Broken Knowledge

Chapter 34

Mara laughed. Alan had the funniest memes saved on his phone and it was killing her.

They were on a date, letting Logan babysit Melody. They told him to only give her an hour of video game time, but they knew damn well that they were going to be playing video games together the entire time they were gone.

"God Alan, where do you get all this stuff?"

"Reddit. Reddit was around before the flood and it died along with every other social media website. Well, except YouTube, that one's never gonna disappear no matter what, but a couple hundred years back, a group of memers brought it back. The only problem is that when Reddit came back, Instagram did too and now us Reddit people are constantly worrying about Instagram normies STEALING OUR MEMES!"

Mara laughed at his sudden exclamation, choking on her mouthful of fruit smoothie.

"And don't get me started on the teenage girls that brought Tik-Tok back!"

Mara was in hysterics, hitting the table while she laughed so hard that other people in the cafe were laughing at her laughing.

Alan's phone rang. He looked at it and looked very intrigued by who was calling him.

"I have to take this." He said.

"Ahh, c'mon!" Mara protested."This is supposed to be our date night!"

"It's the Patron and if I don't answer hell send a fucking SWAT team to get me." Alan said."I'll make it quick, 5 minutes tops."

Mara watched Alan step outside and take the call.

She sat, drinking her smoothie. Some girls her age walked up to her, whispering.

One of the girls stepped forward."Aren't you one of those squid things that came to the city a month ago?"

"I'm an Inkling. And I've been here about 2 months."

A sudden burst of whispers. Another girl said,"You're the lucky one that got to hook up with Shadow."

"Who?"

"Shadow," the girl said, gesturing towards the door."They call him Shadow for a couple of reasons. He always hides his eyes bye using his hair to create a shadow over them."

"And he always was like a shadow," another girl piped up."They say that people used to see him traveling around the city, always lurking in the shadows. Here one minute, and gone the next."

Mara became very intrigued by what she was hearing."Tell me more." She said.

"He was a big vigilante when he was around," the girl continues."Until the day he just disappeared."

That must've been when he came to our island and got mauled. Mara thought. Then he met me.

The girls looked like they wanted to say more but Alan walked back into the cafe with a serious expression. The girls scattered, sprinting out of various exits.

"We have to go. Now." He said, his calm voice tense.

"Alan! It's suppos-"

"I know, I know!!!" Alan exclaimed."But when the Patron calls you personally and tells you something serious has happened, then you do what he says. He doesn't take the word 'serious' lightly."

Mara could tell by his face that Alan was dead serious and that they needed to go.

And Mara could tell the situation was very serious because the Patron had a Particle Transporter Portal glowing outside the cafe. Mara and Alan ran through the portal without hesitation and found themselves in the Hanger.

A plane was roaring with life, ready to take to the air.

"What the hell is happening!" Alan shouted over the planes noise.

"The Patron said to not give any specifics," Kris, a pilot that's been a good friends one Alan's for a long time."Only that we need to go ASAP and to bring Mara with ya!"

Alan growled, and Mara could see the frustration on his face. She put her hand on his arm, and he relaxed slightly at her touch.

They loaded in the plane and Alan managed to call Logan and let him know that he was gonna have to either stay the night with Melody, or to call Sandy to take his place for the night.

"What's going on? What can you tell me!" Alan said about halfway through the flight.

"I saw it, and you're not gonna like it man," Kris said."It's indescribable man."

Alan stiffened with anxiety. Mara took his hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze.

The plane landed and Mara could feel Alan's hand get clammy with sweat. She could almost hear his heart pounding.

Then they stepped out of the plane and Alan gasped in horror.

"Welcome home Alan." Kris said grimly.

They were in Alan's hometown, and the entire town had been decimated, nothing but piles of rubble. And there were bodies everywhere.