Editing Getting the Band Together (section)

=='''Gadget Visits the Station'''==

As the weeks went by Eddie and the Stone Bench Band developed their sound. It had gone well after they realized the takers were not around. Eddie wouldn't talk about it, changing the subject if it was brought up. A few thugs wandered by but they didn't bother the buskers in this neck of the plaza. A pair came to the chalk line but shivered and lost their nerve,  tossing their money in the guitar case. One caught Gadgets eye, a street name of Billy, someday known as Billy Sharp. The shadows played tricks. 

Eddie worked out a new schedule for the other buskers, keeping the best time for himself and the group. The others liked the situation fairly well. Players before seemed like warmup acts. The ones afterward got the benefit of the people that started having their lunch in the area.  

Waldo began filling a shopping cart with the group supplies as they went out each day and parking it in the increasingly crowded squat. A month had passed and nerves started getting frayed. Eddie, Tiffy, Jax, Cali, Holden, Gadget and now Waldo filled the space extremely tight. 

Gadget went out on a walk one night, greeting the new dogs. She met with Wrecker and Reggy. 
“How's the Station look now?” 

Reggy say, “Like a shithole covered in industrial waste. Your dogs are creeping me out. But it doesn't smell like rotted cheese, take out, pot, and stale semen. We cleaned out the front room enough to live there. Fixed the plumbing and set up some solar cells. Its pretty messy. You still thinking of burning it down? We have a few ideas about that.  Or are you going to use it?”
 
Gadget ponders for a moment. “It is just about the same distance of a walk from the Station to the plaza as it is from the plaza to the squat, isn't it?” 

Wreck nods, “Close enough” 

“Start cleaning it up. We may have a use for it. Nothing fancy. Clean cantrips and elbow grease. Lets go take a look.” 

Gadget looks across the street at the Station remembering her last time there.  Eliminating the lowest rung of the predatory hierarchy.   The smell of damp concrete, refuse, dogs, and old grease lingered in the air.

Entering the former convenience store she wrinkles her nose.  "Seriously, guys? This place is a biohazard. You’re telling me you’ve been sleeping in here? Without even a basic cleaning spell or... I don’t know, a mop?" 

Wrecker shrugs "What can I say? I’ve got low standards. I lived in a truck cab for years—it smelled better than this, but not by much." 
 
Reggy looks at Gadget, "I’m an orc." 

Gadget looks at him deadpan, gesturing at a pile of broken furniture.  "That explains the piles of ‘decorative garbage.’ What is this? An art installation called ‘Despair in Concrete’? You've been here a month." 

Wrecker: "Hey, don’t knock it. That’s vintage junk. Wart’s crew left it here—it’s practically historical." 

Gadget rolls her eyes. "Yeah, well, history needs a pressure washer. Clean this place up. If we’re going to use it, I want it livable. Like, at least one rung above ‘feral.’" 

Raising his eyebrow, letting his orc canine teeth show, "‘Use it’? Your really thinking of moving your whole band here?  I thought that was a joke." 

"Yeah. The squat’s too crowded " 

Wrecker grins. "I mean, sure. If you’re cool with the charming ambiance of ‘industrial wasteland chic.’" 

Reggy settle on the east sofa casting several Clean cantrips out of courtesy, "We’ve been thinking of getting more than a crash pad anyway." 

"Oh? Elaborate." 

Wrecker says excitedly.  "We’ve been charging up the car—dumping extra power into it.  Its still back in Ang Ri. We think we can use it to anchor something here. At some point we wont be able to disguise ourselves." 

Narrowing her eyes.  "Something? Be specific, Wrecker." 

Reggy grins slyly. "We've got a rough sketch for a place." 

"And by ‘rough sketch,’ you mean...?" 

Wrecker shrugs,  "A few napkins. Bells on the doorknobs. Some runes drawn in oil stains. New graffiti. It’s solid, though. There is a bar we are familiar with.  The Ugly Ferret.  It been invaded by that biker gang.  We tried to make a deal with them but no luck.  They were Wart's suppliers.  They are next, if you approve, on our hit list. " 

Gadget, sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Why am I not surprised? Fine. Clean this place up first. If I bring the others here and they take one whiff of this dump, I’m blaming you two." 

Reggy makes a mock salute, "Yes, boss. Operation Mop and Hope, commencing." 

Wrecker smirking, "And hey, once we’re done, it’ll be the classiest industrial ruin on the block." 

Gadget: "Not exactly a high bar, but I’ll take it. Get to work. I’ll check in soon."