Druid in the Marvel Universe Chapter 114: Happiness is Fleeting

On the highway to LA, Alvin was vibing with the tunes on the radio, feeling pretty damn good.

I mean, who wouldn't be stoked? Cruising in a sweet ride with a knockout in the passenger seat and his cute-as-a-button daughter in the back? Jessica? Oh, and a hot sister too!

Megan was chilling in the passenger seat, her legs kicked up on the dashboard. Her dress had slipped down a bit too much, and Alvin kept wanting to tell her to fix it, worried it might make him crash.

Megan caught Alvin staring, gave him a look with those big eyes, and flashed a killer smile. She rolled her eyes, not even thinking about changing her pose.

Right then, she was checking out some weird symbol on a piece of paper, holding it up to the light.

They found it hidden in the weaving machine, and Sloan had traced it.

The symbol looked kinda familiar to Alvin. It was a triangular pyramid, and he felt like he'd seen it somewhere before, maybe in some old movie, but he couldn't quite place it.

Alvin vaguely remembered it being called some kind of code! But who cares! He'd already snagged the girl, and the rest could be left to Sloan, the old dude.

What he needed to worry about now was keeping his eyes on the road and not crashing! Alvin's mind drifted to Cross.

Cross was the real sad sack in all this. He'd spent half his life fighting the Assassins' Guild, getting hunted like a stray dog, ditching his wife and kid, and turning his son into a wimp.

In the end, everything turned out way different than he thought. He gave the most but ended up looking like the biggest fool.

Megan's faith only crumbled when she found out the weaving machine was a scam. She hadn't betrayed her beliefs because she never really had any, and she wasn't betrayed by those she trusted. Instead, she was protected. Sloan's "deception" saved her from self-destructive denial!

With a mysterious and powerful guy like Alvin chasing her, she bounced back quick!

Cross, the poor bastard, almost lost it. Even though Alvin saved his life with the Corpse Flower, he still wanted to take Sloan down with him!

Luckily, James being around kept him from totally losing it and putting a bullet in his own head!

Sloan, the old guy, was way more impressive and dignified. He took another bullet from Cross, settling their old beef!

Sloan was all about finding the person or group that had been using the Assassins' Guild for over two hundred years. Cross was already forgotten, not even worth being his enemy anymore!

Alvin thought Sloan was gearing up for a tough fight. Anyone who'd been played for so long and could still act like Sloan deserved some serious props.

Word on the street was he already had some leads. By comparing the wrong dates on the weaving machine's list with the names of those in the know, it was easy to spot potential moles in the Assassins' Guild. Those guys were in for a rough time; Sloan didn't seem like the type to just rely on evidence!

Lost in his thoughts, Alvin followed Jessica's directions and drove into Washington, D.C.

According to Jessica's plan, they'd crash in Washington for the night, check out the monuments, Capitol Hill, and the White House during the day, and snap some pics.

Alvin wasn't too hyped about all that, but hey, it was a trip, so they had to do some sightseeing!

On the roadside in front of the White House, Alvin carried Ginny on his shoulders. They looked like a father and daughter from the sticks.

Alvin rocked jeans and a plaid short-sleeve shirt, while Ginny sported overalls and a floral tee. They looked like a couple of cowhands fresh off the ranch.

Jessica was all dolled up in a pretty floral dress with a big ol' camera hanging around her neck. She kept snapping pics of Alvin and Ginny, all the while giving Alvin the stink eye for his fashion choices.

But Alvin didn't give a damn. He was comfy and felt right at home.

I mean, what other dude could dress like a farmhand and still have a knockout by his side? It was his low-key way of flexing; he didn't care about her looks!

Megan was rocking a cute white floral dress and high heels, looking like she just stepped out of a fashion mag. The off-shoulder thing was bugging Alvin, making him wanna pull it up for her.

The jealous looks from other guys made Alvin feel pretty smug, like, yeah, my taste is on point!

Jessica, playing the perfect tour guide, had a map in hand and was bouncing ahead, sometimes telling Alvin to pick up the pace.

Ginny wasn't too jazzed about sightseeing. Sitting on Alvin's shoulders, she wrapped her arms around his chin, resting her little head on his, watching Jessica bounce around. What was so fun about walking? And what was the big deal about the White House?

After a bit, maybe feeling too embarrassed to walk with Alvin, Megan ran ahead and linked arms with Jessica. They were laughing and chatting, probably making fun of Alvin the whole way.

Alvin watched the two girls ahead, thinking they weren't as chummy as they seemed.

Jessica wasn't this girly when she was with him! Why tie up her hair? To make her face look smaller and younger?

Megan wasn't this peppy when she was with him! Why bounce around in high heels? Isn't it a pain to keep her back so straight?

Ginny was the best, just chilling on his shoulders, though he couldn't figure out why his head felt wet!

The day's outing was a blast, especially when they stumbled upon a carnival. Ginny dragged Alvin to try every ride.

For dinner, they hit up a Mexican joint. Alvin, feeling bummed, carried his prizes behind the group. Megan had totally shown him up with her shooting skills at the carnival, and he was in a foul mood!

The restaurant owner's big smile was just annoying. You don't look half as tough as Domingo, and you call yourself a Mexican?

When Alvin walked in, he spotted Tony in a booth, flanked by two babes, bragging to the black officer Rhodes. Alvin thought, man, today just keeps getting worse!

"Hey, buddy, thought you were heading to LA?" Tony noticed Alvin and was the first to holler.

If his eyes weren't glued to Megan, Alvin might've felt a bit better.

Alvin casually handed his stuff to Colonel Rhodes, who was passing by, patted his shoulder, and pointed to an empty booth, saying, "Mind taking these over there? Thanks!"

Colonel Rhodes was momentarily stunned. He knew Alvin was the guy who had taken down the monster and saved Tony in Afghanistan. This dude was a mystery. So he came over to say hi, only to get treated like a waiter.

Luckily, Colonel Rhodes was a gentleman. Though his face darkened, he still nodded to Jessica and Megan and took the stuff to the booth.

Tony laughed heartily, patted Alvin's shoulder, and said, "Buddy, looks like you're in a funk today. I thought with such a hottie by your side, you'd be on cloud nine."

Pointing to his booth, the jerk added, "Of course, I'm twice as happy as you, haha!"

Alvin shot Tony a glare and said, "Of course, because your happiness is always short-lived, Mr. 15 Minutes!"