Swaying coconut palms absorb the early morning rays as Devon stirred from deep slumber. Despite feeling drained after the previous night’s underworld excursions, duty called rousing his heroic spirit. After a quick shower, Devon headed downstairs finding his mother Norissa humming cheerily in the kitchen while frying dumplings for breakfast. Seeing her son she smiled, “G’morning Devon! Sleep good?”
“Yeah man, solid rest,” he fibbed while rubbing reddened eyes. Late nights navigating Killz’s organization meant constantly functioning on low reserves. Collapsing face-first onto the patterned tablecloth, Devon sighed heavily.
Norissa clicked her tongue sympathetically while cracking eggs into a ceramic bowl. “Poor child. Young gentlemen like you need plenty energy keeping up with school and track practice. Here, eat up!” She slid a hearty plate of steaming ackee and saltfish beside steaming herb tea before her weary son.
Devon swiftly demolished the delicious meal between gulps of fragrant tea infused with grated ginger. As strength returned, he peeked at the flatscreen television mounted near the fridge where a local reporter interviewed an elderly farmer.
“...Mister John, you claimed discovering strange mutated larvae infesting your vegetable crops, correct?” asked the female reporter. She held a microphone eagerly towards the overall-clad man’s troubled face.
“True indeed, miss!” swore Bedford John, clutching his tattered straw hat anxiously. “I arrive back from market expecting fine produce from these blessed fields. Instead, awful squirming worms glowing eerie colours were wriggling through me best cabbages and tomatoes!”
He jabbed a crooked finger at the camera lens looking outraged. “No ordinary pest them things, yuh hear? Glowing neon true-true and leaving nasty residues making remaining crops grow wild like duppy bush!”
The reporter regarded him dubiously. “That sounds quite alarming. Have you notified the Ministry of Agriculture or Coco Management Division about this supernatural threat to safe farming?”
Bedford John scowled bitterly. “Of course I inform the useless penpushers! Draw elaborate samples too. But them just brush me off as crazy hillbilly seeing things. Said glowing larvae be too farfetched believed without video proof.”
He crossed his arms defiantly. “Well lady, me know truth when me sow and reap it! Now the story broadcast nationwide. Politricksters must address supernatural infestations damaging small farmer livelihoods islandwide...”
As the interview continued, Devon tuned out pondering the distraught elder's claims. Seemed Coco energies unleashed by recent upheavals continued disrupting natural lifecycles randomly. First empowering people, then vegetation apparently. Always harder containing chaotic forces once uncorked.
His brooding quickly halted when Norissa suddenly blocked the TV and grinned excitedly. “Yuh hear the big news, son? Yuh Auntie Jenny is hosting a riverside bashment today celebrating 50 summers! Can’t miss all the jerk chicken, red stripe and music vibing for her milestone, right?”
Devon blinked confused by the abrupt event mentioned. “Uh, no Mama. This the first I hearing about any riverside party...”
Norissa flicked his nose playfully. “I mention it last week, yuh forgetful boy. Anyways, Auntie making me chief chef overseeing jerk pan, so I heading out early handling provisions.”
She smiled pleadingly at her son. “Now Devon, yuh must come! Bring some school friends too like Thomas and any girls yuh fancy lately. The more the merrier!”
Gathering dishes to wash at the sink, Norissa added happily, “Good chance to mingle and take yuh mind off late night videogames. It’s healthier to relax outdoors more.” She arched one eyebrow pointedly to emphasize her message, completely oblivious of what her son was up to during night times.
Devon exhaled realizing this party could provide good cover story for certain hero operations also. “Yah man, I come check the scene. Just don’t pressure me too hard about keeping gyal company nuh?” He smiled wryly thinking how hero missions often interfered fostering deeper bonds these days.
“No promises there!” Norissa chuckled while scrubbing plates. “My boy too handsome to be hiding solo on riverside. Plenty pretty girls be vying for yuh attention, I bet!”
They shared a warm laugh as Devon helped load a large cooler filled with marinating meats and seasonings into Norissa’s trunk. As she inspected arrangements, his mother suddenly gaped in surprise testing the weighty ice chest’s heft one-handed.
“Lawd Devon, when yuh get so sturdy?” she exclaimed proudly watching her teenage son secure bungee cords without strain. “Pretty soon yuh won’t need old lady help around the yard. You might lift the house next with them track star muscles, haha!”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Devon rubbed his neck self-consciously, trying not to further demonstrate Coco energies augmenting natural physiques over time. Such public displays often complicated hiding enhanced abilities.
Bzz!
Suddenly his phone vibrated with an urgent coded message from Tanya requesting immediate backup. Speak of complications! Devon knew covert duties called despite conflicting obligations.
Seeing her son preoccupied again, Norissa sighed knowingly by the idling car. “Practice calling early for my busy man again, I see...”
“No, it’s only Tanya. She wants me to help her with something,” replied Devon.
Norissa cupped his cheek tenderly before pulling away. “Ok. I’ll drop yuh off by Tanya’s so you reach timely, okay sweetie?”
Devon politely declined the offer with a forced smile, not daring to reveal their true reasons for meeting on weekends. “Nah Mama, you go ahead first. I catch yuh later!” He kissed her forehead sweetly, eliciting another reluctant sigh as Devon raced away from the driveway into nearby dense brush.
“That boy loves to dash about...” Norissa muttered while climbing inside her car. Pulling onto grey roads leading towards the barbeque venue, she switched on the stereo, allowing vibrant reggae beats to lift her spirit on the short journey.
Meanwhile, Devon met up with Tanya who was already dressed in her hero guise as Cocoa Fox by a worn footpath entering isolated woodlands. “Sorry calling early Blur, but emergency mission popped up needing us asap! You manage ditching weekend track practice this once?”
Nodding affirmatively Devon stretched briefly then grinned. “Mom headed off herself to barbeque downriver, so we got some time to handle hero work freely. But first…” He inhaled deeply then blurred from sight.
Whoosh!
When visibility refocused, Devon stood proudly in signature costume with mask attached. Tanya always found his instant transformations amazing despite numerous displays. They never stopped thrilling to witness firsthand!
“Nice! Your Hyper Rush improving duration steadily,” Cocoa Fox praised enthusiastically. “Soon those corner store dash tricks seem slow motion compared to you.” She performed playful boxing jabs towards his hooded face.
The Blur laughed lightly while deflecting her harmless pokes before growing serious again. “Right, so what's the urgent mission, Tanya? Cos’ I had crucial underworld update to share from warehouse run-in last night. Found some mad connections...”
He trailed off seeing Cocoa Fox suddenly wave her paw pads excitedly. “Ooo, pretend stealth practice, Blur! No real names on active missions, remember?” She folded both arms with mock sternness. “Don't break our cover when tailing targets or you blow our stakeout!”
The Blur shook his head, amazed at her spirited dedication even upholding such minor protocols. Clearly bored on slow weekends with few heroic calls to action. "Cho, fine ‘Agent Cocoa Fox’ I'll play unseen operative today," he conceded.
Adopting a professional tone despite barely restrained mirth, he asked, "What dire situation are we investigating presently?"
Clasping her paws together gleefully, the vixen pointed towards faint muddy hoof-prints and trampled shrubbery indicating messy passage through dense foliage ahead.
"Old man Jeffery just reported a dozen prized pigs gone missing early dawn! His green-eyed neighbour Benji must have stolen them to sell illegally at the Ocho Rios meat market!” Cocoa Fox declared angrily.
“So I..um... ‘we’ on protection detail fetching stolen livestock asap before crossing parish borders!" She nodded seriously. “This vital mission involves protecting old Jeff’s gold reserves… I, uh, mean favourite piggies!”
"Pig theft hardly seems worth rushed mobilization...” The Blur deadpanned at her dramatic explanations. Honestly, couriers for Jamaica’s most dangerous gang lord warranted priority addressing before any barnyard pilfering!
Sensing his scepticism, Cocoa Fox pouted with injured sniff. “Look rookie, D-Class assignments might seem tame, but they actually help citizens directly! We safeguarding a vulnerable farmer’s welfare and finances by recovering valuable assets.”
The Blur rubbed his masked temples conceding her argument. After everything he witnessed last night down The Sanctuary pits, securing ordinary community needs did prove worthwhile.
“I dig it, I dig it. Let's catch these bacon bandits then, Cocoa Fox!” He patted her shoulder. “So what clues are we following exactly?”
In reply, Cocoa Fox dropped to all fours, morphing enhanced faculties. She scoured nearby dirt and foliage closely under the morning sunlight.
Tongue lapping thoughtfully, she finally exclaimed, “Aha! Got the scent...this way towards the jungles!" Without waiting, the fox girl sprang deeper into twisting thickets bounded by plantain trees.
Pausing briefly to dramatically sniff the air again, Cocoa suddenly cried excitedly, "Yes! Yes! yes, GOT YOU!" Without warning she crawled swiftly on paws through snarled brush towards their quarry using awkward hit-and-run movement.
Shaking his head in amusement at her antics, The Blur, instead, easily swept low and picked up Cocoa Fox smoothly across his muscular back. "Just guide the way Fox! I dash us there inna split sec," he urged gently.
Giggling, the Vixen grabbed his shoulders using her body like pointer dog towards the targeted valley route ahead. "Then run along, Super Sled! Full speed past the palm groves towards dirt roads beyond."
The Blur inhaled deeply then exploded forwards, blazing a streaking electric trail as countryside scenery blurred into emerald/azure smears. Tanya’s delighted laughs echoed wildly behind through his focused charge unhindered by strain or slowing fatigue.
Exactly 41 seconds later Cocoa Fox tugged his left ear urgently as a battered truck rumbled into sight ahead. "There! Papa Jeffery's pigs stuffed in that rusty deathtrap!" she declared angrily.
In the truck's rear cage a dozen plump swine squealed in distress as two unsavoury men in stained singlets swilled pale liquor from a bottle. Loud dancehall music boomed from the vehicle’s shoddy speakers.
"Looks like these pork punks having too much fun celebrating their big heist..." The Blur growled.
The grinning thieves remained oblivious while braving treacherous dirt trails cutting through the valley outskirts towards freedom. And profit for their pilfered prize. But justice loomed swiftly to blockade such schemes!
"Ready for some bacon bonding, partner?" Cocoa Fox cracked her knuckles as The Blur lowered her some distance behind the occupied getaway truck.
"Let's teach some thieves not to rob helpless old folks!" The heroes began advancing slowly towards ambush range against the unsuspecting pig snatchers.