General Htarw had summoned his three companions, he'd said it was a matter of importance…though he was splotchy on the details for such a meeting.
"Why do you think he wanted us to be here?" Asked Dren.
"Beats me, all I know is this better be good." Sardon answered.
"Oh trust me you lot, it's as good as it gets." Answered a voice behind them.
All three of them turned around to see a person with dark brown (almost black) hair and grey eyes standing behind them, he wore a black T-shirt and black jeans, but on the back of the shirt was a picture of a fire-breathing dragon (western, not eastern variety) with the words Allumer mon feu printed underneath it.
"What the—?" Sardon started asking himself, Dren took no time in pulling out his two swords and crossing them together, forming sort of like a sword scissors by the person's neck.
"I don't know how you found us human, but I sure as sugar know how you're leaving." Dren told him.
The person looked into Dren's eyes, and smirked, "I wouldn't do that if I were you…Dren." the person told Dren.
"How do you know my name?" Dren asked.
The person then reached into the neck of his shirt and pulled out a black crystal, Sardon looked at it for a second and said, "Dren wait…don't kill him."
"Why, I've my finger on the trigger…all I have to do is squeeze."
"Oh really?" the person asked, removing the necklace from around his neck, Dren watched in amazement as this person now transformed into General Htarw.
Dren looked horrified as he stared into Htarw's cold eyes.
"Come on Dren…you have you finger on the trigger, all you have to do is squeeze. So come on Dren, do it all ready and pull the trigger…cut me down, if you have the nerve?" The General asked of him, he could see the blades now trembling in Dren's hands. Htarw then pushed the blades away from his neck and said, "That's what I thought." Dren fell to both knees, head hung low, and sobbing.
"The Dark Assailant Gem…I should've—we should've known." Sardon apologized.
"Yes, you should've…but now that you do, maybe I should reveal the rest of my plan." Htarw said, then he looked down at Dren and while cracking his knuckles with his thumb, "Get up…or I'll really give you something to cry about." He hissed.
"Y-y-ye-yes sir." Dren said nervously, then he stood up and listened.
"It has come to my attention that though we're trying to conquer this world…we don't know much about the people on it, my idea is to blend in with them…see what I can learn." Htarw told them.
"I hope you know what you're doing Htarw." Said Sardon.
"I do…oh, and don't call me that…call me…" Htarw went into deep thought thinking of a name, "Warren, yeah…that'll do, Warren."
Meanwhile, it was business as usual at the café, then Zoey saw someone enter…the person looked around, picked up a menu, and started scanning it.
Zoey approached the person and said, "Uh…hi."
"Hello," the person said in a calm, smooth tone of voice.
"Uh-huh…can I get you anything?" Zoey asked, the person then put down the menu and asked, "Are you new here?"
"WHA—WHAT?" Zoey asked surprised, the person leaned closer to the table and said, "I asked are you new here? You seem nervous."
"Oh no, I'm just thinking of something right now…that's all." Zoey told him, the person nodded and said, "That's perfectly understandable, I'll just have a cup of tea and then be on my way…but not without paying of course."
When the order got out to him he took a sip and said, "That's some good tea…I think I may come back here tomorrow and try something else the next time around." The stranger then laid a five dollar bill on the table and said, "Thanks for the tea."
And as good as his word he was back the next day, this time along with the tea he ordered a small salad to go with it, this time Renee delivered his order, he looked at it and said, "Looks good.", now not to say he wolfed it down, but he did managed to finish it in 7 minutes which after scanned the room, he then left a ten dollar bill and said, "Tell the chef the salad was quite good would you…" he then looked at Renee's name tag and said, "Renee—hmm, Renee…that's a beautiful name." and with that he departed.
The third day though, he ordered just tea again…only after he was done he walked up to Elliot and Wesley and said, "Hello gentlemen,"
"Hello." Wesley said politely.
The person then introduced himself, "My name is Warren…Warren Jackson, and I feel I must ask if you have any job openings available."
"Well Mr. Jackson…it was brave and noble of you to ask, but we really don't need anymore help at the present time." Elliot told him.
"Yes very well, but then let me make something clear to you…a person enters this café you have so graciously opened and think, 'hey, now this seems like a nice little place to get something to eat.', yes, quite the normal response…but then there's a person with my type of thinking that pays attention to closer details looks at the ratios, seven people work here…two guys and five girls."
"Your point being?" Asked Elliot.
"I'm getting to it…now a normal person would look at this as just your standard work force, but again I mention I'm not a normal person…and not being a normal person I'd believe something else happens when this place closes for the day." Warren told them, when he said 'I'd believe something else happens when this place closes for the day', he said it in a sly tone of voice.
"So what." Elliot said calmly, Wesley though had been paying a bit more attention and said, "What ever you think is going on behind the seems here, it's not."
"What'd you mean Wes…he's talking none-sense." Elliot protested, Wesley shook his head, "No he's not Elliot…re-think what he just said and I think you'll find a disturbing detail."
Elliot thought about it for a bit then looked at Warren and said, "Okay, now that's just sick."
"If you think that's twisted, wait…my explanation to why you should give me a job here, you see if I think this, just think what the local authorities will think." Warren told them.
"Okay pal, there's a thin line between 'asking for a job' and 'blackmailing for a job'…and I'm telling you, you're crossing it." Elliot told him.
Warren put up his hands in an innocent defense and said, "Now-now, gentlemen I'm not black-mailing you…I'm offering you a business deal between you two and I, and here it is…you two give me a job here, it can be anything from serving food to washing dishes to cooking…I really don't mind as long as I get paid, and I'll keep the cops with a search warrant on the back burner. So what's it going to be? Anyone with at least half the mind would see the obvious choice."
Elliot and Wesley huddled together, "Wesley…we can't give him a job, what if he finds out about the girls?" Asked Elliot.
"You place a good point, but if you think that's bad…then think about the inquiry we'll go under if he lives through on his threat and the cops search this place and find the lab." Wesley pointed out.
Elliot looked as if he was weighing to two scenarios carefully, "You're right Wes…that's worse."
They turned around to Warren, "So gentlemen…do we have a deal?" said Warren, holding out his hand.
Wesley reached out and shook it, "Excellent…I knew you two would choose the right path." Warren said cheerfully.
Bridgette came with some of the dishes that needed cleaning when she heard them talking.
"Yeah, but just remember this means we have a social contract. We hold up our end of the deal." Elliot told him.
"And I uphold mine, I shall arrive for work at 9 tomorrow morning to prepare the café for business." Warren said, "until then…good day."
"So that guys going to work here?" Bridgette asked herself.
Elliot then saw Bridgette and said, "Don't you have some tables to serve?" and with that she took off.
Meanwhile Warren walked the streets, "That was fairly simple…now I just play along and wait." Warren (or you've may've guessed by now) thought to himself.