It was Monday night.
Sarah and I started hanging out early on this day.
We typically hung out Mondays at 9pm.
It was an unseasonably warm January day.
We wandered around the Plaza.
As I weighed food options, between Tomfoolerie's and the California Pizza Kitchen, glass shattered nearby.
My mind's 'excuse for disappearing for a bit to become Cow Defender' Rolodex was coming up short.
I was tired of telling people I had an upset stomach or bladder problems.
Sarah turned to me, “Stay here, my bladder feels funny.”
I was relieved, and a bit excited to see her as a superhero.
I seized my opportunity and ducked into Valencia Plaza Parking.
I became Cow Defender, and dashed to the source of the cacophony.
After a brief dash I discovered the broken jewelry store.
It was the same jewelry store that the Drays attempted to rob weeks ago.
I could see what was likely Sarah Chaar. Her superhero form was more literal than I'd expected. A Sarah-shaped flame. She noticed me.
“Cow Defender, great, I may need your help.”
Sarah, the store and I converged.
We stood before a dark, gaping hole.
A voice came from the darkness.
“Chaar, so glad you made it.”
“Residue, you should just give up now.”
Then, much to my consternation, he did.
The darkness abated, a man became perceptible.
He was clad in a bright green rubberized suit reminiscent of a containment suit. A black 'R' on his chest. A hood and an eye-mask covered his head.
He sat down a burlap sack, raised his hands.
He walked out and laid down at Chaar's feet, face down.
Sarah shouted, “Someone call the cops!”
I shook my head, “Why did that happen?”
Residue chimed in, “Because she always beats me. I can't even come close to competing.”
“Oh, right.”
Chaar turned to me, “He told me he'd strike here and now.”
“But why?”
Residue again spoke, “She can only become the ball of fire on a weekly basis.”
Sarah seemed angered by that comment, “Stop telling people that.”
Conversation stalled as we waited for the police.
After Residue was taken away, Sarah turned to me.
“Cow Defender, I'm going to need your help.”
“Oh?”
“I don't know if you know who I am. My name is the Chaar, and like Residue said, my powers only work once each calender week. Residue said he'd rob this jewelry store. I heard the shatter, verified it was him and fired up. Residue forces me to use my powers and arranges for badness to go on later in the week knowing I'm truly powerless to stop it. I'll need you to stop his plan, Cow Defender.”
“Do you know what the follow-up will be?”
“Nope.”
“Is there something he's always trying to steal? Some dark force he's trying to summon?”
“He's just a jerk.”
I knew this wasn't going to be easy.
And it wasn't.
I didn't hear until weeks later that Residue had an evil sidekick break him out of prison. He'd knocked out all of downtown's streetlights at 4:30pm on Wednesday. He'd clogged the city's water mains. Many ruptured and the city's utility workers had difficulty getting to them due to all the traffic problems.
I'd hoped the Chaar wouldn't be too upset.
I was too used to trouble finding me to know how to find it.
back to: CD Central Just by July