you? Well, if you win you could get whatever your heart desires and be recognized as the strongest person on Earth. Is that enough for you?" Asked Yu Long, her blue eyes glaring towards the blue haired male.

"Hmm…that all sounds great and all but…I have one question: Will it be fun?" Asked the young man with a smirk.

"Huh?"

"The tournament. Will it be fun? Will it have the strongest people to fight? F.U.N.! Will it be fun?" Baihu Aang repeated himself.

"Oh yes, I guess it could be fun for someone like you." Replied Yu Long.

"Hahahah! Alright then! I'll join the tournament. I'll fight plenty of strong people! Yay!" Aang said happily with a child-like wonder to his voice as he grabbed the invitation before turning around and starting walking back from where he came from.

"This guy really reminds me of my boss when he was younger…" Thought Yu Long to herself as she looked at Baihu Aang walking away with a satisfied look on his face. "Wait! What shall we call you during the tournament? Do you have any title you'd like to use?" Called the secretary out to the blue haired boy.

"Oh, yeah! My title will be…the New Monkey King!"

The Guānhóu Conglomerate’s HQ, Beijing, China

The Monkey King himself, Sun Wukong, disguising himself as Mr. S.W., could be seen sitting on a podium with all lights on him in a room full of the world's best fighters.

"Hello, everybody and thanks for coming to this grand opening of the Breakers of Chaos fighting tournament organized by the Guānhóu Conglomerate and me, Mr. S.W.!" Stated the Monkey King, causing all of the room to erupt into loud cheers and roars until it eventually died down as he continued his speech.

"There are no rules in this tournament. Other than killing and mortally wounding your adversaries…everything goes! Whoever manages to win this tournament will be granted whatever their heart desires by the heavens themselves!" Explained S.W. with a grin on his face as everyone in the room started cheering out his name.

"So…without any further ado. Let's get into the preliminaries! Let this tournament settle once and for all who is this generation's best fighter…"

"...BEGIN!"

THE BREAKERS OF CHAOS

-END-

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helenaheissner · 2 months

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Love During Robot Fighting Time: Chapter 7

Hello, lovelies! Hope y'all are doing well :)

Don't forget you can read three chapters ahead on this story, twenty chapters ahead on "A Dream of Summer Rain", and two chapters ahead on "Magical Girl Exorcist Squad", by becoming a paid subscriber on my Substack or my Patreon!

Thank you so much for your continued support of my work! Every little bit helps me to keep going :)

And now, back to our regularly scheduled nerdy romcom shenanigans!

***

Faith

I kept time with the metronome as I pirouetted around my living room. I’d decided early on in my transition that I wanted to be more graceful, and ballet had seemed like a good way to accomplish that while staying in shape. Murder on the feet, but so worth it- I was, if nothing else, of a marginal amateur level of talent, which was all I was asking for. So, each night, I donned my workout garb, moved the orange couch and brown coffee table a few feet so they pressed against the back wall, rolled up the white carpet that normally covered the linoleum floor, and put on the metronome and danced around the living room.

The tumblers clicked on the lock, and my front door opened to reveal my handsome, dashing, wonderful roommate and best friend entering the apartment.

I broke out of my pose and grabbed my towel off of the couch, blotting my sweaty face. “Hey!”

“Hi,” he said, taking off his suit jacket and sticking it in the coat closet that indented our apartment just to the left of the front door, hanging it alongside his leather jacket and my white overcoat.

“How’s it going?” I asked, switching off my metronome and pushing the couch and coffee table back into their normal positions in front of the plasma screen television.

“Oh, you know, it’s going,” Zeke said. “You have a good workout?”

“Yeah!” I said, trying my best to show off my winning smile. My orange sports bra and black tutu may not have been the most conventional ballet attire, but it did show off my abs, something I was very eager to do now that I had them.

Dancing didn’t just help me get in shape and feel that sweet, sweet gender euphoria, either- it gave me a great opportunity to be alone with my thoughts and actually THINK them. And that evening, I’d come to two conclusions: one, my friendship and working relationship with Zeke was too important to risk destroying by asking him to be my boyfriend out of the blue, at least not when I had no idea if he felt the same way as I did; two, I wanted him to make the first move. Maybe I was old-fashioned, but the idea of the guy being the one to escalate the relationship from non-romantic to romantic really appealed to me. Plus, if I put out hints that I liked him, was a bit more flirty and forward than usual, and he slowly cottoned on to what I was getting at and then asked me out, then it would all be perfect. And if he didn’t pick up on the hints, or just wasn’t interested, I had plausible deniability. It was an immaculate plan, totally fool-proof.

I put a hand on my hip and leaned forward to show off my modest boobs and toned abs and smooth legs. “How do I look?”

“Like you just worked out?” Zeke said, aiming for the fridge and retrieving his jug of cranberry juice. He reached into the liquor cabinet after that and pulled out the flask of vodka, then poured himself a shot of it mixed with a glass of cranberry juice.

‘ Oh. Right. I was sweaty and gross. “Good point. I should hit the shower. After that, wanna hang out?”

“Sure, sure,” he said, nursing his drink, swirling it around in his hands, staring at the wall.

“You okay, Zeke?” I asked, tilting my head.

“Hm? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, looked at the screen, and chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he said. “Sorry, I’m just a little tired.”

“Oh?” I said. “What were you off doing? I never got a chance to ask you before you left.”

“Oh, just hanging out with a friend.”

“Who?”

“Calloway,” he said.

My eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, what?”

He took a long sip of his drink. “What?”

“Why were you hanging out with him?” I said, folding my arms over my chest and shrinking in on myself a bit.

“Calloway texted me asking if I wanted to watch Gundam. I said yes, because I’m tired of all the weird hostility between us. And because I like Gundam,” Zeke said simply. “Honestly, Calloway is pretty cool outside of the ring.”

“Oh,” I said, taking a step back. “Fair enough. I… You can do what you want, but I’m probably not gonna hang out with him any time soon. You know that, right?”

“I mean, you two actually have more in common then you might think-”

“I… Am not crazy about that comparison, but if you say so, sure,” I said, taking another step back, pivoting left from the kitchen towards the hallway that led to the rest of our apartment. Finally, I turned around and went for the bathroom. “Glad you had fun, though. Seriously. You can never have too many friends. I’m gonna hop in the shower now.”

“Sounds good, Faithy,” he said, and he flashed that smile, and for a second everything was fine.

Everything was fine, fine, fine, fine, FINE.

I showered, put my hair up in a towel, and wrapped a bathrobe around myself as I stepped out into the living room, where I found Zeke texting again while smiling that smile of his. The one that I knew wasn’t for me and me alone, but that I…

No, stop that, Faith, he doesn’t owe you anything, I thought. He’s a person, and he can make his own decisions about what he does with his free time.

Zeke and I wound up watching an old film noir that night, but I barely paid attention, and he was texting the entire time, smiling and chuckling every time his phone buzzed from a new message. I didn’t need to ask who it was.

***

The week went by normally, all things considered. Zeke and I worked on Dai Guren during the days, hung out and watched movies at night. Nothing was wrong, per se, but he was just always texting, and whenever I asked who he was talking to, he had the same answer:

Calloway.

The one thing I found odd was that, despite the two clearly being close friends now (apparently), he always referred to Calloway by his last name. Never his first. And yeah, sometimes guys just did that, even with close friends, but even when he’d thought I was a guy Zeke called me by my first name.

I tried to just keep it, keep him, out of my mind. Who Zeke spent his free time with was his business, and everyone needs more than one friend. I mean, I only needed one, but other people, yeah, they require multiple outlets for social engagement. And if Zeke and I were gonna start dating- which was not a guarantee, obviously, just something I’d really really really like to happen- then he would need a new platonic best friend. And I may not have been crazy about Keith Calloway, but hey, Zeke could do worse. Could be Olivia.

Olivia. I had to go up against her in less than a week. I wasn’t crazy about that, but if nothing else, it might be a bit cathartic to defeat her.

On Thursday morning, the day before our match, I decided to do a bit of shopping. I’d just gotten my monthly stipend from my parents- they were still a little iffy on the whole trans thing, still occasionally misgendered me and then immediately corrected themselves but got annoyed at me when I tired to correct them. But they were trying, and that was the important part. And hey, when both your folks are in the Army Corps of Engineers, wanting to build fighting robots for money is far from the worst thing you can do with your early twenties. I’ll get a real job someday- right now, though, I’m still figuring myself out. No reason I can’t do something I love while I do that.

Zeke was passed out on the living room couch clutching his beloved baby seal plushie, Lacus. I jotted down where I was going and when I intended to be back on a sticky note and put it on his forehead. He didn’t wake up- the man slept like a rock, it was almost impressive- and I headed out.

I cruised down Lincoln in the Star-Rocket Racer, weaving in and out of traffic as I headed for Venice. The best shops were in Santa Monica, but the more affordable and more trans-friendly ones tended to be in Venice. The air was warm with early-summer heat, the sky was clear and blue for miles, and the narrow street was uncrowded thanks to the just-shy-of-midday hours. The salty smell of the nearby ocean wafted through the air on a gentle, cooling seabreeze, and the clean street packed with shops and storefronts nearly sparkled in the sunlight. I wore my favorite off-white sleeveless sundress with a sunflower pattern, along with strappy wedge-heel sandals, a wide-brimmed black sun-hat, and a string of pearls around my neck that my mom had gifted me as a coming out present. I’d gone for a natural makeup look that day, subtle eyes and pink lipstick and just enough foundation to cover up my razor burn. My black cat purse was slung over my shoulder as I sauntered down the street, humming an Olivia Rodrigo song as I looked in the store windows.

At the end of the street, I found a shop called ‘Surf Turf Apparel.’ Palm trees enclosed both sides of the brick store, and in the window was the most adorable green swing dress with white polka dots I’d ever seen. It looked a bit big for me (pros and cons of being hilariously short- thanks, hilariously short parents), but I could at least ask if they had anything more in my size. If not… I dunno, I could try shortening it myself. I’d always wanted to learn how to sew.

I stepped inside and looked around- they had a lot of great dresses in here! Every style and color and fabric I could name, and plenty I couldn’t, hung from mannequins, harkening to eras as far back as the 1950s. At least one dress was there to represent each decade in the history of American fashion, standing proudly amidst the more standard beach apparel and SO MANY GORGEOUS HATS! I’d never been more in love with a shop this quickly! They had everything!

From the back of the store came an unnaturally high voice, what sounded like someone putting on a traditional female tone, perhaps someone, like me, who didn’t naturally speak in a feminine register. “Hi there!”

Poor thing- I’d gotten a bit better since I’d started doing vocal exercises on the daily. Maybe I could give her a few pointers.

I looked at the source of the voice as she continued speaking, “Welcome to Surf Turf Apparel! How may I…”

The voice trailed off as I looked at the person behind the counter. We made eye contact. Prolonged eye contact. Prolonged, unblinking, silent eye contact. It was incredibly awkward. But when someone you low-key hated surprised you in a manner this thorough, it was hard not to be speechless and equally hard to look away.

Calloway stood behind the wooden counter wearing a short-sleeved v-neck burgundy blouse, a golden butterfly necklace, and a full face of makeup- dark eyeshadow and red lipstick and very bold mascara. Her light brown hair was put up in a high but loose ponytail, with freshly-curled ringlets dancing about loosely on the sides of her face. Her eyebrows looked like they’d been freshly tweezed that very morning. It made her face look… Softer. Less aggressive. All of it together honestly made her look like a totally different person.

Was it ‘her?’ Should I be using ‘her’ for her? I should ask.

But that would require me to do something with my mouth besides let it hang open in shock. Calloway, for her part, still wasn’t saying anything or blinking either. I think I understood now why Zeke had been exclusively using her last name around me.

A tall, middle-aged woman (MILF, my brain automatically screamed) with long platinum hair, clad in a yellow A-line maxi-dress and flat white sandals, walked out from the back of the shop and said, “Close your mouth, Katie. Flies will nest. Also, you have a customer.”

“Hey, Mom, can I take my ten?” Calloway asked.

“Sure. You want me to handle this one?” her evident mother asked.

“Actually, Faith and I know each other, and we need to have a little talk.”

I was too shocked to react to this, too shocked to even do anything when Calloway… Katie, apparently… Grabbed me by the arm and shepherded me outside and into the alleyway next to what was APPARENTLY her family’s shop. Because of course it freaking was.

“Okay,” I started, “So-”

“I’m not trans!” Calloway said, in that practiced high pitched voice of hers.

I blinked. “Uh-huh. Right.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“I shouldn’t say.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not something you should have other people confirm for you,” I said. “And because I think all this speaks for itself, so if you’re too blind to see it, then that ain’t my fault.”

She raised a finger, then lowered it and looked at the ground. “That’s a fair point.”

“So,” I said, arms folded together. Her eyes were instantly drawn to my chest, at which point I looked down and realized the fold was putting my cleavage on display. I tucked my arms away behind my back hurriedly. “Anyway. Was there anything else you wanted to say to me, or was it really just that?”

Calloway… Katie, or maybe it was still Keith on some level (hard to say with eggs this dense), exhaled audibly and said, “I need you to keep this to yourself.”

“Yeah, of course,” I said with a nonchalant shrug.

“I mean it, Watanabe! I- wait, seriously, just like that?”

“Yeah, just like that,” I said, struggling to keep the monotone out of my voice. “Look, everything else that’s happened between us aside, I am not just gonna out somebody because of spite. I mean seriously, what kind of asshole do you take me for?”

She looked at me blankly, unblinking once more.

My eyes narrowed. “Oh my God, what kind of asshole do you take me for?!”

She let her mouth hang open for ten agonizingly long seconds before saying, “Is that a rhetorical question?”

“It was, yeah. But now it’s not!”

“I don’t think you’re an asshole! Okay, there! I said it. I just… Didn’t think you were gonna do me any favors because… Last time we talked, I… And you…”

I heaved a beleaguered sigh. “I… Uh, so about that-”

“I’m sorry for antagonizing you last season!” she suddenly shouted, stepping forward, grabbing my hands and squeezing them inside her own.

My pulse quickened and my jaw dropped. What the heck was going on?

She kept going: “I just… I liked playing to the crowd. I get way too into it, though, and I forgot what’s fun and hammy for me might be obnoxious and overbearing to other people. I’m sorry. I should have talked to you about this, to your whole team about this, last year, instead of going after you every time I was on camera. I’m sorry.”

She looked like she was on the verge of tears, sincerity and hope and despair radiating out from her very soul. Her blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, her long lashes mesmerizing as she opened and closed her eyes rapidly. I could feel my face going red. Was I…

No, no. She was cute in a freshly-hatched way, sure, but I wasn’t attracted to her- it was just aesthetic appreciation.

“I forgive you,” I said, squeezing her hands back. “And I’m sorry for blowing up at you. I was… In a bad place. I’d just come out, and my girlfriend dumped me on the spot because of it.”

“Oh my God!” she said, finally releasing my hands from her grasp and putting them on her hips. Outraged painted over her face. “That’s horrible! That’s why she’s on a different team this year?!”

“Yup.”

“What a bitch!”

“Please don’t say that about my ex, I still care about her,” I said flatly.

“Right! Right, sorry. I just…”

“You get carried away sometimes. I get it.”

“And you’re going up against her this week?”

“Yup,” I said. “First match of the night, no less.”

“Ooof,” Katie said. I figured I should just call her that- seemed safest. “I’m going up against Haverfield and Ansible.”

“Ugh, I hate that guy,” I said.

“Big same.”

“Kick his ass for me?” I asked.

She stood at attention and gave a salute, of the kind so formal it would make my parents proud. “Gotta make things up to you somehow.”

“Hey come on, I didn’t mean it like that-”

“Yeah, but I do,” Katie said. “I’m tired of being the jerk. But if I’m going up against another jerk… Well, I’ll feel less bad about it. Also, I… I wanna be friends with Zeke. And since you two are besties… Well, you and I should probably learn to coexist.”

I smiled. She was so… Sincere, so earnest. It was really surprising. She was also much cuter like this, so that probably helped disarm me a bit. “Fair enough! To co-existence.”

“Here, here!” she said, extending a hand.

We shook, and I’ll admit, I was taken aback by how firm her grip was. She was definitely intense, definitely a lot, but… Maybe she and I could be friends.

***

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