Estranged [Completed]

Dropping By

The three finished gathering up their things and then went on their way. They had just made it across the parking lot when Josh said, "Hey! I forgot my first aid kit."

Kalei looked at Jenna, forgetting that the mask hid her raised eyebrow. She said, "He really has no fucking clue, does he?"

Jenna laughed. "Nope." Then she gave Josh a light shove on the shoulder and said, "Leave it, or I'll give you a hole your Band-Aids can't fix."

Luckily, Josh knew Jenna well enough to forget about the first aid kit.

They made it several blocks before the sound of sirens began echoing off the buildings. Kalei said, "It sounds like Marley's estimate was optimistic."

Jenna laughed. "Or pessimistic."

Kalei spotted Josh anxiously glancing over his shoulder. Casually, so as not to spook him any further, she said, "Relax. As far as we're concerned, those sirens have nothing to do with us. We don't want people wondering why you're so nervous, do we?"

Josh shook his head silently and proceeded to study his feet the rest of the way.

It was already late afternoon, although Kalei could hardly be sure from the overcast sky. A light drizzle had begun to fall as they made their way down the streets of the West End, and Kalei felt an angled drop hit her eyelid through the mask. Annoyed, she pulled her hood down further.

But Kalei, despite her annoyance, was glad for the weather. The rain brought everyone's hoods up, their umbrellas out, and made it easier for Kalei to blend in.

As the streets became more and more crowded, Jenna took her gloves off, handed them to Josh, and then put her own hands in her pockets. Kalei watched Josh put the gloves on, and she realized she still didn't know what kind of person the kid was. She didn't know if he was likely to attack some passerby, or if he'd spent enough time as an Estranged that he could control himself. And even if he could, did that mean he would? Kalei was already uneasy with Jenna, the addict that she was, roaming these civilian streets. Kalei wondered if she had unleashed a pair of time bombs onto the streets of her city, and resolved to watch both her companions closely.

They ducked into an alley when rush hour hit, waiting out the manic flood of people while Jenna scared away would-be muggers with a black-nailed bird for each. When the foot-traffic finally subsided, they stepped out and finished the trip to Chi's.

Chi's Diner was a small place, wedged between an electronics shop and a small convenience store. All three looked desolate and run-down, but Kalei knew from experience that Chi's had the best lo-mein in town. She practically had to force feed Fenn the first time she brought him here to try out the cuisine. Kalei's swirls tightened at the memory, and she quickly pushed it from her mind.

Across the street, Josh and Jenna sat down in front of an empty storefront, while Kalei continued to stand beside them. She crossed her arms and settled her weight comfortably between both legs, something she had become accustomed to as a cop, standing guard at many large events and Estranged crime scenes. Beneath her mask, Kalei's eyes carefully followed the pedestrians walking by, alert for any sign of a threat, be it a SWORDE Agent, a Tusic spy, or even just another Estranged out to cause trouble.

A man in a striped jacket walked along with his hands in his pockets and his hood pulled up over his head. He glanced at Kalei as he approached, but when his eyes found her mask, he flinched, his eyes widening in surprise, then he quickly ducked his head and hurried past. Across the street, a couple exited Chi's Diner, takeout in hand, cheerfully bantering as they walked down the sidewalk. Their umbrella caught a gust of wind, twisting inside out and fighting against the man's grip as the wind tried to pull it away. They laughed and exclaimed and fought with the umbrella for a brief moment before discarding it in the nearest trash can and running to escape the light rain.