CHAPTER 24: POINT BREAK, PART 4
In every city across the U.S., there exists a police system of some sorts to keep the peace; some are organized by city, others by county. Just as any body can catch an infection and be prone to disease, an immune system is necessary to prevent an illness from becoming of the body, and the police are the system which carries that function out for a city.
Most of the arrests made by police can be the smallest and most insignificant offenses, carrying little punishment behind them when brought to court. But within each and every police department, there also exists at least a handful of odd and surprising stories to be told about the numerous suspects brought in on such strange scenarios and circumstances, kicked around the workplace as tall tales and gossip.
Some might hear stories of people believing that they were being abducted by aliens through a drug-filled episode of insanity.
Others may be told tales of public drunkenness, causing a loud disturbance and carrying out bizarre acts of property damage, but ultimately causing no bodily harm.
Perhaps one might catch ear of fraternity members drunkenly attempting to obtain the underwear of elderly women, an instance of peer-pressure that comes with youth.
This night, however, there is not one of those stories that come close to the story that the Ocean Shores Police Department has been told tonight.
After taking in the young people known as Sam Dullard and Reggie Rocket, the members of the OSPD were told the story of how they had begun a stakeout of a group of technologically advanced renegade skateboarders committing arsonists and destruction, whose method of transportation are gravity-defying skateboards.
Their attempt to gain proof of this conspiracy was quickly derailed by way of consuming hotdogs on hamburger buns that were accidentally infused with marijuana by an unclean grill, then, in their intoxicated state of mind, proceeded to have sexual intercourse in the car.
Then, when the group of skaters they believed to be their targets began to leave the house, the two chased them down the streets in their car, while both still engaging in intercourse, and accidentally ran the entire group over, caught by the police with their pants down, literally.
Predictably, the policeman interrogating Sam and Reggie does not take their story so easily.
"I gotta hand it to you kids, if there were a world record for most ridiculous bullshit story I've ever been told, you two would win, no contest. Now, you really wanna tell me what happened tonight?" The policeman asked.
"Look, how many minor details do I have to put into that story to make it sound believable? We thought these guys were-" Sam began to say.
"A group of super-criminals that blow up stores with hovering skateboards? Mr. Dullard, this is Ocean Shores, not Hillwood. You tell that story in a city that had a psycho in goth makeup take a whole school hostage and a guy in green suit beat the shit out of him, it could pass. Here, where our population is lower than the entire state of Nebraska, that's a pretty big story that had to have some impact. Why is it we've never seen any reports of these 'Rippers', as you call them, in any form of news here in Ocean Shores?"
"I used to work for Ocean Shores Today before it closed. I would've taken the story there, but I didn't find out about the story until after. It may have been possible that Alex Gravity bought out the newspaper so word wouldn't get out about it." Reggie said.
"'Bought it out'? What'd, he just walk in the door and hand the boss a check?"
"Actually, yeah, that's literally exactly what he did."
"And even after doing that, in a day and age where everybody's got a camera in their pocket, nobody's seen these guys at all, save your brother, as you mentioned?"
"You said yourself that the entire population of the city's as low as it's ever been. Less people means less cameras out there. And these guys mainly operate by night, when nobody's awake to see them in action."
"Uh-huh. Real tight on the plot holes, kid. And that little conspiracy mongering with Alex Gravity? You expect me to believe that he's trying to destroy the city when he just saved it from bankruptcy?"
The policeman's additional question made Reggie and Sam forget about making any defense for themselves, instead trying to ponder the news it brought.
"Wait a minute. What'd you just say? He saved the city from bankruptcy?" Sam asked.
"That's not your concern, big boy. You got a whole lot of charges stacked up against you that warrant a lot more care than that." The policeman said.
"Sir, please. It may be extremely important for our case. Please, just... tell us a little more, and we'll give you our full cooperation." Reggie said.
"I'm supposed to be getting your full cooperation either way. You're the one who got arrested."
"Sir, please! We need to hear it!"
Feeling unusually generous towards his prisoners, the policeman sighed and fulfilled Reggie's request.
"Alright. The city was having a bad fiscal year, and there were talks of folding into the county. Alex Gravity came in and handed a big-ass check for the deficit, and basically bought the whole city for himself. Come the end of this fiscal year, the whole 9 yards are his." The policeman said.
"And how do you know about this?" Sam asked.
"Because I'm an employee of the city, that's why. It means I gotta get myself a new job somewhere else. It's pissing me the hell off. Losing your job because a business goes belly-up, that's one thing, but a whole city? That just doesn't happen. It shouldn't, anyway."
Sam and Reggie then sat in silence further to analyze the information, coming to a realization regarding Alex Gravity's greater plans.
"He bought the whole city. That's the connection." Reggie said.
"But if he's going to own it anyway, why go through all the trouble of forcing everyone out?" Sam asked.
"Must be trying to speed it up. I can't imagine a lot of people are going to take being foreclosed on easily. But where do the hoverboards fit into this?"
"Well, you'll be able to figure it out on your own in jail, because you're both looking at least 20 years each." The policeman interrupted.
Sam and Reggie were then snapped out of their conversation and put back to the immediate problem at hand, looking back at the officer with despair.
"WHAT?!" Sam and Reggie yelled in unison.
"Assault and battery, attempted vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, lewd acts preformed in a car, lewd acts performed in public, public indecency, public urination, and that's just the beginning. Should've kept your mouths shut until an attorney got here, you didn't do anything but incriminate yourselves a whole lot further." The policeman said.
"But we told you that because we're trying to stop the bad guys! This is a life-and-death situation!" Reggie pleaded.
"Oh, really? You expect me to believe not only that a group of hoverboard-riding criminals are terrorizing Ocean Shores, but you also expect me to believe that they work for Alex Gravity, a theme park owner, and who also bought out a whole newspaper, on a whim, no less; and this is all part of some kind of grand conspiracy to steal an entire city for himself?" The policeman asked.
Sam and Reggie then stood silent in embarrassment, realizing how difficult their beliefs would be to sell to most people.
"...Apparently?" Sam asked.
"Well, then, I just have to ask, if your goal is to catch these alleged criminals, why is it you didn't simply contact the police rather than go after them yourself?" The policeman asked.
"We didn't have any evidence to back up our claims. That's why we had our stakeout. One we got anything off these guys, we would have brought it right to you. Honest." Reggie said.
"Well, that doesn't matter now, you two are-"
Before the policeman finished his sentence, the door to the questioning area opened, and an officer of higher authority stepped in.
"Hey, can you come here a second?" The commanding officer asked.
Quietly following his orders, the policeman stepped outside to speak to his superior, carrying a conversation that was muffled by the door and walls of the questioning area. Left alone with a heaping pile of bad news to drag them down, they themselves began to question what the affair was about, believing that the conversation might potentially make their situation worse than it already was.
Soon, the policeman returned back in the room, opening the door and leaving it open with the invitation to leave.
"You're free to go." The policeman said.
Not expecting to hear such incredible news, Sam and Reggie stood stunned at the revelation, taking in the relieving good news like a religious experience.
"Wait... Are you serious?" Reggie asked.
"Of course I am. Now, go on and get out of here before we find something else to charge you on." The policeman said.
And so the two took their good providence as it came, leaving the police department without questioning their miracle any further. Aside from a brief phone call to Tito, Sam and Reggie spent no more time in the building, waiting outside to meet their metaphorical uncle for a ride out.
Following a short wait of a few minutes of awkward silence, Tito arrived as promised, picking up the two in his own car.
"Thanks, Tito." Reggie said.
"You know, little cuzes, I knew you two would be charged with something with this little stunt if everything went south, but I didn't think that going at it in a car would be one of them. Well, okay, I guess I expected that, too, but I couldn't have guessed you would have done it while driving. Guess you couldn't wait for me to go, huh?" Tito asked.
"It wasn't like that, Tito, we were just... We... Uh... We weren't thinking because those hotdurgers you cooked got us high from the weed in the grill." Sam said.
"Really? Pretty sure I got it all."
"You didn't. Didn't you feel yourself getting high at all, Tito?" Reggie asked.
"Cuz, I've been smoking since I started breathing. Whatever those two poured in that grill wouldn't have even buzzed me. You two must be real lightweights."
"Well, that doesn't matter anymore. By some miracle, we're out of jail, and I don't know who drew the card off the board for it. But that's not important, anyway. The skaters we ran down weren't the Rippers." Sam said.
"What? They weren't? I thought you were sure?"
"I was, but only because Otto told us it was. He lied to us."
Holding perhaps the closest bond to Otto besides Reggie, Tito lowered his head in shame, sighing in disappointment of his metaphorical nephew.
"So the little cuz turned on us. He's choosing the Rippers over his family." Tito said.
"Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. The bastard never had a care in the world for this family. Believe me, he's gonna have hell to pay for all of this." Reggie said.
"Maybe we're jumping the gun, Reggie." Sam said.
"WHAT? Now you're defending him?!"
"It just now hit me. Otto's the one who told us that address. That means he knew what we were doing that night, and he knows something could have gone wrong."
"Oh, like he could've really thought we would've banged in my car and crashed it into the other skaters?"
"No, but he's got an ear to Alex Gravity and his goons, so he also has connections to the guy who literally owns Ocean Shores now. If he heard that we got arrested, and if he knows the guy who owns the cops, then who do you think could've gotten us out of jail like that?"
Reggie stopped in contemplation over Sam's reasoning, coming to understand the point he was making.
"So he's the one who got us out of jail. He's still the one who led us away from the real bad guys. What's his game?" Reggie asked.
"That's the question. And I think we'll have to ask him that when we get home." Sam said.
As the group continued their way back home to retrieve the board, coming up on the abandoned skate park known as Madtown, the three occupants of the car took notice of a certain individual laying on the side of the road, not moving whatsoever and appearing to be asleep
"That's funny. I haven't seen any homeless people drift through here in a while." Sam said.
But once the group took a closer look at the individual, they realized that it was no homeless man who slept on the ground, but was Twister.
"Hey, wait, that's Twister! Slow down and pick him up." Reggie said.
Immediately, Tito hit the brakes of the car, with Sam and Reggie running out of the car before it could fully stop to get to Twister. In rushing to aid their friend, the two's concern over Twister grew to fear upon seeing the massive amounts of blood spilled over his clothes, leading Sam to inspect for any wounds.
"It's not his blood. He's not wounded." Sam said.
"Then who's fucking blood is this?! What happened to him?!" Reggie panicked.
Twister then began to groan and open his eyes, coming to consciousness after his long sleep, soon assaulted by Reggie with questions and desperation.
"Twister, what's wrong? What happened?" Reggie asked.
"Lars... I saw Lars..." Twister said.
"You saw Lars? Where is he?" Sam asked.
"I saw Lars... I saw Lars... Kill people... Kill lots of people... It was so horrible..."
"He did what? Where? How?!"
"Good Burger... A gun for an arm... Shot so many people... Oh, god... So many people, why couldn't I-"
Reliving his recent trauma, Twister began to break down and cry at what he viewed as his own weakness, his failure to stop Lars, blaming himself for the numerous deaths at the hand of his sociopathic brother. The blame he was placed upon himself was too much to take in, reducing him to a crying mess of a human being.
Joining the two as he departed from the car, Tito assisted Sam and Reggie to put him back on his feet.
"Hang in there, little cuz, we'll get you home." Tito said.
After the group carefully set Twister in the car, the four began making their way back to the Otto and Twister's house, hoping to sort out their accumulative issues there.
A ways away, at Ocean Shores General Hospital, the 5 members of the Rowdy Boyz laid in their hospital beds, recovering from their unfortunate impact with Sam and Reggie. While the experience of being seriously wounded and bedridden is no fun experience for anyone, the group has been given the one thing capable of keeping anyone happy and willing to forget all about their misfortune:
Money.
Flipping through a roll of several hundred dollar bills, Dax handed off payments of large sums of money to each of the members of the Rowdy Boyz, giving them compensation for their part played in Alex Gravity's main conspiracy. The payments reach into the thousands apiece, putting smiles on each of their faces that widened with each bill handed off.
"That should cover your little mishap last night, and that's not including your hospital bills, that one's on the house." Dax said.
"Shit, for that much money, you could cut my cock off and call me Caitlyn. That's even more than your boss paid us for the race." Randy said.
"Well, you boys did a little more work and suffered a little workplace accident, so thus your payment is more. Now, don't forget, once you're healed up, you get out of this town. You hear?"
"Oh, sure, man, sure. I hear Florida's nice this time of year."
Fulfilling his job of compensating the pawns for their part in the greater plot, Dax left the room holding the Rowdy Boyz to meeting up with Otto outside.
"Hey, Rowdy Boyz! We're going to Disney World!" Randy cheered.
The Rowdy Boyz cheered along with their leader, their cheers silencing soon after as the door to their hospital room closed behind Dax and Otto. With all business in the hospital completed, the two carried on another conversation, each having their own concerns to bring up to the other.
"I still don't get why you're wasting time and money with this." Dax said.
"Reggie's still my sister and Sam's still my friend, I figured I owe them a little something." Otto said.
"But you still realize that their plans were to look for us. I don't think I have to tell you that we don't particularly want that kind of attention, do we? And that the boss is going out of his way to make sure that the operation doesn't get any?"
"That's exactly why I'm going through with this. You want everybody out of Ocean Shores, right?"
"Yeah."
"Sam and Reggie are just trying to save Ocean Shores because they want their old jobs back. We gave them a bad run-in with the law, and they got lucky. They won't push their luck again, they won't be a problem anymore."
"And just how expensive is this little pet project gonna be? We do have a budget, you know."
"It won't be too bad, trust me. Besides, they're jerks, but they're family. You get how it is."
"On the contrary, my friend, I think you fail to get how it is. What have I been saying this whole time? Family does nothing but hold you back. You don't owe them anything."
"You were talking about parents. This is my sister and her boyfriend, who's a friend of mine, too. I mean, yeah, Reggie was kind of like a bossy parent sometimes, but I just ignored the bitch. She couldn't do shit anyway."
"Fair enough. Besides, you did a good job at Skatopia. I guess you deserve a little reward. Keep up the good work, and you'll be one of the best of us in no time."
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. Jared tried to kill some people and Mike tried to rape a cashier. That kind of shit what you call the best?"
Dax stayed silent in contemplation over the new information Otto gave, seeming to be shocked over what was shared with him.
"They did what? They didn't tell me about that." Dax said.
"Oh, I bet they didn't. Motherfuckers were acting just as bad as Lars. I mean, Lars I can see having to look out for, but I thought you said these guys were alright? I sure thought they were alright until that shit happened." Otto said.
"I see. I'll have a talk with them later."
"What? That's it? Just a talk?"
"Tell me something. You ever heard of the tale of Peter Pan?"
"What is it with you and Disney movies?"
"I'm referring to the old fairy tale, but try to think of the Disney movie if it helps. Personally, I prefer Hook with Robin Williams. Anyways, try to think of the Lost Boys. The kids that followed Peter Pan. They looked up to him as a leader. Like him, they were all eternally young, and they were rambunctious and naughty most of the time, just like Peter Pan. Why is that?"
"Because boys are inherently bad? Or magic? I don't fuckin' know, I don't remember the movie."
"Boys are boys no matter what. We're rough and rude, and we love to have fun. It's only when we start to grow up is when we begin to get faded and boring. People like you and me? We're still young at heart. Same with Jared and Mike and everyone else. But that also means our morals are a bit loose. Because boys don't know any better, they only know how to have fun."
"The rest of the team are grown-ass men, not boys at heart. And I don't consider rape and murder to be fun. At all."
"Of course not, but all you have to do is intervene and make sure they don't do it. You have to show some force and be dominant, be a leader. Be someone they follow. The Lost Boys followed Peter Pan, and, in turn, they acted more like him. Be somebody they imitate and replicate, and show some force if they fall out of line."
"Sounds an awful lot like being a parent. I thought your whole philosophy was based around how much you hate parents?"
Hearing a counterpoint he viewed as a legitimate hole in his supposedly flawless logic, Dax stood silent in contemplation, attempting to adjust with the point made.
"I detest the idea of family and parents because there's no choice in the matter. You can't choose your family. But you chose to be part of us, and they all chose to be a part as well. There's a democratic choice in the system, and a democratic process within it. Not a simple autocracy like the relationship between parents and children. That's what makes it different." Dax said.
"Whatever. Just make sure they don't do any more crazy shit, please, okay?" Otto asked.
"No problem. You did good, you just let me handle my thing with them. Oh, that reminds me, we're having a big moment tomorrow. Make sure you're at ZGZ nice and early."
"What's the event?"
"Alex Gravity bought the boardwalk, the last of the places still around here that's not abandoned or already his. The sale's just closed and he's having a big press conference tomorrow. He's gonna announce his big plans for the place. Once he does that, the whole of Ocean Shores'll pretty much be gone with him controlling everything, and our job will be done."
"And I get a big paycheck, right?"
"We all do. For now, why don't you just relax for a bit, head back home?"
"Eh... Home's not looking too good right now. I had a big fight back at home, and I'm not looking forward to dealing with the aftermath of that from everybody, especially now that they're out of jail and ready to get on my ass further.
"Head on back anyway. Tell your pals to back off and get out of town while they still can. That is the reason you let them go, right?"
"Yeah. Alright, I'll go back, and I guess I'll be seeing you later, man. I meet you back at ZGZ, right?"
"Right. We're getting front-row seats to the whole thing for all our hard work."
"Cool. Hey, one more thing, I wanted to ask you something else."
"Yeah? What's your question?"
"You say you're a guy that's always about 'the ride', always living like some adrenaline junkie. Money doesn't really seem like your main thing, so why do you do this?"
"Unfortunately, living for the ride ain't cheap. I've tried working regular jobs, and none of them ever worked for me. Hell, I don't think I've ever had a job in my life that lasted more than a year."
"Sounds like you did something right, mine only lasted a few months."
"Ha, well, I guess you understand it better than me. Point is, though, once I finish this, I never have to deal with any of that shit again: No more shitty jobs, no more asshole bosses, no more retarded fuckin' coworkers, no more dickhead work friends, nothing. I live for me, and only me, from that point on. The American Dream."
"And Wes?"
"Well, of course Wes, too. If he still wants to put up with me."
"You say that like you're afraid he's going to go any moment. Attachment disorder much?"
"I keep everything on a loose grip so I'm not so sad when I eventually drop it. I was never attached to it that much in the first place. Otherwise, holding on tighter just makes it hurt more. No strings means no pain, right?"
"It also means there's not a lot of love there, either."
"Like the Buddhist way of living; detached into Nirvana. No feeling anything, that means you're above it all. Sounds good to me."
Otto let out a sigh at Dax's comments, seeming to have no point of agreement with him.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yep. Job's almost done, Otto. Home stretch is right there. Oh, oh! Otto? One more thing. The board you got from us the night you fought Lars?"
"Yeah? You want it back?"
"Yes, please. Can't have any more evidence of that thing going around, can we?"
"Of course not. See you tomorrow, man."
"See ya."
And so Otto departed the hospital, attempting to make sense of all the answers given to him by Dax. They are not satisfactory enough to achieve the feeling of security he desired, but there is enough of a second thought within him to ponder whether his debacle is with the answers themselves or his own perception of them.
Attempting to make sense of it all in his head, he is forced to make do with what he has.
Once arriving back home, Sam, Reggie, and Tito did their best to settle Twister in and ease his anxiety; placing him in his bed and covering him with his blanket, and giving him a cup of hot chamomile tea to help calm his nerves. His stress made any bodily movement stagnant, but Reggie gently put his hand around the cup and pushed it towards his face, encouraging him to drink.
"Drink this, Twister. It's tea. It'll help." Reggie said.
"Brewed it myself, cuz. It'll do you good." Tito said.
Twister slowly sipped at the hot tea, a step nowhere near enough to overcome the trauma that he had witnessed firsthand, but a better start than he could ask for.
"Where'd you find tea? I didn't see it anywhere here." Sam asked.
"I found it in a cupboard, looks like they tried to smoke the leaves." Tito said.
"Jesus, is there anything Otto and Twister won't try to smoke?"
"Sammy! This is not the time." Reggie said.
"Oh, right, sorry. Just... Can you try to find out what happened?"
Reggie sat back at the bedside of Twister, encouraging him to take another light sip from the cup, then lowering it away from his face. The effects of the tea had slowly began to relax his body and lower his stress, the herbs combined with the warm his breathing to return to a relatively normal state.
"Twister. I know you don't want to do this, but I need you to do this. What happened last night after you left the house?" Reggie asked.
Twister continued to sit quiet and breathe, his breathing elevating under the distress of the answer to Reggie's question coming to the front of his mind. Feeling the trauma replay back in his mind fresh as it happened, Twister began to shudder with a quivering breath, holding his arms around himself.
"Lars said he wanted to give me away back at Otto... for what he did to me. He wanted to take me to Good Burger. I knew he was gonna try to do something to scare everybody off, but... I didn't think about what he was gonna do. His arm changed into a gun and he started threatening people around the restaurant. Then he started talking to me about how I've lived beneath Otto for my whole life, telling me to take control. Then he picked on some cashier, and started beating him up. While he was beating up the cashier, I... I started beating up the manager." Twister said.
The admission made Twister feel as disgusted as the rest of the group attempted to pretend not to, silencing their protests to let him tell his story.
"I... I don't know why I did it, but Lars made me want to do it. I couldn't help it, I just laid into the dude. I didn't even know him, and I just wanted to beat the shit out of him. I just kept hitting him and hitting him, pretending he was Otto and I was beating him up instead. I didn't think at all about what I was doing, until Lars... Until he killed the cashier. He wasn't even 17, and Lars killed him. He... He stomped his head against the threshold of the door... his skull... cracking open... the sound... it was awful... Then I started to realize what happened. Once I did, he... he just started shooting everyone... Even kids... They all died... Including some teenage girl... He was gonna rape her... I stopped him from doing it, but... But I didn't stop him from killing her... I didn't do anything to stop him... from... killing..." Twister cried.
Overcome with his massive guilt, Twister began crying into Reggie's shoulder, receiving a hug and a pat on his back from her in return.
"Twister, it's okay, it's all over now-" Reggie began to say.
"No... No, it's not over. I... If I was capable of beating up that guy... would I be capable of shooting people like that? To kill people like that? Like some kind of super-fucked up psycho like Lars? I mean, he's my brother, so, he's, like, got my genes and stuff. So, if he's capable of doing that, would... would I do something like that? Would I become someone like him? Would I-?"
Not able to face the horrible thoughts that raced in his head, Twister began to roll over in his bed and cry, fearful that he would become just as sadistic and ruthless as his own older brother, or, worse yet, already was, having become just as horrible a person as he was from the previous night.
Reggie, still being as nurturing as she can, tried her best to comfort Twister while in his horrible thoughts, laying the blanket back over his body. She lightly ran her hand across his body in a petting motion, attempting to sooth him down with a motherly physical comfort.
"It's okay, Twister, it's okay. We know you. We've known you for years. You'd never do anything like that. You're a good-hearted person. You just got... a little confused, that's all. It happens." Reggie said.
"But I'm such a fucking idiot. I always get confused about everything. Maybe I really can't tell right from wrong. Maybe I'm too stupid to get anything right. Maybe Otto was right all along." Twister cried.
"No, no, no, Twister, don't think that for a second. You're not an idiot, especially not if Otto says so. He's the idiot for calling you that. He doesn't know... know how good a... person you are to him. He doesn't appreciate you at all. And he damn well should. You've been there for him for so long, and you've set him straighter than all of us ever could. That makes alone makes you worlds better than you think. And... And you deserve better than him. You really do."
Twister no longer put up any more resistance, instead closing his eyes and succumbing to his stress once again.
"That's it, Twister. Just get some rest for now. We'll figure out what to do later. Right now, you just rest and heal." Reggie said.
Getting up off the bed, Reggie led Sam and Tito out to leave him to sleep in peace, gaining impressed looks from both as they departed.
"Wow, cuz. I didn't know you had any motherly instincts in you." Tito said.
"Having to deal with Otto, you tend to grow some. Even if it doesn't work most of the time." Reggie said.
"Don't you mean, 'all the time'?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, pretty much. Now, speaking of which, what are we supposed to do about him?"
"Well, best thing we can do is seat him down and talk to him. But we obviously can't do that if he's not-"
Before Sam could finish his sentence, the garage door of the house began to open, letting a loud noise in the room that informed the group of the event.
"What's that?" Reggie asked.
"It's the garage door, but who'd be- ...Otto." Sam said.
Sam then led the group to the garage, all expecting to find Otto arriving back home. His arrival was not a simple return with the expectation of greetings in return, but instead, he was caught preparing to take the hoverboard from the garage, and doing so in a manner that attempted stealth and inconspicuousness.
Not expecting them all to be home yet, Otto found himself temporarily held up from his goal, forced to deal with the new difficulty placed before him.
"Oh, uh, hi, guys. What's up?" Otto asked.