There was something about the way she nursed her drink that made Felix take notice. The lady alone at the bar, gazing forlornly into her mug like it was a wishing well that had stopped giving wishes. No matter how hard Felix tried to keep his attention elsewhere, his eyes kept wandering over to her.
Fix-It Felix Jr. wasn't one to go hit up on a lady, and he had no intentions of starting, but the armor-clad woman looked like she needed a friend. Her long lashes hooded her eyes, shoulders pushed up and tense; maybe she had a bad day at work.
This was a bar. Folks frequented the establishment to unwind or vent to the barkeep or shed a few tears in their root beer (as was told to him by Gene, respectively). The only reason he was here was to meet Ralph, and the big man hadn't shown up yet.
Felix hopped off his stool, making his way over to the lady that so intrigued him. He cleared his throat, feeling the urge to swipe off his hat but hesitated – too formal for a bar setting? What the hay, he did it anyway. "Excuse me, ma'am?"
The lady peered over her shoulder then lowered her gaze to find him. "Yeah, short stack?"
"Is this seat taken?"
She sighed. "Look, pal, if you're here to hit up on me, I'm not interested."
"I'm really not." He hopped up on the barstool. "You look like you need a little company is all." Felix smiled, replacing his hat. "I'm Fix-It Felix Jr. from the Fix-It Felix Jr."
A light snort escaped her. "At least if you ever forget your name; you can look on the default screen to see what it is."
Now that she mentioned it; Felix laughed. "I guess so, ma'am."
She finally faced him, and Felix nearly fell off the seat. He'd never been this close to a high-definition character. From the little freckles lightly peppering her cheeks to the depths of her blue eyes, her details were amazing. He tried to still his beating heart before anything embarrassingly 8-bit happened. He was only here for a simple chat. That's it.
"Sergeant Calhoun of Hero's Duty," the lady said, offering a hand. Felix accepted, surprised by her firm grip even through the gloves they both wore.
"Nice to meet you, Sergeant Calhoun." He settled back on the stool, laying his clasped hands in his lap. "Hero's Duty, you say? You guys just got plugged in."
Calhoun nodded. "Over a week ago."
"How's it going?" his cheerful inquiry fell flat on the floor at the suddenly tension that radiated from his new companion.
"We're surviving," she answered vaguely into the depths of her root beer. Felix waited for a moment to see if she'd continue, but instead was questioned, "What do you do over in Fix-It Felix Jr.?" She stayed hunched over her mug as she turned to him, those blue eyes piercingly stunning.
"Oh well," Felix shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "I fix things." He whipped out his golden hammer, catching it with ease, and presenting it to the sergeant with a little shake. "My hammer fixes almost anything."
"A hammer that fixes almost anything?" Calhoun cracked a smile for the first time, small but there. She shook her head. "I have a lot to learn about the 8-bit games."
Felix would have been more than happy to tell Calhoun anything she wanted to know about 8-bit games, but a large figure shadowed the entrance. Disappointment tugged at his features; why couldn't Ralph show up a few minutes later.
"My friend I was waited for just walked in."
Calhoun's lips formed an 'oh', and she stared into her mug one last time. "You go ahead. I need to get back to work anyhow."
Felix offered his hand, conjuring a cheerful smile. "Nice meeting you, Sergeant Calhoun."
"You too, Fix-It." This time her grasp was more lax, the shake drawn out. "See you around."
Felix tipped his hat to her before joining Ralph, wondering whether he'd ever see the sergeant again.
A chipper whistle filled the apartment as the door swung open. Felix snagged his hat on the hook by the doorframe, the content vibe from the party in Mario Kart still carrying on. He strolled toward his bedroom to change for the evening when he found himself snatched up, a hand slapping over his mouth.
Felix's mind blanked from the shock. No one had ever broken in and held him captive before! His mind finally caught up with his limbs, and he began to struggle against the iron grip securing him.
"Fix-It," a voice hissed in his ear; a voice he only heard for a brief time a week ago but definitely hadn't forgotten.
He relaxed against the body confining him. "Sergeant Calhoun?"