The Houston Squadron

|| Volume 1, Chapter 5 || ''Houston's Finest''

"Okay, how about this," Aurora got comfy on the chair, the others looking at her, "would you rather see ten minutes into the future, or one-hundred years into the future?" Aurora asked, the squad members thinking. 
"Hmm. Are we talking, like, to the second?" Barry asked.
"Yes." Aurora replied.
"How long would I be seeing into the future? Like, would I just be constantly seeing things one-hundred years into the future?" Argile asked analytically. 
"... If you think about it too hard, I guess?" Aurora replied, hesitantly. 
"What location would I be seeing? My current location...?" Kali asked. 
"Uh... I dunno??" Aurora replied, thinking twice about her prompt. 
"Here, I'll take a shot at a less confusing one. Would you guys rather have the power of invisibility, or the power to read minds?" Barry asked, the others thinking.
"Well, hang on. Would the invisibility be everlasting? Or could it be on command?" Argile asked.
"On command." Barry replied.
"If I choose the second one, can I read minds through a TV screen?" Kali asked.
"No, you have to be in front of the actual person, that's just basic physics." Barry replied.
"I gotta say invisibility. It'd make stealth missions super easy." Aurora finally answered.
"I'm gonna go with reading minds. That way, I know if someone's lying!" Argile answered.
"I guess I'll go with invisibility. On command privacy!" Kali answered.
"Interesting, interesting." Barry replied, "Me personally, I'd choose invisibility. Those would be pretty funny pranks." Barry added.

A few moments pass... "Welp, I'm officially bored." Barry said as he got up to go look out the window in the kitchen area. 
"Ah, boredom... The true villain of the universe." Aurora joked, Argile chuckling. "Hey, actually, why don't we all have a day out?" Aurora added, the others looking at her.
"A day out? What if Thomas needs us?" Kali asked, Aurora pulling out her phone.
"I got the big boss man on speed-dial, hon. I'll let him know we'll be out, and if he needs us, he can give me a call!" Aurora announced, the others looking at each other. 
"Alright," Barry started, walking back to the sofa, "and where would you propose we have our day out?" he asked, Aurora thinking.
"Why don't you all choose? You can each pick your favorite spot in the city to hang out, and we'll go there! It'll help me get to know you all better. And it beats hanging out in an apartment all day, right?" Aurora explained, Kali smiling. 
"That's a great idea! It'd be like a friend hangout!" Kali exclaimed happily. The members began thinking about places they frequented in the city.  

"Heights Neighborhood Library," Kali said, "I have a book club I go to once a month with a lot of interesting people there! I think you guys would really like it. It's nice, and relaxing, and can actually be pretty fun!" she continued, Aurora thinking about it. Books without pictures weren't really her thing, but she was willing to try, at least. 
"I'm not all that surprised that you're in a book club, not gonna lie." Barry added, Kali giggling. 
"How long have you been going?" Argile asked.
"Hmm... I'd say around a year or two. I was so focused on the club, I forget to check the time!" Kali replied.
"Well, I would say my favorite place in the city has to be Amber's Antique Electronics," Barry said, "they sell old-timey machines and a lot of the designs for my gadgets come from there, right down to the tech I use, and I'm pretty good pals with the owner, Amber Putavi. I think you guys would like her." Barry explained, the others looking at each other. 
"Now, when you say old, how old are we talking?" Aurora asked.
"Like... PlayStation 5 old." Barry replied.
"From 2020?? Jeez, that is old..." Kali exclaimed, Barry chuckling.
"Honestly, my favorite spot in the city is Anytime Fitness." Argile said, Aurora's eyes widening.
"Wait, isn't that a gym?? YOU like going to the gym?" Aurora exclaimed shockingly, Argile laughing. 
"What? You think just because I'm a retired therapist, I don't need a day of exercise? Therapy isn't just knowing what to say and when. You need energy! So, often, I go to Anytime Fitness and listen to a podcast while I do light lifting and go a few rounds on the treadmill." Argile explained, the others nodding in agreement.
"Not bad locations, guys. I guess we know what we're doing today. Let's get going!" Aurora announced as she got up from the chair, the others following. 

Their first location was the Heights Neighborhood Library, Kali's choice. They walked through the doors and the team was mesmerized. Pretty lights illuminated the library. Decorative planters and wall decor welcomed all who entered. "Wow! This place is nice!" Aurora said aloud, Kali shushing her, as well as a few other people. 
"Aurora," Kali whispered, "you need to be quiet in here. People like reading in silence..." she said as politely as she could, Aurora nodding. 
"Sorry, sorry." she whispered back. The squad walked up a staircase, following Kali's lead. She walked up to a desk where and old woman from behind the desk smiled upon seeing Kali. 
"Kali, my dear," the woman said softly, Kali smiling, "it's so good to see you." she added, Kali chuckling softly. 
"It's good to see you too, Kaya. I'm just, uh, showing my new friends my favorite library. Guys, this is Kaya Bokhus, one of the library staff members. She's really sweet." Kali introduced Kaya to the squad, who waved sweetly. "And Kaya, this is Aurora, Argile, and Barry." Kali continued.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet all of you... Please, feel right at home, and if you have a need, just shout. I mean, don't actually, but... You know what I mean." Kaya said with a kind smile, the others smiling. Kali then led them into the room south of the desk.

While the others got seated, Kali walked through all the bookshelves, picking out one book for each member, finding something she thought they might like. When she was done with her selection, she returned to the table. "Okay, Aurora. For you, I picked a book titled, 'The Battleground is Burgundy'. It's about a soldier that's a lone survivor of his battalion, and is deep behind enemy lines." Kali said as she handed the book to Aurora.
"Huh, okay... Thanks, Kali." she responded.
"Barry, for you, I got the book, 'The Foundation of the Unicode Consortium'. It goes over the history of the organization that standardized computer communication." Kali said to Barry, handing him the book.
"Huh... Interesting. Thanks." Barry replied.
"And for you, Argile, I got 'The Sins of Our Past, the Path of Our Future', a collection of studies on the ways people respond to moving past the things they've regretted." Kali said as she handed Argile the book.
"Wow... Thank you so much, Kali." she replied kindly. Kali smiled and went to her own seat, with her own book, titled, "A Gallant, Renewed Lifestyle", a book about a dystopia future where humans are divided into five tiers decided at birth, in a world focused on advancement and consumerism, where they disregard the past. 

The agents spent about an hour and thirty minutes reading their respective books, Kali often glancing at the others to see their reactions. Argile liked it so much, she had the book and her own notebook out, taking notes of things she found really helpful. Aurora seemed really interested in her book. She was reading the book so closely that Kali could barely see her face. And Barry was slightly smiling while reading his, which Kali took as "he's enjoying it". Finally, everyone had finished a good portion of their books and they all looked at each other. "Well, what did you guys think of your books?" Kali asked excitedly, the others thinking. 
"I really liked the main character. The way he dealt with the situation was very strategic." Aurora said, closing the book. 
"This is really detailed, and highlights some of my favorite parts of modern communication. Thank you for letting me read it, Kali." Barry complimented, as he also closed his book.
"There's so many tips here I wish I had when I was an active therapist. I'll definitely be taking note of a lot of this." Argile said, closing the book. Kali smiled at them, closing her's, too.
"I'm really glad you all enjoyed your books. You're always free to come here anytime." she said with a grin. Kali went and returned the books, and the squad started to head out.

Their next location was Amber's Antique Electronics, Barry's choice. "I think you guys are really gonna like this. The technology in here is really old, but so fascinating." Barry told the others as he opened the main doors. And as soon as he entered, the group heard a female voice from afar. 
"Oh, my, goodness. Is that THE Barry Langan??" a woman rushed over with a big smile and pulled Barry into an embrace. 
"Heh, hey, Amber. I know, it's been a little bit..." Barry said, a little embarrassed. Aurora had her arms crossed with a smile, she was absolutely loving this. 
"A little bit?? It's been like, three weeks!" she said, letting him go finally. Barry turned to the squad.
"Guys, if you couldn't tell, this is Amber Putavi, one of my friends outside of the agency." Barry introduces. 
"Oh! Is this that squad you kept telling me about, Barry?" Amber asked, Barry nodding. 
"This is Aurora, Kali, and Argile." Barry introduced, the agents exchanging handshakes. 
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I was always curious about who Barry's best friend was!" Aurora teased, Amber giggling. 
"Oh, don't be like that. We're aren't BEST friends, but I'll be damned if Barry isn't one of my best customers! You looking to get some tech for a new gadget?" Amber asked Barry, him shaking his head. 
"No, no. We're just doing a little exercise of sorts... We're going to our favorite areas in the city-"
"Aww, my shop is your favorite spot in the city??" Amber gasped, Barry laughing nervously. 
"Okay, okay, keep it cool, Am." Barry chuckled. 

Amber took the squad through her shop showing off some of the tech they've been able to find recently. "This is the 4080 RTX Graphics Processing Unit! It's one of the main components in a graphics card. It's from the year 2022, and it is one HELL of a rare find! They really don't make them like this anymore." Amber explained, as they walked through a hallway. We also found this 4k television, coming from the year 2016." Amber continued.
Aurora whistled, "Man, that's an old TV!" she exclaimed aloud. 
"Hell yeah it is! And it's mostly intact, too! Isn't that great?" Amber said, as they continued down the hallway. "And finally, from the year 2021, we found an arm and a leg of a Boston Dynamics Atlas robot! When I heard my boys found THIS, I damn-near teared up! It's extremely hard to find things like this without paying a pretty penny." Amber explained, the members amazed. 
"All this tech is so fascinating... It's not hard to imagine why Barry comes here so often." Kali said, Amber and Barry smiling at each other. Aurora looked at the two, thinking. 

After a few minutes pass, Barry looks at the time. "Well, Amber, I guess we should be going, but, uh..." he pulls out a piece of paper and write a number on it. "Here's my number. I probably can't visit as much anymore, but maybe we could talk? UH- or, you know, you could just let me know when you have new tech I could use..." Barry said with a slight blush, Amber smiling and taking the paper. Aurora covered her mouth from the background, the other two's eyes widening. "Thanks, Barry. I'll keep in touch, you old softie. Go have fun with your friends." Amber said sweetly, going toward her office. Barry turned around to see the members looking at him. Argile and Kali had wide eyes, and Aurora was grinning from ear-to-ear. "... What?" Barry asked. 
"Oh, you know... That little thing that just happened." Aurora said teasingly. 
"What, that? Psh, it was nothing! Just wanna keep in touch with a friend." Barry defended himself.
"Mhm... A 'friend', huh?" Aurora teased further, Argile and Kali chuckling. 
"Alright, alright, fearless leader. We got things to do, let's get going, yeah?" Barry said, walking out the door. Aurora rolled her eyes with a smile as they followed him out.

The last location, Anytime Fitness, Argile's choice. She pushed the doors open and they all walked in. "So, uh. This is really a place you go to get energy?" Kali asked, Argile scoffing. 
"As shocking as it may seem, exercising can actually be pretty relaxing. Trust me, you guys are gonna love it." Argile replied as they walked up to the front desk. "Oh, hey, Argile! How've you been?" the receptionist said politely, Argile waving. 
"I'm alright, just showing my friends around. Guys, this is Kardi, she's a pretty good friend." Argile introduced, Kardi smiling. 
"Well, I won't reject the praise!" she replied jokingly. "I hope you guys enjoy it here, and if you have a friend looking for a gym to go to, don't forget to mention us!" Kardi said happily, the others waving bye as Argile led them to an elevator. They all got in and Argile pressed the "LV 4" button. Music began playing. A moment of silence passed when Aurora looked at Barry.
"So... How long have you and Amber been talking?" she asked, Barry glaring at her.
"Would you drop the Amber thing already??" he defended loudly.
"Ladies, please. I can't hear the elevator." Argile interrupted, closing her eyes.  

Finally, they arrived on the fourth floor. Exercise equipment filled the room. Treadmills, ellipticals, and some stair steppers. "Alright, guys, so uh. I guess pick a piece of equipment and start working out! This is gonna be fun!" Argile said excitedly. Aurora crossed her arm.
"You brought us all the way here to make us work out." she said with a snarl, Argile chuckling.
"No, of course not. I brought you here to show you my favorite spot in the city... Via working out." she winked at Aurora as she got onto a stair stepper. Aurora rolled her eyes and went over to a treadmill. She pressed the start button and it began moving, and so she started walking. At first, it felt like a chore, but after a while, she felt quite energized. Barry walked over to a leg press machine. He shrugged and got into the seat. He began pushing his legs against the wall, pushing it back and fourth. "Huh... This is actually kinda, nice." he mumbled to himself, continuing the motion. Kali walked over to a dumbbell, which read "35lbs". She tries lifting it and it nearly makes her fall. "SHIT!!-" she screams out, the other members looking at her in shock. "S-sorry, sorry! Heavier than I thought! Haha..." Kali politely apologized as she tried lifting it again, and the other members look at each other before going back to their own exercises. After intense breathing and a lot of pep talk, finally, Kali lifts the dumbbell off the ground. "Ha! Yes! I did it!" she exclaims, Argile grinning. 
"Good job, Kali! You're getting it!" she calls out, Kali smiling right before losing balance and slams the dumbbell down. She paces around the area, excitedly. 
"Wow! I am so pumped up! This is amazing!" she says, adrenaline coursing through her.
"I told you, didn't I? Exercise isn't just lifting weights and getting tired. It can be very therapeutic! It's one of my favorite ways to relax in this town." Argile explained, Kali sitting down and taking a breath. 

An hour of exercise passes, and the team is worn out, but also thoroughly relaxed. Argile looked at Aurora. "Hey... We had a lot of fun today, but. What about you? What's your favorite spot in the city?" she asked, Aurora looking at her. "Hmm... Well, there is this one place I always go, if you guys wanna see it." Aurora said, the other members looking at her. 
"I mean. I don't think she would've asked if she didn't wanna go. So, let's see it, then." Barry said, Kali nodding enthusiastically. Aurora smiled and got up, leading the team out of the gym. In about thirty minutes, the squad found themselves climbing a hill. Barry was out of breath, still not fully recovered from the exercising. "Is... is this National Fitness Day or something? Jeez, you girls love working out..." Barry managed to get out, nearly fainting. Finally, they all got to the top, where a massive tree stood tall. Aurora sat against it. "This, my friends, is my favorite spot in the city." Aurora said softly, the others sitting beside her. "Why's that?" Kali asked. And Aurora pointed straight ahead. The others looked, and were then greeted with an incredible view...

The city of Houston, Texas. You could see everything. From the Department of Criminal Investigations, to Amber's Antique Electronics. They could see it all. It was beautiful. Aurora stood up and walked to the edge of the hill. "This is my home, where my friends and family live, where I live. Where I've made so many memories. The city I've protected in the past, and aim to protect in the future. This is Houston. The city I'll always protect." Aurora said aloud, the others smiling and gazing at the city. 
"I never expected such a sentimental display from you, Aurora. It's very welcome, but, still..." Barry said, Aurora smiling.
"It's very nice, Aurora. I'm glad you brought us up here." Argile added.
"I love the nature, and the city really gives it the perfect touch." Kali said, running her fingers through the grass. 

Just then, Aurora's phone vibrated. She received a text message from Thomas. "Hey. You guys are needed at the City Hall. I'll explain when you get there, okay?" the text read. Aurora replied, "Okay, boss man". She looked at her team. "Go time?" Argile asked, Aurora smiling.
"Go time." she replied.. And so, the squad got up and descended down the hill, ready for whatever was in store for them next.