Gary had never had someone buy him a drink before. The first time was a fun novelty. Somewhere around the sixth, it became a little tedious. Now, having completely lost count, they didn’t even register anymore. He wasn’t thinking about the alcohol anymore. Or the revelry around him. Or the fireworks outside. Or the millions of brain cells he was killing. 

Cells. Killing. Shit. The body count from what was quickly being called the Heart Attack was somewhere between about fourteen and fifteen hundred. Matt, Steve, Robert, Sean, Jason, and John were gone. They found Ricky, dead, facedown in someone else’s lap in the restroom. They were both in full armor, so it’s unclear what they were doing. Pat was critically wounded and probably wouldn’t survive the night. Gary forgot Dan was on vacation, so he was nowhere near the fight. His other friend whose name is also Matt was fine. He was one of the people cheering, creating that cacophony in the hall. Gary hadn’t noticed, because of all the cacophony in the hall. 

Fourteen hundred dead. But there was just one he kept thinking about. Eyes wide, forehead smoking. Nine fingers? That can’t be right. He must have been remembering wrong. But everything else was so clear. 

A big hand clapped him on the shoulder. The force of it made him wince. 

He turned around to see a Keplerite. It took a solid minute for his eyes to focus long enough to recognize the Right Fist. It was... smiling? 

“My friend here will have another!” 

“Oh, no, really, I couldn’t.” 

But the bartender wasn’t going to deny a Fist of The Body, and so another drink was brought. 

“Drink, Gary.” 

“That’s very kind, but I really don’t feel well, and I--” 

“You wouldn’t want to insult a new friend, would you?” the smile was gone. Startling as it was to see it in the first place, a return to the familiar scowl was worse. 

“No. No, you’re right. My apologies.” 

He downed the drink quickly, barely tasting it, certainly feeling it. His vision swam. His stomach lurched. His heart broke. 

The giant sat down on the next two stools next to him. His weight distributed, they still groaned under his mass. The bartender brought the biggest glass Gary had ever seen. It was at least a dozen times as large as the typical serving glass and the handle of the stein was bigger than one of Gary’s feet. This had been either imported from Kepler or it had been made specially for The Fist. 

“I would think the greatest hero in the Seven Known Worlds would be a happier man tonight. You performed a great service to The Body yesterday, Gary. The worlds are safer places with Lem Arciv dead.” 

“I know.” 

“Then why do sit here, all alone in a bar, ignoring the party being thrown in your honor? You could have any woman here. Or any man?” 

“It would be a woman.” 

“Well, then!” The behemoth raised a hand as if to motion to someone, but Gary grabbed it. “I’ve ripped out men’s spines for such an affront.” 

“I’m sorry. Truly. But I can’t.” 

“Ah, yes. The curse of the inebriated. Not a problem I’ve had, but a tale I’ve heard before. Perhaps you would rather I find two women who can--” 

“No. Thank you. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be much fun.” 

“That is the beauty! They can entertain themselves.” 

“Look. ...I’m sorry, I only know you as The Right Fist.” 

“That is all the name you need. Truly, it is all the name I need. But if you insist upon a name, I will accept ‘Right.’” 

“No offense, but I can’t just call you ‘Right.’ ‘Righty?’” 

“No.” 

“RF?” 

The giant slammed his drink down. He roared. I don’t mean in the typical sense. I mean, like an honest-to-God animal roar. “YOUR NICKNAME IS ACCEPTED!” 

The silence in the room was as deafening as the cheers in the hall had been. Gary felt himself flush. The Fist turned to the crowd. “My name is ARREFF!” There was a moment of confused silence, followed by raucous cheers. They didn’t know why they were cheering, but the big man seemed excited so, damn it, so were they. 

“Arreff. I’ve not had a name of my own in quite some time, Gary. Thank you.” 

“What does The Head call you?” 

“He does not. Elleff and I are but tools to be used. One does not name his hammer.” 

“Elleff. I like that.” 

“I shall tell him in the morning. But tonight is a night of celebration. If you’ll excuse me, I have copious amounts of alcohol to ingest.” 

Arreff pushed himself away from the bar. He clapped his hand on Gary’s shoulder once more. “Gary. Enjoy yourself. You saved the worlds.” 

The expression is typically “...and then he disappeared into the crowd,” but Arreff stood at least a foot above anyone else in the crowd. For what it’s worth, Gary could no longer see his feet. 

Gary left a generous tip on the bar and walked out into the night. The second dawn of his celebrity was less than an hour away. The night was unseasonably warm. He waved off the driver that had been waiting for him outside the bar. His flat wasn’t far. He would walk. 

It was the last beautiful city on Earth. Most of the old buildings had been destroyed to make room for The Heart, centuries, no, millennia of history, gone in the name of progress. But the canals remained. His gait may not have been steady, but the fresh air was doing him some good, and the city lights reflecting off the water always made him wonder about the people that walked these paths before him. 

The sun had just started to rise when Gary finally got himself home, off the toilet, out of his clothes, and into bed. It took him a moment before he realized he wasn’t alone. The scream he emitted was slightly less than heroic.

 The Gliesan The Head had called Aubrey smiled at him sleepily. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“No, I’m not. I mean, you didn’t. I--” 

“It’s okay, Gary. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep. I wasn’t expecting you to get in so late. My body betrayed me.” She sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes. 

“No, your body is fine. I mean, you’re fine. It’s fine. We’re... fine. Now.” 

“Come to bed, Gary.” 

“No. I’m okay over here.” 

‘Over here’ was awkwardly standing in the corner of his bedroom. 

“Then I’ll come to you.” 

“No. No, thank you, that won’t be necessary. I’m okay, really.” 

Aubrey studied this strange little man. Most of the dignitaries The Head had sent her to would have had her by now. Why did this one resist? 

“Aubrey?” 

“Yes, Gary?” 

“I appreciate what you’re-- I mean, it’s great that you’re here and all. But I don’t... I don’t want to. I mean, I want to, of course, look at you, my God, but I just-- It’s just been a very long... God, what, two days? As good as I’m sure you are at what you came here for, I really really just want to go to bed and sleep.” 

Aubrey smiled. A real smile. Not a diplomatic smile. Not a coy smile. “Then come to bed. I will let you sleep.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” 

He crawled into a bed that was just barely big enough for him when he was by himself. Aubrey contorted herself to fit beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder. She smells really nice. I’ll have to remember to tell her in the morning. And then sleep came.

Next Chapter: The Face