Free Barcode: Legend of Apollo by Kashif Ross

snicker while trying to hold their composure.
    “I’ve thrown myself at you for years, and you’ve never shown me any affection. The least you could do…” she turns away and I sense the tears forming in her eyes, “the least you could do is let me sit in your lap.”
    Not wanting to hurt someone that I might consider a friend if I were desperate, I decide to take a seat. She wipes her eyes so joyfully that I almost laugh at how much she reminds me of Yukio.
    Gi Young ties her arms around my neck and speaks as slowly and closely to my face as I’ll allow.
    Feeling the air from her tongue on my lips, I listen as she says, “A helicopter dropped off twins on their way to Colt Arena earlier this week. One came to pay tribute to my father. We’re one of the only arenas that stood by the Payne Gym when they were ran out of California. While they were talking, the brother wearing Tartarus wrote something interesting on his cell tablet.”
    She holds me more tightly in order to draw out as much time as possible. When I realize she’s waiting for me, I quickly ask, “What did he write?”
    “Kill Spencer. But, here’s the strange part sweetie, I’m one hundred percent sure he  wanted  me to see it.”
    Once she’s finished, I stand up and Gi Young falls to the floor.
    Leo and I head home on the motorcycles. This time, the ride is much easier with the waist support. The only thing on my mind the entire drive is too cliché to state.

Seven
    As we exit the freeway and zip pass hundreds of skyscrapers, I notice a smell seeping through my helmet. The unpleasant odor blurs my vision, and I begin to slow down only to notice that Leo seems afflicted as well.
    Activating my barcodes, I search the area ahead to sense what already feels like an ominous presence. Even with my new ability I’m unable to reveal anything hidden in the area. It feels as though we’ve entered a ghost town.
    With thousands of residents on this one block, I don’t sense a fragment of life. The road becomes slippery, so we decide to pull over to the sidewalk.
    Leo and I inspect the wheels.
    “This is blood, Spence.”
    Walking towards the street, I see the pavement covered in it. The blood flows down the road like a river. I turn to him and say, “You should head home. I want to see what’s going on.”
    Leo shakes his head, “Nope. That’s how scary movies start. The nerd is always the first to die…after the black guy. I’m sticking by you.”
    Laughing at the joke, we walk up the street. Eventually, we arrive in front of a building oozing with blood. We walk into the skyscraper, which reeks of the freshly murdered. A whispering echoes in my head and I wonder if Leo hears the same thing.
    A pool of blood nearly two inches over our boots flows from the rooms, windows, and even the walls. I can hardly see my feet through the red river.
    This is a hotel. The colors of the walls are orange, and the counters are made of marble. The computers are still on and a phone rings loudly.
    Ignoring the sound, I ask, “Hey Leo. Why can I see in the dark now?”
    “The suit injects nanobots into your bloodstream, a very experimental, but safe process.” He pauses long enough to make me doubt him. “I think. Anyway, they strengthen a layer of tissue known as tapetum lucidum, increasing light available to your photoreceptors. And they increase your rapid perception in emergency situations.”
    “Nice. This is a rapid perception suit?”
    “Yes, but don’t worry. It still outlines the path of projectiles so it’s double the trouble for your opponents,” he snorts.
    After roaming the first level, we make it to the bar, where we see a pile of bodies stacked from the floor to the ceiling. Using my barcodes to sense their strength, I feel powerful data oozing from each victim in the room. They are all Apes, male and female. I’m not too concerned until I notice that they are gladiators. Whoever killed them had a purpose.
    Of the few faces I see, I