Intern at S.T.A.R. Labs

It was a good hard day at work, everyone happy with the amount of work they got done with virtually no setbacks. Adrian was complimenteed by his new coworkers till his chest grew three sizes. As routine he said good bye to the guard and he reciprocated. On to the bus stop as usual.

Adrian got the bus and his faviourite seat, he admired the moving view outside a bit longer thinking back to his first day going back home after accomplishing his dream and now living it. He could almost here that guy who couldn't pay for his ticket like it was that day again.. oh wait.

"I'll pay for him" Adrian said as he passed change for the fair to a man in a dirty trench coat.

"Thanks kiddo"

"You owe me twice now, Mr. Detective"

"Aw come on I thought the first one was me charming you"

"It was not and you owe me."

"How bout you hire me and I'll give you a discount"

"I'm not in need of a detective yet, maybe in the future"

"Private Investigator, not a detective anymore"

"Same difference"

"It is NOT! I AM NOT, not anymore" Ralph lashed out at Adrian , then calmed himself down. "sorry for shouting".

"Yeah , sorry if I said something bad." Adrian said softly guessing he touched a nerve.

"How bout you, how is your job going?" Ralph asked steering the conversation away.

"Its going great, it's a dream come true. Working in S.T.A.R. Labs , in the same building as Dr. Harrison Wells and so many other great minds. Working on so much cool stuff which will basically shape the future, I mean I haven't got to work much as I'm still in training but still. Also the particle accelerator is so cool. And big. I got to see the particle injection and accelerator ring, it defiantly ranks in the top 3 moments of my life now". Adrian fanboying as usual.

" Seems you're having fun. That's the best kind of job you can have, somewhere you feel you can make the world a better place." Ralph sounded like an Old man then. "Like the fine woman in the club"

'Guess I gave him too much credit'.

" We should go there sometime, I know a great place, the wings are to die for. You're new here, chicks love a traveler." Ralph added.

"No thanks , I have someone in my eye—Wait, how did you know I'm new here, I never told you that". Adrian felt uneasy.

"Private eyes with great ties, Mr. Brown. So who's the chick you like, probably some nerd scientist". Ralph teased and drifted the conversation again.

Adrian goes on describing Ms. Powel in great detail, all his interactions with her , her story, hearing all this Ralph had just one response.

" You should come to the Strip Club with me." Ralph said with a straight face.

" Wha- How did you come to that conclusion, I just told you about the love of my life and –" Adrian gets cut off.

"WOAH woah woah, hold your horses, see that's the reason. You're young and naïve , you jump in to the relation too fast and you lack experience. You need to get with some ladies and grow up to be a gentleman." Ralph adviced.

"Maybe you're right. I'll see when I can get a free day and I'll call you." Adrian sighed at his incompetence and naivete.

" Oh ,then note down my number, the one on my card is only my Office phone". Ralph added.

" Okay yeah, huh. Guess I missed his call, wait a minute." Adrian finally noticed the missed calls from John and tries calling him.

"Guess he's busy, Ill just text him later, yeah so what's your number".

"So this friend is it—" Ralph talking suggestively.

"It's a dude. He's my best friend since childhood."

" You need more lady friends dawg. This is where the Life Coach Ralph will help you."

"Werent you a PI."

" I can do both. An investigator must be versatile."

Ralph then notices the stop that just went by and gets ready to get off on the next stop. Adrian notices and asks where is he heading to now.

"So about that previous job how's it going?" Adrian asked as he pulled out his phone for getting his contact.

" Oh, I have a new lead on my case and I have to visit that Hospital. The boss of this organisation is rumoured to visit this hospital so I was hoping to snoop around and find something."

Adrian has an idea, he gets his wallet and takes out 20 bucks and hands it to Ralph.

"Hey no need , I do the Life Coaching for free."

"Not that dummy. You're going to the hospital that's where my buddy and his mom are. Take this and buy a sandwich and some drinks on the way. John doesn't eat well these days. And go buy yourself something too". Adrian smiled but his eyes hid concern for his friend.

" Aye aye captian, I will handle the treasure well."

" Yeah, ask for Mrs. Smith, room 306. And when you meet John, tell him the muffin man sent you."

" Haha, the Muffin Man?" Ralph chuckled.

" That's a story for later. Now go".

Ralph gets off on the stop and waves Adrian bye. Adrian sits there as a few minutes pass , he wonders if he should have gone with him too.

As he walks home he noticed more boxes by the building entrance and to no one's surprise it's for his elderly neighbour Mrs. Campbel.

'Oh well, time to put my back into it'. He carried those few boxes up the stairs, going through the usual crowd noises of his neighbours. He noticed the boxes seem heavier than last time but heeds no further to his curiosity. As he knocks on her door she appears and thanks him again and again for a full minute, even offering dinner. Adrian denies as he had a very busy day and would prefer an early sleep.

As he enters his apartment the sea of boxes greets him again as he gets through his daily activities and then hits the sack. When he lies down he notices the empty wall which reminds him of his childhood "definetly not empty wall" full of newspaper clippings which now lay in one of these boxes. A memory of the past, as he does off he dreams of the past, a happy memory.

" Come here you little ragamuffin, haha. Be careful don't run too fast". A voice with maternal warmth called out to him, but not his own mother.

" Haha aunty, I'm not a ragamuffin. I'm the Muffin-Man!". A young Adrian shouts as he scarfed down on a muffin.

" And I am his partner, the Pi-man." A young John spoke.