Member
Mixtape Ghost N
And
Location: Local Walmart
Time:13:26
David walked around from aisle to aisle looking at the signs hanging from the ceiling, until he finally saw what he was looking for, “Storage & Organization”. David led the way into the aisle, multiple plastic bins of various shapes and sizes for different uses adored the shelves. There were a couple other shoppers looking at some of the plastic containers for their own purposes, but as soon as they saw Berenice they decided to move out of the aisle quickly with some worried mumbling on their part. David did his best to keep his face down; he really didn’t want to be identified with Berenice right now, it might lead to trouble in the future after all. Taking a quick glance David picked up a decently sized, clear, plastic box, he wondered for a moment why his current partner would need a bin in the first place. I remember she said something about homes needing bins, but why? Forget it, this should be fine. It can be a thank you gift for not hurting those kids. David picked up the plastic box and turned around to leave, only to find Berenice nodding her head.
“No. Wrong bin.”
“Wrong bin? Are you sure you knew what a bin looked like before today?”
Nodding again Berenice replied. “Ah-mee show me. Need big bin for home. Like bin under tree.”
“Under tree? Do you mean like back at the park? A garbage bin?” Berenice nodded yes again and David gave her a look of disbelief. “What do you need with a garbage bin?”
“For trash, Ah-mee said for trash.”
“For trash? But you’re a, a-“
He was about to say bird woman, but before now he’d never met anyone like her, and therefore had no real standard to compare her too. Accepting the situation David gave a sigh of defeat. “Alright, alright, they say bigger is better anyways.” After picking out the correct “bin” they both turned to leave but as they got closer to the front David ushered Berenice behind him and back into another aisle. The police had arrived and they had already begun questioning the greeter near the entrance, he could see him pointing down to where they had been earlier. Shoot, I can’t be caught near this bird lady when the cops come by.
“Uh, Barry was it?”
“Berenice, I am Berenice.”
“Alright sure, listen, wait here, don’t move, and hold this. I ,uh, have to use the bathroom.” David placed the plastic container down before bolting into a sprint towards the back of the store. Berenice watched him go for just a moment, idly wondering what a bathroom was.
David dove into the restroom, after giving it a quick once over he saw the feet of a man currently using a stall, deciding that he wouldn’t be a problem David decided to leave him alone. The smell alone indicated that he was busy regardless. David didn’t want to be caught doing this in front of an audience like the police, so the dirty, but relatively empty, public bathroom would have to do. Focusing himself David mentally he called to the Earth to bring his powered form into being. In a split second a burst of brilliant white light emerged from the floor, completely engulfing him, red and orange waves of energy began to pulsate from his chest until they covered him like fire. The energy settled and continued to flow off him in small embers that disappeared after a second, after giving himself a quick once over David quickly dove back outside to help Berenice. As he left he could hear a curse of confusion coming from the stall back in the restroom. Now in his powered body he decided to take advantage of it and flew high into the ceiling, over the lights and rafters, dodging each ceiling obstacle with ease.
---
Berenice was inclined to wait for David, though her easily distracted nature was getting the best of her. She didn’t yet understand everything, and so far he had been willing to help, at least to a point. She had waited for almost a minute, fighting the instinct to go and investigate all the brightly coloured objects that were everywhere, until she heard a sound that caught her attention; somewhere nearby a child was playing. Following the sound, she found a boy like Owen, but younger, who was marching up and down an aisle with a small object in his hand.
“Hello nestling, what is that you have?” Berenice asked as she craned her head around in curiosity.
The boy was holding a red robotic bird toy, he was currently tapping a button on the back to activate the lights and sounds feature. “It’s the Brobot Falcon from Big Team 5.” The young boy responded, he was young enough that he didn’t quite notice that Berenice wasn’t completely human; apparently the human-like head was enough for him. Suddenly another voice called out from behind an aisle.
“Thomas! Thomas where are you!”
“Here uncle Frank!”
“Oh there you are, thank go-“The man behind the voice emerged from the aisle right behind Thomas and froze, his eyes fixed on Berenice.
Berenice’s features switched to wariness and she took a stance. “Away egg-thief!”
“Thomas we’re going!” The man shouted as he lifted Thomas from under his arms and started running, the boy dropped his toy but didn’t seem to notice yet if at all.
“Bye.” Thomas waved to Berenice as he was quickly lifted up off his feet, he didn’t understand what was happening but he trusted his uncle.
But Berenice picked up the toy and began to imitate it by spreading her own wings out above the aisles, completely unaware and uncaring of the stares she was getting. Unfortunately, those same stares were leading the investigating officers towards her, herding civilians away as they moved in. Two took position at the entrance of the aisle she was playing in and peeked around the corner. They stared, wide-eyed, as Berenice dropped the first toy and began wrestling with another figurine, trying to get it out of the box by way of her teeth.
Each officer glanced at the other for a moment, before the older and more seasoned man grabbed his radio and whispered, “Visual on target, aisle thirteen. Does not appear armed.” Two more officers immediately veered off to close the other end of the aisle, and once in position, the older officer whispered again.
“Dispatch, this is badge 435, we have a visual on the special suspect. Awaiting order to engage.”
Berenice had abandoned the struggle with the boxed toy and hopped along the aisle a bit, and now she had found a music box. Opening it, and hearing the little chiming tune, she grinned ear to ear. This was a good find. After a single repetition of the song recorded on the thing, she had began singing along to it, although wordlessly, and the effect on the officers was immediate. Their eyes glazed over, and they stood up out of cover and began relaxing. Nervous patrons in the aisles not already cleared also relaxed, and several of them began moving to get nearer to her. Badge 345’s radio crackled, dispatch trying to get more information, but he just turned it down and sat on the floor near the siren.
---
David soared high above the floor, the customers who hadn’t become aware of Berenice had failed to notice him as well as he dodged various ceiling fixtures. Spotting where he left the bin he swooped down to pick it up, noticing the lack of Berenice in the aisle he continued to fly around, trying to track her down. “Just couldn’t sit still.” David muttered as he continued, he almost missed it due to how soft it was but he thought he heard singing. David pondered as he flew closer and into the aisle, spotting both police and hapless customers standing and sitting around in a daze. The people scattered around Berenice where in a hapless daze, a simple smile painted all their faces as they gazed in Berenice’s direction, drool began to slip down the corner of some of their mouths. David waved his hand in front of one of the officers, his face stayed in the same listless, drooling, state it was in previously. David took a moment to check his pulse. He seems alright, I hope this isn’t permanent, doesn’t seem like it.
David placed his hand around the officer’s wrist and wiped his mouth for him and spoke to him in a hushed tone. “We’re real sorry about this.” David turned around to Berenice, the box still in his hands. “Barry, cut the siren act we’re leaving.” David said out loud as he turned to face her.
Berenice had been concentrating on the music, almost to the exclusion of all other things, but the odd voice using her name caused her to look up. Seeing a giant man made of flame, however, caused her to panic. Her wings flared wide, arms out and talons flexed along the tiles of the store, and she puffed out her chest ever so slightly underneath the tank-top she was wearing for just a moment. Her mouth opened wide and she squinted her eyes shut and cut loose with a scream to drive the offending fire man away.
As the sound waves pushed out, magic coursed through the air at the same time, wind rushing along with it as the simple force of power threw everything around in front of the oncoming attack. Small toys filled the air in slow motion as it hit the shelves, much like a tidal wave does with buildings, and the shelves themselves shifted into the next aisle, screws in the base shearing under the pressure.
Passing the flame man, the waves continued, and the two officers just a step behind him did not have the advantage of powers to protect them. They were flung back as the sound hit them with physical ‘oomph’, into the trio of civilians behind them, and all five collapsed to the ground, making pitiful noises they couldn’t even hear from pain. The simple presence of the police and the fire man in front of them saved the civilians’ lives, the brute force of the wave somewhat diminished from having passed through those bodies first. The officers, however, would not be getting back up, having been less than twenty feet from Berenice as she screamed.
---
As Berenice turned around David felt himself tense up after sensing her panicked state, he was struck by indecision as pondered on his next act, by the time he decided it was far too late to stop her from acting. “Uh oh.” David muttered as the sound waves pounded him, reverberating throughout his body, a pain in his head erupted just seconds before he was forced to stagger backwards. David struggled to keep standing as the force of the sound waves slid him back slightly even as his feet planted themselves.“Berenice cut it off!” David shouted as he covered his “ears”, but his shouting went unheard, drowned out by the intensity and volume of the screaming.
---
She held it for almost thirty seconds, before abruptly cutting it off. She hop-skipped forward towards the stunned man, snatched the box from near him in a quick, darting grab, and took off into the air. Lifting with some difficulty due to the added weight, she made for the nearby doors, standing shattered from her attack. Sensing the difficulty she would have maneuvering, she abandoned her prize and darted through as quickly as she could, shooting up and into the afternoon sky amidst customers looking around for the source of the noise they had just heard. Somehow, none seemed to notice her leave, those near the door still trying to extricate themselves from broken shards of glass.
---
By the time David had recovered Berenice was already gone, and the aisle around him lay in ruins. Various products either lay scattered or shattered around him, the floor tiles had also been torn up from both the sound waves and his own efforts to stay in place, the bystanders that had been in the aisle with him were now left unconscious on the floor. After checking the bodies he was relieved the civilians were alive, but he was disheartened after discovering the officers were not so lucky. “Stupid move, of course she wasn’t going to recognize you like this.” David chastised himself outloud. But his head flew upwards when a voice suddenly called out to him.
“Yeah this was a stupid move, who the hell trashes a Wally Mart?”
“Uh oh.” David muttered for the second time today as a figure stood floating in front of him. The man floating before him wore a welding mask, an open grey hoodie with the sleeves rolled up, a red t-shirt, worn down jeans, and brown work shoes; the kind construction workers would wear.
“‘Uh oh’ is right.” The figure replied mockingly.
---
