She immediately perked up once the warehouse came into sight. Almost as soon as he stopped the car, she jumped out and ran back into the building- her comfort zone. Slowing her brisk pace only to shoot Romeo a dirty look and toss the pack of Twizzlers at his grinning face, she walked into the common room, tossing off articles of clothing and disguise away left and right. She debated on a shower, but decided she couldn't be bothered at the moment. She needed ice cream. Shower can come later.
Putting on panda onesie, Crystal walked into the kitchenette and pondered over what flavor to take. The level of her lightheadedness told her that she needed to consume at least a tub. Now. French Vanilla, or… Rocky Road in all its chocolatey marshmallowy goodness? Her heart told her to go for the latter. Grabbing the scoop to put it into a bowl, she decided it wasn't worth the effort. Finding a spoon, she carried her precious tub into the living room, where she met the rest of the crew, including Trix, now looking very much like himself.
With a spoonful of the delight in her mouth, Crystal was suddenly aware of five pairs of eyes fixed on her. Matt was there too, now looking like himself, goggles a permanent fixture over his eyes. She paused midstep, blinking at them owlishly- like a deer caught in the headlights.
Spoon still dangling out of her mouth, she questioned.
"What?"
Pearce cleared her throat, trying abysmally to hide her amusement. She was surprised, least to say. Seeing their usually uptight and stoic group leader clad in a short panda onesie and clutching a tub of Haagen Dazs as if her life depended on it was decidedly different, endearing and entirely hilarious.
"That's a good look. You should keep it. Just don't go into Toys R' Us. Some spoilt kid might buy you and take you home to add to his collection. And stay away from Comic-Con too. With that Pangoro cosplay, some weirdo might take you home there too. But in a whole different way."
Crystal turned slightly pink. Come to think of it, she did look like a plushie. And she might be right about the perverts as well. If she swore she could see Romeo out of the corner of her eye, tilting his head to get a better view of her ass. She didn't do so well in the front department, but her regiment of running kept her other areas fit and toned. But when she turned around, he seemed as innocent as a cherub. Bastard.
Matt cheerfully came upto her and slung an arm over her shoulder and addressed the rest of the group.
"Crystal here has agreed that our party is at the Firehouse. Get your crazy on. Tomorrow at seven."
Everyone smiled, yet she could sense the underlying tension. However, the excitement was palpable. Most of the time, they were cyber-vigilantes. But during these nights out, they cast their black-hats aside and just become themselves. Young people having fun and living life. The one day Crystal didn't have to be a leader, the one day she could just be normal.
Sticking another spoon of ice cream in her mouth, she disengaged herself from Matt and walked towards the front of the room. Jumping twice, she managed to pull down the projector screen with difficulty. Trix was the one who put it up, his 6'2'' frame easily able to reach. However, her average 5'4'' figure couldn't quite get to it so easily. Romeo bore a grin on his face, obviously having enjoyed the little show.
She smirked. Revenge.
She picked up the remote.
"Well, since everything is in order already, we're going to have a little fun. Last time, it was my turn. Now it's Romeo's!"
They had a weird rule. Before each big project, they all had to spend one night doing a game. Basic truth or dare, just without the boundaries. Or the truth. One member of the group had to do five dares- one from each member. The only boundaries they all unanimously agreed to were nothing that involved the contraction of an STD or sex with wild or tame animals. The latter just seemed like a good thing to get out there while pissed on Jagerbombs.
Even six geniuses could do the stupidest things when drunk.
Five months ago, before they exposed the Congressman about to run for President as a murderer and a serial adulterer, and in a yet unproven case, a rapist, it was Crystal's turn. She had flirt with strangers while eating a 'penis-pop'- which truth be told was strawberry flavored and didn't taste at all bad. Matt made her bow to every stranger she saw on the street and say 'It was an honor to meet you, my lord and master.'
And now, it was Romeo's turn.
"If Romeo here refuses to do a dare, I will play the video. On loop. For three hours. Krusty, better make the popcorn."
The blonde man grumbled.
"Ya know, Crissy. You may look cute and all but you're the devil reincarnate."
She stuck her tongue out, delighted.
"You betcha. Now. Let's get started."
Twenty minutes later, the place went from being computer boot-camp to party central.
On the center of the table was strewn an array of bottles. Single malt scotch, bourbon, Belvedere and Bacardi were placed neatly, half empty. Heineken cans were tossed here and there, the ice bucket tipped over because half of them were too drunk and too lazy to actually reach in and take a Death Star shaped ice globe out.
It was safe to say Romeo was smashed. Crystal decided to let him get wasted for the dares. It was easier to get him to do weird shit and it would also be less emotionally scarring on the guy if half the night was a blackout. She herself was pleasantly buzzed, nursing her bourbon. The only one remotely in her right frame of mind was Pearce. She was drinking Kahlua and cream sparingly- she was their minder for the night. Matt/Trix was currently downing a downright disgusting mixture of beer, vodka, tomato juice and pickle vinegar on a bet. Crystal laughed as she saw him tossing back glass after glass of Sprite, trying to get rid of the unpleasant aftertaste.
Currently, the big blond man was in his boxers- a white affair with keyboard keys imprinted on them. He took his work seriously. He was dared to strip and sit in a bath of ice for sixty seconds by Skye. He also wore exaggerated makeup and hair braids- the aftermath of being dared by Pearce to sing the Barbie theme song with a bit of a dubstep kick to it. Another memorable video was made.
After that, it was Krusty's turn. Ten minutes ensued, where the poor man had to dance to Beyonce's Single Ladies. Not a pretty sight, but it was as funny as it was strangely disturbing. Matt dared him to slow dance with Skye. The latter vehemently refused, but a few pouts from Pearce and Crystal's pledge to get him all the gummy worms he could imagine convinced his drunk mind to think it was a good idea.
And now, it was Crystal's turn. She tottered over to him and carried out her plan. The plan her brain had concocted before the alcohol made her lose a good eight IQ points. She pulled two glittery items from the pocket of her onesie. And stuck them on his nipples. The man looked down in shock at his chest, trying to see through the sea of booze.
She smiled, a smile so wide that it made the Cheshire cat jealous.
"Make Backdoor What's-his-name proud! Dance like there's no tomorrow! Make dem tassels spin!"
It was win-win. Either he dances and they get perhaps the biggest laugh of their lives. Or, he doesn't and they get the chance to air his video on the projector screen and settle down to a comedy run of epic proportions.
Matt roared in laughter and even Krusty's gin soaked, weed-addled brain managed to comprehend enough to laugh too. Pearce was shaking uncontrollably and Skye, though still scarred from his dance, cracked a smile.
Sadly though, Romeo wasn't nearly drunk enough to do anything of the sort. So five minutes of drunkenly stumbling about lead to three bowls of chill-cheese popcorn being made and the projector being set up. Everyone settled down on the floor after much toppling, excited. He fought with Matt as he loaded the tape in, trying desperately to get his claws on it before it could become too much of a spectacle. But he failed.
As a result, three hours went by with the six of them watching a forty minute video on loop, again and again. Watching a man get scarred for life was unarguably fun to watch.
When Crystal went to sleep that night (Pearce pulling an all-nighter to make sure everything was good in the world), it was the first time in a long time she slept a full eight hours, a smile on her unconscious face, without seeing the demons that plagued her.