I groaned, internally and externally. The last thing I wanted right then was some random bird discussing bar fights.

“I guess.” I replied, attempting to push past her. She wasn’t budging.

“What do you want?”

“I need help.”

“Fantastic, can we talk about this somewhere else.” I said, sparing a glance at the unconscious goons scattered around the room. “c’mon, we’re going to my place.”

“Aren’t you going to buy me a few drinks first?” She replied coyly.

“In your bloody dreams maybe.”

Gilda didn’t look impressed, not that I cared anyway. This apartment didn’t normally see many visitors, outside of police officers of course. She quickly leapt onto my sofa and kicked her feet up as I leaned on the door frame.

“So… nice weather we’re having.” She began hesitantly.

“Skip the bullshit; you said you wanted my help.”

“To be honest it looks like you need my help instead.”

“Is this some kind of elaborate intervention?”

“Maybe, all you do is beat up people and drink, it’s kinda’ pathetic.”

“This violent drunkard is the man you’re asking for help.”

“Well technically you already volunteered. Remember the drink I served you?”

“The one that made me sick?”

“Close. You feel different don’t you?”

“Everything looks sharper, I vomited a lot, and my hearing is more sensitive. So what? You’re telling me that was your fault?”

“Well…” She said sheepishly “I guess yeah.”

“Thanks for drugging me I guess!” I yelled, it didn’t faze her though; she seemed to be staring at my eyes. A clicked my fingers a couple of times and she shook herself out of the trance she was in.

“Well?” I inquired.

“Dude, go look at your eyes.”  I snorted in frustration before stomping off to my shitty bathroom. The cracked mirror distorted my visage, but the change of my eyes was clear as day.

The center of them was jet black, with a green ring surrounding it; the rest of my eyes became an off-yellow. They genuinely looked like they were taken from an eagle. I looked to my left to see the smug cunt smirking at my reaction, which is to say I was horrified.

“Okay, your drink gave me some freaky arse eyes?”

“Not just any eyes, eagle eyes!” She claimed, oddly proud of herself. I personally wouldn’t boast about drugging somebody but at that point I was just going along with it. “Not only do they look awesome, but it lets you see better and sharper.”

“So what, you’re turning me into a fucking eagle?”

“Kind of, you’ll see.”

“Stop fucking saying you’ll see and tell me what you’re doing!” I yelled threateningly.

“Dude calm down! It’s only temporary.”

“Why didn’t you say that in the first place?” She shifted her eyes like she’d been caught shoplifting.

“Well uh. “

I groaned and wiped the sweat that had gathered on my forehead. I turned on the tap and splashed my face a couple more times for good measure.

“What the hell do you want help with anyway? And what does it have to do with these freaky eyes?”

“Me and my friend are new in town. She kinda’ got kidnapped.”

At first I was unsure if I had heard her correctly, but after a couple of awkward minutes and no sign of her cracking up I had to ask.

“How the fuck can you be so nonchalant about something like that? Your friend is in serious trouble but instead of calling the police you pick up some random prick from a bar?” I exclaimed, not grasping her logic.

“We don’t have any ID; we uh… don’t officially exist?” She claimed, seemingly hesitantly.

“So you want me, some guy you randomly selected from a bar, to help you find your illegal immigrant friend who’s been kidnapped by god knows who?”

“Well when you say it like that…”

“Do you have any idea how fucking bonkers you sound! This is the most inane thing I’ve ever heard! What makes you think because you spiked my drink that I’ll just roll over and go along with this?”

Gilda continued to shrink into herself at my verbal assault, before finally finding her (metaphorical) balls and starting her counter-argument.

“Shove a sock in it dweeb! I wanted your help because you can handle yourself, you look like you know your way around, and I can guess you think a thing for me.” She claimed, before slapping her own ass. Only to be met from a loud scoff from me.

“Listen, I don’t normally beg. But I seriously need your help! If I don’t find her soon, she could get killed, or sold into sex slavery or something!” She was beginning to become more desperate in her pleas, and despite being a hardened arsehole I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her; I know all too well what it’s like to lose a good friend.  

“Alright calm down!” I shouted exasperated. “I’ll help you, but if shit hits the fan you listen to me down to the letter, alright?”

She nodded, tearing up slightly.

“T-thanks dweeb.”  She sniffled, eloquently as ever.

She took a moment to calm herself, before rubbing her arm anxiously. She looked up at me, running up and down my body with her eyes. Wiping her eyes she stood back to her normal posture and donning a determined look.

“Alright, my friends name is Rainbow.” She said, dead serious.

I chuckled lightly. “Rainbow? Is she a carpet muncher or something?”

She glared at me before huffing and crossing her arms. “No, we call her that because of her hair. As you can guess it’s pretty bright. The last time I saw her was before I set off for my first day at work. We were staying at the motel down the road.”

You grimaced, many a bad memory led to the suspicious stains and shifty customers of that place.

“I came back after the first day… the door was kicked in and everything was smashed.” She whispered, a look of worry washing over her harsh features.

“Well, looks like that’s our first stop then.” I chirped, I grabbed what little money I had left from one of my drawers and slipped on my coat; before descending the musty stairs outside my apartment.

We came to a stop on damp streets. Gilda looked from left to right.

“Where’s your car dweeb?” She asked, to which I could only cackle madly in response. I smacked my chest in an attempt to calm down. “Good one G, let’s go.” I said, walking down the dark streets with her in tow.

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