The Future Will Change

“...I’m working as hard as I can here, Argos,” Motif insisted, “Your father knows well enough that I’m doing what I can. You aren’t to harass me for money, boy.”

“My old man’s a farce. He can’t hold a candle to what I’m doing nowadays,” Argos dismissed the woman’s claims, “Now are we gonna have a problem or what? The recent attacks don’t excuse your lack of generated value. You can still make deliveries can’t you? What about that online store you’re supposed’ta have?”

The elderly lady sighed behind a forced smile. “Of course. Don’t you worry. Everything will come together in time. Just be patient, will you?”

Just then, one of Argos’ crewmates looked into the store and noticed Keiji talking on the phone. “...shit. We better skeddaddle before he notices us, boss,” she alerted her leader who grumbled in response.

“Rrrgh…fine,” the guy huffed and turned to leave, “But you got lucky today, granny…”

Motif sighed as the group of gangsters left down the street. Then she turned to walk back inside where Keiji had gotten off the phone and pushed his small basket of items up to the counter. The vampboy tilted his head in confusion as he noticed her soured expression.

“Mrs. Motif? Everything alright?” he asked as he placed the sewing machine on the counter, “Were you talking with someone?”

The elderly woman sighed as she started to scan the various items that Keiji had. “...nothing you need to worry about, hun. Just keep your nose clean and ear to the ground, alright? Tensions are rising high in this city with all that new-fangled stuff rolling around. Young bucks and their tricked out cars and body paint…”

“...yeah, I feel you,” Keiji listened to what she had to say with a nod, “Trust me, the last thing I wanna do is get wrapped up in something that lands me in hot water with the wrong people. I understand, ma’am.”

Given that being ‘superhuman’ was conflated with being a ‘demon’ or ‘mutant’ nowadays, Keiji was more than understanding in regards to keeping himself in check. Showing off his abilities was a death sentence that could ruin the reputation of not just him but everyone that knew him as well.

As he left the shop and bid Motif goodbye, Keiji lamented this fact to himself as he pulled his items in a wagon behind himself. “Blech…the people of Metropolis don’t have to deal with this. Their superheroes are beloved while we have to hide in plain sight. This ain’t fair.”

While he pulled his items along, he stopped to think about how much more convenient a motorized vehicle would be as several of them passed him by on the street. ‘Hmm…this would be a lot less annoying if I could drive one of those…cars. It’s like a carriage but operated by its own power instead of a puller. Interesting…”

At the same time, a convertible where Argos was sitting could be seen across the street from where Keiji had turned. The young man, about the age of a college senior, wore black jeans and a matching jet-black button-up shirt. With a burnt-orange skin tone and slicked-back hair, the grimace he had on his face as Keiji walked off radiated an aura of hatred.

“Grrgh…he’s going to present some trouble for us if we don’t do something,” Argos complained.

The same female member of his gang from before removed a cap on her head that revealed a set of purple-colored cat-ears. She wore shorts, and a white tank-top. She snickered as she pointed to her phone. “Nyeh-heh…don’t worry partner. I’ve already remote-hacked into his phone and found his contacts.”

“Alright, anyone important?”

“...Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. I smell ransom moneeeey~” she added with a musical tone in her voice.

“Interesting…”

Meanwhile, with Keiji…

As the vampboy walked down the street, he was eventually approached by a familiar face.

“Hey, Keiji,” Sunset Shimmer called out to him as she got out of her car in a nearby parking lot and waved him over. “How’s everything going for you?”

“I’m all good,” he replied as he glanced over at his supplies, “Just getting some stuff for my work. Didn’t expect to see you way out here in Vanhoover though. What’s going on?”

“I’m actually looking to get my comic published by a bigger company,” she explained as she walked around to the trunk of her car where all her supplies were, “Most of it’s based on true stories, buuuut they don’t need to know that,” she added with a wink as she picked up her comic drafts.

Keiji peered over the stack of comics and raised a brow, “Huh? Anything about me in there?”

“Oh yeah, I even gave you a Bat Signal and everything,” she snickered as she flipped through a few pages.

“...uhhh…” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m almost certain another superhero that lives somewhere else already uses that, so you might wanna change it. The legal trouble would be a shitshow.”

“...yeah, you’re right,” Sunset lamented as she glanced at the panels inspired by Keiji with a young, katana-wielding boy half-shaded against the darkness as vampire bats littered the sky. “But it’s so coooool…” she whined.

Keiji simply rolled his eyes and glanced at her car. “Hey how long did it take you to pilot one of these things?”

“Oh that? Just need to brush up on the driver’s manual and take the test,” she replied, “Thinking of getting your own?”

“It’d make traveling through this big-ass city easier, yeah,” he agreed with a shrug, “Just thinkin’ about what’d be helpful with staying safe. What with all the attacks and such…”

Sunset nodded, “I understand. Make sure you take care of your friends, alright?”

“Don’t worry…I’ll die for them if need be,” he huffed in a gravely tone.

“Okay, crouching tiger, maybe don’t go that far-”