Cyborgs and Spies Volume 1: Teamup

Chapter 1: Three New Faces in Beverly Hills

"Well, this is it, guys," said a voice. Three male figures stood on a hill and looked over the peaceful town of Beverly Hills. The first boy had green eyes and dark brown hair. He wore a light green shirt, blue jeans, a pair of plastic glasses, and a pair of red sneakers. 

The second boy was a bit muscular and tan with blue eyes and red hair. He wore a red tank top, gray shorts, and a pair of tennis shoes.

The third boy was smaller than the other two. He had brown eyes and blonde hair. He wore a blue t-shirt, dark jean shorts, and a pair of strap-on sandals.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Andrew?" The second boy asked. "Once we move here, there's no turning back. We won't be welcome back at our old home, you know."

Andrew sighed and nodded. "Yes, Richard," he said. "I'm positive. After the amount of damage our fight with the Cyber Force has caused, I don't think anyone will miss us."

"Not even your own family?" The third boy asked with surprise and sadness.

"Even my own family, Benjamin," said Andrew. "Such is the life of Andrew Wilson."

Benjamin had a very sad look on his face. "Why is the world so mean?" He asked.

Richard came up and patted him on the head. "The world can be pretty dumb at times," he said. "But hey, at least we have each other."

Andrew couldn't help but smile a little at the comment. "Fair point," he said. "I'd rather be with you guys than my family anyway. As much as I love them, I need to be away from their toxicity for a while."

Benjamin patted Andrew on the back. "That's fine," he said. "Come on, let's head on down and see what Beverly Hills is like."

Andrew and Richard agreed with smiles. They got into Richard's car and headed down to explore the town that would be their new home. They gasped in awe at all of the buildings and houses that were in sight. Plenty of restaurants, a beach with beach houses, even a mall!

"This is so much more lively than back home," said Benjamin with excitement in his voice. "I can't wait to visit the high school! I bet I'm gonna do well in science!"

Richard rolled his eyes playfully. "Dude, you're gonna do well in every subject," he said. "You are the smartest one out of all of us!"

"That's right," said Andrew. "I never would've passed history class if it wasn't for you!"

Benjamin smiled and blushed a bit. "Thanks, guys," he said. "So, where to now?"

"Well, first off, let's try to find some jobs so we can make money to buy a house or rent an apartment," said Andrew. "Hopefully I can get a job as a groundskeeper! I've been wanting that job since I was fifteen!"

"I'm hoping to work part-time at a science lab," said Benjamin. 

"I'd like to apply as a gym teacher assistant," said Richard. He then noticed Andrew and Benjamin having a sweat drop in their heads. "What?"

"Richard," said Andrew. "Do I need to remind you of how often you worked us out so hard that we nearly passed out? I'm kinda nervous about how you'd push others."

"Oh come on," said Richard. "The training wasn't THAT intense!"

"I beg to differ," said Benjamin. "We were sore for at least three days along with some really sore backs, remember?"

"My point exactly," said Andrew. He looked and saw a sign that said Beverly Hills Lawn Services. "Sweet! Stop here, Richard! This is where I'm gonna apply!"

The car stopped and Andrew stepped out. He took a deep breath and looked back at his friends, giving them a nervous thumbs-up. 

"Good luck," said Benjamin.

"Break a leg," said Richard. His comment made Andrew sigh before he drove away. 

Andrew looked at the building and got a good look at it. It was bright red with a large lawnmower on the top. As he approached, he saw a truck pull up behind the building with lawnmowers, weed eaters, and riding mowers. He felt a little envious at the sight of the zero turn mowers.

Oh, what I wouldn't give to ride on one of those, he thought. He made it to the front door and ringed the buzzer. After a few minutes, he heard a voice. 

"Hello," said the voice. "Welcome to Beverly Hills Lawn Services! How may I help you?" 

"Hello," said Andrew politely. "My name is Andrew Wilson. "I'm looking to see if there are any openings right now."

There was silence for about thirty seconds before the door opened. Shaking away his thoughts of why the door opened by itself, he stepped inside. He found himself in a big room with some chairs and a large desk. Behind the desk was elder man with gray hair and black eyes. The man simply tilted his head towards the chairs. Andrew nodded and took a seat.

Okay, Andrew, he thought. Don't mess this up! You've got to make a good impression! You remember what happened in the last interview!

He sighed inwardly at the memory. The last time he was interviewed for a job, he could barely form a single sentence. The manager didn't like silent people so he didn't hire the lad. 

You're far away from toxic people now! This one should be easy... right?

After two minutes, the man at the desk spoke. "Andrew Wilson, the boss will see you now."

Andrew nodded and stood up. "Thank you, sir," he said politely. He arrived at a door that the man had pointed to. Taking a deep breath, he went inside. He saw another desk with a variety of decorations. Behind it, was a man who looked to be at least thirty years old. He had black hair and blue eyes while dressed in business attire.

"Ah, you must be Andrew Wilson," he said as the two shook hands.

"Yes, sir," said Andrew politely. 

The man gave him a smile. "Welcome," he said. "My name is Adrien Cole. Please have a seat." Andrew sat down. "Now, first things first: Why do you want to work here?"

Andrew smiled. "Well, sir," he said, trying to be very careful not to stutter like he usually did. "I enjoy being outside. Also, doing yard work has been a big dream of mine."

"I see," said Adrien. 

10 minutes later...

"Congratulations, Andrew," said Adrien with a big smile. "You've got the job!"

"Awesome," said Andrew as he happily shook his hand. "Thank you, sir!"

"Now, since you have some school to take care of, I expect you to be ready for work on the weekends," said Adrien. "Can you manage that?"

"Yes, sir," said Andrew.

"Good," said Adrien. "I will see you this Saturday! Take care!"

Andrew nodded and left the building. As soon as he was out, he began to jump happily and dance with a big smile on his face. He was so happy that he was oblivious to everyone else just staring at him with confused looks. 

Meanwhile, in the office of Adrien, the man was sitting at his desk. He was happy to hear that he had a new employee to work for him. Suddenly, he heard a strange sound. It sounded like something mechanical coming from outside his door. He gasped as he heard the sounds of screams and cries for help. He shakily stood up and slowly approached the door.

He opened the door and was startled by what he saw: The mowing equipment was moving around on its own, attacking the workers. Just as he was about to go to his phone to call for help, a bunch of weed eaters jumped at him and grabbed him with their strings. Adrien fell to the ground as the sound of thumping feet approached. Just as he was about to look up, he felt a strong kick on the side of his head. As he blacked out, he heard a voice speak robotically: "Glory to the Cyber Empire."