[T1] Short Cut

[Centurion]

Come on man, hold it together, there's a lady present.

  In all truth, Cade was just as panicked as Angel sounded. Lights, sounds, and movement bombarded him from every angle. His brain was overwhelmed as it tried to not only process the tactile and instinctive portions of his environment but the populace. Strange creatures, men, women, and everything in between waddled walked and hopped up and down the roads. Vehicles zoomed overhead like metal birds, peddlers hawked their wares in various languages and men encased in white armor wielding wicked-looking rifles patrolled the sidewalks in droves. Centurion had been to space before, he had seen strange alien species and been surrounded by uncertainty. Here, however, there was no Janus to explain the strange tentacled creature that squealed as it scuttled by or the roaring of another floating rig. This was on him. Thankfully, he kept his composure, if only for Angel's sake. She was obviously nervous. The sudden disappearance of the Russian had discombobulated them both and tapped into the younger man's innate instinct for leadership. Jakob was gone, leaving Cade to spearhed this adventure... except he had no idea where he was.

  Thankfully, Cade's training kicked in quickly. His brain instantly sought out a vantage point, a safe space where he could think. The soldier in him needed to assess the situation. The 19 year old kid needed to process what the hell was going on. He pushed away thoughts about that strange blank world with the fountain, the grinning child, and the fact that he was now leading a girl with blue hair through a crowd of random beings in another dimension and focused on regrouping. He scanned the crowd for that aquamarine mop he had come to trust.

"Angel!? Excuse me, I gotta... I.." He dug through the crowd narrowly avoiding the swinging coils of two men transporting some cables. As much as it harmed his sensibilities, he had to be more assertive. "Excuse me? MOVE, coming through!"

  He felt his muscles tense, a familiar strength he had feared was gone. He pushed past people in his pursuit of the bobbing blue crown just a dozen feet ahead.

"Angel! Hey!"

  She was darting about, lost and nervous. It pained him to see anyone that way, and he redoubled his efforts. Cade forced his way to her and gently took her hand, pulling her suddenly to the edge of the crowd and pressing against a wall. She jumped at his touch, but smiled in relief when she saw who it was. He kept his back and shoulders tilted away from her and towards the crowd, forcing the pressing masses to go around him and give Angel some room. Like an ocean, the crowd crashed into his back, pushing him close to her; closer than he would have deemed appropriate. Cade grinned boyishly, hoping to ease his companion's stress.

"I swear, I normally take a girl to dinner first." He was able to extract a giggle from the girl, but whether it was genuine or forced he wasn't sure. 

Instead, the young man focused on getting the both of them to a safer place where they could regain their sense of direction. Adjusting his grip on her hand, Cade pulled Angel back into the flowing current of denizens. He glanced around the overcrowded, polished streets a time or two for some sign of Jakob. The Russian, he had confirmed, was most certainly better suited for this job than he. Unfortunately, he had disappeared like a wraith, possibly into the glowing portal of Costa Del Sol. Cade pushed the Russian from his mind, for now, and fought his way through the crowd. Eventually, a red doorway caught his eye. It sat besides a series of shops and restaurants, a blue, holographic sign illuminating the entryway in a faint, sapphire light. He pulled the door open, a quiet jingle announcing their entrance as he set his body against the door to allow Angel in first. They walked inside, the door sliding shut with nary a sound and silencing the manic hubbub of the raging urban tides. The smell of sawdust and wood filled the air, soft jazz music sounding from a small radio in the back of what appeared to be a simple, serene cafe. Wood countered the metallic outdoors of the city, as if it had been teleported from the metallic cityscape of the future outside and into a much homier, more familiarly modern establishment. Many of the tables and chairs were empty, something that helped the hero relax. Remembering he was still holding Angel's hand, he let go and released his stored-up breath. Safety.. for now.

  He patted his hip nervously, checking for the green beanie in his pocket. Relieved to feel the familiar bulge, the final threads of stress gave way. He didn't know what he would do without that hat. With the immediate danger passed, the spike of adrenaline that had fueled him started to fade. Gone was the drive to assist the damsel in distress or to figure out where he was and why he was there. Now, the young man was just exhausted. He made sure to find Angel a seat before sitting down himself, mentally and physically drained. His head flopped back and he exhaled loudly.

"Whaaaaat the hell..."

  It was rhetorical of course, but loud enough for Angel to answer if she did, indeed, know what the hell. Overall, the hero was overwhelmed. He was lost in another world, with only a hat to remind him of the warm Hawaiian sun, his mother's loving embrace, and the faces of his friends. He couldn't trust his suit, this Omni character was obviously kidnapping others and he had no power to stop it, and now he was stranded in a café with a girl he didn't know who somehow knew him. There was too much to talk about and he really didn't know where to start. Thankfully, Angel made up for Cade's inability to pick a single conversation topic.

"Are you okay? You look... tired."

"I am tired. Really tired." Cade, drained as he was, managed a weary smile and turned the conversation to her as he sat up on his elbows. "Are you okay? How's your hand?"

Angel absentmindedly massaged her bruised appendage and answered vaguely. "I should be fine."

  The young hero noted the discoloration on the back of her palm and frowned. He knew she wasn't referring to the bruise. She was telling herself she would be fine, despite Jakob's disappearance. However, he didn't press the issue. If she was okay, she was okay. Cade had a strong feeling she was not. It took a moment for him to figure out what to say, but he decided it was better said than unsaid. With Jakob gone, Angel was visibly upset, and it frustrated the young man that there was little he could do about it. He almost chuckled, imagining what his friends would say now. Leave it to Cade to find a way to be upset about someone else, despite being in a heap of trouble himself. The thought of his friends, ribbing him for something so trite, brought a light curl of joy to his lips, but it was bittersweet. He ran his hands through his sandy-brown shag and tried changing the subject.

"That Jakob guy, you knew him?"