The Stelter City Saga: Ultranatural Read online

  “We don’t just steal cars you know,” continued the leader. “I have a variety of jets I am willing to let you board. Tomorrow I can arrange for you to fly privately. There will be no pilot, but I assure you the plane will operate perfectly.”

  Ace’s jaw dropped as he gawked at the leader. “Thank you,” he finally sputtered, “Thank you so much.”

  “Don’t mention it.” There was something sinister about the way Dohnatello voiced that, as if it was a threat. “I will have one of my shoufwers escort you to the correct wing. Expect to be boarded by dawn.” And with that he left the room; the pair of High members trailing after him.

  ~What better place to hold a gang wedding reception than the penthouse of a luxurious South Side Stelter hotel? Night had just kissed dusk and from the towering view, anyone could watch the sun set in the slivers between skyscrapers. The fiery ball of light slowly sank to the last of its orange glory, taking with it the comforting pinks and purples painted across the sky. There wasn't a cloud to decorate the endlessly black canvass above. Not even a star twinkled nor did the moon make an appearance.

  The guests had all changed from there pale traditional attire to the more comfortable party dress. Lots of legs and bare backs were exposed as the woman scurried across the roof top in their meter tall heels. None of them made a comment about the icy breeze slightly rocking the tower. They only continued to jabber about their latest car working and foreign acts of thievery as they snacked on refreshments.

  Paper lanterns and splotches of blue and gold decorated the spacious root top. Elegant Christmas lights were streamed along the protective glass fencing the perimeter. In the very center of the reception sat a spacious round pool. Themed candles in glass bowls drifted across the surface as the wind tossed them around. On the other side of the pool stood an enormous tented pavilion from which the gests were to feast once the wedded had arrived.

  The problem was that Rose and DH hadn't shown up yet, and a crowd of close friends awaited them with bottles of Champaign. It was tradition to shower the newly weds with alcohol as they walked into the reception. Then they would jump in a pool in front of the whole gang regardless of how freezing the water was.

  Ace glanced at the silver watch beneath his white cuff. He and Lee were supposed to remain in their white gowns since they were the second most honored individuals. Rose and DH might have stayed in their gowns except for the fact that they were about to be showered in sticky beverages. After all, that was the point in being showered by Champaign. It was still an elegant event, so the married couple couldn't just show up in sweatpants and a t-shirt. They had to look nice, but at the same time, they couldn't wear expensive things since they were intentionally getting them stained. So, traditionally, they wore something old fashioned.

  The small crowd was mashed up by the blue glass elevator doors. From the inside the elevator, every inch was tinted so the people from within wouldn't be able to see a thing outside and at the same time allowed all eyes from the out to see the people in ward.

  A small flock of chit-chatters stood guard on the ledge of the rooftop under a grove of paper lanterns. Occasionally their eyes fell to the front doors eighty floors below, watching for the bride and groom. But when no one appeared they went right back to talking and rubbing their freezing arms.

  Lee waited beside Ace at the very front of the Champaign spraying crowd. The bottle of brown fluid had grown warm in her hands but like the rest of the crowd she too was cold.

  Ace flung his coat around her shoulders at the sight of her slight shivering and she smiled with gratitude. "What's taking so long?" she finally asked.

  Ace shrugged and glanced back down at his wrist. "Maybe they got lost coming back from the photo shoot?" he suggested.

  Right after the chapel, DH and Rose had driven off to Garden Park for their wedding pictures. After conversing with the High Krome, Ace and Lee managed to meet up with them just in time to be added to the last of their pictures.

  Shortly after the session was over, Rose had announced that she and her husband were going to change into their more-than-willing-to-be-drenched-in-alcohol outfits. Since Ace and Lee didn't have to change, they would head straight for the reception and the newly-weds would arrive half an hour later. But it was starting to grow to an hour and there was still no sign of them.

  For the fourth time one of the champagne holding Krome members had suggested they call them. But before any one else could make a rude comment, a light blinked from atop the elevator indicating that someone was ascending. All around the crowd grew silent save for a rowdy person shouting, "I thought you were supposed to be on look out!"

  "We have been watching!" the girl with an up turned nose and an annoyingly naggy voice objected. She was standing with a group of her friends not too far away peering down at the hotel’s entrance. "It's just so cold up here!"

  "Maybe you shouldn't have been wearing that skank of an outfit, Chelsea." the guy in the crowd yelled back.

  Chelsea had hollered something vulgar in response, but all eyes were glued to the tinted elevator as DH's head first slid into view. He was looking down at his wife probably mentioning how old fashioned she looked in that velvet and lace dress of hers.

  Rose wore a 1990's inspired black velvet gown with a humongous white collar. It was so big, it looked like a miniature cape as it hung about her shoulders. An equally enormous creme colored bow sat on the back of her head. The material looked like something made of half plastic and half silk. Ace couldn’t help but to snicker at her sight. She looked like she was about to attend a funeral and go study in a private school all at the same time.

  DH, on the other hand, actually didn't look too bad. It was evident that his flavor was in the same era as his wife's, yet it was just a suit and tie. It was the material that made it look old. The coat of his outfit looked as if it had been speckled with random shades of grey and looked wooly- not smooth and silky like his blue tie and even lighter blue button up.

  The elevator arrived with a ding now and the doors slid open. Ace popped off the lid of his champagne bottle. He was among the first to spray his comrades and joined the crowd between shouts of, "What took you so long?!" and "We've been waiting up here all night!"

  By the time Ace had downed the bottle, he had managed to get half of his shirt soaked and sticky before wiggling his way out of the crowd and setting the empty bottle in a trash can. When he looked back, Rose and DH had already made it to the bright blue pool with the flock of foam- spraying gangsters surrounding them.

  Rose looked up at DH and wiped away a clump of alcohol from her eyes. Her scarlet hair clung to her face with stickiness. She hopped into DH's arms and he cradled her there like a baby. When the last bottle was used to drench DH's coat, he leapt into the pool.

  Rose let out a startled shriek before they both hit the water with an enormous splash. Fortunately, the hotel managers had kept the pool heated, so it was like jumping into a large warm bath tub.

  The crowd cheered and slowly began to fade into the party as DH kissed his bride all the way to the edge of the pool. Aaron was waiting for them there with a matching pair of towels. "You done?" he asked over their tangle of lips and wet limbs.

  "Yes," Rose gasped pulling away and gazing up at her husband. "For now anyway." she glanced up at Aaron noticing him for the first time. "Are those for us?" she asked eyeing the towels in his hands as water clung to her heavily mascaraed lashes.

  "This is the only present I bought you so, I hope you like it." replied Aaron.

  "Love it!" DH exclaimed as Aaron extended a hand to lift Rose out of the water.

  Just then Malachi Sarzanouski rushed by and shoved the High Krome in the back. With a gigantic splash, Aaron crumpled into the warm chlorinated water- towels and all. He stood up in the meter deep water sputtering, and caught the last sight of Malachi's fare blond hair vanishing into the crowd.

  "Well that sucks," Aaron muttered glancing down at his drenched white attire. His dragon tattoo b
led through the sleeves of his white shirt. "At least I know I can win a wet t-shirt contest."

  Aside from the laughter of the crowd, there was another one that was much closer and heading their way. Aaron glanced up to see Ace approaching with his hands jammed into his damp silvery pockets. "I shouldn't be laughing, but you had to admit, that was pretty funny."

  "Do you guys need a towel?" asked Lee as she arrived on the scene. She was running a damp rag along her fare arms and trying to wash away as much champagne from her hair as she could. "One of the hotel workers gave me this one."

  Rose nodded, "If you don't mind Lee. I'd just hate to have to drip dry."

  "Not at all," she glanced at Ace, "I think I'll bring one for you, just incase you get pushed in too."

  "I won't get pushed in." Ace vowed.

  Aaron laughed, "That's what I thought."

  Lee walked away giggling and Ace took a cross-legged seat by the waters edge. "How does it feel to be married?" be asked as DH and Rose locked fingers under the water.

  "Like a dream come true." DH answered though his eyes were locked to his wife.

  "I never thought I could be this happy." replied Rose.

  Aaron cooed then splashed them playfully. "I can't tell you how overjoyed I am for you Rose. And I wish you the best of luck."

  "Thanks," she beamed and splashed him back. When Aaron didn’t commence the splash war, she turned to Ace and asked, "Did Dohnatello talk to you?"

  “Sure did.” replied Ace scooting closer to the water’s edge. “Thank you for hooking me up by the way. He offered to fly us in a private jet.”

  Aaron nodded, "Cool, guess you found out they were supernatural too?"

  Ace nodded, "Why didn't you ever tell me?”

  Aaron shrugged and swatted away a moth drifting across the surface of the water. "Even the High Krome gotta keep secrets. We can't just go blabbing. As far as I know, most of the gang doesn’t even know we have supernaturals in the High. Even if they did, you're still far more popular than they would ever be."

  Ace glanced around. He hadn't registered it until Aaron mentioned, but throughout the entire wedding, he seemed to have made eye contact with quite a number of strangers. Even as he glanced around, there was a clique of girls by the punch bowl that turned at his gaze. Even from the other end of the rooftop, among the elegant tables, there sat a group of ten year olds with their eyes locked in his direction.

  "I'm starting to think that whole media blitz is coming back." Ace confessed when he finished scanning the scene.

  Aaron shook his head, "Nope. The word on the street is that you're the King. Yes, your little car chase gave you some oomph in fame, but no one pays attention to the news. But people talk, and after three months, the whole of Tarrillian South Side knows you as the King."

  "Last I checked no one even knew about the Legend."

  "They didn't, but because of you they know." Aaron lowered his voice and edged a little closer to Ace. "Look, I'm not sure how it worked. People might not believe their eyes, but they'll believe what comes out of their friends mouths. Now imagine one blitz of media grabbing the attention of one in a million. Now that one is going to tell their friends. Then their friend's, friends. It takes time. But if ever you want to get a message across in the streets, start with the underground."

  "Sounds like high school gossip." DH mentioned.

  "But think about this." Aaron began, "How did the Legend even start? No one posted a video on the internet. No one blogged about it, no one put it on TV. Someone had to tell people about it."

  "But that takes time, doesn't it?" Ace inquired, "There are many cities on every continent, and many gangs in each city. You can't tell me that one person went around telling everyone a story... And everybody just happened to believe."

  "Maybe their supernatural gift is the power of jabber-jawing." DH offered. Rose snickered but her husband caught sight of Aaron’s expression. "Or maybe not."

  "But it happened, alright?" spoke Aaron, turning back to Ace.

  Again, this revelation sparked even more questions. What had been going on with his race during the twelve years of life he couldn't remember? Had the supernatural always been out in the open? Or was it a secret? Who started this rumor of a King and why?

  His mind was spinning out of control now and he took a deep breath. Every ounce of his being needed the answers. He had to go to Heleow; he couldn't wait any longer.

  "You’re still dry," Lee mentioned when she showed up with four large beach towels.

  "Told you I would be." Ace replied.

  Aaron was the first one to climb out, but instead of taking a towel, he helped Rose out of the water. They dried off quickly and used the towels as shields against the wind. DH ended up using Ace's spare towel since he was so tall.

  "Time to dance?" DH asked as he tied the towel around his neck like a cape.

  "Dinner first darling, then dance." Said Rose then turned to the two most honored guests. "I hope you prepared a speech that'll make me sob buckets of tears." she remarked as they headed for the pavilion.

  Ace shrugged, "I've never been the best story teller, but I'll try."

  "What about you, Lee?" she asked, "Am I gunna cry? I've already cried a lot today."

  The girls bounded ahead chit-chatting as Ace and Aaron lingered behind. "How did you come across this information?" Ace asked as they stepped into the pavilion. Half of the guests had already grabbed their food from the buffet line.

  "I've met him," Aaron finally confessed as they stepped across the empty dance floor. Now here was nothing ahead but an elevated platform. Atop it sat a long rectangular table draped with blue and gold cloth.

  "Your joking." Ace stated a bit louder than he intended, "You've met the- but you’ve told me you haven’t! That’s why you always called me- How long have you known?!"

  "Two years."

  "Two years?" gaped Ace, "Were you supposed to keep it a secret?"

  "I still am." the High Krome replied then glanced around nervously. He made eyes with Dohnatello and Avery at the High Krome table right in front of the dance floor. "Spectacular,” he mumbled sarcastically, “now they’re going to shoot me."

  Dohnatello's hearing was superb enough to give him slight nod.

  Aaron stuck out his tongue. "He's going to Heleow tomorrow anyway!" he called then turned to Ace, "But this stuff is top notch secret. I know it must be killing you inside to know but you'll be in Hawaii in no time."

  They had made it to the platform and Aaron clasped his hand on Ace's shoulder. "Besides you're at a wedding. Live a little before your whole world gets blown." then he disappeared to sit at the High Krome table.

  The four clambered on to the platform and Ace took his place on the other side of the groom before watching the pavilion slowly fill with people. Some were already drunk. Some were going back to the buffet line for thirds. Others, mostly the offspring of gang members, just sat there kicking their feet beneath the seats and staring off into space.

  Lee kept an eye on the little ones adoring their cuteness. A boy with ruffled hair handed a plate of cake to his younger sister. Another group of children were playing cowboys and Indians beneath the tables. She smiled at that, and wondered what Rose and DH's children would be like. As Lee sat there scanning, her eyes collided with a boy who sat across the dance floor directly in front of her. He was a short fellow probably around the age of twelve. His brown porcupine hair stood straight up making him look an inch or two taller. He puckered his blueberry cheesecake stained lips at Lee then gave her a wink.

  She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing and leaned back in her seat to call for Ace. But he too was calling for her with one of his fingers jammed in the direction of the boy. They both stifled their laughter and when Lee looked back, the boy had thrown on a pair of sunglasses and was leaned back in what was meant to be a cool and relaxed pose.

  Lee giggled then blew a kiss at the boy. At this sight, the boy was so excited he nearly fell out of hi
s seat. "When are we going to start the dance?" she asked leaning toward Rose so that she could be heard over the growing voices of the guests. "I know who I want to dance with."

  "Ace?" guessed the bride.

  Lee pointed across the dance floor at the boy then gave the universal gesture for 'call me'. Instead of falling out of his seat, the boy nodded cooly and mouthed any time baby before sealing it with a blown kiss.

  Rose threw her head back with violent laughter then nudged her husband to tell him about the boy. When she finished DH had wiped the smirk off his face and a hotel waiter had come to take their order.

  The food was exquisite, and Lee had downed her entire plate of lemon chicken in no time. Since she was the first one done, Rose had suggested she make her speech first. Lee had never spoken in public before, but for some odd reason, she wasn't scared at all.

  A hotel worker handed Lee a microphone and the whole crowd went silent. Lee cleared her throat and one of the drunker men in the audience whistled. "Sing Lotus, sing!" he exclaimed.

  Lee flushed, "Well, I'm not Lotus Stelter..." she turned and glanced at the newly-weds.

  DH shrugged and Rose waived for her to go on.

  "Well I haven't even been with these guys for a year, but it seems like I've known them for an eternity." she began, not sure if she should be facing the audience or facing her friends. From an awkward angle she continued, "They have been two of the best friends I have ever met in my entire life. When I'm with them, I feel like family. A couple months after I met Devon-Henry," the crowd chuckled at the groom's real name, "he took me to meet his grandmother. She was the cutest little thing, and she made us some chocolate peanut butter bars- anyway, she had DH introduce me but was disappointed when she found out I wasn't his fiancé." again the crowd chuckled, and Lee smiled, "She went on to ask him when she was going to see great grandkids and his answer was: "When I meet the right woman."

  "Well, little did we know that at the time, he already met the right woman. They just hadn't hooked up yet. But I could see it coming. We had spent some time talking and he had confessed to me once or twice that he had the biggest crush on Rose. I don't blame him, I mean look at her. Isn't she just gorgeous?"