The rest of the week was a walk in the park for the two interns. Dr. Crux instructed Bliss to take them on a few feel-good missions, allowing the small-scale combat team to tap into work meant for other groups. Disaster support’s senior resident hero got an impromptu break as Lunai and Argalax rescued people from floods and fires. It felt good for them to be on a mission where saving people was the only goal. There was no villain to fight or apprehend. No one to hurt or be hurt by. The weekend came all too soon, putting an end to the only hero work that felt normal to Lunai thus far. Her only consolation prize was the fact that she would one day rotate on disaster support, and of course, her cat bowling plans for Saturday.

  Nothing was going to ruin this for her; she would be cat bowling today. The restless thoughts in her head could wait for her therapy session. She had no idea what to expect when she arrived at the bowling alley. Her homeland had limited access to television and any sports broadcasts. Cromble trembled within her carrier, meowing pitifully at her current imprisonment.

  “Don’t worry Cromble, you’ll get out soon and there will be so many treats waiting for you inside!”

  The cat made a noise that was between a trill and a wail. It was adorable, but still heartbreaking, pushing Lunai to rush her way into the building. The first thing she saw in the lobby was a small arcade; game machines set up with virtual reality gear and claw-machines. It was tempting, but Bliss told her they had a strict policy on lateness for lane reservations. Perhaps if she could build up the nerve she would ask Ashetana to play some games with her once Bliss was done bowling.

  She looked around and found the receptionist behind a counter to the side of the arcade. The receptionist stood there with a hard look and an impressively muscular build. Now that she thought about it, there seemed to be several employees around that looked more like bodyguards than workers at a bowling alley. Everyone looked on edge, as if the slightest insult would send them into a violent rage.

  She cautiously approached reception. “Hello-“

  “Do you have a reservation?” he interrupted her immediately.

  “Yeah… I’m Lunai Hiraetha and I believe the reservation is under Mtsislav.”

  His facial expression changed at Bliss’s name. “Ah! Mtsi’s new intern, of course, you can come right in.”

  “Thank you! Another intern named Ashetana will be joining us as well. If you see a woman with striking grey hair that twists like a delectable ice cream swirl-“ she stopped herself. “Um. She’s an Efer, smoke coming off her head and landed on her skin. If you see her, please tell her where I am!”

  The receptionist laughed kindly as he led her to the bowling lanes. “Of course, nothing but the best for Mtsi’s guests.”

  She entered the main hall of the alley and saw a long line of lanes, catching a glimpse of Bliss at the end. He stood taller than usual, glowing with a type of confidence she hadn’t seen from him. It was the first time she saw him wearing something other than his hero suit. He was in a long jacket and button-up shirt. She couldn’t say it wasn’t stylish, but it wasn’t exactly what she expected of him.

  “Lunai, over here!” He called out to her.

  Their lane included a comfortable booth with a table in the center. A fancy bar sat behind all the lanes, manned by yet another intimidating face. Sorebel was in his carrier that was placed on the booth seats. He looked very calm and patient, a stark contrast to the still screaming Cromble. Bliss looked at her carrier and crouched down to peek inside.

  “What a beautiful little baby!”

  He acted like an entirely different person around cats. She couldn’t blame him, she was the same way. She put the carrier down and opened the door, taking Cromble into her arms. She rocked the cat like a child in hopes of calming her nerves. Bliss set up the lane to start, knowing the treats to be dispensed would please the creature. Pins were placed at the end of the lane and a starting line lit up at the front.

  “We should get started now; I want this poor baby to cheer up. You can go first so she can get some treats.”

  Lunai approached the starting line, looking slightly confused. “Uh… What do I do? Do I just drop her here.”

  “Yep. Put her at the starting line and let her handle the rest. We cheer for the cats along the way, of course”

  She placed the squirming cat at the starting line and she stood still. The fear of the Old God was in her eyes as she looked around frantically. Eventually she took a few hesitant steps forward, her nose starting to flare. The smell of the treats resting within the pins became more noticeable. Her fear turned to excitement as she trotted towards the end. Lunai and Bliss cheered like they’d never cheered before, telling her to stay the course and avoid the gutter. Cromble’s fear of the area worked to her benefit as she wouldn’t dare move from the straight path to the treats, it was too risky. Reaching the end, she sniffed at a pin and nudged it. Her gentle force escalated as the pin refused to fall. With one hard headbutt, she got it to the ground. The top popped off and treats poured out.

  “Yes! Good job, Cromble!”

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  The screen above them marked Cromble’s score with one pin. Her turn was not over yet, but she continued eating the treats in front of her, ignoring the other pins.

  Bliss chuckled. “This is how every cat starts. One pin and the rest of the turn is spent eating.”

  The clock struck two minutes, Cromble’s first turn was up. She was allowed to finish the treats in front of her before the rest of the pins were scooped up. With no more treats, she fled the lane and ran straight for Lunai’s arms.

  “All right, now let Sorebel show you how it’s done.”

  Bliss released the cat and he bolted towards the pins. The first one fell with a crack as treats scattered around him. Despite his appetite, he knew that he couldn’t stop there. One by one, pins hit the ground as Sorebel shoved his face into them. He was a chubby cat, but a muscular one as well. Bliss watched with pride as his beloved cat ate the spoils of his work. The screen logged a strike for him.

  “No way. How did you train him so well?” asked Lunai.

  “It was a long process. I do this a lot in my free time; I even won a few tournaments.”

  The patrons nearby gave Bliss a fist in the air with a cheer after he mentioned his wins. Lunai could see several pictures hung on the wall behind them, many of them showing Bliss and Sorebel winning a trophy. He looked content, like for once in his life he was doing alright.

  “Hey Mtsi, your other intern is here.”

  They turned to see the receptionist with Ashetana. Lunai smiled and waved at her friend, trying to show off the beautiful Cromble at the same time. Ashetana approached the creature cautiously, putting her hand out to be sniffed.

  “Wow, I’ve never seen one of these guys before.” She looked around the alley to see several other cats. “Ok, now I’ve seen more than most people in the galaxy.”

  “So?” Lunai asked.

  “So?” Ashetana mimicked, confused.

  “So, what do you think?” she clarified.

  “Of cats? They look pretty cute, I guess.” Ashetana heard Cromble sneeze and let out a soft chuckle.

  Lunai’s grin stretched across her face. “You’re gonna love them by the end of the day; the cat mania is already starting to take hold.”

  “Ha! I’ll take your word for it.” She leaned closer. “Let’s make a bet, if I don’t leave her looking for some way to get a cat, you buy me dinner.”

  Lunai’s cheeks flared green. “Haha, sure. What happens if I win?”

  “Then I buy you dinner.”

  The glow in her cheeks remained for the rest of the game. Sorebel proceeded to dominate Cromble’s score, as the latter cat never managed to knock down more than one pin in a turn. The screen informed them of Sorebel’s victory but made sure to remind them that all cats were winners. Lunai was about to congratulate Bliss on his very expected victory when his wrist started to vibrate.

  “Sorry, getting a call from Crux. I’ll be right back”

  He walked behind the bar and left the two women alone. Lunai looked at Ashetana expectedly, waiting for her to gush about how much she now loved cats. Unfortunately, that was not the reply she received.

  “I don’t really get it.”

  Lunai gasped. “You don’t get cats?”

  “No, not the cats. The bowling. It’s kind of boring. The cats are cute, but it’s a long time to watch an animal knock stuff over.”

  “I guess it’s a cool way for people to engage with cats when they can’t afford one.” Lunai put Cromble back in her carrier. “People really want to connect with the Old God, and I guess they think they’ll find that connection through Earthlings. It’s kind of sad watching people blow their life savings over trinkets from Earth.”

  “Where’d you get this one?” She gestured to Cromble. “You weren’t one of those people spending what they don’t have, were you?”

  “Oh, no. No, no, no. I’m not even a follower of the Old God; I’m not obsessed with Earth like that. Cromble was a very happy accident I found wandering a planet I visited.”

  Ashetana let Cromble sniff her fingers through the carrier. “Well, I’m sorry but I can’t say I really want a cat after all that. Not enough to drop that much money, at least. This was fun though. Thank you for inviting me”

  “I vehemently disagree with the fact that you are not obsessed with cats now, but I’ll let it go. I’m guess I’m buying you dinner then?”

  “Yep. Let’s do sometime next week. We can meet after work.” Ashetana checked the time. “Shit. I really have to go get some work done. I’m behind on notes and studying.”

  “No worries, I’ll see you next week!” Lunai’s bright smile filled the entire hall.

  Ashetana was off and Lunai was left with the cats. She looked back at the bar and saw Bliss talking to his wrist. He looked tense. She inched closer to the bar and could hear him yelling.

  “You cannot be serious! You’re just going to give that asshole what he wants?”

  Silence followed as she assumed Dr. Crux was replying. Bliss let out a small gasp and a bit of color drained from his face.

  “You really think it’s him? He would go that far?” More silence. Bliss sighed and put his hand to his forehead. “Okay, we can deploy when you're ready.”

  He walked back to the booth and shrunk into the seats.

  “Lunai, we’re leaving small-scale combat next week. I know it’s not time to rotate, but we’re being put on a long-term mission that takes precedent.”

  “Oh, that’s interesting… So we’ll be living on another planet for a bit. Where are we going?”

  “It’s not in the Agónta Empire, at least. It’s a planet called Rengues. We’re going to track someone… Crux has a lead on the recent increase in reality glue.”

  Lunai shot up. “Bliss, that’s huge! Though, shouldn’t someone else handle the investigation? It could be dangerous for you…”

  “Yeah, yeah it could…” He let them sit in silence for a bit. “It’s Placebo. Crux’s suspect, I mean. The bastard may have figured out how to turn his venom into the stuff.”

  Holy shit. Bliss, your life is a mess. It’s one big messy drama.

  Lunai tucked her thoughts back into the void. “That must be what the letter was talking about. I guess he’s planning to start selling it, or at least threatening to.”

  “Oh, that idiot isn’t going to sell it to anyone. He’s going to be enslaved for it. Maybe he knows that and just wants me to come rescue him.”

  “Why does he want to see you?”

  Lunai instantly regretted her question as Bliss stared into the distance. It looked like he was considering an answer for a minute. Eventually he sighed and shook his head.

  “I can’t do this right now. Maybe I’ll tell you another time. It’s a really long story.” Bliss stood up and grabbed Sorebel’s carrier. “I’m gonna head home, thanks for bringing Cromble out.”

  He gave Cromble a big smile and left the hall. The cat was more comfortable with the area now and finally stopped meowing. Lunai took some time to decompress in the booth, hoping the reservation time wasn’t up. The sudden mission and date with Ashetana swirled in her mind. Then the realization hit.

  Fuck! I won’t be able to go out with Ashetana next week!

  Her first scheduling mishap was now under her belt. All she could do was hope that Rengues would wait a few days, lest her date be postponed to next year.