Suddenly the feet stop wagging. The mans face shoots out from the shadows. Wednesday jumps and falls backwards in surprise, landing hard into a puddle on the ground.
The mans face looks old rough and weathered as if it had been abused for some time. He was covered from head to toe in dirt and filth, but through all the crust and grime, the face is clearly that of Aces.
Alex: No way!
Ace looks up shocked.
Ace: Alex? It's really you isn't it? Oh how I dreamed this day would come.
Alex: You- you remember me don't you?
Ace wildly rolls his head back as if to think: Welllllll.... no. Not really. Actually I just read the name on your ID.
Standing up, hunched over, Ace holds out the ID card for Alex to see.
Alex: Hey, where'd you get my-
Alex pats his back pocket and sees he no longer has his wallet.
Alex: Hey, he stole my wallet!
Jumping back from Alex, Ace drops the wallet, swings up a water pipe, climbs it halway up, stops, and hides halfway behind the pipe.
Wednesday picks himself up from the ground, trying to dry himself off: Alex, who the hell is this nut?
Alex: This? This is Ace. Wednesday, I'd like you to meet our third member.
Wednesday, to himself: Of course. God, why do you hate me so?
Wednesday, to Alex: You've got to be kidding me Alex. Look at him. He's a bum.
Picking up Alex's wallet: He's a theif!
Ace's eyes follow glued to the wallet. Lightning quick he strikes, kicking off from the wall, one hand catching onto a fire escape, swinging past Wednesday, grabbing the wallet, and pushing himself back up to the pipe.
They both stare at Ace as he goes through the wallet. He pulls out the money and tosses it aside. Then he collects up all the credit cards, gift cards and ID's he can, then happens upon a piece of gum. Sniffing it, and apparently deciding he likes it he pockets it and drops whats left of the wallet.
Alex: Well I guess it is true he's seen better days but I swear he can do the job. And if we can just convince La Machine to hel-
Ace: LA MACHINE!
Wednesday falls back in surprise landing in the same puddle: Damn!
Alex: Yeah, La Machine... Wait, you do remember something don't you?
Ace: No no no. Impossible. Can't remember something that hasn't happened. But I know! I know it was supposed to happen!
Alex: But I don't get it. How is that possible?
Ace: A Ha! With these!
Ace jumps down from the pipe and lands in front of his box. Reaching inside, he pulls out a sack and dumps its contents to the ground. Card after card scatters across the damp pavement of the alley. Business cards, birthday cards, baseball cards, trading cards, assorted playing cards. Ace sifts through all of them until he finally happens upon the
Ace: TAROT CARDS!
