Bloodgood was looking down at his plate of food with a cold, emotionless gaze. His face was smeared with makeup that had been dripping down from his tears.
"What the fuck was I thinking? Why did I have to come here alone? Was it so hard, just getting Benja's help or at least Frankie's help?" Bloodgood asked tearfully before looking at her reflection on the plate.
"This city is just a hole of pain and suffering. There was no point coming here alone..." The woman said before seeing one take an old letter from her pocket. When the letter was opened, the woman couldn't help but start crying when she saw a photo that seemed to be split in half where someone was seen.
Years ago.
Before the war, before the Medici. The Canopy kingdom, New Meridian and Maplecrest were places full of peace and tranquility, the Renoirs ruled in a fair and respectable way for all where peace and tranquility were always present.
The days were calm, people could be in the streets with complete peace of mind and the children could have fun without any worries. In a cafeteria, both boys and girls were gathered to have a quiet breakfast.
"Hey Nora, a plate of pancakes for table eight." A waitress said as a waitress entered. The girl wore a waitress uniform of the time that consisted of a long skirt that reached her ankles and a sleeveless dress that highlighted her arms, the girl had beautiful curly hair and striking silver eyes.
"Okay, now I'm coming. By the way Abigail, nice earrings." said the woman before using some skates to be able to skate to the table where some policemen were.
"Here you have officers, can I offer you something else?" The woman asked with a smile looking at the two officers. One of the officers was dark-skinned while the other had somewhat long hair.
"Yes, a little more coffee wouldn't hurt, please." The dark skinned man said with a smile but then he and his partner heard the radio turn on.
"Ben, Irvin. Where the hell are they?" a voice asked over the comlink that made both men nervous.
"We're on a little investigation now, boss." Ben said with a nervous smile as the woman tried not to laugh.
"Research? With Jazz music playing?." the voice asked seriously but that made the two adults even more nervous.
"We like music, it helps us focus." Irvin said with a nervous smile.
"Fine. But I hope you're not slacking off in the middle of work or else I'm going to deduct this from your pay, newbies!!." the voice shouted angrily as the communication was cut off.
"Well, Ben. We'd better get back to work before we get into more trouble than we already have." Irvin said as the man took the hat from him before putting it on.
"Ugh, what a bother. The best part of the song was just coming up." The man said before handing the money to Nora.
"Come on Ben, don't be sour. After all, we can still hear the song on the radio. Now come on, otherwise the boss will dangle us by the ears." Irvin said with a smile before leaving with his partner.
"Thank you for coming, come back soon." Nora said as the two policemen left.
The day continued as normal for Nora. Customers came and went, coffee cups were relentlessly filled, tipping continued, and Jazz music continued to play through the place.
"Nora, it's time to close." Said a man in chef's clothing while the woman finished washing the dishes.
"Alright girls. Here are your checks." The man said before giving Nora and the other waitresses her checks, but the woman had noticed something.
"But boss. This is less than our last check." Said the woman with surprise while the cook took off his hat sadly.
"Yeah well. I'm so sorry to say this guys but the cafeteria will be closing its doors today." Said the man sadly which greatly impacted everyone.
"But why!?." a waitress yelled with impact only to see the man lower his head.
"As you all must know by now, the war in the Canopy kingdom and the other nations have us up to our necks. The king had to divert a large part of the food export resources to the black herons, which made the sale and purchase market almost inaccessible in this month And adding to the debts of the cafeteria I am afraid that I have no other option but to close the doors." Said the cook sadly.
"That foolish king, ugh. Royals disgust me, I can't believe those vermin aren't done with that war yet. Not even a Skullgirl made as much chaos as this. Right, Nora?" Asked a woman angrily but her friend was very lost in her thoughts.
"Huh? Oh yeah, this is scary. Umm, I'm so sorry guys, I liked working with you but I'm already late to go home." Nora said before leaving the kitchen leaving her friends behind her.
"Two thousand dollars. Ugh, I'm getting further and further away from finishing my studies." Nora said angrily before putting her check away and starting to walk down an alley.
In the alley there were many recruitment banners of the kingdom, some of the banners were torn or graffitied. Nora wasn't going to lie, the woman had lived most of her life in this city in order to be able to focus on her goals and to be able to fulfill her dream of opening a school for monsters and humans.
However, that dream seemed to be almost impossible to achieve. For centuries, the dark age of monsters began to disappear and opened the door for all species to live among humans. But there were towns or cities that almost monsters weren't accepted and one of them was his hometown.
New Salem. A city that belongs only to humans while monsters are banished to the forest. When the other species tried to establish themselves, humans refused to provide help or public services such as food, education, technology, and among other things.
Nora was not going to accept this and decided to start studying in order to achieve that monsters and humans lived fairly and peacefully. However, no school or library wanted to accept the woman, so she had no choice but to leave town and come to New Meridian to continue her studies.
New Meridian was one of the very few cities where monsters and humans could live in peace and quiet. However, nothing was perfect. Due to the war between the Canopy kingdom and the other nations, it greatly affected the economy and stability of the kingdom, but still, its inhabitants had managed to re-establish a bit.
"At this rate I'll have wrinkles before I open my school. Ugh, what else can happen to me today?" Nora asked angrily but the woman remained silent when lightning struck the entire alley and she suddenly began to rain.
"Pyramids." The woman said angrily before sighing and walking on. Nora started walking through the streets before stopping to watch the news for a moment.
"Good evening, citizens of New Meridian. We bring the following report tonight. Despite many pleas from the city's protesters, and the massive failure in our current society, the king appears to have no intention of stopping the war against the giant nation and with the chess nation even though this rivalry is from past generations."
"Prince Franz Renoir tried to defuse the situation and apologize to the kingdom, only to receive a wave of boos and insults directed at him and his family. Protesters who displayed aggressive behavior towards the prince were quickly arrested and jailed for their crimes ."
"At some point the war will end? How much blood must stain the ground to calm the rivalry between these nations? Only time will tell. Good night." Said a werewolf as the news went commercial.
"Poor Prince Franz. It's clear that unlike his father, he seriously cares about everyone." Nora said with disappointment only to see a police car pull up next to her.
"Hey, miss." Nora turned around only to see Ben in the police car.
"Oh, you're the policeman from this morning. Where's your partner, is he alright?" Nora asked with concern making Ben laugh.
"Oh, he's fine, I just took him to his apartment. Please come upstairs, it's raining a lot." Ben said before opening the passenger door. Nora smiled a little and got in the car while the rookie cop started driving.
"Hard day huh?" Nora turned only to see Ben driving with his eyes on the road.
"Ugh, yes. The war affected my work a lot, it sucks. At this rate I won't be able to get my scholarship." The woman said angrily which got Ben's attention.
"Yes, it's understandable. We were all affected by this. My salary was also affected and I can basically barely survive the day on one instant ramen a night. It's a shame that cafeteria has closed, those cakes were delicious." Ben said with a smile making Nora laugh a little.
"Looks like I'm not the only one affected. Umm. Sorry for asking but how did you become a policeman? Are you not worried about your life or your family?" Nora asked curiously making Ben laugh a little.
"Well, I don't really worry about that. In fact, I live alone. My family, well, they're in Maplecrest. I send some of my money to my mom to help her pay the bills. I'm not afraid of doing this, there are too many bandit rats on these streets who deserve to be behind bars." Ben said seriously but then he heard Nora laugh.
"I'm sorry but tell me. Isn't it a bit of a bandit to avoid work to go to a cafeteria to eat in the middle of work?" Nora asked with a giggle making Ben laugh a little but also bringing a little blush to her cheeks.
"Heh well, I must admit I'm just starting to get used to this. I just graduated from the academy and this is my second day." Ben said shyly making Nora smile.
"Well, you do need to learn a lot." The woman said with a giggle which caused the man to laugh a little as well.
"What an adorable laugh you have, miss." Ben said but suddenly both teens blushed very red at that statement.
"Umm, thanks." Nora said shyly as the woman played with her hair. Throughout the centuries, only her parents gave her such compliments.
"Umm no problem." Ben said sheepishly before placing his hat in front of a red light.
"So, could you tell me where your house is, miss?" The man asked making Nora look at the road.
"Oh right. Umm, it's almost in the center of town, but. You don't necessarily have to call me miss all the time." Nora said as Ben got back to driving.
"Okay then. What's your name?" Ben asked curiously looking at Nora out of the corner of his eye.
"My name is Nora Bloodgood. And what's your name?" Bloodgood asked with a smile looking at Ben.
"My name is Ben Birdland. It's nice to meet you, Bloodgood. Heh, I must admit it's a very curious last name." Ben said with a smile while Nora blushed a little.
"You have a nice name, too, Ben. Your mother no doubt picked the perfect name for you." Nora said with a smile making Ben blush.
"Thanks, Bloodgood. I think I'll start calling you that, it's very cute." Ben said with a smile making Nora laugh a little.
"Thank you, it's the first time I've been given a nickname. And do you have a nickname?" The woman asked with a smile making Ben laugh.
"Yes, Irvin calls me Big Band. It's a nickname I've grown to like since our days at the academy, he calls me that because of my love of Jazz." Ben said with a smile making Bloodgood smile.
"It's a very cute nickname. I also like jazz, I think it's a very special genre of music to be able to concentrate on." Nora said with a smile making Ben laugh a little.
"Yes, it's a good musical genre. I like it because it relaxes me, sometimes I get stressed and some jazz always calms me down." The man said with a smile but then he noticed that Nora's stomach began to growl which made Bloodgood very red but also made Ben laugh.
"You look like you're hungry. Don't be ashamed, I must admit I'm hungry too. Umm, if you want, we can stop at some fast food place so we can eat a little. I know a place in Little Innsmouth." Ben said with a sheepish smile making Nora smile sheepishly.
"Sure, I would love to." Said the woman with a shy smile as they both went to the place.
Nora and Ben were now in a small local restaurant. The business appeared to be comfortable and clean, the food was very good, most of all the customers were fish people eating quietly while Big Band and Bloodgood were now eating at a table overlooking the sea.
"Tell me, Bloodgood. You say you're trying to get a scholarship, may I know why?" Ben asked before continuing to eat his noodles making Nora smile.
"Okay. Before I tell you, maybe I should show you something, but promise me you won't freak out." Nora said with a smile which got Ben's attention.
"Bloodgood, I've been in this city for years and I've seen a lot of things, almost nothing can surprise me." Ben said with a smile but the man fell off his chair when Bloodgood separated his head from his body.
"In the name of Chuck Berry!! How, how did you do that!?" Ben yelled in surprise as Nora's body helped the man to his feet.
"Sorry Ben, I guess I have to tell you everything. Please sit down." Bloodgood said making the Big Band sit down.
"I'm a monster from New Salem. The reason I'm looking for a scholarship is because I want to build the first human-monster school in the world. But most of all, I want it to be a home for monsters to be at safe and get the education they need." Nora said which got Ben's attention.
"But aren't monsters polite to people?" The man asked but the woman shook her head.
"I'm afraid not. New Salem people hate monsters, even though we live in the same town, New Salemians constantly tell us that we should be in the woods and we have no right to be among them. No school or The library accepts the monsters, and my people survive what they can with the help of kind people and working hard for the daily bread."
"I could no longer tolerate that my people will suffer so I started to study and work hard to get a director's degree. That way I could fulfill my biggest dream and hope for all monsters, and that is to have a place where they can be accepted and deserve what no one gives them." Nora said sadly and seriously which surprised Ben.
"Wow. Nora, that's very noble of you to want to fight in order to ensure that monsters can have a home but why do you want humans among you after all you've done to them?" Big Band asked curiously making Bloodgood sigh.
"I know humans don't deserve forgiveness after all they've done to us but. Maybe if I built my school, one day I can show the world that monsters and humans can be together and live in peace and harmony. I have faith in to be able to bring hope to all the monsters that still remain in the shadows and to see that we can all live together and in peace." Bloodgood said with a smile looking at Ben.
"My, you certainly are a big-hearted woman Bloodgood. I hope you can manage to build your school." Ben said with a smile making Nora blush.
"Thanks Ben. That's very sweet of you." Bloodgood said with a smile making Big Band look away with a blush.
After dinner. Ben took Bloodgood to some apartments that were in the center of the city where Nora indicated.
"Thank you so much for everything, Ben. I hope we can talk another time." Bloodgood said with a smile before getting out of the police car while Ben seemed a little nervous.
"Umm if you want. Eh, it's not a date but. Would you like to, um maybe, go to the cafeteria near the train station so we can talk?" Asked Big Band with some embarrassment making Nora smile with a little pink tint on her cheeks.
"Sure, I'd love to. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. I have to go study in the morning." Bloodgood said with a smile making Ben smile.
"Sure. See you tomorrow, Bloodgood." The man said before leaving as Nora watched Ben leave.
"See you tomorrow, Big Band." the woman said with a smile before entering her apartment.
"Nora Bloodgood. Where were you? You had me very worried." Nora looked ahead only to see a woman waiting for her. She was a woman with long black hair and red eyes.
"Nancy relax, I'm fine. I was with a cop when I got off work." Nora said with a smile but that scared Nancy.
"A policeman!? Nora something happened at your work!?." The woman asked fearfully which surprised Bloodgood.
"Nancy relax. That policeman was bringing me home in the rain but then we went to eat something because we were hungry, we talked and he brought me here." Bloodgood said in surprise causing Nancy to relax but then she smiled with some perversion.
"Did you go to dinner with a policeman? Wow, Nora. He must have been pretty cute to steal your heart." Nancy said with a smile causing Nora to blush before punching the other woman in the shoulder.
"Big Band is just a friend. Just that." Nora said with her arms crossed but Nancy smiled even more.
"Big Band, huh? So fast and you already gave it a nickname? Wow Bloodgood, how daring." Nancy said before laughing which made Bloodgood very red.
"Nancy please stop." Nora said before covering her face with her hands. No doubt her friend was going to laugh at her for a long time.
Currently.
"Okay Ben. Hold still, I'm almost done." An old man said as the man repaired the Big Band's propellers.
Big Band was now in a kind of laboratory with only the man while he was now lying on a metal table while the doctor repaired the thrusters.
"How true is it?" That question took the doctor by surprise.
"Doctor Avian. You must be aware that years have passed since I last saw her. How can you guarantee that she is here?" Asked Big Band seriously making the doctor sigh.
"My eyes never lie to me, Ben. The last time the track was in Maplecrest and I didn't see it again, I tried to call you but the communicator failed. I know this is hard for you because it's been years since you last saw each other. , but you must believe what I tell you. I saw her, I found Nora." Avian said but that made Big Band sigh.
"Ben. I know you and her didn't end up on good terms. But, I know you pray that she's okay. If you want, I can send Peacock and her friends to look for her, maybe they can find her." The doctor said before finishing repairing the thruster. Fortunately only the main parts were stuck.
"No. If she's here, then I want to look for her on my own. It's not that I don't trust Peacock, it's just that. Ugh." Ben lowered his head which made the doctor nod silently.
"I'll give you a moment." The man said before walking away leaving Big Band alone.
At which point the man reached a robotic but skeletal hand into his coat before pulling out an old, torn photo. The man couldn't help but shed a few tears, remembering the day when a fire that he thought would burn endlessly was extinguished.
Years ago.
The years continued. Ben and Nora never stopped seeing each other at any time. The first days were simple meetings in the cafeteria next to the train, but little by little, the cafeteria was changed to a library, and then to the restaurant where they had dinner before, until Ben began to go to Bloodgood's house.
As time passed, a burning began to appear in them every time they were together. Slowly, that fire began to burn hotter and hotter over the years until one day Nora and Nancy's studies paid off.
Although the parting was sad, the two women swore they would be in constant contact while Nora continued her studies and Nancy began to live her life in the Canopy kingdom.
After Nora and Nancy split up, Bloodgood had a hard time paying the bills as she and her best friend helped each other pay the bills. However, Ben decided to share his home with Nora until she could find a home.
But the months passed, slowly Nora and Ben no longer cared about sharing their home and now they both pushed each other to achieve their goals. However, there were also problems when Bloodgood and the Big Band had to move to Maplecrest due to Nora's scholarship, but they never stopped loving and supporting each other.
Bloodgood was now in the kitchen with a smile listening to jazz music. Suddenly the door was opened and her smile widened as she saw Ben hugging her from behind before kissing her on the cheek.
"Hello honey. How was your day at school?" Ben asked with a smile as the man removed his hat and uniform from him.
"Great. How was work for you, Big Band?" The woman asked with a smile making the man laugh. Despite the years, they never stopped calling each other with their nicknames.
"Oh well. We did well, we found a dump full of rats making illegal bets. What's amazing to me is that those idiots are wearing the same clothes as those sons of bitches who shot us last time trying to sell illegal weapons." Ben said with some annoyance before doing the laundry but that made Nora bite her lip.
Over time, Big Band became the sergeant along with Irvin of the police station. At first Bloodgood was very happy to hear that, but the happiness disappeared when things started happening in the city. Arms trafficking, illegal gambling, money laundering. Before the city was peaceful, and now it had turned dark.
"Ben, honey. I've been thinking and, I think we need to talk about this." Nora said before sitting down at the table with the food causing Ben to sit across from her.
"What's up, cupcake?" Big Band asked curiously making Bloodgood sigh.
"I'm almost in my last days of studying at my school. Once I'm done, I've been thinking about it deeply and. I think you should quit your job." Bloodgood said but that made Ben almost choke on his glass of water.
"Quit my job? Nora darling, we already talked about this." Ben said but that made the woman sigh.
"That's what I mean, Ben. I'm very worried and terrified about this. At first you said these things would be temporary and then they would end but it's been three years now and this crime wave doesn't seem to end. I'm very scared of what's to come to move on, maybe if you quit we can go to New Salem together and start a life together."
"You can ask for a police job there again or whatever you want. But I don't want you to continue with this job, I'm afraid even to leave home and even more so if you leave too, because I don't know if I'll ever see you again I really don't want anything bad to happen to you." Nora said tearfully making Ben lower his head. What hurt Big Band the most was seeing Bloodgood cry.
"Honey. I understand you, I care about you too. I fear for your life that one day someone will kidnap you and you will end up like the innocent people we find in human trafficking. And it's true, for a long time I told you that this would be temporary but it doesn't really seem to end." Ben said sadly before sighing and looking into the woman's eyes.
"Bloodgood, I give you my word. Tomorrow will be my last day and I'll resign from the boss, just one more job and I'll retire. I promise." Ben said before taking Nora's hands causing the woman to entwine her hands with the man's.
"Okay honey, I'll take your word for it." Bloodgood said with a smile before hugging Ben. A gesture that the man gladly accepted.
the night passed normally. Bloodgood was sweeping the front door before he saw the Big Band struggling with a tie.
"Ugh, disgusting tie, come on." Ben said angrily but then saw Nora quickly assemble the tie making the woman laugh while the man was blushing with a nervous smile.
"Have a nice day on your last day of work honey." Bloodgood said with a smile as the Big Band climbed into the police car.
"Thank you love, have a nice day you too." The man said with a smile before leaving as Nora went back inside the house not noticing a vehicle that pulled up to the driveway.
"Are you sure it's her?" Asked a woman curiously looking at a person who was wearing a gas mask.
"It matches the description in the photograph you gave us, your highness." The man said seriously making the woman sigh before getting out of the vehicle but also three other people besides the driver who wore military clothing and gas masks.
Bloodgood was vacuuming the house before she started finishing her studies but then she heard a knock on the door causing her to stop vacuuming.
"One moment, please." Nora said before opening the door only to be surprised to see someone in a robe standing next to armed soldiers.
"Nora Bloodgood?" the woman asked seriously causing the monster woman to startle before backing away.
"Yes who are you?." the woman asked but she was surprised when the other woman suddenly gave her a big hug.
"I'm so happy to see you again, Nora. I missed you so much." The other woman said with a somewhat broken tone of voice making Bloodgood look at everything with shock when he recognized her voice.
"Nancy?" Bloodgood asked in surprise only to be glad to see the woman take off her robe revealing a woman with long hair and red eyes.
"I'm so happy you remember me." The woman said through tears before both women hugged each other tightly as the soldiers lowered their weapons and closed the door.
"Nancy, you've grown a lot and who are they?" Nora asked curiously making her best friend laugh shyly of hers.
"Well, it's a very long story. Remember how I said I was going to start being a reporter once I finished school?" Nancy asked before sitting down with Bloodgood at the table.
"Yes I remember. You said you were going to be a reporter when you finish your studies. Why?" The woman asked curiously making Nancy laugh.
"I had my chance to meet Prince Franz Renoir." That statement surprised Bloodgood greatly.
"What did you say!? But how!?." Nora yelled in surprise making her friend laugh.
"Well. It all started with an interview that I was going to do with the king but as always, he refused, however Prince Franz was very kind to allow me to talk to him. One day I met the prince in the streets and we started to get to know each other Years passed and last month we got married." Nancy said with a smile while Nora was very surprised.
"Wow, that's impressive but. How could you find me?" The woman asked curiously but then she saw Nancy take out an old photograph of the two of them on the first day of school.
"Franz helped me. He said he could have the black herons search for you, it only took two weeks for the investigation and they managed to find you here in Maplecrest. So I asked them to please bring me so I can see you again." The woman said with a smile making Bloodgood smile.
"That's very sweet. But why the robe?" Nora asked looking at the robe that her friend had.
"As queen I need to keep my identity a secret to avoid the media. Since the war spread, my husband and I are very tense about this matter and we avoid all contact with the media to prevent us from becoming more tense." Nancy said making Nora sigh.
"I understand. Well, tell me your highness. Will you have time to have tea with me?" Bloodgood asked with a smile making Nancy laugh.
"Please citizen, I would love to share time with you." Nancy said making Bloodgood laugh as the two girls began to prepare the tea.
Ben was now in patrol with Irvin near a donut shop. The commander as usual had sent the duo and other soldiers to patrol the streets, and now both policemen were on their lunch break.
"Man, are you really going to resign? Is it because of money? You could ask the boss for a raise." Irvin said before drinking some coffee but Big Band shook his head.
"It's not about the money, Irvin. It's about Nora, she's scared for our safety. She thinks we'd better move to New Salem and start a new life. I'm not denying it, I've been saying for years that things were going to happen. But this song doesn't seem to end." Ben said before eating a donut.
"I understand. Well, it's a shame. I hope you and Nora are happy, I also hope you don't forget to write me and send an invitation to the wedding." The man said with a smile making Ben nervous, something the man noticed.
"Wait. Don't tell me what." Irvin saw Big Band pull a ring out of his pocket causing the man to pinch his nose.
"I was going to tell him last night but. We had the talk and I didn't have time." Ben said nervously but that made Irvin hit him on the head.
"Come on friend, react the fucking time. Although that woman can live centuries and centuries, you haven't. You've been together for years and you haven't asked her to marry you yet?" Irvin asked angrily making Ben sigh in annoyance.
"I want to do it Irvin. Believe me, I want to give Nora all my love and that we have a future together. But, I get very nervous thinking about it. What will the other monsters think when they see us? Will they hate me? Will they accept me?" Ben asked with concern but then the man saw his friend put a hand on his shoulder.
"Friend please. You shouldn't think about what others believe, if you and Nora are happy together then you should be together always and forever." The man said with a smile making Ben smile.
"Thank you Irvin. You are the best." Big Band said with a smile but then they heard the police radio come on.
"Attention all units, attention all units. We have a situation in the cargo warehouses at the dock, I repeat, a situation at the dock. It seems to be arms trafficking, we need reinforcements!!." The commander yelled as shots were heard causing Ben and Irvin to become serious.
"Step on the floor, Irvin!!." Big Band yelled as his and his best friend quickly made their way to the pier.
At the dock, the commander and a small group of policemen had arrived at the dock. The men were talking until they were interrupted when Ben and Irvin arrived.
"Commander, what's wrong!?" Ben yelled before running out with the gun from him as did Irvin.
"Good to see you sergeants. These scum are trying to run their arms deals again, we were able to stop the dealers but those sons of bitches got away. Irvin has a posse with you, Ben, you and I will go with the others to intercept them." the commander said seriously making everyone nod.
"Very good soldiers, walk." Irvin said seriously before leaving with a small squad of police while Ben went with the commander and the rest of his men into an old warehouse.
"Sir. Perhaps this is not the time to speak but I must tell you something." Ben said seriously as he and the rest of his squad made their way around the area.
"What do you want to tell me, Ben?" The commander asked seriously making Big Band sigh.
"Sir. During these years of service, I can't deny that I am grateful for all of this but. Every song has a beginning and an end, right?" Ben asked causing the commander to look sideways at the man.
"Yes, that's right. Why do you say this, Ben?" The man asked seriously making Big Band somewhat nervous.
"Well, sir." Ben was going to say something but the commander raised his hand.
"Silence. I saw something." The commander said before pointing to a room.
"Ben, go check. We'll cover you." The commander said as Big Band walked into the room before kicking it open.
"Police, everyone stand still!!" Ben yelled seriously but he was surprised to see that no one was there.
"Sir, there is no one here." Ben said while everyone was behind him.
"Exactly, Ben." The commander said before pointing his gun at Big Band before shooting in the knees causing the man to fall to the ground.
"Sir. What are you doing!?" Ben screams in pain as the man entered the room with the rest of his men.
"Ben. I want you to know that in all my years of service I've never met anyone like you and Irvin. Two men who first walked into my station as the biggest clowns of all the rest and are now two of the best cops in town. or rather, the whole kingdom could have had."
"But things can't always last forever, son. Things change with time. New laws, new rules, and, new deals." The commander said with a smile which horrified Ben.
"You, knew everything about these people all this time." Said Big Band fearfully which made everyone laugh.
"I've always liked you, Ben. Of all of us, you're the one who can solve any case in a second. It's too bad your services may not be in demand with us anymore." The commander said with a smile but Ben began to get up with difficulty.
"You're not going to get away with it. You're going to pay for this." Ben said in pain but the man screamed as a policeman hit him in the bullet wounds causing the Big Band to fall to the ground.
"I'm afraid so, Ben. It was a pleasure working with you. Guys." Ben looked up only to see his ex-cop partners raise steel bars and clubs with a smile.
"Give him the send-off he deserves." The commander said with a smile as the men began mercilessly beating Ben.
"You made up your mind about him, right?" asked a female voice causing the commander to turn around only to see Black Dahlia with two women wearing masks.
"Ben and Irvin are two of the strongest cops we've ever had. My men took care of him just like we were asked, Miss Dahlia." The man said with a smile making black Dahlia look at one of the girls next to her. The masked woman said nothing and gave the commander a sack full of money.
"You did a good job. But I hope that idiot's partner isn't alive, otherwise Lorenzo won't be happy about it and no one wants to disappoint my boss." Black Dahlia said seriously making the commander laugh.
"My men will have taken care of Irvin. Don't worry, Miss Dahlia. Neither of those two will be alive, believe me." Said the commander while his men left the room. Black Dahlia looked around the room before laughing psychotic at Ben's state.
Irvin was walking his men through the warehouses before stopping.
"This is a waste of time. I'll call the commander and say they got away." Irvin said but then he felt something on the back of his neck while a man was pointing a gun at the back of his head.
"This is as far as you've come, little boy. Drop the gun." Irvin said nothing and dropped his gun to the ground before turning around.
"Don't take it personally Irvin. It's just business." Said the policeman with a smile before preparing the weapon to fire.
Suddenly Irvin quickly grabbed the subject's arm before swinging back when the man fired. Irvin quickly grabbed his gun and started to run but one of the police officers managed to shoot him in the abdomen causing Irvin to fall near other containers.
"Motherfucker!!." the man yelled before hiding and starting shooting, managing to kill one of the policemen.
"You bastard, get out of there Irvin. You have nowhere to go!!" a police officer yelled before firing causing Irvin to return fire as he struggled to cover his gunshot wound.
"Dammit. Ben, you copy me!? I need help, these idiots are on the side of the smugglers." Irvin said over the comlink but he only received static which petrified him but then he had to take cover when a bullet almost hit him.
"Don't bother trying to call your friend, Irvin. The boss has probably already taken care of him." Said a policeman while his partner slowly approached. Irvin crouched down to concentrate and hearing the footsteps nearby he quickly shot the other policeman's legs before starting to run as best he could.
"Daughter of a bitch!! Don't let him escape!!." the policeman yelled before following Irvin.
Irvin began to run with all his might until he managed to see a broken window in a warehouse. Without hesitation, the man dove in but fell to the ground causing him to grunt in pain from the injury before struggling to his feet.
"Irwin." The man looked ahead only to be horrified. In front of him was Ben. The man had his limbs bent and completely broken, his nose was broken, his head covered in blood and his uniform torn to shreds. Irvin had to hold back his urge to vomit at the sight of it.
"Ben, for God's sake. I'll call an ambulance, please hold on." Irvin said as the man searched for a phone but then had to hide.
"They let him get away!? You two are nothing more than useless donut-eating walruses!! Find Irvin immediately!!" The commander yelled causing everyone to start searching.
"Irvin. Go away." Ben said barely but it disturbed his friend.
"No. I won't let you, I will be able to with them, you resist." Irvin said but then he saw Ben reach his hand into a pocket. The man was shocked to see that the Big Band was giving him his ring.
"Bloodgood. Please tell her to forgive me. May she find happiness and be with someone who loves her for all eternity. Please give her this one, for me." Ben said with a tearful smile making Irvin grab the ring with teary eyes.
"It was an honor, fighting with you, Big Band." Irvin said tearfully before greeting his best friend.
"The honor was mine, brother." Ben said as the man watched his best friend leave quickly as best he could.
"Nora. I love you." Ben said with the last of his strength before he stopped breathing and closed his eyes.
Nancy and Bloodgood had lost track of time. Both women had been chatting for hours over cups of tea, Nora was kind enough to let the soldiers have tea with them. But they only took off their masks to drink tea or eat a cookie, but they never showed their faces.
"Nora, are you okay? You look distressed." Nancy said with concern when she saw that Bloodgood kept looking at his watch.
"It's already half past eight. Big Band gets here at eight o'clock. I hope he's okay." Nancy said fearfully but then the woman stood up when there was a knock on the door.
"Is he!." Bloodgood yelled before running for the door.
"Ben, what a joy that you are here. You had me very worried!!." When Nancy opened her door, she only saw Irvin in front of her with his dirty uniform and bandages on his abdomen.
"Irvin? What are you doing here?" Nora asked worriedly but the man didn't say anything which made Bloodgood more and more scared.
"Where is ben?." Nancy and the black herons stood up as Irvin slowly reached into her pockets before showing Nora the Big Band ring.
"Ben asked me to please give you this." Irvin said with a cold tone of voice. That hit Bloodgood hard.
Bloodgood felt like his heart had shattered, his legs began to shake as tears began to well from his eyes. The woman grabbed the ring from her with a shaking hand before falling to the ground and crying uncontrollably as Nancy and the black herons rushed to the door to help Nora.
"Ben!!. No please no!!. Why!?." Nancy and Bloodgood hugged each other tightly while Queen Nancy just watched in silence as Irvin slowly made his way to the police car before leaving.
Bloodgood looked silently at the ring Ben gave him. The woman lowered her head sadly and began to cry. It didn't matter how much time passed, it didn't matter how many times she tried to put the past behind her. She will never be able to forget that horrible day and the heartbreaking news.
Big Band looked at a picture of him and Bloodgood together. The man adjusted his hat and looked seriously at the photograph.
"Nora. I don't know if you can forgive me, but. If the doctor says you're here, then I will do my best to protect you as I should and must. I failed you once, and I won't make that mistake again." Said Big Band before leaving the room with determination in his eyes.
So far today's chapter. I hope you liked it, and I hope you're also enjoying the story so far.
Ever since I started doing this story I've been thinking about a romantic relationship between Big Band and Bloodgood. In my staff I think it's cute, but what do you think, my readers?
I hope everyone has a good day, afternoon or night. See you later, bye dattebayo.