“Hey there, Nole,” the vendor greeted from behind his cart. “It’s been too long!”

“Graham! How’s it going?” Nole replied enthusiastically. Although the man called him from the stand, the smell of the home-style breakfast assortment drew him to the rotating sausage links. Like a kid in a candy store, he pressed stared at the display in salivating awe. “That looks delicious.”

“Sure does,” the man agreed cheerfully. “Now that the water supply is stable, the city’s food is at an all time high. We don’t have to settle for low quality now that Nova’s lucrative water plants are back in business and making money for the city.”

Despite the delicious distraction, Nole was pleased to hear how much better off the city was after Caswell’s unwarranted sewer quarantine was investigated. The officials above the former Chief didn’t take too kindly to his corrupt underground dealings; not to mention his connection with Ryker’s group of undercover mercenaries.

“So business is good?” Nole asked politely, still eying the tantalizing display.

“Sure is! You’d think the success I’ve had was from years of diligent unrest. It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a month since we cleansed the Unit of those traitors. Honestly, those guys did more harm to Nova than the gangs. I’m glad they’ve been apprehended.” Graham lowered the heat on the rotisserie slightly and used skewers to unhook the links.

The sentiment about the Enforcers was actually a common one among most, if not all of the citizens of Nova City. Thanks to Betty’s connections and Asteria’s leadership, leaks to city newspapers set the record straight and identified all of the culprits to what they coined “Nova’s Nightmare”.

Not only was Nole cleared and Caswell reprimanded, but the Paras were also deemed innocent of the fountain vandalism. All charges on Betty and the runners were dropped, and Ryker and his small band of rogues were detained for further questioning. The mayor took a major step in the arrests, once quoted saying that he “never could have imagined such a conspiracy within Nova’s law enforcement” and that he plans on “helping to rebuild not just the Enforcement Unit, but Nova City’s economic infrastructure as well. To his credit, the actions being taken were having noticeable improvements on both the city and the civilians.

“I can’t believe Capt. Maddox turned down the Chief position,” Nole commented truthfully. It was true that when Maddox declined the mayor’s offer of the promotion, everyone, including Nole, was shocked. If not for Maddox keeping the rest of the guiltless Enforcers under control during the ensuing chaos after Caswell’s betrayal was revealed, the entire unit might have fallen apart right then and there.

“Tell me about it,” Graham sighed. “That new Chief seems like a real stand up guy. He’s really helped turn this place around.”

Even though he’d refused the Chief position, Maddox’s recommendation for the new replacement was highly sought after; so much so that when he came up with an outlandish suggestion, the mayor actually went with it. “Quinn was nagging him about his refusal here the other day. He said something about wanting to have an active role in the investigations, instead of sitting behind a desk.”

“Sounds like him,” Nole smirked. “How is Capt. Hadley doing?”

“Better than before.” Graham smiled. “That girl’s something else.”

“I’m glad to here it,” Nole replied. If not for Betty’s expert treatment and transfusion, Capt. Hadley wouldn’t have survived her serious injuries. Unfortunately, Sgt. Bellamy wasn’t as lucky. Ryker’s attack killed him almost instantly, but his death would live on among the unit’s Enforcers.

“Well, you buying or what?” Graham asked, snapping Nole out of his thoughts.

“How much for one sausage?” Nole reached for the spare change in his pocket.

“Ninety for the sausage, two hundred for the breakfast sandwich.”

“That’s more than twice as much as before,” Nole complained. “I thought you said business was good.”

“So good, I thought I’d raise the prices as long as customers kept buying,” Graham grinned devilishly. With an exasperated sigh, Nole relinquished all of the change in his pocket in exchange for three links.

“You’re killing me here.”

“Pleasure doing business with ya!”

Begrudgingly accepting his wrapped purchase, Nole bid the vendor farewell and continued his trek through the main streets. Although he never thought Nova would have a scenic atmosphere, he’d been enjoying the trips through the city over the past few weeks. There were more people out and about since gang violence had been cut down significantly under the new Chief’s watchful eye. Nole assumed it was mostly due to the complete obliteration of the Quads and Pents that scared all hopeful new recruits and loyal veterans off the gang track indefinitely. There’s still talk about some shady activity every so often, but it’s nowhere near what it was one month ago.

The scorching heat and beaming sun brought Nole back to the present. The thirst made his throat drier by the second as he continued on foot. Unlike him, many civilians were out and about that morning seemingly unbothered by the intense heat. He wondered if perhaps they’d gotten used to the thirst from back during Caswell’s scheming. Now that they had a plentiful and economically fair water resource, citizens no longer clung to the fountain for life; though many still used its supply at night even with the mayor’s disapproval.

Despite Caswell’s bogus reasons for keeping the fountain under guard, the mayor still maintained that it was an important symbol for the city; even going as far as hiring twenty-four hour surveillance and maintenance crew for future repairs and to clean up the Para graffiti crafted by Ryker’s men. Once Tom came out as a long-time Para and vouched for their nonviolence and humanity, the Unit began backtracking from their original assumptions of the gang. No formal apology was made to the Paras for the false accusation since they were still considered a gang by reputation, but many of the Enforcers recognized their redeeming qualities enough to express disappointment upon the gang’s wrongful infamy.

The upside to their revelation was that the Para members were no longer targets of law enforcement. After most of them had their identities revealed during Nova’s Nightmare, their innocence was a much needed safety blanket from the Enforcers while their unshaking status provided an intimidation factor amongst competing gangs.

“Here you are,” Olivia greeted casually, catching Nole off guard. Struggling to recover his nerves after having almost dropped his food, he sighed at her. She leaned against the old shopping center, out of view to any leering eyes. Unlike Nole, Olivia was still as diligent as she was a month ago; not growing accustomed to the city’s general decrease in crime.

“You did that on purpose, right?” Nole inquired, allowing her to match his stride.

“You made me wait and you got food without me,” she justified.

“I got caught up with Graham,” Nole explained, unwrapping one of the sausage links as a peace offering. Hesitantly, she accepted it. “Besides, it’s not like we’re in a rush.”

Cutting through City Square, the two scoped out the area out of habit. Guards were stationed on the outer edges of the expanse, keeping an eye on the fountain, while the bustling civilians passed through, some even admiring the newly refurbished landmark and the water they no longer died for. “Let’s hurry, I want to get these back while they’re hot,” he said, folding the paper bag securely.

“It’s a quick job,” Olivia mentioned as she made her way up the stairs of Central Station with Nole right behind her. No one paid them any attention when they entered the lobby, that is, until one of the Enforcers recognized them.

“We’re looking for the Chief,” Nole informed him when he approached them.

“We have a delivery for him,” Olivia clarified, waving a small envelope in the air as evidence. When the Enforcer tried to get her to leave the message with him, Olivia declined, emphasizing that it was important that she hand deliver the letter personally.

“Oh let them through, rookie,” Hadley’s voice chastised from around the corner. Her hair was in a slick bun, but her messy bangs still enveloped her forehead. “I’ll take it from here,” she said, dismissing the Enforcer. “It’s been a while, you two,” she welcomed smilingly. “How have you all been?”

“Hadley!” Capt. Maddox called out from the hallway. “We’ve got a suspect to interrogate.” Nole locked eyes with the black haired captain, who was now aware of their presence. With a subtle nod to Nole, Maddox turned his heel and continued about his way. Despite their shaky past, Nole and the Captain had come to a truce, silently making amends after the unfortunate circumstances that had pit them against each other.

“Man, he never stops,” Hadley shrugged dismissively. “Chief’s in his office straight ahead,” she directed. “I have to go, but it was good seeing you all again.”

“You too,” Nole replied genuinely. As she gave them a brief wave goodbye, Nole noticed the scar on the inside of her wrist from where Betty had removed her stitches.

“You said you’re in a hurry, right?” Olivia asked after he’d been lingering in the same spot for longer than expected. Returning to the job, Nole and Olivia reached the Chief’s glass-enclosed space and knocked on the thick-pained door. The blinds had been pulled and no noise could be heard inside. It wasn’t until the Chief threw open the door that they knew he was there at all.

Dressed head to toe in office attire, Tom stood professionally awaiting for his guests to oblige him by entering his office.

“This is a pleasant surprise,” he greeted smilingly at his visitors. Unlike Olivia, Nole hadn’t known Tom for very long, but even so, there was no denying that he had made an excellent chief during his first month. Although the mayor was hesitant about Capt. Maddox’s recommendation, once Tom’s Enforcer history was revealed, he instantly became a shoe in. In addition to his glowing past as a former captain in the unit, Tom had been a part of the Paras, who were still renowned for their heroic assistance during Nova’s Nightmare.

“Sneaky as ever,” Nole said under his breath as he entered the spacious office. He briefly imagined former Chief Caswell lounging around, planning Nova City’s demise. It was clear that the new head of command was night and day between the two men. For one, Tom had prioritized civilian safety by cracking down on all gang activity. Being with the Paras had given him an inside look into the devastating results of overlooked gang violence. This also played a part in his reenacting all-hour enforcement shifts formerly done away with by Caswell.

In addition, Tom had personally looked into the water shortage and Caswell’s suspicious sewer quarantine. It was because of his actions that water had becoming an everyday commodity for the city while being accessible to all citizens.

It came to no surprise that many media outlets painted Tom in a bad light due to his gang history, however there was no denying the drastic improvement that came after his promotion.

"Old habits die hard,” Tom chuckled, overhearing Nole’s mumbling. “What can I do for you guys?” Plopping into his cushy chair, Tom laced his fingers together and placed them on top of the mahogany desk’s surface.

“Betty just asked us to give this to you.” Olivia handed him the envelope and he proceeded to read it in front of them. Neither of them had been told what was within the envelope, but Nole had ventured a guess, which was quickly confirmed by Tom’s guffaw.

“Only Betty would penny pinch rent money out of Nova’s Chief of Enforcers,” Tom chuckled. “Early lease termination, huh?” Betty was clearly taking advantage of Tom’s change of address after his long over due promotion. What Tom didn’t know was that more tenants had moved into Betty’s complex after word spread that it was the former home of then Para, now Chief. While assigning them the errand, she’d made it clear to Nole and Olivia to make that a moot detail. “Tell her I’ll send the money over immediately.”

“Will do,” Nole agreed, making his way out of the office.

“You know, I haven’t had a bite to eat all morning,” Tom said in a self-pitying tone. “Making the city safe is such a demanding job, I barely have time to go out and get some nourishment.”

A smirking Olivia rolled her eyes as she opened the door and walked past him. With a sigh, Nole unwrapped the bag of food he was still carrying and handed Tom a sausage link. With quick reflexes, Tom grabbed the offering before Nole could change his mind and took an embellished bite.

“Dish ish dewishous,” he doted. “Shanks, Nole. Gib eberyone ma regarts!”

“Will do.” Nole waved sullenly, closing the door after him. With a sympathetic smile, Olivia stood waiting for him by the front desk. Without a word, they made their way back to the complex.

***

“Nole’s back,” Suri announced enthusiastically from outside the complex. Burt was by her side as always, but Caden was also lingering outside as well, and threw a brief wave in his brother’s direction. Ever since their stay was made permanent, Suri had been trying to make herself useful by taking care of the building’s aesthetic value. The complex was already in decent shape, but Suri tried to make it even more appealing by planting shrubs and flowers outside. As for Caden, he was still adjusting, but the fact that he was trying was all Nole could ask for.

“Hey guys,” Nole greeted. “Hungry? I got breakfast, but you’ll have to split it.”

“That’s okay,” she called from the plot of violets she was protecting from Burt’s persistent digging. “Val made some pancakes for everyone.”

“Oh, all right,” he replied, letting some of disappointment shine through in his tone. Noticing Olivia shake her head in his peripheral vision, he turned to see her grinning.

“Just eat it yourself,” she lectured teasingly. “You’re not alone anymore, Nole. You have friends now, so stop acting like it’s you against the world.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he shrugged, brushing off her truthful words. When her expectant stare wouldn’t relent, he obediently unwrapped the remaining sausage link. He was actually going to take a bite until Burt came pawing at his feet. Although the furry terrier had never shown an inkling of loyalty to Nole, he’d suddenly had a change of heart when food was involved. Even the dog’s helplessly innocent gaze wasn’t enough to repent for his apparently hostile behavior toward Nole.

Unsympathetically, Nole waved the breakfast food in the air tauntingly before taking a morsel into his mouth. “Too bad,” Nole chimed, still waving the remaining piece. Ready to take the last bite, Nole experienced a bite of his own as Burt dug his teeth into his tormenter’s ankle.

Subduing his scream of pain as best he could, Nole dropped the food and desperately pried the dog’s mouth open to free his ankle. With Olivia’s impromptu assistance, Burt finally released Nole’s limb and replaced it with the abandoned sausage link on the ground before tamping back toward Caden and Suri. Both siblings watched him with concerned expressions, but Nole informed them he was fine.

“Need me to lend a shoulder?” Olivia offered, distracting Nole from his intense anger.

“No, I’m good,” he winced, trying to underrate the sharp pain in his left ankle. “I’ll find Valerie.”

Ignoring his four-legged enemy, Nole gave his siblings a false smile and limped his way inside. The complex’s surge in residents was a new experience for him. He’d never lived in a place with so many people under one roof, but he was gradually getting used to it. Most of them didn’t pay him any mind, but a few of the tenants recognized him and stopped to say hello. One voice in particular caught his attention, and he turned to discover Asteria loitering in the hallway.

“Hello there,” she said in a monotone voice.

“H-hey,” Nole replied, surprised to see her. With the exception of Tom, Nole hadn’t come into contact with any of the Paras since Nova’s Nightmare. “What are you doing here?”

“Checking in with a former member,” she pursed her lips, “and delivering some news.” As if sensing his apprehension, she added, “Not to worry, nothing serious.” Any relief he felt dissipated as soon as her dark, scrutinizing eyes scanned him head to toe.

“Is there something wrong?” he asked timidly.

“Your left ankle is injured,” she stated matter-of-factly. Just as he began to grow uncomfortable by the proceeding silence, she bid him farewell and exited the complex. Shaking his head in a display of annoyance, Nole continued his steady pace until he arrived to the meeting room.

Since the main floor rooms were for public use, Betty arranged a location where she and the runners could all get together in private. Formerly known as the infirmary, the room adjacent to the kitchen was turned into the Landlord’s Private Office; at least, that’s what it read on the plaque attached to the door.

After knocking with four taps, pausing, and tapping once more, Nole was permitted entry by Betty. Ambling inside, he realized Valerie wasn’t there; Zane, however, was. Despite their working together the initial chaos of Nova’s Nightmare, some tension still remained between the two of them. It hadn’t helped that Zane’s superior attitude was as strong as ever.

Seeing his fellow errand runner’s limp, Zane rolled his eyes, irritating Nole.

“Did something happen during the run?” Betty inquired, noticing the limp as well.

A rush of embarrassment flooded Nole as he considered the truth.

"Yeah, but it’s nothing serious. Just a flesh wound,” he brushed off. Betty gave him a quizzical look, but didn’t press him any further.

“In any case,” she sighed, returning to the newly purchased table in the center of the room, “I just sent Valerie out to get all of you.”

“What’s up?” He strode to the table, masking his pain best he could.

“Some things to discuss,” she answered vaguely, just as their rehearsed knock indicated the presence of another runner at the door. Betty got up to allow Valerie, Taro, and Olivia entry. Caden and Suri hesitated by the doorway, unsure of whether or not to enter. “You two need to hear this as well,” she instructed them.

“Whatever it is, they can hear it from me later,” Nole interjected. Although he was more open with his siblings, he knew Betty didn’t exactly filter her words.

“They should be here for this,” Betty said sternly, giving Nole a look of indifference.

His siblings seemed just as hesitant as he was. Moseying over to the infirmary bed, they sat silently and awaited further direction.

Olivia and Valerie joined Nole, Zane, and Betty at the table, while Taro, with a slight limp, leaned against the back wall. Ever since his injury, he’d been recovering gradually. Although the gunshot hadn’t hit his femur, Betty diagnosed minor muscle damage from the bullet fragments. Valerie was put in charge of his recuperative therapy, and thanks to her, he was nearly at full mobility one month later.

The only other sustainable wound Taro had received was the cut on the dorsal part of his forearm. Back during Nova’s Nightmare, Taro had lunged in front of Ryker’s blade even though it was intended from Nole, and saved his life in the process. Now all he had to show for it was a slow-healing two-inch vertical scar on the inside of his right forearm.

Surprisingly, Taro looked uncomfortable. Despite his injuries, he’d always gone out of his way to appear content. With his head slightly bobbing downward and eyes closed, one may mistake his demeanor as that of a tired individual. However, his pursed mouth, crossed arms, and furrowed eyebrows were beyond that of someone being just tired.

Everyone else seemed just as out of the loop as Nole.

“Just a few things,” Betty began casually. “I’ve just gotten word from the Para leader that the gang is disbanding.”

Taro’s head bobbed a little lower and his body language became more rigid.

“What? Why?” Valerie jumped in.

“They didn’t say, but I assume because they no longer have a need to assert themselves in the city now that a former member is in power.”

“You mean Tom,” Olivia clarified. “That’s silly.”

“No, it’s not,” Nole jumped in. “They don’t need to regulate the city from the outside anymore. Tom will have things under control as Chief.”

Taro’s behavior was finally justified. Asteria must have told him in person before the meeting.

“They were hired,” Taro explained. Everyone, including Betty grew silent. “I don’t know the details, but they were hired to unravel Caswell’s plan and uncover Ryker and his group.”

“Who hired them?” Zane asked.

“We don’t really know,” Taro answered, uncrossing his arms. “Asteria said she was approached by someone, but they never introduced themselves. For all we know, it could’ve been a liaison to a competing group like Ryker’s.”

“Whatever the reason,” Betty persisted, putting an end to the speculation, “there is no longer a Para gang in Nova City.”

Despite the supposed ending of the conversation, Nole couldn’t help but fixate on Taro’s information. Just how many underground groups are there? If there as dangerous as Ryker’s, Nova has a lot more things to worry about than just gangs.

Betty cleared her throat. “What that means for the gang hierarchy I don’t know, and I don’t care. We resume business as usual. Which brings me to my next point,” she continued, turning to Nole. “There are no secrets here. If something ever comes up, I don’t any renegade nonsense. Not to mention, I won’t have traitors.”

At first he thought she was referring to Taro, but her dull blue eyes flicked over toward Caden’s direction only. He wasn’t completely surprised; after all, Taro had deserted them with just cause.

Caden stubbornness wouldn’t allow him to react to the reference, even during the unending silence. Beside him, Suri watched nervously, her trepid glance bouncing between Betty and Caden. Glaring back at Betty, he wouldn’t allow her to incite a response from him.

Nole remembered once comparing Caden’s appearance to Taro’s, but their personalities were nothing alike. If anything, his younger brother behaved more like Zane than anyone else; and if the comparison had any truth to it, Caden would have an easy time of making trouble for himself. For this reason, Nole came to his brother’s defense.

“You don’t have to worry about it. The whole thing was a misunderstanding-”

“It won’t happen again,” Caden interjected commandingly.

“Very well,” Betty dismissed. Breathing a sigh of relief, Nole was glad the meeting was over. That’s why she had them sit in, Nole figured.

“Is that it?” Zane inquired, apparently disinterested during the second act.

“I want to come back,” Taro interrupted, nearly stumbling from his abrupt step forward. All eyes fell on the sixteen-year old as he tried to appear serious after his misstep. “I want to be a runner again.”

All glances turned to Betty, as if a massive wave had forced their heads to turn. Although they had taken him in for treatment, his acceptance back into the group was never discussed, at least not around Nole. “I know I screwed up. I didn’t tell you guys what was happening, but I was afraid they’d hurt you.”

When his pleading expression searched the group, Nole noticed Taro’s eyes linger a bit longer on Valerie. “I should’ve had faith in your abilities, but I couldn’t take any chances. So, I want to come back.”

“After the Paras are done with?” Zane scrutinized.

“No,” Taro replied. “When I joined the Paras, I told Asteria that I was only a member until things were all settled. Until I knew you all were safe. Tom kept an eye on you guys in the meantime, but I couldn’t risk being here and dragging you all in any deeper.”

Even the justified skepticism hanging in the air, Nole couldn’t help but sympathize with the guy. He was practically in the same position, pleading to Caden only a month ago. Being lucky enough to regain his little brother’s trust was difficult enough, and now Taro was facing the same trial, but with four judges instead of one.

“I believe him,” Olivia spoke up. “He saved Nole and me in the alleyway that time.”

“And he helped take the Paras take Caswell and Ryker down,” Valerie added.

Betty turned to Zane, expecting him to give his assent as well. Although he didn’t say anything in defense of his former comrade, he gave a shrug of the shoulders to indicate his indifference toward the dilemma. When she sought Nole’s opinion, he merely gave a nod.

“Okay,” she decided, “but like I mentioned, no renegade business.”

Taro gave an audible sigh, not even bothering to acknowledge Betty’s terms. A smirk spread across the old woman’s face in response to the boy’s reaction. Despite the complicated discussion, Nole had a feeling that Taro would have been reaccepted into the group without deliberation. This was confirmed when she caught Nole’s eye, her smirk growing wider, as if to say, now that’s how you get a message across.

“You really know how to make a guy sweat,” Taro joked, reverting to his comical nature. “So what are you all calling yourselves these days?”

“What do you mean?” Nole questioned.

“I thought someone mentioned errands,” he clarified. “Sounds like a dull name for a gang though.”

“We’re not a gang, Taro,” Valerie defended.

“We’re a group of people working for a common cause, what else would you call that in Nova City?”

“Just because you were part of the Paras for a short time, doesn’t mean you have to force you gang mentality on us,” Olivia taunted.

“I’m just saying. Not all gangs are bad after all.”

“So should we all get tattoos then?” Olivia retorted.

“Sure, why not?” Taro seemed as though he were in deep thought for a moment, until he exclaimed, “How about this?” Holding up his left forearm for all to see, he displayed his vertical scar from the battle with Ryker. “Only one line. It even goes along with the gang system. And that would make us the strongest.”

“Naturally,” Zane muttered under his breath.

“Get real, we’re not getting injuries to match yours,” Olivia snapped.

“Nole,” Suri chimed in, “you have a scar like that, too!”

At first, he had no idea what she was talking about, that is, until Valerie confirmed.

“That’s right,” she agreed. “On the left side of his waist.”

The embarrassment of Valerie having to corroborate the information was evident in his reddening face. He then realized that neither Caden nor Suri knew the scar was from a gunshot injury, so he quickly changed the subject.

“How about we focus on a name?”

“I got you covered. Line," he embellished. "Oh wait no, mark, or maybe streak?” Taro persisted, accentuating the potential names like a car salesman.

“I don’t think any of those will do for this group,” Betty contributed.

“Just stick with errand runners,” Caden scoffed. Nole was surprised to hear his brother get involved in a gang-related discussion, but he seemed serious.

The group grew acquiescently quiet, processing the suggestion.

“I like it,” Taro remarked optimistically.

He was just saying how anything with “errands” sounded dull, Nole thought. What a scatter-brained guy.

“Me too,” Olivia agreed.

“Has a nice ring to it,” Valerie commented. “What do you think Zane.”

“I don’t care,” he said nonchalantly.

“As long as you do your jobs, I don't care what you call yourselves," Betty sighed.

With that, they were all dismissed. Valerie checked on Taro as he staggered out while Olivia unfolded a map from her pocket, inspecting it on her way out. Hands shoved in his pockets, Zane followed his fellow runners out. Finally, before exiting the room herself, Betty lingered at the table, watching Nole; an image oddly reminiscent of their first encounter in the kitchen. He was sure she was thinking of that day too, as a small grin crossed her lips before she turned away and left the room.

“I wonder when we’ll get to be errand runners,” Suri wondered aloud.

“Stick to gardening,” Nole replied, putting a reassuring hand on her back. With a gentle pat on his younger brother’s shoulder he led them out of the meeting room and parted ways with them in the hall.  

Admittedly, he’d always known that jumping gang members for food and money wasn’t the ideal occupation for a soloist, but the protection of his siblings had to come first. It had been a while since he felt at ease; at ease for having a real place to stay; at ease for knowing his siblings were safe; at ease for having people who relied on him; and at ease for having people to rely on.