I couldn’t help but grab Holly’s hand that was resting on the table, worry written all over my features when she looked up at me from her phone. “Are you okay?” She quickly sat up straighter, phone now on the table and undistracting. 

“I uhm, do you feel like something is going to happen?” She looked at me utterly perplexed at my sudden shift. “Something going to happen?” She repeated, gripping my hand with the same energy. “Something bad.” I said in reply, hands shaking suddenly. She looked around but was unable to find anything alarming until suddenly the front doors burst open, glass and stained wood flying across the restaurant floors. We quickly looked at each other before both ducking underneath the table in time before something was thrown through the window that was next to our booth. There was screaming and running, employees barking orders to the customers to go to safe places while they called the police. Holly was gripping my hand, my own hand holding on to her just as tightly.

I suddenly had an idea, grabbing my phone and calling Emilio but ending up with him not answering. So I resorted to calling Warsaw who picked up on the second ring, immediately frantic when they heard the chaos on my end. “Lucille? What’s happening over there?” I quickly filled them in about the situation, a group of gangster looking fellows storming the restaurant building halfway through the call. They told me they’d send Denmark there as soon as possible to help the situation, their orders being heard over the phone as they yelled for Denmark. I was so thankful to have met these people, spilling every thank you in the book I could think of. They told me to stay on the line while they try to reach Emilio as well, already having told them I tried to contact him first since he was already out and about.

The gangsters were making this a hostage situation, waving guns around and yelling for no one to leave and to all stay put. After it had died down a little, the group brought in these mutant dog shaped creatures and walked them around to sniff something out. The whole time we were under this table, Holly and I were watching out for each other, making up theories to try and understand this situation.

Maybe we were at the wrong place at the wrong time, someone trying to hide from the mob and failing somehow, maybe even drugs being hidden somewhere in the back. All we knew was that we were in danger and were terrified.

Suddenly the dog-like creatures all stop in unison and snap their heads in our direction. Oh no. The gangsters let go of the leashes, the dogs taking one spare moment before all sprinting towards our booth and at us. We closed our eyes and clutched each other tight in our final moments, the area getting steaming with heat out of nowhere. I peek out to see the source of heat to be greeted with Denmark’s blinding grin and throat glowing and sizzling.

I smiled back and sighed in relief, glancing towards where the dogs were before I closed my eyes. They were blocked by magma on the floor separating their attack and our booth, their hunches raised high and their mouths foaming with a weird glowing liquid. Denmark took off their sunglasses once their body was turned far enough away that no one else in the restaurant could see their face, addressing us. “You guys ok? Sorry for being a little late, we had to get gas.” They said humorly, Holly too shocked to say anything so I just nodded in her stead.

The gangsters who let go of the dogs are yelling at Denmark, some pulling out guns to get long distance shots on them. Right when they set fire, hair tendrils shot out and blocked the bullet trajectories before they could hit any of us. “Glasgow!” I exclaimed when his head popped into view behind Denmark. I then understood the ‘we’ in Denmark’s earlier statement, Warsaw only mentioning Denmark being sent out. 

“Sorry I was late, Denmark decided it would be fun to jump out of a moving vehicle when I was trying to park, hence why they got here first.” He explained, my head instantly shaking and a smile on my face. “Don’t worry about that stuff, I’m just glad you’re here!” Glasgow shooed at me with his hand, a light dusting of embarrassment heating his face. “No need to seem so excited, jeez.” He grumbled, trying to hide his smile.

Denmark laughed, “I hate to interrupt you stealing Emilio’s budding flower, but we still have company?” They pointed at the stubborn gangsters, staying brave even when in the vicinity of super humans like Denmark and Glasgow. Glasgow rolled his eyes and turned towards the offenders, mood spoiled by their intrusion.

He expertly got around Denmark’s magma, hair tendrils grabbing the two mutant dogs that were still trying to get to Holly and I. He chucked them towards the wall, getting a gang member pinned by the huge animals who were knocked unconscious. Then came the rest of the gang running and screaming with hand held weapons like aluminum bats, pipe wrenches, and knives big enough to almost be machetes. Glasgow popped his knuckles, hair tendrils raising in preparation for the oncoming attacks.

It was hard to see all the action from my position under the booth and Glasgow’s back facing me, but by the sounds of the shouting and the gangsters being thrown around, I easily guessed he was winning. Denmark came over to help him when three guys tried to circle him, Holly and I turning away before we could witness what burnt humans looked like. The battle seemed like it lasted a lifetime, only maybe 15 minutes and a back up crew of more gangsters later, the two mutants were surrounded with unconscious and dead enemies.

It was quiet for another minute as the customers all hiding under tables and staff peeking out from the back registered what they just saw. Then it was cheers and sighs of relief, thank you’s and happy cries sent to the sunglassed heroes who were still standing their pile of victory bodies.

Denmark took all the praise thrown at them, Glasgow returning back to us as we surfaced from under the table. Holly stretched out her appendages before thanking him, asking if she could give him a hug as a genuine thank you. He allowed it, patting her back in return. I didn’t ask before rushing in to give him one too, Glasgow rolling his eyes with a soft smile etched on his face.

After Denmark and Glasgow finished conversing with the victims, they offered Holly and I a ride, mentioning getting some fast food on the way to dropping us off back at the college dorms. Once we all got into the car, we took a collective big sigh, all the adrenaline now dying away and leaving us completely worn out. When we got our food, Holly and I scarfed down what we ordered, both starving before the accident happened. Denmark giggled as they watched us, taking their own meal slow. Glasgow just got a large drink, sipping it as he drove towards our destination.

——

We were both still shaken up a bit from what happened before, deciding together to have a sleepover that night so we would feel safe and not alone. I knew she would ask me about Denmark and Glasgow, so I prepared some notes and some questions I knew she would ask. I wasn’t sure how much I could tell her, but she deserved to know a little about what happened and who they are. For all I know, that wasn’t gonna be the last time she meets them.

We had a movie playing on her laptop while we snacked and chatted on my bed, the topic of earlier coming up. “Who were those two who came to the rescue? I wasn’t going crazy when I saw them doing things humans can’t, right? You saw that too?” She rambled, hands moving around and almost knocking over the bowl of popcorn next to her. I quickly grabbed it and moved it to my side, pausing the movie so I could fully focus on what I was about to tell her.

I didn’t go into a lot of detail about how we met, like me helping them steal a priceless and dangerous gem, stretching the truth a little so no one got hurt later on. I explained they were Emilio’s friends and we met after going to a party, the group letting me crash at their place since it got too late to take a subway. She nodded along with everything I said, still curious about the whole superpowers thing.

I answered genuinely, “I’m unsure if I can tell you everything, but they got their powers from small fragments of a supernatural gem. I’m not sure how it all works but that’s all I know. You can’t tell anyone about them though! I promised I wouldn’t get them into danger or spill their secrets.” I held her hand in mine as I begged her to keep quiet, her head nodding quickly to reassure me.

After giving her the answers she wanted to know, we pressed play on the movie and continued our night, having to call it a night earlier than we wanted, having class in the morning and having to act like today didn’t happen.

It felt weird to go along with my regular schedule, feeling out of place and almost guilty for knowing what I know. I trudged on from class to class until I suddenly got a call from Emilio, rushing out of my classroom so I could answer in two rings.

I answered a little winded, leaning against the wall next to the classroom door to take a breather while listening to him on the other end. “Are you okay? Denmark told me what happened. I’m sorry I couldn’t answer you, I left my phone in the van.” I could hear how guilty he felt, his words having that tinge that makes my heart throb.

“I’m okay. Thanks to Warsaw picking up the phone and sending Denmark and Glasgow, everyone was safe in the end.” I kicked the ground with the tip of my shoe, my eyes focusing on the motion. “I was scared,” I emphasized the ‘was’, “but Holly and I spent the night together trying to cheer each other up and remove the thoughts of that day.” I suddenly felt like the guilty one, remembering all I told her in the light of the computer screen.

“Please don’t get mad, but I had to explain some background about you guys to Holly. She witnessed Denmark and Glasgow using their abilities, so I couldn’t just leave her in the dark and think she was insane.” I rambled an apology, my free hand fiddling with the hem of my letterman jacket.

The silence on the other side made my heart drop, swallowing a lump in my throat. “As long as she doesn’t go spilling.” He murmured, shuffling sounds coming from the background. “No worries about that, I made her promise not to tell anyone.” I quickly replied, the background noise sounding like plastic bags filled with something heavy being dragged.

“What are you up to, may I ask?” I inquired, the noise too loud to be ignored in the conversation. “Cleaning after hours.” He said, the phone noticeably being moved from one side of his head to his other, assuming he was holding the phone up to his ear with his shoulder. “Oh fun.” I said after some quiet, more ensuing after my comment.

After waiting to see if he says anything more, the silence dragging on in the phone and in the hallway I stood in. “Anything else you wanted to talk about?” I asked, my shoe snubbing the floor again as I waited for an answer.

“Do you want to learn how to use weapons? Like gun range, close-combat, stuff like that?” He suddenly asked me. I was taken aback, unsure how to respond. Why was he asking me that? I didn’t think I would ever have to learn how to use a weapon like a gun, but maybe the incident from before made him think I needed it. Maybe I do need to learn.

I nodded like an idiot, but it’s like he knew I said yes, a small smile evident in his voice. “We can start your training later this week. Maybe even ask if your friend wants to join.” He offered, setting up a date before we said our farewells.

After the phone call ended, I stood in the hallway, still alone. It was quiet enough you could hear a pin drop, my body frozen leaning against the wall.

What?