"So we're going up right" Jude said sitting inside the empty mechanics shop with Brodie and Kosi. "I mean..we did just agree to" Kosi replied. "No I know that but I mean, how do we you know... know we're going. K and I are still in school for another week, I haven't done the workouts you guys apparently have" he continued stammering.
"Who wants to climb out first after what happened last time" Kosi replied shrugging. "We can't make them let us go up but there's probably going to be trails and stuff. Didn't your mayor's daughter girlfriend say anything to you about it?" Brodie asked.
"Deputy Mayor" Kosi replied bubbling with embarrassment. "Oh that's the bit you're fighting, not the girlfriend bit" Jude said with a smirk. "Nice" he continued prodding.
"Shut up man" Kosi said weakly. Letting out a deep sigh he scrunched his face and continued "I don't know anything about this, Rue didn't say anything but they have to announce something right".
"So you guys didn't think this through or what?" Jude asked. "Well they disbanded the whole thing so fast they took all the equipment" Brodie said before continuing in a hushed tone "Everything except my dad's prototypes he'd been working on".
Brodie walked over to the metallic cabinets and turned the dial on the lock. "Don't tell anyone about this my dad doesn't know I know the code" he said looking around to ensure no one was coming down stairs.
"We got to be quick my dad will be up soon" Brodie continued. Reaching into the cabinet he pulled out a rough looking metallic glove. Jude looked curiously at it with Kosis focus now drifting from watching the door.
"Watch this" Brodie beamed placing the glove on his hand. A low hydronic hum emitted from it as it seemingly fit itself around his hand. Closing his hand into a fist he then quickly threw his fingers up causing retractable claws to spring out of the tips of the fingers.
"Wow" Jude said moving closer. "I call it The Claw. There are sketches that go with it. I tried figuring out what they meant and I think there's supposed to be a suit with another glove and grappling hooks and stuff" Brodie replied excitedly and fiddling with the fingers.
Now curious Kosi had stopped watching the door. "So what's it do" he asked. "I'm not sure, maybe you use the claws to dig your way out of a tunnel" he said doing a coy digging motion. "Claws to dig though, doesn't really make sense maybe it's for climbing". "They had grappling hooks for that" Kosi and Brodie replied in unison.
"Ooh dig experts" Jude said rolling his eyes. The conversation was interrupted broken by the sound of footsteps getting louder. In a panic Brodie attempted to get the glove off scraping himself with one of the claws. "Gah" he grunts finally on getting it off and hurriedly placing it back into the cabinet and scrambling the padlock.
All of them awkwardly watch the door open as Brodies father walks in. With the same rugged features as his son he looked suspiciously at the three. Shrugging he simply walked over to his work desk and pulled out a stack of papers.
"Kosi turn on the lights" he said in a gruff tone. Kosi tentatively got up and went and turned on the lights. "Alright so I take it since you're all here messing with my prototypes and designs you're going to sign up to be diggers" he said matter of factly. The three young men looked at each other with a sense of dread.
"Well, are you?" he asked sternly. "Yes sir" Jude replied tentatively. Looking back and forth Brodie nodded his head, same with Kosi. Looking at them all he continued.
"Alright so what Brodie had on his hand was a automatic claw glove, it's not designed for building I just thought it was cool and wanted to build one" he said pinning sketches to a wall. "In about 2 weeks there are going to be physical trails. Hope you're prepared, it won't be easy" he added before looking at Kosi "the age minimum is 16 so I'm sorry Kosi".
Kosi simply froze up not really processing what he was just told. "Wait he has to go though" Brodie protested. "I don't make the rules" his dad replied. "But but lean mean digging machines" Jude said before standing up.
"Hold on a second" Kosi interjected. "Trails, so like physical tests right" he continued. "I'll just come first in those. Can't leave out the best person who tries out right" he said confidently.
"Look they said it was 16 and above, I can't change it thats not my department I just build the stuff. Feel free to go talk to someone in charge of the project about it. You and Jude can go I need to talk to Brodie" he said staring at his son.
The two looked at each other then tentatively did as they were told.
"Okay dad I know I shouldn't have.." "don't" his dad interrupted him. "So long have you known" Brodie asked sheepishly. "I don't know, the whole time I guess" his father replied. "Listen Brodie this isn't what I thought you'd end up doing with your life" he added. "Dad I just.." he said before his father stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.
"You're my son, you're my namesake, I might not want you to do this but you're 18, I have to let you do what you want because you're an adult. I choose to believe in what you want because you're my son and I love you. Just be careful" his father said before pulling his son in for a hug.
"I love you dad I promise I'll be fine" Brodie replied with his voice cracking.
Now outside the shop Jude and Kosi were walking aimlessly. "What are we going to do K, you have to go with us" Jude asked. "Like I said I'm just gonna ace the trails" Kosi replied before continuing "I've got something to deal with first though, what time is it?"
"Oh, schools out" Jude replied pointing towards two of their classmates walking towards them. "Oh those are Rue's friends" Kosi replied.
"Hey Kosi, Rue wants to talk to you for some reason" one of the girls says nonchalantly passing by. "Hey Judie" the second girl said with a smile to Jude.
"Oh guess you got to take care of it now" Jude said with a wink before going off to follow the girls.
Kosi walks towards the school where he finds a clearly nervous Rue hanging around outside the building waiting. She looks down when she sees him and slowly shuffles towards him.
"..Hey you" he said looking at the uncharacteristically nervous Rue. "I.." Rue said before reaching into her pocket and pulls out a letter. Looking down at it she breathed a heavy sigh and began to read. "Hey K, sorry I have to do this you know emotional things aren't my thing"