Either the AC is always on in here, or there's a breeze blowing in...

Actually, you know what, I just realized something- and not the fact that the ceiling leaks, the slow and steady drips of water from the ceiling onto the pouf of wool on top of my head, frizzing it up even more than it already is, let me know that. No, the windows are all cracked, most of them are missing panes, and the steady crack-crack-crack of things being smashed outside is something that we've gotten used to. I mean, not that it's a good thing to have gotten used to, but come on, it's Happytown.

Spoiler alert, Happytown's far from happy. Hell, it's, well, it's exactly that, hell… and it's not as if we can really do anything here, the gangs and mobs, well, they don't want us here. The first few weeks here, I at least thought that maybe Jason and I would be able to go out and patrol the streets, maybe get out of this building and go check out the new apartment that we're sharing down the street (or, well, the apartment that we're supposed to be sharing down the street, the whole precinct's been on lockdown for the last two days). I guess what I'm trying to get at is that, well, we were the freaking co-valedictorians of our class at the Academy, but they shoved us off into a corner like we were just supposed to suck it up until we quit. I feel bad for Jason, honestly, because it's only because he's my friend, I think, that they're making him suffer along with me…

...and that's what I tell him, and he nods and sighs. "Yeah, I know… and Chief Otterton knows too... I swear, she's trying her best, but ever since, well… ever since- you know what happened, right?"

Oh, I remember… a few years ago, a certain florist and a car got into a bit of a discussion… the car won… it was all over the news, the funeral lasted days, goodness, who could forget?

Me, apparently.

"Yeah, I do," I say, sighing, pushing the few strings of wool that want to drop into my eyes away with a few hoofed fingers. "I mean, look, I know we're not getting paid to complain, but-"

"You really want to complain?" I hear a voice come from behind me, a female one like mine, but harsh from years of barking orders around. "Go right ahead, Officer Bellwether… please, by all means, go right ahead…"

Carp, it's the Chief…

"Sorry, ma'am," I say, whirling around in my chair and bolting upright, snapping a salute to my forehead as I do.

"Look, Mary, I'm not out to get you, and I know that both of you wanted more out of your careers than this, right? You wanted to get away from the crime, am I right; Mary, I'm asking you in particular. I'm not going to judge you, I swear, other than to let you know that I'm going to expect great things out of you- the standards are going to be higher than high, fair warning. Can you handle it?"

"Of course, Chief Otterton," I say, smiling as I keep my salute sharp, my arm starting to burn with the strain of trying to keep my muscles locked.

"I'm glad to hear it… you have no idea how helpful it is to actually have officers here who are willing to do their jobs… Celestials above, the PI force here is useless, heaven knows they're all bankrolled by the mafia… so do you two want to make yourselves useful?"

"Of course we do!" both Jason and I shout, and then, making sure that we don't actually say anything, 'jinx…'

"Okay, if you can settle down, I'm pairing you two up… it's a beat assignment, can you handle it?"

"Of course…," Jason says, tone level, but the set of his ears and the thrashing of his tail betrays his fear. That, and the way that I can see his nose twitch. It never twitches, he's terrified, I can see that. Jason, you're gonna be fine. We're gonna be fine, just you wait!

"Mary, are you with him?" the Chief asks, and I nod, forcing myself to be strong as well.

"What's the case, ma'am?" I ask, hoping my hooves aren't shaking too much or that she can't see the sweat beading on my forehead and right in the small of my back…"

"You do know that Jesse Braider was never arrested, am I correct in stating that?"

"Yes, ma'am, you are," Jason says, a frown wrinkling his muzzle, amber eyes glinting cold. "So you expect him hauled in, you want us to catch him, is that it?"

"And maybe hunt out and dismantle the Howler cell that's backing him. We don't need a repeat of what nearly took my husband from me, am I understood?"

Feeling something start to sink into my stomach, a cold fist of ice (cliche, yeah, I know, but seriously, that's exactly what I feel like what's going on), I manage to wipe the grimace from my face. "Yes, ma'am…. And do you want us to leave now…? I mean, we really-"

"You're both scared, I get that, but there's a Night Howler cell that's beginning to spread its roots…. well, really… its flowers are only know just starting to show, I know the roots are there… If we let this go, Mary, Jason, I'm sorry, but that would probably split this city for good…. Those breaks aren't gone, even eighteen years later… and with the election coming up, I don't want to imagine what it could do… tear the city to shreds, and that would be the best-case scenario…"

"Well, if it's really that bad, we'd better go…"

"Officer Wilde, you're right, but check the armory before you go- and please, be careful, alright?"

"You got it, Chief…"

Unfortunately, none of us notice the blue haze starting to fill the room until it's too late...