Detective Maka Albarn was one of the best. She could face down the most dastardly criminal without flinching. She was smart enough to trick any baddie into giving up or confessing. She could also defend herself and subdue a suspect with minimal effort of damage. In her short career as a detective she never got the wrong man or let the right one get away. Her immense skill on the job coupled with her striking green eyes and long lean frame should have had the other detectives clamoring to partner with her. There was just one small problem.
"What the hell was that rookies?" Maka barked out at her newest partner. It had been a standard Q&A session with the locals to crack a robbery/homicide. The partners had come to a small general store located under the apartment where the incident took place. As they talked to the clerk who had been present the night of the attack, a man in a ski mask had come in and threatened the second clerk still at the register. Maka had whirled gun out, ready to apprehend the would-be thief when her partner, Black-Star, charged the suspect with a yell. The man turned and fled before either detective had a chance to catch him.
"YAHAA!" yelled Black-Star. "He saw my godly self and fled! He knew I was too big of a man for him to deal with!" Black-Star seemed pleased with himself.
"We needed him to talk to us you blithering idiot!" Maka screamed. "He could've been out suspect and you chased him away." Maka was livid. What did she do to deserve such an asinine partner? Sure she was hard on partners but it was a tough world out there. No one was going to place nice just because. And her last four partners had learned she wouldn't either. She needed someone who could hold their own. If she had her way, she'd be starting with a sixth partner soon. This wasn't the first time Black-Star had messed up and she was sure it wouldn't be the last.
"Just get in the car." Maka growled. Black-Star climbed into the passenger side of the black and white Crown Vic still rambling about his 'greatness'. Maka got in on the driver's side after thanking the helpful clerk. As Black-Star was still prattling on about his desire to surpass God, Maka's foot hit the accelerator and the tires squealed as the car rocketed down to the police station.
"Chief," Maka pleaded, leaning on his desk as she stood over it. "You can't keep me with that guy. We'll end up killing each other at some point." Chief Sid Barrett looked up at Maka. He liked her. She was a good, hardworking detective. She just had something against her partners.
"Maka, Maka, Maka… I'll assign Black-Star to a new partner but the case is going with him." Sid sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"What!" Maka exclaimed. "I've been doing all the work on thi-"
"Maka," Sid interrupted. "The only way to do this is if you get desk time. I think it's best." Maka was shocked. Desk time? What had she done? Besides burn through, now five, partners.
"I'm also mandating psych time." Sid broke into Maka's thoughts. Maka sank into the chair in front of the chief's desk. First desk time and now mandatory psych evals? What she going to get fired? All she knew being a detective. As if reading her mind, Sid spoke up.
"I'm not questioning your detective skills Maka." He stated. "I'm a trusting kind of man. You just need to figure out why you can't keep a partner. And yes, you need a partner." He finished as Maka opened her mouth to argue.
"Here are your assignments." He continued, handing the stunned detective a stack of folders stuffed full of papers. "As soon as those are done along with a note from the department psychiatrist, you'll be back out there." Maka's eyes lit up. This would be a challenge. Normally a stack of paper like this would take two weeks to work through. She figured she could do it in a week and a half. One if she brought it home with her.
"10-4 sir." Maka replied with renewed vigor. "I'll call the psychiatrist today." Maka scooped up the folders and marched back to her desk. She glared at Black-Star who sat at his desk with his feet up on it, flirting with the detective next to him, Tsubaki.
"Feet." Maka growled at Black-Star. He chose to ignore her in order to continue 'impressing' Tsubaki. Maka's hand strayed near the dictionary on her desk, wondering if it would be heavy enough to break the idiots head.
"Black-Star. My office. Now!" Sid yelled out from his office, saving Black-Star from Maka's wrath.
"WAHOO!" Black-Star cheered, spinning around to the office. "My greatness has been recognized!" He sauntered off when Sid poked his head out of his office once more.
"Tsubaki! You too." The young woman's eyes went wide and she followed Black-Star into the chiefs office. Maka knew what would happen and felt a little bad for the sweet girl. Tsubaki was a good detective. She could calm people down easily and her smile made people trust her. 'Maybe she could handle Black-Star,' Maka thought. Maka shook her head, not caring where Black-Star ended up, as long as it wasn't with her. She sat down, pulled out the first folder and started to get to work when a loud "YAHOO!" was heard from the chiefs office. Black-Star burst out of the door and bounded over to his desk in front of Maka.
"See you later you angry tiny-tits!" he yelled. He didn't get to say anything else as Maka had brought that dictionary down on top of his skull.
"I call that the 'Maka Chop'!" She smirked as he held his head in pain. Black-Star shoved all his personal items into a box. As soon as the last pen was thrown in the box, he whirled to plunk his stuff down on the desk directly next to him. Across from Tsubaki, his new partner. Maka heard the squeak of a chair as the woman behind her leaned in to talk.
"Another one bites the dust eh Maka?" Liz asked. She was a touch detective a couple of years older than Maka. She had a 'take no prisoners attitude but a heart of gold. She and her partner Kilik, a suave, loyal man, had been partners from the beginning and formed a masterful team.
"You wouldn't have been able to stand it either." Maka shot back.
"You're right." Liz agreed. "I'd of shot him." Maka deadpanned. Liz wasn't kidding. She may have a heart of gold but she didn't put up with shit. Tsubaki blanched at Liz's words.
"It'll be okay," she said, slightly worried. "Are you sure it's okay Maka?" Maka smiled at her friend. She and Tsubaki had known each other since the academy. Maka liked the girl and often hung out with her after their shifts ended.
"Don't worry Tsubaki. I'm glad the loudmouth is gone." She said with a smirk towards said loudmouth. He stuck his tongue out at her. Maka just turned to smile sweetly at Tsubaki, her hands still around the dictionary she brought down on Black-Star's head.
"What are you going to do about a partner?" Liz asked.
"Once I get this paperwork done, I'm sure one will come along." Maka replied. Truthfully she was a little worried. If she didn't have partner at the end of the desk time, Sid would probably find more work for her to do instead. Maka just smiled at her friends, trying to remain confident. She'd worry about that after her work was done.
