Chapter 23

             That Monday, the Power Surge teens got another call. Not everyone was happy about that, what with it being both so soon after their Sons of Brooklyn adventure on Saturday and of course the first day back to school, with all the homework and things piling up. But even with all those reasons not to answer, The Spektrum, Catgirl and the others still picked up their phones.

            “Wait outside,” the person from before said. “A representative will be on their way.”

            Simon sighed as he hung up, as did Zoey on her end. They got themselves ready, and Simon made sure to take Dramamine now rather than later. Each of the young super people went outside, and the Anonymous Inc. SUVs pulled up. From there, the cars would go to the local airports, and the Power Surge roster would be reunited at the Anonymous Inc. Headquarters.

            “Where’s Homeboy?” Kid Lightning asked.

            “Maybe his family wouldn’t let him go,” Fox guessed. “He’s probably got a lot to talk to them about anyway.”

            “Why’re we being called in again?” The Spektrum, as Code Blue, asked. “Did something come up?”

“You could say that,” Darklite said as he walked into the room. “Mr. Tiger can explain it better than I, since it’s his business.”

            “This is something Tiger needs?” Catgirl said with a raised eyebrow. “Send me back home, please.”

            The others voiced the same feelings and turned around.

            “Oh c’mon,” Tiger said as Catgirl and the others all headed for the door. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

            None of the others cared which annoyed Tiger to no end.

            “It’s in Vegas,” he said quickly.

            The four Californians stopped in their tracks.

            “Vegas?” Kid Lightning repeated as he turned around first. “Did you say, Vegas?”

            “Uh, yeah,” Tiger said. “What else could I have possibly said?”

            “So this mission has to do with Las Vegas?” Kid Lightning asked. “We’d be going to Las Vegas?”

            “Do you have bad hearing?” Tiger sneered. “Yes, we’re all going to Vegas to take care of my family’s problems.”

            “Why is Anonymous Inc. getting us to deal with your family’s problems?” Spektrum asked.

            “Quid pro quo,” Tiger said. “Y’know, I scratch Anonymous Inc’s back, they scratch mine. I helped you guys out with those thugs in New York, you guys help me out with similar in Vegas.”

            “Oh, so the Great Tiger isn’t great enough to deal with thugs all on his own?” Catgirl smirked at him.

            “I’ve never said anything of the kind,” Tiger defended. “But we can’t all be Spektrum the Superman with all his extra powers.”

            “Sounds like you’re jealous,” Spektrum said, now Code Red. “But we need to decide if we’re helping you out or getting back home. I can’t just ignore my homework.”

            “Oh, that’s a good point,” Catgirl said.

            “Ooh~, gotta do homework~,” Tiger mocked. “But you’re right, decide now, because we definitely need to get there by sundown, or we might be too late.”

            “Then let’s get going!” Kid Lightning said. “Viva Las Vegas, man!”

            “Well, I suppose a free trip to Vegas isn’t so bad,” Fox said.

            “Majority rules!” Tiger said. “We’re going.”

            “It’s not a majority thing,” Catgirl frowned. “I’m not going.”

            “I’ll get you all the seafood you want,” Tiger offered.

            Catgirl is clearly tempted, from the way her tail swished and her ears perked up.

            “Not just sushi, though I can get you that if you want,” Tiger continued. “But you can have lobster, crab and shrimp, prepared however you want.

            Catgirl wanted to say no, to continue out the door and go home, because of how much she disliked Tiger. But while her mind was saying no, her appetite was saying yes.

            “Okay, fine,” she groaned. “I’ll join the trip to Vegas and eat your fancy, delicious food. But this is the only time.”

            “Then let’s get going,” Tiger said. “Do we have a plane ready to go?”

            “Of course,” Darklite said.

            “Wait, what about Spektrum?” Catgirl asked.

            “Oh, right,” Tiger scowled. “You coming or what?”

            “I might as well,” Spektrum shrugged as Code Silver. “I can’t let everyone else have all the fun. Or the free food.”

            Tiger rolled his eyes but Catgirl and her cousins were glad to have someone else on the trip.

            The five went back up and to another private jet. Tiger kept trying to sit by Catgirl, but Catgirl stayed closer to her cousins. With the three of them in one row, that left Tiger and The Spektrum to sit in the row in front of them. They left the middle seat open between them so they wouldn’t actually be near each other.

            “When we get there,” Tiger talked over the back of his seat, “we’re going to need some wardrobe changes. If you’re with me tonight, you can’t just be in jeans and shirts.”

            He then looked at Catgirl.

            “And I’ve got some looks in mind for you,” he smirked.

            “Look elsewhere,” Catgirl growled. “I can dress myself.”

            “I have no idea what you’d even wear,” Tiger said to Spektrum. “You’re always changing colors, how are we supposed to coordinate?”

            “We shouldn’t worry about how we dress,” Spektrum said. “We need to focus on whatever favor you need.”

            “You should always worry about how you dress,” Tiger countered. “Otherwise you end up like, well, you. Code Yellow wearing fake chaps while this one wears that ridiculous camouflage.”

            “This isn’t so much camouflage as ‘camo-flaunt’,” Spektrum said.

            “That’s clever,” Catgirl said with a chuckle.

            “Thank you,” Spektrum smiled back.

            Tiger sneered as he sat forward.

            The plane arrived in Las Vegas as the sun was setting. Instead of being met by an SUV from Anonymous Inc, one of those stretch limousine style Hummers pulls up.

            “This is what we’re riding in?” Spektrum asked. “We’re going to stick out.”

            “That’s the point,” Tiger said. “And not for the whole ‘bait the SOB thugs’ way. The guys we’re dealing with aren’t street thugs who just grab up guns and say they’re running things. These guys are businessmen with all sorts of connections. To get close to them, we need to act like we belong. That starts with the right ride. This will take us to where we’ll get the right clothes.”

            Tiger waved the driver over, and the driver opened the door for them.

            “Ladies first,” Tiger said to Catgirl.

            “Wow, you do know how to be a gentleman,” she said before climbing in.

            “It’s so he can look at your butt,” Kid Lightning said as he got in Tiger’s way.

            The brothers went in first, The Spektrum as Code Blue bumped Tiger out of the way to go in after. Tiger grumbled as he went in last. The driver closed the door, returned to the front, and the Hummer pulled out of the airport parking lot. It went down Paradise Road, and the California four got to see the lights of the various buildings turning on.

            “I suppose there’s no point in offering anyone some scotch,” Tiger said as he glanced at the mini-bar. “But I won’t tell if you won’t, right?”

            “I think we’re good,” Fox said with a politely dismissive hand.

            Zoey and Seth glanced over at Jeff. Only the three of them knew the secret.

            “Daijōbu? <Are you okay?>” she asked him.

            “Yeah, I’m fine,” he answered. “Got any Sprite, though?”

            Tiger opened the mini-bar and pulled out a green-and-blue soda can, then gave it to the spikey haired one. Jeff cracked it open and almost chugged it all in one go.

            While there were many hotels that were also part casino to choose from, the Hummer pulled into the parking lot of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

            “Wait, your family owns this place?” Catgirl asked.

            “No, no, but the owners are friends of my father’s,” Tiger said while the driver opened the door. “We should have a room all set up.”

            Tiger led the way out of the Hummer and into the building from the back. They made their way past the kitchen, which smelled delicious, and to the lobby, which currently did not.

            “There you are, Mr. Garrett,” a woman wearing a pantsuit and glasses said. “The room is all set, if you and your guests are ready to go up.”

            “Thank you, Julie,” Tiger said. “But as I’ve said, call me Tyler. Mr. Garrett is my father.”

            “Wait,” Catgirl said as she put it together in her head. “Tiger, Tyler Garrett. Ty Gar, and Tyler even rhymes with Tiger, so you’re Tiger.”

            “Oh like your name is that creative,” he retorted.

            “I’ll have you know, it wasn’t my idea,” Catgirl defended. “The news gave me that name and it just stuck.”

            “Whatever,” Tiger shrugged. “Let’s get going already.”

            Julie joined the group as they went to the elevator. They rode the elevator to the seventh floor then Julie led them to Room 7.

            “Two sevens,” Spektrum noted as Code Red. “One more and it’s the jackpot.”

            Catgirl giggled while Julie opened the door for them. Tiger again let Catgirl go in first, but then he pushed his way past Spektrum and her cousins to go in next. Inside the room, there was a table with big plate of appetizers, ranging from shrimp cocktail to crab puffs to a cheese platter.

            “Mmm~!” Catgirl hummed as she dipped a shrimp in cocktail sauce.

            “I hope everything is to your liking,” Julie said.

            “It doesn’t matter what’s to their liking,” Tiger said as he waved off The Spektrum and Catgirl’s cousins. “Is the shrimp good?”

            “Mm-hmm!” Catgirl nodded while she chewed.

            “Good, good,” Tiger said as he picked up a cheddar cube on a toothpick.

            Tiger popped that into his mouth, and a shrimp dipped in tartar sauce, and chewed them both together.

            “So,” Julie spoke up, “the meeting is all set. Your father will be in the VIP room with Mr. Sallustio no later than 8 PM, so until then, we’ll be able to host you and your guests in the restaurant. I’ll have someone come find you at 7:45 so that you’ll have time to head over.”

            “Sounds great,” Tiger smiled. “Which means before having dinner, we need to get everyone dressed.”

            “Yes, sir,” Julie said with a nod. “I’ll bring in the selections you requested for Ms… Um…”

            Catgirl held up a finger while she finished chewing and swallowing a crab puff.

            “Just call me Cat,” she said.

            “Ms. Cat,” Julie smiled and nodded. “In which case, perhaps she should move over to Room 6 while I bring in the wardrobe for you gentlemen.”

            “I guess so,” Tyler/Tiger grumbles.

            Catgirl followed Julie out to the hall and to the room across the hall. At that same time, other hotel staff brought in several racks of suits for the young men while Catgirl stood before several racks of dresses and gowns.

            “Wow…!” Catgirl said as she marveled at the quantity. “If only Karina could see this.”

            But then she as she took dresses off the rack and looked at them on herself, she realized the truth.

            “Okay, wow,” she said but with a very different tone. “If Karina was in this, it’d actually fit her. Is your boss serious about this?”

            “Um… I shouldn’t really speak ill of Mr. Garrett,” Julie says. “Er, of Tyler. He has a rather flashy style and affluent tastes. I’ll help you find something.”

            “These are sharp,” Kid Lightning said as he checked out the suits. “Probably really pricey, right?”

            “Yeah, so don’t make a mess of them,” Tiger snapped at him. “We’ll be returning some after tonight. I’ll keep the ones I like.”

            “How’s this for us, bro,” Kid Lightning said to Fox. “We’ll go all black, but I’ll wear a gold tie to go with my hair, and you wear a silver tie.”

            “Yeah, that sounds great,” Fox said as his brother handed him a tie.

            The Spektrum looked at all the different suits while Tiger walked over. Tiger looked at the racks briefly before yanking one off and pushing it into Spektrum’s hands.

            “Wear that,” he said curtly.

            “Seriously?” Spektrum asked. “A salmon colored suit?”

            “Well maybe if you didn’t keep changing colors!” Tiger snarled.

            Spektrum grumbled back, but tried the jacket on just to see if it even fit. The second he did, the jacket turned from salmon pink to a crimson red to match Code Red’s outfit!

            “Whoa,” the brothers both said. “How did you do that?”

            “I don’t know,” Spektrum said as he looked at the jacket from shoulders to sleeves. “But it was cool!”

            “Oh good,” Tiger said as he rolled his eyes. “He has yet another superpower.”

            “Hold on, let me try something,” Spektrum said as he grabbed a pair of slacks.

            After seeing the tag said they were the right size, Spektrum set them down on a chair. He then went to undo his pants, but looked at the others.

            “Don’t look,” he said defensively.

            Tiger, Kid Lightning and Fox turned around. The Spektrum finished taking off his pants and then put on the slacks. Just like the jacket, the slacks changed color to become a matching red!

            “Oh this is awesome!” he said. “It’s… It’s Spectralization! That’s what I’ll call it.”

            “Whatever, are you done?” Tiger grumble.

            “Yeah, yeah,” Spektrum replied as he changed from Red to Silver. “Oh snap, my ‘camo-flaunt’ is on the inside of the jacket!”

            “Let me see!” Kid Lightning said as he and Fox turned back to look.

            The Spektrum Code Silver stood in a stark white suit with matching tie and black button-up, and he held the jacket open to show off the blue-and-gold camo pattern on the inside. When he changed to Red, the full ensemble was red jacket and slacks, with a black button-up and a bright yellow tie.

            For Code Yellow, the button-up was white while the pants and tie were black, and the jacket was yellow with black on the inside.

            Code Blue had rich, almost midnight blue slacks and a jacket, with the white button up standing out. The inside of the jacket was a lighter blue, as was the tie.

            Code Black was all black, like what Catgirl’s cousins were wearing, but naturally the tie was blood red like his right eye. It looked great with Lightning and Fox, but obviously Code Black wasn’t easy to maintain, nor pleasant to be, so The Spektrum returned to Silver to again flaunt his camouflage.

            “Wow, you guys look great!” Catgirl said.

            The four young men turned around to see Catgirl standing in the doorway. She was in all black, from her open-toe wedged heels to shoulderless dress and choker with a bell on it. Her pink hair was put up into a single and very fluffy ponytail, with her bangs off to the side thanks to a black hairclip.

            “As do you,” both Tiger and Spektrum replied.

            “Thank you,” she smiled as she looked at Spektrum.

            “Shall we?” Tiger said as he offered his arm to her.

            “I’m not going anywhere arm-in-arm with you,” she said.

            “Shall we?” Spektrum said as he offered his arm to her.

            “Well…” she said. “Why not?”

            Catgirl linked arms with The Spektrum, who smirked back at Tiger.

            “I’m surprised you accepted my offer,” he said as they led the way back to the elevator.

            “Well, considering my only options were you, my cousins and… ugh… Obviously you were the best option.”

            “Wow, best of a bad situation,” Spektrum chuckled. “I’ll take it.”

            “It’s not like that,” she laughed back. “Tiger is a distant, distant last place. You’re tied for second.”

            “Tied, huh? I guess your boyfriend is first, so who am I tied with?”

            “No, no…” she laughed nervously. “I can’t tell you that.”

            “Why not? Part of your secret identity or something?”

            “You could say that.”

            She didn’t want to tell him because it was Youshiki the manga character.

            “Well I suppose being tied with this mystery man and second only to your boyfriend isn’t so bad,” Spektrum said as he ended up Code Red.

            “Wait the suit changes, too?” Catgirl said with a big grin. “That’s so cool!”

            And just like Youshiki. She suddenly wanted to reconsider her rankings. Spektrum’s advantage is he’s real.

            Julie opened the elevator for them, and the pair managed to turn while still arm in arm. Catgirl’s cousins entered next, with Tiger and Julie last. Julie pressed the button for the lobby, and the elevator started back down.

            “This outfit isn’t too much, is it?” Catgirl asked Spektrum and her cousins. “I mean, I know my parents would flip out if they saw me with such a short skirt, among other things.”

            “No way,” Spektrum said. “You look great, just like I said.”

            “I said it too,” Tiger grumbled.

            “Really?” Catgirl asked as she looked up at Spektrum with those golden yellow eyes.

            “Yeah,” he said, starting to feel a bit nervous. “You’ve got great… shoulders.”

            “Nice catch,” she said with a flat expression.

            “I thought so,” he said with a smirk as he became Code Silver again.

            Catgirl tried to stop herself, but she giggled at him anyway.

            The elevator arrived in the lobby, and Tiger led the way back to the stretch Hummer.

            “I’ll call ahead and have them prepare your meals,” Julie said as the driver opened the door.

            “I promised kitten here lobster, crab, shrimp, sushi, the whole Pacific Ocean,” Tiger said as he let the others go in first. “Then for these three… Whatever, just some burgers or something.”

            “Jokes on you,” Spektrum said as he helped Catgirl in. “Burgers are awesome.”

            “Seafood buffet and three steak burgers,” Julie wrote down. “Got it.”

            “No, not steak—“

            Tiger would protest more but Julie already headed back into the building.

            “Whatever,” he grumbled as he got in. “It’ll save time going to Burger King anyway.”

            The driver closed the door and the Hummer took off again. From the Hard Rock Hotel, they drove to the famous Vegas Strip, starting from the South. They passed by The Cosmopolitan, Planet Hollywood, The Bellagio and Paris Las Vegas, followed by Caesars Palace and The LINQ. The Californians were in awe of the lights and sights, but Tiger had seen this hundreds of times, maybe even thousands. It just didn’t wow him anymore. He was too busy eyeing up Catgirl to look outside the windows, anyway.

            His eyes moved up her legs from ankles to calves to thighs, then from her waist and ample bosom, like a predator hunting its prey. And to him, this pretty kitty was a delectable morsel he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into.

            The Hummer approached The Venetian, but turned left into the Mirage’s parking lot. They pulled right up to the front this time, and a valet opened the door this time. Tiger led the way out and into the lobby.

            “Ah, there you are, son,” a man who must be Mr. Garrett said.

            “Hey, there, Dad,” Tiger said as he quickly hugged his father.

            “Are these them?” Mr. Garrett asked. “They’re younger than you.”

            “It’ll be fine, Dad,” Tiger said. “I’ve seen them in action, and they’re actually pretty good.”

            “I should hope so,” Mr. Garrett said in a hushed tone. “There’s a lot riding on this.”

            “It’ll be fine, Dad,” Tiger repeated.

            Mr. Garrett relaxed a bit. The others could only guess what this favor was about for him to be this worried.

            “Have you arranged dinner plans?” he asked his son.

            “Yes, Julie called ahead,” Tiger said. “Our meal should be waiting for us. I’ll see you when this is over, alright?”

            His father nodded then headed off with some associates.

            “That meal better be ready for us,” Kid Lightning said. “The drive only took us half an hour to get here.”

            Tiger scowled as he led the four to the dining hall. There waiting for them were two tables. One table was larger, with all the seafood on it, from a rich, red lobster, quite a few snowcrabs, shrimp in fried, skewered and scampi style, and even an automatic “Lazy Susan” rotating tray decorated with sushi roll after sushi roll after sushi roll. The other, smaller table had three burgers with fries and pickle wedges on the side.

            “Guess which table you three are sitting at,” Tiger said smugly.

            “Again, jokes on you,” Spektrum said. “We didn’t want to sit with you anyway.”

            “Oh, great, so I’m the one who gets stuck with him?” Catgirl complained.

            Tiger frowned while Spektrum, Lightning and Fox sat with their steak burgers. He took a deep breath and pulled out a chair for Catgirl. She sat in the other chair.

            “That’s fine,” Tiger sighed. “And probably no wine or champagne?”

            “Nope,” she said as she picked up a shell cracker. “But maybe some Pepsi?”

            “Sure, why not,” he said flatly.

            Tiger waved a waiter over.

            “I’ll have a white wine Sangria,” he ordered. “The young lady will have a Pepsi Cola. And those three over there, just give them some generic soft drink, it doesn’t matter what flavor.”

            “Yes, sir,” the waiter said with a nod before going to the kitchen.

            Catgirl broke off a leg from the snow crab and craked it open. She then used the tiny fork to pull out the meat and pop it into her mouth.

            “Mmm~!” she hummed as she enjoyed the delicious crab.

            Tiger took some fried shrimp using the little tongs and put them on his plate, and ate them, tail and all. As he chewed on the shrimp, he formulated plans on how he could be alone with Catgirl, so that he could work his magic.

            “Hey,” Spektrum said to Catgirl’s cousins. “What’s her boyfriend like?”

            “Uh…” Fox said as he and Kid Lightning looked at each other. “Well, it’s been awhile since we’ve spent time with him, but he’s a good guy.”

            “His friends aren’t all that great, though,” Lightning said as he dipped a fry in ketchup.

            “Well, what else? About her boyfriend.”

            “He’s kinda like you,” Lightning said. “But you’re funnier.”

            “Funnier?” Spektrum said. “Funnier how? Funnier like I’m a clown? Like I’m here to amuse you?”

            “Are you seriously giving me a Joe Pesci in Goodfellas right now?” Lightning chuckled.

            “Technically,” Spektrum said while he spotted the waiter returning. “I didn’t watch Goodfellas, but I saw the Goodfeathers from the Animaniacs. Though, I’d think you’re more the Pesci-Pesto here. Even I can tell I’m the Ray Liota of this trio.”

            “Honestly, I think you could be all three roles,” Fox said. “But yeah, you’re the Liota.”

            The drinks are served, the three of them getting three cans of soda like they were from a vending machine while Catgirl got a tall glass of what must be Pepsi, and Tiger got his alcoholic blended drink.

            “Mountain Fountain?” Fox read off the side of the can. “We’re getting wannabe Mountain Dew?”

            “I was gonna say knockoff,” Lightning said.

            “Well, sometimes generic or off-brand sodas are better than the name brands,” Spektrum said before cracking his can open.

            The brothers looked at him as he took the first sip.

            “Not this one,” he wheezed. “This sucks.”

            Catgirl could be heard giggling, and Spektrum looked over to see her watching them. He smiled back, a little nervously. She also seemed a little nervous and awkward as she turned her attention back to her food. The Spektrum turned back to his food, too, and took his first bite of the steak burger.

            As soon as he had a piece of the juicy beef with the lettuce, onion, tomato, ketchup and mustard, it was like burger perfection.

            “It’s that good?” Lightning asked, looking at Spektrum’s satisfied face.

            Spektrum could only nod and give thumbs up, because his mouth was too busy chewing on beefy heaven. Lightning and Fox took their first bites, and they too joined him in enjoying juicy satisfaction.

            Catgirl enjoyed a full skewer of shrimp, but she was a bit envious of the guys enjoying those burgers. She sipped her Pepsi before looking to the rotating sushi tray. She picked up chop sticks and snagged the plump nigirizushi, the kind where the slice of fish is on top of the rice. From the scent, it had to be maguro, aka tuna. She took a bite, was thankful there was no wasabi, and could tell it was tuna.

            Tiger liked the look of delight on Catgirl’s face as she ate her fill. If only he thought to have ordered oysters.

            Tiger took his phone out of his jacket inside pocket and checked the time.

            “Okay, it’s a quarter to 8,” he said to the group. “We should get going, my father will be in the VIP section soon enough.”

            “Aw man, I’m not done yet,” Spektrum said as Code Yellow.

            “Then hurry it up,” Tiger said, truly getting annoyed.

            Spektrum shoved what was left of his burger in his mouth, chewed it as fast as he could, swallowed, grabbed the last of his fries and used them to mop up the last of his ketchup, and shoved those in his mouth. Catgirl started to laugh again as he forced himself to wash it all down with the subpar soda.

            “Okay,” he said, suppressing a burp. “I’m good.”

Tiger rolled his eyes, then stood up and led the five out of the dining hall.