"So," Bryan laughed, ignoring the glare thrown in his direction by his partner, Kasey. "Chief stuck you with rookie duty, eh?" He asked, shutting his locker before fixing his shift to hide the bullet proof vest under it.
"Don't remind me." Kasey groaned, 'slamming' her head on her own locker. "Guess that's what I get for slamming that guy on the bumper of the RMP."
Bryan chuckled and shook his head. "Karma, kicking you right in the ass."
"Yeah, yeah." Kasey growled, checking her sidearm before slipping on her jacket. "I think I'll make him drive. Would be nice to be able to sit back and relax a little."
"What are you talking about?" Bryan asked, leaning on his locker, arms folded over his chest. "Every single time we ride together, I'm the one that does the driving."
"That's because you're such a gentleman!" Kasey replied over her shoulder, causing Bryan to roll his eyes and call out after her.
"You don't know me at all!"
xxxxxx
"Montel, Darke - Up front."
Bryan sighed as he walked to the front of the roll call room. Everyone in their department knew that any time the words 'Montel' and 'Darke' were followed by 'up front', someone was in deep trouble.
He chuckled to himself. What a reputation.
"I've got good news, and I've got bad news." Their Chief started, looking between the two of them. "Which do you want first?"
"Good news." They said in unison. They expected something along the lines of 'Internal Affairs is held up in traffic, so you have time before they get here'. However, they were surprised when their boss held up two sets of car keys.
"The department just received two new cars." There was a pause as he gave them a hard look. "I've been racking my brains all day and night for a week now as to who I should hand these nice new units over to. But, I have to admit, while you two are the most reckless, adrenalin filled, outside-of-your-fucking-mind cops in this department, you two are also the most dedicated, loyal, and while if anyone ever asks, these words didn't leave my mouth, you are the hands-down best officers I have on staff."
He shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe I just said those words out loud." Their chief sighed before tossing the keys to Bryan and Kasey. "Get out of my sight." He said with a slight humor in his eyes. "Oh, I almost forgot! The bad news." He said, pointing over Kasey's left shoulder.
She turned around and eyed the new recruit. She had to keep herself from rolling her eyes at him. Someone hadn't read their briefing. The kid couldn't have been a day older than twenty-one. He was wearing a clean, pressed outfit, up to and including, the standard issue police hat.
Kasey looked at him, then turned and looked over at Bryan and eyed his outfit. Blue jeans, black t-shirt, backwards Huskies Basketball hat with a blue windbreaker, left unzipped just to finish things up.
She turned back to the trainee again, glaring daggers into him. "Didn't you read your brief!? We're a plain clothed response unit. We don't wear the uniform!" She yelled, turning back to her Chief. "Are you kidding me?!"
Their chief just grinned at her, nodding back towards the kid. "Nice work, go get changed."
"Nice work?" Kasey mouthed to Bryan who simply shrugged.
"I was testing you, Officer Montel. Good to see I can still peg your reactions without and margin for error. Your trainee did read his brief, I just asked him to appear in uniform to ruffle your feathers. He's going to get changed, and then you're heading out." He nodded towards Bryan. "He'll be riding tail for you today since you're riding with..." He looked down at a folder on his desk. "Officer Richard Davis. You guys know the rules for riding tails. Never more than a city block apart."
"Yeah, yeah." Bryan rolled his eyes, looking down at the keys. "Huh, Charger. I was wondering when we'd be stealing these from the State Police."
"I've got a Dodge Viper." Kasey grinned, jingling her keys in front of Bryan's face.
"And remember," Their Chief called out as they started walking for the elevator. "Play nice!"
Bryan chuckled as he pushed the button, turning around to look over his shoulder. "You know the rules, Lou! Play hard, or go home!"
xxxxxx
"Rule number one." Kasey said, leaning on the hood of her new unit as the newest officer to their force approached slowly. "Doesn't matter what anything the academy taught you says, or what you've been told by anyone else. My word - his word," She stated, pointing at Bryan who was loading gear into the trunk of his unit. "is law. Only thing that overrules us in any way, shape, or form, is the Lieutenant. Plain and Simple. Rule number two, we don't go code three unless I say so. Doesn't matter if buddy boy," She said, again, nodding at Bryan who rolled his eyes and flipped her off. "Goes flying by us with every single light on that car flashing, we'll do the speed limit until I say otherwise. Rule number three - I'll make up rule number three when I need one. Understood?"
"Yes." The new officer replied, backpack slung over one shoulder. Kasey tossed him the keys. "Put your pack in the trunk and get in, I'm letting you drive."
xxxxxx
"So you know what kinds of things we do here?" Kasey asked, looking over at Richard as the rookie pulled to a stop light.
"You're a plain clothed unit who's main purpose is to crack down on driving violations and racers. Though, I was surprised to find out that just about everyone attached to your unit has some sort of military background."
"That's because a lot of the time, we face driver's who don't appreciate being pulled over. Never hurts to know forty ways to paralyze someone using just an elastic band." Kasey said, glancing out the window.
"Five-Five David to Two-Seven Adam."
Kasey rolled her eyes, snatching up the radio. "What, Bryan?"
"Easy girl! Just checking to see how things are going up there."
Kasey looked behind her, seeing Bryan sitting two cars back just grinning at her. It was almost unnerving.
Almost.
"We're just fine." She replied, setting the radio back down.
"Dispatch to Five-five David."
"Five-five."
"Five-five David, respond code three to a street race in progress. Address has been marked on your HUD."
"Copy that, advise situation."
"Local residence report of a street race between a black Hummer and a yellow Camaro. Be advised, we do not have a driver description available at this time."
"Copy that dispatch. Five-five David responding code three to street race in progress. Be advised, Two-Seven Adam will be assisting."
"Copy that. Supervisor says use extreme caution as a black Hummer was spotted leaving a police related shooting last night."
"Copy."
Kasey gave her rookie some credit when Bryan pulled out of traffic and hit his lights and siren, slowing down long enough to check the intersection before pulling out, spinning his tires as he took the turn.
Kasey gave a nod to Richard, gripping the overhanging hand bar as he sped forward and hit the lights.
xxxxxx
"Kasey, Hummer just passed me. It's all yours! I've got the Camaro!" Bryan shouted over the radio. Kasey watched as he spun the Charger into a spin to chase after the bright yellow Camaro.
Where was the Hummer? She couldn't find it anywhere.
"Bryan, what's the twenty on the Hummer?"
"I don't know! He blew past me when I arrived."
Kasey was about to say something else into the radio when suddenly the black Hummer came out of no where, slamming into the side of their unit and sending it into a spin. The tires or the Viper caught the curb on the street, sending it into a flip down the embankment and into the lake.
Bryan watched all this happen from his seat in the Charger, cringing when the Viper was sent into a roll. He thought the Camaro would take this chance to speed away from him, to his surprise, the car was heading for the lake to help.
Bryan didn't pay too much attention to the kid that sprang out of the car, yelling something about calling "Ratchet", whatever that was. He was fixed on the Hummer that was now heading in his direction in an attempt to pass him and get away.
Bryan slammed his breaks, causing the Charger to skid a little and end up stopped, blocking the roadway. He jumped from the car and leveled his weapon with the driver side of the windshield. When the driver showed no signs of slowing down he fired two shots.
The Hummer swerved a little, coming to a stop as the driver jumped out of the vehicle, starting to run. Bryan was on him fast, throwing him to the ground and putting cuffs on him.
"Five-five David to dispatch! Ten-Thirteen, ten-thirteen! Officer down! Vehicles in the lake, need fire and rescue code three! I've got one in custody!" Bryan yelled, slamming the door of his car shut on his prisoner before making a run for the lake.
The kid was just resurfacing with Kasey, pulling her onto the bank of the lake. Bryan didn't think twice about going to her side and checking her vitals, allowing the kid to five back into the lake in search of her trainee.
Bryan noticed the Hummer Ambulance pulled to a stop next to the Camaro, the EMT around out of the vehicle and making a run for him. When the medic started working on Kasey, Bryan looked towards the kid who was just coming back up from the lake.
"Ratchet! There's a second cop in the lake! I can't get him out, the door's twisted!" He said, keeping himself afloat.
The medic nodded before looking up at the Camaro. "Bumblebee! Get the car out of the lake! That's an order!"
The car's radio sprang to life. "What about Prime's orders not to-"
"I'll deal with Optimus later! Get your aft in gear and get that fragging car out of the lake! Now!"
Bryan's eye widened when the yellow car started shifting and turning until it was a rather tall robot. Somehow he knew his life would never be the same again.
xxxxxx
"So that's how you met the Autobots? Sam raced that Trent kid and Trent crashed into Kasey?" Mei asked, sitting back in the chair, her feet on the table.
"Yup. Bumblebee fished the car out of the lake and saved Richard's life. Ratchet did a hell of a job keeping Kasey alive all the way to the hospital."
"I'll say." Kasey stated, dropping her bag onto the table before plopping herself down next to Mei. "Of course," She said, looking over at the Autobot medic with a smile. "he was better than any other medic who has ever worked on me."
Ratchet, just to show he was paying attention to them talking about him, nodding his head.
"Of course, no other medic that has worked on me has been alive more than fifty years." Kasey added, giggling to herself.
"You make him sound old." Mei laughed, folding her arms over her chest.
"He is old! He's older than earth!" Kasey replied, laughing harder.
Ratchet turned around and placed his hands on his hips. "I'll have you know that I am not the oldest Autobot here."
Bumblebee nodded from his position on Ratchet's work bench. "Ironhide is older by... ten human years."
"Bumblebee!" Ratchet growled, turning around and thunking the scout on the head.
"So who's older than Ironhide?" Kasey asked, looking over the back of the couch at Ratchet.
"Optimus?" Bryan guessed, drawing a laugh from the medic.
"Optimus is younger than me." Ratchet replied, turning back to his work on Bumblebee.
"So it's official. Ironhide is old." Bryan laughed, glancing at the Autobot Weapons Specialist before going silent. That glare only meant one thing.
Cannons whirled to life and while they didn't charge up, they were pointed in his direction. "You feelin' lucky, punk?"
"Not particularly." Bryan said, ducking behind the couch.
Not that it would help.