ARIES NIGHT OUT PART 4

Part 4

The next few moments seemed to be some of the most stressful minutes of Aries’ life, which was somewhat surprising for a man that regularly fights people that can easily throw cars at him. He rushed back to his office to put up his street clothes, checked that his mask was on straight then ran back downstairs to await Mrs. Hain’s call. The giant ram got about half way when he thought that he might need to reapply deodorant so he sprinted back up the stairs. All of the Zodiac team members had private offices that kept them away from the regular workers and there were only a few people working late this evening but quite a few took a break from their monitors and daily planners to ponder if an earthquake was going on in their fair city. Aries made several more sprints up and down the company stairs to retrieve something he though he might need for the evening and might have done it all night had the fateful call from his manager not snapped him out of his fit of compulsive behavior.

It was a simple text on his cell indicating that Mrs. Hain was now waiting for him in the parking garage. Aries, gathered his courage, promised himself he would not embarrass himself or his company, adjusted his tie and mask and walked to the parking garage as if a firing squad was waiting for him.

“I’m not going to screw up tonight, I’m not going to screw up tonight. I’m not going to- hey, neat!” Aries’ mantra was stopped when he beheld a huge limousine that was constructed from a black, military hummer. It was gigantic in every way and Aries walked around it smiling like a kid seeing a new toy. He was very fond of big vehicles mostly because it was necessary for his size and made him more comfortable. The driver stepped out to get the door for Aries. He was a young cardinal and smiled widely. It put an end to Aries’ gawking but the giant ram was still smiling.

“This is some set of wheels!” Aries remarked boyishly while walking around to the door..

“Thank you sir,” The driver replied with a sense of pride at first until he got a look at Aries who towered over him. His expression then changed to awe. “Are you Aries?

“That’s me! What’s your name, buddy?” Aries was a little used to this by now. The notoriety of the Zodiac team had begun to spread in the city thanks to some very successful saves. Surprisingly, battling supervillains was not what helped the most but saving people from more mundane things such as fires or collapsed bridges and the like.

“Uh… John. It’s John. Well, let’s get you going shall we sir?” The driver readjusted himself as he remembered the chauffer’s policy to keep small talk to a minimum. John closed the door nearly behind Aries as the huge vehicle rocked only slightly when Aries got in.

Inside was a like a small room instead of a car. Aries gawked about as he made his way to a seat. He was still checking out the leather seats and the mini-bar on the side when a voice startled him from across the car’s interior.

“Good evening Aries. I hope you enjoy the limo; I requested it to better accommodate your height. Are you ready for tonight’s party?” It was the voice of Mrs Hain sitting on the other side which was some ten feet away. The cab was not brightly lit but he could see her well enough. Mrs. Hain was one of the mysterious board members in charge of the Zodiac super team. She was a beautiful tigress with long, feathered head-hair that had turned mostly white. Tonight, instead of the normal blue business suit worn by all New Dawn executives and employees, she was dressed in a stunning burgundy evening dress with a stylish wrap and small handbag to match. She was not wearing her usual glasses and had additional jewelry to match her attire. It was all very stylish yet classy at the same time. Mrs Hain was a grandmother though many people did not at first believe it as she was a very attractive woman in excellent shape. She had the body for a dress that was more revealing but instead dressed in a more conservative fashion without exposing to much of herself. It was very classy and Aries had to admit that it was actually more impressive than just showing it off like so many celebrities do. In his limited experience working with Mrs Hain he had never seen her demonstrate anything less than total class, poise and charm even in the most stressful of situations and apparently tonight was no exception.

“YES! I mean, yes. You look great Mrs. Hain.” Aries could have punched himself after answering like that.

“Thank you. Now, I don’t want you to be nervous about tonight or confused on the nature of you being here. As I communicated earlier, Ramas thinks there might be a need for one of the Zodiac at tonight’s party so you will be accompanying me as my bodyguard and escort,” She said as she sat with perfect posture, hand folded neatly on her lap and legs crossed comfortably. “Still, there is no reason for you not to enjoy yourself a little. This dinner always has excellent food and refreshments as well as some music and entertainment before the ceremonies begin.”

“Sounds great,” Aries voice still indicated his unease. “Mrs. Hain, can I ask you a personal question?”

“You don’t have to ask my permission for something like that dear, we aren’t in the navy after all,” she said with a  smile that reassured him a little.

“Well, why pick me for something like this? I’m not complaining but some of the other guys might be able to pull this off better than me,” Aries said while looking down at his tuxedo. “I’m not exactly good at this kind of thing.”

Mrs. Hain walked carefully over to sit beside Aries on the other end of the cab before responding. “I chose you for several reasons actually. First, you were available but that is not the main reason. Second, more than any of the other male members of Zodiac, you have become a symbol of what we want the team to stand for and since one of the reasons for a function like this is good publicity I want you to be there.” She finished with a smile but a look of confusion was now on Aries face though he was a little flattered.

“Me? I’m no better than anybody else on the team. What do you mean?” He laughed while pointing to himself.

“Exactly that Aries,” she said while putting her hand on his. “You have consistently showed this city the kind of self sacrifice and nobility that should be the example all supers live by. Do you remember the collapse of the old factory in Alpha City two? You pushed your way through girders and concrete and held up ceiling of rock and iron for hours to help those trapped people and the whole time you told them how you would never let go and promised they would get out alive. There was also the time you followed a semi-truck loaded with dangerous chemicals on fire for one-hundred miles, pushing other cars out of the way and removing obstacles until we could arrange for the safety of the driver and everyone else on the road. That feat took all day but in the end you were covered in ash and dirt but still smiling. I tell you that you are more well known and loved by this city than you think.”

“Wow, I’m just doing my job though,” He said while scratching his chin.

“No Aries, you are just being who you are,” answered the tigress. There was a bit of silence after that as Aries thought a bit about what she had said. He knew it was his job to be a hero but he never thought of himself as one. He considered himself similar to a fireman or policeman in what he did though he had to admit that he considered those people as heroes too. Mrs. Hain let Aries think for a while and smiled knowingly to herself as she enjoyed the ride.

End part 4