Who let the dogs out?

Matthew smirked as he heard Pat make his comment about not expecting him to be here. In a place like this. Well actually this place was exactly up to speed. It was a slower night, but busy as Hell. Matthew looked away for a moment and then took a seat. He kept his head down a bit as someone around his age brushed past, delivering drinks. He looked to Pat and shrugged it off a little.

”Well tonight’s not about me.” He commented in an off-handed and matter of fact tone. Of course that just warranted an arched eyebrow from the young man who joined them. ”What?”

”Uh-huh. The fact you got the hots for the straight bartender probably has nothing to do with it.” He just flat out plowed through his friends expectations and unloaded everything. Ashtyn couldn’t stop laughing, and Matthew was stuck there with a small grin, his head shaking left to right ever so slowly, staring off at the ground. His face was red but he didn’t seem to show any conviction of why. Ashtyn started to back away, still squeaking out a few laughs, fearful of the fallout. Cameron had balls, Matthew had to give him that.,,

”Uhm...no. You’d be wrong there.” Matthew stated through his teeth.
”Oh am I now?”
”Yeah. But I can see why you’d see that. Self-projection can really fuck with someone’s perception.”
”Don’t let him fool you. He’s always in this place.” Cameron said as he looked to Pat, a smirk on his face as he hopped up onto a bar stool, sending off a whistle, to get the bartender’s attention. Matthew spun around in his chair, not looking at the person who came over. Cam just smirked, looking from Pat to Matt as and shooting off a look that essentially said “Told ya.” Their argument was over and Pat was left in the fallout.

”What’s up Dogs!?” The man said as he walked over, just beaming a bright smile. Despite the nice and neat area, the bartender themselves had a rather mixed up and messed up look to them. It was sort of like Picasso practiced abstract art on this guy’s clothes. His grey shirt had a fox logo on it, advertising a brand no doubt. But it had different colors of paint splashed on it. Meanwhile he had a button-down overshirt loosely hanging on… quite literally as it had massive claw marks shredded out of it. Honestly he could pass as a victim of a werewolf attack. He even had small streaks of red paint at his neck, looking like scratch marks.

”Not much!” Cam stated as he stood off of his tool a little and reached over the bar, his hand grabbing onto the other’s messy black hair and shaking his head a little. For the added effect he even acted like he was growling for a moment before releasing the worker from his playful grasp.

”Freaky Fritzy!” Ashtyn said lunging forward, almost clearing the countertop to hug the bartender.

”Oh, Yup. There it is!” He said before patting Ashtyn on the back, and looking around silently begging for help from one of the others. When Cam just shrugged it off and looked to Rhyme-Scheme Team. ”Where’s the others? Oh, Hey it’s the beanie! What’s up Mr.Mystery? New guy?” He asked, Ashtyn releasing him finally. Matt only replied by putting two fingers up and tipping them to the side, but he already had moved on to seeing Pat.

Pat fiddled around with the phone in his pocket, removing it eventually to check the time while thinking over his friend. His reasons for being here It didn’t fit the usual mental image he had of him. Was this one of the many facets he hid about himself along with the Humanity persona? So many things to consider in a life that had been turned upside down thanks to the revelation. Not that he wanted to let anything beyond the shock of the initial reveal show on him. Of course he would listen to the small amount of banter between two parties, Cam seemingly giving Matt a hard time about something. Straight bartender? ”Now hold on here. What’s this about a bartender?” He inquired with a smirk, looking to Matt with an expression that suddenly became far more interested. Not to say that the other hadn’t ever taken interest in other people, but usually they weren't...well straight bartenders.

Unless this was just some lighthearted banter. The blushing however didn’t make it seem like that. Ashtyn seemed to have laughed from whatever they were going on about but then again that sounded more like an inside joke than anything else. It seemed like these three had some secret life he couldn’t even begin to penetrate. It was almost painfully daunting in a way but he chalked that up to where his mind usually went. How long had they been friends anyway? Trying to think back on it left him with times that felt more vague, defined enough that he didn’t question it before it actually came to mind.

Either way they ended up sitting, Pat picking out one of the seats next to Cam and resting his elbows on the bar, basking on the aftermath of whatever happened. That smirk residing on the others face made one of his own sprout of sympathetically, as if it were more difficult not to. ”Feel like this night is gonna be pretty informative.” Despite the anger that might have roused, already he was learning more than he expected about someone he thought he knew. How much more would be dragged from the depths of secrecy?

That was when what he assumed to be the prior mentioned bartender appeared. Guy looked like an artistic mess stepped from the canvas and got an interest in mixing drinks. Seemed like a nice enough guy despite the mauled get up he had going on, even flashing what could charitably be called a disarming smile. Well, he could see why someone would have the hots for this guy. ”I see it now actually.’ He muttered, considering the new face with a spaced expression before it shifted back to whatever universe they were on. Seemingly returning the smile thrown at him, fingertips tapping along the surface of the bar. Ashytn and Cam seemed to know this guy, though Matt was a little more distant in his interactions.

Not to say he wasn’t capable of being antisocial but Pat was just so used to being that one guy.

Oh, even the nicknames were cute. This was going to be fun. ”Names Pat. Nice to meetcha….” The pause existed, Pat silently asking for their name without seeming like he demanded it. ”Like the look you got going on. Really fits the theme around here.”

”Fritz! Nice to meetcha.” He replied with a smile before hearing the comment about his attire. He shook his head a little, looking down and tugging at the under-shirt with a chuckle. Almost considering it for a moment before formulating a response in his head. ”Uh sorta. Foxes are the same family as dogs. Similar enough to fit in, but just different enough to stand out.” At a glance it almost seemed like he was questioning his own dress code at the moment, but that was quickly pushed aside. He quickly stepped off to the side and pointed to the bar behind him, proud of the several tiered shelving that housed several liquors.

”Haven’t seen ya before, but if you’re with these guys no doubt you’ll be in trouble before the night’s over.” Fritz said, almost scoffing as Ashtyn gave him a guilty grin, and Cam seemed to flash a set of innocent eyes with his head cocked to the side.

”Awe, why do you think that?” He asked, as nice as could be. Though all it did was serve to get a scoff from Matthew.

”I think I could I.D a few reasons.” He stated, the comment immediately had Cameron’s eyes widen and a smirk form on his face, mirroring Ashtyn’s almost. Fritz just shook his head. ”that’s right. Back down, Jailbait. Pat… this is a fun group. Though I still don’t know about this guy.” Fritz said as he reached over and started to pull at Matthew’s beanie, causing him to swipe a hand up and pull back down on the hat. Meanwhile Cam muttered something about only if he had it his way.

”Goddamnit! Leave my hat alone!” He snapped as he leaned forward, grumbling much to this bartender’s amusement.

”Oph. Bringin’ God to a gay bar. Ballsy. I know what the rest of ya take… Pat, what’s the poison?” He asked as he began to get a few shot glasses up on the counter top, and a few long-necked glasses to follow. Cam grumbled to himself for a moment as he decided to make his way over to the unoccupied booth in the far corner. Ashtyn stuck by Pat, though Matthew seemed to be preoccupied fixing his beanie.

”Fritz huh? Nice.” Wasn’t a name he would have attached to the male. Though he didn’t know what he would have put to him, so maybe that was for the best honestly. There was something about the guy that told Pat he would enjoy him. Might have been the casual ease with which he talked to the others or something else entirely, even still he found the words that he did speak easy flowing. Fox was not the look he thought the other was going for. ”On second glance I can see it. Used to the whole weird furry tail thing for people dressing up likes foxes.” The images of socially awkward people in high school sprang to mind, running around school with their little fox tails waving behind them.

The next statement was something about the others causing trouble, which made him turn towards them with a faintly interested raise of the brow. ”Oh that’s definitely possible. I’d say I was no boyscout but I was once,” Alright, unimportant information. He gave a small apologetic smile to Fritz for what could be seen as verbal diarrhea. ”Especially since my friend with the beanie is such a party animal.” His smirk then directed itself towards Matt, as if  making a little joke between them. Of course there was a little faux defensiveness from Ashtyn, followed by what he could only describe as a wry jab towards Cam. Well he hadn’t heard someone use the phrase jailbait...well unironically so that was the automatic assumption.

”Should expect great times of course. Just don’t touch the beanie, drives him crazy.’ Pat noted, resting his chin on his palm and eyeing the drinks lining the cabinet behind the bar. Was this some sort of weird welcoming thing? Because he wasn’t used to having a friend drag him to a gay bar, despite the fact that some in the past had said they would. Just idle talk in the end with nothing more to it. Maybe they couldn't really deal with him beyond that friendly, cozy zone they were used to having him in. That was an expected norm for people and their aversion to change. Even he knew he didn’t like change too much.

”Surprise me Fritz. Anything but vokda, I hate that stuff.” His answer came, wink and the click of the tongue while his eyes followed Cam who seemed to sulk off to one of the booths. What was that all about? Well there was only one way to find out and Pat tended to be stuck like a tick once he took an interest. Not to say the others weren’t interesting of course, but his brain just worked in strange ways. Focusing on a singular person when he met them, especially when they gave him an iota of positive attention. Once his shot was placed before him, Pat downed it rather quickly. Despite what it was, the taste always managed to feel as if it would floor him.

”Yeah, big mistake.” He chuckled, eyes watering slightly. ”Think i’ll stick to my hard sodas if you don’t mind.” Once he had what looked to be a Not Your fathers hard root beer, Pat hopped from the stool and trailed to one isolated little booth in the corner. Taking a seat opposite the isolated male, pressing the cap of the bottle against the corner and popping it off with a hard press of the hand. ”Why all alone here in the corner? Probably boosts that brooding charm of yours but can’t just let ya sit here all alone. Would be unfriendly of me.” He said conversationally, taking a swig from the drink. Bubbly, just as he liked it.

The drink was ordered and Pat seemed to leave off with a brand new white russian. It was almost funny that he requested to not have vodka, and was given a drink that was named after an entire people who loved vodka. The drink itself had none, but it was only because the barkeep decided to opt for extra liquor. Still, it was almost poetically ironic. After taking his drink, Pat decided to wander off a bit, following Cam as bit. Matthew kepot his eyes peeled, always on high alert as he looked around. Maybe it was just because of who they were with? Maybe it was the fact he didn’t understand his friend’s gravitation towards quite literally the youngest vigilante. He opted to just sigh, reigning himself in. He was making an educated guess of what was happening, though he could be wrong.

”Guy troubles, or what? You’re here every week, and I still don’t know a damn thing about ya.” He heard someone ask from behind him. The voice was familiar enough that he didn’t think twice about answering.

”Not exactly. Just hoping for the best, really.” He offered as he reached back to take one of the shots that he had lined up. With a quick swipe the small glass was up to his lips and the cinnamon-bark licorice hit at its coldest. This is why he loved the Germans. They could have any number of holocausts they wanted, all they needed to do was keep producing this sweet, sweet nectar of the gods. ”...and you know me plenty. I’m the “Mystery Man” or whatever….” he grumbled a little as he reached across his chest and put the shot glass back on the bar.

”Yeah, yeah. You’re the goddamn batman ‘n all that.” Fritz said, though it was subtle, Matthew knew from the slight sigh that Fritz was slowly beginning to thin on patience. It was understandable, everyone here was either overly gruff or overly friendly, but most everyone who drinks talks to the barkeep. It’s almost like some form of unspoken etiquette. Unless, of course, you were Matthew. Then you just brooded and lamented upon your problems, and ended the night questioning every little thing about yourself and wondering why you were miserable. He scoffed at himself, knowing he couldn’t blame such thoughts on alcohol. His eyes wandered back towards Ashtyn, then to Cam and Pat, then scanned the room again. He wondered if it would really be that bad to just reconnect with an old friend, to try without abandoning everything he worked for here.

Unlikely….

”Brooding? Not me. CZ? Totally. That’s his thing. Me? I’m just takin’ a seat in the back and keeping an eye out for when this place actually comes alive. They come in, then give it some time and I can dance and nobody will even ask for the magic number.” He said with a small smirk and nodding his head. He took a sip from his drink before looking to Pat, whom was apparently here to stay. That was fine by him, though he was a little guarded. ”I’m used to unfriendly. I was just in a room of vigi-uhm...people who all hate me. This is a welcome change of pace though.” He said with a nod. Unfortunately he just kept nodding as his eyes scanned the area, noticing that more and more people were filling in. It’d be packed within the hour. Social interaction while sober wasn’t his strong suit, sadly. It hadn’t been his strong suit since he was 14. Took him a year and a bad-influence of an older brother to teach him that alcohol helps you loosen up a bit.

”So why’d you pick that name?” He asked before shooting a glance at Pat. He was trying to be friendly, because it came natural. But prolonged looking at someone or eye contact just made his skin crawl. So he would frequently glance away, like he was some form of wary watcher for danger.

Okay, he was not the best as getting the read on people but he had a small idea what he was dealing with here. Nothing concrete but the interest he had gave just a vague idea of what he was dealing with. So he was just waiting for the night to actually move into proper gear. Now that was something that he could appreciate. ”Yeah, a little slow around here right now isn’t it?” He postulated, nursing at his drink which hadn’t lost any of the overwhelmingly wonderful sweet taste that he had come to expect from it in the first place. Honestly, he was just going through whatever social skills he had gathered and seen worked on other people. Hoping that something made the other person catch on, join the stream of conversation that could make an entire night engaging despite likely not having too much in common. All it required was a spark before things combust.

So he just wanted to enjoy the night and the lack of questions that came with enough drunk people. ”I can respect that. Nothing ruins fun like intrusive questions.” They were afterall vigilantes, an aspect of their life that would likely not be so fun to be questioned about. Even sitting here his mind jumped back to the detective that had managed to...well figure out more than he would have liked. Almost as if he just knew, though luckily as always he had friends to bail him out of the more annoying aspects of the criminal/crime fighting life. ”Though I wouldn’t mind seeing what you call dancing, since I myself am notorious for my two left foot. Might actually find someone who can outdo me in that department.” A smirk and chuckle followed that, as if somehow it had amused him; followed by another swig of the bubbly orange drink.

Even thinking about people supposedly working together not being friendly was a strange concept, but he had to consider it. Even if his brows furrowed ever so slightly, seemingly considering it before his expression snapped back into the usual. ”Might as well be on good terms with people i’m working with, right? Doesn’t hurt that a good few are easy on the eyes,” A pause to look around the room, back to Matt, then Ash and anyone else really. Fritz even considering he was a person that he had a name attached to. ”Also just function on the whole golden rule thing. Doesn’t always work, but guess that’s just how I do things.” Then came the question about his name, the one he had picked out. Not his first option but it was one that fit far better than most.

”Now that is an interesting question. Went through a lot of other ideas, some which worked at the time and others which I guess were probably not as cool as I thought,” His expression twisted slightly as he considered what to say next. ”Ended up going for something I thought fit myself pretty well. People base a lot on preconceived notions. How they react to you, speak to you and even if they view you as a threat.  I guess it fits how I do my work, a lot of sleight of hand and trickery. I play up to what people expect from me right until the moment I strike.” Wow, he actually made himself sound smart. Cunning even. Thinking back on that concept made him smirk, pleased with himself as he rested his chin on the palms of his hands.

”So I got two questions for ya. One: where did you get your name from? Two: What drink do you take? Since i’m trying to be friendly might as well buy you a drink right?” A serious question and one that was a little more whimsical, in that flirty Pat fashion that was followed by a flirt as he downed the rest of his drink. While his tolerance was not as high as he wanted, it was way better than he let on when wanting to let loose. He could at least take a few more of those before his mind went to mush.

Everything seemed to be in order, though Matthew wasn’t quite sure how he was going to deal with the ever evolving problem that was his friend. He cherished that guy, but he was honestly like a neurax worm. He was the kind of thing that killed you slowly, but you couldn’t help but develop a form of stockholm syndrome towards him. It was like having a tumor that you wouldn’t remove because it was too much a part of you. Not to say he actually thought of his friend as a tumor, but he couldn’t actually figure out any other parallel. Maybe if the tumor gave you superpowers or something? He couldn’t help but scoff as he recalled the concept of gaining superpowers. Those were the very reason he vowed to never work in a group again. Not a group he couldn’t run, at any rate. He didn’t have friends he worked with, he had minions that worked for him. He had those that he gave purpose. Working with friends screwed it all up and only brought about complex thoughts and integrations. Especially for someone like Matthew who didn’t know where Humanity’s life ended and his life began, well...reverse that.

”Fritz, I might need you to do something for me.” Matthew said as his eyes settled on Pat and Cam. He heard the hands clap the bar behind him.

”Ooh! Mystery man needs something? If it’s not drink related, I’m not exactly up for helping out.” He said, his own casual way of reminding the patron that he was working. Matthew turned around in his chair and pulled his beanie off, tearing his glasses aside and glaring.

”You’ll care when I get this place shut down with one goddamn phone call.” Matthew said as he could feel himself burning. There was an almost sadistic satisfaction in seeing the barkeep’s mouth fall a small bit, a scoff as he shook his head. Disbelief and betrayal were the only things anyone could read on his face.

”No fuckin’ way. Of course you’re alive...” Fritz said as he closed his eyes and tucked his tongue to his cheek, his jaw clenching slightly as he shook his head to contain what appeared to be the burning rage of a thousand orphan children.

”Surprise bitch.” Matthew scoffed in response, quickly returning to the original point. ”I need to know what to do. Got a small problem.”

”You have one minute.” Fritz replied, folding his arms and leaning onto the bar with his elbows, his fixated eyes still showing nothing but hatred. Matthew had one minute to make the most of a bad situation. Knowing him, he’d make the worst of it.

”Well at least your name had thought put into it. You see, I didn’t pick mine. But I wanted to do Citizen’s arrests. I wasn’t into the guns or anything like that. I was all about going out there and trying to make a bad situation bearable. ‘Cuz my dad was in prison for a while and it straightened him out. So if my dad can change, don’t all the others deserve a shot? I-Ok bear with me. To explain the name I gotta do the whole “My Origins” bullshit...” Cameron began to talk before realizing that he probably lost Pat. He cleared his throat and shook his head. He never really liked telling the story, but it was something that kept meaning to him. Validated him for what he did.

”Anyway, so I was a big fan of Humanity. Like, he might be a terrorist to some, but he helps most people. He’s a human being that can stand up against Gods. People that could kill him in an instant, but he always makes it out. It’s like that shit outta the comic books. Growing up I lived off those. Well I got the bright idea, if Humanity could do it; I was certain I was gonna beat up the bad guy and leave him handcuffed with a recording of him confessing to his crimes. Citizen’s arrest, right? I never had a name for myself though. So I go out and get my ass kicked. Just a routine mugger. I let him do the mugging and went o head him off on the other end of the ally. Dropped down and he pulled a gun. I managed to get a quick grab of his hand, he shoots one off but doesn’t hit me. Dude man-handled me. Then, outta fucking nowhere he gets pulled up into the air and STOMP. Down comes Humanity with his foot on his back. Crippled the guy for life. Then he gives me this talk about I’m absolutely insane for trying, I needed to go back and be with my family. The same old shit everyone else told me. But it sounded genuine. So I didn’t listen. I kept going out, and the next night… get into a scuffle. Domestic violence, shots fired. End up coming in to find a lady with a gun aimed on her own kid. I-I uh. I didn’t know what to do. Her boyfriend was there. Apparently she was gonna leave her husband and it went south. Kid was a witness, no loose ends if ya end that there. Dude broke my arm, kept goading her to do it. To kill that “little pest” so they could be together. She took the shot, and it hit the kid. He broke my arm and was choking me out, telling me over and over again to stop resisting. Getting pissed off the more I resisted. He had to know I was gonna. Good thing too. Next thing I know the glass is breaking and the guy’s neck snaps. The mother gets a knife to the kidney, a backhand and the kid gets pressure applied to their chest.” Cameron said, recalling everything he could in an almost painfully vivid memory. It didn’t show on his face too much, he’d brooded over the scene so much that it became second nature to desensitize himself. He had to become colder when he told the story, otherwise he’d cry and get hit by his mentor. That didn’t change, no matter if he was Cameron or Citizen Zero. His mentor didn’t stand for tears. Even the one time he saw Matthew crying, he watched him drive a fork into his leg to quickly shift from grief to anger, the back to stoicism.

”I did...absolutely nothing to help. But I couldn’t let the kid die. I had to do something. The police got there but Humanity was gone. He took me by the throat and dragged me to the window he broke in. Attached this little disc thing to me and shot out a grappling device, it pulled me away. Ended up back at the scene of the crime a couple days later, after the police were gone. Reports came baco that the woman was being mind-fucked. That boyfriend of here’s was telepath. I had to make peace with it, so I thought...going back would help. He was there, creepily watching me from the shadows until, I was about to leave. He closed the door, cornered me and we had “The Talk” about this vigilante shit. Then he basically kidnapped me and beat the shit out of me until I learned how to fight back. Said as every virus, every infection starts with a first host, a first patient, so would the change in the world. There would be a true hero, a true person that...just like Humanity, could be anyone. Patient Zero is the start of an infection. Citizen Zero is the start of a revolution. Or something like that...Ask him. Irish Car-bomb...if you know what that is? ” Cam said, answering the second question much easier, a small smile on his face. He figured that would give Pat the chance to get whatever answers he needed from their friend, as well as get a drink. But then he began to question himself. He didn’t get to tell that story ever, did he rant too much? Did he keep it to the point? He sighed and began to quiver as is stomach shook. He was no good at this stuff...

Pat was pretty good at paying attention. He had listened to Matt talk enough to know things weren’t ever directly to answering the questions he had. There was an interesting anecdote beforehand, enlightening him about details beyond just a simple answer. So he listened, occasionally fiddling with the glass bottle in his hand while considering everything that was being said to him. Not exactly something he would have revealed, especially in a place like this but it was an interesting insight into the person that had been given the title of Citizen Zero. To know more about them that he wouldn’t have learned unless he allowed something like this to proceed anyway. Honestly he didn’t intend to say anything until it sounded like the other was ready to finish the whole talking portion of things. It was a far more interesting delve into the male that would have gone unseen otherwise.

Okay, maybe he just liked that people tended to talk when they knew someone was listening. There was a certain liberty to it that he couldn’t deny was just exhilarating. Didn’t hurt that the story itself held a certain amount of descriptiveness that really got him into the scene. Just unfolding before his mind in a way that  Charlatan's particular artistic mind reveled in doing when the opportunity presented itself. Eventually the story did end, and Pat realized how many times he might have nodded to make sure that he followed along. ”Sounds pretty rough, but I guess that’s just how he operates isn’t it?  He just happened to get blown up, there were ninjas and then he offered the revelation of his being who he is with a burrito.” He mused, with a hum. ”Luckily I didn’t have to get beaten up to get good. Well, I did but not by him anyway. That’s a whole other story involving blondes.”

Pat digressed with a wave of the hand. ”I know enough of what one of those is, but I guess I could just get the bartender to make one. Since my mixing skills are abysmal. One sec.” Offering a small wink he rose from his eat and waltzed over to the bar once again. Matt was there and so was Fritz, though his attention was more on the fox dude. ”Hey, can I have one Irish Car Bomb? Actually, could you make that two?” He offered a smile, typical Pat fare as he dug out a few bills from his pocket. He never did the whole tab thing, because that just lead to a bill piling up on him. With the two drinks, he lifted them and waltzed back.  Well, he had to take the shot and beer back before actually settling down.

”Thanks.” Was all he said before settling down, looking at the two drinks with an arced brow. ”Now here’s the part where I say I don’t know what i’m doing. Normally stick to the soft stuff.” Did they drop the shot glass into the beer...whiskey thing or something else? Either way Pat wanted to experience whatever it was this car bomb was, considering his actual drinking habits were a little tame compared to many people. Okay, he was just having fun at this point.

”Please?” Matthew asked, in his mind he had been counting to 60, hoping that an old friend wouldn’t just turn and walk away. Thankfully, he didn’t.

”NO! Are you out of your fucking mind?” Fritz replied., Well, at least he didn’t leave yet? Things were looking okay for that much, but he would need Fritz to help him. Matthew WAS a control-freak when it came to the structure of things. Now it was just getting into all kinds of chaos. Seriously, who does a meet-and-greet for being a goddamn vigilante? Why did Ash have to talk him into that? All he did was talk to Cam anyway.

”Fritz, I need….help...” He said, painfully admitting the truth. Though this was one of the few people he’d still be willing to admit that too. He looked to Fritz, trying to read his face and come to a conclusive answer.

”Oh, really? You admit you need help with this, but wanting to get you a therapist because every night is halloween to you is just too much?” Fritz was sour, a little too much in all honesty. Matthew stopped himself, reminding himself that Fritz didn’t know about Humanity.

”I’ve stopped. You saw the news obviously...Azrael is dead.” He said, trying to sound as earnest as possible. It was the truth, mostly. Azrael the non-lethal guardian angel that opposed the little God-Squad his family pulled together was dead… and long live the Tyrant king whom took his stead. Finally, Fritz seemed to take pitty to some degree, his shoulders slouching as he closed his eyes and huffed out a breath, a small growl beneath it.

”....Fine. But you owe me. BIG! You got that?” He said, his finger right up to Matther’s face. It only caused a smile and a nod from the young man with tired eyes.

”YES! Yes, anything. Name it and I’ll make it happen.” He promised, hoping to God that the need to cash the favor in wouldn’t come too quickly.

”....Alright. Fine.” Fritz agreed before noticing Pat coming up to the bar. He transitioned from his stone-cold glare to a bright smile and quickly took to the order. ”Irish car-bomb? Yeah, you’re one of Matt’s friends alright.” He said as he went to it. Matthew put his face in his hand as he groaned. Patrick didn’t even acknowledge him, which was fine by his accord. He didn’t much feel like dampering Pat’s evening. Though he would need to intervene before anyone got too drunk. Legality was a hell of a thing. That and he couldn’t have the heir to his entire legacy sleeping with his best friend. They would be work partners for as long as they needed. When Matthew was done they could do whatever they wanted. But until Cam was ready...he needed to keep breaks on him.

Fritz returned with the two elongated glasses. Apparently he went ahead and made it a triple order, because that shit was supposed to be done in shots. Matthew looked to the drinks and then looked to Fritz, who smirked his innocent little smile, the venom of malice hidden behind his eyes. Matthew simply sighed as he quickly took the remainder of his five shots.

[color:292b=#chartreuse]”Just...gimmie the whole bottle.” He said with a sigh.

Cam was happy to have his drink, a wide smile as he immediately attacked the drink with a hearty gulp. It was followed by a refreshed sigh and the nodding of his head. Patrick made the comment about not knowing what he was doing, to which Cam just chuckled, nodding his head.

”In the end it’s not what you’re doing, it’s who. ‘Swhy you go for the hard stuff.” Cam said with a chuckle, though he quickly cleared his throat and started to scratch at the back of his head. Truthfully he wasn’t even sure if he was flirting or not. That was more of a statement of fact, but anyone could interpret anything if they tried. ”So...ninjas huh? Heh. When we recruited Drifter, I got shanked by one of them, Bloodmoon. They trained Humanity after he...well… faked his death. Actually, I gotta ask him how he was gone all those years without anyone noticing. Do they got like...the fountain of youth up there, or what?” He tried to offer some humor to pass it over a little, though he brought up a valid point. He then took to the drink and finished the remainder.

”Next drink’s on me. Well, on Matt. I have his credit card, sucka. The only thing I gotta do tonight for sure is kick Ash’s ass on the dance floor. Where’s that break-dancin’ bitch?” Cam said as he started to look around for a moment, looking back to Pat. [color:292b=#goldenrod]”You might have to back me, lefty-feet.”

He lived for the positive responses. Wide smiles and the high tones that came with people that were enjoying themselves. Even as the male began to slur his words a little, likely to become less coherent as night went on. Well they were vigilantes, so they likely needed time when they could just cut loose and be themselves rather than whatever was behind the mask. He also just wanted to give Matt and the Bartender a little time between each other, because he just assumed the mention of him having a thing for the guy was true. Well, maybe he didn’t think it was true but it made for an amusing quip after the fact. If there was one thing he loved to do it it was say things that made his friends feel all scandalized. Then came the mention not about what one was doing but who, which caused him to just laugh. Not chuckle, but out loud laugh.

”Oh you are funny. I like you already.” he said after a few seconds of laughing, just enjoying the concept that perhaps someone was returning the flirtation if only a little. Honestly he was used to people ignoring what he placed out or actually rebuffing him in a way that ever so slightly bruised his fragile ego somewhat.. Not that he would have ever admitted to that and instead decided to down his drink instead, enjoying the taste despite how he would have normally disliked it.

When in Rome.

Of course there was the mention of the ninjas and he hated the ninjas. With their back flipping, chakra and various other things. ”So you met Drifter? Well I guess at least I didn’t have to introduce him to ya.”Then came a mention of how he had managed to be gone for years, which only really made his own brain question things. ”Could be their ninja magic? Only source I have for ninjas is Naruto and I doubt that’s accurate information.” Next drink being on the other sounded pretty awesome, so he had to accept that kind offer.

”Shots shots shots shots shots!” He said just falling into whatever atmosphere that was drumming itself up between them. Why was he having so much fun with this? Well, there was time to figure that out when they kicked Ash’s ass on the dance floor. So he stood up, looking around for Ash once again. ”Think I see him over there. Mind being my right feet? Think together that makes a single functional pair of legs or somethin. Had a joke there but it died.” Pat shrugged,  downing the shot until he was sure nothing was left.

”So at what point do we….talk about the part where this is actually happening?” The question was posed for a moment, earning the inquisitor a glare that warned him not to press his luck. There was a slight sense of murmuring, and then a lot of cheering.

”Hey, not because this conversation is totally boring...but… is this another dance off?” Fritz asked. Matthew turned himself around, looking onward towards the dance floor. The place had filled up some, and there was a clash of songs going off. DJ’s special of remixing a ton of songs together. He saw Ashtyn dancing his ass off, the same combination of break-dancing and combat acrobatics as when he met Luke. Matthew rolled his eyes, looking back to Fritz.

”--wait. Our conversation was boring?” He asked, after everything had totally sunken in. Fritz smirked and nodded his head, there was a tad of smug mixed in with a dash of apology. Matthew recoiled a little, his eyes fixated on Frisk, trying to read him with no avail. His eyes fell away and he let out a light sigh under his breath as his friend got a splash of customers.

”Alright, Alright. Let’s go, KID.” Cam shouted, and instantly a bar of grown men and women devolved into a group of gossiping teenagers “oooh!” and “woah!” thrown out. Cam stepped into the center of the floor, Ash shaking his head.

”Insults from you don’t matta. We done this dance before, and ya score’s still ZERO!” A couple chuckled echoed, the DJ made his announcement. Most cheers wins the round. Matthew smirked as he watched the others for a moment. It was up to them to dance to the beat, and keep it pertinent to the crowds interest. Ash had to go first, of course he was left to open on a stupid and silly song from the early 2000’s. It started with some drunk-up whore saying “Dance” and starting into a bit of a techno bit. Most of the younger crowd, thirty and under flocked to the activity like moths to the flame. You could find a few, sparse older and gruffer looking gentlemen at the bar, where Humanity sat.

”So, I mean… I know I work here...but is it customary of all gay bars to start with hip-hop and flamboyant music that’s popular to the subculture of sluts and druggies?” Fritz asked, having to slightly shout into Matthew’s ear from the song playing so loudly. ”I mean C’mon. Gay bar dance-off...that starts off with Ke$ha’s “Blow”. Aren’t we beatin’ a dead horse? I mean if the cops see your underage friend here they’ll probably say that’s what’s next. Horses” Matthew couldn’t help but crack up, his head falling back as he crossed his arms his eyes glued shut as his laughter roared.

”Oh God. I missed this.” He said, his eyes watering as his entire laughing fit died down, his breathing a little shaken from the hysterical laughing. All the while, Ashtyn was at work. Shoulders popped as he stepped forward, then jumped back in a confusing faux-pas type of move. Cam jumped back a little, as if he actually thought Ash was about to charge him, eliciting a small chuckle from the crowd. Cam cleared his throat and brushed his front off, as he watched Ashtyn slide back on the floor, pivoting on his heel before dropping like he got shot, dropping to his hands and pushing off of the, his legs kicking through the air as he seemed to spin like a dreidel. He pushed off and when he did, he brought his knees to his chest and then pushing off the floor. He brought it all to a finish with a back flip. Matthew had to confess, he could never be as good at dancing as Ashtyn. Mostly because he was even worse than Pat. Don’t ask how he knew that, but he did. It was an assumption. He couldn’t help but watch though, enraptured as the crowd cheered, then all quieted down. The music transitioned from the first song to the next, leaving it to be Cam and Pat’s turn.

”This is gonna suck!” Cam said with a smile and a devil-could-care scoff, bolting quickly onto the center of the floor, he stepped off to the side a bit and broke it down to a focused series of quick footwork. With a little extra flourish. It was basic, but he kept it moving to the beat of “Run the Night”, that Pitbull song. When his mind ran out of what to do, he slid off to the side and let Pat do whatever it was he wanted to.

Okay.   He was going into a dance off and he was totally prepared to be wrecked in the worst possible way. Not because Pat was shit at dancing. Even if that was totally the case, but because Ashtyn was just so damn good. Even as he thought about it, his heart was hammering and brain running a mile a minute. What would he do and could he at the very least wow the crowd that had gathered the moment Cam had shouted? Of course he had a routine but would that really win him a dance off? With eyes darting to Ash, he furrowed his brows and then turned back to Cam.

Well at the very least he was going to see attractive people dance before him. That made the night something he could remember. Would the club have the song that he was looking for? Oh he hoped so, otherwise this would have gone badly but maybe that was a good thing? Breaking from Cam towards the bar he ordered a shot of Tennessee Honey, followed by two more while the dancing continued. One after another, Pat just letting his mind fuzz up until he could do whatever he was planning without any worries. No thoughts in the back of his mind that might have held him back from doing something.

Looking to Matt and Fritz with a smirk he sighed. ”Wish me luck guys because I am going to make a total fool of myself.” He smirked, looking between the bartender and his beanie inclined friend. Patting the latter on the shoulder and shooting a thumbs up followed by a wink. He was sure the other knew what he meant. Because he only had the vaguest of ideas, watching Cam’s performance as he walked through the slowly thickening throngs of people to the dj. It might have taken a little convincing but he managed to talk them into playing his song next. Maybe he did have some level of charisma.

Walking to a good break, he was in time for the male to slide towards him and let him break into the dance. With a deep breath he slid into the fray, turning to the dj and giving him the nod. That was the signal right? Oh god he hoped he was doing things right. That was when the music cut in, this catchy synth 80’s beat that sounded like it fit at the beginning of a boxing montage.

That was when all of the nerves melted away.

I need a Hero began blaring through the speakers, with the singers voice soon blaring through the speakers as he began to move along to it. Moves with a practiced precision happening along to the beat. Sliding motions across the floor, jazzercised motions that might have looked comical if he didn’t seem to be so into it or...well had the illusion of him knowing what he was doing. Not as if he had spent hours on end trying to get the whole routine right. Drunken bets were a bitch really, and he just happened to make one with a person that took them seriously. So here he was doing a professional looking choreographed dance to I need a hero in front of Matt, Ash and nice hair dude.

Time felt as if it were dilating as he continued, but by the end he was dripping with sweat and slid out from the dance with what sounded like a few people cheering and just smirking at Cam all the way out. ”Always wondered why people never use their best moves first.” He smirked, patting Cam on the should and giving a faint squeeze. ”Downside is that’s all I got aside from...well something no one can call dancing.” He grinned, wiping away a few drops of sweat from his forehead. ”How bout we call that a draw?” A small quip made to Ashtyn, followed by a wink but he found it a little amusing.

Well to be honest, Pat had this one thing right. It was a rather astonishing thing, it even made Matthew’s jaw drop a little. For as coordinated as Pat was, he would have never expected him to dance this well. Truthfully he actually sort of envied the hidden talent. Of course he would finish it off with “I need a Hero” and it threw the ball right back into Ashtyn’s court. Pat took things to a new level, so Ashtyn wasn’t about to be out done. Dancing was his thing, and he wasn’t a fan of anyone that threatened that. Which was in it’s own way some form of backhanded compliment. ”I thought you had two left feet!?” Cam asked as he laughed.

”Keep the crowd’s attention. If you start with your best first, shit gets stale. They have high expectations and you have Zero wow-factor.” Cam said as he clapped Pat on the shoulder, rather happy with the performance. Pat had informed him that he had nothing else left, except nothing that would constitute as dancing. He paled over as he began to formulate a plan in his foggy little mind. He started to look around, while Pat then proceeded to taunt the competition, leaving Cam wondering if he should pull Pat back, or let him make a fool of himself. Either one was fun, and either one could be entertaining to see.

”You wanna draw? This is dancin’, not art. Lemmie show ya what I mean.” Ashtyn responded as he stepped forward and pushed Pat back just a little. He looked over to the DJ and began to motion his thumb to the side. The DJ began to cycle through a few songs. Matthew had made his way through the crowd and actually pushed himself to the eye of the dance-storm. He smirked as he looked to Pat and held his arms out, as if asking “What in the Hell was that!?” Cam stepped back and went to his mentor, looking more determined than ever.

”Please tell me you got somethin’ in that belt that bestows god-like dancing skills?” He said, or rather asked? It was a question, but his sheer desire to not get smashed at this was enough to make him more demanding. Matt motioned for Pat to come over.

”Jesus, you guys are owning. But Dancing is his thing. Pat, hit me up. What else you got in that?” Matthew asked, meanwhile there was Ashtyn still dictating what kind of music he was looking for.



”Dude. More modern….Too modern...Not quite...Make it with a bigger urban sound. YEEEEEAAAAH!” He said, the noise picked up and suddenly everyone was cheering. Matthew rolled his eyes as he looked to Ashtyn. Ashtyn seemed to notice him and shot him a rather knowing wink. Meanwhile Matthew began to devise a plan on how to utilize the assets they had, while the distinct noise of xylophones, or a steel drum began to play. Superman by Soulja Boy. Of course that narcissistic prick would pick Superman….

”You guys need to crush him...” Matt said. He watched as Ashtyn blew it up, immediately. His legs were out, and he spun on the ground, popping up into what looked like a butterfly kick, only to cycle himself into a furious scene from happy feat. Every beat hit with a transition in his steps. It looked like the hombres on the streets as he managed to rip his jacket off , throwing it into the air and even using it as a prop through a series of hand-hop flips and rapid steps. He’d done this for years. All those times Matthew made fun of him for dancing in his seat, or practicing with his friends in their dance sessions rather than training had finally come back to bite him.

Pat might have been overselling his lack of moves but he didn’t have too many that would out impress Ash when it came to moves. He blew his largest wad, because that was the only wad that he had. Something that would even manage to compare to the male that likely had years of practice under his belt. ”Normally do. That was just...the product of a lot of practice.’ He noticed the paling when he said he didn’t have much else and then Pat let out a deep sigh. Okay, this was not a good state of affairs but he still had the adrenaline flowing through him. Should have waited till the last dance before he showed off his true hand. Nervously running fingers through his hair, Pat looked around as Matt seemed to join them int their little bubble that had formed with the dance off. What was he doing around in this section of the bar?

”Yeeesh, I probably didn’t plan this out very well but I think I blew my best move. Anything else would be...well not as good as that. Might have exaggerated when I said I had nothing but we probably aint winning with what I got.” Well that was conveyed but he didn’t know what to do next. How he would actually get them something that would at the very least let them save face with this performance of theirs. Sure, he had a nice guy with good hair but that wasn’t enough to out dance a dancing master. ”Guess we could try like a double trouble thing. Mix up our moves and see if it works?” He looked to Cam, silently questioning if that was the right.

That required a little synchronization, something he doubted either of them had. At least not enough to where they could perform a proper dance with one another. Ash choosing Superman was an interesting choice, something he had to give respect to considering his own choice in song prior. Well it seemed like he had met someone that was more his equal in at the very least when it came to wit. This was going to be very fun indeed.  Even if he was going to get his ass kicked likely through the dance off anyway.

Honestly he just felt bad he had managed to fail his dance partner in that respect, because drunk Pat did not care about losing. Which was an odd sensation considering he usually cared about that kind of thing. ”Yeah, unless you got some dancing mojo that can turn us into stepping gods, I think we are in trouble here. Though I have a feeling a certain someone here is way better at it than me.” Pat patted Cam on the shoulder,though it turned into somewhat of a reinforcing rub before he pulled away. ”Either way I think his song is almost done so we got anything?” He asked, seemingly nervous now as he apced, rubbing hands together and counting the seconds to the end of the song in his head.

Ashtyn was good, and the fact that he integrated his vigilante footwork into his dancing was something that was quite apparent. Matthew looked to Cameron, then to Pat and nodded at them with a remorseful face. He had no idea how these two were going to beat this guy. He did have an idea though. He started to explain to them that if they were to be on the opposite side of one and other, but both of them keep moving right, they would always circle. Meaning whatever dances they did at the same time would be, theoretically, able to be done without interference from one and other. Granted it also means that they would only interact when they intended to.

Cam seemed to formulate a plan, thanking Matt before pushing Charlatan off to the side. He discussed a small routine of things. Though most of this was freestyle as it came, it would consist of one pre-discussed move that he thought would be enough to put a nail in the proverbial coffin. All that it required Pat to do was to charge at him, and Cam would do the rest. So long as Pat didn’t get motion sickness too bad, he said that it would work. The plan was sketchy, at best. But it seemed to be the only plan they had.

The next transition to another song came through and Cam went to the floor, Charlatan probably leading before him as he seemed to pull his jacket out a bit and slid into the vibe of the song. It started rather slow, but it picked up. Cam knew it was a Black Eyed Peas song, and once he started to get into it, it was the perfect set up. The improving treble of the song and the increasing tempo only lead to a more aggressive style of dance. He proved that it was possible for a crippled kid to emulate the moonwalk with marching steps forward, but his body sliding backwards. He seemed to have a spring to his step, but the second the song hit it’s chorus he was able to shed his jacket and spin around and break it down a bit.

His whole style seemed to reflect his aggressive personality, though when the time came for the mid point chorus, he had looked to Charlatan, leading him to the charge. Once the charge happened, it was easy to see what was going on. He seemed to dodge Pat a bit before pulling him back and grabbing an arm, spinning him and whipping him back into the crowd itself, who seemed to push him back out, letting Cam grab to him and then redirect the older male to the other side of the crowd while he himself spun out into the opposite side. The crowd rebounding him back to the center caused him to drop down to pivot on his heels and reach out to grip at the other dancer’s wrist as he was starting to spin both of them. He’d pull it back up and release only for him to bust into a series of small rotating windmills, his legs spitting around as he rotated, finally rotating on his head for a finishing deadspin and then dropping into a resting position, a hand on his cheek, propped up as he waggled his fingers at Ash, stood up and cheered.

“Oh Goddamnit! Dancing was MY thing.” The complaint wasn’t genuine, but he was laughing all the same.

“Well it’s ours now! Whoo! Up top Pat!” Cam called, extending his arm up.

Pat expected them to fail miserably honestly. He had no dance moves whatsoever but now a plan was working itself into reality, with the three of them including Matt trying to think of a way to take Ash down. All he had to do was charge, which sounded pretty simple compared to what he thought of when imagining choreography. Hopefully enough to fool the people that were watching him for what he assumed was a dancing competition. A dance off of sorts.

It all worked out pretty well once the dancing actually started. Though all he had to do was charge and was brought into the little routine. His body spinning around somewhat, bringing with it the sensation that his stomach might leap up through his throat. He was bounced around by the crowd again before being given one more spin and let Cam do the rest. Well, he might have done a few moves which didn’t look too bad with his own drunken feet, but the younger male did most of the good stuff. It made it easier to deal with the fact he was feeling a little heady, as if he didn’t mind being spun around like that. Might have been the hand holding required to do it.

Regardless he returned the high five once the hand was extended and laughed audibly. ”Wow, that was awesome!!” He whooped with both arms raised into the air and looking around to the people that might have been gathered around them. His heart was racing now, beating fast in his ears and just making everything all the more exciting. Regardless he took this time to stand still for a few seconds, allowing his stomach to settle down because he definitely needed that more than anything else.

”That was pretty fun. Good dancing there Ash,” He gave two finger pistols to the true dancing king and a small wink before stepping one, two and three steps back in Cam’s direction since he realized he had staggered off a bit. He had to follow a pattern afterall, even if it was one that ended up being a little annoying by some. ”so where did you learn those moves there? That was amazing. Like…..woah ya know?” He gushed as he sort of tried to lead them back to Matt, because he was wanting to talk to his friend.  ”ya see that Matt? Pretty awesome right?”