Random stories

“What can I get you, love?” the waitress asked me.

“Coffee and a piece of apple pie, extra ice cream, please.” I dab my split lip on a napkin. “Could I bother you for some ice in a bag, too?”

“Sure thing, love.” she said as she scribbled on her notepad.

She was back almost immediately with a craft of coffee. The steam swirls off the cup in a thick plume. It smells delicious. I take a cautious sip. It hurts my split lip but I need that coffee. The waitress returns and drops off the pie and a bag of ice.

I hold the bag of ice to my left eye. What an amazing relief that is. I chop up the pie with my fork - not a bad pie considering how much of a dive this diner is.

This place looks like it hasn’t been updated since the fifties. The booths have red leather bench seats and the table tops have a thick metal trim. The floor is a black and white checked title floor. There is an eating bar with tall stools around it. It is a tv trope of a diner.

The bell over the door let’s put a tinkle, announcing a new customer. I am too engrossed in my pie to look up. They sit down at the eat up bar.

“What can I get you, love?” The waitress asks.

“Coffee… with room for a disturbing amount of sugar.” He says in an exhausted voice.

I know that voice. Usually it is grander and projecting to the crowds, but it is the same voice. I look at the guy at the eat up bar.

He is tall, usually wide and beefy - yeah, he has the right build. Right colour of hair. Could it be? Mr. Stupendous out of costume.

“Oh, that is good coffee. Thank you ma’am.”

“Love, that ain’t coffee. That is coffee flavoured sugar. I ain’t never seen anyone put so much sugar into their coffee before,” she says while shaking her head.

The waitress comes over to me.

“How’s the pie and ice?” she asks pleasantly.

I put the bag of ice down, “it’s good. Thanks.”

“That eye looks nasty, love. You might need to see a doctor.”

I shake my head at that, “it’s fine. A little pie will fix it right up,” I say as I take another fork full of the apple pie.

As the waitress walks away I see that Mr. Stupendous at the eat bar is looking at me in open disbelief. He picks up his coffee and walks over to my booth and sits opposite of me.

“Dr. Nefarious,” he says with a nod of his head - never taking his eyes off of me.

I return the nod, “Mr. Stupendous”. I take another bite of the pie. “You should try the pie. It isn’t half bad.”

He just continues to stare, he is tensing up, waiting for me to do something.

“Stand down Stupendous. I am done. I just want my coffee, my pie and this glorious bag of ice.” I can see him stand down a little. “Or don’t. Up to you. I don’t have my costume or any of my devices. No henchmen. No groupies. No dastardly plans. It is just me - having a coffee.” I take another pained sip of coffee.

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Submitted by escher4096 on Tue, Jan 17, 2023 to /r/WritingPrompts/

The prompt

A villain nurses their loss in a quiet diner when an equally tired person enters, and orders a coffee in a very familiar voice.