Donald addressed us
"I know it's been a long time," he began, "but I'm ready. From my experience, where Athena and I are going is a dangerous place. But I want to assure you all - I'm physically and emotionally prepared to take on these people. They may be a gang, a drug cartel, what he saw there - a children's park? He shouted in disbelief.
"Maybe " he said to himself "maybe what Athena said was true - maybe he was losing his mind, "I might be seeing things that are not there"
"Maybe Justin got the wrong location," he said after realizing that he was seeing things. "He got right, looks are deceiving, you know. She insisted they check it out.
At the park entrance, they were stopped . A pastel - painted gate crowned with a smiling cartoon mascot stood in front of them "Sir, madam, you can't go in without a child. This is a children's playground," they guard explained.
Donald opened his mouth to argue but Athena stepped forward. "How dare you! Do you not know that I am - she started.
But Donald quickly nudged her, whispering "Do you want to go around telling everyone who you are?"
Athena fell quiet… Strange right?
They moved away from the Park's entrance."If we want to get into the park, we need a child,"
They headed to a nearby religious center where mothers were gathered with their toddlers. Athena made the first attempt but caused they mother to walk away from her with "quick feet"
Let me show you how it's done, " Donald said confidently.
He approached a mother, smiled at her child and said "your baby is too beautiful. Can I have two hours to play with him alone?"
"Get away from my child!," she screamed
Undeterred, Donald walked to another, "How much for two hours with your child?"
SLAP
The third mother pepper -sprayed him.
Athena clapped slowly as she approached, grinning. "You really managed to convince not one but three mothers - and you even got rewards! She said, mocking him.
"One thing's clear," Donald muttered wiping his face, "getting a toddler for this mission is suicide"
"What now?" Athena asked
"We'll get an older child - preferably one with no parents. A street kid"
An Hour Later
They made their way to the rougher part of Stamford West. A gritty tangle of crushed sidewalks and graffiti-scarred walls , where stray dogs dart between collapsed storefronts and the air smell of engine smoke and stale beer. Night here comes quickly and the shadows hide more than potholes.
Where wild children roamed freely - little thieves and trouble makers, many on track to become future criminals.
"These kids here can cause headaches," Donald whispered. "We need one that won't give us any trouble."
They spotted a boy sitting alone, looking sad and distant. Perfect, he thought.
Donald walked over to talk to him- unaware the boy had just pulled a park by placing glue on another child's seat. As the victim sat and got stuck, the boy burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Turns out, what they saw on the surface was misleading.
Athena sighed and muttered a prayer for good fortune as they headed back to the children's park - with their wild card of a "child" in tow
If they thought getting into the park was tough, they hadn't seen anything yet.