Ryan's Apartment
Azalea, Michael, and Ryan arrived to the apartment drenched from the
rain.
"About time you came back," a woman said, answering the door.
"Sorry sis," Ryan shot back. "It's not my fault that it's pouring
right now."
"Well, dinner's ready. I'll be in my room if you need me." the woman
left.
"Who's she?" Michael asked.
"Grace. Her apartment was trashed due to a vandalism robbery and
she's staying with me until the remodeling's finished." Ryan said. "You wanna
eat first or shower first?"
"I'll go shower, I'm not that hungry," Azalea said.
"Me too," Michael agreed.
"Your sister makes good food, Ryan," Michael said, between bites.
"Say it, don't spray it," Azalea shot back.
"'Scuse me," Michael retorted.
Ryan came over. "So, what are your plans once you get back on your
feet?" he asked.
"I'm heading to San Francisco. I want to know what happened to my
parents," Azalea answered.
"You were born in San Fran?" Michael asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"That's where I was born too...wait, how old are you?"
"15. Born on October 27, 2008."
"Odd...I was born on March 15, 2007."
"You're seventeen, I'm fifteen, what's the difference?" Azalea asked.
"What if we're related?"
"Impossible. You two don't even look alike. It's not every day a
blue-eyed redhead boy is related to a green-eyed blonde girl," Ryan voiced
in.
"But still, maybe impossibility is not what it seems..." Azalea said.
**********
Somewhere in Washington
"This is your fault." Rena muttered
"My fault?! Damn that patient Azalea!" Lydexter retorted back.
"Keep it quiet in there," the security guard shouted.
"Take a good look at that girl. Do you recognize her?"
Rena took a hard stare at Azalea. "No. I think your mind's playing
tricks, Jonathon."
"Dammit, I know that kid looks familiar...and that boy she's with,
Michael...his name rings a bell..."
**********
April 30, 2024
Seattle
"Darren, Darren, Darren..." Michael muttered to himself, looking for
his family history on Ryan's computer. "Damn. No history of any family with
last name Darren."
"My turn!" Azalea propped her crutches against the desk. "Letsee...
there's a Leanne Hayes, but she doesn't look like the woman in my locket."
"What locket? You never mentioned anything about a locket back at the
Asylum." Michael said.
"If I had mentioned it Lydexter would've confiscated and sold it for
torture money. It's the only thing I have left of my family." Azalea dug out
a worn heart-shaped locket and opened it. A red-haired woman and auburn man
stared at Azalea and Michael.
"You got something to treasure for your life. All I have is a plastic
sleeve to protect this photo." Michael pulled out a photo from his wallet. It
was a blond-haired man and a brunette lady.
"Are they your parents?" Azalea asked.
"I don't know. I found it in the orphanage I was at before the
Asylum. The director doesn't know who they are either."
Ryan looked at the two teens from the kitchen. 'Hmm...both of them
are orphaned...' Sneaking a look at the pictures, he thought he recognized
one of them. 'Maybe Jennifer and Scott can help Michael and Azalea...'
**********
May 1, 2024
Ryan got up early, making sure not to wake up Grace. Michael and
Azalea weren't in their temporary rooms. 'Strange...'
Walking outside, he noticed Azalea and Michael watching the sun rise.
"What are you guys doing out here?" he asked.
"Watching the sun rise. What about you?" Azalea asked.
"About to visit some friends."
"This early?" Michael asked.
"They work at a studio for a cartoon show. They have to get up early.
Feel free to tag along if you want." Ryan headed to the garage.
"Sure." Azalea and Michael followed Ryan to his car.
Ryan parked his car in front of a dull-colored building. "Well, here
we are."
Going into the hallway, the trio was greeted by two voices conversing
with each other. "I accept this Detective of the Year award, and I want to
thank all the little people who made it possible," a male's voice drifted.
"Oh please. You didn't win yet, Zack," a female's voice retorted.
"Hey hey, you and Jasmine are good, but face it, Ivy, I'm good AND
good-looking. Yeah, may the best man win," the boy's voice replied back.
"Jennifer? Scott?" Ryan opened the door slightly.
The two voice actors took off their headsets and turned to look at
Ryan, Michael, and Azalea. "Hey Thompson! Whassup?" Scott and Ryan high-fived
each other. "Who are your guests today?"
"They're Michael and Azalea."
"Hi guys," Azalea said.
"Yo," Michael greeted.
"Hey, wanna get some breakfast?" Jennifer asked.
"Sure. How about Norms?" Ryan suggested.
"Fine by me. Jen and I still need to finish up some voicing, so you
go ahead. We'll come." Scott replied.
Just then a woman ran down the hall screaming, "There's a fire!
Everyone evacuate!"
"Okay, forget the voicing--come on!" Ryan and the others took off
while Azalea struggled to keep up with her crutches.
"Wait up! I can't keep up with you!" Azalea shouted.
"No, we can't wait! I'm carrying you." Ryan scooped Azalea up and
gave her crutches to Michael.
Safely outside the building an explosion leveled the studio. "Who
would want to bomb a studio?" Jennifer asked, shaking her head.
"I don't know, Jennifer. I don't know," Ryan sighed, settling Azalea
back on her feet.
"Can we talk about this at Norms? I'm in need of a good breakfast,"
Michael said.
Norms
"Too bad Acme's not on the case," Jennifer sighed, sipping her
coffee.
"Who's Acme?" Michael asked, stuffing his face full of eggs.
"Acme was the greatest detective agency there ever was. Had an
impressive roster of detectives, including Carmen Sandiego, Suhara, Zack
Darren and his sister Ivy, Lee Jordan...sadly around the time of the Wall
Street crash Zack and Ivy were killed when they were attending a family
reunion. Carmen had already become a thief back in the 1980s, Lee was in jail
and he still is." Scott explained.
"What happened to the detectives?" Azalea asked.
"No one knows where Carmen is today. Some say she died during the
Wall Street crash. Others say she fled Paris and settled in some other
country under an assumed name. You already know what happened to Zack and
Ivy. Lee's still in jail. Detective Suhara fled to Japan and later died
there. Everyone else was either killed, disappeared, or were sent to exile.
Acme stands no more in San Francisco." Scott continued.
"Is this Zack and Ivy related to the Zack and Ivy you two were voice
acting?" Michael asked.
"I don't think so. The Zack and Ivy in the cartoon don't have last
names," Ryan answered.
"There is one odd thing about the Darren siblings," Jennifer said.
"What's that?" Azalea asked.
"Zack and Ivy each had a child. Zack had a son, Ivy had a daughter.
Their babies were with them at the family reunion during the massacre but
survived somehow. Since then no one knows what happened to the children among
Acme's exiled community," Jennifer said. "Sounds too good to be true, in my
opinion."
"Maybe..." Ryan drifted off, looking at Azalea and Michael.
Something clicked inside him...he couldn't pinpoint it. But maybe it
was the eyes...especially Michael's. The blue eyes reminded him of another
time...then his mind flashed back to yesterday, when Azalea and Michael were
looking at their pictures...then to his old home in San Francisco...yes!
Michael had greatly resembled the now deceased Zackary Michael Darren back in
his teens!
"Earth to Ryan, wake up!" Azalea waved her hand in front of Ryan's
face, causing him to blink.
"Huh? What did I miss?" Ryan asked.
"You kinda spaced out while we were talking," Jennifer said.
"Sorry," Ryan apologized. "Just that something's been on my mind
lately."
**********
May 10, 2024
Seattle
"'Jonathon Lydexter acquitted, Inspector Janette Rena found guilty,'"
Ryan said. "Uh oh. This doesn't bring good news."
"What's up?" Azalea asked.
"Lydexter's acquitted. He might go back to his old ways," Michael
answered.
"RYAN! PHONE FOR YOU!" Grace's voice shouted from the kitchen.
Ryan ran to the kitchen and picked up the phone. "Hello? What? Are
you joking? No? Alright, bye." Ryan hung up. "A friend of mine found out
Lydexter's already got Amy and Jacob, former patients of the Asylum."
"Oh no..." Azalea said.
"What are we gonna do now?" Michael asked.
"There's only one thing I can only help. You'll have to flee Seattle.
If Lydexter catches you you'll never get out of the Asylum sane again. For
now, you guys will have to stay inside the apartment. Don't answer the phone.
Don't answer the door. Don't look out the windows. Do whatever you can to
avoid detection."
**********
May 14, 2024
Seattle Airport
"Goodbye, you guys," Jennifer hugged Azalea and Michael.
"It was fun being with you even for only a day," Scott added.
"Call me when you reach San Francisco," Ryan said, handing an envelop
to Azalea. "I'll miss you."
"We'll miss you guys," Michael replied, quietly.
Azalea opened the envelop. It had contained Ryan's number and a check
of two thousand dollars. "Ryan, you shouldn't have."
Soon, Michael and Azalea's flight was annouced.
As the two teens looked back at Ryan, they felt a tinge of sadness...
he was so much like a dad to them. A dad that never existed for the two.
'Well, San Francisco, here we come.' Azalea thought, pocketing the
envelop.
(
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