My Predator System Vol.2

Chapter 2

Artemis Kroner stared at the target drily at the bustly amusement park. She got a call from Maks to meet her there. The red haired heiress of Kroner industries wasn't expecting him to bring his date.

Sam Flair, his other best friend, son of Vice Mayor of Phoenix wore a basketball jersey, sweats and laceless sneakers. He switched his glasses for contacts.

Harley was so shocked that Maks invited them.

"Maksim!" Sam hollered.

"Ey yo Samson!" Maks said approaching him and Harley steamed.

"I've missed you man."

"Dude come on. We talk online."

Sam ruffled his hair. "It's not the same, my dad thought it would be nice to get away from this mess." He sighed.

Sam had been forced to change course from pyrotechnics to political science. He wasn't even forced to join the military because his dad feared he would go into pyrotechnics there as well. Besides that, he was glad to have such great company.

"Got any ideas."

"Let's test out that ride." Maks pointed.

Harley growled at them running off. It seemed like they both shared a brain cell.

"Oh lighten up." Artemis said drily.

Harley did not have a clear relationship with Artemis who was Maks's close friend.

"He didn't say he invited you."

"He doesn't say a lot of things." Artemis swung a baseball and the vendor shook when it shattered the glass instead of knocking it out.

"How would you know?"

"That's...a very expected thing to say. Not all blondes can be smart."

Harley fumed. "And what's that supposed to mean!?"

"Hey, no offence, it's just my opinion_"

"You know, you have another blonde friend too, you know. Irma...and Sam."

Artemis grunted, Harley saved her life once despite being scared of heights by leaping off a helicopter. A very intense situation. "I could have saved myself."

Harley growled. She couldn't let Artemis get under her skin. "I can't stand being around some troublemaker with no class."

Artemis didn't budge. "Well I can't stand being around some blond sugar queen."

"That is enough."

Artemis scoffed. "Right."

Harley walked around. "Why are you here?"

"To have fun genius."

"I came to have fun with my boyfriend. And you ruined it."

Artemis laughed slapping her thigh. "I sure did sugar queen and he left me at the corner."

"Well he left you like you..."

Artemis's face went wrought with fear and hurt. Harley softened.

"You and me both but...what can we do?"

Artemis beamed a little. "There's this rollercoaster I've been wanting to go to."

Harley grimaced when she took her hand walking away.

"How about those cute boat rides? It's safe and comfortable."

Artemis's eyes rounded at the Ride or Die Tunnel. "You want me to go on that?"

"Yes." She said buying two tickets.

"I hope there are jump scares." Artemis climbed in the boat. It was very dark.

She was giddy and the music came on. She grimaced at the pop music. "Ride or Die...that means loyalty right. I'd rather die."

Keep your hands in your seats at all times.

Harley looked triumphant. "It's a couple's boat ride. Since Maks stalled me, this is the alternative."

"Funny he would have died of cringe on this boat ride but I get the short end of the stick as always." Artemis folded her arms.

Harley looked hurt. Maks and Artemis had so much in common.

Artemis noticed she was quiet. The song was making her ears bleed.

Baby don't hurt me

Don't hurt me

No more

No more

"We'd make better enemies than friends you know that?" Artemis said sweetly.

Harley brightened up. "I couldn't agree more but here we are."

"You made me do it." Artemis said.

"You agreed." Harley pointed out folding her arms.

She blushed. "Well, how about a compromise, I sit through your silly cupcake barf ride and you take the rollercoaster with me."

Harley paled, she was scared of heights, she couldn't imagine going up that rollercoaster. 'What have I done?'

Artemis's eye twitched, if she heard another 'baby' in the pop music again, she was going to swim the rest of the way out.

Artemis hopped down. "Great, now my legs are mush."

Harley froze. "Thanks for doing this with me."

"I guess you'll have to return the favour...friend."

Harley gulped. "Just a second." She tied her blonde hair up. Her knees almost gave out at the height of the rollercoaster frame.

She sat back and her breathing quickened when the ride began to move. She held on to the metal bar.

"Relax man." Artemis said to her.

"I am completely calm."

Artemis looked down thoughtfully. "I'm right here with you." She took her hand.

Harley gasped when the ride slowed and she cried out screaming. She could see the entire park. "This was a bad idea!"

"What are the odds?"

"How many people have died on rollercoasters!?" She retorted.

"The chances aren't that big." Artemis said and Harley tried to breathe. Now her frenemy saw her at her worst.

She exhaled and the ride started to move.

"Besides the worst is over, you made it through the ascension."

Harley faced her. "Oh_aaaahhhh!"

They hugged as the ride descended. She was jittery and Artemis stepped out.

"I am pumped!"

Harley watched her after what she said. She definitely hadn't seen this wise perceptive side of her before.

Harley got a snapshot and she almost laughed at the pic of them hugging. Terrified.

Artemis swiped it. "For safekeeping_"

"Oh give me that. It's nice." Harley said, seeing that Artemis was capable of vulnerability was touching.

"I'm surprised you'd wanna keep that." Artemis said. "I'd burn it and no one will ever know."

"I know." Harley said trying to recover. There was something to knowing about almost dying and coming out alive. She got stronger everytime.

"You're deep for a blondie."

Harley hugged Artemis who miffed. "Thanks."

"Likewise, besides it was just a truce. I'm glad you kept your end of the bargain." Artemis drawled.

Maks and Sam chuckled returning from their wacky adventure with cotton candy.

"Where have you girls been?" Maks asked eyeing them.

"Oh nothing, we just went into Ride or Die."

"Ugh, that lame kiddie ride?"

"You have no idea and..."

Maks already got bored of her stories.

"Then went on that baby." Artemis pointed at the rollercoaster.

Maks glanced at Harley who was flustered. He was shocked she got over her fear of heights to go.

"Cool." He said.

Sam noticed the tension between Artemis and Harley. Maybe Maks but his father told him to curb his risk taking and step away from dangerous plots. But how could he do that when he was part Chupacabra after a venomous bite?

Maks cleared his throat after that discussion. He stood with Artemis and Harley holding a cotton candy. The woman he loved and hated and the woman he loved and hurt.

Harley bit her lip when he spoke to her. It seemed he was more focused on patching things up with Artemis than settling down to discuss some problems with her.

Maks exhaled. "So, you wanna do something fun."

"I don't see why not." Artemis said and they went to use toy guns."

"You sure you can handle it, bub?" The vendor asked cackling.

Maks aimed and shot at the target in the head. It turned into a competition and it seemed Artemis was eating it all up. She learned to shoot a long time ago.

Artemis felt like a kid again.

Maks got a big pink teddy bear. He gave it to Harley and she hugged it.

"Thank you." She said and he stood akimbo.

Artemis saw them hugging. She glanced at a child staring at her toys with round eyes.

She grimaced and let her have it.

"I'm keeping the lasers." She said clicking on the toy.

The group laughed at a table.

Sam sat back a bit closed off, he glanced ahead on the field and he saw a creature standing at the hill. His blood froze and he glanced at his friends.

This wasn't the first time he saw that creature.

"You are one of us, there is no point hiding what you are." The Chupacabra said.

Sam clutched his head. He stood up and it seemed he was hypnotized when he walked away.

Artemis noticed him. "Sammie?"