Roger thinks he grows to dizzying heights when he touches water. While it is the most abundant element on the planet it's not always around when you need it. This is why Roger has a bottle of water with him whenever he goes out crime fighting. This is also why Roger wears a fanny pack.
He swears up and down that it's a utility belt. I'm sorry but any bag that straps around the waist and has only one pocket is a fanny pack.
We had arrived in what was essentially the 'bad part of town'. Nestled between two different universities, it used to house the students. Cheap housing and a general disregard by police for what happened there, led to the drug dealers moving in and thriving in the process. It is now a mix of college kids and the working class who couldn't afford to live in better parts of the city.
"Where are you planning on parking?"
"I scouted out a spot earlier. It's behind a corner pharmacy....I paid off the owner."
"Smart."
The back alley was dimly lit, casting a sepia glow to Roger's face. He looked about as nervous as I felt, but with a grim set to his lips. He was determined to do this.
We had spotted a group of five teenagers on a corner about two blocks away. The distance was convenient for our first time out, but I was still uneasy. The kids weren't necessarily doing anything wrong. What if they were just a group of boys waiting for their girlfriends so they could all go to the movies. That happens right?
Roger and I argued back and forth in hushed tones as we crept along walls, keeping to the shadows. Roger reasoned that no group of boys, out together during the night, were ever up to anything good, and as a boy he knows that first hand. I didn't like that we were just assuming their guilt. Eventually, he conceded and we chose a vantage point to observe from across the street in a store's door front.
It didn't take long before a car pulled up and one boy went to the driver's window to talk. And it didn't take an eagle eye to see the transaction. They weren't being discreet. Sighing, recognizing my defeat, I slumped against the door. "I'm going over there to talk to them," Roger said without looking at me.
"And what are you going to say? Excuse me boys, but you must cease these nefarious deeds and return to your homesteads?"
"That's a good opening. I'll go with that." And he walked away.
"Roger...Roger!" Scream whispering is not very effective, especially when the person you're calling to is so incredibly pig headed.
I watched as Roger walked over to them. There was purpose in his step, no doubts in his manner. The boys watched him approach, some questioning, some distrustfully, a couple began to laugh. One walked forward, his hands in his jacket pockets, yet still gesturing as he spoke. He must have been the leader.
Roger raised his hand in greeting. He was speaking, but I couldn't hear the words. There was a pause and then the boys began laughing as if they'd heard the one about the lesbian and the priest walking into a bar.
I say Roger reach for his fanny pack and pull out the water bottle. That's when I began to run.
"Leviathan! Watch out!"
"Aw what the hell? You brought your bitch too. Isn't that sweet."
What did he just call me? Head down, arms pumping, I began running faster. I didn't have a lot of distance to cover, but it felt like Roger was miles away.
Roger charged the kid nearest to him, water was flying through the air, splashing the boys closest. I saw a flash as something metal caught the light from the street lamp. Just as I reached him, the mighty Leviathan slumped against me.
Not good, not good. I pulled the knife out of Roger's side, brandishing it at the hoods standing around.
"You want to come at me, fuckers? See how effective you are against a woman who just saw her best friend get stabbed. Let's see how you do!" I swiped the knife around, jabbing at the boys. Geez I stab like a girl, I couldn't help thinking it.
A few started walking away. The couple that remained, including the leader, took a couple steps back. The one held up his arms. "Whoa there, Momma. We just don't want crazy here messing up business, you feel me? Be cool."
"I'm just going to walk away now. I'm getting him to the car. Let us go without any trouble and we won't tell the docs how this happened. We want to keep this quiet too, you understand."
They looked at each other. I knew that they had to have more weapons and the only reason they hadn't killed us was the novelty factor of our costumes. That and maybe they didn't want a murder on what was certainly their corner.
"Okay, baby. You go on now. I don't want to see his crazy ass ever again."
"Got it." I slowly backed away, supporting Roger as best as I could. He was still able to stand and walk, so that was a good sign. I waited until we were a good distance away before closing the knife. I could have thrown it into the manhole as we passed, but I wanted it. Don't know why. I just did.
We made it to the pharmacy without incident. The kids had gone back to their normal conversation, a new car had even pulled up and left already. Under the soft bronze glow of the back alley light I lifted Roger's top away from his side. The wound wasn't deep, the bleeding needed to be staunched, but it wasn't gushing. We would be okay with dropping off Betsy, getting back to my apartment, and getting changed without things becoming dire.
"I'm sorry, Sam. I think I got ahead of myself. I need to prep more. He got me as I was transforming. I didn't have a chance to crush him."
"It's all right, you dork. Let's just get you stitched up. No Leviathan until you're healed. Then we'll see."
"Martial arts lessons and then I'll be back for him."
Oh great...
On the plus side: I got to drive Betsy.
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