Chapter 3

Ryan takes the lit joint from Aaron and takes a big puff. The two sit on an old couch covered with a white tarp in the living room of the manor; a fire crackling in the fireplace nearby. 

" Not so high strung now, are you?" Aaron asks.

"Well my whole life stopped making sense an hour ago when I saw a man shooting ice from his hands, so I figured what could a little weed hurt, compared to that?" Ryan declorates to Aaron as he hits the joint.

" I'm always high….. And drunk…." Aaron states; taking a swig from a beer and then hitting a bong.

"Well you should have seen me in college, I was a drinker." Ryan states.

" So there might be more enhanced individuals like us and that ice guy; what are we going to do about them?" Aaron questions; a serious look on his face.

"I don't know; but what I do know is we can't let them die, we need to protect and study them." Ryan states.

" If the rest are anything like Frosty the dumbass; then we're gonna have to stop them, like we did him." Aaron replies.

"You mean you get chucked out a window and I tackle them out after you?" Ryan asks with a serious face. 

" I can't tell if you're joking or not sometimes…." Aaron shakes his head.

"I'm a scientist." Ryan declares. 

" All joking aside; we gotta do something about the other enhanced individuals. And we might be the only ones that can do something." Aaron declares; taking a swig from his beer.

"We should make something to hold them; our own personal prison." Ryan declares. 

" We could also try and provide the local police with ways to contain them; I'm pretty sure holding people against their will is illegal; like very illegal." Aaron states.

" Do you know anyone in the police force? Who we can trust?" Aaron questions.

"Yeah and he is a real asshole, he's my brother." Ryan declares with a small frown on his face. 

" It'll work; give him a call, tell him you need to talk and to meet you here."

Aaron responds.

"Yeah that can't happen, he never gave me his phone number after he left home." Ryan declares.

" Great… that means we're gonna have to go to him. You're driving."

Aaron states; taking another swig of beer and finishing it off. He throws the empty bottle into the trash; which is completely full of empty alcohol bottles.

Ryan walks into the police station; followed by Aaron. The two see a man: 5'5", blue eyes, pale skin, black hair. It's obvious it's dyed, wearing a police captain's uniform.

And a big scar across his left eye.

" You didn't tell me he was the captain…" Aaron whispers to Ryan.

"Well we aren't on the best of terms." Ryan states as they make their way towards Ryan's older brother.

Ryan taps his shoulder and says "Hey, Wes." as he stops in his tracks waiting for his brother to turn around.

Wesley turns around and says "R-Ryan? Is that you? I missed you, let's go to my office; so we can catch up."

Wesley begins walking towards his office followed by Ryan and Aaron.

"Who's the exhausted looking guy?" Wesly asks.

"Ooh, that's just Aaron, don't worry this is his everyday look." Ryan declares

"He needs a girlfriend." Wesley says with a chuckle. 

" No…. tried that a while ago; she left at the altar." Aaron states; while yawning.

"A thief broke into my wedding and I had to arrest them while saying our I Do's." Wesley says with a chuckle.

Wesley opens the door to his office and the three make their way inside; closing the door behind them.

Wesley hugs Ryan and says " I missed you so much lil bro, I owe you a drink: maybe some vodka." Wesley then grabs a bottle and three shot glasses and pours vodka in them.

Aaron picks up the shot glass and chugs it in one gulp. " Have anymore?"

Ryan downs the shot with no reaction and says " I've missed you too, but I need to ask you a favor." 

Aaron shrugs his shoulders after not being answered and just reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flask; and starts drinking from it.

"So have you found out a way to keep Harold locked up with his icy attributes?" Ryan questions.

"How did- ooh the news?" Wesley says with a hearty chuckle then continues. " Wait, aren't you that journalist that wrote the latest article for the Los Angeles Times?" he says to Aaron.

" Uh… well… I got the story; but I didn't write the article. I was kinda in a coma… so was your brother actually." Aaron answers.

"Just stay away from that place, we saw some high energy levels coming from there." Wesley speaks.

" And as for that Harold guy; currently the best we can do is keep him locked up in a heated cell to prevent him from forming any ice." Wesley answers the earlier question.

"Or you could have found a way to take the hydrogen out of the cell." Ryan states; in his normal smarter than everyone in the room tone.

"Yeah, we don't have that kinda equipment." Wesley declares. 

Aaron finishes off his flask and then lights a cigarette; puffing from it.

Wesley looks at Aaron but continues his conversation with Ryan " But anyway; why do you care?"

" Just curious if the police are going to be able to keep us safe with this new threat." Aaron states.

"We are very capable and we will find a way to secure them all." Wesley responds.

" So; what you're saying is that you're working on it?" Aaron questions.

"We are doing our best but it's tough." Wesley declares.

" I'm sorry if this comes off a little rude, but is that enough to protect the city?" Aaron inquires; a serious look on his face.

"This isn't a comic book; in the real world, we're the heroes. We will do our best to protect this city." Wesley declares with a hint of irritation in his voice.

" That's all I needed; thank you." Aaron responds in a professional tone.

"This wasn't an interview by the way." Wesley says as he writes his phone number on a piece of paper and hands it to Ryan; saying " Call me when you want that drink." 

" I never said it was an interview; I just wanted to sate my curiosity and let my friend catch up with his estranged brother." Aaron states as he puts his arm around Ryan's shoulder.

"Well we ought to be leaving now." Ryan declares as he walks out with Aaron's arm still on his shoulder. 

Ryan sits in the driver seat of his Dodge Challenger, with Aaron in the passenger seat. They're not moving at all as they are stuck in traffic.

"MOVE YOUR FUCKING ASSES!!!!!!!" Ryan yells at the top of his lungs.

" Road rage much…" Aaron says under his breath while rolling a blunt.

Ryan grabs the blunt and lights it; taking a big hit then hands it to Aaron. 

" Since we're not gonna be going anywhere anytime soon; we might as well come to an agreement about the other enhanced individuals. Are we going to stop them; or let the police handle it? It didn't seem like they're too equipped to stop them; maybe hold them but not stop them." Aaron states.

" I don't know about you; but I'm promising here and now; that I will stop every single one….. It's what my grandfather would want me to do." Aaron states in determination.

"What kind of friend would I be if I abandoned you on your big quest." Ryan declares while puffing out his chest then laughing.

" Thanks; you're a better person than I initially thought." Aaron states.

"You have made me a better man." Ryan says with a chuckle.

" MOVE YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH!!! WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO DRIVE; YOUR GRANDMA!!!!" Ryan yells at the top of his lungs.

" Well… kinda.." Aaron responds.

Aaron and Ryan sit in the lounge area of the manor.

" So you got that black goo shit that covers your body like a suit; I'm probably going to need a suit of some sort so people don't recognize me. I am getting quite recognizable after all." Aaron states.

"Yeah wouldn't want all the girls trying to get with you cause you're a hero, now would we." Ryan says sarcastically.

" I'm more worried about your brother arresting me. He didn't seem to like me much." Aaron states.

"Just give it some time and he will warm up to you." Ryan says.

" Not if he catches me doing acts of vigilantism." Aaron states; taking a hit from his bong.

"I'll have you roll a blunt and we can smoke with him after work." Ryan says as he tosses $60 at Aaron.

" Well first I need to find something that would work as a suit; so I don't get caught by law enforcement." Aaron states as he gets up and heads towards the stairs.

Aaron opens the door to his grandfather's old room; the inside was just as his grandfather had left it. He makes his way to the closest; opening it and rummaging through until he pulls out a dark gray petticoat, a pair of black trousers, a pair of black boots and a pair of long black gloves. A dark gray sash and a dark gray scarf; and a dark gray hood. Aaron uses the sewing kit his grandfather kept in his closet to sew the hood to the coat. He then puts on the whole outfit and puts up the hood.

" This'll do; I just need a mask." Aaron states. He takes the sewing kit and some extra black cloth and makes himself a black eye mask.

Ryan walks around the manor, and sees a staircase leading down. He walks down the steps and into an empty cellar and thinks to himself 'This would be an amazing place for a makeshift lab.' Ryan feels a tapping on his shoulder; he turns around to see a man in dark gray with a hood and mask over his eyes. Unknown to Ryan; the man is Aaron. Ryan punches the man with a right hook: knocking the man back.

" What the hell!? You fucking ass hole! No more weed for you!" Aaron shouts. 

"OH MY GOD!!! I thought you were a criminal, next time speak Dude, also sorry." Ryan declares as he holds his chest; his heart threatening to jump out.

" Why would a criminal tap your shoulder to get your attention instead of just knocking you out!?" Aaron exclaims.

"Why would you tap my shoulder? It's a 50/50. Cause I can't see your face." Ryan declares.

" Well I'd say the costume works; you didn't know it was me." Aaron states.

"Next time, say something please." Ryan says while catching his breath. 

" Next time don't jump out a window after me." Aaron states; a smirk on his face.

"Then don't get thrown out one." Ryan replies.

" Well, I can fly now. So you don't have to worry about that." Aaron responds.

"So technically you can help us save money cause we don't need a vehicle to go places." Ryan says jokingly.

" If you want to be slammed into the side of a building; then sure." Aaron states with a chuckle; barely knowing how to fly without carrying someone else.

"Ahh I can take a hit." Ryan declares.

" Well anyway; I came to find you because I'm heading out to the bar and wanted to see if you wanted to come along?" Aaron questions.

"We're gonna need someone to drive us home." Ryan states.

" I was just gonna take the bus. We can ride it there and back." Aaron states.

" I didn't think of that; I don't usually take the bus." Ryan replies in a sincere tone.

" Guess there's a first time for everything, huh?" Aaron states.

The two head back up stairs; Aaron changes back into his normal clothes; a turtleneck and jeans. He stuffs his makeshift suit into a backpack and slings it on his arm. Ryan combs his hair back and dresses in a leather jacket and dark jeans.

A bus stops outside a decent sized building; surrounded on either side by large buildings. A sign rests on the building saying ' The Liquor House.'

Aaron and Ryan step off the bus and make their way inside the bar and sit at the front.

" I'll take a whiskey please." Aaron says to the bartender.

"I'll have a vodka hold the ice, with a hint of strawberry." Ryan says as he looks at Aaron. 

" Coming right up." The bartender states; preparing the drinks.

The two chug back their drinks and chat until the sun starts to rise and they are forced to return to manor.