Chapter Eighteen

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Brock could not have been more out of place. No matter how he dressed, the club scene would not allow him to blend in. As he, Delirious, and Evan waited in line at the nightclub, he observed the behavior of his friends to try and get a good idea of how to behave, but their behavior didn't seem appropriate. 

"Let's squeeze some ass!" Delirious screamed, shocking and startling people in front and behind them in line. "Booty cheeks!"

Evan took his right arm and wrapped it around Delirious's throat and put his left hand on the mouth hole carved out in his mask. "Stop screaming...that." Evan told him.

"I can't help it, man." Delirious said. "I can't contain myself, I need to squeeze some cheeks!"

"You can squeeze my cheeks anytime, Delirious." Brock offered.

"Next!" The bouncer at the door called out. The three stepped towards the bouncer as it was now their turn to gain entry. 

"Hello, good sir." Brock began. "My friends and I would like access into your establishmen-"

"Got any girls?" The bouncer interrupted. 

"...We don't have any girls, bu-"

"Back of the line." He commanded.

"Wait!" Brock said. "...We have... u-uh... my friends and I-I, can-"

"Back of the line!"

"Bu-"

"Look," the bouncer began to explain, "unless you have girls or a way to get girls, you can't come in."

Brock began to think. He looked back at Delirious and Evan who were dancing with each other to the echo of the music emanating from the club. Brock had a plan, but not one that either of his friends would be happy with, or agree to do in the first place, but the back of the line would add another hour to their mission time and that was another hour that Ohm had to add to his diabolical plan, whatever that happened to be. Brock took a long, deep breath. He grabbed Evan tightly by both shoulders and pulled him into an unexpected kiss that lingered for seconds.

Women in line began to scream in excitement, joy, and, unfortunately, arousal. Delirious's eyes went wide and so did Evan's. The bouncer froze. Evan lifted his hands with the intention of pushing Brock away, but, he too, froze. 

When Brock pulled away, Evan and Delirious's eyes stayed wide and Evan couldn't seem to close his mouth. Brock pulled Evan into an embrace and turned, Evan in his arms, to address the bouncer again as women continued to scream loudly behind them.

"You see," Brock began, "my friends and I aren't exactly interested in girls, but they're definitely interested in us. I'm sure they'd love to come in with us."

The bouncer had no words left, much like all of the men in line. He simply released the rope guarding the door and let the three in, along with a few of the women in line. Brock led in a confused Evan and an equally confused Delirious followed.

Once inside, Delirious shook himself out of his shock, but Evan retreated to the bar in search of any type of alcohol. He needed liquid help.

"...Oops." Brock said.

"He's fine." Delirious promised. "We don't have time for anything other than Lui. Let's go!" Delirious began towards the back of the club. They weaved through the bright dance floor and partying patrons. On the other side of the group, there was another bouncer guarding a staircase that would no doubt lead them to the missing member of the team. Before they got in hearing distance of the bouncer, Delirious put his hand on Brock's shoulder.

"Don't kiss me, man."

"I'll keep my hands to myself."

The bouncer spotted them and tensed up.

"Hello, sir," Delirious began, "we are here to see Lui Calibre."

"Is he expecting you?"

"...No." Brock said. "But we're good friends."

"Good friends? Sure. Get back to the party."

"I'm not lying!" Delirious told him. "Ask him! He knows Delirious well!"

"You are delirious, idiot. Get out of here."

"I'm sure we can work something out..." Brock said as he pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his pocket and waved it in the air. The bouncer snatched it and stepped slightly to the side.

"You have two minutes."

"No directions?" Brock asked. The bouncer remained silent. The two friends proceeded through the door frame and down the stairs into the sketchy looking basement. In the basement, card tables were set up, men playing Poker and Blackjack and each one. Women wearing very revealing clothing roamed around, delivering drinks and looking for men in need of entertainment. Beyond all this was a door far in the back with a nameplate that read 'Lui Calibre'. The two began a quick walk towards it, Delirious occasionally being distracted by the under dressed women. Once they got to the door, they began to prepare themselves.

"Delirious," Brock said, "before we go in, we should figure out what we're gonna say." 

"Tell him the crew is getting back together, man!" Delirious suggested. 

"That's not going to be enough." Brock told him. "You fell off a building a few hours ago. It's gonna take more than a 'getting the crew back together' to get him to fall off a building, too. We haven't seen Lui in a while. We don't know if he's still as committed to the Banana Bus Superheroes as he was before."

"Look at this face, man!" Delirious said as he put his hand on the door knob and began to turn it. "He can't turn this down."

Delirious walked into the dark room and a glass that had been thrown from across the room collided and broke against the wall beside the door frame. Delirious turned to Brock and was met with a smug look. "Yeah," Brock said, "who can turn down that face?"

Delirious looked back into the room and called out, "Lui?" Both he and Brock took catious steps inside, unable to make out anything in the room because of the intense darkness.

"...Close the door." A familiar voice commanded from further into the room. Brock did as they were told. As he did, they heard the click of a light switch and a small light sitting a top a desk gave the room a small amount of illumination. All that was visible of their friend were his feet crossed on his desk.

"What do you want?" Asked Lui.

"...H-Hi, Lui." Brock greeted.

"H-Hey..." Delirious said.

"We just wanted to come and see you." Brock explained. "The Banana Bus Superheroes are getting back together. We tried to make it work, b-but we realized that the problem we're trying to solve is too big to solve without all of us. W-Without... you."

There was an uncomfortable silence as the two waited for Lui's response. Delirious broke the silence.

"It could be like before, man!" He suggested. "The Drug Train! Halloween!"

"We can create more adventures!" Brock added. "We miss you, Lui... And we need you for this."

"For what?" Lui inquired. Delirious and Brock gave each other a look. Delirious stepped forward to explain.

"It's Ohm, man." He said. "He's lost his mind. He kidnapped Brian and he's got IAA agents working for him. Mini is looking for him now, and when we find him we're gonna get Brian back and figure out what all of this is about, but we need your help. Please, Lui. Please..."

Lui took his feet off the desk and leaned forward, allowing the light to now shine on his face and not his shoes. He looked off to the side, in a deep thought. When he finished, he looked up into his friend's eyes and smiled brightly and in the squeaker voice they had all grown to love, he addressed them again.

"Brian needs us." He said. "This looks like a job for Mega Monkey."

Brock and Delirious smiled.

"We should find Evan." Brock suggested. "I kind of kissed him to get us in here."

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