Chapter 3
He dragged his finger gradually down the spine. He tapped it once, dismissing it, and then moved his hand over to the next one. “What are you looking for Steven?” Marc asked. The green haired guy running the bookshop curiously looked up at them from his mobile. Steven noticed and laughed nervously while gesturing towards the Bluetooth he’d put in his ear before he’d left. The young man’s focus returned to scrolling through his phone.
“Let’s be a lil' more quieter, eh?” Steven whispered. Marc rolled his eyes.
“Fine, whatever floats your boat man; answer the question.” He said in a softer voice. Steven’s face lit up with enthusiasm.
“Well you saw those vampires on the telly too yeah? So I was thinkin’ it wouldn’t hurt to look a bit more into them, the lore an all, I just thought it’d be really fascinating!”
“Is there any need to do that though?” Marc asked indifferently. “It’s not like we’re going to run into them.” Steven shrugged.
“Hmm, you never know, and I’m just interested, myths like that walking amongst us.” He said, in awe, while Marc folded his arms and frowned.
“I’ve had enough of those for a lifetime.” Steven calmed himself down.
“Oh, right...yea. But still it won’t hurt anything, will it?” Marc pinched his nose in annoyance and then pushed up Steven’s glasses that had slid down. Steven smiled in thanks and reached for the next book, which he pulled out gently before beginning to skim it. “I think you’ll find this a treat as well though, look at this one.” Steven held open a book that detailed an historic battle that took place decades ago against Hydra with Captain America and the actual Dracula teaming up to fight them.
“Huh, I don’t know, did this actually happen? Sounds like a fairy tale to me.” Marc asked doubtfully.
“More like a horror story, but yea, apparently it did, this is according to the good Captain’s reports during World War II, doubt he’d lie about it.” Steven tapped the cover that had Steve Rogers face on it.
“Yeah, but The Dracula? That’s a lot to swallow.” Marc said, disbelievingly.
“We do have vampires now.” Steven pointed out. Marc shook his head.
“We don’t actually know if that’s what they are.” Steven picked up another book and started flipping through the pages, as Marc said, “I found out that there was a serial killer acting up in London around the time we were in Cairo, his name was Dr. Morbius.” Marc began. Steven interrupted with a mumble.
“That’s actually really dreadful, but a bit on the nose with a name like that.” Marc ignored him and continued.
“He was a scientist researching blood diseases or something of that nature and then started sucking people’s blood. Anyways it’s probably all just an experiment gone horribly wrong. That’s usually how these things go. Mad scientist putzes around and then boom brand spakin’ new super villain.” Marc mimed an explosion with his hands.
“Not the Hulk.” Steven said.
“Could have gone either way for a while there, he did break Harlem after all.” Marc replied. Steven’s eyes reignited.
“Oh, that’s in New York, right?” He’d always wanted to visit that city. He’d heard they had some really ace museums!
“Yep.” Marc responded. Steven paused, and then closed the book he was looking at.
“What about Iron Man?” He asked, certain he could throw Marc off with that one. Marc waved offhandedly.
“Not so much a scientist as he was an engineer.” Steven cocked his head.
“You seem to know a surprising lot about this stuff.” Marc’s eyes looked off to the side for a moment.
“Hmm.” He grunted absentmindedly.
“Did they catch him?” Steven abruptly asked as they refocused on yet another book in his hands. Was he going to look through every book in the store? Marc thought with dread, and then remembered Steven had asked him a question.
“Who, that doctor slash monster? Not yet, still on the run, killed a bunch of cops too, the scum.” Steven fixed his glasses again while juggling the book carefully.
“That’s scary. I wonder if he was one of the vampires that new guy-” The shopkeeper had been staring at them for a while now with his mouth open. He was just about to raise his phone to start recording, when Marc suddenly glanced over at him. He hastily put down the phone and snapped.
“This ain’t a library fruitcake.” Steven flinched; he supposed rapidly switching back and forth between different accents and personalities could not be explained away by a simple earpiece. “Are you going to buy something or not? You’re disturbin’ the customers.” Marc pulled off their glasses and made a show of looking around the small, dingy, and decidedly empty bookstore before turning back to stare frostily at the shopkeeper. The guy backed up into the shelf behind him, knocking down some books, as he held up his hands placatingly.
“Look, I don’t want no trouble here mate, just carry on then alrigh’?” Steven flushed with embarrassment and shame.
“No, no sorry, you’re right, er…we’ll-I’ll go, I’ll just get these kay?” Steven took an armful of books from the shelf and brought them to the counter, startling the man as they banged loudly on the counter. “Oh, sorry again, you alright?” The man didn’t reply as he tensely rung up everything while being on the verge of running away at the slightest hint of danger. When he was finished paying, Steven piled the books into his bag and left with a small wave. “Ok bye-ya.” The shopkeeper locked the door and put up the closed sign behind them. “Marc why did you do that!?” He asked angrily.
“We didn’t do anything wrong, he shouldn’t have treated you like that.” Marc said stiffly as he powerwalked them away. He stopped at a lonely fountain and looked down at their reflection in the rippling surface. “You do know you have nothing to be ashamed of, right?” Steven insisted faintly.
“I know, of course I know that.” Marc was silent for a moment before he raised an eyebrow.
“Are you ashamed?”
“Of you, us, never. I just wish everyone would treat us... I don’t know, I just don’t want people to look at us like we don’t belong, like we’re cra-abnormal. Not if I can help it.” He said, his mouth a sad, tired line, matching his eyes.
“We aren’t though...normal.” Marc said sadly.
“No we aren’t, and I don’t have a problem with that. I like us.” Steven stated easily. Marc huffed a breath, feeling his heart clench, as he sat down next to the fountain, looking past their face to the coins shinning beneath in the dappled sunlight.
“Me too buddy, but I get it, I want everyone to accept us too but if they don’t, then they don’t. But if they try to mess with us because of it…” He trailed off meaningfully, his eyes fierce. Steven tried to lighten the mood.
“I’m just glad you didn’t go all Hulkinator on his arse.” He said with a grin. Marc settled his shoulders and flexed a fist, his face mock stern.
“It could have gone either way for a while there.” Marc joked. Steven laughed while clutching the strap on his bag.
“I could tell.” He sobered up and said simply. “But still, I’m glad.”
-Cue Song- Brain Damage, by Pink Floyd-
Fun Fact:
You just know there's going to be this one prat... I wanted smash time, oh well...
Also thanks for the comments guys!