Disclaimer: see Chapter 1
Sword of Destiny
by Centurious the Azure and Storm Wolf77415
Breath of Paradise
A few weeks have passed since I joined Zephyr and I'll admit the place is starting to feel like home, wherever that may be. Still huge gaps in my memory though, flashes of faces and places crop up, a girl clad all in white with equally white hair in a pony tail, another girl clad all in blue with what look like pointed ears, an older woman with raven black hair that gives me an extreme sense of urgency when I look at her. Even what looks like a giant honking golden tree that fills me with incredible rage! But I can't completely make it out. It all feels really familiar but I just can't put it all together yet.
That's not to say Fie, Cherise, and Danny aren't good company. I feel for Cherise since she's constantly having to keep Danny's more destructive tendencies in line. Poor girl is constantly berating him and wrapping him upside the head with that paper fan she keeps on her belt at all times. But on the other hand, the guy is a true artist when it comes to explosives. On one of our most recent assignments, we were faced with a locked door, and he set up a thin layer of rolled plastic explosive that knocked the frame loose without damaging the wall around it. That is what you call precision!
But the most impressive is Fie herself. Her speed is nothing short of superhuman. Not to mention she's exceptionally gifted at parkour. Apparently, she's even got her own moniker, Slypheed. A fitting title for one who's the very embodiment of the wind. And yet when she's not on the battlefield, she's finding a comfy place to nap, whether around camp or in the city. Usually, the latter is given how Danny's trying his newest mix. Of course, I can't blame her for that. Who wants to be woken from the dead of sleep by a huge bang and smoke? Not to mention Cherise's often shrill response.
I've settled into a routine, wake up at 0430, exercise a bit, and get something to eat before taking a lap of the city and finally returning to camp. Fie will have our daily assignments by then and the squad gets to work, and then I patrol in the afternoon. But I started these patrols to see if any unforeseen dangers crop up and it gives me some alone time. Some days I take Kelpie, but today I walked the beat on foot, lets me keep more alert when I don't have to worry about the horse, so today she gets to chill at the police stables.
I still marvel at how beautiful Crossbell is. The way the sun catches off the towers gave them all this otherworldly glow. The sun rose higher, and the world began to come to life. People were leaving home and heading to work. I was about done with my rounds and about to head for camp when as I passed by one of the city's many parks I heard a nasty voice shouting obscenities at the top of his lungs. "Come on you little fucking brats! You think it's funny to laugh at someone just because had a couple of drinks?"
Of course, I had to see what this was all about. This guy was standing over a pair of kids not more than five or six years old. They had the most bubble gum pink hair I had ever seen. They flinched as the drunk waved his half-empty 40oz bottle around, while he wildly gesticulated with the other. He was frothing at the mouth and his eyes were bloodshot, the veins bulging in all directions, crimson-stained cracks akin to a poorly maintained Crossbell sidewalk.
The drunken asshole continued slurring, stumbling about. "How about I bury my foot half up your scrawny little ass and let's see how cocky you are then?" He chugged down another part of his forty before intentionally belching. The poor kids looked so terrified. The little girl was teary-eyed as the boy, clearly, her twin brother, stood in front of her protectively. Gotta give the little guy props for standing up to him, but he was a small hill of wet sand against a tidal wave. "After I'm done with that, I'll fuck your mother and make both of you watch! See how you like that!" Now both of them were crying and I had seen enough!
I casually strolled over, nothing like a good warm-up before the day started, not that this guy would give me much trouble. "Hey, pal!" I called out loudly so all three of them heard me. "Clearly you've been hitting the sauce a little too much. How about you take a jog and clear your head?" Given the kids were there, I was trying to be as non-threatening as possible. Much as I wanted to slice this guy into pieces, I didn't want to traumatize them either.
"Who the fuck are you?" the guy sneered. "A guy can't enjoy his booze in peace anymore! First the brats and now some wannabe Bracer type thinks he has what it takes?" He spat at the ground, before indicating to his jacket. "You see these colors? I'm with the Saber Vipers! We go where we please and do what we please! Our boss owns this town and he's going to take it all!" I stood there, looking less than impressed at his drunken boast.
"Wow, what a brave man you are." I mockingly clapped at him. "Big man, strong man too! Picking on kids and threatening to fuck their mother. You gotta drink to even get through the day. It must hurt knowing you're a rank bitch." I then looked at the kids, both staring at me with wide eyes. "You two see those bushes?" I said in a quieter voice while pointing to the hedge row surrounding the park. Why don't you go and hide there? This could get pretty ugly, and I don't want you to see it." The boy nodded and took the girl by the hand as they went and hunched down, all the while poking their heads up every once in a while.
My expression hardened and looked this oaf dead in the eye. "Let me clue you in on a few things, buddy boy. These swords aren't just for show, and contrary to what you might think, I'm not a Bracer." Putting a special emphasis on the last part. "So, you know what that means? I'm not inclined to show any restraint to scumbags who act the way you do and merely do it as a courtesy for the kids. So go ahead and try your luck. We'll see how long it takes before you're a blithering mess on the ground!"
That seemed to be enough for Chuckles and he took a swing at me. It was the saddest, sorriest, most openly televised punch I had ever seen. Some of the turtle monsters I had fought on the highway were faster than them. I twisted my body to the side and easily avoided it, the guy overextended everything and nearly face-planted on the ground. I could hear giggling coming from the bushes. Clearly, the kids had seen it. Bloodshot eyes became even more bloodshot as the gangster snarled at me and took another swing. This time, I grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back into a submission hold, shoving him into the ground.
The giggling from the kids picked up, and he was getting really pissed off now. Seriously the veins in this guy's neck were so throbby. But I figured the best thing to do was just to end it quickly. Roughly grabbing him by his precious jacket I wrenched up to his feet, so we were eye to eye. "Listen up and listen well, pissant! Your comedy routine is done for the day. Do yourself a favor and skulk off back to whatever hole you crawled out of before I get serious, do you get me?"
I think he finally took the hint, judging from the flash of monetary fear in his eyes. But it was quickly covered up by that same contemptuous sneer from earlier. "Fine then, but you made an enemy today turd boy! The Saber Vipers don't forgive, and they sure don't fucking forget!" With that he knocked back the last of his booze, chucking the bottle into the trash can before hitching his jacket and stomping away. Ah, the morning's off to a good start, helped some people out and put a dickass in his place. Win-Win in my opinion.
Both kids poked their heads up from the bushes. I beckoned to them. "You can come out now. The drunken idiot is gone and he won't bother you anymore." This elicited another giggle from them, and they came out. The gratitude was evident in both of their eyes. I may as well have been a superhero to them in that moment.
"Ken! Nana!" A feminine voice called out. I turned to see a young woman about my age running up. Just gotta say…she was a real looker! She wore a green short-sleeved dress with a white collar and two pairs of buttons running down the front, showing off a pair of fit-toned arms, and equally fit legs, capped off by a pair of white and green sneakers. Pink hair in a sporty ponytail sealed the deal. This was the older sister of the kids I had just helped, given they both ran and gave her big hugs. "I saw everything, are the two of you okay?"
"We sure are, Juna!" The little boy, Ken piped up, "It was really scary, but I protected Nana!"
"And then big brother came, and he made the bad man go away, Juna!" She chirped with a bright smile. Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid. I'll see about getting you something nice.
Juna, that's her name. She looked at me with those eyes, colored a brilliant green, they were full of astonishment. "Thank you so much then. I'm Juna Crawford. I could have probably handled it myself, but thanks for saving me the trouble. I could tell even from far off that you're a pretty strong fighter given how you so easily outmaneuvered that guy." She smiled a little as she leaned in. "Of course, the swords were pretty much a dead giveaway too!" Heh, I like this girl, good looking, sharp, and has a great sense of humor on top of it! "So does this mean you're a Bracer then?"
Until she asked me that. Truthfully, I was hesitant to tell Juna about my job. Let's face it, jaegers have about as bad a reputation as it gets. Whenever I was out and about with the rest of my squad in uniform. I could feel all the angry faces glaring at us. They knew who and what we were. Nothing but a pack of hired killers who will do any job for coin. I had shown restraint today for the sake of the kids, and I just happened to be in civilian attire when doing these early patrols. So Juna didn't know but she would soon enough.
There is something else I should mention. Her brilliant jade orbs held something besides astonishment at how easily I dispatched the drunk gang member. Again, I saw gratitude. I had done a good thing by helping her siblings out. This girl, Juna was grateful to me for that. I thought of the barkeep's daughter in Dreichelsfield. Her eyes were the exact same shade of green as Juna's, but there was nothing but fear when I looked at her. I was just a killer who had walked into their establishment and cut down those guys like it was nothing. She was crying and panicking. The minute I told Juna, she'd be the same way. Who would want anything to do with a guy like that? Yeah…kind of having a mental freakout right about now.
"Hey, are you all right?" Juna's voice was a soothing balm to the mental image of me drenched in blood, and surrounded by corpses. Her hands were on my shoulders, and she looked really worried. "You were zoning out there big time."
"Uh." I struggled to find my words. Luckily, I didn't have to, Ken had my back.
"He's not a Bracer, sis! We heard him say so himself!" He looked at me with such hero worship. I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to be just like me when he got older. Perhaps he would actually join the guild.
"Yeah, my name is Ezra." I finally managed to get out, trying to pry myself away from the abyss of her eyes. How long would they be so friendly when she inevitably learned the truth? May as well enjoy it while I can. "It was nothing. I was just roaming about town when I saw that loudmouth insulting the little ones. Saying all kinds of nasty things about your mother, and that just didn't fly with me, so I stepped in to resolve it as quickly as possible."
Juna laughed, and it wasn't an obnoxious laugh like I've heard some women are. It was warm and inviting. The total opposite of the bartender's daughter…wow, I really need to stop thinking about that. Juna cocked her head, hands on her hips. "Well, Bracer or not, you did help my siblings out, so we should probably pay you back in some way. How does joining my family for dinner grab you? Mom told me to do some shopping before I come home with these two. I bet it's been a while since you've had a good home-cooked meal." I was about to say now when Nana grabbed onto my right arm.
"Please say yes, big brother! Mommy's cooking is really good!" So now I'm getting it from the younger of the two Crawford daughters. One set of pleading green eyes is bad enough, but now I have to contend with two? The way Juna folded her arms and smirked at me didn't help either. She was determined to have me over for dinner, and her secret weapons had just been deployed.
Then Ken decided he didn't want to be left out of the fun and grabbed onto my left arm. "Not to mention Daddy is coming from work early tonight. So, it's going to be the best meal ever!" Both of them giving me the sad green eyes now. It was super effective!
I really just wanted to leave. I had done my good deed for the day and I wanted to finish my patrol and return to camp so I could meet up with Fie and the others, but the two pink-haired anchors holding onto me was ensuring that wouldn't happen. Although…I am a sword for hire, and I should get paid for my services. If money isn't a factor, food is usually a pretty solid second choice. A good old-fashioned home-cooked meal would be a nice change from field rations. "Fine then, I'll admit I am rather hungry."
"Great! Then you can help us with the shopping as well." Huh, grocery shopping, that's a more mundane task than there ever could be. But I suppose it's worth it for the eats. I just shrugged and accompanied the Crawford siblings to West Street. We stopped in at this place called Morges Bakery, the smell was heaven as we walked in the door. "Hey, Oscar!" Juna cheerfully hollered in greeting to the man at the front counter. Oscar was a tall man in traditional baker's attire, a white long-sleeved coat with an equally tall hat, and a green scarf tied around his neck. "Is that cake my mom asked for ready to go?"
"It sure is!" He said, before calling back. "Hey, Boss! Juna is here for that cake she wanted!" A muted shout came from the kitchen. "Give him a few minutes, he had four other orders to get through including yours. But as long as you're waiting." Oscar grinned, producing a plate with a loaf of freshly cooked bread, sliced up and slathered in butter. "How about you guys try out my latest concoction? I spent the last few days on it, and I need someone to taste-test them!" The younger Crawford siblings lit up. Clearly, this was a regular thing around here. I'll admit it looked pretty tasty from where I was standing. Ken and Nana eagerly accepted the bread slices and chowed down on them.
"This is good, Oscar!" Ken said with his mouth full. "You always make the best bread!"
"It's the best in all of Crossbell!" Nana declared.
"You know I'm always glad to have you guys test out my creations." Oscar beamed, offering me a slice. "Come on man. You look like you could use it." I tentatively took it and stuck it in my mouth…the taste was overwhelming! Light and flaky, the butter soaked in for a tangy sensation. The baker just grinned. "Ah, another satisfied customer! You're always welcome to partake if you come around here."
"Oh no, you don't!" A voice snapped. A young woman a few years older than Juna stomped over. Her long dark green hair was held back by a pink ribbon, a white apron covering a black buttoned shirt, and a long pink skirt. Her face scrunched up in a stern frown. "You don't get to hog some of our best customers all to yourself!" The girl's face softened as she produced her own tray of bread, toasted and seasoned. "Hey Ken, Nana, want to try my newest bread? You won't regret it!" That singsong voice was rather cute. Of course, the kids weren't going to resist more treats and promptly stuffed their faces.
"This is Bennet, the daughter of the guy who owns the place." Juna rolled her eyes at the annoyed pout the older woman gave her. "She and Oscar have been going back and forth like this for years. It doesn't hurt that both of them are equally skilled in the kitchen."
To which Bennet just stuck her tongue out. "You say that right now, Juna, but I guarantee one day I'll prove I'm the better of the two of us." She gave me a sharp glare, holding the tray out. "Well? You tried Oscar's work. The least you can do is try mine." Far be it from me to say no to a lady as attractive and demanding as her. It helped her bread was just as delectable, if in a different way. While there was a sweetness to Oscar's work that just left your mouth feeling revitalized, Bennet's bread had a spicy kick to it. But not so much that it incinerated your mouth. I gave a stirring nod of approval, which seemed to placate her. Her lips twitched upwards. "So, who is this, Juna? A new boyfriend you didn't tell me about?"
You might as well have thought one of Danny's bombs went off. Ken and Nana started hooting and cheering as their big sister started blushing. It was just luck that an older man stepped out of the kitchen. He had dark hair, dressed in the same attire as Oscar, he was caked in flour and dough. There was a jovial gleam in his eyes as he held a cake pan in his large hands. "How is little Juna today?" It was then he caught sight of me. "And who do we have here?" He grinned. "Why Juna, did you get lucky and score yourself a boyfriend?" The kids hooted even louder and Juna started blushing even more so. It was getting to the point you couldn't tell where her face ended, and her hair began.
"Why do you have to do that?" She whined, shaking both of her fists angrily. "You know I don't like rumors! I just met him today! Why is everyone so quick to jump to conclusions?" It was kind of cute in a way, but I simply held my tongue.
Bennet smirked. "Oh, come on, girl, no need to get all worked up. You are one of the more popular girls in town, and more than a few of the boys at Sunday School have had their hearts broken by you right in front of Aidios herself whenever they tried to confess to you." She smirked a little at that.
Juna grunted in disgust. "I should have punted them all the way to St. Ursula's when I had the chance. All of them were so crude whenever they asked me. It didn't help that I had a growth spurt last summer. And these sprouted out!" She hugged her chest for emphasis. "Now it's like any guy who looks at me immediately gravitates to my chest! It's so embarrassing." She started blushing again, and I made it a point to keep my gaze strictly on those eyes. Because the way she was emphasizing her assets wasn't exactly helping her case much.
I shrugged idly. "It's not like city boys are exactly known for their manners. Then again, I'm not exactly known either. Juna just happened upon me doing a good deed for a change. I saw her little siblings getting harassed by some asshole at the playground and I stepped in to help them out." It was time to put on the charm. "My name's Ezra, I'm a…troubleshooter of sorts. What I do generally isn't viewed as polite or sanguine by civilized people. But I'm not a hero or a villain for that matter either. I'm just what's called for at the moment."
Bennet clapped. "Oh wow, nice pickup line! Did you practice that in the mirror today?"
Oscar then gently nudged her in the side. "Come on, Bennet! Don't be rude. What will you do when Lloyd comes back, and you flash that attitude around him?" The two of them started bickering, judging from Juna's resigned expression: this was a regular thing. But I also noticed how she was blushing again, and evading eye contact with me…was it something I said? Because it was kind of cute. Of course, Ken and Nana cottoned onto this really quick, and being small children they weren't about to be subtle.
"What's wrong, big sis? Why are you getting all blushy?" Ken asked, an impish smile on his face. One that his twin quickly mirrored.
"Is it something Big Brother said that you liked?" Nana giggled, and with that, they started singing a little ditty. "Big sis is blushy crushy! Blushy crushy! Blushy crushy! Big sis is blushy crushy for Big Brother Ezra!" Ah kids, no filter to them at all and they have no problem speaking their minds. Juna's face was hard to discern from her hair again, given how Ken and Nana were dancing around singing. The red-faced older sister just grabbed the cake pan and marched out the door, her still-singing siblings on her heels. I gave a wave to the bakers and followed them across the street to the Belheim Apartments. Now it was time for the most dangerous part of the operation…meeting her parents!
The apartment the Crawford Family called home carried a pleasant, inviting atmosphere about it, the room was clean and tidy. Juna's mother, a stout woman with pink hair the same as her children, was in the kitchen cooking dinner when we walked in the door. A very pleasant odor permeated the air. Grilled chicken and sliced potatoes from what I determined. Hm…I wonder if there was a way we could get her to work for Zephyr, because I know her cooking would be a huge hit with the guys.
"I'm back, Mom! I've got the cake you asked for." She had calmed down some, but the pointed stare she gave the twins showed she was still salty about their earlier teasing. The twins just giggled, not sorry at all. "And I brought a friend for dinner." There was a surprise on the elder Crawford's face when she looked at me. Clearly she wasn't expecting her daughter to bring home a boy on top of things. "Ezra, meet Lina Crawford, my mother."
"Nice to meet you, Ma'am." I bowed slightly.
"As it is to meet you." She said in a pleasant voice, although there was a degree of suspicion right on the tip of her tongue. I guess when your teenage daughter brings home a strange boy you never met, it's only right to worry some. "Matt, the kids are home!" I wasn't sure what to expect when the Crawford patriarch stepped out of a side room, but Juna's dad was not only tall but big. Although he seemed like a friendly enough guy. He was dressed simply in a white polo shirt and brown pants with a matching belt. Steel-rimmed glasses lined with brown eyes framed by short-cut brown hair.
"And who is this?" I could already feel his gaze breaking me down in his mind.
"This is Big Brother Ezra! He saved Ken and I from a mean guy at the park earlier!" Nana chimed. I could have kissed her at that moment. Although the parents didn't seem all that convinced.
"It's true, Dad. One of those jerk losers from the Saber Vipers was harassing them earlier, and Ezra stopped them!" Juna came to my defense, a look of pride on her face. One that her father didn't share. Something told me this was going to be a very awkward meal. Regardless, I'll give Mrs. Crawford her due credit, it was a great spread. Grilled chicken with sliced potatoes, seasoned with olive oil and pepper, salad and a light dressing, and corn on the cob. In all, a pretty decent payment for helping the kids out. We sat down and got ready to eat, and of course, Juna was right next to me and Matt was side-eyeing both of us.
"Dad works at Mishelam Wonderland, the big theme park across the lake." Hmm, working at a theme park? Maybe we could buy it out for the corps and let everyone get some R&R? "He actually just got a really big promotion to their Planning and Sales Department. It's why we're having this dinner." Juna was quite proud of her father for that, and Ken and Nana too.
"Then congrats then to you, sir," I said, trying to be polite. He just picked up his beer and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment as he sipped it.
"I won't say I'm ungrateful to you for defending my children from that Saber Viper goon, they've made Downtown a right nightmare to traverse. I've heard the Testaments aren't much better, although I've heard their boss does hold them to a slightly higher standard over that Wald character. However, your timing on the matter was very convenient. So, tell me, did you do that just to impress Juna?"
"Not this again! It was bad enough I got it from Bennet and Oscar, but you too, Dad?" Juna groaned, to which her younger siblings giggled.
"It doesn't change the fact that you're blossoming into a gorgeous young woman, Juna. You turned 14 not long ago, and the boys are starting to take notice of that fact." I could tell from how he spoke that Matthew was just being a good father, and worrying about the well-being of his daughter.
"You are filling out rather nicely, dear. I was never that stacked at 14." I was floored by Lina's words I had to look over to Juna to process it all. She was only fourteen years old? I thought she was my age. All of a sudden, I got a little weary of how the Crawford Patriarch was viewing me. Poor Juna was starting to get all flustered again, hugging her chest. It was certainly appealing, but no way was I going to bring that up right here in front of everybody.
Before things got any more awkward, I decided it was time to change the subject. "Are you an athlete by chance, Juna? I ask because you have the look of one." Her legs certainly had muscle tone to them from what I was able to see when she showed up. "You take any dance classes or train in the martial arts?" The smirk Juna gave me seemed to indicate a positive.
"Sure do! I've trained in taekwondo since I was eleven years old. I actually just promoted to high brown belt last month. I even won a couple of tournaments." Not only good-looking but a fighter on top of it? My gaze slowly filtered over to Juna again. Now that I've had some time to think about it, she really is physically mature for her age. Of course, it was the perfect time for my brain to throw another random flash. A figure obscured by the sun, most assuredly feminine, clad in a dress of purest white and framed by lustrous brown hair. It all seemed so close, my fingertips brushing against the memory before it vanished.
"Hey, you alright?" Juna pouted at me as she once again brought me out of my reverie. Apparently she wasn't done talking about her martial arts training. "I was saying that I'm good with tonfas. I certainly wouldn't have minded using them on those goobers at school."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about! Those boys at Sunday School can only think about one thing." He grumbled.
"They all want to play the clapping game!" Nana's voice made everything stop, as Dad nearly choked on his beer. Mom and Juna both gasped in shock, dropping their forks in the process.
"Just where did you hear that, young lady?" Lina asked her youngest daughter questioningly with a hard edge to her voice.
"All the boys at school talk about playing the clapping game all night long!" Ken added cheerfully. Wow, I'm guessing there's a deeper meaning behind that, given how tense Juna and her parents just became at those words. Clearly being children both Ken and Nana aren't wise to it. Regardless of that, I decided to focus on the meal at hand. Definitely need to see about getting Lina hired as our cook. It would be a great change from our usual meals, much less combat rations. Dinner went on with no further interruptions. I helped Lina clean the dishes; it was the least I could do for their hospitality.
Juna insisted on walking me out of the building, and who was I to turn down the request of a gorgeous girl? We stood outside the entrance to Belheim. "Thank you so much for the meal, Juna. I enjoyed meeting your family. I'm glad your dad got that promotion at work. I hope he goes places. Your mother is a spectacular cook, just so you know." She looked very pleased about that. "Not to mention your siblings are hilarious."
That Juna did not look so pleased about. If anything, she looked rather embarrassed about it. "I am sorry about Ken and Nana earlier. They hear things like that around town and just repeat it."
"You mean the whole clapping game thing? I did wonder what that meant."
Poor Juna looked so flustered, there went the pink face/pink hair thing again. It was a good thing her old man wasn't around. Matthew probably would have pitched a fit. "It's local slang for sex. I'm sure you know what the clapping part actually means right?" Yeah, I had a pretty good idea, but I didn't want to upset Juna any further. She cleared her throat. "I'll see you around town, right?"
I just gave an idle shrug. "I honestly don't know how long my associates and I will remain in Crossbell. We go where the work is." Jaeger corps in general were always traveling, one day we could be in Liberl, and the next day it could be on the far side of Calvard. It wasn't something I wanted to say, but it was a hard truth regardless. Juna was a big girl, and I got the feeling she would understand. "But as long as we're stationed here. I think it's a pretty good possibility that our paths will cross."
The wide eyes and happy smile told me that suited her just fine. "I'd like the chance to hang out with you again." She took a deep breath, mustering her courage. "Is it too much to ask if I can have your number? That way we can meet up if we both have time." That sounded like an easy enough request. I pulled out a scrap of paper and scrawled my number on it, handing it to her. "Oh, thank you so much!" Juna beamed.
"Not a problem at all, little lady." I smiled broadly, enjoying the light giggle escaping from her lips. "However, I think it's only fair to point out that my job does keep pretty busy. So, I probably won't be able to answer all the time. But I will make my best effort to hit you back."
"What exactly do you do?" Juna asked. That damn question again. I wasn't sure how to respond, until we heard giggles from the doorway.
"Hehe! Big sis got Big Brother Ezra's number. She's going to ask him out on a date! Ooooo!" Who should be there but Ken and Nana? At any other moment, I would have called them the Buzzkill Kids, but I'd let it slide since it kept me from answering it. Juna herself looked flustered as always, but there was an expectation in her eyes. I guess she was kind of thinking that herself. Humoring the twins, I went over and patted both of them on the heads. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind taking Juna out. She's good-looking, athletic, has a nice personality, and just a few years younger than me. But there are other issues I have to take into account.
Eventually, I'm going to have to cop to the truth of being a jaeger, and how would Juna take that? It would be impractical not just because of my profession, but me in general? I barely know the first thing about myself and where I come from. Do I have somebody in my life waiting for me somewhere out there in the rest of Zemuria? The flashes of memory I keep getting seem to suggest it, but it could mean anything though. I still have so many unanswered questions and it's all so vague. I'm hesitant to act on it right now. But on the other hand. Juna has shown interest, so until then, would it be so wrong to have some company in my life?
"I certainly wouldn't be against such things." I finally spoke up. "But as you pointed out to the people at the bakery and your parents. We only just met, and I think it would be better if we had a better foundation for our relationship. So would be it all right if we just became friends first and we'll see where it goes from there?" Juna was about to reply when my phone rang…great. I popped it open with a frustrated groan. "This is Ezra."
"Where have you been?" Fie sounded mildly irritated. "Did your little morning stroll turn into an all-day adventure?" Well crap, I guess I did get kind of sidetracked with the Crawfords. I have no one to blame but myself for that.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I'll tell you when I get back." Juna heard a feminine voice from my phone. Her eyes got big before narrowing heavily before she ran back inside, shutting the door quickly. Crap times two. I sighed, walking down the street while explaining to Fie what had just happened. "So yeah, I probably shouldn't have answered the phone right in front of her." I just got an amused snort followed by a pretty chortle in reply.
"It's okay I get it now. You were just seeing another girl, but I can't help but be disappointed in you." I could hear the mock hurt in Fie's voice. Of course, she would have to troll me about this. It was one of the rare times she showed any emotion besides bored disinterest. "I'm right here and you're chasing after other women, for shame Ezra! For shame!" Oh great, my whole life has just turned into a bad romantic comedy!
"Oh, hush up. It's not like my days wouldn't be numbered if I tried anything!" I got another giggle from my squad leader. Maybe the lazy cat thing was just a facade to hide the colossal troll she was inside!
"Don't be so uptight. I'm just winding you up." All the merriment then evaporated from Fie's voice. "Jokes aside, I'm calling you because we have a job off Central Square. The boss requested us to get there ASAP. There's been a crime and the CPD needs some extra help running crowd control."
I found my interest piqued. "What kind of crime?" I asked, quickening my pace.
"Murder, homicide." That was all it took to cement my interest and I broke into a run. Crime scene investigation? Sign me up! It didn't take long to find the place. A cordon consisting of police cruisers and a few Zephyr trucks had already been set up. I saw Xeno and Leo talking with one of the senior detectives. I had been given a quick rundown about the layout of the Crossbell Police Department. The First Investigative Division were the elites of the outfit. They handled the major crimes, including murders, so they were definitely on the job here.
"So nice of you to join us!" Fie drawled as I ran up to my squad. Cherise gave me a friendly wave while Danny just gave a millimeter-long nod of acknowledgment. You could just make it out if you looked at it the right way. She held out my jacket for me and I quickly put it on. "Did you enjoy your little date, or did I dash your hopes and dreams forever with her?"
"Oh, haha…." I shot back flatly, adjusting my collar. Then again, I would have to probably clear the air with Juna down the line. I definitely should have waited before answering my phone. Instead, I set my face in a neutral expression and got to work. The first order of business was to ascertain the crime in question. So, I marched straight up to Xeno and Leo. Best go to the source on this one.
"Hey kid, glad to see you made it." Xeno was his usual laid-back self.
"You couldn't have kept me away even if you tried. So give it to me straight, what do we know about it?" I was genuinely intrigued by the prospect of working at a crime scene like this. I didn't miss the sour expression the detective, a bespectacled man with green hair in a royal blue suit, gave me. Like they expected some punk-ass mercenary kid who could barely shave to solve such a crime?
"As if Zephyr needs to involve themselves with our work." He said in a clipped tone that was all too familiar to me. The tone of those who thought themselves better than anyone else. "People are rubbernecking the police around the building. The real crime scene is inside. Your job is to keep the crowd away from the crime scene, and nothing more." Wow, what a pleasant guy! I'll admit he certainly seemed strong enough, but that attitude just won't fly with me.
I was about to open my mouth when a second officer tapped the first guy on the shoulder. The first thought that came to mind was red. This guy's hair was the most brilliant red I had ever seen, framing a pair of sharp blue eyes. "Oh, come off it, Dud. A fresh perspective could help us out on this one." He smirked in my direction. "Besides, I like this kid's confidence. Why not humor him?"
The first detective gave the red-haired officer an irritated glare. "Honestly Orlando, I don't see why we have to bother with such things. I only allowed them to be here because the mayor himself requested it! The First Division has it under control." Ah, the old story of jurisdiction control. The First Division were supposedly top dogs around here, and if the stories about their incompetency were to be true, they would go to all lengths to prove it otherwise.
Rather than continuing this pointless arguing, I pushed past the detectives and headed inside. "Hey! You can't go in there!" I ignored Glasses and made my way upstairs, Fie and the rest of the team on my heels. I could tell they weren't about to pass this up. I saw uniformed cops coming out of one apartment, sliding by one of them, and saw the crime scene. All I can say is it was a whole lot of blood. A truly macabre sight. And yet for some reason, I felt a great sense of anticipation here. The investigators in the room looked at me questioningly.
"Good evening, folks. Don't mind us." I indicated to the rest of my squad. "My friends and I are with Zephyr's Investigative Branch, and we came here to help you out." Yeah, total BS, I don't even know if the corps even has a criminal investigative branch. Heh, Zephyr Criminal Investigative Service, ZCIS…sounds so catchy and yet so tacky all at once! Fie and Cherise both seemed to think it was funny, given how they both snickered. Even Danny's lips twitched slightly upward if you knew when and how to look for it. Maybe I could sell Rutger on the idea that it would bring in more money? Definitely filing it away for later.
"Uh, sure?" The investigator said, uncertain of what to make of my arrival. "It looks like it was a call girl. This was her apartment, he indicated to the cooling body on the ground. Someone came in and shot her within the last hour or so, looks like she staggered about before dropping here between the couch and the coffee table." That part was obvious, given the blood everywhere. I started examining the crime scene. So it wasn't like I had nothing to work with.
"Talk about blood city." I remarked to no one in particular. It was like a huge visceral jigsaw puzzle. I knelt down next to the girl and looked at her face. Early twenties it seemed, fairly good-looking. Her eyes spoke volumes of the fear she must have felt when realizing her ticket was punched. It would remain that way forever. I closed her eyes to give her some peace and started looking around. It was time to start putting the pieces together. I found myself looking at the pool of blood on the floor, then at the spray on the walls. A mental image began forming in my head of what possibly went down.
"You onto something?" I didn't answer Fie's question, my gaze started shooting around the apartment, looking at the walls and how the blood was splattered. I was breaking down the layout of the apartment, noticing the location of every object. And then I caught sight of something near a bookcase in the corner, the break in the case if you will.
"Ezra?" I silenced Cherise with a raised fist. I didn't want my concentration broken in that moment, just letting it all settle in my mind.
"Where is that little Jaeger punk?" In barged the furious detective, followed by the red-haired officer. "You!" His voice was laced with venom and his face turned redder by the minute, but unlike with Juna, it was not cute at all. Although it was pretty funny, especially with how the veins in his neck throbbed. Poor guy needs to watch his heart rate. "How dare you enter an active crime scene and interfere with this investigation!" The red-haired officer just stifled a laugh, clearly enjoying the show.
"Hi, who are you again?" I said, not impressed at all with him. "Look pal, I get it this is your beat. I'm not here to steal your thunder. You can have all the glory and spotlight. But how about letting us help out? You never know. You might miss something."
"Detective Alex Dudley, Special Agent in Charge of the First Investigative Division." He fumed. "And we've already determined what the cause of this incident was!" Detective Dud, that's what I'm going to call him from here on out, stuck his nose in the air and adjusted his coat, letting me see the very large, military-grade, magnum pistol in a shoulder holster. Compensating for something Detective Dud? "It was a home invasion gone wrong. They tried to rob the place, took her by surprise and killed her. Local gang violence happens all over the city, enough said. Case closed."
"No, it's not," I said quietly, standing up. "It's not a robbery gone wrong." I looked Dud Boy square in the eye. "And I can prove it. For starters, nothing was stolen at all. Does anything look missing or disturbed? How about her wallet and other personal effects? Was anything taken at all when the killer left?" My scan of the apartment hadn't turned up anything out of place. But that wasn't what my analysis hinged on. My gaze was on a single spot toward the bookshelf.
"I don't believe so." The red-haired officer spoke up before Dud could protest. "Hey, Roy!" He called over to one of the detectives still inspecting the area. "Did anything appear to be missing from the crime scene?"
"Not that we could see, Randy." He shot back, his gaze falling on me. He looked equally skeptical as Dud. "You really think this kid knows what happened?"
"Well, do you?" The red-haired guy, Randy asked. I just smirked at him. The gauntlet had been thrown down, and I was ready to pick it up. So I did just that.
"Okay, for starters, this was no random home invasion. I think it was more along the lines of an argument gone bad. When that happened the call girl started running for the back door, but she didn't get too far. Just a couple of steps and then she turned to face the shooter and then she got plugged high in the chest. Spun her around and sprayed blood on the walls. She stumbled toward the coffee table and the couch before falling on her back dead." I looked toward the bookcase. "And that's when the shooter got plugged by the third individual in the apartment, and started bleeding when he slipped out the bedroom window down the fire escape."
Fie's eyes widened as she looked to where I was…a small drop of blood on the floor nowhere near where the call girl's body was located, and then another, and a few more, before vanishing into the dark brown carpet. I led them down the hallway and threw open the door to the bedroom. The bedroom window was open, and the blood could be seen on the windowsill. "Seeing how this happened just within the hour, I'm just willing to bet if we follow the blood then we'll find at least one of our killers." Randy gave me a nod of approval and Dud just snorted before barking orders on the radio while I led my team down the fire escape into the alleyway, where the blood trail continued.
"You didn't do half bad back there," Fie remarked with her usual trollish smile as we walked down the alleyway. "You looked like an excited kid at all the blood."
"I was amazed at how easily I picked the whole thing up. Maybe I have a background in crime scene investigation." Some might call it disturbing that I would find excitement in the death of others, but at the very least it was better than brooding over my lack of memories about my past.
Fie could see that. In those quieter moments when we weren't on the job. It was common to find me in some distant corner of the camp, just looking for answers. She never said anything, usually just sat next to me. A quiet gesture to let me know I wasn't alone. Fie leaned into me. "So…did anything come back to you up there?"
"Kind of, I guess I must have experience with police work, but that's about it. I'd have to try it again and see if anything crops up." It really was exciting, although at this point, I would take anything I could get. It was then something caught my eye. A piece of graffiti that was…disturbing to say the least. A pyramid with a giant red eye in the center. The light of the streetlamp illuminated it, giving it an even creepier edge to it. Beneath it "BECOME AS GODS" was crudely written in blood-red spray paint, and I felt a stab in my mind, a chorus of harsh, electronic voices chanting. "Hey, Cherise, get a picture of that," I said, gesturing to the art. Something about that just jumped out at me. It would warrant investigating soon. But it would have to wait.
We soon reached the end of the bloody rainbow, where we found a rat-faced man clutching at his side, his cheap shirt stained red with his own life juices. "Well, someone ended up in a bad way." I drawled as he looked at me contemptuously. "Looks like you didn't make a very clean getaway after you offed that girl huh?"
The man just grunted. "Like I even had the chance to do anything! Her fuckwad pimp came in and shot her!" He winced as blood continued leaking out. "He didn't like the fact I was stealing away one of his broads. She freaked out and tried to run before getting plugged in the back." He growled as Fie began administrating first aid to him. "He was prattling on about 'sending her to Paradise' or some shit like that. The piece didn't clear the holster when he turned on me. Just left me there to die so I had to crawl out the window."
"You wouldn't by chance know where this guy is, would you?" I asked with a knowing smile. "I'm sure if you help us take him down then we'll make sure that your sentence is…reasonable?" The guy's eyes narrowed slightly, not saying anything for a few minutes. Before he smirked, revealing very yellowed teeth.
"Heh, why the fuck not? At least in prison, I'll get three square meals. The bastard likes to spend his days in the Entertainment District. Check out the casinos. He loves going there and blowing his money at the slots!" A few uniformed officers came by and escorted the man away. He looked like the type that had done some questionable things himself so he wouldn't be getting off easily. But there's no better motivation than spiteful revenge. At least we knew where the killer was now.
"The Entertainment District, eh?" Randy smirked, his mind working already. "If that's where our perp likes to spend his time. Then I have a pretty good idea of which casino he's frequenting."
"Because you're a regular as well, Orlando?" Dud remarked. The redhead just shrugged. The senior detective just shook his head. "Let's just go and apprehend him. The less time this guy is on the streets, the better I'll feel." For once I agreed with him. The Entertainment District was a distance away. We could have gotten there through the Residential District, but It would have taken a while to get there on foot. Dudley and Randy used their cruisers, given the urgency of the situation.
Colorful, if I had to sum up the Entertainment District in one word, it would be colorful. I imagined it was even brighter at night. But wow! Casinos and clubs lined the streets, with the big theater at the center as its crown jewel. The home of Arc En Ciel, a performance trope renowned all over the continent. I have to say the show was spectacular, the Mayor even got the entire corps tickets. All I can say about the lead, Ilya Platiere, is Hoochie Mama! Not only is she smoking hot but she is an incredible dancer, the veritable queen of the stage. The way that girl could jump into the air was insane!
But enough of that, Randy led us right to the casino he was a regular judging from the way the receptionists, who just happened to be a pair of cute girls, flashed grateful smiles as we walked to the front desk. Randy and Dudley flashed their badges. "Good day to you ladies, I wish I could say I was here for a fun time, but sadly not." He sounded so businesslike. "We're here looking for a suspect in a murder that happened not too far from here. We heard he likes to frequent this establishment?" They both quickly nodded and pointed upstairs.
"He came in about thirty minutes ago, the guy looked rather aggravated." One of them said, fear evident in her voice. The way her lip anxiously twitched was icing on the cake. "He's been at the slots ever since, being loud and obnoxious." The receptionist flinched when an angry voice could be heard.
"Hey, where's the damn booze! I paid good money for this place, and I don't want to see the bottom of my fucking glass at all! So bring it out!" Nothing more needed to be said. Randy just lightly patted the girl on the cheek and up the stairs we went. I took one look at this guy and thought. Oh, he is so a pimp! A chintzy purple velvet suit, paisley silk shirt, and the damn cane! I would have laughed if not for how his brown eyes looked. They were completely bloodshot like he hadn't slept in days. Or drinking, definitely could smell the booze on him. And a hint of something darker…like decayed flesh, and brimstone. The calling card of the Devil's work at play. "And the good stuff too! Not that cheap shit from behind the bar!"
We jaegers quietly arrayed ourselves to cover the stairs in case he tried to escape. The pimp growled as he grasped the slot machine's handle with a twitching hand, and jerked it so hard we thought it was going to fall off. He growled, clearly not happy with the result of the reels. "Fuck!" We all tensed when his hand went to his pocket, but instead of a weapon, he came out with a small bottle of fluid-colored blood red. He inserted it into some kind of device. Hands twitching even more he brought the contraption to his eye and squeezed, sending a red mist into his eyes.
One of the pit bosses saw this and went up to him. "Sir, please, don't use that here!" Was as far as he got before the pimp's hand shoot out to grab him by the throat, raising him in the air while his legs flailed. A couple of the patrons screamed as Dudley and Randy broke into a run, I could hear the sound of Fie and Danny cocking their respective weapons. But my gaze never broke from this guy. I was focused on his eyes, bloodshot more than ever before, and then they turned red.
"I…PaAy…yoOU…GuuYs…eNOuGh…oF…My…MoNEy…FuCK…oFFF!" My head throbbed in pain at the disjointed tone of his voice and those damn red eyes. An image flashed in my head again. A man clad in a ratty old coat wielding a pair of cutlasses, talking in that same creepy otherworldly tone, and his eyes glowing an ominous red. I was brought out of it by Cherise, her orbment in hand. Regaining my senses I drew one of my swords.
Dudley had drawn his pistol while Randy pulled out this huge polearm-type weapon called a Stun Halberd. "Crossbell Police Department! Drop him right now and put your hands on your head!" Dudley snarled. It was then the pimp realized he wasn't alone. He regarded us for a minute, before dropping the hapless staff member on the ground and whipping out a military-grade semiautomatic pistol. He squeezed off three fast rounds, aimed properly while being held with both hands no less! Mr. Pimp wore fatigues before trading it in for that eyesore of a suit.
"You won't stop me from spreading Paradise!" His voice sounded normal, but his words were still unsettling. The pimp bolted for the exit, faster than any of us could react. It looked like we were up for a chase. Whatever he had sprayed into his eye really upped his speed. We ran out into the streets of the Entertainment District, luckily, we saw that the police had cordoned the area off, and Xeno and Leo had called in reinforcements as armored troops with swords and machine guns lined up behind the officers. The pimp saw it too, he was cornered and there was no way out.
"Give it up and just surrender." Randy brandished his halberd as the six of us slowly approached him. "You can tell the odds are against you." I understand the need for protocol, but it was clear to everyone he wasn't going to just give up. No, within those accursed eyes was a trapped animal who would fight and even die if he had to. I didn't care regardless of the outcome. Justice would be served one way or another. The scariest thing is that the guy didn't seem all that perturbed, he just wore that same mad grin. I wasn't about to be caught off guard. I had one of my swords out and ready to disarm this guy if he so much as twitched, and that would be literally!
"Then in that case." He said quietly. "You'll aLL jOin mE iIn ParADisE!" He pulled out his pistol, letting out a maniacal cackle as he fired at Fie, but the bullets just shot through empty space, because she was already gone. All bets were off now and this guy had just punched his death ticket! This guy was just truly out of his mind as he swung his gun around, squeezing off rounds at me, only for a golden-brown shield to materialize in front of me. I saw Cherise flash a smile, her orbment blazing. This was the Adamantine Shield, a support art for defending against physical attacks.
Dudley looked down at the sights of his pistol, his grip firm and resolute. He fired three shots, plugging the pimp in the shoulder and hip. He doubled over, but then stood bolt upright, that mad sneer wider than ever before. "LIke tHAt WiLl keEp mE fROm PaRAdIsE sO EAsIlY!" The pistol came up and aimed right at the detective. I could see a silver and black blur flash between them, and I knew that our resident wind fairy was at work. Her pistols out, firing a mad flurry of bullets throwing off the pimp's aim and he fired straight up. Randy took that chance and lunged at him with his stun halberd, lashing across his arm. A brief flare of lightning caused the lunatic to twitch enough he dropped his pistol.
He tried to reach for it only for Fie to swoop by and snatch it up, tossing it over to Cherise who promptly pocketed it. The pimp's eyes bulged, and he pulled a sword out of his cane! Not going to lie, that's actually pretty cool. I may see about taking it for myself when this guy is brought down. The thin, straight blade caught the evening light. "PArADise wAiTs FOr uS AlL!" Ranting aside, it's time for me to shine! We crossed blades in a second. I'll say he didn't have much as far as technique went, but he had strength and was pushing back on me. I caught something out of the corner of my eye, and dove to the side.
The flashbang Danny tossed out went off, giving us an opening to bring this guy down. Fie went full throttle on this guy. Steel bells rang as her gun-knives met his sword. He thrust the blade in a series of rapid succession, but Fie flipped upward, swinging with rapid precision, slashing across his chest numerous times and shedding blood. Randy turned up on the juice on his halberd hoping to incapacitate him, but the crazy pimp grabbed the shaft of the weapon, not minding the electricity coursing through him one bit.
"YoU'll bE a FInE CAndIDaTe FoR pAraDISE!" He cackled, poor Randy looked dumbstruck as the pimp snapped his wrist and sent him flying back with a grunt. This Paradise thing meant something. Not that I cared at the moment. It was a more pressing matter to put this guy down, and quick. Danny took a swing at this time, driving the buttstock of his shotgun into his gut, before letting him eat buckshot at point-blank range.
But it didn't faze this guy one bit, and neither did the bullets Dudley surgically placed into his leg and hip. If anything, it just made him angrier. He just let out a sound somewhere between a scream and an angry roar the blade whipped about even as Fie stabbed him in the midsection and emptied a half dozen rounds into his torso. Only for him to swing the blade at Fie's head, which I quickly parried away, the tip of my blade raking down his back, letting crimson fluid gush out. "MORe bLoOd fOR PArAdiSe!" Psycho much?
I saw a flash of green from Cherise's orbment, as she cast a powerful wind spell that conjured up a powerful cyclone. The brutal gale ended the ugly suit, ripping it to shreds, the remains of the coat falling to the ground while his shirt hung in tatters from his waist. Danny took his moment, rushing in to smash him with the butt of his shotgun once again before unloading three rounds worth of buckshot into him, what was this guy on to keep going like this? He just laughed maniacally and swung his blade, which Danny managed to deflect with the barrel of his gun.
Truthfully, this was getting old fast. So I decided it was time to wrap things up so I quickly engaged him close up. He was swinging the blade madly about, and it was all I could do to keep up with him. "Remember your footwork, Little Brother!" A gentle voice whispered in my ear. Not sure what it was about that, but I started throwing myself into high gear. Up on my toes, I dodged to the left, the thin blade sliding right under my arm. I awarded him with a kick to the face and primed that vertical slash technique I used against the big ass slime in the Geofront. The force behind the swing was so great it sent the pimp's sword arm down, his fingers slack on his sword for a minute before he tightened up and tried to attack me.
But I wasn't done there. I locked blades with him again before batting the cane sword away, priming the diagonal slash. It was a moment that felt so natural to me. I saw the blade flash as I swung upward, the tip taking a chunk out of his torso. He stumbled about, and finally, we were doing something to him. Blood was starting to leak from his eyes, and his lips were stretched into a mad leer. He kept madly flailing the sword around, and I effortlessly dodged and weaved around his clumsy strikes, while cutting him slightly, once on his arm, another on his shoulder. I wasn't just fighting. I was dancing, all the while trying to finally wear him down and end this.
He thrust at me with the cane sword, which I neatly sidestepped. I went for a quick double slash, the first attack was parried, but the second one caught him right across the shoulder. He aimed a kick at my left hip. I winced at the pain, but I paid no mind. So I just paid him back by elbowing him in the face, and stomping on his foot. Payback's a bitch after all. He raised his cane sword for a powerful downward strike. I simply leaned back, and it hit nothing but open air. "sHEd yOUR bLoOd foR tHE GlOry of PAraDisE!"
This was getting old really quick! The fight was becoming old, and I was ready to go home. I locked blades with him once more, kneeing him in the gut and swinging downward, relieving him of both his hands. The cane sword flew into the air, and I deftly caught it with my free hand, holding both blades to his neck. and he looked overjoyed at this turn of events, even as blood dripped from his exposed wrists.
This had gotten way too freaky, so I finally decided to end it right there, both swords caught the light of the setting sun, and I scissored the blades across the crazed pimp's neck, I didn't even pay mind to the blood splattering across my face. The body slumped right there as his head bounced twice and came to a rest. His eyes were still, and bleeding and that psycho grin never left. "FInaLLy…I cAn…Go…tHe DooR…tO PaRAdISe…opENs." A final wheeze escaped his lips, and it was clear he had finally expired. Good riddance!
Someone grabbed hold of my arm. It was Fie, and dare I say it. She looked frightened and certainly felt like it given how tight her grip on my wrist was. I guess even hardened mercenaries can get spooked, but when you're dealing with disembodied talking heads that's bleeding from the eyes. Who wouldn't? "I think it's safe to say he's dead now?" Randy broke the awkward silence.
"It's a shame we couldn't have interrogated him. I would have liked to know what he was babbling on about." Dudley huffed. "Between this and the weird graffiti that's been popping all over town. It can't be anything good." My mind went back to the alley and those words. "Become As Gods." Something about it seemed so familiar. A voice from another life, harsh, cold, electronic sounding, saying it over and over again. What happened in my past to bring this to the surface?
The senior detective ran a hand through his hair, reaching into his pocket to produce a radio. "This is Dudley, Get the ME here double time." He put the radio back in his pocket, before turning to face us. "First Division can take care of things from here. But I will acknowledge that you jaegers played a big part in helping solve this mystery and bringing down a very…disturbed individual." He grimaced at the gruesome tableau laid before us. "Just don't make it a consistent habit all right?" His coat flapped behind him as he walked to his squad car.
Randy chuckled. "Wow, he actually likes you kids!" We looked at him confusedly. "That's the nicest thing he's ever said to anyone. Guess it just proves that Ol' Dudley has a soft gooey core beneath that rock-hard head of his. Come with me. I'll drive you back to your base. I figured you've been hoofing it all over town, you'd welcome the rest." We certainly weren't going to turn down a free ride. It was quiet the whole way back to camp. Proof positive of how exhausted everyone was. Our little gathering of tents and prefab buildings never looked so good at that moment.
"Thanks for the ride," I said to Randy, shaking his hand.
"Glad to help, kid. If it wasn't for your keen eye, we would have never found the pimp and the dead girl's lover. I'm going to talk to my boss and see if you can't join us for our next case. I think you're just what we might need." He flashed a big grin and drove off. We re-entered camp and everyone went off in their own direction. Me, I was ready to just call it a day. My tent and bunk awaited me. I pushed aside the canvas flap, unbuckled the baldric holding my swords on and let it fall to the ground. My knees gave out and I collapsed on the cot with a sigh.
"Damn, wasn't expecting this today," I remarked to no one. On the one hand, I go to meet a really cute girl, and have lunch with her family. Probably need to have a long chat with her later." I winced at how Juna ran back into the building when Fie called. I sighed. "On the other hand, I got to solve a murder and fight a really crazy dude. Aw, man! I didn't pick up the cane sword!" I groaned in frustration. Oh well, not like I couldn't have one made for myself, and not nearly as tacky as the pimp's!
"Hey, you busy?" I heard Fie's voice outside. She stuck her head inside. That look of anxiety from earlier was still present. I beckoned and she came inside. That look of anxiety from earlier was still present, such a far cry from her usual confidence. She sat on the cot next to me. Her legs curled up to her chest as she hugged her knees. Fie looked so vulnerable in that moment, "I'm not sure why I'm here. I guess I don't want the Boss or anyone else to see me so weak. But I need someone to listen to me. You won't judge me because you're empty-headed." Not bad, considering she's right. "What happened today…it was just too much. In all my years of being a Jaeger, that guy was just off in so many ways!"
"Crazy pimps spouting on about Paradise and bloody, talking decapitated heads are probably not on the list of regular enemies Jaegers deal with." I ventured, her lips twitching upward was my reward. "But if you need someone to talk to, I'm always available."
"Thanks, provided you're not skulking off to meet your other girlfriend." Fie tittered. "So are you going to bring her by and introduce her to us?" She reached up to take hold of my hand. "Because I'm pretty sure she's going to have some words for you when we meet." She wasn't wrong about that. Eventually, Juna would learn the truth. If I was smart, I'd just rip the wound open and get it over with. Let Aidios decide what happens. I was rewarded by a dazzling smile from Fie. "We shouldn't stay like this for too long. If Xeno and Leo were to catch us, they'd get mad." She blushed slightly as she stood up. "Thanks for listening. I'll quash any rumors. I just came to see how you're doing. If anyone asks, all right?"
"But of course. It would look pretty bad for a rookie to be putting the moves on his senior officer." It made me wonder why Fie didn't go to Danny or Cherise first. We had a good working relationship, but outside of that we barely knew each other.
Fie didn't linger for long after that. "See you in the morning." She said in a small voice, and slipped out of my tent, looking like a single, fragile leaf on the wind. It just amazed me how much she could make the simplest, mundane thing look graceful. With that I sighed and fell back on my cot, looking up at the ceiling, taking note of the number of stitches in the canvas.
"What exactly am I thinking?" I said to no one in particular. "Odds are I'd die before getting anywhere with Fie. We're just comrades. Same way I'm just friends with Juna." I couldn't help but shake my head. "I'm thinking way too much about this. Why do I have the feeling I also did this in my past life?" I couldn't be sure. The exhaustion was setting in, and I had so many issues and feelings to sort through. I was about to let sleep take me when my eyes snapped open. "Wait a minute, I'm still covered in blood." I grabbed my bath supplies and went to the shower tent. I can go to bed after I clean up!