CHAPTER 272 BANGKOK
<span style="font-weight:400">“Who are you?” I asked, my eyes wide. The blonde woman was wearing a gown that sparkled like diamonds.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Who are you?!” She yelled. Fear in her voice I didn’t see this going anywhere. Huddled together on a fire escape the traffic below us was convoluted. Horns ring I didn’t know where the hell we were or honestly who I was.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“There they are!” A voice yelled from above. The woman and I looked up to see a man leaning over the roof. He pulled a handgun out and pointed it down at us.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Let’s go!” The woman and I said as one. She began running down the fire escape as bullets were fired down at us. More men showed up and began firing as I followed behind her. The gunfire ceased as one of the men jumped down and began chasing after us.
<span style="font-weight:400">We got to thedder at the bottom. Pulling hard at it the strange woman couldn’t get it to drop down. I grabbed on and with a simple push it dropped down. “Thanks,” she mumbled as she began moving down the rungs. I followed as the first bad guy got to thending just above us. Moving down as fast as I could, more gunfire sounded from above. Cursing, I jumped the 15 feet down. Landing easily I wasn’t sure what the hell was going on as men yelled at us from down the alley.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Come on,” I said, grabbing her hand. Pulling her along she yelped but didn’t fight me.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why am I wearing a ball gown?!” She yelled, her legs struggling to move in the dress. She grabbed the side of the long bottom and ripped it apart so she had a wider stride.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No fucking idea,” I said. “I’m more worried about these guys,” I said pointing at more mening at us from this end of the alley as well. Kicking in a door with ease the woman followed me as we pushed through packed together tables of a diner. Patrons cursed at us but I pushed through, uncaring as men began to yell behind us. <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where are we going?!” She yelled as we ran out the door. One of the men that had ran in the alley came up to us pointing a weapon. My body acted on instinct, moving to the side as he fired a bullet I pushed the weapon away as I kicked his feet out from under him. His body twisting his headnded hard against the concrete sidewalk.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No clue!” I yelled back. “Just run!” I said unsure how I had moved so fast. She didn’t need to be told twice. Arge crowd of people ahead we ran into them. Pushing our way through as men continued to chase after us.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">The woman’s high heel shoe broke and she tripped. Without hesitating I picked her up and threw her on my back. She didn’tin as shetched on in a piggyback ride. I moved us through the crowd but then noticed men breathing heavily in front of us. Twisting to the side I ran into the street. My powerful legs jumped up to the roof of a car easily. It was moving slowly in the traffic so I jumped to the roof of another.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Keep going!” The woman yelled from my back. I nodded and continued jumping from roof to roof until I was on the other side of the street. More horns red as the men tried to cross but I kept running. Unsure how I was so strong I made my stride longer and ran on the balls of my feet, gaining speed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Another crowd ahead I jumped to the roof of a parked car and began running along a line of them until we were passed therge group. Moving to the sidewalk again the woman whispered, “That way.” Pointing I followed her lead. Jumping around people to cars to kicking over men on scooters I followed her directions until she ordered, “In there.” Nodding, I kicked the door in and we found ourselves in a closed business.
<span style="font-weight:400">Dust on nket covered objects she slid off my back as I breathed in and out. “How the hell did you move so fast?” She asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m as lost as you,dy. I don’t even remember who I am,” I said. Looking her up and down she was quite a beautiful woman. Her gown showed no cleavage but her eyes sparkled as if she was excited by all this. “Do you?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I…think so?” She asked. Her eyelids closed together hard as if she was thinking. “Mary, maybe?” She asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">I tried to think back as well. Trying to remember anything about who I was. “I’m um William?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Okay, nice to meet you Will,” she said. “Thanks for…whatever you did back there.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Uh yeah, I’m not sure how I did all that either,” I said. “What’s thest thing you remember?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nothing,” she said after a moment. “I know we are…somewhere. And quirks are a thing.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Right, quirks,” I said. “Maybe I have a strong body because of a quirk I have.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“That makes sense,” she said, nodding. “Do I have one?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You could. How do you use it?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s supposed to just happen,” she said looking at her hands. “Fuck! What happened to us?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“We need to stop asking that,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I’m guessing you’re like my wife or something.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wife?” She asked, confused. “You’re a little young to be my husband.” I frowned at her. Moving to a window I looked at my reflection. I had unruly ck hair, a chiseled jaw, and was about 20 years younger than I expected.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why am I so young?” I asked. “I should be older.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You should?” She asked, stepping up as she looked at her reflection too. “Why am I blonde?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why am in a suit?” I asked, looking down to my body. Feeling around I went into my pockets. Digging around I found a stack of money I didn’t recognize. “What the hell.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s the Thai Baht,” Mary said, grabbing the stack of money. “It’s used in Thand.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Okay yeah, I think I’ve seen a movie about that ce,” I said looking out the window. “Isn’t it supposed to be mostly like farnd?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“This is Bangkok,” she said in amazement.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“How can you tell?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know, I just know,” she said.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fuck, we were Hangovered,” I said as a memory came to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?” She asked, confused.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hangovered, in Bangkok…the second one,” I said. “How do you not know this? A group of guys go to Bangkok and lose their memories. Then they spend the whole movie trying to figure out what happened.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said. <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Seriously? It was kind of a good movie,” I said. She shrugged and tried to find something on her person, but her gown had no pockets. Frowning I dug through more of my pockets but there was nothing.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What should we do?” She asked nervously.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Honestly we should try to grab one of those guys that were chasing us,” I said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“They have guns,” she said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know, I feel pretty strong,” I said, flexing my muscles. As I did the sleeve of my jacket ripped from the simple flex. “Fuck,” I said taking the jacket off.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Dang, you are strong,” she said, her eyes wide as I revealed the white shirt underneath. The white shirt was ripped as well. Unbuttoning it I found I was wearing a muscle shirt underneath. My muscles were way bigger than I felt they should be. Lifting up my shirt I revealed six-pack abs.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe you are my husband,” Mary said, stepping up. Touching my abs I chuckled. Looking up at her we locked eyes for a moment. Some tension between us she turned away as she blushed. I smiled wide and threw the jacket at her.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wear this,” I said. “Little less conspicuous than your ball gown.” She nodded while putting it on. The wide ck jacket wrapped around her shoulders she was still blushing. Then her face turned to the right.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey,” she said, digging into the pocket of the jacket. “A keycard.” She pulled out a small keycard that read, ‘Skyview Hotel.’ “A clue.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Great job there, Velma,” I said. “Let’s get a cab and have them take us.” I looked out therge ss window to see more than a few. “Can you speak Taiwanese?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s Thai,” she corrected. “And no.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fuck, think they’ll know English?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You know English?” Mary asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“We are speaking English,” I said slowly.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, we are speaking Japanese,” she said angrily.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No we aren’t,” I said quickly.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, we most certainly are,” she said. <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“How is your name Mary if we aren’t speaking English?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">She frowned. “I don’t know. It sounded right, but now I’m not sure.” She had a worried look on her face. I decided to stop questioning her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fuck, my mind is all messed up,” I said. “Speakingnguages I don’t even know.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well let’s go,” she said, grabbing the money. We walked out and she hailed one of the less murderer looking taxis.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where to?” The man asked in perfect English.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Skyview hotel,” I said. He nodded and headed into traffic.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m surprised he knew Japanese,” Mary said.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, we spoke English,” I said. <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You most certainly did not, I know some English,” she said.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Whatever,” I said growing worried why my mind was ying tricks on me. “Let’s just get there and figure it out.” She quieted and we sat back in the seat. Traffic all around us I had no idea what was going on. Where we were, who I was, nothing. I was getting worried that I could be stuck this way.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s okay,” Mary said, putting her hand on my bouncing knee. I looked up into her eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You think?” I asked, chewing on my lip.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sure,” she said leaning into me a little. I sighed, leaning back I put my arm over her shoulder. She didn’t fight it, moving into me more she rested her head on my chest. I could smell lcs from her perfume as she rxed into me more. The sounds of traffic dimmed a little as I pulled her closer. It almost felt natural to have her leaning into me.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her breathing quieted and it wasn’t long until she was asleep. I wanted to join her, but in an unfamiliar ce I wasn’t sure how safe it was. Letting her rest I stroked her hair as my eyes scanned everywhere.
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">We got to a more luxurious part of town. The traffic was just as bad but we eventually got to the hotel. “Time to go,” I whispered. Mary jerked awake. Looking around she noticed me and sighed a little.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“How long was I out?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“A half hour,” I said. “Come on, pay the man.” She nodded and pulled some money from the inner pocket. I stepped out of the cab and opened her door. She smiled up at me, taking my hand as we walked up the steps to the hotel. The ce was rather busy. Many tourists, they wore a range of Hawaiian shirts to suits and ties. We walked up to a receptionist and mmed the keycard on the counter.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“We seem to have forgotten our room number, can you tell us which room is ours?” Mary asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course,” the young girl said. Swiping the card she typed into herputer. “Mr. and Mrs. Ishio, correct?” The receptionist asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Uh yes,” Mary said. “Which room is ours exactly?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Room 801,” she said, handing the keycard back.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you,” Mary said, taking it. We eyed one another and headed off to the elevator.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Told you we were married,” I said with a wide smile.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe you’re right,” she said. “Maybe this is our honeymoon.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Honeymoon? In Bangkok?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It can be a very beautiful city,” she said.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Been here a lot?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I think so. This ce feels familiar,” she admitted as we got into the elevator.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“If you say so,” I said. “What the hell were we doing out in the slums? Shouldn’t we be like fucking all the time in our room?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Mary blushed deeply. “God you’re crass. I can’t believe I married a guy like you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sure my body makes up for whatever deficiencies my personality has,” I said with augh.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I bet,” she said as the door dinged. Getting off the elevator we followed signs until we were at room 801. Walking into the room, it was muchrger than I expected. A suite, there was a small kitchen to the side and a sitting room. Mary and I walked in and began searching the ce. Mary headed to a room but I noticed another room opposite. Walking in I found men’s clothes syed on the bed.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Digging through a suitcase I found a passport and more IDs. All the IDs had my face on them, but different names.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shin Togota,” I said as I walked into the main sitting room. “Or Weston Watanabe?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?” Mary asked from the other bedroom.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“One of those 2 is my real name,” I said. “I think it’s Weston. That sounds right.” I read the name over and over. “Where the hell did Watanabee from though,” I mumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I think I’m a hero,” Mary said,ing out of her room. She presented me a card that said, ‘Hero License.’ Next to it was a picture of her with long ck hair and the name Midnight.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Midnight? But you’re blonde,” I said. She grabbed her hair and pulled it down to reveal she was actually wearing a wig. “What the hell?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I think we might be like super hero spies or something,” she said quickly. I looked through the wallet more until I found my own Hero License.
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I have a Provisional Hero License,” I said. “What the hell does Provisional mean?”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Temporary,” she said. “Maybe you’re like an outside contractor or something.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Who knows, still doesn’t exin what we are doing here,” I said, throwing the IDs to the coffee table. “I’m either a 16 year old kid, or a 24 year old man.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“You look more 24,” she said sitting down next to me on the couch.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thanks,” I said, my hands going to my head. “What now, Midnight?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know,” she said, yawning. “I feel better after my nap. But I keep getting so tired.” I yawned as well.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fuck,” I said shaking my head as I tried to stay awake. “So sleepy all of a sudden.”
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Midnight nodded. “Let’s just go to bed, husband,” she said tiredly. I nodded, grabbing her hand we walked into her room. Laying down on the bed she cuddled up to me and before I knew it I was out.