Fiction Challenge #4:
Dialogue
by Direwolf

Fade into a rooftop at the edge of the Devil's Kitchen in Patriot City, late November 1964....

"Hey Iron, what are you doing?"

"Jeeze, Wolf, don't sneak up on me like that! How'd a big guy like you get to move so quiet?"

"Clean living, and not going around dressed like a Chrysler station wagon. What are you eating?"

"Peanuts. Can't exactly fit a cheeseburger in the mouth slit on this armor. You want some?"

"Sure. I got some bottled water and beef jerky, we can trade. So how'd you get up here?"

"The old fashioned way. I climbed the fire escape. Not everyone jumps around like a flea on a griddle."

"Surprised it held your weight. So, what are you doing?"

"It didn't have to support your ego as well as my armor, so the fire escape held, Wolf. And I'm taking a break from my patrol. It's quiet today."

"You will note I am resisting the temptation to come back with ‘too quiet'. But you're right, not a lot going on to attract a Vigilante's interest today."

<Chuckle> "I suspect it's the holiday. With Thanksgiving so close, any live turkey is going to keep his head down so it don't get cut off!"

"Makes sense. You brought reading matter as well. The Killing Skies, the memories of Baron Manfred Von Richthofen. What's with the book?"

"Ever since that demon damn near took off my head last month, I decided to read up on some tactics, Wolf. Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, the book of five Rings, the battles of Alexander, and now Richthofen. Got a problem with that?"

"Not at all, I was really wondering how you carried it, and the peanuts. Not like you got pockets in that armor."

"Ha! See these things at my side? They're cargo compartments, make taking stuff along a snap."

"Ingenious, you should pack a chess board, that way we could both practice strategic thinking..."

(A few moments of silence with only the sounds of chewing and swallowing...)

"So, Wolf, an important question for you, seeing as you'd know best. Who's hotter, Eve or Alche-Miss?"

"What?"

"Oh come on. You've teamed with Freedom Force a couple of times, who's cuter?"

"Iron! I'm trying to be a pro at this! I don't eye my fellow heros just because they fill out their spandex in interesting ways...."

(Silence)

"....but, while Eve has that whole, "I can't wait for fall looking' going, Alche-Miss has the hair and that accent."

"Haaa! I knew it! Direwolf, talk about an apt name! Now rumor has it that brown haired young lady in the jacket that was here for a while was easy on the eyes as well. Too bad she had a thing for the old brooding Wolf look or I would have shown her some of my moves. Good thing you never brought her by or old Iron would have stolen her heart"

(laughter). "I wouldn't suggest trying anything with her, not unless you want whatever waste recycling system you got in that armor to suddenly back up!"

"You're just trying to keep all the ladies for yourself. What kind of bud does that and doesn't share with his partner?"

"Partner! As I recall the first time we met, you hit me with a hammer."

"Right. Guess I should have said sidekick seeing as I'm the star of this little road show."

"When's the last time your picture showed up in the newspaper, wise guy?"

"So, I'm a stealthy star..."

Boom

".... What was that?"

"Sounded like a boom to me."

"Stick with the super hero gig, Wolf, you'll never make it as a comic. I know it's a boom."

"Then why did you ask?"

"WOLF!!!!!"

"Okay, it sounded like one of El Diablo's Inferno attacks about a quarter mile north of here. There's another."

"Wonder what's up...."

"Let's ask, there's a squad car down there. Looks like Dunlevy's driving. HEY DUNLEVY, UP HERE!"

"Hey Direwolf! Hello, Cold Iron. What's going on?"

"Sounds like something's going down north of here. I think Diablo is throwing fireballs. Can you check for us, please?"

"Feeling kind of snoopy tonight are you? I'll check with dispatch."

"Better stash your book and peanuts, we might have to move out quick. What? She's laughing. What is it Officer?"

"You aren't going to believe this. El Diablo and Liberty Lad were over at the Patriot City Mall for a Rotary Club pre-Christmas holiday shopping event, when, get this, the mechanical display just decided to attack them. They are battling robots that look like Pilgrims and {giggle} cold spewing robot turkeys! Something blew up Santa's sack and it's raining candy canes!

{Laughter}

"Oh come on, Iron, we got to go."

"You don't think they can handle this on their own, sounds like either Mister Mechanical is barrowing from Nuclear Winter's play book or the other way around. And they must have a weird sense of humor."

"Are you telling me you wouldn't pay money to see El Diablo have to battle tooth and nail with cold spewing robotic turkeys?"

"Yeah, not to mention getting to see a mechanical Miles Standish put the beat down on The Man's flag faced side kick, this is going to better then the SuperBowl. Thanks officer, we'll go lend a hand."

"Let's get moving, your ponderous armored butt is going to slow us down."

"You keep talking like that, my ponderous boot is going to get wedged in that stony butt of yours. And what's the rush? We time this right, we should be able to show up just as fire foot gets encased in ice by, say it with me, Cold Spewing Robotic Turkeys!"

"Come on Iron, they are bound to be lots of bystanders. We can have fun but we need to help."

"Killjoy."

"Rust bucket."

"Vermin!!!"

"Hood Ornament!!!"

{Laughter} "That was a good one Wolf. Your hero patter is getting better. By the way, in case I get cold cocked or something. Happy Thanksgiving, man!"

"Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. But if you get knocked out, we're going to change you name to Cold Cuts. That armor does make you look like a walking refrigerator, you know."

{Voices fade out....}