The Midnight City Social Hour

-VRGN pt4-End

Tommy didn't have to worry about looking at the recruit. Whether it be a lack of curiosity, or interest, or discipline, or his acute ability to listen to advice—it took one hit from the pipe for none of those reasons to matter. The lighter lit the underside of the glass. The meth steamed and melted and was swallowed by his throat. A dusty atmosphere fogged his eyes. In front of him, the windows of pick up were grimy and became more prominent; on either side; the man who owned the pick-up, talking to his neighbor, the residents of the complex on his left and right, watching the families argue across the street. The world fogged.

The world was completely one with itself.

Tommy felt great. Bitter apprehension and complete harmony—together in an overall oneness. But it wasn't as incendiary as he would have thought. It was tranquil.

Cat Girl began to move, rummaging around, looking for stuff, finding a tool box: a screwdriver, an electric drill, a hammer. She handed the pipe back to Tommy as she played with drill bits, muttering to herself.

Another puff of the glass, from the pipe, and when Tommy looked up, a cop was in the parking lot. Sitting on the curb, he was out of his car and trying to subdue the man throwing his fists into another man's face. The lights of red and blue were continuous sirens that made no noise. But Tommy heard something. They colors made him think Superman. A symbol of invincibility.

Everything was good in the world.

Tommy closed his eyes. He imagined the residents outside their apartments—he was sure they were actually outside and asking questions. The violent man across the street was subdued. Tommy was inside a truck and safe. Cat Girl was playing with the drills and the other tools, which was verified in his thought process from the noise in the backseat. Every thought process was manifesting.

Then he opened his eyes. There was a second cop car parked next to the pick-up. Ruby and Sapphire lights running.

A third cop was parked across the street.

Everyone's focus—the complex, the owner of the pick-up, the cops, the families across the street—everything was on the man calling himself the devil. He was handcuffed, rolling around and spitting. The other man with a broken face was on the curb, nursing his wounds. Everyone was being questioned. Some of the residents of the complex were walking around and asking questions. The man with the broken face was taken into an ambulance and driven away.

"Fuck, shit, we have to get out of here." Tommy said.

"I don't know how," Cat Girl said. "There are too many people. And I really have to pee."

"You can go on the seat."

"But I like this car." Cat Girl patted the back seats.

"Just keep a lookout for the man from the apartment on the north side. He owns the pick-up. I can get us out of here just so long as he isn't looking."

"I don't see him."

Tommy didn't see him either. A good majority of the residents were back inside. Tommy couldn't tell if The Recruit was one of them. He'd never seen their face. Not that they were necessary for them to escape.

His thoughts were sporadic and he wasn't sure what his intentions were. But still, Tommy looked. At the gear shift. The two knobs for volume and air conditioning looked like eyes. An open space for car keys and random papers, it was a mouth.

Making the gear shift a penis.

"I want to go to the bathroom Tommy." Cat Girl pleaded. She was pushing her hand into his shoulder.

"Alright give me the toolbox."

Cat Girl handed him the tool box. Tommy took out the electric drill. 2/3 of the way up the ignition, he drilled a hole. Loud but there was no one in the immediate vicinity. All cops were across the street. Every so often he removed the snout of the drill, picking out bits of the ignition. Then he grabbed the screwdriver. It fit perfectly. He turned the screwdriver like a key and the car started. A few in the complex seemed perturbed or surprised, but right then Tommy was invincible, and the police didn't care. They let the car pass.

Tommy stepped on the gas when there was open road ahead of them. They drove to one of Vince's hideouts.