[center][h1][color=#20B2AA]Zach Kozel:[/color]
[color=#7f5200]Washing dishes[/color][/h1]
[@Spiffy][/center]
The morning came somewhere between too soon or too late, and Zach had trouble deciding which one during his shower. He could remember so well what showers used to be, and despite their modest livings at least his family always had hot water. If Zach spent more than five minutes in the shower, the water would turn to an icy blast. [i]That might be the part I'm missing the most these days.[/i] He finished washing himself, and turned the knobs till the water stopped. He stepped out of the shower, the ankle bracelet catching his eye. He was more than a little thankful it was waterproof.

A few minutes passed before Zach exited the bathroom fully clothed, with a comb in hand. He styled his hair to the best of his abilities, just up to the point where he looked kempt. He caught the same bus everyday, and today was no different. He rode next to a nice old lady, who was only considered nice because she was completely silent. He got off the bus after about twenty minutes and walked into the diner. 

Nonchalant, or his best attempt, drew little attention fortunately. Zach walked straight past the counter, and into the employees area. His eyes met those of a tall red-headed man who was cleaning the stove. His name was Alex, and he had been the man to interview Zach for the job. The owner of the store, Radha, also handled HR, but he didn't enjoy hiring people. Alex was in his late thirties, a father of two who had never graduated high school. A month after Zach started working there Alex came into work very happy that he had passed the GED, and was now planning on attending college night classes. Zach could only say congratulations so many ways. The young man kept walking, taking a second to clock in before he put on his apron. People filtered in throughout the day, lunch and dinner being the hectic exceptions.

Through it all Zach zoned out and washed dishes, used to the routine he faced. By the end his hands would be aching, and glowing red. For a few seconds, as he exited the diner at the end of his shift, steam rose off of his hands. He slipped his hand into the pockets of his hoodie. A couple steps and Zach was headed home, another day done. Tomorrow he would have to look for another job, but for today he could just sleep. There was also the matter of contacting Arsenal, of course. 

As the sun sank over the horizon, Zach heard some commotion off on some side street, and curiosity got the better of caution. He slowly walked down the dank alley, ignoring the homeless man next to a dumpster, for the sounds of combat. Zach always missed the forest for the trees. Before he could round the corner, two younger men ran around it, heading the opposite direction and fast. They caught Zach's attention for a few seconds before he leaned around the corner to see what had sent them on their way. As he leaned around the corner a third thug ran past him, almost colliding with the young 'hero.' Zach ignored this one, focusing on the two conscious people who the men had been running from. He didn't recognize either the woman, or the man beside her.

The man, a decently sized guy with dark brown hair cut short, was in the midst of calling the police. Zach cautiously watched, only the top of his head visible, before following the two of them as they started to leave the scene. He was a good guy, it would seem, but not good enough to give a statement to the police. Good to know. Zach made the executive decision to tail the man as best he could, hoping he could learn more about this morally ambiguous Samaritan. 

The man and woman walked with lots of idle chatter, though Zach decided not to eavesdrop. The walk took a while, and more than once Zach considered giving up, but the couple arrived before he could. The man walked the woman to the door of what seemed to be her apartment, and Zach had the [b]best[/b] idea. He had seen a lot of movies where the protagonist walked the girl to the door, and when the guy went to leave he was confronted by someone he didn't hear approach. Zach tried his best to replicate that, leaning against a street light and staring at the man with a look of guarded interest. Once their eyes met, which they hopefully would, Zach would say, [color=#00b200][b]"So, how'd you take them out?"[/b][/color] In his best dramatic voice. Absolutely heroic-Well at least Zach thought so.