Chapter 1 - The IADC Anniversary
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With a warm breeze to celebrate the summer's end, many of Washington, DC's citizens entered the washington mall to take in the air conditioning for what might have been the last time that year.
The year in question, was 1986. September 20th, 1986 to be exact. The date would've been Sophia Loren's 52nd birthday. Maybe such details mean nothing to the neurotypical mind, but the neurotypical mind would be foolish to think that numbers don't play a role in perhaps solving problems.
Or in this case, cementing friendships.
The IADC was founded on September 21st, years before, and some agents, friends of it's founder, Col. Steve Trevor, U.S. intelligence, wanted to celebrate the occasion with gifts for the founder.
One of which, was Steve's best friend, Diana Prince. Clad in her traditional slacks, and vest and dress shirt, her hair tied back in a ponytail. She was busy looking for a nice watch for Steve, as his was breaking apart and he was always discussing getting a new one. Of course, Steve was the man who helped get Diana her Mercedes, so she swore one day she'd return the favor. After all, the people who work at the IADC don't look like bums.
Another 2 agents, were the admirably strong Erica "Clutch" Callahan, and her friend and IADC tech-specialist, Bobby Sparrow. The friends had pooled their money for a gift, as Erica was better at socialising and Bobby wouldn't have had the faintest clue what to get Steve.
Erica got her nickname "Clutch" from her amazing driving skills. She actually had spent years street racing before she impressed Steve Trevor and a few other IADC agents with her skills...mostly by escorting Steve out of a dangerous situation completely by accident.
"Coffee?" Erica turned to Bobby.
Bobby didn't turn to her, he had his eyes on the electronics store across the way, a few moments later, he did turn to her.
"Wilkins or Reds?" asked Bobby as he turned.
"Wilkins's is just over there." Erica pointed to the coffee shop just over the way.
"Sounds good." Bobby followed Erica into the coffee shop.
The line-up seemed too short for such a big business. During their wait, Erica could be patient but Bobby began to fiddle with his hands. Erica didn't seem to mind, but she would put her hands in her pockets in the hopes that Bobby would do the same so he wouldn't look eccentric and awkward.
"What'll you have?" asked the Barista.
"Large Double-double." Erica started.
"The same." Bobby added.
At that moment, who should walk into the coffee shop, but Erica and Bobby's IADC friend, Diana Prince. She recognized Erica right away.
"Erica! Good to see you!" Diana smiled at her co-worker.
"Likewise." Erica replied.
The 2 ladies had worked with each other on a few assignments in the past. Most of Diana's work involved getting dirty in the field, and if she had any computer work, IRA took care of it. But if there was someone who knew IRA like a boss, it was Erica's friend Bobby, whom Diana Prince did not know.
"Who's your friend?" asked Diana
"Oh, that's Bobby. he works for the IADC too." Erica replied.
"Really? I would've known if you were an IADC guy." Diana replied.
"I'm in the computers department." replied Bobby.
"Oh...so that's why I haven't seen you." Diana smiled.
Bobby didn't lock eyes with Diana. His eyes were either over her shoulder or concentrated on her fingers, or her swinging ponytail, or at the TV behind the counter in the shop. Despite the fact that he didn't lock eyes with her, He heard every word she said.
"Nice rings, by the way." Bobby went entirely off topic, to which Diana felt a bit confused as to why this guy would comment on her rings like that.
"Oh yeah, they're really nice." Diana held them up.
"14 karat or 18?" Asked Bobby, almost instantly.
"24." Diana replied.
"Solid gold, right on. I wanted to get one of those big cuban chains sometime, those are cool. You know you can order them from this group in Cuba called Gold de la Cuesta, and it's said to be the best quality?" Bobby went a different way entirely.
Diana brushed off Bobby's talk about gold chains.
"Well, are you getting a gift for Steve too?" asked Diana
"Yes, we are." Erica smiled.
"We're pooling cash." Bobby added.
"Pooling cash?" Diana was a bit confused by that.
"He means we're putting our money together to buy a gift for him." Erica replied, before tapping Bobby on the shoulder.
"Oh, sorry." Bobby replied.
"It's ok, Bobby. You're doing fine." Erica replied.
Diana's face twisted a little bit. This guy seemed a little off the chain. What was with Erica tapping him on the shoulder and him apologizing in a heartbeat?
"So, I guess we'll catch you at work on Monday?" asked Erica.
"Monday it is. Have a good time shopping, nice to meet you, Bobby." Diana waved goodbye.
"Nice to meet you too." Bobby replied as Diana left the coffee shop. After she left, Erica turned to Bobby.
"What you think of her?" asked Erica.
"She's beautiful. Those eyes though, they're hard to look into." Bobby took a sip of his coffee.
"I know, her piercing eyes are just, wow." Erica took a sip of her hot coffee.
"Is she with anyone?" asked Bobby.
"Her and Steve are close, but I don't think she's with him. Her standards are beyond high, y'know?" Erica replied.
"Oh. I get it." Bobby took a sip of his coffee.
"No, don't take it personally, Bobby. You two wouldn't match up well anyways." Said Erica.
"She doesn't like weirdos?" asked Bobby.
"No, it's not like that. She's just very protective of herself. She's been that way since I met her. But she's an awesome friend. You just have to get to know her."
"Sure." Bobby said in a careless tone, while he took another sip of his coffee. "No one likes weirdos."
"Not so. I like you." Erica replied.
"Aw, thanks." replied Bobby. "But you know what I mean, when I say that."
"I know, I know. You'll find someone. It'll happen when you least expect it." Erica replied.
Bobby seemed to depress a little bit at that comment. He didn't believe what Erica had said at all.
"Well, if i didn't see so many unmarried men around, i'd believe that." Bobby replied.
"It's because unmarried men don't care about themselves. Just keep yourself in good shape. Go lift some weights, girls love that." Erica reinforced her previous statement.
"Shallow girls, you mean." Bobby was negative.
"Wow, you're not making this easy, are you?" Erica crossed her arms.
"Here's the thing, Erica." Bobby swirled a stir stick in his coffee. "If you were only getting flirted with by men after you went to the gym, I mean, let's say you were out of shape, and you went to the gym, and got in shape, and then, and ONLY then, men were asking you out...wouldn't you feel like they were shallow and stuff?"
Erica understood where Bobby was coming from when he said that.
"It all comes down to who wants it more." Erica took a swig of her coffee, as it had cooled and she could drink it easier. "If you want to have a woman, you'll make yourself presentable, and if she wants you, she'll make herself presentable. So wouldn't you want to be in the highest standard for her if you like her? And at the same time, she wouldn't want to have to keep driving you to the hospital if you were having heart problems because of a poor diet and no exercise, right?"
"I guess that makes sense." Bobby replied.
"Of course it does. And who doesn't want big muscles?" asked Erica.
"I wouldn't mind it. Being like the Hulk." Bobby referred to the wrestler "Hey, they're doing another Wrestlemania next year in the pontiac silverdome."
"Cool." Erica brushed it off. She didn't care about pro wrestling at all.
"Oh ok..." Bobby squished his lips together and stopped talking about it.
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Meanwhile, Diana was off searching for watches, when she could hear a commotion off in the mall's open spaces.
"OW! She bit me!" yelled a woman.
With that, Diana rushed out of the watch shop, and noticed what was going on. One woman had begun attacking mall patrons and randomly biting them for no reason.
"What the..." Another patron jumped in, and tackled the woman down, and held her down for security to arrive. But as the security guards arrived, one of the patrons who was bit, bit into the guard's arm.
"OW!" The guard yelled out. He grabbed the patron who bit him, and held him down for a second. Then, he began to feel a frog in his throat, so he tried to clear it. But then, he forgot why he was grabbing the man in the first place, and soon, had an urge to bite other people around him.
"Oh no!" Diana knew something was going wrong. The bitten were biting others, as if they were trying to eat them.
Then the grotesque and ogrish of frightening fantasy became reality. This was the beginnings of a zombie outbreak!
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