Hot on the Trail

Bliss ain't no goddamn Taco Bell.

The fact a bag of tacos rested under her arm merely presented a coincidence. But, if anyone wanted one of these tacos, they would need to pry them from Bliss' cold, dead hands. Well, at least dead. Bliss always had cold hands on account of- well, a couple of things.

Bliss kept her bob perfect. No bangs. Not bold enough- or crazy enough. Not touching the shoulder, but well beyond the ear.  The little black strands touched down upon the white collar of her sleeveless turtle neck and the bandanna draped across her shoulders, falling upon her chest. The dress she wore cascaded from a mid thigh on the left to below her knees on the right, granting differing views of her boots.

"This better be worth it. I don't know who told me to meet them here, but if they weren't on the way from the only taco stand in Tokyo, I would just-" Bliss continued to ramble on in English as she passed through a sea of people too tired or busy- or awkward- to catch eyes with Bliss.

A text came to her phone from a number she did not recognize. "Stupid phone. Probably isn't even important. Probably marketers." Bliss felt a force lift her eyebrow. "Well, maybe not. They wanted to meet me, so it makes more sense they would actually be a person. Like a real person."

The door opened. Bliss entered. "I want these burritos. I deserve these burritos."

Then some bullshit happened and Bliss was gone.

Leaving only a bag of burritos and a hot trail.

Dramos had moved into japan in his usual civilian guise of Mr Tom for a vacation. Wanting inspiration for his next piece for the theater back in New York, a trip to the land of the rising sun would be invaluable for him. He began making preparations several weeks in advance to prepare for his journey to Japan. He stocked as many of his battery cells as he could into his luggage, having to leave his RV behind along with his lab equipment, electric cable and rapier (which saddened him, but flight regulations are a pain). He had also reserved a ticket for a theatrical play in Tokyo, based on the feudal period of Japan. Aside from that he had also learnt the entire Japanese language in less than an hour from a Japanese dictionary he got off of an online store. Though this meant he would have to give up one of his copy slots, it didn’t bother him; after all, in his mind a copy slot or two pales in comparison to new experiences.

He packed his bags with a child-like giddiness to his actions. He skipped around his RV, as he filled his luggage with lighting speed. His eyes were twinkling with anticipation, almost as bright as his spotlights even. His movements around the RV felt like a waltz in action, as he bounced and jived uncontrollably.


“This is a vacation, a time for my mind to revitalize itself, to bring my writing to new and glorious heights!” he monologued to himself as he sprung into the air

"Besides, Im sure there won't be any trouble in little Tokyo" he piped as he began bouncing around in place

There was a good reason for his giddiness (aside from just the magic of Japan). Recently the past few weeks in New York had been hectic, and crime was springing up like wildfire. Dramos’s schedule was full of busting low-life common thugs and criminals. For once in his life, he was actually tired of playing the hero. In his eyes, he was well overdue for a break.  

"maybe the police can handle the problems for once" He jokingly thought to himself

While he was prepared, it wasn’t easy for him to get to Japan however. He was a robot, and one who wanted to keep low. For the entirety of his trip to Japan, Dramos wished to only be Mr Tom and to observe. To avoid the superhero business for once, and to enjoy a whole new world.



It took a lot of money, but he had a lot to spend and in the end he managed to get in contact with a private jet company, willing to take him to japan anonymously with no risk of being found out (because being a robot in an airport with mandatory metal detector scans is a problem).

When he had left the airport it was very early in the morning. The sun was just beginning to rise as it chased away the night sky. The wash of a soft orange that clashed against the dark was almost mystical to Dramos. Like an omen of great things to come from this trip.

After a moment of taking in the morning sunrise, he called for a cab, and as he ran down the highway, he could see a haze of color in the corner of his eye. When he turned to look, the scenery took his breath away. An overlay of snow was sprinkled across the roadways, and the town was a corridor of neon lights. A quick drive across the city gave him the feeling of being in an otherworldly civilization with a touch of spring magic; every building was unique and just about every single one of them was gargantuan.

It was almost overwhelming for Dramos. Sure New York was a concrete jungle and large buildings were the norm, but this was something else. It was truly and utterly unique compared to the drab and dull grey buildings of his home city, and exactly the inspiration he needed.

After leaving the cab, he tipped the driver and made his way into the hotel with an energetic glee, almost breaking out into a full on skip before realizing he was in his civilian persona. Having bought out his room and now only a day away from the theater play he booked, a wave of positivity washed over him.

“What's the worst that could happen here?” He thought to himself as he leapt onto his comfy bed, staring out of the balcony window to view the beautiful city of Tokyo