Kayde Maximus: The Story of Vigilante Chrome (Book 1 Part 1) [The Journal]

Chapter 2: One For The Team

Chapter 2: One For The Team

"You going to finish reading that mate?"

A voice came from the side of Kayde

"huh?" he replied as he looked up to see who it was.

It was Casio standing next to him, still in his pride and thick with his Australian accent, just a bit younger than his dad as they don't age as quickly as humans,

"I believe it is getting late."

"Yeah You're right," said Kayde "We should get going."

He got up with a jump and stretched

"And with school out, and summer barely starting, I'm going to start on this for sure, hopefully, I can finish by today perhaps".

"Eeh well, things like this take time mate."

It was summer vacation in the not too distant future, a beautiful afternoon in the middle of May. Kayde, now 16 years old is sitting in the Maximillian Library committing his summer to learn new things and have fun with family and friends. The library in downtown San Francisco was made to commemorate his uncle and the Maximilians, a team of heroes of San Francisco and to the world. "Earth's New Friends" was the only book Kayde had in his hand and the only book his Uncle Allan made with only a few hundred copies sold. Still, it nominated bestseller, not the most meorable title but it sold. Kayde was very familiar with the library, ever since it was made not mentioning it being inherited by his uncle. Normally he would come in on a daily basis looking and searching for things that interested him or researching what he could openly find about the Unison. Spending hours in the files and sections due to his obsession with music, history books, pop culture, trivia, memorabilia, and so many other things. However today was different, Before Allan had passed away, he gave something to Kayde to remember him by. It wasn't much, just an ordinary medallion of the Unison. Facedown of it was a keyhole like a slot, something had to be inside it, but no one knew where to find the key. The key didn't look familiar to Kayde, nor to his family or Casio comparing his medallion which had no keyhole. No keysmith was able to open it or make a key similar to it. The metal was rare and not offered to their conventional supply. They could not make a duplicate because of that, as if it was military-grade. Only one key exists to this lock, it's one of a kind. It wouldn't be long until kayde would consider taking the initiative to start a treasure hunt about it, wondering if something precious was inside. With the book in his hand and the crest on the other, he was determined to figure out what was inside it. Heading towards the check out line, Kayde was very familiar with how the librarian kept her things. Though he couldn't help but see a unison medallion of honor being held in a glass case on her desk every time he glanced by her. Only a few people are awarded those and she would have been a child to have earned one from the Unison. To his knowledge, she had no family or relatives that were part of them. The only difference from his was that the medallion didn't have a keyhole like his, just a stainless steel finish like Casio's.

"Heh, that book does bring back a lot of memories no doubt about that", Stated Casio as they checked out the book. He let out a laugh, "There's this one time-",

"Hey Don't spoil it!" Kayde laughed humorously then stopped, realizing how loud he was.

Silence fell around them. Everyone in the library turned their eyes on them, Kayde with his mouth open confused looked around as his eyes turned to the librarian. She looked at him with a disapproving face, holding a copy of the book Kayde was checking out close to herself in defense, having it cover her chest. Kayde looked ashamed, he happened to have a crush on the librarian. Alice Lockaby was her name, a human at the age of 19; she was smart, tall, with amber eyes and white middle part hair. Sadly known to most, she was born mute and spent her early life in an orphanage never knowing her parents. Her adoptive mother went missing during a break-in at their home long ago. The intruders were never found, as for their father, he had left them not long before, never to be seen again. Knowing she was always busy and alone after going back to the orphanage, Kayde became close friends after the incident and often visited her at the orphanage. Although she never knew her blood family and rarely mentioned her foster parents, He helped her often in the library once she was old enough to be there and had Allan appoint her as the librarian. so that she may live and learn to educate herself in the most graceful way available. So that she too can find things to have an interest in, just like Kayde

"I-i-...I'm s-sorry Ali...." he stuttered.

Alice let a soft breathless hush to him and pointed to a sign on her desk that said cutely but viciously,

"All people must remain courteous to others and keep your voice down!!!"

Then she said pointing two fingers to her eyes and back to kayde's.

"That means you, boss!" She signed.

Since she was born mute She often gave off signs and figures with her hands to interpret what she was saying. Understanding what she said, Kayde nodded as they were next in line. Not a word was said as she checked out their book. He couldn't help but blush in embarrassment as she gave it back. Soon walking out with their book, Alice in the distance still glancing at them.

"She always calls me that Casio."

Casio pretended not to know what Kayde said to him.

"Oh, well uh, perhaps she's trying to get at ya, BOSS".

"Very funny" Kayde laughed, "It was probably just a nickname," He thought.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder why she calls him by that. As they walked home with little wind beating on them, Kayde wondered what to do next once he got there as Casio whistled out a tune. He pulled out his grandfather's Medallion and fell into a memory lapse murmuring to himself, thinking and making guesses what could be inside.

"What do you think Casio?" kayde asked as he was about to show the medallion to him.

Casio exclaimed not paying attention, "Say again, Mate-? Not knowing where he was looking, he tripped and swung his arm and flung it out of Kayde's hands it "Oh Noo!" Kayde shouted.

Not knowing where he was going, he tripped over Casio's leg as he was turning, making them both fall. Casio quickly looked up and saw him

"Sorry mate!" Said Casio as Kayde got up and ran, "OI! I'm still on the ground mate!"

Kayde quickly ran for the medallion as it rolled away, Casio who got up having not used his legs for running in a long time was slow and uneasy.

"Don't worry mate I'll catch up! Hold On!" He exclaimed only twisting his legs and rolling down.

"I GOT IT!" shouted Kayde as he ran for it with Casio rolling down behind him.

Dodging cars and flying over wet cement signs he ran as fast as he could, so fast that everything around him seemed to slow down. When he caught up to it, he grasped with all his might to reach for the medallion before it could slide through the sewer gutters. When he caught it, he found himself about to crash into a roundabout fountain. Kayde luckily shot himself up and his arm as high as he could with the medallion in hand and was able to save it from getting wet. As he looked behind him he saw Casio rolling down the hill unable to avoid him. Together they splashed into the fountain with the book and medallion getting splashed in the process, quickly they got up all draped and semi rusted. The book was safe in Casio's hands as the medallion was saved in Kayde's, after arriving a few minutes he was able to catch up to Kayde only to see that he looked a little flushed and soaked. Luckily they were a few blocks away from home, but they couldn't help but see that people were watching, or at least saw what happened. However Kayde couldn't help but feel a presence watching them from a distance, he was known to be very observant when something embarrassing happened, such as of what just happened.

"Well mate," said Casio, "looks like we have taken one for the team"

Kayed laughed a little, "yeah I guess you're right."

As they stepped into a mansion hoping to find some closure after such a funny, but a humiliating incident in the place they called home. There was no place like home than a median home off the block in Union Square of Downtown Utopia San Francisco, California.