It didn't take long for Adrian to determine three very simple things.
One.
Waffle House was awful and all those times a very young Liz had screamed in the car at being denied Waffle House visits was entirely worth the ear splitting shrieks.
Two.
The sound of four fellow escaped convicts all eating, most of them with their mouths open for whatever god forsaken reason, ranked second in 'Most annoying things Adrian Toomes has had to listen to.'
They got the spot right behind Mason giving him a three hour long lecture on No, boss, you seriously just need to look at the data, chemtrails are a reality and we're all living it.
Three. The only reason Gargan had helped him get out of prison was to lead them to one of his old safe houses.
The safe 'house' was more of a safe 'warehouse' that was one of many abandoned facilities his crew had used as drop off points, stake out locations, or arms testing sites. A side effect of a giant alien attack on New York City was somewhat of an exodus from around the state of those who could afford to leave. The city itself never ceased to draw people to it, despite the events that had transpired there. That still didn't stop smaller cities in other regions from suffering from a bit of migration over the years. Enough to create a domino effect that left more than a few smaller towns without the economies to sustain themselves.
Hence, Toomes had never been out of abandoned or derelict buildings to hide in during his years of the back and forth.
Whether Gargan knew that from just being smart enough to suss it out from how Toomes' operation had worked, or whether he was just guessing, Adrian couldn't tell. It didn't really matter at this point because he was basically being press ganged into helping Gargan and his squad out. A squad that seemed suspiciously (aside from their table manners) professional.
That set Adrian at unease. Gargan was a loose screw, that much was certain. He was also extremely good at putting on an air of casual friendliness and making himself seem like just a good ol' boy on a road trip with his buddies. Just a couple of guys cruising upstate New York in the middle of an earth-shattering disaster that had plunged the world into utter confusion and chaos.
Two said buddies were uncomfortably muscular, so much that Adrian had to try and distract himself so he wouldn't stare. He'd caught the name Sergei directed towards the one with black hair. The bald one next to Adrian was Aleksei.
Aleksei wasn't half bad. He chewed with his mouth shut, so Toomes had to give him points for that. Seriously, was this a prison thing or had he just been sheltered from loud eaters his entire life? He'd also offered Adrian a cigarette back at their last gas station stop. Toomes didn't smoke, but it was the most he'd interacted with any of them, aside from Gargan.
Adrian prodded the "cheese" and "eggs" that were on his plate with a sigh of distaste. Doris had always been particular about food, and when they'd gotten married she'd passed it on to him. There was no doubt in his mind that her demands for a healthy lifestyle for the both of them was why he was in the shape he was today.
"What's wrong?" Gargan grunted from the other end of the booth. He was neck deep in what must've been six waffles, stacked one on top of the other.
Damn those young people and their metabolisms.
Toomes shook his head, nudging the plate away. "Not hungry." He said with a sniff, implying his distaste for the entire establishment. Any opportunity to make Gargan acutely aware of his displeasure without the threat of violence, he would take.
"Well eat up anyway. Ain't no other place to stop until we get to the next town." Gargan muttered, turning his attention back to his food.
"There is grocery-" Aleksei began, but Gargan grunted, silencing him.
"It's being looted as we speak." Sergei muttered apathetically, more invested in staring at the television mounted on the wall nearby.
The small screen was displaying a sad attempt at a news station to try and cover the chaos and confusion that was following the 'event'. So far no one had come up with a catchy term for 'half of everyone I knew just turned into dust'.
Toomes glanced outside at the narrow road that divided the tiny, upstate town. The businesses had been abandoned, to no surprise. What few people were on the streets were those who weren't going to let a mild apocalypse get in their way of a new television set. Adrian had to admire that opportunistic mindset.
Of course, as much as he maligned Waffle House's abysmal excuse for eggs and cheese, he also had to give them credit for even being open. No doubt a few newly-ashed staff members were being carried by a strong breeze up to Canada. Happy trails.
Adrian shrugged, standing, and shoving his plate of what some would call 'food' towards Aleksei.
"I'll take my chances with the grocery." He muttered, pulling on his jacket.
Gargan had insisted on stopping by the evidence locker before they made their escape several days prior. He'd found enough cocaine to fund a small army. Adrian had found his jacket. Toomes considered himself the clear winner in this case.
"Be back at the car in twenty minutes or we're leaving without you." Gargan muttered with a face-full of waffle.
Toomes smirked, eyebrows twitching as he pulled the shearling collar closer around his neck. "No you won't."
The look Gargan gave him told Toomes he was right on the mark. They could leave him there, and Toomes would be all the more grateful for it. He'd gladly take his chances in the chaotic storm of a country in the throes of confusion and loss. Unfortunately Gargan needed a solid venue to crash at, and to keep all of his uncomfortably muscular Russian friends in. Probably use said venue to plan future criminal endeavors and exploit the chaos for his personal gain.
Toomes had the feeling too, that once he lead Gargan to one of the abandoned safe houses, that the man was just going to demand more of him.
Adrian walked out of the Waffle House, grimacing at the glare of the sun. Things could've been worse, of course. It could've been raining, or storming, or gray and miserable out. But Adrian could see the wide blue sky, feel the wind on his face, hear birds call to each other over the deafening silence of a town whose citizens were just as lost as the rest of the world.
Over the weight of the silence, there was an incredible feeling of utter dread. The level of unspeakable terror that had happened in just moments was by all rights so horrific that Adrian was pretty sure he was still in a state of shock.
Planes, helicopters, cars, subways, motorcycles, and trains. More than a few had become traveling death traps, those remaining inside of them left only to panic and die in a helpless, unthinkable scenario.
Focusing on Liz and Doris helped him keep his head on straight – at least for now. You can't lose it until you have a reason to fucking lose it. That was his argument. He had told himself he had to keep his shit together until he was absolutely certain that something cataclysmic had happened to his family.
They could still be alive. Doris could still be alive. Liz could still be alive. The only way he was going to get to them was by keeping a cool head and not doing the alternative and finding a nice, warm corner to have an emotional breakdown in. There were some nice corners around here too, and he had half a mind to just find one and hunker down and stay there until Gargan came looking for him. Just to spite the bastard.
He shook the feeling off – or rather, buried it deep down enough to suffocate for a little while. It would well back up, and that sick, awful feeling would creep back into his body. That sick feeling that what if his baby was in the car with Doris and Doris was just a pile of ashes and all Liz could do was scream when the suddenly driverless car swerved into oncoming traffic.
"Don't do that." He told himself quietly as he crossed the street. Sometimes he just had to say it out loud. "Don't freak yourself out."
He buried that feeling a little deeper. There was a Whole Foods to loot.
