They're Good People.
June 2020.
Ralph sat in his office drinking the cheap vodka brand he bought himself a week earlier. The Eva and Joseph Carver case was done and over with. Real Iris and real Kamilla were back. He chuckled at himself when the real ones returned. Kamilla he wouldn't notice anything but with Iris he should had known something was off. She was a tougher and more loud than previously.
Then again, Ralph was too busy with his Dearbon case. After their meetup at the bank, he had only seen her a few more times. Mostly working together to bring Joseph Carver down together. Sue's vendetta against him was tough.
In fact, Ralph recalled Sue and Carver meeting face to face shortly before the take down and whilst Carver didn't notice who she was or even paid attention to her name, Sue had this energy in her that erupted. She played cool. Honestly Ralph figured she was hot-head because of what Joseph was doing to her parents.
A surprise knock at his door had him stumble out of his chair, he dropped his drink onto the floor. "It's opened," He called out as he dropped down to grab his spilled drink.
The door swung opened and the brown combat boots brought the person over to the desk. "Hey Slick," SLICK! Ralph sat up faster than he could get himself and came in contact with Sue. She was sitting on his desk with her head facing one direction, to him, her body facing the side. "Dropped the cheaply?"
"No. My fingers dropped it."
"Slick and slimy. Got it." She laughed as she stood up from the desk and circle around. Ralph couldn't help but notice that when Sue wasn't dressed ready for combat with her catsuit underneath, she actually looked very cute. Simple dark gray top, the jacket she had on when they first met, jean skirt, brown combat boots. "Sorry for dropping by so last notice. I just wanted to come see you in person."
"It was good timing. I was going to leave in ten minutes."
"Hot date with yourself?"
"I'm too much to handle."
She had a playful laugh on her smile. "Thank you again for everything. Helping me with Joseph Carver and what he was doing to my parents."
"I promised your parents you'd get home safe. Just one question that I never asked back in time. What was in the diamond that you needed?"
"Oh. Just needed to try and find something to use against him for what he did to my parents." Her answer was to him.
Ralph knew that. But there was just something else about this entire thing that Sue had hidden up her sleeves. He had tried a million ways in his head to ask her but at this moment the way it came out was unpleasent. "Is that all you have against him?"
Sue was surprised at his question. "Yes." She insisted but said it in a playful, sarcastic, funny manner. "Why else would I have done all of that?"
"Come on Sue. I've known you a little bit more each time we've met." His voice was clearly gentle, informing her that he was too smart for her playing off whatever it was that she was playing off. "There's something behind that—"
"What!?" She snapped.
"Intense willpower to not give up." Were the only words that sounded best for his reasoning. "Fire explosion from the inside." Where ever that was in Sue Dearbon.
She cooled down after his explanation. "Oh." She replied. "Well he is who he is. Like, seriously, trapping your wife in a mirror world as revenge? Seven years? That's insane." She smiled and said, "But that fire explosion is from my father's side of the family, believe it or not."
"Well Susiepop—"
"Ok dad."
Ralph chucked and held his hand out to hers. "Come back and visit sometime."
Sue deadlocked eyes between the hand and Ralph. "Visit? I'm staying. Central City's way better than I imagined since meta-humans took over the city. I've got an interview with some medical business opening up."
"Shit. You're going to be a doctor."
"Hey, I paid good money for that operation game!" She jokingly crossed her arms and made a pissed face like a toddler. "No coffee for you." A hint of a smile came about just before she turned herself around.
Ralph asked, "That's how you ask people out?"
Sue didn't reply. Instead she grabbed the folder from the top of his desk and said, "Brand new case. I can tell. You're going to need my help, Slick." She ten picked up her pace and started to leave the office.
"Really Sue?"
She stopped at the doorway and twisted her head just enough to face him. "Come on. My treat."
Without a second to waste on a new case Ralph turned off his desk light and followed her out the door, taking his jacket with him.
New case; Getting to know Sue Dearbon.