Inside the Starpants & Co. Gym, Faye and her group stood facing two newly signed-up gym members.
No one was happy about it. It happened online and had no idea it was going to be them.
Especially Faye. Her fists locked tightly at her sides, her chest heaving with a deep, furious breath while her eyes flared with pure annoyance.
"Sasha, refund their money and ban them from entering our gym," Faye ordered, glaring at Bambi and Kiara. Her voice cut sharply through the large space, her lungs pulling in a hard, aggressive draft of air as she squared her shoulders.
"Before I made the payment, I saw the no refund policy," Kiara said, her lips curving into a smug smile as her breathing remained slow, cool, and completely relaxed. "I’m just here to work out."
"Hell no. No fucking way. Your money will be refunded. We don’t need your stupid aura inside our gym," Faye snapped. She took a fast, threatening step forward, her heart hammering against her ribs as her breath escaped in short, heated bursts.
"Yeah, we don’t need your money either," Sasha added, she stood tall beside Faye, her chest expanding with a sharp, protective breath that showed her utter disgust.
"Shut up, one-night fling. I’m talking to Faye, not you," Kiara said before taking a step closer to Faye. She flicked her hand dismissively at Sasha, her eyes locking onto Faye while her posture shifted into a casual strut.
"Come on, amigo." Kiara offered, her tone dripping with smooth confidence as her lungs pulled in a light, quiet breath.
"Who is your amigo? I am not your friend, end that shit." Faye spat back instantly, her jaw clenching tight as her pulse raced a little faster.
"It’s just a couple’s workout between me and my babe. I promise I won’t disturb you." Kiara said, waving her hand casually while her chest rose in a lazy, unbothered rhythm.
"No fucking way. Who the fuck pays for a 20-year membership? You just want to torment our lives." Faye barked, her lungs heaving with wild, agitated breaths as she pointed a finger directly at Kiara’s face.
"I just want to get to know my new friend better."
"You’re creepy. I don’t know why, but you and I are never going to be... friends."
"Whatever." Kiara shrugged. She tossed her hair over her shoulder with a sharp tilt of her head, her chest letting out a soft, careless exhale.
"I choose my friends, and once I’ve chosen them, it’s final."
She turned to Bambi.
"Come on, girl. Let’s go work out on the treadmill together... Let’s see how fast you can run.." Kiara said, reaching out to grab Bambi’s hand.
The moment the two stepped onto the treadmills, Faye wanted nothing more than to drag them out of the gym.
Unfortunately, the gym policy wouldn’t allow it.
"Haley, update our membership policy and prepare her refund... Make sure it has no Petros in our gym, bold and clear...." Faye commanded sharply, turning her back on the treadmills while her pulse thudded loudly in her ears.
"Okay. I’ll work on it." Haley agreed quickly...
"I still can’t believe Bambi and Kiara are actually a thing," Malo said as he watched the now couple recording themselves on the treadmills. He rubbed the back of his neck, his chest rising and falling in quick, confused waves as he stared across the room.
"They’re just a clout couple. Have you seen Their followers and views? People love their videos. Their highest-viewed one is the video where they made out on a moving motorcycle at full speed," Sasha said. She let out a short, sarcastic laugh through her nose, her posture relaxing just a fraction as she pulled out her phone.
"How did a mechanic and a Kiara become a couple? What did she see in her?" Malo still couldn’t understand it. He blinked rapidly, his heart thumping in a strange, bewildered rhythm as he shook his head. "The girl who used to bully me for eating too many donuts is now dating the hottest girl in school... and she’s a dropout."
"Dude, they should be the least of our worries. I don’t give a fuck about their relationship. Let’s focus on our own problems. While we wait for Dre, let’s plan our next hunt."
Farther inside the gym, the four friends sat together discussing how to locate the next Beast Morph.
Even though they were trying to concentrate, they kept getting distracted by the gym’s newest members. Who were now making out on moving treadmills while livestreaming it. The loud, wet sounds of their kissing echoed off the mirrored walls, the treadmill belts whirring at a steady speed as Kiara held up her phone to capture every second, their breathing fast and dramatic for the camera.
"They... need to leave," Faye muttered. Her jaw worked continuously, her lungs pulling in short, furious gasps as the vein on her forehead throbbed violently.
"Wow... they’re kissing a lot and it’s good... also running at the same time," Sasha whispered, unable to stop staring until Haley elbowed her in the ribs.
"Ahem." Haley cleared her throat loudly, her chest swelling with a sharp, warning breath as she shot Sasha a deadly look.
Sasha quickly straightened up. She snapped her head back toward the group, her face flushing slightly as her lungs pulled in a fast, embarrassed draft of air.
"Finding the location is difficult because we don’t know where any of them are." Sasha said, forcing her voice into a serious tone while her heart rate slowly settled down.
"Malo, how’s your research? Any leads?" Faye asked. She turned her eyes toward the boy, her chest heaving with a demanding breath as she waited for an answer.
Malo, who had managed to trace the previous 5 Beast Morphs, shook his head. His shoulders slumped forward, his breathing coming out in a tiny, defeated sigh as he looked down at his laptop screen.
"No. Even the deep web has no information about where the others are... But I’m still working on it.." Malo admitted softly, his fingers tapping nervously against his knees as his throat went dry.
"Oh really?" Sasha smirked. She tilted her chin up arrogantly, her chest expanding with a sharp, mocking breath as she leaned back in her chair. "The genius who started this whole thing can’t even find a location anymore."
Malo couldn’t argue. He bit his lower lip hard, his heart thumping a dull, painful rhythm against his ribs as his face fell.
She wasn’t wrong.
"Let’s not bring ourselves down," Faye said, trying to bring peace.. "Instead, let’s put our heads together and think."
Just then, the sound of Kiara and Bambi loudly making out echoed through the gym. Another dramatic moan echoed off the glass walls, the loud slap of their wet lips echoing right over the sound of the whirring treadmills.
Faye’s eye twitched. The sudden rage flared hot in her chest, her pulse exploding into a wild, uncontrollable sprint as all her patience completely vanished.
Without another word, she grabbed the nearest 5-kilogram dumbbell and hurled it toward the couple.
It missed them by inches. The heavy metal grazed past Kiara’s shoulder, the wind of its momentum blowing her hair back as her breath locked straight up in her throat.
The dumbbell slammed into the treadmill’s control panel instead.
CRACK!
The plastic shattered violently, the treadmill belt grinding to a screeching, instant halt that almost sent both girls tumbling forward off the machine.
"What the actual fuck?!" Kiara shouted as she pulled away from Bambi, still holding her face towel.
"Oh, lucky you," Faye replied coldly. She stood tall, her arms hanging loosely at her sides while her eyes dance with dangerous fury, her chest heaving in slow, deliberate waves. "I was actually aiming for your fucking head."
"You’re really playing with fire, bitch." Kiara stepped forward. Her face flushed bright red with sudden anger, her sneakers slapping against th floor mats as her breathing turned hot and rapid. "If you want to hurt me, then come on. Do it."
"I think we should not fight inside the gym, the outside," Bambi muttered as she placed a hand on Kiara’s shoulder.
"Don’t touch me without my permission," Kiara said, brushing her hand away before walking right up to Faye.
The two girls stood face-to-face. Their eyes locked in an icy, dangerous stare, the distance between their noses down to just a few inches as their chests rose and fell in tense, synchronized waves.
Everyone expected a fight to break out. Sasha and Malo pushed back their chairs, while their hearts thumped in fast, anxious preparation for the brawl.
Instead...
Kiara burst into laughter. The sharp, joyful sound tore from her throat, her head throwing back as her entire posture completely relaxed in a single second.
She wasn’t angry anymore.
"Don’t worry." Kiara gasped out, wiping a small tear from the corner of her eye.
She smiled brightly. Her smile lit up her whole face, her posture turning completely easy and casual as her chest settled into a calm rhythm.
"Friends hurt friends." Kiara declared softly.
"We’re friends after all." She added with a smooth, sweet tone that made Faye’s jaw lock tight in pure disgust.
"Come on, guys," Faye sighed. She let out a long, exhausted breath through her nose, her shoulders slumping as her anger drained away into complete annoyance. "Let’s go to the restaurant down the street and continue our meeting."
Just as the group was about to leave...
"I can help you speed up your search." A smooth, confident voice called out from behind them.
Everyone turned.
"There is a way to locate every single Beast Morph in this world." Kiara said, her voice dropping into a low, mysterious frequency that held everyone completely silent in the room.