"Launch, we are about to close. Get out of here."
A barmaid came and patted the woman's shoulder. She was attempting to wake up the infamous drunkard, Launch.
Launch moved her eyes slightly, her pupils regained some focus, and her hand reached for her pocket.
Click
Digging into her pocket, the drunkard pulled out a gun; a metal click sound came, and the barmaid froze. The loaded gun was aimed at the barmaid's head.
"Get lost."
Launch said in a daze.
She was still laying on the table and wasn't looking at the barmaid, yet somehow, her gun was aimed perfectly at her head.
The barmaid was trembling—not out of fear, but out of rage. With bloodshot eyes, she yelled loudly, pounding her fist against the table.
"You dirty drunk! This is why no bar accepts you. How dare you threaten me after I let you inside?"
"Do you think your gun scares me? You are just a robber past her prime; you haven't fired a gun since 2 years."
"Get lost; don't come here again, Launch."
The barmaid angrily kicked Launch's chair, making the drunk girl fall in disgrace.
The movement made the wine bottles kept above come loose. They rolled off the edge and crashed onto the ground, splashing wine everywhere.
Some bottles fell before Launch, which sent glass chunks throughout the area, and drenched her in alcohol from head to toe.
The smell of sweat, alcohol, and bitterness lingered on her body.
Clench
Launch gripped her gun tightly; alcohol splashing on her face had reduced her drunkenness. Her eyes sharpened, and she glared at the barmaid.
The barmaid had a chill go down her spine. Those eyes reminded her why, once upon a time, Launch was considered the most wanted criminal in West City.
But when a few seconds passed, the barmaid started feeling less fear. Even now Launch hadn't fired her gun; she just sighed and kept the gun back into her pocket.
Getting up with a wobble, Launch decided to walk away. The customers, meanwhile, were looking at the commotion and whispering.
"The rumors were true; she didn't fire a single shot. The fugitive Launch no longer uses a gun."
"Right, she stopped using a gun two years ago and spends time getting drunk in bars."
"This woman was a big deal back in the day. She looks pathetic now."
Launch heard some people whisper amongst themselves and clenched her fist tightly.
But the embarrassing feeling of her clothes soaked in alcohol and sloppy looks, made her sigh in resignation.
Launch ignored the mocking crowd, pushed away the barmaid, and staggered towards the door.
That was a bad idea.
She was too drunk to see clearly, so after taking a few steps, she slipped on some wine and fell face first.
Bang
The whole bar was silent for a few seconds before it burst into laughter. Launch's face was red from embarrassment.
She wanted to leave the bar quickly, trying to seem less pathetic.
Step
Step
Before she could get up and leave, she saw two legs stop before her, standing on the wet floor.
Launch decided to ignore this person. She wanted nothing to do with a guy who had come to watch her fail and laugh at her face.
Yet, there was something special about this man, which made her stop and look.
"Those shoes.. I have seen them before."
Launch stared at the man's boots in a daze, while laying on the wet floor.
She looked up, wanting to take a closer look at him.
But when she saw his face, her pupils shrunk. All her drunkenness vanished; she stood up rapidly while fixing her sloppy hair.
"T-Tien! Is that you?!"
Launch yelled excitedly; she couldn't believe she met Tien again. Although this was a bad time to meet.
Her current state was embarrassing. She was nowhere near presentable; her body stank of alcohol.
"Launch?"
Tien seemed surprised.
"I sensed a familiar energy, and came to check it out. So it was your Ki."
Tien nodded to himself, and Launch scratched her cheek. She didn't know what to say to him.
Normally, she would have demanded to know where he had been for the past two years, and why he had abandoned her, but this wasn't the right time.
After falling on her face like that, she didn't want to stay here and make a fool of herself. She felt embarrassed.
"Can we go outside and talk, Tien?"
Launch tied her hair with a red ribbon and asked hopefully. For a meeting with Tien, she wanted to look as presentable as possible.
Tien frowned in confusion, wondering why they can't talk here. But he slowly agreed and decided to talk outside.
Launch felt relieved and then quickly left the bar. She didn't want to stay here and look like a joke before Tien.
Tien silently watched Launch leave, then followed behind her. But before leaving, he casually stared at a short customer sitting on the counter.
The customer gave Tien a thumbs up; Tien smirked and muttered, 'Good job, Chiaotzu', then left cleanly. Soon people stopped paying attention to the commotion and got busy with themselves.
The short customer, Chiaotzu, silently sipped his drink while making a disgusted face.
"Alcohol tastes awful. When I dropped the bottles just now, I should have smashed them all."
Chiaotzu muttered, then moved his finger through the air. Immediately, another set of bottles rolled over and crashed onto the floor.
The barmaid cursed her bad luck, and Chiaotzu nodded with satisfaction.
Hiding himself with a cloak, he waved his hand quietly and the barmaid tripped, falling on her face.
Chiaotzu walked away among the laughter of the customers. He left the bar and muttered.
"This is fun. Is this why Tien told me to use telekinesis and mess with Launch?"
"No, I am pretty sure Tien wanted her to feel embarrassed, then save her from embarrassment."
"He wanted this situation so that they can have an emotional reunion. It's such a scummy thing to do."
Chiaotzu smiled to himself; this brings back memories. Tien was using their master Shen's manipulation tactics on Launch.
Chiaotzu didn't know why, after all this time, Tien decided to act like a bad guy again. But he was okay with it; he was Tien's best friend, and being a villain wasn't anything new to them.
He was more curious as to what Tien wanted to do with Launch, and why did he take the time to track her down and meet her in person?
Advanced chapters ahead on patréon
www.patréon.com/ImagineMaker