The Hamburg Incident

By JulietButler101

Captain Holly Short soared over Germany with a determined look on her face. Runners are serious business. Holly was so focused helping the annoying tourists she didn't know Foaly, a genius centaur who is in charge of the LEP's technology, contacted her. It wasn't until she got the women's cat down from a stalactite when she discovered one of her perps had gone to the surface to associate with Mud Men. Holly charged through Haven to get to Foaly, who was not happy. "Short! Where have you been?"

"To make a long story short, I hate tourists. Get me up to speed,"

"Your assigned perp slipped into one of the pods and shot up to the surface. He is currently trying to bargain with Mud Men for asylum in Hamburg. When we found him we put his location on your locator, and we have a chute ready and with your name on it. We also have a Commander about to explode when he sees you,"

"Fantastic. Should I take a weapon?"

"Commander Root says it won't be entirely necessary. Just bring your buzz baton,"

"Then this should be easy,"

"Holly, this is one slippery pixie. He's more dangerous than you think," Foaly said.

"Don't worry! I'll be careful,"

Foaly was about to argue, but the cocky captain was already headed for the hotshots. When the centaur caught up to the captain, she was already by one of the egg-shaped pods. "Alright Foaly, let's get this baby airborne!" she said as she hopped into one of the pods. "Okay Short, hang onto your breakfast,"

Holly put a rubber cylinder in her mouth. It's hard to look tough and cunning around criminals when you've swallowed your tongue. Foaly spoke into a headset, "Bye-bye," and he launched the pod. Holly was a natural with these, so it was easy get to Hamburg. Once she got there, she smelled the fresh air. When you live underground, you don't get to smell that very often. Holly loved her job, and took it seriously, but there are times when you just sit down and look at clouds. Maybe later, when she completes the Ritual, she hadn't in a while. She looked at the locator on her wrist, the red dot was target, and it wasn't too far. Short unhooked a set of wings from their bracket. It was a Hummingbird Z7, the best way to fly. It was whisper silent, with a satellite-bounced solar battery that takes you around the world a couple times. This is transportation. She turned it on and flew toward the target. The captain was able to find the target on an empty street. She turned on her helmet mike, "Foaly, I've closed in on the target, he's headed for an alley"

"He's probably got a meeting there. Get him out of sight and hurry; there isn't much time until dawn,"

"On my way Foaly," She hung up and flew lower onto the road. When her feet hit the ground, she deactivated her wings. Holly was about grab the sprite, but she was a second too late and grabbed his jacket instead. When the sprite's jacket ripped, it exposed his wings to the four burly Mud Men the fairy intended to do business with. "What the…?" the first one said.

"Who…?"

"Leaf, why do you have wings? And who's the chick in the helmet?"

Holly didn't know what to do, she didn't have enough magic to mesmerize them. So she thought on her feet. "Mud… Gentlemen, I'm Officer Holly Short," she said as she turned her helmet mike on. "Leaf is a wanted criminal. The police have been searching for him for months,"

"That still doesn't explain the wings," the fourth one said.

"I lost a bet. I couldn't stuff 10 unshelled peanuts in my mouth, so I had to wear these things to our little meeting" Leaf said.

Everyone was silent. Holly hoped Foaly understood what was going on.

Back at LEP HQ, Foaly was listening to what was going on with Holly. "Short, what have you gotten yourself into?" He said to himself. He called Root's office. "Foaly, this better be important!"

"I wouldn't call you unless it was. Captain Short has been by the Mud Men her perp was associating with. She's trying to come up with explanation,"

"Why doesn't she just mesmerize them?"

"Beats me. Maybe she's not thinking straight,"

"What's the surface time in Hamburg?"

"11: 30,"

"Send the Retrieval Squad and stop time! We gotta get them outta there and mind wipe those Mud Men!"

"Yessir," The line went dead.

Holly relieved when the Retrieval Squad showed up. They mesmered the Mud Men and brought them to the mind wiping chamber. Leaf was sent to court and under constant surveillance. Holly was sent to Commander Root's office. Before she could even open the door; "SHORT! WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING?"

"I was thinking about getting the perp back to Haven, sir,"

"Why was he able to escape in the first place?"

"I was helping a woman get her cat down from a stalactite. I didn't know when Foaly called about Leaf,"

"Okay, what about the Mud Men? Why didn't you just mesmerize them?"

"I wasn't thinking straight. I'd accidentally ripped the jacket he was using to hide his wings. It really messed me up. It won't happen again though,"

"We'll see. Don't think this is the last you've heard of this incident,"

"I understand sir. I'm not happy with myself either,"

"A lot of police time has been wasted because of you. I hope you understand that,"

"I understand sir,"

"You're dismissed Captain,"

"Yessir," Holly left feeling relieved she wasn't fire, but she wasn't too happy. I don't think I'll ever get in more trouble than that.