"That old lady always wears a red scarflette around her wrist," muttered Lennox—now going by Left Eye until the swelling goes down. "Today, we found out why."

"Turns out she can grand-slap a silly bastard into a new zodiac sign," said Max, nursing his jaw like it owed him money. "With a fuckin’ purse, Lennox. A purse."

“She’s a gang, Max! A gang! Did you see them?! All coordinated like synchronized swimmers—but, like, armed!”

“I counted six of them. Matching tracksuits. Color-coded walkers. One of them had brass knuckles over her arthritis gloves.”

“I think Doris had a switchblade hidden in a butterscotch wrapper.”

“I knew that candy was sus. No one carries that much butterscotch unless it’s a front.”

Lennox clutched his ribs. “They took down Danny like he owed bingo money. I think he does, actually. But still.”

“He does,” Max nodded. “But that’s not the point.”

Silence fell as a motorized scooter hummed past in the distance, trailing a scent of lavender and war crimes.

“…We gonna tell someone?” Lennox asked.

“You wanna be the guy who rats out the Granny Squad?”

“…Fair.”

A gust of wind blew through. The last remaining Werther’s rolled by, slow and ominous.

Max stared at it. “We were never here.”

“Yep.”

They limped off, one shoe between them.

----- < cut > -----

[A/N]:

📑The Color Code:

Red scarflette = enforcer.

Blue = strategist.

Purple = finance

Every shade means something, but red? Red’s for those who do the dirty work. Purse combat. Cane-fu. Scooter chases through suburban sidewalks.

📌The Ritual: The scarflette goes on the left wrist when they’re going out “on business.” If it’s tied tight, it means no mercy. If it’s loose, it’s a warning.

In the ‘60s, these women were part of a resistance group. Or a roller derby squad that got banned for violence. The scarflettes were their old team uniform—now repurposed for suburban justice.

⚠️Neighborhood Code: Everyone on the block knows—if you see a red scarflette, don’t be stupid. Help her with her groceries. Compliment her begonias. Do not test her patience.