For the first time in what felt like forever, Leon had a full day to himself. The magic combination of no school and no work. And if he remembered correctly, there was nothing he needed to currently study for, so the only thing he felt he should do is train. Jay was in the same boat of not having anything to do, so the two formed a plan. Try to figure out how to get his powers to hook up to a moving target.
The two stood in an old basketball court. Somehow, entire vines appeared in the time after this part of the centre was abandoned, and jay almost tripped on a particularly big one on the way to the entrance. But anyway, the training began, one expired can of soda at a time. Leon extended his hand into the hook beforehand. But before Jay threw anything, he tried extending it a little. It didn't budge at first, but he could feel it try to, at least a small bit. After what felt like a solid minute, it budged. Only a little. If he wasn't the one doing it, he doubt he'd notice at all. But it would help him survive later, and that was what mattered.
"You good?" Jay yelled, stepping back and stumbling on another vine.
"Just testing some power stuff, Let's get started."
Jay tossed a can towards him, and Leon swung the hook forward. The hook seemed to automatically connect to the can and allow him to pick it up. He shifted his hand back, and the hook shrank back into his hand with the can landing safely within. But the can was still dented.
"That good?" Jay yelled from across the field.
"Caught it, but the cans a little busted." Leon said.
"Just a little?" He asked.
"I mean, if the cans a little busted, then any person I might wanna save would be just a little busted. And I'd rather avoid that."
"Got me there." He said, throwing a second over his head, a little more intense this time. Leon tried swiping the can while it was moving, but the hook missed and the hooks handle hit the can instead, creating an ache that started at the fake hook and ended at the real wrist. Ow, but that was something.
"Okay, throw two this time." Leon asked.
Jay did as instructed, throwing one can forward and one can upwards. Leon managed to swipe correctly this time for the one in front of him, quickly extending a second hook from his other hand to catch the second one. But he swung the new one too rapidly, causing the can to burst and shower him in a pile of outdated syrupy sludge.
"Okay, learned a lot." He nodded to himself. "I'll clean up, and then maybe try something this evening."
As they left the court, a car sped past them. One that looked fairly modern.
"That hiding some kind of investor?" Jay whispered.
"Investor?"
"Yeah, pretty obvious. Car's a few years old to avoid suspicion, but it doesn't have any stains or wear and tear on it. Probably a rental that'll get returned whenever business is dealt with."
"What business could an investor have here?" Leon asked.
The two made the trek back to the complex, where a man was talking to Ms.Williams, the landlord. Williams chuffed back a cigarette, clearly half listening to whatever this guy was trying to sell her. The man on the other hand was dressed in a blue striped button up shirt and slacks, with slicked back hair.
"…look, I'll help you renovate if you actually want to help. I'll help get you permission to tear old buildings down, but I'm not selling you the land."
"You see, I won't be able to help you that much if I don't have the land." The man said, clearly exasperated already. "I represent the Hepburn family, and we could very easily..."
"Look." Williams said as she flicked her cigarette just past his face. "There's a few businesses outside the land I own, right? Nice guys running them all. Marshall's spaghetti? Great place if you're in the area. But they're struggling to find business, what with everything here getting more expensive. So tell you what? Help them back on their feet, and I'll reconsider signing the land over. Sound good?"
"I'll certainly look into it." The man nodded, walking back to his car.
"Enjoy living up in this shithole, then." He muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Jay asked.
"None of your business." He replied with the fakest smile he ever saw, getting into his car and speeding away.
"What was that about?" Leon asked, using his powers to pick up the cigarette butt and hand it to Ms. Williams, who put it in a small plastic container which she put into her pocket.
"Just some investor looking to buy this place up."
"Not taking the help?" Jay asked.
"Who's getting helped?" She asked. "He tears the place down and kicks the rest of us out, then builds a bunch of fancy homes in the centre of the greatest city in the world for his rich friends to vacation in, all the while letting them rot away along with the homeless every other time of year."
"That what you think?"
"Look, this place is a last resort. I know that better than anybody. But damn it, I'm not letting them take this place. And I know damn well the others living here don't want his excuse for help either."
"For all it's worth, it's a home alright." Leon nodded. For as many dilapidated buildings and small businesses within said buildings surrounded him, there was nothing else like it.
"Damn right it's home." Ms. Williams said, handing them both plastic bags. "Now do me a favour and help me clean the place up. I'll make you burgers if you fill the bags up."
Leon did as instructed, picking up cigarette butts, disposed vapes, and whatever other oddities rose up in the centre. People were always coming round here to do things they shouldn't, but nobody could ever catch them in the act.
But the bags were eventually filled. And just as they were about to hit up the complex, Leon checked his phone and saw a notification for StoryStart.
Allan Reeves. One DM sent already.
'Subject: Alliance?'