Chapter 3: The Tip-off

The Candy store, the Mecca of the neighborhood kid society stood completely rebuilt and refurnished. Vinmill transformed it in so short of a time the people in town couldn't believe it. In a span of two days Vinmill turned the store into a replica of an old-school soda parlor but with strange differences. All of the candies except the giant jawbreakers where in a 1960 gas pump; even the fudge shared this metal prison. He created a bar with five faucets leading to high pressure hoses where soda is sprayed. Outside of the bar where leather topped stools that spin 360 degrees. In the corner of this ideal dream from a madman was a veritable mountain of white jawbreaker covering a plastic crate. Near them was a jukebox that looked like it haven't been used in 40 years. The only occupant of this was Kevin who sat behind the black elm bar reading an old issue of Tire Iron Monthly, bored out of his mind. He looked up only slightly when a bell chimed over the door. Eddy ran into the store followed by Ed who was carrying Double d.

"Kevin?" Double d asked.

"What are you doing here?" Eddy said surprised. Somehow his presence didn't make Kevin angry for once.

"Vin hired me to keep tabs on the inventory while he 'makes friends,'" Kevin said nonchalant. "What's your excuse Dorks? I know you don't have any money."

"A lot you know Shovelchin, Doc gave us free jawbreakers so hand them over," Eddy demanded.

"As if, Doc may be new but I know he is not dumb enough to just give you free jawbreakers," Kevin said looking up. "Now get out your annoying me."

"Not until I get my free jawbreakers," Eddy badgered.

"How does a knuckle sandwich sound? That's all you get for free," Kevin threatened.

"Bring it on Jock your threats are useless!" Eddy yelled.

"Eddy please, maybe Kevin doesn't know," Double d said pulling his fired-up friend.

"I deserve these free jawbreakers. Right Ed?" Eddy looked at Ed for support.

"Yehaw it spins!" Ed laughed. He was spinning wildly on the bar stools with his tongue out.

"Maybe we can come to an agreement and maybe not turn this into a big affair," Double d was sweating now, he was the only thing standing between the two factions now from total warfare.

"Like what Double Dork?" Kevin asked his eyes not leaving his rival.

"We can…uh…" Double d thought out loud. "Take you and the rest of the kids to Eddy's Brother's sewer tunnel system tonight."

"WHAT?" Eddy and Kevin yelled at the same time.

"Is that hat too tight for your head? You're killin me Sockhead!" Eddy yelled at Double d.

"Your brother has a secret sewer system?" Kevin asked interested.

"Conference!" Eddy called a time-out. He pulled double d away from the bar and whispered in his ear. "Whose side are you on Sockhead? I'm trying to rid a piece of my past not host a picnic."

"I'm sorry Eddy I panicked, you know my stress management is mediocre at best," Double d whispered.

"I guess there's no going back now, this is too important, but if anything happens it's on your head" Eddy resolved poking Double d's chest for every syllable of 'on your head'. He turned back to the clerk. "Hey Shovelchin you coming or what?"

"Ok your on," Kevin answered determined.

"Fine, Ed!" Eddy called.

"Tweet! Tweet!" Ed yelled as he swam in the jawbreaker pile.

"C'mon Monobrow! We're leaving!" Eddy yelled as he started leaving. "Tell everyone to meet us at the cul-de-sac at sundown."

"R-right," Kevin said sort of shaking.

"But the jawbreakers Eddy!" Ed said as Eddy left the store.

"Eddy? Are you ok?" Double d said worried as Eddy started swaying back and forth like he was struck with something.

"Nice tattoo Eddy," Ed remarked.

"What?" Eddy asked wearily pulling out a mirror. Double d looked at Eddy as well. There was no tattoo present.

"There's no tattoo on my head Ed," Eddy said rubbing his forehead causing a rippling pain to spark inside his skull causing him to wince. Eddy refused to talk for the rest of the trip home.

"Do you need any aspirin because it may help your migraine?" Double d asked very concerned as they reached Eddy's back door. "All the dust that accumulated in that vault could make anyone get a sinus infection."

"Yeah long day I guess," Eddy said as he entered his room via the back door.

"That wasn't what I said," Double d spoke as Eddy's door slammed shut. Edd turned to Ed. "I guess Eddy just wants rest, I'll check on him after I finish our mode of transport for tonight."

"Can I try to read again?" Ed pleaded.

"Go ahead, the context of those books fits you more than me," Double d answered.

"Back into vault, back into vault," Ed repeated as he ran into the hole.

The soft hum of the AC somehow sounded pleasing to Eddy as he drifted in and out of sleep. He fell on his bed and placed a palm to his face. A tattoo of a plus sign in a triangle appearing under his hand. An event played in his head. A dark room with three silhouettes: one gruff looking shadow in the darkness and two laying down shadows that looked like they were struggling to breathe. Eddy heard a voice as clear as a bell:

First rule of being a god, little rat.

The standing being raised a giant broadsword and aimed the point downwards toward one of the shadows.

Trust No One!

The being slammed the sword point into one of the laying shadows. A male screamed and a female voice yelled an incoherent name.

Eddy fell into a deep sleep.

(October10)

Timer till restart: 6 hrs 45mins

(My observations of the rest of the inhabitants have concluded the time I have till restart. My defense algorithms have been completed (no help from my supervisor), and the inhabitants I created pawns with before have kept their distance from the keys and the rooks. With the event coming I will start moving the gears into place. In a related note the number of intruders had jumped up to three. But they seem to be interested in each other, the key "Eddy" and inhabitant "Nazz" than anyone else in particular. I will keep posting about this matter in the coming hours.)