Hoodwinked

7: Melted ice cream and the warm glow of the sunset

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You button your shirt, silently dreading what was about to happen in a few minutes. You sigh.

That library meet up with that nerd Hunter was about two weeks ago. You had been 'studying' in the library every day since then, sitting in the same spot, all day.
He never showed.
You had given up on ever seeing him again, and focused your attention to different, more important things.
You had finished making the Abomaton 3.0 with your father. He even let you use the blowtorch a couple times! It did end up burning you, and you were banned from the workshop for a few days, but it wasn't that bad. Hurt a little, but Emira patched it up the best she could.
Then, when you had just finished putting the ointment on your hand, Mother approached you, with the news that another show was gonna take place that night and you had to 'help her with the demonstration'. You can tell she meant 'get beaten up by your very own creation you helped make', though.
You glance up at your vanity, the mirror a little dirty. Your hair is perfectly brushed and styled, and you have your signature perfume on.
It was a damn shame you were about to get flattened by your own creation in front of a hundred people onstage, because you looked hot.
"You're on in a minute, dearie," came your mother's voice behind you. She had on her silk violet shirt and her white waistcoat, looking as perfect as ever. You don't reply.
"Oh, and a little word before the curtains open." she says, smiling at you from the mirror. You avoid her gaze.
"The Emperor's Coven sent a representative to watch. Ever since they've sponsored us, our sales have been through the roof!"
"Cool." you mutter.
You see her smile drop. "If you do anything, absolutely anything to mess up the show, I will personally see to it that your friends are expelled from Hexside and are unable to enroll in any other school. Understood?"
"Understood." you say quietly, but you weren't phased by the threat. How could you fuck up? Why would you? Anyways, this was the same exact threat she used against Amity. She really said reuse, reduce, recycle.
"Now, quick!" she ushered you to your father, who looked as disinterested as possible. "The show is about to start." she winks before sauntering onto the stage.
You wonder how your mother can withstand the piercing gaze of the countless pairs of eyes that you knew hid in the darkness, much less a representative from the emperor's coven. Not every, typical company gets recognized by those guys! Heck, they pretty much run the Isles.
You snap out of your thoughts as your mother begins, using her saleswitch voice, "Welcome to Blight Industries, where your security is our utmost priority! And tonight we are graced with the presence of the Emperor's one and only Golden Guard!"

WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY.

Golden Guard?! Here?!
Oh, Titan, strike you with lightning right here, right now! You don't think you can handle the embarrassment of getting smashed to a pulp in front of the fucking golden guard. He'd be your superior in eight months, tops.
You peek around the dimly lit room frantically, searching for a glint of gold. You found nothing.
A hand touches your shoulder, and you tense at the feeling. "You, uh, okay?" your father asks awkwardly.
You glance down and realize you were fidgeting again. "Um, sorry, yeah."
He gives you a smile, almost like pity. "Nervous?"
"Kinda."
"Well, I'm sure you'll be alright. It isn't difficult to get beaten up by our abomaton, it's quite a powerful thing!" his grin drops when you don't laugh with him.
"Not helping, Dad."
"Yeah, sorry. I'm not really experienced with this type of thing. You'll do great, (reader)."
You offer him a crooked grin, though you think you probably look queasy right now. "Thanks."
Your attention shifts back to the golden guard. You can imagine it now: he'd spot you out around the castle in a few months when you're a scout, make fun of you, but how does he know it's you? You're all wearing identical uniforms, for Titan's sake! But you just know he'll do it, he'll use his charming ass laugh as a tool against you, you'd never be able to show your face around the town again–
"--But enough of that, I'm sure you're all antsy to see our next installment of the Abomaton collection!" Mother smiles, and with flashing lights the abomaton towers up, gold and gleaming.
That's your cue. "Break a leg. Or two." your father whispers before you force yourself to walk to the red x on the stage. Not funny, you mouth to him before facing the abomaton.
It's like two, three feet taller than you. That's saying a lot. You gulp.
"With an all new feature, the jetpack, this abomaton is sure to be able to catch fleeing criminals in the sky!" she says, smiling hopefully to a certain side of the audience. You reckon it's where he's sitting. You try to avoid looking at that particular dark spot of the room.
"There's stronger armor, about five times more dense than our last one! The limbs can detach and reattach themselves again, you can give your opponent a fiery punch sure to knock out a couple teeth!"
That excites the crowd, you hear them shout nearly incoherent words as they cheer. You can only make out, 'show us already!'.
"And now, the demonstration!" your pendant glows as you can hear your mother talk to you from it, 'keep your magic weak enough so it can defeat you, dear.'.
Somebody kill you now.