Monkey in the Middle was worried. Not only had things gone south, things had gone from bad to worse. I should have remembered! Captain Handsome's mom was Mrs. Karen “THE BATTLESHIP” Johnson! What to do, what to do? LEV has very strict rules about S&R individuals, mostly they were NEVER to be touched. “They may save your life sometime” was the party line. Why hadn't Handy told me that the target was S&R? Then it dawned on him If he had, I wouldn't have helped. Shit.

  He still sat in the alley where it had all gone wrong. The refuse blown around by little gusts of wind. It would be dawn soon, and he would have to go into the office and file a report. “SHIT! Why do I keep getting dragged into this shit?”

  - - - - - - -

  A few hours, a shower, and a cup of coffee later, found MM in the office, surrounded by paperwork. His cubicle was a standard gray, the interior walls covered in pictures of places he had been, both for work and vacation. He had risen high in the LEV, because of his personal drive for revenge, and for his ability to actually complete jobs.

  It was an amazing place to work. Technology, hard science, magic, psionics, research and design, the list of stuff going on and on. The fact that it was also easily accessible from the main bus depot was also a good thing since MM didn't drive.

  Following the brightly lit hallways, he arrived at the mail room in the building’s basement. “April, are you here?”

  “Just a second Hun!” came the reply from beyond the counter. A moment later April stepped out from behind a large stack of boxes, one of which seemed to be glowing. April, a middle-aged woman of average height and slightly plump build, was wearing a horrid pink and purple wig, and sporting a simple dress and leggings combo that flattered her appearance. “Oh, MM, what can I do for you today?”

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  With a smile MM responded, “I need a sheet of stamps for personal use, a half dozen company mailers, and a dinner date.”

  “Well, I can help you with the first two, but you know damn well I don't date other employees, not after Paul”, came the quick response from April.

  “I miss him too. He left us to soon.” MM said with a mournful look on his face. Paul had been his best friend, best coworker, and April's fiancée. They used to all go out for drinks several times a week after work. Until. Until... Until the bastard had defected! “What did he go and do that for? Seriously! We have everything better than the heroes do. Why did he leave us?”

  “He tried to call me last week. I told him to go get screwed. That maybe he should go pall around with the Glitter Girls if he wanted to have some fun!”

  “Aren't the Glitter Girls shuffled off to some other team when they hit 18?”

  “Yup”

  “Ouch. Glad I’m not in his shoes. Oh, and April? I wasn't actually looking for a “date” as such. I was looking for a drinking buddy. I hate not having a wing...person when I go out drinking.”

  April looked up from where she was grabbing the supplies, “Oh, Hun, I'm sorry, Jimmy was just in here pestering me about going out with him, and I let it out on you instead. Sure, I'm up for some drinking. Where do you want to go?”

  “I'm thinking the Water Front would be a good spot for tonight. The company has nothing scheduled near there in the foreseeable future.”

  “I'm in! That will be $35 for the stamps and your thumb here for the mailers.”

  MM complied. “Thanks! See you there around 6:30.”

  “Bye now” April waved, and went back to moving the boxes that kept coming in. Most were three times her size.