《Vigilantes Make Us Safe: Rebel Rebel》


 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 1

    Blocking a powerful high kick with her forearm, Jia Crawford¡¯s knocked backward. Finding her footing, she sees her opponent is already advancing on her and another kick¡¯s coming her way. Afraid a block will force her off the mat, she steadies herself and gets ready to use her favorite technique. It¡¯s a risk, her timing has to be exact or this match will be over. As the kick flies her way, she catches the leg and uses her newfound grip to lift her opponent into the air and spin her to the ground. As her opponent hits with a crash, the referee calls ippon and the match is over.


    Jia offers her opponent a hand but the girl waves it off, getting up on her own. Her shoulders slump and she won¡¯t look Jia in the eye. She offers a brief bow as Jia¡¯s named the tournament champion. Having spent the better part of the last decade as one of the top Judo competitors in Northern California, this isn¡¯t an unfamiliar sensation. Anything less than victory would be a letdown.


    Scanning the crowd, she searches for two familiar faces. Her parents brought her today to save her from having to bum a ride. Her car broke down a few months ago and having just gotten out of college, she doesn¡¯t have the money to repair it. Since she¡¯s living with her parents and working for them, that usually isn¡¯t a big deal. Today¡¯s tournament was a notable exception since it¡¯s over an hour from home.


    There are benefits to her parents providing a ride. It¡¯s nice to have a cheering section. They haven¡¯t been to any of her tournaments in years since she¡¯s been clear across the country. She kept competing through college, not as often as she did in high school but she¡¯s always remained active. Now that she¡¯s home she¡¯s eager to get back into the local scene. Putting it off for months, she finally talked herself into signing up.


    Being able to nap on the ride home after a long day doesn¡¯t suck either.


    Running up the bleachers to her parents, her dad wraps her in a bear hug. ¡°I am so proud of you. You¡¯ve improved so much since the last time we got to see you fight. These other girls didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    That¡¯s high praise and Jia wouldn¡¯t go that far. She feels rusty. Two of her matches went down to the wire and she¡¯s fortunate to be walking out of this gym with a victory. Winning feels good either way and the only way to shake off rust is to get back to competing. Her mother even has a small grin on her face, a rarity when she¡¯s fighting. ¡°Nicely done Jia. Not perfect but still very nicely done.¡±


    A compliment with reservations is the best one can hope for from her mother. She¡¯s just glad it isn¡¯t a truly backhanded compliment and that the message is mostly positive. On more than a few occasions her mother has found nothing but negative things to say, even within minutes of her walking off a mat as a champion.


    Jia lets them know she¡¯ll be right back before darting down the shaky bleachers. She needs to collect her medal. Once she has it they can pile into the van for their long ride back to Napa. She knows her parents are eager to get home. They left the family winery closed today and even though it¡¯s a slow day most weeks, she knows how much that hurts them. They¡¯ll definitely be opening first thing tomorrow.


    Fighting her way through the crowds, Jia makes her way onto the hastily erected wooden stage. A quick ceremony filled with bowing later and she has a shiny new medal to stick in her trophy case. She¡¯s earned a lot of medals over the years but a new one always feels good. It means she¡¯s still at the top of her game.


    As they pile into her parents¡¯ purple minivan, Jia considers stretching out across the back seat. Her muscles ache and laying down would feel incredible, but she knows her parents well enough to know they won¡¯t have it. Instead, she scoots all the way into the seat against the wall and settles. This will have to do.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Her dad cracks a joke about listening to polka music, but the stares both Jia and her mother send him show they¡¯re not amused. There won¡¯t be any more talk of polka on this trip.


    They ride in silence for a good portion of the way back. It¡¯s late and her parents are probably tired. Jia doesn¡¯t feel any more awake than they do. Keeping her eyes open is a struggle. About half way home, her dad starts trying to make conversation, if for no other reason than to stay awake. Jia¡¯s suggestion of a coffee stop is shot down immediately. The road¡¯s doing a lot of winding at this point and falling asleep would likely send them flying over a ledge. ¡°My daughter the champion. I¡¯ve never gotten over watching you kick the crap out of anyone standing in your way.¡±


    Jia lights up at this. She got into fighting as an angry teenager who needed an outlet. Being able to, ¡°kick the crap,¡± out of others was a big help in channeling that without getting into fights at school. Her dad was always supportive and that hasn¡¯t changed.


    She wishes she could say the same about her mother. There are days where she seems to get into Jia¡¯s fights, practically ducking and weaving in her seat. Other times she¡¯s actively discouraged her from continuing with Judo. When she first told her parents she wanted to try martial arts her mother practically begged her to pick anything else. She wasn¡¯t happy about Jia¡¯s choice but to be fair, she didn¡¯t forbid her from going into it and she certainly could have.


    Her mother seems to be napping in her seat so her dad¡¯s left to carry the conversation. ¡°Your mother was quite the fighter in her day too. You must get it from her. I wish I could take some of the credit but I don¡¯t think I could fight my way out of a paper bag.¡±


    This is quite the revelation, though her dad delivers it as if he¡¯s reading the paper. Her mother has never said anything about fighting or martial arts of any kind. In all the years Jia has been involved in Judo she¡¯s never thought to bring it up? Why is her dad mentioning this now? Is he just tired and saying something he shouldn¡¯t be?


    At the mention of her history Jia¡¯s mother tenses up, though she doesn¡¯t say anything. Apparently her sleep wasn¡¯t a deep one. Maybe she hopes her husband will drop the subject or that Jia hasn¡¯t noticed what he said. Neither is the case. ¡°She must have gotten it from your grandfather. He was incredible. I saw him fight once when I was young, before I ever met your mother. Incredible stuff. You could barely see him move. If you have their blood, I¡¯m pretty sure mine won¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    At this her mother seemingly can¡¯t stay silent any more. ¡°Who¡¯s opening tomorrow?¡± She¡¯s happy to move on to a different subject.


    Jia¡¯s dad is quick to chime in. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can get up that early. Maybe our champion daughter should take care of it for us. You know, as a thank you for driving her today.¡±


    At this point Jia¡¯s wide awake. ¡°Can do dad. I¡¯ll be glad to help. Now what were you saying about mom and grandpa being fighters?¡±


    It¡¯s no use. Jia tries to move the conversation back to her dad¡¯s earlier revelations but he¡¯s off on another rant. He can go for hours when given the chance. This leaves Jia alone with her thoughts. She tries to work through the reasons her mother and grandfather have never spoken about any of this. If this runs in the family you¡¯d think she¡¯d have been pushed into it. Instead she¡¯s been fighting for almost a decade without a word.


    She didn¡¯t know her grandpa when he was young but picturing him as a great fighter¡¯s funny. He¡¯s the kindest, most gentle man she¡¯s ever known. Her first memories of him are of tending a garden and meditating. She wants to ask more questions but her mother¡¯s reaction tells her she won¡¯t get anything else. She could try speaking with her grandfather but she doesn¡¯t know how that will go. She just has to hope he¡¯s having a good day.


    It isn¡¯t long before they come to a halt in front of their house. It¡¯s a small three bedroom place behind the winery. The field surrounding the house is filled with flowers and row after row of grape vines. Even in the dark it¡¯s hard not to get a smile on her face when the slightly sweet smell of the grapes hits her. There¡¯s a reason she came back here after graduation. Climbing out of the car brings the ache in her muscles back. Her dad warns her she¡¯d better get to bed. ¡°It¡¯s already after midnight and you need to have things open by nine in the morning.¡±


    A groan forces it¡¯s way out of her. Her sacrifice didn¡¯t get her any extra information. She mumbles that it¡¯s fine before drifting into the house, heading to her bedroom and finally collapsing into her welcoming bed.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 2

    The next afternoon Jia struggles to keep her eyes open while pouring glasses of wine for eagerly waiting drunks. It¡¯s the slow season and most of the customers are regulars. They¡¯re easy; they know what they like and don¡¯t ask questions. There¡¯s still a few tourists and every time she has to explain the difference between a pinot and a cabernet her head pounds and she wants to scream. The only thing getting her through the morning is an occasional drink with a couple of the regulars. Their cabernet in particular is having a great year and she doesn¡¯t mind taking a sip. It¡¯d be rude not to.


    Every few minutes she catches herself glancing at the clock, desperate for three o¡¯clock when her shift ends. If she hurries she can make it to see her grandfather today but visiting hours at the nursing home only go through five. The first few hours this morning were so slow she drank more than the customers. With how slow they are she can get all her stocking and cleaning done. That way when her shift ends she can get out right away.


    At five minutes to three her heart breaks. She¡¯s washing the last of the glasses and getting ready to run out the door when a glance outside reveals a bus pulling up. Out pour at least twenty elderly customers, all eager to get a little more drunk than they already are. Most of the big tour buses know to call in advance when bringing a big group. Her dad just took over behind the counter and was about to relieve her but now the tour group is pushing past each other to cram in the door and they¡¯re lining up behind the counter two and three deep. She can¡¯t abandon him to this.


    ¡°Sorry kiddo,¡± he says. ¡°Let¡¯s get this group taken care of and we¡¯ll get you out of here.¡± She nods and immediately goes into greatest server ever mode. Greetings, fresh glasses, crackers to clear their palates, she lines up everything they could possibly need.


    One of the more sober of the group explains this isn¡¯t actually a tour but rather a group of friends who rented a bus and set out on their own. The majority know nothing about wine and the next hour is agonizing, having to explain each variety to them and finding most of their best bottles sent back. There seem to be a few in the group who enjoy wine and know a little about it but the majority of their friends don¡¯t. If the group¡¯s vocal reaction is to be believed, the best thing they¡¯re served are the complementary crackers.


    By the time the last of them file out it¡¯s after four. One man buys a case of their fruit wines, so at least that¡¯s something. Good for on the bus he explains. The rest of the group buy only a few bottles. As much as Jia hated her last hour, she knows she¡¯s happier where she is than she¡¯d be on that bus.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Her dad gives the all clear and tells her to have a great day. She considers whether she can still make it to see her grandfather and decides it¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s at least a forty five minute bike ride and at best she¡¯d end up with a few minutes to visit. Getting information out of him won¡¯t be that easy. It¡¯s just not worth it. When she¡¯s about to head to the house she has one last desperate idea. ¡°Hey dad, can I borrow the van for a little while? I won¡¯t be late.¡±


    ¡°Sorry kiddo, your mom has it. Ran to do some errands. She won¡¯t be back until after dinner.¡±


    Accepting that fate has dealt her a tough hand and she isn¡¯t going to make it today, Jia sighs and starts looking for the bottle of aspirin she stashes in the winery. ¡°At this point my plans aren¡¯t going to work out then. I guess I can help clean up around here if you want.¡±


    He seems thrilled to have the help. They have enough glasses from this last group to load the dishwasher before Jia gets to work fixing up their shelves which the guests left in a state of disarray.


    With her other plan out for now, Jia decides to try and make today less of a bust. She may not get anything out of her mom but her dad can be a little loose lipped. He certainly was last night. With her mom off on some errand, maybe he¡¯ll crack.


    ¡°You mentioned last night that mom used to do martial arts. Why haven¡¯t you guys ever mentioned that before? I¡¯ve been competing for eight years.¡±


    Her dad tenses immediately, trying not to look at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You know how your mother is. She likes to keep certain things to herself.¡±


    ¡°You said grandpa was involved too. Do you know what types of martial arts they were into?¡±


    He seems awfully interested in the novelty wine glasses he¡¯s straightening. He¡¯s been working on one shelf since before their conversation began. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t. It was a long time ago and it wasn¡¯t really my thing. Maybe you should ask your mother about it. She¡¯d know more than I do.¡±


    This almost elicits a snort. She knows better than that and so does her dad. ¡°We both know very well how that would go. Getting information out of her is like pulling a crocodile¡¯s tooth.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°You know how your mother is.¡± He¡¯s much more tight lipped than the night before. Is his guard back up after a good night¡¯s sleep? Or did mom actually get to him and tell him not to talk about this?


    She realizes she¡¯s hit a brick wall here. Dad isn¡¯t going to slip again. He¡¯s not outright denying the conversation but he¡¯s going to keep directing her back to her mom and her mom will shut the subject down as soon as she brings it up. She¡¯s left with only one possible source of information.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 3

    The next day is her day off and Jia Crawford¡¯s determined to see her grandfather. She gets up first thing in the morning and feels relieved that for once she doesn¡¯t have a hangover. The power of going to bed early and getting some real sleep. She¡¯ll still have to bike to the nursing home today but she¡¯s pretty used to biking at this point. She¡¯s biked almost everywhere since getting home from school.


    Her car was a real piece of junk and while it managed the cross country ride home, it broke down less than a week after her return. She didn¡¯t have the money to replace a transmission or buy a new car but her old bike was just sitting there. It¡¯s usually nice this time of year so it hasn¡¯t been an issue.


    In a few months she probably will want a new car and that will be an issue. She doesn¡¯t have any money. She¡¯s been working at the winery but isn¡¯t getting paid. Her parents give her room, board, and a little spending money now and then but no steady wages.


    Temperatures are already starting to drop and while afternoons are still nice, mornings are chilly the last few weeks. By January the bike isn¡¯t going to cut it.


    She knows she should start looking for a job in her field but she isn¡¯t sure how much is out there for someone with a liberal arts degree. Already she regrets not studying a more practical field. Her parents didn¡¯t want to be the stereotypical Asian family pushing her away from the arts. If they had been she might have a real chance at a job.


    There are worse things than relaxing, drinking and spending time with family but in a few months when the temperatures get really cold and she finds herself biking home from the bar she might not enjoy it as much. That¡¯s if her parents give her enough money to afford the bar.


    For now the days are beautiful, filled with sun. By mid afternoon when she¡¯ll be heading home it might even be a bit too warm. She¡¯s lucky the ride to the nursing home is mostly uphill. She can handle that in the cooler morning and on the way back she can just cruise downward, enjoying the breeze.


    Visiting hours don¡¯t start until noon so she decides to swing by one of her favorite restaurants in the valley and get lunch for her and her grandfather. She has thirty dollars her parents gave her recently and one of the many celebrity chefs operating in Napa has a fantastic fried chicken lunch she can afford two of.


    Picking up two portions, the aroma of fried chicken sends her to heaven. Just thinking about the crispy skin and the flaky biscuits makes her mouth water. Balancing two of these on a bike¡¯s handlebars while trying to power her way up what is literally a mountain isn¡¯t easy but it¡¯ll be worth it when she bites into those biscuits. Jia relishes the burn. Her bundle slows her down, but not long after visiting time starts she arrives with lunch. Now she has to hope Grandpa Takeshi is doing well enough today to enjoy it.


    After locking her bike to a tree, Jia makes her way inside. The scent of the chicken causes heads to turn in her direction the entire way to her grandpa¡¯s room. The halls are filled with elderly people struggling along. Most appear happy but moans are coming from a room at the end of the hall. Arriving at the correct room, she pounds on her grandpa¡¯s closed door to make sure he hears her. He shouts to come in and she enters to find him sitting in his ragged recliner staring at the TV. Grandpa Takeshi is 97 years old and on a good day he seems mostly like the same man who taught her to garden twenty years ago. Good days come less and less recently. Far too often he can¡¯t figure out where he is, or even who he is. Any day he recognizes her is a decent start.


    Takeshi¡¯s lived in California his entire life and has rarely left outside of his brief stint in the army during World War II. With his family locked up in camps during one of the darkest hours in this country¡¯s history, Takeshi volunteered to serve. He was eager to prove his loyalty to his home but he also wanted to feel free again.


    It¡¯s impossible to imagine him as some great martial artist. Then again, it¡¯s equally difficult to imagine him as a military man. He was already old by the time Jia was born but he¡¯s always been a gentle man. She grew up in his kitchen where his food always tasted incredibly fresh, mostly because he sourced most of his ingredients from his own garden.


    His sense of peace and equilibrium was striking even to someone as young as Jia. Nothing got under his skin. One time when she was a baby and learning to walk, he caught her rummaging through his silverware, happily playing with a pair of steak knives. Maybe those should have been out of reach but the man barely blinked. He took them away and went about their day as if nothing happened.


    Today he looks at her with confusion that never fails to sting. ¡°Is it time for my pills already?¡± There¡¯s no sign of recognition. Definitely not a good day.


    That doesn¡¯t necessarily mean this is a lost cause. There are days when he doesn¡¯t know what he had for breakfast and doesn¡¯t recognize anyone but he¡¯ll still remember details of a little restaurant he ate at in Italy in 1946. She came here to talk about the past anyway. She desperately wants to understand more about her family¡¯s history and her place within it.


    Setting her bag down on his table, Jia starts unboxing their food. ¡°I brought you some chicken for lunch. Thought you might enjoy that. I know you¡¯ve always liked fried chicken.¡±


    Despite her grandpa¡¯s mental state having taken a turn for the worse the last few years, physically he¡¯s still in fantastic shape. He takes a couple of pills but they¡¯re more vitamins than anything. He¡¯s allowed to eat more or less whatever he wants, which is why fried chicken can be on the menu today. Jia can only hope at his age she¡¯ll be in such good shape.


    Smelling the food across the room, Takeshi¡¯s seemingly pulled from his chair and quickly reaches the small two seat table in the corner. ¡°Smells delicious,¡± he says while sitting and tucking a napkin into his shirt. He doesn¡¯t say anything about who she is and Jia is pretty sure he doesn¡¯t much care at the moment.


    Dishing them both up a nice plate, she sits down to dig into their meal and start digging for information. She knows she needs to be careful to not cause distress. Best to start with easy questions and build to the big stuff. If he¡¯s not receptive or doesn¡¯t remember she¡¯ll let it go. He plows through the food like he hasn¡¯t eaten in weeks, pausing only to say these are the best biscuits he¡¯s ever had. Without prompting he starts talking about his morning. He¡¯s been watching a marathon of the game show network for the last few hours. He¡¯s able to recite the last four shows he watched and what the contestants won. Maybe this isn¡¯t hopeless.


    ¡°Grandpa Takeshi,¡± she says before stopping to wipe the grease from her mouth, ¡°someone told me that you used to be a great martial artist. Is that true?¡±


    Looking up from his chicken he starts to nod vigorously. ¡°I was the best. I could fight anyone, anywhere. I practically did too.¡±


    ¡°When was this?¡±


    ¡°When I was young. The war, after the war.¡± He shrugs, not seeming to give much thought to his answer. Jia was afraid he wouldn¡¯t remember anything but these memories seem to come easily. He tends to do better when thinking about his youth and he seems to understand her questions so she pushes forward.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°What kind of martial arts did you do back then?¡±


    This gets a big open mouthed laugh out of him with his mouth still full of baked beans. ¡±You don¡¯t know it. No one knows it anymore. Or at least not many.¡±


    He¡¯s talking and seems lucid but if anything Jia has more questions than when they started. Maybe she¡¯s not asking the right questions? ¡°What did you do during the war grandpa?¡±


    His face gets serious. ¡°We did it all. Saw it all. I don¡¯t want to think about that. It¡¯s over. We won.¡±


    He trails off and this line of questioning is clearly agitating him. Jia decides to stop for now and just get him back to enjoying his game shows. His smile returns as he makes his way to his chair and gets back to watching people win fabulous cash and prizes.


    She sits with him for a couple hours. They¡¯re mostly silent but every once in awhile one of them will comment on one of the contestants. She¡¯s really not sure what to ask. She doesn¡¯t want to upset him again. Her reward today may need to be getting to see him. She always used to make a point of stopping by his house at least once or twice a month when she was home.


    Since she returned from college the visits have been less common. It¡¯s hard to see him like this when there are so few good days now. She wishes she had a way to know when they¡¯d be. It¡¯d be amazing to look at him and see recognition in his smile.


    Sensing her grandpa is reaching the end of his rope and will probably want to take a nap soon, Jia considers one final attempt at getting answers. That is why she came but she doesn¡¯t want to leave on a low note. The only thing she can think to ask safely is, ¡°Grandpa, how are things with your daughter Lia?¡±


    It¡¯s like watching him refuel before her eyes. His head straightens and his smile stretches wide. ¡°Wonderful girl. Smart. Tough. Why do you ask? Do you know her?¡±


    ¡°Yes grandpa, she¡¯s my mom. Does she know the same martial arts you do?¡±


    His smile wavers a bit but doesn¡¯t leave his face. It¡¯s definitely sadder now though. ¡°I taught her everything I could. She had the potential to be even better than me. Maybe she even was better than me, I don¡¯t know. She never wanted it though. Didn¡¯t want to follow in my footsteps or take over. My father taught me and I wanted to pass down my knowledge to her. I guess I did pass it down. She probably won¡¯t pass it to her kids but at least it doesn¡¯t die with me. My father would be proud I tried.¡±


    There¡¯s no more. Takeshi trails off and is soon absorbed in his show. His head starts to sag again and after a few minutes more Jia can hear snoring coming from his chair. He¡¯s out cold and probably will be for the next few hours. That lunch could put anyone to sleep. She could use a nap herself but knows she has a long ride ahead. She sits with him for a few minutes before hearing a light knock at the door. She turns to see a nurse smiling at her. ¡°I¡¯m just going to leave his medicine here on the table. He¡¯s better than most at taking it. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do so once he wakes up.¡±


    Jia smiles and nods but at first doesn¡¯t say anything. As the nurse turns to leave, she realizes the woman may be able to help her. ¡°How¡¯s he doing? He doesn¡¯t seem to know me at all today. How many good days are there at this point?¡±


    With a pained look the nurse says, ¡°Today actually is a pretty good day. He knows who he is and kind of has an idea where he¡¯s at. He doesn¡¯t remember everything or much recent, but that¡¯s about as good as he does at this point. Once in awhile he¡¯ll have a really lucid day but no more than one or two a month. There are some days where he doesn¡¯t have a clue where he is. Even a day or two where we¡¯ve had to restrain him to stop him from leaving. That¡¯s not as easy as you¡¯d think with a man his age either. He¡¯s really strong. He dislocated one of the attendants¡¯ shoulders last week. No major damage but it had to be popped back into place.¡±


    Glancing at her snoring grandfather, Jia almost laughs. He looks strong for his age but doing that kind of damage to someone young who does this all day? At his age? Thanking the nurse, it¡¯s time for her to hit the road. Thankfully the trip home should be easier than her trip here, but she¡¯s stuffed from lunch and it¡¯s gotten warm outside. As she waves goodbye to the orderly at the front desk she¡¯s glad she didn¡¯t smuggle in the wine she almost brought. This is already going to be a volatile trip. Add booze to the equation and her last memory of that glorious lunch would be seeing it again on the side of the road.


    Mostly Jia can let the mountain do the work for her. Drifting slowly downward, she knows she¡¯ll eventually get home as long as one of these drunks on the road doesn¡¯t side swipe her. That¡¯s one of the downsides of biking in Napa Valley. There¡¯s always a lot of drunk people driving around here. Practically the whole point of the region is to drink all the time so the cops tend to be lenient. As long as you¡¯re not swerving back and forth across the road they give you a wide berth. Sometimes people don¡¯t start swerving until it¡¯s too late though. She¡¯s never been hit but more than a few people have come close. It¡¯s enough to make a girl nervous when hurtling down the side of a mountain.


    As she pedals onto her street, Jia can¡¯t wait to reach home and get that wine. Nothing washes chicken down like a nice pinot. A few more minutes and she can open a bottle. Pushing herself down this final road, a blue convertible rips past, though not close enough to worry her. She¡¯s surprised to realize it¡¯s her little brother Shin sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. She thought he said he was leaving town for awhile the last time she saw him. Where¡¯d he get a car like that? Last she knew he was unemployed and living in LA. How can he afford something that nice? Maybe mom and dad will know.


    Reaching the winery, she hops off her bike and throws it in the shed outside the back door. The winery¡¯s closed for the day but that¡¯s not an issue. She has a key. Making her way inside, she doesn¡¯t bother to flip on the lights before heading for the fridge to see what¡¯s left from the day. They make a point of drinking the leftover bottles before opening new ones. Wine¡¯s never as good the next day, better the customers get a fresh bottle.


    Disappointment washes over her when she realizes there¡¯s no pinot open. The only red is a barbera and she can¡¯t stand it. The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes she isn¡¯t in a red mood. It got really warm on the ride back and she wants something to cool down. That immediately sends her in the direction of their sweeter whites where she finds a half bottle of moscato. She also grabs a half bottle of ros¨¦ sitting there. They don¡¯t make ros¨¦ but it was hot this year so they made a deal with a winery down the street to carry theirs.


    Locking the winery behind her, she makes her way to the house. Entering through the side door, Jia announces her arrival and hears, ¡°in here,¡± from the kitchen. Her dad¡¯s standing at a counter pounding out pork chops for dinner while chatting with her mom who has already started a bottle of her own. Happy to see the party¡¯s started, she grabs a glass and pours some moscato while throwing the ros¨¦ in the fridge.


    ¡°I saw Shin as I was pulling up. Is he back home? I thought he was heading back to LA a few weeks ago.¡±


    Her dad shrugs. ¡°Kind of. He¡¯s staying with friends over in Sonoma. Just stopped in to say hi, let us know he¡¯s alive, that sort of thing.¡± Shin has a tendency to go missing and not get in touch with them for days or even weeks at a time. He¡¯s a couple years younger than Jia and at one point they didn¡¯t hear from him for nearly two years. Her dad was a mess the whole time, though her mom mostly just shrugged and said she was sure he was fine. She¡¯d been the same way when she was younger, needing to get out and explore. He eventually showed back up and acted like he¡¯d never been gone.


    Dad says dinner will be ready in thirty minutes so Jia heads upstairs to her room. On her way she notices someone has been in the attic. The stairway leading to it which tucks into the ceiling is still pulled down and she can see light shining from the hole. She considers going to her room but something tells her she needs to go up there. The stairs are creaky and she tries to keep quiet, sipping her drink the entire way.


    Someone was digging through the loads of junk stored here. The boxes which are usually stacked neatly against a wall are in disarray. She finds a bunch of the boxes are labeled, ¡°Serenity.¡± She pulls the lid off the first one she can lay her hands on and sees a bunch of newspaper clippings and notebooks. Just as she¡¯s starting to look she hears her mother call from the kitchen, ¡°Do you want wine with dinner?¡±


    For some reason Jia freaks and throws the box¡¯s lid. She knows she shouldn¡¯t, she has things up here after all, but she can¡¯t help it. She¡¯s snooping and knows she shouldn¡¯t be. She calls down that yes, she would like wine, before retrieving the lid, closing the box, and immediately going down the stairs. She makes sure to leave the light on and not put the stairs up. Whoever was up there, she doesn¡¯t want them to know she was as well.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 4

    Over dinner Jia¡¯s completely unable to concentrate. Her dad¡¯s pork chops are good, slightly sweet with a salty after taste. She can¡¯t stop thinking about the attic and how much she wants to go back up and explore whatever was in those boxes. It could be nothing, maybe just one of her parents rearranging their terribly overstuffed attic. It doesn¡¯t feel like nothing though. The old articles and the Serenity boxes in particular being pulled out seems significant.


    After finishing her meal Jia makes an excuse about turning in early to get some reading done. She refills her glass and grabs the half bottle of ros¨¦ she stuffed in the fridge. On the way to her room, she notices the attic¡¯s still open. She wants to go back up but decides now isn¡¯t the time. Once her parents fall asleep she can make her move.


    Trying to concentrate on her novel proves pointless, no reading¡¯s getting done. Mostly she sips wine and plays on her phone. After a half hour she lays down and starts to doze off. It¡¯s been a long day and the soft mattress under her feels amazing. She¡¯s roused about an hour later when she hears a light knock at her door. It¡¯s mom telling her that she and Jia¡¯s dad are headed to bed. A quick good night later and Jia¡¯s back in bed.


    She gives them a twenty minute head start on falling asleep before deciding to do recon. She goes to the bathroom and on the way sees the attic¡¯s closed. She thinks about heading up now but there¡¯s always a risk she¡¯ll make noise when pulling the stairs down and her parents probably aren¡¯t asleep yet.


    Heading back to her room she¡¯s mostly just staring at the clock at this point. The minutes tick by slowly. Finally she decides enough time has passed and she can safely make her way to the attic. A part of her thinks this whole thing is stupid. If her parents really didn¡¯t want her to find something they wouldn¡¯t leave it sitting in the middle of the attic with the stairs down. Then again, maybe they just forgot to put the stairs up and didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d have a reason to go up there.


    Creeping down the hall, Jia¡¯s as careful as she can be when pulling the stairs down. She doesn¡¯t hear much noise when they hit the ground and she breathes a sigh of relief. Tiptoeing up each step, she realizes she¡¯s never been up here so late at night. There¡¯s a small window on the far side of the room, but no real light is coming in at this point. It¡¯s a cloudy night and even the moon isn¡¯t around to help.


    She has no idea where the light switch is up here. The light was on earlier but she didn¡¯t pay attention to it since she decided to leave it on. Usually the window provides enough light for her to grab something. Luckily she brought her phone and the flashlight on it helps her navigate around. After a minute or two of searching she finds a switch on the beam right next to the stairs. Of course it was that simple.


    Before going further, Jia decides she needs an excuse for why she¡¯s up here if she gets caught. Her parents¡¯ bedroom is on the first floor so it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll hear her but you never know and if she gets caught she wants to be ready.


    She searches until she finds a box of her old awards from high school and sets them in the middle of the floor. Opening the box, the nostalgia of these trophies and medals comes rushing back at her. These all represent important moments in her life when she succeeded. She spends too long looking through them before catching herself and realizing this is definitely not why she¡¯s up here late at night. If she really needs to catch up with this stuff she can come back another time.


    Finally Jia makes her way to the Serenity boxes. Lifting the lid off the first one, she starts digging out a variety of folders and old scrapbooks. Grabbing the first folder she sees, she finds it¡¯s mostly full of old newspaper clippings from between 1943 and the mid to late 50s. It doesn¡¯t take long for Jia to make the connection between what these articles are about and the label on the boxes. They¡¯re all about the masked vigilante Serenity. Every kid who¡¯s taken history class knows at least the basics of the five allies who helped save the world during World War II. She hasn¡¯t thought about them in years but one of them was definitely a guy named Serenity.


    Glancing through the other folders, she finds article after article about his exploits during the war, mostly filled with rumors and innuendo. She¡¯s glad these are well maintained in scrapbooks because unfolding and holding the individual articles would be terrifying. At this age they¡¯d be liable to fall apart in her hands. They talk about missions during the war he may have gone on, people he may have killed, things he may have accomplished.


    What¡¯s really interesting are the articles from after the war. There¡¯s a gap of about two or three years and then articles start popping up about Serenity reappearing in the San Francisco area. Jia doesn¡¯t remember learning that in school.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Vigilantes have been on a lot of people¡¯s minds lately. A couple of months ago a reporter asked Richard Hughes, one of the candidates running for president, what his thoughts on vigilantism were. They brought up those who saved the day during World War II. He immediately launched into a long diatribe about how those men and women were the absolute best ever and how we all needed to learn from them. Most shocking of all, he promised to make vigilantism legal again if he¡¯s elected president.


    Again might not be the right word. If these articles are to be believed it was never legal. At first Serenity was tolerated around San Francisco since he was a popular war hero and he was taking down bad people. Drug busts, prostitution stings, bank robberies, a few bombings. There¡¯s even a story about a Nazi sleeper group he personally tracked down and stopped, capturing a high ranking Nazi official who got away at the end of the war.


    The tone of the articles is positive, though there are a lot of quotes from the police chief at the time that basically amount to thanks for the help, but go away and let us do our job. One article specifically mentions how San Francisco was actually quite easy going about this. Many cities across the country had started arresting, or even shooting vigilantes on sight if they were caught interfering with the police. Other cities were more or less tolerating people who were trying to do good and whose only crime was going after those committing more serious crimes. It seems like a power struggle and not one going the vigilantes¡¯ way.


    Most of the folders contain articles but Jia comes across a few filled with pictures. There¡¯s Serenity, just as she¡¯s seen him in the famous group photo from the end of the war, only a lot closer up and maybe a few years older. He¡¯s clearly a relatively young man and while he¡¯s wearing a brown and blue costume with a mask, his features that are visible look Asian. Things are starting to make sense. Her grandpa and later her mom must have been inspired by having an Asian hero running around and trained to be fighters as a result. After their talk the other night, her mom probably got nostalgic and came up here to look at the scrapbooks she kept in her youth.


    Digging further into the articles she finds some from the late 50s where the San Francisco police finally cracked down and advised Serenity if he continued, they would arrest him. There are a few later articles but most of them don¡¯t actually claim to see him. They¡¯re about cases and situations that fit his style which the newspaper speculated may have been him operating in secret.


    Opening another book, Jia finds the articles contained here are a lot more recent. Mostly from the late 70s. They talk about a teenage girl dressed a lot like Serenity showing up in San Francisco and involving herself in police investigations.


    Since the crackdown in the late 50s there hadn¡¯t been much vigilantism in the city, certainly no one who made a big name for themselves. The same police chief was still in place all those years later and advised that they still had a no tolerance policy against vigilantes. Reading through the articles, it seems this girl wasn¡¯t active for long. Just a couple years. There are a couple articles from the late 80s and early 90s in here as well but nothing mentioning Serenity, which turns Jia¡¯s blood cold. As she reads the articles, they fit the sort of case she¡¯d expect to see Serenity involved in but no one made the connection to either the original Serenity or the female copycat. No one except whoever collected these scrapbooks.


    Having skimmed through the first box, Jia opens another. Inside she finds items she assumes are souvenirs. What appear to be the pins to a few grenades lay on top of a few drawings. Beneath that what looks like part of a costume is wadded up. If it were brown and blue she¡¯d probably run screaming from the attic but it¡¯s purple and looks nothing like the one she was afraid of finding. Maybe someone related to Serenity?


    The more she thinks about it the more she rationalizes finding this in her attic. It¡¯s weird but clearly either her mother or grandfather were very into Serenity. Maybe they collected stuff related to him over the years. The same way others collect autographs, or things from a musician¡¯s concerts, or in weird cases a celebrity¡¯s hair. It doesn¡¯t make a lot of sense but she tells herself that has to be it. She moves onto another box.


    Opening this third box her eyes practically bug out of her head. She finds herself staring into a box filled with a variety of outfits, all brown with blue highlights. Pulling them out, she realizes they¡¯re definitely costumes and they look like Serenity¡¯s, or at least some of Serenity¡¯s as there are pictures of him in various outfits. Jia tells herself these must be something her mom or grandpa bought on the collector¡¯s market at some point. There¡¯s a lot of them though and that really doesn¡¯t make sense. There¡¯s one that¡¯s a lot smaller than the others and a few face masks sit in the bottom of the box. She starts coming to terms with the more obvious reason for what she¡¯s seeing.


    Lost in thought and already considering running away and pretending she never saw this, Jia almost jumps through the roof when she hears a throat clear behind her. Spinning as fast as she can, she sees her mother standing by the stairs, staring at her with a mostly expressionless look. ¡°So, you found my stuff. I guess now¡¯s as good a time as any to have a little chat about it.¡±

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 5

    Sitting on her attic floor, surrounded by boxes containing her mother¡¯s most sacred secrets, Jia¡¯s frozen as her mother stares down at her. She snuck into the attic looking for evidence of her family¡¯s recently discovered history of martial arts. Her dad slipped and revealed her mother and grandfather were once great fighters but when he realized what he said, he immediately clammed up.


    Attempts to get either parent to elaborate proved futile. Her curiosity eventually led to this attic and the boxes of evidence her parents hid away. Evidence of a history she never suspected until she started digging.


    Now her mother¡¯s standing there. Neither of them is sure what to say. Finally her mother breaks the silence. ¡°So, you found my stuff. I guess now¡¯s as good a time as any to have a little chat about it.¡±


    Jia waits for her to continue but she¡¯s seemingly waiting for a response. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Walking over to Jia, her mother looks into an open box containing two similar costumes. She has a strange look of sadness on her face. Crouching down, she runs her hand over the costume on top, the one that looks meant for a young woman. Turning again to face her daughter, she asks, ¡°What would you like to know?¡±


    Trying to pick one of the millions of questions rushing through her head seems impossible. It takes a few moments to narrow it down. ¡°What is all of this?¡±


    ¡°As good a question as any I suppose. It¡¯s a long story though. We might as well start at the beginning. At least the beginning for our purposes. This art has been passed down in our family for generations. Your grandfather was taught martial arts by his father at a young age. You never saw that side of him.¡± She moves the first costume aside and looks at the one underneath it.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to imagine him hurting anybody.¡±


    ¡°He was very dangerous at one time. You¡¯ve probably seen some of the evidence of that in these boxes. He joined the army as a way out but he planned on keeping his head down and serving out his time. That didn¡¯t really work. He fell backwards into fame and before long he was part of the most important mission of the war. When he got home, he found he enjoyed the fame, maybe too much. He tried to help people for a few years here but that was always difficult with the public mindset of the time and eventually he retired.¡±


    This doesn¡¯t seem real, but nothing in her mother¡¯s demeanor suggests she¡¯s lying. She seems more at peace than Jia¡¯s ever seen her. ¡°He kept living that life for a lot longer than he should have. It was a long time before he met your grandmother and settled down to have me. They wanted more children but then your grandmother died and I was all he had. He didn¡¯t want to remarry and since he wasn¡¯t going to have a son, I was his only choice to keep his legacy alive. He didn¡¯t just pass down skills and training though. He gave me his whole identity. He wanted me to be Serenity.¡±


    That¡¯s the name she¡¯s been waiting to hear escape her mother¡¯s lips. The hair on her arms stand on end. ¡°I trained until I was strong enough to take even him on. Eventually he wanted to go out, to return to his old life. He wanted me with him. By that time it was the 70s. There was so much more danger on the streets than he¡¯d seen twenty years earlier. He didn¡¯t care at all. He decided I was going to prove myself and there was no other way.¡±


    Her mother seems to be struggling through this part. The lighting¡¯s dim but she can hear the emotion in her mother¡¯s voice. ¡°We don¡¯t have to keep going if you don¡¯t want to mom.¡±


    ¡°I want to get through this so I don¡¯t have to do it again. At first I was excited to learn from him. My whole life was about getting stronger; I was so proud of everything he taught me. I felt like the luckiest girl alive. When I got out on the streets though it was different. It was no longer about learning. I had to hurt real people, people doing bad things but that didn¡¯t make it easier. I hated it.¡±


    She pauses and takes a few deep breaths. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let my father down so I kept pushing, for far longer than I should have. Things got bad. I was afraid I was going to die almost every night, or that I¡¯d have to kill someone which seemed just as bad. Then I met your father and I quit. I don¡¯t think your grandfather ever really forgave me. He said he was okay but I knew that was a lie.¡±


    ¡°Mom, seriously, we can let this drop for tonight. Why don¡¯t we talk about it later?¡±


    He mom shakes her head. ¡°No, I want to get through this now. After tonight I¡¯d prefer to put this all back in the past where it belongs. I swore off martial arts and decided I¡¯d never wear that costume again. I put it in a box and packed it away. I almost burned both of those costumes but I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to erase it, to act like it wasn¡¯t a part of me. I swore you and your brother would never be pushed into that life, never learn to fight even.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Is that why you never told me you knew how to fight, even when I started competing?¡±


    Her mother nods. ¡°When you started getting older, my father begged me to train the two of you or at least let him do it but I refused. The day you decided to get involved in martial arts was one of the worst of my life. I¡¯d been so careful to keep you away from martial arts. I always talked badly about fighting, I wouldn¡¯t let you watch the movies, none of it mattered. I was so sure my father got to you somehow that I drove to his house and screamed at him. He swore he didn¡¯t do anything but it took hours before I believed him. Your dad convinced me I should let you learn even though I didn¡¯t want you to. He said it wasn¡¯t the same as what I¡¯d trained in and it was good to know how to protect yourself.¡±


    Jia sits there unsure how to react. ¡°That¡¯s a lot to take in.¡± Now it¡¯s her mother¡¯s turn to nod. ¡°So to be clear, when you were younger, like my age, you dressed up in this costume and fought criminals in the streets.¡±


    Her mother starts laughing, putting her hands behind her head. ¡°Sounds crazy doesn¡¯t it? I can barely believe it myself. I just couldn¡¯t do it anymore after a while, and when I met your father I saw a different life. One I¡¯d never even considered.¡±


    Her mother pauses at this point, taking yet another deep breath before continuing. ¡°Right at the end, there was a terrible murder I was looking into. The police were having no luck solving it. I¡¯d heard awful things about the killer and how dangerous he was from a friend. I didn¡¯t want anything to do with the case. I¡¯d already started cutting back on the vigilante thing and I thought the police could handle it. Your grandfather wasn¡¯t having it. He saw an article in the paper and he called me asking if I was looking into it. I told him to let the police handle this one, that was their job after all. He told me it was my duty to try and save anyone I could. He even threatened to suit back up himself and go out there.¡±


    ¡°How old was he at this point?¡±


    ¡°Well, this was the late 80s, so probably in his mid to late 60s. He was too old and I didn¡¯t want him getting hurt so I agreed to at least poke around. Things went badly. That¡¯s all you really need to know. I was so afraid, not of dying but of living after what I saw. Your father, well that¡¯s a story for another night but he knew about me. He convinced me I deserved a life where I could have peace, where I wouldn¡¯t be risking my life every day. That¡¯s just how he put it too. Saying it that way, it sounded as ridiculous as it was. Why couldn¡¯t I just be myself? My father talked about legacy but running around fighting crime wasn¡¯t our family legacy. Martial arts maybe, but he was the first one to put on a funny costume and go fight crime. I learned the arts, I told him that would have to be enough.¡±


    Jia doesn¡¯t know what to say so she keeps her mouth shut. Instead of talking, she stands and walks to her mom, squeezing her in a hug. They stand like that for several minutes. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t want me to go into martial arts mom and I get why now. I did go into them though. I got really good. If this is our family¡¯s legacy, why don¡¯t you train me so I can pass them on?¡±


    Her mom ends their embrace and practically shoves her daughter away. ¡°Not a chance. That is only going to lead you down a bad road. I made that decision a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been sitting around here doing nothing and going nowhere for six months now. I can¡¯t figure out what to do with my life or even with my days. I need something to grab onto. This could be it. If grandpa trained you then you can train me. I don¡¯t want to run around in a costume. That¡¯s crazy. Richard Hughes is a maniac, talking about bringing back vigilantes. I just want to know our family heritage. Then I can pass it onto my kids someday. If the legacy is enough then we should keep it alive, right?¡±


    ¡°Martial arts can bring focus but you don¡¯t need these. You can practice what you¡¯ve spent ten years studying. A little family history isn¡¯t going to give you a purpose in life. You don¡¯t have some destiny. Your life is what you make of it. Your grandfather may have disagreed but it isn¡¯t like it led him to a lifetime of happiness. Trust me honey, I know what I¡¯m talking about here. You wanted to know our family history and after you found all of this, I figured I should tell you. That¡¯s it though. This stuff¡¯s going back in boxes and we¡¯re going to keep living our lives like we always have. Besides, if I taught you any of this stuff I don¡¯t know how your father would take it.¡±


    Jia is caught off guard by this last part. ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t want me to learn? I thought he was the one who was okay with me learning martial arts. He¡¯s always been so supportive.¡±


    ¡°Your dad was supportive of you learning to defend yourself. He did tell me I could teach you the arts if I wanted to years ago. That was before though. He knows I don¡¯t really want to and with everything going on in the world right now, I think he¡¯d get scared that you were going to follow in my footsteps. Maybe I¡¯ll reconsider someday but not now.¡±


    She walks to the box of costumes and puts it¡¯s lid back on. Picking the box up, she sets it back in the stack where Jia found it. Once that¡¯s done, she heads for the stairs, pausing only long enough to say, ¡°Good night honey. I¡¯ll see you in the morning. Make sure to close up the attic when you come down.¡± With that she¡¯s gone.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 6

    Jia¡¯s up early the next morning, getting cleaning done at the winery before they open. She stayed up late looking through her mom¡¯s photo albums and she¡¯s feeling it this morning. She almost forgot she had to open today. Luckily it¡¯s a rainy weekday during their slow season. She¡¯s unlikely to have more than a few customers.


    One of their regulars did show up an hour before opening wanting a glass but that¡¯s the only person to stop in so far. The lady insisted Jia share a drink with her and she¡¯s certainly not one to turn down a regular. Nothing changes when they technically open. She keeps cleaning while sneaking a sip of wine every now and then. This continues until just before noon when her dad pokes his head in. Having spent the better part of the morning planning what to say, she¡¯s ready to ambush him.


    ¡°Dad, did mom talk to you about what I found last night?¡±


    He grins, glancing around to make sure they¡¯re alone. ¡°She did. I¡¯m not surprised you figured it out but nice job. That¡¯s your family¡¯s history and you deserved to know. Wasn¡¯t my place to tell though.¡±


    ¡°Did she tell you what I asked her?¡±


    He nods, knowing where his daughter¡¯s taking this. ¡°That¡¯s up to your mother. I¡¯m not getting involved.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine dad, it can be up to her. She seems to think you¡¯d have a problem with her training me though. If you don¡¯t, can you just tell her so she''ll consider it?¡±


    Her dad pours himself a glass of wine. Jia loves to drink with the customers but her dad never does unless a customer really insists. For a wine maker, he¡¯s not a big drinker. He certainly never drinks at work when there aren¡¯t any customers around. It¡¯s before noon. Half his glass of pinot¡¯s gone in one long swallow. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem with me. If she wants to train you, I¡¯ll support you both. I don¡¯t want you doing the rest of it though. The martial arts part is fine but don¡¯t go putting on a costume and doing anything like that. I saw what that did to your mother and I don¡¯t want that for you.¡±


    It¡¯s all Jia can do to keep a straight face. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m not deranged. I have no desire to go fighting crime or anything like that. I don¡¯t have a death wish. I just want to know my family¡¯s history. Plus, I love martial arts and a new style would be interesting to learn. Can you put in a good word with mom for me?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± They both turn to find Jia¡¯s mom walking in looking completely rested. You¡¯d never know she was up half the night. She closes the umbrella that¡¯s kept her mostly dry despite the pouring rain outside. ¡°Jia, please don¡¯t discuss this in public. I¡¯d rather not discuss it at all but if you have to, do it at home. I don¡¯t want someone overhearing you and looking into my past. Our family¡¯s form isn¡¯t practiced today but there are a lot of people who would be very interested in learning about it. If the wrong person overhears you, that could be dangerous for our family, maybe even for your grandfather. Do you understand?¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Jia nods and her mother moves on. ¡°If your father is truly okay with it, I¡¯ll consider training you. You¡¯ll need to prove you¡¯re serious though. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m going to teach you lightly. I have to warn you, the training will be very difficult. You¡¯re not going to like me very much by the time we¡¯re done. Is that okay?¡±


    Jia practically jumps up and down she¡¯s so excited. She can always make her dad do what she wants but her mom¡¯s an unmovable force. Winning feels almost wrong. That doesn¡¯t mean she isn¡¯t grateful for a victory. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you,¡± she tells her mom as she rushes to hug her. With a sly smile her mother says to her, ¡°Your father and I will watch the winery. It¡¯s time for your first task. I want you to run to the top of the nearest mountain and retrieve some of the purple flowers that grow there. I¡¯ll give you an hour. That should be enough time if you push yourself. Make sure to bring back at least a few of them and make sure you keep them safe on the way down. I want a nice centerpiece for the table tonight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s raining really hard mom,¡± Jia starts to say before realizing that¡¯s probably the point. Starting off her training by arguing isn¡¯t the way to prove she¡¯s serious. Her mother¡¯s eyebrow goes up but before she can respond Jia says, ¡±Can I at least have time to go put on a raincoat?¡±


    Her mother¡¯s smile gets a little more wicked. ¡°You can use your hour however you want. But keep in mind that your hour starts,¡± she looks down at her watch, ¡°now. Taking ten minutes to run to the house and change would probably make completing this task impossible but that¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Jia considers objecting before realizing there¡¯s no point. Her glee has turned to anger but she immediately flies out the front door of the winery and starts heading for the nearest path up the mountain.


    Back inside the winery, Jia¡¯s dad gives his wife a disapproving look. ¡°Do you have any intention of actually teaching her Lia? Running up mountains isn¡¯t what she has in mind.¡±


    The wicked grin is now in full force and she bursts out laughing. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say no intention. You could have done a better job of backing me up on the ¡®your dad would have a problem with this¡¯ thing.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Sorry, you know I¡¯ve never been good at lying to her. She figured things out so fast after I slipped up. She¡¯s our daughter.¡±


    ¡°If she does everything I ask, then I¡¯ll teach her. I¡¯m going to make it as hard as possible though because I really don¡¯t want to do this. If she pushes through everything I¡¯m going to put in her way, I won¡¯t have much choice. She¡¯s tough, but I think she¡¯ll break before I do.¡± Pouring herself a rare daytime glass of wine, she offers cheers to her husband before downing the entire glass in one long gulp.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 7

    Over the next month Jia¡¯s mother keeps her busy day and night. Daily trips up the mountains for flowers become daily trips up the mountain for no reason at all. Some nights as she tries to sleep she¡¯ll suddenly feel a shake. She opens her eyes to her mother standing over her. ¡°One hour.¡±


    It isn¡¯t long before she learns the best paths up the mountain and that hour becomes easy. Once her mother realizes this, the time begins to shrink. One night she¡¯s woken and told she has an hour. As she walks back into the house 48 minutes later, her mother tells her she needs to do it again and this time she only has 45 minutes. She makes it with under a minute to spare.


    The mountains are only the start. Every day her mother keeps her up later into the evening than the day before and wakes her earlier in the morning. She cleans the house top to bottom. One day she¡¯s given the challenge of cleaning their kitchen with a toothbrush.


    Expecting the challenges to start focusing on martial arts she pushes forward but her mother continues to avoid teaching her a thing. Every day she gets closer to breaking. It didn¡¯t take long to figure out her mother¡¯s whole strategy is to break her. She doesn¡¯t want to teach her but wants it to be Jia¡¯s fault and not her own. The woman won¡¯t even give her an idea how long is left in the training. It¡¯s a lot easier to keep pushing when there¡¯s an end in sight.


    One day she¡¯s sitting on the couch mid-morning, trying desperately to nap after her mother woke her only two hours after allowing her to go to sleep, when the phone rings. She practically jumps out of her skin.


    It¡¯s Carly, Jia¡¯s college roommate. The investment firm who hired her after graduation is sending Carly and her boyfriend Hank to San Francisco to meet with a potential new client. It¡¯s a business trip but she¡¯ll have a free day and she¡¯d love Jia to drive over and hang out. Jia¡¯s first thought is excitement, they haven¡¯t seen each other for over six months and after living together for four years, that feels wrong.


    Her excitement doesn¡¯t last long as she realizes her mom will probably have her climbing a tree with a piece of dental floss. There¡¯s no way she can go. She wants to see Carly but not enough to make the last month be for nothing.


    A whole day thinking about how to get the time off yields no better ideas than asking. After dinner she finds her mom drinking a glass of wine and reading a book in her room. Her dad went out for his weekly poker game so they have the house to themselves. ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Yes Jia?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember my roommate Carly from school? You and dad met her a few times when you came out to visit.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Of course I do. Nice girl. A bit obsessive but nice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Carly. She¡¯s going to be in San Francisco in a few weeks for business and she wants me to drive over and spend a day with her. I¡¯d like to see her, but I know I have training. I was wondering if there¡¯s any way I can have the day off. I¡¯ll do any training you want before I leave and you can make me work all night after I get home. It¡¯s been way too long since I¡¯ve seen her though and I¡¯d feel terrible telling her no.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not without a heart Jia. You¡¯re giving me notice and it¡¯s a rare thing for your friend to be in California. Doesn¡¯t she live on the east coast somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Boston.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s coming a long way then. Of course you can go. I¡¯ll even let you sleep the night before so you¡¯re rested. What day is it?¡±


    Fighting back the urge to rush to her mother and wrap her in a bear hug, Jia says, ¡°It¡¯s in three weeks, on Wednesday.¡±


    Her mom¡¯s kind look turns to a frown when she hears this. ¡°Wednesday isn¡¯t good. I can¡¯t lend you the car that day. I¡¯m meeting a company about possibly selling their wine glasses in the winery. I spent six months trying to get this meeting, I can¡¯t reschedule. You can still go of course, you¡¯ll just need to take the train over and get a cab to wherever you¡¯re meeting. I¡¯ll give you a couple hundred dollars for the trip, you¡¯ve been working hard for nothing but room and board for awhile now.¡±


    Jia searches for her jaw which is now resting on the floor. With that settled she lays down next to her mom like they used to when she was younger. It¡¯s time for the evening news so her mother sets her book down and flips the television on.


    The lead story tonight is about the presidential election. It¡¯s only a couple of days away. Richard Hughes is facing off against the heavily favored Senator Gilles. Jia isn¡¯t sure she¡¯s even going to vote. She doesn¡¯t like either candidate, though Gilles is definitely the better of the two. He¡¯s a long way from perfect but he isn¡¯t a lunatic. The experts seem confident Gilles has the election won but that hasn¡¯t stopped the Hughes campaign from rocketing around the country, promising to defend the borders and fight terror. A major plank of his campaign is a push to legalize vigilantism so citizens can police themselves.


    Every time you turn the TV on you hear this loud mouth but tonight Jia¡¯s seeing his policies in a new light. ¡°What do you think about the vigilante thing? You used to basically do what he wants to legalize. He¡¯s crazy but maybe it could work. You and grandpa helped people.¡±


    Her mother takes a big sip of her wine. ¡°As someone who has been a vigilante, I¡¯m certain what this country needs isn¡¯t more vigilantes. Your grandpa did good in the war but he was a soldier then, not a vigilante. I¡¯m not sure how much we helped anyone after that.¡±


    They watch the news for a few more minutes until a sudden yawn sneaks up on Jia. She suddenly realizes how tired she is. Stretching out she considers heading to bed. Just as she¡¯s about to say good night her mother turns to her. ¡°Jia, get some flowers from the mountain before you go to bed. You have forty five minutes, starting now.¡±


    Infuriated that her mother used her yawn as an opportunity, Jia flings herself off the bed and runs for the door stopping only long enough to put her shoes on.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 8

    A few weeks later Jia steps off the train in San Francisco. Carly agreed to meet her at the station and then they¡¯re going to cruise around town all day. This is Carly¡¯s first time in the city so they¡¯re hitting the tourist spots. She¡¯s already meticulously researched everywhere she wants to go so Jia¡¯s job is to recommend great places to eat and drink.


    Carly isn¡¯t hard to spot sitting out front in a bright pink convertible, practically beaming, while Hank sits in the passenger seat looking ill. Jia rushes to hug Carly before tossing her bag in the back seat and swinging her legs over the side of the car. ¡°Not a fan of doors?¡± Carly asks.


    ¡°Nah, this way¡¯s faster and makes me look cool.¡±


    Cruising toward the waterfront they catch up on life. Jia thought this was going to be a fun day but before long she starts feeling inadequate. Carly works for a financial planning firm and a major company in San Francisco is considering hiring them. She won¡¯t say who the company is but implies it¡¯s a soda company who love holiday ad campaigns. If the car they¡¯re cruising around in is any indication the job¡¯s a good fit for her.


    Carly keeps turning to look at Jia while Jia and Hank beg her to keep her eyes on the road. They almost hit multiple cars on the way and no less than three people flip them off. You¡¯d think Hank would be used to Carly¡¯s driving but he looks as green as the first time he rode in a car with her.


    Suggesting brunch she asks Jia for somewhere fancy. Jia throws out a few cheaper options, afraid the money her mother gave her won¡¯t cover things. After turning down a few options, Carly mentions she can write today off as a business expense so it¡¯s all on her. Suddenly the options open up.


    They decide on an upscale Mexican place Jia¡¯s been to a few times. The food¡¯s awesome and you get unlimited mimosas with brunch. Carly doesn¡¯t need any more convincing.


    As the drinks flow Carly dominates the conversation. She¡¯s always been a talker and Jia doesn¡¯t have anything going on she can talk about, at least not anything she can share. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, but me and Hank are thinking about moving in together.¡±


    Jia practically snorts. ¡°About time, you two started going out three years ago. What took so long?¡±


    ¡°Well I couldn¡¯t abandon you to a new roommate our last couple years. They might have put you with a freshman. If all goes well and we get this client though, I actually might be moving out here to handle their account. I¡¯d be on the west coast for good.¡±


    Getting to see Carly more often would be awesome. They¡¯ve tried to stay in touch since graduation but it¡¯s hard when you¡¯re living life on opposite sides of the country. It still stings. Carly¡¯s thriving and moving forward with her life while Jia¡¯s stuck. If they¡¯re close they can actually see each other regularly and she can¡¯t hide from that.


    Jia turns to Hank. ¡°How do you feel about that? Don¡¯t you have a job where you are?¡±


    ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t do wherever I am, I got hired programming for a big company but I work from home most days. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d have a problem with me working out here. I¡¯d have to fly back and forth some but we can manage it.¡±


    Time flies as they eat fajitas and drink mimosas. Once they have a half dozen drinks in them they decide it¡¯s time to pay the check and move on. Carly has the whole day planned out in order. ¡°We¡¯re going to see the Golden Gate Bridge and then we¡¯ll hang by the waterfront. Someone back home was telling me about the sea lions and I¡¯m dying to see them.¡±


    Thinking about how to tackle this, Jia says, ¡°We can get to both of those without much trouble. Let¡¯s start with the waterfront though. We can walk under the bridge and check out the vendors.¡± Jia¡¯s favorite part of San Francisco has always been the sea lions. As nice as it is today, there should be plenty out. As they scarf the last of their food they decide it¡¯s so nice they¡¯ll walk. With how much they¡¯ve been drinking, that seems like the safe way to go.


    Hank¡¯s quiet as they walk along. Once in awhile he¡¯ll inject himself into a conversation but mostly he lets the girls talk. They¡¯ve never been that close, but Jia knows him well enough to know something isn¡¯t right. She thinks about asking, but doesn¡¯t want to ruin what has otherwise been an awesome day. She figures Carly has to see it but she doesn¡¯t say anything either.


    As they get closer to the sea lions, Jia starts talking them up. With how close her family is to San Francisco she¡¯s spent a lot of time here. She¡¯s never really liked it though. Too many people. If they ever had to come into the city though all her parents had to do was tell her they¡¯d see the sea lions and she was on board.


    Nearing the water, they pass an abandoned building with the windows broken out and the door hanging open. Jia happens to look inside where she sees two men being held at gunpoint by another. None of them are moving, though the man with the gun seems focused. The men being held at gunpoint are wearing matching jean jackets. One¡¯s Hispanic while the other¡¯s a bigger black guy. The man with the gun¡¯s wearing a mask that covers his face but is otherwise dressed like a businessman. His lips move like he¡¯s saying something but between the sound of the water and how far they are away, Jia can¡¯t make out what. Jia immediately jumps out of view, pulling Carly and Hank with her.


    Afraid one of them is going to yell and blow their cover, Jia shoves a hand over each of their mouths. She gives them each a look that she hopes says, ¡°Trust me,¡± before slowly removing her hands. Peeking around the corner, she can see the man with the gun shoving it in one of the other guys¡¯ face.


    She grabs Hank by the wrist and pulls him close enough that he can get a look. She decides not to show Carly. She isn¡¯t good with stress. Jia still remembers a few years ago a frog got into their apartment. She walked in to find Carly literally sitting on top of her desk. She refused to get down until Jia caught the frog and removed it from the apartment.


    Dialing 911 on her cell phone Jia¡¯s relieved when she gets a quick answer. She whispers into her phone that there¡¯s a man with a gun holding up two other men. She tries to describe their location but she only has a vague idea where they are. It¡¯s hard to give the lady on the phone a great idea. She gives the okay to ping their GPS so hopefully the cops can figure it out.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Suddenly a gunshot rings out. Hank moves to get a hand over Carly¡¯s mouth before she can give them away. Jia doesn¡¯t want to look through the window and see what happened but the 911 operator heard the shot as well and she needs to know. A quick glance allows for a sigh of relief. One of the men¡¯s now on the ground crying while the other leans over him. Neither seems to have been shot, at least not yet.


    Jia looks around her environment, considering options. The next gunshot might be more serious. She doesn¡¯t have a weapon and even if she did, she doesn¡¯t know how to use one. She does notice the man with the gun¡¯s facing away from her.


    Looking to Hank and Carly, she says, ¡°Stay here,¡± before handing her phone to Hank. ¡°If this goes bad, run and don¡¯t look back.¡± Carly¡¯s eyes go wide. She¡¯s always been pale but now she¡¯s whiter than snow. Hank manages a nod. He seems to be holding himself together. Jia¡¯s happy to see someone is.


    A few feet into the building there¡¯s a box of crates that could make good cover. Going out so much at night, she¡¯s gotten used to operating quietly in recent weeks and she¡¯s confident she can get there without issue. The other half of the way to the group¡¯s going to be the tricky part. Even if she gets to the crates that leaves at least ten feet to cover without being seen or heard before she¡¯ll reach the man with the gun.


    Even if she¡¯s quiet there¡¯s no guarantee one of the men being held up won¡¯t see her and give her away. She could wait; she probably should wait. There¡¯s still no sound of sirens though which means help isn¡¯t close. Things seem to be escalating inside. The man with the gun¡¯s getting more and more agitated. Jia thinks she hears something about just giving it up.


    Reaching the crates ends up being as easy as she thought it¡¯d be. Hugging the shadows she sneaks along the wall until she¡¯s in their shadow. She¡¯s slightly taller than the stack so she ducks down to stay hidden. So far so good on the quiet front.


    Brushing against the crates, she feels something poke hard into her side and break the skin. It takes everything she has to stifle a yelp. Pulling back and looking down, she sees a rusty nail sticking out of a crate, now covered in her blood. She prays she wasn¡¯t heard. Glancing around the side of the crates, none of the men seem to have taken notice.


    The man with the gun jams his pistol into the other men¡¯s faces. He seems distracted and Jia figures this is as good an opportunity as she¡¯s going to get. Taking one last deep breath for courage she moves from behind the crates and starts tip toeing closer. She¡¯s ten feet away and no reaction. Then nine feet and nothing. Eight feet and still nothing. Seven feet and no reaction.


    At the six foot mark, where she¡¯s almost close enough to make a move, the man on the ground notices her and they lock eyes. He doesn¡¯t say anything, he¡¯s not trying to give her up. It¡¯s enough though. The man with the gun turns and sees her out of the corner of his eye. He spins, trying to center his gun on Jia. Her life flashes before her eyes and all she can think about is why didn¡¯t she wait for the police?


    A woman screams behind her. That would be Carly. She hopes Hank kept his word and they¡¯re running. Jia reaches toward the gun, trying to get her hand on his arm before it can fully be trained on her.


    Out of nowhere the second man being held up jumps forward and rushes the gunman. He¡¯s a large, thick guy and he hits his assailant like a ton of bricks. They go skidding across the ground and the gun flies out of the shooter¡¯s hand. Jia makes a move for the weapon and kicks it into a corner. The two men roll back and forth, evenly matched. Jia decides to change the odds.


    She waits until the shooter¡¯s on top, circling behind him while he¡¯s too occupied to do anything. She aims a hard kick right at the back of his left knee, driving all of her weight forward. The man screams and falls away. He grabs at his leg, rolling back and forth.


    The man who did the tackling fights his way to his feet. He gets in a kick of his own, causing another scream from the now injured attacker. The attacker lays there and stops moving around. He¡¯s not going anywhere. The large man turns to Jia. ¡°Damn girl, that was one hell of a kick. Thanks for your help. I don¡¯t know what we would have done otherwise. Name¡¯s DeMarcus.¡±


    He reaches out, offering a handshake which Jia gladly accepts. DeMarcus asks her to wait for the cops to help explain what happened and she obliges. So much for her and Carly¡¯s fun day.


    Carly rushes into the alley and practically tackles her. Introductions are made and within a couple of minutes the police arrive. The man with the gun¡¯s taken away in an ambulance but doesn¡¯t seem willing to give up any information. He¡¯s clearly in a lot of pain though.


    The cops take all their information as well as that of DeMarcus and his friend. It doesn¡¯t take long to get their statements. Seems like a pretty straight forward mugging, though Jia notices DeMarcus is a bit vague about what the man wanted. She doesn¡¯t have a clue what he was after, she couldn¡¯t hear enough of what the man was saying. The police inform them they¡¯ll be in touch if they need anything else before departing.


    Jia looks over her small puncture wound and swears. Rusty nail equals tetanus shot and that¡¯s going to hurt more than the nail did. She tries not to be too upset. Compared to what could have happened, they got lucky. There''s still time for a bit of sightseeing if they can get back in the mood. She figures the tetanus shot can wait until the next morning. No need to further ruin their trip.


    The rest of the day¡¯s a blur. At least watching the sea lions cheers them up. Getting drunk helps even more. By the end of the day they¡¯re actually able to laugh about it, at least a little. Arriving back at the train station that evening Carly gives Jia one last hug. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know how the interview goes. Not a great first impression of San Francisco, but I think I might still be willing to give it a shot. After all, my best friend¡¯s here.¡±


    Jia tries to get some rest on the train. This was supposed to be a day of rest but she may be more exhausted than she was when she left. First thing in the morning she needs to hit up a local clinic and get that tetanus shot. She¡¯s not sure when her last vaccine was so better safe than sorry. She texts her parents what time she¡¯ll be arriving in Napa so she can get a ride home. No need to walk five miles if she can avoid it.


    She thought about calling them earlier in the day to tell them what happened but she was afraid they¡¯d want her to come home right away. She wasn¡¯t going to miss the rest of her day with Carly.


    Exiting the train, she¡¯s surprised to see her mom waiting. Her dad has always been more the pick your kid up from the train station late at night parent. She¡¯s relieved to see her mom and squeezes her tight before they head to the car. On the drive home she considers keeping this story to herself but finally decides to open up.


    She tells her mom everything. She talks about how scared she was, about how she thought she could handle the situation. She even admits that if it weren¡¯t for Demarcus intervening she¡¯d probably have ended up dead. She¡¯s admitting it to herself as much as to her mom. This is the first moment she really thinks about how dangerous things got.


    After a long silence her mother asks, ¡°So just to be clear, you found yourself in an incredibly dangerous situation where a man was pointing a gun at several other people. Instead of waiting for help you decided to get involved and try to help them yourself. Is that about right?¡±


    The only thing Jia can think to say is, ¡°Yes,¡± which results in a loud a sigh from her mother.


    ¡°You really are my daughter, aren¡¯t you? Alright, we¡¯ll start your real training tomorrow. If you¡¯re going to put yourself in dangerous situations, you¡¯re at least going to know how to handle yourself when you do.¡±

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 9

    Walking out of the Napa Free Clinic, Jia Crawford rubs her sore left arm. A small bandage with cartoon pandas covers the painful area. She hates tetanus shots. All shots really. After pressing against a rusty nail during a recent trip to San Francisco she knew she didn¡¯t have a choice. She had to get one. That doesn¡¯t make her happy about it.


    This all happened because Jia tried to get involved in something that was none of her business. She was with some friends and saw a couple guys in an abandoned building being mugged. What was she supposed to do, walk away?


    There¡¯s one silver lining in all of this. A few weeks ago she discovered her family has a secret history of martial arts going back generations. Her grandfather was one of the five heroes who helped save the world during World War II. She¡¯s been begging her mother to train her ever since she found the truth but she¡¯s resisted. She promised to teach her weeks ago, but she¡¯s been leading her on. Waking up in the middle of the night to run barefoot up a mountain frustrates her more than it teaches her anything and that¡¯s the extent of what she¡¯s learned.


    Her mom was probably hoping to frustrate her to the point she¡¯d quit. It didn¡¯t work though and after finding out her daughter almost got shot rescuing some random people, she agreed to train her for real.


    Scanning the parking lot for her mother¡¯s car, Jia finds her parked off to the side under a pair of trees. Since Jia doesn¡¯t have a car her mom agreed to drive her. They left her father alone to run the family winery for the day. It¡¯s a weekday so he should be fine. If a bus full of tourists show up though, she¡¯d pay good money to see his face.


    Plopping into the car, circles under her eyes from a lack of sleep, her mother gives her a strange look she can¡¯t quite place. It¡¯s not exactly sadness, but it¡¯s certainly not joy either. It doesn¡¯t last long. Soon they¡¯re on their way back home. Neither of them¡¯s good at small talk so they mostly ride in silence.


    Pulling up to the house, they pass the winery where there¡¯s no sign of customers. Jia starts to head inside but her mother stops her. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Before Jia can respond, her mother rushes toward her and grabs her by the shoulder. She gives her mother a confused look before the woman pushes hard. She¡¯s flipped into the air, falling hard on the rough gravel of their driveway. Her hands break her fall, scraped by the stones. She lets out a shout but quickly jumps to her feet. ¡°What the hell mom! What was that about?¡±


    Her mother turns and starts to walk away. ¡°Never let your guard down. If you learn only one thing from me, let it be that. That will save your life more than all the fancy punches in the world. If you hadn¡¯t let your guard down, you wouldn¡¯t have poked yourself with a rusty nail and needed that shot this morning. You get into a fight with a mugger and instead of being hurt by them, you end up hurting yourself on a random nail.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Jia reluctantly does as she¡¯s told and is led into the field behind their house, right in front of their vineyard. Her mother starts emptying her pockets onto a large rock and she gestures that Jia should do the same. ¡°We¡¯ll start your training here. I want to start by getting a feel for what you know and can handle first.¡± Patting her pockets to make sure they¡¯re empty, she walks away from the rock and into the field. ¡°Attack me.¡±


    Hearing her mother tell her to attack her is surreal. ¡°Mom, you haven¡¯t fought in what, twenty years? I¡¯m one of the best in the state. I don¡¯t know if this is a good idea.¡±


    A wicked grin comes over her mother¡¯s face. ¡°Most children wait their whole lives for this chance. Go ahead and take it. I¡¯m not asking you to take my head off. Just give me your best shot, like you would in one of your tournaments.¡±


    Jia¡¯s been competing in martial arts since high school. Since returning from college the one piece of structure she¡¯s managed to put into her life¡¯s competing in tournaments. She¡¯s not the best she¡¯s ever been but she¡¯s in shape and she¡¯s been practicing. That¡¯s a lot more than her mother can say. She hasn¡¯t fought in years. Jia¡¯s never even seen her throw a punch.


    With her mother not backing down, Jia decides to do as she asked. Maybe when she puts her on the ground she¡¯ll see reason. Then they can get down to real training. Jia strikes at her mother with a strong but hesitant strike. Her mother, moving faster than Jia can ever remember seeing her, catches her wrist and arm and flips her through the air. All of the air goes out of her lungs and she hits like a bag of rocks. She lands awkwardly on her left arm.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Letting out a moan of pain and clutching at her arm, she soon finds her mother standing over her. ¡°Get back up, we¡¯re just getting started.¡± Furious at her mother¡¯s lack of concern, she still does what she¡¯s told. The woman stands there waiting. Jia doesn¡¯t need to be told to attack this time.


    She rushes her mother and throws a high kick at her chest. Her mother blocks it like it¡¯s nothing. She throws a series of blows which are all either ducked, dodged or blocked. Her mother suddenly stops turtling and attempts a leg sweep. It¡¯s so fast she barely sees it but somehow she¡¯s able to react in time and leap over it. Any feeling of triumph¡¯s gone in an instant. She¡¯s met by a hand to her chest before her feet are even back on the ground. Instead of landing on her feet, she¡¯s right back on her back.


    ¡°Come on Jia. I haven¡¯t fought in like twenty years.¡± That should be funny, especially coming from her mother who she¡¯s never known to have a sense of humor. It¡¯s hard to laugh through the pain though.


    She gets up again but this time she doesn¡¯t immediately rush her mother. She sits back, waiting for her mother to react. They stare at each other with very little emotion betrayed on either face. After a minute or so her mother¡¯s expression cracks and she starts to smile. ¡°There¡¯s your first lesson and first success. Don¡¯t fight from anger, don¡¯t get caught up in the moment. Take your time, plan and always keep control of your situation. Very nicely done. I thought it¡¯d take you longer.¡±


    She¡¯d love to protest but praise from her mother is rare and at least she¡¯s not being flipped through the air. She nods. Her mother¡¯s smile diminishes at this. ¡°To your sensei you actually bow.¡±


    At first Jia thinks this is a continuation of her mom¡¯s newfound love of jokes but no smile comes to confirm this. Annoyed, she finally bows before the woman. ¡°Good job. Now I¡¯m going to demonstrate some techniques. Stand behind me and copy my every move. After a bit I¡¯ll stand behind you and follow along with you. Keep in mind, if your form isn¡¯t good I¡¯ll take you down from behind in the same ways someone could in real life. You¡¯re going to want to pay attention.¡±


    This goes on for hours as Jia tries to copy every twitch and flick. Her mother gives names to each strike, each kick, each throw. To her credit, she demonstrates each a number of times. She doesn¡¯t expect Jia to learn a move in a single attempt.


    After going through ten moves, Jia and her mother switch positions and her mother again starts calling out names. The first two or three moves she executes without incident. When her mother says, ¡°High Low Kick,¡± though, Jia feels herself slightly miss the timing of the move. She¡¯s not far off and she hopes her mother won¡¯t notice. Before she can even finish the attempt she feels her leg still on the ground being swept and she¡¯s once again tumbling to the ground. She lands on her face, her nose being smashed in the process.


    Being thrown around out here is really starting to hurt. She¡¯s used to practicing on mats and in rooms with fans. It¡¯s really warm for this time of year and the dirt definitely doesn¡¯t feel like a mat. It could be worse, they could be doing this on cement, but it¡¯s definitely not fun.


    They fall into a pattern. Her mother shows new moves and is patient while teaching but once she¡¯s done she expects them to stay taught. The way she moves is remarkable, with a grace and agility Jia has never seen in her. After they¡¯ve learned a variety of moves her mother asks her to attack her once again. She tries but it¡¯s clear she¡¯s being toyed with. Her frustration starts to bubble over. She kicks the dirt and storms toward the rock where she left her things.


    Her mother follows. ¡°I need you to let go Jia. I know that isn¡¯t easy but you need to stop thinking so much. You are critical of your every move, you analyze every moment. That won¡¯t work. You can¡¯t move with the speed and abandon you need to unless you do it almost entirely on instinct, on feel. You can¡¯t develop that feel until you get out of your own head.¡±


    She turns to her mom, feeling like she¡¯s going to explode. ¡°How do I learn the moves without thinking? If I¡¯m off even a hair you knock me to the ground.¡±


    Putting a hand on her shoulder, her mother looks into her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s hard. Come back and let¡¯s go again.¡±


    Relenting, Jia returns to training. She strikes over and over but continues to feel she¡¯s nowhere close. As the day goes on though, she does start to feel at least slightly faster. She¡¯s still missing badly, but not as badly as she was this morning.


    By the time her mother helps her off the ground for what has to be the fiftieth time and tells her they¡¯re done for the day, Jia¡¯s entire body feels like one big bruise. Returning to the rock, she¡¯s shocked to see it¡¯s been four hours. That somehow feels both too short and too long.


    She¡¯s instructed to get her dad from the winery while her mother starts dinner. Looking at the woman, she¡¯s not even sure she¡¯s hurting. She certainly doesn¡¯t move like she¡¯s sore. Jia can¡¯t walk without a limp. Looking at the winery in the distance, she considers an objection. She¡¯s in so much pain and it looks so far away right now. Laying in her bed sounds amazing. Afraid her mom will put her on her back in the field instead if she says anything, she trudges down the dirt path.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 10

    Over the next couple of weeks Jia¡¯s training continues nearly every day. They can¡¯t take every day off from the winery but her father agrees to handle the late shifts and have the two of them take the mornings. Often that means Jia taking the mornings and her mom taking the day off. Jia¡¯s excited for the chance to sleep in.


    Mornings are usually slow so on the days her mom does come in they can spend them discussing what they worked on the night before. Jia starts to feel her whole life is training. She notices her dad watching her a lot during the little time they get to spend together. She doesn¡¯t realize how worried he is until one night she overhears them talking quietly in the living room. Her dad¡¯s raising his voice, something he almost never does. ¡°Can¡¯t you just go a little easier on her? I don¡¯t want her getting seriously hurt, she¡¯s already covered in bruises and cuts. She¡¯s not as strong as you were.¡±


    Her mother shuts him down. ¡°Keep your voice down. If she¡¯s going to put herself in dangerous situations, she needs to be ready. Me going soft on her now might kill her later. She can handle it. She¡¯s stronger than you think. I haven¡¯t even come close to her limit.¡±


    Every day the training¡¯s a little different. Combat, movement, using the environment as a weapon, there¡¯s always a new lesson. They spend an entire day on ways to move while avoiding detection. She even learns a way to run that can help avoid getting shot, though her mother warns it¡¯s not perfect. ¡°Don¡¯t test this if you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ve been shot a couple of times. It¡¯s not fun.¡± Jia takes it all in, filing all of this away for a day when she¡¯ll need it. She¡¯s not sure what she¡¯s going to need it for, but she feels a day¡¯s coming when it¡¯ll be useful.


    At least now that they¡¯re really training her mother isn¡¯t waking her up in the middle of the night. For the first few weeks she still goes to bed right after dinner to make sure she¡¯s well rested for the next day''s training. When her mother lets her sleep through the night and she finds herself waking up hours before she needs to, she asks about it. The woman laughs at her. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not waking you up at night. I¡¯m pushing you hard enough during the day. People don¡¯t learn when they¡¯re exhausted. It doesn¡¯t serve either of us for me to wear you out.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    At first she fears this is another test so she still goes to bed early. When things don¡¯t change, she starts easing up. After a few weeks she feels confident staying up and watching the late news with her mom. They¡¯re covering a speech President Hughes gave earlier in the day. He¡¯s there to announce the passage of his vigilante act.


    That¡¯s not really a shock. After Hughes beat Senator Gilles in a huge upset he was always going to push his biggest campaign promise. With his party in control of every branch of government, passing it wasn¡¯t complicated. They cut to him standing behind a podium in Washington, smirking.


    ¡°My fellow Americans,¡± he says. ¡°Today is a historic day in the history of our country. With the passing of the Vigilantes Making Us Safe Act, our people will be able to take back this country. Everyday great American men and women,¡± which he says with almost a snort, ¡°will be able to protect themselves and their communities in a new and historic way. No longer will they be forced to rely on a police force they don¡¯t always feel they can trust. Our great people will be safer and feel a greater sense of pride in our great country. We¡¯ll be rolling out the details of how to register and what the requirements will be in the next couple of days. If you can¡¯t wait and want to get out there now, know that you have our support. The act has passed and what you do will be legal. We¡¯ll make sure of it. God bless America.¡±


    Jia can¡¯t believe this maniac was actually elected president. Her mother¡¯s noticeably cringing. She notices her father entered the room at some point. He¡¯s not watching the TV though, he¡¯s staring at her. It takes her a minute to connect the dots and realize he¡¯s concerned she¡¯ll run off and sign up. She¡¯d never do that. Would she? Being a vigilante¡¯s in her family and she likes the idea of helping people but that¡¯s so dangerous. She¡¯s good in a fight but most criminals use guns. Fists vs. guns isn¡¯t a fight she likes her odds in.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 11

    The next day during training, Jia feels the best she has in weeks. Last night after finishing the news she iced like crazy and her body¡¯s loose. They¡¯re over an hour into today¡¯s session and she hasn¡¯t yet been thrown to the ground. She¡¯s getting to the point where she can actually dodge her mother¡¯s blows, though she still hasn¡¯t managed to hit the woman.


    For the first time today her mother says to come at her. She cringes, no matter how well a day¡¯s going, this is the one thing that always ends in pain. She¡¯ll be blocked and countered, maybe manage to avoid a counter or two, but eventually she¡¯s going to end up on the ground. She¡¯s learned better than to say no though so she rushes forward. Kick, punch, punch, duck under the kick. Small hop to avoid a leg sweep but keep it small enough that she can block the next shot. She tries a kick of her own and feels her leg caught under her mother¡¯s arm. Without hesitation she uses the support this grab provides to launch herself into the air and bring her other leg up, kicking her mother right in the side.


    The woman falters slightly and releases Jia¡¯s leg. Jia tumbles awkwardly to the ground, hitting her knee. It definitely ends up hurting her more than it hurts her mother but she doesn¡¯t care. Staring up at her mother, her jaw practically hits the ground. She actually connected a blow and caused some sort of pain. She¡¯s been working toward that for weeks. She feels fireworks going off in her head. If she didn¡¯t know she¡¯d end up punished for doing so she¡¯d run around the yard celebrating.


    Her mother reaches out a hand to help her up. She tentatively takes it. ¡°Very nicely done. I like how when I cornered you, there was no panic. You just went right to your next move. That¡¯s the kind of quickness and fluidity that will keep you alive once you sign up for that stupid act.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Jia freezes upon hearing this. The urge to celebrate goes right out of her. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m not planning to register. I¡¯m just trying to learn our family history.¡±


    Her mother turns away. ¡°I know you well enough to know that you aren¡¯t going through all of this just so you can learn some fancy new techniques. You may be telling yourself that now but once you learn and feel confident you¡¯re going to want to put this to use. That¡¯s your nature and I would never try to change it. My job is to make sure you stay alive when you do.¡±


    Jia tries to clear her head. Is that actually what she wants? She hasn¡¯t thought about it that much. She could do a lot of good and there are always going to be people who need help. Her mother pulls her in and gives her a hug. ¡°I¡¯m okay with it and will do everything I can to keep you safe and get you ready for this. I need you to promise me something though Jia. Don¡¯t tell your father, at least not at first. He won¡¯t understand and he¡¯ll just worry. I know you don¡¯t like keeping things from him but we need to for now. Okay?¡± Her mother pushes her back so they¡¯re staring at each other.


    She¡¯s never been good at keeping secrets from her father. When she was a little girl she told him everything and she¡¯s never completely stopped. Even her teenage years didn¡¯t pull them apart. Her mother clearly feels strongly about this though and she trusts her. Her parents have one of the best relationships she¡¯s ever seen and if she doesn¡¯t think her dad can take it, she¡¯s probably right.


    Nodding her agreement, her mother pulls her in for another hug. After a minute of this her mother lets her go and gets back into position. ¡°That was a very good start but don¡¯t think we¡¯re done. Let¡¯s see if we can get you to hit me once without a counter before you run off to save the world. Again.¡± Jia heads back into the fray, ready to continue her training.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 12

    A week later Jia¡¯s come to the conclusion that her mother was right. She wants to register as a vigilante. It¡¯s crazy, but she¡¯s already hearing stories of people signing up to try and take advantage of people or hurt them. People abusing the power this act gives them for their own gain. She doesn¡¯t know how much of it¡¯s true and the government¡¯s keeping very quiet about any allegations. All they¡¯ll say is that they¡¯re looking into it. She doesn¡¯t want vigilantes getting a bad name though. There¡¯s a long history in this country of people sacrificing to help others. She knows there are people who really want to make a difference.


    A quick internet search doesn¡¯t show anywhere in Napa Valley to register. The rules for the Vigilantes Making Us Safe Act, or VMUS for short, are still changing. The official web site for the act says that if your city isn¡¯t listed you can go to your local police station and they¡¯ll get you set up. Jia knows where that is. She had to get her brother out of it on a couple of occasions when they were younger. He had a habit of getting in trouble as a teenager which is thankfully behind him. He¡¯s lucky the local cops were always forgiving.


    A request to borrow the family car¡¯s denied. Her mom needs it today. Ever since Jia started being able to land a few hits, her mom has cut their training to every other day. Jia accused her of not wanting to get beat up. ¡°You¡¯re not totally wrong. I¡¯m here to teach you, not the other way around. If anyone¡¯s going to be in pain it won¡¯t be me. Besides, I¡¯ve taught you most of what I can. There are a few techniques left but you¡¯re not ready for them yet.¡±


    At this point practice will make perfect and while they can practice together, practice in real world situations is going to go a lot further than the two of them beating on each other. Besides, ¡°I have a life you know. I¡¯ve mostly put it on hold to teach you but I can¡¯t do that forever.¡±


    Today looks to be a great day to register. She¡¯s off from training and the winery for the first time in over a month. The police station¡¯s nearly eight miles away though and almost the entire trip back is uphill if she has to take a bike. She swears at her rotten luck.


    Not wanting to waste a day off, Jia decides if she doesn¡¯t have to train today she can handle the trip. Stopping at the winery for a few glasses of relaxation wine is the extent of her preparation. After finishing them she hops on her bike and starts heading down the mountain.


    It¡¯s not a short trip but at least it¡¯s mostly downhill. With the amount of training she¡¯s gone through she¡¯s in the best shape she¡¯s been in years. She¡¯s stronger, faster, more agile. The trip goes by fast. It¡¯s early and the roads are mostly empty. The beauty of the trees and mountains distract her from the work she¡¯s doing and before long she¡¯s in front of the Napa police station. Looking for anywhere to lock her bike up, she doesn¡¯t find much. She settles on locking it to a tree and heads inside.


    The station isn¡¯t like any you see on TV. It¡¯s almost laid back. A few cops are walking around and a few people are sitting in a small lobby waiting on someone to help them. There¡¯s no phones buzzing or people shouting. Nobody¡¯s led through the place in handcuffs.


    Going to the front desk, she finds a middle aged woman sitting there playing on her phone. It takes a few seconds for her to realize there¡¯s someone standing before her but when she notices she gives Jia a big grin. She doesn¡¯t bother to put her phone down. ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to register as a vigilante.¡±


    The woman¡¯s smile gives way to a look of confusion. ¡°A vigilante? What do you mean? Are you a criminal who wants to turn herself in? If so just take a seat over there and I¡¯ll have an officer with you when they¡¯re available.¡±


    Now it¡¯s Jia¡¯s turn to be confused. ¡°No, I¡¯m trying to register as a vigilante. Under the VMUS Act. It said online that if there isn¡¯t a dedicated location listed for the city to just go register at the police station. So you know, I¡¯m here.¡±


    The woman seems even more confused but tells Jia to wait a minute. She gets up and wanders into an office down the hall with the door closed and the blinds pulled shut. After a couple of minutes she comes back out, a scowl spread across her face. ¡°The captain will be with you in just a few minutes. If you can take a seat over there somewhere we¡¯d really appreciate it.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Jia sits in a beat up plastic chair and starts reading a magazine. Some cooking thing. She feels like she gets halfway through it before an unkempt, middle aged, overweight detective with terrible hair comes stumbling out of the same office the receptionist previously went into. He looks around the lobby franticly, before saying in a much too loud tone, ¡°Who¡¯s here about the vigilante thing?¡±


    Jia jumps up and walks toward him. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    The man stares at her for a minute, his arms crossing in annoyance. ¡°You have got to be kidding me.¡± Jia isn¡¯t quite sure if he¡¯s talking to her or himself with that one. Finally he almost yells, ¡°Follow me, we need to have a chat.¡± Jia doesn¡¯t think anything this man can do would be legitimately thought of as chatting but she reluctantly follows him back to his office.


    As she enters, the man yells behind him, ¡°Close the door.¡± He turns around and plops into his chair. ¡°Sit.¡± He¡¯s not asking so Jia does what she¡¯s told. The placard on his desk reads, ¡°Detective Florence¡±. Detective Florence leans forward and stares at her with wide eyes. ¡°So let me get this straight Ms. ---¡±


    He trails off so Jia says, ¡°Crawford.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Crawford,¡± he says. ¡°What in the ever living fuck has you wanting to be a vigilante?¡±


    Unsure how to respond to his outburst, she focuses her attention on his name placard to distract from his shouting. It¡¯s brown and looks old. ¡°Um, I guess I just want to help people.¡±


    The man bursts out laughing. ¡°That¡¯s rich. Seriously kid, you know this is the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard, right?¡±


    Jia sits there blinking, not sure how to talk to this man. He¡¯s practically gasping for air now. With a deep sigh he leans toward her. ¡°Look, this is Napa Valley, not LA or some big place. We¡¯re a peaceful community. There¡¯s not a bunch of people who need a vigilante here. What kind of crime do you think we get? I don¡¯t bust big drug deals or criminal masterminds. There¡¯s a bunch of wife beaters, domestic violence, drunk drivers, more than a few rapes unfortunately. It¡¯s not even random crap though. It¡¯s people who know each other. Our biggest issue is that people here drink too much. There aren¡¯t going to be a bunch of vigilantes here. This thing started a week ago. You know how many people have come in to register? Zero. Nobody else is probably going to come in to register unless they¡¯re morons like you. Go home.¡±


    That¡¯s almost enough to make Jia stand up and run out the door but she stops herself. If she can¡¯t stand up to the detective how is she going to stand up to criminals? ¡°You may be right that Napa doesn¡¯t really need a vigilante, but I kind of want to do it anyway. I may not be saving people from major criminals but I still think I can help. According to the act I have a right to do that. That¡¯s the whole point. Now what do we need to do?¡±


    The man sighs and puts his head in his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know kid. They didn¡¯t send us much, just an email with some stuff about a web site. I haven¡¯t even looked at it. Why would I need to? Nobody in this city wants to be a vigilante or has any need to be a vigilante.¡±


    Jia grows in confidence as the man seems to be breaking down. ¡°Well at least one person in this city wants to be a vigilante. Me. Pull up the email, I¡¯ll be glad to take a look and help you.¡±


    Reluctantly doing as she asks, the detective can¡¯t seem to locate the email. Jia suggests checking his trash folder and there they find it. From the looks of everything else sitting in the folder this guy never empties the thing. Jia¡¯s glad for his laziness. The email gives full instructions on how to log into a web site and register someone. It even has login details for their precinct.


    Walking Florence through logging in only takes a moment and the form doesn¡¯t need a lot of information. It asks only the basics about the person registering like their name and a few other vitals. It¡¯s a standard government form but stripped down. The only slightly weird thing about the form is how prominently it asks for any alias the person plans to go by.


    Jia provides all of this as the detective sighs and his face turns green. ¡°Look kid, I really don¡¯t want to deal with vigilantes. It¡¯s hard enough out there when cops have to deal with criminals. I don¡¯t need another element. Stand down on this.¡± Jia¡¯s not quite sure what to say so she just stares at the detective. He takes her silence as an answer and with another sigh enters all of her information. He turns to Jia and points at his screen. ¡°Is that all right?¡±


    At the last minute she decides to add a possible alias. ¡°Just one more thing, under alias, put down Serenity.¡±


    The man makes a face of disgust. ¡°Stupid kids and their stupid names.¡± He enters it though and hits submit.


    A form pops up on the screen, which he prints and shoves in Jia¡¯s face. ¡°Here you go kid. You¡¯re registered I guess. Go stop a mugger or something.¡±


    Jia takes it and manages to thank the man before making her way out of his office. As she leaves she can feel the receptionist staring at her but she ignores it.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 13

    Excited to officially be a vigilante, Jia Crawford¡¯s also nervous and a bit jumpy from her encounter with Detective Florence. Needing a drink stronger than the wine waiting back home, she thinks about bars on the way. She decides on one of her favorites, Larry¡¯s Lounge. It¡¯s kind of a dive but that¡¯s the main reason Jia likes it. Larry¡¯s an old friend of the family and Jia used to be close with his daughter, though she hasn¡¯t seen either of them in at least a couple years. Even when she goes to the bar, Larry¡¯s rarely there anymore. He mostly retired a few years ago and now lets his managers handle running the place.


    Larry¡¯s is a little more than half way to her house which suits Jia fine. She can get most of the riding done before having a few cold ones to cool off. It¡¯s mid afternoon and nearly a hundred degrees.


    Pedaling uphill the entire way isn¡¯t easy but Jia keeps reminding herself this is easier than training. She almost believes it. It isn¡¯t long after she leaves the police station when the sky starts to get cloudy. With only about a mile left until she reaches the bar, she starts to feel rain drops. Jia swears under her breath; it was supposed to be nice today. That¡¯s the whole reason she went.


    At first she thinks she got lucky and it¡¯s only a few drops. Just as that thought passes through her head the rain picks up. Every thirty seconds it seems to get harder and by the time she¡¯s a quarter mile from the bar it¡¯s turned into a downpour. Jia can¡¯t believe her luck and pedals harder and harder for the bar. She splashes through puddles which soak any parts of her the rain hasn¡¯t drenched. There¡¯s nothing above her to shield her from the storms. Finally arriving, she locks her bike to a tree in the parking lot. Rushing inside, she pauses only to shake off as best she can on the front porch so she tracks less water in with her.


    There¡¯s only a few other people in the bar. It¡¯s still relatively early and most people aren¡¯t off work yet. There¡¯s a small TV in the corner showing some sort of game but one of her favorite things about Larry¡¯s is it isn¡¯t full of plasma screens everywhere you look. Just one small screen in the corner. A few older guys are playing pool and a couple guys are sitting at the bar. In the back corner of the room are a couple of tables, one with what looks to be a pair of couples and another with a single couple, a man and a woman. They seem to be enjoying drinks and a meal.


    Jia cringes seeing the food. She¡¯s a fan of Larry¡¯s place but certainly not for the food. If you want a drink this is a good place to go. If you¡¯re looking to enjoy a meal it¡¯s best to steer clear. They somehow manage to serve bad potato chips. They¡¯re not even homemade.


    Taking a seat at the bar, she tries to stay clear of the two men on the other end. The one closest to her, a middle aged man with thinning hair and a tie draped over his shoulders, nods in her direction but then goes back to his drink.


    With how slow the place is it only takes a moment to get a Jack and Coke. She gives the bartender a tip and starts nursing her drink. Pulling her phone out to check when this storm will be gone, her drink seems to magically disappear. After ordering another, she asks the bartender, ¡°Has Larry been in lately? I haven¡¯t seen him in awhile.¡±


    The young woman behind the bar shakes her head. ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t been in for a few weeks now. He¡¯s apparently having some health issues. His daughter¡¯s been the main one running the place lately.¡±


    Jia thanks the bartender and introduces herself. The bartender introduces herself as Susan and asks if Jia needs anything else. She¡¯s new since the last time Jia was in. After telling Susan that she¡¯s good, the woman excuses herself to go check on other customers.


    As Jia¡¯s drink gets close to empty, she considers getting another. Around the same time she hears yelling in the back corner of the bar. Turning, she sees the couple on their own are now screaming at each other. Something about her wanting to stay longer because of the rain and him wanting to get home. Her chair¡¯s been knocked to the ground. They¡¯ve stood up and the woman¡¯s getting in the man¡¯s face and waving her arms in the air as she screams.


    One of those arms smacks him in the face but to Jia it looks less like an attack and more like she was flailing her arms around drunkenly and she happened to hit him. He doesn¡¯t take it that way. He lets out a loud yell and shoves her hard. The woman crashes to the floor, hitting her head on her chair in the process. She lets out a shout and tries to get back to her feet. The man isn¡¯t having it and grabs his chair. For a minute it seems like he¡¯s going to throw it right at the woman but he seems to calm down enough to throw it into a wall instead. The chair splinters into a million pieces. He seems to just be getting started.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Others nearby are trying to get clear and Jia can see the bartender on her phone, likely calling the cops. The man keeps screaming at the woman, standing over her waving yet another chair. He¡¯s not making much sense, talking about how she never wants to go home.


    This woman may not have time to wait for the cops. When the man throws another chair against a wall Jia decides to act. She takes one last sip of her drink and stands up, smooths her clothing, and walks toward the couple. ¡°Hey guy,¡± she says in his direction, ¡°leave the lady alone. The hit looked like an accident. Chill out and let¡¯s just sit down and have another drink.¡±


    The man isn¡¯t having it. He¡¯s probably seven feet tall and at least three hundred pounds. Probably not someone used to being challenged. He turns his attention to Jia, his eyes wild and unfocused. ¡°Stay out of this girl, this has nothing to do with you. I can handle my woman.¡±


    Jia takes a deep breath. ¡°This actually does have something to do with me. You see, I¡¯m sitting here trying to enjoy a nice drink and you¡¯re disturbing me and everyone else in this bar. I¡¯m a licensed vigilante and I can do whatever I need to in order to keep people safe. She doesn¡¯t look very safe right now. So step off or I¡¯m going to have to stop asking nicely.¡±


    The man¡¯s nearly twice Jia¡¯s size and doesn¡¯t seem worried about her. He sizes her up before walking over to the pool table and grabbing a pool stick. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to stop asking me nicely? Little girl, if you don¡¯t mind your own business I¡¯m going to have to stop asking you so nicely to do so. Get out of my face.¡±


    Everyone in the place is silent, waiting for anyone to make a move. After what feels like an eternity, Jia says, ¡°No.¡±


    The man swings the pool stick back and aims right for Jia¡¯s head. She ducks under it and it goes whirling by, leaving the large man off balance. Grabbing for the stick, she uses the man¡¯s momentum against him and manages to wrench it out of his hands. She tosses it aside. She hoped pulling the stick away would put him off balance but no such luck. He¡¯s too large.


    ¡°Nice move girl.¡± He grabs another stick though and swings again, this time aiming lower. Jia jumps over it but doesn¡¯t get close enough to the stick to grab it. Instead she rushes closer and gets a couple of hits in, trying to aim a few kicks at his knees.


    He stumbles backward but doesn¡¯t go down. The body shots she gives him don¡¯t seem to faze him. Jia dances back as he turns and grabs for her. When he misses, the man again swings the pool stick but this time he¡¯s not even close. He seems to be losing his composure which Jia knows plays to her advantage. She just has to keep him moving.


    When she lands a kick right to the man¡¯s hands, he yelps and drops the stick. Without his weapon to worry about, Jia moves in. Punching, kicking, ducking and dodging, she strikes again and again. He¡¯s trying desperately to land even a single blow but at this point he¡¯s just flailing. It feels like her training with her mother only she¡¯s in the role of her mother. Jia stops and puts a hand up. ¡°Is that enough for you or do we need to keep going? I don¡¯t want to hurt you. Just walk away before the cops get here.¡±


    Trying to end things apparently isn¡¯t what he¡¯s looking for. He rushes Jia fast and hard. Caught with her guard down and realizing that she doesn¡¯t have room to dodge, Jia slides right between the man¡¯s legs.


    Not expecting her slide, he can¡¯t spin fast enough. Before he can turn around Jia¡¯s on her feet again and delivering a kick to the back of his knees. The man crumples to his knees and now his head¡¯s low enough to hit. Jia delivers a roundhouse to his face. He makes a sick thud as he hits the ground and lies flat.


    Exhausted, Jia walks up to the woman who was with him. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Instead of receiving gratitude she finds herself shoved aside as the woman rushes to the man¡¯s side. ¡°Are you okay Johnny?¡± she says in a drunken slur. She looks at Jia, fear in her eyes. ¡°Get away from him.¡±


    Annoyed by the woman¡¯s decision to stand by this guy, she walks away and heads back to the bar. Susan at least has a look of gratitude on her face. ¡°Thanks for taking care of that before he completely wrecked the place.¡±


    Jia nods. As she does so she hears sirens coming closer. The cops have seemingly arrived to take this idiot away. As they walk in Jia asks, ¡°Can I get another drink?¡±

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 14

    Making her way down an empty street near downtown Napa Valley, Jia Crawford considers why she¡¯s wasting her time out here. She signed up to be a vigilante after the passing of the Vigilantes Making Us Safe (VMUS) Act because she thought she¡¯d feel some sense of purpose. The act gives her the authority to do whatever she needs to in order to keep the public safe. Laws literally don¡¯t apply to her if she decides they don¡¯t. Yet for the third night this week she¡¯s spent three hours wandering around without finding anything to get involved in.


    Whatever she expected, it wasn¡¯t this. Two weeks of being a vigilante haven¡¯t provided a single story she wants to remember. She broke up a couple bar fights. She got in the middle of an argument between a husband and wife. She¡¯s wearing sunglasses long after the sun went down to hide the black eye she got when the wife sucker punched her as she turned around. She literally helped a kid get their cat out of a tree. The kid was grateful but the cat certainly wasn¡¯t. She has the scratches to prove it.


    It¡¯s not like she expected excitement every night. She knew being a vigilante in Napa Valley wouldn¡¯t have her taking on bank robbers or serial killers like in the big city. There is crime here though. There¡¯s robbery, assault, rape, there¡¯s a wide variety of crime she wants to protect people from.


    The challenge is finding those crimes while they¡¯re in progress. Nobody calls her and the valley¡¯s so spread out that she never knows when anything¡¯s happening. Walking or biking through town hasn¡¯t turned up results. The bars get hectic on the weekend and there¡¯s usually a few drunks you can count on to make a scene. Nobody ever went broke counting on drunks in Napa. If all she¡¯s doing is separating drunks though she isn¡¯t a vigilante. She¡¯s an unpaid bouncer.


    Nothing more exciting than that happens downtown. There¡¯s nothing in the area other than bars, wineries and restaurants. She¡¯s tried walking random neighborhoods but what are the odds some random area is going to need her? All she can do is hope to hear a commotion.


    Trying to work with the police department hasn¡¯t yielded better results. They aren¡¯t remotely interested in her help. Detective Florence is the only person who could give the okay for her to get involved officially so it might not have been a good idea to antagonize him when registering. He begged her not to sign up for the act but she ignored his pleas. When she stopped in to discuss working together he wouldn¡¯t even speak to her except to say, ¡°Get out.¡± Legally there¡¯s nothing he can do to keep her from being a vigilante but he certainly isn¡¯t going to help her. She¡¯s on her own.


    With so much downtime, Jia¡¯s been forced to think about what she¡¯s really doing. It hurts to admit but Florence might have been right. Napa doesn¡¯t seem to need a vigilante. Often her thoughts drift to San Francisco. Jia¡¯s always preferred a more peaceful, small town feel but she knows she¡¯d find people who need help there. Her first trip to the city since moving home from college led to excitement. She stumbled into a couple men being held up in an abandoned building. She didn¡¯t need to be a vigilante to save them. She wanted to help and she did so. That¡¯s more exciting than anything she¡¯s ever seen happen here.


    Making the city even more enticing, Jia¡¯s college roommate Carly was just offered a job in San Francisco and she¡¯s leaning toward taking it. They managed to live together through four years of college without growing to hate each other. If they can get through that, Jia¡¯s pretty sure they¡¯ll be friends for life. She¡¯s excited to have her friend only an hour away but she¡¯d love to be closer. Her lack of a job or money makes things more complicated considering how expensive the city is but if Carly and her boyfriend Hank move to town she could always crash on their couch until she finds a job.


    She¡¯s never going to get a setup quite like she has here though. She¡¯s the only vigilante in Napa. Nobody else seems interested. Everybody else might be right but she loves the idea of proving them wrong.


    As she walks Jia rubs her shoulder. Her mother recently started training her in their family¡¯s brand of martial arts. When she was young she was a great martial artist and a vigilante in a time when it was a lot more dangerous. Jia¡¯s learned a lot but her mother keeps hinting she has bigger secrets to reveal. She won¡¯t consider leaving until their training¡¯s complete. Despite the bruises, she can feel her confidence growing by the day. That¡¯s worth a little pain.


    Checking her phone, she¡¯s surprised to see it¡¯s already after midnight. Another boring night seems to be coming to an end. Deciding to make another run by the bars and call it a night, she hopes to make it home by two.


    Her father isn¡¯t a fan of her being a vigilante and since she still lives with her parents she doesn¡¯t like to worry them. She doesn¡¯t have to be home by a set time but she tries to be reasonable. When she begged her mother to train her, the only reason her father supported it was her insistence that she had no plans to sign up as a vigilante. She insisted that wouldn¡¯t change even if Richard Hughes somehow won the election and passed his vigilante act. She never meant to lie to her dad. She meant what she said when she said it. She just changed her mind.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    At least her mother supports her. She knows what it¡¯s like to want to use your abilities to help others. Despite that she¡¯s been urging her daughter to take things slow. There¡¯s a reason she left that life. There¡¯s a part of Jia that wonders how much of that support will continue if she decides to move to the city.


    Since graduating from college and moving home Jia¡¯s felt lost. Her degree seems worthless and she doesn¡¯t know what comes next in her life. This was supposed to be a solution but so far all she¡¯s found is trouble getting up in the morning. She¡¯s still working at her family¡¯s winery every day during the week and squeezing in training sessions with her mother. The winery is mainly her father¡¯s business on a day to day basis and her oversleeping and missing work hasn¡¯t made him any happier about how she¡¯s spending her nights.


    Jia has a legacy to consider. Her mother was a vigilante and her grandfather was one of the most famous vigilantes in the country¡¯s history. She never knew her grandpa was Serenity, one of the five allies who helped win World War II. She wants to honor what he means. Every day she accomplishes nothing feels like a waste. If things don¡¯t pick up she¡¯s not sure how she can even justify losing sleep for this.


    Downtown is dead tonight so Jia heads to the tree where she locked her bike. Biking¡¯s pretty common around here. A common way to avoid drinking and driving. She¡¯s always wondered if drinking and biking is safer. She can only think of one way to find out.


    Her car lasted less than a week after she got home from school and she¡¯s been biking ever since. It¡¯s not so bad during the day but she feels stupid doing it at night. Something about a vigilante on a bike doesn¡¯t strike fear into people. She asked her parents to lend her their car but her dad shot her down before her mom could get a word in.


    The night air¡¯s warm but it¡¯s mostly peaceful. That¡¯s shattered by a loud scream in the distance as she passes a small neighborhood she never goes into. Her first thought is to call the cops before realizing that not only can she get there faster, but handling stuff like this is what she does now. She peddles toward the noise, trying to locate the source.


    It doesn¡¯t take long to find it. The screams are met by shouts so all she has to do is follow her ears. A small house at the end of the lane has it¡¯s front lights on and an odd couple are going at it on the front porch. The screams are coming from a young woman in a torn sun dress and a funny hat while an older man with a big, bushy, white beard supplies the shouts. The light from their porch is dim and she has to get close before she can see them well.


    ¡°Get in the house,¡± the older man says. The woman doesn¡¯t pay attention. Climbing off the porch into their yard, she grabs for rocks and dirt to throw at him. He moves to cover his face but doesn¡¯t stop. ¡°I said get in the house!¡±


    ¡°Go to hell. I¡¯m done with you. You get away from my house.¡±


    ¡°Your house? Your house? I put the food on that table and paid for most of it. I¡¯m not going anywhere. If anyone¡¯s leaving it¡¯s going to be you but we both know you aren¡¯t going anywhere. Now get in the house.¡± He moves forward and grabs her shoulders. She responds with a slap across his face. He pays this back in kind and starts flailing his arms in her direction. She backs away, trying to put some space between them.


    Jia decides it¡¯s definitely time to make herself known. Emerging from the darkness she says, ¡°That¡¯s enough out of both of you. What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    The man sizes Jia up and doesn¡¯t look impressed. He does release the woman¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Mind your own business girl. Me and my wife are having some words. If you don¡¯t like it, I don¡¯t really give two shits.¡±


    Fighting the urge to slap the man herself, Jia takes a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t like it and this actually is my business. I¡¯m a registered vigilante and my job is to keep people safe. If you don¡¯t stop, you¡¯re going to hurt your wife and allowing that would mean I¡¯m not doing my job. You¡¯re also going to wake up the entire neighborhood. It¡¯s after midnight.¡± She turns to the woman. ¡°Are you okay ma¡¯am? Would you like to get out of here?¡±


    The woman sizes Jia up herself. ¡°Get out of here in what? Am I supposed to hop on the back of your little bicycle there and ride bitch? No thanks. I can take care of myself. Get out of here.¡±


    This certainly isn¡¯t the reception Jia was expecting. If the woman won¡¯t accept her help though she¡¯s not sure what else she can do. Just as she¡¯s considering doing as they say she sees flashing red and blue lights coming down the street. One of the neighbors must have called the police.


    As the car pulls up Jia stands her ground as a pair of officers get out. One is an older looking man with a fade and a huge mustache. He looks like he can barely stay awake. His partner¡¯s a much younger blond with a few extra pounds on her, though she carries it well. In contrast to her partner she looks like she¡¯s been guzzling espresso. The man eyes her with suspicion but the woman smiles. Jia approaches and says, ¡°Evening officers. I¡¯m Jia Crawford, an authorized---¡±


    Before she can finish her thought, the older officer puts a hand up and interrupts her. ¡°We know who you are. Not a lot of vigilantes around here. We¡¯ll take this from here.¡± He pauses and when Jia doesn¡¯t move says, ¡°Thanks for the help. Get out of here.¡±


    She considers protesting but her relationship with the police is already bad enough and she was about to leave anyway. She gives a nod and says, ¡°Goodnight.¡± With that she hops back on her bike and rides away as the officers start to question the couple. She can hear voices start to rise in the night behind her.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 15

    This wasn¡¯t what tonight was supposed to be like. Nobody in Napa seems to care about the vigilante act. Why did Jia think signing up was a good idea? She bikes toward home, cutting down side streets and through neighborhoods every chance she gets.


    She stays off the main roads as much as possible. Easier to avoid any drunks heading home. That¡¯s easier said than done out here. It seems like you¡¯re either in a downtown area, on a highway, or in the country where you can go miles without seeing much except grape fields. A few drops of water start falling which make her peddle faster. It¡¯s light but could pick up any time. She has to get a car if she¡¯s going to keep doing this. After tonight though she¡¯s not sure she even wants to continue.


    Riding through the last neighborhood before she¡¯ll reach the highway her family¡¯s winery sits on, Jia hears a crash in the distance. At first she dismisses it. Probably someone taking out the trash. It¡¯s awfully late for that though. Then she hears it again. It sounds like someone hitting something. She hears glass breaking. This time of night that can¡¯t be a good sign.


    She could ignore it. She could even call the cops and let them handle it. There¡¯s a squad car just a few miles away. Her confidence that she can handle this isn¡¯t high right now. She¡¯s not even confident she wants to handle it. She¡¯s here though. By the time the cops show up whoever is doing this could be long gone. She registered as a vigilante to help people. Now¡¯s her chance.


    Deciding to get involved is only the first step. The difficult part is figuring out where that glass broke. She heard it ahead of her and to the right but there¡¯s six houses in that direction. There¡¯s only one street light on this stretch of road so she can¡¯t make out many details. She listens, hoping to hear more noise, but whoever did the breaking has stopped. She thinks the noise came from one of the three closest houses but she can¡¯t be sure.


    With no other option Jia leans her bike against a tree and gets ready to start creeping into people¡¯s yards, looking for any sign of broken glass. Her heart beats so fast she fears it might burst. It¡¯s not a warm night but sweat¡¯s pouring off of her.


    Whoever¡¯s behind this could have targeted any of these houses but they would have chosen one for a reason. She starts scanning for any sign or clue that would make one the best target. She notices two cars parked in the driveway of one of the houses. That probably means a fair amount of people are home. Not a great target. Another has their porch light on. It¡¯s dim but might scare someone off. The other house doesn¡¯t have any lights on, no cars out front, and nothing about it makes her think someone is there.


    She creeps closer to this house. As she nears it, she sees the mailbox is open and overflowing with mail. That¡¯s almost too easy. If nobody¡¯s been home long enough for that much mail to build up the place is an easy mark.


    It¡¯s a one story ranch style house. Clearly the people who live here are at least fairly wealthy. Beyond the fact that they can afford any house in Napa this is easily the biggest house on the block. It¡¯s got nice finishes and a big garage. It¡¯s the kind of place anyone would want to live in and the kind of place any thief would want to rob.


    Circling the building, Jia looks for any sign of broken glass. Nothing out front. All of the windows are in good shape. A quick glance through a garage window reveals there¡¯s no vehicles inside. There are too many signs this place is empty. With nothing to go on she makes her way around the side of the house. There¡¯s a tall wooden fence surrounding the back yard which she¡¯ll have to make her way over. That¡¯s not an issue in itself, she can climb a fence, but she really hopes it doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s about to meet a nervous pet on the other side.


    Hoisting herself over, she lands on her feet and is relieved to see no sign of a dog house or anything else suggesting a pet. A lot of people in the area only fence their yards if they have pets but maybe this family just likes privacy. The wooden fence is only along the front and back of the yard. In between she finds cheap wire fencing, allowing her to see into the yards of the neighbors.


    Glancing at the next house over she can see the people there have their back porch light on but there¡¯s no sign of anyone outside this late. That¡¯s good, she doesn¡¯t relish the idea of having to explain to a neighbor why she¡¯s sneaking around in the dark.


    Once again she considers calling the cops. Even if she¡¯s going to investigate herself it might be a good idea to have backup on the way if things go bad. She dismisses the thought. She needs to handle this herself. She can¡¯t call for help every time she gets a little nervous.


    Half expecting to find the sliding glass door along the back of the house broken, she¡¯s disappointed to find it seems intact. There¡¯s two other windows back here but neither of them is broken either. With only one side of the house left Jia starts getting ready to move onto the other houses on the block. Maybe her detective skills aren¡¯t as advanced as she hoped. Rounding the final corner of the house though, she changes her mind. Those Nancy Drew books she read as a kid may have taught her a few things after all.


    There¡¯s only one window on this side of the house but it¡¯s wide open. Looking at the pushed up panel, she can see the glass is shattered and there are shards all over the ground. It looks like whoever did this only broke the window so they could unlock it. There¡¯s no sign of anyone out here so whoever did this is likely inside.


    Jia feels nervous standing around out here. Whoever is inside could come out at any time and there¡¯s no way to know who they are or how dangerous they might be. Jia¡¯s confident she could handle even an armed opponent up close and personal, but if they see her across a room, she isn¡¯t magic nor is she bulletproof.


    She takes a deep breath and starts to pull herself through the window but at the last minute she has a change of heart. Before she goes into the unknown she decides to call the cops. She needs to be able to handle herself but she has no idea what she¡¯s walking into. She hates calling them the first time she stumbles on an interesting situation. If things go bad in there though she¡¯ll feel a lot better knowing backup¡¯s on the way.


    Jia slinks back around the corner of the house as she calls. She keeps an eye on the window but doesn¡¯t want to be standing right outside if the intruder emerges. They might not even exit through the window, but she¡¯s trying to play it safe. The phone rings a few times before a tired sounding woman picks up. ¡°Napa police department. How can we help?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a robbery in process on the 200 block of Clinton Ave. I¡¯m not sure of the actual address, it¡¯s too dark outside to see. It¡¯s a big house with a wooden fence around it though. I think it¡¯s the only wooden fence on the street. They broke the side window and I think they¡¯re still inside.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get an officer out there as soon as possible. Thank you for reporting this. May we have your name?¡±


    ¡°This is Jia Crawford, I¡¯m a registered---¡±


    She¡¯s cut off before she can finish her sentence. ¡°We know who you are Ms. Crawford. Please go home and leave this to the police. I appreciate you reporting it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually going to investigate so I will very likely be in the house when your officers arrive. If they don¡¯t see me out front, please don¡¯t let them go in guns blazing. Thanks.¡±


    She hangs up before the woman can respond. Without any other excuses to delay she heads back to the window. Watching out for glass on the ground, she pushes aside the curtains and peers inside.


    There¡¯s no sign of the robber. She¡¯s staring at what appears to be an office, with a computer desk that hasn¡¯t been disturbed. The door leading out of the room¡¯s open. She pulls herself up and is able to quickly make her way inside. There¡¯s a fair amount of glass on the other side of the window as well but she manages to avoid it as she hops in. She makes a little more noise than she likes when hopping over the glass and instantly freezes. Listening for any sign that she isn¡¯t alone, nothing stands out. Maybe they broke the window then got scared and ran off. Hopefully she¡¯s not about to stumble upon an angry homeowner who thinks she¡¯s the robber. Especially not if they have a gun.


    Finding no sign of anyone in the office she tip toes to the door and glances out. There¡¯s a long hallway here that goes in both directions. To the left she sees a few more rooms and a dead end while to the right the house opens into a common area.


    Putting her detective skills back to work, she notices a night light plugged into one of the hall¡¯s wall sockets. It doesn¡¯t give her much to go on but it¡¯s just enough to make out a bit of water on the floor to the left. There¡¯s no guarantee the thief didn¡¯t come back and go the other way but it seems like a good place to start.


    The door to the first room¡¯s open but there¡¯s no sign of anyone. It looks like a kid¡¯s room with blocks spread all over the floor. Moving further down the hall she comes to a sudden stop. There¡¯s noise coming from the next room. It sounds like things are being thrown all over the place. Like someone¡¯s looking for something. Jia creeps closer and sees the door¡¯s wide open. As she looks inside she can tell she¡¯s found the master bedroom.


    Amidst the darkness there¡¯s a shadow rushing back and forth. It¡¯s moving from a room off of the bedroom and then back to the bed where it throws it¡¯s haul into a bag. Then it goes to the dresser and seems to repeat the process.


    Jia¡¯s breathing¡¯s strangled. This is her last chance to back out. She can just sneak back out the window and head home. The cops will be here soon. Soon enough anyway. It might actually not be that soon. If she doesn¡¯t do something these people might come home to a bunch of their stuff being gone. It¡¯s not life and death but it probably matters to them. She can¡¯t let that happen if she can prevent it.


    Trying to stay in the shadows, Jia sneaks into the room. The dark prevents her from seeing anything about the robber, including if they have a weapon. She¡¯s not taking any chances. They rush into what Jia can only assume is a closet. Jia positions herself just outside and flattens herself against a wall, just far enough to the side that their peripheral vision shouldn¡¯t catch her, especially in this darkness.


    As they make their way back to the bed, they don¡¯t seem to realize they¡¯re not alone. She uses that as her chance to strike. Rushing them from behind, she grabs their right arm by the wrist. She snakes her left leg in front of their right leg which leads to them being tripped off balance. They don¡¯t fall to the floor but that was never the point. With them off balance Jia puts all her weight behind her and rushes forward, spearing them onto the bed. She could have thrown them clear across the room but she¡¯s in someone¡¯s home. She doesn¡¯t want to destroy anything she doesn¡¯t have to.


    Jia flips them over and despite the dark she can tell they¡¯re a man. She jumps on top of him, straddling him with her legs, trapping his arms to his body. At this point she starts pummeling him. Mostly body shots to the chest and gut to knock the wind out of him. She mixes a few strong punches to the face in to disorient him.


    The man starts to whimper and cry. He tries to raise his hands to shield his face from more hits but they¡¯re trapped by Jia¡¯s legs. After an eternity of punch after punch the man finally manages to say, ¡°Please stop. I give up. You¡¯ve gotta believe me, I give up.¡±


    The voice she hears fills her with electricity. It¡¯s a voice she knows far too well. She can¡¯t see well enough to confirm her suspicion but she has to find out. She delivers a few more strong body shots to keep the man down before climbing off of him and rushing to the room¡¯s entrance. At this point she flips on the light.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Lying bruised and bleeding on the rumpled bed is none other than her little brother Shin. He¡¯s clutching his face and there¡¯s a lot of blood leaking from his nose. Jia hopes it¡¯s not broken.


    ¡°You little idiot,¡± she says as she rushes to the bed.


    Shin looks out of it, clearly dazed. He¡¯s a short guy of only 22. He¡¯s always been slender and wears his hair short. He¡¯s wearing all black at the moment but no mask or anything to hide his identity. It seems the only thing he did to prepare to rob this place is put on some gloves. He seems to recognize her voice and when Jia tears her glasses off to get a good look at him he says, ¡°Okay, now I know I have a concussion.¡±


    ¡°You might, but that¡¯s not why you¡¯re seeing me you moron.¡± Jia looks around for something to put on her brother¡¯s nose before he gets blood on everything in this place. She can¡¯t find anything so she reaches down to the bottom of her shirt and tears a piece off. ¡°Here, put this on your nose.¡±


    He does as he¡¯s told. ¡°Damp. Really hope that¡¯s rain and not sweat. Why are you here? How are you here? Did you follow me or something?¡±


    She frowns. Everything¡¯s always about him. ¡°Nothing so clandestine. I signed up to be a vigilante. Mom and dad would probably have told you if you ever called or came home. I was walking home tonight and I heard you breaking a window. You weren¡¯t exactly a ninja on this one. I didn¡¯t realize who I was beating on until you spoke up. I¡¯d have probably beaten you up at least a little less if I knew it was you.¡±


    ¡°Gee thanks,¡± he says as he tries to stuff the piece of shirt up his nose. ¡°Why would you want to be a vigilante? That seems dangerous and stupid.¡±


    ¡°Says the boy who just broke into a family¡¯s house. Is that how you got that car I saw you driving awhile ago? Stealing crap? You¡¯re better than that.¡±


    He tries to stand but moans, putting a hand on his side. ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted to. I got into debt with some guys who you don¡¯t get into debt with. That¡¯s how I got the car. I didn¡¯t steal it. I couldn¡¯t pay them as quick as they wanted and they told me I could either do this,¡± he says, gesturing to the bag of jewelry and purses on the bed, ¡°or they¡¯d hurt me and, well...¡±


    ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    He sighs and lightly taps at his side. ¡°Look, I decided to go the route that I thought would end with me not being beaten to a pulp. Apparently that didn¡¯t work out so well.¡±


    She throws her hands in the air and starts pacing. ¡°You can¡¯t just go stealing things. Why didn¡¯t you go to mom and dad and ask them for the money? They¡¯d have helped you. Hell, I¡¯d have helped you.¡±


    ¡°Ya, so there¡¯s one more thing dad can be upset with me about? I wasn¡¯t going to do that. You don¡¯t have the kind of money I needed anyway. I don¡¯t know if mom and dad have it.¡±


    Their parents do well for themselves. That tells her more than she wanted to know. ¡°Why this place? Why are you only a couple miles from home? I thought you were staying out in Sonoma or something.¡±


    ¡°I am. I didn¡¯t pick the place. The people I owe money to gave me an address and told me to come here. They said the family would be out of town and nobody would get hurt. I was just supposed to take the jewelry and purses and stuff. Figured it wouldn¡¯t be that big a deal, their insurance would cover it. They picked it because it¡¯s close to the family. That way if I got caught walking around the area I could just tell whoever caught me that I was going to visit family. I really need this stuff sis. You have to let me take it. You don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll do if I don¡¯t.¡±


    Shaking her head, she walks toward him. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot. I¡¯m not going to let you steal from these people. I should turn you over to the cops.¡± As the words leave her mouth she remembers what¡¯s coming. She puts her hand over her mouth and her eyes go wide. ¡°You need to get out of here. Now. I called the cops before I came in here and they were sending a car out. Napa cops are slow but they can¡¯t be that far away at this point.¡±


    Shin¡¯s hands go together in a begging gesture. ¡°Please let me take the stuff. I promise you I won¡¯t ever do this again. I¡¯ll get my head on straight and be better. You don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m going to do if you don¡¯t leave. I¡¯ll tell the cops you got away, just get the hell out of here. Go home, sleep in your old room. We¡¯ll talk in the morning. I¡¯ll be along as soon as I can and we¡¯ll figure out your problem but I can¡¯t let you take this stuff. You¡¯re not a thief and I¡¯m not letting you become one.¡±


    He hesitates but stands and starts to head for the door. Jia¡¯s glad to see no blood stains on the blanket. No real evidence. ¡°Wait.¡±


    Shin turns around. ¡°What? The cops could be here any minute, right? I need to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Ya, but you need your bag.¡± Jia dumps the bag he had been piling valuables into and some of it makes it¡¯s way around the room. She¡¯s careful to keep her hands on the bag. She doesn¡¯t want anyone wondering why her fingerprints are all over this stuff. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving it here. That¡¯s evidence. God you¡¯re a terrible criminal.¡±


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m so bad at stealing.¡±


    ¡°You should be. There¡¯s one more thing. I need you to hit me. Hard. In the face. I need a black eye or a bleeding nose or something.¡±


    His eyes go wide and he shakes his head. ¡°What? You already have a black eye. I¡¯m not going to hit my sister.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. Otherwise they¡¯ll be suspicious of how you got away. This,¡± she says while pointing to her eye, ¡°is already a few days old. One good hit then out the back slider. You go over the back fence and cut through the field back there. Just keep going, don¡¯t stop until you¡¯re home. I¡¯ll go out the front door and wave the cops down. I¡¯ll say you went out the front. That should get you away without an issue. Now hit me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s gotta be another way. I don¡¯t want to hit my sister.¡±


    ¡°A little late for that thief boy. Besides, after that beating I gave you, you must want a little revenge. Tomorrow you¡¯re going to a doctor and getting your ribs checked by the way.¡±


    Subconsciously rubbing his ribs he says, ¡°They¡¯re fine, just a little sore. You aren¡¯t strong enough to break my ribs.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. For now though, just hit me and get out of here. I need to get out front to throw them off.¡±


    Shin still hesitates. He¡¯s never been the most assertive guy. He has to know she¡¯s going to get him back for this, even though she¡¯s basically demanding he do it. Still, she is insisting and she will need to explain why he got away. He balls up his fist and punches his sister right in the eye. He tries to at least avoid her nose and manages to do so. She¡¯s still knocked back by the hit.


    ¡°Ow, you little moron.¡± She rubs her face and can already feel a welt. ¡°I guess that¡¯ll work. Didn¡¯t know you had that punch in you. You owe me so bad.¡± Her hand moves to cover her eye. She wishes she had something cold to put on it.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, just get out of here before the cops show. I didn¡¯t take that hit for nothing.¡±


    Shin nods and grabs his bag. He runs out of the bedroom and his sister follows him to the living room. They find the rear sliding glass door and Shin is about to run out it when Jia says, ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Come on, I really need to go.¡±


    ¡°Unlock the front door first and open it a crack for me. You have gloves on. If you don¡¯t it¡¯ll be weird when they find my fingerprints on the lock. If you ran out first, there¡¯s no reason I¡¯d have to unlock the door.¡±


    ¡°Good catch.¡± Shin does as he¡¯s told but opens the door only a crack. With that he runs to the back door, opens the slider, and closes it behind him. Jia uses her clothing to push the lock back into place so she won¡¯t leave a fingerprint on it. They probably won¡¯t go so far as to fingerprint a break-in but it can¡¯t hurt to be careful. She doesn¡¯t want anyone asking questions she can¡¯t answer.


    With that done Jia heads out the front door and is glad to see no sign of the cops. She doesn¡¯t want to explain why she¡¯s just coming out if she already chased the robber off. She sits down on the steps and rubs the side of her face. It really hurts.


    She wanted to help people, at least tonight she got to do so. She only had to become an accessory to an attempted robbery to do it. She stopped the theft at least. The stuff is still here. This family might come home to a window that needs fixing but they won¡¯t come home to find all their valuables gone. She made things better. Hopefully that balances the scales from letting her brother go. She shouldn¡¯t have. There should be consequences for his stupidity. He¡¯s her brother though.


    After a few more minutes she sees blue and red lights at the end of the street. They slowly make their way toward her and when they get close she gets up and walks toward them, waving her arm in the air to draw their attention.


    The car stops and two cops get out. It¡¯s the same two from earlier in the night. The older officer says, ¡°You look like crap.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I wouldn¡¯t if you guys didn¡¯t take so long to get here. I had to handle this on my own. Which I did.¡±


    ¡°Did you get the guy who broke in?¡±


    She looks down, not wanting to meet his gaze. ¡°Not quite. I caught him off guard and got a few good shots in but he surprised me with this,¡± she says as she points to her face. ¡°He made for the door. I chased him out the front but it took a minute to recover and by the time I got out here, I couldn¡¯t see any sign of him. I made him drop the stuff though.¡±


    ¡°What stuff?¡±


    ¡°I think he was trying to take a bunch of purses and jewelry and stuff. I looked after I realized he was gone. He was piling it all on the bed and when I beat the crap out of him, it flew everywhere. I don¡¯t know if any of it got damaged but it should all be there. Apparently he decided getting out of here was more important than stealing.¡±


    The officer has his hands on his hips as he walks toward the house. ¡°He got away. You didn¡¯t handle it. I guess it¡¯s good that nothing was stolen though. Any sign of the family or whoever lives here?¡±


    She frowns. Hasn¡¯t she earned more respect than that? ¡°Not that I could see. No cars out front or in the garage. I think they weren¡¯t here for some reason. Maybe that¡¯s why the guy picked this place.¡±


    ¡°Could be someone they know. We¡¯ll look into it. Good job or whatever. Next time you have to stick your nose into something, try to get the guy. He¡¯ll probably just hit another house now.¡±


    Jia wants to protest but she can¡¯t let on that she knows who did this. ¡°I¡¯ll try to do better.¡±


    ¡°Do so. What can you tell us about the thief?¡±


    ¡°Not a lot. I didn¡¯t turn the lights on until after he was gone. He was bigger than me so I wanted to get the drop on him. He¡¯s taller than I am, probably by at least six inches. Definitely a guy, where I hit him, I¡¯d have felt if it was a woman. Pretty fast, with a mean right hook. That¡¯s about all I can say though.¡±


    ¡°Skinny? Fat? Their race? Right handed or left handed? You have to be able to give us something else.¡±


    ¡°In between I guess on weight. I didn¡¯t get a good look at them like I said. They were wearing a mask and gloves, no clue on race. They had all black on. It was actually hard to see them except for when they walked by the window. They punched with their right hand, so maybe right handed. They broke in through the office window. That¡¯s actually how I got inside too. That¡¯s about all I can tell you though. Wish I could be more help.¡±


    The second officer, the younger woman with long blond hair and a nice smile speaks up before her partner can. ¡°It¡¯s more than we usually have to go on. That helps a lot. Thank you for your help Jia.¡±


    She steps back. ¡°You know my name?¡±


    The officer laughs and moves toward her, patting her on the shoulder. ¡°We all know your name.¡±


    ¡°I keep hearing that. Apparently being the only vigilante in Napa is good for something. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The older officer rolls his eyes and heads toward the house. His partner looks at the ground and says, ¡°Sorry about him. He¡¯s not a big fan of vigilantes. Most of the force isn¡¯t I guess. Kind of feel like you¡¯re coming for our jobs. I figure we can use all the help we can get though. I really appreciate you getting involved. I¡¯m officer Klein. Cassie Klein. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± She extends a hand which Jia takes.


    ¡°Nice to meet you too. I¡¯d love to ask you some questions about why everyone hates me and what I might do to turn it around. Any chance you¡¯d be up to giving me some pointers?¡±


    Nodding, Cassie looks toward her partner who¡¯s already entering the house. ¡°Sure, just look me up on Facebook. First name with a c, last name with a k. I¡¯d better get inside before my partner chews me out for wasting time. It really was good to meet you. I¡¯ll look forward to your message.¡± She starts to walk away but after a moment she stops herself and turns around. She points at Jia¡¯s face. ¡°Also, I¡¯d call it a night. Go home and put some ice on that.¡±


    Cassie Klein hurries into the house and is gone. Jia considers following but decides she¡¯s done enough here for one night. She turns and walks down the street until she finds the spot she left her bike. She jumps on and starts peddling for the winery. It¡¯s still a few miles away and if she rides fast she can probably beat Shin there. If he doesn¡¯t show she¡¯s going to kill him.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 16

    Before long Jia finds herself peddling past the winery and toward their house behind it. Sneaking inside, she¡¯s thrilled to find neither of her parents are awake. A glance at the clock reveals it¡¯s almost four in the morning. Her mom would never be awake this late but she knows her dad¡¯s worrying about her constantly. She¡¯s already come home a couple of nights to find him waiting up.


    She promised her mom she wouldn¡¯t let him know she was a vigilante. That lasted about five minutes before he figured it out. Now both of her parents are mad at her. Tonight¡¯s not going to help put her dad at ease.


    Checking Shin¡¯s room, she finds no sign that anyone¡¯s disturbed it. He hasn¡¯t lived here in four years but their parents still haven¡¯t gotten rid of his room. The last time she asked her dad about it he said something about making sure he always knew he was welcome. Hopefully his not being here means she beat him home. She walks back outside and sits on the porch to wait.


    It doesn¡¯t take long. It¡¯s dark out but in about ten minutes she can see a dark figure at the end of the driveway cautiously making their way up the path. When Shin finally gets to the house he won¡¯t even look his sister in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this.¡±


    ¡°You should be. You¡¯re lucky. The cops bought the story and they won¡¯t look that closely into it since nothing was actually taken.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Lucky, right. You do know I¡¯m going to get the shit kicked out of me again now, right?¡±


    Smiling, she walks toward him. ¡°Maybe when you tell them a vigilante already did it they¡¯ll go easy. Seriously though, we¡¯ll figure that out together. I promise. Hang around here a few days. I¡¯ll tell mom and dad I found you in one of the bars downtown when I was patrolling and I stepped in to keep you from getting your ass kicked in a bar fight. It¡¯ll explain why you¡¯re here and why we both look like shit. If dad knows me being a vigilante saved you he might even lighten up on the whole vigilante thing.¡±


    Shin¡¯s jaw drops. ¡°You mean you¡¯re not going to tell them about me?¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that? If I was going to tell them about you, I wouldn¡¯t have let you go. You think mom and dad would be okay with me not turning you into the cops tonight? You know them better than that. They¡¯d have wanted you to get what you had coming. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m the one who found you. Now come on, let¡¯s get some sleep. I have to be up for work in like three hours. You¡¯re coming with me to help explain this whole mess. Tomorrow¡¯s supposed to rain, it¡¯ll probably be slow. You can hang around and help me while we figure this whole thing out.¡±


    Shin steps forward and gives his sister a hug. She considers squeezing him back but with how much of a beating he took earlier, that¡¯s probably not a good idea. Instead she just lets him hug her for a minute before they both make their way inside and call it a night.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 17

    Seeing herself in her mirror makes Jia Crawford cringe. It isn¡¯t due to a lack of confidence. Her left eye¡¯s swollen, nearly to the point she can¡¯t open it. Her brother Shin can throw a punch, especially when he knows the target won¡¯t punch back.


    Her dad¡¯s been freaking over her signing up to be a vigilante; when he sees this he¡¯s going to give her a reason to cringe. She considers locking her door and not leaving her room until it heals. She could subsist on half empty water bottles and crumbs from the bottom of chip bags. Her life isn¡¯t stopping though so that¡¯s not an option. All she can do is make her way downstairs and face what¡¯s coming.


    Entering the kitchen, her dad and Shin are sitting at the table enjoying breakfast. Each of them has a bowl of cereal and her dad¡¯s working his way through his morning paper. It¡¯s surprising to find Shin up this early, especially since they didn¡¯t get here until the middle of the night. She expected he¡¯d sleep the day away. During her night of vigilantism she caught him in the middle of robbing a family¡¯s home while they were on vacation. She had to find an excuse to let him go, hence the swollen eye. The alternative was turning him into the police and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it.


    Shin¡¯s so lucky she decided not to turn him in. She should have. For her generosity she gets a black eye, and he gets to sit here like it¡¯s any other day enjoying his fruit cereal.


    There¡¯s no point trying to hide the injury. It¡¯s so purple it¡¯s hard not to stare at. Her dad turns to say good morning with a smile on his face but it¡¯s gone in a moment, replaced by a look of horror. He gets to his feet. ¡°What did you do to your face? Who did that to you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose it. It''s not as bad as it looks. Ran into a guy who was in over his head last night. Trust me, he¡¯s feeling worse than I am today.¡± She stumbles to the cupboard to pull out a coffee cup.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Her dad follows after her, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You''re going to end up getting really hurt, or worse. You¡¯re trying to use karate against people who have guns. That''s not going to end well for you soon enough. This has to end Jia. Now.¡±


    Pouring a cup of coffee she says, ¡°This guy didn''t have a gun dad. He was backed into a corner and he lashed out. He actually apologized after everything was over. Where¡¯s your trust in me? I know what I''m doing, and I can handle myself. Please, just back off. I would have expected this sort of thing from mom but not from you.¡±


    That shuts him up. There¡¯s always been an unspoken competition between her parents over their children. Shin takes after their mother, while she has a special bond with their dad. She doesn''t want being a vigilante to ruin that. She''s not going to stop though and if he can''t accept her decision he¡¯s going to have to work that out for himself.


    Trying to change the subject, Jia turns to her brother. ¡°What are you doing home? Thought you were staying in Sonoma.¡±


    He''s clearly taken aback by the question. He can''t tell the truth and she knows why he''s actually home. After what she¡¯s going through for him though, she wants to see somebody else squirm for a minute. He¡¯s the one who should be in the hot seat. Unable to come up with a good answer, he keeps it simple. ¡°Was in the area, thought I''d say hey.¡± He fills his mouth to avoid having to say more.


    ¡°You got in pretty late last night for someone just wanting to say hello. I don¡¯t think you were here when I got home.¡±


    He glares at her, chewing slowly before responding. ¡°Yeah, I guess not.¡±


    Annoyed at her dad¡¯s judgment and her brother¡¯s reluctance to take any heat off her, Jia grabs a pack of toaster pastries to go with her coffee and heads back to her room. She has to be at the winery soon enough. She doesn¡¯t feel like fighting anymore. Before she heads to work, she wants a few moments of peace. That¡¯s what the doctor ordered. Well, that and an ice pack.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 18

    It¡¯s a slow day at the winery. They''re having an uncharacteristically rainy season which is scaring off the tourists and day trips. A few regulars stop in for a drink but Jia¡¯s glad that¡¯s all she has to deal with. Enough people have commented on her eye for one day. It¡¯s been called a shiner, eyeliner, raccoon eyes and a few names she never needed to hear. At least the regulars like her to drink with them and her eye gives her another excuse. She¡¯s had at least half a bottle and she¡¯s feeling pretty good.


    As the morning gets late, Shin finally makes his way over from the house. She told him he had to help today but he never showed up and she couldn¡¯t leave the winery alone to search for him. She stares him down, waiting for him to say something. He¡¯s unable to meet her gaze. ¡°Sorry it took me so long to sneak over. Mom and dad wouldn¡¯t stop talking. How''s your eye?¡±


    ¡°Hurts like hell thanks to you.¡±


    That gets his attention and he comes at her, looking up. ¡°Come on. You can''t give me shit for that. You''re the one who asked me to punch you.¡±


    ¡°You didn''t exactly give me a lot of options. It was that or turn you over to the police. Be glad I was feeling nice. I should have turned you in. You need to give me more info about these guys you owe money. I''m not going to find you breaking into any more houses.¡±


    He looks away again. ¡°You really don''t want to get involved with these guys. They''re dangerous and they don''t play around. Leave it alone and let me take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Ya, that¡¯s not happening little brother. I''m already involved.¡± She points at her eye. ¡°This isn''t going to be for nothing. Tell me more about them or I will turn you in to mom and dad.¡±


    He scans the store to make sure they¡¯re alone. ¡°Your funeral. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t try to warn you. Have you heard of the Delux Gang? They mostly work out of San Francisco but they¡¯re all over the state.¡±


    Rolling her eyes, Jia says, ¡°Sure I stay up-to-date on all the gangs around here. Who knows, I might want to join one of these days. Of course I don''t know about a gang. That¡¯s why I need you to tell me about them. Who are they, what do they do, where can I find them?¡±


    ¡°There really isn¡¯t that much to tell. Drugs, guns, more drugs. You know, gang stuff. I got into a little too much debt to them and had to do an initiation last night.¡±


    Her jaw drops. This isn¡¯t the story he told her at first. ¡°What do you mean an initiation? I thought they just wanted you to steal some shit. Were you trying to join their gang?¡±


    ¡°I mean, kind of. I don''t really want to join but I¡¯m not sure I have much choice. I owe them enough money that there¡¯s no way I can pay them back.¡±


    Walking to the door of the winery, Jia locks the entrance. Any customers who show up will have to pound on the door so they won¡¯t be caught off guard. ¡°Why were you borrowing money from a gang? You really couldn¡¯t see how bad that would end?¡±


    Shin shifts between his feet and shoves his hands in his pockets. ¡°I have a friend who¡¯s a member and she told me awhile ago they could lend me money if I needed it. There¡¯s a few projects I wanted to work on and I needed the funds. Things were going well for awhile but then I got behind and I just kept falling deeper and deeper into things. It seemed like joining was my only way out. They told me if I became a member and did some work for them they''d forgive my debt. To become a member, I had to go through their initiation which is just robbing a house they tell you to. It was a one time thing. I wasn¡¯t planning to become a cat burglar or anything. I think I proved last night I¡¯m not cut out for it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not joining a gang. Not happening.¡±


    Laughing, Shin nods. ¡°After last night, I think you¡¯re right. Got any other suggestions so I don''t get killed by these guys? I''m all ears. After how last night went I''m pretty sure joining the gang isn¡¯t an option anymore.¡±


    ¡±My idea is that I''m going to take care of it for you. Like always. Do they just operate out of San Francisco? I thought you were living in LA until recently?¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°I was but I''ve been all over. They¡¯ve got members around the state but to get a loan I had to drive to the bay. It¡¯s not that bad a drive for the kind of money they were giving me.¡±


    ¡°Where can I find them. Do I need go over to San Francisco? I¡¯ll do so if needed.¡± She sighs. How¡¯s she going to sell her parents on this one?


    ¡°Terrible idea. If you really want to talk to them the last thing you want to do is go there. That¡¯s their headquarters. If you try rushing that place you¡¯ll end up dead and that¡¯s not going to do me any good. There''s actually a bar outside of town where a bunch of their members hang out. A lot of people in Napa build up a tolerance to the booze and need something harder. They do a ton of business here. There¡¯s probably even someone there who can make a decision. Since it''s not quite as high profile, there¡¯s a chance they don''t kill you on sight. Not a great chance, but a chance. It¡¯s still a waste of time though. If you ask them to forgive my debt they¡¯re just going to laugh you out of the place. That¡¯s the best case.¡±


    Grabbing her brother¡¯s arm and putting it in an arm lock, she holds it for a moment before releasing it. He yelps but doesn¡¯t fight back. As she releases him he rubs his wrist in pain. ¡°I can take care of myself. Let me worry about what they''re going to do. Where do I find this bar?¡±


    Shin doesn¡¯t have an address but he¡¯s able to give her a general location and describe the place well enough that she''s fairly certain she can find it. It''s a bit of a haul by bike so she demands a ride in exchange for her services. Shin has a nice car; she saw him driving it just a few days ago. He apparently left it a few miles away at an all night grocery before his attempted robbery though. She tells him to get on her bike and go get it. He can throw the bike in the trunk on his way back. He grumbles but does as he¡¯s told.


    With Shin gone, Jia can unlock the winery and go back to playing on her phone and drinking. Not a bad way to spend a day. She¡¯s starting to get numb to the pain in her face when her mother makes her entrance. She walks behind the counter and without a word grabs a glass, pouring herself a drink. She jerks her head in Jia¡¯s direction. ¡°Nice eye.¡±


    Jia puts her head in her hands, tired of every person commenting on her face. ¡°Thanks, it really complements my haircut. I¡¯m thinking I might keep it.¡±


    Pouring a second glass, her mother hands one to her. Jia takes it without complaint, not mentioning how much she¡¯s already had today. ¡°Your dad said it was bad. He wasn¡¯t kidding. Believe me, I know you can¡¯t do this without getting hurt now and then. I¡¯m not going to give you a hard time or anything. Can you try to keep it off your face though? He¡¯s going to give me a hard time if you keep getting hurt.¡±


    Jia shrugs, finishing her glass already. Her mother refills it and Jia has another sip. ¡°I¡¯ll try, but I didn¡¯t exactly go out planning on getting punched in the face. It just kind of happened.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your brother gotten himself involved in?¡±


    Jia¡¯s taken aback at this. Her mother has never voiced a negative thought about her brother in her life, at least not to her. He literally went two years without letting any of them know he was alive and she shrugged it off as a kids will be kids situation. She badly wants to rub this in her mother¡¯s face, to prove he¡¯s not the perfect child she acts like he is. Jia loves her brother though and she gave her word.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. What does Shin have to do with anything?¡±


    Her mother gets closer, staring her down. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. I heard you and your brother show up at the same time last night. You come home with that and he shows up out of nowhere, without his car I might add. Where¡¯s he at now?¡±


    ¡°He ran to get his car. He left it at a friend¡¯s house not far from here apparently. He was over there drinking last night and got drunk. No big conspiracy. You should be glad he was smart enough not to drive. I ran into him on my way in last night. You should have more faith in your son.¡±


    ¡°Why did you tell your dad he wasn¡¯t here when you got home then?¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect her mother to have heard that. It takes her a moment to come up with an answer. ¡°Just giving him a hard time. Figured he wouldn¡¯t want to tell dad about his drinking. Dad gives him a hard time about it.¡±


    The older woman gets quiet for a moment before finishing her final half glass of wine in one large swig. She pours another. ¡°Have it your way then. I expect you¡¯ll both come to me if you need help though.¡±


    ¡°What would you even do mom, go put on your old costume and rough someone up? We both know that¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    Her mother smiles as she starts on another glass of wine. ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to. You don¡¯t do this without making some friends. Some of them still owe me favors. I wouldn¡¯t have to lift a finger. But keep pretending there¡¯s nothing to tell.¡± With that said, she walks out of the winery, taking her glass of wine and the rest of the bottle with her.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 19

    Cruising along in Shin¡¯s beautiful blue convertible, Jia enjoys gazing at the twinkling stars above her. It¡¯s a nice night and she¡¯s comfortable in a tank top and jeans. They¡¯re driving away from the city and there aren¡¯t many street lights out here. It makes the starts really pop. She¡¯s still working her brother for any details that could help her but he remains tight lipped. ¡°Do you know who I need to talk to in this place? How many people am I looking at?¡±


    Looking comfortable behind the wheel, Shin shrugs. ¡°Depends on who shows up tonight. Around fifteen guys are there on an average night. There might be a few people who aren¡¯t in the gang there but there won¡¯t be a lot beyond the staff. They pretty much take over the place at night. Give it a few minutes and anyone who isn¡¯t in the gang will be chased off. If you see a big bald guy with a nose that looks like it¡¯s been broken a few too many times, that¡¯s Rocco. He¡¯s probably the best person to talk to. If he¡¯s not there just ask the bartender who you need to speak with for business. They should point you in the right direction.¡±


    This may be the nicest car Jia has ever found herself in. The seats are so soft she feels like she could get lost in them and she loves the feel of the wind whipping her face with the top down. ¡°You know, I think this is the first time I¡¯ve ever been in a convertible except with Carly in San Francisco a few weeks ago. I was too busy trying to keep her from killing us to enjoy it but this is nice. I don¡¯t want to know how you can afford it, do I?¡±


    ¡°Bought it with my loan, nothing too terrible. Look, I can¡¯t go in there or they might kill me on the spot. I¡¯ll drop you off close and stay close though in case you need to get away fast. I have my phone. If you get a chance, look for a girl with a pink mohawk. That¡¯s my friend Jillian. She¡¯s there most nights. She¡¯s cool and unlike most of the people in there, she doesn¡¯t want me dead. She might help you. At the very least I¡¯d appreciate her having a heads up so she can get the hell out of there. We¡¯re getting close. I¡¯ll cruise by and drop you off down the street.¡±


    The bar they pass looks like it¡¯s seen better days. It¡¯s a wooden building in a part of town where you don¡¯t see a lot of buildings, let alone businesses. The next building is a run down house probably a quarter mile away. The wood¡¯s painted red but it¡¯s starting to peel in spots as is the wood itself. One of the two windows on the front of the building is boarded over. There¡¯s a sign hanging from a poll that says, ¡°Have a Brew,¡± out front but there¡¯s no sign of a name or anything else to tell you to come in and have a drink.


    ¡°They hang out here?¡± Jia asks her brother.


    They slow down significantly so Jia can get a look. ¡°Ya, it¡¯s out of the way, not a lot of random people wander in. The few who do, if they just get a drink and go before long are mostly left alone. Anyone who lingers is told to get lost, at least at night. It¡¯s pretty dead during the day so nobody cares what happens then but at night they prefer privacy. Maybe we should actually come back during the day.¡±


    ¡°I have to work and besides, the whole point is to talk to these guys. It¡¯s not going to do me much good to show up when they¡¯re not here.¡±


    Shin speeds back up as they get further away. ¡°Alright, I just don¡¯t want you getting hurt because I¡¯m an idiot. You don¡¯t have to do this. I can try and straighten things out with them myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do that how? You¡¯re afraid to show your face around them.¡±


    They finally park on the side of the road, not far from the bar. He shifts in his seat looking away from her. ¡°I can try to get Jillian to help. I really don¡¯t want to get her involved, but if it¡¯s my only option we can give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, we¡¯re here. I¡¯m going in. Stay close and keep your phone on.¡± With that, Jia climbs over the side of the car and reaches into the back to get her jacket. Trying to appear confident, she heads toward the bar.


    Reaching the parking lot, she counts nine cars. Maybe tonight¡¯s a slow night. If things go bad she¡¯ll be thankful for that. The screen door¡¯s the only thing that needs opening but it sticks and makes a loud clang as she pulls it open. The screen itself has a number of tears in it and has definitely seen better days. The first thing that hits her as she walks in is the overwhelming smell of sweat.


    Looking around the bar, there¡¯s actually less people than she expected to find even from the cars. She sees a grand total of eleven people including the bartender who is half asleep behind the bar. There¡¯s only three women among the group. The bartender¡¯s the first, with the second being slumped in a booth in the back between two men wearing sun glasses even though the lighting in here can only be described as dim.


    The third has to be Jillian. Jia can¡¯t imagine there are two women with pink mohawks who hang around with this gang. It takes a minute but Jia recognizes her. She¡¯s a fighter and they¡¯ve faced off in competition a few times, though that was years ago before she went to college. In those days Jillian wasn¡¯t rocking a pink mohawk but it¡¯s definitely the same girl. She¡¯s sitting with three large men in another booth in the back. One of those men fits Shin¡¯s description of Rocco. Their whole table looks drunk and the stack of empty bottles surrounding them helps confirm it.


    Making her way to the bar, Jia can¡¯t help but notice that everyone in the place is staring at her. They try to look like they aren¡¯t and most soon return to their drinks but they¡¯re paying attention to this unknown girl. The sticky door didn¡¯t help her stay incognito. The bartender perks up as she gets close. She doesn¡¯t say anything at first, waiting for Jia to make the first move. She sits on a stool and leans forward. ¡°Can I get a scotch and soda?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The woman hesitates but nods and goes to make the drink. It only takes a minute. As she sets it in front of Jia the woman says, ¡°Here you go. How¡¯d you find our bar? We don¡¯t get a lot of random people out here. Mostly just our regulars.¡±


    ¡°Just driving along and saw the sign. Figured I¡¯d check it out. Big fan of little dive bars. Doesn¡¯t seem to be much of a crowd for this time of night though.¡±


    The woman grabs a rag and starts wiping the counter down. ¡°It¡¯s a slow night but we don¡¯t get that much busier than this. Enjoy your drink. After you¡¯re done though, it might be a good idea to move on. The regulars kind of like having this place to themselves. Some of the guys here are a little unpolished too. I don¡¯t want you to have a bad night.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a hard way to run a business.¡±


    ¡°Real good tippers. We¡¯d do worse if they stopped coming in. Just offering free advice, take it or leave it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± With that, the bartender goes to the end of the bar where one of the guys is standing wanting a couple more beers. Jia keeps her words in mind, but decides to make her drink last as long as she can. Sipping it slowly, she looks for an opportunity to get Jillian alone.


    Twenty minutes pass and she¡¯s getting tired of watching sports scores scroll by on the TV. Her drink¡¯s starting to get low and what remains is watered down. She can feel eyes on her. Nobody has come up to her yet but the bartender isn¡¯t making any move to offer another drink. She has a feeling that once this glass is empty she¡¯s going to be handed her check.


    Jillian hasn¡¯t made any move away from her table. One member of their group got up and left but she¡¯s still surrounded by two men and there¡¯s no opportunity to get her alone and warn her. Even if she approached the bar this place is way too quiet to have a conversation without everyone else hearing. The people in the back seem to be practically whispering to keep others from hearing them. To keep her from hearing them.


    Feeling a buzz in her pocket, Jia realizes her phone¡¯s going off. She pulls it out to check who it is but realizes it¡¯s just an email. The buzz gives her an idea. She shoots a text to Shin telling him to text his friend and ask her to run to the bathroom. That¡¯s the one place here they might be able to chat.


    With that text sent Jia chugs the remainder of her drink and gets the bartender¡¯s attention. She puts a twenty on the bar. ¡°Where¡¯s the ladies¡¯ room in this place? I need to go before I get out of here.¡±


    The woman points her to a small hall in the far corner of the place but quietly says, ¡°Once you¡¯re done with that, I¡¯d go. Some of the boys are starting to get antsy.¡±


    A word of thanks later and Jia¡¯s heading for the bathroom. The hall¡¯s not short but there¡¯s a room at the end with an office sign which is sitting slightly open. She makes her way into a stall and leans against the wall. A few minutes of standing around go by without anyone following her. She considers just heading back out and confronting Rocco. She tried to give the friend a warning. There¡¯s not much else she can do. Just as she¡¯s about to head out though the door swings open and under the stall she can make out a pair of leather military boots. Definitely not something the bartender would be wearing. That leaves only a few possible women who could be joining her.


    Exiting the stall, Jillian¡¯s standing there staring at her with a pissed look on her face. Jia tries to make a good first impression and offers her hand. ¡°Hi, you must be Jillian. My name¡¯s Jia. I¡¯m Shin¡¯s sister.¡±


    Without missing a beat Jillian steps forward and gets in her face. She ignores the hand. ¡°I know who you are. I knew as soon as you walked in this place. I was hoping you were smart enough to leave. You need to get out of here now before shit gets bad. The guys at my table are ready to jump you and throw you out the door.¡±


    Jia frowns. She needs this woman¡¯s help. ¡°I actually need to talk to them. I want to work something out so they forgive Shin¡¯s debt and don¡¯t make him rob any more houses.¡±


    Jillian frowns. ¡°You know about that huh? Look, last night was his way out of the debt and he blew it. I don¡¯t know what happened but he needed to steal that shit and bring it back to these guys. They¡¯re not going to give him another chance. They want to make an example of him and beat the shit out of him.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let them do that.¡±


    Jillian sighs. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to worry that much. They aren¡¯t going to kill him as long as he agrees to make payments over time. He owes enough money that they aren¡¯t going to throw that down the toilet if they think there¡¯s a chance they can get it back. He¡¯s going to have to take that beating though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. I caught him in the middle of robbing that place. I¡¯m a registered vigilante and had to stop him. He¡¯ll make payments, I can promise that. I want to work it out so the beating part doesn¡¯t happen though.¡±


    Jillian¡¯s jaw drops. ¡°Now you really need to get out of here. If they find out you¡¯re a vigilante and you know who they are, they might kill you. You don¡¯t owe them any money. They¡¯re not going to skip the beating anyway. Zero chance of that. He¡¯s my friend and if I thought we could help him I¡¯d already be doing it but Rocco¡¯s a jerk.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for permission. I promised Shin I¡¯d try to warn you before I talked to Rocco in case things go bad. I¡¯m just doing what I said I would. You should probably go out first and find an excuse to get out of here. Go outside and smoke or something. Is that Rocco you were sitting with out there?¡±


    For a moment Jia fears Jillian¡¯s going to jump her but slowly she nods. ¡°You can talk to him if you want but it¡¯s a really bad idea. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. I¡¯ll make an excuse to go outside for a few but if things go bad and I have to fight, I will. I like Shin and want to help him but if it comes down to a fight, I¡¯m going to back those guys up. They¡¯re assholes but they¡¯re my assholes and if I don¡¯t, I¡¯m going to end up just like your stupid brother.¡± She pulls a phone out and glances at it. ¡°Wait a few minutes after I leave before you follow me out. I¡¯ll make an excuse for why you¡¯re still in here before I bail. That¡¯s all I can do for you though.¡±


    With that Jillian washes her hands and heads out. The door slams behind her.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 20

    Jia decides she might as well actually use the bathroom before she gets into an argument with a scary gangster but a few minutes later she¡¯s washing her hands and getting ready to head back into the bar.


    Looking around, there¡¯s no sign of Jillian. She seems to have actually taken the advice to get out. As soon as she walks back into the room, she has everyone in the place¡¯s attention. This time she isn¡¯t avoiding it. She walks right up to the table where Rocco¡¯s sitting. At this point he¡¯s got three other guys with him.


    ¡°I need to talk to a guy named Rocco.¡± She stares the man down.


    The table immediately goes quiet. ¡°You found him,¡± says the man with the messed up nose. ¡°Not a lot of people walk in here trying to find me. Would you like another drink?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Scotch and soda.¡±


    It takes a moment to get the bartender¡¯s attention but when they see Rocco waving they rush over. ¡°Bring my friend here a scotch and soda. On my tab.¡± He gestures for his men to make room for Jia to sit and they scooch in. ¡°I¡¯m always glad to meet such a beautiful young woman. What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually here about my brother, Shin Crawford.¡±


    At the mention of Shin¡¯s name, the table¡¯s mood noticeably shifts. Everyone was already nervous but now these men are downright tense, ready to make a move at a moment¡¯s notice. Rocco doesn¡¯t seem worried though. ¡°I guess you¡¯re here about the trouble he¡¯s found himself in then.¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Rocco smiles and places a hand on Jia¡¯s. Now she tenses. She¡¯d like to pull away but she wants to solve this diplomatically. He says, ¡°Your brother¡¯s a good young man. Great at fixing cars up. We actually lent him some money because he wanted to start a business tricking cars out. Didn¡¯t work out and he hasn¡¯t been good at paying us back. Very sad. We don¡¯t want any trouble of course but it is a lot of money and we can¡¯t have him skipping out on that.¡±


    ¡°You seemed to be willing to let it go if he did something for you last night.¡±


    He shifts his eyes to each of the other men. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. If I did though, I can say that sometimes people can find other ways to pay us back. If he for example brought us things worth what he owes. Or if he were willing to work with us and provide a service to help pay off the debt. We could then possibly overlook things. You know, I was expecting to see your brother last night. He was going to stop by and talk about that debt but he never showed up. As someone trying to work with him, that worries me.¡±


    Jia pulls her hand away. This guy¡¯s creeping her out more by the second. ¡°I know exactly what you were going to talk about. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here talking with you. I don¡¯t want him involved in any of that anymore. There¡¯s another way. Like you said, he¡¯s great with cars. Why doesn¡¯t he just fix your cars for awhile?¡±Stolen story; please report.


    Rocco¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡°That was kind of the idea actually. To work on our cars though, you have to be someone we trust. Someone we know can see certain things. We have an initiation for people and if your brother can¡¯t pull that off, then we can¡¯t have him working on our stuff.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then why don¡¯t we just agree to pay you a certain amount every month. He¡¯ll get a job, shouldn¡¯t be a problem with his skill. How much does he owe you?¡±


    Pulling a notebook out of his pocket, Rocco flips through a few pages. ¡°Your little brother is into us for a little over a hundred grand. That¡¯s not something he can pay off with his leftover cash at the end of each week. I¡¯m maybe willing to give him time to try, but first he has to be made an example of. There¡¯s no getting around that. If he¡¯s willing to accept that then I can maybe see about what happens after.¡±


    Gritting her teeth Jia says, ¡°That¡¯s not an option. What do you want? I¡¯m willing to help you out to protect him.¡±


    ¡°Not quite sure how you can help us little lady. Well actually, I have one thing you could maybe help me with.¡± He turns to the other three men at the table. ¡°Get lost for a little bit guys. I want to talk with the lady in a little more privacy.¡±


    The other three don¡¯t seem to like it but they grab their drinks and head to another table. Jia leans forward, wanting to hear what he can offer. ¡°Just to be clear, when you talk about privacy, are you asking me for what I think you¡¯re asking?¡±


    Rocco grins ear to ear. ¡°Depends on what you think. I¡¯m not one to mince words. You¡¯re cute. Suck my dick and I¡¯ll give your brother a week. I¡¯ll even take a hundred bucks off what he owes us. If you want more time, just make it good enough and we can maybe do this every week. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re offering to pay me for sex?¡±


    ¡°You can think of it that way if you want. I don¡¯t really think of it as sex though. I have a girlfriend and I only sleep with her. This is to tide me over between trips home. I think I¡¯m being pretty reasonable really. I could ask to fuck you, but I¡¯m trying to be a nice guy and respect my lady. What do you say?¡±


    She stands up and puts some space between them. ¡°I say that I¡¯m a licensed vigilante and you just committed a crime right in front of me. I¡¯m fully allowed to take you in right now and I will absolutely do so. If you¡¯re willing to forgive part of my brother¡¯s debt and give him some time on the rest though, I¡¯m willing to forget how disgusting you are.¡±


    ¡°No need to shit with me, we both know there aren¡¯t any vigilantes in Napa.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one.¡±


    Rocco considers this for a minute or two before his eyes narrow. ¡°You aren¡¯t shitting me are you?¡±


    ¡°Afraid not, I¡¯m pretty serious at the moment. I¡¯m giving you an out.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°That¡¯s awfully generous of you. Here¡¯s the problem with that though. You are surrounded by my men. You picked a bad place to try and pull this shit.¡± Standing up, Rocco whistles to get the attention of everyone in the bar. ¡°Listen up men, this little girl here is a vigilante and she knows way more than she needs to. She doesn¡¯t leave here. Keep it clean though, no evidence.¡±


    Well fuck she thinks. Probably should have listened to Shin, or Jillian, or her dad, or any of the people who told her this was a bad idea. Only one way out at this point. Time to take these guys down.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 21

    When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, eventually one has to give way. That sounds a lot nicer than saying when a girl¡¯s head¡¯s slammed into a wall, one of them¡¯s going to break before the other. Jia Crawford¡¯s really glad the wall gives way first, though not before bloodying her skull. A chunk of her hair¡¯s torn away and her hand instinctively grabs at the wound.


    Every time she tries to develop a strategy to face the dozen people forming to attack her it falls apart before she can get started. If she manages to isolate one or two of them and gain any sort of edge others grab her by her shoulders and toss her across the room. They don¡¯t seem to have any guilt over winning a lopsided fight. The alternative¡¯s losing one.


    Pulling her head from the wall, blood¡¯s already dripping down her face. She may have started a fight she can¡¯t win; they have her completely surrounded. She tries to remember what her mother¡¯s been teaching her in recent weeks about their family¡¯s martial arts style. Stay calm, don¡¯t rush in. Let your opponents make a mistake. A lot of times a fight isn¡¯t decided by ability but rather by who can avoid an error the longest.


    Two of them come at her at once but she spins away from the first and ducks under a punch from the second. Not ready to let her get an upper hand, another rushes her from behind. Leaping into the air, she catches them with a high backwards kick, knocking them to the ground.


    One of the two girls in the group pulls a knife from her pocket and flicks it open. She starts advancing toward Jia who starts to backpeddle, looking for something to defend herself with. Rocco, the leader of the group, sees this and blocks the woman¡¯s path. ¡°No weapons, we don¡¯t want to spill blood all over the place. We have to clean that up and we don¡¯t know who¡¯s going to walk in while we do it.¡±


    The girl seems taken by surprise. She stares Rocco down but flips her knife upside down and drives it into a table next to them. Pressing her advantage, Jia rushes toward her, pushing past Rocco, and sends a kick into the center of her knee. Stumbling backwards, the girl somehow stays on her feet. Ending up in front of a booth, Jia keeps pushing forward and tackles her onto the table. She starts raining blows into the woman¡¯s ribs but before she can get many in two sets of strong hands are grabbing her and throwing her aside.


    Facing her opponents, she starts to feel this is a hopeless fight. There¡¯s still ten of them and she¡¯s starting to tire. There¡¯s too many to take on at once even if they won¡¯t shoot or stab her for fear of leaving evidence. Her eyes wildly glance around the room, trying to plan some sort of retreat.


    Then Jillian¡¯s coming at her, her eyes on fire and her red jacket gone. A friend of her brother Shin, she pulled the woman aside and warned her to get out of here before the fireworks started. Until now she thought her advice was taken. The kick flying at her chest says otherwise. She blocks the hit and deflects it into a chair but her poor odds just got even worse.


    Sparring back and forth, it¡¯s obvious she¡¯s met the closest thing to an individual match she¡¯s going to find in this dump. Despite her off the wall appearance, a pink mohawk and clothes filled with holes in a factory rather than through wear, her fighting style shows the discipline of someone with years of experience. She¡¯s graceful and confident. The others back down when isolated, knowing they can only beat Jia with numbers. Jillian believes she can win on her own.


    They push back and forth through the room, parrying blow after blow. Furniture splinters as they push it into each other. The two seem evenly matched. Over time though, Jia starts to gain a slight upper hand. Her recent training with her mother has taught her patience, how to let a fight develop before making her move. Her opponent has skill but Jia has more. The rest of the crowd has backed off at this point, clearly recognizing how much better equipped Jillian is to handle the situation. They cheer and shout their encouragement.


    Coming in for a grab, Jillian¡¯s eyes go wide as Jia counters and for a moment their heads are side by side. In that moment Jillian quietly says, ¡°Just go with this and we¡¯ll get out of here. Don¡¯t hit me in the stomach either.¡±


    They break apart as Jillian shoves her back into the bar. From then on though, Jillian starts telegraphing her moves. Not in a major way. Someone without fight experience wouldn¡¯t notice. Jia knows what¡¯s coming though and after realizing what¡¯s happening she returns the favor. It¡¯s enough to turn their fight into a ballet of fists and keep them both upright. Every time Jillian lands a blow the crowd cheers. Whenever she¡¯s hit they boo. You¡¯d think this was a sporting event.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    As they criss cross through the bar the fight starts to drag. It gets easy, to the point Jia¡¯s mind starts to wander and she wonders what their end game is here. They¡¯re not getting anywhere and already the crowd¡¯s growing restless, eager for blood. When they break for a moment she gets her answer. The faint sound of a police siren in the distance hits her ears and tells her help¡¯s on the way. She just has to hold out until they arrive. Her distraction at the sound causes her to take a blow in the nose.


    Shaking off the pain and giving enough warning that Jillian can prepare, she grabs the woman by the arm and tosses her onto a table. Jumping on top of her with a knee on either side of the woman¡¯s hips, she winds a punch to the head up, but pauses long enough to give the woman beneath her a chance to dodge. She never gets the chance as a man grabs her by the shoulders and heaves her across the room. She slides through several bar stools and her head bounces off the bar.


    Clearly annoyed, the bartender comes rushing out from behind the bar. ¡°Careful with the equipment idiot. If I have to replace the bar itself it¡¯s going to cost you a fortune.¡±


    Rushing at the man who pulled Jia away, Jillian slaps him across the face. His head snaps back. ¡°Stay out of my fight. I don¡¯t need your help.¡±


    A cleared throat silences the room. All eyes turn to Rocco. ¡°That¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re winning but get to it. We need to end this.¡± Through all of this Jia stays down, trying to catch her breath and gather the strength for a final push.


    Jillian ignores Rocco¡¯s words and comes her way again. Jia climbs back to her feet, steadying her legs. They resume their fight. This time though Jillian doesn¡¯t seem to be telegraphing nearly as much. She has time to react but not enough to fully avoid some blows. A few hits don¡¯t even give her that, landing with force and causing her to buckle. What¡¯s changed? As she throws a high kick, instead of ducking under it as anticipated, Jillian grabs the leg and ferociously tosses Jia over the bar into a wall full of alcohol. Several shelves give way. Bottles shatter and glass sprinkles to the ground around her. A shard from one of the bottles bounces into her face and cuts a jagged line across her cheek. Fresh red blood once again runs down her face as liquid pools, soaking her clothes and making her smell like she¡¯s ending a week long bender.


    The sirens are close now and the bar starts reacting. A general panic starts rising among the crowd. One of the men asks, ¡°What the hell are the cops doing out here?¡±


    Another says, ¡°Did the girl call them before this started? She knew she was coming here. This might get bad. I can¡¯t go back to jail.¡±


    ¡°We all need to get out of here, right now.¡±


    Trying to calm the crowd, Rocco pushes his way into the center of the room with his hands up. When the panic continues he grabs a bar stool and shatters it over the bar. That gets their attention. ¡°Everyone needs to relax right now. We don¡¯t have any reason to worry. A couple of you have warrants. Take off, now. The rest of you can calm down. We¡¯re just hanging out in our favorite bar when some crazy chick jumps us. We haven¡¯t done anything wrong, even if she is a vigilante.¡±


    Walking to Rocco¡¯s side, Jillian whispers something in his ear. He goes pale. ¡°New plan guys, I want everyone out of here now. Get to the cars. Go wherever you need to but don¡¯t get caught.¡±


    Still in a lot of pain, Jia climbs to her feet. She didn¡¯t go through all of this to let the group get away. Jillian comes for her again, circling behind the bar, and this time she¡¯s not focused on technique. She just rushes her and tackles her to the ground, their bodies splashing among the liquid and glass. On top of her, she moves their faces together. ¡°Stay down and pretend you¡¯re unconscious. You can¡¯t handle this many and they will shoot you if they don¡¯t see another way out. You walk out of here alive if you stay down. Don¡¯t be an idiot.¡±


    A hard blow to the face takes the choice away. She doesn¡¯t lose consciousness but the whole world starts spinning. A weight climbs off of her and by the time she can get back to her knees, the bar¡¯s empty except for a shell shocked bartender. Trying to get up fast makes the pain worse. She struggles not to slip and fall again amongst the liquor.


    After a minute she feels confident enough in her legs to stumble around the bar and past the wrecked furniture. She slams through the busted screen door leading to the front porch. The night air¡¯s crisp and she can see fireflies in the newly empty parking lot. Her soaked clothes hit the chilly night air and she shivers. The last of the cars are gone but she can see police lights in the distance, though they¡¯re still not that close. A bright green car comes roaring back from down the street.


    Slamming on the breaks with a squeal, she can see Jillian sitting in the driver¡¯s seat with her window down. Did she come back to provide a getaway? As Jia moves toward the car, trying not to move too fast because of the pain in her ribs, Jillian puts a hand up to halt her. ¡°I did you a favor in there because your brother¡¯s a friend. That¡¯s a one time thing. I don¡¯t stick my neck out for people. I scared Rocco enough that he¡¯s going to get out of Napa. If your brother hangs around here they¡¯ll probably leave him alone for now. That needs to be good enough. Don¡¯t dig into this any further. You won¡¯t like where it leads.¡± With that she stomps on the gas, roaring into the night, getting away before the police cars start pulling into the parking lot.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 22

    Stumbling back inside to view the handiwork of her fight, Jia works her way over to the bar and picks one of the few stools still in one piece up. She struggles onto it. The bartender¡¯s giving her a dirty look from across the room. The woman¡¯s glancing around her bar, surveying the damage. Jia says, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you out of this if you don¡¯t stand up for them. Your call. I¡¯ll take a drink too if it¡¯s all the same to you.¡± Grabbing one of the bottles that didn¡¯t crash to the ground, the woman pours two glasses of whiskey. She slides one to Jia and downs her own in one gulp.


    Checking her phone for the first time since the fighting started, she finds twelve texts and three missed calls from Shin. He¡¯s apparently still close by and noticed the sudden exodus from the bar and the blue one toward it. He wants to know if she and Jillian are okay. Apparently Jillian isn¡¯t answering his texts either. Each text seems more panicked than the last.


    Assuring her brother she¡¯s fine and so is Jillian, she manages to put her phone away as the first of the police enter. Whoever called must have sold this fight as a big deal because they¡¯ve sent three squad cars worth of officers and they enter with their guns drawn. They seem surprised to find an injured girl drinking alone in a bar that looks like a tornado just went through. Finding no threat though, they do lower their guns.


    As they stream through the busted door Jia recognizes one pair. It¡¯s the same duo who showed up the other night after Shin broke into a family¡¯s home. Officer Cassie Klein and her partner who isn¡¯t a fan of vigilantes. The partner already looks in a bad mood when he walks in. Seeing Jia sitting there doesn¡¯t do anything to help. ¡°What the hell are you doing here? Why do we keep finding you when bad shit goes down?¡±


    Dabbing at her bloody head with a napkin, Jia shakes her head at him. ¡°Come on, you¡¯ve run into me three times. Two of those were the same night, a few miles apart. Tonight I had someone call you.¡±


    His hands go to his hips. ¡°Really? So you had them call us and say a crazy lady came in here and was causing a scene?¡±


    Jia frowns. ¡°Okay, maybe that wasn¡¯t my guy. If it was I¡¯m going to have a talk with him. I wanted you here at least. I had a friend who was supposed to call you if things got out of hand. There¡¯s a reason they¡¯re all gone while I¡¯m sitting here waiting for you. So maybe stop the attitude.¡±


    Cassie looks happy to see her, at least until she gets a good look at her. While one of the officers starts interviewing the bartender and others start looking around, she¡¯s the one who comes up to Jia. As she sees how bad the injuries are her smile turns to a look of concern. ¡°That cut on your cheek looks bad. The scrape on your forehead isn¡¯t much better. We should have a doctor take a look. You probably need stitches.¡±


    Groaning, Jia leans back against the bar. ¡°Ya, that sounds about right. Nice to see a friendly face at least. Too bad your partner had to come along.¡±


    Glancing at her partner, Cassie turns red. ¡°Sorry about him, that¡¯s his deal. He¡¯s good though, he¡¯ll help figure this out. What happened?¡±


    Carefully deciding what to share Jia says, ¡°I got a tip that a gang was operating out of here and they¡¯d have drugs on them so I stopped in to talk. Had a couple of drinks, just trying to check them out. After I talked to the leader and told him I was a vigilante, he told them all to kill me. So you know, a Thursday night.¡±


    Cassie puts a hand on Jia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t need to put on a brave face. Were they armed? How many of them were there?¡±


    Jia pounds the rest of her drink and looks to see if the bartender¡¯s done yet so they can get her another. ¡°Not that many, a dozen or so. Mostly men but a couple women too. They had guns but didn¡¯t want to mess this place up. I guess they hang out here a lot and didn¡¯t want to clean blood off the floors or fill in bullet holes. Lucky me. Still ended up making one hell of a mess.¡±


    Looking her straight in the eye, Cassie says, ¡°You¡¯re lucky. You¡¯re alive. Coming in here alone was stupid but I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re okay. Do you have someone to give you a ride to the hospital?¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Nodding, Jia glances between Cassie and her empty glass. ¡°My brother drove me. He¡¯s probably down the road. I¡¯ll text him when we¡¯re done and he¡¯ll come get me.¡±


    A small smile creeps across Cassie¡¯s face. ¡°I have to do some work but stick around. We¡¯ll probably have a few more questions and I want to talk to you before you go, okay?¡±


    Jia watches Cassie make her way over to her partner. As she walks away Jia can¡¯t help but admire what she sees. She seems smart, nice, she¡¯s definitely cute. Her first thought was to make sure Jia was okay which is really sweet.


    Being left alone, she sees the bartender¡¯s done being questioned and is heading to the bathroom. Her heart sinks, she was counting on another drink to help dull the pain in her head. After a minute though she realizes she didn¡¯t hear either restroom door swing shut. She went in there before and the women¡¯s room door isn¡¯t quiet. Where else would she be going?


    Making an excuse about going to the bathroom, the cops wave her away. She follows the bartender and sees a door at the end of the hall is slightly cracked. There¡¯s a light on inside. Moving toward it, she tries to stay quiet. To avoid suspicion she pushes the women¡¯s restroom open for a moment and then lets the door creak closed. There¡¯s a shuffling in the room at the end of the bar but when the bathroom door gets loud it stops for a moment. After a moment it starts up again. When she gets to the door, a quick peek inside finds an office with only a lamp providing light. The bartender¡¯s quickly searching through a desk for something, her hands full of papers.


    Clearly surprised to see Jia walk in, she doesn¡¯t bother to hide what she¡¯s holding. ¡°Shut the door behind you. Now.¡±


    Doing as she¡¯s told, she stares the woman down. She¡¯s careful to leave no crack in the door but not to latch it. ¡°What are you doing back here? I can ask the police to come and check this out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Smirking, the woman waves the papers in front of her face. ¡°If you do, your brother¡¯s as screwed as I am. I¡¯m deleting the security cameras for tonight and getting rid of the credit card records from the last few weeks. They¡¯ll know everyone who¡¯s been in here for at least the last month if I don¡¯t. You may think that¡¯s good for taking these guys down, but your brother¡¯s on that list. He¡¯ll go down as hard as anyone. You said you came here tonight to protect him. Do you care more about that or about nailing these guys?¡±


    Slumping against a wall, Jia sighs. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    The woman goes back to looking through her papers. ¡°Because if I don¡¯t I¡¯ll lose pretty much all my customers. They¡¯re already going to stay away for at least a few months but they¡¯ll pay me enough to get by and eventually they¡¯ll come back. Too many junkies here in town to stay away for long. Also, they¡¯ll probably kill me if I don¡¯t. There¡¯s that too. Am I deleting this stuff or not? Your call, you can obviously stop me if you want to. I saw how you fought in there, I can¡¯t take that on.¡±


    The idea of helping these jerks makes her blood boil. Part of her wants to jump across the desk between them and snap the woman¡¯s neck. She knows she can¡¯t do that though. ¡°Are you going to delete all of them? Won¡¯t that look kind of suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, just the important ones. I keep them separate. The low level guys are going to have to take the fall tonight. Nothing I can do for them except delete the video.¡±


    ¡°My brother¡¯s in the important file?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but he can be if you let me do it. I need you to decide now. One of those cops out there¡¯s going to come in here any second and I don¡¯t have a good excuse for why we¡¯re in here.¡±


    Feeling like she¡¯s going to pass out from blood loss, Jia doesn¡¯t know what to do. She has two bad options. The thought she keeps coming back to is that Shin would do this for her in a heartbeat. He¡¯d already be out of this mess if she hadn¡¯t come along the other night when he was stealing what they wanted him to. She feels disgusted with herself for agreeing to it but she says, ¡°Fine, do it. I want my brother¡¯s records though. I don¡¯t trust you to get rid of them. Once I have them I¡¯ll go distract the cops long enough for you to do the rest.¡±


    The woman hesitates. ¡°How do I know you won¡¯t betray me?¡±


    ¡°Because I gave you my word and you don¡¯t have time to argue. You said I needed to make up my mind. Well now you do.¡±


    Flipping through pages of records, the woman finds the receipts for Shin Crawford and tears them from the pile. Snatching it from the woman¡¯s hands, Jia stuffs them into her pocket. Feeling ill, she slips out of the dark room.

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 23

    On her way back to the main area of the bar, Jia Crawford takes a minute to actually stop in the bathroom. Grabbing some paper towels, she looks at herself in the mirror. She¡®s shocked at how awful she looks. The top left corner of her forehead is a giant bloody bruise, surrounded by cuts. A little blood¡¯s still leaking out of them but it¡¯s starting to clot. That won¡¯t need more than a few bandages. The cut on her cheek¡¯s a different matter. It¡¯s deep and blood from it¡¯s still flowing down her face. She looks like she emerged from a horror movie. There¡¯s dried blood streaked everywhere. Looking down at her hands, she realizes they¡¯re also caked with dried blood.


    Horrified that Cassie saw her like this, she starts wetting paper towels and pressing them against the cut. It stings but hopefully it¡¯ll help. With another paper towel she tries to clean the dried blood from her face the best she can. She realizes the hair near her wounds is even caked with blood. At least her dark hair mostly hides it.


    When she finally looks remotely like herself she makes her way back out to the bar. She still has a paper towel pressed against her cheek to stop more blood from flowing. A new pair of people in suits are looking over the place and throwing evidence into bags. When Cassie sees her she makes her way over. Seeing that she¡¯s watching the newcomers she says, ¡±Detectives. Feeling any better?¡±


    ¡°Not really, this is really starting to sting. If you need me to answer more questions I can but otherwise I¡¯m probably going to text my brother and have him come get me. I hate needles but I think I¡¯m actually looking forward to stitches.¡±


    ¡°Just a few, it won¡¯t take long. Want to grab a table? You look a little unsteady, don¡¯t want you falling over on me.¡±


    Finding only a few tables in the place are still standing and have chairs in one piece, they settle in one in the far corner by the jukebox. ¡°Who was this source who asked you to come out here tonight? We may want to question them.¡±


    Jia shifts in her seat. ¡°That¡¯s going to be really dangerous for them. I don¡¯t want to make your job harder but I don¡¯t think that would qualify as making the public safer. They¡¯re part of the public.¡±


    Cassie¡¯s smile wavers a bit but she doesn¡¯t seem upset. ¡°Okay, we can leave that out for now. You¡¯ll have to make it up to me though. Can you identify any of the people who were here?¡±


    ¡°There was one guy named Rocco. My source told me he was in charge. Big guy, bald, looks like he¡¯s had his nose broken a few dozen times. He was the one who sent the rest after me. He¡¯s the only one I got a name from.¡±


    Jotting something down in a notebook Cassie says, ¡°Did he say anything that would give us a clue? We¡¯ll run the evidence but I don¡¯t think we have a lot to go on here.¡±


    ¡°He mentioned San Francisco, I think that¡¯s where the group operates out of. The only other thing I can think of is he offered to let me live if I blew him.¡±


    Suddenly shifting in her seat, Cassie looks uncomfortable. She stares at the ground, not meeting Jia¡¯s gaze. ¡°Well that¡¯s gross.¡±


    ¡°Ya, wasn¡¯t going to happen. He doesn¡¯t have the parts I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    Now Cassie¡¯s completely frozen, blinking a few times, but her smile starts coming back. ¡°Noted, not into blowing bald dudes with bad noses.¡±


    ¡°Or anyone else for that matter.¡±


    Shuffling through a few pages of notes, she seems to be trying to find a come back. ¡°Well, I think I have everything I need.¡± She pauses for a moment but then she pushes her lips together and her eyes narrow. ¡°That¡¯s actually not true, I need one more thing. Can I get your phone number?¡±


    She has to think about it for a moment. Jia never calls herself. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s 701-555-0138. If you have any other questions you can call me.¡±


    ¡°What if my question was if you¡¯d get dinner with me?¡±


    It takes a moment for Jia to realize what Cassie¡¯s saying. When she does her mouth practically hangs open in surprise. Cassie¡¯s getting so red that she almost matches the paper towel Jia still has against her cheek. When she finally recovers Jia says, ¡°Really? I look like I climbed out of a horror movie and I smell like I drank everything in the bar.¡±


    ¡°Kind of. I still think you look cute though. If you don¡¯t want me to I won¡¯t call.¡±


    Jia blinks a few times. ¡°You know that¡¯s kind of an inappropriate question for a police officer to ask a girl when she¡¯s sitting here bleeding all over the place, right? Is this like, your move? Strike when they¡¯re vulnerable.¡±


    Looking upset Cassie no longer meets Jia¡¯s gaze. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going for that. I¡¯m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I won¡¯t bother you again.¡±


    Grabbing Cassie¡¯s hand, she stops her from standing. ¡°Well I didn¡¯t say that. Actually, I kind of like it. You can call me. Why don¡¯t you shoot me a text now so I¡¯ll have your number?¡±


    Now it¡¯s Cassie¡¯s turn to have her jaw drop. ¡°That was really mean you know.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m mean sometimes. I¡¯m nice a lot more often though. If you call I¡¯ll have to make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better.¡±


    A smile spreads across Jia¡¯s face. ¡°You just made tonight a lot better. Until now the best thing that happened to me all night was someone deciding not to shoot me.¡±


    ¡°Could be worse. The best thing could have been someone deciding to shoot you.¡±


    ¡°That would be worse. Then I wouldn¡¯t have been asked out by a pretty girl. Or maybe I would have been, the cheek didn¡¯t stop you. I¡¯m going to text my brother and get out of here. I¡¯m still bleeding and really need to get some stitches. If I bleed out I won¡¯t be able to go on a date.¡±


    With a smile the size of the moon, Cassie waves goodbye. Before she goes, Jia notices the bartender making her way back into the bar. The exchange a glance but nothing¡¯s said. She calls Shin and tells him to get over here with the car so they can get to the hospital. At first he freaks out because he doesn¡¯t want to pull right up to the cops. Then he notices she said hospital and he freaks out even more. She can hear his tires screech down the road and it isn¡¯t long before he¡¯s pulling into the parking lot.


    As she slumps into the passenger seat of his car, Shin sees her holding the paper towel to her cheek and her busted forehead. ¡°You said you and Jillian were okay. What the hell happened?¡±


    ¡°I got beat up. It happens. I am okay, I just need a few stitches. It¡¯s bleeding pretty good. Just stop by the ER. They won¡¯t be that busy this time of night. I should be in and out in no time and then we can get home. I have to work in the morning so let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    Soon they¡¯re flying down the back roads toward the hospital closest to their house. It¡¯s not that close, around ten miles away, but she¡¯s not dying and the cool night air feels good against her face. The rest of her body which is still soaked with liquor likes it less. Shin keeps looking over at her instead of paying attention to the road. ¡°Try not to bleed on the car. That¡¯ll cost a fortune to get out and I don¡¯t exactly have the money.¡±


    ¡°Getting the smell of booze out isn¡¯t going to be cheap either.¡± He doesn¡¯t respond. ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that to me right now by the way. I¡¯m only bleeding here because you got yourself into this.¡±


    Shin turns to face her and she points at the road, encouraging him to turn back. ¡°I told you not to go in there! You¡¯re lucky they didn¡¯t kill you. Why¡¯d they let you go anyway?¡±


    ¡°They heard the sirens. Someone called the cops, no clue who. I thought it was you at first but I don¡¯t think the description they had was yours. At least it had better not be.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t call them. I thought about it but I was afraid that¡¯d make it worse. Whoever did it though, I¡¯m glad they did. Those guys are serious.¡±


    ¡°He made me an offer, but it was gross so I passed. Jillian said she thinks they¡¯ll leave you alone for a while if you stay around here though. They might even forget about you if you don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°You talked to her?¡± He glances at her but now he¡¯s mostly keeping his eyes on the road.


    ¡°She pulled up right before the cops showed and said she¡¯d try to keep them off you as much as she could but that¡¯d be a lot easier if you stay in Napa. I¡¯m guessing after tonight they¡¯re spooked and they won¡¯t come around here for at least a few months. Just lay low. You can stay with mom and dad too. It¡¯s not the worst thing.¡±


    He groans. ¡°I might disagree. I guess it¡¯s better than dying though. Why was she still there? I thought you were going to warn her.¡±


    ¡°I warned her. Thought she was gone until she showed back up out of nowhere and attacked me. She¡¯s the one who gave me this.¡± She points at the cut across her cheek.


    His hand covers his mouth. For a moment he puts the other on his forehead before realizing at least one needs to be on the steering wheel. ¡°She knifed you? I¡¯m so sorry. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯d do that. I¡¯d never have asked you to warn her if I thought she was going to do that.¡±


    Jia manages to laugh, though it hurts her face. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t knife me. She threw me over the bar and I crashed into a bunch of bottles. A shard of one cut me. That¡¯s also why I smell like I¡¯ve been on a three week bender. I don¡¯t think she was trying to hurt me. She told me to go with it and she went slow enough that she didn¡¯t hit me until the end, right before she took off. I think she was trying to help. Before she jumped in they were all coming at me at once and they might have killed me. The others backed off once she came at me and it was just the two of us.¡±


    Shin presses his lips together and somehow he looks more worried than before. ¡°If they figure out she helped you, they¡¯re going to kill her. We need to track her down.¡±


    Shaking her head, Jia turns to face her brother. ¡°She told us not to come after her Shin. It¡¯s not your job to save her. We don¡¯t even know that she needs saving. She¡¯s part of this. The only reason she helped me was because she¡¯s your friend.¡±


    They quietly drive for a few minutes until they near the hospital. Shin finally breaks the silence. ¡°How did she seem? You didn¡¯t beat on her bad did you?¡±


    ¡°I only hit her a few times and they were all light punches. She got me way worse than I got her. She¡¯s fine. Oh, by the way--¡± Jia reaches into her pocket and pulls out the paperwork she got. ¡°The bartender gave me this. The only records you were ever in that place so the cops won¡¯t be knocking on our door. I had to let her delete the other records to get it. You¡¯re welcome.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Shin snatches the paper from her and shoves it into his own pocket. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think of that. Oh shit, I don¡¯t want to go down with those assholes. Don¡¯t worry about the records. They¡¯re leaving town anyway, who cares? You¡¯re supposed to keep this area safe, right? I think getting those guys out of town counts. Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself.¡±


    As they park outside the ER, Shin stops his sister from getting out of the car. ¡°To be clear, you got no good hits on her? None in the stomach or anything like that?¡±


    ¡°No Shin, I didn¡¯t hit her in the stomach. She said not to.¡±


    He nods a few times. ¡°That¡¯s good. I really need you to help me find her. I¡¯d do it myself but apparently I need to stay around here to make sure I don¡¯t end up dead. She¡¯ll go back to San Francisco, I know it. I can tell you a couple of places to look for her.¡±


    Her cheek¡¯s burning now. ¡°Why are you so obsessed with this girl? I know she¡¯s your friend but she seems like she can handle herself. She sure punches like she can.¡± Taking in everything her brother¡¯s said in the last few minutes an epiphany hits Jia. ¡°Tell me the truth. Is she just a friend? You didn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about that Jia. Let¡¯s go in and get your face stitched up.¡±


    ¡°Oh god, you did. Shin you little moron.¡±


    Crossing his arms, he looks down at the floor. ¡°I told you that I needed you to find her. I wasn¡¯t making it up.¡±


    On her way back to the main area of the bar, Jia Crawford takes a minute to actually stop in the bathroom. Grabbing some paper towels, she looks at herself in the mirror. She¡®s shocked at how awful she looks. The top left corner of her forehead is a giant bloody bruise, surrounded by cuts. A little blood¡¯s still leaking out of them but it¡¯s starting to clot. That won¡¯t need more than a few bandages. The cut on her cheek¡¯s a different matter. It¡¯s deep and blood from it¡¯s still flowing down her face. She looks like she emerged from a horror movie. There¡¯s dried blood streaked everywhere. Looking down at her hands, she realizes they¡¯re also caked with dried blood.


    Horrified that Cassie saw her like this, she starts wetting paper towels and pressing them against the cut. It stings but hopefully it¡¯ll help. With another paper towel she tries to clean the dried blood from her face the best she can. She realizes the hair near her wounds is even caked with blood. At least her dark hair mostly hides it.


    When she finally looks remotely like herself she makes her way back out to the bar. She still has a paper towel pressed against her cheek to stop more blood from flowing. A new pair of people in suits are looking over the place and throwing evidence into bags. When Cassie sees her she makes her way over. Seeing that she¡¯s watching the newcomers she says, ¡±Detectives. Feeling any better?¡±


    ¡°Not really, this is really starting to sting. If you need me to answer more questions I can but otherwise I¡¯m probably going to text my brother and have him come get me. I hate needles but I think I¡¯m actually looking forward to stitches.¡±


    ¡°Just a few, it won¡¯t take long. Want to grab a table? You look a little unsteady, don¡¯t want you falling over on me.¡±


    Finding only a few tables in the place are still standing and have chairs in one piece, they settle in one in the far corner by the jukebox. ¡°Who was this source who asked you to come out here tonight? We may want to question them.¡±


    Jia shifts in her seat. ¡°That¡¯s going to be really dangerous for them. I don¡¯t want to make your job harder but I don¡¯t think that would qualify as making the public safer. They¡¯re part of the public.¡±


    Cassie¡¯s smile wavers a bit but she doesn¡¯t seem upset. ¡°Okay, we can leave that out for now. You¡¯ll have to make it up to me though. Can you identify any of the people who were here?¡±


    ¡°There was one guy named Rocco. My source told me he was in charge. Big guy, bald, looks like he¡¯s had his nose broken a few dozen times. He was the one who sent the rest after me. He¡¯s the only one I got a name from.¡±


    Jotting something down in a notebook Cassie says, ¡°Did he say anything that would give us a clue? We¡¯ll run the evidence but I don¡¯t think we have a lot to go on here.¡±


    ¡°He mentioned San Francisco, I think that¡¯s where the group operates out of. The only other thing I can think of is he offered to let me live if I blew him.¡±


    Suddenly shifting in her seat, Cassie looks uncomfortable. She stares at the ground, not meeting Jia¡¯s gaze. ¡°Well that¡¯s gross.¡±


    ¡°Ya, wasn¡¯t going to happen. He doesn¡¯t have the parts I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    Now Cassie¡¯s completely frozen, blinking a few times, but her smile starts coming back. ¡°Noted, not into blowing bald dudes with bad noses.¡±


    ¡°Or anyone else for that matter.¡±


    Shuffling through a few pages of notes, she seems to be trying to find a come back. ¡°Well, I think I have everything I need.¡± She pauses for a moment but then she pushes her lips together and her eyes narrow. ¡°That¡¯s actually not true, I need one more thing. Can I get your phone number?¡±


    She has to think about it for a moment. Jia never calls herself. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s 701-555-0138. If you have any other questions you can call me.¡±


    ¡°What if my question was if you¡¯d get dinner with me?¡±


    It takes a moment for Jia to realize what Cassie¡¯s saying. When she does her mouth practically hangs open in surprise. Cassie¡¯s getting so red that she almost matches the paper towel Jia still has against her cheek. When she finally recovers Jia says, ¡°Really? I look like I climbed out of a horror movie and I smell like I drank everything in the bar.¡±


    ¡°Kind of. I still think you look cute though. If you don¡¯t want me to I won¡¯t call.¡±


    Jia blinks a few times. ¡°You know that¡¯s kind of an inappropriate question for a police officer to ask a girl when she¡¯s sitting here bleeding all over the place, right? Is this like, your move? Strike when they¡¯re vulnerable.¡±


    Looking upset Cassie no longer meets Jia¡¯s gaze. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going for that. I¡¯m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I won¡¯t bother you again.¡±


    Grabbing Cassie¡¯s hand, she stops her from standing. ¡°Well I didn¡¯t say that. Actually, I kind of like it. You can call me. Why don¡¯t you shoot me a text now so I¡¯ll have your number?¡±


    Now it¡¯s Cassie¡¯s turn to have her jaw drop. ¡°That was really mean you know.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m mean sometimes. I¡¯m nice a lot more often though. If you call I¡¯ll have to make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better.¡±


    A smile spreads across Jia¡¯s face. ¡°You just made tonight a lot better. Until now the best thing that happened to me all night was someone deciding not to shoot me.¡±


    ¡°Could be worse. The best thing could have been someone deciding to shoot you.¡±


    ¡°That would be worse. Then I wouldn¡¯t have been asked out by a pretty girl. Or maybe I would have been, the cheek didn¡¯t stop you. I¡¯m going to text my brother and get out of here. I¡¯m still bleeding and really need to get some stitches. If I bleed out I won¡¯t be able to go on a date.¡±


    With a smile the size of the moon, Cassie waves goodbye. Before she goes, Jia notices the bartender making her way back into the bar. The exchange a glance but nothing¡¯s said. She calls Shin and tells him to get over here with the car so they can get to the hospital. At first he freaks out because he doesn¡¯t want to pull right up to the cops. Then he notices she said hospital and he freaks out even more. She can hear his tires screech down the road and it isn¡¯t long before he¡¯s pulling into the parking lot.


    As she slumps into the passenger seat of his car, Shin sees her holding the paper towel to her cheek and her busted forehead. ¡°You said you and Jillian were okay. What the hell happened?¡±


    ¡°I got beat up. It happens. I am okay, I just need a few stitches. It¡¯s bleeding pretty good. Just stop by the ER. They won¡¯t be that busy this time of night. I should be in and out in no time and then we can get home. I have to work in the morning so let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    Soon they¡¯re flying down the back roads toward the hospital closest to their house. It¡¯s not that close, around ten miles away, but she¡¯s not dying and the cool night air feels good against her face. The rest of her body which is still soaked with liquor likes it less. Shin keeps looking over at her instead of paying attention to the road. ¡°Try not to bleed on the car. That¡¯ll cost a fortune to get out and I don¡¯t exactly have the money.¡±


    ¡°Getting the smell of booze out isn¡¯t going to be cheap either.¡± He doesn¡¯t respond. ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that to me right now by the way. I¡¯m only bleeding here because you got yourself into this.¡±


    Shin turns to face her and she points at the road, encouraging him to turn back. ¡°I told you not to go in there! You¡¯re lucky they didn¡¯t kill you. Why¡¯d they let you go anyway?¡±


    ¡°They heard the sirens. Someone called the cops, no clue who. I thought it was you at first but I don¡¯t think the description they had was yours. At least it had better not be.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t call them. I thought about it but I was afraid that¡¯d make it worse. Whoever did it though, I¡¯m glad they did. Those guys are serious.¡±


    ¡°He made me an offer, but it was gross so I passed. Jillian said she thinks they¡¯ll leave you alone for a while if you stay around here though. They might even forget about you if you don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°You talked to her?¡± He glances at her but now he¡¯s mostly keeping his eyes on the road.


    ¡°She pulled up right before the cops showed and said she¡¯d try to keep them off you as much as she could but that¡¯d be a lot easier if you stay in Napa. I¡¯m guessing after tonight they¡¯re spooked and they won¡¯t come around here for at least a few months. Just lay low. You can stay with mom and dad too. It¡¯s not the worst thing.¡±


    He groans. ¡°I might disagree. I guess it¡¯s better than dying though. Why was she still there? I thought you were going to warn her.¡±


    ¡°I warned her. Thought she was gone until she showed back up out of nowhere and attacked me. She¡¯s the one who gave me this.¡± She points at the cut across her cheek.


    His hand covers his mouth. For a moment he puts the other on his forehead before realizing at least one needs to be on the steering wheel. ¡°She knifed you? I¡¯m so sorry. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯d do that. I¡¯d never have asked you to warn her if I thought she was going to do that.¡±


    Jia manages to laugh, though it hurts her face. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t knife me. She threw me over the bar and I crashed into a bunch of bottles. A shard of one cut me. That¡¯s also why I smell like I¡¯ve been on a three week bender. I don¡¯t think she was trying to hurt me. She told me to go with it and she went slow enough that she didn¡¯t hit me until the end, right before she took off. I think she was trying to help. Before she jumped in they were all coming at me at once and they might have killed me. The others backed off once she came at me and it was just the two of us.¡±


    Shin presses his lips together and somehow he looks more worried than before. ¡°If they figure out she helped you, they¡¯re going to kill her. We need to track her down.¡±


    Shaking her head, Jia turns to face her brother. ¡°She told us not to come after her Shin. It¡¯s not your job to save her. We don¡¯t even know that she needs saving. She¡¯s part of this. The only reason she helped me was because she¡¯s your friend.¡±


    They quietly drive for a few minutes until they near the hospital. Shin finally breaks the silence. ¡°How did she seem? You didn¡¯t beat on her bad did you?¡±


    ¡°I only hit her a few times and they were all light punches. She got me way worse than I got her. She¡¯s fine. Oh, by the way--¡± Jia reaches into her pocket and pulls out the paperwork she got. ¡°The bartender gave me this. The only records you were ever in that place so the cops won¡¯t be knocking on our door. I had to let her delete the other records to get it. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Shin snatches the paper from her and shoves it into his own pocket. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think of that. Oh shit, I don¡¯t want to go down with those assholes. Don¡¯t worry about the records. They¡¯re leaving town anyway, who cares? You¡¯re supposed to keep this area safe, right? I think getting those guys out of town counts. Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself.¡±


    As they park outside the ER, Shin stops his sister from getting out of the car. ¡°To be clear, you got no good hits on her? None in the stomach or anything like that?¡±


    ¡°No Shin, I didn¡¯t hit her in the stomach. She said not to.¡±


    He nods a few times. ¡°That¡¯s good. I really need you to help me find her. I¡¯d do it myself but apparently I need to stay around here to make sure I don¡¯t end up dead. She¡¯ll go back to San Francisco, I know it. I can tell you a couple of places to look for her.¡±


    Her cheek¡¯s burning now. ¡°Why are you so obsessed with this girl? I know she¡¯s your friend but she seems like she can handle herself. She sure punches like she can.¡± Taking in everything her brother¡¯s said in the last few minutes an epiphany hits Jia. ¡°Tell me the truth. Is she just a friend? You didn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about that Jia. Let¡¯s go in and get your face stitched up.¡±


    ¡°Oh god, you did. Shin you moron.¡±


    Crossing his arms, he looks down at the floor. ¡°I told you that I needed you to find her. I wasn¡¯t making it up.¡±

 Serenity Scale the Mountain Part 24

    Coming home to her parents bloody and bruised goes about as well as Jia would expect. Her mom mostly takes it in stride and tells her to be more careful next time. Her dad flips out after suppressing his rage for weeks. He¡¯s fed up with his daughter putting herself in this sort of danger. He actually threatens to kick her out of the house if she doesn¡¯t quit being a vigilante but her mom talks him out of it.


    About a week later her mom knocks on the door of her room to check on her. Jia¡¯s sitting at her computer doing research and trying to heal. She hasn¡¯t been out since that night. She¡¯s refused to quit but she did promise her dad she¡¯d at least take a break while she started to heal. ¡°How¡¯s your face doing?¡±


    Jia rubs at her bandage. ¡°It¡¯s alright I guess, healing. Itches like hell though.¡±


    ¡°I know the feeling. Try a cold compress on it. Trust me, it helps. A bath can be a big help too with stitches but that won¡¯t quite work on your face.¡±


    Jia¡¯s eyebrow raises. ¡°Sounds like you know from experience.¡±


    Her mom sits down on the edge of her bed behind her. She rolls her sleeve up and points at her forearm. There¡¯s a faint scar there. ¡°You see that? I got it when I tried to stop a crazy guy running around dressed like a dog. He stabbed me with fake claws.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Jia stifles a laugh. ¡°Why would anyone dress up like a dog?¡±


    ¡°Hell if I know, some people are crazy. Most of the eccentric types hung it up years ago. You used to see a lot more of them. I just wanted to check on you and let you know that when you¡¯re ready, I have a few more techniques I¡¯d like to pass on. I said you weren¡¯t ready before but I think you¡¯re getting there. I know you¡¯re still healing but we¡¯ll get to it when you¡¯re better.¡±


    ¡°That sounds awesome mom, but I might have to take a trip for a little while. Not sure yet but I¡¯m looking into some things for Shin.¡±


    ¡°Do I want to know what happened at that bar and why he was with you that night?¡±


    Jia fidgets and looks away. ¡°Probably not.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that then. Where would you be going?¡±


    ¡°Just San Francisco, maybe for a few weeks. It¡¯s not a sure thing yet, still doing some research. If I go it probably won¡¯t be for a few more weeks.¡±


    Her mom gets up and walks behind her daughter. She gives her a hug from behind. ¡°You¡¯ll be ready. I¡¯m going to make sure of it.¡±

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 1

    As the last bell of the day rings, Ryaan Asfour stands amid the cheers of his fellow students. Throwing his backpack over his shoulder, he grins at a pair of girls who wave to him across the classroom. One of the guys on the football team pats him on the back and congratulates him on his big shot last night.


    Last night was his moment. He hit the shot that won the game for Franklin Roosevelt High so his classmates have been paying attention to him all day. It¡¯s a welcome change of pace for a guy who usually makes himself heard on the court with defense and passing. It was only his third shot of the night and his first that went in but when he found himself open as the clock wound down, he had to take it. Now they¡¯re going to the playoffs which makes him a hero around school.


    Another teammate stops to congratulate him as they head out the school¡¯s front entrance. Coach gave them today off as a reward and told the team to rest up because they¡¯ll be going hard next week. They can celebrate for a moment but then they need to get ready for the school¡¯s first playoff game in sixteen years.


    It¡¯s a bit overcast and very cold for this time of year. Usually it¡¯d be starting to warm up by late March but today¡¯s just above freezing. Not the kind of day you want to walk home but he doesn¡¯t have much choice. The bus route is so nonsensical that it takes hours to get home and while his dad would usually pick him up after practice, getting out early means he¡¯s still at work. Waiting around for hours doesn¡¯t make a lot of sense and if he¡¯s not gone in the next hour someone¡¯s bound to try and get rid of him.


    He could probably use his newfound celebrity to bum a ride but he wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable doing so. He always feels embarrassed asking anyone for anything. If he wants to get home in the next couple of hours, his best option is walking. It only takes around a half hour to walk home so it shouldn¡¯t be too bad. He glances at the overcast sky, half expecting to feel a drop or two. There¡¯s nothing yet. Hopefully it stays that way. A sliver of sun was showing until a few minute¡¯s ago but it¡¯s hiding behind the clouds now.


    Almost as soon as Ryaan starts his walk he begins to feel drops bouncing off the top of his head. The cold water provides an incentive to walk faster. The news said it was going to be nice today but it really shouldn¡¯t surprise him that they were wrong. The unofficial motto of those who live in Chicago is, ¡°Don¡¯t like the weather? Wait five minutes, it¡¯ll change.¡± Some days it feels like it can be sunny and seventy one minute and snowing the next. You get used to it.


    Ryaan moved to Chicago when he was two years old. It¡¯s the only home he¡¯s ever known and he was naturalized as a citizen years ago. He was born in Iraq but his dad chose to help the US army when the invasion started. Fourteen years later Chicago¡¯s the only home he¡¯s ever known. His two little sisters showed up over the next few years and now they¡¯re a big happy American family. Or at least they would be if his mother hadn¡¯t walked out on them. He¡¯s heard from her exactly once in the last four years. A call on his birthday which lasted all of two minutes. She managed to get out a sad sounding, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± before ending the call. Since then he¡¯s tried not to spend much time thinking about her. She only crosses his mind twenty or thirty times a day at this point. Big improvement.


    Most days Ryaan feels like any other kid. His parents settled in Bridgeview because they were told there were plenty of other Middle Eastern families in the area. They were told right, he sees plenty of people who look like him.


    Despite wanting that sense of community, from the moment they arrived in the US his parents dedicated themselves to fitting in. From driving the biggest trucks, to eating the biggest steaks, to his dad packing on the most pounds, they put their old life behind them. Only English is spoken in their home. His sisters speak just a handful of Arabic words and Ryaan doesn¡¯t speak much more. They never eat food from the old country and they have almost nothing that was brought from there. His dad was even annoyed when he and his sisters starting enjoying soccer. He mumbled about Americans not liking soccer. At least until the first time they went to a game. His dad cheered as loud as anyone there.


    From the minute they stepped foot in America his family made a conscious choice that they would be Americans. Growing up Ryaan felt this deeply. In fifth grade his class was assigned a project on their heritage. He went to his mom with his list of questions as he already knew not to ask his father. Asking her didn¡¯t go much better. After making sure this was mandatory and she couldn¡¯t get him out of it, she gave the most generic answers possible. When asked what life was like in Iraq, all she said was, ¡°There was a lot of sand.¡± The look on her face told him this was the entire answer and he wasn¡¯t getting more. He ended up getting a B.


    The one connection to their culture they didn¡¯t lose was religion. His parents could walk away from the art and the language and the food but they wouldn¡¯t give up their god. For many years they were regulars at the local mosque. That ended when his mom left. His dad wasn¡¯t willing to make the effort. Ryaan still could have found a way to get there if he wanted to and sometimes he thinks about doing so. Life is full though. He¡¯s a sixteen year old kid who plays sports, hangs out with friends, tries to do well in school and has so much going on that he never seems to have free time. At this point he can¡¯t even think of the last time he went.


    The rain¡¯s really starting to pick up intensity. Making his way through his normally peaceful neighborhood, he can feel tension in the streets. People walk quickly and lock their doors behind them.


    Most of the time Ryaan feels as American as anyone. His favorite dessert is even apple pie. Sometimes though he gets a look from some random person in the street. Someone who won¡¯t stop staring. He knows he gets it easy compared to a lot of others in the area because he¡¯s wearing a jersey and a pair of Jordans. That doesn¡¯t prevent the occasional, ¡°Oh god, you¡¯re going to kill my family,¡± look from someone. It makes him feel small. Like no matter what his family did to get here wasn¡¯t enough and they¡¯ll never be accepted.


    Those looks have been more common since the election of President Richard Hughes. The man ran on an anti-immigration and anti-minority platform and managed to get elected. That doesn¡¯t help immigrant families feel welcome. Ryaan¡¯s tried to remain positive. Initially he was even excited about the Vigilantes Making Us Safe Act passing. It promised to empower everyday citizens and he figured that could be a good thing. He¡¯s grown up reading about the vigilantes in the war and seeing the exploits of the rare modern day vigilante on TV. He always thought they were cool. So far, the act hasn¡¯t lived up to the legends.


    Chicago has gone from zero remaining vigilantes to over five hundred in a couple of months. If they all had altruistic intentions that would have gone a long way towards preventing crime and solving the ones that still happen.


    Instead it seems their lives have gotten more dangerous. Many of those who signed up have no interest in protecting anybody. These people love bothering anyone walking down the street. The browner the better. So far he¡¯s gotten away with only a few taunts. He¡¯s heard others receive far worse. One friend at school told him how her neighbor was beaten within an inch of his life. In an area well known for safety and escaping from the violence that permeates other parts of the city, it has become normal to hear a few gunshots in the distance. It always feels like they¡¯re right outside his door every time he hears them.


    Putting in his earbuds he starts listening to music to pump himself up. He mostly sticks to classic rock, the older the better. It gets in his head and gives him confidence in a way no other music can. Most of his classmates only listen to hip hop and that can definitely get the blood flowing but he¡¯d rather go with something that makes the hair on his arms stand on end.


    The music distracts him so much that he almost walks by it. Two men are following a couple he¡¯s known for years. They¡¯re not close friends but they go to the same mosque he used to attend. He¡¯s seen them around. They¡¯re a fairly young pair, probably in their 30s. They¡¯re fairly light skinned and probably wouldn¡¯t be noticed walking down the street except the wife wears a headscarf. Apparently that¡¯s all it takes as these two men, openly carrying shotguns, are following about ten feet behind them yelling one slur after another.


    There¡¯s a part of him that wants to look away but he can¡¯t. Following close behind, he turns his music off so he can hear everything they¡¯re saying. He tries to balance being able to hear with keeping a safe distance on the opposite side of the road. Block after block the couple try to ignore the men and continue to wherever they¡¯re going. They¡¯re walking fast but they¡¯re smart enough not to run. For some people this would get old and they¡¯d give up their pursuit. Not these two.


    Both are white guys with short, cropped hair. They¡¯re wearing a combination of leather clothing so garish it looks like a biker had a wet dream all over them. For some reason they¡¯re wearing aviator goggles. Maybe they think it makes them look cool. It doesn¡¯t.


    Most days they would just seem like a couple of guys with really bad fashion sense. Today isn¡¯t most days as each has a shotgun in their hands that they seem to take a great deal of pride in. The one on the left, who is absolutely huge, seems to be actively stroking his.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Something in Ryaan¡¯s gut says to run, these guys are trouble and he shouldn¡¯t get involved. There¡¯s another part of him that knows he needs to stay. If something happens here there needs to be a witness. He¡¯s never been afraid to take a risk so he decides to listen to the second part.


    The taunts continue but finally the husband has enough. He turns to face his stalkers but even in his anger he manages to keep calm. ¡°Please sirs, we¡¯re just walking home from a friend¡¯s house. I apologize if we¡¯ve done anything to upset you.¡±


    Ryaan¡¯s blood starts to boil. One thing he can¡¯t stand is when people who¡¯ve done nothing wrong apologize. As if their very act of being is something they should be sorry for. He understands the danger of the moment but he wants to get mad, to scream and shout at these lunatics. He doesn¡¯t want to say anything that will make them think what they¡¯re doing is okay or somehow righteous.


    The smaller of the two men loses it laughing. ¡°Oh, oh, he¡¯s sorry Billy.¡±


    The bigger man, apparently named Billy, smirks. ¡°We don¡¯t like sorry people in this neighborhood. Why don¡¯t you tell us what you¡¯re sorry about? Maybe then we can let you folks go on your way. Maybe.¡±


    The two idiots may not be as dumb as they look. The husband gets a look on his face of total confusion. He¡¯s at a complete loss for words. He just apologized. How can he now say there was nothing to apologize for? Because he hasn¡¯t done anything though, what can he apologize for? There doesn¡¯t seem to be a good answer.


    The shorter of the two men gets in the husband¡¯s face. ¡°Duh, duh, duh. I don¡¯t think this one has anything to say. If you¡¯re sorry for something in my neighborhood, I need to know. We have people here who need to be safe, you understand. People I need to keep safe. So we¡¯re not going anywhere until you let us know just why you¡¯re sorry.¡±


    The man¡¯s wife is shaking now, practically in tears. Somehow he¡¯s managing to keep it together but only barely. ¡°I am so sorry if I bothered you is all I mean.¡±


    ¡°You know, I do feel pretty bothered. Why would you bother me? What possible reason could you have for bothering me here in my city, on my streets? That¡¯s not very considerate.¡±


    The man lets out another quiet apology, seemingly not knowing what to do other than keep saying he¡¯s sorry. That doesn¡¯t seem to be getting him anywhere. Billy has another idea. ¡°If you¡¯re really so sorry, why don¡¯t you say it with a kiss. A nice kiss.¡±


    The man looks incredulous. ¡°A kiss? I don¡¯t usually give kisses to anyone but my wife,¡± he says with almost a laugh, perhaps hoping to put the two men at ease. It definitely doesn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Kiss us? What do you take us for? Some kind of faggots? Fuck you. You ain¡¯t getting your slimy lips anywhere near us. Now this lady here though,¡± he says, stroking his gun as he does so, ¡°you can kiss her if you really want to make it up to us. Right on her open lips. You know though, no one likes a cold fish. Let me warm her up for you.¡±


    With that he aims his gun into the air and fires. The wife screams and her husband clutches her to him. He starts to tell her it¡¯s going to be okay, although the shaking in his entire body betrays that he doesn¡¯t believe it. He just keeps telling her he¡¯s going to make sure it¡¯s okay.


    There¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to do what they said is there? These jerks might just pull the trigger to be funny. He hasn¡¯t done anything. Ryaan finds himself screaming inside his head to stop this. ¡°No, no, no, no,¡± he says over and over. Suddenly he realizes that he¡¯s not in his head. He¡¯s screaming out loud and moving in the direction of the group. What¡¯s he doing? This is crazy. These guys have guns and don¡¯t seem afraid to use them. Does he have a death wish? By the time he finishes processing all of this he¡¯s on the opposite side of the street and only around ten feet from the men. It¡¯s at that point where his legs freeze.


    The men stare at him in surprise. Usually in this area people ignore them and let them give people shit. This kid wants to get in the middle? They¡¯ll have to teach him a lesson.


    Billy looks at his shorter friend. ¡°You ever see anything like that Jimmy?¡±


    The short man, apparently named Jimmy, takes a moment to respond. ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have Billy. Kids should mind their own business. Unless maybe they have a guilty conscience. What makes you get in the middle of this boy? Why don¡¯t you come a little closer and say no to my face?¡±


    Ryaan doesn¡¯t move. He finds himself completely frozen in place. Despite this, he notices the two men have given him their full attention. The couple are still standing there holding each other but the men don¡¯t seem to notice them. They start to slowly back away. Ryaan tries to use his eyes to gesture to them to get out of here. No point in them standing around. At least maybe they won¡¯t all die today. After managing to creep about ten feet there¡¯s an alleyway and the two of them dip into it. Ryaan hopes now that they¡¯re out of sight they¡¯ll start to run. Maybe they¡¯ll even send help. Not that it¡¯ll do a lot of good. What these two are doing is legal now. Still, maybe a cop showing up will get them to calm down and let him go.


    The two men don¡¯t seem to notice their original prey¡¯s gone. They¡¯re like moths to a flame, not noticing anything around them except whatever has their immediate attention. They start circling Ryaan. What has he gotten himself into? Why did he follow these idiots? He could be almost home by now. It won¡¯t be long until his dad gets home and starts to worry. He promised his sisters Nadia and Lana that he¡¯d help them work on their jump shots tonight. He can¡¯t do that if he¡¯s dead.


    A part of him wants to drop to his knees and beg. He thought he was so awesome and couldn¡¯t believe what the couple were about to do in order to try and protect themselves. Now he finds himself willing to do anything they would have and more to get home to his family.


    Jimmy gets right in Ryaan¡¯s face and looks him in the eyes. ¡°Not so tough now, huh? Maybe it¡¯s best to stay out of the way of people who are doing their jobs. This had nothing to do with you but it sure as shit does now.¡±


    Ryaan struggles to express his anger. ¡°What did they do to you? Why did you need to bother them? I know them. They¡¯re nice people. They¡¯ve lived here for years. They¡¯re just trying to walk home and they have to kiss a gun? What kind of craziness is that?¡± Once the words start flowing, they don¡¯t stop. They flow out of Ryaan as if he¡¯s puking his guts out.


    Jimmy seems to finally realize the couple are gone and scowls. ¡°We¡¯re appointed by the government. We¡¯re allowed to do what we want to protect this community. I have to protect my home from people who put us in danger. Those two were suspicious. That¡¯s all you need to know. If they hurt someone that¡¯s on you kid. You got involved in something you shouldn¡¯t have. I think we need to make you pay for it.¡±


    Billy points his gun right at Ryaan¡¯s face. Staring down the barrel of a shotgun is a new experience but one he¡¯s pretty sure he could have happily gone his whole life without experiencing. Slowly it inches closer and closer to him. As it touches his forehead he can feel the barrel is still warm from the shot into the air.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you a fair shot,¡± Jimmy says. ¡°I¡¯m going to pick a number between one and ten. You¡¯re going to guess that number. If you pick any of the other nine numbers, we¡¯ll let you go and be on our way. If you pick the number I¡¯m thinking of though my friend here is going to put a nice sized hole in your head.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Ryaan puts his hands together. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything wrong. Vigilantes aren¡¯t allowed to hurt innocent people. You have to have a reason to think people are in danger. How am I a danger?¡±


    ¡°Innocent? You came rushing at us screaming while we were doing our jobs. Witnesses will agree with that. We thought you reached into your bag for a gun and we did what we had to do. That¡¯s good enough.¡±


    Realizing he doesn¡¯t have a way out and they may actually be serious, Ryaan¡¯s legs start to tremble. He doesn¡¯t want to die here but it¡¯s starting to look like he may not make it home. The barrel pushes into his head a little harder while Jimmy tells him to pick. When he refuses, he¡¯s informed that refusing to pick will be treated as if he picked the wrong number. ¡°You have a ninety percent chance kid. That¡¯s better than a lot of us get. Just pick a number and live with whatever it is. Or, you know, don¡¯t live with it, depending.¡±


    That gets Jimmy laughing again but Ryaan feels like crying. After trying to stall as long as he can and realizing no one¡¯s coming to help, Ryaan picks the first number that pops into his head. ¡°Nine.¡±


    Jimmy stares at him for a minute and his eyes go cold. ¡°Bad choice kid.¡± A cry forces it¡¯s way out of Ryaan¡¯s throat. He tries to think of some final protest but Jimmy bursts out laughing. ¡°I¡¯m just shittin ya, stupid kid. That wasn¡¯t the number. If it¡¯d been the number you¡¯d never have known it.¡± He turns toward Billy. ¡°Now let¡¯s show him what we think of stupid kids.¡±


    Before he can process that he isn¡¯t about to die, Billy takes the shotgun from his head and drives it into his gut. Ryaan doubles over in pain but manages to stay on his feet. Jimmy circles behind him and kicks him in the back of the knee. It buckles and he finds himself falling forward where he takes a kick right in the stomach from one of the men. At this point he doesn¡¯t know who¡¯s doing what. He¡¯s getting kicked, hit with the end of the shotgun and just generally hurt. It doesn¡¯t last that long. Ten or fifteen seconds, but it seems longer. They avoid the face. Probably don¡¯t want to leave evidence of the beating they¡¯re giving. Hard to explain why you felt the need to kick the crap out of someone but didn¡¯t feel the need to bring them in or take any further action against them.


    When they finally finish Ryaan¡¯s lying on the ground clutching his stomach. He doesn¡¯t think anything is broken but everything hurts. Jimmy comes over and gets down on one knee as close to Ryaan¡¯s face as he can. Ryaan can smell the tobacco on his attacker¡¯s breath. ¡°Remember this the next time you think about interfering with the Goggle Guys.¡±


    Ryaan can¡¯t stop himself from bursting into laughter but he¡¯s still not processing things well and it sounds more like a cry. That¡¯s what these idiots seem to want to hear as they get up and walk away. There¡¯s a look of satisfaction on their faces. The pain they¡¯ve put him in tells him they aren¡¯t complete jokes. He knows it shouldn¡¯t be funny, especially right now. He can¡¯t help it though. They¡¯re two grown adults who have to be at least forty years old. Yet they¡¯re walking around in ridiculous outfits calling themselves the Goggle Guys.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 2

    After laying on the sidewalk in the pouring rain for what feels like an eternity but is probably only a few minutes, Ryaan Asfour pulls himself into a sitting position and pushes himself against the side of the building he was attacked in front of. A woman passing by who didn¡¯t see the attack notices him and is kind enough to ask if he¡¯s okay. He manages a nod and to mouth thank you but words still aren¡¯t coming. After a few more minutes he pulls himself to his feet. It¡¯s really pouring now and he¡¯s being soaked to the bone. He¡¯s shivering at this point. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone, he¡¯s glad to see it¡¯s still in one piece. Even his earbuds are okay since they stayed away from his head. If this weren¡¯t one of the most unlucky days of his life he might say it¡¯s his lucky day.


    He puts all his things into his backpack, wanting to avoid them getting any wetter than they already are. He hopes they aren¡¯t already damaged from the rain. They seem okay. As wet as he¡¯s getting and as bruised as he is, he still needs to get home before his dad. Taking one last glance at his phone he realizes it¡¯s already a quarter after four and his dad will have gotten off work by now. If he hurries he can probably still beat him home. He needs to try.


    Walking in the rain, nursing his sore body, he starts to worry. He has practice Monday and their first playoff game is next week. He hurts all over and he worries this will stop him from playing. He doesn¡¯t think anything¡¯s seriously hurt. He¡¯ll probably be okay, though he may not feel great running up and down the court for forty minutes.


    How are men like these being allowed to effectively act as judge, jury and if they want to be executioner? Those men could have killed him and even that probably wouldn¡¯t have stopped them from walking the streets. They¡¯d have just made up an excuse. For a program where everyone is a volunteer and there are almost no requirements, vigilantes are being given an absurd degree of autonomy. They can do anything without worry. They¡¯re basically authorized gangsters. He feels ashamed that when he first heard about this program he was excited for it. This is a nightmare. Is it the same throughout the entire country?


    There have to be good vigilantes out there, right? Those who can make a difference with this power. Those who might even stand up to the jerks. He thinks of how he might have stopped them himself if he¡¯d been prepared. When his mother was younger she was a knife thrower in a circus. She could throw with such precision that she could hit an ant on the other side of a basketball court, or at least come pretty close.


    She taught him and his sisters in their free time. Lana and Nadia never put much into it and then mom took off before they really picked it up but Ryaan loved it. He got really good really fast. His mother said he was almost as good as her which made him so proud. A few knives in his coat and he could have put these guys down before they got started. Hits in the right places and they drop the guns and aren¡¯t seriously hurt. He doesn¡¯t walk around carrying knifes though. School tends to frown upon that.


    He¡¯s also good with a bow staff. Not great, but his dad trained in karate when he was younger and one of the few things he brought with him to the US when they immigrated was his pack of staffs. A few years ago Ryaan stumbled upon them stashed in the attic and was transfixed. He starting playing with them until his dad caught him and chastised him that they weren¡¯t toys, they¡¯re weapons to be treated seriously. Ryaan apologized and asked his dad to teach him. He was informed they were a part of a martial art and he needed to learn that first. That sounded boring but Ryaan persisted and finally his dad gave in and taught him how to use the staffs.


    They trained for weeks and he got to the point where he didn¡¯t get immediately disarmed every time which felt like progress. He got pretty good with the staff actually, though nowhere near as good as his dad.


    Can he use these to protect people? A crazy thought. He¡¯s only 16 and one of the few rules of VMUS is that you have to be at least 18. He¡¯s almost 17 though and maybe he can find a way around it. Or even be a vigilante without registering. He heard the only punishment if you aren¡¯t registered and get caught being a vigilante is they make you register. Seems like a pretty sweet deal but he doesn¡¯t have a clue how that would work for a minor who can¡¯t then register. Maybe it¡¯d be fine. Maybe they throw him in juvie and lose the keys. Maybe his dad would be ashamed of him.


    It¡¯s an exciting idea. Someone in this neighborhood has to protect them from people like, and at the thought of this name he practically bursts with laughter again, the Goggle Guys. There¡¯s sure to be other jerks just like them around the area. They have guns which is scary to think about when he¡¯d have a staff. He doesn¡¯t want it to be afraid though. He¡¯s pretty sure if he¡¯d been prepared he could have stopped those two idiots without them coming close to pulling the trigger.


    Thinking something and knowing it are two different things. If he¡¯s right that¡¯s great but if he¡¯s wrong he could have easily ended up with a big hole in his head. Dealing with their garbage sucked but at least he¡¯s alive. So are the couple he helped get away for that matter. Maybe everything worked out as well as it could have.


    There¡¯s a part of him that refuses to believe that. This is America. Where everyone is supposed to get a fair break. People shouldn¡¯t be harassed on their way home from visiting a friend. They shouldn¡¯t be beaten for standing against that, for saying it¡¯s wrong. Someone needs to do something. If he won¡¯t then who will? There doesn¡¯t seem to be a line around the block of people who want to stand up and fight. Most people seem to either be cheering this on or they¡¯re so scared they aren¡¯t willing to do anything.


    Rounding the corner onto his street, Ryaan sees his house ahead. He lets out a sigh of relief. As he walks up the steps to the house, he knows he needs to be cautious. Dad¡¯s car isn¡¯t parked outside so he isn¡¯t home yet but his sisters school bus will have dropped them off by now and the lights inside confirm they¡¯re here. Both are in middle school and their school is further away so they have no choice but to get the bus.


    With how things are going he¡¯s glad they do. It¡¯s bad enough that anyone has to deal with maniacs who want to hurt them. The idea of his sisters doing so fills him with a level of rage he sets aside only to avoid screaming. He needs to sneak upstairs to his room and get changed without being noticed. He also needs to grab a shower. He¡¯s filthy and that will give him an excuse for why he¡¯s drenched other than having laid on the ground in the rain after being beaten up.


    Going in the side door he can hear his sisters in the living room. The TV¡¯s on and they¡¯re watching some cartoon they watch every day. He¡¯s tried to watch with them a few times but the whole thing just seems confusing. Their distraction as an opportunity to quietly close the door and make his way to the stairs. Better they don¡¯t know he¡¯s home until he¡¯s cleaned up. He manages to sneak upstairs before closing himself in his room. Seeing his bed, he wants to fall into it head first and sleep for a week but he knows he isn¡¯t out of the woods yet.


    Tearing off his drenched clothes, Ryaan grabs a towel and a dry set of clothing. He slips into the bathroom and starts the shower. This will alert his sisters that he¡¯s home so he makes sure to lock the door.


    Looking at himself in the mirror, he cringes at the sight of the bruises starting to cover most of his body. He looks like he has spots. If they look this bad when they¡¯re just starting to form, he doesn¡¯t want to think about what they¡¯ll look like tomorrow. He considers going to a doctor but he¡¯s fairly sure he¡¯s going to be okay. At least he hopes he will be. A trip to the emergency room would be hard to hide.


    Standing under the pounding stream of water, he feels a small measure of relief on his aching body. He turns the heat almost all the way up and stands there for a long time, trying to clear his head. Was he serious about wanting to fight these guys or was that just the pain talking? He knows he¡¯s right; someone needs to stop these guys but he¡¯s pretty sure it doesn¡¯t have to be him. Someone more experienced would make more sense. If that person existed. There¡¯s no evidence someone¡¯s coming to save the day though and a big part of him wants to be that person.


    Apparently his sisters didn¡¯t find his being home interesting. He¡¯s able to stand in the shower for a long time without anyone knocking at the door or bothering him. Suddenly he hears a banging which is too loud to be either of the girls. ¡°Hurry up in there,¡± he hears his dad say. ¡°You¡¯ll use up all the hot water. I just got home from work. I need to clean up.¡±


    Ryaan promises to be out in a few minutes. Turning off the water, he jumps out of the shower and searches for his towel. Drying off as fast as he can, he gets dressed right in the bathroom. He hopes no one notices. It wouldn¡¯t do for his dad to see him walking to his room with only a towel. There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t notice the bruises.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Exiting the bathroom he¡¯s relieved to see no one in sight. Heading back to his bedroom, he yells out that the bathroom is open before closing his door behind him. A few minutes later he hears the bathroom door close again and the shower turns back on. His dad works construction and most days comes home covered in grime. Showering is the first thing he does after picking Ryaan up from practice.


    Knowing this will take his dad at least twenty minutes, Ryaan decides to do a bit of exploring. He leaves his room and heads to their basement. There¡¯s one thing in particular he¡¯s looking for. Finding a dimly lit room with a ton of boxes, he starts searching for his mom¡¯s stuff.


    After she took off his dad didn¡¯t want to stumble onto the things she left behind every day. Instead he moved all her stuff down here. Ryaan knows where to start but there¡¯s a lot of boxes and he¡¯s looking for one small wooden one in particular. It takes so long to find that he starts doubting it¡¯s here but eventually he spots the box and in a rush of excitement opens it.


    Inside he finds six beautiful curved throwing knives. He¡¯s practiced with them before and he knows how to maintain them as well as how to sharpen them. They¡¯re fantastic pieces and if he decides to do this they¡¯ll serve him well.


    He¡¯d love to look at his dad¡¯s bow staffs but those are closed in his dad¡¯s room. He can¡¯t take them. His dad would notice almost immediately if one were missing or if one of them were damaged. He has another idea. Sneaking back to his room with the box of knives, he slides them under his bed. Sitting at his laptop, he runs a Google search for bow staffs. He finds many for sale at reasonable prices. He¡¯s immediately drawn to some cool looking collapsible models. If he¡¯s running around town with these things, having one he can slip into his bag so it won¡¯t get in his way would definitely be nice. His dad would never use anything but a full size ceremonial staff but his dad doesn¡¯t use his for anything practical.


    Ryaan finds a site selling the model he likes for a hundred bucks each and they¡¯re running a buy one get one half off sale. He still has a fair amount of money from his summer job and he decides having a backup is a good idea so he orders a pair of them. Looking at the various designs, he orders them in green as that¡¯s his favorite color.


    He still hasn¡¯t made up his mind about trying to be a vigilante but he reasons that even if he decides going forward with this is too crazy, they¡¯ll still be good for practicing. His father won¡¯t let him touch his unless he¡¯s there to actively supervise so that limits how much he can practice without a staff of his own.


    After putting his order in Ryaan falls back on his bed and lets his head hit the pillows. Laying there at least some of the pain drifts away. Ryaan isn¡¯t far behind as he too starts to drift off. The next thing he knows there¡¯s a knock on his door. Rousing himself, he asks who it is. In reply he hears only, ¡°Us,¡± from two separate voices.


    Groaning he glances at the clock. He fell asleep for almost an hour. He tells his sisters to come in and two bubbly girls come bouncing into his bedroom and start jumping on his bed. Nadia tackles him which brings the pain right back. He groans and rolls her off which gets another giggle. He knows why they¡¯re here. His promise last night. Today is definitely not the day to keep that promise.


    Nadia¡¯s tall for her age and already one of the stars of her middle school basketball team. She¡¯ll be entering high school next year though and she wants to stay ahead of the curve. She¡¯s made it her goal to make the varsity team as a freshman. Ryaan¡¯s tried to tell her no one makes varsity as a freshman but that hasn¡¯t deterred her. She¡¯s already on pace to be better than Ryaan ever has been but he still has a few tricks up his sleeve that help him beat her. Most of the time.


    Lana¡¯s younger and short even for her age. She tried out for the team this year but didn¡¯t make it. It¡¯s her first year of middle school so she wasn¡¯t too upset. The only part that bummed her out was that missing this year means she missed her chance to be on the team with her sister. She won¡¯t get that chance again for three years. She¡¯s been working her butt off to make sure she doesn¡¯t miss again next year.


    Lana¡¯s a bit of a geek and spends a lot of her time playing Minecraft and watching Youtube videos. She has tons of friends who are always over to the house on the weekend, being loud and running around. They drive their dad crazy. Nadia doesn¡¯t fit into any box. She¡¯s neither popular or unpopular. She¡¯s quiet and reserved and only has a couple of close friends but they¡¯ve been her friends since elementary school. If not for being good at basketball she¡¯s the kind of girl a school could forget exists. Ryaan sees the humor behind her eyes though. She reminds him a lot of himself.


    Lana jumps up and down. ¡°Come on, come on! You promised to help us with our shots today. We need to practice.¡±


    She¡¯s grabbing at Ryaan¡¯s arm and trying to tug him off his bed. He barely resists and can¡¯t break his little sister¡¯s grip on his arm. Nadia¡¯s just grinning and waiting for a reaction. ¡°Sorry to disappoint little sisters,¡± he says, ¡°but I slipped and fell at school today and hurt my back. I¡¯m super sore. If you just want me to watch and give you some pointers I can do that after dinner. Otherwise we really need to wait until tomorrow or maybe even Sunday.¡±


    Pouts form on both girls¡¯ faces and they¡¯re clearly upset. He hates doing that to them. Ever since their mom left he¡¯s spent a lot of time helping his dad take care of them. Dad works a lot so until he gets home it¡¯s Ryaan¡¯s show. He has to make sure they get off to school in the morning and get breakfast. They¡¯re supposed to do their homework the night before but he has to check to make sure it¡¯s done. He¡¯s protective of them and while he knows they¡¯re able to take care of themselves at this point, he doesn¡¯t mind doing some of the work. While he doesn¡¯t like to disappoint them, he doesn¡¯t see how he can get jumpers up at the moment. Besides, if the goal is for them to copy his form, no form he¡¯s going to have right now is worth copying.


    He escorts them out of his room with promises to at least watch them shoot after dinner. They seem a little less sad and he promises he¡¯ll make it up to them. Closing the bedroom door, he pulls up his email to see the staffs already shipped. He didn¡¯t spring for expedited shipping but he¡¯ll have them in 3-5 business days.


    He starts looking up throwing knives. He has his mom¡¯s and a part of him wants to not care about anything she left behind. There¡¯s another part of him that knows if he loses one of her knives he¡¯s going to feel dumb and regret it. They can possibly be backups but he should get a set of his own. He¡¯s surprised to find some nice sets relatively cheap. For just $36.00 he can get a nice set of 9 with a holster that can wrap around his leg so they stay hidden. It seems perfect and it¡¯s a great price so he puts an order in. He¡¯s even happier to see that he gets two day shipping on these. They¡¯ll probably get here before the staff.


    Remembering some homework he has to get done, Ryaan pulls out the book he needs to read for English class and digs in. He stops only when he hears his dad call that it¡¯s time for dinner.


    Coming downstairs, he instantly notices the aroma of pizza. His dad apparently decided to order in tonight which is fine with him. He¡¯ll have gotten their standard cheese pizza. Most of the other popular pizza toppings aren¡¯t an option for them.


    Sitting down to dinner his sisters immediately break into stories about their day. Nadia tells them about a test she got a perfect score on and Lana talks about having spaghetti for lunch and how her friend wouldn¡¯t eat it because she said it reminded her of worms. When asked about his day Ryaan only talks about the first part; how everyone was congratulating him on his shot and he was the talk of the school. His dad nods proudly and tells him it was a great shot.


    One nice thing about his dad¡¯s job is that they finish by four every afternoon. That means he¡¯s always home at night for dinner and he can make it to their various school events, whether it be a game, a concert, or a play. The only time he misses anything is when more than one of them has something going on the same night. He hasn¡¯t missed a game in forever and Ryaan knows he¡¯ll be at his big game next week.


    Their dad tells them about his day as well. They were working on putting up a new building downtown. First they had to tear down the old building which they finished the week before. Now they¡¯re starting on the foundation for the replacement.


    It¡¯s surprisingly Nadia who brings it up. She says that an hour or so earlier she got a call from her friend Violet who told her that her Arab neighbors were chased by a couple of vigilantes. They threatened them and tried to make them kiss their gun. Someone saved them but they¡¯re terrified.


    Ryaan¡¯s relieved not to hear his name. Apparently the couple didn¡¯t recognize him. That¡¯s not a huge surprise. He hasn¡¯t spent much time around them in years and he¡¯s much older now. It¡¯s good to hear they got home okay. He takes pride in that. He didn¡¯t do a perfect job by any means and it went terribly but at least in part due to his actions two people in danger made it home safe. That¡¯s a feeling he kind of likes. It¡¯s one he wants to feel again.


    Dad interrupts Nadia¡¯s story. ¡°Don¡¯t share stories like that Nadia. I¡¯m sure everyone is doing the best that they can. Who knows what might have happened.¡±


    Ryaan finds himself filled with rage. He¡¯s angrier than he was when he saw those men abusing their power. It¡¯s one thing when terrible people are willing to do terrible things. That¡¯s infuriating but what can you expect from terrible people? To hear his own father won¡¯t take a stand against this though? This is a man who risked his family and his life to try and get his country out of the hands of a dictator. He¡¯s one of the bravest men Ryaan has ever met. If even men like his father won¡¯t stand up, then someone else will have to do it. It seems that has to be him.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 3

    Ryaan waits impatiently for the bell to ring while his teacher drones on about the history of the American southwest. Multiple students raise their hands to ask questions about the Alamo but Ryaan stares into space, occasionally glancing at the time on his phone. He has multiple classes left today but after this period ends he has something planned that¡¯s way more important than class. He¡¯s meeting Gillian Brent to pick up the key to his new project.


    Since a couple of armed vigilantes calling themselves the Goggle Guys beat the crap out of him on his way home last week, Ryaan¡¯s felt a raging desire to do something about these morons. To do something to them. It¡¯s more than a desire really, it¡¯s a need.


    Random people shouldn¡¯t be able to put on a costume, give themselves an awful name, and parade around in the street enforcing their own brand of justice. President Hughes pushed the Vigilantes Making Us Safe Act, or VMUS, through congress last month and now that¡¯s exactly what they can do. Everything¡¯s topsy turvy. People can come into your neighborhood and do whatever they want. As long as they say you were a threat they can even kill you with no repercussions. They don¡¯t have to prove it, they just have to believe it. He saw these guys harassing a family and tried to help. That ended with him bleeding and bruised on the sidewalk.


    The bell rings and the teacher announces they¡¯re free to go. There¡¯s only five minutes between periods so he¡¯ll need to make every second count. His next class is in the opposite direction of the hallway he knows Gillian will be working out of this time of day. She keeps a regular routine. Says it¡¯s good for business.


    There¡¯s so many kids packed in the hall that most of them blend together into a generic blob. Not Gillian. She¡¯s a junior with long brown hair, glasses, and what can only be described as an eclectic wardrobe. Despite not necessarily fitting the mold you¡¯d expect a popular girl to fill, she has lots of friends and gets along with pretty much everybody in school. That has a lot to do with the service she provides. Seeing her tie-dyed hoodie through the crowd, Ryaan casually falls into step beside her.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Not knowing how to best broach the subject, he decides for the direct approach. ¡°So I kind of need a fake ID. How much is that going to cost and when can you have it ready?¡±


    Gillian isn¡¯t easily surprised by her customers or by random classmates approaching her, but this one gives her a shock. ¡°You Mr. Big Shot? What do you need a fake ID for? Hoping to go pro quicker?¡±


    ¡°I should have the money, I just need to know how much it¡¯s going to be. I don¡¯t have long until my next class.¡±


    Gillian¡¯s used to getting answers when she asks questions but decides to let it go. ¡°This won¡¯t take long. I need $150.00 and a picture but that¡¯ll take a couple weeks. I can have it done in a couple days but if you want it fast it¡¯s an extra $50.00.¡±


    Reaching into his back pocket, Ryaan pulls out his wallet. He slips her four $50.00 bills along with a wallet sized copy of last year¡¯s school picture. He thought ahead.


    ¡°You move fast,¡± she says, making sure the money¡¯s all there. ¡°I¡¯ll have it in two days. Meet me here at the same time and I¡¯ll pass it to you. How old do you want to be?¡±


    ¡°Nineteen?¡±


    ¡°Different.¡± She looks him up and down. ¡°I think you can pull that off. Any thoughts on the name or do you want to keep your name? You know what, I¡¯ll decide.¡±


    Gillian drifts into the crowd before Ryaan can say anything else. She never spends long with anyone here at school which is why after being the go to for fake IDs for three years running, she still hasn¡¯t been caught. That¡¯s not for lack of trying. Her locker and bag have been searched five times this year alone and they haven¡¯t found a thing. Girl is smooth, he¡¯ll give her that.


    Ryaan turns toward his next class. Just a few more periods until the day¡¯s over and he can head to basketball practice. It¡¯s the day before their big playoff game and his nerves are on edge. Everyone expects huge things after he hit the game winner to get them into the playoffs. His game has never been about scoring though. He thrives on setting his teammates up and playing defense. He can hit an open shot and he scores now and then but if they lose and he doesn¡¯t score a bunch of points, he feels like he¡¯ll take the blame. He knows he has to give it everything he has.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 4

    By the end of basketball practice Ryaan Asfour¡¯s completely drained. He¡¯s glad his dad agreed to pick him up tonight. After the beating he took, practice has been a challenge all week. Part of him wants to use the pain as an excuse to spend a few days in the trainer¡¯s office. The days off would be nice and the trainer¡¯s just out of college and pretty cute.


    Ultimately that isn¡¯t an option. He¡¯s afraid she¡¯ll ask about his bruises and he doesn¡¯t want weird questions about his home life coming up. He also doesn¡¯t want them calling his dad to tell him about the bruises. He¡¯s ashamed he couldn¡¯t handle himself and doesn¡¯t want his dad poking into the vigilante thing. He might figure out what Ryaan has planned.


    Dad¡¯s all smiles tonight, talking about the progress on the new building he¡¯s been working on. He¡¯s in construction and they just started a new project. There¡¯s no better way to ensure he¡¯ll be in a good mood than to make sure he has a good day at work.


    Driving home his dad plays an old Rolling Stones album. Ryaan definitely got his taste in music from his dad. They talk about school and the big game tomorrow. His dad¡¯s hyped up, he never misses a game. His sisters will be coming too. They used to attend all his games but in high school they run later and lately his dad¡¯s been leaving his youngest sister Lana at home with a babysitter. Not for a game this big.


    More and more pressure keeps getting piled on this game. He tells his dad how terrible practice went. He defended but couldn¡¯t make an open shot to save his life. He also seemed to have butterfingers and was turning the ball over left and right. It was a disaster. His dad tries to cheer him up, saying he¡¯s getting the butterflies out now so they aren¡¯t an issue tomorrow. It doesn¡¯t work but he appreciates the effort.


    As they pull into their driveway Ryaan sees lights on in the front room. His sisters are already home. Hopefully dinner¡¯s ready. After a practice like tonight he¡¯s starving. His dad orders in a lot but sometimes the girls cook. On the weekend Ryaan takes turns as well but he gets home later during the week and none of them want to eat right before bed. Sometimes their dad cooks but they¡¯ve all asked him not to.


    Before their mom left you¡¯d never have caught him standing over a stove but he does it regularly now. If only he could learn to cook food they want to eat. Most of the time his meals look like food. They just don¡¯t taste like it. They¡¯ve all pointed out they¡¯re fine handling the food but he insists his kids won¡¯t do all their own cooking.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Walking in the door Ryaan can already smell something good coming from the kitchen. They find Nadia standing over a pan of cheesy chicken and rice. That¡¯s one of her go to meals; something she makes at least once a week. It tastes good, it¡¯s easy to make and she can get it done quick. Ryaan does an internal fist pump. Tonight they eat food that tastes good.


    The only person who seems to like their dad¡¯s cooking is their dad. It still puzzles Ryaan how he can eat his own cooking, then eat Nadia¡¯s meals or take out, and decide he¡¯s made something good. Most nights the food¡¯s edible, though there are exceptions, but nothing he makes has any flavor. He¡¯s not good at following directions so a lot of times his food ends up with a weird texture. Apparently he has no problem eating chicken that feels like flavorless rubber.


    Gathering around the kitchen table their dad starts dishing bowls of the rice mixture. Ryaan asks his little sisters about their day. They can¡¯t wait to talk about school and what they had for lunch, typical stuff. Before long Nadia brings up her friend Violet who she saw at school today. Apparently she won¡¯t stop talking about the scary incident with the vigilantes.


    Violet¡¯s neighbors were the couple Ryaan rescued from the Goggle Guys. They went to the police who informed them the vigilantes had full discretion to interview people and there wasn¡¯t much to be done. The police offered to arrange a sit down with the vigilantes but the idea of being in a room with those men terrified them. They high tailed it out of the police station as fast as they could. Their dad has made his disdain for this subject clear and his look makes them change the subject.


    No one wants to do anything about these guys. The law is on the books and that doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to change anytime soon. There¡¯s a lot of mixed opinions on the VMUS Act but the president¡¯s convinced it¡¯s the greatest thing ever and his party is in complete control of the government. As long as he supports it VMUS will be a fact of life.


    Enjoying their family meal, Ryaan keeps thinking about next year when Nadia will be in high school. She¡¯s going to want to walk home sometimes like he does now. The idea of her doing so while these guys are out there terrifying anyone who doesn¡¯t look like them fills him with dread. Someone has to keep her safe. Someone has to keep all the people like her safe. He¡¯s tired of his dad avoiding the subject. He wants to believe this is the land of the free and everything will be alright if you ignore it but he¡¯s pretty sure life doesn¡¯t work that way. Somebody needs to stand up. Otherwise things are only going to get worse.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 5

    The big basketball game doesn¡¯t go Ryaan¡¯s way. The school they¡¯re facing, Jeff Doyle High, jumps out to a double digit lead at the start of the game. Ryaan shifts over to guard their best scorer and slows them down but that seems to get their second and third best players going. Ryaan can only guard one at a time. They make a late run to close the gap to eight points but a pair of triples, one right after the other, seal the game. The final score is 52-40.


    Ryaan scores only four points and struggles to get the ball all night. The few shots he gets up are so spread out he can¡¯t get into a rhythm. He only makes one basket, a triple. His other point came at the foul line where he hit one of two free throws. Their season¡¯s over and it hurts even more to look into the stands and see his whole family. His sisters look crushed. They look up to him and both love basketball so seeing him struggle stings.


    His dad tries to cheer him up the whole way home. It doesn¡¯t work. This one¡¯s going to sting for awhile. It hurts worse knowing this may be the only playoff game he ever plays in. They didn¡¯t make the playoffs the last two years and they barely snuck in this season.


    Even the next day Ryaan¡¯s so down about the loss that he forgets about meeting up with Gillian after third period. It doesn¡¯t cross his mind until he¡¯s walking out of history class. He hoped to run to the restroom between periods but realizing he needs to pick up his new ID, he knows he¡¯ll have to hold it. Rushing to the same hall where they met a couple of days before, he finds Gillian walking along casually. Today she¡¯s got new purple streaks in her hair.


    He pushes through the crowd until he¡¯s in step with her but he doesn¡¯t say anything. They casually walk down the hall. Gillian grabs his hand and shoves an envelope into it. ¡°If you get caught with this, that¡¯s on you. You don¡¯t sell me out or we¡¯ll have issues. Cool?¡±


    Ryaan nods and Gillian smiles. ¡°No need to be down my dude, you just got what you wanted. You can do whatever you want to do with it. Have a good time.¡± Apparently Gillian didn¡¯t catch the game last night. Unlike last week, everyone in school is most definitely not talking about it today. At least the whole team stunk so badly that he¡¯s not getting a ton of hate. No one¡¯s mad at him or anyone else for that matter. Everyone just wants to forget the game ever happened.


    Deciding he wants to see what he paid for Ryaan sneaks off to the bathroom. He doesn¡¯t have time but he¡¯s rarely late so his teacher won¡¯t give him too much grief. Pulling out the ID, he¡¯s glad to find it looks real. Gillian named him Ryan Smith. Nice generic name that shouldn¡¯t stand out. She¡¯s good at this. He likes that she kept his first name, or at least the pronunciation of it. That should make sure he remembers to answer when someone talks to him.


    He looks over his new address and starts trying to memorize it along with his new age, birth date, and all the other details on this thing. Gillian had the good sense to keep his eye and hair color correct and his height and even his weight she made great guesses on. He wants to know these details backwards and forward by the time he uses the license.


    Hopefully people aren¡¯t suspicious since it says he¡¯s under 21. Most people who get a fake ID want it so they can drink. He has a different plan.


    Ryaan slips the thing into his pocket and heads toward class. He can¡¯t be too late or even his great attendance record won¡¯t save him. Pulling his phone out on the way, he looks into where he needs to go to register. Apparently a local DMV can get him set up. It¡¯s the closest option but it¡¯s still doing everything else a DMV does so that could kind of suck. Hopefully they have separate lines so he doesn¡¯t have to stand behind a bunch of people renewing their license.


    Of all the places he could do this, the DMV seems like a terrible choice. People who deal with licenses all day seem more likely to catch his fake. He hopes Gillian¡¯s as good as her reputation. Within a week of VMUS passing places to register started popping up all over the city. This is the only location he can get to easily and which will be open when he gets off school. If he gets off the bus in the right spot he only has to walk a few blocks. As long as the bus driver doesn¡¯t notice him there won¡¯t be a problem. He tends to freak when people get off at the wrong stops.


    After his recent purchases, he still has the cash to grab an Uber home. That¡¯ll be important because if he wants to avoid suspicion, he needs to get there before his dad.


    As much as last night sucked, one advantage of his season being over is he doesn¡¯t have practice tonight. Ryaan spends the rest of the day memorizing every detail of the fake ID. That''d be a lot easier if he could look at it but he knows better than to pull it out in school. The teachers all know about Gillian¡¯s operation even if they haven¡¯t been able to prove it. They also know he isn¡¯t nineteen so if they see him with this not only will Gillian want to kill him, he¡¯ll lose his investment.


    By the time the final bell rings, he¡¯s as ready as he¡¯s ever going to be. He heads out of school hoping this week¡¯s trend of loss after loss is about to end. Climbing onto the school bus, his side won¡¯t stop throbbing, a constant reminder of his failure. His injuries from the beating are still on the mend. Stairs are the one thing that really give him a hard time. That¡¯s perfect for someone whose room is on the second floor and who has to go up and down stairs at least four times each day at school.


    The first half hour of the bus ride blurs together before Ryaan realizes he¡¯s nearing the stop he needs. Keeping a close eye on the driver, he¡¯s glad the man seems distracted today. When the bus comes to a stop he slips between two other students and follows their lead off the bus. The driver doesn¡¯t say anything and doesn¡¯t seem to notice his escape.


    It might come down to how rarely he¡¯s taken the bus this year. With practice most nights the bus isn¡¯t an option so his dad usually drives him home. Even when he gets a night off it takes almost two hours to get home on the bus because of the weird route it takes. He can walk way faster. That pain he¡¯s feeling reminds him how that worked out last time.


    Cutting down a side street Ryaan can soon see the DMV a couple of blocks ahead. He¡¯s never actually been inside one. He still doesn¡¯t have his real license. He wants it but his dad keeps pointing out that he can¡¯t afford a car so there¡¯s no point. When Ryaan suggested it might be good to just get it out of the way, his dad grumbled about insurance premiums and that was the end of that. His dad¡¯s the master of a couple of words or even just a look shutting down a conversation.


    The DMV is certainly busy but not insanely so. He looks for a sign that will show him where to go but nothing jumps out.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    An older woman with a button saying, ¡°How can I help?¡± pinned to her shirt stands near the entrance, seemingly to direct foot traffic. Ryaan smiles at her and she quickly returns it. ¡°Hello ma¡¯am. How are you today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing wonderful honey, how are you doing? What can I do for ya?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing great,¡± Ryaan says. ¡°I¡¯m actually here to see about registering for the VMUS Act.¡±


    Her eyes go wide though the smile stays on her face. ¡°You¡¯re so young! Not many like you been in to register. It¡¯s all good though, we¡¯ll get you taken care of. You see that line back there?¡± She points to a line way against the back wall. It looks like all the others except that on closer inspection the number over it doesn¡¯t match the numbers over the rest of the lines. ¡°If you go over there and grab a number you¡¯ll be up soon. I think there¡¯s only a handful of people waiting on that. Probably only be a few minutes.¡±


    Ryaan thanks her and heads in that direction. Grabbing a ticket, he sees he¡¯s 73. They¡¯re on number 68 so hopefully the lady¡¯s right about it not taking long. With only the one line it¡¯s hard to say.


    Ryaan patiently waits his turn, passing his time by watching the other people there to register. The next number doesn¡¯t reply when called so they¡¯re on 70 in no time. The man who steps up to the counter is older, at least middle aged. Ryaan finds people watching interesting and it¡¯s certainly weird to see the variety of people who want to be part of this program. They¡¯re definitely all older than him. Most are men, though there¡¯s one woman. They¡¯re mostly white though there is one black guy in line who seems ecstatic to register. He keeps talking about his gear and how he made it himself to anyone willing to listen. The lady behind the counter nods and tries to keep him on topic so she can keep the line moving.


    Finally the man takes his paperwork, requests a handshake, and moves on. He practically skips out the door, unable to contain his excitement. Ryaan wishes he could be just as excited. He feels someone needs to do this and he thinks he can be that someone. That doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s happy about it. His stomach¡¯s stock in his throat and shows no sign of leaving. That part of him wants to run into the restroom and throw up.


    After around twenty minutes the last person ahead of Ryaan steps away and number 73 is called. He nervously walks to the counter, hoping he can pull this off. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m here to register for VMUS.¡±


    The lady behind the counter seems nice but she¡¯s all business. ¡°This won¡¯t take long. Always nice to see people registering who aren¡¯t good old boys looking forward to shooting people up.¡± Ryaan nods. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of paperwork you¡¯re going to need to fill out. Just the basics. Stuff like your name, your address, blood type, all kinds of emergency contact information since this is dangerous and we want to make sure we can get in touch with your family if the worst were to happen. Heaven forbid it, we want you safe, but it can happen. A few vigilantes have already been killed or seriously hurt here in Chicago so we need to make sure we¡¯re ready if that happens.¡±


    All the talk about the worst isn¡¯t helping his nerves. How would his dad react if he died while fighting criminals, when he hadn¡¯t even told the man he was doing so? What would he tell his sisters? The woman continues. ¡°Now if you are approved, and we¡¯ll get to that in a minute, but if you are approved you¡¯ll be allowed to do pretty much whatever you think you need to. As long as you believe you¡¯re protecting the public it¡¯s allowed, up to lethal force. Obviously better not to do too much but your job is to keep both your community and yourself safe and that may require a lot sometimes. It¡¯s worth noting that certain things are harder to justify than others. If you stop people and they¡¯re alive, turn them over to the police. You¡¯ll be given a number to call to get in touch with the police and have them come pick people up. Don¡¯t try to take them off somewhere. It¡¯s hard to justify kidnapping as necessary for the public good. Same for theft unless you¡¯re taking something you need right then to protect people. Don¡¯t get caught up in some petty crime and get arrested yourself, or taken in by one of the other vigilantes. You can also use that number to call the cops if you get yourself into a tight spot and need some help but know there¡¯s no guarantee they¡¯ll be coming, at least not right away. Vigilantes in need are a low priority since you¡¯ve put yourself into that position. If it¡¯s a major public danger you can¡¯t handle then that might be different, but just you being in danger won¡¯t get them rushing over so try not to get in over your head. We want to keep that board back there from resetting.¡±


    She points to a white board behind her that says, ¡°Four days without a serious vigilante injury.¡±


    Only four days? His nerves are at their breaking point. ¡°Now it¡¯s time to talk about the approved part I mentioned,¡± she says. ¡°Anyone can sign up and become a vigilante but you do need to prove yourself because we don¡¯t want to send people who can¡¯t handle themselves out to die. That¡¯s a pretty new addition so some of the early sign ups didn¡¯t have to do it. Might have saved a couple of lives if they did. We¡¯ll set you up with a time to go to this address,¡± she says as she slips him a card, ¡°where you¡¯ll have to go through a sort of obstacle course. You¡¯ll have to sign a waiver of liability to do it, as well as a waiver of liability for being a vigilante. There will be armed volunteers in this place trying to stop ya. They¡¯ll be using rubber bullets but a rubber bullet can still hurt like hell and even kill you if it hits wrong so it can still be dangerous. Do you use guns? Only non lethal weapons allowed, but we can provide a gun with rubber bullets as a substitute.¡±


    Ryaan shakes his head. ¡°No, just a bow staff and throwing knives.¡±


    She gets a concerned look on her face. ¡°The staff should be fine but throwing knives aren¡¯t going to fly. I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t keep rubber knives around. If you want a projectile they have some dulled throwing stars but keep in mind they aren¡¯t sharp and can¡¯t do real damage. If they hit in a spot that would be lethal or put someone down the volunteers stand down but it¡¯s up to them to decide if that¡¯s the case. Their word goes if something¡¯s discretionary. When do you want to take the test?¡±


    ¡°When¡¯s the next time you can get me in?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re full up tomorrow but you can do it Saturday if you like. How does noon sound?¡± He tells her Saturday will work and she starts typing his information into their system. He lets out a long breath when she barely glances at his fake ID. Guess Gillian¡¯s handiwork did the trick. She starts asking for all the information she needs, typing it in as fast as he can provide it. Finally she gives him a big grin and pushes a giant stack of papers she¡¯s been going over toward him.


    ¡°You are all set Ryan. Make sure to be there Saturday and as long as you pass the test you¡¯ll be a fully licensed and registered vigilante with the authority to do what you need to in order to protect the people of our country. Do you have any other questions?¡±


    She¡¯s gone over everything he can think of so Ryaan wishes her a nice evening and says goodbye. He passes the older lady on his way out and stops for a moment to say goodbye to her as well and to thank her for helping. This seems to delight her and she informs him that she¡¯s glad to do it any time. Walking onto the street he tries to take in everything she said. It¡¯s a lot but he keeps telling himself that no matter what the risks are, he can¡¯t let what happened to him happen to anyone else. He needs to defend himself and others in his community. He slips the packet into his backpack and uses his phone to order an Uber.


    A glance at the time provides a small measure of relief. It¡¯s still early enough for him to make it home before his dad. He¡¯ll probably get there around the same time the bus would drop him off. As the Uber arrives, Ryaan slips into the back and provides his address. The driver¡¯s a young guy driving a car that¡¯s strangely low to the ground. Just getting in hurts his ribs. When the alternative¡¯s getting caught by his dad though he knows he has to get in the car. Time to get home.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 6

    After dinner Ryaan finds himself alone in his room, going over everything he¡¯ll need on Saturday. Most of the gear he ordered has shown up the last couple days. The throwing knives are perfect, he already took them down to the basement and practiced throwing them into a wooden beam. Time hasn¡¯t dulled his skills. Once he¡¯s out on the streets, lives may depend on putting these right where he needs to. His own life included.


    He can¡¯t help but worry about the test. Not having access to his knives will be a huge handicap. He¡¯s solid up close and personal with his staff, but his skill with a knife is a big part of what he brings to the table. They set everything else up and let him get close enough to use the staff. Even when he doesn¡¯t want to skewer someone, they work great as a distraction. He can¡¯t imagine dull ninja stars will fill the void in his arsenal.


    Maybe he should take the gun that fires rubber bullets. The thought makes him sweat. He¡¯s never even held a gun. It¡¯s probably not a great idea in a potentially life or death situation to be learning a completely new skill. The stars suck but at least he¡¯s still throwing them.


    If he can manage to get close he should be able to handle himself. His bow staff arrived yesterday and the thing is fantastic. It expands and retracts so it can be small enough to fit in his backpack for easy portability. It expands until it¡¯s bigger than he is, so he doesn¡¯t have to get that close to use it. If he gets desperate for a projectile he can even throw it, but that¡¯s probably a bad idea. It¡¯s not a boomerang bow staff. The staff¡¯s a brilliant green color and it looks really solid. He slammed it repeatedly against a tree behind the house and it held up. The last thing he needs is to smash someone over the head and have it break off in his hand.


    As confident as he is in his weapons he¡¯s equally nervous about his costume. He wanted body armor but leftover money from his summer job only goes so far. You can¡¯t exactly go to the mall and pick out bullet proof vests anyway. The suit he¡¯s made looks a lot like something you¡¯d wear to do karate. It¡¯s tight but fairly elastic so he should be able to move flexibly and fast.


    He¡¯s added a bunch of compartments he can slip knives into. He should be able to get one at a moment¡¯s notice and he can carry enough that he won¡¯t worry if he has to throw a few before he can retrieve them. All of these pockets are well lined with thick leather so a knife shouldn¡¯t end up in his gut when he gets thrown against a wall. The goal is definitely not to turn himself into a shish kabob.


    The pants are white and just what he could find laying around. They¡¯re loose where they need to be and tight where they can be. They were in a box of his parents old clothes from when they moved to the US and they fit so they¡¯ll work. He¡¯s pretty sure they won¡¯t be missed since that box probably hasn¡¯t been opened since he was born. After his parents immigrated to the US, they decided they were going to be American and nothing else. They wore these until they could get other clothing but as soon as they could afford to replace them they never looked back. Ryaan¡¯s pretty sure the only reason they¡¯re still in the basement is that his dad¡¯s a major pack rat.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He added a few knife pockets to the pants as well. He wants to be able to get his hand on a knife no matter what position he finds himself in. He cheaped out on the pants but couldn¡¯t do so on everything. He ordered a nice leather pouch to wear over his shoulder. It works great as storage for his staff so he can quickly get his hands on it. He thought about trying to adapt something but while he¡¯s not incompetent with a needle and thread, his skills don¡¯t extend to leather work. He can handle taking the arms off something or shortening some pants. Trying to make something from scratch is a whole other ball game.


    Rounding out the outfit, he found a Mexican wrestling mask in a similar color to his shirt and went with it. He doesn¡¯t want to look like a wrestler but he needs to hide his face. He put some bandages and minor first aid items in the bottom of the pouch in case of emergency and called it good. He can wrap a wound if he has to; it won¡¯t do him a ton of good if he ends up shot but it could help in the short term for a minor injury. He also bought a nice pair of leather boots which should keep his feet protected. They¡¯re metal tipped so if he has to kick somebody, they¡¯ll feel it.


    Ryaan considers trying to find somebody with a gun so he can practice and possibly use the loaner Saturday. He can¡¯t think of anybody he knows with a gun though. Certainly nobody who will let him take the thing and learn to shoot it.


    There¡¯s no choice, he has to go with the terrible ninja stars. They¡¯re probably junk but at least he¡¯ll know what he¡¯s doing with them. With everything he¡¯s going to need together in one place, he stuffs it in a bag and stuffs the bag under his bed. He can¡¯t leave the house in a costume without his dad figuring things out and he isn¡¯t ready to run around in public wearing the thing. He¡¯ll just have to change at the facility.


    Wanting to be as prepared as possible, Ryaan searches online for any information he can find about the test. There isn¡¯t much. All he finds are a few threads on Twitter where people talk about taking it. A few of them passed, a few others failed, but none of them go into detail. The facility has a web site but it¡¯s as vague as the Twitter threads. The only pictures are of the entrance and it basically just says this is where you go to take the test.


    The overhead view online makes the place look big. It¡¯s out in the suburbs which makes sense. There¡¯s no way you find room for something like that in the city. It¡¯s going to mean another Uber since he can¡¯t ask his dad for a ride. A check of his remaining funds shows he has enough for the round trip. He can manage this time but costs are starting to add up. He needs to start thinking about ways to make some cash. He¡¯s getting low and this isn¡¯t the last time being a vigilante¡¯s going to cost him.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 7

    Saturday morning Ryaan gets up early and has an Uber waiting outside. He tells his family he¡¯ll be hanging with friends at a mall in the suburbs. They don¡¯t have a reason to doubt him. He¡¯s never been good at lying but his dad can¡¯t know. He¡¯d never let him get involved.


    The driver seems friendly enough. They chat throughout the ride and the man mentions that this is the third trip he¡¯s made out here this week. He offers to come back in a couple of hours to provide a return trip. Ryaan enthusiastically accepts. The driver introduces himself as Ralph and explains that he always gets curious to know how people do with these tests. If he doesn¡¯t provide the return trip he never finds out and it eats at him.


    A forty five minute ride later, Ryaan finds himself in front of a large brick wall. Behind the wall there¡¯s some sort of office but it seems small. Most of the facility¡¯s outdoors. His appointment isn¡¯t until noon and he¡¯s about thirty minutes early but that gives him a chance to get ready.


    He¡¯s wearing the pants to his costume but everything else is in his backpack and he needs to change. Walking into the lobby, he sees a counter ahead with a few employees ready to help. Before going up to them he locates the restroom and slips away to get ready. He changes his shirt and pops his throwing knives into their slots. He almost left them home but decided to try getting them inside. The worst they can say is no.


    He slips his staff holster over his shoulder and slips the staff into the slot. Finally he slides the mask over his face. Stepping out of the stall and looking himself over in a mirror, he doesn¡¯t look too ridiculous. If only the mask wasn¡¯t so awful. For now it has to do.


    Exiting the restroom and heading to the counter, Ryaan finds a man standing there looking like he¡¯d rather be anywhere else. His emotionless face stares, not betraying any sign of life. He doesn¡¯t offer a greeting and doesn¡¯t even return Ryaan¡¯s, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Pulling his paperwork out of his backpack and offering it to the man, it¡¯s snatched without a word. The man starts leafing through, seemingly to make sure Ryaan didn¡¯t miss anything. Satisfied it¡¯s all there he says, ¡°What weapons do you use?¡±


    Ryaan explains that he has a bow staff and throwing knives. The man asks if they¡¯re sharp knives. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do a lot of good if they weren¡¯t.¡±


    Apparently that¡¯s the wrong answer. ¡°Not allowed in the test. Leave them here or you¡¯ll have to forfeit. You¡¯re not allowed to use any weapons or gear likely to cause serious injury or death. All the people here are volunteers, not criminals. We don¡¯t want you knifing them. Idiot.¡±


    Ryaan can only apologize, not wanting to be thrown out before getting started. He takes all his knives out of their slots in his costume. He puts them in his bag and the man seems satisfied. ¡°You¡¯ll be sent outside into our obstacle course. There will be somewhere between six and ten enemies out there. All will be armed with guns shooting rubber bullets. Trust me when I say you don¡¯t want to get hit by those. They shouldn¡¯t kill you but they hurt like a mother. You¡¯ll have thirty minutes to either disarm or take them all down. If you like we can provide you with a gun which will fire rubber bullets. It¡¯s the same as the ones the volunteers will be using. They won¡¯t hurt much but if you hit a volunteer in a sensitive area, then they will bow out. They have some armor to protect them but try not to seriously hurt anyone. If you are taken down, or you haven¡¯t finished in thirty minutes, then you fail and won¡¯t be licensed. You can try again in a month but only one attempt per month¡¯s allowed.¡±


    Ryaan nods along and files this all away. Thirty minutes doesn¡¯t seem like a long time but it should be possible. He thinks of any questions he might have but this guy covered the big ones.


    He¡¯s shown into a closed room with only a bench and a closed garage door in it. He¡¯s told when the door opens the test will begin. The enemies will move around the area at will but during the first five minutes they¡¯ll stay out of the immediate area where he¡¯s starting out. Beyond that they¡¯re free to go wherever they need. Satisfied everything has been covered, Ryaan thanks the man and says goodbye. He steps out of the room. The door closes and locks behind him.


    Trying to shake off his nerves, Ryaan paces back and forth. The dulled throwing stars don¡¯t fit his knife slots so they¡¯re looped on his belt. They aren¡¯t easy to get at there. Set up is out the window. He¡¯ll need to use the terrain, get close to enemies and take them on up close. Hopefully most of his opponents will be spread out. If they¡¯re grouped together this could be over fast.


    After what seems like an eternity, the door opens and Ryaan finds himself staring at a large wooded area. The trees are thick and clearly old. This facility must have gone up around them. They¡¯ll make fantastic cover. Making his way among the trees, there¡¯s no sign of anybody. In the distance though there¡¯s a bit of a clearing and a small wooden shack¡¯s sitting there looking lonely. A quick glance at his phone shows it¡¯s 12:02. He has until 12:32 to finish this test.


    Darting from tree to tree, Ryaan tries to keep behind cover. He¡¯s good at staying quiet and the trees are thick so hopefully nobody sees him coming. Discovering a small road leading to the building, he makes his way toward it as fast as he can without drawing attention to himself.


    As he gets close, there¡¯s still no sign of anybody around. Looking into the distance he can¡¯t see the end of the facility. It¡¯s clearly a big place, at least as big as a football field. There are a pair of windows on the shack and peeking into the closest one, he sees two men sitting inside. Both look nervous. They¡¯re playing a game of cards, or pretending to, but both keep glancing at the door. Apparently they haven¡¯t put much thought into the windows because neither is looking his way.


    Ryaan has an idea to take these two down and get off to a good start. There¡¯s a single tree next to the building and its branches stretch over the shack. Climbing as fast as he can, he works his way out on a limb and finds himself over the roof. He drops down as quietly as he can, still not ready to give himself away.


    Freeing his staff, he extends it to full length. He leans over the edge of the building right by the door. Using his staff, he gives a few strong taps to the door. He can hear the men inside leap to their feet but they don¡¯t burst out. Apparently they want to ready themselves first.


    Using their commotion as an opportunity, Ryaan jumps off the back of the building. It¡¯s only around seven feet tall. Running to the window, he can see them getting ready to burst through the door. Just as they start moving, Ryaan slams his staff through the window and sends two stars flying through. One hits each man square in the back before they can react. Not sure what their next move will be, Ryaan dives to the side to avoid return fire. When nothing happens he glances back in and sees each man holding up a white flag in surrender. The sight of those little flags sends him into a fit of laughter. He finally feels comfortable. Now he hopes they don¡¯t make him pay for that window.


    Before moving on Ryaan runs inside to retrieve his throwing stars. He doesn¡¯t want to run out. With them securely back on his belt he heads toward the wooded area he came from. Searching for any sign of people, it isn¡¯t long before he hears talking. Looking down the nearest trail from behind the cover of a tree, he sees a man and woman walking toward him with guns drawn. They aren¡¯t talking, but each has a walkie talkie on their hip and the sound¡¯s coming from those.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    It sounds like all his opponents are checking in and Ryaan¡¯s pretty sure he hears four voices in addition to the two in front of him. Unable to make out every word, he hears enough to know they¡¯re concerned the other two aren¡¯t checking in. That means everyone is expected to do so and he¡¯s only got six people to take down. The woman speaks into the radio, saying the two of them will check on the pair in the shack. They all promise to report the vigilante¡¯s location if they find him. Not much chance of that.


    These two need to go down fast and quiet so he¡¯ll need to get close. Scanning the area for a good place to mount his attack, he sees a bush near the path which should cover his approach. As the two pass, he sneaks out behind them, making sure his staff is at full length.


    As he nears the pair his slow, deliberate moves give way to a hurricane. A spin gives him extra velocity on his attack as he slams the first man in the back. The man lets out a startled yelp but stays on his feet. Ryaan goes right for his hand, a fast jab causing him to drop his weapon. The gun hits the ground and rattles away. One last smack to the side of the head sends him to the ground.


    That¡¯s one down but the man¡¯s partner¡¯s already reacting. Ryann manages to bring his staff up and her gun is also knocked clear. Yet another smack on the head puts her down and she¡¯s not getting up. A quick check on both shows they¡¯re breathing but they may actually be unconscious. He¡¯d love to take time to hide their bodies so he doesn¡¯t have to worry about another agent coming along and stumbling into them but a glance at the time tells him to move on. It¡¯s already 12:16 and he¡¯s almost halfway through the allotted time. There¡¯s at least four of these guys left so he needs to move fast.


    Making a decision on where to go next feels nearly impossible. He can¡¯t see or hear anyone from his location. All he can make out are trees. There appear to be a few structures in the distance but he can¡¯t see the wall either way and for all he knows those buildings are empty. If he guesses wrong he won¡¯t have time to go back the other way. If the next group are split up in both directions he¡¯ll probably run out of time. If they¡¯re all together he probably can¡¯t handle them. There¡¯s no good choice.


    A sudden epiphany hits him. Picking up one of the walkie talkies sitting by his downed foes, he tries to alter his voice and sound authoritative. He pushes in the talk button. ¡°Contact made, he¡¯s near the wood structure. We could use backup. What are everyone¡¯s current locations?¡±


    He gets back a reply of, ¡°We¡¯re in the far west structure.¡±


    Another group says, ¡°We¡¯re in the open but can move in your direction. Please advise.¡±


    Ryaan thinks of how he wants to handle this. ¡°Copy that, move in on the wooden structure and then let me know. Come from the west side of the building if you can. He¡¯s pinned down inside.¡±


    Once they¡¯re headed his way Ryaan climbs a tree where they won¡¯t be able to see him. Laying in wait, he thinks about how perfect this is. He didn¡¯t have time to track down this group and then make it to the far side of the complex. It¡¯ll be tight this way but if they get here quick, he should make it.


    It isn¡¯t long before the pair pop into view. Ryaan hoped they¡¯d be closer so he could take them down with a quick throwing star and move on. They¡¯re coming from a different angle than he expected though and that¡¯s not an option. From where the two are standing, they might even see him if they look up. Ryaan climbs down the tree and tries to find a better way to approach them. If he¡¯s fast enough he might be able to flank them. Soon he¡¯s as close as he¡¯s going to get without giving away his position.


    Moving in quickly, he tries to stay quiet and keep the element of surprise. The closer he gets, the more he plans each step. His staff at the ready, he draws back to strike a blow. His final steps make more noise than intended and one of the enemies turns to meet him. His turn is met with a staff to the chest. The impact¡¯s strong enough to send him flying backwards, but as he falls his gun rises. Ryaan beats him to the punch with a second blow to the hand which knocks the gun away.


    This makes far too much noise for his cover to be maintained. The second man hears his friend¡¯s grunts and comes running. Ryaan tries throwing a star but he misses, tagging the guy¡¯s arm and suddenly rubber bullets are flying. As shot after shot ring out, Ryaan dives behind the building. His first thought is to circle the building and get behind the guy, but once he¡¯s on the other side he realizes that now he doesn¡¯t know which way the guy¡¯s moving.


    With no time to think, Ryaan sees the door in front of him and throws himself inside. Glancing out the window allows him to see the man¡¯s direction and prepare himself. He¡¯s still circling, seemingly not realizing his target is now indoors.


    The next time the guy comes around the building, Ryaan times things as best he can and throws himself through the broken window. He cuts his arm on the remaining jagged glass, blood splattering on the grass. He hoped this would look as cool as it does in the movies. The guys in the movies never end up with massive cuts. Luckily the injury isn¡¯t to his main throwing arm and he¡¯s able to get a star off, finding the back of the man¡¯s head. He turns and gives Ryaan an annoyed look, but after a moment of rubbing his head he falls down and admits defeat.


    Ryaan¡¯s arm throbs in pain and blood oozes from his wound. He reaches into his satchel and pulls out bandages so he can wrap it. Sanitizing the wound first would be a good idea but there¡¯s no time and he doesn¡¯t think the injury is that serious. He hopes not anyway.


    Looking at the time, he only has seven minutes left and he has to get to the far side of the complex. With his arm wrapped, he takes off running, adrenaline kicking in as he goes. He knows where the facility is and can probably make it there in three or four minutes if nothing stops him. That will leave only three minutes to take down two guys and he¡¯ll be worn out from the run. Not ideal but there¡¯s no alternative. The clock part of this test is the worst. If he weren¡¯t on a clock he¡¯d take time to plan this out and find the best way to approach things. The real world moves on a clock though so it¡¯s probably good to make sure he can handle that when needed.


    Moving through the last of the wooded area, he sees no sign of his final two opponents but he does see the series of buildings they said they were by. There are three buildings and each is large with multiple rooms these guys could be in. He doesn¡¯t know if the men have been instructed to engage or just to hide somewhere and wait out the clock.


    Moving between the buildings looking for any sign of life, Ryaan is suddenly face to face with one of the enemies. He seems surprised to see Ryaan, so much so that at first he doesn¡¯t even raise his gun. Moving fast, Ryaan lets off a couple of throwing stars, but the guy ducks behind a corner and they fall harmlessly to the ground. He¡¯s down to just a few of those things. He didn¡¯t retrieve them after his last fight because he found himself so low on time.


    Swearing under his breath, Ryaan moves up a flight of stairs to the roof of the nearest building. Hopefully from up here he can get a good view of what¡¯s going on. He suddenly hears bullets glancing off the stairs beneath him. The other guy must still be here and firing in his direction. Upon reaching the roof without being hit, he scans for his opponents but there¡¯s no sign of them.


    Glancing at the time once more, he¡¯s down to two minutes. Finally he sees the first enemy peeking out from behind the next building. He can¡¯t head back down the stairs; there¡¯s an enemy there who has him in their sights and he has no clue where they¡¯re hiding. There¡¯s no other obvious way off this roof. Looking for any solution, he sees a bush and decides it can break his fall. He leaps off the roof, trying to aim himself for the shrub and avoid the pavement. The wind in his hair¡¯s exhilarating. That lasts only a moment as he hits the ground. The impact isn¡¯t that bad. He¡¯ll have some scratches but he feels great for someone who just jumped off a roof. Rolling out of the bush, he gets up and moves toward the corner where the guy was lurking. Running toward him, he feels something hit him in the back and it knocks him hard to the ground.


    The pain¡¯s intense though not overwhelming. He fights his way to his knees and turns to see one of the volunteers coming toward him, reaching out a hand to help him up. This must be the guy he wasn¡¯t able to find, the one who shot at him when he was on the stairs. Confused, he moves to ready one of his throwing stars. The guy throws his hands in the air. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa. This thing is over dude. No need for any more of that. Thanks for playing, better luck next time.¡±


    Confused, Ryaan looks to his left and sees a rubber bullet rolling on the ground next to him. That must be what hit him in the back. That means he¡¯s already lost.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 8

    Failure. Loser. Worthless. Ever since he decided to be a vigilante, Ryaan Asfour has spent hours going over how this day would play out in his head. He ran through a lot of possibilities but they all ended the same way. He knows what he can do and he never imagined he wouldn¡¯t be able to pull this off. Walking back to the front of the testing facility, it¡¯s all he can do to keep from crying.


    He put everything he had into trying out for the Vigilantes Making Us Safe (VMUS) Act. He used virtually every dollar to his name to get the equipment. He went out and got a fake ID showing he was old enough. He lied to his family. What else could he have done?


    The only reason he¡¯s involved in this program is a desire to keep people safe. Too many of the newly minted vigilantes hitting the streets are harassing people, threatening them, even killing innocents who are just trying to get home each night. That has to stop. Someone has to protect these people from the people who are supposed to be protecting them. He thought he could be that person.


    Right now the only thing he wants to be involved with is a bed. His back¡¯s burning from being shot with a rubber bullet at close range. They warned him how dangerous this could be, the volunteer shouldn¡¯t have been shooting that close. It all happened so fast that he didn¡¯t realize what happened initially. There was pain but nothing like it is now. It¡¯s growing by the moment. With the test over, there¡¯s nothing left to distract him.


    The earliest people to sign up for the program didn¡¯t need to take a test. Why didn¡¯t he sign up sooner? He¡¯d have signed some forms and been on his way. Now he has to wait another month to try again. That¡¯s way too long. Another month of these lunatics running around wreaking havoc and he¡¯s not sure there¡¯s going to be anything left to protect.


    Reentering the facility¡¯s indoor offices, he¡¯s taken to a small room where the gear he wasn¡¯t allowed to use is stored. Everything used on the test has to be nonlethal. Opponents here aren¡¯t criminals, they¡¯re innocent volunteers. It¡¯s hard enough to convince them to come in and potentially be beaten up or knocked out. They weren¡¯t going to volunteer to have knives thrown at them.


    There has to be another way. Once his knives are back in their holsters, Ryaan starts searching the facility for someone he can appeal to. There¡¯s a guard watching over the room with confiscated gear so he starts there. ¡°Is there anyone I can talk to about taking the test again sooner, or maybe about an appeal? I was really close and I know I can do this.¡±


    The guard has a kind face and is at least nice while he breaks Ryaan¡¯s heart. ¡°Kid, we all watch the tests and see how they go. You weren¡¯t that close. You got hit because you rushed at the end. The higher ups might have considered an appeal or time extension if you ran out of time. Especially since there were only two volunteers left. Some people only have to take down six. For that many volunteers you actually did alright. You knew time was running down though and you got sloppy.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t want to hear it. Shaking his head, he puts his hands on his hips. ¡°I know, but what choice did I have? I was running out of time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good sign that you aren¡¯t ready to go out there. That¡¯s why we have the tests. You can retake it in a month and hopefully by then you¡¯ll work it out.¡±


    That¡¯s mostly the answer Ryaan expected but that doesn¡¯t make it easier to accept. ¡°People are getting hurt now. Waiting a month is going to let more people get hurt. They need me. I can help now, let me.¡±


    The guard sighs loudly. He puts a hand on Ryaan¡¯s shoulder. Ryaan considers shaking it off but decides against it. ¡°I¡¯m just talking kid. Guards don¡¯t make those calls. Only the head of the facility can override a failed test and I can tell you he isn¡¯t gonna do it here. If you want to talk to him, I can make that happen, but I can tell you right now you¡¯ll be wasting both of your time. He¡¯s not big on his time being wasted either. Making a big stink out of this is a really good way to make sure that when you come back to take the test next month, you have the hardest possible version waiting for you.¡±


    Feeling broken, Ryaan realizes the only thing he can do is walk away. After a final glance around the room to make sure he isn¡¯t forgetting anything he thanks the guard for his time and looks for the exit.


    The original plan was to use the rest of the money from his summer job to get a ride home. Plans change though, now he has to get back to the Chicago suburbs next month to take this test again. It isn¡¯t a cheap trip. Looking into ways he can save, his phone reveals a train station a few miles away. He can walk that.


    Removing his mask and his knives from his costume, he sadly slides them into his backpack so everyone on the train doesn¡¯t lose their mind. He considers changing the rest of his suit but decides against it. No one will recognize it. They¡¯ll just think he¡¯s some funny looking foreign guy in funny looking foreign clothes. A lot of them see him that way even if he¡¯s wearing basketball shoes and a Bulls shirt.


    The only stop he makes is to search the parking lot and make sure his Uber driver Ralph isn¡¯t waiting outside. The guy dropped him off earlier and he offered to come back to handle the return trip. He¡¯s nowhere to be found and Ryaan can only hope he doesn¡¯t waste his time. He seemed like a nice guy and Ryaan feels bad leaving without seeing him but he can¡¯t afford to pay him at this point even if he does show up.


    The ride back to the city¡¯s boring. Staring out the window, there¡¯s nothing to watch except the different neighborhoods, defined by different graffiti or a lack thereof. Listening to his favorite music helps, though only so much. He¡¯d almost be having a good time rocking out if it weren¡¯t for how bad his back feels. Every time the train hits the slightest bump, he feels the sting rock through his body. Since these tracks are going on 100 years old, there are a lot of bumps. He¡¯s nervous to look in a mirror and see how bad the bruising is.


    Relieved to finally pull into his home station, he slips off the train. A few eyes follow him but most people don¡¯t even notice his colorful shirt. As slow as he¡¯s moving, he barely manages to hop onto the platform before the doors slide closed. He¡¯s still a few miles from home and his body has tightened enough that walking sounds like torture. Without a good alternative, he sets out anyway.


    As he walks through the streets he¡¯s spent most of his life on, Ryaan feels more eyes on him than normal. Apparently this costume draws unwanted attention after all. He ignores them, there¡¯s nothing else to do. He can¡¯t help but wonder about his next steps. He wanted to protect the people he cares about, people who really need him. Because he wasn¡¯t fast enough they¡¯re on their own.


    Is this crazy? He¡¯s good with a staff and great with a knife but there are plenty of people who can handle a weapon. Adults, people who are actually allowed to sign up for this program. Why should he get involved? He has the will to do it but right now that doesn¡¯t seem to be enough.


    Music blaring in his ears, Ryaan tries to block out the world around him. Let people stare if they want to stare. He won¡¯t notice. The music¡¯s almost loud enough that he doesn¡¯t hear the screaming a street away. Almost. He tries to ignore it when he first realizes what he¡¯s hearing. Not his problem and not that uncommon in the city. The screams continue though and before long, they¡¯re all he can hear. His music might as well not be playing.


    Removing his earbuds, Ryaan searches for the source of the screams. It¡¯s definitely a woman and she sounds like she¡¯s on the next street to his left. Hurrying to the next alley, he looks between the buildings for any sign of the source. He can see a bit of the next street but he can¡¯t see any sign of the woman or whatever has her screaming.


    Whatever it is, it¡¯s moving away from him and it¡¯s moving fast. He could walk away. That¡¯s the easy thing to do. It¡¯s what he¡¯s supposed to do. He couldn¡¯t even pass a test. If he wants to help people in the neighborhood though there won¡¯t be many better opportunities. Considering his choices, he realizes there¡¯s really no choice. Ryaan starts sprinting down the alley in the direction of the screams.


    Reaching the next road, Ryaan¡¯s head darts in all directions. He catches a glimpse of a woman being chased by two men. A feeling of nausea sets in. He recognizes those guys even from behind. Their outfits are hard to forget. It¡¯s the so called, ¡°Goggle Guys¡±, a pair of idiots named Billy and Jimmy. These morons somehow managed to become licensed vigilantes where he failed miserably. He so hopes these morons registered before the testing started.


    These are the guys who beat the crap out of him and left him laying bleeding in the rain. His only crime was trying to protect a family they were threatening. Vigilantes are supposed to protect people but these two don¡¯t have any interest in protecting anyone. They just like running around in the streets waving their guns around.


    Even in the city this much screaming doesn¡¯t go unnoticed. Looking at the windows and doors along the road he can see many people watching but nobody¡¯s making a move to help. Ryaan¡¯s first instinct is to blame all of them for letting this happen. They have the power to do something and they hide. Then again, it is scary to start a fight with guys brandishing guns. Especially when they seem eager to use them. His knees feel weak but he¡¯s not sure if it¡¯s from his test or from seeing the Goggle Guys.


    Darting back into the alley he came from, Ryaan reaches into his bag and pulls out his mask. He doesn¡¯t want these guys to recognize him. The mask goes over his face while his knives slide into the various pouches built into his costume. Once they¡¯re all in place he tucks his backpack behind the closest dumpster and rushes out of the alley.


    They¡¯re pretty far up the street by now but they aren¡¯t moving that fast. They let the girl get a little ahead of them and then hurry to close the distance. They¡¯re toying with her. It doesn¡¯t take Ryaan long to catch up. The girl darts down an alley hoping to lose them but they¡¯re right behind her. As he sees her turn he swears under his breath. She went the wrong way.


    The pair won¡¯t stop shouting vile things at her. The larger one named Billy¡¯s closing in on her. ¡°Stop running ya stupid girl. We just want to talk. At least at first.¡± The last part of this comes with a little bit of a snicker.


    This alley doesn¡¯t go all the way through to the next street because of how close the next set of buildings are to each other. The girl reaches the dead end and turns to face her pursuers, her eyes wide and terrified. She looks wildly around for a path out of here but there¡¯s nowhere left to go.


    Ryaan enters the alleyway right behind the Goggle Guys. After taking in his surroundings, his eyes settle on the girl being chased. He knows her. She¡¯s named Mina and she¡¯s a close friend of his younger sister Nadia. She¡¯s a year older than Nadia and entered high school this year. Ryaan hasn¡¯t paid much attention to her since he¡¯s a few years older. He¡¯s seen her in the halls here and there but that¡¯s about it.


    Their moms were friends before his mother took off a few years back and before that Mina¡¯s family came over for dinner at least once a month. Since his mother left town things haven¡¯t been the same. Mina¡¯s mom probably doesn¡¯t want to see Ryaan¡¯s dad. Even when Nadia wants to hang out with Mina she usually goes to her house.


    Right now Mina has a lot on her mind. She doesn¡¯t even notice Ryaan entering the alleyway. Her eyes are locked on the Goggle Guys who are closing in. Their guns are drawn, though so far they aren¡¯t pointing them at her. Jimmy, the shorter of the pair, says, ¡°Why¡¯d you run away little girl. Got something to hide? My friend was just trying to be nice and make some conversation. Suddenly you go tearing off like a bat out of hell. That¡¯s kind of suspicious.¡±


    Mina manages a quiet apology, though she¡¯s visibly shaking and tears are starting to well in her eyes. Jimmy looks to his partner, tapping his gun against his hand. ¡°Well that¡¯s nice. I like an apology. We¡¯re going to need a bit more than that now though. If you¡¯ve got something to be sorry about, that¡¯s concerning to us. After the way you ran off, that¡¯s the kind of suspicious behavior we¡¯re authorized to look into. We¡¯re going to need to search you now. Hand us the backpack.¡±


    Without a second thought, Mina throws her backpack at their feet. Her arms wrap around her body as she tries to make herself small. Jimmy picks up the bag and starts rifling through. He pulls out books, notebooks, and a variety of other school supplies. They all end up on the filthy ground. A calculator bounces off the pavement. He absentmindedly flips through the notebooks but doesn¡¯t say anything. After a minute he pulls out a banana and seems to get a real kick out of the piece of fruit. ¡°All you folks love your bananas now, don¡¯t you?¡± He tosses the fruit to Billy who opens it and takes a big bite, apparently oblivious to the gross comment his friend just directed at a teenager.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Ryaan¡¯s shaking with rage at this point. He wants to jump these guys, to get back at them for what they did to him the last time they met. He can¡¯t though. He doesn¡¯t want to put Mina in danger if he doesn¡¯t have to. These guys are creeps but they¡¯ll probably let her go after searching her bag. If they do he has to stay out of this. For now he watches while Jimmy finishes tossing everything in the bag onto the ground. He tosses the bag on top of the variety of school supplies and snacks. A gross smile crosses his face as he looks at the uncomfortable girl. It doesn¡¯t take Ryaan long to realize these two don¡¯t plan on letting Mina go.


    Jimmy gives her a nice smile, trying to sound friendly. ¡°Well, everything looks good with your bag. I appreciate your cooperation on that.¡±


    Mina can¡¯t seem to speak louder than a mouse. ¡°Is that it then? Can I go home? My parents are going to be worried if I don¡¯t get home soon. Please let me go home. I promise I¡¯ll be good.¡±


    Jimmy seems to think this is a hilarious joke. Billy starts laughing along after a few seconds, though Ryaan doubts he knows why he¡¯s doing so. Jimmy walks right up to the girl, pressing his hand against her cheek. She flinches away but doesn¡¯t stop him. ¡°You can definitely go soon sweetheart. We obviously wouldn¡¯t want to worry your folks. We need to make sure we¡¯re protecting this neighborhood for everyone though and we can¡¯t be too careful when it comes to you people around here. So here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. My buddy here,¡± he says while pointing to Billy, ¡°is going to give you a nice search. He¡¯ll be real friendly about it and if you just stay nice and still it¡¯ll be over fast. Does that sound good?¡±


    Mina visibly cringes at his comments. At this point tears are flowing freely down her face. She doesn¡¯t say a word. Ryaan decides he¡¯s had just about enough of staying out of things.


    He makes his way into the alley, positioning himself a few feet behind the men. ¡°You¡¯re not going to lay a finger on the girl. You¡¯ve had your fun. She¡¯ll be going home now.¡±


    The Goggle Guys turn to face him, apparently so concerned by little Mina that they turn their backs on her without a second thought. Billy stares dumbfounded. Jimmy runs his eyes up and down Ryaan. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a licensed vigilante the same as you guys.¡± Ryaan doesn¡¯t have a problem lying through his teeth. ¡°What reason do you have for giving her a hard time?¡±


    Jimmy¡¯s eyes pause on each of the weapons tucked in Ryaan¡¯s suit. Not seeing a gun, he stays calm. ¡°Listen kid, and I say that in the nicest way but you¡¯re clearly young as fuck, get the hell out of here. We¡¯ve got this neighborhood and we sure as shit don¡¯t answer to your ass. This girl ran from us for no reason we can figure out and we need to make sure there wasn¡¯t a good reason. That¡¯s all. Once we¡¯re done searching her we¡¯ll send her on her merry fucking way as long as we don¡¯t find a bomb strapped under her clothes or some shit like that. Sound fair?¡±


    Slowly he shakes his head. ¡°Afraid not guys. She probably ran because she¡¯s a little girl and no offense, but you two are some scary dudes. I mean that in the best way. I¡¯m over here shaking in my shoes. She¡¯s not wearing especially loose clothing, you can see that she doesn¡¯t have anything dangerous on her. That¡¯s all you need. You¡¯re going to let her walk out of here now. If you don¡¯t, we¡¯re going to have a problem.¡±


    Billy¡¯s always looking for a fight and raises his shotgun slightly, though he doesn¡¯t yet point it at Ryaan. Jimmy seems a bit more in control. He reaches toward his friend, giving him a look. The gun lowers slightly, though not to it¡¯s original height. ¡°Look kid, we¡¯re not letting this kid go without searching her. No way. We wouldn¡¯t be doing our job. You can stay for it if you want but that¡¯s the best we¡¯re gonna do. Maybe you¡¯re the type who likes to watch or something. Does that work or do we have a problem?¡±


    Ryaan doesn¡¯t bother to respond. If there¡¯s going to be a fight, he¡¯s going to win it. Considering he¡¯s against two grown men with guns he needs to fight smart. He lunges toward Billy, trying to get close enough that he can¡¯t get a shot off.


    The large man seems surprised by this sudden move and jumps back slightly. That¡¯s all the time Ryaan needs to reach back and grab his bow staff. Pressing the button to extend it, the staff grows to full size. Ryaan flicks it directly at Billy¡¯s head. The step backward changes his aim slightly and the blow ends up catching the man¡¯s throat instead of his head.


    It connects with a sickening squish and the large man drops his gun and reaches for his neck. Ryaan sets his feet and spins, with his arms straight out and his staff in front of him. He hits Billy in the side of the head with his next shot. It sounds like he hit a brick wall. The large man stumbles backwards and then falls on his butt. Ryaan leaps forward and kicks Billy in the side of the head. The large man collapses to his side and lays still.


    Hearing what sounds like an explosion go off, Ryaan freezes. Wanting to know where the noise came from, he shifts his eyes all over. After a moment he turns his head to see Jimmy pointing his still smoking gun straight in the air. Mina stands at his side, being held in place by the man¡¯s other hand. As Ryaan turns, Jimmy changes his aim, pointing at the girl.


    He has a smaller pistol which Ryaan didn¡¯t notice until now. The short man is bright red and looks like he wants to puke. With a gun pointed at a teenager though he also looks terrifying. ¡°If you care about this fucking kid then cut the crap and surrender.¡±


    Ryaan doesn¡¯t move. His pride isn¡¯t worth Mina getting hurt. He makes a downward gesture with his hand before slowly crouching to set his staff on the ground. Jimmy relaxes slightly, easing the gun back from Mina. Ryaan considers surrender but knows he can¡¯t trust these guys. There¡¯s no guarantee Jimmy doesn¡¯t shoot them for fun. If he wants this to stop he needs to end things. Luckily, crouched as he is, his hand¡¯s only a few inches from the knife stashed a few inches above his boot. Also lucky for him, Jimmy¡¯s hand holding the gun is far enough from Mina that even if his aim isn¡¯t perfect there¡¯s no risk he¡¯ll hit her.


    Wrapping his fingers around a knife, Ryaan flings it at Jimmy. It finds the man¡¯s hand, eliciting a scream as the gun goes clattering to the ground. Mina scrambles deeper into the alley, getting as far from the fight as she can.


    Ryaan grabs his staff back off the ground and rushes the man. Jimmy¡¯s not prepared to fight, he¡¯s using his remaining good hand to put pressure on his cut. As Ryaan closes in, Jimmy tries to fight back anyway. He dodges the first strike of Ryaan¡¯s staff. While Ryaan¡¯s off balance, Jimmy darts in, trying to get close enough to render the staff useless. Releasing his injury, Jimmy starts raining punches on Ryaan¡¯s chest with his good hand. When Ryaan starts circling away from that side of the man¡¯s body, Jimmy tries one with his injured fist. It knocks the wind out of Ryaan but if Jimmy¡¯s scream is anything to go on, there won¡¯t be more punches coming from that side.


    Fighting for air, Ryaan looks for an opportunity to strike back. He continues circling toward the injured hand, causing Jimmy¡¯s next few punches to find nothing but air. He needs to put space between them but his back¡¯s nearly touching the brick wall of the nearest building. Continuing to circle, it isn¡¯t long before he feels open air behind him.


    The breeze on his back tells him this is over. A few quick steps backward set him up. Now able to use his staff again, he starts jabbing Jimmy in the face, disorienting the man. Wildly swinging his staff now, he¡¯s landing hits all over the man¡¯s body. Jimmy makes a few half hearted attempts to hit back but he¡¯s not even close to finding his target. With a final hard shot to the side of the head, Jimmy goes down. He starts to rise again, but a hard kick in the ribs seems to take the last fight out of him.


    Still gasping for each breath Ryaan presses the button to retract his staff and slides it back into the leather holster on his back. Turning to look for Mina, he realizes this isn¡¯t as over as he thought it was. Mina¡¯s holding Jimmy¡¯s pistol in front of her. It¡¯s pointed right at his chest. She must have chased it down after he lost it. She stares at him and he stares back at her. Neither moves for what feels like an eternity. Mina fights back tears while Ryaan can barely manage to keep breathing.


    Ryaan¡¯s the one to break the silence. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. I just wanted to help. You can go ahead and put the gun down and go home.¡± Mina doesn¡¯t say anything, she just keeps staring and pointing the gun at his chest. Her eyes seem blank, as if nobody''s home. Her arms are shaking more by the second though. ¡°Really, I¡¯m a friend, I promise. You have nothing to worry about.¡± Still no response. She continues to shake, seemingly operating in a trance. Unable to think of another option he tries to connect with her directly. ¡°Mina, please go ahead and put the gun down. I¡¯m a friend.¡±


    Hearing her name seems to snap Mina out of her trance, at least a little. ¡°How do you know my name?¡±


    Ryaan smiles under his mask. At least she¡¯s talking now. ¡°I¡¯m a friend.¡±


    She may be reacting more, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be calming down. If anything she¡¯s getting more agitated. He starts to worry one of these shakes is going to shake her finger into the trigger. Maybe letting her know that a mystery vigilante knows her name for no reason isn¡¯t how he wins her trust. Not wanting to die here, he only has one other idea. After a quick glance down to make sure neither of the seemingly unconscious Goggle Guys is looking his way and looking to make sure nobody¡¯s at the end of the alley, Ryaan slowly reaches up and removes his mask.


    It takes a moment but this finally seems to bring her back. She slowly lowers the gun. She starts to say, ¡°Ry---,¡± but he shushes her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say my name. I don¡¯t know if those two are actually unconscious and I don¡¯t want them hearing.¡± He slips his mask back on before continuing. ¡°Now put the gun down Mina, you don¡¯t need it, they¡¯re not going to hurt you.¡±


    She does what he asks but can¡¯t seem to tear her eyes from the two men on the ground. ¡°I was so afraid. The big one said something gross when I walked by him on the street. I didn¡¯t even realize I was running until I noticed them chasing me and then I felt like I had to keep going. I don¡¯t know why they wanted to follow me so bad.¡±


    Ryaan puts a hand on her shoulder. ¡°They¡¯re idiots looking to give people a hard time. It probably didn¡¯t have anything to do with you. Go ahead and leave their guns, neither of them is going to report they got beaten up by a couple of brown kids. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Mina nods and puts the gun down. They slip away from the alley, pausing only for Ryaan to retrieve his throwing knife. There¡¯s a bit of blood on the blade and he reminds himself to wash it later. With the added cost of having to take the vigilante test again, the last thing he needs is to waste a knife and have to buy another set.


    Pulling Mina behind him by the hand, Ryaan rushes to the alley where he stashed his backpack. He¡¯s relieved to find it¡¯s still behind the dumpster. They spend the next few minutes moving from street to street, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the Goggle Guys. After they¡¯re far enough away to feel safe, Ryaan pulls Mina into yet another alley and takes off his mask. This time he takes all of his knives and his staff off and stashes them in his bag. They stand there catching their breath, not saying a word.


    Mina leans on a wall, staring at him. ¡°Ryaan, not that I¡¯m complaining since you kind of saved me, but what in the world are you doing running around in a costume? Why do you have a bunch of knives?¡±


    Ryaan almost giggles. When she puts it like that it sounds absurd. ¡°I tried out for the vigilante program this morning but I didn¡¯t pass.¡±


    Mina¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°So you were lying back there when you told them you were a vigilante?¡±


    ¡°I think of it more as bluffing but I guess I was. I hoped I could convince them to back down so I wouldn¡¯t have to fight them. They kicked the crap out of me a few weeks ago when I tried to stop them from harassing another family around here. They¡¯re crazy and shouldn¡¯t be able to walk the streets. Somebody¡¯s going to end up dead.¡±


    A look of realization comes over Mina. Her head tilts to the side. ¡°I thought you had to be eighteen to be a vigilante. You¡¯re a junior. Did you fail a couple grades at some point without Nadia telling me?¡±


    Feeling the sting of her words, Ryaan looks at the ground. ¡°I have a fake ID. I know it¡¯s dumb but no one wants to do anything about this. When you were running there were a ton of people watching, just staring out their windows, but no one did anything. Even without passing the test, I couldn¡¯t let them hurt someone.¡±


    Mina rushes up to him and squeezes him in a big hug. Ryaan cringes in pain. Not only is his back still giving him a hard time after his test, he thinks Jimmy bruised a few ribs when he got in close and wailed on him. Mina notices his discomfort and quickly releases him. Suddenly the moment becomes awkward. ¡°Are you okay? He got some good hits on you.¡±


    Ryaan tries to give a reassuring smile. ¡°I think so, I¡¯ll have a few nice bruises but I¡¯ll be fine. They¡¯re not all from right now anyway. I got hurt while taking the test this morning.¡±


    Mina points at his shirt. ¡°He got some blood on you.¡±


    Looking down, Ryaan sees a smear of blood across his ribs. It must be from when Jimmy tried to punch him with his injured hand. He shakes his head, trying to figure out what to do. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay but I need to get home and try to get this blood out before it sets. I don¡¯t exactly have ten of these. We¡¯re not far from your house now, do you think you¡¯ll be okay?¡±


    Mina thinks for a minute before saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just come back to my house? My mom¡¯s out with some friends so there won¡¯t be anyone home. You can get changed and put some ice on your ribs before heading home. I assume you don¡¯t want them to see you like this. I know your dad would never let you run around if he knew.¡±


    Ryaan considers this and decides it probably is best not to come home in a weird outfit covered in blood. He takes Mina up on her offer and they head to her house. It¡¯s less than a mile away. They make only minor conversation the rest of the way.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 9

    As they walk into her house, Mina seems to really breathe for the first time since her attack. Ryaan may not be on his home turf, but he feels at home here as well. He¡¯s been upset since he failed the test but today wasn¡¯t a bust. He was actually able to help someone. Without his mind being torn between ten things, he notices Mina¡¯s turning into a very pretty girl.


    He hasn¡¯t seen much of her lately but he¡¯s always thought of her as his kid sister¡¯s friend. He¡¯s not seeing a kid now. She has long black hair and a slightly lighter complexion than he does. Her eyes are a pretty hazel color and she has a really nice smile when he finally gets to see it.


    She offers Ryaan a bag of ice which he sticks under his shirt. The cold feels weird on his ribs but it offers relief. They sit down to relax but after a few minutes Mina¡¯s gaze returns to the blood on his shirt. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me your shirt. I do most of the laundry since my mom and dad work a lot. I¡¯m good at getting stains out.¡±


    Without thinking Ryaan takes his top off. It doesn¡¯t take long for him to regret it. He feels incredibly awkward standing there without a shirt in front of Mina. She blushes, trying to look away. After a moment she takes the shirt and heads to her laundry room. Ryaan uses her absence to grab his regular shirt out of his backpack. He manages to put it on before she returns. When she comes back and smiles at him, suddenly all the pain he¡¯s felt today is worth it.


    They return to the living room where Ryaan can sit and keep the ice pack from moving around. Mina sits in a chair across the room and stares at him. She keeps doing that. It doesn¡¯t take long for them to both realize they have no idea what to talk about. Mina says, ¡°Your shirt will be clean in thirty minutes or so. I can dry it too if you want but that will take longer.¡±


    Ryaan tells her that will be okay and thanks her for the help. Now it¡¯s Mina¡¯s turn to laugh. ¡°I think if anyone owes a thank you it¡¯s me. You saved me from those guys. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re trying to be a vigilante though. That seems really dangerous. None of your family knows?¡±


    Ryaan shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate if you don¡¯t tell them. I know you and Nadia still hang out some but I don¡¯t want her to worry.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m not going to blow your secret. I think you should tell them though. At least Nadia. She¡¯d be really supportive. Plus, you know she¡¯d make you a better outfit than what you¡¯re wearing. Did you make that yourself?¡±


    Ryaan confirms that he did. His feelings are slightly hurt but she¡¯s not wrong about Nadia and clothing. She¡¯s always done a lot of patching and repairing of their clothes. Something she picked up from their mom. When they first moved to the US they had almost no money and mom made most of their clothes. When he started school he remembers how embarrassed he was when he realized none of the other kids wore homemade clothes. His parents, always trying to be American, somehow came up with the money to buy him a cheap new wardrobe.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Mina crosses her legs, putting her head in her hands. ¡°Are you going to take the vigilante test again?¡±


    He opens his mouth to answer but nothing comes out. He realizes he hasn¡¯t really considered the question. He has to, doesn¡¯t he? As much pain as he¡¯s in, today taught him that helping isn¡¯t a choice. He saved someone in trouble and it feels amazing. He wasn¡¯t registered when he did it though.


    He definitely wants to keep going but waiting a month for the test sounds like torture. What if he does this without registering? What will happen if he gets caught? Mina runs over to her computer and a quick internet search gives them an answer. Since the passing of the act the only punishment for vigilantism without registration is being required to register. They must have come up with that one before the test was required and not changed it. Unless something changes, he¡¯s not even taking a real risk by skipping the test. Plus, he doesn¡¯t have to use his fake ID to be a non registered vigilante.


    Looking over Mina¡¯s shoulder, a smile starts to spread across Ryaan¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m just going to help people. I¡¯ll worry about registering if someone catches me.¡±


    Mina¡¯s face lights up with excitement. ¡°I like it, you¡¯ll be kind of a rebel and do your own thing. That¡¯s really cool.¡±


    Something clicks in Ryaan¡¯s head and reminds him of one of his favorite songs. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ll go by, I¡¯ll be the Rebel.¡±


    The look on Mina¡¯s face is priceless. ¡°You mean I get to name you? That¡¯s awesome!¡± She starts to go in for another hug before remembering how much that hurt him last time. She stops herself, looking sheepish. ¡°Ryaan, I won¡¯t tell anyone about you either way but can I help you? I want to repay you for saving me.¡±


    It¡¯s Ryaan¡¯s turn to want to hug her. ¡°That¡¯s really nice of you Mina but this is really dangerous. I know how to fight thanks to my parents. Unless you have some kind of training, you¡¯ll just end up getting hurt.¡±


    Mina¡¯s mouth is practically gaping at this point. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be running around the streets in a funny outfit Ryaan. My parents would kill me. I can still help you though. If your clothes get bloody I can clean them. If they get damaged I can fix them, maybe not as well as Nadia but I can handle some basic sewing. I might even be able to make you a better costume as a thank you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you can help with the costume?¡± Ryaan processes his options. This is the best he could manage after a lot of effort and it¡¯s not great. A good costume goes a long way to being taken seriously as a vigilante. If she can do better, he knows taking her up on the offer¡¯s a good idea. Ryaan reaches out his hand. ¡°Sounds like a plan. I can¡¯t wait to see what you can do.¡±


    Mina grabs his hand and shakes it hard. As she does so, in the background the washer buzzes loudly to tell them his clothes are clean.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 10

    Walking down the halls of his school, Ryaan has extra pep in his step today. Failing his vigilante test could have destroyed his confidence but after taking down the two jerks who inspired him to take it in the first place, saving a girl in the process, on his way home from that failure, he believes more than ever that he¡¯s meant to do this.


    Heading to auto shop, he sees her at the end of the hall. Mina¡¯s two years younger than him and entered high school just this year. She¡¯s been friends with Ryaan¡¯s sister Nadia for as long as he can remember, though they¡¯ve grown apart in the last year. That¡¯s probably down to Mina entering high school while Nadia¡¯s still a year away. Saving her from a couple of awful excuses for vigilantes called the Goggle Guys showed him that he doesn¡¯t need a certificate to protect his neighborhood.


    Ever since the Vigilantes Making Us Safe Act (VMUS) passed the Goggle Guys have been making life hard for anyone in his neighborhood who doesn¡¯t look like them. They¡¯re the main reason Ryaan decided to become a vigilante. He tried to stop them from harassing a family he knows a few days earlier and they paid him back by beating the hell out of him and leaving him bleeding in the rain.


    Mina¡¯s the only person who knows Ryaan decided to become a vigilante. After saving her he had to reveal himself to stop her from shooting him. He didn¡¯t really think through what a terrified teenager would do if a masked man with throwing knives jumped out at her. He¡¯s nervous to have anyone know his secret but he hopes he can trust her. Mina has always seemed like a smart girl and it¡¯ll probably be fine. He only really knows her as his little sister¡¯s friend though. Knowing she could blow his life up makes him feel vulnerable but he can¡¯t show it. She seems grateful for the assist. She¡¯s even agreed to help make him a new costume.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Passing each other in the hallway, Mina¡¯s eyes follow Ryaan and she grins at him but she doesn¡¯t say anything. He awkwardly smiles back. He¡¯s been in the same school as her for half a year now and he¡¯s barely given her a second thought. Now he can¡¯t pass her in the hall without picking her out of a crowd. Ryaan¡¯s basketball teammate Jesse sneaks up on him and slaps him hard on the back. ¡°Got a thing for the young one man?¡±


    Jumping, Ryaan gives him a look of contempt. ¡°No way man, she¡¯s just a friend of my little sister. Nothing like that.¡±


    ¡°Sure man, whatever you say. You¡¯re not the first upperclassman to be into a freshman. Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re a hero right now after making that shot last week. That sort of thing doesn¡¯t last forever. You need to strike while it¡¯s still news.¡±


    Jesse¡¯s wrong. The shot¡¯s already old news. ¡°So, did you study for the history test tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that man. You haven¡¯t gone out with anyone as long as I¡¯ve known you. If you want that girl you should go after her. Ask her to Macy¡¯s party next week.¡±


    Ryaan crosses his arms and starts to walk away. ¡°It¡¯s not like that man, I already told you. I¡¯m not even going to that party and I know her parents well enough to know there¡¯s no way they¡¯d let her go. She¡¯s just my little sister¡¯s friend. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Laughing, Jesse follows him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. ¡°All right man, if you say so. I have to get to math, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± He starts to head off before turning around and saying, ¡°Oh, by the way, bunch of guys on the team are trying to get a regular pickup game together to get ready for next season. I¡¯ll text you when I know the details.¡±


    With that Jesse¡¯s gone. Ryaan¡¯s glad to see him go. He¡¯s a good guy and a good teammate but Ryaan has always been shy with girls and he doesn¡¯t really like being given a hard time about it. Looking at the time, he realizes he¡¯s running late and hurries toward class.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 11

    Twenty minutes later Ryaan finds himself underneath an old station wagon sliding around on a creeper. Auto body class is one of the hours he looks forward to each day. He¡¯s good at it and this is a lot more fun than math problems. He¡¯s working on the vehicle¡¯s exhaust when he hears a couple of seniors he doesn¡¯t know well talking nearby. ¡°The next shipment comes in tomorrow night. They want us out there watching things. The pay will be really good if everything goes well and we just need to keep an eye out.¡±


    Ryaan stops his work on the car, not wanting the noises of his tools to stop him from hearing something important. This sounds worth hearing. He rolls a little further underneath the vehicle so they don¡¯t notice him. ¡°I don¡¯t know man, this is kind of dangerous isn¡¯t it? If they want us to keep an eye out for someone that means they think someone might show up. What if the cops show? I can¡¯t go to jail. My parents will kick my ass if I get arrested. Plus, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d do good in jail. I¡¯m too pretty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen asshole. We¡¯re just a couple of guys hanging out. We won¡¯t even have weapons. We¡¯re just going to have our phones and let them know if someone¡¯s coming. We¡¯re not the muscle. I mean, look at you man, no one things you¡¯re going to beat anyone up.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Screw you man. I could take someone.¡± Ryaan can only see his legs but he shifts around. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in. What time do I need to be there?¡±


    ¡°Just meet at my house at eight. We¡¯re driving over to Beach Street. They¡¯ll tell us where we need to be at that point.¡±


    The two wander off and Ryaan rolls out from under the car. This sounds like something big going down in the neighborhood. Beach Street¡¯s only a couple miles from his house but it¡¯s not a short street and there¡¯s a lot of places they could be meeting. He tries to think of locations that make sense but the only area standing out¡¯s the warehouse district. Other than that, there¡¯s just a lot of shops and not much to see except some houses and apartments.


    That¡¯s not a lot to go on so he follows the pair, trying to memorize what these guys look like. If he can find them, he can find whatever¡¯s going down. They don¡¯t pay attention to him but Ryaan¡¯s not close enough to hear anything else they say.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 12

    When the final bell sounds Ryaan heads toward the bus. He always tries to avoid taking the bus home because he¡¯s at the end of the line and it takes almost two hours to arrive. Because of the weird route it takes he can walk home way faster.


    Scanning the crowd heading toward the bus, he sees her. Mina¡¯s walking while talking to a couple girls he doesn¡¯t recognize. They look around her age. She¡¯s smiling but as soon as she sees Ryaan standing around she makes an excuse and walks over toward him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was going to see you again today. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°We have some things to talk about. Do you want to walk home together?¡±


    She shifts uncomfortably, putting a hand behind her neck. ¡°I guess that¡¯s cool. Usually my parents wouldn¡¯t want me walking home with an older boy but I don¡¯t think they¡¯d mind with you. I mean, they¡¯ve known you for years.¡±


    Ryaan nods and leads Mina toward the front of the school. It¡¯s a nice day, starting to warm up. As they walk he says, ¡°Something¡¯s going down over on Beach Street tonight. Some guys were talking about it in my auto class and I overheard. Apparently they¡¯re on watch duty. Sounds like something drug related but I don¡¯t know for sure. I think I should probably check it out and see if I can figure out what they¡¯re up to but I don¡¯t really know where I¡¯m going. It might be good to have support. Is that something you¡¯d be interested in?¡±


    Practically beaming, Mina nods and smiles. She leans into his arm, not seeming to realize she¡¯s doing it. After a moment she practically shoves him away, her face turning crimson red. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just excited. I wasn¡¯t sure how serious you were about letting me help you. I¡¯d love to though, I owe you for saving me. What do you have in mind?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    He thinks, trying to find how she can help. ¡°Can I call you if I have questions about directions or anything like that? Stuff to Google basically if I¡¯m not in a position to check it for myself.¡±


    A hand goes on her chin as if she¡¯s thinking. ¡°We just need to get you a headset or something so I can be in your ear. Do you have anything like that?¡±


    ¡°I have a Bluetooth headset my dad got me. Not sure how well it¡¯ll stay on my head if I get in a fight but it¡¯ll probably work. I¡¯ll need directions and maybe information about whatever it is I see or hear.¡±


    She grins. ¡°I can do that. I¡¯m good at finding things fast. I¡¯ve also been working on a new suit design for you. Your pants are fine but you need a way cooler mask. We can also improve your shirt, something we can make a few of so you don¡¯t have to worry so much if it gets damaged. I have an idea that I can make. It just might take a couple weeks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome. I threw mine together in a couple hours. If you could keep the color the same though, that¡¯d be awesome. I really like the color.¡±


    ¡°That color looks really good on you,¡± Mina says before turning bright red again. ¡°I¡¯m just going to go jump off a bridge if that¡¯s okay with you,¡± she says under her breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I know what you meant.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes one of us.¡±


    The pair take a moment to exchange phone numbers and make sure they¡¯ll be able to get ahold of each other once Ryaan hits the streets. He promises Mina a call when he sneaks out of the house. Now he just needs to figure out how he¡¯s going to do that.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 13

    Ryan Asfour spends his dinner listening to his sisters tell their dad about their day. He mostly stays quiet, picking at his food. Lana talks about recess and how excited she was that today was pizza day. Nadia talks about the A she got on her science test and the middle school yearbook which she¡¯s the editor of. After everyone else has shared Ryaan¡¯s dad turns to him. ¡°You¡¯re quiet tonight, what¡¯s going on? Is dinner that terrible?¡±


    It¡¯s not great. Tonight was Ryaan¡¯s dad¡¯s night to cook and he¡¯s a terrible chef. Somehow the man managed to wolf down his plate and go back for seconds. None of the three kids have even gotten through half of what he piled on their plates.


    Ryaan sighs, putting his head in his hands. ¡°Just thinking about a big trig test I have tomorrow. I¡¯ve been studying and working at it but I don¡¯t seem to be getting it. Math usually comes so easy to me so I¡¯m kind of worried. Would it be okay if I go over to Jesse¡¯s to study after dinner?¡± If there¡¯s one reliable way to get his dad¡¯s blessing, it¡¯s through education. Even better, Jesse¡¯s his favorite of Ryaan¡¯s basketball teammates, largely because he sucks up to anyone and everyone he can.


    His father doesn¡¯t answer right away, scratching at his right arm and bopping his head as if in thought. ¡°It¡¯s getting late already you know. You have school tomorrow. What time will you be getting there and what time will you be home?¡±


    ¡°He wants me to come over around eight so I¡¯ll probably leave around seven thirty. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be that late. Ten thirty or eleven maybe.¡±


    His dad leans forward. ¡°Make it ten thirty and it¡¯s a deal. You need to do good on your test. I want you to be an engineer or something important and math is a big part of that.¡±


    There goes his dad with the e word again. He¡¯s been pestering him to become an engineer since he was a little boy, thinking that will set him up for a bright future. Ryaan hasn¡¯t had the heart to tell him that he finds math boring and being an engineer sounds like a nightmare. His mom knew before she took off and always encouraged him to follow his heart but look what happened to their family when she followed her own advice. Ryaan¡¯s terrified to let his father down.


    ¡°Yes sir. I will absolutely try. If it¡¯s going to be any later than that I¡¯ll let you know. Jesse did mention me possibly staying over though if things run late or we¡¯re not ready. That way I can get some extra studying in and his mom can just drive us to school in the morning. Would that be okay?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    His dad frowns at this. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be a bother to them. Do Jesse¡¯s parents know about this? Will they be okay with you staying? What about breakfast? I don¡¯t want you eating them out of house and home.¡±


    Reassuring his dad that Jesse¡¯s family will be glad to let him have a bowl of cereal or something and telling him that he¡¯ll make sure not to go too crazy on their food, his dad tentatively gives him the okay to stay over if needed. He insists that Ryaan call him if he¡¯s going to do so though which Ryaan promises.


    After finishing dinner Ryaan heads to his room to prepare. He grabs his spare backpack from under his bed, his costume and weapons already stuffed inside. He can¡¯t change here. In the past he¡¯s put on the more casual pieces at home but he doesn¡¯t want them seeming too common so he decides to change completely once he¡¯s out of here.


    Once everything¡¯s packed, Ryaan checks in with his dad one last time to let him know he¡¯s on his way out. ¡°Take a snack with you. Something to give you some extra brain power to study. I want you to do great. That way you can share with Jesse too and it won¡¯t be like you¡¯re just eating their food if you stay.¡±


    His dad shoves an entire bag of walnuts and a full package of celery at him and he has to be very careful putting them in his bag to make sure his dad doesn¡¯t see the rest of what he has. The last thing he needs is for his dad to wonder why he¡¯s carrying around a bunch of throwing knives or why there aren¡¯t any books in his bag.


    Grabbing the peanut butter out of a cabinet to go with the celery and nuts he¡¯s as ready as he¡¯s going to be. He can¡¯t stand celery on it¡¯s own and while he may not be going to study, he doesn¡¯t know how long this will take and who knows, he could get hungry. His dad swats his hands away. ¡°You don¡¯t need the stupid peanut butter. Always with the peanut butter. Celery is delicious on it¡¯s own. You don¡¯t need to glob that crap all over it. It¡¯ll keep you healthy on it¡¯s own. Now get going before you keep Jesse waiting.¡±


    With a big hug and a promise to call if he¡¯s going to stay overnight, Ryaan gets ready to leave. He¡¯d rather not have to find a place to sleep tonight but if it comes down to it he knows a couple 24 hour places where he can get a cup of coffee and wait it out. He¡¯ll be useless at school tomorrow if he has to pull an all nighter but it really depends on what he finds.


    Looking at the clock, he realizes it¡¯s almost quarter to eight and he planned to already be out of here by now. He knows the guys from school weren¡¯t planning to meet up until eight so he should have time but he doesn¡¯t want to take any chances. This is his first time getting involved with something because he planned to and he¡¯s so excited that the hairs on his arm are standing.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 14

    The easiest way to reach Beach Street is to go left at the corner and then head straight for about three miles. That¡¯s not going to work here though. Ryaan¡¯s dad isn¡¯t the most trusting guy and he¡¯s nervous he¡¯ll watch him as he leaves. Jesse¡¯s house is in the completely opposite direction so he¡¯s at least going to need to go around the block.


    While making his way to the corner, Ryaan pops his headset into his ear and gives Mina a call. She answers on the first ring sounding like she¡¯s already drunk a whole pot of coffee. ¡°Are you there yet? Is anything going on?¡±


    Suppressing a laugh he says, ¡°Calm down, nothing to worry about yet. I¡¯m actually just leaving my place. Are your parents home? I need somewhere to change into my stuff and I don¡¯t really want to do it in an alleyway.¡±


    ¡°They are but even if they weren¡¯t, do you want to change into it right now? You don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going and if you stumble upon these guys, they¡¯re going to get suspicious if they see a vigilante walking around. Not so much if they see some guy from their school just happens to be walking through the area.¡±


    ¡°Good point, I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of that. I¡¯ll just have to change out there.¡±


    ¡°If you need somewhere to change back when you¡¯re done though, there¡¯s a shed behind my house. It¡¯s never locked and my parents never go out there. We don¡¯t have any lights in the back yard so it¡¯s really dark at night. If you want to sneak back there it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Just don¡¯t say it was my idea if you get caught.¡±


    ¡°That could work. Would I possibly be able to sleep back there if I need to? I told my dad if I come home late I¡¯m just going to stay over at a friends¡¯ house. I don¡¯t know how late it will be though and I¡¯d really rather not try to sneak back in.¡±


    Mina hesitates before she says, ¡°Sure. I can¡¯t really go out there and put anything to sleep on down though. If I¡¯d had some notice maybe but this late at night my parents are going to be suspicious if I go sneaking out into the back yard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I don''t really need anything special. Just somewhere to go so I¡¯m not literally sleeping on the street. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well I¡¯m here if you need support. My phone¡¯s right by me on vibrate so it¡¯ll wake me up even if I fall asleep; just let me know if you need anything.¡±


    Ryaan ends the call and after crossing a few streets and circling around the block he backtracks to where he needs to be. He¡¯s then able to head toward Beach Street. It¡¯s only a couple miles and he walks along quietly, his arms wrapped around himself to stay warm. He knows where to start but even once he gets there, Beach Street is several miles long. There¡¯s not many spots that make sense for a meeting though so he can narrow it down. It could be in the main shopping area where there¡¯s a bunch of stores, or over in the warehouse area. Those are only about a half mile apart so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to locate. He¡¯ll just walk that stretch and hope he sees something.


    By now it¡¯s after eight and starting to get dark. The area he¡¯s headed to isn¡¯t the best and while he isn¡¯t worried, he wishes he had a couple of throwing knives easily accessible. Until he gets his suit on they¡¯re in his bag and it¡¯d take way too long to get one if he runs into trouble. He¡¯ll have to put pouches in his jeans for nights like this.


    Ryaan passes a few people on his way. He smiles at them as he passes but most avoid his gaze, hurrying to wherever they¡¯re going. People in Chicago can be friendly but that mostly disappears at night. That¡¯s when the city gets tribal. By the time he arrives on Beach Street it¡¯s already eight fifteen. He doesn¡¯t know how far from here those guys live but if they aren¡¯t here yet, they should be soon. Ryaan walks down the street until he reaches the main shopping area. A few small shops are still open but most places have closed. There¡¯s just enough people walking the streets that he doesn¡¯t feel alone but most people seem to have gone home for the night. The spacing of the street lights helps you never feel too isolated.


    After pacing up and down this stretch for twenty minutes Ryaan doesn¡¯t see any sign of either guy from his high school or anyone else who seems suspicious. He decides to head toward the warehouse district and see what he can find. Time¡¯s starting to become a concern. A part of him was clinging to hope that he might see what he needed fast and make it home before his dad¡¯s curfew. If whatever this is turns out to be serious, he certainly won¡¯t be making it.


    Heading to the warehouse area he sees even less signs of people. A few people crowd around a crappy old warehouse that¡¯s been converted into cheap loft apartments but for the most part this area dies when the work day does. The lights here are far more spread out with large stretches of darkness which could make anyone feel vulnerable. That¡¯s why it kind of stands out when Ryaan starts noticing a variety of cars parked along the road the further he goes. They aren¡¯t all together, but there seem to be too many for this time of night. All the businesses are closed.


    Ryaan starts to notice a few people standing around. They¡¯re spread throughout the area, in alleys, doorways and any place darkness can be found, trying to look inconspicuous while standing around doing nothing in an area they have no reason to be in. He hasn¡¯t noticed the guys from his high school but they probably aren¡¯t the only ones standing watch.


    At this point Ryaan figures anyone unknown in the area¡¯s going to stand out so he might as well be prepared if something goes down. He starts looking for a place he can change into his outfit. He finds one but kind of wishes he hadn¡¯t. He doesn¡¯t like it but there are a few port a potties sitting right outside one of the warehouses and they aren¡¯t locked. He grumbles a bit that the vigilantes back in the day probably never needed to change in a port a potty but he closes himself in.


    The smell makes his eyes water. He doesn¡¯t know when this place was last cleaned but it wasn¡¯t today. He quickly starts to change but finds it difficult to concentrate. This thing was designed for quickly doing your business. Getting in and out. It definitely wasn¡¯t designed for standing around changing. There¡¯s no room so he repeatedly slams his elbows and knees into the walls. Yelps are stifled to avoid drawing attention. After a few minutes of work he manages to change clothes, get into his boots, put all of his throwing knives in place and strap his staff to his back. The final touch is putting his mask over his face. He¡¯ll kind of miss this thing if Mina makes him something better. It¡¯s a terrible mask and doesn¡¯t fit the image he wants at all but it¡¯s actually pretty comfortable.


    Stepping back outside, Ryaan¡¯s glad not to find an army of goons surrounding him. He can see a guy further down the street but if he sticks to the shadows he shouldn¡¯t be noticed. Still no sign of either of the people he¡¯s looking for. He shakes the mask out a bit, trying to get rid of the funk that was trapped inside when he put it on.


    After making a few laps around the area it starts to become clear what these people are watching. They¡¯re situated around a specific warehouse and the few blocks away from it in any direction. They don¡¯t seem to be armed and most are either alone or in pairs. They seem to be trying to spread people out as much as possible.


    He could call the police and wash his hands of the whole situation. This many people will seem weird to any cops who come into the area. They¡¯ll have to investigate. With this many people on guard though, it seems likely someone will be able to warn whoever¡¯s in charge if the police show up. That¡¯s the whole point of having watch people. If he¡¯s going to prove anything, he needs evidence. If it seems too big once he has a better idea what¡¯s going on, he can always call the cops at that point and tip them off.


    It takes a few laps around the area and he has to change his route multiple times but he finds a path through all these people to reach the warehouse without being seen. It isn¡¯t that hard. They¡¯re looking for police, not a single guy. Once he gets close though, he can¡¯t see a good way into the building without being noticed. He considers taking out a guard but he¡¯s afraid that will make too much noise. There¡¯s also a chance if someone doesn¡¯t check in they¡¯ll come looking for them. He wants to stay undetected as long as he can, which doesn¡¯t leave a ton of options.


    After almost a half hour of circling the building watching from the shadows, Ryaan sees the guy watching a side door look both ways before slipping inside. He¡¯s not far away and the door could be unlocked. Trying to stay in the dark as much as he can, Ryaan approaches the door. Slowly reaching for the handle, he almost jumps up and down when it turns without a sound. He quietly lets himself in. As soon as he steps inside, he sees the door to a men¡¯s room on his left. Pushing the door open a crack, he can hear noises he¡¯d rather forget. He¡¯s solved the mystery of why the man left his post.


    A staircase is right across from the bathroom and Ryaan decides to head up. Maybe from there he¡¯ll be able to get a good vantage point of whatever¡¯s going on. He¡¯s worried about getting caught but there will hopefully be less people up there as well. Once he reaches the second floor he finds all the lights upstairs are off and as far as he can tell he¡¯s alone. Apparently they figure their security outside¡¯s good enough and they don¡¯t need anyone watching from above.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The center of the second floor¡¯s open with only walkways going around the sides of the building leading to dark rooms that appear to be offices. The lights below are on and they¡¯re bright enough that he can see a ton of people scurrying around beneath him. With no lights on up here they shouldn¡¯t be able to see him.


    He watches the crowds below. Most of them are wearing ski masks and they look like stereotypical robbers from a movie. They¡¯re working to load a bunch of boxes into a large storage truck. They seem to be in a rush. Standing to the side are a smaller group who grab Ryaan¡¯s eye. There¡¯s someone in a blue and pink striped dress and a couple of people in what appear to be expensive suits. They¡¯re also wearing ski masks despite their nicer outfits. The main reason they stand out though is that unlike everyone else, they aren¡¯t doing anything. One of them looks away from his companions long enough to say, ¡°Hurry up, we need to have this loaded and be out of here in twelve minutes. We are on a clock.¡± He then returns to his conversation.


    The man¡¯s comment seems to provide a deadline but Ryaan doesn¡¯t have even the start of a plan. He doesn¡¯t have a clue what these guys are doing, though he can guess it¡¯s probably not good. People up to good things generally don¡¯t wear ski masks while they work. They also don¡¯t tend to walk around with assault rifles and unlike the guys outside, the majority of those down below are heavily armed. He can¡¯t justify jumping into the middle of this without knowing more, especially when he has no clue how he¡¯d take down at least twenty guys with guns. He might tag a few with his knives before they fill him full of holes but that doesn¡¯t sound like a good night.


    He really wants to just call the police and get out of here. If they¡¯re really only going to be here another twelve minutes though that won¡¯t do any good. He¡¯s not even sure what he¡¯d tell them. He doesn¡¯t remember the name of the business in this warehouse. A bunch of guys are putting boxes in a truck? No problem, they¡¯ll send the entire department.


    Instead of doing anything Ryaan watches. Looking for any clue to figure out what¡¯s in the boxes, to find some information which might give him a next move. Nothing stands out. The people don¡¯t say anything, the boxes are generic wooden boxes, he can¡¯t even place the guns. He notices a small stamp on a few of the boxes but they¡¯re too far away to read.


    These guys are ahead of schedule. After only about ten minutes the final boxes are loaded and the truck¡¯s slammed shut. He can hear the engine start but it doesn¡¯t go anywhere. The man who told everyone to hurry steps in front of the crowd. ¡°Great job everyone. Our leader would like to address you.¡± He steps aside.


    The masked person in a dress steps to the center of the room. She looks back and forth over the crowd. In a voice that cuts through the noise of the truck she says, ¡°Great job everyone. We did exactly what we needed to. This shipment will get us everything we need to take things to the next level. We¡¯ll be able to hire the vigilantes we need, grease the wheels we need to and generally run this town like we should. When you go home tonight I want you to know that you¡¯ve set in motion a plan which will take this city back. Now go home to your families.¡±


    With that she turns and walks away. The doors to the factory open and the truck drives out. Everyone starts streaming out through a variety of exits. Ryaan considers following but there¡¯s still too many around and he really doesn¡¯t want to die tonight. It hurts to let these guys walk away but he still doesn¡¯t have any idea what they were doing. They¡¯re transporting something for cash and plan to run things, whatever that means. The cops would just roll their eyes if he called.


    Glancing at the time, Ryaan realizes it¡¯s almost the time his dad wanted him home by and he still hasn¡¯t called. He certainly can¡¯t do it here. He texts his dad instead, letting him know he probably will be back tonight but is running a little late. He might get chewed out for it but at least he¡¯ll get to sleep in his bed. He watches until the place is mostly empty and lights start shutting off. All he can do is listen for any noise. After not hearing any footsteps for a minute he decides to get out of here and see if he can find someone to tell him what he just watched.


    With the lights out it takes Ryaan longer than he¡¯s proud of to make his way downstairs to the exit. He rushes toward the door and pushes but finds it locked and it¡¯s not as simple as just unlocking the door from the inside. There¡¯s nothing to turn. He starts to feel his blood pressure rise but tries to stay calm. Surely there¡¯s another door he can get out through. One where he¡¯ll just need to unlock the door. He turns his phone¡¯s flashlight on and starts searching the building.


    Three exits later Ryaan decides it might be time to panic. It¡¯s already ten thirty and he needs to get home. A few minutes late will get him yelled at. A few hours will get him a lot more. He also doesn¡¯t look forward to people showing up to work in the morning and finding him there. Hard to explain that. As he paces back and forth trying to figure out what to do Ryaan notices there are offices around the edges of the first floor as well. Making his way over to one, he¡¯s glad to find it isn¡¯t locked. When he gets inside he finds salvation. The office has a window. It¡¯s a few feet off the ground and there¡¯s a small drop to the ground outside but he can make it. He¡¯ll have to leave it unlocked but whoever has this office will probably assume they forgot to lock it.


    Ryaan throws his bag out the window first and follows after it. He uses his staff to close the thing. Just glad to be outside, he starts heading back to the port a potty. He can at least get changed before heading home. Getting there will take another half hour at least so he¡¯s going to be very late. A glance at his phone shows he¡¯s already missed a few calls from his dad.


    Walking back, Ryaan doesn¡¯t see a lot of people. The time it took him to get out of that building gave them plenty of time to get away. As he nears the port a potty though, he sees a sight he can¡¯t believe. There¡¯s the two guys from school, standing next to a car and leaning against a building. They¡¯re eating burgers and are seemingly oblivious to his presence.


    Moving fast, he grabs a couple of throwing knives from his side. He wants to let them know he means business so they give him what he needs. Keeping to the shadows as long as he can, he makes his way close. By the time he¡¯s within throwing distance he¡¯s managed to duck behind their car. He counts to three and pops out throwing, managing to snag each of their shirts with a throw, attaching them to the building.


    One of the men lets out a shout when they see him. His eyes are wide and he puts his arms in front of his face. ¡°You can have our wallets man, it¡¯s cool. No more knives.¡±


    Ryaan draws his staff and points it at one of their heads. He tries to speak with a deeper voice than normal, wanting to sound intimidating and not be recognized. ¡°You¡¯re going to give me the information I need or you¡¯re not going to like what I do here. Nobody has to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Information?¡± the other one asks. He¡¯s shaking and glancing around for help. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. We don¡¯t know anything about anything.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I believe that?¡± Ryan asks. ¡°You were standing guard at that warehouse. I saw you myself. Give me what I need and no one will ever know. Who are those people? What are they transporting?¡±


    The first one says, ¡°We don¡¯t know anything man. We were just asked by some guys to keep watch out for anything that might be going down. That¡¯s all we know. You gotta believe us man. We don¡¯t do anything illegal.¡±


    Ryaan would almost believe them if he didn¡¯t know they were lying. He slams his staff into the man¡¯s gut and gets a wet gasp as a gift. He quickly puts it in the other man¡¯s face. ¡°If I don¡¯t get some answers you¡¯ll both be getting a lot worse than that. I have plenty more knives.¡±


    The teenager¡¯s bawling at this point. ¡°Alright man, I¡¯ll tell you. You can¡¯t let them know it was us though. They¡¯ll mess us up. We¡¯re just doing this to make a few bucks.¡±


    His friend interrupts. ¡°Man, don¡¯t tell him. I don¡¯t need those crazy people after us.¡±


    ¡°This guy seems crazy too and he¡¯s right freaking here. So ya, I¡¯m going to tell him. Just shut up, at least then if it comes down to it you can say it was me.¡± He turns back to Ryaan. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing in that warehouse and I don¡¯t know who most of them are.¡± As Ryaan pulls back his staff, ready to strike, the teenager says, ¡°I swear to god that¡¯s true man. I swear to god. They don¡¯t let any of the outdoor watch people inside. I don¡¯t think they trust us. They just hire a bunch of young guys to keep an eye out is all. I do know who recruited us though and I know where you can find him.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence Ryaan says, ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s this guy Eddie. He works at the flower place over on Cicero. What¡¯s it called?¡± He turns to look at his friend but the second guy looks away. ¡°Lovely Flowers or something. He¡¯s been recruiting people out of there for awhile. There¡¯s a couple other guys recruiting out of there. They work for some older lady. I don¡¯t know why but check that place out and talk to Eddie. He¡¯ll know a lot more than I do.¡±


    The look of fear and defeat on the other man¡¯s face tells Ryaan he has everything these two have to give him. He returns his staff to his back. He walks quickly up to the men and pulls both knifes he threw out of the wall simultaneously, slipping them back into his suit. He¡¯s glad to see his throws went right where he wanted. Their clothes have holes in them but there¡¯s no blood. Even now that they¡¯re free neither makes a move to attack him. ¡°Get out of here. Get in your car and drive. If I find out you held anything back I will find you and you will regret it.¡±


    The two are speeding into the night before Ryaan can count to ten. With that out of the way he sneaks back into the port a potty and changes into his regular clothes. Glancing at his phone he realizes it¡¯s now after eleven. He shoots his dad a text to let him know he¡¯s okay and they got distracted but he¡¯ll be headed home in a few minutes. It¡¯s a tall order but if he runs he can probably make it by eleven thirty. His phone almost immediately starts ringing again, but he doesn¡¯t answer. His dad¡¯s punishment will still be waiting for him when he gets home.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 15

    Two weeks of grounding? Ryaan¡¯s dad wasn¡¯t amused when he came home from a study session after midnight. He¡¯d have been even less amused to know what Ryaan was really doing. He spent that time in the local warehouse district scoping out some sort of gang shipment. He expected trouble when he got home. He knew he was choosing his dad¡¯s anger over saying he was sleeping at a friend¡¯s while really sleeping outside. Two weeks though? He expected his dad to bring the hammer down but he thought that¡¯d be a few days. He¡¯d have slept outside if he knew the alternative was two weeks stuck in the house.


    Straight to school and straight home. Since the season ended he doesn¡¯t even have basketball practice as an excuse to stay late. What¡¯s he supposed to do cooped up in the house for two weeks? How can he use what he learned at the warehouse without going out and investigating? He¡¯s trying to be a vigilante and now¡¯s not the time to take a break.


    At least the information he got was useful. It wasn¡¯t as much as he hoped for but he cornered two guys from his school who are part of the gang and made them give up what they knew. He¡¯s supposed to look into a guy named Eddie and an older woman working out of a flower shop on Cicero called Lovely Lovely Flowers. He knows the area but he doesn¡¯t pay a lot of attention to flower shops. If the guys were telling the truth though that¡¯s where this gang¡¯s recruiting. At the very least he should be able to get some sort of lead to follow from there. He needs to know what they¡¯re moving and where they¡¯re moving it.


    Waiting two weeks to follow up is out of the question. Who knows when the situation could change. He has to figure out an excuse to get out, at least for a night. His dad isn¡¯t the type to give time off for good behavior so whatever he comes up with is going to need to be good.


    He¡¯s almost disappointed it¡¯s Friday. Usually he¡¯d be excited for the weekend but being trapped in his house is going to make the next two days feel like an eternity. He thinks about skipping school so he can head over to the flower shop but decides against it. If his dad finds out he cut class he¡¯ll be grounded until he turns forty.


    Standing at his locker, Ryaan¡¯s about to head toward first period when he sees Mina storming down the hall. She¡¯s the daughter of his mom¡¯s best friend. Ryaan recently saved her from a couple of jerk vigilantes who were harassing her on her way home. She ended up finding out who he is and now she¡¯s agreed to help him with a few things here and there. She wants to make him a new costume and considering how quickly he threw together his current gear, it¡¯s likely to be an improvement.


    Ryaan¡¯s teammate Jesse¡¯s been teasing him, saying he has a thing for Mina. He protested but maybe he shouldn¡¯t have. She¡¯s really pretty and very smart. She¡¯s a year younger than he is though and for years she hung around his younger sister Nadia so he always thought of her as a kid. It¡¯s hard to flip a switch and look at her differently.


    The smile he flashes as she approaches isn¡¯t returned. She looks like she¡¯s going to tackle him. It¡¯s a big change from the usual shy, somewhat nervous glances she gives him. Ryaan looks for places he might hide but the only option he sees is his locker and he¡¯s pretty sure he won¡¯t fit.


    Her face suggests shouting and wild expression but somehow her actual response is more terrifying. When she finally reaches him Mina stares him down without a word. Ryaan isn¡¯t sure what he did wrong or why she¡¯s upset but finally he says, ¡°Morning. How¡¯d you sleep last night?¡±


    Apparently that was the wrong question. ¡°How did I sleep last night? How did I sleep last night? How do you think I slept? You were supposed to call me for support when you got out there. I never heard from you all night. I figured something awful happened. I almost called the cops to send them after you. I got less than two hours of sleep. My night was absolute crap because apparently you can¡¯t bother to send me a text letting me know you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Ryaan¡¯s right hand moves to cover his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I was not trying to worry you. I promise. I was out really late but I never really needed support. I should have called or texted but it was after midnight and when I got home my dad yelled at me for like an hour. By the time he was done grounding me I just wanted to fall into bed and collapse. I promise that won¡¯t happen again. If I tell you I¡¯m going out to do something I¡¯ll let you know I¡¯m okay.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    She stares him down for a few seconds. ¡°Your dad grounded you for being out late?¡±


    ¡°Ya, for two whole weeks.¡±


    She giggles, her frown cracking. ¡°Two weeks? That¡¯s an eternity. That¡¯s so long that I almost feel like I should forgive you. Almost. I¡¯m still mad though so you¡¯re going to need to make it up to me. Did it at least go well? Tell me I didn¡¯t sleep last night for a reason.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, Ryaan glances around to make sure nobody¡¯s too close. ¡°That depends on your definition of well. I got into their warehouse where everything was happening but I couldn¡¯t tell much other than that they were loading a bunch of boxes onto a moving truck. No clue what was in them. Then I got locked in the warehouse and had a hell of a time getting out.¡±


    ¡°Nothing about that sounds good.¡±


    ¡°It got a little better. When I finally found a way out I caught up with the guys who I overheard talking about this in the first place and I made them talk. They gave me a tip about a flower place over on Cicero that these guys are recruiting out of. Which I would love to check out, except now I¡¯m grounded so I can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Cicero? Do you mean Lovely, Lovely Flowers?¡± Her eyebrow rises.


    ¡°That¡¯s the place. You know it?¡±


    ¡°Ya, kind of. My mom buys a lot of flowers to keep around the house and that¡¯s where she gets them.¡±


    ¡°What can you tell me about it. Apparently it¡¯s some sort of warehouse or something?¡±


    She puts one hand behind her head. ¡°Well, not really. I mean, they have a warehouse in back where they keep tons of other flowers but the actual shopping area is pretty small. Usually the only person there is the older lady who owns it.¡±


    ¡°Apparently she¡¯s the one running the whole operation.¡±


    Mina¡¯s mouth hangs open. ¡°Really? She¡¯s so nice. I have a hard time believing that.¡±


    ¡°Apparently a guy named Eddie¡¯s involved too. You don¡¯t happen to know him do you?¡±


    She thinks for a moment. ¡°No, he might work back in the warehouse though. Usually I just see the old lady. Are you going to go check the place out?¡±


    A bell rings and Ryaan glances toward class. ¡°I want to, but I don¡¯t see how I can. My dad has me grounded and he¡¯s not going to let me run to a flower shop.¡±


    ¡°What if you took me and Nadia with you? I could stop by to see if Nadia wants to walk over there with me to pick some flowers up for my mom and then suggest it might be a good idea if someone walked with us for safety, with everything going on in the neighborhood. Your dad would almost have to let you go.¡±


    Ryaan¡¯s jaw drops. ¡°That¡¯s actually a pretty great idea. It might not work but it could. I wouldn¡¯t be able to go in costume but I might be able to get the information I need as myself. At least I¡¯ll get a feel for the place if I need to go back once I¡¯m dressed up. When do you think you can come over?¡±


    She glances at her phone. ¡°Does tonight work? I can stop by around six. They¡¯re open until eight so that¡¯ll give us plenty of time. It¡¯s not that far from your place. Once we get to the shop I¡¯ll distract Nadia with the flowers and you can ask the owner whatever you need to ask her.¡±


    ¡°That works. I¡¯ll be ready. Out of curiosity, and you don¡¯t need to answer if you don¡¯t want to, but why don¡¯t you come by to see Nadia anymore? You¡¯ve been friends since you were little.¡±


    There¡¯s some definite fidgeting before Mina says, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to talk about it. Nadia¡¯s still my friend and I love her but it¡¯s gotten weird between us the last year or so and we¡¯re in different schools now so I don¡¯t see her as much. It¡¯s not really my place to say more than that so if you want a better answer you¡¯re going to have to ask her. I should come by more though. It¡¯s been too long since we¡¯ve hung out, I¡¯m kind of excited about it.¡±


    Ryaan grins at her, feeling more upbeat about the day. ¡°Awesome. I appreciate it. I have to get to class but I guess I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± There¡¯s a long silence before Mina gives an awkward wave and rushes off.

 Rebel Rebel Define Success Part 16

    The rest of the day passes slowly. Every minute feels like ten. Considering what he has to look forward to after school, that should be a good thing. Now that he has plans tonight though it feels like torture. By the time the bell rings Ryaan¡¯s practically shaking. Hurrying home, he regrets he can¡¯t dawdle on the way. His dad won¡¯t be home for a few hours after all and it¡¯d be a great chance to hit the streets. The problem is his youngest sister Lana¡¯s an open book. If he¡¯s not home quick his dad will find out. Then he¡¯d be in even more trouble.


    Dinner¡¯s fine; Nadia cooked tonight so they don¡¯t have to stomach their dad¡¯s cooking. It¡¯s just hamburger helper but she adds extra cheese which is awesome. His dad¡¯s still angry and he¡¯s struggling to make conversation with his daughters while ignoring Ryaan.


    Once he¡¯s done eating Ryaan heads to his room. He¡¯s only grounded to the house but he figures this is as good a way as any to avoid his dad¡¯s wrath.


    Almost as if on cue the doorbell rings at six o¡¯clock. His dad¡¯s the one who answers the door. ¡°Nadia, your friend is here. Get in here.¡±


    Sneaking onto the stairs above the kitchen, Ryaan gets close enough that he can listen in on everything that happens.


    Nadia¡¯s voice is spiking and she sounds like she can¡¯t stand still. ¡°It¡¯s awesome to see you. I don¡¯t even know the last time we hung out. I miss you.¡±


    Mina says, ¡°I miss you too. High school work takes a lot longer and I get so little free time but we need to hang out more. That¡¯s actually why I stopped by. My mom wants some flowers for the house so I need to go over to the flower shop on Cicero. I was wondering if you want to come. It¡¯ll only take an hour or two to get there and back.¡±


    ¡°That sounds fun. It¡¯ll give us a chance to catch up. Let me check with my dad.¡± There¡¯s a slight pause and Nadia raises her voice. ¡°Dad, can I go with Mina to the flower shop on Cicero? We¡¯ll only be an hour or two.¡±


    Their dad hesitates. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. It¡¯ll be dark soon. Why don¡¯t you just stay here and catch up?¡±


    Mina jumps in before Nadia can answer. ¡°I wish I could Mr. Asfour but my mom really wants those flowers so I need to get them. Why doesn¡¯t Ryaan come with us though? That way we¡¯ll be safe if it gets dark before we get back.¡±


    Their dad doesn¡¯t hesitate this time. ¡°He¡¯s grounded. He can¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    They all get quiet for a minute before Nadia speaks up, barely above a whisper. ¡°Dad, can I have a word with you real quick? In private.¡±


    She marches into the kitchen and Ryaan tries to keep quiet as they get close. He¡¯s sitting just above them and doesn¡¯t want to be caught listening in. Their dad follows Nadia into the kitchen. ¡°I know you want to go but it¡¯s too late and your brother is grounded. I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m putting my foot down.¡±


    Nadia isn¡¯t having it. ¡°The only reason I don¡¯t see her anymore is that she¡¯s uncomfortable hanging out here because you make her uncomfortable. Her mom was mom¡¯s friend and now she thinks you don¡¯t like her. No wonder she doesn¡¯t want to spend time with me. Just let us go. I miss my friend and want to see her. We¡¯ll be as fast as we can be and I promise we¡¯ll make sure Ryaan doesn¡¯t have fun.¡±


    Ryaan can¡¯t believe Nadia pulled the mom card. He¡¯d have never dared bring her up to their dad for anything. Let alone to try and get his way. After what seems like a very long silence though their dad shouts, ¡°Ryaan, get down here. Now.¡±


    Ryaan tries to make as much noise as he can to suggest he was in his room before making his way down to the kitchen where his sister and their dad are still standing. ¡°What¡¯s up dad?¡±


    ¡°You are taking your sister and her friend to the flower shop. You are not to have fun and you are to get back here as quickly as possible. Do you understand?¡±


    He grins from ear to ear. ¡°Ya, that¡¯s not a problem dad. I can walk them over.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He gives Nadia a pained look before heading past Ryaan and going upstairs.


    Nadia says, ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± before heading to the living room to give Mina the good news.


    Lana¡¯s sitting in front of the television, mostly dead to the world around her. When she hears shoes being slipped on she seems to wake up. ¡°Can I come with you too? I love flowers.¡±


    Before either of her siblings can respond Mina walks up to her and grins. ¡°I¡¯d love to have you come Lana but I don¡¯t think your dad would allow it this late. He barely wanted to let Nadia go. I promise I¡¯ll come over and we can all hang out soon though. Does that sound good?¡±


    Lana clearly doesn¡¯t like it. ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± she says before returning to her television show. The two older girls rush out the front door and Ryaan follows. It¡¯s a nice evening out and the sun¡¯s still in the sky, though it¡¯s definitely on it¡¯s way to bed. It¡¯s not warm but it¡¯s also not cold for this time of year. None of them grabbed a coat and none of them are shivering. It¡¯s hard to believe that night will become an issue before they get back but it could if they take too long.


    The girls run out in front while Ryaan follows quietly. They excitedly talk about school, sports and everything else going on in their lives. Mina turns back to Ryaan. ¡°You¡¯re being quiet Ryaan, how are you doing?¡±


    Before he can answer Nadia says, ¡°Other than staying out until after midnight and making dad mad you mean? You know we all have to deal with him now, right?¡±


    Groaning, Ryaan hurries to keep up with them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was out late, okay? I lost track of time. I probably should have just stayed over but I wanted to sleep in my own bed.¡±


    Nadia shakes her head. ¡°Not good enough, now dad¡¯s going to be stomping around the house for at least the next week. I¡¯m going to have to do all the cooking too.¡±


    Ryaan puts a finger up. ¡°That¡¯s probably a good thing. You know you don¡¯t want to eat anything he makes.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not but cooking¡¯s hard. I don¡¯t want to do it every day. Why don¡¯t you make dinner one of these nights?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I can do that, as long as I get home in time and it¡¯s something simple. You¡¯re better at it than me but I can make some macaroni and cheese or something.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want, as long as I don¡¯t have to do it.¡±


    Soon they arrive at the flower shop on Cicero. Warehouse was a good description of this place. The storefront is wide but doesn¡¯t look deep. The building itself goes way back though. There¡¯s an alleyway on one side of the building where Ryaan sees a side entrance. The sign¡¯s bright and vibrant and the front window shows off beautiful flower arrangements.


    As they enter, Ryaan¡¯s hit by the fresh smell. A bell on the door rings for a moment. There are beautiful flowers everywhere, though not so many you¡¯d need a warehouse that size to store them. What¡¯s going on back there? They¡¯re initially alone in the shop but seemingly hearing the bell, an older woman with pale skin and long black hair enters from the back room. She¡¯s probably in her late fifties or early sixties with skin that¡¯s starting to wrinkle. Her hair hasn¡¯t started to change color yet, or at the least she dyes it. She¡¯s wearing an expensive looking blue and purple striped dress that matches a flower display near the counter.


    The woman smiles wide as she enters the room. ¡°Welcome to Lovely Lovely Flowers. I¡¯m Mrs. Grant. What can I help you find today?¡± As she finishes she recognizes Mina. ¡°Oh hello Mina, does your mother need some new flowers?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Mina nods. ¡°Ya, she wants a few different ones. I have a list so I¡¯ll get them together.¡± Turning to Nadia she asks, ¡°Want to help me? I need four different kinds.¡±


    Nadia agrees and the girls start their search for everything on Mina¡¯s list. Ryaan wonders if she actually got a list from her mom or if she made this up.


    Something about the owner¡¯s voice sounds familiar but Ryaan can¡¯t place where he knows it from. He¡¯s almost certain he recognizes it though which worries him. With the girls off searching the other side of the shop, Ryaan¡¯s left alone with Mrs. Grant. ¡°This is a lovely shop Mrs. Grant. Do you run it all on your own?¡±


    She smiles and leans on the counter. ¡°Thank you very much young man. I do for the most part. I have some help that works the warehouse in back but I¡¯m the only one up here.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. That seems like a really big warehouse back there. Does that hold all of the flowers or do you have other warehouses? Actually, this one seems pretty big for the size of the shop.¡±


    She nods. ¡°It is very large, to tell you the truth we don¡¯t need it all. Half of it¡¯s empty. It¡¯s what came with the building though and when I opened up here I loved the location and the building just seemed perfect. I wish I could still say the same.¡±


    He frowns. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the location and building now? How long have you been here?¡±


    She pauses to think. ¡°Almost thirty years. Me and my late husband opened this place together. He was the real flower expert, though I¡¯ve picked up a few things over the years. The building¡¯s still fine but the city seems to be falling apart. Not just this neighborhood, everywhere. My husband was killed walking home from here one night ten years ago and things have only gotten worse. Someone needs to take this city back.¡±


    Ryaan suddenly knows exactly where he recognizes that voice from. She¡¯s the woman who addressed the warehouse the other night after they finished loading their truck. The leader of the whole group is standing right in front of him. That more or less tells him this is the right place. His mind wants to freeze up but he fights through it. He needs to say something so she doesn¡¯t get suspicious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your husband. That¡¯s very sad.¡±


    She looks away and starts messing with something behind the counter. ¡°Yes, well it was a long time ago. Things are changing in the city. The vigilantes might just be able to wash this off the street and if they don¡¯t, there¡¯s other people who will. I just try to sell my flowers and hang on until that happens.¡±


    Ryaan nods. He needs an excuse to come back here tonight. He finds a nice flower arrangement that¡¯s not too expensive and turns to Nadia. ¡°Do you think Lana would like this? I feel bad that she couldn¡¯t come. Maybe I¡¯ll bring her some flowers to make up for it.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d probably love them,¡± Nadia says with a shrug. ¡°She loves presents.¡±


    Ryaan turns back to Mrs. Grant. ¡°I¡¯ll take these.¡± As she starts to ring them up he says, ¡°By the way, some guys at my school mentioned I might ask a guy named Eddie who works here about a job or something. I don¡¯t really know the details but I could definitely use a job.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes narrow and she seems to be processing how to answer. ¡°Yes, Eddie is one of my warehouse hands. He sometimes hires people to load the trucks. That must be what your classmates were talking about. We have all the help we need at the moment. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be needing your help anytime soon. Thank you for the interest though. That will be $13.61.¡±


    Shot down, Ryaan reaches into his wallet and hands her his debit card. She goes to run it but before she can Ryaan realizes what a terrible idea it is to give the leader of a gang something with his name on it. ¡°Actually, I have cash.¡± She just smiles as he takes his card back and hands her cash instead. As he puts the wallet away, he makes a point to slide it into his backpack instead of back into his pocket. Hopefully that will plant the seed which will get him back here tonight.


    Mina gets the rest of her flowers together and carries them to the counter. Ryaan wonders how she¡¯ll carry them but Mrs. Grant reaches under the counter and pulls out some sort of carrier which they all fit into nicely. After Mina pays and she says her goodbyes to the owner they¡¯re on their way.


    Ryaan spends the entire walk home desperate to go over what he learned with Mina. If they start whispering in front of Nadia though she¡¯s likely to get the wrong idea. Instead they walk along making small talk and carrying their flowers. They made good time getting home. It¡¯s only about seven thirty and it¡¯s still fairly light out, though the sun¡¯s starting to set.


    Reaching home, he hangs back a bit, letting Nadia get ahead. Mina seems to notice what he¡¯s doing and she hangs back as well. This gives him just enough space to say, ¡°I¡¯m about to try something. If it works, hang back for a minute or two so I can talk to you, okay?¡± Mina nods and they follow Nadia inside.


    Lana¡¯s still sitting there watching TV. She doesn¡¯t look to have moved. Their dad has made his way back downstairs. He¡¯s sitting in a chair not far from Lana, caught up in a book. He glances at his watch when they make their way inside but doesn¡¯t say anything.


    Making his way to Lana, Ryaan gives her a light nudge on the shoulder. ¡°I brought you something kid.¡±


    Upon seeing the flowers Lana¡¯s eyes go wide and she snatches them away. They¡¯re blue, her favorite color. She sets them down just long enough to wrap her arms around Ryaan¡¯s neck and give him a big hug. ¡°I love them big brother. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I¡¯m going to go put them in my room next to my bed.¡±


    Ryaan laughs. ¡°Alright, but they need sun so put them on the side by your window. Make sure to water them at least a little every day too. If you do that they¡¯ll last longer. Think you can handle it?¡±


    Lana confirms she can before running off to put her flowers where she wants them. Nadia turns to Mina and asks, ¡°Can you stay and hang out for awhile? I know Lana would love it.¡±


    Mina frowns. ¡°I really wish I could but my mom¡¯s going to want her flowers soon and it¡¯s starting to get late. I should get going. How about I stop by tomorrow? We can spend most of the day hanging out and catch up. My homework will still be there Sunday.¡±


    Nadia continues the hugging trend, wrapping Mina in a big one. ¡°Sounds awesome. Be careful walking home, okay?¡±


    Ryaan pats at his pockets as if he¡¯s looking for something before saying, ¡°Hey dad, I think I need to go back to the flower shop.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re grounded. You aren¡¯t going anywhere else.¡± He¡¯s still looking at his book. Ryaan¡¯s surprised he wasn¡¯t mad about buying the flowers for Lana. It¡¯s awfully close to fun.


    ¡°I think I have to dad. I don¡¯t have my wallet. I must have left it there when I bought the flowers for Lana. If I hurry though I should be able to get back before they close. I promise I¡¯ll go straight there and come straight back.¡±


    Their dad frowns as if looking for an excuse to say no. ¡°I¡¯d drive you but I¡¯ve had a few drinks and probably shouldn¡¯t. Fine, go straight there and come straight back. Actually, Mina doesn¡¯t live far out of the way, does she?¡±


    Ryaan turns to Mina. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, are you still over on Watercrest Street?¡± He knows the answer but can¡¯t let on that he¡¯s been seeing a lot of Mina the last week or two.


    She confirms she still lives there and Ryaan¡¯s dad says, ¡°Fine, then walk her home so she gets there safely. Once you¡¯re done with that go to the flower shop and get your wallet. You are to come straight home after that. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, thank you.¡± Turning to Mina, Ryaan says, ¡°We should get going if I¡¯m going to make it back there before the place closes. You ready?¡±


    Mina nods and the pair finish their goodbyes and head out. Ryaan runs to the garage where he stashed an extra backpack earlier. He trades it for the one he carried on the first trip. Inside he¡¯s got all his gear ready.


    Once they¡¯re safely away from the house Mina asks, ¡°Why are you going back? What did you pick up talking to the owner?¡±


    He glances over his shoulder to make sure his dad¡¯s not watching. ¡°I know her. She was at the warehouse last night. She¡¯s the leader of their whole group. I knew her voice right away and she said something so similar to what she said last night that I¡¯m certain it¡¯s her. That warehouse has to have more going on than just storing flowers. I¡¯m going to check it out.¡±


    Mina¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°So wait, did you leave your wallet there as an excuse to go back?¡±


    ¡°No, I have my wallet. It¡¯s in my backpack. I just needed an excuse to get back out. He was never going to let me go otherwise. Are your parents home?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. They went out to dinner at a friend¡¯s house. They usually stay after to talk so they shouldn¡¯t be back for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Great. Can I change at your place? I have to be quick. If I take too long my dad¡¯s going to lose it again.¡±


    She looks at the ground, trying not to let him see her blush. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Where are you going to change back when you come home though? Can you wear your regular clothes under your costume?¡±


    Frowning, he realizes he doesn¡¯t have an answer. ¡°No, it''s too tight. I might be able to get most of my clothes back on over it though. I hope so because I don¡¯t know what else to do.¡±


    Mina¡¯s parents aren¡¯t home when they reach her house. ¡°Hurry up and get changed and out of here. If my parents come home and find a guy getting changed they¡¯ll murder me.¡±


    Ryaan gets into his costume and puts on his mask. Looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, he can¡¯t wait for Mina to finish up his new costume. It can¡¯t be worse than this. Exiting the bathroom he says his goodbyes and gets ready to go. As he walks out Mina says, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare forget to text me when this is over. Call me if you need help.¡± Promising not to let her down again, he hurries out the door.