We all serve in our own way. Part 1 Hector's side

A group of friends have gathered around for the first time in a long time this month. Still, more of them were supposed to arrive but were hung up with one problem or another. Whether it was a wreck, a stopped train, or just a flat tire, things were terrible and prevented them from meeting easily.

The one who called the meet-up was their friend Rexford. Surprising since he was always busy with work or traveling for one thing or another in the last year. Most of them had known each other for 10-15 years. But the closest of the group knew each other for 20-30 years.

Drinking and carrying on as they caught up, some just couldn't wait for the others to make it and have fun again.

"Haa, good beer as always." Hector flung the bottle into the recycle bin. It was pretty easy since it was not to far away. "Hey, make sure everyone has closed out correctly tonight. Remember, the full system is getting gutted tonight. No chance at getting back pay this time."

"Yeah yeah, I will make sure of it." Mia said while moving to dispose of a few more bottles. The number of half-full bottles annoyed her. "Why order if your not gonna finish them, makes no sense." She turned to her boss to make sure he was doing ok. Lately, he spent a little longer on road trips with Rexford. 'Might need to insist he takes a vacation soon.'

Rexford looked on as the World slowed down. The sober one currently for the night between his friends as they celebrate revealing new achievements that were made in the last week. The only time they needed someone to be completely sober was when Michael and Katy were in the party mood. It let things work out for the best really having enough sober people to herd the willey adults.

Especially with Leroy not drinking that much as well. Both he and Rexford were the more... physical of the group.

But Leroy was not really at the point where he was even drunk. Having tasted several drinks but never finishing them off for some reason. Valencia kept trying to egg him on but it fell short. Leroy only commented on feeling off a little. The stress of finally getting his Medical Practice running took its toll.

"Party pooper!" Katy teased. The woman could really drink, and a few times they thought she just get a burp in the face with her asking for more when jumping up. "Come on you weaklings, whoever out drinks me gets a 1,000 dollars!"

Katy was white girl wasted and was having the time of her life. Her law firm just settled the biggest medical case they ever had and she couldn't help but cut loose. Thanks to Leroy and Hector doing work behind the scenes made it easier.

"You are on!" Valencia shouted. Moving from Leroy to join the wild woman at the table. "Beer or hard liquor?"

"Beer!" Katy smacked the table. Her jacket was already on the chair with a few buttons loose on her sleeves. She looked ready to brawl more than drink. You could take the girl out of the Bronx, but not the Bronx out of the girl! "You better last more than 30 minutes this time!"

"Hehe, we will see who loses this time!" Valencia shouted back. Her hair was tied in a tight bun by a rubber band. Michael sat by just eating chicken wings nonstop. By the looks of it, he was done with his unusual diet. "Winner gets to punch Michael in the face!"

"Burp!" Michael blinked looking at the two. Then he rembered he was the punching bag for this month. As in the literal punching bag for trying fighting moves on. "If you think your fists are strong enough, bring it, yah gypsy!"

Katy and Valencia grinned at each other then eyeballed the others in the bar. Hector, whose bar they were in looked around making sure the last of his regular customers were leaving before giving the go-ahead.

"Go ahead, I need to redecorate anyway!" Hector, a former bodybuilder now Architect moved to turn off the open sign. He stopped, seeing an old man passing by. "Hey, who are you, old-timer?" Hector knew 80% of the people in the community, this old man was not one of them. "An out-of-towner?"

"Hehe, no just someone returning home is all." The old-timer turned back taking off the dusty hat worn. "Been a mighty long time since I walk these streets little Hector. How's that mother of yours Lucy, we like to call her?"

Hector frowned gripping the door handle tightly. His mom's name was Lucia but her friends called her Lucy. The wrong kind of friends at that.

"The bitch died 15 years ago from her shitty pimp gutting her." Hector felt a hand on his shoulder as Leroy had walked over. Something odd in his demeanor while keeping Hector back more than being concerned for the old man. "But don't worry, we took care of all the debt accumulated by the idiots."

"Hmm, this old-timer looks familiar. I just don't know where from though." Leroy signaled the others to keep carrying on. They watched the old-timer somewhat curious. "That locket your mom left, you still have it?"

"Tch, yeah I do!" Hector pulled the locket out that was clipped around his belt. No matter how much he hated his mother, he couldn't bring himself to throw away the locket that had a picture of his brothers and himself in it. "If any of my brothers were your son, you can meet them at North Babylon Cemetery."

"Woah, what got you out of shape?" Richard another of their friends made it finally. He was the one who had a flat tire. A look at the old -timer gave the man the creeps. 'Not even fresh corpses in the morgue bother me this much. What the hell is going on now?'

"Just a misunderstanding." The old-timer said. It was odd as before the voice was more masculine but sounded slightly sweeter now. Hector and Leroy didn't catch the change in the facial features either. Despite staring at the individual in front of them. "Just a friend of your parents and good old Rexford in there. But it seems you are very busy and I do not want to ruin the festivities."

The old-timer promptly turned and left. Not wanting to deal with the matter more than they had to, Hector closed the door after the others went back inside. Any of his friends that came after could either let themselves in or knock.

In the short amount time they dealt with the old-timer, the party kicked up a little more.

Michael had eaten to much and kept burping. His blonde hair ruffled messily from when Katy who won the drinking contest flipped him into a wall.

Rexford was cutting jokes trying to make him laugh hard enough that the other puked. By the looks of it though, Valencia was the only one close to puking her guts out. She made the mistake during the drinking contest to look back at the door. Mainly because of Richard arriving but the sight of the old-timer made her stomach turn something fierce.

"I just got here and you are already a few shades to the wind." Richard rubbed his wife's shoulders a bit. "Did you at least last 30 minutes?"

She shook no ashamed. Barely even 4 minutes really.

"She chugged like a champ though!" Katy slurred just a bit as she grabbed a pitcher and chugged it all down. "Burrrp! Delicious!" The empty pitcher was shattered against the wall. "I want some more!"

"More!" A voice shouted from the back. Mia rolled out some beer they were getting ready to throw out due to it being hard to keep chill in their cooler. Which was going on the fritz thus her pushing for renovations so much lately. "More than your wee little body can handle!"

"I'll show you wee little body!" Katy smacked Valencia on the back getting her attention. "Come on, round two! No work tomorrow for anyone!" A few cheers and they moved around fixing drinks for everyone. "Come on Hector, you sourpuss!"

"Shit, don't have to tempt me." Hector finished his talk with Rexford and Leroy and went over to have fun. 'Just need to unwind is all. To much work makes me cranky.'

Leroy and Rexford shook their heads while laughing. Seeing everyone so lively was always good after all the trouble the last year brought. Leroy couldn't help but put the old-timer in the back of his mind while switching gears to find out what was bothering Rexford.

"So spill Mr.Businessman, what is bothering you?" They sat down far enough away to keep beer and debris from hitting them. But close enough to hear what the others were yelling about. One of the barbacks brought over some lemonade before clocking out for the night. "Finally decide to stop traveling?"

"Not even." Rexford gripped his knees tightly under the table. "Actually will have to travel more soon. What do you think, how about joining me?"

"No way." Leroy grinned. It was tempting but he was just not at a place he could do so right now. "Just have the practice right were I want it. Might be able to do that childhood dream we all shared when little."

"Heh, to change the world into a better place. We were such idiots back then.. still now to." Rexford's eyes closed just a little at a painful memory. "But I don't think we could face Mera without trying a little. Did make that promise."

"Felt like that promise would have been broken without you and Hector making those arrangements back then."

"Somebody will have to make the bodies drop and disappear." Rexford grinned, he enjoyed doing it after all. As did Hector who was borderline becoming a hitman if things were not watched. "I think Katy has caught on to some of the work we did overseas in Africa."

"That is a pity, but it was so long ago things should be fine. No witnesses remained after all. Well.. except those kids. I doubt they were ungrateful to give descriptions of us." Leroy's eyes looked at the wall and all the pictures of the various people on it. "I mean, we saved them and treated them and killed the insurgents there, it should be enough to buy their silence."

"You would think." Rexford pulled out a file from his coat. "Three of them grew up alright but the last was adopted by this guy." Pointing at the first picture then the third left no doubt. "This kid.. is running a Cabal now. Not causing trouble here in the states but elsewhere.."

"Tch! Not here, not worrying about it." Leroy closed the file. "Are you and Hector going to take care of it?"

"No, business prevents it." Rexford did not like the frown his friend had on. "Not that kind of business. Using them to get close to the "runners" in SouthEast Asia. Thinking of tapping Mia to introduce me into a "viable" business there."

"Hmm, not a bad idea but what about her fiance Jerome? The last time you arrange work for her, he almost died. He may not be a friend of ours, but Mia is." Leroy spotted Joseph getting up in a hurry. One of the younger ones who always had something going on in the last two years. "Where's the fire?"

"Haa, my sister is having trouble at the house. Something stupid but I need to check on it." Joseph already had a cab waiting on him outside. "I will come back if I can, keep me updated. If it gets called early I will see you guys online later."