(Jason POV) -Verse 2 - Madam Mystics Pt.1

The distance between my school and our hometown district isn’t that far away. A car journey usually takes around 5 or so minutes whilst walking distance tends to be double that amount of time. Today the sun sits at the very top of the skies above us, bathing the world in liquid gold. The azure blanket in front of it is completely blue today, with not a single cloud in sight. I always enjoyed casting my gaze into the deep blue heavens above during the warm days like today, there was something about the skies which delighted me greatly in truth.

I always wondered what it must feel like to be soaring across the free heavens. No care nor fears, just the cool winds whipping past my body. Such a feeling seemed magical to me. A boy who constantly dreamt of the flying. it was no wonder when I was younger, I had hoped more than anything else to be able to gain the ability of flight. Ah! But alas dreams were often disappointments.

Me and Tobi had finally arrived back at our familiar district, the place always carried this homely feel to it. Most of the houses here were two floored and built closely beside one another. It gave the illusion of space, when in actual fact the houses themselves weren’t so big from the inside.

Speaking of the districts, there were 10 of them in total scattered around the country and grouped into four regions. We lived in the Diamond region closely beside the more rural and farmland isles known as the Clubb Lands, where most of the middle class and perhaps poorer folk tended to be found. From what the history books taught us. Long ago four demi-Gods arrived to settle their accounts amongst each other on our planet, by chance they encountered the invading species known as the Daemon. Who threatened to wipe the mortals off the face of the earth at that point. and in a bid to secure their survival, the mortals formed an accord with these Demi Gods and drove the Daemon species to the point of extinction.

I even read somewhere that most of the humans who survived from that time were gifted powers from these Demi Gods. And passed it down to the humans in todays time. That of course is just a rumour though.

Tobi led us through the urban area filled with the local residents going about their business. We hardly encountered any ‘hero’ stuff around here, and things were typically boring and mundane. Other than the odd piece of meteor found in one of the local forest parks by some hiker or old couple. Things were relatively quiet these days.

Perhaps the heroes were just that good in fighting crime these days I wonder.

Tobi walked beside me, currently busying himself on social media.

“...*Whistles* Oi Jay take a look at you know who! She just posted a new shoot hehe this one's for you my friend.” He says with mischief clear as day written across his gaze. I slightly feel nervous whilst taking hold of his phone. Unsure what to expect knowing Tobi’s kind of humor, I see a rather raunchy and beautiful faced girl posing in a swimsuit. My heart skips a gentle beat admiring the athletic build of her sexy body. Her lavishly smooth pink hair and that olive tanned skin. I wasn’t usually the kind of guy who swooned over models. Especially the famous ones with millions of followers on the social media knowing there was a clear smoke screen tactic used by them. But Jessica was an exception of that rule.

Firstly, both me and Tobi had actually grown up briefly, alongside Jessica.

Though both of us never would’ve expected that shy, glasses wearing girl with freckles who always followed us around everywhere we went when we were little, would grow up to be such a beauty that men across the world would be fawning over her existence. She moved away once she turned 12, on the day after she discovered her powers. We used to keep in touch now again, but that only lasted for a short period of time. I probably haven’t spoken to her in over two years.

Only a few days ago I read an article where she was crowned as the sexiest amongst the new generation of Heroes. Her face started popping up everywhere from modelling shoots, to adverts to award shows. Of course, I followed her as well, so I couldn’t avoid not seeing this. I felt a slight negative response for some reason each time I saw her face, but I dismissed it quick enough and was gearing up to hand Tobi back his phone.

Only my thumb accidentally refreshed his news feed. And another new post arrived, one which sent my blood boiling at the sight of the familiar mature woman modelling for a company selling cars whilst dressed in a skin tight version of her heroes uniform. I felt a vein throbbing gently aging my temple. I scrolled up a little and saw a second post arriving straight after the first one. This one made me swallow the gathered spit in my mouth harshly. She wore slightly more revealing clothes and was posing with a warm smile for a magazine of the Heroes digest. If I recall the magazine was quite famous for its raunchy shoots.

“Tobi...why the fuck are you following my Mom?” I growled at him with venom

Beads of sweat almost conjure against his forehead in response. His eyes shifting around for any clear given explanation

“Ah-ha-ha its not what it looks like. L-let me explain, ahem, you see Mrs Parker was looking for you one day a-and I just so happened to lose my phone that one time. So she messaged me on social media and so I thought hey why not follow my best friends beautiful mother. It’s only for support my friend, ahaha only for support” he says scratching the back of his head before dutifully snatching his phone away. I glare at his side profile for a little bit, purposely avoiding eye contact with me.

Tobi was my best friend, but I wasn’t oblivious to his growing perverted ways. How many times had I seen girls slapping him across the face for asking for indecent things from them. And he was all but happy to inform me of the super-secret folder he had of...let's just say, indecent images that should never see the light of day...ever.

I exhaled a deep sigh, I was already aware after mother retired from being an active hero, she was always going to focus a lot more on her modelling career. I wasn’t oblivious to how beautiful she was in truth, I just could never bring myself to accept she would be ogled by countless perverts in the process. Apparently she had always aspired to be a model before she rather lately gained her powers. She teamed up with my Dad not too long afterwards and rose up to the very highest ranks as a heroine.

She never did tell me what **** her to retire. Since my Dad left the planet on urgent Hero business all those years ago. Mom tried to avoid talking about him whenever she could. And we both hadn't heard so much as a whisper as to where he could've went.

There was a row of shops aligned along the new street Tobi had brought us onto. I scanned my new surroundings, trying to recall if I've actually been here before or not. This street resided on the eastern part of the districts. Usually travelling merchants and shop owners would setup their businesses here. I heard most of the folk had migrated from Metro City or other districts surrounding that region, simply because there was a likelihood of their businesses suffering some kind of disaster from alien invasions to large scale battles erupting. There was a running joke on social media in regard to Metro City, being listed as one of the worst places to live unless you enjoy setting up a new business on Monday and having to relocate on Sunday due to ‘hero activities,’ causing a stir.

I was busying myself with observing some of the different names plastered against the faces of these newly open stall fronts, when I noticed Tobi suddenly scurrying his short legs further ahead.

“Hm?” I sound with a slight surprise, but before I have a chance to call out to him, he’s already halfway down the street, hopping on the same spot with an added spring to his step whilst he keeps poking his finger towards a shops entrance I'm yet to reach just yet.

I have no desire to exert any useless amount of energy this morning, so I enjoy my casual pace until I eventually arrive beside my antsy friend.

“Look Jay this is the place I was telling you about! Ah-ahem! Let me introduce you my doubtful friend to Madam Mystic’s Place.” he performs a less than impressive bow before I finally place my eyes on the storefront.

From a first glance, I can see why this place carried such an eerie name. The top windows were boarded shut, whilst the bottom ones were slightly tall, and shaped into an arch shape like those old styled church windows. These were fogged from the inside so you could barely see through. The outside was coloured in a dark paint, with a mesh of black, midnight blue and subtle wisps of yellow. You wouldn’t be mistaken if you thought this was cosplaying a haunted house. Mind you I did feel some kind of strange feeling in the air once I stood still and thoroughly inspected the outside. No doubt inside will be a bundle of joys I humour. But nevertheless, Tobi reminded me he was paying by quickly taking out the wads of stolen notes he buried into his pockets, and the fact I had already agreed to this side quest. There was no turning back now, and so with a slightly uncertain heart I finally took a few steps forward and made the first move into the sketchy looking shop.