Soda Jerks

Log Info

Title: Soda Jerks
Emitter: Adrian
Characters: Adrian, Mariscka, Wilberforce
NPCs: Local Teens; Daelin Mallory; Caleb Mallory, III; and Three Hoodlums
Place: Main Street Pharmacy, Cove City
Time: June 11, 2010
Summary: A pleasant summer Friday at the Pharmacy and soda shop is disrupted when some hoodlums decide to try to rob the place. They get more than they bargained for when three Steranko students (Adrian, Mariscka, and Wilberforce) step in to save the day.

Main Street Pharmacy. Established 1890. Caleb Mallory, III, Proprietor. This two story brick building has been a landmark in Cove City almost since the town itself was established. A blue and white awning covers the windowed storefront. Through the windows the pharmacy itself can be seen. On one side of the interior a long bar can be seen with a recreated soda fountain - complete with antique seats where one can enjoy a rootbeer float or other tasty treat and pretend to be back in the olden days. Towards the back, customers can pick up their prescriptions. The rest of the store looks like any other drugstore with aisles of over the counter meds and other miscellaneous items. It's a quaint business, now run by the third generation of Cove City's Mallory family.

It's warm. It's sunny. It's Friday around lunch time on a beautiful summer day. Which means, in short, that local teenagers are hanging around the downtown area of cove city enjoying their vacations. One of the local hang-out spots happens to be the Main Street Pharmacy with its antique soda fountain up front. A couple of teens from the other local high school are perched on the swiveling bar stools, chatting and goofing off and talking about the Steranko Institute. It's an interesting subject of gossip, since it's rather exclusive and students are seemingly picked at random to go there.

Daelin Mallory, the current proprietor's 18 year old daughter is behind the soda counter, trying to keep up with the revolving door business. Her father is at the back of the store, stocking shelves in between filling out prescriptions. Summertime Fridays may mean freedom to the local youth, but other people still have to work. This is one Mom and Pop store that the economy hasn't hurt. Not even the Walgreens down the street seems to be doing as well as Mallory's little pharmacy. There's a 'Help Wanted' sign in the front window.

Adrian is in town because Linus practically dared him to leave campus. 'Something weird will happen! It's dangerous! Be careful!' Right. Adrian rolls his eyes, thinking about it. It's the 'Help Wanted' sign that catches Adrian's eye as he walks along the sidewalk and he takes a detour into the store.

Wilberforce is at the door, pulling it open to let someone beyond him into the drugstore first. "I never can decide what flavor to get. I keep thinking chocolate or strawberry up till the moment it comes time to order, then out of my mouth flies vanilla. I'm doing it right now, leaning towards strawberry. Watch and see, I'm sure I'll lose focus between here and there."

From behind Wilberforce comes Mariscka, that oversized bag slung over her shoulder as she walks in. "Well, we'll see what flavors they have. I may try something completely different," she notes as she moves inside. "And thank you, for treating me," she notes with an uplifted hand. The Gypsy girl continues her way towards the counter, long skirt swishing and fabric rustling as she does so. Pausing, as she comes to the counter, Mariscka blinks and counts the stools, as if making certain there are enough for the the two of them. Turning around to make a comment to Wil, that is when Mariscka notices Adrian and she smiles and lifts up a hand to the other Steranko Student. "Hello, Adrian," she greets warmly. "Getting yourself a shake as well? Oh, they have huckleberry. That sounds good," she says mostly to herself.

Adrian notes his two fellow Steranko students and returns the wave. "No, actually," he replies, turning to pluck the 'Help Wanted' sign from the window. He does carry the sign with him to join the other two at the counter though, careful not to accidentally bump into either of them.

Daelin Mallory, behind the counter holds up a hand. "Be with you in just a minute, you three," she says. A hand tucks some loose hair behind her ear and she collects money from a group of kids at the far end of the bar. There are in fact four empty bar stools, so there's room for all three of the students. Daelin wipes her hands off on her apron— she's even dressed like she could be from an earlier era —and smiles at the trio. "Okay, now, what can I get for you?"

Adrian just holds up the sign with a smile.

Daelin points towards the back of the store, "Talk to my Dad. He's in the back stocking some shelves right now." The girl then turns blue eyes on the gypsy and her companion. "Love your skirt," she has to comment, "So, what'll it be?"

"Back in a few," Adrian tells Wil and Mari, before he goes in search of the owner.

Wilberforce moves to take one of the empty stools as he glances over at Mari's skirt as it's mentioned. He grins, "It is cool, oh vanilla." Then he blinks and actually corrects himself. "No, make that strawberry. Really. Sorry." He grins a bit and tries not to blush more than a pale shade of red as he shakes his head. "I knew it…" He reaches for the napkin dispenser and pulls out two napkins, then a third, setting up one for Mari and himself, then a third to another empty spot for Adrian's return.

"I would have just told her to slip in strawberry anyway," notes Mariscka as she offers Adrian another wave and slips onto a stool. Then she blinks at Daelin and offers a wide smile. "Oh, thank you! Usually people look at me oddly, rather than complimenting my wardrobe. And yes, I think I'll try the huckleberry indeed, please." A look over her shoulder and Mariscka watches where Adrian wandered off to. "I really should do readings, one or two days a week, it's a good job …"

"I spend half my time dressing like I'm from the fifties," Daelin says with a laugh, "I couldn't begin to call what anyone else was wearing strange. One Strawberry and one Huckleberry coming right up!" She sets to work behind the counter, continuing conversation pleasantly, "You two aren't really familiar to me… newbies at the private school?" She points a finger down the counter, "Brandon Barker don't you even think about leaving without paying for that!"

A dark-haired boy who was sitting at the bar closest to the door plops back into his seat with a chagrined look. His friends 'Ooooh! You got caught!' and heckle him.

"Readings?" Daelin asks, sliding the two drinks in front of the students and stating the price, "Just pay before you leave. I'll remind you." Still listening with half an ear, she goes to collect payment from the boy she called out.

"We are new, yeah. Had to come in for the summer session to catch up." Wilberforce then adds, "Well, I did. I think Mari is working on getting ahead, she's got a double helping of smarts." He goes ahead and fishes out the bills to pay for the shakes and tucks them under the corner of the napkin dispenser. He settles into his spot on the seat and then half turns towards Mari. "Maybe you could use one of the rooms upstairs in the student center for them? That way you can keep it away from being something people hassle you just everywhere about?"

Mariscka smiles at Daelin, "My Gran has a fortune telling shop in Baltimore, where I just moved from, actually," is offered with a faint duck of her head. "She taught me how to use the tarot, and there seems to have been some interest. And since it would be my own business, I probably could manage. I'll have to call Gran and see what she suggests," muses the Gypsy girl before turning to look at Wilberforce. "Perhaps. Mmm, yes, perhaps." Then Mari laughs and beams a smile back at Daelin. "We won't forget to pay, I promise."

"Wasn't really worried, since you said you were from Steranko. We don't usually have a problem with you kids from there. Moreso the local hoodlums," Daelin says with a smile down at the other kids. One sticks their tongue out at her, which she reciprocates in kind. She looks back in the direction Adrian went to talk with her father. "Hope my Dad likes your friend. We could use the help around here. He shouldn't be lifting all those heavy boxes any more and I'm leaving for college in August. And fortune telling? Really? Neat! Would you do a reading for me? I mean, oh, is it bad that I asked. I don't want to impose, it's just that that stuff always seemed really cool to me…"

"Dae! Refill!"

"Yeah, yeah, Abby. I see you! S'cuse me again."

Wilberforce makes a bit of a face after Daelin has moved away, "Local Hoodlums sounds just like the guys that were picking on me when I was younger. Didn't realize we were in such a rough part of town." He gives Mari a grin, "Does it take long to do one of your readings? I've never seen one, except for one of those fake things they do on TV sometimes."

A smile is offered Daelin, and Mariscka shakes her head. "I don't mind at all, doing a reading," she says warmly. "But we should wait for when you are not quite so busy. It ruins the mystique," she offers with a wink. Then Mariscka looks over her shoulder, in the direction that Adrian went. "I've only met Adrian once. He seems nice enough, and upright enough. I'm sure he will be a big help to your father," she offers before turning back.

"There are hoodlums everywhere," offers Mariscka. "Some of the meanest kids around are the ones that come from families with money. Yourself excluded," she notes to Wilberforce. "Oh, not long at all, typically. I could draw it out to half an hour if I am doing a business, but … for a casual thing just a few minutes."

"Well, I'll have to make an appointment then!" Daelin says cheerfully. Muffled shouting can be heard from the back of the store, though the source can't be seen from the angle of the bar. It does cause Daelin to stop pouring the drink she has and look that way with pursed lips. "He seems nice and upright, huh?"

Another shout, this one recognizable as Adrian's voice, "The man asked nicely! Now why don't you just—"

BA-BOOM! CRASH!

The sound of something heavy smashing is followed by the sound of glass shattering and clattering of objects hitting the floor. A shelf towards the rear of the store teeters as something hits it and it rocks back knocking another shelf over. It's like a domino effect.

Daelin's expression is immediately one of surprise that is followed up by horror. Kids who have been goofing off at the soda bar blink and turn to the sound, jaws dropping and eyes widening. More than one malt is spilled. Ut oh.

Wilberforce turns and hops off his stool at the noise. Then he actually sees the crashing shelves and without really thinking about it further he reaches out, arms shooting halfway across the store, to grab the shelving unit in motion and catching it, pushing it back upright and stopping the domino effect from doing more damage.

"Yes he … Adrian!" suddenly gasps Mariscka, hearing the Steranko lad's voice. "Oh no, there must be tr…" And sure enough, there is Trouble, with a capital T - Toppling Shelves! "Wil!" she gasps, as the other young man is already moving. Digging into her bag, Mariscka pulls out a silk-wrapped bundle and looks over her shoulder to her companion. "I'll see what is going on back there. Come when you can!" she says, practically begging.

With a swishing of skirts the gypsy runs through the shelves, ducking out of sight as she unwraps the bundle. With a deep sigh she brushes her finger over the tarot deck in her hands, fingers pulling back when they start to glow and come to life, swirling around her in protective circles. Swallowing deeply, Mariscka then tries to step into the back hazel eyes darting around for any clue as to what is going on.

"WOAH! COOOOOL!" one of the younger teens at the soda fountain exclaims as Wil heroically goes stretch armstrong. The shelves aren't light either, but Wil has super-strength on his side. With a little bit of effort he'll be able to stabalize the shelves too. Some of the other teens are likewise making similar exclaimations about the neohuman. "Awesome! That is SO weird! I wonder if it hurts…" and the like.

Some of the older teens, however, hastily make tracks for the doors. Apparently with age comes at least a little bit of wisdom, and if there's trouble and a neohuman is involved, they don't intend to stick around.

Daelin does a double-take, her mouth moving in silence like a fish out of water. "That… you just…" And she comes to her senses as Mariscka runs off, shaking her head. "DAD!" Sure enough, the young woman is heading towards the danger too. Afterall, what's a good fight without innocent bystanders to contend with?

As Mariscka arrives at the back of the store the scene is unfolded before her. Apparently three of the 'Local Hoodlums' that Daelin mentioned busted in through the back door. They actually look like clean cut kids, if you excuse the fact that one of them has a gun that he's waving around and one of them has a baseball bat. Mr. Mallory is holding his hands up in front of himself as the kid with the gun keeps pointing it at him. "Just fill up the bag with the meds, Doc…"

As for Adrian, he was the apparent cause of the toppling shelves— which he was apparently shoved into. He's sitting on the floor amidst a pile of broken bottles and busted up boxes while the third Hoodlum stands over him. "Nobody had to get hurt, except someone decided to play hero…" the kid with the gun says, "Now MOVE IT Pops, before it gets worse."

With one hand on the shelving for a moment to make sure it doesn't start falling again, Wilberforce takes a step to the back of the store and then snaps himself back together there where he can see the whole unfolding scene. "Oh man, it's the bozo patrol." He then takes a step forward past the spilled mess to put himself between the guy with the gun and the old man. "Ditch the gun dude, you're going to hurt someone with that thing!"

Mariscka stops short, peering down at Adrian, taking a step in his direction, before she stops. No, the gun is more important. Shaking her head, the young woman draws herself upright, and reaches out, tapping a card floating in front of her. "Does no one remember how to ask nicely anymore?" she quips before the card shoots forward, spinning to reveal a depiction of 'The Devil' right in front of the young man with the gun. The eyes of the devil glow blue, before the entire card begins to glow. "You really should put down the gun, please," states Mariscka. There is a flicker of blue in the young man's eyes, before the Gypsy Girl frowns. "No, really, I insist. Please put down the gun." The young man's eyes glow blue and the gun ends up clattering to the floor. "See how asking nicely works? Now, let's see you try," she says to the hoodlums.

The gang leader stares blankly for a moment after his pistol clatters to the ground, but blinks his eyes in recovery. His expression quickly turns to one of anger, "What'd you do to me? Crazy voodoo shit!" He snatches the dropped weapon back up and points it at Mari, his hand shaking as he holds it now. "I warned about heroics! Nobody had to get hurt, but I'm not having no more of that voodoo stuff! Now somebody will get hurt." It's obvious the kid is nervous, frightened and flighty now. A dangerous combination when paired with a loaded weapon and an itchy trigger finger. BLAM! The sound of the gunshot causes him to flinch along with the recoil.

Mr. Mallory looks like he's going to faint. Between the sudden intervention of Wil between him and the gun and the gunshot going off, he's at a loss. Until he spots Daelin coming around the corner. "Stay back, Daelin, he's got a gun!" As if that weren't obvious now that it has gone off.

Luck… or Fate?… the cards swirling around Mariscka absorb the bullet, keeping the girl from being struck and injured.

That's all the motivation Adrian needs. When the gun goes off, he lashes out with a kick aimed at the knee of the goon standing over him. "You guys are idiots," he says, "You should've just left like Mr. Mallory here asked you to. You're right, somebody's gettin' hurt." Crack!

"OW! DAMNIT!" the kid looming over Adrian stumbles back, reaching for his now sore knee and glaring. His eyes narrow and he points a finger. "You're gonna pay for that you little runt!" The guy grabs Adrian by the shoulders and tosses him towards another stack of empty boxes. It probably looks worse than it actually is, since the boxes crumble and absorb most of the impact.

The thug with the baseball bat holds it up, looking around like he's just wound up in over his head. But he's a follower and not about to desert his buddies even if from his expression he looks like he thinks they've bitten off more than they can chew. He grabs Daelin's wrist and jerks the girl towards him, holding her in a chokehold with the baseball bat once he's got her.

Wilberforce lets out a yelp, "Mari!" when the gun goes off in her direction. Then he lets a fist fly at the gunman, giving him a good clip to the jaw from six feet away. His fist doesn't reverse course after making impact, instead his arm makes three quick loops around the hooligan, wrapping his arms in against his body in a squeeze a tube of toothpaste grip.

Hazel eyes widen, and Mariscka lifts a hand to her lips, as she watches first Adrian go flying, Wil knocking out the leader, then the last goon trying to choke Daelin. It is palpable, the inner reserves in Mariascka snapping, and the whirling of the cards around her growes faster. Those hazel eyes narrow now as she draws herself up to her full height, the swirling of the cards casing her skirts to sway and ruffle and swirl, along with causing her hair to dance.

She says nothing, instead she reaches out and snags a card without seeming to look at it. She holds the card out for all to see, flicking it to expose the Ten of Swords - a card with a man laying on the ground, ten swords poking out of his back. Then, with a glare, she flings it into the air.

And for a brief, hesitant moment, nothing happens.

Then the silence and peace is broken by swords falling from the sky. Amazingly they seem to avoid Mr. Mallor, Daelin, Wilberforce and Adrian. But the sheer amount of swords makes it difficult for the two remaining hoodlums to avoid. The one holding Daelin is pieced several times and slumps unconscious to the ground, leaving her standing alone. The other hooligan standing over Adrian is sliced several times, managing to avoid the words of the rain, but he is swaying where he stands, bleeding from several cuts.

The Gang Leader slumps in Wilberforce's arms, even if he wasn't defeated already, now would be the time to surrender.

Swords are raining down from the sky, but that doesn't stop Adrian from lurching up out of the boxes when he sees that the last of the thugs doesn't go down. He has a score to settle with this goon anyway. Adrian shoves his sleeves up his arms, the expression on his face clearly reads 'No More Mr. Nice Guy'… and then he's charging like a bull forwards from the boxes, catching the last goon around the waist in a football tackle and knocking him to the floor with a THUMP! The guy's head rebounds off the floor, leaving him stunned and with Adrian sitting on top of him. "They should've just left when asked," the boy says, with a smug grin towards the other two.

Daelin and her father just stand there for a moment as though in shock, but then the girl quickly hops over the fallen body of the thug who had been choking her and rushes to fling her arms around her Dad.

"Wooooah…." a few murmurs can be heard from some of the teens who decided to stick around. They're cautiously peering around the corner of some of the shelves. And one of them has his cellphone out taking video.

Wilberforce keeps the leader wrapped up even though he's slumped, but he spots the camera phone and reaches his other hand out blocking it. "Hey, no pictures please. C'mon." He looks around, checking to make sure the only people bleeding are the ones that ran into the raining medieval armory. "Everyone okay, guess we got to call the cops." There is no joy in that tone.

The cards haven't stopped their mad swilling, when Mariscka turns her head towards the onlookers behind her. The odd, pale blue light, illuminates the gypsy girl's skin in an odd manner, and her own eyes glow with that same light. A flick of her wrist and a card goes careening out of the circles to smack against the camera phone, through it, and into it - the Hermit.

"Please, my mother is trouble enough. I don't want to have to deal with her calling when she seems me on the evening news," states Mariscka, her voice echoing in a whisper of power, before she looks back to Daelin and Mr. Mallory. "Are you injured?"

"Gah!" the kid with the camera phone exclaims, nearly dropping it. The onlookers are still gawking though. "Uh, Marty called the cops already… they should be here any minute."

"I'm okay," Adrian responds to Wil, "You?" There's just a little bit of blood at the corner of his lip and the boy wipes it off on the back of his hand. The goon beneath Adrian struggles a little, to which Adrian responds by simply decking him in the face and knocking him out. The youth flashes a grin. "Yeah, I don't want my Mom seeing this on the news either. She's already got enough sepparation anxiety."

"I… we're… we're okay," Mr. Mallory says, looking at the three teens, "Thank you."

"What happened?" Daelin asks, still hanging onto her father as if he might vanish were she to let go.

"Those three came in the back of the store, demanded I fill up their bag with prescription drugs. I told them to leave, they refused… that young man over there who was asking about a job—"

"Adrian," he says.

"Adrian there went and got in between them, telling them they should leave like I asked… next thing I know, that one there is pulling out a gun and the other one is shoving Adrian into one of my shelves." His hand strokes his daughter's hair and he looks at the Steranko kids, "You sure you want to stay for the cops to get here after all of this? I don't know how the school might react to some of their students putting themselves in harms' way like this."

Mariscka actually blushes as she holds out her hands, the power fading from around her and in her eyes, the deck starts stacking itself in her grasp. "Well, I think the school would be understanding. After all, we were helping someone in need, were we not?" Then Mari turns to look over her shoulder. "You did? Oh thank you for calling them. And don't worry, that image with fade, but could you please stop recording?" Mariscka then grabs the scarf from her hair, walking over to Adrian and trying to wipe the blood from his hand, and any left on his face. Then she will move to the fallen punks who tried to rob good Mr. Mallory, and make sure they aren't … dead. Dead would be bad. Very bad.

"Thanks," Adrian says to Mari with a small smile. That was exciting, but now that it's over the adrenaline rush is beginning to fade. He pushes up to his feet to help the gypsy check the goons. They are in fact alive, just very much out of commission. They aren't going to be trying to hurt anyone else any time soon. The kid with the cameraphone puts it away at least.

"That was like some totally cool real life hero stuff! Like the Guardian League! Stuff you see on the news!" And other such comments are filtering through the handful of teenaged onlookers.

"I think we've got some rope in the storage room, we can tie the with until the cops get here," Daelin says and she and Wilberforce go to take care of that.

"I'm sure you're right…" Mr. Mallory says, "These troublemakers have been harassing us for months, but this is the first time they've resorted to using weapons. I'm not sure how to thank you kids."

Adrian clears his throat, "A job would be a good start?"

Mariscka lifts her hand, "I do not need anything," she says, before looking over at Adrian and laughing brightly. "But apparently he needs a job," she notes with that wide smile. Hazel eyes look after Daelin and Wilberforce. "Mmm, and I need to pay for those shakes before I forget."

More of a blush covers Mariscka's features as she looks back at the students from the other high school. "Oh well, no, not like the Guardian League at all. And … well, thank you for putting that away."

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