[27] Prelude To Vengeance (Patreon)

The muffled hum of early morning traffic drifted through the half-open window, mingling with the crisp scent of dawn. Golden light slowly crept across the apartment, casting long shadows and warming the cool air.

"I'm never... ever working with you, Joe. You literally put slavery to shame." A lethargic groan escaped Gwen, who was sprawled on the couch with her legs draped over the armrest. Her usually rosy complexion was now pale, with dark circles etched beneath her eyes that made her look like a panda. Her cheeks were somehow hollowed that she came out as a typical sleep-deprived gamer. 

From the shadowy corner of the room, untouched by dawn's creeping fingers, a deep chuckle emanated. The leather sofa creaked softly as Joe leaned forward, the cool material clinging to his skin as he emerged from the darkness.

"Why are you painting me in a bad picture, Gwen? You're making me feel bad." A small, self-satisfied smirk lingered on Joe's lips as he eyed the worn-down blonde dressed in cute black pajamas. 

"That's what a sadistic villain would say, actually," Gwen said, clicking her tongue in exasperation.

"Now I'm the villain?" Joe shook his head in fake dissatisfaction, his eyes filled with mirth. "I'll take that as a compliment." 

"But hey, in the grand scheme of things, we did it, right? The game was a hit," Joe said, stretching as he got up. 

"That's your only saving grace. I am hella surprised by how everything turned out. Maybe only someone like you can pull off something like that on their first try." Gwen propped up her upper torso using her elbows and mustered up a beautiful smile despite looking like shit. 

"It's succeeded only because you were there. Guess you are my lucky charm," Joe winked at her as he went to the kitchen. After a few minutes, he returned. Two mugs of steaming hot chocolate sent tendrils of warmth into the air, the sweet scent mingling with the lingering staleness of their all-night work session.

"Oh, how lovely of you. At least, you're considerate enough," Gwen pouted as she received her cup. 

"So how many downloads so far?" Gwen casually asked as she took a small, tentative sip of the chocolate. She instinctively recoiled from the cup as the scalding liquid seared her tongue and upper lip. The sudden shock of pain was quickly followed by the bittersweet taste of chocolate, intensified by the burn

"Fuck..." she cursed out in irritation and anger but remained careful of what she was holding. Gently placing the cup on the low mahogany table, Gwen switched her lying posture and sat straight. The sting burning on her tongue and the sweet taste of chocolate had jolted her awake. 

"Language, Gwen," Joe spoke in a serious manner before elegantly sipping from his cup. Gwen clenched her hand into a fist from just looking at Joe's calm facade. If there were something that she had always envied, then it would be Joe's ability to drink hot chocolate or coffee seemingly unaffected. 

"What? Do you want to drink from my cup? Mine's barely hot. We can exchange cups if you want." Joe stretched out his cup toward Gwen in an invitation. 

"As if I would fall for that," Gwen snickered. There was a time she had been hoodwinked by the bastard into drinking from his cup only to suffer. Gwen knew how evil Joe could get sometimes. 

"So tell me..." She reiterated her previous question. 

"Oh? The downloads? Let me take a quick peek. I initially put the phone on silent due to that. Lots of notifications were swarming me, tweets, comments etcetera." Joe set down his cup before pulling out his new phone. It was an android, the holy grail of most folks. Joe found no reason to break the bank again even though he had 'enough' money. 

"Oh? This is truly... wow!" Joe exclaimed, rendered almost speechless by the stats on the AMOLED screen. 

"Now you are making me insanely curious. Just out with it," Gwen urged him, impatience stuck in her voice. 

"The game already has 1.5 million downloads overnight! And the video I posted on YouTube, already has 15 million views! Check 'em out on your phone to experience the full thrill," Joe shared the news, the initial enthusiasm in his voice gradually dying. 

'For fuck's sake, I orchestrated everything perfectly. There's no need to feel overly giddy.' he thought in subtle amusement. 'But, aren't I allowed to enjoy the fruits of my labor? Yeah, no biggie with that.' 

Gwen began rummaging through her pockets and when she didn't find what she was looking for, she began searching through the spacings on the couch. 

"There you are, you mischievous phone," Gwen scoffed as she jerked out her phone hidden somewhere on the couch. Without dilly-dallying, she hurriedly began scrolling through her phone, her mouth slowly widening with each scroll. 

"Oh my God, it feels so surreal," Gwen's voice trembled in happiness, an unbelievable smile plastered on her beautiful face. 

"Just what kind of luck did you have in your past life for your ancestors to care about you so much?" She released a light-hearted chuckle while giving the phone a second perusing. 

"Um, I don't know. The thing is, I've never talked with my ancestors," Joe replied with a satirical smile. 

'But I think I carried some of the luck from my past life. That, you ain't far from the truth.' 

"Of course, you've never talked with them. Unless you are into shamanism and voodoo stuff." Gwen comically arched one of her brows, her eyes mocking him. 

"So, what about the monetization? How did it go?" Gwen asked hesitantly after a moment of consideration. 

Joe noted how she was being careful. As much as money was a sensitive subject, did she think that it couldn't be talked about between them? If there was something that Joe thought that would be the least of his worries, then it would be fucking money. 

"You don't have to be shy about asking that. Aren't we, like, more than that, Gwen? I reckon you once said something like that," Joe teased her, a small smile, full of mischief, lingering on his lips. 

A deep flush of embarrassment spread on Gwen's cheeks, the heat rising to the tips of her ears. She turned her face away, feeling the soft strands of her messy hair brush against her burning skin. She then took interest in the contents of her cup which seemed to have simmered down. 

"I don't remember ever saying such cheesy lines. You are just making up things of your own," Gwen said in a small voice, her lower face hidden by the cup. 

"So you are indirectly saying that my memory is flawed and downright shitty?" Joe laced his fingers and leaned forward, his gaze never leaving her form. 

"Mm-mmh. Pretty genius of you to take it straight outta my mind." Gwen lolled out her tongue dramatically as she slowly placed down the cup. "Ugh, still hot." 

"Haha, you look just like a thirsty dog," Joe commented on her funny theatrics which earned a death stare. 

"Really? That's so demeaning, Joe. I'm a beautiful woman in her prime. How can you compare me to a dog?" Gwen shifted her position, crossing her legs. Joe found himself momentarily distracted, his eyes drawn to the movement.

'Damn, she's making me doubt our supposed friendship. The old me wants out, right here, right now. However...' Joe swallowed a mouthful of saliva, making sure that it was as discreet as possible, as he shamelessly took in Gwen's glorious teasing. 

"See? Do I now look like a dog?" Gwen confidently asked as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She felt a certain unnamed thrill from the way Joe was gazing at her. As much as he tried to play it subtly, she still noticed his smoldering desires. He looked somehow uncomfortable, maybe conflicted about something, and that made her madly curious. 

Clearing his throat, Joe shook his head, smiling awkwardly. "My bad. You are as stunning as ever, Gwen. I really am envious of the person who would sweep you off your feet." 

Joe then tentatively stood up from his seat and left for the kitchen with his empty cup. The atmosphere was kind of getting...out of line. And, it wasn't any good. It was dangerous. 

Gwen sighed in slight disappointment before muttering under her breath, "Clueless bastard." 

"Candy Crush has made about $115,750 inclusive of taxes, just from the in-game purchases," Joe said in a calm tone as he returned with a refilled cup and a plate of sandwiches. 

"What? That much? That's enough for someone to be set for life." Gwen exclaimed with a beaming face, happy that Joe could make that much in roughly a day. And he was just a student. 

"Oh, Gwen. That's not a lot of money," Joe stated blandly as he partitioned some sandwiches for her. 

"Says who?" Gwen rolled her eyes at him. 

"Me?" 

"This is your first time cashing in a hundred grand and you are already acting like a billionaire. What else can I expect from the esteemed sir, Joe Petersen?" Gwen said in an exaggerated British accent as she munched on a sandwich. 

"You can expect nothing less than a billionaire, isn't that right, sweetie? "I'm aiming to surpass Tony Stark and Elon Musk. No biggie." Joe said it casually as if discussing weekend plans.

"Pfft..."

Gwen stifled her laughter. She feared that she might choke if she went on with it. 

"What?" Joe gestured at her with a piece of sandwich. "Did I stutter or you just don't believe in that reality?" 

"Please stop, please..." Gwen clamped a hand on her mouth, restraining the rib-cracker. 

"I'm going to be the richest man in the world!" Joe once again confidently declared, with a half-eaten sandwich in hand. 

"Pfft, haha..." Gwen couldn't. 

Watching her laugh carefreely, Joe smiled, entranced by the moment. But then, he remembered something dark that made his smile momentarily vanish. It was an unintentional memory. A memory of his pain and suffering. It was self-hatred and dissatisfaction. To protect that laughter, some pretty drastic measures had to be taken. There was still a lot to be done. With great power comes great responsibility, they say, Joe scoffed internally. A calculative yet dangerous glint shone off his eyes as the image of the Predator Killer armor flashed inside his mind.

‘It seems that unwanted instinct for vengeance still lingers in my consciousness. Then vengeance it is I shall deliver for my own sanity.’ Joe unknowingly tightened his hold on the sandwich, crumpling it into a messy sight. Rhino had to die!

Joe released a sigh as he swiftly relaxed his hold and put on a nonchalant smile when he noticed Gwen's inquisitive look. "I guess I was lost in thought for a moment there," he remarked, dismissing it with a laugh. "But, it's no big deal, right?" 

Gwen gazed at him a little longer, displaying a blend of curiosity and worry in her eyes, before brushing it off with a smile. "Yeah, no biggie."

…