Chapter 361 - 361. Cans And Bottles

"Hey Stevie boy! Come on out here and look at this! These are some of those kids from the tournament we bet on a few weeks back." The man at the recycling center entrance had zero tact when it came to what he would and would not say out loud. As soon as he recognized Asher, Art, and Cara he shouted alerting all the employees and the few other customers there. 

"Dang Bob. Do you really have to yell every time you see someone you- Huh, it is them. What are you kids doing here...oh yeah, recycling. I can help you with those." The man named Stevie boy but his coworker Bob talked himself through what was going on easily enough. Asher was just glad that he wasn't making a big deal over them being there. It was clear that there were some people that idolized the group now. 

Having fans was good when it came to the future of the hero group they were building. It would open up connections to get better equipment and better locations around the world. It would also allow for better transportation to emergencies and just in general improve the community environment. 

What it also did though, was cause people to try and stop them in the street to talk to them or even ask for a picture. It would cause going to populated areas harder. Along with the fact that they couldn't go anywhere for privacy since there was always someone that would recognize them. It was not uncommon for some new heroes that gained quick fame to hide themselves away for weeks or months on end to avoid other people. Some even hid away for the rest of their lives.

"Just call me Steve, and we will leave Bob out here to shout at the crows or something." Bob waved for Steve to shoo away in frustration at the comment. But the three just gave the pair weird looks since they were trying to figure out their personalities. "Are you three just here to return these cans and get the deposits back on them? I can have the machine run it through in about ten minutes. We are a little short staffed today due to the accidents. Our other coworker lives right next to one of the attack sites and their house was damaged too. It's a rough life but what can ya do?" Steve just shrugged and pointed to the line at the one operating machine with an attendant at it. 

"Actually, we have some free time and decided we should help out around the community. If you are short staffed then we can volunteer?" Cara took the lead and offered their help. The look of relief and gratitude that flooded Steves' face was more than the three deserved just for saying that they would help for some time. 

"I know you three will be great heroes one day. If I can take over the second machine we can get the line down quickly. I just need two people to feed the cans and bottle along with one person to direct the line. You are seriously saving us!" The over the top reaction was too much for the three but they stomached it anyways. 

"I actually have a metal manipulation super power if that can be used for anything? I was hoping to use the volunteering for training too. I hope that is alright." Steve was blank faced while looking at Art. His face began to light up yet again as if he was watching an angel descend from heaven and kiss him on the lips. 

"Is that alright he asks, yeah that's amazing! I have a ton of crushed cans that come in from home compactors. People use them to cut down on space and trips to the local recycling center. But they are the worst. The people never keep the p[roper cans separate from each other and even some plastic gets in to them. Overall we need to spend way more time trying to separate it than it is worth. Having you work on those is much better." Steve pointed to a stack of compressed metals and other recyclables. 

"And now I am feeling a little intimidated…" The stack was the size of a small garden shed. However, it was clear that the cans and bottles were condensed well and very tough to get to apart. 

"You needed training and you are lucky to have such challenging training. It will be perfect to really put your brain to the test." The elbow from Asher was enough to bring Art beach to reality. This was a little karma for not helping Asher carry the bags of cans all the way there. 

"You can do it right?" Cara sounded a little extra worried. 

"Of course I can do it. Watch my magic. I will have that entire pulse separated in no time!" Art stormed off toward the piles of condensed metals with a fire in his belly. Cara just giggled slightly watching it happen. 

"You did that on purpose. I can't believe I just saw my sister give someone puppy dog eyes to get them to do something. The great top student the deafen- ack, come on. No need to hit- gah, stop! Let's just get to work on some recycling." There was a grumbling tone in Asher's voice which caused Cara to agree and follow Steve toward the starting belts for the cans and bottle separating and counting machines. 

"Alright, rules. Once something is in the trap, don't reach in or else you will get counted and sorted. Other than that just pour them in slowly and they will be counted and sent to our side where we record and print a ticket for the transaction. Then the customer heads to the office to redeem it for their deposit back. The more people recycle the better. We accept all cans, bottles, tins, pretty much anything. Just don't take electronics. Those go across the street." Steven moved away and powerd up the second sorting machine. He was happy as all else to have another person let alone three, there to help out. This was a godsend for him today. 

Asher started to help the older woman that had a stack of can bags right next to her. She was explaining that she saved them all month and would bring them by to get her coffee money for the next month. It was adorable but he couldn't focus. His eyes were on Art in the distance trying to separate the different metals. 

There was clearly a challenge level to it when it came to certain cans. The alloys for the metals made them feel too close to one another. This in turn caused Art to struggle with what pile something went in. After some deliberation, Art created piles of the alloys as well. This prompted Bob to make an appearance with a small laser gun that was reminiscent to an electric thermometer. It burned a small hope on the metal and showed what it was made of. The result was an organized pile based on the metallic base of the allow. 

The thought of having a metal testing gun was too good for Art. It could prove valuable to his training. "Can I ask where you buy those? I have a metal manipulation and could use it to train in the future with tougher metals." 

"These? We have a ton of em in the back. Let me grab one. You can keep it for ten buck." Bob grabbed one of the metal testers and threw it at Art who hadn't even paid him yet. 

Art managed to barely catch the sealed plastic package that included brand new never opened batteries as well. "Thank you very much. This will come in handy." Bob did not expect that Art would just sit down and start to appraise many things. The metals were all that he thought they were with some surprise copper piping in the mix. 

While Asher and Art were busy, Cara was helping at the already running machine. She had not had a chance to speak to the employee she was working with due to the god awful sound it made. However, she could fix that. 

After Cara began to hum slightly the sounds of the machines seemed to be fading away. The worker genuinely believed that the machine had broken and banged down on it with a fist before noticing the feeling of it running. "Sorry about that. The noise gave me a head ache so I am stopping it while I direct people." Cara was not showing all of her cards but it was impressive that she could hum and speak at the same time. 

In full fashion, the three were helping very efficiently. The fact that they had all thought that this was a poor idea, the volunteering was paying off. Art was training is metal super power. Cara was training her sound. And Asher was building connections with many in the community.. It was an impressive feat and by the time they left, it was written in stone that the three had improved their battle skills.