by Paul Vayro
Chapter Forty Eight
"You're right Bobby. I take it back. It is more of a grin than a grimace." Brick spoke to Bobby Dazzler over the visuacom onboard Magic. Playing with the pedalo had caused Magic Causality to rise towards the ceiling. Bobby had contacted them to check they were alright. From the Earthling's high vantage point they could see the craft Bobby was settling in to. The snarl painted on the front did appear to be loosening the longer the happy man stayed within it.
"There's a good heart inside this gnarl of teeth and anger. I can feel it." Bobby enthused. The Magwanvu could be seen bickering in the background of the screen on the visuacom, while Jam poked a statue depicting one battle of evil or another.
"I'm sure if anyone can find a good heart you will. I don't think we're going to be able to land this thing Bobby, even if we wanted to. I fear this may be farewell." Brick realised the ship was still rising.
"I don't think I like that statue." Jam walked into the foreground of the shot sucking his finger. "Too many pointy bits."
"What do you think of our ship Jam?" Brick confused the intoxicated warrior. Jam looked at the screen, then at Bobby, out of the window, back to the screen, two more laps, asked Bobby why the television was talking to him, took the answer into his mind, then spoke. "Is it the big purple one?"
"It is." Brick had given up and spent the last minute trying to eat one of Spiritwind's doughnuts without licking his lips.
"It fills me with a great pride. Like a colourful balloon awaiting the tearful child it is destined to heal. Carrying with it all our dreams and allowing them to reach as high as the eternal ethos without fear or questions why." The length of pause suggested he was done. Wandering off confirmed it.
"Be sure to keep in touch. Bonds of memories nurture friendships like no other adhesive; social, physical or the glue that considers itself super." Bobby began waving as his hopeful sentence ended.
"Can we do that through this thing?" Brick pointed at the screen.
"Of course, merely mention my craft's name and it will form an unbreakable connection, unless you end the call."
"What's your ship's name?" Spiritwind remembered a crucial detail.
"Harmonious Pleasantries. I shan't bid thee farewell but rather a see you later, an altogether more positive parting." Bobby slowed his wave.
"We will do Bobby." Brick and Spiritwind waved back, the bald hero finding a jacket potato on a fork to be an ample signalling device. The screen started fading to black just as The Magwanvu realised they needed to wave. The last voice to trickle across the signal belonged to Jam: "Did those three guys just wave in perfect synchronicity?"
Brick and Spiritwind left Magic to negotiate leaving the hangar and driving them home. They spent the journey exploring their new craft.
After finding a swimming pool with numerous water slides and inflatable accessories, a room of dodgem cars, a fully kitted out Yoghurt Bucket arena, a warehouse filled with pillows, a bobsled course, and a room with a field inside it that contained a pub overlooking a heated lake; they returned to the main pub area and looked for a film to watch. The duo were so engrossed flicking through the endless channels, many reporting on Hugo's triumph, even the music channel had been dedicated to Hugo's choices, they failed to realise they were home. Magic interrupted them with a polite cough.
"That sounds like it could turn nasty Magic. Do you want some medicine?" Brick wondered if there was a medical cupboard.
"I just thought you should know you're home."
"Really?" Brick headed to the far wall and pulled back a curtain revealing an entirely glass side. "Is that our house?"
"These are the co-ordinates I was given by Velos 19's main computer. Has my time in service begun with an error of unquantifiable evil? Sorry, habit."
"Are we not a little conspicuous hovering over the street in a forty foot purple egg?" Spiritwind's fourth portion of nacho's came out of the bowl in one solid chunk, melded by cheese.
"My cloaking device is firmly on. It's strictly against the law to land on an unassuming planet without it. Not that Notnice Joe cared about such rules. He would often make me swoop down on grade one and two planets, terrifying the residents. But I'm getting over the pain it caused me." Perhaps progress was being made.
"That looks like our garden. Although I've only ever seen it once from above and I was pretty drunk." Brick searched for clues.
"You do know we're still barred from using the fire brigade after that; said they'd never seen anything so ridiculous?" Spiritwind rebuked while offering a chip and dip combination.
"We all make mistakes. Anyway, focus on the future not the past. This is definitely our house. Nobody could have neighbours like ours." Brick pointed down to Rick and Biritvind's garden. A huge ball covered in netting and spikes rolled across it, ropes flailing as it went. The intended heroes flew around it. Their new training apparatus was being put to good use. "You'd think they'd never heard of a sofa." Brick and Spiritwind's sense of superior common sense united their attitude. "Should we land then?"
"Can you land in such a tight space?" Spiritwind checked Magic's capabilities, and confidence in applying them.
"Of course I can. It's my job." Brick twitched in mention of the word 'job' as Magic shrunk to no bigger than the shed they landed next to. The interior matched the decor of a lift, the doors opening as such upon landing. "I do like being able to help again." Magic's voice carried an elated tone.
The pair stepped out into their garden. "That was fun. It's always good to get out for a bit. I wonder if there's anything good on telly tonight?" Brick spoke while fishing around a box of empty vodka bottles. Finding one at the bottom he poured the back door key from it and let himself in.
"What should we do about Magic?" Spiritwind didn't want to leave their new buddy outside. It looked like rain was approaching.
"What does he want to do?"
"I don't know. Do you want to come in Magic? You may have to shrink a bit further but you're more than welcome." Spiritwind pushed the back door open a little wider.
"I'd be honoured." Magic shrunk to around the size of a football, edging closer to the door as he did. "Notnice Joe used to leave me in the vilest of places....., but I won't go into that now." Brick could swear the ship winked as it went past.
The trio had only just entered the living room when the doorbell rang. Brick popped his head into the hallway. The shadowy shapes at the door were easily recognisable as Fate and the other concepts. The hero opened the door with all the nonchalance of a teenager welcoming a carpet fitter.
"That's good timing. We only just got back, or have you been stood there for however long we were away?"
"We get alerted to any space craft entering the atmosphere." Fate answered and made his way to the living room. The contents of a party were distributed amongst the visitors.
"Has Hugo come back with you?" Karma and Irony revealed the source of their expectant smiles.
"No. I think he was busy." The grins disappeared along with the rest of their passing bodies.
"We hear you were there when he saved the universe." Coincidence whistled past with more crisps than a secret stash at a weight-watchers retreat.
"Where did you hear that?" Brick was growing frustrated.
"Not from me." They nipped past too. Coincidence continued to answer from the other room.
"We get all the latest universal news. What do you think those channels at the end of the normal ones really are? Even saw the statue, couldn't really see you guys. Your names were in a footnote though. Went past pretty fast but we saw it."
"My universal ramblers, how'd space cope with the dudes that do?" Fut gave a hug to accompany his sentence and grin.
"Let's get some drinks poured and we'll reveal all." Brick closed the door and followed Fut to the living room. The sound of bottles opening greeted them as they prepared to celebrate another victory. Magic was about to be introduced to his new lifestyle. Whether he'd remember it or not was open to drunken debate.
&n
bsp; Contents