Why did Buddy's knock on her door startle Sarah from sleep? Must have been a deep sleep, deeper than she usually got. Sarah pushed through the confusion as she pushed herself from the bed.
"Comin'," she mumbled. Sarah moved toward the closet, then stiffened for just a moment. She was already dressed. Not unusual, for an emergency responder, but what had she come from, or prepared f--
Another flurry of knocks sent a pulse of anxiety through her. "Coming, Buddy!" Sarah raced through the apartment, but when she wrenched the door open, Buddy already had his fist up to knock again. He turned it into a fist bump as she stepped outside the apartment.
"Whatcha think, Sarah?" The boy turned slowly to show off his forest green windbreaker. Sarah smiled.
"Nice. Ready to go on patrol?" He took off in answer, beating her out the back door and to her bike. She followed more sedately. It was early; who knew what they'd see today? By the time she made it to the motorcycle, Buddy was already in the sidecar she'd gotten for him with his helmet on. Between the helmet and his windbreaker, he camouflaged perfectly against the light green bike.
Sarah couldn't have planned for this much action. Apparently, every petty criminal in this part of town decided to mug, break in, or shoot up places today. After the third prevented mugging, Sarah leaned against a brick wall and blew her bangs from her face. Sirens in the distance suggested someone was on his way to nab the hogtied man at her feet. Sarah clipped her phone back to her belt.
"Good job with the tripping maneuver, Cricket," she said. The boy beamed. "This is nuts. I've never seen so many small-time gangs and independent thieves coming out of the woodwork. We stopped a bank robbery. A bank robbery. Those don't just happen, not anymore."
Buddy shrugged. "Full moon, I guess?" Sarah frowned for a long moment, and then she laughed.
"Yeah, I guess! What do you say, does the boy hero want a cider?" Buddy smiled.
"Someday I'll get Barb to expense cider and donuts," Sarah said. She leaned against her bike; Buddy stood at her side. Sarah held her cider to her face, letting the steam heat her skin. Sarah frowned as her phone buzzed. She shared a glance with Buddy as she dug it out. "Hello? Oh, Barb. Yes, he's here. Why--"
"Someday I'll get Barb to expense cider and donuts," Sarah said. She leaned against her bike. Buddy sat in the sidecar behind her. Sarah took a long sip of almost-tart cider, delighted with the tingle in her face. It tasted better than it had in months. Her phone chirped, paging her: "Keaton, Jane's here. Says you need to get back to headquarters now. Ri--"
"Comin'," she mumbled. Sarah moved toward the closet, then stiffened for just a moment. She was already dressed. Not unusual, for an emergency responder, but what had she come from, or prepared f--
Another flurry of knocks sent a pulse of anxiety through her. "Coming, Buddy!" Sarah raced through the apartment, but when she wrenched the door open, Buddy already had his fist up to knock again. He turned it into a fist bump as she stepped outside the apartment.
"Whatcha think, Sarah?" The boy turned slowly to show off his forest green windbreaker. Sarah smiled.
"Nice. Ready to go on patrol?" He took off in answer, beating her out the back door and to her bike. She followed more sedately. It was early; who knew what they'd see today? By the time she made it to the motorcycle, Buddy was already in the sidecar she'd gotten for him with his helmet on. Between the helmet and his windbreaker, he camouflaged perfectly against the light green bike.
Sarah couldn't have planned for this much action. Apparently, every petty criminal in this part of town decided to mug, break in, or shoot up places today. After the third prevented mugging, Sarah leaned against a brick wall and blew her bangs from her face. Sirens in the distance suggested someone was on his way to nab the hogtied man at her feet. Sarah clipped her phone back to her belt.
"Good job with the tripping maneuver, Cricket," she said. The boy beamed. "This is nuts. I've never seen so many small-time gangs and independent thieves coming out of the woodwork. We stopped a bank robbery. A bank robbery. Those don't just happen, not anymore."
Buddy shrugged. "Full moon, I guess?" Sarah frowned for a long moment, and then she laughed.
"Yeah, I guess! What do you say, does the boy hero want a cider?" Buddy smiled.
"Someday I'll get Barb to expense cider and donuts," Sarah said. She leaned against her bike; Buddy stood at her side. Sarah held her cider to her face, letting the steam heat her skin. Sarah frowned as her phone buzzed. She shared a glance with Buddy as she dug it out. "Hello? Oh, Barb. Yes, he's here. Why--"
"Someday I'll get Barb to expense cider and donuts," Sarah said. She leaned against her bike. Buddy sat in the sidecar behind her. Sarah took a long sip of almost-tart cider, delighted with the tingle in her face. It tasted better than it had in months. Her phone chirped, paging her: "Keaton, Jane's here. Says you need to get back to headquarters now. Ri--"
Ooh! I think I remember this universe! A 3-parter, too! Buddy is Cricket because he shrinks, I believe, but I don't recall Sarah's powers or codename. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's 2 a.m. here so I really need to go to bed, but I'll read parts 2 and 3 tomorrow! And now the blog is bookmarked, so I can't lose it if my computer crashes again!