"Flap your wings, the winds arise
Time has come for the demise.
Figuring out the worst to come
or whether he's just that dumb" -Kenji
That SOB felt happy when I was hurting in the shop window. Happy? Now I'm believing this dude is mentally deranged. I've dealt with rookies, even being one myself and a little bit of initial hatred towards the system is a given. But to want your fellow officer dead simply from a damn joke?
Whatever, I still had a job to do. Regardless of the rookie, they need to be properly molded into good heroes and sidekicks. How the hell he had passed the mental examination? If he remains to be a judgmental grudge keeper, then I'm definitely going to have to pull the plug on the man's career in the department for the safety of everyone involved.
My eyes were blurry and my body ached. Bruises and several cuts to my upper body, I could make out from the doctors. Even traces of NMBA(Paralysis Drugs). The doctors got to work, patching me up and applying bandages when necessary. I was going to fall asleep until Jess had entered.
Jess: "You okay?"
She had slowly walked to the bed.
"Do i look it?" I looked at her as the light bounced off her pale face, she looked sweaty.
Jess: "Better than the time you got shot."
"Why are you here?" I slowly sat up but she pushed me down with a silent glare that made me stay lying on the bed.
Jess: "Well, I thought you missed me. Did you miss me Kenny?"
"No." I said blunt. "Where's your boot?"
"Sitting with your Boot. He was feeling bad that he couldn't help you." Now that was a shocker. Here I thought he wanted me dead. Probably does. I should tread lightly.
Jessica: "So what happened to you? Me and Briggs had to deal with a bomb. One of the suspects forgot that the other had powers related to fire." She cackled. "They forgot their homemade bomb could set off with the smallest spark. Like the connections were horribly maintained and all it took was one spark. The entire house went ablaze. Thankfully, no one was hurt."
Her eyes sparkled whenever she talked about bombs. If only those assholes higher up would give her the damn Tap to go for Bomb Squad.
I looked out the window and saw through the blinds, Ash, feeling like garbage as the other rookie tried to console him. I didn't even need my powers to know he was dampening the mood like some raincloud. The white walls seemed even more depressing.
"GET IN HERE BOOT!" I spoke firmly as i raised two fingers motioning him inside, which caused him to rush in.
Ash [Guilty, Tired] : "W-what's up?" He stammered. Clearly afraid. It's funny to think, he was gonna rip my head off and now he's acting like a kicked puppy.
"I didn't ask you to come to the hospital with me. Go back to the station and fill out the damn paperwork." My voice came out harsh. I didn't know i could get that emotional. Not since my military days.
Ash [Annoyed] : I just followed you here like a good rookie does.
He spoke out of turn which caused Jessica to stand up, ordering him to stand down.
Jess: Is that backtalking I hear, boot?"
Her question straightened up the boy as his eyes widened from the interjection.
"A good boot does what his training officer tells him to do." I shot back, adding in the rebuke.
He rolled his eyes and simply stormed out of the room while Jess stared at me in shock but in a weird way.
"What?" I said, already tired of this nonsense. The pain from didn't even matter anymore, I wanted to take a nap, heal so that i could quickly get back into action.
Jess : "He's got a severe attitude problem. Don't he? You going to tell Captain?"
"Not yet. I always put in my 100%. Let's see."
..... I didn't think much of it. But i don't think i will. Nothing isn't unfixable, even a huge conundrum like Ash. 'When did i begin to refer to him by his name?'
'Ash Bloomfield. Brother of Justin Bloomfield. His name..... Ashes.... in the blooming field... He truly doesn't fit in.... does he?' I thought as I slowly drifted off.
In a few weeks, I slowly heal and can feel my arms move without much strain. Finally. I try to stand up with little effort and slowly dress myself with my plain collar shirt and my jeans when a grainy old woman who looks like she could fall over any minute now walks in with a teddy bear and a wheelchair.
"It's alright. I can walk out of here." I say waiting for her to leave. But she doesn't and simply smiles softly. I internally groan but relent. "Fine." I grabbed the damn teddy bear and plopped myself down on wheelchair as she beams smiling. I could see the male patients holding their snickers but the doctors themselves look at me appreciatively. But more confusing was how strong she was. This old lady was pushing a fit cop like me, like i was a child. Probably Super strength.
She drops me off, whispering a "Thank you." and I nod as i stood up and watched her walk back inside as a nurse gives her a small pat on the back. How.... Kind. My heart simply felt caressed as i watched the doctors help that old woman be a part of the process. But that didn't prepare me for the time I'd come back. I walked back into the station, the polished walls of the reception sort of dimmed and ever
I stalked over to the slugs in the locker room as they changed. "What's going on?"
Slug 1 [Grim, Playful] "If it isn't kick ass Kenji..... A lot's happened while you were too busy jacking off in the hospital."
I wanted to punch the dude. "And?"
Slug 2 [Affection, Grim]: "The Captain Friez's Daughter was Raped."
He whispered to me. Raped?! My eyes widened as i looked at him.
Slug 3: "and the captain, there is evidence.... Lots of it. Freiz... He was arrested for molesting and raping young girls in secret." I didn't even register it. He.... Friez was such an upstanding man. Sure, he was a hard ass but that's expected. He was a hero all of us looked up to. He'd been to so many of my missions. We'd stuck it out on the fricking warlines too.
Through the thick and thin. When i got shot, blood seeped out profusely, he tended to my wounds and protected me. He was one of the men i knew i could count on amongst all the noise. This can't be real. Was his daughter..... raped by him too? No. I can't make any assumptions.
??? [Neutral]: Officer Patel.
Huh? I look up and see a beautiful woman, her hair straight that rolled down her back and a gaze that looked too close for comfort. Why was there a woman in the Men's Locker room?
??? [Neutral]: Come with me.
I found myself walking behind, my backpack weighing even heavier on me. I didn't know where she was taking me. I didn't.... My mind was blank. Just repeating the words "What in the absolute fuck?" In different variations as if that was going to help me find some answers.
I come to my senses in and find myself in the interrogation room. The dark blue mirroring my turmoil as i look upon the two figures standing there as they turn to me. Anita Prakash - Head of Investigative Affairs. Her gaze firm and unyielding, looking as she surveyed me from head to toe and her power to time travel was no joke and on the other side of the room.....
Justin Bloomfield, Leading Hero Detective, otherwise known to the public as Aegis, was pacing angrily. He looked similar to Ash.... Just bulkier and a more intimidating face under his unibrow and over his trimmed beard.
The whole city of Poetsfield knew him. His suit was sleek, a deep obsidian black threaded with veins of silver—resembling the cracks of an unshattered stone. A golden insignia, a circular shield with no imperfections, sat proudly on his chest.
No cape. He didn't need one.
No armor. His skin was armor.
The woman that brought me here stayed by his side trying to calm him down. Now I remember. Greta Marx. Aegis's official sidekick.
Anita [Firm, Amicable]: Good to see you, Officer Patel. I hope you've heard what happened?
"Not fully."
She took a breath before speaking.
Anita [Grim] : "Junpei Friez. His daughter, Akane Friez was raped and killed and he was arrested for having Terabytes worth of child pornography and.... his crimes against children."
I spoke immediately. "He couldn't have. He loved his daughter!" That was when she showed me the video. I looked in horror, my eyes widening as i saw him, grabbing his daughter, beating her senseless. Her legs broken as he snapped forward, her arms thrashed as she begged her father to stop. But all she could do now was whimper as her own father defiled her. He broke her legs. Not the protestors. He did.
I almost buckled under the weight of the truth. I remember consoling him a weeks before. "What happened wasn't your fault."
Anita [Firm, Grim]: I didn't believe it either. However, on the body of the daughter.... was a butterfly carved onto the inner mutilated legs of thegirl.
Her voice echoed. Butterfly....?
The Butterfly Killer.
"But the butterfly killer could be wrong for once. The evidence must have been fake-"
Anita [Firm, Glaring at me] :If that were the case, I'd have dismissed it. But if there is one thing that is unfortunately true, is that the butterfly killer acts when it knows the facts. Always.
I'm aware. A mass murderer who kills, murders, rapes, destroys the lives of heroes and their lives.... who destroy the lives of others. A cruel vigilante that believes heroes are all sinners and should be eradicated. To be forced to feel the pain they make others go through. They mark a butterfly on their victims which will always be someone the hero has a connection to..... committing the same crimes heroes do to other people. Whenever she hit the mark. It never missed.
She never needed a message. For the crime was enough for the world to understand
"So where is Captain Friez?" The title.... the respect now felt like it was burning my tongue.
Anita: "Friez was also beaten and raped, left with an inch of his life just like how he left his daughter. Broken yet living.
I looked at Justin who seemed a far cry from the smiling, humble boy during missions and on TV. He was pissed. Angry. I looked at him and Anita must have noticed my silent question
Anita [Grim and Firm] : I believe that Ash Bloomfield needs to be investigated. Captain Friez had recently fired him from the PFPD.
I didn't like where this was going.
Justin [Pissed] : It can't be him!
Anita shut him down as she spoke.
Anita : Ash Bloomfield might be the Butterfly Killer.