First Target/Memories
Tawny
Studying a wanted poster, I thought about what I was doing. Personally, I'm amazed I'd opted for this – I barely managed to find and "apprehend" my tester in time. Well, I'm in it now, and I'll just have to live with it.
I jumped up and, getting a hold of myself again, walked out of the tavern. Rick Scow, murderer of children. I should be able to manage this, even if I did nearly get killed by this guy four years ago.
Running off to my tree, I slipped into my lucky-cat costume and tied my weapon around my waist. I actually wasn't sure I'd need the claws on my hands, but…
I found him about two hours later.
"Hey there, kid. Are you lost?"
Okay, I knew I looked younger than I was. I was actually counting on it. "Are you Mr. Scow?"
"Yes. You interested in some ice cream?"
I held up the wanted poster. "I'm a Sweeper. You're under arrest for murder."
He laughed at me. "You, arrest me? You're out of your league!" That was right before he charged me with his knife.
I pulled my whip off and swung it hard, cutting him across the chest. Then I leaped up, set my hands on his shoulders, and pushed him to the ground, landing on his back.
"I believe I said, you're under arrest."
The police sent the reward, a large sum, to my bank account. I'd taken over paying the bills, though Dad thought Mom was doing it.
I sighed, thinking about when Sweepers had first been revealed to me:
I was running as fast as I could, trying to say ahead of the man with a knife. Then, all at once, another man, one wearing a white suit and hat, grabbed hold of me and pulled me behind him! His suitcase fired a net that caught my pursuer!
"Are you okay, kid?"
I nodded, still too shocked to speak. Then I pulled a charm off my charm bracelet – a little Maneki Neko – and held it out to him. "Here – I have another one. I'm Tawny." It was the only way I could think of to say thanks.
He understood the message, anyway; he smiled slightly and took it. "No problem, Tawny."
As he was leaving, I called, "What's your name?"
He stopped and looked back. "Sven. I'm a Sweeper."
I glanced down at my ankle. I still had that charm bracelet, though wearing it on my wrist while on the job was a bit distracting, so I kept it on my ankle. It was my lucky one ever since that day, and it had representations of all the Maneki Nekos on it.
"I wonder if he still remembers me..."
Now, I didn't have any particular romantic interest in him, but he did save my life, and somehow he seemed like a friend, for all that he didn't really know me.
"…And will I ever see him again?"
