Cole expected to see a bulbous beast, rippling with white fat pockets and
eyes of red. He was therefore not prepared for what stood before him.
The boss was a normal sized man, if a little on the short side.
"Cole?" The boss asked. His voice was smooth as a new pudding cup. He grinned with white teeth and leaned back in an elaborate throne. The boss's eyes were slanted at the edge, his eyes blue, his hair black, and his skin tone lightly toasted. "Don't be afraid. I honestly don't bite. I have my henchmen do that for me." He let out a long smooth laugh as Cole approached him. "Kneel in front of me."
Cole did as he was told, terrified during the entire process. The boy's well manicured fingers moved through his hair, looking for something, like a school nurse looks for lice. He found what he wanted.
"So, son. You're a third eye junkie? Excellent. It means you'll be loyal for your supply." Cole nodded saying nothing. The boss snapped his fingers and Zeke approached him.
"Zeke, show the kids the ropes. Set him up a corner. Show him how to avoid that Huntress girl, and above all, let him know how to pay off a police officer. Understood?"
"Yes, Boss."
"Excellent. Cole?"
Cole stood. "Yes?"
"Follow Zeke, he'll show you the way."
Dinah smiled. Barbara gave her a small earpiece just like the one Helena always wore. It was more comfortable than carrying around a huge device that did the same thing. She hadn't spotted Cole in the entire hour she was out. It seemed strange. A meta who was lost always found their way to the meta sector, whether they wanted to.
She swallowed, examining the bouncers of the clubs in the neighborhood. They watched her like prey.
"Oracle, this area seems clean."
"Allright, Dinah. I'll see if Helena's found anything."
Helena was alone just outside the meta sector. She'd chosen not to bring in Reese for this mission. It was a meta kid after all. He didn't know how to deal with kids, let alone a metahuman. She swallowed, turning the corner. Her black leather coat swayed slightly behind her, making Helena feel power she could only dream of possessing. Helena's eyes narrowed to red lined slits as she found him.
Cole was leaning across the wall of an old nightclub. He hadn't taken any third eye, and was starting to look jittery. Another young man, only a few years older was standing beside him, whispering to him.
"Do you get it then?" Zeke asked, watching Cole.
"Yeah, I get it," Cole answered. "I just didn't know that you guys had detectors."
"We always wear a red eye on the right lapel of out jacket. Eye of Ra or something. I just thought they looked neat. Boss said I could have one for every outfit if I sold enough. This place is your territory. Don't lose sales to others. Got it?"
"Got it, Zeke."
Zeke gave him a quick mock boy scout salute and started to sprint away. It was getting more and more dangerous to be a dealer in town, thanks to the Huntress chick. She'd interrupted four sale the previous week, unknowingly.
Cole stayed quiet, leaning against the wall like a boy waiting for his date. She was on her way.
"Cole!" Helena called out. "Hey, you hear me?" Cole made no notion of recognizing her at all. "You better answer me!"
Cole did nothing. She walked directly up to him, grabbing him by the lapel of a jacket Zeke had loaned him.
Cole focused his eyes on her. "I don't need you. You'll keep me away from it!" Anger surged through him, his arms locking on hers. He began to squeeze painfully hard. Helena let out a gasp. She'd expected anything but that. "Leave me alone!"
Helena felt her feet start to lift off the ground. She launched herself off Cole's chest, backflipping away from him. She landed solidly, her feet hitting the ground.
"You want to try that again kid?"
Cole focused on Helena, waiting for her to move. She cartwheled avoiding his gaze.
"Why do you have to keep bothering me? I was fine on the streets. Then you butted in!" Cole ran at her. She dodged "Fight fair!" "The second you do, the second I will, Cole." He caught her in his gaze, lifting her into the air. She was three feet above the ground. "Cole don't do this!"
Cole raised her higher and higher. She was five feet up now. He continued to focus. The concentration was broken when a tennis shoe covered foot hit the space between his shoulder blades.
The boss was a normal sized man, if a little on the short side.
"Cole?" The boss asked. His voice was smooth as a new pudding cup. He grinned with white teeth and leaned back in an elaborate throne. The boss's eyes were slanted at the edge, his eyes blue, his hair black, and his skin tone lightly toasted. "Don't be afraid. I honestly don't bite. I have my henchmen do that for me." He let out a long smooth laugh as Cole approached him. "Kneel in front of me."
Cole did as he was told, terrified during the entire process. The boy's well manicured fingers moved through his hair, looking for something, like a school nurse looks for lice. He found what he wanted.
"So, son. You're a third eye junkie? Excellent. It means you'll be loyal for your supply." Cole nodded saying nothing. The boss snapped his fingers and Zeke approached him.
"Zeke, show the kids the ropes. Set him up a corner. Show him how to avoid that Huntress girl, and above all, let him know how to pay off a police officer. Understood?"
"Yes, Boss."
"Excellent. Cole?"
Cole stood. "Yes?"
"Follow Zeke, he'll show you the way."
Dinah smiled. Barbara gave her a small earpiece just like the one Helena always wore. It was more comfortable than carrying around a huge device that did the same thing. She hadn't spotted Cole in the entire hour she was out. It seemed strange. A meta who was lost always found their way to the meta sector, whether they wanted to.
She swallowed, examining the bouncers of the clubs in the neighborhood. They watched her like prey.
"Oracle, this area seems clean."
"Allright, Dinah. I'll see if Helena's found anything."
Helena was alone just outside the meta sector. She'd chosen not to bring in Reese for this mission. It was a meta kid after all. He didn't know how to deal with kids, let alone a metahuman. She swallowed, turning the corner. Her black leather coat swayed slightly behind her, making Helena feel power she could only dream of possessing. Helena's eyes narrowed to red lined slits as she found him.
Cole was leaning across the wall of an old nightclub. He hadn't taken any third eye, and was starting to look jittery. Another young man, only a few years older was standing beside him, whispering to him.
"Do you get it then?" Zeke asked, watching Cole.
"Yeah, I get it," Cole answered. "I just didn't know that you guys had detectors."
"We always wear a red eye on the right lapel of out jacket. Eye of Ra or something. I just thought they looked neat. Boss said I could have one for every outfit if I sold enough. This place is your territory. Don't lose sales to others. Got it?"
"Got it, Zeke."
Zeke gave him a quick mock boy scout salute and started to sprint away. It was getting more and more dangerous to be a dealer in town, thanks to the Huntress chick. She'd interrupted four sale the previous week, unknowingly.
Cole stayed quiet, leaning against the wall like a boy waiting for his date. She was on her way.
"Cole!" Helena called out. "Hey, you hear me?" Cole made no notion of recognizing her at all. "You better answer me!"
Cole did nothing. She walked directly up to him, grabbing him by the lapel of a jacket Zeke had loaned him.
Cole focused his eyes on her. "I don't need you. You'll keep me away from it!" Anger surged through him, his arms locking on hers. He began to squeeze painfully hard. Helena let out a gasp. She'd expected anything but that. "Leave me alone!"
Helena felt her feet start to lift off the ground. She launched herself off Cole's chest, backflipping away from him. She landed solidly, her feet hitting the ground.
"You want to try that again kid?"
Cole focused on Helena, waiting for her to move. She cartwheled avoiding his gaze.
"Why do you have to keep bothering me? I was fine on the streets. Then you butted in!" Cole ran at her. She dodged "Fight fair!" "The second you do, the second I will, Cole." He caught her in his gaze, lifting her into the air. She was three feet above the ground. "Cole don't do this!"
Cole raised her higher and higher. She was five feet up now. He continued to focus. The concentration was broken when a tennis shoe covered foot hit the space between his shoulder blades.