Caffeine and Magix

Judith is walking briskly down the sidewalk, an abomination of a dress folded over her arm, when she sees the man about to destroy the world and the man about to save it.

People would say that Judith can see the future. She’d laugh if she heard it (to hear it, she’d have to tell them), because it’s not like that at all. She’s yet to find a future that’s come true a hundred percent no has she seen something that’s unstoppable.

They’re like threads. Hundreds and thousands of pale, fragile threads arcing out of people towards future destinations, future mistakes, future successes. Some are thicker than others but that doesn’t mean they’re more likely. Instead it means that there’ll be more people involved, a party, a get together, something like that. Maybe they’ll hire ten more people at work or maybe they’ll be going to a funeral soon.

She’s gotten so used to the spiderweb of futures she sees, she barely registers them anymore. She just walks down the street registering baby shower, shoe repair, flat tire, anniversary, trips on way to school, breaks a dish, etc.

She’s doing that today, in fact, right now in the present. She’s going dress shopping for her sister’s wedding (not the bridesmaid, she dodged that one). The colors are grey and silver and hardly any shop sells a dress like that so she’s had to go into the city.

Judith is walking briskly down the sidewalk, an abomination of a dress folded over her arm, when she sees the man about to destroy the world and the man about to save it.

She stops in her tracks, sensible heels clacking solidly against the pavement, and stares.  They’re sitting on the patio of the cafe across the street, as casual as you please. The man on the right, a handsome, distinguished gentleman, is wearing a casual blazer and a look of extreme boredom. He pushes his glasses up his nose and takes a sip of the coffee in front of him, glasses glinting the same silver beginning to peek through his dark hair.

The man on the left is leaning back, seemingly unconcerned by the way his ripped jeans contrast with his coffee partner’s more formal dress. He’s dark-skinned and ageless with sharp cheek bones and narrow eyes. As she watches, he pulls a pocket watch out of his leather jacket, checks the time, and then replaces it with a sigh.

Above the table shine two, huge threads. They’re so big, so massive that they nearly merge into each other, dwarfing the umbrella above the men entirely. If there size weren’t unusual enough, they are colored, one a deep, dark red and the other a shimmering pink. There are little, fragile, white threads around them, swirling lazily, but they’re inconsequential compared to the giants they circle around. The only futures that matter are these two threads, only these two, and they’re so opposite that Judith can’t see them both being true.

She knows which one she’d like to be true.

She’s crossing the street at the next light without much thought. She’s meddled before, in her younger years, and she might be out of practice but she has to do something. The fate of the world is at stake.

Judith flounders a little when she actually gets to the cafe. Does she just walk up to them? Tell them she knows what they’re talking about? What will happen in just a few days?

She goes inside and buys a coffee.

“Have a great day,” the barista says when he hands her her drink. 

“Thank you,” Judith says, smiling with a little too much edge. “You too.” Sure hope we have a day tomorrow.

She carries her little latte out to the patio and pretends to look for a table. The two men don’t notice as she sits across from them, laying her dress over an unoccupied chair, and pulls out a notebook. She pretends to write as she eavesdrops.

“Udo–may I call you Udo?” the older man asks. “Udo. I’ll admit I find your platform…compelling. However the cost is simply too high. I’m going to have to decline your kind offer.”

The other man’s jaw tenses, and, when he speaks, Judith can see that his white teeth are clenched. “I’d hoped you would be reasonable, Mr. Montgomery,” Udo says. He has a heavy Nigerian accent which made his words sound lilting and clipped. Hypnotic. “The consequences will be severe if you don’t. My…friends don’t have the best control.”

Mr. Montgomery stiffens. “Is that a threat?” His hand tightens around the handle of his coffee cup and he sets it back on the table with a solid click.

Udo looks balefully back at him. “Yes. If you don’t come in, we’re going to have to take action, Mr. Montgomery. Surely your friends told you this?”

“This is America,” Mr. Montgomery says, voice tight with anger. “Land of the free. My registration is not compulsory, merely voluntary. And, Udo, I do not volunteer.”

Udo doesn’t reply for a long moment, simply watching Mr. Montgomery seethe with his dark eyes. Then, in sudden, fluid motion, he sits forwards, leaning towards Mr. Montgomery with his hands folded neatly on the table.

“Are you under the impression that my organization remains blind to your plans, Mr. Montgomery?” Udo asks in a low, intense voice. His eyes burn as he stares the other man down. “You do not come here and act the part of the belligerent fool when we both know that not to be the case. We know, Mr. Montgomery, and we will not tolerate it.”

“Tolerate what?” Mr. Montgomery hisses. His face is tinged an ugly puce with his rage and he lays his hands flat on the table, pressing them until they begin to turn white with the force. “Enlighten me.”

“Any of it,” Udo says. His eyes narrow. “I have authorization to take care of you now, Mr. Montgomery. I suggest you cooperate.”

Mr. Montgomery meets Udo’s intense stare, his chest heaving as if he’d just run a marathon. Then, as if reading something in Udo’s face, he deflates, shoulders slumping. His head dips forward, over his flat hands, and he nods once slowly.

One of the white threads flash and Judith doesn’t have time to think. If she thinks, her timing will be off. She’ll have to trust the aim ten years of softball gave her.

Udo’s eyes widen as something appears behind Mr. Montgomery, a long, see through appendage that reminds Judith of a scorpion’s tail. It shimmers in the air, the only hint of its location a small glint as light refracts through it oddly. Udo raises one hand to ward it off but it’s too late. Mr. Montgomery’s surprising appendage arcs back and strikes.

Judith’s latte saucer slices between the two men. Mr. Montgomery’s stinger hits it, shattering it in mid air. The pieces fall to the table, not enough to stop the attack, but enough to slow it. The stinger hits the metal bracer Udo is wearing on his right arm, scraping unpleasantly. As soon as it hits, it disappears, dissolving into thin air.

Both Udo and Mr. Montgomery stare at the porcelain shards on the table and turn, simultaneously, to look at Judith.

“Afternoon,” Judith says. She needs something to say, but before she can open her mouth, Mr. Montgomery is turning on Udo accusingly.

“I thought you said you came alone,” Mr. Montgomery says. “That was the deal.”

“The deal said we were not to harm each other,” Udo retorts. He looks at Judith. “Besides, I did come alone.”

Judith smiles brightly at him. “Do you mind if I join you?” She doesn’t wait for an answer, instead standing and dragging her chair over to their table. The few people who had turned at the sound of the plate shattering turn back towards their tables, uninterested.

“Oh by all means,” Mr. Montgomery says somewhat petulantly. “Since you asked me so nicely.”

Judith ignores him and gingerly pushes the glass away from her so she can set down her latte. “You can continue your meeting, if you’d like. I won’t interrupt.”

Udo stares at her as if he can see through her. Finally, he nods and focuses his attention back on Mr. Montgomery. “I’m going to have to report your attempted assassination just now, Mr. Montgomery. It will not reflect well on you.”

“You’re actually going to ignore her?” Mr. Montgomery asks. “Some random woman and you have no questions?”

“She said she wasn’t going to interrupt,” Udo says reasonably, “and it’s getting quite late. Do you stand by your refusal to register?”

Mr. Montgomery’s mouth turns down unpleasantly. “I do.”

“Very well,” Udo says. He runs a finger over the groove Mr. Montgomery left on his bracer and sighs. “I can see you’ve made up your mind. We will be in contact soon, Mr. Montgomery. You know why.”

“Do I?” Mr. Montgomery stands, throws Judith a dirty look, and stalks away. Judith watches him prowl down the sidewalk, carrying the red thread with him and purses her lips.

“As for you, Ms…?” Udo trails off, raising his eyebrows.

Judith sticks out her hand, still smiling pleasantly. The white threads above Udo shiver and tentatively grow, one more person. “Judith, please. And, yes, I’ll go with you but I need to be back here by next week. My sister’s getting married.”

Udo’s hand encompasses hers entirely and his smile is as warm as his grip when he says, “I’ll see what I can do.”