The Brewer’s Café was in a cheery bustle with the evening rush. Lance, Noel, and Scott sat with several other friends at a pair of corner tables near the front windows. News of what had happened spread quickly, and several people stopped on occasion to talk to the heroes.
“You did all that with a car door and a potato gun?!” questioned Scott after hearing Lance recap on the day’s events once more. “That’s almost unbelievable!”
“It’s all we could find that made sense to use,” commented Lance.
“Don’t forget those awesome ninja moves we pulled!” added Adam as he carefully wove past other tables and chairs, two trays full of delicious beverages in his hands.
“Perks of my family owning this place are no lines for us when it’s busy!” he remarked as he set the trays down and passed out the drinks.
A girl in her later teens trailed behind him with a tray of scrumptious looking pastries and dessert items.
“Where do you want these, broski?” she asked.
“Anywhere except in front of Noel,” joked Adam. “They’d disappear in a heartbeat!”
Everyone laughed, including Noel, as the sweets were divvied out to each of the friends.
“Thank you, Charlie!” said Adam as the girl retrieved the trays.
“You guys better like these!” she demanded playfully. “I just finished making them before you all got here!”
“I’m sure we will!” chuckled Scott. Charlie returned to the front counter to serve more customers as the friends enjoyed their hot drinks and desserts.
“Well, that was nice of your sister,” noted Lance. “That she made these specifically in time for us.”
Adam paused from his hot mocha latte.
“Yeah... I actually bribed her,” he admitted. “She probably would have either way, but I figured I’d give her a bit more incentive to.”
Charlie returned quickly, expertly dodging the maze of customers, chairs, and tables between her and her brother and friends.
“Forgot these,” she informed quickly, leaving as swiftly as she came.
“Why do we have two extra drinks?” asked Scott. “We know you are addicted to coffee Adam, but you gotta take it easy!”
All chuckled at the comment except for Adam, who sat with a confirming smirk on his face as he glanced over at Scott.
“First of all, it's more like a fixation with caffeine and all her bountiful goodness!” informed Adam.
“And one of these is a coffee for Cody, who should be here pretty soon.”
He looked back at the pair of ceramic mugs at the end of the table.
“But I’m not sure who this other one is for. Perhaps....”
He was about to lean in to try to examine the extra cup to discern the beverage it contained when a ring sounded from the door, signifying a new customer. Everyone looked over to see Melody enter, followed by Cody Chase who had held the door open for her.
“Does that answer your question?” asked Lance with a smirk as he stood up.
Cody pointed Melody over to what was their usual spot when friends came over, then went to the counter to talk to Charlie.
“You made it,” noted Lance as he met with the girl halfway.
“Yes,” she replied bashfully. “I told you I was coming. I actually only live a few blocks away: I just haven’t ever come here before.”
The two stood in awkward silence for a moment until Noel spoke up.
“You guys know you can come sit down now, right?”
Both realizing their stance, they exchanged embarrassed smiles, then sat at the table, Melody in the once empty seat to Lance’s left. Lance grabbed the “extra” cup and set it in front of Melody.
“I was told you like hot chocolate, so I ordered one for you,” he mentioned, gesturing to the still steaming beverage.
“Thank you!” said Melody before taking a quick sip.
“This is really good!” she stated.
“We make it with steamed milk, a house-made dark chocolate mix, and a dash of cinnamon,” informed Adam.
“You really won’t find any better anywhere else in all of New Atlantis!” Cody boasted as he pulled up a chair to the end of the table near his brother.
“It is always weird not seeing you in uniform,” stated Scott.
Cody looked down at the casual denim jeans and graphic print tee he was wearing.
“I enjoy my work, but I do like the time I get to relax.”
He threw his hands on Adam and Lance’s shoulders.
“Now, I may not be on duty,” he began. “But if either of you EVER pull what you did today again, I might just have to talk to my superiors about recruiting you!”
Laughter erupted across the table, all amused by the thought.
Later the friends had all parted, going their separate ways for the night. Adam and Lance walked down the street, escorting their newest friend, Melody, to her family’s apartment. They spent most of their stroll telling each other more about themselves, getting better acquainted with each other.
They reached the tall building Melody had indicated to be hers and stood near the main entrance.
“I live in C94, on the fourth floor,” she told them, pointing up at a specific window. “My family just moved here to the city a few months before school started.”
She turned back to her new friends.
“Thank you again... for everything today...” she said. “I really can’t think of what else to say...”
“There is no need to say anything,” said Lance with a hand up “We’re just normal guys trying to help out people.”
Melody simply smiled in response and turned to the glass door in front of them. She pulled a small fob from her purse, swiping the black rectangle over the door’s lock. A chime sounded and the doorway slid apart. Melody entered, pausing in the doorway.
“You are both more than just ‘normal’ guys,” she assured.
“Good night.”
The two returned the parting goodbye as she entered, and the doorway closed behind her. They watched on through the transparent entryway as she walked down the hallway until she turned a corner and vanished from their sight.
Lance and Adam continued down the sidewalk in silence, but the quiet only lasted moments.
“Crazy day,” noted Lance.
“That is definitely an understatement!” noted Adam. “It’s not every day you are held hostage, then beat up the guys threatening everyone.”
“So much for the perfect city,” continued Lance after reflecting on it all for the umpteenth time. “Promises of a fresh start and prosperity, sure... but it seems that the hard-working, honest, law-abiding citizens aren’t the only ones who took the opportunity. Between the Ouroboros and House 21 in their gang wars and all of the other things going on there seems to be just about as many bad guys than good.”
Adam pondered his friend’s words, then nodded in agreement.
“Obviously there will always be those criminals that come around eventually, but it seems that those here have taken root since near the beginning, taking advantage sooner than the said good people who just want to make a decent living.”
A pair of police cars whizzed by, their sirens wailing.
“Exhibit A,” pointed Adam. “I see and hear those sirens more often than I’d wish: they never seem to get everything done that they need though...”
They watched the cars rush down the street, then turn a corner. “Must be something down in Sector 4,” commented Lance.
“The brief distraction aside, back to what I was getting at.”
He looked his friend in the eye, a seriousness permeating his countenance.
“Have you ever gotten the feeling that perhaps we ended up in New Atlantis for a reason more than simply adding to the populous? Like there is something much bigger you were meant to do?”
“Yes,” came the unhesitant reply. “I felt it even more today with everything that happened.”
“You do get where I am heading with this, right?” tested Lance.
“Definitely!” exclaimed Adam. “But is that even technically legal?”
“Do you think that the bad guys care about what is legal?” asked Lance. “The people we would need to be extra careful in dealing with are those in law enforcement and such, yes, but we’ll work out those details later.”
“Well in that case, where and when do we start?” asked Adam with excitement.
“Meet me at my place tomorrow after classes are over,” said Lance.
“We have a LOT of work to do.”
To be continued...
END OF SEASON ONE!!!
Comments