Teens Only

Bozo was just a moment too late, only barely witnessing the girl run inside the Flicker’s front door as she finally escaped his sight.

The instant he landed on the ground he stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone had been watching his heroic feats of aerial maneuvering, but here on land he was just a weird older man in a crowd of people who couldn’t so much as legally drink yet.

Still, some recognized him, others congratulated his show, misunderstanding his intense and desperate pursuit of the person who ruined him- until he reached the front glass door to the neon nightclub, nobody tried to stop him.

“Excuse me, sir. I’m gonna have to-“ the bouncer chuckled. “See some ID.”

Even though he could see through the barrier, it was helpless. The girl was long gone, and a crowd was already forming inside, preparing for the shortly arriving night.

“Sir?” The young man continued. Bozo did not enjoy these old games.

“Here.” His shaking hand reached into his utility belt and pulled out as much money as he could grab. All it did was raise the guard’s suspicions.

“Yeah… no. Not gonna happen, buddy. Maybe you’d have better luck paying a de-aging surgeon.”

He cursed to himself. That’s not how this works, he thought. All the other staff bowed down to him and his team whenever they needed quick transport or even a shady venue to use, so long as they rubbed some green in their eyes. He pulled out more, but the man only kept shooing him away in response.

“Am I not getting through to you? I don’t care how much you pay me, I’m not incurring Kidney’s wrath.”

“I’m with Kidney! I’m the reason those games are happening right now!” Spit flicked onto the doorman’s face as he endured the would-be customer.

“Yeah, no, I recognize you- still not letting you in unless you’re between the ages of fifteen and twenty.”

Bozo slammed his fist against the glass. With every second that villain had more and more opportunities to hide or slip away into the city.

“T-that girl! The girl that ran in here, she… she’s gonna blow this place sky high!”

“Buddy, not they’d I’d listen to some guy who already tried bribing me in the first place, but you aren’t really the best liar.”

Bozo grit his teeth.

“Fine! So be it! But she is a criminal! My park, my- my coaster- she’s the one responsible! Her and those goons… that girl, she was with them!”

“That doesn’t mean I can let you in to extract your revenge, now does it? Newsflash, pal, I don’t just-“

“Get the staff on it then! Forget it! If you won’t let me do it, at least bring her in for questioning! You have it on my authority that she’s a former member of a terrorist organization! If you choose not to act on that, you’ll be to blame if- when she does it again!”

The bouncer sighed. What a start to his shift.

“You really are persistent, aren’t you, sir?”

He pulled out his intercom. Bozo’s face lit up.

“Can you describe her for me? She was in such a rush, I only saw her for a split second.”