Author's Note: Hey everyone! I deeply, deeply apologize for this chapter being uploaded so amazingly late. Life has been way too busy so far as the Fall Quarter has just started at UCR. With that, I'll be swamped with school and fraternity stuff, so I will pretty much warn everyone that updates maybe sparse and may take awhile to be uploaded, but don't worry, I will not forget this story and all you reader's out there. I will try to write each chapter bit by but now whenever I can accommodate the free time so don't think I've fallen off the Earth or something, hehehe. Also I've noticed the number of reviews has dropped. Come on you guys! Keep the encouragement going by leaving a quick review and of course I welcome all suggestions if you feel that something needs to be added or change and so on, so please don't be afraid to leave a review. Last but not least, I would like to thank those who've reviewed the last chapter!!
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Is it just me… or am I just some sort of magnet when it comes to attracting really random robots? Ugh, that's just my life…
Nate continued to slowly walk backwards, hands up in a defensive manner as the black, yellow, and red cladded robot sauntered towards him. A very smug yet devious smirk can be seen on the droid's face, eyes hungry for the human walking in front of him.
"Dude…" Nate's voice almost squeaked as he continued to trudge backwards. "What do you want from me? Seriously!"
Quick Man abruptly stopped into place as the teenager finished his question, a hearty laughter growling from his throat. "Heh, 'what do you want from me?'" He mocked the brunet. "Hmmmm…" The droid rubbed his chin in a pondering like fashion. "Interesting question you brought up there, kid…"
"Kid"? Who does this robot think he his…
Nate despised it when someone would call him a kid. He was going to turn 17 in a couple of days for God's sakes.
"Look man, I don't know why you're so freakin' obsessed with following me. I mean, it's flattering and all… I guess…" The brunet mentally smacked himself for that comment as he rolled his eyes. "But serious— OOMPH" Nate suddenly realized that he had hit a dead end.
Oh, great…
"Hehehe…" Quick Man devilishly chuckled as his eyes ogled onto horror-stricken teenager. "Looks like I've caught you in a jam, as you humans would say."
The robot was right. Nate looked to his left and right, imperatively trying to see if there were any possible ways of an exit of this mess. Sadly, more walls just greeted him. Yup, he was definitely cornered like no other. It was déjà vu all over again.
"Uh, okay, look here, Quick Man?" The Figueroa expressed awkwardly, trying to hide the fear of his voice down his throat. "I honestly don't get what on Earth you would want with me. We tried to go through this last time. I mean I'm just a normal teenager trying to go through life. Nothing more, nothing less." Nate noticed that Quick Man was actually taking an interest on what the brunet had to say.
Great… maybe I could try to talk some sense into him… and run when I get the chance. Dammit Cameron, what the hell is taking you forever in a day?
"And well, I'm sorry about the incident in the alley that might've sparked this little grudge you have against me, but I really have nothing to offer you of value."
"Oh, really?" The droid's voice suddenly became higher in tone.
"Yeah really… and... uh… well…" Nate began to fumble through his words. What the hell was he going to say now? Surely he couldn't just end the conversation right then and there and ask the robot if he could just go back to class. Just before it looked like he hit the end of the road, a sudden idea popped into his mind.
I hope this works…
"Say… why are you called Quick Man anyways?" Nate began to narrow his eyes, beaming off a countenance of wonder and question. He mentally patted himself when said robot gave off a huff. "Heh, you didn't seem so quick when you chased my ass down Ventura Blvd yesterday…" Although he did have to admit that he legs were quite painfully sore when he tried to sleep during the night.
"That's because I wasn't running at my full potential you nimrod…" Quick Man gave off an aura of pride in his speech.
Man, talk about a dickhead of a robot…
"Oh yeah?" Nate relished off a smirk as he looked towards a chain link fence that seemed like a long ways from here. "I bet anything you couldn't run to that fence, go around the grassy field, and come back here within ten seconds or less."
Hehehe, I hope he's an idiot to fall for this.
Naturally, and expectedly, Quick Man scoffed at the given challenge. "I could so. Just watch me…" The droid gave off a complacent smile and immediately took off before the brunet could blink.
"Heh… sucker…" Nate snickered as he hastily tried to make a run to the bathroom so that Quick Man couldn't get him in there so as long as his best friend was around.
Hmm… I wonder why he doesn't attack me when some other person is—
"Wait a minute…" Quick Man immediately appeared in front Nate right before his eyes.
"What the— How did you— I mean—" Nate stammered, obviously didn't expect the robot to realize that he was being played like a fool.
"Like I said…" Quick Man quickly grabbed the brunet's neck in a hurry, lifting him up into the air as he speedily rammed Nate into the wall that he previously cornered him into. "I am Quick Man in terms of my agility AND my thinking…"
A familiar sharpening of a shiny metal sound echoed as Nate knew what was to come.
"Oh… crap…" Was all he was able to gasp out as his eyes gazed onto the familiar boomerang object in his enemy's hand. This was definite proof that déjà vu has descended upon the unfortunate brunet. "Not… again…"
"Why… yes again…" Quick Man sinisterly uttered as he held up the boomerang into the air, having the intention to slice Nate's neck. "Now to finally finish on what we started last time… hehehe…"
Is this really the end for me? Here? At school? Out of all places?
Nate quickly closed his eyes as he saw the shiny yellow object come lodging straight for him. However, noticing that he didn't fell pain from his neck, he peeked one eye open, curious to know on why wasn't there any blood gurgling from his neck.
What happened? Am I… dead… yet?
Before he could finish musing any further, Nate felt his ass hit the cold asphalt ground below him hard, in addition to the clanging noise of the boomerang.
"Yo Nate!? Where did you go dude?" Said boy heard Cameron hollering out for him close by. He looked around to see where Quick Man ran off to. Yet again, he instantly vanished in thin air.
"He's gone… again…" Nate whispered as he saw the boomerang near him. He picked it up and inspected the shiny, yet slightly heavy metallic object in his hands.
"Ow!" The brunet yelped as he pricked himself with the extremely sharp edges. "Damn, this thing could decapitate me..." He looked at the weapon his assassin was about to use in horror. "I guess he really wants me dead… But why?"
"Dude, Nate!" The brunet heard his best friend's voice coming in really close. He thought about showing the weapon to Cameron when the dirty blond-haired teen found him, but at the last moment decided to conceal the object behind his back and maybe tell him later when they were not at school.
"Nate!" Cameron finally found his best friend. He gazed at him in a puzzled manner, wondering why the boy was on the ground. "Dude, why is your ass on the ground…"
"Uh… because…" The Figueroa tried to come up with some lame-ass excuse that he could get away with. "Because… you were taking forever in a day and I got so tired waiting on you that I decided to sit down…"
Bravo once again Nate… Bravo…
"Okay…" Cameron said awkwardly, thinking that his best friend was definitely hiding something. "Anyways, let's go back to Trig. I'm sure Hoops is done with the homework grading by now."
"Okay, but go on ahead, I need to uh… tie my shoes…" Nate once again gave an excuse, considering he couldn't just stand up and expose the boomerang that was lying behind him. As he saw Cameron walking on ahead, he picked up the metallic object and decided to conceal it inside a nearby bush.
"I'll come back after school and get you later…" Nate made sure that the yellow object was totally covered from plain sight and ran off to catch up with Cameron down the hall.
In the distance, once again, he failed to notice that Quick Man was indeed still nearby on one of the roofs, eyeing the brunet the entire time after he jammed.
"Hehehe… keep it Nate…" Quick Man demonically chortled. "Think of it… as a nice… souvenir of sorts when I meet you once again... But I intend on killing you next time…"
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After a typical long day at school, Nate was finally back at home in the comfort of his own room. Luckily, the walk was non-incidental as he forced Cameron to accompany him the entire way.
"So what do you mean exactly by dressing up trendy for tonight?" Nate inquired while rummaging through his inventory in the walk-in closet.
"Well you know…" Cameron was lying upside down on the side of Nate's bed. "… Trendy."
"And that's supposed to mean…"
"I don't know…" Cameron sat up to face the brunet. "I guess like a mixture of dress to impress and casual?"
"Hmmm…" Nate rubbed his chin as he thoughtfully took another glance at the available clothes that he had. He decided to pull out a black dress shirt, blue tie, and jeans. "How about these?"
Cameron vigilantly examined the selected articles of clothing with his blue eyes as he stood up from the bed. He gave off a few "Hmmmsss" and "Ummmsss" in the process. After what seemed to be quite awhile to the impatient Figueroa, the blue-eyed teen finally answered. "Yeah, that'll work I guess…"
"Finally. And I'll just wear my low-cut black Chucks with the fat blue laces," Nate exasperatedly sighed in relief as he decided to put the clothing on the bed. "What's with the sudden desire to dress up and go to these so-called trendy places, hmmm?"
Cameron began to slowly pace around the room. "Oh… well I don't know… bored, I guess?" His blue eyes noted a piece of paper on the floor near the desk.
"So you're saying that Judy and I are boring?" Nate sarcastically chuckled as he began to gather a few things more before getting ready to change for tonight.
"What! No! That's totally not what I meant dude!" Cameron became defensive, opening up the piece of paper that he picked up. He glared at it a few times before exhibiting off a stare of confusion.
Quick Man wuz here… Quick Man wuz here… Quick Man wuz here…
Cameron repetitively read the four words mentally.
Who the hell is Quick Man?
"Uh, Nate?"
"Watzup?"
"Who's Quick Man?"
Nate promptly stopped at what he was doing as soon he registered what his friend said. His mental state instantly went on a rinse cycle, thinking of what to do as Cameron put him on the spot.
Should I tell him… now?
His eyes gazed over to his backpack, keeping the android's weapon concealed in it for the time being until he was left alone in his room… but of course that wasn't the best of ideas recalling the last time he was left all alone in his room with the window wide open as a 7-Eleven.
Maybe is not a good time… Would just put too much worry on going out tonight.
"Quick Man you say?" Nate tried to slap on a convincing smile. "Oh, he just some… just some… uh… character I made up that I'm going to use in one of our assignments for Honors English."
Smooth Nate… real smooth…
"Oh… I see…" Cameron flatly replied, seemingly indifferent. "Well you have a weird way of coming up with things dude…"
"Dude, exactly how long have you known me? You should know that I'm just weird in general," Nate genuinely chortled.
Cameron laughed as well. "Haha, I guess you're right…"
"Okay, well I gotta change…" Nate grabbed his clothes on the bed and headed back inside the closet. "Make sure no one tries to open the door… unless you wanna look yourself…" The brunet mockingly teased towards the blond.
"NATE!!" Cameron threw a pillow towards said boy, but to no avail as the Figueroa closed the door. "I seriously did NOT need to hear that!"
As he waited for the brunet to change, the French blond couldn't help but to wrestle with his thoughts on what his best friend had responded to about this mysterious Quick Man dude.
Nate… I know you're hiding something from me…
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"Arriving at the North Hollywood Station," the intercom's voice blared off, alerting the trio in their trendy attire to get ready to board off the bus. Aside from Nate's attire, Judy had on a red blouse with tight fitting jeans and red hi-top Chucks, while Cameron had on an expensive pair of sunglasses (looked to be from Dior), white dress shirt, khakis, a black pair of low-cut Chucks and a black blazer. Yup, one could say that they were trendy… but trendy in NoHo standards?
"Ma'am, what time does the last bus leave?" Nate inquired before he and the other two stepped off the bus.
"The last bus on the Orange Line leaves at 1:30AM sir," the middle-aged bus driver replied.
"Thank you!" Nate kindly gave his thanks before stepping off and seeing the bus turn around in the station's loop to head back towards the Western San Fernando Valley.
The brunet gazed around in his surroundings, trying to immerse himself at the recently transformed and gentrifying NoHo Arts District. There were colorful buildings with bright façades abound, new condos being constructed for the struggling artist and artist-at-heart, unique light poles, plentiful interesting and unique art sculptures, numerous cafés and art theatres and art galleries, and of course… crosswalks that had different colors abound on the ground. Yup, North Hollywood was definitely the place where all of the hipsters of the Valley congregated.
"Wow… so… artsy…" Judy spoke as she adjusted the small purse on her shoulder.
"And so trendy!" Cameron happily replied. "See Nate, I told you so."
"Right…" The brunet gave off an expression of… well… nonchalance.
The trio walked out of the MTA Orange Line Station and went to the sidewalk of a nearby major street.
"What street is this?" Nate tried to look for the typical white on blue street signs of Los Angeles (Note: North Hollywood is NOT it's own city, but a district of the city of Los Angeles). After a few more seconds of walking, the three reached an intersection. "Lankershim… and… Magnolia…"
"That means the place is this way!" The De La Loire pointed down on Lankershim Boulevard.
"Then let's go," The Wu commanded as the Walk signal lit up. After crossing Magnolia and absorbing themselves in the NoHo air for seemingly quite a while, the trio finally reached the front of Boba NoHo. Stepping inside, there was evidence that the place was bustling with activity. Various people were happily conversing with each other and having a good time while enjoying their boba and other side dishes with the music blaring from the DJ on the stage.
After finally finding a free table for themselves, Nate offered to save their place while Cameron and Judy went to go order at the counter.
"What do you want dude?" Cameron inquired Nate as the brunet inspected the very simple menu.
"Just get me… a chocolate shake with boba and a side of spicy chicken bites," Nate gave the menu back to his best friend.
"Okay Nate," Cameron walked off to the counter while Judy followed.
"We'll be right back!" she called off, but due to the noisy ambience of the café, Nate couldn't hear a thing she uttered.
While waiting for the two to come back, the Figueroa rubbed his temple as the atmosphere was beyond rambunctious, hearing once in a while some random girl laughing like a hyena about the time she dropped her paint pallet on her shoes or how this one dude's pot exploded inside a kiln.
Man… people these days…
Nate stared out the window onto Lankershim Blvd. The headlights from the car beamed onto the street, as the sun was just about to disappear from sight.
What the hell are those things?
Nate's brown eyes captured two mysterious figures lurking from a nearby alley. One was too red, black, and yellow cladded like a familiar robot that the brunet knows. The only distinguishable features was the concealed mouth, circular objects with jagged edges on its forehead and shoulders, a strip of blue running down its chest cavity and a pair of upwardly-pointy yellow shaped objects fixating from its ears. The other figure was more irregularly shaped with a blue, yellow, and black clad, a very wide upper torso region, and a very anomalous hole in the upper body with what seems like blades sticking out from the middle of the hole.
Where are all of these strange ass droid coming fr— Ack!
Nate immediately took his stare off from the objects to the table in front of him. He could've sworn that two pairs of red stared back at his pair of browns.
"Food and boba are here!" Cameron and Judy began dropping plates of food and containers of boba onto the table. The two began to eat, but immediately stopped when they noticed that the Figueroa wasn't chowing down as well.
"Nate, what's wrong?" Judy had a voice of concern.
"Yeah man, you usually start before we do…" Cameron added in.
"Oh… uh… it's nothing, really…" Nate gave off another fake smile as he began to eat and drink as if nothing happened.
"Are you sure dude?" Cameron wouldn't let the issue go. "'Cuz that Quick Man response you gave me earlier— OW!" The blond yelped as he felt a heavy footstep on his.
"I said drop it…" Nate said in-between his teeth.
"Wait, what now?" Judy now became curious.
"Oh, well I found this piece of paper in Nate's room and it said something like Qu— OW!"
"I SAID…DROP IT!" Nate gave the blonde across from him a death glare.
"But Nate—" Cameron was once again stopped at the finger being pointed to him.
"Can we just eat and have a good time here?" Nate pleaded, annoyance heard in his voice.
"Um… okay…" Cameron cooperated by starting to munch on his fried rice.
"Whatever you say…" Judy did the same by eating her noodles.
"Finally…" The Figueroa sighed in relief as he continued to eat his spicy chicken bites. Despite the awkward situation that had just occurred, the trio did end up having an awesome time at the café, enjoying the music and open mic sessions being held at the stage.
"Remember…" Nate pointed out. "The last bus leaves at 1:30."
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"Man, what did I tell you guys!?" Nate was huffing and puffing as the trio ran up on Lankershim towards Magnolia. "It's already 1:29!"
"Well I lost track of time dude!" Was the only reply that Cameron could think of. "It's not my fault that the most awesome band was late to play on stage."
"I didn't know either… I guess I got caught up on the excitement as well…" Judy said in her own defense.
As the three reached the Lankershim and Magnolia intersection, they were greeted by a red light and the don't walk signal.
"Screw the light! Keep running!" Nate ordered as the three of them were firmly on the sidewalk, greeted by the honks of oncoming automobiles.
"Sorry!" Judy screamed out towards a particularly angry driver.
After a few more seconds, the Orange Line Station loomed into sight.
"The bus… is… still there…" Cameron managed to breathe out.
"HURRY!!"
The three ran even faster and pushed themselves harder as they got closer and closer to the idling bus. However, panic struck through their systems as the bus closed it doors and began to drive off.
"NOOOOO!!" Nate shouted as he chased after the bus when they got to the station. The brunet finally gave up when he started to get way inside of the busway, deeming it futile. He began to cough and gag a bit as the chilly December air stabbed his lungs like knives.
"Shit…" Cameron uttered matter-of-factly. "Looks like we're stranded…"
"No shit, Sherlock…" Judy sarcastically said.
When Nate finally recovered and walked back towards them, he knew that they were in deep trouble as he threw his arms up in discontent. "How are we gonna get back home? We're stranded all the way on the other side of the Valley!"
"I certainly can't call my parents to bail us out!" The blonde spoke. "You know how French parents are these days…"
"No way in hell I can call my parents either…" Horror can be detected in the Wu's tone. "I'll never be able to go out late ever again."
"Well I can't call them either..." Nate began to scroll through his contacts list. "My dad's sleeping and my mom's at work… but I definitely have no other choice then to call… ugh… Claire…"
She's so never gonna forget this and never let me live this down.
As he was about to dial—
CLANG
"AGH!" Nate shouted as he felt his phone knocked away from him… in addition to receiving a minor laceration on his hand, seeing blood drip down onto a—
"A circular metal blade?" The Figueroa cried out in horror, seeing the jagged metal object on the ground, complete with blood on parts of the edges.
"Uh… Nate…" Cameron frightfully tried to squeak out as he pointed towards something, Judy hiding behind the blond.
"What? What is i— OH CRAP!" Nate widened his eyes in absolute terror at what he was gazing at.
"Hehehe…" A demonic voice harshly chuckled. "Kids like you shouldn't be out this late…"
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