CHAPTER 27
If this were a movie, we’d be mid-battle right now, I thought to myself as I watched the numbers tick by on the gas pump. Movies never showed the superhero stopping for gas. It went inspirational speech—or in my case a paltry excuse for one—then the epic battle. Never did they show the Batmobile at the Gas-N-Go. Alfred probably handled all that kind of stuff for the Caped Crusader. I needed an Alfred. If this turned into a permanent gig, I should look into that.
The gas station door chimed and Gabe came out. His arms overflowed with chips, beef jerky, and a two liter of pop.
I gaped at him in slack-jawed astonishment. “What are you doing?”
“What?” He asked. “It’s a long drive, so I got snacks.”
“We’re not going on a road trip to an amusement park! We’re facing the forces of darkness, remember?”
“Yeah, so? I’m hungry,” he shrugged. “It’s like before my games, there’s no point in getting my game face on until I get there. In the meantime—road trip!”
“I bet Robin never made Batman stop for chips,” I muttered under my breath as I returned the nozzle to its resting place on the pump. I turned back toward the truck and saw a spiky blonde head bop around the side of the building. “Kendall! You’re supposed to be halfway to Memphis by now!”
She threw her hands up. “I’m going; I’m going! I just had to stop to pee. It’s a long flight.”
I squeezed the bridge of my nose between my fingers and shook my head. We had to be the lousiest warriors ever.
Gabe rolled down my driver’s side window and leaned out. “What are you waiting on? We goin’ or what?”
Batman had it easy. He was an only child.
The Conduit Page 30