Member
Cyberlad
Enarr
Cyrania
Captain Uni
Oso
Chocolate
Hey Im Jordan
NattyTuesday October 8, 2013
Cal cracked a grin as Makarios acknowledged him with a few sly comments.
"Well I think I managed to get all the glass out them so that's a start at least." He leaned back getting comfortable as he responded to Makarios' comments with a laugh. "Why would I stop at your meditation sessions? Man if I need back up, I'm coming to get you." Cal pulled some folded papers out of his pocket and placed them in front of Makarios. Unfolding them, he pointed to various items on the page, as he showed the police reports to Makarios. "This a little bit of what I've been up to. I'm still struggling to wrap my head around what exactly happened Friday night, what came over me and the moves you pulled were amazing but definitely not average or even humanly possible." Pausing, Cal flipped to another sheet which showed a toll of violent crime through the city. A graph illustrating the rising rate over the past twenty years all linking back to the time Roman Locke took over the Colosseum from his father.
"Crime in this city is getting out of control, the criminals run this city. But last Friday night, we proved we could do something about that. Why not you and me? Dynamic duo, two men against the world. Or at least against this city. Too long has Kilbride lived under crime. It took my mother from me because she got too close to tracking down the Kingpin. Her death destroyed my father. He's living in the Murdoch Mental Hospital now, 'clinically insane' they say." Cal said emphasizing the last part with air quotes as he rolled his eyes. "I have my gifts and you have yours, putting them together we can bring real justice. We won't be bought off, corrupted or derailed. We'd be disguised, unaccountable for our actions, crime lords nor law could touch us and the people would thank us." Standing up, Cal held out his hand towards Makarios.
"Will you help me?"
“Caleb, I can’t. I just...can’t.” Makarios put his head in his hands, bringing his knees up to greet him as he -- for the first time in a long time-- struggled to vocalize his thoughts. “I’m not right. There is something with me.” Even uttering the words, as stressed and low as they had been, weighed heavily on Makarios. He knew what he was speaking probably seemed confusing and maybe even overdramatic, but he was baffled for a moment on where to start or if he should start at all, telling this...essentially a stranger, more of his life than he had shared with anyone else.“I can't live like you do, rampant with emotions and acting on impulse or with fervor. And, this isn't a critique of you or anyone else, it’s a jealous observation. I wish I could do what you, or most people, do. But I can’t.” Makarios leaned back against the tree again, letting his legs relax in front of him. He stared into the branches of the tree, tracing the specks of light he could see. “I couldn't put myself in a situation where there’s such a risk factor of me becoming reckless. I have to keep myself in check at all time. Hell, sometimes I get the fleeting thought that I really shouldn't even be out there in society on most days.” Simply speaking took a slight toll. The matter was such a sensitive one to him and he forced himself to restrain from balling and un-balling his fists or fidgeting in general. “What you saw that night,” he continued, looking down to eye level again, “What I was doing. That was terrifying for me. I had no idea if I’d be able to do those things without consequence and I think I just got lucky that time, but I did it to help our classmates. I don’t want to push it.”He finally made eye contact with Cal. “Trust me I don’t think I can help you and you don’t want me at your side in a fight.”
Lowering his head, Cal tried to mask his disappointment. He understood that Makarios was entitled to decline but he really wished he'd reconsider. Perhaps with training or some other such exercise they could overcome Makarios' hesitation and allow him to control whatever it was that enabled him the superhuman abilities.
"Alright, well it was nice talking to you then." Cal nodded his head as he stood up. "If you ever change your mind though..." He paused rolling up his sleeve as he swiped his hand across the screen of the Glitch device. Makarios' own phone beeped moments later. "Call me, beep me, y'know when you want to reach me." Turning away Cal walked away from Makarios as he made his way back to his car. With a heavy sigh he climbed into the driver's seat as he took off.
Returning home, Cal found the condo empty as Landon had been called out to yet another crime, not that Cal was surprised. More than likely the trail would once again go cold as the dirty cops were paid off to cover up the evidence, leaving Landon with another unsolved murder, kidnapping or worse. The list could go on forever in this city. Walking into his room, Cal had to do a double take with some surprise as he found several boxes stacked beside his bed. Looked like his Amazon order had arrived early after all which meant he had a lot to do for the rest of the night. Going to his closet, he pulled out his father's old motorcycle gear while fishing out a pocket knife as he went to work on the boxes. By tomorrow night, Kilbride would officially be home to at least one vigilante.
Wednesday October 9, 2013
The rest of Tuesday night was rather uneventful as Cal had spent most of Wednesday morning tinkering with the contents of his Amazon package before retiring to the living room before lunch. Lounging into the afternoon on Landin's coach, Cal groaned as the local television station played yet another one of his grandfather's political ads. Darius Faulkner had launched a rather aggressive campaign against the current Mayor, Timothy Simmons. Cal suddenly jerked his head back as he heard Landon clear his throat from the kitchen.
"Y'know your grandfather is hosting a debate at city hall tonight." Landon said, opening the fridge before throwing some bacon onto a frying pan. "I bet he'd appreciate the support of his only grandson."
"Oh yes, how I'd love to go support the man who'd only care about me if I had a degree in business and a lucrative deal to make." Cal called from the couch he had sprawled out on, absently sipping a Cherry Coke while watching a re-run on TV.
"Cal, he has been trying to reach out to you. And he is the one holding the deeds to both your mother's office and your parent's house." Landon countered as he cracked an egg over the now sizzling skillet. "Besides, don't you want to make an educated vote."
"Won't matter in this city." Cal muttered as he sat up. "But alright, I'll go!" He relented as he chugged back the rest of his soda before getting up and heading towards the bathroom. "I'll shower and be on my way then."
"Why don't you take Sam with you?" Landon suggested as Cal paused and looked at him.
"Oh yes," Cal replied dryly as he turned back to Landon. "Hey Sam, for our second date how'd you like to listen to two older men argue about who has the bigger 'platform'." He put a heavy emphasis on the last word with air quotes. "I highly doubt she'll want to come Landon."
"I can't believe you actually want to come." Cal remarked as Sam closed the door to her parent's condo and walked out with Cal as they took the stairs down to the parking lot.
"I'd like to make an educated vote. I'm interested in hearing what their plans and goals are for the future." Sam said with a smile. "After all this is our home too no matter how bad it is."
"Look at you making an unbiased decision!" Cal said with a smirk as he held open the passenger door for Sam before going around and climbing in the driver's side. "To show how unbiased I am, I'll vote for the other guy who's not related to me."
"Cal, that's still a bias." Sam said with a giggle as Cal clenched a fist mock and mockingly shook it at her.
"Curse you and you're infallible logic." Turning the ignition, Cal backed the car up, putting it in gear and leaving the parking lot.
"So when do I get to drive your car again?" Sam said with a smirk.
"Y'know, I try not to do that sort of stuff on the first date." Cal replied with a smirk of his own as he raised the car's speed merging onto the main road towards the heart of Kilbride.
While the downtown of Kilbride was packed for the debate, the streets were relatively empty nearly two streets over as Tony sat in his hammer watching the doors to the front of the Kilbride First National Bank as they were locked up for the day. Pulling out his cellphone, Tony called up Jorge as he checked to ensure everyone was in position for their latest heist.
"The Thirds going to do their part?" Tony spoke lowly into the phone as a cruiser went by the large vehicle. While the cops in this town were crooked, even they had money in the bank that they wouldn't take too kindly to it being stolen.
"Thirds are going to cause a disturbance away from the debate. Draw the police forces away from the downtown." Jorge answered as he said in a Jeep on the other side of the bank. "Luis is getting ready to cut the alarm and the security feed. We've got Alejandro and three others armed and ready to watch the doors, Fabio's got the Lincoln for the getaway while Cruz is ready with the decoy."
"I'll storm the front, get your crew in and out of the back and get out of here. This is going to be hot." Tony ordered as he shut his phone off and climbed out of the Hummer, several other thugs following after him. He could hear the sound of their weapons' safeties being disengaged as he pulled his jacket off and pulled a balaclava down over his face. Flexing his arms, his veins began to glow beneath his skin as he arms bulged out of the tank top he was wearing. Gripping the front doors, the metal groaned as the hinges peeled away from the wall as Tony opened the bank's foyer.
"Do as make damage as possible. No one needs to know we're the second decoy." He roared as he ripped an ATM from a nearby wall and hurled it towards a security guard who was promptly squashed beneath the weight of the machine while another was gunned down. The building suddenly shook as the other Kings blew open the wall as they stormed towards the vault.
Two streets over Cal felt his arm pulse as he sat up straight in his seat. Looking at Sam as he subtly looked down at the Glitch Device, the message on screen displaying the information from an intercepted silent alarm. Cal had set up his device to read police broadcasts the night before, but now he was trapped in the debate and if he stood and left know someone would notice. That someone being his Grandfather which would mean Landon would find out and that was the last thing Cal needed, Landon poking around and asking questions. The device suddenly pulsed again as a message about a flaming couch being thrown into the street by Thistle Park came in, a suspected riot in the process where another message suddenly came in saying the bank was a false alarm. Either way if Cal could sneak out, he could check the bank and then hit the park. His gear was in his trunk.
"Sam," Cal whispered as he leaned over to her. "This is going to sound crazy, but I think there's a serious crime in progress."
"And what's your point? I thought Friday was a one night kind of deal?" Sam replied, her eyes pleading reason.
"I can help." Cal muttered back as an older woman turned around looking at the pair with an icy glare. "I made myself a uniform, some armor."
Sam sighed, before reluctantly speaking to him. "You're an ill-advised fool for thinking this is a sane idea. But..." Sam paused. "If you're going to do this, then someone needs to watch your back."
Cal paused, it wasn't the most preferable idea but what choice did he have right now. "One time, we'll see how this goes over one more time."
"I'm driving then," Sam said with a smile as she leaned over, placing a hand on Cal's chin and pulled him close, pushing their lips together for longer than what would be acceptable in a public forum. Pulling back slowly, Sam licked her lips and spoke above a whisper, "What do you say we get out of here Tiger?" She raised an eyebrow seductively as Cal looked at her with confusion before she mouthed 'GO' at him. Suddenly it hit Cal as he stood up, profusely apologizing as he stumbled over people, reaching back as he took Sam's hand and led her out the door.
"Give me your keys, you need to get your uniform on!" Sam called across to Cal as he pulled a duffle-bag out of the car and climbed into the car. "By the way, if you live past tonight, you and me are going to have to talk about a few more things than just being partners. Actually, I think we need to talk about the levels to that term."
Cal laughed as he pulled his shirt off and reached into the duffle bag. "Would you like to go steady Sam?"
"What can I say?" She paused as she revved up the engine. "I have a weakness for bad-asses no matter how ill-advised I think their crazy ideas are."
Looking at Sam with a smirk, Cal attached a voice modifier to the collar of the leather jacket he was sliding into, his voice coming out in a much deeper tone as he spoke again.
"IllAdvised, I like that."
