by Jamie Hawke
Shadow grinned, popping back up and giving him a knowing look. Frank even opened his mouth, considering how to bring up the subject, when his grandpa attacked again. More strikes, more blocks—both seemed happy to let their moves do the talking.
Frank was kicking ass, but it was taking a toll on his body. More than that, it fucking hurt. Yet, in spite of the pain it put his body and mind through, he wouldn’t have given it up for anything. Not only because it was making him a better fighter and survivor, but because he was getting to see his grandpa again, to spend time with the man in a way he never would’ve thought possible.
During one break, he asked his grandpa about the extra power and upgrades from his other self, and the memories. After a long pause, Shadow gave him a curt nod.
“It’s how Rose and I can be so close, even if we weren’t from the same world,” Shadow explained. “Other versions of me, at least… and I’ve had time to process this, to understand. I wasn’t sure if the same would happen to you, but am glad it has. In spite of the negative associations that fact brings with it.”
After that, Shadow sent him back to training and they didn’t speak any more on the subject. It was like they were absorbing the ghosts of others, and yet they were themselves. The whole idea left a heavy feeling in Frank’s gut.
Thinking about it sometimes distracted him from his training, but there were plenty of pleasant moments to keep him engaged and motivated. Such as the brief moments between his grandparents. A chuckle, a loving glance, and even the occasional kiss. The man he’d known as his grandpa had always been loving and caring, but also distant. His mind had been off thinking about the love of his life, the woman Frank had assumed was dead, not trapped in the past with pirates.
Now they were together, and with him as well. Training him and his ladies so that they’d be in a position to take down this time-traveling psychopath. A sweeping sword move came out of nowhere, and Frank knew the move must’ve come from his other self.
“Head in the game,” Keisha said when put up against him in a new sparring match—this time without weapons.
She was right, of course. Frank was imagining what they’d find up there at the top of the Space Needle, and hoping he’d get his ability to use his leveling-up skills back before too long. He was itching to use some new skills to his advantage in addition to this training. Maybe a bit more balance or stamina would put him over the edge, give him that extra oomph.
As it was, he had alt-self upgrades in all areas and they were working well for him, but since his grandpa knew that, the man was pushing him that much more.
Keisha came in for a takedown, slamming him to his back, and then went for a choke that she got easily enough.
“Fuck.” Frank stood, annoyed. He was about to say something about being beaten by a girl but laughed at himself. What an idiotic thought, considering who this woman was and how many times she’d already beaten him.
Instead, he took it as a sign of what strong allies he had and motioned her to try it again. He didn’t let himself get distracted this time, but sidestepped around her and caught her from behind, using her momentum to flip her.
“Nice work,” Rose called out.
“Use those hips,” Esmerelda added with a chuckle.
Frank shot her a glare and almost got put in another lock by Keisha, but managed to work out of it and catch her instead. He’d have to remember to stay focused, because the enemy was sure to bring it harder than his friends, family, and lovers were.
After a bit more sparring and then practice with weapons, Shadow took them outside of the hideout.
They were moving about in the underbelly of the city, getting a feel for keeping to the shadows. Occasionally they’d go up, work on real test subjects by moving about nearby and going unnoticed—although Esmerelda had the hardest time of this.
“I’m a fucking pirate,” she’d say each time Shadow gave her a scolding look upon their return. “Not a delicate flower petal blowing on the wind.”
Temra would laugh, shaking her head. “Again?”
And then they’d train some more before heading back out. All but Temra, who had to stay hidden as much as possible, she explained when, on their fourth return, Frank asked why she wasn’t joining them—earning him a sideways glance from Keisha.
“Temra’s a valuable commodity,” Shadow explained.
“Not hard to see why,” a man said. He was tall, with a shaved head and glasses.
“Thanks, Eric,” Shadow said with a chuckle.
“What they mean,” Temra said with a roll of her eyes, “is that the enemy has known about my little inventions… used some of them, I understand, to attack in the past, before they had access to more advanced weaponry.”
Frank nodded, remembering the crazy steam-powered locomotive he’d helped take down in the pirate time.
Temra nodded. “And they see the value of my seer,” she indicated her multi-colored eye piece, “so I can’t let them get hold of that, either.”
“Which is one reason I didn’t want you going out there,” Shadow said, a frown her direction.
She waved him off.
“What’s that?” Frank asked.
“Part of this… spying op.” Temra shrugged, then folded her arms, looking at Shadow. “And I’ve stated my position. You aren’t going to stop me.”
He held his hands up in surrender.
“Then let’s keep you safe,” Esmerelda said, putting an arm around the lady. “You safe, and me fed. I’m famished.”
Eating, sleeping, training. The cycle repeated. All the while, Frank was anxious to get out there and take Rick out. But he knew this was necessary, so he put his all into it. So much so that, when Esmerelda tried to make a move on him the third night, he mumbled something about being so into them, that she was beautiful… He thought he said that, anyway, but couldn’t be sure. His eyelids were heavy, and he might have said something about a lawn mower, or maybe that he needed to get back to school to finish an essay.
For a moment he was with Temra, somewhere distant. They were on the edge of a cliff, looking down at blackened waters far below. She took his hand in hers, kissed it, and then wrapped her arms around him. She said something, but it wasn’t clear. A distant, brief memory, and all that remained was a warm feeling pulsating from his chest, that same feeling he felt toward Esmerelda and the others.
His eyes shifted, opening enough to see the stone ceiling of the Seattle hideout… then closed again.
“Come on,” Esmerelda said, leaning on him, hand moving under the sheets. “A quickie, to reward us for the hard work we’ve been putting in here.”
“I… honestly, I’d love to,” he said, then mumbled again, seeing darkness as his eyes closed.
“Let the man sleep,” Keisha said from his other side, sounding as exhausted as he felt.
He managed to turn his head to her, open his eyes, and smile. She kissed him on the forehead, then laid back and closed her eyes.
Something wet was on his dick. He started, glanced down, and realized Esmerelda was down there, the shape of her head visible through the sheet starting to bob up and down. He grinned, thinking he’d go for it, do his duty, and even started to imagine he was lifting her up, fucking her like a lust-fueled madman… when he realized he was dreaming, that he was asleep and floating on clouds, golden pixie dust carrying him across the sky as pirate ships battled below.
He let out a low moan and climaxed, waking just enough to realize Esmerelda was riding him after all, even as he slept. She bit her lip, shrugged, and then climbed off him. Curling up at his side, he was pretty sure she said something about him giving her an orgasm in his sleep.
Maybe? He wasn’t quite sure, because he was asleep again.
11
Training had taken its toll on Frank, but they were nowhere near done. He needed to be ready for the big move against Rick. A glance at Esmerelda the next morning had confirmed—via her playful smile—that they’d fucked while he was mostly a
sleep the night before. He had to laugh at that.
Now wasn’t the time to focus on that, however, because his grandpa had him practicing all kinds of crazy ninja training and other maneuvers he’d never thought he’d try. Grappling hooks, rappelling down insane drop-offs, vanishing in a puff of smoke. He felt like a character straight off the Cartoon Network.
The time finally came for a break, and Shadow agreed they could grab some food from the nearby farmer’s market since their hideout was on the other side of the city. He led them through the underground way to a bus station, where he opened a locker with duffel bags of clothes. Mostly long coats and hats, even some sunglasses. While yes, they were undercover with that gear on and it also hid their swords, Frank couldn’t help but feel like some Hollywood celebrity trying to avoid the paparazzi. Lastly, Shadow gave them some modern money and told them to keep a low profile.
“Where’re you going?” Esmerelda asked him as he took Rose’s hand and started to walk off.
“I’m taking my wife on a date,” he said, winking. “Sorry, but I’d rather not have you all along, for once.”
She chuckled and turned back to Frank, tilting her head. “A date for us, too?”
“I like the sound of that,” Keisha admitted, and Frank nodded.
Temra took a step away, eyes uncertain, but Esmerelda wrapped her arm in hers.
“So, where to?”
Temra’s eyes went wide. “You want me to… come?”
“Of course,” Esmerelda said without hesitation, glancing around at the farmer’s market. “You in the mood for something simple, or… how does it work in these places?”
“Are you okay with this?” Frank asked Keisha in a whisper.
She put an arm around his waist, leaned in, and kissed his cheek. That was her answer, and when Esmerelda took Temra with her to explore, Frank and Keisha followed without another word on the topic. He had to assume that meant she was okay with the date, if that’s what it was. They were just finding food, after all.
Temra paused before they went outside, ensuring her eye piece was stowed in a case on her person, and the rest of her eccentricities were hidden from view under her long, charcoal-gray coat. As much as it wasn’t revealing, it still looked damn good on her. Keisha walked past at that moment, giving Frank an ‘I caught you’ look, and Esmerelda leaned over, an arm around Frank.
“Look to your heart’s content. Keisha will be fine with it.”
“You think?” he whispered, Keisha now far enough ahead that she might not have been able to hear.
“If not on her own, I’ll soon convince her.”
Frank took hold of her hand from the arm draped around him and gave it an affectionate squeeze. “And you, why are you so into this idea?”
“Why are you?” she countered. “I know you get enough from us. So…?”
He considered how to answer that, wondering if it was a trap. “That’s true. And at first, I wasn’t sure—maybe I’m still not? But the fact that she was in love with another version of me, and that version in love back… and all this devotion she’s shown even after I’m—he’s… gone. It says a lot about her.”
“Exactly.” Esmerelda kissed him on the cheek and said, “I’ll have a word with her, don’t worry,” before skipping off to join Keisha.
Frank glanced around and saw his grandparents not far off, watching him with interest. He turned away, embarrassed. Having multiple lovers was amazing, but not the type of thing one feels comfortable about in front of your grandparents. He was glad to see them turn into a crowd, no longer watching, at least.
Soon Frank and his ladies were in the farmer’s market, walking past food trucks with empanadas and rotisserie chickens, a coffee stand, and stalls of baked goods and fresh produce. Keisha paused at a table where a lady was selling paintings, and admired one, especially, of a ship that could have been any of the ones they had traveled on with Frank. Esmerelda found a pair of earrings that she practically drooled over—gold loops with small, purple stones.
The excitement coming from the ladies was palpable, and contagious. Frank found himself watching as the breeze gently ruffled the leaves of the dark green trees nearby. Maybe maples, he thought as he watched, but had to admit to himself that he had no idea. What mattered was the way the sun filtered through, glimmering on a small trough a couple of dogs were drinking from. He glanced over at the group—kind of fitting in with this strange, twisted form of a modern world, and laughed.
Temra stepped up next to him and grinned. “I fucking love dogs.”
“My best friend growing up was terrified of them,” Frank replied with a chuckle. “But I’m with you on the matter.” He glanced over, cocking his head. “What time are you from, exactly?”
“Same time, but different world,” she explained. “So we’ve evolved, developed, but in completely different ways.”
He nodded, trying to understand that and wishing there was a way to go see her world. They were passing an old art-house style movie theater when the door opened, and Keisha froze. She darted back, grabbed the door before it could close, and stared inside.
“What’s that?” Keisha asked.
“Close the door,” someone shouted from within. Others followed suit.
Frank quickly took the door from her and closed it, indicating the front of the theater. “Looks like they’re playing some international movie. Mohira, huh? Never heard of it.”
“Movie?” Esmerelda asked, looking excited. “Aren’t you always talking about those? Can we see it?”
He looked back at Temra, who looked as excited as the other two. Scratching his neck behind the ear, he said, “Just a few minutes, and… I mean, they serve food, so let’s eat while we watch, and then get out of there.”
“Yeah?” Esmerelda’s body was almost rigid with excitement, eyes gleaming. Keisha was already moving for the door.
“Hold on.” Frank stepped up to the ticket window. “We need tickets.”
The ladies all watched with fascination as he got their tickets and handed them to the teenage girl collecting the stubs. He ignored her comment about it having already started and led them in after ordering hamburgers and beers.
“This is fucking awesome,” he whispered as they entered. “But to be clear, if I were going to show you your first movie, it’d probably be in a Back to the Future marathon. You know, considering… Oh, no, of course you don’t.”
“Not yet,” Keisha said, grinning. She led the way through the doors, and they found some seats near the back.
The movie was more fun than he’d expected, even though it was about a woman from Kyrgyzstan who’d come to America and was going through hard times while ethnic violence broke out against her people back home. Not his regular style at all, but the women were totally enraptured by it and the food was amazing, so he found himself sitting back and totally losing himself in the moment. He even went back to grab some popcorn and root beer floats—the latter of which he totally inhaled, but which the ladies thought were too sugary and kind of disgusting. Beer, burgers, and popcorn were right up their alley, however.
It was getting to a part where the woman on screen was going to fly back to her country, when Frank sat up with a start.
“Shit,” he hissed, “how long have we been in here?”
The others sat up too, all sharing looks of exasperation, and then bolted out of there.
“We have to find your grandpa,” Temra said.
Keisha nodded. “And never let ourselves get sucked into that witchcraft again. I could’ve stayed there for days and never noticed!”
Frank laughed. “It’s what I’ve been saying—movies are the best. Even that one, apparently. Shit, I’d heard of J.M. Sloan, but didn’t know he could pull it off. Actually, I guess the screenwriter who adapted the book would have been the one to really do it, but still. Or maybe the director or…” He stopped when he realized they were all staring at him with confusion.
“Your grandpa,” Esmerelda said. “Wh
ere would he be?”
“Since he’s with Rose…” Keisha indicated a restaurant across the street, a classy-looking joint with white walls and a rose on the sign. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they found that place and she insisted.”
“Always was known for her taste,” Esmerelda noted.
Frank glanced over, curious. “Yeah?”
“You saw her ship.”
He nodded, giving her that. Rose’s ship had been insane, to say the least. Going with that, he motioned to the crosswalk and paused, noting for the first time a rounded glass near the top. A whirring sounded briefly from it, and he realized that had probably been what grabbed his attention.
After another second, he cursed. “One thing movies do for you, is set you up to understand what new technology might do. In this case, not even new.”
“Huh?” Temra had glanced back, halfway to the restaurant already.
“Cameras,” Frank explained, pointing. “Ways for the government or… someone… to monitor the city.”
“You mean like spies?” Keisha asked, eyeing the thing.
He nodded, glancing around and then froze. Back by the farmer’s market, which looked to be starting to pack up, a woman was staring. At his look, she turned and vanished from sight. Another curse, and then he was leading them into the restaurant, looking for Shadow.
The place was even more fancy on the inside, with a villa look about it, including a fountain in the middle and balconies on a second floor in a way that reminded him of the restaurant inside of the Pirates ride at Disneyland. The real version of what that was, though. No sign of Shadow, yet. He told the hostess he was looking for someone, took a quick look around, and felt his heart sink.
Of course, if they’d been gone too long, he wouldn’t be here anymore, Frank considered.
“Frank,” Keisha said, frowning.
“Yeah, I know. We gotta get out of here.”