.....
Hey everyone! Here I am again with a new chapter. Although I didn't completely like how it turned out... it felt very... I have the word on the tip of my tongue but it just won't come out. Let's just say that, on my part, I feel it didn't turn out quite right, but you guys can decide how you see, hear, or read it.
I'd love for it to have more of an impact so more people can discover it.
Thanks for listening, and now I'll let you get to the new chapter!
By the way, give me some more power..."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
A filthy ditch where the remains of the previous night lay abandoned. Broken bottles and beer cans gleamed with a dull reflection on the greasy pavement. A few steps further, a puddle of stagnant, sickly green water reflected the gray of the surrounding brickwork.
Near that filth, an old mattress with exposed springs and torn fabric served as a bed. Beneath a thick blanket that promised a deceptive warmth, the sleeper shivered slightly before being jolted awake by their internal clock.
They opened their eyes—dull, devoid of any spark, alone in this world full of madmen. And filled with a deep sadness... Their mind, still heavy from a bleak sleep, struggled to process the surroundings. Squinting their eyelids, they noticed the shift in the light: the sun, barely a filtered promise between the tall buildings, had risen.
With a low groan, they slowly sat up. They stretched their back until the bones popped audibly, a sound that echoed in the alley's silence, followed by the tense extension of the rest of their limbs. Now more awake, they pushed the heavy blanket aside and slid a hand underneath it, pulling out an old backpack—their only visible possession.
With slow, meticulous movements, they took the heavy blanket. They folded it with precision, trying to make it take up as little space as possible, and carefully stuffed it into the old backpack. The crumpled, worn-out object was the sole witness to their daily routine.
Adjusting the backpack strap over their shoulder, feeling the weight of their few belongings, they began to walk slowly toward the brightness that marked the alley's exit. Their bare feet moved with an almost feline caution, a habit forced upon them to dodge broken glass, syringes, and the puddles of stagnant water on the ground.
As their eyes adjusted to the outside light, their mind ignited with a bitter murmur.
"What a shitty day," they thought, gritting their teeth. "It's been almost twelve days... Twelve damn days. I still can't fully process that I'm trapped in the DC Universe. All of this is just too real."
They brought a hand to their chin, carefully pressing the left side. A sharp pang of pain shot through their face, making them let out a hiss through their lips.
"I've known it perfectly well ever since I got that beating a week ago... Shit, my jaw still hurts when I chew."
They stopped right at the boundary where the alley's shadows died and the public sidewalk began. They observed the endless parade of Metropolis citizens: rushed executives, luxury cars, and a blood-chilling indifference.
"This is the first time I'm truly alone," they muttered to themselves, their voice sounding small, drowned out by the traffic noise. "I have no one... Not a roof to die under, nor a single damn relative to turn to."
They lowered their gaze, swallowing the lump forming in their throat while gripping their backpack straps so tightly that their knuckles turned white.
"Mom... I really miss you so much," they whispered to the asphalt, feeling the sheer immensity of the city completely crush them.
. . ....
The immensity of Metropolis lunged at Enkidu. Out on the street, the flow of cars zoomed past, their horns honking incessantly. On the sidewalks, people glided by with total ease or pounded the pavement in a rush. Amid that tide of somber colors, a patch of green hair moved with difficulty.
Enkidu advanced with a slight clumsiness, constantly bumping shoulder to shoulder.
Finally, he collided with the solid frame of a man in a business suit. The impact made him stagger back a step.
"Watch where you're going, you damn brat!" the man snapped, stopping just long enough to glare at him before resuming his pace with an offended air.
"I'm sorry..." Enkidu murmured, an apology that was instantly lost beneath the roar of the traffic.
Turning a corner with a more determined stride, Enkidu reached his destination twenty seconds later. It was a common brick building that housed a gym. Through the glass window, he could discern the moving shapes of people training with machines.
He pushed the heavy glass door open.
The volume of the music hit him immediately—a sonic wall of electronic beats that contrasted with the chaotic noise of the street. His eyes did a quick scan of the staff before walking straight toward the locker area. He crouched down and carefully placed his old backpack into an empty compartment. Then, he took out his change of clothes.
"How's it going, Enkidu? Did you get the job yet?" A deep voice projected from behind his back, without needing to raise its tone over the music.
Enkidu spun on his heels with a swift, respectful movement.
"Yes, sir. Thanks to you, I got the job."
The old man, dressed in athletic trainer clothes, smiled broadly. "It was nothing... Ahahaha! I finally said your name right!" He let out a robust laugh that resonated despite the music.
Enkidu laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Well, I'm going to take a shower, Mr. Rodríguez. I don't want to be late for work..." Enkidu said.
"Don't worry, go ahead quickly, I won't steal any more of your time," the man replied, giving Enkidu a friendly pat on the shoulder.
The old man then shouted with the booming tone of a veteran. "Hey, you're doing it wrong! Young people nowadays always want to build muscle fast!" Frustrated, Mr. Rodríguez walked quickly toward a slender young man, shaking an accusing finger in the air.
Enkidu let out a barely audible sigh as he watched the lecture. He resumed his walk.
"Hey, kiddo, how are you?" greeted a guy who was leaning forward, stretching his leg on an elevated platform.
"Hi, good..." Enkidu murmured, raising a hand in a brief, fleeting greeting as he passed by.
He kept moving forward at a steady pace, dodging the human obstacles of the gym and dismissing greetings from acquaintances with a nod so swift and sharp it looked like an unwanted tic.
"Honey, for God's sake... did you sleep in the alley again?"
The question floated in the air, drenched in sparkling curiosity and absolute cheekiness. She was planted in front of the giant mirror, her legs wide apart to keep her balance while raising and lowering two dumbbells. She didn't turn her head; she simply locked her eyes on Enkidu's reflection, scanning him from head to toe through the glass with a clinical, judgmental gaze.
The green-haired youth didn't even break his stride. His shoulders tensed instantly, and he clenched his jaw so hard his teeth ground together.
"Yes..." he let out in a harsh hiss, locking his eyes on the handle of the shower door as if it were his only rescue raft. He quickened his pace, almost jogging.
The woman dropped the dumbbells, which impacted the floor with a dull thud that made more than one person turn around. She didn't care. She spun around with a dramatic pivot of her sneakers, planted both hands on her hips, and arched her eyebrows, radiating monumental indignation.
"Oh, please! What did I do now? I didn't say absolutely anything wrong!" she exclaimed, throwing her voice as if she were on a stage, managing to make a couple of people turn down the volume of their music.
Her short hair, damp from exertion, framed a face twisted in an offended pout. With an impatient, huffing puff upward, she blew away a rebellious strand that was bothering her forehead. She adjusted her sports bra with an energetic tug, crossed her arms, and began to tap the floor with the toe of her sneaker, looking at the ceiling as she searched the universe for explanations.
"Could it be because I wanted to hire her as a model?" she asked a decorative plant next to her, shaking her head in utter
seriousness. "Oh, please, I don't think so... People nowadays can't stand having their potential discovered, you could make a ton of money with my help. Ungrateful girls, that's what they are..."
She made a disdainful gesture with her hand, as if shooing a fly, and turned around to carry on with her business, convinced that she was the only sane person in that place.
. . ....
.....
Enkidu pushed the door open and entered the men's locker room. The air was warm and thick with steam. He took a brief, quick glance around the place, his eyes scanning the lockers and benches, checking to see if anyone else was there.
As he walked, his mind raced toward the task at hand. "I need to get more money, and fast. But is it even possible...?"
He stopped right at the entrance to the showers, lost in thought, bringing his hand to his chin as he developed the idea in his head. "I have a plan... something like that...? I'll have to hide in a nearby alley, in a blind spot from where I can watch a bank being robbed. Well, I'm already setting that plan into motion..."
A shiver ran down his spine, completely unrelated to the warm environment. "Wait for Superman to arrive and stop them. But what villain or thief would be strong enough to give him a fight—or at least buy enough time for me to steal a few bills before it's all over?" he thought very seriously, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Finally, with a resolute movement, he walked to the end of the shower hallway and entered one of the cubicles to wash up...
End of Chapter....