After finishing my meal I went back to the front, it''s been 2 days and I think it''s time to do what they asked me to do, open the damn cafe.


    There was a simple sign at the door, with an open in one side and closed at the other. I just flipped the sign and went back to my desk.


    Truthfully? I don''t really expect anyone to enter, Although the house has been renovated and looks beautiful, it is located in the kind of place where you can get mugged even in broad daylight. The neighborhood as a whole is composed of abandoned buildings and dilapidated houses of people too poor to live anywhere else. I occasionally catch glimpses of people through the windows, but based on their attire and the barely concealed firearms in their jeans, they are primarily gang members and homeless people. I wonder what the hell happened here, it''s almost like someone tried to demolish this specific area.


    ----


    After a couple of minutes I almost fell asleep but the little bell on the door rang and that means customers!


    Or so I hoped.


    3 men entered to the cafe, all 3 with guns in their hands.


    All three with a look on their faces like someone owed them money, the one in front had his entire face tattooed and was clearly the leader, as the other two stood behind him.


    "boy, yo'' da owner?"


    "I don''t have any money"


    I probably shouldn''t have said that, he looks pissed now.


    He pointed his gun at me and asked me again.


    "I said, yo'' da owner?"


    "No, no sir, I am not, I just work here."


    He lowered his gun.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    " What the fuck be dis place, boy ?I peeped a sign out front sayin’ Ben’s cafe, but I ain''t seein'' no tables or nothin'', so spill it."


    He pointed his gun at me again.


    " What the fuck r'' yo'' selling? "


    Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What do I do? Should I tell them? They''re exactly the type of people I don''t want using the pods. His finger is even on the trigger, freaking asshole! What about gun security?!


    " Boy, i''m goin'' ta count ta 3, so spill it. "


    I''m going to die again? If I lower my arm to press the red button he is going to shoot me, if I tell him then it''s the same as killing more people, he is already threating someone he never meet before with a gun, what would he do with something more? Is it worth it? Are the lives of people I don''t know worth more than mine? Maybe he won''t believe me? But what if he does? what happens when he enters the pod? I haven''t even restricted the items on the shop list, I haven''t even seen them!


    "3"


    He''s definitely going to survive longer than me, What do I do then?? He will know that there is something special here, What if he survives long enough in a single attempt and earns enough points? He is definitely going to notice the game shop.


    "2"


    Maybe he won''t notice it... Then again, with one glance, he realized there was something else here. The plasmids are nothing short of super powers, What would a man like him do with something like that? But is it really my problem? I already died once, I don''t want to die again.


    "1"


    And then I remember people like Mr. Douglas... I was just a useless piece of shit and yet, good men like him, who didn''t have to take care of me, did. This moron could probably ruin the lives of innocent people just because he can.


    "0"


    "time''s up boy"


    ...


    I''m going to die again, aren''t I?


    "I''m not telling you."


    I closed my eyes.


    Ben is going to skin you alive asshole.


    His voice turned cold.


    "wrong choice boy"


    The loud popping noise of the gun exploded in my ears, but the pain never came. Confused I opened my eyes.


    "That wasn''t the smartest move, son."


    A giant of a man suddenly was there in front of me, he was a head taller than everyone else in the room, probably 6''4? He was built like a Greek god with arms like pythons and a giant back filled with nothing but muscles straining against his shirt.


    His hand crushed the hand and the gun of the thug, the smoking barrel of the gun was pointing toward the ceiling.


    The thug screamed in pain and the other two finally seemed to realize that suddenly there was a man in front of them, but before they could do anything the giant with impossible speed kicked one of the thugs in the chest with such strength that he was sent flying against the wall, the third one widened his eyes in fear of what he saw, and I don''t blame him, a human shouldn''t be able to move so quick.


    He attempts to raise his gun, but it was futile, the giant in one fluid motion changed his stance and he delivered a crushing uppercut to the third thug HOLY SHIT! He actually sent the guy flying with that uppercut.


    " Are you okay, son?"


    I wanted to answer that YES! I was more than okay, that was fucking awesome! That''s the coolest thing I''ve ever seen in my whole life, besides Ben bullshitery of course, but I think that the shock was too much because I fell like a sack of potato''s, my ears were ringing and I could feel my heart beating in my chest, I couldn''t breathe.


    The giant was in front of me in a second arresting my fall.


    " Calm down son, look at me."


    He was a stupidly handsome blond man with blue eyes.


    " Focus on me, breath with me."


    I tried to focus on him and do what he told me. There was something compelling in his voice.


    " That''s right, inhale and then exhale, let''s do it again, inhale and exhale."


    In and out Martin, In and out.


    " Stay here son, I will deal with the rest."


    He stood up and the sun of the afternoon shone on him, he was perfect, if God created man in his own image, that image is most likely the one I see in front of me.


    I think I have a hero in my heart now...


    I want to be like him.