Holding on to Something by B. K. Prommer
'These people from Ivalice are very much like gangs' I always thought. It feels as if they're stuck in some serious real life misery so I wrote a story on just that. It's rated T now but depending on where the story is going could end up as an M. Every major and minor character will appear in this story as their criminal story counterparts; it kind of mirrors the actual story, but not entirely (because that would be no fun at all).
Summary
The streets of the city Ivalice are filled with criminals. When Basch, a captain of the local police force gets set up he wants to know why. But the reasons and motives aren't as simple as they seem and he soon finds himself in over his head.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter One: Mocking Gods
"Where were you on the night of the 27th of August?" The young lawyer was already smirking before he heard him answer. This lawsuit was set in stone before it even began.
"I already told you I didn't do it!"
"Nonsense fon Ronsenburg."
He says it in such a mocking tone Basch can't do anything but frown.
"Your badge was found at the scene of the crime!"
"Objection! Assumptions are not questions, your honor." His lawyer stood up trying to defend him.
As if it would make a difference.
"My apologies. Captain fon Ronsenburg, is this or is this not your badge?" He threw the badge onto the desk, but the thump, for Basch it sounded louder than the judge's gamel.
"Aye." He lowered his head, knows it's over.
He didn't hear the guards coming after that, nor did he feel the cold metal handcuffs, he didn't see the flickering red and blue of police sirens as they came to get him. Nothing fazed him for the next ten years, except for that loud ringing in his head from the judge's gamel.
Guilty as charged for the murder of Chief Raminas B'nargin Dalmasca.
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The air looked almost like an antithesis of that day. Basch couldn't help but smirk at the thought.
As if the gods themselves were mocking him.
It was close to noon on the 9th of September. He had asked the guard while he walked to the prison gates. The same gates that took his life ten years ago and left him nothing. A black coke –bottled-style Dodge appeared around the corner.
Finally some familiarity.
The man had had the same car for eleven years now. He followed it with his eyes until it stopped right before his feet. A man stepped out with a blue suit, the same one he used to have. Emotion overtook him but he wasn't sure whether it was jealousy or melancholy. The man greeted him with a hug, similar to that of old friends.
"It's good to see you Basch." Vossler said as he looks at him with a smile.
Basch forced a smirk and murmured "Aye."
Vossler stepped back into the car and leaned to the passengers' seat door to open the lock.
He still hasn't fixed that. He thought as he opened the door. Perhaps fewer things have changed than I expected.
Basch couldn't feel anything but uncomfortable sitting in the car, nauseous even.
"Have you already eaten?" Vossler said not taking his eyes of the road.
"They've opened this new restaurant on the edge of town. It's real different than the ones we used to have in our area."
Basch chuckled at this comment. "You mean it's clean?"
Vossler laughed and looked in his direction.
"Fuck. That's what I said Basch." He looked back onto the road and took a right.
"Can eat off the fucking floor there."
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The restaurant had more in common with a road café than anything. Basch had to admit it looked decent though. Not that he had that much of a high standard after ten years of grey porridge in overcrowded cafeterias. Vossler requests they take a window seat stating he never loses sight of his trusty metal steed. Basch looked at the menu, fries, hamburgers, milkshakes; he had been craving real food for so long he barely remembered what their names were.
"May I take your order?"
A blonde girl came over to their table. She had pigtails in her hair although she in her mid-twenties, it suited her though. Vossler closed his menu and smiled at the young woman.
"I'll have a cheese omelet with bacon, some toast and coffee please. No milk, no sugar."
She nodded then looked at Basch expectantly. It takes him aback, if someone smiled in prison it meant you needed to get the hell out of the showers. Perhaps it was a bit more difficult to accommodate to normal life again than he thought.
"I'll have a cheeseburger combo and some root beer." He paused for a moment then added. "Please."
The woman nodded again and gave Basch her brightest smile.
"Coming right up!"
Vossler waited until the girl was out of hearing league then faced Basch.
"Have you found a place to stay yet?"
"I was hoping the motel on the south sprawl was still open."
Vossler raised an eyebrow. "You want to live in that dump?"
Basch nodded. "I do. That is, until I set some things straight."
Without warning Vossler slammed his fist on the table.
"Set what straight Basch? You've been in prison for ten fucking years. There's nothing to set straight!"
"That night ten years ago two witnesses allegedly saw me walk down that street, only it wasn't me. Vossler, someone set me up and I need to know who."
"Basch you were captain in our police force. Everyone would try to set you up."
"Then tell me, what do you expect me to do? I'm 41 years old Vossler, I have no family, no money, I'll never be able to become a cop again…Vossler, I want to know the truth. Something I can hold on to."
"You want to know the truth Basch? Here's the truth, this city isn't even a fraction of what it used to be. They used to have fucking code in this city. No one ever said it but there was. Now what do we have? The Solidors own half the fucking city; I'm arresting kids no taller than my thigh for pointing guns at me. You're telling me you want to hold on to something, well get in line because so does everyone else who wants to make an honest living in this hellhole." Vossler cursed again while nervously lighting a smoke.
"It doesn't matter what you say Vossler. Someone wanted to take me down and I want to know who."
"Well fuck Basch I hope the gods are on your side or something because I don't think you'll survive to see the day."
I always felt Vossler to be quite a bit of a hothead. So in an environment where you can smoke and curse…he would. Spelling mistakes are a no no, please tell me when you see one :)