her.
“I’ll go along with it. For now.”
“Glad to hear. Employee orientation is now officially concluded. Welcome to the team. The sooner we start your trainin’, the better. Your powers ain’t gonna lie dormant for convenience’s sake.”
He headed for the exit. As the wall faded away again, admitting them back into the main facility, Ben urged her to catch up with a jerk of his head.
“C’mon. You’ve got toilet duty.”
***
Chapter Five
Ben pushed his squeaky-wheeled cart out of the elevator and into the underground lot of HQ’s office complex. Dani walked by his side, her gaze darting to every dark corner as if checking for monsters.
They ambled between rows of identical white vans until they came across one which might’ve been white in a previous lifetime. Mud splatters, rust, and flaking paint covered the paneling, and it wouldn’t have looked out of place on someone’s front lawn alongside plastic flamingos and beer cans.
Dani stared at it in faint horror. “I thought we were supposed to maintain a clean image.”
He patted the side. “Mebbe all the rest like to waste time sprayin’ their vans down every time it gets a speck of dust on the bumper. Me? So long as it gets me where I gotta go, it’s all the fancy-shmancy wheels I need.”
“Still, shouldn’t you take better of your company car?” she asked. “I mean, that thing looks half-fossilized. What’s Francis’ ride? A white stretch limo?”
“When you reach his level, limos are beneath you,” Ben said. “So unless your new powers include teleportation, you’re gonna just have to enjoy the ride.”
She stood back as Ben slid the van’s side door open. It rattled aside to reveal built-in metal shelving that held all manner of buckets, cleaning fluid, bottles, extra mops, bundles of rags, and other cleaning paraphernalia. A regular janitorial treasure chest.
She perked up. “Got any gloves in there?”
He scrounged across one shelf until he came up with a pair of yellow rubber gloves and tossed them her way. As she tugged them on, he levered the cart into an open space at the back and locked the wheels in place.
“Why janitors?”
He glanced back. “Eh?”
“Why janitors?” Dani repeated. “If the Cleaners are some big magical society, why not act like it? Why hide behind this corporate front? Wouldn’t it be better to take on an image people respect more? Like law enforcement. Or superheroes.”
“First off, you really wanna go ’round wearin’ tights and capes? Or seein’ me in ’em?” He chuckled at her grimace. “Second off, if you think about it, janitors, maids, plumbers … all sortsa cleanin’ folks have been keepin’ the world from turnin’ into one big ball of mud since people started figurin’ out that sleepin’ in their own filth ain’t exactly the brightest idea. Mebbe politicians and military folk look like they’re the ones with all the say-so, but we’re the ones that keep things runnin’ from the ground up, whether they know it or not.”
“Still, isn’t it a little on the low end of the totem pole?”
“If you look hard enough, there’s plenty to be proud of.” He grinned. “You just gotta think like a janitor.”
“I wasn’t aware janitors did much thinking.”
“That sorta mindset is gonna get you in a lotta trouble.”
He rummaged around the shelves until he came up with a dusty-brown cleaning jumpsuit which zippered up the front, and a pair of black rubber boots. These he handed to Dani. “Get changed.”
She held the suit doubtfully. “These are way too big for me. And I am not changing clothes in a garage.”
“Fine. But that piece you’re wearin’ right now dissolves if taken outta HQ, so I guess you’re ridin’ shotgun nekkid.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re joking. I know you are.”
An engine started in the distance as they stared each other down.
At last, her glare turned pleading. “Please say you’re joking.” When he remained
“I’ll go along with it. For now.”
“Glad to hear. Employee orientation is now officially concluded. Welcome to the team. The sooner we start your trainin’, the better. Your powers ain’t gonna lie dormant for convenience’s sake.”
He headed for the exit. As the wall faded away again, admitting them back into the main facility, Ben urged her to catch up with a jerk of his head.
“C’mon. You’ve got toilet duty.”
***
Chapter Five
Ben pushed his squeaky-wheeled cart out of the elevator and into the underground lot of HQ’s office complex. Dani walked by his side, her gaze darting to every dark corner as if checking for monsters.
They ambled between rows of identical white vans until they came across one which might’ve been white in a previous lifetime. Mud splatters, rust, and flaking paint covered the paneling, and it wouldn’t have looked out of place on someone’s front lawn alongside plastic flamingos and beer cans.
Dani stared at it in faint horror. “I thought we were supposed to maintain a clean image.”
He patted the side. “Mebbe all the rest like to waste time sprayin’ their vans down every time it gets a speck of dust on the bumper. Me? So long as it gets me where I gotta go, it’s all the fancy-shmancy wheels I need.”
“Still, shouldn’t you take better of your company car?” she asked. “I mean, that thing looks half-fossilized. What’s Francis’ ride? A white stretch limo?”
“When you reach his level, limos are beneath you,” Ben said. “So unless your new powers include teleportation, you’re gonna just have to enjoy the ride.”
She stood back as Ben slid the van’s side door open. It rattled aside to reveal built-in metal shelving that held all manner of buckets, cleaning fluid, bottles, extra mops, bundles of rags, and other cleaning paraphernalia. A regular janitorial treasure chest.
She perked up. “Got any gloves in there?”
He scrounged across one shelf until he came up with a pair of yellow rubber gloves and tossed them her way. As she tugged them on, he levered the cart into an open space at the back and locked the wheels in place.
“Why janitors?”
He glanced back. “Eh?”
“Why janitors?” Dani repeated. “If the Cleaners are some big magical society, why not act like it? Why hide behind this corporate front? Wouldn’t it be better to take on an image people respect more? Like law enforcement. Or superheroes.”
“First off, you really wanna go ’round wearin’ tights and capes? Or seein’ me in ’em?” He chuckled at her grimace. “Second off, if you think about it, janitors, maids, plumbers … all sortsa cleanin’ folks have been keepin’ the world from turnin’ into one big ball of mud since people started figurin’ out that sleepin’ in their own filth ain’t exactly the brightest idea. Mebbe politicians and military folk look like they’re the ones with all the say-so, but we’re the ones that keep things runnin’ from the ground up, whether they know it or not.”
“Still, isn’t it a little on the low end of the totem pole?”
“If you look hard enough, there’s plenty to be proud of.” He grinned. “You just gotta think like a janitor.”
“I wasn’t aware janitors did much thinking.”
“That sorta mindset is gonna get you in a lotta trouble.”
He rummaged around the shelves until he came up with a dusty-brown cleaning jumpsuit which zippered up the front, and a pair of black rubber boots. These he handed to Dani. “Get changed.”
She held the suit doubtfully. “These are way too big for me. And I am not changing clothes in a garage.”
“Fine. But that piece you’re wearin’ right now dissolves if taken outta HQ, so I guess you’re ridin’ shotgun nekkid.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re joking. I know you are.”
An engine started in the distance as they stared each other down.
At last, her glare turned pleading. “Please say you’re joking.” When he remained
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