Back at his apartment, happy that he could now finally relax for a moment, not needing to worry about any vampires, temples, mafia or kids being abducted; only what would be in the fridge for him to eat, hoping some pizza would be left over. As he opened the door, seventeen flashed from the light inside.
The familiar sound of the TV was on; Norbert saw Jack sitting there, half a pizza sitting on the table, a plate near Jack with only crumbs and sauce marks left.
Walking through his room, Norbert placed his items down, seeing it was the same as when he left it. He took his socks off and headed into the bathroom. Opening the water for the shower, Norbert let it get slightly warm before hiking up his pants and stepping in.
He sighed in relief as he moved about his toes, feeling them getting cleaned from the runs and flights he was just on. Obsius hopped off his shoulder and landed on the ground next to his feet. Going into the water, the bird also washed itself, fluttering around and playing around in the shower.
After several minutes, happy they were both cleaner, Norbert turned off the water, stepped onto the foot mat and carried Obsius over to the sink. Placing the bird on the hand towel, Norbert slowly and carefully dried it off, careful not to damage or ruffle the feathers.
Looking around in the cabinets under the sink, Norbert pulled out his prize, Sarah's hairdryer. Plugging it into the power point and flicking the switch, Norbert heard the device roar to life.
Holding his hand into the wind, Norbert felt as it warmed up, ensuring it didn't get too hot or blow too hard. After flicking the settings around and being happy with them, Norbert aimed the hair dryer at Obsius, the bird facing directly at the wind, raising its wings one at a time so it could be adequately dried. Spinning around, Obsius chirped at Norbert, turning off the hair dryer and putting it back.
Norbert, now feeling the bird be nice and warm Norbert, picked her up once again, placing the bird on his head as he turned the light off, heading towards the kitchen table, the pizza waiting for them.
Sitting down, Norbert opened the box, the cold half-eaten pizza. Moving to the kitchen, Norbert took a plate, moving the slices over and placing them in the microwave to warm up again.
"So, how was the trip?" Jack asked Norbert, the microwave humming in the background.
"Was ok, found what I needed and all wrapped up. Though something extra did come over, so who knows when I'll be spirited away." Norbert replied.
Jack just stared at him. "Did you really?" he asked.
Norbert just smiled, the beep of the microwave turning him around. Opening the door, steam came out as he picked up the plate and headed over to the table; Obsius jumped off his head and next to the plate.
While ripping the pizzas apart, Norbert put several pieces on the pizza box, letting them cool off for Obsius. Taking up a pizza slice, Norbert started eating through all of it. With the two of them finishing, Norbert cleaned up the mess he and Obsius made.
Once finished, Norbert looked at the screen, seeing it was an old movie.
"I'm feeling a bit out of it; going to hit the hay early tonight," Norbert responded.
Jack just raised his hand in a wave in response, not taking his eyes away from the movie. Heading into the bathroom again, Norbert washed himself up, the shower steaming up and picking up Obsius, washing the pizza crumbs and sauce off the bird, making sure not to get the bird too wet.
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Both now properly cleaned, Norbert headed to his room, leaving the light off as he landed on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, Obsius chirped next to him on the pillow.
"Just wanted a break, arrange my thoughts for the next day," Norbert responded to Obsius.
The bird chirped again, Norbert looking away. "Just wanted a bit of space, that's all," Norbert replied, knowing he was getting a grilling just now in the conversation.
"Yeah, I know it's been a bit of time, but for him, it's only been a couple of days," Norbert responded, trying to explain himself.
Obsius, standing up, chirped back at him.
"So that's what it's about. You just wanted to play with him. For acting like a woman, you sure do act like a child sometimes." Norbert responded.
Rolling back around, Norbert let Obsius rattle in his ear all the things he should have done better. Putting his head under the pillow, Norbert waited for Obsius to stop before taking his head out from under the pillow. The bird fell asleep next to him, finally at peace.
His phone light flashed next to him. Picking it up, Norbert saw it was a text from a random number. Spinning around on his stomach, unlocking his phone, Norbert read it.
"Dear Norbert, I hope this doesn't come at an inconvenient time. You are probably just lying in bed, wondering what you will tell your friends and family. Well, worry not because you can say you have a new job. Aren't I just a genius?
Anyway, this Friday night, meet me at the location pinged, regards Count von Count." Norbert reread the text and the link.
Placing his phone back down, he heard it vibrate again; picking it back up, Norbert read the text, "PS, bring your mask; you don't need an overnight bag."
Putting it back down, Norbert heard it vibrate again; leaving it, he turned to face the ceiling, wondering what Count von Count would want him to do next. Or a Solution, for that matter.
***
"See you, Jack. New job needing me to do stuff out of town." Norbert responded as the door closed behind him. Jack just stared at him, mouth agape.
"What is he doing out at this time?" Jack spoke to himself.
Norbert rushed through, being late for his meeting, now wanting to get on the wrong side of a Solution before the solution would be his extermination.
Running for the bus, hopping on as the doors closed, the sun has set. Looking at the nearly empty bus. Scanning the seats, Norbert just stared at the passenger in the back seat in the middle. Waving at Norbert, in a shirt with a vampire printed on it, written in white, the words "Halloween is Fang-Tastic."
Walking up the bus, Norbert sat down next to Count von Count.
"So, what was the point of you sending me the playground location if we were just going to meet on the bus?" Norbert asked him.
"Well, we are going to the playground. I just wanted to see your reaction to seeing me. Warms my dead heart." Count von Count replied, holding his hand to his chest, wiping an invisible tear with his finger, flicking it off as he wrapped a shoulder around Norbert.
"So, anything for a bite?" Count von Count asked him; opening his mouth, Norbert saw the canines expanding with the vampire's jaw.
Norbert pushed the vampire back, who just laughed in response. Coming back next to him, the vampire spoke quietly so nobody else on the bus could hear, "Reports of a large dog wandering around those parts. People have been injured by it."
Norbert just nodded in response. When Count von Count didn't provide any more, Norbert said, "So, there is a dog. What does that have to do with us?"
"Ahh, great thinking, Watson; the reason is that the wounds have been infected with a similar black spot found on someone given to them in a certain jungle." The vampire responded.
"But that's just due to someone taking an artefact, nothing more and not by a creature," Norbert said.
"But, what if, and this is an if, someone purposefully took it to weaponise it for the future and is using it here as a test case." Count von Count replied, tapping the temple of his head. "Just think about it." He continued.
Norbert opened his mouth before closing it again. Nodding in confirmation, he shut his mouth, not wanting to annoy the vampire or get taunted by 'Sherlock' any more.
He thought back to the village and the strange behaviour of the villagers and the mention of war from Count von Count, having heard nothing about the sort since. The only thing he could think about being teased by people that he still didn't know about was the tournament was going to be about, just that two different groups had recruited him without having information about it.
As the bus rumbled forward, getting closer and closer to their destination, the lights on the streets came on. People were coming off and on the bus; slowly, as the night wore on, it was getting emptier and emptier until the only two people on the bus were Norbert and the driver.