The Universe's Mixer

Wash was flirting with Beatrice again at a diner he managed to relocate. She was humoring him. The city had made her to look in her mid 50's, robust build and dyed blonde hair frizzled around her like pipe cleaners.

"Rawr. You come back with two pancakes and I'll give you a big tip," he said with a wink. She just rolled her eyes and then shook her head at Wash's whistle.

She might have been a one dimensional character, but it was all Wash could do to distract himself from...himself. This was Wash being a hermit, you see.

He took a long sip of hot black tea and savored the social moment for a while. It gave him temporary happiness. A small jolt to a happiness junkie.

( Charlie had been looking for something to eat... )

(Warning: Adult Content - Sex)

“Timmy, why don't you go upstairs and get the xbox set up so mama can play a game with you before bedtime,”

Timmy looked up from where he was helping Bruce, glancing between the pair before nodding and setting the test tube down he had been holding, zooming off. Enigma grinned, watching the robot dash off before striding across the room to her soon to be husband, pulling his seat out from his desk and moving, straddling his lap.

She had changed out of her business suit into more casual clothing, choosing the corset with a large bow as a joking reference to Bruce's birthday. She raised a hand, dangling her ID lanyard that indicated she was a full fledged member of Stark Industries. “Guess who got a job,” she sung, beaming at him. “And I did it without flirting or hitting on him, you'd be proud of me.”

Though, the low cut blouse probably helped...a tiny, very tiny amount.

The glitch with the sunset was weeks behind them all. Many seemed to not even notice that it had gone on. The City settled into normal routines, the people going about their business like nothing was changed. City born and those brought in had seen many things happen within the wall, a little extra sunset wasn't so big of a deal. Especially because it had only happened once.

This day, more oddness was about to occur.

When the sun hit noon, it got stuck. Despite time ticking on, the minutes on watches and clocks passing twelve thirty, then two, then four in the afternoon, the midday sun hung bright in the sky. When six pm, then eight, came and went, the sun was still shining down on the people of the City, seemingly unwilling to do what it was supposed to do.

Through the night, nothing changed. Not until the next day and time coming around to the exact moment when the sun had gotten glued to the sky did anything happen. The sun then continued its normal path, marking the hours as it should have always done.

Wash stood stiffly on the rooftop of his tall narrow apartment building. His hands were twitching, fingers clawing inward. The sun shown down brightly through a beautiful azure sky. White, puffy clouds were floating by lazily.

Wash had to squint when he looked up into the sky. The warmth of the sun soaked into his skin like a hot shower beating down on his back and forehead and heating him from the top of his head to his feet. The air smelled fresh, like spring.

It was 3am.

Wash was furious.