Then we get terrified, like children waking in the dark, we don't know where we are.

[moralitypolice]

( Bonnie, bag in hand at her side, holds the door open this time. She sighs, looking wistfully off at Danny, sullen, in the backseat. )

I wish I could make it all better, like I could undo it all, or, go back and prevent it altogether. Too many of us have no parents. No living family.

( She sighs.

From Danny's seat if or when he looks back, Bonnie and Isaac continue their discussion. Scott texts Isaac, so he pulls his phone out, eyes down quickly.

A couple approaches from the south, arm in arm. The guy in glasses leans in whispering something that makes the girl laugh. As they separate to move around Bonnie, everything happens quickly. The brunette girl brandishes a stun gun landing a blow to Isaac's side. Out of the leather jacket, the man reveals what looks to be something dark colored, with a flat bottom. He drops it. From the car, he can see a spell attempted, Bonnie's lips moving but nothing happening. She tries struggling, but the woman whacks her on the back of the back sending her down. The man quickly pulls out a pair of iron handcuffs the woman waves away, not now, and as fast as it happens, a bright yellow taxi pulls up.

Three others, including one dressed as a taxi-driver throw Bonnie and Isaac into the trunk. When everyone is inside the car, the driver puts down a black device on the top of the cab quickly, puts on a pair of leather gloves, climbs inside the cab and speeds off.

Bonnie's bag, and the contents within including her phone lie on the sidewalk next to Isaac's dropped phone.

The driver in Danny's car starts the ignition, this is probably protocol. )

Comments

[positiveinfluence]

Well, hi there Ralph, my name's Mr. Worton, I'm a biology teacher at P.S. 113. I was wondering what the field trip process is?

[Still gonna play along, cuz it's fun.]

[slavophile]

( Oh, okay. Two can play at that game every time! He clears his throat. Except, he has no experience running field trips in zoos. )

For that I'd have to get you in touch with Martha, our field trip and events coordinator. We'd need a head count, a time, day... favorite .. animals they'd want to see. And a signed waiver.

[positiveinfluence]

Martha, got it, got it. We're heading into an amphibians focus, so that will probably be most of our day. As for the waiver, I think we'd have to know what we're giving permission for. Informed consent is important after all.

[They have to be sure what they're getting into.]

[slavophile]

The water show. You know what happens when the Wicked Witch gets wet. We need an informed signature testifying your students are unrelated. We wouldn't want a bucket of water situation on our hands.

( How absurdly out there did he take that? )

[positiveinfluence]

Makes sense. Melted students doesn't make for great PR. I'm sure that would just tank your Yelp rating.

[slavophile]

Not to mention Angie's List. The kids do odd jobs. Some parents think it's child labor, we think we're teaching discipline.

( Again. Like you do. )

[positiveinfluence]

It always helps to start that young, I hear you. Well, this all sounds great, Ralph. If you just slide me on over to Martha I'll be happy to set that up.

[slavophile]

It's Rolph?

( Pronunciation is key, even in a running joke. )

[positiveinfluence]

So sorry. My mistake, Rolph. I'll be sure to be more careful moving forward.

[But let's not let this joke run too long.]

Hey.

[slavophile]

( They could be the next Monty Python. The joke clears with Will's laugh, recognizing how good that back and forth felt. Or, maybe it's how it feels doing it with Cooper. )

Hey. What did you find? Or should I say who?

[positiveinfluence]

[It does feel good. It's nice to actually joke with someone for a bit.]

Well, Isaac and Bonnie have upgraded their ride of choice from sedans to a motorcycle. It looks like they're still heading east, so I'm going to keep following.

[slavophile]

Okay. Do you know the make and model? I might be able to find it from traffic cams if it's their final choice of transportation.

( In other words: more shop talk. )

[positiveinfluence]

Yeah, I might be able to. Give me a minute.

[And with that he will make his way over to the crowd, and attempt to charm the information out of the guy who lost his bike (11).]

[slavophile]

( A (19) makes the guy suspicious, like Cooper might want it for himself and he asks for ID. "You a cop?" )

... Do you have any of your fakes on you?

[positiveinfluence]

[He does, though he has not managed to forge and Interpol ID yet, so he'll have to go with federal marshal (12).]

Tracking a pair of fugitives. Might be the ones who made off with your bike.

[slavophile]

( A (17) gets the guy to take a step back toward the entrance to the bar.

"You think fugitives steal my motorcycle. Fugitives. Fugitives of what?" )

International bike thieves? I can fake that, but I need like two minutes.

[positiveinfluence]

[His charm is just not working with this guy, but he does his best to keep going (14).]

Burglary ring. They lift high value items, sometimes cars and other vehicles. But I think your bike might have been more a theft of opportunity. They had to ditch their last vehicle a couple miles back and were looking for new wheels.

[slavophile]

( His (15) keeps him there in place at least, but his resolve isn't lessening. His tolerance is decreasing the more Cooper says. It does sound plausible.

"And they take mine."

William's (19) in hacking wizadry sends a Citizen alert to this man's cell phone which pings. The man checks his watch, eyes gloss over as he reads the alert.

"Your fugitives spotted East. On my motorcycle. It is Jawa Moto. 1990's." He sounds resigned, but, a light flickers in his eye. "Maybe there is chance I can get back?" )

[positiveinfluence]

We'll do the best we can.

[He texts the make and model off to William, just as a back up, before flashing the man a smile.]

For what it's worth, the cars they've taken so far have been intact, just with less gas, so I think it'll find it's way back to you. Do you have a number we can reach you at, in case we find it?

[slavophile]

( He nods, a little dumbfounded and ticks it off with rote memory. Bleary-eyed, he realizes he has been robbed and the annoyance and trauma of that sets in. But, Cooper accomplished what he needed to. )

I don't know if you want to know, but I've got them. It's parked outside Czechlectrics. You're not far behind.

( He pauses again. )

The guy gone?

[positiveinfluence]

Yeah, poor guy.

[Coop turns and heads back to the car to head in the right direction.]

Hopefully we'll be able to get his bike back to him in one piece.

[slavophile]

Do we care?

( Just - he seemed so pitiful, and the fate of, well, they don't know hangs in the balance. )

I uh, should've said I was happy you called, instead of doing our bit. Not that I don't like our bit.

[positiveinfluence]

We don't not care. And, it could just be a text with the last known address for him to pick it up.

[Minimizing the harm seems better than leaving destruction in their wake, but that's just Coop's opinion. He smiles at the second part though.]

The bit's a good bit. But I'm glad you're saying it now.

[slavophile]

V-style.

( Sure, he can do that. He schedules a pinged text for an hour from now. )

Can... I say it?

[positiveinfluence]

[He hesitates, trying to figure out what to make of that question.]

Yes? Unless there's some reason you don't want to.