“It’s too quiet…” Adam breathed over the comm line.
“You said the same thing about five minutes ago,” Lance reminded.
“Quiet isn’t necessarily a bad thing, considering our rather eventful start to this career.”
“Eventful can mean less boredom though,” Adam countered.
“So you’d rather have the risk of being shot at or chomped by a mutant rottweiler?” Lance asked.
“I’m actually hoping for a dinosaur or something next, a la failed theme park exhibit!” Adam said with too much enthusiasm.
“You’re watching too many movies with Scott…” Lance said with a sigh.
“Not that I’m saying such a thing isn’t a possibility at this rate.”
“One can only hope,” Adam said, trailing off.
“How have things been with the internship?” Adam asked after a few moments.
“Busier,” Lance replied after a long sigh.
“I'm helping in the engineering department to design an advanced cold-fusion power system.”
“Going nuclear, are we?” Adam asked with a laugh.
“I thought we ran on deep hydro and solar systems for the city grids.”
“The city does use those, but I think they're trying to create a smaller system to use for more… mobile purposes,” Lance stated.
“It's still in a theoretical stage with simulated mockups and all that… but I can't say I won't be borrowing some concepts for our use in our own tech.”
“Normally I would ask where you’d think we would acquire the raw materials to enact cold fusion power, but our recent “sponsoring” will definitely cover the costs of that!” Adam said.
“Hey, will we need to put ‘Midas Corp.’ labels on our gadgets and suits now?”
“I don’t think that would help our image…” Lance noted. “Or help us stay anonymous.”
“What exactly will help our image?” Adam questioned tentatively.
There was a long pause on Lance's end of the comms before he responded.
“That really depends on how the people respond to our actions,” he said.
“We have obviously made headlines several times and half of the time it's all questioning our motives or our identities. The latter is to be expected, but I feel that until something or someone shows the city exactly what we are trying to do – that our mission is to protect the city and root out the evil that has entrenched itself so easily – we are always going to be an enigma to the people at the very least.”
Adam pondered Lance's words.
“That's way too deep for me to process with so little caffeine in my system right now,” he said.
“The double-shot espresso I had before we came out on patrol seems to be wearing off already.”
“But it is something to think about in the long run,” he followed up before Lance could comment.
Lance said nothing in response, likely pondering his own words.
Adam shifted his weight on his perch above a view of the main street he was watching.
“What are we waiting for exactly?” he asked.
“Anything suspicious or otherwise nefarious,” Lance stated.
“Or if the police scanner picks up something.”
Just then an alert came across their communications channel, notifying them of a broadcast.
“Like that…”
“All units, be advised of a break-in at 2100 Atlantic Ave in Sector Two. Suspects are to be considered armed and dangerous….”
“Isn't that the Ol’ Fashioned Armory? The place we ordered our suits from?” Adam asked.
“Correct. I'll meet you there.”
Lance used his grapple and swung across the intersection. Where he had paused to watch the street level had also “conveniently” been near the building Melody and her family lived in. He always made sure to include the homes of his friends high on his priority list to be certain everyone was safe, but he found himself spending the most time at this particular block of the city. Despite knowing better than to involve himself more with other people, he couldn't help himself when it came to certain people.
He had just arrived when Adam called in again.
“I think we might be too late…” he said.
“The perpetrators aren't on site anymore and the police are not too far away.”
“Unless they had a vehicle ready, they couldn't have gotten far,” Lance commented.
“We can do a quick sweep over the scene and then get out. You can test out that upgrade to your scanner you've been experimenting with.”
“It's not ready for field testing…” Adam said with a sigh.
“I'm having some technical difficulties with translation between the probability factors and real-time data… But hopefully, I will get it figured out soon…”
“Very well, the old-fashioned way it is…” stated Lance as he dropped to the street near the storefront.
He had experienced the scene in front of him countless times at this point: a sloppily forced entry that appeared to have been done out of frustration, likely frustration with any more subtle attempts failing to break in. Briefly surveying the area, he noticed faint skid marks on the pavement. There had been an escape vehicle after all, or at least someone had been there and left in a hurry at some point.
“Hey, come look at this,” called Adam from inside the store.
Adam had arrived before him, likely due to his distraction of keeping an eye on the Sonnet residence.
Lance entered the store, taking note of the broken glass cases that used to hold merchandise but were now shattered and empty. He looked over to where Adam stood pointing to a small white rectangle on the ground.
No, not a rectangle… a playing card.
“Either someone tried to get in a quick game of blackjack while on the job or this is our first calling card,” Adam stated as he carefully picked up the card and turned it over.
“Four of Clubs,” Lance said as he saw the face of the card.
“Any ideas?”
Adam thought for a moment.
“I think… nah I got nothing…” Adam said.
“I haven't played any cards in a while, so I can't think of a particular significance to it.”
“Leave it on the scene for the police…” Lance began, just as they heard the wail of sirens.
“Speaking of whom… we need to go.”
Adam dropped the card back where he found it and turned just in time to see a figure run from a window in the front corner of the store.
“There is someone out there!” he stated as he bolted towards the street.
Lance used a newly installed helmet camera to take a few images of the scene and followed in pursuit. Just as he reached the pavement and was about to round the corner, a bright light flared to life behind him.
“FREEZE!” called an amplified voice.
Lance barely hesitated, only slowing enough to take a glance over his shoulder at the pair of officers now chasing after him.
“Wonderful…” he sighed.
“Just what we needed tonight…”
He continued down the street and turned down an alleyway where he presumed Adam had chased the mysterious person.
“Here comes that excitement you wanted for tonight,” he said over comms.
“Keep going and don't lose that creeper. I'm going to try to shake these officers.”
“Roger that,” Adam responded.
“Speaking of creeper, this guy is definitely suspicious, he has a club icon on his jacket!”
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