The Color of Money

[Wade Braddock]

Wade looked again at the new tablet computer in all its glory. An ultra clear screen, easy to use interface, tons of apps available, video, still camera, even ultra fast wi-fi connection, and it was all held together in a super cool titanium case. It may not be the most portable thing for walking around with, but at Westbrook it should make his life a lot easier. No more fumbling with tiny phone buttons, or losing the paper notes he’d write as reminders to get things done. It would all be in one super handy location.

All he needed to do was find the money to afford it. Not just for the tablet either. Wade had found himself wanting to get some new clothes, something a bit more ‘big city’ rather than his current ‘Mid-west hay-seed’ look. There were also trips to the mall, movies, maybe even taking a girl out on a date. All these things would need extra cash to be on hand. Wade sighed and folded up the brochure from the Geek store before tucking it back into the top drawer of his desk.

He was sure he couldn’t ask his parents for the money… well, he could, but he was sure what the answer would be. Not that he expected to make too many calls home. At least he’d had a civil conversation with his mother shortly after arriving at Westbrook. It was good to know that she was coming around; maybe sooner or later his father would too. It wasn’t like his meta-humanness was going to go away. Lanni also promised to communicate live with him if he called, not just the occasional text or e-mail. That made Wade happy; he had regretted not getting to know his little sister better the previous four years as she moved from being a little girl into a teenager.

Back to the matter at hand though; the family connection was out for getting any extra cash. His savings were non-existent, and the meager amount of spending money his parents did send would take years to build up enough. Wade wondered if maybe he could find a Job?

His weeks were pretty full, but he did have some time on weekends. Maybe something part time? Other kids he had spoken with seemed to have found work in the city so there must be places willing to hire meta-humans. Hopefully it wouldn’t be flipping burgers or dunking fries in a vat of oil, but anything that paid was better than being a broke loser. Wade decided to head into the city and spend some time scouting out job leads. He was sure with his size and strength he could find a labor job in a warehouse or construction site; assuming that he could find an open minded boss. Someone out there had to be able to see his potential.

[Wade Braddock]

Saturday. Day one of the great job search.

Total Fail.

Wade had filled out some applications at various stores around the Atlas Park area but none of them seemed at all promising. The best he got from any of them was being told that his application would be kept on file for six months incase an opening became available. Not even a burger flipper job seemed to be available. Wade had thought ‘Up and Away Burger’ was always hiring… apparently even they were hit by down-turns in the economy.

Sitting in front of a computer in the common area of Westbrook, Wade scanned the on-line want ads for Paragon City. They didn’t turn up much either. Most of the listings were more for the established professional than the part time student. Wade had neither the schooling and experience, or the 40 hours a week required to apply for the majority of them. The rest were weeknight shifts, required a car, or seemed to be an on-call basis. None of that seemed to fit with what Wade was looking for.

It seemed like Wade wouldn’t have much choice other than hitting the streets again and hope he got lucky someplace out there. Calling up the city map on the monitor Wade considered his next plan of action. Atlas Park was a bust… maybe Steel Canyon? The University was located there so it seemed to make sense that a lot of the businesses would rely on student labor. Wade was sure he could pass as a college student… if he was asked he’d just mention he was a student but try to avoid any specifics. Just get the job and get a chance to show them what he could do, then the truth could come out. Yes, that was a good plan.

Sunday morning came and Wade had a light breakfast, cutting himself off at six plates of pancakes and bacon. He didn’t want to be too bogged down if he was going to be walking all day. He spent a few minutes in his room making sure his appearance was polished before setting out for the city.

Steel Canyon seemed like a fairly decent area of town but the results of the morning were identical to Saturday’s. One promising thing was that a lot of the employers he met did indeed think he was from the university. The area also seemed to be more conducive to finding decent weekend work so Wade remained optimistic he was going to find something sooner or later in Steel Canyon. But first… it was lunch time.

[Wade Braddock]

Most of the sandwich shops and burger huts seemed pretty crowded so Wade kept walking until he found a place that only had a couple of people inside. It was a small corner diner and Wade didn’t even consider the fact that there might be a reason it was pretty much empty during lunch hour. The man wiping the counter smiled as Wade entered, apparently he was glad Wade hadn’t considered the lack of customers. The diner was pretty small; it only seemed to have the five booth style tables running along the windows. A row of stools were bolted to the floor spanning the length of the counter. The counter itself took up most of the other side of the little place. Behind the counter was a large grill and a number of other amenities Wade assumed were vital to running a diner. There didn’t appear to be a back room at all. A couple of guys in nice looking suits sat near the back and they both paused from their conversation to examine Wade for a moment, then apparently dismissed him and went back to their quiet talking.

“Mind if I sit at the counter?” Wade asked as he looked around. He had never sat at the counter in a diner before, but it seemed cool when people in the old movies did it.

“Not a problem.” The man replied and quickly wiped down a spot at the counter where Wade was settling himself down on a stool. “What are you having?”

“Uhm…don’t suppose you need any help around here do you?”

“Nah, sorry. Rough times right now. But I can give you a great meal. How’s that?” He responded with a smile

Wade nodded and looked up at the menu. It was written on a large board up on the wall behind the counter. He was pleased to see that they advertised all you can eat french fries with their burgers. That made the ordering a lot easier, but before Wade could open his mouth another voice called out from the back of the diner.

“Micky! Can we get some more coffee down here?”

“Right away!” Micky replied before grabbing the coffee pot. As he passed Wade he spoke again “I’ll grab your order in just a minute.”

Wade figured that the guys in the suits must have been regular customers by the way Micky jumped to get what they asked for. Based on their suits, they were probably good tippers as well. Or maybe not… if they were eating in a small diner when they could clearly afford a much fancier restaurant for their meal.

One of the suited men looked up and met Wade’s gaze. Wade was a bit taken back by the calm, level manner in which the man fixed his eyes upon him. He didn’t show any real emotion but Wade got the sense he was thinking ‘what are you looking at?’ while taking a closer look at Wade as well. This was clearly a man who made his living being able to read people and judge them quickly. Maybe he was a detective?

Wade was just about to drop his gaze and return to looking at the menu board when the suited man’s attention shifted slightly to focus on something over Wade’s shoulder. Following where the man was looking Wade turned his head to see a man pushing open the glass door to the diner and instantly knew something was wrong. The guy came in way too quickly for a casual customer and as soon as he had cleared the doorway he ripped a small revolver from his jacket pocket and pointed it in the general direction of the diner’s current occupants.

“No one move, or they get two in the face!” The gunman said in a voice that wasn’t quite a yell, but was clearly intended to strike fear into their hearts. “I want the cash, and your wallets, then I’m gone. No one gets hurt if they move fast.”

Out of reflex, Wade stood as the man rushed in and also out of reflex, his hands went up as the gun was pulled. Finding a job had been on his list of things to do that day, being shot was defiantly not.

“Easy buddy…” Micky began as he moved towards the cash till, his hands were also held up, the coffee pot still in his right hand. “Don’t do anything stupid…” Looking towards the back of the diner Wade noticed the suited men had yet to really acknowledge that the place was being robbed save for the fact that they both turned in their seats towards the robber. One guy even took a casual sip of his coffee. Motion caught the corner of Wade’s eye and his attention was pulled back to the gunman only to find himself with the gun pointed at his chest.

“Wallet, Jumbo… hurry it up.”

Wade didn’t hesitate. He really only had about 20 bucks and a few pieces of identification in his wallet anyhow. Nothing worth dieing over. He reached into his back pocket and pulled it free. The gunman snatched it as he moved past Wade towards Micky and the cash till, which was located about ten feet further down the counter. Micky had made it to the till but instead of opening it, he merely stood back away from the counter. It was an odd move for a guy who had a gun pointed at him, but it did get him out of a direct line between the gun and the suited men at the back. While it confused Wade, it seemed to agitate the gunman.

“Open the till!” He yelled and extended his arm a little more towards Micky, as if to emphasize that he had a gun in his hand. In response, Micky just turned his eyes towards the back of the diner. The action served to pull both the gunman and Wade’s attention in that direction as well.

The suited man, that Wade had locked eyes with earlier, rose from the booth and slipped his phone into his pocket before casually straightening out his suit. The gunman swung the gun back and forth between Micky and the suited man, as if not sure which one to point his weapon at. It didn’t seem to phase the suited man at all.

“Listen up. Here’s how this is going down.” The man began once he had finished adjusting his suit jacket. “I just sent a message to my friends and they’re on their way here now. I figure you have about three… maybe four minutes until they arrive. Give buddy back his wallet and start running. Do that, and I might tell them to take it easy on you, because trust me… they are going to catch up with you.”

The calmness with which the man delivered his little speech seemed to rattle the gunman and he glanced somewhat nervously out the diner window to the street beyond. He considered for a moment then pointed the gun square at the man in the suit.

“Open the till! Or this guy gets it! Then I’m shooting you!” The gunman yelled. His comments were clearly directed at Micky, but his attention was solely on the suited man. “You’ve got five seconds!...Four…Three…Two…”

[Wade Braddock]

Looking back Wade wouldn’t recall his exact motivation for his decision, maybe it was instinct or maybe he just saw an open opportunity. He’d often gotten a similar feeling on the football field, when something inside his brain just told him to hit a certain hole in the line and he’d break through… it had never failed.

As the gunman started his countdown Wade also started into motion. He took two large strides towards the gunman and balled his fist. With his back to Wade and his attention fixed on the suited man, he never noticed Wade’s approach. He brought the considerable mass of his fist down on the gunman in a hammering motion and connected squarely with the base of his skull and neck. A muffled crack was felt more than really heard and the gunman crumpled to the floor in a limp heap.

“Gods! You killed him!” Micky exclaimed as he quickly stepped around the counter to look at the man on the floor.

Killed? That wasn’t what Wade had intended at all. He didn’t know exactly what he intended, he just wanted to stop the guy. He had killed a man. He felt a swell of panic, shame, and even remorse all surface at the same time. Wade didn’t know what to do. He was about to turn and run when the suited man advanced and stood over the gunman’s body.

“He’s not dead. He’s breathing.” He stated calmly. “Probably cracked his neck though, maybe the skull. It was a good shot.”

“I… I didn’t want to hurt him.” Wade replied nervously. The last thing he wanted was to get in trouble with the law. Something like that could probably get him kicked out of Westbrook, and he was just starting to feel comfortable there.

“Funny, he would have hurt you. For just a few bucks too.”

The blunt truth of that statement hit Wade hard. This guy probably would have shot him and maybe everyone else in the diner. Like the suited man said, all for a few bucks in cash. It made Wade’s anger grow as he thought about it; was life so cheap to some people? Apparently so.

“Uh… are you going to call the police ‘bout this? ‘Cause, you know… if you don’t have to involve me…” Wade asked tentatively. He no longer worried that he had done anything wrong, since the man was alive, but involvement with the police may not be something the staff at Westbrook would look too favorably upon. Especially since he didn’t have one of those hero cards, or what ever they were supposed to get if they went out doing hero stuff.

The suited man looked to Micky then turned to look back at his partner who was still seated in the booth. A quick nod from the seated man was the only form of communication transmitted but it seemed to be all the suited man required.

“Don’t worry about that. We’ll get it sorted.” The suited man said as he turned back to Wade. “They won’t know about you. We’ll say…” He trailed off as he looked around for a moment, pausing when his eyes fell on Micky. “We’ll say Micky got the jump on him with that coffee pot.”

Wade nodded appreciatively then bent down to retrieve his wallet from the guy’s limp hand. As he stood he saw Micky speaking quietly into the suited man’s ear. He nodded once Micky was done then took a longer look at Wade as he seemed to consider something. After a long moment he spoke.

“Micky said you were asking about work. You interested in doing some deliveries?”

“Uh… sure. But I can’t drive yet… and uh, I was only looking for weekends really, so…?”

The suited man nodded and waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about all that, just go see a man in Independence Port, called Dockside Mario. He’s always looking for good guys. Micky will get you the address. I’ll give him a call, tell him to expect you.”

“Oh! Cool… uhm, yeah, I mean… that would be great.” Wade smiled quickly despite his lack of verbal grace. He hadn’t been a big believer in Karma, but right then it seemed to be flowing strongly for him. Wade was confident the suited man had provided the break he had been looking for.

[Wade Braddock]

Stepping off the train, Wade started to get a feeling of nervous anticipation. He suddenly wasn’t sure he was dressed well enough to actually meet a potential new boss. The feeling was also heightened by the fact that he had never actually applied for a job before. He had taken a few minutes on the ride over to check his phone for information on job interviews. That hadn’t helped either, if anything, it made Wade feel even less prepared. But he couldn’t sit and wait or back out, he had earned a great chance at finding a job and he wouldn’t let that just slide by. There was no way he was going to let nerves get the better of him. It was time to man up and get things done.

As he walked out of the train station and took a look around at Independence Port, all of his nervous energy quickly disappeared, but was replaced by a sudden apprehension. The place didn’t seem like such a good neighborhood for some reason, however, it was tough for Wade to put his finger on the exact reason. The area appeared mostly industrial, so the lack of regular people walking around didn’t really surprise him, nor did the somewhat dirty appearance of the buildings and streets. After all, this was an area of town devoted to factories and warehouses, not parks and shopping malls.

Something about the apparent mood on the street struck Wade as being the most out of the ordinary. The people he did see out walking appeared to be very guarded, and none of them looked eager to be doing anything that didn’t involve them directly. In fact, it seemed like people were somehow going out of their way to not notice anything that wasn’t their business. Wade suddenly had second thoughts about going to see this Dockside Mario. Maybe a job in this area of town wasn’t such a good idea.

Checking the map on his phone again, Wade confirmed the location that Micky had given him. The address wasn’t far; only four blocks. How bad could this area be? At the very least he should go and talk to the guy, shouldn’t he?

Looking back at the train station then again out to the streets Wade felt something inside his brain telling him to just forget it. To just head back and keep looking other places for a job. Find something easier, more convenient, more…. No! Wade cursed himself and pushed the thoughts from his brain. Fear, worry, doubt… they wouldn’t get the better of him, he wouldn’t allow them to. He’d given in to negatives before; his whole past year of life had been a big cloud of negativity. Now he was at Westbrook and things were genuinely looking up for him. Nothing was going to take away from that. It was time for him to start winning again.

Wade steeled himself and set his face into a mask of determination. Just let something get in his way. He’d push past it… hell, he’d go right through it if he had to. Nothing was going to stop him from walking those four blocks. Nothing was going to stop him from getting that job. Someone had seen his potential. He was right in front of his goal, all he had to do now was reach out and grab it.

[Wade Braddock]

It had been a good day, a bit strange, but good. Wade sat on the train as it carried him back towards Westbrook and reflected about the day’s events. A morning of dead ends as he searched for jobs around the University in Steel Canyon. Then came lunch in the diner. He had experienced a few firsts in the short time he was there. Really it was the starting point for everything that followed for the rest of the day. In a span of just a few minutes a man had burst into the diner, pointed a gun at Wade’s chest, and snatched his wallet, none of those things had ever happened to him before. Then while the gunman was distracted by another customer, Wade had knocked him out from behind.

At the time, Wade had been glad to get out of there with no hassle from the police. But as he thought back on the incident he kind of regretted taking off so quickly. He had done a good deed, why shouldn’t he have taken the credit for it? People would have said he did something heroic. It was a good feeling, now that he had time to let it sink in and analyze it properly. It was something he could get used to.

While the lunch hour hadn’t produced any public accolades, it may have turned up something even more important; a solid job lead that Wade had been searching for all weekend. As it turned out, the lead was more than solid, it was practically guaranteed.

Dockside Deliveries seemed like a good place to work. Its owner Mario was clearly a no nonsense, work hard, get the job done kind of guy. Wade liked that, it reminded him of his favorite coach from back in Falls Plain. Don’t make excuses, step up and get it done. He was a straight shooter who got right to the point with Wade. Mario told Wade that his size was exactly what he was looking for and as long as Wade showed up ready to work, he would do fine. Wade would later find out that all the guys on his crew were bigger, stronger guys. Seemed to make sense for a delivery job.

Mario didn’t have a problem with Wade only working weekends, since that was when a lot of the bigger things got moved around at the factories and warehouses. He even talked Wade into the occasional weeknight shift if something special came up, or one of his other guys couldn’t make it.

The job itself seemed pretty straight forward work as well. Wade would ride along with the driver and assist him in carting boxes and things off the truck at each stop. Swamping duty, Mario had called it. Weird name, but whatever, the pay seemed good enough to start saving for the things on his list. He wouldn’t be scrimping for a year either, if he banked his paycheques and used the money his parents sent for everyday expenses.

Yes, it had been a good day. A good deed done, a good lead followed up on and a good job secured.

[Wade Braddock]

Saturday rolled around and Wade got up early. He had breakfast in the cafeteria and then grabbed a few sandwiches and some fruit. Mrs. Fandango was good enough to give him a paper bag to keep it all in. He wasn’t sure exactly how long it would take him to get to Work so he thought it best to not take any chances. As it turned out, he was a bit overly cautious and arrived at Dockside Deliveries nearly 45 minutes early. Not sure if he was supposed to wait outside or just walk in, Wade hung out by the front door for a few minutes. He finally decided to try walking in, but when he pulled on the front door he found it locked.

At almost 7:30 on the dot, a nice looking sedan pulled up and parked outside the office. Mario stepped out from behind the wheel and took a moment to look Wade over before approaching. He held a briefcase in one hand and a big mug of coffee in the other.

“Hey kid. We start at eight o’clock ‘round here.” Mario commented as he stepped past wade and put his key in the front door’s lock.

“Yeah, I just didn’t want to be late.”

“Good. Don’t be.” Mario paused as he opened the door and looked back at Wade. “If you do get here early, Marcus has the back door open. He’s in at seven most days.”

“Ok. I’ll just go ‘round back then?”

“Yep, go to the end of the block then round into the alley. Door’s marked.”

Mario dismissed wade by simply turning and walking into the office with out waiting for a reply. Wade was left with little choice so he made is way to the back alley and found the big bay door with the company name written above it. A chain link fence with a sturdy looking locked gate enclosed a small area where three cube vans of various sizes sat parked. While the bay door itself was still down and locked, Wade found that the man door to the side was unlocked. It opened with a squeak of rusty hinges and the wail of a loud interior buzzer that rang out for a second.

Inside the bay an older looking guy was walking around with a clip-board, checking things off as he inspected the tags on stacks of boxes and crates. He moved a little slowly as if he had stiff joints and he seemed to shuffle more than walk. He was a bigger guy and looked like he could have been well built in his youth.

He greeted Wade and beckoned him over with a wave of his clip-board before returning to his work. Wade introduced himself and found that this guy was Marcus, the shipper and dispatcher. He was responsible for sending the goods where they needed to go and getting the guys to the places they needed to be. Any screw ups on his end would be a huge waste of time for the guys on the road as they went to the wrong places or took the wrong goods to the wrong address. To date, he had only messed up twice. A fact he was proud of. Wade was impressed by it as well, especially when he found out that Marcus had been doing that job for over fifteen years.

Marcus chatted with Wade as he went around the bay and seemed to take an interest in Wade’s current situation. He seemed to know about Westbrook Academy and wasn’t surprised to hear Wade admit that he was a meta-human. But that probably wasn’t a surprise to anyone after they got a look at Wade. At around quarter to eight guys started to file in the back door every couple of minutes. They all greeted Marcus then went to a corner of the bay area where a table and chairs were set up. A coffee machine was already on and most of the guys filled their mugs up as they put away what ever coats or bags they had brought in.

Marcus pulled one guy aside and introduced Wade to him. The guy was named Gordon, but he insisted on being called Gordo and he was going to be the guy Wade went out with that day. Gordo brought Wade over to the table to further introduce him to the guys there. They all greeted Wade and took a moment to look him over. He was clearly the largest guy there, but not by all that much. A couple of the guys stood just four or five inches shorter and all of them looked plenty strong.

At exactly eight o’clock, Marcus came over and started reading out the day’s assignments and schedule. By five past eight, the guys had broken into three teams and were heading for the trucks outside. Two of the trucks drove off and Gordo backed his truck up to the bay door. The rest of the first hour was spent loading boxes into the truck. Wade put his full effort into the job and was often able to carry two or three boxes despite the weight of them. By the end of the hour he had a light sheen of sweat on his forhead. Gordo quickly double checked things then nodded to Wade and told him to jump in the truck. Marcus nodded approvingly to Wade when he looked over then went back to his job.

The rest of the day went by quickly for Wade. Some stops saw them drop off a box or two, while others saw them unload more than a quarter of the boxes at a time. Others still were pick up jobs. With the ebb and flow of the day, the van never seemed to be more than half empty at any time. During the stops, Wade jumped in to do as much lifting as he could and found that as long as he listened to Gordo’s instructions things went smoothly. The smoother the jobs went the happier Gordo seemed to get, which in turn gave Wade a boost of confidence that he was doing well on his first day.

On the road Wade and Gordo chatted as they drove. Wade found out that Gordo was thirty two, had a wife and two kids, and lived in Steel Canyon. He seemed like a hard working family man, the kind of guy he was used to from back in Kansas. The only real drawback that Wade discovered about Gordo was that he didn’t really like baseball. Gordo mentioned on a few occasions that Wade was lucky to have gotten the job. It paid well and Mario provided them with great benefits. Wade could only agree with him on that, so far he was actually enjoying the job.

By the end of their shift Wade felt pretty comfortable around Gordo and even found himself smiling at some of the funny comments Gordo made, even if they were a bit sexist or racist. He was glad to hear that they would be working together again the next day. A few of the guys were sticking around the shop to play some cards and they invited Wade to play, but he declined. He wasn’t much of a poker guy, and truth be told, he was pretty beat from working all day, but he didn’t admit that to the guys.

Once he got back to Westbrook, Wade just caught the end of dinner service in the cafeteria then got back to his room to do his homework. He caught a quick half-hour of TV in the commons then went to sleep. It didn’t take long for him to drop off and he slept solidly until his alarm started chiming the next morning. With a light groan Wade looked at the alarm.

It was time to go to work again.

[Wade Braddock]

Wade walked in the back door to start his third week of work at Dockside Deliveries and found that he was actually excited about the coming day. Marcus had called him the night before and told him to get into work early. They had a big job that would need the whole crew and would take the whole day. To make it even more interesting, they had a strict deadline. From eight to five, that was it. Apparently some fancy tech company was moving across town and they had a very limited amount of time that they could be shut down for. Any delays would apparently start costing this company a lot of money. So Wade looked at this as a challenge. It felt like the morning before a coming game, he had a few nerves but more so he felt a sense of anticipation, like he couldn’t wait to get going. It would be nice to face down an opponent again, and come out as a victor; even if that opponent was just a clock and a mountain of gear and boxes to get moved.

Marcus called the crew together as soon as everyone had arrived and spent a moment looking them over.

“Alright guys, big job today. Going to be tight, but boss wants me to tell ya that there’s been a bonus offered to get it done early. Fifty bucks each for every hour early we can get done by. So… what are you standin’ around for. Get it going, get it done.”

With that, the guys all headed for the trucks and started across Independence Port in a small convoy. They had arrived at ten to eight, and as soon as the guard had opened the rear loading docks everyone was already jumping into action.

Wade wasn’t fully aware of what the game plan was, but it didn’t really matter because Gordo put him on dock duty. All he had to do was load the trucks, but it wasn’t just grunt work. Gordo was counting on him to stack and load things efficiently, to make use of all available space in the trucks. If they planned it right, they could probably get everything in the three trucks for a single trip. That would mean they could earn that bonus.

The day flew by. No one stopped working once. They would all grab quick bites of their sandwiches or snacks when a free moment presented itself, but no official breaks were called. Wade made the occasional mistake, but quickly worked twice as hard to get it sorted and caught up. Everyone pulled their weight and they were all thrilled when the last box was unloaded at their destination.

Checking the clock, they saw it was just past three-thirty. Bonus time! The whole crew was excited and high fives and fist bumps were clearly in order. It gave Wade that feeling of a win that he was looking for, and not just a win; but a big win. To make it even better, when they got back to the shop Mario himself came out and gave them all a full hundred dollars extra. He was clearly pleased at their work that day.

All of the guys were planning to head over to a nearby pub to get a few beers. Gordo told Wade to come along, since he was a big part of the job they did. Wade wanted to except he doubted that he’d even get in, but they all insisted and told him not to worry about it. Turned out that a couple of the guys knew the owner so it wouldn’t be a problem.

Wade hadn’t drank since the last party he had been at, and that was nearly a full year ago, but this seemed different to him. It wasn’t a bunch of kids drinking as much as they could to get as drunk as they could. This was a group of guys having a few beers, and shots, after a hard day of work. It made Wade feel like a man, like he’d earned those beers. Still, he didn’t want to get any heat back at Westbrook so he stopped drinking when he started feeling buzzed. It probably wouldn’t do to wander back onto campus drunk, so Wade stood and said goodbye to the guys. Gordo offered him a ride, since Westbrook wasn’t too far out of his way home. Wade agreed and soon they were heading across town in Gordo’s GMC Suburban.

Fortunately, Gordo had one of those aftermarket GPS units in his truck, since Wade wasn’t exactly sure how to give directions back to Westbrook by road. The two chatted briefly about the College Basketball tournament before Gordo took a bit of a more serious tone in their conversation.

“Hey, lissen’. I’m pulling a side job this coming week. Doing some front door security work for a fancy kinda dinner party.”

“Security? At a diner party?” Wade replied.

“Yeah, gonna be some business types and small time politicians, maybe even some local celebrities. Never know. They just wanna couple of guys at the doors to make sure no one gets in that ain’t supposed to be there. You’re exactly the kinda guy they like seeing.”

“Doesn’t sound too hard.” Wade admitted.

“Carl usually works them with me, but somethin’s come up for him. You wanna stand in? Pay’s good. 250 bucks for a few hours, plus any tips you might get slipped to ya.”

“250 bucks! Holy crap, that’s more than I’ll make in a whole weekend of work!”

“So you want in?” Gordo asked with a slight smile.

“Hell yeah! I can keep party crashers out.”

“Good. I’ll get ya the address and the time. Wear a suit, somethin’ dark. An’ bring some shades.”

“Shades? Isn’t the job at night?” Wade asked curiously.

“Yeah. But you wanna be wearin’ em. You wanna look like you mean business, so no one don’t mess with ya. You tell ‘em to beat it, they beat it. Got me?”

“Yeah. Cool. All secret service-like. I’m with ya.” Wade nodded in agreement. He always loved the suit and shades look, ever since seeing the Matrix films as a kid. Now he’d have a reason to go for that kind of look with out seeming like a wannabe. It actually made him excited as he thought about how cool the agents in that movie had seemed. Maybe he could pull it off too. There was just one problem.

“Hey uhm, Gordo… listen, I kinda don’t have a suit.”

“So. Get one.”

“I haven’t exactly been paid yet… uhm…”

“Shit kid… you need a hook up? I know a guy. He’ll take care of ya.”

“Awsome. I’ll get him the money as soon as I can.”

“No prob, Wade. I’ll tell him yer good for it.”

Wade sat back and smiled happily. This new job wasn’t just good. It was great! The guys he’d met so far all seemed to be really friendly, really decent. There was a level of immediate acceptance among them that Wade not only appreciated, but also respected. It reminded him of his few years on the Falls Plain football team. That team had been tight. It was tough to make it on, but if you did then you were a Warrior. The guys around you became your brothers and you’d do anything for them. They’d always have your back, no matter what, and you’d have theirs. This new group of guys at Dockside Deliveries seemed to be a lot like that. It was a good feeling. It was like being part of a team again.

It was like being part of a Family.

[Wade Braddock]

The event was being held in an office tower located near the middle of Steel Canyon. Wade didn’t know that dinner parties were held in office buildings, but he supposed it made sense if a businessman was the host. They could definitely accommodate a good number of guests in such a building and if the lobby was any indication, the offices upstairs would be fairly high end.

Wade stood with his back to the Elevator doors, facing out into the lobby area. Gordo stood a few feet away on the opposite side of the doors. So far most of the guests seemed to have arrived and nothing of note had happened. It had actually been a pretty dull hour.

Wade wasn’t sure what he had expected, but standing in one spot watching people file past from time to time wasn’t exactly it. They didn’t even have to check anyone’s invitations. A pretty woman seemed to be playing the role of hostess for anyone who entered the lobby. She’d greet them, check their invitations if needed and direct them towards the elevators. She actually seemed to recognize most of the guests and greeted them by name. After getting through the front doors they milled around and chatted with each other for a while before heading up in the elevator. Everything was going smoothly until Wade noticed something that just didn’t seem right.

A man in a sport coat entered with a group of others. He had a bad haircut and wore glasses. He didn’t wear a tie and his coat looked like something that you’d pick up at Megamart. At first Wade assumed he was part of that group, but after a few minutes of watching him Wade noticed that he hadn’t actually spoken with any of them once. He actually seemed to separate himself from them as soon as they had moved a short ways into the lobby. He walked around casually and looked like he belonged there, but still, he never spoke to anyone in the lobby. Odd. Especially when everyone else seemed to at least be exchanging the simplest of greetings as they passed each other.

When a group of guests moved towards the elevator he filed into the middle of the pack and casually waited his turn to board. Wade wasn’t sure what to do exactly. Gordo had said to keep an eye out for anything that seemed odd, or a prearranged signal for help from the hostess. This guy seemed odd, but he had made it past the hostess lady. Was he legit? As he stepped up to enter the car, Wade made a quick decision and extended his arm to block the man’s path. The guy stopped dead in his tracks and looked over at Wade.

“Excuse me… do you have an invitation?” Wade asked in what he hoped was a polite tone. The guests behind him paused from trying to board the elevator and took a step back. None of them seemed to want to be too close to Wade and this guy. Gordo had also focused his attention on Wade and the man; a frown immediately formed on his lips. Wade hoped it wasn’t because he had stopped this guy.

“Of course… it’s right here.” The man replied in a casual tone and Wade felt a growing sense of dread. Crap. He’d just made a bad call and probably pissed this guest off. So much for a good paying side job. The guy made a bit of a show of reaching into his coat, but his hand came out empty. He then proceeded to search his other pockets. “Uh… funny… had it a moment ago…”

“Get out of here, Freely.” Gordo suddenly growled and reached over to grab the guy by the coat and haul him off towards the side of the lobby. “Wade, keep things moving. I’ll handle this guy.”

Wade nodded and extended his arm towards the elevator, much like he’d seen the hostess lady doing earlier. “Sorry everyone, please continue up.” The men in the group seemed to take over from there and ushered the ladies they were with into the elevator. A few of them even gave Wade a quick nod as they passed.

The guests had all arrived shortly after that, and the lobby quickly emptied out. The Hostess checked a list she carried then smiled to Gordo and told him that everyone was in. She then proceeded up the elevator herself leaving Wade and Gordo in the vacant lobby.

“Good spot back there, Bud.” Gordo said as he assumed a relaxed posture and leaned back against the wall. “That guy’s always a pain in the ass.”

“Who was he?”

“Reporter. Richard Freely. We all call him, Dick.” Gordo replied with a hint of a smile.

“Dick Freely? For real?”

Gordo chuckled and nodded. “Parents must have hated him. Guy shoulda been a porn star or something. Anyhow, he’s always poking around events like this. Thinks he’ll stumble on some kind of story or gossip or something. Guy’s just a hack.”

“Thought I’d messed up there when he went for his invitation.” Wade added tentatively.

“Nope. I’ve tossed that guy out at least a dozen times past few years. He was wearing a wig and fake glasses this time. Guess the guy’s tryin’ to get creative. Anyhow… you saved the day there. Wouldn’t have looked good if we’d missed him”

“Cool.” Wade said then suddenly changed the topic. Earlier in the evening he had seen someone who had definitely peaked his attention and wanted to ask Gordo about her. “Hey, did you see that super-hot girl who came in? She musta been like eighteen or so, blonde, wearing the short red dress? She had a few other girls with her.”

“Yeah. Hard to miss, huh?” Gordo stated in a nonchalant manner. His lack of enthusiasm told Wade that either Gordo was completely faithful to his wife or he’d seen her enough times not to be slack jawed by her beauty.

“Who is she? You know her?”

“Trouble. Just forget about her.”

“So you know her? What’s her name?” Wade asked with a growing excitement that Gordo quickly squashed.

“Forget it Wade. Trust me. She’s on the no-go list for guys like us.”

“Yeah, but…”

“No buts. Shit. Listen to me, I’m doin’ you a favor. She’s so far out of your league it isn’t even funny. Even if she took the time to notice you, her dad would…” Gordo suddenly paused and looked around, taking a breath as he did then exhaling and looking back at Wade. “Let’s just drop it, ok. Forget you saw her and you’ll be better off for it.”

Wade nodded and didn’t speak of her again, but he couldn’t get the image of her out of his head. Her long legs were accentuated by the short dress and high heels, her figure had been perfect, auburn hair framed a heart shaped face, she had a cute smile that seemed just a bit mischievous and she had large blue eyes… everything Wade liked. If he couldn’t speak about her, at least it was a nice mental image to be fixated on.

The next few hours passed slowly. Wade and Gordo chatted but nothing at all happened save for someone from the catering staff coming down to the lobby with a tray of left over appetizers that they could snack on. Wade was about to complain that the job was boring but decided against it when he remembered that he was making 250 bucks in only a few hours. For that kind of cash, he’d take a few hours of boredom.

A while later, Wade noticed a number of cars had begun pulling up outside the building. Gordo noticed too and resumed his attentive posture as he took up his position beside the elevator. The cars were a signal that the guests would start coming down soon and sure enough, five minutes later a parade of fairly drunk businessmen and their escorts began to file out of the elevator and towards the front doors. As they stood outside waiting for drivers or taxis to get close enough a large crowd formed just outside the building. Wade noticed a familiar looking sport coat moving amongst the throng and called Gordo’s attention to it.

Gordo acknowledged it and told Wade to take up a spot just outside the front doors to help get the guests moving along. He said he’d deal with Freely and quickly strode into the crowd. The reporter noticed Gordo’s approach and quickly stashed a small voice recorder in his pocket and attempted to escape the crowd. The mass of people between him and freedom was too great and Gordo quickly grabbed him by the scruff of his coat and dragged him around the side of the building; leaving Wade to watch over the lingering guests.

Gordo had returned by the time the last cars were pulling away from the curb. He tossed Wade the small voice recorder Freely had been carrying and said that maybe he could make use of it for his classes. Wade nodded and thanked him. Maybe it would come in handy.

Wade was about to ask what Gordo had done to Freely, but the hostess lady came out and told Gordo that they were done for the evening. She then handed each of the guys an envelope and told them they’d done a good job before retreating back into the building and up the elevator. Gordo slapped Wade on the back and offered him a ride back, but Wade declined. The train was only a few blocks away. Gordo said goodbye and headed towards the building’s underground garage and Wade headed up the block.

Wade was standing on the platform waiting for the train to arrive when he heard voices. It sounded like two women laughing and talking loudly. Moving to the railing that overlooked the street Wade saw a couple of women staggering along the sidewalk halfway up the block. Their laughing and voices echoed off the tall buildings in the quiet of the night. Wade looked up and down the street and noticed it was pretty empty. It appeared that not much happened in Steel Canyon late at night during the week. Taking another look at the women Wade had to stop and take a second look. It was her! The girl from the party in the red dress.

The chime rang behind Wade alerting him to the fact that the Train had arrived but he paid it little attention as he leaned on the rail and watched the girl and her friend moving down the street. Gordo had warned him to forget about her, but suddenly he found himself considering his options. Here he was, looking good in his suit, and she was just half a block away, plus she was drunk. Surely she’d at least talk to him, at least tell him her name. Maybe he could walk her home, or get her a cab… maybe a phone number? Wade started to grin as he considered that possibility.

Wade had made up his mind to take a stab at approaching the girl when he saw something that made his heart jump in his chest. As the girls passed an alleyway between two buildings a figure jumped out and grabbed the closest girl from behind. Wrapping an arm around her chest and clamping his other hand over her mouth he half carried and half dragged her into the dark alleyway. Three more guys jumped out of the alley and surrounded the second girl, the girl in the red dress.

The girl attempted to hold the guys at bay by swinging her purse in a wide arc before her, but that just elicited laughs and mocking comments from the three. A faint scream was heard, most likely from the second girl in the alley. That was all Wade needed to see and hear to get him moving. He vaulted over the rail and dropped the ten feet to land on the sidewalk below. His feet had barely touched the concrete before he was running towards the girl and her attackers. He hadn’t actually considered what he’d do once he got there, but he knew he had to do something. Wade’s somewhat dull night had suddenly become a lot more exciting.

[Wade Braddock]

The way the thugs had surrounded the girl in the red dress made it impossible for Wade to approach with out being seen. By the time he had covered the half block of city street that separated him from the group, the thugs had already moved into a position to meet the emerging threat. One of the three grabbed the girl’s arm as she swung her purse and deftly twisted it behind her back while the other two stepped up to form something of a wall.

At first they seemed amused that some guy in a suit would even think of poking his nose into their business, but as Wade continued to charge at them they exchanged glances of growing concern. It must have become apparent that Wade was much larger than the average businessman and he didn’t seem to be slowing down.

“You don’t want none of this maaa....” One of the thugs shouted at Wade as he approached, but he never got to finish his sentence as Wade mowed into him at full speed. The impact sent the guy flying backwards a few yards and then rolling into the street.

Wade had decided that a sudden overwhelming attack would be his best bet against these guys. He clearly had the size, and most likely the strength in this fight. He hoped that if he could take one of them out quickly, it may chase the other two off, or at least weaken their will to face him. Stay aggressive, scare them off. It seemed like a solid plan.

The momentum of Wade’s charge carried him past the other two thugs by a few steps before he could stop himself. He had enough time to watch the guy he collided with land and groan in pain. He didn’t seem to be springing back up. Hopefully he was down. As Wade spun around to face the other two, his plan of attack suddenly fell apart.

The second guy was already lunging towards Wade. A quick flash of light off something metallic was the only warning Wade had that this thug was armed. He managed to move his arm just in time to stop the knife from plunging into his stomach, but the sharp blade cut through the fabric of his jacket and Wade felt the sudden sting that signaled his forearm had been cut.

Wade tried to fall back a step, but the guy kept coming. His knife kept slashing out again and again. Wade kept his arms in front of his body and managed to defend his torso from receiving any cuts, but his arms were getting sliced to ribbons. He lost count of how many times he felt the burning slash of the knife’s blade but knew he had to do something or else this guy would eventually find a more damaging spot to stick his knife into. As he lunged at Wade again, Wade brought his foot up and caught the guy as his arm was extended from his last slashing motion. Wade’s foot made contact with the thug’s torso, right under his arm pit and he grunted in pain. The force of the impact caused his hand to go limp and the knife flew from his grip, landing with the ring of metal near the middle of the road. The thug quickly turned to chase after it and Wade took the opportunity to lash out with his leg again. This time he caught the guy in the stomach and the guy immediately buckled to the ground as the wind was knocked out of him.

Wade began to shift his gaze towards the last of the thugs but he was suddenly struck in the chest. He didn’t get enough time to recognize what the weapon was, but it seemed to be long and wooden. Maybe a two by four, or a bat? The intense pain in his chest and the sudden shortness of breath caused him to reflexively hunch over and he brought his arms close to his body in an effort to shield himself from a second strike. But it didn’t fall against his body. The second impact struck the side of his knee and he felt an explosion of pain radiate up and down his leg. No longer able to support his own weight, Wade crashed to the ground on his hands and knees.

Dazed and unable to move, Wade began to feel blow after blow striking him in the ribs. Whether it was the wooden weapon or even just a boot, it didn’t seem to make much difference, Wade was defenseless to stop them. The attack may have lasted a few seconds, or maybe a few minutes, but it ended when Wade became vaguely aware of a set of booted feet standing in front of him. One foot pulled back and quickly extended towards his face. After that, things went black.

Consciousness returned to Wade in a sudden burst. His eyes remained closed but he was able to begin taking stock of his situation. He recalled the fight… parts of it at least. He was also quickly becoming aware of the agony he was in. His entire leg throbbed in pain, his mouth felt like it was stuffed full of cotton balls, his arms felt like they had been doused in scalding water, and it hurt every time he inhaled. But on top of all the pain, there was some other though his brain was struggling to grasp onto. Why had he been jumped and beaten senseless?

Wade struggled to open his eyes, and when he did he saw a small trickle of blood slowly making its way out from his face towards the gutter. Red blood. That was good. Apparently he still bled like a human, but there was something about the color of it. He liked it. But why? He hadn’t really been a fan of the color red, not until… until he had seen her. The girl! She was the reason he was laying face down on the street. She was in danger!

Trying to focus for a moment Wade concentrated on listening and heard the sound of feet scuffling on the concrete, he heard a girl’s voice yelp in a mix of dismay and pain. He heard male voices laughing and making crude jokes about her being dressed for the occasion. It sounded like they were still very close. Maybe Wade hadn’t been blacked out for too long at all. But he was done. The girl in the red dress was beyond his ability to help. Wasn’t she? Wade’s whole body hurt, but… he could still move. He wasn’t finished. He wasn’t done yet.

Anger mixed with adrenaline and somehow Wade knew he could go on. It was going to hurt like hell, he was probably going to pay for it later, but at that moment, it was just pain. Pain wasn't going to stop him. He couldn’t allow himself to consider defeat, not when there was still a job to do. Taking a moment to focus his energy, Wade put one hand under himself, then the other. Pain shot up his arms as he pushed himself to his knees. Taking another breath he struggled to his feet, ignoring the blast of burning agony that shot out from his wounded knee. Regaining a stable footing Wade leveled a stony gaze on the thugs. They once again had the girl surrounded, this time with her back to the building as they slowly closed in around her.

“That… all you got?” Wade uttered. He was a bit surprised at both the levelness and the intensity he managed to bring forth. For added effect he spat a wad of blood and saliva on the ground as the thugs immediately whirled around. Their faces were a mix of shock and disbelief. They clearly didn’t expect to see their victim rise again.

“Holy shit, man! No way!” One thug exclaimed. Wade recognized him as the one who was wielding the knife earlier. Sadly, it seemed that he had regained his weapon and once again flashed it out in front of him, but this time in a much more defensive fashion.

“You put him down good!” Added another as he looked at the third guy. The speaker was the guy who Wade had run over to start the battle.

“Time to finish the job then… permanently this time.” The last thug turned around fully and Wade saw that he had a short club in his hand. It appeared to be a baseball bat that had been cut down.

The guy with the bat took two strides towards Wade and swung the bat with one arm. Instead of pulling his arms in defensively this time, Wade lashed out and caught the end of the club with his left hand. Pain shot up his arm and Wade was afraid he might lose his grip. Clenching his already aching jaw, he redoubled his effort and started to pull the club towards him. The thug struggled to pull it away, but Wade’s grip remained strong. After a few seconds the thug locked eyes with Wade. Smug arrogance quickly melted into shock and then fear as the thug realized he wasn’t going to be able to wrench his club free of Wade’s grasp. His eyes darted from side to side and Wade sensed he was looking for an out. It was time to strike.

Planting his feet, Wade winced through the sudden burst of fiery pain that seemed to radiate from every where on his body and pulled his left arm towards his body. The thug was caught off guard and stumbled towards Wade. His forward motion was quickly stopped by Wade’s huge right first as it slammed into his face causing a fountain of blood to spray from his nose. His eyes rolled back in his head, his legs went limp and he dropped to the ground.

“What the hell!” One of the thugs yelled and looked at the guy with the knife. “Get him… freakin’ get him!!”

The guy with the knife looked up from the crumpled heap that used to be his buddy to stare at Wade. He widened his stance and took a step towards Wade, his knife held ready before him. He didn’t make it past that first step though. His advance was suddenly halted as a high-heeled foot found its way squarely into his crotch. The knife dropped from his hand and he doubled over, both hands grasping at his groin as he moaned in pain. Apparently the girl in the red dress had decided to launch her own attack while their backs were turned.

The remaining thug quickly moved a few steps away before looking over his shoulder at the girl and then quickly back to Wade. He met Wade’s gaze and it only took a second for him to make up his mind. He turned and ran down the street. Wade was about to drop his guard when another voice called out from the alley way and a new figure immerged on the scene.

“What the hells is going on… out…” The new thug trailed off as he looked at his two pals down on the ground then up the street at the other thug fleeing. He looked to the girl then up to meet Wade’s gaze. He choice was quickly made as well.

“Aw, hell no…” he stated quickly and also took off down the street at top speed.

Wade watched him go for a moment and realized that the fight was over, at least for now. The two on the ground didn’t appear to be getting up anytime soon, but it was best not to take chances. Leaving was the best choice, but Wade doubted he’d get very far if he tried walking. He could already feel his head swimming and the pain he’d been fighting to ignore was quickly over taking his senses. It was all he could do to limp over to the building and use it to help prop himself up, but soon even that was too much and he was forced to sink to the ground, his back resting against the cold brick wall.

The girl in the red dress hadn’t wasted any time. As soon as the last thug had set off she retrieved her purse and immediately had her phone to her ear. After a quick conversation she crouched down next to Wade. She looked like she was about to reach out and touch him, but after taking a second look she must have decided against it.

“Hang on. Help is coming.” She said quickly as she looked around to keep a wary eye on the two thugs.

“Hey… gotta ask…” Wade began weakly then had to stop as he started to cough. Each time he coughed it felt like someone was stabbing him in the ribs. Wincing in pain he managed to cease coughing and look up at the girl again. “… can I… get your number…?”

The girl looked taken back for a moment by the question, but then offered Wade a warm smile. “Just hang in there…ok?”

Hang in there? Given the circumstances, there really wasn’t much else he could do.