The Strike of the Union - vol. 1

It is a quarter to six and just about quitting time. The crew on this shift really hustled and has managed to get everything unloaded and into place ahead of schedule. For the past 10 minutes you’ve all been shooting the breeze and waiting for the top of the hour so you can clock out. Mostly everyone has been talking about their plans for the evening. You already had your evening decided for you this morning.

Your sister Susan cornered you before you left for work and asked if you could babysit the kids so her and Pedro could have a date night. Both of them have been working a lot of overtime during the past few weeks while the heatwave was going on. Crowfall isn't an easy city to raise kids in. When your couple is made up of a nurse and firefighter, it ends up putting even more stress on a relationship. You know they could really use the night out so it wasn't a hard decision to agree to watch the kids.

Ana, your sister’s oldest daughter, happened to overhear and begged her mom to start treating her like an adult already. Susan wasn’t having any of it. After you agreed to watch the girls Susan made sure you promised to keep an extra on Ana to make sure she didn’t sneak out. Or sneak a boy in.

At five of six you receive a big slap on the back from your buddy, and shop steward, Lance. "Glad I caught you before you clocked out. Think you might be willing to pull a double? We got a rush shipment coming in an hour or two and I’ve had a lot of callouts." Lance looks around and motions for you to follow him somewhere less busy. "I haven’t had to actually fill any of those callouts. Bunch of guys actually volunteered to fill the slots almost as soon as they opened up. The two Reynolds Brothers and their ‘entourage.’" Lance can't help but roll his eyes as he says entourage

Both of you have been keeping an eye on Bobby and Wes Reynolds since they started here a month ago. Lance never got a shot to interview either of them. Someone pulled some strings upstairs and suddenly these guys had jobs despite no longshoreman experience. Most of your co-workers loved them and their outrageous stories even though neither one had any work ethic to speak of. But that’s not what you and Lance have been interested in. It's the rumors of their ties to the mob that got your attention.

"I'm sorry to disappoint buddy, but my dance card is full tonight; I'm watching the kids for Susan and Pedro. I don't think the Reynolds Brothers are going anywhere soon so we'll get more chances to snoop."

I know Lance is going to be disappointed, but family is important and I promised. Admittedly, Ana would jump at the chance to cover for me and prove that she is growing up, but I'm not going to lie to my sister and conspire with my niece just to satisfy curiosity.

If he really wants me to investigate I'll call Susan and see if Lance can watch the kids. She knows I have a mountain of medical bills so she might let "Uncle Lance" watch the kids while I work a double. And hey, if he's not willing to order pizza and play board games then it's not that important.

Lance nods his head but look a little disappointed. "Understandable. I’m sticking around anyways, so it’s not like these clowns are going to be unsupervised. Say hello to the family for me, will ya?" He gives you a pat on the arm just as the clock strikes six and everyone rushes the timeclock. As you walk away Lance calls out, "If anyone happens to me make sure to avenge my death," and gives you a wink before walking away. It's a recurring ‘joke’ he’s been telling you a lot since you gained your powers. His way of poking fun at his perceived role in your ‘story’ as the type of character that usually has a short lifespan.

When you arrive home you find a pretty typical situation. Ana and Carmen are on the couch fighting over the remote control while Susan is bouncing Isabelle in her arms trying to get the young child to quiet down. Susan gives you a smile and when Isabelle sees you she double downs in her crying fit now that there is a new target to possibly give her some more attention. Susan just sighs. You can hear the shower running and can assume Pedro must be cleaning up after his shift which ended about the same time as yours.

"There’s some leftovers in the fridge you can heat up if you want them. The girls already ate; except for Miss Fussy over here. She’s been like this for hours. God knows why. School is starting back up in a few weeks so Ana and Carmen really should be finishing up their summer reading but to be perfectly honest I’m not expecting you to get on their cases about that. As long as the house doesn’t burn down I’ll be happy. We should be back by 11. I really appreciate you helping out, Steven."

"Everything is fine Suze, get spiffed up and go paint the town."

Stephen takes Isabelle and begins to gently rock her while singing an old Pete Seeger song in a voice loud enough to compete with the crying
The gentle swaying and deep bass of his voice soothes Isabelle and she forgets to cry while listening to her Uncle's singing. When she settles down Stephen offers her a snack.

"Ana, come in the kitchen with me for a minute. I need to talk to you for a minute."

Ana tosses down the remote with a huff and stomps into the kitchen. Stephen hands an apple to Isabelle and motions for Ana to sit at the kitchen table; she sits with the dramatic flair that only a teenager can manage.

"Ana, I heard you telling your mom that you want to be treated like an adult, and I wanted to..."

Ana tries to interrupt with her side of things... "She treats me like a kid and never lets me..." then abruptly stops talking when Stephen holds up his hand and shows her is serious face.

"Please take a breath and let me finish. I wanted to give you a gift of wisdom" Ana rolls her eyes "Given to me by your Grandmother when I was about your age and moaning about how I was being treated.

In this world there are girls, gals, and women (I know that no one says gals anymore but Grandma was old school).

A girl is DEPENDENT - she needs other people.

A gal is INDEPENDENT - she can manage on her own and doesn't need other people so much."

Ana grins and says "That's me, I'm a gal."

Stephen continues

"A woman is DEPENDABLE - she is there for other people and she can be counted on.

Your Mom is a woman, she is there everyday for everyone. Tonight is special because it so rare that she and your Dad take time for themselves.

If you want to be treated like a woman, show your parents that you're dependable. Help out around the house, do the dishes, or laundry, or cook dinner without being asked. Take care of your sisters when you see that they need help, not just when your parents ask you to help. If you want more responsibility and trust, first you need to show them you are ready - not just old enough but mature enough.

Be patient, your parents are busy and accustomed to thinking of you as a kid so they won't start treating you like a woman right away. Keep stepping up around the house and they'll notice. Does that make sense?"

Ana tilts her head and grins "So Grandma told you how to be a woman?"

Stephen "As I recall she told me I was a guy and suggested I start acting like a man or learn to keep my mouth shut. So whaddaya say I watch Isabelle and get dinner ready while you act like a woman and help Carmen get started on that summer reading assignment."

Ana looks slightly dejected

"And after dinner when Isabelle is asleep you choose the movie."

Ana smiles a little and sighs, "Okay"

"And remember Ana, if you want to start a fight with your sisters try bossing them around, if you want them to actually do something try doing it with them or asking for help."

When Suze and Pedro come downstairs the TV is off. Ana and Carmen reading on the couch, Isabelle is on the floor in front of them flipping through picture books, and Stephen has the sauce simmering and the water boiling for Spaghetti.

Stephen holds his finger to his lips and makes a shooing motion for Suze and Pedro to go quietly.

It is clear that Susan wants some answers on just how you brainwashed her children into behaving like this so quickly, but Pedro joins in on quietly shushing her and gently pushes her toward the door. They both silently mouth ‘thank you’ on their way out.

After that, you and the girls settle onto the couch and watch a movie. It is a very pleasant evening with no shouting or fighting. Carmen falls asleep halfway through the espionage thriller she has no real interest in. Ana excuses herself midway through and returns with a mug of coffee for you.

"Not bad, right?" It isn’t great but it is drinkable. "I have a friend that works as a barista and they have been teaching me a thing or two. Too bad passing knowledge of coffee making isn’t enough to pad out a resume... Let’s say I take your advice and keep it up every day. I become like the best daughter ever and mom and dad let me start looking for a part time job. Would you maybe be willing to be a reference? Tell any prospective employer about my many skills and generally how great I am?"

"I can give an employer a character reference, that is a reference from someone who hasn't been your employer. You haven't worked for me I can't speak directly to how you are as an employee and since we are family I couldn't be anything other than a character reference anyway.

I'll tell them you're smart and ready to learn.

What jobs are you thinking about?"

Ana frowns. "You sure can be a real stick in the mud, Uncle Stephen." She quickly realizes she is trying to persuade you to help her and tries to double back. "I, uh, meant that in a fun way... oh crap. I just mean that everyone lies on their resume, right? There's nothing wrong with saying I worked for you." That seems to light an idea bulb over her head.

"Honestly, I don’t care what kind of job I get. I just want to be able to be a bit more independent; like we talked about. I hate having to beg mom and dad to give me money every time I want to go see a movie with my friends. But what if you pulled some strings down at the docks? They have to have something I can do down there. Sorting mail? I don’t know. I'll do whatever. But then I could earn your character reference and your buddy Lance’s reference as my boss, right? Plus, you'd be able to keep an eye on me so mom and dad would be way more likely to say yes. It's win / win!"

"So 'Everyone lies on their resume' huh? I don't know what 'everyone' does, but I know this is a blue collar working family. We don't have trust funds, stock portfolios, or summer homes. What we do have are skills and work ethic and reputation, and that's all we have. Lying on a resume is gambling with your best asset, it would be like the Queen of England putting her crown jewels on Red 32. You can take the risk if you want to, but personally I'm not comfortable gambling with my reputation."

"Anyway, if you get what is called an 'entry level position' you don't need much of a resume. Tomorrow I'll talk to Lance and see if there'e anything you could do at the docks office or the Union Hall but you should also talk to your mom about openings at the hospital."

"And I think you're smart to try out different jobs and see what you like and what you don't like. When I was your age I washed hearses at the Gonzagareddi Funeral Parlor and worked at a gas station; I still hate the smell of gasoline. Your Mom babysat every weekend and when she got a little older she worked as a waitress at Tony's Pizza. She once told me those jobs taught her that she likes taking care of people but not serving people."

Ana squeals with joy when you tell her that you’ll talk to Lance tomorrow. There is no hiding her excitement at the mere possibility of getting a job and some spending money that is all her own. "I really, really appreciate this Uncle Steven. I’ll make sure you won’t regret this and will never do anything to harm your reputation. If only my mom were as helpful as you and actually let me babysit or wait tables. I’m more than willing to do any of that stuff. Except for washing hearses." She shutters at the thought. "Did you ever see anything cool on that job? Vampire rise up out of the back of the hearse or something?" She laughs and pokes fun at the thought of her boy scout uncle out there fighting vicious monsters.

The two of you talk for a while longer before Ana goes off to bed and even helps get Carmen into hers. It’s about half past 10 and you expect Susan and Pedro to be back in another hour. Two at the most.

If the Union is the type of hero to perform neighborhood patrols, he might be able to squeeze one in and be back before the end of date night. Then again, maybe it is best to play it safe and stay in. Ana has been plenty receptive to your insight tonight but she still is a teenager and might just be waiting for you to let your guard down before sneaking out herself.

Stephen finishes the dishes in the kitchen and checks on the girls before settling into an overstuffed armchair in the living room.

He thinks I'll just rest my eyes for a few minutes. When Suze and Pedro get home I'll walk over to Lance's apartment and see if anything interesting happened tonight.

At some point you must have nodded off. Susan’s laughter wakes you. Light from the kitchen silhouettes the couple into playful shadows. It seems like date night was a success. Pedro walks through the room and gives his thanks for watching the kids. You meet Susan in the kitchen as he finishes pouring two glasses of wine. The color in her cheeks indicates that these are far from the first glasses they have had tonight. She too offers her thanks and rushes off, allowing you to easily check in with Lance.

The lights are on when you arrive at his home and knock on the door. A tired looking Lance answers after a minute. He is still wearing his uniform from work so it is clear you didn’t wake him. Without a word, he invites you inside where he collapses on the couch.

"God did not intend for man to stand on his feet for that long, buddy." Lance starts rubbing the aching muscles of his feet. "Fun night with the girls?" He allows you to give him an update on the family before getting into a report on how the second shift went.

"Something happened. I think. It's hard to say. Right from the start it was clear that something was up. I’ve never seen Bobby and Wes actually working hard but they were all over the prep work before the ship arrived. I was keeping a pretty close watch on them but then a security guard radioed in about some teenage vandals all the way over at warehouse B. I wasn’t gone more then 20 minutes and somehow, in that small amount of time, the crew had nearly everything unloaded and into place. The Reynolds even invited me to come play cards with them and their boys, so I imagine they’ll be plenty late tomorrow."

Lance looks plenty tired and frustrated. "Maybe I’m being paranoid but... do you think they would go as far as to send a distraction to get me away from the docks while they.... did something? I mean, I don’t know what they could have done but... it just seems odd, right? Am I being crazy, Stephen?"

"It was odd for the Reynolds brothers to volunteer for a last minute job, it was odd that they were actually working hard, and it was odd that they managed to finish the job while you were away. Yeah, it's odd.

Next time that there is a rush shipment and they volunteer you can tell them thanks but you have to spread the love around. I'll take the extra shift and maybe we can look at the shipment without the Reynold's looking over our shoulders.

By the way, was there any vandalism?"

Lance laughs a little. "I can give it a shot, but I’m pretty sure that decision is above my paygrade. If the Reynolds want extra shifts, I don’t know how much say I’ll have in the matter. Just like how I wasn’t able to weigh in on hiring them and I certainly won’t have a say in giving them the axe, if that glorious day ever comes.

"But, yeah. There was some petty vandalism. Handful of punk kids cut a fence, snuck in, and spray painted some... what do they call it? Tags? I sound so old right now, don’t I? They ran off when the guard showed up but he wasn’t sure what to do about the fence. Had to call the cops to get a report for insurance purposes and authorize OT to post an extra guard at the fence until we get it fixed. Real headache that I could have done without."

"The Reynolds Brothers are new so they don't have much seniority. When I said "spread the love around" I just meant holding the line on seniority. I've got years more seniority than them so the job is mine if I want it. I'm just asking you to back that up as shop steward and check with other guys who've been around to see if we can lock out the Reynolds. They only got the last minute job because no one with more seniority wanted it."

Anyway, I can pick up a six pack at the bodega if you want a drink or I can let you get some sleep. It's your call."

Lance sighs. "You know I try to do everything on the up and up but you gotta realize that the world isn’t as black and white for most of us as it is for you. It’d be great if everyone could play by the rules. Then we wouldn’t even have needs for things like unions... or The Union," he says your alter ego name with a wink. "But you know as well as I do that far too many people are playing with cards hidden up their sleeves.

"So nine out of 10 times I’m able to play by the rules and everything is handled fairly. Unfortunately, on occasion that isn’t an option. Sometimes I receive... suggestions that certain guys should work certain assignments. Not all of us can take a bullet to the chest or break their way out of cement shoes and I know you can’t be out there watching my back 24/7. So on occasion, as much as I hate it, I have to bend to outside pressure. I’m letting you know when that happens and I hope you understand why I have to do it. If we’re going to clean up the Deep, then we need to remain ‘we.’ Having me stuffed into a barrel and tossed into a river because I told some crony ‘no’ ain’t helping nobody."

Steven sighs and looks down at his feet
"Yeah, I know can be too much of an idealist and I need to remember the world is painted in shades of grey."

Then he looks up and grins
"I'm officially curious now so next time you see a darker shade of grey around the Reynolds brothers let me know. We'll figure out what to do when it happens.

Well, if you don't want a beer then I'm going to finish my walk and get some sleep."

Lance gives you a sorrowful smile. "Thanks for understanding, Stephen. I really wish there were more people like you in this city. Things would be a lot simpler." He raises his watch and squints to read the time. "Think I’m going to have to pass on the drink. Been a pretty long day. I’ll see you tomorrow."

Lance shows you out and you start a nice quiet stroll back home. The streets are empty and the lights are out in almost every house you pass. The Deep is very peaceful under the moonlight.

You awake the next morning and find a busy kitchen. Susan is sitting at the table with an empty cup of coffee. She is rubbing her temples. It has probably been a while since she had that much to drink in one evening. Ana slides bowls of hot oatmeal to her sisters and goes to refill Susan's coffee.

Stephen quietly walks behind his sister and gently rubs her shoulders for a few moments, then he softly says

"I hope you both had a good time"

and as Ana returns with her coffee he gives Suze's shoulders one last squeeze and heads into the kitchen in search of oatmeal and coffee.

"Too good of a time, it would seem," Susan responds. "I really appreciate you looking after the girls. Don’t worry about it becoming a regular thing though. I think we both need some time to recover." You are able to gather up some oatmeal and the last of the coffee.

"We walked the pier for old times sake. I haven’t spent any time down there in... I don’t even know how long. Have you been recently?" As far back as the 50s the pier has been a major hangout for teenagers in the Deep. Carnivals rides, games, a ferris wheel. You remember taking Susan through the fun house during Halloween when you were both young. She wouldn’t even open her eyes.

The past five to ten years have not been kind to the pier. The owner of most of the bigger attractions got into financial troubles and stopped doing all of the required maintenance as a result. This led to some injuries and lawsuits. Some of the old attractions have been replaced by cheap makeshift apartments and a never ending stream of businesses that go bankrupt within months of opening. The whole area has a shady reputation now.

"Not lately, it's not what it used to be is it?"

Maybe I should take my mask and check our the pier this evening. Maybe I can do something to help resurrect the area so that another generation of kids can enjoy it.